Patent ID: 7183393

Claim:
A fusion protein comprising, a first polypeptide portion having an amino acid sequence from a syndecan protein comprising amino acids 20–41 of SEQ ID NO: 9, with a functional heparan sulphate attachment sequence having the amino acid sequence Xac-Z-Ser-Gly-Ser-Gly (SEQ ID NO: 44), wherein Xac represents an amino acid residue having an acidic sidechain, and Z represents from 1 to 10 amino acid residues, or amino acids 20–41 of SEQ ID NO: 9 with at least one conservative amino acid substitution occurring outside of the functional heparan sulphate attachment sequence, wherein the heparan sulphate attachment sequence has a heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan chain attached thereto, and a second polypeptide portion having an amino acid sequence from a protein which does not naturally have a covalently linked heparan sulphate glycosaminoglycan chain, and wherein the heparan sulphate glycosaminoglycan chain attached to the first polypeptide portion modifies the function of the second polypeptide portion.