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WO2014202089A2 - Variants de polypeptides antigel - Google Patents

Variants de polypeptides antigel Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2014202089A2
WO2014202089A2 PCT/DK2014/050173 DK2014050173W WO2014202089A2 WO 2014202089 A2 WO2014202089 A2 WO 2014202089A2 DK 2014050173 W DK2014050173 W DK 2014050173W WO 2014202089 A2 WO2014202089 A2 WO 2014202089A2
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
seq
polypeptide
amino acids
amino acid
increase
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PCT/DK2014/050173
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English (en)
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WO2014202089A3 (fr
Inventor
Hans RAMLØV
Erlend KRISTIANSEN
Dennis Steven FRIIS
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Roskilde Universitet
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Publication of WO2014202089A2 publication Critical patent/WO2014202089A2/fr
Publication of WO2014202089A3 publication Critical patent/WO2014202089A3/fr

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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C07K—PEPTIDES
    • C07K14/00—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof
    • C07K14/435—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans
    • C07K14/43504—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans from invertebrates
    • C07K14/43563—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans from invertebrates from insects

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to novel variants of anti-freeze polypeptides - i.e.
  • polypeptides comprising an ice-binding capability - resulting in an ice crystal formation and/or growth reducing or inhibiting activity. Methods for producing and using such variants of antifreeze proteins are also disclosed.
  • Anti-freeze polypeptides/proteins (AFP - in some publications also known as thermal hysteresis polypeptides, THP, or ice structuring polypeptides, ISP) lower the freezing point of a solution substantially while the predicted melting point is only moderately depressed. This means that whereas the freezing point is lowered dramatically, the melting point of the solution is predicted by the colligative melting point depression.
  • the displacement of the freezing temperature is limited and rapid ice growth will take place at a sufficiently low temperature.
  • the separation of the melting and freezing temperature is usually referred to as thermal hysteresis (TH) (Knight et al. 1991 , Raymond and DeVries 1977, Wilson 1993), and the temperature of ice growth is referred to as the hysteresis freezing point.
  • the difference between the melting point and the hysteresis freezing point is called the hystersis or the anti-freeze activity.
  • a second functionality of the AFPs is in the frozen state, where they show ice recrystallization inhibition (Rl). The AFPs inhibit the formation of large crystals at the expense of small crystals at temperatures above the temperature of recrystrallisation. (Knight et 1.1984, 1995, Knight and Duman 1986, Raml0v et al. 1996).
  • AFPs seem all to be amphiphilic. This means that they have one part which is more hydrophobic than the rest of the molecule. Hitherto the explanation for their activity is that their hydrophilic side binds to the ice crystal. However, this view has during the last decade been challenged as when looking at ice/water one can with good reason ask which is per definition most hydrophilic- ice or water.
  • Various evidence for the binding of the AFPs to the ice via their hydrophobic side/domains is emerging, but as the exact mechanism for the binding is not known all evidence so far has been circumstantial.
  • the hysteresis freezing point is thus the temperature where it again becomes energetically favourable for the water molecules to bind to the ice and ice growth continues explosively (Knight et al. 1991 , Raymond and DeVries 1977, Wlson 1993).
  • the thermal hysteresis is thus dependent on at least 2 parameters: 1) the type of antifreeze polypeptide (dependent on organism, isoform) and 2) the concentration, albeit that the concentration dependency shows saturation (DeVries 1983, Kao et al. 1985, Schrag et al. 1982).
  • the present invention relates to variants of anti-freeze proteins, their production method and different uses thereof.
  • the present invention is directed in one aspect to anti-freeze polypeptides and variants and fragments thereof, including variants of anti-freeze polypeptides produced by certain beetles - including Rhagium mordax and Rhagium Inquisitor - and comprising a plurality of ice-binding sites.
  • Methods for making and using such polypeptides are also within the scope of the present invention.
  • AFPs anti-freeze polypeptides
  • Anti-freeze polypeptides according to the present invention are surprisingly found to have a significantly lower number of cysteine residues than other insect AFPs presently known. This feature, together with the fact that the polypeptides according to the present invention have fewer repeated sequences than many state-of-the-art insect anti-freeze polypeptides, make them better candidates for expression in heterologous host organisms.
  • the anti-freeze polypeptides according to the present invention have a variety of utilities and industrial applications as will be clear from the below disclosure.
  • the polypeptides, or genes encoding the polypeptides can be used in various ways to suppress ice crystal growth.
  • the polypeptides may be introduced directly, or they may be introduced as a gene which is expressed in a host cell under the control of a suitable expression signal to produce the polypeptide(s).
  • Suitable concentrations of anti-freeze polypeptides will vary depending on the use, but will typically be in the range of from about one part per billion to about one part per thousand (i.e., from about 1 ⁇ 9/ ⁇ to about 1 mg/l).
  • the polypeptides are introduced into edible products, or brought into contact with edible products, so as to reduce or inhibit ice crystal growth and/or formation e.g. during production and/or storage of the edible products in their frozen condition.
  • the polypeptides according to the present invention provides ice crystallisation that are markedly different than crystals obtained in the presence of other known anti-freeze polypeptides.
  • crystals with a small spheric structure are obtained while known anti-freeze polypeptides such as e.g. anti-freeze protein type III HPLC 12 mentioned in US 6,914,043 or the ice crystal growth inhibiting agent as mentioned in US 6,312,733 provides ice crystals with a spicular structure.
  • one major advantage of the present invention is that when the polypeptides according to the present invention are incorporated into e.g. ice cream an improved mouth feel is obtained due to the fact that the crystals formed in the ice cream during production and storage will have an essentially small spheric structure compared to the rough spicular crystals obtained when using known anti-freeze polypeptides of type III of herein above.
  • the texture, taste, and useful storage life of frozen edible products, including vegetables will be greatly improved as a result of the action of the polypeptides according to the present invention.
  • frozen vegetables such as e.g. celery, potatoes, asparagus, peas, carrots, beans, broccoli, sweet corn, spinach, and the like
  • the texture, taste and useful storage life of various frozen fruits will be enhanced, including strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, citrus fruits, bananas, grapes, kiwis, peaches, pineapples, plums, cherries, tomatoes and mangoes.
  • the introduction into vegetables, and other edible products can be accomplished e.g. by genetic introduction of appropriate polynucleotides into the target organism.
  • polypeptides in one important aspect of the invention, are added to foods which are expected to be or remain frozen until, or even during, consumption - and in particular edible products which are consumed in a frozen or cold state.
  • frozen food products are intended to be consumed in the frozen or cold state, for example, ice cream, frozen yogurt, ice milk, sherbet, popsicles, frozen whipped cream, frozen cream pies, frozen puddings and the like.
  • texture and flavour are adversely affected by the formation of large ice crystals throughout a freeze-thaw cycle that occurs in most home frost-free freezers, or upon sustained storage in the frozen state.
  • This ice crystal growth process may be reduced or even prevented entirely, or at least minimized, by using the anti-freeze polypeptides according to the present invention.
  • the anti-freeze polypeptides according to the present invention may be either incorporated throughout the edible product, and/or they may, i.e. such as alternatively, be applied to the surface of the edible product, where condensation and ice crystal formation is expected to occur most readily.
  • yeasts including bakers yeast, comprising polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides according to the present invention.
  • Methods related to this aspect include methods for transform dough yeast with polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides. Upon incorporation and expression of the polynucleotides into the yeasts, and use of these yeasts e.g. in frozen dough, the dough will naturally leaven upon thawing because the yeast viability will remain high upon thawing.
  • An alternative way of incorporating anti-freeze polypeptides into frozen, fermented edible products is to have the organism responsible for the fermentation process produce the anti-freeze polypeptides while fermenting the food.
  • the present invention also embraces methods for preparing a frozen fermented food product.
  • This method comprises the steps of (a) contacting a food product with a microorganism that is capable of secreting a polypeptide according to the present invention, wherein the microorganism is capable of fermenting the food product to produce the fermented food product, (b) incubating the food product with the microorganism under conditions in which fermentation takes place so that a fermented food product is produced having anti-freeze polypeptides according to the present invention present in an amount effective for inhibiting ice crystal growth and/or formation in the product or on the surface of the product; and (c) freezing the fermented food product at a temperature of preferably below -5°C, so as to produce a frozen, fermented food product.
  • Yet another aspect of the present invention is directed to the introduction of anti-freeze polypeptides according to the present invention present into biological cells, or extracts thereof destined for frozen storage.
  • biological cells or extracts thereof destined for frozen storage.
  • bacterial cells, yeast cells, plant cells and animal cells comprising the anti-freeze polypeptides according to the present invention present have an increased cell or tissue viability with minimal or no loss of inherent characteristics due to the freeze-thaw process.
  • Sub-cellular samples or cellular extracts may have similar sensitivities to freezing, especially on prolonged storage.
  • Typical examples will be in vitro polypeptide translation systems, enzyme preparations, and particularly samples which contain sensitive membrane components, such as chloroplast or mitochondrial membrane preparations.
  • samples containing organelles may display increased resistance to freezing damage upon addition of the anti-freeze polypeptides according to the present invention present.
  • Soft animal tissues will exhibit less damage upon freezing in the presence of the subject polypeptides, and addition of the polypeptides according to the present invention present will be useful in situations, when cellular integrity upon freezing and subsequent thawing is important or desired, such as for tissue culture deposits.
  • samples destined for frozen storage such as for cell or tissue depositories, might routinely have the polypeptides according to the present added to them.
  • the biological cell types often stored are genetic variants of bacteria, fungi (including yeast), and, particularly, higher eucaryote cells (such as hybridoma strains and tissue culture cell lines).
  • the present invention in other aspects are directed to applications which are not specific to the food area.
  • One non-food application of the polypeptides according to the present invention present is the protection of crops and plants from climatic freezing conditions.
  • the anti-freeze polypeptides according to the present invention present may be either internally incorporated into the cytoplasm by expression of an introduced gene, or the polypeptides may be externally applied to the plants - e.g. by spraying or otherwise. External application may thus be achieved either by direct application of the polypeptides to the plant, or by the external deposit onto the plant of an organism which secretes the polypeptide.
  • Another embodiment is the introduction of an anti-freeze polypeptide into a liquid surrounding an organ, tissue or other biological sample.
  • an anti-freeze polypeptide is introduced into a liquid surrounding an organ, tissue or other biological sample.
  • One particular use would be during transportation to a hospital for a transplantation operation or for storage purposes.
  • the anti-freeze polypeptide according to the present invention present should allow short- or long-term storage at a subfreezing temperature, thereby minimizing inherent metabolism or degradation, but with substantially diminished cellular damage from ice crystal growth.
  • Other medically important temperature sensitive biological samples are blood and blood products, therapeutic agents, polypeptide drugs, bioassay reagents and vaccines.
  • the present invention also provides a cosmetic or dermatological preparation which comprises the polypeptides according to the present invention.
  • the use of the polypeptides according to the present invention in cosmetic or topical dermatological preparations renders possible an effective treatment, but also a prophylaxis of structural and cellular damage in the skin due to cold, which damage with distinct climate- and weather-induced drops in temperature cause changes in the cell physiology in the cell and in the extracellular space through loss of the temperature optima of cellular enzymes, skin damage, skin redness and tight feeling of the skin and increased sensory sensitivities, induced, e.g., by cold, wind and/or UV light, temperature-sensitive skin, negative changes in the skin, the lips and the mucous membranes in the nose and mouth area and the integumentary appendage caused by environmental stress (caused by temperature changes and UV light, smoking, smog, reactive oxygen species, free radicals).
  • compositions and uses based on the mixture of anti-freeze polypeptides according to the present invention with state-of-the-art stabilizers, emulsifiers and surfactants well known to those skilled in the art and other additives. These compounds may be present to inhibit decay, inhibit oxidation, prevent discoloration, inhibit microbial growth, stabilize emulsions and so forth.
  • the present invention is directed in one aspect to polypeptides capable of inhibiting and/or reducing ice crystal formation associated with the freezing or supercooling of an object or substance, including an edible product.
  • Supercooling conditions are conditions allowing the cooling of a substance below the temperature at which a change of state would ordinarily take place (i.e. from a water phase to ice) without such a change of state occurring. Accordingly, the cooling of a liquid below its freezing point without freezing taking place constitutes supercooling and results in a metastable state.
  • polypeptides according to the present invention will interchangeably be denoted anti-freeze polypeptides or anti-freeze proteins and, for short, polypeptides, throughout the present description.
  • polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1 to SEQ ID NO:9 or variants or fragments thereof.
  • the annotation SEQ ID NO: 1 to SEQ ID NO:9, and other similar annotations indicating a starting number and an end number of a range of sequence identity numbers, shall, when used herein, denote each and every one of said sequence identity numbers, such as, in the above cited example, the sequence identity numbers SEQ ID NO:1 , SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO: 9 unless otherwise noted.
  • Rhagium mordax AFP1 is SEQ ID NO 1 (cf. figure 3); Rhagium mordax AFP2 is SEQ ID NO 2 (cf. figure 3); Rhagium mordax AFP3 is SEQ ID NO 3 (cf. figure 3); Rhagium mordax AFP4 is SEQ ID NO 4 (cf. figure 3); Rhagium mordax AFP5 is SEQ ID NO 5 (cf. figure 3); Rhagium mordax AFP6 is SEQ ID NO 6 (cf. figure 3);
  • Rhagium mordax AFP7 is SEQ ID NO 7 (cf. figure 3); Rhagium mordax AFP8 is SEQ ID NO 8 (cf. figure 3) and Rhagium Inquisitor AFP is SEQ ID NO 9 (cf. figure 3).
  • the invention relates in one aspect to an isolated polypeptide which
  • (a) is at least 75% identical to the polypeptides consisting of the amino acids of SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7; SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO:9 or any fragment thereof; but differs from said sequences by one or more amino acid substitutions or
  • (b) is at least 75% identical to the polypeptide of consisting of the amino acids of SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7; SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO:9 or any fragment thereof; or any fragment thereof, but differs from said sequences solely by
  • (c) is a fragment of SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO:9 consisting of at least 20 consecutive amino acids, or
  • (d) is a fragment of SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 consisting of at least 20 consecutive amino acids, but differs from said sequences by one or more amino acid substitutions and
  • polypeptide is capable of reducing or inhibiting the formation and/or growth of ice crystals.
  • One or more of the amino acids of SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 can be substituted with another natural or unnatural amino acid.
  • Polypeptides comprising or consisting of any of SEQ ID NO: 1 to SEQ ID NO:9, fragments thereof having anti-freeze activity, and variants thereof being at least about 75% identical to any of SEQ ID NO: 1 to SEQ ID NO:9, or a fragment thereof, also fall within the scope of the present invention.
  • a fragment of the polypeptide comprising or consisting of any of SEQ ID NO: 1 to SEQ ID NO:9 having at least 20 amino acids and an ice binding and antifreeze activity are also disclosed.
  • the fragment preferably has less than 200 amino acids, such as preferably less than 150 amino acids, for example preferably less than 100 amino acids, such as 80 amino acids, for example 60 amino acids.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise one or more amino acid substitutions such as at least 1 amino acid substitution, for example at least 2 amino acid substitutions, such as at least 3 amino acid substitutions, for example at least 4 amino acid substitutions, such as at least 5 amino acid substitutions, for example at least 6 amino acid substitutions, such as at least 7 amino acid substitutions, for example at least 8 amino acid substitutions, such as at least 9 amino acid substitutions, for example at least 10 amino acid substitutions, such as at least 12 amino acid substitutions, for example at least 14 amino acid substitutions, such as at least 16 amino acid substitutions, for example at least 18 amino acid substitutions, such as at least 20 amino acid substitutions, for example at least 25 amino acid substitutions, such as at least 30 amino acid substitutions, for example at least 35 amino acid substitutions, such as at least 40 amino acid substitutions, such as at least 1 amino acid substitution, for example at least 2 amino acid substitutions, such as at least 3 amino acid substitutions, for
  • substitutions for example at least 50 amino acid substitutions, such as at least 60 amino acid substitutions, and for example at least 80 amino acid substitutions.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise one or more amino acid substitutions such as from 1 to 2 substitutions, for example from 2 to 3 substitutions, such as from 3 to 4 substitutions, for example from 4 to 5 substitutions, such as from 5 to 6 substitutions, for example from 6 to 7 substitutions, such as from 7 to 8 substitutions, for example from 8 to 9 substitutions, such as from 9 to 10 substitutions, for example from 10 to 15 substitutions, such as from 15 to 20 substitutions, for example from 20 to 25 substitutions, such as from 25 to 30 substitutions, for example from 30 to 35 substitutions, such as from 35 to 40 substitutions, for example from 40 to 50 substitutions, such as from 50 to 60
  • amino acid substitutions such as from 1 to 2 substitutions, for example from 2 to 3 substitutions, such as from 3 to 4 substitutions, for example from 4 to 5 substitutions, such as from 5 to 6 substitutions, for example from 6 to 7 substitutions, such as from 7 to 8 substitutions,
  • substitutions for example from 60 to 70 substitutions, such as from 70 to 80
  • substitutions or for example from 80 to 100 substitutions, or any combination of these intervals.
  • the polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise one or more amino acid substitutions such as less than 100 substitutions, for example less than 90 substitutions, such as less than 80 substitutions, for example less than 70 substitutions, such as less than 60 substitutions, for example less than 50 substitutions, such as less than 40 substitutions, for example less than 30 substitutions, such as less than 25 substitutions, for example less than 20 substitutions, such as less than 18 substitutions, for example less than 16 substitutions, such as less than 14 substitutions, for example less than 12 substitutions, such as less than 10 substitutions, for example less than 8 substitutions, such as less than 7 substitutions, for example less than 6 substitutions, such as less than 5 substitutions, for example less than 4 substitutions, or such as less than 3 substitutions.
  • amino acid substitutions such as less than 100 substitutions, for example less than 90 substitutions, such as less than 80 substitutions, for example less than 70 substitutions, such as less than 60 substitutions, for example less
  • the polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise one or more amino acid substitutions, wherein some or all of the one or more amino acid substitutions are conservative amino acid substitutions.
  • the polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise one or more conservative amino acid substitutions such as at least 1 conservative amino acid substitution, for example at least 2 conservative amino acid substitutions, such as at least 3 conservative amino acid substitutions, for example at least 4 conservative amino acid substitutions, such as at least 5 conservative amino acid substitutions, for example at least 6 conservative amino acid substitutions, such as at least 7 conservative amino acid substitutions, for example at least 8 conservative amino acid substitutions, such as at least 9 conservative amino acid substitutions, for example at least 10 conservative amino acid substitutions, such as at least 12 conservative amino acid substitutions, for example at least 14 conservative amino acid substitutions, such as at least 16 conservative amino acid substitutions, for example at least 18 conservative amino acid substitutions, such as at least
  • conservative amino acid substitutions such as at least 40 conservative amino acid substitutions, for example at least 50 conservative amino acid substitutions, such as at least 60 conservative amino acid substitutions, and for example at least 80
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise one or more amino acid conservative substitutions, such as from 1 to 2 conservative substitutions, for example from 2 to 3 conservative substitutions, such as from 3 to 4 conservative substitutions, for example from 4 to 5 conservative amino acid conservative substitutions, such as from 1 to 2 conservative substitutions, for example from 2 to 3 conservative substitutions, such as from 3 to 4 conservative substitutions, for example from 4 to 5 conservative
  • substitutions such as from 5 to 6 conservative substitutions, for example from 6 to 7 conservative substitutions, such as from 7 to 8 conservative substitutions, for example from 8 to 9 conservative substitutions, such as from 9 to 10 conservative substitutions, for example from 10 to 15 conservative substitutions, such as from 15 to 20
  • conservative substitutions for example from 20 to 25 conservative substitutions, such as from 25 to 30 conservative substitutions, for example from 30 to 35 conservative substitutions, such as from 35 to 40 conservative substitutions, for example from 40 to 50 conservative substitutions, such as from 50 to 60 conservative substitutions, for example from 60 to 70 conservative substitutions, such as from 70 to 80 conservative substitutions, or for example from 80 to 100 conservative substitutions, or any combination of these intervals.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise one or more conservative amino acid substitutions such as less than 100 conservative substitutions, for example less than 90 conservative substitutions, such as less than 80 conservative substitutions, for example less than 70 conservative substitutions, such as less than 60 conservative substitutions, for example less than 50 conservative substitutions, such as less than 40 conservative substitutions, for example less than 30 conservative substitutions, such as less than 25 conservative amino acid substitutions such as less than 100 conservative substitutions, for example less than 90 conservative substitutions, such as less than 80 conservative substitutions, for example less than 70 conservative substitutions, such as less than 60 conservative substitutions, for example less than 50 conservative substitutions, such as less than 40 conservative substitutions, for example less than 30 conservative substitutions, such as less than 25 conservative amino acid substitutions, such as less than 100 conservative substitutions, for example less than 90 conservative substitutions, such as less than 80 conservative substitutions, for example less than 70 conservative substitutions, such as less than 60 conservative substitutions, for example less than 50 conservative substitutions
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise one or more amino acid substitutions, wherein some or all of the one or more amino acid substitutions are non-conservative amino acid substitutions.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise one or more non-conservative amino acid substitutions such as at least 1 non-conservative amino acid substitution, for example at least 2 non-conservative amino acid substitutions, such as at least 3 non-conservative amino acid substitutions, for example at least 4 non-conservative amino acid substitutions, such as at least 5 non-conservative amino acid substitutions, for example at least 6 non-conservative amino acid substitutions, such as at least 7 non-conservative amino acid substitutions, for example at least 8 non-conservative amino acid substitutions, such as at least 9 non-conservative amino acid substitutions, for example at least 10 non-conservative amino acid substitutions, such as at least 12 non-conservative amino acid
  • substitutions for example at least 14 non-conservative amino acid substitutions, such as at least 16 non-conservative amino acid substitutions, for example at least 18 non- conservative amino acid substitutions, such as at least 20 non-conservative amino acid substitutions, for example at least 25 non-conservative amino acid substitutions, such as at least 30 non-conservative amino acid substitutions, for example at least 35 non- conservative amino acid substitutions, such as at least 40 non-conservative amino acid substitutions, for example at least 50 non-conservative amino acid substitutions, such as at least 60 non-conservative amino acid substitutions, and for example at least 80 non-conservative amino acid substitutions.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise one or more amino acid non-conservative substitutions, such as from 1 to 2 non-conservative substitutions, for example from 2 to 3 non-conservative substitutions, such as from 3 to 4 non-conservative substitutions, for example from 4 to 5 non-conservative substitutions, such as from 5 to 6 non-conservative substitutions, for example from 6 to 7 non-conservative substitutions, such as from 7 to 8 non- conservative substitutions, for example from 8 to 9 non-conservative substitutions, such as from 9 to 10 non-conservative substitutions, for example from 10 to 15 non- conservative substitutions, such as from 15 to 20 non-conservative substitutions, for example from 20 to 25 non-conservative substitutions, such as from 25 to 30 non- conservative substitutions, for example from 30 to 35 non-conservative substitutions, such as from 35 to 40 non-conservative substitutions, for example from 40 to 50 non- conservative
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise one or more non-conservative amino acid substitutions such as less than 100 non-conservative substitutions, for example less than 90 non-conservative substitutions, such as less than 80 non-conservative substitutions, for example less than 70 non-conservative substitutions, such as less than 60 non-conservative substitutions, for example less than 50 non-conservative substitutions, such as less than 40 non-conservative substitutions, for example less than 30 non-conservative substitutions, such as less than 25 non-conservative substitutions, for example less than 20 non-conservative substitutions, such as less than 18 non-conservative substitutions, for example less than 16 non-conservative substitutions, such as less than 14 non-conservative substitutions, for example less than 12 non-conservative substitutions, such as less than 10 non-conservative substitutions, for example less than 8 non-conservative amino acid substitutions such as less than 100
  • substitutions or such as less than 3 non-conservative substitutions.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise one or more amino acid substitutions, wherein some of the one or more amino acid substitutions are non-conservative amino acid substitutions and wherein some of the one or more amino acid substitutions are conservative amino acid substitutions.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise one or more amino acid substitutions, wherein some or all of the one or more amino acid substitutions are substitutions to natural amino acids.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise one or more amino acid substitutions, wherein some or all of the one or more amino acid substitutions are substitutions to unnatural amino acids.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise one or more amino acid substitutions, wherein the one or more amino acid substitutions are partly substitutions to natural amino acids and partly substitutions to unnatural amino acids.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise one or more amino acid substitutions, wherein some or all of the one or more amino acid substitutions are substitutions to modified amino acids.
  • the polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise one or more amino acid substitutions, wherein some or all of the one or more amino acid substitutions are substitutions to unmodified amino acids.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise one or more amino acid substitutions, wherein the one or more amino acid substitutions are partly substitutions to modified amino acids and partly
  • the polypeptide can be a fragment of SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 consisting of at least 20 consecutive amino acids, such as at least 25 consecutive amino acids, for example at least 30 consecutive amino acids, such as at least 35 consecutive amino acids, for example at least 40 consecutive amino acids, such as at least 45 consecutive amino acids, for example at least 50 consecutive amino acids, such as at least 55 consecutive amino acids, for example at least 60 consecutive amino acids, such as at least 65 consecutive amino acids, for example at least 70 consecutive amino acids, such as at least 75 consecutive amino acids, for example at least 80 consecutive amino acids, such as at least 85 consecutive amino acids, for example at least 90 consecutive amino acids, such as at least 95 consecutive amino acids, for example at least 100 consecutive amino acids, such as at least 105 consecutive amino acids, for example at least 1 10 consecutive amino acids, such as at least 1 15 consecutive
  • the polypeptide can be a fragment of SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 consisting of at less than 160 consecutive amino acids, such as for example less than 155 consecutive amino acids, for example less than 150 consecutive amino acids, such as for example less than 145 consecutive amino acids, for example less than 140 consecutive amino acids, such as for example less than 135 consecutive amino acids, for example less than 130 consecutive amino acids, such as for example less than 125 consecutive amino acids, for example less than 120 consecutive amino acids, such as for example less than 115 consecutive amino acids, for example less than 1 10 consecutive amino acids, such as for example less than 105 consecutive amino acids, for example less than 100 consecutive amino acids, such as for example less than 95 consecutive amino acids, for example less than 90 consecutive amino acids, such as for example less than 85 consecutive amino acids, for example less than 80 consecutive amino acids, such as for
  • the polypeptide can be a fragment of SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 consisting of consecutive amino acids, wherein the length of the polypeptide fragment is selected from the group consisting of from 20 amino acids to 25 amino acids, from 25 amino acids to 30 amino acids, from 30 amino acids to 35 amino acids, from 35 amino acids to 40 amino acids, from 40 amino acids to 45 amino acids, from 45 amino acids to 50 amino acids, from 50 amino acids to 55 amino acids, from 55 amino acids to 60 amino acids, from 60 amino acids to 65 amino acids, from 65 amino acids to 70 amino acids, from 70 amino acids to 75 amino acids, from 75 amino acids to 80 amino acids, from 80 amino acids to 85 amino acids, from 85 amino acids to 90 amino acids, from 90 amino acids to 95 amino acids, from 95 amino acids to 100 amino acids, from 100 amino acids to 105 amino acids, from
  • the polypeptide can be a fragment of SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 consisting of consecutive amino acids, wherein the fragment starts at a position in SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 selected from the group consisting of amino acid number 1 , amino acid number 2, amino acid number 3, amino acid number 4, amino acid number 5, amino acid number 6, amino acid number 7, amino acid number 8, amino acid number 9, amino acid number 10, amino acid number 1 1 , amino acid number 12, amino acid number 13, amino acid number 14, amino acid number 15, amino acid number 16, amino acid number 17, amino acid number 18, amino acid number 19, amino acid number 20, amino acid number 21 , amino acid number
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can in addition to SEQ ID NO:1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or the fragment thereof comprises one or more additional amino acids.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can in addition to SEQ ID NO:1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or the fragment thereof comprises one or more additional amino acids, such as at least 1 additional amino acid, for example at least 2 additional amino acids, such as at least 3 additional amino acid, for example at least 4 additional amino acids, such as at least 5 additional amino acid, for example at least 6 additional amino acids, such as at least 7 additional amino acid, for example at least 8 additional amino acids, such as at least 9 additional amino acid, for example at least 10 additional amino acids, such as at least 12 additional amino acid, for example at least 14 additional amino acids, such as at least 16 additional amino acid, for example at least 18 additional amino acids, such as at least 20 additional amino acid, for example at least 25 additional amino acids, such as at least 30
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can in addition to SEQ ID NO:1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or the fragment thereof comprises one or more additional amino acids, for example less than 160 additional amino acids, such as for example less than 155 additional amino acids, for example less than 150 additional amino acids, such as for example less than 145 additional amino acids, for example less than 140 additional amino acids, such as for example less than 135 additional amino acids, for example less than 130 additional amino acids, such as for example less than 125 additional amino acids, for example less than 120 additional amino acids, such as for example less than 1 15 additional amino acids, for example less than 1 10 additional amino acids, such as for example less than 105 additional amino acids, for example less than 100 additional amino acids, such as for example less than 95 additional amino acids, for example
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can in addition to SEQ ID NO:1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or the fragment thereof comprises one or more additional amino acids, wherein the number of additional amino acids is selected from the group consisting of from 1 amino acid to 2 amino acids, from 2 amino acids to 3 amino acids, from 3 amino acids to 4 amino acids, from 4 amino acids to 5 amino acids, from 5 amino acids to 6 amino acids, from 6 amino acids to 7 amino acids, from 7 amino acids to 8 amino acids, from 8 amino acids to 9 amino acids, from 9 amino acids to 10 amino acids, from 10 amino acids to 12 amino acids, from 12 amino acids to 14 amino acids, from 14 amino acids to 16 amino acids, from 16 amino acids to 18 amino acids, from 18 amino acids to 20 amino acids, from 20 amino acids to 25 amino
  • the one or more additional amino acids can be natural amino acids and/or unnatural amino acids. Some or all of the one or more additional amino acids can be modified amino acids and/or unmodified amino acids.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof, wherein one or more amino acids have been deleted.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof, wherein one or more amino acids have been deleted, such as deletion of at least 1 amino acid, for example at least 2 amino acids, such as at least 3 amino acid, for example at least 4 amino acids, such as at least 5 amino acid, for example at least 6 amino acids, such as at least 7 amino acid, for example at least 8 amino acids, such as at least 9 amino acid, for example at least 10 amino acids, such as at least 12 amino acid, for example at least 14 amino acids, such as at least 16 amino acid, for example at least 18 amino acids, such as at least 20 amino acid, for example at least 25 amino acids, such as at least 30 amino acid, for example at least 40 amino acids,
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof, wherein one or more amino acids have been deleted, for example deletion of for example less than 150 amino acids, such as for example less than 145 amino acids, for example less than 140 amino acids, such as for example less than 135 amino acids, for example less than 130 amino acids, such as for example less than 125 amino acids, for example less than 120 amino acids, such as for example less than 115 amino acids, for example less than 1 10 amino acids, such as for example less than 105 amino acids, for example less than 100 amino acids, such as for example less than 95 amino acids, for example less than 90 amino acids, such as for example less than 85 amino acids, for example less than 80 amino acids, such as
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof, wherein one or more amino acids have been deleted, wherein the number of amino acids is that has been deleted is selected from the group consisting of from 1 amino acid to 2 amino acids, from 2 amino acids to 3 amino acids, from 3 amino acids to 4 amino acids, from 4 amino acids to 5 amino acids, from 5 amino acids to 6 amino acids, from 6 amino acids to 7 amino acids, from 7 amino acids to 8 amino acids, from 8 amino acids to 9 amino acids, from 9 amino acids to 10 amino acids, from 10 amino acids to 12 amino acids, from 12 amino acids to 14 amino acids, from 14 amino acids to 16 amino acids, from 16 amino acids to 18 amino acids, from 18 amino acids to 20 amino acids,
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise a deletion, wherein the deletion comprises deletion of one or more consecutive amino acids in SEQ ID NO:1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise a deletion, wherein the deletion comprises deletion of one or more non- consecutive amino acids in SEQ ID NO:1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can comprise a deletion, wherein the deletion comprises deletion of one or more consecutive amino acids and one or more non-consecutive amino acids in SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be at least 75% identical to the polypeptides consisting of the amino acids of SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7; SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or any fragment thereof (i.e.
  • the percentage identify can be selected from the group consisting of at least 76%, at least 77%, at least 78%, at least 79%, at least 80%, at least 81 %, at least 82%, at least 83%, at least 84%, at least 85%, at least 86%, at least 87%, at least 88%, at least 89%, at least 90%, at least 91 %, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, at least 99%, and at least 100%.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be less than 100% identical to the polypeptides consisting of the amino acids of SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7; SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or any fragment thereof (i.e.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be at least 75% identical to the polypeptides consisting of the amino acids of SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7; SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or any fragment thereof (i.e.
  • the percentage identify can be selected from the group consisting of from 75% to 76%, from 76% to 77%, from 77% to 78%, from 78% to 79%, from 79% to 80%, from 80% to 81 %, from 81 % to 82%, from 82% to 83%, from 83% to 84%, from 84% to 85%, from 85% to 86%, from 86% to 87%, from 87% to 88%, from 88% to 89%, from 89% to 90%, from 90% to 91 %, from 91 % to 92%, from 92% to 93%, from 93% to 94%, from 94% to 95%, from 95% to 96%, from 96% to 97%, from 97% to 98%, from 98% to 99%, and from 99% to 100%, or any combination of these intervals.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by having a pi (Isoelectronic point) that is lower than the pi (Isoelectronic point) of SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can characterized by having a pi (Isoelectronic point) that is higher than the pi
  • SEQ ID NO: 1 (Isoelectronic point) of SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by having a pi (Isoelectronic point) that is at least 1 % lower than the pi (Isoelectronic point; of SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof, such as at least 1 % lower, for example at least 2% lower, such as at least 4% lower, for example at least 6% lower, such as at least 8% lower, for example at least 10% lower, such as at least 15% lower, for example at least 20% lower, such as at least 25% lower, for example at least 30% lower, such as at least 35% lower, for example at least 40% lower, such as at least 45% lower, for example at least 50% lower, such as at least 55% lower, for example at least
  • 65% lower for example at least 70% lower, such as at least 75% lower, for example at least 80% lower, such as at least 85% lower, for example at least 90% lower, or such as at least 95% lower.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by having a pi (Isoelectronic point; that is at least 1 % higher than the pi (Isoelectronic point; of SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof, such as at least 1 % higher, for example at least 2% higher, such as at least 4% higher, for example at least 6% higher, such as at least 8% higher, for example at least 10% higher, such as at least 15% higher, for example at least 20% higher, such as at least 25% higher, for example at least 30% higher, such as at least 35% higher, for example at least 40% higher, such as at least 45% higher, for example at least 50% higher, such as at least 55% higher, for example at least
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by having a pi (Isoelectronic point) selected from the group consisting of at least 1 , at least 1.5, at least 2, at least 2.5, at least 3, at least 3.5, at least 4, at least 4.5, at least 5, at least 5.5, at least 6. at least 6.5, at least 7, at least 7.5, at least 8, at least 8.5, at least 9, at least 9.5, at least 10, at least 10.5, at least 1 1 , at least 1 1.5, at least 12, at least 12.5 or at least 13.
  • a pi Isoelectronic point
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by having a pi (Isoelectronic point) selected from the group consisting of less than 13, less than 12.5, less than 12, less than 1 1.5, less than 1 1 , less than 10.5, less than 10, less than 9.5, less than 9, less than 8.5, less than 8, less than 7.5, less than 7, less than 6.5, less than 6, less than 5.5, less than 5, less than 4,5, less than 4, less than 3.5, less than 3, less than 2.5, less than 2, less than 1.5, or less than 1.
  • a pi Isoelectronic point
  • the polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by having a pi (Isoelectronic point) selected from the group consisting of from 1 to 1.5, from 1 .5 to 2, from 2 to 2.5, from 2.5 to 3, from 3 to 3.5, from 3.5 to 4, from 4 to 4.5, from 4.5 to 5, from 5 to 5.5, from 5.5 to 6, from 6 to 6.5, from 8.5 to 7, from 7 to 7.5, from 7.5 to 8 : from 8 to 8.5, from 8.5 to 9, from 9 to 9.5, from 9.5 to 10, from 10 to 10.5, from 10.5 to 1 1 , from 1 1 to 11 ,5, from 11.5 to 12, from 12 to 12.5, from 12.5 to 13, or any combination of these intervals.
  • a pi Isoelectronic point
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by being more hydrophobic than SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by being less hydrophobic than SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by being more hydrophilic than SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by being less hydrophilic than SEQ ID NO:1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by being less hydrophobic than SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof such as at least 1 % less hydrophobic, for example at least 2% less hydrophobic, such as at least 4% less hydrophobic, for example at least 6% less hydrophobic, such as at least 8% less hydrophobic, for example at least 10% less hydrophobic, such as at least 15% less hydrophobic, for example at least 20% less hydrophobic, such as at least 25% less hydrophobic, for example at least 30% less hydrophobic, such as at least 35% less hydrophobic, for example at least 40% less hydrophobic, such as at least 45% less hydrophobic, for example at least 50% less hydrophobic, such
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by being more hydrophobic than SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof such as at least 1 % more hydrophobic, for example at least 2% more hydrophobic, such as at least 4% more hydrophobic, for example at least 6% more hydrophobic, such as at least 8% more hydrophobic, for example at least 10% more hydrophobic, such as at least 15% more hydrophobic, for example at least 20% more hydrophobic, such as at least 25% more hydrophobic, for example at least 30% more hydrophobic, such as at least 35% more hydrophobic, for example at least 40% more hydrophobic, such as at least 45% more hydrophobic, for example at least 50% more hydrophobic, such
  • hydrophobic for example at least 120% more hydrophobic, such as at least 125% more hydrophobic, for example at least 130% more hydrophobic, such as at least 135% more hydrophobic, for example at least 140% more hydrophobic, such as at least 150% more hydrophobic, for example at least 155% more hydrophobic, such as at least 160% more hydrophobic, for example at least 170% more hydrophobic, such as at least 175% more hydrophobic, for example at least 180% more hydrophobic, such as at least 185% more hydrophobic, for example at least 190% more
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by being less hydrophilic than SEQ ID NO:1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof such as at least 1 % less hydrophilic, for example at least 2% less hydrophilic, such as at least 4% less hydrophilic, for example at least 6% less hydrophilic, such as at least 8% less hydrophilic, for example at least 10% less hydrophilic, such as at least 15% less hydrophilic, for example at least 20% less hydrophilic, such as at least 25% less hydrophilic, for example at least 30% less hydrophilic, such as at least 35% less hydrophilic, for example at least 40%
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by being more hydrophilic than SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:
  • SEQ ID NO:9 or a fragment thereof such as at least 1 % more hydrophilic, for example at least 2% more hydrophilic, such as at least 4% more hydrophilic, for example at least 6% more hydrophilic, such as at least 8% more hydrophilic, for example at least 10% more hydrophilic, such as at least 15% more hydrophilic, for example at least 20% more hydrophilic, such as at least 25% more hydrophilic, for example at least 30% more hydrophilic, such as at least 35% more hydrophilic, for example at least 40% more hydrophilic, such as at least 45% more hydrophilic, for example at least 50% more hydrophilic, such as at least 55% more hydrophilic, for example at least 60% more hydrophilic, such as at least 65% more hydrophilic, for example at least 70% more hydrophilic, such as at least 75% more hydrophilic, for example at least 80% more hydrophilic, such as at least 85% more hydrophilic, for example at least 90% more hydrophilic, such as at least 95% more
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by having an increased ability to interact with ice compared to SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:
  • SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof such as an increase in % selected from the group consisting of at least 1 % increase, for example at least 2% increase, such as at least 4% increase, for example at least 6% increase, such as at least 8% increase, for example at least 10% increase, such as at least 15% increase, for example at least 20% increase, such as at least 25% increase, for example at least 30% increase, such as at least 35% increase, for example at least 40% increase, such as at least 45% increase, for example at least 50% increase, such as at least 55% increase, for example at least 60% increase, such as at least 65% increase, for example at least 70% increase, such as at least 75% increase, for example at least 80% increase, such as at least 85% increase, for example at least 90% increase, such as at least 95% increase, for example at least 100% increase, such as at least 105% increase, for example at least 1 10% increase, such as at least 1 15% increase, for example at least
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by having a decreased ability to interact with ice compared to SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof such as a decrease in % selected from the group consisting of at least 1 % decrease, for example at least 2% decrease, such as at least 4% decrease, for example at least 6% decrease, such as at least 8% decrease, for example at least 10% decrease, such as at least 15% decrease, for example at least 20% decrease, such as at least 25% decrease, for example at least 30% decrease, such as at least 35% decrease, for example at least 40% decrease, such as at least 45% decrease, for example at least 50% decrease, such as at least 55% decrease, for example at least 60% decrease, such as at least 65% decrease,
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by having an increased ability to interact with another substance than ice compared to SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof such as an increase in % selected from the group consisting of at least 1 % increase, for example at least 2% increase, such as at least 4% increase, for example at least 6% increase, such as at least 8% increase, for example at least 10% increase, such as at least 15% increase, for example at least 20% increase, such as at least 25% increase, for example at least 30% increase, such as at least 35% increase, for example at least 40% increase, such as at least 45% increase, for example at least 50% increase, such as at least 55% increase, for example at least 60% increase, such as at least 65% increase
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by having a decreased ability to interact with another substance than ice compared to SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof such as a decrease in % selected from the group consisting of at least 1 % decrease, for example at least 2% decrease, such as at least 4% decrease, for example at least 6% decrease, such as at least 8% decrease, for example at least 10% decrease, such as at least 15% decrease, for example at least 20% decrease, such as at least 25% decrease, for example at least 30% decrease, such as at least 35% decrease, for example at least 40% decrease, such as at least 45% decrease, for example at least 50% decrease, such as at least 55% decrease, for example at least 60% decrease, such as at least
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by having an increased solubility e.g. in water compared to SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof such as an increase in % selected from the group consisting of at least 1 % increase, for example at least 2% increase, such as at least 4% increase, for example at least 6% increase, such as at least 8% increase, for example at least 10% increase, such as at least 15% increase, for example at least 20% increase, such as at least 25% increase, for example at least 30% increase, such as at least 35% increase, for example at least 40% increase, such as at least 45% increase, for example at least 50% increase, such as at least 55% increase, for example at least 60% increase, such as at least 65%
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by having a decreased solubility e.g. in water compared to SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof such as a decrease in % selected from the group consisting of at least 1 % decrease, for example at least 2% decrease, such as at least 4% decrease, for example at least 6% decrease, such as at least 8% decrease, for example at least 10% decrease, such as at least 15% decrease, for example at least 20% decrease, such as at least 25% decrease, for example at least 30% decrease, such as at least 35% decrease, for example at least 40% decrease, such as at least 45% decrease, for example at least 50% decrease, such as at least 55% decrease, for example at least 60% decrease, such as at least
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by having an increased ability to bind to a membrane such as a RBC (red blood cell) membrane compared to SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof such as an increase in % selected from the group consisting of at least 1 % increase, for example at least 2% increase, such as at least 4% increase, for example at least 6% increase, such as at least 8% increase, for example at least 10% increase, such as at least 15% increase, for example at least 20% increase, such as at least 25% increase, for example at least 30% increase, such as at least 35% increase, for example at least 40% increase, such as at least 45% increase, for example at least 50% increase, such as at least 55% increase, for example at
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by having a decreased ability to bind to a membrane such as a RBC (red blood cell) membrane compared to SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof such as a decrease in % selected from the group consisting of at least 1 % decrease, for example at least 2% decrease, such as at least 4% decrease, for example at least 6% decrease, such as at least 8% decrease, for example at least 10% decrease, such as at least 15% decrease, for example at least 20% decrease, such as at least 25% decrease, for example at least 30% decrease, such as at least 35% decrease, for example at least 40% decrease, such as at least 45% decrease, for example at least 50% decrease, such as at least 55% decrease, for
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can characterized by having an increased ability to refold compared to SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof such as an increase in % selected from the group consisting of at least 1 % increase, for example at least 2% increase, such as at least 4% increase, for example at least 6% increase, such as at least 8% increase, for example at least 10% increase, such as at least 15% increase, for example at least 20% increase, such as at least 25% increase, for example at least 30% increase, such as at least 35% increase, for example at least 40% increase, such as at least 45% increase, for example at least 50% increase, such as at least 55% increase, for example at least 60% increase, such as at least 65% increase, for example at least
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by having a decreased ability to refold compared to SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof such as a decrease in % selected from the group consisting of at least 1 % decrease, for example at least 2% decrease, such as at least 4% decrease, for example at least 6% decrease, such as at least 8% decrease, for example at least 10% decrease, such as at least 15% decrease, for example at least 20% decrease, such as at least 25% decrease, for example at least 30% decrease, such as at least 35% decrease, for example at least 40% decrease, such as at least 45% decrease, for example at least 50% decrease, such as at least 55% decrease, for example at least 60% decrease, such as at least 65% decrease, for
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by having an increased activity with respect to reducing or inhibiting the formation and/or growth of ice crystals compared to SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof such as an increase in % selected from the group consisting of at least 1 % increase, for example at least 2% increase, such as at least 4% increase, for example at least 6% increase, such as at least 8% increase, for example at least 10% increase, such as at least 15% increase, for example at least 20% increase, such as at least 25% increase, for example at least 30% increase, such as at least 35% increase, for example at least 40% increase, such as at least 45% increase, for example at least 50% increase, such as at least 55% increase, for example at
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by having a decreased activity with respect to reducing or inhibiting the formation and/or growth of ice crystals compared to SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof such as a decrease in % selected from the group consisting of at least 1 % decrease, for example at least 2% decrease, such as at least 4% decrease, for example at least 6% decrease, such as at least 8% decrease, for example at least 10% decrease, such as at least 15% decrease, for example at least 20% decrease, such as at least 25% decrease, for example at least 30% decrease, such as at least 35% decrease, for example at least 40% decrease, such as at least 45% decrease, for example at least 50% decrease, such as at least 55% decrease, for
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by having a different equilibrium in the melting region compared to SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof.
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by having an increased heat stability compared to SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof such as an increase in % selected from the group consisting of at least 1 % increase, for example at least 2% increase, such as at least 4% increase, for example at least 6% increase, such as at least 8% increase, for example at least 10% increase, such as at least 15% increase, for example at least 20% increase, such as at least 25% increase, for example at least 30% increase, such as at least 35% increase, for example at least 40% increase, such as at least 45% increase, for example at least 50% increase, such as at least 55% increase, for example at least 60% increase, such as at least 65% increase, for example at least 70% increase
  • polypeptide variants and/or polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID N01 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be characterized by having a decreased heat stability compared to SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:
  • SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, or SEQ ID NO: 9 or a fragment thereof such as a decrease in % selected from the group consisting of at least 1 % decrease, for example at least 2% decrease, such as at least 4% decrease, for example at least 6% decrease, such as at least 8% decrease, for example at least 10% decrease, such as at least 15% decrease, for example at least 20% decrease, such as at least 25% decrease, for example at least 30% decrease, such as at least 35% decrease, for example at least 40% decrease, such as at least 45% decrease, for example at least 50% decrease, such as at least 55% decrease, for example at least 60% decrease, such as at least 65% decrease, for example at least 70% decrease, such as at least 75% decrease, for example at least 80% decrease, such as at least 85% decrease, for example at least 90% decrease, such as at least 95% decrease, or for example at least 99% decrease.
  • % selected from the group consisting of at least 1 % decrease, for example at least 2% decrease, such as at least 4%
  • composition comprising a plurality of identical or different polypeptides as defined herein above and a physiologically acceptable carrier.
  • the composition can be a dried composition and the dried composition can be in freeze dried form or spray dried form.
  • the present invention is directed to a polypeptide having an ice-binding activity and being capable of reducing or inhibiting the growth and/or formation of ice-crystals,
  • polypeptide comprises the sequence X X2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9 (SEQ ID NO:10),
  • X ⁇ is selected from the group of amino acid residues consisting of S, A, G and
  • X 2 is selected from the group of amino acid residues consisting of A, V, I, T and S;
  • X 3 is selected from the group of amino acid residues consisting of non-bulky amino acid residues
  • X 4 is selected from the group of amino acid residues consisting of S, I, T and V;
  • X 5 is selected from the group of amino acid residues consisting of S, A, I and T;
  • X 6 is selected from the group of amino acid residues consisting of S, T and V;
  • X 7 is selected from the group of amino acid residues consisting of non-bulky amino acid residues
  • X 8 is selected from the group of amino acid residues consisting of S, T and V;
  • X 9 is selected from the group of amino acid residues consisting of S, A and G; and wherein at least one of the residues X 2 , X 4 , X 6 and X 8 of SEQ ID NO: 10 is T or V; and wherein the total number of amino acid residues of the polypeptide is less than 250.
  • ice-binding domain The sequence X 1 -X 2 -X3-X 4 -X5-X 6 -X 7 -X8-X 9 (SEQ ID NO: 10) will be referred to herein as a general "ice-binding domain". Whether or not said domain is directly involved in ice- binding or only indirectly involved in ice-binding (i.e. is required in order for the polypeptide to have an ice-binding activity) is immaterial to this definition.
  • the invention further relates to variants of polypeptides comprising a plurality of general "ice-binding domains", such as sequences having a substantial
  • a substantial homology to SEQ ID NO: 10 shall in this respect encompass any sequence, which differs from the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10 in only one or at the most two of the positions X ⁇ X 2 , X3, Xt, X5, Xe ,X 7 , Xs and X 9 .
  • Plurality as used in this respect shall encompass the intergers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 9, such as less than 10, 1 1 , 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, for example less than 25, wherein any of said plurality of general "ice-binding domains" can be identical to or substantially identical to or substantially homologous to SEQ ID NO: 10.
  • the invention also relates to modifications and derivatives of the polypeptide according to the present invention comprising one or more copies of SEQ ID NO: 10 and optionally further comprising one or more copies of SEQ ID NO: 10, or sequences substantially identical or substantially homologous thereto.
  • isolated polypeptide clarifies that the polypeptide according to the present invention is at least essentially free from contaminating cellular components natively associated with the polypeptide.
  • polypeptides according to the present invention can be expressed as fusion polypeptides.
  • Such fusion polypeptides can serve many functions, such as aiding in purification and/or production of the polypeptide in an active conformation.
  • a fusion polypeptide is a polypeptide according to the present invention fused to an affinity tag.
  • the fusion polypeptides can also form part of a
  • complement/anti-complement pair as defined herein, although this term is not limited exclusively to polypeptides. Modifications of the polypeptides, such as splice variants, allelic variants, orthologs and paralogs as defined herein are also within the scope of the present invention. Examples of fusions polypeptides are disclosed herein below in more detail.
  • polypeptides according to the present invention can be labelled with a detactable label, for example a fluorescently detactable label. This can help the practitioner in isolating or identifying the polypeptides according to the present invention.
  • polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides according to the present invention
  • polynucleotide constructs such as vectors comprising said nucleotides in linear or circular form, host cells transformed with said polynucleotides or vectors comprising said nucleotides, and transgenic organisms comprising said host cells.
  • Polynucleotide is used interchangably with “nucleic acid” and "nucleic acid molecule” unless otherwise indicated.
  • the invention can make use of such a polynucleotide or a complement of such a polynucleotide, for example in the form of a cDNA or an "anti-sense oligonucleotide".
  • the polynucleotide can be a degenerated sequence of individual nucleotides as long as the polynucleotide encodes a polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • the polynucleotide need not comprise all of the individual nucleotides of a native gene as isolated from a natural host organism.
  • Any truncation of such as native gene including sequences which are at least 75% homologous or identical, such as at least 80% homologous or identical, for example at least 85% homologous or identical, such as at least 90% homologous or identical, for example at least 91 % homologous or identical, such as at least 92% homologous or identical, for example at least 93% homologous or identical, such as at least 94% homologous or identical, for example at least 95% homologous or identical, such as at least 96% homologous or identical, for example at least 97% homologous or identical, such as at least 98% homologous or identical, for example at least 99% homologous or identical, such as at least 99.5% homologous or identical to the native gene shall be encompassed by the present invention.
  • Any such functional truncation of a native gene including any derivative or modification thereof
  • Expression can be obtained e.g. when a polynucleotide sequence cloned in a cloning vector or expression vector is introduced into a host organism and expressed.
  • the expression is suitably directed by a regulatory sequence typically comprising a promoter which may again comprising elements such as a core promoter and one or more regulatory elements, including an enhancer of expression.
  • the host organism will typically be a recombinant host, i.e. a host not natively harbouring the polynucleotide sequence to be expressed, or not natively comprising the polynucleotide sequence to be expressed operably linked to the native expression signal.
  • a secretory signal sequence When preceded by a secretory signal sequence the polypeptide according to the present invention is destined for secretion - irrespective of whether such a secretion takes place or not.
  • polynucleotide according to the present invention will be referred to as an "isolated" polynucleotide in order to distinguish the polynucleotide from the same or a related sequence in its native environment.
  • heterologous polynucleotide as defined herein signifies a polynucleotide or polynucleotide construct which differs from the native form of the polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • the polynucleotides according to the present invention can be chromosomally integrated or episomal.
  • the invention also provides antibodies, or binding fragments thereof, specific for the polypeptides according to the invention.
  • the antibodies can be produced by any state- of-the-art method and the antibodies can be e.g. a naked antibody, a binding fragment of an antibody, an antibody component, an anti-idiotype antibody, a chimeric antibody and a humanized antibody.
  • Also provided with the scope of the present invention are methods for producing and using both a) polynucleotides according to the present invention, b) polypeptides according to the present invention, and c) antibodies according to the present invention specific for said polypeptides.
  • the antibodies according to the present invention can be used for identifying or partitioning from a population of polypeptides a "target polypeptide” or “target peptide” as defined herein.
  • the "target peptide” can be an antigenic peptide" as defined herein.
  • a solid support comprising the polypeptides and/or the antibodies according to the present invention as well as methods for making and using such a solid support.
  • Figure 1 illustrates the full-length cDNA sequences of AFPs 1-8 from R. mordax.
  • Coding sequences for putative signal peptides are underlined.
  • AFP 1-8 corresponding to these cDNAs (AFP 1-8) mainly differed in their N-terminal part, where AFP4 would appear to be without a signal sequence.
  • Figure 2 DNA sequence of AFP from Rhagium Inquisitor.
  • Figure 3 amino acid sequences of AFPs from Rhagium mordax and from Rhagium inquisitor.
  • Rhagium mordax AFP1 is SEQ ID NO 1 ; Rhagium mordax AFP2 is SEQ ID NO 2; Rhagium mordax AFP3 is SEQ ID NO 3; Rhagium mordax AFP4 is SEQ ID NO 4; Rhagium mordax AFP5 is SEQ ID NO 5; Rhagium mordax AFP6 is SEQ ID NO 6; Rhagium mordax AFP7 is SEQ ID NO 7; Rhagium mordax AFP8 is SEQ ID NO 8; Rhagium inquisitor AFP is SEQ ID NO 9.
  • Rhagium mordax isoforms Signal sequences for the Rhagium mordax isoforms are indicated in underscore and putative ice binding motives are indicated in boxes.
  • Figure 3A is an alignment of mature AFP from Rhagium mordax (RmAFP 1-8) and sequence comparison to AFP from Rhagium inquisitor (RiAFP). Blue residues denote difference between RiAFP and all RmAFPs at that position. Roman numerals l-VI denotes 6 putative ice binding motifs within the sequences. Putative ice-binding Thr- residues are marked in green. Pro residues are marked in black and Gly-residues flanking the putative ice binding motifs are shown in grey.
  • Figure 3B shows the identified signal peptides. Residues marked blue are unique to one or two of the sequences.
  • Figure 4 A) Sequence of RmAFPl H21 , K23 and the mutated coil is marked with bold. The putative ice binding sites are underlined. B) Model of RmAFPl deduced from
  • RiAFP (PDB-4DT5). The bold amino acids in A) are drawn as light grey. Amino acids in the IBS are drawn as sticks.
  • Closed tags are non-IBS mutants (A: WT, ⁇ : AFP-Leu, ⁇ : AFP-Gly, ⁇ : His-AFP).
  • Open tags are IBS-mutants ( ⁇ : H, O: K, ⁇ : H+K, O: +Coil). The WT is depicted with a dashed line.
  • D) and F) activity of IBS-mutants and the WT versus regular, log and inverse log transformed
  • Figure 6 Illustration of the relative amount of WT AFP required to obtain similar activities of the mutant protein.
  • the dashed line at 100 % corresponds to the WT.
  • Figure 7 Linear relation is obtained between fish AFPs and the square root of the concentration.
  • ⁇ Typelll AFP (Macrozoarces americanus, data from Chao H,
  • FIG. 10 Thermal profiles of RmAFPI heated repeatedly to 60 °C (A) and 80 °C (B). The thermal profile hardly changes after exposures to 60 °C, indicating that the
  • Figure14 Segment of the elution profiles of various mutants subjected to RP-HPLC.
  • the curves represent an average of 3 runs of each mutant. Note: The AFP-Leu and AFP curve are very coincident and hard to distinguish on the figure.
  • Figure15 Plots of retention times against the slope (A) or the intersect (B) of the activity curves shown in Figure 13B.
  • Figure 16 Samples from freeze out experiments on SDS-PAGE. Green arrow indicated the RmAFPI band. Lanel : Molecular weight marker SM0431 (Fermentas). Lane2:
  • Figure 17 Mutated IBS with serine and valine substitutions. The six rows in each rectangle illustrate the sequence of the six ice binding domains in the RmAFPI . Amino acids colored bold indicates variations from the consensus sequence (shown for in the top left corner where the wild type is depicted) or inserted mutations in the ice binding site. Definitions
  • Antifreeze proteins lower the freezing temperature of a solution noncolligatively by binding to ice crystals and inhibiting crystal growth, but the proteins alter the melting temperature of the solution only by colligative effects.
  • This thermal hysteresis (the difference between freezing and melting temperatures) is determined by observing the effect of temperature on the growth of a single ice crystal. Melting occurs when faces of the ice crystal become round; freezing occurs when the ice crystal elongates along its c-axis.
  • the term "anti-freeze activity” refers to the separation of the melting and freezing temperature. It also refers to the difference between melting point and the freezing point. It further refers to the inhibition of formation of large crystals at the expense of small crystals at temperatures above the temperature of recrystallisation.
  • the term anti-freeze activity can be used interchangeably with thermal hysteresis.
  • nucleic acid or “nucleic acid molecule” refers to polynucleotides, such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or ribonucleic acid (RNA), oligonucleotides, fragments generated by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and fragments generated by any of ligation, scission, endonuclease action, and exonuclease action, polynucleotide molecules can be composed of monomers that are naturally-occurring nucleotides (such as DNA and RNA), or analogs of naturally-occurring nucleotides (e.g., (alpha- enantiomeric forms of naturally-occurring nucleotides), or a combination of both.
  • DNA deoxyribonucleic acid
  • RNA ribonucleic acid
  • PCR polymerase chain reaction
  • Modified nucleotides can have alterations in sugar moieties and/or in pyrimidine or purine base moieties.
  • Sugar modifications include, for example, replacement of one or more hydroxyl groups with halogens, alkyl groups, amines, and azido groups, or sugars can be functionalized as ethers or esters.
  • the entire sugar moiety can be replaced with sterically and electronically similar structures, such as aza-sugars and carbocyclic sugar analogs.
  • Examples of modifications in a base moiety include alkylated purines and pyrimidines, acylated purines or pyrimidines, or other well-known heterocyclic substitutes, polynucleotide monomers can be linked by phosphodiester bonds or analogs of such linkages. Analogs of phosphodiester linkages include phosphorothioate, phosphorodithioate, phosphoroselenoate, phosphorodiselenoate, phosphoroanilothioate, phosphoranilidate, phosphoramidate, and the like.
  • nucleic acid molecule also includes so-called “peptide polynucleotides,” which comprise naturally-occurring or modified polynucleotide bases attached to a polyamide backbone, polynucleotides can be either single stranded or double stranded.
  • complement of a polynucleotide molecule refers to a polynucleotide molecule having a complementary nucleotide sequence and reverse orientation as compared to a reference nucleotide sequence. For example, the sequence 5'
  • ATGCACGGG 3' is complementary to 5' CCCGTGCAT 3'.
  • degenerate nucleotide sequence denotes a sequence of nucleotides that includes one or more degenerate codons as compared to a reference polynucleotide molecule that encodes a polypeptide.
  • Degenerate codons contain different triplets of nucleotides, but encode the same amino acid residue (i.e., GAU and GAC triplets each encode Asp).
  • structural gene refers to a polynucleotide molecule that is transcribed into messenger RNA (mRNA), which is then translated into a sequence of amino acids characteristic of a specific polypeptide.
  • an "isolated polynucleotide molecule” is a polynucleotide molecule that is not integrated in the genomic DNA of an organism.
  • a DNA molecule that encodes a growth factor that has been separated from the genomic DNA of a cell is an isolated DNA molecule.
  • Another example of an isolated polynucleotide molecule is a chemically-synthesized polynucleotide molecule that is not integrated in the genome of an organism.
  • a polynucleotide molecule that has been isolated from a particular species is smaller than the complete DNA molecule of a chromosome from that species.
  • a "nucleic acid molecule construct” is a polynucleotide molecule, either single- or double-stranded, that has been modified through human intervention to contain segments of polynucleotide combined and juxtaposed in an arrangement not existing in nature.
  • Linear DNA denotes non-circular DNA molecules having free 5' and 3' ends. Linear DNA can be prepared from closed circular DNA molecules, such as plasmids, by enzymatic digestion or physical disruption.
  • cDNA complementary DNA
  • cDNA is a single-stranded DNA molecule that is formed from an mRNA template by the enzyme reverse transcriptase. Typically, a primer complementary to portions of mRNA is employed for the initiation of reverse
  • cDNA refers to a double- stranded DNA molecule consisting of such a single-stranded DNA molecule and its complementary DNA strand.
  • cDNA also refers to a clone of a cDNA molecule synthesized from an RNA template.
  • a "promoter” is a nucleotide sequence that directs the transcription of a structural gene. Typically, a promoter is located in the 5' non-coding region of a gene, proximal to the transcriptional start site of a structural gene. Sequence elements within promoters that function in the initiation of transcription are often characterized by consensus nucleotide sequences.
  • promoter elements include RNA polymerase binding sites, TATA sequences, CAAT sequences, differentiation-specific elements (DSEs; McGehee et al., Mol. Endocrinol. 7:551 (1993)), cyclic AMP response elements (CREs), serum response elements (SREs; Treisman, Seminars in Cancer Biol. 1 :47 (1990)), glucocorticoid response elements (GREs), and binding sites for other transcription factors, such as CRE/ATF (O'Reilly et al., J. Biol. Chem. 267:19938 (1992)), AP2 (Ye et al., J. Biol. Chem.
  • a promoter is an inducible promoter, then the rate of transcription increases in response to an inducing agent. In contrast, the rate of transcription is not regulated by an inducing agent if the promoter is a constitutive promoter. Repressible promoters are also known.
  • a “core promoter” contains essential nucleotide sequences for promoter function, including the TATA box and start of transcription. By this definition, a core promoter may or may not have detectable activity in the absence of specific sequences that may enhance the activity or confer tissue specific activity.
  • a “regulatory element” is a nucleotide sequence that modulates the activity of a core promoter.
  • a regulatory element may contain a nucleotide sequence that binds with cellular factors enabling transcription exclusively or preferentially in particular cells, tissues, or organelles. These types of regulatory elements are normally associated with genes that are expressed in a "cell-specific,” “tissue-specific,” or “organelle-specific” manner.
  • Heterologous DNA refers to a DNA molecule, or a population of DNA molecules, that does not exist naturally within a given host cell. DNA molecules heterologous to a particular host cell may contain DNA derived from the host cell species (i.e., endogenous DNA) so long as that host DNA is combined with non-host DNA (i.e., exogenous DNA). For example, a DNA molecule containing a non-host DNA segment encoding a polypeptide operably linked to a host DNA segment comprising a transcription promoter is considered to be a heterologous DNA molecule.
  • a heterologous DNA molecule can comprise an endogenous gene operably linked with an exogenous promoter.
  • a DNA molecule comprising a gene derived from a wild-type cell is considered to be heterologous DNA if that DNA molecule is introduced into a mutant cell that lacks the wild-type gene.
  • a "polypeptide” is a polymer of amino acid residues preferably joined exclusively by peptide bonds, whether produced naturally or synthetically.
  • a polypeptide produced by expression of a non-host DNA molecule is a "heterologous" peptide or polypeptide.
  • An "amino acid residue” can be a natural or non-natural amino acid residue linked peptide bonds or bonds different from peptide bonds. The amino acid residues can be in D-configuration or L-configuration.
  • a “homopolymer” is a polypeptide which is built up by adding several similar polypeptides to an original polypeptide thereby creating multiple copies of the same polypeptide as one larger polypeptide.
  • a “heteropolymer” is a polypeptide which is built up by adding several different polypeptides to an original polypeptide thereby creating multiple copies of the different polypeptide as one larger polypeptide.
  • a “non-bulky amino acid residue” is preferably a natural amino acid excluding amino acids having either a cyclic (aliphatic or aromatic) side chain, such as e.g. Pro, Phe, Trp, Tyr and His, or a long or branched aliphatic side chain, such as e.g. Arg, Lys, Leu, lie, Met and Val, or more generally, a bulky amino acid has a side chain having at least 3 carbons, which are linked and form a branched or unbranched side chain.
  • a bulky amino acid has a side chain having at least 3 carbons, which are linked and form a branched or unbranched side chain.
  • Presently preferred examples of "non-bulky amino acids” comprise Gly, Ala and Ser.
  • polypeptide according to the present invention is any polypeptide cited in the claims of the present patent application or the patent granted on the basis of claims of this patent application.
  • a "polynucleotide according to the present invention” or a “nucleic acid according to the present invention” is any polynucleotide encoding a "polypeptide according to the present invention", including any polypeptide cited in the claims of the present patent application or the patent granted on the basis of claims of this patent application.
  • an "integrated genetic element” is a segment of DNA that has been incorporated into a chromosome of a host cell after that element is introduced into the cell through human manipulation.
  • integrated genetic elements are most commonly derived from linearized plasmids that are introduced into the cells by electroporation or other techniques. Integrated genetic elements are passed from the original host cell to its progeny.
  • a "cloning vector” is a polynucleotide molecule, such as a plasmid, cosmid, or bacteriophage, that has the capability of replicating autonomously in a host cell.
  • Cloning vectors typically contain one or a small number of restriction endonuclease recognition sites that allow insertion of a polynucleotide molecule in a determinable fashion without loss of an essential biological function of the vector, as well as nucleotide sequences encoding a marker gene that is suitable for use in the identification and selection of cells transformed with the cloning vector.
  • Marker genes typically include genes that provide tetracycline resistance or ampicillin resistance.
  • an “expression vector” is a polynucleotide molecule encoding a gene that is expressed in a host cell.
  • an expression vector comprises a transcription promoter, a gene, and a transcription terminator. Gene expression is usually placed under the control of a promoter, and such a gene is said to be “operably linked to” the promoter.
  • a regulatory element and a core promoter are operably linked if the regulatory element modulates the activity of the core promoter.
  • a “recombinant host” is a cell that contains a heterologous polynucleotide molecule, such as a cloning vector or expression vector.
  • “Integrative transformants” are recombinant host cells, in which heterologous DNA has become integrated into the genomic DNA of the cells.
  • a “fusion polypeptide” is a hybrid polypeptide expressed by a polynucleotide molecule comprising nucleotide sequences of at least two genes.
  • a fusion polypeptide can comprise at least part of a polypeptide according to the present invention fused with a polypeptide that binds an affinity matrix.
  • Such a fusion polypeptide provides a means to isolate large quantities of a polypeptide according to the present invention using affinity chromatography.
  • secretory signal sequence denotes a DNA sequence that encodes a peptide (a "secretory peptide") that, as a component of a larger polypeptide, directs the larger polypeptide through a secretory pathway of a cell in which it is synthesized.
  • the larger polypeptide is commonly cleaved to remove the secretory peptide during transit through the secretory pathway.
  • isolated polypeptide is a polypeptide that is essentially free from contaminating cellular components, such as carbohydrate, lipid, or other polypeptideaceous impurities associated with the polypeptide in nature.
  • a preparation of isolated polypeptide contains the polypeptide in a highly purified form, i.e., at least about 80% pure, at least about 90% pure, at least about 95% pure, greater than 95% pure, or greater than 99% pure.
  • a particular polypeptide preparation contains an isolated polypeptide is by the appearance of a single band following sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the polypeptide preparation and Coomassie Brilliant Blue staining of the gel.
  • SDS sodium dodecyl sulfate
  • amino-terminal and “carboxyl-terminal” are used herein to denote positions within polypeptides. Where the context allows, these terms are used with reference to a particular sequence or portion of a polypeptide to denote proximity or relative position. For example, a certain sequence positioned carboxyl-terminal to a reference sequence within a polypeptide is located proximal to the carboxyl terminus of the reference sequence, but is not necessarily at the carboxyl terminus of the complete polypeptide.
  • expression refers to the biosynthesis of a gene product.
  • expression involves transcription of the structural gene into mRNA and the translation of mRNA into one or more polypeptides.
  • splice variant is used herein to denote alternative forms of RNA transcribed from a gene. Splice variation arises naturally through use of alternative splicing sites within a transcribed RNA molecule, or less commonly between separately transcribed RNA molecules, and may result in several mRNAs transcribed from the same gene. Splice variants may encode polypeptides having altered amino acid sequence. The term splice variant is also used herein to denote a polypeptide encoded by a splice variant of an mRNA transcribed from a gene.
  • complement/anti-complement pair denotes non-identical moieties that form a non-covalently associated, stable pair under appropriate conditions.
  • biotin and avidin are prototypical members of a complement/anti- complement pair.
  • Other exemplary complement/anti-complement pairs include receptor/ligand pairs, antibody/antigen (or hapten or epitope) pairs, sense/antisense polynucleotide pairs, and the like.
  • an anti-idiotype antibody is an antibody that binds with the variable region domain of an immunoglobulin.
  • an anti-idiotype antibody binds with the variable region of an anti-antibody, and thus, an anti-idiotype antibody mimics an epitope of a polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • An "antibody fragment” is a portion of an antibody such as F(ab') 2 , F(ab) 2 , Fab', Fab, and the like. Regardless of structure, an antibody fragment binds with the same antigen that is recognized by the intact antibody. For example, an anti-(polypeptide according to the present invention) monoclonal antibody fragment binds an epitope of a polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • antibody fragment also includes a synthetic or a genetically engineered polypeptide that binds to a specific antigen, such as polypeptides consisting of the light chain variable region, "Fv” fragments consisting of the variable regions of the heavy and light chains, recombinant single chain polypeptide molecules in which light and heavy variable regions are connected by a peptide linker (“scFv polypeptides”), and minimal recognition units consisting of the amino acid residues that mimic the hypervariable region.
  • scFv polypeptides peptide linker
  • a “chimeric antibody” is a recombinant polypeptide that contains the variable domains and complementary determining regions derived from a rodent antibody, while the remainder of the antibody molecule is derived from a human antibody.
  • Humanized antibodies are recombinant polypeptides in which murine
  • complementarity determining regions of a monoclonal antibody have been transferred from heavy and light variable chains of the murine immunoglobulin into a human variable domain.
  • a “detectable label” is a molecule or atom which can be conjugated to an antibody moiety to produce a molecule useful for diagnosis.
  • detectable labels include chelators, photoactive agents, radioisotopes, fluorescent agents, paramagnetic ions, or other marker moieties.
  • affinity tag is used herein to denote a polypeptide segment that can be attached to a second polypeptide to provide for purification or detection of the second polypeptide or provide sites for attachment of the second polypeptide to a substrate.
  • affinity tag any peptide or polypeptide for which an antibody or other specific binding agent is available can be used as an affinity tag.
  • Affinity tags include a poly-histidine tract, polypeptide A (Nilsson et al., EMBO J. 4:1075 (1985); Nilsson et al., Methods Enzymol.
  • naked antibody is an entire antibody, as opposed to an antibody fragment, which is not conjugated with a therapeutic agent. Naked antibodies include both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, as well as certain recombinant antibodies, such as chimeric and humanized antibodies.
  • antibody component includes both an entire antibody and an antibody fragment.
  • a “target polypeptide” or a “target peptide” is an amino acid sequence that comprises at least one epitope, and that is expressed on a target cell, such as a tumor cell, or a cell that carries an infectious agent antigen.
  • T cells recognize peptide epitopes presented by a major histocompatibility complex molecule to a target polypeptide or target peptide and typically lyse the target cell or recruit other immune cells to the site of the target cell, thereby killing the target cell.
  • antigenic peptide is a peptide, which will bind a major histocompatibility complex molecule to form an MHC- peptide complex which is recognized by a T cell, thereby inducing a cytotoxic lymphocyte response upon presentation to the T cell.
  • antigenic peptides are capable of binding to an appropriate major histocompatibility complex molecule and inducing a cytotoxic T cells response, such as cell lysis or specific cytokine release against the target cell which binds or expresses the antigen.
  • the antigenic peptide can be bound in the context of a class I or class II major histocompatibility complex molecule, on an antigen presenting cell or on a target cell.
  • RNA polymerase II catalyzes the transcription of a structural gene to produce mRNA.
  • a polynucleotide molecule can be designed to contain an RNA polymerase II template in which the RNA transcript has a sequence that is
  • RNA transcript is termed an "anti- sense RNA” and a polynucleotide molecule that encodes the anti-sense RNA is termed an "anti-sense gene.”
  • Anti-sense RNA molecules are capable of binding to mRNA molecules, resulting in an inhibition of mRNA translation.
  • an "anti-sense oligonucleotide specific for a polynucletide encoding a polypeptide according to the present invention” is an oligonucleotide having a sequence (a) capable of forming a stable triplex with a portion of a gene encoding a polypeptide according to the present invention, or (b) capable of forming a stable duplex with a portion of an mRNA transcript of such a gene.
  • variant can refer to polynucleotide molecules that encode a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence that is a modification of a polypeptide according to SEQ ID NO 1 to SEQ ID NO 9 or to a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence that is a modification of a polypeptide according to SEQ ID NO 1 to SEQ ID NO 9.
  • variants include naturally-occurring polymorphisms of genes according to the present invention, as well as synthetic genes that contain one or more amino acid substitutions such as one or more conservative amino acid substitutions of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO 1 to SEQ ID NO 9 or any fragment of SEQ ID NO 1 to SEQ ID NO 9.
  • genes are polynucleotide molecules that contain insertions or deletions of the nucleotide sequences described herein.
  • a variant gene according to the present invention can be identified by determining whether the gene hybridizes with a polynucleotide molecule having the nucleotide sequence of a polypeptide according to the present invention, or its complement, under stringent conditions.
  • variant genes or variant polypeptides can be identified by sequence comparison. Two amino acid sequences have "100% amino acid sequence identity” if the amino acid residues of the two amino acid sequences are the same when aligned for maximal correspondence. Similarly, two nucleotide sequences have "100% nucleotide sequence identity” if the nucleotide residues of the two nucleotide sequences are the same when aligned for maximal correspondence. Sequence comparisons can be performed using standard software programs such as those included in the LASERGENE bio informatics computing suite, which is produced by DNASTAR (Madison, Wis.).
  • a variant gene encodes a polypeptide which can be characterized by its ability to bind specifically to an anti-(polypeptide according to the invention) antibody.
  • allelic variant is used herein to denote any of two or more alternative forms of a gene occupying the same chromosomal locus. Allelic variation arises naturally through mutation, and may result in phenotypic polymorphism within populations. Gene mutations can be silent (no change in the encoded polypeptide) or may encode polypeptides having altered amino acid sequence.
  • allelic variant is also used herein to denote a polypeptide encoded by an allelic variant of a gene.
  • ortholog denotes a polypeptide or polypeptide obtained from one species that is the functional counterpart of a polypeptide or polypeptide from a different species. Sequence differences among orthologs are the result of speciation.
  • Parentalogs are distinct but structurally related polypeptides made by an organism. Paralogs are believed to arise through gene duplication. For example, alpha-globin, beta-globin, and myoglobin are paralogs of each other.
  • intervening sequence is defined as the DNA or protein sequence outside the Ice Binding Domains and/or outside the Ice Binding Sites. Detailed description of the invention
  • the present invention provides in one embodiment an isolated polypeptide comprising or consisting of variants of a sequence of amino acid residues selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1 ; SEQ ID NO:2; SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4; SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6; SEQ ID NO:7; SEQ ID NO:8 and SEQ ID NO:9, wherein said polypeptide is capable of reducing or inhibiting the formation and/or growth of ice crystals, or a fragment thereof capable of reducing or inhibiting the formation and/or growth of ice crystals, or a sequence which is at least 75% identical to any of said sequences.
  • an isolated polynucleotide comprising a sequence of nucleotides encoding a polypeptide according to the present invention, wherein said polynucleotide can further comprise an expression signal capable of directing the expression, in a suitable host cell, of the sequence of nucleotides encoding a polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • a vector comprising a polynucleotide according to the present invention capable of expressing a polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • An isolated, recombinant cell can comprise the polynucleotide according to the present invention or the vector according to the present invention or the polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • an edible product comprising the polypeptide according to the present invention, wherein the edible product can be frozen, or in the form of a frozen confectionary product, such as ice cream product, or bread.
  • a frozen confectionary product such as ice cream product, or bread.
  • One or more of the polypeptide(s) according to the present invention can be added to the dough of a baking product such as a bread or a cake to minimize recrystalisation when the baking product is frozen after it has been baked.
  • the quality of a baking product such as a bread and/or a cake made from frozen dough can also be improved by addition of one or more of the polypeptide(s) according to the present invention to the dough prior to freezing of the dough.
  • a solid support material comprising the polypeptide according to the present invention
  • the present invention also pertains to methods for making or using the polypeptides according to the present invention, including, in one embodiment, a method for producing the polypeptide according to the present invention, said method comprising the steps of i) providing the polynucleotide according to the present invention or the vector according to the present invention, ii) providing a host cell suitable for the production of a polypeptide according to the present invention by recombinant expression of the polynucleotide provided in step i), iii) producing the polypeptide according to the present invention, and optionally iv) purifying and/or isolating said polypeptide.
  • a method comprising the steps of i) providing a fermentable starting material ii) providing a microorganism capable of fermenting said fermentable food starting material and capable of producing a polypeptide according to the present invention under suitable conditions when fermenting said fermentable food starting material, iii) fermenting said food starting material in the presence of said microorganism, thereby producing a fermented, edible product, wherein said fermented, edible product comprises the polypeptide according to the present invention
  • a method for reducing or inhibiting ice crystal formation in a frozen, edible product comprising the steps of i) providing a frozen edible product, or one or more ingredients required for the production thereof, and ii) contacting said product and/or said ingredients, prior to, during, or after, the production of the product, as the case may be, with a polypeptide according to the present invention, thereby reducing or inhibiting ice crystal formation in the frozen, edible product.
  • a method for reducing or inhibiting ice crystal growth in a frozen, edible product comprising the steps of i) providing a frozen edible product, or one or more ingredients required for the production thereof, and ii) contacting said product and/or said ingredients, prior to, during, or after, the production of the product, as the case may be, with a polypeptide according to the present invention, thereby reducing or inhibiting ice crystal growth in the frozen, edible product.
  • a method for structuring ice crystals in a frozen, edible product comprising the steps of i) providing a frozen edible product, or one or more ingredients required for the production thereof, and ii) contacting said product and/or said ingredients, prior to, during, or after, the production of the product, as the case may be, with a polypeptide according to the present invention, thereby structuring ice crystals in the frozen, edible product.
  • a method for modulating the texture or organoleptic qualities of a frozen, edible product comprising the steps of i) providing a frozen edible product, or one or more ingredients required for the production thereof, and ii) contacting said product and/or said ingredients, prior to, during, or after, the production of the product, as the case may be, with a polypeptide according to the present invention, thereby modulating the texture or organoleptic qualities of the frozen, edible product.
  • a method for monitoring ice crystal formation during the manufacture or storage of a frozen, edible product comprising the steps of i) providing a frozen edible product, or one or more ingredients required for the production thereof, and ii) contacting said product and/or said ingredients, prior to, during, or after, the production of the product, as the case may be, with a polypeptide according to the present invention, and iii) monitoring ice crystal formation at different time points during the
  • a method for performing an in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment in a female individual comprising the steps of removing one or more oocyte(s) from a female individual, optionally together with a biological sample comprising follicular fluid;
  • a method for increasing the likelihood or probability of pregnancy in a female individual comprising the steps of removing one or more oocyte(s) from a female individual, optionally together with a biological sample comprising follicular fluid;
  • the freezing of the one or more oocyte(s), optionally together with the biological sample, in the presence of a polypeptide according to the present invention fertilising one or more of the removed oocytes in vitro; and implanting one or more fertilized oocytes into the female individual, wherein the freezing of the one or more oocyte(s) in the presence of the polypeptide according to the present invention reduces ice crystal growth and/or formation on the oocyte(s), or in an environment, wherein the oocyte(s) are present, thereby increasing the likelihood or probability of pregnancy.
  • the sample can further comprise granulosa-lutein cells or follicular cells and optionally also other ovarian cells recovered from the ovarian follicles of the female individual.
  • the sample further comprises frozen cells from the environment of an oocyte.
  • the present invention is in a further embodiment directed to a polypeptide having an ice-binding activity and comprising one or more copies of the sequence X1-X2-X3-X4-X5- Xe-Xy-Xs- g (SEQ ID NO: 10), such as, for example, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 individually selected copies of the general ice binding domain SEQ ID NO: 10, wherein X! is selected from the group of amino acid residues consisting of S, A, G and D;
  • X 2 is selected from the group of amino acid residues consisting of A, V, I, T and S;
  • X 3 is selected from the group of amino acid residues consisting of non-bulky amino acid residues;
  • X 4 is selected from the group of amino acid residues consisting of S, I, T and V;
  • X 5 is selected from the group of amino acid residues consisting of S, A, I and T;
  • X 6 is selected from the group of amino acid residues consisting of S, T and V;
  • X 7 is selected from the group of amino acid residues consisting of non-bulky amino acid residues
  • X 8 is selected from the group of amino acid residues consisting of S, T and V;
  • X 9 is selected from the group of amino acid residues consisting of S, A and G; and wherein at least one of the residues X 2 , X 4 , e and X 8 of SEQ ID NO: 10 is T or V; and wherein the maximum number of amino acid residues of the polypeptide is less than 1000.
  • the maximum number of amino acid residues of a polypeptide according to the invention is preferably less than 500, such as less than 400, for example less than 300, such as less than 250, for example less than 240, such as less than 230, for example less than 220, such as less than 210, for example less than 200, such as less than 190, for example less than 180, such as less than 150, for example less than 140, such as less than 130, for example less than 120, such as less than 110, for example less than 100, such as less than 95, for example less than 90, such as less than 85, for example less than 80, such as less than 75, for example less than 70, such as less than 65, for example less than 60, such as less than 55, for example less than 50, such as less than 45, for example less than 40, such as less than 30, for example less than 20, such as less than 15.
  • 500 such as less than 400, for example less than 300, such as less than 250, for example less than 240, such as less than 230, for example less than 220
  • the minimum number of amino acid residues of the polypeptide according to the invention may be 10 or more, such as 12 or more, for example 14 or more, such as 16 or more, for example 18 or more, such as 20 or more, for example 22 or more, such as 24 or more, for example 26 or more, such as 28 or more, for example 30 or more, such as 32 or more, for example 34 or more, such as 36 or more, for example 38 or more, such as 40 or more, for example 42 or more, such as 44 or more, for example 46 or more, such as 48 or more, for example 50 or more, such as 55 or more, for example 60 or more, such as 65 or more, for example 70 or more, such as 75 or more, for example 80 or more, such as 85 or more, for example 90 or more, such as 95 or more, for example 100 or more, wherein, when any maximum number and minimum number is paired, the maximum number is larger than the minimum number.
  • the polypeptide according to the invention comprises a plurality of general ice-binding domains each comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10, or a variant or derivative or modification thereof, as described herein elsewhere, and preferably having 250 amino acid residues at most.
  • the invention relates to a polypeptide sequence that comprises a second sequence, in the form of a further independently selected copy of SEQ ID NO: 10, wherein the further copy of SEQ ID NO: 10 does not overlap with the first copy of SEQ ID NO: 10.
  • the invention in a another embodiment relates to a polypeptide which further comprises a third copy of SEQ ID NO: 10 (i.e. the polypeptide comprises three independently seleted copies of SEQ ID NO: 10), and in a still further embodiment the polypeptide further comprises a fourth copy of SEQ ID NO: 10 (i.e. the polypeptide comprises three independently seleted copies of SEQ ID NO: 10).
  • the independently selected copies of SEQ ID NO: 10 can be identical or different as disclosed herein elsewhere.
  • SEQ ID NO: 10 can be present in any order relative to each other, and any two sequences can be separated by at least 2 amino acid residues, such as at least 3 amino acid residues, for example at least 4 amino acid residues, such as at least 5 amino acid residues, for example at least 6 amino acid residues, such as at least 7 amino acid residues, for example at least 8 amino acid residues, such as at least 9 amino acid residues, for example at least 10 amino acid residues, such as at least 11 amino acid residues, for example at least 12 amino acid residues, such as at least 13 amino acid residues, for example at least 14 amino acid residues, such as at least 15 amino acid residues, for example at least 16 amino acid residues, such as at least 17 amino acid residues, for example at least 18 amino acid residues, such as at least 19 amino acid residues, for example at least 20 amino acid residues, such as at least 21 amino acid residues, for example at least 22 amino acid residues, such as at least 23 amino acid residues, for example at least 24 amino acid residues,
  • the polypeptide according to the invention can be linked to a carrier, such as a solid support or semi-solid support.
  • a carrier such as a solid support or semi-solid support.
  • the polypeptide can be covalently or non-covalently linked to any such carrier, for example a surface of a material desirably displaying the polypeptides according to the invention.
  • the invention further relates to a polypeptide according to the present invention fused to an affinity tag.
  • affinity tags are known from the litterature and can be selected from the group comprising for example: His-tag, polypeptide A tag, Avidin/streptavidin, polypeptide G, GluthationeS-tranferase, dihyfrofolate reductase (DHFR), Green fluorescent polypeptide (GFP), polyarginine, polycysteine, c-myc, calmodulin binding polypeptide, influenzavirus hemagglutinin; maltos binding protein (MBP) (HA).
  • MBP maltos binding protein
  • the invention also encompasses polypeptides wherein one or more amino acid residues are modified, wherein said one or more modification(s) are preferably selected from the group consisting of in vivo or in vitro chemical derivatization, such as acetylation or carboxylation, glycosylation, such as glycosylation resulting from exposing the polypeptide to enzymes which affect glycosylation, for example mammalian glycosylating or deglycosylating enzymes, phosphorylation, such as modification of amino acid residues which results in phosphorylated amino acid residues, for example phosphotyrosine, phosphoserine and phosphothreonine.
  • in vivo or in vitro chemical derivatization such as acetylation or carboxylation
  • glycosylation such as glycosylation resulting from exposing the polypeptide to enzymes which affect glycosylation, for example mammalian glycosylating or deglycosylating enzymes
  • phosphorylation such as modification of amino
  • the polypeptide according to the invention can comprise one or more amino acids independently selected from the group consisting of naturally occurring L-amino acids, naturally occurring D-amino acids as well as non-naturally occuring, synthetic amino acids.
  • the invention also relates to polypeptides of the invention where blocking groups are introduced in order to protect and/or stabilize the N- and/or C-termini of the polypeptide from undesirable degradation.
  • blocking groups may be selected from the group comprising branched or non-branched alkyl groups and acyl groups, such as formyl and acetly groups, as well substituted froms thereof, such as the acetamidomethyl.
  • the invention further relates to modifications and derivatives of the polypeptide according to the invention, nucleotides encoding said polypeptides, vectors comprising said nucleotides, host cells transformed with said vectors and transgenic organisms comprising said cells.
  • DSM 19402 E. coli strain JM109 containing plasmid pGEM-T-Easy-RmAFP2
  • DSM 19403 E. coli strain JM109 containing plasmid pGEM-T-Easy-RmAFP3
  • DSM 19404 E. coli strain JM109 containing plasmid pGEM-T-Easy-RmAFP4
  • DSM 19405 E. coli strain JM109 containing plasmid pGEM-T-Easy-RmAFP5 Escherichia coli AL03236
  • DSM 19406 E. coli strain JM109 containing plasmid pGEM-T-Easy-RmAFP6
  • DSM 19407 E. coli strain JM109 containing plasmid pGEM-T-Easy-RmAFP7
  • DSM 19408 E. coli strain JM109 containing plasmid pGEM-T-Easy-RmAFP8
  • AUSTRALIA The applicant hereby gives notice that the furnishing of a sample of a microorganism shall only be effected priot to the grant of a patent, or to the lapsing, refusal or withdrawal of an application, to a person who is a skilled addressee without an interest in the invention (Regulation 3.25(3) of the Autstralian Patents Regulation).
  • CANADA The applicant requests that, until either a Canadian patent has been issued on the basis of the present application or the application has been refused, or is abandoned and no longer subject to reinstatement, or is withdrawn, the Commissioner of Patents only authorizes the furnishing of a sample of the deposited biological material referred to in the application to an independent expert nominated by the Commissioner.
  • CROATIA The applicant hereby requests that, samples shall be, upon request, made available between the publication of the application and the granting of the patent only to an independent expert.
  • DENMARK The applicant hereby requests that, until the present application has been laid open to public inspection (by the Danish Patent Office), or has been finally decided upon by the Danish Patent office without having been laid open to public inspection, the furnishing of a sample of the deposited biological material referred to in the application shall only be effected to an expert in the art.
  • GERMANY The applicant hereby requests that, until the grant of a patent or from 20 years from the date of filing if the application is refused or withdrawn, a sample shall only be issued to an independent expert nominated by the applicant.
  • ICELAND The applicant hereby requests that until a patent has been granted or a final decision taken by the Icelandic Patent Office concerning the present application, which decision has not resulted in a patent, the furnishing of a sample of the deposited biological material referred to in the application shall only be effected to an expert in the art.
  • NORWAY The applicant hereby requests that until the present application has been laid open to public inspection (by the Norwegian Patent Office), or has been finally decided upon by the Norwegian Patent Office without having been laid open inspection, the furnishing of a sample of the deposited biological material referred to in the application shall only be effected to an expert in the art.
  • SINGAPORE The applicant hereby requests that the furnishing of a sample of the deposited biological material referred to in the application shall only be made available to an expert.
  • SPAIN The applicant hereby requests that until the publication of the mention of the grant of a Spanish patent or for 20 years from the date of filing if the present application is refused or withdrawn, the biological material shall be made available as provided in Article 45 SPL only by the issue of a sample of the deposited biological material referred to in the application to an independent expert.
  • SWEDEN The applicant hereby requests that, until the present application has been laid open to public inspection (by the Swedish Patent Office), or has been finally decided upon by the Swedish Patent Office without having been laid open to public inspection, the furnishing of a sample of the deposited biological material referred to in the application shall only be effected to an expert in the art.
  • the present invention also provides isolated polypeptides that have a substantially similar sequence identity to the polypeptides according to the present invention, such as any of SEQ ID NO: 1 to SEQ ID NO:9, or their orthologs.
  • substantially similar sequence identity is in one embodiment used herein to denote polypeptides having at least 70%, such as at least 72%, for example at least 74%, such as at least 76%, for example at least 78%, such as at least 80%, for example at least 82%, such as at least 84%, for example at least 86%, such as at least 88%, for example at least 90%, such as at least 91 %, for example at least 92%, such as at least 93%, for example at least 94%, such as at least 95%, for example at least 96%, such as at least 97%, for example at least 98%, such as at least 99%, or greater than 99% sequence identity to any of the sequences SEQ ID NO:1 to SEQ ID NO:9, or their orthologs.
  • the present invention also contemplates variant polynucleotide molecules that can be identified using two criteria: a) a determination of the identity or similarity between a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of any of the sequences SEQ ID NO: 1 to SEQ ID NO:9, cf above, and b) a hybridization assay carried out under stringent conditions.
  • certain gene variants comprise polynucleotides that remain hybridized with a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide according to the present invention, such as any of the sequences SEQ ID NO: 1 to SEQ ID NO:9, or a complement of such a polynucleotide, following washing under stringent washing conditions, in which the wash stringency is equivalent to 0.5 X to 2 X SSC with 0.1 % SDS at 55 °C to 65°C.
  • variant genes can be characterized as
  • polynucleotide molecules that remain hybridized with a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide according to the present invention, such as any of the sequences SEQ ID NO: 1 to SEQ ID NO:9, or a complement of such a polynucleotide, following washing under stringent washing conditions, in which the wash stringency is equivalent to 0.1 X to 0.2 X SSC with 0.1 % SDS at 55 °C to 65°C.
  • Percent sequence identity is determined by conventional methods. See, for example, Altschul et al., Bull. Math. Bio. 48:603 (1986), and Henikoff and Henikoff, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:10915 (1992). Briefly, two amino acid sequences are aligned to optimize the alignment scores using a gap opening penalty of 10, a gap extension penalty of 1 , and the "BLOSUM62" scoring matrix of Henikoff and Henikoff (ibid.). The percent identity is then calculated as: ([Total number of identical matches]/[length of the longer sequence plus the number of gaps introduced into the longer sequence in order to align the two sequences]) x (100).
  • the "FASTA" similarity search algorithm of Pearson and Lipman is a suitable polypeptide alignment method for examining the level of identity shared by an amino acid sequence disclosed herein and the amino acid sequence of a putative or variant.
  • the FASTA algorithm is described by Pearson and Lipman, Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci. USA 85:2444 (1988), and by Pearson, Meth. Enzymol. 183:63 (1990).
  • the ten regions with the highest density of identities are then rescored by comparing the similarity of all paired amino acids using an amino acid substitution matrix, and the ends of the regions are "trimmed" to include only those residues that contribute to the highest score.
  • the trimmed initial regions are examined to determine whether the regions can be joined to form an approximate alignment with gaps.
  • the highest scoring regions of the two amino acid sequences are aligned using a modification of the Needleman-Wunsch-Sellers algorithm (Needleman and Wunsch, J. Mol. Biol. 48:444 (1970); Sellers, SIAM J. Appl. Math. 26:787 (1974)), which allows for amino acid insertions and deletions.
  • FASTA can also be used to determine the sequence identity of polynucleotide molecules using a ratio as disclosed above.
  • the ktup value can range between one to six, preferably from three to six, and most preferably, three.
  • substitution of amino acid residues in polypeptides according to the present invention is also directed to polypeptides having one or more conservative amino acid substitution(s) and polynucleotides encoding polypeptides having one or more conservative amino acid substitution(s), as compared with the amino acid sequence of any of the sequences SEQ ID NO: 1 to SEQ ID NO:9.
  • variants can be obtained that contain one or more amino acid substitutions of any of the sequences SEQ ID NO:1 to SEQ ID NO:9.
  • Variants include sequences wherein an alkyl amino acid is substituted for an alkyl amino acid, wherein an aromatic amino acid is substituted for an aromatic amino acid, wherein a sulfur-containing amino acid is substituted for a sulfur-containing amino acid in, wherein a hydroxy-containing amino acid is substituted for a hydroxy-containing amino acid, wherein an acidic amino acid is substituted for an acidic amino acid, wherien a basic amino acid is substituted for a basic amino acid, or wherein a dibasic monocarboxylic amino acid is substituted for a dibasic monocarboxylic amino acid.
  • a “conservative amino acid substitution” can also be illustrated by a substitution among amino acids within each of the following groups: (1 ) glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, and isoleucine, (2) phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan, (3) serine and threonine, (4) aspartate and glutamate, (5) glutamine and asparagine, and (6) lysine, arginine and histidine.
  • the BLOSUM62 table is an amino acid substitution matrix derived from about 2,000 local multiple alignments of polypeptide sequence segments, representing highly conserved regions of more than 500 groups of related polypeptides (Henikoff and Henikoff, Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci. USA 89:10915 (1992)). Accordingly, the BLOSUM62 substitution frequencies can be used to define conservative amino acid substitutions that may be introduced into the amino acid sequences of the present invention.
  • conservative amino acid substitution preferably refers to a substitution represented by a BLOSUM62 value of greater than - 1.
  • an amino acid substitution is conservative if the substitution is characterized by a BLOSUM62 value of 0, 1 , 2, or 3.
  • preferred conservative amino acid substitutions are characterized by a BLOSUM62 value of at least 1 (e.g., 1 , 2 or 3), while more preferred conservative amino acid substitutions are characterized by a BLOSUM62 value of at least 2 (e.g., 2 or 3).
  • polypeptides are characterized by having at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95% or greater than 95% sequence identity to a corresponding amino acid sequence disclosed herein (i.e., any of the sequences SEQ ID NO: 1 to SEQ ID NO:9), e.g. when the variation in amino acid sequence is due to one or more conservative amino acid substitutions.
  • Variants of amino acid sequences can be obtained, for example, by oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis, linker-scanning mutagenesis, mutagenesis using the polymerase chain reaction, and the like (see
  • polypeptides according to the present invention can also comprise non-naturally occurring amino acid residues.
  • Non-naturally occurring amino acids include e.g., without limitation, trans-3-methylproline, 2,4-methanoproline, cis-4-hydroxyproline, trans-4-hydroxyproline, N-methylglycine, allo-threonine, methylthreonine,
  • hydroxyethylcysteine hydroxyethylhomocysteine, nitroglutamnine, homoglutamine, pipecolic acid, thiazolidine carboxylic acid, dehydroproline, 3- and 4-methylproline, 3,3- dimethylproline, tert-leucine, norvaline, 2-azaphenylalanine, 3-azaphenylalanine, 4- azaphenylalanine, and 4-fluorophenylalanine.
  • variants of the disclosed nucleotide and polypeptide sequences according to the present invention can also be generated through DNA shuffling as disclosed by
  • variant DNA molecules are generated by in vitro homologous recombination by random fragmentation of a parent DNA followed by reassembly using PCR, resulting in randomly introduced point mutations.
  • This technique can be modified by using a family of parent DNA molecules, such as allelic variants or DNA molecules from different species, to introduce additional variability into the process. Selection or screening for the desired activity, followed by additional iterations of mutagenesis and assay provides for rapid "evolution" of sequences by selecting for desirable mutations while simultaneously selecting against detrimental changes.
  • Mutagenesis methods as disclosed herein can be combined with high-throughput, automated screening methods to detect activity of cloned, mutagenized polypeptides in host cells.
  • Mutagenized DNA molecules that encode biologically active polypeptides, or polypeptides that bind specific antibodies, can be recovered from the host cells and rapidly sequenced using modern equipment. These methods allow the rapid
  • the present invention also includes "functional fragments" of polypeptides and polynucleotide molecules according to the present invention encoding such functional fragments.
  • Routine deletion analyses of polynucleotide molecules can be performed to obtain functional fragments of a polynucleotide molecule that encodes a polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • DNA molecules encoding any of the sequences SEQ ID NO:1 to SEQ ID NO:9 can be digested with Bal31 nuclease to obtain a series of nested deletions. The fragments are then inserted into expression vectors in proper reading frame, and the expressed polypeptides are isolated and tested for the ability to bind specifically to anti-antibodies.
  • exonuclease digestion is to use oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis to introduce deletions or stop codons to specify production of a desired fragment.
  • particular fragments of a gene according to the present inventon can be synthesized using the polymerase chain reaction.
  • SEQ ID NO 1 originates from the full length sequences SEQ ID NO 1 , SEQ ID NO 2, SEQ NO 7 and SEQID NO 8 and contains the alternative residues C in the C-terminal end and GS in the N-terminal end.
  • the present invention also contemplates functional fragments of a polypeptide according to the present inventon that have amino acid changes, compared with the amino acid sequence of any of the sequences SEQ ID NO: 1 to SEQ ID NO:9.
  • a variant polypeptide can be identified on the basis of structure by determining the level of identity with a particular amino acid sequence disclosed herein.
  • An alternative approach to identifying a variant polypeptide on the basis of structure is to determine whether a polynucleotide molecule encoding a potential variant polypeptide can hybridize to a polynucleotide molecule having the nucleotide sequence of any of the sequences SEQ ID NO:1 to SEQ ID NO:9, as discussed above.
  • the present invention also provides polypeptide fragments or peptides comprising an epitope-bearing portion of a polypeptide according to the present inventon as described herein. Such fragments or peptides may comprise an "immunogenic epitope," which is a part of a polypeptide that elicits an antibody response when the entire polypeptide is used as an immunogen. Immunogenic epitope-bearing peptides can be identified using standard methods (see, for example, Geysen et al., Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci. USA 81 :3998 (1983)).
  • polypeptide fragments or peptides may comprise an "antigenic epitope," which is a region of a polypeptide molecule to which an antibody can specifically bind.
  • Certain epitopes consist of a linear or contiguous stretch of amino acids, and the antigenicity of such an epitope is not disrupted by denaturing agents. It is known in the art that relatively short synthetic peptides that can mimic epitopes of a polypeptide can be used to stimulate the production of antibodies against the polypeptide (see, for example, Sutcliffe et al., Science 219:660 (1983)). Accordingly, antigenic epitope- bearing peptides and polypeptides of the present invention are useful to raise antibodies that bind with the polypeptides described herein.
  • Antigenic epitope-bearing peptides and polypeptides can contain at least four to ten amino acids, such as at least ten to fifteen amino acids, for example about 15 to about 30 amino acids of any of the sequences SEQ ID NO: 1 to SEQ ID NO:9.
  • Such epitope- bearing peptides and polypeptides can be produced by fragmenting a polypeptide according to the present inventon, or by chemical peptide synthesis, as described herein.
  • epitopes can be selected by phage display of random peptide libraries (see, for example, Lane and Stephen, Curr. Opin. Immunol. 5:268 (1993), and Cortese et al., Curr. Opin. Biotechnol.
  • the gene encodes a polypeptide that may be characterized by its ability to bind specifically to an antibody capable of specifically binding to any of the sequences SEQ ID NO: 1 to SEQ ID NO:9. Fusion polypeptides comprising anti-freeze polypeptides or ice binding sites or ice binding domains according to the invention
  • the present invention also includes anti-freeze fusion polypeptides.
  • Anti-freeze fusion polypeptides of the present invention may be targeted to a particular cellular compartment or to the extracellular space, to a particular cell or to particular cell types.
  • the anti-freeze segments may be targeted to a particular cellular organelle. Not only will the peptide be directed to the organelle, but the anti-freeze function may remain functional even when surrounded by other polypeptide segments.
  • fusion to antibodies or other molecules having cell specificity in binding the resistance to cellular damage upon freezing can be conferred to those cell types. This technique will also find use in organs. Examples of polypeptides to which the polypeptide according to the present invention can be bound are listed below:
  • Fusion polypeptides comprising polypeptides according to the present invention can thus be used to express a polypeptide according to the present invention in a recombinant host, and to isolate expressed polypeptides.
  • One type of fusion polypeptide comprises a peptide that guides a polypeptide according to the present invention from a recombinant host cell.
  • a secretory signal sequence also known as a signal peptide, a leader sequence, prepro sequence or pre sequence
  • suitable expression vector is provided in a suitable expression vector.
  • secretory signal sequence may be derived from a polypeptide according to the present invention
  • a suitable signal sequence may also be derived from another secreted polypeptide or synthesized de novo.
  • the secretory signal sequence is operably linked to a gene encoding sequence according to the present invention such that the two sequences are joined in the correct reading frame and positioned to direct the newly synthesized polypeptide into the secretory pathway of the host cell.
  • Secretory signal sequences are commonly positioned 5' to the nucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide of interest, although certain secretory signal sequences may be positioned elsewhere in the nucleotide sequence of interest (see, e.g., Welch et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,743; Holland et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5, 143,830).
  • yeast signal sequence is preferred for expression in yeast cells.
  • suitable yeast signal sequences are those derived from yeast mating phermone alpha-factor (encoded by the MF-alpha1 gene), invertase (encoded by the SUC2 gene), or acid phosphatase (encoded by the PH05 gene).
  • a heterologous polypeptide in bacterial cells, it is often desirable to express a heterologous polypeptide as a fusion polypeptide to decrease toxicity, increase stability, and to enhance recovery of the expressed polypeptide.
  • a gene according to the present invention can be expressed as a fusion polypeptide comprising a glutathione S-transferase polypeptide.
  • Glutathione S-transferease fusion polypeptides are typically soluble, and easily purifiable from E. coli lysates on immobilized glutathione columns.
  • a fusion polypeptide according to the present invention comprising a maltose binding polypeptide polypeptide can be isolated with an amylose resin column, while a fusion polypeptide comprising the C-terminal end of a truncated polypeptide A gene can be purified using IgG-Sepharose.
  • Established techniques for expressing a heterologous polypeptide as a fusion polypeptide in a bacterial cell are described, for example, by Williams et al., "Expression of Foreign polypeptides in E.
  • Peptide tags that are useful for isolating heterologous polypeptides expressed by either prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells include polyHistidine tags (which have an affinity for nickel-chelating resin), c-myc tags, calmodulin binding polypeptide (isolated with calmodulin affinity chromatography), substance P, the RYIRS tag (which binds with anti-RYIRS antibodies), the Glu-Glu tag, and the FLAG tag (which binds with anti- FLAG antibodies). See, for example, Luo et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 329:215 (1996), Morganti et al., Biotechnol. Appl. Biochem. 23:67 (1996), and Zheng et al., Gene 186:55 (1997). polynucleotide molecules encoding such peptide tags are available, for example, from Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (St. Louis, Mo.).
  • fusion polypeptide comprises a polypeptide according to the present invention and an immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region, typically an F c fragment, which contains two constant region domains and a hinge region but lacks the variable region.
  • an immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region typically an F c fragment
  • F c fragment an immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region
  • Chang et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,723, 125 describe a fusion polypeptide comprising a human interferon and a human immunoglobulin Fc fragment.
  • the C-terminal of the interferon is linked to the N-terminal of the Fc fragment by a peptide linker moiety.
  • An example of a peptide linker is a peptide comprising primarily a T cell inert sequence, which is immunologically inert.
  • An exemplary peptide linker has the amino acid sequence: GGSGG SGGGG SGGGG S.
  • a preferred F c moiety is a human gamma4 chain, which is stable in solution and has little or no complement activating activity.
  • the present invention contemplates a fusion polypeptide that comprises a polypeptide according to the present invention, or a fragment thereof, and a human F c fragment, wherein the C-terminus of the polypeptide according to the present invention, or a fragment thereof, is attached to the N-terminus of the F c fragment via a peptide linker.
  • a fusion polypeptide comprising a polypeptide according to the present invention further comprises an IgG sequence.
  • the polypeptide moiety according to the present invention is covalently joined to the amino terminal end of the IgG sequence, and a signal peptide that is covalently joined to the amino terminal of the polypeptide moiety according to the present invention, wherein the IgG seguence comprises or consists of the following elements in the following order: a hinge region, a CH 2 domain, and a CH 3 domain. Accordingly, the IgG sequence lacks a C ⁇ domain.
  • the polypeptide moiety according to the present invention displays an ice-binding activity.
  • Fusion polypeptides can be prepared by methods known to those skilled in the art by preparing each component of the fusion polypeptide and chemically conjugating them. Alternatively, a polynucleotide encoding both components of the fusion polypeptide in the proper reading frame can be generated using known techniques and expressed by the methods described herein. General methods for enzymatic and chemical cleavage of fusion polypeptides are described, for example, by Ausubel (1995) at pages 16 19 to 16 25.
  • Synthesis of anti-freeze polypeptides according to the present invention may be pursued in two forms, either biological or synthetic.
  • the biological method is by expression of polypeptide coding sequence or gene; the synthetic method is by chemical synthesis of a polypeptide.
  • a preferred synthetic method utilizes solid phase peptide synthesis, such as that developed by Merrifield (J. Am. Chem. Soc, (1963) 85:2149-2156). This method will be particularly useful in testing particular compositions or formulations for anti-freeze activity.
  • the encoding polynucleotide or gene can be a natural gene with recombinant modifications or a totally synthetic sequence that will be expressed in an appropriate expression system.
  • the methods utilized for insertion of a natural sequence segment into an appropriate vector are well known to persons of ordinary skill in the art, see Maniatis or Wu, et al. (1987) Methods in Enzymology, Vol. 153, Academic Press, New York, N.Y. Synthetic sequences can be synthesized by the phosphoramidite chemistry to make particular sections of the sequence (Beaucage and Carruthers, (1981) Tet. Letters, 22: 1859-1862). Overlapping segments can be synthesized and then ligated together to produce a larger gene.
  • restriction enzyme cutting sites may be introduced which will provide convenient segments which may be easily linked together or inserted to generate tandem repeats, as will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art.
  • Purification of the anti-freeze polypeptides will be by methods known to a person of ordinary skill in the art of polypeptide purification.
  • Standard purification techniques may be from either cell lysates or culture medium if the polypeptides are secreted. Typical methods are column chromatography, ammonium sulfate salt precipitations, antibody affinity column chromatography and others.
  • a preferred method of purification is as described by DeVries et al. (1977) Biochem Biophys. Acta 495:388-392.
  • the anti-freeze polypeptides will be purified to substantial homogeneity, usually at least about 70% to 80% pure, preferably about 90-95% pure, most preferably 99% or more pure.
  • the polypeptides will be substantially free of
  • polypeptides of the present invention including full- length polypeptides, functional fragments, and fusion polypeptides, can
  • a polynucleotide molecule encoding the polypeptide must be operably linked to regulatory sequences that control transcriptional expression in an expression vector and then, introduced into a host cell.
  • regulatory sequences such as promoters and enhancers
  • expression vectors can include translational regulatory sequences and a marker gene, which is suitable for selection of cells that carry the expression vector.
  • Expression vectors that are suitable for production of a foreign polypeptide in eukaryotic cells typically contain (1) prokaryotic DNA elements coding for a bacterial replication origin and an antibiotic resistance marker to provide for the growth and selection of the expression vector in a bacterial host; (2) eukaryotic DNA elements that control initiation of transcription, such as a promoter; and (3) DNA elements that control the processing of transcripts, such as a transcription termination/polyadenylation sequence.
  • expression vectors can also include nucleotide sequences encoding a secretory sequence that directs the heterologous polypeptide into the secretory pathway of a host cell.
  • an expression vector may comprise a gene according to the present invention and a secretory sequence derived from said gene or another secreted gene.
  • vectors commonly used with bacteria include the pET series (Novagen), pGEX series (Ge Healthcare), pBAD-series (Invitrogen).
  • yeasts are the pPic series for Pichia (Invitrogen), the pKlac system from Kluyveromyces lactis (New England biolabs), S.
  • cereviseae vectors (Patel, O., Fearnley, R., and Macreadie, I.. 3002. Saccharomyces cerevisiae expression vectors with thrombin-cleavable N- and C-terminal 6x(His) tags. Biotechnol Lett. 2003 25(4):331- 334) and the pYes system for S. cereviseae (Invitrogen).
  • vectors for use in funghi are the pBAR series (described in Pall, M. L. and J. Brunelli. 1993. A series of six compact fungal transformation vectors containing polylinkers with unique restrictions sites. Fungal Genetics Newsletter 40: 59-61) .
  • the plEx plasmid based system (Merck) or the baculovirus based system (Merck) are two examples of systems useful for insect cells. Similar products are available from other companies.
  • vectors for use in insect cells include the tetracycline regulated systems pTet and pTre, the adenovirus-based system Adeno-X, the retrovirus-based system Rethro-X (all Clontech) and the pcDNA vectors (Invitrogen).
  • Polypeptides according to the present invention may be expressed in mammalian cells.
  • suitable mammalian host cells include African green monkey kidney cells (Vero; ATCC CRL 1587), human embryonic kidney cells (293-HEK; ATCC CRL 1573), baby hamster kidney cells (BHK-21 , BHK-570; ATCC CRL 8544, ATCC CRL 10314), canine kidney cells (MDCK; ATCC CCL 34), Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1 ; ATCC CCL61 ; CHO DG44 [Chasin et al., Som. Cell. Molec. Genet.
  • GH1 rat pituitary cells
  • ATCC CCL82 HeLa S3 cells
  • ATCC CCL2.2 HeLa S3 cells
  • H-4-II-E rat hepatoma cells
  • COS-1 SV40-transformed monkey kidney cells
  • NIH-3T3 ATCC CRL 1658
  • the transcriptional and translational regulatory signals may be derived from viral sources, such as adenovirus, bovine papilloma virus, simian virus, or the like, in which the regulatory signals are associated with a particular gene which has a high level of expression.
  • viral sources such as adenovirus, bovine papilloma virus, simian virus, or the like, in which the regulatory signals are associated with a particular gene which has a high level of expression.
  • Suitable transcriptional and translational regulatory sequences also can be obtained from mammalian genes, such as actin, collagen, myosin, and metallothionein genes.
  • Transcriptional regulatory sequences include a promoter region sufficient to direct the initiation of RNA synthesis.
  • Suitable eukaryotic promoters include the promoter of the mouse metallothionein I gene (Hamer et al., J. Molec. Appl. Genet. 1 :273 (1982)), the TK promoter of Herpes virus (McKnight, Cell 31 :355 (1982)), the SV40 early promoter (Benoist et al., Nature 290:304 (1981)), the Rous sarcoma virus promoter (Gorman et al. , Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci. USA 79:6777 (1982)), the cytomegalovirus promoter
  • a prokaryotic promoter such as the bacteriophage T3 RNA polymerase promoter
  • a prokaryotic promoter can be used to control gene expression in mammalian cells if the prokaryotic promoter is regulated by a eukaryotic promoter (Zhou et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 10:4529 (1990), and Kaufman et al., Nucl. Acids Res. 19:4485 (1991)).
  • An expression vector can be introduced into host cells using a variety of standard techniques including calcium phosphate transfection, liposome-mediated transfection, microprojectile-mediated delivery, electroporation, and the like.
  • the transfected cells can be selected and propagated to provide recombinant host cells that comprise the expression vector stably integrated in the host cell genome.
  • Techniques for introducing vectors into eukaryotic cells and techniques for selecting such stable transformants using a dominant selectable marker are described, for example, by Ausubel (1995) and by Murray (ed.), Gene Transfer and Expression Protocols (Humana Press 1991).
  • a gene according to the present invention may thus be expressed in higher eukaryots, such as avian, fungal, insect, yeast, and plant cells.
  • one suitable selectable marker is a gene that provides resistance to the antibiotic neomycin.
  • selection is carried out in the presence of a neomycin- type drug, such as G-418 or the like.
  • Selection systems can also be used to increase the expression level of the gene of interest, a process referred to as "amplification.” Amplification is carried out by culturing transfectants in the presence of a low level of the selective agent and then increasing the amount of selective agent to select for cells that produce high levels of the products of the introduced genes.
  • a suitable amplifiable selectable marker is dihydrofolate reductase, which confers resistance to methotrexate.
  • Other drug resistance genes e.g., hygromycin resistance, multi-drug resistance, puromycin acetyltransferase
  • markers that introduce an altered phenotype such as green fluorescent polypeptide, or cell surface polypeptides such as CD4, CD8, Class I MHC, placental alkaline phosphatase may be used to sort transfected cells from untransfected cells by such means as FACS sorting or magnetic bead separation technology.
  • Polypeptides according to the present invention can also be produced by cultured mammalian cells using a viral delivery system.
  • viruses for this purpose include adenovirus, herpesvirus, vaccinia virus and adeno-associated virus (AAV).
  • Adenovirus a double-stranded DNA virus, is currently the best studied gene transfer vector for delivery of heterologous polynucleotide (for a review, see Becker et al., Meth. Cell Biol. 43:161 (1994), and Douglas and Curiel, Science & Medicine 4:44 (1997)).
  • Advantages of the adenovirus system include the accommodation of relatively large DNA inserts, the ability to grow to high-titer, the ability to infect a broad range of mammalian cell types, and flexibility that allows use with a large number of available vectors containing different promoters.
  • heterologous DNA can be accommodated. These inserts can be incorporated into the viral DNA by direct ligation or by homologous recombination with a co-transfected
  • Adenovirus vector-infected human 293 cells can be grown as adherent cells or in suspension culture at relatively high cell density to produce significant amounts of polypeptide (see Gamier et al., Cytotechnol. 15: 145
  • transgenic organisms are obtained simply by introducing the relevant Yeasts and expression plasmids. Methods for this are listed herein elsewhere
  • Insects Gene targeting in the silkworm by use of a baculovirus. Genes Dev. 13:51 1-6.
  • the baculovirus system provides an efficient means to introduce cloned genes
  • Suitable expression vectors are based upon the Autographa californica multiple nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV), and contain well-known promoters such as Drosophila heat shock polypeptide (hsp) 70 promoter, Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus immediate-early gene promoter (ie-1) and the delayed early 39K promoter, baculovirus p10 promoter, and the Drosophila metallothionein promoter.
  • a second method of making recombinant baculovirus utilizes a transposon-based
  • This system utilizes a transfer vector, PFASTBAC (Life Technologies) containing a Tn7 transposon to move the DNA encoding the polypeptide according to the present invention into a baculovirus genome maintained in E. coli as a large
  • transfer vectors can include an in-frame fusion with DNA encoding an
  • a transfer vector for example, a Glu-Glu epitope tag (Grussenmeyer et al., Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci. 82:7952 (1985)).
  • a transfer vector for example, a transfer vector
  • bacmid DNA containing the recombinant baculovirus genome is then isolated using common techniques.
  • the illustrative PFASTBAC vector can be modified to a considerable degree.
  • the polyhedrin promoter can be removed and substituted with the baculovirus basic polypeptide promoter (also known as Pcor, p6.9 or MP promoter) which is expressed earlier in the baculovirus infection, and has been shown to be advantageous for expressing secreted polypeptides (see, for example, Hill-Perkins and Possee, J. Gen. Virol. 71 :971 (1990), Bonning, et al., J. Gen. Virol. 75: 1551 (1994), and
  • transfer vector constructs a short or long version of the basic polypeptide promoter can be used.
  • transfer vectors can be constructed which replace the native secretory signal sequences of polypeptides according to the present invention with secretory signal sequences derived from insect polypeptides.
  • a secretory signal sequence from Ecdysteroid Glucosyltransferase (EGT), honey bee Melittin (Invitrogen Corporation; Carlsbad, Calif.), or baculovirus gp67 (PharMingen: San Diego, Calif.) can be used in constructs to replace native secretory signal sequences.
  • the recombinant virus or bacmid is used to transfect host cells.
  • suitable insect host cells include cell lines derived from IPLB-Sf-21 , a Spodoptera frugiperda pupal ovarian cell line, such as Sf9 (ATCC CRL 171 1), Sf21AE, and Sf21 (Invitrogen Corporation; San Diego, Calif.), as well as Drosophila Schneider-2 cells, and the HIGH FIVEO cell line (Invitrogen) derived from Trichoplusia ni (U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,435).
  • Sf9 ATCC CRL 171 1
  • Sf21AE Spodoptera frugiperda pupal ovarian cell line
  • Sf21 Invitrogen Corporation
  • Drosophila Schneider-2 cells Drosophila Schneider-2 cells
  • HIGH FIVEO cell line Invitrogen
  • Commercially available serum-free media can be used to grow and to maintain the cells.
  • Suitable media are Sf900 IITM (Life Technologies) or ESF 921TM (Expression Systems) for Sf9 cells; and Ex-cellO405TM (JRH Biosciences, Lenexa, Kans.) or Express FiveOTM (Life Technologies) for T. ni cells.
  • the cells are typically grown up from an inoculation density of approximately 2 to 5 X 10 5 cells to a density of 1 to 2 X 10 6 cells at which time a recombinant viral stock is added at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.1 to 10, more typically near 3.
  • MOI multiplicity of infection
  • yeast cells can also be used to express the genes described herein.
  • Yeast species of particular interest in this regard include Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia pastoris, and Pichia methanolica.
  • Suitable promoters for expression in yeast include promoters from GAL1 (galactose), PGK (phosphoglycerate kinase), ADH (alcohol dehydrogenase), AOX1 (alcohol oxidase), HIS4 (histidinol
  • yeast cloning vectors include YIp-based vectors, such as Ylp5, YRp vectors, such as YRp17, YEp vectors such as YEp13 and YCp vectors, such as YCp19.
  • Transformed cells are selected by phenotype determined by the selectable marker, commonly drug resistance or the ability to grow in the absence of a particular nutrient (e.g., leucine).
  • a suitable vector system for use in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the POT1 vector system disclosed by Kawasaki et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,931 ,373), which allows transformed cells to be selected by growth in glucose-containing media.
  • promoters and terminators for use in yeast include those from glycolytic enzyme genes (see, e.g., Kawasaki, U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,311 , Kingsman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,974, and Bitter, U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,092) and alcohol dehydrogenase genes. See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,990,446, 5,063, 154, 5,139,936, and 4,661 ,454.
  • Other examples of commonly used and/or commercially available vectors suitable for use in yeast are the pPic series (Invitrogen), the pKlac system from
  • Kluyveromyces lactis New England Biolabs
  • S. cerevisae vectors Pitel et al., Biotechnology letters 2003 vol 25(4): 331-334 as well as the pYes system for S.
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Kluyveromyces lactis, Kluyveromyces fragilis, Ustilago maydis, Pichia pastoris, Pichia methanolica, Pichia guillermondii and Candida maltosa are known in the art. See, for example, Gleeson et al., J. Gen. Microbiol. 132:3459 (1986), and Cregg, U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,279. Aspergillus cells may be utilized according to the methods of McKnight et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,349. Methods for transforming Acremonium chrysogenum are disclosed by Sumino et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5, 162,228. Methods for transforming Neurospora are disclosed by Lambowitz, U.S. Pat. No.
  • Pichia methanolica as host for the production of recombinant polypeptides is disclosed by Raymond, U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,808, Raymond, U.S. Pat. No. 5,736,383, Raymond et al., Yeast 14:1 1 23 (1998), and in international publication Nos. WO 97/17450, WO 97/17451 , WO 98/02536, and WO 98/02565.
  • DNA molecules for use in transforming P. methanolica will commonly be prepared as double-stranded, circular plasmids, which can be linearized prior to transformation. For polypeptide production in P.
  • the promoter and terminator in the plasmid can be that of a P. methanolica gene, such as a P. methanolica alcohol utilization gene (AUG1 or AUG2).
  • P. methanolica alcohol utilization gene AUG2
  • Other useful promoters include those of the dihydroxyacetone synthase (DHAS), formate dehydrogenase (FMD), and catalase (CAT) genes.
  • DHAS dihydroxyacetone synthase
  • FMD formate dehydrogenase
  • CAT catalase
  • methanolica ADE2 gene which encodes phosphoribosyl-5-aminoimidazole carboxylase (AIRC; EC 4.1.1.21), and which allows ade2 host cells to grow in the absence of adenine.
  • methanolica ADE2 gene which encodes phosphoribosyl-5-aminoimidazole carboxylase (AIRC; EC 4.1.1.21), and which allows ade2 host cells to grow in the absence of adenine.
  • AUG2 methanol utilization genes
  • host cells can be used that are deficient in vacuolar pro tease genes (PEP4 and PRB1). Electroporation is used to facilitate the introduction of a plasmid containing DNA encoding a polypeptide of interest into P. methanolica cells.
  • methanolica cells can be transformed by electroporation using an exponentially decaying, pulsed electric field having a field strength of from 2.5 to 4.5 kV/cm, preferably about 3.75 kV/cm, and a time constant (t) of from 1 to 40 milliseconds, most preferably about 20 milliseconds.
  • Expression vectors can also be introduced into plant protoplasts, intact plant tissues, or isolated plant cells. Methods for introducing expression vectors into plant tissue include the direct infection or co-cultivation of plant tissue with Agrobacterium tumefaciens, microprojectile-mediated delivery, DNA injection, electroporation, and the like. See, for example, Horsch et al.
  • genes according to the present invention can be expressed in prokaryotic host cells.
  • Suitable promoters that can be used to express polypeptides according to the present invention in a prokaryotic host are well-known to those of skill in the art and include promoters capable of recognizing the T4, T3, Sp6 and T7 polymerases, the P R and Pi.
  • Prokaryotic promoters have been reviewed by Glick, J. Ind. Microbiol. 1 :277 (1987), Watson et al., Molecular Biology of the Gene, 4th Ed. (Benjamin Cummins 1987), and by Ausubel et al. (1995).
  • Suitable prokaryotic hosts include E. coli and Bacillus subtilus.
  • Suitable strains of E. coli include BL21 (DE3), BL21 (DE3)pLysS, BL21 (DE3)pLysE, DH 1 , DH4I , DH5, DH5I , DH5I F, DH5IMCR, DH 10B, DH 10B/p3, DH 1 1 S, C600, H B101 , JM 101 , JM 105, JM 109, JM1 10, K38, RR1 , Y1088, Y1089, CSH 18, ER1451 , and ER1647 (see, for example, Brown (ed.), Molecular Biology Labfax (Academic Press 1991 )).
  • Suitable strains of Bacillus subtilus include BR151 , YB886, MM 19, MI 120, and B170 (see, for example, Hardy, "Bacillus Cloning Methods,” in DNA Cloning: A Practical Approach, Glover (ed.) (IRL Press 1985)).
  • the polypeptide When expressing a polypeptide according to the present invention in bacteria such as E. coli, the polypeptide may be retained in the cytoplasm, typically as insoluble granules, or may be directed to the periplasmic space by a bacterial secretion sequence. In the former case, the cells are lysed, and the granules are recovered and denatured using, for example, guanidine isothiocyanate or urea. The denatured polypeptide can then be refolded and dimerized by diluting the denaturant, such as by dialysis against a solution of urea and a combination of reduced and oxidized glutathione, followed by dialysis against a buffered saline solution.
  • the denaturant such as by dialysis against a solution of urea and a combination of reduced and oxidized glutathione
  • the polypeptide can be recovered from the periplasmic space in a soluble and functional form by disrupting the cells (by, for example, sonication or osmotic shock) to release the contents of the periplasmic space and recovering the polypeptide, thereby obviating the need for denaturation and refolding.
  • Standard techniques for recovering polypeptide produced by a bacterial system is provided by, for example, Grisshammer et al., "Purification of over-produced polypeptides from E. coli cells," in DNA Cloning 2: Expression Systems, 2nd Edition, Glover et al. (eds.), pages 59 92 (Oxford University Press 1995).
  • Established methods for isolating recombinant polypeptides from a baculovirus system are described by Richardson (ed.), Baculovirus Expression Protocols (The Humana Press, Inc. 1995).
  • polypeptides of the present invention can be synthesized by exclusive solid phase synthesis, partial solid phase methods, fragment condensation or classical solution synthesis. These synthesis methods are well-known to those of skill in the art (see, for example, Merrifield, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 85:2149 (1963), Stewart et al., “Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis” (2nd Edition), (Pierce Chemical Co. 1984), Bayer and Rapp, Chem. Pept. Prot. 3:3 (1986), Atherton et al., Solid Phase Peptide
  • compositions comprising a peptide or polypeptide described herein.
  • Such compositions can further comprise a carrier.
  • the carrier can be a conventional organic or inorganic carrier. Examples of carriers include water, buffer solution, alcohol, propylene glycol, macrogol, sesame oil, corn oil, and the like.
  • polypeptides of the present invention can be purified to at least about 80% purity, to at least about 90% purity, to at least about 95% purity, or even greater than 95% purity with respect to contaminating macromolecules, particularly other polypeptides and polynucleotides, and free of infectious and pyrogenic agents.
  • the polypeptides of the present invention can also be purified to a pharmaceutically pure state, which is greater than 99.9% pure.
  • a purified polypeptide is substantially free of other polypeptides, particularly other polypeptides of animal origin.
  • Fractionation and/or conventional purification methods can be used to obtain preparations of polypeptides according to the present invention purified from natural sources, and recombinant polypeptides according to the present invention and fusion polypeptides according to the present invention purified from recombinant host cells.
  • ammonium sulfate precipitation and acid or chaotrope extraction may be used for fractionation of samples.
  • Exemplary purification steps may include hydroxyapatite, size exclusion, FPLC and reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Suitable chromatographic media include derivatized dextrans, agarose, cellulose, polyacrylamide, specialty silicas, and the like. PEI, DEAE, QAE and Q derivatives are preferred.
  • Exemplary chromatographic media include those media derivatized with phenyl, butyl, or octyl groups, such as Phenyl-Sepharose FF (Pharmacia), Toyopearl butyl 650 (Toso Haas, Montgomeryville, Pa.), Octyl-Sepharose (Pharmacia) and the like; or polyacrylic resins, such as Amberchrom CG 71 (Toso Haas) and the like.
  • Suitable solid supports include glass beads, silica-based resins, cellulosic resins, agarose beads, cross-linked agarose beads, polystyrene beads, cross-linked polyacrylamide resins and the like that are insoluble under the conditions in which they are to be used. These supports may be modified with reactive groups that allow attachment of polypeptides by amino groups, carboxyl groups, sulfhydryl groups, hydroxyl groups and/or carbohydrate moieties.
  • Examples of coupling chemistries include cyanogen bromide activation, N- hydroxysuccinimide activation, epoxide activation, sulfhydryl activation, hydrazide activation, and carboxyl and amino derivatives for carbodiimide coupling chemistries. These and other solid media are well known and widely used in the art, and are available from commercial suppliers. Selection of a particular method for polypeptide isolation and purification is a matter of routine design and is determined in part by the properties of the chosen support. See, for example, Affinity Chromatography: Principles & Methods (Pharmacia LKB Biotechnology 1988), and Doonan, polypeptide Purification Protocols (The Humana Press 1996).
  • polypeptides according to the present invention can be devised by those of skill in the art.
  • specific antibodies recognising polypeptides according to the present invention and fragments thereof, obtained as described below can be used to isolate large quantities of polypeptide by immunoaffinity purification.
  • the polypeptides of the present invention can also be isolated by exploitation of particular properties.
  • immobilized metal ion adsorption (IMAC) chromatography can be used to purify histidine-rich polypeptides, including those comprising polyhistidine tags. Briefly, a gel is first charged with divalent metal ions to form a chelate (Sulkowski, Trends in Biochem. 3:1 (1985)). Histidine-rich polypeptides will be adsorbed to this matrix with differing affinities, depending upon the metal ion used, and will be eluted by competitive elution, lowering the pH, or use of strong chelating agents.
  • IMAC immobilized metal ion adsorption
  • a fusion of the polypeptide of interest and an affinity tag may be constructed to facilitate purification.
  • an affinity tag e.g., maltose- binding polypeptide, an immunoglobulin domain
  • Polypeptides and fragments thereof according to the present invention may also be prepared through chemical synthesis, as described above.
  • Polypeptides according to the present invention may be monomers or multimers; glycosylated or non- glycosylated; pegylated or non-pegylated; and may or may not include an initial methionine amino acid residue.
  • Antibodies to an ice-binding polypeptide according to the present invention, or a fragment thereof can be obtained, for example, by using as an antigen the product produced from an expression vector comprising a gene according to the present invention in a suitable host organism, or by using a polypeptide according to the present invention isolated from a natural source or synthesised using any conventional solid phase synthesis strategy.
  • Particularly useful antibodies "bind specifically" with a polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • Antibodies are considered to be specifically binding if the antibodies exhibit at least one of the following two properties: (1) antibodies bind to a polypeptide according to the present invention with a threshold level of binding activity, and (2) antibodies do not significantly cross-react with polypeptides which are related to a polypeptide according to the present invention as defined herein below.
  • antibodies specifically bind if they bind to a polypeptide, peptide or epitope with a binding affinity (K a ) of 10 6 M “1 or greater, preferably 10 7 M “1 or greater, more preferably 10 8 M “1 or greater, and most preferably 10 9 M “1 or greater.
  • K a binding affinity
  • the binding affinity of an antibody can be readily determined by one of ordinary skill in the art, for example, by Scatchard analysis (Scatchard, Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 51 :660 (1949)).
  • antibodies do not significantly cross- react with related polypeptide molecules, for example, if they detect polypeptides according to the present invention, but do not detect known polypeptides applied in similar or identical amounts in a standard Western blot analysis.
  • Antibodies can be produced using antigenic epitope-bearing peptides or polypeptides according to the present invention. It is desirable that the amino acid sequence of the epitope-bearing peptide is selected to provide substantial solubility in aqueous solvents (i.e., the sequence includes relatively hydrophilic residues, while hydrophobic residues are preferably avoided). Moreover, amino acid sequences containing proline residues may be also be desirable for antibody production.
  • potential antigenic sites in polypeptides according to the present invention can be identified using the Jameson-Wolf method, Jameson and Wolf, CABIOS 4: 181 , (1988), as implemented by the PROTEAN program (version 3.14) of LASERGENE (DNASTAR; Madison, Wis.). Default parameters were used in this analysis.
  • the Jameson-Wolf method predicts potential antigenic determinants by combining six major subroutines for polypeptide structural prediction. Briefly, the Hopp-Woods method, Hopp et al., Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci. USA 78:3824 (1981), was first used to identify amino acid sequences representing areas of greatest local hydrophilicity
  • flexibility parameters and hydropathy/solvent accessibility factors were combined to determine a surface contour value, designated as the "antigenic index.”
  • a peak broadening function was applied to the antigenic index, which broadens major surface peaks by adding 20, 40, 60, or 80% of the respective peak value to account for additional free energy derived from the mobility of surface regions relative to interior regions. This calculation was not applied, however, to any major peak that resides in a helical region, since helical regions tend to be less flexible.
  • Polyclonal antibodies to recombinant polypeptide or to isolated from natural sources can be prepared using methods well-known to those of skill in the art. See, for example, Green et al., "Production of Polyclonal Antisera,” in Immunochemical Protocols (Manson, ed.), pages 1 to 5 (Humana Press 1992), and Williams et al.,
  • polypeptide immunogen may be a full-length molecule or a portion thereof.
  • polypeptide portion is "hapten-like,” such portion may be advantageously joined or linked to a macromolecular carrier (such as keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), bovine serum albumin (BSA) or tetanus toxoid) for immunization.
  • a macromolecular carrier such as keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), bovine serum albumin (BSA) or tetanus toxoid
  • polyclonal antibodies are typically raised in animals such as horses, cows, dogs, chicken, rats, mice, rabbits, guinea pigs, goats, or sheep
  • an antibody specific for a polypeptides according to the present invention may also be derived from a subhuman primate antibody.
  • General techniques for raising diagnostically and therapeutically useful antibodies in baboons may be found, for example, in Goldenberg et al., international patent publication No. WO 91/1 1465, and in Losman et al., Int. J. Cancer 46:310 (1990).
  • monoclonal antibodies specific for a polypeptides according to the present invention can be generated.
  • Rodent monoclonal antibodies to specific antigens may be obtained by methods known to those skilled in the art (see, for example, Kohler et al., Nature 256:495 (1975), Coligan et al. (eds.), Current Protocols in Immunology, Vol. 1 , pages 2.5.1 2.6.7 (John Wley & Sons 1991) ["Coligan”], Picksley et al. , "Production of monoclonal antibodies against polypeptides expressed in E. coli," in DNA Cloning 2: Expression Systems, 2nd Edition, Glover et al. (eds.), page 93 (Oxford University Press 1995)).
  • monoclonal antibodies can be obtained by injecting mice with a composition comprising a gene product, verifying the presence of antibody production by removing a serum sample, removing the spleen to obtain B-lymphocytes, fusing the B- lymphocytes with myeloma cells to produce hybridomas, cloning the hybridomas, selecting positive clones which produce antibodies to the antigen, culturing the clones that produce antibodies to the antigen, and isolating the antibodies from the hybridoma cultures.
  • an antibody specific for polypeptides according to the present invention of the present invention may be derived from a human monoclonal antibody.
  • Human monoclonal antibodies are obtained from transgenic mice that have been engineered to produce specific human antibodies in response to antigenic challenge.
  • elements of the human heavy and light chain locus are introduced into strains of mice derived from embryonic stem cell lines that contain targeted disruptions of the endogenous heavy chain and light chain loci.
  • the transgenic mice can synthesize human antibodies specific for human antigens, and the mice can be used to produce human antibody-secreting hybridomas.
  • Methods for obtaining human antibodies from transgenic mice are described, for example, by Green et al., Nature Genet. 7: 13 (1994), Lonberg et al., Nature 368:856 (1994), and Taylor et al., Int.
  • Monoclonal antibodies can be isolated and purified from hybridoma cultures by a variety of well-established techniques. Such isolation techniques include affinity chromatography with polypeptide-A Sepharose, size-exclusion chromatography, and ion-exchange chromatography (see, for example, Coligan at pages 2.7.1 2.7.12 and pages 2.9.1 2.9.3; Baines et al., "Purification of Immunoglobulin G (IgG),” in Methods in Molecular Biology, Vol. 10, pages 79 104 (The Humana Press, Inc. 1992)).
  • isolation techniques include affinity chromatography with polypeptide-A Sepharose, size-exclusion chromatography, and ion-exchange chromatography (see, for example, Coligan at pages 2.7.1 2.7.12 and pages 2.9.1 2.9.3; Baines et al., "Purification of Immunoglobulin G (IgG),” in Methods in Molecular Biology, Vol. 10, pages 79 104 (The Humana Press, Inc
  • antibody fragments can be obtained, for example, by proteolytic hydrolysis of the antibody.
  • Antibody fragments can be obtained by pepsin or papain digestion of whole antibodies by conventional methods.
  • antibody fragments can be produced by enzymatic cleavage of antibodies with pepsin to provide a 5S fragment denoted F(ab') 2 .
  • This fragment can be further cleaved using a thiol reducing agent to produce 3.5S Fab' monovalent fragments.
  • the cleavage reaction can be performed using a blocking group for the sulfhydryl groups that result from cleavage of disulfide linkages.
  • an enzymatic cleavage using pepsin produces two monovalent Fab fragments and an F c fragment directly.
  • These methods are described, for example, by Goldenberg, U.S. Pat. No. 4,331 ,647, Nisonoff et al., Arch Biochem. Biophys. 89:230 (1960), Porter, Biochem. J. 73: 1 19 (1959), Edelman et al. and Coligan, both in
  • cleaving antibodies such as separation of heavy chains to form monovalent light-heavy chain fragments, further cleavage of fragments, or other enzymatic, chemical or genetic techniques may also be used, so long as the fragments bind to the antigen that is recognized by the intact antibody.
  • Fv fragments comprise an association of V H and V L chains. This association can be noncovalent, as described by Inbar et al., Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci. USA 69:2659 (1972).
  • the variable chains can be linked by an
  • the Fv fragments may comprise V H and V L chains, which are connected by a peptide linker.
  • These single-chain antigen binding polypeptides are prepared by constructing a structural gene comprising DNA sequences encoding the V H and V L domains which are connected by an oligonucleotide. The structural gene is inserted into an expression vector, which is subsequently introduced into a host cell, such as E. coli. The recombinant host cells synthesize a single polypeptide chain with a linker peptide bridging the two V domains.
  • a scFV can be obtained by exposing lymphocytes to polypeptide in vitro, and selecting antibody display libraries in phage or similar vectors (for instance, through use of immobilized or labeled polypeptide or peptide).
  • Genes encoding polypeptides having potential polypeptide binding domains can be obtained by screening random peptide libraries displayed on phage (phage display) or on bacteria, such as E. coli.
  • Nucleotide sequences encoding the polypeptides can be obtained in a number of ways, such as through random mutagenesis and random polynucleotide synthesis.
  • random peptide display libraries can be used to screen for peptides, which interact with a known target which can be a polypeptide or polypeptide, such as a ligand or receptor, a biological or synthetic macromolecule, or organic or inorganic substances.
  • a known target which can be a polypeptide or polypeptide, such as a ligand or receptor, a biological or synthetic macromolecule, or organic or inorganic substances.
  • Techniques for creating and screening such random peptide display libraries are known in the art (Ladner et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,409, Ladner et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,778, Ladner et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,484, Ladner et al., U.S. Pat. No.
  • Random peptide display libraries can be screened using the sequences disclosed herein to identify polypeptides which bind to .
  • CDR peptides (“minimal recognition units") can be obtained by constructing genes encoding the CDR of an antibody of interest. Such genes are prepared, for example, by using the polymerase chain reaction to synthesize the variable region from RNA of antibody-producing cells (see, for example, Larrick et al., Methods: A Companion to Methods in Enzymology 2: 106 (1991), Courtenay-Luck, "Genetic Manipulation of Monoclonal Antibodies," in Monoclonal Antibodies:
  • an antibody specific for a polypeptide according to the present invention may be derived from a "humanized" monoclonal antibody.
  • Humanized monoclonal antibodies are produced by transferring mouse complementary determining regions from heavy and light variable chains of the mouse immunoglobulin into a human variable domain. Typical residues of human antibodies are then substituted in the framework regions of the murine counterparts.
  • the use of antibody components derived from humanized monoclonal antibodies obviates potential problems associated with the immunogenicity of murine constant regions. General techniques for cloning murine immunoglobulin variable domains are described, for example, by Orlandi et al., Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci. USA 86:3833 (1989).
  • Polyclonal anti-idiotype antibodies can be prepared by immunizing animals with antibodies or antibody fragments specific for a polypeptide according to the present invention, using standard techniques. See, for example, Green et al., "Production of Polyclonal Antisera,” in Methods In Molecular Biology: Immunochemical Protocols, Manson (ed.), pages 1 12 (Humana Press 1992). Also, see Coligan at pages 241 to 247.
  • monoclonal anti-idiotype antibodies can be prepared using antibodies or antibody fragments specific for a polypeptide according to the present invention as immunogens with the techniques, described above.
  • humanized anti-idiotype antibodies or subhuman primate anti-idiotype antibodies can be prepared using the above-described techniques.
  • the host cells which may comprise a polypeptide according to the present invention can be exemplified e.g. by animal cells, mammalian host cells, insect cells, fish cells, fungal cells, yeast cells, bacterial cells and plant cells.
  • the natural or synthetic nucleic fragments coding for an anti-freeze polypeptide according to the invention will be incorporated in polynucleotide constructs capable of introduction to and/or expression in the ultimate target expressing cell.
  • polynucleotide constructs will be suitable for replication in a unicellular or multicellular host, such as yeast or bacteria, but may also be intended for introduction and integration within the genome of cultured mammalian or other eukaryotic cell lines, in particular, plants, polynucleotide constructs prepared for introduction into bacteria or yeast will include a replication system recognized by the host, the polynucleotide fragment encoding the desired anti-freeze polypeptide product, transcriptional and translational initiation regulatory sequences joined to the 5'-end of the anti-freeze polypeptide encoding polynucleotide sequence, and transcriptional and translational termination regulatory sequences joined to the 3'-end of the sequence.
  • a replication system recognized by the host the polynucleotide fragment encoding the desired anti-freeze polypeptide product
  • transcriptional and translational initiation regulatory sequences joined to the 5'-end of the anti-freeze polypeptide encoding polynucleotide sequence
  • transcriptional regulatory sequences will include a heterologous promoter which is recognized by the host.
  • available expression vectors which include the replication system and transcriptional and translational regulatory sequences together with an insertion site for the anti-freeze polypeptide encoding sequence may be employed.
  • the gene will include any polynucleotide segment which contains a coding sequence for anti-freeze polypeptide. Normally, the gene will include the coding sequence plus the upstream and downstream associated sequences, particularly any enhancer, promoter, ribosome binding site or transcription initiation markers. Downstream segments may also be important for message polyadenylation and processing, and thus are also contemplated in the usual instance.
  • the introduction of genes into cells or groups of cells for expression is another method for generally introducing the polypeptides into the sample of interest.
  • the end product of the transformation is also included as the product of this invention, and the term "transformed cell” will include the actual cell transformed, and all progeny of that cell.
  • the final organism will contain cells, each of which will contain the gene. Standard transformation procedures exist for bacteria (Maniatis), fungi (Sherman et al. (1986) in Laboratory Course Manual for Methods in Yeast Genetics CSH), plants (van den Elzen et al. (1985) Plant Mol. Biol., 5: 149-154) and animals (Hanahan, (1988) Ann. Rev. Genetics, 22:479-519).
  • Yeast and Fungus host cells are Standard transformation procedures exist for bacteria (Maniatis), fungi (Sherman et al. (1986) in Laboratory Course Manual for Methods in Yeast Genetics CSH), plants (van den Elzen et al. (1985) Plant
  • yeast host cells suitable for use in accordance with the present invention include yeasts from the Family of Saccharomycetaceae, including members of the genera Saccharomyces and Candida. Preferred examples include, but are not limited to, Saccharomyces fragilis, Saccharomyces cervisae, Saccharomyces lactis, Candida pseudotropicalis.
  • Bacterial cells are useful as host cells according to the present invention for the production of the polypeptides according to the present invention.
  • Bacteria e.g. Lactobacillus as well as many yeasts and molds, have been used for thousands of years in the preparation of fermented foods, such as e.g. cheese, pickles, soy sauce, sauerkraut, vinegar, wine and yoghurt.
  • fermented foods such as e.g. cheese, pickles, soy sauce, sauerkraut, vinegar, wine and yoghurt.
  • Anti-freeze polypeptides according to the present invention are useful in maintaining the viability of the microorganisms used to prepare such foods, as well as in the preparation of prebiotic and probiotic edible compositions, including animal feed compositions and foods for human consumption.
  • Examples of preferred bacteria relevant to the present invention and suitable as host cells in accordance with the present invention are, for example, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus cremoris, Streptococcus lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus,
  • Leuconostoc citrovorum Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus lactis, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium breve, Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus,
  • Lactobacillus acidophilus Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus, casei, and Bifidobacterium longum.
  • Bacteria can also be used as substitutes for pesticides in a biological pest control programme.
  • the invention in one embodiment is particularly well suited for such applications and provide recombinant microrganisms harbouring polynucleotides according to the invention and producing polypeptides according to the invention capable of being used as environmentally friendly, biological pesticides.
  • One example is Bacillus thuringiensis, a Gram-positive, soil dwelling bacterium.
  • bacterial host cells suitable for use in accordance with the present invention include Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria.
  • Preferred bacterial cells can also be selected from the groups consisting of Gram- positive cocci, Gram-positive bacilli, Gram-negative cocci and Gram-negative bacilli.
  • Examples of bacterial host cells suitable for use in accordance with the present invention include, but is not limited to, bacteria selected from the following genera: Acaricomes, Acetitomaculum, Acetivibrio, Acetobacter, Acetobacterium,
  • Acetobacteroides Acetohalobium, Acetomicrobium, Acetomonas, Acetonema,
  • Acidiphilium Acidithiobacillus, Acidobacterium, Acidocaldus, Acidocella, Acidomonas, Acidovorax, Acinetobacter, Acrocarpospora, Actinacidiphilus, Actinoacidiphilus, Actinoalloteichus, Actinobacillus, Actinobaculum, Actinobifida, Actinobispora,
  • Actinocatenispora Actinocorallia, Actinokineospora, Actinomadura, Actinomyces, Actinoplanes, Actinopolyspora, Actinopycnidium, Actinospica, Actinosporangium, Actinostreptospora, Actinosynnema, Actinotalea, Actinotelluria, Adhaeribacter,
  • Aequorivita Aerobacter, Aerococcus, Aerococcus-like Organism, Aeromicrobium, Aeromonas, Aestuariibacter, Afipia, Agarbacterium, Aggregatibacter, Agitococcus, Agreia, Agrobacterium, Agrococcus, Agromonas, Agromyces, Ahrensia, Albidovulum, Alcaligenes, Alcanivorax, Algibacter, Algicola, Algoriphagus, Alicycliphilus,
  • Alicyclobacillus Alishewanella, Alistipes, Alkalibacillus, Alkalibacter, Alkalibacterium, Alkalilimnicola, Alkalispirillum, Alkanindiges, Allisonella, Allobaculum, Allochromatium, Allofustis, Alteromonas, Alysiella, Aminobacter, Aminobacterium, Aminomonas, Ammonifex, Ammoniphilus, Amoebobacter, Amorphosporangium, Amphibacillus, Ampullariella, Amycolata, Amycolatopsis, Anaeroarcus, Anaerobacter, Anaerobaculum, Anaerobiospirillum, Anaerobranca, Anaerocellum, Anaerococcus, Anaerofilum, Anaerofustis, Anaerolinea, Anaeromusa, Anaerophaga, Anaeroplasma, Anaerosinus, Anaerostipes, Anaerotruncus, Anaerovi
  • Ancalomicrobium Ancylobacter, Aneurinibacillus, Angiococcus, Angulomicrobium, Anoxybacillus, Antarctobacter, Aquabacter, Aquabacterium, Aquamicrobium,
  • Arcanobacterium Archangium, Arcicella, Arcobacter, Arenibacter, Arhodomonas, Arizona, Arsenicicoccus, Arsenophonus, Arthrobacter, Asanoa, Asiosporangium, Asticcacaulis, Astrosporangium, Atopobium, Atopococcus, Atopostipes, Aurantimonas, Aureobacterium, Avibacterium, Axonoporis, Azoarcus, Azohydromonas, Azomonas, Azorhizobium, Azorhizophilus, Azospira, Azospirillum, Azotobacter Bacillus,
  • Bacteriovorax Bacterium, Bacteroides, Balnearium, Balneatrix, Barnesiella, Bartonella, Bdellovibrio, Beggiatoa, Beijerinckia, Belliella, Belnapia, Beneckea, Bergeriella, Betabacterium, Beutenbergia, Bifidobacterium, Bilophila, Blastobacter, Blastochloris, Blastococcus, Blastomonas, Blastopirellula, Bogoriella, Bordetella, Borrelia, Bosea, Brachybacterium, Brachymonas, Brachyspira, Brackiella, Bradyrhizobium,
  • Caloranaerobacter Caminibacillus, Caminibacter, Caminicella, Campylobacter, Capnocytophaga, Carbophilus, Carboxydocella, Carboxydothermus, Cardiobacterium, Carnobacterium, Caryophanon, Caseobacter, Castellaniella, Cat Scratch Disease Bacillus, Catellatospora, Catellibacterium, Catellicoccus, Catenibacterium,
  • Catenococcus Catenulispora, Catenuloplanes, Catenulospora, Caulobacter, Cdc Enteric Group 36/37, Cdc Group Vd, Cedecea, Cellulomonas, Cellulophaga,
  • Chlorobium Chloroflexus, Chondrococcus, Chondromyces, Chromatium,
  • Chromobacterium Chromohalobacter, Chryseobacterium, Chryseomonas,
  • Chrysiogenes Citreicella, Citricoccus, Citrobacter, Clavibacter, Clavisporangium, Clo Group Type 2, Clostridium, Cobetia, Cohnella, Collimonas, Collinsella, Colwellia, Comamonas, Conchiformibius, Conexibacter, Coprothermobacter, Corallococcus, Coriobacterium, Corynebacterium, Couchioplanes, Crossiella, Cryobacterium,
  • Dechloromonas Dechlorosoma, Deefgea, Deferribacter, Defluvibacter, Dehalobacter, Dehalospirillum, Deinococcus, Deleya, Delftia, Demetria, Dendrosporobacter,
  • Desulfacinum Desulfarculus, Desulfatibacillum, Desulfitobacterium, Desulfoarculus, Desulfobacca, Desulfobacter, Desulfobacterium, Desulfobacula, Desulfobulbus, Desulfocapsa, Desulfocella, Desulfococcus, Desulfofaba, Desulfofrigus, Desulfofustis, Desulfohalobium, Desulfomicrobium, Desulfomonile, Desulfonatronovibrio,
  • Desulfonatronum Desulfonauticus, Desulfonema, Desulfonispora, Desulfopila, Desulforegula, Desulforhabdus, Desulforhopalus, Desulfosarcina, Desulfospira,
  • Desulfosporosinus Desulfotalea, Desulfothermus, Desulfotignum, Desulfotomaculum, Desulfovermiculus, Desulfovibrio, Desulfovirga, Desulfovirgula, Desulfurella,
  • Enhygromyxa Ensifer, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Enterovibrio, Epilithonimonas, Eremococcus, Erwinia, Erysipelothrix, Erythrobacter, Erythromicrobium, Escherichia, Ethanoligenens, Eubacterium, Ewingella, Excellospora, Exiguobacterium, ,
  • Faecalibacterium Faenia, Falcivibrio, Fastidiosipila, Ferribacter, Ferrimonas,
  • Ferrobacillus Fervidobacterium, Filibacter, Filifactor, Filobacillus, Filomicrobium, Finegoldia, Flammeovirga, Flavimonas, Flavobacterium, Flectobacillus, Flexibacter, Flexistipes, Flexithrix, Fluoribacter, Fluviicola, Formivibrio, Francisella, Frankia, Frateuria, Friedmanniella, Frigoribacterium, Fulvimarina, Fulvimonas, Fusibacter, Fusobacterium, Gaetbulibacter, Gaffkya, Gallibacterium, Gallicola, Garciella,
  • Geopsychrobacter Georgenia, Geosinus, Geospirillum, Geothermobacter, Geothrix, Geovibrio, Giesbergeria, Gillisia, Glaciecola, Globicatella, Gluconacetobacter,
  • Gluconoacetobacter Gluconobacter, Glycomyces, Goodfellowia, Gordona, Gordonia, Gracilibacillus, Gracilibacter, Granulicatella, Granulobacter, Grimontia, Group li D, Guggenheimella, Gulosibacter, Haemophilus, Hafnia, Hahella, Halanaerobacter, Halanaerobium, Haliangium, Haliscomenobacter, Haloactinomyces, Haloanaerobacter, Haloanaerobium, Halobacillus, Halobacteroides, Halocella, Halochromatium,
  • Halococcus Halolactibacillus, Halomonas, Halonatronum, Halorhodospira,
  • Halothermothrix Halothiobacillus, Helcococcus, Helicobacter, Heliobacillus,
  • Herminiimonas He ⁇ etosiphon, Hespellia, Hippea, Hirschia, Hoeflea, Holdemania, Holophaga, Hongiella, Hordeomyces, Hyalangium, Hydrocarboniphaga,
  • Hydrogenophaga Hydrogenophilus, Hydrogenothermophilus, Hydrogenothermus, Hydrogenovibrio, Hylemonella, Hymenobacter, Hyphomicrobium, Hyphomonas, Idiomarina, Ignatzschineria, Ignavigranum, llyobacter, Inflabilis, Inquilinus,
  • Marichromatium Marinibacillus, Marinilabilia, Marinilactibacillus, Marinithermus, Marinitoga, Marinobacter, Marinobacterium, Marinococcus, Marinomonas,
  • Mechercharomyces Megamonas, Megasphaera, Meiothermus, Melittangium, Mesonia, Mesophilobacter, Mesorhizobium, Methanomonas, Methylobacillus, Methylobacter, Methylobacterium, Methylocapsa, Methylocella, Methylocystis, Methylomicrobium, Methylomonas, Methylophaga, Methylophilus, Methylopila, Methylosarcina,
  • Methylotenera Methylovorus, Microbacterium, Microbispora, Microbulbifer, Microcella, Micrococcus, Microcyclus, Microechinospora, Microellobosporia, Microlunatus,
  • Micromonas Micromonospora, Micropolyspora, Micropruina, Microscilla,
  • Microstreptospora Microtetraspora, Microvirgula, Millisia, Mima, Mitsuokella,
  • Moraxella (Branhamella), Moraxella (Moraxella), Morganella, Moritella, Muricauda, Muricoccus, Myceligenerans, Mycetocola, Mycobacterium, Mycoplana, Myroides, Myxobacter, Myxococcus, , Nakamurella, Nannocystis, Natroniella, Natronincola, Nautilia, Naxibacter, Neisseria, Nereida, Nesterenkonia, Nevskia, Nicoletella, Nih Group 12, Nitratifractor, Nitratireductor, Nitratiruptor, Nitrobacter, Nocardia,
  • Nocardioides Nocardiopsis, Nonomuraea, Novosphingobium, Obesumbacterium, Oceanibulbus, Oceanicaulis, Oceanicola, Oceanimonas, Oceanithermus,
  • Oceanobacillus Oceanobacter, Oceanomonas, Oceanospirillum, Ochrobactrum, Octadecabacter, Odontomyces, Oenococcus, Oerskovia, Oleiphilus, Oleispira, Oligella, Oligotropha, Olsenella, Opitutus, Orenia, Oribacterium, Ornithinicoccus,
  • Paracolobactrum Paralactobacillus, Paraliobacillus, Parascardovia,
  • Phascolarctobacterium Phenylobacterium, Phocoenobacter, Photobacterium,
  • Photorhabdus Phyllobacterium, Phytomonas, Pigmentiphaga, Pilimelia, Pimelobacter, Pirellula, Planctomyces, Planifilum, Planobispora, Planococcus, Planomicrobium, Planomonospora, Planosporangium, Planotetraspora, Plantibacter, Pleomorphomonas, Plesiocystis, Plesiomonas, Podangium, Polaribacter, Polaromonas, Polyangium,
  • Polymorphospora Pontibacillus, Porphyrobacter, Porphyromonas, Pragia, Prauserella, Prevotella, Proactinomyces, Promicromonospora, Promyxobacterium,
  • Propionibacterium Propionicimonas, Propioniferax, Propionigenium,
  • Propionimicrobium Propionispira, Propionispora, Propionivibrio, Prosthecobacter, Prosthecochloris, Prosthecomicrobium, Protaminobacter, polypeptideiphilum, Proteus, Providencia, Pseudaminobacter, Pseudoalteromonas, Pseudoamycolata,
  • Renobacter Rhabdochromatium, Rheinheimera, Rhizobacter, Rhizobium,
  • Rhizomonas Rhodanobacter, Rhodobacter, Rhodobium, Rhodoblastus, Rhodocista, Rhodococcus, Rhodocyclus, Rhodoferax, Rhodomicrobium, Rhodonellum, Rhodopila, Rhodopirellula, Rhodoplanes, Rhodopseudomonas, Rhodospirillum, Rhodothalassium, Rhodothermus, Rhodovibrio, Rhodovulum, Riemerella, Rikenella, Robiginitalea, Roseateles, Roseburia, Roseiflexus, Roseinatronobacter, Roseobacter, Roseococcus, Roseospira, Roseospirillum, Roseovarius, Rothia, Rubritepida, Rubrivivax,
  • Rubrobacter Ruegeria, Ruminobacter, Ruminococcus, Runella, , Saccharibacter, Saccharococcus, Saccharomonospora, Saccharophagus, Saccharopolyspora,
  • Sporobacterium Sporocytophaga, Sporohalobacter, Sporolactobacillus, Sporomusa, Sporosarcina, Sporotalea, Sporotomaculum, Stackebrandtia, Staleya, Staphylococcus, Stappia, Starkeya, Stella, Stenotrophomonas, Sterolibacterium, Stigmatella,
  • Streptacidiphilus Streptimonospora, Streptoallomorpha, Streptoalloteichus,
  • Streptobacillus Streptobacterium, Streptococcus, Streptomonospora, Streptomyces, Streptomycetoides, Streptomycoides, Streptosporangium, Streptoverticillium,
  • Syntrophobotulus Syntrophococcus, Syntrophomonas, Syntrophothermus,
  • Thermobifida Thermobispora, Thermobrachium, Thermochromatium, Thermocrinis, Thermocrispum, Thermodesulfatator, Thermodesulfobacterium, Thermodesulfobium, Thermodesulforhabdus, Thermodesulfovibrio, Thermoflavimicrobium,
  • Thermohydrogenium Thermolithobacter, Thermomicrobium, Thermomonas,
  • Thermomonospora Thermonema, Thermonospora, Thermopolyspora,
  • Thermosyntropha Thermotoga, Thermovenabulum, Thermovibrio, Thermovirga, Thermus, Thetysia, Thialkalimicrobium, Thialkalivibrio, Thioalkalimicrobium,
  • Virgibacillus Virgisporangium, Vitreoscilla, Vogesella, Volcaniella, Volucribacter, Vulcanibacillus, Vulcanithermus, , Waksmania, Wautersia, Weeksella, Weissella, Williamsia, Wolinella, Woodsholea, Xanthobacter, Xanthomonas, Xenophilus, Xenorhabdus, Xylanibacter, Xylanibacterium, Xylanimicrobium, Xylanimonas, Xylella, Xylophilus, Yania, Yersinia, Yokenella, , Zavarzinia, Zimmermannella, Zobellia,
  • Zoogloea Zooshikella, Zymobacter, Zymobacterium, Zymomonas and Zymophilus.
  • the use of the polynucleotides and polypeptides according to the present invention in plant host cells and other transgenic organisms can prevent the loss of valuable crops when the climatic conditions are not optimal for the production of the crops.
  • the present invention provides novel and innovative, transgenic plants and crops capable of sustaining climatic conditions which cannot be withstood by state-of- the-art plants and crops.
  • crops in the form of plant host cells according to the present invention comprising polynucleotides and producing polypeptides according to the present invention are are: grapes, oilseed plants, such as canola, grains (oats, barley, rye etc.), citrus fruits, and sugar cane.
  • the invention is also directed to trans-genic fruits and vegetables comprising the polypeptides according to the present invention.
  • the trans-genic fruits and vegetables comprising the polypeptides according to the present invention are capable of withstanding cooler temperatures e.g. during storage and/or transport. Examples include strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, citrus fruits, bananas, grapes, kiwis, peaches, pineapples, plums, cherries, tomatoes and mangoes.
  • Examples of fish suitable for the invention are Albacore Tuna (Thunnus alalunga), Arrowtooth Flounder (Atheresthes stomias), Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua), Atlantic Cutlassfish (Trichiurus lepturus), Atlantic Salmon (Salmo sa/ar), , Atlantic Wolffish (Anarhichas lupus), Black Drum (Pogonias cromis), Black Pomfret (Parastromateus niger), Blackback Flounder (Sole, Pleuronectes ame canus), Blacktip Shark
  • Anti-freeze polypeptides according to the present invention can be used to treat frozen foods or foods to be frozen in order to prevent re-crystallization.
  • foods for treatment with the invention include, but is not limited to: Ice cream, frozen yoghurt, soups, puddings, sorbets, ice cream bars, frozen desserts e.g. custards, puddings etc and other liquids or semi-liquids for freezing.
  • Frozen vegetables such as celery, potatoes, asparagus, peas, carots, beans, broccoli, sweet corn, spinach, haricots verts etc. is also encompassed by the present invention.
  • the polypeptides according to the present invention may also affect the formation of lactose crystals. Hence, without being bound by any specific theory, it is believed that the polypeptides according to the present invention inhibit the crystallisation and/or growth of lactose crystals. It is well known that during freezing of ice creams the content of all ingredients (including lactose) is increasingly concentrated except for the content of liquid water, which is decreasing. When the content of lactose reaches a certain level, lactose crystals start to crystallize. This crystallisation is a slow process, which takes place at -20°C. Typically, ice creams are stored at about -20°C.
  • Frozen fermented products comprising the polypeptide according to the present invention
  • Frozen or refrigerated foods are now a mainstay of the human diet in developed countries. Thus extensive research has and is being carried out by food scientists to ensure high quality products for the consumers. This is particularly true with regard to frozen vegetables and frozen deserts such as ice cream and yogurt. Frozen deserts such as ice cream or yogurt are generally eaten in the frozen state.
  • the texture of the frozen product as well as its flavor is important to consumers. Texture is to a large extent governed by the size of the ice crystals. Producers of these frozen deserts have gone to considerable effort and expense to ensure smooth textured products. However, during frozen storage the ice crystals can grow and thus roughen and spoil this texture. The growth of ice crystals during frozen storage is known as recrystallization. This problem is particularly common when the frozen storage conditions are less than ideal, such as during transportation or storage in modern frost-free home freezers. After a relatively short period of time at above-zero temperatures (i.e., above 0°C), or even at sustained freezing temperatures, frozen foods can become less desirable or even unsuitable for human consumption due to the ice recrystallization process.
  • above-zero temperatures i.e., above 0°C
  • sustained freezing temperatures frozen foods can become less desirable or even unsuitable for human consumption due to the ice recrystallization process.
  • An ideal method of incorporating anti-freeze polypeptides into frozen fermented food products is to have the organism responsible for the fermentation process produce the anti-freeze polypeptides while fermenting the food.
  • the present invention embraces methods for preparing a frozen fermented food product.
  • This method comprises the steps of (a) contacting a food product with a microorganism that is capable of secreting a polypeptide according to the present invention, wherein the microorganism is capable of fermenting the food product to produce the fermented food product, (b) incubating the food product with the microorganism under conditions in which fermentation takes place so that a fermented food product is produced having the anti-freeze polypeptide present in an amount effective at inhibiting recrystallization of the product; and (c) freezing the fermented food product at a temperature below -5°C, so as to produce a frozen fermented food product.
  • the food product may be a dairy product (e.g., milk) which can be fermented to produce yogurt, buttermilk or cheese.
  • dairy product e.g., milk
  • the microorganism of the invention is usually a bacterium (e.g., Lactobacillus bulgaricus; Streptococcus cremoris, Streptococcus lactis; Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium longum) but may also be a fungus such as a yeast (e.g.,
  • these microorganisms are genetically engineered so that they are capable of secreting a polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • the invention comprises incubating milk with bacterial species Lactobacillus balgaricus and Streptococcus lactis that are capable of fermenting milk to produce yogurt and capable of secreting anti-freeze polypeptides; incubating the bacteria and milk under conditions that produce yogurt; and freezing the yogurt at a temperature below -5°C, so as to produce frozen yogurt.
  • the invention also provides a composition comprising yogurt and a microorganism wherein the microorganism comprises a gene encoding a polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • fixation refers to the chemical conversion of carbohydrates or polypeptides in food products through the use of microorganisms. In this process carbohydrates are often convened to lactic acid.
  • sold food product refers to an edible food product prepared by a process that includes fermentation by a microorganism.
  • yogurt refers to a dairy product produced by the lactic acid fermentation of milk by the action of microorganisms.
  • recombinantly produced polypeptides refers to a polypeptide produced using recombinant DNA techniques.
  • Recombinant DNA techniques are well known and are characterized by the joining of at least two segments of DNA that are not naturally joined in nature (e.g., a bacterial promoter and a polypeptide coding sequence).
  • the reference sequence may be shorter than the full-length naturally occurring polypeptide or polynucleotide sequence but will be at least 12 residues long for the case of a polypeptide and at least 36 bases long for the case of a polynucleotide.
  • the present invention also provides methods for preparing a frozen fermented food product by adding a microorganism that is capable of fermenting the food product to produce the fermented food product and also is able to secrete the polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • the use of a microorganism that both secretes the polypeptide according to the present invention and ferments the food product has several advantages over other methods for affecting ice crystal formation and freezing temperature.
  • the claimed method avoids the costly necessity for purifying the polypeptide according to the present invention prior to addition to a food product. In addition, this will eliminate any possible contamination from the purification protocol and the pyrogenicity associated with foreign microorganisms.
  • the polypeptide according to the present invention is secret by the fermenting microorganism of the claimed invention, this process requires fewer steps than other methods.
  • the food product of the invention is usually milk but other foods that are fermented to produce an edible fermented food may also be used. Examples include cabbage (which can be fermented to produce sauerkraut), cucumbers (which can be fermented to produce pickles) and soybeans (which can be fermented to produce miso and other products).
  • the food product is contacted or mixed with a microorganism capable of fermenting the food product.
  • a microorganism capable of fermenting the food product examples include van de Guchte, 1992, FEMS Microbiology Reviews, 88:73-92).
  • the food product is milk (e.g., from a cow [i.e. bovine], ewe, mare, or goat).
  • milk e.g., from a cow [i.e. bovine], ewe, mare, or goat.
  • the action of fermenting microorganisms, typically bacteria, on the milk produces yogurt, buttermilk, or certain cheeses, according to the choice of the bacteria and the conditions of incubation.
  • the method of the invention will be used to produce yogurt from milk.
  • Yogurt is referred to by a variety of names around the world. The names and country of origin of the common varieties of yogurt are listed below:
  • yogurt is produced from either whole or skim milk from cows.
  • the milk is standardized to 10.5 to 1 1.5% solids, heated to above 90°C. (30 to 60 minutes) to destroy any contaminating microorganisms, and then cooled.
  • the material is then inoculated with a mixed culture of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus in a 1 :1 ratio. The combined action of these two organisms is usually needed to obtain the desired flavor and acid in the products.
  • Yeasts (Torulopsis holmil; Saccharomyces fragilis, cerevisiae, lactis; Candida pseudotropicalis, etc.)
  • Acetic acid bacteria (Acetobacter aceti, rasens)
  • the microorganisms may be genetically engineered (i.e., employing the techniques of recombinant DNA technology) so that they are able to secrete the polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • the methods for engineering bacteria and fungi capable of expressing and secreting a heterologous polypeptide are well established (see, e.g., Maniatis et al. (1982), Molecular Cloning, A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.; Berger and Kimmel, Guide to Molecular Cloning Techniques, Methods in Enzymology 152 (Academic Press, Inc., San Diego, Calif.); Simon et al., 1986, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 52:394-395; and von Wright et a., 1985, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 50: 1 100-1102, all of which are incorporated herein by reference)
  • microorganisms capable of expressing and secreting an AFP can be carried out in a variety of ways that will be apparent to one of ordinary skill.
  • the DNA sequence encoding the AFP will preferably be operably linked (i.e., positioned to ensure the functioning of) to an operon which allows the DNA to be transcribed (into an RNA transcript) and translated into a polypeptide in the microorganism. Promoters for both bacteria and fungi are well known in the art.
  • Preferred operons for expression in lactic acid bacteria include the lactose operon of S. thermophilus or lac ABCDFEGX operon of L.
  • polypeptide according to the present invention may be expressed as a fusion polypeptide for increased stability or other beneficial properties. Furthermore the polypeptide according to the present invention may be modified via a modification of the gene encoding the polypeptide.
  • modifications of the genes may be readily accomplished by a variety of well-known techniques, such as site-directed mutagenesis (see, e.g., Gillman and Smith, 1979, Gene 8:81-97 and Roberts et al., 1987, Nature 328:731-734).
  • the microorganisms of the invention are capable of secreting the polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • the polypeptide according to the present invention will preferably be linked to a signal peptide sequence.
  • suitable signal peptide sequences include those from the usp45 gene of L. lactis ssp lactis MG 1363 and the L. lactis ssp cremoris SK11 cell envelop associated protease gene (van Asseldonk et al., 1990, Gene 95: 155-160; De vos et al., 1989, J. Dairy Sci. 72:3398-3405).
  • the usp45 signal peptide is preferred since it derives from the same host.
  • the polypeptide gene according to the present invention is linked to a transcription termination sequence to ensure correct termination of transcription of the polypeptide according to the present invention in the host system.
  • a gene construct including elements described above is constructed using plasmids such as pUC19, pNZ18 and pDBN183 as vectors (Solaiman et al., 1992, Plasmid, 28:25-36).
  • the gene construct is incorporated into the genome of a lactic acid bacterial species using homologous recombination techniques (Mollet et al., 1993, J. Bact., 175:4315-4324).
  • the lactic acid bacteria and E. coli strains can be maintained as recommended by Maniatis et al. in Molecular Cloning, A Laboratory Manual, supra; and Chagnand et al., 1992, Can. J. Microbiol. 38:67-74.
  • Microorganisms comprising the polypeptide according to the present invention may be applied to food products in any conventional way.
  • the bacteria or fungus can be mixed intimately with the food product that is to be fermented and frozen. It will be known by those of skill that mixtures of different microorganisms are sometimes used to produce the desired product. For example, in preparation of yogurt, S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus are often used together.
  • the number of FAE microorganisms added to the food product will depend on the properties of the microorganisms and of the food.
  • lactic acid FAE starter bacteria (10 10 -10 11 per ml) are incubated at 1-5% into pasteurized and cooled milk such that the proportion results in an appropriate amount of polypeptide according to the present invention in the product.
  • the amount of AFP in the product should be an amount effective at preventing or inhibiting ice recrystallization (1-100 mg/liter milk).
  • the fermented food product is frozen using conventional freezer operations, such as blast freezers (-20 to 40°C) or contact plate freezers (-300 to 40°C) or vacuum freeze driers. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill that numerous variations of the aforementioned embodiments are possible. Ice cream comprising the polypeptide according to the present invention
  • the present invention provides an ice cream product comprising a polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • the ice cream product can also comprise an emulsifier system together with a polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • This emulsifier system may be any system known by the skilled person. However, systems comprising mono esters of propane-1 ,2-diol and fatty acids, such as the ones described in US 2005/0163902 or WO 2008/064675, are particular preferred.
  • the polypeptide according to the present invention may be added as a purified polypeptide, mixed with other ingredients during manufacture of the ice cream or the polypeptide according to the present invention may be present as a result of secretion from the microorganism used for fermenting the milk.
  • One way of manufacturing the ice cream according to the present invention is as follows.
  • a food intermediate is contacted with the above mentioned emulsifier system.
  • food intermediate a mixture of ingredients suitable for preparing the ice cream.
  • Ingredients suitable for preparing ice cream may include water, fat such as milkfat or vegetable fat, milk solids not fat (MSNF), sweeteners, stabilisers, flavourings and colurings.
  • MSNF milk solids not fat
  • the food intermediate comprises fat.
  • the fat is a high lauric fat or milk fat.
  • high lauric fat is meant a fat in which the predominant fatty acid is lauric acid.
  • High lauric fats such as hardened palm kernel oil and hardened coconut oil, are ⁇ ' stable.
  • the food intermediate comprises ⁇ ' stable fats.
  • the selected ingredients are mixed together.
  • the liquid ingredients are mixed together first and the dry ingredients are added subsequently.
  • the liquid ingredients may be cold or may be heated to approximately 60°C. Blending requires rapid agitation to incorporate powders and often high speed blenders are used. If butter/butter oil or vegetable fat is used, it should ideally be melted separately and added to the mix at 40°C or via a static mixer at the entrance of the homogeniser by means of a dosing pump.
  • Pasteurisation is carried out to destroy pathogenic bacteria and spoilage organisms such as psychrotrophs. There are three distinct stages in pasteurization: pasteurization, homogenisation and cooling
  • Homogenisation of the mix is carried out in order to form the fat emulsion by breaking down or reducing the size of the fat globules found to less than 1 ⁇ .
  • Pasteurisation may be carried out by continuous pasteurisation or batch pasteurisation.
  • pasteurisation is usually performed in a high temperature short time (HTST) heat exchanger following blending of ingredients in a large, insulated feed tank. Some preheating, to 30°C to 40°C, may be necessary for solubilisation of the components.
  • the HTST system is equipped with heating sections, cooling sections, and
  • Batch pasteurisation is the old method where all mix ingredients are slowly heated in a vat equipped with a hot water jacket. In order to avoid fouling on the bottom and sides of the vat, the heating process has to be gentle with a low differential temperature (delta T) between the mix and the heating medium. As the delta T has to be low and the ratio of mix volume/vat surface is typically high, it will inevitably take several minutes just to heat the mix to a temperature of 60°C. Effective agitation of the mix is needed in order to improve the transfer of heat from the vat surface to the mix. Energy consumption for batch pasteurisation is very high and, unlike continuous
  • the mix is homogenised by means of high pressures.
  • Homogenisation typically takes place at a temperature of about 80°C. and the homogenisation pressure can be in the region of 90 bar (1300 psi) to 250 bar (3600 psi) at a temperature of 65-75°C.
  • Batch tanks are usually operated in tandem so that one is holding while the other is being prepared. Automatic timers and valves ensure the proper holding time has been met.
  • Homogenisation can be carried out either before or after pasteurisation.
  • the mix is cooled to refrigerated temperatures (4°C) by passing it across a heat exchanger (plate or double or triple tube).
  • the mixture is cooled to the aging temperature which is about 4°C.
  • the mix is then aged for a minimum of four hours but preferably overnight. This allows time for the fat to crystallize and for the polypeptides and polysaccharides to fully hydrate.
  • the mix may be drawn into a flavour tank where any liquid flavours, fruit purees, or colours are added.
  • the mix then enters the dynamic freezing process which both freezes a portion of the water and whips air into the frozen mix. Freezing may be carried out by a continuous freezing process or by batch freezing/whipping. Continuous freezing may be carried out in a barrel freezer.
  • the barrel freezer is a scraped-surface, tubular heat exchanger, which is jacketed with a boiling refrigerant such as ammonia or freon.
  • the mix is pumped through the barrel freezer and is drawn off the other end in about 30 seconds to 3 minutes. In the case of batch freezers the process takes 10 to 15 minutes. When the mix is drawn off the other end about 50% of its water is frozen.
  • There are rotating blades inside the barrel freezer that keep the ice scraped off the surface of the freezer.
  • There are also dashers inside the machine which help to whip the mix and incorporate air.
  • Ice cream contains a considerable quantity of air, typically up to half of its volume. This gives the product its characteristic lightness. The air content is termed its overrun. As the ice cream is drawn with about half of its water frozen, particulate matter such as fruit pieces, nuts or cookies, may be added to the semi-frozen slurry. The ice cream is then packaged and is placed into a blast freezer at -30° to -40°C where most of the remainder of the water is frozen.
  • Hardening involves static (still, quiescent) freezing of the packaged products in blast freezers.
  • the freezing rate should ideally be rapid, so freezing techniques involve low temperature (-40°C) with either enhanced convection (freezing tunnels with forced air fans) or enhanced conduction (plate freezers).
  • the ice cream may be pumped from the ice cream freezer into a low temperature extruder (single or double screw extruder) which brings the temperature of the ice cream down to -12°C to -18°C. After filling or extrusion the ice cream may be taken directly into cold storage.
  • a low temperature extruder single or double screw extruder
  • the process of the present invention comprises the step of contacting a food intermediate with an emulsifier system.
  • the process comprises the step of dissolving the emulsifier system in water.
  • the emulsifier system may be dissolved in water and the food intermediate may then be contacted with water.
  • the process comprises the step of dissolving the emulsifier system in fat.
  • the emulsifier system may be dissolved in fat and the food intermediate may then be contacted with fat.
  • the process comprises a dynamic freezing step.
  • dynamic freezing step means subjecting the food intermediate to freezing conditions whilst agitating the food intermediate. This is in contrast to a quiescent freezing step in which the food intermediate is subjected to freezing conditions whilst static.
  • the process comprises a freezing step.
  • the process comprises a freezing step with a drawing temperature from the freezer lower than -4°C.
  • the drawing temperature from the freezer is about -4°C to -7°C, preferably about -5°C. to -7°C, more preferably about -5°C to -6°C, more preferably about -6°C.
  • the drawing temperature is the temperature of the ice cream as it exits the ice cream freezer.
  • Aerated food products comprising the polypeptide according to the invention
  • the present invention also provides an aerated food product comprising a polypeptide according to the invention.
  • Ice cream, sherbet, sorbet and frozen yoghurt can be mentioned as examples of food products, which may be characterized as aerated products.
  • the term "aerated” means that gas has been intentionally incorporated into a mix, for example by mechanical means.
  • the gas can be any gas, but is preferably, in the context of food products, a food-grade gas such as air, nitrogen, nitrous oxide, or carbon dioxide.
  • the aerated food products of the invention comprise a population of gas bubbles, wherein at least 65% of the gas bubbles have a diameter of less than 20 ⁇ . Preferably at least 75%, more preferably at least 80% of the gas bubbles have a diameter of less than 20 ⁇ . Preferably at least 50%, more preferably at least 60%, most preferably at least 75% of the gas bubbles have a diameter of less than 10 ⁇ .
  • % overrun is defined in terms of the volume of the aerated product and the volume of the unaerated mix from which it was formed:
  • Overrun Volume of unaerated mixture Overrun is measured at atmospheric pressure. The amount of overrun present in the product will vary depending on the desired product characteristics
  • the food product has an overrun of at least 20%, more preferably at least 50%, most preferably at least 80%.
  • the food product has an overrun of at most 400%, more preferably at most 200%, most preferably at most 120%.
  • the aerated food product may be manufactured by use of any process known in the art, such as for example by use of the pre-aeration route, which is a process for producing aerated food products comprising a large proportion of small gas bubbles starting from an unaerated mix.
  • a mix i.e. an aqueous solution and/or suspension
  • the aeration step must be of a sufficiently high "intensity" so that a large number of very small gas bubbles (less than 20 ⁇ in diameter) are created.
  • the intensity of the aeration process depends on a number of factors, the most important of which are the rate of energy dissipation in the aeration step, the nature of the flow experienced by the mix and the gas bubbles in the aeration step, and the viscosity and temperature of the mix.
  • the aeration step should be long enough to achieve the desired degree of aeration (i.e. overrun).
  • the effectiveness of the aeration step also depends on the nature of the flow in the aerating device. Aeration is normally achieved by initially incorporating relatively large gas bubbles which are subsequently broken up into smaller ones. Elongational flow or extensional flow is known to be particularly effective at breaking up large gas bubbles, compared to simple shear flow (see e.g. Rallinson, J. M. Ann. Rev. Fluid Mech. 16, pp 45-66, 1984). Suitable high shear aeration processes and devices that can provide at least a component of elongational flow include: continuous whipping in a rotor-stator device such as an Oakes mixer (E.T.
  • the effectiveness of the aeration step also depends on the viscosity and/or the temperature of the mix. By increasing the viscosity and/or lowering the temperature of the mix, the size reducing effect of the aeration device on the gas bubbles is increased. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the aeration step also depends on the formulation of the mix. Although the effectiveness of the aeration step depends on the specific details of the process and apparatus used and the mix being aerated, it is within the compass of one skilled in the art to determine the appropriate process conditions in any particular situation, by considering the factors described above. In particular, the proportion of very small gas bubbles can be increased by increasing the energy dissipated and/or by increasing the elongational flow component and/or by increasing the viscosity of the mix and/or by lowering the temperature of the mix.
  • the aerated mixture may optionally be subjected to freezing during and/or after aeration, for example if the final product is to be a frozen aerated product such as an ice cream or a sorbet. Freezing may take place simultaneously with aeration, for example in a scraped surface heat exchanger. Simultaneous freezing and aeration can aid the formation of small gas bubbles because of the increase in the mix viscosity as ice forms. When freezing takes place after aeration, it is preferably carried out so that little or no further gas is incorporated.
  • the ice content may be increased further by subsequent freezing operations, such as low-temperature extrusion, placing the aerated mixture in a mould immersed in a bath of cold liquid such as brine or glycol, dropping portions of the aerated mixture directly into a bath of cryogenic fluid such as liquid nitrogen or placing a container comprising the aerated mixture into a cold environment such as a freezer, blast freezer or cold store.
  • the subsequent freezing step is preferably carried out at low or zero shear so that little or no further gas is incorporated.
  • the aerated food products of the invention may comprise other ingredients conventionally found in food products, such as fats, milk or cream; oil or fat, notably in the form of an emulsified phase; sugars, salt, fruit and/or vegetable material, extract, juice, thickeners, such as polysaccharides, stabilisers, colours, flavours, chemical emulsifiers, such as monoglycerides; acids and preservatives.
  • Preferred food products include ice cream, sorbet, mousse, whipped cream, aerated beverages such as milk shakes and smoothies, low-fat spreads (e.g.
  • the food product is a frozen or chilled aerated confection such as ice cream, sorbet or mousse.
  • Frozen aerated confections of the invention comprise the polypeptide according to the present invention and optionally one or more anti-freeze polypeptides other than the polypeptide according to the invention.
  • the amount of the total of anti-freeze polypeptides is typically at least about 0.0001 wt %, more preferably at least 0.0005 wt %, most preferably at least 0.001 wt %.
  • Anti-freeze polypeptides can be used at very low concentrations and therefore preferably the confections comprise less than 0.05 wt % Anti-freeze polypeptides. A preferred range is from about 0.001 to 0.01 wt %.
  • Anti freeze polypeptides can be used individually or in combination with other anti freeze polypeptides known in the area.
  • Frozen aerated products may optionally comprise coatings, such as a layer of chocolate or » and/or inclusions, such as nuts, fruit, toffee or chocolate pieces. In this case, the fat content of the frozen aerated confection does not include fat present in the coating or inclusion.
  • the frozen aerated confection comprises 3 wt % or less fat, preferably 2 wt % or less, more preferably 1 wt % or less.
  • the confection is fat-free, which means that the confection comprises substantially no fat (i.e. less than 0.1 wt %).
  • Aerated food products comprising the polypeptide according to the invention together with hydrophobin and a surfactant
  • the present invention also provides a frozen aerated food product, such as a confection, comprising a polypeptide according to the invention together with hydrophobin and a surfactant.
  • a frozen aerated food product such as a confection
  • the aerated food product comprises a population of gas bubbles, wherein at least 65% of the gas bubbles have a diameter of less than 20 ⁇ .
  • the amount of hydrophobin present in the frozen aerated confection will generally vary depending on the confection formulation and volume of the air phase.
  • the confection will comprise at least 0.001 wt %, hydrophobin, more preferably at least 0.005 or 0.01 wt %.
  • the confection will comprise less than 1 wt %
  • the hydrophobin can be from a single source or a plurality of sources e.g. the hydrophobin can be a mixture of two or more different hydrophobin
  • the hydrophobin is added in a form and in an amount such that it is available to stabilise the air phase.
  • added is meant that the hydrophobin is deliberately introduced into the confection for the purpose of taking advantage of its foam stabilising properties. Consequently, where ingredients are present or added that comprise fungal contaminants, which may comprise hydrophobin polypeptides, this does not constitute adding hydrophobin within the context of the present invention.
  • the hydrophobin is added to the confection in a form such that it is capable of self-assembly at an air-liquid surface.
  • the hydrophobin is added to the confections of the invention in an isolated form, typically at least partially purified, such as at least 10% pure, based on weight of solids.
  • an isolated form is meant that the hydrophobin is not added as part of a naturally-occurring organism, such as a mushroom, which naturally expresses hydrophobins. Instead, the hydrophobin will typically either have been extracted from a naturally-occurring source or obtained by recombinant expression in a host organism.
  • the hydrophobin is added to the confection in monomeric, dimeric and/or oligomeric (i.e. consisting of 10 monomeric units or fewer) form.
  • at least 50 wt % of the added hydrophobin is in at least one of these forms, more preferably at least 75, 80, 85 or 90 wt %.
  • the hydrophobin will typically undergo assembly at the air, liquid interface and therefore the amount of monomer, dimer and oligomer would be expected to decrease.
  • surfactant means a substance which lowers the surface tension of the medium in which it is dissolved and, accordingly, positively adsorbs at the liquid/vapour interfaces.
  • the term includes sparingly soluble substances which lower the surface tension of a liquid by spreading spontaneously over its surface.
  • surfactant does not include hydrophobins.
  • surfactant does not include trace quantities of surface active components that may be present in very small amounts in another (non-surface active) ingredient, for example stabilisers such as pectins, locust bean gum, and guar gum. In such cases, the amount of surfactant would normally be less than 0.05% by weight of the food product.
  • the surfactant is typically an ingredient which is used in aerated food products because of its beneficial effect on taste and/or texture.
  • Such surfactants include (but are not limited to):
  • ⁇ milk polypeptides such as caseins, whey (and their polypeptide fractions), sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, and hydrolysed whey polypeptides;
  • polypeptides such as gelatine, egg polypeptides, and soy polypeptide
  • polyoxyethylene derivatives of hexahydric alcohols usually sorbitol
  • glycols glycol esters, polyglycerol esters, sorbitan esters, stearoyl lactylate, acetic acid esters, lactic acid esters, citric acid esters, acetylated monoglyceride, diacetyl tartaric acid esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitan esters (such as polysorbate 80);
  • non-ionic surfactants such as alkyl poly(ethylene oxide), fatty alcohols, and sucrose esters; ⁇ phospholipids and mixtures of phospholipids (e.g. lecithin); and mixtures of any the above.
  • the surfactant is present in an amount of at least 0.05% by weight of the product, more preferably at least 0.1 %.
  • the surfactant is a polypeptide, more preferably milk polypeptide, and is present in an amount of at least 0.5% by weight of the food product, more preferably at least 1 %.
  • the surfactant is present in an amount of at most 20% by weight of the food product, more preferably at most 10%, most preferably at most 5%.
  • the aerated food products according to the present invention may be produced by use of the "pre-aeration" route (disclosed above in further detail), which is a process for producing aerated food products comprising a large proportion of small gas bubbles starting from an unaerated mix comprising hydrophobin and surfactant.
  • Another route, termed “post-addition” provides a process whereby the surfactant is added after aeration.
  • the post-addition route provides a way in which the amount of hydrophobin can be increased in relation to the amount of surfactant at the point at which the bubbles are formed whilst it remains unchanged in the final product, by adding the surfactant after aeration has taken place.
  • a mix comprising hydrophobin but not surfactant is aerated; subsequently a second mix comprising the surfactant is combined with the aerated mix.
  • the second mix is formulated so that the combined mixes give the desired final product formulation.
  • a mixing step may be used to improve the homogeneity of the combined mixes.
  • the mixing step is preferably carried out at relatively low shear and for short times so that little or no further gas is incorporated (i.e. the overrun does not increase by more than 10% during the mixing step).
  • Suitable mixing devices include: static mixers; in-line dynamic mixers such as an auger, blender or fruit-feeder; and batch mixing devices, such as a stirred vessel.
  • the second mixing devices such as a stir
  • the (surfactant-comprising) mix would typically be injected near the end of the processing period.
  • the mixing step could also take place in a continuous process, for example in a scraped surface heat exchanger or screw extruder by injecting the second mix into the barrel of the scraped surface heat exchanger or screw extruder close to the point at which the product exits.
  • the aerated mixture may optionally be subjected to freezing during and/or after aeration, for example if the final product is to be a frozen aerated product such as an ice cream or a sorbet. Freezing may take place simultaneously with aeration, for example in a scraped surface heat exchanger.
  • Simultaneous freezing and aeration can aid the formation of small gas bubbles because of the increase in the mix viscosity as ice forms.
  • freezing takes place after aeration, it is preferably carried out so that little or no further gas is incorporated.
  • the surfactant is added after aeration (i.e. the post-addition route) freezing may take place before and/or during the mixing step.
  • the surfactant stream may be chilled or partially frozen before mixing.
  • frozen water confections are relatively small, for example having an average volume of less than 1 ml, more preferably less than 0.5 ml.
  • beads having a diameter of from 5 mm to 10 mm would have a volume of from about 0.065 ml to about 0.5 ml.
  • the discrete frozen confections have a minimum average volume such that each confection can be readily distinguished by a consumer.
  • the discrete frozen confection preferably has a minimum average volume of at least about 0.02 ml.
  • the discrete frozen water confections may be made to any shape, such as in the form of cubes or spheres.
  • the frozen confections are substantially spherical.
  • the frozen water confections may be in the form of a composite product where at least one portion or region of the product, such as a core or layer, does not contain the polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • An example of this would be a product containing a core of ice cream which lacks the polypeptide according to the present invention, coated in a layer of water ice that does contain the polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • substantially the outer layer of the composition confection comprises the polypeptide according to the present invention, i.e. the region which will come into contact with other discrete frozen confections. It will be
  • polypeptide according to the present invention added to the confection is calculated solely in relation to those components of the confection that contain the polypeptide according to the present invention and not in relation to the complete product.
  • Frozen water confections may be aerated or unaerated.
  • unaerated is meant a frozen confection having an overrun of less then 20%, preferably less than 10%.
  • An unaerated frozen confection is not subjected to deliberate steps such as whipping to increase the gas content. Nonetheless, it will be appreciated that during the preparation of unaerated frozen confections, low levels of gas, such as air, may be incorporated in the product.
  • Water ice confections typically contain sugar, water, colour, fruit acid or other acidifying agent, fruit or fruit flavouring and stabiliser.
  • the total solids content is at least 6 wt %, more preferably at least 8 wt % or at least 10, 12, 15 or 20 wt % and may be as high as about 35 wt %.
  • the total solids content is less then 35 wt %, more preferably less than 25 wt %.
  • Water ices may be aerated or unaerated. If aerated, the overrun is typically less than about 50%, for example from about 25% to 30%. In one embodiment, the water ice confections of the invention are unaerated.
  • the water ice confections comprise less than 2 wt % artificial sweeteners, more preferably less than 1 wt %.
  • no artificial sweeteners such as aspartame or acesulfame are present in the water ice confections.
  • Frozen water confections of the invention typically comprise one or more stabiliser, such as one or more stabilisers selected from gums, agar, alginates and derivatives thereof, gelatin, pectin, lecithin, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, carrageenan and furcelleran.
  • a blend of stabilisers is used, such as blend of a gum and carrageenan.
  • the frozen confection comprises from 0.1 to 1 wt % stabiliser.
  • Frozen water confections of the invention typically comprise at least about 0.0005 wt % of the polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • the polypeptides according to the present invention can be used at very low concentrations and therefore preferably the confections comprise less than 0.05 wt % of the polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • a preferred range is from about 0.001 to 0.01 wt %.
  • Frozen water confections of the invention can be manufactured using a number of techniques known in the art.
  • free-flowing beads can be manufactured by dispensing drops of the liquid mix into a freezing chamber of liquid nitrogen (see W096/29896).
  • Other shapes can be manufactured by moulding techniques, for example by introducing a liquid premix into a cooled mould.
  • Moulded products may contain complex shapes and have a high degree of surface definition.
  • Ice cream-containing products and the like need not be subjected to a cold hardening step of below from -20°C to -25°C, although this may be used if desired, especially if the product is a composite product with a layer or core that does not contain the polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • the frozen water confectionery product of the invention may be packaged in containers for sale to consumers as an individual unit.
  • the volume of such containers is typically from 100 ml to 1000 ml, such as from 200 ml to 500 ml.
  • the product can also be packaged in larger containers for retail purposes where the product is dispensed into smaller containers at the retail premises, e.g. in fast food outlets or as a pick 'n' mix format where consumers can choose from frozen confections of the invention having different shapes, flavours and/or colours.
  • These larger containers may, for example, have a volume greater than about 1000 ml, for example at least 2000 ml or 5000 ml.
  • Discrete frozen dairy confection comprising the polypeptide according to the present invention
  • the present invention also provides a frozen confectionary product comprising a plurality of discrete unaerated dairy frozen confection being able to contact directly other discrete frozen confections in the product.
  • Ice confections are sweet-tasting fabricated foodstuffs intended for consumption in the frozen state (i.e. under conditions wherein the temperature of the foodstuff is less than 0°C, and preferably under conditions wherein the foodstuff comprises significant amounts of ice). Ice confections of the present invention comprise from 1 to 8 wt % fat and have a total solids content of from 10 to 25 wt %. These amounts of fat and total solids, in combination with a water-soluble aerating gas and the polypeptide according to the present invention, result in products having both the desired texture and appearance. Typical water ice formulations (which do not contain fat) and standard ice cream formulations (which have a total solids content of at least about 30 wt %) do not fall within the definition of discrete frozen dairy confection.
  • the ice confections of the present invention preferably comprise from 2 to 6 wt %, more preferably from 2.5 to 5 wt % fat.
  • the fat may come from any suitable source, such as for example butterfat, coconut oil, palm oil, cocoa butter, sunflower oil, olive oil or rapeseed oil, and mixtures or fractions thereof.
  • the total solids content of an ice confection is the dry weight of the confection, i.e. the sum of the weights of all the ingredients other than water, expressed as a percentage of the total weight. It is measured as described in Ice Cream, 6th Edition, p 296.
  • the ice confections of the present invention have a total solids content of from 10 to 25 wt % of the ice confection. Preferably the total solids content is at least 12%, more preferably at least 15%, most preferably at least 18%. Preferably the total solids content is at most 24% more preferably at most 22%.
  • Ice confections according to the present invention contain ice. Since the total solids content is from 10 to 25 wt %, the water content is correspondingly from 90 to 75 wt %. At a temperature of - 18°C most, but not all, of the water is frozen.
  • Ice confections of the invention typically comprise at least about 0.0001 wt % of the polypeptide according to the present invention, more preferably at least 0.0005 wt %.
  • the polypeptides according to the present invention can be used at very low
  • concentrations and therefore preferably the confections comprise less than 0.05 wt % of the polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • a preferred range is from about 0.001 to 0.01 wt %, more preferably from 0.005 to 0.01 wt %.
  • an aerating agent refers to any component which because of its surface activity and/or the viscosity it imparts, aids the formation of small gas bubbles and resists their coalescence or separation.
  • the aerating agent is to be understood not to include the aerating gas.
  • the aerating agent is a polypeptide-based aerating agent, for example a hydrolysed milk polypeptide such as HygelTM and HyfoamaTM (available from Kerry Biosciences); or a hydrolysed soya polypeptide such as Versawhip (available from Kerry Biosciences) and D-100TM (available from Gunter Industries).
  • the aerating agent may be non-protein-based, for example a monoglyceride, such as Myverol 18-04K (a distilled 95% monoglyceride prepared from vegetable oils, available from Quest International), or a polyglycerol ester, such as PGE 55 (a polyglycerol ester of fatty acids, available from Danisco).
  • a monoglyceride such as Myverol 18-04K (a distilled 95% monoglyceride prepared from vegetable oils, available from Quest International)
  • a polyglycerol ester such as PGE 55 (a polyglycerol ester of fatty acids, available from Danisco).
  • the amount of aerating agent in the confection is at least 0.1 wt %, preferably at least 0.15 wt %.
  • the amount of aerating agent is less than 0.5 wt %, preferably less than 0.4 wt %, more preferably less than 0.25 wt %.
  • Ice confections of the invention may comprise stabiliser.
  • Stabilisers include
  • polypeptides such as gelatin; plant extrudates such as gum arabic, gum ghatti, gum karaya, gum tragacanth; seed gums such as locust bean gum, guar gum, tara gum, psyyllium seed gum, quince seed gum or tamarind seed gum; konjac mannan;
  • the stabiliser may be a single stabiliser, or a mixture of two or more stabilisers.
  • the stabiliser is locust bean gum.
  • the amount of stabiliser is preferably at most 0.3 wt %, more preferably at most 0.25 wt %.
  • the amount of stabiliser is typically from 0 to 0.2 wt %.
  • Ice confections of the invention may contain polypeptide (in addition to any polypeptide based aerating agent), preferably in an amount of at least 1 wt %, more preferably at least 1.5 wt %. Ice confections containing at least this amount of polypeptide are perceived as milk ice-type products and are more attractive to many consumers than substantially polypeptide-free ice confections.
  • the polypeptide content is less than 8 wt %, more preferably less than 6 wt %, most preferably less than 3 wt %.
  • Suitable polypeptides for use in the present invention include milk polypeptides, egg polypeptides and gelatine as well as vegetable polypeptides such as soya
  • Ice confections of the invention typically comprise sugars e.g. sucrose, fructose, dextrose, lactose, corn syrups, sugar alcohols; they may also contain other ingredients, for example colours and flavours.
  • the ice confection preferably has an overrun of at least 20%, more preferably at least 40%, most preferably at least 60%. Preferably the overrun is at most 150%, more preferably at most 120%, most preferably at most 120%.
  • Mat refers to the unaerated mix prior to aeration (or following de-aeration of the melted ice confection). Overrun is measured at atmospheric pressure.
  • the ice confection containing of the invention may constitute an entire product or may be a component of a composite product.
  • a composite product the ice confection of the invention provides contrast in texture and appearance to the other component(s) of the product.
  • such composite products contain the ice confection as a discrete element in their structure.
  • a relatively soft ice cream core can be coated with a layer of the ice confection to provide a hard, crispy layer surrounding the ice cream core.
  • Another example is the incorporation of the ice confection as inclusions.
  • the ice confection may be provided with a continuous or partial coating of, for example, a water glaze, a non-aerated water ice or chocolate on at least one surface.
  • the determination of the total solids and the fat, aerating agent, ice structuring polypeptide, stabiliser, and polypeptides contents takes into account only the ice confection, and not other components of the composite product.
  • Discrete frozen dairy confection comprising the polypeptide according to the present invention may be prepared by any suitable method known in the art. Preferably, however, the discrete frozen dairy confection is manufactured by the method comprising the steps of:
  • step (d) simultaneously freezing and aerating the mix with an aerating gas which contains at least 50% by volume of a carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide or mixtures thereof to produce the ice confection (for example in an ice cream freezer); (e) cold hardening the ice confection, wherein step (c) may take place before, during or after step (b).
  • the mix is aerated with a gas containing at least about 50% by volume of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide or mixtures thereof, preferably at least about 70%, more preferably 100%.
  • the remainder of the aerating gas will typically be a nitrogen- containing gas such as air. Most preferably the aerating gas is 100% carbon dioxide.
  • the resulting ice confection may be shaped e.g. by extrusion followed by cutting or by moulding, prior to the cold hardening step.
  • the ice confection is extruded at a temperature of from 4° to -1.5°C, more preferably from -2.5 to -1.5°C. Relatively high extrusion temperatures result in a particularly good foam-like appearance.
  • the cold hardening step takes place at a temperature of about -25°C or below, for example by blast freezing.
  • the ice confections are preferably stored at a temperature in the range of -25 to -10°C, typically about -18°C.
  • Low fat dairy products comprising the polypeptide according to the invention
  • the present invention also provides a frozen, low fat dairy product.
  • Frozen dairy confections are confections that typically contain milk or milk solids, such as ice cream, milk ice, frozen yogurt and sherbet.
  • milk includes milk substitutes such as soya milk, although mammalian milk is preferred.
  • the frozen dairy confection is an ice cream or milk ice.
  • the low fat product of the present invention preferably comprises 3 wt % or less fat, preferably 2 wt % or less, more preferably less than 2 wt %, or 1 wt % or less.
  • the product is fat-free, which means that the product comprises substantially no fat (i.e. less than 0.1 wt %).
  • a non- dairy composition such as a chocolate ortraction layer
  • the determination of fat content for the product should disregard the coating.
  • Frozen confections containing milk preferably contain at least about 3 wt % milk solid non-fat (MSNF), more preferably from about 5 wt % to about 25 wt % MSNF.
  • Stabilisers may be present in the frozen products of the invention although it should be noted that the stabilising effects of the polypeptides according to the present invention can allow for stabiliser replacement in some cases. However, significant levels of stabilisers may still be required, in addition to polypeptides according to the present invention, in some product formulations, such as very low fat products with less than 1 wt % fat, to produce the desired product stability. Nonetheless, the resulting products are improved over previous products because the polypeptide according to the present invention reduces or ameliorates the deleterious effects of the stabilisers on texture and taste.
  • Suitable stabilisers include alginates, gelatin, gum acacia, guar gum, gum karaya, locust bean gum, carageenan and salts thereof, xanthan gum, microcrystalline cellulose, cellulose ethers or mixtures thereof.
  • the amount of stabiliser is preferably 1.5% or less by weight, more preferably 1 % or less by weight such as from 0.1 to 0.8 wt %.
  • the product comprises at least 0.5 wt % stabilisers, such as at least 0.7 wt % stabilisers.
  • the level of fat in such a product is less than 2 or 1 wt %.
  • the product comprises less than 0.5 wt % stabilisers.
  • the level of fat in such as product is at least 1 wt % or more, more preferably at Ieast 2 wt %.
  • Frozen confections of the invention typically comprise at least about 0.0001 wt % of the polypeptide according to the present invention, more preferably at least 0.0005 wt %.
  • the polypeptides according to the present invention can be used at very low concentrations and therefore preferably the confections comprise less than 0.05 wt % polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • a preferred range is from about 0.001 to 0.01 wt %, more preferably from 0.005 to 0.01 wt %.
  • the frozen confections may be aerated or unaerated, preferably aerated. By unaerated is meant a frozen confection having an overrun of less then 20%, preferably less than 10%.
  • An unaerated frozen confection is not subjected to deliberate steps such as whipping to increase the gas content. Nonetheless, it will be appreciated that during the preparation of unaerated frozen confections, low levels of gas, such as air, may be incorporated in the product.
  • the amount of overrun present in an aerated product will vary depending on the desired product characteristics. For example, the level of overrun in ice cream is typically from about 70 to 100%, and in confectionery such as mousses the overrun can be as high as 200 to 250 wt %, whereas the overrun in milk ices is from 25 to 30%.
  • Aerated frozen confections preferably have an overrun of from 30% to 200%, more preferably from 50% to 150%.
  • Frozen confections of the invention can be manufactured using a variety of techniques known in the art. Products are typically frozen quiescently or using agitation, such as in a surface-scraped heat exchanger. Products may be moulded. Products may contain complex shapes and have a high degree of surface definition since the addition of the polypeptide according to the present invention preserves the stability of such shapes and structures.
  • polypeptides according to the present invention can be added prior to, during or after freezing of the product. If added after freezing, this will take place whilst the product is still plastic so that the polypeptide according to the present invention can be mixed e.g. after extrusion from a surface-scraped heat exchanger and prior to hardening. Ice cream products and the like can be subjected to an optional cold hardening step of below from -20°C to -25°C.
  • compositions for producing a low fat frozen confectionery product of the invention which composition comprises the polypeptide according to the present invention, preferably at least 0.005 wt % of the polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • compositions include liquid premixes and dry mixes, for example powders, to which an aqueous liquid, such as milk or water, is added.
  • Freezing is a very common technique for preserving food. With certain notable exceptions, frozen food is usually thawed prior to use or further processing (e.g., cooking). Thawing is accomplished satisfactorily by leaving the frozen food product to stand at ambient temperature. However, even on a domestic scale, the length of time taken to accomplish satisfactory thawing is considerable. Thawing is also
  • Microwave ovens are increasingly widespread in both an industrial and domestic context. One of their uses is in the thawing of frozen food. Microwave thawing is more rapid than thawing at ambient temperature. It still suffers from a number of
  • composition comprising a mesophase of water, emulsifier and the polypeptide according to the present invention is incorporated into a food product and if at least an amount of the water is present as unfrozen water in the frozen food product, an improved product is obtained.
  • mesophases herein includes both layered structures and traditional mesophases i.e. lamellar, cubic, hexagonal (1 and 2), L2 and L1 and also dispersed mesophases i.e. liposomes, cubosomes and hexosomes. Additionally, it includes the formation of micelles, which will also form such surfaces.
  • Mesophases are structures where the polar emulsifier and water are organised in a well-defined structure according to their polarity. The polar end group of the emulsifier is in contact with the water phase or phases. A number of different mesophase structures are believed to exist. The water close to the polar end group of the emulsifier is organised in such a way that it is protected from freezing.
  • the ratio of water to emulsifier in the composition of the invention will depend on the emulsifier used, and the particular application of the composition. It has been found that for any particular emulsifier/water system, the amount of liquid water present below 0°C ("unfrozen water”) tends to increase with the proportion of water up to a maximum. Up to this maximum point, it is thought that substantially all the water in the system is unfrozen. Beyond this point, a fixed amount of the water present is unfrozen, with the balance frozen.
  • compositions of the invention comprise at least an amount of unfrozen water when present in a frozen food product at a temperature of -15°C or below.
  • compositions of the invention comprise at least an amount of unfrozen water when present in a frozen food product at a temperature of -20°C or below.
  • compositions of the invention comprise at least an amount of unfrozen water when present in a frozen food product at a temperature of about -25°C.
  • compositions of the invention comprise at least an amount of unfrozen water when present in a frozen food product at a temperature of about -40°C.
  • compositions of the present invention When present in a frozen food product, the compositions of the present invention preferably comprise an amount of unfrozen water that is thermodynamically stable at temperatures below 0°C.
  • the water component is present in an amount of at least 0.1 % based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the water component is present in an amount of at least 1 % based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the water component is present in an amount of at least 2% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the water component is present in an amount of at least 3% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the water component is present in an amount of at least 5% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the water component is present in an amount of at least 10% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the water component is present in an amount of at most 99.9% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the water component is present in an amount of at most 50% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the water component is present in an amount of at most 40% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the water component is present in an amount of at most 30% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the water component is present in an amount of at most 25% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the water component is present in an amount of between 0.1 and 99.9% based on the total weight of the composition. More preferably, the water component i present in an amount of between 1 and 25% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the emulsifier is present in an amount of at least 0.1 % based on the total weight of the composition. Preferably, the emulsifier is present in an amount of at least 50% based on the total weight of the composition. Preferably, the emulsifier is present in an amount of at least 60% based on the total weight of the composition. Preferably, the emulsifier is present in an amount of at least 70% based on the total weight of the composition. Preferably, the emulsifier is present in an amount of at least 80% based on the total weight of the composition. Preferably, the emulsifier is present in an amount of at least 99.0% based on the total weight of the composition. Preferably, the emulsifier is present in an amount of at least 99.9% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the emulsifier is present in an amount up to 99.9% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the emulsifier is present in an amount up to 99% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the emulsifier is present in an amount up to 97% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the emulsifier is present in an amount up to 95% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the emulsifier is present in an amount up to 90% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the emulsifier is present in an amount of between 0.1 and 99.9% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the emulsifier is present in an amount of between 75 and 90% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the polypeptide according to the invention is present in an amount of at least 0.001 % based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the polypeptide according to the invention is present in an amount of at least 0.01 % based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the polypeptide according to the invention is present in an amount of at least 0.1 % based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the polypeptide according to the invention is present in an amount of at least 1 % based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the polypeptide according to the invention is present in an amount of at least 5% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the polypeptide according to the invention is present in an amount of at least 10% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the polypeptide according to the invention is present in an amount of at most 90% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the polypeptide according to the invention is present in an amount of at most 50% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the polypeptide according to the invention is present in an amount of at most 25% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the polypeptide according to the invention is present in an amount of at most 15% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the polypeptide according to the invention is present in an amount of at most 10% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the polypeptide according to the invention is present in an amount of between 0.001 and 90% based on the total weight of the composition. More preferably, the polypeptide according to the invention is present in an amount of between 0.01 and 10% based on the total weight of the composition.
  • the composition comprises less than 25% w/w of oil. More preferably, the composition comprises less than 10% w/w of oil. More preferably, the composition comprises less than 5% w/w of oil. More preferably, the composition comprises less than 1 % w/w of oil. Still more preferably the composition comprises less than 0.1 % w/w of oil. Most preferably, the composition comprises substantially no oil.
  • Other components may also be present in the compositions of the invention, provided that they do not affect the ability to retain at least an amount of unfrozen water when present in a frozen food product.
  • An example of a technique of bringing into association is mixing.
  • Mixing of water with the polypeptide according to the invention and an emulsifier may be achieved by any one of a number of means that will be apparent to one skilled in the art.
  • Mixing in an electric mixer is one example.
  • the food product comprises an amount of the composition sufficient that the amount of unfrozen water present in the food product as a whole enables uniform and rapid microwave thawing. In practice, this equates to an amount of at least 0.1 % w/w of unfrozen water present in the food product as a whole.
  • the usage level will depend on the specific food product, the application and how much water that will be needed to preserve the food texture after freezing.
  • the food product comprises the composition of the invention in an amount of at least 0.1 % w/w.
  • the food product comprises the composition of the invention in an amount of at least 0.2% w/w.
  • the food product comprises the composition of the invention in an amount of at least 0.3% w/w.
  • the food product comprises the composition of the invention in an amount of at least 0.4% w/w.
  • the food product comprises the composition of the invention in an amount of at least 0.5% w/w.
  • the food product comprises the composition of the invention in an amount of less than 10% w/w.
  • the food product comprises the composition of the invention in an amount of less than 5% w/w.
  • the food product comprises the composition of the invention in an amount of less than 4% w/w.
  • the food product comprises the composition of the invention in an amount of less than 3% w/w.
  • the food product comprises the composition of the invention in an amount of between 0.1 and 5% w/w, more preferably between 0.5 and 3% w/w.
  • composition of the invention to the food product will depend on the nature of the food product in question. For instance, if the food product is liquid or semiliquid at ambient temperature, the composition may be incorporated simply by mixing it with the food product.
  • the water, the polypeptide according to the invention and emulsifier may be added to the food product separately. Water may be added followed by the polypeptide according to the invention and emulsifier;
  • polypeptide according to the invention and emulsifier may be added, followed by water.
  • polypeptide according to the invention is preferred that the polypeptide according to the invention, the emulsifier and water are combined before addition to the food product.
  • the composition may be incorporated at any point during the food preparation process.
  • the composition may be sprayed on to the surface of the food product.
  • the composition may be injected in to the food product (e.g. in the case of poultry, meat or fish).
  • the food product is selected from low fat spread, mayonnaise, yoghurt, bakery fillings, margarine, reconstituted fruits, jams, fruit preparations, fruit fillings, ripples, fruit sauces, stewed fruit, coffee whitener, instant fruit dessert, confectionery (such as marsh mallow), potato based foods (such as chips, french fries and croquettes), prepared meals (such as casseroles and stews) and fine foods (such as dressings including salad dressings; ketchup, vinaigrette dressings and soups).
  • the food product may be a beverage, raw, processed or pasteurised foods including raw meat, cooked meat, raw poultry products, cooked poultry products, raw seafood products, cooked seafood products, [raw or cooked meat, poultry and seafood products], sausages, frankfurters, ready to eat meals, pasta sauces, pasteurised soups, marinades, oil-in-water emulsions, water-in-oil emulsions, cheese spreads, processed cheese, dairy desserts, flavoured milks, cream, fermented milk products, cheese, butter, condensed milk products, cheese spreads, pasteurised liquid egg, ice cream mixes, soya products, pasteurised liquid egg, confectionery products, fruit products, and foods with fat-based or water-containing fillings.
  • the food product may be a bakery product such as bread, cakes, fine bakery and dough.
  • the present invention also provides a cosmetic or dermatological preparation which comprises the polypeptide according to the present invention - optionally in combination with one or more additional polypeptides which are selected from anti- freezing polypeptides and anti-freezing glycoproteins.
  • the preparation may comprise only the polypeptide according to the present invention or the preparation may comprise at least one additional anti-freezing polypeptide. Furthermore the composition may comprise at least one anti-freezing glycoprotein together with the polypeptide according to the present invention.
  • the polypeptide according to the present invention in the preparation may be present in a concentration of from 0.0001 % to 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the preparation, e.g., in a concentration of from 0.001 % to 50% by weight, of from 0.1 % to 10% by weight, or from 0.1 % to 1 % by weight.
  • total amount of polypeptide may amount to from 0.0001 % to 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the preparation, e.g., in a concentration of from 0.001 % to 50% by weight, of from 0.1 % to 10% by weight, or from 0.1 % to 1 % by weight.
  • the at least one additional anti-freezing polypeptide may comprise at least one polypeptide selected from types AFP 1 , AFP 2, AFP 3 and AFP 4, for example, at least one polypeptide of type AFP 1 that is synthesized by pseudopluronectes americanus, myoxocephalus scorpius, myoxocephalus aenaeus and/or myoxocephalus scorpiodes, at least one polypeptide of type AFP 2 that is synthesized by hemitripterus americanus, osmerus mordax and/or clupea harengus harengus, at least one polypeptide of type AFP 3 that is synthesized by macrozoarces americanus, rhigophila dearbomi lycodes polaris and/or the "wolf fish" anarhichas lupus, and/or at least one polypeptide of type AFP 4 that is synthesized by myoxocephalus o
  • the at least one anti-freezing glycoprotein may comprise at least one polypeptide that is synthesized by trematomas borgrevinki, dissostichus mawsoni, boreogadus saida and/or gadus morhua.
  • the present invention also provides a cosmetic or dermatological preparation which comprises the polypeptide according to the present invention and one or more polypeptides which are selected from anti-freezing polypeptides and anti-freezing glycoproteins that are synthesized by at least one of pseudopluronectes americanus, myoxocephalus scorpius, myoxocephalus aenaeus, myoxocephalus scorpiodes, hemitripterus americanus, osmerus mordax, clupea harengus harengus, macrozoarces americanus, rhigophila dearborni, lycodes polaris, anarhichas lupus, myoxocephalus octodecimspinosis, trematomas borgrevinki, dissostichus mawsoni, boreogadus saida
  • the total amount of polypeptide according to the present invention in the cosmetic or dermatological preparation amounts to from 0.001 % to 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the preparation, e.g., in a concentration of from 0.1 % to 10% by weight.
  • the total amount of polypeptide in the cosmetic or dermatological preparation may amount to from 0.001 % to 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the preparation, e.g., in a concentration of from 0.1 % to 10% by weight.
  • the present invention also provides a cosmetic or dermatological product which is an o/w cream, a w/o cream, a w/o/w cream, an o cream, a w/o emulsion, a
  • hydrodispersion a gel cream, a w/o stick or an o stick, and which comprises the preparation of the present invention, including the various aspects thereof.
  • the present invention also provides a method for the treatment or prevention of undesirable skin conditions.
  • the method comprises applying the polypeptide according to the present invention and optionally one or more polypeptides to at least parts of the skin, which polypeptides are selected from anti-freezing polypeptides and anti-freezing glycoproteins.
  • the undesirable skin conditions may include skin inflammation, pigmentation disorders, symptoms of extrinsic and intrinsic skin aging and/or skin damage caused by UV radiation.
  • anti-freezing polypeptides In the technical filed of cosmetic and dermatologic preparations, the term “anti-freezing polypeptides” is used to describe polypeptides that enable an organism, even under extreme temperature conditions, to keep important cell structures functionally active. In view of their function, “anti-freezing polypeptides” in this sense also represent “frost- protection compounds” on a cellular level. It was not foreseeable for those of skill in the art that the preparations according to the present invention protect better against structural and cellular damage in the skin due to cold better maintain or restore the barrier properties of the skin better combat drying out of the skin act better against dyschromia act better against inflammatory skin conditions act better against skin aging, and better protect the skin against
  • AFP anti-freezing polypeptides
  • AFGP anti-freezing glycoproteins
  • cosmetic or topical dermatological preparations with an effective content of the polypeptide according to the present invention optionally together with additional AFP and/or AFGP renders possible an effective treatment, but also a prophylaxis of structural and cellular damage in the skin due to cold, which damage with distinct climate- and weather-induced drops in temperature cause changes in the cell physiology in the cell and in the extracellular space through loss of the temperature optima of cellular enzymes, skin damage, skin redness and tight feeling of the skin and increased sensory sensitivities, induced, e.g., by cold, wind and/or UV light,
  • polypeptide according to the present invention optionally together with additional AFP and/or AFGP or the use of cosmetic or topical dermatological preparations with an effective content of the polypeptide according to the present invention optionally together with additional AFP and/or AFGP is an effective treatment as well as a prophylaxis of deficient, sensitive or hypoactive skin conditions or deficient, sensitive or hypoactive conditions of integumentary appendages of signs of premature aging of the skin (e.g., wrinkles, senile keratoses, telangiectases) and/or of the integumentary appendages, of environmentally induced (smoking, smog, reactive oxygen species, free radicals) and in particular light-induced negative changes in the skin and the integumentary appendages, of light-induced skin damage, of pigmentation disorders, of sensitive, irritated and itchy skin, of dry skin conditions and disorders of the horny layer barrier, of hair loss and for improved hair growth, signs of skin aging, such
  • glycosaminoglycan content of healthy skin to stimulate the ceramide synthesis of the skin to stimulate intracellular DNA synthesis, in particular in cases of deficient or hypoactive skin conditions, to increase cell renewal and regeneration of the skin, to increase the skin's own protective and repair mechanisms (for example, for
  • the use of the polypeptide according to the present invention optionally together with additional AFPs and/or AFGPs for the prophylaxis and treatment of inflammatory skin conditions-also atopical eczema-and/or for skin protection in the case of skin predisposed to be sensitive and dry is also in accordance with the invention.
  • additional AFPs and/or AFGPs for the prophylaxis and treatment of inflammatory skin conditions-also atopical eczema-and/or for skin protection in the case of skin predisposed to be sensitive and dry is also in accordance with the invention.
  • cosmetic or dermatological preparations for the production of cosmetic or dermatological preparations for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of pigmentation disorders is also in accordance with the invention.
  • preparations for the production of cosmetic or dermatological preparations for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of the symptoms of intrinsic and/or extrinsic skin aging and for the treatment and prophylaxis of harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation on the skin is also according to the invention.
  • polypeptide according to the present invention optionally together with additional AFPs and/or AFGPs for the production of cosmetic or dermatological preparations for increasing ceramide biosynthesis is also an aspect of the invention.
  • Cosmetic or dermatological preparations according to the present invention preferably contain from 0.0001 % to 50% by weight, particularly preferably from 0.01 % to 10% by weight, of the cited the polypeptide according to the present invention optionally together with additional AFPs and/or AFGPs or a combination of two or more of the cited AFPs and/or AFGPs, based on the total weight of the preparations.
  • customary antioxidants can be used in the preparations that contain the active substance combinations according to the present invention.
  • the antioxidants are selected from the group of amino acids (for example, glycine, histidine, tyrosine, tryptophan, [beta]-alanine) and derivatives thereof, imidazoles (for example urocanic acid) and derivatives thereof, peptides, such as D,L- carnosine, D-carnosine, L-carnosine and derivatives thereof (for example, anserine), carotenoids, carotenes (for example, [alpha]-carotene, [beta]-carotene, lycopene) and derivatives thereof, lipoic acid and derivatives thereof (for example, dihydrolipoic acid), aurothioglucose, propylthiouracil and other thiols (for example, thioredoxin, glutathione, cysteine, cystine, cystamine and the glycosyl, N-acetyl, methyl, ethyl, propyl, amyl,
  • sulfoximine compounds for example, buthionine sulfoximines, homocysteine sulfoximine, buthionine sulfones, penta-, hexa- and heptathionine sulfoximine
  • metal chelating agents for example, [alpha]-hydroxy fatty acids, palmitic acid, phytic acid, lactoferrin
  • [alpha]-hydroxy acids for example, citric acid, lactic acid, malic acid
  • humic acid for example, bile acid, bile extracts, bilirubin, biliverdin, EDTA, EGTA and derivatives thereof, unsaturated fatty acids and derivatives thereof (for example [gamma]-linolenic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid), folic acid
  • stilbenes and derivatives thereof for example stilbene oxide, trans- stilbene oxide
  • derivatives of these active ingredients mentioned which are suitable according to the invention (salts, esters, ethers, sugars, nucleotides, nucleosides, peptides and lipids).
  • the amount of the antioxidants (one or more compounds) in the preparations is preferably from 0.001 % to 30% by weight, particularly preferably from 0.05% to 20% by weight, particularly preferred from 1 % to 10% by weight, based on the total weight of the preparation.
  • the active ingredients according to the invention may be advantageous to encapsulate the active ingredients according to the invention, as so-called solid lipid nanoparts using molten waxes, which may be chosen, inter alia, but not exclusively, from ester waxes, triglyceride waxes or hydrocarbon waxes.
  • molten waxes which may be chosen, inter alia, but not exclusively, from ester waxes, triglyceride waxes or hydrocarbon waxes.
  • the prophylaxis or the cosmetic or dermatological treatment with the active ingredient used according to the invention or with the cosmetic or topical dermatological preparations having an effective content of active ingredient used according to the invention may be carried out in the usual manner, by applying the active ingredient used according to the invention or the cosmetic or topical dermatological preparations having an effective content of active ingredient used according to the invention to the affected areas of the skin.
  • the active ingredient used according to the invention can advantageously be incorporated into customary cosmetic and dermatological preparations which may assume various forms.
  • they may, for example, be a solution, an emulsion of the water-in-oil (W/O) type or of the oil-in-water (O/W) type, or a multiple emulsion, for example of the water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) type or oil-in-water-in-oil (0/W/O) type, a hydrodispersion or lipodispersion, a gel, a Pickering emulsion, a solid stick or an aerosol.
  • W/O water-in-oil
  • O/W oil-in-water
  • a multiple emulsion for example of the water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) type or oil-in-water-in-oil (0/W/O) type, a hydrodispersion or lipodispersion, a gel, a Picker
  • Emulsions according to the invention for the purposes of the present invention are advantageous and may comprise, for example, fats, oils, waxes and/or other fatty substances, and water and one or more emulsifiers as are customarily used for this type of formulation.
  • Medicinal topical compositions for the purposes of the present invention generally comprise one or more medicaments in an effective concentration.
  • the active ingredient used according to the invention as an additive to preparations which already comprise other active ingredients for other purposes.
  • compositions can, depending on their formulation, be used, for example, as skin protection cream, cleansing milk, sunscreen lotion, nourishing cream, day or night cream, lip care stick, nasal spray, etc.
  • compositions according to the invention as bases for pharmaceutical formulations.
  • UVA and/or UVB filter substances are usually incorporated into day creams or makeup products.
  • UV protection substances likewise antioxidants and, if desired, preservatives, provide an effective protection of the preparations against deterioration.
  • cosmetic and dermatological preparations are favorable which are in the form of a sunscreen.
  • the preparations according to the present invention in addition to one or more active ingredient combinations according to the invention, preferably additionally comprise at least one further UVA filter substance and/or UVB filter substance.
  • the formulations can, although this is not necessary, optionally also comprise one or more organic and/or inorganic pigments as UV filter substances, which can be present in the aqueous phase and/or the oil phase.
  • Preferred inorganic pigments are metal oxides and/or other metal compounds which are insoluble or sparingly soluble in water, in particular the oxides of titanium (Ti0 2 ), zinc (ZnO), iron (e.g., Fe 2 0 3 ), zirconium (Zr0 2 ), silicon (Si0 2 ), manganese (e.g. MnO), aluminum (AI2O3), cerium (e.g., Ce 2 C>3), mixed oxides of the corresponding metals, and mixtures of such oxides.
  • such pigments can advantageously be surface-treated ("coated") whereby, e.g., an amphiphilic or hydrophobic character of these pigments is to be formed or retained.
  • This surface treatment can comprise providing the pigments with a thin hydrophobic layer by methods known per se.
  • titanium dioxide pigments are advantageous that are coated with octylsilanol.
  • Suitable titanium dioxide particles are available under the trade name T805 from Degussa.
  • Ti0 2 pigments coated with aluminum stearate are particularly advantageous, e.g., those available under the trade name MT 100 T from TAYCA.
  • dimethylpolysiloxane also: dimethicone
  • a mixture of completely methylated, linear siloxane polymers which are terminally blocked with trimethylsiloxy units are particularly advantageous pigments.
  • particularly advantageous pigments are zinc oxide pigments which are coated in this way. Also advantageous is a coating of the inorganic pigments with a mixture of
  • dimethylpolysiloxane in particular dimethylpolysiloxane having an average chain length of from 200 to 350 dimethylsiloxane units
  • silica gel which is also referred to as simethicone.
  • the inorganic pigments have been additionally coated with aluminium hydroxide or hydrated aluminium oxide (also alumina, CAS No.: 1333-84-2).
  • titanium dioxides which have been coated with simethicone and alumina, it being possible for the coating to also comprise water.
  • titanium dioxide available under the trade name Eusolex T2000 from Merck.
  • An advantageous organic pigment for the purposes of the present invention includes 2,2'-methylenebis-(6-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4-(1 , 1 ,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenol) [INCI: Bisoctyltriazole], which is obtainable from CIBA Chemikalien GmbH under the trade name Tinosorb(R) M.
  • preparations according to the invention contain substances that absorb UV radiation in the UVA and/or the UVB range, whereby the total amount of the filter substances is, e.g., from 0.1 % by weight to 30% by weight, preferably from 0.5 to 20% by weight, in particular from 1.0 to 15% by weight, based on the total weight of the preparations, in order to provide cosmetic preparations that protect the hair or the skin against the entire range of ultraviolet radiation. They can also be used as sunscreen for the hair or the skin.
  • UVA filter substances for the purposes of the present invention include dibenzoylmethane derivatives, in particular 4-(tert-butyl)-4'- methoxydibenzoylmethane (CAS No. 70356-09-1), which is sold by Givaudan under the trademark Parsol® 1789 and by Merck under the trade name Eusolex® 9020.
  • Advantageous further UVA filter substances include phenylene-1 ,4-bis-(2- benzimidazyl)-3,3',5,5'-tetrasulfonic acid and its salts, particularly the corresponding sodium, potassium or triethanolammonium salts, in particular the phenylene-1 ,4-bis-(2- benzimidazyl)-3,3',5,5'-tetrasulfonic acid bis-sodium salt with the I NCI name
  • Bisimidazylate which is available, for example, under the trade name Neo Heliopan AP from Haarmann & Reimer.
  • Advantageous UV filter substances for the purposes of the present invention are also so-called broadband filters, i.e., filter substances which absorb both UVA and UVB radiation.
  • Advantageous broadband filters or UVB filter substances include, for example, bis- resorcinyltriazine derivatives. Particularly preferred are 2,4-bis ⁇ [4-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-2- hydroxylphenyl ⁇ -6-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1 ,3,5-triazine (I NCI : Aniso Triazine), which is available under the trade name Tinosorb® S from CIBA-Chemikalien GmbH.
  • Particularly advantageous preparations for the purposes of the present invention that are characterized by a high or very high UVA protection preferably contain several UVA and/or broadband filters, in particular dibenzoylmethane derivatives [e.g., 4-(tert.butyl)- 4'-methoxydibenzoylmethane], benzotriazole derivatives [e.g., 2,2'methylene-bis-(6- (2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4-(1 , 1 ,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)-phenol], phenylene-1 ,4-bis-(2- benzimidazyl)-3,3',5,5'-tetrasulfonic acid and/or salts thereof, 1 ,4-di(2-oxo-10-sulfo-3- bornylidenemethyl)-benzene and/or salts thereof and/or 2,4-bis- ⁇ [4-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-2- hydroxy]-
  • a further light protection filter substance which can be used advantageously according to the invention is ethylhexyl 2-cyano-3,3-diphenylacrylate (octocrylene), which is available from BASF under the designation Uvinul® N 539. It may also be considerably advantageous to use polymer-bound or polymeric UV filter substances in preparations according to the present invention, in particular those described in WO-A-92/20690.
  • UVA and/or UVB filters may optionally be advantageous to incorporate further UVA and/or UVB filters into cosmetic or dermatological preparations according to the invention, for example, certain salicylic acid derivatives, such as 4-isopropylbenzyl salicylate, 2- ethylhexyl salicylate (-Octyl salicylate), and homomenthyl salicylate.
  • certain salicylic acid derivatives such as 4-isopropylbenzyl salicylate, 2- ethylhexyl salicylate (-Octyl salicylate), and homomenthyl salicylate.
  • UV filters which can be used for the purposes of the present invention is not intended to be limiting.
  • Preparations according to the invention advantageously contain substances which absorb UV radiation in the UVA and/or UVB range, in a total amount of, e.g., from 0.1 % by weight to 30% by weight, preferably from 0.5% to 20% by weight, in particular from 1.0% to 15.0% by weight, based on the total weight of the preparations, in order to make available cosmetic preparations which protect the hair or the skin from the entire range of ultraviolet radiation. They can also be used as sunscreen compositions for the hair or the skin.
  • the cosmetic and dermatological preparations according to the invention may comprise cosmetic active agents, auxiliaries and additives, as are customarily used in such preparations, e.g., antioxidants, preservatives, bactericides, perfumes, antifoams, dyes, coloring pigments, thickeners, surfactants, emulsifiers, emollients, moisturizers and/or humectants, fats, oils, waxes and other customary constituents of a cosmetic or dermatological formulation, such as alcohols, polyols, polymers, foam stabilizers, electrolytes, organic solvents or silicone derivatives.
  • cosmetic active agents e.g., antioxidants, preservatives, bactericides, perfumes, antifoams, dyes, coloring pigments, thickeners, surfactants, emulsifiers, emollients, moisturizers and/or humectants, fats, oils, waxes and other customary constituents of a cosmetic or dermatological
  • the cosmetic or dermatological preparation according to the present invention is present in the form of a solution or emulsion or dispersion
  • solvents water or aqueous solutions
  • oils such as triglycerides of capric or caprylic acid, preferably castor oil
  • fats, waxes and other natural and synthetic lipids preferably esters of fatty acids with alcohols of low C number, for example with isopropanol, propylene glycol or glycerol, or esters of fatty alcohols with alkanoic acids of low C number or with fatty acids
  • alcohols, diols or polyols of low C number and their ethers preferably ethanol, isopropanol, propylene glycol, glycerol, ethylene glycol, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether or monobutyl ether, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, monoethyl ether or monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether or monoe
  • the oil phase of the emulsions, oleogels or hydro- or lipodispersions in accordance with the present invention may advantageously be selected from esters of saturated and/or unsaturated, branched and/or unbranched alkanecarboxylic acids with a chain length of from 3 to 30°C atoms and saturated and/or unsaturated, branched and/or unbranched alcohols with a chain length of from 3 to 30°C atoms, from esters of aromatic carboxylic acids and saturated and/or unsaturated, branched and/or unbranched alcohols with a chain length of from 3 to 30°C atoms.
  • ester oils may be selected advantageously from isopropyl myristate, isopropyl palmitate, isopropyl stearate, isopropyl oleate, n-butyl stearate, n-hexyl laurate, n-decyl oleate, isooctyl stearate, isononyl stearate, isononyl isononanoate, 2-ethylhexyl palmitate, 2-ethylhexyl laurate, 2-hexyldecyl stearate, 2-octyldodecyl palmitate, oleyl oleate, oleyl erucate, erucyl oleate, erucyl erucate, and synthetic, semisynthetic and natural mixtures of such esters, for example jojoba oil.
  • the oil phase may advantageously be selected from branched and unbranched hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon waxes, silicone oils, dialkyl ethers, saturated or unsaturated, branched or unbranched alcohols and fatty acid triglycerides, viz. the triglycerol esters of saturated and/or unsaturated, branched and/or unbranched alkanecarboxylic acids with a chain length of from 8 to 24, in particular from 12 to 18°C atoms.
  • the fatty acid triglycerides may advantageously be selected from synthetic, semisynthetic and natural oils, for example olive oil, sunflower oil, soya oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, almond oil, palm oil, coconut oil, palm kernel oil and the like. Any mixtures of such oil and wax components may also advantageously be employed in accordance with the present invention. If appropriate, it may also be advantageous to employ waxes, for example cetyl palmitate, as the only lipid component of the oil phase.
  • synthetic, semisynthetic and natural oils for example olive oil, sunflower oil, soya oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, almond oil, palm oil, coconut oil, palm kernel oil and the like. Any mixtures of such oil and wax components may also advantageously be employed in accordance with the present invention. If appropriate, it may also be advantageous to employ waxes, for example cetyl palmitate, as the only lipid component of the oil phase.
  • the oil phase may advantageously be selected from 2-ethylhexyl isostearate, octyldodecanol, isotridecyl isononanoate, isoeicosane, 2-ethylhexyl cocoate, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, caprylic/capric acid triglyceride, dicaprylyl ether.
  • Especially advantageous mixtures are those of C12-15 alkyl benzoate and 2-ethylhexyl isostearate, those of C12-15 alkyl benzoate and isotridecyl isononanoate and those of C12-15 alkyl benzoate, 2-ethylhexyl isostearate and isotridecyl isononanoate.
  • liquid paraffin squalane and squalene
  • the oil phase may furthermore advantageously comprise cyclic or linear silicone oils, or consist entirely of such oils, but it is preferred to use an additional content of other oil phase components, apart from the silicone oil(s).
  • Cyclomethicone (octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane) is advantageously employed as silicone oil to be used according to the invention.
  • other silicone oils may also be used advantageously in accordance with the present invention, for example, hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane, polydimethylsiloxane, and poly(methylphenylsiloxane).
  • Especially advantageous mixtures are furthermore those of cyclomethicone and isotridecyl isononanoate and of cyclomethicone and 2-ethylhexyl isostearate.
  • the aqueous phase of the preparations according to the invention may advantageously comprise alcohols, diols or polyols of low C number, and their ethers, preferably ethanol, isopropanol, propylene glycol, glycerol, ethylene glycol, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether or monobutyl ether, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, monoethyl ether or monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether or monoethyl ether and analogous products, furthermore alcohols of low C number, for example ethanol, isopropanol, 1 ,2-propanediol, glycerol, and, in particular, one or more thickeners which may advantageously be selected from silicon dioxide, aluminum silicates, polysaccharides and their derivatives, for example hyaluronic acid, xanthan gum, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, especially advantageously from polyacrylates, preferably a polyacrylate from the
  • Gels which may be used according to the present invention usually comprise alcohols of low C number, for example ethanol, isopropanol, 1 ,2-propanediol, glycerol and water, or an above-mentioned oil in the presence of a thickener, which is preferably silicon dioxide or an aluminum silicate in the case of oily-alcoholic gels, and preferably a polyacrylate in the case of aqueous-alcoholic or alcoholic gels.
  • alcohols of low C number for example ethanol, isopropanol, 1 ,2-propanediol, glycerol and water, or an above-mentioned oil in the presence of a thickener, which is preferably silicon dioxide or an aluminum silicate in the case of oily-alcoholic gels, and preferably a polyacrylate in the case of aqueous-alcoholic or alcoholic gels.
  • Solid sticks may comprise, for example, natural or synthetic waxes, fatty alcohols or fatty acid esters.
  • Customary basic materials which are suitable for use as cosmetic sticks in accordance with the present invention include liquid oils (for example liquid paraffin, castor oil, isopropyl myristate), semi-solid constituents (for example petrolatum, lanolin), solid constituents (for example beeswax, ceresine and micro-crystalline waxes, or ozocerite) and waxes of high melting point (for example carnauba wax and candelilla wax).
  • liquid oils for example liquid paraffin, castor oil, isopropyl myristate
  • semi-solid constituents for example petrolatum, lanolin
  • solid constituents for example beeswax, ceresine and micro-crystalline waxes, or ozocerite
  • waxes of high melting point for example carnauba wax and candelilla wax.
  • Suitable propellants for cosmetic and/or dermatological preparations in accordance with the present invention which can be sprayed from aerosol containers are the customary known volatile, liquefied propellants, for example hydrocarbons (propane, butane, isobutane), which may be employed individually or as a mixture with each other. Pressurized air may also be used advantageously.
  • hydrocarbons propane, butane, isobutane
  • Cosmetic preparations in accordance with the present invention may also take the form of gels which comprise not only an effective amount of active ingredient according to the invention and conventionally used solvents therefor, preferably water, but also organic thickeners, for example gum arabic, xanthan gum, sodium alginate, cellulose derivatives, preferably methylcellulose, hydroxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, or inorganic thickeners, for example, aluminum silicates such as, for example, bentonites, or a mixture of polyethylene glycol and polyethylene glycol stearate or polyethylene glycol distearate.
  • the gel comprises the thickener for example in an amount of between 0.1 and 30% by weight, preferably between 0.5 and 15% by weight.
  • the cosmetic or dermatological preparations according to the present invention contain further active substances, in particular natural active substances and/or derivatives thereof, such as, e.g., alpha-lipoic acid, phytoene, D-biotin, coenzyme Q10, alpha-glucosyl rutin, carnitine, carnosine, osmolytes, clover extract, hop extract or hop-malt extract.
  • active substances such as, e.g., alpha-lipoic acid, phytoene, D-biotin, coenzyme Q10, alpha-glucosyl rutin, carnitine, carnosine, osmolytes, clover extract, hop extract or hop-malt extract.
  • the concentration of the active ingredients is a substance of the active ingredients (one or more substances).
  • the cosmetic or dermatological preparation according to the present invention may be prepared by any method known within the art.
  • Perfusing organs or tissue samples with a composition comprising an anti-freeze polypeptide according to the present invention makes it possible the store such organs and tissue samples, or other biological materials, at a lower temperature, thereby preventing deterioration or degradation of the sample, but without the risk of generating a freeze damage to said tissues, organs, cells or other biological materials.
  • damage to organs and biological tissues is caused not so much by the generation of a frozen state of the organ or tissue in question, but by the
  • tissue samples include, but is not limited to, e.g. samples comprising one or more polypeptides, samples comprising one or more microsomes or micelles comprising one or more polypeptides, samples comprising whole blood, samples comprising blood plasma, samples comprising blood platelets, samples comprising red blood cells, samples comprising semen, samples comprising gametes.
  • Tissue culture samples can comprise any form of biological cells, including mammalian cells, such as animal cells and human cells, rodent cells and insect cells.
  • the organ to be treated can be e.g. a kidney, a lung, a heart, a spleen or a liver.
  • a method for inhibiting recrystallization of an organ or a biological sample comprising the step of contacting the organ or biological sample with the polypeptide according to the present invention under conditions allowing the polypeptide to prevent recrystallization of the organ or the biological sample.
  • a method for improving the preservation of an organ or a biological sample comprising the step of contacting the organ or biological sample with the polypeptide according to the present invention under conditions allowing the polypeptide to contact the organ or biological sample in question, thereby allowing the organ or biological sample to be stored stored at a sub- freezing temperature as compared to the storage temperature of an untreated organ or biological sample.
  • the present invention relates to methods for protecting cells and their membranes from damage which they would otherwise suffer upon exposure to non-physiological conditions such as temperature abnormalities, including both hyperthermic, hypothermic and subfreezing temperatures. Improved rates of cell viability are observed over a wide range of conditions which do not involve ice formation, including temperatures above the freezing range as well as temperatures below the freezing range but in vitrification conditions. Heretofore the only known property of these polypeptides was their ability to interact with ice crystals.
  • polypeptides In conditions in which ice crystals are formed, it is further discovered that use of the polypeptides with human cells at the concentrations in which they naturally occur in the source organisms results in aggravating the injury to the cells rather than reducing it, but that the injury is lessened, and the survival rate improved, by using low concentrations.
  • the polypeptides thus offer benefits in the preservation and improved viability of cell suspensions, tissues and whole organs.
  • the polypeptides are further discovered to have the ability to block ion channels in mammalian cell membranes, thereby providing a further utility in the treatment of disease conditions.
  • the present invention makes use of the recognized but unutilized quality of anti-freeze polypeptides and their ability to interact with cells and cell membranes.
  • the interaction occurs with cell membranes in a wide range of structures, including individual cells in cell suspensions, connected cell masses in tissues and organs, and cell structures which are pervaded with a vascular system.
  • the interaction is a favorable one, imparting to the cell membranes and the structures which incorporate these
  • membranes a variety of benefits, including improvements in cell viability and survival rate, prolongation of the functionality, stability and structural integrity of the cells and cell tissues, reduction of the occurrence of structural damage to membranes and cells under adverse conditions, and control of the transport of ions across the cell membranes.
  • Nonphysiological conditions in which beneficial effects on viable cells and cell membranes are observed therefore include: (i) hypothermal conditions defined by temperatures above the normal freezing point of water (0°C), and therefore with no possibility of ice formation, and below the physiological temperature of the cells; (ii) vitrification conditions defined by temperatures at or below the glass formation (or glass transition) temperature, such as for example from 150K down to about 4K, and by the presence of vitrifying agents which promote vitrification and inhibit crystallization; (iii) freezing conditions, such as temperatures from the normal freezing point of water down to about 4K, which permit the formation of ice crystals; (iv) hyperthermal conditions defined by temperatures above the physiological temperature of the cells, for example temperatures within the range of the physiological temperature up to about 10°C above the physiological temperature; and (v) conditions defined by chemical environments which differ from the physiological chemical environment of the cells, such as conditions of nonphysiological pH and other variations from the physiological chemical composition, as well as such conditions in combination with conditions of nonphysiological temperature.
  • Applicability of the invention aim extends to abnormal physiological conditions such as diseases associated with the instability of cell membranes and diseases associated with imbalances of ions between intracellular and extracellular spaces giving rise to abnormal ion transport across the cell membranes.
  • abnormal physiological conditions such as diseases associated with the instability of cell membranes and diseases associated with imbalances of ions between intracellular and extracellular spaces giving rise to abnormal ion transport across the cell membranes.
  • the unexpected nature of this behavior is heightened by the discovery that the blockage of ion channels, such as for example those of calcium and potassium ion in epithelial cells, is achieved without interference with other metabolic functions of the cells, including ATP ion pumps and interactions with carbachol.
  • the invention offers benefits to cells in normal physiological conditions, such as through the use of cosmetics or medications designed to restore, preserve or repair epidermal tissue.
  • the invention finds applicability to a wide range of living cells, including both animal cells and plant cells.
  • a particularly unusual and interesting discovery in connection with the present invention is the utility of the anti-freeze polypeptides in the treatment and preservation of mammalian cells, tissues and organs.
  • these polypeptides exist in non-mammalian species only, and the differences in cell and membrane structure as well as in blood and cytoplasm composition between these species and mammalian species renders the presently discovered benefits surprising and unexpected.
  • the invention is thus of particular interest and utility as applied to mammalian cells, tissues, organs and organisms which are exposed to conditions which differ from the normal physiological condition of the mammal.
  • Examples of cells to which the invention is applicable are mammalian oocytes, hepatocytes, erythrocytes and leukocytes, and various types of plant cells.
  • Examples of tissues and organs are tissue of livers, hearts, and kidneys, and the organs
  • cryopreservation of e.g. an organ, tissue or cell can be to stabilize the solution for the cryopreservation in order to prevent that ice crystals are formed or in order to minimize the quantity of ice crystals that are formed.
  • the function of the polypeptides according to the present invention witin cryopreservation of e.g. an organ, tissue or cell can also be to prevent that the ice crystal will grow in size or to minimize the growth of the size of the ice crystals.
  • the prevention of the ice crystal size growth or the minimization of the growth of the size of the ice crystals can prevent or minimize changes in the osmolality of the solution for the cryopreservation and thereby prevent of minimize damages on the organ, tissue or cell.
  • Abnormal or non-physiological conditions for cells, tissues, organs or organisms refer to conditions which differ from the normal physiological conditions. Abnormal or nonphysiological conditions include, but are not limited to, a temperature which is significantly higher or lower than the normal physiological temperature of the healthy organism of which the cell, tissue or organ is native, or the organism itself; an excess or subnormal amount of carbon dioxide, oxygen, inorganic salts, or organic
  • Anti-freeze polypeptides "anti-freeze polypeptides" ("AFPs"), "anti-freeze polypeptides"
  • glycoproteins and "anti-freeze glycopeptides” (“AFGPs”) refer to macromolecules found in the body fluids of some animals, which have the commonly known property that they reduce non-colligatively the freezing point of water.
  • Anti-freeze polypeptides, polypeptides, glycoproteins and glycopeptides are also known as "thermal hysteresis polypeptides" because the temperature at which freezing occurs is depressed to a greater degree than one could attribute to any colligative character of the polypeptides, whereas the temperature at which ice melts during melting is depressed is significantly less, in accordance solely with colligative behavior.
  • Crystalogenic temperatures refers to temperatures below 0°C.
  • Freezing refers to the transition from the liquid phase of water to the solid phase of water.
  • “Hyperthermic” refers to temperatures higher than the normal physiological
  • a cell, tissue, organ or organism such as for example from slightly above the physiological temperature up to about 20°C above, preferably to about 10°C above, and more preferably to about 5°C above the physiological temperature.
  • “Hypothermic” refers to temperatures lower than the normal physiological temperature of a cell, tissue, organ or organism, but not low enough to cause a phase transition to the solid phase.
  • isolated and purified refers to molecular species which are extracted from the organism in which they naturally occur, and concentrated by conventional laboratory techniques such as chromatography, preferably to a concentration of at least about 85%, more preferably to at least about 95%.
  • This invention further extends to molecules which have a molecular structure which is either the same, highly similar, or homologous to naturally occurring forms of the molecules, and which may have been synthesized either by chemical means or by recombinant DNA techniques.
  • “Mammal” refers to any warm blooded mammal as the term is generally used in biology, including, for example, pig, cow, rabbit, horse and human being.
  • Polar fish species refers to cold-blooded aquatic animals, particularly vertebrates, which reside in waters of the polar regions of the earth, including the regions within the Arctic and Antarctic Circles.
  • Polar fish species of particular interest in connection with this invention are those which remain in waters which become or remain ice-laden.
  • “Spicule” and “spicular” refer to ice crystals and ice crystal growth in which the dominant direction of crystal propagation is along the c-axis, i.e., perpendicular to the basal plane, to form crystals having a needle-like shape. "Viable” means capable of living, capable of surviving and developing under, or upon a return to, normal physiological conditions, or capable of germinating under conditions normally favorable to germination.
  • “Vitrification” refers to solidification at cryogenic temperatures in such a manner that a glass phase, i.e., a non-crystalline solid, is formed, as opposed to crystalline ice.
  • Vitrification refers to vitrification as determined by visual observation under a microscope. Vitrification of a biological material is generally achieved by introducing any of a variety of cryoprotective or “vitrifying” agents, including polyhydric alcohols such as glycerol and propylene glycol, or other compounds such as dimethylsulfoxide into the material.
  • the introduction of vitrifying agents is often accompanied by relatively high rates of cooling. The optimal rates in each case vary with the composition and thermodynamics of the system. Typical cooling rates in most cases for small unorganized cells such as ova, sperm, and embryos, and for organs, generally fall within the ranges of about 100 °C/min to about 2,000°C/min, preferably about
  • the anti-freeze polypeptides according to the present invention are generally used in the form of a liquid solution, and preferably an aqueous solution.
  • the anti-freeze polypeptides according to the present invention may be used individually or in combination with other polypeptides.
  • activity and effectiveness may be improved by fractionating the polypeptides in the source mixture and selecting and recombining fractions in an optimal manner.
  • the concentration of the anti-freeze polypeptides according to the represent invention in the liquid solution as used in the present invention may vary widely, although in certain cases, improved results will be obtained within certain concentration ranges, and in certain cases, the concentration must be restricted to certain ranges to avoid injury caused by the polypeptides themselves.
  • the polypeptides will be used in concentrations of from about 0.01 mg/mL to about 80 mg/mL, preferably from about 0.1 mg/mL to about 60 mg/mL, more preferably from about 1 mg/mL to about 40 mg/mL, and most preferably from about 1 mg/mL to about 20 mg/mL.
  • preferred concentrations When used with human cells, particularly under temperatures below the physiological temperature of the cells, preferred concentrations are from about 0.1 mg/mL to about 40 mg/mL, more preferably from about 0.1 mg/mL to about 3 mg/mL. In applications where the polypeptides are used to protect tissue at temperatures below the physiological temperature of the tissue, preferred concentrations are within the range of about 0.1 mg/mL to about 50 mg/mL, and when the tissue is human tissue, preferred concentrations are within the range of about 0.1 mg/mL to about 3 mg/mL. In applications where the polypeptides are used to protect cells in general at
  • concentrations are within the range of about 0.01 mg/mL to about 60 mg/mL, and more preferred concentrations are within the range of about 1 mg/mL to about 40 mg/mL.
  • preferred concentrations are at least about 0.01 mg/mL, more preferably at least about 0.1 mg/mL, and most preferably from about 0.5 mg/mL to about 40 mg/mL. All concentrations of anti-freeze polypeptides are expressed as totals of the concentrations of individual anti-freeze polypeptides when a solution contains a mixture of different anti-freeze polypeptides.
  • Aqueous solutions of the anti-freeze polypeptides for use in the present invention may further contain any of the wide variety of mixtures of salts, sugars, ions and other nutrients which are included in electrolyte solutions known in the art to be useful for preserving biological agents. These include tissue culture media, organ perfusion fluids, and the like. Electrolyte solutions are particularly useful for enhancing the biological compatibility of the polypeptides. Examples of the many electrolyte solutions known in the art are: Physiological Saline, in which the NaCI concentration is either 0.9% or 0.95% Ringer's Injection Solution (U.S.), listed in Facts and Comparisons, p. 50, Lippincott Publishing Co., St. Louis, Mo. (October 1981) Mammalian Ringer's Solution (U.K. and Canada), listed by Best and Taylor, Basis of Medical Practice, 6th ed., Baltimore (1950) Lactated Ringer's Solution (U.S.), listed in Facts and
  • Schimassek Liver Perfusion Solution listed by Schimassek, H., et al., Biochem. Z. 336,440 (1963) Krebs Kidney Perfusion Solution, listed by Nishiitsutsuji-Uwo, J., et al., Biochem. J. 103:852-862 (1967) Hepatocyte Incubation Solution, listed by Crow, K. E., et al., Biochem. J. 172:29-36 (1978) Bahlman Kidney Perfusion Solution, listed by Bahlman, J., et al., Am. J. Physiol. 212:77 (1967) Fulgraff Kidney Perfusion Solution, listed by Fulgraff, et al., Arch. Int.
  • electrolyte solution for any particular application will vary with the application, such as, for example, the form of the cells (whether the cells are present as cell suspensions, tissues, or organs) to be treated or protected by the anti-freeze polypeptides, the animal from which the cells are derived, and the conditions to which the cells have been, or are expected to be, exposed.
  • the anti-freeze polypeptides are used in combination with vitrifying agents which prevent or inhibit ice crystal formation during solidification of the intracellular and extracellular fluids upon cooling to sub-freezing temperatures.
  • vitrifying agents are known in the art, and may be used either individually or in combination with other vitrifying agents or biologically compatible solutes. Examples of vitrifying agents are glycerol, dimethyl sulfoxide, ethylene glycol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, glucose, sucrose, propanediol, butanediol, and carboxymethyl cellulose.
  • Polyhydric alcohols as a class are useful as vitrifying agents.
  • Prominent examples are glycerol, ethylene glycol, propanediol, butanediol, and butanetriol.
  • Concentrations of vitrifying agents may vary widely, depending on the concentrations of other components in the system, the cooling rate and the lowest temperature reached. In general, best results will be obtained with concentrations of from about 5% to about 35% by weight. Vitrification is usually practiced with a rapid cooling rate, such as for example a rate exceeding 100°C/min, and preferably exceeding 1 ,000°C/min.
  • the beneficial effect of the anti-freeze polypeptides on cells and/or cell membranes is achieved by placing the polypeptides in contact with the cells and maintaining such contact throughout, or for a substantial portion of, the period of exposure to otherwise injurious conditions.
  • contact of this type is achieved by simply adding the polypeptides to the suspension fluid.
  • contact is achieved by immersing the tissues or organs in a solution of the polypeptides.
  • the cells are in the form of tissues or organs which contain a vascular system
  • contact is achieved by perfusing the vascular system with a solution of the polypeptides, and once perfused, holding the polypeptide solution in the vascular system throughout the period of storage, preservation or exposure to the injurious conditions.
  • Methods of perfusion are well known among those skilled in physiology and surgical procedures.
  • Cells which can benefit from treatment with the anti-freeze polypeptides in accordance with this invention include cells of a wide variety of types. Examples are oocytes, embryos, leukocytes, erythrocytes, platelets, pancreatic islets, and hepatocytes.
  • Organs which can benefit from the present invention are also widely varied. Examples include the liver, kidney, heart, brain, lung, pancreas, spleen, ovary, and stomach.
  • Tissues which can benefit from the invention include tissues of any of these organs, as well as skin tissue, bone marrow tissue, cornea tissue, and a wide range of others.
  • the invention finds applicability to mammals in general, and will be of particular interest and utility when used in connection with human cells, tissues and organs.
  • the effect of the anti-freeze polypeptides according to the present invention in inhibiting ion transport across cell membranes extends to a variety of ions, with particular interest to Ca ++ , K + and Na + ions, as well as two or more of these ions in combination.
  • the ability of the anti-freeze polypeptides according to the present invention to inhibit ion transport may be related to the ability of the polypeptides to enhance cell viability under hypothermic conditions. Accordingly, the amounts and concentrations of polypeptide administered to achieve the effect of inhibition of ion transport are generally the same or similar to the amounts used in enhancing viability under hypothermic exposure.
  • the ability of the polypeptides to inhibit ion transport across cell membranes also renders the polypeptides useful in treating diseases and abnormal physiological conditions in which excessive trans-membrane ion transport is present.
  • diseases and conditions are cystic fibrosis, Kartagener's Syndrome, diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus, and antidiuretic hormone abnormalities.
  • Administration of the polypeptides for this effect may be achieved by ingestion, vascular injection, localized application, and various means in general by which other drugs or treatment agents are administered when used in the treatment or management of these diseases and conditions.
  • the concentrations for useful results are generally the same as those referred to above, and the dosage or frequency of administration will be determined by the degree to which the condition being treated has progressed as well as the observed response to the treatment.
  • anti-freeze polypeptides comprising the polypeptide of the present invention also extend to the use of the polypeptides in the preservation of foods which have a cellular structure.
  • Foods of particular interest for this application are meats and meat products, but other types of foods will benefit as well.
  • meats and meat products include fresh meat and poultry, as well as frozen, canned and dried meats and poultry.
  • Many such foods when cooled to avoid spoilage during transport or storage tend to lose turgor, freshness and other qualities which contribute to their taste, mouthfeel and general appeal. These qualities can be preserved by treatment of the foods with solutions of the polypeptides in accordance with the present invention.

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Abstract

La présente invention concerne de nouveaux polypeptides comprenant une habilité à se lier à la glace conduisant à une formation de cristaux de glace et/ou une activité de réduction ou d'inhibition de la croissance. La présente invention concerne également un produit comestible et un support solide comprenant le nouveau polypeptide. En outre, la présente invention concerne également un procédé de production du nouveau polypeptide et différentes utilisations du nouveau polypeptide.
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WO2018039639A1 (fr) * 2016-08-26 2018-03-01 Synthetic Genomics, Inc. Vibrio sp. génétiquement modifié et ses applications.
WO2018062701A1 (fr) * 2016-09-30 2018-04-05 (주)넥스젠바이오텍 Protéine de fusion comprenant une protéine immobilisée ayant une fonction antioxydante accrue, un effet de prolifération de cellules cutanées, un facteur de croissance de cellules épithéliales humaines, et composition cosmétique contenant une protéine de fusion en tant que principe actif pour améliorer les rides de la peau
WO2020128055A1 (fr) * 2018-12-21 2020-06-25 University College Dublin, National University Of Ireland, Dublin Procédé de modification de formation d'hydrates de gaz
WO2022263568A1 (fr) * 2021-06-15 2022-12-22 Globachem Nv Agents de protection phytosanitaire à base de protéines antigel

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