Patent ID: 8377447

Claim:
An isolated, modified recombinant T cell ligand (RTL) having a reduced potential for aggregation in solution, comprising: a major histocompatibility complex-class II (MHC Class II) component in the form of a single chain (sc) polypeptide comprising multiple, covalently-linked MHC domain elements including α1 and β1 domains of an MHC class II polypeptide, wherein the amino terminus of the α1 domain is covalently linked to the carboxy terminus of the β1 domain, wherein the MHC Class II component does not include an α2 or β2 domain, wherein the MHC Class II component comprises the α1 and β1 domains of an HLA-DR protein, and wherein the MHC Class II component is modified by substitution of one or more hydrophobic residues with a polar or charged residue, wherein the one or more hydrophobic residues are selected from residues V6, I8, A10, F12, and L14 of the α1 domain, whereby the modified RTL exhibits reduced aggregation in solution compared to aggregation exhibited by an unmodified, control RTL comprising α1 and β1 domains of an MHC class II polypeptide, wherein the amino terminus of the α1 domain is covalently linked to the carboxy terminus of the β1 domain, wherein the unmodified, control RTL does not include an α2 or β2 domain.