Patent ID: 7592157

Claim:
A method for producing a protease inhibitor in a filamentous fungal cell comprising, a) introducing a DNA construct into a filamentous fungal cell, wherein said DNA construct comprises a promoter showing transcription activity in the filamentous fungal cell and which is operably linked to a heterologous DNA sequence encoding a Soybean Trypsin Inhibitor (STI) comprising SEQ ID NO:12, wherein residues 40-85 and/or 137-144 have been replaced with a variant sequence, b) culturing the filamentous fungal cell under suitable culture conditions to allow expression of the heterologous DNA sequence, and c) producing the protease inhibitor; wherein said variant sequence is selected from the group consisting of: a VEGF binding peptide consisting of YNLYGWT (SEQ ID NO:77); a complement protein c2 binding peptide consisting of GRKIPIQ (SEQ ID NO:78); a complement protein c3 binding peptide consisting of ARSNLDE (SEQ ID NO:79); a complement protein c4 binding peptide consisting of QRALPIL (SEQ ID NO:80); a complement protein c5 binding peptide consisting of GRLHMKT (SEQ ID NO:81); a complement factor B binding peptide consisting of KRKIVLD (SEQ ID NO:82); a membrane metalloprotease 2 binding peptide consisting of AAMFGPA (SEQ ID NO:83); a membrane metalloprotease 12 binding peptide consisting of GALGLFG (SEQ ID NO:84); a cotton binding peptide consisting of EPLIHQR (SEQ ID NO:85); and a cotton binding peptide consisting of SAFRGPT (SEQ ID NO:86).