Characterization of diphtheria fusion proteins targeted to the human interleukin-3 receptor

Diphtheria fusion proteins are chimeric proteins consisting of the catalyti c and translocation domains of diphtheria toxin (DT388) linked through an a mide bond to one of a variety of peptide ligands, The ligand targets the mo lecule to cells and the toxin enters the cell, inactivates protein synthesi s and induces cell death. Diphtheria fusion proteins directed to human myel oid leukemic blasts are a novel class of therapeutics for patients with che motherapy refractory myeloid leukemia. Because of the presence of interleuk in-3 (IL3) receptors on myeloid leukemic progenitors and its absence from m ature myeloid cells, we synthesized four bacterial expression vectors encod ing DT388 fused to human IL3, Different molecules were engineered to assess the effects of modifications on yield, purity and potency of product. The constructs differed in the size of the linker peptide between the DT388 and IL3 domains and in the presence or absence of an oligohistidine tag on the Nor C-terminus. Escherichia coli were transformed and recombinant protein induced and purified from inclusion bodies. Similar final yields of 3-6 mg of purified protein per liter of bacterial culture were obtained with each of the four molecules. Purity ranged from 70 to 90% after partial purificat ion by anion-exchange, size-exclusion chromatography and/or nickel affinity chromatography, Proteins were soluble and stable at 4 degrees C and -80 de grees C in phosphate-buffered saline at 0.03-0.5 mg/ml. The fusion proteins showed predicted molecular weights by SDS-PAGE, HPLC and tandem mass spect rometry and had full ADP-ribosylating activities. Each was immunoreactive w ith antibodies to DT388 and IL3, Each of the fusion proteins with the excep tion of the one with an N-terminal oligohistidine tag showed full IL3 recep tor binding affinity (K-d = 3 nM) and potent and selective cytotoxicity to IL3 receptor positive human myeloid leukemia cell lines (IC50 = 5-10 pM) In contrast, the N-terminal histidine-tagged fusion protein bound IL3 recepto r with a 10-fold lower affinity and was 10-fold less cytotoxic to IL3 recep tor positive blasts. Thus, we report a series of novel, biologically active DT(388)IL3 fusion proteins for potential therapy of patients with receptor positive myeloid leukemias.