Triple polypeptide complexes

Abstract

The invention provides methods and materials related to treating and diagnosing autoimmune conditions. Specifically, the invention provides polypeptide compositions, nucleic acids, substantially pure polypeptides, host cells, and methods for identifying a mammal with an autoimmune condition, treating a mammal with an autoimmune condition, and enhancing tolerance in a mammal with an autoimmune condition.

1 . A composition comprising three polypeptides, wherein each polypeptide comprises a triple helix formation sequence, wherein each polypeptide comprises at least two interpolypeptide linkages such that each polypeptide is covalently attached to at least one of the other two polypeptides of said three polypeptides, and wherein at least one of said interpolypeptide linkages comprises an Ahx-Lys bond.  
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said triple helix formation sequence of at least one of said three polypeptides comprises (Gly-Pro-Hyp).  
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said triple helix formation sequence of at least one of said three polypeptides comprises (Gly-Pro-Flp).  
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said interpolypeptide linkages comprises a Cys-Cys bond.  
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said three polypeptides comprises a (Gly-Xaa-Yaa) n  sequence, said n being an integer from 1 to 100.  
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said three polypeptides comprises a (Gly-Pro-Hyp) x (Gly-Xaa-Yaa) y (Gly-Pro-Hyp) z  sequence, wherein said x, y, and z are independently integers from 1 to 100.  
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said interpolypeptide linkages for each polypeptide is located in an N-terminal region.  
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said interpolypeptide linkages for each polypeptide is located in a C-terminal region.  
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said interpolypeptide linkages for each polypeptide is located in an N-terminal region, and wherein at least one of said interpolypeptide linkages for each polypeptide is located in a C-terminal region.  
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said three polypeptides is covalently attached to the other two polypeptides of said three polypeptides.  
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein each polypeptide is covalently attached to the other two polypeptides of said three polypeptides.  
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said three polypeptides comprises a modified amino acid residue.  
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 12 , wherein said modified amino acid residue is a glycosylated amino acid residue.  
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein each polypeptide comprises a modified amino acid residue.