U.S. Class    800/235

 Patent Number 5739407
 Issue Date    1998 04 14
 Assignee      Symbicom aktiebolag
 Inventor(s)   Bergstrom, Sven
               Hernell, Olle
               Lonnerdal, Bo
               Hjalmarsson, Karin
               Hanson, Lennart
               Tornell, Jan
               Stromqvigt, Mats

 Title         Human .beta.-casein, process for producing it and use
               thereof

 Abstract      The present invention relates to a DNA sequence encoding the
               human milk protein .beta.-casein or an analogue or variant
               thereof which has either the calcium binding activity of
               human .beta.-casein, or opioid activity, or angiotensin
               converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity, or a
               combination of any two or three of these activities. The DNA
               sequence may optionally contain one or more intron sequences

               and permissive RNA splice signals. The DNA sequence is used
               in the production of recombinant human .beta.-casein,
               advantageously by means of production in transgenic
               non-human mammals such as bovine species. In one embodiment,
               the DNA sequence is inserted into a milk protein gene of a
               mammal such as a whey acidic protein (WAP) gene. The main
               use of the recombinant human .beta.-casein is as a
               constituent of infant formulae. It is contemplated that the
               recombinant human .beta.-casein provides a substantial
               improvement of the nutritional and biological value of the
               formulae in that a closer similarity to human milk is
               obtained.

 Exmp. Claim   4
 Ex Claim text A transgenic mouse whose germ cells and somatic cells
               contain a DNA construct which comprises at least one human
               beta casein intron sequence and a promoter of a milk protein
               gene other than a casein gene, and a sequence which encodes
               a polypeptide having at least 85% sequence identity with SEQ
               ID NO: 2 or which hybridizes under stringent conditions with
               SEQ ID NO: 1, as a result of chromosomal incorporation of
               the construct into the mouse genome, or into the genome of
               an ancestor of said mouse, so that the DNA construct is
               expressed in a mammary gland of the transgenic mouse.

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