Conjugation of polypeptides

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is the object of the invention to provide polypeptide conjugates with reduced allergenicity.
As described above it is well-known according to prior art to conjugate one or more polymeric molecules to one polypeptide carrier molecule by covalently attaching one or more of polymeric molecules to e.
g.
the amino-groups of a polypeptide carrier molecule.
Even though techniques for doing so have been shown to reduces the immune system's response towards polypeptides said techniques have some deficiencies: As the number of accessible attachment-groups (e.
g.
amino groups) on many polypeptide molecules, used as ingredients in industrial products (i.
e.
normally polypeptide molecules with a molecular weight in the range from about 10 to 200 kDa), are limited, the number of polymeric molecules which can be conjugated to each polypeptide carrier molecule is limited.
the activity (e.
g.
catalytic activity) of polypeptide conjugates (e.
g.
enzyme conjugates) having a number of polymeric molecules attached to each polypeptide carrier molecule is usually significantly decreased in comparison to the corresponding parent polypeptide molecule, due to steric hindrance (i.
e.
low accessibility of the substrate to the active site of the polypeptide molecule, e.
g.
enzyme).
The inventors have found that conjugation techniques resulting in the coupling of two or more polypeptide molecule to each polymeric carrier molecule reduces the allergenicity of polypeptide molecules suitable for industrial products.
Such polypeptide conjugates are also more stable than corresponding parent polypeptide molecules.
Polypeptide conjugates according to the present invention may also have advantages in comparison to polypeptide conjugates having several polymeric molecules attached to each polypeptide carrier molecules, as the amount of excess polypeptide molecules needed for the conjugation process is less than the amount needed for corresponding prior art processes conjugating several polymeric molecules to each polypeptide carrier molecule, as only one attachment-group on the polypeptide molecule is needed