EP1100905A2 - Proteines epidermiques humaines hepi-1 a hepi-6 - Google Patents

Proteines epidermiques humaines hepi-1 a hepi-6

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Publication number
EP1100905A2
EP1100905A2 EP99938848A EP99938848A EP1100905A2 EP 1100905 A2 EP1100905 A2 EP 1100905A2 EP 99938848 A EP99938848 A EP 99938848A EP 99938848 A EP99938848 A EP 99938848A EP 1100905 A2 EP1100905 A2 EP 1100905A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
hepi
polynucleotide
sequence
polypeptide
sequences
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP99938848A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Y. Tom Tang
Preeti Lal
Neil C. Corley
Karl J. Guegler
Chandra Patterson
Mariah R. Baughn
Henry Yue
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Incyte Corp
Original Assignee
Incyte Pharmaceuticals Inc
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Incyte Pharmaceuticals Inc filed Critical Incyte Pharmaceuticals Inc
Priority to EP04016076A priority Critical patent/EP1531161A3/fr
Publication of EP1100905A2 publication Critical patent/EP1100905A2/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C07K—PEPTIDES
    • C07K14/00—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof
    • C07K14/435—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans
    • C07K14/46—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans from vertebrates
    • C07K14/47—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans from vertebrates from mammals
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
    • A61K38/00—Medicinal preparations containing peptides
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
    • A61K48/00—Medicinal preparations containing genetic material which is inserted into cells of the living body to treat genetic diseases; Gene therapy
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C07K—PEPTIDES
    • C07K2319/00—Fusion polypeptide
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12N—MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA
    • C12N2799/00—Uses of viruses
    • C12N2799/02—Uses of viruses as vector
    • C12N2799/021—Uses of viruses as vector for the expression of a heterologous nucleic acid
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12N—MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA
    • C12N2799/00—Uses of viruses
    • C12N2799/02—Uses of viruses as vector
    • C12N2799/021—Uses of viruses as vector for the expression of a heterologous nucleic acid
    • C12N2799/026—Uses of viruses as vector for the expression of a heterologous nucleic acid where the vector is derived from a baculovirus

Definitions

  • This invention relates to nucleic acid and amino acid sequences of human epidermal proteins and to the use of these sequences in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of epithelial, cell proliferative, and autoimmune/inflammatory disorders.
  • Skin protects the body against desiccation and chemical, biological, and physical injury. Skin also senses environmental stimuli through tactile sense organs and plays an important role in water balance and thermoregulation. Moving from outermost to innermost, the three major skin layers are the epidermis, the dermis, and the hypodermis. The properties of the epidermis largely determine the specific functions of the skin.
  • the epidermis is a stratified squamous epithelium composed of multiple layers of cells called keratinocytes.
  • stratum corneum On the outermost part of the epidermis, the stratum corneum, are layers of non-living cells derived from keratinocytes. These dead cells, termed corneocytes, are filled with keratin protein filaments (intermediate filaments). The dead cells are constantly shed in a process called desquamation. Keratinocytes in the basal layer of the epidermis (adjoining the dermis) divide continuously to replace the dead cells lost to desquamation. These basal keratinocytes are the only epidermal cells that undergo cell division.
  • Newly formed keratinocytes move toward the skin surface as they are displaced by the cell proliferation occurring in the basal layer. As the keratinocytes move toward the skin surface, they differentiate, grow larger, and accumulate keratin filaments in their cytoplasm. Various keratins are synthesized as the cells progress through their differentiation program. Other proteins produced in a regulated manner in differentiating keratinocytes include the keratin assembly protein filaggrin and envelope proteins such as involucrin and loricrin that reside on the inner cell membrane of the keratinocyte. Membrane-coating granules that later release lipids and lipoproteins into the intercellular spaces are also formed during the differentiation process.
  • Corneodesmosin the product of the S gene, forms part of the corneodesmosome, and corneodesmosin's proteolysis may be associated with desquamation.
  • Corneodesmosin is expressed in cornified cell envelopes and in such cornified squamous epithelia as epidermis, hard palate, epithelium, and inner root sheath of the hair follicle.
  • corneodesmosin is expressed in keratinocytes that are entering the terminal phase of their differentiation pathway.
  • Corneodesmosin an N-glycosylated protein, is rich in serine, glycine, and proline.
  • the S gene is located within the Class I region of the HLA complex, and alleles of HLA-C are associated with psoriasis vulgaris, a skin disease. (See Zhou, Y. and Chaplin, D.D. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:9470-9474; Simon, M. et al. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272:31770-31776.)
  • the epidermal differentiation complex is a region of chromosome 1 q21 that contains over twenty genes involved in terminal differentiation of the epidermis.
  • Identified proteins encoded in the EDC include the cornified envelope proteins, loricrin and involucrin (IVL); at least eleven small proline-rich region (SPRR) proteins; the intermediate filament- associated proteins, profilaggrin and trichohyalin, and several S100A calcium-binding proteins.
  • the SPRR proteins are 8-10 kDa in molecular mass, rich in proline, glutamine, and cysteine, and contain similar repeating sequence elements.
  • the SPRR proteins may be structural proteins with a strong secondary structure or metal-binding proteins such as metallothioneins.
  • the involucrin and loricrin genes may have evolved from the SPRR genes.
  • OMIM Online Mendelian Inheritance In Man #601588 Epidermal Differentiation Complex; Mischke, D. et al. (1996) J. Invest. Dermatol. 106:989-992; Kartasova, T. and van de Putte, P. (1988) Mol. Cell. Biol. 8:2195-2203; and Zhao, X.P. and Elder, J.T. (1997) Genomics 45:250-258.)
  • SPRR genes are preferentially expressed in differentiating keratinocytes and are also expressed at high levels in stratified epithelia of the upper digestive tract and in tissues characterized by regenerative epidermal maturation.
  • Expression of SPRR genes is increased in human epidermal keratinocytes after both UV irradiation and treatment with 4- nitroquinoline 1-oxide or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate.
  • xp5 was identified in the SPRR/IVL region of the EDC.
  • the xp5 gene is expressed at high levels in normal and psoriatic skin, but not in cultured keratinocytes or in a variety of cell lines and human tissues.
  • Hair is a keratinized tissue formed within the hair follicle as a differentiation product of the epidermis.
  • Hair cells contain bundles of keratin filaments (intermediate filaments) with an interstitial matrix composed of cysteine-rich and glycine/tyrosine-rich keratin-associated proteins.
  • cysteine-rich keratin-associated proteins also known as high-sulfur and ultra high-sulfur proteins, has been characterized in mammals. These proteins contain from 12 to 40 mol % cysteine.
  • the cysteines may crosslink the intermediate filaments and thus stabilize the structure of hair cells.
  • cysteine-rich keratin-associated proteins Multiple motifs containing two cysteines, a charged amino acid, and a proline are found in the cysteine-rich keratin-associated proteins.
  • the cysteine-rich keratin-associated proteins are expressed in the hair follicle and in the skin during the growth phase of hair.
  • Psoriasis a chronic inflammatory dermatosis which affects approximately 2% of the population, is characterized by epidermal hyperproliferation and inflammation. In some cases psoriasis is associated with arthritis. Psoriasis has a genetic component; psoriasis susceptibility loci have been linked to the HLA region and to chromosome 17q. Suggestive linkages to chromosome 16q and chromosome 20p regions have also been noted. Psoriasis is aggravated by streptococcal infection, and a protein of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus cross-reacts with certain HLA-A antigens.
  • Psoriasis is much more common in patients with Crohn's disease, an inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract, than in controls; an immunomodulatory locus capable of influencing both psoriasis and Crohn's disease may reside in chromosome 16q.
  • Other skin disorders associated with hyperproliferation of the epidermis include inflammatory allergic diseases, chronic wounds, and skin cancer.
  • Proteins of the EDC also have disease associations.
  • the calcium-binding proteins S100A7, S100A8, and S100A9 are upregulated in psoriatic epidermis and in primary keratinocytes undergoing aberrant differentiation.
  • Other EDC-associated diseases include Vohwinkel keratoderma, a mutilating hyperkeratosis caused by a molecular defect in loricrin, and certain disorders of keratinization (icthyoses), in which there is decreased expression of profilaggrin. (OMIM #601588. supra.)
  • the invention features substantially purified polypeptides, human epidermal proteins, referred to collectively as “HEPI” and individually as “HEPI-1”, “HEPI-2”, “HEPI-3”, “HEPI-4”, “HEPI-5”, and “HEPI-6".
  • HEPI human epidermal proteins
  • the invention provides a substantially purified polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-6 and fragments thereof.
  • the invention further provides a substantially purified variant having at least 90% amino acid identity to at least one of the amino acid sequences selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-6 and fragments thereof.
  • the invention also provides an isolated and purified polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-6 and fragments thereof.
  • the invention also includes an isolated and purified polynucleotide variant having at least 70% polynucleotide sequence identity to the polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-6 and fragments thereof.
  • the invention provides an isolated and purified polynucleotide which hybridizes under stringent conditions to the polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-6 and fragments thereof, as well as an isolated and purified polynucleotide having a sequence which is complementary to the polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-6 and fragments thereof.
  • the invention also provides an isolated and purified polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:7-12 and fragments thereof.
  • the invention further provides an isolated and purified polynucleotide variant having at least 90% polynucleotide sequence identity to the polynucleotide sequence comprising a polynucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 7- 12 and fragments thereof, as well as an isolated and purified polynucleotide having a sequence which is complementary to the polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 7- 12 and fragments thereof.
  • the invention further provides an expression vector containing at least a fragment of the polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-6 and fragments thereof.
  • the expression vector is contained within a host cell.
  • the invention also provides a method for producing a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-6 and fragments thereof, the method comprising the steps of: (a) culturing the host cell containing an expression vector containing at least a fragment of a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide under conditions suitable for the expression of the polypeptide; and (b) recovering the polypeptide from the host cell culture.
  • the invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a substantially purified polypeptide having the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-6 and fragments thereof, in conjunction with a suitable pharmaceutical carrier.
  • the invention further includes a purified antibody which binds to a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-6 and fragments thereof, as well as a purified agonist and a purified antagonist to the polypeptide.
  • the invention also provides a method for treating or preventing a disorder associated with decreased expression or activity of HEPI, the method comprising administering to a subject in need of such treatment an effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising a substantially purified polypeptide having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-6 and fragments thereof.
  • the invention also provides a method for treating or preventing a disorder associated with increased expression or activity of HEPI, the method comprising administering to a subject in need of such treatment an effective amount of an antagonist of the polypeptide having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-6 and fragments thereof.
  • the invention also provides a method for detecting a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-6 and fragments thereof in a biological sample containing nucleic acids, the method comprising the steps of: (a) hybridizing the complement of the polynucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-6 and fragments thereof to at least one of the nucleic acids of the biological sample, thereby forming a hybridization complex; and (b) detecting the hybridization complex, wherein the presence of the hybridization complex correlates with the presence of a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide in the biological sample.
  • the method further comprises amplifying the polynucleotide prior to hybridization.
  • Figure 1 shows the amino acid sequence alignments among HEPI-1 (2024646; SEQ ID NO:l), HEPI-2 (3431776; SEQ ID NO:2), HEPI-3 (1798487; SEQ ID NO:3), and human skin-specific protein (xp5) (GI 2589188; SEQ ID NO: 13), produced using the MEGALIGN program of LASERGENE software (DNASTAR Ine, Madison WI).
  • Figure 2 shows the amino acid sequence alignment between HEPI-4 (1448744; SEQ ID NO:4) and sheep keratin high-sulfur matrix protein IIIA3 (GI 71384; SEQ ID NO: 14), produced using the multisequence alignment program of LASERGENE software (DNASTAR, Madison WI).
  • Figures 3A and 3B show the amino acid sequence alignment between HEPI-5 (2737275; SEQ ID NO:5) and mouse Ray protein (GI 1944389; SEQ ID NO: 15), produced using the multisequence alignment program of LASERGENE software (DNASTAR, Madison WI).
  • Figures 4A, 4B, and 4C show the amino acid sequence alignment between HEPI-6 (3325323; SEQ ID NO:6) and human S protein (GI 414810; SEQ ID NO: 16), produced using the multisequence alignment program of LASERGENE software (DNASTAR, Madison WI).
  • Table 1 shows the sequence identification numbers (SEQ ID NO:) of the amino acid and nucleic acid sequences, the Clone ID of the Incyte Clone in which nucleic acids encoding each HEPI were first identified, the cDNA library of the identifying clone, and the Incyte clones (and libraries) which are useful as fragments in hybridization technologies, and which are part of the consensus nucleotide sequence of each HEPI.
  • Table 2 shows various properties of the polypeptides of the invention: SEQ ID NO; the number of amino acid residues; potential phosphorylation sites; potential glycosylation sites; potential protein motifs or signature sequences; the identity of the protein; and analytical methods used to identify the protein through sequence homologies, protein motifs, and protein signatures.
  • Table 3 shows selected fragments of each nucleic acid sequence, the tissue expression of each nucleic acid sequence by northern analysis, diseases or conditions associated with this tissue expression, and the vector into which each cDNA was cloned.
  • Table 4 describes the tissues used to construct the cDNA libraries from which Incyte cDNA clones encoding HEPI were isolated.
  • Table 5 shows the programs, their descriptions, references, and threshold parameters used to analyze HEPI.
  • HEPI refers to the amino acid sequences of substantially purified HEPI obtained from any species, particularly a mammalian species, including bovine, ovine, porcine, murine, equine, . and preferably the human species, from any source, whether natural, synthetic, semi-synthetic, or recombinant.
  • agonist refers to a molecule which, when bound to HEPI, increases or prolongs the duration of the effect of HEPI. Agonists may include proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, or any other molecules which bind to and modulate the effect of HEPI.
  • allelic variant is an alternative form of the gene encoding HEPI. Allelic variants may result from at least one mutation in the nucleic acid sequence and may result in altered mRNAs or in polypeptides whose structure or function may or may not be altered. Any given natural or recombinant gene may have none, one, or many allelic forms. Common mutational changes which give rise to allelic variants are generally ascribed to natural deletions, additions, or substitutions of nucleotides. Each of these types of changes may occur alone, or in combination with the others, one or more times in a given sequence.
  • altered nucleic acid sequences encoding HEPI include those sequences with deletions, insertions, or substitutions of different nucleotides, resulting in a polynucleotide the same as HEPI or a polypeptide with at least one functional characteristic of HEPI. Included within this definition are polymorphisms which may or may not be readily detectable using a particular oligonucleotide probe of the polynucleotide encoding HEPI, and improper or unexpected hybridization to allelic variants, with a locus other than the normal chromosomal locus for the polynucleotide sequence encoding HEPI.
  • the encoded protein may also be "altered,” and may contain deletions, insertions, or substitutions of amino acid residues which produce a silent change and result in a functionally equivalent HEPI.
  • Deliberate amino acid substitutions may be made on the basis of similarity in polarity, charge, solubility, hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity, and/or the amphipathic nature of the residues, as long as the biological or immunological activity of HEPI is retained.
  • negatively charged amino acids may include aspartic acid and glutamic acid
  • positively charged amino acids may include lysine and arginine
  • amino acids with uncharged polar head groups having similar hydrophilicity values may include leucine, isoleucine, and valine; glycine and alanine; asparagine and glutamine; serine and threonine; and phenylalanine and tyrosine.
  • amino acid or amino acid sequence refer to an oligopeptide, peptide, polypeptide, or protein sequence, or a fragment of any of these, and to naturally occurring or synthetic molecules.
  • fragments refer to fragments of HEPI which are preferably at least 5 to about 15 amino acids in length, most preferably at least 14 amino acids, and which retain some biological activity or immunological activity of HEPI.
  • amino acid sequence is recited to refer to an amino acid sequence of a naturally occurring protein molecule, “amino acid sequence” and like terms are not meant to limit the amino acid sequence to the complete native amino acid sequence associated with the recited protein molecule.
  • Amplification relates to the production of additional copies of a nucleic acid sequence. Amplification is generally carried out using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technologies well known in the art.
  • PCR polymerase chain reaction
  • Antagonist refers to a molecule which, when bound to HEPI, decreases the amount or the duration of the effect of the biological or immunological activity of HEPI. Antagonists may include proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, antibodies, or any other molecules which decrease the effect of HEPI.
  • antibody refers to intact molecules as well as to fragments thereof, such as Fab, F(ab') 2 , and Fv fragments, which are capable of binding the epitopic determinant.
  • Antibodies that bind HEPI polypeptides can be prepared using intact polypeptides or using fragments containing small peptides of interest as the immunizing antigen.
  • the polypeptide or oligopeptide used to immunize an animal e.g., a mouse, a rat, or a rabbit
  • an animal e.g., a mouse, a rat, or a rabbit
  • RNA e.g., a mouse, a rat, or a rabbit
  • antigenic determinant refers to that fragment of a molecule (i.e., an epitope) that makes contact with a particular antibody.
  • an antigenic determinant may compete with the intact antigen (i.e., the immunogen used to elicit the immune response) for binding to an antibody.
  • antisense refers to any composition containing a nucleic acid sequence which is complementary to the "sense” strand of a specific nucleic acid sequence. Antisense molecules may be produced by any method including synthesis or transcription. Once introduced into a cell, the complementary nucleotides combine with natural sequences produced by the cell to form duplexes and to block either transcription or translation. The designation “negative” can refer to the antisense strand, and the designation “positive” can refer to the sense strand.
  • biologically active refers to a protein having structural, regulatory, or biochemical functions of a naturally occurring molecule.
  • immunologically active refers to the capability of the natural, recombinant, or synthetic HEPI, or of any oligopeptide thereof, to induce a specific immune response in appropriate animals or cells and to bind with specific antibodies.
  • complementarity refers to the natural binding of polynucleotides by base pairing.
  • sequence 5' A-G-T 3'
  • complementary sequence 3' T-C-A 5'.
  • Complementarity between two single-stranded molecules may be “partial,” such that only some of the nucleic acids bind, or it may be “complete,” such that total complementarity exists between the single stranded molecules.
  • the degree of complementarity between nucleic acid strands has significant effects on the efficiency and strength of the hybridization between the nucleic acid strands. This is of particular importance in amplification reactions, which depend upon binding between nucleic acids strands, and in the design and use of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) molecules.
  • PNA peptide nucleic acid
  • composition comprising a given polynucleotide sequence or a “composition comprising a given amino acid sequence” refer broadly to any composition containing the given polynucleotide or amino acid sequence.
  • the composition may comprise a dry formulation or an aqueous solution.
  • Compositions comprising polynucleotide sequences encoding HEPI or fragments of HEPI may be employed as hybridization probes.
  • the probes may be stored in freeze- dried form and may be associated with a stabilizing agent such as a carbohydrate.
  • the probe may be deployed in an aqueous solution containing salts (e.g., NaCl), detergents (e.g., sodium dodecyl sulfate; SDS), and other components (e.g., Denhardt's solution, dry milk, salmon sperm DNA, etc.).
  • salts e.g., NaCl
  • detergents e.g., sodium dodecyl sulfate; SDS
  • other components e.g., Denhardt's solution, dry milk, salmon sperm DNA, etc.
  • correlates with expression of a polynucleotide indicates that the detection of the presence of nucleic acids, the same or related to a nucleic acid sequence encoding HEPI, by northern analysis is indicative of the presence of nucleic acids encoding HEPI in a sample, and thereby correlates with expression of the transcript from the polynucleotide encoding HEPI.
  • a “deletion” refers to a change in the amino acid or nucleotide sequence that results in the absence of one or more amino acid residues or nucleotides.
  • derivative refers to the chemical modification of a polypeptide sequence, or a polynucleotide sequence. Chemical modifications of a polynucleotide sequence can include, for example, replacement of hydrogen by an alkyl, acyl, or amino group.
  • a derivative polynucleotide encodes a polypeptide which retains at least one biological or immunological function of the natural molecule.
  • a derivative polypeptide is one modified by glycosylation, pegylation, or any similar process that retains at least one biological or immunological function of the polypeptide from which it was derived.
  • similarity refers to a degree of complementarity. There may be partial similarity or complete similarity. The word “identity” may substitute for the word “similarity.”
  • a partially complementary sequence that at least partially inhibits an identical sequence from hybridizing to a target nucleic acid is referred to as “substantially similar.”
  • the inhibition of hybridization of the completely complementary sequence to the target sequence may be examined using a hybridization assay (Southern or northern blot, solution hybridization, and the like) under conditions of reduced stringency.
  • a substantially similar sequence or hybridization probe will compete for and inhibit the binding of a completely similar (identical) sequence to the target sequence under conditions of reduced stringency.
  • Percent identity refers to the percentage of sequence similarity found in a comparison of two or more amino acid or nucleic acid sequences. Percent identity can be determined electronically, e.g., by using the MEGALIGN program (DNASTAR, Madison WI) which creates alignments between two or more sequences according to methods selected by the user, e.g., the clustal method. (See, e.g., Higgins, D.G. and P.M. Sharp (1988) Gene 73:237-244.) The clustal algorithm groups sequences into clusters by examining the distances between all pairs. The clusters are aligned pairwise and then in groups.
  • the percentage similarity between two amino acid sequences is calculated by dividing the length of sequence A, minus the number of gap residues in sequence A, minus the number of gap residues in sequence B, into the sum of the residue matches between sequence A and sequence B, times one hundred. Gaps of low or of no similarity between the two amino acid sequences are not included in determining percentage similarity. Percent identity between nucleic acid sequences can also be counted or calculated by other methods known in the art, e.g., the Jotun Hein method. (See, e.g., Hein, J. (1990) Methods Enzymol.
  • HACs Human artificial chromosomes
  • HACs are linear microchromosomes which may contain DNA sequences of about 6 kb to 10 Mb in size, and which contain all of the elements required for stable mitotic chromosome segregation and maintenance.
  • humanized antibody refers to antibody molecules in which the amino acid sequence in the non-antigen binding regions has been altered so that the antibody more closely resembles a human antibody, and still retains its original binding ability.
  • Hybridization refers to any process by which a strand of nucleic acid binds with a complementary strand through base pairing.
  • hybridization complex refers to a complex formed between two nucleic acid sequences by virtue of the formation of hydrogen bonds between complementary bases.
  • a hybridization complex may be formed in solution (e.g., C 0 t or Rot analysis) or formed between one nucleic acid sequence present in solution and another nucleic acid sequence immobilized on a solid support (e.g., paper, membranes, filters, chips, pins or glass slides, or any other appropriate substrate to which cells or their nucleic acids have been fixed).
  • insertion or “addition” refer to changes in an amino acid or nucleotide sequence resulting in the addition of one or more amino acid residues or nucleotides, respectively, to the sequence found in the naturally occurring molecule.
  • Immuno response can refer to conditions associated with inflammation, trauma, immune disorders, or infectious or genetic disease, etc. These conditions can be characterized by expression of various factors, e.g., cytokines, chemokines, and other signaling molecules, which may affect cellular and systemic defense systems.
  • factors e.g., cytokines, chemokines, and other signaling molecules, which may affect cellular and systemic defense systems.
  • microarray refers to an arrangement of distinct polynucleotides on a substrate.
  • element or “array element” in a microarray context, refer to hybridizable polynucleotides arranged on the surface of a substrate.
  • modulate refers to a change in the activity of HEPI. For example, modulation may cause an increase or a decrease in protein activity, binding characteristics, or any other biological, functional, or immunological properties of HEPI.
  • nucleic acid refers to a nucleotide, oligonucleotide, polynucleotide, or any fragment thereof. These phrases also refer to DNA or RNA of genomic or synthetic origin which may be single-stranded or double-stranded and may represent the sense or the antisense strand, to peptide nucleic acid (PNA), or to any DNA-like or RNA-like material.
  • fragment refers to those nucleic acid sequences which, comprise a region of unique polynucleotide sequence that specifically identifies SEQ ID NO:7-12, for example, as distinct from any other sequence in the same genome.
  • a fragment of SEQ ID NO:7-12 is useful in hybridization and amplification technologies and in analogous methods that distinguish SEQ ID NO:7-12 from related polynucleotide sequences.
  • a fragment of SEQ ID NO:7-12 is at least about 15-20 nucleotides in length.
  • the precise length of the fragment of SEQ ID NO: 7- 12 and the region of SEQ ID NO: 7- 12 to which the fragment corresponds are routinely determinable by one of ordinary skill in the art based on the intended purpose for the fragment.
  • a fragment, when translated, would produce polypeptides retaining some functional characteristic, e.g., antigenicity, or structural domain characteristic, e.g., ATP-binding site, of the full-length polypeptide.
  • operably associated or “operably linked” refer to functionally related nucleic acid sequences.
  • a promoter is operably associated or operably linked with a coding sequence if the promoter controls the translation of the encoded polypeptide. While operably associated or operably linked nucleic acid sequences can be contiguous and in the same reading frame, certain genetic elements, e.g., repressor genes, are not contiguously linked to the sequence encoding the polypeptide but still bind to operator sequences that control expression of the polypeptide.
  • oligonucleotide refers to a nucleic acid sequence of at least about 6 nucleotides to 60 nucleotides, preferably about 15 to 30 nucleotides, and most preferably about 20 to 25 nucleotides, which can be used in PCR amplification or in a hybridization assay or microarray.
  • Oligonucleotide is substantially equivalent to the terms “amplimer,” “primer,” “oligomer,” and “probe,” as these terms are commonly defined in the art.
  • PNA protein nucleic acid
  • PNA refers to an antisense molecule or anti-gene agent which comprises an oligonucleotide of at least about 5 nucleotides in length linked to a peptide backbone of amino acid residues ending in lysine. The terminal lysine confers solubility to the composition. PNAs preferentially bind complementary single stranded DNA or RNA and stop transcript elongation, and may be pegylated to extend their lifespan in the cell. The term “sample” is used in its broadest sense.
  • a sample suspected of containing nucleic acids encoding HEPI, or fragments thereof, or HEPI itself may comprise a bodily fluid; an extract from a cell, chromosome, organelle, or membrane isolated from a cell; a cell; genomic DNA, RNA, or cDNA, in solution or bound to a substrate; a tissue; a tissue print; etc.
  • the terms "specific binding” or “specifically binding” refer to that interaction between a protein or peptide and an agonist, an antibody, or an antagonist. The interaction is dependent upon the presence of a particular structure of the protein, e.g., the antigenic determinant or epitope, recognized by the binding molecule.
  • an antibody is specific for epitope "A”
  • the presence of a polypeptide containing the epitope A, or the presence of free unlabeled A, in a reaction containing free labeled A and the antibody will reduce the amount of labeled A that binds to the antibody.
  • stringent conditions refers to conditions which permit hybridization between polynucleotides and the claimed polynucleotides.
  • Stringent conditions can be defined by salt concentration, the concentration of organic solvent, e.g., formamide, temperature, and other conditions well known in the art.
  • stringency can be increased by reducing the concentration of salt, increasing the concentration of formamide, or raising the hybridization temperature.
  • substantially purified refers to nucleic acid or amino acid sequences that are removed from their natural environment and are isolated or separated, and are at least about 60% free, preferably about 75% free, and most preferably about 90% free from other components with which they are naturally associated.
  • substitution refers to the replacement of one or more amino acids or nucleotides by different amino acids or nucleotides, respectively.
  • Substrate refers to any suitable rigid or semi-rigid support including membranes, filters, chips, slides, wafers, fibers, magnetic or nonmagnetic beads, gels, tubing, plates, polymers, microparticles and capillaries.
  • the substrate can have a variety of surface forms, such as wells, trenches, pins, channels and pores, to which polynucleotides or polypeptides are bound.
  • Transformation describes a process by which exogenous DNA enters and changes a recipient cell. Transformation may occur under natural or artificial conditions according to various methods well known in the art, and may rely on any known method for the insertion of foreign nucleic acid sequences into a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host cell.
  • the method for transformation is selected based on the type of host cell being transformed and may include, but is not limited to, viral infection, electroporation, heat shock, lipofection, and particle bombardment.
  • the term "transformed” cells includes stably transformed cells in which the inserted DNA is capable of replication either as an autonomously replicating plasmid or as part of the host chromosome, as well as transiently transformed cells which express the inserted DNA or RNA for limited periods of time.
  • a “variant" of HEPI polypeptides refers to an amino acid sequence that is altered by one or more amino acid residues.
  • the variant may have "conservative” changes, wherein a substituted amino acid has similar structural or chemical properties (e.g., replacement of leucine with isoleucine). More rarely, a variant may have "nonconservative” changes (e.g., replacement of glycine with tryptophan).
  • Analogous minor variations may also include amino acid deletions or insertions, or both.
  • Guidance in determining which amino acid residues may be substituted, inserted, or deleted without abolishing biological or immunological activity may be found using computer programs well known in the art, for example, LASERGENE software (DNASTAR).
  • variants when used in the context of a polynucleotide sequence, may encompass a polynucleotide sequence related to HEPI. This definition may also include, for example, "allelic” (as defined above), “splice,” “species,” or “polymorphic” variants.
  • a splice variant may have significant identity to a reference molecule, but will generally have a greater or lesser number of polynucleotides due to alternate splicing of exons during mRNA processing.
  • the corresponding polypeptide may possess additional functional domains or an absence of domains.
  • Species variants are polynucleotide sequences that vary from one species to another. The resulting polypeptides generally will have significant amino acid identity relative to each other.
  • a polymorphic variant is a variation in the polynucleotide sequence of a particular gene between individuals of a given species.
  • Polymorphic variants also may encompass "single nucleotide polymorphisms" (SNPs) in which the polynucleotide sequence varies by one base. The presence of SNPs may be indicative of, for example, a certain population, a disease state, or a propensity for a disease state.
  • SNPs single nucleotide polymorphisms
  • the invention is based on the discovery of new human epidermal proteins (HEPI), the polynucleotides encoding HEPI, and the use of these compositions for the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of epithelial, cell proliferative, and autoimmune/inflammatory disorders.
  • HEPI human epidermal proteins
  • Table 1 summarizes the sequence identification numbers, identifying clone numbers, and libraries of HEPI. As shown in Table 2, each HEPI has been characterized with regard to its chemical and structural similarity with epithelial proteins. As shown in Figure 1, HEPI-1 and human skin specific protein (xp5) (GI 2589188; SEQ ID NO: 13) share 53% identity, HEPI-2 and human skin specific protein (xp5) (GI 2589188; SEQ ID NO: 13) share 61% identity, and HEPI-3 and human skin specific protein (xp5) (GI 2589188; SEQ ID NO: 13) share 95% identity.
  • HEPI-1, HEPI-2, HEPI-3, and human skin-specific protein have similar molecular weights of 9532, 11,545, 11,225, and 11,220, respectively.
  • PRINTS analysis indicates that HEPI- 1, HEPI-2, and HEPI-3 contain sequences similar to those of small proline-rich proteins (PR00021).
  • HEPI-4 contains 28 mol % cysteine. As shown in Figure 2, HEPI-4 has chemical and structural similarity with sheep keratin high-sulfur matrix protein IIIA3 (GI 71384; SEQ ID NO: 14). In particular, HEPI-4 and sheep keratin high-sulfur matrix protein IIIA3 share 77% identity.
  • HEPI-5 has chemical and structural similarity with mouse Ray, a protein expressed in skin (GI 1944389; SEQ ID NO: 15).
  • HEPI-2 and mouse Ray share 92% identity.
  • HEPI-6 contains 27 mol % serine, 16 mol % glycine, and 10 mol % proline. As shown in Figures 4A, 4B, and 4C, HEPI-6 has chemical and structural similarity with human S protein (GI 414810; SEQ ID NO: 16). In particular, residue Ml 7 through residue 1502 of HEPI-6 and human S protein share 99% identity. HEPI-6 contains 16 additional N-terminal and 27 additional C- terminal residues not present in human S protein.
  • Table 3 shows the tissue-specificity and diseases, disorders, or conditions associated with nucleotide sequences encoding HEPI.
  • the first column of Table 3 lists the nucleotide SEQ ID NOs.
  • Column 2 lists fragments of the nucleotide sequences of column 1. These fragments are useful, for example, in hybridization or amplification technologies to identify SEQ ID NO:7-12 and to distinguish between SEQ ID NO:7-12 and related polynucleotide sequences.
  • the polypeptides encoded by these fragments are useful, for example, as immunogenic peptides.
  • Column 3 lists tissue categories which express HEPI as a fraction of total tissues expressing HEPI.
  • Column 4 lists diseases, disorders, or conditions associated with those tissues expressing HEPI as a fraction of total tissues expressing HEPI.
  • Column 5 lists the vectors used to subclone each cDNA library.
  • HEPI-1, HEPI-2, and HEPI-3 in proliferating skin tissues, the expression of HEPI-5 in epidermal keratinocytes, dermal fibroblasts, and bronchial epithelium, and the expression of HEPI-6 in breast skin and in keratinocytes.
  • Northern analysis shows the expression of HEPI-4 in two libraries, both of which are associated with cell proliferation, one of which is associated with inflammation and immune response, and one of which is a keratinocyte cell line.
  • the invention also encompasses HEPI variants.
  • a preferred HEPI variant is one which has at least about 80%, more preferably at least about 90%, and most preferably at least about 95% amino acid sequence identity to the HEPI amino acid sequence, and which contains at least one functional or structural characteristic of HEPI.
  • the invention also encompasses polynucleotides which encode HEPI.
  • the invention encompasses a polynucleotide sequence comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:7-12 which encodes HEPI.
  • the invention also encompasses a variant of a polynucleotide sequence encoding HEPI.
  • a variant polynucleotide sequence will have at least about 70%, more preferably at least about 85%, and most preferably at least about 95% polynucleotide sequence identity to the polynucleotide sequence encoding HEPI.
  • a particular aspect of the invention encompasses a variant of a polynucleotide sequence comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:7-12 which has at least about 70%, more preferably at least about 85%, and most preferably at least about 95% polynucleotide sequence identity to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:7-12. Any one of the polynucleotide variants described above can encode an amino acid sequence which contains at least one functional or structural characteristic of HEPI.
  • nucleotide sequences which encode HEPI are preferably capable of hybridizing to the nucleotide sequence of the naturally occurring HEPI under appropriately selected conditions of stringency, it may be advantageous to produce nucleotide sequences encoding HEPI or its derivatives possessing a substantially different codon usage, e.g., inclusion of non-naturally occurring codons. Codons may be selected to increase the rate at which expression of the peptide occurs in a particular prokaryotic or eukaryotic host in accordance with the frequency with which particular codons are utilized by the host.
  • RNA transcripts having more desirable properties such as a greater half-life, than transcripts produced from the naturally occurring sequence.
  • the invention also encompasses production of DNA sequences which encode HEPI and HEPI derivatives, or fragments thereof, entirely by synthetic chemistry.
  • the synthetic sequence may be inserted into any of the many available expression vectors and cell systems using reagents well known in the art.
  • synthetic chemistry may be used to introduce mutations into a sequence encoding HEPI or any fragment thereof.
  • polynucleotide sequences that are capable of hybridizing to the claimed polynucleotide sequences, and, in particular, to those shown in SEQ ID NO:7-12 and fragments thereof under various conditions of stringency.
  • polynucleotide sequences that are capable of hybridizing to the claimed polynucleotide sequences, and, in particular, to those shown in SEQ ID NO:7-12 and fragments thereof under various conditions of stringency.
  • stringent salt concentration will ordinarily be less than about 750 mM NaCl and 75 mM trisodium citrate, preferably less than about 500 mM NaCl and 50 mM trisodium citrate, and most preferably less than about 250 mM NaCl and 25 mM trisodium citrate.
  • Low stringency hybridization can be obtained in the absence of organic solvent, e.g., formamide, while high stringency hybridization can be obtained in the presence of at least about 35% formamide, and most preferably at least about 50% formamide.
  • Stringent temperature conditions will ordinarily include temperatures of at least about 30°C, more preferably of at least about 37°C, and most preferably of at least about 42°C.
  • Varying additional parameters, such as hybridization time, the concentration of detergent, e.g., sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and the inclusion or exclusion of carrier DNA, are well known to those skilled in the art.
  • concentration of detergent e.g., sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)
  • SDS sodium dodecyl sulfate
  • Various levels of stringency are accomplished by combining these various conditions as needed.
  • hybridization will occur at 30°C in 750 mM NaCl, 75 mM trisodium citrate, and 1% SDS.
  • hybridization will occur at 37°C in 500 mM NaCl, 50 mM trisodium citrate, 1% SDS, 35% formamide, and 100 g/ml denatured salmon sperm DNA (ssDNA).
  • hybridization will occur at 42°C in 250 mM NaCl, 25 mM trisodium citrate, 1% SDS, 50 % formamide, and 200 ⁇ g/ml ssDNA. Useful variations on these conditions will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
  • wash stringency conditions can be defined by salt concentration and by temperature. As above, wash stringency can be increased by decreasing salt concentration or by increasing temperature.
  • stringent salt concentration for the wash steps will preferably be less than about 30 mM NaCl and 3 mM trisodium citrate, and most preferably less than about 15 mM NaCl and 1.5 mM trisodium citrate.
  • Stringent temperature conditions for the wash steps will ordinarily include temperature of at least about 25°C, more preferably of at least about 42°C, and most preferably of at least about 68°C.
  • wash steps will occur at 25°C in 30 mM NaCl, 3 mM trisodium citrate, and 0.1% SDS. In a more preferred embodiment, wash steps will occur at 42°C in 15 mM NaCl, 1.5 mM trisodium citrate, and 0.1% SDS. In a most preferred embodiment, wash steps will occur at 68°C in 15 mM NaCl, 1.5 mM trisodium citrate, and 0.1% SDS. Additional variations on these conditions will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Methods for DNA sequencing are well known in the art and may be used to practice any of the embodiments of the invention.
  • the methods may employ such enzymes as the Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I, SEQUENASE (US Biochemical, Cleveland OH), Taq polymerase (Perkin-Elmer), thermostable T7 polymerase (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, Piscataway NJ), or combinations of polymerases and proofreading exonucleases such as those found in the
  • sequence preparation is automated with machines such as the Hamilton MICROLAB 2200 (Hamilton, Reno NV), Peltier Thermal Cycler 200 (PTC200; MJ Research, Watertown MA) and the ABI CATALYST 800 (Perkin-Elmer). Sequencing is then carried out using either ABI 373 or 377 DNA sequencing systems (Perkin-Elmer) or the MEGABACE 1000 DNA sequencing system (Molecular Dynamics, Sunnyvale CA). The resulting sequences are analyzed using a variety of algorithms which are well known in the art. (See, e.g., Ausubel, F.M. (1997) Short Protocols in Molecular Biology.
  • the nucleic acid sequences encoding HEPI may be extended utilizing a partial nucleotide sequence and employing various PCR-based methods known in the art to detect upstream sequences, such as promoters and regulatory elements.
  • PCR-based methods known in the art to detect upstream sequences, such as promoters and regulatory elements.
  • restriction- site PCR uses universal and nested primers to amplify unknown sequence from genomic DNA within a cloning vector.
  • Another method uses primers that extend in divergent directions to amplify unknown sequence from a circularized template.
  • the template is derived from restriction fragments comprising a known genomic locus and surrounding sequences.
  • a third method, capture PCR involves PCR amplification of DNA fragments adjacent to known sequences in human and yeast artificial chromosome DNA. (See, e.g., Lagerstrom, M. et al. (1991) PCR Methods Applic.
  • primers may be designed using commercially available software, such as OLIGO 4.06 Primer Analysis software (National Biosciences, Plymouth MN) or another appropriate program, to be about 22 to 30 nucleotides in length, to have a GC content of about 50% or more, and to anneal to the template at temperatures of about 68°C to 72°C.
  • OLIGO 4.06 Primer Analysis software National Biosciences, Plymouth MN
  • libraries that have been size-selected to include larger cDNAs.
  • random-primed libraries which often include sequences containing the 5' regions of genes, are preferable for situations in which an oligo d(T) library does not yield a full-length cDNA.
  • Genomic libraries may be useful for extension of sequence into 5' non-transcribed regulatory regions.
  • Capillary electrophoresis systems which are commercially available may be used to analyze the size or confirm the nucleotide sequence of sequencing or PCR products.
  • capillary sequencing may employ flowable polymers for electrophoretic separation, four different nucleotide-specific, laser-stimulated fluorescent dyes, and a charge coupled device camera for detection of the emitted wavelengths.
  • Output/light intensity may be converted to electrical signal using appropriate software (e.g., GENOTYPER and SEQUENCE NAVIGATOR, Perkin-Elmer), and the entire process from loading of samples to computer analysis and electronic data display may be computer controlled.
  • Capillary electrophoresis is especially preferable for sequencing small DNA fragments which may be present in limited amounts in a particular sample.
  • polynucleotide sequences or fragments thereof which encode HEPI may be cloned in recombinant DNA molecules that direct expression of HEPI, or fragments or functional equivalents thereof, in appropriate host cells. Due to the inherent degeneracy of the genetic code, other DNA sequences which encode substantially the same or a functionally equivalent amino acid sequence may be produced and used to express HEPI.
  • the nucleotide sequences of the present invention can be engineered using methods generally known in the art in order to alter HEPI-encoding sequences for a variety of purposes including, but not limited to, modification of the cloning, processing, and/or expression of the gene product.
  • DNA shuffling by random fragmentation and PCR reassembly of gene fragments and synthetic oligonucleotides may be used to engineer the nucleotide sequences.
  • oligonucleotide-mediated site-directed mutagenesis may be used to introduce mutations that create new restriction sites, alter glycosylation patterns, change codon preference, produce splice variants, and so forth.
  • sequences encoding HEPI may be synthesized, in whole or in part, using chemical methods well known in the art.
  • chemical methods See, e.g., Caruthers, M.H. et al. (1980) Nucl. Acids Res. Symp. Ser. 215-223, and Horn, T. et al. (1980) Nucl. Acids Res. Symp. Ser. 225-232.
  • HEPI itself or a fragment thereof may be synthesized using chemical methods.
  • peptide synthesis can be performed using various solid-phase techniques.
  • the peptide may be substantially purified by preparative high performance liquid chromatography. (See, e.g, Chiez, R.M. and F.Z. Regnier (1990) Methods Enzymol. 182:392- 421.)
  • the composition of the synthetic peptides may be confirmed by amino acid analysis or by sequencing. (See, e.g., Creighton, T. (1984) Proteins. Structures and Molecular Properties. WH Freeman, New York NY.)
  • the nucleotide sequences encoding HEPI or derivatives thereof may be inserted into an appropriate expression vector, i.e., a vector which contains the necessary elements for transcriptional and translational control of the inserted coding sequence in a suitable host.
  • these elements include regulatory sequences, such as enhancers, constitutive and inducible promoters, and 5' and 3' untranslated regions in the vector and in polynucleotide sequences encoding HEPI.
  • Such elements may vary in their strength and specificity.
  • Specific initiation signals may also be used to achieve more efficient translation of sequences encoding HEPI. Such signals include the ATG initiation codon and adjacent sequences, e.g. the Kozak sequence.
  • exogenous translational control signals including an in-frame ATG initiation codon should be provided by the vector.
  • Exogenous translational elements and initiation codons may be of various origins, both natural and synthetic. The efficiency of expression may be enhanced by the inclusion of enhancers appropriate for the particular host cell system used. (See, e.g., Scharf, D. et al. (1994) Results Probl. Cell Differ.
  • a variety of expression vector/host systems may be utilized to contain and express sequences encoding HEPI. These include, but are not limited to, microorganisms such as bacteria transformed with recombinant bacteriophage, plasmid, or cosmid DNA expression vectors; yeast transformed with yeast expression vectors; insect cell systems infected with viral expression vectors (e.g., baculovirus); plant cell systems transformed with viral expression vectors (e.g., cauliflower mosaic virus, CaMV, or tobacco mosaic virus, TMV) or with bacterial expression vectors (e.g., Ti or pBR322 plasmids); or animal cell systems.
  • the invention is not limited by the host cell employed.
  • a number of cloning and expression vectors may be selected depending upon the use intended for polynucleotide sequences encoding HEPI.
  • routine cloning, subcloning, and propagation of polynucleotide sequences encoding HEPI can be achieved using a multifunctional E. coli vector such as PBLUESCRIPT (Stratagene, La Jolla C A) or pSPORTl plasmid (Life Technologies). Ligation of sequences encoding HEPI into the vector's multiple cloning site disrupts the lacL gene, allowing a colorimetric screening procedure for identification of transformed bacteria containing recombinant molecules.
  • these vectors may be useful for in vitro transcription, dideoxy sequencing, single strand rescue with helper phage, and creation of nested deletions in the cloned sequence.
  • vectors which direct high level expression of HEPI may be used.
  • vectors containing the strong, inducible T5 or T7 bacteriophage promoter may be used.
  • Yeast expression systems may be used for production of HEPI.
  • a number of vectors containing constitutive or inducible promoters, such as alpha factor, alcohol oxidase, and PGH, may be used in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Pichia pastoris.
  • such vectors direct either the secretion or intracellular retention of expressed proteins and enable integration of foreign sequences into the host genome for stable propagation.
  • Plant systems may also be used for expression of HEPI.
  • Transcription of sequences encoding HEPI may be driven viral promoters, e.g., the 35S and 19S promoters of CaMV used alone or in combination with the omega leader sequence from TMV (Takamatsu, N. (1987) EMBO J. 3:17-311).
  • viral promoters e.g., the 35S and 19S promoters of CaMV used alone or in combination with the omega leader sequence from TMV (Takamatsu, N. (1987) EMBO J. 3:181-311).
  • plant promoters such as the small subunit of RUBISCO or heat shock promoters may be used.
  • constructs can be introduced into plant cells by direct DNA transformation or pathogen-mediated transfection. (See, e.g.. The McGraw Hill Yearbook of Science and Technology (1992) McGraw Hill, New York NY, pp. 191-196.)
  • a number of viral-based expression systems may be utilized.
  • sequences encoding HEPI may be ligated into an adenovirus transcription/translation complex consisting of the late promoter and tripartite leader sequence. Insertion in a non-essential El or E3 region of the viral genome may be used to obtain infective virus which expresses HEPI in host cells.
  • transcription enhancers such as the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) enhancer, may be used to increase expression in mammalian host cells.
  • SV40 or EBV-based vectors may also be used for high-level protein expression.
  • HACs Human artificial chromosomes
  • HACs may also be employed to deliver larger fragments of DNA than can be contained in and expressed from a plasmid.
  • HACs of about 6 kb to 10 Mb are constructed and delivered via conventional delivery methods (liposomes, polycationic amino polymers, or vesicles) for therapeutic purposes. (See, e.g., Harrington, J.J. et al. (1997) Nat Genet. 15:345-355.)
  • sequences encoding HEPI can be transformed into cell lines using expression vectors which may contain viral origins of replication and/or endogenous expression elements and a selectable marker gene on the same or on a separate vector. Following the introduction of the vector, cells may be allowed to grow for about 1 to 2 days in enriched media before being switched to selective media.
  • the purpose of the selectable marker is to confer resistance to a selective agent, and its presence allows growth and recovery of cells which successfully express the introduced sequences.
  • Resistant clones of stably transformed cells may be propagated using tissue culture techniques appropriate to the cell type.
  • selection systems may be used to recover transformed cell lines. These include, but are not limited to, the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase and adenine phosphoribosyltransferase genes, for use in tk or apr ⁇ cells, respectively. (See, e.g., Wigler, M. et al. (1977) Cell 11 :223-232; Lowy, I. et al. (1980) Cell 22:817-823.) Also, antimetabolite, antibiotic, or herbicide resistance can be used as the basis for selection.
  • dhfr confers resistance to methotrexate
  • neo confers resistance to the aminoglycosides, neomycin and G-418
  • als or pat confer resistance to chlorsulfuron and phosphinotricin acetyltransferase, respectively.
  • Additional selectable genes have been described, e.g., trpB and hisD, which alter cellular requirements for metabolites.
  • Visible markers e.g., anthocyanins, green fluorescent proteins (GFP; Clontech), ⁇ glucuronidase and its substrate ⁇ -glucuronide, or luciferase and its substrate luciferin may be used. These markers can be used not only to identify transformants, but also to quantify the amount of transient or stable protein expression attributable to a specific vector system. (See, e.g., Rhodes, CA. (1995) Methods Mol. Biol. 55: 121-131.)
  • marker gene expression suggests that the gene of interest is also present, the presence and expression of the gene may need to be confirmed.
  • sequence encoding HEPI is inserted within a marker gene sequence
  • transformed cells containing sequences encoding HEPI can be identified by the absence of marker gene function.
  • a marker gene can be placed in tandem with a sequence encoding HEPI under the control of a single promoter. Expression of the marker gene in response to induction or selection usually indicates expression of the tandem gene as well.
  • host cells that contain the nucleic acid sequence encoding HEPI and that express HEPI may be identified by a variety of procedures known to those of skill in the art.
  • DNA-DNA or DNA-RNA hybridizations include, but are not limited to, DNA-DNA or DNA-RNA hybridizations, PCR amplification, and protein bioassay or immunoassay techniques which include membrane, solution, or chip based technologies for the detection and/or quantification of nucleic acid or protein sequences.
  • Immunological methods for detecting and measuring the expression of HEPI using either specific polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies are known in the art. Examples of such techniques include enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), radioimmunoassays (RIAs), and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS).
  • ELISAs enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays
  • RIAs radioimmunoassays
  • FACS fluorescence activated cell sorting
  • Means for producing labeled hybridization or PCR probes for detecting sequences related to polynucleotides encoding HEPI include oligolabeling, nick translation, end-labeling, or PCR amplification using a labeled nucleotide.
  • the sequences encoding HEPI, or any fragments thereof may be cloned into a vector for the production of an mRNA probe.
  • RNA polymerase such as T7, T3, or SP6 and labeled nucleotides.
  • T7, T3, or SP6 RNA polymerase
  • reporter molecules or labels which may be used for ease of detection include radionuclides, enzymes, fluorescent, chemiluminescent, or chromogenic agents, as well as substrates, cofactors, inhibitors, magnetic particles, and the like.
  • Host cells transformed with nucleotide sequences encoding HEPI may be cultured under conditions suitable for the expression and recovery of the protein from cell culture.
  • the protein produced by a transformed cell may be secreted or retained intracellularly depending on the sequence and/or the vector used.
  • expression vectors containing polynucleotides which encode HEPI may be designed to contain signal sequences which direct secretion of HEPI through a prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell membrane.
  • a host cell strain may be chosen for its ability to modulate expression of the inserted sequences or to process the expressed protein in the desired fashion.
  • Such modifications of the polypeptide include, but are not limited to, acetylation, carboxylation, glycosylation, phosphorylation, lipidation, and acylation.
  • Post-translational processing which cleaves a "prepro" form of the protein may also be used to specify protein targeting, folding, and/or activity.
  • Different host cells which have specific cellular machinery and characteristic mechanisms for post-translational activities (e.g., CHO, HeLa, MDCK, HEK293, and WI38), are available from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC, Manassas, VA) and may be chosen to ensure the correct modification and processing of the foreign protein.
  • natural, modified, or recombinant nucleic acid sequences encoding HEPI may be ligated to a heterologous sequence resulting in translation of a fusion protein in any of the aforementioned host systems.
  • a chimeric HEPI protein containing a heterologous moiety that can be recognized by a commercially available antibody may facilitate the screening of peptide libraries for inhibitors of HEPI activity.
  • Heterologous protein and peptide moieties may also facilitate purification of fusion proteins using commercially available affinity matrices.
  • Such moieties include, but are not limited to, glutathione S-transferase (GST), maltose binding protein (MBP), thioredoxin (Trx), calmodulin binding peptide (CBP), 6- His, FLAG, c-myc, and hemagglutinin (HA).
  • GST, MBP, Trx, CBP, and 6-His enable purification of their cognate fusion proteins on immobilized glutathione, maltose, phenylarsine oxide, calmodulin, and metal-chelate resins, respectively.
  • FLAG, c-myc, and hemagglutinin (HA) enable immunoaffinity purification of fusion proteins using commercially available monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies that specifically recognize these epitope tags.
  • a fusion protein may also be engineered to contain a proteolytic cleavage site located between the HEPI encoding sequence and the heterologous protein sequence, so that HEPI may be cleaved away from the heterologous moiety following purification. Methods for fusion protein expression and purification are discussed in Ausubel (1995, supra, ch 10). A variety of commercially available kits may also be used to facilitate expression and purification of fusion proteins.
  • synthesis of radiolabeled HEPI may be achieved in vitro using the TNT rabbit reticulocyte lysate or wheat germ extract systems (Promega). These systems couple transcription and translation of protein-coding sequences operably associated with the T7, T3, or SP6 promoters. Translation takes place in the presence of a radiolabeled amino acid precursor, preferably 35 S-methionine.
  • Fragments of HEPI may be produced not only by recombinant production, but also by direct peptide synthesis using solid-phase techniques. (See, e.g., Creighton, supra, pp. 55-60.) Protein synthesis may be performed by manual techniques or by automation. Automated synthesis may be achieved, for example, using the ABI 431 A Peptide Synthesizer (Perkin-Elmer). Various fragments of ILEPI may be synthesized separately and then combined to produce the full length molecule. THERAPEUTICS Chemical and structural similarity, e.g., in the context of sequences and motifs, exists between regions of HEPI and human epidermal proteins.
  • HEPI epithelial, cell proliferative, and autoimmune/inflammatory disorders.
  • HEPI or a fragment or derivative thereof may be administered to a subject to treat or prevent a disorder associated with decreased expression or activity of HEPI.
  • disorders include, but are not limited to, an epithelial disorder, such as dyshidrotic eczema, allergic contact dermatitis, keratosis pilaris, melasma, vitiligo, actinic keratosis, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, seborrheic keratosis, folliculitis, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, varicella, candidiasis, dermatophytosis, scabies, insect bites, cherry angioma, keloid, dermatofibroma, acrochordons, urticaria, transient acantholytic dermatosis, xerosis, eczema, atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis,
  • a pharmaceutical composition comprising a substantially purified HEPI in conjunction with a suitable pharmaceutical carrier may be administered to a subject to treat or prevent a disorder associated with decreased expression or activity of HEPI including, but not limited to, those provided above.
  • an agonist which modulates the activity of HEPI may be administered to a subject to treat or prevent a disorder associated with decreased expression or activity of HEPI including, but not limited to, those listed above.
  • an antagonist of HEPI may be administered to a subject to treat or prevent a disorder associated with increased expression or activity of HEPI.
  • disorders include, but are not limited to, those epithelial, cell proliferative, and autoimmune/inflammatory disorders described above.
  • an antibody which specifically binds HEPI may be used directly as an antagonist or indirectly as a targeting or delivery mechanism for bringing a pharmaceutical agent to cells or tissue which express HEPI.
  • a vector expressing the complement of the polynucleotide encoding HEPI may be administered to a subject to treat or prevent a disorder associated with increased expression or activity of HEPI including, but not limited to, those described above.
  • any of the proteins, antagonists, antibodies, agonists, complementary sequences, or vectors of the invention may be administered in combination with other appropriate therapeutic agents. Selection of the appropriate agents for use in combination therapy may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art, according to conventional pharmaceutical principles.
  • the combination of therapeutic agents may act synergistically to effect the treatment or prevention of the various disorders described above. Using this approach, one may be able to achieve therapeutic efficacy with lower dosages of each agent, thus reducing the potential for adverse side effects.
  • An antagonist of HEPI may be produced using methods which are generally known in the art.
  • purified HEPI may be used to produce antibodies or to screen libraries of pharmaceutical agents to identify those which specifically bind HEPI.
  • Antibodies to HEPI may also be generated using methods that are well known in the art. Such antibodies may include, but are not limited to, polyclonal, monoclonal, chimeric, and single chain antibodies, Fab fragments, and fragments produced by a Fab expression library. Neutralizing antibodies (i.e., those which inhibit dimer formation) are especially preferred for therapeutic use.
  • various hosts including goats, rabbits, rats, mice, humans, and others may be immunized by injection with HEPI or with any fragment or oligopeptide thereof which has immunogenic properties.
  • various adjuvants may be used to increase immunological response.
  • adjuvants include, but are not limited to, Freund's, mineral gels such as aluminum hydroxide, and surface active substances such as lysolecithin, pluronic polyols, polyanions, peptides, oil emulsions, KLH, and dinitrophenol.
  • BCG Bacilli Calmette-Guerin
  • Corynebacterium parvum are especially preferable.
  • the oligopeptides, peptides, or fragments used to induce antibodies to HEPI have an amino acid sequence consisting of at least about 5 amino acids, and, more preferably, of at least about 10 amino acids. It is also preferable that these oligopeptides, peptides, or fragments are identical to a portion of the amino acid sequence of the natural protein and contain the entire amino acid sequence of a small, naturally occurring molecule. Short stretches of HEPI amino acids may be fused with those of another protein, such as KLH, and antibodies to the chimeric molecule may be produced. Monoclonal antibodies to HEPI may be prepared using any technique which provides for the production of antibody molecules by continuous cell lines in culture.
  • hybridoma technique examples include, but are not limited to, the hybridoma technique, the human B-cell hybridoma technique, and the EBV- hybridoma technique.
  • chimeric antibodies such as the splicing of mouse antibody genes to human antibody genes to obtain a molecule with appropriate antigen specificity and biological activity.
  • techniques developed for the production of single chain antibodies may be adapted, using methods known in the art, to produce HEPI-specific single chain antibodies.
  • Antibodies with related specificity, but of distinct idiotypic composition may be generated by chain shuffling from random combinatorial immunoglobulin libraries.
  • Antibodies may also be produced by inducing in vivo production in the lymphocyte population or by screening immunoglobulin libraries or panels of highly specific binding reagents as disclosed in the literature.
  • Antibody fragments which contain specific binding sites for HEPI may also be generated.
  • fragments include, but are not limited to, F(ab')2 fragments produced by pepsin digestion of the antibody molecule and Fab fragments generated by reducing the disulfide bridges of the F(ab')2 fragments.
  • Fab expression libraries may be constructed to allow rapid and easy identification of monoclonal Fab fragments with the desired specificity. (See, e.g., Huse, W.D. et al. (1989) Science 246: 1275-1281.)
  • Various immunoassays may be used for screening to identify antibodies having the desired specificity.
  • K a is defined as the molar concentration of HEPI-antibody complex divided by the molar concentrations of free antigen and free antibody under equilibrium conditions.
  • K a association constant
  • the K a determined for a preparation of monoclonal antibodies, which are monospecific for a particular HEPI epitope, represents a true measure of affinity.
  • High-affinity antibody preparations with K a ranging from about 10 9 to 10 12 L/mole are preferred for use in immunoassays in which the HEPI-antibody complex must withstand rigorous manipulations.
  • Low-affinity antibody preparations with K a ranging from about 10 6 to 10 7 L/mole are preferred for use in immunopurification and similar procedures which ultimately require dissociation of HEPI, preferably in active form, from the antibody (Catty, D. (1988) Antibodies. Volume I: A Practical Approach, IRL Press, Washington, DC; Liddell, J. E. and Cryer, A. (1991) A Practical Guide to Monoclonal Antibodies. John Wiley & Sons, New York NY).
  • polyclonal antibody preparations may be further evaluated to determine the quality and suitability of such preparations for certain downstream applications.
  • a polyclonal antibody preparation containing at least 1-2 mg specific antibody/ml, preferably 5-10 mg specific antibody/ml is preferred for use in procedures requiring precipitation of HEPI-antibody complexes.
  • Procedures for evaluating antibody specificity, titer, and avidity, and guidelines for antibody quality and usage in various applications, are generally available. (See, e.g., Catty, supra, and Coligan et al. supra.)
  • the polynucleotides encoding HEPI, or any fragment or complement thereof may be used for therapeutic purposes.
  • the complement of the polynucleotide encoding HEPI may be used in situations in which it would be desirable to block the transcription of the mRNA.
  • cells may be transformed with sequences complementary to polynucleotides encoding HEPI.
  • complementary molecules or fragments may be used to modulate HEPI activity, or to achieve regulation of gene function.
  • sense or antisense oligonucleotides or larger fragments can be designed from various locations along the coding or control regions of sequences encoding HEPI.
  • Expression vectors derived from retroviruses, adenoviruses, or herpes or vaccinia viruses, or from various bacterial plasmids may be used for delivery of nucleotide sequences to the targeted organ, tissue, or cell population. Methods which are well known to those skilled in the art can be used to construct vectors to express nucleic acid sequences complementary to the polynucleotides encoding HEPI. (See, e.g., Sambrook, supra: Ausubel, 1995, supra.)
  • Genes encoding HEPI can be turned off by transforming a cell or tissue with expression vectors which express high levels of a polynucleotide, or fragment thereof, encoding HEPI. Such constructs may be used to introduce untranslatable sense or antisense sequences into a cell. Even in the absence of integration into the DNA, such vectors may continue to transcribe RNA molecules until they are disabled by endogenous nucleases. Transient expression may last for a month or more with a non-replicating vector, and may last even longer if appropriate replication elements are part of the vector system.
  • modifications of gene expression can be obtained by designing complementary sequences or antisense molecules (DNA, RNA, or PNA) to the control, 5', or regulatory regions of the gene encoding HEPI.
  • Oligonucleotides derived from the transcription initiation site e.g., between about positions -10 and +10 from the start site, are preferred.
  • inhibition can be achieved using triple helix base-pairing methodology. Triple helix pairing is useful because it causes inhibition of the ability of the double helix to open sufficiently for the binding of polymerases, transcription factors, or regulatory molecules. Recent therapeutic advances using triplex DNA have been described in the literature. (See, e.g., Gee, J.E. et al. (1994) in Huber, B.E.
  • a complementary sequence or antisense molecule may also be designed to block translation of mRNA by preventing the transcript from binding to ribosomes.
  • Ribozymes enzymatic RNA molecules, may also be used to catalyze the specific cleavage of RNA.
  • the mechanism of ribozyme action involves sequence-specific hybridization of the ribozyme molecule to complementary target RNA, followed by endonucleolytic cleavage.
  • engineered hammerhead motif ribozyme molecules may specifically and efficiently catalyze endonucleolytic cleavage of sequences encoding HEPI.
  • ribozyme cleavage sites within any potential RNA target are initially identified by scanning the target molecule for ribozyme cleavage sites, including the following sequences: GUA, GUU, and GUC. Once identified, short RNA sequences of between 15 and 20 ribonucleotides, corresponding to the region of the target gene containing the cleavage site, may be evaluated for secondary structural features which may render the oligonucleotide inoperable. The suitability of candidate targets may also be evaluated by testing accessibility to hybridization with complementary oligonucleotides using ribonuclease protection assays.
  • RNA molecules and ribozymes of the invention may be prepared by any method known in the art for the synthesis of nucleic acid molecules. These include techniques for chemically synthesizing oligonucleotides such as solid phase phosphoramidite chemical synthesis. Alternatively, RNA molecules may be generated by in vitro and in vivo transcription of DNA sequences encoding HEPI. Such DNA sequences may be incorporated into a wide variety of vectors with suitable RNA polymerase promoters such as T7 or SP6. Alternatively, these cDNA constructs that synthesize complementary RNA, constitutively or inducibly, can be introduced into cell lines, cells, or tissues.
  • RNA molecules may be modified to increase intracellular stability and half-life. Possible modifications include, but are not limited to, the addition of flanking sequences at the 5' and/or 3' ends of the molecule, or the use of phosphorothioate or 2' O-methyl rather than phosphodiesterase linkages within the backbone of the molecule.
  • Delivery by transfection, by liposome injections, or by polycationic amino polymers may be achieved using methods which are well known in the art. (See, e.g., Goldman, C.K. et al. (1997) Nature Biotechnology 15:462-466.)
  • any of the therapeutic methods described above may be applied to any subject in need of such therapy, including, for example, mammals such as dogs, cats, cows, horses, rabbits, monkeys, and most preferably, humans.
  • An additional embodiment of the invention relates to the administration of a pharmaceutical or sterile composition, in conjunction with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, for any of the therapeutic effects discussed above.
  • Such pharmaceutical compositions may consist of HEPI, antibodies to HEPI, and mimetics, agonists, antagonists, or inhibitors of HEPI.
  • the compositions may be administered alone or in combination with at least one other agent, such as a stabilizing compound, which may be administered in any sterile, biocompatible pharmaceutical carrier including, but not limited to, saline, buffered saline, dextrose, and water.
  • the compositions may be administered to a patient alone, or in combination with other agents, drugs, or hormones.
  • compositions utilized in this invention may be administered by any number of routes including, but not limited to, oral, intravenous, intramuscular, intra-arterial, intramedullary, intrathecal, intraventricular, transdermal, subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, intranasal, enteral, topical, sublingual, or rectal means.
  • these pharmaceutical compositions may contain suitable pharmaceutically-acceptable carriers comprising excipients and auxiliaries which facilitate processing of the active compounds into preparations which can be used pharmaceutically. Further details on techniques for formulation and administration may be found in the latest edition of Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences (Maack Publishing, Easton PA).
  • compositions for oral administration can be formulated using pharmaceutically acceptable carriers well known in the art in dosages suitable for oral administration.
  • Such carriers enable the pharmaceutical compositions to be formulated as tablets, pills, dragees, capsules, liquids, gels, syrups, slurries, suspensions, and the like, for ingestion by the patient.
  • compositions for oral use can be obtained through combining active compounds with solid excipient and processing the resultant mixture of granules (optionally, after grinding) to obtain tablets or dragee cores.
  • auxiliaries can be added, if desired.
  • Suitable excipients include carbohydrate or protein fillers, such as sugars, including lactose, sucrose, mannitol, and sorbitol; starch from corn, wheat, rice, potato, or other plants; cellulose, such as methyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl-cellulose, or sodium carboxymethylcellulose; gums, including arabic and tragacanth; and proteins, such as gelatin and collagen.
  • disintegrating or solubilizing agents may be added, such as the cross-linked polyvinyl pyrrolidone, agar, and alginic acid or a salt thereof, such as sodium alginate.
  • Dragee cores may be used in conjunction with suitable coatings, such as concentrated sugar solutions, which may also contain gum arabic, talc, polyvinylpyrrolidone, carbopol gel, polyethylene glycol, and/or titanium dioxide, lacquer solutions, and suitable organic solvents or solvent mixtures.
  • suitable coatings such as concentrated sugar solutions, which may also contain gum arabic, talc, polyvinylpyrrolidone, carbopol gel, polyethylene glycol, and/or titanium dioxide, lacquer solutions, and suitable organic solvents or solvent mixtures.
  • Dyestuffs or pigments may be added to the tablets or dragee coatings for product identification or to characterize the quantity of active compound, i.e., dosage.
  • Push-fit capsules made of gelatin, as well as soft, sealed capsules made of gelatin and a coating, such as glycerol or sorbitol.
  • Push-fit capsules can contain active ingredients mixed with fillers or binders, such as lactose or starches, lubricants, such as talc or magnesium stearate, and, optionally, stabilizers.
  • the active compounds may be dissolved or suspended in suitable liquids, such as fatty oils, liquid, or liquid polyethylene glycol with or without stabilizers.
  • compositions suitable for parenteral administration may be formulated in aqueous solutions, preferably in physiologically compatible buffers such as Hanks' solution, Ringer's solution, or physiologically buffered saline.
  • Aqueous injection suspensions may contain substances which increase the viscosity of the suspension, such as sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, sorbitol, or dextran.
  • suspensions of the active compounds may be prepared as appropriate oily injection suspensions.
  • Suitable lipophilic solvents or vehicles include fatty oils, such as sesame oil, or synthetic fatty acid esters, such as ethyl oleate, triglycerides, or liposomes.
  • Non-lipid polycationic amino polymers may also be used for delivery.
  • the suspension may also contain suitable stabilizers or agents to increase the solubility of the compounds and allow for the preparation of highly concentrated solutions.
  • penetrants appropriate to the particular barrier to be permeated are used in the formulation.
  • penetrants are generally known in the art.
  • the pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention may be manufactured in a manner that is known in the art, e.g., by means of conventional mixing, dissolving, granulating, dragee-making, levigating, emulsifying, encapsulating, entrapping, or lyophilizing processes.
  • the pharmaceutical composition may be provided as a salt and can be formed with many acids, including but not limited to, hydrochloric, sulfuric, acetic, lactic, tartaric, malic, and succinic acid. Salts tend to be more soluble in aqueous or other protonic solvents than are the corresponding free base forms.
  • the preferred preparation may be a lyophilized powder which may contain any or all of the following: 1 mM to 50 mM histidine, 0.1% to 2% sucrose, and 2% to 7% mannitol, at a pH range of 4.5 to 5.5, that is combined with buffer prior to use.
  • compositions suitable for use in the invention include compositions wherein the active ingredients are contained in an effective amount to achieve the intended purpose.
  • the determination of an effective dose is well within the capability of those skilled in the art.
  • the therapeutically effective dose can be estimated initially either in cell culture assays, e.g., of neoplastic cells or in animal models such as mice, rats, rabbits, dogs, or pigs.
  • An animal model may also be used to determine the appropriate concentration range and route of administration. Such information can then be used to determine useful doses and routes for administration in humans.
  • a therapeutically effective dose refers to that amount of active ingredient, for example HEPI or fragments thereof, antibodies of HEPI, and agonists, antagonists or inhibitors of HEPI, which ameliorates the symptoms or condition.
  • Therapeutic efficacy and toxicity may be determined by standard pharmaceutical procedures in cell cultures or with experimental animals, such as by calculating the ED 50 (the dose therapeutically effective in 50% of the population) or LD 50 (the dose lethal to 50% of the population) statistics.
  • the dose ratio of toxic to therapeutic effects is the therapeutic index, and it can be expressed as the LD 50 /ED 50 ratio.
  • Pharmaceutical compositions which exhibit large therapeutic indices are preferred. The data obtained from cell culture assays and animal studies are used to formulate a range of dosage for human use.
  • the dosage contained in such compositions is preferably within a range of circulating concentrations that includes the ED 50 with little or no toxicity.
  • the dosage varies within this range depending upon the dosage form employed, the sensitivity of the patient, and the route of administration. The exact dosage will be determined by the practitioner, in light of factors related to the subject requiring treatment. Dosage and administration are adjusted to provide sufficient levels of the active moiety or to maintain the desired effect. Factors which may be taken into account include the severity of the disease state, the general health of the subject, the age, weight, and gender of the subject, time and frequency of administration, drug combination(s), reaction sensitivities, and response to therapy. Long-acting pharmaceutical compositions may be administered every 3 to 4 days, every week, or biweekly depending on the half-life and clearance rate of the particular formulation.
  • Normal dosage amounts may vary from about 0.1 g to 100,000 ⁇ g, up to a total dose of about 1 gram, depending upon the route of administration.
  • Guidance as to particular dosages and methods of delivery is provided in the literature and generally available to practitioners in the art. Those skilled in the art will employ different formulations for nucleotides than for proteins or their inhibitors. Similarly, delivery of polynucleotides or polypeptides will be specific to particular cells, conditions, locations, etc.
  • DIAGNOSTICS In another embodiment, antibodies which specifically bind HEPI may be used for the diagnosis of disorders characterized by expression of HEPI, or in assays to monitor patients being treated with HEPI or agonists, antagonists, or inhibitors of HEPI.
  • Antibodies useful for diagnostic purposes may be prepared in the same manner as described above for therapeutics. Diagnostic assays for HEPI include methods which utilize the antibody and a label to detect HEPI in human body fluids or in extracts of cells or tissues.
  • the antibodies may be used with or without modification, and may be labeled by covalent or non-covalent attachment of a reporter molecule.
  • reporter molecules A wide variety of reporter molecules, several of which are described above, are known in the art and may be used.
  • HEPI HEPI-specific kinase kinase kinase
  • ELISAs RIAs
  • FACS fluorescence-activated cell sorting
  • HEPI expression normal or standard values for HEPI expression are established by combining body fluids or cell extracts taken from normal mammalian subjects, preferably human, with antibody to HEPI under conditions suitable for complex formation. The amount of standard complex formation may be quantitated by various methods, preferably by photometric means. Quantities of HEPI expressed in subject, control, and disease samples from biopsied tissues are compared with the standard values. Deviation between standard and subject values establishes the parameters for diagnosing disease.
  • the polynucleotides encoding HEPI may be used for diagnostic purposes.
  • the polynucleotides which may be used include oligonucleotide sequences, complementary RNA and DNA molecules, and PNAs.
  • the polynucleotides may be used to detect and quantitate gene expression in biopsied tissues in which expression of HEPI may be correlated with disease.
  • the diagnostic assay may be used to determine absence, presence, and excess expression of HEPI, and to monitor regulation of HEPI levels during therapeutic intervention.
  • hybridization with PCR probes which are capable of detecting polynucleotide sequences, including genomic sequences, encoding HEPI or closely related molecules may be used to identify nucleic acid sequences which encode HEPI.
  • the specificity of the probe whether it is made from a highly specific region, e.g., the 5' regulatory region, or from a less specific region, e.g., a conserved motif, and the stringency of the hybridization or amplification (maximal, high, intermediate, or low), will determine whether the probe identifies only naturally occurring sequences encoding HEPI, allelic variants, or related sequences.
  • Probes may also be used for the detection of related sequences, and should preferably have at least 50% sequence identity to any of the HEPI encoding sequences.
  • the hybridization probes of the subject invention may be DNA or RNA and may be derived from the sequence of SEQ ID NO:7-12 or from genomic sequences including promoters, enhancers, and introns of the HEPI gene.
  • Means for producing specific hybridization probes for DNAs encoding HEPI include the cloning of polynucleotide sequences encoding HEPI or HEPI derivatives into vectors for the production of mRNA probes.
  • vectors are known in the art, are commercially available, and may be used to synthesize RNA probes in vitro by means of the addition of the appropriate RNA polymerases and the appropriate labeled nucleotides.
  • Hybridization probes may be labeled by a variety of reporter groups, for example, by radionuclides such as 32 P or 35 S, or by enzymatic labels, such as alkaline phosphatase coupled to the probe via avidin/biotin coupling systems, and the like.
  • Polynucleotide sequences encoding HEPI may be used for the diagnosis of disorders associated with expression of HEPI.
  • disorders include, but are not limited to, an epithelial disorder, such as dyshidrotic eczema, allergic contact dermatitis, keratosis pilaris, melasma, vitiligo, actinic keratosis, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, seborrheic keratosis, folliculitis, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, varicella, candidiasis, dermatophytosis, scabies, insect bites, cherry angioma, keloid, dermatofibroma, acrochordons, urticaria, transient acantholytic dermatosis, xerosis, eczema, atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, hand eczema, numm
  • the polynucleotide sequences encoding HEPI may be used in Southern or northern analysis, dot blot, or other membrane-based technologies; in PCR technologies; in dipstick, pin, and multiformat ELISA-like assays; and in microarrays utilizing fluids or tissues from patients to detect altered HEPI expression. Such qualitative or quantitative methods are well known in the art.
  • the nucleotide sequences encoding HEPI may be useful in assays that detect the presence of associated disorders, particularly those mentioned above.
  • the nucleotide sequences encoding HEPI may be labeled by standard methods and added to a fluid or tissue sample from a patient under conditions suitable for the formation of hybridization complexes.
  • the sample is washed and the signal is quantitated and compared with a standard value. If the amount of signal in the patient sample is significantly altered in comparison to a control sample then the presence of altered levels of nucleotide sequences encoding HEPI in the sample indicates the presence of the associated disorder.
  • assays may also be used to evaluate the efficacy of a particular therapeutic treatment regimen in animal studies, in clinical trials, or to monitor the treatment of an individual patient. In order to provide a basis for the diagnosis of a disorder associated with expression of
  • HEPI a normal or standard profile for expression is established. This may be accomplished by combining body fluids or cell extracts taken from normal subjects, either animal or human, with a sequence, or a fragment thereof, encoding HEPI, under conditions suitable for hybridization or amplification. Standard hybridization may be quantified by comparing the values obtained from normal subjects with values from an experiment in which a known amount of a substantially purified polynucleotide is used. Standard values obtained in this manner may be compared with values obtained from samples from patients who are symptomatic for a disorder. Deviation from standard values is used to establish the presence of a disorder.
  • hybridization assays may be repeated on a regular basis to determine if the level of expression in the patient begins to approximate that which is observed in the normal subject.
  • the results obtained from successive assays may be used to show the efficacy of treatment over a period ranging from several days to months.
  • the presence of an abnormal amount of transcript (either under- or overexpressed) in biopsied tissue from an individual may indicate a predisposition for the development of the disease, or may provide a means for detecting the disease prior to the appearance of actual clinical symptoms.
  • a more definitive diagnosis of this type may allow health professionals to employ preventative measures or aggressive treatment earlier thereby preventing the development or further progression of the cancer. Additional diagnostic uses for oligonucleotides designed from the sequences encoding
  • HEPI may involve the use of PCR. These oligomers may be chemically synthesized, generated enzymatically, or produced in vitro. Oligomers will preferably contain a fragment of a polynucleotide encoding HEPI, or a fragment of a polynucleotide complementary to the polynucleotide encoding HEPI, and will be employed under optimized conditions for identification of a specific gene or condition. Oligomers may also be employed under less stringent conditions for detection or quantitation of closely related DNA or RNA sequences.
  • Methods which may also be used to quantify the expression of HEPI include radiolabeling or biotinylating nucleotides, coamplification of a control nucleic acid, and interpolating results from standard curves.
  • radiolabeling or biotinylating nucleotides include radiolabeling or biotinylating nucleotides, coamplification of a control nucleic acid, and interpolating results from standard curves.
  • the speed of quantitation of multiple samples may be accelerated by running the assay in an ELISA format where the oligomer of interest is presented in various dilutions and a spectrophotometric or colorimetric response gives rapid quantitation.
  • oligonucleotides or longer fragments derived from any of the polynucleotide sequences described herein may be used as targets in a microarray.
  • the microarray can be used to monitor the expression level of large numbers of genes simultaneously and to identify genetic variants, mutations, and polymorphisms. This information may be used to determine gene function, to understand the genetic basis of a disorder, to diagnose a disorder, and to develop and monitor the activities of therapeutic agents.
  • Microarrays may be prepared, used, and analyzed using methods known in the art. (See, e.g., Brennan, T.M. et al. (1995) U.S. Patent No. 5,474,796; Schena, M. et al. (1996) Proc.
  • nucleic acid sequences encoding HEPI may be used to generate hybridization probes useful in mapping the naturally occurring genomic sequence.
  • sequences may be mapped to a particular chromosome, to a specific region of a chromosome, or to artificial chromosome constructions, e.g., human artificial chromosomes (HACs), yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs), bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs), bacterial PI constructions, or single chromosome cDNA libraries.
  • HACs human artificial chromosomes
  • YACs yeast artificial chromosomes
  • BACs bacterial artificial chromosomes
  • PI constructions or single chromosome cDNA libraries.
  • Fluorescent in situ hybridization may be correlated with other physical chromosome mapping techniques and genetic map data.
  • FISH Fluorescent in situ hybridization
  • Examples of genetic map data can be found in various scientific journals or at the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) site. Correlation between the location of the gene encoding HEPI on a physical chromosomal map and a specific disorder, or a predisposition to a specific disorder, may help define the region of DNA associated with that disorder.
  • the nucleotide sequences of the invention may be used to detect differences in gene sequences among normal, carrier, and affected individuals.
  • In situ hybridization of chromosomal preparations and physical mapping techniques may be used for extending genetic maps. Often the placement of a gene on the chromosome of another mammalian species, such as mouse, may reveal associated markers even if the number or arm of a particular human chromosome is not known. New sequences can be assigned to chromosomal arms by physical mapping. This provides valuable information to investigators searching for disease genes using positional cloning or other gene discovery techniques.
  • any sequences mapping to that area may represent associated or regulatory genes for further investigation.
  • the nucleotide sequence of the subject invention may also be used to detect differences in the chromosomal location due to translocation, inversion, etc., among normal, carrier, or affected individuals.
  • HEPI its catalytic or immunogenic fragments, or oligopeptides thereof can be used for screening libraries of compounds in any of a variety of drug screening techniques.
  • the fragment employed in such screening may be free in solution, affixed to a solid support, borne on a cell surface, or located intracellularly. The formation of binding complexes between HEPI and the agent being tested may be measured.
  • Another technique for drug screening provides for high throughput screening of compounds having suitable binding affinity to the protein of interest.
  • This method large numbers of different small test compounds are synthesized on a solid substrate. The test compounds are reacted with HEPI, or fragments thereof, and washed. Bound HEPI is then detected by methods well known in the art. Purified HEPI can also be coated directly onto plates for use in the aforementioned drug screening techniques. Alternatively, non-neutralizing antibodies can be used to capture the peptide and immobilize it on a solid support.
  • nucleotide sequences which encode HEPI may be used in any molecular biology techniques that have yet to be developed, provided the new techniques rely on properties of nucleotide sequences that are currently known, including, but not limited to, such properties as the triplet genetic code and specific base pair interactions.
  • poly(A+) RNA was isolated using oligo d(T)-coupled paramagnetic particles (Promega), OLIGOTEX latex particles (QIAGEN, Chatsworth CA), or an OLIGOTEX mRNA purification kit (QIAGEN).
  • RNA was provided with RNA and constructed the corresponding cDNA libraries.
  • cDNA was synthesized and cDNA libraries were constructed with the UNIZAP vector system (Stratagene) or SUPERSCRIPT plasmid system (Life Technologies), using the recommended procedures or similar methods known in the art. (See, e.g., Ausubel, 1997, supra, units 5.1-6.6). Reverse transcription was initiated using oligo d(T) or random primers. Synthetic oligonucleotide adapters were ligated to double stranded cDNA, and the cDNA was digested with the appropriate restriction enzyme or enzymes. For most libraries, the cDNA was size-selected (300- 1000 bp) using SEPHACRYL S 1000, SEPHAROSE CL2B, or
  • cDNAs were ligated into compatible restriction enzyme sites of the polylinker of a suitable plasmid, e.g., PBLUESCRIPT plasmid (Stratagene), pSPORTl plasmid (Life Technologies), or pINCY (Incyte Pharmaceuticals, Palo Alto CA).
  • PBLUESCRIPT plasmid plasmid
  • pSPORTl plasmid plasmid
  • pINCY Incyte Pharmaceuticals, Palo Alto CA
  • Recombinant plasmids were transformed into competent E. coli cells including XLl-Blue, XLl-BlueMRF, or SOLR from Stratagene or DH5 ⁇ , DH10B, or ElectroMAX DH10B from Life Technologies.
  • Plasmids were recovered from host cells by in vivo excision, using the UNIZAP vector system (Stratagene) or cell lysis. Plasmids were purified using at least one of the following: a Magic or WIZARD Minipreps DNA purification system (Promega); an AGTC Miniprep purification kit (Edge Biosystems, Gaithersburg MD); and QIAWELL 8 Plasmid, QIAWELL 8 Plus Plasmid, QIAWELL 8 Ultra Plasmid purification systems or the REAL Prep 96 plasmid kit from QIAGEN. Following precipitation, plasmids were resuspended in 0.1 ml of distilled water and stored, with or without lyophilization, at 4°C.
  • plasmid DNA was amplified from host cell lysates using direct link PCR in a high-throughput format (Rao, V.B. (1994) Anal. Biochem. 216: 1-14). Host cell lysis and thermal cycling steps were carried out in a single reaction mixture. Samples were processed and stored in 384-well plates, and the concentration of amplified plasmid DNA was quantified fiuorometrically using PICOGREEN dye (Molecular Probes, Eugene OR) and a Fluoroskan II fluorescence scanner (Labsystems Oy, Helsinki, Finland).
  • the cDNAs were prepared for sequencing using the ABI CATALYST 800 (Perkin-Elmer) or the HYDRA microdispenser (Robbins Scientific) or MICROLAB 2200 (Hamilton) systems in combination with the PTC-200 thermal cyclers (MJ Research).
  • the cDNAs were sequenced using the ABI PRISM 373 or 377 sequencing systems (Perkin-Elmer) and standard ABI protocols, base calling software, and kits.
  • cDNAs were sequenced using the MEGABACE 1000 DNA sequencing system (Molecular Dynamics).
  • the cDNAs were amplified and sequenced using the ABI PRISM BIGDYE Terminator cycle sequencing ready reaction kit (Perkin-Elmer).
  • cDNAs were sequenced using solutions and dyes from Amersham Pharmacia Biotech. Reading frames for the ESTs were determined using standard methods (reviewed in Ausubel, 1997, supra, unit 7.7). Some of the cDNA sequences were selected for extension using the techniques disclosed in Example V.
  • the polynucleotide sequences derived from cDNA, extension, and shotgun sequencing were assembled and analyzed using a combination of software programs which utilize algorithms well known to those skilled in the art.
  • Table 5 summarizes the software programs, descriptions, references, and threshold parameters used. The first column of Table 5 shows the tools, programs, and algorithms used, the second column provides a brief description thereof, the third column presents the references which are incorporated by reference herein, and the fourth column presents, where applicable, the scores, probability values, and other parameters used to evaluate the strength of a match between two sequences (the higher the probability the greater the homology). Sequences were analyzed using MACDNASIS PRO software (Hitachi Software Engineering, South San Francisco CA) and LASERGENE software (DNASTAR).
  • the polynucleotide sequences were validated by removing vector, linker, and polyA sequences and by masking ambiguous bases, using algorithms and programs based on BLAST, dynamic programing, and dinucleotide nearest neighbor analysis. The sequences were then queried against a selection of public databases such as GenBank primate, rodent, mammalian, vertebrate, and eukaryote databases, and BLOCKS to acquire annotation, using programs based on BLAST, FASTA, and BLIMPS. The sequences were assembled into full length polynucleotide sequences using programs based on Phred, Phrap, and Consed, and were screened for open reading frames using programs based on GeneMark, BLAST, and FASTA.
  • HMM Hidden Markov Model
  • Northern analysis is a laboratory technique used to detect the presence of a transcript of a gene and involves the hybridization of a labeled nucleotide sequence to a membrane on which RNAs from a particular cell type or tissue have been bound. (See, e.g., Sambrook, supra, ch. 7; Ausubel, 1995, supra, ch. 4 and 16.)
  • the product score takes into account both the degree of similarity between two sequences and the length of the sequence match. For example, with a product score of 40, the match will be exact within a 1% to 2% error, and, with a product score of 70, the match will be exact. Similar molecules are usually identified by selecting those which show product scores between 15 and 40, although lower scores may identify related molecules.
  • the results of northern analyses are reported as a percentage distribution of libraries in which the transcript encoding HEPI occurred.
  • Analysis involved the categorization of cDNA libraries by organ/tissue and disease.
  • the organ/tissue categories included cardiovascular, dermatologic, developmental, endocrine, gastrointestinal, hematopoietic/immune, musculoskeletal, nervous, reproductive, and urologic.
  • the disease/condition categories included cancer, inflammation/trauma, cell proliferation, neurological, and pooled. For each category, the number of libraries expressing the sequence of interest was counted and divided by the total number of libraries across all categories.
  • the initial primers were designed from the cDNA using OLIGO 4.06 software (National Biosciences, Madison, MN), or another appropriate program, to be about 22 to 30 nucleotides in length, to have a GC content of about 50% or more, and to anneal to the target sequence at temperatures of about 68 °C to about 72 °C. Any stretch of nucleotides which would result in hairpin structures and primer-primer dimerizations was avoided.
  • PCR High fidelity amplification was obtained by following the instructions for the XL-PCR kit (The Perkin-Elmer Corp., Norwalk, CT) and thoroughly mixing the enzyme and reaction mix. PCR was performed using the PTC-200 thermal cycler (MJ Research, Inc., Watertown, MA), beginning with 40 pmol of each primer and the recommended concentrations of all other components of the kit, with the following parameters:
  • Step 1 94° C for 1 min (initial denaturation)
  • Step 3 68° C for 6 min
  • Step 4 94° C for 15 sec
  • Step 7 Repeat steps 4 through 6 for an additional 15 cycles
  • Step 8 94° C for 15 sec
  • Step 9 65° C for 1 min
  • Step 10 68° C for 7: 15 min
  • Step 1 Repeat steps 8 through 10 for an additional 12 cycles
  • coli mixture was plated on Luria Bertani (LB) agar (See, e.g., Sambrook, supra. Appendix A, p. 1) containing carbenicillin (2x carb). The following day, several colonies were randomly picked from each plate and cultured in 150 ⁇ l of liquid LB/2x carb medium placed in an individual well of an appropriate commercially-available sterile 96-well microtiter plate. The following day, 5 ⁇ l of each overnight culture was transferred into a non-sterile 96-well plate and, after dilution 1 :10 with water, 5 ⁇ l from each sample was transferred into a PCR array.
  • LB Luria Bertani
  • PCR amplification For PCR amplification, 18 ⁇ l of concentrated PCR reaction mix (3.3x) containing 4 units of rTth DNA polymerase, a vector primer, and one or both of the gene specific primers used for the extension reaction were added to each well. Amplification was performed using the following conditions:
  • Step 2 94° C for 20 sec
  • Step 3 55° C for 30 sec
  • Step 4 72° C for 90 sec
  • Step 5 Repeat steps 2 through 4 for an additional 29 cycles
  • Step 7 4° C (and holding) Aliquots of the PCR reactions were run on agarose gels together with molecular weight markers. The sizes of the PCR products were compared to the original partial cDNAs, and appropriate clones were selected, ligated into plasmid, and sequenced.
  • nucleotide sequences of SEQ ID NO:7-9 are used to obtain 5' regulatory sequences using the procedure above, oligonucleotides designed for 5' extension, and an appropriate genomic library.
  • the full length nucleic acid sequences of SEQ ID NO: 10-12 were produced by extension of an appropriate fragment of the full length molecule using oligonucleotide primers designed from this fragment.
  • One primer was synthesized to initiate 5' extension of the known fragment, and the other primer, to initiate 3' extension of the known fragment.
  • the initial primers were designed using OLIGO 4.06 software (National Biosciences), or another appropriate program, to be about 22 to 30 nucleotides in length, to have a GC content of about 50% or more, and to anneal to the target sequence at temperatures of about 68°C to about 72°C. Any stretch of nucleotides which would result in hairpin structures and primer-primer dimerizations was avoided.
  • Selected human cDNA libraries were used to extend the sequence. If more than one extension was necessary or desired, additional or nested sets of primers were designed.
  • PCR was performed in 96-well plates using the PTC-200 thermal cycler (MJ Research, Inc.).
  • the reaction mix contained DNA template, 200 nmol of each primer, reaction buffer containing Mg 2+ , (NH 4 ) 2 S0 4 , and ⁇ -mercaptoethanol, Taq DNA polymerase (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech), ELONGASE enzyme (Life Technologies), and Pfu DNA polymerase (Stratagene), with the following parameters for primer pair PCI A and PCI B: Step 1 : 94°C, 3 min; Step 2: 94°C, 15 sec;
  • Step 3 60°C, 1 min
  • Step 4 68°C, 2 min
  • Step 5 Steps 2, 3, and 4 repeated 20 times
  • Step 6
  • Step 7 storage at 4°C.
  • the parameters for primer pair T7 and SK+ were as follows: Step 1 : 94°C, 3 min; Step 2: 94°C, 15 sec; Step 3: 57°C, 1 min; Step 4: 68°C, 2 min; Step 5: Steps 2, 3, and 4 repeated 20 times; Step 6: 68°C, 5 min; Step 7: storage at 4°C.
  • the concentration of DNA in each well was determined by dispensing 100 ⁇ l PICOGREEN quantitation reagent (0.25% (v/v) PICOGREEN; Molecular Probes, Eugene OR) 5 dissolved in IX TE and 0.5 ⁇ l of undiluted PCR product into each well of an opaque fluorimeter plate (Corning Costar, Acton MA), allowing the DNA to bind to the reagent.
  • the plate was scanned in a Fluoroskan II (Labsystems Oy, Helsinki, Finland) to measure the fluorescence of the sample and to quantify the concentration of DNA.
  • a 5 ⁇ l to 10 ⁇ l aliquot of the reaction mixture was analyzed by electrophoresis on a 1 % agarose mini-gel to determine which reactions were
  • the extended nucleotides were desalted and concentrated, transferred to 384-well plates, digested with CviJI cholera virus endonuclease (Molecular Biology Research, Madison WI), and sonicated or sheared prior to religation into pUC 18 vector (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech). For shotgun sequencing, the digested nucleotides were separated on low concentration (0.6 to 0.8%)
  • Step 1 94°C, 3 min
  • Step 2 94°C, 15 sec
  • Step 3 60°C, 1 min
  • Step 4 72°C, 2 min
  • Step 5 steps 2, 3, and 4 repeated 29 times
  • Step 6 72°C, 5 min
  • Step 7 storage at 4°C.
  • Hybridization probes derived from SEQ ID NO:7-12 are employed to screen cDNAs, 5 genomic DNAs, or mRNAs. Although the labeling of oligonucleotides, consisting of about 20 base pairs, is specifically described, essentially the same procedure is used with larger nucleotide fragments. Oligonucleotides are designed using state-of-the-art software such as OLIGO 4.06 software (National Biosciences) and labeled by combining 50 pmol of each oligomer, 250 ⁇ Ci of [ ⁇ - 32 P] adenosine triphosphate (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech), and T4 polynucleotide kinase (DuPont NEN, Boston MA).
  • the labeled oligonucleotides are substantially purified using a SEPHADEX G-25 superfine size exclusion dextran bead column (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech). An aliquot containing 10 7 counts per minute of the labeled probe is used in a typical membrane- based hybridization analysis of human genomic DNA digested with one of the following endonucleases: Ase I, Bgl II, Eco Rl, Pst I, Xbal, or Pvu II (DuPont NEN). The DNA from each digest is fractionated on a 0.7% agarose gel and transferred to nylon membranes (Nytran Plus, Schleicher & Schuell, Durham NH). Hybridization is carried out for 16 hours at 40°C.
  • blots are sequentially washed at room temperature under increasingly stringent conditions up to 0.1 x saline sodium citrate and 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate. After XOMAT-AR film (Eastman Kodak, Rochester NY) is exposed to the blots, hybridization patterns are compared visually. VII. Microarrays
  • a chemical coupling procedure and an ink jet device can be used to synthesize array elements on the surface of a substrate.
  • An array analogous to a dot or slot blot may also be used to arrange and link elements to the surface of a substrate using thermal, UV, chemical, or mechanical bonding procedures.
  • a typical array may be produced by hand or using available methods and machines and contain any appropriate number of elements.
  • nonhybridized probes are removed and a scanner used to determine the levels and patterns of fluorescence. The degree of complementarity and the relative abundance of each probe which hybridizes to an element on the microarray may be assessed through analysis of the scanned images.
  • Full-length cDNAs, Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs), or fragments thereof may comprise the elements of the microarray. Fragments suitable for hybridization can be selected using software well known in the art such as LASERGENE software (DNASTAR). Full-length cDNAs, ESTs, or fragments thereof corresponding to one of the nucleotide sequences of the present invention, or selected at random from a cDNA library relevant to the present invention, are arranged on an appropriate substrate, e.g., a glass slide. The cDNA is fixed to the slide using, e.g., UV cross-linking followed by thermal and chemical treatments and subsequent drying. (See, e.g., Schena, M. et al.
  • Sequences complementary to the HEPI-encoding sequences, or any parts thereof, are used to detect, decrease, or inhibit expression of naturally occurring HEPI. Although use of oligonucleotides comprising from about 15 to 30 base pairs is described, essentially the same procedure is used with smaller or with larger sequence fragments. Appropriate oligonucleotides are designed using OLIGO 4.06 software (National Biosciences) and the coding sequence of HEPI. To inhibit transcription, a complementary oligonucleotide is designed from the most unique 5' sequence and used to prevent promoter binding to the coding sequence. To inhibit translation, a complementary oligonucleotide is designed to prevent ribosomal binding to the HEPI-encoding transcript.
  • HEPI HEPI expression and purification of HEPI is achieved using bacterial or virus-based expression systems.
  • cDNA is subcloned into an appropriate vector containing an antibiotic resistance gene and an inducible promoter that directs high levels of cDNA transcription.
  • promoters include, but are not limited to, the trp-lac (tac) hybrid promoter and the T5 or T7 bacteriophage promoter in conjunction with the lac operator regulatory element.
  • Recombinant vectors are transformed into suitable bacterial hosts, e.g., BL21(DE3).
  • Antibiotic resistant bacteria express HEPI upon induction with isopropyl beta- D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG).
  • HEPI HEPI in eukaryotic cells
  • AcMNPV Autographica califomica nuclear polyhedrosis virus
  • the nonessential polyhedrin gene of baculovirus is replaced with cDNA encoding HEPI by either homologous recombination or bacterial-mediated transposition involving transfer plasmid intermediates. Viral infectivity is maintained and the strong polyhedrin promoter drives high levels of cDNA transcription.
  • Recombinant baculovirus is used to infect Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cells in most cases, or human hepatocytes, in some cases.
  • HEPI is synthesized as a fusion protein with, e.g., glutathione S-transferase (GST) or a peptide epitope tag, such as FLAG or 6-His, permitting rapid, single-step, affinity-based purification of recombinant fusion protein from crude cell lysates.
  • GST glutathione S-transferase
  • a peptide epitope tag such as FLAG or 6-His
  • FLAG an 8-amino acid peptide
  • 6-His a stretch of six consecutive histidine residues, enables purification on metal-chelate resins (QIAGEN). Methods for protein expression and purification are discussed in Ausubel (1995, supra, ch 10 and 16). Purified HEPI obtained by these methods can be used directly in the following activity assay.
  • HEPI HEPI, or biologically active fragments thereof, are labeled with i25 I Bolton-Hunter reagent.
  • Bolton-Hunter reagent See, e.g., Bolton et al. (1973) Biochem. J. 133:529.
  • Candidate molecules previously arrayed in the wells of a multi-well plate are incubated with the labeled HEPI, washed, and any wells with labeled HEPI complex are assayed. Data obtained using different concentrations of HEPI are used to calculate values for the number, affinity, and association of HEPI with the candidate molecules.
  • HEPI function is assessed by expressing the sequences encoding HEPI at physiologically elevated levels in mammalian cell culture systems.
  • cDNA is subcloned into a mammalian expression vector containing a strong promoter that drives high levels of cDNA expression.
  • Vectors of choice include pCMV SPORT (Life Technologies) and pCR3.1 (Invitrogen, Carlsbad CA), both of which contain the cytomegalovirus promoter. 5-10 ⁇ g of recombinant vector are transiently transfected into a human cell line, preferably of endothelial or hematopoietic origin, using either liposome formulations or electroporation.
  • 1-2 ⁇ g of an additional plasmid containing sequences encoding a marker protein are co-transfected.
  • Expression of a marker protein provides a means to distinguish transfected cells from nontransfected cells and is a reliable predictor of cDNA expression from the recombinant vector.
  • Marker proteins of choice include, e.g., Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP; Clontech), CD64, or a CD64-GFP fusion protein.
  • FCM Flow cytometry
  • FCM detects and quantifies the uptake of fluorescent molecules that diagnose events preceding or coincident with cell death. These events include changes in nuclear DNA content as measured by staining of DNA with propidium iodide; changes in cell size and granularity as measured by forward light scatter and 90 degree side light scatter; down-regulation of DNA synthesis as measured by decrease in bromodeoxyuridine uptake; alterations in expression of cell surface and intracellular proteins as measured by reactivity with specific antibodies; and alterations in plasma membrane composition as measured by the binding of fluorescein-conjugated Annexin V protein to the cell surface. Methods in flow cytometry are discussed in Ormerod, M. G. (1994) Flow Cytometry. Oxford, New York NY.
  • HEPI human immunoglobulin G
  • Transfected cells are efficiently separated from nontransfected cells using magnetic beads coated with either human IgG or antibody against CD64 (DYNAL, Lake Success NY).
  • mRNA can be purified from the cells using methods well known by those of skill in the art. Expression of mRNA encoding HEPI and other genes of interest can be analyzed by northern analysis or microarray techniques. XII. Production of HEPI Specific Antibodies HEPI substantially purified using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE; see, e.g.,
  • the HEPI amino acid sequence is analyzed using LASERGENE software (DNASTAR) to determine regions of high immunogenicity, and a corresponding oligopeptide is synthesized and used to raise antibodies by means known to those of skill in the art.
  • LASERGENE software DNASTAR
  • Methods for selection of appropriate epitopes, such as those near the C-terminus or in hydrophilic regions are well described in the art. (See, e.g., Ausubel, 1995, supra, ch. 11.)
  • oligopeptides 15 residues in length are synthesized using an ABI 431 A Peptide Synthesizer (Perkin-Elmer) using fmoc-chemistry and coupled to KLH (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis MO) by reaction with N-maleimidobenzoyl-N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (MBS) to increase immunogenicity.
  • ABI 431 A Peptide Synthesizer Perkin-Elmer
  • KLH Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis MO
  • MBS N-maleimidobenzoyl-N-hydroxysuccinimide ester
  • Rabbits are immunized with the oligopeptide-KLH complex in complete Freund's adjuvant.
  • Resulting antisera are tested for antipeptide activity by, for example, binding the peptide to plastic, blocking with 1% BSA, reacting with rabbit antisera, washing, and reacting with radio-iodinated goat anti-rabbit IgG.
  • Naturally occurring or recombinant HEPI is substantially purified by immunoaffinity chromatography using antibodies specific for HEPI.
  • An immunoaffinity column is constructed by covalently coupling anti-HEPI antibody to an activated chromatographic resin, such as CNBr-activated SEPHAROSE (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech). After the coupling, the resin is blocked and washed according to the manufacturer's instructions.
  • NHEK epidermal breast keratinocytes
  • SKINNOT04 This library was constructed using RNA isolated from breast skin tissue removed from a 70-year-old Caucasian female during a breast biopsy and resection.
  • 1798487 COLNNOT27 This library was constructed using RNA isolated from diseased cecal tissue removed from a 31-year-old Caucasian male during a total intra-abdominal colectomy, appendectomy, and permanent ileostomy. Pathology indicated
  • OVARNOT09 This library was constructed using RNA isolated from ovarian tissue removed from a 28-year-old Caucasian female during a vaginal hysterectomy and removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries. Pathology indicated multiple follicular cysts ranging in size from 0.4 to 1.5 cm in the right and left ovaries, chronic cervicitis and squamous metaplasia of the cervix, and endometrium in weakly proliferative phase. Family history included benign hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.
  • ABI FACTURA A program thai removes vector sequences and masks Perkin-Elmer Applied Biosystems, ambiguous bases in nucleic acid sequences. Foster City, CA.
  • ABl/PARACEL FDF A Fast Data Finder useful in comparing and annotating Perkin-Elmer Applied Biosystems, Mismatch ⁇ 50% amino acid or nucleic acid sequences. Foster City, CA; Paracel Inc., Pasadena, CA.
  • ABI AuloAssembler A program that assembles nucleic acid sequences. Perkin-Elmer Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA.
  • V/l BLAST includes five functions: blastp, blastn, blastx, Nucleic Acids Res. 25: 3389-3402. Full Length se uences: Probability oo
  • Phred A base-calling algorithm that examines automated Ewing, B. et al. ( 1998) Genome sequencer traces with high sensitivity and probability. Res. 8: 175- 185; Ewing, B. and P. Green ( 1998) Genome Res. 8: 186- 194.
  • Motifs A program that searches amino acid sequences for patterns Bairoch et al. supra: Wisconsin thai matched those defined in Prosite. Package Program Manual, version 9, page M51-59, Genetics Computer Group, Madison, WI.

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Abstract

L'invention concerne des protéines épidermiques humaines et des polynucléotides identifiant et codant ces protéines. L'invention concerne en outre des vecteurs d'expression, des cellules hôtes, des anticorps, des agonistes et des antagonistes. L'invention concerne également des procédés relatifs au diagnostic, au traitement ou à la prévention des troubles associés à l'expression des protéines considérées.
EP99938848A 1998-07-28 1999-07-27 Proteines epidermiques humaines hepi-1 a hepi-6 Withdrawn EP1100905A2 (fr)

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PCT/US1999/017107 WO2000006727A2 (fr) 1998-07-28 1999-07-27 Proteines epidermiques humaines hepi-1 a hepi-6

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