Patent ID: 6936455

Claim:
A process for the recombinant production of a heterologous polypeptide, comprising, (i) cultivation of a bacterial host cell which is transformed with an expression vector which comprises a nucleic acid molecule which codes for a fusion protein, the fusion protein comprising a first polypeptide which exhibits the autoproteolytic function of an autoprotease N pro of a pestivirus, and a second polypeptide which is connected to the first polypeptide at the C-terminus of the first polypeptide in a manner such that the second polypeptide is capable of being cleaved from the fusion protein by the autoproteolytic activity of the first polypeptide, and the second polypeptide being a heterologous polypeptide, wherein cultivation occurs under conditions which cause expression of the fusion protein and formation of corresponding cytoplasmic inclusion bodies, (ii) isolation of the inclusion bodies from the host cell, (iii) solubilization of the isolated inclusion bodies, (iv) dilution of the solubilizate to give a reaction solution in which the autoproteolytic cleavage of the heterologous polypeptide from the fusion protein is performed, and (v) isolation of the cleaved heterologous polypeptide.