U.S. patent application number 10/866878 was filed with the patent office on 2007-01-18 for 123 human secreted proteins.
This patent application is currently assigned to Human Genome Sciences, Inc.. Invention is credited to Charles E. Birse, Reinhard Ebner, Carrie L. Fischer, Hla Kyaw, David W. LaFleur, Yi Li, Paul A. Moore, Henrik Olsen, Craig A. Rosen, Steven M. Ruben, Yanggu Shi, Daniel R. Soppet, Zhizhen Zeng.
Application Number | 20070015908 10/866878 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46298768 |
Filed Date | 2007-01-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070015908 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fischer; Carrie L. ; et
al. |
January 18, 2007 |
123 human secreted proteins
Abstract
The present invention relates to novel human secreted proteins
and isolated nucleic acids containing the coding regions of the
genes encoding such proteins. Also provided are vectors, host
cells, antibodies, and recombinant methods for producing human
secreted proteins. The invention further relates to diagnostic and
therapeutic methods useful for diagnosing and treating diseases,
disorders, and/or conditions related to these novel human secreted
proteins.
Inventors: |
Fischer; Carrie L.; (Burke,
VA) ; Rosen; Craig A.; (Laytonsville, MD) ;
Soppet; Daniel R.; (Centreville, VA) ; Ruben; Steven
M.; (Olney, MD) ; Kyaw; Hla; (Boonsboro,
MD) ; Li; Yi; (Sunnyvale, CA) ; Zeng;
Zhizhen; (Lansdale, PA) ; LaFleur; David W.;
(Washington, DC) ; Moore; Paul A.; (North
Bethesda, MD) ; Shi; Yanggu; (Gaithersburg, MD)
; Olsen; Henrik; (Gaithersburg, MD) ; Ebner;
Reinhard; (Gaithersburg, MD) ; Birse; Charles E.;
(North Potomac, MD) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HUMAN GENOME SCIENCES INC;INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEPT.
14200 SHADY GROVE ROAD
ROCKVILLE
MD
20850
US
|
Assignee: |
Human Genome Sciences, Inc.
Rockville
MD
|
Family ID: |
46298768 |
Appl. No.: |
10/866878 |
Filed: |
June 15, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09973278 |
Oct 10, 2001 |
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10866878 |
Jun 15, 2004 |
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09227357 |
Jan 8, 1999 |
6342581 |
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10866878 |
Jun 15, 2004 |
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PCT/US98/13684 |
Jul 7, 1998 |
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09227357 |
Jan 8, 1999 |
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60239899 |
Oct 13, 2000 |
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60051926 |
Jul 8, 1997 |
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60052793 |
Jul 8, 1997 |
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60051925 |
Jul 8, 1997 |
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60051929 |
Jul 8, 1997 |
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60052803 |
Jul 8, 1997 |
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60052732 |
Jul 8, 1997 |
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60051931 |
Jul 8, 1997 |
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60051932 |
Jul 8, 1997 |
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60051916 |
Jul 8, 1997 |
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60051930 |
Jul 8, 1997 |
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60051918 |
Jul 8, 1997 |
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60051920 |
Jul 8, 1997 |
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60052733 |
Jul 8, 1997 |
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60052795 |
Jul 8, 1997 |
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60051919 |
Jul 8, 1997 |
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60051928 |
Jul 8, 1997 |
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60055722 |
Aug 18, 1997 |
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60055723 |
Aug 18, 1997 |
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60055948 |
Aug 18, 1997 |
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60055949 |
Aug 18, 1997 |
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60055953 |
Aug 18, 1997 |
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60055950 |
Aug 18, 1997 |
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60055947 |
Aug 18, 1997 |
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60055964 |
Aug 18, 1997 |
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60056360 |
Aug 18, 1997 |
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60055684 |
Aug 18, 1997 |
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60055984 |
Aug 18, 1997 |
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60055954 |
Aug 18, 1997 |
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60058785 |
Sep 12, 1997 |
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60058664 |
Sep 12, 1997 |
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60058660 |
Sep 12, 1997 |
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60058661 |
Sep 12, 1997 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
530/350 ;
435/320.1; 435/325; 435/6.14; 435/6.16; 435/69.1; 536/23.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01N 2500/00 20130101;
G01N 33/5091 20130101; G01N 33/6842 20130101; C07K 14/47 20130101;
A01C 23/024 20130101; A61P 43/00 20180101; C12N 9/00 20130101; G01N
33/68 20130101; G01N 33/5008 20130101; A61K 38/00 20130101; G01N
33/5041 20130101; G01N 33/5047 20130101; G01N 33/505 20130101; G01N
33/5058 20130101; G01N 33/5011 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
530/350 ;
435/006; 435/069.1; 435/320.1; 435/325; 536/023.5 |
International
Class: |
C12Q 1/68 20060101
C12Q001/68; C07H 21/04 20060101 C07H021/04; C07K 14/47 20060101
C07K014/47 |
Claims
1. An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide
having a nucleotide sequence at least 95% identical to a sequence
selected from the group consisting of: (a) a polynucleotide
fragment of SEQ ID NO:X or a polynucleotide fragment of the cDNA
sequence included in ATCC Deposit No:Z, which is hybridizable to
SEQ ID NO:X; (b) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide fragment
of SEQ ID NO:Y or a polypeptide fragment encoded by the cDNA
sequence included in ATCC Deposit No:Z, which is hybridizable to
SEQ ID NO:X; (c) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide domain of
SEQ ID NO:Y or a polypeptide domain encoded by the cDNA sequence
included in ATCC Deposit No:Z, which is hybridizable to SEQ ID
NO:X; (d) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide epitope of SEQ ID
NO:Y or a polypeptide epitope encoded by the cDNA sequence included
in ATCC Deposit No:Z, which is hybridizable to SEQ ID NO:X; (e) a
polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:Y or the cDNA
sequence included in ATCC Deposit No:Z, which is hybridizable to
SEQ ID NO:X, having biological activity; (f) a polynucleotide which
is a variant of SEQ ID NO:X; (g) a polynucleotide which is an
allelic variant of SEQ ID NO:X; (h) a polynucleotide which encodes
a species homologue of the SEQ ID NO:Y; (i) a polynucleotide
capable of hybridizing under stringent conditions to any one of the
polynucleotides specified in (a)-(h), wherein said polynucleotide
does not hybridize under stringent conditions to a nucleic acid
molecule having a nucleotide sequence of only A residues or of only
T residues.
2. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1, wherein the
polynucleotide fragment comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding a
secreted protein.
3. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1, wherein the
polynucleotide fragment comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding
the sequence identified as SEQ ID NO:Y or the polypeptide encoded
by the cDNA sequence included in ATCC Deposit No:Z, which is
hybridizable to SEQ ID NO:X.
4. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1, wherein the
polynucleotide fragment comprises the entire nucleotide sequence of
SEQ ID NO:X or the cDNA sequence included in ATCC Deposit No:Z,
which is hybridizable to SEQ ID NO:X.
5. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 2, wherein the
nucleotide sequence comprises sequential nucleotide deletions from
either the C-terminus or the N-terminus.
6. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 3, wherein the
nucleotide sequence comprises sequential nucleotide deletions from
either the C-terminus or the N-terminus.
7. A recombinant vector comprising the isolated nucleic acid
molecule of claim 1.
8. A method of making a recombinant host cell comprising the
isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1.
9. A recombinant host cell produced by the method of claim 8.
10. The recombinant host cell of claim 9 comprising vector
sequences.
11. An isolated polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at
least 95% identical to a sequence selected from the group
consisting of: (a) a polypeptide fragment of SEQ ID NO:Y or the
encoded sequence included in ATCC Deposit No:Z; (b) a polypeptide
fragment of SEQ ID NO:Y or the encoded sequence included in ATCC
Deposit No:Z, having biological activity; (c) a polypeptide domain
of SEQ ID NO:Y or the encoded sequence included in ATCC Deposit
No:Z; (d) a polypeptide epitope of SEQ ID NO:Y or the encoded
sequence included in ATCC Deposit No:Z; (e) a secreted form of SEQ
ID NO:Y or the encoded sequence included in ATCC Deposit No:Z; (f)
a full length protein of SEQ ID NO:Y or the encoded sequence
included in ATCC Deposit No:Z; (g) a variant of SEQ ID NO:Y; (h) an
allelic variant of SEQ ID NO:Y; or (i) a species homologue of the
SEQ ID NO:Y.
12. The isolated polypeptide of claim 11, wherein the secreted form
or the full length protein comprises sequential amino acid
deletions from either the C-terminus or the N-terminus.
13. An isolated antibody that binds specifically to the isolated
polypeptide of claim 11.
14. A recombinant host cell that expresses the isolated polypeptide
of claim 11.
15. A method of making an isolated polypeptide comprising: (a)
culturing the recombinant host cell of claim 14 under conditions
such that said polypeptide is expressed; and (b) recovering said
polypeptide.
16. The polypeptide produced by claim 15.
17. A method for preventing, treating, or ameliorating a medical
condition, comprising administering to a mammalian subject a
therapeutically effective amount of the polypeptide of claim
11.
18. A method for preventing, treating, or ameliorating a medical
condition, comprising administering to a mammalian subject a
therapeutically effective amount of the polynucleotide of claim
1.
19. A method of diagnosing a pathological condition or a
susceptibility to a pathological condition in a subject comprising:
(a) determining the presence or absence of a mutation in the
polynucleotide of claim 1; and (b) diagnosing a pathological
condition or a susceptibility to a pathological condition based on
the presence or absence of said mutation.
20. A method of diagnosing a pathological condition or a
susceptibility to a pathological condition in a subject comprising:
(a) determining the presence or amount of expression of the
polypeptide of claim 11 in a biological sample; and (b) diagnosing
a pathological condition or a susceptibility to a pathological
condition based on the presence or amount of expression of the
polypeptide.
21. A method for identifying a binding partner to the polypeptide
of claim 11 comprising: (a) contacting the polypeptide of claim 11
with a binding partner; and (b) determining whether the binding
partner effects an activity of the polypeptide.
22. The gene corresponding to the cDNA sequence of SEQ ID NO:X.
23. A method of identifying an activity in a biological assay,
wherein the method comprises: (a) expressing SEQ ID NO:X in a cell;
(b) isolating the supernatant; (c) detecting an activity in a
biological assay; and (d) identifying the protein in the
supernatant having the activity.
24. The product produced by the method of claim 20.
Description
[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 09/973,278, filed Oct. 10, 2001, which claims benefit
under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 60/239,899, filed Oct. 13, 2000; this application
is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
09/227,357, filed Jan. 8, 1999, which is a continuation-in-part of
International patent application Serial No: PCT/US98/13684, filed
Jul. 7, 1998, which claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(e)
based on U.S. Provisional Applications: 60/051,926; 60/052,793;
60/051,925; 60/051,929; 60/052,803; 60/052,732; 60/051,931;
60/051,932; 60/051,916; 60/051,930; 60/051,918; 60/051,920;
60/052,733; 60/052,795; 60/051,919; 60/051,928 (each of which was
filed Jul. 8, 1997); and; 60/055,722; 60/055,723; 60/055,948;
60/055,949; 60/055,953; 60/055,950; 60/055,947; 60/055,964;
60/056,360; 60/055,684; 160/055,984; 60/055,954 (each of which was
filed Aug. 18, 1997); and; 60/058,785; 60/058,664; 60/058,660;
60/058,661 (each of which was filed Sep. 12, 1997). Each of the
above referenced patent applications is hereby incorporated by
reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to novel proteins. More
specifically, isolated nucleic acid molecules are provided encoding
novel polypeptides. Novel polypeptides and antibodies that bind to
these polypeptides are provided. Also provided are vectors, host
cells, and recombinant and synthetic methods for producing human
polynucleotides and/or polypeptides, and antibodies. The invention
further relates to diagnostic and therapeutic methods useful for
diagnosing, treating, preventing and/or prognosing disorders
related to these novel polypeptides. The invention further relates
to screening methods for identifying agonists and antagonists of
polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention. The present
invention further relates to methods and/or compositions for
inhibiting or enhancing the production and function of the
polypeptides of the present invention.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Unlike bacterium, which exist as a single compartment
surrounded by a membrane, human cells and other eukaryotes are
subdivided by membranes into many functionally distinct
compartments. Each membrane-bounded compartment, or organelle,
contains different proteins essential for the function of the
organelle. The cell uses "sorting signals," which are amino acid
motifs located within the protein, to target proteins to particular
cellular organelles.
[0004] One type of sorting signal, called a signal sequence, a
signal peptide, or a leader sequence, directs a class of proteins
to an organelle called the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The ER
separates the membrane-bounded proteins from all other types of
proteins. Once localized to the ER, both groups of proteins can be
further directed to another organelle called the Golgi apparatus.
Here, the Golgi distributes the proteins to vesicles, including
secretory vesicles, the cell membrane, lysosomes, and the other
organelles.
[0005] Proteins targeted to the ER by a signal sequence can be
released into the extracellular space as a secreted protein. For
example, vesicles containing secreted proteins can fuse with the
cell membrane and release their contents into the extracellular
space--a process called exocytosis. Exocytosis can occur
constitutively or after receipt of a triggering signal. In the
latter case, the proteins are stored in secretory vesicles (or
secretory granules) until exocytosis is triggered. Similarly,
proteins residing on the cell membrane can also be secreted into
the extracellular space by proteolytic cleavage of a "linker"
holding the protein to the membrane.
[0006] Thus there exists a clear need for identifying and using
novel secreted polynucleotides and polypeptides. Identification and
sequencing of human genes is a major goal of modern scientific
research. For example, by identifying genes and determining their
sequences, scientists have been able to make large quantities of
valuable human "gene products." These include human insulin,
interferon, Factor VIII, tumor necrosis factor, human growth
hormone, tissue plasminogen activator, and numerous other
compounds. Additionally, knowledge of gene sequences can provide
the key to treatment or cure of genetic diseases (such as muscular
dystrophy and cystic fibrosis).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention relates to novel secreted proteins.
More specifically, isolated nucleic acid molecules are provided
encoding novel secreted polypeptides. Novel polypeptides and
antibodies that bind to these polypeptides are provided. Also
provided are vectors, host cells, and recombinant and synthetic
methods for producing human polynucleotides and/or polypeptides,
and antibodies. The invention further relates to diagnostic and
therapeutic methods useful for diagnosing, treating, preventing
and/or prognosing disorders related to these novel polypeptides.
The invention further relates to screening methods for identifying
agonists and antagonists of polynucleotides and polypeptides of the
invention. The present invention further relates to methods and/or
compositions for inhibiting or enhancing the production and
function of the polypeptides of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Polynucleotides and Polypeptides
Description of Table 1A
[0008] Table 1A summarizes information concerning certain
polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention. The first column
provides the gene number in the application for each clone
identifier. The second column provides a unique clone identifier,
"Clone ID", for a cDNA clone related to each contig sequence
disclosed in Table 1A. Third column, the cDNA Clones identified in
the second column were deposited as indicated in the third column
(i.e. by ATCC Deposit Number and deposit date). Some of the
deposits contain multiple different clones corresponding to the
same gene. In the fourth column, "Vector" refers to the type of
vector contained in the corresponding cDNA Clone identified in the
second column. In the fifth column, the nucleotide sequence
identified as "NT SEQ ID NO:X" was assembled from partially
homologous ("overlapping") sequences obtained from the
corresponding cDNA clone identified in the second column and, in
some cases, from additional related cDNA clones. The overlapping
sequences were assembled into a single contiguous sequence of high
redundancy (usually three to five overlapping sequences at each
nucleotide position), resulting in a final sequence identified as
SEQ ID NO:X. In the sixth column, "Total NT Seq." refers to the
total number of nucleotides in the contig sequence identified as
SEQ ID NO:X." The deposited clone may contain all or most of these
sequences, reflected by the nucleotide position indicated as "5' NT
of Clone Seq." (seventh column) and the "3' NT of Clone Seq."
(eighth column) of SEQ ID NO:X. In the ninth column, the nucleotide
position of SEQ ID NO:X of the putative start codon (methionine) is
identified as "5' NT of Start Codon." Similarly, in column ten, the
nucleotide position of SEQ ID NO:X of the predicted signal sequence
is identified as "5' NT of First AA of Signal Pep." In the eleventh
column, the translated amino acid sequence, beginning with the
methionine, is identified as "AA SEQ ID NO:Y," although other
reading frames can also be routinely translated using known
molecular biology techniques. The polypeptides produced by these
alternative open reading frames are specifically contemplated by
the present invention.
[0009] In the twelfth and thirteenth columns of Table 1A, the first
and last amino acid position of SEQ ID NO:Y of the predicted signal
peptide is identified as "First AA of Sig Pep" and "Last AA of Sig
Pep." In the fourteenth column, the predicted first amino acid
position of SEQ ID NO:Y of the secreted portion is identified as
"Predicted First AA of Secreted Portion". The amino acid position
of SEQ ID NO:Y of the last amino acid encoded by the open reading
frame is identified in the fifteenth column as "Last AA of
ORF".
[0010] SEQ ID NO:X (where X may be any of the polynucleotide
sequences disclosed in the sequence listing) and the translated SEQ
ID NO:Y (where Y may be any of the polypeptide sequences disclosed
in the sequence listing) are sufficiently accurate and otherwise
suitable for a variety of uses well known in the art and described
further below. For instance, SEQ ID NO:X is useful for designing
nucleic acid hybridization probes that will detect nucleic acid
sequences contained in SEQ ID NO:X or the cDNA contained in the
deposited clone. These probes will also hybridize to nucleic acid
molecules in biological samples, thereby enabling a variety of
forensic and diagnostic methods of the invention. Similarly,
polypeptides identified from SEQ ID NO:Y may be used, for example,
to generate antibodies which bind specifically to proteins
containing the polypeptides and the secreted proteins encoded by
the cDNA clones identified in Table 1A and/or elsewhere herein
[0011] Nevertheless, DNA sequences generated by sequencing
reactions can contain sequencing errors. The errors exist as
misidentified nucleotides, or as insertions or deletions of
nucleotides in the generated DNA sequence. The erroneously inserted
or deleted nucleotides cause frame shifts in the reading frames of
the predicted amino acid sequence. In these cases, the predicted
amino acid sequence diverges from the actual amino acid sequence,
even though the generated DNA sequence may be greater than 99.9%
identical to the actual DNA sequence (for example, one base
insertion or deletion in an open reading frame of over 1000
bases).
[0012] Accordingly, for those applications requiring precision in
the nucleotide sequence or the amino acid sequence, the present
invention provides not only the generated nucleotide sequence
identified as SEQ ID NO:X, and the predicted translated amino acid
sequence identified as SEQ ID NO:Y, but also a sample of plasmid
DNA containing a human cDNA of the invention deposited with the
ATCC, as set forth in Table 1A. The nucleotide sequence of each
deposited plasmid can readily be determined by sequencing the
deposited plasmid in accordance with known methods.
[0013] The predicted amino acid sequence can then be verified from
such deposits. Moreover, the amino acid sequence of the protein
encoded by a particular plasmid can also be directly determined by
peptide sequencing or by expressing the protein in a suitable host
cell containing the deposited human cDNA, collecting the protein,
and determining its sequence.
[0014] Also provided in Table 1A is the name of the vector which
contains the cDNA plasmid. Each vector is routinely used in the
art. The following additional information is provided for
convenience.
[0015] Vectors Lambda Zap (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,128,256 and 5,286,636),
Uni-Zap XR (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,128,256 and 5,286,636), Zap Express
(U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,128,256 and 5,286,636), pBluescript (pBS) (Short,
J. M. et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 16:7583-7600 (1988); Alting-Mees,
M. A. and Short, J. M., Nucleic Acids Res. 17:9494 (1989)) and pBK
(Alting-Mees, M. A. et al., Strategies 5:58-61 (1992)) are
commercially available from Stratagene Cloning Systems, Inc., 11011
N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, Calif., 92037. pBS contains an
ampicillin resistance gene and pBK contains a neomycin resistance
gene. Phagemid pBS may be excised from the Lambda Zap and Uni-Zap
XR vectors, and phagemid pBK may be excised from the Zap Express
vector. Both phagemids may be transformed into E. coli strain XL-1
Blue, also available from Stratagene.
[0016] Vectors pSport1, pCMVSport 1.0, pCMVSport 2.0 and pCMVSport
3.0, were obtained from Life Technologies, Inc., P.O. Box 6009,
Gaithersburg, Md. 20897. All Sport vectors contain an ampicillin
resistance gene and may be transformed into E. coli strain DH10B,
also available from Life Technologies. See, for instance, Gruber,
C. E., et al., Focus 15:59 (1993). Vector lafmid BA (Bento Soares,
Columbia University, New York, N.Y.) contains an ampicillin
resistance gene and can be transformed into E. coli strain XL-1
Blue. Vector pCR.RTM.2.1, which is available from Invitrogen, 1600
Faraday Avenue, Carlsbad, Calif. 92008, contains an ampicillin
resistance gene and may be transformed into E. coli strain DH10B,
available from Life Technologies. See, for instance, Clark, J. M.,
Nuc. Acids Res. 16:9677-9686 (1988) and Mead, D. et al.,
Bio/Technology 9: (1991).
[0017] The present invention also relates to the genes
corresponding to SEQ ID NO:X, SEQ ID NO:Y, and/or a deposited cDNA
(Clone ID). The corresponding gene can be isolated in accordance
with known methods using the sequence information disclosed herein.
Such methods include, but are not limited to, preparing probes or
primers from the disclosed sequence and identifying or amplifying
the corresponding gene from appropriate sources of genomic
material.
[0018] Also provided in the present invention are allelic variants,
orthologs, and/or species homologs. Procedures known in the art can
be used to obtain full-length genes, allelic variants, splice
variants, full-length coding portions, orthologs, and/or species
homologs of genes corresponding to SEQ ID NO:X and SEQ ID NO:Y
using information from the sequences disclosed herein or the clones
deposited with the ATCC. For example, allelic variants and/or
species homologs may be isolated and identified by making suitable
probes or primers from the sequences provided herein and screening
a suitable nucleic acid source for allelic variants and/or the
desired homologue.
[0019] The present invention provides a polynucleotide comprising,
or alternatively consisting of, the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID
NO:X and/or a cDNA contained in ATCC Deposit No.Z. The present
invention also provides a polypeptide comprising, or alternatively,
consisting of, the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO:Y, a
polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO:X, and/or a polypeptide encoded by
a cDNA contained in ATCC deposit No.Z. Polynucleotides encoding a
polypeptide comprising, or alternatively consisting of the
polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO:Y, a polypeptide encoded by SEQ
ID NO:X and/or a polypeptide encoded by the cDNA contained in ATCC
Deposit No.Z, are also encompassed by the invention. The present
invention further encompasses a polynucleotide comprising, or
alternatively consisting of the complement of the nucleic acid
sequence of SEQ ID NO:X, and/or the complement of the coding strand
of the cDNA contained in ATCC Deposit No.Z.
Description of Table 1B
[0020] Table 1B summarizes some of the polynucleotides encompassed
by the invention (including cDNA clones related to the sequences
(Clone ID), contig sequences (contig identifier (Contig ID:) and
contig nucleotide sequence identifier (SEQ ID NO:X)) and further
summarizes certain characteristics of these polynucleotides and the
polypeptides encoded thereby. The first column provides the gene
number in the application for each clone identifier. The second
column provides a unique clone identifier, "Clone ID", for a cDNA
clone related to each contig sequence disclosed in Table 1A and/or
1B. The third column provides a unique contig identifier, "Contig
ID:" for each of the contig sequences disclosed in Table 1B. The
fourth column provides the sequence identifier, "SEQ ID NO:X", for
each of the contig sequences disclosed in Table 1A and/or 1B. The
fifth column, "ORF (From-To)", provides the location (i.e.,
nucleotide position numbers) within the polynucleotide sequence of
SEQ ID NO:X that delineate the preferred open reading frame (ORF)
that encodes the amino acid sequence shown in the sequence listing
and referenced in Table 1B as SEQ ID NO:Y (column 6). Column 7
lists residues comprising predicted epitopes contained in the
polypeptides encoded by each of the preferred ORFs (SEQ ID NO:Y).
Identification of potential immunogenic regions was performed
according to the method of Jameson and Wolf (CABIOS, 4; 181-186
(1988)); specifically, the Genetics Computer Group (GCG)
implementation of this algorithm, embodied in the program
PEPTIDESTRUCTURE (Wisconsin Package v10.0, Genetics Computer Group
(GCG), Madison, Wis.). This method returns a measure of the
probability that a given residue is found on the surface of the
protein. Regions where the antigenic index score is greater than
0.9 over at least 6 amino acids are indicated in Table 1B as
"Predicted Epitopes". In particular embodiments, polypeptides of
the invention comprise, or alternatively consist of, one, two,
three, four, five or more of the predicted epitopes described in
Table 1B. It will be appreciated that depending on the analytical
criteria used to predict antigenic determinants, the exact address
of the determinant may vary slightly. Column 8, "Tissue
Distribution" shows the expression profile of tissue, cells, and/or
cell line libraries which express the polynucleotides of the
invention. The first number in column 8 (preceding the colon),
represents the tissue/cell source identifier code corresponding to
the key provided in Table 4. Expression of these polynucleotides
was not observed in the other tissues and/or cell libraries tested.
For those identifier codes in which the first two letters are not
"AR", the second number in column 8 (following the colon),
represents the number of times a sequence corresponding to the
reference polynucleotide sequence (e.g., SEQ ID NO:X) was
identified in the tissue/cell source. Those tissue/cell source
identifier codes in which the first two letters are "AR" designate
information generated using DNA array technology. Utilizing this
technology, cDNAs were amplified by PCR and then transferred, in
duplicate, onto the array. Gene expression was assayed through
hybridization of first strand cDNA probes to the DNA array. cDNA
probes were generated from total RNA extracted from a variety of
different tissues and cell lines. Probe synthesis was performed in
the presence of .sup.33P dCTP, using oligo(dT) to prime reverse
transcription. After hybridization, high stringency washing
conditions were employed to remove non-specific hybrids from the
array. The remaining signal, emanating from each gene target, was
measured using a Phosphorimager. Gene expression was reported as
Phosphor Stimulating Luminescence (PSL) which reflects the level of
phosphor signal generated from the probe hybridized to each of the
gene targets represented on the array. A local background signal
subtraction was performed before the total signal generated from
each array was used to normalize gene expression between the
different hybridizations. The value presented after "[array code]:"
represents the mean of the duplicate values, following background
subtraction and probe normalization. One of skill in the art could
routinely use this information to identify normal and/or diseased
tissue(s) which show a predominant expression pattern of the
corresponding polynucleotide of the invention or to identify
polynucleotides which show predominant and/or specific tissue
and/or cell expression. Column 9 provides the chromosomal location
of polynucleotides corresponding to SEQ ID NO:X. Chromosomal
location was determined by finding exact matches to EST and cDNA
sequences contained in the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology
Information) UniGene database. Given a presumptive chromosomal
location, disease locus association was determined by comparison
with the Morbid Map, derived from Online Mendelian Inheritance in
Man (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, OMIM.TM..
McKusick-Nathans Institute for Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins
University (Baltimore, Md.) and National Center for Biotechnology
Information, National Library of Medicine (Bethesda, Md.) 2000.
World Wide Web URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/omim/). If the
putative chromosomal location of the Query overlaps with the
chromosomal location of a Morbid Map entry, an OMIM identification
number is disclosed in column 10 labeled "OMIM Disease
Reference(s)". A key to the OMIM reference identification numbers
is provided in Table 5.
Description of Table 1C
[0021] Table 1C summarizes additional polynucleotides encompassed
by the invention (including cDNA clones related to the sequences
(Clone ID), contig sequences (contig identifier (Contig ID:) contig
nucleotide sequence identifiers (SEQ ID NO:X)), and genomic
sequences (SEQ ID NO:B). The first column provides a unique clone
identifier, "Clone ID", for a cDNA clone related to each contig
sequence. The second column provides the sequence identifier, "SEQ
ID NO:X", for each contig sequence. The third column provides a
unique contig identifier, "Contig ID:" for each contig sequence.
The fourth column, provides a BAC identifier "BAC ID NO:A" for the
BAC clone referenced in the corresponding row of the table. The
fifth column provides the nucleotide sequence identifier, "SEQ ID
NO:B" for a fragment of the BAC clone identified in column four of
the corresponding row of the table. The sixth column, "Exon
From-To", provides the location (i.e., nucleotide position numbers)
within the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:B which delineate
certain polynucleotides of the invention that are also exemplary
members of polynucleotide sequences that encode polypeptides of the
invention (e.g., polypeptides containing amino acid sequences
encoded by the polynucleotide sequences delineated in column six,
and fragments and variants thereof).
Description of Table 1D
[0022] Table 1D: In preferred embodiments, the present invention
encompasses a method of treating a disease or disorder listed in
the "FEATURES OF PROTEIN" sections (below) and also as listed in
the "Preferred Indications" column of Table 1D (below); comprising
administering to a patient in which such treatment, prevention, or
amelioration is desired a protein, nucleic acid, or antibody of the
invention (or fragment or variant thereof) represented by Table 1A
and Table 1D (in the same row as the disease or disorder to be
treated is listed in the "Preferred Indications" column of Table
1D) in an amount effective to treat, prevent, or ameliorate the
disease or disorder.
[0023] As indicated in Table 1D, the polynucleotides, polypeptides,
agonists, or antagonists of the present invention (including
antibodies) can be used in assays to test for one or more
biological activities. If these polynucleotides and polypeptides do
exhibit activity in a particular assay, it is likely that these
molecules may be involved in the diseases associated with the
biological activity. Thus, the polynucleotides or polypeptides, or
agonists or antagonists thereof (including antibodies) could be
used to treat the associated disease.
[0024] The present invention encompasses methods of preventing,
treating, diagnosing, or ameliorating a disease or disorder. In
preferred embodiments, the present invention encompasses a method
of treating a disease or disorder listed in the "Preferred
Indications" column of Table 1D; comprising administering to a
patient in which such treatment, prevention, or amelioration is
desired a protein, nucleic acid, or antibody of the invention (or
fragment or variant thereof) in an amount effective to treat,
prevent, diagnose, or ameliorate the disease or disorder. The first
and seccond columns of Table 1D show the "Gene No." and "Clone ID",
respectively, indicating certain nucleic acids and proteins (or
antibodies against the same) of the invention (including
polynucleotide, polypeptide, and antibody fragments or variants
thereof) that may be used in preventing, treating, diagnosing, or
ameliorating the disease(s) or disorder(s) indicated in the
corresponding row in Column 3 of Table 1 D.
[0025] In another embodiment, the present invention also
encompasses methods of preventing, treating, diagnosing, or
ameliorating a disease or disorder listed in the "Preferred
Indications" column of Table 1D; comprising administering to a
patient combinations of the proteins, nucleic acids, or antibodies
of the invention (or fragments or variants thereof), sharing
similar indications as shown in the corresponding rows in Column 3
of Table 1 D.
[0026] The "Preferred Indication" column describes diseases,
disorders, and/or conditions that may be treated, prevented,
diagnosed, or ameliorated by a protein, nucleic acid, or antibody
of the invention (or fragment or variant thereof).
[0027] The recitation of "Cancer" in the "Preferred Indication"
column indicates that the corresponding nucleic acid and protein,
or antibody against the same, of the invention (or fragment or
variant thereof) may be used for example, to diagnose, treat,
prevent, and/or ameliorate diseases and/or disorders relating to
neoplastic diseases (e.g., leukemias, cancers, and/or as described
below under "Hyperproliferative Disorders").
[0028] In specific embodiments, a protein, nucleic acid, or
antibody of the invention (or fragment or variant thereof) having a
"Cancer" recitation in the "Preferred Indication" column of Table
1D may be used for example, to diagnose, treat, prevent, and/or
ameliorate a neoplasm located in a tissue selected from the group
consisting of: colon, abdomen, bone, breast, digestive system,
liver, pancreas, prostate, peritoneum, lung, blood (e.g.,
leukemia), endocrine glands (adrenal, parathyroid, pituitary,
testicles, ovary, thymus, thyroid), uterus, eye, head and neck,
nervous (central and peripheral), lymphatic system, pelvic, skin,
soft tissue, spleen, thoracic, and urogenital.
[0029] In specific embodiments, a protein, nucleic acid, or
antibody of the invention (or fragment or variant thereof) having a
"Cancer" recitation in the "Preferred Indication" column of Table
1D, may be used for example, to diagnose, treat, prevent, and/or
ameliorate a pre-neoplastic condition, selected from the group
consisting of: hyperplasia (e.g., endometrial hyperplasia and/or as
described in the section entitled "Hyperproliferative Disorders"),
metaplasia (e.g., connective tissue metaplasia, atypical
metaplasia, and/or as described in the section entitled
"Hyperproliferative Disorders"), and/or dysplasia (e.g., cervical
dysplasia, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia).
[0030] In another specific embodiment, a protein, nucleic acid, or
antibody of the invention (or fragment or variant thereof) having a
"Cancer" recitation in the "Preferred Indication" column of Table
1D, may be used for example, to diagnose, treat, prevent, and/or
ameliorate a benign dysproliferative disorder selected from the
group consisting of: benign tumors, fibrocystic conditions, tissue
hypertrophy, and/or as described in the section entitled
"Hyperproliferative Disorders".
[0031] The recitation of "Immune/Hematopoietic" in the "Preferred
Indication" column indicates that the corresponding nucleic acid
and protein, or antibody against the same, of the invention (or
fragment or variant thereof), may be used for example, to diagnose,
treat, prevent, and/or ameliorate diseases and/or disorders
relating to neoplastic diseases (e.g., as described below under
"Hyperproliferative Disorders"), blood disorders (e.g., as
described below under "Immune Activity" "Cardiovascular Disorders"
and/or "Blood-Related Disorders"), and infections (e.g., as
described below under "Infectious Disease").
[0032] In specific embodiments, a protein, nucleic acid, or
antibody of the invention (or fragment or variant thereof) having
the "Immune/Hematopoietic" recitation in the "Preferred Indication"
column of Table 1D, may be used for example, to diagnose, treat,
prevent, and/or ameliorate a disease or disorder selected from the
group consisting of: anemia, pancytopenia, leukopenia,
thrombocytopenia, leukemias, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma, acute lymphocytic anemia (ALL), plasmacytomas, multiple
myeloma, Burkitt's lymphoma, arthritis, asthma, AIDS, autoimmune
disease, rheumatoid arthritis, granulomatous disease, immune
deficiency, inflammatory bowel disease, sepsis, neutropenia,
neutrophilia, psoriasis, immune reactions to transplanted organs
and tissues, systemic lupus erythematosis, hemophilia,
hypercoagulation, diabetes mellitus, endocarditis, meningitis, Lyme
Disease, and allergies.
[0033] The recitation of "Reproductive" in the "Preferred
Indication" column indicates that the corresponding nucleic acid
and protein, or antibody against the same, of the invention (or
fragment or variant thereof), may be used for example, to diagnose,
treat, prevent, and/or ameliorate diseases and/or disorders
relating to neoplastic diseases (e.g., as described below under
"Hyperproliferative Disorders"), and disorders of the reproductive
system (e.g., as described below under "Reproductive System
Disorders").
[0034] In specific embodiments, a protein, nucleic acid, or
antibody of the invention (or fragment or variant thereof) having a
"Reproductive" recitation in the "Preferred Indication" column of
Table 1D, may be used for example, to diagnose, treat, prevent,
and/or ameliorate a disease or disorder selected from the group
consisting of: cryptorchism, prostatitis, inguinal hernia,
varicocele, leydig cell tumors, verrucous carcinoma, prostatitis,
malacoplakia, Peyronie's disease, penile carcinoma, squamous cell
hyperplasia, dysmenorrhea, ovarian adenocarcinoma, Turner's
syndrome, mucopurulent cervicitis, Sertoli-leydig tumors, ovarian
cancer, uterine cancer, pelvic inflammatory disease, testicular
cancer, prostate cancer, Klinefelter's syndrome, Young's syndrome,
premature ejaculation, diabetes mellitus, cystic fibrosis,
Kartagener's syndrome, testicular atrophy, testicular feminization,
anorchia, ectopic testis, epididymitis, orchitis, gonorrhea,
syphilis, testicular torsion, vasitis nodosa, germ cell tumors,
stromal tumors, dysmenorrhea, retroverted uterus, endometriosis,
fibroids, adenomyosis, anovulatory bleeding, amenorrhea, Cushing's
syndrome, hydatidiform moles, Asherman's syndrome, premature
menopause, precocious puberty, uterine polyps, dysfunctional
uterine bleeding, cervicitis, chronic cervicitis, mucopurulent
cervicitis, cervical dysplasia, cervical polyps, Nabothian cysts,
cervical erosion, cervical incompetence, cervical neoplasms,
pseudohermaphroditism, and premenstrual syndrome.
[0035] The recitation of "Musculoskeletal" in the "Preferred
Indication" column indicates that the corresponding nucleic acid
and protein, or antibody against the same, of the invention (or
fragment or variant thereof), may be used for example, to diagnose,
treat, prevent, and/or ameliorate diseases and/or disorders
relating to neoplastic diseases (e.g., as described below under
"Hyperproliferative Disorders"), and disorders of the immune system
(e.g., as described below under "Immune Activity").
[0036] In specific embodiments, a protein, nucleic acid, or
antibody of the invention (or fragment or variant thereof) having a
"Musculoskeletal" recitation in the "Preferred Indication" column
of Table 1D, may be used for example, to diagnose, treat, prevent,
and/or ameliorate a disease or disorder selected from the group
consisting of: bone cancers (e.g., osteochondromas, benign
chondromas, chondroblastoma, chondromyxoid fibromas, osteoid
osteomas, giant cell tumors, multiple myeloma, osteosarcomas),
Paget's Disease, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus
erythematosus, osteomyelitis, Lyme Disease, gout, bursitis,
tendonitis, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, muscular dystrophy,
mitochondrial myopathy, cachexia, and multiple sclerosis.
[0037] The recitation of "Cardiovascular" in the "Preferred
Indication" column indicates that the corresponding nucleic acid
and protein, or antibody against the same, of the invention (or
fragment or variant thereof), may be used for example, to diagnose,
treat, prevent, and/or ameliorate diseases and/or disorders
relating to neoplastic diseases (e.g., as described below under
"Hyperproliferative Disorders"), and disorders of the
cardiovascular system (e.g., as described below under
"Cardiovascular Disorders").
[0038] In specific embodiments, a protein, nucleic acid, or
antibody of the invention (or fragment or variant thereof) having a
"Cardiovascular" recitation in the "Preferred Indication" column of
Table 1D, may be used for example, to diagnose, treat, prevent,
and/or ameliorate a disease or disorder selected from the group
consisting of: myxomas, fibromas, rhabdomyomas, cardiovascular
abnormalities (e.g., congenital heart defects, cerebral
arteriovenous malformations, septal defects), heart disease (e.g.,
heart failure, congestive heart disease, arrhythmia, tachycardia,
fibrillation, pericardial Disease, endocarditis), cardiac arrest,
heart valve disease (e.g., stenosis, regurgitation, prolapse),
vascular disease (e.g., hypertension, coronary artery disease,
angina, aneurysm, arteriosclerosis, peripheral vascular disease),
hyponatremia, hypernatremia, hypokalemia, and hyperkalemia.
[0039] The recitation of "Mixed Fetal" in the "Preferred
Indication" column indicates that the corresponding nucleic acid
and protein, or antibody against the same, of the invention (or
fragment or variant thereof), may be used for example, to diagnose,
treat, prevent, and/or ameliorate diseases and/or disorders
relating to neoplastic diseases (e.g., as described below under
"Hyperproliferative Disorders").
[0040] In specific embodiments, a protein, nucleic acid, or
antibody of the invention (or fragment or variant thereof) having a
"Mixed Fetal" recitation in the "Preferred Indication" column of
Table 1D, may be used for example, to diagnose, treat, prevent,
and/or ameliorate a disease or disorder selected from the group
consisting of: spina bifida, hydranencephaly, neurofibromatosis,
fetal alcohol syndrome, diabetes mellitus, PKU, Down's syndrome,
Patau syndrome, Edwards syndrome, Turner syndrome, Apert syndrome,
Carpenter syndrome, Conradi syndrome, Crouzon syndrome, cutis laxa,
Cornelia de Lange syndrome, Ellis-van Creveld syndrome, Holt-Oram
syndrome, Kartagener syndrome, Meckel-Gruber syndrome, Noonan
syndrome, Pallister-Hall syndrome, Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome,
Scimitar syndrome, Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome,
thromocytopenia-absent radius (TAR) syndrome, Treacher Collins
syndrome, Williams syndrome, Hirschsprung's disease, Meckel's
diverticulum, polycystic kidney disease, Turner's syndrome, and
gonadal dysgenesis, Klippel-Feil syndrome, Ostogenesis imperfecta,
muscular dystrophy, Tay-Sachs disease, Wilm's tumor, neuroblastoma,
and retinoblastoma.
[0041] The recitation of "Excretory" in the "Preferred Indication"
column indicates that the corresponding nucleic acid and protein,
or antibody against the same, of the invention (or fragment or
variant thereof), may be used for example, to diagnose, treat,
prevent, and/or ameliorate diseases and/or disorders relating to
neoplastic diseases (e.g., as described below under
"Hyperproliferative Disorders") and renal disorders (e.g., as
described below under "Renal Disorders").
[0042] In specific embodiments, a protein, nucleic acid, or
antibody of the invention (or fragment or variant thereof) having a
"Excretory" recitation in the "Preferred Indication" column of
Table 1D, may be used for example, to diagnose, treat, prevent,
and/or ameliorate a disease or disorder selected from the group
consisting of: bladder cancer, prostate cancer, benign prostatic
hyperplasia, bladder disorders (e.g., urinary incontinence, urinary
retention, urinary obstruction, urinary tract Infections,
interstitial cystitis, prostatitis, neurogenic bladder, hematuria),
renal disorders (e.g., hydronephrosis, proteinuria, renal failure,
pyelonephritis, urolithiasis, reflux nephropathy, and unilateral
obstructive uropathy).
[0043] The recitation of "Neural/Sensory" in the "Preferred
Indication" column indicates that the corresponding nucleic acid
and protein, or antibody against the same, of the invention (or
fragment or variant thereof), may be used for example, to diagnose,
treat, prevent, and/or ameliorate diseases and/or disorders
relating to neoplastic diseases (e.g., as described below under
"Hyperproliferative Disorders") and diseases or disorders of the
nervous system (e.g., as described below under "Neural Activity and
Neurological Diseases").
[0044] In specific embodiments, a protein, nucleic acid, or
antibody of the invention (or fragment or variant thereof) having a
"Neural/Sensory" recitation in the "Preferred Indication" column of
Table 1D, may be used for example, to diagnose, treat, prevent,
and/or ameliorate a disease or disorder selected from the group
consisting of: brain cancer (e.g., brain stem glioma, brain tumors,
central nervous system (Primary) lymphoma, central nervous system
lymphoma, cerebellar astrocytoma, and cerebral astrocytoma,
neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer's Disease,
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Parkinson's Disease, and Idiopathic
Presenile Dementia), encephalomyelitis, cerebral malaria,
meningitis, metabolic brain diseases (e.g., phenylketonuria and
pyruvate carboxylase deficiency), cerebellar ataxia, ataxia
telangiectasia, and AIDS Dementia Complex, schizophrenia, attention
deficit disorder, hyperactive attention deficit disorder, autism,
and obsessive compulsive disorders.
[0045] The recitation of "Respiratory" in the "Preferred
Indication" column indicates that the corresponding nucleic acid
and protein, or antibody against the same, of the invention (or
fragment or variant thereof), may be used for example, to diagnose,
treat, prevent, and/or ameliorate diseases and/or disorders
relating to neoplastic diseases (e.g., as described below under
"Hyperproliferative Disorders") and diseases or disorders of the
respiratory system (e.g., as described below under "Respiratory
Disorders").
[0046] In specific embodiments, a protein, nucleic acid, or
antibody of the invention (or fragment or variant thereof) having a
"Respiratory" recitation in the "Preferred Indication" column of
Table 1D, may be used for example, to diagnose, treat, prevent,
and/or ameliorate a disease or disorder selected from the group
consisting of: cancers of the respiratory system such as larynx
cancer, pharynx cancer, trachea cancer, epiglottis cancer, lung
cancer, squamous cell carcinomas, small cell (oat cell) carcinomas,
large cell carcinomas, and adenocarcinomas. Allergic reactions,
cystic fibrosis, sarcoidosis, histiocytosis X, infiltrative lung
diseases (e.g., pulmonary fibrosis and lymphoid interstitial
pneumonia), obstructive airway diseases (e.g., asthma, emphysema,
chronic or acute bronchitis), occupational lung diseases (e.g.,
silicosis and asbestosis), pneumonia, and pleurisy.
[0047] The recitation of "Endocrine" in the "Preferred Indication"
column indicates that the corresponding nucleic acid and protein,
or antibody against the same, of the invention (or fragment or
variant thereof), may be used for example, to diagnose, treat,
prevent, and/or ameliorate diseases and/or disorders relating to
neoplastic diseases (e.g., as described below under
"Hyperproliferative Disorders") and diseases or disorders of the
respiratory system (e.g., as described below under "Respiratory
Disorders"), renal disorders (e.g., as described below under "Renal
Disorders"), and disorders of the endocrine system (e.g., as
described below under "Endocrine Disorders".
[0048] In specific embodiments, a protein, nucleic acid, or
antibody of the invention (or fragment or variant thereof) having
an "Endocrine" recitation in the "Preferred Indication" column of
Table 1D, may be used for example, to diagnose, treat, prevent,
and/or ameliorate a disease or disorder selected from the group
consisting of: cancers of endocrine tissues and organs (e.g.,
cancers of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thyroid gland,
parathyroid glands, pancreas, adrenal glands, ovaries, and testes),
diabetes (e.g., diabetes insipidus, type I and type II diabetes
mellitus), obesity, disorders related to pituitary glands (e.g.,
hyperpituitarism, hypopituitarism, and pituitary dwarfism),
hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, goiter, reproductive disorders
(e.g. male and female infertility), disorders related to adrenal
glands (e.g., Addison's Disease, corticosteroid deficiency, and
Cushing's Syndrome), kidney cancer (e.g., hypernephroma,
transitional cell cancer, and Wilm's tumor), diabetic nephropathy,
interstitial nephritis, polycystic kidney disease,
glomerulonephritis (e.g., IgM mesangial proliferative
glomerulonephritis and glomerulonephritis caused by autoimmune
disorders; such as Goodpasture's syndrome), and
nephrocalcinosis.
[0049] The recitation of "Digestive" in the "Preferred Indication"
column indicates that the corresponding nucleic acid and protein,
or antibody against the same, of the invention (or fragment or
variant thereof), may be used for example, to diagnose, treat,
prevent, and/or ameliorate diseases and/or disorders relating to
neoplastic diseases (e.g., as described below under
"Hyperproliferative Disorders") and diseases or disorders of the
gastrointestinal system (e.g., as described below under
"Gastrointestinal Disorders".
[0050] In specific embodiments, a protein, nucleic acid, or
antibody of the invention (or fragment or variant thereof) having a
"Digestive" recitation in the "Preferred Indication" column of
Table 1D, may be used for example, to diagnose, treat, prevent,
and/or ameliorate a disease or disorder selected from the group
consisting of: ulcerative colitis, appendicitis, Crohn's disease,
hepatitis, hepatic encephalopathy, portal hypertension,
cholelithiasis, cancer of the digestive system (e.g., biliary tract
cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, gastric cancer, pancreatic
cancer, cancer of the bile duct, tumors of the colon (e.g., polyps
or cancers), and cirrhosis), pancreatitis, ulcerative disease,
pyloric stenosis, gastroenteritis, gastritis, gastric atropy,
benign tumors of the duodenum, distension, irritable bowel
syndrome, malabsorption, congenital disorders of the small
intestine, bacterial and parasitic infection, megacolon,
Hirschsprung's disease, aganglionic megacolon, acquired megacolon,
colitis, anorectal disorders (e.g., anal fistulas, hemorrhoids),
congenital disorders of the liver (e.g., Wilson's disease,
hemochromatosis, cystic fibrosis, biliary atresia, and
alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency), portal hypertension,
cholelithiasis, and jaundice.
[0051] The recitation of "Connective/Epithelial" in the "Preferred
Indication" column indicates that the corresponding nucleic acid
and protein, or antibody against the same, of the invention (or
fragment or variant thereof), may be used for example, to diagnose,
treat, prevent, and/or ameliorate diseases and/or disorders
relating to neoplastic diseases (e.g., as described below under
"Hyperproliferative Disorders"), cellular and genetic abnormalities
(e.g., as described below under "Diseases at the Cellular Level"),
angiogenesis (e.g., as described below under "Anti-Angiogenesis
Activity"), and or to promote or inhibit regeneration (e.g., as
described below under "Regeneration"), and wound healing (e.g., as
described below under "Wound Healing and Epithelial Cell
Proliferation").
[0052] In specific embodiments, a protein, nucleic acid, or
antibody of the invention (or fragment or variant thereof) having a
"Connective/Epithelial" recitation in the "Preferred Indication"
column of Table 1D, may be used for example, to diagnose, treat,
prevent, and/or ameliorate a disease or disorder selected from the
group consisting of: connective tissue metaplasia, mixed connective
tissue disease, focal epithelial hyperplasia, epithelial
metaplasia, mucoepithelial dysplasia, graft v. host disease,
polymyositis, cystic hyperplasia, cerebral dysplasia, tissue
hypertrophy, Alzheimer's disease, lymphoproliferative disorder,
Waldenstron's macroglobulinemia, Crohn's disease, pernicious
anemia, idiopathic Addison's disease, glomerulonephritis, bullous
pemphigoid, Sjogren's syndrome, diabetes mellitus, cystic fibrosis,
osteoblastoma, osteoclastoma, osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma,
osteoporosis, osteocarthritis, periodontal disease, wound healing,
relapsing polychondritis, vasculitis, polyarteritis nodosa,
Wegener's granulomatosis, cellulitis, rheumatoid arthritis,
psoriatic arthritis, discoid lupus erythematosus, systemic lupus
erythematosus, scleroderma, CREST syndrome, Sjogren's syndrome,
polymyositis, dermatomyositis, mixed connective tissue disease,
relapsing polychondritis, vasculitis, Henoch-Schonlein syndrome,
erythema nodosum, polyarteritis nodosa, temporal (giant cell)
arteritis, Takayasu's arteritis, Wegener's granulomatosis, Reiter's
syndrome, Behcet's syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis, cellulitis,
keloids, Ehler Danlos syndrome, Marfan syndrome, pseudoxantoma
elasticum, osteogenese imperfecta, chondrodysplasias, epidermolysis
bullosa, Alport syndrome, and cutis laxa.
Description of Table 1E
[0053] Table 1 E provides information related to biological
activities and preferred indications for polynucleotides and
polypeptides of the invention (including antibodies, agonists,
and/or antagonists thereof). Table 1E also provides information
related to assays which may be used to test polynucleotides and
polypeptides of the invention (including antibodies, agonists,
and/or antagonists thereof) for the corresponding biological
activities. The first column ("Gene No.") provides the gene number
in the application for each clone identifier. The second column
("Clone ID") provides the unique clone identifier for each clone as
previously described and indicated in Tables 1A, 1B, 1C, and ID.
The third column ("AA SEQ ID NO:Y") indicates the Sequence Listing
SEQ ID Number for polypeptide sequences encoded by the
corresponding cDNA clones (also as indicated in Tables 1A, 1B, and
2). The fourth column ("Biological Activity") indicates a
biological activity corresponding to the indicated polypeptides (or
polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides). The fifth column
("Exemplary Activity Assay") further describes the corresponding
biological activity and provides information pertaining to the
various types of assays which may be performed to test,
demonstrate, or quantify the corresponding biological activity. The
sixth column ("Preferred Indications") describes particular
embodiments of the invention and indications (e.g. pathologies,
diseases, disorders, abnormalities, etc.) for which polynucleotides
and polypeptides of the invention (including antibodies, agonists,
and/or antagonists thereof) may be used in detecting, diagnosing,
preventing, and/or treating.
[0054] Table 1E describes the use of FMAT technology, inter alia,
for testing or demonstrating various biological activities.
Fluorometric microvolume assay technology (FMAT) is a
fluorescence-based system which provides a means to perform
nonradioactive cell- and bead-based assays to detect activation of
cell signal transduction pathways. This technology was designed
specifically for ligand binding and immunological assays. Using
this technology, fluorescent cells or beads at the bottom of the
well are detected as localized areas of concentrated fluorescence
using a data processing system. Unbound flurophore comprising the
background signal is ignored, allowing for a wide variety of
homogeneous assays. FMAT technology may be used for peptide ligand
binding assays, immunofluorescence, apoptosis, cytotoxicity, and
bead-based immunocapture assays. See, Miraglia S et. al.,
"Homogeneous cell and bead based assays for highthroughput
screening using flourometric microvolume assay technology," Journal
of Biomolecular Screening; 4:193-204 (1999). In particular, FMAT
technology may be used to test, confirm, and/or identify the
ability of polypeptides (including polypeptide fragments and
variants) to activate signal transduction pathways. For example,
FMAT technology may be used to test, confirm, and/or identify the
ability of polypeptides to upregulate production of
immunomodulatory proteins (such as, for example, interleukins,
GM-CSF, Rantes, and Tumor Necrosis factors, as well as other
cellular regulators (e.g. insulin)).
[0055] Table 1E also describes the use of kinase assays for
testing, demonstrating, or quantifying biological activity. In this
regard, the phosphorylation and de-phosphorylation of specific
amino acid residues (e.g. Tyrosine, Serine, Threonine) on
cell-signal transduction proteins provides a fast, reversible means
for activation and de-activation of cellular signal transduction
pathways. Moreover, cell signal transduction via
phosphorylation/de-phosphorylation is crucial to the regulation of
a wide variety of cellular processes (e.g. proliferation,
differentiation, migration, apoptosis, etc.). Accordingly, kinase
assays provide a powerful tool useful for testing, confirming,
and/or identifying polypeptides (including polypeptide fragments
and variants) that mediate cell signal transduction events via
protein phosphorylation. See e.g., Forrer, P., Tamaskovic R., and
Jaussi, R. "Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Measurement of
JNK, ERK, and p38 Kinase Activities" Biol. Chem. 379(8-9):
1101-1110 (1998).
Description of Table 2
[0056] Table 2 summarizes homology and features of some of the
polypeptides of the invention. The first column provides a unique
clone identifier, "Clone ID", corresponding to a cDNA clone
disclosed in Table 1A or 1B. The second column provides the unique
contig identifier, "Contig ID:" corresponding to contigs in Table
1B and allowing for correlation with the information in Table 1B.
The third column provides the sequence identifier, "SEQ ID NO:X",
for the contig polynucleotide sequence. The fourth column provides
the analysis method by which the homology/identity disclosed in the
Table was determined. Comparisons were made between polypeptides
encoded by the polynucleotides of the invention and either a
non-redundant protein database (herein referred to as "NR"), or a
database of protein families (herein referred to as "PFAM") as
further described below. The fifth column provides a description of
the PFAM/NR hit having a significant match to a polypeptide of the
invention. Column six provides the accession number of the PFAM/NR
hit disclosed in the fifth column. Column seven, "Score/Percent
Identity", provides a quality score or the percent identity, of the
hit disclosed in columns five and six. Columns 8 and 9, "NT From"
and "NT To" respectively, delineate the polynucleotides in "SEQ ID
NO:X" that encode a polypeptide having a significant match to the
PFAM/NR database as disclosed in the fifth and sixth columns. In
specific embodiments polypeptides of the invention comprise, or
alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence encoded by a
polynucleotide in SEQ ID NO:X as delineated in columns 8 and 9, or
fragments or variants thereof.
Description of Table 3
[0057] Table 3 provides polynucleotide sequences that may be
disclaimed according to certain embodiments of the invention. The
first column provides a unique clone identifier, "Clone ID", for a
cDNA clone related to contig sequences disclosed in Table 1B. The
second column provides the sequence identifier, "SEQ ID NO:X", for
contig sequences disclosed in Table 1A and/or 1B. The third column
provides the unique contig identifier, "Contig ID:", for contigs
disclosed in Table 1B. The fourth column provides a unique integer
`a` where `a` is any integer between 1 and the final nucleotide
minus 15 of SEQ ID NO:X, and the fifth column provides a unique
integer `b` where `b` is any integer between 15 and the final
nucleotide of SEQ ID NO:X, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:X, and where b
is greater than or equal to a+14. For each of the polynucleotides
shown as SEQ ID NO:X, the uniquely defined integers can be
substituted into the general formula of a-b, and used to describe
polynucleotides which may be preferably excluded from the
invention. In certain embodiments, preferably excluded from the
invention are at least one, two, three, four, five, ten, or more of
the polynucleotide sequence(s) having the accession number(s)
disclosed in the sixth column of this Table (including for example,
published sequence in connection with a particular BAC clone). In
further embodiments, preferably excluded from the invention are the
specific polynucleotide sequence(s) contained in the clones
corresponding to at least one, two, three, four, five, ten, or more
of the available material having the accession numbers identified
in the sixth column of this Table (including for example, the
actual sequence contained in an identified BAC clone).
Description of Table 4
[0058] Table 4 provides a key to the tissue/cell source identifier
code disclosed in Table 1B, column 8. Column 1 provides the
tissue/cell source identifier code disclosed in Table 1B, Column 8.
Columns 2-5 provide a description of the tissue or cell source.
Codes corresponding to diseased tissues are indicated in column 6
with the word "disease". The use of the word "disease" in column 6
is non-limiting. The tissue or cell source may be specific (e.g. a
neoplasm), or may be disease-associated (e.g., a tissue sample from
a normal portion of a diseased organ). Furthermore, tissues and/or
cells lacking the "disease" designation may still be derived from
sources directly or indirectly involved in a disease state or
disorder, and therefore may have a further utility in that disease
state or disorder. In numerous cases where the tissue/cell source
is a library, column 7 identifies the vector used to generate the
library.
Description of Table 5
[0059] Table 5 provides a key to the OMIM reference identification
numbers disclosed in Table 1B, column 10. OMIM reference
identification numbers (Column 1) were derived from Online
Mendelian Inheritance in Man (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man,
OMIM. McKusick-Nathans Institute for Genetic Medicine, Johns
Hopkins University (Baltimore, Md.) and National Center for
Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, (Bethesda,
Md.) 2000. World Wide Web URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/omim/).
Column 2 provides diseases associated with the cytologic band
disclosed in Table 1B, column 9, as determined using the Morbid Map
database.
Definitions
[0060] The following definitions are provided to facilitate
understanding of certain terms used throughout this
specification.
[0061] In the present invention, "isolated" refers to material
removed from its original environment (e.g., the natural
environment if it is naturally occurring), and thus is altered "by
the hand of man" from its natural state. For example, an isolated
polynucleotide could be part of a vector or a composition of
matter, or could be contained within a cell, and still be
"isolated" because that vector, composition of matter, or
particular cell is not the original environment of the
polynucleotide. The term "isolated" does not refer to genomic or
cDNA libraries, whole cell total or mRNA preparations, genomic DNA
preparations (including those separated by electrophoresis and
transferred onto blots), sheared whole cell genomic DNA
preparations or other compositions where the art demonstrates no
distinguishing features of the polynucleotide/sequences of the
present invention.
[0062] In the present invention, a "secreted" protein refers to
those proteins capable of being directed to the ER, secretory
vesicles, or the extracellular space as a result of a signal
sequence, as well as those proteins released into the extracellular
space without necessarily containing a signal sequence. If the
secreted protein is released into the extracellular space, the
secreted protein can undergo extracellular processing to produce a
"mature" protein. Release into the extracellular space can occur by
many mechanisms, including exocytosis and proteolytic cleavage.
[0063] As used herein, a "polynucleotide" refers to a molecule
having a nucleic acid sequence contained in SEQ ID NO:X (as
described in column 5 of Table 1A), or cDNA clone (as described in
column 2 of Table 1A and contained within a pool of plasmids
deposited with the ATCC in ATCC Deposit No:Z). For example, the
polynucleotide can contain the nucleotide sequence of the full
length cDNA sequence, including the 5' and 3' untranslated
sequences, the coding region, with or without a natural or
artificial signal sequence, the protein coding region, as well as
fragments, epitopes, domains, and variants of the nucleic acid
sequence. Moreover, as used herein, a "polypeptide" refers to a
molecule having an amino acid sequence encoded by a polynucleotide
of the invention as broadly defined (obviously excluding
poly-Phenylalanine or poly-Lysine peptide sequences which result
from translation of a polyA tail of a sequence corresponding to a
cDNA).
[0064] In the present invention, a representative plasmid
containing the sequence of SEQ ID NO:X was deposited with the
American Type Culture Collection ("ATCC") and/or described in Table
1A. As shown in Table 1A, each cDNA is identified by a cDNA clone
identifier and the ATCC Deposit Number (ATCC Deposit No:Z).
Plasmids that were pooled and deposited as a single deposit have
the same ATCC Deposit Number. The ATCC is located at 10801
University Boulevard, Manassas, Va. 20110-2209, USA. The ATCC
deposit was made pursuant to the terms of the Budapest Treaty on
the international recognition of the deposit of microorganisms for
purposes of patent procedure.
[0065] A "polynucleotide" of the present invention also includes
those polynucleotides capable of hybridizing, under stringent
hybridization conditions, to sequences contained in SEQ ID NO:X, or
the complement thereof (e.g., the complement of any one, two,
three, four, or more of the polynucleotide fragments described
herein) and/or sequences of the cDNA contained in the deposited
clone (e.g., the complement of any one, two, three, four, or more
of the polynucleotide fragments described herein). "Stringent
hybridization conditions" refers to an overnight incubation at 42
degree C. in a solution comprising 50% formamide, 5.times. SSC (750
mM NaCl, 75 mM trisodium citrate), 50 mM sodium phosphate (pH 7.6),
5.times. Denhardt's solution, 10% dextran sulfate, and 20 .mu.g/ml
denatured, sheared salmon sperm DNA, followed by washing the
filters in 0.1.times. SSC at about 65 degree C.
[0066] Also included within "polynucleotides" of the present
invention are nucleic acid molecules that hybridize to the
polynucleotides of the present invention at lower stringency
hybridization conditions. Changes in the stringency of
hybridization and signal detection are primarily accomplished
through the manipulation of formamide concentration (lower
percentages of formamide result in lowered stringency); salt
conditions, or temperature. For example, lower stringency
conditions include an overnight incubation at 37 degree C. in a
solution comprising 6.times. SSPE (20.times. SSPE=3M NaCl; 0.2M
NaH.sub.2PO.sub.4; 0.02M EDTA, pH 7.4), 0.5% SDS, 30% formamide,
100 .mu.g/ml salmon sperm blocking DNA; followed by washes at 50
degree C. with 1.times.SSPE, 0.1% SDS. In addition, to achieve even
lower stringency, washes performed following stringent
hybridization can be done at higher salt concentrations (e.g.
5.times. SSC).
[0067] Note that variations in the above conditions may be
accomplished through the inclusion and/or substitution of alternate
blocking reagents used to suppress background in hybridization
experiments. Typical blocking reagents include Denhardt's reagent,
BLOTTO, heparin, denatured salmon sperm DNA, and commercially
available proprietary formulations. The inclusion of specific
blocking reagents may require modification of the hybridization
conditions described above, due to problems with compatibility.
[0068] Of course, a polynucleotide which hybridizes only to polyA+
sequences (such as any 3' terminal polyA+ tract of a cDNA shown in
the sequence listing), or to a complementary stretch of T (or U)
residues, would not be included in the definition of
"polynucleotide," since such a polynucleotide would hybridize to
any nucleic acid molecule containing a poly (A) stretch or the
complement thereof (e.g., practically any double-stranded cDNA
clone generated using oligo dT as a primer).
[0069] The polynucleotides of the present invention can be composed
of any polyribonucleotide or polydeoxribonucleotide, which may be
unmodified RNA or DNA or modified RNA or DNA. For example,
polynucleotides can be composed of single- and double-stranded DNA,
DNA that is a mixture of single- and double-stranded regions,
single- and double-stranded RNA, and RNA that is mixture of single-
and double-stranded regions, hybrid molecules comprising DNA and
RNA that may be single-stranded or, more typically, double-stranded
or a mixture of single- and double-stranded regions. In addition,
the polynucleotide can be composed of triple-stranded regions
comprising RNA or DNA or both RNA and DNA. A polynucleotide may
also contain one or more modified bases or DNA or RNA backbones
modified for stability or for other reasons. "Modified" bases
include, for example, tritylated bases and unusual bases such as
inosine. A variety of modifications can be made to DNA and RNA;
thus, "polynucleotide" embraces chemically, enzymatically, or
metabolically modified forms.
[0070] In specific embodiments, the polynucleotides of the
invention are at least 15, at least 30, at least 50, at least 100,
at least 125, at least 500, or at least 1000 continuous nucleotides
but are less than or equal to 300 kb, 200 kb, 100 kb, 50 kb, 15 kb,
10 kb, 7.5 kb, 5 kb, 2.5 kb, 2.0 kb, or 1 kb, in length. In a
further embodiment, polynucleotides of the invention comprise a
portion of the coding sequences, as disclosed herein, but do not
comprise all or a portion of any intron. In another embodiment, the
polynucleotides comprising coding sequences do not contain coding
sequences of a genomic flanking gene (i.e., 5' or 3' to the gene of
interest in the genome). In other embodiments, the polynucleotides
of the invention do not contain the coding sequence of more than
1000, 500, 250, 100, 50, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 genomic
flanking gene(s).
[0071] "SEQ ID NO:X" refers to a polynucleotide sequence described
in column 5 of Table 1A, while "SEQ ID NO:Y" refers to a
polypeptide sequence described in column 10 of Table 1A. SEQ ID
NO:X is identified by an integer specified in column 6 of Table 1A.
The polypeptide sequence SEQ ID NO:Y is a translated open reading
frame (ORF) encoded by polynucleotide SEQ ID NO:X. The
polynucleotide sequences are shown in the sequence listing
immediately followed by all of the polypeptide sequences. Thus, a
polypeptide sequence corresponding to polynucleotide sequence SEQ
ID NO:2 is the first polypeptide sequence shown in the sequence
listing. The second polypeptide sequence corresponds to the
polynucleotide sequence shown as SEQ ID NO:3, and so on.
[0072] The polypeptides of the present invention can be composed of
amino acids joined to each other by peptide bonds or modified
peptide bonds, i.e., peptide isosteres, and may contain amino acids
other than the 20 gene-encoded amino acids. The polypeptides may be
modified by either natural processes, such as posttranslational
processing, or by chemical modification techniques which are well
known in the art. Such modifications are well described in basic
texts and in more detailed monographs, as well as in a voluminous
research literature. Modifications can occur anywhere in a
polypeptide, including the peptide backbone, the amino acid
side-chains and the amino or carboxyl termini. It will be
appreciated that the same type of modification may be present in
the same or varying degrees at several sites in a given
polypeptide. Also, a given polypeptide may contain many types of
modifications. Polypeptides may be branched, for example, as a
result of ubiquitination, and they may be cyclic, with or without
branching. Cyclic, branched, and branched cyclic polypeptides may
result from posttranslation natural processes or may be made by
synthetic methods. Modifications include acetylation, acylation,
ADP-ribosylation, amidation, covalent attachment of flavin,
covalent attachment of a heme moiety, covalent attachment of a
nucleotide or nucleotide derivative, covalent attachment of a lipid
or lipid derivative, covalent attachment of phosphotidylinositol,
cross-linking, cyclization, disulfide bond formation,
demethylation, formation of covalent cross-links, formation of
cysteine, formation of pyroglutamate, formylation,
gamma-carboxylation, glycosylation, GPI anchor formation,
hydroxylation, iodination, methylation, myristoylation, oxidation,
pegylation, proteolytic processing, phosphorylation, prenylation,
racemization, selenoylation, sulfation, transfer-RNA mediated
addition of amino acids to proteins such as arginylation, and
ubiquitination. (See, for instance, PROTEINS--STRUCTURE AND
MOLECULAR PROPERTIES, 2nd Ed., T. E. Creighton, W. H. Freeman and
Company, New York (1993); POSTTRANSLATIONAL COVALENT MODIFICATION
OF PROTEINS, B. C. Johnson, Ed., Academic Press, New York, pgs.
1-12 (1983); Seifter et al., Meth Enzymol 182:626-646 (1990);
Rattan et al., Ann NY Acad Sci 663:48-62 (1992)).
[0073] The polypeptides of the invention can be prepared in any
suitable manner. Such polypeptides include isolated naturally
occurring polypeptides, recombinantly produced polypeptides,
synthetically produced polypeptides, or polypeptides produced by a
combination of these methods. Means for preparing such polypeptides
are well understood in the art.
[0074] The polypeptides may be in the form of the secreted protein,
including the mature form, or may be a part of a larger protein,
such as a fusion protein (see below). It is often advantageous to
include an additional amino acid sequence which contains secretory
or leader sequences, pro-sequences, sequences which aid in
purification, such as multiple histidine residues, or an additional
sequence for stability during recombinant production.
[0075] The polypeptides of the present invention are preferably
provided in an isolated form, and preferably are substantially
purified. A recombinantly produced version of a polypeptide,
including the secreted polypeptide, can be substantially purified
using techniques described herein or otherwise known in the art,
such as, for example, by the one-step method described in Smith and
Johnson, Gene 67:31-40 (1988). Polypeptides of the invention also
can be purified from natural, synthetic or recombinant sources
using techniques described herein or otherwise known in the art,
such as, for example, antibodies of the invention raised against
the polypeptides of the present invention in methods which are well
known in the art.
[0076] By a polypeptide demonstrating a "functional activity" is
meant, a polypeptide capable of displaying one or more known
functional activities associated with a full-length (complete)
protein of the invention. Such functional activities include, but
are not limited to, biological activity, antigenicity [ability to
bind (or compete with a polypeptide for binding) to an
anti-polypeptide antibody], immunogenicity (ability to generate
antibody which binds to a specific polypeptide of the invention),
ability to form multimers with polypeptides of the invention, and
ability to bind to a receptor or ligand for a polypeptide.
[0077] "A polypeptide having functional activity" refers to
polypeptides exhibiting activity similar, but not necessarily
identical to, an activity of a polypeptide of the present
invention, including mature forms, as measured in a particular
assay, such as, for example, a biological assay, with or without
dose dependency. In the case where dose dependency does exist, it
need not be identical to that of the polypeptide, but rather
substantially similar to the dose-dependence in a given activity as
compared to the polypeptide of the present invention (i.e., the
candidate polypeptide will exhibit greater activity or not more
than about 25-fold less and, preferably, not more than about
tenfold less activity, and most preferably, not more than about
three-fold less activity relative to the polypeptide of the present
invention).
[0078] The functional activity of the polypeptides, and fragments,
variants derivatives, and analogs thereof, can be assayed by
various methods.
[0079] For example, in one embodiment where one is assaying for the
ability to bind or compete with full-length polypeptide of the
present invention for binding to an antibody to the full length
polypeptide, various immunoassays known in the art can be used,
including but not limited to, competitive and non-competitive assay
systems using techniques such as radioimmunoassays, ELISA (enzyme
linked immunosorbent assay), "sandwich" immunoassays,
immunoradiometric assays, gel diffusion precipitation reactions,
immunodiffusion assays, in situ immunoassays (using colloidal gold,
enzyme or radioisotope labels, for example), western blots,
precipitation reactions, agglutination assays (e.g., gel
agglutination assays, hemagglutination assays), complement fixation
assays, immunofluorescence assays, protein A assays, and
immunoelectrophoresis assays, etc. In one embodiment, antibody
binding is detected by detecting a label on the primary antibody.
In another embodiment, the primary antibody is detected by
detecting binding of a secondary antibody or reagent to the primary
antibody. In a further embodiment, the secondary antibody is
labeled. Many means are known in the art for detecting binding in
an immunoassay and are within the scope of the present
invention.
[0080] In another embodiment, where a ligand is identified, or the
ability of a polypeptide fragment, variant or derivative of the
invention to multimerize is being evaluated, binding can be
assayed, e.g., by means well-known in the art, such as, for
example, reducing and non-reducing gel chromatography, protein
affinity chromatography, and affinity blotting. See generally,
Phizicky, E., et al., Microbiol. Rev. 59:94-123 (1995). In another
embodiment, physiological correlates polypeptide of the present
invention binding to its substrates (signal transduction) can be
assayed. In addition, assays described herein (see Examples) and
otherwise known in the art may routinely be applied to measure the
ability of polypeptides of the present invention and fragments,
variants derivatives and analogs thereof to elicit polypeptide
related biological activity (either in vitro or in vivo). Other
methods will be known to the skilled artisan and are within the
scope of the invention.
Polynucleotides and Polypeptides of the Invention
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 1
[0081] The translation product of this gene shares sequence
homology with npdcf-1 which is thought to be important in promoting
the survival of bi-potential glial progenitor cells (See Genbank
Accession No. gi|456107).
[0082] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00001
LRRPSTPLRRPWLHLQLPRISLGDQRLAQSAEMY (SEQ ID NO:291)
HYQHQRQQMLSLERHKEPPKELDTALRMRRMRTE
TSRCTSARAWPRPGKWRCATICSTTPHCPRPCRP PAHRLHCHDLEADRRPLAPR,
RATQGAGHGSSDEENEDGDFTVYECPGMAPTGEM (SEQ ID NO:292)
EVRNHLFDHAALSAPLPAPSSPLALP, KAEYATAKALATPAATPDLAWGPAPGTERGDVPL (SEQ
ID NO:293) PAPTATDVVPGAA, SAEMYHYQHQRQQML, (SEQ ID NO:294)
LERHKEPPKEL, (SEQ ID NO:295) AKCPPGAHACGP, (SEQ ID NO:296)
PVHMSPLEP, (SEQ ID NO:297) WCRLQREIRLTQ, (SEQ ID NO:298)
SSDEENEDGDFTVYECPG, (SEQ ID NO:299) APTGEMEVRN, (SEQ ID NO:300)
CPGSLDCALK, (SEQ ID NO:301) NEDGDFTVYECPGMAPTGEMEV, (SEQ ID NO:302)
RPTRPSSSCVLPRCLRCSRRGARSPRRAPGLAVP (SEQ ID NO:303)
CCPGGGAEGWRRRCLRPPRGTCGCCGCCSPASSS
APPCVEPPPATRNVAACPGSLDCALKKRASVLLV
HMPVGLPSALPXGTAKACFAXMRRASXGGRAQPX LEMRLIPGPRELARKGIWTSIPP,
RCLRCSRRGARSPRRAPGLAVPCCP, (SEQ ID NO:304) and/or
GSLDCALKKRASVLLVHMPVGLPSALPXGTAKAC (SEQ ID NO:305) .
[0083] Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such
as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at
least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to
these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0084] This gene is expressed primarily in cerebellum, synovial
sarcoma, and to a lesser extent, in several other cancer cell
lines.
[0085] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
neural or skeletal disorders, particularly tumors characterized by
cells of a relatively undifferentiated state, including neural
tumors. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to those
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the synovial fluid, prostate, breast and uterus, expression of this
gene at significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely
detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g., neural, skeletal,
and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph,
serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another
tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such a
disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e., the
expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the
present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of one or both
of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 151 as residues:
Pro-6 to Arg-11, Glu-52 to Gly-59. Polynucleotides encoding said
polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0086] The tissue distribution in the cerebellum, combined with the
homology to the human npdcf-1 protein indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for diagnosing, detecting, preventing and/or treating
tumors that contain relatively high numbers of undifferentiated
cells. Moreover, this gene would be useful for the
detection/treatment of neurodegenerative disease states and
behavioural disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's
Disease, Huntington's Disease, Tourette Syndrome, schizophrenia,
mania, dementia, paranoia, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic
disorder, learning disabilities, ALS, psychoses, autism, and
altered behaviors, including disorders in feeding, sleep patterns,
balance, and perception. In addition, the gene or gene product may
also play a role in the treatment, prevention, diagnosis and/or
detection of developmental disorders associated with the developing
embryo, sexually-linked disorders, or disorders of the
cardiovascular system. Alternatively, the expression of this gene
product in synovium would indicate a role in the detection,
diganosis, prevention and/or treatment of disorders and conditions
affecting the skeletal system, in particular osteoporosis, bone
cancer, as well as, disorders afflicting connective tissues (e.g.,
arthritis, trauma, tendonitis, chrondomalacia and inflammation),
such as in the diagnosis or treatment of various autoimmune
disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, and
dermatomyositis as well as dwarfism, spinal deformation, and
specific joint abnormalities as well as chondrodysplasias (i.e.,
spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, familial osteoarthritis,
Atelosteogenesis type II, metaphyseal chondrodysplasia type
Schmid). Moreover, the protein may be useful for inducing
astroglial proliferation and promoting neuronal survival, in
addition to other highly vascular tissues. The protein can also be
used to regulate cellular metabolism (e.g., through the modulation
of protein expression). Protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0087] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO: 11 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1128 of SEQ ID NO: 11, b is an
integer of 15 to 1142, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO: 11, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 2
[0088] The translation product of this gene was found to have
homology to the RoBo-1 protein from Rattus norvegicus (see, e.g.,
Genbank Accession No.gi|2895563 (AF041083), all references
available through this accession are hereby incorporated in their
entirety by reference herein) which is thought to be important as a
mediator in bone remodeling.
[0089] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: DSHQARSRRLEALWSPSLGEVSSST (SEQ ID NO: 306). Moreover,
fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example,
fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%,
95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides,
or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0090] This gene is expressed primarily in colon, pituitary, and to
a lesser extent in fetal lung and fibrosarcoma.
[0091] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
endocrine, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, skeletal, or developmental
and proliferative disorders, particularly those effecting the
Gut/pituitary/hypothalamic axis. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the digestive system and
regulation of feeding, expression of this gene at significantly
higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues
or cell types (e.g., gastrointesinal, endocrine, developmental,
skeletal, pulmonary, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily
fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, amniotic fluid, pulmonary
surfactant or sputum, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or
another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such
a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e.,
the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the
present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of one, two or
all three of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 152 as
residues: Asn-26 to Cys-32, Cys-100 to Leu-112, Cys-128 to Ser-135.
Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the
invention.
[0092] The tissue distribution in colon and pituitary indicates
that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene
would be useful for treating disorders related to the intake and
utilization of food since this gene is expressed in the digestive
tract and a CNS site involved in regulation of weight homeostasis.
The polynucleotides and/or polypeptides corresponding to this gene
can also be used to determine biological activity, to raise
antibodies, as tissue markers, to isolate cognate ligands or
receptors, to identify agents that modulate their interactions, and
as nutritional supplements. It may also have a very wide range of
biological activities. Typical of these are cytokine, cell
proliferation/differentiation modulating activity or induction of
other cytokines; immunostimulating/immunosuppressant activities
(e.g., for treating human immunodeficiency virus infection, cancer,
autoimmune diseases and allergy); regulation of hematopoiesis
(e.g., for treating anemia or as adjunct to chemotherapy);
stimulation or growth of bone, cartilage, tendons, ligaments and/or
nerves (e.g., for treating wounds, stimulation of follicle
stimulating hormone (for control of fertility); chemotactic and
chemokinetic activities (e.g., for treating infections, tumors);
hemostatic or thrombolytic activity (e.g., for treating hemophilia,
cardiac infarction etc.); anti-inflammatory activity (e.g., for
treating septic shock, Crohn's disease); as antimicrobials; for
treating psoriasis or other hyperproliferative diseases; for
regulation of metabolism, and behavior. Also contemplated is the
use of the corresponding nucleic acid in gene therapy procedures.
Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may
show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the
above listed tissues.
[0093] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO: 12 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1020 of SEQ ID NO:12, b is an integer
of 15 to 1034, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO: 12, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 3
[0094] The translation product of this gene shares sequence
homology familial adenomatous polyposis gene which is thought to be
important in the tumorigenesis of colon cancer (see, e.g., Fulton,
Nature 368, 32-38 (1994); accession no. U28412; Joslyn et al., Cell
66 (3), 601-613 (1991); accession no. M73547; and Spirio et al.,
Nucleic Acids Res. 19 (22), 6348 (1991), all references available
through this accession are hereby incorporated in their entirety by
reference herein).
[0095] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00002 CRWRPESAAPC, (SEQ ID
NO:307) TRPGRGAQAPVK, (SEQ ID NO:308) MVSWMISRAVVLVFGMLYPAY, (SEQ
ID NO:309) GMLYPAYYSYKAVKTKN, (SEQ ID NO:310) EYVRWMMYWIVFALYTV,
(SEQ ID NO:311) YPAYYSYKAVKTKNVKE, (SEQ ID NO:312) VAWFPLYYELKIA,
(SEQ ID NO:313) and/or MVSWMISRAVVLVFGMLYPAYYSYKAVKTKNVKE (SEQ ID
NO:314) YVRWMMYWIVFALYTVIETVADQTVAWFPLYYEL
KIAFVIWLLSPYTKGASLIYRKFLHPLLSSKERE
IDDYIVQAKERGYETMVNFGRQGLNLAATAAVTA
AVKSQGAITERLRSFSMHDLTTIQGDEPVGQRPY QPLPEAKKKSXQPPVN, and/or
QXVMEFHXKTXMXKQXKKQRGHIQIMRC. (SEQ ID NO:507)
[0096] Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such
as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at
least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to
these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0097] This gene is expressed primarily in osteoclastoma, prostate,
bone marrow and to a lesser extent in testes and dendritic cells.
Northern data has demonstrated that an abundant 1.3 kb band is seen
in testes tissues.
[0098] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
colon cancer and cancers of various origin, including osteoclastoma
and prostate cancer, as well as reproductive disorders. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the
tumorigenesis and reproductive disorders, expression of this gene
at significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected
in certain tissues or cell types and cell types (e.g., bone,
prostate, reproductive, bone marrow, colon and other
gastrointestinal tissue, tissue of the nervous system, and testis
and other reproductive tissue, and cancerous and wounded tissues)
or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred
polypeptides of the present invention comprise, or alternatively
consist of one, two, or all three of the immunogenic epitopes shown
in SEQ ID NO: 153 as residues: Ser-59 to Ile-64, Ala-71 to Tyr-76,
Pro-125 to Ser-141. Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are
encompassed by the invention.
[0099] The tissue distribution in osteoclastoma, prostate, bone
marrow and homology to familial adenomatous polyposis gene
indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to
this gene would be useful for diagnosis and intervention of tumors
of various origins, including colon cancer, osteoclastoma and
prostate cancer. Alternatively, the Northern data demonstrating
expression in testes tissues indicates that polynucleotides and/or
polypeptides of the invention would be useful for the diagnosis
and/or treatment of reproductive disorders and conditions
concerning proper testicular function (e.g., endocrine function,
sperm maturation), as well as cancer. Therefore, this gene product
would be useful in the treatment of male infertility and/or
impotence. This gene product is also useful in assays designed to
identify binding agents, as such agents (antagonists) would be
useful as male contraceptive agents. Similarly, the protein is
believed to be useful in the treatment and/or diagnosis of
testicular cancer. The testes are also a site of active gene
expression of transcripts that may be expressed, particularly at
low levels, in other tissues of the body. Therefore, this gene
product may be expressed in other specific tissues or organs where
it may play related functional roles in other processes, such as
hematopoiesis, inflammation, bone formation, and kidney function,
to name a few possible target indications.
[0100] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO: 13 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1260 of SEQ ID NO: 13, b is an
integer of 15 to 1274, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:13, and where b
is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 4
[0101] The translation product of this gene shares sequence
homology with the L6 cell surface antigen, which is highly
expressed in lung, breast, colon, and ovarian carcinomas (see e.g.,
Marken et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1992 Apr. 15;89(8):3503-3507,
all references available through this accession are hereby
incorporated in their entirety by reference herein). In specific
embodiments, polypeptides of the invention comprise, or
alternatively consist of, the following amino acid sequence:
ITLCLVCIVANA (SEQ ID NO: 315). Moreover, fragments and variants of
these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as described
herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%,
99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or polypeptides
encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under stringent
conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these polypeptides) are
encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that bind polypeptides of
the invention and polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are
also encompassed by the invention.
[0102] This gene was recently cloned and sequenced by another
group, which identified the gene as a putative tetraspan
transmembrane (TM4) protein L6H from humans. The transmembrane 4
superfamily (TM4SF) or tetraspan superfamily has at least 16
members (including CD9, CD20, CD37, CD53, CD63, CD81, CD82, A15,
CO-029, Sm23, RDS, Uro B, Uro A, SAS, Rom-1, PETA3, and YKK8), is
the second biggest subfamily among CD antigen superfamilies, and
are activation antigens of T-cells. All TM4SF members contain four
putative transmembrane domains, two extracellular loops, and two
short cytoplasmic tails. They are variously expressed on immature,
early, mature, activated lymphocytes, monocytes, macrophages,
granulocytes, platelets, eosinophils, basophils, certain leukemic
and lymphoma cells, and a variety of other cells and tissues.
[0103] This gene is expressed primarily in fetal liver/spleen
tissues.
[0104] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
cancers of the liver, immune system disorders. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the
hepatic and immune system, expression of this gene at significantly
higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues
or cell types (e.g., lung and pulmonary tissue, colon and other
gastrointestinal tissue, mammary tissue, ovarian tissue and other
tissue of the reproductive system, hepatic tissue, immune system
tissues, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g.,
lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or
another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such
a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e.,
the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the
present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of one, two or
all three of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 154 as
residues: Asn-32 to Asn-41, Thr-140 to Ala-147, Asp-188 to His-197.
Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the
invention.
[0105] The murine monoclonal antibody (mAb) L6 recognizes an
integral membrane glycoprotein that is highly expressed in lung,
breast, colon, and ovarian carcinomas and is referred to as the L6
antigen. This antigen is an attractive target for therapeutic
intervention due to its high level expression on malignant cells.
The tissue distribution and homology to L6 antigen indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for detection, diganosis, prevention and/or treatment of
neoplastic tissues--particularly of the liver. The translation
product of this gene is a member of the tetraspan transmembrane
superfamily, and therefore, antigenic regions of members of this
family could be valuable immunogens or targets to implement active
and passive immunotherapy in patients with cancer. Protein, as well
as, antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a
tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0106] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:14 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 954 of SEQ ID NO:14, b is an integer
of 15 to 968, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:14, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 5
[0107] The translation product of this gene shares sequence
homology with prostaglandin EP3-9 receptor, which is thought to be
important in prostaglandin hormonal reaction.
[0108] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: MAIPAFSSCQQISSAAALQI (SEQ ID NO: 316),
and/or CNGPFKHFSFTVST (SEQ ID NO: 317). Moreover, fragments and
variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as
described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%,
97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or
polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0109] This gene is expressed primarily in human retina.
[0110] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
glaucoma or other ocular diseases. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the ocular system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
retinal and other optic tissue, tissue of the nervous system, and
cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph,
serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another
tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such a
disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e., the
expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder.
[0111] The tissue distribution in retinal tissues and the homology
to prostaglandin receptor indicates that polynucleotides and
polypeptides corresponding to this gene would be useful for the
detection and intervention of ocular diseases like glaucoma.
Specifically, the receptor can be used for the identification of
agonists or antagonists, anti-inflammatories for the eyes, and
vasoconstrictive agents, etc. Furthermore, the tissue distribution
in retina indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the treatment,
prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of eye disorders including
blindness, color blindness, impaired vision, short and long
sightedness, retinitis pigmentosa, retinitis proliferans, and
retinoblastoma.
[0112] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO: 15 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 787 of SEQ ID NO: 15, b is an integer
of 15 to 801, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO: 15, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 6
[0113] The translation product of this gene shares sequence
homology with Cortical granule lectin which is thought to be
important in blocking polyspermy (see, e.g., Genbank Accession No.
gnl|PID|e1181610, all references available through this accession
are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference herein).
[0114] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: RSCKEIKD (SEQ ID NO: 318), GGGWTLVASVHEN
(SEQ ID NO: 319), ADYPEGDGNWANYNTFGSA (SEQ ID NO: 320),
ATSDDYKNPGYYDI (SEQ ID NO: 321), CIGGGGYFPEA (SEQ ID NO: 322),
DSDKIT (SEQ ID NO: 324), YQTFCDMT (SEQ ID NO: 325), and/or
EITEAAVLLFY (SEQ ID NO: 323). Moreover, fragments and variants of
these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as described
herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%,
99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or polypeptides
encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under stringent
conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these polypeptides) are
encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that bind polypeptides of
the invention and polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are
also encompassed by the invention.
[0115] This gene is expressed primarily in benign and metastatic
colon, and to a lesser extent in HEL cells.
[0116] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
gastrointestinal, reproductive, or developmental disorders,
particularly cancer, or inflammatory conditions. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the
digestive system, expression of this gene at significantly higher
or lower levels may be detected in certain tissues or cell types
(e.g., gastrointestinal, reproductive, proliferating, and cancerous
and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma,
seminal fluid, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another
tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such a
disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e., the
expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the
present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of one or both
of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 156 as residues:
Arg-15 to Ser-33, Pro-35 to Cys-41. Polynucleotides encoding said
polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0117] The tissue distribution in colon, combined with the homology
to cortical granule lectins indicates that polynucleotides and
polypeptides corresponding to this gene would be useful for
treating, preventing, detecting, and/or diagnosing disorders of the
colon. These may include diseases related to damage or chronic
inflammation as well as tumors of the colon. The product may also
be useful for the identification of colon cancer metastasis and, as
a secreted protein, may have diagnostic and prognostic
applications. Moreover, the protein would be useful in the
treatment, detection, and/or prevention of reproductive disorders,
particularly normal testicular function, in addition having utility
in the development of contraceptives, or in the treatment of
polyspermy. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tumors and tissues.
[0118] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO: 16 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1184 of SEQ ID NO: 16, b is an
integer of 15 to 1198, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:16, and where b
is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 7
[0119] The translation product of this gene shares sequence
homology with human squamous cell E48 antigen which is thought to
be important in self-recognition and immune function.
[0120] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00003
MMATPSTRPPPPAASTTSATAPALPPRPPWPWPP (SEQ ID NO:326)
SSWPPSGVSSKAPEADPLKNKAL; LLLTSPLPRCPPACSHDAPAHPDPGGPHGLTSGPGLGLPR
(SEQ ID NO:327) VCLQRRQLLQPHALPGYGCLLHDHAHLLHPHQDEGQ; and/or
WLLQARVHHLLLPVRPLQRHRPCHPGHPGPGPHPPGHPLG (SEQ ID NO:328)
SPLKPPRQTHSRTKLS.
[0121] Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such
as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at
least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to
these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0122] When tested against K562 leukemia cell lines, supernatants
removed from cells containing this gene activated the ISRE assay.
Thus, it is likely that this gene activates leukemia cells through
the Jak-STAT signal transduction pathway. The interferon-sensitive
response element is a promoter element found upstream of many genes
which are involved in the Jak-STAT pathway. The Jak-STAT pathway is
a large, signal transduction pathway involved in the
differentiation and proliferation of cells. Therefore, activation
of the Jak-STAT pathway, reflected by the binding of the ISRE
element, can be used to indicate proteins involved in the
proliferation and differentiation of cells.
[0123] This gene is expressed primarily in adult brain, and to a
lesser extent in fetal lung.
[0124] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
autoimmune disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies
directed to these polypeptides would be useful in providing
immunological probes for differential identification of the
tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the above
tissues or cells, particularly of the immune system, expression of
this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely
detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g., immune, cancerous
and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma,
urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell
sample taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to
the standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the present invention comprise,
or alternatively consist of one, two or all three of the
immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 157 as residues: Tyr-28 to
Phe-34, Thr-54 to Val-60, Tyr-73 to Thr-82. Polynucleotides
encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0125] The tissue distribution and homology to human squamous cell
E48 antigen indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for study, diagnosis,
detection, prevention and/or treatment of autoimmune diseases and
disorders, such as lupus, transplant rejection, allergic reactions,
and arthritis. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tissue-specific marker and/or
immunotherapy target for the above listed tissues.
[0126] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO: 17 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 599 of SEQ ID NO: 17, b is an integer
of 15 to 613, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO: 17, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 8
[0127] The translation product of this gene was shown to have
homology to the mammalian notch I protein which has been shown to
be important in the regulation of cell-fate during pattern
formation and development (see, e.g., Genbank Accession No.
gi|57635, all references available through this accession are
hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference herein).
[0128] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00004
KHEXHQVSDGALRCFASLADRFTRRGVDPAPLAK (SEQ ID NO:329)
HGLTEELLSRMAAAGGTVSGPSSACKPXRSTTGA
PSTTADSKLSNQVSTIVSLLSTLCRGSPVVTHDL
LRSELPDSIESALQGDERCVLDTMRLVDFLLVLL
FEGRKALPKSSAGSTGRIPGLRRLDSSGERSHRQ
LIDCIRSKDTDALIDAIDTGAFEVNFMDDVGQTL
LNWASAFGTQEMVEFLCERGADVNRGQRSSSLHY
AACFGRPQVAKTLLRHGANPDLRDEDGKTPLDKA RERGHSEVVAILQSPGDWMCPVNKGDDK,
PLDKARERGHSEVVAIL, (SEQ ID NO:330) AKTLLRHGANPDLRD, (SEQ ID NO:331)
GRGRAWLCRRPVGSWIGAVWNDKPDKETFKKPWQ (SEQ ID NO:332)
MWTQIHCWNGYRWDXXDXKD, SWIGAVWNDKPDKETFKKPWQMW, (SEQ ID NO:333)
KTMADVDPDTLLEWLQMGXGRXKGHATN TP, (SEQ ID NO:334)
RGVDPAPLAKHGLTEELLSRMAAAGGTVSGPSSA (SEQ ID NO:335) ,
RSTTGAPSTTADSKLSNQVSTIVSLLSTLCR, (SEQ ID NO:336)
FEVNFMDDVGQTLLNWASAFGTQEMVEFLCERGA (SEQ ID NO:337) , and/or
EDGKTPLDKARERGHSEVVAILQSPGDW. (SEQ ID NO:338)
[0129] Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such
as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at
least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to
these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0130] This gene is expressed primarily in endothelial cells.
[0131] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
vascular disorders, particularly diseases involving angiogenic
abnormalities including diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration,
and other diseases including arterioscerosis, stroke, aneurysm,
embolism, and cancer. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies
directed to these polypeptides would be useful in providing
immunological probes for differential identification of the
tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the above
tissues or cells, particularly of the vascular system, expression
of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may be
routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
endothelial, vascular, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily
fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and
spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue from
an individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides of
the present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of the
immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 158 as residues: Asp-17 to
Phe-23. Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed
by the invention.
[0132] The tissue distribution in endothelial cells indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for treating, detecting, preventing and/or diagnosing
diseases where an increase or decrease in angiogenesis is indicated
and as a factor in the wound healing process. Polynucleotides
and/or polypeptides corresponding to this gene would be useful in
the treatment of cancer cells and tissues, particularly in
inhibiting angiogenesis of the invading tumor. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
Alternatively, considering the homology to the Notch I protein,
polynucleotides and/or polypeptides corresponding to this gene may
show utility in the detection/treatment of neurodegenerative
disease states and behavioural disorders such as Alzheimer's
Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Disease, Tourette
Syndrome, schizophrenia, mania, dementia, paranoia, obsessive
compulsive disorder, panic disorder, learning disabilities, ALS,
psychoses, autism, and altered behaviors, including disorders in
feeding, sleep patterns, balance, and perception. In addition, the
gene or gene product may also play a role in the treatment,
prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of developmental disorders
associated with the developing embryo, sexually-linked disorders,
or disorders of the cardiovascular system. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0133] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO: 18 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1607 of SEQ ID NO: 18, b is an
integer of 15 to 1621, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO: 18, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 9
[0134] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00005 KADVKWHMCLQSPLCGLFCSIEGVLK,
(SEQ ID NO:339) ACMNPAMCFVCACPHTGSTPEKAILQGRLISLGT (SEQ ID NO:340)
SLSPASNGSGQQSFSICMINPSLPXSTSSHHLFS
VLTGDLDSYSQRKLKPTSRKSFLLPKTQTYXVXH
PSSPPLVLVQHRSPLSTYPKPVPSCCALDLISVI
ALETFLVYIHLFPSIDLSYWILSMLQPLLLIKQQ
STKTLSLNCMLYSSYYLISFLSFKAKVLRRGGNI LHHFFTSYSFFNTY,
CPHTGSTPEKAILQGRLISLGTSLSPAS, (SEQ ID NO:341)
QHRSPLSTYPKPVPSCCALDLISV, (SEQ ID NO:342) and/or
IKQQSTKTLSLNCMLYSSYYLISFLSFKA. (SEQ ID NO:343)
[0135] Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such
as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at
least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to
these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0136] This gene is expressed primarily in neutrophils.
[0137] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immune and/or haematological disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
immune, hematopoietic and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily
fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and
spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred
polypeptides of the present invention comprise, or alternatively
consist of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 159 as
residues: Pro-55 to Ser-66. Polynucleotides encoding said
polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0138] The tissue distribution in neutrophils indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, treatment, and/or prevention of a
variety of immune system disorders. Expression of this gene product
indicates a role in regulating the proliferation; survival;
differentiation; and/or activation of hematopoietic cell lineages,
including blood stem cells. This gene product may be involved in
the regulation of cytokine production, antigen presentation, or
other processes that may also indicate a usefulness in the
treatment of cancer (e.g. by boosting immune responses). Since the
gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid origin, the natural gene
product may be involved in immune functions. Therefore it may be
also used as an agent for immunological disorders including
arthritis, asthma, immunodeficiency diseases such as AIDS,
leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, granulomatous disease, inflammatory
bowel disease, sepsis, acne, neutropenia, neutrophilia, psoriasis,
hypersensitivities, such as T-cell mediated cytotoxicity; immune
reactions to transplanted organs and tissues, such as
host-versus-graft and graft-versus-host diseases, or autoimmunity
disorders, such as autoimmune infertility, lense tissue injury,
demyelination, systemic lupus erythematosis, drug induced hemolytic
anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's disease, scleroderma and
tissues. In addition, this gene product may have commercial utility
in the expansion of stem cells and committed progenitors of various
blood lineages, and in the differentiation and/or proliferation of
various cell types. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0139] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO: 19 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1108 of SEQ ID NO: 19, b is an
integer of 15 to 1122, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:19, and where b
is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 10
[0140] The translation product of this gene shares sequence
homology with retinal epithelial membrane protein (REMP), which is
thought to be important in development and maintenance of normal
retinal function (see e.g., Philp et al., Exp. Cell Res. 219 (1),
64-73 (1995); and Genbank Accession No. U15685, all references
available through this accession are hereby incorporated in their
entirety by reference herein). The translation product of this gene
also shares homology with monocarboxylate transporter protein (see,
e.g., Genbank Accession No. U87627, all references available
through this accession are hereby incorporated in their entirety by
reference herein). Another group recently cloned and sequenced this
gene, describing it as a monocarboxylate transporter protein
(Genbank Accession No. gi|2463634, all references available through
this accession are hereby incorporated in their entirety by
reference herein). In quantitative terms, lactic acid is one of the
most important metabolites in the body, substantial amounts being
used and/or produced by almost all mammalian cells. As such it must
be rapidly transported into and out of cells. Lactic acid transport
across the plasma membrane is catalysed by proton-linked
monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs), which are also responsible for
the transport of pyruvate and the ketone bodies acetoacetate,
-hydroxybutyrate and acetate.
[0141] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: FLCALSPLGQLLQDRYGWRGGFLILGGL (SEQ ID NO:
344), LLNCCVCAALMRPLVVTAQPGXGPPRP (SEQ ID NO: 345), and/or
SRRLXDLSVFRDRGFVLYAVAASVM (SEQ ID NO: 346). Moreover, fragments and
variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as
described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%,
97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or
polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0142] The gene encoding the disclosed cDNA is thought to reside on
chromosome 17. Accordingly, polynucleotides related to this
invention would be useful as a marker in linkage analysis for
chromosome 17.
[0143] This gene is expressed primarily in neutrophils, and to a
lesser extent in a variety of other tissues and cell types,
including retina.
[0144] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to, eye,
and metabolic and cellular transport disorders. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the eye
and immune system, expression of this gene at significantly higher
or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or
cell types and cell types (e.g., retinal cells, neutrophils and
other blood cells, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily
fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and
spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0145] The tissue distribution in retinal tissue and the homology
to REMP indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the diagnosis,
treatment, and/or prevention of eye disorders, including neoplasms,
visual impairments and blindness. Alternatively, the homology to
monocarboxylate transporter protein indicates that the translation
product of this gene would be useful for the diagnosis and/or
treatment of disorders involving the cellular transport of lactic
acid into and out of the cell.
[0146] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:20 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1354 of SEQ ID NO:20, b is an integer
of 15 to 1368, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:20, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 11
[0147] This gene is expressed primarily in human stomach
cancers.
[0148] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
gastointestinal disorders, particularly cancer. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the
cancer, expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower
levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types
(e.g., endothelial, gastrointestinal, and cancerous and wounded
tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine,
chyme, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell
sample taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to
the standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder.
[0149] The tissue distribution in tumors of the stomach indicates
that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene
would be useful for the diagnosis, detection, treatment, and/or
prevention of these tumors, in addition to other tumors in other
tissues. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tissue-specific marker and/or
immunotherapy target for the above listed tissues.
[0150] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:21 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1174 of SEQ ID NO:21, b is an integer
of 15 to 1188, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:21, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 12
[0151] The gene encoding the disclosed cDNA is thought to reside on
chromosome 4. Accordingly, polynucleotides related to this
invention would be useful as a marker in linkage analysis for
chromosome 4.
[0152] When tested against a Jurkat T-cell line, supernatants
removed from cells containing this gene activated the GAS (gamma
activation site) pathway. Thus, it is likely that this gene
activates T-cells through the Jaks-STAT signal transduction
pathway. The GAS is a promoter element found upstream in many genes
which are involved in the Jaks-STAT pathway. The Jaks-STAT pathway
is a complex, signal transduction pathway involved in the
differentiation and proliferation of cells. Therefore, activation
of the Jaks-STATs pathway, reflected by the binding of the GAS
element, can be used to indicate proteins involved in the
proliferation and differentiation of cells.
[0153] This gene is expressed primarily in brain.
[0154] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
neurodegenerative conditions and behavioural disorders. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the brain
and central nervous system, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., brain and other tissues of the
nervous system, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids
(e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal
fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual
having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression
level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid
from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides
of the present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of the
immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 162 as residues: Asp-57 to
Gly-64. Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed
by the invention.
[0155] The tissue distribution of this gene primarily in brain
indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to
this gene would be useful for the treatment, prevention, diagnosis
and/or detection of neurodegenerative disease states and
behavioural disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's
Disease, Huntington's Disease, schizophrenia, mania, dementia,
paranoia, obsessive compulsive disorder and panic disorder. In
addition, the gene or gene product may also play a role in the
treatment, prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of developmental
disorders associated with the developing embryo, or sexually-linked
disorders. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0156] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:22 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 907 of SEQ ID NO:22, b is an integer
of 15 to 921, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:22, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 13
[0157] This gene is expressed primarily in the spongy tissue from
Alzheimer's brain.
[0158] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
neural disorders, which include, but are not limited to Alzheimer's
disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the
central nervous system, expression of this gene at significantly
higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues
or cell types (e.g., neural, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or
bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred
polypeptides of the present invention comprise, or alternatively
consist of one, two, three, or all four of the immunogenic epitopes
shown in SEQ ID NO: 163 as residues: Ser-31 to Ala-37, Ala-50 to
Tyr-55, Phe-63 to Arg-68, His-83 to Pro-89. Polynucleotides
encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0159] The tissue distribution in spongy tissue from Alzheimer's
patient indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the
detection/treatment of neurodegenerative disease states and
behavioural disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's
Disease, Huntington's Disease, Tourette Syndrome, schizophrenia,
mania, dementia, paranoia, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic
disorder, learning disabilities, ALS, psychoses, autism, and
altered behaviors, including disorders in feeding, sleep patterns,
balance, and perception. In addition, the gene or gene product may
also play a role in the treatment, prevention, diagnosis and/or
detection of developmental disorders associated with the developing
embryo. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0160] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:23 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1824 of SEQ ID NO:23, b is an integer
of 15 to 1838, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:23, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 14
[0161] The gene encoding the disclosed cDNA is thought to reside on
chromosome 19. Accordingly, polynucleotides related to this
invention would be useful as a marker in linkage analysis for
chromosome 19.
[0162] The translation product of this gene is a transmembrane
protein that forms disulfide-bonded homodimers and contains a motif
in its cytoplasmic domain (located at the carboxy terminus of the
protein relative to the transmembrane domain) that functions as an
adaptor for associating protein complexes involved in triggering
cellular activation. The transmembrane domain is predicted to
consist of the amino acid sequence: VLAGIVMGDLVLTVLIALAVYFLG (SEQ
ID NO: 528).
[0163] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00006 QAQSDCSCSTVSPG, (SEQ ID
NO:347) VLAGIVMGDLVLTVLIALAVYFLG, (SEQ ID NO:348)
VPRGRGAAEATRKQRITETESPYQELQGQRSDVY (SEQ ID NO:349) SDL, and/or
ETESPYQELQGQRSDVYSDLNT. (SEQ ID NO:350)
Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as,
for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least
80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these
polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which
hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0164] This gene is expressed primarily in macrophage, and to a
lesser extent in primary dendritic cells and neutrophils.
[0165] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immunologically mediated disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types and cell
types (e.g., blood cells, and cells and tissue of the immune
system, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g.,
lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or
another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such
a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e.,
the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the
present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of one or both
of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 164 as residues:
Ala-28 to Ser-33, Ala-76 to Lys-111. Polynucleotides encoding said
polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0166] The tissue distribution in immune tissues indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, treatment, and/or prevention of immune
disorders including: leukemias, lymphomas, auto-immunities,
immunodeficiencies (e.g., AIDS), immuno-supressive conditions
(transplantation) and hematopoietic disorders. Furthermore,
expression of this gene product in macrophage and primary dendritic
cells also strongly indicates a role for this protein in immune
function and immune surveillance. Protein, as well as, antibodies
directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker
and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0167] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:24 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 683 of SEQ ID NO:24, b is an integer
of 15 to 697, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:24, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 15
[0168] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group:
LVCYCSTKKEKKLHEIAIQQGQNWRWLLFYKEISVPGFQSVWCSYKCLCVV WKAGEGG (SEQ ID
NO: 351), RRSCSGPPLVNTAGKILSSSPAKLACKRTDFHIPSI (SEQ ID NO: 352),
RASILGIDNERGCHFRHFNPLKEYKRKKKENKSFRIV (SEQ ID NO: 353),
SKNKTRGGDWCVTVLRKRRKSFMKSPFSKDRTGDGFSFTKKSLSQAFSLFGV
HTSVCVLCGRRGKAGEGGPVQGPLW (SEQ ID NO: 354), and/or
MKSPFSKDRTGDGFSFTKKSLSQAFSLFGVHTSVCVLCGRRGKAGEGGPVQG PLW (SEQ ID
NO: 355). Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides
(such as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides
at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical
to these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0169] This gene is expressed primarily in meningima and
neutrophils and to a lesser extent in anergic T cells and CD34
depleted buffy coat.
[0170] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
inflammatory, immune and hemopoietic disorders. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the
hemopoietic, immune and inflammatory systems, expression of this
gene at significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely
detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g., immune, cancerous
and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma,
urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell
sample taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to
the standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the present invention comprise,
or alternatively consist of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ
ID NO: 165 as residues: Glu-45 to Asn-50. Polynucleotides encoding
said polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0171] The tissue distribution in immune tissues indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the study, diagnosis and treatment of various
disorders and diseases of the immune, inflammatory, and hemopoietic
systems. Furthermore, the tissue distribution indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis and/or treatment of hematopoietic
disorders. This gene product is primarily expressed in
hematopoietic cells and tissues, indicateing that it plays a role
in the survival, proliferation, and/or differentiation of
hematopoieitic lineages. Expression of this gene product in T cells
and neutrophils also strongly indicates a role for this protein in
immune function and immune surveillance. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0172] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:25 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 614 of SEQ ID NO:25, b is an integer
of 15 to 628, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:25, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 16
[0173] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00007
MGKRAHEVRRPPHSRPLHGTPAGWVLDPSGYKDV (SEQ ID NO:356)
TQDAEVMEVLQNLYRTKSFLFVGCGETLRDQIFQ
ALFLYSVPNKVDLEHYMLVLKENEDHFFKHQADM
LLHGIKVVSYGDCFDHFPGYVQDLATQICKQQSP GHLYSNSWSATPDGRGGP,
VLDPSGYKDVTQDAEVMEVLQNLYRT, (SEQ ID NO:357) YSVPNKVDLEHY
MLVLKENEDHFFKH, (SEQ ID NO:358) DLATQICKQQSPGHLYSNSWSATPD, (SEQ ID
NO:359) RRMKTISLSIRQICFCTESKLYPTGTVLTTFQDM (SEQ ID NO:360)
CKTLPLRSANSKAQDICTRIHGVPLLMGEEAHDS
DSHASDRGHHTMLPLPAGSFSESSHQAWEVEMLI AWTAPHYWVMHARTVQRGS,
TESKLYPTGTVLTTFQDMCKTLPLRSA, (SEQ ID NO:361) and/or
LMGEEAHDSDSHASDRGHHTMLPLPAG. (SEQ ID NO:362)
[0174] Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such
as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at
least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to
these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0175] This gene is expressed primarily in endothelial cells, and
to a lesser extent in lymph node, tonsils, heart and spinal
cord.
[0176] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
vascular diseases, such as restenosis, including disorders of the
integumentary system. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies
directed to these polypeptides would be useful in providing
immunological probes for differential identification of the
tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the above
tissues or cells, particularly of the vascular system, expression
of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may be
routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
vascular, integumentary, immune, hematopoietic, neural,
cardiovascular, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids
(e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal
fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual
having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression
level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid
from an individual not having the disorder.
[0177] The tissue distribution in endothelial cells indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for treating, preventing, detecting and/or diagnosing
diseases of the vasculature including problems associated with
diabetes and restenosis following angioplasty. Moreover, the
protein would be useful in the detection, treatment, and/or
prevention of a variety of other vascular conditions, which
include, but are not limited to, stroke, microvascular disease,
aneurysm, vascular leak syndrome, or embolism. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0178] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:26 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1408 of SEQ ID NO:26, b is an integer
of 15 to 1422, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:26, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 17
[0179] This gene is expressed primarily in synovial tissue.
[0180] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
arthritis, tendonitis and chrondomalacia. Similarly, polypeptides
and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the synovium, expression of
this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely
detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g., synovial tissue,
and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph,
serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another
tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such a
disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e., the
expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder.
[0181] The tissue distribution in synovial tissues indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the treatment, prevention, detection and/or diagnosis
of connective tissue disorders such as arthritis, tendonitis,
chrondomalacia, inflammation and trauma. In addition, the
expression of this gene product in synovium indicates a role in the
detection, diganosis, prevention and/or treatment of disorders and
conditions affecting the skeletal system, in particular
osteoporosis as well as disorders afflicting connective tissues
(e.g., arthritis, trauma, tendonitis, chrondomalacia and
inflammation), such as in the diagnosis or treatment of various
autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus,
scleroderma, and dermatomyositis as well as dwarfism, spinal
deformation, and specific joint abnormalities as well as
chondrodysplasias (ie. spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenital
familial osteoarthritis, Atelosteogenesis type II, metaphyseal
chondrodysplasia type Schmid). Protein, as well as, antibodies
directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker
and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0182] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:27 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 781 of SEQ ID NO:27, b is an integer
of 15 to 795, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:27, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 18
[0183] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: VDPPGCRNSARGCTRLLRGSSKI (SEQ ID NO: 363). Moreover,
fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example,
fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%,
95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides,
or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0184] This gene is expressed primarily in the frontal cortex of
the brain.
[0185] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
developmental and neurodegenerative diseases of the brain.
Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to these
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the central nervous system, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., brain and other tissue of the
nervous system, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids
(e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal
fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual
having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression
level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid
from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides
of the present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of the
immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 168 as residues: Ser-4 to
Tyr-13. Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed
by the invention.
[0186] The tissue distribution in brain indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the detection, diganosis, prevention and/or treatment
of developmental and neurodegenerative diseases of the brain and
nervous system, including malignancies as well as behavioral
disorders. Examples of such conditions might include: depression,
schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease,
Huntington's disease, mania, dementia, paranoia, addictive behavior
and sleep disorders. Furthermore, elevated expression of this gene
product within the frontal cortex of the brain indicates that it
may be involved in neuronal survival; synapse formation;
conductance; neural differentiation, etc. Such involvement may
impact many processes, such as learning and cognition. It may also
be useful in the treatment of such neurodegenerative disorders as
schizophrenia; ALS; or Alzheimer's.
[0187] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:28 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 563 of SEQ ID NO:28, b is an integer
of 15 to 577, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:28, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 19
[0188] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00008
MSTGDGRDAEKGWPVSEEENQRSVYPGYPECDER (SEQ ID NO:364)
QAVPQHCAIASPSSLQSHHPASACVPRR, QQMTLGTKIKWGQLQRGQEIPTGDFTVRNFMRFS
(SEQ ID NO:365) IIYC, and/or PFLFCASRIRXQGIGIHGQVACSAVRMYNNR. (SEQ
ID NO:366)
Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as,
for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least
80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these
polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which
hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0189] The gene encoding the disclosed cDNA is thought to reside on
chromosome 10. Accordingly, polynucleotides related to this
invention would be useful as a marker in linkage analysis for
chromosome 10.
[0190] This gene is expressed primarily in neutrophils and
activated monocytes.
[0191] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immune and hematopoietic disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune and
hematopoietic systems, expression of this gene at significantly
higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues
or cell types (e.g., immune, cancerous and wounded tissues) or
bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred
polypeptides of the present invention comprise, or alternatively
consist of one or both of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID
NO: 169 as residues: Met-1 to Ser-6, Pro-29 to Ser-34.
Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the
invention.
[0192] The tissue distribution in monocytes and neutrophils
indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to
this gene would be useful for the study, diagnosis, detection,
prevention and/or treatment of diseases of the immune and
hematopoietic systems. Expression of this gene product in monocytes
and neutrophils also strongly indicates a role for this protein in
immune function and immune surveillance. This gene product may be
involved in the regulation of cytokine production, antigen
presentation, or other processes that may also indicate a
usefulness in the treatment of cancer (e.g. by boosting immune
responses). Since the gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid
origin, the gene or protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues. Protein, as
well as, antibodies directed against the protein may show utility
as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0193] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:29 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 742 of SEQ ID NO:29, b is an integer
of 15 to 756, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:29, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 20
[0194] The protein of the invention has sequence identity to the
Saccharomyces cerevisiae ankyrin repeat-containing protein (see,
e.g., Genbank Accession Nol gi|466522, all references available
through this accession are hereby incorporated in their entirety by
reference herein). The translation product of this gene also shares
homology with C. elegans protein C43H6.7 gene product (see, e.g.,
Genbank Accession No. gi|1255324, all references available through
this accession are hereby incorporated in their entirety by
reference herein).
[0195] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group:
KCIYPKPARTHHCSICNRCVLKMDHHCPWLNNCVGHYNHRYFFSFCFFMTL
GCVYCSYGSWDLFREAYAAIEKMKQLDKNKLQAVANQTYHQTPPPTFSFRE R (SEQ ID NO:
367), ARGHWNLILIVFHYYQAITTPPGYPPQGRNDIATVSIC (SEQ ID NO: 368),
WQCELDCVSHDSSTHSAPYVISRASKGSFSQNP (SEQ ID NO: 369),
SKRASGPALGYHAGQFKDQPFYHCRRKTQCGEILGLTSLYSGKQKFQPQTRG
QAASYLPCPVLTRTSSRIQHWSWPPPLLLAV (SEQ ID NO: 370),
ESLQLRLLGQLEGIPGCGYRKALAYSGALTF (SEQ ID NO: 371), and/or
SLAPWEWNELGAPSLGDCSLSLCDGSVSWTVSATTRALILLPMLFQGPPRAA FLRILDQKEPVGLP
(SEQ ID NO: 372). Moreover, fragments and variants of these
polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as described herein,
polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or
100% identical to these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a
polynucleotide which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the
polynucleotide encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the
invention. Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0196] This gene is expressed primarily in endometrial tumor, colon
tumor, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer.
[0197] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
a number of types of cancers, particularly endometrial, prostate,
ovarian, and colon cancers. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies
directed to these polypeptides would be useful in providing
immunological probes for differential identification of the
tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the above
tissues or cells, particularly of the endometrium, prostate, colon,
and ovary, expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower
levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types
(e.g., prostate, colon, ovary, endometrium, cancerous and wounded
tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine,
synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample
taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to the
standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the present invention comprise,
or alternatively consist of one, two or all three of the
immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 170 as residues: Asn-43 to
Arg-49, Phe-57 to Cys-65, Pro-93 to Ser-99. Polynucleotides
encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0198] The tissue distribution in prostate cancer, ovarian cancer,
colon cancer, and endometrial cancer tissues indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, detection, prevention, and/or
treatment of diseases and cancers of the prostate, ovaries, colon,
and endometrium, as well as cancers of other tissues where
expression has been observed. Protein, as well as, antibodies
directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker
and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0199] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:30 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1282 of SEQ ID NO:30, b is an integer
of 15 to 1296, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:30, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 21
[0200] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: LKCTIYGGA (SEQ ID NO: 373). Moreover, fragments and
variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as
described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%,
97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or
polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0201] This gene is expressed primarily in neutrophils.
[0202] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
diseases of the immune system, including inflammatory diseases and
allergies. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to these
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the immune system, expression of this gene at significantly higher
or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or
cell types (e.g., immune, haematopoeitic, and cancerous and wounded
tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine,
synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample
taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to the
standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the present invention comprise,
or alternatively consist of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ
ID NO: 171 as residues: Gln-36 to Lys-41. Polynucleotides encoding
said polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0203] The tissue distribution in neutrophils indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, treatment, and/or prevention of a
variety of immune system disorders. Expression of this gene product
indicates a role in regulating the proliferation; survival;
differentiation; and/or activation of hematopoietic cell lineages,
including blood stem cells. This gene product may be involved in
the regulation of cytokine production, antigen presentation, or
other processes that may also indicate a usefulness in the
treatment of cancer (e.g. by boosting immune responses). Since the
gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid origin, the natural gene
product may be involved in immune functions. Therefore it may be
also used as an agent for immunological disorders including
arthritis, asthma, immunodeficiency diseases such as AIDS,
leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, granulomatous disease, inflammatory
bowel disease, sepsis, acne, neutropenia, neutrophilia, psoriasis,
hypersensitivities, such as T-cell mediated cytotoxicity; immune
reactions to transplanted organs and tissues, such as
host-versus-graft and graft-versus-host diseases, or autoimmunity
disorders, such as autoimmune infertility, lense tissue injury,
demyelination, systemic lupus erythematosis, drug induced hemolytic
anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's disease, scleroderma and
tissues. In addition, this gene product may have commercial utility
in the expansion of stem cells and committed progenitors of various
blood lineages, and in the differentiation and/or proliferation of
various cell types. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0204] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:31 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1546 of SEQ ID NO:31, b is an integer
of 15 to 1560, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:31, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 22
[0205] The translation product of this gene shares sequence
homology with bovine and human uroplakin III which is thought to be
important in urothelial differentiation (see, e.g., Genbank
Accession Nos. d10226610 and gi|304261|gb|AAC37309.1 |; all
references available through these accession are hereby
incorporated by reference herein). The translation product of this
gene also shares sequence homology with the human hPMS2R6 gene
(see, e.g., Genbank Accession No. >gi|1061426|gb|AAA97460.1|;
all references available through this accession are hereby
incorporated by reference herein) which is a member of the hPMS2
family. The hPMS2 gene (HGMW-approved symbol PMS2) encodes a mutL
homolog that causes hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC)
when inherited in mutant form.
[0206] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00009 ASIDTWPGRRSGGMIVITSI (SEQ
ID NO:374) and/or GSPQAETRWSDPIALHQGKSPASIDTWPGRRSGG (SEQ ID
NO:375) MIVITSI.
Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as,
for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least
80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these
polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which
hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0207] The polypeptide encoded by this gene has been determined to
have a transmembrane domain at about amino acid position 59 to
about 75, and at about 203 to about 219 of the amino acid sequence
referenced in Table 1A for this gene. Based upon these
characteristics, it is believed that the protein product of this
gene shares structural features to type IIIa membrane proteins.
[0208] This gene is expressed primarily in ovarian tumor.
[0209] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
reproductive or endocrine disorders, particularly proliferative
conditions such as ovarian cancer. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the reproductive system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
reproductive, endocrine, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or
bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, vaginal pool, plasma, urine,
synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample
taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to the
standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the present invention comprise,
or alternatively consist of one, two, three, four, or all five of
the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 172 as residues: Phe-3
to Gly-9, Ala-80 to Ala-91, Asp-119 to Arg-125, Ala-167 to Asp-179,
Trp-195 to Gly-201. Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are
encompassed by the invention.
[0210] FIGS. 1A-C show the nucleotide (SEQ ID NO:32) and deduced
amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO: 172) corresponding to this
gene.
[0211] Table 6 shows an analysis of the amino acid sequence (SEQ ID
NO: 172). Alpha, beta, turn and coil regions; hydrophilicity and
hydrophobicity; amphipathic regions; flexible regions; antigenic
index and surface probability are shown, and all were generated
using the default settings of the recited computer algorithms. In
the "Antigenic Index or Jameson-Wolf" graph, the positive peaks
indicate locations of the highly antigenic regions of the protein,
i.e., regions from which epitope-bearing peptides of the invention
can be obtained. Polypeptides comprising, or alternatively
consisting of, domains defined by these graphs are contemplated by
the present invention, as are polynucleotides encoding these
polypeptides.
[0212] The columns in Table 6 are labeled with the headings "Res",
"Position", and Roman Numerals I-XIV. The column headings refer to
the following features of the amino acid sequence presented in
Table 6: "Res": amino acid residue of SEQ ID NO:172 and FIGS. 1A-C;
"Position": position of the corresponding residue within SEQ ID
NO:172 and FIGS. 1A-C; I: Alpha, Regions--Garnier-Robson; II:
Alpha, Regions--Chou-Fasman; III: Beta, Regions--Garnier-Robson;
IV: Beta, Regions--Chou-Fasman; V: Turn, Regions--Garnier-Robson;
VI: Turn, Regions--Chou-Fasman; VII: Coil, Regions--Garnier-Robson;
VIII: Hydrophilicity Plot-Kyte-Doolittle; IX: Hydrophobicity
Plot--Hopp-Woods; X: Alpha, Amphipathic Regions--Eisenberg; XI:
Beta, Amphipathic Regions--Eisenberg; XII: Flexible
Regions--Karplus-Schulz; XIII: Antigenic Index--Jameson-Wolf; and
XIV: Surface Probability Plot-Emini.
[0213] Preferred embodiments of the invention in this regard
include fragments that comprise, or alternatively consisting of,
one or more of the following regions: alpha-helix and alpha-helix
forming regions ("alpha-regions"), beta-sheet and beta-sheet
forming regions ("beta-regions"), turn and turn-forming regions
("turn-regions"), coil and coil-forming regions ("coil-regions"),
hydrophilic regions, hydrophobic regions, alpha amphipathic
regions, beta amphipathic regions, flexible regions,
surface-forming regions and high antigenic index regions. The data
representing the structural or functional attributes of the protein
set forth in Table 6, as described above, was generated using the
various modules and algorithms of the DNA*STAR set on default
parameters. In a preferred embodiment, the data presented in
columns VIII, IX, XIII, and XIV of Table 6 can be used to determine
regions of the protein which exhibit a high degree of potential for
antigenicity. Regions of high antigenicity are determined from the
data presented in columns VIII, IX, XIII, and/or XIV by choosing
values which represent regions of the polypeptide which are likely
to be exposed on the surface of the polypeptide in an environment
in which antigen recognition may occur in the process of initiation
of an immune response.
[0214] Certain preferred regions in these regards may, as shown in
Table 6, be represented or identified by using tabular
representations of the data. The DNA*STAR computer algorithm (set
on the original default parameters) was used to present the data in
a tabular format (See Table 6). The tabular format of the data is
used to easily determine specific boundaries of a preferred
region.
[0215] The present invention is further directed to fragments of
the polynucleotide sequences described herein. By a fragment of,
for example, the polynucleotide sequence of a deposited cDNA or the
nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:32, is intended
polynucleotide fragments at least about 15 nt, and more preferably
at least about 20 nt, at least about 25 nt, still more preferably
at least about 30 nt, at least about 35 nt, and even more
preferably, at least about 40 nt in length, at least about 45 nt in
length, at least about 50 nt in length, at least about 60 nt in
length, at least about 70 nt in length, at least about 80 nt in
length, at least about 90 nt in length, at least about 100 nt in
length, at least about 125 nt in length, at least about 150 nt in
length, at least about 175 nt in length, which are useful as
diagnostic probes and primers as discussed herein. Of course,
larger fragments 200-1500 nt in length are also useful according to
the present invention, as are fragments corresponding to most, if
not all, of the nucleotide sequence of a deposited cDNA or as shown
in SEQ ID NO:32. By a fragment at least 20 nt in length, for
example, is intended fragments which include 20 or more contiguous
bases from the nucleotide sequence of a deposited cDNA or the
nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO:32. In this context
"about" includes the particularly recited size, an sizes larger or
smaller by several (5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) nucleotides, at either
terminus or at both termini. Representative examples of
polynucleotide fragments of the invention include, for example,
fragments that comprise, or alternatively, consist of, a sequence
from about nucleotide 1 to about 50, from about 51 to about 100,
from about 101 to about 150, from about 151 to about 200, from
about 201 to about 250, from about 251 to about 300, from about 301
to about 350, from about 351 to about 400, from about 401 to about
450, from about 451 to about 500, and from about 501 to about 550,
and from about 551 to about 600, from about 601 to about 650, from
about 651 to about 700, from about 701 to about 750, from about 751
to about 800, from about 801 to about 850, from about 851 to about
900, from about 901 to about 950, from about 951 to about 1000,
from about 1001 to about 1050, from about 1051 to about 1100, from
about 1101 to about 1150 from about 1151 to about 1200, from about
1201 to about 1250, from about 1251 to about 1300, from about 1301
to about 1350, from about 1351 to about 1400, from about 1401 to
about 1450, and from about 1451 to about 1462, of SEQ ID NO:32, or
the complementary strand thereto, or the cDNA contained in a
deposited clone. In this context "about" includes the particularly
recited ranges, and ranges larger or smaller by several (5, 4, 3,
2, or 1) nucleotides, at either terminus or at both termini. In
additional embodiments, the polynucleotides of the invention encode
functional attributes of the corresponding protein.
[0216] Preferred polypeptide fragments of the invention comprise,
or alternatively consist of, the secreted protein having a
continuous series of deleted residues from the amino or the carboxy
terminus, or both. Particularly, N-terminal deletions of the
polypeptide can be described by the general formula m-281 where m
is an integer from 2 to 276, where m corresponds to the position of
the amino acid residue identified in SEQ ID NO: 172. More in
particular, the invention provides polynucleotides encoding
polypeptides comprising, or alternatively consisting of, an amino
acid sequence selected from the group: G-2 to P-281; F-3 to P-281;
P-4 to P-281; Q-5 to P-281; R-6 to P-281; Q-7 to P-281; P-8 to
P-281; G-9 to P-281; L-10 to P-281; S-11 to P-281; G-12 to P-281;
L-13 to P-281; L-14 to P-281; L-15 to P-281; L-16 to P-281; V-17 to
P-281; W-18 to P-281; A-19 to P-281; L-20 to P-281; A-21 to P-281;
W-22 to P-281; P-23 to P-281; L-24 to P-281; P-25 to P-281; C-26 to
P-281; M-27 to P-281; S-28 to P-281; L-29 to P-281; E-30 to P-281;
L-31 to P-281; I-32 to P-281; P-33 to P-281; Y-34 to P-281; T-35 to
P-281; P-36 to P-281; Q-37 to P-281; I-38 to P-281; T-39 to P-281;
A-40 to P-281; W-41 to P-281; D-42 to P-281; L-43 to P-281; E-44 to
P-281; G-45 to P-281; K-46 to P-281; V-47 to P-281; T-48 to P-281;
A-49 to P-281; T-50 to P-281; T-51 to P-281; F-52 to P-281; S-53 to
P-281; L-54 to P-281; E-55 to P-281; Q-56 to P-281; P-57 to P-281;
R-58 to P-281; C-59 to P-281; V-60 to P-281; L-61 to P-281; D-62 to
P-281; G-63 to P-281; L-64 to P-281; A-65 to P-281; G-66 to P-281;
V-67 to P-281; A-68 to P-281; S-69 to P-281; T-70 to P-281; I-71 to
P-281; W-72 to P-281; L-73 to P-281; V-74 to P-281; V-75 to P-281;
A-76 to P-281; F-77 to P-281; S-78 to P-281; N-79 to P-281; A-80 to
P-281; S-81 to P-281; R-82 to P-281; D-83 to P-281; F-84 to P-281;
Q-85 to P-281; N-86 to P-281; P-87 to P-281; Q-88 to P-281; T-89 to
P-281; R-90 to P-281; A-91 to P-281; E-92 to P-281; I-93 to P-281;
P-94 to P-281; A-95 to P-281; F-96 to P-281; P-97 to P-281; R-98 to
P-281; L-99 to P-281; L-100 to P-281; T-101 to P-281; E-102 to
P-281; G-103 to P-281; H-104 to P-281; Y-105 to P-281; M-106 to
P-281; T-107 to P-281; L-108 to P-281; P-109 to P-281; L-110 to
P-281; S-111 to P-281; L-112 to P-281; D-113 to P-281; Q-114 to
P-281; L-115 to P-281; P-116 to P-281; C-117 to P-281; Q-118 to
P-281; D-119 to P-281; P-120 to P-281; A-121 to P-281; G-122 to
P-281; G-123 to P-281; G-124 to P-281; R-125 to P-281; D-126 to
P-281; V-127 to P-281; P-128 to P-281; L-129 to P-281; L-130 to
P-281; R-131 to P-281; V-132 to P-281; G-133 to P-281; N-134 to
P-281; D-135 to P-281; P-136 to P-281; G-137 to P-281; C-138 to
P-281; L-139 to P-281; A-140 to P-281; D-141 to P-281; L-142 to
P-281; L-143 to P-281; Q-144 to P-281; P-145 to P-281; P-146 to
P-281; Y-147 to P-281; C-148 to P-281; N-149 to P-281; S-150 to
P-281; P-151 to P-281; L-152 to P-281; P-153 to P-281; S-154 to
P-281; P-155 to P-281; G-156 to P-281; P-157 to P-281; Y-158 to
P-281; R-159 to P-281; V-160 to P-281; K-161 to P-281; F-162 to
P-281; L-163 to P-281; L-164 to P-281; M-165 to P-281; D-166 to
P-281; A-167 to P-281; R-168 to P-281; G-169 to P-281; S-170 to
P-281; P-171 to P-281; Q-172 to P-281; A-173 to P-281; E-174 to
P-281; T-175 to P-281; R-176 to P-281; W-177 to P-281; S-178 to
P-281; D-179 to P-281; P-180 to P-281; I-181 to P-281; A-182 to
P-281; L-183 to P-281; H-184 to P-281; Q-185 to P-281; G-186 to
P-281; K-187 to P-281; S-188 to P-281; P-189 to P-281; A-190 to
P-281; S-191 to P-281; I-192 to P-281; D-193 to P-281; T-194 to
P-281; W-195 to P-281; P-196 to P-281; G-197 to P-281; R-198 to
P-281; R-199 to P-281; S-200 to P-281; G-201 to P-281; G-202 to
P-281; M-203 to P-281; I-204 to P-281; V-205 to P-281; I-206 to
P-281; T-207 to P-281; S-208 to P-281; I-209 to P-281; L-210 to
P-281; S-211 to P-281; S-212 to P-281; L-213 to P-281; A-214 to
P-281; S-215 to P-281; X-216 to P-281; L-217 to P-281; L-218 to
P-281; L-219 to P-281; A-220 to P-281; F-221 to P-281; L-222 to
P-281; A-223 to P-281; A-224 to P-281; S-225 to P-281; T-226 to
P-281; X-227 to P-281; R-228 to P-281; F-229 to P-281; S-230 to
P-281; S-231 to P-281; L-232 to P-281; W-233 to P-281; W-234 to
P-281; P-235 to P-281; E-236 to P-281; E-237 to P-281; A-238 to
P-281; P-239 to P-281; E-240 to P-281; Q-241 to P-281; L-242 to
P-281; R-243 to P-281; I-244 to P-281; G-245 to P-281; S-246 to
P-281; F-247 to P-281; M-248 to P-281; G-249 to P-281; K-250 to
P-281; R-251 to P-281; Y-252 to P-281; M-253 to P-281; T-254 to
P-281; H-255 to P-281; H-256 to P-281; I-257 to P-281; P-258 to
P-281; P-259 to P-281; S-260 to P-281; E-261 to P-281; A-262 to
P-281; A-263 to P-281; T-264 to P-281; L-265 to P-281; P-266 to
P-281; V-267 to P-281; X-268 to P-281; C-269 to P-281; E-270 to
P-281; P-271 to P-281; G-272 to P-281; L-273 to P-281; D-274 to
P-281; P-275 to P-281; and L-276 to P-281 of SEQ ID NO:172.
Polypeptides encoded by these polynucleotides are also encompassed
by the invention.
[0217] Also as mentioned above, even if deletion of one or more
amino acids from the C-terminus of a protein results in
modification of loss of one or more biological functions of the
protein, or other functional activities (e.g., biological
activities, ability to multimerize, ability to bind ligand, ability
to generate antibodies, ability to bind antibodies) may still be
retained. For example the ability of the shortened polypeptide to
induce and/or bind to antibodies which recognize the complete or
mature forms of the polypeptide generally will be retained when
less than the majority of the residues of the complete or mature
polypeptide are removed from the C-terminus. Whether a particular
polypeptide lacking C-terminal residues of a complete polypeptide
retains such immunologic activities can readily be determined by
routine methods described herein and otherwise known in the art. It
is not unlikely that a polypeptide with a large number of deleted
C-terminal amino acid residues may retain some biological or
immunogenic activities. In fact, peptides composed of as few as six
amino acid residues may often evoke an immune response.
[0218] Accordingly, the present invention further provides
polypeptides having one or more residues deleted from the carboxy
terminus of the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide shown in
FIGS. 1A-C (SEQ ID NO:172), as described by the general formula
1-n, where n is an integer from 6 to 280, where n corresponds to
the position of the amino acid residue identified in SEQ ID NO:
172. More in particular, the invention provides polynucleotides
encoding polypeptides comprising, or alternatively consisting of,
an amino acid sequence selected from the group: M-1 to S-280; M-1
to L-279; M-1 to S-278; M-1 to P-277; M-1 to L-276; M-1 to P-275;
M-1 to D-274; M-1 to L-273; M-1 to G-272; M-1 to P-271; M-1 to
E-270; M-1 to C-269; M-1 to X-268; M-1 to V-267; M-1 to P-266; M-1
to L-265; M-1 to T-264; M-1 to A-263; M-1 to A-262; M-1 to E-261;
M-1 to S-260; M-1 to P-259; M-1 to P-258; M-1 to I-257; M-1 to
H-256; M-1 to H-255; M-1 to T-254; M-1 to M-253; M-1 to Y-252; M-1
to R-251; M-1 to K-250; M-1 to G-249; M-1 to M-248; M-1 to F-247;
M-1 to S-246; M-1 to G-245; M-1 to I-244; M-1 to R-243; M-1 to
L-242; M-1 to Q-241; M-1 to E-240; M-1 to P-239; M-1 to A-238; M-1
to E-237; M-1 to E-236; M-1 to P-235; M-1 to W-234; M-1 to W-233;
M-1 to L-232; M-1 to S-231; M-1 to S-230; M-1 to F-229; M-1 to
R-228; M-1 to X-227; M-1 to T-226; M-1 to S-225; M-1 to A-224; M-1
to A-223; M-1 to L-222; M-1 to F-221; M-1 to A-220; M-1 to L-219;
M-1 to L-218; M-1 to L-217; M-1 to X-216; M-1 to S-215; M-1 to
A-214; M-1 to L-213; M-1 to S-212; M-1 to S-211; M-1 to L-210; M-1
to I-209; M-1 to S-208; M-1 to T-207; M-1 to I-206; M-1 to V-205;
M-1 to I-204; M-1 to M-203; M-1 to G-202; M-1 to G-201; M-1 to
S-200; M-1 to R-199; M-1 to R-198; M-1 to G-197; M-1 to P-196; M-1
to W-195; M-1 to T-194; M-1 to D-193; M-1 to I-192; M-1 to S-191;
M-1 to A-190; M-1 to P-189; M-1 to S-188; M-1 to K-187; M-1 to
G-186; M-1 to Q-185; M-1 to H-184; M-1 to L-183; M-1 to A-182; M-1
to I-181; M-1 to P-180; M-1 to D-179; M-1 to S-178; M-1 to W-177;
M-1 to R-176; M-1 to T-175; M-1 to E-174; M-1 to A-173; M-1 to
Q-172; M-1 to P-171; M-1 to S-170; M-1 to G-169; M-1 to R-168; M-1
to A-167; M-1 to D-166; M-1 to M-165; M-1 to L-164; M-1 to L-163;
M-1 to F-162; M-1 to K-161; M-1 to V-160; M-1 to R-159; M-1 to
Y-158; M-1 to P-157; M-1 to G-156; M-1 to P-155; M-1 to S-154; M-1
to P-153; M-1 to L-152; M-1 to P-151; M-1 to S-150; M-1 to N-149;
M-1 to C-148; M-1 to Y-147; M-1 to P-146; M-1 to P-145; M-1 to
Q-144; M-1 to L-143; M-1 to L-142; M-1 to D-141; M-1 to A-140; M-1
to L-139; M-1 to C-138; M-1 to G-137; M-1 to P-136; M-1 to D-135;
M-1 to N-134; M-1 to G-133; M-1 to V-132; M-1 to R-131; M-1 to
L-130; M-1 to L-129; M-1 to P-128; M-1 to V-127; M-1 to D-126; M-1
to R-125; M-1 to G-124; M-1 to G-123; M-1 to G-122; M-1 to A-121;
M-1 to P-120; M-1 to D-119; M-1 to Q-118; M-1 to C-117; M-1 to
P-116; M-1 to L-115; M-1 to Q-114; M-1 to D-113; M-1 to L-112; M-1
to S-111; M-1 to L-110; M-1 to P-109; M-1 to L-108; M-1 to T-107;
M-1 to M-106; M-1 to Y-105; M-1 to H-104; M-1 to G-103; M-1 to
E-102; M-1 to T-101; M-1 to L-100; M-1 to L-99; M-1 to R-98; M-1 to
P-97; M-1 to F-96; M-1 to A-95; M-1 to P-94; M-1 to I-93; M-1 to
E-92; M-1 to A-91; M-1 to R-90; M-1 to T-89; M-1 to Q-88; M-1 to
P-87; M-1 to N-86; M-1 to Q-85; M-1 to F-84; M-1 to D-83; M-1 to
R-82; M-1 to S-81; M-1 to A-80; M-1 to N-79; M-1 to S-78; M-1 to
F-77; M-1 to A-76; M-1 to V-75; M-1 to V-74; M-1 to L-73; M-1 to
W-72; M-1 to I-71; M-1 to T-70; M-1 to S-69; M-1 to A-68; M-1 to
V-67; M-1 to G-66; M-1 to A-65; M-1 to L-64; M-1 to G-63; M-1 to
D-62; M-1 to L-61; M-1 to V-60; M-1 to C-59; M-1 to R-58; M-1 to
P-57; M-1 to Q-56; M-1 to E-55; M-1 to L-54; M-1 to S-53; M-1 to
F-52; M-1 to T-51; M-1 to T-50; M-1 to A-49; M-1 to T-48; M-1 to
V-47; M-1 to K-46; M-1 to G-45; M-1 to E-44; M-1 to L-43; M-1 to
D-42; M-1 to W-41; M-1 to A-40; M-1 to T-39; M-1 to I-38; M-1 to
Q-37; M-1 to P-36; M-1 to T-35; M-1 to Y-34; M-1 to P-33; M-1 to
I-32; M-1 to L-31; M-1 to E-30; M-1 to L-29; M-1 to S-28; M-1 to
M-27; M-1 to C-26; M-1 to P-25; M-1 to L-24; M-1 to P-23; M-1 to
W-22; M-1 to A-21; M-1 to L-20; M-1 to A-19; M-1 to W-18; M-1 to
V-17; M-1 to L-16; M-1 to L-15; M-1 to L-14; M-1 to L-13; M-1 to
G-12; M-1 to S-11; M-1 to L-10; M-1 to G-9; M-1 to P-8; M-1 to Q-7;
and M-1 to R-6 of SEQ ID NO: 172. Polypeptides encoded by these
polynucleotides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0219] In addition, any of the above listed N- or C-terminal
deletions can be combined to produce a N- and C-terminal deleted
polypeptide. The invention also provides polypeptides comprising,
or alternatively consisting of, one or more amino acids deleted
from both the amino and the carboxyl termini, which may be
described generally as having residues m-n of SEQ ID NO: 172, where
n and m are integers as described above. Polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0220] The present invention is also directed to proteins
containing polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%,
96%, 97%, 98% or 99% identical to a polypeptide sequence set forth
herein as m-n. In preferred embodiments, the application is
directed to proteins containing polypeptides at least 80%, 85%,
90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% identical to polypeptides having the
amino acid sequence of the specific N- and C-terminal deletions
recited herein. Polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are
also encompassed by the invention.
[0221] Also included are polynucleotide sequences encoding a
polypeptide consisting of a portion of the complete amino acid
sequence encoded by a cDNA clone contained in ATCC Deposit No.
209124, where this portion excludes any integer of amino acid
residues from 1 to about 276 amino acids from the amino terminus of
the complete amino acid sequence encoded by a cDNA clone contained
in ATCC Deposit No. 209124, or any integer of amino acid residues
from 6 to about 281 amino acids from the carboxy terminus, or any
combination of the above amino terminal and carboxy terminal
deletions, of the complete amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA
clone contained in ATCC Deposit No. 209124. Polypeptides encoded by
these polynucleotides also are encompassed by the invention.
[0222] As described herein or otherwise known in the art, the
polynucleotides of the invention have uses that include, but are
not limited to, serving as probes or primers in chromosome
identification, chromosome mapping, and linkage analysis.
[0223] The tissue distribution in ovarian tumor tissue, combined
with the homology to uroplakin III indicates that polynucleotides
and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would be useful for the
diagnosis and treatment of reproductive disorders, urogential
condtions, or endocrine disorders. Expression in ovarian tissue,
indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to
this gene would be useful for the treatment, prevention, detection
and diagnosis of conditions concerning proper ovarian function
(e.g., egg maturation, endocrine function), as well as cancer. The
expression in ovarian tissue may indicate that polynucleotides
and/or polypeptides of the invention would be useful for treatment,
preventing, detecting and/or diagnosing disorders of the ovary,
including inflammatory disorders, such as oophoritis (e.g., caused
by viral or bacterial infection), ovarian cysts, amenorrhea,
infertility, hirsutism, and ovarian cancer (including, but not
limited to, primary and secondary cancerous growth, endometrioid
carcinoma of the ovary, ovarian papillary serous adenocarcinoma,
ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma, Ovarian Krukenberg tumor).
Polynucleotides polypeptides and/or antibodies of the invention
would be useful for the diagnosis and imaging of ovarian tissues as
described below in the sections entitled "Diagnosis and Imaging"
and "Kits." In addition, polynucleotides polypeptides and/or
agonists or antagonists thereof (including antibodies of the
invention) would be useful for the treatment, detection, diagnosis
and/or prevention of hyperproliferative disorders, specifically
ovarian neoplasms, as described below in the section entitled
"Hyperproliferative Disorders." Moreover, the protein would be
useful for the detection, treatment, and/or prevention of a variety
of reproductive disorders such as infertility. In addition, the
protein may also be useful in the development of novel or improved
contraceptives. The expression within cellular sources marked by
proliferating cells indicates this protein may play a role in the
regulation of cellular division, and may show utility in the
diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other proliferative
disorders. Similarly, developmental tissues rely on decisions
involving cell differentiation and/or apoptosis in pattern
formation. Thus this protein may also be involved in apoptosis or
tissue differentiation and could again be useful in cancer therapy.
Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may
show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the
above listed tissues.
[0224] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:32 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1448 of SEQ ID NO:32, b is an integer
of 15 to 1462, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:32, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 23
[0225] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: GSKGQERKWRVRMGYLN (SEQ ID NO: 376),
QRYRLLPLFCYVCSRKIKLNENLFVFSAYSLATLPHTYLFSIVEC SSFCLSGTRN (SEQ ID
NO: 377), and/or FSAYSLATLPHTYLFSIVEC SSFCLSG (SEQ ID NO: 378).
Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as,
for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least
80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these
polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which
hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0226] The gene encoding the disclosed cDNA is believed to reside
on chromosome 7. Accordingly, polynucleotides related to this
invention would be useful as a marker in linkage analysis for
chromosome 7.
[0227] This gene is expressed primarily in human placenta.
[0228] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
developmental, vascular, and/or reproductive disorders. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the
embryonic and reproductive systems, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., developmental, vascular,
reproductive, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids
(e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, amniotic fluid, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0229] The tissue distribution in human placenta tissue indicates
that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene
would be useful for the treatment, prevention, detection and/or
diagnosis of the disorders of embryonic and reproductive systems.
Moreover, the protein would be useful for the detection, treatment,
and/or prevention of a variety of vascular disorders, which
include, but are not limited to, microvascular disease, aneurysm,
arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis, stroke, or embolism. Protein, as
well as, antibodies directed against the protein may show utility
as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0230] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:33 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1258 of SEQ ID NO:33, b is an integer
of 15 to 1272, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:33, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 24
[0231] This gene is expressed primarily in anergic T-cells.
[0232] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immune or hematopoietic disorders, particularly inflammatory
conditions and immunodeficiencies such as AIDS. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune
system, expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower
levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types
(e.g., immune, hematopoietic, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or
bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0233] The tissue distribution in anergic T-cells indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the treatment, prevention, detection, and/or
diagnosis of T cell related disorders. Moreover, the expression of
this gene product indicates a role in regulating the proliferation;
survival; differentiation; and/or activation of hematopoietic cell
lineages, including blood stem cells. Polynucleotides and/or
polypeptides corresponding to this gene may be involved in the
regulation of cytokine production, antigen presentation, or other
processes that may also indicate a usefulness in the treatment of
cancer (e.g. by boosting immune responses). Since the gene is
expressed in cells of lymphoid origin, the natural gene product may
be involved in immune functions. Therefore polynucleotides and/or
polypeptides of the invention may be also used as an agent for
immunological disorders including arthritis, asthma,
immunodeficiency diseases such as AIDS, leukemia, rheumatoid
arthritis, granulomatous disease, inflammatory bowel disease,
sepsis, acne, neutropenia, neutrophilia, psoriasis,
hypersensitivities, such as T-cell mediated cytotoxicity; immune
reactions to transplanted organs and tissues, such as
host-versus-graft and graft-versus-host diseases, or autoimmunity
disorders, such as autoimmune infertility, lense tissue injury,
demyelination, systemic lupus erythematosis, drug induced hemolytic
anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's disease, scleroderma and
tissues. In addition, this gene product may have commercial utility
in the expansion of stem cells and committed progenitors of various
blood lineages, and in the differentiation and/or proliferation of
various cell types. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0234] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:34 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 759 of SEQ ID NO:34, b is an integer
of 15 to 773, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:34, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 25
[0235] The translation product of this gene shares sequence
homology with a rat secretory carrier membrane protein which is
believed to play a role in cell surface re-cycling (see e.g., Brand
et al., EMBO J. 1993 October;12(10):3753-3761, all references
available through this accession are hereby incorporated in their
entirety by reference herein). Secretory carrier membrane proteins
(SCAMPs) are widely distributed as components of post-Golgi
membranes that function as recycling carriers to the cell surface.
In fibroblasts, SCAMPs are concentrated in compartments involved in
the endocytosis and recycling of cell surface receptors while in
neurons and other cell types having regulated transport pathways,
SCAMPs are also components of regulated carriers (synaptic
vesicles, secretion granules and transporter vesicles). Their
presence in multiple pathways distinguishes them from proteins
(e.g., recycling cell surface receptors and synaptic vesicle
proteins) which are concentrated in selected pathways. The SCAMPs
also do not appear to reside beyond the boundaries of these
pathways. This distribution indicates that SCAMPs are general
markers of membranes that function in cell surface recycling.
Accordingly, polpeptides of the invention and antibodies thereto,
may be used to identify membranes that function in cell surface
recycling.
[0236] The gene encoding the disclosed cDNA is thought to reside on
chromosome 15. Accordingly, polynucleotides related to this
invention would be useful as a marker in linkage analysis for
chromosome 15.
[0237] This gene is expressed primarily in hematopoietic cell
types.
[0238] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immune and hematopoetic disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune and hematopoetic
systems, expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower
levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types
and cell types (e.g., hematopoietic cells, and cancerous and
wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma,
urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell
sample taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to
the standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the present invention comprise,
or alternatively consist of one, or both of the immunogenic
epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 175 as residues: Ser-25 to Gly-31,
Gln-149 to Ser-155. Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are
encompassed by the invention.
[0239] The hematopoetic tissue distribution and homology to a cell
surface molecule indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the detection,
diagnosis, prevention and/or treatment of immune or hematopoietic
disorders including arthritis, asthma and immunodeficiency
diseases. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0240] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:35 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 2441 of SEQ ID NO:35, b is an integer
of 15 to 2455, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:35, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 26
[0241] The translation product of this gene shares sequence
homology with intestinal epithelium proliferating cell-associated
mRNA sequence, which is thought to be important in the growth and
development of epithelial cells.
[0242] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00010
MTLDEWKNLQEQTRPKPEFNIRKPESTVPSKAVV (SEQ ID NO:379)
IRESKYRDDMVKDDYEDDSHVFRKPANDITSQLE
INFGNLPRPGRGARGGTRGGRGRIRRAENYGPRA EVVMQDVAPNPDDPEDFPALS,
CKMLPPTQMTRKISLRCLERALFPSTAELHCTPV (SEQ ID NO:380)
GRLFQLGQGSQTLRTIDVAFPVSCKFVALFWAEL
LEGLLQRLESRPFPKKMKNGDCVFIEGISNEE,
PPSSWAWSQRRHPGRPGKDQEGRELWTQSRSGDA (SEQ ID NO:381) RCCPQPR, and/or
CLKCVYRDSIDSSAEAWRERRL. (SEQ ID NO:382)
Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as,
for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least
80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these
polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which
hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0243] This gene is expressed primarily in brain and central
nervous system tissues, such as the frontal cortex, amygdala, and
hypothalmus, and to a lesser extent in testis.
[0244] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
diseases of the neural system. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the neural and reproductive
system, expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower
levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types
(e.g., neural, reproductive, cancerous and wounded tissues) or
bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred
polypeptides of the present invention comprise, or alternatively
consist of one or both of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID
NO: 176 as residues: Glu-20 to Glu-27, Glu-30 to Trp-44.
Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the
invention.
[0245] The tissue distribution and homology to intestinal
epithelium proliferating cell-associated mRNA sequence indicates
that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene
would be useful for growth and developmental diseases of the brain,
central nervous system and reproductive system. The tissue
distribution in neural tissues indicates that polynucleotides and
polypeptides corresponding to this gene would be useful for the
detection, diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of
neurodegenerative disease states and behavioural disorders such as
Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Disease,
Tourette Syndrome, schizophrenia, mania, dementia, paranoia,
obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, learning
disabilities, ALS, psychoses, autism, and altered bahaviors,
including disorders in feeding, sleep patterns, balance, and
perception. In addition, the gene or gene product may also play a
role in the treatment, prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of
developmental disorders associated with the developing embryo, or
sexually-linked disorders. Elevated expression of this gene product
within the frontal cortex of the brain indicates that it may be
involved in neuronal survival; synapse formation; conductance;
neural differentiation, etc. Such involvement may impact many
processes, such as learning and cognition. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0246] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:36 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 900 of SEQ ID NO:36, b is an integer
of 15 to 914, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:36, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 27
[0247] The translation product of this gene was shown to have
homology to the highly conserved ras gene which is known to be
important in the regulation of cell growth, and thus has been shown
to serve as an inducible oncogene in eukaryotic tissues (see, e.g.,
Genbank Accession No. gb|Z11804|DDRASX, all references available
through this accession are hereby incorporated in their entirety by
reference herein).
[0248] When tested against PC12 (rat pheochromocytoma cells) and
NIH3T3 cell lines, supernatants removed from cells containing this
gene activated the EGR1 (early growth response gene 1) promoter
element. Thus, it is likely that this gene activates sensory neuron
cells and fibroblasts, in addition to other tissues or cell types,
through the EGR1 signal transduction pathway. The EGR1 (early
growth response gene 1) is a separate signal transduction pathway
from Jaks-STAT, genes containing the EGR1 promoter are induced in
various tissues and cell types upon activation, leading the cells
to undergo differentiation and proliferation. Moreover, contact of
cells with supernatant expressing the product of this gene has been
shown to increase the permeability of the plasma membrane of
monocytes to calcium. Thus it is likely that the product of this
gene is involved in a signal transduction pathway that is initiated
when the product binds a receptor on the surface of the plasma
membrane of monocytes, in addition to other cell-lines or tissue
cell types, such as immune or hematopoietic cells. Thus,
polynucleotides and polypeptides have uses which include, but are
not limited to, activating monocytes.
[0249] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: ARAGQMQNLESARAGRSVSTQTGS (SEQ ID NO: 383). Moreover,
fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example,
fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%,
95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides,
or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0250] The gene encoding the disclosed cDNA is believed to reside
on chromosome 13. Accordingly, polynucleotides related to this
invention would be useful as a marker in linkage analysis for
chromosome 13.
[0251] This gene is expressed primarily in T-cells.
[0252] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
diseases involving immune regulation, which include, but are not
limited to autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus,
and leukemia. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to
these polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological
probes for differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell
type(s). For a number of disorders of the above tissues or cells,
particularly of the immune, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., hematopoietic, immune, and
cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph,
serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another
tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such a
disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e., the
expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the
present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of one or both
of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 177 as residues:
Ala-28 to His-41, Pro-43 to Gln-64. Polynucleotides encoding said
polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0253] The tissue distribution in T-cells, combined with the
detected EGR1 and calcium flux activities, indicates
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, detection, treatment, and/or
prevention of a variety of immune system disorders, particularly
those dependent upon signalling aberrations. Expression of this
gene product in T-cells indicates a role in regulating the
proliferation; survival; differentiation; and/or activation of
potentially all hematopoietic cell lineages, including blood stem
cells. This gene product may be involved in the regulation of
cytokine production, antigen presentation, or other processes that
may also indicate a usefulness in the treatment of
cancer--particularly considering the homology to a conserved ras
gene, and the detected EGR1 biological activity. Since the gene is
expressed in cells of lymphoid origin, the natural gene product may
be involved in immune functions. Therefore polynucleotides and/or
polypeptides of the invention may be also used as an agent for
immunological disorders including arthritis, asthma, immune
deficiency diseases such as AIDS, and leukemia. Protein, as well
as, antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a
tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tumors and tissues. In addition, this gene product may have
commercial utility in the expansion of stem cells and committed
progenitors of various blood lineages, and in the differentiation
and/or proliferation of various cell types. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0254] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:37 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1541 of SEQ ID NO:37, b is an integer
of 15 to 1555, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:37, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 28
[0255] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: TVWGILPRKR (SEQ ID NO: 384). Moreover, fragments and
variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as
described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%,
97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or
polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0256] This gene is expressed primarily in ovarian tumor.
[0257] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
reproductive or endocrine disorders, particularly proliferative
conditions such as ovarian cancer. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the reproductive system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
reproductive, endocrine, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or
bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0258] The tissue distribution in ovarian tumor tissue indicates
that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene
would be useful for diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer.
Moreover, the protein would be useful for the detection, treatment,
and/or prevention of a variety of reproductive disorders such as
infertility. In addition, the protein may also be useful in the
development of novel or improved contraceptives. The expression
within cellular sources marked by proliferating cells indicates
this protein may play a role in the regulation of cellular
division, and may show utility in the diagnosis and treatment of
cancer and other proliferative disorders. Similarly, developmental
tissues rely on decisions involving cell differentiation and/or
apoptosis in pattern formation. Thus this protein may also be
involved in apoptosis or tissue differentiation and could again be
useful in cancer therapy. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0259] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:38 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1753 of SEQ ID NO:38, b is an integer
of 15 to 1767, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:38, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 29
[0260] The translation product of this gene was found to have
homology to the cell division control protein 48 (cdc48) of
Methanococcus jannaschii(see, e.g., Genbank Accession
No.gi|1591785, all references available through this accession are
hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference herein) which is
thought to play a key role in the regulation of cellular
division.
[0261] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00011
HEAAQGAVCRGQGAPATNPQAPVAAAARVARRVN (SEQ ID NO:385) ,
KIPSANRRATRCLGCDHQNFVKVRNKHKGKPTFM (SEQ ID NO:386)
EEVLEHLPGKTQDEVQQHEKWYQKFLALEERKKE
SIQIWKTKKQQKREEIFKLKEKADNTPVLFHNKQ
EDNQKQKEEQRKKQKLAVEAWKKQKSIEMSMKCA
SQLKKKKKKKKKNQKERQRQFKLKLLLESYTQQK
KEQEEFLRLEKEIREKAEKAEKRKNAADEISRFQ
ERDLHKLELKILDRQAKEDEKSQKQRRLAKLKEK VENNVSRDPSRLYKPTK,
VKVRNKHKGKPTFMEEVLEHLPGK, (SEQ ID NO:387) QHEKWYQKFLALEERKKESIQIW,
(SEQ ID NO:388) FKLKEKADNTPVLFHNKQEDNQKQKEEQRKK, (SEQ ID NO:389)
FLRLEKEIREKAEKAEKRKNAADEISRFQERDLH (SEQ ID NO:390) KL, and/or
KQRRLAKLKEKVENNVSRDPSRLY. (SEQ ID NO:391)
[0262] Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such
as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at
least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to
these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0263] This gene is expressed primarily in pancreas, and to a
lesser extent in kidney and bone marrow.
[0264] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
pancreas, urogenital, developmental, metabolic, immune, and/or
hematopoietic disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies
directed to these polypeptides would be useful in providing
immunological probes for differential identification of the
tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the above
tissues or cells, particularly of the pancreas, expression of this
gene at significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely
detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g., endocrine,
developmental, metabolic, immune, hematopoietic, gastrointestinal,
and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph,
serum, plasma, bile, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or
another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such
a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e.,
the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the
present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of one, two,
three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or all nine of the
immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 179 as residues: Pro-35 to
Cys-43, Gln-56 to Lys-67, Thr-73 to Lys-78, Tyr-93 to Asp-98,
Ser-116 to Gln-125, Leu-142 to Phe-151, Phe-169 to Arg-174, Ile-181
to Glu-190, Thr-243 to Gly-248. Polynucleotides encoding said
polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0265] The tissue distribution in pancreas indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the detection, diagnosis, treatment, and/or
prevention of various endocrine disorders and cancers, particularly
Addison's disease, Cushing's Syndrome, and disorders and/or cancers
of the pancreas (e.g., diabetes mellitus), adrenal cortex, ovaries,
pituitary (e.g., hyper-, hypopituitarism), thyroid (e.g., hyper-,
hypothyroidism), parathyroid (e.g., hyper-, hypoparathyroidism),
hypothallamus, and testes. Alternatively, the expression within
bone marrow indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the treatment and
diagnosis of hematopoetic related disorders such as anemia,
pancytopenia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia or leukemia since
stromal cells are important in the production of cells of
hematopoietic lineages. The uses include bone marrow cell ex vivo
culture, bone marrow transplantation, bone marrow reconstitution,
radiotherapy or chemotherapy of neoplasia. The gene product may
also be involved in lymphopoiesis, therefore, it can be used in
immune disorders such as infection, inflammation, allergy,
immunodeficiency etc. In addition, this gene product may have
commercial utility in the expansion of stem cells and committed
progenitors of various blood lineages, and in the differentiation
and/or proliferation of various cell types. Moreover, the protein
product of this gene could be used in the treatment, prevention,
diagnosis and/or detection of kidney diseases including renal
failure, nephritus, renal tubular acidosis, proteinuria, pyuria,
edema, pyelonephritis, hydronephritis, nephrotic syndrome, crush
syndrome, glomerulonephritis, hematuria, renal colic and kidney
stones, in addition to Wilm's Tumor Disease, and congenital kidney
abnormalities such as horseshoe kidney, polycystic kidney, and
Falconi's syndrome. Considering the homology to a conserved cell
division control protein indicates that the protein may show
utility in the diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of
developmental disorders, and may even serve as a suppressor in
tumorigenesis. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0266] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:39 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1565 of SEQ ID NO:39, b is an integer
of 15 to 1579, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:39, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 30
[0267] This gene is expressed primarily in kidney cortex.
[0268] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
diseases of the kidney including cancer and renal dysfunction, in
addition to, endocrine disorders, particularly of the adrenal
glands. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to these
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the renal system, expression of this gene at significantly higher
or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or
cell types (e.g., urogenital, renal, endocrine, and cancerous and
wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., urine, serum, plasma,
urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell
sample taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to
the standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder.
[0269] The tissue distribution in kidney cortex indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the treatment, diagnosis, and/or prevention of
diseases of the kidney including renal failure, nephritus, renal
tubular acidosis, proteinuria, pyuria, edema, pyelonephritis,
hydronephritis, nephrotic syndrome, crush syndrome,
glomerulonephritis, hematuria, renal colic and kidney stones, in
addition to Wilm's Tumor Disease, and congenital kidney
abnormalities such as horseshoe kidney, polycystic kidney, and
Falconi's syndrome. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues. Protein, as
well as, antibodies directed against the protein may show utility
as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0270] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:40 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1529 of SEQ ID NO:40, b is an integer
of 15 to 1543, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:40, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 31
[0271] The translation product of this gene was shown to have
homology to the retinoic acid receptor gamma-2 which is thought to
be important in the development of, and may be a key determinant
for, human breast cancer during aberrant activation (see, e.g.,
Genbank Accession No. AA176435, all references available through
this accession are hereby incorporated in their entirety by
reference herein).
[0272] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: LPPCLAQI FPFFSSGTNLTFCFFVFVFVFVFAELDYRNSYEIEY (SEQ ID NO:
392). Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such
as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at
least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to
these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0273] This gene is expressed primarily in ovary, and to a lesser
extent, in meningioma.
[0274] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
reproductive or neural disorders, particularly ovarian cancer, as
well as, other cancers of the reproductive system, meninges, and
endothelial tissue in general. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the female reproductive
system, expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower
levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types
(e.g., ovarian, reproductive, neural, endothelial, endocrine, and
cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., amniotic
fluid, lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal
fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual
having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression
level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid
from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides
of the present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of one,
two, three, four, or all five of the immunogenic epitopes shown in
SEQ ID NO: 181 as residues: Leu-8 to Gln-18, Thr-26 to Lys-33,
Met-39 to Cys-46, Ala-62 to Pro-69, Pro-83 to Glu-90.
Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the
invention.
[0275] The tissue distribution in ovary tissues indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for diagnosis and intervention of tumors within these
tissues, in addition to other tumors where expression has been
indicated. The protein may also show utility in the treatment,
detection, prevention, and/or amelioration of degenerative
conditions or congenital disorders of the meninges, and the brain
and spinal cord, in general. Protein, as well as, antibodies
directed against the protein may show utility as a tissue-specific
marker and/or immunotherapy target for the above listed tumors and
tissues.
[0276] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:41 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 2081 of SEQ ID NO:41, b is an integer
of 15 to 2095, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:41, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 32
[0277] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group:
HVLWSLLSACWTQFLVYFCCLMILQRTFPPRALRTSPWLSNPMGVKGKKKK GTFME (SEQ ID
NO: 393), and/or FLVYFCCLMILQRTFPPRALRTSPWLSNPM (SEQ ID NO: 394).
Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as,
for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least
80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these
polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which
hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0278] This gene is expressed primarily in neutrophils.
[0279] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immune or hematopoietic disorders, including inflammatory diseases
and allergies. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to
these polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological
probes for differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell
type(s). For a number of disorders of the above tissues or cells,
particularly of the immune system, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., immune, haematopoeitic, and
cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph,
serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another
tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such a
disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e., the
expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder.
[0280] The tissue distribution in neutrophils indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, detection, treatment, and/or
prevention of a variety of immune system disorders. Expression of
this gene product indicates a role in regulating the proliferation;
survival; differentiation; and/or activation of hematopoietic cell
lineages, including blood stem cells. This gene product may be
involved in the regulation of cytokine production, antigen
presentation, or other processes that may also indicate a
usefulness in the treatment of cancer (e.g. by boosting immune
responses). Since the gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid
origin, the natural gene product may be involved in immune
functions. Therefore polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the
invention may be also used as an agent for immunological disorders
including arthritis, asthma, immunodeficiency diseases such as
AIDS, leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, granulomatous disease,
inflammatory bowel disease, sepsis, acne, neutropenia,
neutrophilia, psoriasis, hypersensitivities, such as T-cell
mediated cytotoxicity; immune reactions to transplanted organs and
tissues, such as host-versus-graft and graft-versus-host diseases,
or autoimmunity disorders, such as autoimmune infertility, lense
tissue injury, demyelination, systemic lupus erythematosis, drug
induced hemolytic anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's disease,
scleroderma and tissues. In addition, this gene product may have
commercial utility in the expansion of stem cells and committed
progenitors of various blood lineages, and in the differentiation
and/or proliferation of various cell types. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0281] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:42 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1078 of SEQ ID NO:42, b is an integer
of 15 to 1092, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:42, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 33
[0282] When tested against a K562 kidney cell line, supernatants
removed from cells containing this gene activated the ISRE
(interferon-sensitive responsive element) pathway. Thus, it is
likely that this gene activates kidney cells through the Jaks-STAT
signal transduction pathway. The ISRE is a promoter element found
upstream in many genes which are involved in the Jaks-STAT pathway.
The Jaks-STAT pathway is a complex, signal transduction pathway
involved in the differentiation and proliferation of cells.
Therefore, activation of the Jaks-STATs pathway, reflected by the
binding of the ISRE element, can be used to indicate proteins
involved in the proliferation and differentiation of cells.
[0283] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: IRHERLWAELALLTGRNE (SEQ ID NO: 395). Moreover, fragments
and variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments
as described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%,
97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or
polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0284] The gene encoding the disclosed cDNA is thought to reside on
chromosome 3. Accordingly, polynucleotides related to this
invention would be useful as a marker in linkage analysis for
chromosome 3.
[0285] This gene is expressed primarily in activated T-cells and
osteoarthritis, and to a lesser extent in aortic endothelium and
placenta.
[0286] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
inflammatory conditions, vascular disorders. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune
system and vascular tissues, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types and cell types (e.g., T-cells and
other cells and tissue of the immune system, bone tissue,
endothelium and placenta, vascular tissue, and cancerous and
wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma,
urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell
sample taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to
the standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the present invention comprise,
or alternatively consist of one, two or all three of the
immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 183 as residues: Gln-36 to
Glu-49, Glu-51 to Leu-66, Asp-68 to Ser-73. Polynucleotides
encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0287] The tissue distribution in activated T-cells and under
inflammatory conditions like osteoarthritis indicate that the
protein product of this gene is involved in the inflammatory
reactions. Therefore it may be useful in the diagnosis or
intervention in the inflammatory diseases with the involvement of
T-cells, including osteoarthritis. Furthermore, the tissue
distribution indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the diagnosis and/or
treatment of disorders of the placenta. Specific expression within
the placenta indicates that polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of
the invention may play a role in the proper establishment and
maintenance of placental function. Alternately, this gene product
may be produced by the placenta and then transported to the embryo,
where it may play a crucial role in the development and/or survival
of the developing embryo or fetus. Expression of this gene product
in a vascular-rich tissue such as the placenta also indicates that
polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention may be
produced more generally in endothelial cells or within the
circulation. In such instances, it may play more generalized roles
in vascular function, such as in angiogenesis. It may also be
produced in the vasculature and have effects on other cells within
the circulation, such as hematopoietic cells. It may serve to
promote the proliferation, survival, activation, and/or
differentiation of hematopoietic cells, as well as other cells
throughout the body.
[0288] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:43 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 399 of SEQ ID NO:43, b is an integer
of 15 to 413, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:43, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 34
[0289] This gene is expressed primarily in 12 week old early stage
human.
[0290] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
developmental abnormalities. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies
directed to these polypeptides would be useful in providing
immunological probes for differential identification of the
tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the above
tissues or cells, particularly of the developmental system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
developing and differentiating tissue, and cancerous and wounded
tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine,
synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample
taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to the
standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the present invention comprise,
or alternatively consist of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ
ID NO: 184 as residues: Thr-14 to Thr-19. Polynucleotides encoding
said polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0291] The expression of this gene primarily in the embryo
indicates a key role in embryonic development, and could be used in
the treatment and or detection of developmental disorders.
Expression within embryonic tissue and other cellular sources
marked by proliferating cells indicates that this protein may play
a role in the regulation of cellular division, and may show utility
in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other proliferative
disorders. Similarly, embryonic development also involves decisions
involving cell differentiation and/or apoptosis in pattern
formation. Thus this protein may also be involved in apoptosis or
tissue differentiation and could again be useful in cancer therapy.
Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may
show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the
above listed tissues.
[0292] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:44 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 721 of SEQ ID NO:44, b is an integer
of 15 to 735, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:44, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 35
[0293] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: LISSVNKTKQKRSDATLSHKHDRLLNHFVFFGNSYNY (SEQ
ID NO: 396), SSKFPSDMLLRIQQIIYCHKLTIILTKWRNTARHKSKKKEDELILKHELQLKKW
KNRLILKRAAAEESNFPERSSSEVFLVDETLKCDISLLPEXAILQVCMNSVYIIY
YNLPSVVVHACNPSCLGG (SEQ ID NO: 397), SLESTNAIKSN (SEQ ID NO: 398),
IRPNKNDQMRHCLINMIDY (SEQ ID NO: 399),
ITLCFLETAITINIYSNLVNFLQICYCGYNRSSIVTS (SEQ ID NO: 400), and/or
ISFRYAIADTTDHLLSQANHYPNKMAEYSKT (SEQ ID NO: 401). Moreover,
fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example,
fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%,
95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides,
or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0294] This gene is expressed primarily in T-cells, tonsils, and
heart tissue.
[0295] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
immune system and vascular tissue disorders. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune
system and vascular tissue, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., immune, vascular, cancerous
and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma,
urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell
sample taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to
the standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder.
[0296] The tissue distribution in T-cells, tonsils and heart
indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to
this gene would be useful for the diagnosis, detection, prevention,
and/or treatment of disorders of the immune system and vascular
tissues. Expression of this gene product in tonsils indicates a
role in the regulation of the proliferation; survival;
differentiation; and/or activation of potentially all hematopoietic
cell lineages, including blood stem cells. This gene product may be
involved in the regulation of cytokine production, antigen
presentation, or other processes that may also indicate a
usefulness in the treatment of cancer (e.g. by boosting immune
responses). Since the gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid
origin, the gene or protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues. Therefore
polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention may be also
used as an agent for immunological disorders including arthritis,
asthma, immune deficiency diseases such as AIDS, leukemia,
rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, sepsis, acne, and
psoriasis. In addition, this gene product may have commercial
utility in the expansion of stem cells and committed progenitors of
various blood lineages, and in the differentiation and/or
proliferation of various cell types. Expression of this gene
product in T cells also strongly indicates a role for this protein
in immune function and immune surveillance. The tissue distribution
in heart muscle tissue indicates that the protein product of this
gene would be useful for the diagnosis and treatment of conditions
and pathologies of the cardiovascular system, such as heart
disease, restenosis, atherosclerosis, stoke, angina, thrombosis,
and wound healing. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against
the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0297] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:45 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 761 of SEQ ID NO:45, b is an integer
of 15 to 775, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:45, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 36
[0298] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group:
TLVAGSPCSLSRWIMAGFCHGELVQSDMESQEWERGQVVLSHTSLPWCYVS PR (SEQ ID NO:
402), MAGFCHGELVQSDMESQEWERGQVVLSHTSLPWCYVSPR (SEQ ID NO: 403),
MAVWISGSYSSFCSRSNWDVFSPNIVLASLPFSFRSVSKAAKPWWLALPALFP
DGLWLDSAMGSLYSQTWKARNGKEVRWFSPTPHCLGAMSHL (SEQ ID NO: 404), and/or
GWLYGSVGLIPHSAAEATG (SEQ ID NO: 405). Moreover, fragments and
variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as
described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%,
97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or
polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0299] This gene is expressed primarily in neutrophils.
[0300] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
immune disorders and diseases. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
immune, cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g.,
lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or
another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such
a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e.,
the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the
present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of the
immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 186 as residues: Pro-54 to
Gly-62. Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed
by the invention.
[0301] The tissue distribution in neutrophils indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the study, detection, diagnosis, prevention and/or
treatment of immune disorders. This gene product may be involved in
the regulation of cytokine production, antigen presentation, or
other processes that may also indicate a usefulness in the
treatment of cancer (e.g., by boosting immune responses). Since the
gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid origin, the gene or protein,
as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may show
utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the
above listed tissues. Therefore polynucleotides and/or polypeptides
of the invention may be also used as an agent for immunological
disorders including arthritis, asthma, immune deficiency diseases
such as AIDS, leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel
disease, sepsis, acne, and psoriasis. In addition, this gene
product may have commercial utility in the expansion of stem cells
and committed progenitors of various blood lineages, and in the
differentiation and/or proliferation of various cell types.
Expression of this gene product in neutrophils also strongly
indicates a role for this protein in immune function and immune
surveillance. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues. 1
[0302] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:46 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 492 of SEQ ID NO:46, b is an integer
of 15 to 506, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:46, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 37
[0303] This gene is expressed primarily in eight week human
embryos.
[0304] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
fetal and/or developmental abnormalities. Similarly, polypeptides
and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the developing fetus,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
developing, differentiating, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or
bodily fluids (e.g., amniotic fluid, serum, plasma, lymph, urine,
synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample
taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to the
standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder.
[0305] The tissue distribution in eight week old tissue indicates
that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene
would be useful for detecting, diagnosing, preventing, and/or
treating embryonic abnormalities, in particular congenital
abnormalities, which include, but are not limited to Tay-Sachs
disease, phenylkenonuria, galactosemia, hyperklipidemias,
porphyrias, and Hurler's syndrome. Expression within embryonic
tissue and other cellular sources marked by proliferating cells
indicates that polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention
may play a role in the regulation of cellular division, and may
show utility in the diagnosis, treatment, and/or prevention of
cancer and other proliferative disorders. Similarly, developmental
tissues rely on decisions involving cell differentiation and/or
apoptosis in pattern formation. Thus this protein may also be
involved in apoptosis or tissue differentiation and could again be
useful in cancer therapy. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0306] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:47 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1433 of SEQ ID NO:47, b is an integer
of 15 to 1447, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:47, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 38
[0307] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: VCIPGAAGLSVLLG (SEQ ID NO: 406). Moreover, fragments and
variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as
described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%,
97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or
polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0308] This gene is expressed primarily in fetal kidney.
[0309] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
urogenital, renal, or developmental disorders, particularly renal
failure, tumors of the kidney, and/or developmental abnormalities
associated with the kidney. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies
directed to these polypeptides would be useful in providing
immunological probes for differential identification of the
tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the above
tissues or cells, particularly of the renal system, expression of
this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely
detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g., urological, renal,
developmental, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids
(e.g., amniotic fluid, lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred
polypeptides of the present invention comprise, or alternatively
consist of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 188 as
residues: Gln-26 to Gln-34. Polynucleotides encoding said
polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0310] The tissue distribution in fetal kidney indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, treatment, and/or prevention of cancer
and other proliferative disorders, particularly renal disorders.
Expression within embryonic tissue and other cellular sources
marked by proliferating cells indicates that polynucleotides and/or
polypeptides of the invention may play a role in the regulation of
cellular division. Similarly, embryonic development also involves
decisions involving cell differentiation and/or apoptosis in
pattern formation. Thus this protein may also be involved in
apoptosis or tissue differentiation and could again be useful in
cancer therapy. Moreover, the protein product of this gene could be
used in the treatment, prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of
kidney diseases including nephritus, renal tubular acidosis,
proteinuria, pyuria, edema, pyelonephritis, hydronephritis,
nephrotic syndrome, crush syndrome, glomerulonephritis, hematuria,
renal colic and kidney stones, in addition to Wilm's Tumor Disease,
and congenital kidney abnormalities such as horseshoe kidney,
polycystic kidney, and Falconi's syndrome. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0311] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:48 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1406 of SEQ ID NO:48, b is an integer
of 15 to 1420, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:48, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 39
[0312] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: IAWSGNIPSLLCLFEHDMSFQDE (SEQ ID NO: 407). Moreover,
fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example,
fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%,
95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides,
or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0313] This gene is expressed primarily in human tonsil.
[0314] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
inflammatory conditions, infections, or immunodeficiencies, and
immune or hematopoietic diseases and/or disorders. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune
diseases, expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower
levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types
(e.g., immune, hematopoietic, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or
bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred
polypeptides of the present invention comprise, or alternatively
consist of one, two, three or all four of the immunogenic epitopes
shown in SEQ ID NO: 189 as residues: Ile-2 to Lys-9, Gln-43 to
Phe-49, Asn-59 to His-69, Gly-87 to Asp-93. Polynucleotides
encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0315] The tissue distribution in tonsils indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, detection, treatment, and/or
prevention of a variety of immune system disorders. Expression of
this gene product indicates a role in the regulation of the
proliferation; survival; differentiation; and/or activation of
potentially all hematopoietic cell lineages, including blood stem
cells. This gene product may be involved in the regulation of
cytokine production, antigen presentation, or other processes that
may also indicate a usefulness in the treatment of cancer (e.g., by
boosting immune responses). Since the gene is expressed in cells of
lymphoid origin, the natural gene product may be involved in immune
functions. Therefore it may be also used as an agent for
immunological disorders including arthritis, asthma, immune
deficiency diseases such as AIDS, and leukemia. Protein, as well
as, antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a
tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tumors and tissues. In addition, this gene product may have
commercial utility in the expansion of stem cells and committed
progenitors of various blood lineages, and in the differentiation
and/or proliferation of various cell types. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0316] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:49 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1206 of SEQ ID NO:49, b is an integer
of 15 to 1220, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:49, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 40
[0317] The translation product of this gene shares sequence
homology with a human apoptosis regulating protein which is thought
to be important in regulating cell death.
[0318] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group:
IRHEGQSSSRGSSHCDSPSPQEDGQIMFDVEMHTSRDHSSQSEEEVVEGEKEV
EALKKSADWVSDWSSRPENIPPKEFHFRHPKRSVSLS (SEQ ID NO: 408),
GILLTLYPFWPEDILEFPNRVYCCLEICKGFFSANATSRL (SEQ ID NO: 409),
EFGTRDRVVPEAVLTVTALRHKKMGRSCLMWKCTPAGTIALSQKKKL (SEQ ID NO: 410),
AHPLPAPTEGKEKPLEMRVTCEVVYCHSSLFELETIVSMTQPTTLFLHIQFQ (SEQ ID NO:
411), TFCVFKHEEKWSHEERGYFLRRISEGVHSISLPFSCFGFGARHLYWKATEHTL
CQHLLRERKSPWKCV (SEQ ID NO: 412), and/or
QSLLLFRNLQGLLFRKCHQQIIILSAMLLSLISATRLDLYHSWYKFYSCNITTIS LLKRDQVSK
(SEQ ID NO: 413). Moreover, fragments and variants of these
polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as described herein,
polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or
100% identical to these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a
polynucleotide which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the
polynucleotide encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the
invention. Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0319] When tested against Jurkat cell lines, supernatants removed
from cells containing this gene activated the NF-kB transcription
factor. Thus, it is likely that this gene activates Jurkat cells by
activating a transcriptional factor found within these cells.
Nuclear factor kB is a transcription factor activated by a wide
variety of agents, leading to cell activation, differentiation, or
apoptosis. Reporter constructs utilizing the NF-kB promoter element
are used to screen supernatants for such activity.
[0320] This gene is expressed primarily in muscle, fibroblast
cells, haemopoietic cells, and fetal lung.
[0321] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
diseases of the haemopoietic, muscular and developing systems.
Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to these
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the immune and muscular system, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., immune, muscular, cancerous
and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma,
urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell
sample taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to
the standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the present invention comprise,
or alternatively consist of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ
ID NO: 190 as residues: Met-1 to Ala-6. Polynucleotides encoding
said polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0322] The tissue distribution and homology to apoptosis regulating
protein indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for diagnosis and
treatment of diseases of the haemopoietic, muscular and developing
systems. Expression within embryonic tissue and other cellular
sources marked by proliferating cells indicates that this protein
may play a role in the regulation of cellular division.
Additionally, the expression in hematopoietic cells and tissues
indicates that polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention
may play a role in the proliferation, differentiation, and/or
survival of hematopoietic cell lineages. In such an event, this
gene may be useful in the treatment of lymphoproliferative
disorders, and in the maintenance and differentiation of various
hematopoietic lineages from early hematopoietic stem and committed
progenitor cells. Similarly, embryonic development also involves
decisions involving cell differentiation and/or apoptosis in
pattern formation. Thus this protein may also be involved in
apoptosis or tissue differentiation and could again be useful in
cancer therapy. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against
the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0323] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:50 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1034 of SEQ ID NO:50, b is an integer
of 15 to 1048, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:50, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 41
[0324] The translation product of this gene shares sequence
homology with Tbx, which is thought to be important in
developmental regulation (see, e.g., Knezevic et al., Development
124, 411-419 (1997) hereby incorporated in its entirety by
reference herein; and Genbank Accession No. U80951, all references
available through this accession are hereby incorporated in their
entirety by reference herein).
[0325] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: VTAYQNQQITRLKIDRNPFAKGFR (SEQ ID NO: 414),
GTATVTAYQNQQITRL (SEQ ID NO: 415), KIDRNPFAKGFRDSGRNRMGLEAL (SEQ ID
NO: 416), STLLQVLGMAFLPLTLTFCLA (SEQ ID NO: 417), and/or
VESYAFWRPSLRTLTFEDIPGIPKQGNASS (SEQ ID NO: 418). Moreover,
fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example,
fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%,
95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides,
or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0326] This gene is expressed primarily in synovial sarcoma and to
a lesser extent in osteoclastoma, osteoblastoma, and
hemangiopericytoma.
[0327] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
osteosarcoma, osteoclastoma, and chondrosarcoma, and diseases of
the skeletal system, such as osteoporosis. Similarly, polypeptides
and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the skeletal system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types and cell
types (e.g., bone cells and tissue, synovial cells and tissue,
cartilage, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids
(e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal
fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual
having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression
level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid
from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides
of the present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of one
or both of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 191 as
residues: Ala-45 to Asp-50, Arg-57 to Pro-63. Polynucleotides
encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0328] The tissue distribution in skeletal tissues indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the treatment and diagnosis of osteoperosis,
fracture, osteosarcoma, osteoclastoma, chondrosarcoma, ossification
and osteonecrosis, arthritis, tendonitis, chrondomalacia, and
inflammation. Elevated levels of expression of this gene product in
osteoclastoma and osteoblastoma indicates thatpolynucleotides
and/or polypeptides of the invention may play a role in the
survival, proliferation, and/or growth of these cells. Therefore,
it may be useful in influencing bone mass in such conditions as
osteoporosis. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0329] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:51 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 954 of SEQ ID NO:51, b is an integer
of 15 to 968, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:51, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 42
[0330] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group:
HGDWIYVHIVEQLNQANNKSVTSHTYFVVKTCKIHSLSNFQASNTLLXTVVT MLYNRSLELILPV
(SEQ ID NO: 419),
TYSSCLTKILYSLINIYPIPHCSPAXITTILLSASMNLTFFFFRFHICEIAQYLSFC
AWLISLNIKSL (SEQ ID NO: 420), and/or
MNLTFFFFRFHICEIAQYLSFCAWLISLNIKSL (SEQ ID NO: 421). Moreover,
fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example,
fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%,
95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides,
or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0331] This gene is expressed primarily in brain
medulloblastoma.
[0332] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
cancer and disorders of the CNS. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the central nervous system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
brain, cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g.,
lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or
another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such
a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e.,
the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder.
[0333] The tissue distribution in brain indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, detection, treatment, and/or
prevention of cancers and other disorders and diseases of the CNS.
The tissue distribution further indicates that polynucleotides and
polypeptides corresponding to this gene would be useful for the
detection, diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of
neurodegenerative disease states and behavioural disorders such as
Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Disease,
Tourette Syndrome, schizophrenia, mania, dementia, paranoia,
obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, learning
disabilities, ALS, psychoses, autism, and altered bahaviors,
including disorders in feeding, sleep patterns, balance, and
perception. In addition, the gene or gene product may also play a
role in the treatment, prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of
developmental disorders associated with the developing embryo, or
sexually-linked disorders. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0334] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:52 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 572 of SEQ ID NO:52, b is an integer
of 15 to 586, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:52, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 43
[0335] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00012
RSKRQSQGSRCSVPLLAQQSRSPPVPLQAQPAWL (SEQ ID NO:422)
LGSETIAWSGGGSGWEGPRDPGTSTAAGNSGPGI GMGHRTPPPSHTGR,
RWDPAWGLDIPESSCPVTMGELRSGDGIVL, (SEQ ID NO:423)
GALLWDNSMISAPRGSHREAGALFPSWLSNPAVL (SEQ ID NO:424)
PSRSRPSQPGCLDPRQ, NSAREPRRWIRPTRGSGETTAPCCFEPLNGGTLV (SEQ ID
NO:425) HAAAMARASEAAGTG, MARASEAAGTG, (SEQ ID NO:426)
CFTTAFQKALRDPRPTLPDTHGSLRNAPLKSLTL (SEQ ID NO:427)
PAAFVVSFFFLSLLQDGIKERSQTQNATFFFHDR SDIEGLSEEPCSGTTP,
LALQEAVTGKQVLCSPPGSAIPQSSRPAPGPASL (SEQ ID NO:428)
AAWIRDNSLVWRRLRVGGTQGPGHQYSSWEFRPR DRDGAQDTTPISHREMKVGSSMGTGHP,
and/or MAGRLFTLLLWQELARRLVPGDASPRLSRKRSVT (SEQ ID NO:429)
PGPPFPTLTVPSE.
[0336] Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such
as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at
least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to
these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0337] When tested against sensory neuron cell lines, supernatants
removed from cells containing this gene activated the EGR1 assay.
Thus, it is likely that this gene activates sensory neuron cells
through a signal transduction pathway. Early growth response 1
(EGR1) is a promoter associated with certain genes that induces
various tissues and cell types upon activation, leading the cells
to undergo differentiation and proliferation.
[0338] This gene is expressed primarily in neutrophils.
[0339] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
immune disorders and diseases. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
immune, cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g.,
lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or
another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such
a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e.,
the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the
present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of the
immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 193 as residues: Met-25 to
Gly-30. Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed
by the invention.
[0340] The tissue distribution in neutrophils indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the study and treatment of immune disorders. This
gene product may be involved in the regulation of cytokine
production, antigen presentation, or other processes that may also
indicate a usefulness in the treatment of cancer (e.g., by boosting
immune responses). Since the gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid
origin, the gene or protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues. Therefore
polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention may be also
used as an agent for immunological disorders including arthritis,
asthma, immune deficiency diseases such as AIDS, leukemia,
rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, sepsis, acne, and
psoriasis. In addition, this gene product may have commercial
utility in the expansion of stem cells and committed progenitors of
various blood lineages, and in the differentiation and/or
proliferation of various cell types. Expression of this gene
product in neutrophils also strongly indicates a role for this
protein in immune function and immune surveillance. Protein, as
well as, antibodies directed against the protein may show utility
as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0341] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:53 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 737 of SEQ ID NO:53, b is an integer
of 15 to 751, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:53, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 44
[0342] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00013
VWLLSSILLRVLWNRYTLQELSFWLPWFASRATS (SEQ ID NO:430)
LVLQHGDNYLLFLFCFVCFVLAMPF, IRHEVSMAFVFHLAQGTLEPLYIAGA, (SEQ ID
NO:431) NSARGEYGFCLPSCSGYFGTAIHCRSLASGYHGL (SEQ ID NO:432) LPEQQA,
and/or HELTVPSRMGSKGKPYPCGFYSSLIP. (SEQ ID NO:433)
Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as,
for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least
80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these
polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which
hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0343] When tested against U937 Myeloid cell lines, supernatants
removed from cells containing this gene activated the GAS assay.
Thus, it is likely that this gene activates myeloid cells through
the Jak-STAT signal transduction pathway. The gamma activating
sequence (GAS) is a promoter element found upstream of many genes
which are involved in the Jak-STAT pathway. The Jak-STAT pathway is
a large, signal transduction pathway involved in the
differentiation and proliferation of cells. Therefore, activation
of the Jak-STAT pathway, reflected by the binding of the GAS
element, can be used to indicate proteins involved in the
proliferation and differentiation of cells.
[0344] This gene is expressed primarily in rejected kidney, stromal
cells, and infant brain.
[0345] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
diseases of the renal, central nervous and immune systems.
Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to these
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the immune, renal and central nervous system, expression of this
gene at significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely
detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g., immune, renal,
nervous, cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g.,
lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or
another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such
a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e.,
the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the
present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of the
immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 194 as residues: Ser-6 to
Arg-15. Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed
by the invention.
[0346] The tissue distribution rejected kidney, stromal cells, and
infant brain indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the diagnosis,
detection, prevention and/or treatment of diseases of the renal,
central nervous, and immune systems. The tissue distribution in
infant brain indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the
detection/treatment of neurodegenerative disease states and
behavioural disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's
Disease, Huntington's Disease, Tourette Syndrome, schizophrenia,
mania, dementia, paranoia, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic
disorder, learning disabilities, ALS, psychoses, autism, and
altered bahaviors, including disorders in feeding, sleep patterns,
balance, and perception. In addition, the gene or gene product may
also play a role in the treatment, prevention, diagnosis and/or
detection of developmental disorders associated with the developing
embryo, or sexually-linked disorders. Alternatively, this gene
product may be involved in the regulation of cytokine production,
antigen presentation, or other processes that may also indicate a
usefulness in the treatment of cancer (e.g. by boosting immune
responses). Since the gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid
origin, the gene or protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues. Therefore
polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention may be also
used as an agent for immunological disorders including arthritis,
asthma, immune deficiency diseases such as AIDS, leukemia,
rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, sepsis, acne, and
psoriasis. In addition, this gene product may have commercial
utility in the expansion of stem cells and committed progenitors of
various blood lineages, and in the differentiation and/or
proliferation of various cell types. The tissue distribution in
kidney indicates that this gene or gene product would be useful in
the treatment, prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of kidney
diseases including renal failure, nephritus, renal tubular
acidosis, proteinuria, pyuria, edema, pyelonephritis,
hydronephritis, nephrotic syndrome, crush syndrome,
glomerulonephritis, hematuria, renal colic and kidney stones, in
addition to Wilm's Tumor Disease, and congenital kidney
abnormalities such as horseshoe kidney, polycystic kidney, and
Falconi's syndrome. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0347] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:54 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 463 of SEQ ID NO:54, b is an integer
of 15 to 477, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:54, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 45
[0348] This gene is expressed primarily in neutrophils.
[0349] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immune or hematopoietic disorders, including inflammatory
conditions and allergies. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies
directed to these polypeptides would be useful in providing
immunological probes for differential identification of the
tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the above
tissues or cells, particularly of the immune system, expression of
this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely
detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g., immune,
hematopoietic, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids
(e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal
fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual
having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression
level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid
from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides
of the present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of one
or both of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 195 as
residues: Lys-9 to Leu-16, Ser-33 to Met-43. Polynucleotides
encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0350] The tissue distribution in neutrophils indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, detection, treatment, and/or
prevention of a variety of immune system disorders. Expression of
this gene product indicates a role in regulating the proliferation;
survival; differentiation; and/or activation of hematopoietic cell
lineages, including blood stem cells. This gene product may be
involved in the regulation of cytokine production, antigen
presentation, or other processes that may also indicate a
usefulness in the treatment of cancer (e.g. by boosting immune
responses). Since the gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid
origin, the natural gene product may be involved in immune
functions. Therefore polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the
invention may be also used as an agent for immunological disorders
including arthritis, asthma, immunodeficiency diseases such as
AIDS, leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, granulomatous disease,
inflammatory bowel disease, sepsis, acne, neutropenia,
neutrophilia, psoriasis, hypersensitivities, such as T-cell
mediated cytotoxicity; immune reactions to transplanted organs and
tissues, such as host-versus-graft and graft-versus-host diseases,
or autoimmunity disorders, such as autoimmune infertility, lense
tissue injury, demyelination, systemic lupus erythematosis, drug
induced hemolytic anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's disease,
scleroderma and tissues. In addition, this gene product may have
commercial utility in the expansion of stem cells and committed
progenitors of various blood lineages, and in the differentiation
and/or proliferation of various cell types. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0351] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:55 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1139 of SEQ ID NO:55, b is an integer
of 15 to 1153, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:55, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 46
[0352] The translation product of this gene was shown to have
homology to the chicken LRP/alpha-2-macroglobulin receptor which is
thought to play a pivitol role on the metabolism of
alpha-2-macroglubulins, as well as, complexes between plasminogen
activators and their endogenous inhibitors (see, e.g., Genbank
Accession No. gb|X74904|GGLRPA2MR, all references available through
this accession are hereby incorporated in their entirety by
reference herein).
[0353] This gene is expressed primarily in neuronal tissues, and to
a lesser extent in uterine cancer.
[0354] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
neuronal disorders and uterine cancer. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the central neuron system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
neural, reproductive, cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily
fluids (e.g., amniotic fluid, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0355] The tissue distribution in neuronal tissues indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the detection, diagnosis, prevention, and/or
treatment of neurodegenerative disease states and behavioural
disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease,
Huntington's Disease, Tourette Syndrome, schizophrenia, mania,
dementia, paranoia, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder,
learning disabilities, ALS, psychoses, autism, and altered
behaviors, including disorders in feeding, sleep patterns, balance,
and perception. In addition, the gene or gene product may also play
a role in the treatment, prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of
developmental disorders associated with the developing embryo,
sexually-linked disorders, or disorders of the cardiovascular
system. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0356] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:56 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1227 of SEQ ID NO:56, b is an integer
of 15 to 1241, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:56, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 47
[0357] The translation product of this gene shares weak sequence
homology with Hemophilus influenzae outmembrane protein P6 which is
thought to be important in host cell interaction.
[0358] This gene is expressed primarily in human adrenal gland
tumor.
[0359] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
adrenal insufficiency or hyperfunction, adrenal gland tumors.
Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to these
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the endocrine systems and cancers thereof, expression of this gene
at significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected
in certain tissues or cell types (e.g., adrenal gland, and
cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph,
serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another
tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such a
disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e., the
expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder.
[0360] The tissue distribution in adrenal gland tumor and homology
to Haemophilus influenzae outer membrane protein indicate that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for adrenal insufficiencies or hyperfunction, because a
secretory protein from an endocrine organ may function as a
hormone. The protein product of this gene is also useful as a
diagnostic and/or treatment for adrenal gland tumors, as well as
tumors of other tissues where expression has been observed.
Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may
show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the
above listed tissues.
[0361] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:57 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 894 of SEQ ID NO:57, b is an integer
of 15 to 908, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:57, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 48
[0362] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: GTESPMVMCCREVSQSENCLFLDTTFRFIFGKTFTNHDYISIHFYFLKAFLFSFF
YSNV (SEQ ID NO: 434). Moreover, fragments and variants of these
polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as described herein,
polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or
100% identical to these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a
polynucleotide which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the
polynucleotide encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the
invention. Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0363] This gene is expressed primarily in breast lymph nodes,
B-cell lymphoma, and to a lesser extent in neutrophils and bone
marrow cells.
[0364] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
inflammation, immunodeficiency, allergy. Similarly, polypeptides
and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types and cell
types (e.g., blood cells, hematopoietic cells, and cells and tissue
of the immune system, cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily
fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and
spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0365] The tissue distribution in the cells of immunological
functions indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the diagnosis or
intervention of immunologically mediated disorders, such as
allergy, immunodeficiency, immune surveillance, etc. Protein, as
well as, antibodies directed against the protein may show utility
as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0366] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:58 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 835 of SEQ ID NO:58, b is an integer
of 15 to 849, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:58, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 49
[0367] This gene is expressed primarily in hematopoietic progenitor
cells (CD34+ cells).
[0368] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
autoimmune and immunodeficiency disease states. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the
hematopoietic system, expression of this gene at significantly
higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues
or cell types and cell types (e.g., hematopoietic cells, and
cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph,
serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another
tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such a
disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e., the
expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder.
[0369] The tissue distribution of this gene predominantly in
hematopoietic progenitor cell types indicates that polynucleotides
and/or polypeptides corresponding to this gene could be important
for the treatment, prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of immune
or hematopoietic disorders including arthritis, asthma,
immunodeficiency diseases, leukemia, hypersensitivity and
transplant rejection. Additionally, expression of this gene product
in CD34+ cells indicates a role in the regulation of the
proliferation; survival; differentiation; and/or activation of
potentially all hematopoietic cell lineages, including blood stem
cells. This gene product may be involved in the regulation of
cytokine production, antigen presentation, or other processes that
may also indicate a usefulness in the treatment of cancer (e.g., by
boosting immune responses). Since the gene is expressed in cells of
lymphoid origin, the gene or protein, as well as, antibodies
directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker
and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
Therefore polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention may
be also used as an agent for immunological disorders including
arthritis, asthma, immune deficiency diseases such as AIDS,
leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, sepsis,
acne, and psoriasis. In addition, this gene product may have
commercial utility in the expansion of stem cells and committed
progenitors of various blood lineages, and in the differentiation
and/or proliferation of various cell types. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0370] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:59 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 664 of SEQ ID NO:59, b is an integer
of 15 to 678, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:59, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 50
[0371] This gene is expressed primarily in hematopoietic progenitor
cells (CD34+ cells).
[0372] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
auto-immune and immunodeficiency disease states. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the
hematopoietic system, expression of this gene at significantly
higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues
or cell types and cell types (e.g., hematopoietic cells, and
cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph,
serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another
tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such a
disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e., the
expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder.
[0373] The tissue distribution of this gene predominantly in
hematopoietic progenitor cell types indicates that polynucleotides
and/or polypeptides corresponding to this gene may be important for
the treatment, prevention, diagnosis, and/or detection of immune or
hematopoietic disorders including arthritis, asthma,
immunodeficiency diseases, leukemia, and transplant rejection.
Expression of this gene product in CD34+ cells indicates a role in
the regulation of the proliferation; survival; differentiation;
and/or activation of potentially all hematopoietic cell lineages,
including blood stem cells. This gene product may be involved in
the regulation of cytokine production, antigen presentation, or
other processes that may also indicate a usefulness in the
treatment of cancer (e.g., by boosting immune responses). Since the
gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid origin, the gene or protein,
as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may show
utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the
above listed tissues. Therefore polynucleotides and/or polypeptides
of the invention may be also used as an agent for immunological
disorders including arthritis, asthma, immune deficiency diseases
such as AIDS, leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel
disease, sepsis, acne, and psoriasis. In addition, this gene
product may have commercial utility in the expansion of stem cells
and committed progenitors of various blood lineages, and in the
differentiation and/or proliferation of various cell types.
Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may
show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the
above listed tissues.
[0374] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:60 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 843 of SEQ ID NO:60, b is an integer
of 15 to 857, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:60, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 51
[0375] When tested against a K562 kidney cell line, supernatants
removed from cells containing this gene activated the ISRE
(interferon-sensitive responsive element) pathway. Thus, it is
likely that this gene activates kidney cells through the Jaks-STAT
signal transduction pathway. The ISRE is a promoter element found
upstream in many genes which are involved in the Jaks-STAT pathway.
The Jaks-STAT pathway is a complex, signal transduction pathway
involved in the differentiation and proliferation of cells.
Therefore, activation of the Jaks-STATs pathway, reflected by the
binding of the GAS element, can be used to indicate proteins
involved in the proliferation and differentiation of cells.
[0376] This gene is expressed primarily in bone marrow and
spleen.
[0377] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
autoimmune diseases, transplant rejection and immundeficiency
disease states. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to
these polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological
probes for differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell
type(s). For a number of disorders of the above tissues or cells,
particularly of the hematopoietic and immune systems, expression of
this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely
detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g., immune, cancerous
and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma,
urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell
sample taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to
the standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the present invention comprise,
or alternatively consist of one or both of the immunogenic epitopes
shown in SEQ ID NO: 201 as residues: Pro-22 to His-33, Ser-42 to
Trp-48. Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed
by the invention.
[0378] The tissue distribution of this gene predominantly in
hematopoietic cell types indicates that polynucleotides and/or
polypeptides corresponding to this gene may be important for the
treatment, prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of immune or
hematopoietic disorders including arthritis, asthma,
immunodeficiency diseases, leukemia, and transplant rejection.
Furthermore, the polypeptides or polynucleotides are also useful to
enhance or protect the proliferation, differentiation, and
functional activation of hematopoietic progenitor cells (e.g., bone
marrow cells), useful in treating cancer patients undergoing
chemotherapy or patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation.
The polypeptides or polynucleotides are also useful to increase the
proliferation of peripheral blood leukocytes, which can be used in
the combat of a range of hematopoietic disorders, including
immmunodeficiency diseases, leukemia, and septicemia.
[0379] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:61 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 753 of SEQ ID NO:61, b is an integer
of 15 to 767, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:61, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 52
[0380] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00014 SLQYRIRIPGRPT, (SEQ ID
NO:435) DLVTYTSSLQYRIRIPGRPTRP, (SEQ ID NO:436)
VKTAECYSIPLGSCPVNIQRVR, (SEQ ID NO:438) and/or
LGNKKYINIRCLEMQVTLKILCEIEKKERRGTHC (SEQ ID NO:437) LV.
Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as,
for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least
80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these
polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which
hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind-polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0381] Contact of cells with supernatant expressing the product of
this gene increases the permeability of U937 monocyte cells to
calcium. Thus, it is likely that the product of this gene is
involved in a signal transduction pathway that is initiated when
the product of this gene binds a receptor on the surface of the
monocyte cell. Thus, polynucleotides and polypeptides have uses
which include, but are not limited to, activating monocyte
cells.
[0382] This gene is expressed in primary dendritic cells.
[0383] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
auto-immune disorders such as asthma and arthritis, in transplant
rejection, leukemia and immunodeficiency disease states. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune
system, expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower
levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types
and cell types (e.g., primary dendritic cells and other cells and
tissue of the immune system, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or
bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred
polypeptides of the present invention comprise, or alternatively
consist of one or both of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID
NO: 202 as residues: Gly-2 to Glu-7, Arg-27 to Gly-34.
Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the
invention.
[0384] The tissue distribution of this gene predominantly in
hematopoietic cell types indicates that polynucleotides and/or
polypeptides corresponding to this gene may be important for the
treatment, prevention, diagnosis, and/or detection of immune or
hematopoietic disorders including arthritis, asthma,
immunodeficiency diseases, leukemia, hypersensitivity and graft
rejection. Expression of this gene product in primary dendritic
cells also strongly indicates a role for this protein in immune
function and immune surveillance. Protein, as well as, antibodies
directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker
and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0385] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:62 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 714 of SEQ ID NO:62, b is an integer
of 15 to 728, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:62, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 53
[0386] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group:
HKCFQCFILANGFLKVIKPFQRNWSDKTFFLVCLNKAISEALLSKMTFLSFFKT NLLLLETFCTI
(SEQ ID NO: 439),
LLGVLKPLYFSVEPVLGERSVAFEEVREKNHGTSGFLSLYSLAAIVCGHLMFF
HTLLGRGGNDHPGQSPLPGMRPLRGGLAGQAPSGHPWMQPLDTCLL (SEQ ID NO: 440),
RPTRPPTRPDRPSLELAPGLCADFLGSSNHClFLLSLYLGRDQ (SEQ ID NO: 441),
and/or EKRIMVPQGFFPFTRWQPLSVGTSCFSTLYWAVEVTITQASLLCLGCAL (SEQ ID
NO: 442). Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides
(such as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides
at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical
to these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0387] This gene is expressed primarily in haemopoietic and neural
tissues, and to a lesser extent in a number of cancers and other
tissues.
[0388] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
diseases of the haemopoietic and neural systems. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune
and neural system, expression of this gene at significantly higher
or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or
cell types (e.g., immune, neural, cancerous and wounded tissues) or
bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0389] The tissue distribution in immune and neural tissues
indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to
this gene would be useful for the diagnosis, detection, prevention
and/or treatment of diseases of the haemopoietic and neural
systems, including several cancers. This gene product may be
involved in the regulation of cytokine production, antigen
presentation, or other processes that may also indicate a
usefulness in the treatment of cancer (e.g. by boosting immune
responses). Since the gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid
origin, the gene or protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues. Therefore
polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention may be also
used as an agent for immunological disorders including arthritis,
asthma, immune deficiency diseases such as AIDS, leukemia,
rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, sepsis, acne, and
psoriasis. In addition, this gene product may have commercial
utility in the expansion of stem cells and committed progenitors of
various blood lineages, and in the differentiation and/or
proliferation of various cell types. Furthermore, the tissue
distribution indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the detection,
diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of neurodegenerative
disease states and behavioural disorders such as Alzheimer's
Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Disease, Tourette
Syndrome, schizophrenia, mania, dementia, paranoia, obsessive
compulsive disorder, panic disorder, learning disabilities, ALS,
psychoses, autism, and altered bahaviors, including disorders in
feeding, sleep patterns, balance, and perception. In addition, the
gene or gene product may also play a role in the treatment,
prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of developmental disorders
associated with the developing embryo, or sexually-linked
disorders. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0390] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:63 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 930 of SEQ ID NO:63, b is an integer
of 15 to 944, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:63, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 54
[0391] This gene is expressed primarily in bone marrow cells.
[0392] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immune or hematological disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the hematological and
immune systems, expression of this gene at significantly higher or
lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell
types (e.g., immune, haematopoeitic, and cancerous and wounded
tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine,
synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample
taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to the
standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the present invention comprise,
or alternatively consist of one, two or all three of the
immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 204 as residues: Glu-22 to
Ser-33, Leu-47 to Ser-55, Thr-87 to Arg-104. Polynucleotides
encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0393] The tissue distribution in bone marrow cells indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the treatment, prevention, diagnosis, and/or
detection of hematopoetic related disorders, which include, but are
not limited to anemia, pancytopenia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia
or leukemia since stromal cells are important in the production of
cells of hematopoietic lineages. The uses include bone marrow cell
ex vivo culture, bone marrow transplantation, bone marrow
reconstitution, radiotherapy or chemotherapy of neoplasia. The gene
product may also be involved in lymphopoiesis, therefore, it can be
used in immune disorders such as infection, inflammation, allergy,
immunodeficiency etc. In addition, this gene product may have
commercial utility in the expansion of stem cells and committed
progenitors of various blood lineages, and in the differentiation
and/or proliferation of various cell types. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0394] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:64 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 768 of SEQ ID NO:64, b is an integer
of 15 to 782, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:64, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 55
[0395] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00015
NSARVTQKGESVGSVGCMRAIAGFDNYPLF, (SEQ ID NO:443)
GTIGIFWPLPVAILSSGDYLQTQIHRPLLHRGT, (SEQ ID NO:444)
LPLPLSSLLHIATCNPFPKT, (SEQ ID NO:445)
SYFFVYNLILKIIQGDHASIILLATIPIFGDIYY (SEQ ID NO:446) VKGQLASFGPYL,
LFYHLEIISRHKSIAHCSIEA, (SEQ ID NO:447) CSCHCPSRAFST, (SEQ ID
NO:448) and/or PHAIHSQKPSSIFLITDVFPDPPVGIYLL. (SEQ ID NO:449)
Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as,
for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least
80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these
polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which
hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0396] This gene is expressed primarily in chronic synovitis.
[0397] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
inflammatory diseases and disorders of the musculo-skeletal system.
Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to these
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the inflammatory and musculo-skeletal system, expression of this
gene at significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely
detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g., musculo-skeletal,
cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph,
serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another
tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such a
disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e., the
expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the
present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of the
immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 205 as residues: Ser-39 to
Pro-44. Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed
by the invention.
[0398] The tissue distribution in chronic synovitis tissue
indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to
this gene would be useful for the treatment, prevention, diagnosis,
and/or detection of disorders and diseases of the inflammatory and
musculo-skeletal system. In addition, the expression of this gene
product in synovium indicates a role in the detection, diganosis,
prevention and/or treatment of disorders and conditions affecting
the skeletal system, in particular osteoporosis as well as
disorders afflicting connective tissues (e.g. arthritis, trauma,
tendonitis, chrondomalacia and inflammation), such as in the
diagnosis or treatment of various autoimmune disorders such as
rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, and dermatomyositis as
well as dwarfism, spinal deformation, and specific joint
abnormalities as well as chondrodysplasias (ie. spondyloepiphyseal
dysplasia congenita, familial osteoarthritis, Atelosteogenesis type
II, metaphyseal chondrodysplasia type Schmid). Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0399] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:65 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 428 of SEQ ID NO:65, b is an integer
of 15 to 442, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:65, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 56
[0400] The gene encoding the disclosed cDNA is believed to reside
on chromosome 1. Accordingly, polynucleotides related to this
invention would be useful as a marker in linkage analysis for
chromosome 1.
[0401] This gene is expressed primarily in ovary, and to a lesser
extent, in infant brain.
[0402] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
reproductive, neural, or developmental disorders, particularly
cancers and other diseases of the reproductive system including
ovarian cysts and hormonal disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the female reproductive
system, expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower
levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types
(e.g., reproductive, neural, developmental, and cancerous and
wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., amniotic fluid, lymph,
seminal fluid, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal
fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual
having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression
level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid
from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides
of the present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of the
immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 206 as residues: Ser-32 to
Glu-37. Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed
by the invention.
[0403] The tissue distribution in ovarian tissue indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for diagnosis, detection, prevention, and/or intervention
of ovarian tumors, in addition to other tumors where expression has
been indicated. Alternatively, expression within the fetal brain
indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to
this gene would be useful for the detection, diagnosis, prevention,
and/or treatment of neurodegenerative disease states and
behavioural disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's
Disease, Huntington's Disease, Tourette Syndrome, schizophrenia,
mania, dementia, paranoia, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic
disorder, learning disabilities, ALS, psychoses, autism, and
altered behaviors, including disorders in feeding, sleep patterns,
balance, and perception. In addition, the gene or gene product may
also play a role in the treatment, prevention, diagnosis and/or
detection of developmental disorders associated with the developing
embryo. Moreover, the expression within fetal tissue indicates this
protein may play a role in the regulation of cellular division, and
may show utility in the diagnosis, detection, prevention and/or
treatment of cancer and other proliferative disorders. Similarly,
developmental tissues rely on decisions involving cell
differentiation and/or apoptosis in pattern formation. Thus this
protein may also be involved in apoptosis or tissue differentiation
and could again be useful in cancer therapy. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0404] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:66 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 819 of SEQ ID NO:66, b is an integer
of 15 to 833, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:66, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 57
[0405] This gene is expressed primarily in T-cell lymphoma, and to
a lesser extent, in bone marrow stromal cells.
[0406] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immune or hematopoietic disorders, particularly cancers, such as
lymphomas and leukemias. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies
directed to these polypeptides would be useful in providing
immunological probes for differential identification of the
tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the above
tissues or cells, particularly of the immune system, expression of
this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely
detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g., immune, cancerous
and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma,
urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell
sample taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to
the standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder.
[0407] The tissue distribution in bone marrow stromal cells and
T-cell lymphoma indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the diagnosis,
detection, treatment, and/or prevention of a variety of immune or
hematopoietic disorders. Expression of this gene product in T-cells
indicates a role in regulating the proliferation; survival;
differentiation; and/or activation of potentially all hematopoietic
cell lineages, including blood stem cells. This gene product may be
involved in the regulation of cytokine production, antigen
presentation, or other processes that may also indicate a
usefulness in the treatment of cancer (e.g., by boosting immune
responses). Since the gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid
origin, the natural gene product may be involved in immune
functions. Therefore polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the
invention may be also used as an agent for immunological disorders
including arthritis, asthma, immune deficiency diseases such as
AIDS, and leukemia. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tumors and tissues. In
addition, this gene product may have commercial utility in the
expansion of stem cells and committed progenitors of various blood
lineages, and in the differentiation and/or proliferation of
various cell types. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues. Expression in
bone marrow cells indicate that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the treatment,
prevention, diagnosis, and/or detection of hematopoetic related
disorders such as anemia, pancytopenia, leukopenia,
thrombocytopenia or leukemia since stromal cells are important in
the production of cells of hematopoietic lineages. The uses include
bone marrow cell ex vivo culture, bone marrow transplantation, bone
marrow reconstitution, radiotherapy or chemotherapy of neoplasia.
The gene product may also be involved in lymphopoiesis, therefore,
it can be used in immune disorders such as infection, inflammation,
allergy, immunodeficiency etc. In addition, this gene product may
have commercial utility in the expansion of stem cells and
committed progenitors of various blood lineages, and in the
differentiation and/or proliferation of various cell types.
[0408] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:67 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1248 of SEQ ID NO:67, b is an integer
of 15 to 1262, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:67, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 58
[0409] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: TRPTMPNFL WFPKCA (SEQ ID NO: 450). Moreover, fragments
and variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments
as described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%,
97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or
polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0410] This gene is expressed primarily in meningioma tissues.
[0411] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
neural or central nervous system disorders, particularly cancers of
the central nervous system and endothelium. Similarly, polypeptides
and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the central nervous system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
neural, endothelial, CNS, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or
bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0412] The tissue distribution in meningioma tissue indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the detection, diagnosis, prevention, and/or
treatment of neurodegenerative disease states and behavioural
disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease,
Huntington's Disease, Tourette Syndrome, schizophrenia, mania,
dementia, paranoia, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder,
learning disabilities, ALS, psychoses, autism, and altered
behaviors, including disorders in feeding, sleep patterns, balance,
and perception. In addition, the gene or gene product may also play
a role in the treatment, prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of
developmental disorders associated with the developing embryo,
sexually-linked disorders, or disorders of the cardiovascular
system. Moreover, the protein would be useful in inhibiting or
ameliorating infections of the meninges, particular viral
infections. In addition, the protein may show utility in the
treatment, detection, and/or prevention of such infections and
disorders, in addition to degenerative conditions or congenital
defects of the meninges. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0413] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:68 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 907 of SEQ ID NO:68, b is an integer
of 15 to 921, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:68, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 59
[0414] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: TABLE-US-00016 RNSLHCYNEQPPNASGLIQWSSD LIPISLQCGC (SEQ ID
NO:451) SW.
Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as,
for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least
80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these
polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which
hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0415] This gene is expressed primarily in human synovial
membrane.
[0416] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
diseases of synovial membrane, skeletal and/or musculoskeletal
disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to these
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the synovial membrane system, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., skeletal, muscular,
rheumatiod, synovial, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily
fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and
spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred
polypeptides of the present invention comprise, or alternatively
consist of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 209 as
residues: Pro-10 to Ser-20. Polynucleotides encoding said
polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0417] The tissue distribution within synovial tissue indicates the
product of this gene may play a role in the detection, treatment,
and/or prevention of disorders and conditions affecting the
skeletal system skeletal system, in particular osteoporosis, bone
cancer, as well as, disorders afflicting connective tissues (e.g.
arthritis, trauma, tendonitis, chrondomalacia and inflammation),
such as in the diagnosis or treatment of various autoimmune
disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, and
dermatomyositis as well as dwarfism, spinal deformation, and
specific joint abnormalities as well as chondrodysplasias (i.e.
spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, familial osteoarthritis,
Atelosteogenesis type II, metaphyseal chondrodysplasia type
Schmid). Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0418] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:69 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 464 of SEQ ID NO:69, b is an integer
of 15 to 478, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:69, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 60
[0419] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: IRHEEKGGKAQRWAE (SEQ ID NO: 452). Moreover, fragments and
variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as
described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%,
97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or
polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0420] This gene is expressed primarily in bone marrow.
[0421] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
hemapoiesis disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies
directed to these polypeptides would be useful in providing
immunological probes for differential identification of the
tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the above
tissues or cells, particularly of the hemapoietic system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g., bone
marrow, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g.,
lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or
another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such
a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e.,
the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the
present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of the
immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 210 as residues: Thr-45 to
Tyr-50. Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed
by the invention.
[0422] The tissue distribution in bone marrow indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for hemapoiesis disorders. The gene product may function
as a growth factor or mobilization agent for the cells of myeloid
or lymphoid lineages. Furthermore, the polypeptides or
polynucleotides are also useful to enhance or protect
proliferation, differentiation, and functional activation of
hematopoietic progenitor cells (e.g., bone marrow cells), useful in
treating cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or patients
undergoing bone marrow transplantation. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a
tissue-specific marker and/or immunotherapy target for the above
listed tissues.
[0423] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:70 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 705 of SEQ ID NO:70, b is an integer
of 15 to 719, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:70, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 61
[0424] The translation product of this gene shares regional and
weak sequence homology with neu differentiation factor and a serine
protease N-terminal fragment which contains a EGF-like domain and
is thought to be important in the growth and differentiation of
several cell types, including colon epithelial cells and Schwann
cells.
[0425] This gene is expressed primarily in fetal lung, bone marrow,
fetal liver, and to a lesser extent in brain.
[0426] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
tissue injuries or diseases in lung, bone marrow, or liver.
Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to these
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the liver and lung, expression of this gene at significantly higher
or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or
cell types and cell types (e.g., lung and pulmonary tissue, bone
marrow, hepatic tissue, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or
bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0427] The tissue distribution and homology to neu differentiation
factor indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the diagnosis or
intervention of liver or lung injuries, including hepatic failure,
recovery from hepatitis, cirrhosis, hepatoblastoma, jaundice, liver
metabolic diseases and conditions that are attributable to the
differentiation of hepatocyte progenitor cells, and complications
from liver transplantation. Protein, as well as, antibodies
directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tumors and tissues.
[0428] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:71 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 505 of SEQ ID NO:71, b is an integer
of 15 to 519, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:71, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 62
[0429] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00017
VDPRVRLPLFWWQPSCAVYLFPRVYNNMCTRVLG (SEQ ID NO:453)
TLPHCWDLATLLQPSSRIWGNVSEAPGM,
VPYHIAGTLPHCCSLPVGYGGMSVRLQGCRYVGNVGPQGN (SEQ ID NO:454)
MQSGRSWALKMVLLCNSCLGLGVGSVGPSMSSLFGAVLSE TPGSSVY, and/or
MLDPRATCNLVGVGLSKWCCCVTAAWVLG. (SEQ ID NO:455)
Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as,
for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least
80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these
polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which
hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0430] This gene is expressed primarily in chronic lymphocytic
leukemia.
[0431] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases of immune system including cancer. Similarly, polypeptides
and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
immune, cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g.,
lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or
another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such
a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e.,
the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder.
[0432] The tissue distribution in chronic lymphocytic leukemia
indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to
this gene would be useful for the study, diagnosis, detection,
prevention and/or treatment of disorders of the immune system
including cancers. Therefore polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of
the invention may be also used as an agent for immunological
disorders including arthritis, asthma, immune deficiency diseases
such as AIDS, leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel
disease, sepsis, acne, and psoriasis. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0433] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:72 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 812 of SEQ ID NO:72, b is an integer
of 15 to 826, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:72, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 63
[0434] An embodiment of the invention is directed to polypeptides
comprising those which exhibit sequence homology with honeybee
venom sacepin.
[0435] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group:
PQIKLLNSDALGMRTTSXDLVPCNQCFIPLPPSCNRIASRKAVNWKQQRLPAV
RGLLNNAPHRRPPTPRTPCVFPSEGPKGYGFHV (SEQ ID NO: 456),
EQLAXISCRVINVSFRCLHHVIESLPERQLTGSSRGSQP (SEQ ID NO: 457),
EDCSTMPPIAAPPPLAPLVFSPLRGPRVMAFMSRCGDRGGRGRSXAGRGWP
WSESGVINAHPKKRPCPGPMLS (SEQ ID NO: 458), and/or
EFGTRRQWGTRCFPPLVGRKQSALRRREGKARAGRCCGKRSVKAGFDA (SEQ ID NO: 459).
Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as,
for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least
80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these
polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which
hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0436] This gene is expressed primarily in activated and control
neutrophils, and to a lesser extent in fetal liver and spleen.
[0437] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
disorders of the immune and endocrine systems. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the
immune, inflammatory and hormonal systems, expression of this gene
at significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected
in certain tissues or cell types (e.g., immune, cancerous and
wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma,
urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell
sample taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to
the standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder.
[0438] The tissue distribution in neutrophils and fetal liver and
spleen indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the study,
diagnosis, detection, prevention and/or treatment of inflammation
and various disorders of the immune and endocrine systems. This
gene product may be involved in the regulation of cytokine
production, antigen presentation, or other processes that may also
indicate a usefulness in the treatment of cancer (e.g., by boosting
immune responses). Since the gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid
origin, the gene or protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues. Therefore
polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention may be also
used as an agent for immunological disorders including arthritis,
asthma, immune deficiency diseases such as AIDS, leukemia,
rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, sepsis, acne, and
psoriasis. In addition, this gene product may have commercial
utility in the expansion of stem cells and committed progenitors of
various blood lineages, and in the differentiation and/or
proliferation of various cell types. Expression of this gene
product in neutrophils also strongly indicates a role for this
protein in immune function and immune surveillance. Protein, as
well as, antibodies directed against the protein may show utility
as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0439] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:73 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 897 of SEQ ID NO:73, b is an integer
of 15 to 911, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:73, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 64
[0440] This gene is expressed primarily in neutrophils.
[0441] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immune conditions. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed
to these polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological
probes for differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell
type(s). For a number of disorders of the above tissues or cells,
particularly of the immune system, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., immune, cancerous and wounded
tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine,
synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample
taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to the
standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the present invention comprise,
or alternatively consist of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ
ID NO: 214 as residues: Lys-33 to Lys-41. Polynucleotides encoding
said polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0442] The tissue distribution in neutrophils indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for study, detection, diagnosis, prevention and/or
treatment of immune disorders. This gene product may be involved in
the regulation of cytokine production, antigen presentation, or
other processes that may also indicate a usefulness in the
treatment of cancer (e.g., by boosting immune responses). Since the
gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid origin, the gene or protein,
as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may show
utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the
above listed tissues. Therefore polynucleotides and/or polypeptides
of the invention may be also used as an agent for immunological
disorders including arthritis, asthma, immune deficiency diseases
such as AIDS, leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel
disease, sepsis, acne, and psoriasis. In addition, this gene
product may have commercial utility in the expansion of stem cells
and committed progenitors of various blood lineages, and in the
differentiation and/or proliferation of various cell types.
Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may
show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the
above listed tissues.
[0443] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:74 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 708 of SEQ ID NO:74, b is an integer
of 15 to 722, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:74, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 65
[0444] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: PKVLAVLKKKNHVALSIFELLSNDICSFISFFMS (SEQ ID
NO: 460), EGPDINSNLKFLLCLKKKIMWPFQYLNC (SEQ ID NO: 461), and/or
LLSLILLRIWYDFSKQTVFWFFLNVFNFFSSCNNDGACSYKYRKVQI (SEQ ID NO: 462).
Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as,
for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least
80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these
polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which
hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0445] This gene is expressed primarily in osteoblasts, and to a
lesser extent in bone marrow and bladder.
[0446] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
skeletal and hematopoietic diseases and disorders. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the
skeletal and vascular systems, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., skeletal, vascular, cancerous
and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma,
urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell
sample taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to
the standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the present invention comprise,
or alternatively consist of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ
ID NO: 215 as residues: Gly-33 to Lys-38. Polynucleotides encoding
said polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0447] The tissue distribution in bone marrow and osteoblasts
indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to
this gene would be useful for the study, diagnosis, and treatment
of bone and hematopoietic disorders. Elevated levels of expression
of this gene product in osteoblasts indicates that polynucleotides
and/or polypeptides of the invention may play a role in the
survival, proliferation, and/or growth of osteoblasts. Therefore,
it may be useful in influencing bone mass in such conditions as
osteoporosis. More generally, as evidenced by expression in bone
marrow, this gene may play a role in the survival, proliferation,
and/or differentiation of hematopoietic cells in general, and may
be of use in augmentation of the numbers of stem cells and
committed progenitors. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0448] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:75 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 831 of SEQ ID NO:75, b is an integer
of 15 to 845, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:75, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 66
[0449] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00018
RKLFHKINSKSFHLSGMHILISVWIVRSRIIKVK (SEQ ID NO:463) YELLLCFFDVIFYV,
NSARDVFFTQKILYSQTCIFFPCLVPFSFLFSFF (SEQ ID NO:464) FFLSFVG,
MFSSLKKFYILKHVYSFPVLFHFLFFFLFSFSFL (SEQ ID NO:465)
SWAEKGAGKMKLATENCKMVKS, and/or IQLLYLKGAAMKYLSYVARLLFLKALDLFAPKMV
(SEQ ID NO:466) QIDSF.
Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as,
for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least
80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these
polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which
hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0450] This gene is expressed primarily in kidney and infant
brain.
[0451] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
diseases of the renal and central nervous systems. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the neural
and renal system, expression of this gene at significantly higher
or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or
cell types (e.g., neural, renal, cancerous and wounded tissues) or
bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred
polypeptides of the present invention comprise, or alternatively
consist of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 216 as
residues: Gly-24 to Lys-31. Polynucleotides encoding said
polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0452] The tissue distribution in kidney and infant brain tissues
indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to
this gene would be useful for the diagnosis, detection, prevention
and/or treatment of diseases of the neural and renal systems. The
tissue distribution in infant brain indicates that polynucleotides
and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would be useful for the
detection, diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of
neurodegenerative disease states and behavioural disorders such as
Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Disease,
Tourette Syndrome, schizophrenia, mania, dementia, paranoia,
obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, learning
disabilities, ALS, psychoses, autism, and altered bahaviors,
including disorders in feeding, sleep patterns, balance, and
perception. In addition, the gene or gene product may also play a
role in the treatment, prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of
developmental disorders associated with the developing embryo, or
sexually-linked disorders. The tissue distribution in kidney
indicates that this gene or gene product would be useful in the
treatment, prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of kidney
diseases including renal failure, nephritus, renal tubular
acidosis, proteinuria, pyuria, edema, pyelonephritis,
hydronephritis, nephrotic syndrome, crush syndrome,
glomerulonephritis, hematuria, renal colic and kidney stones, in
addition to Wilm's Tumor Disease, and congenital kidney
abnormalities such as horseshoe kidney, polycystic kidney, and
Falconi's syndrome. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0453] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:76 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 868 of SEQ ID NO:76, b is an integer
of 15 to 882, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:76, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 67
[0454] The translation product of this gene was found to have
homology to the human env endogenous retrovirus protein (see, e.g.,
Genbank Accession No. gi|757872, all references available through
this accession are hereby incorporated in their entirety by
reference herein), which is thought to play a contributing role in
the events leading up to the onset of cancer or of proliferative
disorders in teratocarcinoma cell lines.
[0455] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group:
VDPRVRRFWEDPEYPPVAVMSRLMLRRIPTVMSNTHRTQPSTWEQIKKLSQ MVGENLRKAGQPVT
(SEQ ID NO:467), VRRFWEDPEYPPVAVMSRLMLRRIP (SEQ ID NO:468),
SNTHRTQPSTWEQIKKLSQMVGENLRK (SEQ ID NO:469),
SACHSHTVFNWSEQNGQMVQMVRRMARVPIIWNHGSIGAPQPQMIWPIVGA
KHKDLWQLLIALNKIKIWERIKKHLEGHSANLSLDIAKYIYIFKASQAHLTLM PELECSKELQTD
(SEQ ID NO:470), MARVPIIWNHGSIGAPQPQMIWPIV (SEQ ID NO:471),
RIKKHLEGHSANLSLDIAKYIYIFKASQAHLT (SEQ ID NO:472),
VFLQQGLTQRSVILIGHICQFWLAIMPGYNHFMTQLHMLSGLNIYHNKSAPIIE AYHP
QKSICKQN (SEQ ID NO:473), IGHICQFWLAIMPGYNHFMTQLHMLSGL (SEQ ID
NO:474), SIPGTPDLNARTGVLEGAADRLAASNPLKWIKTLRSSVISMMIVLLICVVCLYI
VCRC (SEQ ID NO:475), VLEGAADRLAASNPLKWIKTLRSSVIS (SEQ ID NO:476),
LTVTKLPWLFIALQNKRMGTSWEQAPKSGHKLAPKLVINKISAALSHACDSL
TPTLEGCRFTGMRARNNWPTQGG (SEQ ID NO:477), and/or
MGTSWEQAPKSGHKLAPKLVINKISAALS (SEQ ID NO:478). Moreover, fragments
and variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments
as described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%,
97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or
polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0456] This gene is expressed primarily in PHA stimulated
T-cells.
[0457] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
the following diseases and conditions which include, but are not
limited to, immune disorders, particularly autoimmune,
inflammatory, or immunodeficiency diseases, in addition to,
proliferative conditions such as cancers. Similarly, polypeptides
and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
immune, hematopoietic, teratocarcinoma, and cancerous and wounded
tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine,
synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample
taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to the
standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder.
[0458] The tissue distribution in T-cells indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, detection, treatment, and/or
prevention of a variety of immune system disorders. The expression
of this gene product indicates a role in the regulation of the
proliferation; survival; differentiation; and/or activation of
potentially all hematopoietic cell lineages, including blood stem
cells. This gene product may be involved in the regulation of
cytokine production, antigen presentation, or other processes that
may also indicate a usefulness in the treatment of cancer e.g. by
boosting immune responses. Since the gene is expressed in cells of
lymphoid origin, the natural gene product may be involved in immune
functions. Therefore polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the
invention may be also used as an agent for immunological disorders
including arthritis, asthma, immune deficiency diseases such as
AIDS, and leukemia. In addition, this gene product may have
commercial utility in the expansion of stem cells and committed
progenitors of various blood lineages, and in the differentiation
and/or proliferation of various cell types. The protein may also
show utility in the development of novel inhibitors to viral
infections, or the protein may be useful in the development of
novel vectors, such as those used in gene therapy, and/or
immuno-therapy which could lead to the amelioration of disease of
disease states. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against
the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tumors and tissues.
[0459] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:77 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1576 of SEQ ID NO:77, b is an integer
of 15 to 1590, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:77, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 68
[0460] The translation product of this gene was shown to have
homology to the human retrovirus-related reverse transcriptase
pseudogene (see, e.g., Genbank Accession No. pir|A25313|GNHUL1, all
references available through this accession are hereby incorporated
in their entirety by reference herein).
[0461] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group:
STHASVQKKDLTKFSAHSWLKKKKTFRKMIMEEIFLNLIKNIYKSPYSQCNT (SEQ ID
NO:479), VRSEKGFDKIQCPFMVK (SEQ ID NO:480),
FSKPSSYKTYIPKINLHFYILLMNIWETIKIVPLNNCFTKMNYLGI (SEQ ID NO: 481),
KKETKLSLFANDMI (SEQ ID NO:482), and/or SPLLFNILLEVLSSAVRKEKELK (SEQ
ID NO:483). Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides
(such as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides
at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical
to these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0462] This gene is expressed primarily in PHA activated T
cells.
[0463] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions: immune or hematopoietic disorders,
particularly inflammation, immunodeficiencies, and autoimmune
diseases. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to these
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the immune, expression of this gene at significantly higher or
lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell
types (e.g., immune, hematopoietic, and cancerous and wounded
tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine,
synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample
taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to the
standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the present invention comprise,
or alternatively consist of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ
ID NO: 218 as residues: Ile-14 to Thr-24. Polynucleotides encoding
said polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0464] The tissue distribution in T-cells indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, treatment, and/or prevention of a
variety of immune system disorders. The expression of this gene
product indicates a role in the regulation of the proliferation,
survival; differentiation; and/or activation of potentially all
hematopoietic cell lineages, including blood stem cells.
Polynucleotides and/or polypeptides corresponding to this gene may
be involved in the regulation of cytokine production, antigen
presentation, or other processes that may also indicate a
usefulness in the treatment of cancer e.g. by boosting immune
responses. Since the gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid origin,
the natural gene product may be involved in immune functions.
Therefore polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention may
be also used as an agent for immunological disorders including
arthritis, asthma, immune deficiency diseases such as AIDS, and
leukemia. In addition, this gene product may have commercial
utility in the expansion of stem cells and committed progenitors of
various blood lineages, and in the differentiation and/or
proliferation of various cell types. Alternatively, the homology to
a reverse transcriptase human gene may implicate this gene as
providing utility in the understanding of host-viral interactions,
particularly those involving retroviruses and other
integration-dependent viruses. Moreover, the protein may show
utility in the development of novel inhibitors to viral infection,
and thus to the amelioration of human diseases and conditions.
Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may
show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the
above listed tissues.
[0465] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:78 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1359 of SEQ ID NO:78, b is an integer
of 15 to 1373, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:78, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 69
[0466] The translation product of this gene was shown to have
homology to the Gcap1 gene product of Mus musculus, which is
specifically expressed in cerebellum and appears to be
developmentally regulated (see, e.g., Genbank Accession No.
gi|862343, all references available through this accession are
hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference herein).
[0467] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group:
LCAVEKTRTFTRGDCGPNRHHKHVLKAKDNNHIQRHQFSSTLEFSSNSTDGL
KYICVYLYVCTHPCIYIYLSAHTLHMYTHYLCKI (SEQ ID NO: 484),
SSTLEFSSNSTDGLKYICVYLYVCTHPCIY (SEQ ID NO: 485),
STSVCICTCAHTHVYIFIYLHTHYICIHTIYVKYNICIMHINSNKClCVIFKIEQLY
LEVVNAENWFYC (SEQ ID NO: 486), IHTIYVKYNICIMHIN SNKCICVIFKIEQLY
(SEQ ID NO: 487), and/or NSAVTVQMA (SEQ ID NO: 488). Moreover,
fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example,
fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%,
95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides,
or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0468] This gene is expressed primarily in fetal lung, endothelial
cells and to a lesser extent, in astrocytes and fetal brain.
[0469] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
vasdcular, developmental, neural, or proliferative conditions,
particularly endothelial cell proliferation, such as occurs in
restenosis. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to
these polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological
probes for differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell
type(s). For a number of disorders of the above tissues or cells,
particularly of the vascular system, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., developmental, neural,
vascular, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids
(e.g., amniotic fluid, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and
spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0470] The tissue distribution in fetal brain, in addition to the
homology to a brain-specific regulatory protein indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the detection, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of
neurodegenerative disease states and behavioural disorders such as
Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Disease,
Tourette Syndrome, schizophrenia, mania, dementia, paranoia,
obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, learning
disabilities, ALS, psychoses, autism, and altered behaviors,
including disorders in feeding, sleep patterns, balance, and
perception. In addition, the gene or gene product may also play a
role in the treatment, prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of
developmental disorders associated with the developing embryo,
sexually-linked disorders, or disorders of the cardiovascular
system. Alternatively, the tissue distribution indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for treating, preventing, detecting, and/or diagnosing
abnormal proliferation of endothelial cells such as occurs upon
injury to the lung or arteries. Moreover, this protein may play a
role in the regulation of cellular division, and may show utility
in the diagnosis, detection, prevention and/or treatment of cancer
and other proliferative disorders. Similarly, developmental tissues
rely on decisions involving cell differentiation and/or apoptosis
in pattern formation. Thus this protein may also be involved in
apoptosis or tissue differentiation and could again be useful in
cancer therapy. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against
the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0471] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:79 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1093 of SEQ ID NO:79, b is an integer
of 15 to 1107, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:79, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 70
[0472] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: KYLVSSVLPTISMARSLISALRSG (SEQ ID NO: 489). Moreover,
fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example,
fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%,
95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides,
or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0473] The gene encoding the disclosed cDNA is believed to reside
on chromosome 7. Accordingly, polynucleotides related to this
invention would be useful as a marker in linkage analysis for
chromosome 7.
[0474] This gene is expressed primarily in ovarian cancer.
[0475] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
reproductive disorders, particularly ovarian cancer. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the
reproductive system, expression of this gene at significantly
higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues
or cell types (e.g., reproductive, ovarian, and cancerous and
wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma,
urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell
sample taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to
the standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder.
[0476] The tissue distribution in ovarian tissues indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for diagnosis, detection, prevention and/or treatment of
ovarian cancer. Moreover, the protein would be useful for the
treatment, detection, and/or prevention of endocrine disorders,
particularly those related to the reproductive system. Protein, as
well as, antibodies directed against the protein may show utility
as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0477] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:80 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1115 of SEQ ID NO:80, b is an integer
of 15 to 1129, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:80, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 71
[0478] The translation product of this gene shares sequence
homology with estrogen-responsive finger protein which is thought
to be important in uterine implantation. (see, e.g., Genbank
Accession No. 1088467, all references available through this
accession are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference
herein; and J. Biol. Chem. 270 (41), 24406-24413 (1995), herein
incorporated by reference in its entirety.) Moreover, the protein
product of this gene was also shown to homology to the human rfp
transforming protein (see, e.g., Genbank Accession No. gi|337372,
all references available through this accession are hereby
incorporated in their entirety by reference herein) which is
thought to play a role in in male germ cell development.
[0479] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00019
VXDITFDPDTAHKYLRLQEENRKVTNTTPWEHPY (SEQ ID NO:490) PDLPSRFLH;
LYLHRYYFEVEIFGAGTYV; (SEQ ID NO:491) SCISGNNFSWSLQWNGKEFTAW; (SEQ
ID NO:492) TPLKAGPFWSSGSILTS; (SEQ ID NO:493);
SVSEVKAVAEMQFGELLAAVRKAQANVMLFLXEK (SEQ ID NO:494) EQAAL;
EKSKQELETMAAISNTVQFLEEYCKFKNTEDITF (SEQ ID NO:495) PSVYIGLKD;
LENYKKKLQEFSKEEEYDIRTQVSAXVQR; (SEQ ID NO:496) GTVSRERRAG, (SEQ ID
NO:498) HGDPTQSWPFLELGVYIDFPGGILSFYGVEYDSM (SEQ ID NO:499)
TLVHKFACKFSEPVYAAFWLSKKENAIRIVDLGE EPEKPAPSLVGTAP,
SFYGVEYDSMTLVHKFACKFSEPVYAAFWL, (SEQ ID NO:500)
AELQCTQLDLERKLKLNENAISRLQANQKSVLVS (SEQ ID NO:501)
VSEVKAVAEMQFGELLAAVRKAQANVMLFLXEKE
QAALSQANGIKAHLEYKSAEMEKSKQELETMAAI
SNTVQFLEEYCKFKNTEDITFPSVYIGLKDKLSG
IRKVITESTVHLIXXLENYKKKLQEFSKEEEYDI
RTQVSAXVQRKYWTSKPEPSTREQFLQYVXDITF
DPDTAHKYLRLQEENRKVTNTTPWEHPYPDLPSR
FLHWRQVLSQQSLYLHRYYFEVEIFGAGTYVGLT
CKGIDXKGEERXSCISGNNFSWSLQWNGKEFTAW YSDMETPLKAGPFWSSGSILTSQEGSFPSMA,
RTAPYGAKESSWRMFSFRDPIGFQKPATISSYFC (SEQ ID NO:502)
PQITLKCKSHHCSWQRSGIWLLESREQSPPRTVL
ASRVPLPDLQSGWRFPSWKARRQHRLVLKTCRQT
CEPESWNHTLRHRRKGSLLGSQYRPRAPERASFE
WGLHVTVPGRELLPVPLEAPGEVVSGNATXALLP
FXVDAFAGQANIGACPEDLHLKIVPVQVQTLLGQ
HLPPVQEPAGEVRVGMLPGRGVGDLAVLLLQPEI
LVCCVRVERDVXHILEELFPGAGLRFGSPIFALN NGRHLSSDVILLFLGKLLELFLIVLQXXD,
and/or GVYIDFPGGILSFYGVEYDSMTLVHKFACKFSEP (SEQ ID NO:497) VYAA.
[0480] Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such
as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at
least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to
these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0481] This gene is expressed primarily in ovarian cancer.
[0482] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
ovarian cancer and other disorders of the reproductive system.
Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to these
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the reproductive system, expression of this gene at significantly
higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues
or cell types (e.g., reproductive, developmental, ovarian,
testicular, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids
(e.g., lymph, seminal fluid, amniotic fluid, serum, plasma, urine,
synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample
taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to the
standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder.
[0483] The tissue distribution in ovarian tumors, combined with the
homology to estrogen-responsive finger protein, in addition, to the
conserved rfp transforming protein indicates that polynucleotides
and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would be useful for
diagnosis, detection, prevention and/or treatment of ovarian cancer
and other disorders of the reproductive system. Moreover, the
expression within cellular sources marked by proliferating cells
indicates this protein may play a role in the regulation of
cellular division, and may show utility in the diagnosis,
detection, prevention and/or treatment of cancer and other
proliferative disorders. Similarly, developmental tissues rely on
decisions involving cell differentiation and/or apoptosis in
pattern formation. Thus polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the
invention may also be involved in apoptosis or tissue
differentiation and could again be useful in cancer therapy. The
protein may also show utility in the development of novel
contraceptives. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against
the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0484] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:81 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1973 of SEQ ID NO:81, b is an integer
of 15 to 1987, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:81, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 72
[0485] This gene shows sequence homology to a Caenorhabditis
elegans gene, called D1054.3, in addition, to the Sgt1p protein of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae which are thought to play a role in the
regulation of cellular division and developmental precesses (see,
e.g., Genbank Accession Nos. gnl|PID|e348554 and gi|1870791,
respectively, all references available through these accessions are
hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference herein)
[0486] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00020
SKIKYDWYQTESQVVITLMIKNVQKNDVNVEFSE (SEQ ID NO:503)
KELSALVKLPSGEDYNLKLELLHPIIPEQSTFKV
LSTKIEIKLKKPEAVRWEKLEGQGDVPTPKQFVA
DVKNLYPSSSPYTRNWDKLVGEIKEEEKNEKLEG
DAALNRLFQQIYSDGSDEVKRAMNKSFMESGGTV LSTNWSDVGKRKVEINPPDDMEWKKY;
GDAALNRLFQQIYSDGSDEVKRAMNKSFMESGGT (SEQ ID NO:504) VLSTN;
MAAAAAGTXXSQRFFQSFSDALIDEDPQAALEEL (SEQ ID NO:506)
TKALEQKPDDAQYYCQRAYCHILLGNYCVAVADA
KKSLELNPNNSTAMLRKGICEYHEKNYAAALETF
TEGQKLDSADANFSVWIKRCQEAQNGSESEVVSP KFSFFMFLLF,
LEELTKALEQKPDDAQYYCQRAYCHILLGNYCVA (SEQ ID NO:507) VADA,
AMLRKGICEYHEKNYAAALETFTEGQKLDSA, (SEQ ID NO:508) LRLWNRNQMM
HSIIVKELIVTFFLGITVLLLLM (SEQ ID NO:509) QRSL, NSIQIIPLLC, (SEQ ID
NO:510) YMHFNNTVAKLTCKNLSLSTYQNQSASQWTHQSK (SEQ ID NO:511)
IKYDWYQTESQVVITLMIKNVQKNDVNVEFSEKE
LSALVKLPSGEDYNLKLELLHPIIPEQSTFKVLS
TKIEIKLKKPEAVRWEKLEGQGDVPTPKQFVADV
KNLYPSSSPYTRNWDKLVGEIKEEEKNEKLEGDA
ALNRLFQQIYSDGSDEVKRAMNKSFMESGGTVLS TNWSDVGKRKVEINPPDDMEWKKY,
TCKNLSLSTYQNQSASQWTHQSKIKYDWY, (SEQ ID NO:512)
EKELSALVKLPSGEDYNLKLELLH, (SEQ ID NO:513)
LHPIIPEQSTFKVLSTKIEIKLKKPEAVR, (SEQ ID NO:514)
KQFVADVKNLYPSSSPYTRNWDKL, (SEQ ID NO:515) and/or
DWYQTESQVVITLMIKNVQKNDV. (SEQ ID NO:505)
[0487] Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such
as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at
least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to
these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0488] This gene is expressed primarily in osteoclastoma.
[0489] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
skeletal or developmental disorders, particularly osteoclastoma and
other forms of cancer. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies
directed to these polypeptides would be useful in providing
immunological probes for differential identification of the
tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the above
tissues or cells, particularly of the skeletal system, expression
of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may be
routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
skeletal, developmental, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or
bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0490] The tissue distribution in osteoclastoma, combined with the
homology to the D1054.3 and Sgt1p proteins indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for diagnosis, detection, prevention and/or treatment of
osteoclastoma and other forms of cancers. Moreover, the expression
within embryonic tissue and other cellular sources marked by
proliferating cells indicates this protein may play a role in the
regulation of cellular division, and may show utility in the
diagnosis, detection, prevention and/or treatment of cancer and
other proliferative disorders. Similarly, developmental tissues
rely on decisions involving cell differentiation and/or apoptosis
in pattern formation. Thus this protein may also be involved in
apoptosis or tissue differentiation and could again be useful in
cancer therapy. Protein may also play a role as a tumor supressor,
or in the development of tumor progression inhibitors. Protein, as
well as, antibodies directed against the protein may show utility
as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0491] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:82 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 2039 of SEQ ID NO:82, b is an integer
of 15 to 2053, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:82, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 73
[0492] The translation product of this gene was shown to have
homology to the MEK kinase 3 of Mus musculus, mutations of which
and/or aberrant regulation of, may provide a predisposition to
cancer.
[0493] The gene encoding the disclosed cDNA is thought to reside on
chromosome 17. Accordingly, polynucleotides related to this
invention would be useful as a marker in linkage analysis for
chromosome 17.
[0494] This gene is expressed primarily in pituitary, and to a
lesser extent in ulcerative colitis and hematopoietic cells.
[0495] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immune, gastrointestinal, hematopoietic diseases. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the
neuronal and immune tissues, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., neuronal, immune, cancerous
and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma,
urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell
sample taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to
the standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder.
[0496] The tissue distribution in hematopoietic tissues indicates
that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene
would be useful for the diagnosis, treatment, and/or prevention of
a variety of immune system disorders. Expression of this gene
product in ulcerative colitis indicates a role in the regulation of
the proliferation; survival; differentiation; and/or activation of
potentially all hematopoietic cell lineages, including blood stem
cells. This gene product may be involved in the regulation of
cytokine production, antigen presentation, or other processes that
may also indicate a usefulness in the treatment of cancer (e.g., by
boosting immune responses). Since the gene is expressed in cells of
lymphoid origin, the natural gene product may be involved in immune
functions. Therefore it may be also used as an agent for
immunological disorders including arthritis, asthma, immune
deficiency diseases such as AIDS, and leukemia. Protein, as well
as, antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a
tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tumors and tissues. In addition, this gene product may have
commercial utility in the expansion of stem cells and committed
progenitors of various blood lineages, and in the differentiation
and/or proliferation of various cell types.
[0497] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:83 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1179 of SEQ ID NO:83, b is an integer
of 15 to 1193, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:83, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 74
[0498] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: TABLE-US-00021 SILPVEMAAAVAGMLRGGLLPQAGRLPTLQTVRY (SEQ ID
NO:516) GSKAVTRHRRV, and/or AGMLRGGLLPQAGRLPTLQTVRYGSK. (SEQ ID
NO:517)
Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as,
for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least
80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these
polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which
hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0499] This gene is expressed primarily in the frontal cortex of
the brain.
[0500] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
neural disorders, particularly neurodegenerative disorders,
ischemia, Alzheimer's, or Parkinson's. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the central nervous system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
neural, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g.,
serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another
tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such a
disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e., the
expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the
present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of the
immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 224 as residues: Glu-31 to
Gly-37. Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed
by the invention.
[0501] The tissue distribution in frontal cortex indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the detection, diagnosis, prevention, and/or
treatment of neurodegenerative disease states and behavioural
disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease,
Huntington's Disease, Tourette Syndrome, schizophrenia, mania,
dementia, paranoia, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder,
learning disabilities, ALS, psychoses, autism, and altered
behaviors, including disorders in feeding, sleep patterns, balance,
and perception. In addition, the gene or gene product may also play
a role in the treatment, prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of
developmental disorders associated with the developing embryo.
Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may
show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the
above listed tumors and tissues.
[0502] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:84 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 527 of SEQ ID NO:84, b is an integer
of 15 to 541, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:84, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 75
[0503] The translation product of this gene was shown to have
homology to the intrinsic factor-B12 receptor precursor of Rattus
norvegicus which is thought to be important in development (see,
e.g., Genbank Accession No. gi|2961490 (AF022247), all references
available through this accession are hereby incorporated in their
entirety by reference herein).
[0504] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group:
DCNRDYHKAFGNLRSPGWPDNYDNDXDCXVTLTAPQNHHSGIVENAETISW R (SEQ ID NO:
518), FGNLRSPGWPDNYDN (SEQ ID NO: 519), ASFYRTS (SEQ ID NO: 521),
and/or APQNHXLKCRNDFLEV (SEQ ID NO: 520). Moreover, fragments and
variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as
described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%,
97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or
polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0505] This gene is expressed primarily in neutrophils.
[0506] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immune or hematopoietic disorders, including inflammatory
disorders, and allergies. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies
directed to these polypeptides would be useful in providing
immunological probes for differential identification of the
tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the above
tissues or cells, particularly of the immune system, expression of
this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely
detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g., immune,
haematopoetic, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids
(e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal
fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual
having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression
level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid
from an individual not having the disorder.
[0507] The tissue distribution in neutrophils indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, treatment, and/or prevention of a
variety of immune system disorders. Expression of this gene product
indicates a role in regulating the proliferation; survival;
differentiation; and/or activation of hematopoietic cell lineages,
including blood stem cells. This gene product may be involved in
the regulation of cytokine production, antigen presentation, or
other processes that may also indicate a usefulness in the
treatment of cancer (e.g. by boosting immune responses). Since the
gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid origin, the natural gene
product may be involved in immune functions. Therefore
polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention may be also
used as an agent for immunological disorders including arthritis,
asthma, immunodeficiency diseases such as AIDS, leukemia,
rheumatoid arthritis, granulomatous disease, inflammatory bowel
disease, sepsis, acne, neutropenia, neutrophilia, psoriasis,
hypersensitivities, such as T-cell mediated cytotoxicity; immune
reactions to transplanted organs and tissues, such as
host-versus-graft and graft-versus-host diseases, or autoimmunity
disorders, such as autoimmune infertility, lense tissue injury,
demyelination, systemic lupus erythematosis, drug induced hemolytic
anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's disease, scleroderma and
tissues. In addition, this gene product may have commercial utility
in the expansion of stem cells and committed progenitors of various
blood lineages, and in the differentiation and/or proliferation of
various cell types. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0508] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:85 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 971 of SEQ ID NO:85, b is an integer
of 15 to 985, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:85, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 76
[0509] This gene is expressed primarily in T-cells, and to a lesser
extent in cord blood and osteosarcoma.
[0510] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
auto-immune diseases, immunodeficiency diseases and host-graft
rejection. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to these
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the immune system, expression of this gene at significantly higher
or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or
cell types (e.g., cells and tissues of the immune system, bone, and
cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph,
serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another
tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such a
disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e., the
expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the
present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of the
immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 226 as residues: Pro-36 to
Ala-41. Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed
by the invention.
[0511] The expression of this gene in T-cells indicates a potential
role in the treament, prevention, diagnosis, and/or detection of
immune disorders such as arthritis, asthma, immune deficiency
diseases such as AIDS, leukemia and transplant rejection.
Expression of this gene product in T cells also strongly indicates
a role for this protein in immune function and immune surveillance.
Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may
show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the
above listed tissues.
[0512] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:86 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 875 of SEQ ID NO:86, b is an integer
of 15 to 889, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:86, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 77
[0513] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: MGESECYRRLSGASCTWTVHVDFA (SEQ ID NO: 522);
MHCGTRVWKTMKHDYFLLACLSMTSTGGILCTL SEQ ID NO: 5239SEQ ID NO: 555);
STLSLIPTSSSLSFWPWCTAIIGSIFTYCVCVCVCFVVMNRTCYLPNSIIYHNSK
LATIIDKSMTLS (SEQ ID NO: 524); and/or MWILPKVSLICIVELGYGKP (SEQ ID
NO: 525). Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides
(such as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides
at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical
to these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0514] This gene is expressed primarily in human meningima.
[0515] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
meningitis and other inflammatory conditions. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the
cerebrospinal membranes, expression of this gene at significantly
higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues
or cell types (e.g., cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily
fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and
spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred
polypeptides of the present invention comprise, or alternatively
consist of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 227 as
residues: Ser-35 to Phe-41. Polynucleotides encoding said
polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0516] The tissue distribution indicates that polynucleotides and
polypeptides corresponding to this gene would be useful for study,
treatment, prevention, detection and/or diagnosis of disorders of
the meningima.
[0517] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:87 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 544 of SEQ ID NO:87, b is an integer
of 15 to 558, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:87, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 78
[0518] When tested against K562 leukemia cell lines, supernatants
removed from cells containing this gene activated the ISRE assay.
Thus, it is likely that this gene activates leukemia cells through
the Jak-STAT signal transduction pathway. The interferon-sensitive
response element is a promoter element found upstream of many genes
which are involved in the Jak-STAT pathway. The Jak-STAT pathway is
a large, signal transduction pathway involved in the
differentiation and proliferation of cells. Therefore, activation
of the Jak-STAT pathway, reflected by the binding of the ISRE
element, can be used to indicate proteins involved in the
proliferation and differentiation of cells.
[0519] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00022
MCVTRMHVKCPPPSASVTAVKWPLSWSSSSFCIS (SEQ ID NO:526) LHAGRH, and/or
EERNKNHLSCQGLSTICCSYLSSKGEHLRNLSPY (SEQ ID NO:527) SF.
Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as,
for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least
80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these
polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which
hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0520] This gene is expressed primarily in neutrophils.
[0521] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immune conditions. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed
to these polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological
probes for differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell
type(s). For a number of disorders of the above tissues or cells,
particularly of the immune system, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., immune, cancerous and wounded
tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine,
synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample
taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to the
standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder.
[0522] The tissue distribution in neutrophils indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the study and treatment of immune disorders. This
gene product may be involved in the regulation of cytokine
production, antigen presentation, or other processes that may also
indicate a usefulness in the treatment of cancer (e.g., by boosting
immune responses). Since the gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid
origin, the gene or protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues. Therefore it
may be also used as an agent for immunological disorders including
arthritis, asthma, immune deficiency diseases such as AIDS,
leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, sepsis,
acne, and psoriasis. In addition, this gene product may have
commercial utility in the expansion of stem cells and committed
progenitors of various blood lineages, and in the differentiation
and/or proliferation of various cell types. Expression of this gene
product in neutrophils also strongly indicates a role for this
protein in immune function and immune surveillance. Protein, as
well as, antibodies directed against the protein may show utility
as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0523] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:88 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 917 of SEQ ID NO:88, b is an integer
of 15 to 931, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:88, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 79
[0524] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group:
GLCMVHSLLTSSLGGRCCNYPYIADKDIETEVKPPSQGHTWHLHCS (SEQ ID NO: 528),
QLWCITALPSTRHCSKGFAWFTHSLRHPSVAGAVIILILQTRTLRQRSSHLPKG
THGICTAPDRPTERAAVTILK (SEQ ID NO:529),
SFDNNNSYGVSQLYQVPDTVLRALHGSLTPYVIPRWQVL (SEQ ID NO:530), and/or
DRGQATFPRAHMASALLLTDRQRELLSRSSNELCMSKV (SEQ ID NO:531). Moreover,
fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example,
fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%,
95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides,
or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0525] This gene is expressed primarily in neutrophils.
[0526] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
immune diseases and disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
immune, cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g.,
lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or
another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such
a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e.,
the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder.
[0527] The tissue distribution in neutrophils indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the study, detection, diagnosis, prevention and/or
treatment of immune disorders. This gene product may be involved in
the regulation of cytokine production, antigen presentation, or
other processes that may also indicate a usefulness in the
treatment of cancer (e.g., by boosting immune responses). Since the
gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid origin, the gene or protein,
as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may show
utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the
above listed tissues. Therefore it may be also used as an agent for
immunological disorders including arthritis, asthma, immune
deficiency diseases such as AIDS, leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis,
inflammatory bowel disease, sepsis, acne, and psoriasis. In
addition, this gene product may have commercial utility in the
expansion of stem cells and committed progenitors of various blood
lineages, and in the differentiation and/or proliferation of
various cell types. Expression of this gene product in neutrophils
also strongly indicates a role for this protein in immune function
and immune surveillance. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0528] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:89 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 574 of SEQ ID NO:89, b is an integer
of 15 to 588, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:89, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 80
[0529] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00023
LLLILRPFLNSQFKLQLPLVLFHSSCTYICLLYN (SEQ ID NO:532)
YELFHIVALTGKLMNLGLHLFAHHLILAVAHXGC SIPIY, and/or
THNSNYSSLWFSSTAVVLTYVYYIIMNCFILSPL (SEQ ID NO:533) QVN.
Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as,
for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least
80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these
polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which
hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0530] This gene is expressed primarily in neutrophils.
[0531] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
immune disorders and diseases. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
immune, cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g.,
lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or
another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such
a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e.,
the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder.
[0532] The tissue distribution in neutrophils indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the study, detection, diagnosis, prevention and/or
treatment of inflammatory and immune disorders. This gene product
may be involved in the regulation of cytokine production, antigen
presentation, or other processes that may also indicate a
usefulness in the treatment of cancer (e.g., by boosting immune
responses). Since the gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid
origin, the gene or protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues. Therefore
polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention may be also
used as an agent for immunological disorders including arthritis,
asthma, immune deficiency diseases such as AIDS, leukemia,
rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, sepsis, acne, and
psoriasis. In addition, this gene product may have commercial
utility in the expansion of stem cells and committed progenitors of
various blood lineages, and in the differentiation and/or
proliferation of various cell types. Expression of this gene
product in neutrophils also strongly indicates a role for this
protein in immune function and immune surveillance. Protein, as
well as, antibodies directed against the protein may show utility
as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0533] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:90 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 798 of SEQ ID NO:90, b is an integer
of 15 to 812, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:90, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 81
[0534] This gene is expressed primarily in cerebellum.
[0535] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
neural disorders, particularly damage to the cerebellum or
additional CNS tissues caused by insults, which include, but are
not limited to, trauma or ischemia. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the central nervous system
(CNS), expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower
levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types
(e.g., neural, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids
(e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal
fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual
having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression
level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid
from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides
of the present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of one
or both of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 231 as
residues: Pro-7 to Cys-21, Leu-25 to Ser-30. Polynucleotides
encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0536] The tissue distribution in cerebellum indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the detection, diagnosis, treatment, and/or
prevention of neurodegenerative disease states, behavioral
disorders, or inflammatory conditions which include, but are not
limited to Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's
Disease, Tourette Syndrome, meningitis, encephalitis, demyelinating
diseases, peripheral neuropathies, neoplasia, trauma, congenital
malformations, spinal cord injuries, ischemia and infarction,
aneurysms, hemorrhages, schizophrenia, mania, dementia, paranoia,
obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, panic disorder, learning
disabilities, ALS, psychoses, autism, and altered behaviors,
including disorders in feeding, sleep patterns, balance, and
perception. In addition, elevated expression of this gene product
in regions of the brain indicates it plays a role in normal netural
function. Potentially, this gene product is involved in synapse
formation, neurotransmission, learning, cognition, homeostasis, or
neuronal differentiation or survival. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may
show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the
above listed tumors and tissues.
[0537] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:91 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1868 of SEQ ID NO:91, b is an integer
of 15 to 1882, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:91, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 82
[0538] The translation product of this gene shares sequence
homology with the hunan M phase phosphoprotein 10 as well as ORF
YJR002w of Saccharomyces cerevisiae(see, e.g., Genbank Accession
No.gnl|PID|e266673, all references available through this accession
are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference herein)
which are thought to play important roles in the regulation of
cellular division.
[0539] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group:
AKNSQKEENPEHVEIQKMMDSLFLKLDALSNFHFIPKPPVPEIKVVSNLPAIT
MEEVAPVSVSDAALLAPEEIKEKNKAGDIKTAAEKTATDKKRERRKKKYQK
RMKIKEKEKRRKLLEKSSVDQAGKYSKTVASEKLKQLTKTGKASFIKVRTRE
RKLLKGTFVGEVDSKCWVTGMSEPADSPPVG (SEQ ID NO: 534),
LQDEGKDKALKSSQAFFSKLQDQVKMQINDAKKTEKKKKKRQDISVHKLKL (SEQ ID NO:
535), DEGKDKALKSSQAFFSKLQDQVKMQINDA (SEQ ID NO: 536),
EENPEHVEIQKMMDSLFLKLDALSNFHF (SEQ ID NO: 537),
SSVDQAGKYSKTVASEKLKQLTKTGKASFIK (SEQ ID NO: 539),
VSVSDAALLAPEEIKEKNKAGDI (SEQ ID NO: 540), VLEVMVTVAPK (SEQ ID NO:
541), LQDEGKDKALKSSQAFFSKLQDQVKMQINDAKKTE (SEQ ID NO: 542), and/or
SNLPAITMEEVAP (SEQ ID NO: 538). Moreover, fragments and variants of
these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as described
herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%,
99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or polypeptides
encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under stringent
conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these polypeptides) are
encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that bind polypeptides of
the invention and polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are
also encompassed by the invention.
[0540] This gene is expressed primarily in human thyroid.
[0541] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
endocrine, proliferative, or developmental disorders, particularly
diseases relating to the thyroid gland, particularly hyper- and
hypothyroidism. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to
these polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological
probes for differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell
type(s). For a number of disorders of the above tissues or cells,
particularly of the disorders of the endocrine system, expression
of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may be
routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
endocrine, developmental, metabolic, cancerous and wounded tissues)
or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0542] The tissue distribution in human thyroid indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for treating, detecting, diagnosing, and/or preventing
metabolic disorders, particularly hyper-, hypothyroidism, Graves'
disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and/or cancer or neoplasias of
the thyroid, and/or other endocrine organs and immune system.
Moreover, the protein may show utility in the diagnosis,
prevention, and/or treatment of developmental disorders. In
addition, the homology to an M phase phosphoprotein indicates it
may be a key player in the proliferation, maintenance, and/or
differentiation of various cell types during development. It may
also act as a morphogen to control cell and tissue type
specification. Because of potential roles in proliferation and
differentiation, this gene product may have applications in the
adult for tissue regeneration and the treatment of cancers.
Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may
show utility as a tissue-specific marker and/or immunotherapy
target for the above listed tissues.
[0543] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:92 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1377 of SEQ ID NO:92, b is an integer
of 15 to 1391, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:92, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 83
[0544] This gene is expressed primarily in uterine cancer.
[0545] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
uterine cancer, and other reproductive disorders. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the
uterine cancer, expression of this gene at significantly higher or
lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell
types (e.g., reproductive, cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily
fluids (e.g., amniotic fluid, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0546] The tissue distribution in tumors of the uterus indicates
that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene
would be useful for diagnosis, detection, prevention, treatment
and/or intervention of these tumors, in addition to other tumors
where expression has been indicated. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a
tissue-specific marker and/or immunotherapy target for the above
listed tissues.
[0547] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:93 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 916 of SEQ ID NO:93, b is an integer
of 15 to 930, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:93, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 84
[0548] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: VKPPDQSCNHWRDEQCLV (SEQ ID NO: 543). Moreover, fragments
and variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments
as described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%,
97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or
polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0549] This gene is expressed primarily in wilm's tumor.
[0550] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
Wilm's tumor, and other urogenital disorders. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the Wilm's
tumor, expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower
levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types
(e.g., urogenital, cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids
(e.g., serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or
another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such
a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e.,
the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder.
[0551] The tissue distribution in Wilm's tumor indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, detection, prevention and/or treatment
of Wilm's tumor. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against
the protein may show utility as a tissue-specific marker and/or
immunotherapy target for the above listed tissues. Furthermore,
this gene or gene product would be useful in the treatment,
prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of kidney diseases including
renal failure, nephritus, renal tubular acidosis, proteinuria,
pyuria, edema, pyelonephritis, hydronephritis, nephrotic syndrome,
crush syndrome, glomerulonephritis, hematuria, renal colic and
kidney stones, in addition to congenital kidney abnormalities such
as horseshoe kidney, polycystic kidney, and Falconi's syndrome.
Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may
show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the
above listed tissues.
[0552] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:94 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 984 of SEQ ID NO:94, b is an integer
of 15 to 998, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:94, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 85
[0553] When tested against Jurkat T-cell cell lines, supernatants
removed from cells containing this gene activated the GAS (gamma
activation site) pathway. Thus, it is likely that this gene
activates T-cells through the Jaks-STAT signal transduction
pathway. GAS (gamma activation site) is a promoter element found
upstream in many genes which are involved in the Jaks-STAT pathway.
The Jaks-STAT pathway is a large, signal transduction pathway
involved in the differentiation and proliferation of cells.
Therefore, activation of the Jaks-STATs pathway, reflected by the
binding of the GAS element, can be used to indicate proteins
involved in the proliferation and differentiation of cells.
[0554] This gene is expressed primarily in fetal spleen and adipose
tissues.
[0555] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immune, metabolic, and developmental disorders. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the fetal
spleen and adipose tissues, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., immune, developing, cancerous
and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma,
urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell
sample taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to
the standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the present invention comprise,
or alternatively consist of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ
ID NO: 235 as residues: Tyr-41 to Phe-47. Polynucleotides encoding
said polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0556] The tissue distribution in fetal liver/spleen, combined with
the detection of GAS promoter activation activity, indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, detection, treatment, and/or
prevention of a variety of immune system disorders. Expression of
this gene product in fetal spleen indicates a role in the
regulation of the proliferation; survival; differentiation; and/or
activation of potentially all hematopoietic cell lineages,
including blood stem cells. This gene product may be involved in
the regulation of cytokine production, antigen presentation, or
other processes that may also indicate a usefulness in the
treatment of cancer (e.g., by boosting immune responses). Since the
gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid origin, the natural gene
product may be involved in immune functions. Therefore it may be
also used as an agent for immunological disorders including
arthritis, asthma, immune deficiency diseases such as AIDS, and
leukemia. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tumors and tissues. In addition, this
gene product may have commercial utility in the expansion of stem
cells and committed progenitors of various blood lineages, and in
the differentiation and/or proliferation of various cell types.
Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may
show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the
above listed tissues.
[0557] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:95 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 816 of SEQ ID NO:95, b is an integer
of 15 to 830, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:95, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 86
[0558] This gene is expressed primarily in IL-1/TNF stimulated
synovial and human adipose tissues.
[0559] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
rheumatoid arthritis or obessity, and disorders of the
musculo-skeletal system. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies
directed to these polypeptides would be useful in providing
immunological probes for differential identification of the
tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the above
tissues or cells, particularly of the immune and musculo-skeletal
systems, expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower
levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types
and cell types (e.g., synovial and adipose cells and tissues,
musculo-skeletal, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily
fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and
spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred
polypeptides of the present invention comprise, or alternatively
consist of one or both of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID
NO: 236 as residues: Leu-37 to Arg-45, Ser-60 to Ser-65.
Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the
invention.
[0560] The tissue distribution in synovial tissue and adipose
tissue indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the diagnosis or
treatment of rheumatoid arthritis or other immune diseases. In
addition, the expression of this gene product in synovium indicates
a role in the detection, diganosis, prevention and/or treatment of
disorders and conditions affecting the skeletal system, in
particular osteoporosis as well as disorders afflicting connective
tissues (e.g., arthritis, trauma, tendonitis, chrondomalacia and
inflammation), such as in the diagnosis or treatment of various
autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus,
scleroderma, and dermatomyositis as well as dwarfism, spinal
deformation, and specific joint abnormalities as well as
chondrodysplasias (i.e., spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita,
familial osteoarthritis, Atelosteogenesis type II, metaphyseal
chondrodysplasia type Schmid). The tissue distribution in adipose
tissue indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the treatment of
obesity and other metabolic and endocrine conditions or disorders.
Furthermore, the protein product of this gene may show utility in
ameliorating conditions which occur secondary to aberrant
fatty-acid metabolism (e.g. aberrant myelin sheath development),
either directly or indirectly. Protein, as well as, antibodies
directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker
and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0561] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:96 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 853 of SEQ ID NO:96, b is an integer
of 15 to 867, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:96, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 87
[0562] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: MLYLILISLSSLSFSFSLPPFSIII (SEQ ID NO:
544), SSYFLRHFRIYHTCPKYFSMNIIN (SEQ ID NO: 545),
KLTLTKGNKSWSSTAVAAALELVDPPGCRNSARDSLPNSTM
MFYYACFILYSSLSPLSLSLSPSLLSLL (SEQ ID NO: 546), and/or
QFHTGNSYDHDYAK (SEQ ID NO: 547). Moreover, fragments and variants
of these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as described
herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%,
99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or polypeptides
encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under stringent
conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these polypeptides) are
encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that bind polypeptides of
the invention and polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are
also encompassed by the invention.
[0563] When tested against U937 Myeloid cell lines, supernatants
removed from cells containing this gene activated the GAS assay.
Thus, it is likely that this gene activates myeloid cells through
the Jak-STAT signal transduction pathway. The gamma activating
sequence (GAS) is a promoter element found upstream of many genes
which are involved in the Jak-STAT pathway. The Jak-STAT pathway is
a large, signal transduction pathway involved in the
differentiation and proliferation of cells. Therefore, activation
of the Jak-STAT pathway, reflected by the binding of the GAS
element, can be used to indicate proteins involved in the
proliferation and differentiation of cells.
[0564] This gene is expressed primarily in striatum.
[0565] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
a number of diseases of the neural system. Similarly, polypeptides
and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the neural diseases,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
striatum, cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g.,
lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or
another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such
a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e.,
the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder.
[0566] The tissue distribution in striatum indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, detection, prevention and/or treatment
of diseases of the neural system. Furthermore, the tissue
distribution indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the detection,
diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of neurodegenerative
disease states and behavioural disorders such as Alzheimer's
Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Disease, Tourette
Syndrome, schizophrenia, mania, dementia, paranoia, obsessive
compulsive disorder, panic disorder, learning disabilities, ALS,
psychoses, autism, and altered bahaviors, including disorders in
feeding, sleep patterns, balance, and perception. In addition, the
gene or gene product may also play a role in the treatment,
prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of developmental disorders
associated with the developing embryo, or sexually-linked
disorders. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0567] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:97 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 531 of SEQ ID NO:97, b is an integer
of 15 to 545, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:97, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 88
[0568] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: IRHEESFNPLTCGFSLFFSLFS (SEQ ID NO: 548),
METLLLLLFFLSLLIFRFRILVSQCIN (SEQ ID NO: 549),
FLLTTVLLFSSKVRDPRANFDQSLRVLKHAKKVQPDVISKTSIMLGLGENDEQ VYATMKGKEIEK
(SEQ ID NO: 550), and/or QQSCCFPVRFVILGPILISPYVY (SEQ ID NO: 551).
Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as,
for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least
80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these
polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which
hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0569] This gene is expressed primarily in synovium.
[0570] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
arthritis and other diseases of the musculo-skeletal system.
Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to these
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the musculo-skeletal system, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., musculo-skeletal, cancerous
and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma,
urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell
sample taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to
the standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder.
[0571] The tissue distribution in synovium indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the treatment, prevention, diagnosis, and/or
detection of diseases of the muscular-skeletal system. Furthermore,
the expression of this gene product in synovium indicates a role in
the detection, diganosis, prevention and/or treatment of disorders
and conditions affecting the skeletal system, in particular
osteoporosis as well as disorders afflicting connective tissues
(e.g., arthritis, trauma, tendonitis, chrondomalacia and
inflammation), such as in the diagnosis or treatment of various
autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus,
scleroderma, and dermatomyositis as well as dwarfism, spinal
deformation, and specific joint abnormalities as well as
chondrodysplasias (i.e., spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita,
familial osteoarthritis, Atelosteogenesis type II, metaphyseal
chondrodysplasia type Schmid). Protein, as well as, antibodies
directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker
and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0572] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:98 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 708 of SEQ ID NO:98, b is an integer
of 15 to 722, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:98, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 89
[0573] This gene is expressed primarily in medulloblastoma.
[0574] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
disorders of the central nervous system, including cancers.
Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to these
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the central nervous system, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., neural, cancerous and wounded
tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., serum, plasma, urine, synovial
fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from
an individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred
polypeptides of the present invention comprise, or alternatively
consist of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 239 as
residues: Phe-22 to Leu-28. Polynucleotides encoding said
polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0575] The tissue distribution indicates that polynucleotides and
polypeptides corresponding to this gene would be useful for the
detection, diagnosis, treatment, and/or prevention of
neurodegenerative disease states and behavioural disorders such as
Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Disease,
Tourette Syndrome, schizophrenia, mania, dementia, paranoia,
obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, learning
disabilities, ALS, psychoses, autism, and altered behaviors,
including disorders in feeding, sleep patterns, balance, and
perception. In addition, the gene or gene product may also play a
role in the treatment, prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of
developmental disorders associated with the developing embryo.
Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may
show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the
above listed tissues.
[0576] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:99 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 739 of SEQ ID NO:99, b is an integer
of 15 to 753, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:99, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 90
[0577] When tested against a Jurkat T-cell line, supernatants
removed from cells containing this gene activated the GAS (gamma
activation site) pathway. Thus, it is likely that this gene
activates T-cells through the Jaks-STAT signal transduction
pathway. The GAS is a promoter element found upstream in many genes
which are involved in the Jaks-STAT pathway. The Jaks-STAT pathway
is a complex, signal transduction pathway involved in the
differentiation and proliferation of cells. Therefore, activation
of the Jaks-STATs pathway, reflected by the binding of the GAS
element, can be used to indicate proteins involved in the
proliferation and differentiation of cells.
[0578] This gene is expressed primarily in human kidney pyramid,
and to a lesser extent in human brain.
[0579] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
nephrotic, nephritic syndromes, renal failure, hypertensive
nephrosclerosis. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to
these polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological
probes for differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell
type(s). For a number of disorders of the above tissues or cells,
particularly of the renal system, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., renal, cancerous and wounded
tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine,
synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample
taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to the
standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder.
[0580] The tissue distribution in kidney indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for treatment, prevention, detection and/or diagnosis of
renal diseases, including renal failure, nephritus, renal tubular
acidosis, proteinuria, pyuria, edema, pyelonephritis,
hydronephritis, nephrotic syndrome, crush syndrome,
glomerulonephritis, hematuria, renal colic and kidney stones, in
addition to Wilm's Tumor Disease, and congenital kidney
abnormalities such as horseshoe kidney, polycystic kidney, and
Falconi's syndrome. Additionally, the gene product may have
endocrine functions related to renal function, metabolism and
homeostasis. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0581] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO: 100 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 682 of SEQ ID NO: 100, b is an
integer of 15 to 696, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO: 100, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 91
[0582] This gene is expressed primarily in both normal or cancerous
human breast tissue.
[0583] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
Non-neoplastic breast diseases or breast cancers. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the
breast, expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower
levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types
(e.g., mammary tissue, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily
fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and
spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred
polypeptides of the present invention comprise, or alternatively
consist of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 241 as
residues: Pro-20 to Ser-28. Polynucleotides encoding said
polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0584] The tissue distribution in breast indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for either non-neoplastic breast diseases, such as
congentital anomalities, gynecomastia, mastitis and abscess, duct
ectasia and fat necrosis, or neoplasia in the breast. Protein, as
well as, antibodies directed against the protein may show utility
as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0585] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO: 101 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 441 of SEQ ID NO:101, b is an integer
of 15 to 455, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:101, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 92
[0586] This gene is expressed primarily in activated T-cells.
[0587] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
arthritis, asthma, auto-immune and immunodeficiency diseases.
Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to these
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the immune system, expression of this gene at significantly higher
or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or
cell types and cell types (e.g., T-cells and other cells and tissue
of the immune system, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily
fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and
spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0588] The expression of this gene in T-cells indicates a potential
role in the treament, prevention, diagnosis, and/or detection of
immune disorders such as arthritis, asthma, hypersensitivity
reactions and transplant rejection, and also in immune deficiency
diseases such as AIDS, and leukemia. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0589] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:102 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 375 of SEQ ID NO: 102, b is an
integer of 15 to 389, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO: 102, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 93
[0590] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00024
MFYSKIFYFLLLNSDTSNNVTSKTLVSSISSSNN (SEQ ID NO:552) RLAVSIVF,
SRQKNLLKLHSNPNCDNFCFIFNYKPKYICIFKL (SEQ ID NO:553) ICLKILLYIFGSG,
and/or MLLSLLMVFTSELYVKRHISFKSXDKPHCHKNQD (SEQ ID NO:554)
IDVLFRKLLEKHFKVINMICFP.
[0591] Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such
as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at
least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to
these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention. This gene is expressed primarily in fetal liver, and
to a lesser extent in bone and breast cancer cell lines.
[0592] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
cancer and metabolic disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the digestive and skeletal
system, expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower
levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types
(e.g., digestive, skeletal, cancerous and wounded tissues) or
bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0593] The tissue distribution in fetal liver/spleen, as well as
bone and breast cancer, indicates that polynucleotides and
polypeptides corresponding to this gene would be useful for study,
detection, diagnosis, prevention and/or treatment of growth and
metabolic disorders and neoplasias (e.g., hepatoblastoma, jaundice,
hepatitis, liver metabolic diseases and conditions that are
attributable to the differentiation of hepatocyte progenitor
cells). Furthermore, the tissue distribution indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis and/or treatment of bone and breast
cancer, as well as cancers of other tissues where expression has
been observed.
[0594] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO: 103 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 946 of SEQ ID NO: 103, b is an
integer of 15 to 960, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:103, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 94
[0595] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: FREYGFYNLHFC (SEQ ID NO: 555),
LVTTDYYDGCNEDYEYNWSYMFLNSEQLFIKFYPTFFC (SEQ ID NO: 556), and/or
NVIAPGLESSCANSLFLLFVCLPVAHHRHNFLFIKHSLYNHLRDYESDFDKI (SEQ ID NO:
557). Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such
as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at
least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to
these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0596] This gene is expressed primarily in T cells, fetal heart and
infant brain, and to a lesser extent in some transformed cell
lines.
[0597] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
growth and immune disorders and diseases. Similarly, polypeptides
and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune and
cardiovascular systems, expression of this gene at significantly
higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues
or cell types (e.g., immune, cardiovascular, cancerous and wounded
tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine,
synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample
taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to the
standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder.
[0598] The tissue distribution in immune cells, heart tissue, and
brain tissue indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the study,
detection, diagnosis, prevention and/or treatment of developmental
and immune disorders. This gene product may be involved in the
regulation of cytokine production, antigen presentation, or other
processes that may also indicate a usefulness in the treatment of
cancer (e.g., by boosting immune responses). Since the gene is
expressed in cells of lymphoid origin, the gene or protein, as well
as, antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a
tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues. Therefore polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the
invention may be also used as an agent for immunological disorders
including arthritis, asthma, immune deficiency diseases such as
AIDS, leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease,
sepsis, acne, and psoriasis. In addition, this gene product may
have commercial utility in the expansion of stem cells and
committed progenitors of various blood lineages, and in the
differentiation and/or proliferation of various cell types.
Expression of this gene product in T cells also strongly indicates
a role for this protein in immune function and immune surveillance.
The tissue distribution in heart muscle tissue indicates that
polynucleotides and/or polypeptides corresponding to this gene
would be useful for the diagnosis, detection, prevention and/or
treatment of conditions and pathologies of the cardiovascular
system, such as heart disease, restenosis, atherosclerosis, stoke,
angina, thrombosis, and wound healing. The tissue distribution in
brain tissue indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the detection,
diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of neurodegenerative
disease states and behavioural disorders such as Alzheimer's
Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Disease, Tourette
Syndrome, schizophrenia, mania, dementia, paranoia, obsessive
compulsive disorder, panic disorder, learning disabilities, ALS,
psychoses, autism, and altered bahaviors, including disorders in
feeding, sleep patterns, balance, and perception. In addition, the
gene or gene product may also play a role in the treatment,
prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of developmental disorders
associated with the developing embryo, or sexually-linked
disorders. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0599] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO: 104 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1428 of SEQ ID NO:104, b is an
integer of 15 to 1442, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:104, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 95
[0600] This gene is expressed primarily in neutrophils.
[0601] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immune and haematological disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
immune, hematopoietic, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily
fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and
spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0602] The tissue distribution in neutrophils indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, treatment, and/or prevention of a
variety of immune system disorders. Expression of this gene product
indicates a role in regulating the proliferation; survival;
differentiation; and/or activation of hematopoietic cell lineages,
including blood stem cells. This gene product may be involved in
the regulation of cytokine production, antigen presentation, or
other processes that may also indicate a usefulness in the
treatment of cancer (e.g., by boosting immune responses). Since the
gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid origin, the natural gene
product may be involved in immune functions. Therefore
polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention may be also
used as an agent for immunological disorders including arthritis,
asthma, immunodeficiency diseases such as AIDS, leukemia,
rheumatoid arthritis, granulomatous disease, inflammatory bowel
disease, sepsis, acne, neutropenia, neutrophilia, psoriasis,
hypersensitivities, such as T-cell mediated cytotoxicity; immune
reactions to transplanted organs and tissues, such as
host-versus-graft and graft-versus-host diseases, or autoimmunity
disorders, such as autoimmune infertility, lense tissue injury,
demyelination, systemic lupus erythematosis, drug induced hemolytic
anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's disease, scleroderma and
tissues. In addition, this gene product may have commercial utility
in the expansion of stem cells and committed progenitors of various
blood lineages, and in the differentiation and/or proliferation of
various cell types. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0603] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO: 105 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 584 of SEQ ID NO:105, b is an integer
of 15 to 598, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO: 105, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 96
[0604] When tested against K562 leukemia cell lines, supernatants
removed from cells containing this gene activated the ISRE assay.
Thus, it is likely that this gene activates leukemia cells through
the Jak-STAT signal transduction pathway. The interferon-sensitive
response element is a promoter element found upstream of many genes
which are involved in the Jak-STAT pathway. The Jak-STAT pathway is
a large, signal transduction pathway involved in the
differentiation and proliferation of cells. Therefore, activation
of the Jak-STAT pathway, reflected by the binding of the ISRE
element, can be used to indicate proteins involved in the
proliferation and differentiation of cells.
[0605] This gene is expressed primarily in aortic endothelium, and
to a lesser extent in melanocyte.
[0606] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
cardiovascular diseases. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies
directed to these polypeptides would be useful in providing
immunological probes for differential identification of the
tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the above
tissues or cells, particularly of the cardiovascular system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
vascular, cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g.,
lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or
another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such
a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e.,
the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the
present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of one or both
of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 246 as residues:
Met-1 to Trp-12, Arg-33 to Ser-53. Polynucleotides encoding said
polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0607] The tissue distribution in human aortic endothelial cells
indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to
this gene would be useful for the detection or intervention of
cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, cadiovascular
injuries, congenital heart diseases, ischemic heart diseases,
rheumatic and other hypersensitivity diseases, cardiomyopathy,
restenosis, atherosclerosis, stoke, angina, thrombosis, and wound
healing. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tissue-specific marker and/or
immunotherapy target for the above listed tissues.
[0608] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO: 106 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 671 of SEQ ID NO: 106, b is an
integer of 15 to 685, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO: 106, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 97
[0609] The translation product of this gene shares weak sequence
homology with Interferon induced 1-8 gene encoded polypeptide,
which is thought to be important in retroviral REV responsive
element binding and thus viral replication.
[0610] This gene is expressed primarily in B-cell lymphoma.
[0611] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immune response to viral infections and other immunologically
related disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed
to these polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological
probes for differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell
type(s). For a number of disorders of the above tissues or cells,
particularly of the immune system, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types and cell types (e.g., T-cells and
other cells and tissue of the immune system, and cancerous and
wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma,
urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell
sample taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to
the standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the present invention comprise,
or alternatively consist of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ
ID NO: 247 as residues: Pro-47 to Asn-53. Polynucleotides encoding
said polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0612] The tissue distribution in B-cell lymphoma and homology to
interferon induced 1-8 gene indicates that polynucleotides and
polypeptides corresponding to this gene would be useful for the
intervention, prevention, treatment, detection, and/or diagnosis of
viral infection and other immunologically related disorders. The
homology with interferon induced 1-8 REV response element binding
gene indicates the gene product may bind to viral components to
interfere with the entry, packaging, replication, or induce the
host cell anti-viral response by intereferon mediated pathways.
[0613] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:107 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 491 of SEQ ID NO: 107, b is an
integer of 15 to 505, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:107, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 98
[0614] The gene encoding the disclosed cDNA is thought to reside on
chromosome 12. Accordingly, polynucleotides related to this
invention would be useful as a marker in linkage analysis for
chromosome 12.
[0615] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: LNIDSFDYGKFESLLAKQHYKFSFLLPLAAGTERCKWWLKIEEASSDQCGCW
FLVKCVPKPPSPCRQPPTQVSKIGHAPFFL (SEQ ID NO: 558). Moreover,
fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example,
fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%,
95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides,
or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0616] This gene is expressed primarily in brain, and to a lesser
extent in placenta and spleen.
[0617] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
behavioural disorders and neurodegenerative disease states.
Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to these
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the brain and central nervous system, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., brain and other tissue of the
nervous system, spleen and other cells and tissue of the immune
system, placenta, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily
fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and
spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0618] The tissue distribution in brain indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the detection, diagnosis, prevention, and/or
treatment of neurodegenerative disease states and behavioural
disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease,
Huntington's Disease, schizophrenia, mania, dementia, paranoia,
obsessive compulsive disorder and panic disorder. In addition, the
gene or gene product may also play a role in the treatment,
prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of developmental disorders
associated with the developing embryo, or sexually-linked
disorders. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0619] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO: 108 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1135 of SEQ ID NO:108, b is an
integer of 15 to 1149, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO: 108, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 99
[0620] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group:
QEFQTGLGNMVKPCLYEKYRNISWLWWHTPVVPATWEAEVGGSLEPGRLRL Q (SEQ ID NO:
559), and/or
ILGGESILILSWVFSYIFFRIALEITIYILNVSPFCLGRWLMPVIPALWEAEVGGL PELRSSRPA
(SEQ ID NO: 560). Moreover, fragments and variants of these
polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as described herein,
polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or
100% identical to these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a
polynucleotide which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the
polynucleotide encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the
invention. Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0621] This gene is expressed primarily in human adult lymph node
tissue.
[0622] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immune disorders and lymphomas. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune and metabolic
systems, expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower
levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types
(e.g., immune, metabolic, cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily
fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and
spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0623] The tissue distribution in lymph nodes indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the study, diagnosis, detection, prevention and/or
treatment of immune and lymph diseases and disorders such as
lymphomas. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0624] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:109 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 671 of SEQ ID NO:109, b is an integer
of 15 to 685, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO: 109, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 100
[0625] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00025
VLCEEAGQKVPSTPSWSSWTLQKRLRGSPAEANC (SEQ ID NO:561) SPSFPAPPGKE,
MSLSALACDFTPIQPWEWEEYEQITLGLTAPSNL (SEQ ID NO:562)
LESNYLGQASECFVRKLVRRFPQLLPGPPGHCRK
DLGDPQQRPIALLPSLPHQERNNVHRLEADSEVD L,
CVDFDEYFSSWEPLLKMMFKGVVGGKMKAWRRKK (SEQ ID NO:563) RRKPLPYKIHAD,
and/or MMFKGVVGGKMKAWRRKKRRKPLPYKIHAD. (SEQ ID NO:564)
[0626] Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such
as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at
least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to
these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0627] This gene is expressed primarily in bone marrow, and to a
lesser extent in testes.
[0628] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
hematopoietic and reproductive disorders. Similarly, polypeptides
and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the hematopoietic and
reproductive systems, expression of this gene at significantly
higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues
or cell types (e.g., reproductive, immune, cancerous and wounded
tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine,
synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample
taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to the
standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder.
[0629] The tissue distribution in bone marrow and testes indicates
that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene
would be useful for the study, diagnosis, detection, prevention
and/or treatment of various disorders involving the hematopoietic
and reproductive systems. The uses include bone marrow cell ex vivo
culture, bone marrow transplantation, bone marrow reconstitution,
radiotherapy or chemotherapy of neoplasia. The gene product may
also be involved in lymphopoiesis, therefore, it can be used in
immune disorders such as infection, inflammation, allergy,
immunodeficiency etc. In addition, this gene product may have
commercial utility in the expansion of stem cells and committed
progenitors of various blood lineages, and in the differentiation
and/or proliferation of various cell types. Furthermore,
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the treatment, prevention, diagnosis, and/or
detection of conditions concerning proper testicular function (e.g.
endocrine function, sperm maturation), as well as cancer.
Therefore, this gene product would be useful in the treatment of
male infertility and/or impotence. This gene product is also useful
in assays designed to identify binding agents, as such agents
(antagonists) would be useful as male contraceptive agents.
Similarly, the protein is believed to be useful in the treatment
and/or diagnosis of testicular cancer. The testes are also a site
of active gene expression of transcripts that may be expressed,
particularly at low levels, in other tissues of the body.
Therefore, polynucleotides and/or polypeptides corresponding to
this gene may be expressed in other specific tissues or organs
where it may play related functional roles in other processes, such
as hematopoiesis, inflammation, bone formation, and kidney
function, to name a few possible target indications. Protein, as
well as, antibodies directed against the protein may show utility
as a tissue-specific marker and/or immunotherapy target for the
above listed tissues.
[0630] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:110 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1132 of SEQ ID NO:110, b is an
integer of 15 to 1146, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:110, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 101
[0631] The translation product of this gene shares sequence
homology with adipose specific collagen-like factor as well as the
human adipocyte complement related protein Acrp30, the latter of
which is known to be important in energy balance and homeostasis
involving food intake, particularly in carbohydrate and lipid
catabolism/anabolism (see, e.g., Genbank Accession
Nos.gnl|PID|d1008822 and WO9108, respectively, all references
available through these accession are hereby incorporated in their
entirety by reference herein).
[0632] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group:
XLWDPGLPGVCRCGSIVLKSAFSVGITTSYPEXRLPIIFNKVLLPRGXALQPCH
RGSSSVLSQGIYYFSYDITLANKHLAIGLVHNGQYRIKTFDANTGNHDVASGS TVIYLQPEDE
VWLEIFFTDQNGLFSDPGWADSLFSGFLLYVDTDYLDSISEDDEL (SEQ ID NO: 565),
GSIVLKSAFSVGITT (SEQ ID NO: 566), GIYYFSYDITLANK (SEQ ID NO: 567),
DSLFSGFLLYVDT (SEQ ID NO: 568), and/or NHDVASGSTVIYL (SEQ ID NO:
569). Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such
as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at
least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to
these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0633] This gene is expressed primarily in human schwanoma.
[0634] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
neural or integumentary disorders, particularly neurofibroma.
Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to these
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the diseases relating to peripheral or sympathetic nervous system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
neural, integumentary, extracellular matrix, cancerous and wounded
tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine,
synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample
taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to the
standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the present invention comprise,
or alternatively consist of one, two, three, four, five, or all six
of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 251 as residues:
Gly-16 to Pro-30, Pro-42 to Gly-56, Gly-62 to Gly-77, Glu-93 to
Gly-104, Glu-109 to Glu-114, Pro-121 to Asp-126. Polynucleotides
encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0635] The tissue distribution in schwanoma cells combined with the
homology to a conserved human adipose specific collagen-like factor
as well as to the human adipocyte complement related protein
Acrp30, indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the detection,
diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of neurodegenerative
disease states and behavioural disorders particularly
neuroschwannoma, and including Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's
Disease, Huntington's Disease, Tourette Syndrome, schizophrenia,
mania, dementia, paranoia, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic
disorder, learning disabilities, ALS, psychoses, autism, and
altered behaviors, including disorders in feeding, sleep patterns,
balance, and perception. In addition, the gene or gene product may
also play a role in the treatment, prevention, diagnosis and/or
detection of developmental disorders associated with the developing
embryo, sexually-linked disorders, or disorders of the
cardiovascular system. Moreover, polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the treatment,
detection, diagnosis, and/or prevention of various skin disorders
including congenital disorders (i.e., nevi, moles, freckles,
Mongolian spots, hemangiomas, port-wine syndrome), integumentary
tumors (i.e., keratoses, Bowen's disease, basal cell carcinoma,
squamous cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma, Paget's disease,
mycosis fungoides, and Kaposi's sarcoma), injuries and inflammation
of the skin (i.e., wounds, rashes, prickly heat disorder,
psoriasis, dermatitis), atherosclerosis, uticaria, eczema,
photosensitivity, autoimmune disorders (i.e., lupus erythematosus,
vitiligo, dermatomyositis, morphea, scleroderma, pemphigoid, and
pemphigus), keloids, striae, erythema, petechiae, purpura, and
xanthelasma. In addition, such disorders may predispose increased
susceptibility to viral and bacterial infections of the skin (i.e.,
cold sores, warts, chickenpox, molluscum contagiosum, herpes
zoster, boils, cellulitis, erysipelas, impetigo, tinea, althlete's
foot, and ringworm). Moreover, polynucleotides and/or polypeptides
corresponding to this gene may also be useful for the treatment or
diagnosis of various connective tissue disorders such as arthritis,
trauma, tendonitis, chrondomalacia and inflammation, autoimmune
disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, and
dermatomyositis as well as dwarfism, spinal deformation, and
specific joint abnormalities as well as chondrodysplasias (i.e.,
spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, familial osteoarthritis,
Atelosteogenesis type II, metaphyseal chondrodysplasia type
Schmid). Alternatively, considering the homology to a conserved
adipose specific collagen-like factor, would indicate that
polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention may also be
important in the diagnosis or treatment of various autoimmune
disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, and
dermatomyositis as well as dwarfism, spinal deformation, and
specific joint abnormalities as well as chondrodysplasias ie.
spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, familial osteoarthritis,
Atelosteogenesis type II, metaphyseal chondrodysplasia type Schmid.
Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may
show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the
above listed tissues.
[0636] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:111 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1319 of SEQ ID NO:111, b is an
integer of 15 to 1333, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO: 111, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 102
[0637] The protein product of this gene was found to have homology
to the human CD84 protein which, as a novel member of the Ig
superfamily, is thought to play an important role in the modulation
of the immune response. The present invention appears to encode a
novel full-length CD84 homolog and is highly enriched, if not
specific, for activated T cells.
[0638] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: ITPLGLGAAD (SEQ ID NO: 570),
TLRVLGKVPAVCPWCALWRKAGMDMTYSWLSRGDSTYTFHEG
PVLSTSWRPGDSALSYTCRANNPISNVSSCPIPDGPFYADPNYASEKPSTAFCL
LAKGLLIFLLLVILAM GLWVIRVQKRHKMPRMKKLMRNRMKLRKEAKPGSSPA (SEQ ID NO:
571), AVCPWCALWRKAGMDMTYSWL (SEQ ID NO: 572),
PGDSALSYTCRANNPISNVSSCPI (SEQ ID NO: 573), YASEKPSTAFCLLAKGLLIFLLLV
(SEQ ID NO: 574), and/or QKRHKMPRMKKLMRNRMKLRKEAKPG (SEQ ID NO:
575). Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such
as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at
least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to
these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0639] This gene is expressed primarily in human activated
T-Cells.
[0640] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immunodeficiencies, inflammatory conditions, infections, and other
immune or hematopoietic disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the disorders of the immune
system, expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower
levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types
(e.g., immune, hematopoietic, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or
bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred
polypeptides of the present invention comprise, or alternatively
consist of one or both of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID
NO: 252 as residues: Glu-15 to Arg-23, Asn-79 to Gly-84.
Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the
invention.
[0641] The tissue distribution in activated T-cells indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the detection, diagnosis, treatment, and/or
prevention of a variety of immune system disorders. Expression of
this gene product in T-cells indicates a role in the regulation of
the proliferation; survival; differentiation; and/or activation of
potentially all hematopoietic cell lineages, including blood stem
cells. This gene product may be involved in the regulation of
cytokine production, antigen presentation, or other processes that
may also indicate a usefulness in the treatment of cancer (e.g., by
boosting immune responses). Since the gene is expressed in cells of
lymphoid origin, the natural gene product may be involved in immune
functions. Therefore it may be also used as an agent for
immunological disorders including arthritis, asthma, immune
deficiency diseases such as AIDS, and leukemia. Protein, as well
as, antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a
tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tumors and tissues. In addition, this gene product may have
commercial utility in the expansion of stem cells and committed
progenitors of various blood lineages, and in the differentiation
and/or proliferation of various cell types. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0642] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:112 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1126 of SEQ ID NO: 112, b is an
integer of 15 to 1140, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO: 112, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 103
[0643] The gene encoding the disclosed cDNA is believed to reside
on chromosome 17. Accordingly, polynucleotides related to this
invention would be useful as a marker in linkage analysis for
chromosome 17.
[0644] This gene is expressed primarily in breast, fetal kidney,
and T-cells.
[0645] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
reproductive, immune, developmental, or renal disorders,
particularly autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammatory conditions,
or urogenital disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies
directed to these polypeptides would be useful in providing
immunological probes for differential identification of the
tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the above
tissues or cells, particularly of the immune system, expression of
this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely
detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g., immune,
reproductive, cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids
(e.g., breast milk, lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and
spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred
polypeptides of the present invention comprise, or alternatively
consist of one or both of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID
NO: 253 as residues: His-2 to Lys-7, Ser-28 to Glu-35.
Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the
invention.
[0646] The tissue distribution in breast and T-cells indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, treatment, and/or prevention of a
variety of immune system disorders. Moreover, the expression of
this gene product indicates a role in regulating the proliferation;
survival; differentiation; and/or activation of potentially all
hematopoietic cell lineages, including blood stem cells. This gene
product may be involved in the regulation of cytokine production,
antigen presentation, or other processes that may also indicate a
usefulness in the treatment of cancer e.g. by boosting immune
responses. Since the gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid origin,
the natural gene product may be involved in immune functions.
Therefore polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention may
be also used as an agent for immunological disorders including
arthritis, asthma, immune deficiency diseases such as AIDS, and
leukemia. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tumors and tissues. In addition, this
gene product may have commercial utility in the expansion of stem
cells and committed progenitors of various blood lineages, and in
the differentiation and/or proliferation of various cell types.
Alternatively, the expression within fetal tissue indicates this
protein may play a role in the regulation of cellular division, and
may show utility in the diagnosis, detection, prevention and/or
treatment of cancer and other proliferative disorders. Similarly,
developmental tissues rely on decisions involving cell
differentiation and/or apoptosis in pattern formation. Thus this
protein may also be involved in apoptosis or tissue differentiation
and could again be useful in cancer therapy. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0647] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO: 113 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1561 of SEQ ID NO: 113, b is an
integer of 15 to 1575, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO: 113, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 104
[0648] This gene is expressed primarily in early stage brain.
[0649] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
developmental and neurodegenerative diseases of the brain and
nervous system. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to
these polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological
probes for differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell
type(s). For a number of disorders of the above tissues or cells,
particularly of the brain, expression of this gene at significantly
higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues
or cell types (e.g., brain and other tissue of the nervous system,
and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph,
serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another
tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such a
disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e., the
expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder.
[0650] The tissue distribution in brain indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the treatment, prevention, diagnosis, and/or
detection of developmental and neurodegenerative diseases, as well
as behavioral or nervous system disorders. Examples of such
conditions would include: depression, schizophrenia, mania,
dementia, paranoia, addictive behavior and sleep disorders. In
addition a brain-specific gene product may be useful in the
diagnosis of specific brain tumors. Protein, as well as, antibodies
directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker
and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0651] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:114 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 320 of SEQ ID NO:114, b is an integer
of 15 to 334, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:114, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 105
[0652] This gene is expressed primarily in prostate cancer.
[0653] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
prostate cancer. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to
these polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological
probes for differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell
type(s). For a number of disorders of the above tissues or cells,
particularly of the prostate, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., prostate, cancerous and
wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma,
urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell
sample taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to
the standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder.
[0654] The tissue distribution in prostate cancerous tissue
indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to
this gene would be useful for the detection, diganosis, prevention
and/or treatment of prostate cancer and other prostate disorders,
as well as cancers in other tissues where expression has been
indicated. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0655] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:115 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 852 of SEQ ID NO: 115, b is an
integer of 15 to 866, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:115, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 106
[0656] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: LSYSVLLILPLFHSLPTLKDTHTHNKWVE (SEQ ID NO:
576), EVNGVGYKHSCFSDISSVLENKDSRMRAPHYASFQHFFSVLLKLSPQACLTES
QCIPLTFY (SEQ ID NO: 577), KTHTHTISGWSKKSTELDISIPAFLTSPVSWRTRILE
(SEQ ID NO: 578), and/or IRHELGSSDPPAEASQIAGTAAVSHHAQP (SEQ ID NO:
579). Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such
as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at
least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to
these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0657] This gene is expressed primarily in spinal cord.
[0658] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
spinal cord injuries and diseases of the neural system. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the neural
system, expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower
levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types
(e.g., neural, cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids
(e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal
fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual
having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression
level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid
from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides
of the present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of the
immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 256 as residues: Pro-45 to
Gln-52. Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed
by the invention.
[0659] The tissue distribution in spinal cord indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, detection, prevention and/or treatment
of spinal cord injuries and diseases of the neural system, such as
spinal deformation, spinocerebullar ataxia types I and III,
dentatorubropallidoluysian and spinal bulbar muscular atrophy.
Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may
show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the
above listed tissues.
[0660] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO: 116 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 448 of SEQ ID NO:116, b is an integer
of 15 to 462, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:116, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 107
[0661] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group:
LKGREAGAGPGTAGAPGREDANGXXRGRGGXHQLYLWVDNIPLSRPKRNLS
RDFSDGVLVAEVIKFYFPKMVEMHNYVGTSSLQQKLSNWGHLNRKVLKRLN FSVPDDV (SEQ ID
NO: 580), WVDNIPLSRPKRNLSRDFSDGVLVA (SEQ ID NO: 581),
YVGTSSLQQKLSNWGHLNRKVLKRL (SEQ ID NO: 582), GSAWRRGRGAG
SRAPAPYRSWLPRMAVATWMWVYPRRPEVKVSRTPREGVSSAGTGRRRLG
LQRITGRCRATPASSSRSLKRSRSCWPLKRPCRSCR (SEQ ID NO: 583),
WLPRMAVATWMWVYPRRPEVK (SEQ ID NO: 584), CRATPASSSRSLK RSRSCWPLKR
(SEQ ID NO: 585),
EHNTDFNGAALSRNLQTFRLSTPCARREGRLLRAHRRCPPYSWRSHASPLPL
QLLRSPSPRWVPGKLPGGAGEPLSGPGQIPPWLRAWGTSLDGDAAVLGAGR
GPDSGGVDRAKGPPPKAQRREMQGRAQGVGHCFGGQARSLHVASGLWKAV
HSPDPDLRSGRRRLSPGPALLEFLSHLLHAHPSQGRRALGPQQARESSGLRPP
NGLSIGGWVRRGVGALAGTRASPRGPGRRSPLLTXRXLEPPGEVFDPHILELE
QVLQAPYLHLQDLHGLLRGQQLLLLFSDLEDEAGVALQRPVIRWRPRRRRPV
PAELTPSLGVRDTFTSGLLGYTHIHVATAILGSQLL (SEQ ID NO: 586),
TDFNGAALSRNLQTFRLSTPCARREG (SEQ ID NO: 587),
RCPPYSWRSHASPLPLQLLRSPSPR (SEQ ID NO: 588),
GAGEPLSGPGQIPPWLRAWGTSLD (SEQ ID NO: 589),
LGAGRGPDSGGVDRAKGPPPKAQRREMQGR (SEQ ID NO: 590),
QARSLHVASGLWKAVHSPDPDLR (SEQ ID NO: 591), HPSQGRRALGPQQARESSGL (SEQ
ID NO: 592), IGGWVRRGVGALAGTRASPRGPGRRSP (SEQ ID NO: 593),
EPPGEVFDPHILELEQVLQAPYLHL (SEQ ID NO: 594), and/or
VPAELTPSLGVRDTFTSGLLGYTHIHVA (SEQ ID NO: 595). Moreover, fragments
and variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments
as described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%,
97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or
polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0662] This gene is expressed primarily in human adult testis.
[0663] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
reproductive and/or endocrine disorders. Similarly, polypeptides
and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the disorders of the
reproductive system, expression of this gene at significantly
higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues
or cell types (e.g., reproductive, endocrine, cancerous and wounded
tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, seminal fluid, serum,
plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue
or cell sample taken from an individual having such a disorder,
relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e., the
expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the
present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of one or both
of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 257 as residues:
Gln-21 to Gly-33, Gln-55 to Glu-60. Polynucleotides encoding said
polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0664] The tissue distribution in testicular tissue indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the detection, treatment, and/or prevention of
reproductive system disorders, and may be indicative of a role for
this gene product in normal testicular function, male fertility,
and/or as a male contraceptive. Protein, as well as, antibodies
directed against the protein may show utility as a tissue-specific
marker and/or immunotherapy target for the above listed
tissues.
[0665] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO: 117 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1486 of SEQ ID NO: 117, b is an
integer of 15 to 1500, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO: 117, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 108
[0666] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: HTLFISFLWAEG (SEQ ID NO: 596),
MLPVFVLFFCFTYSARKQSVFKKGNVFE (SEQ ID NO: 597), and/or
SPCSAAECHNLSLLSSCSLVSSNILFSFPFFGQKARCCLFLFYFSASHIAHESRV YSKKEMCL
(SEQ ID NO: 598). Moreover, fragments and variants of these
polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as described herein,
polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or
100% identical to these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a
polynucleotide which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the
polynucleotide encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the
invention. Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0667] This gene is expressed primarily in prostate cancer.
[0668] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
prostate and other cancers. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies
directed to these polypeptides would be useful in providing
immunological probes for differential identification of the
tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the above
tissues or cells, particularly of the endocrine system, expression
of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may be
routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
endocrine, cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g.,
lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or
another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such
a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e.,
the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder.
[0669] The tissue distribution in prostate cancer indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the study, detection, diagnosis, prevention and/or
treatment of prostate cancer, as well as cancers of other tissues
where expression has been observed. Protein, as well as, antibodies
directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker
and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0670] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO: 118 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 346 of SEQ ID NO:118, b is an integer
of 15 to 360, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:118, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 109
[0671] The gene encoding the disclosed cDNA is thought to reside on
chromosome 7. Accordingly, polynucleotides related to this
invention would be useful as a marker in linkage analysis for
chromosome 7.
[0672] This gene is expressed primarily in brain, and to a lesser
extent in breast.
[0673] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
neurodegenerative conditions and behavioural disorders. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the
central nervous system, expression of this gene at significantly
higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues
or cell types (e.g., brain and other tissue of the nervous system,
mammary tissue, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids
(e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal
fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual
having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression
level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid
from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred polypeptides
of the present invention comprise, or alternatively consist of the
immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 259 as residues: Leu-40 to
His-46. Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed
by the invention.
[0674] The tissue distribution in brain indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the detection, diagnosis, prevention, and/or
treatment of neurodegenerative disease states and behavioural
disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease,
Huntington's Disease, schizophrenia, mania, dementia, paranoia,
obsessive compulsive disorder and panic disorder. In addition, the
gene or gene product may also play a role in the treatment,
prevention, diagnosis and/or detection of developmental disorders
associated with the developing embryo, or sexually-linked
disorders. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0675] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:119 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 809 of SEQ ID NO:119, b is an integer
of 15 to 823, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:119, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 110
[0676] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: AFFLLQALEIQSQLATPASSTARNPAPDLHHPHQPTIERFCRHSSSWERIEY (SEQ
ID NO: 599). Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides
(such as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides
at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical
to these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0677] When tested against Jurkat T-cell lines, supernatants
removed from cells containing this gene activated the GAS assay.
Thus, it is likely that this gene activates T-cells through the
Jak-STAT signal transduction pathway. The gamma activating sequence
(GAS) is a promoter element found upstream of many genes which are
involved in the Jak-STAT pathway. The Jak-STAT pathway is a large,
signal transduction pathway involved in the differentiation and
proliferation of cells. Therefore, activation of the Jak-STAT
pathway, reflected by the binding of the GAS element, can be used
to indicate proteins involved in the proliferation and
differentiation of cells. Furthermore, contact of cells with
supernatant expressing the product of this gene increases the
permeability of Brian microvascular pericyte cells to calcium.
Thus, it is likely that the product of this gene is involved in a
signal transduction pathway that is initiated when the product of
this gene binds a receptor on the surface of the pericyte cell.
Thus, polynucleotides and polypeptides have uses which include, but
are not limited to, activating pericyte (endothelial) cells.
[0678] This gene is expressed primarily in activated
neutrophils.
[0679] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immune disorders, inflammation. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the immune, expression of
this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely
detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g., immune, cancerous
and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma,
urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell
sample taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to
the standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder.
[0680] The tissue distribution in neutrophils and the biological
activity data indicate that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the study,
detection, diagnosis, prevention and/or treatment of inflammatory
and immune conditions. This gene product may be involved in the
regulation of cytokine production, antigen presentation, or other
processes that may also indicate a usefulness in the treatment of
cancer (e.g., by boosting immune responses). Since the gene is
expressed in cells of lymphoid origin, the gene or protein, as well
as, antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a
tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues. Therefore polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the
invention may be also used as an agent for immunological disorders
including arthritis, asthma, immune deficiency diseases such as
AIDS, leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease,
sepsis, acne, and psoriasis. In addition, this gene product may
have commercial utility in the expansion of stem cells and
committed progenitors of various blood lineages, and in the
differentiation and/or proliferation of various cell types.
Expression of this gene product in neutrophils also strongly
indicates a role for this protein in immune function and immune
surveillance. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0681] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:120 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 442 of SEQ ID NO: 120, b is an
integer of 15 to 456, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO: 120, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 111
[0682] This gene is expressed primarily in glioblastoma.
[0683] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
glioblastoma. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to
these polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological
probes for differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell
type(s). For a number of disorders of the above tissues or cells,
particularly of the central nervous system, expression of this gene
at significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected
in certain tissues or cell types (e.g., tissue of the nervous
system, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g.,
lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or
another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such
a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e.,
the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder.
[0684] The tissue distribution in glioblastoma indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the detection, diganosis, prevention and/or treatment
of malignancies, as well as developmental and neurodegenerative
diseases of the brain and nervous system. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0685] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:121 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 539 of SEQ ID NO:121, b is an integer
of 15 to 553, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:121, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 112
[0686] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: MRTLFGAVRAPFSSLTLLLITPSPSPL (SEQ ID NO:
600), MAYAFHRTST (SEQ ID NO: 601), LKSTYTLLSILWFLVLIPVEGN (SEQ ID
NO: 602), and/or GPLLASHATLCFSLGSKF (SEQ ID NO: 603). Moreover,
fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example,
fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%,
95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides,
or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0687] This gene is expressed primarily in ovarian cancer.
[0688] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
reproductive, or endocrine disorders, particularly proliferative
condtions such as ovarian cancer. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the reproductive system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
reproductive, endocrine, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or
bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0689] The tissue distribution in ovarian tumor tissue indicates
that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene
would be useful for diagnosis, detection, prevention and/or
treatment of ovarian cancer. Moreover, the protein would be useful
for the detection, treatment, and/or prevention of a variety of
reproductive disorders such as infertility. In addition, the
protein may also be useful in the development of novel or improved
contraceptives. The expression within cellular sources marked by
proliferating cells indicates this protein may play a role in the
regulation of cellular division, and may show utility in the
diagnosis, detection, prevention and/or treatment of cancer and
other proliferative disorders. Similarly, developmental tissues
rely on decisions involving cell differentiation and/or apoptosis
in pattern formation. Thus this protein may also be involved in
apoptosis or tissue differentiation and could again be useful in
cancer therapy. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against
the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0690] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:122 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1144 of SEQ ID NO:122, b is an
integer of 15 to 1158, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:122, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 113
[0691] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: ATVPGSIYNYFYHYNAGALKPEHASESPRGLCAQTAGPFPSF
(SEQ ID NO: 604),
IRHEPPPPRFKRFSCLSLLSSWDYRRAPPHVAIFCTLSRDGVLPHWPGWSQTP DLK (SEQ ID
NO: 605), STHLGLPRCWDYRHEPLCLAPFTTISIIIMQGLSNLSMPQNPPEGCAHRLLDLS
PASDSVPPEWGSKIAFEV (SEQ ID NO: 606), and/or
LRVGGTSENCCRGECCGSVCIPPGRL (SEQ ID NO: 607). Moreover, fragments
and variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments
as described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%,
97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or
polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0692] When tested against Jurkat T-cell lines, supernatants
removed from cells containing this gene activated the GAS assay.
Thus, it is likely that this gene activates T-cells through the
Jak-STAT signal transduction pathway. The gamma activating sequence
(GAS) is a promoter element found upstream of many genes which are
involved in the Jak-STAT pathway. The Jak-STAT pathway is a large,
signal transduction pathway involved in the differentiation and
proliferation of cells. Therefore, activation of the Jak-STAT
pathway, reflected by the binding of the GAS element, can be used
to indicate proteins involved in the proliferation and
differentiation of cells.
[0693] This gene is expressed primarily in neutrophils.
[0694] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immune disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed
to these polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological
probes for differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell
type(s). For a number of disorders of the above tissues or cells,
particularly of the immune system, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., immune, cancerous and wounded
tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine,
synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample
taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to the
standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder.
[0695] The tissue distribution in neutrophils indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the study, detection, diagnosis, prevention and/or
treatment of immune disorders. Expression of this gene product in
neutrophils also strongly indicates a role for this protein in
immune function and immune surveillance. This gene product may be
involved in the regulation of cytokine production, antigen
presentation, or other processes that may also indicate a
usefulness in the treatment of cancer (e.g., by boosting immune
responses). Since the gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid
origin, the gene or protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues. Therefore it
may be also used as an agent for immunological disorders including
arthritis, asthma, immune deficiency diseases such as AIDS,
leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, sepsis,
acne, and psoriasis. In addition, this gene product may have
commercial utility in the expansion of stem cells and committed
progenitors of various blood lineages, and in the differentiation
and/or proliferation of various cell types. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0696] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:123 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 540 of SEQ ID NO:123, b is an integer
of 15 to 554, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:123, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 114
[0697] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: SNSHTHTHVKSFLR (SEQ ID NO: 608). Moreover, fragments and
variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as
described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%,
97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or
polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0698] This gene is expressed primarily in human activated
T-Cells.
[0699] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
immunodeficiencies, inflammatory conditions, and other immune or
hematopoietic disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies
directed to these polypeptides would be useful in providing
immunological probes for differential identification of the
tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the above
tissues or cells, particularly of the disorders of the immune
system, expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower
levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types
(e.g., immune, hematopoietic, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or
bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0700] The tissue distribution in T-cells indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, detection, treatment, and/or
prevention of a variety of immune system disorders. Expression of
this gene product in T-cells indicates a role in the regulation of
the proliferation; survival; differentiation; and/or activation of
potentially all hematopoietic cell lineages, including blood stem
cells. This gene product may be involved in the regulation of
cytokine production, antigen presentation, or other processes that
may also indicate a usefulness in the treatment of cancer (e.g., by
boosting immune responses). Since the gene is expressed in cells of
lymphoid origin, the natural gene product may be involved in immune
functions. Therefore polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the
invention may be also used as an agent for immunological disorders
including arthritis, asthma, immune deficiency diseases such as
AIDS, and leukemia. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tumors and tissues. In
addition, this gene product may have commercial utility in the
expansion of stem cells and committed progenitors of various blood
lineages, and in the differentiation and/or proliferation of
various cell types. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0701] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:124 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1241 of SEQ ID NO:124, b is an
integer of 15 to 1255, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:124, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 115
[0702] The translation product of this gene shares sequence
homology with rat synaptogyrin which is thought to be important in
membrane trafficking (see, e.g., Stenius et al., J. Cell Biol. 131
(6 Pt 2), 1801-1809 (1995), incorporated in its entirety by
reference herein).
[0703] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: QPYQVLPSRQVFALI (SEQ ID NO: 609),
VFSCIYGEGYSNAHESKQMYCVFN (SEQ ID NO: 610), RNEDACRYGSAIGVLAFL (SEQ
ID NO: 611), LVVDAYFPQISNATDRK (SEQ ID NO: 612), and/or
SALWTFLWFVGFCFLTNQWAVTNPK (SEQ ID NO: 613). Moreover, fragments and
variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as
described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%,
97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or
polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0704] This gene is expressed primarily in breast and ovary, and to
a lesser extent in most hematopoietic tissue types.
[0705] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
female infertility and female reproductive abnormalities.
Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to these
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the reproductive system, expression of this gene at significantly
higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues
or cell types (e.g., mammary tissue, and ovary and other
reproductive tissue, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily
fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and
spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred
polypeptides of the present invention comprise, or alternatively
consist of one or both of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID
NO: 265 as residues: Pro-9 to Trp-18, Thr-20 to Ala-27.
Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the
invention.
[0706] The tissue distribution in ovary and breast and homology to
a protein involved in membrane trafficking indicates that this
protein may play a role in the detection, diagnosis, prevention,
and/or treatment of female fertility disorders, endocrine
disorders, ovarian failure, amenorrhea, ovarian cancer, and also
potentially in both non-neoplastic breast diseases such as
congenital abnormalities and neoplasia in the breast. Protein, as
well as, antibodies directed against the protein may show utility
as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0707] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:125 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 1963 of SEQ ID NO:125, b is an
integer of 15 to 1977, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:125, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 116
[0708] The translation product of this gene shares sequence
homology with adrenalin receptor (Patent serial No. J08126491-A,
all references available through this Patent are hereby
incorporated in their entirety by reference herein).
[0709] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00026
TATLNSFFGGWGLALLLRLECSDTIMDHCSLDLL (SEQ ID NO:614)
GSSNPPASASQVVGTTGARHHAQLIFCFFVQTRS HSVA,
MDHCSLDLLGSSNPPASASQVVGTTGARHHAQLI (SEQ ID NO:615) FCFFVQTRSHSVA,
GVLKQSSHLVLSKG, (SEQ ID NO:616) DYSCESLCPALLSIAPDIVLN, (SEQ ID
NO:617) TTIHKTQLGSYKILWEPKEGYHNSTWI, (SEQ ID NO:618) IREIFLRRP,
(SEQ ID NO:619) and/or LKFQKPGKIQMRGGGRVFWYKNCK. (SEQ ID
NO:620)
Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as,
for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least
80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these
polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which
hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0710] This gene is expressed primarily in synovial sarcoma.
[0711] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
arthritis and other diseases of the synovium including cancers.
Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to these
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the immune and muscular-skeletal system, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., immune, musculo-skeletal,
cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph,
serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another
tissue or cell sample taken from an individual having such a
disorder, relative to the standard gene expression level, i.e., the
expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an
individual not having the disorder.
[0712] The tissue distribution in synovial sarcoma tissue and the
homology to adrenalin receptor indicates that polynucleotides and
polypeptides corresponding to this gene would be useful for the
diagnosis, detection, prevention and/or treatment of diseases of
the synovium, immune system and musculo-skeletal system including
cancers of these tissues and systems. It may also be useful for
identifying and therapeutically using antagonists and agonists for
this receptor family. In addition, the expression of this gene
product in synovium indicates a role in the detection, diganosis,
prevention and/or treatment of disorders and conditions affecting
the skeletal system, in particular osteoporosis as well as
disorders afflicting connective tissues (e.g., arthritis, trauma,
tendonitis, chrondomalacia and inflammation), such as in the
diagnosis or treatment of various autoimmune disorders such as
rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, and dermatomyositis as
well as dwarfism, spinal deformation, and specific joint
abnormalities as well as chondrodysplasias (i.e.,
spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, familial osteoarthritis,
Atelosteogenesis type II, metaphyseal chondrodysplasia type
Schmid). Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0713] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:126 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 724 of SEQ ID NO:126, b is an integer
of 15 to 738, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:126, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 117
[0714] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: RHEPDPM (SEQ ID NO: 621). Moreover, fragments and
variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as
described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%,
97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or
polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0715] This gene is expressed primarily in human testes.
[0716] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to, male
reproductive or endocrine disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the reproductive system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
endocrine, reproductive, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or
bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, seminal fluid, serum, plasma, urine,
synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample
taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to the
standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the present invention comprise,
or alternatively consist of one, two, three, four, or all five of
the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 267 as residues:
Pro-20 to Trp-25, Arg-33 to Thr-38, Asn-51 to Ile-56, Gly-82 to
Ser-91, Lys-151 to Arg-156. Polynucleotides encoding said
polypeptides are encompassed by the invention.
[0717] The tissue distribution in human testicular tissues and
cells indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding
to this gene would be useful for the detection, treatment, and/or
prevention of various endocrine disorders and cancers, particularly
Addison's disease, Cushing's Syndrome, and disorders and/or cancers
of the pancrease (e.g., diabetes mellitus), adrenal cortex,
ovaries, pituitary (e.g., hyper-, hypopituitarism), thyroid (e.g.,
hyper-, hypothyroidism), parathyroid (e.g., hyper-,
hypoparathyroidism), hypothallamus, and testes. Alternatively,
expression within the human testis may be indicative for a role in
normal testicular function, and may implicate this gene product in
male fertility, and could even indicate its use as a novel
contraceptive. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the
protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0718] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:127 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 974 of SEQ ID NO:127, b is an integer
of 15 to 988, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:127, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 118
[0719] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: AVCTGGYCESCRCEHCVCVCVDLCVLFSGKELRVR (SEQ
ID NO: 622),
VSFFFVFKWSFAEIKSREEHWASLTPKPTLLSALLTCDVLKSSIIFKCCESTEDK
GFDSFFQASKDGSSSR1 (SEQ ID NO: 623),
RSWGSQRSLCLLFIPFAAESYSVVWMGHLFVVCLLSSWWTFRPFALAVTVNH
VAVNIVCVSAWTCVSCSLGRSCGLEGSFLFPLETLWFPHMVVLCLTF (SEQ ID NO: 624),
MGHLFVVCLLSSWWTFRPFALAVTVNHVAVNIVCVSAWTCVSCSLGRSCGL
EGSFLFPLETLWFPHMVVLCLTF (SEQ ID NO: 625),
HDVLGARNAACVCCSFLLQQNRILLFGWATCLLSVYSPAGGHLGRLHWRLL (SEQ ID NO:
626), MLDFKTSQVSKALKRVGFGVRLAQCSSLDLISAKLHLKTKKKETYITSTVMT
AASLFLSYVTSEFTRSIMATFYCFVLKLHIGEMGTLQTAGGSKMTWPLQKAI
WQFLKRLSIKLPYVETRESPGETKNY (SEQ ID NO: 627), and/or
LTRNSFPENRTHKSTQTHTQCSQRHDSQ (SEQ ID NO: 628). Moreover, fragments
and variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments
as described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%,
97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or
polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0720] This gene is expressed primarily in intestine and cancer
cells.
[0721] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and cancer. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the
digestive system, expression of this gene at significantly higher
or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues or
cell types (e.g., digestive, cancerous and wounded tissues) or
bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0722] The tissue distribution in gastrointestinal tissues and
cancerous tissues indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to this gene would be useful for the treatment,
prevention, diagnosis, and/or detection of diseases of the
digestive system and cancer. Furthermore, the tissue distribution
in gastrointestinal tissues indicates that polynucleotides and
polypeptides corresponding to this gene would be useful for the
diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of various metabolic
disorders such as Tay-Sachs disease, phenylkenonuria, galactosemia,
porphyrias, and Hurler's syndrome. Protein, as well as, antibodies
directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker
and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0723] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:128 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 898 of SEQ ID NO:128, b is an integer
of 15 to 912, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:128, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 119
[0724] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group:
LFYLLTCSCAPGHLAFVCSQCLPFDMGKELWPKSPSSCTSTSVAQGWGGRGR PSPYICVV (SEQ
ID NO: 629), IQGSRLPPLPAPLHPLPLIYLLLGSPAQSWLLVPSWGHPSTLTLTMAAEHQAW
PSGFHGDH (SEQ ID NO: 630). Moreover, fragments and variants of
these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as described
herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%,
99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or polypeptides
encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under stringent
conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these polypeptides) are
encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that bind polypeptides of
the invention and polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are
also encompassed by the invention.
[0725] This gene is expressed primarily in placenta and 9 week old
embryo, and to a lesser extent in fetal spleen.
[0726] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
developmental disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies
directed to these polypeptides would be useful in providing
immunological probes for differential identification of the
tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the above
tissues or cells, particularly of the developmental system,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
developing and differentiating tissues, and spleen and other cells
and tissue of the immune system, and cancerous and wounded tissues)
or bodily fluids (e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder.
[0727] The expression of this gene primarily in the embryo
indicates a key role in embryonic development, and could be used in
the treatment and or detection of developmental disorders. The
tissue distribution in placenta also indicates that polynucleotides
and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would be useful for the
diagnosis, detection, prevention and/or treatment of disorders of
the placenta. Specific expression within the placenta indicates
that this gene product may play a role in the proper establishment
and maintenance of placental function. Alternately, this gene
product may be produced by the placenta and then transported to the
embryo, where it may play a crucial role in the development and/or
survival of the developing embryo or fetus. Expression within
embryonic tissue and other cellular sources marked by proliferating
cells indicates that this protein may play a role in the regulation
of cellular division. Similarly, embryonic development also
involves decisions involving cell differentiation and/or apoptosis
in pattern formation. Thus this protein may also be involved in
apoptosis or tissue differentiation and could again be useful in
cancer therapy. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against
the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy
targets for the above listed tissues.
[0728] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:129 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 555 of SEQ ID NO:129, b is an integer
of 15 to 569, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:129, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 120
[0729] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: MPKQLAQLLYRLPRG (SEQ ID NO: 631),
LFQAISVSGSHRQGSRTWNTLTEGNAEAACTVALQTSKRLILASRW (SEQ ID NO: 632),
TLSFMNSHCVPIKALFFLSVVSYIFIMPHHIFFTVKILKSCFQVGQLMKL (SEQ ID NO:
633), and/or RPTRPITFSSNISEWVPSTGFQDLEHFNRRKCRSSLHSCFTDFQEADSGFKMEP
WSWFFFFFFFFPQRTCGCALCVLFLFSIWGPHGKELLNSFLYELPLCSYKGPFL S (SEQ ID
NO: 634). Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides
(such as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides
at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical
to these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0730] This gene is expressed primarily in placenta and
synovium.
[0731] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases of the synovium and placenta. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the placenta and synovium,
expression of this gene at significantly higher or lower levels may
be routinely detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g.,
placenta, synovium, cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids
(e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal
fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual
having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression
level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid
from an individual not having the disorder.
[0732] The tissue distribution in placenta and synovium indicates
that polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene
would be useful for the study, diagnosis, detection, prevention
and/or treatment of growth and developmental disorders and
arthritic and inflammatory conditions. Expression within embryonic
tissue and other cellular sources marked by proliferating cells
indicates that this protein may play a role in the regulation of
cellular division, and may show utility in the diagnosis,
detection, prevention and/or treatment of cancer and other
proliferative disorders. Similarly, embryonic development also
involves decisions involving cell differentiation and/or apoptosis
in pattern formation. Thus this protein may also be involved in
apoptosis or tissue differentiation and could again be useful in
cancer therapy. Specific expression within the placenta indicates
that this gene product may play a role in the proper establishment
and maintenance of placental function. Alternately, this gene
product may be produced by the placenta and then transported to the
embryo, where it may play a crucial role in the development and/or
survival of the developing embryo or fetus. Protein, as well as,
antibodies directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor
marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed
tissues.
[0733] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO: 130 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 632 of SEQ ID NO: 130, b is an
integer of 15 to 646, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO: 130, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 121
[0734] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, the following amino acid
sequence: TKTSTPLR (SEQ ID NO: 635). Moreover, fragments and
variants of these polypeptides (such as, for example, fragments as
described herein, polypeptides at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%,
97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these polypeptides, or
polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which hybridizes, under
stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide encoding these
polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention. Antibodies that
bind polypeptides of the invention and polynucleotides encoding
these polypeptides are also encompassed by the invention.
[0735] The gene encoding the disclosed cDNA is believed to reside
on chromosome 12. Accordingly, polynucleotides related to this
invention would be useful as a marker in linkage analysis for
chromosome 12.
[0736] This gene is expressed primarily in infant brain and fetal
tissues.
[0737] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
developmental abnormalities or neural disorders, particularly
gestational conditions, such as spina bifida. Similarly,
polypeptides and antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be
useful in providing immunological probes for differential
identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of
disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of the
Central nervous system, expression of this gene at significantly
higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in certain tissues
or cell types (e.g., developing, neural, differentiating, and
cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g., amniotic
fluid, serum, lymph, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and spinal
fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an individual
having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene expression
level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or bodily fluid
from an individual not having the disorder.
[0738] The tissue distribution in infant brain and fetal tissues
indicates that polynucleotides and/or polypeptides corresponding to
this gene would be useful for the detection, diagnosis, prevention,
and/or treatment of neurodegenerative disease states and
behavioural disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's
Disease, Huntington's Disease, Tourette Syndrome, schizophrenia,
mania, dementia, paranoia, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic
disorder, learning disabilities, ALS, psychoses, autism, and
altered behaviors, including disorders in feeding, sleep patterns,
balance, and perception. In addition, the gene or gene product may
also play a role in the treatment, prevention, diagnosis and/or
detection of developmental disorders associated with the developing
embryo, sexually-linked disorders, or disorders of the
cardiovascular system. Alternatively, the tissue distribution
indicates that polynucleotides and/or polypeptides corresponding to
this gene would be useful for the diagnosis, treatment, and/or
prevention of cancer and other proliferative disorders. Moreover,
the expression within fetal tissue and other cellular sources
marked by proliferating cells indicates that this protein may play
a role in the regulation of cellular division. Similarly, embryonic
development also involves decisions involving cell differentiation
and/or apoptosis in pattern formation. Thus this protein may also
be involved in apoptosis or tissue differentiation and could again
be useful in cancer therapy. Protein, as well as, antibodies
directed against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker
and/or immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues.
[0739] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:131 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 169 of SEQ ID NO:131, b is an integer
of 15 to 183, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO: 131, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 122
[0740] The translation product of this gene shares sequence
homology with a murine bone-related sulphatase (see, e.g., Genbank
Accession No. 3046314, and Genseq Accession No. R51355, all
references available through these accessions are hereby
incorporated in their entirety by reference herein) which is
thought to be involved in proteoglycan metabolism.
[0741] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: ASFGSCSLSLPCSARERTPEGGGWPGGRLSEPLPA (SEQ
ID NO: 636), APNVVLV (SEQ ID NO: 637), DGRLTF (SEQ ID NO: 638),
PGSQVVKLPFINFM (SEQ ID NO: 639), FLNAYTNSP (SEQ ID NO: 640),
ICCPSRAAMWSGLFTHLTESWNNFKGLDPNYTTWMD (SEQ ID NO: 641), TQKFGK (SEQ
ID NO: 642), DYTSGHHSI (SEQ ID NO: 643), SNRVEAWTRDVAFLLRQEGRP (SEQ
ID NO: 644), DWQNTDKA (SEQ ID NO: 645),
YLGLNLPHPYPSPSSGENFGSSTFHTSLYWLEKV (SEQ ID NO: 646), DAIKIPKW (SEQ
ID NO: 647), YTKNCTG (SEQ ID NO: 648), NIRAFYYAMCAETDAMLGEIILALH
(SEQ ID NO: 649), LDLLQKTIVIY (SEQ ID NO: 650), MEHRQFYKMSMYEAS
(SEQ ID NO: 651), HVPLLMMGPGIKA (SEQ ID NO: 652), VVSLVDIYPTMLDIAGI
(SEQ ID NO: 653), DPDELTN (SEQ ID NO: 654), WKYIAY (SEQ ID NO:
655), NFPEITYSLDQKLHSIINYPKVSASVHQYNKEQFIKWKQSIGQNYSNVIANFR
WHQDWQKEPRKYENAID QWLKTHMNPRAV (SEQ ID NO: 656), FPEITYSLDQKL (SEQ
ID NO: 657), NYPKVSASVHQYNKEQFI (SEQ ID NO: 658), GQNYSNVIA (SEQ ID
NO: 659), RWHQDWQ (SEQ ID NO: 660), and/or PRKYENAI (SEQ ID NO:
661). Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such
as, for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at
least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to
these polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide
which hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0742] This gene is expressed primarily in retina.
[0743] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
visual, skeletal, or metabolic disorders, particularly eye dieases
and bone metabolic disorders. Similarly, polypeptides and
antibodies directed to these polypeptides would be useful in
providing immunological probes for differential identification of
the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a number of disorders of the
above tissues or cells, particularly of the eye, expression of this
gene at significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely
detected in certain tissues or cell types (e.g., visual, skeletal,
metabolic, and cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids
(e.g., lymph, serum, plasma, urine, vitreous humor, aqueous humor,
synovial fluid and spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample
taken from an individual having such a disorder, relative to the
standard gene expression level, i.e., the expression level in
healthy tissue or bodily fluid from an individual not having the
disorder. Preferred polypeptides of the present invention comprise,
or alternatively consist of one, two, three, four, five, six, or
all seven of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID NO: 272 as
residues: Ala-21 to Arg-27, Asp-40 to Arg-45, Glu-97 to Thr-110,
Glu-117 to Lys-128, Arg-175 to Lys-182, Pro-207 to Gly-220, Val-253
to Ile-272. Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are
encompassed by the invention.
[0744] The tissue distribution in retina, combined with the
homology to sulphatases indicates that polynucleotides and
polypeptides corresponding to this gene would be useful for
diagnosis, detection, prevention and/or treatment of eye disorders.
Moreover, this gene may be useful in the detection, treatment,
and/or prevention of bone-related disorders, osteoporosis, Paget's
disease, osteomalacia, in addition to bone metabolic disorders,
particularly those involving proteoglycans. Polynucleotides and/or
polypeptides corresponding to this gene would also be useful in the
disorders involving aberrant proteoglycan metabolism or related
conditions, which may include arthritis, immune cell migration,
cellular proliferation, vascular disorders, hematopoietic
disorders, in addition to showing utility in the detection,
treatment, and/or prevention of the disorders mentioned above.
Protein, as well as, antibodies directed against the protein may
show utility as a tumor marker and/or immunotherapy targets for the
above listed tissues.
[0745] Many polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are
publicly available and accessible through sequence databases. Some
of these sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:132 and may have been
publicly available prior to conception of the present invention.
Preferably, such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded
from the scope of the present invention. To list every related
sequence would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from
the present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 2105 of SEQ ID NO:132, b is an
integer of 15 to 2119, where both a and b correspond to the
positions of nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:132, and where
b is greater than or equal to a+14.
Features of Protein Encoded by Gene No: 123
[0746] The translation product of this gene shares sequence
homology with a novel human G52-24 secreted protein as well as the
early lymphocyte activation antigen CD69, the latter of which has
been shown to be important in lymphocyte proliferation and
functions as a signal trasmitting receptor in lymphocytes, natural
killer cells, and platelets (see, e.g., Genseq and Genbank
Accession Nos. W27288 and gi|558352, respectively, all references
available through these accessions are hereby incorporated in their
entirety by reference herein).
[0747] In specific embodiments, polypeptides of the invention
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence
selected from the group: TABLE-US-00027
ENFLLRYKGPSDHWIGLSREQGQPWKWINGTEWT (SEQ ID NO:662)
RQLVMKEDGANLYVAKVSQVPRMNPXLS WVLL CYPGWSAVXTIVAHCSLDFPGSK,
ELTAIKSHQYVLQAACPESWIGFQRKCFYFSDDT (SEQ ID NO:663)
KNWTSSQRFCDSQDADLAQVESFQELVRK, WIGLSREQGQPWKWING, (SEQ ID NO:664)
CPESWIGFQRKC, (SEQ ID NO:665) NFLLRYKGPSDHWIGL, (SEQ ID NO:666)
ASHLRLLSSWDYRFPILGAGECAYLNDKGASSAR (SEQ ID NO:667)
HYTERKWICSKSDIHV, EQLEELELKKKDFIKILESVQGNWRQNEDSGKGP (SEQ ID
NO:669) QRSCL, FWPESKIQPYKDMFSCEII, (SEQ ID NO:670)
SWTSSLLNXCLHSKEHSIKATIWRLFFXILTIIL (SEQ ID NO:668)
CGMVAALSAIRANCHQEPSVCSSSCMPRKLDWFS KKVFLFF,
EQLEELELKKKDFIKILESVQGNWRQNEDSGKGP (SEQ ID NO:671)
QRSCLHSKEHSIKATLIWRLFFLI, and/or ENFLLRYKGPSDHWIGLXXEQGQPWKWINGTEWT
(SEQ ID NO:672) RQ.
Moreover, fragments and variants of these polypeptides (such as,
for example, fragments as described herein, polypeptides at least
80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical to these
polypeptides, or polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide which
hybridizes, under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotide
encoding these polypeptides) are encompassed by the invention.
Antibodies that bind polypeptides of the invention and
polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also encompassed by
the invention.
[0748] This gene is expressed primarily in human testes.
[0749] Polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention would be
useful as reagents for differential identification of the tissue(s)
or cell type(s) present in a biological sample and for diagnosis of
diseases and conditions which include, but are not limited to,
reproductive, endocrine, and/or immune or hematopoietic disorders.
Similarly, polypeptides and antibodies directed to these
polypeptides would be useful in providing immunological probes for
differential identification of the tissue(s) or cell type(s). For a
number of disorders of the above tissues or cells, particularly of
the disorders of reproductive system, expression of this gene at
significantly higher or lower levels may be routinely detected in
certain tissues or cell types (e.g., immune, reproductive,
endcrine, cancerous and wounded tissues) or bodily fluids (e.g.,
lymph, seminal fluid, serum, plasma, urine, synovial fluid and
spinal fluid) or another tissue or cell sample taken from an
individual having such a disorder, relative to the standard gene
expression level, i.e., the expression level in healthy tissue or
bodily fluid from an individual not having the disorder. Preferred
polypeptides of the present invention comprise, or alternatively
consist of one or both of the immunogenic epitopes shown in SEQ ID
NO: 273 as residues: Asn-20 to Pro-25, Ser-48 to Asp-65.
Polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides are encompassed by the
invention.
[0750] The tissue distribution in human testes indicates that
polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to this gene would
be useful for the diagnosis, treatment, and/or prevention of a
variety of reproductive disorders, particularly autoimmune
disorders, infertility, or the protein may even be useful as a
novel contraceptive. Homology of this gene product to the early
lymphocyte activation antigen CD69 indicates a role in the
regulation of the proliferation; survival; differentiation; and/or
activation of potentially all hematopoietic cell lineages,
including blood stem cells. This gene product may be involved in
the regulation of cytokine production, antigen presentation, or
other processes that may also indicate a usefulness in the
treatment of cancer (e.g., by boosting immune responses). Since the
gene is expressed in cells of lymphoid origin, the natural gene
product may be involved in immune functions. Therefore
polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention may be also
used as an agent for immunological disorders including arthritis,
asthma, immune deficiency diseases such as AIDS, and leukemia. In
addition, this gene product may have commercial utility in the
expansion of stem cells and committed progenitors of various blood
lineages, and in the differentiation and/or proliferation of
various cell types. Protein, as well as, antibodies directed
against the protein may show utility as a tumor marker and/or
immunotherapy targets for the above listed tissues. Many
polynucleotide sequences, such as EST sequences, are publicly
available and accessible through sequence databases. Some of these
sequences are related to SEQ ID NO:133 and may have been publicly
available prior to conception of the present invention. Preferably,
such related polynucleotides are specifically excluded from the
scope of the present invention. To list every related sequence
would be cumbersome. Accordingly, preferably excluded from the
present invention are one or more polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence described by the general formula of a-b, where
a is any integer between 1 to 680 of SEQ ID NO:133, b is an integer
of 15 to 694, where both a and b correspond to the positions of
nucleotide residues shown in SEQ ID NO:133, and where b is greater
than or equal to a+14. TABLE-US-00028 LENGTHY TABLE REFERENCED HERE
US20070015908A1-20070118-T00001 Please refer to the end of the
specification for access instructions.
TABLE-US-00029 LENGTHY TABLE REFERENCED HERE
US20070015908A1-20070118-T00002 Please refer to the end of the
specification for access instructions.
TABLE-US-00030 LENGTHY TABLE REFERENCED HERE
US20070015908A1-20070118-T00003 Please refer to the end of the
specification for access instructions.
TABLE-US-00031 LENGTHY TABLE REFERENCED HERE
US20070015908A1-20070118-T00004 Please refer to the end of the
specification for access instructions.
TABLE-US-00032 LENGTHY TABLE REFERENCED HERE
US20070015908A1-20070118-T00005 Please refer to the end of the
specification for access instructions.
TABLE-US-00033 LENGTHY TABLE REFERENCED HERE
US20070015908A1-20070118-T00006 Please refer to the end of the
specification for access instructions.
TABLE-US-00034 LENGTHY TABLE REFERENCED HERE
US20070015908A1-20070118-T00007 Please refer to the end of the
specification for access instructions.
TABLE-US-00035 LENGTHY TABLE REFERENCED HERE
US20070015908A1-20070118-T00008 Please refer to the end of the
specification for access instructions.
TABLE-US-00036 LENGTHY TABLE REFERENCED HERE
US20070015908A1-20070118-T00009 Please refer to the end of the
specification for access instructions.
[0751] The polypeptides of the invention can be prepared in any
suitable manner. Such polypeptides include isolated naturally
occurring polypeptides, recombinantly produced polypeptides,
synthetically produced polypeptides, or polypeptides produced by a
combination of these methods. Means for preparing such polypeptides
are well understood in the art.
[0752] The polypeptides may be in the form of the secreted protein,
including the mature form, or may be a part of a larger protein,
such as a fusion protein (see below). It is often advantageous to
include an additional amino acid sequence which contains secretory
or leader sequences, pro-sequences, sequences which aid in
purification, such as multiple histidine residues, or an additional
sequence for stability during recombinant production.
[0753] The polypeptides of the present invention are preferably
provided in an isolated form, and preferably are substantially
purified. A recombinantly produced version of a polypeptide,
including the secreted polypeptide, can be substantially purified
using techniques described herein or otherwise known in the art,
such as, for example, by the one-step method described in Smith and
Johnson, Gene 67:31-40 (1988). Polypeptides of the invention also
can be purified from natural, synthetic or recombinant sources
using techniques described herein or otherwise known in the art,
such as, for example, antibodies of the invention raised against
the secreted protein.
[0754] The present invention provides a polynucleotide comprising,
or alternatively consisting of, the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID
NO:X, and/or a cDNA contained in ATCC deposit Z. The present
invention also provides a polypeptide comprising, or alternatively,
consisting of, the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO:Y and/or a
polypeptide encoded by the cDNA contained in ATCC deposit Z.
Polynucleotides encoding a polypeptide comprising, or alternatively
consisting of the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO:Y and/or a
polypeptide sequence encoded by the cDNA contained in ATCC deposit
Z are also encompassed by the invention.
Signal Sequences
[0755] The present invention also encompasses mature forms of the
polypeptide having the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO:Y and/or
the polypeptide sequence encoded by the cDNA in a deposited clone.
Polynucleotides encoding the mature forms (such as, for example,
the polynucleotide sequence in SEQ ID NO:X and/or the
polynucleotide sequence contained in the cDNA of a deposited clone)
are also encompassed by the invention. According to the signal
hypothesis, proteins secreted by mammalian cells have a signal or
secretary leader sequence which is cleaved from the mature protein
once export of the growing protein chain across the rough
endoplasmic reticulum has been initiated. Most mammalian cells and
even insect cells cleave secreted proteins with the same
specificity. However, in some cases, cleavage of a secreted protein
is not entirely uniform, which results in two or more mature
species of the protein. Further, it has long been known that
cleavage specificity of a secreted protein is ultimately determined
by the primary structure of the complete protein, that is, it is
inherent in the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide.
[0756] Methods for predicting whether a protein has a signal
sequence, as well as the cleavage point for that sequence, are
available. For instance, the method of McGeoch, Virus Res.
3:271-286 (1985), uses the information from a short N-terminal
charged region and a subsequent uncharged region of the complete
(uncleaved) protein. The method of von Heinje, Nucleic Acids Res.
14:4683-4690 (1986) uses the information from the residues
surrounding the cleavage site, typically residues -13 to +2, where
+1 indicates the amino terminus of the secreted protein. The
accuracy of predicting the cleavage points of known mammalian
secretory proteins for each of these methods is in the range of
75-80%. (von Heinje, supra.) However, the two methods do not always
produce the same predicted cleavage point(s) for a given
protein.
[0757] In the present case, the deduced amino acid sequence of the
secreted polypeptide was analyzed by a computer program called
Signa1P (Henrik Nielsen et al., Protein Engineering 10:1-6 (1997)),
which predicts the cellular location of a protein based on the
amino acid sequence. As part of this computational prediction of
localization, the methods of McGeoch and von Heinje are
incorporated. The analysis of the amino acid sequences of the
secreted proteins described herein by this program provided the
results shown in Table 1A.
[0758] As one of ordinary skill would appreciate, however, cleavage
sites sometimes vary from organism to organism and cannot be
predicted with absolute certainty. Accordingly, the present
invention provides secreted polypeptides having a sequence shown in
SEQ ID NO:Y which have an N-terminus beginning within 5 residues
(i.e., + or -5 residues) of the predicted cleavage point.
Similarly, it is also recognized that in some cases, cleavage of
the signal sequence from a secreted protein is not entirely
uniform, resulting in more than one secreted species. These
polypeptides, and the polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides,
are contemplated by the present invention.
[0759] Moreover, the signal sequence identified by the above
analysis may not necessarily predict the naturally occurring signal
sequence. For example, the naturally occurring signal sequence may
be further upstream from the predicted signal sequence. However, it
is likely that the predicted signal sequence will be capable of
directing the secreted protein to the ER. Nonetheless, the present
invention provides the mature protein produced by expression of the
polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:X and/or the polynucleotide
sequence contained in the cDNA of a deposited clone, in a mammalian
cell (e.g., COS cells, as desribed below). These polypeptides, and
the polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides, are contemplated by
the present invention.
Polynucleotide and Polypeptide Variants
[0760] The present invention is directed to variants of the
polynucleotide sequence disclosed in SEQ ID NO:X, the complementary
strand thereto, and/or the cDNA sequence contained in a deposited
clone.
[0761] The present invention also encompasses variants of the
polypeptide sequence disclosed in SEQ ID NO:Y and/or encoded by a
deposited clone.
[0762] "Variant" refers to a polynucleotide or polypeptide
differing from the polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present
invention, but retaining essential properties thereof. Generally,
variants are overall closely similar, and, in many regions,
identical to the polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present
invention
[0763] The present invention is also directed to nucleic acid
molecules which comprise, or alternatively consist of, a nucleotide
sequence which is at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99%
identical to, for example, the nucleotide coding sequence in SEQ ID
NO:X or the complementary strand thereto, the nucleotide coding
sequence contained in a deposited cDNA clone or the complementary
strand thereto, a nucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide of
SEQ ID NO:Y, a nucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide encoded
by the cDNA contained in a deposited clone, and/or polynucleotide
fragments of any of these nucleic acid molecules (e.g., those
fragments described herein). Polynucleotides which hybridize to
these nucleic acid molecules under stringent hybridization
conditions or lower stringency conditions are also encompassed by
the invention, as are polypeptides encoded by these
polynucleotides.
[0764] The present invention is also directed to polypeptides which
comprise, or alternatively consist of, an amino acid sequence which
is at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% identical to,
for example, the polypeptide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:Y, the
polypeptide sequence encoded by the cDNA contained in a deposited
clone, and/or polypeptide fragments of any of these polypeptides
(e.g., those fragments described herein).
[0765] By a nucleic acid having a nucleotide sequence at least, for
example, 95% "identical" to a reference nucleotide sequence of the
present invention, it is intended that the nucleotide sequence of
the nucleic acid is identical to the reference sequence except that
the nucleotide sequence may include up to five point mutations per
each 100 nucleotides of the reference nucleotide sequence encoding
the polypeptide. In other words, to obtain a nucleic acid having a
nucleotide sequence at least 95% identical to a reference
nucleotide sequence, up to 5% of the nucleotides in the reference
sequence may be deleted or substituted with another nucleotide, or
a number of nucleotides up to 5% of the total nucleotides in the
reference sequence may be inserted into the reference sequence. The
query sequence may be an entire sequence shown in Table 1A, the ORF
(open reading frame), or any fragment specified as described
herein.
[0766] As a practical matter, whether any particular nucleic acid
molecule or polypeptide is at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%,
98% or 99% identical to a nucleotide sequence of the presence
invention can be determined conventionally using known computer
programs. A preferred method for determining the best overall match
between a query sequence (a sequence of the present invention) and
a subject sequence, also referred to as a global sequence
alignment, can be determined using the FASTDB computer program
based on the algorithm of Brutlag et al. (Comp. App. Biosci.
6:237-245(1990)). In a sequence alignment the query and subject
sequences are both DNA sequences. An RNA sequence can be compared
by converting U's to T's. The result of said global sequence
alignment is in percent identity. Preferred parameters used in a
FASTDB alignment of DNA sequences to calculate percent identiy are:
Matrix=Unitary, k-tuple=4, Mismatch Penalty=1, Joining Penalty=30,
Randomization Group Length=0, Cutoff Score=1, Gap Penalty=5, Gap
Size Penalty 0.05, Window Size=500 or the lenght of the subject
nucleotide sequence, whichever is shorter.
[0767] If the subject sequence is shorter than the query sequence
because of 5' or 3' deletions, not because of internal deletions, a
manual correction must be made to the results. This is because the
FASTDB program does not account for 5' and 3' truncations of the
subject sequence when calculating percent identity. For subject
sequences truncated at the 5' or 3' ends, relative to the query
sequence, the percent identity is corrected by calculating the
number of bases of the query sequence that are 5' and 3' of the
subject sequence, which are not matched/aligned, as a percent of
the total bases of the query sequence. Whether a nucleotide is
matched/aligned is determined by results of the FASTDB sequence
alignment. This percentage is then subtracted from the percent
identity, calculated by the above FASTDB program using the
specified parameters, to arrive at a final percent identity score.
This corrected score is what is used for the purposes of the
present invention. Only bases outside the 5' and 3' bases of the
subject sequence, as displayed by the FASTDB alignment, which are
not matched/aligned with the query sequence, are calculated for the
purposes of manually adjusting the percent identity score.
[0768] For example, a 90 base subject sequence is aligned to a 100
base query sequence to determine percent identity. The deletions
occur at the 5' end of the subject sequence and therefore, the
FASTDB alignment does not show a matched/alignment of the first 10
bases at 5' end. The 10 unpaired bases represent 10% of the
sequence (number of bases at the 5' and 3' ends not matched/total
number of bases in the query sequence) so 10% is subtracted from
the percent identity score calculated by the FASTDB program. If the
remaining 90 bases were perfectly matched the final percent
identity would be 90%. In another example, a 90 base subject
sequence is compared with a 100 base query sequence. This time the
deletions are internal deletions so that there are no bases on the
5' or 3' of the subject sequence which are not matched/aligned with
the query. In this case the percent identity calculated by FASTDB
is not manually corrected. Once again, only bases 5' and 3' of the
subject sequence which are not matched/aligned with the query
sequence are manually corrected for. No other manual corrections
are to made for the purposes of the present invention.
[0769] By a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence at least, for
example, 95% "identical" to a query amino acid sequence of the
present invention, it is intended that the amino acid sequence of
the subject polypeptide is identical to the query sequence except
that the subject polypeptide sequence may include up to five amino
acid alterations per each 100 amino acids of the query amino acid
sequence. In other words, to obtain a polypeptide having an amino
acid sequence at least 95% identical to a query amino acid
sequence, up to 5% of the amino acid residues in the subject
sequence may be inserted, deleted, (indels) or substituted with
another amino acid. These alterations of the reference sequence may
occur at the amino or carboxy terminal positions of the reference
amino acid sequence or anywhere between those terminal positions,
interspersed either individually among residues in the reference
sequence or in one or more contiguous groups within the reference
sequence.
[0770] As a practical matter, whether any particular polypeptide is
at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% identical to, for
instance, an amino acid sequences shown in Table 1A (SEQ ID NO:Y)
or to the amino acid sequence encoded by cDNA contained in a
deposited clone can be determined conventionally using known
computer programs. A preferred method for determing the best
overall match between a query sequence (a sequence of the present
invention) and a subject sequence, also referred to as a global
sequence alignment, can be determined using the FASTDB computer
program based on the algorithm of Brutlag et al. (Comp. App.
Biosci. 6:237-245(1990)). In a sequence alignment the query and
subject sequences are either both nucleotide sequences or both
amino acid sequences. The result of said global sequence alignment
is in percent identity. Preferred parameters used in a FASTDB amino
acid alignment are: Matrix=PAM 0, k-tuple=2, Mismatch Penalty-1,
Joining Penalty=20, Randomization Group Length=0, Cutoff Score=1,
Window Size=sequence length, Gap Penalty=5, Gap Size Penalty=0.05,
Window Size=500 or the length of the subject amino acid sequence,
whichever is shorter.
[0771] If the subject sequence is shorter than the query sequence
due to N- or C-terminal deletions, not because of internal
deletions, a manual correction must be made to the results. This is
because the FASTDB program does not account for N- and C-terminal
truncations of the subject sequence when calculating global percent
identity. For subject sequences truncated at the N- and C-termini,
relative to the query sequence, the percent identity is corrected
by calculating the number of residues of the query sequence that
are N- and C-terminal of the subject sequence, which are not
matched/aligned with a corresponding subject residue, as a percent
of the total bases of the query sequence. Whether a residue is
matched/aligned is determined by results of the FASTDB sequence
alignment. This percentage is then subtracted from the percent
identity, calculated by the above FASTDB program using the
specified parameters, to arrive at a final percent identity score.
This final percent identity score is what is used for the purposes
of the present invention. Only residues to the N- and C-termini of
the subject sequence, which are not matched/aligned with the query
sequence, are considered for the purposes of manually adjusting the
percent identity score. That is, only query residue positions
outside the farthest N- and C-terminal residues of the subject
sequence.
[0772] For example, a 90 amino acid residue subject sequence is
aligned with a 100 residue query sequence to determine percent
identity. The deletion occurs at the N-terminus of the subject
sequence and therefore, the FASTDB alignment does not show a
matching/alignment of the first 10 residues at the N-terminus. The
10 unpaired residues represent 10% of the sequence (number of
residues at the N- and C-termini not matched/total number of
residues in the query sequence) so 10% is subtracted from the
percent identity score calculated by the FASTDB program. If the
remaining 90 residues were perfectly matched the final percent
identity would be 90%. In another example, a 90 residue subject
sequence is compared with a 100 residue query sequence. This time
the deletions are internal deletions so there are no residues at
the N- or C-termini of the subject sequence which are not
matched/aligned with the query. In this case the percent identity
calculated by FASTDB is not manually corrected. Once again, only
residue positions outside the N- and C-terminal ends of the subject
sequence, as displayed in the FASTDB alignment, which are not
matched/aligned with the query sequnce are manually corrected for.
No other manual corrections are to made for the purposes of the
present invention.
[0773] The variants may contain alterations in the coding regions,
non-coding regions, or both. Especially preferred are
polynucleotide variants containing alterations which produce silent
substitutions, additions, or deletions, but do not alter the
properties or activities of the encoded polypeptide. Nucleotide
variants produced by silent substitutions due to the degeneracy of
the genetic code are preferred. Moreover, variants in which 5-10,
1-5, or 1-2 amino acids are substituted, deleted, or added in any
combination are also preferred. Polynucleotide variants can be
produced for a variety of reasons, e.g., to optimize codon
expression for a particular host (change codons in the human mRNA
to those preferred by a bacterial host such as E. coli).
[0774] Naturally occurring variants are called "allelic variants,"
and refer to one of several alternate forms of a gene occupying a
given locus on a chromosome of an organism. (Genes II, Lewin, B.,
ed., John Wiley & Sons, New York (1985).) These allelic
variants can vary at either the polynucleotide and/or polypeptide
level and are included in the present invention. Alternatively,
non-naturally occurring variants may be produced by mutagenesis
techniques or by direct synthesis.
[0775] Using known methods of protein engineering and recombinant
DNA technology, variants may be generated to improve or alter the
characteristics of the polypeptides of the present invention. For
instance, one or more amino acids can be deleted from the
N-terminus or C-terminus of the secreted protein without
substantial loss of biological function. The authors of Ron et al.,
J. Biol. Chem. 268: 2984-2988 (1993), reported variant KGF proteins
having heparin binding activity even after deleting 3, 8, or 27
amino-terminal amino acid residues. Similarly, Interferon gamma
exhibited up to ten times higher activity after deleting 8-10 amino
acid residues from the carboxy terminus of this protein. (Dobeli et
al., J. Biotechnology 7:199-216 (1988).)
[0776] Moreover, ample evidence demonstrates that variants often
retain a biological activity similar to that of the naturally
occurring protein. For example, Gayle and coworkers (J. Biol. Chem
268:22105-22111 (1993)) conducted extensive mutational analysis of
human cytokine IL-1a. They used random mutagenesis to generate over
3,500 individual IL-1a mutants that averaged 2.5 amino acid changes
per variant over the entire length of the molecule. Multiple
mutations were examined at every possible amino acid position. The
investigators found that "[m]ost of the molecule could be altered
with little effect on either [binding or biological activity]."
(See, Abstract.) In fact, only 23 unique amino acid sequences, out
of more than 3,500 nucleotide sequences examined, produced a
protein that significantly differed in activity from wild-type.
[0777] Furthermore, even if deleting one or more amino acids from
the N-terminus or C-terminus of a polypeptide results in
modification or loss of one or more biological functions, other
biological activities may still be retained. For example, the
ability of a deletion variant to induce and/or to bind antibodies
which recognize the secreted form will likely be retained when less
than the majority of the residues of the secreted form are removed
from the N-terminus or C-terminus. Whether a particular polypeptide
lacking N- or C-terminal residues of a protein retains such
immunogenic activities can readily be determined by routine methods
described herein and otherwise known in the art.
[0778] Thus, the invention further includes polypeptide variants
which show substantial biological activity. Such variants include
deletions, insertions, inversions, repeats, and substitutions
selected according to general rules known in the art so as have
little effect on activity. For example, guidance concerning how to
make phenotypically silent amino acid substitutions is provided in
Bowie et al., Science 247:1306-1310 (1990), wherein the authors
indicate that there are two main strategies for studying the
tolerance of an amino acid sequence to change.
[0779] The first strategy exploits the tolerance of amino acid
substitutions by natural selection during the process of evolution.
By comparing amino acid sequences in different species, conserved
amino acids can be identified. These conserved amino acids are
likely important for protein function. In contrast, the amino acid
positions where substitutions have been tolerated by natural
selection indicates that these positions are not critical for
protein function. Thus, positions tolerating amino acid
substitution could be modified while still maintaining biological
activity of the protein.
[0780] The second strategy uses genetic engineering to introduce
amino acid changes at specific positions of a cloned gene to
identify regions critical for protein function. For example, site
directed mutagenesis or alanine-scanning mutagenesis (introduction
of single alanine mutations at every residue in the molecule) can
be used. (Cunningham and Wells, Science 244:1081-1085 (1989).) The
resulting mutant molecules can then be tested for biological
activity.
[0781] As the authors state, these two strategies have revealed
that proteins are surprisingly tolerant of amino acid
substitutions. The authors further indicate which amino acid
changes are likely to be permissive at certain amino acid positions
in the protein. For example, most buried (within the tertiary
structure of the protein) amino acid residues require nonpolar side
chains, whereas few features of surface side chains are generally
conserved. Moreover, tolerated conservative amino acid
substitutions involve replacement of the aliphatic or hydrophobic
amino acids Ala, Val, Leu and Ile; replacement of the hydroxyl
residues Ser and Thr; replacement of the acidic residues Asp and
Glu; replacement of the amide residues Asn and Gln, replacement of
the basic residues Lys, Arg, and His; replacement of the aromatic
residues Phe, Tyr, and Trp, and replacement of the small-sized
amino acids Ala, Ser, Thr, Met, and Gly.
[0782] Besides conservative amino acid substitution, variants of
the present invention include (i) substitutions with one or more of
the non-conserved amino acid residues, where the substituted amino
acid residues may or may not be one encoded by the genetic code, or
(ii) substitution with one or more of amino acid residues having a
substituent group, or (iii) fusion of the mature polypeptide with
another compound, such as a compound to increase the stability
and/or solubility of the polypeptide (for example, polyethylene
glycol), or (iv) fusion of the polypeptide with additional amino
acids, such as, for example, an IgG Fc fusion region peptide, or
leader or secretory sequence, or a sequence facilitating
purification or (v) fusion of the polypeptide with another
compound, such as albumin (including, but not limited to,
recombinant albumin (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,969, issued
Mar. 2, 1999, EP Patent 0 413 622, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,883,
issued Jun. 16, 1998, herein incorporated by reference in their
entirety)). Such variant polypeptides are deemed to be within the
scope of those skilled in the art from the teachings herein.
[0783] For example, polypeptide variants containing amino acid
substitutions of charged amino acids with other charged or neutral
amino acids may produce proteins with improved characteristics,
such as less aggregation. Aggregation of pharmaceutical
formulations both reduces activity and increases clearance due to
the aggregate's immunogenic activity. (Pinckard et al., Clin. Exp.
Immunol. 2:331-340 (1967); Robbins et al., Diabetes 36: 838-845
(1987); Cleland et al., Crit. Rev. Therapeutic Drug Carrier Systems
10:307-377 (1993).)
[0784] A further embodiment of the invention relates to a
polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of the present
invention having an amino acid sequence which contains at least one
amino acid substitution, but not more than 50 amino acid
substitutions, even more preferably, not more than 40 amino acid
substitutions, still more preferably, not more than 30 amino acid
substitutions, and still even more preferably, not more than 20
amino acid substitutions. Of course, in order of ever-increasing
preference, it is highly preferable for a peptide or polypeptide to
have an amino acid sequence which comprises the amino acid sequence
of the present invention, which contains at least one, but not more
than 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 amino acid substitutions. In
specific embodiments, the number of additions, substitutions,
and/or deletions in the amino acid sequence of the present
invention or fragments thereof (e.g., the mature form and/or other
fragments described herein), is 1-5, 5-10, 5-25, 5-50, 10-50 or
50-150, conservative amino acid substitutions are preferable.
Polynucleotide and Polypeptide Fragments
[0785] The present invention is also directed to polynucleotide
fragments of the polynucleotides of the invention.
[0786] In the present invention, a "polynucleotide fragment" refers
to a short polynucleotide having a nucleic acid sequence which: is
a portion of that contained in a deposited clone, or encoding the
polypeptide encoded by the cDNA in a deposited clone; is a portion
of that shown in SEQ ID NO:X or the complementary strand thereto,
or is a portion of a polynucleotide sequence encoding the
polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:Y. The nucleotide fragments of the
invention are preferably at least about 15 nt, and more preferably
at least about 20 nt, still more preferably at least about 30 nt,
and even more preferably, at least about 40 nt, at least about 50
nt, at least about 75 nt, or at least about 150 nt in length. A
fragment "at least 20 nt in length," for example, is intended to
include 20 or more contiguous bases from the cDNA sequence
contained in a deposited clone or the nucleotide sequence shown in
SEQ ID NO:X. In this context "about" includes the particularly
recited value, a value larger or smaller by several (5, 4, 3, 2, or
1) nucleotides, at either terminus or at both termini. These
nucleotide fragments have uses that include, but are not limited
to, as diagnostic probes and primers as discussed herein. Of
course, larger fragments (e.g., 50, 150, 500, 600, 2000
nucleotides) are preferred.
[0787] Moreover, representative examples of polynucleotide
fragments of the invention, include, for example, fragments
comprising, or alternatively consisting of, a sequence from about
nucleotide number 1-50, 51-100, 101-150, 151-200, 201-250, 251-300,
301-350, 351-400, 401-450, 451-500, 501-550, 551-600, 651-700,
701-750, 751-800, 800-850, 851-900, 901-950, 951-1000, 1001-1050,
1051-1100, 1101-1150, 1151-1200, 1201-1250, 1251-1300, 1301-1350,
1351-1400, 1401-1450, 1451-1500, 1501-1550, 1551-1600, 1601-1650,
1651-1700, 1701-1750, 1751-1800, 1801-1850, 1851-1900, 1901-1950,
1951-2000, or 2001 to the end of SEQ ID NO:X, or the complementary
strand thereto, or the cDNA contained in a deposited clone. In this
context "about" includes the particularly recited ranges, and
ranges larger or smaller by several (5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) nucleotides,
at either terminus or at both termini. Preferably, these fragments
encode a polypeptide which has biological activity. More
preferably, these polynucleotides can be used as probes or primers
as discussed herein. Polynucleotides which hybridize to these
nucleic acid molecules under stringent hybridization conditions or
lower stringency conditions are also encompassed by the invention,
as are polypeptides encoded by these polynucleotides.
[0788] In the present invention, a "polypeptide fragment" refers to
an amino acid sequence which is a portion of that contained in SEQ
ID NO:Y or encoded by the cDNA contained in a deposited clone.
Protein (polypeptide) fragments may be "free-standing," or
comprised within a larger polypeptide of which the fragment forms a
part or region, most preferably as a single continuous region.
Representative examples of polypeptide fragments of the invention,
include, for example, fragments comprising, or alternatively
consisting of, from about amino acid number 1-20, 21-40, 41-60,
61-80, 81-100, 102-120, 121-140, 141-160, or 161 to the end of the
coding region. Moreover, polypeptide fragments can be about 20, 30,
40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, or 150 amino acids
in length. In this context "about" includes the particularly
recited ranges or values, and ranges or values larger or smaller by
several (5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) amino acids, at either extreme or at
both extremes. Polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are also
encompassed by the invention.
[0789] Preferred polypeptide fragments include the secreted protein
as well as the mature form. Further preferred polypeptide fragments
include the secreted protein or the mature form having a continuous
series of deleted residues from the amino or the carboxy terminus,
or both. For example, any number of amino acids, ranging from 1-60,
can be deleted from the amino terminus of either the secreted
polypeptide or the mature form. Similarly, any number of amino
acids, ranging from 1-30, can be deleted from the carboxy terminus
of the secreted protein or mature form. Furthermore, any
combination of the above amino and carboxy terminus deletions are
preferred. Similarly, polynucleotides encoding these polypeptide
fragments are also preferred.
[0790] Also preferred are polypeptide and polynucleotide fragments
characterized by structural or functional domains, such as
fragments that comprise alpha-helix and alpha-helix forming
regions, beta-sheet and beta-sheet-forming regions, turn and
turn-forming regions, coil and coil-forming regions, hydrophilic
regions, hydrophobic regions, alpha amphipathic regions, beta
amphipathic regions, flexible regions, surface-forming regions,
substrate binding region, and high antigenic index regions.
Polypeptide fragments of SEQ ID NO:Y falling within conserved
domains are specifically contemplated by the present invention.
Moreover, polynucleotides encoding these domains are also
contemplated.
[0791] Other preferred polypeptide fragments are biologically
active fragments. Biologically active fragments are those
exhibiting activity similar, but not necessarily identical, to an
activity of the polypeptide of the present invention. The
biological activity of the fragments may include an improved
desired activity, or a decreased undesirable activity.
Polynucleotides encoding these polypeptide fragments are also
encompassed by the invention.
[0792] Preferably, the polynucleotide fragments of the invention
encode a polypeptide which demonstrates a functional activity. By a
polypeptide demonstrating a "functional activity" is meant, a
polypeptide capable of displaying one or more known functional
activities associated with a full-length (complete) polypeptide of
invention protein. Such functional activities include, but are not
limited to, biological activity, antigenicity [ability to bind (or
compete with a polypeptide of the invention for binding) to an
antibody to the polypeptide of the invention], immunogenicity
(ability to generate antibody which binds to a polypeptide of the
invention), ability to form multimers with polypeptides of the
invention, and ability to bind to a receptor or ligand for a
polypeptide of the invention.
[0793] The functional activity of polypeptides of the invention,
and fragments, variants derivatives, and analogs thereof, can be
assayed by various methods.
[0794] For example, in one embodiment where one is assaying for the
ability to bind or compete with full-length polypeptide of the
invention for binding to an antibody of the polypeptide of the
invention, various immunoassays known in the art can be used,
including but not limited to, competitive and non-competitive assay
systems using techniques such as radioimmunoassays, ELISA (enzyme
linked immunosorbent assay), "sandwich" immunoassays,
immunoradiometric assays, gel diffusion precipitation reactions,
immunodiffusion assays, in situ immunoassays (using colloidal gold,
enzyme or radioisotope labels, for example), western blots,
precipitation reactions, agglutination assays (e.g., gel
agglutination assays, hemagglutination assays), complement fixation
assays, immunofluorescence assays, protein A assays, and
immunoelectrophoresis assays, etc. In one embodiment, antibody
binding is detected by detecting a label on the primary antibody.
In another embodiment, the primary antibody is detected by
detecting binding of a secondary antibody or reagent to the primary
antibody. In a further embodiment, the secondary antibody is
labeled. Many means are known in the art for detecting binding in
an immunoassay and are within the scope of the present
invention.
[0795] In another embodiment, where a ligand for a polypeptide of
the invention identified, or the ability of a polypeptide fragment,
variant or derivative of the invention to multimerize is being
evaluated, binding can be assayed, e.g., by means well-known in the
art, such as, for example, reducing and non-reducing gel
chromatography, protein affinity chromatography, and affinity
blotting. See generally, Phizicky, E., et al., 1995, Microbiol.
Rev. 59:94-123. In another embodiment, physiological correlates of
binding of a polypeptide of the invention to its substrates (signal
transduction) can be assayed.
[0796] In addition, assays described herein (see Examples) and
otherwise known in the art may routinely be applied to measure the
ability of polypeptides of the invention and fragments, variants
derivatives and analogs thereof to elicit related biological
activity related to that of the polypeptide of the invention
(either in vitro or in vivo). Other methods will be known to the
skilled artisan and are within the scope of the invention.
Epitopes and Antibodies
[0797] The present invention encompasses polypeptides comprising,
or alternatively consisting of, an epitope of the polypeptide
having an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:Y, or an epitope of the
polypeptide sequence encoded by a polynucleotide sequence contained
in ATCC deposit No. Z or encoded by a polynucleotide that
hybridizes to the complement of the sequence of SEQ ID NO:X or
contained in ATCC deposit No. Z under stringent hybridization
conditions or lower stringency hybridization conditions as defined
supra. The present invention further encompasses polynucleotide
sequences encoding an epitope of a polypeptide sequence of the
invention (such as, for example, the sequence disclosed in SEQ ID
NO:X), polynucleotide sequences of the complementary strand of a
polynucleotide sequence encoding an epitope of the invention, and
polynucleotide sequences which hybridize to the complementary
strand under stringent hybridization conditions or lower stringency
hybridization conditions defined supra.
[0798] The term "epitopes," as used herein, refers to portions of a
polypeptide having antigenic or immunogenic activity in an animal,
preferably a mammal, and most preferably in a human. In a preferred
embodiment, the present invention encompasses a polypeptide
comprising an epitope, as well as the polynucleotide encoding this
polypeptide. An "immunogenic epitope," as used herein, is defined
as a portion of a protein that elicits an antibody response in an
animal, as determined by any method known in the art, for example,
by the methods for generating antibodies described infra. (See, for
example, Geysen et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81:3998-4002
(1983)). The term "antigenic epitope," as used herein, is defined
as a portion of a protein to which an antibody can
immunospecifically bind its antigen as determined by any method
well known in the art, for example, by the immunoassays described
herein. Immunospecific binding excludes non-specific binding but
does not necessarily exclude cross-reactivity with other antigens.
Antigenic epitopes need not necessarily be immunogenic.
[0799] Fragments which function as epitopes may be produced by any
conventional means. (See, e.g., Houghten, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.
USA 82:5131-5135 (1985), further described in U.S. Pat. No.
4,631,211).
[0800] In the present invention, antigenic epitopes preferably
contain a sequence of at least 4, at least 5, at least 6, at least
7, more preferably at least 8, at least 9, at least 10, at least
11, at least 12, at least 13, at least 14, at least 15, at least
20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 40, at least 50, and, most
preferably, between about 15 to about 30 amino acids. Preferred
polypeptides comprising immunogenic or antigenic epitopes are at
least 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80,
85, 90, 95, or 100 amino acid residues in length. Additional
non-exclusive preferred antigenic epitopes include the antigenic
epitopes disclosed herein, as well as portions thereof. Antigenic
epitopes are useful, for example, to raise antibodies, including
monoclonal antibodies, that specifically bind the epitope.
Preferred antigenic epitopes include the antigenic epitopes
disclosed herein, as well as any combination of two, three, four,
five or more of these antigenic epitopes. Antigenic epitopes can be
used as the target molecules in immunoassays. (See, for instance,
Wilson et al., Cell 37:767-778 (1984); Sutcliffe et al., Science
219:660-666 (1983)).
[0801] Similarly, immunogenic epitopes can be used, for example, to
induce antibodies according to methods well known in the art. (See,
for instance, Sutcliffe et al., supra; Wilson et al., supra; Chow
et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82:910-914; and Bittle et al.,
J. Gen. Virol. 66:2347-2354 (1985). Preferred immunogenic epitopes
include the immunogenic epitopes disclosed herein, as well as any
combination of two, three, four, five or more of these immunogenic
epitopes. The polypeptides comprising one or more immunogenic
epitopes may be presented for eliciting an antibody response
together with a carrier protein, such as an albumin, to an animal
system (such as rabbit or mouse), or, if the polypeptide is of
sufficient length (at least about 25 amino acids), the polypeptide
may be presented without a carrier. However, immunogenic epitopes
comprising as few as 8 to 10 amino acids have been shown to be
sufficient to raise antibodies capable of binding to, at the very
least, linear epitopes in a denatured polypeptide (e.g., in Western
blotting).
[0802] Epitope-bearing polypeptides of the present invention may be
used to induce antibodies according to methods well known in the
art including, but not limited to, in vivo immunization, in vitro
immunization, and phage display methods. See, e.g., Sutcliffe et
al., supra; Wilson et al., supra, and Bittle et al., J. Gen.
Virol., 66:2347-2354 (1985). If in vivo immunization is used,
animals may be immunized with free peptide; however, anti-peptide
antibody titer may be boosted by coupling the peptide to a
macromolecular carrier, such as keyhole limpet hemacyanin (KLH) or
tetanus toxoid. For instance, peptides containing cysteine residues
may be coupled to a carrier using a linker such as
maleimidobenzoyl-N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (MBS), while other
peptides may be coupled to carriers using a more general linking
agent such as glutaraldehyde. Animals such as rabbits, rats and
mice are immunized with either free or carrier-coupled peptides,
for instance, by intraperitoneal and/or intradermal injection of
emulsions containing about 100 .mu.g of peptide or carrier protein
and Freund's adjuvant or any other adjuvant known for stimulating
an immune response. Several booster injections may be needed, for
instance, at intervals of about two weeks, to provide a useful
titer of anti-peptide antibody which can be detected, for example,
by ELISA assay using free peptide adsorbed to a solid surface. The
titer of anti-peptide antibodies in serum from an immunized animal
may be increased by selection of anti-peptide antibodies, for
instance, by adsorption to the peptide on a solid support and
elution of the selected antibodies according to methods well known
in the art.
[0803] As one of skill in the art will appreciate, and as discussed
above, the polypeptides of the present invention (e.g., those
comprising an immunogenic or antigenic epitope) can be fused to
heterologous polypeptide sequences. For example, polypeptides of
the present invention (including fragments or variants thereof),
may be fused with the constant domain of immunoglobulins (IgA, IgE,
IgG, IgM), or portions thereof (CH1, CH2, CH3, or any combination
thereof and portions thereof, resulting in chimeric polypeptides.
By way of another non-limiting example, polypeptides and/or
antibodies of the present invention (including fragments or
variants thereof) may be fused with albumin (including but not
limited to recombinant human serum albumin or fragments or variants
thereof (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,969, issued Mar. 2, 1999,
EP Patent 0 413 622, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,883, issued Jun. 16,
1998, herein incorporated by reference in their entirety)). In a
preferred embodiment, polypeptides and/or antibodies of the present
invention (including fragments or variants thereof) are fused with
the mature form of human serum albumin (i.e., amino acids 1-585 of
human serum albumin as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of EP Patent 0 322
094) which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. In
another preferred embodiment, polypeptides and/or antibodies of the
present invention (including fragments or variants thereof) are
fused with polypeptide fragments comprising, or alternatively
consisting of, amino acid residues 1-x of human serum albumin,
where x is an integer from 1 to 585 and the albumin fragment has
human serum albumin activity. In another preferred embodiment,
polypeptides and/or antibodies of the present invention (including
fragments or variants thereof) are fused with polypeptide fragments
comprising, or alternatively consisting of, amino acid residues 1-z
of human serum albumin, where z is an integer from 369 to 419, as
described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,883 herein incorporated by
reference in its entirety. Polypeptides and/or antibodies of the
present invention (including fragments or variants thereof) may be
fused to either the N- or C-terminal end of the heterologous
protein (e.g., immunoglobulin Fc polypeptide or human serum albumin
polypeptide). Polynucleotides encoding fusion proteins of the
invention are also encompassed by the invention.
[0804] Such fusion proteins as those described above may facilitate
purification and may increase half-life in vivo. This has been
shown for chimeric proteins consisting of the first two domains of
the human CD4-polypeptide and various domains of the constant
regions of the heavy or light chains of mammalian immunoglobulins.
See, e.g., EP 394,827; Traunecker et al., Nature, 331:84-86 (1988).
Enhanced delivery of an antigen across the epithelial barrier to
the immune system has been demonstrated for antigens (e.g.,
insulin) conjugated to an FcRn binding partner such as IgG or Fc
fragments (see, e.g., PCT Publications WO 96/22024 and WO
99/04813). IgG Fusion proteins that have a disulfide-linked dimeric
structure due to the IgG portion desulfide bonds have also been
found to be more efficient in binding and neutralizing other
molecules than monomeric polypeptides or fragments thereof alone.
See, e.g., Fountoulakis et al., J. Biochem., 270:3958-3964 (1995).
Nucleic acids encoding the above epitopes can also be recombined
with a gene of interest as an epitope tag (e.g., the hemagglutinin
("HA") tag or flag tag) to aid in detection and purification of the
expressed polypeptide. For example, a system described by Janknecht
et al. allows for the ready purification of non-denatured fusion
proteins expressed in human cell lines (Janknecht et al., 1991,
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:8972-897). In this system, the gene
of interest is subcloned into a vaccinia recombination plasmid such
that the open reading frame of the gene is translationally fused to
an amino-terminal tag consisting of six histidine residues. The tag
serves as a matrix binding domain for the fusion protein. Extracts
from cells infected with the recombinant vaccinia virus are loaded
onto Ni2+ nitriloacetic acid-agarose column and histidine-tagged
proteins can be selectively eluted with imidazole-containing
buffers.
[0805] Additional fusion proteins of the invention may be generated
through the techniques of gene-shuffling, motif-shuffling,
exon-shuffling, and/or codon-shuffling (collectively referred to as
"DNA shuffling"). DNA shuffling may be employed to modulate the
activities of polypeptides of the invention, such methods can be
used to generate polypeptides with altered activity, as well as
agonists and antagonists of the polypeptides. See, generally, U.S.
Pat. Nos. 5,605,793; 5,811,238; 5,830,721; 5,834,252; and
5,837,458, and Patten et al., Curr. Opinion Biotechnol. 8:724-33
(1997); Harayama, Trends Biotechnol. 16(2):76-82 (1998); Hansson,
et al., J. Mol. Biol. 287:265-76 (1999); and Lorenzo and Blasco,
Biotechniques 24(2):308-13 (1998) (each of these patents and
publications are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety).
In one embodiment, alteration of polynucleotides corresponding to
SEQ ID NO:X and the polypeptides encoded by these polynucleotides
may be achieved by DNA shuffling. DNA shuffling involves the
assembly of two or more DNA segments by homologous or site-specific
recombination to generate variation in the polynucleotide sequence.
In another embodiment, polynucleotides of the invention, or the
encoded polypeptides, may be altered by being subjected to random
mutagenesis by error-prone PCR, random nucleotide insertion or
other methods prior to recombination. In another embodiment, one or
more components, motifs, sections, parts, domains, fragments, etc.,
of a polytucleotide encoding a polypeptide of the invention may be
recombined with one or more components, motifs, sections, parts,
domains, fragments, etc. of one or more heterologous molecules.
Antibodies
[0806] Further polypeptides of the invention relate to antibodies
and T-cell antigen receptors (TCR) which immunospecifically bind a
polypeptide, polypeptide fragment, or variant of SEQ ID NO:Y,
and/or an epitope, of the present invention (as determined by
immunoassays well known in the art for assaying specific
antibody-antigen binding). Antibodies of the invention include, but
are not limited to, polyclonal, monoclonal, multispecific, human,
humanized or chimeric antibodies, single chain antibodies, Fab
fragments, F(ab') fragments, fragments produced by a Fab expression
library, anti-idiotypic (anti-Id) antibodies (including, e.g.,
anti-Id antibodies to antibodies of the invention), and
epitope-binding fragments of any of the above. The term "antibody,"
as used herein, refers to immunoglobulin molecules and
immunologically active portions of immunoglobulin molecules, i.e.,
molecules that contain an antigen binding site that
immunospecifically binds an antigen. The immunoglobulin molecules
of the invention can be of any type (e.g., IgG, IgE, IgM, IgD, IgA
and IgY), class (e.g., IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4, IgA1 and IgA2) or
subclass of immunoglobulin molecule. In preferred embodiments, the
immunoglobulin molecules of the invention are IgG1. In other
preferred embodiments, the immunoglobulin molecules of the
invention are IgG4.
[0807] Most preferably the antibodies are human antigen-binding
antibody fragments of the present invention and include, but are
not limited to, Fab, Fab' and F(ab').sub.2, Fd, single-chain Fvs
(scFv), single-chain antibodies, disulfide-linked Fvs (sdFv) and
fragments comprising either a VL or VH domain. Antigen-binding
antibody fragments, including single-chain antibodies, may comprise
the variable region(s) alone or in combination with the entirety or
a portion of the following: hinge region, CH1, CH2, and CH3
domains. Also included in the invention are antigen-binding
fragments also comprising any combination of variable region(s)
with a hinge region, CH1, CH2, and CH3 domains. The antibodies of
the invention may be from any animal origin including birds and
mammals. Preferably, the antibodies are human, murine (e.g., mouse
and rat), donkey, ship rabbit, goat, guinea pig, camel, horse, or
chicken. As used herein, "human" antibodies include antibodies
having the amino acid sequence of a human immunoglobulin and
include antibodies isolated from human immunoglobulin libraries or
from animals transgenic for one or more human immunoglobulin and
that do not express endogenous immunoglobulins, as described infra
and, for example in, U.S. Pat. No. 5,939,598 by Kucherlapati et
al.
[0808] The antibodies of the present invention may be monospecific,
bispecific, trispecific or of greater multispecificity.
Multispecific antibodies may be specific for different epitopes of
a polypeptide of the present invention or may be specific for both
a polypeptide of the present invention as well as for a
heterologous epitope, such as a heterologous polypeptide or solid
support material. See, e.g., PCT publications WO 93/17715; WO
92/08802; WO 91/00360; WO 92/05793; Tutt, et al., J. Immunol.
147:60-69 (1991); U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,474,893; 4,714,681; 4,925,648;
5,573,920; 5,601,819; Kostelny et al., J. Immunol. 148:1547-1553
(1992).
[0809] Antibodies of the present invention may be described or
specified in terms of the epitope(s) or portion(s) of a polypeptide
of the present invention which they recognize or specifically bind.
The epitope(s) or polypeptide portion(s) may be specified as
described herein, e.g., by N-terminal and C-terminal positions, by
size in contiguous amino acid residues, or listed in the Tables and
Figures. Antibodies which specifically bind any epitope or
polypeptide of the present invention may also be excluded.
Therefore, the present invention includes antibodies that
specifically bind polypeptides of the present invention, and allows
for the exclusion of the same.
[0810] Antibodies of the present invention may also be described or
specified in terms of their cross-reactivity. Antibodies that do
not bind any other analog, ortholog, or homolog of a polypeptide of
the present invention are included. Antibodies that bind
polypeptides with at least 95%, at least 90%, at least 85%, at
least 80%, at least 75%, at least 70%, at least 65%, at least 60%,
at least 55%, and at least 50% identity (as calculated using
methods known in the art and described herein) to a polypeptide of
the present invention are also included in the present invention.
In specific embodiments, antibodies of the present invention
cross-react with murine, rat and/or rabbit homologs of human
proteins and the corresponding epitopes thereof. Antibodies that do
not bind polypeptides with less than 95%, less than 90%, less than
85%, less than 80%, less than 75%, less than 70%, less than 65%,
less than 60%, less than 55%, and less than 50% identity (as
calculated using methods known in the art and described herein) to
a polypeptide of the present invention are also included in the
present invention. In a specific embodiment, the above-described
cross-reactivity is with respect to any single specific antigenic
or immunogenic polypeptide, or combination(s) of 2, 3, 4, 5, or
more of the specific antigenic and/or immunogenic polypeptides
disclosed herein. Further included in the present invention are
antibodies which bind polypeptides encoded by polynucleotides which
hybridize to a polynucleotide of the present invention under
stringent hybridization conditions (as described herein).
Antibodies of the present invention may also be described or
specified in terms of their binding affinity to a polypeptide of
the invention. Preferred binding affinities include those with a
dissociation constant or Kd less than 5.times.10.sup.-2 M,
10.sup.-2 M, 5.times.10.sup.-3 M, 10.sup.-3 M, 5.times.10.sup.-4 M,
10.sup.-4 M, 5.times.10.sup.-5 M, 10.sup.-5 M, 5.times.10.sup.-6 M,
10.sup.-6M, 5.times.10.sup.-7 M, 10.sup.7 M, 5.times.10.sup.-8 M,
10.sup.-8 M, 5.times.10.sup.-9 M, 10.sup.-9 M, 5.times.10.sup.-10
M, 10.sup.-10 M, 5.times.10.sup.-11 M, 10.sup.-11 M,
5.times.10.sup.-12 M, 10.sup.-12 M, 5.times.10.sup.-13 M,
10.sup.-13 M, 5.times.10.sup.-.sup.14 M, 10.sup.-14 M,
5.times.10.sup.-15 M, or 10.sup.-.sup.15 M.
[0811] The invention also provides antibodies that competitively
inhibit binding of an antibody to an epitope of the invention as
determined by any method known in the art for determining
competitive binding, for example, the immunoassays described
herein. In preferred embodiments, the antibody competitively
inhibits binding to the epitope by at least 95%, at least 90%, at
least 85%, at least 80%, at least 75%, at least 70%, at least 60%,
or at least 50%.
[0812] Antibodies of the present invention may act as agonists or
antagonists of the polypeptides of the present invention. For
example, the present invention includes antibodies which disrupt
the receptor/ligand interactions with the polypeptides of the
invention either partially or fully. Preferrably, antibodies of the
present invention bind an antigenic epitope disclosed herein, or a
portion thereof. The invention features both receptor-specific
antibodies and ligand-specific antibodies. The invention also
features receptor-specific antibodies which do not prevent ligand
binding but prevent receptor activation. Receptor activation (i.e.,
signaling) may be determined by techniques described herein or
otherwise known in the art. For example, receptor activation can be
determined by detecting the phosphorylation (e.g., tyrosine or
serine/threonine) of the receptor or its substrate by
immunoprecipitation followed by western blot analysis (for example,
as described supra). In specific embodiments, antibodies are
provided that inhibit ligand activity or receptor activity by at
least 95%, at least 90%, at least 85%, at least 80%, at least 75%,
at least 70%, at least 60%, or at least 50% of the activity in
absence of the antibody.
[0813] The invention also features receptor-specific antibodies
which both prevent ligand binding and receptor activation as well
as antibodies that recognize the receptor-ligand complex, and,
preferably, do not specifically recognize the unbound receptor or
the unbound ligand. Likewise, included in the invention are
neutralizing antibodies which bind the ligand and prevent binding
of the ligand to the receptor, as well as antibodies which bind the
ligand, thereby preventing receptor activation, but do not prevent
the ligand from binding the receptor. Further included in the
invention are antibodies which activate the receptor. These
antibodies may act as receptor agonists, i.e., potentiate or
activate either all or a subset of the biological activities of the
ligand-mediated receptor activation, for example, by inducing
dimerization of the receptor. The antibodies may be specified as
agonists, antagonists or inverse agonists for biological activities
comprising the specific biological activities of the peptides of
the invention disclosed herein. The above antibody agonists can be
made using methods known in the art. See, e.g., PCT publication WO
96/40281; U.S. Pat. No. 5,811,097; Deng et al., Blood
92(6):1981-1988 (1998); Chen et al., Cancer Res. 58(16):3668-3678
(1998); Harrop et al., J. Immunol. 161(4):1786-1794 (1998); Zhu et
al., Cancer Res. 58(15):3209-3214 (1998); Yoon et al., J. Immunol.
160(7):3170-3179 (1998); Prat et al., J. Cell. Sci.
111(Pt2):237-247 (1998); Pitard et al., J. Immunol. Methods
205(2):177-190 (1997); Liautard et al., Cytokine 9(4):233-241
(1997); Carlson et al., J. Biol. Chem. 272(17):11295-11301 (1997);
Taryman et al., Neuron 14(4):755-762 (1995); Muller et al.,
Structure 6(9):1153-1167 (1998); Bartunek et al., Cytokine
8(1):14-20 (1996) (which are all incorporated by reference herein
in their entireties).
[0814] Antibodies of the present invention may be used, for
example, but not limited to, to purify, detect, and target the
polypeptides of the present invention, including both in vitro and
in vivo diagnostic and therapeutic methods. For example, the
antibodies have use in immunoassays for qualitatively and
quantitatively measuring levels of the polypeptides of the present
invention in biological samples. See, e.g., Harlow et al.,
Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual, (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Press, 2nd ed. 1988) (incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety).
[0815] As discussed in more detail below, the antibodies of the
present invention may be used either alone or in combination with
other compositions. The antibodies may further be recombinantly
fused to a heterologous polypeptide at the N- or C-terminus or
chemically conjugated (including covalently and non-covalently
conjugations) to polypeptides or other compositions. For example,
antibodies of the present invention may be recombinantly fused or
conjugated to molecules useful as labels in detection assays and
effector molecules such as heterologous polypeptides, drugs,
radionuclides, or toxins. See, e.g., PCT publications WO 92/08495;
WO 91/14438; WO 89/12624; U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,995; and EP
396,387.
[0816] The antibodies of the invention include derivatives that are
modified, i.e, by the covalent attachment of any type of molecule
to the antibody such that covalent attachment does not prevent the
antibody from generating an anti-idiotypic response. For example,
but not by way of limitation, the antibody derivatives include
antibodies that have been modified, e.g., by glycosylation,
acetylation, pegylation, phosphylation, amidation, derivatization
by known protecting/blocking groups, proteolytic cleavage, linkage
to a cellular ligand or other protein, etc. Any of numerous
chemical modifications may be carried out by known techniques,
including, but not limited to specific chemical cleavage,
acetylation, formylation, metabolic synthesis of tunicamycin, etc.
Additionally, the derivative may contain one or more non-classical
amino acids.
[0817] The antibodies of the present invention may be generated by
any suitable method known in the art. Polyclonal antibodies to an
antigen-of-interest can be produced by various procedures well
known in the art. For example, a polypeptide of the invention can
be administered to various host animals including, but not limited
to, rabbits, mice, rats, etc. to induce the production of sera
containing polyclonal antibodies specific for the antigen. Various
adjuvants may be used to increase the immunological response,
depending on the host species, and include but are not limited to,
Freund's (complete and incomplete), mineral gels such as aluminum
hydroxide, surface active substances such as lysolecithin, pluronic
polyols, polyanions, peptides, oil emulsions, keyhole limpet
hemocyanins, dinitrophenol, and potentially useful human adjuvants
such as BCG (bacille Calmette-Guerin) and corynebacterium parvum.
Such adjuvants are also well known in the art.
[0818] Monoclonal antibodies can be prepared using a wide variety
of techniques known in the art including the use of hybridoma,
recombinant, and phage display technologies, or a combination
thereof. For example, monoclonal antibodies can be produced using
hybridoma techniques including those known in the art and taught,
for example, in Harlow et al., Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual,
(Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 2nd ed. 1988); Hammerling, et
al., in: Monoclonal Antibodies and T-Cell Hybridomas 563-681
(Elsevier, N.Y., 1981) (said references incorporated by reference
in their entireties). The term "monoclonal antibody" as used herein
is not limited to antibodies produced through hybridoma technology.
The term "monoclonal antibody" refers to an antibody that is
derived from a single clone, including any eukaryotic, prokaryotic,
or phage clone, and not the method by which it is produced.
[0819] Methods for producing and screening for specific antibodies
using hybridoma technology are routine and well known in the art
and are discussed in detail in the Examples (e.g., Example 16). In
a non-limiting example, mice can be immunized with a polypeptide of
the invention or a cell expressing such peptide. Once an immune
response is detected, e.g., antibodies specific for the antigen are
detected in the mouse serum, the mouse spleen is harvested and
splenocytes isolated. The splenocytes are then fused by well known
techniques to any suitable myeloma cells, for example cells from
cell line SP20 available from the ATCC. Hybridomas are selected and
cloned by limited dilution. The hybridoma clones are then assayed
by methods known in the art for cells that secrete antibodies
capable of binding a polypeptide of the invention. Ascites fluid,
which generally contains high levels of antibodies, can be
generated by immunizing mice with positive hybridoma clones.
[0820] Accordingly, the present invention provides methods of
generating monoclonal antibodies as well as antibodies produced by
the method comprising culturing a hybridoma cell secreting an
antibody of the invention wherein, preferably, the hybridoma is
generated by fusing splenocytes isolated from a mouse immunized
with an antigen of the invention with myeloma cells and then
screening the hybridomas resulting from the fusion for hybridoma
clones that secrete an antibody able to bind a polypeptide of the
invention.
[0821] Antibody fragments which recognize specific epitopes may be
generated by known techniques. For example, Fab and F(ab').sub.2
fragments of the invention may be produced by proteolytic cleavage
of immunoglobulin molecules, using enzymes such as papain (to
produce Fab fragments) or pepsin (to produce F(ab').sub.2
fragments). F(ab').sub.2 fragments contain the variable region, the
light chain constant region and the CH1 domain of the heavy
chain.
[0822] For example, the antibodies of the present invention can
also be generated using various phage display methods known in the
art. In phage display methods, functional antibody domains are
displayed on the surface of phage particles which carry the
polynucleotide sequences encoding them. In a particular embodiment,
such phage can be utilized to display antigen binding domains
expressed from a repertoire or combinatorial antibody library
(e.g., human or murine). Phage expressing an antigen binding domain
that binds the antigen of interest can be selected or identified
with antigen, e.g., using labeled antigen or antigen bound or
captured to a solid surface or bead. Phage used in these methods
are typically filamentous phage including fd and M13 binding
domains expressed from phage with Fab, Fv or disulfide stabilized
Fv antibody domains recombinantly fused to either the phage gene
III or gene VIII protein. Examples of phage display methods that
can be used to make the antibodies of the present invention include
those disclosed in Brinkman et al., J. Immunol. Methods 182:41-50
(1995); Ames et al., J. Immunol. Methods 184:177-186 (1995);
Kettleborough et al., Eur. J. Immunol. 24:952-958 (1994); Persic et
al., Gene 187 9-18 (1997); Burton et al., Advances in Immunology
57:191-280 (1994); PCT application No. PCT/GB91/01134; PCT
publications WO 90/02809; WO 91/10737; WO 92/01047; WO 92/18619; WO
93/11236; WO 95/15982; WO 95/20401; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,698,426;
5,223,409; 5,403,484; 5,580,717; 5,427,908; 5,750,753; 5,821,047;
5,571,698; 5,427,908; 5,516,637; 5,780,225; 5,658,727; 5,733,743
and 5,969,108; each of which is incorporated herein by reference in
its entirety.
[0823] As described in the above references, after phage selection,
the antibody coding regions from the phage can be isolated and used
to generate whole antibodies, including human antibodies, or any
other desired antigen binding fragment, and expressed in any
desired host, including mammalian cells, insect cells, plant cells,
yeast, and bacteria, e.g., as described in detail below. For
example, techniques to recombinantly produce Fab, Fab' and
F(ab').sub.2 fragments can also be employed using methods known in
the art such as those disclosed in PCT publication WO 92/22324;
Mullinax et al., BioTechniques 12(6):864-869 (1992); and Sawai et
al., AJRI 34:26-34 (1995); and Better et al., Science 240:1041-1043
(1988) (said references incorporated by reference in their
entireties).
[0824] Examples of techniques which can be used to produce
single-chain Fvs and antibodies include those described in U.S.
Pat. Nos. 4,946,778 and 5,258,498; Huston et al., Methods in
Enzymology 203:46-88 (1991); Shu et al., PNAS 90:7995-7999 (1993);
and Skerra et al., Science 240:1038-1040 (1988). For some uses,
including in vivo use of antibodies in humans and in vitro
detection assays, it may be preferable to use chimeric, humanized,
or human antibodies. A chimeric antibody is a molecule in which
different portions of the antibody are derived from different
animal species, such as antibodies having a variable region derived
from a murine monoclonal antibody and a human immunoglobulin
constant region. Methods for producing chimeric antibodies are
known in the art. See e.g., Morrison, Science 229:1202 (1985); Oi
et al., BioTechniques 4:214 (1986); Gillies et al., (1989) J.
Immunol. Methods 125:191-202; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,807,715; 4,816,567;
and 4,816,397, which are incorporated herein by reference in their
entirety. Humanized antibodies are antibody molecules from
non-human species antibody that binds the desired antigen having
one or more complementarity determining regions (CDRs) from the
non-human species and a framework regions from a human
immunoglobulin molecule. Often, framework residues in the human
framework regions will be substituted with the corresponding
residue from the CDR donor antibody to alter, preferably improve,
antigen binding. These framework substitutions are identified by
methods well known in the art, e.g., by modeling of the
interactions of the CDR and framework residues to identify
framework residues important for antigen binding and sequence
comparison to identify unusual framework residues at particular
positions. (See, e.g., Queen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,089;
Riechmann et al., Nature 332:323 (1988), which are incorporated
herein by reference in their entireties.) Antibodies can be
humanized using a variety of techniques known in the art including,
for example, CDR-grafting (EP 239,400; PCT publication WO 91/09967;
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,225,539; 5,530,101; and 5,585,089), veneering or
resurfacing (EP 592,106; EP 519,596; Padlan, Molecular Immunology
28(4/5):489-498 (1991); Studnicka et al., Protein Engineering
7(6):805-814 (1994); Roguska. et al., PNAS 91:969-973 (1994)), and
chain shuffling (U.S. Pat. No. 5,565,332).
[0825] Completely human antibodies are particularly desirable for
therapeutic treatment of human patients. Human antibodies can be
made by a variety of methods known in the art including phage
display methods described above using antibody libraries derived
from human immunoglobulin sequences. See also, U.S. Pat. Nos.
4,444,887 and 4,716,111; and PCT publications WO 98/46645, WO
98/50433, WO 98/24893, WO 98/16654, WO 96/34096, WO 96/33735, and
WO 91/10741; each of which is incorporated herein by reference in
its entirety.
[0826] Human antibodies can also be produced using transgenic mice
which are incapable of expressing functional endogenous
immunoglobulins, but which can express human immunoglobulin genes.
For example, the human heavy and light chain immunoglobulin gene
complexes may be introduced randomly or by homologous recombination
into mouse embryonic stem cells. Alternatively, the human variable
region, constant region, and diversity region may be introduced
into mouse embryonic stem cells in addition to the human heavy and
light chain genes. The mouse heavy and light chain immunoglobulin
genes may be rendered non-functional separately or simultaneously
with the introduction of human immunoglobulin loci by homologous
recombination. In particular, homozygous deletion of the JH region
prevents endogenous antibody production. The modified embryonic
stem cells are expanded and microinjected into blastocysts to
produce chimeric mice. The chimeric mice are then bred to produce
homozygous offspring which express human antibodies. The transgenic
mice are immunized in the normal fashion with a selected antigen,
e.g., all or a portion of a polypeptide of the invention.
Monoclonal antibodies directed against the antigen can be obtained
from the immunized, transgenic mice using conventional hybridoma
technology. The human immunoglobulin transgenes harbored by the
transgenic mice rearrange during B cell differentiation, and
subsequently undergo class switching and somatic mutation. Thus,
using such a technique, it is possible to produce therapeutically
useful IgG, IgA, IgM and IgE antibodies. For an overview of this
technology for producing human antibodies, see Lonberg and Huszar,
Int. Rev. Immunol. 13:65-93 (1995). For a detailed discussion of
this technology for producing human antibodies and human monoclonal
antibodies and protocols for producing such antibodies, see, e.g.,
PCT publications WO 98/24893; WO 92/01047; WO 96/34096; WO
96/33735; European Patent No. 0 598 877; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,413,923;
5,625,126; 5,633,425; 5,569,825; 5,661,016; 5,545,806; 5,814,318;
5,885,793; 5,916,771; and 5,939,598, which are incorporated by
reference herein in their entirety. In addition, companies such as
Abgenix, Inc. (Freemont, Calif.) and Genpharm (San Jose, Calif.)
can be engaged to provide human antibodies directed against a
selected antigen using technology similar to that described
above.
[0827] Completely human antibodies which recognize a selected
epitope can be generated using a technique referred to as "guided
selection." In this approach a selected non-human monoclonal
antibody, e.g., a mouse antibody, is used to guide the selection of
a completely human antibody recognizing the same epitope. (Jespers
et al., Bio/technology 12:899-903 (1988)).
[0828] Further, antibodies to the polypeptides of the invention
can, in turn, be utilized to generate anti-idiotype antibodies that
"mimic" polypeptides of the invention using techniques well known
to those skilled in the art. (See, e.g., Greenspan & Bona,
FASEB J. 7(5):437-444; (1989) and Nissinoff, J. Immunol.
147(8):2429-2438 (1991)). For example, antibodies which bind to and
competitively inhibit polypeptide multimerization and/or binding of
a polypeptide of the invention to a ligand can be used to generate
anti-idiotypes that "mimic" the polypeptide multimerization and/or
binding domain and, as a consequence, bind to and neutralize
polypeptide and/or its ligand. Such neutralizing anti-idiotypes or
Fab fragments of such anti-idiotypes can be used in therapeutic
regimens to neutralize polypeptide ligand. For example, such
anti-idiotypic antibodies can be used to bind a polypeptide of the
invention and/or to bind its ligands/receptors, and thereby block
its biological activity.
Polynucleotides Encoding Antibodies
[0829] The invention further provides polynucleotides comprising a
nucleotide sequence encoding an antibody of the invention and
fragments thereof. The invention also encompasses polynucleotides
that hybridize under stringent or lower stringency hybridization
conditions, e.g., as defined supra, to polynucleotides that encode
an antibody, preferably, that specifically binds to a polypeptide
of the invention, preferably, an antibody that binds to a
polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:Y.
[0830] The polynucleotides may be obtained, and the nucleotide
sequence of the polynucleotides determined, by any method known in
the art. For example, if the nucleotide sequence of the antibody is
known, a polynucleotide encoding the antibody may be assembled from
chemically synthesized oligonucleotides (e.g., as described in
Kutmeier et al., BioTechniques 17:242 (1994)), which, briefly,
involves the synthesis of overlapping oligonucleotides containing
portions of the sequence encoding the antibody, annealing and
ligating of those oligonucleotides, and then amplification of the
ligated oligonucleotides by PCR.
[0831] Alternatively, a polynucleotide encoding an antibody may be
generated from nucleic acid from a suitable source. If a clone
containing a nucleic acid encoding a particular antibody is not
available, but the sequence of the antibody molecule is known, a
nucleic acid encoding the immunoglobulin may be chemically
synthesized or obtained from a suitable source (e.g., an antibody
cDNA library, or a cDNA library generated from, or nucleic acid,
preferably poly A+ RNA, isolated from, any tissue or cells
expressing the antibody, such as hybridoma cells selected to
express an antibody of the invention) by PCR amplification using
synthetic primers hybridizable to the 3' and 5' ends of the
sequence or by cloning using an oligonucleotide probe specific for
the particular gene sequence to identify, e.g., a cDNA clone from a
cDNA library that encodes the antibody. Amplified nucleic acids
generated by PCR may then be cloned into replicable cloning vectors
using any method well known in the art.
[0832] Once the nucleotide sequence and corresponding amino acid
sequence of the antibody is determined, the nucleotide sequence of
the antibody may be manipulated using methods well known in the art
for the manipulation of nucleotide sequences, e.g., recombinant DNA
techniques, site directed mutagenesis, PCR, etc. (see, for example,
the techniques described in Sambrook et al., 1990, Molecular
Cloning, A Laboratory Manual, 2d Ed., Cold Spring Harbor
Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. and Ausubel et al., eds.,
1998, Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, John Wiley &
Sons, NY, which are both incorporated by reference herein in their
entireties), to generate antibodies having a different amino acid
sequence, for example to create amino acid substitutions,
deletions, and/or insertions.
[0833] In a specific embodiment, the amino acid sequence of the
heavy and/or light chain variable domains may be inspected to
identify the sequences of the complementarity determining regions
(CDRs) by methods that are well know in the art, e.g., by
comparison to known amino acid sequences of other heavy and light
chain variable regions to determine the regions of sequence
hypervariability. Using routine recombinant DNA techniques, one or
more of the CDRs may be inserted within framework regions, e.g.,
into human framework regions to humanize a non-human antibody, as
described supra. The framework regions may be naturally occurring
or consensus framework regions, and preferably human framework
regions (see, e.g., Chothia et al., J. Mol. Biol. 278: 457-479
(1998) for a listing of human framework regions). Preferably, the
polynucleotide generated by the combination of the framework
regions and CDRs encodes an antibody that specifically binds a
polypeptide of the invention. Preferably, as discussed supra, one
or more amino acid substitutions may be made within the framework
regions, and, preferably, the amino acid substitutions improve
binding of the antibody to its antigen. Additionally, such methods
may be used to make amino acid substitutions or deletions of one or
more variable region cysteine residues participating in an
intrachain disulfide bond to generate antibody molecules lacking
one or more intrachain disulfide bonds. Other alterations to the
polynucleotide are encompassed by the present invention and within
the skill of the art.
[0834] In addition, techniques developed for the production of
"chimeric antibodies" (Morrison et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.
81:851-855 (1984); Neuberger et al., Nature 312:604-608 (1984);
Takeda et al., Nature 314:452-454 (1985)) by splicing genes from a
mouse antibody molecule of appropriate antigen specificity together
with genes from a human antibody molecule of appropriate biological
activity can be used. As described supra, a chimeric antibody is a
molecule in which different portions are derived from different
animal species, such as those having a variable region derived from
a murine mAb and a human immunoglobulin constant region, e.g.,
humanized antibodies.
[0835] Alternatively, techniques described for the production of
single chain antibodies (U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,778; Bird, Science
242:423-42 (1988); Huston et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
85:5879-5883 (1988); and Ward et al., Nature 334:544-54 (1989)) can
be adapted to produce single chain antibodies. Single chain
antibodies are formed by linking the heavy and light chain
fragments of the Fv region via an amino acid bridge, resulting in a
single chain polypeptide. Techniques for the assembly of functional
Fv fragments in E. coli may also be used (Skerra et al., Science
242:1038-1041 (1988)).
Methods of Producing Antibodies
[0836] The antibodies of the invention can be produced by any
method known in the art for the synthesis of antibodies, in
particular, by chemical synthesis or preferably, by recombinant
expression techniques.
[0837] Recombinant expression of an antibody of the invention, or
fragment, derivative or analog thereof, (e.g., a heavy or light
chain of an antibody of the invention or a single chain antibody of
the invention), requires construction of an expression vector
containing a polynucleotide that encodes the antibody. Once a
polynucleotide encoding an antibody molecule or a heavy or light
chain of an antibody, or portion thereof (preferably containing the
heavy or light chain variable domain), of the invention has been
obtained, the vector for the production of the antibody molecule
may be produced by recombinant DNA technology using techniques well
known in the art. Thus, methods for preparing a protein by
expressing a polynucleotide containing an antibody encoding
nucleotide sequence are described herein. Methods which are well
known to those skilled in the art can be used to construct
expression vectors containing antibody coding sequences and
appropriate transcriptional and translational control signals.
These methods include, for example, in vitro recombinant DNA
techniques, synthetic techniques, and in vivo genetic
recombination. The invention, thus, provides replicable vectors
comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding an antibody molecule of
the invention, or a heavy or light chain thereof, or a heavy or
light chain variable domain, operably linked to a promoter. Such
vectors may include the nucleotide sequence encoding the constant
region of the antibody molecule (see, e.g., PCT Publication WO
86/05807; PCT Publication WO 89/01036; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,464)
and the variable domain of the antibody may be cloned into such a
vector for expression of the entire heavy or light chain.
[0838] The expression vector is transferred to a host cell by
conventional techniques and the transfected cells are then cultured
by conventional techniques to produce an antibody of the invention.
Thus, the invention includes host cells containing a polynucleotide
encoding an antibody of the invention, or a heavy or light chain
thereof, or a single chain antibody of the invention, operably
linked to a heterologous promoter. In preferred embodiments for the
expression of double-chained antibodies, vectors encoding both the
heavy and light chains may be co-expressed in the host cell for
expression of the entire immunoglobulin molecule, as detailed
below.
[0839] A variety of host-expression vector systems may be utilized
to express the antibody molecules of the invention. Such
host-expression systems represent vehicles by which the coding
sequences of interest may be produced and subsequently purified,
but also represent cells which may, when transformed or transfected
with the appropriate nucleotide coding sequences, express an
antibody molecule of the invention in situ. These include but are
not limited to microorganisms such as bacteria (e.g., E. coli, B.
subtilis) transformed with recombinant bacteriophage DNA, plasmid
DNA or cosmid DNA expression vectors containing antibody coding
sequences; yeast (e.g., Saccharomyces, Pichia) transformed with
recombinant yeast expression vectors containing antibody coding
sequences; insect cell systems infected with recombinant virus
expression vectors (e.g., baculovirus) containing antibody coding
sequences; plant cell systems infected with recombinant virus
expression vectors (e.g., cauliflower mosaic virus, CaMV; tobacco
mosaic virus, TMV) or transformed with recombinant plasmid
expression vectors (e.g., Ti plasmid) containing antibody coding
sequences; or mammalian cell systems (e.g., COS, CHO, BHK, 293, 3T3
cells) harboring recombinant expression constructs containing
promoters derived from the genome of mammalian cells (e.g.,
metallothionein promoter) or from mammalian viruses (e.g., the
adenovirus late promoter; the vaccinia virus 7.5K promoter).
Preferably, bacterial cells such as Escherichia coli, and more
preferably, eukaryotic cells, especially for the expression of
whole recombinant antibody molecule, are used for the expression of
a recombinant antibody molecule. For example, mammalian cells such
as Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO), in conjunction with a vector
such as the major intermediate early gene promoter element from
human cytomegalovirus is an effective expression system for
antibodies (Foecking et al., Gene 45:101 (1986); Cockett et al.,
Bio/Technology 8:2 (1990)).
[0840] In bacterial systems, a number of expression vectors may be
advantageously selected depending upon the use intended for the
antibody molecule being expressed. For example, when a large
quantity of such a protein is to be produced, for the generation of
pharmaceutical compositions of an antibody molecule, vectors which
direct the expression of high levels of fusion protein products
that are readily purified may be desirable. Such vectors include,
but are not limited, to the E. coli expression vector pUR278
(Ruther et al., EMBO J. 2:1791 (1983)), in which the antibody
coding sequence may be ligated individually into the vector in
frame with the lac Z coding region so that a fusion protein is
produced; pIN vectors (Inouye & Inouye, Nucleic Acids Res.
13:3101-3109 (1985); Van Heeke & Schuster, J. Biol. Chem.
24:5503-5509 (1989)); and the like. pGEX vectors may also be used
to express foreign polypeptides as fusion proteins with glutathione
S-transferase (GST). In general, such fusion proteins are soluble
and can easily be purified from lysed cells by adsorption and
binding to matrix glutathione-agarose beads followed by elution in
the presence of free glutathione. The pGEX vectors are designed to
include thrombin or factor Xa protease cleavage sites so that the
cloned target gene product can be released from the GST moiety.
[0841] In an insect system, Autographa californica nuclear
polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV) is used as a vector to express foreign
genes. The virus grows in Spodoptera frugiperda cells. The antibody
coding sequence may be cloned individually into non-essential
regions (for example the polyhedrin gene) of the virus and placed
under control of an AcNPV promoter (for example the polyhedrin
promoter).
[0842] In mammalian host cells, a number of viral-based expression
systems may be utilized. In cases where an adenovirus is used as an
expression vector, the antibody coding sequence of interest may be
ligated to an adenovirus transcription/translation control complex,
e.g., the late promoter and tripartite leader sequence. This
chimeric gene may then be inserted in the adenovirus genome by in
vitro or in vivo recombination. Insertion in a non-essential region
of the viral genome (e.g., region E1 or E3) will result in a
recombinant virus that is viable and capable of expressing the
antibody molecule in infected hosts. (e.g., see Logan & Shenk,
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81:355-359 (1984)). Specific initiation
signals may also be required for efficient translation of inserted
antibody coding sequences. These signals include the ATG initiation
codon and adjacent sequences. Furthermore, the initiation codon
must be in phase with the reading frame of the desired coding
sequence to ensure translation of the entire insert. These
exogenous translational control signals and initiation codons can
be of a variety of origins, both natural and synthetic. The
efficiency of expression may be enhanced by the inclusion of
appropriate transcription enhancer elements, transcription
terminators, etc. (see Bittner et al., Methods in Enzymol.
153:51-544 (1987)).
[0843] In addition, a host cell strain may be chosen which
modulates the expression of the inserted sequences, or modifies and
processes the gene product in the specific fashion desired. Such
modifications (e.g., glycosylation) and processing (e.g., cleavage)
of protein products may be important for the function of the
protein. Different host cells have characteristic and specific
mechanisms for the post-translational processing and modification
of proteins and gene products. Appropriate cell lines or host
systems can be chosen to ensure the correct modification and
processing of the foreign protein expressed. To this end,
eukaryotic host cells which possess the cellular machinery for
proper processing of the primary transcript, glycosylation, and
phosphorylation of the gene product may be used. Such mammalian
host cells include but are not limited to CHO, VERY, BHK, Hela,
COS, MDCK, 293, 3T3, W138, and in particular, breast cancer cell
lines such as, for example, BT483, Hs578T, HTB2, BT20 and T47D, and
normal mammary gland cell line such as, for example, CRL7030 and
Hs578Bst.
[0844] For long-term, high-yield production of recombinant
proteins, stable expression is preferred. For example, cell lines
which stably express the antibody molecule may be engineered.
Rather than using expression vectors which contain viral origins of
replication, host cells can be transformed with DNA controlled by
appropriate expression control elements (e.g., promoter, enhancer,
sequences, transcription terminators, polyadenylation sites, etc.),
and a selectable marker. Following the introduction of the foreign
DNA, engineered cells may be allowed to grow for 1-2 days in an
enriched media, and then are switched to a selective media. The
selectable marker in the recombinant plasmid confers resistance to
the selection and allows cells to stably integrate the plasmid into
their chromosomes and grow to form foci which in turn can be cloned
and expanded into cell lines. This method may advantageously be
used to engineer cell lines which express the antibody molecule.
Such engineered cell lines may be particularly useful in screening
and evaluation of compounds that interact directly or indirectly
with the antibody molecule.
[0845] A number of selection systems may be used, including but not
limited to the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (Wigler et
al., Cell 11:223 (1977)), hypoxanthine-guanine
phosphoribosyltransferase (Szybalska & Szybalski, Proc. Natl.
Acad. Sci. USA 48:202 (1992)), and adenine
phosphoribosyltransferase (Lowy et al., Cell 22:817 (1980)) genes
can be employed in tk-, hgprt- or aprt-cells, respectively. Also,
antimetabolite resistance can be used as the basis of selection for
the following genes: dhfr, which confers resistance to methotrexate
(Wigler et al., Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 77:357 (1980); O'Hare et al.,
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78:1527 (1981)); gpt, which confers
resistance to mycophenolic acid (Mulligan & Berg, Proc. Natl.
Acad. Sci. USA 78:2072 (1981)); neo, which confers resistance to
the aminoglycoside G-418 Clinical Pharmacy 12:488-505; Wu and Wu,
Biotherapy 3:87-95 (1991); Tolstoshev, Ann. Rev. Pharmacol.
Toxicol. 32:573-596 (1993); Mulligan, Science 260:926-932 (1993);
and Morgan and Anderson, Ann. Rev. Biochem. 62:191-217 (1993); May,
1993, TIB TECH 11 (5):155-215); and hygro, which confers resistance
to hygromycin (Santerre et al., Gene 30:147 (1984)). Methods
commonly known in the art of recombinant DNA technology may be
routinely applied to select the desired recombinant clone, and such
methods are described, for example, in Ausubel et al. (eds.),
Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, John Wiley & Sons, NY
(1993); Kriegler, Gene Transfer and Expression, A Laboratory
Manual, Stockton Press, NY (1990); and in Chapters 12 and 13,
Dracopoli et al. (eds), Current Protocols in Human Genetics, John
Wiley & Sons, NY (1994); Colberre-Garapin et al., J. Mol. Biol.
150:1 (1981), which are incorporated by reference herein in their
entireties.
[0846] The expression levels of an antibody molecule can be
increased by vector amplification (for a review, see Bebbington and
Hentschel, The use of vectors based on gene amplification for the
expression of cloned genes in mammalian cells in DNA cloning,
Vol.3. (Academic Press, New York, 1987)). When a marker in the
vector system expressing antibody is amplifiable, increase in the
level of inhibitor present in culture of host cell will increase
the number of copies of the marker gene. Since the amplified region
is associated with the antibody gene, production of the antibody
will also increase (Crouse et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 3:257
(1983)).
[0847] The host cell may be co-transfected with two expression
vectors of the invention, the first vector encoding a heavy chain
derived polypeptide and the second vector encoding a light chain
derived polypeptide. The two vectors may contain identical
selectable markers which enable equal expression of heavy and light
chain polypeptides. Alternatively, a single vector may be used
which encodes, and is capable of expressing, both heavy and light
chain polypeptides. In such situations, the light chain should be
placed before the heavy chain to avoid an excess of toxic free
heavy chain (Proudfoot, Nature 322:52 (1986); Kohler, Proc. Natl.
Acad. Sci. USA 77:2197 (1980)). The coding sequences for the heavy
and light chains may comprise cDNA or genomic DNA.
[0848] Once an antibody molecule of the invention has been produced
by an animal, chemically synthesized, or recombinantly expressed,
it may be purified by any method known in the art for purification
of an immunoglobulin molecule, for example, by chromatography
(e.g., ion exchange, affinity, particularly by affinity for the
specific antigen after Protein A, and sizing column
chromatography), centrifugation, differential solubility, or by any
other standard technique for the purification of proteins. In
addition, the antibodies of the present invention or fragments
thereof can be fused to heterologous polypeptide sequences
described herein or otherwise known in the art, to facilitate
purification.
[0849] The present invention encompasses antibodies recombinantly
fused or chemically conjugated (including both covalently and
non-covalently conjugations) to a polypeptide (or portion thereof,
preferably at least 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100 amino
acids of the polypeptide) of the present invention to generate
fusion proteins. The fusion does not necessarily need to be direct,
but may occur through linker sequences. The antibodies may be
specific for antigens other than polypeptides (or portion thereof,
preferably at least 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100 amino
acids of the polypeptide) of the present invention. For example,
antibodies may be used to target the polypeptides of the present
invention to particular cell types, either in vitro or in vivo, by
fusing or conjugating the polypeptides of the present invention to
antibodies specific for particular cell surface receptors.
Antibodies fused or conjugated to the polypeptides of the present
invention may also be used in in vitro immunoassays and
purification methods using methods known in the art. See e.g.,
Harbor et al., supra, and PCT publication WO 93/21232; EP 439,095;
Naramura et al., Immunol. Lett. 39:91-99 (1994); U.S. Pat. No.
5,474,981; Gillies et al., PNAS 89:1428-1432 (1992); Fell et al.,
J. Immunol. 146:2446-2452(1991), which are incorporated by
reference in their entireties.
[0850] The present invention further includes compositions
comprising the polypeptides of the present invention fused or
conjugated to antibody domains other than the variable regions. For
example, the polypeptides of the present invention may be fused or
conjugated to an antibody Fc region, or portion thereof. The
antibody portion fused to a polypeptide of the present invention
may comprise the constant region, hinge region, CH1 domain, CH2
domain, and CH3 domain or any combination of whole domains or
portions thereof. The polypeptides may also be fused or conjugated
to the above antibody portions to form multimers. For example, Fc
portions fused to the polypeptides of the present invention can
form dimers through disulfide bonding between the Fc portions.
Higher multimeric forms can be made by fusing the polypeptides to
portions of IgA and IgM. Methods for fusing or conjugating the
polypeptides of the present invention to antibody portions are
known in the art. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,336,603; 5,622,929;
5,359,046; 5,349,053; 5,447,851; 5,112,946; EP 307,434; EP 367,166;
PCT publications WO 96/04388; WO 91/06570; Ashkenazi et al., Proc.
Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:10535-10539 (1991); Zheng et al., J.
Immunol. 154:5590-5600 (1995); and Vil et al., Proc. Natl. Acad.
Sci. USA 89:11337-11341(1992) (said references incorporated by
reference in their entireties).
[0851] As discussed, supra, the polypeptides corresponding to a
polypeptide, polypeptide fragment, or a variant of SEQ ID NO:Y may
be fused or conjugated to the above antibody portions to increase
the in vivo half life of the polypeptides or for use in
immunoassays using methods known in the art. Further, the
polypeptides corresponding to SEQ ID NO:Y may be fused or
conjugated to the above antibody portions to facilitate
purification. One reported example describes chimeric proteins
consisting of the first two domains of the human CD4-polypeptide
and various domains of the constant regions of the heavy or light
chains of mammalian immunoglobulins. (EP 394,827; Traunecker et
al., Nature 331:84-86 (1988). The polypeptides of the present
invention fused or conjugated to an antibody having
disulfide-linked dimeric structures (due to the IgG) may also be
more efficient in binding and neutralizing other molecules, than
the monomeric secreted protein or protein fragment alone.
(Fountoulakis et al., J. Biochem. 270:3958-3964 (1995)). In many
cases, the Fc part in a fusion protein is beneficial in therapy and
diagnosis, and thus can result in, for example, improved
pharmacokinetic properties. (EP A 232,262). Alternatively, deleting
the Fc part after the fusion protein has been expressed, detected,
and purified, would be desired. For example, the Fc portion may
hinder therapy and diagnosis if the fusion protein is used as an
antigen for immunizations. In drug discovery, for example, human
proteins, such as hIL-5, have been fused with Fc portions for the
purpose of high-throughput screening assays to identify antagonists
of hIL-5. (See, Bennett et al., J. Molecular Recognition 8:52-58
(1995); Johanson et al., J. Biol. Chem. 270:9459-9471 (1995).
[0852] Moreover, the antibodies or fragments thereof of the present
invention can be fused to marker sequences, such as a peptide to
facilitate purification. In preferred embodiments, the marker amino
acid sequence is a hexa-histidine peptide, such as the tag provided
in a pQE vector (QIAGEN, Inc., 9259 Eton Avenue, Chatsworth,
Calif., 91311), among others, many of which are commercially
available. As described in Gentz et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
86:821-824 (1989), for instance, hexa-histidine provides for
convenient purification of the fusion protein. Other peptide tags
useful for purification include, but are not limited to, the "HA"
tag, which corresponds to an epitope derived from the influenza
hemagglutinin protein (Wilson et al., Cell 37:767 (1984)) and the
"flag" tag.
[0853] The present invention further encompasses antibodies or
fragments thereof conjugated to a diagnostic or therapeutic agent.
The antibodies can be used diagnostically to, for example, monitor
the development or progression of a tumor as part of a clinical
testing procedure to, e.g., determine the efficacy of a given
treatment regimen. Detection can be facilitated by coupling the
antibody to a detectable substance. Examples of detectable
substances include various enzymes, prosthetic groups, fluorescent
materials, luminescent materials, bioluminescent materials,
radioactive materials, positron emitting metals using various
positron emission tomographies, and nonradioactive paramagnetic
metal ions. The detectable substance may be coupled or conjugated
either directly to the antibody (or fragment thereof) or
indirectly, through an intermediate (such as, for example, a linker
known in the art) using techniques known in the art. See, for
example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,900 for metal ions which can be
conjugated to antibodies for use as diagnostics according to the
present invention. Examples of suitable enzymes include horseradish
peroxidase, alkaline phosphatase, beta-galactosidase, or
acetylcholinesterase; examples of suitable prosthetic group
complexes include streptavidin/biotin and avidin/biotin; examples
of suitable fluorescent materials include umbelliferone,
fluorescein, fluorescein isothiocyanate, rhodamine,
dichlorotriazinylamine fluorescein, dansyl chloride or
phycoerythrin; an example of a luminescent material includes
luminol; examples of bioluminescent materials include luciferase,
luciferin, and aequorin; and examples of suitable radioactive
material include 125I, 131I, 111In or 99Tc.
[0854] Further, an antibody or fragment thereof may be conjugated
to a therapeutic moiety such as a cytotoxin, e.g., a cytostatic or
cytocidal agent, a therapeutic agent or a radioactive metal ion,
e.g., alpha-emitters such as, for example, 213Bi. A cytotoxin or
cytotoxic agent includes any agent that is detrimental to cells.
Examples include paclitaxol, cytochalasin B, gramicidin D, ethidium
bromide, emetine, mitomycin, etoposide, tenoposide, vincristine,
vinblastine, colchicin, doxorubicin, daunorubicin, dihydroxy
anthracin dione, mitoxantrone, mithramycin, actinomycin D,
1-dehydrotestosterone, glucocorticoids, procaine, tetracaine,
lidocaine, propranolol, and puromycin and analogs or homologs
thereof. Therapeutic agents include, but are not limited to,
antimetabolites (e.g., methotrexate, 6-mercaptopurine,
6-thioguanine, cytarabine, 5-fluorouracil decarbazine), alkylating
agents (e.g., mechlorethamine, thioepa chlorambucil, melphalan,
carmustine (BSNU) and lomustine (CCNU), cyclothosphamide, busulfan,
dibromomannitol, streptozotocin, mitomycin C, and
cis-dichlorodiamine platinum (II) (DDP)cisplatin), anthracyclines
(e.g., daunorubicin (formerly daunomycin) and doxorubicin),
antibiotics (e.g., dactinomycin (formerly actinomycin), bleomycin,
mithramycin, and anthramycin (AMC)), and anti-mitotic agents (e.g.,
vincristine and vinblastine).
[0855] The conjugates of the invention can be used for modifying a
given biological response, the therapeutic agent or drug moiety is
not to be construed as limited to classical chemical therapeutic
agents. For example, the drug moiety may be a protein or
polypeptide possessing a desired biological activity. Such proteins
may include, for example, a toxin such as abrin, ricin A,
pseudomonas exotoxin, or diphtheria toxin; a protein such as tumor
necrosis factor, a-interferon, .beta.-interferon, nerve growth
factor, platelet derived growth factor, tissue plasminogen
activator, an apoptotic agent, e.g., TNF-alpha, TNF-beta, AIM I
(See, International Publication No. WO 97/33899), AIM II (See,
International Publication No. WO 97/34911), Fas Ligand (Takahashi
et al., Int. Immunol., 6:1567-1574 (1994)), VEGI (See,
International Publication No. WO 99/23105), a thrombotic agent or
an anti-angiogenic agent, e.g., angiostatin or endostatin; or,
biological response modifiers such as, for example, lymphokines,
interleukin-1 ("IL-1"), interleukin-2 ("IL-2"), interleukin-6
("IL-6"), granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor
("GM-CSF"), granulocyte colony stimulating factor ("G-CSF"), or
other growth factors.
[0856] Antibodies may also be attached to solid supports, which are
particularly useful for immunoassays or purification of the target
antigen. Such solid supports include, but are not limited to,
glass, cellulose, polyacrylamide, nylon, polystyrene, polyvinyl
chloride or polypropylene.
[0857] Techniques for conjugating such therapeutic moiety to
antibodies are well known, see, e.g., Arnon et al., "Monoclonal
Antibodies For Immunotargeting Of Drugs In Cancer Therapy", in
Monoclonal Antibodies And Cancer Therapy, Reisfeld et al. (eds.),
pp. 243-56 (Alan R. Liss, Inc. 1985); Hellstrom et al., "Antibodies
For Drug Delivery", in Controlled Drug Delivery (2nd Ed.), Robinson
et al. (eds.), pp. 623-53 (Marcel Dekker, Inc. 1987); Thorpe,
"Antibody Carriers Of Cytotoxic Agents In Cancer Therapy: A
Review", in Monoclonal Antibodies '84: Biological And Clinical
Applications, Pinchera et al. (eds.), pp. 475-506 (1985);
"Analysis, Results, And Future Prospective Of The Therapeutic Use
Of Radiolabeled Antibody In Cancer Therapy", in Monoclonal
Antibodies For Cancer Detection And Therapy, Baldwin et al. (eds.),
pp. 303-16 (Academic Press 1985), and Thorpe et al., "The
Preparation And Cytotoxic Properties Of Antibody-Toxin Conjugates",
Immunol. Rev. 62:119-58 (1982).
[0858] Alternatively, an antibody can be conjugated to a second
antibody to form an antibody heteroconjugate as described by Segal
in U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,980, which is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety.
[0859] An antibody, with or without a therapeutic moiety conjugated
to it, administered alone or in combination with cytotoxic
factor(s) and/or cytokine(s) can be used as a therapeutic.
Immunophenotyping
[0860] The antibodies of the invention may be utilized for
immunophenotyping of cell lines and biological samples. The
translation product of the gene of the present invention may be
useful as a cell specific marker, or more specifically as a
cellular marker that is differentially expressed at various stages
of differentiation and/or maturation of particular cell types.
Monoclonal antibodies directed against a specific epitope, or
combination of epitopes, will allow for the screening of cellular
populations expressing the marker. Various techniques can be
utilized using monoclonal antibodies to screen for cellular
populations expressing the marker(s), and include magnetic
separation using antibody-coated magnetic beads, "panning" with
antibody attached to a solid matrix (i.e., plate), and flow
cytometry (See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,985,660; and Morrison et al.,
Cell, 96:737-49 (1999)).
[0861] These techniques allow for the screening of particular
populations of cells, such as might be found with hematological
malignancies (i.e. minimal residual disease (MRD) in acute leukemic
patients) and "non-self" cells in transplantations to prevent
Graft-versus-Host Disease (GVHD). Alternatively, these techniques
allow for the screening of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells
capable of undergoing proliferation and/or differentiation, as
might be found in human umbilical cord blood.
Assays For Antibody Binding
[0862] The antibodies of the invention may be assayed for
immunospecific binding by any method known in the art. The
immunoassays which can be used include but are not limited to
competitive and non-competitive assay systems using techniques such
as western blots, radioimmunoassays, ELISA (enzyme linked
immunosorbent assay), "sandwich" immunoassays, immunoprecipitation
assays, precipitin reactions, gel diffusion precipitin reactions,
immunodiffusion assays, agglutination assays, complement-fixation
assays, immunoradiometric assays, fluorescent immunoassays, protein
A immunoassays, to name but a few. Such assays are routine and well
known in the art (see, e.g., Ausubel et al, eds, 1994, Current
Protocols in Molecular Biology, Vol. 1, John Wiley & Sons,
Inc., New York, which is incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety). Exemplary immunoassays are described briefly below (but
are not intended by way of limitation).
[0863] Immunoprecipitation protocols generally comprise lysing a
population of cells in a lysis buffer such as RIPA buffer (1% NP-40
or Triton X-100, 1% sodium deoxycholate, 0.1% SDS, 0.15 M NaCl,
0.01 M sodium phosphate at pH 7.2, 1% Trasylol) supplemented with
protein phosphatase and/or protease inhibitors (e.g., EDTA, PMSF,
aprotinin, sodium vanadate), adding the antibody of interest to the
cell lysate, incubating for a period of time (e.g., 1-4 hours) at
4.degree. C., adding protein A and/or protein G sepharose beads to
the cell lysate, incubating for about an hour or more at 4.degree.
C., washing the beads in lysis buffer and resuspending the beads in
SDS/sample buffer. The ability of the antibody of interest to
immunoprecipitate a particular antigen can be assessed by, e.g.,
western blot analysis. One of skill in the art would be
knowledgeable as to the parameters that can be modified to increase
the binding of the antibody to an antigen and decrease the
background (e.g., pre-clearing the cell lysate with sepharose
beads). For further discussion regarding immunoprecipitation
protocols see, e.g., Ausubel et al, eds, 1994, Current Protocols in
Molecular Biology, Vol. 1, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York at
10.16.1.
[0864] Western blot analysis generally comprises preparing protein
samples, electrophoresis of the protein samples in a polyacrylamide
gel (e.g., 8%-20% SDS-PAGE depending on the molecular weight of the
antigen), transferring the protein sample from the polyacrylamide
gel to a membrane such as nitrocellulose, PVDF or nylon, blocking
the membrane in blocking solution (e.g., PBS with 3% BSA or non-fat
milk), washing the membrane in washing buffer (e.g., PBS-Tween 20),
blocking the membrane with primary antibody (the antibody of
interest) diluted in blocking buffer, washing the membrane in
washing buffer, blocking the membrane with a secondary antibody
(which recognizes the primary antibody, e.g., an anti-human
antibody) conjugated to an enzymatic substrate (e.g., horseradish
peroxidase or alkaline phosphatase) or radioactive molecule (e.g.,
32P or 125I) diluted in blocking buffer, washing the membrane in
wash buffer, and detecting the presence of the antigen. One of
skill in the art would be knowledgeable as to the parameters that
can be modified to increase the signal detected and to reduce the
background noise. For further discussion regarding western blot
protocols see, e.g., Ausubel et al, eds, 1994, Current Protocols in
Molecular Biology, Vol. 1, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York at
10.8.1.
[0865] ELISAs comprise preparing antigen, coating the well of a 96
well microtiter plate with the antigen, adding the antibody of
interest conjugated to a detectable compound such as an enzymatic
substrate (e.g., horseradish peroxidase or alkaline phosphatase) to
the well and incubating for a period of time, and detecting the
presence of the antigen. In ELISAs the antibody of interest does
not have to be conjugated to a detectable compound; instead, a
second antibody (which recognizes the antibody of interest)
conjugated to a detectable compound may be added to the well.
Further, instead of coating the well with the antigen, the antibody
may be coated to the well. In this case, a second antibody
conjugated to a detectable compound may be added following the
addition of the antigen of interest to the coated well. One of
skill in the art would be knowledgeable as to the parameters that
can be modified to increase the signal detected as well as other
variations of ELISAs known in the art. For further discussion
regarding ELISAs see, e.g., Ausubel et al, eds, 1994, Current
Protocols in Molecular Biology, Vol. 1, John Wiley & Sons,
Inc., New York at 11.2.1.
[0866] The binding affinity of an antibody to an antigen and the
off-rate of an antibody-antigen interaction can be determined by
competitive binding assays. One example of a competitive binding
assay is a radioimmunoassay comprising the incubation of labeled
antigen (e.g., 3H or 125I) with the antibody of interest in the
presence of increasing amounts of unlabeled antigen, and the
detection of the antibody bound to the labeled antigen. The
affinity of the antibody of interest for a particular antigen and
the binding off-rates can be determined from the data by scatchard
plot analysis. Competition with a second antibody can also be
determined using radioimmunoassays. In this case, the antigen is
incubated with antibody of interest conjugated to a labeled
compound (e.g., 3H or 125I) in the presence of increasing amounts
of an unlabeled second antibody.
Therapeutic Uses
[0867] The present invention is further directed to antibody-based
therapies which involve administering antibodies of the invention
to an animal, preferably a mammal, and most preferably a human,
patient for treating one or more of the disclosed diseases,
disorders, or conditions. Therapeutic compounds of the invention
include, but are not limited to, antibodies of the invention
(including fragments, analogs and derivatives thereof as described
herein) and nucleic acids encoding antibodies of the invention
(including fragments, analogs and derivatives thereof and
anti-idiotypic antibodies as described herein). The antibodies of
the invention can be used to treat, inhibit or prevent diseases,
disorders or conditions associated with aberrant expression and/or
activity of a polypeptide of the invention, including, but not
limited to, any one or more of the diseases, disorders, or
conditions described herein. The treatment and/or prevention of
diseases, disorders, or conditions associated with aberrant
expression and/or activity of a polypeptide of the invention
includes, but is not limited to, alleviating symptoms associated
with those diseases, disorders or conditions. Antibodies of the
invention may be provided in pharmaceutically acceptable
compositions as known in the art or as described herein.
[0868] A summary of the ways in which the antibodies of the present
invention may be used therapeutically includes binding
polynucleotides or polypeptides of the present invention locally or
systemically in the body or by direct cytotoxicity of the antibody,
e.g. as mediated by complement (CDC) or by effector cells (ADCC).
Some of these approaches are described in more detail below. Armed
with the teachings provided herein, one of ordinary skill in the
art will know how to use the antibodies of the present invention
for diagnostic, monitoring or therapeutic purposes without undue
experimentation.
[0869] The antibodies of this invention may be advantageously
utilized in combination with other monoclonal or chimeric
antibodies, or with lymphokines or hematopoietic growth factors
(such as, e.g., IL-2, IL-3 and IL-7), for example, which serve to
increase the number or activity of effector cells which interact
with the antibodies.
[0870] The antibodies of the invention may be administered alone or
in combination with other types of treatments (e.g., radiation
therapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy and
anti-tumor agents). Generally, administration of products of a
species origin or species reactivity (in the case of antibodies)
that is the same species as that of the patient is preferred. Thus,
in a preferred embodiment, human antibodies, fragments derivatives,
analogs, or nucleic acids, are administered to a human patient for
therapy or prophylaxis.
[0871] It is preferred to use high affinity and/or potent in vivo
inhibiting and/or neutralizing antibodies against polypeptides or
polynucleotides of the present invention, fragments or regions
thereof, for both immunoassays directed to and therapy of disorders
related to polynucleotides or polypeptides, including fragments
thereof, of the present invention. Such antibodies, fragments, or
regions, will preferably have an affinity for polynucleotides or
polypeptides of the invention, including fragments thereof.
Preferred binding affinities include those with a dissociation
constant or Kd less than 5.times.10.sup.-2 M, 10.sup.-2 M,
5.times.10.sup.-3 M, 10.sup.-3 M, 5.times.10.sup.-4 M, 10.sup.-4 M,
5.times.10.sup.-5 M, 10.sup.-5 M, 5.times.10.sup.-6 M, 10.sup.-6 M,
5.times.10.sup.-7M, 10.sup.-7M, 5.times.10.sup.-8 M, 10.sup.-8 M,
5.times.10.sup.-9 M, 10.sup.-9 M, 5.times.10.sup.-10 M, 10.sup.-10
M, 5.times.10.sup.-11 M, 10.sup.-11 M, 5.times.10.sup.-12 M,
10.sup.-12 M, 5.times.10.sup.-13 M, 10.sup.-13 M,
5.times.10.sup.-14 M, 10.sup.-14 M, 5.times.10.sup.-15 M, and
10.sup.-15 M.
Gene Therapy
[0872] In a specific embodiment, nucleic acids comprising sequences
encoding antibodies or functional derivatives thereof, are
administered to treat, inhibit or prevent a disease or disorder
associated with aberrant expression and/or activity of a
polypeptide of the invention, by way of gene therapy. Gene therapy
refers to therapy performed by the administration to a subject of
an expressed or expressible nucleic acid. In this embodiment of the
invention, the nucleic acids produce their encoded protein that
mediates a therapeutic effect.
[0873] Any of the methods for gene therapy available in the art can
be used according to the present invention. Exemplary methods are
described below.
[0874] For general reviews of the methods of gene therapy, see
Goldspiel et al., Clinical Pharmacy 12:488-505 (1993); Wu and Wu,
Biotherapy 3:87-95 (1991); Tolstoshev, Ann. Rev. Pharmacol.
Toxicol. 32:573-596 (1993); Mulligan, Science 260:926-932 (1993);
and Morgan and Anderson, Ann. Rev. Biochem. 62:191-217 (1993); May,
TIBTECH 11(5):155-215 (1993). Methods commonly known in the art of
recombinant DNA technology which can be used are described in
Ausubel et al. (eds.), Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, John
Wiley & Sons, NY (1993); and Kriegler, Gene Transfer and
Expression, A Laboratory Manual, Stockton Press, NY (1990).
[0875] In a preferred aspect, the compound comprises nucleic acid
sequences encoding an antibody, said nucleic acid sequences being
part of expression vectors that express the antibody or fragments
or chimeric proteins or heavy or light chains thereof in a suitable
host. In particular, such nucleic acid sequences have promoters
operably linked to the antibody coding region, said promoter being
inducible or constitutive, and, optionally, tissue-specific. In
another particular embodiment, nucleic acid molecules are used in
which the antibody coding sequences and any other desired sequences
are flanked by regions that promote homologous recombination at a
desired site in the genome, thus providing for intrachromosomal
expression of the antibody encoding nucleic acids (Koller and
Smithies, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:8932-8935 (1989); Zijlstra
et al., Nature 342:435-438 (1989). In specific embodiments, the
expressed antibody molecule is a single chain antibody;
alternatively, the nucleic acid sequences include sequences
encoding both the heavy and light chains, or fragments thereof, of
the antibody.
[0876] Delivery of the nucleic acids into a patient may be either
direct, in which case the patient is directly exposed to the
nucleic acid or nucleic acid-carrying vectors, or indirect, in
which case, cells are first transformed with the nucleic acids in
vitro, then transplanted into the patient. These two approaches are
known, respectively, as in vivo or ex vivo gene therapy.
[0877] In a specific embodiment, the nucleic acid sequences are
directly administered in vivo, where it is expressed to produce the
encoded product. This can be accomplished by any of numerous
methods known in the art, e.g., by constructing them as part of an
appropriate nucleic acid expression vector and administering it so
that they become intracellular, e.g., by infection using defective
or attenuated retrovirals or other viral vectors (see U.S. Pat. No.
4,980,286), or by direct injection of naked DNA, or by use of
microparticle bombardment (e.g., a gene gun; Biolistic, Dupont), or
coating with lipids or cell-surface receptors or transfecting
agents, encapsulation in liposomes, microparticles, or
microcapsules, or by administering them in linkage to a peptide
which is known to enter the nucleus, by administering it in linkage
to a ligand subject to receptor-mediated endocytosis (see, e.g., Wu
and Wu, J. Biol. Chem. 262:4429-4432 (1987)) (which can be used to
target cell types specifically expressing the receptors), etc. In
another embodiment, nucleic acid-ligand complexes can be formed in
which the ligand comprises a fusogenic viral peptide to disrupt
endosomes, allowing the nucleic acid to avoid lysosomal
degradation. In yet another embodiment, the nucleic acid can be
targeted in vivo for cell specific uptake and expression, by
targeting a specific receptor (see, e.g., PCT Publications WO
92/06180; WO 92/22635; WO92/20316; WO93/14188, WO 93/20221).
Alternatively, the nucleic acid can be introduced intracellularly
and incorporated within host cell DNA for expression, by homologous
recombination (Koller and Smithies, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
86:8932-8935 (1989); Zijlstra et al., Nature 342:435-438
(1989)).
[0878] In a specific embodiment, viral vectors that contains
nucleic acid sequences encoding an antibody of the invention are
used. For example, a retroviral vector can be used (see Miller et
al., Meth. Enzymol. 217:581-599 (1993)). These retroviral vectors
contain the components necessary for the correct packaging of the
viral genome and integration into the host cell DNA. The nucleic
acid sequences encoding the antibody to be used in gene therapy are
cloned into one or more vectors, which facilitates delivery of the
gene into a patient. More detail about retroviral vectors can be
found in Boesen et al., Biotherapy 6:291-302 (1994), which
describes the use of a retroviral vector to deliver the mdr1 gene
to hematopoietic stem cells in order to make the stem cells more
resistant to chemotherapy. Other references illustrating the use of
retroviral vectors in gene therapy are: Clowes et al., J. Clin.
Invest. 93:644-651 (1994); Kiem et al., Blood 83:1467-1473 (1994);
Salmons and Gunzberg, Human Gene Therapy 4:129-141 (1993); and
Grossman and Wilson, Curr. Opin. in Genetics and Devel. 3:110-114
(1993).
[0879] Adenoviruses are other viral vectors that can be used in
gene therapy. Adenoviruses are especially attractive vehicles for
delivering genes to respiratory epithelia. Adenoviruses naturally
infect respiratory epithelia where they cause a mild disease. Other
targets for adenovirus-based delivery systems are liver, the
central nervous system, endothelial cells, and muscle. Adenoviruses
have the advantage of being capable of infecting non-dividing
cells. Kozarsky and Wilson, Current Opinion in Genetics and
Development 3:499-503 (1993) present a review of adenovirus-based
gene therapy. Bout et al., Human Gene Therapy 5:3-10 (1994)
demonstrated the use of adenovirus vectors to transfer genes to the
respiratory epithelia of rhesus monkeys. Other instances of the use
of adenoviruses in gene therapy can be found in Rosenfeld et al.,
Science 252:431-434 (1991); Rosenfeld et al., Cell 68:143-155
(1992); Mastrangeli et al., J. Clin. Invest. 91:225-234 (1993); PCT
Publication WO94/12649; and Wang, et al., Gene Therapy 2:775-783
(1995). In a preferred embodiment, adenovirus vectors are used.
[0880] Adeno-associated virus (AAV) has also been proposed for use
in gene therapy (Walsh et al., Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med.
204:289-300 (1993); U.S. Pat. No. 5,436,146).
[0881] Another approach to gene therapy involves transferring a
gene to cells in tissue culture by such methods as electroporation,
lipofection, calcium phosphate mediated transfection, or viral
infection. Usually, the method of transfer includes the transfer of
a selectable marker to the cells. The cells are then placed under
selection to isolate those cells that have taken up and are
expressing the transferred gene. Those cells are then delivered to
a patient.
[0882] In this embodiment, the nucleic acid is introduced into a
cell prior to administration in vivo of the resulting recombinant
cell. Such introduction can be carried out by any method known in
the art, including but not limited to transfection,
electroporation, microinjection, infection with a viral or
bacteriophage vector containing the nucleic acid sequences, cell
fusion, chromosome-mediated gene transfer, microcell-mediated gene
transfer, spheroplast fusion, etc. Numerous techniques are known in
the art for the introduction of foreign genes into cells (see,
e.g., Loeffler and Behr, Meth. Enzymol. 217:599-618 (1993); Cohen
et al., Meth. Enzymol. 217:618-644 (1993); Cline, Pharmac. Ther.
29:69-92m (1985) and may be used in accordance with the present
invention, provided that the necessary developmental and
physiological functions of the recipient cells are not disrupted.
The technique should provide for the stable transfer of the nucleic
acid to the cell, so that the nucleic acid is expressible by the
cell and preferably heritable and expressible by its cell
progeny.
[0883] The resulting recombinant cells can be delivered to a
patient by various methods known in the art. Recombinant blood
cells (e.g., hematopoietic stem or progenitor cells) are preferably
administered intravenously. The amount of cells envisioned for use
depends on the desired effect, patient state, etc., and can be
determined by one skilled in the art.
[0884] Cells into which a nucleic acid can be introduced for
purposes of gene therapy encompass any desired, available cell
type, and include but are not limited to epithelial cells,
endothelial cells, keratinocytes, fibroblasts, muscle cells,
hepatocytes; blood cells such as Tlymphocytes, Blymphocytes,
monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, eosinophils, megakaryocytes,
granulocytes; various stem or progenitor cells, in particular
hematopoietic stem or progenitor cells, e.g., as obtained from bone
marrow, umbilical cord blood, peripheral blood, fetal liver,
etc.
[0885] In a preferred embodiment, the cell used for gene therapy is
autologous to the patient.
[0886] In an embodiment in which recombinant cells are used in gene
therapy, nucleic acid sequences encoding an antibody are introduced
into the cells such that they are expressible by the cells or their
progeny, and the recombinant cells are then administered in vivo
for therapeutic effect. In a specific embodiment, stem or
progenitor cells are used. Any stem and/or progenitor cells which
can be isolated and maintained in vitro can potentially be used in
accordance with this embodiment of the present invention (see e.g.
PCT Publication WO 94/08598; Stemple and Anderson, Cell 71:973-985
(1992); Rheinwald, Meth. Cell Bio. 21A:229 (1980); and Pittelkow
and Scott, Mayo Clinic Proc. 61:771 (1986)).
[0887] In a specific embodiment, the nucleic acid to be introduced
for purposes of gene therapy comprises an inducible promoter
operably linked to the coding region, such that expression of the
nucleic acid is controllable by controlling the presence or absence
of the appropriate inducer of transcription.
Demonstration of Therapeutic or Prophylactic Activity
[0888] The compounds or pharmaceutical compositions of the
invention are preferably tested in vitro, and then in vivo for the
desired therapeutic or prophylactic activity, prior to use in
humans. For example, in vitro assays to demonstrate the therapeutic
or prophylactic utility of a compound or pharmaceutical composition
include, the effect of a compound on a cell line or a patient
tissue sample. The effect of the compound or composition on the
cell line and/or tissue sample can be determined utilizing
techniques known to those of skill in the art including, but not
limited to, rosette formation assays and cell lysis assays. In
accordance with the invention, in vitro assays which can be used to
determine whether administration of a specific compound is
indicated, include in vitro cell culture assays in which a patient
tissue sample is grown in culture, and exposed to or otherwise
administered a compound, and the effect of such compound upon the
tissue sample is observed.
Therapeutic/Prophylactic Administration and Composition
[0889] The invention provides methods of treatment, inhibition and
prophylaxis by administration to a subject of an effective amount
of a compound or pharmaceutical composition of the invention,
preferably an antibody of the invention. In a preferred aspect, the
compound is substantially purified (e.g., substantially free from
substances that limit its effect or produce undesired
side-effects). The subject is preferably an animal, including but
not limited to animals such as cows, pigs, horses, chickens, cats,
dogs, etc., and is preferably a mammal, and most preferably
human.
[0890] Formulations and methods of administration that can be
employed when the compound comprises a nucleic acid or an
immunoglobulin are described above; additional appropriate
formulations and routes of administration can be selected from
among those described herein below.
[0891] Various delivery systems are known and can be used to
administer a compound of the invention, e.g., encapsulation in
liposomes, microparticles, microcapsules, recombinant cells capable
of expressing the compound, receptor-mediated endocytosis (see,
e.g., Wu and Wu, J. Biol. Chem. 262:4429-4432 (1987)), construction
of a nucleic acid as part of a retroviral or other vector, etc.
Methods of introduction include but are not limited to intradermal,
intramuscular, intraperitoneal, intravenous, subcutaneous,
intranasal, epidural, and oral routes. The compounds or
compositions may be administered by any convenient route, for
example by infusion or bolus injection, by absorption through
epithelial or mucocutaneous linings (e.g., oral mucosa, rectal and
intestinal mucosa, etc.) and may be administered together with
other biologically active agents. Administration can be systemic or
local. In addition, it may be desirable to introduce the
pharmaceutical compounds or compositions of the invention into the
central nervous system by any suitable route, including
intraventricular and intrathecal injection; intraventricular
injection may be facilitated by an intraventricular catheter, for
example, attached to a reservoir, such as an Ommaya reservoir.
Pulmonary administration can also be employed, e.g., by use of an
inhaler or nebulizer, and formulation with an aerosolizing
agent.
[0892] In a specific embodiment, it may be desirable to administer
the pharmaceutical compounds or compositions of the invention
locally to the area in need of treatment; this may be achieved by,
for example, and not by way of limitation, local infusion during
surgery, topical application, e.g., in conjunction with a wound
dressing after surgery, by injection, by means of a catheter, by
means of a suppository, or by means of an implant, said implant
being of a porous, non-porous, or gelatinous material, including
membranes, such as sialastic membranes, or fibers. Preferably, when
administering a protein, including an antibody, of the invention,
care must be taken to use materials to which the protein does not
absorb.
[0893] In another embodiment, the compound or composition can be
delivered in a vesicle, in particular a liposome (see Langer,
Science 249:1527-1533 (1990); Treat et al., in Liposomes in the
Therapy of Infectious Disease and Cancer, Lopez-Berestein and
Fidler (eds.), Liss, New York, pp. 353-365 (1989); Lopez-Berestein,
ibid., pp. 317-327; see generally ibid.)
[0894] In yet another embodiment, the compound or composition can
be delivered in a controlled release system. In one embodiment, a
pump may be used (see Langer, supra; Sefton, CRC Crit. Ref. Biomed.
Eng. 14:201 (1987); Buchwald et al., Surgery 88:507 (1980); Saudek
et al., N. Engl. J. Med. 321:574 (1989)). In another embodiment,
polymeric materials can be used (see Medical Applications of
Controlled Release, Langer and Wise (eds.), CRC Pres., Boca Raton,
Fla. (1974); Controlled Drug Bioavailability, Drug Product Design
and Performance, Smolen and Ball (eds.), Wiley, New York (1984);
Ranger and Peppas, J., Macromol. Sci. Rev. Macromol. Chem. 23:61
(1983); see also Levy et al., Science 228:190 (1985); During et
al., Ann. Neurol. 25:351 (1989); Howard et al., J. Neurosurg.
71:105 (1989)). In yet another embodiment, a controlled release
system can be placed in proximity of the therapeutic target, i.e.,
the brain, thus requiring only a fraction of the systemic dose
(see, e.g., Goodson, in Medical Applications of Controlled Release,
supra, vol. 2, pp. 115-138 (1984)).
[0895] Other controlled release systems are discussed in the review
by Langer (Science 249:1527-1533 (1990)).
[0896] In a specific embodiment where the compound of the invention
is a nucleic acid encoding a protein, the nucleic acid can be
administered in vivo to promote expression of its encoded protein,
by constructing it as part of an appropriate nucleic acid
expression vector and administering it so that it becomes
intracellular, e.g., by use of a retroviral vector (see U.S. Pat.
No. 4,980,286), or by direct injection, or by use of microparticle
bombardment (e.g., a gene gun; Biolistic, Dupont), or coating with
lipids or cell-surface receptors or transfecting agents, or by
administering it in linkage to a homeobox-like peptide which is
known to enter the nucleus (see e.g., Joliot et al., Proc. Natl.
Acad. Sci. USA 88:1864-1868 (1991)), etc. Alternatively, a nucleic
acid can be introduced intracellularly and incorporated within host
cell DNA for expression, by homologous recombination.
[0897] The present invention also provides pharmaceutical
compositions. Such compositions comprise a therapeutically
effective amount of a compound, and a pharmaceutically acceptable
carrier. In a specific embodiment, the term "pharmaceutically
acceptable" means approved by a regulatory agency of the Federal or
a state government or listed in the U.S. Pharmacopeia or other
generally recognized pharmacopeia for use in animals, and more
particularly in humans. The term "carrier" refers to a diluent,
adjuvant, excipient, or vehicle with which the therapeutic is
administered. Such pharmaceutical carriers can be sterile liquids,
such as water and oils, including those of petroleum, animal,
vegetable or synthetic origin, such as peanut oil, soybean oil,
mineral oil, sesame oil and the like. Water is a preferred carrier
when the pharmaceutical composition is administered intravenously.
Saline solutions and aqueous dextrose and glycerol solutions can
also be employed as liquid carriers, particularly for injectable
solutions. Suitable pharmaceutical excipients include starch,
glucose, lactose, sucrose, gelatin, malt, rice, flour, chalk,
silica gel, sodium stearate, glycerol monostearate, talc, sodium
chloride, dried skim milk, glycerol, propylene, glycol, water,
ethanol and the like. The composition, if desired, can also contain
minor amounts of wetting or emulsifying agents, or pH buffering
agents. These compositions can take the form of solutions,
suspensions, emulsion, tablets, pills, capsules, powders,
sustained-release formulations and the like. The composition can be
formulated as a suppository, with traditional binders and carriers
such as triglycerides. Oral formulation can include standard
carriers such as pharmaceutical grades of mannitol, lactose,
starch, magnesium stearate, sodium saccharine, cellulose, magnesium
carbonate, etc. Examples of suitable pharmaceutical carriers are
described in "Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences" by E. W. Martin.
Such compositions will contain a therapeutically effective amount
of the compound, preferably in purified form, together with a
suitable amount of carrier so as to provide the form for proper
administration to the patient. The formulation should suit the mode
of administration.
[0898] In a preferred embodiment, the composition is formulated in
accordance with routine procedures as a pharmaceutical composition
adapted for intravenous administration to human beings. Typically,
compositions for intravenous administration are solutions in
sterile isotonic aqueous buffer. Where necessary, the composition
may also include a solubilizing agent and a local anesthetic such
as lignocaine to ease pain at the site of the injection. Generally,
the ingredients are supplied either separately or mixed together in
unit dosage form, for example, as a dry lyophilized powder or water
free concentrate in a hermetically sealed container such as an
ampoule or sachette indicating the quantity of active agent. Where
the composition is to be administered by infusion, it can be
dispensed with an infusion bottle containing sterile pharmaceutical
grade water or saline. Where the composition is administered by
injection, an ampoule of sterile water for injection or saline can
be provided so that the ingredients may be mixed prior to
administration.
[0899] The compounds of the invention can be formulated as neutral
or salt forms. Pharmaceutically acceptable salts include those
formed with anions such as those derived from hydrochloric,
phosphoric, acetic, oxalic, tartaric acids, etc., and those formed
with cations such as those derived from sodium, potassium,
ammonium, calcium, ferric hydroxides, isopropylamine,
triethylamine, 2-ethylamino ethanol, histidine, procaine, etc.
[0900] The amount of the compound of the invention which will be
effective in the treatment, inhibition and prevention of a disease
or disorder associated with aberrant expression and/or activity of
a polypeptide of the invention can be determined by standard
clinical techniques. In addition, in vitro assays may optionally be
employed to help identify optimal dosage ranges. The precise dose
to be employed in the formulation will also depend on the route of
administration, and the seriousness of the disease or disorder, and
should be decided according to the judgment of the practitioner and
each patient's circumstances. Effective doses may be extrapolated
from dose-response curves derived from in vitro or animal model
test systems.
[0901] For antibodies, the dosage administered to a patient is
typically 0.1 mg/kg to 100 mg/kg of the patient's body weight.
Preferably, the dosage administered to a patient is between 0.1
mg/kg and 20 mg/kg of the patient's body weight, more preferably 1
mg/kg to 10 mg/kg of the patient's body weight. Generally, human
antibodies have a longer half-life within the human body than
antibodies from other species due to the immune response to the
foreign polypeptides. Thus, lower dosages of human antibodies and
less frequent administration is often possible. Further, the dosage
and frequency of administration of antibodies of the invention may
be reduced by enhancing uptake and tissue penetration (e.g., into
the brain) of the antibodies by modifications such as, for example,
lipidation.
[0902] The invention also provides a pharmaceutical pack or kit
comprising one or more containers filled with one or more of the
ingredients of the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention.
Optionally associated with such container(s) can be a notice in the
form prescribed by a governmental agency regulating the
manufacture, use or sale of pharmaceuticals or biological products,
which notice reflects approval by the agency of manufacture, use or
sale for human administration.
Diagnosis and Imaging
[0903] Labeled antibodies, and derivatives and analogs thereof,
which specifically bind to a polypeptide of interest can be used
for diagnostic purposes to detect, diagnose, or monitor diseases,
disorders, and/or conditions associated with the aberrant
expression and/or activity of a polypeptide of the invention. The
invention provides for the detection of aberrant expression of a
polypeptide of interest, comprising (a) assaying the expression of
the polypeptide of interest in cells or body fluid of an individual
using one or more antibodies specific to the polypeptide interest
and (b) comparing the level of gene expression with a standard gene
expression level, whereby an increase or decrease in the assayed
polypeptide gene expression level compared to the standard
expression level is indicative of aberrant expression.
[0904] The invention provides a diagnostic assay for diagnosing a
disorder, comprising (a) assaying the expression of the polypeptide
of interest in cells or body fluid of an individual using one or
more antibodies specific to the polypeptide interest and (b)
comparing the level of gene expression with a standard gene
expression level, whereby an increase or decrease in the assayed
polypeptide gene expression level compared to the standard
expression level is indicative of a particular disorder. With
respect to cancer, the presence of a relatively high amount of
transcript in biopsied tissue from an individual may indicate a
predisposition for the development of the disease, or may provide a
means for detecting the disease prior to the appearance of actual
clinical symptoms. A more definitive diagnosis of this type may
allow health professionals to employ preventative measures or
aggressive treatment earlier thereby preventing the development or
further progression of the cancer.
[0905] Antibodies of the invention can be used to assay protein
levels in a biological sample using classical immunohistological
methods known to those of skill in the art (e.g., see Jalkanen, et
al., J. Cell. Biol. 101:976-985 (1985); Jalkanen, et al., J. Cell.
Biol. 105:3087-3096 (1987)). Other antibody-based methods useful
for detecting protein gene expression include immunoassays, such as
the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the
radioimmunoassay (RIA). Suitable antibody assay labels are known in
the art and include enzyme labels, such as, glucose oxidase;
radioisotopes, such as iodine (125I, 121I), carbon (14C), sulfur
(35S), tritium (3H), indium (112In), and technetium (99Tc);
luminescent labels, such as luminol; and fluorescent labels, such
as fluorescein and rhodamine, and biotin.
[0906] One aspect of the invention is the detection and diagnosis
of a disease or disorder associated with aberrant expression of a
polypeptide of interest in an animal, preferably a mammal and most
preferably a human. In one embodiment, diagnosis comprises: a)
administering (for example, parenterally, subcutaneously, or
intraperitoneally) to a subject an effective amount of a labeled
molecule which specifically binds to the polypeptide of interest;
b) waiting for a time interval following the administering for
permitting the labeled molecule to preferentially concentrate at
sites in the subject where the polypeptide is expressed (and for
unbound labeled molecule to be cleared to background level); c)
determining background level; and d) detecting the labeled molecule
in the subject, such that detection of labeled molecule above the
background level indicates that the subject has a particular
disease or disorder associated with aberrant expression of the
polypeptide of interest. Background level can be determined by
various methods including, comparing the amount of labeled molecule
detected to a standard value previously determined for a particular
system.
[0907] It will be understood in the art that the size of the
subject and the imaging system used will determine the quantity of
imaging moiety needed to produce diagnostic images. In the case of
a radioisotope moiety, for a human subject, the quantity of
radioactivity injected will normally range from about 5 to 20
millicuries of 99 mTc. The labeled antibody or antibody fragment
will then preferentially accumulate at the location of cells which
contain the specific protein. In vivo tumor imaging is described in
S. W. Burchiel et al., "Immunopharmacokinetics of Radiolabeled
Antibodies and Their Fragments." (Chapter 13 in Tumor Imaging: The
Radiochemical Detection of Cancer, S. W. Burchiel and B. A. Rhodes,
eds., Masson Publishing Inc. (1982).
[0908] Depending on several variables, including the type of label
used and the mode of administration, the time interval following
the administration for permitting the labeled molecule to
preferentially concentrate at sites in the subject and for unbound
labeled molecule to be cleared to background level is 6 to 48 hours
or 6 to 24 hours or 6 to 12 hours. In another embodiment the time
interval following administration is 5 to 20 days or 5 to 10
days.
[0909] In an embodiment, monitoring of the disease or disorder is
carried out by repeating the method for diagnosing the disease or
disease, for example, one month after initial diagnosis, six months
after initial diagnosis, one year after initial diagnosis, etc.
[0910] Presence of the labeled molecule can be detected in the
patient using methods known in the art for in vivo scanning. These
methods depend upon the type of label used. Skilled artisans will
be able to determine the appropriate method for detecting a
particular label. Methods and devices that may be used in the
diagnostic methods of the invention include, but are not limited
to, computed tomography (CT), whole body scan such as position
emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and
sonography.
[0911] In a specific embodiment, the molecule is labeled with a
radioisotope and is detected in the patient using a radiation
responsive surgical instrument (Thurston et al., U.S. Pat. No.
5,441,050). In another embodiment, the molecule is labeled with a
fluorescent compound and is detected in the patient using a
fluorescence responsive scanning instrument. In another embodiment,
the molecule is labeled with a positron emitting metal and is
detected in the patent using positron emission-tomography. In yet
another embodiment, the molecule is labeled with a paramagnetic
label and is detected in a patient using magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI).
Kits
[0912] The present invention provides kits that can be used in the
above methods. In one embodiment, a kit comprises an antibody of
the invention, preferably a purified antibody, in one or more
containers. In a specific embodiment, the kits of the present
invention contain a substantially isolated polypeptide comprising
an epitope which is specifically immunoreactive with an antibody
included in the kit. Preferably, the kits of the present invention
further comprise a control antibody which does not react with the
polypeptide of interest. In another specific embodiment, the kits
of the present invention contain a means for detecting the binding
of an antibody to a polypeptide of interest (e.g., the antibody may
be conjugated to a detectable substrate such as a fluorescent
compound, an enzymatic substrate, a radioactive compound or a
luminescent compound, or a second antibody which recognizes the
first antibody may be conjugated to a detectable substrate).
[0913] In another specific embodiment of the present invention, the
kit is a diagnostic kit for use in screening serum containing
antibodies specific against proliferative and/or cancerous
polynucleotides and polypeptides. Such a kit may include a control
antibody that does not react with the polypeptide of interest. Such
a kit may include a substantially isolated polypeptide antigen
comprising an epitope which is specifically immunoreactive with at
least one anti-polypeptide antigen antibody. Further, such a kit
includes means for detecting the binding of said antibody to the
antigen (e.g., the antibody may be conjugated to a fluorescent
compound such as fluorescein or rhodamine which can be detected by
flow cytometry). In specific embodiments, the kit may include a
recombinantly produced or chemically synthesized polypeptide
antigen. The polypeptide antigen of the kit may also be attached to
a solid support.
[0914] In a more specific embodiment the detecting means of the
above-described kit includes a solid support to which said
polypeptide antigen is attached. Such a kit may also include a
non-attached reporter-labeled anti-human antibody. In this
embodiment, binding of the antibody to the polypeptide antigen can
be detected by binding of the said reporter-labeled antibody.
[0915] In an additional embodiment, the invention includes a
diagnostic kit for use in screening serum containing antigens of
the polypeptide of the invention. The diagnostic kit includes a
substantially isolated antibody specifically immunoreactive with
polypeptide or polynucleotide antigens, and means for detecting the
binding of the polynucleotide or polypeptide antigen to the
antibody. In one embodiment, the antibody is attached to a solid
support. In a specific embodiment, the antibody may be a monoclonal
antibody. The detecting means of the kit may include a second,
labeled monoclonal antibody. Alternatively, or in addition, the
detecting means may include a labeled, competing antigen.
[0916] In one diagnostic configuration, test serum is reacted with
a solid phase reagent having a surface-bound antigen obtained by
the methods of the present invention. After binding with specific
antigen antibody to the reagent and removing unbound serum
components by washing, the reagent is reacted with reporter-labeled
anti-human antibody to bind reporter to the reagent in proportion
to the amount of bound anti-antigen antibody on the solid support.
The reagent is again washed to remove unbound labeled antibody, and
the amount of reporter associated with the reagent is determined.
Typically, the reporter is an enzyme which is detected by
incubating the solid phase in the presence of a suitable
fluorometric, luminescent or colorimetric substrate (Sigma, St.
Louis, Mo.).
[0917] The solid surface reagent in the above assay is prepared by
known techniques for attaching protein material to solid support
material, such as polymeric beads, dip sticks, 96-well plate or
filter material. These attachment methods generally include
non-specific adsorption of the protein to the support or covalent
attachment of the protein, typically through a free amine group, to
a chemically reactive group on the solid support, such as an
activated carboxyl, hydroxyl, or aldehyde group. Alternatively,
streptavidin coated plates can be used in conjunction with
biotinylated antigen(s).
[0918] Thus, the invention provides an assay system or kit for
carrying out this diagnostic method. The kit generally includes a
support with surface-bound recombinant antigens, and a
reporter-labeled anti-human antibody for detecting surface-bound
anti-antigen antibody.
Fusion Proteins
[0919] Any polypeptide of the present invention can be used to
generate fusion proteins. For example, the polypeptide of the
present invention, when fused to a second protein, can be used as
an antigenic tag. Antibodies raised against the polypeptide of the
present invention can be used to indirectly detect the second
protein by binding to the polypeptide. Moreover, because secreted
proteins target cellular locations based on trafficking signals,
the polypeptides of the present invention can be used as targeting
molecules once fused to other proteins.
[0920] Examples of domains that can be fused to polypeptides of the
present invention include not only heterologous signal sequences,
but also other heterologous functional regions. The fusion does not
necessarily need to be direct, but may occur through linker
sequences.
[0921] Moreover, fusion proteins may also be engineered to improve
characteristics of the polypeptide of the present invention. For
instance, a region of additional amino acids, particularly charged
amino acids, may be added to the N-terminus of the polypeptide to
improve stability and persistence during purification from the host
cell or subsequent handling and storage. Also, peptide moieties may
be added to the polypeptide to facilitate purification. Such
regions may be removed prior to final preparation of the
polypeptide. The addition of peptide moieties to facilitate
handling of polypeptides are familiar and routine techniques in the
art.
[0922] Moreover, polypeptides of the present invention, including
fragments, and specifically epitopes, can be combined with parts of
the constant domain of immunoglobulins (IgA, IgE, IgG, IgM) or
portions thereof (CH1, CH2, CH3, and any combination thereof,
including both entire domains and portions thereof), resulting in
chimeric polypeptides. These fusion proteins facilitate
purification and show an increased half-life in vivo. One reported
example describes chimeric proteins consisting of the first two
domains of the human CD4-polypeptide and various domains of the
constant regions of the heavy or light chains of mammalian
immunoglobulins. (EP A 394,827; Traunecker et al., Nature 331:84-86
(1988).) Fusion proteins having disulfide-linked dimeric structures
(due to the IgG) can also be more efficient in binding and
neutralizing other molecules, than the monomeric secreted protein
or protein fragment alone. (Fountoulakis et al., J. Biochem.
270:3958-3964 (1995).) Polynucleotides comprising or alternatively
consisting of nucleic acids which encode these fusion proteins are
also encompassed by the invention.
[0923] Similarly, EP-A-O 464 533 (Canadian counterpart 2045869)
discloses fusion proteins comprising various portions of constant
region of immunoglobulin molecules together with another human
protein or part thereof. In many cases, the Fc part in a fusion
protein is beneficial in therapy and diagnosis, and thus can result
in, for example, improved pharmacokinetic properties. (EP-A 0232
262.) Alternatively, deleting the Fc part after the fusion protein
has been expressed, detected, and purified, would be desired. For
example, the Fc portion may hinder therapy and diagnosis if the
fusion protein is used as an antigen for immunizations. In drug
discovery, for example, human proteins, such as hIL-5, have been
fused with Fc portions for the purpose of high-throughput screening
assays to identify antagonists of hIL-5. (See, D. Bennett et al.,
J. Molecular Recognition 8:52-58 (1995); K. Johanson et al., J.
Biol. Chem. 270:9459-9471 (1995).)
[0924] Moreover, the polypeptides of the present invention can be
fused to marker sequences, such as a peptide which facilitates
purification of the fused polypeptide. In preferred embodiments,
the marker amino acid sequence is a hexa-histidine peptide, such as
the tag provided in a pQE vector (QIAGEN, Inc., 9259 Eton Avenue,
Chatsworth, Calif., 91311), among others, many of which are
commercially available. As described in Gentz et al., Proc. Natl.
Acad. Sci. USA 86:821-824 (1989), for instance, hexa-histidine
provides for convenient purification of the fusion protein. Another
peptide tag useful for purification, the "HA" tag, corresponds to
an epitope derived from the influenza hemagglutinin protein.
(Wilson et al., Cell 37:767 (1984).)
[0925] Thus, any of these above fusions can be engineered using the
polynucleotides or the polypeptides of the present invention.
Vectors, Host Cells, and Protein Production
[0926] The present invention also relates to vectors containing the
polynucleotide of the present invention, host cells, and the
production of polypeptides by recombinant techniques. The vector
may be, for example, a phage, plasmid, viral, or retroviral vector.
Retroviral vectors may be replication competent or replication
defective. In the latter case, viral propagation generally will
occur only in complementing host cells.
[0927] The polynucleotides may be joined to a vector containing a
selectable marker for propagation in a host. Generally, a plasmid
vector is introduced in a precipitate, such as a calcium phosphate
precipitate, or in a complex with a charged lipid. If the vector is
a virus, it may be packaged in vitro using an appropriate packaging
cell line and then transduced into host cells.
[0928] The polynucleotide insert should be operatively linked to an
appropriate promoter, such as the phage lambda PL promoter, the E.
coli lac, trp, phoA and tac promoters, the SV40 early and late
promoters and promoters of retroviral LTRs, to name a few. Other
suitable promoters will be known to the skilled artisan. The
expression constructs will further contain sites for transcription
initiation, termination, and, in the transcribed region, a ribosome
binding site for translation. The coding portion of the transcripts
expressed by the constructs will preferably include a translation
initiating codon at the beginning and a termination codon (UAA, UGA
or UAG) appropriately positioned at the end of the polypeptide to
be translated.
[0929] As indicated, the expression vectors will preferably include
at least one selectable marker. Such markers include dihydrofolate
reductase, G418 or neomycin resistance for eukaryotic cell culture
and tetracycline, kanamycin or ampicillin resistance genes for
culturing in E. coli and other bacteria. Representative examples of
appropriate hosts include, but are not limited to, bacterial cells,
such as E. coli, Streptomyces and Salmonella typhimurium cells;
fungal cells, such as yeast cells (e.g., Saccharomyces cerevisiae
or Pichia pastoris(ATCC Accession No. 201178)); insect cells such
as Drosophila S2 and Spodoptera Sf9 cells; animal cells such as
CHO, COS, 293, and Bowes melanoma cells; and plant cells.
Appropriate culture mediums and conditions for the above-described
host cells are known in the art.
[0930] Among vectors preferred for use in bacteria include pQE70,
pQE60 and pQE-9, available from QIAGEN, Inc.; pBluescript vectors,
Phagescript vectors, pNH8A, pNH16a, pNH18A, pNH46A, available from
Stratagene Cloning Systems, Inc.; and ptrc99a, pKK223-3, pKK233-3,
pDR540, pRIT5 available from Pharmacia Biotech, Inc. Among
preferred eukaryotic vectors are pWLNEO, pSV2CAT, pOG44, pXT1 and
pSG available from Stratagene; and pSVK3, pBPV, pMSG and pSVL
available from Pharmacia. Preferred expression vectors for use in
yeast systems include, but are not limited to pYES2, pYD1,
pTEF1/Zeo, pYES2/GS, pPICZ, pGAPZ, pGAPZalph, pPIC9, pPIC3.5,
pHIL-D2, pHIL-S1, pPIC3.5K, pPIC9K, and PAO815 (all available from
Invitrogen, Carlbad, Calif.). Other suitable vectors will be
readily apparent to the skilled artisan.
[0931] Introduction of the construct into the host cell can be
effected by calcium phosphate transfection, DEAE-dextran mediated
transfection, cationic lipid-mediated transfection,
electroporation, transduction, infection, or other methods. Such
methods are described in many standard laboratory manuals, such as
Davis et al., Basic Methods In Molecular Biology (1986). It is
specifically contemplated that the polypeptides of the present
invention may in fact be expressed by a host cell lacking a
recombinant vector.
[0932] A polypeptide of this invention can be recovered and
purified from recombinant cell cultures by well-known methods
including ammonium sulfate or ethanol precipitation, acid
extraction, anion or cation exchange chromatography,
phosphocellulose chromatography, hydrophobic interaction
chromatography, affinity chromatography, hydroxylapatite
chromatography and lectin chromatography. Most preferably, high
performance liquid chromatography ("HPLC") is employed for
purification.
[0933] Polypeptides of the present invention, and preferably the
secreted form, can also be recovered from: products purified from
natural sources, including bodily fluids, tissues and cells,
whether directly isolated or cultured; products of chemical
synthetic procedures; and products produced by recombinant
techniques from a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host, including, for
example, bacterial, yeast, higher plant, insect, and mammalian
cells. Depending upon the host employed in a recombinant production
procedure, the polypeptides of the present invention may be
glycosylated or may be non-glycosylated. In addition, polypeptides
of the invention may also include an initial modified methionine
residue, in some cases as a result of host-mediated processes.
Thus, it is well known in the art that the N-terminal methionine
encoded by the translation initiation codon generally is removed
with high efficiency from any protein after translation in all
eukaryotic cells. While the N-terminal methionine on most proteins
also is efficiently removed in most prokaryotes, for some proteins,
this prokaryotic removal process is inefficient, depending on the
nature of the amino acid to which the N-terminal methionine is
covalently linked.
[0934] In one embodiment, the yeast Pichia pastoris is used to
express the polypeptide of the present invention in a eukaryotic
system. Pichia pastoris is a methylotrophic yeast which can
metabolize methanol as its sole carbon source. A main step in the
methanol metabolization pathway is the oxidation of methanol to
formaldehyde using O.sub.2. This reaction is catalyzed by the
enzyme alcohol oxidase. In order to metabolize methanol as its sole
carbon source, Pichia pastoris must generate high levels of alcohol
oxidase due, in part, to the relatively low affinity of alcohol
oxidase for O.sub.2. Consequently, in a growth medium depending on
methanol as a main carbon source, the promoter region of one of the
two alcohol oxidase genes (AOX1) is highly active. In the presence
of methanol, alcohol oxidase produced from the AOX1 gene comprises
up to approximately 30% of the total soluble protein in Pichia
pastoris. See, Ellis, S. B., et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 5:1111-21
(1985); Koutz, P. J, et al., Yeast 5:167-77 (1989); Tschopp, J. F.,
et al., Nucl. Acids Res. 15:3859-76 (1987). Thus, a heterologous
coding sequence, such as, for example, a polynucleotide of the
present invention, under the transcriptional regulation of all or
part of the AOX1 regulatory sequence is expressed at exceptionally
high levels in Pichia yeast grown in the presence of methanol.
[0935] In one example, the plasmid vector pPIC9K is used to express
DNA encoding a polypeptide of the invention, as set forth herein,
in a Pichea yeast system essentially as described in "Pichia
Protocols: Methods in Molecular Biology," D. R. Higgins and J.
Cregg, eds. The Humana Press, Totowa, N. J., 1998. This expression
vector allows expression and secretion of a protein of the
invention by virtue of the strong AOX1 promoter linked to the
Pichia pastoris alkaline phosphatase (PHO) secretory signal peptide
(i.e., leader) located upstream of a multiple cloning site.
[0936] Many other yeast vectors could be used in place of pPIC9K,
such as, pYES2, pYD1, pTEF1/Zeo, pYES2/GS, pPICZ, pGAPZ,
pGAPZalpha, pPIC9, pPIC3.5, pHIL-D2, pHIL-S 1, pPIC3.5K, and
PAO815, as one skilled in the art would readily appreciate, as long
as the proposed expression construct provides appropriately located
signals for transcription, translation, secretion (if desired), and
the like, including an in-frame AUG as required.
[0937] In another embodiment, high-level expression of a
heterologous coding sequence, such as, for example, a
polynucleotide of the present invention, may be achieved by cloning
the heterologous polynucleotide of the invention into an expression
vector such as, for example, pGAPZ or pGAPZalpha, and growing the
yeast culture in the absence of methanol.
[0938] In addition to encompassing host cells containing the vector
constructs discussed herein, the invention also encompasses
primary, secondary, and immortalized host cells of vertebrate
origin, particularly mammalian origin, that have been engineered to
delete or replace endogenous genetic material (e.g., coding
sequence), and/or to include genetic material (e.g., heterologous
polynucleotide sequences) that is operably associated with the
polynucleotides of the invention, and which activates, alters,
and/or amplifies endogenous polynucleotides. For example,
techniques known in the art may be used to operably associate
heterologous control regions (e.g., promoter and/or enhancer) and
endogenous polynucleotide sequences via homologous recombination,
resulting in the formation of a new transcription unit (see, e.g.,
U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,670, issued Jun. 24, 1997; U.S. Pat. No.
5,733,761, issued Mar. 31, 1998; International Publication No. WO
96/29411, published Sep. 26, 1996; International Publication No. WO
94/12650, published Aug. 4, 1994; Koller et al., Proc. Natl. Acad.
Sci. USA 86:8932-8935 (1989); and Zijlstra et al., Nature
342:435-438 (1989), the disclosures of each of which are
incorporated by reference in their entireties).
[0939] In addition, polypeptides of the invention can be chemically
synthesized using techniques known in the art (e.g., see Creighton,
1983, Proteins: Structures and Molecular Principles, W.H. Freeman
& Co., N.Y., and Hunkapiller et al., Nature, 310:105-111
(1984)). For example, a polypeptide corresponding to a fragment of
a polypeptide sequence of the invention can be synthesized by use
of a peptide synthesizer. Furthermore, if desired, nonclassical
amino acids or chemical amino acid analogs can be introduced as a
substitution or addition into the polypeptide sequence.
Non-classical amino acids include, but are not limited to, to the
D-isomers of the common amino acids, 2,4-diaminobutyric acid,
a-amino isobutyric acid, 4-aminobutyric acid, Abu, 2-amino butyric
acid, g-Abu, e-Ahx, 6-amino hexanoic acid, Aib, 2-amino isobutyric
acid, 3-amino propionic acid, omithine, norleucine, norvaline,
hydroxyproline, sarcosine, citrulline, homocitrulline, cysteic
acid, t-butylglycine, t-butylalanine, phenylglycine,
cyclohexylalanine, b-alanine, fluoro-amino acids, designer amino
acids such as b-methyl amino acids, Ca-methyl amino acids,
Na-methyl amino acids, and amino acid analogs in general.
Furthermore, the amino acid can be D (dextrorotary) or L
(levorotary).
[0940] The invention encompasses polypeptides which are
differentially modified during or after translation, e.g., by
glycosylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, amidation,
derivatization by known protecting/blocking groups, proteolytic
cleavage, linkage to an antibody molecule or other cellular ligand,
etc. Any of numerous chemical modifications may be carried out by
known techniques, including but not limited, to specific chemical
cleavage by cyanogen bromide, trypsin, chymotrypsin, papain, V8
protease, NaBH.sub.4; acetylation, formylation, oxidation,
reduction; metabolic synthesis in the presence of tunicamycin;
etc.
[0941] Additional post-translational modifications encompassed by
the invention include, for example, e.g., N-linked or O-linked
carbohydrate chains, processing of N-terminal or C-terminal ends),
attachment of chemical moieties to the amino acid backbone,
chemical modifications of N-linked or O-linked carbohydrate chains,
and addition or deletion of an N-terminal methionine residue as a
result of procaryotic host cell expression. The polypeptides may
also be modified with a detectable label, such as an enzymatic,
fluorescent, isotopic or affinity label to allow for detection and
isolation of the protein.
[0942] Also provided by the invention are chemically modified
derivatives of the polypeptides of the invention which may provide
additional advantages such as increased solubility, stability and
circulating time of the polypeptide, or decreased immunogenicity
(see U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,337). The chemical moieties for
derivitization may be selected from water soluble polymers such as
polyethylene glycol, ethylene glycol/propylene glycol copolymers,
carboxymethylcellulose, dextran, polyvinyl alcohol and the like.
The polypeptides may be modified at random positions within the
molecule, or at predetermined positions within the molecule and may
include one, two, three or more attached chemical moieties.
[0943] The polymer may be of any molecular weight, and may be
branched or unbranched. For polyethylene glycol, the preferred
molecular weight is between about 1 kDa and about 100 kDa (the term
"about" indicating that in preparations of polyethylene glycol,
some molecules will weigh more, some less, than the stated
molecular weight) for ease in handling and manufacturing. Other
sizes may be used, depending on the desired therapeutic profile
(e.g., the duration of sustained release desired, the effects, if
any on biological activity, the ease in handling, the degree or
lack of antigenicity and other known effects of the polyethylene
glycol to a therapeutic protein or analog). For example, the
polyethylene glycol may have an average molecular weight of about
200, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000, 3500, 4000, 4500, 5000,
5500, 6000, 6500, 7000, 7500, 8000, 8500, 9000, 9500, 10,000,
10,500, 11,000, 11,500, 12,000, 12,500, 13,000, 13,500, 14,000,
14,500, 15,000, 15,500, 16,000, 16,500, 17,000, 17,500, 18,000,
18,500, 19,000, 19,500, 20,000, 25,000, 30,000, 35,000, 40,000,
50,000, 55,000, 60,000, 65,000, 70,000, 75,000, 80,000, 85,000,
90,000, 95,000, or 100,000 kDa.
[0944] As noted above, the polyethylene glycol may have a branched
structure. Branched polyethylene glycols are described, for
example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,575; Morpurgo et al., Appl.
Biochem. Biotechnol. 56:59-72 (1996); Vorobjev et al., Nucleosides
Nucleotides 18:2745-2750 (1999); and Caliceti et al., Bioconjug.
Chem. 10:638-646 (1999), the disclosures of each of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
[0945] The polyethylene glycol molecules (or other chemical
moieties) should be attached to the protein with consideration of
effects on functional or antigenic domains of the protein. There
are a number of attachment methods available to those skilled in
the art, e.g., EP 0 401 384, herein incorporated by reference
(coupling PEG to G-CSF), see also Malik et al., Exp. Hematol.
20:1028-1035 (1992) (reporting pegylation of GM-CSF using tresyl
chloride). For example, polyethylene glycol may be covalently bound
through amino acid residues via a reactive group, such as, a free
amino or carboxyl group. Reactive groups are those to which an
activated polyethylene glycol molecule may be bound. The amino acid
residues having a free amino group may include lysine residues and
the N-terminal amino acid residues; those having a free carboxyl
group may include aspartic acid residues glutamic acid residues and
the C-terminal amino acid residue. Sulfhydryl groups may also be
used as a reactive group for attaching the polyethylene glycol
molecules. Preferred for therapeutic purposes is attachment at an
amino group, such as attachment at the N-terminus or lysine
group.
[0946] As suggested above, polyethylene glycol may be attached to
proteins via linkage to any of a number of amino acid residues. For
example, polyethylene glycol can be linked to a proteins via
covalent bonds to lysine, histidine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid,
or cysteine residues. One or more reaction chemistries may be
employed to attach polyethylene glycol to specific amino acid
residues (e.g., lysine, histidine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, or
cysteine) of the protein or to more than one type of amino acid
residue (e.g., lysine, histidine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid,
cysteine and combinations thereof) of the protein.
[0947] One may specifically desire proteins chemically modified at
the N-terminus. Using polyethylene glycol as an illustration of the
present composition, one may select from a variety of polyethylene
glycol molecules (by molecular weight, branching, etc.), the
proportion of polyethylene glycol molecules to protein
(polypeptide) molecules in the reaction mix, the type of pegylation
reaction to be performed, and the method of obtaining the selected
N-terminally pegylated protein. The method of obtaining the
N-terminally pegylated preparation (i.e., separating this moiety
from other monopegylated moieties if necessary) may be by
purification of the N-terminally pegylated material from a
population of pegylated protein molecules. Selective proteins
chemically modified at the N-terminus modification may be
accomplished by reductive alkylation which exploits differential
reactivity of different types of primary amino groups (lysine
versus the N-terminal) available for derivatization in a particular
protein. Under the appropriate reaction conditions, substantially
selective derivatization of the protein at the N-terminus with a
carbonyl group containing polymer is achieved.
[0948] As indicated above, pegylation of the proteins of the
invention may be accomplished by any number of means. For example,
polyethylene glycol may be attached to the protein either directly
or by an intervening linker. Linkerless systems for attaching
polyethylene glycol to proteins are described in Delgado et al.,
Crit. Rev. Thera. Drug Carrier Sys. 9:249-304 (1992); Francis et
al., Intern. J. of Hematol. 68:1-18 (1998); U.S. Pat. No.
4,002,531; U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,052; WO 95/06058; and WO 98/32466,
the disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein by
reference.
[0949] One system for attaching polyethylene glycol directly to
amino acid residues of proteins without an intervening linker
employs tresylated MPEG, which is produced by the modification of
monmethoxy polyethylene glycol (MPEG) using tresylchloride
(ClSO.sub.2CH.sub.2CF.sub.3). Upon reaction of protein with
tresylated MPEG, polyethylene glycol is directly attached to amine
groups of the protein. Thus, the invention includes
protein-polyethylene glycol conjugates produced by reacting
proteins of the invention with a polyethylene glycol molecule
having a 2,2,2-trifluoreothane sulphonyl group.
[0950] Polyethylene glycol can also be attached to proteins using a
number of different intervening linkers. For example, U.S. Pat. No.
5,612,460, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by
reference, discloses urethane linkers for connecting polyethylene
glycol to proteins. Protein-polyethylene glycol conjugates wherein
the polyethylene glycol is attached to the protein by a linker can
also be produced by reaction of proteins with compounds such as
MPEG-succinimidylsuccinate, MPEG activated with
1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole, MPEG-2,4,5-trichloropenylcarbonate,
MPEG-p-nitrophenolcarbonate, and various MPEG-succinate
derivatives. A number additional polyethylene glycol derivatives
and reaction chemistries for attaching polyethylene glycol to
proteins are described in WO 98/32466, the entire disclosure of
which is incorporated herein by reference. Pegylated protein
products produced using the reaction chemistries set out herein are
included within the scope of the invention.
[0951] The number of polyethylene glycol moieties attached to each
protein of the invention (i.e., the degree of substitution) may
also vary. For example, the pegylated proteins of the invention may
be linked, on average, to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15,
17, 20, or more polyethylene glycol molecules. Similarly, the
average degree of substitution within ranges such as 1-3, 2-4, 3-5,
4-6, 5-7, 6-8, 7-9, 8-10, 9-1, 10-12, 11-13, 12-14, 13-15, 14-16,
15-17, 16-18, 17-19, or 18-20 polyethylene glycol moieties per
protein molecule. Methods for determining the degree of
substitution are discussed, for example, in Delgado et al., Crit.
Rev. Thera. Drug Carrier Sys. 9:249-304 (1992).
[0952] The polypeptides of the invention may be in monomers or
multimers (i.e., dimers, trimers, tetramers and higher multimers).
Accordingly, the present invention relates to monomers and
multimers of the polypeptides of the invention, their preparation,
and compositions (preferably, Therapeutics) containing them. In
specific embodiments, the polypeptides of the invention are
monomers, dimers, trimers or tetramers. In additional embodiments,
the multimers of the invention are at least dimers, at least
trimers, or at least tetramers.
[0953] Multimers encompassed by the invention may be homomers or
heteromers. As used herein, the term homomer, refers to a multimer
containing only polypeptides corresponding to the amino acid
sequence of SEQ ID NO:Y or encoded by the cDNA contained in a
deposited clone (including fragments, variants, splice variants,
and fusion proteins, corresponding to these polypeptides as
described herein). These homomers may contain polypeptides having
identical or different amino acid sequences. In a specific
embodiment, a homomer of the invention is a multimer containing
only polypeptides having an identical amino acid sequence. In
another specific embodiment, a homomer of the invention is a
multimer containing polypeptides having different amino acid
sequences. In specific embodiments, the multimer of the invention
is a homodimer (e.g., containing polypeptides having identical or
different amino acid sequences) or a homotrimer (e.g., containing
polypeptides having identical and/or different amino acid
sequences). In additional embodiments, the homomeric multimer of
the invention is at least a homodimer, at least a homotrimer, or at
least a homotetramer.
[0954] As used herein, the term heteromer refers to a multimer
containing one or more heterologous polypeptides (i.e.,
polypeptides of different proteins) in addition to the polypeptides
of the invention. In a specific embodiment, the multimer of the
invention is a heterodimer, a heterotrimer, or a heterotetramer. In
additional embodiments, the heteromeric multimer of the invention
is at least a heterodimer, at least a heterotrimer, or at least a
heterotetramer.
[0955] Multimers of the invention may be the result of hydrophobic,
hydrophilic, ionic and/or covalent associations and/or may be
indirectly linked, by for example, liposome formation. Thus, in one
embodiment, multimers of the invention, such as, for example,
homodimers or homotrimers, are formed when polypeptides of the
invention contact one another in solution. In another embodiment,
heteromultimers of the invention, such as, for example,
heterotrimers or heterotetramers, are formed when polypeptides of
the invention contact antibodies to the polypeptides of the
invention (including antibodies to the heterologous polypeptide
sequence in a fusion protein of the invention) in solution. In
other embodiments, multimers of the invention are formed by
covalent associations with and/or between the polypeptides of the
invention. Such covalent associations may involve one or more amino
acid residues contained in the polypeptide sequence (e.g., that
recited in the sequence listing, or contained in the polypeptide
encoded by a deposited clone). In one instance, the covalent
associations are cross-linking between cysteine residues located
within the polypeptide sequences which interact in the native
(i.e., naturally occurring) polypeptide. In another instance, the
covalent associations are the consequence of chemical or
recombinant manipulation. Alternatively, such covalent associations
may involve one or more amino acid residues contained in the
heterologous polypeptide sequence in a fusion protein of the
invention.
[0956] In one example, covalent associations are between the
heterologous sequence contained in a fusion protein of the
invention (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,925). In a specific
example, the covalent associations are between the heterologous
sequence contained in an Fc fusion protein of the invention (as
described herein). In another specific example, covalent
associations of fusion proteins of the invention are between
heterologous polypeptide sequence from another protein that is
capable of forming covalently associated multimers, such as for
example, oseteoprotegerin (see, e.g., International Publication NO:
WO 98/49305, the contents of which are herein incorporated by
reference in its entirety). In another embodiment, two or more
polypeptides of the invention are joined through peptide linkers.
Examples include those peptide linkers described in U.S. Pat. No.
5,073,627 (hereby incorporated by reference). Proteins comprising
multiple polypeptides of the invention separated by peptide linkers
may be produced using conventional recombinant DNA technology.
[0957] Another method for preparing multimer polypeptides of the
invention involves use of polypeptides of the invention fused to a
leucine zipper or isoleucine zipper polypeptide sequence. Leucine
zipper and isoleucine zipper domains are polypeptides that promote
multimerization of the proteins in which they are found. Leucine
zippers were originally identified in several DNA-binding proteins
(Landschulz et al., Science 240:1759, (1988)), and have since been
found in a variety of different proteins. Among the known leucine
zippers are naturally occurring peptides and derivatives thereof
that dimerize or trimerize. Examples of leucine zipper domains
suitable for producing soluble multimeric proteins of the invention
are those described in PCT application WO 94/10308, hereby
incorporated by reference. Recombinant fusion proteins comprising a
polypeptide of the invention fused to a polypeptide sequence that
dimerizes or trimerizes in solution are expressed in suitable host
cells, and the resulting soluble multimeric fusion protein is
recovered from the culture supernatant using techniques known in
the art.
[0958] Trimeric polypeptides of the invention may offer the
advantage of enhanced biological activity. Preferred leucine zipper
moieties and isoleucine moieties are those that preferentially form
trimers. One example is a leucine zipper derived from lung
surfactant protein D (SPD), as described in Hoppe et al. (FEBS
Letters 344:191, (1994)) and in U.S. patent application Ser. No.
08/446,922, hereby incorporated by reference. Other peptides
derived from naturally occurring trimeric proteins may be employed
in preparing trimeric polypeptides of the invention.
[0959] In another example, proteins of the invention are associated
by interactions between Flag.RTM. polypeptide sequence contained in
fusion proteins of the invention containing Flag.RTM. polypeptide
seuqence. In a further embodiment, associations proteins of the
invention are associated by interactions between heterologous
polypeptide sequence contained in Flag.RTM. fusion proteins of the
invention and anti-Flag.RTM. antibody.
[0960] The multimers of the invention may be generated using
chemical techniques known in the art. For example, polypeptides
desired to be contained in the multimers of the invention may be
chemically cross-linked using linker molecules and linker molecule
length optimization techniques known in the art (see, e.g., U.S.
Pat. No. 5,478,925, which is herein incorporated by reference in
its entirety). Additionally, multimers of the invention may be
generated using techniques known in the art to form one or more
inter-molecule cross-links between the cysteine residues located
within the sequence of the polypeptides desired to be contained in
the multimer (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,925, which is herein
incorporated by reference in its entirety). Further, polypeptides
of the invention may be routinely modified by the addition of
cysteine or biotin to the C terminus or N-terminus of the
polypeptide and techniques known in the art may be applied to
generate multimers containing one or more of these modified
polypeptides (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,925, which is herein
incorporated by reference in its entirety). Additionally,
techniques known in the art may be applied to generate liposomes
containing the polypeptide components desired to be contained in
the multimer of the invention (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,925,
which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety).
[0961] Alternatively, multimers of the invention may be generated
using genetic engineering techniques known in the art. In one
embodiment, polypeptides contained in multimers of the invention
are produced recombinantly using fusion protein technology
described herein or otherwise known in the art (see, e.g., U.S.
Pat. No. 5,478,925, which is herein incorporated by reference in
its entirety). In a specific embodiment, polynucleotides coding for
a homodimer of the invention are generated by ligating a
polynucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide of the invention to
a sequence encoding a linker polypeptide and then further to a
synthetic polynucleotide encoding the translated product of the
polypeptide in the reverse orientation from the original C-terminus
to the N-terminus (lacking the leader sequence) (see, e.g., U.S.
Pat. No. 5,478,925, which is herein incorporated by reference in
its entirety). In another embodiment, recombinant techniques
described herein or otherwise known in the art are applied to
generate recombinant polypeptides of the invention which contain a
transmembrane domain (or hyrophobic or signal peptide) and which
can be incorporated by membrane reconstitution techniques into
liposomes (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,925, which is herein
incorporated by reference in its entirety).
Uses of the Polynucleotides
[0962] Each of the polynucleotides identified herein can be used in
numerous ways as reagents. The following description should be
considered exemplary and utilizes known techniques.
[0963] The polynucleotides of the present invention are useful for
chromosome identification. There exists an ongoing need to identify
new chromosome markers, since few chromosome marking reagents,
based on actual sequence data (repeat polymorphisms), are presently
available. Each polynucleotide of the present invention can be used
as a chromosome marker.
[0964] Briefly, sequences can be mapped to chromosomes by preparing
PCR primers (preferably 15-25 bp) from the sequences shown in SEQ
ID NO:X. Primers can be selected using computer analysis so that
primers do not span more than one predicted exon in the genomic
DNA. These primers are then used for PCR screening of somatic cell
hybrids containing individual human chromosomes. Only those hybrids
containing the human gene corresponding to the SEQ ID NO:X will
yield an amplified fragment.
[0965] Similarly, somatic hybrids provide a rapid method of PCR
mapping the polynucleotides to particular chromosomes. Three or
more clones can be assigned per day using a single thermal cycler.
Moreover, sublocalization of the polynucleotides can be achieved
with panels of specific chromosome fragments. Other gene mapping
strategies that can be used include in situ hybridization,
prescreening with labeled flow-sorted chromosomes, preselection by
hybridization to construct chromosome specific-cDNA libraries and
computer mapping techniques (See, e.g., Shuler, Trends Biotechnol
16:456-459 (1998) which is hereby incorporated by reference in its
entirety).
[0966] Precise chromosomal location of the polynucleotides can also
be achieved using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of a
metaphase chromosomal spread. This technique uses polynucleotides
as short as 500 or 600 bases; however, polynucleotides 2,000-4,000
bp are preferred. For a review of this technique, see Verma et al.,
"Human Chromosomes: a Manual of Basic Techniques," Pergamon Press,
New York (1988).
[0967] For chromosome mapping, the polynucleotides can be used
individually (to mark a single chromosome or a single site on that
chromosome) or in panels (for marking multiple sites and/or
multiple chromosomes).
[0968] The polynucleotides of the present invention would likewise
be useful for radiation hybrid mapping, HAPPY mapping, and long
range restriction mapping. For a review of these techniques and
others known in the art, see, e.g., Dear, "Genome Mapping: A
Practical Approach," IRL Press at Oxford University Press, London
(1997); Aydin, J. Mol. Med. 77:691-694 (1999); Hacia et al., Mol.
Psychiatry 3:483-492 (1998); Herrick et al., Chromosome Res.
7:409-423 (1999); Hamilton et al., Methods Cell Biol. 62:265-280
(2000); and/or Ott, J. Hered. 90:68-70 (1999) each of which is
hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
[0969] Once a polynucleotide has been mapped to a precise
chromosomal location, the physical position of the polynucleotide
can be used in linkage analysis. Linkage analysis establishes
coinheritance between a chromosomal location and presentation of a
particular disease. (Disease mapping data are found, for example,
in V. McKusick, Mendelian Inheritance in Man (available on line
through Johns Hopkins University Welch Medical Library).) Assuming
1 megabase mapping resolution and one gene per 20 kb, a cDNA
precisely localized to a chromosomal region associated with the
disease could be one of 50-500 potential causative genes.
[0970] Thus, once coinheritance is established, differences in the
polynucleotide and the corresponding gene between affected and
unaffected individuals can be examined. First, visible structural
alterations in the chromosomes, such as deletions or
translocations, are examined in chromosome spreads or by PCR. If no
structural alterations exist, the presence of point mutations are
ascertained. Mutations observed in some or all affected
individuals, but not in normal individuals, indicates that the
mutation may cause the disease. However, complete sequencing of the
polypeptide and the corresponding gene from several normal
individuals is required to distinguish the mutation from a
polymorphism. If a new polymorphism is identified, this polymorphic
polypeptide can be used for further linkage analysis.
[0971] Furthermore, increased or decreased expression of the gene
in affected individuals as compared to unaffected individuals can
be assessed using polynucleotides of the present invention. Any of
these alterations (altered expression, chromosomal rearrangement,
or mutation) can be used as a diagnostic or prognostic marker.
[0972] Thus, the invention also provides a diagnostic method useful
during diagnosis of a disorder, involving measuring the expression
level of polynucleotides of the present invention in cells or body
fluid from an individual and comparing the measured gene expression
level with a standard level of polynucleotide expression level,
whereby an increase or decrease in the gene expression level
compared to the standard is indicative of a disorder.
[0973] In still another embodiment, the invention includes a kit
for analyzing samples for the presence of proliferative and/or
cancerous polynucleotides derived from a test subject. In a general
embodiment, the kit includes at least one polynucleotide probe
containing a nucleotide sequence that will specifically hybridize
with a polynucleotide of the present invention and a suitable
container. In a specific embodiment, the kit includes two
polynucleotide probes defining an internal region of the
polynucleotide of the present invention, where each probe has one
strand containing a 31'mer-end internal to the region. In a further
embodiment, the probes may be useful as primers for polymerase
chain reaction amplification.
[0974] Where a diagnosis of a disorder, has already been made
according to conventional methods, the present invention is useful
as a prognostic indicator, whereby patients exhibiting enhanced or
depressed polynucleotide of the present invention expression will
experience a worse clinical outcome relative to patients expressing
the gene at a level nearer the standard level.
[0975] By "measuring the expression level of polynucleotide of the
present invention" is intended qualitatively or quantitatively
measuring or estimating the level of the polypeptide of the present
invention or the level of the mRNA encoding the polypeptide in a
first biological sample either directly (e.g., by determining or
estimating absolute protein level or mRNA level) or relatively
(e.g., by comparing to the polypeptide level or mRNA level in a
second biological sample). Preferably, the polypeptide level or
mRNA level in the first biological sample is measured or estimated
and compared to a standard polypeptide level or mRNA level, the
standard being taken from a second biological sample obtained from
an individual not having the disorder or being determined by
averaging levels from a population of individuals not having a
disorder. As will be appreciated in the art, once a standard
polypeptide level or mRNA level is known, it can be used repeatedly
as a standard for comparison.
[0976] By "biological sample" is intended any biological sample
obtained from an individual, body fluid, cell line, tissue culture,
or other source which contains the polypeptide of the present
invention or mRNA. As indicated, biological samples include body
fluids (such as semen, lymph, sera, plasma, urine, synovial fluid
and spinal fluid) which contain the polypeptide of the present
invention, and other tissue sources found to express the
polypeptide of the present invention. Methods for obtaining tissue
biopsies and body fluids from mammals are well known in the art.
Where the biological sample is to include mRNA, a tissue biopsy is
the preferred source.
[0977] The method(s) provided above may preferrably be applied in a
diagnostic method and/or kits in which polynucleotides and/or
polypeptides are attached to a solid support. In one exemplary
method, the support may be a "gene chip" or a "biological chip" as
described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,837,832, 5,874,219, and 5,856,174.
Further, such a gene chip with polynucleotides of the present
invention attached may be used to identify polymorphisms between
the polynucleotide sequences, with polynucleotides isolated from a
test subject. The knowledge of such polymorphisms (i.e. their
location, as well as, their existence) would be beneficial in
identifying disease loci for many disorders, including cancerous
diseases and conditions. Such a method is described in U.S. Pat.
Nos. 5,858,659 and 5,856,104. The US patents referenced supra are
hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.
[0978] The present invention encompasses polynucleotides of the
present invention that are chemically synthesized, or reproduced as
peptide nucleic acids (PNA), or according to other methods known in
the art. The use of PNAs would serve as the preferred form if the
polynucleotides are incorporated onto a solid support, or gene
chip. For the purposes of the present invention, a peptide nucleic
acid (PNA) is a polyamide type of DNA analog and the monomeric
units for adenine, guanine, thymine and cytosine are available
commercially (Perceptive Biosystems). Certain components of DNA,
such as phosphorus, phosphorus oxides, or deoxyribose derivatives,
are not present in PNAs. As disclosed by P. E. Nielsen, M. Egholm,
R. H. Berg and O. Buchardt, Science 254, 1497 (1991); and M.
Egholm, O. Buchardt, L. Christensen, C. Behrens, S. M. Freier, D.
A. Driver, R. H. Berg, S. K. Kim, B. Norden, and P. E. Nielsen,
Nature 365, 666 (1993), PNAs bind specifically and tightly to
complementary DNA strands and are not degraded by nucleases. In
fact, PNA binds more strongly to DNA than DNA itself does. This is
probably because there is no electrostatic repulsion between the
two strands, and also the polyamide backbone is more flexible.
Because of this, PNA/DNA duplexes bind under a wider range of
stringency conditions than DNA/DNA duplexes, making it easier to
perform multiplex hybridization. Smaller probes can be used than
with DNA due to the strong binding. In addition, it is more likely
that single base mismatches can be determined with PNA/DNA
hybridization because a single mismatch in a PNA/DNA 15-mer lowers
the melting point (T.sub.m) by 8.degree.-20.degree. C., vs.
4.degree.-16.degree. C. for the DNA/DNA 15-mer duplex. Also, the
absence of charge groups in PNA means that hybridization can be
done at low ionic strengths and reduce possible interference by
salt during the analysis.
[0979] The present invention is useful for detecting cancer in
mammals. In particular the invention is useful during diagnosis of
pathological cell proliferative neoplasias which include, but are
not limited to: acute myelogenous leukemias including acute
monocytic leukemia, acute myeloblastic leukemia, acute
promyelocytic leukemia, acute myelomonocytic leukemia, acute
erythroleukemia, acute megakaryocytic leukemia, and acute
undifferentiated leukemia, etc.; and chronic myelogenous leukemias
including chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, chronic granulocytic
leukemia, etc. Preferred mammals include monkeys, apes, cats, dogs,
cows, pigs, horses, rabbits and humans. Particularly preferred are
humans.
[0980] Pathological cell proliferative diseases, disorders, and/or
conditions are often associated with inappropriate activation of
proto-oncogenes. (Gelmann, E. P. et al., "The Etiology of Acute
Leukemia: Molecular Genetics and Viral Oncology," in Neoplastic
Diseases of the Blood, Vol 1., Wiernik, P. H. et al. eds., 161-182
(1985)). Neoplasias are now believed to result from the qualitative
alteration of a normal cellular gene product, or from the
quantitative modification of gene expression by insertion into the
chromosome of a viral sequence, by chromosomal translocation of a
gene to a more actively transcribed region, or by some other
mechanism. (Gelmann et al., supra) It is likely that mutated or
altered expression of specific genes is involved in the
pathogenesis of some leukemias, among other tissues and cell types.
(Gelmann et al., supra) Indeed, the human counterparts of the
oncogenes involved in some animal neoplasias have been amplified or
translocated in some cases of human leukemia and carcinoma.
(Gelmann et al., supra)
[0981] For example, c-myc expression is highly amplified in the
non-lymphocytic leukemia cell line HL-60. When HL-60 cells are
chemically induced to stop proliferation, the level of c-myc is
found to be downregulated. (International Publication Number WO
91/15580) However, it has been shown that exposure of HL-60 cells
to a DNA construct that is complementary to the 5' end of c-myc or
c-myb blocks translation of the corresponding mRNAs which
downregulates expression of the c-myc or c-myb proteins and causes
arrest of cell proliferation and differentiation of the treated
cells. (International Publication Number WO 91/15580; Wickstrom et
al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 85:1028 (1988); Anfossi et al., Proc.
Natl. Acad. Sci. 86:3379 (1989)). However, the skilled artisan
would appreciate the present invention's usefulness would not be
limited to treatment of proliferative diseases, disorders, and/or
conditions of hematopoietic cells and tissues, in light of the
numerous cells and cell types of varying origins which are known to
exhibit proliferative phenotypes.
[0982] In addition to the foregoing, a polynucleotide can be used
to control gene expression through triple helix formation or
antisense DNA or RNA. Antisense techniques are discussed, for
example, in Okano, J. Neurochem. 56: 560 (1991);
"Oligodeoxynucleotides as Antisense Inhibitors of Gene Expression,
CRCPress, Boca Raton, Fla. (1988). Triple helix formation is
discussed in, for instance Lee et al., Nucleic Acids Research 6:
3073 (1979); Cooney et al., Science 241: 456 (1988); and Dervan et
al., Science 251: 1360 (1991). Both methods rely on binding of the
polynucleotide to a complementary DNA or RNA. For these techniques,
preferred polynucleotides are usually oligonucleotides 20 to 40
bases in length and complementary to either the region of the gene
involved in transcription (triple helix--see Lee et al., Nucl.
Acids Res. 6:3073 (1979); Cooney et al., Science 241:456 (1988);
and Dervan et al., Science 251:1360 (1991)) or to the mRNA itself
(antisense--Okano, J. Neurochem. 56:560 (1991);
Oligodeoxy-nucleotides as Antisense Inhibitors of Gene Expression,
CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla. (1988).) Triple helix formation
optimally results in a shut-off of RNA transcription from DNA,
while antisense RNA hybridization blocks translation of an mRNA
molecule into polypeptide. Both techniques are effective in model
systems, and the information disclosed herein can be used to design
antisense or triple helix polynucleotides in an effort to treat or
prevent disease.
[0983] Polynucleotides of the present invention are also useful in
gene therapy. One goal of gene therapy is to insert a normal gene
into an organism having a defective gene, in an effort to correct
the genetic defect. The polynucleotides disclosed in the present
invention offer a means of targeting such genetic defects in a
highly accurate manner. Another goal is to insert a new gene that
was not present in the host genome, thereby producing a new trait
in the host cell.
[0984] The polynucleotides are also useful for identifying
individuals from minute biological samples. The United States
military, for example, is considering the use of restriction
fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) for identification of its
personnel. In this technique, an individual's genomic DNA is
digested with one or more restriction enzymes, and probed on a
Southern blot to yield unique bands for identifying personnel. This
method does not suffer from the current limitations of "Dog Tags"
which can be lost, switched, or stolen, making positive
identification difficult. The polynucleotides of the present
invention can be used as additional DNA markers for RFLP.
[0985] The polynucleotides of the present invention can also be
used as an alternative to RFLP, by determining the actual
base-by-base DNA sequence of selected portions of an individual's
genome. These sequences can be used to prepare PCR primers for
amplifying and isolating such selected DNA, which can then be
sequenced. Using this technique, individuals can be identified
because each individual will have a unique set of DNA sequences.
Once an unique ID database is established for an individual,
positive identification of that individual, living or dead, can be
made from extremely small tissue samples.
[0986] Forensic biology also benefits from using DNA-based
identification techniques as disclosed herein. DNA sequences taken
from very small biological samples such as tissues, e.g., hair or
skin, or body fluids, e.g., blood, saliva, semen, synovial fluid,
amniotic fluid, breast milk, lymph, pulmonary sputum or surfactant,
urine, fecal matter, etc., can be amplified using PCR. In one prior
art technique, gene sequences amplified from polymorphic loci, such
as DQa class II HLA gene, are used in forensic biology to identify
individuals. (Erlich, H., PCR Technology, Freeman and Co. (1992).)
Once these specific polymorphic loci are amplified, they are
digested with one or more restriction enzymes, yielding an
identifying set of bands on a Southern blot probed with DNA
corresponding to the DQa class II HLA gene. Similarly,
polynucleotides of the present invention can be used as polymorphic
markers for forensic purposes.
[0987] There is also a need for reagents capable of identifying the
source of a particular tissue. Such need arises, for example, in
forensics when presented with tissue of unknown origin. Appropriate
reagents can comprise, for example, DNA probes or primers specific
to particular tissue prepared from the sequences of the present
invention. Panels of such reagents can identify tissue by species
and/or by organ type. In a similar fashion, these reagents can be
used to screen tissue cultures for contamination.
[0988] In the very least, the polynucleotides of the present
invention can be used as molecular weight markers on Southern gels,
as diagnostic probes for the presence of a specific mRNA in a
particular cell type, as a probe to "subtract-out" known sequences
in the process of discovering novel polynucleotides, for selecting
and making oligomers for attachment to a "gene chip" or other
support, to raise anti-DNA antibodies using DNA immunization
techniques, and as an antigen to elicit an immune response.
Uses of the Polypeptides
[0989] Each of the polypeptides identified herein can be used in
numerous ways. The following description should be considered
exemplary and utilizes known techniques.
[0990] A polypeptide of the present invention can be used to assay
protein levels in a biological sample using antibody-based
techniques. For example, protein expression in tissues can be
studied with classical immunohistological methods. (Jalkanen, M.,
et al., J. Cell. Biol. 101:976-985 (1985); Jalkanen, M., et al., J.
Cell. Biol. 105:3087-3096 (1987).) Other antibody-based methods
useful for detecting protein gene expression include immunoassays,
such as the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the
radioimmunoassay (RIA). Suitable antibody assay labels are known in
the art and include enzyme labels, such as, glucose oxidase, and
radioisotopes, such as iodine (125I, 121I), carbon (14C), sulfur
(35S), tritium (3H), indium (112In), and technetium (99 mTc), and
fluorescent labels, such as fluorescein and rhodamine, and
biotin.
[0991] In addition to assaying secreted protein levels in a
biological sample, proteins can also be detected in vivo by
imaging. Antibody labels or markers for in vivo imaging of protein
include those detectable by X-radiography, NMR or ESR. For
X-radiography, suitable labels include radioisotopes such as barium
or cesium, which emit detectable radiation but are not overtly
harmful to the subject. Suitable markers for NMR and ESR include
those with a detectable characteristic spin, such as deuterium,
which may be incorporated into the antibody by labeling of
nutrients for the relevant hybridoma.
[0992] A protein-specific antibody or antibody fragment which has
been labeled with an appropriate detectable imaging moiety, such as
a radioisotope (for example, 131I, 112In, 99 mTc), a radio-opaque
substance, or a material detectable by nuclear magnetic resonance,
is introduced (for example, parenterally, subcutaneously, or
intraperitoneally) into the mammal. It will be understood in the
art that the size of the subject and the imaging system used will
determine the quantity of imaging moiety needed to produce
diagnostic images. In the case of a radioisotope moiety, for a
human subject, the quantity of radioactivity injected will normally
range from about 5 to 20 millicuries of 99 mTc. The labeled
antibody or antibody fragment will then preferentially accumulate
at the location of cells which contain the specific protein. In
vivo tumor imaging is described in S. W. Burchiel et al.,
"Immunopharmacokinetics of Radiolabeled Antibodies and Their
Fragments." (Chapter 13 in Tumor Imaging: The Radiochemical
Detection of Cancer, S. W. Burchiel and B. A. Rhodes, eds., Masson
Publishing Inc. (1982).)
[0993] Thus, the invention provides a diagnostic method of a
disorder, which involves (a) assaying the expression of a
polypeptide of the present invention in cells or body fluid of an
individual; (b) comparing the level of gene expression with a
standard gene expression level, whereby an increase or decrease in
the assayed polypeptide gene expression level compared to the
standard expression level is indicative of a disorder. With respect
to cancer, the presence of a relatively high amount of transcript
in biopsied tissue from an individual may indicate a predisposition
for the development of the disease, or may provide a means for
detecting the disease prior to the appearance of actual clinical
symptoms. A more definitive diagnosis of this type may allow health
professionals to employ preventative measures or aggressive
treatment earlier thereby preventing the development or further
progression of the cancer.
[0994] Moreover, polypeptides of the present invention can be used
to treat, prevent, and/or diagnose disease. For example, patients
can be administered a polypeptide of the present invention in an
effort to replace absent or decreased levels of the polypeptide
(e.g., insulin), to supplement absent or decreased levels of a
different polypeptide (e.g., hemoglobin S for hemoglobin B, SOD,
catalase, DNA repair proteins), to inhibit the activity of a
polypeptide (e.g., an oncogene or tumor supressor), to activate the
activity of a polypeptide (e.g., by binding to a receptor), to
reduce the activity of a membrane bound receptor by competing with
it for free ligand (e.g., soluble TNF receptors used in reducing
inflammation), or to bring about a desired response (e.g., blood
vessel growth inhibition, enhancement of the immune response to
proliferative cells or tissues).
[0995] Similarly, antibodies directed to a polypeptide of the
present invention can also be used to treat, prevent, and/or
diagnose disease. For example, administration of an antibody
directed to a polypeptide of the present invention can bind and
reduce overproduction of the polypeptide. Similarly, administration
of an antibody can activate the polypeptide, such as by binding to
a polypeptide bound to a membrane (receptor).
[0996] At the very least, the polypeptides of the present invention
can be used as molecular weight markers on SDS-PAGE gels or on
molecular sieve gel filtration columns using methods well known to
those of skill in the art. Polypeptides can also be used to raise
antibodies, which in turn are used to measure protein expression
from a recombinant cell, as a way of assessing transformation of
the host cell. Moreover, the polypeptides of the present invention
can be used to test the following biological activities.
Gene Therapy Methods
[0997] Another aspect of the present invention is to gene therapy
methods for treatingor preventing disorders, diseases and
conditions. The gene therapy methods relate to the introduction of
nucleic acid (DNA, RNA and antisense DNA or RNA) sequences into an
animal to achieve expression of a polypeptide of the present
invention. This method requires a polynucleotide which codes for a
polypeptide of the invention that operatively linked to a promoter
and any other genetic elements necessary for the expression of the
polypeptide by the target tissue. Such gene therapy and delivery
techniques are known in the art, see, for example, WO90/11092,
which is herein incorporated by reference.
[0998] Thus, for example, cells from a patient may be engineered
with a polynucleotide (DNA or RNA) comprising a promoter operably
linked to a polynucleotide of the invention ex vivo, with the
engineered cells then being provided to a patient to be treated
with the polypeptide. Such methods are well-known in the art. For
example, see Belldegrun et al., J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 85:207-216
(1993); Ferrantini et al., Cancer Research, 53:107-1112 (1993);
Ferrantini et al., J. Immunology 153: 4604-4615 (1994); Kaido, T.,
et al., Int. J. Cancer 60: 221-229 (1995); Ogura et al., Cancer
Research 50: 5102-5106 (1990); Santodonato, et al., Human Gene
Therapy 7:1-10 (1996); Santodonato, et al., Gene Therapy
4:1246-1255 (1997); and Zhang, et al., Cancer Gene Therapy 3: 31-38
(1996)), which are herein incorporated by reference. In one
embodiment, the cells which are engineered are arterial cells. The
arterial cells may be reintroduced into the patient through direct
injection to the artery, the tissues surrounding the artery, or
through catheter injection.
[0999] As discussed in more detail below, the polynucleotide
constructs can be delivered by any method that delivers injectable
materials to the cells of an animal, such as, injection into the
interstitial space of tissues (heart, muscle, skin, lung, liver,
and the like). The polynucleotide constructs may be delivered in a
pharmaceutically acceptable liquid or aqueous carrier.
[1000] In one embodiment, the polynucleotide of the invention is
delivered as a naked polynucleotide. The term "naked"
polynucleotide, DNA or RNA refers to sequences that are free from
any delivery vehicle that acts to assist, promote or facilitate
entry into the cell, including viral sequences, viral particles,
liposome formulations, lipofectin or precipitating agents and the
like. However, the polynucleotides of the invention can also be
delivered in liposome formulations and lipofectin formulations and
the like can be prepared by methods well known to those skilled in
the art. Such methods are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos.
5,593,972, 5,589,466, and 5,580,859, which are herein incorporated
by reference.
[1001] The polynucleotide vector constructs of the invention used
in the gene therapy method are preferably constructs that will not
integrate into the host genome nor will they contain sequences that
allow for replication. Appropriate vectors include pWLNEO, pSV2CAT,
pOG44, pXT1 and pSG available from Stratagene; pSVK3, pBPV, pMSG
and pSVL available from Pharmacia; and pEF1/V5, pcDNA3.1, and
pRc/CMV2 available from Invitrogen. Other suitable vectors will be
readily apparent to the skilled artisan.
[1002] Any strong promoter known to those skilled in the art can be
used for driving the expression of polynucleotide sequence of the
invention. Suitable promoters include adenoviral promoters, such as
the adenoviral major late promoter; or heterologous promoters, such
as the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter; the respiratory syncytial
virus (RSV) promoter; inducible promoters, such as the MMT
promoter, the metallothionein promoter; heat shock promoters; the
albumin promoter; the ApoAI promoter; human globin promoters; viral
thymidine kinase promoters, such as the Herpes Simplex thymidine
kinase promoter; retroviral LTRs; the b-actin promoter; and human
growth hormone promoters. The promoter also may be the native
promoter for the polynucleotides of the invention.
[1003] Unlike other gene therapy techniques, one major advantage of
introducing naked nucleic acid sequences into target cells is the
transitory nature of the polynucleotide synthesis in the cells.
Studies have shown that non-replicating DNA sequences can be
introduced into cells to provide production of the desired
polypeptide for periods of up to six months.
[1004] The polynucleotide construct of the invention can be
delivered to the interstitial space of tissues within the an
animal, including of muscle, skin, brain, lung, liver, spleen, bone
marrow, thymus, heart, lymph, blood, bone, cartilage, pancreas,
kidney, gall bladder, stomach, intestine, testis, ovary, uterus,
rectum, nervous system, eye, gland, and connective tissue.
Interstitial space of the tissues comprises the intercellular,
fluid, mucopolysaccharide matrix among the reticular fibers of
organ tissues, elastic fibers in the walls of vessels or chambers,
collagen fibers of fibrous tissues, or that same matrix within
connective tissue ensheathing muscle cells or in the lacunae of
bone. It is similarly the space occupied by the plasma of the
circulation and the lymph fluid of the lymphatic channels. Delivery
to the interstitial space of muscle tissue is preferred for the
reasons discussed below. They may be conveniently delivered by
injection into the tissues comprising these cells. They are
preferably delivered to and expressed in persistent, non-dividing
cells which are differentiated, although delivery and expression
may be achieved in non-differentiated or less completely
differentiated cells, such as, for example, stem cells of blood or
skin fibroblasts. In vivo muscle cells are particularly competent
in their ability to take up and express polynucleotides.
[1005] For the nakednucleic acid sequence injection, an effective
dosage amount of DNA or RNA will be in the range of from about 0.05
mg/kg body weight to about 50 mg/kg body weight. Preferably the
dosage will be from about 0.005 mg/kg to about 20 mg/kg and more
preferably from about 0.05 mg/kg to about 5 mg/kg. Of course, as
the artisan of ordinary skill will appreciate, this dosage will
vary according to the tissue site of injection. The appropriate and
effective dosage of nucleic acid sequence can readily be determined
by those of ordinary skill in the art and may depend on the
condition being treated and the route of administration.
[1006] The preferred route of administration is by the parenteral
route of injection into the interstitial space of tissues. However,
other parenteral routes may also be used, such as, inhalation of an
aerosol formulation particularly for delivery to lungs or bronchial
tissues, throat or mucous membranes of the nose. In addition, naked
DNA constructs can be delivered to arteries during angioplasty by
the catheter used in the procedure.
[1007] The naked polynucleotides are delivered by any method known
in the art, including, but not limited to, direct needle injection
at the delivery site, intravenous injection, topical
administration, catheter infusion, and so-called "gene guns". These
delivery methods are known in the art.
[1008] The constructs may also be delivered with delivery vehicles
such as viral sequences, viral particles, liposome formulations,
lipofectin, precipitating agents, etc. Such methods of delivery are
known in the art.
[1009] In certain embodiments, the polynucleotide constructs of the
invention are complexed in a liposome preparation. Liposomal
preparations for use in the instant invention include cationic
(positively charged), anionic (negatively charged) and neutral
preparations. However, cationic liposomes are particularly
preferred because a tight charge complex can be formed between the
cationic liposome and the polyanionic nucleic acid. Cationic
liposomes have been shown to mediate intracellular delivery of
plasmid DNA (Felgner et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA,
84:7413-7416 (1987), which is herein incorporated by reference);
mRNA (Malone et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 86:6077-6081
(1989), which is herein incorporated by reference); and purified
transcription factors (Debs et al., J. Biol. Chem., 265:10189-10192
(1990), which is herein incorporated by reference), in functional
form.
[1010] Cationic liposomes are readily available. For example,
N[1-2,3-dioleyloxy)propyl]-N,N,N-triethylammonium (DOTMA) liposomes
are particularly useful and are available under the trademark
Lipofectin, from GIBCO BRL, Grand Island, N.Y. (See, also, Felgner
et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 84:7413-7416 (1987), which is
herein incorporated by reference). Other commercially available
liposomes include transfectace (DDAB/DOPE) and DOTAP/DOPE
(Boehringer).
[1011] Other cationic liposomes can be prepared from readily
available materials using techniques well known in the art. See,
e.g. PCT Publication NO: WO 90/11092 (which is herein incorporated
by reference) for a description of the synthesis of DOTAP
(1,2-bis(oleoyloxy)-3-(trimethylanunonio)propane) liposomes.
Preparation of DOTMA liposomes is explained in the literature, see,
e.g., Felgner et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 84:7413-7417,
which is herein incorporated by reference. Similar methods can be
used to prepare liposomes from other cationic lipid materials.
[1012] Similarly, anionic and neutral liposomes are readily
available, such as from Avanti Polar Lipids (Birmingham, Ala.), or
can be easily prepared using readily available materials. Such
materials include phosphatidyl, choline, cholesterol, phosphatidyl
ethanolamine, dioleoylphosphatidyl choline (DOPC),
dioleoylphosphatidyl glycerol (DOPG), dioleoylphoshatidyl
ethanolamine (DOPE), among others. These materials can also be
mixed with the DOTMA and DOTAP starting materials in appropriate
ratios. Methods for making liposomes using these materials are well
known in the art.
[1013] For example, commercially dioleoylphosphatidyl choline
(DOPC), dioleoylphosphatidyl glycerol (DOPG), and
dioleoylphosphatidyl ethanolamine (DOPE) can be used in various
combinations to make conventional liposomes, with or without the
addition of cholesterol. Thus, for example, DOPG/DOPC vesicles can
be prepared by drying 50 mg each of DOPG and DOPC under a stream of
nitrogen gas into a sonication vial. The sample is placed under a
vacuum pump overnight and is hydrated the following day with
deionized water. The sample is then sonicated for 2 hours in a
capped vial, using a Heat Systems model 350 sonicator equipped with
an inverted cup (bath type) probe at the maximum setting while the
bath is circulated at 15EC. Alternatively, negatively charged
vesicles can be prepared without sonication to produce
multilamellar vesicles or by extrusion through nucleopore membranes
to produce unilamellar vesicles of discrete size. Other methods are
known and available to those of skill in the art.
[1014] The liposomes can comprise multilamellar vesicles (MLVs),
small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs), or large unilamellar vesicles
(LUVs), with SUVs being preferred. The various liposome-nucleic
acid complexes are prepared using methods well known in the art.
See, e.g., Straubinger et al., Methods of Immunology, 101:512-527
(1983), which is herein incorporated by reference. For example,
MLVs containing nucleic acid can be prepared by depositing a thin
film of phospholipid on the walls of a glass tube and subsequently
hydrating with a solution of the material to be encapsulated. SUVs
are prepared by extended sonication of MLVs to produce a
homogeneous population of unilamellar liposomes. The material to be
entrapped is added to a suspension of preformed MLVs and then
sonicated. When using liposomes containing cationic lipids, the
dried lipid film is resuspended in an appropriate solution such as
sterile water or an isotonic buffer solution such as 10 mM
Tris/NaCl, sonicated, and then the preformed liposomes are mixed
directly with the DNA. The liposome and DNA form a very stable
complex due to binding of the positively charged liposomes to the
cationic DNA. SUVs find use with small nucleic acid fragments. LUVs
are prepared by a number of methods, well known in the art.
Commonly used methods include Ca.sup.2+-EDTA chelation
(Papahadjopoulos et al., Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 394:483 (1975);
Wilson et al., Cell, 17:77 (1979)); ether injection (Deamer et al.,
Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 443:629 (1976); Ostro et al., Biochem.
Biophys. Res. Commun., 76:836 (1977); Fraley et al., Proc. Natl.
Acad. Sci. USA, 76:3348 (1979)); detergent dialysis (Enoch et al.,
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 76:145 (1979)); and reverse-phase
evaporation (REV) (Fraley et al., J. Biol. Chem., 255:10431 (1980);
Szoka et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 75:145 (1978);
Schaefer-Ridder et al., Science, 215:166 (1982)), which are herein
incorporated by reference.
[1015] Generally, the ratio of DNA to liposomes will be from about
10: 1 to about 1:10. Preferably, the ration will be from about 5:1
to about 1:5. More preferably, the ration will be about 3:1 to
about 1:3. Still more preferably, the ratio will be about 1:1.
[1016] U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,954 (which is herein incorporated by
reference) reports on the injection of genetic material, complexed
with cationic liposomes carriers, into mice. U.S. Pat. Nos.
4,897,355, 4,946,787, 5,049,386, 5,459,127, 5,589,466, 5,693,622,
5,580,859, 5,703,055, and international publication NO: WO 94/9469
(which are herein incorporated by reference) provide cationic
lipids for use in transfecting DNA into cells and mammals. U.S.
Pat. Nos. 5,589,466, 5,693,622, 5,580,859, 5,703,055, and
international publication NO: WO 94/9469 (which are herein
incorporated by reference) provide methods for delivering
DNA-cationic lipid complexes to mammals.
[1017] In certain embodiments, cells are engineered, ex vivo or in
vivo, using a retroviral particle containing RNA which comprises a
sequence encoding polypeptides of the invention. Retroviruses from
which the retroviral plasmid vectors may be derived include, but
are not limited to, Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus, spleen necrosis
virus, Rous sarcoma Virus, Harvey Sarcoma Virus, avian leukosis
virus, gibbon ape leukemia virus, human immunodeficiency virus,
Myeloproliferative Sarcoma Virus, and mammary tumor virus.
[1018] The retroviral plasmid vector is employed to transduce
packaging cell lines to form producer cell lines. Examples of
packaging cells which may be transfected include, but are not
limited to, the PE501, PA317, R-2, R-AM, PA12, T19-14X,
VT-19-17-H2, RCRE, RCRIP, GP+E-86, GP+envAm12, and DAN cell lines
as described in Miller, Human Gene Therapy, 1:5-14 (1990), which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The vector may
transduce the packaging cells through any means known in the art.
Such means include, but are not limited to, electroporation, the
use of liposomes, and CaPO.sub.4 precipitation. In one alternative,
the retroviral plasmid vector may be encapsulated into a liposome,
or coupled to a lipid, and then administered to a host.
[1019] The producer cell line generates infectious retroviral
vector particles which include polynucleotide encoding polypeptides
of the invention. Such retroviral vector particles then may be
employed, to transduce eukaryotic cells, either in vitro or in
vivo. The transduced eukaryotic cells will express polypeptides of
the invention.
[1020] In certain other embodiments, cells are engineered, ex vivo
or in vivo, with polynucleotides of the invention contained in an
adenovirus vector. Adenovirus can be manipulated such that it
encodes and expresses polypeptides of the invention, and at the
same time is inactivated in terms of its ability to replicate in a
normal lytic viral life cycle. Adenovirus expression is achieved
without integration of the viral DNA into the host cell chromosome,
thereby alleviating concerns about insertional mutagenesis.
Furthermore, adenoviruses have been used as live enteric vaccines
for many years with an excellent safety profile (Schwartzet al.,
Am. Rev. Respir. Dis., 109:233-238 (1974)). Finally, adenovirus
mediated gene transfer has been demonstrated in a number of
instances including transfer of alpha-1-antitrypsin and CFTR to the
lungs of cotton rats (Rosenfeld et al., Science, 252:431-434
(1991); Rosenfeld et al., Cell, 68:143-155 (1992)). Furthermore,
extensive studies to attempt to establish adenovirus as a causative
agent in human cancer were uniformly negative (Green et al. Proc.
Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 76:6606 (1979)).
[1021] Suitable adenoviral vectors useful in the present invention
are described, for example, in Kozarsky and Wilson, Curr. Opin.
Genet. Devel., 3:499-503 (1993); Rosenfeld et al., Cell, 68:143-155
(1992); Engelhardt et al., Human Genet. Ther., 4:759-769 (1993);
Yang et al., Nature Genet., 7:362-369 (1994); Wilson et al.,
Nature, 365:691-692 (1993); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,224, which are
herein incorporated by reference. For example, the adenovirus
vector Ad2 is useful and can be grown in human 293 cells. These
cells contain the E1 region of adenovirus and constitutively
express E1a and E1b, which complement the defective adenoviruses by
providing the products of the genes deleted from the vector. In
addition to Ad2, other varieties of adenovirus (e.g., Ad3, Ad5, and
Ad7) are also useful in the present invention.
[1022] Preferably, the adenoviruses used in the present invention
are replication deficient. Replication deficient adenoviruses
require the aid of a helper virus and/or packaging cell line to
form infectious particles. The resulting virus is capable of
infecting cells and can express a polynucleotide of interest which
is operably linked to a promoter, but cannot replicate in most
cells. Replication deficient adenoviruses may be deleted in one or
more of all or a portion of the following genes: E1a, E1b, E3, E4,
E2a, or L1 through L5.
[1023] In certain other embodiments, the cells are engineered, ex
vivo or in vivo, using an adeno-associated virus (AAV). AAVs are
naturally occurring defective viruses that require helper viruses
to produce infectious particles (Muzyczka, Curr. Topics in
Microbiol. Immunol., 158:97 (1992)). It is also one of the few
viruses that may integrate its DNA into non-dividing cells. Vectors
containing as little as 300 base pairs of AAV can be packaged and
can integrate, but space for exogenous DNA is limited to about 4.5
kb. Methods for producing and using such AAVs are known in the art.
See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,139,941, 5,173,414, 5,354,678,
5,436,146, 5,474,935, 5,478,745, and 5,589,377.
[1024] For example, an appropriate AAV vector for use in the
present invention will include all the sequences necessary for DNA
replication, encapsidation, and host-cell integration. The
polynucleotide construct containing polynucleotides of the
invention is inserted into the AAV vector using standard cloning
methods, such as those found in Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning:
A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Press (1989). The
recombinant AAV vector is then transfected into packaging cells
which are infected with a helper virus, using any standard
technique, including lipofection, electroporation, calcium
phosphate precipitation, etc. Appropriate helper viruses include
adenoviruses, cytomegaloviruses, vaccinia viruses, or herpes
viruses. Once the packaging cells are transfected and infected,
they will produce infectious AAV viral particles which contain the
polynucleotide construct of the invention. These viral particles
are then used to transduce eukaryotic cells, either ex vivo or in
vivo. The transduced cells will contain the polynucleotide
construct integrated into its genome, and will express the desired
gene product.
[1025] Another method of gene therapy involves operably associating
heterologous control regions and endogenous polynucleotide
sequences (e.g. encoding the polypeptide sequence of interest) via
homologous recombination (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,670,
issued Jun. 24, 1997; International Publication NO: WO 96/29411,
published Sep. 26, 1996; International Publication NO: WO 94/12650,
published Aug. 4, 1994; Koller et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA,
86:8932-8935 (1989); and Zijlstra et al., Nature, 342:435-438
(1989). This method involves the activation of a gene which is
present in the target cells, but which is not normally expressed in
the cells, or is expressed at a lower level than desired.
[1026] Polynucleotide constructs are made, using standard
techniques known in the art, which contain the promoter with
targeting sequences flanking the promoter. Suitable promoters are
described herein. The targeting sequence is sufficiently
complementary to an endogenous sequence to permit homologous
recombination of the promoter-targeting sequence with the
endogenous sequence. The targeting sequence will be sufficiently
near the 5' end of the desired endogenous polynucleotide sequence
so the promoter will be operably linked to the endogenous sequence
upon homologous recombination.
[1027] The promoter and the targeting sequences can be amplified
using PCR. Preferably, the amplified promoter contains distinct
restriction enzyme sites on the 5' and 3' ends. Preferably, the 3'
end of the first targeting sequence contains the same restriction
enzyme site as the 5' end of the amplified promoter and the 5' end
of the second targeting sequence contains the same restriction site
as the 3' end of the amplified promoter. The amplified promoter and
targeting sequences are digested and ligated together.
[1028] The promoter-targeting sequence construct is delivered to
the cells, either as naked polynucleotide, or in conjunction with
transfection-facilitating agents, such as liposomes, viral
sequences, viral particles, whole viruses, lipofection,
precipitating agents, etc., described in more detail above. The P
promoter-targeting sequence can be delivered by any method,
included direct needle injection, intravenous injection, topical
administration, catheter infusion, particle accelerators, etc. The
methods are described in more detail below.
[1029] The promoter-targeting sequence construct is taken up by
cells. Homologous recombination between the construct and the
endogenous sequence takes place, such that an endogenous sequence
is placed under the control of the promoter. The promoter then
drives the expression of the endogenous sequence.
[1030] The polynucleotides encoding polypeptides of the present
invention may be administered along with other polynucleotides
encoding other angiongenic proteins. Angiogenic proteins include,
but are not limited to, acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors,
VEGF-1, VEGF-2 (VEGF-C), VEGF-3 (VEGF-B), epidermal growth factor
alpha and beta, platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor,
platelet-derived growth factor, tumor necrosis factor alpha,
hepatocyte growth factor, insulin like growth factor, colony
stimulating factor, macrophage colony stimulating factor,
granulocyte/macrophage colony stimulating factor, and nitric oxide
synthase.
[1031] Preferably, the polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide of the
invention contains a secretory signal sequence that facilitates
secretion of the protein. Typically, the signal sequence is
positioned in the coding region of the polynucleotide to be
expressed towards or at the 5' end of the coding region. The signal
sequence may be homologous or heterologous to the polynucleotide of
interest and may be homologous or heterologous to the cells to be
transfected. Additionally, the signal sequence may be chemically
synthesized using methods known in the art.
[1032] Any mode of administration of any of the above-described
polynucleotides constructs can be used so long as the mode results
in the expression of one or more molecules in an amount sufficient
to provide a therapeutic effect. This includes direct needle
injection, systemic injection, catheter infusion, biolistic
injectors, particle accelerators (i.e., "gene guns"), gelfoam
sponge depots, other commercially available depot materials,
osmotic pumps (e.g., Alza minipumps), oral or suppositorial solid
(tablet or pill) pharmaceutical formulations, and decanting or
topical applications during surgery. For example, direct injection
of naked calcium phosphate-precipitated plasmid into rat liver and
rat spleen or a protein-coated plasmid into the portal vein has
resulted in gene expression of the foreign gene in the rat livers.
(Kaneda et al., Science, 243:375 (1989)).
[1033] A preferred method of local administration is by direct
injection. Preferably, a recombinant molecule of the present
invention complexed with a delivery vehicle is administered by
direct injection into or locally within the area of arteries.
Administration of a composition locally within the area of arteries
refers to injecting the composition centimeters and preferably,
millimeters within arteries.
[1034] Another method of local administration is to contact a
polynucleotide construct of the present invention in or around a
surgical wound. For example, a patient can undergo surgery and the
polynucleotide construct can be coated on the surface of tissue
inside the wound or the construct can be injected into areas of
tissue inside the wound.
[1035] Therapeutic compositions useful in systemic administration,
include recombinant molecules of the present invention complexed to
a targeted delivery vehicle of the present invention. Suitable
delivery vehicles for use with systemic administration comprise
liposomes comprising ligands for targeting the vehicle to a
particular site.
[1036] Preferred methods of systemic administration, include
intravenous injection, aerosol, oral and percutaneous (topical)
delivery. Intravenous injections can be performed using methods
standard in the art. Aerosol delivery can also be performed using
methods standard in the art (see, for example, Stribling et al.,
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 189:11277-11281 (1992), which is
incorporated herein by reference). Oral delivery can be performed
by complexing a polynucleotide construct of the present invention
to a carrier capable of withstanding degradation by digestive
enzymes in the gut of an animal. Examples of such carriers, include
plastic capsules or tablets, such as those known in the art.
Topical delivery can be performed by mixing a polynucleotide
construct of the present invention with a lipophilic reagent (e.g.,
DMSO) that is capable of passing into the skin. \
[1037] Determining an effective amount of substance to be delivered
can depend upon a number of factors including, for example, the
chemical structure and biological activity of the substance, the
age and weight of the animal, the precise condition requiring
treatment and its severity, and the route of administration. The
frequency of treatments depends upon a number of factors, such as
the amount of polynucleotide constructs administered per dose, as
well as the health and history of the subject. The precise amount,
number of doses, and timing of doses will be determined by the
attending physician or veterinarian. Therapeutic compositions of
the present invention can be administered to any animal, preferably
to mammals and birds. Preferred mammals include humans, dogs, cats,
mice, rats, rabbits sheep, cattle, horses and pigs, with humans
being particularly
Biological Activities
[1038] The polynucleotides or polypeptides, or agonists or
antagonists of the present invention can be used in assays to test
for one or more biological activities. If these polynucleotides and
polypeptides do exhibit activity in a particular assay, it is
likely that these molecules may be involved in the diseases
associated with the biological activity. Thus, the polynucleotides
or polypeptides, or agonists or antagonists could be used to treat
the associated disease.
[1039] Polynucleotides, translation products and antibodies
corresponding to this gene may be useful for the diagnosis,
prognosis, prevention, and/or treatment of diseases and/or
disorders associated with the following systems.
Immune Activity
[1040] Polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists
or antagonists of the present invention may be useful in treating,
preventing, diagnosing and/or prognosing diseases, disorders,
and/or conditions of the immune system, by, for example, activating
or inhibiting the proliferation, differentiation, or mobilization
(chemotaxis) of immune cells. Immune cells develop through a
process called hematopoiesis, producing myeloid (platelets, red
blood cells, neutrophils, and macrophages) and lymphoid (B and T
lymphocytes) cells from pluripotent stem cells. The etiology of
these immune diseases, disorders, and/or conditions may be genetic,
somatic, such as cancer and some autoimmune diseases, acquired
(e.g., by chemotherapy or toxins), or infectious. Moreover,
polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists or
antagonists of the present invention can be used as a marker or
detector of a particular immune system disease or disorder.
[1041] In another embodiment, a polypeptide of the invention, or
polynucleotides, antibodies, agonists, or antagonists corresponding
to that polypeptide, may be used to treat diseases and disorders of
the immune system and/or to inhibit or enhance an immune response
generated by cells associated with the tissue(s) in which the
polypeptide of the invention is expressed, including one, two,
three, four, five, or more tissues disclosed in Table 1A, column 8
(Tissue Distribution Library Code).
[1042] Polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists
or antagonists of the present invention may be useful in treating,
preventing, diagnosing, and/or prognosing immunodeficiencies,
including both congenital and acquired immunodeficiencies. Examples
of B cell immunodeficiencies in which immunoglobulin levels B cell
function and/or B cell numbers are decreased include: X-linked
agammaglobulinemia (Bruton's disease), X-linked infantile
agammaglobulinemia, X-linked immunodeficiency with hyper IgM, non
X-linked immunodeficiency with hyper IgM, X-linked
lymphoproliferative syndrome (XLP), agammaglobulinemia including
congenital and acquired agammaglobulinemia, adult onset
agammaglobulinemia, late-onset agammaglobulinemia,
dysgammaglobulinemia, hypogammaglobulinemia, unspecified
hypogammaglobulinemia, recessive agammaglobulinemia (Swiss type),
Selective IgM deficiency, selective IgA deficiency, selective IgG
subclass deficiencies, IgG subclass deficiency (with or without IgA
deficiency), Ig deficiency with increased IgM, IgG and IgA
deficiency with increased IgM, antibody deficiency with normal or
elevated Igs, Ig heavy chain deletions, kappa chain deficiency, B
cell lymphoproliferative disorder (BLPD), common variable
immunodeficiency (CVID), common variable immunodeficiency (CVI)
(acquired), and transient hypogammaglobulinemia of infancy.
[1043] In specific embodiments, ataxia-telangiectasia or conditions
associated with ataxia-telangiectasia are treated, prevented,
diagnosed, and/or prognosing using the polypeptides or
polynucleotides of the invention, and/or agonists or antagonists
thereof.
[1044] Examples of congenital immunodeficiencies in which T cell
and/or B cell function and/or number is decreased include, but are
not limited to: DiGeorge anomaly, severe combined
immunodeficiencies (SCID) (including, but not limited to, X-linked
SCID, autosomal recessive SCID, adenosine deaminase deficiency,
purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) deficiency, Class II MHC
deficiency (Bare lymphocyte syndrome), Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome,
and ataxia telangiectasia), thymic hypoplasia, third and fourth
pharyngeal pouch syndrome, 22q11.2 deletion, chronic mucocutaneous
candidiasis, natural killer cell deficiency (NK), idiopathic CD4+
T-lymphocytopenia, immunodeficiency with predominant T cell defect
(unspecified), and unspecified immunodeficiency of cell mediated
immunity.
[1045] In specific embodiments, DiGeorge anomaly or conditions
associated with DiGeorge anomaly are treated, prevented, diagnosed,
and/or prognosed using polypeptides or polynucleotides of the
invention, or antagonists or agonists thereof.
[1046] Other immunodeficiencies that may be treated, prevented,
diagnosed, and/or prognosed using polypeptides or polynucleotides
of the invention, and/or agonists or antagonists thereof, include,
but are not limited to, chronic granulomatous disease,
Chediak-Higashi syndrome, myeloperoxidase deficiency, leukocyte
glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, X-linked
lymphoproliferative syndrome (XLP), leukocyte adhesion deficiency,
complement component deficiencies (including C1, C2, C3, C4, C5,
C6, C7, C8 and/or C9 deficiencies), reticular dysgenesis, thymic
alymphoplasia-aplasia, immunodeficiency with thymoma, severe
congenital leukopenia, dysplasia with immunodeficiency, neonatal
neutropenia, short limbed dwarfism, and Nezelof syndrome-combined
immunodeficiency with Igs.
[1047] In a preferred embodiment, the immunodeficiencies and/or
conditions associated with the immunodeficiencies recited above are
treated, prevented, diagnosed and/or prognosed using
polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists or
antagonists of the present invention.
[1048] In a preferred embodiment polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention
could be used as an agent to boost immunoresponsiveness among
immunodeficient individuals. In specific embodiments,
polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists or
antagonists of the present invention could be used as an agent to
boost immunoresponsiveness among B cell and/or T cell
immunodeficient individuals.
[1049] The polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention may be useful in
treating, preventing, diagnosing and/or prognosing autoimmune
disorders. Many autoimmune disorders result from inappropriate
recognition of self as foreign material by immune cells. This
inappropriate recognition results in an immune response leading to
the destruction of the host tissue. Therefore, the administration
of polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention that can
inhibit an immune response, particularly the proliferation,
differentiation, or chemotaxis of T-cells, may be an effective
therapy in preventing autoimmune disorders.
[1050] Autoimmune diseases or disorders that may be treated,
prevented, diagnosed and/or prognosed by polynucleotides,
polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the
present invention include, but are not limited to, one or more of
the following: systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis,
ankylosing spondylitis, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune thyroiditis,
Hashimoto's thyroiditis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, hemolytic
anemia, thrombocytopenia, autoimmune thrombocytopenia purpura,
autoimmune neonatal thrombocytopenia, idiopathic thrombocytopenia
purpura, purpura (e.g., Henloch-Scoenlein purpura),
autoimmunocytopenia, Goodpasture's syndrome, Pemphigus vulgaris,
myasthenia gravis, Grave's disease (hyperthyroidism), and
insulin-resistant diabetes mellitus.
[1051] Additional disorders that are likely to have an autoimmune
component that may be treated, prevented, and/or diagnosed with the
compositions of the invention include, but are not limited to, type
II collagen-induced arthritis, antiphospholipid syndrome,
dermatitis, allergic encephalomyelitis, myocarditis, relapsing
polychondritis, rheumatic heart disease, neuritis, uveitis
ophthalmia, polyendocrinopathies, Reiter's Disease, Stiff-Man
Syndrome, autoimmune pulmonary inflammation, autism, Guillain-Barre
Syndrome, insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, and autoimmune
inflammatory eye disorders.
[1052] Additional disorders that are likely to have an autoimmune
component that may be treated, prevented, diagnosed and/or
prognosed with the compositions of the invention include, but are
not limited to, scleroderma with anti-collagen antibodies (often
characterized, e.g., by nucleolar and other nuclear antibodies),
mixed connective tissue disease (often characterized, e.g., by
antibodies to extractable nuclear antigens (e.g.,
ribonucleoprotein)), polymyositis (often characterized, e.g., by
nonhistone ANA), pernicious anemia (often characterized, e.g., by
antiparietal cell, microsomes, and intrinsic factor antibodies),
idiopathic Addison's disease (often characterized, e.g., by humoral
and cell-mediated adrenal cytotoxicity, infertility (often
characterized, e.g., by antispermatozoal antibodies),
glomerulonephritis (often characterized, e.g., by glomerular
basement membrane antibodies or immune complexes), bullous
pemphigoid (often characterized, e.g., by IgG and complement in
basement membrane), Sjogren's syndrome (often characterized, e.g.,
by multiple tissue antibodies, and/or a specific nonhistone ANA
(SS-B)), diabetes mellitus (often characterized, e.g., by
cell-mediated and humoral islet cell antibodies), and adrenergic
drug resistance (including adrenergic drug resistance with asthma
or cystic fibrosis) (often characterized, e.g., by beta-adrenergic
receptor antibodies).
[1053] Additional disorders that may have an autoimmune component
that may be treated, prevented, diagnosed and/or prognosed with the
compositions of the invention include, but are not limited to,
chronic active hepatitis (often characterized, e.g., by smooth
muscle antibodies), primary biliary cirrhosis (often characterized,
e.g., by mitochondria antibodies), other endocrine gland failure
(often characterized, e.g., by specific tissue antibodies in some
cases), vitiligo (often characterized, e.g., by melanocyte
antibodies), vasculitis (often characterized, e.g., by Ig and
complement in vessel walls and/or low serum complement), post-MI
(often characterized, e.g., by myocardial antibodies), cardiotomy
syndrome (often characterized, e.g., by myocardial antibodies),
urticaria (often characterized, e.g., by IgG and IgM antibodies to
IgE), atopic dermatitis (often characterized, e.g., by IgG and IgM
antibodies to IgE), asthma (often characterized, e.g., by IgG and
IgM antibodies to IgE), and many other inflammatory, granulomatous,
degenerative, and atrophic disorders.
[1054] In a preferred embodiment, the autoimmune diseases and
disorders and/or conditions associated with the diseases and
disorders recited above are treated, prevented, diagnosed and/or
prognosed using for example, antagonists or agonists, polypeptides
or polynucleotides, or antibodies of the present invention. In a
specific preferred embodiment, rheumatoid arthritis is treated,
prevented, and/or diagnosed using polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention.
[1055] In another specific preferred embodiment, systemic lupus
erythematosus is treated, prevented, and/or diagnosed using
polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists or
antagonists of the present invention. In another specific preferred
embodiment, idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura is treated,
prevented, and/or diagnosed using polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention.
[1056] In another specific preferred embodiment IgA nephropathy is
treated, prevented, and/or diagnosed using polynucleotides,
polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the
present invention.
[1057] In a preferred embodiment, the autoimmune diseases and
disorders and/or conditions associated with the diseases and
disorders recited above are treated, prevented, diagnosed and/or
prognosed using polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention
[1058] In preferred embodiments, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as a immunosuppressive agent(s).
[1059] Polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists
or antagonists of the present invention may be useful in treating,
preventing, prognosing, and/or diagnosing diseases, disorders,
and/or conditions of hematopoietic cells. Polynucleotides,
polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the
present invention could be used to increase differentiation and
proliferation of hematopoietic cells, including the pluripotent
stem cells, in an effort to treat or prevent those diseases,
disorders, and/or conditions associated with a decrease in certain
(or many) types hematopoietic cells, including but not limited to,
leukopenia, neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia.
Alternatively, Polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention could be used to
increase differentiation and proliferation of hematopoietic cells,
including the pluripotent stem cells, in an effort to treat or
prevent those diseases, disorders, and/or conditions associated
with an increase in certain (or many) types of hematopoietic cells,
including but not limited to, histiocytosis.
[1060] Allergic reactions and conditions, such as asthma
(particularly allergic asthma) or other respiratory problems, may
also be treated, prevented, diagnosed and/or prognosed using
polypeptides, antibodies, or polynucleotides of the invention,
and/or agonists or antagonists thereof. Moreover, these molecules
can be used to treat, prevent, prognose, and/or diagnose
anaphylaxis, hypersensitivity to an antigenic molecule, or blood
group incompatibility.
[1061] Additionally, polypeptides or polynucleotides of the
invention, and/or agonists or antagonists thereof, may be used to
treat, prevent, diagnose and/or prognose IgE-mediated allergic
reactions. Such allergic reactions include, but are not limited to,
asthma, rhinitis, and eczema. In specific embodiments,
polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists or
antagonists of the present invention may be used to modulate IgE
concentrations in vitro or in vivo.
[1062] Moreover, polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention have uses in the
diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, and/or treatment of inflammatory
conditions. For example, since polypeptides, antibodies, or
polynucleotides of the invention, and/or agonists or antagonists of
the invention may inhibit the activation, proliferation and/or
differentiation of cells involved in an inflammatory response,
these molecules can be used to prevent and/or treat chronic and
acute inflammatory conditions. Such inflammatory conditions
include, but are not limited to, for example, inflammation
associated with infection (e.g., septic shock, sepsis, or systemic
inflammatory response syndrome), ischemia-reperfusion injury,
endotoxin lethality, complement-mediated hyperacute rejection,
nephritis, cytokine or chemokine induced lung injury, inflammatory
bowel disease, Crohn's disease, over production of cytokines (e.g.,
TNF or IL-1.), respiratory disorders (e.g., asthma and allergy);
gastrointestinal disorders (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease);
cancers (e.g., gastric, ovarian, lung, bladder, liver, and breast);
CNS disorders (e.g., multiple sclerosis; ischemic brain injury
and/or stroke, traumatic brain injury, neurodegenerative disorders
(e.g., Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease); AIDS-related
dementia; and prion disease); cardiovascular disorders (e.g.,
atherosclerosis, myocarditis, cardiovascular disease, and
cardiopulmonary bypass complications); as well as many additional
diseases, conditions, and disorders that are characterized by
inflammation (e.g., hepatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, trauma,
pancreatitis, sarcoidosis, dermatitis, renal ischemia-reperfusion
injury, Grave's disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, diabetes
mellitus, and allogenic transplant rejection).
[1063] Because inflammation is a fundamental defense mechanism,
inflammatory disorders can effect virtually any tissue of the body.
Accordingly, polynucleotides, polypeptides, and antibodies of the
invention, as well as agonists or antagonists thereof, have uses in
the treatment of tissue-specific inflammatory disorders, including,
but not limited to, adrenalitis, alveolitis, angiocholecystitis,
appendicitis, balanitis, blepharitis, bronchitis, bursitis,
carditis, cellulitis, cervicitis, cholecystitis, chorditis,
cochlitis, colitis, conjunctivitis, cystitis, dermatitis,
diverticulitis, encephalitis, endocarditis, esophagitis,
eustachitis, fibrositis, folliculitis, gastritis, gastroenteritis,
gingivitis, glossitis, hepatosplenitis, keratitis, labyrinthitis,
laryngitis, lymphangitis, mastitis, media otitis, meningitis,
metritis, mucitis, myocarditis, myosititis, myringitis, nephritis,
neuritis, orchitis, osteochondritis, otitis, pericarditis,
peritendonitis, peritonitis, pharyngitis, phlebitis, poliomyelitis,
prostatitis, pulpitis, retinitis, rhinitis, salpingitis, scleritis,
sclerochoroiditis, scrotitis, sinusitis, spondylitis, steatitis,
stomatitis, synovitis, syringitis, tendonitis, tonsillitis,
urethritis, and vaginitis.
[1064] In specific embodiments, polypeptides, antibodies, or
polynucleotides of the invention, and/or agonists or antagonists
thereof, are useful to diagnose, prognose, prevent, and/or treat
organ transplant rejections and graft-versus-host disease. Organ
rejection occurs by host immune cell destruction of the
transplanted tissue through an immune response. Similarly, an
immune response is also involved in GVHD, but, in this case, the
foreign transplanted immune cells destroy the host tissues.
Polypeptides, antibodies, or polynucleotides of the invention,
and/or agonists or antagonists thereof, that inhibit an immune
response, particularly the activation, proliferation,
differentiation, or chemotaxis of T-cells, may be an effective
therapy in preventing organ rejection or GVHD. In specific
embodiments, polypeptides, antibodies, or polynucleotides of the
invention, and/or agonists or antagonists thereof, that inhibit an
immune response, particularly the activation, proliferation,
differentiation, or chemotaxis of T-cells, may be an effective
therapy in preventing experimental allergic and hyperacute
xenograft rejection.
[1065] In other embodiments, polypeptides, antibodies, or
polynucleotides of the invention, and/or agonists or antagonists
thereof, are useful to diagnose, prognose, prevent, and/or treat
immune complex diseases, including, but not limited to, serum
sickness, post streptococcal glomerulonephritis, polyarteritis
nodosa, and immune complex-induced vasculitis.
[1066] Polypeptides, antibodies, polynucleotides and/or agonists or
antagonists of the invention can be used to treat, detect, and/or
prevent infectious agents. For example, by increasing the immune
response, particularly increasing the proliferation activation
and/or differentiation of B and/or T cells, infectious diseases may
be treated, detected, and/or prevented. The immune response may be
increased by either enhancing an existing immune response, or by
initiating a new immune response. Alternatively, polynucleotides,
polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the
present invention may also directly inhibit the infectious agent
(refer to section of application listing infectious agents, etc),
without necessarily eliciting an immune response.
[1067] In another embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as a vaccine adjuvant that enhances immune
responsiveness to an antigen. In a specific embodiment,
polypeptides, antibodies, polynucleotides and/or agonists or
antagonists of the present invention are used as an adjuvant to
enhance tumor-specific immune responses.
[1068] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as an adjuvant to enhance anti-viral immune
responses. Anti-viral immune responses that may be enhanced using
the compositions of the invention as an adjuvant, include virus and
virus associated diseases or symptoms described herein or otherwise
known in the art. In specific embodiments, the compositions of the
invention are used as an adjuvant to enhance an immune response to
a virus, disease, or symptom selected from the group consisting of:
AIDS, meningitis, Dengue, EBV, and hepatitis (e.g., hepatitis B).
In another specific embodiment, the compositions of the invention
are used as an adjuvant to enhance an immune response to a virus,
disease, or symptom selected from the group consisting of:
HIV/AIDS, respiratory syncytial virus, Dengue, rotavirus, Japanese
B encephalitis, influenza A and B, parainfluenza, measles,
cytomegalovirus, rabies, Junin, Chikungunya, Rift Valley Fever,
herpes simplex, and yellow fever.
[1069] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as an adjuvant to enhance anti-bacterial or
anti-fungal immune responses. Anti-bacterial or anti-fungal immune
responses that may be enhanced using the compositions of the
invention as an adjuvant, include bacteria or fungus and bacteria
or fungus associated diseases or symptoms described herein or
otherwise known in the art. In specific embodiments, the
compositions of the invention are used as an adjuvant to enhance an
immune response to a bacteria or fungus, disease, or symptom
selected from the group consisting of: tetanus, Diphtheria,
botulism, and meningitis type B.
[1070] In another specific embodiment, the compositions of the
invention are used as an adjuvant to enhance an immune response to
a bacteria or fungus, disease, or symptom selected from the group
consisting of: Vibrio cholerae, Mycobacterium leprae, Salmonella
typhi, Salmonella paratyphi, Meisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus
pneumoniae, Group B streptococcus, Shigella spp., Enterotoxigenic
Escherichia coli, Enterohemorrhagic E. coli, and Borrelia
burgdorferi.
[1071] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as an adjuvant to enhance anti-parasitic immune
responses. Anti-parasitic immune responses that may be enhanced
using the compositions of the invention as an adjuvant, include
parasite and parasite associated diseases or symptoms described
herein or otherwise known in the art. In specific embodiments, the
compositions of the invention are used as an adjuvant to enhance an
immune response to a parasite. In another specific embodiment, the
compositions of the invention are used as an adjuvant to enhance an
immune response to Plasmodium (malaria) or Leishmania.
[1072] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention may also be employed to treat infectious diseases
including silicosis, sarcoidosis, and idiopathic pulmonary
fibrosis; for example, by preventing the recruitment and activation
of mononuclear phagocytes.
[1073] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as an antigen for the generation of antibodies
to inhibit or enhance immune mediated responses against
polypeptides of the invention.
[1074] In one embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies, polynucleotides
and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention are
administered to an animal (e.g., mouse, rat, rabbit, hamster,
guinea pig, pigs, micro-pig, chicken, camel, goat, horse, cow,
sheep, dog, cat, non-human primate, and human, most preferably
human) to boost the immune system to produce increased quantities
of one or more antibodies (e.g., IgG, IgA, IgM, and IgE), to induce
higher affinity antibody production and immunoglobulin class
switching (e.g., IgG, IgA, IgM, and IgE), and/or to increase an
immune response.
[1075] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as a stimulator of B cell responsiveness to
pathogens.
[1076] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as an activator of T cells.
[1077] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as an agent that elevates the immune status of
an individual prior to their receipt of immunosuppressive
therapies.
[1078] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as an agent to induce higher affinity
antibodies.
[1079] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as an agent to increase serum immunoglobulin
concentrations.
[1080] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as an agent to accelerate recovery of
immunocompromised individuals.
[1081] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as an agent to boost immunoresponsiveness among
aged populations and/or neonates.
[1082] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as an immune system enhancer prior to, during,
or after bone marrow transplant and/or other transplants (e.g.,
allogeneic or xenogeneic organ transplantation). With respect to
transplantation, compositions of the invention may be administered
prior to, concomitant with, and/or after transplantation. In a
specific embodiment, compositions of the invention are administered
after transplantation, prior to the beginning of recovery of T-cell
populations. In another specific embodiment, compositions of the
invention are first administered after transplantation after the
beginning of recovery of T cell populations, but prior to full
recovery of B cell populations.
[1083] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as an agent to boost immunoresponsiveness among
individuals having an acquired loss of B cell function. Conditions
resulting in an acquired loss of B cell function that may be
ameliorated or treated by administering the polypeptides,
antibodies, polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists thereof,
include, but are not limited to, HIV Infection, AIDS, bone marrow
transplant, and B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
[1084] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as an agent to boost immunoresponsiveness among
individuals having a temporary immune deficiency. Conditions
resulting in a temporary immune deficiency that may be ameliorated
or treated by administering the polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists thereof, include,
but are not limited to, recovery from viral infections (e.g.,
influenza), conditions associated with malnutrition, recovery from
infectious mononucleosis, or conditions associated with stress,
recovery from measles, recovery from blood transfusion, and
recovery from surgery.
[1085] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as a regulator of antigen presentation by
monocytes, dendritic cells, and/or B-cells. In one embodiment,
polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists or
antagonists of the present invention enhance antigen presentation
or antagonizes antigen presentation in vitro or in vivo. Moreover,
in related embodiments, said enhancement or antagonism of antigen
presentation may be useful as an anti-tumor treatment or to
modulate the immune system.
[1086] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as an agent to direct an individual's immune
system towards development of a humoral response (i.e. TH2) as
opposed to a TH1 cellular response.
[1087] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as a means to induce tumor proliferation and
thus make it more susceptible to anti-neoplastic agents. For
example, multiple myeloma is a slowly dividing disease and is thus
refractory to virtually all anti-neoplastic regimens. If these
cells were forced to proliferate more rapidly their susceptibility
profile would likely change.
[1088] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as a stimulator of B cell production in
pathologies such as AIDS, chronic lymphocyte disorder and/or Common
Variable Immunodificiency.
[1089] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as a therapy for generation and/or regeneration
of lymphoid tissues following surgery, trauma or genetic defect. In
another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used in the pretreatment of bone marrow samples prior
to transplant.
[1090] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as a gene-based therapy for genetically
inherited disorders resulting in
immuno-incompetence/immunodeficiency such as observed among SCID
patients.
[1091] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as a means of activating monocytes/macrophages
to defend against parasitic diseases that effect monocytes such as
Leishmania.
[1092] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as a means of regulating secreted cytokines that
are elicited by polypeptides of the invention.
[1093] In another embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used in one or more of the applications decribed
herein, as they may apply to veterinary medicine.
[1094] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as a means of blocking various aspects of immune
responses to foreign agents or self. Examples of diseases or
conditions in which blocking of certain aspects of immune responses
may be desired include autoimmune disorders such as lupus, and
arthritis, as well as immunoresponsiveness to skin allergies,
inflammation, bowel disease, injury and diseases/disorders
associated with pathogens.
[1095] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as a therapy for preventing the B cell
proliferation and Ig secretion associated with autoimmune diseases
such as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, systemic lupus
erythematosus and multiple sclerosis.
[1096] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as a inhibitor of B and/or T cell migration in
endothelial cells. This activity disrupts tissue architecture or
cognate responses and is useful, for example in disrupting immune
responses, and blocking sepsis.
[1097] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as a therapy for chronic hypergammaglobulinemia
evident in such diseases as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined
significance (MGUS), Waldenstrom's disease, related idiopathic
monoclonal gammopathies, and plasmacytomas.
[1098] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention may be employed for instance to inhibit polypeptide
chemotaxis and activation of macrophages and their precursors, and
of neutrophils, basophils, B lymphocytes and some T-cell subsets,
e.g., activated and CD8 cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells,
in certain autoimmune and chronic inflammatory and infective
diseases. Examples of autoimmune diseases are described herein and
include multiple sclerosis, and insulin-dependent diabetes.
[1099] The polypeptides, antibodies, polynucleotides and/or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention may also be
employed to treat idiopathic hyper-eosinophilic syndrome by, for
example, preventing eosinophil production and migration.
[1100] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used to enhance or inhibit complement mediated cell
lysis.
[1101] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used to enhance or inhibit antibody dependent
cellular cytotoxicity.
[1102] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention may also be employed for treating atherosclerosis, for
example, by preventing monocyte infiltration in the artery
wall.
[1103] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention may be employed to treat adult respiratory distress
syndrome (ARDS).
[1104] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention may be useful for stimulating wound and tissue repair,
stimulating angiogenesis, and/or stimulating the repair of vascular
or lymphatic diseases or disorders. Additionally, agonists and
antagonists of the invention may be used to stimulate the
regeneration of mucosal surfaces.
[1105] In a specific embodiment, polynucleotides or polypeptides,
and/or agonists thereof are used to diagnose, prognose, treat,
and/or prevent a disorder characterized by primary or acquired
immunodeficiency, deficient serum immunoglobulin production,
recurrent infections, and/or immune system dysfunction. Moreover,
polynucleotides or polypeptides, and/or agonists thereof may be
used to treat or prevent infections of the joints, bones, skin,
and/or parotid glands, blood-borne infections (e.g., sepsis,
meningitis, septic arthritis, and/or osteomyelitis), autoimmune
diseases (e.g., those disclosed herein), inflammatory disorders,
and malignancies, and/or any disease or disorder or condition
associated with these infections, diseases, disorders and/or
malignancies) including, but not limited to, CVID, other primary
immune deficiencies, HIV disease, CLL, recurrent bronchitis,
sinusitis, otitis media, conjunctivitis, pneumonia, hepatitis,
meningitis, herpes zoster (e.g., severe herpes zoster), and/or
pneumocystis carnii. Other diseases and disorders that may be
prevented, diagnosed, prognosed, and/or treated with
polynucleotides or polypeptides, and/or agonists of the present
invention include, but are not limited to, HIV infection, HTLV-BLV
infection, lymphopenia, phagocyte bactericidal dysfunction anemia,
thrombocytopenia, and hemoglobinuria.
[1106] In another embodiment, polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention
are used to treat, and/or diagnose an individual having common
variable immunodeficiency disease ("CVID"; also known as "acquired
agammaglobulinemia" and "acquired hypogammaglobulinemia") or a
subset of this disease.
[1107] In a specific embodiment, polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention
may be used to diagnose, prognose, prevent, and/or treat cancers or
neoplasms including immune cell or immune tissue-related cancers or
neoplasms. Examples of cancers or neoplasms that may be prevented,
diagnosed, or treated by polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies,
and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention include,
but are not limited to, acute myelogenous leukemia, chronic
myelogenous leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma,
acute lymphocytic anemia (ALL) Chronic lymphocyte leukemia,
plasmacytomas, multiple myeloma, Burkitt's lymphoma,
EBV-transformed diseases, and/or diseases and disorders described
in the section entitled "Hyperproliferative Disorders" elsewhere
herein.
[1108] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as a therapy for decreasing cellular
proliferation of Large B-cell Lymphomas.
[1109] In another specific embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are used as a means of decreasing the involvement of B
cells and Ig associated with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia.
[1110] In specific embodiments, the compositions of the invention
are used as an agent to boost immunoresponsiveness among B cell
immunodeficient individuals, such as, for example, an individual
who has undergone a partial or complete splenectomy.
[1111] Antagonists of the invention include, for example, binding
and/or inhibitory antibodies, antisense nucleic acids, ribozymes or
soluble forms of the polypeptides of the present invention (e.g.,
Fc fusion protein; see, e.g., Example 9). Agonists of the invention
include, for example, binding or stimulatory antibodies, and
soluble forms of the polypeptides (e.g., Fc fusion proteins; see,
e.g., Example 9). polypeptides, antibodies, polynucleotides and/or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention may be employed in
a composition with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, e.g., as
described herein.
[1112] In another embodiment, polypeptides, antibodies,
polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention are administered to an animal (including, but not limited
to, those listed above, and also including transgenic animals)
incapable of producing functional endogenous antibody molecules or
having an otherwise compromised endogenous immune system, but which
is capable of producing human immunoglobulin molecules by means of
a reconstituted or partially reconstituted immune system from
another animal (see, e.g., published PCT Application Nos.
WO98/24893, WO/9634096, WO/9633735, and WO/9110741). Administration
of polypeptides, antibodies, polynucleotides and/or agonists or
antagonists of the present invention to such animals is useful for
the generation of monoclonal antibodies against the polypeptides,
antibodies, polynucleotides and/or agonists or antagonists of the
present invention in an organ system listed above.
Blood-Related Disorders
[1113] The polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention may be used to
modulate hemostatic (the stopping of bleeding) or thrombolytic
(clot dissolving) activity. For example, by increasing hemostatic
or thrombolytic activity, polynucleotides or polypeptides, and/or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention could be used to
treat or prevent blood coagulation diseases, disorders, and/or
conditions (e.g., afibrinogenemia, factor deficiencies,
hemophilia), blood platelet diseases, disorders, and/or conditions
(e.g., thrombocytopenia), or wounds resulting from trauma, surgery,
or other causes. Alternatively, polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention
that can decrease hemostatic or thrombolytic activity could be used
to inhibit or dissolve clotting. These molecules could be important
in the treatment or prevention of heart attacks (infarction),
strokes, or scarring.
[1114] In specific embodiments, the polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention
may be used to prevent, diagnose, prognose, and/or treat
thrombosis, arterial thrombosis, venous thrombosis,
thromboembolism, pulmonary embolism, atherosclerosis, myocardial
infarction, transient ischemic attack, unstable angina. In specific
embodiments, the polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention may be used for
the prevention of occulsion of saphenous grafts, for reducing the
risk of periprocedural thrombosis as might accompany angioplasty
procedures, for reducing the risk of stroke in patients with atrial
fibrillation including nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation, for
reducing the risk of embolism associated with mechanical heart
valves and or mitral valves disease. Other uses for the
polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists or
antagonists of the present invention, include, but are not limited
to, the prevention of occlusions in extrcorporeal devices (e.g.,
intravascular canulas, vascular access shunts in hemodialysis
patients, hemodialysis machines, and cardiopulmonary bypass
machines).
[1115] In another embodiment, a polypeptide of the invention, or
polynucleotides, antibodies, agonists, or antagonists corresponding
to that polypeptide, may be used to prevent, diagnose, prognose,
and/or treat diseases and disorders of the blood and/or blood
forming organs associated with the tissue(s) in which the
polypeptide of the invention is expressed, including one, two,
three, four, five, or more tissues disclosed in Table 1A, column 8
(Tissue Distribution Library Code).
[1116] The polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention may be used to
modulate hematopoietic activity (the formation of blood cells). For
example, the polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention may be used to
increase the quantity of all or subsets of blood cells, such as,
for example, erythrocytes, lymphocytes (B or T cells), myeloid
cells (e.g., basophils, eosinophils, neutrophils, mast cells,
macrophages) and platelets. The ability to decrease the quantity of
blood cells or subsets of blood cells may be useful in the
prevention, detection, diagnosis and/or treatment of anemias and
leukopenias described below. Alternatively, the polynucleotides,
polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the
present invention may be used to decrease the quantity of all or
subsets of blood cells, such as, for example, erythrocytes,
lymphocytes (B or T cells), myeloid cells (e.g., basophils,
eosinophils, neutrophils, mast cells, macrophages) and platelets.
The ability to decrease the quantity of blood cells or subsets of
blood cells may be useful in the prevention, detection, diagnosis
and/or treatment of leukocytoses, such as, for example
eosinophilia.
[1117] The polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention may be used to
prevent, treat, or diagnose blood dyscrasia.
[1118] Anemias are conditions in which the number of red blood
cells or amount of hemoglobin (the protein that carries oxygen) in
them is below normal. Anemia may be caused by excessive bleeding,
decreased red blood cell production, or increased red blood cell
destruction (hemolysis). The polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention
may be useful in treating, preventing, and/or diagnosing anemias.
Anemias that may be treated prevented or diagnosed by the
polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists or
antagonists of the present invention include iron deficiency
anemia, hypochromic anemia, microcytic anemia, chlorosis,
hereditary siderob; astic anemia, idiopathic acquired sideroblastic
anemia, red cell aplasia, megaloblastic anemia (e.g., pernicious
anemia, (vitamin B 12 deficiency) and folic acid deficiency
anemia), aplastic anemia, hemolytic anemias (e.g., autoimmune
helolytic anemia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, and paroxysmal
nocturnal hemoglobinuria). The polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention
may be useful in treating, preventing, and/or diagnosing anemias
associated with diseases including but not limited to, anemias
associated with systemic lupus erythematosus, cancers, lymphomas,
chronic renal disease, and enlarged spleens. The polynucleotides,
polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the
present invention may be useful in treating, preventing, and/or
diagnosing anemias arising from drug treatments such as anemias
associated with methyldopa, dapsone, and/or sulfadrugs.
Additionally, rhe polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention may be useful in
treating, preventing, and/or diagnosing anemias associated with
abnormal red blood cell architecture including but not limited to,
hereditary spherocytosis, hereditary elliptocytosis,
glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, and sickle cell
anemia.
[1119] The polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention may be useful in
treating, preventing, and/or diagnosing hemoglobin abnormalities,
(e.g., those associated with sickle cell anemia, hemoglobin C
disease, hemoglobin S-C disease, and hemoglobin E disease).
Additionally, the polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention may be useful in
diagnosing, prognosing, preventing, and/or treating thalassemias,
including, but not limited to major and minor forms of
alpha-thalassemia and beta-thalassemia.
[1120] In another embodiment, the polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention
may be useful in diagnosing, prognosing, preventing, and/or
treating bleeding disorders including, but not limited to,
thrombocytopenia (e.g., idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, and
thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura), Von Willebrand's disease,
hereditary platelet disorders (e.g., storage pool disease such as
Chediak-Higashi and Hermansky-Pudlak syndromes, thromboxane A2
dysfunction, thromboasthenia, and Bemard-Soulier syndrome),
hemolytic-uremic syndrome, hemophelias such as hemophelia A or
Factor VII deficiency and Christmas disease or Factor IX
deficiency, Hereditary Hemorhhagic Telangiectsia, also known as
Rendu-Osler-Weber syndrome, allergic purpura (Henoch Schonlein
purpura) and disseminated intravascular coagulation.
[1121] The effect of the polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies,
and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention on the
clotting time of blood may be monitored using any of the clotting
tests known in the art including, but not limited to, whole blood
partial thromboplastin time (PTT), the activated partial
thromboplastin time (aPTT), the activated clotting time (ACT), the
recalcified activated clotting time, or the Lee-White Clotting
time.
[1122] Several diseases and a variety of drugs can cause platelet
dysfunction. Thus, in a specific embodiment, the polynucleotides,
polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the
present invention may be useful in diagnosing, prognosing,
preventing, and/or treating acquired platelet dysfunction such as
platelet dysfunction accompanying kidney failure, leukemia,
multiple myeloma, cirrhosis of the liver, and systemic lupus
erythematosus as well as platelet dysfunction associated with drug
treatments, including treatment with aspirin, ticlopidine,
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (used for arthritis, pain, and
sprains), and penicillin in high doses.
[1123] In another embodiment, the polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention
may be useful in diagnosing, prognosing, preventing, and/or
treating diseases and disorders characterized by or associated with
increased or decreased numbers of white blood cells. Leukopenia
occurs when the number of white blood cells decreases below normal.
Leukopenias include, but are not limited to, neutropenia and
lymphocytopenia. An increase in the number of white blood cells
compared to normal is known as leukocytosis. The body generates
increased numbers of white blood cells during infection. Thus,
leukocytosis may simply be a normal physiological parameter that
reflects infection. Alternatively, leukocytosis may be an indicator
of injury or other disease such as cancer. Leokocytoses, include
but are not limited to, eosinophilia, and accumulations of
macrophages. In specific embodiments, the polynucleotides,
polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the
present invention may be useful in diagnosing, prognosing,
preventing, and/or treating leukopenia. In other specific
embodiments, the polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention may be useful in
diagnosing, prognosing, preventing, and/or treating
leukocytosis.
[1124] Leukopenia may be a generalized decreased in all types of
white blood cells, or may be a specific depletion of particular
types of white blood cells. Thus, in specific embodiments, the
polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists or
antagonists of the present invention may be useful in diagnosing,
prognosing, preventing, and/or treating decreases in neutrophil
numbers, known as neutropenia. Neutropenias that may be diagnosed,
prognosed, prevented, and/or treated by the polynucleotides,
polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the
present invention include, but are not limited to, infantile
genetic agranulocytosis, familial neutropenia, cyclic neutropenia,
neutropenias resulting from or associated with dietary deficiencies
(e.g., vitamin B 12 deficiency or folic acid deficiency),
neutropenias resulting from or associated with drug treatments
(e.g., antibiotic regimens such as penicillin treatment,
sulfonamide treatment, anticoagulant treatment, anticonvulsant
drugs, anti-thyroid drugs, and cancer chemotherapy), and
neutropenias resulting from increased neutrophil destruction that
may occur in association with some bacterial or viral infections,
allergic disorders, autoimmune diseases, conditions in which an
individual has an enlarged spleen (e.g., Felty syndrome, malaria
and sarcoidosis), and some drug treatment regimens.
[1125] The polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention may be useful in
diagnosing, prognosing, preventing, and/or treating
lymphocytopenias (decreased numbers of B and/or T lymphocytes),
including, but not limited lymphocytopenias resulting from or
associated with stress, drug treatments (e.g., drug treatment with
corticosteroids, cancer chemotherapies, and/or radiation
therapies), AIDS infection and/or other diseases such as, for
example, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus
erythematosus, chronic infections, some viral infections and/or
hereditary disorders (e.g., DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich
Syndome, severe combined immunodeficiency, ataxia
telangiectsia).
[1126] The polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention may be useful in
diagnosing, prognosing, preventing, and/or treating diseases and
disorders associated with macrophage numbers and/or macrophage
function including, but not limited to, Gaucher's disease,
Niemann-Pick disease, Letterer-Siwe disease and
Hand-Schuller-Christian disease.
[1127] In another embodiment, the polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention
may be useful in diagnosing, prognosing, preventing, and/or
treating diseases and disorders associated with eosinophil numbers
and/or eosinophil function including, but not limited to,
idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome, eosinophilia-myalgia
syndrome, and Hand-Schuller-Christian disease.
[1128] In yet another embodiment, the polynucleotides,
polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the
present invention may be useful in diagnosing, prognosing,
preventing, and/or treating leukemias and lymphomas including, but
not limited to, acute lymphocytic (lymphpblastic) leukemia (ALL),
acute myeloid (myelocytic, myelogenous, myeloblastic, or
myelomonocytic) leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (e.g., B
cell leukemias, T cell leukemias, Sezary syndrome, and Hairy cell
leukenia), chronic myelocytic (myeloid, myelogenous, or
granulocytic) leukemia, Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-hodgkin's lymphoma,
Burkitt's lymphoma, and mycosis fungoides.
[1129] In other embodiments, the polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention
may be useful in diagnosing, prognosing, preventing, and/or
treating diseases and disorders of plasma cells including, but not
limited to, plasma cell dyscrasias, monoclonal gammaopathies,
monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance, multiple
myeloma, macroglobulinemia, Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia,
cryoglobulinemia, and Raynaud's phenomenon.
[1130] In other embodiments, the polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention
may be useful in treating, preventing, and/or diagnosing
myeloproliferative disorders, including but not limited to,
polycythemia vera, relative polycythemia, secondary polycythemia,
myelofibrosis, acute myelofibrosis, agnogenic myelod metaplasia,
thrombocythemia, (including both primary and seconday
thrombocythemia) and chronic myelocytic leukemia.
[1131] In other embodiments, the polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention
may be useful as a treatment prior to surgery, to increase blood
cell production.
[1132] In other embodiments, the polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention
may be useful as an agent to enhance the migration, phagocytosis,
superoxide production, antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity of
neutrophils, eosionophils and macrophages.
[1133] In other embodiments, the polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention
may be useful as an agent to increase the number of stem cells in
circulation prior to stem cells pheresis. In another specific
embodiment, the polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention may be useful as
an agent to increase the number of stem cells in circulation prior
to platelet pheresis.
[1134] In other embodiments, the polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention
may be useful as an agent to increase cytokine production.
[1135] In other embodiments, the polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention
may be useful in preventing, diagnosing, and/or treating primary
hematopoietic disorders.
Hyperproliferative Disorders
[1136] In certain embodiments, polynucleotides or polypeptides, or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention can be used to
treat or detect hyperproliferative disorders, including neoplasms.
Polynucleotides or polypeptides, or agonists or antagonists of the
present invention may inhibit the proliferation of the disorder
through direct or indirect interactions. Alternatively,
Polynucleotides or polypeptides, or agonists or antagonists of the
present invention may proliferate other cells which can inhibit the
hyperproliferative disorder.
[1137] For example, by increasing an immune response, particularly
increasing antigenic qualities of the hyperproliferative disorder
or by proliferating, differentiating, or mobilizing T-cells,
hyperproliferative disorders can be treated. This immune response
may be increased by either enhancing an existing immune response,
or by initiating a new immune response. Alternatively, decreasing
an immune response may also be a method of treating
hyperproliferative disorders, such as a chemotherapeutic agent.
[1138] Examples of hyperproliferative disorders that can be treated
or detected by polynucleotides or polypeptides, or agonists or
antagonists of the present invention include, but are not limited
to neoplasms located in the: colon, abdomen, bone, breast,
digestive system, liver, pancreas, peritoneum, endocrine glands
(adrenal, parathyroid, pituitary, testicles, ovary, thymus,
thyroid), eye, head and neck, nervous (central and peripheral),
lymphatic system, pelvis, skin, soft tissue, spleen, thorax, and
urogenital tract.
[1139] Similarly, other hyperproliferative disorders can also be
treated or detected by polynucleotides or polypeptides, or agonists
or antagonists of the present invention. Examples of such
hyperproliferative disorders include, but are not limited to: Acute
Childhood Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia,
Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Adrenocortical
Carcinoma, Adult (Primary) Hepatocellular Cancer, Adult (Primary)
Liver Cancer, Adult Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, Adult Acute Myeloid
Leukemia, Adult Hodgkin's Disease, Adult Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Adult
Lymphocytic Leukemia, Adult Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Adult Primary
Liver Cancer, Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma, AIDS-Related Lymphoma,
AIDS-Related Malignancies, Anal Cancer, Astrocytoma, Bile Duct
Cancer, Bladder Cancer, Bone Cancer, Brain Stem Glioma, Brain
Tumors, Breast Cancer, Cancer of the Renal Pelvis and Ureter,
Central Nervous System (Primary) Lymphoma, Central Nervous System
Lymphoma, Cerebellar Astrocytoma, Cerebral Astrocytoma, Cervical
Cancer, Childhood (Primary) Hepatocellular Cancer, Childhood
(Primary) Liver Cancer, Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia,
Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Childhood Brain Stem Glioma,
Childhood Cerebellar Astrocytoma, Childhood Cerebral Astrocytoma,
Childhood Extracranial Germ Cell Tumors, Childhood Hodgkin's
Disease, Childhood Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Childhood Hypothalamic and
Visual Pathway Glioma, Childhood Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Childhood
Medulloblastoma, Childhood Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Childhood Pineal
and Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors, Childhood
Primary Liver Cancer, Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma, Childhood Soft
Tissue Sarcoma, Childhood Visual Pathway and Hypothalamic Glioma,
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, Colon
Cancer, Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma, Endocrine Pancreas Islet Cell
Carcinoma, Endometrial Cancer, Ependymoma, Epithelial Cancer,
Esophageal Cancer, Ewing's Sarcoma and Related Tumors, Exocrine
Pancreatic Cancer, Extracranial Germ Cell Tumor, Extragonadal Germ
Cell Tumor, Extrahepatic Bile Duct Cancer, Eye Cancer, Female
Breast Cancer, Gaucher's Disease, Gallbladder Cancer, Gastric
Cancer, Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumor, Gastrointestinal Tumors,
Germ Cell Tumors, Gestational Trophoblastic Tumor, Hairy Cell
Leukemia, Head and Neck Cancer, Hepatocellular Cancer, Hodgkin's
Disease, Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Hypergammaglobulinemia, Hypopharyngeal
Cancer, Intestinal Cancers, Intraocular Melanoma, Islet Cell
Carcinoma, Islet Cell Pancreatic Cancer, Kaposi's Sarcoma, Kidney
Cancer, Laryngeal Cancer, Lip and Oral Cavity Cancer, Liver Cancer,
Lung Cancer, Lymphoproliferative Disorders, Macroglobulinemia, Male
Breast Cancer, Malignant Mesothelioma, Malignant Thymoma,
Medulloblastoma, Melanoma, Mesothelioma, Metastatic Occult Primary
Squamous Neck Cancer, Metastatic Primary Squamous Neck Cancer,
Metastatic Squamous Neck Cancer, Multiple Myeloma, Multiple
Myeloma/Plasma Cell Neoplasm, Myelodysplastic Syndrome, Myelogenous
Leukemia, Myeloid Leukemia, Myeloproliferative Disorders, Nasal
Cavity and Paranasal Sinus Cancer, Nasopharyngeal Cancer,
Neuroblastoma, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma During Pregnancy, Nonmelanoma
Skin Cancer, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Occult Primary Metastatic
Squamous Neck Cancer, Oropharyngeal Cancer, Osteo-/Malignant
Fibrous Sarcoma, Osteosarcoma/Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma,
Osteosarcoma/Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma of Bone, Ovarian
Epithelial Cancer, Ovarian Germ Cell Tumor, Ovarian Low Malignant
Potential Tumor, Pancreatic Cancer, Paraproteinemias, Purpura,
Parathyroid Cancer, Penile Cancer, Pheochromocytoma, Pituitary
Tumor, Plasma Cell Neoplasm/Multiple Myeloma, Primary Central
Nervous System Lymphoma, Primary Liver Cancer, Prostate Cancer,
Rectal Cancer, Renal Cell Cancer, Renal Pelvis and Ureter Cancer,
Retinoblastoma, Rhabdomyosarcoma, Salivary Gland Cancer,
Sarcoidosis Sarcomas, Sezary Syndrome, Skin Cancer, Small Cell Lung
Cancer, Small Intestine Cancer, Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Squamous Neck
Cancer, Stomach Cancer, Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal
and Pineal Tumors, T-Cell Lymphoma, Testicular Cancer, Thymoma,
Thyroid Cancer, Transitional Cell Cancer of the Renal Pelvis and
Ureter, Transitional Renal Pelvis and Ureter Cancer, Trophoblastic
Tumors, Ureter and Renal Pelvis Cell Cancer, Urethral Cancer,
Uterine Cancer, Uterine Sarcoma, Vaginal Cancer, Visual Pathway and
Hypothalamic Glioma, Vulvar Cancer, Waldenstrom's
Macroglobulinemia, Wilms' Tumor, and any other hyperproliferative
disease, besides neoplasia, located in an organ system listed
above.
[1140] In another preferred embodiment, polynucleotides or
polypeptides, or agonists or antagonists of the present invention
are used to diagnose, prognose, prevent, and/or treat premalignant
conditions and to prevent progression to a neoplastic or malignant
state, including but not limited to those disorders described
above. Such uses are indicated in conditions known or suspected of
preceding progression to neoplasia or cancer, in particular, where
non-neoplastic cell growth consisting of hyperplasia, metaplasia,
or most particularly, dysplasia has occurred (for review of such
abnormal growth conditions, see Robbins and Angell, 1976, Basic
Pathology, 2d Ed., W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, pp.
68-79.)
[1141] Hyperplasia is a form of controlled cell proliferation,
involving an increase in cell number in a tissue or organ, without
significant alteration in structure or function. Hyperplastic
disorders which can be diagnosed, prognosed, prevented, and/or
treated with compositions of the invention (including
polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists or antagonists) include,
but are not limited to, angiofollicular mediastinal lymph node
hyperplasia, angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia, atypical
melanocytic hyperplasia, basal cell hyperplasia, benign giant lymph
node hyperplasia, cementum hyperplasia, congenital adrenal
hyperplasia, congenital sebaceous hyperplasia, cystic hyperplasia,
cystic hyperplasia of the breast, denture hyperplasia, ductal
hyperplasia, endometrial hyperplasia, fibromuscular hyperplasia,
focal epithelial hyperplasia, gingival hyperplasia, inflammatory
fibrous hyperplasia, inflammatory papillary hyperplasia,
intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia, nodular
hyperplasia of prostate, nodular regenerative hyperplasia,
pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia, senile sebaceous hyperplasia,
and verrucous hyperplasia.
[1142] Metaplasia is a form of controlled cell growth in which one
type of adult or fully differentiated cell substitutes for another
type of adult cell. Metaplastic disorders which can be diagnosed,
prognosed, prevented, and/or treated with compositions of the
invention (including polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists or
antagonists) include, but are not limited to, agnogenic myeloid
metaplasia, apocrine metaplasia, atypical metaplasia,
autoparenchymatous metaplasia, connective tissue metaplasia,
epithelial metaplasia, intestinal metaplasia, metaplastic anemia,
metaplastic ossification, metaplastic polyps, myeloid metaplasia,
primary myeloid metaplasia, secondary myeloid metaplasia, squamous
metaplasia, squamous metaplasia of amnion, and symptomatic myeloid
metaplasia.
[1143] Dysplasia is frequently a forerunner of cancer, and is found
mainly in the epithelia; it is the most disorderly form of
non-neoplastic cell growth, involving a loss in individual cell
uniformity and in the architectural orientation of cells.
Dysplastic cells often have abnormally large, deeply stained
nuclei, and exhibit pleomorphism. Dysplasia characteristically
occurs where there exists chronic irritation or inflammation.
Dysplastic disorders which can be diagnosed, prognosed, prevented,
and/or treated with compositions of the invention (including
polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists or antagonists) include,
but are not limited to, anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia,
anterofacial dysplasia, asphyxiating thoracic dysplasia,
atriodigital dysplasia, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, cerebral
dysplasia, cervical dysplasia, chondroectodermal dysplasia,
cleidocranial dysplasia, congenital ectodermal dysplasia,
craniodiaphysial dysplasia, craniocarpotarsal dysplasia,
craniometaphysial dysplasia, dentin dysplasia, diaphysial
dysplasia, ectodermal dysplasia, enamel dysplasia,
encephalo-ophthalmic dysplasia, dysplasia epiphysialis hemimelia,
dysplasia epiphysialis multiplex, dysplasia epiphysialis punctata,
epithelial dysplasia, faciodigitogenital dysplasia, familial
fibrous dysplasia of jaws, familial white folded dysplasia,
fibromuscular dysplasia, fibrous dysplasia of bone, florid osseous
dysplasia, hereditary renal-retinal dysplasia, hidrotic ectodermal
dysplasia, hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, lymphopenic thymic
dysplasia, mammary dysplasia, mandibulofacial dysplasia,
metaphysial dysplasia, Mondini dysplasia, monostotic fibrous
dysplasia, mucoepithelial dysplasia, multiple epiphysial dysplasia,
oculoauriculovertebral dysplasia, oculodentodigital dysplasia,
oculovertebral dysplasia, odontogenic dysplasia,
ophthalmomandibulomelic dysplasia, periapical cemental dysplasia,
polyostotic fibrous dysplasia, pseudoachondroplastic
spondyloepiphysial dysplasia, retinal dysplasia, septo-optic
dysplasia, spondyloepiphysial dysplasia, and ventriculoradial
dysplasia.
[1144] Additional pre-neoplastic disorders which can be diagnosed,
prognosed, prevented, and/or treated with compositions of the
invention (including polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists or
antagonists) include, but are not limited to, benign
dysproliferative disorders (e.g., benign tumors, fibrocystic
conditions, tissue hypertrophy, intestinal polyps, colon polyps,
and esophageal dysplasia), leukoplakia, keratoses, Bowen's disease,
Farmer's Skin, solar cheilitis, and solar keratosis.
[1145] In another embodiment, a polypeptide of the invention, or
polynucleotides, antibodies, agonists, or antagonists corresponding
to that polypeptide, may be used to diagnose and/or prognose
disorders associated with the tissue(s) in which the polypeptide of
the invention is expressed, including one, two, three, four, five,
or more tissues disclosed in Table 1A, column 8 (Tissue
Distribution Library Code).
[1146] In another embodiment, polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antibodies, and/or agonists or antagonists of the present invention
conjugated to a toxin or a radioactive isotope, as described
herein, may be used to treat cancers and neoplasms, including, but
not limited to those described herein. In a further preferred
embodiment, polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or
agonists or antagonists of the present invention conjugated to a
toxin or a radioactive isotope, as described herein, may be used to
treat acute myelogenous leukemia.
[1147] Additionally, polynucleotides, polypeptides, and/or agonists
or antagonists of the invention may affect apoptosis, and
therefore, would be useful in treating a number of diseases
associated with increased cell survival or the inhibition of
apoptosis. For example, diseases associated with increased cell
survival or the inhibition of apoptosis that could be diagnosed,
prognosed, prevented, and/or treated by polynucleotides,
polypeptides, and/or agonists or antagonists of the invention,
include cancers (such as follicular lymphomas, carcinomas with p53
mutations, and hormone-dependent tumors, including, but not limited
to colon cancer, cardiac tumors, pancreatic cancer, melanoma,
retinoblastoma, glioblastoma, lung cancer, intestinal cancer,
testicular cancer, stomach cancer, neuroblastoma, myxoma, myoma,
lymphoma, endothelioma, osteoblastoma, osteoclastoma, osteosarcoma,
chondrosarcoma, adenoma, breast cancer, prostate cancer, Kaposi's
sarcoma and ovarian cancer); autoimmune disorders such as, multiple
sclerosis, Sjogren's syndrome, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, biliary
cirrhosis, Behcet's disease, Crohn's disease, polymyositis,
systemic lupus erythematosus and immune-related glomerulonephritis
and rheumatoid arthritis) and viral infections (such as herpes
viruses, pox viruses and adenoviruses), inflammation, graft v. host
disease, acute graft rejection, and chronic graft rejection.
[1148] In preferred embodiments, polynucleotides, polypeptides,
and/or agonists or antagonists of the invention are used to inhibit
growth, progression, and/or metastasis of cancers, in particular
those listed above.
[1149] Additional diseases or conditions associated with increased
cell survival that could be diagnosed, prognosed, prevented, and/or
treated by polynucleotides, polypeptides, and/or agonists or
antagonists of the invention, include, but are not limited to,
progression, and/or metastases of malignancies and related
disorders such as leukemia (including acute leukemias (e.g., acute
lymphocytic leukemia, acute myelocytic leukemia (including
myeloblastic, promyelocytic, myelomonocytic, monocytic, and
erythroleukemia)) and chronic leukemias (e.g., chronic myelocytic
(granulocytic) leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia)),
polycythemia vera, lymphomas (e.g., Hodgkin's disease and
non-Hodgkin's disease), multiple myeloma, Waldenstrom's
macroglobulinemia, heavy chain disease, and solid tumors including,
but not limited to, sarcomas and carcinomas such as fibrosarcoma,
myxosarcoma, liposarcoma, chondrosarcoma, osteogenic sarcoma,
chordoma, angiosarcoma, endotheliosarcoma, lymphangiosarcoma,
lymphangioendotheliosarcoma, synovioma, mesothelioma, Ewing's
tumor, leiomyosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, colon carcinoma,
pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer,
squarnous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma,
sweat gland carcinoma, sebaceous gland carcinoma, papillary
carcinoma, papillary adenocarcinomas, cystadenocarcinoma, medullary
carcinoma, bronchogenic carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, hepatoma,
bile duct carcinoma, choriocarcinoma, seminoma, embryonal
carcinoma, Wilm's tumor, cervical cancer, testicular tumor, lung
carcinoma, small cell lung carcinoma, bladder carcinoma, epithelial
carcinoma, glioma, astrocytoma, medulloblastoma, craniopharyngioma,
ependymoma, pinealoma, emangioblastoma, acoustic neuroma,
oligodendroglioma, menangioma, melanoma, neuroblastoma, and
retinoblastoma.
[1150] Diseases associated with increased apoptosis that could be
diagnosed, prognosed, prevented, and/or treated by polynucleotides,
polypeptides, and/or agonists or antagonists of the invention,
include AIDS; neurodegenerative disorders (such as Alzheimer's
disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,
retinitis pigmentosa, cerebellar degeneration and brain tumor or
prior associated disease); autoimmune disorders (such as, multiple
sclerosis, Sjogren's syndrome, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, biliary
cirrhosis, Behcet's disease, Crohn's disease, polymyositis,
systemic lupus erythematosus and immune-related glomerulonephritis
and rheumatoid arthritis) myelodysplastic syndromes (such as
aplastic anemia), graft v. host disease, ischemic injury (such as
that caused by myocardial infarction, stroke and reperfusion
injury), liver injury (e.g., hepatitis related liver injury,
ischemia/reperfusion injury, cholestosis (bile duct injury) and
liver cancer); toxin-induced liver disease (such as that caused by
alcohol), septic shock, cachexia and anorexia.
[1151] Hyperproliferative diseases and/or disorders that could be
diagnosed, prognosed, prevented, and/or treated by polynucleotides,
polypeptides, and/or agonists or antagonists of the invention,
include, but are not limited to, neoplasms located in the liver,
abdomen, bone, breast, digestive system, pancreas, peritoneum,
endocrine glands (adrenal, parathyroid, pituitary, testicles,
ovary, thymus, thyroid), eye, head and neck, nervous system
(central and peripheral), lymphatic system, pelvis, skin, soft
tissue, spleen, thorax, and urogenital tract.
[1152] Similarly, other hyperproliferative disorders can also be
diagnosed, prognosed, prevented, and/or treated by polynucleotides,
polypeptides, and/or agonists or antagonists of the invention.
Examples of such hyperproliferative disorders include, but are not
limited to: hypergammaglobulinemia, lymphoproliferative disorders,
paraproteinemias, purpura, sarcoidosis, Sezary Syndrome,
Waldenstron's macroglobulinemia, Gaucher's Disease, histiocytosis,
and any other hyperproliferative disease, besides neoplasia,
located in an organ system listed above.
[1153] Another preferred embodiment utilizes polynucleotides of the
present invention to inhibit aberrant cellular division, by gene
therapy using the present invention, and/or protein fusions or
fragments thereof.
[1154] Thus, the present invention provides a method for treating
cell proliferative disorders by inserting into an abnormally
proliferating cell a polynucleotide of the present invention,
wherein said polynucleotide represses said expression.
[1155] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a
method of treating cell-proliferative disorders in individuals
comprising administration of one or more active gene copies of the
present invention to an abnormally proliferating cell or cells. In
a preferred embodiment, polynucleotides of the present invention is
a DNA construct comprising a recombinant expression vector
effective in expressing a DNA sequence encoding said
polynucleotides. In another preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the DNA construct encoding the poynucleotides of the
present invention is inserted into cells to be treated utilizing a
retrovirus, or more preferably an adenoviral vector (See G J.
Nabel, et. al., PNAS 1999 96: 324-326, which is hereby incorporated
by reference). In a most preferred embodiment, the viral vector is
defective and will not transform non-proliferating cells, only
proliferating cells. Moreover, in a preferred embodiment, the
polynucleotides of the present invention inserted into
proliferating cells either alone, or in combination with or fused
to other polynucleotides, can then be modulated via an external
stimulus (i.e. magnetic, specific small molecule, chemical, or drug
administration, etc.), which acts upon the promoter upstream of
said polynucleotides to induce expression of the encoded protein
product. As such the beneficial therapeutic affect of the present
invention may be expressly modulated (i.e. to increase, decrease,
or inhibit expression of the present invention) based upon said
external stimulus.
[1156] Polynucleotides of the present invention may be useful in
repressing expression of oncogenic genes or antigens. By
"repressing expression of the oncogenic genes" is intended the
suppression of the transcription of the gene, the degradation of
the gene transcript (pre-message RNA), the inhibition of splicing,
the destruction of the messenger RNA, the prevention of the
post-translational modifications of the protein, the destruction of
the protein, or the inhibition of the normal function of the
protein.
[1157] For local administration to abnormally proliferating cells,
polynucleotides of the present invention may be administered by any
method known to those of skill in the art including, but not
limited to transfection, electroporation, microinjection of cells,
or in vehicles such as liposomes, lipofectin, or as naked
polynucleotides, or any other method described throughout the
specification. The polynucleotide of the present invention may be
delivered by known gene delivery systems such as, but not limited
to, retroviral vectors (Gilboa, J. Virology 44:845 (1982); Hocke,
Nature 320:275 (1986); Wilson, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.
U.S.A. 85:3014), vaccinia virus system (Chakrabarty et al., Mol.
Cell Biol. 5:3403 (1985) or other efficient DNA delivery systems
(Yates et al., Nature 313:812 (1985)) known to those skilled in the
art. These references are exemplary only and are hereby
incorporated by reference. In order to specifically deliver or
transfect cells which are abnormally proliferating and spare
non-dividing cells, it is preferable to utilize a retrovirus, or
adenoviral (as described in the art and elsewhere herein) delivery
system known to those of skill in the art. Since host DNA
replication is required for retroviral DNA to integrate and the
retrovirus will be unable to self replicate due to the lack of the
retrovirus genes needed for its life cycle. Utilizing such a
retroviral delivery system for polynucleotides of the present
invention will target said gene and constructs to abnormally
proliferating cells and will spare the non-dividing normal
cells.
[1158] The polynucleotides of the present invention may be
delivered directly to cell proliferative disorder/disease sites in
internal organs, body cavities and the like by use of imaging
devices used to guide an injecting needle directly to the disease
site. The polynucleotides of the present invention may also be
administered to disease sites at the time of surgical
intervention.
[1159] By "cell proliferative disease" is meant any human or animal
disease or disorder, affecting any one or any combination of
organs, cavities, or body parts, which is characterized by single
or multiple local abnormal proliferations of cells, groups of
cells, or tissues, whether benign or malignant.
[1160] Any amount of the polynucleotides of the present invention
may be administered as long as it has a biologically inhibiting
effect on the proliferation of the treated cells. Moreover, it is
possible to administer more than one of the polynucleotide of the
present invention simultaneously to the same site. By "biologically
inhibiting" is meant partial or total growth inhibition as well as
decreases in the rate of proliferation or growth of the cells. The
biologically inhibitory dose may be determined by assessing the
effects of the polynucleotides of the present invention on target
malignant or abnormally proliferating cell growth in tissue
culture, tumor growth in animals and cell cultures, or any other
method known to one of ordinary skill in the art.
[1161] The present invention is further directed to antibody-based
therapies which involve administering of anti-polypeptides and
anti-polynucleotide antibodies to a mammalian, preferably human,
patient for treating one or more of the described disorders.
Methods for producing anti-polypeptides and anti-polynucleotide
antibodies polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies are described in
detail elsewhere herein. Such antibodies may be provided in
pharmaceutically acceptable compositions as known in the art or as
described herein.
[1162] A summary of the ways in which the antibodies of the present
invention may be used therapeutically includes binding
polynucleotides or polypeptides of the present invention locally or
systemically in the body or by direct cytotoxicity of the antibody,
e.g. as mediated by complement (CDC) or by effector cells (ADCC).
Some of these approaches are described in more detail below. Armed
with the teachings provided herein, one of ordinary skill in the
art will know how to use the antibodies of the present invention
for diagnostic, monitoring or therapeutic purposes without undue
experimentation.
[1163] In particular, the antibodies, fragments and derivatives of
the present invention are useful for treating a subject having or
developing cell proliferative and/or differentiation disorders as
described herein. Such treatment comprises administering a single
or multiple doses of the antibody, or a fragment, derivative, or a
conjugate thereof.
[1164] The antibodies of this invention may be advantageously
utilized in combination with other monoclonal or chimeric
antibodies, or with lymphokines or hematopoietic growth factors,
for example., which serve to increase the number or activity of
effector cells which interact with the antibodies.
[1165] It is preferred to use high affinity and/or potent in vivo
inhibiting and/or neutralizing antibodies against polypeptides or
polynucleotides of the present invention, fragments or regions
thereof, for both immunoassays directed to and therapy of disorders
related to polynucleotides or polypeptides, including fragements
thereof, of the present invention. Such antibodies, fragments, or
regions, will preferably have an affinity for polynucleotides or
polypeptides, including fragements thereof. Preferred binding
affinities include those with a dissociation constant or Kd less
than 5.times.10.sup.-6M, 10.sup.-6M, 5.times.10.sup.-7M,
10.sup.-7M, 5.times.10.sup.-8 M, 10.sup.-8M, 5.times.10.sup.-9M,
10.sup.-9M, 5.times.10.sup.-10M, 10.sup.-10 M, 5.times.10.sup.-11
M, 10.sup.-11 M, 5.times.10.sup.-12 M, 10.sup.-12 M,
5.times.10.sup.-13 M, 10.sup.-13 M, 5.times.10.sup.-14M,
10.sup.-14M, 5.times.10.sup.-15 M, and 10.sup.-15M.
[1166] Moreover, polypeptides of the present invention are useful
in inhibiting the angiogenesis of proliferative cells or tissues,
either alone, as a protein fusion, or in combination with other
polypeptides directly or indirectly, as described elsewhere herein.
In a most preferred embodiment, said anti-angiogenesis effect may
be achieved indirectly, for example, through the inhibition of
hematopoietic, tumor-specific cells, such as tumor-associated
macrophages (See Joseph I B, et al. J Natl Cancer Inst,
90(21):1648-53 (1998), which is hereby incorporated by reference).
Antibodies directed to polypeptides or polynucleotides of the
present invention may also result in inhibition of angiogenesis
directly, or indirectly (See Witte L, et al., Cancer Metastasis
Rev. 17(2):155-61 (1998), which is hereby incorporated by
reference)).
[1167] Polypeptides, including protein fusions, of the present
invention, or fragments thereof may be useful in inhibiting
proliferative cells or tissues through the induction of apoptosis.
Said polypeptides may act either directly, or indirectly to induce
apoptosis of proliferative cells and tissues, for example in the
activation of a death-domain receptor, such as tumor necrosis
factor (TNF) receptor-1, CD95 (Fas/APO-1), TNF-receptor-related
apoptosis-mediated protein (TRAMP) and TNF-related
apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) receptor-1 and -2 (See
Schulze-Osthoff K, et. al., Eur J Biochem 254(3):439-59 (1998),
which is hereby incorporated by reference). Moreover, in another
preferred embodiment of the present invention, said polypeptides
may induce apoptosis through other mechanisms, such as in the
activation of other proteins which will activate apoptosis, or
through stimulating the expression of said proteins, either alone
or in combination with small molecule drugs or adjuviants, such as
apoptonin, galectins, thioredoxins, anti-inflammatory proteins (See
for example, Mutat Res 400(1-2):447-55 (1998), Med
Hypotheses.50(5):423-33 (1998), Chem Biol Interact. Apr 24;
111-112:23-34 (1998), J Mol Med.76(6):402-12 (1998), Int J Tissue
React;20(1):3-15 (1998), which are all hereby incorporated by
reference).
[1168] Polypeptides, including protein fusions to, or fragments
thereof, of the present invention are useful in inhibiting the
metastasis of proliferative cells or tissues. Inhibition may occur
as a direct result of administering polypeptides, or antibodies
directed to said polypeptides as described else were herein, or
indirectly, such as activating the expression of proteins known to
inhibit metastasis, for example alpha 4 integrins, (See, e.g., Curr
Top Microbiol Immunol 1998;231:125-41, which is hereby incorporated
by reference). Such thereapeutic affects of the present invention
may be achieved either alone, or in combination with small molecule
drugs or adjuvants.
[1169] In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of
delivering compositions containing the polypeptides of the
invention (e.g., compositions containing polypeptides or
polypeptide artibodes associated with heterologous polypeptides,
heterologous nucleic acids, toxins, or prodrugs) to targeted cells
expressing the polypeptide of the present invention. Polypeptides
or polypeptide antibodes of the invention may be associated with
with heterologous polypeptides, heterologous nucleic acids, toxins,
or prodrugs via hydrophobic, hydrophilic, ionic and/or covalent
interactions.
[1170] Polypeptides, protein fusions to, or fragments thereof, of
the present invention are useful in enhancing the immunogenicity
and/or antigenicity of proliferating cells or tissues, either
directly, such as would occur if the polypeptides of the present
invention `vaccinated` the immune response to respond to
proliferative antigens and immunogens, or indirectly, such as in
activating the expression of proteins known to enhance the immune
response (e.g. chemokines), to said antigens and immunogens.
Renal Disorders
[1171] Polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists
or antagonists of the present invention, may be used to treat,
prevent, diagnose, and/or prognose disorders of the renal system.
Renal disorders which can be diagnosed, prognosed, prevented,
and/or treated with compositions of the invention include, but are
not limited to, kidney failure, nephritis, blood vessel disorders
of kidney, metabolic and congenital kidney disorders, urinary
disorders of the kidney, autoimmune disorders, sclerosis and
necrosis, electrolyte imbalance, and kidney cancers.
[1172] Kidney diseases which can be diagnosed, prognosed,
prevented, and/or treated with compositions of the invention
include, but are not limited to, acute kidney failure, chronic
kidney failure, atheroembolic renal failure, end-stage renal
disease, inflammatory diseases of the kidney (e.g., acute
glomerulonephritis, postinfectious glomerulonephritis, rapidly
progressive glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome, membranous
glomerulonephritis, familial nephrotic syndrome,
membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis I and II, mesangial
proliferative glomerulonephritis, chronic glomerulonephritis, acute
tubulointerstitial nephritis, chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis,
acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (PSGN), pyelonephritis,
lupus nephritis, chronic nephritis, interstitial nephritis, and
post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis), blood vessel disorders of
the kidneys (e.g., kidney infarction, atheroembolic kidney disease,
cortical necrosis, malignant nephrosclerosis, renal vein
thrombosis, renal underperfusion, renal retinopathy, renal
ischemia-reperfusion, renal artery embolism, and renal artery
stenosis), and kidney disorders resulting form urinary tract
disease (e.g., pyelonephritis, hydronephrosis, urolithiasis (renal
lithiasis, nephrolithiasis), reflux nephropathy, urinary tract
infections, urinary retention, and acute or chronic unilateral
obstructive uropathy.)
[1173] In addition, compositions of the invention can be used to
diagnose, prognose, prevent, and/or treat metabolic and congenital
disorders of the kidney (e.g., uremia, renal amyloidosis, renal
osteodystrophy, renal tubular acidosis, renal glycosuria,
nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, cystinuria, Fanconi's syndrome,
renal fibrocystic osteosis (renal rickets), Hartnup disease,
Bartter's syndrome, Liddle's syndrome, polycystic kidney disease,
medullary cystic disease, medullary sponge kidney, Alport's
syndrome, nail-patella syndrome, congenital nephrotic syndrome,
CRUSH syndrome, horseshoe kidney, diabetic nephropathy, nephrogenic
diabetes insipidus, analgesic nephropathy, kidney stones, and
membranous nephropathy), and autoimmune disorders of the kidney
(e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Goodpasture syndrome,
IgA nephropathy, and IgM mesangial proliferative
glomerulonephritis).
[1174] Compositions of the invention can also be used to diagnose,
prognose, prevent, and/or treat sclerotic or necrotic disorders of
the kidney (e.g., glomerulosclerosis, diabetic nephropathy, focal
segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), necrotizing
glomerulonephritis, and renal papillary necrosis), cancers of the
kidney (e.g., nephroma, hypemephroma, nephroblastoma, renal cell
cancer, transitional cell cancer, renal adenocarcinoma, squamous
cell cancer, and Wilm's tumor), and electrolyte imbalances (e.g.,
nephrocalcinosis, pyuria, edema, hydronephritis, proteinuria,
hyponatremia, hypematremia, hypokalemia, hyperkalemia,
hypocalcemia, hypercalcemia, hypophosphatemia, and
hyperphosphatemia).
[1175] Polypeptides may be administered using any method known in
the art, including, but not limited to, direct needle injection at
the delivery site, intravenous injection, topical administration,
catheter infusion, biolistic injectors, particle accelerators,
gelfoam sponge depots, other commercially available depot
materials, osmotic pumps, oral or suppositorial solid
pharmaceutical formulations, decanting or topical applications
during surgery, aerosol delivery. Such methods are known in the
art. Polypeptides may be administered as part of a Therapeutic,
described in more detail below. Methods of delivering
polynucleotides are described in more detail herein.
Cardiovascular Disorders
[1176] Polynucleotides or polypeptides, or agonists or antagonists
of the present invention, may be used to treat, prevent, diagnose,
and/or prognose cardiovascular disorders, including, but not
limited to, peripheral artery disease, such as limb ischemia.
[1177] Cardiovascular disorders include, but are not limited to,
cardiovascular abnormalities, such as arterio-arterial fistula,
arteriovenous fistula, cerebral arteriovenous malformations,
congenital heart defects, pulmonary atresia, and Scimitar Syndrome.
Congenital heart defects include, but are not limited to, aortic
coarctation, cor triatriatum, coronary vessel anomalies, crisscross
heart, dextrocardia, patent ductus arteriosus, Ebstein's anomaly,
Eisenmenger complex, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, levocardia,
tetralogy of fallot, transposition of great vessels, double outlet
right ventricle, tricuspid atresia, persistent truncus arteriosus,
and heart septal defects, such as aortopulmonary septal defect,
endocardial cushion defects, Lutembacher's Syndrome, trilogy of
Fallot, ventricular heart septal defects.
[1178] Cardiovascular disorders also include, but are not limited
to, heart disease, such as arrhythmias, carcinoid heart disease,
high cardiac output, low cardiac output, cardiac tamponade,
endocarditis (including bacterial), heart aneurysm, cardiac arrest,
congestive heart failure, congestive cardiomyopathy, paroxysmal
dyspnea, cardiac edema, heart hypertrophy, congestive
cardiomyopathy, left ventricular hypertrophy, right ventricular
hypertrophy, post-infarction heart rupture, ventricular septal
rupture, heart valve diseases, myocardial diseases, myocardial
ischemia, pericardial effusion, pericarditis (including
constrictive and tuberculous), pneumopericardium,
postpericardiotomy syndrome, pulmonary heart disease, rheumatic
heart disease, ventricular dysfunction, hyperemia, cardiovascular
pregnancy complications, Scimitar Syndrome, cardiovascular
syphilis, and cardiovascular tuberculosis.
[1179] Arrhythmias include, but are not limited to, sinus
arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, bradycardia,
extrasystole, Adams-Stokes Syndrome, bundle-branch block,
sinoatrial block, long QT syndrome, parasystole, Lown-Ganong-Levine
Syndrome, Mahaim-type pre-excitation syndrome,
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, sick sinus syndrome, tachycardias,
and ventricular fibrillation. Tachycardias include paroxysmal
tachycardia, supraventricular tachycardia, accelerated
idioventricular rhythm, atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia,
ectopic atrial tachycardia, ectopic junctional tachycardia,
sinoatrial nodal reentry tachycardia, sinus tachycardia, Torsades
de Pointes, and ventricular tachycardia.
[1180] Heart valve diseases include, but are not limited to, aortic
valve insufficiency, aortic valve stenosis, hear murmurs, aortic
valve prolapse, mitral valve prolapse, tricuspid valve prolapse,
mitral valve insufficiency, mitral valve stenosis, pulmonary
atresia, pulmonary valve insufficiency, pulmonary valve stenosis,
tricuspid atresia, tricuspid valve insufficiency, and tricuspid
valve stenosis.
[1181] Myocardial diseases include, but are not limited to,
alcoholic cardiomyopathy, congestive cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy, aortic subvalvular stenosis, pulmonary subvalvular
stenosis, restrictive cardiomyopathy, Chagas cardiomyopathy,
endocardial fibroelastosis, endomyocardial fibrosis, Kearns
Syndrome, myocardial reperfusion injury, and myocarditis.
[1182] Myocardial ischemias include, but are not limited to,
coronary disease, such as angina pectoris, coronary aneurysm,
coronary arteriosclerosis, coronary thrombosis, coronary vasospasm,
myocardial infarction and myocardial stunning.
[1183] Cardiovascular diseases also include vascular diseases such
as aneurysms, angiodysplasia, angiomatosis, bacillary angiomatosis,
Hippel-Lindau Disease, Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber Syndrome,
Sturge-Weber Syndrome, angioneurotic edema, aortic diseases,
Takayasu's Arteritis, aortitis, Leriche's Syndrome, arterial
occlusive diseases, arteritis, enarteritis, polyarteritis nodosa,
cerebrovascular disorders, diabetic angiopathies, diabetic
retinopathy, embolisms, thrombosis, erythromelalgia, hemorrhoids,
hepatic veno-occlusive disease, hypertension, hypotension,
ischemia, peripheral vascular diseases, phlebitis, pulmonary
veno-occlusive disease, Raynaud's disease, CREST syndrome, retinal
vein occlusion, Scimitar syndrome, superior vena cava syndrome,
telangiectasia, atacia telangiectasia, hereditary hemorrhagic
telangiectasia, varicocele, varicose veins, varicose ulcer,
vasculitis, and venous insufficiency.
[1184] Aneurysms include, but are not limited to, dissecting
aneurysms, false aneurysms, infected aneurysms, ruptured aneurysms,
aortic aneurysms, cerebral aneurysms, coronary aneurysms, heart
aneurysms, and iliac aneurysms.
[1185] Arterial occlusive diseases include, but are not limited to,
arteriosclerosis, intermittent claudication, carotid stenosis,
fibromuscular dysplasias, mesenteric vascular occlusion, Moyamoya
disease, renal artery obstruction, retinal artery occlusion, and
thromboangiitis obliterans.
[1186] Cerebrovascular disorders include, but are not limited to,
carotid artery diseases, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, cerebral
aneurysm, cerebral anoxia, cerebral arteriosclerosis, cerebral
arteriovenous malformation, cerebral artery diseases, cerebral
embolism and thrombosis, carotid artery thrombosis, sinus
thrombosis, Wallenberg's syndrome, cerebral hemorrhage, epidural
hematoma, subdural hematoma, subaraxhnoid hemorrhage, cerebral
infarction, cerebral ischemia (including transient), subclavian
steal syndrome, periventricular leukomalacia, vascular headache,
cluster headache, migraine, and vertebrobasilar insufficiency.
[1187] Embolisms include, but are not limited to, air embolisms,
amniotic fluid embolisms, cholesterol embolisms, blue toe syndrome,
fat embolisms, pulmonary embolisms, and thromoboembolisms.
Thrombosis include, but are not limited to, coronary thrombosis,
hepatic vein thrombosis, retinal vein occlusion, carotid artery
thrombosis, sinus thrombosis, Wallenberg's syndrome, and
thrombophlebitis.
[1188] Ischemic disorders include, but are not limited to, cerebral
ischemia, ischemic colitis, compartment syndromes, anterior
compartment syndrome, myocardial ischemia, reperfusion injuries,
and peripheral limb ischemia. Vasculitis includes, but is not
limited to, aortitis, arteritis, Behcet's Syndrome, Churg-Strauss
Syndrome, mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome, thromboangiitis
obliterans, hypersensitivity vasculitis, Schoenlein-Henoch purpura,
allergic cutaneous vasculitis, and Wegener's granulomatosis.
[1189] Polypeptides may be administered using any method known in
the art, including, but not limited to, direct needle injection at
the delivery site, intravenous injection, topical administration,
catheter infusion, biolistic injectors, particle accelerators,
gelfoam sponge depots, other commercially available depot
materials, osmotic pumps, oral or suppositorial solid
pharmaceutical formulations, decanting or topical applications
during surgery, aerosol delivery. Such methods are known in the
art. Polypeptides may be administered as part of a Therapeutic,
described in more detail below. Methods of delivering
polynucleotides are described in more detail herein.
Respiratory Disorders
[1190] Polynucleotides or polypeptides, or agonists or antagonists
of the present invention may be used to treat, prevent, diagnose,
and/or prognose diseases and/or disorders of the respiratory
system.
[1191] Diseases and disorders of the respiratory system include,
but are not limited to, nasal vestibulitis, nonallergic rhinitis
(e.g., acute rhinitis, chronic rhinitis, atrophic rhinitis,
vasomotor rhinitis), nasal polyps, and sinusitis, juvenile
angiofibromas, cancer of the nose and juvenile papillomas, vocal
cord polyps, nodules (singer's nodules), contact ulcers, vocal cord
paralysis, laryngoceles, pharyngitis (e.g., viral and bacterial),
tonsillitis, tonsillar cellulitis, parapharyngeal abscess,
laryngitis, laryngoceles, and throat cancers (e.g., cancer of the
nasopharynx, tonsil cancer, larynx cancer), lung cancer (e.g.,
squamous cell carcinoma, small cell (oat cell) carcinoma, large
cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma), allergic disorders
(eosinophilic pneumonia, hypersensitivity pneumonitis (e.g.,
extrinsic allergic alveolitis, allergic interstitial pneumonitis,
organic dust pneumoconiosis, allergic bronchopulmonary
aspergillosis, asthma, Wegener's granulomatosis (granulomatous
vasculitis), Goodpasture's syndrome)), pneumonia (e.g., bacterial
pneumonia (e.g., Streptococcus pneumoniae(pneumoncoccal pneumonia),
Staphylococcus aureus(staphylococcal pneumonia), Gram-negative
bacterial pneumonia (caused by, e.g., Klebsiella and Pseudomas
spp.), Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia, Hemophilus influenzae
pneumonia, Legionella pneumophila(Legionnaires' disease), and
Chlamydia psittaci(Psittacosis)), and viral pneumonia (e.g.,
influenza, chickenpox (varicella).
[1192] Additional diseases and disorders of the respiratory system
include, but are not limited to bronchiolitis, polio
(poliomyelitis), croup, respiratory syncytial viral infection,
mumps, erythema infectiosum (fifth disease), roseola infantum,
progressive rubella panencephalitis, german measles, and subacute
sclerosing panencephalitis), fungal pneumonia (e.g.,
Histoplasmosis, Coccidioidomycosis, Blastomycosis, fungal
infections in people with severely suppressed immune systems (e.g.,
cryptococcosis, caused by Cryptococcus neoformans; aspergillosis,
caused by Aspergillus spp.; candidiasis, caused by Candida; and
mucormycosis)), Pneumocystis carinii (pneumocystis pneumonia),
atypical pneumonias (e.g., Mycoplasma and Chlamydia spp.),
opportunistic infection pneumonia, nosocomial pneumonia, chemical
pneumonitis, and aspiration pneumonia, pleural disorders (e.g.,
pleurisy, pleural effusion, and pneumothorax (e.g., simple
spontaneous pneumothorax, complicated spontaneous pneumothorax,
tension pneumothorax)), obstructive airway diseases (e.g., asthma,
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, chronic or
acute bronchitis), occupational lung diseases (e.g., silicosis,
black lung (coal workers' pneumoconiosis), asbestosis, berylliosis,
occupational asthsma, byssinosis, and benign pneumoconioses),
Infiltrative Lung Disease (e.g., pulmonary fibrosis (e.g.,
fibrosing alveolitis, usual interstitial pneumonia), idiopathic
pulmonary fibrosis, desquamative interstitial pneumonia, lymphoid
interstitial pneumonia, histiocytosis X (e.g., Letterer-Siwe
disease, Hand-Schuller-Christian disease, eosinophilic granuloma),
idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis, sarcoidosis and pulmonary
alveolar proteinosis), Acute respiratory distress syndrome (also
called, e.g., adult respiratory distress syndrome), edema,
pulmonary embolism, bronchitis (e.g., viral, bacterial),
bronchiectasis, atelectasis, lung abscess (caused by, e.g.,
Staphylococcus aureus or Legionella pneumophila), and cystic
fibrosis.
Anti-Angiogenesis Activity
[1193] The naturally occurring balance between endogenous
stimulators and inhibitors of angiogenesis is one in which
inhibitory influences predominate. Rastinejad et al., Cell
56:345-355 (1989). In those rare instances in which
neovascularization occurs under normal physiological conditions,
such as wound healing, organ regeneration, embryonic development,
and female reproductive processes, angiogenesis is stringently
regulated and spatially and temporally delimited. Under conditions
of pathological angiogenesis such as that characterizing solid
tumor growth, these regulatory controls fail. Unregulated
angiogenesis becomes pathologic and sustains progression of many
neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases. A number of serious
diseases are dominated by abnormal neovascularization including
solid tumor growth and metastases, arthritis, some types of eye
disorders, and psoriasis. See, e.g., reviews by Moses et al.,
Biotech. 9:630-634 (1991); Folkman et al., N. Engl. J. Med.,
333:1757-1763 (1995); Auerbach et al., J. Microvasc. Res.
29:401-411 (1985); Folkman, Advances in Cancer Research, eds. Klein
and Weinhouse, Academic Press, New York, pp. 175-203 (1985); Patz,
Am. J. Opthalmol. 94:715-743 (1982); and Folkman et al., Science
221:719-725 (1983). In a number of pathological conditions, the
process of angiogenesis contributes to the disease state. For
example, significant data have accumulated which suggest that the
growth of solid tumors is dependent on angiogenesis. Folkman and
Klagsbrun, Science 235:442-447 (1987).
[1194] The present invention provides for treatment of diseases or
disorders associated with neovascularization by administration of
the polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention, as well
as agonists or antagonists of the present invention. Malignant and
metastatic conditions which can be treated with the polynucleotides
and polypeptides, or agonists or antagonists of the invention
include, but are not limited to, malignancies, solid tumors, and
cancers described herein and otherwise known in the art (for a
review of such disorders, see Fishman et al., Medicine, 2d Ed., J.
B. Lippincott Co., Philadelphia (1985)). Thus, the present
invention provides a method of treating an angiogenesis-related
disease and/or disorder, comprising administering to an individual
in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of a
polynucleotide, polypeptide, antagonist and/or agonist of the
invention. For example, polynucleotides, polypeptides, antagonists
and/or agonists may be utilized in a variety of additional methods
in order to therapeutically treat a cancer or tumor. Cancers which
may be treated with polynucleotides, polypeptides, antagonists
and/or agonists include, but are not limited to solid tumors,
including prostate, lung, breast, ovarian, stomach, pancreas,
larynx, esophagus, testes, liver, parotid, biliary tract, colon,
rectum, cervix, uterus, endometrium, kidney, bladder, thyroid
cancer; primary tumors and metastases; melanomas; glioblastoma;
Kaposi's sarcoma; leiomyosarcoma; non-small cell lung cancer;
colorectal cancer; advanced malignancies; and blood born tumors
such as leukemias. For example, polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antagonists and/or agonists may be delivered topically, in order to
treat cancers such as skin cancer, head and neck tumors, breast
tumors, and Kaposi's sarcoma.
[1195] Within yet other aspects, polynucleotides, polypeptides,
antagonists and/or agonists may be utilized to treat superficial
forms of bladder cancer by, for example, intravesical
administration. Polynucleotides, polypeptides, antagonists and/or
agonists may be delivered directly into the tumor, or near the
tumor site, via injection or a catheter. Of course, as the artisan
of ordinary skill will appreciate, the appropriate mode of
administration will vary according to the cancer to be treated.
Other modes of delivery are discussed herein.
[1196] Polynucleotides, polypeptides, antagonists and/or agonists
may be useful in treating other disorders, besides cancers, which
involve angiogenesis. These disorders include, but are not limited
to: benign tumors, for example hemangiomas, acoustic neuromas,
neurofibromas, trachomas, and pyogenic granulomas; artheroscleric
plaques; ocular angiogenic diseases, for example, diabetic
retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, macular degeneration,
corneal graft rejection, neovascular glaucoma, retrolental
fibroplasia, rubeosis, retinoblastoma, uvietis and Pterygia
(abnormal blood vessel growth) of the eye; rheumatoid arthritis;
psoriasis; delayed wound healing; endometriosis; vasculogenesis;
granulations; hypertrophic scars (keloids); nonunion fractures;
scleroderma; trachoma; vascular adhesions; myocardial angiogenesis;
coronary collaterals; cerebral collaterals; arteriovenous
malformations; ischemic limb angiogenesis; Osler-Webber Syndrome;
plaque neovascularization; telangiectasia; hemophiliac joints;
angiofibroma; fibromuscular dysplasia; wound granulation; Crohn's
disease; and atherosclerosis.
[1197] For example, within one aspect of the present invention
methods are provided for treating hypertrophic scars and keloids,
comprising the step of administering a polynucleotide, polypeptide,
antagonist and/or agonist of the invention to a hypertrophic scar
or keloid.
[1198] Within one embodiment of the present invention
polynucleotides, polypeptides, antagonists and/or agonists of the
invention are directly injected into a hypertrophic scar or keloid,
in order to prevent the progression of these lesions. This therapy
is of particular value in the prophylactic treatment of conditions
which are known to result in the development of hypertrophic scars
and keloids (e.g., burns), and is preferably initiated after the
proliferative phase has had time to progress (approximately 14 days
after the initial injury), but before hypertrophic scar or keloid
development. As noted above, the present invention also provides
methods for treating neovascular diseases of the eye, including for
example, corneal neovascularization, neovascular glaucoma,
proliferative diabetic retinopathy, retrolental fibroplasia and
macular degeneration.
[1199] Moreover, Ocular disorders associated with
neovascularization which can be treated with the polynucleotides
and polypeptides of the present invention (including agonists
and/or antagonists) include, but are not limited to: neovascular
glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, retinoblastoma, retrolental
fibroplasia, uveitis, retinopathy of prematurity macular
degeneration, corneal graft neovascularization, as well as other
eye inflammatory diseases, ocular tumors and diseases associated
with choroidal or iris neovascularization. See, e.g., reviews by
Waltman et al., Am. J. Ophthal. 85:704-710 (1978) and Gartner et
al., Surv. Ophthal. 22:291-312 (1978).
[1200] Thus, within one aspect of the present invention methods are
provided for treating neovascular diseases of the eye such as
corneal neovascularization (including corneal graft
neovascularization), comprising the step of administering to a
patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound (as
described above) to the cornea, such that the formation of blood
vessels is inhibited. Briefly, the cornea is a tissue which
normally lacks blood vessels. In certain pathological conditions
however, capillaries may extend into the cornea from the
pericorneal vascular plexus of the limbus. When the cornea becomes
vascularized, it also becomes clouded, resulting in a decline in
the patient's visual acuity. Visual loss may become complete if the
cornea completely opacitates. A wide variety of disorders can
result in corneal neovascularization, including for example,
corneal infections (e.g., trachoma, herpes simplex keratitis,
leishmaniasis and onchocerciasis), immunological processes (e.g.,
graft rejection and Stevens-Johnson's syndrome), alkali burns,
trauma, inflammation (of any cause), toxic and nutritional
deficiency states, and as a complication of wearing contact
lenses.
[1201] Within particularly preferred embodiments of the invention,
may be prepared for topical administration in saline (combined with
any of the preservatives and antimicrobial agents commonly used in
ocular preparations), and administered in eyedrop form. The
solution or suspension may be prepared in its pure form and
administered several times daily. Alternatively, anti-angiogenic
compositions, prepared as described above, may also be administered
directly to the cornea. Within preferred embodiments, the
anti-angiogenic composition is prepared with a muco-adhesive
polymer which binds to cornea. Within further embodiments, the
anti-angiogenic factors or anti-angiogenic compositions may be
utilized as an adjunct to conventional steroid therapy. Topical
therapy may also be useful prophylactically in corneal lesions
which are known to have a high probability of inducing an
angiogenic response (such as chemical burns). In these instances
the treatment, likely in combination with steroids, may be
instituted immediately to help prevent subsequent
complications.
[1202] Within other embodiments, the compounds described above may
be injected directly into the corneal stroma by an ophthalmologist
under microscopic guidance. The preferred site of injection may
vary with the morphology of the individual lesion, but the goal of
the administration would be to place the composition at the
advancing front of the vasculature (i.e., interspersed between the
blood vessels and the normal cornea). In most cases this would
involve perilimbic corneal injection to "protect" the cornea from
the advancing blood vessels. This method may also be utilized
shortly after a corneal insult in order to prophylactically prevent
corneal neovascularization. In this situation the material could be
injected in the perilimbic cornea interspersed between the corneal
lesion and its undesired potential limbic blood supply. Such
methods may also be utilized in a similar fashion to prevent
capillary invasion of transplanted corneas. In a sustained-release
form injections might only be required 2-3 times per year. A
steroid could also be added to the injection solution to reduce
inflammation resulting from the injection itself.
[1203] Within another aspect of the present invention, methods are
provided for treating neovascular glaucoma, comprising the step of
administering to a patient a therapeutically effective amount of a
polynucleotide, polypeptide, antagonist and/or agonist to the eye,
such that the formation of blood vessels is inhibited. In one
embodiment, the compound may be administered topically to the eye
in order to treat early forms of neovascular glaucoma. Within other
embodiments, the compound may be implanted by injection into the
region of the anterior chamber angle. Within other embodiments, the
compound may also be placed in any location such that the compound
is continuously released into the aqueous humor. Within another
aspect of the present invention, methods are provided for treating
proliferative diabetic retinopathy, comprising the step of
administering to a patient a therapeutically effective amount of a
polynucleotide, polypeptide, antagonist and/or agonist to the eyes,
such that the formation of blood vessels is inhibited.
[1204] Within particularly preferred embodiments of the invention,
proliferative diabetic retinopathy may be treated by injection into
the aqueous humor or the vitreous, in order to increase the local
concentration of the polynucleotide, polypeptide, antagonist and/or
agonist in the retina. Preferably, this treatment should be
initiated prior to the acquisition of severe disease requiring
photocoagulation.
[1205] Within another aspect of the present invention, methods are
provided for treating retrolental fibroplasia, comprising the step
of administering to a patient a therapeutically effective amount of
a polynucleotide, polypeptide, antagonist and/or agonist to the
eye, such that the formation of blood vessels is inhibited. The
compound may be administered topically, via intravitreous injection
and/or via intraocular implants.
[1206] Additionally, disorders which can be treated with the
polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists and/or agonists include,
but are not limited to, hemangioma, arthritis, psoriasis,
angiofibroma, atherosclerotic plaques, delayed wound healing,
granulations, hemophilic joints, hypertrophic scars, nonunion
fractures, Osler-Weber syndrome, pyogenic granuloma, scleroderma,
trachoma, and vascular adhesions.
[1207] Moreover, disorders and/or states, which can be treated,
prevented, diagnosed, and/or prognosed with the the
polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists and/or agonists of the
invention include, but are not limited to, solid tumors, blood born
tumors such as leukemias, tumor metastasis, Kaposi's sarcoma,
benign tumors, for example hemangiomas, acoustic neuromas,
neurofibromas, trachomas, and pyogenic granulomas, rheumatoid
arthritis, psoriasis, ocular angiogenic diseases, for example,
diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, macular
degeneration, corneal graft rejection, neovascular glaucoma,
retrolental fibroplasia, rubeosis, retinoblastoma, and uvietis,
delayed wound healing, endometriosis, vascluogenesis, granulations,
hypertrophic scars (keloids), nonunion fractures, scleroderma,
trachoma, vascular adhesions, myocardial angiogenesis, coronary
collaterals, cerebral collaterals, arteriovenous malformations,
ischemic limb angiogenesis, Osler-Webber Syndrome, plaque
neovascularization, telangiectasia, hemophiliac joints,
angiofibroma fibromuscular dysplasia, wound granulation, Crohn's
disease, atherosclerosis, birth control agent by preventing
vascularization required for embryo implantation controlling
menstruation, diseases that have angiogenesis as a pathologic
consequence such as cat scratch disease (Rochele minalia quintosa),
ulcers (Helicobacter pylori), Bartonellosis and bacillary
angiomatosis.
[1208] In one aspect of the birth control method, an amount of the
compound sufficient to block embryo implantation is administered
before or after intercourse and fertilization have occurred, thus
providing an effective method of birth control, possibly a "morning
after" method. Polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists and/or
agonists may also be used in controlling menstruation or
administered as either a peritoneal lavage fluid or for peritoneal
implantation in the treatment of endometriosis.
[1209] Polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists and/or agonists of
the present invention may be incorporated into surgical sutures in
order to prevent stitch granulomas.
[1210] Polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists and/or agonists may
be utilized in a wide variety of surgical procedures. For example,
within one aspect of the present invention a compositions (in the
form of, for example, a spray or film) may be utilized to coat or
spray an area prior to removal of a tumor, in order to isolate
normal surrounding tissues from malignant tissue, and/or to prevent
the spread of disease to surrounding tissues. Within other aspects
of the present invention, compositions (e.g., in the form of a
spray) may be delivered via endoscopic procedures in order to coat
tumors, or inhibit angiogenesis in a desired locale. Within yet
other aspects of the present invention, surgical meshes which have
been coated with anti-angiogenic compositions of the present
invention may be utilized in any procedure wherein a surgical mesh
might be utilized. For example, within one embodiment of the
invention a surgical mesh laden with an anti-angiogenic composition
may be utilized during abdominal cancer resection surgery (e.g.,
subsequent to colon resection) in order to provide support to the
structure, and to release an amount of the anti-angiogenic
factor.
[1211] Within further aspects of the present invention, methods are
provided for treating tumor excision sites, comprising
administering a polynucleotide, polypeptide, agonist and/or agonist
to the resection margins of a tumor subsequent to excision, such
that the local recurrence of cancer and the formation of new blood
vessels at the site is inhibited. Within one embodiment of the
invention, the anti-angiogenic compound is administered directly to
the tumor excision site (e.g., applied by swabbing, brushing or
otherwise coating the resection margins of the tumor with the
anti-angiogenic compound). Alternatively, the anti-angiogenic
compounds may be incorporated into known surgical pastes prior to
administration. Within particularly preferred embodiments of the
invention, the anti-angiogenic compounds are applied after hepatic
resections for malignancy, and after neurosurgical operations.
[1212] Within one aspect of the present invention, polynucleotides,
polypeptides, agonists and/or agonists may be administered to the
resection margin of a wide variety of tumors, including for
example, breast, colon, brain and hepatic tumors. For example,
within one embodiment of the invention, anti-angiogenic compounds
may be administered to the site of a neurological tumor subsequent
to excision, such that the formation of new blood vessels at the
site are inhibited.
[1213] The polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists and/or agonists
of the present invention may also be administered along with other
anti-angiogenic factors. Representative examples of other
anti-angiogenic factors include: Anti-Invasive Factor, retinoic
acid and derivatives thereof, paclitaxel, Suramin, Tissue Inhibitor
of Metalloproteinase-1, Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2,
Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1, Plasminogen Activator
Inhibitor-2, and various forms of the lighter "d group" transition
metals.
[1214] Lighter "d group" transition metals include, for example,
vanadium, molybdenum, tungsten, titanium, niobium, and tantalum
species. Such transition metal species may form transition metal
complexes. Suitable complexes of the above-mentioned transition
metal species include oxo transition metal complexes.
[1215] Representative examples of vanadium complexes include oxo
vanadium complexes such as vanadate and vanadyl complexes. Suitable
vanadate complexes include metavanadate and orthovanadate complexes
such as, for example, ammonium metavanadate, sodium metavanadate,
and sodium orthovanadate. Suitable vanadyl complexes include, for
example, vanadyl acetylacetonate and vanadyl sulfate including
vanadyl sulfate hydrates such as vanadyl sulfate mono- and
trihydrates.
[1216] Representative examples of tungsten and molybdenum complexes
also include oxo complexes. Suitable oxo tungsten complexes include
tungstate and tungsten oxide complexes. Suitable tungstate
complexes include ammonium tungstate, calcium tungstate, sodium
tungstate dihydrate, and tungstic acid. Suitable tungsten oxides
include tungsten (IV) oxide and tungsten (VI) oxide. Suitable oxo
molybdenum complexes include molybdate, molybdenum oxide, and
molybdenyl complexes. Suitable molybdate complexes include ammonium
molybdate and its hydrates, sodium molybdate and its hydrates, and
potassium molybdate and its hydrates. Suitable molybdenum oxides
include molybdenum (VI) oxide, molybdenum (VI) oxide, and molybdic
acid. Suitable molybdenyl complexes include, for example,
molybdenyl acetylacetonate. Other suitable tungsten and molybdenum
complexes include hydroxo derivatives derived from, for example,
glycerol, tartaric acid, and sugars.
[1217] A wide variety of other anti-angiogenic factors may also be
utilized within the context of the present invention.
Representative examples include platelet factor 4; protamine
sulphate; sulphated chitin derivatives (prepared from queen crab
shells), (Murata et al., Cancer Res. 51:22-26, 1991); Sulphated
Polysaccharide Peptidoglycan Complex (SP-PG) (the function of this
compound may be enhanced by the presence of steroids such as
estrogen, and tamoxifen citrate); Staurosporine; modulators of
matrix metabolism, including for example, proline analogs,
cishydroxyproline, d,L-3,4-dehydroproline, Thiaproline, alpha,
alpha-dipyridyl, aminopropionitrile fumarate;
4-propyl-5-(4-pyridinyl)-2(3H)-oxazolone; Methotrexate;
Mitoxantrone; Heparin; Interferons; 2 Macroglobulin-serum; ChIMP-3
(Pavloff et al., J. Bio. Chem. 267:17321-17326, 1992); Chymostatin
(Tomkinson et al., Biochem J. 286:475-480, 1992); Cyclodextrin
Tetradecasulfate; Eponemycin; Camptothecin; Fumagillin (Ingber et
al., Nature 348:555-557, 1990); Gold Sodium Thiomalate ("GST";
Matsubara and Ziff, J. Clin. Invest. 79:1440-1446, 1987);
anticollagenase-serum; alpha2-antiplasmin (Holmes et al., J. Biol.
Chem. 262(4):1659-1664, 1987); Bisantrene (National Cancer
Institute); Lobenzarit disodium
(N-(2)-carboxyphenyl-4-chloroanthronilic acid disodium or "CCA";
Takeuchi et al., Agents Actions 36:312-316, 1992); Thalidomide;
Angostatic steroid; AGM-1470; carboxynaminolmidazole; and
metalloproteinase inhibitors such as BB94.
Diseases at the Cellular Level
[1218] Diseases associated with increased cell survival or the
inhibition of apoptosis that could be treated, prevented,
diagnosed, and/or prognosed using polynucleotides or polypeptides,
as well as antagonists or agonists of the present invention,
include cancers (such as follicular lymphomas, carcinomas with p53
mutations, and hormone-dependent tumors, including, but not limited
to colon cancer, cardiac tumors, pancreatic cancer, melanoma,
retinoblastoma, glioblastoma, lung cancer, intestinal cancer,
testicular cancer, stomach cancer, neuroblastoma, myxoma, myoma,
lymphoma, endothelioma, osteoblastoma, osteoclastoma, osteosarcoma,
chondrosarcoma, adenoma, breast cancer, prostate cancer, Kaposi's
sarcoma and ovarian cancer); autoimmune disorders (such as,
multiple sclerosis, Sjogren's syndrome, Hashimoto's thyroiditis,
biliary cirrhosis, Behcet's disease, Crohn's disease, polymyositis,
systemic lupus erythematosus and immune-related glomerulonephritis
and rheumatoid arthritis) and viral infections (such as herpes
viruses, pox viruses and adenoviruses), inflammation, graft v. host
disease, acute graft rejection, and chronic graft rejection.
[1219] In preferred embodiments, polynucleotides, polypeptides,
and/or antagonists of the invention are used to inhibit growth,
progression, and/or metasis of cancers, in particular those listed
above.
[1220] Additional diseases or conditions associated with increased
cell survival that could be treated or detected by polynucleotides
or polypeptides, or agonists or antagonists of the present
invention include, but are not limited to, progression, and/or
metastases of malignancies and related disorders such as leukemia
(including acute leukemias (e.g., acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute
myelocytic leukemia (including myeloblastic, promyelocytic,
myelomonocytic, monocytic, and erythroleukemia)) and chronic
leukemias (e.g., chronic myelocytic (granulocytic) leukemia and
chronic lymphocytic leukemia)), polycythemia vera, lymphomas (e.g.,
Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's disease), multiple myeloma,
Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, heavy chain disease, and solid
tumors including, but not limited to, sarcomas and carcinomas such
as fibrosarcoma, myxosarcoma, liposarcoma, chondrosarcoma,
osteogenic sarcoma, chordoma, angiosarcoma, endotheliosarcoma,
lymphangiosarcoma, lymphangioendotheliosarcoma, synovioma,
mesothelioma, Ewing's tumor, leiomyosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma,
colon carcinoma, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer,
prostate cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma,
adenocarcinoma, sweat gland carcinoma, sebaceous gland carcinoma,
papillary carcinoma, papillary adenocarcinomas, cystadenocarcinoma,
medullary carcinoma, bronchogenic carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma,
hepatoma, bile duct carcinoma, choriocarcinoma, seminoma, embryonal
carcinoma, Wilm's tumor, cervical cancer, testicular tumor, lung
carcinoma, small cell lung carcinoma, bladder carcinoma, epithelial
carcinoma, glioma, astrocytoma, medulloblastoma, craniopharyngioma,
ependymoma, pinealoma, hemangioblastoma, acoustic neuroma,
oligodendroglioma, menangioma, melanoma, neuroblastoma, and
retinoblastoma.
[1221] Diseases associated with increased apoptosis that could be
treated, prevented, diagnosed, and/or prognesed using
polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or antagonists
of the present invention, include, but are not limited to, AIDS;
neurodegenerative disorders (such as Alzheimer's disease,
Parkinson's disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Retinitis
pigmentosa, Cerebellar degeneration and brain tumor or prior
associated disease); autoimmune disorders (such as, multiple
sclerosis, Sjogren's syndrome, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, biliary
cirrhosis, Behcet's disease, Crohn's disease, polymyositis,
systemic lupus erythematosus and immune-related glomerulonephritis
and rheumatoid arthritis) myelodysplastic syndromes (such as
aplastic anemia), graft v. host disease, ischemic injury (such as
that caused by myocardial infarction, stroke and reperfusion
injury), liver injury (e.g., hepatitis related liver injury,
ischemia/reperfusion injury, cholestosis (bile duct injury) and
liver cancer); toxin-induced liver disease (such as that caused by
alcohol), septic shock, cachexia and anorexia.
Wound Healing and Epithelial Cell Proliferation
[1222] In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a process for utilizing
polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or antagonists
of the present invention, for therapeutic purposes, for example, to
stimulate epithelial cell proliferation and basal keratinocytes for
the purpose of wound healing, and to stimulate hair follicle
production and healing of dermal wounds. Polynucleotides or
polypeptides, as well as agonists or antagonists of the present
invention, may be clinically useful in stimulating wound healing
including surgical wounds, excisional wounds, deep wounds involving
damage of the dermis and epidermis, eye tissue wounds, dental
tissue wounds, oral cavity wounds, diabetic ulcers, dermal ulcers,
cubitus ulcers, arterial ulcers, venous stasis ulcers, burns
resulting from heat exposure or chemicals, and other abnormal wound
healing conditions such as uremia, malnutrition, vitamin
deficiencies and complications associated with systemic treatment
with steroids, radiation therapy and antineoplastic drugs and
antimetabolites. Polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as
agonists or antagonists of the present invention, could be used to
promote dermal reestablishment subsequent to dermal loss
[1223] Polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or
antagonists of the present invention, could be used to increase the
adherence of skin grafts to a wound bed and to stimulate
re-epithelialization from the wound bed. The following are types of
grafts that polynucleotides or polypeptides, agonists or
antagonists of the present invention, could be used to increase
adherence to a wound bed: autografts, artificial skin, allografts,
autodermic graft, autoepdermic grafts, avacular grafts, Blair-Brown
grafts, bone graft, brephoplastic grafts, cutis graft, delayed
graft, dermic graft, epidermic graft, fascia graft, full thickness
graft, heterologous graft, xenograft, homologous graft,
hyperplastic graft, lamellar graft, mesh graft, mucosal graft,
Ollier-Thiersch graft, omenpal graft, patch graft, pedicle graft,
penetrating graft, split skin graft, thick split graft.
Polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or antagonists
of the present invention, can be used to promote skin strength and
to improve the appearance of aged skin.
[1224] It is believed that polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well
as agonists or antagonists of the present invention, will also
produce changes in hepatocyte proliferation, and epithelial cell
proliferation in the lung, breast, pancreas, stomach, small
intestine, and large intestine. Polynucleotides or polypeptides, as
well as agonists or antagonists of the present invention, could
promote proliferation of epithelial cells such as sebocytes, hair
follicles, hepatocytes, type II pneumocytes, mucin-producing goblet
cells, and other epithelial cells and their progenitors contained
within the skin, lung, liver, and gastrointestinal tract.
Polynucleotides or polypeptides, agonists or antagonists of the
present invention, may promote proliferation of endothelial cells,
keratinocytes, and basal keratinocytes.
[1225] Polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or
antagonists of the present invention, could also be used to reduce
the side effects of gut toxicity that result from radiation,
chemotherapy treatments or viral infections. Polynucleotides or
polypeptides, as well as agonists or antagonists of the present
invention, may have a cytoprotective effect on the small intestine
mucosa. Polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or
antagonists of the present invention, may also stimulate healing of
mucositis (mouth ulcers) that result from chemotherapy and viral
infections.
[1226] Polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or
antagonists of the present invention, could further be used in full
regeneration of skin in full and partial thickness skin defects,
including burns, (i.e., repopulation of hair follicles, sweat
glands, and sebaceous glands), treatment of other skin defects such
as psoriasis. Polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists
or antagonists of the present invention, could be used to treat
epidermolysis bullosa, a defect in adherence of the epidermis to
the underlying dermis which results in frequent, open and painful
blisters by accelerating reepithelialization of these lesions.
Polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or antagonists
of the present invention, could also be used to treat gastric and
doudenal ulcers and help heal by scar formation of the mucosal
lining and regeneration of glandular mucosa and duodenal mucosal
lining more rapidly. Inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's
disease and ulcerative colitis, are diseases which result in
destruction of the mucosal surface of the small or large intestine,
respectively. Thus, polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as
agonists or antagonists of the present invention, could be used to
promote the resurfacing of the mucosal surface to aid more rapid
healing and to prevent progression of inflammatory bowel disease.
Treatment with polynucleotides or polypeptides, agonists or
antagonists of the present invention, is expected to have a
significant effect on the production of mucus throughout the
gastrointestinal tract and could be used to protect the intestinal
mucosa from injurious substances that are ingested or following
surgery. Polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or
antagonists of the present invention, could be used to treat
diseases associate with the under expression.
[1227] Moreover, polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as
agonists or antagonists of the present invention, could be used to
prevent and heal damage to the lungs due to various pathological
states. Polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or
antagonists of the present invention, which could stimulate
proliferation and differentiation and promote the repair of alveoli
and brochiolar epithelium to prevent or treat acute or chronic lung
damage. For example, emphysema, which results in the progressive
loss of aveoli, and inhalation injuries, i.e., resulting from smoke
inhalation and burns, that cause necrosis of the bronchiolar
epithelium and alveoli could be effectively treated using
polynucleotides or polypeptides, agonists or antagonists of the
present invention. Also, polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well
as agonists or antagonists of the present invention, could be used
to stimulate the proliferation of and differentiation of type II
pneumocytes, which may help treat or prevent disease such as
hyaline membrane diseases, such as infant respiratory distress
syndrome and bronchopulmonary displasia, in premature infants.
[1228] Polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or
antagonists of the present invention, could stimulate the
proliferation and differentiation of hepatocytes and, thus, could
be used to alleviate or treat liver diseases and pathologies such
as fulminant liver failure caused by cirrhosis, liver damage caused
by viral hepatitis and toxic substances (i.e., acetaminophen,
carbon tetraholoride and other hepatotoxins known in the art). In
addition, polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or
antagonists of the present invention, could be used treat or
prevent the onset of diabetes mellitus. In patients with newly
diagnosed Types I and II diabetes, where some islet cell function
remains, polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or
antagonists of the present invention, could be used to maintain the
islet function so as to alleviate, delay or prevent permanent
manifestation of the disease. Also, polynucleotides or
polypeptides, as well as agonists or antagonists of the present
invention, could be used as an auxiliary in islet cell
transplantation to improve or promote islet cell function.
Neural Activity and Neurological Diseases
[1229] The polynucleotides, polypeptides and agonists or
antagonists of the invention may be used for the diagnosis and/or
treatment of diseases, disorders, damage or injury of the brain
and/or nervous system. Nervous system disorders that can be treated
with the compositions of the invention (e.g., polypeptides,
polynucleotides, and/or agonists or antagonists), include, but are
not limited to, nervous system injuries, and diseases or disorders
which result in either a disconnection of axons, a diminution or
degeneration of neurons, or demyelination. Nervous system lesions
which may be treated in a patient (including human and non-human
mammalian patients) according to the methods of the invention,
include but are not limited to, the following lesions of either the
central (including spinal cord, brain) or peripheral nervous
systems: (1) ischemic lesions, in which a lack of oxygen in a
portion of the nervous system results in neuronal injury or death,
including cerebral infarction or ischemia, or spinal cord
infarction or ischemia; (2) traumatic lesions, including lesions
caused by physical injury or associated with surgery, for example,
lesions which sever a portion of the nervous system, or compression
injuries; (3) malignant lesions, in which a portion of the nervous
system is destroyed or injured by malignant tissue which is either
a nervous system associated malignancy or a malignancy derived from
non-nervous system tissue; (4) infectious lesions, in which a
portion of the nervous system is destroyed or injured as a result
of infection, for example, by an abscess or associated with
infection by human immunodeficiency virus, herpes zoster, or herpes
simplex virus or with Lyme disease, tuberculosis, or syphilis; (5)
degenerative lesions, in which a portion of the nervous system is
destroyed or injured as a result of a degenerative process
including but not limited to, degeneration associated with
Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's chorea, or
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); (6) lesions associated with
nutritional diseases or disorders, in which a portion of the
nervous system is destroyed or injured by a nutritional disorder or
disorder of metabolism including, but not limited to, vitamin B12
deficiency, folic acid deficiency, Wernicke disease,
tobacco-alcohol amblyopia, Marchiafava-Bignami disease (primary
degeneration of the corpus callosum), and alcoholic cerebellar
degeneration; (7) neurological lesions associated with systemic
diseases including, but not limited to, diabetes (diabetic
neuropathy, Bell's palsy), systemic lupus erythematosus, carcinoma,
or sarcoidosis; (8) lesions caused by toxic substances including
alcohol, lead, or particular neurotoxins; and (9) demyelinated
lesions in which a portion of the nervous system is destroyed or
injured by a demyelinating disease including, but not limited to,
multiple sclerosis, human immunodeficiency virus-associated
myelopathy, transverse myelopathy or various etiologies,
progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, and central pontine
myelinolysis.
[1230] In one embodiment, the polypeptides, polynucleotides, or
agonists or antagonists of the invention are used to protect neural
cells from the damaging effects of hypoxia. In a further preferred
embodiment, the polypeptides, polynucleotides, or agonists or
antagonists of the invention are used to protect neural cells from
the damaging effects of cerebral hypoxia. According to this
embodiment, the compositions of the invention are used to treat or
prevent neural cell injury associated with cerebral hypoxia. In one
non-exclusive aspect of this embodiment, the polypeptides,
polynucleotides, or agonists or antagonists of the invention, are
used to treat or prevent neural cell injury associated with
cerebral ischemia. In another non-exclusive aspect of this
embodiment, the polypeptides, polynucleotides, or agonists or
antagonists of the invention are used to treat or prevent neural
cell injury associated with cerebral infarction.
[1231] In another preferred embodiment, the polypeptides,
polynucleotides, or agonists or antagonists of the invention are
used to treat or prevent neural cell injury associated with a
stroke. In a specific embodiment, the polypeptides,
polynucleotides, or agonists or antagonists of the invention are
used to treat or prevent cerebral neural cell injury associated
with a stroke.
[1232] In another preferred embodiment, the polypeptides,
polynucleotides, or agonists or antagonists of the invention are
used to treat or prevent neural cell injury associated with a heart
attack. In a specific embodiment, the polypeptides,
polynucleotides, or agonists or antagonists of the invention are
used to treat or prevent cerebral neural cell injury associated
with a heart attack.
[1233] The compositions of the invention which are useful for
treating or preventing a nervous system disorder may be selected by
testing for biological activity in promoting the survival or
differentiation of neurons. For example, and not by way of
limitation, compositions of the invention which elicit any of the
following effects may be useful according to the invention: (1)
increased survival time of neurons in culture either in the
presence or absence of hypoxia or hypoxic conditions; (2) increased
sprouting of neurons in culture or in vivo; (3) increased
production of a neuron-associated molecule in culture or in vivo,
e.g., choline acetyltransferase or acetylcholinesterase with
respect to motor neurons; or (4) decreased symptoms of neuron
dysfunction in vivo. Such effects may be measured by any method
known in the art. In preferred, non-limiting embodiments, increased
survival of neurons may routinely be measured using a method set
forth herein or otherwise known in the art, such as, for example,
in Zhang et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 97:3637-42 (2000) or in
Arakawa et al., J. Neurosci, 10:3507-15 (1990); increased sprouting
of neurons may be detected by methods known in the art, such as,
for example, the methods set forth in Pestronk et al., Exp.
Neurol., 70:65-82 (1980), or Brown et al., Ann. Rev. Neurosci.,
4:17-42 (1981); increased production of neuron-associated molecules
may be measured by bioassay, enzymatic assay, antibody binding,
Northern blot assay, etc., using techniques known in the art and
depending on the molecule to be measured; and motor neuron
dysfunction may be measured by assessing the physical manifestation
of motor neuron disorder, e.g., weakness, motor neuron conduction
velocity, or functional disability.
[1234] In specific embodiments, motor neuron disorders that may be
treated according to the invention include, but are not limited to,
disorders such as infarction, infection, exposure to toxin, trauma,
surgical damage, degenerative disease or malignancy that may affect
motor neurons as well as other components of the nervous system, as
well as disorders that selectively affect neurons such as
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and including, but not limited to,
progressive spinal muscular atrophy, progressive bulbar palsy,
primary lateral sclerosis, infantile and juvenile muscular atrophy,
progressive bulbar paralysis of childhood (Fazio-Londe syndrome),
poliomyelitis and the post polio syndrome, and Hereditary
Motorsensory Neuropathy (Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease).
[1235] Further, polypeptides or polynucleotides of the invention
may play a role in neuronal survival; synapse formation;
conductance; neural differentiation, etc. Thus, compositions of the
invention (including polynucleotides, polypeptides, and agonists or
antagonists) may be used to diagnose and/or treat or prevent
diseases or disorders associated with these roles, including, but
not limited to, learning and/or cognition disorders. The
compositions of the invention may also be useful in the treatment
or prevention of neurodegenerative disease states and/or
behavioural disorders. Such neurodegenerative disease states and/or
behavioral disorders include, but are not limited to, Alzheimer's
Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Disease, Tourette
Syndrome, schizophrenia, mania, dementia, paranoia, obsessive
compulsive disorder, panic disorder, learning disabilities, ALS,
psychoses, autism, and altered behaviors, including disorders in
feeding, sleep patterns, balance, and perception. In addition,
compositions of the invention may also play a role in the
treatment, prevention and/or detection of developmental disorders
associated with the developing embryo, or sexually-linked
disorders.
[1236] Additionally, polypeptides, polynucleotides and/or agonists
or antagonists of the invention, may be useful in protecting neural
cells from diseases, damage, disorders, or injury, associated with
cerebrovascular disorders including, but not limited to, carotid
artery diseases (e.g., carotid artery thrombosis, carotid stenosis,
or Moyamoya Disease), cerebral amyloid angiopathy, cerebral
aneurysm, cerebral anoxia, cerebral arteriosclerosis, cerebral
arteriovenous malformations, cerebral artery diseases, cerebral
embolism and thrombosis (e.g., carotid artery thrombosis, sinus
thrombosis, or Wallenberg's Syndrome), cerebral hemorrhage (e.g.,
epidural or subdural hematoma, or subarachnoid hemorrhage),
cerebral infarction, cerebral ischemia (e.g., transient cerebral
ischemia, Subclavian Steal Syndrome, or vertebrobasilar
insufficiency), vascular dementia (e.g., multi-infarct),
leukomalacia, periventricular, and vascular headache (e.g., cluster
headache or migraines).
[1237] In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a process for utilizing
polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or antagonists
of the present invention, for therapeutic purposes, for example, to
stimulate neurological cell proliferation and/or differentiation.
Therefore, polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists and/or
antagonists of the invention may be used to treat and/or detect
neurologic diseases. Moreover, polynucleotides or polypeptides, or
agonists or antagonists of the invention, can be used as a marker
or detector of a particular nervous system disease or disorder.
[1238] Examples of neurologic diseases which can be treated or
detected with polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists, and/or
antagonists of the present invention include brain diseases, such
as metabolic brain diseases which includes phenylketonuria such as
maternal phenylketonuria, pyruvate carboxylase deficiency, pyruvate
dehydrogenase complex deficiency, Wernicke's Encephalopathy, brain
edema, brain neoplasms such as cerebellar neoplasms which include
infratentorial neoplasms, cerebral ventricle neoplasms such as
choroid plexus neoplasms, hypothalamic neoplasms, supratentorial
neoplasms, canavan disease, cerebellar diseases such as cerebellar
ataxia which include spinocerebellar degeneration such as ataxia
telangiectasia, cerebellar dyssynergia, Friederich's Ataxia,
Machado-Joseph Disease, olivopontocerebellar atrophy, cerebellar
neoplasms such as infratentorial neoplasms, diffuse cerebral
sclerosis such as encephalitis periaxialis, globoid cell
leukodystrophy, metachromatic leukodystrophy and subacute
sclerosing panencephalitis.
[1239] Additional neurologic diseases which can be treated or
detected with polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists, and/or
antagonists of the present invention include cerebrovascular
disorders (such as carotid artery diseases which include carotid
artery thrombosis, carotid stenosis and Moyamoya Disease), cerebral
amyloid angiopathy, cerebral aneurysm, cerebral anoxia, cerebral
arteriosclerosis, cerebral arteriovenous malformations, cerebral
artery diseases, cerebral embolism and thrombosis such as carotid
artery thrombosis, sinus thrombosis and Wallenberg's Syndrome,
cerebral hemorrhage such as epidural hematoma, subdural hematoma
and subarachnoid hemorrhage, cerebral infarction, cerebral ischemia
such as transient cerebral ischemia, Subclavian Steal Syndrome and
vertebrobasilar insufficiency, vascular dementia such as
multi-infarct dementia, periventricular leukomalacia, vascular
headache such as cluster headache and migraine.
[1240] Additional neurologic diseases which can be treated or
detected with polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists, and/or
antagonists of the present invention include dementia such as AIDS
Dementia Complex, presenile dementia such as Alzheimer's Disease
and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome, senile dementia such as Alzheimer's
Disease and progressive supraruclear palsy, vascular dementia such
as multi-infarct dementia, encephalitis which include encephalitis
periaxialis, viral encephalitis such as epidemic encephalitis,
Japanese Encephalitis, St. Louis Encephalitis, tick-borne
encephalitis and West Nile Fever, acute disseminated
encephalomyelitis, meningoencephalitis such as
uveomeningoencephalitic syndrome, Postencephalitic Parkinson
Disease and subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, encephalomalacia
such as periventricular leukomalacia, epilepsy such as generalized
epilepsy which includes infantile spasms, absence epilepsy,
myoclonic epilepsy which includes MERRF Syndrome, tonic-clonic
epilepsy, partial epilepsy such as complex partial epilepsy,
frontal lobe epilepsy and temporal lobe epilepsy, post-traumatic
epilepsy, status epilepticus such as Epilepsia Partialis Continua,
and Hallervorden-Spatz Syndrome.
[1241] Additional neurologic diseases which can be treated or
detected with polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists, and/or
antagonists of the present invention include hydrocephalus such as
Dandy-Walker Syndrome and normal pressure hydrocephalus,
hypothalamic diseases such as hypothalamic neoplasms, cerebral
malaria, narcolepsy which includes cataplexy, bulbar poliomyelitis,
cerebri pseudotumor, Rett Syndrome, Reye's Syndrome, thalamic
diseases, cerebral toxoplasmosis, intracranial tuberculoma and
Zellweger Syndrome, central nervous system infections such as AIDS
Dementia Complex, Brain Abscess, subdural empyema,
encephalomyelitis such as Equine Encephalomyelitis, Venezuelan
Equine Encephalomyelitis, Necrotizing Hemorrhagic
Encephalomyelitis, Visna, and cerebral malaria.
[1242] Additional neurologic diseases which can be treated or
detected with polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists, and/or
antagonists of the present invention include meningitis such as
arachnoiditis, aseptic meningtitis such as viral meningtitis which
includes lymphocytic choriomeningitis, Bacterial meningtitis which
includes Haemophilus Meningtitis, Listeria Meningtitis,
Meningococcal Meningtitis such as Waterhouse-Friderichsen Syndrome,
Pneumococcal Meningtitis and meningeal tuberculosis, fungal
meningitis such as Cryptococcal Meningtitis, subdural effusion,
meningoencephalitis such as uvemeningoencephalitic syndrome,
myelitis such as transverse myelitis, neurosyphilis such as tabes
dorsalis, poliomyelitis which includes bulbar poliomyelitis and
postpoliomyelitis syndrome, prion diseases (such as
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy,
Gerstmann-Straussler Syndrome, Kuru, Scrapie), and cerebral
toxoplasmosis.
[1243] Additional neurologic diseases which can be treated or
detected with polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists, and/or
antagonists of the present invention include central nervous system
neoplasms such as brain neoplasms that include cerebellar neoplasms
such as infratentorial neoplasms, cerebral ventricle neoplasms such
as choroid plexus neoplasms, hypothalamic neoplasms and
supratentorial neoplasms, meningeal neoplasms, spinal cord
neoplasms which include epidural neoplasms, demyelinating diseases
such as Canavan Diseases, diffuse cerebral sceloris which includes
adrenoleukodystrophy, encephalitis periaxialis, globoid cell
leukodystrophy, diffuse cerebral sclerosis such as metachromatic
leukodystrophy, allergic encephalomyelitis, necrotizing hemorrhagic
encephalomyelitis, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy,
multiple sclerosis, central pontine myelinolysis, transverse
myelitis, neuromyelitis optica, Scrapie, Swayback, Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome, Visna, High Pressure Nervous Syndrome, Meningism, spinal
cord diseases such as amyotonia congenita, amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis, spinal muscular atrophy such as Werdnig-Hoffmann
Disease, spinal cord compression, spinal cord neoplasms such as
epidural neoplasms, syringomyelia, Tabes Dorsalis, Stiff-Man
Syndrome, mental retardation such as Angelman Syndrome, Cri-du-Chat
Syndrome, De Lange's Syndrome, Down Syndrome, Gangliosidoses such
as gangliosidoses G(M1), Sandhoff Disease, Tay-Sachs Disease,
Hartnup Disease, homocystinuria, Laurence-Moon-Biedl Syndrome,
Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome, Maple Syrup Urine Disease, mucolipidosis such
as fucosidosis, neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis, oculocerebrorenal
syndrome, phenylketonuria such as maternal phenylketonuria,
Prader-Willi Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome,
Tuberous Sclerosis, WAGR Syndrome, nervous system abnormalities
such as holoprosencephaly, neural tube defects such as anencephaly
which includes hydrangencephaly, Arnold-Chairi Deformity,
encephalocele, meningocele, meningomyelocele, spinal dysraphism
such as spina bifida cystica and spina bifida occulta.
[1244] Additional neurologic diseases which can be treated or
detected with polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists, and/or
antagonists of the present invention include hereditary motor and
sensory neuropathies which include Charcot-Marie Disease,
Hereditary optic atrophy, Refsum's Disease, hereditary spastic
paraplegia, Werdnig-Hoffmann Disease, Hereditary Sensory and
Autonomic Neuropathies such as Congenital Analgesia and Familial
Dysautonomia, Neurologic manifestations (such as agnosia that
include Gerstmann's Syndrome, Amnesia such as retrograde amnesia,
apraxia, neurogenic bladder, cataplexy, communicative disorders
such as hearing disorders that includes deafness, partial hearing
loss, loudness recruitment and tinnitus, language disorders such as
aphasia which include agraphia, anomia, broca aphasia, and Wernicke
Aphasia, Dyslexia such as Acquired Dyslexia, language development
disorders, speech disorders such as aphasia which includes anomia,
broca aphasia and Wernicke Aphasia, articulation disorders,
communicative disorders such as speech disorders which include
dysarthria, echolalia, mutism and stuttering, voice disorders such
as aphonia and hoarseness, decerebrate state, delirium,
fasciculation, hallucinations, meningism, movement disorders such
as angelman syndrome, ataxia, athetosis, chorea, dystonia,
hypokinesia, muscle hypotonia, myoclonus, tic, torticollis and
tremor, muscle hypertonia such as muscle rigidity such as stiff-man
syndrome, muscle spasticity, paralysis such as facial paralysis
which includes Herpes Zoster Oticus, Gastroparesis, Hemiplegia,
ophthalmoplegia such as diplopia, Duane's Syndrome, Homer's
Syndrome, Chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia such as
Kearns Syndrome, Bulbar Paralysis, Tropical Spastic Paraparesis,
Paraplegia such as Brown-Sequard Syndrome, quadriplegia,
respiratory paralysis and vocal cord paralysis, paresis, phantom
limb, taste disorders such as ageusia and dysgeusia, vision
disorders such as amblyopia, blindness, color vision defects,
diplopia, hemianopsia, scotoma and subnormal vision, sleep
disorders such as hypersomnia which includes Kleine-Levin Syndrome,
insomnia, and somnambulism, spasm such as trismus, unconsciousness
such as coma, persistent vegetative state and syncope and vertigo,
neuromuscular diseases such as amyotonia congenita, amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis, Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome, motor neuron
disease, muscular atrophy such as spinal muscular atrophy,
Charcot-Marie Disease and Werdnig-Hoffmann Disease,
Postpoliomyelitis Syndrome, Muscular Dystrophy, Myasthenia Gravis,
Myotonia Atrophica, Myotonia Confenita, Nemaline Myopathy, Familial
Periodic Paralysis, Multiplex Paramyloclonus, Tropical Spastic
Paraparesis and Stiff-Man Syndrome, peripheral nervous system
diseases such as acrodynia, amyloid neuropathies, autonomic nervous
system diseases such as Adie's Syndrome, Barre-Lieou Syndrome,
Familial Dysautonomia, Homer's Syndrome, Reflex Sympathetic
Dystrophy and Shy-Drager Syndrome, Cranial Nerve Diseases such as
Acoustic Nerve Diseases such as Acoustic Neuroma which includes
Neurofibromatosis 2, Facial Nerve Diseases such as Facial
Neuralgia, Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome, ocular motility disorders
which includes amblyopia, nystagmus, oculomotor nerve paralysis,
ophthalmoplegia such as Duane's Syndrome, Homer's Syndrome, Chronic
Progressive External Ophthalmoplegia which includes Kearns
Syndrome, Strabismus such as Esotropia and Exotropia, Oculomotor
Nerve Paralysis, Optic Nerve Diseases such as Optic Atrophy which
includes Hereditary Optic Atrophy, Optic Disk Drusen, Optic
Neuritis such as Neuromyelitis Optica, Papilledema, Trigeminal
Neuralgia, Vocal Cord Paralysis, Demyelinating Diseases such as
Neuromyelitis Optica and Swayback, and Diabetic neuropathies such
as diabetic foot.
[1245] Additional neurologic diseases which can be treated or
detected with polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists, and/or
antagonists of the present invention include nerve compression
syndromes such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tarsal tunnel syndrome,
thoracic outlet syndrome such as cervical rib syndrome, ulnar nerve
compression syndrome, neuralgia such as causalgia, cervico-brachial
neuralgia, facial neuralgia and trigeminal neuralgia, neuritis such
as experimental allergic neuritis, optic neuritis, polyneuritis,
polyradiculoneuritis and radiculities such as polyradiculitis,
hereditary motor and sensory neuropathies such as Charcot-Marie
Disease, Hereditary Optic Atrophy, Refsum's Disease, Hereditary
Spastic Paraplegia and Werdnig-Hoffmann Disease, Hereditary Sensory
and Autonomic Neuropathies which include Congenital Analgesia and
Familial Dysautonomia, POEMS Syndrome, Sciatica, Gustatory Sweating
and Tetany).
Endocrine Disorders
[1246] Polynucleotides or polypeptides, or agonists or antagonists
of the present invention, may be used to treat, prevent, diagnose,
and/or prognose disorders and/or diseases related to hormone
imbalance, and/or disorders or diseases of the endocrine
system.
[1247] Hormones secreted by the glands of the endocrine system
control physical growth, sexual function, metabolism, and other
functions. Disorders may be classified in two ways: disturbances in
the production of hormones, and the inability of tissues to respond
to hormones. The etiology of these hormone imbalance or endocrine
system diseases, disorders or conditions may be genetic, somatic,
such as cancer and some autoimmune diseases, acquired (e.g., by
chemotherapy, injury or toxins), or infectious. Moreover,
polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, and/or agonists or
antagonists of the present invention can be used as a marker or
detector of a particular disease or disorder related to the
endocrine system and/or hormone imbalance.
[1248] Endocrine system and/or hormone imbalance and/or diseases
encompass disorders of uterine motility including, but not limited
to: complications with pregnancy and labor (e.g., pre-term labor,
post-term pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, and slow or stopped
labor); and disorders and/or diseases of the menstrual cycle (e.g.,
dysmenorrhea and endometriosis).
[1249] Endocrine system and/or hormone imbalance disorders and/or
diseases include disorders and/or diseases of the pancreas, such
as, for example, diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, congenital
pancreatic agenesis, pheochromocytoma--islet cell tumor syndrome;
disorders and/or diseases of the adrenal glands such as, for
example, Addison's Disease, corticosteroid deficiency, virilizing
disease, hirsutism, Cushing's Syndrome, hyperaldosteronism,
pheochromocytoma; disorders and/or diseases of the pituitary gland,
such as, for example, hyperpituitarism, hypopituitarism, pituitary
dwarfism, pituitary adenoma, panhypopituitarism, acromegaly,
gigantism; disorders and/or diseases of the thyroid, including but
not limited to, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, Plummer's disease,
Graves' disease (toxic diffuse goiter), toxic nodular goiter,
thyroiditis (Hashimoto's thyroiditis, subacute granulomatous
thyroiditis, and silent lymphocytic thyroiditis), Pendred's
syndrome, myxedema, cretinism, thyrotoxicosis, thyroid hormone
coupling defect, thymic aplasia, Hurthle cell tumours of the
thyroid, thyroid cancer, thyroid carcinoma, Medullary thyroid
carcinoma; disorders and/or diseases of the parathyroid, such as,
for example, hyperparathyroidism, hypoparathyroidism; disorders
and/or diseases of the hypothalamus.
[1250] In specific embodiments, the polynucleotides and/or
polypeptides corresponding to this gene and/or agonists or
antagonists of those polypeptides (including antibodies) as well as
fragments and variants of those polynucleotides, polypeptides,
agonists and antagonists, may be used to diagnose, prognose, treat,
prevent, or ameliorate diseases and disorders associated with
aberrant glucose metabolism or glucose uptake into cells.
[1251] In a specific embodiment, the polynucleotides and/or
polypeptides corresponding to this gene and/or agonists and/or
antagonists thereof may be used to diagnose, prognose, treat,
prevent, and/or ameliorate type I diabetes mellitus (insulin
dependent diabetes mellitus, IDDM).
[1252] In another embodiment, the polynucleotides and/or
polypeptides corresponding to this gene and/or agonists and/or
antagonists thereof may be used to diagnose, prognose, treat,
prevent, and/or ameliorate type II diabetes mellitus (insulin
resistant diabetes mellitus).
[1253] Additionally, in other embodiments, the polynucleotides
and/or polypeptides corresponding to this gene and/or antagonists
thereof (especially neutralizing or antagonistic antibodies) may be
used to diagnose, prognose, treat, prevent, and/or ameliorate
conditions associated with (type I or type II) diabetes mellitus,
including, but not limited to, diabetic ketoacidosis, diabetic
coma, nonketotic hyperglycemic-hyperosmolar coma, seizures, mental
confusion, drowsiness, cardiovascular disease (e.g., heart disease,
atherosclerosis, microvascular disease, hypertension, stroke, and
other diseases and disorders as described in the "Cardiovascular
Disorders" section), dyslipidemia, kidney disease (e.g., renal
failure, nephropathy other diseases and disorders as described in
the "Renal Disorders" section), nerve damage, neuropathy, vision
impairment (e.g., diabetic retinopathy and blindness), ulcers and
impaired wound healing, infections (e.g., infectious diseases and
disorders as described in the "Infectious Diseases" section,
especially of the urinary tract and skin), carpal tunnel syndrome
and Dupuytren's contracture.
[1254] In other embodiments, the polynucleotides and/or
polypeptides corresponding to this gene and/or agonists or
antagonists thereof are administered to an animal, preferably a
mammal, and most preferably a human, in order to regulate the
animal's weight. In specific embodiments the polynucleotides and/or
polypeptides corresponding to this gene and/or agonists or
antagonists thereof are administered to an animal, preferably a
mammal, and most preferably a human, in order to control the
animal's weight by modulating a biochemical pathway involving
insulin. In still other embodiments the polynucleotides and/or
polypeptides corresponding to this gene and/or agonists or
antagonists thereof are administered to an animal, preferably a
mammal, and most preferably a human, in order to control the
animal's weight by modulating a biochemical pathway involving
insulin-like growth factor.
[1255] In addition, endocrine system and/or hormone imbalance
disorders and/or diseases may also include disorders and/or
diseases of the testes or ovaries, including cancer. Other
disorders and/or diseases of the testes or ovaries further include,
for example, ovarian cancer, polycystic ovary syndrome,
Klinefelter's syndrome, vanishing testes syndrome (bilateral
anorchia), congenital absence of Leydig's cells, cryptorchidism,
Noonan's syndrome, myotonic dystrophy, capillary haemangioma of the
testis (benign), neoplasias of the testis and neo-testis.
[1256] Moreover, endocrine system and/or hormone imbalance
disorders and/or diseases may also include disorders and/or
diseases such as, for example, polyglandular deficiency syndromes,
pheochromocytoma, neuroblastoma, multiple Endocrine neoplasia, and
disorders and/or cancers of endocrine tissues.
[1257] In another embodiment, a polypeptide of the invention, or
polynucleotides, antibodies, agonists, or antagonists corresponding
to that polypeptide, may be used to diagnose, prognose, prevent,
and/or treat endocrine diseases and/or disorders associated with
the tissue(s) in which the polypeptide of the invention is
expressed, including one, two, three, four, five, or more tissues
disclosed in Table 1A, column 8 (Tissue Distribution Library
Code).
Reproductive System Disorders
[1258] The polynucleotides or polypeptides, or agonists or
antagonists of the invention may be used for the diagnosis,
treatment, or prevention of diseases and/or disorders of the
reproductive system. Reproductive system disorders that can be
treated by the compositions of the invention, include, but are not
limited to, reproductive system injuries, infections, neoplastic
disorders, congenital defects, and diseases or disorders which
result in infertility, complications with pregnancy, labor, or
parturition, and postpartum difficulties.
[1259] Reproductive system disorders and/or diseases include
diseases and/or disorders of the testes, including testicular
atrophy, testicular feminization, cryptorchism (unilateral and
bilateral), anorchia, ectopic testis, epididymitis and orchitis
(typically resulting from infections such as, for example,
gonorrhea, mumps, tuberculosis, and syphilis), testicular torsion,
vasitis nodosa, germ cell tumors (e.g., seminomas, embryonal cell
carcinomas, teratocarcinomas, choriocarcinomas, yolk sac tumors,
and teratomas), stromal tumors (e.g., Leydig cell tumors),
hydrocele, hematocele, varicocele, spermatocele, inguinal hernia,
and disorders of sperm production (e.g., immotile cilia syndrome,
aspermia, asthenozoospermia, azoospermia, oligospermia, and
teratozoospermia).
[1260] Reproductive system disorders also include disorders of the
prostate gland, such as acute non-bacterial prostatitis, chronic
non-bacterial prostatitis, acute bacterial prostatitis, chronic
bacterial prostatitis, prostatodystonia, prostatosis, granulomatous
prostatitis, malacoplakia, benign prostatic hypertrophy or
hyperplasia, and prostate neoplastic disorders, including
adenocarcinomas, transitional cell carcinomas, ductal carcinomas,
and squamous cell carcinomas.
[1261] Additionally, the compositions of the invention may be
useful in the diagnosis, treatment, and/or prevention of disorders
or diseases of the penis and urethra, including inflammatory
disorders, such as balanoposthitis, balanitis xerotica obliterans,
phimosis, paraphimosis, syphilis, herpes simplex virus, gonorrhea,
non-gonococcal urethritis, chlamydia, mycoplasma, trichomonas, HIV,
AIDS, Reiter's syndrome, condyloma acuminatum, condyloma latum, and
pearly penile papules; urethral abnormalities, such as hypospadias,
epispadias, and phimosis; premalignant lesions, including
Erythroplasia of Queyrat, Bowen's disease, Bowenoid paplosis, giant
condyloma of Buscke-Lowenstein, and varrucous carcinoma; penile
cancers, including squamous cell carcinomas, carcinoma in situ,
verrucous carcinoma, and disseminated penile carcinoma; urethral
neoplastic disorders, including penile urethral carcinoma,
bulbomembranous urethral carcinoma, and prostatic urethral
carcinoma; and erectile disorders, such as priapism, Peyronie's
disease, erectile dysfunction, and impotence.
[1262] Moreover, diseases and/or disorders of the vas deferens
include vasculititis and CBAVD (congenital bilateral absence of the
vas deferens); additionally, the polynucleotides, polypeptides, and
agonists or antagonists of the present invention may be used in the
diagnosis, treatment, and/or prevention of diseases and/or
disorders of the seminal vesicles, including hydatid disease,
congenital chloride diarrhea, and polycystic kidney disease.
[1263] Other disorders and/or diseases of the male reproductive
system include, for example, Klinefelter's syndrome, Young's
syndrome, premature ejaculation, diabetes mellitus, cystic
fibrosis, Kartagener's syndrome, high fever, multiple sclerosis,
and gynecomastia.
[1264] Further, the polynucleotides, polypeptides, and agonists or
antagonists of the present invention may be used in the diagnosis,
treatment, and/or prevention of diseases and/or disorders of the
vagina and vulva, including bacterial vaginosis, candida vaginitis,
herpes simplex virus, chancroid, granuloma inguinale,
lymphogranuloma venereum, scabies, human papillomavirus, vaginal
trauma, vulvar trauma, adenosis, chlamydia vaginitis, gonorrhea,
trichomonas vaginitis, condyloma acuminatum, syphilis, molluscum
contagiosum, atrophic vaginitis, Paget's disease, lichen sclerosus,
lichen planus, vulvodynia, toxic shock syndrome, vaginismus,
vulvovaginitis, vulvar vestibulitis, and neoplastic disorders, such
as squamous cell hyperplasia, clear cell carcinoma, basal cell
carcinoma, melanomas, cancer of Bartholin's gland, and vulvar
intraepithelial neoplasia.
[1265] Disorders and/or diseases of the uterus include
dysmenorrhea, retroverted uterus, endometriosis, fibroids,
adenomyosis, anovulatory bleeding, amenorrhea, Cushing's syndrome,
hydatidiform moles, Asherman's syndrome, premature menopause,
precocious puberty, uterine polyps, dysfunctional uterine bleeding
(e.g., due to aberrant hormonal signals), and neoplastic disorders,
such as adenocarcinomas, keiomyosarcomas, and sarcomas.
Additionally, the polypeptides, polynucleotides, or agonists or
antagonists of the invention may be useful as a marker or detector
of, as well as in the diagnosis, treatment, and/or prevention of
congenital uterine abnormalities, such as bicornuate uterus,
septate uterus, simple unicornuate uterus, unicornuate uterus with
a noncavitary rudimentary horn, unicornuate uterus with a
non-communicating cavitary rudimentary horn, unicornuate uterus
with a communicating cavitary horn, arcuate uterus, uterine
didelfus, and T-shaped uterus.
[1266] Ovarian diseases and/or disorders include anovulation,
polycystic ovary syndrome (Stein-Leventhal syndrome), ovarian
cysts, ovarian hypofunction, ovarian insensitivity to
gonadotropins, ovarian overproduction of androgens, right ovarian
vein syndrome, amenorrhea, hirutism, and ovarian cancer (including,
but not limited to, primary and secondary cancerous growth,
Sertoli-Leydig tumors, endometriod carcinoma of the ovary, ovarian
papillary serous adenocarcinoma, ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma,
and Ovarian Krukenberg tumors).
[1267] Cervical diseases and/or disorders include cervicitis,
chronic cervicitis, mucopurulent cervicitis, cervical dysplasia,
cervical polyps, Nabothian cysts, cervical erosion, cervical
incompetence, and cervical neoplasms (including, for example,
cervical carcinoma, squamous metaplasia, squamous cell carcinoma,
adenosquamous cell neoplasia, and columnar cell neoplasia).
[1268] Additionally, diseases and/or disorders of the reproductive
system include disorders and/or diseases of pregnancy, including
miscarriage and stillbirth, such as early abortion, late abortion,
spontaneous abortion, induced abortion, therapeutic abortion,
threatened abortion, missed abortion, incomplete abortion, complete
abortion, habitual abortion, missed abortion, and septic abortion;
ectopic pregnancy, anemia, Rh incompatibility, vaginal bleeding
during pregnancy, gestational diabetes, intrauterine growth
retardation, polyhydramnios, HELLP syndrome, abruptio placentae,
placenta previa, hyperemesis, preeclampsia, eclampsia, herpes
gestationis, and urticaria of pregnancy. Additionally, the
polynucleotides, polypeptides, and agonists or antagonists of the
present invention may be used in the diagnosis, treatment, and/or
prevention of diseases that can complicate pregnancy, including
heart disease, heart failure, rheumatic heart disease, congenital
heart disease, mitral valve prolapse, high blood pressure, anemia,
kidney disease, infectious disease (e.g., rubella, cytomegalovirus,
toxoplasmosis, infectious hepatitis, chlamydia, HIV, AIDS, and
genital herpes), diabetes mellitus, Graves' disease, thyroiditis,
hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, chronic active hepatitis,
cirrhosis of the liver, primary biliary cirrhosis, asthma, systemic
lupus eryematosis, rheumatoid arthritis, myasthenia gravis,
idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, appendicitis, ovarian cysts,
gallbladder disorders, and obstruction of the intestine.
[1269] Complications associated with labor and parturition include
premature rupture of the membranes, pre-term labor, post-term
pregnancy, postmaturity, labor that progresses too slowly, fetal
distress (e.g., abnormal heart rate (fetal or maternal), breathing
problems, and abnormal fetal position), shoulder dystocia,
prolapsed umbilical cord, amniotic fluid embolism, and aberrant
uterine bleeding.
[1270] Further, diseases and/or disorders of the postdelivery
period, including endometritis, myometritis, parametritis,
peritonitis, pelvic thrombophlebitis, pulmonary embolism,
endotoxemia, pyelonephritis, saphenous thrombophlebitis, mastitis,
cystitis, postpartum hemorrhage, and inverted uterus.
[1271] Other disorders and/or diseases of the female reproductive
system that may be diagnosed, treated, and/or prevented by the
polynucleotides, polypeptides, and agonists or antagonists of the
present invention include, for example, Turner's syndrome,
pseudohermaphroditism, premenstrual syndrome, pelvic inflammatory
disease, pelvic congestion (vascular engorgement), frigidity,
anorgasmia, dyspareunia, ruptured fallopian tube, and
Mittelschmerz.
Infectious Disease
[1272] Polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or
antagonists of the present invention can be used to treat or detect
infectious agents. For example, by increasing the immune response,
particularly increasing the proliferation and differentiation of B
and/or T cells, infectious diseases may be treated. The immune
response may be increased by either enhancing an existing immune
response, or by initiating a new immune response. Alternatively,
polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or antagonists
of the present invention may also directly inhibit the infectious
agent, without necessarily eliciting an immune response.
[1273] Viruses are one example of an infectious agent that can
cause disease or symptoms that can be treated or detected by a
polynucleotide or polypeptide and/or agonist or antagonist of the
present invention. Examples of viruses, include, but are not
limited to Examples of viruses, include, but are not limited to the
following DNA and RNA viruses and viral families: Arbovirus,
Adenoviridae, Arenaviridae, Arterivirus, Birnaviridae,
Bunyaviridae, Caliciviridae, Circoviridae, Coronaviridae, Dengue,
EBV, HIV, Flaviviridae, Hepadnaviridae (Hepatitis), Herpesviridae
(such as, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes Simplex, Herpes Zoster),
Mononegavirus (e.g., Paramyxoviridae, Morbillivirus,
Rhabdoviridae), Orthomyxoviridae (e.g., Influenza A, Influenza B,
and parainfluenza), Papiloma virus, Papovaviridae, Parvoviridae,
Picomaviridae, Poxyiridae (such as Smallpox or Vaccinia),
Reoviridae (e.g., Rotavirus), Retroviridae (HTLV-I, HTLV-II,
Lentivirus), and Togaviridae (e.g., Rubivirus). Viruses falling
within these families can cause a variety of diseases or symptoms,
including, but not limited to: arthritis, bronchiollitis,
respiratory syncytial virus, encephalitis, eye infections (e.g.,
conjunctivitis, keratitis), chronic fatigue syndrome, hepatitis (A,
B, C, E, Chronic Active, Delta), Japanese B encephalitis, Junin,
Chikungunya, Rift Valley fever, yellow fever, meningitis,
opportunistic infections (e.g., AIDS), pneumonia, Burkitt's
Lymphoma, chickenpox, hemorrhagic fever, Measles, Mumps,
Parainfluenza, Rabies, the common cold, Polio, leukemia, Rubella,
sexually transmitted diseases, skin diseases (e.g., Kaposi's,
warts), and viremia. polynucleotides or polypeptides, or agonists
or antagonists of the invention, can be used to treat or detect any
of these symptoms or diseases. In specific embodiments,
polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists or antagonists of the
invention are used to treat: meningitis, Dengue, EBV, and/or
hepatitis (e.g., hepatitis B). In an additional specific embodiment
polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists or antagonists of the
invention are used to treat patients nonresponsive to one or more
other commercially available hepatitis vaccines. In a further
specific embodiment polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists or
antagonists of the invention are used to treat AIDS.
[1274] Similarly, bacterial and fungal agents that can cause
disease or symptoms and that can be treated or detected by a
polynucleotide or polypeptide and/or agonist or antagonist of the
present invention include, but not limited to, the following
Gram-Negative and Gram-positive bacteria, bacterial families, and
fungi: Actinomyces(e.g., Norcardia), Acinetobacter, Cryptococcus
neoformans, Aspergillus, Bacillaceae (e.g., Bacillus anthrasis),
Bacteroides (e.g., Bacteroides fragilis), Blastomycosis,
Bordetella, Borrelia (e.g., Borrelia burgdorferi), Brucella,
Candidia, Campylobacter, Chlamydia, Clostridium (e.g., Clostridium
botulinum, Clostridium dificile, Clostridium perfringens,
Clostridium tetani), Coccidioides, Corynebacterium(e.g.,
Corynebacterium diptheriae), Cryptococcus, Dermatocycoses, E. coli
(e.g., Enterotoxigenic E. coli and Enterohemorrhagic E. coli),
Enterobacter (e.g. Enterobacter aerogenes), Enterobacteriaceae
(Klebsiella, Salmonella (e.g., Salmonella typhi, Salmonella
enteritidis, Salmonella typhi), Serratia, Yersinia, Shigella),
Erysipelothrix, Haemophilus (e.g., Haemophilus influenza type B),
Helicobacter, Legionella (e.g., Legionellapneumophila), Leptospira,
Listeria (e.g., Listeria monocytogenes), Mycoplasma, Mycobacterium
(e.g., Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis), Vibrio
(e.g., Vibrio cholerae), Neisseriaceae (e.g., Neisseria gonorrhea,
Neisseria meningitidis), Pasteurellacea, Proteus, Pseudomonas
(e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa), Rickettsiaceae, Spirochetes (e.g.,
Treponema spp., Leptospira spp., Borrelia spp.), Shigella spp.,
Staphylococcus (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus), Meningiococcus,
Pneumococcus and Streptococcus (e.g., Streptococcus pneumoniae and
Groups A, B, and C Streptococci), and Ureaplasmas. These bacterial,
parasitic, and fungal families can cause diseases or symptoms,
including, but not limited to: antibiotic-resistant infections,
bacteremia, endocarditis, septicemia, eye infections (e.g.,
conjunctivitis), uveitis, tuberculosis, gingivitis, bacterial
diarrhea, opportunistic infections (e.g., AIDS related infections),
paronychia, prosthesis-related infections, dental caries, Reiter's
Disease, respiratory tract infections, such as Whooping Cough or
Empyema, sepsis, Lyme Disease, Cat-Scratch Disease, dysentery,
paratyphoid fever, food poisoning, Legionella disease, chronic and
acute inflammation, erythema, yeast infections, typhoid, pneumonia,
gonorrhea, meningitis (e.g., mengitis types A and B), chlamydia,
syphillis, diphtheria, leprosy, brucellosis, peptic ulcers,
anthrax, spontaneous abortions, birth defects, pneumonia, lung
infections, ear infections, deafness, blindness, lethargy, malaise,
vomiting, chronic diarrhea, Crohn's disease, colitis, vaginosis,
sterility, pelvic inflammatory diseases, candidiasis,
paratuberculosis, tuberculosis, lupus, botulism, gangrene, tetanus,
impetigo, Rheumatic Fever, Scarlet Fever, sexually transmitted
diseases, skin diseases (e.g., cellulitis, dermatocycoses),
toxemia, urinary tract infections, wound infections, noscomial
infections. Polynucleotides or polypeptides, agonists or
antagonists of the invention, can be used to treat or detect any of
these symptoms or diseases. In specific embodiments,
polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists or antagonists of the
invention are used to treat: tetanus, diptheria, botulism, and/or
meningitis type B.
[1275] Moreover, parasitic agents causing disease or symptoms that
can be treated, prevented, and/or diagnosed by a polynucleotide or
polypeptide and/or agonist or antagonist of the present invention
include, but not limited to, the following families or class:
Amebiasis, Babesiosis, Coccidiosis, Cryptosporidiosis,
Dientamoebiasis, Dourine, Ectoparasitic, Giardias, Helminthiasis,
Leishmaniasis, Schistisoma, Theileriasis, Toxoplasmosis,
Trypanosomiasis, and Trichomonas and Sporozoans (e.g., Plasmodium
virax, Plasmodium falciparium, Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium
ovale). These parasites can cause a variety of diseases or
symptoms, including, but not limited to: Scabies, Trombiculiasis,
eye infections, intestinal disease (e.g., dysentery, giardiasis),
liver disease, lung disease, opportunistic infections (e.g., AIDS
related), malaria, pregnancy complications, and toxoplasmosis.
polynucleotides or polypeptides, or agonists or antagonists of the
invention, can be used to treat, prevent, and/or diagnose any of
these symptoms or diseases. In specific embodiments,
polynucleotides, polypeptides, or agonists or antagonists of the
invention are used to treat, prevent, and/or diagnose malaria.
[1276] Polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or
antagonists of the present invention of the present invention could
either be by administering an effective amount of a polypeptide to
the patient, or by removing cells from the patient, supplying the
cells with a polynucleotide of the present invention, and returning
the engineered cells to the patient (ex vivo therapy). Moreover,
the polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention can be
used as an antigen in a vaccine to raise an immune response against
infectious disease.
Regeneration
[1277] Polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or
antagonists of the present invention can be used to differentiate,
proliferate, and attract cells, leading to the regeneration of
tissues. (See, Science 276:59-87 (1997)). The regeneration of
tissues could be used to repair, replace, or protect tissue damaged
by congenital defects, trauma (wounds, burns, incisions, or
ulcers), age, disease (e.g. osteoporosis, osteocarthritis,
periodontal disease, liver failure), surgery, including cosmetic
plastic surgery, fibrosis, reperfusion injury, or systemic cytokine
damage.
[1278] Tissues that could be regenerated using the present
invention include organs (e.g., pancreas, liver, intestine, kidney,
skin, endothelium), muscle (smooth, skeletal or cardiac),
vasculature (including vascular and lymphatics), nervous,
hematopoietic, and skeletal (bone, cartilage, tendon, and ligament)
tissue. Preferably, regeneration occurs without or decreased
scarring. Regeneration also may include angiogenesis.
[1279] Moreover, polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as
agonists or antagonists of the present invention, may increase
regeneration of tissues difficult to heal. For example, increased
tendon/ligament regeneration would quicken recovery time after
damage. Polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or
antagonists of the present invention could also be used
prophylactically in an effort to avoid damage. Specific diseases
that could be treated include of tendinitis, carpal tunnel
syndrome, and other tendon or ligament defects. A further example
of tissue regeneration of non-healing wounds includes pressure
ulcers, ulcers associated with vascular insufficiency, surgical,
and traumatic wounds.
[1280] Similarly, nerve and brain tissue could also be regenerated
by using polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or
antagonists of the present invention, to proliferate and
differentiate nerve cells. Diseases that could be treated using
this method include central and peripheral nervous system diseases,
neuropathies, or mechanical and traumatic disorders (e.g., spinal
cord disorders, head trauma, cerebrovascular disease, and stoke).
Specifically, diseases associated with peripheral nerve injuries,
peripheral neuropathy (e.g., resulting from chemotherapy or other
medical therapies), localized neuropathies, and central nervous
system diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease,
Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Shy-Drager
syndrome), could all be treated using the polynucleotides or
polypeptides, as well as agonists or antagonists of the present
invention.
Gastrointestinal Disorders
[1281] Polynucleotides or polypeptides, or agonists or antagonists
of the present invention, may be used to treat, prevent, diagnose,
and/or prognose gastrointestinal disorders, including inflammatory
diseases and/or conditions, infections, cancers (e.g., intestinal
neoplasms (carcinoid tumor of the small intestine, non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma of the small intestine, small bowl lymphoma)), and ulcers,
such as peptic ulcers.
[1282] Gastrointestinal disorders include dysphagia, odynophagia,
inflammation of the esophagus, peptic esophagitis, gastric reflux,
submucosal fibrosis and stricturing, Mallory-Weiss lesions,
leiomyomas, lipomas, epidermal cancers, adeoncarcinomas, gastric
retention disorders, gastroenteritis, gastric atrophy,
gastric/stomach cancers, polyps of the stomach, autoimmune
disorders such as pernicious anemia, pyloric stenosis, gastritis
(bacterial, viral, eosinophilic, stress-induced, chronic erosive,
atrophic, plasma cell, and Menetrier's), and peritoneal diseases
(e.g., chyloperioneum, hemoperitoneum, mesenteric cyst, mesenteric
lymphadenitis, mesenteric vascular occlusion, panniculitis,
neoplasms, peritonitis, pneumoperitoneum, bubphrenic abscess,).
[1283] Gastrointestinal disorders also include disorders associated
with the small intestine, such as malabsorption syndromes,
distension, irritable bowel syndrome, sugar intolerance, celiac
disease, duodenal ulcers, duodenitis, tropical sprue, Whipple's
disease, intestinal lymphangiectasia, Crohn's disease,
appendicitis, obstructions of the ileum, Meckel's diverticulum,
multiple diverticula, failure of complete rotation of the small and
large intestine, lymphoma, and bacterial and parasitic diseases
(such as Traveler's diarrhea, typhoid and paratyphoid, cholera,
infection by Roundworms (Ascariasis lumbricoides), Hookworms
(Ancylostoma duodenale), Threadworms (Enterobius vermicularis),
Tapeworms (Taenia saginata, Echinococcus granulosus,
Diphyllobothrium spp., and T. solium).
[1284] Liver diseases and/or disorders include intrahepatic
cholestasis (alagille syndrome, biliary liver cirrhosis), fatty
liver (alcoholic fatty liver, reye syndrome), hepatic vein
thrombosis, hepatolentricular degeneration, hepatomegaly,
hepatopulmonary syndrome, hepatorenal syndrome, portal hypertension
(esophageal and gastric varices), liver abscess (amebic liver
abscess), liver cirrhosis (alcoholic, biliary and experimental),
alcoholic liver diseases (fatty liver, hepatitis, cirrhosis),
parasitic (hepatic echinococcosis, fascioliasis, amebic liver
abscess), jaundice (hemolytic, hepatocellular, and cholestatic),
cholestasis, portal hypertension, liver enlargement, ascites,
hepatitis (alcoholic hepatitis, animal hepatitis, chronic hepatitis
(autoimmune, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis D, drug induced),
toxic hepatitis, viral human hepatitis (hepatitis A, hepatitis B,
hepatitis C, hepatitis D, hepatitis E), Wilson's disease,
granulomatous hepatitis, secondary biliary cirrhosis, hepatic
encephalopathy, portal hypertension, varices, hepatic
encephalopathy, primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing
cholangitis, hepatocellular adenoma, hemangiomas, bile stones,
liver failure (hepatic encephalopathy, acute liver failure), and
liver neoplasms (angiomyolipoma, calcified liver metastases, cystic
liver metastases, epithelial tumors, fibrolamellar hepatocarcinoma,
focal nodular hyperplasia, hepatic adenoma, hepatobiliary
cystadenoma, hepatoblastoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatoma,
liver cancer, liver hemangioendothelioma, mesenchymal hamartoma,
mesenchymal tumors of liver, nodular regenerative hyperplasia,
benign liver tumors (Hepatic cysts [Simple cysts, Polycystic liver
disease, Hepatobiliary cystadenoma, Choledochal cyst], Mesenchymal
tumors [Mesenchymal hamartoma, Infantile hemangioendothelioma,
Hemangioma, Peliosis hepatis, Lipomas, Inflammatory pseudotumor,
Miscellaneous], Epithelial tumors [Bile duct epithelium (Bile duct
hamartoma, Bile duct adenoma), Hepatocyte (Adenoma, Focal nodular
hyperplasia, Nodular regenerative hyperplasia)], malignant liver
tumors [hepatocellular, hepatoblastoma, hepatocellular carcinoma,
cholangiocellular, cholangiocarcinoma, cystadenocarcinoma, tumors
of blood vessels, angiosarcoma, Karposi's sarcoma,
hemangioendothelioma, other tumors, embryonal sarcoma,
fibrosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, carcinosarcoma,
teratoma, carcinoid, squamous carcinoma, primary lymphoma]),
peliosis hepatis, erythrohepatic porphyria, hepatic porphyria
(acute intermittent porphyria, porphyria cutanea tarda), Zellweger
syndrome).
[1285] Pancreatic diseases and/or disorders include acute
pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis (acute necrotizing pancreatitis,
alcoholic pancreatitis), neoplasms (adenocarcinoma of the pancreas,
cystadenocarcinoma, insulinoma, gastrinoma, and glucagonoma, cystic
neoplasms, islet-cell tumors, pancreoblastoma), and other
pancreatic diseases (e.g., cystic fibrosis, cyst (pancreatic
pseudocyst, pancreatic fistula, insufficiency)).
[1286] Gallbladder diseases include gallstones (cholelithiasis and
choledocholithiasis), postcholecystectomy syndrome, diverticulosis
of the gallbladder, acute cholecystitis, chronic cholecystitis,
bile duct tumors, and mucocele.
[1287] Diseases and/or disorders of the large intestine include
antibiotic-associated colitis, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis,
acquired megacolon, abscesses, fungal and bacterial infections,
anorectal disorders (e.g., fissures, hemorrhoids), colonic diseases
(colitis, colonic neoplasms [colon cancer, adenomatous colon polyps
(e.g., villous adenoma), colon carcinoma, colorectal cancer],
colonic diverticulitis, colonic diverticulosis, megacolon
[Hirschsprung disease, toxic megacolon]; sigmoid diseases
[proctocolitis, sigmoin neoplasms]), constipation, Crohn's disease,
diarrhea (infantile diarrhea, dysentery), duodenal diseases
(duodenal neoplasms, duodenal obstruction, duodenal ulcer,
duodenitis), enteritis (enterocolitis), HIV enteropathy, ileal
diseases (ileal neoplasms, ileitis), immunoproliferative small
intestinal disease, inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis,
Crohn's disease), intestinal atresia, parasitic diseases
(anisakiasis, balantidiasis, blastocystis infections,
cryptosporidiosis, dientamoebiasis, amebic dysentery, giardiasis),
intestinal fistula (rectal fistula), intestinal neoplasms (cecal
neoplasms, colonic neoplasms, duodenal neoplasms, ileal neoplasms,
intestinal polyps, jejunal neoplasms, rectal neoplasms), intestinal
obstruction (afferent loop syndrome, duodenal obstruction, impacted
feces, intestinal pseudo-obstruction [cecal volvulus],
intussusception), intestinal perforation, intestinal polyps
(colonic polyps, gardner syndrome, peutz-jeghers syndrome), jejunal
diseases (ejunal neoplasms), malabsorption syndromes (blind loop
syndrome, celiac disease, lactose intolerance, short bowl syndrome,
tropical sprue, whipple's disease), mesenteric vascular occlusion,
pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis, protein-losing enteropathies
(intestinal lymphagiectasis), rectal diseases (anus diseases, fecal
incontinence, hemorrhoids, proctitis, rectal fistula, rectal
prolapse, rectocele), peptic ulcer (duodenal ulcer, peptic
esophagitis, hemorrhage, perforation, stomach ulcer,
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome), postgastrectomy syndromes (dumping
syndrome), stomach diseases (e.g., achlorhydria, duodenogastric
reflux (bile reflux), gastric antral vascular ectasia, gastric
fistula, gastric outlet obstruction, gastritis (atrophic or
hypertrophic), gastroparesis, stomach dilatation, stomach
diverticulum, stomach neoplasms (gastric cancer, gastric polyps,
gastric adenocarcinoma, hyperplastic gastric polyp), stomach
rupture, stomach ulcer, stomach volvulus), tuberculosis,
visceroptosis, vomiting (e.g., hematemesis, hyperemesis gravidarum,
postoperative nausea and vomiting) and hemorrhagic colitis.
[1288] Further diseases and/or disorders of the gastrointestinal
system include biliary tract diseases, such as, gastroschisis,
fistula (e.g., biliary fistula, esophageal fistula, gastric
fistula, intestinal fistula, pancreatic fistula), neoplasms (e.g.,
biliary tract neoplasms, esophageal neoplasms, such as
adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, esophageal squamous cell
carcinoma, gastrointestinal neoplasms, pancreatic neoplasms, such
as adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, mucinous cystic neoplasm of the
pancreas, pancreatic cystic neoplasms, pancreatoblastoma, and
peritoneal neoplasms), esophageal disease (e.g., bullous diseases,
candidiasis, glycogenic acanthosis, ulceration, barrett esophagus
varices, atresia, cyst, diverticulum (e.g., Zenker's diverticulum),
fistula (e.g., tracheoesophageal fistula), motility disorders
(e.g., CREST syndrome, deglutition disorders, achalasia, spasm,
gastroesophageal reflux), neoplasms, perforation (e.g., Boerhaave
syndrome, Mallory-Weiss syndrome), stenosis, esophagitis,
diaphragmatic hernia (e.g., hiatal hernia); gastrointestinal
diseases, such as, gastroenteritis (e.g., cholera morbus, norwalk
virus infection), hemorrhage (e.g., hematemesis, melena, peptic
ulcer hemorrhage), stomach neoplasms (gastric cancer, gastric
polyps, gastric adenocarcinoma, stomach cancer)), hernia (e.g.,
congenital diaphragmatic hernia, femoral hernia, inguinal hernia,
obturator hernia, umbilical hernia, ventral hernia), and intestinal
diseases (e.g., cecal diseases (appendicitis, cecal
neoplasms)).
Chemotaxis
[1289] Polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or
antagonists of the present invention may have chemotaxis activity.
A chemotaxic molecule attracts or mobilizes cells (e.g., monocytes,
fibroblasts, neutrophils, T-cells, mast cells, eosinophils,
epithelial and/or endothelial cells) to a particular site in the
body, such as inflammation, infection, or site of
hyperproliferation. The mobilized cells can then fight off and/or
heal the particular trauma or abnormality.
[1290] Polynucleotides or polypeptides, as well as agonists or
antagonists of the present invention may increase chemotaxic
activity of particular cells. These chemotactic molecules can then
be used to treat inflammation, infection, hyperproliferative
disorders, or any immune system disorder by increasing the number
of cells targeted to a particular location in the body. For
example, chemotaxic molecules can be used to treat wounds and other
trauma to tissues by attracting immune cells to the injured
location. Chemotactic molecules of the present invention can also
attract fibroblasts, which can be used to treat wounds.
[1291] It is also contemplated that polynucleotides or
polypeptides, as well as agonists or antagonists of the present
invention may inhibit chemotactic activity. These molecules could
also be used to treat disorders. Thus, polynucleotides or
polypeptides, as well as agonists or antagonists of the present
invention could be used as an inhibitor of chemotaxis.
Binding Activity
[1292] A polypeptide of the present invention may be used to screen
for molecules that bind to the polypeptide or for molecules to
which the polypeptide binds. The binding of the polypeptide and the
molecule may activate (agonist), increase, inhibit (antagonist), or
decrease activity of the polypeptide or the molecule bound.
Examples of such molecules include antibodies, oligonucleotides,
proteins (e.g., receptors), or small molecules.
[1293] Preferably, the molecule is closely related to the natural
ligand of the polypeptide, e.g., a fragment of the ligand, or a
natural substrate, a ligand, a structural or functional mimetic.
(See, Coligan et al., Current Protocols in Immunology 1(2): Chapter
5 (1991)). Similarly, the molecule can be closely related to the
natural receptor to which the polypeptide binds, or at least, a
fragment of the receptor capable of being bound by the polypeptide
(e.g., active site). In either case, the molecule can be rationally
designed using known techniques.
[1294] Preferably, the screening for these molecules involves
producing appropriate cells which express the polypeptide.
Preferred cells include cells from mammals, yeast, Drosophila, or
E. coli. Cells expressing the polypeptide (or cell membrane
containing the expressed polypeptide) are then preferably contacted
with a test compound potentially containing the molecule to observe
binding, stimulation, or inhibition of activity of either the
polypeptide or the molecule.
[1295] The assay may simply test binding of a candidate compound to
the polypeptide, wherein binding is detected by a label, or in an
assay involving competition with a labeled competitor. Further, the
assay may test whether the candidate compound results in a signal
generated by binding to the polypeptide.
[1296] Alternatively, the assay can be carried out using cell-free
preparations, polypeptide/molecule affixed to a solid support,
chemical libraries, or natural product mixtures. The assay may also
simply comprise the steps of mixing a candidate compound with a
solution containing a polypeptide, measuring polypeptide/molecule
activity or binding, and comparing the polypeptide/molecule
activity or binding to a standard.
[1297] Preferably, an ELISA assay can measure polypeptide level or
activity in a sample (e.g., biological sample) using a monoclonal
or polyclonal antibody. The antibody can measure polypeptide level
or activity by either binding, directly or indirectly, to the
polypeptide or by competing with the polypeptide for a
substrate.
[1298] Additionally, the receptor to which the polypeptide of the
present invention binds can be identified by numerous methods known
to those of skill in the art, for example, ligand panning and FACS
sorting (Coligan, et al., Current Protocols in Immun., 1(2),
Chapter 5, (1991)). For example, expression cloning is employed
wherein polyadenylated RNA is prepared from a cell responsive to
the polypeptides, for example, NIH3T3 cells which are known to
contain multiple receptors for the FGF family proteins, and SC-3
cells, and a cDNA library created from this RNA is divided into
pools and used to transfect COS cells or other cells that are not
responsive to the polypeptides. Transfected cells which are grown
on glass slides are exposed to the polypeptide of the present
invention, after they have been labeled. The polypeptides can be
labeled by a variety of means including iodination or inclusion of
a recognition site for a site-specific protein kinase.
[1299] Following fixation and incubation, the slides are subjected
to auto-radiographic analysis. Positive pools are identified and
sub-pools are prepared and re-transfected using an iterative
sub-pooling and re-screening process, eventually yielding a single
clones that encodes the putative receptor.
[1300] As an alternative approach for receptor identification, the
labeled polypeptides can be photoaffinity linked with cell membrane
or extract preparations that express the receptor molecule.
Cross-linked material is resolved by PAGE analysis and exposed to
X-ray film. The labeled complex containing the receptors of the
polypeptides can be excised, resolved into peptide fragments, and
subjected to protein microsequencing. The amino acid sequence
obtained from microsequencing would be used to design a set of
degenerate oligonucleotide probes to screen a cDNA library to
identify the genes encoding the putative receptors.
[1301] Moreover, the techniques of gene-shuffling, motif-shuffling,
exon-shuffling, and/or codon-shuffling (collectively referred to as
"DNA shuffling") may be employed to modulate the activities of the
polypeptide of the present invention thereby effectively generating
agonists and antagonists of the polypeptide of the present
invention. See generally, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,605,793, 5,811,238,
5,830,721, 5,834,252, and 5,837,458, and Patten, P. A., et al.,
Curr. Opinion Biotechnol. 8:724-33 (1997); Harayama, S. Trends
Biotechnol. 16(2):76-82 (1998); Hansson, L. O., et al., J. Mol.
Biol. 287:265-76 (1999); and Lorenzo, M. M. and Blasco, R.
Biotechniques 24(2):308-13 (1998); each of these patents and
publications are hereby incorporated by reference). In one
embodiment, alteration of polynucleotides and corresponding
polypeptides may be achieved by DNA shuffling. DNA shuffling
involves the assembly of two or more DNA segments into a desired
molecule by homologous, or site-specific, recombination. In another
embodiment, polynucleotides and corresponding polypeptides may be
altered by being subjected to random mutagenesis by error-prone
PCR, random nucleotide insertion or other methods prior to
recombination. In another embodiment, one or more components,
motifs, sections, parts, domains, fragments, etc., of the
polypeptide of the present invention may be recombined with one or
more components, motifs, sections, parts, domains, fragments, etc.
of one or more heterologous molecules. In preferred embodiments,
the heterologous molecules are family members. In further preferred
embodiments, the heterologous molecule is a growth factor such as,
for example, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), insulin-like
growth factor (IGF-I), transforming growth factor (TGF)-alpha,
epidermal growth factor (EGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF),
TGF-beta, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2, BMP-4, BMP-5, BMP-6,
BMP-7, activins A and B, decapentaplegic (dpp), 60A, OP-2,
dorsalin, growth differentiation factors (GDFs), nodal, MIS,
inhibin-alpha, TGF-beta1, TGF-beta2, TGF-beta3, TGF-beta5, and
glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF).
[1302] Other preferred fragments are biologically active fragments
of the polypeptide of the present invention. Biologically active
fragments are those exhibiting activity similar, but not
necessarily identical, to an activity of the polypeptide of the
present invention. The biological activity of the fragments may
include an improved desired activity, or a decreased undesirable
activity.
[1303] Additionally, this invention provides a method of screening
compounds to identify those which modulate the action of the
polypeptide of the present invention. An example of such an assay
comprises combining a mammalian fibroblast cell, a the polypeptide
of the present invention, the compound to be screened and .sup.3
[H] thymidine under cell culture conditions where the fibroblast
cell would normally proliferate. A control assay may be performed
in the absence of the compound to be screened and compared to the
amount of fibroblast proliferation in the presence of the compound
to determine if the compound stimulates proliferation by
determining the uptake of .sup.3 [H] thymidine in each case. The
amount of fibroblast cell proliferation is measured by liquid
scintillation chromatography which measures the incorporation of
.sup.3 [H] thymidine. Both agonist and antagonist compounds may be
identified by this procedure.
[1304] In another method, a mammalian cell or membrane preparation
expressing a receptor for a polypeptide of the present invention is
incubated with a labeled polypeptide of the present invention in
the presence of the compound. The ability of the compound to
enhance or block this interaction could then be measured.
Alternatively, the response of a known second messenger system
following interaction of a compound to be screened and the receptor
is measured and the ability of the compound to bind to the receptor
and elicit a second messenger response is measured to determine if
the compound is a potential agonist or antagonist. Such second
messenger systems include but are not limited to, cAMP guanylate
cyclase, ion channels or phosphoinositide hydrolysis.
[1305] All of these above assays can be used as diagnostic or
prognostic markers. The molecules discovered using these assays can
be used to treat disease or to bring about a particular result in a
patient (e.g., blood vessel growth) by activating or inhibiting the
polypeptide/molecule. Moreover, the assays can discover agents
which may inhibit or enhance the production of the polypeptides of
the invention from suitably manipulated cells or tissues.
[1306] Therefore, the invention includes a method of identifying
compounds which bind to a polypeptide of the invention comprising
the steps of: (a) incubating a candidate binding compound with a
polypeptide of the present invention; and (b) determining if
binding has occurred. Moreover, the invention includes a method of
identifying agonists/antagonists comprising the steps of: (a)
incubating a candidate compound with a polypeptide of the present
invention, (b) assaying a biological activity, and (b) determining
if a biological activity of the polypeptide has been altered.
Targeted Delivery
[1307] In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of
delivering compositions to targeted cells expressing a receptor for
a polypeptide of the invention, or cells expressing a cell bound
form of a polypeptide of the invention.
[1308] As discussed herein, polypeptides or antibodies of the
invention may be associated with heterologous polypeptides,
heterologous nucleic acids, toxins, or prodrugs via hydrophobic,
hydrophilic, ionic and/or covalent interactions. In one embodiment,
the invention provides a method for the specific delivery of
compositions of the invention to cells by administering
polypeptides of the invention (including antibodies) that are
associated with heterologous polypeptides or nucleic acids. In one
example, the invention provides a method for delivering a
therapeutic protein into the targeted cell. In another example, the
invention provides a method for delivering a single stranded
nucleic acid (e.g., antisense or ribozymes) or double stranded
nucleic acid (e.g., DNA that can integrate into the cell's genome
or replicate episomally and that can be transcribed) into the
targeted cell.
[1309] In another embodiment, the invention provides a method for
the specific destruction of cells (e.g., the destruction of tumor
cells) by administering polypeptides of the invention (e.g.,
polypeptides of the invention or antibodies of the invention) in
association with toxins or cytotoxic prodrugs.
[1310] By "toxin" is meant compounds that bind and activate
endogenous cytotoxic effector systems, radioisotopes, holotoxins,
modified toxins, catalytic subunits of toxins, or any molecules or
enzymes not normally present in or on the surface of a cell that
under defined conditions cause the cell's death. Toxins that may be
used according to the methods of the invention include, but are not
limited to, radioisotopes known in the art, compounds such as, for
example, antibodies (or complement fixing containing portions
thereof) that bind an inherent or induced endogenous cytotoxic
effector system, thymidine kinase, endonuclease, RNAse, alpha
toxin, ricin, abrin, Pseudomonas exotoxin A, diphtheria toxin,
saporin, momordin, gelonin, pokeweed antiviral protein,
alpha-sarcin and cholera toxin. By "cytotoxic prodrug" is meant a
non-toxic compound that is converted by an enzyme, normally present
in the cell, into a cytotoxic compound. Cytotoxic prodrugs that may
be used according to the methods of the invention include, but are
not limited to, glutamyl derivatives of benzoic acid mustard
alkylating agent, phosphate derivatives of etoposide or mitomycin
C, cytosine arabinoside, daunorubisin, and phenoxyacetamide
derivatives of doxorubicin.
Drug Screening
[1311] Further contemplated is the use of the polypeptides of the
present invention, or the polynucleotides encoding these
polypeptides, to screen for molecules which modify the activities
of the polypeptides of the present invention. Such a method would
include contacting the polypeptide of the present invention with a
selected compound(s) suspected of having antagonist or agonist
activity, and assaying the activity of these polypeptides following
binding.
[1312] This invention is particularly useful for screening
therapeutic compounds by using the polypeptides of the present
invention, or binding fragments thereof, in any of a variety of
drug screening techniques. The polypeptide or fragment employed in
such a test may be affixed to a solid support, expressed on a cell
surface, free in solution, or located intracellularly. One method
of drug screening utilizes eukaryotic or prokaryotic host cells
which are stably transformed with recombinant nucleic acids
expressing the polypeptide or fragment. Drugs are screened against
such transformed cells in competitive binding assays. One may
measure, for example, the formulation of complexes between the
agent being tested and a polypeptide of the present invention.
[1313] Thus, the present invention provides methods of screening
for drugs or any other agents which affect activities mediated by
the polypeptides of the present invention. These methods comprise
contacting such an agent with a polypeptide of the present
invention or a fragment thereof and assaying for the presence of a
complex between the agent and the polypeptide or a fragment
thereof, by methods well known in the art. In such a competitive
binding assay, the agents to screen are typically labeled.
Following incubation, free agent is separated from that present in
bound form, and the amount of free or uncomplexed label is a
measure of the ability of a particular agent to bind to the
polypeptides of the present invention.
[1314] Another technique for drug screening provides high
throughput screening for compounds having suitable binding affinity
to the polypeptides of the present invention, and is described in
great detail in European Patent Application 84/03564, published on
Sep. 13, 1984, which is incorporated herein by reference herein.
Briefly stated, large numbers of different small peptide test
compounds are synthesized on a solid substrate, such as plastic
pins or some other surface. The peptide test compounds are reacted
with polypeptides of the present invention and washed. Bound
polypeptides are then detected by methods well known in the art.
Purified polypeptides are coated directly onto plates for use in
the aforementioned drug screening techniques. In addition,
non-neutralizing antibodies may be used to capture the peptide and
immobilize it on the solid support.
[1315] This invention also contemplates the use of competitive drug
screening assays in which neutralizing antibodies capable of
binding polypeptides of the present invention specifically compete
with a test compound for binding to the polypeptides or fragments
thereof. In this manner, the antibodies are used to detect the
presence of any peptide which shares one or more antigenic epitopes
with a polypeptide of the invention.
Polypeptides of the Invention Binding Peptides and Other
Molecules
[1316] The invention also encompasses screening methods for
identifying polypeptides and nonpolypeptides that bind polypeptides
of the invention, and the polypeptide of the invention binding
molecules identified thereby. These binding molecules are useful,
for example, as agonists and antagonists of the polypeptides of the
invention. Such agonists and antagonists can be used, in accordance
with the invention, in the therapeutic embodiments described in
detail, below.
[1317] This method comprises the steps of: contacting a polypeptide
of the invention with a plurality of molecules; and identifying a
molecule that binds the polypeptide of the invention.
[1318] The step of contacting the polypeptide of the invention with
the plurality of molecules may be effected in a number of ways. For
example, one may contemplate immobilizing the polypeptide of the
invention on a solid support and bringing a solution of the
plurality of molecules in contact with the immobilized polypeptide
of the invention. Such a procedure would be akin to an affinity
chromatographic process, with the affinity matrix being comprised
of the immobilized polypeptide of the invention. The molecules
having a selective affinity for the polypeptide of the invention
can then be purified by affinity selection. The nature of the solid
support, process for attachment of the polypeptide of the invention
to the solid support, solvent, and conditions of the affinity
isolation or selection are largely conventional and well known to
those of ordinary skill in the art.
[1319] Alternatively, one may also separate a plurality of
polypeptides into substantially separate fractions comprising a
subset of or individual polypeptides. For instance, one can
separate the plurality of polypeptides by gel electrophoresis,
column chromatography, or like method known to those of ordinary
skill for the separation of polypeptides. The individual
polypeptides can also be produced by a transformed host cell in
such a way as to be expressed on or about its outer surface (e.g.,
a recombinant phage). Individual isolates can then be "probed" by
the polypeptide of the invention, optionally in the presence of an
inducer should one be required for expression, to determine if any
selective affinity interaction takes place between the polypeptide
of the invention and the individual clone. Prior to contacting the
polypeptide of the invention with each fraction comprising
individual polypeptides, the polypeptides could first be
transferred to a solid support for additional convenience. Such a
solid support may simply be a piece of filter membrane, such as one
made of nitrocellulose or nylon. In this manner, positive clones
could be identified from a collection of transformed host cells of
an expression library, which harbor a DNA construct encoding a
polypeptide having a selective affinity for a polypeptide of the
invention. Furthermore, the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide
having a selective affinity for the polypeptide of the invention
can be determined directly by conventional means or the coding
sequence of the DNA encoding the polypeptide can frequently be
determined more conveniently. The primary sequence can then be
deduced from the corresponding DNA sequence. If the amino acid
sequence is to be determined from the polypeptide itself, one may
use microsequencing techniques. The sequencing technique may
include mass spectroscopy.
[1320] In certain situations, it may be desirable to wash away any
unbound polypeptide of the invention, or alterntatively, unbound
polypeptides, from a mixture of the polypeptide of the invention
and the plurality of polypeptides prior to attempting to determine
or to detect the presence of a selective affinity interaction. Such
a wash step may be particularly desirable when the polypeptide of
the invention or the plurality of polypeptides is bound to a solid
support.
[1321] The plurality of molecules provided according to this method
may be provided by way of diversity libraries, such as random or
combinatorial peptide or nonpeptide libraries which can be screened
for molecules that specifically bind to a polypeptide of the
invention. Many libraries are known in the art that can be used,
e.g., chemically synthesized libraries, recombinant (e.g., phage
display libraries), and in vitro translation-based libraries.
Examples of chemically synthesized libraries are described in Fodor
et al., 1991, Science 251:767-773; Houghten et al., 1991, Nature
354:84-86; Lam et al., 1991, Nature 354:82-84; Medynski, 1994,
Bio/Technology 12:709-710; Gallop et al., 1994, J. Medicinal
Chemistry 37(9):1233-125I; Ohlmeyer et al., 1993, Proc. Natl. Acad.
Sci. USA 90:10922-10926; Erb et al., 1994, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.
USA 91:11422-11426; Houghten et al., 1992, Biotechniques 13:412;
Jayawickreme et al., 1994, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91:1614-1618;
Salmon et al., 1993, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:11708-11712; PCT
Publication No. WO 93/20242; and Brenner and Lerner, 1992, Proc.
Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:5381-5383.
[1322] Examples of phage display libraries are described in Scott
and Smith, 1990, Science 249:386-390; Devlin et al., 1990, Science,
249:404-406; Christian, R. B., et al., 1992, J. Mol. Biol.
227:711-718); Lenstra, 1992, J. Immunol. Meth. 152:149-157; Kay et
al., 1993, Gene 128:59-65; and PCT Publication No. WO 94/18318
dated Aug. 18, 1994.
[1323] In vitro translation-based libraries include but are not
limited to those described in PCT Publication No. WO 91/05058 dated
Apr. 18, 1991; and Mattheakis et al., 1994, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.
USA 91:9022-9026.
[1324] By way of examples of nonpeptide libraries, a benzodiazepine
library (see e.g., Bunin et al., 1994, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
91:4708-4712) can be adapted for use. Peptoid libraries (Simon et
al., 1992, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:9367-371) can also be
used. Another example of a library that can be used, in which the
amide functionalities in peptides have been permethylated to
generate a chemically transformed combinatorial library, is
described by Ostresh et al. (1994, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
91:11138-11142).
[1325] The variety of non-peptide libraries that are useful in the
present invention is great. For example, Ecker and Crooke, 1995,
Bio/Technology 13:351-360 list benzodiazepines, hydantoins,
piperazinediones, biphenyls, sugar analogs, beta-mercaptoketones,
arylacetic acids, acylpiperidines, benzopyrans, cubanes, xanthines,
aminimides, and oxazolones as among the chemical species that form
the basis of various libraries.
[1326] Non-peptide libraries can be classified broadly into two
types: decorated monomers and oligomers. Decorated monomer
libraries employ a relatively simple scaffold structure upon which
a variety functional groups is added. Often the scaffold will be a
molecule with a known useful pharmacological activity. For example,
the scaffold might be the benzodiazepine structure.
[1327] Non-peptide oligomer libraries utilize a large number of
monomers that are assembled together in ways that create new shapes
that depend on the order of the monomers. Among the monomer units
that have been used are carbamates, pyrrolinones, and morpholinos.
Peptoids, peptide-like oligomers in which the side chain is
attached to the alpha amino group rather than the alpha carbon,
form the basis of another version of non-peptide oligomer
libraries. The first non-peptide oligomer libraries utilized a
single type of monomer and thus contained a repeating backbone.
Recent libraries have utilized more than one monomer, giving the
libraries added flexibility.
[1328] Screening the libraries can be accomplished by any of a
variety of commonly known methods. See, e.g., the following
references, which disclose screening of peptide libraries: Parmley
and Smith, 1989, Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 251:215-218; Scott and Smith,
1990, Science 249:386-390; Fowlkes et al., 1992; BioTechniques
13:422-427; Oldenburg et al., 1992, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
89:5393-5397; Yu et al., 1994, Cell 76:933-945; Staudt et al.,
1988, Science 241:577-580; Bock et al., 1992, Nature 355:564-566;
Tuerk et al., 1992, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:6988-6992;
Ellington et al., 1992, Nature 355:850-852; U.S. Pat. No.
5,096,815, U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,409, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,198,346,
all to Ladner et al.; Rebar and Pabo, 1993, Science 263:671-673;
and CT Publication No. WO 94/18318.
[1329] In a specific embodiment, screening to identify a molecule
that binds a polypeptide of the invention can be carried out by
contacting the library members with a polypeptide of the invention
immobilized on a solid phase and harvesting those library members
that bind to the polypeptide of the invention. Examples of such
screening methods, termed "panning" techniques are described by way
of example in Parmley and Smith, 1988, Gene 73:305-318; Fowlkes et
al., 1992, BioTechniques 13:422-427; PCT Publication No. WO
94/18318; and in references cited herein.
[1330] In another embodiment, the two-hybrid system for selecting
interacting proteins in yeast (Fields and Song, 1989, Nature
340:245-246; Chien et al., 1991, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
88:9578-9582) can be used to identify molecules that specifically
bind to a polypeptide of the invention.
[1331] Where the polypeptide of the invention binding molecule is a
polypeptide, the polypeptide can be conveniently selected from any
peptide library, including random peptide libraries, combinatorial
peptide libraries, or biased peptide libraries. The term "biased"
is used herein to mean that the method of generating the library is
manipulated so as to restrict one or more parameters that govern
the diversity of the resulting collection of molecules, in this
case peptides.
[1332] Thus, a truly random peptide library would generate a
collection of peptides in which the probability of finding a
particular amino acid at a given position of the peptide is the
same for all 20 amino acids. A bias can be introduced into the
library, however, by specifying, for example, that a lysine occur
every fifth amino acid or that positions 4, 8, and 9 of a
decapeptide library be fixed to include only arginine. Clearly,
many types of biases can be contemplated, and the present invention
is not restricted to any particular bias. Furthermore, the present
invention contemplates specific types of peptide libraries, such as
phage displayed peptide libraries and those that utilize a DNA
construct comprising a lambda phage vector with a DNA insert.
[1333] As mentioned above, in the case of a polypeptide of the
invention binding molecule that is a polypeptide, the polypeptide
may have about 6 to less than about 60 amino acid residues,
preferably about 6 to about 10 amino acid residues, and most
preferably, about 6 to about 22 amino acids. In another embodiment,
a polypeptide of the invention binding polypeptide has in the range
of 15-100 amino acids, or 20-50 amino acids.
[1334] The selected polypeptide of the invention binding
polypeptide can be obtained by chemical synthesis or recombinant
expression.
Antisense And Ribozyme (Antagonists)
[1335] In specific embodiments, antagonists according to the
present invention are nucleic acids corresponding to the sequences
contained in SEQ ID NO:X, or the complementary strand thereof,
and/or to nucleotide sequences contained a deposited clone. In one
embodiment, antisense sequence is generated internally by the
organism, in another embodiment, the antisense sequence is
separately administered (see, for example, O'Connor, Neurochem.,
56:560 (1991). Oligodeoxynucleotides as Anitsense Inhibitors of
Gene Expression, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla. (1988). Antisense
technology can be used to control gene expression through antisense
DNA or RNA, or through triple-helix formation. Antisense techniques
are discussed for example, in Okano, Neurochem., 56:560 (1991);
Oligodeoxynucleotides as Antisense Inhibitors of Gene Expression,
CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla. (1988). Triple helix formation is
discussed in, for instance, Lee et al., Nucleic Acids Research,
6:3073 (1979); Cooney et al., Science, 241:456 (1988); and Dervan
et al., Science, 251:1300 (1991). The methods are based on binding
of a polynucleotide to a complementary DNA or RNA.
[1336] For example, the use of c-myc and c-myb antisense RNA
constructs to inhibit the growth of the non-lymphocytic leukemia
cell line HL-60 and other cell lines was previously described.
(Wickstrom et al. (1988); Anfossi et al. (1989)). These experiments
were performed in vitro by incubating cells with the
oligoribonucleotide. A similar procedure for in vivo use is
described in WO 91/15580. Briefly, a pair of oligonucleotides for a
given antisense RNA is produced as follows: A sequence
complimentary to the first 15 bases of the open reading frame is
flanked by an EcOR1 site on the 5 end and a HindIII site on the 3
end. Next, the pair of oligonucleotides is heated at 90.degree. C.
for one minute and then annealed in 2.times. ligation buffer (20 mM
TRIS HCl pH 7.5, 10 mM MgCl2, 10 MM dithiothreitol (DTT) and 0.2 mM
ATP) and then ligated to the EcOR1/Hind III site of the retroviral
vector PMV7 (WO 91/15580).
[1337] For example, the 5' coding portion of a polynucleotide that
encodes the mature polypeptide of the present invention may be used
to design an antisense RNA oligonucleotide of from about 10 to 40
base pairs in length. A DNA oligonucleotide is designed to be
complementary to a region of the gene involved in transcription
thereby preventing transcription and the production of the
receptor. The antisense RNA oligonucleotide hybridizes to the mRNA
in vivo and blocks translation of the mRNA molecule into receptor
polypeptide.
[1338] In one embodiment, the antisense nucleic acid of the
invention is produced intracellularly by transcription from an
exogenous sequence. For example, a vector or a portion thereof, is
transcribed, producing an antisense nucleic acid (RNA) of the
invention. Such a vector would contain a sequence encoding the
antisense nucleic acid of the invention. Such a vector can remain
episomal or become chromosomally integrated, as long as it can be
transcribed to produce the desired antisense RNA. Such vectors can
be constructed by recombinant DNA technology methods standard in
the art. Vectors can be plasmid, viral, or others known in the art,
used for replication and expression in vertebrate cells. Expression
of the sequence encoding a polypeptide of the invention, or
fragments thereof, can be by any promoter known in the art to act
in vertebrate, preferably human cells. Such promoters can be
inducible or constitutive. Such promoters include, but are not
limited to, the SV40 early promoter region (Bemoist and Chambon,
Nature, 29:304-310 (1981), the promoter contained in the 3' long
terminal repeat of Rous sarcoma virus (Yamamoto et al., Cell,
22:787-797 (1980), the herpes thymidine promoter (Wagner et al.,
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 78:1441-1445 (1981), the regulatory
sequences of the metallothionein gene (Brinster et al., Nature,
296:39-42 (1982)), etc.
[1339] The antisense nucleic acids of the invention comprise a
sequence complementary to at least a portion of an RNA transcript
of a gene of interest. However, absolute complementarity, although
preferred, is not required. A sequence "complementary to at least a
portion of an RNA," referred to herein, means a sequence having
sufficient complementarity to be able to hybridize with the RNA,
forming a stable duplex; in the case of double stranded antisense
nucleic acids of the invention, a single strand of the duplex DNA
may thus be tested, or triplex formation may be assayed. The
ability to hybridize will depend on both the degree of
complementarity and the length of the antisense nucleic acid
Generally, the larger the hybridizing nucleic acid, the more base
mismatches with a RNA sequence of the invention it may contain and
still form a stable duplex (or triplex as the case may be). One
skilled in the art can ascertain a tolerable degree of mismatch by
use of standard procedures to determine the melting point of the
hybridized complex.
[1340] Oligonucleotides that are complementary to the 5' end of the
message, e.g., the 5' untranslated sequence up to and including the
AUG initiation codon, should work most efficiently at inhibiting
translation. However, sequences complementary to the 3'
untranslated sequences of mRNAs have been shown to be effective at
inhibiting translation of mRNAs as well. See generally, Wagner, R.,
Nature, 372:333-335 (1994). Thus, oligonucleotides complementary to
either the 5'- or 3'-non-translated, non-coding regions of a
polynucleotide sequence of the invention could be used in an
antisense approach to inhibit translation of endogenous mRNA.
Oligonucleotides complementary to the 5' untranslated region of the
mRNA should include the complement of the AUG start codon.
Antisense oligonucleotides complementary to mRNA coding regions are
less efficient inhibitors of translation but could be used in
accordance with the invention. Whether designed to hybridize to the
5'-, 3'- or coding region of mRNA, antisense nucleic acids should
be at least six nucleotides in length, and are preferably
oligonucleotides ranging from 6 to about 50 nucleotides in length.
In specific aspects the oligonucleotide is at least 10 nucleotides,
at least 17 nucleotides, at least 25 nucleotides or at least 50
nucleotides.
[1341] The polynucleotides of the invention can be DNA or RNA or
chimeric mixtures or derivatives or modified versions thereof,
single-stranded or double-stranded. The oligonucleotide can be
modified at the base moiety, sugar moiety, or phosphate backbone,
for example, to improve stability of the molecule, hybridization,
etc. The oligonucleotide may include other appended groups such as
peptides (e.g., for targeting host cell receptors in vivo), or
agents facilitating transport across the cell membrane (see, e.g.,
Letsinger et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86:6553-6556
(1989); Lemaitre et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 84:648-652 (1987);
PCT Publication NO: WO88/09810, published Dec. 15, 1988) or the
blood-brain barrier (see, e.g., PCT Publication NO: WO89/10134,
published Apr. 25, 1988), hybridization-triggered cleavage agents.
(See, e.g., Krol et al., BioTechniques, 6:958-976 (1988)) or
intercalating agents. (See, e.g., Zon, Pharm. Res., 5:539-549
(1988)). To this end, the oligonucleotide may be conjugated to
another molecule, e.g., a peptide, hybridization triggered
cross-linking agent, transport agent, hybridization-triggered
cleavage agent, etc.
[1342] The antisense oligonucleotide may comprise at least one
modified base moiety which is selected from the group including,
but not limited to, 5-fluorouracil, 5-bromouracil, 5-chlorouracil,
5-iodouracil, hypoxanthine, xantine, 4-acetylcytosine,
5-(carboxyhydroxylmethyl) uracil,
5-carboxymethylaminomethyl-2-thiouridine,
5-carboxymethylaminomethyluracil, dihydrouracil,
beta-D-galactosylqueosine, inosine, N6-isopentenyladenine,
1-methylguanine, 1-methylinosine, 2,2-dimethylguanine,
2-methyladenine, 2-methylguanine, 3-methylcytosine,
5-methylcytosine, N6-adenine, 7-methylguanine,
5-methylaminomethyluracil, 5-methoxyaminomethyl-2-thiouracil,
beta-D-mannosylqueosine, 5'-methoxycarboxymethyluracil,
5-methoxyuracil, 2-methylthio-N-6-isopentenyladenine,
uracil-5-oxyacetic acid (v), wybutoxosine, pseudouracil, queosine,
2-thiocytosine, 5-methyl-2-thiouracil, 2-thiouracil, 4-thiouracil,
5-methyluracil, uracil-5-oxyacetic acid methylester,
uracil-5-oxyacetic acid (v), 5-methyl-2-thiouracil,
3-(3-amino-3-N-2-carboxypropyl) uracil, (acp3)w, and
2,6-diaminopurine.
[1343] The antisense oligonucleotide may also comprise at least one
modified sugar moiety selected from the group including, but not
limited to, arabinose, 2-fluoroarabinose, xylulose, and hexose.
[1344] In yet another embodiment, the antisense oligonucleotide
comprises at least one modified phosphate backbone selected from
the group including, but not limited to, a phosphorothioate, a
phosphorodithioate, a phosphoramidothioate, a phosphoramidate, a
phosphordiamidate, a methylphosphonate, an alkyl phosphotriester,
and a formacetal or analog thereof.
[1345] In yet another embodiment, the antisense oligonucleotide is
an a-anomeric oligonucleotide. An a-anomeric oligonucleotide forms
specific double-stranded hybrids with complementary RNA in which,
contrary to the usual b-units, the strands run parallel to each
other (Gautier et al., Nucl. Acids Res., 15:6625-6641 (1987)). The
oligonucleotide is a 2-O-methylribonucleotide (Inoue et al., Nucl.
Acids Res., 15:6131-6148 (1987)), or a chimeric RNA-DNA analogue
(Inoue et al., FEBS Lett. 215:327-330 (1987)).
[1346] Polynucleotides of the invention may be synthesized by
standard methods known in the art, e.g. by use of an automated DNA
synthesizer (such as are commercially available from Biosearch,
Applied Biosystems, etc.). As examples, phosphorothioate
oligonucleotides may be synthesized by the method of Stein et al.
(Nucl. Acids Res., 16:3209 (1988)), methylphosphonate
oligonucleotides can be prepared by use of controlled pore glass
polymer supports (Sarin et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.,
85:7448-7451 (1988)), etc.
[1347] While antisense nucleotides complementary to the coding
region sequence of the invention could be used, those complementary
to the transcribed untranslated region are most preferred.
[1348] Potential antagonists according to the invention also
include catalytic RNA, or a ribozyme (See, e.g., PCT International
Publication WO 90/11364, published Oct. 4, 1990; Sarver et al,
Science, 247:1222-1225 (1990). While ribozymes that cleave mRNA at
site specific recognition sequences can be used to destroy mRNAs
corresponding to the polynucleotides of the invention, the use of
hammerhead ribozymes is preferred. Hammerhead ribozymes cleave
mRNAs at locations dictated by flanking regions that form
complementary base pairs with the target mRNA. The sole requirement
is that the target mRNA have the following sequence of two bases:
5-UG-3'. The construction and production of hammerhead ribozymes is
well known in the art and is described more fully in Haseloff and
Gerlach, Nature, 334:585-591 (1988). There are numerous potential
hammerhead ribozyme cleavage sites within each nucleotide sequence
disclosed in the sequence listing. Preferably, the ribozyme is
engineered so that the cleavage recognition site is located near
the 5' end of the mRNA corresponding to the polynucleotides of the
invention; i.e., to increase efficiency and minimize the
intracellular accumulation of non-functional mRNA transcripts.
[1349] As in the antisense approach, the ribozymes of the invention
can be composed of modified oligonucleotides (e.g. for improved
stability, targeting, etc.) and should be delivered to cells which
express the polynucleotides of the invention in vivo. DNA
constructs encoding the ribozyme may be introduced into the cell in
the same manner as described above for the introduction of
antisense encoding DNA. A preferred method of delivery involves
using a DNA construct "encoding" the ribozyme under the control of
a strong constitutive promoter, such as, for example, pol III or
pol II promoter, so that transfected cells will produce sufficient
quantities of the ribozyme to destroy endogenous messages and
inhibit translation. Since ribozymes unlike antisense molecules,
are catalytic, a lower intracellular concentration is required for
efficiency.
[1350] Antagonist/agonist compounds may be employed to inhibit the
cell growth and proliferation effects of the polypeptides of the
present invention on neoplastic cells and tissues, i.e. stimulation
of angiogenesis of tumors, and, therefore, retard or prevent
abnormal cellular growth and proliferation, for example, in tumor
formation or growth.
[1351] The antagonist/agonist may also be employed to prevent
hyper-vascular diseases, and prevent the proliferation of
epithelial lens cells after extracapsular cataract surgery.
Prevention of the mitogenic activity of the polypeptides of the
present invention may also be desirous in cases such as restenosis
after balloon angioplasty.
[1352] The antagonist/agonist may also be employed to prevent the
growth of scar tissue during wound healing.
[1353] The antagonist/agonist may also be employed to treat,
prevent, and/or diagnose the diseases described herein.
[1354] Thus, the invention provides a method of treating or
preventing diseases, disorders, and/or conditions, including but
not limited to the diseases, disorders, and/or conditions listed
throughout this application, associated with overexpression of a
polynucleotide of the present invention by administering to a
patient (a) an antisense molecule directed to the polynucleotide of
the present invention, and/or (b) a ribozyme directed to the
polynucleotide of the present invention.
Other Activities
[1355] The polypeptide of the present invention, as a result of the
ability to stimulate vascular endothelial cell growth, may be
employed in treatment for stimulating re-vascularization of
ischemic tissues due to various disease conditions such as
thrombosis, arteriosclerosis, and other cardiovascular conditions.
These polypeptide may also be employed to stimulate angiogenesis
and limb regeneration, as discussed above.
[1356] The polypeptide may also be employed for treating wounds due
to injuries, burns, post-operative tissue repair, and ulcers since
they are mitogenic to various cells of different origins, such as
fibroblast cells and skeletal muscle cells, and therefore,
facilitate the repair or replacement of damaged or diseased
tissue.
[1357] The polypeptide of the present invention may also be
employed stimulate neuronal growth and to treat, prevent, and/or
diagnose neuronal damage which occurs in certain neuronal disorders
or neuro-degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease,
Parkinson's disease, and AIDS-related complex. The polypeptide of
the invention may have the ability to stimulate chondrocyte growth,
therefore, they may be employed to enhance bone and periodontal
regeneration and aid in tissue transplants or bone grafts.
[1358] The polypeptide of the present invention may be also be
employed to prevent skin aging due to sunburn by stimulating
keratinocyte growth.
[1359] The polypeptide of the invention may also be employed for
preventing hair loss, since FGF family members activate
hair-forming cells and promotes melanocyte growth. Along the same
lines, the polypeptides of the present invention may be employed to
stimulate growth and differentiation of hematopoietic cells and
bone marrow cells when used in combination with other
cytokines.
[1360] The polypeptide of the invention may also be employed to
maintain organs before transplantation or for supporting cell
culture of primary tissues.
[1361] The polypeptide of the present invention may also be
employed for inducing tissue of mesodermal origin to differentiate
in early embryos.
[1362] The polypeptide or polynucleotides and/or agonist or
antagonists of the present invention may also increase or decrease
the differentiation or proliferation of embryonic stem cells,
besides, as discussed above, hematopoietic lineage.
[1363] The polypeptide or polynucleotides and/or agonist or
antagonists of the present invention may also be used to modulate
mammalian characteristics, such as body height, weight, hair color,
eye color, skin, percentage of adipose tissue, pigmentation, size,
and shape (e.g., cosmetic surgery). Similarly, polypeptides or
polynucleotides and/or agonist or antagonists of the present
invention may be used to modulate mammalian metabolism affecting
catabolism, anabolism, processing, utilization, and storage of
energy.
[1364] A polypeptide, polynucleotide, agonist, or antagonist of the
present invention may be used to treat weight disorders, including
but not limited to, obesity, cachexia, wasting disease, anorexia,
and bulimia.
[1365] Polypeptide or polynucleotides and/or agonist or antagonists
of the present invention may be used to change a mammal's mental
state or physical state by influencing biorhythms, caricadic
rhythms, depression (including depressive diseases, disorders,
and/or conditions), tendency for violence, tolerance for pain,
reproductive capabilities (preferably by Activin or Inhibin-like
activity), hormonal or endocrine levels, appetite, libido, memory,
stress, or other cognitive qualities
[1366] Polypeptide or polynucleotides and/or agonist or antagonists
of the present invention may also be used as a food additive or
preservative, such as to increase or decrease storage capabilities,
fat content, lipid, protein, carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals,
cofactors or other nutritional components.
Other Preferred Embodiments
[1367] Other preferred embodiments of the claimed invention include
an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence
which is at least 95% identical to a sequence of at least about 50
contiguous nucleotides in the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:X
wherein X is any integer as defined in Table 1A. Also preferred is
the above nucleic acid molecule wherein said sequence of contiguous
nucleotides is included in the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:X
in the range of positions beginning with the nucleotide at about
the position of the 5' Nucleotide of the Clone Sequence and ending
with the nucleotide at about the position of the 3' Nucleotide of
the Clone Sequence as defined for SEQ ID NO:X in Table 1A. Further
preferred is the above nucleic acid molecule wherein said sequence
of contiguous nucleotides is included in the nucleotide sequence of
SEQ ID NO:X in the range of positions beginning with the nucleotide
at about the position of the 5' Nucleotide of the Start Codon and
ending with the nucleotide at about the position of the 3'
Nucleotide of the Clone Sequence as defined for SEQ ID NO:X in
Table 1A. Similarly preferred is the above nucleic acid molecule
wherein said sequence of contiguous nucleotides is included in the
nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:X in the range of positions
beginning with the nucleotide at about the position of the 5'
Nucleotide of the First Amino Acid of the Signal Peptide and ending
with the nucleotide at about the position of the 3' Nucleotide of
the Clone Sequence as defined for SEQ ID NO:X in Table 1A.
[1368] Also preferred is an isolated nucleic acid molecule
comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 95% identical to
a sequence of at least about 150 contiguous nucleotides in the
nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:X.
[1369] Further preferred is an isolated nucleic acid molecule
comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 95% identical to
a sequence of at least about 500 contiguous nucleotides in the
nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:X.
[1370] A further preferred embodiment is a nucleic acid molecule
comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 95% identical to
the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:X beginning with the
nucleotide at about the position of the 5' Nucleotide of the First
Amino Acid of the Signal Peptide and ending with the nucleotide at
about the position of the 3' Nucleotide of the Clone Sequence as
defined for SEQ ID NO:X in Table 1A.
[1371] A further preferred embodiment is an isolated nucleic acid
molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 95%
identical to the complete nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:X.
[1372] Also preferred is an isolated nucleic acid molecule which
hybridizes under stringent hybridization conditions to a nucleic
acid molecule, wherein said isolated nucleic acid molecule does not
hybridize under stringent hybridization conditions to a nucleic
acid molecule having a nucleotide sequence consisting of only A
residues or of only T residues.
[1373] Also preferred is a composition of matter comprising a DNA
molecule which comprises a human cDNA clone identified by a cDNA
Clone Identifier in Table 1A, which DNA molecule is contained in
the material deposited with the American Type Culture Collection
and given the ATCC Deposit Number shown in Table 1A for said cDNA
Clone Identifier.
[1374] Also preferred is an isolated nucleic acid molecule
comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 95% identical to
a sequence of at least 50 contiguous nucleotides in the nucleotide
sequence of the cDNA of a human cDNA clone identified by a cDNA
Clone Identifier in Table 1A, which DNA molecule is contained in
the deposit given the ATCC Deposit Number shown in Table 1A.
Further preferred is the above nucleic acid molecule, wherein said
sequence of at least 50 contiguous nucleotides is included in the
nucleotide sequence of the complete open reading frame sequence
encoded by said human cDNA clone. In addition, an isolated nucleic
acid molecule of the invention may comprise a nucleotide sequence
which is at least 95% identical to sequence of at least 150
contiguous nucleotides in the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA in
said human cDNA clone. A further preferred embodiment is an
isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence
which is at least 95% identical to sequence of at least 500
contiguous nucleotides in the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA in
said human cDNA clone. A further preferred embodiment is an
isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence
which is at least 95% identical to the complete nucleotide sequence
of the cDNA in said human cDNA clone.
[1375] A further preferred embodiment is a method for detecting in
a biological sample a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide
sequence which is at least 95% identical to a sequence of at least
50 contiguous nucleotides in a sequence selected from the group
consisting of: a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:X wherein X is
any integer as defined in Table 1A; and a nucleotide sequence
encoded by a human cDNA clone identified by a cDNA Clone Identifier
in Table 1A and contained in the deposit with the ATCC Deposit
Number shown for said cDNA clone in Table 1A; which method
comprises: (a) a step of comparing a nucleotide sequence of at
least one nucleic acid molecule in said sample with a sequence
selected from said group; and (b) determining whether the sequence
of said nucleic acid molecule in said sample is at least 95%
identical to said selected sequence. The step of comparing
sequences in the above method may further comprise determining the
extent of nucleic acid hybridization between nucleic acid molecules
in said sample and a nucleic acid molecule comprising said sequence
selected from said group. Similarly, the step of comparing
sequences in the above method may be performed by comparing the
nucleotide sequence determined from a nucleic acid molecule in said
sample with said sequence selected from said group. The nucleic
acid molecules can comprise DNA molecules or RNA molecules.
[1376] A further preferred embodiment is a method for identifying
the species, tissue or cell type of a biological sample which
method comprises a step of detecting nucleic acid molecules in said
sample, if any, comprising a nucleotide sequence that is at least
95% identical to a sequence of at least 50 contiguous nucleotides
in a sequence selected from the group consisting of: a nucleotide
sequence of SEQ ID NO:X wherein X is any integer as defined in
Table 1A; and a nucleotide sequence encoded by a human cDNA clone
identified by a cDNA Clone Identifier in Table 1A and contained in
the deposit with the ATCC Deposit Number shown for said cDNA clone
in Table 1A. This method described above may further comprise a
step of detecting nucleic acid molecules comprising a nucleotide
sequence in a panel of at least two nucleotide sequences, wherein
at least one sequence in said panel is at least 95% identical to a
sequence of at least 50 contiguous nucleotides in a sequence
selected from said group.
[1377] Also preferred is a method for diagnosing in a subject a
pathological condition associated with abnormal structure or
expression of a gene encoding a secreted protein identified in
Table 1A, which method comprises a step of detecting in a
biological sample obtained from said subject nucleic acid
molecules, if any, comprising a nucleotide sequence that is at
least 95% identical to a sequence of at least 50 contiguous
nucleotides in a sequence selected from the group consisting of: a
nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:X wherein X is any integer as
defined in Table 1A; and a nucleotide sequence encoded by a human
cDNA clone identified by a cDNA Clone Identifier in Table 1A and
contained in the deposit with the ATCC Deposit Number shown for
said cDNA clone in Table 1A. This method described above may
further comprise a step of detecting nucleic acid molecules
comprising a nucleotide sequence in a panel of at least two
nucleotide sequences, wherein at least one sequence in said panel
is at least 95% identical to a sequence of at least 50 contiguous
nucleotides in a sequence selected from said group.
[1378] Also preferred is a composition of matter comprising
isolated nucleic acid molecules wherein the nucleotide sequences of
said nucleic acid molecules comprise a panel of at least two
nucleotide sequences, wherein at least one sequence in said panel
is at least 95% identical to a sequence of at least 50 contiguous
nucleotides in a sequence selected from the group consisting of: a
nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:X wherein X is any integer as
defined in Table 1A; and a nucleotide sequence encoded by a human
cDNA clone identified by a cDNA Clone Identifier in Table 1A and
contained in the deposit with the ATCC Deposit Number shown for
said cDNA clone in Table 1A. The nucleic acid molecules can
comprise DNA molecules or RNA molecules.
[1379] Also preferred is an isolated polypeptide comprising an
amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to a sequence of at
least about 10 contiguous amino acids in the amino acid sequence of
SEQ ID NO:Y wherein Y is any integer as defined in Table 1A.
Further preferred is the above isolated polypeptide, wherein said
sequence of contiguous amino acids is included in the amino acid
sequence of SEQ ID NO:Y in the range of positions beginning with
the residue at about the position of the First Amino Acid of the
Secreted Portion and ending with the residue at about the Last
Amino Acid of the Open Reading Frame as set forth for SEQ ID NO:Y
in Table 1A.
[1380] Also preferred is an isolated polypeptide comprising an
amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to a sequence of at
least about 30 contiguous amino acids in the amino acid sequence of
SEQ ID NO:Y.
[1381] Further preferred is an isolated polypeptide comprising an
amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to a sequence of at
least about 100 contiguous amino acids in the amino acid sequence
of SEQ ID NO:Y.
[1382] Further preferred is an isolated polypeptide comprising an
amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to the complete amino
acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:Y.
[1383] Also preferred is an isolated polypeptide comprising an
amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to a sequence of at
least about 10 contiguous amino acids in the complete amino acid
sequence of a secreted protein encoded by a human cDNA clone
identified by a cDNA Clone Identifier in Table 1A and contained in
the deposit with the ATCC Deposit Number shown for said cDNA clone
in Table 1A. Further preferred is the above isolated polypeptide
wherein said sequence of contiguous amino acids is included in the
amino acid sequence of a secreted portion of the secreted protein
encoded by a human cDNA clone identified by a cDNA Clone Identifier
in Table 1A and contained in the deposit with the ATCC Deposit
Number shown for said cDNA clone in Table 1A.
[1384] Also preferred is an isolated polypeptide comprising an
amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to a sequence of at
least about 30 contiguous amino acids in the amino acid sequence of
the secreted portion of the protein encoded by a human cDNA clone
identified by a cDNA Clone Identifier in Table 1A and contained in
the deposit with the ATCC Deposit Number shown for said cDNA clone
in Table 1A.
[1385] Also preferred is an isolated polypeptide comprising an
amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to a sequence of at
least about 100 contiguous amino acids in the amino acid sequence
of the secreted portion of the protein encoded by a human cDNA
clone identified by a cDNA Clone Identifier in Table 1A and
contained in the deposit with the ATCC Deposit Number shown for
said cDNA clone in Table 1A.
[1386] Also preferred is an isolated polypeptide comprising an
amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to the amino acid
sequence of the secreted portion of the protein encoded by a human
cDNA clone identified by a cDNA Clone Identifier in Table 1A and
contained in the deposit with the ATCC Deposit Number shown for
said cDNA clone in Table 1A.
[1387] Further preferred is an isolated antibody which binds
specifically to a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence
that is at least 90% identical to a sequence of at least 10
contiguous amino acids in a sequence selected from the group
consisting of: an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:Y wherein Y is
any integer as defined in Table 1A; and a complete amino acid
sequence of a protein encoded by a human cDNA clone identified by a
cDNA Clone Identifier in Table 1A and contained in the deposit with
the ATCC Deposit Number shown for said cDNA clone in Table 1A.
[1388] Further preferred is a method for detecting in a biological
sample a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence which is at
least 90% identical to a sequence of at least 10 contiguous amino
acids in a sequence selected from the group consisting of: an amino
acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:Y wherein Y is any integer as defined in
Table 1A; and a complete amino acid sequence of a protein encoded
by a human cDNA clone identified by a cDNA Clone Identifier in
Table 1A and contained in the deposit with the ATCC Deposit Number
shown for said cDNA clone in Table 1A; which method comprises: (a)
a step of comparing an amino acid sequence of at least one
polypeptide molecule in said sample with a sequence selected from
said group; and (b) determining whether the sequence of said
polypeptide molecule in said sample is at least 90% identical to
said sequence of at least 10 contiguous amino acids. The step in
the above method of comparing an amino acid sequence of at least
one polypeptide molecule in said sample with a sequence selected
from said group may further comprise determining the extent of
specific binding of polypeptides in said sample to an antibody
which binds specifically to a polypeptide comprising an amino acid
sequence that is at least 90% identical to a sequence of at least
10 contiguous amino acids in a sequence selected from the group
consisting of: an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:Y wherein Y is
any integer as defined in Table 1A; and a complete amino acid
sequence of a protein encoded by a human cDNA clone identified by a
cDNA Clone Identifier in Table 1A and contained in the deposit with
the ATCC Deposit Number shown for said cDNA clone in Table 1A.
Further, the step of comparing sequences in the above method may be
performed by comparing the amino acid sequence determined from a
polypeptide molecule in said sample with said sequence selected
from said group.
[1389] Also preferred is a method for identifying the species,
tissue or cell type of a biological sample which method comprises a
step of detecting polypeptide molecules in said sample, if any,
comprising an amino acid sequence that is at least 90% identical to
a sequence of at least 10 contiguous amino acids in a sequence
selected from the group consisting of: an amino acid sequence of
SEQ ID NO:Y wherein Y is any integer as defined in Table 1A; and a
complete amino acid sequence of a secreted protein encoded by a
human cDNA clone identified by a cDNA Clone Identifier in Table 1A
and contained in the deposit with the ATCC Deposit Number shown for
said cDNA clone in Table 1A. This method may further comprise a
step of detecting polypeptide molecules comprising an amino acid
sequence in a panel of at least two amino acid sequences, wherein
at least one sequence in said panel is at least 90% identical to a
sequence of at least 10 contiguous amino acids in a sequence
selected from the above group.
[1390] Also preferred is a method for diagnosing in a subject a
pathological condition associated with abnormal structure or
expression of a gene encoding a secreted protein identified in
Table 1A, which method comprises a step of detecting in a
biological sample obtained from said subject polypeptide molecules
comprising an amino acid sequence in a panel of at least two amino
acid sequences, wherein at least one sequence in said panel is at
least 90% identical to a sequence of at least 10 contiguous amino
acids in a sequence selected from the group consisting of: an amino
acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:Y wherein Y is any integer as defined in
Table 1A; and a complete amino acid sequence of a secreted protein
encoded by a human cDNA clone identified by a cDNA Clone Identifier
in Table 1A and contained in the deposit with the ATCC Deposit
Number shown for said cDNA clone in Table 1A.
[1391] In any of these methods, the step of detecting said
polypeptide molecules includes using an antibody.
[1392] Also preferred is an isolated nucleic acid molecule
comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 95% identical to
a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide wherein said
polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence that is at least 90%
identical to a sequence of at least 10 contiguous amino acids in a
sequence selected from the group consisting of: an amino acid
sequence of SEQ ID NO:Y wherein Y is any integer as defined in
Table 1A; and a complete amino acid sequence of a secreted protein
encoded by a human cDNA clone identified by a cDNA Clone Identifier
in Table 1A and contained in the deposit with the ATCC Deposit
Number shown for said cDNA clone in Table 1A. Further preferred is
the above isolated nucleic acid molecule, wherein said nucleotide
sequence encoding a polypeptide has been optimized for expression
of said polypeptide in a prokaryotic host. Similarly preferred is
the above isolated nucleic acid molecule, wherein said polypeptide
comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting
of: an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:Y wherein Y is any integer
as defined in Table 1A; and a complete amino acid sequence of a
secreted protein encoded by a human cDNA clone identified by a cDNA
Clone Identifier in Table 1A and contained in the deposit with the
ATCC Deposit Number shown for said cDNA clone in Table 1A.
[1393] Further preferred is a method of making a recombinant vector
comprising inserting any of the above isolated nucleic acid
molecules into a vector. Also preferred is the recombinant vector
produced by this method. Also preferred is a method of making a
recombinant host cell comprising introducing the vector of the
invention into a host cell, as well as the recombinant host cell
produced by this method.
[1394] Also preferred is a method of making an isolated polypeptide
comprising culturing this recombinant host cell under conditions
such that said polypeptide is expressed and recovering said
polypeptide. Also preferred is this method of making an isolated
polypeptide, wherein said recombinant host cell is a eukaryotic
cell and said polypeptide is a secreted portion of a human secreted
protein comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group
consisting of: an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:Y beginning with
the residue at the position of the First Amino Acid of the Secreted
Portion of SEQ ID NO:Y wherein Y is an integer set forth in Table
1A and said position of the First Amino Acid of the Secreted
Portion of SEQ ID NO:Y is defined in Table 1A; and an amino acid
sequence of a secreted portion of a protein encoded by a human cDNA
clone identified by a cDNA Clone Identifier in Table 1A and
contained in the deposit with the ATCC Deposit Number shown for
said cDNA clone in Table 1A. The isolated polypeptide produced by
this method is also preferred.
[1395] Also preferred is a method of treatment of an individual in
need of an increased level of a secreted protein activity, which
method comprises administering to such an individual a
pharmaceutical composition comprising an amount of an isolated
polypeptide, polynucleotide, or antibody of the claimed invention
effective to increase the level of said protein activity in said
individual.
[1396] Having generally described the invention, the same will be
more readily understood by reference to the following examples,
which are provided by way of illustration and are not intended as
limiting.
[1397] The above-recited applications have uses in a wide variety
of hosts. Such hosts include, but are not limited to, human,
murine, rabbit, goat, guinea pig, camel, horse, mouse, rat,
hamster, pig, micro-pig, chicken, goat, cow, sheep, dog, cat,
non-human primate, and human. In specific embodiments, the host is
a mouse, rabbit, goat, guinea pig, chicken, rat, hamster, pig,
sheep, dog or cat. In preferred embodiments, the host is a mammal.
In most preferred embodiments, the host is a human.
[1398] Having generally described the invention, the same will be
more readily understood by reference to the following examples,
which are provided by way of illustration and are not intended as
limiting.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
Isolation of a Selected cDNA Clone From the Deposited Sample
[1399] Each cDNA clone in a cited ATCC deposit is contained in a
plasmid vector. Table 1A identifies the vectors used to construct
the cDNA library from which each clone was isolated. In many cases,
the vector used to construct the library is a phage vector from
which a plasmid has been excised. The table immediately below
correlates the related plasmid for each phage vector used in
constructing the cDNA library. For example, where a particular
clone is identified in Table 1A as being isolated in the vector
"Lambda Zap," the corresponding deposited clone is in
"pBluescript." TABLE-US-00037 Vector Used to Construct Library
Corresponding Deposited Plasmid Lambda Zap pBluescript (pBS)
Uni-Zap XR pBluescript (pBS) Zap Express pBK lafmid BA plafmid BA
pSport1 pSport1 pCMVSport 2.0 pCMVSport 2.0 pCMVSport 3.0 pCMVSport
3.0 pCR .RTM. 2.1 pCR .RTM. 2.1
[1400] Vectors Lambda Zap (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,128,256 and 5,286,636),
Uni-Zap XR (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,128,256 and 5,286,636), Zap Express
(U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,128,256 and 5,286,636), pBluescript (pBS) (Short,
J. M. et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 16:7583-7600 (1988); Alting-Mees,
M. A. and Short, J. M., Nucleic Acids Res. 17:9494 (1989)) and pBK
(Alting-Mees, M. A. et al., Strategies 5:58-61 (1992)) are
commercially available from Stratagene Cloning Systems, Inc., 11011
N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, Calif., 92037. pBS contains an
ampicillin resistance gene and pBK contains a neomycin resistance
gene. Both can be transformed into E. coli strain XL-1 Blue, also
available from Stratagene. pBS comes in 4 forms SK+, SK-, KS+ and
KS. The S and K refers to the orientation of the polylinker to the
T7 and T3 primer sequences which flank the polylinker region ("S"
is for SacI and "K" is for KpnI which are the first sites on each
respective end of the linker). "+" or "-" refer to the orientation
of the f1 origin of replication ("ori"), such that in one
orientation, single stranded rescue initiated from the f1 ori
generates sense strand DNA and in the other, antisense.
[1401] Vectors pSport1, pCMVSport 2.0 and pCMVSport 3.0, were
obtained from Life Technologies, Inc., P.O. Box 6009, Gaithersburg,
Md. 20897. All Sport vectors contain an ampicillin resistance gene
and may be transformed into E. coli strain DH10B, also available
from Life Technologies. (See, for instance, Gruber, C. E., et al.,
Focus 15:59 (1993).) Vector lafmid BA (Bento Soares, Columbia
University, NY) contains an ampicillin resistance gene and can be
transformed into E. coli strain XL-1 Blue. Vector pCR.RTM.2.1,
which is available from Invitrogen, 1600 Faraday Avenue, Carlsbad,
Calif. 92008, contains an ampicillin resistance gene and may be
transformed into E. coli strain DH10B, available from Life
Technologies. (See, for instance, Clark, J. M., Nuc. Acids Res.
16:9677-9686 (1988) and Mead, D. et al., Bio/Technology 9: (1991).)
Preferably, a polynucleotide of the present invention does not
comprise the phage vector sequences identified for the particular
clone in Table 1A, as well as the corresponding plasmid vector
sequences designated above.
[1402] The deposited material in the sample assigned the ATCC
Deposit Number cited in Table 1A for any given cDNA clone also may
contain one or more additional plasmids, each comprising a cDNA
clone different from that given clone. Thus, deposits sharing the
same ATCC Deposit Number contain at least a plasmid for each cDNA
clone identified in Table 1A. Typically, each ATCC deposit sample
cited in Table 1A comprises a mixture of approximately equal
amounts (by weight) of about 50 plasmid DNAs, each containing a
different cDNA clone; but such a deposit sample may include
plasmids for more or less than 50 cDNA clones, up to about 500 cDNA
clones.
[1403] Two approaches can be used to isolate a particular clone
from the deposited sample of plasmid DNAs cited for that clone in
Table 1A. First, a plasmid is directly isolated by screening the
clones using a polynucleotide probe corresponding to SEQ ID
NO:X.
[1404] Particularly, a specific polynucleotide with 30-40
nucleotides is synthesized using an Applied Biosystems DNA
synthesizer according to the sequence reported. The oligonucleotide
is labeled, for instance, with .sup.32P-.gamma.-ATP using T4
polynucleotide kinase and purified according to routine methods.
(E.g., Maniatis et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual,
Cold Spring Harbor Press, Cold Spring, N.Y. (1982).) The plasmid
mixture is transformed into a suitable host, as indicated above
(such as XL-1 Blue (Stratagene)) using techniques known to those of
skill in the art, such as those provided by the vector supplier or
in related publications or patents cited above. The transformants
are plated on 1.5% agar plates (containing the appropriate
selection agent, e.g., ampicillin) to a density of about 150
transformants (colonies) per plate. These plates are screened using
Nylon membranes according to routine methods for bacterial colony
screening (e.g., Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory
Manual, 2nd Edit., (1989), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press,
pages 1.93 to 1.104), or other techniques known to those of skill
in the art.
[1405] Alternatively, two primers of 17-20 nucleotides derived from
both ends of the SEQ ID NO:X (i.e., within the region of SEQ ID
NO:X bounded by the 5' NT and the 3' NT of the clone defined in
Table 1A) are synthesized and used to amplify the desired cDNA
using the deposited cDNA plasmid as a template. The polymerase
chain reaction is carried out under routine conditions, for
instance, in 25 ul of reaction mixture with 0.5 ug of the above
cDNA template. A convenient reaction mixture is 1.5-5 mM
MgCl.sub.2, 0.01% (w/v) gelatin, 20 uM each of dATP, dCTP, dGTP,
dTTP, 25 pmol of each primer and 0.25 Unit of Taq polymerase.
Thirty five cycles of PCR (denaturation at 94 degree C. for 1 min;
annealing at 55 degree C. for 1 min; elongation at 72 degree C. for
1 min) are performed with a Perkin-Elmer Cetus automated thermal
cycler. The amplified product is analyzed by agarose gel
electrophoresis and the DNA band with expected molecular weight is
excised and purified. The PCR product is verified to be the
selected sequence by subcloning and sequencing the DNA product.
[1406] Several methods are available for the identification of the
5' or 3' non-coding portions of a gene which may not be present in
the deposited clone. These methods include but are not limited to,
filter probing, clone enrichment using specific probes, and
protocols similar or identical to 5' and 3' "RACE" protocols which
are well known in the art. For instance, a method similar to 5'
RACE is available for generating the missing 5' end of a desired
full-length transcript. (Fromont-Racine et al., Nucleic Acids Res.
21(7):1683-1684 (1993).)
[1407] Briefly, a specific RNA oligonucleotide is ligated to the 5'
ends of a population of RNA presumably containing full-length gene
RNA transcripts. A primer set containing a primer specific to the
ligated RNA oligonucleotide and a primer specific to a known
sequence of the gene of interest is used to PCR amplify the 5'
portion of the desired full-length gene. This amplified product may
then be sequenced and used to generate the full length gene.
[1408] This above method starts with total RNA isolated from the
desired source, although poly-A+ RNA can be used. The RNA
preparation can then be treated with phosphatase if necessary to
eliminate 5' phosphate groups on degraded or damaged RNA which may
interfere with the later RNA ligase step. The phosphatase should
then be inactivated and the RNA treated with tobacco acid
pyrophosphatase in order to remove the cap structure present at the
5' ends of messenger RNAs. This reaction leaves a 5' phosphate
group at the 5' end of the cap cleaved RNA which can then be
ligated to an RNA oligonucleotide using T4 RNA ligase.
[1409] This modified RNA preparation is used as a template for
first strand cDNA synthesis using a gene specific oligonucleotide.
The first strand synthesis reaction is used as a template for PCR
amplification of the desired 5' end using a primer specific to the
ligated RNA oligonucleotide and a primer specific to the known
sequence of the gene of interest. The resultant product is then
sequenced and analyzed to confirm that the 5' end sequence belongs
to the desired gene.
Example 2
Isolation of Genomic Clones Corresponding to a Polynucleotide
[1410] A human genomic P1 library (Genomic Systems, Inc.) is
screened by PCR using primers selected for the cDNA sequence
corresponding to SEQ ID NO:X., according to the method described in
Example 1. (See also, Sambrook.)
Example 3
Tissue Distribution of Polypeptide
[1411] Tissue distribution of mRNA expression of polynucleotides of
the present invention is determined using protocols for Northern
blot analysis, described by, among others, Sambrook et al. For
example, a cDNA probe produced by the method described in Example 1
is labeled with P.sup.32 using the rediprime.TM. DNA labeling
system (Amersham Life Science), according to manufacturer's
instructions. After labeling, the probe is purified using CHROMA
SPIN-100.TM. column (Clontech Laboratories, Inc.), according to
manufacturer's protocol number PT1200-1. The purified labeled probe
is then used to examine various human tissues for mRNA
expression.
[1412] Multiple Tissue Northern (MTN) blots containing various
human tissues (H) or human immune system tissues (IM) (Clontech)
are examined with the labeled probe using ExpressHyb.TM.
hybridization solution (Clontech) according to manufacturer's
protocol number PT1190-1. Following hybridization and washing, the
blots are mounted and exposed to film at -70 degree C. overnight,
and the films developed according to standard procedures.
Example 4
Chromosomal Mapping of the Polynucleotides
[1413] An oligonucleotide primer set is designed according to the
sequence at the 5' end of SEQ ID NO:X. This primer preferably spans
about 100 nucleotides. This primer set is then used in a polymerase
chain reaction under the following set of conditions: 30 seconds,
95 degree C.; 1 minute, 56 degree C.; 1 minute, 70 degree C. This
cycle is repeated 32 times followed by one 5 minute cycle at 70
degree C. Human, mouse, and hamster DNA is used as template in
addition to a somatic cell hybrid panel containing individual
chromosomes or chromosome fragments (Bios, Inc). The reactions is
analyzed on either 8% polyacrylamide gels or 3.5% agarose gels.
Chromosome mapping is determined by the presence of an
approximately 100 bp PCR fragment in the particular somatic cell
hybrid.
Example 5
Bacterial Expression of a Polypeptide
[1414] A polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide of the present
invention is amplified using PCR oligonucleotide primers
corresponding to the 5' and 3' ends of the DNA sequence, as
outlined in Example 1, to synthesize insertion fragments. The
primers used to amplify the cDNA insert should preferably contain
restriction sites, such as BamHI and XbaI, at the 5' end of the
primers in order to clone the amplified product into the expression
vector. For example, BamHI and XbaI correspond to the restriction
enzyme sites on the bacterial expression vector pQE-9. (Qiagen,
Inc., Chatsworth, Calif.). This plasmid vector encodes antibiotic
resistance (Amp.sup.r), a bacterial origin of replication (ori), an
IPTG-regulatable promoter/operator (P/O), a ribosome binding site
(RBS), a 6-histidine tag (6-His), and restriction enzyme cloning
sites.
[1415] The pQE-9 vector is digested with BamHI and XbaI and the
amplified fragment is ligated into the pQE-9 vector maintaining the
reading frame initiated at the bacterial RBS. The ligation mixture
is then used to transform the E. coli strain M15/rep4 (Qiagen,
Inc.) which contains multiple copies of the plasmid pREP4, which
expresses the lacI repressor and also confers kanamycin resistance
(Kan.sup.r). Transformants are identified by their ability to grow
on LB plates and ampicillin/kanamycin resistant colonies are
selected. Plasmid DNA is isolated and confirmed by restriction
analysis.
[1416] Clones containing the desired constructs are grown overnight
(O/N) in liquid culture in LB media supplemented with both Amp (100
ug/ml) and Kan (25 ug/ml). The O/N culture is used to inoculate a
large culture at a ratio of 1:100 to 1:250. The cells are grown to
an optical density 600 (O.D..sup.600) of between 0.4 and 0.6. IPTG
(Isopropyl-B-D-thiogalacto pyranoside) is then added to a final
concentration of 1 mM. IPTG induces by inactivating the lacI
repressor, clearing the P/O leading to increased gene
expression.
[1417] Cells are grown for an extra 3 to 4 hours. Cells are then
harvested by centrifugation (20 mins at 6000.times.g). The cell
pellet is solubilized in the chaotropic agent 6 Molar Guanidine HCl
by stirring for 3-4 hours at 4 degree C. The cell debris is removed
by centrifugation, and the supernatant containing the polypeptide
is loaded onto a nickel-nitrilo-tri-acetic acid ("Ni-NTA") affinity
resin column (available from QIAGEN, Inc., supra). Proteins with a
6.times.His tag bind to the Ni-NTA resin with high affinity and can
be purified in a simple one-step procedure (for details see: The
QIAexpressionist (1995) QIAGEN, Inc., supra).
[1418] Briefly, the supernatant is loaded onto the column in 6 M
guanidine-HCl, pH 8, the column is first washed with 10 volumes of
6 M guanidine-HCl, pH 8, then washed with 10 volumes of 6 M
guanidine-HCl pH 6, and finally the polypeptide is eluted with 6 M
guanidine-HCl, pH 5.
[1419] The purified protein is then renatured by dialyzing it
against phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or 50 mM Na-acetate, pH 6
buffer plus 200 mM NaCl. Alternatively, the protein can be
successfully refolded while immobilized on the Ni-NTA column. The
recommended conditions are as follows: renature using a linear
6M-1M urea gradient in 500 mM NaCl, 20% glycerol, 20 mM Tris/HCl pH
7.4, containing protease inhibitors. The renaturation should be
performed over a period of 1.5 hours or more. After renaturation
the proteins are eluted by the addition of 250 mM immidazole.
Immidazole is removed by a final dialyzing step against PBS or 50
mM sodium acetate pH 6 buffer plus 200 mM NaCl. The purified
protein is stored at 4 degree C. or frozen at -80 degree C.
[1420] In addition to the above expression vector, the present
invention further includes an expression vector comprising phage
operator and promoter elements operatively linked to a
polynucleotide of the present invention, called pHE4a. (ATCC
Accession Number 209645, deposited on Feb. 25, 1998.) This vector
contains: 1) a neomycinphosphotransferase gene as a selection
marker, 2) an E. coli origin of replication, 3) a T5 phage promoter
sequence, 4) two lac operator sequences, 5) a Shine-Delgarno
sequence, and 6) the lactose operon repressor gene (lacIq). The
origin of replication (oriC) is derived from pUC 19 (LTI,
Gaithersburg, Md.). The promoter sequence and operator sequences
are made synthetically.
[1421] DNA can be inserted into the pHEa by restricting the vector
with NdeI and XbaI, BamHI, XhoI, or Asp718, running the restricted
product on a gel, and isolating the larger fragment (the stuffer
fragment should be about 310 base pairs). The DNA insert is
generated according to the PCR protocol described in Example 1,
using PCR primers having restriction sites for NdeI (5' primer) and
XbaI, BamHI, XhoI, or Asp718 (3' primer). The PCR insert is gel
purified and restricted with compatible enzymes. The insert and
vector are ligated according to standard protocols.
[1422] The engineered vector could easily be substituted in the
above protocol to express protein in a bacterial system.
Example 6
Purification of a Polypeptide from an Inclusion Body
[1423] The following alternative method can be used to purify a
polypeptide expressed in E. coli when it is present in the form of
inclusion bodies. Unless otherwise specified, all of the following
steps are conducted at 4-10 degree C.
[1424] Upon completion of the production phase of the E. coli
fermentation, the cell culture is cooled to 4-10 degree C. and the
cells harvested by continuous centrifugation at 15,000 rpm (Heraeus
Sepatech). On the basis of the expected yield of protein per unit
weight of cell paste and the amount of purified protein required,
an appropriate amount of cell paste, by weight, is suspended in a
buffer solution containing 100 mM Tris, 50 mM EDTA, pH 7.4. The
cells are dispersed to a homogeneous suspension using a high shear
mixer.
[1425] The cells are then lysed by passing the solution through a
microfluidizer (Microfuidics, Corp. or APV Gaulin, Inc.) twice at
4000-6000 psi. The homogenate is then mixed with NaCl solution to a
final concentration of 0.5 M NaCl, followed by centrifugation at
7000.times.g for 15 min. The resultant pellet is washed again using
0.5M NaCl, 100 mM Tris, 50 mM EDTA, pH 7.4.
[1426] The resulting washed inclusion bodies are solubilized with
1.5 M guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl) for 2-4 hours. After
7000.times.g centrifugation for 15 min., the pellet is discarded
and the polypeptide containing supernatant is incubated at 4 degree
C. overnight to allow further GuHCl extraction.
[1427] Following high speed centrifugation (30,000.times.g) to
remove insoluble particles, the GuHCl solubilized protein is
refolded by quickly mixing the GuHCl extract with 20 volumes of
buffer containing 50 mM sodium, pH 4.5, 150 mM NaCl, 2 mM EDTA by
vigorous stirring. The refolded diluted protein solution is kept at
4 degree C. without mixing for 12 hours prior to further
purification steps.
[1428] To clarify the refolded polypeptide solution, a previously
prepared tangential filtration unit equipped with 0.16 um membrane
filter with appropriate surface area (e.g., Filtron), equilibrated
with 40 mM sodium acetate, pH 6.0 is employed. The filtered sample
is loaded onto a cation exchange resin (e.g., Poros HS-50,
Perseptive Biosystems). The column is washed with 40 mM sodium
acetate, pH 6.0 and eluted with 250 mM, 500 mM, 1000 mM, and 1500
mM NaCl in the same buffer, in a stepwise manner. The absorbance at
280 nm of the effluent is continuously monitored. Fractions are
collected and further analyzed by SDS-PAGE.
[1429] Fractions containing the polypeptide are then pooled and
mixed with 4 volumes of water. The diluted sample is then loaded
onto a previously prepared set of tandem columns of strong anion
(Poros HQ-50, Perseptive Biosystems) and weak anion (Poros CM-20,
Perseptive Biosystems) exchange resins. The columns are
equilibrated with 40 mM sodium acetate, pH 6.0. Both columns are
washed with 40 mM sodium acetate, pH 6.0, 200 mM NaCl. The CM-20
column is then eluted using a 10 column volume linear gradient
ranging from 0.2 M NaCl, 50 mM sodium acetate, pH 6.0 to 1.0 M
NaCl, 50 mM sodium acetate, pH 6.5. Fractions are collected under
constant A.sub.280 monitoring of the effluent. Fractions containing
the polypeptide (determined, for instance, by 16% SDS-PAGE) are
then pooled.
[1430] The resultant polypeptide should exhibit greater than 95%
purity after the above refolding and purification steps. No major
contaminant bands should be observed from Commassie blue stained
16% SDS-PAGE gel when 5 ug of purified protein is loaded. The
purified protein can also be tested for endotoxin/LPS
contamination, and typically the LPS content is less than 0.1 ng/ml
according to LAL assays.
Example 7
Cloning and Expression of a Polypeptide in a Baculovirus Expression
System
[1431] In this example, the plasmid shuttle vector pA2 is used to
insert a polynucleotide into a baculovirus to express a
polypeptide. This expression vector contains the strong polyhedrin
promoter of the Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus
(AcMNPV) followed by convenient restriction sites such as BamHI,
XbaI and Asp718. The polyadenylation site of the simian virus 40
("SV40") is used for efficient polyadenylation. For easy selection
of recombinant virus, the plasmid contains the beta-galactosidase
gene from E. coli under control of a weak Drosophila promoter in
the same orientation, followed by the polyadenylation signal of the
polyhedrin gene. The inserted genes are flanked on both sides by
viral sequences for cell-mediated homologous recombination with
wild-type viral DNA to generate a viable virus that express the
cloned polynucleotide.
[1432] Many other baculovirus vectors can be used in place of the
vector above, such as pAc373, pVL941, and pAcIM1, as one skilled in
the art would readily appreciate, as long as the construct provides
appropriately located signals for transcription, translation,
secretion and the like, including a signal peptide and an in-frame
AUG as required. Such vectors are described, for instance, in
Luckow et al., Virology 170:31-39 (1989).
[1433] Specifically, the cDNA sequence contained in the deposited
clone, including the AUG initiation codon and the naturally
associated leader sequence identified in Table 1A, is amplified
using the PCR protocol described in Example 1. If the naturally
occurring signal sequence is used to produce the secreted protein,
the pA2 vector does not need a second signal peptide.
Alternatively, the vector can be modified (pA2 GP) to include a
baculovirus leader sequence, using the standard methods described
in Summers et al., "A Manual of Methods for Baculovirus Vectors and
Insect Cell Culture Procedures," Texas Agricultural Experimental
Station Bulletin No. 1555 (1987).
[1434] The amplified fragment is isolated from a 1% agarose gel
using a commercially available kit ("Geneclean," BIO 101 Inc., La
Jolla, Calif.). The fragment then is digested with appropriate
restriction enzymes and again purified on a 1% agarose gel.
[1435] The plasmid is digested with the corresponding restriction
enzymes and optionally, can be dephosphorylated using calf
intestinal phosphatase, using routine procedures known in the art.
The DNA is then isolated from a 1% agarose gel using a commercially
available kit ("Geneclean" BIO 101 Inc., La Jolla, Calif.).
[1436] The fragment and the dephosphorylated plasmid are ligated
together with T4 DNA ligase. E. coli HB101 or other suitable E.
coli hosts such as XL-1 Blue (Stratagene Cloning Systems, La Jolla,
Calif.) cells are transformed with the ligation mixture and spread
on culture plates. Bacteria containing the plasmid are identified
by digesting DNA from individual colonies and analyzing the
digestion product by gel electrophoresis. The sequence of the
cloned fragment is confirmed by DNA sequencing.
[1437] Five ug of a plasmid containing the polynucleotide is
co-transfected with 1.0 ug of a commercially available linearized
baculovirus DNA ("BaculoGold.TM. baculovirus DNA", Pharmingen, San
Diego, Calif.), using the lipofection method described by Felgner
et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84:7413-7417 (1987). One ug of
BaculoGold.TM. virus DNA and 5 ug of the plasmid are mixed in a
sterile well of a microtiter plate containing 50 ul of serum-free
Grace's medium (Life Technologies Inc., Gaithersburg, Md.).
Afterwards, 10 ul Lipofectin plus 90 ul Grace's medium are added,
mixed and incubated for 15 minutes at room temperature. Then the
transfection mixture is added drop-wise to Sf9 insect cells (ATCC
CRL 1711) seeded in a 35 mm tissue culture plate with 1 ml Grace's
medium without serum. The plate is then incubated for 5 hours at 27
degrees C. The transfection solution is then removed from the plate
and 1 ml of Grace's insect medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf
serum is added. Cultivation is then continued at 27 degrees C. for
four days.
[1438] After four days the supernatant is collected and a plaque
assay is performed, as described by Summers and Smith, supra. An
agarose gel with "Blue Gal" (Life Technologies Inc., Gaithersburg)
is used to allow easy identification and isolation of
gal-expressing clones, which produce blue-stained plaques. (A
detailed description of a "plaque assay" of this type can also be
found in the user's guide for insect cell culture and
baculovirology distributed by Life Technologies Inc., Gaithersburg,
page 9-10.) After appropriate incubation, blue stained plaques are
picked with the tip of a micropipettor (e.g., Eppendorf). The agar
containing the recombinant viruses is then resuspended in a
microcentrifuge tube containing 200 ul of Grace's medium and the
suspension containing the recombinant baculovirus is used to infect
Sf9 cells seeded in 35 mm dishes. Four days later the supernatants
of these culture dishes are harvested and then they are stored at 4
degree C.
[1439] To verify the expression of the polypeptide, Sf9 cells are
grown in Grace's medium supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated FBS.
The cells are infected with the recombinant baculovirus containing
the polynucleotide at a multiplicity of infection ("MOI") of about
2. If radiolabeled proteins are desired, 6 hours later the medium
is removed and is replaced with SF900 II medium minus methionine
and cysteine (available from Life Technologies Inc., Rockville,
Md.). After 42 hours, 5 uCi of .sup.35S-methionine and 5 uCi
.sup.35S-cysteine (available from Amersham) are added. The cells
are further incubated for 16 hours and then are harvested by
centrifugation. The proteins in the supernatant as well as the
intracellular proteins are analyzed by SDS-PAGE followed by
autoradiography (if radiolabeled).
[1440] Microsequencing of the amino acid sequence of the amino
terminus of purified protein may be used to determine the amino
terminal sequence of the produced protein.
Example 8
Expression of a Polypeptide in Mammalian Cells
[1441] The polypeptide of the present invention can be expressed in
a mammalian cell. A typical mammalian expression vector contains a
promoter element, which mediates the initiation of transcription of
mRNA, a protein coding sequence, and signals required for the
termination of transcription and polyadenylation of the transcript.
Additional elements include enhancers, Kozak sequences and
intervening sequences flanked by donor and acceptor sites for RNA
splicing. Highly efficient transcription is achieved with the early
and late promoters from SV40, the long terminal repeats (LTRs) from
Retroviruses, e.g., RSV, HTLVI, HIVI and the early promoter of the
cytomegalovirus (CMV). However, cellular elements can also be used
(e.g., the human actin promoter).
[1442] Suitable expression vectors for use in practicing the
present invention include, for example, vectors such as pSVL and
pMSG (Pharmacia, Uppsala, Sweden), pRSVcat (ATCC 37152), pSV2dhfr
(ATCC 37146), pBC12MI (ATCC 67109), pCMVSport 2.0, and pCMVSport
3.0. Mammalian host cells that could be used include, human Hela,
293, H9 and Jurkat cells, mouse NIH3T3 and C127 cells, Cos 1, Cos 7
and CVI, quail QC1-3 cells, mouse L cells and Chinese hamster ovary
(CHO) cells.
[1443] Alternatively, the polypeptide can be expressed in stable
cell lines containing the polynucleotide integrated into a
chromosome. The co-transfection with a selectable marker such as
dhfr, gpt, neomycin, hygromycin allows the identification and
isolation of the transfected cells.
[1444] The transfected gene can also be amplified to express large
amounts of the encoded protein. The DHFR (dihydrofolate reductase)
marker is useful in developing cell lines that carry several
hundred or even several thousand copies of the gene of interest.
(See, e.g., Alt, F. W., et al., J. Biol. Chem. 253:1357-1370
(1978); Hamlin, J. L. and Ma, C., Biochem. et Biophys. Acta,
1097:107-143 (1990); Page, M. J. and Sydenham, M. A., Biotechnology
9:64-68 (1991).) Another useful selection marker is the enzyme
glutamine synthase (GS) (Murphy et al., Biochem J. 227:277-279
(1991); Bebbington et al., Bio/Technology 10:169-175 (1992). Using
these markers, the mammalian cells are grown in selective medium
and the cells with the highest resistance are selected. These cell
lines contain the amplified gene(s) integrated into a chromosome.
Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) and NSO cells are often used for the
production of proteins.
[1445] Derivatives of the plasmid pSV2-dhfr (ATCC Accession No.
37146), the expression vectors pC4 (ATCC Accession No. 209646) and
pC6 (ATCC Accession No.209647) contain the strong promoter (LTR) of
the Rous Sarcoma Virus (Cullen et al., Molecular and Cellular
Biology, 438-447 (March, 1985)) plus a fragment of the CMV-enhancer
(Boshart et al., Cell 41:521-530 (1985).) Multiple cloning sites,
e.g., with the restriction enzyme cleavage sites BamHI, XbaI and
Asp718, facilitate the cloning of the gene of interest. The vectors
also contain the 3' intron, the polyadenylation and termination
signal of the rat preproinsulin gene, and the mouse DHFR gene under
control of the SV40 early promoter.
[1446] Specifically, the plasmid pC6, for example, is digested with
appropriate restriction enzymes and then dephosphorylated using
calf intestinal phosphates by procedures known in the art. The
vector is then isolated from a 1% agarose gel.
[1447] A polynucleotide of the present invention is amplified
according to the protocol outlined in Example 1. If the naturally
occurring signal sequence is used to produce the secreted protein,
the vector does not need a second signal peptide. Alternatively, if
the naturally occurring signal sequence is not used, the vector can
be modified to include a heterologous signal sequence. (See, e.g.,
WO 96/34891.)
[1448] The amplified fragment is isolated from a 1% agarose gel
using a commercially available kit ("Geneclean," BIO 101 Inc., La
Jolla, Calif.). The fragment then is digested with appropriate
restriction enzymes and again purified on a 1% agarose gel.
[1449] The amplified fragment is then digested with the same
restriction enzyme and purified on a 1% agarose gel. The isolated
fragment and the dephosphorylated vector are then ligated with T4
DNA ligase. E. coli HB101 or XL-1 Blue cells are then transformed
and bacteria are identified that contain the fragment inserted into
plasmid pC6 using, for instance, restriction enzyme analysis.
[1450] Chinese hamster ovary cells lacking an active DHFR gene is
used for transfection. Five .mu.g of the expression plasmid pC6 a
pC4 is cotransfected with 0.5 ug of the plasmid pSVneo using
lipofectin (Felgner et al., supra). The plasmid pSV2-neo contains a
dominant selectable marker, the neo gene from Tn5 encoding an
enzyme that confers resistance to a group of antibiotics including
G418. The cells are seeded in alpha minus MEM supplemented with 1
mg/ml G418. After 2 days, the cells are trypsinized and seeded in
hybridoma cloning plates (Greiner, Germany) in alpha minus MEM
supplemented with 10, 25, or 50 ng/ml of metothrexate plus 1 mg/ml
G418. After about 10-14 days single clones are trypsinized and then
seeded in 6-well petri dishes or 10 ml flasks using different
concentrations of methotrexate (50 nM, 100 nM, 200 nM, 400 nM, 800
nM). Clones growing at the highest concentrations of methotrexate
are then transferred to new 6-well plates containing even higher
concentrations of methotrexate (1 uM, 2 uM, 5 uM, 10 mM, 20 mM).
The same procedure is repeated until clones are obtained which grow
at a concentration of 100-200 uM. Expression of the desired gene
product is analyzed, for instance, by SDS-PAGE and Western blot or
by reversed phase HPLC analysis.
Example 9
Protein Fusions
[1451] The polypeptides of the present invention are preferably
fused to other proteins. These fusion proteins can be used for a
variety of applications. For example, fusion of the present
polypeptides to His-tag, HA-tag, protein A, IgG domains, and
maltose binding protein facilitates purification. (See Example 5;
see also EP A 394,827; Traunecker, et al., Nature 331:84-86
(1988).) Similarly, fusion to IgG-1, IgG-3, and albumin increases
the halflife time in vivo. Nuclear localization signals fused to
the polypeptides of the present invention can target the protein to
a specific subcellular localization, while covalent heterodimer or
homodimers can increase or decrease the activity of a fusion
protein. Fusion proteins can also create chimeric molecules having
more than one function. Finally, fusion proteins can increase
solubility and/or stability of the fused protein compared to the
non-fused protein. All of the types of fusion proteins described
above can be made by modifying the following protocol, which
outlines the fusion of a polypeptide to an IgG molecule, or the
protocol described in Example 5.
[1452] Briefly, the human Fc portion of the IgG molecule can be PCR
amplified, using primers that span the 5' and 3' ends of the
sequence described below. These primers also should have convenient
restriction enzmme sites that will facilitate cloning into an
expression vector, preferably a mammalian expression vector.
[1453] For example, if pC4 (Accession No. 209646) is used, the
human Fc portion can be ligated into the BamHI cloning site. Note
that the 3' BamHI site should be destroyed. Next, the vector
containing the human Fc portion is re-restricted with BamHI,
linearizing the vector, and a polynucleotide of the present
invention, isolated by the PCR protocol described in Example 1, is
ligated into this BamHI site. Note that the polynucleotide is
cloned without a stop codon, otherwise a fusion protein will not be
produced.
[1454] If the naturally occurring signal sequence is used to
produce the secreted protein, pC4 does not need a second signal
peptide. Alternatively, if the naturally occurring signal sequence
is not used, the vector can be modified to include a heterologous
signal sequence. (See, e.g., WO 96/34891.) TABLE-US-00038 Human IgG
Fc region: GGGATCCGGAGCCCAAATCTTCTGACAAAACTC (SEQ ID NO:1)
ACACATGCCCACCGTGCCCAGCACCTGAATTCGAGGG
TGCACCGTCAGTCTTCCTCTTCCCCCCAAAACCCAAG
GACACCCTCATGATCTCCCGGACTCCTGAGGTCACAT
GCGTGGTGGTGGACGTAAGCCACGAAGACCCTGAGGT
CAAGTTCAACTGGTACGTGGACGGCGTGGAGGTGCAT
AATGCCAAGACAAAGCCGCGGGAGGAGCAGTACAACA
GCACGTACCGTGTGGTCAGCGTCCTCACCGTCCTGCA
CCAGGACTGGCTGAATGGCAAGGAGTACAAGTGCAAG
GTCTCCAACAAAGCCCTCCCAACCCCCATCGAGAAAA
CCATCTCCAAAGCCAAAGGGCAGCCCCGAGAACCACA
GGTGTACACCCTGCCCCCATCCCGGGATGAGCTGACC
AAGAACCAGGTCAGCCTGACCTGCCTGGTCAAAGGCT
TCTATCCAAGCGACATCGCCGTGGAGTGGGAGAGCAA
TGGGCAGCCGGAGAACAACTACAAGACCACGCCTCCC
GTGCTGGACTCCGACGGCTCCTTCTTCCTCTACAGCA
AGCTCACCGTGGACAAGAGCAGGTGGCAGCAGGGGAA
CGTCTTCTCATGCTCCGTGATGCATGAGGCTCTGCAC
AACCACTACACGCAGAAGAGCCTCTCCCTGTCTCCGG
GTAAATGAGTGCGACGGCCGCGACTCTAGAGGAT
Example 10
Production of an Antibody from a Polypeptide
[1455] The antibodies of the present invention can be prepared by a
variety of methods. (See, Current Protocols, Chapter 2.) As one
example of such methods, cells expressing a polypeptide of the
present invention is administered to an animal to induce the
production of sera containing polyclonal antibodies. In a preferred
method, a preparation of the secreted protein is prepared and
purified to render it substantially free of natural contaminants.
Such a preparation is then introduced into an animal in order to
produce polyclonal antisera of greater specific activity.
[1456] In the most preferred method, the antibodies of the present
invention are monoclonal antibodies (or protein binding fragments
thereof). Such monoclonal antibodies can be prepared using
hybridoma technology. (Kohler et al., Nature 256:495 (1975); Kohler
et al., Eur. J. Immunol. 6:511 (1976); Kohler et al., Eur. J.
Immunol. 6:292 (1976); Hammerling et al., in: Monoclonal Antibodies
and T-Cell Hybridomas, Elsevier, N.Y., pp. 563-681 (1981).) In
general, such procedures involve immunizing an animal (preferably a
mouse) with polypeptide or, more preferably, with a secreted
polypeptide-expressing cell. Such cells may be cultured in any
suitable tissue culture medium; however, it is preferable to
culture cells in Earle's modified Eagle's medium supplemented with
10% fetal bovine serum (inactivated at about 56 degrees C.), and
supplemented with about 10 g/l of nonessential amino acids, about
1,000 U/ml of penicillin, and about 100 ug/ml of streptomycin.
[1457] The splenocytes of such mice are extracted and fused with a
suitable myeloma cell line. Any suitable myeloma cell line may be
employed in accordance with the present invention; however, it is
preferable to employ the parent myeloma cell line (SP20), available
from the ATCC. After fusion, the resulting hybridoma cells are
selectively maintained in HAT medium, and then cloned by limiting
dilution as described by Wands et al. (Gastroenterology 80:225-232
(1981).) The hybridoma cells obtained through such a selection are
then assayed to identify clones which secrete antibodies capable of
binding the polypeptide.
[1458] Alternatively, additional antibodies capable of binding to
the polypeptide can be produced in a two-step procedure using
anti-idiotypic antibodies. Such a method makes use of the fact that
antibodies are themselves antigens, and therefore, it is possible
to obtain an antibody which binds to a second antibody. In
accordance with this method, protein specific antibodies are used
to immunize an animal, preferably a mouse. The splenocytes of such
an animal are then used to produce hybridoma cells, and the
hybridoma cells are screened to identify clones which produce an
antibody whose ability to bind to the protein-specific antibody can
be blocked by the polypeptide. Such antibodies comprise
anti-idiotypic antibodies to the protein-specific antibody and can
be used to immunize an animal to induce formation of further
protein-specific antibodies.
[1459] It will be appreciated that Fab and F(ab').sub.2 and other
fragments of the antibodies of the present invention may be used
according to the methods disclosed herein. Such fragments are
typically produced by proteolytic cleavage, using enzymes such as
papain (to produce Fab fragments) or pepsin (to produce F(ab')2
fragments). Alternatively, secreted protein-binding fragments can
be produced through the application of recombinant DNA technology
or through synthetic chemistry.
[1460] For in vivo use of antibodies in humans, it may be
preferable to use "humanized" chimeric monoclonal antibodies. Such
antibodies can be produced using genetic constructs derived from
hybridoma cells producing the monoclonal antibodies described
above. Methods for producing chimeric antibodies are known in the
art. (See, for review, Morrison, Science 229:1202 (1985); Oi et
al., BioTechniques 4:214 (1986); Cabilly et al., U.S. Pat. No.
4,816,567; Taniguchi et al., EP 171496; Morrison et al., EP 173494;
Neuberger et al., WO 8601533; Robinson et al., WO 8702671;
Boulianne et al., Nature 312:643 (1984); Neuberger et al., Nature
314:268 (1985).)
Example 11
Production Of Secreted Protein For High-Throughput Screening
Assays
[1461] The following protocol produces a supernatant containing a
polypeptide to be tested. This supernatant can then be used in the
Screening Assays described herein.
[1462] First, dilute Poly-D-Lysine (644 587 Boehringer-Mannheim)
stock solution (1 mg/ml in PBS) 1:20 in PBS (w/o calcium or
magnesium 17-516F Biowhittaker) for a working solution of 50 ug/ml.
Add 200 ul of this solution to each well (24 well plates) and
incubate at RT for 20 minutes. Be sure to distribute the solution
over each well (note: a 12-channel pipetter may be used with tips
on every other channel). Aspirate off the Poly-D-Lysine solution
and rinse with 1 ml PBS (Phosphate Buffered Saline). The PBS should
remain in the well until just prior to plating the cells and plates
may be poly-lysine coated in advance for up to two weeks.
[1463] Plate 293T cells (do not carry cells past P+20) at
2.times.10.sup.5 cells/well in 0.5 ml DMEM (Dulbecco's Modified
Eagle Medium)(with 4.5 G/L glucose and L-glutamine (12-604F
Biowhittaker))/10% heat inactivated FBS (14-503F
Biowhittaker)/1.times. Penstrep (17-602E Biowhittaker). Let the
cells grow overnight.
[1464] The next day, mix together in a sterile solution basin: 300
ul Lipofectamine (18324-012 Gibco/BRL) and 5 ml Optimem 1 (31985070
Gibco/BRL)/96-well plate. With a small volume multi-channel
pipetter, aliquot approximately 2 ug of an expression vector
containing a polynucleotide insert, produced by the methods
described in Examples 8 or 9, into an appropriately labeled 96-well
round bottom plate. With a multi-channel pipetter, add 50 ul of the
Lipofectamine/Optimem I mixture to each well. Pipette up and down
gently to mix. Incubate at RT 15-45 minutes. After about 20
minutes, use a multi-channel pipetter to add 150 ul Optimem I to
each well. As a control, one plate of vector DNA lacking an insert
should be transfected with each set of transfections.
[1465] Preferably, the transfection should be performed by
tag-teaming the following tasks. By tag-teaming, hands on time is
cut in half, and the cells do not spend too much time on PBS.
First, person A aspirates off the media from four 24-well plates of
cells, and then person B rinses each well with 0.5-1 ml PBS. Person
A then aspirates off PBS rinse, and person B, using a 12-channel
pipetter with tips on every other channel, adds the 200 ul of
DNA/Lipofectamine/Optimem I complex to the odd wells first, then to
the even wells, to each row on the 24-well plates. Incubate at 37
degrees C. for 6 hours.
[1466] While cells are incubating, prepare appropriate media,
either 1% BSA in DMEM with 1.times. penstrep, or CHO-5 media (116.6
mg/L of CaCl.sub.2 (anhyd); 0.00130 mg/L CuSO.sub.4-5H.sub.2O;
0.050 mg/L of Fe(NO.sub.3).sub.3-9H.sub.2O; 0.417 mg/L of
FeSO.sub.4-7H.sub.2O; 311.80 mg/L of Kcl; 28.64 mg/L of MgCl.sub.2;
48.84 mg/L of MgSO.sub.4; 6995.50 mg/L of NaCl; 2400.0 mg/L of
NaHCO.sub.3; 62.50 mg/L of NaH.sub.2PO.sub.4--H.sub.2O; 71.02 mg/L
of Na.sub.2HPO4; 0.4320 mg/L of ZnSO.sub.4-7H.sub.2O; 0.002 mg/L of
Arachidonic Acid; 1.022 mg/L of Cholesterol; 0.070 mg/L of
DL-alpha-Tocopherol-Acetate; 0.0520 mg/L of Linoleic Acid; 0.010
mg/L of Linolenic Acid; 0.010 mg/L of Myristic Acid; 0.010 mg/L of
Oleic Acid; 0.010 mg/L of Palmitric Acid; 0.010 mg/L of Palmitic
Acid; 100 mg/L of Pluronic F-68; 0.010 mg/L of Stearic Acid; 2.20
mg/L of Tween 80; 4551 mg/L of D-Glucose; 130.85 mg/ml of
L-Alanine; 147.50 mg/ml of L-Arginine-HCL; 7.50 mg/ml of
L-Asparagine-H.sub.2O; 6.65 mg/ml of L-Aspartic Acid; 29.56 mg/ml
of L-Cystine-2HCL-H.sub.2O; 31.29 mg/ml of L-Cystine-2HCL; 7.35
mg/ml of L-Glutamic Acid; 365.0 mg/ml of L-Glutamine; 18.75 mg/ml
of Glycine; 52.48 mg/ml of L-Histidine-HCL-H.sub.20; 106.97 mg/ml
of L-Isoleucine; 111.45 mg/ml of L-Leucine; 163.75 mg/ml of
L-Lysine HCL; 32.34 mg/ml of L-Methionine; 68.48 mg/ml of
L-Phenylalainine; 40.0 mg/ml of L-Proline; 26.25 mg/ml of L-Serine;
101.05 mg/ml of L-Threonine; 19.22 mg/ml of L-Tryptophan; 91.79
mg/ml of L-Tryrosine-2Na-2H.sub.2O; 99.65 mg/ml of L-Valine; 0.0035
mg/L of Biotin; 3.24 mg/L of D-Ca Pantothenate; 11.78 mg/L of
Choline Chloride; 4.65 mg/L of Folic Acid; 15.60 mg/L of
i-Inositol; 3.02 mg/L of Niacinamide; 3.00 mg/L of Pyridoxal HCL;
0.031 mg/L of Pyridoxine HCL; 0.319 mg/L of Riboflavin; 3.17 mg/L
of Thiamine HCL; 0.365 mg/L of Thymidine; and 0.680 mg/L of Vitamin
B.sub.12; 25 mM of HEPES Buffer; 2.39 mg/L of Na Hypoxanthine;
0.105 mg/L of Lipoic Acid; 0.081 mg/L of Sodium Putrescine-2HCL;
55.0 mg/L of Sodium Pyruvate; 0.0067 mg/L of Sodium Selenite; 20 uM
of Ethanolamine; 0.122 mg/L of Ferric Citrate; 41.70 mg/L of
Methyl-B-Cyclodextrin complexed with Linoleic Acid; 33.33 mg/L of
Methyl-B-Cyclodextrin complexed with Oleic Acid; and 10 mg/L of
Methyl-B-Cyclodextrin complexed with Retinal) with 2 mm glutamine
and 1.times. penstrep. (BSA (81-068-3 Bayer) 100 gm dissolved in 1
L DMEM for a 10% BSA stock solution). Filter the media and collect
50 ul for endotoxin assay in 15 ml polystyrene conical.
[1467] The transfection reaction is terminated, preferably by
tag-teaming, at the end of the incubation period. Person A
aspirates off the transfection media, while person B adds 1.5 ml
appropriate media to each well. Incubate at 37 degrees C. for 45 or
72 hours depending on the media used: 1% BSA for 45 hours or CHO-5
for 72 hours.
[1468] On day four, using a 300 ul multichannel pipetter, aliquot
600 ul in one 1 ml deep well plate and the remaining supernatant
into a 2 ml deep well. The supernatants from each well can then be
used in the assays described in Examples 13-20.
[1469] It is specifically understood that when activity is obtained
in any of the assays described below using a supernatant, the
activity originates from either the polypeptide directly (e.g., as
a secreted protein) or by the polypeptide inducing expression of
other proteins, which are then secreted into the supernatant. Thus,
the invention further provides a method of identifying the protein
in the supernatant characterized by an activity in a particular
assay.
Example 12
Construction of GAS Reporter Construct
[1470] One signal transduction pathway involved in the
differentiation and proliferation of cells is called the Jaks-STATs
pathway. Activated proteins in the Jaks-STATs pathway bind to gamma
activation site "GAS" elements or interferon-sensitive responsive
element ("ISRE"), located in the promoter of many genes. The
binding of a protein to these elements alter the expression of the
associated gene.
[1471] GAS and ISRE elements are recognized by a class of
transcription factors called Signal Transducers and Activators of
Transcription, or "STATs." There are six members of the STATs
family. Stat1 and Stat3 are present in many cell types, as is Stat2
(as response to IFN-alpha is widespread). Stat4 is more restricted
and is not in many cell types though it has been found in T helper
class I, cells after treatment with IL-12. Stat5 was originally
called mammary growth factor, but has been found at higher
concentrations in other cells including myeloid cells. It can be
activated in tissue culture cells by many cytokines.
[1472] The STATs are activated to translocate from the cytoplasm to
the nucleus upon tyrosine phosphorylation by a set of kinases known
as the Janus Kinase ("Jaks") family. Jaks represent a distinct
family of soluble tyrosine kinases and include Tyk2, Jak1, Jak2,
and Jak3. These kinases display significant sequence similarity and
are generally catalytically inactive in resting cells.
[1473] The Jaks are activated by a wide range of receptors
summarized in the Table below. (Adapted from review by Schidler and
Darnell, Ann. Rev. Biochem. 64:621-51 (1995).) A cytokine receptor
family, capable of activating Jaks, is divided into two groups: (a)
Class 1 includes receptors for IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-6, IL-7, IL-9,
IL-11, IL-12, IL-15, Epo, PRL, GH, G-CSF, GM-CSF, LIF, CNTF, and
thrombopoietin; and (b) Class 2 includes IFN-a, IFN-g, and IL-10.
The Class 1 receptors share a conserved cysteine motif (a set of
four conserved cysteines and one tryptophan) and a WSXWS motif (a
membrane proximal region encoding Trp-Ser-Xxx-Trp-Ser (SEQ ID
NO:2)).
[1474] Thus, on binding of a ligand to a receptor, Jaks are
activated, which in turn activate STATs, which then translocate and
bind to GAS elements. This entire process is encompassed in the
Jaks-STATs signal transduction pathway.
[1475] Therefore, activation of the Jaks-STATs pathway, reflected
by the binding of the GAS or the ISRE element, can be used to
indicate proteins involved in the proliferation and differentiation
of cells. For example, growth factors and cytokines are known to
activate the Jaks-STATs pathway. (See Table below.) Thus, by using
GAS elements linked to reporter molecules, activators of the
Jaks-STATs pathway can be identified. TABLE-US-00039 JAKs Ligand
tyk2 Jak1 Jak2 Jak3 STATS GAS(elements) or ISRE IFN family IFN-a/B
+ + - - 1, 2, 3 ISRE IFN-g + + - 1 GAS (IRF1 > Lys6 > IFP)
Il-10 + ? ? - 1, 3 gp130 family IL-6 (Pleiotrophic) + + + ? 1, 3
GAS (IRF1 > Lys6 > IFP) Il-11(Pleiotrophic) ? + ? ? 1, 3
OnM(Pleiotrophic) ? + + ? 1, 3 LIF(Pleiotrophic) ? + + ? 1, 3
CNTF(Pleiotrophic) -/+ + + ? 1, 3 G-CSF(Pleiotrophic) ? + ? ? 1, 3
IL-12(Pleiotrophic) + - + + 1, 3 g-C family IL-2 (lymphocytes) - +
- + 1, 3, 5 GAS IL-4 (lymph/myeloid) - + - + 6 GAS (IRF1 = IFP
>> Ly6)(IgH) IL-7 (lymphocytes) - + - + 5 GAS IL-9
(lymphocytes) - + - + 5 GAS IL-13 (lymphocyte) - + ? ? 6 GAS IL-15
? + ? + 5 GAS gp140 family IL-3 (myeloid) - - + - 5 GAS (IRF1 >
IFP >> Ly6) IL-5 (myeloid) - - + - 5 GAS GM-CSF (myeloid) - -
+ - 5 GAS Growth hormone family GH ? - + - 5 PRL ? +/- + - 1, 3, 5
EPO ? - + - 5 GAS(B-CAS > IRF1 = IFP >> Ly6) Receptor
Tyrosine Kinases EGF ? + + - 1, 3 GAS(IRF1) PDGF ? + + - 1, 3 CSF-1
? + + - 1, 3 GAS (not IRF1)
[1476] To construct a synthetic GAS containing promoter element,
which is used in the Biological Assays described in Examples 13-14,
a PCR based strategy is employed to generate a GAS-SV40 promoter
sequence. The 5' primer contains four tandem copies of the GAS
binding site found in the IRF1 promoter and previously demonstrated
to bind STATs upon induction with a range of cytokines (Rothman et
al., Immunity 1:457-468 (1994).), although other GAS or ISRE
elements can be used instead. The 5' primer also contains 18 bp of
sequence complementary to the SV40 early promoter sequence and is
flanked with an XhoI site. The sequence of the 5' primer is:
TABLE-US-00040 5':GCGCCTCGAGATTTCCCCGAAATCTAGATT (SEQ ID NO:3)
TCCCCGAAATGATTTCCCCGAAATGATTTCCCCGAAA TATCTGCCATCTCAATTAG:3'
[1477] The downstream primer is complementary to the SV40 promoter
and is flanked with a Hind III site:
5':GCGGCAAGCTTTTTGCAAAGCCTAGGC:3' (SEQ ID NO:4)
[1478] PCR amplification is performed using the SV40 promoter
template present in the B-gal:promoter plasmid obtained from
Clontech. The resulting PCR fragment is digested with XhoI/Hind III
and subcloned into BLSK2-. (Stratagene.) Sequencing with forward
and reverse primers confirms that the insert contains the following
sequence: TABLE-US-00041 5':CTCGAGATTTCCCCGAAATCTAGATTTCCC (SEQ ID
NO:5) CGAAATGATTTCCCCGAAATGATTTCCCCGAAATATC
TGCCATCTCAATTAGTCAGCAACCATAGTCCCGCCCC
TAACTCCGCCCATCCCGCCCCTAACTCCGCCCAGTTC
CGCCCATTCTCCGCCCCATGGCTGACTAATTTTTTTT
ATTTATGCAGAGGCCGAGGCCGCCTCGGCCTCTGAGC
TATTCCAGAAGTAGTGAGGAGGCTTTTTTGGAGGCCT AGGCTTTTGCAAAAAGCTT:3'
[1479] With this GAS promoter element linked to the SV40 promoter,
a GAS:SEAP2 reporter construct is next engineered. Here, the
reporter molecule is a secreted alkaline phosphatase, or "SEAP."
Clearly, however, any reporter molecule can be instead of SEAP, in
this or in any of the other Examples. Well known reporter molecules
that can be used instead of SEAP include chloramphenicol
acetyltransferase (CAT), luciferase, alkaline phosphatase,
B-galactosidase, green fluorescent protein (GFP), or any protein
detectable by an antibody.
[1480] The above sequence confirmed synthetic GAS-SV40 promoter
element is subcloned into the pSEAP-Promoter vector obtained from
Clontech using HindIII and XhoI, effectively replacing the SV40
promoter with the amplified GAS:SV40 promoter element, to create
the GAS-SEAP vector. However, this vector does not contain a
neomycin resistance gene, and therefore, is not preferred for
mammalian expression systems.
[1481] Thus, in order to generate mammalian stable cell lines
expressing the GAS-SEAP reporter, the GAS-SEAP cassette is removed
from the GAS-SEAP vector using SalI and NotI, and inserted into a
backbone vector containing the neomycin resistance gene, such as
pGFP-1 (Clontech), using these restriction sites in the multiple
cloning site, to create the GAS-SEAP/Neo vector. Once this vector
is transfected into mammalian cells, this vector can then be used
as a reporter molecule for GAS binding as described in Examples
13-14.
[1482] Other constructs can be made using the above description and
replacing GAS with a different promoter sequence. For example,
construction of reporter molecules containing NFK-B and EGR
promoter sequences are described in Examples 15 and 16. However,
many other promoters can be substituted using the protocols
described in these Examples. For instance, SRE, IL-2, NFAT, or
Osteocalcin promoters can be substituted, alone or in combination
(e.g., GAS/NF-KB/EGR, GAS/NF-KB, Il-2/NFAT, or NF-KB/GAS).
Similarly, other cell lines can be used to test reporter construct
activity, such as HELA (epithelial), HUVEC (endothelial), Reh
(B-cell), Saos-2 (osteoblast), HUVAC (aortic), or
Cardiomyocyte.
Example 13
High-Throughput Screening Assay for T-cell Activity
[1483] The following protocol is used to assess T-cell activity by
identifying factors, and determining whether supernate containing a
polypeptide of the invention proliferates and/or differentiates
T-cells. T-cell activity is assessed using the GAS/SEAP/Neo
construct produced in Example 12. Thus, factors that increase SEAP
activity indicate the ability to activate the Jaks-STATS signal
transduction pathway. The T-cell used in this assay is Jurkat
T-cells (ATCC Accession No. TIB-152), although Molt-3 cells (ATCC
Accession No. CRL-1552) and Molt-4 cells (ATCC Accession No.
CRL-1582) cells can also be used.
[1484] Jurkat T-cells are lymphoblastic CD4+ Th1 helper cells. In
order to generate stable cell lines, approximately 2 million Jurkat
cells are transfected with the GAS-SEAP/neo vector using DMRIE-C
(Life Technologies)(transfection procedure described below). The
transfected cells are seeded to a density of approximately 20,000
cells per well and transfectants resistant to 1 mg/ml genticin
selected. Resistant colonies are expanded and then tested for their
response to increasing concentrations of interferon gamma. The dose
response of a selected clone is demonstrated.
[1485] Specifically, the following protocol will yield sufficient
cells for 75 wells containing 200 ul of cells. Thus, it is either
scaled up, or performed in multiple to generate sufficient cells
for multiple 96 well plates. Jurkat cells are maintained in
RPMI+10% serum with 1% Pen-Strep. Combine 2.5 mls of OPTI-MEM (Life
Technologies) with 10 ug of plasmid DNA in a T25 flask. Add 2.5 ml
OPTI-MEM containing 50 ul of DMRIE-C and incubate at room
temperature for 15-45 mins.
[1486] During the incubation period, count cell concentration, spin
down the required number of cells (10.sup.7 per transfection), and
resuspend in OPTI-MEM to a final concentration of 10.sup.7
cells/ml. Then add 1 ml of 1.times.10.sup.7 cells in OPTI-MEM to
T25 flask and incubate at 37 degrees C. for 6 hrs. After the
incubation, add 10 ml of RPMI+15% serum.
[1487] The Jurkat:GAS-SEAP stable reporter lines are maintained in
RPMI+10% serum, 1 mg/ml Genticin, and 1% Pen-Strep. These cells are
treated with supernatants containing polypeptides of the invention
and/or induced polypeptides of the invention as produced by the
protocol described in Example 11.
[1488] On the day of treatment with the supernatant, the cells
should be washed and resuspended in fresh RPMI+10% serum to a
density of 500,000 cells per ml. The exact number of cells required
will depend on the number of supernatants being screened. For one
96 well plate, approximately 10 million cells (for 10 plates, 100
million cells) are required.
[1489] Transfer the cells to a triangular reservoir boat, in order
to dispense the cells into a 96 well dish, using a 12 channel
pipette. Using a 12 channel pipette, transfer 200 ul of cells into
each well (therefore adding 100,000 cells per well).
[1490] After all the plates have been seeded, 50 ul of the
supernatants are transferred directly from the 96 well plate
containing the supernatants into each well using a 12 channel
pipette. In addition, a dose of exogenous interferon gamma (0.1,
1.0, 10 ng) is added to wells H9, H10, and H111 to serve as
additional positive controls for the assay.
[1491] The 96 well dishes containing Jurkat cells treated with
supernatants are placed in an incubator for 48 hrs (note: this time
is variable between 48-72 hrs). 35 ul samples from each well are
then transferred to an opaque 96 well plate using a 12 channel
pipette. The opaque plates should be covered (using sellophene
covers) and stored at -20 degrees C. until SEAP assays are
performed according to Example 17. The plates containing the
remaining treated cells are placed at 4 degrees C. and serve as a
source of material for repeating the assay on a specific well if
desired.
[1492] As a positive control, 100 Unit/ml interferon gamma can be
used which is known to activate Jurkat T cells. Over 30 fold
induction is typically observed in the positive control wells.
[1493] The above protocol may be used in the generation of both
transient, as well as, stable transfected cells, which would be
apparent to those of skill in the art.
Example 14
High-Throughput Screening Assay Identifying Myeloid Activity
[1494] The following protocol is used to assess myeloid activity by
determining whether polypeptides of the invention proliferates
and/or differentiates myeloid cells. Myeloid cell activity is
assessed using the GAS/SEAP/Neo construct produced in Example 12.
Thus, factors that increase SEAP activity indicate the ability to
activate the Jaks-STATS signal transduction pathway. The myeloid
cell used in this assay is U937, a pre-monocyte cell line, although
TF-1, HL60, or KG1 can be used.
[1495] To transiently transfect U937 cells with the GAS/SEAP/Neo
construct produced in Example 12, a DEAE-Dextran method (Kharbanda
et. al., 1994, Cell Growth & Differentiation, 5:259-265) is
used. First, harvest 2.times.10e.sup.7 U937 cells and wash with
PBS. The U937 cells are usually grown in RPMI 1640 medium
containing 10% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum (FBS)
supplemented with 100 units/ml penicillin and 100 mg/ml
streptomycin.
[1496] Next, suspend the cells in 1 ml of 20 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.4)
buffer containing 0.5 mg/ml DEAE-Dextran, 8 ug GAS-SEAP2 plasmid
DNA, 140 mM NaCl, 5 mM KCl, 375 uM Na.sub.2HPO.sub.4.7H.sub.2O, 1
mM MgCl.sub.2, and 675 uM CaCl.sub.2. Incubate at 37 degrees C. for
45 min.
[1497] Wash the cells with RPMI 1640 medium containing 10% FBS and
then resuspend in 10 ml complete medium and incubate at 37 degrees
C. for 36 hr.
[1498] The GAS-SEAP/U937 stable cells are obtained by growing the
cells in 400 ug/ml G418. The G418-free medium is used for routine
growth but every one to two months, the cells should be re-grown in
400 ug/ml G418 for couple of passages.
[1499] These cells are tested by harvesting 1.times.10.sup.8 cells
(this is enough for ten 96-well plates assay) and wash with PBS.
Suspend the cells in 200 ml above described growth medium, with a
final density of 5.times.10.sup.5 cells/ml. Plate 200 ul cells per
well in the 96-well plate (or 1.times.10.sup.5 cells/well).
[1500] Add 50 ul of the supernatant prepared by the protocol
described in Example 11. Incubate at 37 degrees C. for 48 to 72 hr.
As a positive control, 100 Unit/ml interferon gamma can be used
which is known to activate U937 cells. Over 30 fold induction is
typically observed in the positive control wells. SEAP assay the
supernatant according to the protocol described in Example 17.
Example 15
High-Throughput Screening Assay Identifying Neuronal Activity
[1501] When cells undergo differentiation and proliferation, a
group of genes are activated through many different signal
transduction pathways. One of these genes, EGR1 (early growth
response gene 1), is induced in various tissues and cell types upon
activation. The promoter of EGR1 is responsible for such induction.
Using the EGR1 promoter linked to reporter molecules, activation of
cells can be assessed.
[1502] Particularly, the following protocol is used to assess
neuronal activity in PC12 cell lines. PC12 cells (rat
phenochromocytoma cells) are known to proliferate and/or
differentiate by activation with a number of mitogens, such as TPA
(tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate), NGF (nerve growth factor), and EGF
(epidermal growth factor). The EGR1 gene expression is activated
during this treatment. Thus, by stably transfecting PC12 cells with
a construct containing an EGR promoter linked to SEAP reporter,
activation of PC12 cells can be assessed.
[1503] The EGR/SEAP reporter construct can be assembled by the
following protocol. The EGR-1 promoter sequence (-633 to
+1)(Sakamoto K et al., Oncogene 6:867-871 (1991)) can be PCR
amplified from human genomic DNA using the following primers:
TABLE-US-00042 (SEQ ID NO:6) 5' GCGCTCGAGGGATGACAGCGATAGAACCCCGG-3'
(SEQ ID NO:7) 5' GCGAAGCTTCGCGACTCCCCGGATCCGCCTC-3'
[1504] Using the GAS:SEAP/Neo vector produced in Example 12, EGR1
amplified product can then be inserted into this vector. Linearize
the GAS:SEAP/Neo vector using restriction enzymes XhoI/HindIII,
removing the GAS/SV40 stuffer. Restrict the EGR1 amplified product
with these same enzymes. Ligate the vector and the EGR1
promoter.
[1505] To prepare 96 well-plates for cell culture, two mls of a
coating solution (1:30 dilution of collagen type I (Upstate Biotech
Inc. Cat#08-115) in 30% ethanol (filter sterilized)) is added per
one 10 cm plate or 50 ml per well of the 96-well plate, and allowed
to air dry for 2 hr.
[1506] PC12 cells are routinely grown in RPMI-1640 medium (Bio
Whittaker) containing 10% horse serum (JRH BIOSCIENCES, Cat. #
12449-78P), 5% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum (FBS)
supplemented with 100 units/ml penicillin and 100 ug/ml
streptomycin on a precoated 10 cm tissue culture dish. One to four
split is done every three to four days. Cells are removed from the
plates by scraping and resuspended with pipetting up and down for
more than 15 times.
[1507] Transfect the EGR/SEAP/Neo construct into PC12 using the
Lipofectamine protocol described in Example 11. EGR-SEAP/PC12
stable cells are obtained by growing the cells in 300 ug/ml G418.
The G418-free medium is used for routine growth but every one to
two months, the cells should be re-grown in 300 ug/ml G418 for
couple of passages.
[1508] To assay for neuronal activity, a 10 cm plate with cells
around 70 to 80% confluent is screened by removing the old medium.
Wash the cells once with PBS (Phosphate buffered saline). Then
starve the cells in low serum medium (RPMI-1640 containing 1% horse
serum and 0.5% FBS with antibiotics) overnight.
[1509] The next morning, remove the medium and wash the cells with
PBS. Scrape off the cells from the plate, suspend the cells well in
2 ml low serum medium. Count the cell number and add more low serum
medium to reach final cell density as 5.times.10.sup.5
cells/ml.
[1510] Add 200 ul of the cell suspension to each well of 96-well
plate (equivalent to 1.times.10.sup.5 cells/well). Add 50 ul
supernatant produced by Example 11, 37.degree. C. for 48 to 72 hr.
As a positive control, a growth factor known to activate PC12 cells
through EGR can be used, such as 50 ng/ul of Neuronal Growth Factor
(NGF). Over fifty-fold induction of SEAP is typically seen in the
positive control wells. SEAP assay the supernatant according to
Example 17.
Example 16
High-Throughput Screening Assay for T-cell Activity
[1511] NF-KB (Nuclear Factor KB) is a transcription factor
activated by a wide variety of agents including the inflammatory
cytokines IL-1 and TNF, CD30 and CD40, lymphotoxin-alpha and
lymphotoxin-beta, by exposure to LPS or thrombin, and by expression
of certain viral gene products. As a transcription factor, NF-KB
regulates the expression of genes involved in immune cell
activation, control of apoptosis (NF-KB appears to shield cells
from apoptosis), B and T-cell development, anti-viral and
antimicrobial responses, and multiple stress responses.
[1512] In non-stimulated conditions, NF-KB is retained in the
cytoplasm with I-KB (Inhibitor KB). However, upon stimulation, I-KB
is phosphorylated and degraded, causing NF-KB to shuttle to the
nucleus, thereby activating transcription of target genes. Target
genes activated by NF-KB include IL-2, IL-6, GM-CSF, ICAM-1 and
class 1 MHC.
[1513] Due to its central role and ability to respond to a range of
stimuli, reporter constructs utilizing the NF-KB promoter element
are used to screen the supernatants produced in Example 11.
Activators or inhibitors of NF-KB would be useful in treating
diseases. For example, inhibitors of NF-KB could be used to treat
those diseases related to the acute or chronic activation of NF-KB,
such as rheumatoid arthritis.
[1514] To construct a vector containing the NF-KB promoter element,
a PCR based strategy is employed. The upstream primer contains four
tandem copies of the NF-KB binding site (GGGGACTTTCCC) (SEQ ID
NO:8), 18 bp of sequence complementary to the 5' end of the SV40
early promoter sequence, and is flanked with an XhoI site:
TABLE-US-00043 5':GCGGCCTCGAGGGGACTTTCCCGGGGACTTTCCG (SEQ ID NO:9)
GGGACTTTCCGGGACTTTCCATCCTGCCATCTCAATT AG:3'
[1515] The downstream primer is complementary to the 3' end of the
SV40 promoter and is flanked with a Hind III site: TABLE-US-00044
5':GCGGCAAGCTTTTTGCAAAGCCTAGGC:3' (SEQ ID NO:4)
[1516] PCR amplification is performed using the SV40 promoter
template present in the pB-gal:promoter plasmid obtained from
Clontech. The resulting PCR fragment is digested with XhoI and Hind
III and subcloned into BLSK2-. (Stratagene) Sequencing with the T7
and T3 primers confirms the insert contains the following sequence:
TABLE-US-00045 5':CTCGAGGGGACTTTCCCGGGGACTTTCC (SEQ ID NO:10)
GGGGACTTTCCGGGACTTTCCATCTGCCATCTCAAT
TAGTCAGCAACCATAGTCCCGCCCCTAACTCCGCCC
ATCCCGCCCCTAACTCCGCCCAGTTCCGCCCATTCT
CCGCCCCATGGCTGACTAATTTTTTTTATTTATGCA
GAGGCCGAGGCCGCCTCGGCCTCTGAGCTATTCCAG
AAGTAGTGAGGAGGCTTTTTTGGAGGCCTAGGCTTT TGCAAAAAGCTT:3'
[1517] Next, replace the SV40 minimal promoter element present in
the pSEAP2-promoter plasmid (Clontech) with this NF-KB/SV40
fragment using XhoI and HindIII. However, this vector does not
contain a neomycin resistance gene, and therefore, is not preferred
for mammalian expression systems.
[1518] In order to generate stable mammalian cell lines, the
NF-KB/SV40/SEAP cassette is removed from the above NF-KB/SEAP
vector using restriction enzymes SalI and NotI, and inserted into a
vector containing neomycin resistance. Particularly, the
NF-KB/SV40/SEAP cassette was inserted into pGFP-1 (Clontech),
replacing the GFP gene, after restricting pGFP-1 with SalI and
NotI.
[1519] Once NF-KB/SV40/SEAP/Neo vector is created, stable Jurkat
T-cells are created and maintained according to the protocol
described in Example 13. Similarly, the method for assaying
supernatants with these stable Jurkat T-cells is also described in
Example 13. As a positive control, exogenous TNF alpha (0.1,1, 10
ng) is added to wells H9, H10, and H11, with a 5-10 fold activation
typically observed.
Example 7
Assay for SEAP Activity
[1520] As a reporter molecule for the assays described in Examples
13-16, SEAP activity is assayed using the Tropix Phospho-light Kit
(Cat. BP-400) according to the following general procedure. The
Tropix Phospho-light Kit supplies the Dilution, Assay, and Reaction
Buffers used below.
[1521] Prime a dispenser with the 2.5.times. Dilution Buffer and
dispense 15 ul of 2.5.times. dilution buffer into Optiplates
containing 35 ul of a supernatant. Seal the plates with a plastic
sealer and incubate at 65 degree C. for 30 min. Separate the
Optiplates to avoid uneven heating.
[1522] Cool the samples to room temperature for 15 minutes. Empty
the dispenser and prime with the Assay Buffer. Add 50 ml Assay
Buffer and incubate at room temperature 5 min. Empty the dispenser
and prime with the Reaction Buffer (see the table below). Add 50 ul
Reaction Buffer and incubate at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Since the intensity of the chemiluminescent signal is time
dependent, and it takes about 10 minutes to read 5 plates on
luminometer, one should treat 5 plates at each time and start the
second set 10 minutes later.
[1523] Read the relative light unit in the luminometer. Set H12 as
blank, and print the results. An increase in chemiluminescence
indicates reporter activity. TABLE-US-00046 Reaction Buffer
Formulation: # of plates Rxn buffer diluent (ml) CSPD (ml) 10 60 3
11 65 3.25 12 70 3.5 13 75 3.75 14 80 4 15 85 4.25 16 90 4.5 17 95
4.75 18 100 5 19 105 5.25 20 110 5.5 21 115 5.75 22 120 6 23 125
6.25 24 130 6.5 25 135 6.75 26 140 7 27 145 7.25 28 150 7.5 29 155
7.75 30 160 8 31 165 8.25 32 170 8.5 33 175 8.75 34 180 9 35 185
9.25 36 190 9.5 37 195 9.75 38 200 10 39 205 10.25 40 210 10.5 41
215 10.75 42 220 11 43 225 11.25 44 230 11.5 45 235 11.75 46 240 12
47 245 12.25 48 250 12.5 49 255 12.75 50 260 13
Example 18
High-Throughput Screening Assay Identifying Changes in Small
Molecule Concentration and Membrane Permeability
[1524] Binding of a ligand to a receptor is known to alter
intracellular levels of small molecules, such as calcium,
potassium, sodium, and pH, as well as alter membrane potential.
These alterations can be measured in an assay to identify
supernatants which bind to receptors of a particular cell. Although
the following protocol describes an assay for calcium, this
protocol can easily be modified to detect changes in potassium,
sodium, pH, membrane potential, or any other small molecule which
is dectable by a fluorescent probe.
[1525] The following assay uses Fluorometric Imaging Plate Reader
("FLIPR") to measure changes in fluorescent molecules (Molecular
Probes) that bind small molecules. Clearly, any fluorescent
molecule detecting a small molecule can be used instead of the
calcium fluorescent molecule, fluo-4 (Molecular Probes, Inc.;
catalog no. F-14202), used here.
[1526] For adherent cells, seed the cells at 10,000-20,000
cells/well in a Co-star black 96-well plate with clear bottom. The
plate is incubated in a CO.sub.2 incubator for 20 hours. The
adherent cells are washed two times in Biotek washer with 200 ul of
HBSS (Hank's Balanced Salt Solution) leaving 100 ul of buffer after
the final wash.
[1527] A stock solution of 1 mg/ml fluo-4 is made in 10% pluronic
acid DMSO. To load the cells with fluo-4, 50 ul of 12 ug/ml fluo-4
is added to each well. The plate is incubated at 37 degrees C. in a
CO.sub.2 incubator for 60 min. The plate is washed four times in
the Biotek washer with HBSS leaving 100 ul of buffer.
[1528] For non-adherent cells, the cells are spun down from culture
media. Cells are re-suspended to 2-5.times.10.sup.6 cells/ml with
HBSS in a 50-ml conical tube. 4 ul of 1 mg/ml fluo-4 solution in
10% pluronic acid DMSO is added to each ml of cell suspension. The
tube is then placed in a 37 degrees C. water bath for 30-60 min.
The cells are washed twice with HBSS, resuspended to
1.times.10.sup.6 cells/ml, and dispensed into a microplate, 100
ul/well. The plate is centrifuged at 1000 rpm for 5 min. The plate
is then washed once in Denley CellWash with 200 ul, followed by an
aspiration step to 100 ul final volume.
[1529] For a non-cell based assay, each well contains a fluorescent
molecule, such as fluo-4. The supernatant is added to the well, and
a change in fluorescence is detected.
[1530] To measure the fluorescence of intracellular calcium, the
FLIPR is set for the following parameters: (1) System gain is
300-800 mW; (2) Exposure time is 0.4 second; (3) Camera F/stop is
F/2; (4) Excitation is 488 nm; (5) Emission is 530 nm; and (6)
Sample addition is 50 ul. Increased emission at 530 nm indicates an
extracellular signaling event which has resulted in an increase in
the intracellular Ca.sup.++ concentration.
Example 19
High-Throughput Screening Assay Identifying Tyrosine Kinase
Activity
[1531] The Protein Tyrosine Kinases (PTK) represent a diverse group
of transmembrane and cytoplasmic kinases. Within the Receptor
Protein Tyrosine Kinase RPTK) group are receptors for a range of
mitogenic and metabolic growth factors including the PDGF, FGF,
EGF, NGF, HGF and Insulin receptor subfamilies. In addition there
are a large family of RPTKs for which the corresponding ligand is
unknown. Ligands for RPTKs include mainly secreted small proteins,
but also membrane-bound and extracellular matrix proteins.
[1532] Activation of RPTK by ligands involves ligand-mediated
receptor dimerization, resulting in transphosphorylation of the
receptor subunits and activation of the cytoplasmic tyro sine
kinases. The cytoplasmic tyro sine kinases include receptor
associated tyrosine kinases of the src-family (e.g., src, yes, Ick,
lyn, fyn) and non-receptor linked and cytosolic protein tyrosine
kinases, such as the Jak family, members of which mediate signal
transduction triggered by the cytokine superfamily of receptors
(e.g., the Interleukins, Interferons, GM-CSF, and Leptin).
[1533] Because of the wide range of known factors capable of
stimulating tyrosine kinase activity, the identification of novel
human secreted proteins capable of activating tyrosine kinase
signal transduction pathways are of interest. Therefore, the
following protocol is designed to identify those novel human
secreted proteins capable of activating the tyrosine kinase signal
transduction pathways.
[1534] Seed target cells (e.g., primary keratinocytes) at a density
of approximately 25,000 cells per well in a 96 well Loprodyne
Silent Screen Plates purchased from Nalge Nunc (Naperville, Ill.).
The plates are sterilized with two 30 minute rinses with 100%
ethanol, rinsed with water and dried overnight. Some plates are
coated for 2 hr with 100 ml of cell culture grade type I collagen
(50 mg/ml), gelatin (2%) or polylysine (50 mg/ml), all of which can
be purchased from Sigma Chemicals (St. Louis, Mo.) or 10% Matrigel
purchased from Becton Dickinson (Bedford, Mass.), or calf serum,
rinsed with PBS and stored at 4 degree C. Cell growth on these
plates is assayed by seeding 5,000 cells/well in growth medium and
indirect quantitation of cell number through use of alamarBlue as
described by the manufacturer Alamar Biosciences, Inc. (Sacramento,
Calif.) after 48 hr. Falcon plate covers #3071 from Becton
Dickinson (Bedford, Mass.) are used to cover the Loprodyne Silent
Screen Plates. Falcon Microtest III cell culture plates can also be
used in some proliferation experiments.
[1535] To prepare extracts, A431 cells are seeded onto the nylon
membranes of Loprodyne plates (20,000/200 ml/well) and cultured
overnight in complete medium. Cells are quiesced by incubation in
serum-free basal medium for 24 hr. After 5-20 minutes treatment
with EGF (60 ng/ml) or 50 ul of the supernatant produced in Example
11, the medium was removed and 100 ml of extraction buffer ((20 mM
HEPES pH 7.5, 0.15 M NaCl, 1% Triton X-100, 0.1% SDS, 2 mM Na3VO4,
2 mM Na4P2O7 and a cocktail of protease inhibitors (# 1836170)
obtained from Boeheringer Mannheim (Indianapolis, Ind.) is added to
each well and the plate is shaken on a rotating shaker for 5
minutes at 4 degrees C. The plate is then placed in a vacuum
transfer manifold and the extract filtered through the 0.45 mm
membrane bottoms of each well using house vacuum. Extracts are
collected in a 96-well catch/assay plate in the bottom of the
vacuum manifold and immediately placed on ice. To obtain extracts
clarified by centrifugation, the content of each well, after
detergent solubilization for 5 minutes, is removed and centrifuged
for 15 minutes at 4 degrees C. at 16,000.times.g.
[1536] Test the filtered extracts for levels of tyrosine kinase
activity. Although many methods of detecting tyrosine kinase
activity are known, one method is described here.
[1537] Generally, the tyrosine kinase activity of a supernatant is
evaluated by determining its ability to phosphorylate a tyrosine
residue on a specific substrate (a biotinylated peptide).
Biotinylated peptides that can be used for this purpose include
PSK1 (corresponding to amino acids 6-20 of the cell division kinase
cdc2-p34) and PSK2 (corresponding to amino acids 1-17 of gastrin).
Both peptides are substrates for a range of tyrosine kinases and
are available from Boehringer Mannheim.
[1538] The tyrosine kinase reaction is set up by adding the
following components in order. First, add 10 ul of 5 uM
Biotinylated Peptide, then 10 ul ATP/Mg.sub.2+ (5 mM ATP/50 mM
MgCl.sub.2), then 10 ul of 5.times. Assay Buffer (40 mM imidazole
hydrochloride, pH7.3, 40 mM beta-glycerophosphate, 1 mM EGTA, 100
mM MgCl.sub.2, 5 mM MnCl.sub.2, 0.5 mg/ml BSA), then 5 ul of Sodium
Vanadate (1 mM), and then 5 ul of water. Mix the components gently
and preincubate the reaction mix at 30 degrees C. for 2 min.
Initial the reaction by adding 10 ul of the control enzyme or the
filtered supernatant.
[1539] The tyrosine kinase assay reaction is then terminated by
adding 10 ul of 120 mm EDTA and place the reactions on ice.
[1540] Tyrosine kinase activity is determined by transferring 50 ul
aliquot of reaction mixture to a microtiter plate (MTP) module and
incubating at 37 degrees C. for 20 min. This allows the
streptavadin coated 96 well plate to associate with the
biotinylated peptide. Wash the MTP module with 300 ul/well of PBS
four times. Next add 75 ul of anti-phospotyrosine antibody
conjugated to horse radish peroxidase(anti-P-Tyr-POD(0.5 u/ml)) to
each well and incubate at 37 degrees C. for one hour. Wash the well
as above.
[1541] Next add 100 ul of peroxidase substrate solution (Boehringer
Mannheim) and incubate at room temperature for at least 5 mins (up
to 30 min). Measure the absorbance of the sample at 405 nm by using
ELISA reader. The level of bound peroxidase activity is quantitated
using an ELISA reader and reflects the level of tyrosine kinase
activity.
Example 20
High-Throughput Screening Assay Identifying Phosphorylation
Activity
[1542] As a potential alternative and/or compliment to the assay of
protein tyrosine kinase activity described in Example 19, an assay
which detects activation (phosphorylation) of major intracellular
signal transduction intermediates can also be used. For example, as
described below one particular assay can detect tyrosine
phosphorylation of the Erk-1 and Erk-2 kinases. However,
phosphorylation of other molecules, such as Raf, JNK, p38 MAP, Map
kinase kinase (MEK), MEK kinase, Src, Muscle specific kinase
(MuSK), IRAK, Tec, and Janus, as well as any other phosphoserine,
phosphotyrosine, or phosphothreonine molecule, can be detected by
substituting these molecules for Erk-1 or Erk-2 in the following
assay.
[1543] Specifically, assay plates are made by coating the wells of
a 96-well ELISA plate with 0.1 ml of protein G (1 ug/ml) for 2 hr
at room temp, (RT). The plates are then rinsed with PBS and blocked
with 3% BSA/PBS for 1 hr at RT. The protein G plates are then
treated with 2 commercial monoclonal antibodies (100 ng/well)
against Erk-1 and Erk-2 (1 hr at RT) (Santa Cruz Biotechnology).
(To detect other molecules, this step can easily be modified by
substituting a monoclonal antibody detecting any of the above
described molecules.) After 3-5 rinses with PBS, the plates are
stored at 4 degrees C. until use.
[1544] A431 cells are seeded at 20,000/well in a 96-well Loprodyne
filterplate and cultured overnight in growth medium. The cells are
then starved for 48 hr in basal medium (DMEM) and then treated with
EGF (6 ng/well) or 50 ul of the supernatants obtained in Example 11
for 5-20 minutes. The cells are then solubilized and extracts
filtered directly into the assay plate.
[1545] After incubation with the extract for 1 hr at RT, the wells
are again rinsed. As a positive control, a commercial preparation
of MAP kinase (10 ng/well) is used in place of A431 extract. Plates
are then treated with a commercial polyclonal (rabbit) antibody
(lug/ml) which specifically recognizes the phosphorylated epitope
of the Erk-1 and Erk-2 kinases (1 hr at RT). This antibody is
biotinylated by standard procedures. The bound polyclonal antibody
is then quantitated by successive incubations with
Europium-streptavidin and Europium fluorescence enhancing reagent
in the Wallac DELFIA instrument (time-resolved fluorescence). An
increased fluorescent signal over background indicates a
phosphorylation.
Example 21
Method of Determining Alterations in a Gene Corresponding to a
Polynucleotide
[1546] RNA isolated from entire families or individual patients
presenting with a phenotype of interest (such as a disease) is be
isolated. cDNA is then generated from these RNA samples using
protocols known in the art. (See, Sambrook.) The cDNA is then used
as a template for PCR, employing primers surrounding regions of
interest in SEQ ID NO:X. Suggested PCR conditions consist of 35
cycles at 95 degrees C. for 30 seconds; 60-120 seconds at 52-58
degrees C.; and 60-120 seconds at 70 degrees C., using buffer
solutions described in Sidransky et al., Science 252:706
(1991).
[1547] PCR products are then sequenced using primers labeled at
their 5' end with T4 polynucleotide kinase, employing SequiTherm
Polymerase. (Epicentre Technologies). The intron-exon borders of
selected exons is also determined and genomic PCR products analyzed
to confirm the results. PCR products harboring suspected mutations
is then cloned and sequenced to validate the results of the direct
sequencing.
[1548] PCR products is cloned into T-tailed vectors as described in
Holton et al., Nucleic Acids Research, 19:1156 (1991) and sequenced
with T7 polymerase (United States Biochemical). Affected
individuals are identified by mutations not present in unaffected
individuals.
[1549] Genomic rearrangements are also observed as a method of
determining alterations in a gene corresponding to a
polynucleotide. Genomic clones isolated according to Example 2 are
nick-translated with digoxigenindeoxy-uridine 5'-triphosphate
(Boehringer Manheim), and FISH performed as described in Johnson et
al., Methods Cell Biol. 35:73-99 (1991). Hybridization with the
labeled probe is carried out using a vast excess of human cot-1 DNA
for specific hybridization to the corresponding genomic locus.
[1550] Chromosomes are counterstained with
4,6-diamino-2-phenylidole and propidium iodide, producing a
combination of C- and R-bands. Aligned images for precise mapping
are obtained using a triple-band filter set (Chroma Technology,
Brattleboro, Vt.) in combination with a cooled charge-coupled
device camera (Photometrics, Tucson, Ariz.) and variable excitation
wavelength filters. (Johnson et al., Genet. Anal. Tech. Appl., 8:75
(1991).) Image collection, analysis and chromosomal fractional
length measurements are performed using the ISee Graphical Program
System. (Inovision Corporation, Durham, N.C.) Chromosome
alterations of the genomic region hybridized by the probe are
identified as insertions, deletions, and translocations. These
alterations are used as a diagnostic marker for an associated
disease.
Example 22
Method of Detecting Abnormal Levels of a Polypeptide in a
Biological Sample
[1551] A polypeptide of the present invention can be detected in a
biological sample, and if an increased or decreased level of the
polypeptide is detected, this polypeptide is a marker for a
particular phenotype. Methods of detection are numerous, and thus,
it is understood that one skilled in the art can modify the
following assay to fit their particular needs.
[1552] For example, antibody-sandwich ELISAs are used to detect
polypeptides in a sample, preferably a biological sample. Wells of
a microtiter plate are coated with specific antibodies, at a final
concentration of 0.2 to 10 ug/ml. The antibodies are either
monoclonal or polyclonal and are produced by the method described
in Example 10. The wells are blocked so that non-specific binding
of the polypeptide to the well is reduced.
[1553] The coated wells are then incubated for >2 hours at RT
with a sample containing the polypeptide. Preferably, serial
dilutions of the sample should be used to validate results. The
plates are then washed three times with deionized or distilled
water to remove unbounded polypeptide.
[1554] Next, 50 ul of specific antibody-alkaline phosphatase
conjugate, at a concentration of 25-400 ng, is added and incubated
for 2 hours at room temperature. The plates are again washed three
times with deionized or distilled water to remove unbounded
conjugate.
[1555] Add 75 ul of 4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate (MUP) or
p-nitrophenyl phosphate (NPP) substrate solution to each well and
incubate 1 hour at room temperature. Measure the reaction by a
microtiter plate reader. Prepare a standard curve, using serial
dilutions of a control sample, and plot polypeptide concentration
on the X-axis (log scale) and fluorescence or absorbance of the
Y-axis (linear scale). Interpolate the concentration of the
polypeptide in the sample using the standard curve.
Example 23
Formulation
[1556] The invention also provides methods of treatment and/or
prevention of diseases or disorders (such as, for example, any one
or more of the diseases or disorders disclosed herein) by
administration to a subject of an effective amount of a
Therapeutic. By therapeutic is meant polynucleotides or
polypeptides of the invention (including fragments and variants),
agonists or antagonists thereof, and/or antibodies thereto, in
combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier type (e.g.,
a sterile carrier).
[1557] The Therapeutic will be formulated and dosed in a fashion
consistent with good medical practice, taking into account the
clinical condition of the individual patient (especially the side
effects of treatment with the Therapeutic alone), the site of
delivery, the method of administration, the scheduling of
administration, and other factors known to practitioners. The
"effective amount" for purposes herein is thus determined by such
considerations.
[1558] As a general proposition, the total pharmaceutically
effective amount of the Therapeutic administered parenterally per
dose will be in the range of about lug/kg/day to 10 mg/kg/day of
patient body weight, although, as noted above, this will be subject
to therapeutic discretion. More preferably, this dose is at least
0.01 mg/kg/day, and most preferably for humans between about 0.01
and 1 mg/kg/day for the hormone. If given continuously, the
Therapeutic is typically administered at a dose rate of about 1
ug/kg/hour to about 50 ug/kg/hour, either by 1-4 injections per day
or by continuous subcutaneous infusions, for example, using a
mini-pump. An intravenous bag solution may also be employed. The
length of treatment needed to observe changes and the interval
following treatment for responses to occur appears to vary
depending on the desired effect.
[1559] Therapeutics can be are administered orally, rectally,
parenterally, intracistemally, intravaginally, intraperitoneally,
topically (as by powders, ointments, gels, drops or transdermal
patch), bucally, or as an oral or nasal spray. "Pharmaceutically
acceptable carrier" refers to a non-toxic solid, semisolid or
liquid filler, diluent, encapsulating material or formulation
auxiliary of any. The term "parenteral" as used herein refers to
modes of administration which include intravenous, intramuscular,
intraperitoneal, intrastemal, subcutaneous and intraarticular
injection and infusion.
[1560] Therapeutics of the invention are also suitably administered
by sustained-release systems. Suitable examples of
sustained-release Therapeutics are administered orally, rectally,
parenterally, intracistemally, intravaginally, intraperitoneally,
topically (as by powders, ointments, gels, drops or transdermal
patch), bucally, or as an oral or nasal spray. "Pharmaceutically
acceptable carrier" refers to a non-toxic solid, semisolid or
liquid filler, diluent, encapsulating material or formulation
auxiliary of any type. The term "parenteral" as used herein refers
to modes of administration which include intravenous,
intramuscular, intraperitoneal, intrastemal, subcutaneous and
intraarticular injection and infusion.
[1561] Therapeutics of the invention are also suitably administered
by sustained-release systems. Suitable examples of
sustained-release Therapeutics include suitable polymeric materials
(such as, for example, semi-permeable polymer matrices in the form
of shaped articles, e.g., films, or mirocapsules), suitable
hydrophobic materials (for example as an emulsion in an acceptable
oil) or ion exchange resins, and sparingly soluble derivatives
(such as, for example, a sparingly soluble salt).
[1562] Sustained-release matrices include polylactides (U.S. Pat.
No. 3,773,919, EP 58,481), copolymers of L-glutamic acid and
gamma-ethyl-L-glutamate (Sidman et al., Biopolymers 22:547-556
(1983)), poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (Langer et al., J.
Biomed. Mater. Res. 15:167-277 (1981), and Langer, Chem. Tech.
12:98-105 (1982)), ethylene vinyl acetate (Langer et al., Id.) or
poly-D-(-)-3-hydroxybutyric acid (EP 133,988).
[1563] In a preferred embodiment, Neutrokine-alpha and/or
Neutrokine-alphaSV compositions of the invention are formulated in
a biodegradable, polymeric drug delivery system, for example as
described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,938,763; 5,278,201; 5,278,202;
5,324,519; 5,340,849; and 5,487,897 and in International
Publication Numbers WO01/35929, WO00/24374, and WO00/06117 which
are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. In specific
preferred embodiments the Neutrokine-alpha and/or
Neutrokine-alphaSV compositions of the invention are formulated
using the ATRIGEL.RTM. Biodegradable System of Atrix Laboratories,
Inc. (Fort Collins, Colo.).
[1564] Examples of biodegradable polymers which can be used in the
formulation of Neutrokine-alpha and/or Neutrokine-alphaSV
compositions, include but are not limited to, polylactides,
polyglycolides, polycaprolactones, polyanhydrides, polyamides,
polyurethanes, polyesteramides, polyorthoesters, polydioxanones,
polyacetals, polyketals, polycarbonates, polyorthocarbonates,
polyphosphazenes, polyhydroxybutyrates, polyhydroxyvalerates,
polyalkylene oxalates, polyalkylene succinates, poly(malic acid),
poly(amino acids), poly(methyl vinyl ether), poly(maleic
anhydride), polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyethylene glycol,
polyhydroxycellulose, chitin, chitosan, and copolymers,
terpolymers, or combinations or mixtures of the above materials.
The preferred polymers are those that have a lower degree of
crystallization and are more hydrophobic. These polymers and
copolymers are more soluble in the biocompatible solvents than the
highly crystalline polymers such as polyglycolide and chitin which
also have a high degree of hydrogen-bonding. Preferred materials
with the desired solubility parameters are the polylactides,
polycaprolactones, and copolymers of these with glycolide in which
there are more amorphous regions to enhance solubility. In specific
preferred embodiments, the biodegradable polymers which can be used
in the formulation of Neutrokine-alpha and/or Neutrokine-alphaSV
compositions are poly(lactide-co-glycolides). Polymer properties
such as molecular weight, hydrophobicity, and lactide/glycolide
ratio may be modified to obtain the desired drug Neutrokine-alpha
and/or Neutrokine-alphaSV release profile (See, e.g., Ravivarapu et
al., Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 89:732-741 (2000), which is
hereby incorporated by refernce in its entirety).
[1565] It is also preferred that the solvent for the biodegradable
polymer be non-toxic, water miscible, and otherwise biocompatible.
Examples of such solvents include, but are not limted to,
N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, 2-pyrrolidone, C2 to C6 alkanols, C1 to
C1-5 alchohols, dils, triols, and tetraols such as ethanol,
glycerine propylene glycol, butanol; C3 to C.sub.1-5 alkyl ketones
such as acetone, diethyl ketone and methyl ethyl ketone; C3 to C15
esters such as methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, ethyl lactate; alkyl
ketones such as methyl ethyl ketone, C1 to C15 amides such as
dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide and caprolactam; C3 to C20
ethers such as tetrahydrofuran, or solketal; tweens, triacetin,
propylene carbonate, decylmethylsulfoxide, dimethyl sulfoxide,
oleic acid, 1-dodecylazacycloheptan-2-one, Other preferred solvents
are benzyl alchohol, benzyl benzoate, dipropylene glycol,
tributyrin, ethyl oleate, glycerin, glycofural, isopropyl
myristate, isopropyl palmitate, oleic acid, polyethylene glycol,
propylene carbonate, and triethyl citrate. The most preferred
solvents are
[1566] N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, 2-pyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide,
triacetin, and propylene carbonate because of the solvating ability
and their compatibility.
[1567] Additionally, formulations comprising Neutrokine-alpha
and/or Neutrokine-alphaSV compositions and a biodegradable polymer
may also include release-rate modification agents and/or
pore-forming agents. Examples of release-rate modification agents
include, but are not limited to, fatty acids, triglycerides, other
like hydrophobic compounds, organic solvents, plasticizing
compounds and hydrophilic compounds. Suitable release rate
modification agents include, for example, esters of mono-, di-, and
tricarboxylic acids, such as 2-ethoxyethyl acetate, methyl acetate,
ethyl acetate, diethyl phthalate, dimethyl phthalate, dibutyl
phthalate, dimethyl adipate, dimethyl succinate, dimethyl oxalate,
dimethyl citrate, triethyl citrate, acetyl tributyl citrate, acetyl
triethyl citrate, glycerol triacetate, di(n-butyl) sebecate, and
the like; polyhydroxy alcohols, such as propylene glycol,
polyethylene glycol, glycerin, sorbitol, and the like; fatty acids;
triesters of glycerol, such as triglycerides, epoxidized soybean
oil, and other epoxidized vegetable oils; sterols, such as
cholesterol; alcohols, such as C.sub.6-C.sub.12 alkanols,
2-ethoxyethanol, and the like. The release rate modification agent
may be used singly or in combination with other such agents.
Suitable combinations of release rate modification agents include,
but are not limited to, glycerin/propylene glycol,
sorbitol/glycerine, ethylene oxide/propylene oxide, butylene
glycol/adipic acid, and the like. Preferred release rate
modification agents include, but are not limited to, dimethyl
citrate, triethyl citrate, ethyl heptanoate, glycerin, and
hexanediol. Suitable pore-forming agents that may be used in the
polymer composition include, but are not limited to, sugars such as
sucrose and dextrose, salts such as sodium chloride and sodium
carbonate, polymers such as hydroxylpropylcellulose,
carboxymethylcellulose, polyethylene glycol, and
polyvinylpyrrolidone. Solid crystals that will provide a defined
pore size, such as salt or sugar, are preferred.
[1568] In specific preferred embodiments the Neutrokine-alpha
and/or Neutrokine-alphaSV compositions of the invention are
formulated using the BEMA.TM. BioErodible Mucoadhesive System,
MCA.TM. MucoCutaneous Absorption System, SMP.TM. Solvent
MicroParticle System, or BCP.TM. BioCompatible Polymer System of
Atrix Laboratories, Inc. (Fort Collins, Colo.).
[1569] Sustained-release Therapeutics also include liposomally
entrapped Therapeutics of the invention (see generally, Langer,
Science 249:1527-1533 (1990); Treat et al., in Liposomes in the
Therapy of Infectious Disease and Cancer, Lopez-Berestein and
Fidler (eds.), Liss, New York, pp. 317-327 and 353-365 (1989)).
Liposomes containing the Therapeutic are prepared by methods known
per se: DE 3,218,121; Epstein et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA)
82:3688-3692 (1985); Hwang et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA)
77:4030-4034 (1980); E P 52,322; EP 36,676; EP 88,046; EP 143,949;
EP 142,641; Japanese Pat. Appl. 83-118008; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,485,045
and 4,544,545; and EP 102,324. Ordinarily, the liposomes are of the
small (about 200-800 Angstroms) unilamellar type in which the lipid
content is greater than about 30 mol. percent cholesterol, the
selected proportion being adjusted for the optimal Therapeutic.
[1570] In yet an additional embodiment, the Therapeutics of the
invention are delivered by way of a pump (see Langer, supra;
Sefton, CRC Crit. Ref. Biomed. Eng. 14:201 (1987); Buchwald et al.,
Surgery 88:507 (1980); Saudek et al., N. Engl. J. Med. 321:574
(1989)).
[1571] Other controlled release systems are discussed in the review
by Langer (Science 249:1527-1533 (1990)).
[1572] For parenteral administration, in one embodiment, the
Therapeutic is formulated generally by mixing it at the desired
degree of purity, in a unit dosage injectable form (solution,
suspension, or emulsion), with a pharmaceutically acceptable
carrier, i.e., one that is non-toxic to recipients at the dosages
and concentrations employed and is compatible with other
ingredients of the formulation. For example, the formulation
preferably does not include oxidizing agents and other compounds
that are known to be deleterious to the Therapeutic.
[1573] Generally, the formulations are prepared by contacting the
Therapeutic uniformly and intimately with liquid carriers or finely
divided solid carriers or both. Then, if necessary, the product is
shaped into the desired formulation. Preferably the carrier is a
parenteral carrier, more preferably a solution that is isotonic
with the blood of the recipient. Examples of such carrier vehicles
include water, saline, Ringer's solution, and dextrose solution.
Non-aqueous vehicles such as fixed oils and ethyl oleate are also
useful herein, as well as liposomes.
[1574] The carrier suitably contains minor amounts of additives
such as substances that enhance isotonicity and chemical stability.
Such materials are non-toxic to recipients at the dosages and
concentrations employed, and include buffers such as phosphate,
citrate, succinate, acetic acid, and other organic acids or their
salts; antioxidants such as ascorbic acid; low molecular weight
(less than about ten residues) polypeptides, e.g., polyarginine or
tripeptides; proteins, such as serum albumin, gelatin, or
immunoglobulins; hydrophilic polymers such as polyvinylpyrrolidone;
amino acids, such as glycine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, or
arginine; monosaccharides, disaccharides, and other carbohydrates
including cellulose or its derivatives, glucose, manose, or
dextrins; chelating agents such as EDTA; sugar alcohols such as
mannitol or sorbitol; counterions such as sodium; and/or nonionic
surfactants such as polysorbates, poloxamers, or PEG.
[1575] The Therapeutic is typically formulated in such vehicles at
a concentration of about 0.1 mg/ml to 100 mg/ml, preferably 1-10
mg/ml, at a pH of about 3 to 8. It will be understood that the use
of certain of the foregoing excipients, carriers, or stabilizers
will result in the formation of polypeptide salts.
[1576] Any pharmaceutical used for therapeutic administration can
be sterile. Sterility is readily accomplished by filtration through
sterile filtration membranes (e.g., 0.2 micron membranes).
Therapeutics generally are placed into a container having a sterile
access port, for example, an intravenous solution bag or vial
having a stopper pierceable by a hypodermic injection needle.
[1577] Therapeutics ordinarily will be stored in unit or multi-dose
containers, for example, sealed ampoules or vials, as an aqueous
solution or as a lyophilized formulation for reconstitution. As an
example of a lyophilized formulation, 10-ml vials are filled with 5
ml of sterile-filtered 1% (w/v) aqueous Therapeutic solution, and
the resulting mixture is lyophilized. The infusion solution is
prepared by reconstituting the lyophilized Therapeutic using
bacteriostatic Water-for-Injection.
[1578] The invention also provides a pharmaceutical pack or kit
comprising one or more containers filled with one or more of the
ingredients of the Therapeutics of the invention. Associated with
such container(s) can be a notice in the form prescribed by a
governmental agency regulating the manufacture, use or sale of
pharmaceuticals or biological products, which notice reflects
approval by the agency of manufacture, use or sale for human
administration. In addition, the Therapeutics may be employed in
conjunction with other therapeutic compounds.
[1579] The Therapeutics of the invention may be administered alone
or in combination with adjuvants. Adjuvants that may be
administered with the Therapeutics of the invention include, but
are not limited to, alum, alum plus deoxycholate (ImmunoAg), MTP-PE
(Biocine Corp.), QS21 (Genentech, Inc.), BCG (e.g., THERACYS.RTM.),
MPL and nonviable prepartions of Corynebacterium parvum. In a
specific embodiment, Therapeutics of the invention are administered
in combination with alum. In another specific embodiment,
Therapeutics of the invention are administered in combination with
QS-21. Further adjuvants that may be administered with the
Therapeutics of the invention include, but are not limited to,
Monophosphoryl lipid immunomodulator, AdjuVax 100a, QS-21, QS-18,
CRL1005, Aluminum salts, MF-59, and Virosomal adjuvant technology.
Vaccines that may be administered with the Therapeutics of the
invention include, but are not limited to, vaccines directed toward
protection against MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), polio, varicella,
tetanus/diptheria, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, haemophilus influenzae
B, whooping cough, pneumonia, influenza, Lyme's Disease, rotavirus,
cholera, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, poliomyelitis,
rabies, typhoid fever, and pertussis. Combinations may be
administered either concomitantly, e.g., as an admixture,
separately but simultaneously or concurrently; or sequentially.
This includes presentations in which the combined agents are
administered together as a therapeutic mixture, and also procedures
in which the combined agents are administered separately but
simultaneously, e.g., as through separate intravenous lines into
the same individual. Administration "in combination" further
includes the separate administration of one of the compounds or
agents given first, followed by the second.
[1580] The Therapeutics of the invention may be administered alone
or in combination with other therapeutic agents. Therapeutic agents
that may be administered in combination with the Therapeutics of
the invention, include but not limited to, chemotherapeutic agents,
antibiotics, steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories,
conventional immunotherapeutic agents, and/or therapeutic
treatments described below. Combinations may be administered either
concomitantly, e.g., as an admixture, separately but simultaneously
or concurrently; or sequentially. This includes presentations in
which the combined agents are administered together as a
therapeutic mixture, and also procedures in which the combined
agents are administered separately but simultaneously, e.g., as
through separate intravenous lines into the same individual.
Administration "in combination" further includes the separate
administration of one of the compounds or agents given first,
followed by the second.
[1581] In certain embodiments, Therapeutics of the invention are
administered in combination with antiretroviral agents,
nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs),
non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), and/or
protease inhibitors (PIs). NRTIs that may be administered in
combination with the Therapeutics of the invention, include, but
are not limited to, RETROVIR.TM. (zidovudine/AZT), VIDEX.TM.
(didanosine/ddI), HIVID.TM. (zalcitabine/ddC), ZERIT.TM.
(stavudine/d4T), EPIVIR.TM. (lamivudine/3TC), and COMBIVIR.TM.
(zidovudine/lamivudine). NNRTIs that may be administered in
combination with the Therapeutics of the invention, include, but
are not limited to, VIRAMUNE.TM. (nevirapine), RESCRIPTOR.TM.
(delavirdine), and SUSTIVA.TM. (efavirenz). Protease inhibitors
that may be administered in combination with the Therapeutics of
the invention, include, but are not limited to, CRIXIVAN.TM.
(indinavir), NORVIR.TM. (ritonavir), INVIRASE.TM. (saquinavir), and
VIRACEPT.TM. (nelfinavir). In a specific embodiment, antiretroviral
agents, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, non-nucleoside
reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and/or protease inhibitors may be
used in any combination with Therapeutics of the invention to treat
AIDS and/or to prevent or treat HIV infection.
[1582] Additional NRTIs include LODENOSINE.TM. (F-ddA; an
acid-stable adenosine NRTI; Triangle/Abbott; COVIRACIL.TM.
(emtricitabine/FTC; structurally related to lamivudine (3TC) but
with 3- to 10-fold greater activity in vitro; Triangle/Abbott);
dOTC (BCH-10652, also structurally related to lamivudine but
retains activity against a substantial proportion of
lamivudine-resistant isolates; Biochem Pharma); Adefovir (refused
approval for anti-HIV therapy by FDA; Gilead Sciences);
PREVEON.RTM. (Adefovir Dipivoxil, the active prodrug of adefovir;
its active form is PMEA-pp); TENOFOVIR.TM. (bis-POC PMPA, a PMPA
prodrug; Gilead); DAPD/DXG (active metabolite of DAPD;
Triangle/Abbott); D-D4FC (related to 3TC, with activity against
AZT/3TC-resistant virus); GW420867X (Glaxo Wellcome); ZIAGEN.TM.
(abacavir/159U89; Glaxo Wellcome Inc.); CS-87
(3'azido-2',3'-dideoxyuridine; WO 99/66936); and S-acyl-2-thioethyl
(SATE)-bearing prodrug forms of .beta.-L-FD4C and .beta.-L-FddC (WO
98/17281).
[1583] Additional NNRTIs include COACTINON.TM. (Emivirine/MKC-442,
potent NNRTI of the HEPT class; Triangle/Abbott); CAPRAVIRINE.TM.
(AG-1549/S-1153, a next generation NNRTI with activity against
viruses containing the K103N mutation; Agouron); PNU-142721 (has
20- to 50-fold greater activity than its predecessor delavirdine
and is active against K103N mutants; Pharmacia & Upjohn);
DPC-961 and DPC-963 (second-generation derivatives of efavirenz,
designed to be active against viruses with the KI 03N mutation;
DuPont); GW-420867.times. (has 25-fold greater activity than HBY097
and is active against K103N mutants; Glaxo Wellcome); CALANOLIDE A
(naturally occurring agent from the latex tree; active against
viruses containing either or both the Y181C and K103N mutations);
and Propolis (WO 99/49830).
[1584] Additional protease inhibitors include LOPINAVIR.TM.
(ABT378/r; Abbott Laboratories); BMS-232632 (an azapeptide;
Bristol-Myres Squibb); TIPRANAVIR.TM. (PNU-140690, a non-peptic
dihydropyrone; Pharmacia & Upjohn); PD-178390 (a nonpeptidic
dihydropyrone; Parke-Davis); BMS 232632 (an azapeptide;
Bristol-Myers Squibb); L-756,423 (an indinavir analog; Merck);
DMP-450 (a cyclic urea compound; Avid & DuPont); AG-1776 (a
peptidomimetic with in vitro activity against protease
inhibitor-resistant viruses; Agouron); VX-175/GW-433908 (phosphate
prodrug of amprenavir; Vertex & Glaxo Welcome); CGP61755
(Ciba); and AGENERASE.TM. (amprenavir; Glaxo Wellcome Inc.).
[1585] Additional antiretroviral agents include fusion
inhibitors/gp41 binders. Fusion inhibitors/gp41 binders include
T-20 (a peptide from residues 643-678 of the HIV gp41 transmembrane
protein ectodomain which binds to gp41 in its resting state and
prevents transformation to the fusogenic state; Trimeris) and
T-1249 (a second-generation fusion inhibitor; Trimeris).
[1586] Additional antiretroviral agents include fusion
inhibitors/chemokine receptor antagonists. Fusion
inhibitors/chemokine receptor antagonists include CXCR4 antagonists
such as AMD 3100 (a bicyclam), SDF-1 and its analogs, and ALX40-4C
(a cationic peptide), T22 (an 18 amino acid peptide; Trimeris) and
the T22 analogs T134 and T140; CCR5 antagonists such as RANTES
(9-68), AOP-RANTES, NNY-RANTES, and TAK-779; and CCR5/CXCR4
antagonists such as NSC 651016 (a distamycin analog). Also included
are CCR2B, CCR3, and CCR6 antagonists. Chemokine recpetor agonists
such as RANTES, SDF-1, MIP-1.alpha., MIP-1.beta., etc., may also
inhibit fusion.
[1587] Additional antiretroviral agents include integrase
inhibitors. Integrase inhibitors include dicaffeoylquinic (DFQA)
acids; L-chicoric acid (a dicaffeoyltartaric (DCTA) acid);
quinalizarin (QLC) and related anthraquinones; ZINTEVIR.TM. (AR
177, an oligonucleotide that probably acts at cell surface rather
than being a true integrase inhibitor; Arondex); and naphthols such
as those disclosed in WO 98/50347.
[1588] Additional antiretroviral agents include hydroxyurea-like
compunds such as BCX-34 (a purine nucleoside phosphorylase
inhibitor; Biocryst); ribonucleotide reductase inhibitors such as
DIDOX.TM. (Molecules for Health); inosine monophosphate
dehydrogenase (IMPDH) inhibitors sucha as VX-497 (Vertex); and
mycopholic acids such as CellCept (mycophenolate mofetil;
Roche).
[1589] Additional antiretroviral agents include inhibitors of viral
integrase, inhibitors of viral genome nuclear translocation such as
arylene bis(methylketone) compounds; inhibitors of HIV entry such
as AOP-RANTES, NNY-RANTES, RANTES-IgG fusion protein, soluble
complexes of RANTES and glycosaminoglycans (GAG), and AMD-3100;
nucleocapsid zinc finger inhibitors such as dithiane compounds;
targets of HIV Tat and Rev; and pharmacoenhancers such as
ABT-378.
[1590] Other antiretroviral therapies and adjunct therapies include
cytokines and lymphokines such as MIP-1.alpha., MIP-1.beta.,
SDF-1.alpha., IL-2, PROLEUKIN.TM. (aldesleukin/L2-7001; Chiron),
IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, and IL-13; interferons such as IFN-.alpha.2a;
antagonists of TNFs, NF.kappa.B, GM-CSF, M-CSF, and IL-10; agents
that modulate immune activation such as cyclosporin and prednisone;
vaccines such as Remune.TM. (HIV Immunogen), APL 400-003 (Apollon),
recombinant gp120 and fragments, bivalent (B/E) recombinant
envelope glycoprotein, rgp120CM235, MN rgp120, SF-2 rgp120,
gp120/soluble CD4 complex, Delta JR-FL protein, branched synthetic
peptide derived from discontinuous gp120 C3/C4 domain,
fusion-competent immunogens, and Gag, Pol, Nef, and Tat vaccines;
gene-based therapies such as genetic suppressor elements (GSEs; WO
98/54366), and intrakines (genetically modified CC chemokines
targetted to the ER to block surface expression of newly
synthesized CCR5 (Yang et al., PNAS 94:11567-72 (1997); Chen et
al., Nat. Med. 3:1110-16 (1997)); antibodies such as the anti-CXCR4
antibody 12G5, the anti-CCR5 antibodies 2D7, 5C7, PA8, PA9, PA10,
PA11, PA12, and PA14, the anti-CD4 antibodies Q4120 and RPA-T4, the
anti-CCR3 antibody 7B11, the anti-gp120 antibodies 17b, 48d,
447-52D, 257-D, 268-D and 50.1, anti-Tat antibodies,
anti-TNF-.alpha. antibodies, and monoclonal antibody 33A; aryl
hydrocarbon (AH) receptor agonists and antagonists such as TCDD,
3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl, 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl, and
.alpha.-naphthoflavone (WO 98/30213); and antioxidants such as
.gamma.-L-glutamyl-L-cysteine ethyl ester (.gamma.-GCE; WO
99/56764).
[1591] In a further embodiment, the Therapeutics of the invention
are administered in combination with an antiviral agent. Antiviral
agents that may be administered with the Therapeutics of the
invention include, but are not limited to, acyclovir, ribavirin,
amantadine, and remantidine.
[1592] In other embodiments, Therapeutics of the invention may be
administered in combination with anti-opportunistic infection
agents. Anti-opportunistic agents that may be administered in
combination with the Therapeutics of the invention, include, but
are not limited to, TRIMETHOPRIM-SULFAMETHOXAZOLE.TM., DAPSONE.TM.,
PENTAMIDINE.TM., ATOVAQUONE.TM., ISONIAZID.TM., RIFAMPIN.TM.,
PYRAZINAMIDE.TM., ETHAMBUTOL.TM., RIFABUTIN.TM.,
CLARITHROMYCIN.TM., AZITHROMYCIN.TM., GANCICLOVIR.TM.,
FOSCARNET.TM., CIDOFOVIR.TM., FLUCONAZOLE.TM., ITRACONAZOLE.TM.,
KETOCONAZOLE.TM., ACYCLOVIR.TM., FAMCICOLVIR.TM.,
PYRIMETHAMINE.TM., LEUCOVORIN.TM., NEUPOGEN.TM. (filgrastim/G-CSF),
and LEUKINE.TM. (sargramostim/GM-CSF). In a specific embodiment,
Therapeutics of the invention are used in any combination with
TRIMETHOPRIM-SULFAMETHOXAZOLE.TM., DAPSONE.TM., PENTAMIDINE.TM.,
and/or ATOVAQUONE.TM. to prophylactically treat or prevent an
opportunistic Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia infection. In another
specific embodiment, Therapeutics of the invention are used in any
combination with ISONIAZID.TM., RIFAMPIN.TM., PYRAZINAMIDE.TM.,
and/or ETHAMBUTOL.TM. to prophylactically treat or prevent an
opportunistic Mycobacterium avium complex infection. In another
specific embodiment, Therapeutics of the invention are used in any
combination with RIFABUTIN.TM., CLARITHROMYCIN.TM., and/or
AZITHROMYCIN.TM. to prophylactically treat or prevent an
opportunistic Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. In another
specific embodiment, Therapeutics of the invention are used in any
combination with GANCICLOVIR.TM., FOSCARNET.TM., and/or
CIDOFOVIR.TM. to prophylactically treat or prevent an opportunistic
cytomegalovirus infection. In another specific embodiment,
Therapeutics of the invention are used in any combination with
FLUCONAZOLE.TM., ITRACONAZOLE.TM., and/or KETOCONAZOLE.TM. to
prophylactically treat or prevent an opportunistic fungal
infection. In another specific embodiment, Therapeutics of the
invention are used in any combination with ACYCLOVIR.TM. and/or
FAMCICOLVIR.TM. to prophylactically treat or prevent an
opportunistic herpes simplex virus type I and/or type II infection.
In another specific embodiment, Therapeutics of the invention are
used in any combination with PYRIMETHAMINE.TM. and/or
LEUCOVORIN.TM. to prophylactically treat or prevent an
opportunistic Toxoplasma gondii infection. In another specific
embodiment, Therapeutics of the invention are used in any
combination with LEUCOVORIN.TM. and/or NEUPOGEN.TM. to
prophylactically treat or prevent an opportunistic bacterial
infection.
[1593] In a further embodiment, the Therapeutics of the invention
are administered in combination with an antibiotic agent.
Antibiotic agents that may be administered with the Therapeutics of
the invention include, but are not limited to, amoxicillin,
beta-lactamases, aminoglycosides, beta-lactam (glycopeptide),
beta-lactamases, Clindamycin, chloramphenicol, cephalosporins,
ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, fluoroquinolones, macrolides,
metronidazole, penicillins, quinolones, rapamycin, rifampin,
streptomycin, sulfonamide, tetracyclines, trimethoprim,
trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and vancomycin.
[1594] In other embodiments, Therapeutics of the invention are
administered in combination with immunosuppressive agents.
Immunosuppressive agents that may be administered in combination
with the Therapeutics of the invention include, but are not limited
to, steroids, cyclosporine, cyclosporine analogs, cyclophosphamide
methylprednisone, prednisone, azathioprine, FK-506,
15-deoxyspergualin, and other immunosuppressive agents that act by
suppressing the function of responding T cells. Other
immunosuppressive agents that may be administered in combination
with the Therapeutics of the invention include, but are not limited
to, prednisolone, methotrexate, thalidomide, methoxsalen,
rapamycin, leflunomide, mizoribine (BREDININ.TM.), brequinar,
deoxyspergualin, and azaspirane (SKF 105685), ORTHOCLONE OKT.RTM. 3
(muromonab-CD3), SANDIMMUNE.TM., NEORAL.TM., SANGDYA.TM.
(cyclosporine), PROGRAF.RTM. (FK506, tacrolimus), CELLCEPT.RTM.
(mycophenolate motefil, of which the active metabolite is
mycophenolic acid), IMURAN.TM. (azathioprine),
glucocorticosteroids, adrenocortical steroids such as
DELTASONE.TM.(prednisone) and HYDELTRASOL.TM. (prednisolone),
FOLEX.TM. and MEXATE.TM. (methotrxate), OXSORALEN-ULTRA.TM.
(methoxsalen) and RAPAMUNE.TM. (sirolimus). In a specific
embodiment, immunosuppressants may be used to prevent rejection of
organ or bone marrow transplantation.
[1595] In an additional embodiment, Therapeutics of the invention
are administered alone or in combination with one or more
intravenous immune globulin preparations. Intravenous immune
globulin preparations that may be administered with the
Therapeutics of the invention include, but not limited to,
GAMMAR.TM., IVEEGAM.TM., SANDOGLOBULIN.TM., GAMMAGARD S/D.TM.,
ATGAM.TM. (antithymocyte glubulin), and GAMIMUNE.TM.. In a specific
embodiment, Therapeutics of the invention are administered in
combination with intravenous immune globulin preparations in
transplantation therapy (e.g., bone marrow transplant).
[1596] In certain embodiments, the Therapeutics of the invention
are administered alone or in combination with an anti-inflammatory
agent. Anti-inflammatory agents that may be administered with the
Therapeutics of the invention include, but are not limited to,
corticosteroids (e.g. betamethasone, budesonide, cortisone,
dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone, prednisolone,
prednisone, and triamcinolone), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (e.g., diclofenac, diflunisal, etodolac, fenoprofen,
floctafenine, flurbiprofen, ibuprofen, indomethacin, ketoprofen,
meclofenamate, mefenamic acid, meloxicam, nabumetone, naproxen,
oxaprozin, phenylbutazone, piroxicam, sulindac, tenoxicam,
tiaprofenic acid, and tolmetin.), as well as antihistamines,
aminoarylcarboxylic acid derivatives, arylacetic acid derivatives,
arylbutyric acid derivatives, arylcarboxylic acids, arylpropionic
acid derivatives, pyrazoles, pyrazolones, salicylic acid
derivatives, thiazinecarboxamides, e-acetamidocaproic acid,
S-adenosylmethionine, 3-amino-4-hydroxybutyric acid, amixetrine,
bendazac, benzydamine, bucolome, difenpiramide, ditazol,
emorfazone, guaiazulene, nabumetone, nimesulide, orgotein,
oxaceprol, paranyline, perisoxal, pifoxime, proquazone, proxazole,
and tenidap.
[1597] In an additional embodiment, the compositions of the
invention are administered alone or in combination with an
anti-angiogenic agent. Anti-angiogenic agents that may be
administered with the compositions of the invention include, but
are not limited to, Angiostatin (Entremed, Rockville, Md.),
Troponin-1 (Boston Life Sciences, Boston, Mass.), anti-Invasive
Factor, retinoic acid and derivatives thereof, paclitaxel (Taxol),
Suramin, Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1, Tissue Inhibitor
of Metalloproteinase-2, VEGI, Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1,
Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-2, and various forms of the lighter
"d group" transition metals.
[1598] Lighter "d group" transition metals include, for example,
vanadium, molybdenum, tungsten, titanium, niobium, and tantalum
species. Such transition metal species may form transition metal
complexes. Suitable complexes of the above-mentioned transition
metal species include oxo transition metal complexes.
[1599] Representative examples of vanadium complexes include oxo
vanadium complexes such as vanadate and vanadyl complexes. Suitable
vanadate complexes include metavanadate and orthovanadate complexes
such as, for example, ammonium metavanadate, sodium metavanadate,
and sodium orthovanadate. Suitable vanadyl complexes include, for
example, vanadyl acetylacetonate and vanadyl sulfate including
vanadyl sulfate hydrates such as vanadyl sulfate mono- and
trihydrates.
[1600] Representative examples of tungsten and molybdenum complexes
also include oxo complexes. Suitable oxo tungsten complexes include
tungstate and tungsten oxide complexes. Suitable tungstate
complexes include ammonium tungstate, calcium tungstate, sodium
tungstate dihydrate, and tungstic acid. Suitable tungsten oxides
include tungsten (IV) oxide and tungsten (VI) oxide. Suitable oxo
molybdenum complexes include molybdate, molybdenum oxide, and
molybdenyl complexes. Suitable molybdate complexes include ammonium
molybdate and its hydrates, sodium molybdate and its hydrates, and
potassium molybdate and its hydrates. Suitable molybdenum oxides
include molybdenum (VI) oxide, molybdenum (VI) oxide, and molybdic
acid. Suitable molybdenyl complexes include, for example,
molybdenyl acetylacetonate. Other suitable tungsten and molybdenum
complexes include hydroxo derivatives derived from, for example,
glycerol, tartaric acid, and sugars.
[1601] A wide variety of other anti-angiogenic factors may also be
utilized within the context of the present invention.
Representative examples include, but are not limited to, platelet
factor 4; protamine sulphate; sulphated chitin derivatives
(prepared from queen crab shells), (Murata et al., Cancer Res.
51:22-26, (1991)); Sulphated Polysaccharide Peptidoglycan Complex
(SP-PG) (the function of this compound may be enhanced by the
presence of steroids such as estrogen, and tamoxifen citrate);
Staurosporine; modulators of matrix metabolism, including for
example, proline analogs, cishydroxyproline,
d,L-3,4-dehydroproline, Thiaproline, alpha, alpha-dipyridyl,
aminopropionitrile fumarate;
4-propyl-5-(4-pyridinyl)-2(3H)-oxazolone; Methotrexate;
Mitoxantrone; Heparin; Interferons; 2 Macroglobulin-serum; ChIMP-3
(Pavloff et al., J. Bio. Chem. 267:17321-17326, (1992));
Chymostatin (Tomkinson et al., Biochem J. 286:475-480, (1992));
Cyclodextrin Tetradecasulfate; Eponemycin; Camptothecin; Fumagillin
(Ingber et al., Nature 348:555-557, (1990)); Gold Sodium Thiomalate
("GST"; Matsubara and Ziff, J. Clin. Invest. 79:1440-1446, (1987));
anticollagenase-serum; alpha2-antiplasmin (Holmes et al., J. Biol.
Chem. 262(4):1659-1664, (1987)); Bisantrene (National Cancer
Institute); Lobenzarit disodium
(N-(2)-carboxyphenyl-4-chloroanthronilic acid disodium or "CCA";
(Takeuchi et al., Agents Actions 36:312-316, (1992)); and
metalloproteinase inhibitors such as BB94.
[1602] Additional anti-angiogenic factors that may also be utilized
within the context of the present invention include Thalidomide,
(Celgene, Warren, N.J.); Angiostatic steroid; AGM-1470 (H. Brem and
J. Folkman J Pediatr. Surg. 28:445-51 (1993)); an integrin alpha v
beta 3 antagonist (C. Storgard et al., J. Clin. Invest. 103:47-54
(1999)); carboxynaminolmidazole; Carboxyamidotriazole (CAI)
(National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Md.); Conbretastatin A-4
(CA4P) (OXiGENE, Boston, Mass.); Squalamine (Magainin
Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, Pa.); TNP-470, (Tap
Pharmaceuticals, Deerfield, Ill.); ZD-0101 AstraZeneca (London,
UK); APRA (CT2584); Benefin, Byrostatin-1 (SC339555); CGP-41251
(PKC 412); CM101; Dexrazoxane (ICRF187); DMXAA; Endostatin;
Flavopridiol; Genestein; GTE; ImmTher; Iressa (ZD1839); Octreotide
(Somatostatin); Panretin; Penacillamine; Photopoint; PI-88;
Prinomastat (AG-3340) Purlytin; Suradista (FCE26644); Tamoxifen
(Nolvadex); Tazarotene; Tetrathiomolybdate; Xeloda (Capecitabine);
and 5-Fluorouracil.
[1603] Anti-angiogenic agents that may be administed in combination
with the compounds of the invention may work through a variety of
mechanisms including, but not limited to, inhibiting proteolysis of
the extracellular matrix, blocking the function of endothelial
cell-extracellular matrix adhesion molecules, by antagonizing the
function of angiogenesis inducers such as growth factors, and
inhibiting integrin receptors expressed on proliferating
endothelial cells. Examples of anti-angiogenic inhibitors that
interfere with extracellular matrix proteolysis and which may be
administered in combination with the compositons of the invention
include, but are not lmited to, AG-3340 (Agouron, La Jolla,
Calif.), BAY-12-9566 (Bayer, West Haven, Conn.), BMS-275291
(Bristol Myers Squibb, Princeton, N.J.), CGS-27032A (Novartis, East
Hanover, N.J.), Marimastat (British Biotech, Oxford, UK), and
Metastat (Aetema, St-Foy, Quebec). Examples of anti-angiogenic
inhibitors that act by blocking the function of endothelial
cell-extracellular matrix adhesion molecules and which may be
administered in combination with the compositons of the invention
include, but are not lmited to, EMD-121974 (Merck KcgaA Darmstadt,
Germany) and Vitaxin (Ixsys, La Jolla, Calif./Medimmune,
Gaithersburg, Md.). Examples of anti-angiogenic agents that act by
directly antagonizing or inhibiting angiogenesis inducers and which
may be administered in combination with the compositons of the
invention include, but are not Imited to, Angiozyme (Ribozyme,
Boulder, Colo.), Anti-VEGF antibody (Genentech, S. San Francisco,
Calif.), PTK-787/ZK-225846 (Novartis, Basel, Switzerland), SU-101
(Sugen, S. San Francisco, Calif.), SU-5416 (Sugen/Pharmacia Upjohn,
Bridgewater, N.J.), and SU-6668 (Sugen). Other anti-angiogenic
agents act to indirectly inhibit angiogenesis. Examples of indirect
inhibitors of angiogenesis which may be administered in combination
with the compositons of the invention include, but are not limited
to, IM-862 (Cytran, Kirkland, Wash.), Interferon-alpha, IL-12
(Roche, Nutley, N.J.), and Pentosan polysulfate (Georgetown
University, Washington, D.C.).
[1604] In particular embodiments, the use of compositions of the
invention in combination with anti-angiogenic agents is
contemplated for the treatment, prevention, and/or amelioration of
an autoimmune disease, such as for example, an autoimmune disease
described herein.
[1605] In a particular embodiment, the use of compositions of the
invention in combination with anti-angiogenic agents is
contemplated for the treatment, prevention, and/or amelioration of
arthritis. In a more particular embodiment, the use of compositions
of the invention in combination with anti-angiogenic agents is
contemplated for the treatment, prevention, and/or amelioration of
rheumatoid arthritis.
[1606] In another embodiment, the polynucleotides encoding a
polypeptide of the present invention are administered in
combination with an angiogenic protein, or polynucleotides encoding
an angiogenic protein. Examples of angiogenic proteins that may be
administered with the compositions of the invention include, but
are not limited to, acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors,
VEGF-1, VEGF-2, VEGF-3, epidermal growth factor alpha and beta,
platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor, platelet-derived
growth factor, tumor necrosis factor alpha, hepatocyte growth
factor, insulin-like growth factor, colony stimulating factor,
macrophage colony stimulating factor, granulocyte/macrophage colony
stimulating factor, and nitric oxide synthase.
[1607] In additional embodiments, compositions of the invention are
administered in combination with a chemotherapeutic agent.
Chemotherapeutic agents that may be administered with the
Therapeutics of the invention include, but are not limited to
alkylating agents such as nitrogen mustards (for example,
Mechlorethamine, cyclophosphamide, Cyclophosphamide Ifosfamide,
Melphalan (L-sarcolysin), and Chlorambucil), ethylenimines and
methylmelamines (for example, Hexamethylmelamine and Thiotepa),
alkyl sulfonates (for example, Busulfan), nitrosoureas (for
example, Carmustine (BCNU), Lomustine (CCNU), Semustine
(methyl-CCNU), and Streptozocin (streptozotocin)), triazenes (for
example, Dacarbazine (DTIC; dimethyltriazenoimidazolecarboxamide)),
folic acid analogs (for example, Methotrexate (amethopterin)),
pyrimidine analogs (for example, Fluorouacil (5-fluorouracil;
5-FU), Floxuridine (fluorodeoxyuridine; FudR), and Cytarabine
(cytosine arabinoside)), purine analogs and related inhibitors (for
example, Mercaptopurine (6-mercaptopurine; 6-MP), Thioguanine
(6-thioguanine; TG), and Pentostatin (2'-deoxycoformycin)), vinca
alkaloids (for example, Vinblastine (VLB, vinblastine sulfate)) and
Vincristine (vincristine sulfate)), epipodophyllotoxins (for
example, Etoposide and Teniposide), antibiotics (for example,
Dactinomycin (actinomycin D), Daunorubicin (daunomycin;
rubidomycin), Doxorubicin, Bleomycin; Plicamycin (mithramycin), and
Mitomycin (mitomycin C), enzymes (for example, L-Asparaginase),
biological response modifiers (for example, Interferon-alpha and
interferon-alpha-2b), platinum coordination compounds (for example,
Cisplatin (cis-DDP) and Carboplatin), anthracenedione
(Mitoxantrone), substituted ureas (for example, Hydroxyurea),
methylhydrazine derivatives (for example, Procarbazine
(N-methylhydrazine; M1H), adrenocorticosteroids (for example,
Prednisone), progestins (for example, Hydroxyprogesterone caproate,
Medroxyprogesterone, Medroxyprogesterone acetate, and Megestrol
acetate), estrogens (for example, Diethylstilbestrol (DES),
Diethylstilbestrol diphosphate, Estradiol, and Ethinyl estradiol),
antiestrogens (for example, Tamoxifen), androgens (Testosterone
proprionate, and Fluoxymesterone), antiandrogens (for example,
Flutamide), gonadotropin-releasing horomone analogs (for example,
Leuprolide), other hormones and hormone analogs (for example,
methyltestosterone, estramustine, estramustine phosphate sodium,
chlorotrianisene, and testolactone), and others (for example,
dicarbazine, glutamic acid, and mitotane).
[1608] In one embodiment, the compositions of the invention are
administered in combination with one or more of the following
drugs: infliximab (also known as Remicade.TM. Centocor, Inc.),
Trocade (Roche, RO-32-3555), Leflunomide (also known as Arava.TM.
from Hoechst Marion Roussel), Kineret.TM. (an IL-1 Receptor
antagonist also known as Anakinra from Amgen, Inc.)
[1609] In a specific embodiment, compositions of the invention are
administered in combination with CHOP (cyclophosphamide,
doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) or combination of one or
more of the components of CHOP. In one embodiment, the compositions
of the invention are administered in combination with anti-CD20
antibodies, human monoclonal anti-CD20 antibodies. In another
embodiment, the compositions of the invention are administered in
combination with anti-CD20 antibodies and CHOP, or anti-CD20
antibodies and any combination of one or more of the components of
CHOP, particularly cyclophosphamide and/or prednisone. In a
specific embodiment, compositions of the invention are administered
in combination with Rituximab. In a further embodiment,
compositions of the invention are administered with Rituximab and
CHOP, or Rituximab and any combination of one or more of the
components of CHOP, particularly cyclophosphamide and/or
prednisone. In a specific embodiment, compositions of the invention
are administered in combination with tositumomab. In a further
embodiment, compositions of the invention are administered with
tositumomab and CHOP, or tositumomab and any combination of one or
more of the components of CHOP, particularly cyclophosphamide
and/or prednisone. The anti-CD20 antibodies may optionally be
associated with radioisotopes, toxins or cytotoxic prodrugs.
[1610] In another specific embodiment, the compositions of the
invention are administered in combination Zevalin.TM.. In a further
embodiment, compositions of the invention are administered with
Zevalin.TM. and CHOP, or Zevalin.TM. and any combination of one or
more of the components of CHOP, particularly cyclophosphamide
and/or prednisone. Zevalin.TM. may be associated with one or more
radisotopes. Particularly preferred isotopes are .sup.90Y and
.sup.111In.
[1611] In an additional embodiment, the Therapeutics of the
invention are administered in combination with cytokines. Cytokines
that may be administered with the Therapeutics of the invention
include, but are not limited to, IL2, IL3, IL4, IL5, IL6, IL7, IL
10, IL12, IL13, IL15, anti-CD40, CD40L, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha. In
another embodiment, Therapeutics of the invention may be
administered with any interleukin, including, but not limited to,
IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8,
IL-9, IL-10, IL-11, IL-12, IL-13, IL-14, IL-15, IL-16, IL-17,
IL-18, IL-19, IL-20, and IL-21.
[1612] In one embodiment, the Therapeutics of the invention are
administered in combination with members of the TNF family. TNF,
TNF-related or TNF-like molecules that may be administered with the
Therapeutics of the invention include, but are not limited to,
soluble forms of TNF-alpha, lymphotoxin-alpha (LT-alpha, also known
as TNF-beta), LT-beta (found in complex heterotrimer
LT-alpha2-beta), OPGL, FasL, CD27L, CD30L, CD40L, 4-1BBL, DcR3,
OX40L, TNF-gamma (International Publication No. WO 96/14328), AIM-I
(International Publication No. WO 97/33899), endokine-alpha
(International Publication No. WO 98/07880), OPG, and
neutrokine-alpha (International Publication No. WO 98/18921, OX40,
and nerve growth factor (NGF), and soluble forms of Fas, CD30,
CD27, CD40 and 4-IBB, TR2 (International Publication No. WO
96/34095), DR3 (International Publication No. WO 97/33904), DR4
(International Publication No. WO 98/32856), TR5 (International
Publication No. WO 98/30693), TRANK, TR9 (International Publication
No. WO 98/56892), TR10 (International Publication No. WO 98/54202),
312C2 (International Publication No. WO 98/06842), and TR12, and
soluble forms CD154, CD70, and CD153.
[1613] In an additional embodiment, the Therapeutics of the
invention are administered in combination with angiogenic proteins.
Angiogenic proteins that may be administered with the Therapeutics
of the invention include, but are not limited to, Glioma Derived
Growth Factor (GDGF), as disclosed in European Patent Number
EP-399816; Platelet Derived Growth Factor-A (PDGF-A), as disclosed
in European Patent Number EP-682110; Platelet Derived Growth
Factor-B (PDGF-B), as disclosed in European Patent Number
EP-282317; Placental Growth Factor (PIGF), as disclosed in
International Publication Number WO 92/06194; Placental Growth
Factor-2 (PIGF-2), as disclosed in Hauser et al., Growth Factors,
4:259-268 (1993); Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), as
disclosed in International Publication Number WO 90/13649; Vascular
Endothelial Growth Factor-A (VEGF-A), as disclosed in European
Patent Number EP-506477; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-2
(VEGF-2), as disclosed in International Publication Number WO
96/39515; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor B (VEGF-3); Vascular
Endothelial Growth Factor B-186 (VEGF-B 186), as disclosed in
International Publication Number WO 96/26736; Vascular Endothelial
Growth Factor-D (VEGF-D), as disclosed in International Publication
Number WO 98/02543; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-D (VEGF-D),
as disclosed in International Publication Number WO 98/07832; and
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-E (VEGF-E), as disclosed in
German Patent Number DE19639601. The above mentioned references are
herein incorporated by reference in their entireties.
[1614] In an additional embodiment, the Therapeutics of the
invention are administered in combination with Fibroblast Growth
Factors. Fibroblast Growth Factors that may be administered with
the Therapeutics of the invention include, but are not limited to,
FGF-1, FGF-2, FGF-3, FGF-4, FGF-5, FGF-6, FGF-7, FGF-8, FGF-9,
FGF-10, FGF-11, FGF-12, FGF-13, FGF-14, and FGF-15.
[1615] In an additional embodiment, the Therapeutics of the
invention are administered in combination with hematopoietic growth
factors. Hematopoietic growth factors that may be administered with
the Therapeutics of the invention include, but are not limited to,
granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF)
(sargramostim, LEUKINE.TM., PROKINE.TM.), granulocyte colony
stimulating factor (G-CSF) (filgrastim, NEUPOGEN.TM.), macrophage
colony stimulating factor (M-CSF, CSF-1) erythropoietin (epoetin
alfa, EPOGEN.TM., PROCRIT.TM.), stem cell factor (SCF, c-kit
ligand, steel factor), megakaryocyte colony stimulating factor,
PIXY321 (a GMCSF/IL-3 fusion protein), interleukins, especially any
one or more of IL-1 through IL-12, interferon-gamma, or
thrombopoietin.
[1616] In certain embodiments, Therapeutics of the present
invention are administered in combination with adrenergic blockers,
such as, for example, acebutolol, atenolol, betaxolol, bisoprolol,
carteolol, labetalol, metoprolol, nadolol, oxprenolol, penbutolol,
pindolol, propranolol, sotalol, and timolol.
[1617] In another embodiment, the Therapeutics of the invention are
administered in combination with an antiarrhythmic drug (e.g.,
adenosine, amidoarone, bretylium, digitalis, digoxin, digitoxin,
diliazem, disopyramide, esmolol, flecainide, lidocaine, mexiletine,
moricizine, phenyloin, procainamide, N-acetyl procainamide,
propafenone, propranolol, quinidine, sotalol, tocainide, and
verapamil).
[1618] In another embodiment, the Therapeutics of the invention are
administered in combination with diuretic agents, such as carbonic
anhydrase-inhibiting agents (e.g., acetazolamide, dichlorphenamide,
and methazolamide), osmotic diuretics (e.g., glycerin, isosorbide,
mannitol, and urea), diuretics that inhibit
Na.sup.+-K.sup.+-2Cl.sup.- symport (e.g., furosemide, bumetanide,
azosemide, piretanide, tripamide, ethacrynic acid, muzolimine, and
torsemide), thiazide and thiazide-like diuretics (e.g.,
bendroflumethiazide, benzthiazide, chlorothiazide,
hydrochlorothiazide, hydroflumethiazide, methyclothiazide,
polythiazide, trichormethiazide, chlorthalidone, indapamide,
metolazone, and quinethazone), potassium sparing diuretics (e.g.,
amiloride and triamterene), and mineralcorticoid receptor
antagonists (e.g., spironolactone, canrenone, and potassium
canrenoate).
[1619] In one embodiment, the Therapeutics of the invention are
administered in combination with treatments for endocrine and/or
hormone imbalance disorders. Treatments for endocrine and/or
hormone imbalance disorders include, but are not limited to,
.sup.127I, radioactive isotopes of iodine such as .sup.131I and
.sup.123I; recombinant growth hormone, such as HUMATROPE.TM.
(recombinant somatropin); growth hormone analogs such as
PROTROPIN.TM. (somatrem); dopamine agonists such as PARLODEL.TM.
(bromocriptine); somatostatin analogs such as SANDOSTATIN.TM.
(octreotide); gonadotropin preparations such as PREGNYL.TM.,
A.P.L..TM. and PROFASI.TM. (chorionic gonadotropin (CG)),
PERGONAL.TM. (menotropins), and METRODIN.TM. (urofollitropin
(uFSH)); synthetic human gonadotropin releasing hormone
preparations such as FACTREL.TM. and LUTREPULSE.TM. (gonadorelin
hydrochloride); synthetic gonadotropin agonists such as LUPRON.TM.
(leuprolide acetate), SUPPRELIN.TM. (histrelin acetate),
SYNAREL.TM. (nafarelin acetate), and ZOLADEX.TM. (goserelin
acetate); synthetic preparations of thyrotropin-releasing hormone
such as RELEFACT TRH.TM. and THYPINONE.TM. (protirelin);
recombinant human TSH such as THYROGEN.TM.; synthetic preparations
of the sodium salts of the natural isomers of thyroid hormones such
as L-T.sub.4.TM., SYNTHROID.TM. and LEVOTHROID.TM. (levothyroxine
sodium), L-T.sub.3.TM., CYTOMEL.TM. and TRIOSTAT.TM. (liothyroine
sodium), and THYROLAR.TM. (liotrix); antithyroid compounds such as
6-n-propylthiouracil (propylthiouracil),
1-methyl-2-mercaptoimidazole and TAPAZOLE.TM. (methimazole),
NEO-MERCAZOLE.TM. (carbimazole); beta-adrenergic receptor
antagonists such as propranolol and esmolol; Ca.sup.2+ channel
blockers; dexamethasone and iodinated radiological contrast agents
such as TELEPAQUE.TM. (iopanoic acid) and ORAGRAFIN.TM. (sodium
ipodate).
[1620] Additional treatments for endocrine and/or hormone imbalance
disorders include, but are not limited to, estrogens or congugated
estrogens such as ESTRACE.TM. (estradiol), ESTINYL.TM. (ethinyl
estradiol), PREMARIN.TM., ESTRATAB.TM., ORTHO-EST.TM., OGEN.TM. and
estropipate (estrone), ESTROVIS.TM. (quinestrol), ESTRADERM.TM.
(estradiol), DELESTROGEN.TM. and VALERGEN.TM. (estradiol valerate),
DEPO-ESTRADIOL CYPIONATE.TM. and ESTROJECT LA.TM. (estradiol
cypionate); antiestrogens such as NOLVADEX.TM. (tamoxifen),
SEROPHENE.TM. and CLOMID.TM. (clomiphene); progestins such as
DURALUTIN.TM. (hydroxyprogesterone caproate), MPA.TM. and
DEPO-PROVERA.TM. (medroxyprogesterone acetate), PROVERA.TM. and
CYCRIN.TM. (MPA), MEGACE.TM. (megestrol acetate), NORLUTIN.TM.
(norethindrone), and NORLUTATE.TM. and AYGESTIN.TM. (norethindrone
acetate); progesterone implants such as NORPLANT SYSTEM.TM.
(subdermal implants of norgestrel); antiprogestins such as RU
486.TM. (mifepristone); hormonal contraceptives such as ENOVID.TM.
(norethynodrel plus mestranol), PROGESTASERT.TM. (intrauterine
device that releases progesterone), LOESTRIN.TM., BREVICON.TM.,
MODICON.TM., GENORA.TM., NELONA.TM., NORINYL.TM., OVACON-35.TM. and
OVACON-50.TM. (ethinyl estradiol/norethindrone), LEVLEN.TM.,
NORDETTE.TM., TR1-LEVLEN.TM. and TRIPHASIL-21.TM. (ethinyl
estradiol/levonorgestrel) LO/OVRAL.TM. and OVRAL.TM. (ethinyl
estradiol/norgestrel), DEMULEN.TM. (ethinyl estradiol/ethynodiol
diacetate), NORINYL.TM., ORTHO-NOVUM.TM., NORETHIN.TM., GENORA.TM.,
and NELOVA.TM. (norethindrone/mestranol), DESOGEN.TM. and
ORTHO-CEPT.TM. (ethinyl estradiol/desogestrel), ORTHO-CYCLEN.TM.
and ORTHO-TRICYCLEN.TM. (ethinyl estradiol/norgestimate),
MICRONOR.TM. and NOR-QD.TM. (norethindrone), and OVRETTE.TM.
(norgestrel).
[1621] Additional treatments for endocrine and/or hormone imbalance
disorders include, but are not limited to, testosterone esters such
as methenolone acetate and testosterone undecanoate; parenteral and
oral androgens such as TESTOJECT-50.TM. (testosterone), TESTEX.TM.
(testosterone propionate), DELATESTRYL.TM. (testosterone
enanthate), DEPO-TESTOSTERONE.TM. (testosterone cypionate),
DANOCRINE.TM. (danazol), HALOTESTIN.TM. (fluoxymesterone), ORETON
METHYL.TM., TESTRED.TM. and VIRILON.TM. (methyltestosterone), and
OXANDRIN.TM. (oxandrolone); testosterone transdermal systems such
as TESTODERM.TM.; androgen receptor antagonist and
5-alpha-reductase inhibitors such as ANDROCUR.TM. (cyproterone
acetate), EULEXIN.TM. (flutamide), and PROSCAR.TM. (finasteride);
adrenocorticotropic hormone preparations such as CORTROSYN.TM.
(cosyntropin); adrenocortical steroids and their synthetic analogs
such as ACLOVATE.TM. (alclometasone dipropionate), CYCLOCORT.TM.
(amcinonide), BECLOVENT.TM. and VANCERIL.TM. (beclomethasone
dipropionate), CELESTONE.TM. (betamethasone), BENISONE.TM. and
UTICORT.TM. (betamethasone benzoate), DIPROSONE.TM. (betamethasone
dipropionate), CELESTONE PHOSPHATE.TM. (betamethasone sodium
phosphate), CELESTONE SOLUSPAN.TM. (betamethasone sodium phosphate
and acetate), BETA-VAL.TM. and VALISONE.TM. (betamethasone
valerate), TEMOVATE.TM. (clobetasol propionate), CLODERM.TM.
(clocortolone pivalate), CORTEF.TM. and HYDROCORTONE.TM. (cortisol
(hydrocortisone)), HYDROCORTONE ACETATE.TM. (cortisol
(hydrocortisone)acetate), LOCOID.TM. (cortisol
(hydrocortisone)butyrate), HYDROCORTONE PHOSPHATE.TM. (cortisol
(hydrocortisone) sodium phosphate), A-HYDROCORT.TM. and SOLU
CORTEF.TM. (cortisol (hydrocortisone) sodium succinate),
WESTCORT.TM. (cortisol (hydrocortisone) valerate), CORTISONE
ACETATE.TM. (cortisone acetate), DESOWEN.TM. and TRIDESILON.TM.
(desonide), TOPICORT.TM. (desoximetasone), DECADRON.TM.
(dexamethasone), DECADRON LA.TM. (dexamethasone acetate), DECADRON
PHOSPHATE.TM. and HEXADROL PHOSPHATE.TM. (dexamethasone sodium
phosphate), FLORONE.TM. and MAXIFLOR.TM. (diflorasone diacetate),
FLORINEF ACETATE.TM. (fludrocortisone acetate), AEROBID.TM. and
NASALIDE.TM. (flunisolide), FLUONID.TM. and SYNALAR.TM.
(fluocinolone acetonide), LIDEX.TM. (fluocinonide), FLUOR-OP.TM.
and FML.TM. (fluorometholone), CORDRAN.TM. (flurandrenolide),
HALOG.TM. (halcinonide), HMS LIZUIFILM.TM. (medrysone), MEDROL.TM.
(methylprednisolone), DEPO-MEDROL.TM. and MEDROL ACETATE.TM.
(methylprednisone acetate), A-METHAPRED.TM. and SOLUMEDROL.TM.
(methylprednisolone sodium succinate), ELOCON.TM. (mometasone
furoate), HALDRONE.TM. (paramethasone acetate), DELTA-CORTEF.TM.
(prednisolone), ECONOPRED.TM. (prednisolone acetate),
HYDELTRASOL.TM. (prednisolone sodium phosphate), HYDELTRA-T.B.A.TM.
(prednisolone tebutate), DELTASONE.TM. (prednisone), ARISTOCORT.TM.
and KENACORT.TM. (triamcinolone), KENALOG.TM. (triamcinolone
acetonide), ARISTOCORT.TM. and KENACORT DIACETATE.TM.
(triamcinolone diacetate), and ARISTOSPAN.TM. (triamcinolone
hexacetonide); inhibitors of biosynthesis and action of
adrenocortical steroids such as CYTADREN.TM. (aminoglutethimide),
NIZORAL.TM. (ketoconazole), MODRASTANE.TM. (trilostane), and
METOPIRONE.TM. (metyrapone).
[1622] Additional treatments for endocrine and/or hormone imbalance
disorders include, but are not limited to bovine, porcine or human
insulin or mixtures thereof; insulin analogs; recombinant human
insulin such as HUMULIN.TM. and NOVOLIN.TM.; oral hypoglycemic
agents such as ORAMIDE.TM. and ORINASE.TM. (tolbutamide),
DIABINESE.TM. (chlorpropamide), TOLAMIDE.TM. and TOLINASE.TM.
(tolazamide), DYMELOR.TM. (acetohexamide), glibenclamide,
MICRONASE.TM., DIBETA.TM. and GLYNASE.TM. (glyburide),
GLUCOTROL.TM. (glipizide), and DIAMICRON.TM. (gliclazide),
GLUCOPHAGE.TM. (metformin), PRECOSE.TM. (acarbose), AMARYL.TM.
(glimepiride), and ciglitazone; thiazolidinediones (TZDs) such as
rosiglitazone, AVANDIA.TM. (rosiglitazone maleate) ACTOS.TM.
(piogliatazone), and troglitazone; alpha-glucosidase inhibitors;
bovine or porcine glucagon; somatostatins such as SANDOSTATIN.TM.
(octreotide); and diazoxides such as PROGLYCEM.TM. (diazoxide). In
still other embodiments, Therapeutics of the invention are
administered in combination with one or more of the following: a
biguanide antidiabetic agent, a glitazone antidiabetic agent, and a
sulfonylurea antidiabetic agent.
[1623] In one embodiment, the Therapeutics of the invention are
administered in combination with treatments for uterine motility
disorders. Treatments for uterine motility disorders include, but
are not limited to, estrogen drugs such as conjugated estrogens
(e.g., PREMARIN.RTM. and ESTRATAB.RTM.), estradiols (e.g.,
CLIMARA.RTM. and ALORA.RTM.), estropipate, and chlorotrianisene;
progestin drugs (e.g., AMEN.RTM. (medroxyprogesterone),
MICRONOR.RTM. (norethidrone acetate), PROMETRIUM.RTM. progesterone,
and megestrol acetate); and estrogen/progesterone combination
therapies such as, for example, conjugated
estrogens/medroxyprogesterone (e.g., PREMPRO.TM. and
PREMPHASE.RTM.) and norethindrone acetate/ethinyl estsradiol (e.g.,
FEMHRT.TM.).
[1624] In an additional embodiment, the Therapeutics of the
invention are administered in combination with drugs effective in
treating iron deficiency and hypochromic anemias, including but not
limited to, ferrous sulfate (iron sulfate, FEOSOL.TM.), ferrous
fumarate (e.g., FEOSTAT.TM.), ferrous gluconate (e.g., FERGON.TM.),
polysaccharide-iron complex (e.g., NIFEREX.TM.), iron dextran
injection (e.g., INFED.TM.), cupric sulfate, pyroxidine,
riboflavin, Vitamin B.sub.12, cyancobalamin injection (e.g.,
REDISOL.TM., RUBRAMIN PC.TM.), hydroxocobalamin, folic acid (e.g.,
FOLVITE.TM.), leucovorin (folinic acid, 5-CHOH4PteGlu, citrovorum
factor) or WELLCOVORIN (Calcium salt of leucovorin), transferrin or
ferritin.
[1625] In certain embodiments, the Therapeutics of the invention
are administered in combination with agents used to treat
psychiatric disorders. Psychiatric drugs that may be administered
with the Therapeutics of the invention include, but are not limited
to, antipsychotic agents (e.g., chlorpromazine, chlorprothixene,
clozapine, fluphenazine, haloperidol, loxapine, mesoridazine,
molindone, olanzapine, perphenazine, pimozide, quetiapine,
risperidone, thioridazine, thiothixene, trifluoperazine, and
triflupromazine), antimanic agents (e.g., carbamazepine, divalproex
sodium, lithium carbonate, and lithium citrate), antidepressants
(e.g., amitriptyline, amoxapine, bupropion, citalopram,
clomipramine, desipramine, doxepin, fluvoxamine, fluoxetine,
imipramine, isocarboxazid, maprotiline, mirtazapine, nefazodone,
nortriptyline, paroxetine, phenelzine, protriptyline, sertraline,
tranylcypromine, trazodone, trimipramine, and venlafaxine),
antianxiety agents (e.g., alprazolam, buspirone, chlordiazepoxide,
clorazepate, diazepam, halazepam, lorazepam, oxazepam, and
prazepam), and stimulants (e.g., d-amphetamine, methylphenidate,
and pemoline).
[1626] In other embodiments, the Therapeutics of the invention are
administered in combination with agents used to treat neurological
disorders. Neurological agents that may be administered with the
Therapeutics of the invention include, but are not limited to,
antiepileptic agents (e.g., carbamazepine, clonazepam,
ethosuximide, phenobarbital, phenyloin, primidone, valproic acid,
divalproex sodium, felbamate, gabapentin, lamotrigine,
levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine, tiagabine, topiramate, zonisamide,
diazepam, lorazepam, and clonazepam), antiparkinsonian agents
(e.g., levodopa/carbidopa, selegiline, amantidine, bromocriptine,
pergolide, ropinirole, pramipexole, benztropine; biperiden;
ethopropazine; procyclidine; trihexyphenidyl, tolcapone), and ALS
therapeutics (e.g. riluzole).
[1627] In another embodiment, Therapeutics of the invention are
administered in combination with vasodilating agents and/or calcium
channel blocking agents. Vasodilating agents that may be
administered with the Therapeutics of the invention include, but
are not limited to, Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
(e.g., papaverine, isoxsuprine, benazepril, captopril, cilazapril,
enalapril, enalaprilat, fosinopril, lisinopril, moexipril,
perindopril, quinapril, ramipril, spirapril, trandolapril, and
nylidrin), and nitrates (e.g., isosorbide dinitrate, isosorbide
mononitrate, and nitroglycerin). Examples of calcium channel
blocking agents that may be administered in combination with the
Therapeutics of the invention include, but are not limited to
amlodipine, bepridil, diltiazem, felodipine, flunarizine,
isradipine, nicardipine, nifedipine, nimodipine, and verapamil.
[1628] In additional embodiments, the Therapeutics of the invention
are administered in combination with other therapeutic or
prophylactic regimens, such as, for example, radiation therapy.
Example 24
Method of Treating Decreased Levels of the Polypeptide
[1629] The present invention relates to a method for treating an
individual in need of an increased level of a polypeptide of the
invention in the body comprising administering to such an
individual a composition comprising a therapeutically effective
amount of an agonist of the invention (including polypeptides of
the invention). Moreover, it will be appreciated that conditions
caused by a decrease in the standard or normal expression level of
a secreted protein in an individual can be treated by administering
the polypeptide of the present invention, preferably in the
secreted form. Thus, the invention also provides a method of
treatment of an individual in need of an increased level of the
polypeptide comprising administering to such an individual a
Therapeutic comprising an amount of the polypeptide to increase the
activity level of the polypeptide in such an individual.
[1630] For example, a patient with decreased levels of a
polypeptide receives a daily dose 0.1-100 ug/kg of the polypeptide
for six consecutive days. Preferably, the polypeptide is in the
secreted form. The exact details of the dosing scheme, based on
administration and formulation, are provided in Example 23.
Example 25
Method of Treating Increased Levels of the Polypeptide
[1631] The present invention also relates to a method of treating
an individual in need of a decreased level of a polypeptide of the
invention in the body comprising administering to such an
individual a composition comprising a therapeutically effective
amount of an antagonist of the invention (including polypeptides
and antibodies of the invention).
[1632] In one example, antisense technology is used to inhibit
production of a polypeptide of the present invention. This
technology is one example of a method of decreasing levels of a
polypeptide, preferably a secreted form, due to a variety of
etiologies, such as cancer. For example, a patient diagnosed with
abnormally increased levels of a polypeptide is administered
intravenously antisense polynucleotides at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and
3.0 mg/kg day for 21 days. This treatment is repeated after a 7-day
rest period if the treatment was well tolerated. The formulation of
the antisense polynucleotide is provided in Example 23.
Example 26
Method of Treatment Using Gene Therapy-Ex Vivo
[1633] One method of gene therapy transplants fibroblasts, which
are capable of expressing a polypeptide, onto a patient. Generally,
fibroblasts are obtained from a subject by skin biopsy. The
resulting tissue is placed in tissue-culture medium and separated
into small pieces. Small chunks of the tissue are placed on a wet
surface of a tissue culture flask, approximately ten pieces are
placed in each flask. The flask is turned upside down, closed tight
and left at room temperature over night. After 24 hours at room
temperature, the flask is inverted and the chunks of tissue remain
fixed to the bottom of the flask and fresh media (e.g., Ham's F12
media, with 10% FBS, penicillin and streptomycin) is added. The
flasks are then incubated at 37 degree C. for approximately one
week.
[1634] At this time, fresh media is added and subsequently changed
every several days. After an additional two weeks in culture, a
monolayer of fibroblasts emerge. The monolayer is trypsinized and
scaled into larger flasks.
[1635] pMV-7 (Kirschmeier, P. T. et al., DNA, 7:219-25 (1988)),
flanked by the long terminal repeats of the Moloney murine sarcoma
virus, is digested with EcOR1 and HindIII and subsequently treated
with calf intestinal phosphatase. The linear vector is fractionated
on agarose gel and purified, using glass beads.
[1636] The cDNA encoding a polypeptide of the present invention can
be amplified using PCR primers which correspond to the 5' and 3'
end sequences respectively as set forth in Example 1 using primers
and having appropriate restriction sites and initiation/stop
codons, if necessary. Preferably, the 5' primer contains an EcOR1
site and the 3' primer includes a HindIII site. Equal quantities of
the Moloney murine sarcoma virus linear backbone and the amplified
EcOR1 and HindIII fragment are added together, in the presence of
T4 DNA ligase. The resulting mixture is maintained under conditions
appropriate for ligation of the two fragments. The ligation mixture
is then used to transform bacteria HB 101, which are then plated
onto agar containing kanamycin for the purpose of confirming that
the vector has the gene of interest properly inserted.
[1637] The amphotropic pA317 or GP+am12 packaging cells are grown
in tissue culture to confluent density in Dulbecco's Modified
Eagles Medium (DMEM) with 10% calf serum (CS), penicillin and
streptomycin. The MSV vector containing the gene is then added to
the media and the packaging cells transduced with the vector. The
packaging cells now produce infectious viral particles containing
the gene (the packaging cells are now referred to as producer
cells).
[1638] Fresh media is added to the transduced producer cells, and
subsequently, the media is harvested from a 10 cm plate of
confluent producer cells. The spent media, containing the
infectious viral particles, is filtered through a millipore filter
to remove detached producer cells and this media is then used to
infect fibroblast cells. Media is removed from a sub-confluent
plate of fibroblasts and quickly replaced with the media from the
producer cells. This media is removed and replaced with fresh
media. If the titer of virus is high, then virtually all
fibroblasts will be infected and no selection is required. If the
titer is very low, then it is necessary to use a retroviral vector
that has a selectable marker, such as neo or his. Once the
fibroblasts have been efficiently infected, the fibroblasts are
analyzed to determine whether protein is produced.
[1639] The engineered fibroblasts are then transplanted onto the
host, either alone or after having been grown to confluence on
cytodex 3 microcarrier beads.
Example 27
Gene Therapy Using Endogenous Genes Corresponding To
Polynucleotides of the Invention
[1640] Another method of gene therapy according to the present
invention involves operably associating the endogenous
polynucleotide sequence of the invention with a promoter via
homologous recombination as described, for example, in U.S. Pat.
No. 5,641,670, issued Jun. 24, 1997; International Publication NO:
WO 96/29411, published Sep. 26, 1996; International Publication NO:
WO 94/12650, published Aug. 4, 1994; Koller et al., Proc. Natl.
Acad. Sci. USA, 86:8932-8935 (1989); and Zijlstra et al., Nature,
342:435-438 (1989). This method involves the activation of a gene
which is present in the target cells, but which is not expressed in
the cells, or is expressed at a lower level than desired.
[1641] Polynucleotide constructs are made which contain a promoter
and targeting sequences, which are homologous to the 5' non-coding
sequence of endogenous polynucleotide sequence, flanking the
promoter. The targeting sequence will be sufficiently near the 5'
end of the polynucleotide sequence so the promoter will be operably
linked to the endogenous sequence upon homologous recombination.
The promoter and the targeting sequences can be amplified using
PCR. Preferably, the amplified promoter contains distinct
restriction enzyme sites on the 5' and 3' ends. Preferably, the 3'
end of the first targeting sequence contains the same restriction
enzyme site as the 5' end of the amplified promoter and the 5' end
of the second targeting sequence contains the same restriction site
as the 3' end of the amplified promoter.
[1642] The amplified promoter and the amplified targeting sequences
are digested with the appropriate restriction enzymes and
subsequently treated with calf intestinal phosphatase. The digested
promoter and digested targeting sequences are added together in the
presence of T4 DNA ligase. The resulting mixture is maintained
under conditions appropriate for ligation of the two fragments. The
construct is size fractionated on an agarose gel then purified by
phenol extraction and ethanol precipitation.
[1643] In this Example, the polynucleotide constructs are
administered as naked polynucleotides via electroporation. However,
the polynucleotide constructs may also be administered with
transfection-facilitating agents, such as liposomes, viral
sequences, viral particles, precipitating agents, etc. Such methods
of delivery are known in the art.
[1644] Once the cells are transfected, homologous recombination
will take place which results in the promoter being operably linked
to the endogenous polynucleotide sequence. This results in the
expression of polynucleotide corresponding to the polynucleotide in
the cell. Expression may be detected by immunological staining, or
any other method known in the art.
[1645] Fibroblasts are obtained from a subject by skin biopsy. The
resulting tissue is placed in DMEM+10% fetal calf serum.
Exponentially growing or early stationary phase fibroblasts are
trypsinized and rinsed from the plastic surface with nutrient
medium. An aliquot of the cell suspension is removed for counting,
and the remaining cells are subjected to centrifugation. The
supernatant is aspirated and the pellet is resuspended in 5 ml of
electroporation buffer (20 mM HEPES pH 7.3, 137 mM NaCl, 5 mM KCl,
0.7 mM Na.sub.2 HPO.sub.4, 6 mM dextrose). The cells are
recentrifuged, the supernatant aspirated, and the cells resuspended
in electroporation buffer containing 1 mg/ml acetylated bovine
serum albumin. The final cell suspension contains approximately
3.times.10.sup.6 cells/ml. Electroporation should be performed
immediately following resuspension.
[1646] Plasmid DNA is prepared according to standard techniques.
For example, to construct a plasmid for targeting to the locus
corresponding to the polynucleotide of the invention, plasmid pUC
18 (MBI Fermentas, Amherst, N.Y.) is digested with HindIII. The CMV
promoter is amplified by PCR with an XbaI site on the 5' end and a
BamHI site on the 3'end. Two non-coding sequences are amplified via
PCR: one non-coding sequence (fragment 1) is amplified with a
HindIII site at the 5' end and an Xba site at the 3'end; the other
non-coding sequence (fragment 2) is amplified with a BamHI site at
the 5'end and a HindIII site at the 3'end. The CMV promoter and the
fragments (1 and 2) are digested with the appropriate enzymes (CMV
promoter-XbaI and BamHI; fragment 1-XbaI; fragment 2-BamHI) and
ligated together. The resulting ligation product is digested with
HindIII, and ligated with the HindIII-digested pUC 18 plasmid.
[1647] Plasmid DNA is added to a sterile cuvette with a 0.4 cm
electrode gap (Bio-Rad). The final DNA concentration is generally
at least 120 .mu.g/ml. 0.5 ml of the cell suspension (containing
approximately 1.5..times.10.sup.6 cells) is then added to the
cuvette, and the cell suspension and DNA solutions are gently
mixed. Electroporation is performed with a Gene-Pulser apparatus
(Bio-Rad). Capacitance and voltage are set at 960 .mu.F and 250-300
V, respectively. As voltage increases, cell survival decreases, but
the percentage of surviving cells that stably incorporate the
introduced DNA into their genome increases dramatically. Given
these parameters, a pulse time of approximately 14-20 mSec should
be observed.
[1648] Electroporated cells are maintained at room temperature for
approximately 5 min, and the contents of the cuvette are then
gently removed with a sterile transfer pipette. The cells are added
directly to 10 ml of prewarmed nutrient media (DMEM with 15% calf
serum) in a 10 cm dish and incubated at 37 degree C. The following
day, the media is aspirated and replaced with 10 ml of fresh media
and incubated for a further 16-24 hours.
[1649] The engineered fibroblasts are then injected into the host,
either alone or after having been grown to confluence on cytodex 3
microcarrier beads. The fibroblasts now produce the protein
product. The fibroblasts can then be introduced into a patient as
described above.
Example 28
Method of Treatment Using Gene Therapy--In Vivo
[1650] Another aspect of the present invention is using in vivo
gene therapy methods to treat disorders, diseases and conditions.
The gene therapy method relates to the introduction of naked
nucleic acid (DNA, RNA, and antisense DNA or RNA) sequences into an
animal to increase or decrease the expression of the polypeptide.
The polynucleotide of the present invention may be operatively
linked to a promoter or any other genetic elements necessary for
the expression of the polypeptide by the target tissue. Such gene
therapy and delivery techniques and methods are known in the art,
see, for example, WO90/11092, WO98/11779; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,693,622,
5705151, 5580859; Tabata et al., Cardiovasc. Res. 35(3):470-479
(1997); Chao et al., Pharmacol. Res. 35(6):517-522 (1997); Wolff,
Neuromuscul. Disord. 7(5):314-318 (1997); Schwartz et al., Gene
Ther. 3(5):405-411 (1996); Tsurumi et al., Circulation
94(12):3281-3290 (1996) (incorporated herein by reference).
[1651] The polynucleotide constructs may be delivered by any method
that delivers injectable materials to the cells of an animal, such
as, injection into the interstitial space of tissues (heart,
muscle, skin, lung, liver, intestine and the like). The
polynucleotide constructs can be delivered in a pharmaceutically
acceptable liquid or aqueous carrier.
[1652] The term "naked" polynucleotide, DNA or RNA, refers to
sequences that are free from any delivery vehicle that acts to
assist, promote, or facilitate entry into the cell, including viral
sequences, viral particles, liposome formulations, lipofectin or
precipitating agents and the like. However, the polynucleotides of
the present invention may also be delivered in liposome
formulations (such as those taught in Felgner P. L. et al. (1995)
Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 772:126-139 and Abdallah B. et al. (1995) Biol.
Cell 85(1):1-7) which can be prepared by methods well known to
those skilled in the art.
[1653] The polynucleotide vector constructs used in the gene
therapy method are preferably constructs that will not integrate
into the host genome nor will they contain sequences that allow for
replication. Any strong promoter known to those skilled in the art
can be used for driving the expression of DNA. Unlike other gene
therapies techniques, one major advantage of introducing naked
nucleic acid sequences into target cells is the transitory nature
of the polynucleotide synthesis in the cells. Studies have shown
that non-replicating DNA sequences can be introduced into cells to
provide production of the desired polypeptide for periods of up to
six months.
[1654] The polynucleotide construct can be delivered to the
interstitial space of tissues within the an animal, including of
muscle, skin, brain, lung, liver, spleen, bone marrow, thymus,
heart, lymph, blood, bone, cartilage, pancreas, kidney, gall
bladder, stomach, intestine, testis, ovary, uterus, rectum, nervous
system, eye, gland, and connective tissue. Interstitial space of
the tissues comprises the intercellular fluid, mucopolysaccharide
matrix among the reticular fibers of organ tissues, elastic fibers
in the walls of vessels or chambers, collagen fibers of fibrous
tissues, or that same matrix within connective tissue ensheathing
muscle cells or in the lacunae of bone. It is similarly the space
occupied by the plasma of the circulation and the lymph fluid of
the lymphatic channels. Delivery to the interstitial space of
muscle tissue is preferred for the reasons discussed below. They
may be conveniently delivered by injection into the tissues
comprising these cells. They are preferably delivered to and
expressed in persistent, non-dividing cells which are
differentiated, although delivery and expression may be achieved in
non-differentiated or less completely differentiated cells, such
as, for example, stem cells of blood or skin fibroblasts. In vivo
muscle cells are particularly competent in their ability to take up
and express polynucleotides.
[1655] For the naked polynucleotide injection, an effective dosage
amount of DNA or RNA will be in the range of from about 0.05 g/kg
body weight to about 50 mg/kg body weight. Preferably the dosage
will be from about 0.005 mg/kg to about 20 mg/kg and more
preferably from about 0.05 mg/kg to about 5 mg/kg. Of course, as
the artisan of ordinary skill will appreciate, this dosage will
vary according to the tissue site of injection. The appropriate and
effective dosage of nucleic acid sequence can readily be determined
by those of ordinary skill in the art and may depend on the
condition being treated and the route of administration. The
preferred route of administration is by the parenteral route of
injection into the interstitial space of tissues. However, other
parenteral routes may also be used, such as, inhalation of an
aerosol formulation particularly for delivery to lungs or bronchial
tissues, throat or mucous membranes of the nose. In addition, naked
polynucleotide constructs can be delivered to arteries during
angioplasty by the catheter used in the procedure.
[1656] The dose response effects of injected polynucleotide in
muscle in vivo is determined as follows. Suitable template DNA for
production of mRNA coding for polypeptide of the present invention
is prepared in accordance with a standard recombinant DNA
methodology. The template DNA, which may be either circular or
linear, is either used as naked DNA or complexed with liposomes.
The quadriceps muscles of mice are then injected with various
amounts of the template DNA.
[1657] Five to six week old female and male Balb/C mice are
anesthetized by intraperitoneal injection with 0.3 ml of 2.5%
Avertin. A 1.5 cm incision is made on the anterior thigh, and the
quadriceps muscle is directly visualized. The template DNA is
injected in 0.1 ml of carrier in a 1 cc syringe through a 27 gauge
needle over one minute, approximately 0.5 cm from the distal
insertion site of the muscle into the knee and about 0.2 cm deep. A
suture is placed over the injection site for future localization,
and the skin is closed with stainless steel clips.
[1658] After an appropriate incubation time (e.g., 7 days) muscle
extracts are prepared by excising the entire quadriceps. Every
fifth 15 um cross-section of the individual quadriceps muscles is
histochemically stained for protein expression. A time course for
protein expression may be done in a similar fashion except that
quadriceps from different mice are harvested at different times.
Persistence of DNA in muscle following injection may be determined
by Southern blot analysis after preparing total cellular DNA and
HIRT supernatants from injected and control mice. The results of
the above experimentation in mice can be use to extrapolate proper
dosages and other treatment parameters in humans and other animals
using naked DNA.
Example 29
Transgenic Animals
[1659] The polypeptides of the invention can also be expressed in
transgenic animals. Animals of any species, including, but not
limited to, mice, rats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, pigs,
micro-pigs, goats, sheep, cows and non-human primates, e.g.,
baboons, monkeys, and chimpanzees may be used to generate
transgenic animals. In a specific embodiment, techniques described
herein or otherwise known in the art, are used to express
polypeptides of the invention in humans, as part of a gene therapy
protocol.
[1660] Any technique known in the art may be used to introduce the
transgene (i.e., polynucleotides of the invention) into animals to
produce the founder lines of transgenic animals. Such techniques
include, but are not limited to, pronuclear microinjection
(Paterson et al., Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 40:691-698 (1994);
Carver et al., Biotechnology (NY) 11:1263-1270 (1993); Wright et
al., Biotechnology (NY) 9:830-834 (1991); and Hoppe et al., U.S.
Pat. No. 4,873,191 (1989)); retrovirus mediated gene transfer into
germ lines (Van der Putten et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA
82:6148-6152 (1985)), blastocysts or embryos; gene targeting in
embryonic stem cells (Thompson et al., Cell 56:313-321 (1989));
electroporation of cells or embryos (Lo, 1983, Mol Cell. Biol.
3:1803-1814 (1983)); introduction of the polynucleotides of the
invention using a gene gun (see, e.g., Ulmer et al., Science
259:1745 (1993); introducing nucleic acid constructs into embryonic
pleuripotent stem cells and transferring the stem cells back into
the blastocyst; and sperm-mediated gene transfer (Lavitrano et al.,
Cell 57:717-723 (1989); etc. For a review of such techniques, see
Gordon, "Transgenic Animals," Intl. Rev. Cytol. 115:171-229 (1989),
which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
[1661] Any technique known in the art may be used to produce
transgenic clones containing polynucleotides of the invention, for
example, nuclear transfer into enucleated oocytes of nuclei from
cultured embryonic, fetal, or adult cells induced to quiescence
(Campell et al., Nature 380:64-66 (1996); Wilmut et al., Nature
385:810-813 (1997)).
[1662] The present invention provides for transgenic animals that
carry the transgene in all their cells, as well as animals which
carry the transgene in some, but not all their cells, i.e., mosaic
animals or chimeric. The transgene may be integrated as a single
transgene or as multiple copies such as in concatamers, e.g.,
head-to-head tandems or head-to-tail tandems. The transgene may
also be selectively introduced into and activated in a particular
cell type by following, for example, the teaching of Lasko et al.
(Lasko et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:6232-6236 (1992)). The
regulatory sequences required for such a cell-type specific
activation will depend upon the particular cell type of interest,
and will be apparent to those of skill in the art. When it is
desired that the polynucleotide transgene be integrated into the
chromosomal site of the endogenous gene, gene targeting is
preferred. Briefly, when such a technique is to be utilized,
vectors containing some nucleotide sequences homologous to the
endogenous gene are designed for the purpose of integrating, via
homologous recombination with chromosomal sequences, into and
disrupting the function of the nucleotide sequence of the
endogenous gene. The transgene may also be selectively introduced
into a particular cell type, thus inactivating the endogenous gene
in only that cell type, by following, for example, the teaching of
Gu et al. (Gu et al., Science 265:103-106 (1994)). The regulatory
sequences required for such a cell-type specific inactivation will
depend upon the particular cell type of interest, and will be
apparent to those of skill in the art.
[1663] Once transgenic animals have been generated, the expression
of the recombinant gene may be assayed utilizing standard
techniques. Initial screening may be accomplished by Southern blot
analysis or PCR techniques to analyze animal tissues to verify that
integration of the transgene has taken place. The level of mRNA
expression of the transgene in the tissues of the transgenic
animals may also be assessed using techniques which include, but
are not limited to, Northern blot analysis of tissue samples
obtained from the animal, in situ hybridization analysis, and
reverse transcriptase-PCR (rt-PCR). Samples of transgenic
gene-expressing tissue may also be evaluated immunocytochemically
or immunohistochemically using antibodies specific for the
transgene product.
[1664] Once the founder animals are produced, they may be bred,
inbred, outbred, or crossbred to produce colonies of the particular
animal. Examples of such breeding strategies include, but are not
limited to: outbreeding of founder animals with more than one
integration site in order to establish separate lines; inbreeding
of separate lines in order to produce compound transgenics that
express the transgene at higher levels because of the effects of
additive expression of each transgene; crossing of heterozygous
transgenic animals to produce animals homozygous for a given
integration site in order to both augment expression and eliminate
the need for screening of animals by DNA analysis; crossing of
separate homozygous lines to produce compound heterozygous or
homozygous lines; and breeding to place the transgene on a distinct
background that is appropriate for an experimental model of
interest.
[1665] Transgenic animals of the invention have uses which include,
but are not limited to, animal model systems useful in elaborating
the biological function of polypeptides of the present invention,
studying diseases, disorders, and/or conditions associated with
aberrant expression, and in screening for compounds effective in
ameliorating such diseases, disorders, and/or conditions.
Example 30
Knock-Out Animals
[1666] Endogenous gene expression can also be reduced by
inactivating or "knocking out" the gene and/or its promoter using
targeted homologous recombination. (E.g., see Smithies et al.,
Nature 317:230-234 (1985); Thomas & Capecchi, Cell 51:503-512
(1987); Thompson et al., Cell 5:313-321 (1989); each of which is
incorporated by reference herein in its entirety). For example, a
mutant, non-functional polynucleotide of the invention (or a
completely unrelated DNA sequence) flanked by DNA homologous to the
endogenous polynucleotide sequence (either the coding regions or
regulatory regions of the gene) can be used, with or without a
selectable marker and/or a negative selectable marker, to transfect
cells that express polypeptides of the invention in vivo. In
another embodiment, techniques known in the art are used to
generate knockouts in cells that contain, but do not express the
gene of interest. Insertion of the DNA construct, via targeted
homologous recombination, results in inactivation of the targeted
gene. Such approaches are particularly suited in research and
agricultural fields where modifications to embryonic stem cells can
be used to generate animal offspring with an inactive targeted gene
(e.g., see Thomas & Capecchi 1987 and Thompson 1989, supra).
However this approach can be routinely adapted for use in humans
provided the recombinant DNA constructs are directly administered
or targeted to the required site in vivo using appropriate viral
vectors that will be apparent to those of skill in the art.
[1667] In further embodiments of the invention, cells that are
genetically engineered to express the polypeptides of the
invention, or alternatively, that are genetically engineered not to
express the polypeptides of the invention (e.g., knockouts) are
administered to a patient in vivo. Such cells may be obtained from
the patient (i.e., animal, including human) or an MHC compatible
donor and can include, but are not limited to fibroblasts, bone
marrow cells, blood cells (e.g., lymphocytes), adipocytes, muscle
cells, endothelial cells etc. The cells are genetically engineered
in vitro using recombinant DNA techniques to introduce the coding
sequence of polypeptides of the invention into the cells, or
alternatively, to disrupt the coding sequence and/or endogenous
regulatory sequence associated with the polypeptides of the
invention, e.g., by transduction (using viral vectors, and
preferably vectors that integrate the transgene into the cell
genome) or transfection procedures, including, but not limited to,
the use of plasmids, cosmids, YACs, naked DNA, electroporation,
liposomes, etc. The coding sequence of the polypeptides of the
invention can be placed under the control of a strong constitutive
or inducible promoter or promoter/enhancer to achieve expression,
and preferably secretion, of the polypeptides of the invention. The
engineered cells which express and preferably secrete the
polypeptides of the invention can be introduced into the patient
systemically, e.g., in the circulation, or intraperitoneally.
[1668] Alternatively, the cells can be incorporated into a matrix
and implanted in the body, e.g., genetically engineered fibroblasts
can be implanted as part of a skin graft; genetically engineered
endothelial cells can be implanted as part of a lymphatic or
vascular graft. (See, for example, Anderson et al. U.S. Pat. No.
5,399,349; and Mulligan & Wilson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,959 each
of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety).
[1669] When the cells to be administered are non-autologous or
non-MHC compatible cells, they can be administered using well known
techniques which prevent the development of a host immune response
against the introduced cells. For example, the cells may be
introduced in an encapsulated form which, while allowing for an
exchange of components with the immediate extracellular
environment, does not allow the introduced cells to be recognized
by the host immune system.
[1670] Transgenic and "knock-out" animals of the invention have
uses which include, but are not limited to, animal model systems
useful in elaborating the biological function of polypeptides of
the present invention, studying diseases, disorders, and/or
conditions associated with aberrant expression, and in screening
for compounds effective in ameliorating such diseases, disorders,
and/or conditions.
Example 31
Production of an Antibody Hybridoma Technology
[1671] The antibodies of the present invention can be prepared by a
variety of methods. (See, Current Protocols, Chapter 2.) As one
example of such methods, cells expressing polypeptide(s) of the
invention are administered to an animal to induce the production of
sera containing polyclonal antibodies. In a preferred method, a
preparation of polypeptide(s) of the invention is prepared and
purified to render it substantially free of natural contaminants.
Such a preparation is then introduced into an animal in order to
produce polyclonal antisera of greater specific activity.
[1672] Monoclonal antibodies specific for polypeptide(s) of the
invention are prepared using hybridoma technology. (Kohler et al.,
Nature 256:495 (1975); Kohler et al., Eur. J. Immunol. 6:511
(1976); Kohler et al., Eur. J. Immunol. 6:292 (1976); Hammerling et
al., in: Monoclonal Antibodies and T-Cell Hybridomas, Elsevier,
N.Y., pp. 563-681 (1981)). In general, an animal (preferably a
mouse) is immunized with polypeptide(s) of the invention, or, more
preferably, with a secreted polypeptide-expressing cell. Such
polypeptide-expressing cells are cultured in any suitable tissue
culture medium, preferably in Earle's modified Eagle's medium
supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (inactivated at about
56.degree. C.), and supplemented with about 10 g/l of nonessential
amino acids, about 1,000 U/ml of penicillin, and about 100 .mu.g/ml
of streptomycin.
[1673] The splenocytes of such mice are extracted and fused with a
suitable myeloma cell line. Any suitable myeloma cell line may be
employed in accordance with the present invention; however, it is
preferable to employ the parent myeloma cell line (SP20), available
from the ATCC. After fusion, the resulting hybridoma cells are
selectively maintained in HAT medium, and then cloned by limiting
dilution as described by Wands et al. (Gastroenterology 80:225-232
(1981)). The hybridoma cells obtained through such a selection are
then assayed to identify clones which secrete antibodies capable of
binding the polypeptide(s) of the invention.
[1674] Alternatively, additional antibodies capable of binding
polypeptide(s) of the invention can be produced in a two-step
procedure using anti-idiotypic antibodies. Such a method makes use
of the fact that antibodies are themselves antigens, and therefore,
it is possible to obtain an antibody which binds to a second
antibody. In accordance with this method, protein specific
antibodies are used to immunize an animal, preferably a mouse. The
splenocytes of such an animal are then used to produce hybridoma
cells, and the hybridoma cells are screened to identify clones
which produce an antibody whose ability to bind to the
polypeptide(s) of the invention protein-specific antibody can be
blocked by polypeptide(s) of the invention. Such antibodies
comprise anti-idiotypic antibodies to the polypeptide(s) of the
invention protein-specific antibody and are used to immunize an
animal to induce formation of further polypeptide(s) of the
invention protein-specific antibodies.
[1675] For in vivo use of antibodies in humans, an antibody is
"humanized". Such antibodies can be produced using genetic
constructs derived from hybridoma cells producing the monoclonal
antibodies described above. Methods for producing chimeric and
humanized antibodies are known in the art and are discussed herein.
(See, for review, Morrison, Science 229:1202 (1985); Oi et al.,
BioTechniques 4:214 (1986); Cabilly et al., U.S. Pat. No.
4,816,567; Taniguchi et al., EP 171496; Morrison et al., EP 173494;
Neuberger et al., WO 8601533; Robinson et al., WO 8702671;
Boulianne et al., Nature 312:643 (1984); Neuberger et al., Nature
314:268 (1985).)
Isolation Of Antibody Fragments Directed polypeptide(s) of the
invention From A Library Of scFvs
[1676] Naturally occurring V-genes isolated from human PBLs are
constructed into a library of antibody fragments which contain
reactivities against polypeptide(s) of the invention to which the
donor may or may not have been exposed (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No.
5,885,793 incorporated herein by reference in its entirety).
[1677] Rescue of the Library. A library of scFvs is constructed
from the RNA of human PBLs as described in PCT publication WO
92/01047. To rescue phage displaying antibody fragments,
approximately 109 E. coli harboring the phagemid are used to
inoculate 50 ml of 2.times.TY containing 1% glucose and 100
.mu.g/ml of ampicillin (2.times.TY-AMP-GLU) and grown to an O.D. of
0.8 with shaking. Five ml of this culture is used to innoculate 50
ml of 2.times.TY-AMP-GLU, 2.times.108 TU of delta gene 3 helper (Ml
3 delta gene III, see PCT publication WO 92/01047) are added and
the culture incubated at 37.degree. C. for 45 minutes without
shaking and then at 37.degree. C. for 45 minutes with shaking. The
culture is centrifuged at 4000 r.p.m. for 10 min. and the pellet
resuspended in 2 liters of 2.times.TY containing 100 .mu.g/ml
ampicillin and 50 ug/ml kanamycin and grown overnight. Phage are
prepared as described in PCT publication WO 92/01047.
[1678] M13 delta gene III is prepared as follows: M13 delta gene
III helper phage does not encode gene III protein, hence the phage
(mid) displaying antibody fragments have a greater avidity of
binding to antigen. Infectious M13 delta gene III particles are
made by growing the helper phage in cells harboring a pUC 19
derivative supplying the wild type gene III protein during phage
morphogenesis. The culture is incubated for 1 hour at 37.degree. C.
without shaking and then for a further hour at 37.degree. C. with
shaking. Cells are spun down (IEC-Centra 8,400 r.p.m. for 10 min),
resuspended in 300 ml 2.times.TY broth containing 100 .mu.g
ampicillin/ml and 25 .mu.g kanamycin/ml (2.times.TY-AMP-KAN) and
grown overnight, shaking at 37.degree. C. Phage particles are
purified and concentrated from the culture medium by two
PEG-precipitations (Sambrook et al., 1990), resuspended in 2 ml PBS
and passed through a 0.45 .mu.m filter (Minisart NML; Sartorius) to
give a final concentration of approximately 1013 transducing
units/ml (ampicillin-resistant clones).
[1679] Panning of the Library. Immunotubes (Nunc) are coated
overnight in PBS with 4 ml of either 100 .mu.g/ml or 10 .mu.g/ml of
a polypeptide of the present invention. Tubes are blocked with 2%
Marvel-PBS for 2 hours at 37.degree. C. and then washed 3 times in
PBS. Approximately 1013 TU of phage is applied to the tube and
incubated for 30 minutes at room temperature tumbling on an over
and under turntable and then left to stand for another 1.5 hours.
Tubes are washed 10 times with PBS 0.1% Tween-20 and 10 times with
PBS. Phage are eluted by adding 1 ml of 100 mM triethylamine and
rotating 15 minutes on an under and over turntable after which the
solution is immediately neutralized with 0.5 ml of 1.0M Tris-HCl,
pH 7.4. Phage are then used to infect 10 ml of mid-log E. coli TG1
by incubating eluted phage with bacteria for 30 minutes at
37.degree. C. The E. coli are then plated on TYE plates containing
1% glucose and 100 .mu.g/ml ampicillin. The resulting bacterial
library is then rescued with delta gene 3 helper phage as described
above to prepare phage for a subsequent round of selection. This
process is then repeated for a total of 4 rounds of affinity
purification with tube-washing increased to 20 times with PBS, 0.1%
Tween-20 and 20 times with PBS for rounds 3 and 4. Characterization
of Binders. Eluted phage from the 3rd and 4th rounds of selection
are used to infect E. coli HB 2151 and soluble scFv is produced
(Marks, et al., 1991) from single colonies for assay. ELISAs are
performed with microtitre plates coated with either 10 pg/ml of the
polypeptide of the present invention in 50 mM bicarbonate pH 9.6.
Clones positive in ELISA are further characterized by PCR
fingerprinting (see, e.g., PCT publication WO 92/01047) and then by
sequencing. These ELISA positive clones may also be further
characterized by techniques known in the art, such as, for example,
epitope mapping, binding affinity, receptor signal transduction,
ability to block or competitively inhibit antibody/antigen binding,
and competitive agonistic or antagonistic activity.
Example 32
Assays Detecting Stimulation or Inhibition of B cell Proliferation
and Differentiation
[1680] Generation of functional humoral immune responses requires
both soluble and cognate signaling between B-lineage cells and
their microenvironment. Signals may impart a positive stimulus that
allows a B-lineage cell to continue its programmed development, or
a negative stimulus that instructs the cell to arrest its current
developmental pathway. To date, numerous stimulatory and inhibitory
signals have been found to influence B cell responsiveness
including IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL10, IL-13, IL-14 and
IL-15. Interestingly, these signals are by themselves weak
effectors but can, in combination with various co-stimulatory
proteins, induce activation, proliferation, differentiation,
homing, tolerance and death among B cell populations.
[1681] One of the best studied classes of B-cell co-stimulatory
proteins is the TNF-superfamily. Within this family CD40, CD27, and
CD30 along with their respective ligands CD154, CD70, and CD153
have been found to regulate a variety of immune responses. Assays
which allow for the detection and/or observation of the
proliferation and differentiation of these B-cell populations and
their precursors are valuable tools in determining the effects
various proteins may have on these B-cell populations in terms of
proliferation and differentiation. Listed below are two assays
designed to allow for the detection of the differentiation,
proliferation, or inhibition of B-cell populations and their
precursors.
[1682] In Vitro Assay--Purified polypeptides of the invention, or
truncated forms thereof, is assessed for its ability to induce
activation, proliferation, differentiation or inhibition and/or
death in B-cell populations and their precursors. The activity of
the polypeptides of the invention on purified human tonsillar B
cells, measured qualitatively over the dose range from 0.1 to
10,000 ng/mL, is assessed in a standard B-lymphocyte co-stimulation
assay in which purified tonsillar B cells are cultured in the
presence of either formalin-fixed Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I
(SAC) or immobilized anti-human IgM antibody as the priming agent.
Second signals such as IL-2 and IL-15 synergize with SAC and IgM
crosslinking to elicit B cell proliferation as measured by
tritiated-thymidine incorporation. Novel synergizing agents can be
readily identified using this assay. The assay involves isolating
human tonsillar B cells by magnetic bead (MACS) depletion of
CD3-positive cells. The resulting cell population is greater than
95% B cells as assessed by expression of CD45R (B220).
[1683] Various dilutions of each sample are placed into individual
wells of a 96-well plate to which are added 105 B-cells suspended
in culture medium (RPMI 1640 containing 10% FBS, 5.times.10.sup.-5M
2ME, 100 U/ml penicillin, 10 ug/ml streptomycin, and 10.sup.-5
dilution of SAC) in a total volume of 150 ul. Proliferation or
inhibition is quantitated by a 20 h pulse (1 uCi/well) with
3H-thymidine (6.7 Ci/mM) beginning 72 h post factor addition. The
positive and negative controls are IL2 and medium respectively.
[1684] In Vivo Assay--BALB/c mice are injected (i.p.) twice per day
with buffer only, or 2 mg/Kg of a polypeptide of the invention, or
truncated forms thereof. Mice receive this treatment for 4
consecutive days, at which time they are sacrificed and various
tissues and serum collected for analyses. Comparison of H&E
sections from normal spleens and spleens treated with polypeptides
of the invention identify the results of the activity of the
polypeptides on spleen cells, such as the diffusion of
peri-arterial lymphatic sheaths, and/or significant increases in
the nucleated cellularity of the red pulp regions, which may
indicate the activation of the differentiation and proliferation of
B-cell populations. Immunohistochemical studies using a B cell
marker, anti-CD45R (B220), are used to determine whether any
physiological changes to splenic cells, such as splenic
disorganization, are due to increased B-cell representation within
loosely defined B-cell zones that infiltrate established T-cell
regions.
[1685] Flow cytometric analyses of the spleens from mice treated
with polypeptide is used to indicate whether the polypeptide
specifically increases the proportion of ThB+, CD45R(B220)dull B
cells over that which is observed in control mice.
[1686] Likewise, a predicted consequence of increased mature B-cell
representation in vivo is a relative increase in serum Ig titers.
Accordingly, serum IgM and IgA levels are compared between buffer
and polypeptide-treated mice.
[1687] The studies described in this example tested activity of a
polypeptide of the invention. However, one skilled in the art could
easily modify the exemplified studies to test the activity of
polynucleotides of the invention (e.g., gene therapy), agonists,
and/or antagonists of polynucleotides or polypeptides of the
invention.
Example 33
T Cell Proliferation Assay
[1688] Proliferation assay for Resting PBLs.
[1689] A CD3-induced proliferation assay is performed on PBMCs and
is measured by the uptake of .sup.3H-thymidine. The assay is
performed as follows. Ninety-six well plates are coated with 100
microliters per well of mAb to CD3 (HIT3a, Pharmingen) or
isotype-matched control mAb (B33.1) overnight at 4.degree. C. (1
microgram/ml in 0.05M bicarbonate buffer, pH 9.5), then washed
three times with PBS. PBMC are isolated by F/H gradient
centrifugation from human peripheral blood and added to
quadruplicate wells (5.times.10.sup.4/well) of mAb coated plates in
RPMI containing 10% FCS and P/S in the presence of varying
concentrations of TNF Delta and/or TNF Epsilon protein (total
volume 200 microliters). Relevant protein buffer and medium alone
are controls. After 48 hr. culture at 37.degree. C., plates are
spun for 2 min. at 1000 rpm and 100 microliters of supernatant is
removed and stored -20.degree. C. for measurement of IL-2 (or other
cytokines) if effect on proliferation is observed. Wells are
supplemented with 100 microliters of medium containing 0.5
microcuries of .sup.3H-thymidine and cultured at 37.degree. C. for
18-24 hr. Wells are harvested and incorporation of
.sup.3H-thymidine used as a measure of proliferation. Anti-CD3
alone is the positive control for proliferation. IL-2 (100 U/ml) is
also used as a control which enhances proliferation. Control
antibody which does not induce proliferation of T cells is used as
the negative controls for the effects of TNF Delta and/or TNF
Epsilon proteins.
[1690] Alternatively, a proliferation assay on resting PBL
(peripheral blood lymphocytes) is measured by the up-take of
.sup.3H-thymidine. The assay is performed as follows. PBMC are
isolated by Ficoll (LSM, ICN Biotechnologies, Aurora, Ohio)
gradient centrifugation from human peripheral blood, and are
cultured overnight in 10% (Fetal Calf Serum, Biofluids, Rockville,
Md.)/RPMI (Gibco BRL, Gaithersburg, Md.). This overnight incubation
period allows the adherent cells to attach to the plastic, which
results in a lower background in the assay as there are fewer cells
that can act as antigen presenting cells or that might be producing
growth factors. The following day the non-adherent cells are
collected, washed and used in the proliferation assay. The assay is
performed in a 96 well plate using 2.times.10.sup.4 cells/well in a
final volume of 200 microliters. The supernatants (e.g., CHO or
293T supernatants) expressing the protein of interest are tested at
a 30% final dilution, therefore 60 ul are added to 140 ul of 10%
FCS/RPMI containing the cells. Control supernatants are used at the
same final dilution and express the following proteins: vector
(negative control), IL-2 (*), IFN.quadrature., TNF.quadrature.,
IL-10 and TR2. In addition to the control supernatants, recombinant
human IL-2 (R & D Systems, Minneapolois, Minn.) at a final
concentration of 100 ng/ml is also used. After 24 hours of culture,
each well is pulsed with 1 uCi of .sup.3H-thymidine (Nen, Boston,
Mass.). Cells are then harvested 20 hours following pulsing and
incorporation of .sup.3H-thymidine is used as a measure of
proliferation. Results are expressed as an average of triplicate
samples plus or minus standard error. (*) The amount of the control
cytokines IL-2, IFN.quadrature., TNF.quadrature.and IL-10 produced
in each transfection varies between 300 pg to 5 ng/ml.
[1691] Costimulation Assay.
[1692] A costimulation assay on resting PBL (peripheral blood
lymphocytes) is performed in the presence of immobilized antibodies
to CD3 and CD28. The use of antibodies specific for the invariant
regions of CD3 mimic the induction of T cell activation that would
occur through stimulation of the T cell receptor by an antigen.
Cross-linking of the TCR (first signal) in the absence of a
costimulatory signal (second signal) causes very low induction of
proliferation and will eventually result in a state of "anergy",
which is characterized by the absence of growth and inability to
produce cytokines. The addition of a costimulatory signal such as
an antibody to CD28, which mimics the action of the costimulatory
molecule. B7-1 expressed on activated APCs, results in enhancement
of T cell responses including cell survival and production of IL-2.
Therefore this type of assay allows to detect both positive and
negative effects caused by addition of supernatants expressing the
proteins of interest on T cell proliferation.
[1693] The assay is performed as follows. Ninety-six well plates
are coated with 100 ng/ml anti-CD3 and 5 ug/ml anti-CD28
(Pharmingen, San Diego, Calif.) in a final volume of 100 ul and
incubated overnight at 4 C. Plates are washed twice with PBS before
use. PBMC are isolated by Ficoll (LSM, ICN Biotechnologies, Aurora,
Ohio) gradient centrifugation from human peripheral blood, and are
cultured overnight in 10% FCS (Fetal Calf Serum, Biofluids,
Rockville, Md.)/RPMI (Gibco BRL, Gaithersburg, Md.). This overnight
incubation period allows the adherent cells to attach to the
plastic, which results in a lower background in the assay as there
are fewer cells that can act as antigen presenting cells or that
might be producing growth factors. The following day the non
adherent cells are collected, washed and used in the proliferation
assay. The assay is performed in a 96 well plate using
2.times.10.sup.4 cells/well in a final volume of 200 ul. The
supernatants (e.g., CHO or 293T supernatants) expressing the
protein of interest are tested at a 30% final dilution, therefore
60 ul are added to 140 ul of 10% FCS/RPMI containing the cells.
Control supernatants are used at the same final dilution and
express the following proteins: vector only (negative control),
IL-2, IFN.quadrature., TNF.quadrature., IL-10 and TR2. In addition
to the control supernatants recombinant human IL-2 (R & D
Systems, Minneapolis, Minn.) at a final concentration of 10 ng/ml
is also used. After 24 hours of culture, each well is pulsed with 1
uCi of .sup.3H-thymidine (Nen, Boston, Mass.). Cells are then
harvested 20 hours following pulsing and incorporation of
.sup.3H-thymidine is used as a measure of proliferation. Results
are expressed as an average of triplicate samples plus or minus
standard error.
[1694] Costimulation Assay: IFN.gamma. and IL-2 ELISA.
[1695] The assay is performed as follows. Twenty-four well plates
are coated with either 300 ng/ml or 600 ng/ml anti-CD3 and 5 ug/ml
anti-CD28 (Pharmingen, San Diego, Calif.) in a final volume of 500
ul and incubated overnight at 4 C. Plates are washed twice with PBS
before use. PBMC are isolated by Ficoll (LSM, ICN Biotechnologies,
Aurora, Ohio) gradient centrifugation from human peripheral blood,
and are cultured overnight in 10% FCS (Fetal Calf Serum, Biofluids,
Rockville, Md.)/RPMI (Gibco BRL, Gaithersburg, Md.). This overnight
incubation period allows the adherent cells to attach to the
plastic, which results in a lower background in the assay as there
are fewer cells that can act as antigen presenting cells or that
might be producing growth factors. The following day the non
adherent cells are collected, washed and used in the costimulation
assay. The assay is performed in the pre-coated twenty-four well
plate using 1.times.10.sup.5 cells/well in a final volume of 900
ul. The supernatants (293T supernatants) expressing the protein of
interest are tested at a 30% final dilution, therefore 300 ul are
added to 600 ul of 10% FCS/RPMI containing the cells. Control
supernatants are used at the same final dilution and express the
following proteins: vector only (negative control), IL-2,
IFN.quadrature., IL-12 and IL-18. In addition to the control
supernatants recombinant human IL-2 (all cytokines were purchased
from R & D Systems, Minneapolis, Minn.) at a final
concentration of 10 ng/ml, IL-12 at a final concentration of 1
ng/ml and IL-18 at a final concentration of 50 ng/ml are also used.
Controls and unknown samples are tested in duplicate. Supernatant
samples (250 ul) are collected 2 days and 5 days after the
beginning of the assay. ELISAs to test for IFN.quadrature. and IL-2
secretion are performed using kits purchased from R & D
Systems, (Minneapolis, Minn.). Results are expressed as an average
of duplicate samples plus or minus standard error.
[1696] Proliferation Assay for Preactivated-Resting T Cells.
[1697] A proliferation assay on preactivated-resting T cells is
performed on cells that are previously activated with the lectin
phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Lectins are polymeric plant proteins that
can bind to residues on T cell surface glycoproteins including the
TCR and act as polyclonal activators. PBLs treated with PHA and
then cultured in the presence of low doses of IL-2 resemble
effector T cells. These cells are generally more sensitive to
further activation induced by growth factors such as IL-2. This is
due to the expression of high affinity IL-2 receptors that allows
this population to respond to amounts of IL-2 that are 100 fold
lower than what would have an effect on a naive T cell. Therefore
the use of this type of cells might enable to detect the effect of
very low doses of an unknown growth factor, that would not be
sufficient to induce proliferation on resting (naive) T cells.
[1698] The assay is performed as follows. PBMC are isolated by F/H
gradient centrifugation from human peripheral blood, and are
cultured in 10% FCS (Fetal Calf Serum, Biofluids, Rockville,
Md.)/RPMI (Gibco BRL, Gaithersburg, Md.) in the presence of 2 ug/ml
PHA (Sigma, Saint Louis, Mo.) for three days. The cells are then
washed in PBS and cultured in 10% FCS/RPMI in the presence of 5
ng/ml of human recombinant IL-2 (R & D Systems, Minneapolis,
Minn.) for 3 days. The cells are washed and rested in starvation
medium (1% FCS/RPMI) for 16 hours prior to the beginning of the
proliferation assay. An aliquot of the cells is analyzed by FACS to
determine the percentage of T cells (CD3 positive cells) present;
this usually ranges between 93-97% depending on the donor. The
assay is performed in a 96 well plate using 2.times.10.sup.4
cells/well in a final volume of 200 ul. The supernatants (e.g., CHO
or 293T supernatants) expressing the protein of interest are tested
at a 30% final dilution, therefore 60 ul are added to 140 ul of in
10% FCS/RPMI containing the cells. Control supernatants are used at
the same final dilution and express the following proteins: vector
(negative control), IL-2, IFN.quadrature., TNF.quadrature., IL-10
and TR2. In addition to the control supernatants recombinant human
IL-2 at a final concentration of 10 ng/ml is also used. After 24
hours of culture, each well is pulsed with 1 uCi of
.sup.3H-thymidine (Nen, Boston, Mass.). Cells are then harvested 20
hours following pulsing and incorporation of .sup.3H-thymidine is
used as a measure of proliferation. Results are expressed as an
average of triplicate samples plus or minus standard error.
[1699] The studies described in this example test activity of
polypeptides of the invention. However, one skilled in the art
could easily modify the exemplified studies to test the activity of
polynucleotides of the invention (e.g., gene therapy), agonists,
and/or antagonists of polynucleotides or polypeptides of the
invention.
Example 34
Effect of Polypeptides of the Invention on the Expression of MHC
Class II, Costimulatory and Adhesion Molecules and Cell
Differentiation of Monocytes and Monocyte-Derived Human Dendritic
Cells
[1700] Dendritic cells are generated by the expansion of
proliferating precursors found in the peripheral blood: adherent
PBMC or elutriated monocytic fractions are cultured for 7-10 days
with GM-CSF (50 ng/ml) and IL-4 (20 ng/ml). These dendritic cells
have the characteristic phenotype of immature cells (expression of
CD 1, CD80, CD86, CD40 and MHC class II antigens). Treatment with
activating factors, such as TNF-.alpha., causes a rapid change in
surface phenotype (increased expression of MHC class I and II,
costimulatory and adhesion molecules, downregulation of
FC.gamma.RII, upregulation of CD83). These changes correlate with
increased antigen-presenting capacity and with functional
maturation of the dendritic cells.
[1701] FACS analysis of surface antigens is performed as follows.
Cells are treated 1-3 days with increasing concentrations of
polypeptides of the invention or LPS (positive control), washed
with PBS containing 1% BSA and 0.02 mM sodium azide, and then
incubated with 1:20 dilution of appropriate FITC- or PE-labeled
monoclonal antibodies for 30 minutes at 4 degrees C. After an
additional wash, the labeled cells are analyzed by flow cytometry
on a FACScan (Becton Dickinson).
[1702] Effect on the production of cytokines. Cytokines generated
by dendritic cells, in particular IL-12, are important in the
initiation of T-cell dependent immune responses. IL-12 strongly
influences the development of Th1 helper T-cell immune response,
and induces cytotoxic T and NK cell function. An ELISA is used to
measure the IL-12 release as follows. Dendritic cells (10.sup.6/ml)
are treated with increasing concentrations of polypeptides of the
invention for 24 hours. LPS (100 ng/ml) is added to the cell
culture as positive control. Supernatants from the cell cultures
are then collected and analyzed for IL-12 content using commercial
ELISA kit (e.g, R & D Systems (Minneapolis, Minn.)). The
standard protocols provided with the kits are used.
[1703] Effect on the expression of MHC Class II, costimulatory and
adhesion molecules. Three major families of cell surface antigens
can be identified on monocytes: adhesion molecules, molecules
involved in antigen presentation, and Fc receptor. Modulation of
the expression of MHC class II antigens and other costimulatory
molecules, such as B7 and ICAM-1, may result in changes in the
antigen presenting capacity of monocytes and ability to induce T
cell activation. Increase expression of Fc receptors may correlate
with improved monocyte cytotoxic activity, cytokine release and
phagocytosis.
[1704] FACS analysis is used to examine the surface antigens as
follows. Monocytes are treated 1-5 days with increasing
concentrations of polypeptides of the invention or LPS (positive
control), washed with PBS containing 1% BSA and 0.02 mM sodium
azide, and then incubated with 1:20 dilution of appropriate FITC-
or PE-labeled monoclonal antibodies for 30 minutes at 4 degrees C.
After an additional wash, the labeled cells are analyzed by flow
cytometry on a FACScan (Becton Dickinson).
[1705] Monocyte activation and/or increased survival. Assays for
molecules that activate (or alternatively, inactivate) monocytes
and/or increase monocyte survival (or alternatively, decrease
monocyte survival) are known in the art and may routinely be
applied to determine whether a molecule of the invention functions
as an inhibitor or activator of monocytes. Polypeptides, agonists,
or antagonists of the invention can be screened using the three
assays described below. For each of these assays, Peripheral blood
mononuclear cells (PBMC) are purified from single donor leukopacks
(American Red Cross, Baltimore, Md.) by centrifugation through a
Histopaque gradient (Sigma). Monocytes are isolated from PBMC by
counterflow centrifugal elutriation.
[1706] Monocyte Survival Assay. Human peripheral blood monocytes
progressively lose viability when cultured in absence of serum or
other stimuli. Their death results from internally regulated
process (apoptosis). Addition to the culture of activating factors,
such as TNF-alpha dramatically improves cell survival and prevents
DNA fragmentation. Propidium iodide (PI) staining is used to
measure apoptosis as follows. Monocytes are cultured for 48 hours
in polypropylene tubes in serum-free medium (positive control), in
the presence of 100 ng/ml TNF-alpha (negative control), and in the
presence of varying concentrations of the compound to be tested.
Cells are suspended at a concentration of 2.times.10.sup.6/ml in
PBS containing PI at a final concentration of 5 .mu.g/ml, and then
incubaed at room temperature for 5 minutes before FACScan analysis.
PI uptake has been demonstrated to correlate with DNA fragmentation
in this experimental paradigm.
[1707] Effect on cytokine release. An important function of
monocytes/macrophages is their regulatory activity on other
cellular populations of the immune system through the release of
cytokines after stimulation. An ELISA to measure cytokine release
is performed as follows. Human monocytes are incubated at a density
of 5.times.10.sup.5 cells/ml with increasing concentrations of the
a polypeptide of the invention and under the same conditions, but
in the absence of the polypeptide. For IL-12 production, the cells
are primed overnight with IFN (100 U/ml) in presence of a
polypeptide of the invention. LPS (10 ng/ml) is then added.
Conditioned media are collected after 24 h and kept frozen until
use. Measurement of TNF-alpha, IL-10, MCP-1 and IL-8 is then
performed using a commercially available ELISA kit (e.g, R & D
Systems (Minneapolis, Minn.)) and applying the standard protocols
provided with the kit.
[1708] Oxidative burst. Purified monocytes are plated in 96-w plate
at 2-1.times.10.sup.5 cell/well. Increasing concentrations of
polypeptides of the invention are added to the wells in a total
volume of 0.2 ml culture medium (RPMI 1640+10% FCS, glutamine and
antibiotics). After 3 days incubation, the plates are centrifuged
and the medium is removed from the wells. To the macrophage
monolayers, 0.2 ml per well of phenol red solution (140 mM NaCl, 10
mM potassium phosphate buffer pH 7.0, 5.5 mM dextrose, 0.56 mM
phenol red and 19 U/ml of HRPO) is added, together with the
stimulant (200 nM PMA). The plates are incubated at 37.degree. C.
for 2 hours and the reaction is stopped by adding 20 .mu.l 1N NaOH
per well. The absorbance is read at 610 nm. To calculate the amount
of H.sub.2O.sub.2 produced by the macrophages, a standard curve of
a H.sub.2O.sub.2 solution of known molarity is performed for each
experiment.
[1709] The studies described in this example tested activity of a
polypeptide of the invention. However, one skilled in the art could
easily modify the exemplified studies to test the activity of
polypeptides, polynucleotides (e.g., gene therapy), agonists,
and/or antagonists of the invention.
Example 35
Biological Effects of Polypeptides of the Invention
[1710] Astrocyte and Neuronal Assays
[1711] Recombinant polypeptides of the invention, expressed in
Escherichia coli and purified as described above, can be tested for
activity in promoting the survival, neurite outgrowth, or
phenotypic differentiation of cortical neuronal cells and for
inducing the proliferation of glial fibrillary acidic protein
immunopositive cells, astrocytes. The selection of cortical cells
for the bioassay is based on the prevalent expression of FGF-1 and
FGF-2 in cortical structures and on the previously reported
enhancement of cortical neuronal survival resulting from FGF-2
treatment. A thymidine incorporation assay, for example, can be
used to elucidate a polypeptide of the invention's activity on
these cells.
[1712] Moreover, previous reports describing the biological effects
of FGF-2 (basic FGF) on cortical or hippocampal neurons in vitro
have demonstrated increases in both neuron survival and neurite
outgrowth (Walicke et al., "Fibroblast growth factor promotes
survival of dissociated hippocampal neurons and enhances neurite
extension." Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 83:3012-3016. (1986), assay
herein incorporated by reference in its entirety). However, reports
from experiments done on PC-12 cells suggest that these two
responses are not necessarily synonymous and may depend on not only
which FGF is being tested but also on which receptor(s) are
expressed on the target cells. Using the primary cortical neuronal
culture paradigm, the ability of a polypeptide of the invention to
induce neurite outgrowth can be compared to the response achieved
with FGF-2 using, for example, a thymidine incorporation assay.
Fibroblast and Endothelial Cell Assays
[1713] Human lung fibroblasts are obtained from Clonetics (San
Diego, Calif.) and maintained in growth media from Clonetics.
Dermal microvascular endothelial cells are obtained from Cell
Applications (San Diego, Calif.). For proliferation assays, the
human lung fibroblasts and dermal microvascular endothelial cells
can be cultured at 5,000 cells/well in a 96-well plate for one day
in growth medium. The cells are then incubated for one day in 0.1%
BSA basal medium. After replacing the medium with fresh 0.1% BSA
medium, the cells are incubated with the test proteins for 3 days.
Alamar Blue (Alamar Biosciences, Sacramento, Calif.) is added to
each well to a final concentration of 10%. The cells are incubated
for 4 hr. Cell viability is measured by reading in a CytoFluor
fluorescence reader. For the PGE.sub.2 assays, the human lung
fibroblasts are cultured at 5,000 cells/well in a 96-well plate for
one day. After a medium change to 0.1% BSA basal medium, the cells
are incubated with FGF-2 or polypeptides of the invention with or
without IL-1.alpha. for 24 hours. The supernatants are collected
and assayed for PGE.sub.2 by EIA kit (Cayman, Ann Arbor, Mich.).
For the IL-6 assays, the human lung fibroblasts are cultured at
5,000 cells/well in a 96-well plate for one day. After a medium
change to 0.1% BSA basal medium, the cells are incubated with FGF-2
or with or without polypeptides of the invention IL-1.alpha. for 24
hours. The supernatants are collected and assayed for IL-6 by ELISA
kit (Endogen, Cambridge, Mass.).
[1714] Human lung fibroblasts are cultured with FGF-2 or
polypeptides of the invention for 3 days in basal medium before the
addition of Alamar Blue to assess effects on growth of the
fibroblasts. FGF-2 should show a stimulation at 10-2500 ng/ml which
can be used to compare stimulation with polypeptides of the
invention.
Parkinson Models.
[1715] The loss of motor function in Parkinson's disease is
attributed to a deficiency of striatal dopamine resulting from the
degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic projection neurons.
An animal model for Parkinson's that has been extensively
characterized involves the systemic administration of 1-methyl-4
phenyl 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). In the CNS, MPTP is
taken-up by astrocytes and catabolized by monoamine oxidase B to
1-methyl-4-phenyl pyridine (MPP.sup.+) and released. Subsequently,
MPP.sup.+ is actively accumulated in dopaminergic neurons by the
high-affinity reuptake transporter for dopamine. MPP.sup.+ is then
concentrated in mitochondria by the electrochemical gradient and
selectively inhibits nicotidamide adenine disphosphate: ubiquinone
oxidoreductionase (complex I), thereby interfering with electron
transport and eventually generating oxygen radicals.
[1716] It has been demonstrated in tissue culture paradigms that
FGF-2 (basic FGF) has trophic activity towards nigral dopaminergic
neurons (Ferrari et al., Dev. Biol. 1989). Recently, Dr. Unsicker's
group has demonstrated that administering FGF-2 in gel foam
implants in the striatum results in the near complete protection of
nigral dopaminergic neurons from the toxicity associated with MPTP
exposure (Otto and Unsicker, J. Neuroscience, 1990).
[1717] Based on the data with FGF-2, polypeptides of the invention
can be evaluated to determine whether it has an action similar to
that of FGF-2 in enhancing dopaminergic neuronal survival in vitro
and it can also be tested in vivo for protection of dopaminergic
neurons in the striatum from the damage associated with MPTP
treatment. The potential effect of a polypeptide of the invention
is first examined in vitro in a dopaminergic neuronal cell culture
paradigm. The cultures are prepared by dissecting the midbrain
floor plate from gestation day 14 Wistar rat embryos. The tissue is
dissociated with trypsin and seeded at a density of 200,000
cells/cm.sup.2 on polyorthinine-laminin coated glass coverslips.
The cells are maintained in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's medium and
F12 medium containing hormonal supplements (N1). The cultures are
fixed with paraformaldehyde after 8 days in vitro and are processed
for tyrosine hydroxylase, a specific marker for dopminergic
neurons, immunohistochemical staining. Dissociated cell cultures
are prepared from embryonic rats. The culture medium is changed
every third day and the factors are also added at that time.
[1718] Since the dopaminergic neurons are isolated from animals at
gestation day 14, a developmental time which is past the stage when
the dopaminergic precursor cells are proliferating, an increase in
the number of tyrosine hydroxylase immunopositive neurons would
represent an increase in the number of dopaminergic neurons
surviving in vitro. Therefore, if a polypeptide of the invention
acts to prolong the survival of dopaminergic neurons, it would
suggest that the polypeptide may be involved in Parkinson's
Disease.
[1719] The studies described in this example tested activity of a
polypeptide of the invention. However, one skilled in the art could
easily modify the exemplified studies to test the activity of
polynucleotides (e.g., gene therapy), agonists, and/or antagonists
of the invention.
Example 36
The Effect of Polypeptides of the Invention on the Growth of
Vascular Endothelial Cells
[1720] On day 1, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) are
seeded at 2-5.times.10.sup.4 cells/35 mm dish density in M199
medium containing 4% fetal bovine serum (FBS), 16 units/ml heparin,
and 50 units/ml endothelial cell growth supplements (ECGS,
Biotechnique, Inc.). On day 2, the medium is replaced with M199
containing 10% FBS, 8 units/ml heparin. A polypeptide having the
amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:Y, and positive controls, such as
VEGF and basic FGF (bFGF) are added, at varying concentrations. On
days 4 and 6, the medium is replaced. On day 8, cell number is
determined with a Coulter Counter.
[1721] An increase in the number of HUVEC cells indicates that the
polypeptide of the invention may proliferate vascular endothelial
cells.
[1722] The studies described in this example tested activity of a
polypeptide of the invention. However, one skilled in the art could
easily modify the exemplified studies to test the activity of
polynucleotides (e.g., gene therapy), agonists, and/or antagonists
of the invention.
Example 37
Stimulatory Effect of Polypeptides of the Invention on the
Proliferation of Vascular Endothelial Cells
[1723] For evaluation of mitogenic activity of growth factors, the
calorimetric MTS
(3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl-
).sub.2H-tetrazolium) assay with the electron coupling reagent PMS
(phenazine methosulfate) was performed (CellTiter 96 AQ, Promega).
Cells are seeded in a 96-well plate (5,000 cells/well) in 0.1 mL
serum-supplemented medium and are allowed to attach overnight.
After serum-starvation for 12 hours in 0.5% FBS, conditions (bFGF,
VEGF.sub.165 or a polypeptide of the invention in 0.5% FBS) with or
without Heparin (8 U/ml) are added to wells for 48 hours. 20 mg of
MTS/PMS mixture (1:0.05) are added per well and allowed to incubate
for 1 hour at 37.degree. C. before measuring the absorbance at 490
nm in an ELISA plate reader. Background absorbance from control
wells (some media, no cells) is subtracted, and seven wells are
performed in parallel for each condition. See, Leak et al. In Vitro
Cell. Dev. Biol. 30A:512-518 (1994).
[1724] The studies described in this example tested activity of a
polypeptide of the invention. However, one skilled in the art could
easily modify the exemplified studies to test the activity of
polynucleotides (e.g., gene therapy), agonists, and/or antagonists
of the invention.
Example 38
Inhibition of PDGF-induced Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell
Proliferation Stimulatory Effect
[1725] HAoSMC proliferation can be measured, for example, by BrdUrd
incorporation. Briefly, subconfluent, quiescent cells grown on the
4-chamber slides are transfected with CRP or FITC-labeled AT2-3LP.
Then, the cells are pulsed with 10% calf serum and 6 mg/ml BrdUrd.
After 24 h, immunocytochemistry is performed by using BrdUrd
Staining Kit (Zymed Laboratories). In brief, the cells are
incubated with the biotinylated mouse anti-BrdUrd antibody at 4
degrees C. for 2 h after being exposed to denaturing solution and
then incubated with the streptavidin-peroxidase and
diaminobenzidine. After counterstaining with hematoxylin, the cells
are mounted for microscopic examination, and the BrdUrd-positive
cells are counted. The BrdUrd index is calculated as a percent of
the BrdUrd-positive cells to the total cell number. In addition,
the simultaneous detection of the BrdUrd staining (nucleus) and the
FITC uptake (cytoplasm) is performed for individual cells by the
concomitant use of bright field illumination and dark field-UV
fluorescent illumination. See, Hayashida et al., J. Biol. Chem.
6:271(36):21985-21992 (1996).
[1726] The studies described in this example tested activity of a
polypeptide of the invention. However, one skilled in the art could
easily modify the exemplified studies to test the activity of
polynucleotides (e.g., gene therapy), agonists, and/or antagonists
of the invention.
Example 39
Stimulation of Endothelial Migration
[1727] This example will be used to explore the possibility that a
polypeptide of the invention may stimulate lymphatic endothelial
cell migration.
[1728] Endothelial cell migration assays are performed using a 48
well microchemotaxis chamber (Neuroprobe Inc., Cabin John, MD;
Falk, W., et al., J. Immunological Methods 1980;33:239-247).
Polyvinylpyrrolidone-free polycarbonate filters with a pore size of
8 um (Nucleopore Corp. Cambridge, Mass.) are coated with 0.1%
gelatin for at least 6 hours at room temperature and dried under
sterile air. Test substances are diluted to appropriate
concentrations in M199 supplemented with 0.25% bovine serum albumin
(BSA), and 25 ul of the final dilution is placed in the lower
chamber of the modified Boyden apparatus. Subconfluent, early
passage (2-6) HUVEC or BMEC cultures are washed and trypsinized for
the minimum time required to achieve cell detachment. After placing
the filter between lower and upper chamber, 2.5.times.10.sup.5
cells suspended in 50 ul M199 containing 1% FBS are seeded in the
upper compartment. The apparatus is then incubated for 5 hours at
37.degree. C. in a humidified chamber with 5% CO.sub.2 to allow
cell migration. After the incubation period, the filter is removed
and the upper side of the filter with the non-migrated cells is
scraped with a rubber policeman. The filters are fixed with
methanol and stained with a Giemsa solution (Diff-Quick, Baxter,
McGraw Park, Ill.). Migration is quantified by counting cells of
three random high-power fields (40.times.) in each well, and all
groups are performed in quadruplicate.
[1729] The studies described in this example tested activity of a
polypeptide of the invention. However, one skilled in the art could
easily modify the exemplified studies to test the activity of
polynucleotides (e.g., gene therapy), agonists, and/or antagonists
of the invention.
Example 40
Stimulation of Nitric Oxide Production by Endothelial Cells
[1730] Nitric oxide released by the vascular endothelium is
believed to be a mediator of vascular endothelium relaxation. Thus,
activity of a polypeptide of the invention can be assayed by
determining nitric oxide production by endothelial cells in
response to the polypeptide.
[1731] Nitric oxide is measured in 96-well plates of confluent
microvascular endothelial cells after 24 hours starvation and a
subsequent 4 hr exposure to various levels of a positive control
(such as VEGF-1) and the polypeptide of the invention. Nitric oxide
in the medium is determined by use of the Griess reagent to measure
total nitrite after reduction of nitric oxide-derived nitrate by
nitrate reductase. The effect of the polypeptide of the invention
on nitric oxide release is examined on HUVEC.
[1732] Briefly, NO release from cultured HUVEC monolayer is
measured with a NO-specific polarographic electrode connected to a
NO meter (Iso-NO, World Precision Instruments Inc.) (1049).
Calibration of the NO elements is performed according to the
following equation: 2KNO.sub.2+2 KI+2H.sub.2SO.sub.4 6
2NO+I.sub.2+2 H.sub.2O+2 K.sub.2SO.sub.4
[1733] The standard calibration curve is obtained by adding graded
concentrations of KNO.sub.2 (0, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, and 500
nmol/L) into the calibration solution containing K.sub.1 and
H.sub.2SO.sub.4. The specificity of the Iso-NO electrode to NO is
previously determined by measurement of NO from authentic NO gas
(1050). The culture medium is removed and HUVECs are washed twice
with Dulbecco's phosphate buffered saline. The cells are then
bathed in 5 ml of filtered Krebs-Henseleit solution in 6-well
plates, and the cell plates are kept on a slide warmer (Lab Line
Instruments Inc.) To maintain the temperature at 37.degree. C. The
NO sensor probe is inserted vertically into the wells, keeping the
tip of the electrode 2 mm under the surface of the solution, before
addition of the different conditions. S-nitroso acetyl penicillamin
(SNAP) is used as a positive control. The amount of released NO is
expressed as picomoles per 1.times.10.sup.6 endothelial cells. All
values reported are means of four to six measurements in each group
(number of cell culture wells). See, Leak et al. Biochem. and
Biophys. Res. Comm. 217:96-105 (1995).
[1734] The studies described in this example tested activity of
polypeptides of the invention. However, one skilled in the art
could easily modify the exemplified studies to test the activity of
polynucleotides (e.g., gene therapy), agonists, and/or antagonists
of the invention.
Example 41
Effect of Polypepides of the Invention on Cord Formation in
Angiogenesis
[1735] Another step in angiogenesis is cord formation, marked by
differentiation of endothelial cells. This bioassay measures the
ability of microvascular endothelial cells to form capillary-like
structures (hollow structures) when cultured in vitro.
[1736] CADMEC (microvascular endothelial cells) are purchased from
Cell Applications, Inc. as proliferating (passage 2) cells and are
cultured in Cell Applications' CADMEC Growth Medium and used at
passage 5. For the in vitro angiogenesis assay, the wells of a
48-well cell culture plate are coated with Cell Applications'
Attachment Factor Medium (200 ml/well) for 30 min. at 37.degree. C.
CADMEC are seeded onto the coated wells at 7,500 cells/well and
cultured overnight in Growth Medium. The Growth Medium is then
replaced with 300 mg Cell Applications' Chord Formation Medium
containing control buffer or a polypeptide of the invention (0.1 to
100 ng/ml) and the cells are cultured for an additional 48 hr. The
numbers and lengths of the capillary-like chords are quantitated
through use of the Boeckeler VIA-170 video image analyzer. All
assays are done in triplicate.
[1737] Commercial (R&D) VEGF (50 ng/ml) is used as a positive
control. b-esteradiol (1 ng/ml) is used as a negative control. The
appropriate buffer (without protein) is also utilized as a
control.
[1738] The studies described in this example tested activity of a
polypeptide of the invention. However, one skilled in the art could
easily modify the exemplified studies to test the activity of
polynucleotides (e.g., gene therapy), agonists, and/or antagonists
of the invention.
Example 42
Angiogenic Effect on Chick Chorioallantoic Membrane
[1739] Chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) is a well-established
system to examine angiogenesis. Blood vessel formation on CAM is
easily visible and quantifiable. The ability of polypeptides of the
invention to stimulate angiogenesis in CAM can be examined.
[1740] Fertilized eggs of the White Leghorn chick (Gallus gallus)
and the Japanese qual (Coturnix coturnix) are incubated at
37.8.degree. C. and 80% humidity. Differentiated CAM of 16-day-old
chick and 13-day-old qual embryos is studied with the following
methods.
[1741] On Day 4 of development, a window is made into the egg shell
of chick eggs. The embryos are checked for normal development and
the eggs sealed with cellotape. They are further incubated until
Day 13. Thermanox coverslips (Nunc, Naperville, Ill.) are cut into
disks of about 5 mm in diameter. Sterile and salt-free growth
factors are dissolved in distilled water and about 3.3 mg/5 ml are
pipetted on the disks. After air-drying, the inverted disks are
applied on CAM. After 3 days, the specimens are fixed in 3%
glutaraldehyde and 2% formaldehyde and rinsed in 0.12 M sodium
cacodylate buffer. They are photographed with a stereo microscope
[Wild M8] and embedded for semi- and ultrathin sectioning as
described above. Controls are performed with carrier disks
alone.
[1742] The studies described in this example tested activity of a
polypeptide of the invention. However, one skilled in the art could
easily modify the exemplified studies to test the activity of
polynucleotides (e.g., gene therapy), agonists, and/or antagonists
of the invention.
Example 43
Angiogenesis Assay Using a Matrigel Implant in Mouse
[1743] In vivo angiogenesis assay of a polypeptide of the invention
measures the ability of an existing capillary network to form new
vessels in an implanted capsule of murine extracellular matrix
material (Matrigel). The protein is mixed with the liquid Matrigel
at 4 degree C. and the mixture is then injected subcutaneously in
mice where it solidifies. After 7 days, the solid "plug" of
Matrigel is removed and examined for the presence of new blood
vessels. Matrigel is purchased from Becton Dickinson
Labware/Collaborative Biomedical Products.
[1744] When thawed at 4 degree C. the Matrigel material is a
liquid. The Matrigel is mixed with a polypeptide of the invention
at 150 ng/ml at 4 degrees C. and drawn into cold 3 ml syringes.
Female C57B1/6 mice approximately 8 weeks old are injected with the
mixture of Matrigel and experimental protein at 2 sites at the
midventral aspect of the abdomen (0.5 ml/site). After 7 days, the
mice are sacrificed by cervical dislocation, the Matrigel plugs are
removed and cleaned (i.e., all clinging membranes and fibrous
tissue is removed). Replicate whole plugs are fixed in neutral
buffered 10% formaldehyde, embedded in paraffin and used to produce
sections for histological examination after staining with Masson's
Trichrome. Cross sections from 3 different regions of each plug are
processed. Selected sections are stained for the presence of vWF.
The positive control for this assay is bovine basic FGF (150
ng/ml). Matrigel alone is used to determine basal levels of
angiogenesis.
[1745] The studies described in this example tested activity of a
polypeptide of the invention. However, one skilled in the art could
easily modify the exemplified studies to test the activity of
polynucleotides (e.g., gene therapy), agonists, and/or antagonists
of the invention.
Example 44
Rescue of Ischemia in Rabbit Lower Limb Model
[1746] To study the in vivo effects of polynucleotides and
polypeptides of the invention on ischemia, a rabbit hindlimb
ischemia model is created by surgical removal of one femoral
arteries as described previously (Takeshita et al., Am J. Pathol
147:1649-1660 (1995)). The excision of the femoral artery results
in retrograde propagation of thrombus and occlusion of the external
iliac artery. Consequently, blood flow to the ischemic limb is
dependent upon collateral vessels originating from the internal
iliac artery (Takeshita et al. Am J. Pathol 147:1649-1660 (1995)).
An interval of 10 days is allowed for post-operative recovery of
rabbits and development of endogenous collateral vessels. At 10 day
post-operatively (day 0), after performing a baseline angiogram,
the internal iliac artery of the ischemic limb is transfected with
500 mg naked expression plasmid containing a polynucleotide of the
invention by arterial gene transfer technology using a
hydrogel-coated balloon catheter as described (Riessen et al. Hum
Gene Ther. 4:749-758 (1993); Leclerc et al. J. Clin. Invest. 90:
936-944 (1992)). When a polypeptide of the invention is used in the
treatment, a single bolus of 500 mg polypeptide of the invention or
control is delivered into the internal iliac artery of the ischemic
limb over a period of 1 min. through an infusion catheter. On day
30, various parameters are measured in these rabbits: (a) BP
ratio--The blood pressure ratio of systolic pressure of the
ischemic limb to that of normal limb; (b) Blood Flow and Flow
Reserve--Resting FL: the blood flow during undilated condition and
Max FL: the blood flow during fully dilated condition (also an
indirect measure of the blood vessel amount) and Flow Reserve is
reflected by the ratio of max FL: resting FL; (c) Angiographic
Score--This is measured by the angiogram of collateral vessels. A
score is determined by the percentage of circles in an overlaying
grid that with crossing opacified arteries divided by the total
number m the rabbit thigh; (d) Capillary density--The number of
collateral capillaries determined in light microscopic sections
taken from hindlimbs.
[1747] The studies described in this example tested activity of
polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention. However, one
skilled in the art could easily modify the exemplified studies to
test the agonists, and/or antagonists of the invention.
Example 45
Effect of Polypeptides of the Invention on Vasodilation
[1748] Since dilation of vascular endothelium is important in
reducing blood pressure, the ability of polypeptides of the
invention to affect the blood pressure in spontaneously
hypertensive rats (SHR) is examined. Increasing doses (0, 10, 30,
100, 300, and 900 mg/kg) of the polypeptides of the invention are
administered to 13-14 week old spontaneously hypertensive rats
(SHR). Data are expressed as the mean +/-SEM. Statistical analysis
are performed with a paired t-test and statistical significance is
defined as p<0.05 vs. the response to buffer alone.
[1749] The studies described in this example tested activity of a
polypeptide of the invention. However, one skilled in the art could
easily modify the exemplified studies to test the activity of
polynucleotides (e.g., gene therapy), agonists, and/or antagonists
of the invention.
Example 46
Rat Ischemic Skin Flap Model
[1750] The evaluation parameters include skin blood flow, skin
temperature, and factor VIII immunohistochemistry or endothelial
alkaline phosphatase reaction. Expression of polypeptides of the
invention, during the skin ischemia, is studied using in situ
hybridization.
[1751] The study in this model is divided into three parts as
follows: [1752] Ischemic skin [1753] Ischemic skin wounds [1754]
Normal wounds The experimental protocol includes: [1755] Raising a
3.times.4 cm, single pedicle full-thickness random skin flap
(myocutaneous flap over the lower back of the animal). [1756] An
excisional wounding (4-6 mm in diameter) in the ischemic skin
(skin-flap). [1757] Topical treatment with a polypeptide of the
invention of the excisional wounds (day 0, 1, 2, 3, 4
post-wounding) at the following various dosage ranges: [1758] 1 mg
to 100 mg. Harvesting the wound tissues at day 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 and
21 post-wounding for histological, immunohistochemical, and in situ
studies.
[1759] The studies described in this example tested activity of a
polypeptide of the invention. However, one skilled in the art could
easily modify the exemplified studies to test the activity of
polynucleotides (e.g., gene therapy), agonists, and/or antagonists
of the invention.
Example 47
Peripheral Arterial Disease Model
[1760] Angiogenic therapy using a polypeptide of the invention is a
novel therapeutic strategy to obtain restoration of blood flow
around the ischemia in case of peripheral arterial diseases. The
experimental protocol includes:
[1761] One side of the femoral artery is ligated to create ischemic
muscle of the hindlimb, the other side of hindlimb serves as a
control.
[1762] A polypeptide of the invention, in a dosage range of 20
mg-500 mg, is delivered intravenously and/or intramuscularly 3
times (perhaps more) per week for 2-3 weeks.
[1763] The ischemic muscle tissue is collected after ligation of
the femoral artery at 1, 2, and 3 weeks for the analysis of
expression of a polypeptide of the invention and histology. Biopsy
is also performed on the other side of normal muscle of the
contralateral hindlimb.
[1764] The studies described in this example tested activity of a
polypeptide of the invention. However, one skilled in the art could
easily modify the exemplified studies to test the activity of
polynucleotides (e.g., gene therapy), agonists, and/or antagonists
of the invention.
Example 48
Ischemic Myocardial Disease Model
[1765] A polypeptide of the invention is evaluated as a potent
mitogen capable of stimulating the development of collateral
vessels, and restructuring new vessels after coronary artery
occlusion. Alteration of expression of the polypeptide is
investigated in situ. The experimental protocol includes:
[1766] The heart is exposed through a left-side thoracotomy in the
rat. Immediately, the left coronary artery is occluded with a thin
suture (6-0) and the thorax is closed.
[1767] A polypeptide of the invention, in a dosage range of 20
mg-500 mg, is delivered intravenously and/or intramuscularly 3
times (perhaps more) per week for 2-4 weeks.
[1768] Thirty days after the surgery, the heart is removed and
cross-sectioned for morphometric and in situ analyzes.
[1769] The studies described in this example tested activity of a
polypeptide of the invention. However, one skilled in the art could
easily modify the exemplified studies to test the activity of
polynucleotides (e.g., gene therapy), agonists, and/or antagonists
of the invention.
Example 49
Rat Corneal Wound Healing Model
[1770] This animal model shows the effect of a polypeptide of the
invention on neovascularization. The experimental protocol
includes:
[1771] Making a 1-1.5 mm long incision from the center of cornea
into the stromal layer. Inserting a spatula below the lip of the
incision facing the outer corner of the eye. Making a pocket (its
base is 1-1.5 mm form the edge of the eye). Positioning a pellet,
containing 50 ng-5 ug of a polypeptide of the invention, within the
pocket.
[1772] Treatment with a polypeptide of the invention can also be
applied topically to the corneal wounds in a dosage range of 20
mg-500 mg (daily treatment for five days).
[1773] The studies described in this example tested activity of a
polypeptide of the invention. However, one skilled in the art could
easily modify the exemplified studies to test the activity of
polynucleotides (e.g., gene therapy), agonists, and/or antagonists
of the invention.
Example 50
Diabetic Mouse and Glucocorticoid-Impaired Wound Healing Models
Diabetic db+/db+Mouse Model.
[1774] To demonstrate that a polypeptide of the invention
accelerates the healing process, the genetically diabetic mouse
model of wound healing is used. The full thickness wound healing
model in the db+/db+mouse is a well characterized, clinically
relevant and reproducible model of impaired wound healing. Healing
of the diabetic wound is dependent on formation of granulation
tissue and re-epithelialization rather than contraction (Gartner,
M. H. et al., J. Surg. Res. 52:389 (1992); Greenhalgh, D. G. et
al., Am. J. Pathol. 136:1235 (1990)).
[1775] The diabetic animals have many of the characteristic
features observed in Type II diabetes mellitus. Homozygous
(db+/db+) mice are obese in comparison to their normal heterozygous
(db+/+m) littermates. Mutant diabetic (db+/db+) mice have a single
autosomal recessive mutation on chromosome 4 (db+) (Coleman et al.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 77:283-293 (1982)). Animals show
polyphagia, polydipsia and polyuria. Mutant diabetic mice (db+/db+)
have elevated blood glucose, increased or normal insulin levels,
and suppressed cell-mediated immunity (Mandel et al., J. Immunol.
120:1375 (1978); Debray-Sachs, M. et al., Clin. Exp. Immunol.
51(1):1-7 (1983); Leiter et al., Am. J. of Pathol. 114:46-55
(1985)). Peripheral neuropathy, myocardial complications, and
microvascular lesions, basement membrane thickening and glomerular
filtration abnormalities have been described in these animals
(Norido, F. et al., Exp. Neurol. 83(2):221-232 (1984); Robertson et
al., Diabetes 29(1):60-67 (1980); Giacomelli et al., Lab Invest.
40(4):460-473 (1979); Coleman, D. L., Diabetes 31 (Suppl):1-6
(1982)). These homozygous diabetic mice develop hyperglycemia that
is resistant to insulin analogous to human type II diabetes (Mandel
et al., J. Immunol. 120:1375-1377 (1978)).
[1776] The characteristics observed in these animals suggests that
healing in this model may be similar to the healing observed in
human diabetes (Greenhalgh, et al., Am. J. of Pathol. 136:1235-1246
(1990)).
[1777] Genetically diabetic female C57BL/KsJ (db+/db+) mice and
their non-diabetic (db+/+m) heterozygous littermates are used in
this study (Jackson Laboratories). The animals are purchased at 6
weeks of age and are 8 weeks old at the beginning of the study.
Animals are individually housed and received food and water ad
libitum. All manipulations are performed using aseptic techniques.
The experiments are conducted according to the rules and guidelines
of Human Genome Sciences, Inc. Institutional Animal Care and Use
Committee and the Guidelines for the Care and Use of Laboratory
Animals.
[1778] Wounding protocol is performed according to previously
reported methods (Tsuboi, R. and Riflin, D. B., J. Exp. Med.
172:245-251 (1990)). Briefly, on the day of wounding, animals are
anesthetized with an intraperitoneal injection of Avertin (0.01
mg/mL), 2,2,2-tribromoethanol and 2-methyl-2-butanol dissolved in
deionized water. The dorsal region of the animal is shaved and the
skin washed with 70% ethanol solution and iodine. The surgical area
is dried with sterile gauze prior to wounding. An 8 mm
full-thickness wound is then created using a Keyes tissue punch.
Immediately following wounding, the surrounding skin is gently
stretched to eliminate wound expansion. The wounds are left open
for the duration of the experiment. Application of the treatment is
given topically for 5 consecutive days commencing on the day of
wounding. Prior to treatment, wounds are gently cleansed with
sterile saline and gauze sponges.
[1779] Wounds are visually examined and photographed at a fixed
distance at the day of surgery and at two day intervals thereafter.
Wound closure is determined by daily measurement on days 1-5 and on
day 8. Wounds are measured horizontally and vertically using a
calibrated Jameson caliper. Wounds are considered healed if
granulation tissue is no longer visible and the wound is covered by
a continuous epithelium.
[1780] A polypeptide of the invention is administered using at a
range different doses, from 4 mg to 500 mg per wound per day for 8
days in vehicle. Vehicle control groups received 50 mL of vehicle
solution.
[1781] Animals are euthanized on day 8 with an intraperitoneal
injection of sodium pentobarbital (300 mg/kg). The wounds and
surrounding skin are then harvested for histology and
immunohistochemistry. Tissue specimens are placed in 10% neutral
buffered formalin in tissue cassettes between biopsy sponges for
further processing.
[1782] Three groups of 10 animals each (5 diabetic and 5
non-diabetic controls) are evaluated: 1) Vehicle placebo control,
2) untreated group, and 3) treated group.
[1783] Wound closure is analyzed by measuring the area in the
vertical and horizontal axis and obtaining the total square area of
the wound. Contraction is then estimated by establishing the
differences between the initial wound area (day 0) and that of post
treatment (day 8). The wound area on day 1 is 64 mm.sup.2, the
corresponding size of the dermal punch. Calculations are made using
the following formula: [Open area on day 8]-[Open area on day
1]/[Open area on day 1]
[1784] Specimens are fixed in 10% buffered formalin and paraffin
embedded blocks are sectioned perpendicular to the wound surface (5
mm) and cut using a Reichert-Jung microtome. Routine
hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining is performed on cross-sections
of bisected wounds. Histologic examination of the wounds are used
to assess whether the healing process and the morphologic
appearance of the repaired skin is altered by treatment with a
polypeptide of the invention. This assessment included verification
of the presence of cell accumulation, inflammatory cells,
capillaries, fibroblasts, re-epithelialization and epidermal
maturity (Greenhalgh, D. G. et al., Am. J. Pathol. 136:1235
(1990)). A calibrated lens micrometer is used by a blinded
observer.
[1785] Tissue sections are also stained immunohistochemically with
a polyclonal rabbit anti-human keratin antibody using ABC Elite
detection system. Human skin is used as a positive tissue control
while non-immune IgG is used as a negative control. Keratinocyte
growth is determined by evaluating the extent of
reepithelialization of the wound using a calibrated lens
micrometer.
[1786] Proliferating cell nuclear antigen/cyclin (PCNA) in skin
specimens is demonstrated by using anti-PCNA antibody (1:50) with
an ABC Elite detection system. Human colon cancer can serve as a
positive tissue control and human brain tissue can be used as a
negative tissue control. Each specimen includes a section with
omission of the primary antibody and substitution with non-immune
mouse IgG. Ranking of these sections is based on the extent of
proliferation on a scale of 0-8, the lower side of the scale
reflecting slight proliferation to the higher side reflecting
intense proliferation.
[1787] Experimental data are analyzed using an unpaired t test. A p
value of <0.05 is considered significant.
Steroid Impaired Rat Model
[1788] The inhibition of wound healing by steroids has been well
documented in various in vitro and in vivo systems (Wahl,
Glucocorticoids and Wound healing. In: Anti-Inflammatory Steroid
Action: Basic and Clinical Aspects. 280-302 (1989); Wahl et al., J.
Immunol. 115: 476-481 (1975); Werb et al., J. Exp. Med.
147:1684-1694 (1978)). Glucocorticoids retard wound healing by
inhibiting angiogenesis, decreasing vascular permeability (Ebert et
al., An. Intern. Med. 37:701-705 (1952)), fibroblast proliferation,
and collagen synthesis (Beck et al., Growth Factors. 5: 295-304
(1991); Haynes et al., J. Clin. Invest. 61: 703-797 (1978)) and
producing a transient reduction of circulating monocytes (Haynes et
al., J. Clin. Invest. 61: 703-797 (1978); Wahl, "Glucocorticoids
and wound healing", In: Antiinflammatory Steroid Action: Basic and
Clinical Aspects, Academic Press, New York, pp. 280-302 (1989)).
The systemic administration of steroids to impaired wound healing
is a well establish phenomenon in rats (Beck et al., Growth
Factors. 5: 295-304 (1991); Haynes et al., J. Clin. Invest. 61:
703-797 (1978); Wahl, "Glucocorticoids and wound healing", In:
Antiinflammatory Steroid Action: Basic and Clinical Aspects,
Academic Press, New York, pp. 280-302 (1989); Pierce et al., Proc.
Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86: 2229-2233 (1989)).
[1789] To demonstrate that a polypeptide of the invention can
accelerate the healing process, the effects of multiple topical
applications of the polypeptide on full thickness excisional skin
wounds in rats in which healing has been impaired by the systemic
administration of methylprednisolone is assessed.
[1790] Young adult male Sprague Dawley rats weighing 250-300 g
(Charles River Laboratories) are used in this example. The animals
are purchased at 8 weeks of age and are 9 weeks old at the
beginning of the study. The healing response of rats is impaired by
the systemic administration of methylprednisolone (17 mg/kg/rat
intramuscularly) at the time of wounding. Animals are individually
housed and received food and water ad libitum. All manipulations
are performed using aseptic techniques. This study is conducted
according to the rules and guidelines of Human Genome Sciences,
Inc. Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and the Guidelines
for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.
[1791] The wounding protocol is followed according to section A,
above. On the day of wounding, animals are anesthetized with an
intramuscular injection of ketamine (50 mg/kg) and xylazine (5
mg/kg). The dorsal region of the animal is shaved and the skin
washed with 70% ethanol and iodine solutions. The surgical area is
dried with sterile gauze prior to wounding. An 8 mm full-thickness
wound is created using a Keyes tissue punch. The wounds are left
open for the duration of the experiment. Applications of the
testing materials are given topically once a day for 7 consecutive
days commencing on the day of wounding and subsequent to
methylprednisolone administration. Prior to treatment, wounds are
gently cleansed with sterile saline and gauze sponges.
[1792] Wounds are visually examined and photographed at a fixed
distance at the day of wounding and at the end of treatment. Wound
closure is determined by daily measurement on days 1-5 and on day
8. Wounds are measured horizontally and vertically using a
calibrated Jameson caliper. Wounds are considered healed if
granulation tissue is no longer visible and the wound is covered by
a continuous epithelium.
[1793] The polypeptide of the invention is administered using at a
range different doses, from 4 mg to 500 mg per wound per day for 8
days in vehicle. Vehicle control groups received 50 mL of vehicle
solution.
[1794] Animals are euthanized on day 8 with an intraperitoneal
injection of sodium pentobarbital (300 mg/kg). The wounds and
surrounding skin are then harvested for histology. Tissue specimens
are placed in 10% neutral buffered formalin in tissue cassettes
between biopsy sponges for further processing.
[1795] Four groups of 10 animals each (5 with methylprednisolone
and 5 without glucocorticoid) are evaluated: 1) Untreated group 2)
Vehicle placebo control 3) treated groups.
[1796] Wound closure is analyzed by measuring the area in the
vertical and horizontal axis and obtaining the total area of the
wound. Closure is then estimated by establishing the differences
between the initial wound area (day 0) and that of post treatment
(day 8). The wound area on day 1 is 64 mm.sup.2, the corresponding
size of the dermal punch. Calculations are made using the following
formula: [Open area on day 8]-[Open area on day 1]/[Open area on
day 1]
[1797] Specimens are fixed in 10% buffered formalin and paraffin
embedded blocks are sectioned perpendicular to the wound surface (5
mm) and cut using an Olympus microtome. Routine hematoxylin-eosin
(H&E) staining is performed on cross-sections of bisected
wounds. Histologic examination of the wounds allows assessment of
whether the healing process and the morphologic appearance of the
repaired skin is improved by treatment with a polypeptide of the
invention. A calibrated lens micrometer is used by a blinded
observer to determine the distance of the wound gap.
[1798] Experimental data are analyzed using an unpaired t test. A p
value of <0.05 is considered significant.
[1799] The studies described in this example tested activity of a
polypeptide of the invention. However, one skilled in the art could
easily modify the exemplified studies to test the activity of
polynucleotides (e.g., gene therapy), agonists, and/or antagonists
of the invention.
Example 51
Lymphadema Animal Model
[1800] The purpose of this experimental approach is to create an
appropriate and consistent lymphedema model for testing the
therapeutic effects of a polypeptide of the invention in
lymphangiogenesis and re-establishment of the lymphatic circulatory
system in the rat hind limb. Effectiveness is measured by swelling
volume of the affected limb, quantification of the amount of
lymphatic vasculature, total blood plasma protein, and
histopathology. Acute lymphedema is observed for 7-10 days. Perhaps
more importantly, the chronic progress of the edema is followed for
up to 3-4 weeks.
[1801] Prior to beginning surgery, blood sample is drawn for
protein concentration analysis. Male rats weighing approximately
.about.350 g are dosed with Pentobarbital. Subsequently, the right
legs are shaved from knee to hip. The shaved area is swabbed with
gauze soaked in 70% EtOH. Blood is drawn for serum total protein
testing. Circumference and volumetric measurements are made prior
to injecting dye into paws after marking 2 measurement levels (0.5
cm above heel, at mid-pt of dorsal paw). The intradermal dorsum of
both right and left paws are injected with 0.05 ml of 1% Evan's
Blue. Circumference and volumetric measurements are then made
following injection of dye into paws.
[1802] Using the knee joint as a landmark, a mid-leg inguinal
incision is made circumferentially allowing the femoral vessels to
be located. Forceps and hemostats are used to dissect and separate
the skin flaps. After locating the femoral vessels, the lymphatic
vessel that runs along side and underneath the vessel(s) is
located. The main lymphatic vessels in this area are then
electrically coagulated suture ligated.
[1803] Using a microscope, muscles in back of the leg (near the
semitendinosis and adductors) are bluntly dissected. The popliteal
lymph node is then located. The 2 proximal and 2 distal lymphatic
vessels and distal blood supply of the popliteal node are then and
ligated by suturing. The popliteal lymph node, and any accompanying
adipose tissue, is then removed by cutting connective tissues.
[1804] Care is taken to control any mild bleeding resulting from
this procedure. After lymphatics are occluded, the skin flaps are
sealed by using liquid skin (Vetbond) (AJ Buck). The separated skin
edges are sealed to the underlying muscle tissue while leaving a
gap of .about.0.5 cm around the leg. Skin also may be anchored by
suturing to underlying muscle when necessary.
[1805] To avoid infection, animals are housed individually with
mesh (no bedding). Recovering animals are checked daily through the
optimal edematous peak, which typically occurred by day 5-7. The
plateau edematous peak are then observed. To evaluate the intensity
of the lymphedema, the circumference and volumes of 2 designated
places on each paw before operation and daily for 7 days are
measured. The effect plasma proteins on lymphedema is determined
and whether protein analysis is a useful testing perimeter is also
investigated. The weights of both control and edematous limbs are
evaluated at 2 places. Analysis is performed in a blind manner.
[1806] Circumference Measurements: Under brief gas anesthetic to
prevent limb movement, a cloth tape is used to measure limb
circumference. Measurements are done at the ankle bone and dorsal
paw by 2 different people then those 2 readings are averaged.
Readings are taken from both control and edematous limbs.
[1807] Volumetric Measurements: On the day of surgery, animals are
anesthetized with Pentobarbital and are tested prior to surgery.
For daily volumetrics animals are under brief halothane anesthetic
(rapid immobilization and quick recovery), both legs are shaved and
equally marked using waterproof marker on legs. Legs are first
dipped in water, then dipped into instrument to each marked level
then measured by Buxco edema software (Chen/Victor). Data is
recorded by one person, while the other is dipping the limb to
marked area.
[1808] Blood-plasma protein measurements: Blood is drawn, spun, and
serum separated prior to surgery and then at conclusion for total
protein and Ca2+ comparison.
[1809] Limb Weight Comparison: After drawing blood, the animal is
prepared for tissue collection. The limbs are amputated using a
quillitine, then both experimental and control legs are cut at the
ligature and weighed. A second weighing is done as the
tibio-cacaneal joint is disarticulated and the foot is weighed.
[1810] Histological Preparations: The transverse muscle located
behind the knee (popliteal) area is dissected and arranged in a
metal mold, filled with freezeGel, dipped into cold methylbutane,
placed into labeled sample bags at -80EC until sectioning. Upon
sectioning, the muscle is observed under fluorescent microscopy for
lymphatics.
[1811] The studies described in this example tested activity of a
polypeptide of the invention. However, one skilled in the art could
easily modify the exemplified studies to test the activity of
polynucleotides (e.g., gene therapy), agonists, and/or antagonists
of the invention.
Example 52
Suppression of TNF Alpha-Induced Adhesion Molecule Expression by a
Polypeptide of the Invention
[1812] The recruitment of lymphocytes to areas of inflammation and
angiogenesis involves specific receptor-ligand interactions between
cell surface adhesion molecules (CAMs) on lymphocytes and the
vascular endothelium. The adhesion process, in both normal and
pathological settings, follows a multi-step cascade that involves
intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion
molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1
(E-selectin) expression on endothelial cells (EC). The expression
of these molecules and others on the vascular endothelium
determines the efficiency with which leukocytes may adhere to the
local vasculature and extravasate into the local tissue during the
development of an inflammatory response. The local concentration of
cytokines and growth factor participate in the modulation of the
expression of these CAMs.
[1813] Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a), a potent
proinflammatory cytokine, is a stimulator of all three CAMs on
endothelial cells and may be involved in a wide variety of
inflammatory responses, often resulting in a pathological
outcome.
[1814] The potential of a polypeptide of the invention to mediate a
suppression of TNF-a induced CAM expression can be examined. A
modified ELISA assay which uses ECs as a solid phase absorbent is
employed to measure the amount of CAM expression on TNF-a treated
ECs when co-stimulated with a member of the FGF family of
proteins.
[1815] To perform the experiment, human umbilical vein endothelial
cell (HUVEC) cultures are obtained from pooled cord harvests and
maintained in growth medium (EGM-2; Clonetics, San Diego, Calif.)
supplemented with 10% FCS and 1% penicillin/streptomycin in a 37
degree C. humidified incubator containing 5% CO.sub.2. HUVECs are
seeded in 96-well plates at concentrations of 1.times.10.sup.4
cells/well in EGM medium at 37 degree C. for 18-24 hrs or until
confluent. The monolayers are subsequently washed 3 times with a
serum-free solution of RPMI-1640 supplemented with 100 U/ml
penicillin and 100 mg/ml streptomycin, and treated with a given
cytokine and/or growth factor(s) for 24 h at 37 degree C. Following
incubation, the cells are then evaluated for CAM expression.
[1816] Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial cells (HUVECs) are grown in
a standard 96 well plate to confluence. Growth medium is removed
from the cells and replaced with 90 ul of 199 Medium (10% FBS).
Samples for testing and positive or negative controls are added to
the plate in triplicate (in 10 ul volumes). Plates are incubated at
37 degree C. for either 5 h (selectin and integrin expression) or
24 h (integrin expression only). Plates are aspirated to remove
medium and 100 .mu.l of 0.1% paraformaldehyde-PBS (with Ca++ and
Mg++) is added to each well. Plates are held at 4.degree. C. for 30
min.
[1817] Fixative is then removed from the wells and wells are washed
1.times. with PBS(+Ca,Mg)+0.5% BSA and drained. Do not allow the
wells to dry. Add 101 .mu.l of diluted primary antibody to the test
and control wells. Anti-ICAM-1-Biotin, Anti-VCAM-1-Biotin and
Anti-E-selectin-Biotin are used at a concentration of 10 .mu.g/ml
(1:10 dilution of 0.1 mg/ml stock antibody). Cells are incubated at
37.degree. C. for 30 min. in a humidified environment. Wells are
washed X3 with PBS(+Ca,Mg)+0.5% BSA.
[1818] Then add 20 .mu.l of diluted ExtrAvidin-Alkaline Phosphotase
(1:5,000 dilution) to each well and incubated at 37.degree. C. for
30 min. Wells are washed X3 with PBS(+Ca,Mg)+0.5% BSA. 1 tablet of
p-Nitrophenol Phosphate pNPP is dissolved in 5 ml of glycine buffer
(pH 10.4). 100 .mu.l of pNPP substrate in glycine buffer is added
to each test well. Standard wells in triplicate are prepared from
the working dilution of the ExtrAvidin-Alkaline Phosphotase in
glycine buffer: 1:5,000
(10.sup.0)>10.sup.-0.5>10.sup.-1>10.sup.-1.5 .mu.l of each
dilution is added to triplicate wells and the resulting AP content
in each well is 5.50 ng, 1.74 ng, 0.55 ng, 0.18 ng. 100 .mu.l of
pNNP reagent must then be added to each of the standard wells. The
plate must be incubated at 37.degree. C. for 4 h. A volume of 50
.mu.l of 3M NaOH is added to all wells. The results are quantified
on a plate reader at 405 nm. The background subtraction option is
used on blank wells filled with glycine buffer only. The template
is set up to indicate the concentration of AP-conjugate in each
standard well [5.50 ng; 1.74 ng; 0.55 ng; 0.18 ng]. Results are
indicated as amount of bound AP-conjugate in each sample.
[1819] The studies described in this example tested activity of a
polypeptide of the invention. However, one skilled in the art could
easily modify the exemplified studies to test the activity of
polynucleotides (e.g., gene therapy), agonists, and/or antagonists
of the invention.
Example 53
Assay for the Stimulation of Bone Marrow CD34+ Cell
Proliferation
[1820] This assay is based on the ability of human CD34+ to
proliferate in the presence of hematopoietic growth factors and
evaluates the ability of isolated polypeptides expressed in
mammalian cells to stimulate proliferation of CD34+ cells.
[1821] It has been previously shown that most mature precursors
will respond to only a single signal. More immature precursors
require at least two signals to respond. Therefore, to test the
effect of polypeptides on hematopoietic activity of a wide range of
progenitor cells, the assay contains a given polypeptide in the
presence or absence of other hematopoietic growth factors. Isolated
cells are cultured for 5 days in the presence of Stem Cell Factor
(SCF) in combination with tested sample. SCF alone has a very
limited effect on the proliferation of bone marrow (BM) cells,
acting in such conditions only as a "survival" factor. However,
combined with any factor exhibiting stimulatory effect on these
cells (e.g., IL-3), SCF will cause a synergistic effect. Therefore,
if the tested polypeptide has a stimulatory effect on a
hematopoietic progenitors, such activity can be easily detected.
Since normal BM cells have a low level of cycling cells, it is
likely that any inhibitory effect of a given polypeptide, or
agonists or antagonists thereof, might not be detected.
Accordingly, assays for an inhibitory effect on progenitors is
preferably tested in cells that are first subjected to in vitro
stimulation with SCF+IL+3, and then contacted with the compound
that is being evaluated for inhibition of such induced
proliferation.
[1822] Briefly, CD34+ cells are isolated using methods known in the
art. The cells are thawed and resuspended in medium (QBSF 60
serum-free medium with 1% L-glutamine (500 ml) Quality Biological,
Inc., Gaithersburg, Md. Cat# 160-204-101). After several gentle
centrifugation steps at 200.times.g, cells are allowed to rest for
one hour. The cell count is adjusted to 2.5.times.10.sup.5
cells/ml. During this time, 1100 .mu.l of sterile water is added to
the peripheral wells of a 96-well plate. The cytokines that can be
tested with a given polypeptide in this assay is rhSCF (R&D
Systems, Minneapolis, Minn., Cat# 255-SC) at 50 ng/ml alone and in
combination with rhSCF and rhIL-3 (R&D Systems, Minneapolis,
Minn., Cat# 203-ML) at 30 ng/ml. After one hour, 10 .mu.l of
prepared cytokines, 50 .mu.l SID (supernatants at 1:2 dilution=50
.mu.l) and 20 .mu.l of diluted cells are added to the media which
is already present in the wells to allow for a final total volume
of 100 .mu.l. The plates are then placed in a 37.degree. C./5%
CO.sub.2 incubator for five days.
[1823] Eighteen hours before the assay is harvested, 0.5
.mu.Ci/well of [3H] Thymidine is added in a 10 .mu.l volume to each
well to determine the proliferation rate. The experiment is
terminated by harvesting the cells from each 96-well plate to a
filtermat using the Tomtec Harvester 96. After harvesting, the
filtermats are dried, trimmed and placed into OmniFilter assemblies
consisting of one OmniFilter plate and one OmniFilter Tray. 60
.mu.l Microscint is added to each well and the plate sealed with
TopSeal-A press-on sealing film A bar code 15 sticker is affixed to
the first plate for counting. The sealed plates is then loaded and
the level of radioactivity determined via the Packard Top Count and
the printed data collected for analysis. The level of radioactivity
reflects the amount of cell proliferation.
[1824] The studies described in this example test the activity of a
given polypeptide to stimulate bone marrow CD34+ cell
proliferation. One skilled in the art could easily modify the
exemplified studies to test the activity of polynucleotides (e.g.,
gene therapy), antibodies, agonists, and/or antagonists and
fragments and variants thereof. As a nonlimiting example, potential
antagonists tested in this assay would be expected to inhibit cell
proliferation in the presence of cytokines and/or to increase the
inhibition of cell proliferation in the presence of cytokines and a
given polypeptide. In contrast, potential agonists tested in this
assay would be expected to enhance cell proliferation and/or to
decrease the inhibition of cell proliferation in the presence of
cytokines and a given polypeptide.
[1825] The ability of a gene to stimulate the proliferation of bone
marrow CD34+ cells indicates that polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to the gene are useful for the diagnosis and
treatment of disorders affecting the immune system and
hematopoiesis. Representative uses are described in the "Immune
Activity" and "Infectious Disease" sections above, and elsewhere
herein.
Example 54
Assay for Extracellular Matrix Enhanced Cell Response (EMECR)
[1826] The objective of the Extracellular Matrix Enhanced Cell
Response (EMECR) assay is to identify gene products (e.g., isolated
polypeptides) that act on the hematopoietic stem cells in the
context of the extracellular matrix (ECM) induced signal.
[1827] Cells respond to the regulatory factors in the context of
signal(s) received from the surrounding microenvironment. For
example, fibroblasts, and endothelial and epithelial stem cells
fail to replicate in the absence of signals from the ECM.
Hematopoietic stem cells can undergo self-renewal in the bone
marrow, but not in in vitro suspension culture. The ability of stem
cells to undergo self-renewal in vitro is dependent upon their
interaction with the stromal cells and the ECM protein fibronectin
(fn). Adhesion of cells to fn is mediated by the
.alpha..sub.5..beta..sub.1 and .alpha..sub.4..beta..sub.1 integrin
receptors, which are expressed by human and mouse hematopoietic
stem cells. The factor(s) which integrate with the ECM environment
and responsible for stimulating stem cell self-renewal has not yet
been identified. Discovery of such factors should be of great
interest in gene therapy and bone marrow transplant
applications
[1828] Briefly, polystyrene, non tissue culture treated, 96-well
plates are coated with fn fragment at a coating concentration of
0.2 .mu.g/cm.sup.2. Mouse bone marrow cells are plated (1,000
cells/well) in 0.2 ml of serum-free medium. Cells cultured in the
presence of IL-3 (5 ng/ml)+SCF (50 ng/ml) would serve as the
positive control, conditions under which little self-renewal but
pronounced differentiation of the stem cells is to be expected.
Gene products are tested with appropriate negative controls in the
presence and absence of SCF (5.0 ng/ml), where test factor
supemates represent 10% of the total assay volume. The plated cells
are then allowed to grow by incubating in a low oxygen environment
(5% CO.sub.2, 7% O.sub.2, and 88% N.sub.2) tissue culture incubator
for 7 days. The number of proliferating cells within the wells is
then quantitated by measuring thymidine incorporation into cellular
DNA. Verification of the positive hits in the assay will require
phenotypic characterization of the cells, which can be accomplished
by scaling up of the culture system and using appropriate antibody
reagents against cell surface antigens and FACScan.
[1829] One skilled in the art could easily modify the exemplified
studies to test the activity of polynucleotides (e.g., gene
therapy), antibodies, agonists, and/or antagonists and fragments
and variants thereof.
[1830] If a particular gene product is found to be a stimulator of
hematopoietic progenitors, polynucleotides and polypeptides
corresponding to the gene may be useful for the diagnosis and
treatment of disorders affecting the immune system and
hematopoiesis. Representative uses are described in the "Immune
Activity" and "Infectious Disease" sections above, and elsewhere
herein. The gene product may also be useful in the expansion of
stem cells and committed progenitors of various blood lineages, and
in the differentiation and/or proliferation of various cell
types.
[1831] Additionally, the polynucleotides and/or polypeptides of the
gene of interest and/or agonists and/or antagonists thereof, may
also be employed to inhibit the proliferation and differentiation
of hematopoietic cells and therefore may be employed to protect
bone marrow stem cells from chemotherapeutic agents during
chemotherapy. This antiproliferative effect may allow
administration of higher doses of chemotherapeutic agents and,
therefore, more effective chemotherapeutic treatment.
[1832] Moreover, polynucleotides and polypeptides corresponding to
the gene of interest may also be useful for the treatment and
diagnosis of hematopoietic related disorders such as, for example,
anemia, pancytopenia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia or leukemia
since stromal cells are important in the production of cells of
hematopoietic lineages. The uses include bone marrow cell ex-vivo
culture, bone marrow transplantation, bone marrow reconstitution,
radiotherapy or chemotherapy of neoplasia.
Example 55
Human Dermal Fibroblast and Aortic Smooth Muscle Cell
Proliferation
[1833] The polypeptide of interest is added to cultures of normal
human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) and human aortic smooth muscle
cells (AoSMC) and two co-assays are performed with each sample. The
first assay examines the effect of the polypeptide of interest on
the proliferation of normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) or
aortic smooth muscle cells (AoSMC). Aberrant growth of fibroblasts
or smooth muscle cells is a part of several pathological processes,
including fibrosis, and restenosis. The second assay examines IL6
production by both NHDF and SMC. IL6 production is an indication of
functional activation. Activated cells will have increased
production of a number of cytokines and other factors, which can
result in a proinflammatory or immunomodulatory outcome. Assays are
run with and without co-TNFa stimulation, in order to check for
costimulatory or inhibitory activity.
[1834] Briefly, on day 1,96-well black plates are set up with 1000
cells/well (NHDF) or 2000 cells/well (AoSMC) in 100 .mu.l culture
media. NHDF culture media contains: Clonetics FB basal media, 1
mg/ml hFGF, 5 mg/ml insulin, 50 mg/ml gentamycin, 2% FBS, while
AoSMC culture media contains Clonetics SM basal media, 0.5 .mu.g/ml
hEGF, 5 mg/ml insulin, 1 .mu.g/ml hFGF, 50 mg/ml gentamycin, 50
.mu.g/ml Amphotericin B, 5% FBS. After incubation @ 37.degree. C.
for at least 4-5 hours culture media is aspirated and replaced with
growth arrest media. Growth arrest media for NHDF contains
fibroblast basal media, 50 mg/ml gentamycin, 2% FBS, while growth
arrest media for AoSMC contains SM basal media, 50 mg/ml
gentamycin, 50 .mu.g/ml Amphotericin B, 0.4% FBS. Incubate at 37 C.
until day 2.
[1835] On day 2, serial dilutions and templates of the polypeptide
of interest are designed which should always include media controls
and known-protein controls. For both stimulation and inhibition
experiments, proteins are diluted in growth arrest media. For
inhibition experiments, TNFa is added to a final concentration of 2
ng/ml (NHDF) or 5 ng/ml (AoSMC). Then add 1/3 vol media containing
controls or supernatants and incubate at 37 C./5% CO.sub.2 until
day 5.
[1836] Transfer 60 .mu.l from each well to another labeled 96-well
plate, cover with a plate-sealer, and store at 4 C. until Day 6
(for IL6 ELISA). To the remaining 100 .mu.l in the cell culture
plate, aseptically add Alamar Blue in an amount equal to 10% of the
culture volume (10 .mu.l). Return plates to incubator for 3 to 4
hours. Then measure fluorescence with excitation at 530 nm and
emission at 590 nm using the CytoFluor. This yields the growth
stimulation/inhibition data.
[1837] On day 5, the IL6 ELISA is performed by coating a 96 well
plate with 50-100 ul/well of Anti-Human IL6 Monoclonal antibody
diluted in PBS, pH 7.4, incubate ON at room temperature.
[1838] On day 6, empty the plates into the sink and blot on paper
towels. Prepare Assay Buffer containing PBS with 4% BSA. Block the
plates with 200 .mu.L/well of Pierce Super Block blocking buffer in
PBS for 1-2 hr and then wash plates with wash buffer (PBS, 0.05%
Tween-20). Blot plates on paper towels. Then add 50 .mu.l/well of
diluted Anti-Human IL-6 Monoclonal, Biotin-labeled antibody at 0.50
mg/ml. Make dilutions of IL-6 stock in media (30, 10, 3, 1, 0.3, 0
ng/ml). Add duplicate samples to top row of plate. Cover the plates
and incubate for 2 hours at RT on shaker. 117871 Wash plates with
wash buffer and blot on paper towels. Dilute EU-labeled
Streptavidin 1:1000 in Assay buffer, and add 100 .mu.l/well. Cover
the plate and incubate 1 h at RT. Wash plates with wash buffer.
Blot on paper towels.
[1839] Add 100 .mu.l/well of Enhancement Solution. Shake for 5
minutes. Read the plate on the Wallac DELFIA Fluorometer. Readings
from triplicate samples in each assay were tabulated and
averaged.
[1840] A positive result in this assay suggests AoSMC cell
proliferation and that the gene product of interest may be involved
in dermal fibroblast proliferation and/or smooth muscle cell
proliferation. A positive result also suggests many potential uses
of polypeptides, polynucleotides, agonists and/or antagonists of
the gene/gene product of interest. For example, inflammation and
immune responses, wound healing, and angiogenesis, as detailed
throughout this specification. Particularly, polypeptides of the
gene product and polynucleotides of the gene may be used in wound
healing and dermal regeneration, as well as the promotion of
vasculargenesis, both of the blood vessels and lymphatics. The
growth of vessels can be used in the treatment of, for example,
cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, antagonists of polypeptides
of the gene product and polynucleotides of the gene may be useful
in treating diseases, disorders, and/or conditions which involve
angiogenesis by acting as an anti-vascular (e.g.,
anti-angiogenesis). These diseases, disorders, and/or conditions
are known in the art and/or are described herein, such as, for
example, malignancies, solid tumors, benign tumors, for example
hemangiomas, acoustic neuromas, neurofibromas, trachomas, and
pyogenic granulomas; artheroscleric plaques; ocular angiogenic
diseases, for example, diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of
prematurity, macular degeneration, corneal graft rejection,
neovascular glaucoma, retrolental fibroplasia, rubeosis,
retinoblastoma, uvietis and Pterygia (abnormal blood vessel growth)
of the eye; rheumatoid arthritis; psoriasis; delayed wound healing;
endometriosis; vasculogenesis; granulations; hypertrophic scars
(keloids); nonunion fractures; scleroderma; trachoma; vascular
adhesions; myocardial angiogenesis; coronary collaterals; cerebral
collaterals; arteriovenous malformations; ischemic limb
angiogenesis; Osler-Webber Syndrome; plaque neovascularization;
telangiectasia; hemophiliac joints; angiofibroma; fibromuscular
dysplasia; wound granulation; Crohn's disease; and atherosclerosis.
Moreover, antagonists of polypeptides of the gene product and
polynucleotides of the gene may be useful in treating
anti-hyperproliferative diseases and/or anti-inflammatory known in
the art and/or described herein.
[1841] One skilled in the art could easily modify the exemplified
studies to test the activity of polynucleotides (e.g., gene
therapy), antibodies, agonists, and/or antagonists and fragments
and variants thereof.
Example 56
Cellular Adhesion Molecule (CAM) Expression on Endothelial
Cells
[1842] The recruitment of lymphocytes to areas of inflammation and
angiogenesis involves specific receptor-ligand interactions between
cell surface adhesion molecules (CAMs) on lymphocytes and the
vascular endothelium. The adhesion process, in both normal and
pathological settings, follows a multi-step cascade that involves
intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion
molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1
(E-selectin) expression on endothelial cells (EC). The expression
of these molecules and others on the vascular endothelium
determines the efficiency with which leukocytes may adhere to the
local vasculature and extravasate into the local tissue during the
development of an inflammatory response. The local concentration of
cytokines and growth factor participate in the modulation of the
expression of these CAMs.
[1843] Briefly, endothelial cells (e.g., Human Umbilical Vein
Endothelial cells (HUVECs)) are grown in a standard 96 well plate
to confluence, growth medium is removed from the cells and replaced
with 100 .mu.l of 199 Medium (10% fetal bovine serum (FBS)).
Samples for testing and positive or negative controls are added to
the plate in triplicate (in 10 .mu.l volumes). Plates are then
incubated at 37.degree. C. for either 5 h (selectin and integrin
expression) or 24 h (integrin expression only). Plates are
aspirated to remove medium and 100 .mu.l of 0.1%
paraformaldehyde-PBS (with Ca++ and Mg++) is added to each well.
Plates are held at 4.degree. C. for 30 min. Fixative is removed
from the wells and wells are washed 1.times. with PBS(+Ca,Mg)+0.5%
BSA and drained. 10 .mu.l of diluted primary antibody is added to
the test and control wells. Anti-ICAM-1-Biotin, Anti-VCAM-1-Biotin
and Anti-E-selectin-Biotin are used at a concentration of 10
.mu.g/ml (1: 10 dilution of 0.1 mg/ml stock antibody). Cells are
incubated at 37.degree. C. for 30 min. in a humidified environment.
Wells are washed three times with PBS(+Ca,Mg)+0.5% BSA. 20 .mu.l of
diluted ExtrAvidin-Alkaline Phosphotase (1:5,000 dilution, refered
to herein as the working dilution) are added to each well and
incubated at 37.degree. C. for 30 min. Wells are washed three times
with PBS(+Ca,Mg)+0.5% BSA. Dissolve 1 tablet of p-Nitrophenol
Phosphate pNPP per 5 ml of glycine buffer (pH 10.4). 100 .mu.l of
pNPP substrate in glycine buffer is added to each test well.
Standard wells in triplicate are prepared from the working dilution
of the ExtrAvidin-Alkaline Phosphotase in glycine buffer: 1:5,000
(10.sup.0)>10.sup.-0.5>10.sup.-1>10.sup.-1.5 .mu.l of each
dilution is added to triplicate wells and the resulting AP content
in each well is 5.50 ng, 1.74 ng, 0.55 ng, 0.18 ng. 100 .mu.l of
pNNP reagent is then added to each of the standard wells. The plate
is incubated at 37.degree. C. for 4 h. A volume of 50 .mu.l of 3M
NaOH is added to all wells. The plate is read on a plate reader at
405 nm using the background subtraction option on blank wells
filled with glycine buffer only. Additionally, the template is set
up to indicate the concentration of AP-conjugate in each standard
well [5.50 ng; 1.74 ng; 0.55 ng; 0.18 ng]. Results are indicated as
amount of bound AP-conjugate in each sample.
Example 57
Alamar Blue Endothelial Cells Proliferation Assay
[1844] This assay may be used to quantitatively determine protein
mediated inhibition of bFGF-induced proliferation of Bovine
Lymphatic Endothelial Cells (LECs), Bovine Aortic Endothelial Cells
(BAECs) or Human Microvascular Uterine Myometrial Cells (UTMECs).
This assay incorporates a fluorometric growth indicator based on
detection of metabolic activity. A standard Alamar Blue
Proliferation Assay is prepared in EGM-2MV with 10 ng/ml of bFGF
added as a source of endothelial cell stimulation. This assay may
be used with a variety of endothelial cells with slight changes in
growth medium and cell concentration. Dilutions of the protein
batches to be tested are diluted as appropriate. Serum-free medium
(GIBCO SFM) without bFGF is used as a non-stimulated control and
Angiostatin or TSP-1 are included as a known inhibitory
controls.
[1845] Briefly, LEC, BAECs or UTMECs are seeded in growth media at
a density of 5000 to 2000 cells/well in a 96 well plate and placed
at 37-C overnight. After the overnight incubation of the cells, the
growth media is removed and replaced with GIBCO EC-SFM. The cells
are treated with the appropriate dilutions of the protein of
interest or control protein sample(s) (prepared in SFM) in
triplicate wells with additional bFGF to a concentration of 10
ng/ml. Once the cells have been treated with the samples, the
plate(s) is/are placed back in the 37.degree. C. incubator for
three days. After three days 10 ml of stock alamar blue (Biosource
Cat# DAL 1100) is added to each well and the plate(s) is/are placed
back in the 37.degree. C. incubator for four hours. The plate(s)
are then read at 530 nm excitation and 590 nm emission using the
CytoFluor fluorescence reader. Direct output is recorded in
relative fluorescence units.
[1846] Alamar blue is an oxidation-reduction indicator that both
fluoresces and changes color in response to chemical reduction of
growth medium resulting from cell growth. As cells grow in culture,
innate metabolic activity results in a chemical reduction of the
immediate surrounding environment. Reduction related to growth
causes the indicator to change from oxidized (non-fluorescent blue)
form to reduced (fluorescent red) form. i.e. stimulated
proliferation will produce a stronger signal and inhibited
proliferation will produce a weaker signal and the total signal is
proportional to the total number of cells as well as their
metabolic activity. The background level of activity is observed
with the starvation medium alone. This is compared to the output
observed from the positive control samples (bFGF in growth medium)
and protein dilutions.
Example 58
Detection of Inhibition of a Mixed Lymphocyte Reaction
[1847] This assay can be used to detect and evaluate inhibition of
a Mixed Lymphocyte Reaction (MLR) by gene products (e.g., isolated
polypeptides). Inhibition of a MLR may be due to a direct effect on
cell proliferation and viability, modulation of costimulatory
molecules on interacting cells, modulation of adhesiveness between
lymphocytes and accessory cells, or modulation of cytokine
production by accessory cells. Multiple cells may be targeted by
these polypeptides since the peripheral blood mononuclear fraction
used in this assay includes T, B and natural killer lymphocytes, as
well as monocytes and dendritic cells.
[1848] Polypeptides of interest found to inhibit the MLR may find
application in diseases associated with lymphocyte and monocyte
activation or proliferation. These include, but are not limited to,
diseases such as asthma, arthritis, diabetes, inflammatory skin
conditions, psoriasis, eczema, systemic lupus erythematosus,
multiple sclerosis, glomerulonephritis, inflammatory bowel disease,
crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, arteriosclerosis, cirrhosis,
graft vs. host disease, host vs. graft disease, hepatitis, leukemia
and lymphoma.
[1849] Briefly, PBMCs from human donors are purified by density
gradient centrifugation using Lymphocyte Separation Medium
(LSM.RTM., density 1.0770 g/ml, Organon Teknika Corporation, West
Chester, Pa.). PBMCs from two donors are adjusted to
2.times.10.sup.6 cells/ml in RPMI-1640 (Life Technologies, Grand
Island, N.Y.) supplemented with 10% FCS and 2 mM glutamine. PBMCs
from a third donor is adjusted to 2.times.10.sup.5 cells/ml. Fifty
microliters of PBMCs from each donor is added to wells of a 96-well
round bottom microtiter plate. Dilutions of test materials (50
.mu.l) is added in triplicate to microtiter wells. Test samples (of
the protein of interest) are added for final dilution of 1:4;
rhuIL-2 (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, Minn., catalog number
202-IL) is added to a final concentration of 1 .mu.g/ml; anti-CD4
mAb (R&D Systems, clone 34930.11, catalog number MAB379) is
added to a final concentration of 10 .mu.g/ml. Cells are cultured
for 7-8 days at 37.degree. C. in 5% CO.sub.2, and 1 .mu.C of
[.sup.3H] thymidine is added to wells for the last 16 hrs of
culture. Cells are harvested and thymidine incorporation determined
using a Packard TopCount. Data is expressed as the mean and
standard deviation of triplicate determinations.
[1850] Samples of the protein of interest are screened in separate
experiments and compared to the negative control treatment,
anti-CD4 mAb, which inhibits proliferation of lymphocytes and the
positive control treatment, IL-2 (either as recombinant material or
supernatant), which enhances proliferation of lymphocytes.
[1851] One skilled in the art could easily modify the exemplified
studies to test the activity of polynucleotides (e.g., gene
therapy), antibodies, agonists, and/or antagonists and fragments
and variants thereof.
[1852] It will be clear that the invention may be practiced
otherwise than as particularly described in the foregoing
description and examples. Numerous modifications and variations of
the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings
and, therefore, are within the scope of the appended claims.
[1853] The entire disclosure of each document cited (including
patents, patent applications, journal articles, abstracts,
laboratory manuals, books, or other disclosures) in the Background
of the Invention, Detailed Description, and Examples is hereby
incorporated herein by reference. Further, the hard copy of the
sequence listing submitted herewith and the corresponding computer
readable form are both incorporated herein by reference in their
entireties. Additionally, the specificatons and sequence listings
of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/239,899, filed
Oct. 13, 2000; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/227,357, filed
Jan. 8, 1999; International Patent Application Serial Nos:
PCT/US98/13684, filed Jul. 7, 1998; U.S. Provisional Patent
Applications Ser. Nos. 60/051,926, 60/052,793, 60/051,925,
60/051,929, 60/052,803, 60/052,732, 60/051,931, 60/051,932,
60/051,916, 60/051,930, 60/051,918, 60/051,920, 60/052,733,
60/052,795, 60/051,919, and 60/051,928, filed Jul. 8, 1997; U.S.
Provisional Patent Applications Ser. Nos. 60/055,722, 60/055,723,
60/055,948, 60/055,949, 60/055,953, 60/055,950, 60/055,947,
60/055,964, 60/056,360, 60/055,684, 60/055,984, and 60/055,954,
filed Aug. 18, 1997; and U.S. Provisional Patent Applications Ser.
Nos. 60/058,785, 60/058,664, 60/058,660, and 60/058,661, filed Sep.
12, 1997 are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
TABLE-US-00047 TABLE 6 Res Position I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X
XI XII XIII XIV Met 1 . . B . . . . 0.09 0.54 . * . -0.40 0.49 Gly
2 . . B . . . . 0.59 0.51 . . . -0.40 0.67 Phe 3 . . B . . . . 0.98
0.09 . . . 0.05 1.02 Pro 4 . . B . . . . 1.16 0.06 . . . 0.05 1.78
Gln 5 . . . . T . . 1.20 -0.13 . . F 1.45 2.79 Arg 6 . . B . . . .
0.99 -0.13 . . F 1.30 3.19 Gln 7 . . B . . T . 1.03 -0.23 . . F
1.75 1.70 Pro 8 . . . . . T C 1.39 -0.27 . . F 2.20 1.32 Gly 9 . .
. . T T . 0.79 -0.24 . . F 2.50 0.66 Leu 10 . . . . . T C -0.02
0.44 . . F 1.15 0.32 Ser 11 . . B . . . . -0.94 0.73 . . F 0.50
0.17 Gly 12 . A B . . . . -1.76 0.99 . . . -0.10 0.14 Leu 13 . A B
. . . . -2.40 1.24 . . . -0.35 0.14 Leu 14 . A B . . . . -2.34 1.20
. . . -0.60 0.08 Leu 15 . A B . . . . -2.12 1.73 . . . -0.60 0.08
Leu 16 . A B . . . . -2.63 1.80 . . . -0.60 0.10 Val 17 . A B . . .
. -2.88 1.80 . . . -0.60 0.10 Trp 18 . A B . . . . -2.36 1.61 . . .
-0.60 0.12 Ala 19 . A B . . . . -1.76 1.84 . . . -0.60 0.16 Leu 20
. A B . . . . -1.76 1.59 . . . -0.60 0.33 Ala 21 . A . . T . .
-1.16 1.63 . . . -0.20 0.26 Trp 22 . A . . . . C -0.97 1.14 . . .
-0.40 0.40 Pro 23 . A . . . . C -1.28 1.21 . . . -0.40 0.26 Leu 24
. . . . . . C -0.99 1.14 . . . -0.20 0.25 Pro 25 . . . . T . .
-0.99 1.03 . . . 0.00 0.32 Cys 26 . A . . T . . -0.40 0.80 . * .
-0.20 0.17 Met 27 . A B . . . . -0.92 0.37 . . . -0.30 0.36 Ser 28
. A B . . . . -1.60 0.37 . . . -0.30 0.19 Leu 29 . A B . . . .
-1.00 0.63 . . . -0.60 0.25 Glu 30 . A B . . . . -1.03 0.49 . . .
-0.60 0.39 Leu 31 . A B . . . . -0.68 0.63 . . . -0.60 0.46 Ile 32
. A B . . . . -0.29 0.73 . . . -0.60 0.80 Pro 33 . A . . T . . 0.01
0.47 * * . -0.20 0.72 Tyr 34 . . . B T . . -0.07 0.87 * * . -0.05
1.50 Thr 35 . . B B . . . -0.38 0.87 * * F -0.30 1.50 Pro 36 . . B
B . . . -0.16 0.67 . * F -0.30 1.40 Gln 37 . . B B . . . 0.44 0.74
. * F -0.45 0.91 Ile 38 . . B B . . . 0.66 0.90 . . . -0.60 0.66
Thr 39 . . B B . . . 0.09 0.41 . * . -0.60 0.71 Ala 40 . . B B . .
. 0.40 0.67 . * . -0.60 0.34 Trp 41 . . B B . . . 0.27 0.27 . * .
-0.30 0.84 Asp 42 . . B B . . . 0.31 0.01 . * . -0.30 0.57 Leu 43 .
A . . . . C 0.34 -0.47 . * . 0.65 1.14 Glu 44 . A . . T . . 0.34
-0.33 . * F 0.85 0.80 Gly 45 . A . B T . . 0.34 -0.76 . * F 1.15
0.69 Lys 46 . A . B T . . 0.32 -0.26 . * F 0.85 0.85 Val 47 . A B B
. . . 0.01 -0.46 . * F 0.45 0.71 Thr 48 . A B B . . . 0.12 0.03 . *
F 0.00 1.03 Ala 49 . . B B . . . -0.18 0.39 . * F -0.15 0.45 Thr 50
. . B B . . . -0.64 0.77 . * F -0.45 0.81 Thr 51 . . B B . . .
-0.69 0.81 . * . -0.60 0.46 Phe 52 . . B B . . . 0.17 0.33 . . .
-0.03 0.79 Ser 53 . . B B . . . 0.27 0.23 . . . 0.24 0.95 Leu 54 .
. . . T . . 0.97 0.17 . . F 1.41 1.02 Glu 55 . . . . T . . 0.61
-0.31 * . F 2.28 2.30 Gln 56 . . . . . T C 0.07 -0.53 * . F 2.70
0.92 Pro 57 . . . . T T . -0.04 -0.27 * * F 2.33 0.83 Arg 58 . . .
. T T . 0.26 -0.27 * * F 2.06 0.39 Cys 59 . . B . . T . 0.72 -0.27
* * . 1.24 0.38 Val 60 . . B . . . . -0.09 -0.24 * * . 0.77 0.24
Leu 61 . . B . . . . -0.68 0.01 * * . -0.10 0.10 Asp 62 . . B . . .
. -0.81 0.51 * * . -0.40 0.19 Gly 63 . . B . . . . -1.78 0.37 * * .
-0.10 0.26 Leu 64 . . B B . . . -1.70 0.37 * . . -0.30 0.23 Ala 65
. . B B . . . -1.14 0.19 * . . -0.30 0.14 Gly 66 . . B B . . .
-0.64 0.57 * . . -0.60 0.19 Val 67 . . B B . . . -1.53 0.63 * . .
-0.60 0.33 Ala 68 . . B B . . . -1.48 0.63 . . . -0.60 0.23 Ser 69
. . B B . . . -1.48 1.04 . . . -0.60 0.25 Thr 70 . . B B . . .
-1.74 1.30 . . . -0.60 0.27 Ile 71 . . B B . . . -2.26 1.30 . . .
-0.60 0.20 Trp 72 . . B B . . . -1.99 1.44 . . . -0.60 0.11 Leu 73
. . B B . . . -2.10 1.56 . . . -0.60 0.08 Val 74 . . B B . . .
-2.10 1.86 . . . -0.60 0.10 Val 75 . . B B . . . -1.79 1.56 . . .
-0.60 0.12 Ala 76 . . B B . . . -1.49 1.04 . . . -0.60 0.24 Phe 77
. . B . . T . -1.50 0.86 * . . 0.14 0.32 Ser 78 . . . . . T C -0.58
0.60 * . . 0.68 0.59 Asn 79 . . . . . T C 0.28 -0.04 * . F 2.22
1.13 Ala 80 . . . . . T C 0.43 -0.54 * . F 2.86 2.19 Ser 81 . . . .
T T . 1.02 -0.54 * . F 3.40 1.41 Arg 82 . . . . T T . 1.72 -0.53 *
. F 3.06 1.52 Asp 83 . . . . T T . 1.81 -0.53 * . F 2.72 2.42 Phe
84 . . . . T T . 1.81 -0.60 * . F 2.38 2.80 Gln 85 . . . . . . C
2.09 -0.59 * * F 1.94 2.47 Asn 86 . . . . . T C 2.50 -0.10 * * F
1.80 2.14 Pro 87 . . . . . T C 1.80 -0.10 * * F 2.10 4.83 Gln 88 .
. . . . T C 1.80 -0.39 . * F 2.40 2.82 Thr 89 . . . . . T C 1.61
-0.79 . * F 3.00 3.04 Arg 90 . A B . . . . 1.40 -0.50 . * F 1.80
1.38 Ala 91 . A B . . . . 0.81 -0.50 . * F 1.50 1.23 Glu 92 . A B .
. . . 0.32 -0.40 . * . 0.90 0.86 Ile 93 . A B . . . . 0.11 -0.10 *
* . 0.60 0.38 Pro 94 . A B . . . . 0.53 0.33 * * . -0.30 0.58 Ala
95 . A B . . . . -0.39 -0.17 * * . 0.30 0.66 Phe 96 . A B . . . .
-0.61 0.51 * * . -0.60 0.77 Pro 97 . A B . . . . -0.92 0.51 * * .
-0.60 0.41 Arg 98 . A B . . . . -0.03 0.57 * * . -0.60 0.59 Leu 99
. A B . . . . -0.17 0.07 * * F 0.00 1.18 Leu 100 . A . . . . C 0.39
-0.29 * * F 0.65 0.76 Thr 101 . A . . . . C 0.84 -0.21 * * F 0.65
0.52 Glu 102 . . . . T . . 0.46 0.54 * * F 0.15 1.00 Gly 103 . . .
. T . . 0.03 0.47 * * . 0.15 1.20 His 104 . . B . . . . 0.03 0.27 .
. . 0.05 1.20 Tyr 105 . . B . . . . 0.63 0.47 . . . -0.40 0.57 Met
106 . . B . . . . 0.13 0.90 . . . -0.40 0.89 Thr 107 . . B . . . .
-0.17 1.16 . * . -0.40 0.54 Leu 108 . . B . . . . -0.63 1.04 . * .
-0.40 0.46 Pro 109 . . B . . . . -0.60 0.97 . * . -0.40 0.38 Leu
110 . A B . . . . -0.36 0.36 . * . -0.30 0.44 Ser 111 . A B . . . .
-0.57 0.27 . * . -0.30 0.93 Leu 112 . A B . . . . -0.47 0.27 * * .
-0.30 0.50 Asp 113 . A . . T . . -0.32 0.27 * * F 0.25 0.93 Gln 114
. A B . . . . -0.11 0.16 . . . -0.30 0.37 Leu 115 . . B . . T .
0.70 0.17 . . . 0.10 0.78 Pro 116 . . B . . T . 0.79 -0.51 . . .
1.00 0.78 Cys 117 . . B . . T . 1.01 -0.09 . . . 0.70 0.70 Gln 118
. . B . . T . 0.67 0.01 . . F 0.56 0.86 Asp 119 . . B . . T . 0.32
-0.24 . . F 1.47 0.55 Pro 120 . . . . T T . 0.79 -0.24 * * F 2.33
1.01 Ala 121 . . . . T T . 1.11 -0.39 * . F 2.49 0.58 Gly 122 . . .
. T T . 1.78 -0.79 * . F 3.10 0.68 Gly 123 . . . . T . . 0.92 -0.79
* . F 2.59 0.73 Gly 124 . . . . T T . 0.71 -0.57 * . F 2.48 0.54
Arg 125 . . B . . T . 0.11 -0.64 * . F 1.77 0.84 Asp 126 . . B . .
T . -0.11 -0.39 * * F 1.16 0.70 Val 127 . . B . . T . 0.34 -0.13 .
* F 0.85 0.59 Pro 128 . . B . . . . -0.17 -0.56 . * . 0.80 0.59 Leu
129 . . B B . . . -0.17 0.09 . * . -0.30 0.26 Leu 130 . . B B . . .
-0.28 0.51 * * . -0.33 0.35 Arg 131 . . B B . . . -0.28 0.27 * . .
0.24 0.36 Val 132 . . B B . . . 0.37 -0.16 * . . 1.11 0.73 Gly 133
. . . B T . . 0.23 -0.41 * * F 2.08 1.37 Asn 134 . . . . T . . 0.38
-0.67 * * F 2.70 0.69 Asp 135 . . . . . T C 0.38 -0.10 * * F 2.13
0.50 Pro 136 . . . . T T . -0.32 -0.06 * * F 2.06 0.42 Gly 137 . .
. . T T . 0.53 0.01 * . . 1.04 0.26 Cys 138 . . B . . T . 0.07
-0.39 * . . 0.97 0.26 Leu 139 . A B . . . . -0.74 0.30 * . . -0.30
0.14 Ala 140 . A B . . . . -0.74 0.56 * . . -0.60 0.12 Asp 141 . A
B . . . . -0.74 0.53 * . . -0.60 0.38 Leu 142 . A B . . . . -0.61
0.39 * . . -0.30 0.70 Leu 143 . A B . . . . -0.19 0.13 * . . -0.15
1.08 Gln 144 . A B . . . . -0.04 0.39 * . F 0.00 1.01 Pro 145 . . B
. . T . 0.54 0.96 . . F -0.05 0.66 Pro 146 . . . . T T . 0.24 0.67
. . F 0.50 1.28 Tyr 147 . . . . T T . 0.84 0.37 . . . 0.50 0.99 Cys
148 . . . . T T . 0.84 0.40 . . . 0.20 0.99 Asn 149 . . B . . . .
0.63 0.66 . . F -0.25 0.53 Ser 150 . . B . . T . 0.54 0.66 . . F
-0.05 0.52 Pro 151 . . B . . T . 0.54 0.29 . . F 0.40 1.31 Leu 152
. . . . . T C 0.44 0.14 . . F 0.60 1.26 Pro 153 . . . . . T C 0.90
0.17 . . F 0.45 0.93 Ser 154 . . . . . T C 0.66 0.21 . * F 0.61
0.93 Pro 155 . . . . . T C 1.07 0.54 . * F 0.62 1.76 Gly 156 . . .
. . T C 0.42 -0.14 . * F 1.68 2.23 Pro 157 . . B . . T . 1.28 0.07
. * F 1.04 1.24 Tyr 158 . . B . . . . 0.79 -0.31 . * F 1.60 1.60
Arg 159 . A B . . . . 0.28 0.04 . * . 0.49 1.40 Val 160 . A B . . .
. -0.32 0.30 . * . 0.18 0.75 Lys 161 . A B . . . . -0.58 0.56 . * .
-0.28 0.39 Phe 162 . A B . . . . -0.37 0.41 * * . -0.44 0.20 Leu
163 . A B . . . . -0.71 0.41 . * . -0.60 0.45 Leu 164 . A B . . . .
-0.71 0.27 . * . 0.04 0.23 Met 165 . A B . . . . -0.20 0.27 * * .
0.38 0.51 Asp 166 . . . . T T . -0.54 -0.09 * * . 2.12 0.61 Ala 167
. . . . T T . -0.06 -0.39 * * F 2.61 0.99 Arg 168 . . . . T T .
0.76 -0.64 * * F 3.40 1.55 Gly 169 . . . . . T C 0.98 -0.86 . * F
2.86 1.61 Ser 170 . . . . . T C 1.58 -0.36 . * F 2.22 1.61 Pro 171
. . . . . T C 1.27 -0.86 * * F 2.18 1.42 Gln 172 . . . . . T C 1.97
-0.37 * * F 1.54 2.08 Ala 173 . . B . . T . 1.57 -0.80 * * F 1.64
3.04 Glu 174 . . B . . . . 1.61 -0.27 * * F 1.48 2.06 Thr 175 . . B
. . . . 1.91 -0.31 * * F 1.82 1.60 Arg 176 . . . . T . . 1.91 -0.71
* * F 2.86 2.64 Trp 177 . . . . T T . 1.02 -0.79 * * F 3.40 2.36
Ser 178 . . . . . T C 1.02 -0.10 * * F 2.56 1.15 Asp 179 . . . . .
T C 0.21 -0.09 * * F 2.07 0.59 Pro 180 . . . . . T C 0.49 0.60 * *
. 0.68 0.46 Ile 181 . . B . . . . 0.38 0.19 . * . 0.24 0.47 Ala 182
. . B . . . . 0.32 0.20 . . . 0.18 0.49 Leu 183 . . B . . . . 0.67
0.63 . . . 0.16 0.31 His 184 . . B . . T . 0.37 0.20 . . . 0.94
0.89 Gln 185 . . . . T T . 0.37 -0.10 . . F 2.52 1.18 Gly 186 . . .
. T T . 0.67 -0.17 . . F 2.80 2.22 Lys 187 . . . . . T C 0.96 -0.36
* * F 2.32 1.64 Ser 188 . . . . . T C 0.88 -0.47 . * F 2.04 1.27
Pro 189 . . . . . T C 0.91 -0.19 . * F 1.61 0.90 Ala 190 . . B . .
T . 0.60 -0.61 . * F 1.43 0.75 Ser 191 . . B . . T . 0.66 -0.13 . *
F 0.85 0.81 Ile 192 . . B . . . . 0.40 0.40 . * F -0.25 0.55 Asp
193 . . B . . . . 0.36 0.40 * * F -0.25 0.84 Thr 194 . . B . . . .
0.68 0.33 . . F 0.05 0.62 Trp 195 . . B . . T . 1.38 -0.06 . . F
1.34 1.74 Pro 196 . . . . . T C 1.38 -0.74 . . F 2.18 2.04 Gly 197
. . . . T T . 1.92 -0.36 . . F 2.42 1.90 Arg 198 . . . . T T . 1.58
-0.41 . . F 2.76 1.78 Arg 199 . . . . T T . 1.29 -0.90 * . F 3.40
1.14 Ser 200 . . . . T T . 0.69 -0.71 * . F 3.06 1.14 Gly 201 . . .
. T T . 0.04 -0.46 * . F 2.27 0.41 Gly 202 . . B . . T . -0.50 0.19
* . F 0.93 0.15 Met 203 . . B B . . . -0.92 0.87 . . . -0.26 0.08
Ile 204 . . B B . . . -1.33 0.97 * * . -0.60 0.12 Val 205 . . B B .
. . -1.92 0.93 . . . -0.60 0.16 Ile 206 . . B B . . . -2.39 1.19 .
. . -0.60 0.11 Thr 207 . . B B . . . -2.34 1.26 * . . -0.60 0.13
Ser 208 . . B B . . . -2.04 0.96 * . . -0.60 0.24 Ile 209 . . B B .
. . -1.97 0.70 * . . -0.60 0.46 Leu 210 . A B B . . . -1.70 0.70 *
. . -0.60 0.26 Ser 211 . A B . . . . -1.11 0.71 * . . -0.60 0.20
Ser 212 . A . . . . C -1.19 0.71 * . . -0.40 0.38 Leu 213 . A B . .
. . -1.70 0.46 * . . -0.60 0.59 Ala 214 . A B . . . . -1.62 0.46 *
. . -0.60 0.36 Ser 215 . A B . . . . -1.62 0.76 * . . -0.60 0.22
Xxx 216 . A B . . . . -1.91 1.06 * . . -0.60 0.22 Leu 217 . A B . .
. . -2.31 0.87 . . . -0.60 0.22 Leu 218 . A B . . . . -2.31 1.16 .
. . -0.60 0.14 Leu 219 . A B . . . . -2.31 1.46 . . . -0.60 0.09
Ala 220 . A B . . . . -2.60 1.53 . . . -0.60 0.11 Phe 221 . A B . .
. . -2.51 1.34 . . . -0.60 0.14 Leu 222 . A B . . . . -2.01 1.04 .
. . -0.60 0.23 Ala 223 . A B . . . . -1.59 0.84 * . . -0.60 0.32
Ala 224 . A B . . . . -0.67 0.77 * * . -0.32 0.48
Ser 225 . . B . . T . -0.78 -0.01 . * . 1.41 1.13 Thr 226 . . . . .
T C -0.38 0.09 * * F 1.29 0.97 Xxx 227 . . . . T T . 0.13 -0.03 * .
F 2.52 1.29 Arg 228 . . . . T T . -0.09 -0.14 * * F 2.80 1.29 Phe
229 . . . . T . . 0.21 0.16 * . F 1.57 0.74 Ser 230 . . . . . T C
0.22 0.59 * * . 0.84 0.61 Ser 231 . . . . . T C 0.32 1.07 * * .
0.56 0.33 Leu 232 . . . . . T C 0.71 1.50 . * . 0.28 0.58 Trp 233 .
. . . . T C 0.60 0.71 . * . 0.00 0.75 Trp 234 . A . . . . C 0.71
0.33 . . . -0.10 0.97 Pro 235 . A . . . . C 0.80 0.44 . . F -0.10
1.19 Glu 236 . A . . . . C 1.10 0.19 . . F 0.20 1.75 Glu 237 . A .
. . . C 1.91 -0.73 * . F 1.10 2.88 Ala 238 . A . . . . C 1.39 -1.24
* * F 1.10 3.22 Pro 239 . A . . . . C 1.79 -0.99 * * F 1.10 1.53
Glu 240 . A . . T . . 1.11 -0.99 * * F 1.30 1.73 Gln 241 A . . B .
. . 0.77 -0.30 * * F 0.60 1.20 Leu 242 A . . B . . . 0.47 -0.37 . *
. 0.30 0.77 Arg 243 . . B B . . . 0.36 -0.41 * * . 0.30 0.60 Ile
244 . . B B . . . -0.03 0.37 * * . -0.30 0.30 Gly 245 . . B B . . .
-0.38 0.59 * * . -0.60 0.36 Ser 246 . . B B . . . -0.33 0.33 * * .
-0.30 0.18 Phe 247 . . B B . . . 0.59 0.33 * * . -0.05 0.52 Met 248
. . . B . . C 0.23 -0.36 * . . 1.15 1.02 Gly 249 . . . . T T . 0.52
-0.03 * . . 2.00 1.19 Lys 250 . . . . T T . 0.56 0.20 * . . 1.65
1.36 Arg 251 . . . . T T . 0.82 -0.10 . . . 2.50 1.99 Tyr 252 . . B
. . T . 1.49 -0.21 * . . 1.85 2.73 Met 253 . . B B . . . 1.20 -0.14
* . . 1.20 1.86 Thr 254 . . B B . . . 1.33 0.54 * . . -0.10 0.67
His 255 . . B B . . . 1.08 0.97 * . . -0.35 0.66 His 256 . . . B .
. C 0.67 0.64 * . . -0.01 1.03 Ile 257 . . . B . . C 0.91 0.41 . .
. 0.08 0.95 Pro 258 . . . . . T C 0.92 -0.07 . . F 1.92 1.21 Pro
259 . . . . . T C 0.64 -0.07 . . F 2.01 0.90 Ser 260 . . . . . T C
0.37 -0.07 . . F 2.40 1.30 Glu 261 . . B . . T . -0.41 -0.27 . . F
1.96 1.21 Ala 262 . . . . T . . 0.27 -0.01 . . . 1.62 0.65 Ala 263
. . B . . . . -0.38 -0.01 . . . 0.98 0.75 Thr 264 . . B . . . .
-0.56 0.24 . . . 0.14 0.32 Leu 265 . . B . . . . -0.92 0.67 . * .
-0.40 0.40 Pro 266 . . B . . . . -0.92 0.74 . * . -0.40 0.21 Val
267 . . B . . . . -0.54 0.24 . * . -0.10 0.26 Xxx 268 . . B . . . .
-0.30 0.19 . * . -0.10 0.48 Cys 269 . . B . . . . -0.80 -0.07 . * .
0.67 0.31 Glu 270 . . B . . T . 0.01 0.19 . * F 0.59 0.34 Pro 271 .
. B . . T . 0.01 -0.46 . * F 1.36 0.45 Gly 272 . . . . T T . 0.06
-0.46 . * F 2.08 1.29 Leu 273 . . B . . T . 0.23 -0.34 * . F 1.70
0.62 Asp 274 . . B . . . . 0.60 0.09 * . F 0.73 0.62 Pro 275 . . B
. . . . -0.21 0.04 * . F 0.56 0.83 Leu 276 . . B . . T . -0.30 0.30
* . F 0.59 0.83 Pro 277 . . B . . T . -0.17 0.00 * . F 0.42 0.67
Ser 278 . . . . T T . 0.26 0.43 * . F 0.35 0.67 Leu 279 . . B . . T
. -0.13 0.43 * . F 0.10 1.04 Ser 280 . . B . . . . -0.31 0.17 . . .
-0.10 0.86 Pro 281 . . B . . . . 0.11 0.17 . . . -0.10 0.82
[1854] The entire disclosure of each document cited (including
patents, patent applications, journal articles, abstracts,
laboratory manuals, books, or other disclosures) in the Background
of the Invention, Detailed Description, and Examples is hereby
incorporated herein by reference. Further, the hard copy of the
sequence listing submitted herewith and the corresponding computer
readable form are both incorporated herein by reference in their
entireties. TABLE-US-00048 LENGTHY TABLE The patent application
contains a lengthy table section. A copy of the table is available
in electronic form from the USPTO web site
(http://seqdata.uspto.gov/?pageRequest=docDetail&DocID=US20070015908A1)
An electronic copy of the table will also be available from the
USPTO upon request and payment of the fee set forth in 37 CFR
1.19(b)(3).
Sequence CWU 0 SQTB SEQUENCE LISTING The patent application
contains a lengthy "Sequence Listing" section. A copy of the
"Sequence Listing" is available in electronic form from the USPTO
web site
(http://seqdata.uspto.gov/?pageRequest=docDetail&DocID=US20070015908A1).
An electronic copy of the "Sequence Listing" will also be available
from the USPTO upon request and payment of the fee set forth in 37
CFR 1.19(b)(3).
0 SQTB SEQUENCE LISTING The patent application contains a lengthy
"Sequence Listing" section. A copy of the "Sequence Listing" is
available in electronic form from the USPTO web site
(http://seqdata.uspto.gov/?pageRequest=docDetail&DocID=US20070015908A1).
An electronic copy of the "Sequence Listing" will also be available
from the USPTO upon request and payment of the fee set forth in 37
CFR 1.19(b)(3).
* * * * *
References