Laminin chains: diagnostic uses

Tryggvason; Karl ;   et al.

Patent Application Summary

U.S. patent application number 11/522564 was filed with the patent office on 2007-04-05 for laminin chains: diagnostic uses. This patent application is currently assigned to BioStratum, Inc.. Invention is credited to Pekka Kallunki, Charles Pyke, Karl Tryggvason.

Application Number20070077252 11/522564
Document ID /
Family ID27497119
Filed Date2007-04-05

United States Patent Application 20070077252
Kind Code A1
Tryggvason; Karl ;   et al. April 5, 2007

Laminin chains: diagnostic uses

Abstract

The instant invention provides for the identification, diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of invasive cells using the laminin 5 gamma-2 chain protein or nucleic acid sequence, or antibodies thereto.


Inventors: Tryggvason; Karl; (Oulu, FI) ; Kallunki; Pekka; (Copenhagen, DK) ; Pyke; Charles; (Hilleroo, DK)
Correspondence Address:
    MCDONNELL BOEHNEN HULBERT & BERGHOFF LLP
    300 S. WACKER DRIVE
    32ND FLOOR
    CHICAGO
    IL
    60606
    US
Assignee: BioStratum, Inc.,

Family ID: 27497119
Appl. No.: 11/522564
Filed: September 18, 2006

Related U.S. Patent Documents

Application Number Filing Date Patent Number
10870882 Jun 17, 2004
11522564 Sep 18, 2006
09756071 Jan 8, 2001 6955924
10870882 Jun 17, 2004
09663147 Sep 15, 2000
10870882 Jun 17, 2004
08800593 Feb 18, 1997 6143505
09663147 Sep 15, 2000
08317450 Oct 4, 1994 5660982
08800593 Feb 18, 1997
10733698 Dec 11, 2003
10870882
10227738 Aug 26, 2002
10733698 Dec 11, 2003
09663147 Sep 15, 2000
10227738 Aug 26, 2002
08800593 Feb 18, 1997 6143505
09663147 Sep 15, 2000
08317450 Oct 4, 1994 5660982
08800593 Feb 18, 1997
60175005 Jan 7, 2000

Current U.S. Class: 424/155.1
Current CPC Class: C12Q 1/6883 20130101; C07K 2317/76 20130101; C12Q 2600/158 20130101; C12Q 2600/156 20130101; C12Q 2600/112 20130101; C07K 16/18 20130101; C07K 16/28 20130101; C12Q 1/6886 20130101
Class at Publication: 424/155.1
International Class: A61K 39/395 20060101 A61K039/395

Claims



1. A method for intervention of .gamma.2 chain interactions of invasive carcinogens with surrounding tissues by using anti-i2 chain antibodies to inhibit the .gamma.2 chain biological activity of said invasive carcinogens.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody is monoclonal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody is polyclonal.

4. A method for promoting adhesion of epithelial cells by exposing said cells to intact laminin-5 molecules.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said epithelial cells are squamous carcinoma cells.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the epithelial cells are human keratinocytes.
Description



CROSS REFERENCE

[0001] This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/175,005, filed Jan. 7, 2000. This application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. Application Ser. No. 09/663,147, filed on Sept. 15, 2000, which is a continuation of U.S. Application Ser. No. 08/800,593 filed Feb. 18, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,143,505, which is a divisional of U.S. Application Ser. No. 08/317,450 filed Oct. 4, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,982.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Laminins are a family of basement membrane proteins which function in cell differentiation, adhesion, and migration, in addition to being true structural components (Tryggvason K., Curr. Opn. Cell Biol., 1993, 5:877-882, this and all following references are hereby incorporated by reference). The laminin molecule is a cross-shaped heterotrimer consisting of one heavy chain (.apprxeq.400 kd) and two light chains, .beta. and .gamma. (130-200 kd) (nomenclature according to Burgeson et al., Matrix Biol., 1994, 14:209-211). Laminins exist as several isoforms each having a unique combination of .alpha., .beta. and .gamma. chains. Thus far, ten genetically distinct laminin chains, .alpha.1-.alpha.5, .beta.1-.beta.3 and .gamma.1-.gamma.2 are known.

[0003] In the laminin molecule the three chains are associated through a carboxyl terminal coiled coil (long arm), most of the chains having a free amino terminal short arm. Additionally, all the .alpha. chains have a large globular G domain at the carboxyl terminus. Laminin can contribute to the structural framework of the basement membrane, but it is also believed to have a role in cell differentiation, proliferation, adhesion and migration (Timpl, R. & Brown, J. C. (1994) Matrix Biol. 14: 275-81, Yurchenco, P. D. & O'Rear, J. J. (1994) Curr. Opin. Cell. Biol. 6: 674-81). Many of the laminin chains have tissue- and cell-specific distribution which may vary between different developmental stages, indicating specific functions for the various chains and isoforms. Evidence for tissue-specific roles of some of the laminin chains has come from identification of mutations in the .alpha.2 chain gene in muscular dystrophies in mouse and man (Xu, H., Wu, X. R., Wewer, U. M. & Engvall, E. (1994) Nature Genet. 8: 297-301; Heibling-Leclerc, A., Zhang, X., Topaloglu, H., Cruaud, C., Tesson, F., Weissenbach, J., Tome', F., Schwartz, K., Fardeau, M., Tryggvason, K. & Guicheney, P. (1995) Nature Genet. 11: 216-218; Nissinen, M., Heibling-Leclerc, A., Zhang, X., Evangelista, T., Topaloglu H., Cruaud, C., Weissenbach, J., Fardeau, M., Tome', F. M. S., Schwartz, K., Tryggvason, K. & Guicheney, P. (1996) Am. J. Hum. Genet. 58: 1177-1184), as well as in the genes for the .alpha.3, .beta.3 and .gamma.2 chains in epidermolysis bullosa (Pulkkinen, L., Christiano, A. M., Airenne, T., Haakana, H., Tryggvason, K. & Uitto, J. (1994a) Nature Genet. 6: 293-297; Pulkkinen, L., Christiano, A. M., Gerecke, D., Wagman, D. W., Burgeson, R. E., Pittelkow, M. R. & Uitto, J. (1994b) Genomics 24: 357-60; Aberdam, D., Galliano, M. F., Vailly, J., Pulkkinen, L., Bonifas, J., Christiano, A.M., Tryggvason, K., Uitto, J., Epstein, E. J., Ortonne, J. P. & Meneguzzi, G. (1994) Nature Genet. 6: 299-304; Kivirikko, S., McGrath, J. A., Baudoin, C., Aberdam, D., Ciatti, S., Dunnill, M. G. S., McMillan, J. R., Eady, R. A. J., Ortonne, J.-P., Meneguzzi, G., Uitto, J. & Christiano, A. M. (1995) Hum. Mol. Genet. 4: 959-962; Vidal, F., Baudoin, C., Miquel, C., Galliano, M.-F., Christiano, A. M., Uitto, J., Ortonne, J.-P. & Meneguzzi, G. (1995) Genomics 30: 273-280).

[0004] Laminin-5, is a unique subepithelial basement membrane isoform with the molecular formula .alpha.3:.beta.3:.gamma.2 chains (Burgeson, R. E., Chiquet, M., Deutzmann, R., Ekblom, P., Engel, J., Kleinman, H., Martin, G. R., Meneguzzi, G., Paulsson, M., Sanes, J., Timpl, R., Tryggvason, K., Yamada, Y., & Yurchenco, P. D. (1994) Matrix Biol. 14:209-211). Determination of the primary structure of the human .alpha.3, .beta.3 and .gamma.2 chains has revealed that all these chains are truncated in the short arm relative to the corresponding chains of laminin-1 (Kallunki, P., Sainio, K., Eddy, R., Byers, M., Kallunki, T., Sariola, H., Beck, K., Hirvonen, H., Shows, T. B. & Tryggvason, K. (1992) J. Cell Biol. 119:679-693; Ryan, M. C., Tizard, R., VanDevanter, D. R. & Carter, W. G. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269: 22779-22787; Gerecke, D. R., Wagman, D. W., Champliaud, M. F. & Burgeson, R. E. (1994) J. Biol. Chem). Additionally, the .gamma.2 chain exists in two forms differing in the length of their carboxyl terminal end due to alternative splicing Kallunki, P., Sainio, K., Eddy, R., Byers, M., Kallunki, T., Sariola, H., Beck, K., Hirvonen, H., Shows, T. B. & Tryggvason, K. (1992) J. Cell Biol. 119: 679-693; Ryan, M. C., Tizard, R., VanDevanter, D. R. & Carter, W. G. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269: 22779-22787; Gerecke, D. R., Wagman, D. W., Champliaud, M. F. & Burgeson, R. E. (1994) J. Biol. Chem; Airenne, T., Haakana, H., Sainio, K., Kallunki, T., Kallunki, P., Sariola, H. & Tryggvason, K. (1996) Genomics 32: 54-64). Immunolocalization of the laminin-5 protein (previously termed kalinin, nicein or epiligrin) to anchoring filaments (Verrando, P., Hsi, B., Yeh, C., Pisani, A., Serieys, N., & Ortonne, J. (1987) Exp. Cell Res. 170:116-128; Carter, W. G., Ryan, M. C. & Gahr, P. J. (1991) Cell 65: 599-610; Rousselle, P., Lunstrum, G. P., Keene, D. R. & Burgeson, R. E. (1991) J. Cell Biol. 114:567-576) as well as epithelium-specific expression of the .gamma.2 chain (Kallunki, P., Sainio, K., Eddy, R., Byers, M., Kallunki, T., Sariola, H., Beck, K., Hirvonen, H., Shows, T. B. & Tryggvason, K. (1992) J. Cell Biol. 119: 679-693) already implied its role as an epithelial attachment component. The adhesion properties of laminin-5 have been demonstrated in several cell attachment studies (Carter, W. G., Ryan, M. C. & Gahr, P. J. (1991) Cell 65: 599-610; Rousselle, P., Lunstrum, G. P., Keene, D. R. & Burgeson, R. E. (1991) J. Cell Biol. 114: 567-576; Sonnenberg, A., Calafat, J., Janssen, H., Daams, H., van der Raaij-Helmer, L. M. H., Falcioni, R., Kennel, S. J., Aplin, J. D., Baker, J., Loizidou, M. & Garrod, D. (1991) J. Cell Biol. 113: 907-917; Niessen, C. M., Hogervorst, F., Jaspars, L. H., De Melker, A. A., Delwel, G. O., Hulsman, E. H., Kuikman, I. & Sonnenberg, A. (1994) Exp. Cell. Res. 211: 360-367; Rousselle, P. & Aumailley, M. (1994) J. Cell Biol. 125:205-214). The adhesive function of laminin-5 has been shown to be mediated through .alpha.3.beta.1 and .alpha.6.beta.4 integrins (Carter, W. G., Ryan, M. C. & Gahr, P. J. (1991) Cell 65: 599-610; Sonnenberg, A., Calafat, J., Janssen, H., Daams, H., van der Raaij-Helmer, L. M. H., Falcioni, R., Kennel, S. J., Aplin, J. D., Baker, J., Loizidou, M. & Garrod, D. (1991) J. Cell Biol. 113: 907-917; Rousselle, P. & Aumailley, M. (1994) J. Cell Biol. 125:205-214). Direct evidence for the crucial role of laminin-5 for epithelial cell attachment has come from the identification of mutations in the genes of all the subunit chains (Pulkinen, L., Christiano, A.M., Airenne, T., Haakana, H., Tryggvason, K. & Uitto, J. (1994) Nature Genet. 6: 293-297; Pulkkinen, L., Christiano, A. M., Gerecke, D., Wagman, D. W., Burgeson, R. E., Pittelkow, M. R. & Uitto, J. (1994b) Genomics 24: 357-60; Aberdam, D., Galliano, M. F., Vailly, J., Pulkkinen, L., Bonifas, J., Christiano, A. M., Tryggvason, K., Uitto, J., Epstein, E. J., Ortonne, J. P. & Meneguzzi, G. (1994) Nature Genet. 6: 299-304; Kivirikko, S., McGrath, J. A., Baudoin, C., Aberdam, D., Ciatti, S., Dunnill, M. G. S., McMillan, J. R., Eady, R. A. J., Ortonne, J.-P., Meneguzzi, G., Uitto, J. & Christiano, A. M. (1995) Hum. Mol. Genet. 4: 959-962; Vidal F., Baudoin, C., Miquel, C., Galliano, M.-F., Christiano, A. M., Uitto, J., Ortonne, J.-P. & Meneguzzi, G. (1995) Genomics 30: 273-280) in the Herlitz's variant of junctional epidermolysis bullosa, a lethal skin blistering disease caused by disruption of the epidermal-dermal junction. One and possibly the only cell adhesion site of laminin-5 has been localized to the long arm (Rousselle, P. & Aumailley, M. (1994) J. Cell Biol. 125:205-214; Rousselle, P., Golbik, R., van der Rest, M. & Aumailley, M. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270:13766-13770). However, a mutation in one junctional epidermolysis bullosa patient causing an in-frame deletion of 73 residues from domains III and IV of the short arm of the laminin .gamma.2 chain indicates a role for this part of the chain for the anchorage of epithelial cells to the extracellular matrix (Pulkkinen, L., Christiano, A. M., Airenne, T., Haakana, H., Tryggvason, K. & Uitto, J. (1994) Nature Genet. 6: 293-297).

[0005] By in situ hybridization the .gamma.-2 chain was found to be expressed in epithelial cells of many embryonic tissues such as those of skin, lung, and kidney (Kallunki et al., 1992, supra.), and antibodies to kalinin/laminin 5, react with basement membranes of the same tissues (Rousselle et al., 1991, supra.; Verrando et al., Lab. Invest., 1991, 64:85-92).

[0006] The different laminin chains have been shown to have quite varying tissue distribution as determined by immunohistological studies, Northern, and in situ hybridization analyses. For example, the A and M chains on the one hand, and the B1 (.beta.-1) and S (.beta.-2) chains on the other, have been shown to be mutually exclusive (see for example Vuolteenaho et al., J. Cell Biol., 1994, 124:381-394). In vitro studies have indicated that laminin mediates a variety of biological functions such as stimulation of cell proliferation, cell adhesion, differentiation, and neurite outgrowth. The cellular activities are thought to be mediated by cell membrane receptors, many of which are members of the integrin family (Ruoslahti, E. J. Clin. Invest., 1991, 87:1-5; Mecham, R. P. FASEB J., 1991, 5:2538-2546; Hynes, R. Cell, 1992, 69:11-25). Recently a new nomenclature for describing laminins has been agreed to as in the following Table 1 (after Burgeson et al., 1994, supra): TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Laminin Chains and Genes New Previous Gene .alpha.1 A, Ae LAMA1 .alpha.2 M, Am LAMA2 .alpha.3 200 kDa LAMA3 .beta.1 B1 B1e LAMB1 .beta.2 S, B1s LAMB2 .beta.3 140 kDa LAMB3 .gamma.1 B2, B2e LAMC1 .gamma.2 B2t LAMC2

[0007] TABLE-US-00002 Heterotrimers of Laminin New Chains Previous Laminin-1 .alpha.1.beta.1.gamma.1 EHS laminin Laminin-2 .alpha.2.beta.1.gamma.1 merosin Laminin-3 .alpha.1.beta.2.gamma.1 s-laminin Laminin-4 .alpha.2.beta.2.gamma.1 s-merosin Laminin-5 .alpha.3.beta.3.gamma.2 kalinin/nicein Laminin-6 .alpha.3.beta.1.gamma.1 k-laminin Laminin-7 .alpha.3.beta.2.gamma.1 ks-laminin

[0008] Cell migration is one of the biological functions proposed for laminin (Timpl, R. & Brown, J. C. (1994) Matrix Biol. 14: 275-81). Cellular movement is required for various physiological and pathological processes, such as during embryogenesis, wound healing, angiogenesis and tumor invasion. Immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization studies have shown induction of laminin-5 expression in migrating keratinocytes during wound healing (Ryan, M. C., Tizard, R., VanDevanter, D. R. & Carter, W. G. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269: 22779-22787; Larjava, H., Salo, T., Haapasalmi K., Kramer, R. H. & Heino J. (1993) Clin. Invest. 92: 1425-1435; Pyke, C., Romer, J., Kallunki, P., Lund, L. R., Ralfkiaer, E., Dano, K. & Tryggvason, K. (1994) Am. J. Pathol. 145: 782-791). The .gamma.2 chain of laminin-5 has also been shown to be strongly expressed in malignant cells located at the invasion front of several human carcinomas, as determined by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical staining Pyke, C., Romer, J., Kallunki, P., Lund, L. R., Ralfkiaer, E., Dano, K. & Tryggvason, K. (1994) Am. J. Pathol. 145: 782-791; Pyke, C., Salo, S., Ralfkiaer, E., Romer, J., Dano, K. & Tryggvason, K. (1995) Cancer Res. 55: 4132-4139). Since laminin-1 has been found to inhibit keratinocyte migration in vitro (Woodley, D. T., Bachmann, P. M. & O'Keefe, E. J. (1988) J. Cell. Physiol. 136: 140-146), and as the laminin .alpha.1, .beta.1 and .gamma.1 chains are only weakly expressed throughout cancerous areas with no apparent correlation to sites of invasion, laminin-5 has been proposed to have a role in the migration event (Pyke, C., Romer, J., Kallunki, P., Lund, L. R., Ralfkiaer, E., Dano, K. & Tryggvason, K. (1994) Am. J. Pathol. 145: 782-791).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The instant invention provides; for methods of detecting kalinin/laminin 5 expression in tissue comprising detecting a signal from assayed tissue, such signal resulting from specifically hybridizing tissue with an effective amount of a nucleic acid probe, which probe contains a sense or antisense portion of kalinin/laminin 5 gamma-2 nucleic acid sequence (Kallunki et al., 1992, supra.). In particular, where the nucleic acid probe is DNA, RNA, radio-labeled, enzyme labeled, chemiluminescent labeled, avidin or biotin labeled, derived from human kalinin/laminin 5 gamma-2 nucleic acid sequence, incorporated into an extrachromasomal self-replicating vector, a viral vector, is linear, circularized, or contains modified nucleotides. In the preferred embodiment the probes are linearized specific regions of the .gamma.-2 gene.

[0010] The instant invention also provides for methods for detecting the presence of invasive cells in tissue comprising detecting a signal from assayed tissue, such signal resulting from contacting tissue with an effective amount of a nucleic acid probe, which probe contains a sense or antisense portion of kalinin/laminin 5 .gamma.-2 nucleic acid sequence (Kallunki et al., 1992, supra.). In particular, where the nucleic acid probe is DNA, RNA, radio-labeled, enzyme labeled, chemiluminescent labeled, avidin or biotin labeled, derived from human kalinin/laminin 5 gamma-2 nucleic acid sequence, incorporated into an extrachromasomal self-replicating vector, a viral vector, is linear, circularized, or contains modified nucleotides. In the preferred embodiment the probes are linearized specific regions of the .gamma.-2 gene. The instant method also provides for the diagnosis of the absence of .gamma.-2 chain expression, useful for the monitoring of therapies, and the progress of malignant cell transformation leading to accurate determination of the extent of invasive cell activity.

[0011] The instant invention further provides for a method for detecting kalinin/laminin 5 expression in tissue comprising detecting a signal from assayed tissue, such signal resulting from contacting tissue with an effective amount of a labeled probe, which probe contains an antibody immunoreactive with a portion of linin/laminin 5 gamma-2 protein.

[0012] Further provided is a method for detecting invasive cells in tissue comprising detecting a signal from assayed tissue, such signal resulting from contacting tissue with an effective amount of a labeled probe, which probe contains an antibody immunoreactive with a portion of kalinin/laminin 5 gamina-2 protein. Also provided is a method for detecting kalinin/laminin 5 in tissue comprising detecting a signal from assayed tissue, such signal resulting from contacting tissue with an effective amount of a labeled probe, which probe contains an antibody immunoreactive with a potion of kalinin/laminin 5 gamma-2 protein. Thus the method of the instant invention provides for the absence of such signal as diagnostic for the absence of invasive cells.

[0013] Further, the present invention provides for a method of using the laminin-5 molecule to promote adhesion of cultured epithelial and carcinoma cells.

[0014] Additionally, the present invention is directed to a method for blocking migration of cells using antibodies against the .gamma.-2 chain of the laminin-5 molecule. Evidence for the relationship of .gamma.2 chain expression with cell migration was obtained by the identification of an enhancer element in the LAMC2 gene in studies on promoter-reporter gene constructs in transgenic mice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIGS. 1A-D shows in situ hybridization of a specimen of colon adenocarcinoma for .gamma.-2 chain mRNA using a S-35 labeled anti-sense RNA probe derived from plasmid pbb2r-02. Magnification:1A.times.100; 1B-1D.times.640.

[0016] FIGS. 2A-D shows in situ hybridization for .gamma.-2 chain mRNA on sections of ductal mammary carcinoma (2A), malignant melanoma (2B), squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (2C-2D), and squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva (2E-2G). Magnification: 2C.times.100, all others .times.640. Photos marked by plain letter ie. X, show in situ hybridization results for .gamma.-2 chain mRNA on stained sections. Photos marked by the apostrophe letter, ie. X', are the dark field images of the respective photomicographs.

[0017] FIGS. 3A,A' is incisionally wounded mouse skin (72 hours after wounding) showing signal for .gamma.-2 chain in keratinocytes at the leading edge of the migrating epithelium (curved arrow). Magnification: .times.640. FIG. 3A is a photo of in situ hybridization on a stained section showing .gamma.-2 chain signal. FIG. 3A' is a photo showing the dark field image of 3A.

[0018] FIGS. 4A-B shows the nucleic acid sequence for the .gamma.-2 chain cDNA and the derived amino acid sequence. FIG. 4A is the full cDNA for the 5,200 base pair sequence, availible from EMB/GenBank/DDBJ under the accession number Z15008. FIG. 4B is the nucleotide and derived amino acid sequence of the alternative 3' end sequence from cDNA crones providing a sequence of 4,316 base pairs, availible from EMB/GenBank/DDBJ under the accession number Z15009. Kallunki et al.,1992, supra) SEQ ID NOs:12,13,14& 15.

[0019] FIG. 5. Characterization of laminin-5 and recombinant laminin .gamma.2 chain prepared and used in this study. HaCat cell culture medium proteins and the recombinant laminin .gamma.2 chain extracted from baculovirus-infected insect cells were purified as described in Materials and Methods and studied on 6% polyacrylamide gels. (A) Silver stained laminin-5 (LAM5) from HaCat cells was resolved into two major bands of 165 kDa and 140-155 kDa. Additionally, a weak band of 105 kDa could be observed. These bands correspond in size to those of the .alpha.3 (165 kDa), .beta.2+.beta.3 (155 kDa+140 kDa) and processed .gamma.2 (105 kDa) chains of laminin-5. The recombinant .gamma.2 chain (rec.gamma.2) produced by the baculovirus system showed a major silver stain band of about 155 kDa).

[0020] FIG. 6. Efficiency of human laminin-5 and recombinant human laminin .gamma.2 chain for attachment of HaCat keratinocytes and KLN-205 squamous carcinoma cells in vitro. The attachment efficiency was compared with the efficiency with which the cells bound to laminin-1. Substrate concentrations (10 .mu.g/ml) providing maximum attachment to laminin-1 and laminin-5 were used. The results are presented as means +/- SD calculated from at least four duplicate series, the values for laminin-1 were given the arbitrary value of 100%.

[0021] FIGS. 7A-B. Effects of polyclonal .gamma.2 chain antibodies on the migration of KLN-205 squamous carcinoma cells in Boyden and Transwell chamber assays of migration. (7A) The two compartments of the chemotactic Boyden chambers were separated by a type IV collagen coated porous Nucleopore filter (pore size 8 .mu.m). The cells (1.times.105) in MEM containing 0.1% BSA were placed in the upper compartment, and laminin-1 (+/-) or fibronectin (-/+) in MEM containing 0.1% BSA were added as chemoattractants to the lower compartment. IgG against .gamma.2 chain domains III, I/II or preimmune IgG was added to the upper compartment with the cells at a concentration of 20 .mu.g/ml. After 8-hour incubation at .sub.37.degree. C. the filters were removed and migration of cells to the lower surface of the filter were quantitated. The data are expressed as percentage of migrated cells (+/- SD (bars)) per high power field, setting migration in the presence of pre-immune IgG as 100%. Cells were counted in ten randomly selected high power fields to triplicate assays. (7B), Effects of exogenous laminin-5 on cell migration in a Transwell assay. The lower side of the membrane was coated with EHS type IV collagen, and the lower compartment was filled with 2.5 .mu.g/ml laminin-5 as a chemoattractant. Pre-immune IgG, IgG against the .gamma.2 chain domains III or I/II were added to the upper chamber containing the cells. Following 16 hour incubation the cells were fixed and cells at the lower side of the membrane were counted (12 fields +/- SD).

[0022] FIG. 8. LAMC2 Promoter-reporter gene constructs used for studies of expression in transgenic mice. Top, nucleotide sequence of the 5' region of the LAMC2 gene and its immediate upstream region (SEQ. ID. NO.:20). The bent arrow indicates the site of transcription initiation. The GATAA motif is boxed and the AP-1, Sp1 and CTF motifs are underlined The translation initiator codon ATG in exon 1 for methionine is indicted by a double underline. The first amino acids of the protein are shown with the single letter code beneath the corresponding codons. The large boxed area represents the sequence cloned into construct HH-2. Bottom, schematic illustration of the two LAMC2-LacZ reporter gene constructs HH-1 and HH-2 used in transgenic mice.

[0023] FIGS. 9A-D. Expression of LAMC2-LacZ reporter gene constructs in 15.5-day-old transgenic mouse embryos. (9A), Staining of the whole 15.5-day-old embryo reveals highly restricted expression of .beta.-galactosidase as observed in some hair follicles and some regions of skin and testicles (arrow). Construct HH-2. (9B), Scattered epithelial cells of hair follicles are positive. Construct HH-1. (9C), Scattered positive epithelial cells of ductus deferens. Construct HH-1. (9D), Some positive epithelial cells of skin. Construct HH-2.

[0024] FIGS. 10A-D. Expression of shorter LAMC2-LacZ reporter gene construct HH-2 in adult transgenic mouse tissues. (10A), Regionally positive epithelial cells of the epidermis (ep) and hair follicles (arrow). (10B), Scattered positive epithelial cells in ductus deferens. (10C and 10D), Expression can be seen in some areas of the gastric mucosa. Note that the expression can be localized to epithelial cells of both the surface and in the gastric pits.

[0025] FIGS. 11A-D. Immunolocalization of laminin-5 .gamma.2 chain and expression of LAMC2-LacZ reporter gene constructs in dorsal incision skin wounds in tranzsgenic mice. (11A), Immunostaining localizes the .gamma.2 chain to the basement membrane (arrow) beneath keratinocytes of the uninjured epithelium (ep) at the edges of the 3day-old wound. (11B), Immunostaining reveals the presence of the .gamma.2 chain in the entire newly formed basement membrane deposited under the epithelium (ep) covering the 7-day-old incision wound. (11C), Expression of the LAMC2-LacZ reporter gene construct HH-2 in keratinocytes migrating from edges of the 3-day-old incision wound (wtaws) during the initial phase of re-epithelialization. Only minor expression is observed in keratinocytes of the uninjured epithelium. (11D), Keratinocytes of the new epithelium covering the entire 7-day-old incision wound exhibit intense expression of the reporter gene.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a group of mechano-bullous disorders characterized by fragility of the skin and mucous membranes (see Lin & Carter eds., Epidermolysis bullosa. Basic and clinical aspects, 1992, Springer Verlag, N.Y.; Fine et al., J. Am. Acad. Dermatol., 1991, 24:119-135). The junctional forms of EB (JEB) are characterized by tissue separation at the level of the lamina lucida within the dermal-epidermal basement membrane, and no specific mutation had yet to be reported. Recently it has been proposed that the genes for a lamina lucida protein kalinin/nicein/epiligin may be a candidate in some forms of JEB (Verrando et al., 1991, supra). Several lines of evidence suggest that anchoring filament proteins could be defective in some forms of JEB. First, attenuation or absence of immunoreactivity with anti-kalinin(epiligrin) antibodies has been noted in the skin of patients with the most severe (Herlitz) type of JEB. The immunofluorescence staining patterns may be of prognostic value in classifying JEB, and these immunoreagents have been used for prenatal diagnosis of JEB using fetal skin biopsy specimens. Second, the kalinin/laminin 5 .gamma.-2 chain is expressed in epithelial cells of the skin, trachea and kidneys, tissues which are frequently affected by JEB.

[0027] Since the majority of cases are of the generalized (Herlitz) phenotype (H-5 JEB), JEB patients have been classified into Herlitz and non-Herlitz types. Clinical features of H-JEB include mechanical fragility of the skin, with widespread blistering and erosions, rapid deterioration and neonatal death, often from sepsis. Longterm survival is rare.

[0028] Efforts to identify the basic defect in JEB began with the observation that a monoclonal antibody that binds to the lamina lucida of the epidermal basement membrane zone of normal skin, fails to react with the lamina lucida of H-JEB skin (Verrando-et al., 1991, supra.). The antigen recognized by this antibody was purified from keratinocyte culture medium and termed BM600/nicein. Keratinocytes cultured from the skin of H-JEB patients attach poorly to substrate and fail to accumulate immunologically detectable nicein. Further experiments with antibodies specific for the .alpha.-3 chain of nicein, demonstrated that they were capable of inducing the rounding and detachment of adherent keratinocytes without affecting fibroblasts (Rousselle et al., 1991, supra.). Thus the correlation in vivo and in vitro of the dermoepidermal separation with deficient nicein/kalinin/laminin 5 immunoreactivity and the separation induced by anti-nicein antibody have made the genes encoding this protein strong candidates for the site of H-JEB mutations.

[0029] The importance of the .gamma.-2 chain of nicein/kalinin/laminin 5 in JEB, and epithelial tissues prompted the investigation into the role such adhesion contacts between epithelial cells may play in abberant cells. Of primary interest was the role .gamma.-2 chain of nicein/kalinin/laminin 5 abberant expression may play in cancer tissue, and a possible role in cancer dissemination.

[0030] It has been recently shown that in colon adenocarcinoma, a significant positive correlation between the degree of tumor budding and the recurrence of tumors following curative surgery exists, and that this fact is likely to reflect a higher invasive potential of budding cancer cells as compared with cancer cells located deeper in the tumor (Hase et al., Dis. Colon Rectum, 1993, 36:627-635). Therefore, as demonstrated in Example 3 below, the instant invention allows for the useful prognostic determination of success of surgery, means for monitoring progression of rumor budding and subsequent prognosis.

[0031] The identification of the role of .gamma.-2 chain allows for the novel use of kalinin/laminin 5 .gamma.-2 chain and its ligand, as diagnostic probes of the tumor cell/basement membrane adhesion interface that is crucial for the invasion of non-malignant tissues, and identifies invasive cells.

[0032] Thus the identification of the role of .gamma.-2 chain allows for the novel therapeutic intervention of binding of kalinin/laminin 5 to its ligand, and thereby reducing the tumor cell/basement membrane adhesion that is crucial for the invasion of non-malignant tissues, and method for inhibiting the budding of tumor masses, and a means for determining the level of .gamma.-2 chain expression as a measure of budding activity of a given tumor.

[0033] As demonstrated in Example 3 below, the .gamma.-2 chain of kalinin/laminin 5 is preferentially expressed by invasively growing malignant cells in human carcinomas. Furthermore, migrating keratinocytes in wound healing also expressed this gene, pointing to a role of .gamma.-2 chain in epithelial cell migration both in malignant and in nonmalignant pathological conditions. The consistent expression of the .gamma.-2 chain gene in invading cancer cells reflects a functional importance of this molecule in vivo in establishing contacts between the invading malignant cells and a provisional matrix in the immediate surroundings of the cancer cells. The instant invention provides methods for the identification of, and diagnosis of invasive cells and tissues, and for the monitoring of the progress of therapeutic treatments.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment of this aspect of the instant invention the nucleic acid probe comprise a specifically hybridizing fragment of the .gamma.-2 chain cDNA nucleic acid sequence. In this embodiment, the nucleic acid sequence comprises all or a specifically hybridizing fragment of an open reading frame of the nucleic acid sequence for the .gamma.-2 chain (FIG. 4) encoding the amino acid sequence of the .gamma.-2 chain (FIG. 4). It will be understood that the term "specifically hybridizing" when used to describe a fragment of nucleic acid encoding a human laminin .gamma.-2 chain gene is intended to mean that, nucleic acid hybridization of such a fragment is stable under high stringency conditions of hybridization and washing as the term "high stringency" would be understood by those having skill in the molecular biological arts.

[0035] Further, the instant invention provides for the therapeutic treatment of such invasive tissues by using .gamma.-2 chain or biologically active fragments thereof to interfere with the interactions between abberant .gamma.-2 chain and surrounding tissues. The instant invention also provides for the intervention of .gamma.-2 chain interaction with surrounding tissues by using specific anti-.gamma.-2 chain antibodies (monoclonal or polyclonal) to inhibit the .gamma.-2 chain biological activity.

[0036] The instant disclosure also allows one to ablate the invasive cell phenotypic .gamma.-2 chain expression by using genetic manipulation to "knock-out" the functional expression of the .gamma.-2 chain gene in cancer cells, or to completely "knock-out" the functional .gamma.-2 chain gene in the genome of cancer cells. Such knock-outs can be accomplished by using genetic molecular biological techniques for inserting by homologous recombination into genomic DNA, targeted transposon insertion, or random insertion/deletion mutations in the genomic DNA.

[0037] The instant disclosure also allows for the therapeutic treatment of invasive cell phenotype by the inhibition of functional .gamma.-2 chain expression in targeted cells by using anti-sense technology, such methods for anti-sense production, stabilization, delivery, and therapeutic approaches are reviewed in Uhlmann et al., 1990, Chem. Reviews 90:543-584).

[0038] Moreover, the present invention is also directed to two important functional aspects of the epithelium specific laminin-5, i.e. cell adhesion and migration. First of all, according to the present invention, the .gamma.2 subunit chain, as such, does not promote cell adhesion and, secondly, the laminin-5 isoform and its .gamma.2 chain subunit play a role in the migratory process of cells of epithelial origin. According to the present invention, the migratory function of the .gamma.2 chain is a characteristic for domain III, as shown with antibody inhibition studies. Furthermore, involvement of the .gamma.2 chain in cell migration was shown to be related with a cis-acting element in LAMC2 gene, as studied in transgenic mice using promoter-reporter gene constructs.

[0039] Thus the instant invention provides for a method of detection, diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring, and therapeutic treatment of invasive cell phenotypes.

[0040] The examples below are meant by way of illustration, and are not meant to be limiting as to the scope of the insant disclosure.

EXAMPLE 1

Mutation in the .gamma.2 Chain Gene LAMC2 is Critical in Some Cases of JEB

[0041] A unique scanning strategy using RT-PCR amplification of LAMC2 sequences was devised to detect truncated forms of .gamma.-2 chain gene transcripts (Pulkkinen et al., Nature Genetics, 1994, 6:293-298). The 3.6 kilobase coding sequence of the LAMC2 mRNA, was reverse transcribed and amplified with eight pairs of primers, producing overlapping PCR amplimers designated A-H. The PCR products were then examined by agarose gel electrophoresis, followed by MDE heteroduplex analysis. If bands with altered mobility were detected, the PCR products were sequenced, and compared with normal sequences from unaffected family members or unrelated individuals. Intron/exon borders were identified by PCR analysis of genomic DNA, deduced by comparison with cDNA sequences.

A Point Mutation Produces Exon Skipping

[0042] When a panel of five unrelated JEB patients were analysed, the primers used to amplify segment C (nt 1046-1537) produced a markedly shortened band of 273 base pairs, as compared with the normal 491 base pairs. No evidence of the normal sized band was noted, suggesting that the patient was homozygous for this allele. Direct sequencing revealed that the shortened product resulted from the deletion of 219 base pairs corresponding to nucleotides 1184-1402 in the cDNA, thus exon 9 was deleted. The remaining rucleotide sequences within this and other PCR products did not reveal any additional mutations upon MDE analysis.

[0043] Subsequent examination of the genomic DNA revealed that the sequences for exons 8, 9 and 10 were present, however a homozygous G for A substitution at the 3' acceptor splice site at the junction of intron 8 and exon 9, abolished the obligatory splice site sequence (AG).

[0044] Examination of another patient revealed that PCR product F (nt 2248-2777) corresponding to domains I and II of the .gamma.-2 chain, was a band with altered mobility. Sequencing the abnormal product revealed a 20 bp deletion, followed by a single base pair (G) insertion in the coding region corresponding to exon 16. This mutation causes a frameshift which results in a premature stop codon 51 base pairs downstream from the deletion-insertion, producing a truncated kalinin/laminin 5 .gamma.-2 chain terminating at residue 830.

RT-PCR and MDE Analyses

[0045] RNA isolated from fibroblast cell cultures of JEB patients was used as template for RT-PCR of the LAMC2 mRNA (Epidermal keratinocytes can also be used). cDNA was prepared from 50 .mu.g of total RNA in a volume of 100 .mu.L according to manufacturer's reccomendations (BRL), and oligonucleotide primers were synthesized on the basis of the cDNA sequence (FIG. 4; Kallunki et al., 1992, supra.), to generate about 500 base pair products, which spanned the entire coding region.

[0046] For PCR amplification, 1 .mu.L of cDNA was used as template and amplification conditions-were 94.degree. C. for 5 min followed by 95.degree. C. for 45 sec, 60.degree. C. for 45 sec and 72.degree. C. for 45 sec for 35 cycles in an OmniGene thermal cycler (Marsh Scientific). Amplification was performed in a total volume of 25 .mu.L containing 1.5 mM MgCl.sub.2, and 2 U Taq polymerase (Boehringer Mannheim). Aliquots of 5 .mu.L were analysed on 2% agarose gels and MDE heteroduplex analysis was performed according to the manufacturer's recommendation (AT Biochemicals). Heteroduplexes were visualized by staining with ethidium bromide. If a band of altered mobility was detected in heteroduplex analysis, the PCR product was subcloned into the TA vector (Invitrogen), and sequenced by standard techniques.

[0047] DNA isolated either from fibroblast cultures or from specimens obtained from buccal smears, was used as template for amplification of genomic sequences. For amplification of introns 8 and 16, about 0.500 ng of genomic DNA was used as template and the following oligomer primers were utilized. TABLE-US-00003 5' GGCTCACCAAGACTTACACA 3'; (SEQ ID NO:1) 5' GAATCACTGAGCAGCTGAAC 3'; (SEQ ID NO:2 5' CAGTACCAGAACCGAGTTCG 3'; (SEQ ID NO:3) 5' CTGGTTACCAGGCTTGAGAG 3'; (SEQ ID NO:4) 5' TTACTGCGGAATCTCACAGC 3'; (SEQ ED NO:5) 5' TACACTGTTCAACCCAGGGT 3'; (SEQ ID NO:6) 5' AAACAAGCCCTCTCACTGGT 3'; (SEQ ID NO:7) 5' GCGGAGACTGTGCTGATAAG 3'; (SEQ ID NO:8) 5' CATAGCTGTCTACATGGCAT 3'; (SEQ ID NO:9) 5' AGTCTCGCTGAATCTCTCTT 3'; (SEQ ID NO:10) 5' TTACAACTAGCATGGTGCCC 3'; (SEQ ID NO:11)

Amplification conditions were 94.degree. C. for 7 min followed by 95.degree. C. for 1.5 min, 56.degree. C. (intron 8) or 58.degree. C. (intron 16) for 1 min and 72.degree. C. for 1.5 min for 35 cycles in an OmniGene thermal cycler (Marsh Scientific). Amplification was performed in a total volume of 25 .mu.L containing 1.5 mM MgCl.sub.2, and 2 U Taq polymerase (Boehringer Mannheim). The PCR products were subcloned and sequenced as above. Verification of Mutations

[0048] The putative mutations detected in the PCR products were verified at the genomic level in both cases. For this purpose, a search for a potential change in restriction endonuclease sites as a result of the mutation was performed.

[0049] Amplification conditions were 94.degree. C. for 7 min followed by 94.degree. C. for 1 min. 58.degree. C. for 45 sec and 72.degree. C. for 45 sec for 35 cycles in an OmniGene thermal cycler (Marsh Scientific). PCR products were analysed on 2.5% agarose gels.

[0050] The methods described allow for the screening of patients for mutations in the .gamma.-2 chain which will correlate with JEB. As demonstrated, the results have identified a homozygous point mutation resulting in oxon kipping, and a heterozygous deletion-insertion mutation. This demonstrating the effective screening for, and identification of, .gamma.-2 chain mutations which correlate with JEB. The methods are thus useful for diagnosis, prenatal screening, early screening and detection, as well as detailed examination of JEB. Further, the results show that the functional role of .gamma.-2 chain expression in epithelial cells is important in determining proper intercellular connectivity, relating to the integrity of tissues and cell interactions.

EXAMPLE 2

Mutation in the 65 2 Chain Gene LAMC2 is Critical in H-JEB

[0051] The correlation both in vivo and in vitro of the dermo-epidermal separation in H-JEB, with deficient immunoreactivity of anti-nicein/kalinin/laminin 5 antibodies, and the separation induced by anti-nicein/kalinin/laminin 5 antibodies have made the genes encoding this protein strong candidates for the site of H-JEB mutations. In this example, it is demonstrated that the molecular defect which causes H-JEB is linked to the gene encoding nicein/kalinin/laminin 5 .gamma.-2 chain. In particular, the occurence of a homozygous premature termination codon mutation is the specific cause in an examined case of H-JEB (Aberdam et al., Nature Genetics, 1994, 6:299-304).

[0052] Expression of mRNA encoding the three nicein subunits by northern analysis of RNA isolated from primary keratinocyte culture of a H-JEB patient was determined as the initial screen Hybridization with probes for the .alpha.-3 and .beta.-3 subunits was normal, but no hybridization with a cDNA encoding the .gamma.-2 subunit was detected. Examination of the genomic DNA for gross abnormalities, such as large deletions, insertions or rearrangements, in LAMC2 (the .gamma.-2 subunit gene) by Southern blot analysis turned up no abnormalities when the genomic DNA was digested with BamHI, BgII, HindIII, PstI or PvuII and probed with full length LAMC2 cDNA.

[0053] Possible mutations in the .gamma.-2 subunit were sought by using cDNA reverse transcribed from total RNA purified from cultured keratinocytes of the H-JEB patient, and subjected to PCR amplification. The size of the amplified products was checked by electrophoresis on 2% agarose gels and compared with that obtained from healthy controls.

[0054] No major differences were detected inrthe agarose gels, and the PCR products were examined by heteroduplex analysis (MDE). Heteroduplex analysis of the most 5' PCR product (nt 35-726) revealed the presence of a homoduplex in the proband (pateint) and the controls. However, when the amplified PCR products from the patient and control were mixed together, an additional band with altered mobility, representing heteroduplexes, was detected, suggesting a homozygous mutation in the patient's LAMC2 cDNA. This amplified fragment corresponded to domain V of the .gamma.-2 protein (Vailly et al., Eur. J. Biochem., 1994, 219:209-218). Sequencing detected a C to T transition at position +283, leading to a nonsense mutation in which a termination codon TGA replaces an arginine (CGA), perhaps arising as a result of the hypermutability of 5-methyl-cytosine to thymine at CpG nucleotides. This mutation, R95X, leads to truncation of the .gamma.-2 subunit polypeptide at amino acid 95 and loss of a TaqI restriction site (TCGA). Digestion of cDNA with TaqI confirmed the presence of a homozygous mutation in the DNA of the H-JEB patient. No other mutations were detected.

[0055] To confirm the cosegregation of the mutation with the loss of the TaqI restriction site, eight genotyped individuals of the family of the patient were screened. In each case, a 120 base pair fragment was amplified by PCR using genomic DNA templates and primers flanking the restriction site. Upon digestion of the wild type amplification product, two cleavage fragments of 80 and 40 base pairs are generated. Consistent with the presence of a heterozygous mutation in carriers of this genotype, DNA fragments of 120, 80 and 40 base pairs, indicative of a wild type genotype, were found in the paternal grandmother and two other relatives.

Cell Culture

[0056] Epidermis was separated from dermis by dispase treatment at 37.degree. C. Keratinocytes were dissociated in 0.25% trypsin at 37.degree. C. and plated onto a feeder layer of irradiated mouse 3T3 cells (ICN) (Rheinwald & Green, Cell, 175, 6:331-334). Keratinocytes were grown in a 1:1 mixture of DMEM and Ham's F12 (BRL) containing 10% Fetal Calf Serum (FCS), 1 mM sodium pyruvate, 2 mM L-glutamine, 10 .mu.g/mL of penicillin and strptomycin, 10 ng/mL transferrin, 180 .mu.M adenine and 20 pM T3 (Simon & Green, Cell, 1985, 40:677-683). H-JEB keratinocytes were expanded after gentle dissociation in 0.05% trypsin, 0.02% EDTA.

Northern Blot Analysis

[0057] Total RNA was prepared from H-JEB and normal cultured keratinocytes according to standard methods (Chomzynski & Sacchi, Anal. Biochem., 1987, 162: 156-159). RNA was electrophoresed in 1.2% denaturing agarose gels containing 1.2 M formaldehyde and transferred onto Hybond N membrane (Amersham). Membranes were hybridized at high stringency with P-32 labeled cDNA probes corresponding to the different chains of nicein, and then exposed on Hyperfiln MP (Amersham) with intensifying screens. Radiolabeled cDNA probes NAI (Baudoin et al., J. Invest. Dermatol., 1994, in press), KAL-5.5 C (Gerecke et al., Eur. J. Biochem., 1994, in press), and PCR 1.3 (Vailly et al., 1994, supra), were used to detect the mRNAs for nicein chains .alpha.-3, .beta.-3 and .gamma.-2, respectively.

RT-PCR and Heteroduplex Analysis (MDE)

[0058] 50 .mu.g of total RNA isolated from cultured keratinocytes from JEB patient, and unrelated healthy controls were reverse transcribed in a volume of 100 .mu.L as recommended by the manufacturer (BRL). 1 .mu.L of the reaction product was used to amplify overlapping regions of the cDNA that spanned the open reading frame. Primer pair used to identify the mutation R95X: (L) 5'-GAGCGCAGAGTGAGAACCAC-3' SEQ ID NO:16, (R) 5'-ACTGTATTCTGCAGAGCTGC-3' SEQ ID NO:17. PCR cycling conditions were: 94.degree. C., 5 min, followed by 94.degree. C., 45 sec; 60.degree. C., 45 sec; 72.degree. C., 45 sec; for 35 cycles, and extension at 72.degree. C. for 5 min. 5 .mu.L aliquots were run in 2% agarose gels. Heteroduplex analysis was performed as recommended by the manufacturer (MDE, AT Biochemicals). Heteroduplexes were visualized under UV light in the presence of ethidium bromide and photographed. Amplified cDNA fragments with altered mobility were subcloned into the TA vector according to the manufacturer's recommendations (Invitrogen). Sequence analysis were then performed using standard techniques.

Verification of the Mutation

[0059] PCR reactions on genomic DNA (50 .mu.g) were carried out using the upstream primer 5'-TTCCTTTCCCCTACCTTGTG-3' (SEQ ID NO:18) and the downstream printer 5'-TGTGGAAGCCTGGCAGACAT-3' (SEQ ID NO:19), which are located in the intron 2 and exon 3 of LAMC2 respectively. PCR conditions were: 95.degree. C., 5 min, followed by 94.degree. C., 45 sec; 56.degree. C., 45 sec; 72.degree. C., 45 sec; for 35 cycles, and extension at 72.degree. C. for 5 min. PCR products were used for restriction analysis. 20 .mu.L of PCR product obtained from genomic DNA was digested with TaqI for 2 hours (Boehringer Mannheim). Cleavage products were electrophoresed (2.4% agarose) stained and visualized under UV light.

[0060] Thus the methods allow for the screening of patients for mutations in the .gamma.-2 chain which correlate with H-JEB. As demonstrated, the results have identified a nonsense mutation resulting in a truncated .gamma.-2 chain, leading to severe H-JEB. This was further confirmed by specific amplification and restriction enzyme analysis of both the patient and relatives. Thus demonstrating the effective screening for, and identification of .gamma.-2 chain mutations which correlate with H-JEB. The methods are thus useful for diagnosis, prenatal screening, early screening and detection, as well as detailed examination of H-JEB. Furthermore, the results demonstrate the significance of the .beta.-2 chain in forming proper cellular contacts.

EXAMPLE 3

.gamma.-2 Chain as Diagnostic for Invasive

[0061] In this example, in situ hybridization is used to demonstrate the expression of the kalinin/laminin 5 .gamma.-2 chain in a variety of human cancer tissues and in skin wound healing in mice (Pyke et al., Amer. J. Pathol., Oct. 1994, 145(4): 1-10).

[0062] Thirty-six routinely processed, formalin-fixed and paraffin wax-embedded specimens from cancer surgery performed from 1991 to 1993 were drawn from pathology department files at Herlev Hospital (Copenhagen, Denmark). The specimens were evaluated according to standard criteria and included 16 cases of moderately or well differentiated colon adenocarcinomas, 7 cases of ductal mammary carcinomas, 4 squamous cell carcinomas (2 skin, 1 cervix, 1 vulva), 3 malignant melanomas, and 6 sarcomas (3 leiomyosarcomas, 2 malignant fibrous histiocytomas, 1 neurofibrosarcoma).

[0063] All samples were selected upon histological examination of a hematoxylin and eosinstained section to ensure that they showed a well preserved morphology throughout and contained representative areas of both cancerous tissue and surrounding apparently normal, unaffected tissue. The broad zone separating these two tissue compartments is referred to as the invasive front in the following. No estimation of the effect of variations in fixation conditions was attempted, but in a previous study of plasminogen activating system components using specimens of colon adenocarcinomas collected using the same procedures, very little variation in relative mRNA levels was found (Pyke, C. PhD. Thesis, 1993, University of Copenhagen, Denmark). In addition, tissue from incisionally wounded mouse skin prepared as described by Romer et al. (J. Invest. Dermatol., 1994, 102:519-522), was fixed and paraffin-embedded the same way as the human cancer specimens.

[0064] For preparation of total RNA from six samples of colon adenocarcinomas, tissues were snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen immediately following resection and RNA was prepared as described by Lund et al., (Biochem. J., 1994).

Probes:

[0065] Fragments of the cDNA for the .gamma.-2 chain of human kalinin/laminin 5 were inserted into RNA transcription vectors by restriction enzyme cutting of clone L15 covering base pairs 2995 to 3840 (FIG. 4; Kallunki et al., 1992, supra.). In brief plasmids phb2t-01 and phb2t-02 were prepared by insertion of the complete L15 .gamma.-2 chain cDNA in sense and anti-sense orientation into the polylinker of plasmid vectors SP64 and SP65 (both Promega, Madison, Wis.), respectively. In addition, two non-overlapping fragments of clone L15 were bluntend cloned into the EcoRV-site of pKS(Bluescript)II(+) (Stratagene, La Jolla, Calif.) transcription vector and the resulting plasmids were verified by dideoxy sequencing according to Sanger et al. (PNAS(USA), 1977, 74:5463-5471). Plasmid phb2t-03 cover bases 3003-3239 and phb2t-05 cover bases 3239 to 3839, numbers referring to cDNA sequence Z15008 in the EMBL/GenBank/DDBJ database as reported by Kallunki et al., (1992, supra; FIG. 4).

[0066] Similarly, cDNA fragments of other human laminin chains were prepared in RNA transcription vectors, yielding the following plasmid constructs (numbers in brackets refer to base pair numbers in the EMBL/GenBank/DDBJ sequence database by the listed accession numbers); chain .alpha.-1: plasmid phae-01 (3244-3584 (accession No. X58531, Nissinen et al., Biochem. J., 1991, 276:369-379) in pKS(Bluescript)II(+)); chain .beta.-1: plasmid phble-01 (3460-4366 (accession No. J02778, Pikkarainen et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1987, 262:10454-10462) in pKS(Bluescript)II(+)); chain .beta.-1: plasmids A1PSP64 and A1PSP65 (919-1535 (accession No. M55210, Pikkarainen et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1988, 263:6751-6758) in SP64 and SP65 repectively (sense and anti-sense orientation)).

[0067] All plasmids were linearized for transcription using restriction endonucleases and 5 .mu.g of the linearized plasmids was extracted with phenol and with choloroform/isoamyl alcohol (25:1), precipitated with ethanol, and redissolved in water. Each transcription reaction contained 1 .mu.g linearized DNA template, and transcriptions were performed essentially as recommended by the manufacturer of the polymerases. The RNA was hydrolyzed in 0.1 mol/L sodium carbonate buffer, pH 10.2, containing 10 mmol/L dithiothreitol (DTT) to an average size of 100 bases. RNA probes transcribed from opposite strands of the same pIasmid template, yielding sense and anti-sense transcripts, were adjusted to .times.10.sup.6 cpm/.mu.L and stored at -20.degree. C. until used. Probes were applied to tissue sections.

In Situ Hybridization:

[0068] In situ hybridization was performed as described by Pyke et al., (Am. J. Pathol., 1991, 38:1059-1067) with 35S labeled RNA probes prepared as described above. In brief, paraffin sections were cut, placed on gelatinized slides, heated to 60.degree. C. for 30 minutes, deparaffinized in xylene, and rehydrated through graded alcohols to PBS (0.01 mol/L sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, containing 0.14 mol/L NaCl). The slides were then washed twice in PBS, incubated with 5 .mu.g/mL proteinase K in 50 mmol/L Tris/HCl, pH 8.0, with 5 mmol/L EDTA for 7.5 minutes, washed in PBS (2 minutes), dehydrated in graded ethanols, and air-dried before the RNA probe (.about.80 pg/.mu.L) was applied. The hybridization solution consisted of deionized formamide (50%), dextran sulfate (10%), tRNA (1 .mu.g/.mu.L), Ficoll 400 (0.02% (w/v)), polyvinylpyrrolidone (0.02% (w/v)), BSA fraction V (0.02% (w/v)), 10 mmol/L DTT, 0.3 M NaCl, 0.5 mmol/L EDTA, 10 mmol/L Tris-HCl, and 10 mmol/L NaPO.sub.4 (pH 6.8). Sections were covered by alcohol-washed, autoclaved coverslips and hybridized at 47.degree. C. overnight (16 to 18 hours) in a chamber humidified with 10 ml of a mixture similar to the hybridization solution, except for the omission of probe, dextran sulfate, DTT, and tRNA (washing mixture). After hybridization, slides were washed in washing mixture for 2.times.1 hour at 50.degree. C., followed by 0.5 mol/L NaCl, 1 mmol/L EDTA, 10 mmol/L Tris-HCl (pH 7.2) (NTE) with 10 mmol/L DTT at 37.degree. C. for 15 minutes. After treatment with RNAse A (20 .mu.g/mL) in NTE at 37.degree. C. for 30 minutes, the sections were washed in NTE at 37.degree. C. (2.times.30 minutes), and in 2 L of 15 mmol/L sodium chloride, 1.5 mmol/l sodium citrate, pH 7.0, with 1 mmol/L DTT for 30 minutes at room temperature with stirring. Sections were then dehydrated and airred. Finally, autoradiographic emulsion sec applied according to the manufacturer's reccomendations, and sections were stored in black airtight boxes at 4 C. until they were developed after 1 to 2 weeks of exposure.

Resuts; Laminin .alpha.-1, .beta.-1, .gamma.-1, and .gamma.-2 chains

[0069] All rounds of in situ hybridization include both sense and anti-sense RNA probes for each of the genes studied. As negative controls, sense RNA probes are applied to adjacent sections and these probes consistently are negative. As a positive control of the .gamma.-2 chain hybridizations, two anti-sense probes derived from non-overlapping .gamma.-2 chain cDNA clones are used on a number of sections. To summarizes the .gamma.-2 chain expression found; all carcinomas were positive except for one case of mammary duct carcinoma, and all three cases of leiomyosarcomas, both cases of malignant fibrous histiocytoma, and the only case of neurofibrosarcoma. The positive controls always give similar staining on adjacent sections (see FIG. 2, E and G). Fifteen of the malignant cases and all mouse tissue blocks were hybridized on two or more separate occasions giving the same hybridization pattern. All cell types other than those described below were negative in all cases.

Colon Adenocarcinoma

[0070] Sixteen specimens of colon adenocarcinoma were investigated by in situ hybridization for expression of the .gamma.-2 chain (FIG. 1). In all of these cases, mRNA for .gamma.-2 chain was present exclusively in cancer cells and in most of the cases, staining was confined to a distinct subpopulation of cancer cells at the invasive front (FIG. 1, A-D). A characteristic feature of .gamma.-2 chain containing cancer cells at the invasive front was that they appeared to represent cells in the process of branching or dissociating from larger well differentiated epithelial glands, a phenomenon referred to in the literature as tumor budding or tumor cell dissociation.

[0071] In normal-looking colon mucosa distal from the invasive carcinoma, moderate signals for .gamma.-2 chain mRNA were observed in two specimens in the epithelial cells of a few mucosal glands that showed clear morphological signs of glandular disintegration and phagocytic cell infiltration Apart from this, a weak signal was seen in luminal epithelial cells in normal looking colon mucosa in most specimens.

[0072] Weak signals for laminin chains .alpha.-1, .beta.-1, and .gamma.-1 mRNAs were detected in cancerous areas of the 6 colon cancers studied for the expression of these genes. The expression of each of the three genes showed a similar distribution. Expression in stromal cells with a fibroblast-like morphology as well as in endothelial cells of smaller vessels was consistently found. In marked contrast to the .gamma.-2 chain expression in the same samples, expression of .alpha.-1, .beta.-1, or .gamma.-1 was never found in cancer cells and no correlation between expression of .alpha.-1, .beta.-1, and .gamma.-1 chains with sites of invasion was found. Adjacent normal-looking parts of the samples were negative or only weakly positive for these laminin chains.

[0073] FIG. 1 shows in situ hybridization of a specimen of colon adenocarcinoma for .gamma.-2 chain mRNA using a S-35 labeled anti-sense RNA probe derived from plasmid pbb2r02. FIG. 1A is a cluster of heavily labeled cancer cells at the invasive front (open arrow) in close proximity to a well-differentiated glandular structure (straight arrow). FIG. 1B shows a high-magnification view of the area at the open arrow in 1A. Note that the isolated cancer cells show prominent labeling, whereas many coherent cancer cells of an adjacent glandular structure are negative (straight arrow). FIG. 1C shows the same pattern at an invasive focus in another part of the same specimen. FIG. 1D shows strong .gamma.-2 chain expression in cancer cells engaged in a bifurcation process (curved arrows). The malignant glandular epithelium from which the .gamma.-2 chain-positive cancer cells are branching is negative (straight arrow). Magnification:1A.times.100; 1B-1D.times.640.

Ductal Mammary Carcinomas

[0074] Six of the seven cases showed a prominent signal for .gamma.2 chain in a small subpopulation of cells intimately associated with invasively growing malignant glandular structures. The most prominent signal was seen in cells located at the border between malignant and surrounding stromal tissue in glandular structures that exhibited clear histological signs of active invasion (FIG. 2A). On careful examination it was concluded that the majority of the positive cells were cancer cells but it was not possible to determine if the cells of myoepithelial origin were also positive in some cases. One case was totally negative. Normal-appearing glandular tissue was negative in all cases.

[0075] Weak signals for laminin chains .alpha.-1, .beta.-1, and .gamma.-1 mRNAs were detected in fibroblast-like stromal cells throughout cancerous areas in one of the cases.

Malignant Melanoma

[0076] In all three cases strong hybridization of .gamma.-2 chain was found in a population of cancer cells in the radial growth phase (FIG. 2B). Laminin chains .alpha.-1, .beta.-1, and .gamma.-1 were weakly expressed in the endothelium of small vessels and in fibroblast-like stromal cells throughout the affected areas in the two cases studied for these components. In addition, a weak signal for these chains was seen in sebaceous glands of adjacent normal skin.

Squamous Cell Carcinomas

[0077] In all four squamous cell carcinomas investigated, the same pattern of .gamma.-2 chain expression was found as in other carcinomas. The signals were found only in cancer cells, and only in areas with signs of ongoing invasion (FIG. 2, C-G).

[0078] The four cases were also studied for mRNA of .alpha.-1, .beta.-1, and .gamma.-1 chains. In the two skin cancers, it was found that a very weak signal occurred in malignant cells, and that the weak signal was in all cancer cells and of an equal intensity. This is in clear contrast to the pattern of expression of the .gamma.-2 chain. As seen in melanomas, epithelial cells of sebaceous glands present in adjacent unaffected skin were weakly positive for these laminin chains. In the other two cases (cervix and vulva) weak expression of .alpha.-1, .beta.-1, and .gamma.-1 chains were seen only in endothelial and fibroblast-like stromal cells throughout the cancerous areas (FIG. 2F).

[0079] FIG. 2 shows In situ hybridization for .gamma.-2 chain mRNA on sections of ductal mammary carcinoma (2A), malignant melanoma (2B), squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (2C-2D), and squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva (2E-2G). In 2A, cancer shows prominent signal for .gamma.-2 chain mRNA in cells bordering the zone between malignant glandular tissue and surrounding mesenchyme (curved arrows). Cancer cells located more centrally in individual malignant glandular structures are negative for .gamma.-2 chain mRNA (straight arrows). Note the wedge shaped form of the invading glandular tissue. (All images marked X' are darkfield images of the respective sections). FIG. 2B shows .gamma.-2 chain mRNA signal in a subpopulation of cancer cells of radially growing malignant epithelium (curved arrows). Adjacent malignant epithelium showing a different growth pattern is devoid a signal (straight arrow). FIG. 2C shows .gamma.-2 chain mRNA containing cancer cells at the invasive front (curved arrow). Note lack of signal in non-invasive areas of the tumor and in adjacent unaffected areas (straight arrow). FIG. 2D is a higher magnification of area of curved arrow of 2C highlighting the prominent signal in invading cells (curved arrow). Adjacent cancer cells with tumor islets are negative (straight arrow). FIG. 2E shows a strong signal for .gamma.-2 chain mRNA is seen in invading cancer cells, using an anti-sense RNA probe derived from plasmid pb2t-03 (curved arrow). A-postcapillary venule is negative (straight arrow). FIG. 2F is a near adjacent section hybridized for laminin .gamma.-1 chain. Note that the endothelial cells of the venule show signal (straight arrow) whereas the malignant epithelium is negative (curved arrow). FIG. 2G is another near-adjacent section which was hybridized for .gamma.-2 chain expression using an anti-sense RNA probe derived from a cDNA plasmid non-overlapping with that used for preparing the probe in 2E (phb2t-05). Note that the hybridization pattern is similar to that seen in 2E, with strong signal in invading cancer cells (curved arrow) and absence of signal in a vessel (straight arrow). Magnification: 2C.times.100, all others.times.640.

Sarcomas

[0080] All six sarcomas tested in the study were totally negative for .gamma.-2 chain mRNA. The expression of other laminin chains was not tested.

Mouse Wounded Skin

[0081] To compare the gene expression of .gamma.-2 chain in cancer tissue with a nonmalignant condition known to contain actively migrating epithelial cells showing a transient invasive phenotype, we hybridized sections of incisionally wounded mouse skin with .gamma.-2 chain sense and anti-sense RNA probes. Weak .gamma.-2 chain expression was observed in the keratinocytes at the edge of 12-hour old wounds, and at later time points (1-5 days), strong signals for .gamma.-2 chain mRNA was seen exclusively in the basal keratinocytes of the epiderral tongue moving under the wound clot (FIG. 3). In adjacent normal-looking skin, keratinocytes were negative for .gamma.-2 chain mRNA.

[0082] FIG. 3 is incisionally wounded mouse skin (.gamma.-2 hours after wounding) showing signal for .gamma.-2 chain in keratinocytes at the leading edge of the migrating epithelium (curved arrow). Whereas buccal keratinocytes located more distant to the site of injury show little or no signal (straight arrow). Note that the signal for .gamma.-2 chain stops at the tip of invading keratinocytes (open arrow). A' is a dark field image of 3A. Magnification: .times.640.

RNAse Protection Assay

[0083] Plasmid phbt-03 was linearized with EcoRI and a radiolabeled RNA-anti-sense probe was prepared by transcription using .sup.32 P UTP and T3 polymerase (Pyke et al., FEBS Letters, 1993, 326:69-75). RNAse protection assay, using 40 .mu.g ethanol-precipitated and DNAse .mu.I-treated total RNA from six samples of colon adenocarcinomas was performed as described in Pyke et al., (1993, supra.). Protected mRNA regions were analyzed on a denaturing polyacrylamide gel and autoradiography.

[0084] The RNAse protection assay carried out on total RNA from the six samples confirmed the presence of genuine .gamma.-2 chain mRNA in all samples.

[0085] These results clearly demonstrate the important correlation of .gamma.-2 chain expression and invasive cell phenotype in vivo, as detected in vitro. Thus the instant methods present a novel and important method for the specific identification of invasive cell phenotypes in biopsied tissues. The knowledge of any information diagnostic for the presence or absence of invasive cells is useful for the monitoring and prognosis of continuing anti-carcinoma therapies. Further the identification of the expression or non-expression of the .gamma.-2 chain provides important information as to the phenotypic nature of the tissue examined. Thus the instant example demonstrates the use of probes of .gamma.-2 chain for detection of the presence, or absence, of invasive cells.

EXAMPLE 4

[0086] The following example demonstrates the functional aspects of laminin-5, including the .gamma.-2 chain of laminin-5, on cell adhesion and cell migration.

Materials and Methods

[0087] Cells and Cell Culture--A mouse squamous cell carcinoma cell line, KLN-205 (cat. no. ATCC CRL-1453), was obtained from American Type Culture Collection (Rockville, Md.). The cells were maintained as monolayer cultures in Eagle's minimum essential medium (containing non-essential amino acids and Earle's BSS supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS). The HaCat human keratinocyte cell line was a kind gift from Dr. Fuzenig (Heidelberg, Germany). The HaCat cells were cultured in Dulbecco's MEM supplemented with 10% FCS. However, when the cells were cultured for the production of laminin-5, the medium was replaced by serum-free medium.

[0088] Preparation of Proteins--Mouse EHS laminin (laminin-1) was obtained from GIBCO BRL. Fibronectin was purified from FCS using a gelatin-Sepharose 4B column (Sigma) as described elsewhere (Vuento, M. & Vaheri, A. (1979) Biochem. J. 183: 331-337.34. Gillies, R. J., Didier, N. & Denton, M. (1986) Anal. Biochem. 159: 109-113). Human laminin-5 was immunoaffmity purified from the media of HaCat cells cultured for three days in the absence of serum. Briefly, the medium was first passed through a 5 ml gelatin-Sepharose column (Sigma, St. Louis, Mo.) to ensure the complete absence of fibronectin from the protein preparation, after which the medium was passed through a 10 ml anti-laminin .gamma.2-Sepharose affinity column in order to bind laminin-5 molecules. Both columns were equilibrated in phosphate-buffered saline. The anti-laminin .gamma.2-Sepharose affinity column was prepared by coupling a Protein A-purified anti-.gamma.2 IgG (8 mg/ml) to 10 ml of CNBr-activated Sepharose (Pharmacia, Uppsala, Sweden). The anti-.gamma.2 IgG was purified from a rabbit polyclonal antiserum prepared against a GST-fusion protein containing part of the short arm (domain III) of the .gamma.2 chain (Pyke, C., Salo, S., Ralfkiaer, E., Romer, J., Dano, K. & Tryggvason, K. (1995) Cancer Res. 55: 4132-4139). The laminin-5 was eluted from the immunoaffinity column using 50 mM tiethanolamine, pH 11.25, 0.1% Triton X-100 and neutralized directly with 1 M Tris-HCl, pH 7.0. Collected fractions were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting using the same polyclonal antibodies as used for the preparation of the affinity column. Fractions containing laminin-5 were pooled and dialyzed against 50 mM Tris-HCl, 0,1 M NaCl, pH 7.4. Some batches of laminin-5 were denatured with 5 M urea and renatured to study the effects of the treatment on adhesion and migration properties.

[0089] Generation of Recombinant Baculovirus and Expression of Recombinant Laminin .gamma.2 Chain--The .gamma.2 chain of laminin-5 was expressed as recombinant protein using the baculovirus system and purified for studies on its functional properties. A full-length human laminin .gamma.2 chain cDNA containing L52 UTR and 822 bp of the 3' UTR was constructed from fbur overlapping cDNA clones L52, HT2-7, L15 and L61 (Kallunki, P., Sainio, K., Eddy, R., Byers, M., Kallunki, T., Sariola, H., Beck, K., Hirvonen, H, Shows, T. B. & Tryggvason, K. (1992) J. Cell Biol. 119: 679-693). The resulting 4,402 bp cDNA was analyzed by restriction enzyme mapping and partial sequencing, and cloned into the pVL1393 recombinant transfer plasmid prior to transfer into the AcNPV-.gamma.2 baculovinis vector kindly provided by Max Summers (Texas A&M University). This baculovirus vector containing the human laminin .gamma.2 chain cDNA under the transcriptional control of the polyhedrin promoter was produced and purified following standard procedures (Summers, M. D. & Smith, G. E. (1987). A manual of 15 methods for baculovirus vectors and insect cell culture procedures. Texas agricultural experiment station bulletin no. 1555, Collage Station, Tex.), except that it was first enriched according to the method of Pen et al. (Pen, J., Welling, G. W. & Welling-Wester, S. (1989). Nucl. Acid. Res. 17: 451) from the virus containing medium obtained by co-transfecting Sf9 cells with the wild-type virus (AcNPV) DNA and the recombinant transfer vector pVL1393-.gamma.2. For expression of the recombinant protein, High Five (H5) cells were infected with the recombinant virus at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 5-10 pfu per cell by using the standard protocols (Summers, M. D. & Smith, G. E. (1987)).

[0090] The recombinant .gamma.2 chain was purified by first resuspending the cells in 10 volumes of 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4, 100 mM NaCl, 2.5 mM EDTA, 1% Triton X-100, 1 mM PMSF and 1 mM NEM followed by homogenization in a Dounce homogenizer. The protein was extracted for 60 min on ice and solubilized proteins were removed by centrifgation at 1500.times.g for 10 min at 4.degree. C. The pellet was extracted again with buffer containing 1-3 M urea. The recombinant .gamma.2 chain was extracted with a buffer containing 5 M urea, and renatured by dialysis against 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4, 100 mM NaCl.

[0091] Preparation of Antibodies--Polyclonal antiserum against domain III of the laminin .gamma.2 chain was prepared and characterized as described previously. Briefly, rabbits were immunized s.c. four times using a .gamma.2-GST fusion protein as antigen. The antigen contained 177 amino acid residues (res. # 391-567) from domain III of the .gamma.2 (Kallunki, P., Sainio, K., Eddy, R., Byers, M., Kallunki, T., Sariola, H., Beck, K., Hirvonen, H., Shows, T. B. & Tryggvason, K. (1992) J. Cell Biol. 119: 679-693). Antibodies against the GST-epitopes were removed from the antisera by negative immunoadsorption with GST-Sepharose made by coupling E. coil expressed GST protein to CNBr-activated Sepharore. The removal of anti-GST IgG was ensured by Western blotting analysis with GST-specific antibodies (data not shown). The specificity of the antibody against the laminin .gamma.2 chain was also tested by Western blotting as well as by ELISA.

[0092] Polyclonal antibody against the C-terminus of the laminin .gamma.2 chain was produced in rabbits essentially as above for domain III using a .gamma.2-GST fusion protein as antigen. The antigen contained 161 amino acids (res. # 1017-1178) from domain I/II of the .gamma.2 chain and antibodies against the GST-epitopes were removed from the antisera by negative immunoadsorption with GST-Sepharose. The specificity of the antibody was tested by Western blotting and ELISA.

[0093] Polyclonal antiserum against laminin-1 was a kind gift of Dr. Foidart (University of Liege, Belgium). Normal rabbit serum was obtained prior to immunization from the rabbits used for immunization. IgG from the laminin-1 and laminin .gamma.2 chain antisera, as well as from normal rabbit serum, was purified using Protein A Sepharose (Pharrnacia, Uppsala, Sweden).

[0094] Cell Ahdesion Assay--Microtiter plates (96 wells: Nunc, Copenhagen, Denmark) were coated with 100 .mu.l/well of of laminin-1 (10 .mu.g/ml), laminin-5 (10 .mu.g/ml), or recombinant laminin .gamma.2 chain (10 .mu.g/ml) in PBS or 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4 by incubating the plates overnight at 4.degree. C. Control wells were uncoated or coated with the same amounts of BSA In some experiment the proteins were first denatured by dialysis overnight against 5 M urea, 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5 and then renatured by dialysis against 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5. Potential remaining active sites on the plates were blocked with 150 .mu.l of 10 mg/ml BSA in PBS for 2 hours at room temperature. The wells were washed with PBS, and 100 ml of Eagle's MEM containing 5 mg/ml BSA was added. For the adhesion assays, KLN-205 cells were detached from subconfluent cell culture dishes with trypsin-EDTA (0.25%-0.03%) and resuspended in Eagle's MEM/BSA (5 mg/ml) at a concentration of 2.times.105 cells/ml and allowed to recover for 20 min at 37.degree. C. A total of 20,000 cells were then added to each well and allowed to attach for additional 90 min at 37.degree. C. The extent of cell adhesion was determined by measuring color yields at 600 nm, following fixation with 3% paraformaldehyde and staining with 0.1% crystal violet (Gillies, R. J., Didier, N. & Denton, M. (1986) Anal. Biochem. 159: 109-113). For inhibition assays with the anti-.gamma.2 antibody, the substrate coated wells were incubated with 20 .mu.g/ml of anti-.gamma.2 chain IgG in PBS for 60 minutes prior to incubations with the cells.

[0095] Migration-assay--The effect of endogenous laminin-5 on migration of KLN-205 cells was determined by using a modified Boyden chamber assay, as described by Hujanen and Terranova (Hujanen, E. & Terranova, V. P. (1985) Cancer Res. 45: 3517-3521), and the effect of exogenous laminin-5 by using a modified Transwell assay, as described by Pelletier et al. (Pelletier, A. J., Kunicki, T. and Quaranta, V. (1996). J Biol Chem 271: 1364).

[0096] The Boyden chamber assay was briefly carried out as follows. Polycarbonate filters (pore size 10 .mu.m, diameter 12 mm; Costar, Cambridge, Mass.) were coated with 2.5 .mu.g of EHS type IV collagen, and used to separate the upper and lower compartments of the 50 .mu.l chamber. A total of 1.times.10.sup.5 cells in Eagle's MEM containing 0.1% BSA were placed in the upper compartment, and the lower compartment was filled with medium with or without chemoattractants (50 .mu.g/ml laminin-1 or fibronectin). To study the effect of the laminin .gamma.2 chain antibodies on cell migration, anti-.gamma.2 (III) IgG or anti-.gamma.2 (C-term) IgG was added to the upper compartment together with the cells at a concentration 20 .mu.g/ml. Normal rabbit IgG was used as negative control. After 8 hour incubation at 37.degree. C. in a humidified atmosphere, the filters were removed, fixed and stained (Diff-Quick, Baxter Diagnostics, Tubingen, Germany). The cells that had not migrated were removed from the upper surface of the filter with cotton swabs. Migration of cells was quantified by counting the cells on the lower surface of each filter in 10 randomly selected high power fields (.times.400). All-assays were performed in triplicates.

[0097] The "Transwell" plate assay (Tranwell plates with pore size 12 .mu.m, diameter 12 mm; Costar, Cambridge, Mass.) was used to determine the effect of exogenous laminin-5 on cell migration. The lower side of the membrane was coated with 2.5 .mu.g of EHS type IV collagen for 3 hours at room temperature. Both side were blocked with 1% bovine serum albumin for 1 hour. A total of 1.times.10.sup.5 cells were added per well in the upper compartment in Eagle's MEM containing 10% FCS, and the lower compartment was filled with 2.5 .mu.g/ml laminin-5 as a chemoattractant. Antibodies against the C-terminus and domain III of the .gamma.2 chains or nonimmune IgG were added to the upper compartment, together with the cells at a concentration 20 .mu.g/ml. Following a 16 hour incubation at 37.degree. C. the cells were fixed and stained with Diff-Quick. Cells on the top surface of the membrane were removed with cotton swabs, and cells that had migrated to the lower side of the membrane were counted (12 fields +/- S.D.)

[0098] Preparation of LAMC2-lacZ Reporter Gene Constructs--Two different segments of the LAMC2 5' flanking regions were subcloned into a pKK2480 vector containing the .beta.-galactosidase gene and the SV40 polyadenylation signal (kind gift from Mikkel Rohde, Aarhus, Denmark) for expression in transgenic mice. The longer construct, pHH-1, contained 5946 base pairs (-5,900 to +46) and the shorter construct contained a total of 668 base pairs (-613 to +55). Briefly, the 5' end of the pHH-1 insert was made by ligating a 3,900 base pair HindIII-PstI fragment and a 1,150 base pair PstI fragment of genomic clone P14 (Airenne, T., Haakana, H., Sainio, K., Kallunki, T., Kallunki, P., Sariola, H. & Tryggvason, K. (1996) Genomics 32: 54-64). The 3' end of the construct was a PstI-SA1I fragment (-699 to +46) made by PCR and ligated to the 5' end 5,050 base pair fragment. The full length fragment was blunt ended with Klenow and subcloned into the pKK2480 vector. The shorter construct pHH-2 was made by PCR from genomic clone P14, digested with SalI and XbaI and subcloned into pKK2480. All PCR made segments were sequenced to ensure that no sequence errors existed. Both constructs could be released from the vector with XhoI and EagI.

[0099] Generation and Analyses of Transgenic Mice--The plasmids pHH-1 and pHH-2 were digested with EagI and XhoI to release the inserts from the vector. Transgenic mice were produced by pronuclear microinjection of (C57B1/6+DBA/2)F1 fertilized oozytes as described elsewhere (Hogan, B., Corstantni F. & Lacy, E. (1986) Manipulating the mouse embryo: A Laboratory Manual. Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.). Founder animals were identified by PCR analysis (Hanley, T. & Merlie, J. P. (1991) BioTechiniques 10: 56) or Southern blotting of genomic DNA isolated from the tail. Positive founder mice were mated with wild-type hybrid (C57B1/6+DBA/2)F1 mice to yield transgenic lines. Expression of the lacZ gene was detected by staining with X-gal (5bromo4-chloro-3-indolyl-b-D-galactopyranodide) as a substrate (Behringer, R. R., Crotty, D. A, Tennyson, V. A, Brinster, R. L., Palmiter, R. D. & Wolgemuth, D. J. (1993) Development 117: 823-833).

[0100] Preparation of Tissues for Immunostaining and Staining for .beta.Galactosidase Activity--For immunohistochemical analyses, mouse tissues were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde and embedded in paraffin. For analyses of .beta.-galactosidase expression, whole embryos and postnatal tissues were fixed in 0.2% glutaraldehyde, 2% paraformaldehyde in 0.1 M M phosphate buffer, pH 7.3, for 60 min at 4.degree. C. washed three times for 30 min with a 7.3 pH 0.1 M phospate buffer containing 0.1% sodium deoxycholate, 2 mM MgCl2 and then stained with X-Gal (1 mg/ml X-Gal, 5 mM K-ferricyanide, 5 mM K-ferrocyanide) before embedding in paraffin. Experimental wounds were made to transgenic mice by small cutaneous incisions, the wounds were closed by a single suture, and the wounds surrounded by normal skin were removed surgically after three and seven days and processed for staining.

[0101] Immunohistochemical Staining--Five .mu.m thick paraffin sections were stained with polyclonal antibodies against laminin-1 or the .gamma.2 chain of laminin-5. In brief the paraffin sections were first incubated with 0.4% pepsin in 0.1 M HCl at 37.degree. C. for 20 min to expose the antigens, blocked for nonspecific binding with 5% newborn rabbit serum, 0.1% BSA, and then incubated for 1 at 37.degree. C. with the polygonal IgG diluted in TBS to 5-10 .mu.g/ml. Subsequently, a biotinylated swine-anti-rabbit antibody was applied, followed by incubation with a 1:400 dilution of Horseradish-Peroxidase-Avidin-Biotin-Complex (DAKO, Copenhagen, Denmark). The color was developed in diaminobentsamidine (DAB), followed by counterstaining of the slides with hematoxylin.

RESULTS

[0102] Characterization of Proteins and Epithelium-Derived Cells--Immiunopurified trimeric laminin-5, isolated from the culture medium of HaCat cells contained two major bands when analyzed by SDS-PAGE (FIG. 1). These bands corresponded, respectively, to the 165 kDa .alpha.3 chain, and the 155 kDa and 140 kDa .gamma.2 and .beta.3 chains migrating as a single band, as reported previously (Carter, W. G., Ryan, M. C. & Gahr, P. J. (1991) Cell 65: 599-610; Rousselle, P., Lunstrum, G. P., Keene, D. R. & Burgeson, R. E. (1991) J. Cell Biol. 114: 567-576; Pikkarainen, T., Schulthess, T., Engel, J. and Tryggvason, K. (1992) Eur. J. Biochem. 209, 571-582). Additionally, a weak band of about 105 kDa corresponding to the processed .gamma.2 chain could be observed.

[0103] Full-length human recombinant laminin .gamma.2 chain was produced in High-5 Spodoptera frugiperda insect cells using the baculovirus system. Since the .gamma.2 chain was not secreted to the culture medium, possibly because it was not assembled intracellularly into a normal heterotrimer, it was isolated from the cell fraction as described in Materials and Methods. The protein was extracted under denaturating conditions using 5 M urea, renatured by extensive dialysis against 50 mM Tris-HCl, 100 mM NaCl, pH 7.4, and purified. The purified recombinant .gamma.2 chain was full length and highly pure as determined by SDS-PAGE analysis (FIG. 5).

[0104] The HaCat human keratinocytes and mouse KLN-205 squamous carcinoma cells were shown to express laminin-5, based on northern analyses and immunostaining, using a cDNA probe (Kallunki, P., Sainio, K., Eddy, R., Byers, M., Kallunki, T., Sariola, H., Beck, K., Hirvonen, H., Shows, T. B. & Tryggvason, K. (1992) J. Cell Biol. 119: 679-693) and/or polyclonal antibodies specific for the .gamma.2 chain (Pyke, C., Salo, S., Ralfkiaer, E., Romer, J., Dano, K. & Tryggvason, K. (1995) Cancer Res. 55: 4132-4139), respectively. Furthermore, the KLN-205 cells developed .gamma.2 chain positive primary tumors and metasases in mice in vivo (data not shown). Following intramuscular or subcutaneous inoculations, large primary tumors developed in 4 weeks with numerous lung metastases after 4-6 weeks. KLN-205 cells injected into the tail vein produced multiple lung tumors (experimental metastases) in four weeks. Consequently, both cell types were considered appropriate for the cell attachment and migration experiments carried out in this study.

[0105] Laminin-5 Molecule, but not Recombinant Laminin .gamma.2 Chair Promotes Cell Adhesion--The laminin-5 and recombinant .gamma.2 chain prepared in this study, as well as commercial laminin-1, were used as substrata in attachment assays (FIG. 6) with the two epithelium-derived HaCat and KLN-205 cell lines that both express laminin-5. Both cell lines attached about 2.5 times more readily to laminin-1 than to plastic. Adhesion of the cells to laminin-5 appeared to be slightly higher than that to laminin-1, but the differences were not statistically significant. The cells attached equally well to laminin-5 preparations denatured in 5 M urea and then renatured by dialysis against 50 mM Tris-HCl, 100 mM NaCl, pH 7.4, as described for the recombinant .gamma.2 chain above, indicating that this treatment did not affect the binding properties of the trimeric molecule. The attachment to laminin-5 was not significantly decreased in the presence of two different polyclonal antibodies made against the short or long arms of the .gamma.2 chain or pre-IgG. Different amounts of the antibody against the short arm of the .gamma.2 chain were also tested (up to 50 .mu.g/ml), but no effects on cell adhesion were observed. When the cells were plated on the recombinant .gamma.2 chain alone, the attachment was not significantly higher than that to plastic, this attachment not being influenced by polyclonal antibodies against the .gamma.2 chain. The data confirm previous results showing that trimeric laminin-5 promotes adhesion of epithelial cells, but the present results further strongly suggest that this adhesion is not mediated by the .gamma.2 chain.

[0106] Antibodies Against Laminin .gamma.2Domain III, but not Domain I/II, Inhibit Cell Migration--Immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization studies on healing skin wounds have indicated a role for laminin-5 in cell migration. The potential role of the .gamma.2 chain of laminin-5 in this process was examined for the KLN-205 cells in vitro using Boyden and Transwell chamber assays as described in Materials and Methods.

[0107] Migration was first studied in the Boyden chamber assay using laminin-1 and fibronectin in the lower chamber as chemoattractants. The cells were plated on type IV collagen coated filters separating the upper and lower compartments, and antibodies to different domains of the .gamma.2 chain were added to the upper chamber. Migration of cells in the presence of preimmune IgG was arbitrarily set as 100% (FIG. 7). When polyclonal IgG against the short arm of the .gamma.2 chain was added to the upper compartment containing the cells, the migration of cells through the filter was decreased to about 35 to 45% of that observed with the preimmune IgG (FIG. 7A). In contrast, the polyclonal IgG against C-terminal domain I/II did not affect migration of the cells (FIG. 7A).

[0108] The effects of the two antibodies were similarly used in the Transwell assay using native laminin-5 as chemoattractant in the lower compartment, and the results were essentially the same as above. Thus, addition of IgG raised against domain III of the .gamma.2 chain inhibited the migration to about 50% as compared with preimmune IgG, while the polyclonal IgG against domain I/II did not affect the cell migration.

[0109] These in vitro results demonstrate that laminin-5 can have a role in the locomotion of epithelium-derived cells, and that this function can be inhibited by antibodies directed against domain III of the .gamma.2 chain.

[0110] Limited Expression of LAMC2 Promoter-Reporter Gene Constructs in Epithelial Cells in Transgenic Mice--In order to search for potential epithelium-specific enhancer elements in the LAMC2 gene, we made transgenic mice harboring DNA constructs containing varying lengths of the 5' flanking region of the LAMC2 gene connected with a downstream reporter gene, which in this case was LacZ coding for bacterial .beta.-galactosidase (SEQ. ID. NO.: 20)(FIG. 8). Two different constructs were used for microinjection into pronuclei of fertilized mouse oozytes. The first construct HH-1 contained an about 5,900 bp HindIII-SalI fragment, including 55 base pairs from the 5' untranslated region and the 5' flanking region of the LAMC2 gene. The second construct, HH-2, contained 55 base pairs of the 5' untranslated region and 613 base pairs of the 5' flanking region. The sequence from the LAMC2 promoter region cloned into HH-2 (FIG. 8) contains a GATAA box starting 27 base pairs upstream of the transcription initiation site (Kallunki, P., Sainio, K., Eddy, R., Byers, M., Kallunki, T., Sariola, H., Beck, K., Hirvonen, H., Shows, T. B. & Tryggvason, K. (1992) J. Cell Biol. 119: 679-693), and two AP1 binding sites immediately upstream Additionally, there are two Sp1 binding sides and an inverted CTF sequence (CCAAT box) further upstream Three founder lines were studied in detail for the expression pattern of HH-1, and two lines for that of construct HH-2. Both constructs yielded similar expression patterns for the .beta.-galactosidase reporter gene.

[0111] In mouse embryos very little expression was observed with both constructs. In 15.5-day-old whole embryos only some hair follicles, testicles and some regions of the skin showed positive reaction (FIG. 9A). Microscopic analysis revealed positive stnig in scattered basal keratinocytes of skin and some epithelial cells of hair follicles and ductus deferens (FIG. 9B-D). Importantly, cells of all other epithelia were negative for expression. These results sharply contrast our previous results showing strong expression of the LAMC2 gene in epithelial layers, including those of skin, respiratory tract and kidney in human embryos as determined by in situ hybridization (Kallunki, P., Sainio, K., Eddy, R., Byers, M., Kallunki, T., Sariola, H., Beck, K., Hirvonen, H., Shows, T. B. & Tryggvason, K. (1992) J. Cell Biol. 119: 679-693). This shows that the reporter gene constructs made in this study did not contain the cis-acting elements necessary for epithelial expression, although the restricted expression observed was limited to only some epithelial cells.

[0112] Expression was also examined in tissues of adult transgenic mice harboring the two constructs. Both constructs yielded highly similar, but restricted expression in the embryos, whereas in the adult tissues the distribution of expression was slightly more extensive. Interestingly, as was the case for the embryos, the limited expression was confined to epithelial cells, i.e. cell types normally expressing only the LAMC2 gene in vivo. For example, in skin discontinuous expression was observed in keratinocytes of the epidermis and epithelial cells of some hair follicles (FIG. 10A). In the stomach intense expression could be seen in some villi of the gastric mucosa, but it was absent in most areas (FIG. 10B,C). In positive areas expression could be seen in surface epithelial cells and in cells of the gastric pits. As in the embryos expression was also observed in epithelial cells of the ductus deferens (FIG. 10D). However, epithelia such as those of the respiratory tracts normally showing strong expression in vivo did not show any expression at all in the present study.

[0113] Identification of a Cis-Element with Migration-Related Activity in the LAMC2 Gene in Transgenic Mice--The in vitro cell migration studies described above, together with previous morphological studies have indicated a role for laminin-5 in cell movement. These data imply that the genes for the subunits chains of this protein should have regulatory elements induced during cell migration. In order to further examine the association of cell migration with laminin-S expression, we decided to initiate search for potential migration-related cis-acting elements in the two laminin .gamma.2 chain gene promoter-LacZ reporter gene constructs, HH-1 and HH-2, using transgenic mice as a model system.

[0114] As we have previously shown, the LAMC2 gene is expressed in keratinocytes migrating over a healing skin wound (Pyke, C., Romer, J., Kallunki, P., Lund, L. R., Ralfkiaer, E., Dano, K. & Tryggvason, K. (1994) Am. J. Pathol. 145: 782-791). According to the present invention, small incision wounds were made into the dorsal skin and tails of mice made transgenic with the two constructs mentioned above to examine if the LacZ gene is expressed in migrating keratinocytes during wound healing. As can be seen in FIG. 11, immnunostaining of the dorsal skin wound showed distinct linear staining for the laminin .gamma.2 chain in the normal subepithelial basement membrane and also strong immunostaining for this chain beneath keratinocytes migrating over the healing wound could be seen. This confirms previous reports that laminin-5 is present in the normal epithelial basement membrane and also that the migrating keratinocytes express laminin-5. Staining with polyclonal antibodies against EHS tumor laminin-1 containing the .alpha.1, .beta.1 and .gamma.1 chains showed a weak staining of the subepithelial basement membrane as well as staining of basement membranes in blood vessels and muscle. Staining for expression of the two .beta.-galactosidase reporter gene constructs showed intense staining in keratinocytes migrating over the healing wound (FIG. 11C,D), while no color reaction was noted in keratinocytes resting on a normal epithelial basement membrane. The staining was seen in several layers of keratinocytes indicating that the enhancer element(s) directs expression in proliferating and migrating keratinocytes. Identical patterns were obtained in mice made with both constructs, demonstrating that the element necessary for driving the expression is located within the 613 base pair region immediately upstream of the transcription site of the LAMC2 gene.

[0115] Thus, according to the present invention, intact laminin-5 effectively mediates attachment of epithelial cells. As set forth above in Example 4, the present invention utilized human keratinocytes and KLN-205 mouse squamous carcinoma cells, both of which were shown to express laminin-5. The effect of laminin-5 on adhesion was similar to that of laminin-1 isolated from the mouse EHS tumor. Both laminin isoforms have been shown to have similar adhesive properties. This adhesion is presumably mediated through .alpha.6.beta.4 and .alpha.3.beta.1 integrins that both bind to the long arm of the laminin molecule. However, there is also an indication that the short arm of the .gamma.2 chain is also involved in the anchorage of epithelial cells, as an in-frame deletion mutation removing 73 amino acid residues from domains III and IV of the short arm of the .gamma.2 chain results in lethal (Herlitz) junctional epidermolysis bullosa. In determining whether this particular chain promoted cell adhesion adhesion studies were carried out using full-length recombinant human .gamma.2 chain produced in insect cells using the baculovirus system. It has been shown by rotary shadowing that individually produced recombinant .beta.1 and .gamma.1 chains maintain apparent normal tertiary structure of the short arm (Pikkarainen, T., Schulthess, T., Engel, J. and Tryggvason, K. (1992) Eur. J. Biochem. 209, 571-582), and, therefore, the tertiary structure of the short arm of the .gamma.2 chain studied here was assumed to be normal and exposed. This recombinant chain did not show any significant effects on cell adhesion as compared with plastic. The recombinant chain was not secreted to the cell culture medium, presumably because it was not incorporated into a heterotrimeric molecule and, therefore, it needed to be purified from the cytosol under denaturing conditions, prior to renaturation. Although it is possible that this polypeptide chain lost its adhesive properties due to the denaturing conditions, it is not considered likely, as intact laminin-5, also denatured and renatured using the same conditions, maintained its adhesion activity. Furthermore, since it has been shown that recombinant laminin a chains (or their domains) produced in an eukaryotic expression system bind cellular receptors (Yurchenco, P. D., U. Sung, M. Ward, Y. Yamada & J. J. O'Rear (1993). J. Biol. Chem. 268: 8356-8365; Sung, U., J. J. O'Rear & P. D. Yurchenco (1993). J. Cell Biol. 123: 1255-1268; Colognato-Pyke, H., J. J. O'Rear, Y. Yamada, S. Carbonetto Y.-S. Cheng, & P. D. Yurchenco (1995). J. Biol. Chem. 270: 9398-9406; Colognato, H., M. MacCarrick, J. J. O'Rear & P. D. Yurchenco (1997). J. Biol. Chem. 272: 29330-29336), it was concluded that the recombinant .gamma.2 chain analyzed in the present study also should be finctional. Thus, according to the present invention, the short arm of the laminin .gamma.2 chain does not bind to cellular receptors, and the important binding site lost in the above mentioned lethal skin blistering disease interacts with some protein(s) of the extracellular matrix This explanation is plausible also because it has been shown that the E8 fragment of laminin-1 containing the distal portion of the triple coiled coil (long arm) and recombinant C-terminal G domain of the .alpha.1 and .alpha.2 chains contains the cell binding sites (Yurchenco, P. D., U. Sung, M. Ward, Y. Yamada & J. J. O'Rear (1993). J. Biol. Chem. 268: 8356-8365; Sung, U., J. J. O'Rear & P. D. Yurchenco (1993). J. Cell Biol. 123: 1255-1268; Colognato-Pyke, H., J. J. O'Rear, Y. Yamada, S. Carbonetto Y.-S. Cheng, & P. D. Yurchenco (1995). J. Biol. Chem. 270: 9398-9406; Colognato, H., M. MacCarrick, J. J. O'Rear & P. D. Yurchenco (1997). J. Biol. Chem. 272: 29330-29336 Aumailley, M., Nurcombe, V., Edgar, D., Paulsson, M.N & Timpl, R. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262: 11532-11539). The laminin binding sites on the epithelial cells have later been assigned to the integrins .alpha.6.beta.4 and .alpha.3.beta.1. The conclusion that the short arm of the .gamma.2 chain does not interact with cellular receptors was further supported by the present results showing that polyclonal antibodies raised against the short arm do not inhibit adhesion of cells to intact laminin-5.

[0116] Previous work has shown that expression of laminin-5 is upregulated in migrating keratinocytes of healing wounds (Ryan, M. C., Tizard, R., VanDevanter, D. R. & Carter, W. G. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269: 22779-22787; Larjava, H., Salo, T., Haapasalmi K., Kramer, R. H. & Heino J. (1993) Clin. Invest. 92: 1425-1435; Pyke, C., Romer, J., Kallunki, P., Lund, L. R., Ralfkiaer, E., Dano, K. & Tryggvason, K. (1994) Am. J. Pathol. 145: 782-791), and also in tumor cells of invasive carcinomas (Pyke, C., Romer, J., Kallunki, P., Lund, L. R., Ralfkiaer, E., Dano, K. & Tryggvason, K. (1994) Am. J. Pathol. 145: 782-791; Pyke, C., Salo, S., Ralfkiaer, E., Romer, J., Dano, K. & Tryggvason, K. (1995) Cancer Res. 55: 4132-4139; Tani, T., Karttunen, T., Kiviluoto, T., Kivilaakso, E., Burgeson, R. E., Sipponen, P. & Virtanen, I. (1996) Am. J. Pathol. 149: 781-793). Thus, this laminin isoform could not only be surmised to be crucial for anchoring epithelial cells to the underlying basement membrane but, additionally, a protein of importance for anchoring epithelial cells or epithelium-derived cancer cells to the extracellular environment during cell migration. According to the results of Example 4 of the present invention, antibodies against the short arm of the laminin .gamma.2 chain inhibited the migration of KLN-205 squamous carcinoma cells by about 55-65% as determined in the Boyden chamber migration assay. Interestingly, the antibodies used here were directed against 177 amino acid residues of domain III that when deleted by mutation cause lethal junctional epidermolysis bullosa. Accordingly, the short arm of the laminin .gamma.2 chain is important for the interaction of this laminin isoform to other extracellular matrix proteins, and this interaction is also crucial for the migration process. Importantly, polyclonal antibodies raised against the long arm of the .gamma.2 chain did not inhibit migration of KLN-205 cells. Consequently, the results of the present study demonstrate that the short arm of the .gamma.2 chain is important for the adhesive function of laminin-5 similarly the short arm of the laminin .gamma.1 chain that contains the only known binding site of laminins for nidogen. This nidogen binding site is essential for the formation of a bridge between the laminin network on the one hand and the type IV collagen network and perlecan on the other and, thus, it is necessary for the integrity of the entire basement membrane matrix. The present and previous data discussed above indicate that similarly to the .gamma.1 chain, the laminin .gamma.12 chain possesses an important binding site that anchors laminin-5 to some components of the extracellular matrix. However, the laminin .gamma.2 chain does not bind to nidogen .

[0117] The results of the experiments shown in Example 4 above with the LAMC2 promoter-reporter gene constructs further emphasized the involvement of the .gamma.2 chain and laminin-5 in cell migration, as the reporter gene was strongly expressed in migratory cells of healing wounds. The actual cis-acting element required for this migration-related expression were not identified but it must be located in the 613 base pair upstream region flanking the gene. This region contains several motifs known to be important for gene expression such as a GATAA box, AP-1 and Sp1 binding sites and a CTF motif However, none of those have been shown to be associated with cell migration. The results of the transgenic mouse experiments carried out in this study further demonstrated that all the enhancer elements necessary for driving normal expression in epithelial cells are not present in a sequence reaching as far as 5,900 bp upstream of the transcription initiation site. Thus far, no other tissue-specific enhancer elements have been reported for any laminin gene.

[0118] Those skilled in the art will know, or be able to ascertain, using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein. These and all other equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the following claims.

Sequence CWU 1

1

20 1 20 DNA Artificial Oligomer Primer 1 ggctcaccaa gacttacaca 20 2 20 DNA Artificial Oligomer Primer 2 gaatcactga gcagctgaac 20 3 20 DNA Artificial Oligomer Primer 3 cagtaccaga accgagttcg 20 4 20 DNA Artificial Sequence Oligomer Primer 4 ctggttacca ggcttgagag 20 5 20 DNA Artificial Oligomer Primer 5 ttactgcgga atctcacagc 20 6 20 DNA Artificial Oligomer Primer 6 tacactgttc aacccagggt 20 7 20 DNA Artificial Oligomer Primer 7 aaacaagccc tctcactggt 20 8 20 DNA Artificial Oligomer Primer 8 gcggagactg tgctgataag 20 9 20 DNA Artificial Oligomer Primer 9 catacctctc tacatggcat 20 10 20 DNA Artificial Oligomer Primer 10 agtctcgctg aatctctctt 20 11 20 DNA Artificial Oligomer Primer 11 ttacaactag catggtgccc 20 12 5200 DNA Homo sapiens sig_peptide (118)..(183) CDS (118)..(3699) polyA_site (4433)..(4433) polyA_site (5195)..(5195) 12 gaccacctga tcgaaggaaa aggaaggcac agcggagcgc agagtgagaa ccaccaaccg 60 aggcgccggg cagcgacccc tgcagcggag acagagactg agcggcccgg caccgcc 117 atg cct gcg ctc tgg ctg ggc tgc tgc ctc tgc ttc tcg ctc ctc ctg 165 Met Pro Ala Leu Trp Leu Gly Cys Cys Leu Cys Phe Ser Leu Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 ccc gca gcc cgg gcc acc tcc agg agg gaa gtc tgt gat tgc aat ggg 213 Pro Ala Ala Arg Ala Thr Ser Arg Arg Glu Val Cys Asp Cys Asn Gly 20 25 30 aag tcc agg cag tgt atc ttt gat cgg gaa ctt cac aga caa act ggt 261 Lys Ser Arg Gln Cys Ile Phe Asp Arg Glu Leu His Arg Gln Thr Gly 35 40 45 aat gga ttc cgc tgc ctc aac tgc aat gac aac act gat ggc att cac 309 Asn Gly Phe Arg Cys Leu Asn Cys Asn Asp Asn Thr Asp Gly Ile His 50 55 60 tgc gag aag tgc aag aat ggc ttt tac cgg cac aga gaa agg gac cgc 357 Cys Glu Lys Cys Lys Asn Gly Phe Tyr Arg His Arg Glu Arg Asp Arg 65 70 75 80 tgt ttg ccc tgc aat tgt aac tcc aaa ggt tct ctt agt gct cga tgt 405 Cys Leu Pro Cys Asn Cys Asn Ser Lys Gly Ser Leu Ser Ala Arg Cys 85 90 95 gac aac tct gga cgg tgc agc tgt aaa cca ggt gtg aca gga gcc aga 453 Asp Asn Ser Gly Arg Cys Ser Cys Lys Pro Gly Val Thr Gly Ala Arg 100 105 110 tgc gac cga tgt ctg cca ggc ttc cac atg ctc acg gat gcg ggg tgc 501 Cys Asp Arg Cys Leu Pro Gly Phe His Met Leu Thr Asp Ala Gly Cys 115 120 125 acc caa gac cag aga ctg cta gac tcc aag tgt gac tgt gac cca gct 549 Thr Gln Asp Gln Arg Leu Leu Asp Ser Lys Cys Asp Cys Asp Pro Ala 130 135 140 ggc atc gca ggg ccc tgt gac gcg ggc cgc tgt gtc tgc aag cca gct 597 Gly Ile Ala Gly Pro Cys Asp Ala Gly Arg Cys Val Cys Lys Pro Ala 145 150 155 160 gtt act gga gaa cgc tgt gat agg tgt cga tca ggt tac tat aat ctg 645 Val Thr Gly Glu Arg Cys Asp Arg Cys Arg Ser Gly Tyr Tyr Asn Leu 165 170 175 gat ggg ggg aac cct gag ggc tgt acc cag tgt ttc tgc tat ggg cat 693 Asp Gly Gly Asn Pro Glu Gly Cys Thr Gln Cys Phe Cys Tyr Gly His 180 185 190 tca gcc agc tgc cgc agc tct gca gaa tac agt gtc cat aag atc acc 741 Ser Ala Ser Cys Arg Ser Ser Ala Glu Tyr Ser Val His Lys Ile Thr 195 200 205 tct acc ttt cat caa gat gtt gat ggc tgg aag gct gtc caa cga aat 789 Ser Thr Phe His Gln Asp Val Asp Gly Trp Lys Ala Val Gln Arg Asn 210 215 220 ggg tct cct gca aag ctc caa tgg tca cag cgc cat caa gat gtg ttt 837 Gly Ser Pro Ala Lys Leu Gln Trp Ser Gln Arg His Gln Asp Val Phe 225 230 235 240 agc tca gcc caa cga cta gat cct gtc tat ttt gtg gct cct gcc aaa 885 Ser Ser Ala Gln Arg Leu Asp Pro Val Tyr Phe Val Ala Pro Ala Lys 245 250 255 ttt ctt ggg aat caa cag gtg agc tat ggg caa agc ctg tcc ttt gac 933 Phe Leu Gly Asn Gln Gln Val Ser Tyr Gly Gln Ser Leu Ser Phe Asp 260 265 270 tac cgt gtg gac aga gga ggc aga cac cca tct gcc cat gat gtg atc 981 Tyr Arg Val Asp Arg Gly Gly Arg His Pro Ser Ala His Asp Val Ile 275 280 285 ctg gaa ggt gct ggt cta cgg atc aca gct ccc ttg atg cca ctt ggc 1029 Leu Glu Gly Ala Gly Leu Arg Ile Thr Ala Pro Leu Met Pro Leu Gly 290 295 300 aag aca ctg cct tgt ggg ctc acc aag act tac aca ttc agg tta aat 1077 Lys Thr Leu Pro Cys Gly Leu Thr Lys Thr Tyr Thr Phe Arg Leu Asn 305 310 315 320 gag cat cca agc aat aat tgg agc ccc cag ctg agt tac ttt gag tat 1125 Glu His Pro Ser Asn Asn Trp Ser Pro Gln Leu Ser Tyr Phe Glu Tyr 325 330 335 cga agg tta ctg cgg aat ctc aca gcc ctc cgc atc cga gct aca tat 1173 Arg Arg Leu Leu Arg Asn Leu Thr Ala Leu Arg Ile Arg Ala Thr Tyr 340 345 350 gga gaa tac agt act ggg tac att gac aat gtg acc ctg att tca gcc 1221 Gly Glu Tyr Ser Thr Gly Tyr Ile Asp Asn Val Thr Leu Ile Ser Ala 355 360 365 cgc cct gtc tct gga gcc cca gca ccc tgg gtt gaa cag tgt ata tgt 1269 Arg Pro Val Ser Gly Ala Pro Ala Pro Trp Val Glu Gln Cys Ile Cys 370 375 380 cct gtt ggg tac aag ggg caa ttc tgc cag gat tgt gct tct ggc tac 1317 Pro Val Gly Tyr Lys Gly Gln Phe Cys Gln Asp Cys Ala Ser Gly Tyr 385 390 395 400 aag aga gat tca gcg aga ctg ggg cct ttt ggc acc tgt att cct tgt 1365 Lys Arg Asp Ser Ala Arg Leu Gly Pro Phe Gly Thr Cys Ile Pro Cys 405 410 415 aac tgt caa ggg gga ggg gcc tgt gat cca gac aca gga gat tgt tat 1413 Asn Cys Gln Gly Gly Gly Ala Cys Asp Pro Asp Thr Gly Asp Cys Tyr 420 425 430 tca ggg gat gag aat cct gac att gag tgt gct gac tgc cca att ggt 1461 Ser Gly Asp Glu Asn Pro Asp Ile Glu Cys Ala Asp Cys Pro Ile Gly 435 440 445 ttc tac aac gat ccg cac gac ccc cgc agc tgc aag cca tgt ccc tgt 1509 Phe Tyr Asn Asp Pro His Asp Pro Arg Ser Cys Lys Pro Cys Pro Cys 450 455 460 cat aac ggg ttc agc tgc tca gtg att ccg gag acg gag gag gtg gtg 1557 His Asn Gly Phe Ser Cys Ser Val Ile Pro Glu Thr Glu Glu Val Val 465 470 475 480 tgc aat aac tgc cct ccc ggg gtc acc ggt gcc cgc tgt gag ctc tgt 1605 Cys Asn Asn Cys Pro Pro Gly Val Thr Gly Ala Arg Cys Glu Leu Cys 485 490 495 gct gat ggc tac ttt ggg gac ccc ttt ggt gaa cat ggc cca gtg agg 1653 Ala Asp Gly Tyr Phe Gly Asp Pro Phe Gly Glu His Gly Pro Val Arg 500 505 510 cct tgt cag ccc tgt caa tgc aac agc aat gtg gac ccc agt gcc tct 1701 Pro Cys Gln Pro Cys Gln Cys Asn Ser Asn Val Asp Pro Ser Ala Ser 515 520 525 ggg aat tgt gac cgg ctg aca ggc agg tgt ttg aag tgt atc cac aac 1749 Gly Asn Cys Asp Arg Leu Thr Gly Arg Cys Leu Lys Cys Ile His Asn 530 535 540 aca gcc ggc atc tac tgc gac cag tgc aaa gca ggc tac ttc ggg gac 1797 Thr Ala Gly Ile Tyr Cys Asp Gln Cys Lys Ala Gly Tyr Phe Gly Asp 545 550 555 560 cca ttg gct ccc aac cca gca gac aag tgt cga gct tgc aac tgt aac 1845 Pro Leu Ala Pro Asn Pro Ala Asp Lys Cys Arg Ala Cys Asn Cys Asn 565 570 575 ccc atg ggc tca gag cct gta gga tgt cga agt gat ggc acc tgt gtt 1893 Pro Met Gly Ser Glu Pro Val Gly Cys Arg Ser Asp Gly Thr Cys Val 580 585 590 tgc aag cca gga ttt ggt ggc ccc aac tgt gag cat gga gca ttc agc 1941 Cys Lys Pro Gly Phe Gly Gly Pro Asn Cys Glu His Gly Ala Phe Ser 595 600 605 tgt cca gct tgc tat aat caa gtg aag att cag atg gat cag ttt atg 1989 Cys Pro Ala Cys Tyr Asn Gln Val Lys Ile Gln Met Asp Gln Phe Met 610 615 620 cag cag ctt cag aga atg gag gcc ctg att tca aag gct cag ggt ggt 2037 Gln Gln Leu Gln Arg Met Glu Ala Leu Ile Ser Lys Ala Gln Gly Gly 625 630 635 640 gat gga gta gta cct gat aca gag ctg gaa ggc agg atg cag cag gct 2085 Asp Gly Val Val Pro Asp Thr Glu Leu Glu Gly Arg Met Gln Gln Ala 645 650 655 gag cag gcc ctt cag gac att ctg aga gat gcc cag att tca gaa ggt 2133 Glu Gln Ala Leu Gln Asp Ile Leu Arg Asp Ala Gln Ile Ser Glu Gly 660 665 670 gct agc aga tcc ctt ggt ctc cag ttg gcc aag gtg agg agc caa gag 2181 Ala Ser Arg Ser Leu Gly Leu Gln Leu Ala Lys Val Arg Ser Gln Glu 675 680 685 aac agc tac cag agc cgc ctg gat gac ctc aag atg act gtg gaa aga 2229 Asn Ser Tyr Gln Ser Arg Leu Asp Asp Leu Lys Met Thr Val Glu Arg 690 695 700 gtt cgg gct ctg gga agt cag tac cag aac cga gtt cgg gat act cac 2277 Val Arg Ala Leu Gly Ser Gln Tyr Gln Asn Arg Val Arg Asp Thr His 705 710 715 720 agg ctc atc act cag atg cag ctg agc ctg gca gaa agt gaa gct tcc 2325 Arg Leu Ile Thr Gln Met Gln Leu Ser Leu Ala Glu Ser Glu Ala Ser 725 730 735 ttg gga aac act aac att cct gcc tca gac cac tac gtg ggg cca aat 2373 Leu Gly Asn Thr Asn Ile Pro Ala Ser Asp His Tyr Val Gly Pro Asn 740 745 750 ggc ttt aaa agt ctg gct cag gag gcc aca aga tta gca gaa agc cac 2421 Gly Phe Lys Ser Leu Ala Gln Glu Ala Thr Arg Leu Ala Glu Ser His 755 760 765 gtt gag tca gcc agt aac atg gag caa ctg aca agg gaa act gag gac 2469 Val Glu Ser Ala Ser Asn Met Glu Gln Leu Thr Arg Glu Thr Glu Asp 770 775 780 tat tcc aaa caa gcc ctc tca ctg gtg cgc aag gcc ctg cat gaa gga 2517 Tyr Ser Lys Gln Ala Leu Ser Leu Val Arg Lys Ala Leu His Glu Gly 785 790 795 800 gtc gga agc gga agc ggt agc ccg gac ggt gct gtg gtg caa ggg ctt 2565 Val Gly Ser Gly Ser Gly Ser Pro Asp Gly Ala Val Val Gln Gly Leu 805 810 815 gtg gaa aaa ttg gag aaa acc aag tcc ctg gcc cag cag ttg aca agg 2613 Val Glu Lys Leu Glu Lys Thr Lys Ser Leu Ala Gln Gln Leu Thr Arg 820 825 830 gag gcc act caa gcg gaa att gaa gca gat agg tct tat cag cac agt 2661 Glu Ala Thr Gln Ala Glu Ile Glu Ala Asp Arg Ser Tyr Gln His Ser 835 840 845 ctc cgc ctc ctg gat tca gtg tct ccg ctt cag gga gtc agt gat cag 2709 Leu Arg Leu Leu Asp Ser Val Ser Pro Leu Gln Gly Val Ser Asp Gln 850 855 860 tcc ttt cag gtg gaa gaa gca aag agg atc aaa caa aaa gcg gat tca 2757 Ser Phe Gln Val Glu Glu Ala Lys Arg Ile Lys Gln Lys Ala Asp Ser 865 870 875 880 ctc tca agc ctg gta acc agg cat atg gat gag ttc aag cgt aca caa 2805 Leu Ser Ser Leu Val Thr Arg His Met Asp Glu Phe Lys Arg Thr Gln 885 890 895 aag aat ctg gga aac tgg aaa gaa gaa gca cag cag ctc tta cag aat 2853 Lys Asn Leu Gly Asn Trp Lys Glu Glu Ala Gln Gln Leu Leu Gln Asn 900 905 910 gga aaa agt ggg aga gag aaa tca gat cag ctg ctt tcc cgt gcc aat 2901 Gly Lys Ser Gly Arg Glu Lys Ser Asp Gln Leu Leu Ser Arg Ala Asn 915 920 925 ctt gct aaa agc aga gca caa gaa gca ctg agt atg ggc aat gcc act 2949 Leu Ala Lys Ser Arg Ala Gln Glu Ala Leu Ser Met Gly Asn Ala Thr 930 935 940 ttt tat gaa gtt gag agc atc ctt aaa aac ctc aga gag ttt gac ctg 2997 Phe Tyr Glu Val Glu Ser Ile Leu Lys Asn Leu Arg Glu Phe Asp Leu 945 950 955 960 cag gtg gac aac aga aaa gca gaa gct gaa gaa gcc atg aag aga ctc 3045 Gln Val Asp Asn Arg Lys Ala Glu Ala Glu Glu Ala Met Lys Arg Leu 965 970 975 tcc tac atc agc cag aag gtt tca gat gcc agt gac aag acc cag caa 3093 Ser Tyr Ile Ser Gln Lys Val Ser Asp Ala Ser Asp Lys Thr Gln Gln 980 985 990 gca gaa aga gcc ctg ggg agc gct gct gct gat gca cag agg gca aag 3141 Ala Glu Arg Ala Leu Gly Ser Ala Ala Ala Asp Ala Gln Arg Ala Lys 995 1000 1005 aat ggg gcc ggg gag gcc ctg gaa atc tcc agt gag att gaa cag 3186 Asn Gly Ala Gly Glu Ala Leu Glu Ile Ser Ser Glu Ile Glu Gln 1010 1015 1020 gag att ggg agt ctg aac ttg gaa gcc aat gtg aca gca gat gga 3231 Glu Ile Gly Ser Leu Asn Leu Glu Ala Asn Val Thr Ala Asp Gly 1025 1030 1035 gcc ttg gcc atg gaa aag gga ctg gcc tct ctg aag agt gag atg 3276 Ala Leu Ala Met Glu Lys Gly Leu Ala Ser Leu Lys Ser Glu Met 1040 1045 1050 agg gaa gtg gaa gga gag ctg gaa agg aag gag ctg gag ttt gac 3321 Arg Glu Val Glu Gly Glu Leu Glu Arg Lys Glu Leu Glu Phe Asp 1055 1060 1065 acg aat atg gat gca gta cag atg gtg att aca gaa gcc cag aag 3366 Thr Asn Met Asp Ala Val Gln Met Val Ile Thr Glu Ala Gln Lys 1070 1075 1080 gtt gat acc aga gcc aag aac gct ggg gtt aca atc caa gac aca 3411 Val Asp Thr Arg Ala Lys Asn Ala Gly Val Thr Ile Gln Asp Thr 1085 1090 1095 ctc aac aca tta gac ggc ctc ctg cat ctg atg gac cag cct ctc 3456 Leu Asn Thr Leu Asp Gly Leu Leu His Leu Met Asp Gln Pro Leu 1100 1105 1110 agt gta gat gaa gag ggg ctg gtc tta ctg gag cag aag ctt tcc 3501 Ser Val Asp Glu Glu Gly Leu Val Leu Leu Glu Gln Lys Leu Ser 1115 1120 1125 cga gcc aag acc cag atc aac agc caa ctg cgg ccc atg atg tca 3546 Arg Ala Lys Thr Gln Ile Asn Ser Gln Leu Arg Pro Met Met Ser 1130 1135 1140 gag ctg gaa gag agg gca cgt cag cag agg ggc cac ctc cat ttg 3591 Glu Leu Glu Glu Arg Ala Arg Gln Gln Arg Gly His Leu His Leu 1145 1150 1155 ctg gag aca agc ata gat ggg att ctg gct gat gtg aag aac ttg 3636 Leu Glu Thr Ser Ile Asp Gly Ile Leu Ala Asp Val Lys Asn Leu 1160 1165 1170 gag aac att agg gac aac ctg ccc cca ggc tgc tac aat acc cag 3681 Glu Asn Ile Arg Asp Asn Leu Pro Pro Gly Cys Tyr Asn Thr Gln 1175 1180 1185 gct ctt gag caa cag tga agctgccata aatatttctc aactgaggtt 3729 Ala Leu Glu Gln Gln 1190 cttgggatac agatctcagg gctcgggagc catgtcatgt gagtgggtgg gatggggaca 3789 tttgaacatg tttaatgggt atgctcaggt caactgacct gaccccattc ctgatcccat 3849 ggccaggtgg ttgtcttatt gcaccatact ccttgcttcc tgatgctggg catgaggcag 3909 ataggcactg gtgtgagaat gatcaaggat ctggacccca aagatagact ggatggaaag 3969 acaaactgca caggcagatg tttgcctcat aatagtcgta agtggagtcc tggaatttgg 4029 acaagtgctg ttgggatata gtcaacttat tctttgagta atgtgactaa aggaaaaaac 4089 tttgactttg cccaggcatg aaattcttcc taatgtcaga acagagtgca acccagtcac 4149 actgtggcca gtaaaatact attgcctcat attgtcctct gcaagcttct tgctgatcag 4209 agttcctcct acttacaacc cagggtgtga acatgttctc cattttcaag ctggaagaag 4269 tgagcagtgt tggagtgagg acctgtaagg caggcccatt cagagctatg gtgcttgctg 4329 gtgcctgcca ccttcaagtt ctggacctgg gcatgacatc ctttctttta atgatgccat 4389 ggcaacttag agattgcatt tttattaaag catttcctac cagcaaagca aatgttggga 4449 aagtatttac tttttcggtt tcaaagtgat agaaaagtgt ggcttgggca ttgaaagagg 4509 taaaattctc tagatttatt agtcctaatt caatcctact tttcgaacac caaaaatgat 4569 gcgcatcaat gtattttatc ttattttctc aatctcctct ctctttcctc cacccataat 4629 aagagaatgt tcctactcac acttcagctg ggtcacatcc atccctccat tcatccttcc 4689 atccatcttt ccatccatta cctccatcca tccttccaac atatatttat tgagtaccta 4749 ctgtgtgcca ggggctggtg ggacagtggt gacatagtct ctgccctcat agagttgatt 4809 gtctagtgag gaagacaagc atttttaaaa aataaattta aacttacaaa ctttgtttgt 4869 cacaagtggt gtttattgca ataaccgctt ggtttgcaac ctctttgctc aacagaacat 4929 atgttgcaag accctcccat gggcactgag tttggcaagg atgacagagc tctgggttgt 4989 gcacatttct ttgcattcca gcgtcactct gtgccttcta caactgattg caacagactg 5049 ttgagttatg ataacaccag tgggaattgc tggaggaacc agaggcactt ccaccttggc 5109 tgggaagact atggtgctgc cttgcttctg tatttccttg gattttcctg aaagtgtttt 5169 taaataaaga acaattgtta gatgccaaaa a 5200 13 1193 PRT Homo sapiens 13 Met Pro Ala Leu Trp Leu Gly Cys Cys Leu Cys Phe Ser Leu Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 Pro Ala Ala Arg Ala Thr Ser Arg Arg Glu Val Cys Asp Cys Asn Gly 20 25 30 Lys Ser Arg Gln Cys Ile Phe Asp Arg Glu Leu His Arg Gln Thr Gly 35 40 45 Asn Gly Phe Arg Cys Leu Asn Cys Asn Asp Asn Thr Asp Gly Ile His 50

55 60 Cys Glu Lys Cys Lys Asn Gly Phe Tyr Arg His Arg Glu Arg Asp Arg 65 70 75 80 Cys Leu Pro Cys Asn Cys Asn Ser Lys Gly Ser Leu Ser Ala Arg Cys 85 90 95 Asp Asn Ser Gly Arg Cys Ser Cys Lys Pro Gly Val Thr Gly Ala Arg 100 105 110 Cys Asp Arg Cys Leu Pro Gly Phe His Met Leu Thr Asp Ala Gly Cys 115 120 125 Thr Gln Asp Gln Arg Leu Leu Asp Ser Lys Cys Asp Cys Asp Pro Ala 130 135 140 Gly Ile Ala Gly Pro Cys Asp Ala Gly Arg Cys Val Cys Lys Pro Ala 145 150 155 160 Val Thr Gly Glu Arg Cys Asp Arg Cys Arg Ser Gly Tyr Tyr Asn Leu 165 170 175 Asp Gly Gly Asn Pro Glu Gly Cys Thr Gln Cys Phe Cys Tyr Gly His 180 185 190 Ser Ala Ser Cys Arg Ser Ser Ala Glu Tyr Ser Val His Lys Ile Thr 195 200 205 Ser Thr Phe His Gln Asp Val Asp Gly Trp Lys Ala Val Gln Arg Asn 210 215 220 Gly Ser Pro Ala Lys Leu Gln Trp Ser Gln Arg His Gln Asp Val Phe 225 230 235 240 Ser Ser Ala Gln Arg Leu Asp Pro Val Tyr Phe Val Ala Pro Ala Lys 245 250 255 Phe Leu Gly Asn Gln Gln Val Ser Tyr Gly Gln Ser Leu Ser Phe Asp 260 265 270 Tyr Arg Val Asp Arg Gly Gly Arg His Pro Ser Ala His Asp Val Ile 275 280 285 Leu Glu Gly Ala Gly Leu Arg Ile Thr Ala Pro Leu Met Pro Leu Gly 290 295 300 Lys Thr Leu Pro Cys Gly Leu Thr Lys Thr Tyr Thr Phe Arg Leu Asn 305 310 315 320 Glu His Pro Ser Asn Asn Trp Ser Pro Gln Leu Ser Tyr Phe Glu Tyr 325 330 335 Arg Arg Leu Leu Arg Asn Leu Thr Ala Leu Arg Ile Arg Ala Thr Tyr 340 345 350 Gly Glu Tyr Ser Thr Gly Tyr Ile Asp Asn Val Thr Leu Ile Ser Ala 355 360 365 Arg Pro Val Ser Gly Ala Pro Ala Pro Trp Val Glu Gln Cys Ile Cys 370 375 380 Pro Val Gly Tyr Lys Gly Gln Phe Cys Gln Asp Cys Ala Ser Gly Tyr 385 390 395 400 Lys Arg Asp Ser Ala Arg Leu Gly Pro Phe Gly Thr Cys Ile Pro Cys 405 410 415 Asn Cys Gln Gly Gly Gly Ala Cys Asp Pro Asp Thr Gly Asp Cys Tyr 420 425 430 Ser Gly Asp Glu Asn Pro Asp Ile Glu Cys Ala Asp Cys Pro Ile Gly 435 440 445 Phe Tyr Asn Asp Pro His Asp Pro Arg Ser Cys Lys Pro Cys Pro Cys 450 455 460 His Asn Gly Phe Ser Cys Ser Val Ile Pro Glu Thr Glu Glu Val Val 465 470 475 480 Cys Asn Asn Cys Pro Pro Gly Val Thr Gly Ala Arg Cys Glu Leu Cys 485 490 495 Ala Asp Gly Tyr Phe Gly Asp Pro Phe Gly Glu His Gly Pro Val Arg 500 505 510 Pro Cys Gln Pro Cys Gln Cys Asn Ser Asn Val Asp Pro Ser Ala Ser 515 520 525 Gly Asn Cys Asp Arg Leu Thr Gly Arg Cys Leu Lys Cys Ile His Asn 530 535 540 Thr Ala Gly Ile Tyr Cys Asp Gln Cys Lys Ala Gly Tyr Phe Gly Asp 545 550 555 560 Pro Leu Ala Pro Asn Pro Ala Asp Lys Cys Arg Ala Cys Asn Cys Asn 565 570 575 Pro Met Gly Ser Glu Pro Val Gly Cys Arg Ser Asp Gly Thr Cys Val 580 585 590 Cys Lys Pro Gly Phe Gly Gly Pro Asn Cys Glu His Gly Ala Phe Ser 595 600 605 Cys Pro Ala Cys Tyr Asn Gln Val Lys Ile Gln Met Asp Gln Phe Met 610 615 620 Gln Gln Leu Gln Arg Met Glu Ala Leu Ile Ser Lys Ala Gln Gly Gly 625 630 635 640 Asp Gly Val Val Pro Asp Thr Glu Leu Glu Gly Arg Met Gln Gln Ala 645 650 655 Glu Gln Ala Leu Gln Asp Ile Leu Arg Asp Ala Gln Ile Ser Glu Gly 660 665 670 Ala Ser Arg Ser Leu Gly Leu Gln Leu Ala Lys Val Arg Ser Gln Glu 675 680 685 Asn Ser Tyr Gln Ser Arg Leu Asp Asp Leu Lys Met Thr Val Glu Arg 690 695 700 Val Arg Ala Leu Gly Ser Gln Tyr Gln Asn Arg Val Arg Asp Thr His 705 710 715 720 Arg Leu Ile Thr Gln Met Gln Leu Ser Leu Ala Glu Ser Glu Ala Ser 725 730 735 Leu Gly Asn Thr Asn Ile Pro Ala Ser Asp His Tyr Val Gly Pro Asn 740 745 750 Gly Phe Lys Ser Leu Ala Gln Glu Ala Thr Arg Leu Ala Glu Ser His 755 760 765 Val Glu Ser Ala Ser Asn Met Glu Gln Leu Thr Arg Glu Thr Glu Asp 770 775 780 Tyr Ser Lys Gln Ala Leu Ser Leu Val Arg Lys Ala Leu His Glu Gly 785 790 795 800 Val Gly Ser Gly Ser Gly Ser Pro Asp Gly Ala Val Val Gln Gly Leu 805 810 815 Val Glu Lys Leu Glu Lys Thr Lys Ser Leu Ala Gln Gln Leu Thr Arg 820 825 830 Glu Ala Thr Gln Ala Glu Ile Glu Ala Asp Arg Ser Tyr Gln His Ser 835 840 845 Leu Arg Leu Leu Asp Ser Val Ser Pro Leu Gln Gly Val Ser Asp Gln 850 855 860 Ser Phe Gln Val Glu Glu Ala Lys Arg Ile Lys Gln Lys Ala Asp Ser 865 870 875 880 Leu Ser Ser Leu Val Thr Arg His Met Asp Glu Phe Lys Arg Thr Gln 885 890 895 Lys Asn Leu Gly Asn Trp Lys Glu Glu Ala Gln Gln Leu Leu Gln Asn 900 905 910 Gly Lys Ser Gly Arg Glu Lys Ser Asp Gln Leu Leu Ser Arg Ala Asn 915 920 925 Leu Ala Lys Ser Arg Ala Gln Glu Ala Leu Ser Met Gly Asn Ala Thr 930 935 940 Phe Tyr Glu Val Glu Ser Ile Leu Lys Asn Leu Arg Glu Phe Asp Leu 945 950 955 960 Gln Val Asp Asn Arg Lys Ala Glu Ala Glu Glu Ala Met Lys Arg Leu 965 970 975 Ser Tyr Ile Ser Gln Lys Val Ser Asp Ala Ser Asp Lys Thr Gln Gln 980 985 990 Ala Glu Arg Ala Leu Gly Ser Ala Ala Ala Asp Ala Gln Arg Ala Lys 995 1000 1005 Asn Gly Ala Gly Glu Ala Leu Glu Ile Ser Ser Glu Ile Glu Gln 1010 1015 1020 Glu Ile Gly Ser Leu Asn Leu Glu Ala Asn Val Thr Ala Asp Gly 1025 1030 1035 Ala Leu Ala Met Glu Lys Gly Leu Ala Ser Leu Lys Ser Glu Met 1040 1045 1050 Arg Glu Val Glu Gly Glu Leu Glu Arg Lys Glu Leu Glu Phe Asp 1055 1060 1065 Thr Asn Met Asp Ala Val Gln Met Val Ile Thr Glu Ala Gln Lys 1070 1075 1080 Val Asp Thr Arg Ala Lys Asn Ala Gly Val Thr Ile Gln Asp Thr 1085 1090 1095 Leu Asn Thr Leu Asp Gly Leu Leu His Leu Met Asp Gln Pro Leu 1100 1105 1110 Ser Val Asp Glu Glu Gly Leu Val Leu Leu Glu Gln Lys Leu Ser 1115 1120 1125 Arg Ala Lys Thr Gln Ile Asn Ser Gln Leu Arg Pro Met Met Ser 1130 1135 1140 Glu Leu Glu Glu Arg Ala Arg Gln Gln Arg Gly His Leu His Leu 1145 1150 1155 Leu Glu Thr Ser Ile Asp Gly Ile Leu Ala Asp Val Lys Asn Leu 1160 1165 1170 Glu Asn Ile Arg Asp Asn Leu Pro Pro Gly Cys Tyr Asn Thr Gln 1175 1180 1185 Ala Leu Glu Gln Gln 1190 14 4316 DNA Homo sapiens sig_peptide (118)..(183) CDS (118)..(3453) repeat_unit (4021)..(4316) repeat type is "other"; repeat family is "HUMAN ALU"polyA_site (4296)..(4296) 14 gaccacctga tcgaaggaaa aggaaggcac agcggagcgc agagtgagaa ccaccaaccg 60 aggcgccggg cagcgacccc tgcagcggag acagagactg agcggcccgg caccgcc 117 atg cct gcg ctc tgg ctg ggc tgc tgc ctc tgc ttc tcg ctc ctc ctg 165 Met Pro Ala Leu Trp Leu Gly Cys Cys Leu Cys Phe Ser Leu Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 ccc gca gcc cgg gcc acc tcc agg agg gaa gtc tgt gat tgc aat ggg 213 Pro Ala Ala Arg Ala Thr Ser Arg Arg Glu Val Cys Asp Cys Asn Gly 20 25 30 aag tcc agg cag tgt atc ttt gat cgg gaa ctt cac aga caa act ggt 261 Lys Ser Arg Gln Cys Ile Phe Asp Arg Glu Leu His Arg Gln Thr Gly 35 40 45 aat gga ttc cgc tgc ctc aac tgc aat gac aac act gat ggc att cac 309 Asn Gly Phe Arg Cys Leu Asn Cys Asn Asp Asn Thr Asp Gly Ile His 50 55 60 tgc gag aag tgc aag aat ggc ttt tac cgg cac aga gaa agg gac cgc 357 Cys Glu Lys Cys Lys Asn Gly Phe Tyr Arg His Arg Glu Arg Asp Arg 65 70 75 80 tgt ttg ccc tgc aat tgt aac tcc aaa ggt tct ctt agt gct cga tgt 405 Cys Leu Pro Cys Asn Cys Asn Ser Lys Gly Ser Leu Ser Ala Arg Cys 85 90 95 gac aac tct gga cgg tgc agc tgt aaa cca ggt gtg aca gga gcc aga 453 Asp Asn Ser Gly Arg Cys Ser Cys Lys Pro Gly Val Thr Gly Ala Arg 100 105 110 tgc gac cga tgt ctg cca ggc ttc cac atg ctc acg gat gcg ggg tgc 501 Cys Asp Arg Cys Leu Pro Gly Phe His Met Leu Thr Asp Ala Gly Cys 115 120 125 acc caa gac cag aga ctg cta gac tcc aag tgt gac tgt gac cca gct 549 Thr Gln Asp Gln Arg Leu Leu Asp Ser Lys Cys Asp Cys Asp Pro Ala 130 135 140 ggc atc gca ggg ccc tgt gac gcg ggc cgc tgt gtc tgc aag cca gct 597 Gly Ile Ala Gly Pro Cys Asp Ala Gly Arg Cys Val Cys Lys Pro Ala 145 150 155 160 gtt act gga gaa cgc tgt gat agg tgt cga tca ggt tac tat aat ctg 645 Val Thr Gly Glu Arg Cys Asp Arg Cys Arg Ser Gly Tyr Tyr Asn Leu 165 170 175 gat ggg ggg aac cct gag ggc tgt acc cag tgt ttc tgc tat ggg cat 693 Asp Gly Gly Asn Pro Glu Gly Cys Thr Gln Cys Phe Cys Tyr Gly His 180 185 190 tca gcc agc tgc cgc agc tct gca gaa tac agt gtc cat aag atc acc 741 Ser Ala Ser Cys Arg Ser Ser Ala Glu Tyr Ser Val His Lys Ile Thr 195 200 205 tct acc ttt cat caa gat gtt gat ggc tgg aag gct gtc caa cga aat 789 Ser Thr Phe His Gln Asp Val Asp Gly Trp Lys Ala Val Gln Arg Asn 210 215 220 ggg tct cct gca aag ctc caa tgg tca cag cgc cat caa gat gtg ttt 837 Gly Ser Pro Ala Lys Leu Gln Trp Ser Gln Arg His Gln Asp Val Phe 225 230 235 240 agc tca gcc caa cga cta gat cct gtc tat ttt gtg gct cct gcc aaa 885 Ser Ser Ala Gln Arg Leu Asp Pro Val Tyr Phe Val Ala Pro Ala Lys 245 250 255 ttt ctt ggg aat caa cag gtg agc tat ggg caa agc ctg tcc ttt gac 933 Phe Leu Gly Asn Gln Gln Val Ser Tyr Gly Gln Ser Leu Ser Phe Asp 260 265 270 tac cgt gtg gac aga gga ggc aga cac cca tct gcc cat gat gtg atc 981 Tyr Arg Val Asp Arg Gly Gly Arg His Pro Ser Ala His Asp Val Ile 275 280 285 ctg gaa ggt gct ggt cta cgg atc aca gct ccc ttg atg cca ctt ggc 1029 Leu Glu Gly Ala Gly Leu Arg Ile Thr Ala Pro Leu Met Pro Leu Gly 290 295 300 aag aca ctg cct tgt ggg ctc acc aag act tac aca ttc agg tta aat 1077 Lys Thr Leu Pro Cys Gly Leu Thr Lys Thr Tyr Thr Phe Arg Leu Asn 305 310 315 320 gag cat cca agc aat aat tgg agc ccc cag ctg agt tac ttt gag tat 1125 Glu His Pro Ser Asn Asn Trp Ser Pro Gln Leu Ser Tyr Phe Glu Tyr 325 330 335 cga agg tta ctg cgg aat ctc aca gcc ctc cgc atc cga gct aca tat 1173 Arg Arg Leu Leu Arg Asn Leu Thr Ala Leu Arg Ile Arg Ala Thr Tyr 340 345 350 gga gaa tac agt act ggg tac att gac aat gtg acc ctg att tca gcc 1221 Gly Glu Tyr Ser Thr Gly Tyr Ile Asp Asn Val Thr Leu Ile Ser Ala 355 360 365 cgc cct gtc tct gga gcc cca gca ccc tgg gtt gaa cag tgt ata tgt 1269 Arg Pro Val Ser Gly Ala Pro Ala Pro Trp Val Glu Gln Cys Ile Cys 370 375 380 cct gtt ggg tac aag ggg caa ttc tgc cag gat tgt gct tct ggc tac 1317 Pro Val Gly Tyr Lys Gly Gln Phe Cys Gln Asp Cys Ala Ser Gly Tyr 385 390 395 400 aag aga gat tca gcg aga ctg ggg cct ttt ggc acc tgt att cct tgt 1365 Lys Arg Asp Ser Ala Arg Leu Gly Pro Phe Gly Thr Cys Ile Pro Cys 405 410 415 aac tgt caa ggg gga ggg gcc tgt gat cca gac aca gga gat tgt tat 1413 Asn Cys Gln Gly Gly Gly Ala Cys Asp Pro Asp Thr Gly Asp Cys Tyr 420 425 430 tca ggg gat gag aat cct gac att gag tgt gct gac tgc cca att ggt 1461 Ser Gly Asp Glu Asn Pro Asp Ile Glu Cys Ala Asp Cys Pro Ile Gly 435 440 445 ttc tac aac gat ccg cac gac ccc cgc agc tgc aag cca tgt ccc tgt 1509 Phe Tyr Asn Asp Pro His Asp Pro Arg Ser Cys Lys Pro Cys Pro Cys 450 455 460 cat aac ggg ttc agc tgc tca gtg att ccg gag acg gag gag gtg gtg 1557 His Asn Gly Phe Ser Cys Ser Val Ile Pro Glu Thr Glu Glu Val Val 465 470 475 480 tgc aat aac tgc cct ccc ggg gtc acc ggt gcc cgc tgt gag ctc tgt 1605 Cys Asn Asn Cys Pro Pro Gly Val Thr Gly Ala Arg Cys Glu Leu Cys 485 490 495 gct gat ggc tac ttt ggg gac ccc ttt ggt gaa cat ggc cca gtg agg 1653 Ala Asp Gly Tyr Phe Gly Asp Pro Phe Gly Glu His Gly Pro Val Arg 500 505 510 cct tgt cag ccc tgt caa tgc aac agc aat gtg gac ccc agt gcc tct 1701 Pro Cys Gln Pro Cys Gln Cys Asn Ser Asn Val Asp Pro Ser Ala Ser 515 520 525 ggg aat tgt gac cgg ctg aca ggc agg tgt ttg aag tgt atc cac aac 1749 Gly Asn Cys Asp Arg Leu Thr Gly Arg Cys Leu Lys Cys Ile His Asn 530 535 540 aca gcc ggc atc tac tgc gac cag tgc aaa gca ggc tac ttc ggg gac 1797 Thr Ala Gly Ile Tyr Cys Asp Gln Cys Lys Ala Gly Tyr Phe Gly Asp 545 550 555 560 cca ttg gct ccc aac cca gca gac aag tgt cga gct tgc aac tgt aac 1845 Pro Leu Ala Pro Asn Pro Ala Asp Lys Cys Arg Ala Cys Asn Cys Asn 565 570 575 ccc atg ggc tca gag cct gta gga tgt cga agt gat ggc acc tgt gtt 1893 Pro Met Gly Ser Glu Pro Val Gly Cys Arg Ser Asp Gly Thr Cys Val 580 585 590 tgc aag cca gga ttt ggt ggc ccc aac tgt gag cat gga gca ttc agc 1941 Cys Lys Pro Gly Phe Gly Gly Pro Asn Cys Glu His Gly Ala Phe Ser 595 600 605 tgt cca gct tgc tat aat caa gtg aag att cag atg gat cag ttt atg 1989 Cys Pro Ala Cys Tyr Asn Gln Val Lys Ile Gln Met Asp Gln Phe Met 610 615 620 cag cag ctt cag aga atg gag gcc ctg att tca aag gct cag ggt ggt 2037 Gln Gln Leu Gln Arg Met Glu Ala Leu Ile Ser Lys Ala Gln Gly Gly 625 630 635 640 gat gga gta gta cct gat aca gag ctg gaa ggc agg atg cag cag gct 2085 Asp Gly Val Val Pro Asp Thr Glu Leu Glu Gly Arg Met Gln Gln Ala 645 650 655 gag cag gcc ctt cag gac att ctg aga gat gcc cag att tca gaa ggt 2133 Glu Gln Ala Leu Gln Asp Ile Leu Arg Asp Ala Gln Ile Ser Glu Gly 660 665 670 gct agc aga tcc ctt ggt ctc cag ttg gcc aag gtg agg agc caa gag 2181 Ala Ser Arg Ser Leu Gly Leu Gln Leu Ala Lys Val Arg Ser Gln Glu 675 680 685 aac agc tac cag agc cgc ctg gat gac ctc aag atg act gtg gaa aga 2229 Asn Ser Tyr Gln Ser Arg Leu Asp Asp Leu Lys Met Thr Val Glu Arg 690 695 700 gtt cgg gct ctg gga agt cag tac cag aac cga gtt cgg gat act cac 2277 Val Arg Ala Leu Gly Ser Gln Tyr Gln Asn Arg Val Arg Asp Thr His 705 710 715 720 agg ctc atc act cag atg cag ctg agc ctg gca gaa agt gaa gct tcc 2325 Arg Leu Ile Thr Gln Met Gln Leu Ser Leu Ala Glu Ser Glu Ala Ser 725 730 735 ttg gga aac act aac att cct gcc tca gac cac tac gtg ggg cca aat 2373 Leu Gly Asn Thr Asn Ile Pro Ala Ser Asp His Tyr Val Gly Pro Asn 740 745 750 ggc ttt aaa agt ctg gct cag gag gcc aca aga tta gca gaa agc cac 2421 Gly Phe Lys Ser Leu Ala Gln Glu Ala Thr Arg Leu Ala Glu Ser His 755 760 765 gtt gag tca gcc agt aac atg gag caa ctg aca agg gaa act gag gac 2469 Val Glu Ser Ala Ser Asn Met Glu Gln Leu Thr Arg Glu Thr Glu Asp 770 775 780 tat tcc aaa caa gcc ctc tca ctg gtg cgc aag gcc ctg cat gaa gga

2517 Tyr Ser Lys Gln Ala Leu Ser Leu Val Arg Lys Ala Leu His Glu Gly 785 790 795 800 gtc gga agc gga agc ggt agc ccg gac ggt gct gtg gtg caa ggg ctt 2565 Val Gly Ser Gly Ser Gly Ser Pro Asp Gly Ala Val Val Gln Gly Leu 805 810 815 gtg gaa aaa ttg gag aaa acc aag tcc ctg gcc cag cag ttg aca agg 2613 Val Glu Lys Leu Glu Lys Thr Lys Ser Leu Ala Gln Gln Leu Thr Arg 820 825 830 gag gcc act caa gcg gaa att gaa gca gat agg tct tat cag cac agt 2661 Glu Ala Thr Gln Ala Glu Ile Glu Ala Asp Arg Ser Tyr Gln His Ser 835 840 845 ctc cgc ctc ctg gat tca gtg tct ccg ctt cag gga gtc agt gat cag 2709 Leu Arg Leu Leu Asp Ser Val Ser Pro Leu Gln Gly Val Ser Asp Gln 850 855 860 tcc ttt cag gtg gaa gaa gca aag agg atc aaa caa aaa gcg gat tca 2757 Ser Phe Gln Val Glu Glu Ala Lys Arg Ile Lys Gln Lys Ala Asp Ser 865 870 875 880 ctc tca agc ctg gta acc agg cat atg gat gag ttc aag cgt aca caa 2805 Leu Ser Ser Leu Val Thr Arg His Met Asp Glu Phe Lys Arg Thr Gln 885 890 895 aag aat ctg gga aac tgg aaa gaa gaa gca cag cag ctc tta cag aat 2853 Lys Asn Leu Gly Asn Trp Lys Glu Glu Ala Gln Gln Leu Leu Gln Asn 900 905 910 gga aaa agt ggg aga gag aaa tca gat cag ctg ctt tcc cgt gcc aat 2901 Gly Lys Ser Gly Arg Glu Lys Ser Asp Gln Leu Leu Ser Arg Ala Asn 915 920 925 ctt gct aaa agc aga gca caa gaa gca ctg agt atg ggc aat gcc act 2949 Leu Ala Lys Ser Arg Ala Gln Glu Ala Leu Ser Met Gly Asn Ala Thr 930 935 940 ttt tat gaa gtt gag agc atc ctt aaa aac ctc aga gag ttt gac ctg 2997 Phe Tyr Glu Val Glu Ser Ile Leu Lys Asn Leu Arg Glu Phe Asp Leu 945 950 955 960 cag gtg gac aac aga aaa gca gaa gct gaa gaa gcc atg aag aga ctc 3045 Gln Val Asp Asn Arg Lys Ala Glu Ala Glu Glu Ala Met Lys Arg Leu 965 970 975 tcc tac atc agc cag aag gtt tca gat gcc agt gac aag acc cag caa 3093 Ser Tyr Ile Ser Gln Lys Val Ser Asp Ala Ser Asp Lys Thr Gln Gln 980 985 990 gca gaa aga gcc ctg ggg agc gct gct gct gat gca cag agg gca aag 3141 Ala Glu Arg Ala Leu Gly Ser Ala Ala Ala Asp Ala Gln Arg Ala Lys 995 1000 1005 aat ggg gcc ggg gag gcc ctg gaa atc tcc agt gag att gaa cag 3186 Asn Gly Ala Gly Glu Ala Leu Glu Ile Ser Ser Glu Ile Glu Gln 1010 1015 1020 gag att ggg agt ctg aac ttg gaa gcc aat gtg aca gca gat gga 3231 Glu Ile Gly Ser Leu Asn Leu Glu Ala Asn Val Thr Ala Asp Gly 1025 1030 1035 gcc ttg gcc atg gaa aag gga ctg gcc tct ctg aag agt gag atg 3276 Ala Leu Ala Met Glu Lys Gly Leu Ala Ser Leu Lys Ser Glu Met 1040 1045 1050 agg gaa gtg gaa gga gag ctg gaa agg aag gag ctg gag ttt gac 3321 Arg Glu Val Glu Gly Glu Leu Glu Arg Lys Glu Leu Glu Phe Asp 1055 1060 1065 acg aat atg gat gca gta cag atg gtg att aca gaa gcc cag aag 3366 Thr Asn Met Asp Ala Val Gln Met Val Ile Thr Glu Ala Gln Lys 1070 1075 1080 gtt gat acc aga gcc aag aac gct ggg gtt aca atc caa gac aca 3411 Val Asp Thr Arg Ala Lys Asn Ala Gly Val Thr Ile Gln Asp Thr 1085 1090 1095 ctc aac aca tta gac ggc ctc ctg cat ctg atg ggt atg tga 3453 Leu Asn Thr Leu Asp Gly Leu Leu His Leu Met Gly Met 1100 1105 1110 acccacaacc cacaaccttc cagctccatg ctccagggct ttgctccaga acactcacta 3513 tacctagccc cagcaaaggg gagtctcagc tttccttaag gatatcagta aatgtgcttt 3573 gtttccaggc ccagataact ttcggcaggt tcccttacat ttactggacc ctgttttacc 3633 gttgctaaga tgggtcactg aacacctatt gcacttgggg gtaaaggtct gtgggccaaa 3693 gaacaggtgt atataagcaa cttcacagaa cacgagacag cttgggaatc ctgctaaaga 3753 gtctggcctg gaccctgaga agccagtgga cagttttaag cagaggaata acatcaccac 3813 tgtatatttc agaaagatca ctagggcagc cgagtggagg aaagcttgaa gagggggtta 3873 gagagaaggc aggttgagac tacttaagat attgttgaaa taattgaaga gagaaatgac 3933 aggagcctgc tctaaggcag tagaatggtg gctgggaaga tgtgaaggaa gattttccca 3993 gtctgtgaag tcaagaatca cttgccggcc gggtgtggtg gctcacgcct gtaattctag 4053 cactttggga gactgaagcg ggtggatcac ccgaggtcag gagttgaaga ccagcctggc 4113 caacatggtg aaaccctgtc tctactaaaa gtacaaaaat tagctggatg atggtggtgg 4173 gcgcctgtaa ttccagctac tcaggagtct gaggcaggag aatcgcttga acccaggagg 4233 cgaggttaca gtgagccaag attgcaccac tgctcttcca gcctgggaac agagagactg 4293 cctaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaa 4316 15 1111 PRT Homo sapiens 15 Met Pro Ala Leu Trp Leu Gly Cys Cys Leu Cys Phe Ser Leu Leu Leu 1 5 10 15 Pro Ala Ala Arg Ala Thr Ser Arg Arg Glu Val Cys Asp Cys Asn Gly 20 25 30 Lys Ser Arg Gln Cys Ile Phe Asp Arg Glu Leu His Arg Gln Thr Gly 35 40 45 Asn Gly Phe Arg Cys Leu Asn Cys Asn Asp Asn Thr Asp Gly Ile His 50 55 60 Cys Glu Lys Cys Lys Asn Gly Phe Tyr Arg His Arg Glu Arg Asp Arg 65 70 75 80 Cys Leu Pro Cys Asn Cys Asn Ser Lys Gly Ser Leu Ser Ala Arg Cys 85 90 95 Asp Asn Ser Gly Arg Cys Ser Cys Lys Pro Gly Val Thr Gly Ala Arg 100 105 110 Cys Asp Arg Cys Leu Pro Gly Phe His Met Leu Thr Asp Ala Gly Cys 115 120 125 Thr Gln Asp Gln Arg Leu Leu Asp Ser Lys Cys Asp Cys Asp Pro Ala 130 135 140 Gly Ile Ala Gly Pro Cys Asp Ala Gly Arg Cys Val Cys Lys Pro Ala 145 150 155 160 Val Thr Gly Glu Arg Cys Asp Arg Cys Arg Ser Gly Tyr Tyr Asn Leu 165 170 175 Asp Gly Gly Asn Pro Glu Gly Cys Thr Gln Cys Phe Cys Tyr Gly His 180 185 190 Ser Ala Ser Cys Arg Ser Ser Ala Glu Tyr Ser Val His Lys Ile Thr 195 200 205 Ser Thr Phe His Gln Asp Val Asp Gly Trp Lys Ala Val Gln Arg Asn 210 215 220 Gly Ser Pro Ala Lys Leu Gln Trp Ser Gln Arg His Gln Asp Val Phe 225 230 235 240 Ser Ser Ala Gln Arg Leu Asp Pro Val Tyr Phe Val Ala Pro Ala Lys 245 250 255 Phe Leu Gly Asn Gln Gln Val Ser Tyr Gly Gln Ser Leu Ser Phe Asp 260 265 270 Tyr Arg Val Asp Arg Gly Gly Arg His Pro Ser Ala His Asp Val Ile 275 280 285 Leu Glu Gly Ala Gly Leu Arg Ile Thr Ala Pro Leu Met Pro Leu Gly 290 295 300 Lys Thr Leu Pro Cys Gly Leu Thr Lys Thr Tyr Thr Phe Arg Leu Asn 305 310 315 320 Glu His Pro Ser Asn Asn Trp Ser Pro Gln Leu Ser Tyr Phe Glu Tyr 325 330 335 Arg Arg Leu Leu Arg Asn Leu Thr Ala Leu Arg Ile Arg Ala Thr Tyr 340 345 350 Gly Glu Tyr Ser Thr Gly Tyr Ile Asp Asn Val Thr Leu Ile Ser Ala 355 360 365 Arg Pro Val Ser Gly Ala Pro Ala Pro Trp Val Glu Gln Cys Ile Cys 370 375 380 Pro Val Gly Tyr Lys Gly Gln Phe Cys Gln Asp Cys Ala Ser Gly Tyr 385 390 395 400 Lys Arg Asp Ser Ala Arg Leu Gly Pro Phe Gly Thr Cys Ile Pro Cys 405 410 415 Asn Cys Gln Gly Gly Gly Ala Cys Asp Pro Asp Thr Gly Asp Cys Tyr 420 425 430 Ser Gly Asp Glu Asn Pro Asp Ile Glu Cys Ala Asp Cys Pro Ile Gly 435 440 445 Phe Tyr Asn Asp Pro His Asp Pro Arg Ser Cys Lys Pro Cys Pro Cys 450 455 460 His Asn Gly Phe Ser Cys Ser Val Ile Pro Glu Thr Glu Glu Val Val 465 470 475 480 Cys Asn Asn Cys Pro Pro Gly Val Thr Gly Ala Arg Cys Glu Leu Cys 485 490 495 Ala Asp Gly Tyr Phe Gly Asp Pro Phe Gly Glu His Gly Pro Val Arg 500 505 510 Pro Cys Gln Pro Cys Gln Cys Asn Ser Asn Val Asp Pro Ser Ala Ser 515 520 525 Gly Asn Cys Asp Arg Leu Thr Gly Arg Cys Leu Lys Cys Ile His Asn 530 535 540 Thr Ala Gly Ile Tyr Cys Asp Gln Cys Lys Ala Gly Tyr Phe Gly Asp 545 550 555 560 Pro Leu Ala Pro Asn Pro Ala Asp Lys Cys Arg Ala Cys Asn Cys Asn 565 570 575 Pro Met Gly Ser Glu Pro Val Gly Cys Arg Ser Asp Gly Thr Cys Val 580 585 590 Cys Lys Pro Gly Phe Gly Gly Pro Asn Cys Glu His Gly Ala Phe Ser 595 600 605 Cys Pro Ala Cys Tyr Asn Gln Val Lys Ile Gln Met Asp Gln Phe Met 610 615 620 Gln Gln Leu Gln Arg Met Glu Ala Leu Ile Ser Lys Ala Gln Gly Gly 625 630 635 640 Asp Gly Val Val Pro Asp Thr Glu Leu Glu Gly Arg Met Gln Gln Ala 645 650 655 Glu Gln Ala Leu Gln Asp Ile Leu Arg Asp Ala Gln Ile Ser Glu Gly 660 665 670 Ala Ser Arg Ser Leu Gly Leu Gln Leu Ala Lys Val Arg Ser Gln Glu 675 680 685 Asn Ser Tyr Gln Ser Arg Leu Asp Asp Leu Lys Met Thr Val Glu Arg 690 695 700 Val Arg Ala Leu Gly Ser Gln Tyr Gln Asn Arg Val Arg Asp Thr His 705 710 715 720 Arg Leu Ile Thr Gln Met Gln Leu Ser Leu Ala Glu Ser Glu Ala Ser 725 730 735 Leu Gly Asn Thr Asn Ile Pro Ala Ser Asp His Tyr Val Gly Pro Asn 740 745 750 Gly Phe Lys Ser Leu Ala Gln Glu Ala Thr Arg Leu Ala Glu Ser His 755 760 765 Val Glu Ser Ala Ser Asn Met Glu Gln Leu Thr Arg Glu Thr Glu Asp 770 775 780 Tyr Ser Lys Gln Ala Leu Ser Leu Val Arg Lys Ala Leu His Glu Gly 785 790 795 800 Val Gly Ser Gly Ser Gly Ser Pro Asp Gly Ala Val Val Gln Gly Leu 805 810 815 Val Glu Lys Leu Glu Lys Thr Lys Ser Leu Ala Gln Gln Leu Thr Arg 820 825 830 Glu Ala Thr Gln Ala Glu Ile Glu Ala Asp Arg Ser Tyr Gln His Ser 835 840 845 Leu Arg Leu Leu Asp Ser Val Ser Pro Leu Gln Gly Val Ser Asp Gln 850 855 860 Ser Phe Gln Val Glu Glu Ala Lys Arg Ile Lys Gln Lys Ala Asp Ser 865 870 875 880 Leu Ser Ser Leu Val Thr Arg His Met Asp Glu Phe Lys Arg Thr Gln 885 890 895 Lys Asn Leu Gly Asn Trp Lys Glu Glu Ala Gln Gln Leu Leu Gln Asn 900 905 910 Gly Lys Ser Gly Arg Glu Lys Ser Asp Gln Leu Leu Ser Arg Ala Asn 915 920 925 Leu Ala Lys Ser Arg Ala Gln Glu Ala Leu Ser Met Gly Asn Ala Thr 930 935 940 Phe Tyr Glu Val Glu Ser Ile Leu Lys Asn Leu Arg Glu Phe Asp Leu 945 950 955 960 Gln Val Asp Asn Arg Lys Ala Glu Ala Glu Glu Ala Met Lys Arg Leu 965 970 975 Ser Tyr Ile Ser Gln Lys Val Ser Asp Ala Ser Asp Lys Thr Gln Gln 980 985 990 Ala Glu Arg Ala Leu Gly Ser Ala Ala Ala Asp Ala Gln Arg Ala Lys 995 1000 1005 Asn Gly Ala Gly Glu Ala Leu Glu Ile Ser Ser Glu Ile Glu Gln 1010 1015 1020 Glu Ile Gly Ser Leu Asn Leu Glu Ala Asn Val Thr Ala Asp Gly 1025 1030 1035 Ala Leu Ala Met Glu Lys Gly Leu Ala Ser Leu Lys Ser Glu Met 1040 1045 1050 Arg Glu Val Glu Gly Glu Leu Glu Arg Lys Glu Leu Glu Phe Asp 1055 1060 1065 Thr Asn Met Asp Ala Val Gln Met Val Ile Thr Glu Ala Gln Lys 1070 1075 1080 Val Asp Thr Arg Ala Lys Asn Ala Gly Val Thr Ile Gln Asp Thr 1085 1090 1095 Leu Asn Thr Leu Asp Gly Leu Leu His Leu Met Gly Met 1100 1105 1110 16 20 DNA Artificial Oligomer Primer 16 gagcgcagag tgagaaccac 20 17 20 DNA Artificial Oligomer Primer 17 actgtattct gcagagctgc 20 18 20 DNA Artificial Oligomer Primer 18 ttcctttccc ctaccttgtg 20 19 20 DNA Artificial Oligomer Primer 19 tgtggaagcc tggcagacat 20 20 720 PRT Homo sapiens 20 Ala Gly Thr Cys Thr Thr Thr Ala Thr Ala Gly Gly Gly Ala Gly Gly 1 5 10 15 Thr Thr Gly Gly Cys Cys Ala Gly Thr Cys Ala Ala Thr Ala Gly Gly 20 25 30 Thr Thr Ala Cys Thr Thr Thr Ala Thr Gly Ala Gly Thr Thr Gly Cys 35 40 45 Thr Ala Ala Cys Cys Cys Thr Gly Gly Thr Gly Ala Gly Cys Ala Gly 50 55 60 Gly Ala Ala Gly Thr Thr Ala Thr Gly Thr Gly Gly Ala Cys Cys Ala 65 70 75 80 Gly Gly Ala Gly Ala Gly Ala Ala Ala Cys Cys Cys Thr Thr Gly Gly 85 90 95 Thr Thr Cys Ala Gly Cys Cys Thr Gly Gly Ala Gly Ala Ala Ala Gly 100 105 110 Gly Ala Gly Ala Gly Gly Thr Thr Gly Ala Cys Cys Cys Thr Ala Ala 115 120 125 Ala Cys Thr Gly Gly Ala Gly Gly Gly Thr Gly Gly Ala Gly Ala Gly 130 135 140 Gly Ala Cys Cys Cys Thr Gly Thr Thr Gly Thr Gly Ala Cys Thr Cys 145 150 155 160 Thr Cys Cys Gly Ala Cys Thr Gly Ala Cys Thr Thr Gly Thr Cys Thr 165 170 175 Thr Cys Cys Thr Thr Gly Ala Thr Gly Thr Cys Cys Thr Thr Thr Ala 180 185 190 Ala Gly Cys Cys Gly Gly Ala Gly Cys Thr Gly Ala Thr Thr Cys Gly 195 200 205 Gly Gly Cys Thr Gly Cys Thr Gly Cys Cys Thr Thr Ala Thr Thr Thr 210 215 220 Cys Thr Gly Ala Gly Thr Thr Ala Gly Cys Gly Cys Thr Cys Thr Thr 225 230 235 240 Ala Ala Gly Ala Thr Thr Gly Gly Gly Cys Cys Thr Cys Cys Cys Ala 245 250 255 Gly Thr Thr Thr Gly Ala Gly Gly Ala Ala Gly Gly Gly Gly Cys Gly 260 265 270 Gly Gly Cys Thr Gly Cys Thr Gly Thr Cys Thr Ala Cys Cys Thr Cys 275 280 285 Thr Gly Thr Gly Ala Ala Thr Cys Thr Gly Cys Cys Cys Thr Gly Gly 290 295 300 Ala Cys Cys Ala Cys Cys Cys Cys Gly Gly Gly Ala Gly Ala Gly Ala 305 310 315 320 Ala Gly Gly Ala Gly Gly Gly Cys Thr Cys Cys Gly Gly Gly Gly Ala 325 330 335 Ala Thr Cys Thr Cys Gly Cys Ala Cys Ala Thr Thr Cys Cys Ala Gly 340 345 350 Gly Cys Ala Ala Ala Gly Gly Cys Thr Cys Cys Cys Gly Gly Gly Cys 355 360 365 Cys Gly Cys Ala Gly Cys Cys Thr Cys Thr Gly Thr Gly Cys Cys Ala 370 375 380 Cys Ala Cys Cys Cys Thr Thr Gly Gly Cys Cys Cys Gly Gly Gly Cys 385 390 395 400 Cys Ala Gly Gly Thr Gly Thr Gly Cys Gly Cys Cys Cys Thr Cys Cys 405 410 415 Thr Cys Gly Cys Thr Gly Cys Gly Ala Gly Gly Gly Gly Gly Ala Gly 420 425 430 Cys Gly Gly Gly Cys Gly Gly Cys Thr Gly Cys Gly Gly Gly Gly Ala 435 440 445 Gly Cys Gly Ala Thr Thr Thr Thr Cys Cys Ala Gly Cys Cys Cys Gly 450 455 460 Gly Thr Thr Thr Gly Thr Gly Cys Thr Cys Thr Gly Thr Gly Thr Gly 465 470 475 480 Thr Thr Thr Gly Thr Cys Thr Gly Cys Cys Thr Cys Thr Gly Gly Ala 485 490 495 Gly Gly Gly Cys Thr Gly Gly Gly Thr Cys Cys Thr Cys Cys Thr Thr 500 505 510 Ala Thr Thr Cys Ala Cys Ala Gly Gly Thr Gly Ala Gly Thr Cys Ala 515 520 525 Cys Ala Cys Cys Cys Thr Gly Ala Ala Ala Cys Ala Cys Ala Gly Gly 530 535 540 Cys Thr Cys Thr Cys Thr Thr Cys Cys Thr Gly Thr Cys Ala Gly Gly 545 550 555 560 Ala Cys Thr Gly Ala Gly Thr Cys Ala Gly Gly Thr Ala Gly Ala Ala 565 570 575 Gly Ala Gly Thr Cys Gly Ala Thr Ala Ala Ala Ala Cys Cys Ala Cys 580 585 590

Cys Thr Gly Ala Thr Cys Ala Ala Gly Gly Ala Ala Ala Ala Gly Gly 595 600 605 Ala Ala Gly Gly Cys Ala Cys Ala Gly Cys Gly Gly Ala Gly Cys Gly 610 615 620 Cys Ala Gly Ala Gly Thr Gly Ala Gly Ala Ala Cys Cys Ala Cys Cys 625 630 635 640 Ala Ala Cys Cys Gly Ala Gly Gly Cys Gly Cys Cys Gly Gly Gly Cys 645 650 655 Ala Gly Cys Gly Ala Cys Cys Cys Cys Thr Gly Cys Ala Gly Cys Gly 660 665 670 Gly Ala Gly Ala Cys Ala Gly Ala Gly Ala Cys Thr Gly Ala Gly Cys 675 680 685 Gly Gly Cys Cys Cys Gly Gly Cys Ala Cys Cys Gly Cys Cys Ala Thr 690 695 700 Gly Cys Cys Thr Gly Cys Gly Cys Thr Cys Thr Gly Gly Cys Thr Gly 705 710 715 720

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