Patent ID: 8106158

Claim:
A chimeric protein comprising a protein of interest, a fusion partner, and a peptide linker interposed there between, wherein said protein of interest is linked to the N-terminus of said peptide linker and said fusion partner is linked to the C-terminus of said peptide linker or said protein of interest is linked to the C-terminus of said peptide linker and said fusion partner is linked to the N-terminus of said peptide linker, wherein said peptide linker consists of the sequence: X1-X2-Ser-Pro-X3-X4-X5 (SEQ ID NO: 44) wherein, X1 is two to ten amino acid residues that are the same or different from each other; X2 is glycine; X3 is arginine or lysine; X4 is alanine or glycine; and X5 is a non-acidic amino acid, wherein (a) said fusion partner is an affinity peptide; (b) said protein of interest is selected from the group consisting of human interleukin (IL)-11, thymosin β4, thymosin α1, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, IL-15, IL-18, Protease-activated receptor 1(PAR1), PAR3, PAR4, RANTES, stromal cell-derived factor-1α, monocyte chemotactic protein, stem cell factor, FLT-3L, parathyroid hormone, thrombopoietin, epidermal growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, insulin-like growth factor, granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, granulocyte colony stimulating factor, macrophage colony stimulating factor, platelet-derived growth factor, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon (IFN)-α, IFN-β, IFN-γ, hepatocyte growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor and immunoglobulin heavy chain, wherein said chimeric protein is non-naturally occurring; or (c) said fusion partner is an affinity peptide and said protein of interest is selected from the group consisting of human interleukin (IL)-11, thymosin β4, thymosin α1, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, IL-15, IL-18, Protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1), PAR3, PAR4, RANTES, stromal cell-derived factor-1α, monocyte chemotactic protein, stem cell factor, FLT-3L, parathyroid hormone, thrombopoietin, epidermal growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, insulin-like growth factor, granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, granulocyte colony stimulating factor, macrophage colony stimulating factor, platelet-derived growth factor, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon (IFN)-α, IFN-β, IFN-γ, hepatocyte growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor and immunoglobulin heavy chain.