Study of Immunogenic Properties of Albeferon, Biologically
Active de novo Protein

I. Yu. Aphasizheva, D. A. Dolgikh, and M. P. Kirpichnikov

Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117871 Russia

Received January 21, 1998; in final form, November 23, 1998

Abstract—We studied the immunogenic properties of albeferon, the biologically active de novo protein
designed on the basis of albebetin (de novo protein with preassigned structure) and the octapeptide fragment of
human interferon ₂ (Dolgikh et al., Protein Engng., 1996, vol. 9, pp. 195–201). Rabbit antibodies were pro-
duced against a fusion (about 50 kDa) of albeferon with the maltose-binding protein. The antibodies did not
interact with albeferon, whereas they strongly interacted both with maltose-binding protein and the fusion pro-
tein. This fact testifies that albeferon, as well as albebetin playing the part of a scaffold for the active interferon
fragment, has low immunogenicity. The results show that de novo proteins with preassigned structure can be
constructed according to simple structural principles, and that such proteins can serve as convenient carriers of
biological activities in the cases when low immunogenicity of active constructs is prerequisite.

Key words: de novo proteins, biological activity, immunogenic properties

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