A method is described for releasing a soluble or membrane associated intracellular protein of interest (POI) comprising the steps of: providing a cell comprising a soluble or membrane associated intracellular POI; contacting the cell with a membrane extracting composition; and causing the POI to be released from the cell under conditions sufficient for the specific release of the POI and in a soluble form.
CLAIMS 1. A method for releasing a soluble or membrane associated intracellular protein of interest (POI) from a cell comprising the steps of : providing a cell comprising a soluble or membrane associated intracellular POI ; contacting the cell with a membrane extracting composition ; and causing the POI to be released from the cell under conditions sufficient for the specific release of the POI and in a soluble form. 2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the cell is a transformed cell. 3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2 for releasing a POI from a transformed cell ; wherein said POI is a HOX enzyme ; said method comprising the steps of : providing a transformed cell comprising a HOX enzyme ; contacting the transformed cell with a membrane extracting composition ; and causing the HOX enzyme to be released from the transformed cell under conditions sufficient for the specific release of the a HOX enzyme and in a soluble form. 4. A method for releasing a POI from a transformed cell ; wherein said POI is an interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-Ira) said method comprising the steps of : providing a transformed cell comprising an IL-lra ; contacting the transformed cell with a membrane extracting composition ; and causing the IL-1 ra to be released from the transformed cell under conditions sufficient for the specific release of the IL-Ira and in a soluble form. 5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the cell is selected from the group consisting of yeast cells, fungal cells and bacterial cells, preferably from yeast and fungal cells. 6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the intracellular POI is produced by recombinant DNA techniques. 7. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the membrane extracting composition comprises a quarternary ammonium compound. 8. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the quarternary ammonium compound is selected from the group consisting of Lauroyl Trimethyl Ammonium Bromide (LTAB), Myristyl Trimethyl Ammonium Chloride (MTAC), Cetyl Trimethyl Ammonium Chloride (CTAC), Cetrimide, Cetyl Trimethyl Ammonium Bromide (CTAB), Stearoyl Trimethyl Ammonium Chloride (STAC), Stearoyl Trimethyl Ammonium Bromide (STAB), Benzalkonium Chloride (alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride), N-Cetylpyridinium Bromide (N Hexadecylpyridinium bromide), N-Cetylpyridinium Chloride (N-Hexadecylpyridinium chloride), Benzyl Dimethyl Tetradecyl Ammonium Chloride, Benzyl Dimethyl Hexadecyl Ammonium Chloride and a combination of any two or more thereof. 9. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the membrane extracting composition comprises from about 0. 05% to about 0. 6% by weight of the quarternary ammonium compound, preferably from about 0. 1% to about 0. 5% by weight of the quarternary ammonium compound, preferably from about 0. 2% to about 0. 45% by weight of the quarternary ammonium compound, more preferably about 0. 4% by weight of the quarternary ammonium compound. 10. A method according to any one of preceding claims wherein the cell is contacted with the membrane extracting composition at temperatures from about 4 C to 40 C, preferably from about 20 C to about 30 C, more preferably about 25 C. 11. A method according to any one of preceding claims wherein the cell is contacted with the membrane extracting composition at a pH optima of from about 2. 0 to about 11. 0 (more especially from about to 5. 0 to about 7. 0, more especially about 6. 3). 12. A method for screening for mutated cells or transformed cells producing elevated levels of a soluble or membrane associated intracellular POI comprising the steps of : (a) growing the mutated cells at 30 C ; (b) incubating the mutated cells or transformed cells with the membrane extracting composition as defined in claim 7 or claim 8 ; (c) recovering the cell free medium ; (c) screening the cell free medium for elevated levels of the intracellular POI ; such that the presence of the intracellular POI in the cell free medium is indicative that the intracellular POI has been released. 13. A membrane extracting composition suitable for specifically releasing a soluble or membrane associated intracellular POI wherein the composition is contacted with the cell under the following conditions : (a) a percentage by weight of quarternary ammonium compound from about 0. 05% to about 0. 6% (more especially from about 0. 1% to about 0. 5%, more especially from about 0. 2% to about 0. 45%, more especially about 0. 4%) ; (b) a pH optima of from about 2. 0 to about 11. 0 (more especially from about to 5. 0 to about 7. 0, more especially about 6. 3) ; (c) a temperature optima of from about 4 C to about 40 C, (more especially from about 20 C to about 30 C, more especially about 25 C) ; such that the intracellular POI substantially free of contaminating proteins is obtained. 14. Use of a membrane extracting composition comprising a quarternary ammonium compound to selectively release a soluble or membrane associated intracellular POI. 15. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the POI is a HOX enzyme. 16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the HOX enzyme comprises the amino acid sequence set out in SEQ ID No 22 or a variant, homologue, derivative or fragment thereof. 17. A method according to claim 15 or claim 16 wherein the HOX enzyme is encoded by a nucleotide sequence set out in SEQ ID No 22 or a variant, homologue, derivative or fragment thereof. 18. A method according to claim 15 or claim 16 or claim 17 wherein the HOX enzyme is encoded by a nucleotide sequence capable of hybridising to the nucleotide sequence set out in SEQ ID No 22 or a variant, homologue, derivative or fragment thereof or a sequence complementary to the hybridisable sequence. 19. A HOX enzyme producible by the method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the HOX enzyme is encoded by a nucleotide sequence as defined in any one of claims 16-18 and wherein the nucleotide sequence is synthesised by the oligonucleotides as set out in SEQ ID Nos 2-22. 20. A POI as defined in claim 1 or any dependent claim thereon wherein the POI is released in a substantially non-glycoslyated form from a eukaryotic host organism 21. A substantially non-glycosylated POI released from a eukaryotic host organism. 22. A substantially non-glycosylated POI according to claim 21 wherein the POI is released by the method of any one of the preceding claims. 23. A method and a composition substantially as described herein and with reference to the accompanying Figures.