EP1226152A2

EP1226152A2 - Regulation of gene expression by neuroleptic agents

Info

Publication number: EP1226152A2
Application number: EP00975448A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Elizabeth A. Thomas; J. Gregor Sutcliffe; Thomas M. Pribyl; Brian Hilbush; Karl W. Hasel
Original assignee: Digital Gene Technologies Inc
Current assignee: Digital Gene Technologies Inc
Priority date: 1999-10-26
Filing date: 2000-10-26
Publication date: 2002-07-31
Also published as: AU1349801A; MXPA02004241A; CA2389110A1; WO2001030972A3; JP2003533970A; WO2001030972A2

Abstract

Polynucleotides, polypeptides, kits and methods are provided related to genes expressed in the central nervous system that are regulated by neuroleptics.

Description

REGULATION OF GENE EXPRESSION BY NEUROLEPTIC AGENTS

(MBHB Case No. 99,022-B)

This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/161,379, filed October 26, 1999 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/186,918, filed on March 3, 2000. Both applications are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Schizophrenia and dopamine receptors. Midbrain dopamine neurons have been shown to play an important role in normal and diseased brain functions. For example, many psychiatric disorders are associated with overactive dopaminergic activity in the meso-striatal dopamine system which refers to both the nigro-striatal dopamine pathway (neurons linking the substantia nigra to the striatum), and the meso-limbic dopamine pathway (neurons linking the ventral tegmental area to limbic regions, such as amygdala, olfactory tubercle and the nucleus accumbens, which is often considered a ventral extension of the striatum). Additionally, it is known that Parkinson's Disease is caused by the degeneration of dopamine neurons of the nigro-striatal pathway.

Neuroleptic (antipsychotic) drugs. Neuroleptic dmgs, such as haloperidol and clozapine, are widely used in the long-term treatment of various psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. The antipsychotic effects of neuroleptic dmgs are generally attributed to blockade of D₂ receptors in the meso-limbic dopamine system (Metzler et al., Schizophrenia Bull, 2, 19-76 (1976)). The best evidence for this comes from the excellent correlation observed between the therapeutic potency of neuroleptics and their affinity for binding to the D receptor (Seeman et al., Curr. Opn. Neurol. And Neurosurg., 6, 602-608 (1993); Creese et al., Science, 192, 481 -483 (1976); Peroutka et al., Am. J. Psych., 137, 1518-1522 (1980); Dεutch, et al., Schizophren. Res., 4, 121-156 (1991); Seeman. P., Synapse 1, 133-152 (1987)). Although neuroleptic drugs have affinity for other neurotransmitter receptors in the brain, such as muscarinic acetylcholine, 5-HT, alpha-adrenergic and histamine receptors, no correlation to clinical efficacy has been observed with these receptors (Peroutka et al., Am. J. Psych. (1980); Richelson et al., Eur. J. Pharm., 103, 197-204 (1984)).

Studies demonstrate that dopamine receptors become blocked to a level of 70% after only a few hours of neuroleptic treatment (Sedval et al., Arch. Gen. Psych., 43, 995- 1006 (1986)). This blockade has been shown to lead to a compensatory increase in dopamine receptor number and supersensitivity of the unblocked receptors (Clow et al., Psychopharm., 69, 227-233 (1980); Rupniak et al., Life Sci., 32, 2289-2311 (1983); Rogue et al., Eur. J. Pharm., 207, 165-169 (1991)). Furthermore, the short-term effects of dopamine antagonists on the brain are well known and include such effects as an increase in dopamine synthesis and catabolism, an increase in the firing rate of dopamine neurons resulting from the inhibition of pre-synaptic dopamine autoreceptors (Grace et al., J. Pharm. Exp. Ther., 238, 1092-1100 (1986), and a potentiation of cyclic AMP formation resulting from the blockade of post-synaptic dopamine receptors (Rupniak et al., Psychopharm., 84, 519-521 (1984)).

Side effects of neuroleptic druss. In addition to their antipsychotic actions, neuroleptics can cause a series of mild to severe side effects. Some of these side-effects result from the dirty nature of neuroleptic dmgs, including hypotension and tachycardia, which results from alpha-adrenergic receptor blockade, and dry mouth and blurred vision, which results from the blockade of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. The predominant and most undesirable effects that accompany neuroleptic treatment are the long-lasting motor deficits referred to as extrapyramidal side effects (Marsden et al., Psychol. Med., 10, 55-72 (1980)). Extrapyramidal side effects are associated with the blockade of dopamine receptors in the dorsal striatum (Moore et al., Clin. Neuropharmacol., 12, 167- 184 (1989) and include such motor deficits as dystonias (muscle spasms), akathisias (motor restlessness), Parkinson' s-like symptoms and Tardive Dyskinesia. Roughly 20% of patients taking antipsychotics demonstrate Parkinson's-like symptoms, the blockade of dopamine D₂ receptors in the striatum being functionally equivalent to the degeneration of nigro-striatal dopamine neurons seen in Parkinson's Disease. Tardive Dyskinesia is a syndrome of abnormal involuntary movements that afflicts roughly 25% of patients on neuroleptic treatment (Jeste et al., Psychopharmacol., 106, 154-160 (1992)). The danger of this side effect is that it can be potentially irreversible, that is, patients can still have symptoms of Tardive Dyskinesia long after the antipsychotic has been discontinued. This implicates an epigenetic component to the effects of chronic neuroleptic treatment.

Interestingly, "typical" neuroleptics, such as haloperidol and fluphenazine, have a much higher propensity for causing extrapyramidal side effects than "atypical" neuroleptic dmgs, such as clozapine, which rarely causes these types of effects. Although clozapine differs from haloperidol in its pharmalogical profile, the specific mechanism leading to the lack of motor side effects is unclear. Since clozapine has high affinity for other neurotransmitter receptors, such as muscarinic, adrenergic and serotonin receptors, it is possible that the antipsychotic actions of clozapine are partly due to blockade of these other receptors, which may restore proper balance of the dopamine input and output pathways of the basal ganglia.

Genetics and senes involved in neuropsychiatric disorders. In the general population, the risk for developing a psychiatric disorder is approximately 1-2% (Maier, W., and Schwab, S., Molecular genetics of schizophrenia. Current Opinion in Psychiatry 11 : 19-25 (1998); Kendler, K.S., Twin studies of psychiatric illness: current status and future directions. Arch Gen Psychiatry 50:9095-915 (1993)). However, this risk increases to 10% or 40% if one or both parents, respectively, have the disease. Concordance in monozygotic and dizygotic twins remains only as high 40-50% (Maier and Schwab (1998)). While there is undoubtedly a genetic component to the transmission of psychiatric disorders, the lack of full concordance in dizygotic twins indicates that there are other environmental factors that contribute (Maier and Schwab (1998); Kendler (1993)). A current challenge in genetic research on mental illnesses is the identification of mutations conferring susceptibility to, or genes associated with therapeutics for, such disorders. One approach addressing the latter is to identify genes whose expression is altered during the process of dmg treatment. Expression of immediate early genes resulting from acute neuroleptic treatment. Despite the immediate occupancy of dopamine receptors, neuroleptic dmgs have a delayed onset of clinical action, which often can be up to several weeks. Further, as discussed above, neuroleptic drags are characterized by their ability to cause late and long-lasting motor deficits. The distinct temporal discrepancy which exists between dopamine receptor occupancy and the onset of therapeutic and extrapyramidal side effects, suggests that additional molecular changes in the brain occur downstream from dopamine receptor blockade. In an attempt to identify the downstream molecular mechanisms, studies have focused on dopamine-receptor regulation of individual target genes in the striatum and nucleus accumbens.

For example, several studies have demonstrated that acute treatment with antipsychotic dmgs causes induction of several immediate-early genes (Nguyen et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 89, 4270-4274 (1992); MacGibbon et al., Mol. Brain. Res. 23, 21- 32 (1994); Robertson et al., Neuro. Sci., 46, 315-328 (1992); Dragunow et al., Neuro.

Sci., 37, 287-294 (1990); Miller J. Neurochem., 54, 1453-1455 (1990)). Some immediate early gene proteins (IEGPs) act as transcription factors by binding to specific DNA sequences and regulating gene transcription. Thus, IEGPs can link receptor-mediated signalling effects to long-term genomic activity. Recent studies have shown that haloperidol, a typical neuroleptic, induces the expression c-Fos in the rat striatum and nucleus accumbens, whereas, clozapine, an atypical neuroleptic, induces c-Fos in the nucleus accumbens only (Nguyen et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (1992); MacGibbon et al., Mol Brain Res. (1994); Robertson et al., Neurosci. (1992)). Haloperidol has also been shown to induce expression of other IEGPs, such as FosB, JunB, JunD and Krox24, in the striatum and nucleus accumbens (Rogue et al., Brain Res. Bull. 29, 469-472 (1992); Marsden et al., Psych. Med. (1980); Moore et al., Clin. Neuropharmacol. (1989)). In contrast, clozapine has been shown to induce Krox24 and JunB in the nucleus accumbens only (Nguyen et al. (1992); MacGibbon et al. (1994)). These results suggest that clozapine's lower tendency to cause extrapyramidal side effects, compared to "typical" neuroleptics, may be associated with its failure to induce IEGPs in the striatum. The appearance of immediate early genes after acute treatment with neuroleptics likely precedes a number of other molecular changes responsible for the delayed adaptive changes that occur with dmg treatment in the striatum.

Changes induced by chronic neuroleptic treatment. Chronic treatment with neuroleptic dmgs has also been shown to cause changes in the expression of certain neuropeptides and neurotransmitter receptors. In distinct regions of the striatum, both neurotensin and enkephalin are upregulated after chronic (7 - 28 days) treatment with haloperidol, while levels of protachykinin mRNA are decreased (Merchant et al., J. Pharm. Exp. Ther., 271, 460-471 (1994); Delfs et al., J. Neurochem., 63, 777-780 (1994); Angulo et al., Neurosci. Lett. 113, 217-221 (1990)). In contrast, chronic clozapine treatment results in a decrease in enkephalin mRNA levels and only small changes in the expression of neurotensin and tachykinin (Merchant et al. (1994); Mercugliano et al., Neurosci. Lett., 136, 10-15 (1992); Angulo et al. (1990)). These differences suggest that neuropeptides may play a role in the motor deficits that result from treatment with typical neuroleptics.

Researchers have also demonstrated the regulation of genes associated with glutaminergic neurotransmission. For example, a decrease in mRNA expression of the glutamate transporter, GLT-1, was observed in the striatum after 30 days of haloperidol treatment, but not after clozapine exposure (Schneider et al., Neuroreport., 9, 133-136 (1998)). Similar treatment with haloperidol also resulted in an increase in the N-methyl- D-aspartate (NMD A) receptor subunits, NR1 and NR2, whereas clozapine treatment resulted in a lesser induction (Riva et al., Mol. Brain. Res. 50, 136-142 (1997)).

In addition, pathological and structural changes in the striatum have been observed after chronic drag treatment. Studies using experimental animals have detected a reduction in the size and number of striatal neurons and neuronal processes, as well as decreases in striatal neuronal density following chronic treatment with haloperidol (Christensen et al., Ada. Psych. Scand., 46, 14-23 (1970), Jeste et al., Psychopharm., 106, 154-160 (1992); Mahadik et al., Biol. Psych., 24, 199-217 (1988); Nielson et. al., Psychopharm., 59-85-89 (1978). These studies imply that neuroleptics may have a neurotoxic effect on the striatum which could account for the ensuing neuroleptic- induced side effects.

Although the above studies have examined the expression of a few individual target genes, there has been no comprehensive study of the effects of neuroleptics on gene expression over time in the striatum and nucleus accumbens, brain regions considered to be critically involved in the actions of neuroleptic dmgs. Thus, the number and identity of the genes which are differentially expressed following acute and chronic treatment with neuroleptics in these tissues remains unknown. Further, there has been no comprehensive examination of the differences between the striatal mRNA expression induced by typical neuroleptics and the expression induced by atypical neuroleptics. Such a comparative study would identify the genes that regulate the antipsychotic actions of neuroleptics versus those responsible for the unwanted side effects associated with these dmgs. This information would advance the development of an antipsychotic therapy that would target specific actions of neuroleptic dmgs or, alternatively, would selectively block proteins causing the motor side effects.

In addition, a systematic characterization would allow the identification of genes that contribute to neuropathologies associated with neuropsychiatric disorders, such as psychoses, bipolar disorder, and addiction-related behavior. This information can reveal pathways for the mechanism of actions of antipsychotic drags, as well as provide insight regarding the underlying basis of psychiatric dysfunction. Specifically, the identification of potentially harmful gene products is important to identify molecules that could be useful as diagnostic markers indicating neuropathology. Additionally, the identification of potentially harmful gene products is important to identify molecules that could be amenable to pharmaceutical intervention. A systematic characterization would also allow the identification of beneficial molecules that contribute to conditions of neuroprotection. Such identification of beneficial products could lead to the development of pharmaceutical agents useful in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Furthermore, the identification of harmful and beneficial products may lead to new lines of study towards the amelioration of symptoms associated with neuropsychiatric disorders.

Studies have been performed using the PCR-based Total Gene Expression Analysis (TOGA) method to analyze the expression patterns of thousands of genes and compare expression patterns among time courses following clozapine drag treatment. Genes regulated by clozapine treatment were examined in haloperidol-treated animals for a comparative analysis.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Studies have been performed using the PCR-based Total Gene Expression Analysis (TOGA) method to analyze the expression patterns of thousands of genes and compare expression patterns among time courses following clozapine drug treatment. Genes regulated by clozapine treatment were examined in haloperidol-treated animals for a comparative analysis. TOGA analysis has identified several genes that are altered in their expression in response to clozapine and/or haloperidol administration in mouse brain. In particular, the TOGA system has been used to examine how gene expression in the striatum and nucleus accumbens is regulated by an atypical neuroleptic agent, such as clozapine. These studies have identified proteins and genes which are regulated by the treatment of atypical drags. Further, these studies have identified at least one gene which is differentially regulated by typical and atypical drags.

The studies have also examined the pattern of expression of neuroleptic-regulated genes in various regions of the brain. Among other things, these studies are useful to determine the genes specifically associated with anti-psychotic activity versus those associated with extrapyramidal side effects, which information advances the development of improved antipsychotic therapies. The identified neuroleptic-regulated molecules are useful in therapeutic and diagnostic applications in the treatment of various neuropsychiatric disorders, such as psychoses, bipolar disorder, and addiction-related behavior. Such molecules are also useful as probes as described by their size, partial nucleotide sequence and characteristic regulation pattern associated with neuroleptic administration.

The present invention provides novel polynucleotides and the encoded polypeptides. Moreover, the present invention relates to vectors, host cells, antibodies, and recombinant methods for producing the polynucleotides and the polypeptides. One embodiment of the invention provides an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide chosen from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:l, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO: 10, SEQ ID NO.T 1, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO: 49, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO: 57, SEQ ID NO:58, SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ ID NO:60, SEQ ID NO:61, SEQ ID NO:62, SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:64, SEQ ID NO:65, SEQ ID NO:66, SEQ ID NO:67, SEQ ID NO:68, SEQ ID NO:69, SEQ ID NO:70, SEQ ID NO:71, SEQ ID NO:72 and SEQ ID NO: 107. Also provided is an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide at least 95% identical to any one of these isolated nucleic acid molecules and an isolated nucleic acid molecule at least ten bases in length that is hybridizable to any one of these isolated nucleic acid molecules under stringent conditions. Any one of these isolated nucleic acid molecules can comprise sequential nucleotide deletions from either the 5'- terminus or the 3 '-terminus. Further provided is a recombinant vector comprising any one of these isolated nucleic acid molecules and a recombinant host cell comprising any one of these isolated nucleic acid molecules. Also provided is the gene corresponding to the cDNA sequence of any one of these isolated nucleic acids.

Another embodiment of the invention provides an isolated polypeptide encoded by a polynucleotide chosen from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:l, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO: 10, SEQ ID NO.T 1, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO.16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO: 18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO: 49, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO: 57, SEQ ID NO:58, SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ ID NO:60, SEQ ID NO:61, SEQ ID NO:62, SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO.64, SEQ ID NO:65, SEQ ID NO:66, SEQ ID NO:67, SEQ ID NO:68, SEQ ID NO:69, SEQ ID NO:70, SEQ ID NO:71, SEQ ID NO:72 and SEQ ID NO: 107. Also provided is an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding any of these polypeptides, an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding a fragment of any of these polypeptides, an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide epitope of any of these polypeptides, and an isolated nucleic acid encoding a species homologue of any of these polypeptides. Another embodiment of the invention provides an isolated polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 109. Another embodiment of the invention provides an isolated polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 110. Preferably, any one of these polypeptides has biological activity. Optionally, any one of the isolated polypeptides comprises sequential amino acid deletions from either the C-terminus or the N-terminus. Further provided is a recombinant host cell that expresses any one of these isolated polypeptides.

Yet another embodiment of the invention comprises an isolated antibody that binds specifically to an isolated polypeptide encoded by a polynucleotide chosen from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:l, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO: 10, SEQ ID NOT 1, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO: 14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO: 16, SEQ ID NO: 17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO: 49, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO: 57, SEQ ID NO:58, SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ ID NO:60, SEQ ID NO:61, SEQ ID NO:62, SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:64, SEQ ID NO:65, SEQ ID NO:66, SEQ ID NO:67, SEQ ID NO:68, SEQ ID NO:69, SEQ ID NO:70, SEQ ID NO.71, SEQ ID NO:72 and SEQ ID NO: 107. Yet another embodiment of the invention comprises an isolated antibody that binds specifically to an isolated polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 109. Yet another embodiment of the invention comprises an isolated antibody that binds specifically to an isolated polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 110. The isolated antibody can be a monoclonal antibody or a polyclonal antibody. Another embodiment of the invention provides a method for preventing, treating, modulating, or ameliorating a medical condition, such as a neuropsychiatric disorder, comprising administering to a mammalian subject a therapeutically effective amount of a polypeptide of the invention or a polynucleotide of the invention. In one preferred embodiment, a method for preventing, treating, modulating or ameliorating schizophrenia is provided. In another preferred embodiment, a method for preventing, treating, modulating or ameliorating bipolar disorder is provided. In yet another embodiment, a method for preventing, treating, modulating or ameliorating addiction-related behavior is provided.

A further embodiment of the invention provides an isolated antibody that binds specifically to the isolated polypeptide of the invention. A preferred embodiment of the invention provides a method for preventing, treating, modulating, or ameliorating a medical condition, such as a neuropsychiatric disorder, comprising administering to a mammalian subject a therapeutically effective amount of the antibody. In one preferred embodiment, a method for preventing, treating, modulating or ameliorating schizophrenia is provided. In another preferred embodiment, a method for preventing, treating, modulating or ameliorating bipolar disorders is provided. In yet another embodiment, a method for preventing, treating, modulating or ameliorating addiction-related behavior is provided.

An additional embodiment of the invention provides a method of diagnosing a pathological condition or a susceptibility to a pathological condition in a subject. The method comprises determining the presence or absence of a mutation in a polynucleotide of the invention. A pathological condition or a susceptibility to a pathological condition, such as a neuropsychiatric disorder, is diagnosed based on the presence or absence of the mutation. In one preferred embodiment, a method for diagnosing schizophrenia is provided. In another preferred embodiment, a method for diagnosing bipolar disorders is provided. In yet another embodiment, a method for preventing, treating, modulating or ameliorating addiction-related behavior is provided. Even another embodiment of the invention provides a method of diagnosing a pathological condition or a susceptibility to a pathological condition, such as a neuropsychiatric disorder, in a subject. Especially preferred embodiments include methods of diagnosing schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. The method comprises detecting an alteration in expression of a polypeptide encoded by the polynucleotide of the invention, wherein the presence of an alteration in expression of the polypeptide is indicative of the pathological condition or susceptibility to the pathological condition. The alteration in expression can be an increase in the amount of expression or a decrease in the amount of expression. In a preferred embodiment a first biological sample is obtained from a patient suspected of having a neuropsychiatric disorder, for example, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or addiction-related behavior, and a second sample from a suitable comparable control source is obtained. The amount of at least one polypeptide encoded by a polynucleotide of the invention is determined in the first and second sample. The amount of the polypeptide in the first and second samples is determined. A patient is diagnosed as having a neuropsychiatric disorder if the amount of the polypeptide in the first sample is greater than or less than the amount of the polypeptide in the second sample.

Another embodiment of the invention provides a method for identifying a binding partner to a polypeptide of the invention. A polypeptide of the invention is contacted with a binding partner and it is determined whether the binding partner effects an activity of the polypeptide.

Yet another embodiment of the invention is a method of identifying an activity of an expressed polypeptide in a biological assay. A polypeptide of the invention is expressed in a cell and isolated. The expressed polypeptide is tested for an activity in a biological assay and the activity of the expressed polypeptide is identified based on the test results.

Still another embodiment of the invention provides a substantially pure isolated

DNA molecule suitable for use as a probe for genes regulated in neuropsychiatric disorders, chosen from the group consisting of the DNA molecules shown in | of SEQ ID NOT, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NOT 1, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO: 14, SEQ ID NO.T5, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO: 49, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO: 57, SEQ ID NO:58, SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ ID NO:60, SEQ ID NO.61, SEQ ID NO:62, SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:64, SEQ ID NO:65, SEQ ID NO:66, SEQ ID NO:67, SEQ ID NO:68, SEQ ID NO:69, SEQ ID NO:70, SEQ ID NO:71, SEQ ID NO:72 and SEQ ID NO: 107.

Even another embodiment of the invention provides a kit for detecting the presence of a polypeptide of the invention in a mammalian tissue sample. The kit comprises a first antibody which immunoreacts with a mammalian protein encoded by a gene corresponding to the polynucleotide of the invention or with a polypeptide encoded by the polynucleotide in an amount sufficient for at least one assay and suitable packaging material. The kit can further comprise a second antibody that binds to the first antibody. The second antibody can be labeled with enzymes, radioisotopes, fluorescent compounds, colloidal metals, chemiluminescent compounds, phosphorescent compounds, or bioluminescent compounds.

Another embodiment of the invention provides a kit for detecting the presence of genes encoding a protein comprising a polynucleotide of the invention, or fragment thereof having at least 10 contiguous bases, in an amount sufficient for at least one assay, and suitable packaging material.

Yet another embodiment of the invention provides a method for detecting the presence of a nucleic acid encoding a protein in a mammalian tissue sample. A polynucleotide of the invention or fragment thereof having at least 10 contiguous bases is hybridized with the nucleic acid of the sample. The presence of the hybridization product is detected. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

Figure 1 is a graphical representation of the results of TOGA analysis using a 5' PCR primer with parsing bases AGT A, showing PCR products produced from mRNA extracted from the striatum/nucleus accumbens of mice treated with 7.5 mg/kg of clozapine for the following durations: control (no clozapine), 45 minutes, 7 hours, 5 days, 12 days, and 14 days, where the vertical index line indicates a PCR product of about 106 b.p. that is present in the control sample and enriched in the clozapine-treated samples;

Figure 2A-C is a graphical representation of a more detailed analysis of the 106 bp PCR product indicated in Figure 1. The upper panel (Figure 2A) shows the PCR product generated with the clone specific primer (SEQ ID NO: 28) and the fluoresecnt labeled universal 3* PCR primer (SEQ ID NO: 23). Figure 2B shows the PCR products produced in the original TOGA reaction using a 5' PCR primer, C-G-A-C-G-G-T-A-T-C- G-G-A-G-T-A (SEQ ID NO: 94), and the fluoresecnt labeled universal 3' PCR primer (SEQ ID NO: 23). In the bottom panel (Figure 2C), the traces from the top panel and middle panels are overlaid, demonstrating that the PCR product produced using an extended primer based on the cloned sequence is the same length as the original PCR product;

Figure 3 is a graphical representation of the results of TOGA analysis using a 5' PCR primer with parsing bases CACC, showing PCR products produced from mRNA extracted from the striatum/nucleus accumbens of mice treated with 7.5 mg/kg of clozapine for the following durations: control (no clozapine), 45 minutes, 7 hours, 5 days, 12 days, and 14 days, where the vertical index line indicates a PCR product of about 201 b.p. that is present in the control sample and increasingly enriched over time in the clozapine-treated samples;

Figure 4 shows a Northern Blot analysis of clone CLZ_5 (CACC 201), where an agarose gel containing poly A enriched mRNA from the striatum/nucleus accumbens of mice treated with clozapine as well as size standards was blotted after electrophoresis and probed with radiolabelled CLZ_5. Mice were treated with clozapine (7.5 mg/kg) for the following time durations before mRNA extraction: control (no clozapine), 45 minutes, 7 hours, 5 days, 12 days, and 14 days;

Figure 5 shows a Northern Blot analysis of clone CLZ_5 (CACC 201), where an agarose gel containing poly A enriched mRNA from the striatum/nucleus accumbens of mice treated with haloperidol as well as size standards was blotted after electrophoresis and probed with radiolabelled CLZ_5. Mice were treated with haloperidol (4 mg/kg) for the following time durations before mRNA extraction: control (no haloperidol), 45 minutes, 7 hours, 10 days, and 14 days;

Figure 6 is a graphical representation comparing the results of the TOGA analysis of clone CLZ_5 shown in Fig. 3 and the Northern Blot analysis of clone CLZ 5 shown in Figure 4;

Figure 7A-C is an in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ_5, showing the pattern of CLZ_5 mRNA expression in mouse anterior brain (7A), midbrain (7B), and posterior brain (7C), where CLZ 5 is expressed in scattered glial cells and white matter tracts;

Figure 8A-I is an in situ hybridization analyses, using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ 5, showing CLZ 5 mRNA expression in mouse anterior brain (8A-C), midbrain (8D-F), and posterior brain (8G-I) in saline-treated mice (top row), mice treated with clozapine for 5 days (middle row), and mice treated with clozapine for 14 days (bottom row), where the clozapine treatment induces expression in the glial cells;

Figure 9A-H shows a darkfield photomicrograph of various brain regions, including the corpus callosum (cc, Fig. 9A, E); caudate putamen (CPu, Fig. 9B, F); anterior commissure (aca, Fig. 9C, G); and globus pallidus (GP, Fig. 9D, H) in control (9A-D) and clozapine-treated (9E-H) animals;

Figure 1 OA-D shows a darkfield photomicrograph in the internal capsule (ic) ( 10 A, B) and a brightfield view of the optic tract (opt) ( 1 OC, D) from control ( 1 OA, C) and clozapine-treated (10B, D) animals;

Figure 11 A-H shows GFAP and apoD co-localization in the striatum (11 A, B, D, E) and optic tract (1 IC, F) of control saline (11 A, B, C) and clozapine-treated animals (1 ID, E, F), with thick arrows designating the co-localization of GFAP and apoD mRNA and thin arrows designating the expression of apoD only; 11G-H shows apoD immunohistochemistry with an anti-human apoD primary antibody (Novocastra, Newcastle, UK) in the optic tract of control saline (11G) and clozapine-treated animals (11H).

Figure 12 shows a Northern Blot analysis of clone CLZ_5, where an agarose gel containing poly A enriched mRNA from cultured glial cells treated with clozapine as well as size standards was blotted after electrophoresis and probed with radiolabelled CLZ 5. Cultured glial cells were treated with different concentrations of clozapine for different lengths of time before mRNA extraction as follows: A= control (no clozapine), B= 100 nM clozapine, 1 day, C= lμM clozapine, 1 day, D= 100 nM clozapine, 1 week, E= lμM clozapine, 1 week;

Figure 13 is a graphical representation of the results of TOGA analysis using a 5' PCR primer with parsing bases TTGT, showing PCR products produced from mRNA extracted from the striatum/nucleus accumbens of mice treated with 7.5 mg/kg clozapine as follows: control (no clozapine), 45 minutes, 7 hours, 5 days, 12 days, and 14 days, where the vertical index line indicates a PCR product of about 266 b.p. that is present in the control sample, is down-regulated within 45 minutes in the clozapine-treated sample, and remains down-regulated for 14 days in the presence of clozapine;

Figure 14 is a graphical representation of the results of TOGA analysis using a 5' PCR primer with parsing bases TTGT, showing PCR products produced from mRNA extracted from the brain of morphine-treated mice as follows: control striatum (PS), acutely treated striatum (AS), withdrawal striatum (WS), control amygdala (PA), acutely treated amygdala (AA), chronically treated amygdala (TA), and withdrawal amygdala (WA), where the vertical index line indicates a PCR product of about 266 b.p. that is more abundant in control striatum than control amygdala and is differentially regulated by morphine in striatum versus amygdala;

Figure 15 shows a Northern Blot analysis of clone CLZ_40 (TTGT 266), where an agarose gel containing poly A enriched mRNA from the striatum/nucleus accumbens of clozapine-treated mice as well as size standards was blotted after electrophoresis and probed with radiolabelled CLZ_40. Mice were treated with clozapine (7.5 mg/kg) for the following time durations before mRNA extraction: control (no clozapine), 45 minutes, 7 hours, 5 days, 12 days, and 14 days;

Figure 16 is a graphical representation comparing the results of the TOGA analysis of clone CLZ_40 shown in Fig. 13 and the Northern Blot analysis of clone CLZ_40 shown in Figure 15;

Figure 17A-B is an in situ hybridization analysis, showing clone CLZ_40 mRNA expression in mouse brain using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ_40, where 17A shows expression in the nucleus accumbens (Acb) and pyriform cortex (Pir) and 17B shows expression in the dentate gyms (DG); Figure 18 is a graphical representation of the results of TOGA analysis using a 5' PCR primer with parsing bases TATT, showing PCR products produced from mRNA extracted from the striatum nucleus accumbens of mice treated with 7.5 mg/kg clozapine as follows: control (no clozapine), 45 minutes, 7 hours, 5 days, 12 days, and 14 days, where the vertical index line indicates a PCR product of about 89 b.p. that is present in the control sample and is differentially regulated by clozapine treatment over time.

Figure 19 shows the consensus sequence from the cluster of the following 4 sequences: AI415388: Soares mouse p3NMF19.5 Mus musculus cDNA clone IMAGE.-350746 3', mRNA sequence; AI841003: UI-M-AM0-ado-e-04-0-UI.sl

NIH_BMAP_MAM Mus musculus cDNA clone UI-M-AM0-ado-e-04-0-UI 3', mRNA sequence; AI413353: Soares mouse embryo NbME13.5 14.5 Mus musculus cDNA IMAGE-.356159 3', mRNA sequence; AI425991: Soares mouse embryo NbME13.5 14.5 Mus musculus cDNA IMAGE:426077 3', mRNA sequence.

Figure 20 shows the sequence of the EST AF006196: Mus musculus metalloprotease-disintegrin MDC15 mRNA, complete eds.

Figure 21 shows the the consensus sequence from the cluster of the following 3 sequences: C86593: Mus musculus fertilized egg cDNA 3'-end sequence, clone

J0229E09 3', mRNA sequence; AI428410: Life Tech mouse embryo 13 5dρc 10666014 Mus musculus cDNA clone IMAGE:553802 3', mRNA sequence; AI561814: Stratagene mouse skin (#937313) Mus musculus cDNA clone IMAGE: 1227449 3', mRNA sequence.

Figure 22 is a graphical representation of a Northern Blot, analysis of clone CLZ_44 (ACGG 352), where an agarose gel containing poly A enriched mRNA from the striatum/nucleus accumbens of clozapine-treated mice as well as size standards was blotted after electrophoresis and probed with radiolabelled CLZ_44. Mice were treated with clozapine (7.5 mg/kg), haloperidol (4 mg/kg), or ketanserin (4 mg/kg) for two weeks before mRNA extraction. Figure 23 is a graphical representation of a Northern Blot analysis of clone CLZ_38 (TGCA 109), where an agarose gel containing poly A enriched mRNA from the striatum/nucleus accumbens of clozapine-treated mice as well as size standards was blotted after electrophoresis and probed with radiolabelled CLZ 38. Mice were treated with clozapine (7.5 mg/kg) for the following time durations before mRNA extraction: control (no clozapine), 45 minutes, 7 hours, 5 days, 12 days, and 14 days;

Figure 24A-B is an in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3 ' end of CLZ_16, showing the pattern of CLZ_16 mRNA expression in coronal sections through hemispheres in mouse brain. Figure 24A shows dense labelling in the cortex and surrounding the hippocampal formation as well as moderate labelling in the dorsal thalamus and posterior brain. Figure 24B shows uniform labelling throughout;

Figure 25 A-B is an in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ 17, showing the pattern of CLZ 17 mRNA expression in a coronal section through the hemispheres (25A) and cross section through the midbrain (25B) in mouse brain;

Figure 26A-B is an in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ 24, showing the pattern of CLZ 24 mRNA expression in a coronal section through the hemispheres (26A) and cross section through the brainstem (26B) in mouse brain;

Figure 27A-B is an in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ_26, showing the pattern of CLZ 26 mRNA expression in a coronal section of the hemispheres at the level of hippocampal formation (27 A) and coronal section of the hemispheres at the level of striatum (27B) in mouse brain; Figure 28A-B is an in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ_28, showing the pattern of CLZ_28 mRNA expression in a coronal section through the hemispheres at the level of hippocampus (28 A) and coronal section through the posterior region of hemispheres (28B) in mouse brain;

Figure 29A-B is an in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ 3, showing the pattern of CLZ 3 mRNA expression in a coronal section through the hemispheres at level of hippocampus (29A) and cross section through midbrain (29B) in mouse brain;

Figure 30A-B is an in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ 34, showing the pattern of CLZ_34 mRNA expression in a coronal section through the hemispheres at the level of hippocampus (30A) and cross section through the midbrain (30B) in mouse brain;

Figure 31A-C is an in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ 43, showing the pattern of CLZ 43 mRNA expression in coronal sections of the hemispheres showing labelling in the striatum (31A), labelling in the cortex (31B), and intense labelling in the striatum (31C) in mouse brain;

Figure 32A-B is an in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ_44, showing the pattern of CLZ 44 mRNA expression in a coronal section showing labelling in the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and temporal cortex (32A) and coronal section showing cortical labelling (32B) in mouse brain;

Figure 33A-B is an in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ_64, showing the pattern of CLZ 64 mRNA expression in different coronal sections of the hemispheres in mouse brain. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Definitions

The following definitions are provided to facilitate understanding of certain terms used throughout this specification.

In the present invention, "isolated" refers to material removed from its original environment (e.g., the natural environment if it is naturally occurring), and thus is altered "by the hand of man" from its natural state. For example, an isolated polynucleotide could be part of a vector or a composition of matter, or could be contained within a cell, and still be "isolated" because that vector, composition of matter, or particular cell is not the original environment of the polynucleotide.

In the present invention, a "secreted" protein refers to those proteins capable of being directed to the ER, secretory vesicles, or the extracellular space as a result of a signal sequence, as well as those proteins released into the extracellular space without necessarily containing a signal sequence. If the secreted protein is released into the extracellular space, the secreted protein can undergo extracellular processing to produce a "mature" protein. Release into the extracellular space can occur by many mechanisms, including exocytosis and proteolytic cleavage.

As used herein, a "polynucleotide" refers to a molecule having a nucleic acid sequence contained in SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107. For example, the polynucleotide can contain all or part of the nucleotide sequence of the full length cDNA sequence, including the 5' and 3' untranslated sequences, the coding region, with or without the signal sequence, the secreted protein coding region, as well as fragments, epitopes, domains, and variants of the nucleic acid sequence. Moreover, as used herein, a "polypeptide" refers to a molecule having the translated amino acid sequence generated from the polynucleotide as broadly defined. A "polynucleotide" of the present invention also includes those polynucleotides capable of hybridizing, under stringent hybridization conditions, to sequences contained in SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107, or the complement thereof, or the cDNA. "Stringent hybridization conditions" refers to an overnight incubation at 42° C in a solution comprising 50% formamide, 5x SSC (750 mM NaCl, 75 mM sodium citrate), 50 mM sodium phosphate (pH 7.6), 5x Denhardt's solution, 10% dextran sulfate, and 20 μg/ml denatured, sheared salmon sperm DNA, followed by washing the filters in O.lx SSC at about 65°C.

Also contemplated are nucleic acid molecules that hybridize to the polynucleotides of the present invention at lower stringency hybridization conditions. Changes in the stringency of hybridization and signal detection are primarily accomplished through the manipulation of formamide concentration (lower percentages of formamide result in lowered stringency); salt conditions, or temperature. For example, lower stringency conditions include an overnight incubation at 37°C in a solution comprising 6X SSPE (20X SSPE = 3M NaCl; 0.2M NaH₂PO₄; 0.02M EDTA, pH 7.4), 0.5% SDS, 30%) formamide, 100 ug/ml salmon sperm blocking DNA; followed by washes at 50°C with 1XSSPE, 0.1% SDS. In addition, to achieve even lower stringency, washes performed following stringent hybridization can be done at higher salt concentrations (e.g. 5X SSC).

Note that variations in the above conditions may be accomplished through the inclusion and/or substitution of alternate blocking reagents used to suppress background in hybridization experiments. Typical blocking reagents include Denhardt's reagent, BLOTTO, heparin, denatured salmon sperm DNA, and commercially available proprietary formulations. The inclusion of specific blocking reagents may require modification of the hybridization conditions described above, due to problems with compatibility.

Of course, a polynucleotide which hybridizes only to polyA+ sequences (such as any 3' terminal polyA+ tract of a cDNA shown in the sequence listing), or to a complementary stretch of T (or U) residues, would not be included in the definition of "polynucleotide," since such a polynucleotide would hybridize to any nucleic acid molecule containing a poly (A) stretch or the complement thereof (e.g., practically any double-stranded cDNA clone).

A polynucleotide of the present invention can be composed of any polyribonucleotide or polydeoxribonucleotide, which may be unmodified RNA or DNA or modified RNA or DNA. For example, polynucleotides can be composed of single- and double-stranded DNA, DNA that is a mixture of single- and double-stranded regions, single- and double-stranded RNA, and RNA that is mixture of single- and double- stranded regions, hybrid molecules comprising DNA and RNA that may be single- stranded or, more typically, double-stranded or a mixture of single- and double-stranded regions. In addition, the polynucleotide can be composed of triple-stranded regions comprising RNA or DNA or both RNA and DNA. A polynucleotide may also contain one or more modified bases or DNA or RNA backbones modified for stability or for other reasons. "Modified" bases include, for example, tritylated bases and unusual bases such as inosine. A variety of modifications can be made to DNA and RNA; thus, "polynucleotide" embraces chemically, enzymatically, or metabolically modified forms.

The polypeptide of the present invention can be composed of amino acids joined to each other by peptide bonds or modified peptide bonds, i.e., peptide isosteres, and may contain amino acids other than the 20 gene-encoded amino acids. The polypeptides may be modified by either natural processes, such as posttranslational processing, or by chemical modification techniques which are well known in the art. Such modifications are well described in basic texts and in more detailed monographs, as well as in a voluminous research literature. Modifications can occur anywhere in a polypeptide, including the peptide backbone, the amino acid side-chains and the amino or carboxyl termini. It will be appreciated that the same type of modification may be present in the same or varying degrees at several sites in a given polypeptide. Also, a given polypeptide may contain many types of modifications. Polypeptides may be branched, for example, as a result of ubiquitination, and they may be cyclic, with or without branching. Cyclic, branched, and branched cyclic polypeptides may result from posttranslation natural processes or may be made by synthetic methods. Modifications include acetylation, acylation, ADP-ribosylation, amidation, covalent attachment of flavin, covalent attachment of a heme moiety, covalent attachment of a nucleotide or nucleotide derivative, covalent attachment of a lipid or lipid derivative, covalent attachment of phosphotidylinositol, cross-linking, cyclization, disulfide bond formation, demethylation, formation of covalent cross-links, formation of cysteine, formation of pyroglutamate, formulation, gamma-carboxylation, glycosylation, GPI anchor formation, hydroxylation, iodination, methylation, myristoylation, oxidation, pegylation, proteolytic processing, phosphorylation, prenylation, racemization, selenoylation, sulfation, transfer- RNA mediated addition of amino acids to proteins such as arginylation, and ubiquitination. (See, e.g., T. E. Creighton, Proteins - Structure And Molecular Properties, 2nd Ed., W. H. Freeman and Company, New York (1993); B. C. Johnson, Ed., Posttranslational Covalent Modification Of Proteins, Academic Press, New York, pgs. 1-12 (1983); Seifter et al., Meth. Enzymol, 182:626-646 (1990); Rattan et al., Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 663:48-62 (1992)).

"A polypeptide having biological activity" refers to polypeptides exhibiting activity similar, but not necessarily identical to, an activity of a polypeptide of the present invention, including mature forms, as measured in a particular biological assay, with or without dose dependency. In the case where dose dependency does exist, it need not be identical to that of the polypeptide, but rather substantially similar to the dose- dependence in a given activity as compared to the polypeptide of the present invention (i.e., the candidate polypeptide will exhibit greater activity or not more than about 25-fold less and, preferably, not more than about tenfold less activity, and most preferably, not more than about three- fold less activity relative to the polypeptide of the present invention).

The translated amino acid sequence, beginning with the methionine, is identified although other reading frames can also be easily translated using known molecular biology techniques. The polypeptides produced by the translation of these alternative open reading frames are specifically contemplated by the present invention.

SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107 and the translations of SEQ ID NOs: 1- 19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107 are sufficiently accurate and otherwise suitable for a variety of uses well known in the art and described further below. These probes will also hybridize to nucleic acid molecules in biological samples, thereby enabling a variety of forensic and diagnostic methods of the invention. Similarly, polypeptides identified from the translations of SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107 may be used to generate antibodies which bind specifically to the secreted proteins encoded by the cDNA clones identified.

Nevertheless, DNA sequences generated by sequencing reactions can contain sequencing errors. The errors exist as misidentified nucleotides, or as insertions or deletions of nucleotides in the generated DNA sequence. The erroneously inserted or deleted nucleotides cause frame shifts in the reading frames of the predicted amino acid sequence. In these cases, the predicted amino acid sequence diverges from the actual amino acid sequence, even though the generated DNA sequence may be greater than 99.9% identical to the actual DNA sequence (for example, one base insertion or deletion in an open reading frame of over 1000 bases).

The present invention also relates to the genes corresponding to SEQ ID NOs: 1- 19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107, and translations of SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107. The corresponding gene can be isolated in accordance with known methods using the sequence information disclosed herein. Such methods include preparing probes or primers from the disclosed sequence and identifying or amplifying the corresponding gene from appropriate sources of genomic material.

Also provided in the present invention are species homologues. Species homologues may be isolated and identified by making suitable probes or primers from the sequences provided herein and screening a suitable nucleic acid source for the desired homologue. The polypeptides of the invention can be prepared in any suitable manner. Such polypeptides include isolated naturally occurring polypeptides, recombinantly produced polypeptides, synthetically produced polypeptides, or polypeptides produced by a combination of these methods. Means for preparing such polypeptides are well understood in the art.

The polypeptides may be in the form of the secreted protein, including the mature form, or may be a part of a larger protein, such as a fusion protein (see below). It is often advantageous to include an additional amino acid sequence which contains secretory or leader sequences, pro-sequences, sequences which aid in purification, such as multiple histidine residues, or an additional sequence for stability during recombinant production.

The polypeptides of the present invention are preferably provided in an isolated form, and preferably are substantially purified. A recombinantly produced version of a polypeptide, including the secreted polypeptide, can be substantially purified by the one- step method described in Smith and Johnson, Gene 67:31-40 (1988). Polypeptides of the invention also can be purified from natural or recombinant sources using antibodies of the invention raised against the secreted protein in methods which are well known in the art.

Signal Sequences

Methods for predicting whether a protein has a signal sequence, as well as the cleavage point for that sequence, are available. For instance, the method of McGeoch uses the information from a short N-terminal charged region and a subsequent uncharged region of the complete (uncleaved) protein (Virus Res., 3:271-286 (1985)). The method of von Heinje uses the information from the residues surrounding the cleavage site, typically residues -13 to +2, where +1 indicates the amino terminus of the secreted protein (Nucleic Acids Res., 14:4683-4690 (1986)). Therefore, from a deduced amino acid sequence, a signal sequence and mature sequence can be identified.

In the present case, the deduced amino acid sequence of the secreted polypeptide was analyzed by a computer program called Signal P (Nielsen et al., Protein Engineering, 10:1-6 (1997), which predicts the cellular location of a protein based on the amino acid sequence. As part of this computational prediction of localization, the methods of McGeoch and von Heinje are incorporated.

As one of ordinary skill would appreciate, however, cleavage sites sometimes vary from organism to organism and cannot be predicted with absolute certainty. Accordingly, the present invention provides secreted polypeptides having a sequence corresponding to the translations of SEQ. ID NOs: 1-19 which have an N-terminus beginning within 5 residues (i.e., + or - 5 residues) of the predicted cleavage point. Similarly, it is also recognized that in some cases, cleavage of the signal sequence from a secreted protein is not entirely uniform, resulting in more than one secreted species. These polypeptides, and the polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides, are contemplated by the present invention.

Moreover, the signal sequence identified by the above analysis may not necessarily predict the naturally occurring signal sequence. For example, the naturally occurring signal sequence may be further upstream from the predicted signal sequence.

However, it is likely that the predicted signal sequence will be capable of directing the secreted protein to the ER. These polypeptides, and the polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides, are contemplated by the present invention.

Polynucleotide and Polypeptide Variants

"Variant" refers to a polynucleotide or polypeptide differing from the polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention, but retaining essential properties thereof. Generally, variants are overall closely similar, and, in many regions, identical to the polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention.

"Identity" per se has an art-recognized meaning and can be calculated using published techniques. (See, e.g., Lesk, A.M., Ed., Computational Molecular Biology, Oxford University Press, New York, (1988); Smith, D.W., Ed, Biocomputing: Informatics And Genome Projects, Academic Press, New York, (1993); Griffm, A.M., and Griffin, H.G., Eds., Computer Analysis Of Sequence Data, Part I, Humana Press, New Jersey, (1994); von Heinje, G., Sequence Analysis In Molecular Biology, Academic Press, (1987); and Gribskov, M. and Devereux, J., Eds., Sequence Analysis Primer, M Stockton Press, New York, (1991)). While there exists a number of methods to measure identity between two polynucleotide or polypeptide sequences, the term "identity" is well known to skilled artisans. (See, e.g., Carillo, H., and Lipton, D., SIAMJ. Applied Math., 48:1073 (1988)). Methods commonly employed to determine identity or similarity between two sequences include, but are not limited to, those disclosed in Martin J. Bishop, ed., "Guide to Huge Computers," Academic Press, San Diego, (1994), and Carillo, H., and Lipton, D., SIAM J. Applied Math, 48:1073 (1988)). Methods for aligning polynucleotides or polypeptides are codified in computer programs, including the GCG program package (Devereux, J., et al., Nuc. Acids Res. 12(1):387 (1984)), BLASTP, BLASTN, FASTA (Atschul, S.F. et al., J. Molec. Biol, 215:403 (1990), Bestfϊt program (Wisconsin Sequence Analysis Package, Version 8 for Unix, Genetics Computer Group, University Research Park, 575 Science Drive, Madison, WI 53711 (using the local homology algorithm of Smith and Waterman, Advances in Applied Mathematics 2:482-489 (1981)).

When using any of the sequence alignment programs to determine whether a particular sequence is, for instance, 95% identical to a reference sequence, the parameters are set so that the percentage of identity is calculated over the full length of the reference polynucleotide and that gaps in identity of up to 5% of the total number of nucleotides in the reference polynucleotide are allowed.

A preferred method for determining the best overall match between a query sequence (a sequence of the present invention) and a subject sequence, also referred to as a global sequence alignment, can be determined using the FASTDB computer program based on the algorithm of Bruflag et al. (Comp. App. Biosci., 6:237-245 (1990)) The term "sequence" includes nucleotide and amino acid sequences. In a sequence alignment the query and subject sequences are either both nucleotide sequences or both amino acid sequences. The result of said global sequence alignment is in percent identity. Preferred parameters used in a FASTDB search of a DNA sequence to calculate percent identity are: Matrix=Unitary, k-tuple=4, Mismatch Penalty=l, Joining Penalty=30, Randomization Group Length=0, and Cutoff Score=l, Gap Penalty=5, Gap Size Penalty 0.05, and Window Size=500 or query sequence length in nucleotide bases, whichever is shorter. Preferred parameters employed to calculate percent identity and similarity of an amino acid alignment are: Matrix=PAM 150, k-tuple=2, Mismatch Penalty= 1, Joining Penalty=20, Randomization Group Length=0, Cutoff Score=l, Gap Penalty=5, Gap Size Penalty=0.05, and Window Size=500 or query sequence length in amino acid residues, whichever is shorter.

As an illustration, a polynucleotide having a nucleotide sequence of at least 95% "identity" to a sequence contained in SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107 means that the polynucleotide is identical to a sequence contained in SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107 or the cDNA except that the polynucleotide sequence may include up to five point mutations per each 100 nucleotides of the total length (not just within a given 100 nucleotide stretch). In other words, to obtain a polynucleotide having a nucleotide sequence at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107, up to 5% of the nucleotides in the sequence contained in SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107 or the cDNA can be deleted, inserted, or substituted with other nucleotides. These changes may occur anywhere throughout the polynucleotide.

Further embodiments of the present invention include polynucleotides having at least 80% identity, more preferably at least 90% identity, and most preferably at least 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% identity to a sequence contained in SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49- 52; 57-72 and 107. Of course, due to the degeneracy of the genetic code, one of ordinary skill in the art will immediately recognize that a large number of the polynucleotides having at least 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% identity will encode a polypeptide identical to an amino acid sequence contained in the translations of SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107.

Similarly, by a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence having at least, for example, 95% "identity" to a reference polypeptide, is intended that the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide is identical to the reference polypeptide except that the polypeptide sequence may include up to five amino acid alterations per each 100 amino acids of the total length of the reference polypeptide. In other words, to obtain a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to a reference amino acid sequence, up to 5% of the amino acid residues in the reference sequence may be deleted or substituted with another amino acid, or a number of amino acids up to 5% of the total amino acid residues in the reference sequence may be inserted into the reference sequence. These alterations of the reference sequence may occur at the amino or carboxy terminal positions of the reference amino acid sequence or anywhere between those terminal positions, interspersed either individually among residues in the reference sequence or in one or more contiguous groups within the reference sequence.

Further embodiments of the present invention include polypeptides having at least 80% identity, more preferably at least 85% identity, more preferably at least 90% identity, and most preferably at least 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% identity to an amino acid sequence contained in translations of SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107. Preferably, the above polypeptides should exhibit at least one biological activity of the protein.

In a preferred embodiment, polypeptides of the present invention include polypeptides having at least 90% similarity, more preferably at least 95% similarity, and still more preferably at least 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% similarity to an amino acid sequence contained in translations of SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107.

The variants may contain alterations in the coding regions, non-coding regions, or both. Especially preferred are polynucleotide variants containing alterations which produce silent substitutions, additions, or deletions, but do not alter the properties or activities of the encoded polypeptide. Nucleotide variants produced by silent substitutions due to the degeneracy of the genetic code are preferred. Moreover, variants in which 5-10, 1-5, or 1-2 amino acids are substituted, deleted, or added in any combination are also preferred. Polynucleotide variants can be produced for a variety of reasons. For instance, a polynucleotide variant may be produced to optimize codon expression for a particular host, i.e., codons in the human mRNA may be changed to those preferred by a bacterial host such as E. coli).

Naturally occurring variants are called "allelic variants," and refer to one of several alternate forms of a gene occupying a given locus on a chromosome of an organism (Lewin, B., Ed., Genes II, John Wiley & Sons, New York (1985)). These allelic variants can vary at either the polynucleotide and/or polypeptide level. Alternatively, non-naturally occurring variants may be produced by mutagenesis techniques or by direct synthesis.

Using known methods of protein engineering and recombinant DNA technology, variants may be generated to improve or alter the characteristics of the polypeptides of the present invention. For instance, one or more amino acids can be deleted from the N- terminus or C-terminus of the secreted protein without substantial loss of biological function. Ron et al., reported variant KGF proteins having heparin binding activity even after deleting 3, 8, or 27 amino-terminal amino acid residues (J. Biol. Chem., 268: 2984- 2988 (1993)). Similarly, interferon gamma exhibited up to ten times higher activity after deleting 8-10 amino acid residues from the carboxy terminus of this protein (Dobeli et al., J. Biotechnology, 7:199-216 (1988)).

Moreover, ample evidence demonstrates that variants often retain a biological activity similar to that of the naturally occurring protein. For example, Gayle et al., conducted extensive mutational analysis of human cytokine IL-1 a (J. Biol. Chem., 268:22105-22111 (1993)). They used random mutagenesis to generate over 3,500 individual IL- 1 a mutants that averaged 2.5 amino acid changes per variant over the entire length of the molecule. Multiple mutations were examined at every possible amino acid position. The investigators concluded that "[m]ost of the molecule could be altered with little effect on either [binding or biological activity]." (See Gayle et al., (1993), Abstract.) In fact, only 23 unique amino acid sequences, out of more than 3,500 nucleotide sequences examined, produced a protein that significantly differed in activity from wild-type.

Furthermore, even if deleting one or more amino acids from the N-terminus or C- terminus of a polypeptide results in modification or loss of one or more biological functions, other biological activities may still be retained. For example, the ability of a deletion variant to induce and/or to bind antibodies which recognize the secreted form will likely be retained when less than the majority of the residues of the secreted form are removed from the N-terminus or C-terminus. Whether a particular polypeptide lacking N- or C-terminal residues of a protein retains such immunogenic activities can readily be determined by routine methods described herein and otherwise known in the art.

Thus, the invention further includes polypeptide variants which show substantial biological activity. Such variants include deletions, insertions, inversions, repeats, and substitutions selected according to general rules known in the art so as have little effect on activity. For example, guidance concerning how to make phenotypically silent amino acid substitutions is provided in Bowie, et al., Science, 247:1306-1310 (1990), wherein the authors indicate that there are two main strategies for studying the tolerance of an amino acid sequence to change.

The first strategy exploits the tolerance of amino acid substitutions by natural selection during the process of evolution. By comparing amino acid sequences in different species, conserved amino acids can be identified. These conserved amino acids are likely important for protein function. In contrast, the amino acid positions where substitutions have been tolerated by natural selection indicates that these positions are not critical for protein function. Thus, positions tolerating amino acid substitution could be modified while still maintaining biological activity of the protein.

The second strategy uses genetic engineering to introduce amino acid changes at specific positions of a cloned gene to identify regions critical for protein function. For example, site directed mutagenesis or alanine-scanning mutagenesis (the introduction of single alanine mutations at every residue in the molecule) can be used (Cunningham and Wells, Science, 244:1081-1085 (1989)). The resulting mutant molecules can then be tested for biological activity.

According to Bowie et al., these two strategies have revealed that proteins are surprisingly tolerant of amino acid substitutions. The authors further indicate which amino acid changes are likely to be permissive at certain amino acid positions in the protein. For example, most buried (within the tertiary stmcture of the protein) amino acid residues require nonpolar side chains, whereas few features of surface side chains are generally conserved. Moreover, tolerated conservative amino acid substitutions involve replacement of the aliphatic or hydrophobic amino acids Ala, Val, Leu and He; replacement of the hydroxyl residues Ser and Thr; replacement of the acidic residues Asp and Glu; replacement of the amide residues Asn and Gin, replacement of the basic residues Lys, Arg, and His; replacement of the aromatic residues Phe, Tyr, and Trp; and replacement of the small-sized amino acids Ala, Ser, Thr, Met, and Gly.

Besides conservative amino acid substitution, variants of the present invention include (i) substitutions with one or more of the non-conserved amino acid residues, where the substituted amino acid residues may or may not be one encoded by the genetic code, or (ii) substitution with one or more of amino acid residues having a substituent group, or (iii) fusion of the mature polypeptide with another compound, such as a compound to increase the stability and/or solubility of the polypeptide (for example, polyethylene glycol), or (iv) fusion of the polypeptide with additional amino acids, such as an IgG Fc fusion region peptide, or leader or secretory sequence, or a sequence facilitating purification. Such variant polypeptides are deemed to be within the scope of those skilled in the art from the teachings herein.

For example, polypeptide variants containing amino acid substitutions of charged amino acids with other charged or neutral amino acids may produce proteins with improved characteristics, such as decreased aggregation. As known, aggregation of pharmaceutical formulations both reduces activity and increases clearance due to the aggregate's immunogenic activity (see, e.g., Pinckard et al., Clin. Exp. Immunol., 2:331- 340 (1967); Robbins et al., Diabetes, 36: 838-845 (1987); Cleland et al, Crit. Rev. Therapeutic Drug Carrier Systems, 10:307-377 (1993)).

Polynucleotide and Polypeptide Fragments

In the present invention, a "polynucleotide fragment" refers to a short polynucleotide having a nucleic acid sequence contained in that shown in SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107. The short nucleotide fragments are preferably at least about 15 nt, and more preferably at least about 20 nt, still more preferably at least about 30 nt, and even more preferably, at least about 40 nt in length. A fragment "at least 20 nt in length," for example, is intended to include 20 or more contiguous bases from the cDNA sequence contained in that shown in SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107. These nucleotide fragments are useful as diagnostic probes and primers as discussed herein. Of course, larger fragments (e.g., 50, 150, and more nucleotides) are preferred.

Moreover, representative examples of polynucleotide fragments of the invention, include, for example, fragments having a sequence from about nucleotide number 1-50, 51-100, 101-150, 151-200, 201-250, 251-300, 301-350, 351-400, 401-450, to the end of SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107. In this context "about" includes the particularly recited ranges, larger or smaller by several (5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) nucleotides, at either terminus or at both termini. Preferably, these fragments encode a polypeptide which has biological activity.

In the present invention, a "polypeptide fragment" refers to a short amino acid sequence contained in the translations of SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107. Protein fragments may be "free-standing," or comprised within a larger polypeptide of which the fragment forms a part or region, most preferably as a single continuous region. Representative examples of polypeptide fragments of the invention, include, for example, fragments from about amino acid number 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, or 61 to the end of the coding region. Moreover, polypeptide fragments can be about 20, 30, 40, 50 or 60, amino acids in length. In this context "about" includes the particularly recited ranges, larger or smaller by several (5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) amino acids, at either extreme or at both extremes.

Preferred polypeptide fragments include the secreted protein as well as the mature form. Further preferred polypeptide fragments include the secreted protein or the mature form having a continuous series of deleted residues from the amino or the carboxy terminus, or both. For example, any number of amino acids, ranging from 1-60, can be deleted from the amino terminus of either the secreted polypeptide or the mature form. Similarly, any number of amino acids, ranging from 1-30, can be deleted from the carboxy terminus of the secreted protein or mature form. Furthermore, any combination of the above amino and carboxy terminus deletions are preferred. Similarly, polynucleotide fragments encoding these polypeptide fragments are also preferred. Also preferred are polypeptide and polynucleotide fragments characterized by structural or functional domains, such as fragments that comprise alpha-helix and alpha- helix forming regions, beta-sheet and beta-sheet-forming regions, turn and tum-forming regions, coil and coil-forming regions, hydrophilic regions, hydrophobic regions, alpha amphipathic regions, beta amphipathic regions, flexible regions, surface-forming regions, substrate binding region, and high antigenic index regions. Polypeptide fragments of the translations of SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107 falling within conserved domains are specifically contemplated by the present invention. Moreover, polynucleotide fragments encoding these domains are also contemplated.

Other preferred fragments are biologically active fragments. Biologically active fragments are those exhibiting activity similar, but not necessarily identical, to an activity of the polypeptide of the present invention. The biological activity of the fragments may include an improved desired activity, or a decreased undesirable activity.

Epitopes & Antibodies

In the present invention, "epitopes" refer to polypeptide fragments having antigenic or immunogenic activity in an animal, especially in a human. A preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to a polypeptide fragment comprising an epitope, as well as the polynucleotide encoding this fragment. A region of a protein molecule to which an antibody can bind is defined as an "antigenic epitope." In contrast, an "immunogenic epitope" is defined as a part of a protein that elicits an antibody response (see, e.g., Geysen et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 81:3998-4002 (1983)).

Fragments which function as epitopes may be produced by any conventional means (see, e.g., Houghten, R. A., Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, 82:5131-5135 (1985), further described in U.S. Patent No. 4,631,211).

In the present invention, antigenic epitopes preferably contain a sequence of at least seven, more preferably at least nine, and most preferably between about 15 to about 30 amino acids. Antigenic epitopes are useful to raise antibodies, including monoclonal antibodies, that specifically bind the epitope. (See, for instance, Wilson et al., Cell, 37:767-778 (1984); Sutcliffe, J. G. et al., Science, 219:660-666 (1983)). Similarly, immunogenic epitopes can be used to induce antibodies according to methods well known in the art. (See, e.g., Sutcliffe et al., supra; Wilson et al., supra; Chow, M. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA 82:910-914; and Bittle, F. J. et al., J. Gen. Virol, 66:2347-2354 (1985)). A preferred immunogenic epitope includes the secreted protein. The immunogenic epitopes may be presented together with a carrier protein, such as an albumin, to an animal system (such as rabbit or mouse) or, if it is long enough (at least about 25 amino acids), without a carrier. However, immunogenic epitopes comprising as few as 8 to 10 amino acids have been shown to be sufficient to raise antibodies capable of binding to, at the very least, linear epitopes in a denatured polypeptide (e.g., in Western blotting.)

As used herein, the term "antibody" (Ab) or "monoclonal antibody" (Mab) is meant to include intact molecules as well as antibody fragments (such as, for example, Fab and F(ab')2 fragments) which are capable of specifically binding to protein. Fab and F(ab')2 fragments lack the Fc fragment of intact antibody, clear more rapidly from the circulation, and may have less non-specific tissue binding than an intact antibody (Wahl et al., J. Nucl Med., 24:316-325 (1983)). Thus, these fragments are preferred, as well as the products of a FAB or other immunoglobulin expression library. Moreover, antibodies of the present invention include chimeric, single chain, and humanized antibodies.

Additional embodiments include chimeric antibodies, e.g., humanized versions of murine monoclonal antibodies. Such humanized antibodies may be prepared by known techniques, and offer the advantage of reduced immunogenicity when the antibodies are administered to humans. In one embodiment, a humanized monoclonal antibody comprises the variable region of a murine antibody (or just the antigen binding site thereof) and a constant region derived from a human antibody. Alternatively, a humanized antibody fragment may comprise the antigen binding site of a murine monoclonal antibody and a variable region fragment (lacking the antigen-binding site) derived from a human antibody. Procedures for the production of chimeric and further engineered monoclonal antibodies include those described in Riechmann et al. (Nature, 332:323, 1988), Liu et al. (PNAS, 84:3439, 1987), Larrick et al. (Bio/Technology, 7:934, 1989), and Winter and Harris (TIPS, 14:139, May, 1993). One method for producing a human antibody comprises immunizing a non-human animal, such as a transgenic mouse, with a polypeptide translated from a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107, whereby antibodies directed against the polypeptide translated from a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107 are generated in said animal. Procedures have been developed for generating human antibodies in non-human animals. The antibodies may be partially human, or preferably completely human. Non-human animals (such as transgenic mice) into which genetic material encoding one or more human immunoglobulin chains has been introduced may be employed. Such transgenic mice may be genetically altered in a variety of ways. The genetic manipulation may result in human immunoglobulin polypeptide chains replacing endogenous immunoglobulin chains in at least some (preferably virtually all) antibodies produced by the animal upon immunization. Antibodies produced by immunizing transgenic animals with a polypeptide translated from a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49- 52; 57-72 and 107 are provided herein.

Mice in which one or more endogenous immunoglobulin genes are inactivated by various means have been prepared. Human immunoglobulin genes have been introduced into the mice to replace the inactivated mouse genes. Antibodies produced in the animals incorporate human immunoglobulin polypeptide chains encoded by the human genetic material introduced into the animal. Examples of techniques for production and use of such transgenic animals are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,814,318; 5,569,825; and 5,545,806, which are incorporated by reference herein.

Monoclonal antibodies may be produced by conventional procedures, e.g., by immortalizing spleen cells harvested from the transgenic animal after completion of the immunization schedule. The spleen cells may be fused with myeloma cells to produce hybridomas by conventional procedures. A method for producing a hybridoma cell line comprises immunizing such a transgenic animal with an immunogen comprising at least seven contiguous amino acid residues of a polypeptide translated from a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107; harvesting spleen cells from the immunized animal; fusing the harvested spleen cells to a myeloma cell line, thereby generating hybridoma cells; and identifying a hybridoma cell line that produces a monoclonal antibody that binds a polypeptide translated from a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NOs: 1- 19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107. Such hybridoma cell lines, and mosclonal antibodies produced therefrom, are encompassed by the present invention. Monoclonal antibodies secreted by the hybridoma cell line are purified by conventional techniques.

Antibodies may be employed in an in vitro procedure, or administered in vivo to inhibit biological activity induced by a polypeptide translated from a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107. Disorders caused or exacerbated (directly or indirectly) by the interaction of such polypeptides of the present invention with cell surface receptors thus may be treated. A therapeutic method involves in vivo administration of a blocking antibody to a mammal in an amount effective for reducing a biological activity induced by a polypeptide translated from a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107. For example, chronic administration of neuroleptics can cause unwanted side effects. Administration of an antibody derived from the identified polynucleotides might block the signaling that causes these side effects. Alternatively, an antibody derived from the identified polynucleotides might selectively block proteins causing motor side effects.

Also provided herein are conjugates comprising a detectable (e.g., diagnostic) or therapeutic agent, attached to an antibody directed against a polypeptide translated from a nucleotide sequence chosen from SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107. Examples of such agents are well known, and include but are not limited to diagnostic radionuclides, therapeutic radionuclides, and cytotoxic drags. The conjugates find use in in vitro or in vivo procedures. Fusion Proteins

Any polypeptide of the present invention can be used to generate fusion proteins. For example, the polypeptide of the present invention, when fused to a second protein, can be used as an antigenic tag. Antibodies raised against the polypeptide of the present invention can be used to indirectly detect the second protein by binding to the polypeptide. Moreover, because secreted proteins target cellular locations based on trafficking signals, the polypeptides of the present invention can be used as targeting molecules once fused to other proteins.

Examples of domains that can be fused to polypeptides of the present invention include not only heterologous signal sequences, but also other heterologous functional regions. The fusion does not necessarily need to be direct, but may occur through linker sequences.

Moreover, fusion proteins may also be engineered to improve characteristics of the polypeptide of the present invention. For instance, a region of additional amino acids, particularly charged amino acids, may be added to the N-terminus of the polypeptide to improve stability and persistence during purification from the host cell or subsequent handling and storage. Also, peptide moieties may be added to the polypeptide to facilitate purification. Such regions may be removed prior to final preparation of the polypeptide. The addition of peptide moieties to facilitate handling of polypeptides are familiar and routine techniques in the art.

In addition, polypeptides of the present invention, including fragments, and specifically epitopes, can be combined with parts of the constant domain of immunoglobulins (IgG), resulting in chimeric polypeptides. These fusion proteins facilitate purification and show an increased half-life in vivo. One reported example describes chimeric proteins consisting of the first two domains of the human CD4- polypeptide and various domains of the constant regions of the heavy or light chains of mammalian immunoglobulins (see, EP A 394,827; Traunecker et al., Nature, 331 :84-86 (1988)). Fusion proteins having disulfide-linked dimeric structures (due to the IgG) can also be more efficient in binding and neutralizing other molecules, than the monomeric secreted protein or protein fragment alone (Fountoulakis et al., J. Biochem. 270:3958- 3964 (1995)).

Similarly, EP-A-0 464 533 (Canadian counterpart 2045869) discloses fusion proteins comprising various portions of constant region of immunoglobulin molecules together with another human protein or part thereof. In many cases, the Fc part in a fusion protein is beneficial in therapy and diagnosis, and thus can result in, for example, improved pharmacokinetic properties (see, e.g., EP-A 0 232 262.) Alternatively, deleting the Fc part after the fusion protein has been expressed, detected, and purified, would be desired. For example, the Fc portion may hinder therapy and diagnosis if the fusion protein is used as an antigen for immunizations. In drag discovery, for example, human proteins, such as hIL-5, have been fused with Fc portions for the purpose of high- throughput screening assays to identify antagonists of hIL-5 (see, D. Bennett et al., J Molecular Recognition, 8:52-58 (1995); K. Johanson et al., J. Biol Chem., 270:9459- 9471 (1995)).

Moreover, the polypeptides of the present invention can be fused to marker sequences, such as a peptide which facilitates purification of the fused polypeptide. In preferred embodiments, the marker amino acid sequence is a hexa-histidine peptide, such as the tag provided in a pQE vector (QIAGEN, Inc., 9259 Eton Avenue, Chatsworth, CA, 91311), among others, many of which are commercially available. As described in Gentz et al, for instance, hexa-histidine provides for convenient purification of the fusion protein (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 86:821-824 (1989)). Another peptide tag useful for purification, the "HA" tag, corresponds to an epitope derived from the influenza hemagglutinin protein (Wilson et al., CeU, 37:767 (1984)). Other fusion proteins may use the ability of the polypeptides of the present invention to target the delivery of a biologically active peptide. This might include focused delivery of a toxin to tumor cells, or a growth factor to stem cells.

Thus, any of these above fusions can be engineered using the polynucleotides or the polypeptides of the present invention. Vectors, Host Cells, and Protein Production

The present invention also relates to vectors containing the polynucleotide of the present invention, host cells, and the production of polypeptides by recombinant techniques. The vector may be, for example, a phage, plasmid, viral, or retroviral vector. Retroviral vectors may be replication competent or replication defective. In the latter case, viral propagation generally will occur only in complementing host cells.

The polynucleotides may be joined to a vector containing a selectable marker for propagation in a host. Generally, a plasmid vector is introduced in a precipitate, such as a calcium phosphate precipitate, or in a complex with a charged lipid. If the vector is a virus, it may be packaged in vitro using an appropriate packaging cell line and then transduced into host cells.

The polynucleotide insert should be operatively linked to an appropriate promoter, such as the phage lambda PL promoter, the E. coli lac, tip, phoA and tac promoters, the SV40 early and late promoters and promoters of retroviral LTRs, to name a few. Other suitable promoters will be known to the skilled artisan. The expression constructs will further contain sites for transcription initiation, termination, and, in the transcribed region, a ribosome binding site for translation. The coding portion of the transcripts expressed by the constructs will preferably include a translation initiating codon at the beginning and a termination codon (UAA, UGA or UAG) appropriately positioned at the end of the polypeptide to be translated.

As indicated, the expression vectors will preferably include at least one selectable marker. Such markers include dihydrofolate reductase, G418 or neomycin resistance for eukaryotic cell culture and tetracycline, kanamycin or ampicillin resistance genes for culturing in E. coli and other bacteria. Representative examples of appropriate hosts include, but are not limited to, bacterial cells, such as E. coli, Streptomyces and Salmonella typhimurium cells; fungal cells, such as yeast cells; insect cells such as Drosophila S2 and Spodoptera Sf9 cells; animal cells such as CHO, COS, 293, Bowes melanoma cells and plant cells. Appropriate culture mediums and conditions for the above-described host cells are known in the art. Among vectors preferred for use in bacteria include pQE70, pQE60 and pQE-9, available from QIAGEN, Inc.; pBluescript vectors, Phagescript vectors, pNH8A, PNHl 6a, pNH18A, pNH46A, available from Stratagene Cloning Systems, Inc.; and ptrc99a, pKK223-3, pKK233-3, pDR540, pRIT5 available from Pharmacia Biotech, Inc. Among preferred eukaryotic vectors are pWLNEO, pSV2CAT, pOG44, pXTl and pSG available from Stratagene; and pSVK3, pBPV, pMSG and pSVL available from Pharmacia. Other suitable vectors will be readily apparent to the skilled artisan.

Introduction of the constmct into the host cell can be effected by calcium phosphate transfection, DEAE-dextran mediated transfection, cationic lipid-mediated transfection, electroporation, transduction, infection, or other methods. Such methods are described in many standard laboratory manuals, such as Davis et al., Basic Methods In Molecular Biology, (1986). It is specifically contemplated that the polypeptides of the present invention may in fact be expressed by a host cell lacking a recombinant vector.

Currently no specific diagnostic markers exist that can be used to prevent or delay psychotic episodes of schizophrenia. The polynucleotides of the present invention can be used as chromosome markers for diagnosis for schizophrenia. A polypeptide of this invention can be recovered and purified from recombinant cell cultures by well-known methods including ammomum sulfate or ethanol precipitation, acid extraction, anion or cation exchange chromatography, phosphocellulose chromatography, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, affinity chromatography, hydroxylapatite chromatography and lectin chromatography. Most preferably, high performance liquid chromatography ("HPLC") is employed for purification.

Polypeptides of the present invention, and preferably the secreted form, can also be recovered from: products purified from natural sources, including bodily fluids, tissues and cells, whether directly isolated or cultured; products of chemical synthetic procedures; and products produced by recombinant techniques from a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host, including, for example, bacterial, yeast, higher plant, insect, and mammalian cells. Depending upon the host employed in a recombinant production procedure, the polypeptides of the present invention may be glycosylated or may be non- glycosylated. In addition, polypeptides of the invention may also include an initial modified methionine residue, in some cases as a result of host-mediated processes. Thus, it is well known in the art that the N-terminal methionine encoded by the translation initiation codon generally is removed with high efficiency from any protein after translation in all eukaryotic cells. While the N-terminal methionine on most proteins also is efficiently removed in most prokaryotes, for some proteins, this prokaryotic removal process is inefficient, depending on the nature of the amino acid to which the N-terminal methionine is covalently linked.

Uses of the Polynucleotides Each of the polynucleotides identified herein can be used in numerous ways as reagents. The following description should be considered exemplary and utilizes known techniques.

The polynucleotides of the present invention are useful for chromosome identification. There exists an ongoing need to identify new chromosome markers, since few chromosome marking reagents, based on actual sequence data (repeat polymorphisms), are presently available. Each polynucleotide of the present invention can be used as a chromosome marker.

Briefly, sequences can be mapped to chromosomes by preparing PCR primers

(preferably 15-25 bp) from the sequences shown in SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107. Primers can be selected using computer analysis so that primers do not span more than one predicted exon in the genomic DNA. These primers are then used for PCR screening of somatic cell hybrids containing individual human chromosomes. Only those hybrids containing the human gene corresponding to the SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57- 72 and 107 will yield an amplified fragment.

Similarly, somatic hybrids provide a rapid method of PCR mapping the polynucleotides to particular chromosomes. Three or more clones can be assigned per day using a single thermal cycler. Moreover, sublocalization of the polynucleotides can be achieved with panels of specific chromosome fragments. Other gene mapping strategies that can be used include in situ hybridization, prescreening with labeled flow- sorted chromosomes, and preselection by hybridization to constmct chromosome specific-cDNA libraries.

Precise chromosomal location of the polynucleotides can also be achieved using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of a metaphase chromosomal spread. This technique uses polynucleotides as short as 500 or 600 bases; however, polynucleotides 2,000-4,000 bp are preferred. For a review of this technique, see Verma et al., Human Chromosomes: a Manual of Basic Techniques, Pergamon Press, New York (1988).

For chromosome mapping, the polynucleotides can be used individually (to mark a single chromosome or a single site on that chromosome) or in panels (for marking multiple sites and/or multiple chromosomes). Preferred polynucleotides correspond to the noncoding regions of the cDNAs because the coding sequences are more likely conserved within gene families, thus increasing the chance of cross hybridization during chromosomal mapping.

Once a polynucleotide has been mapped to a precise chromosomal location, the physical position of the polynucleotide can be used in linkage analysis. Linkage analysis establishes coinheritance between a chromosomal location and presentation of a particular disease . Disease mapping data are found, for example in V. McKusick, Mendelian Inheritance in Man (available on line through Johns Hopkins University Welch Medical Library) Assuming one megabase mapping resolution and one gene per 20 kb, a cDNA precisely localized to a chromosomal region associated with the disease could be one of 50-500 potential causative genes.

Thus, once coinheritance is established, differences in the polynucleotide and the corresponding gene between affected and unaffected individuals can be examined. The polynucleotides of SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107 can be used for this analysis of individual humans.

First, visible structural alterations in the chromosomes, such as deletions or translocations, are examined in chromosome spreads or by PCR. If no structural alterations exist, the presence of point mutations are ascertained. Mutations observed in some or all affected individuals, but not in normal individuals, indicates that the mutation may cause the disease. However, complete sequencing of the polypeptide and the corresponding gene from several normal individuals is required to distinguish the mutation from a polymorphism. If a new polymorphism is identified, this polymoφhic polypeptide can be used for further linkage analysis.

Furthermore, increased or decreased expression of the gene in affected individuals as compared to unaffected individuals can be assessed using polynucleotides of the present invention. Any of these alterations (altered expression, chromosomal rearrangement, or mutation) can be used as a diagnostic or prognostic marker.

In addition to the foregoing, a polynucleotide can be used to control gene expression through triple helix formation or antisense DNA or RNA. Both methods rely on binding of the polynucleotide to DNA or RNA. For these techniques, preferred polynucleotides are usually 20 to 40 bases in length and complementary to either the region of the gene involved in transcription (see, Lee et al., Nucl. Acids Res., 6:3073 (1979); Cooney et al., Science, 241:456 (1988); and Dervan et al., Science, 251:1360 (1991) for discussion of triple helix formation) or to the mRNA itself (see, Okano, J. Neurochem., 56:560 (1991) and Oligodeoxy-nucleotides as Antisense Inhibitors of Gene Expression, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL (1988) for a discussion of antisense technique.) Triple helix formation optimally results in a shut-off of RNA transcription from DNA, while antisense RNA hybridization blocks translation of an mRNA molecule into polypeptide. Both techniques are effective in model systems, and the information disclosed herein can be used to design antisense or triple helix polynucleotides in an effort to treat disease.

Polynucleotides of the present invention are also useful in gene therapy. One goal of gene therapy is to insert a normal gene into an organism having a defective gene, in an effort to correct the genetic defect. The polynucleotides disclosed in the present invention offer a means of targeting such genetic defects in a highly accurate manner. Another goal is to insert a new gene that was not present in the host genome, thereby producing a new trait in the host cell. The polynucleotides are also useful for identifying individuals from minute biological samples. The United States military, for example, is considering the use of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) for identification of its personnel. In this technique, an individual's genomic DNA is digested with one or more restriction enzymes, and probed on a Southern blot to yield unique bands for identifying personnel. This method does not suffer from the current limitations of "Dog Tags" which can be lost, switched, or stolen, making positive identification difficult. The polynucleotides of the present invention can be used as additional DNA markers for RFLP.

The polynucleotides of the present invention can also be used as an alternative to

RFLP, by determining the actual base-by-base DNA sequence of selected portions of an individual's genome. These sequences can be used to prepare PCR primers for amplifying and isolating such selected DNA, which can then be sequenced. Using this technique, individuals can be identified because each individual will have a unique set of DNA sequences. Once an unique ID database is established for an individual, positive identification of that individual, living or dead, can be made from extremely small tissue samples.

Forensic biology also benefits from using DNA-based identification techniques as disclosed herein. DNA sequences taken from very small biological samples such as tissues, e.g., hair or skin, or body fluids, e.g., blood, saliva, semen, etc., can be amplified using PCR. In one prior art technique, gene sequences amplified from polymorphic loci, such as DQa class II HLA gene, are used in forensic biology to identify individuals (Erlich, H., PCR Technology, Freeman and Co. (1992)). Once these specific polymorphic loci are amplified, they are digested with one or more restriction enzymes, yielding an identifying set of bands on a Southern blot probed with DNA corresponding to the DQa class H HLA gene. Similarly, polynucleotides of the present invention can be used as polymorphic markers for forensic purposes.

There is also a need for reagents capable of identifying the source of a particular tissue. Such need arises, for example, in forensics when presented with tissue of unknown origin. Appropriate reagents can comprise, for example, DNA probes or primers specific to particular tissue prepared from the sequences of the present invention. Panels of such reagents can identify tissue by species and/or by organ type. In a similar fashion, these reagents can be used to screen tissue cultures for contamination.

In the very least, the polynucleotides of the present invention can be used as molecular weight markers on Southern gels, as diagnostic probes for the presence of a specific mRNA in a particular cell type, as a probe to "subtract-out" known sequences in the process of discovering novel polynucleotides, for selecting and making oligomers for attachment to a "gene chip" or other support, to raise anti-DNA antibodies using DNA immunization techniques, and as an antigen to elicit an immune response.

Uses of the Polypeptides

Each of the polypeptides identified herein can be used in numerous ways. The following description should be considered exemplary and utilizes known techniques.

A polypeptide of the present invention can be used to assay protein levels in a biological sample using antibody-based techniques. For example, protein expression in tissues can be studied with classical immunohistological methods (Jalkanen, M., et al., J. Cell Biol, 101 :976-985 (1985); jalkanen, M., et al., J. Cell . Biol, 105:3087-3096 (1987)). Other antibody-based methods useful for detecting protein gene expression include immunoassays, such as the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the radioimmunoassay (RIA). Suitable antibody assay labels are known in the art and include enzyme labels, such as, glucose oxidase, and radioisotopes, such as iodine ( I, ¹²¹I), carbon (¹⁴C), sulfur (³⁵S), tritium (³H), indium (^U2In), and technetium (^99mTc), and fluorescent labels, such as fluorescein and rhodamine, and biotin.

In addition to assaying secreted protein levels in a biological sample, proteins can also be detected in vivo by imaging. Antibody labels or markers for in vivo imaging of protein include those detectable by X-radiography, NMR or ESR. For X- radiography, suitable labels include radioisotopes such as barium or cesium, which emit detectable radiation but are not overtly harmful to the subject. Suitable markers for NMR and ESR include those with a detectable characteristic spin, such as deuterium, which may be incorporated into the antibody by labeling of nutrients for the relevant hybridoma. A protein-specific antibody or antibody fragment which has been labeled with an appropriate detectable imaging moiety, such as a radioisotope (for example, ¹³¹I, ^{, 12}In, ^99mTc), a radio-opaque substance, or a material detectable by nuclear magnetic resonance, is introduced (for example, parenterally, subcutaneously, or intraperitoneally) into the mammal. It will be understood in the art that the size of the subject and the imaging system used will determine the quantity of imaging moiety needed to produce diagnostic images. In the case of a radioisotope moiety, for a human subject, the quantity of radioactivity injected will normally range from about 5 to 20 millicuries of ^99mTc. The labeled antibody or antibody fragment will then preferentially accumulate at the location of cells which contain the specific protein. In vivo tumor imaging is described in S.W. Burchiel et al., "Immunopharmacokinetics of Radiolabeled Antibodies and Their Fragments" (Chapter 13 in Tumor Imaging: The Radiochemical Detection of Cancer, S.W. Burchiel and B. A. Rhodes, Eds., Masson Publishing Inc. (1982)).

Thus, the invention provides a diagnostic method of a disorder, which involves (a) assaying the expression of a polypeptide of the present invention in cells or body fluid of an individual; (b) comparing the level of gene expression with a standard gene expression level, whereby an increase or decrease in the assayed polypeptide gene expression level compared to the standard expression level is indicative of a disorder. Psychiatric disorders and treatment of psychiatric disorders with neuroleptics, including schizophrenia, are associated with a dysregulation of neurotransmitter and/or neuropeptide levels that can result in the up- or down regulation of polynucleotides and polypeptides. These changes can be diagnosed or monitored by assaying changes in polypeptide levels in tissue or fluids such as CSF, blook, or in fecal samples.

Moreover, polypeptides of the present invention can be used to treat disease. For example, patients can be administered a polypeptide of the present invention in an effort to replace absent or decreased levels of the polypeptide (e.g., insulin), to supplement absent or decreased levels of a different polypeptide (e.g., hemoglobin S for hemoglobin B), to inhibit the activity of a polypeptide (e.g., an oncogene), to activate the activity of a polypeptide (e.g., by binding to a receptor), to reduce the activity of a membrane bound receptor by competing with it for free ligand (e.g., soluble TNF receptors used in reducing inflammation), or to bring about a desired response (e.g., blood vessel growth).

Similarly, antibodies directed to a polypeptide of the present invention can also be used to treat disease. For example, administration of an antibody directed to a polypeptide of the present invention can bind and reduce overproduction of the polypeptide. Similarly, administration of an antibody can activate the polypeptide, such as by binding to a polypeptide bound to a membrane (receptor). Polypeptides can also be used as antigens to trigger immune responses.

Local production of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides modulates many aspects of neuronal function. For example, in schizophrenia overactive neurotransmitter activity is thought to be basis for the psychotic behavior. Administration of an antibody to an overproduced polypeptide can be used to modulate neuronal responses in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia.

At the very least, the polypeptides of the present invention can be used as molecular weight markers on SDS-PAGE gels or on molecular sieve gel filtration columns using methods well known to those of skill in the art. Polypeptides can also be used to raise antibodies, which in turn are used to measure protein expression from a recombinant cell, as a way of assessing transformation of the host cell. Moreover, the polypeptides of the present invention can be used to test the following biological activities.

Biological Activities

The polynucleotides and polypeptides of the present invention can be used in assays to test for one or more biological activities. If these polynucleotides and polypeptides do exhibit activity in a particular assay, it is likely that these molecules may be involved in the diseases associated with the biological activity. Thus, the polynucleotides and polypeptides could be used to treat the associated disease.

Nervous System Activity A polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention may be useful in treating deficiencies or disorders of the central nervous system or peripheral nervous system, by activating or inhibiting the proliferation, differentiation, or mobilization (chemotaxis) of neuroblasts, stem cells or glial cells. A polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention may be useful in treating deficiencies or disorders of the central nervous system or peripheral nervous system, by activating or inhibiting the mechanisms of synaptic transmission, synthesis, metabolism and inactivation of neural transmitters, neuromodulators and trophic factors, expression and incorporation of enzymes, structural proteins, membrane channels and receptors in neurons and glial cells, or altering neural membrane compositions.

The etiology of these deficiencies or disorders may be genetic, somatic (such as cancer or some autoimmune disorders), acquired (e.g., by chemotherapy or toxins), or infectious. Moreover, a polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention can be used as a marker or detector of a particular nervous system disease or disorder. The disorder or disease can be any of Alzheimer's disease, Pick's disease, Binswanger's disease, other senile dementia, Parkinson's disease, parkinsonism, obsessive compulsive disorders, epilepsy, encephalopathy, ischemia, alcohol addiction, drug addiction, schizophrenia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, depression, and bipolar manic-depressive disorder. Alternatively, the polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention can be used to study circadian variation, aging, or long-term potentiation, the latter affecting the hippocampus. Additionally, particularly with reference to mRNA species occurring in particular structures within the central nervous system, the polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention can be used to study brain regions that are known to be involved in complex behaviors, such as learning and memory, emotion, drug addiction, glutamate neurotoxicity, feeding behavior, olfaction, viral infection, vision, and movement disorders.

Immune Activity A polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention may be useful in treating deficiencies or disorders of the immune system, by activating or inhibiting the proliferation, differentiation, or mobilization (chemotaxis) of immune cells. Immune cells develop through a process called hematopoiesis, producing myeloid (platelets, red blood cells, neutrophils, and macrophages) and lymphoid (B and T lymphocytes) cells from pluripotent stem cells. The etiology of these immune deficiencies or disorders may be genetic, somatic, such as cancer or some autoimmune disorders, acquired (e.g., by chemotherapy or toxins), or infectious. Moreover, a polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention can be used as a marker or detector of a particular immune system disease or disorder.

A polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention may be useful in treating or detecting deficiencies or disorders of hematopoietic cells. A polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention could be used to increase differentiation and proliferation of hematopoietic cells, including the pluripotent stem cells, in an effort to treat those disorders associated with a decrease in certain (or many) types hematopoietic cells. Examples of immunologic deficiency syndromes include, but are not limited to: blood protein disorders (e.g. agammaglobulinemia, dysgammaglobulinemia), ataxia telangiectasia, common variable immunodeficiency, Di George's Syndrome, HIV infection, HTLV-BLV infection, leukocyte adhesion deficiency syndrome, lymphopenia, phagocyte bactericidal dysfunction, severe combined immunodeficiency (SCIDs), Wiskott-Aldrich Disorder, anemia, thrombocytopenia, or hemoglobinuria.

Moreover, a polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention could also be used to modulate hemostatic (the stopping of bleeding) or thrombolytic activity (clot formation). For example, by increasing hemostatic or thrombolytic activity, a polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention could be used to treat blood coagulation disorders (e.g., afibrinogenemia, factor deficiencies), blood platelet disorders (e.g. thrombocytopenia), or wounds resulting from trauma, surgery, or other causes. Alternatively, a polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention that can decrease hemostatic or thrombolytic activity could be used to inhibit or dissolve clotting. These molecules could be important in the treatment of heart attacks (infarction), strokes, or scarring. A polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention may also be useful in treating or detecting autoimmune disorders. Many autoimmune disorders result from inappropriate recognition of self as foreign material by immune cells. This inappropriate recognition results in an immune response leading to the destruction of the host tissue. Therefore, the administration of a polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention that inhibits an immune response, particularly the proliferation, differentiation, or chemotaxis of T-cells or in some ways results in the induction of tolerance, may be an effective therapy in preventing autoimmune disorders.

Examples of autoimmune disorders that can be treated or detected by the present invention include, but are not limited to: Addison's Disease, hemolytic anemia, antiphospholipid syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatitis, allergic encephalomyelitis, glomerulonephritis, Goodpasture's Syndrome, Graves' Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Myasthenia Gravis, Neuritis, Ophthalmia, Bullous Pemphigoid, Pemphigus, Polyendocrinopathies, Purpura, Reiter's Disease, Stiff-Man Syndrome, Autoimmune Thyroiditis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Autoimmune Pulmonary Inflammation, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, insulin dependent diabetes mellitis, and autoimmune inflammatory eye disease. Schizophrenia has several aspects that suggest an autoimmune component to the disease process. Patients with schizophrenia exhibit immunological abnormalities including hypersecretion of cytokines, presence of antinuclear, anticytoplasmic and antiphospholipid antibodies and a decreased ratio of CD4+/CD8+ cells.

Similarly, allergic reactions and conditions, such as asthma (particularly allergic asthma) or other respiratory problems, may also be treated by a polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention. Moreover, these molecules can be used to treat anaphylaxis, hypersensitivity to an antigenic molecule, or blood group incompatibility.

A polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention may also be used to treat and/or prevent organ rejection or graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Organ rejection occurs by host immune cell destruction of the transplanted tissue through an immune response. Similarly, an immune response is also involved in GVHD, but, in this case, the foreign transplanted immune cells destroy the host tissues. The administration of a polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention that inhibits an immune response, particularly the proliferation, differentiation, or chemotaxis of T-cells, may be an effective therapy in preventing organ rejection or GVHD.

Similarly, a polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention may also be used to modulate inflammation. For example, the polypeptide or polynucleotide may inhibit the proliferation and differentiation of cells involved in an inflammatory response. These molecules can be used to treat inflammatory conditions, both chronic and acute conditions, including inflammation associated with infection (e.g., septic shock, sepsis, or systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)), ischemia-reperfusion injury, endo toxin lethality, arthritis, complement-mediated hyperacute rejection, nephritis, cytokine or chemokine induced lung injury, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, or resulting from over production of cytokines (e.g., TNF or IL-1).

Hyperproliferative Disorders

A polypeptide or polynucleotide can be used to treat or detect hyperproliferative disorders, including neoplasms. A polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention may inhibit the proliferation of the disorder through direct or indirect interactions. Alternatively, a polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention may proliferate other cells which can inhibit the hyperproliferative disorder.

For example, by increasing an immune response, particularly increasing antigenic qualities of the hyperproliferative disorder or by proliferating, differentiating, or mobilizing T-cells, hyperproliferative disorders can be treated. This immune response may be increased by either enhancing an existing immune response, or by initiating a new immune response. Alternatively, decreasing an immune response may also be a method of treating hyperproliferative disorders, such as a chemotherapeutic agent.

Examples of hyperproliferative disorders that can be treated or detected by a polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention include, but are not limited to neoplasms located in the: abdomen, bone, breast, digestive system, liver, pancreas, peritoneum, endocrine glands (adrenal, parathyroid, pituitary, testicles, ovary, thymus, thyroid), eye, head and neck, nervous (central and peripheral), lymphatic system, pelvic region, skin, soft tissue, spleen, thoracic region, and urogenital system.

Similarly, other hyperproliferative disorders can also be treated or detected by a polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention. Examples of such hyperproliferative disorders include, but are not limited to: hypergammaglobulinemia, lymphoproliferative disorders, paraproteinemias, purpura, sarcoidosis, Sezary Syndrome, Waldenstron's Macroglobulinemia, Gaucher's Disease, histiocytosis, and any other hyperproliferative disease, besides neoplasia, located in an organ system listed above.

Infectious Disease

A polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention can be used to treat or detect infectious agents. For example, by increasing the immune response, particularly increasing the proliferation and differentiation of B and/or T cells, infectious diseases may be treated. The immune response may be increased by either enhancing an existing immune response, or by initiating a new immune response. Alternatively, the polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention may also directly inhibit the infectious agent, without necessarily eliciting an immune response. In the case of schizophrenia, where infectious agents may contribute to the pathology, treatment of patients with a polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention might act as a vaccine to trigger a more efficient immune response, altering the course of disease.

Virases are one example of an infectious agent that can cause disease or symptoms that can be treated or detected by a polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention. Examples of viruses, include, but are not limited to the following DNA and RNA viral families: Arboviras, Adenoviridae, Arenaviridae, Arteriviras, Birnaviridae, Bunyaviridae, Caliciviridae, Circoviridae, Coronaviridae, Flaviviridae, Hepadnaviridae (Hepatitis), Herpesviridae (such as, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes Simplex, Herpes Zoster), Mononegaviras (e.g., Paramyxoviridae, Morbilliviras, Rhabdoviridae), Orthomyxoviridae (e.g., Influenza), Papovaviridae, Parvoviridae, Picornaviridae,

Poxviridae (such as Smallpox or Vaccinia), Reoviridae (e.g., Rotaviras), Retroviridae (HTLV-I, HTLV-II, Lentiviras), and Togaviridae (e.g., Rubivirus). Virases falling within these families can cause a variety of diseases or symptoms, including, but not limited to: arthritis, bronchiollitis, encephalitis, eye infections (e.g., conjunctivitis, keratitis), chronic fatigue syndrome, hepatitis (A, B, C, E, Chronic Active, Delta), meningitis, opportunistic infections (e.g., AIDS), pneumonia, Burkitt's Lymphoma, chickenpox, hemorrhagic fever, Measles, Mumps, Parainfluenza, Rabies, the common cold, Polio, leukemia, Rubella, sexually transmitted diseases, skin diseases (e.g.,

Kaposi's, warts), and viremia. A polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention can be used to treat or detect any of these symptoms or diseases.

Similarly, bacterial or fungal agents that can cause disease or symptoms and that can be treated or detected by a polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention include, but not limited to, the following Gram-Negative and Gram-positive bacterial families and fungi: Actinomycetales (e.g., Corynebacterium, Mycobacterium, Norcardia), Aspergillosis, Bacillaceae (e.g., Anthrax, Clostridium), Bacteroidaceae, Blastomycosis, Bordetella, Borrelia, Brucellosis, Candidiasis, Campylobacter, Coccidioidomycosis, Cryptococcosis, Dermatocycoses, Enterobacteriaceae (Klebsielia, Salmonella, Serratia, Yersinia), Erysipelothrix, Helicobacter, Legionellosis, Leptospirosis, Listeria, Mycoplasmatales, Neisseriaceae (e.g., Acinetobacter, Gonorrhea, Menigococcal), Pasteurellacea Infections (e.g., Actinobacillus, Heamophilus, Pasteurella), Pseudomonas, Rickettsiaceae, Chlamydiaceae, Syphilis, and Staphylococcal. These bacterial or fungal families can cause the following diseases or symptoms, including, but not limited to: bacteremia, endocarditis, eye infections (conjunctivitis, tuberculosis, uveitis), gingivitis, opportunistic infections (e.g., AIDS related infections), paronychia, prosthesis-related infections, Reiter's Disease, respiratory tract infections, such as Whooping Cough or Empyema, sepsis, Lyme Disease, Cat-Scratch Disease, Dysentery, Paratyphoid Fever, food poisoning, Typhoid, pneumonia, Gonorrhea, meningitis, Chlamydia, Syphilis,

Diphtheria, Leprosy, Pararuberculosis, Tuberculosis, Lupus, Botulism, gangrene, tetanus, impetigo, Rheumatic Fever, Scarlet Fever, sexually transmitted diseases, skin diseases (e.g., cellulitis, dermatocycoses), toxemia, urinary tract infections, wound infections. A polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention can be used to treat or detect any of these symptoms or diseases.

Moreover, parasitic agents causing disease or symptoms that can be treated or detected by a polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention include, but not limited to, the following families: Amebiasis, Babesiosis, Coccidiosis, Cryptosporidiosis, Dientamoebiasis, Dourine, Ectoparasitic, Giardiasis, Helminthiasis, Leishmaniasis, Theileriasis, Toxoplasmosis, Trypanosomiasis, and Trichomonas. These parasites can cause a variety of diseases or symptoms, including, but not limited to: Scabies, Trombiculiasis, eye infections, intestinal disease (e.g., dysentery, giardiasis), liver disease, lung disease, opportunistic infections (e.g., AIDS related), Malaria, pregnancy complications, and toxoplasmosis. A polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention can be used to treat or detect any of these symptoms or diseases.

Preferably, treatment using a polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention could either be by administering an effective amount of a polypeptide to the patient, or by removing cells from the patient, supplying the cells with a polynucleotide of the present invention, and returning the engineered cells to the patient (ex vivo therapy). Moreover, the polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention can be used as an antigen in a vaccine to raise an immune response against infectious disease.

Regeneration

A polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention can be used to differentiate, proliferate, and attract cells, leading to the regeneration of tissues (see, Science, 276:59-87 (1997)). The regeneration of tissues could be used to repair, replace, or protect tissue damaged by congenital defects, trauma (wounds, bums, incisions, or ulcers), age, disease (e.g. osteoporosis, osteocarthritis, periodontal disease, liver failure), surgery, including cosmetic plastic surgery, fibrosis, reperfusion injury, or systemic cytokine damage.

Tissues that could be regenerated using the present invention include organs (e.g., pancreas, liver, intestine, kidney, skin, endothelium), muscle (smooth, skeletal or cardiac), vascular (including vascular endothelium), nervous, hematopoietic, and skeletal (bone, cartilage, tendon, and ligament) tissue. Preferably, regeneration occurs without or decreased scarring. Regeneration also may include angiogenesis.

Moreover, a polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention may increase regeneration of tissues difficult to heal. For example, increased tendon/ligament regeneration would quicken recovery time after damage. A polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention could also be used prophylactically in an effort to avoid damage. Specific diseases that could be treated include of tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other tendon or ligament defects. A further example of tissue regeneration of non-healing wounds includes pressure ulcers, ulcers associated with vascular insufficiency, surgical, and traumatic wounds.

Similarly, nerve and brain tissue could also be regenerated by using a polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention to proliferate and differentiate nerve cells. Diseases that could be treated using this method include central and peripheral nervous system diseases, neuropathies, or mechanical and traumatic disorders (e.g., spinal cord disorders, head trauma, cerebrovascular disease, and stroke). Specifically, diseases associated with peripheral nerve injuries, peripheral neuropathy (e.g., resulting from chemotherapy or other medical therapies), localized neuropathies, and central nervous system diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease,

Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Shy-Drager syndrome), could all be treated using the polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention.

Chemotaxis

A polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention may have chemotaxis activity. A chemotaxic molecule attracts or mobilizes cells (e.g., monocytes, fibroblasts, neutrophils, T-cells, mast cells, eosinophils, epithelial and/or endothelial cells) to a particular site in the body, such as inflammation, infection, or site of hyperproliferation. The mobilized cells can then fight off and/or heal the particular trauma or abnormality.

A polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention may increase chemotaxic activity of particular cells. These chemotactic molecules can then be used to treat inflammation, infection, hyperproliferative disorders, or any immune system disorder by increasing the number of cells targeted to a particular location in the body. For example, chemotaxic molecules can be used to treat wounds and other trauma to tissues by attracting immune cells to the injured location. Chemotactic molecules of the present invention can also attract fibroblasts, which can be used to treat wounds. It is also contemplated that a polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention may inhibit chemotactic activity. These molecules could also be used to treat disorders. Thus, a polynucleotide or polypeptide of the present invention could be used as an inhibitor of chemotaxis.

Binding Activity

A polypeptide of the present invention may be used to screen for molecules that bind to the polypeptide or for molecules to which the polypeptide binds. The binding of the polypeptide and the molecule may activate (i.e., an agonist), increase, inhibit (i.e., an antagonist), or decrease activity of the polypeptide or the molecule bound. Examples of such molecules include antibodies, oligonucleotides, proteins (e.g., receptors),or small molecules.

Preferably, the molecule is closely related to the natural ligand of the polypeptide, e.g., a fragment of the ligand, or a natural substrate, a ligand, a structural or functional mimetic (see, Coligan et al., Current Protocols in Immunology, 1(2), Chapter 5 (1991)). Similarly, the molecule can be closely related to the natural receptor to which the polypeptide binds, or at least, a fragment of the receptor capable of being bound by the polypeptide (e.g., an active site). In either case, the molecule can be rationally designed using known techniques.

Preferably, the screening for these molecules involves producing appropriate cells which express the polypeptide, either as a secreted protein or on the cell membrane. Preferred cells include cells from mammals, yeast, Drosophila, or E. coli. Cells expressing the polypeptide (or cell membrane containing the expressed polypeptide) are then preferably contacted with a test compound potentially containing the molecule to observe binding, stimulation, or inhibition of activity of either the polypeptide or the molecule.

The assay may simply test binding of a candidate compound to the polypeptide, wherein binding is detected by a label, or in an assay involving competition with a labeled competitor. Further, the assay may test whether the candidate compound results in a signal generated by binding to the polypeptide.

Alternatively, the assay can be carried out using cell-free preparations, polypeptide/molecule affixed to a solid support, chemical libraries, or natural product mixtures. The assay may also simply comprise the steps of mixing a candidate compound with a solution containing a polypeptide, measuring polypeptide/molecule activity or binding, and comparing the polypeptide/molecule activity or binding to a standard.

Preferably, an ELISA assay can measure polypeptide level or activity in a sample (e.g., biological sample) using a monoclonal or polyclonal antibody. The antibody can measure polypeptide level or activity by either binding, directly or indirectly, to the polypeptide or by competing with the polypeptide for a substrate.

All of these above assays can be used as diagnostic or prognostic markers. The molecules discovered using these assays can be used to treat disease or to bring about a particular result in a patient (e.g., blood vessel growth) by activating or inhibiting the polypeptide/molecule. Moreover, the assays can discover agents which may inhibit or enhance the production of the polypeptide from suitably manipulated cells or tissues.

Therefore, the invention includes a method of identifying compounds which bind to a polypeptide of the invention comprising the steps of: (a) incubating a candidate binding compound with a polypeptide of the invention; and (b) determining if binding has occurred. Moreover, the invention includes a method of identifying agonists/antagonists comprising the steps of: (a) incubating a candidate compound with a polypeptide of the invention, (b) assaying a biological activity, and (c) determining if a biological activity of the polypeptide has been altered.

Other Activities

A polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention may also increase or decrease the differentiation or proliferation of embryonic stem cells, besides, as discussed above, hematopoietic lineage. A polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention may also be used to modulate mammalian characteristics, such as body height, weight, hair color, eye color, skin, percentage of adipose tissue, pigmentation, size, and shape (e.g., cosmetic surgery). Similarly, a polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention may be used to modulate mammalian metabolism affecting catabolism, anabolism, processing, utilization, and storage of energy.

A polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention may be used to change a mammal's mental state or physical state by influencing biorhythms, circadian rhythms, depression (including depressive disorders), tendency for violence, tolerance for pain, the response to opiates and opioids, tolerance to opiates and opioids, withdrawal from opiates and opioids, reproductive capabilities (preferably by activin or inhibin-like activity), hormonal or endocrine levels, appetite, libido, memory, stress, or other cognitive qualities.

A polypeptide or polynucleotide of the present invention may also be used as a food additive or preservative, such as to increase or decrease storage capabilities, fat content, lipid, protein, carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals, cofactors or other nutritional components.

Other Preferred Embodiments

Where a polynucleotide of the invention is down-regulated and exacerbates a pathological condition, such as psychosis or other neuropsychiatric disorders, the expression of the polynucleotide can be increased or the level of the intact polypeptide product can be increased in order to treat, prevent, ameliorate, or modulate the pathological condition. This can be accomplished by, for example, administering a polynucleotide or polypeptide of the invention to the mammalian subject.

A polynucleotide of the invention can be administered to a mammalian subject by a recombinant expression vector comprising the polynucleotide. A mammalian subject can be a human, baboon, chimpanzee, macaque, cow, horse, sheep, pig, horse, dog, cat, rabbit, guinea pig, rat or mouse. Preferably, the recombinant vector comprises a polynucleotide shown in SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107 or a polynucleotide which is at least 98% identical to a nucleic acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107. Also, preferably, the recombinant vector comprises a variant polynucleotide that is at least 80%, 90%, or 95% identical to a polynucleotide comprising SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107.

The administration of a polynucleotide or recombinant expression vector of the invention to a mammalian subject can be used to express a polynucleotide in said subject for the treatment of, for example, psychosis or other neuropsychiatric disorder. Expression of a polynucleotide in target cells, including but not limited to cells of the striatum and nucleus accumbens, would effect greater production of the encoded polypeptide. In some cases where the encoded polypeptide is a nuclear protein, the regulation of other genes may be secondarily up- or down-regulated.

There are available to one skilled in the art multiple viral and non- viral methods suitable for introduction of a nucleic acid molecule into a target cell, as described above. In addition, a naked polynucleotide can be administered to target cells. Polynucleotides and recombinant expression vectors of the invention can be administered as a pharmaceutical composition. Such a composition comprises an effective amount of a polynucleotide or recombinant expression vector, and a pharmaceutically acceptable formulation agent selected for suitability with the mode of administration. Suitable formulation materials preferably are non-toxic to recipients at the concentrations employed and can modify, maintain, or preserve, for example, the pH, osmolarity, viscosity, clarity, color, isotonicity, odor, sterility, stability, rate of dissolution or release, adsorption, or penetration of the composition. See Remington 's Pharmaceutical Sciences (18^th Ed., A.R. Gennaro, ed., Mack Publishing Company 1990).

The pharmaceutically active compounds (i.e., a polynucleotide or a vector) can be processed in accordance with conventional methods of pharmacy to produce medicinal agents for administration to patients, including humans and other mammals. Thus, the pharmaceutical composition comprising a polynucleotide or a recombinant expression vector may be made up in a solid form (including granules, powders or suppositories) or in a liquid form (e.g., solutions, suspensions, or emulsions).

The dosage regimen for treating a disease with a composition comprising a polynucleotide or expression vector is based on a variety of factors, including the type or severity of the psychosis or other neuropsychiatric disorders, the age, weight, sex, medical condition of the patient, the route of administration, and the particular compound employed. Thus, the dosage regimen may vary widely, but can be determined routinely using standard methods. A typical dosage may range from about 0.1 mg/kg to about 100 mg/kg or more, depending on the factors mentioned above.

The frequency of dosing will depend upon the pharmacokinetic parameters of the polynucleotide or vector in the formulation being used. Typically, a clinician will administer the composition until a dosage is reached that achieves the desired effect. The composition may therefore be administered as a single dose, as two or more doses (which may or may not contain the same amount of the desired molecule) over time, or as a continuous infusion via implantation device or catheter. Further refinement of the appropriate dosage is routinely made by those of ordinary skill in the art and is within the ambit of tasks routinely performed by them. Appropriate dosages may be ascertained through use of appropriate dose-response data.

The cells of a mammalian subject may be transfected in vivo, ex vivo, or in vitro. Administration of a polynucleotide or a recombinant vector containing a polynucleotide to a target cell in vivo may be accomplished using any of a variety of techniques well known to those skilled in the art. For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,672,344 describes an in vivo viral-mediated gene transfer system involving a recombinant neurotrophic HSV-1 vector. The above-described compositions of polynucleotides and recombinant vectors can be transfected in vivo by oral, buccal, parenteral, rectal, or topical administration as well as by inhalation spray. The term "parenteral" as used herein includes, subcutaneous, intravenous, intramuscular, intrastemal, infusion techniques or intraperitoneally. While the nucleic acids and/or vectors of the invention can be administered as the sole active pharmaceutical agent, they can also be used in combination with one or more vectors of the invention or other agents. When administered as a combination, the therapeutic agents can be formulated as separate compositions that are given at the same time or different times, or the therapeutic agents can be given as a single composition.

Another delivery system for polynucleotides of the invention is a "non- viral" delivery system. Techniques that have been used or proposed for gene therapy include DNA-ligand complexes, adenoviras-ligand-DNA complexes, direct injection of DNA, CaPO₄ precipitation, gene gun techniques, electroporation, Hpofection, and colloidal dispersion (Mulligan, R., (1993) Science, 260 (5110):926-32 (1993)). Any of these methods are widely available to one skilled in the art and would be suitable for use in the present invention. Other suitable methods are available to one skilled in the art, and it is to be understood that the present invention may be accomplished using any of the available methods of transfection. Several such methodologies have been utilized by those skilled in the art with varying success (Mulligan, R., (1993) Science, 260 (5110):926-32 (1993)).

Where a polynucleotide of the invention is up-regulated and exacerbates a pathological condition in a mammalian subject, such as psychosis or other neuropsychiatric disorders, the expression of the polynucleotide can be blocked or reduced or the level of the intact polypeptide product can be reduced in order to treat, prevent, ameliorate, or modulate the pathological condition. This can be accomplished by, for example, the use of antisense oligonucleotides or ribozymes. Alternatively, drags or antibodies that bind to and inactivate the polypeptide product can be used.

Antisense oligonucleotides are nucleotide sequences which are complementary to a specific DNA or RNA sequence. Once introduced into a cell, the complementary nucleotides combine with natural sequences produced by the cell to form complexes and block either transcription or translation. Preferably, an antisense oligonucleotide is at least 11 nucleotides in length, but can be at least 12, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50 or more nucleotides long. Longer sequences also can be used. Antisense oligonucleotide molecules can be provided in a DNA construct and introduced into a cell as described above to decrease the level of gene products of the invention in the cell.

Antisense oligonucleotides can be deoxyribonucleotides, ribonucleotides, or a combination of both. Oligonucleotides can be synthesized manually or by an automated synthesizer, by covalently linking the 5' end of one nucleotide with the 3' end of another nucleotide with non-phosphodiester internucleotide linkages such alkylphosphonates, phosphorothioates, phosphorodithioates, alkylphosphonothioates, alkylphosphonates, phosphoramidates, phosphate esters, carbamates, acetamidate, carboxymethyl esters, carbonates, and phosphate triesters. See Brown, (1994) Meth. Mol. Biol, 20:1-8; Sonveaux, (1994) Meth. Mol. Biol, 26:1-72; Uhlmann et al., (1990) Chem. Rev., 90:543- 583.

Modifications of gene expression can be obtained by designing antisense oligonucleotides which will form duplexes to the control, 5', or regulatory regions of a gene of the invention. Oligonucleotides derived from the transcription initiation site, e.g., between positions -10 and +10 from the start site, are preferred. Similarly, 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 chaperons. Therapeutic advances using triplex DNA have been described in the literature (e.g., Gee et al., in Huber & Carr, MOLECULAR AND IMMUNOLOGIC APPROACHES, Futura Publishing Co., Mt. Kisco, N.Y., 1994). An antisense oligonucleotide also can be designed to block translation of mRNA by preventing the transcript from binding to ribosomes. Precise complementarity is not required for successful complex formation between an antisense oligonucleotide and the complementary sequence of a polynucleotide. Antisense oligonucleotides which comprise, for example, 2, 3, 4, or 5 or more stretches of contiguous nucleotides which are precisely complementary to a polynucleotide, each separated by a stretch of contiguous nucleotides which are not complementary to adjacent nucleotides, can provide sufficient targeting specificity for mRNA. Preferably, each stretch of complementary contiguous nucleotides is at least 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 or more nucleotides in length. Non-complementary intervening sequences are preferably 1 , 2, 3, or 4 nucleotides in length. One skilled in the art can easily use the calculated melting point of an antisense-sense pair to determine the degree of mismatching which will be tolerated between a particular antisense oligonucleotide and a particular polynucleotide sequence.

Antisense oligonucleotides can be modified without affecting their ability to hybridize to a polynucleotide of the invention. These modifications can be internal or at one or both ends of the antisense molecule. For example, intemucleoside phosphate linkages can be modified by adding cholesteryl or diamine moieties with varying numbers of carbon residues between the amino groups and terminal ribose. Modified bases and/or sugars, such as arabinose instead of ribose, or a 3', 5 '-substituted oligonucleotide in which the 3' hydroxyl group or the 5' phosphate group are substituted, also can be employed in a modified antisense oligonucleotide. These modified oligonucleotides can be prepared by methods well known in the art. See, e.g., Agrawal et al., (1992) Trends Biotechnol, 10:152-158; Uhlmann et al., (1990) Chem. Rev., 90:543- 584; Uhlmann et al., (1987) Tetrahedron. Lett, 215:3539-3542.

Ribozymes are RNA molecules with catalytic activity. See, e.g., Cech, (1987) Science, 236:1532-1539; Cech, (1990) Ann. Rev. Biochem., 59:543-568; Cech, (1992) Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol, 2:605-609; Couture & Stinchcomb, (1996) Trends Genet, 12:510-515. Ribozymes can be used to inhibit gene function by cleaving an RNA sequence, as is known in the art (e.g., Haseloff et al., U.S. Patent 5,641,673). The mechanism of ribozyme action involves sequence-specific hybridization of the ribozyme molecule to complementary target RNA, followed by endonucleolytic cleavage. Examples include engineered hammerhead motif ribozyme molecules that can specifically and efficiently catalyze endonucleolytic cleavage of specific nucleotide sequences.

The coding sequence of a polynucleotide of the invention can be used to generate ribozymes which will specifically bind to mRNA transcribed from the polynucleotide. Methods of designing and constructing ribozymes which can cleave RNA molecules in trans in a highly sequence specific manner have been developed and described in the art (see Haseloff et al. (1988) Nature, 334:585-591). For example, the cleavage activity of ribozymes can be targeted to specific RNAs by engineering a discrete "hybridization" region into the ribozyme. The hybridization region contains a sequence complementary to the target RNA and thus specifically hybridizes with the target (see, e.g., Gerlach et al., EP 321,201).

Specific ribozyme cleavage sites within a RNA target can be identified by scanning the target molecule for ribozyme cleavage sites which include 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 RNA containing the cleavage site can be evaluated for secondary structural features which may render the target inoperable. Suitability of candidate RNA targets also can be evaluated by testing accessibility to hybridization with complementary oligonucleotides using ribonuclease protection assays. The nucleotide sequences shown in SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107 and their complements provide sources of suitable hybridization region sequences. Longer complementary sequences can be used to increase the affinity of the hybridization sequence for the target. The hybridizing and cleavage regions of the ribozyme can be integrally related such that upon hybridizing to the target RNA through the complementary regions, the catalytic region of the ribozyme can cleave the target.

Ribozymes can be introduced into cells as part of a DNA construct. Mechanical methods, such as microinjection, liposome-mediated transfection, electroporation, or calcium phosphate precipitation, can be used to introduce a ribozyme-containing DNA construct into cells in which it is desired to decrease polynucleotide expression. Alternatively, if it is desired that the cells stably retain the DNA construct, the construct can be supplied on a plasmid and maintained as a separate element or integrated into the genome of the cells, as is known in the art. A ribozyme-encoding DNA construct can include transcriptional regulatory elements, such as a promoter element, an enhancer or UAS element, and a transcriptional terminator signal, for controlling transcription of ribozymes in the cells.

As taught in Haseloff et al., U.S. Patent 5,641,673, ribozymes can be engineered so that ribozyme expression will occur in response to factors which induce expression of a target gene. Ribozymes also can be engineered to provide an additional level of regulation, so that destruction of mRNA occurs only when both a ribozyme and a target gene are induced in the cells.

Production of Diagnostic Tests

Pathological conditions or susceptibility to pathological conditions, such as psychosis or other neuropsychiatric disorders, can be diagnosed using methods of the invention. Testing for expression of a polynucleotide of the invention or for the presence of the polynucleotide product can correlate with the severity of the condition and can also indicate appropriate treatment. For example, the presence or absence of a mutation in a polynucleotide of the invention can be determined and a pathological condition or a susceptibility to a pathological condition is diagnosed based on the presence or absence of the mutation. Further, an alteration in expression of a polypeptide encoded by a polynucleotide of the invention can be detected, where the presence of an alteration in expression of the polypeptide is indicative of the pathological condition or susceptibility to the pathological condition. The alteration in expression can be an increase in the amount of expression or a decrease in the amount of expression.

As an additional method of diagnosis, a first biological sample from a patient suspected of having a pathological condition, such as psychosis or addiction-related behavior, is obtained along with a second sample from a suitable comparable control source. A biological sample can comprise saliva, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, amniotic fluid, urine, feces, or tissue, such as gastrointestinal tissue. A suitable control source can be obtained from one or more mammalian subjects that do not have the pathological condition. For example, the average concentrations and distribution of a polynucleotide or polypeptide of the invention can be determined from biological samples taken from a representative population of mammalian subjects, wherein the mammalian subjects are the same species as the subject from which the test sample was obtained. The amount of at least one polypeptide encoded by a polynucleotide of the invention is determined in the first and second sample. The amounts of the polypeptide in the first and second samples are compared. A patient is diagnosed as having a pathological condition if the amount of the polypeptide in the first sample falls in the range of samples taken from a representative group of patients with the pathological condition.

Other preferred embodiments of the claimed invention include an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 80%, preferably at least 85%, more preferably at least 90%, most preferably at least 95% identical to a sequence of at least about 50 contiguous nucleotides in the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NOs: 1- 19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107.

Also preferred is a nucleic acid molecule wherein said sequence of contiguous nucleotides is included in the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107 in the range of positions beginning with the nucleotide at about the position of the 5' nucleotide of the clone sequence and ending with the nucleotide at about the position of the 3' nucleotide of the clone sequence. Also preferred is a nucleic acid molecule wherein said sequence of contiguous nucleotides is included in the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ED NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107 in the range of positions beginning with the nucleotide at about the position of the 5' nucleotide of the start codon and ending with the nucleotide at about the position of the 3' nucleotide of the clone sequence as defined for SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107.

Similarly preferred is a nucleic acid molecule wherein said sequence of contiguous nucleotides is included in the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49- 52; 57-72 and 107 in the range of positions beginning with the nucleotide at about the position of the 5' nucleotide of the first amino acid of the signal peptide and ending with the nucleotide at about the position of the 3' nucleotide of the clone sequence as defined for SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107.

Also preferred is an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 95% identical to a sequence of at least about 150 contiguous nucleotides in the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107.

Further preferred is an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 95% identical to a sequence of at least about 500 contiguous nucleotides in the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107.

A further preferred embodiment is a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 95% identical to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107 beginning with the nucleotide at about the position of the 5' nucleotide of the first amino acid of the signal peptide and ending with the nucleotide at about the position of the 3' nucleotide of the clone sequence as defined for SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107.

A further preferred embodiment is an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 95% identical to the complete nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for detecting in a biological sample a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 95% identical to a complete nucleotide sequence chosen from the group consisting of SEQ ED NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57- 72 and 107, which method comprises the steps of comparing a nucleotide sequence of at least one nucleic acid molecule in said sample with a sequence selected from said group and determining whether the sequence of said nucleic acid molecule in said sample is at least 95% identical to said selected sequence.

Also preferred is an isolated nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes under stringent hybridization conditions to a nucleic acid molecule, wherein said nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes does not hybridize under stringent hybridization conditions to a nucleic acid molecule having a nucleotide sequence consisting of only A residues or of only T residues.

A further preferred embodiment is a method for detecting in a biological sample a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 95% identical to a sequence of at least 50 contiguous nucleotides in a sequence selected from the group consisting of: a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107, which method comprises the steps of comparing a nucleotide sequence of at least one nucleic acid molecule in said sample with a sequence selected from said group and determining whether the sequence of said nucleic acid molecule in said sample is at least 95% identical to said selected sequence.

Also preferred is the above method wherein said step of comparing sequences comprises determining the extent of nucleic acid hybridization between nucleic acid molecules in said sample and a nucleic acid molecule comprising said sequence selected from said group. Similarly, also preferred is the above method wherein said step of comparing sequences is performed by comparing the nucleotide sequence determined from a nucleic acid molecule in said sample with said sequence selected from said group. The nucleic acid molecules can comprise DNA molecules or RNA molecules. A further preferred embodiment is a method for identifying the species, tissue or cell type of a biological sample which method comprises a step of detecting nucleic acid molecules in said sample, if any, comprising a nucleotide sequence that is at least 95% identical to a sequence of at least 50 contiguous nucleotides in a sequence selected from the group consisting of: a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107.

Also preferred is a method for diagnosing in a subject a pathological condition associated with abnormal stmcture or expression of a gene, which method comprises a step of detecting in a biological sample obtained from said subject nucleic acid molecules, if any, comprising a nucleotide sequence that is at least 95% identical to a sequence of at least 50 contiguous nucleotides in a sequence selected from the group consisting of. a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107.

The method for diagnosing a pathological condition can comprise a step of detecting nucleic acid molecules comprising a nucleotide sequence in a panel of at least two nucleotide sequences, wherein at least one sequence in said panel is at least 95% identical to a sequence of at least 50 contiguous nucleotides in a sequence selected from said group.

Also preferred is a composition of matter comprising isolated nucleic acid molecules wherein the nucleotide sequences of said nucleic acid molecules comprise a panel of at least two nucleotide sequences, wherein at least one sequence in said panel is at least 95% identical to a sequence of at least 50 contiguous nucleotides in a sequence selected from the group consisting of: a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49- 52; 57-72 and 107. The nucleic acid molecules can comprise DNA molecules or RNA molecules.

Also preferred is an isolated polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to a sequence of at least about 10 contiguous amino acids in an amino acid sequence translated from SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107. Also preferred is a polypeptide, wherein said sequence of contiguous amino acids is included in acids in an amino acid sequence translated from SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107, in the range of positions beginning with the residue at about the position of the first amino acid of the secreted portion and ending with the residue at about the last amino acid of the open reading frame.

Also preferred is an isolated polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to a sequence of at least about 30 contiguous amino acids in an amino acid sequence translated from SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107.

Further preferred is an isolated polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to a sequence of at least about 100 contiguous amino acids in an amino acid sequence translated from SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107.

Further preferred is an isolated polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to acids in an amino acid sequence translated from SEQ ID NOs: 1- 19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107.

Further preferred is a method for detecting in a biological sample a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence which is at least 90% identical to a sequence of at least 10 contiguous amino acids in a sequence selected from the group consisting of amino acid sequences translated from SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107, which method comprises a step of comparing an amino acid sequence of at least one polypeptide molecule in said sample with a sequence selected from said group and determining whether the sequence of said polypeptide molecule in said sample is at least 90%) identical to said sequence of at least 10 contiguous amino acids.

Also preferred is the above method wherein said step of comparing an amino acid sequence of at least one polypeptide molecule in said sample with a sequence selected from said group comprises determining the extent of specific binding of polypeptides in said sample to an antibody which binds specifically to a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence that is at least 90% identical to a sequence of at least 10 contiguous amino acids in a sequence selected from the group consisting of amino acid sequences translated from SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107.

Also preferred is the above method wherein said step of comparing sequences is performed by comparing the amino acid sequence determined from a polypeptide molecule in said sample with said sequence selected from said group.

Also preferred is a method for identifying the species, tissue or cell type of a biological sample which method comprises a step of detecting polypeptide molecules in said sample, if any, comprising an amino acid sequence that is at least 90% identical to a sequence of at least 10 contiguous amino acids in a sequence selected from the group consisting of amino acid sequences translated from SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107.

Also preferred is the above method for identifying the species, tissue or cell type of a biological sample, which method comprises a step of detecting polypeptide molecules comprising an amino acid sequence in a panel of at least two amino acid sequences, wherein at least one sequence in said panel is at least 90% identical to a sequence of at least 10 contiguous amino acids in a sequence selected from the above group.

Also preferred is a method for diagnosing in a subject a pathological condition associated with abnormal structure or expression of a gene, which method comprises a step of detecting in a biological sample obtained from said subject polypeptide molecules comprising an amino acid sequence in a panel of at least two amino acid sequences, wherein at least one sequence in said panel is at least 90% identical to a sequence of at least 10 contiguous amino acids in a sequence selected from the group consisting of amino acid sequences translated from SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107.

In any of these methods, the step of detecting said polypeptide molecules includes using an antibody. Also preferred is an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 95% identical to a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide wherein said polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence that is at least 90% identical to a sequence of at least 10 contiguous amino acids in a sequence selected from the group consisting of amino acid sequences translated from SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107.

Also preferred is an isolated nucleic acid molecule, wherein said nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide has been optimized for expression of said polypeptide in a prokaryotic host.

Also preferred is an isolated nucleic acid molecule, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of amino acid sequences translated from SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57- 72 and 107.

Further preferred is a method of making a recombinant vector comprising inserting any of the above isolated nucleic acid molecule into a vector. Also preferred is the recombinant vector produced by this method. Also preferred is a method of making a recombinant host cell comprising introducing the vector into a host cell, as well as the recombinant host cell produced by this method.

Also preferred is a method of making an isolated polypeptide comprising culturing this recombinant host cell under conditions such that said polypeptide is expressed and recovering said polypeptide. Also preferred is this method of making an isolated polypeptide, wherein said recombinant host cell is a eukaryotic cell and said polypeptide is a secreted portion of a human secreted protein comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of amino acid sequences translated from SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107. The isolated polypeptide produced by this method is also preferred.

Also preferred is a method of treatment of an individual in need of an increased level of a secreted protein activity, which method comprises administering to such an individual a pharmaceutical composition comprising an amount of an isolated polypeptide, polynucleotide, or antibody of the claimed invention effective to increase the level of said protein activity in said individual.

The present invention also includes a diagnostic system, preferably in kit form, for assaying for the presence of the polypeptide of the present invention in a body sample, such brain tissue, cell suspensions or tissue sections, or body fluid samples such as CSF, blood, plasma or serum, where it is desirable to detect the presence, and preferably the amount, of the polypeptide of this invention in the sample according to the diagnostic methods described herein.

In a related embodiment, a nucleic acid molecule can be used as a probe (an oligonucleotide) to detect the presence of a polynucleotide of the present invention, or a gene corresponding to a polynucleotide of the present invention, or a mRNA in a cell that is diagnostic for the presence or expression of a polypeptide of the present invention in the cell. The nucleic acid molecule probes can be of a variety of lengths from at least about 10, suitably about 10 to about 5000 nucleotides long, although they will typically be about 20 to 500 nucleotides in length. Hybridization methods are extremely well known in the art and will not be described further here.

In a related embodiment, detection of genes corresponding to the polynucleotides of the present invention can be conducted by primer extension reactions such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). To that end, PCR primers are utilized in pairs, as is well known, based on the nucleotide sequence of the gene to be detected. Preferably the nucleotide sequence is a portion of the nucleotide sequence of a polynucleotide of the present invention. Particularly preferred PCR primers can be derived from any portion of a DNA sequence encoding a polypeptide of the present invention, but are preferentially from regions which are not conserved in other cellular proteins.

Preferred PCR primer pairs useful for detecting the genes corresponding to the polynucleotides of the present invention and expression of these genes are described in the Examples, including the corresponding Tables. Nucleotide primers from the corresponding region of the polypeptides of the present invention described herein are readily prepared and used as PCR primers for detection of the presence or expression of the corresponding gene in any of a variety of tissues.

The diagnostic system includes, in an amount sufficient to perform at least one assay, a subject polypeptide of the present invention, a subject antibody or monoclonal antibody, and/or a subject nucleic acid molecule probe of the present invention, as a separately packaged reagent.

In another embodiment, a diagnostic system, preferably in kit form, is contemplated for assaying for the presence of the polypeptide of the present invention or an antibody immunoreactive with the polypeptide of the present invention in a body fluid sample such as for monitoring the fate of therapeutically administered the polypeptide of the present invention or an antibody immunoreactive with the polypeptide of the present invention. The system includes, in an amount sufficient for at least one assay, a polypeptide of the present invention and/or a subject antibody as a separately packaged immunochemical reagent.

Instructions for use of the packaged reagent(s) are also typically included.

As used herein, the term "package" refers to a solid matrix or material such as glass, plastic (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene or polycarbonate), paper, foil and the like capable of holding within fixed limits a polypeptide, polyclonal antibody or monoclonal antibody of the present invention. Thus, for example, a package can be a glass vial used to contain milligram quantities of a contemplated polypeptide or antibody or it can be a microtiter plate well to which microgram quantities of a contemplated polypeptide or antibody have been operatively affixed, i.e., linked so as to be capable of being immunologically bound by an antibody or antigen, respectively. "Instructions for use" typically include a tangible expression describing the reagent concentration or at least one assay method parameter such as the relative amounts of reagent and sample to be admixed, maintenance time periods for reagent/ sample admixtures, temperature, buffer conditions and the like.

A diagnostic system of the present invention preferably also includes a label or indicating means capable of signaling the formation of an immunocomplex containing a polypeptide or antibody molecule of the present invention.

The word "complex" as used herein refers to the product of a specific binding reaction such as an antibody-antigen or receptor-ligand reaction. Exemplary complexes are immunoreaction products.

As used herein, the terms "label" and "indicating means" in their various grammatical forms refer to single atoms and molecules that are either directly or indirectly involved in the production of a detectable signal to indicate the presence of a complex. Any label or indicating means can be linked to or incoφorated in an expressed protein, polypeptide, or antibody molecule that is part of an antibody or monoclonal antibody composition of the present invention, or used separately, and those atoms or molecules can be used alone or in conjunction with additional reagents. Such labels are themselves well-known in clinical diagnostic chemistry and constitute a part of this invention only insofar as they are utilized with otherwise novel proteins methods and/or systems.

The labeling means can be a fluorescent labeling agent that chemically binds to antibodies or antigens without denaturing them to form a fluorochrome (dye) that is a useful immunofluorescent tracer. Suitable fluorescent labeling agents are fluorochromes such as fluorescein isocyanate (FIC), fluorescein isothiocyante (FITC), 5-dimethylamine- 1-naphthalenesulfonyl chloride (DANSC), tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate (TRITC), lissamine, rhodamine 8200 sulphonyl chloride (RB 200 SC) and the like. A description of immunofluorescence analysis techniques is found in DeLuca, "Immunofluorescence Analysis", in Antibody As a Tool, Marchalonis, et al., Eds., John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., pp. 189-231 (1982), which is incoφorated herein by reference. Other suitable labeling agents are known to those skilled in the art.

In preferred embodiments, the indicating group is an enzyme, such as horseradish peroxidase (HRP), glucose oxidase, or the like. In such cases where the principal indicating group is an enzyme such as HRP or glucose oxidase, additional reagents are required to visualize the fact that a receptor-ligand complex (immunoreactant) has formed. Such additional reagents for HRP include hydrogen peroxide and an oxidation dye precursor such as diaminobenzidine. An additional reagent useful with glucose oxidase is 2,2'-amino-di-(3-ethyl-benzthiazoline-G-sulfonic acid) (ABTS).

Radioactive elements are also useful labeling agents and are used illustratively herein. An exemplary radiolabeling agent is a radioactive element that produces gamma ray emissions. Elements which themselves emit gamma rays, such as ¹²⁴1, ¹²⁵1, ¹²⁸1, ¹³²I and ⁵¹Cr represent one class of gamma ray emission-producing radioactive element indicating groups. Particularly preferred is ¹²⁵I. Another group of useful labeling means are those elements such as ^HC, ¹⁸F, ¹⁵O and ¹³N which themselves emit positrons. The positrons so emitted produce gamma rays upon encounters with electrons present in the animal's body. Also useful is a beta emitter, such ^{ι n} indium or ³H.

The linking of labels, i.e., labeling of, polypeptides and proteins is well known in the art. For instance, antibody molecules produced by a hybridoma can be labeled by metabolic incoφoration of radioisotope-containing amino acids provided as a component in the culture medium (see, e.g., Galfre et al, Meth. Enzymol, 73:3-46 (1981)). The techniques of protein conjugation or coupling through activated functional groups are particularly applicable (see, e.g.,Aurameas, et al., Scand. J. Immunol, Vol. 8 Suppl. 7:7- 23 (1978); Rodwell et al., Biotech., 3:889-894 (1984); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,795).

The diagnostic systems can also include, preferably as a separate package, a specific binding agent. A "specific binding agent" is a molecular entity capable of selectively binding a reagent species of the present invention or a complex containing such a species, but is not itself a polypeptide or antibody molecule composition of the present invention. Exemplary specific binding agents are second antibody molecules, complement proteins or fragments thereof, S. aureus protein A, and the like. Preferably the specific binding agent binds the reagent species when that species is present as part of a complex.

In preferred embodiments, the specific binding agent is labeled. However, when the diagnostic system includes a specific binding agent that is not labeled, the agent is typically used as an amplifying means or reagent. In these embodiments, the labeled specific binding agent is capable of specifically binding the amplifying means when the amplifying means is bound to a reagent species-containing complex.

The diagnostic kits of the present invention can be used in an "ELISA" format to detect the quantity of the polypeptide of the present invention in a sample. "ELISA" refers to an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that employs an antibody or antigen bound to a solid phase and an enzyme-antigen or enzyme-antibody conjugate to detect and quantify the amount of an antigen present in a sample. A description of the ELISA technique is found in Sites et al., Basic and Clinical Immunology, 4^th Ed., Lange Medical Publications, Los Altos, CA (1982) and in U.S. Patents No. 3,654,090; No. 3,850,752; and No. 4,016,043, which are all incoφorated herein by reference.

Thus, in some embodiments, an polypeptide of the present invention, an antibody or a monoclonal antibody of the present invention can be affixed to a solid matrix to form a solid support that comprises a package in the subject diagnostic systems.

A reagent is typically affixed to a solid matrix by adsoφtion from an aqueous medium although other modes of affixation applicable to proteins and polypeptides can be used that are well known to those skilled in the art. Exemplary adsoφtion methods are described herein. Useful solid matrices are also well known in the art. Such materials are water insoluble and include the cross-linked dextran available under the trademark SEPHADEX from Pharmacia Fine Chemicals (Piscataway, NJ); agarose; beads of polystyrene beads about 1 micron (μm) to about 5 millimeters (mm) in diameter available from several suppliers, e.g., Abbott Laboratories of North Chicago, IL; polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, cross-linked polyacrylamide, nitrocellulose- or nylon-based webs such as sheets, strips or paddles; or tubes, plates or the wells of a microtiter plate such as those made from polystyrene or polyvinylchloride.

The reagent species, labeled specific binding agent or amplifying reagent of any diagnostic system described herein can be provided in solution, as a liquid dispersion or as a substantially dry power, e.g., in lyophilized form. Where the indicating means is an enzyme, the enzyme's substrate can also be provided in a separate package of a system. A solid support such as the before-described microtiter plate and one or more buffers can also be included as separately packaged elements in this diagnostic assay system.

The packaging materials discussed herein in relation to diagnostic systems are those customarily utilized in diagnostic systems.

Having generally described the invention, the same will be more readily understood by reference to the following examples, which are provided by way of illustration and are not intended as limiting.

EXAMPLE 1

Identification and Characterization of Polynucleotides Regulated by Neuroleptic Drags

Male C57B1/6J mice (20-28 g) were housed in groups of four on a standard 12/12 hour light-dark cycle with ad libitum access to standard laboratory chow and tap water. For the experimental paradigms, mice were divided into groups of 25 and subjected to the following treatments: Control groups: Mice received a single injection of sterile saline (0.1 ml volume), or no injection, and were sacrificed after 45 minutes.

Acute neuroleptic treatment: Mice received a single intraperitoneal injection of the atypical neuroleptic clozapine (7.5 mg/kg). Animals were sacrificed after 45 minutes. Chronic neuroleptic treatment: Mice received daily subcutaneous injections of clozapine (7.5 mg/kg) for time periods of 5 days to 2 weeks.

All animals were sacrificed in their cages with CO₂ at the indicated times. Brains were rapidly removed and placed on ice. The striatum, including the nucleus accumbens, were dissected out and placed in ice-cold phosphate-buffered saline.

Isolated RNA was analyzed using a method of simultaneous sequence-specific identification of mRNAs known as TOGA (TOtal Gene expression Analysis) described in Sutcliffe et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 97(5): 1976-1981 (2000); International published application WO 026406; U.S. Patent No. 5,459,037; U.S. Patent No. 5,807,680; U.S. Patent No. 6,030,784; U.S. Patent No. 6,096,503 and U.S. Patent 6,110,680, hereby incoφorated herein by reference. Preferably, prior to the application of the TOGA technique, the isolated RNA was enriched to form a starting polyA- containing mRNA population by methods known in the art. In a preferred embodiment, the TOGA method further comprised an additional PCR step performed using four 5'

PCR primers in four separate reactions and cDNA templates prepared from a population of antisense cRNAs. A final PCR step that used 256 5' PCR primers in separate reactions produced PCR products that were cDNA fragments that corresponded to the 3'-region of the starting mRNA population. The produced PCR products were then identified by: a) the initial 5' sequence comprising the sequence remainder of the recognition site of the restriction endonuclease used to cut and isolate the 3' region plus the sequence of the preferably four parsing bases immediately 3' to the remainder of the recognition site, preferably the sequence of the entire fragment, and b) the length of the fragment. These two parameters, sequence and fragment length, were used to compare the obtained PCR products to a database of known polynucleotide sequences. Since the length of the obtained PCR products includes known vector sequences at the 5' and 3' ends of the insert, the sequence of the insert provided in the sequence listing is shorter than the fragment length that forms part of the digital address.

The method yields Digital Sequence Tags (DSTs), that is, polynucleotides that are expressed sequence tags of the 3' end of mRNAs. DSTs that showed changes in relative levels as a result of clozapine treatment were selected for further study. The intensities of the laser-induced fluorescence of the labeled PCR products were compared across samples isolated from the striatum/nucleus accumbens of mice treated with clozapine for 45 minutes, 7 hours, 5 days, 12 days, or 14 days.

In general, double-stranded cDNA is generated from poly(A)-enriched cytoplasmic RNA extracted from the tissue samples of interest using an equimolar mixture or set of all 48 5'-biotinylated anchor primers to initiate reverse transcription. One such suitable set is G-A-A-T-T-C-A-A-C-T-G-G-A-A-G-C-G-G-C-C-G-C-A-G-G- A-A-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-V-N-N (SEQ ID NO: 20), where V is A, C or G and N is A, C, G or T. One member of this mixture of 48 anchor primers initiates synthesis at a fixed position at the 3' end of all copies of each mRNA species in the sample, thereby defining a 3' endpoint for each species, resulting in biotinylated double stranded cDNA.

Each biotinylated double stranded cDNA sample was cleaved with the restriction endonuclease MspL which recognizes the sequence CCGG. The resulting fragments of cDNA corresponding to the 3' region of the starting mRNA were then isolated by capture of the biotinylated cDNA fragments on a streptavidin-coated substrate. Suitable streptavidin-coated substrates include microtitre plates, PCR tubes, polystyrene beads, paramagnetic polymer beads and paramagnetic porous glass particles. A preferred streptavidin-coated substrate is a suspension of paramagnetic polymer beads (Dynal, Inc., Lake Success, NY).

After washing the streptavidin-coated substrate and captured biotinylated cDNA fragments, the cDNA fragment product was released by digestion with Notl, which cleaves at an 8-nucleotide sequence within the anchor primers but rarely within the mRNA-derived portion of the cDNAs. The 3' Mspl-Notl fragments, which are of uniform length for each mRNA species, were directionally ligated into Clal- Notl- cleaved plasmid pBC SK⁺ (Stratagene, La Jolla, CA) in an antisense orientation with respect to the vector's T3 promoter, and the product used to transform Escherichia coli SURE cells (Stratagene). The ligation regenerates the Notl site, but not the Mspl site, leaving CGG as the first 3 bases of the 5' end of all PCR products obtained. Each library contained in excess of 5 x IO⁵ recombinants to ensure a high likelihood that the 3' ends of all mRNAs with concentrations of 0.001% or greater were multiply represented. Plasmid preps (Qiagen) were made from the cDNA library of each sample under study.

An aliquot of each library was digested with Mspl. which effects linearization by cleavage at several sites within the parent vector while leaving the 3' cDNA inserts and their flanking sequences, including the T3 promoter, intact. The product was incubated with T3 RNA polymerase (MEGAscript kit, Ambion) to generate antisense cRNA transcripts of the cloned inserts containing known vector sequences abutting the Mspl and Notl sites from the original cDNAs.

At this stage, each of the cRNA preparations was processed in a three-step fashion. In step one, 250ng of cRNA was converted to first-strand cDNA using the 5' RT primer (A-G-G-T-C-G-A-C-G-G-T-A-T-C-G-G, (SEQ ID NO: 21). In step two, 400 pg of cDNA product was used as PCR template in four separate reactions with each of the four 5' PCR primers of the form G-G-T-C-G-A-C-G-G-T-A-T-C-G-G-N (SEQ ID NO: 22), each paired with a "universal" 3' PCR primer G-A-G-C-T-C-C-A-C-C-G-C-G-G-T (SEQ ID NO: 23) to yield four sets of PCR reaction products ("Nl reaction products").

In step three, the product of each subpool was further divided into 64 subsubpools (2ng in 20μl) for the second PCR reaction. This PCR reaction comprised adding 100 ng of the fluoresceinated "universal" 3' PCR primer (SEQ ID NO: 23) conjugated to 6-FAM and 100 ng of the appropriate 5' PCR primer of the form C-G-A-C-G-G-T-A-T-C-G-G- N-N-N-N (SEQ ID NO: 24), and using a program that included an annealing step at a temperature X slightly above the T_m of each 5' PCR primer to minimize artifactual misprinting and promote high fidelity copying. Each polymerase chain reaction step was performed in the presence of TaqStart antibody (Clonetech).

The products ("N4 reaction products") from the final polymerase chain reaction step for each of the tissue samples were resolved on a series of denaturing DNA sequencing gels using the automated ABI Prizm 377 sequencer. Data were collected using the GeneScan software package (ABI) and normalized for amplitude and migration. Complete execution of this series of reactions generated 64 product subpools for each of the four pools established by the 5' PCR primers of the first PCR reaction, for a total of 256 product subpools for the entire 5' PCR primer set of the second PCR reaction.

The mRNA samples from each timepoint as described above were analyzed. Table 1 is a summary of the expression levels of 495 mRNAs determined from cDNA. These cDNA molecules are identified by their digital address, that is, a partial 5' terminus nucleotide sequence coupled with the length of the molecule, as well as the relative amount of the molecule produced at different time intervals after treatment. The 5' terminus partial nucleotide sequence is determined by the recognition site for Mspl (CC GG) and the nucleotide sequence of the parsing bases of the 5' PCR primer used in the final PCR step. The digital address length of the fragment was determined by inteφolation on a standard curve and, as such, may vary ± 1-2 b.p. from the actual length as determined by sequencing.

For example, the entry in Table 1 that describes a DNA molecule identified by the digital address Mspl AGT A, is further characterized as having a 5' terminus partial nucleotide sequence of CGGAGTA and a digital address length of 106 b.p. The DNA molecule identified as Mspl AGTA 106 is further described as being expressed at increasing levels after both acute and chronic treatment with clozapine (see Fig. 1). Additionally, the DNA molecule identified as Mspl AGTA 106 is described by its nucleotide sequence, which coresponds with SEQ ED NO: 1. Similarly, the other DNA molecules identified in Table 1 by their Mspl digital addresses are further characterized by: 1) the level of gene expression in the striatum/nucleus accumbens of mice without clozapine treatment (control), 2) the level of gene expression in the striatum/nucleus accumbens of mice treated with clozapine for 45 minutes, 3) the level of gene expression in the striatum/nucleus accumbens of mice treated with clozapine for 7 hours, 4) the level of gene expression in the striatum/nucleus accumbens of mice treated with clozapine for 5 days, 5) the level of gene expression in the striatum/nucleus accumbens of mice treated with clozapine for 12 days, 6) the level of gene expression in the striatum/nucleus accumbens of mice treated with clozapine for 14 days.

Some products, which were also differentially represented, appeared to migrate in positions that suggest that the products were novel based on comparison to data extracted from GenBank. The sequences of such products were determined by one of two methods: cloning or direct sequencing of the PCR products.

Additionally, several of the isolated clones were further characterized as shown in Table 2 and their nucleotide sequences are provided as SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107 in the Sequence Listing below.

The sequences of SEQ ID NOs: 1-19; 49-52; 57-72 and 107 have had the Mspl site found in the native state of the coπesponding RNA indicated by the addition of a "C" to the 5' of the sequence. As noted above, the ligation of the sequence into a vector does not regenerate the Mspl site; the experimentally determined sequence reported herein has C-G-G as the first bases of the 5' end.

The data shown in Figure 1 were generated with a 5' -PCR primer (C-G-A-C-G- G-T-A-T-C-G-G-A-G-T-A; SEQ ID NO: 94) paired with the "universal" 3' primer (SEQ ID NO: 23) labeled with 6-carboxyfluorescein (6FAM, ABI) at the 5' terminus. PCR reaction products were resolved by gel electrophoresis on 4.5% acrylamide gels and fluorescence data acquired on ABI377 automated sequencers. Data were analyzed using GeneScan software (Perkin-Elmer). The sequences of the PCR products were determined using standard techniques.

The results of TOGA analysis using a 5' PCR primer with parsing bases AGTA (SEQ ID NO.: 94) are shown in Figure 1, which shows the PCR products produced from mRNA isolated from the striatum/nucleus accumbens of mice treated with clozapine for various lengths of time as described above. The vertical index line indicates a PCR product of about 106 b.p. that is present in control cells, and whose expression increases when the striatum/nucleus accumbens of mice are treated with clozapine for 45 minutes, 7 hours, 5 days, 12 days, and 14 days.

Cloning DSTs Without A Candidate Match and Verification of the Cloned DSTs Using Extended TOGA Method

In suitable cases, the PCR product was isolated, cloned into a TOPO vector

(Invitrogen) and sequenced on both strands. The database matches for each cloned DST sequence are listed in Table 2. In order to verify that the cloned product corresponds to the TOGA peak of interest, the extended TOGA assay was performed for each DST. PCR primers were designed based on the determined sequences and PCR was performed using the Nl PCR reaction products as a substrate. Oligonucleotides were synthesized with the sequence G-A-T-C-G-A-A-T-C extended at the 3' end with a partial Mspl site (C-G-G), and an additional 18 adjacent nucleotides from the determined sequence of the cloned PCR product or DST. For example, for the PCR product with the digital address Mspl AGTA 106 (SEQ ID NO: 1), the 5' PCR primer was G-A-T-C-G-A-A-T-C-C-G-G- A-G-T-A-C-A-G-T-G-A-C-T-T-T-G-A-G-T (SEQ ID NO: 28). This 5' PCR primer was paired with the fluorescent labeled universal 3' PCR primer (SEQ ID NO: 23) in a PCR reaction using the PCR Nl reaction product as substrate.

The length of the PCR product generated with the clone specific primer (SEQ ID NO: 28) was compared to the length of the original PCR product that was produced in the TOGA reaction as shown in Figure 2. For CLZ 3 (SEQ ID NO: 1), the upper panel (Figure 2A) shows the PCR product generated with the clone specific primer (SEQ ED NO: 28) and the fluorescent labeled universal 3' PCR primer (SEQ ID NO: 23). Figure 2B shows the PCR products produced in the original TOGA reaction using a 5' PCR primer C-G-A-C-G-G-T-A-T-C-G-G-A-G-T-A (SEQ ID NO: 94), and the fluorescent labeled universal 3' PCR primer. In the bottom panel (Figure 2C), the traces from the top and middle panels are overlaid, demonstrating that the PCR product produced using an extended primer based on the cloned sequence is the same length as the original PCR product. Other DST clones verified using this method include cases (CLZ 5, SEQ ID NO: 2; CLZ_8, SEQ ID NO: 3; CLZ_10, SEQ ID NO: 4; CLZ_12, SEQ ID NO: 5; CLZ_15, SEQ ID NO: 6; CLZ_24, SEQ ID NO: 7; CLZ_33, SEQ ID NO: 8; CLZ_34, SEQ ID NO: 9; CLZ_37, SEQ ID NO: 10; CLZ_38, SEQ ID NO: 11; CLZ_40, SEQ ID NO: 12, CLZ_6, SEQ ID NO: 14; CLZ_16, SEQ ID NO: 15; CLZ_22, SEQ ID NO: 16; CLZ_32, SEQ ID NO: 17; CLZ_36, SEQ ID NO: 18; CLZ_42, SEQ ID NO: 19; CLZ_18, SEQ ID NO: 57; CLZ 43, SEQ ID NO: 58; CLZ_44, SEQ ID NO: 59; CLZ_47, SEQ ID NO: 60; CLZ_48, SEQ ID NO: 61 ; CLZ 49, SEQ ID NO: 62; CLZ_50, SEQ ID NO: 63; CLZ _.51, SEQ ID NO: 64; CLZ_52, SEQ ID NO: 65; CLZ_56, SEQ ID NO: 67; CLZ_57, SEQ ID NO: 68; CLZ_60, SEQ ID NO: 69, and CLZ_64, SEQ ID NO: 70). Table 3 contains primers generated from each of the cloned DSTs used in such studies.

Direct Sequencing of TOGA Generated PCR products and Verification by Extended TOGA Method

In other cases, the TOGA PCR product was sequenced using a modification of a direct sequencing methodology (Innis et al., Proc. Nat'l. Acad. Sci., 85: 9436-9440 (1988)).

PCR products coπesponding to DSTs were gel purified and PCR amplified again to incoφorate sequencing primers at 5' and 3' ends. The sequence addition was accomplished through 5' and 3' ds-primers containing M13 sequencing primer sequences (Ml 3 forward and Ml 3 reverse respectively) at their 5' ends, followed by a linker sequence and a sequence complementary to the DST ends. Using the Clontech Taq Start antibody system, a master mix containing all components except the gel purified PCR product template was prepared, which contained sterile H₂O, 10X PCR II buffer, lOmM dNTP, 25 mM MgCl₂, AmpliTaq/Antibody mix (1.1 μg/μl Taq antibody, 5 U/μl AmpliTaq), 100 ng/μl of 5* ds-primer (5 ' TCC CAG TCA CGA CGT TGT AAA ACG ACG GCT CAT ATG AAT TAG GTG ACC GAC GGT ATC GG 3', SEQ ID NO: 89), and 100 ng/μl of 3' ds-primer (5' CAG CGG ATA ACA ATT TCA CAC AGG GAG CTC CAC CGC GGT GGC GGC C 3', SEQ ID NO: 90). After addition of the PCR template, PCR was performed using the following program: 94°C, 4 minutes and 25 cycles of 94°C, 20 seconds; 65°C, 20 seconds; 72°C, 20 seconds; and 72°C 4 minutes. The resulting amplified adapted PCR product was gel purified as described above.

The purified ds-extended PCR product was sequenced using a standard protocol for ABI 3700 sequencing. Briefly, triplicate reactions in forward and reverse orientation (6 total reactions) were prepared, each reaction containing 5 μl of gel purified ds- extended N5 PCR product as template. In addition, the sequencing reactions contained 2 μl 2.5X sequencing buffer, 2 μl Big Dye Terminator mix, 1 μl of either the 5' sequencing primer (5' CCC AGT CAC GAC GTT GTA AAA CG 3', SEQ ID NO: 91), or the 3' sequencing primer (5' TTT TTT TTT TTT TTT TTT V 3', where V=A, C, or G, SEQ ID NO: 92) in a total volume of 10 μl.

In an alternate embodiment, the 3' sequencing primer was the sequence 5' GGT GGC GGC CGC AGG AAT TTT TTT TTT TTT TTT TT 3', (SEQ ED NO: 93). PCR was performed using the following thermal cycling program: 96°C, 2 minutes and 29 cycles of 96°C, 15 seconds; 50°C, 15 seconds; 60°C, 4 minutes.

The sequences for (CLZ_62, SEQ ID NO: 71 and CLZ_65, SEQ ID NO: 72) were determined by this method. Table 2 contains the database matches for the sequences determined by this method. In order to verify that the sequences determined by direct sequencing derive from the PCR product of interest, PCR primers were designed based on the sequences determined by direct sequencing, and PCR reactions were performed using the Nl TOGA PCR reaction products as substrate, as described above for the sequences cloned into the TOPO vector. In short, oligonucleotides were synthesized with the sequence G-A-T-C- G-A-A-T-C extended at the 3' end with a partial Mspl site (C-G-G) and an additional 18 nucleotides adjacent to the partial Mspl site from the sequence determined by direct sequencing. The 5' PCR primers were paired with the fluorescent labeled universal 3' PCR primer (SEQ ID NO: 23) in PCR reactions with the Nl TOGA PCR reaction product as template. The lengths of these PCR products were compared to the length of the PCR products of interest. Table 3 contains the sequences of the primers used in these studies.

Verification of a Candidate Match Using Extended TOGA Method

In four cases, CLZ_17, (SEQ ID NO: 49); CLZ_26, (SEQ ID NO: 50); CLZ 28, (SEQ ID NO: 51); and CLZ_ 58 (SEQ ID NO: 52) the sequences listed for the TOGA PCR products were derived from candidate matches to sequences present in available Genbank, EST, or proprietary databases. Table 4 lists the candidate matches for each by accession number of the Genbank entry or by the accession numbers of a set of computer-assembled ESTs used to create a consensus sequence.

To determine whether the TOGA PCR products of interest were derived from the sequence of the candidate match, PCR primers were designed with the sequence G-A-T- C-G-A-A-T-C extended at the 3' end with a partial Mspl site (C-G-G), and an additional 18 nucleotides adjacent to the terminal Mspl site in the candidate match sequence. Each extended primer is combined with the fluorescent labeled universal 3' PCR primer (SEQ ID NO: 23) in a PCR reaction with the product of the first TOGA PCR reaction (Nl reaction products) as the template. The PCR products obtained using an extended primer and the universal 3' primer were compared to products obtained using the original TOGA PCR primers. Primers designed for such studies are shown in Table 4 along with the accession numbers of sequences used to derive the primer sequences. EXAMPLE 2 Characterization of CLZ 5 (apoD) Another example of TOGA analysis is shown in Figure 3. En Figure 3, a peak at about 201 is indicated, identified by digital address Mspl CACC 201 when a 5' PCR primer (SEQ ID NO: 25) was paired with SEQ ID NO: 23 to produce the panel of PCR products. The PCR product was cloned and sequenced as described in Example 1. To verify the identity of the isolated clone (SEQ ED NO: 2), oligonucleotides were synthesized coπesponding to the 5' PCR primer in the second PCR step for each candidate extended at the 3' end with an additional 12-15 nucleotides from the cloned sequence. In this case the 5' PCR primer was G-A-T-C-G-A-A-T-C-C-G-G-C-A-C-C-T- A-C-T-G-G-A-T-C-C-T-G-G (SEQ ID NO: 29). This 5' PCR primer were paired with the fluorescently labeled 3' PCR primer (SEQ ID NO: 23) in PCRs using the cDNA produced in the first PCR reaction as substrate.

As shown in Tables 2 and 3, the CLZ 5 clone (CACC 201) described above corresponds with GenBank sequence X82648, which is identified as a mouse apolipoprotein D (apoD) sequence. Other corresponding apoD GenBank sequences include L39123 (mouse), X55572 (rat), NM_001647 (human). Northern Blot analyses were performed to determine the effect of clozapine and haloperidol on apoD expression in mouse striatum/nucleus accumbens. Also, in situ hybridization analyses were performed to determine the pattern of apoD expression in control and clozapine-treated mouse striatum/nucleus accumbens.

Male C57B1/6J mice (20-28 g) were housed in groups of four on a standard 12/12 hour light-dark cycle with ad libitum access to standard laboratory chow and tap water. The same experimental paradigm used in Example 1 was used for the Northern Blot analyses. Briefly, the control group mice received a single injection of sterile saline (0.1 ml volume), or no injection, and were sacrificed after 45 minutes. The mice subjected to acute neuroleptic treatment were given a single intraperitoneal injection of the typical neuroleptic, haloperidol, (4 mg/kg) or the atypical neuroleptic, clozapine (7.5 mg/kg) and sacrificed after 45 minutes or 7 hours, as described in Example 1. The mice subjected to chronic neuroleptic treatment received daily subcutaneous injections of haloperidol (4 mg/kg) for 10 days or 14 days, or received daily injections of clozapine (7.5 mg/kg) for 5 days, 12 days or 14 days. All animals were sacrificed in their cages with CO₂ at the indicated times. Brains were rapidly removed and placed on ice. The striatum, including the nucleus accumbens, were dissected out and placed in ice-cold phosphate-buffered saline. The cytoplasmic RNA was isolated by pheno chloroform extraction of the homogenized tissue according to the method described in Schibler et al., J. Mol. Bio., 142, 93-116 (1980). Poly A enriched mRNA was prepared from cytoplasmic RNA using well-known methods of oligo dT chromatography.

Shown in Fig. 4, Northern Blot analysis was performed using 2 μg poly A enriched mRNA extracted from the striatum/nucleus accumbens of control mice and clozapine-treated mice. The mRNA transcripts were fractionated by electrophoresis on a 1.5% agarose gel containing formaldehyde, transfeπed to a biotrans membrane by the method of Thomas (Thomas, P. S., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 77,5201-5215 (1980)), and prehybridized for 30 minutes in Expresshyb (Clonetech). A 160 bp insert of CLZ_5 (25- 100 ng) was labeled with [α-³²P]-d CTP by oligonucleotide labeling to specific activities of approximately 5xl0⁸ cpm/μg, added to the prehybridization solution and incubated for 1 hour. Filters were washed to high stringency (0.2 X SSC) (1 X SSC: 0.015 M NaCl and 0.0015 M Na citrate) at 68°C then exposed to Kodak X-AR film (Eastman Kodak, Rochester, NY) for up to 1 week. Densitrometry analysis on Northern blots was performed by ImageQuant software.

As can be seen in Fig. 4, a 900 bp mRNA was detected in control and clozapine- treated mice which corresponds with the apoD gene. The apoD mRNA expression is progressively up-regulated with clozapine treatment over the two-week time course. It is possible that clozapine may mediate its antipsychotic effect through the regulation of apoD. Alternatively, apoD may be co-regulated by clozapine, in parallel with the mechanism of the clozapine therapeutic effects, and can serve as an indicator of clozapine bioactive levels. Shown in Fig. 5, Northern Blot analysis was performed using mRNA extracted from the striatum/nucleus accumbens of control mice and haloperidol-treated mice using the above-described method and the same ³²P -radiolabelled probe. A 900 bp mRNA was detected in control and haloperidol-treated mice which coπesponds with the apoD gene. Enterestingly, apoD mRNA expression is slightly down-regulated with acute and chronic haloperidol treatment. These results reveal that clozapine and haloperidol have a differential effect on apoD expression.

Figure 6 is a graphical representation comparing the results of the clozapine treatment TOGA analysis of clone CLZ 5 (CACC 201) shown in Fig. 4 and the clozapine treatment Northern Blot analysis of clone CLZ_5 shown in Figure 5. The Northern Blot was imaged using a phosphoimager to determine the amount of apoD mRNA in each clozapine-treated sample relative to the amount of mRNA in the control sample. As can be seen, the clozapine treatment TOGA analysis shows coπelation with the clozapine treatment Northern Blot analysis.

Figure 7A-C shows an in situ hybridization analysis, demonstrating the apoD expression in mouse brain. The in situ hybridization was performed on free-floating sections (25 μM thick) as described (Thomas et al., J. Neurosci. Res., 52, 118-124 (1998)). Coronal sections were hybridized at 55°C for 16 hours with an S-labeled, single-stranded 160 bp antisense cRNA probe of CLZ 5 at IO⁷ cpm/ml. The probe was synthesized from the 3 '-ended cDNA TOGA clone CLZ-5 using the Maxiscript Transcription Kit (Ambion, Austin, TX). Excess probe was removed by washing with 2 X SSC (I X SSC = 0.015 M NaCl/0.0015 M Na citrate) containing 14 mM β- mercaptoethanol (30 minutes), followed by incubation with 4 μg/ml ribonuclease in 0.5 M NaCl/0.05 M EDTA/0.05 M Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, for 1 hour at 37°C. High stringency washes were carried out at 55°C for 2 hours in 0.5 X SSC/50% formamide/0.01 M β- mercaptoethanol, and then at 68°C for 1 hour in 0.1 X SSC/0.01 M β- mercaptoethanol/0.5% sarkosyl. Slices were mounted onto gelatin-coated slides and dehydrated with ethanol and chloroform before autoradiography. Slides were exposed for 1-4 days on Kodak X-AR film and then dipped in Ilford K-5 emulsion. After 4 weeks, slides were developed with Kodak D19 developer, fixed, and counterstained with Richardson's blue stain.

Fig. 7A shows CLZ-5 (apoD) mRNA expression in mouse anterior brain, 7B shows apoD mRNA expression in midbrain and 7C shows apoD expression in posterior brain. In all brain sections apoD is expressed by astroglial cells, pial cells, perivascular fibroblasts and scattered neurons. This is consistent with previous studies examining the expression of apoD in mice, rabbits and humans (Yoshida et al., DNA and Cell Biology, 15, 873-882 (1996); Provost et al., J. Lipid Res., 32, 1959-1970 (1991); Navaπo et al., Neurosci. Lett., 254, 17-20 (1998).

The Northern blot results (Figures 4 and 6) indicated that apoD was induced by clozapine in the striatum of mouse brain. To investigate additional sites of apoD induction, in situ hybridization analysis was performed on brains from saline- and clozapine-treated mice. Figure 8A-I presents an in situ hybridization analysis, showing clone CLZ_5 (apoD) mRNA expression in mouse anterior (8 A-C), mid (8D-F), and posterior (8G-I) brain following saline treatment (top row) or clozapine treatment (7.5 mg/kg) for 5 days (middle row) and 14 days (bottom row), using previously described methods. Animals were sacrificed by intracardial perfusion with 4% paraformaldehyde and the brains removed, post- fixed for 12 hours, cryoprotected with 30% sucrose and rapidly frozen at -70°C. At low magnification, increases in apoD mRNA were observed at both five days and two weeks of clozapine treatment in the striatum, cortex, globus pallidus (GP), and thalamus. Increases in apoD expression were also detected in white matter tracts, predominantly the coφus callosum (cc), anterior commissure, internal capsule (ic) and optic tract (opt). At high magnification, it was evident that the increased apoD hybridization signal in the striatum, globus pallidus, and thalamus of the drag- treated animals was primarily due to an increase in the number of cells expressing detectable apoD, although some cells with higher apoD expression were also observed. Using a monoclonal antibody directed against full-length apoD, immunohistochemistry analyses were performed to evaluate changes in apoD protein expression in response to clozapine. Increase in protein expression coπelated well with increases in mRNA expression (data not shown). Combined in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that increases in apoD levels were localized primarily to neurons and astrocytes of the striatum and oligodendrocytes in various white matter tracts throughout the brain.

Figure 9A-H shows a darkfield photomicrograph demonstrating upregulated apoD mRNA expression in various brain regions, including the coφus callosum (cc, Fig. 9A, E); caudate putamen (CPu, Fig. 9B, 7F); anterior commissure (aca, Fig. 9C, 9G); and globus pallidus (GP, Fig. 9D, 9H). In situ hybridizations were perfomed as described above, using an antisense ³⁵S-labeled apoD riboprobe on brains from control (Fig. 9A-D) and clozapine-treated (Fig. 9E-H) animals. The observed upregulation of apoD was due to an increase in the amount of apoD expressed per cell.

Figure IOA, B shows a darkfield photomicrograph demonstrating upregulated apoD mRNA expression in the internal capsule (ic). Figure IOC, D shows a brightfield view of the optic tract (opt) demonstrating upregulation of apoD expression in oligodendrocytes. In situ hybridizations were perfomed as described above, using an antisense ³⁵S-labeled apoD riboprobe on brains from control (IOA, C) and clozapine- treated (10B, D) animals. As shown in Fig. 10D, the cells prominantly expressing apoD in the optic tract have a box-like moφhology and are lined up in a serial aπay, presumably along axonal tracts. Such features are characteristic of oligodendrocytes, which synthesize the insulating myelin coating of nerve fibers. In situ hybridization experiments performed on brains from haloperidol-treated mice did not reveal substantial increases in apoD expression in gray or white matter regions (data not shown).

White matter tracts comprise nerve fiber bundles connecting different regions of the brain. The predominant cells in these regions are astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, both of which have been shown to express apoD (Boyles et al., J Lipid Res 31:2243-2256 (1990); Navaπo et al, Neurosci Lett 254:17-20 (1995); Provost et al., J Lipid Res 32 (1991)). To determine which cell types are responsible for the increase in apoD signal, co-localization studies were performed using a ³⁵S-labeled apoD riboprobe in combination with either an antibody specific for an astrocyte marker, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), or an antibody specific for an oligodendrocyte marker, 2', 3'- cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNP) (Boehringer Mannheim, Germany). The immunoreaction was detected with Vectastain ABC ™ kit (Vector Laboratory, Inc., Burlingame, CA) according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Free floating brain sections were incubated with blocking solution (4% bovine serum albumin in 0.1% Triton X-100/PBS) for 2 hours at room temperature, followed by incubation with anti-GFAP or anti-CNP antiseram (dilution 1:500) in blocking solution for 16-20 hours at 4°C. Sections were then washed with 0.1% Triton X-100/PBS and incubated with secondary biotinylated antibody (1 :200 dilution in blocking solution) for 2 hours at room temperature. The sections were then washed with 0.1% Triton X-100/PBS, incubated for 1 hour with ABC reagent (1:1 in blocking solution) and finally washed with 0.1%) Triton X-100/PBS. Enzymatic development was performed in 0.05% diaminobenzene in PBS containing 0.003% hydrogen peroxide for 3-5 minutes.

Fig. 11 shows sections of striatum and optic tract in control and clozapine-treated animals. Thick arrows indicate the co-localization of GFAP and apoD, while thin arrows indicate the expression of apoD alone. Fig. 11A, B shows that in untreated striatum, many GFAP -positive cells in both gray and white matter regions are positive for apoD. Fig. 1 ID, E shows that in brain from clozapine-treated animals, an increase in the amount of apoD was observed in a small subset of GFAP-positive cells in the striatum.

Additionally, there was an increase in the number of non-GFAP -positive cells expressing apoD in the striatum, as well as the globus pallidus and thalamus which are presumptively neurons, based on size and moφhology.

Fig. 1 IC, F shows GFAP and apoD co-localization in the optic tract in control

(1 IC) and clozapine-treated (1 IF) animals. While some astrocytes express apoD mRNA, the cells responsible for the predominant apoD transcript upregulation did not label with GFAP and thus are likely oligodendrocytes. In other white matter regions, such as the coφus callosum, anterior commissure and internal capsule, the non-GFAP expressing cells that express apoD are likely to be oligodendrocytes as well, although expression in microglia can not be raled out. Fig. 1 IG, H shows apoD immunohistochemistry with an anti-human apoD primary antibody (Novocastra, Newcastle, UK) in the optic tract of control saline (1 IG) and clozapine-treated animals (11H).

Co-localization studies performed using anti-CNP antibody showed CNP immunoreactivity in white matter tracts throughout the CNS which coπelated with areas of apoD mRNA hybridization signals, indicating the expression of apoD in oligodendrocytes. However, within the gray matter regions of the striatum, there was no co-localization consistent with the neuronal accumulation of apoD (data not shown).

Figure 12 shows a Northern Blot analysis of clone CLZ_5 expression in cultured glial cells treated with clozapine (100 nM and 1 μM) for 1 day or 7 days. Glial cell cultures were produced from postnatal (day 2) rats. The cells were treated with different concentrations of clozapine for different lengths of time before mRNA extraction as follows: A= control (no clozapine), B= 100 nM clozapine, 1 day, C= lμM clozapine, 1 day, D= 100 nM clozapine, 1 week, E= lμM clozapine, 1 week. 20 μg of total cytoplasmic RNA from glial cell cultures were electπophoresed on a 1.5% agarose gel containing formaldehyde, blotted, and probed as previously described. Interestingly, apoD mRNA levels were down-regulated in mixed glial cell cultures treated with clozapine (both 100 nM and 1 μM) for 1 week, suggesting that perhaps neurons and glia display different mechanisms for apoD regulation.

TOGA methodology, Northern blot analyses, and in situ hybridization studies have demonstrated an increase in apoD mRNA expression in both white and gray matter regions of mouse brain in response to chronic clozapine administration. Colocalization studies, combining in situ hybridization and imunohistochemistry methods have revealed that apoD mRNA levels are increased in both neurons and glial cells with clozapine administration. The evidence indicates that the glial cells responsible for the most dramatic increases in apoD expression are primarily oligodendrocytes, but a subset of astrocytes also have increased apoD expression after clozapine treatment. In contrast, TOGA, Northern blot and in situ hybridization analyses showed that apoD expression was not affected by haloperidol treatment.

In addition to the mouse studies described above which show that apoD is regulated by chronic antipsychotic drag administration, studies using schizophrenic and bipolar human subjects showed that apoD expression is increased in the prefrontal cortex of such patients. The combined results suggest that apoD is a marker for neuropathology associated with psychiatric disorders and therefore can be used to target abnormalities in specific anatomical brain regions.

ApoD was initially identified as a constituent of plasma high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), which also contain phospholipids, cholesterol and fatty acids (McConathy et al., Fed. Eur. Biochem. Soc. Lett, 37: 178 (1973)). In the blood, apoD is thought to play a role in reverse cholesterol transport, the removal of excess cholesterol from tissues to the liver for catabolism (Oram et al., J. Lipid. Res., 37: (1996)). In addition to abundant expression in human serum, apoD is major protein component in cyst fluid from women with human breast cystic disease (Balbin et al., Biochem. , 271 : 803 (1990)) and also is widely expressed in numerous tissues, including liver, kidney, intestine, spleen and brain (Drayna et al., J. Biol Chem., 261: (1986)). In the CNS of humans, as in other species (Provost et al., J. Lipid Res., 32: (1991); Seguin et al, Mol Brain Res., 30: 242 (1995); Smith et al., J. Lipid Res., 31: 995 (1990)), apoD is expressed primarily in glial cells, pial cells, perivascular cells, and some neuronal populations (Navaπo et al., Neurosci. Lett., 254: 17 (1995); Kalman et al., Neurol Res., 22: 330 (2000)). The physiological role for apoD within the CNS is not known, however, it has been shown to bind several hydrophobic ligands, including sterols and steroid hormones (Dilley et al., Breast Cane. Res. Treat, 16: 253 (1990); Lea, O. A., Steroids, 52: 337 (1988)) suggesting a role in extracellular lipid transport in the brain. ApoD has also been shown to bind arachidonic acid Morais-Cabral et al., FEBSLett., 366: 53 (1995)) implicating it in functions associated with cell membrane remodeling and prostaglandin synthesis. In the regenerating sciatic nerve, a process that involves massive membrane degradation and lipid release, apoD concentrations are increased 500-fold (Boyles et al., J. Biol. Chem., 265: 17805 (1990)). Recent reports have also demonstrated an increase in apoD expression in rat brain after experimental and chemical lesioning of the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus, respectively (Ong et al., Neurosci, 79:359 (1997); Terisse et al., Mol. Brain Res. ,70: 26 (1999)). Additionally, in humans, apoD accumulates in the cerebrospinal fluid and hippocampi of patients with Alzheimer's, and other neurological diseases (Terisse et al., J. Neurochem., 71: 1643 (1998)). Hence, apoD may be functioning during pathological situations or its expression may represent an effort to compensate for neuropathology associated with such insults.

The pattern of apoD expression in the brain suggests that apoD may play an important role in psychotic disease. It is widely believed that imbalances in basal ganglia circuitry contribute to psychotic behaviors and that blockade of specific receptors in these regions is responsible for neuroleptic action. The neuronal increases in apoD mRNA expression observed in neurons of the striatum and globus pallidus are consistent with this hypothesis.

In addition, the apoD induction observed in the internal capsule is of particular interest. The internal capsule consists of massive nerve fibers connecting the thalamus to the cortex and is an area of convergence for the fiber tracts running transversely through the striatum. The thalamus is a relay station for virtually all information passing to the cortex and coordinated cortico-thalamic activity is essential for normal consciousness. Recent theories have associated psychotic behavior with disraptions in cortico-thalamic oscillations. An upregulation of apoD expression in the internal capsule may play a role in restoring the proper balance of neuronal communication.

In addition, abnormal lipid neurochemistry resulting from abnormal lipid transport or metabolism has been associated with psychotic disease, such as schizophrenia (Walker et al., Br. J. Psych., 174, 101-104 (1999)). Relating impaired cholesterol metabolism with psychotic disease, a number of reports have described psychoses as an initial manifestation of Neimann-Pick Disease, type C (Campo, et al., Develop. Med. and Child Neurol, 40, 126-129 (1998); Shulman, et al., Neurology, 45, 1739-1743 (1995); Tuφin, et al., Dev. Neurosci., 13, 304-306 (1991)), which is an autosomal recessive disease associated with abnormal cholesterol metabolism (Yoshida et al., DNA and Cell Biology, 15, 873-882 (1996)). Further reports have suggested that myelin dysfunction may cause mental illness. Given that the majority of cholesterol in the brain is incoφorated into myelin, abnormal cholesterol metabolism may result in myelin dysfunction. Myelin acts as an insulator along nerve axons allowing for the rapid propagation of action potentials along nerve fibers. Molecular abnormalities of myelin may result in the dysregulated neural connectivity that has been hypothesized to be causative in mental illnesses (Weickert, et al., Schizophrenia Bull., 24, 303-316 (1998)).

While the physiological function of apoD in the CNS is not clear, several lines of evidence suggest a role for apoD as a vehicle for extracellular lipid transport and lipid movement, particularly cholesterol, in the nervous system. ApoD is a constituent of plasma high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), which also contain phospholipids, cholesterol and fatty acids. While not much is known about HDL compared to the other plasma lipoproteins, LDL and VLDL, it is widely believed that HDLs protect against cardiovascular disease by removing excess cholesterol from cells of arterial walls. This removal involves the direct interaction of HDL lipoproteins with plasma membrane domains and subsequent transport to the liver for catabolism (Oram, et al., J. Lipid Res., 37, 2473-2491 (1996)). Additionally, apoD is synthesized and secreted by cultured astrocytes, which secretion has been shown to increase in the presence of cholesterol derivatives (Patel, et al., Neuroreport 6, 653-657 (1995)). Further, it has also been demonstrated that apoD levels are increased in Niemann Pick Disease, type C, which is associated with elevated levels of cholesterol. These studies provide evidence of a functionally significant role for apoD in cholesterol transport in the CNS.

In addition to the studies coπelating cholesterol levels and psychotic behavior, other studies have found a coπelation between cholesterol levels and treatment with neuroleptics. For example, reports dating back to 1960 have demonstrated an increase in the serum cholesterol of patients treated with conventional neuroleptics, such as chloφromazine and haloperidol (Spivak et al., Clin. Neuropharm., 22, 98-101 (1999). Fleischhacker et al., Pharmacopsychiatry, 19, 111-114 (1986); Clark et al., Clin. Pharm. and Therapeutics, 11, 883-889 (1970)). However similar increases are not observed with the newer, atypical antipsychotics, such as fluperlapine and clozapine (Spivak et al., Clin. Neuropharm., 22, 98-101 (1999). Fleischhacker et al., Pharmacopsychiatry, 19, 111-114 (1986); Boston, et al., Biol. Psych., 40, 542-543 (1996)). Interestingly, the present results reveal that clozapine and haloperidol have a differential effect on apoD expression, which may account for the observed differences in cholesterol regulation. While the mechanism for these cholesterol changes is not known, the present data suggest that neuroleptic- induced changes in apoD expression combined with the ability of apoD to bind cholesterol may provide an explanation for the neuroleptic-induced changes in cholesterol levels.

In addition to studies relating to cholesterol movement, reports have focused on the link between disrupted phospholipid and fatty acid metabolism and psychiatric disorders (for a review see Hoπobin, et al., Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 60, 141-167 (1999)). For example, numerous studies have reported differences in levels of total membrane phospholipid content, fatty acid levels, cholesterol levels and cholesteryl esters in fibroblasts and/or frontal cortex of schizophrenics (Keshavan et al., J Psychiatry Res., 49, 89-95 (1993); Mahadik et al., Schizophrenia Res. 13, 239-247 (1994); Sengupta et al., Biochem. Med., 25, 267-275 (1981); Stevens, Schizophr. Bull, 6, 60-61 (1972)). Membrane phospholipids act as precursors in numerous signaling systems (e.g., inositol phosphates, arachidonic acid, platelet activation factors, and eicosaniods) and comprise the membrane environment for neurotransmitter-mediated signal transduction. Thus, altered membrane phospholipid metabolism could have significant consequences for neuronal communication, resulting in behavioral abnormalities. Alterations in plasma membrane structure and function may result from the altered content and distribution of membrane lipids and fatty acids, such as arachidonic acid. Arachidonic acid is released by the action of numerous phospholipase enzymes, primarily phospholipase A2, and is a substrate for prostglandins and leukotriene synthesis. While the molecular mechanisms underlying abnormalities in the complex system of phospolipid biochemistry are not known, several groups have demonstrated an increase in phospholipase A2 activity in the plasma and brains of schizophrenic patients (Gattaz et al., Biol Psychiatry., 22, 421-426 (1987); Ross et al., Arch. Gen. Psychiatry., 54, 487-494 (1997); Ross et al., Brain Research, 821, 407-413 (1999)). In addition, plasma phospholipase A2 levels have been shown to be decreased after neuroleptic therapy (Gattaz et al., Biol. Psychiatry, 22, 421-426 (1987)). Other molecular candidates implicated in psychotic disease include phospholipase C enzymes, diacyl glycerol kinases, and inositol phosphates (Hoπobin et al., Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 60, 141-167 (1999)).

Interestingly, in addition to binding cholesterol, apoD has been shown to specifically bind arachidonic acid. ApoD is an atypical apolipoprotein in that it does not share sequence homology with other apolipoproteins (Weech et al., Prog. Lipid Res., 30, 259-266 (1991)) but, rather, is a member of the lipocalin superfamily of proteins, which function in the transport of small hydrophobic molecules, including sterols, steroid hormones, and arachidonic acid (Balbin et al., Biochem. J, 271, 803-807 (1990); Dilley et al., Breast Cancer Res. Treat, 16, 253-260 (1990); Lea, Steroids, 52, 337-338 (1988); Boyles et al., J. Lipid Res., 31, 2243-2256 (1990)). As a lipid binding protein, apoD can affect fatty acid composition, cholesterol levels and membrane phospholipids, all of which will affect plasma membrane composition and structure. Also, since apoD specifically binds cholesterol, arachidonic acid and other lipids, alterations in the levels of apoD can affect lipid metabolism and signal transduction by affecting substrate availability for these pathways.

Further implicating the role of apoD in psychosis is the observation that apoD may have a chromosomal linkage with schizophrenia. The chromosomal location of apoD is 3q26. Genetic studies have implicated a potential association between schizophrenia and chromosome 3q, however the linkage is relatively inconsistent (reviewed by Maier, et al., Curr. Opin. Psych., 11, 19-25 (1998)).

Northern blot analysis on striata from haloperidol-treated mice did not reveal similar increases in apoD expression as clozapine. Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous disorder encompassing many subtypes. The observed differences in clinical efficacy between clozapine and haloperidol may reflect different subtypes of schizophrenia that are associated with different pathways or mechanisms. Thus, regulation of apoD may represent a unique mechanism of action for clozapine.

In this regard, a serotonin sub-type such as 5HT_2a and 5HT_2c may provide a pharmacological mechanism for clozapine's effect on apoD expression. Preliminary results demonstrate that treatment with ketanserin and mesulergine, 5HT_2a/_2c and 5HT _c- selective antagonists respectively, results in an apparent upregulation of apoD mRNA expression in mouse brain. It is known that the striatum expresses a number of 5HT receptor subtypes, including the 5HT_2c, which subtype may mediate clozapine's effect on apoD expression. In contrast, cultured glial cells or astrocytes do not appear to express 5HT_2c receptors. Thus the downregulation observed in these cells may reflect actions at a different 5HT subtype, such as 5HT_2a, or a different receptor. Additionally, in hypertension studies, ketanserin has been associated with a decrease in total cholesterol levels and an upregulation of another apolipoprotein, apo Al (Loschiavo, et al., Int. J. Clin. Pharmacol. Ther. Toxicol, 28, 455-457 (1990)). The similar effects observed by both ketanserin and clozapine suggest that they may be working through the same receptor subtype(s).

The finding that apoD mRNA levels are increased by clozapine links apolipoproteins and the mechanism of action of neuroleptic drags. The proposed role of apoD in CNS lipid transport, combined with the recent evidence that schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric illnesses are accompanied by abnormalities in lipid metabolism, suggest that apoD could play an important role in the action of clozapine. EXAMPLE 3

Characterization of CLZ 40

Male C57B1/6J mice (20-28 g) were housed as previously described in Example 1. The same experimental paradigm used in Example 1 for clozapine treatment was used for the various analyses described below. Briefly, in the clozapine studies, the control group mice received a single injection of sterile saline (0.1 ml volume), or no injection, and were sacrificed after 45 minutes. The mice subjected to acute clozapine treatment were given a single intraperitoneal injection of clozapine (7.5 mg/kg) and sacrificed after 45 minutes or 7 hours, as described in Example 1. The mice subjected to chronic clozapine treatment received daily subcutaneous injections of clozapine (7.5 mg/kg) for 5 days, 12 days or 14 days. All animals were sacrificed in their cages with CO₂ at the indicated times. Brains were rapidly removed and placed on ice. The striatum, including the nucleus accumbens, were dissected out and placed in ice-cold phosphate-buffered saline. The mRNA was prepared according to the method described in Example 2.

For the moφhine studies, male C57B1/6J mice (20-28 g) were housed as previously described in Example 1 and divided into the following groups:

1) a control group, in which the mice were subcutaneusly implanted with one placebo pellet upon halothane anaesthesia;

2) an acute moφhine group, in which the mice received a moφhine intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg/kg; 3) a chronic or tolerant group, in which mice were rendered drag-tolerant and dependent by means of subcutaneous implantation of a single pellet containing 75 mg of moφhine free base for 3 days; and

4) a withdrawal group, in which the mice rendered tolerant to moφhine were injected intraperitoneally with naltrexone 1 mg/kg. Animals were sacrificed in their cages with CO₂ at 72 hours after placebo or moφhine pellet implantation, or 4 hours after single injection of moφhine, or 4 hours after administration of naltrexone to moφhine-tolerant mice. Their brains were rapidly removed. The striatum, including the nucleus accumbens, and block of tissues containing the amygdala complex were dissected under microscope and collected in ice-cold RNA extraction buffer.

The TOGA data shown in Figures 13 and 14 were generated with a 5' -PCR primer (C-G-A-C-G-G-T-A-T-C-G-G-T-T-G-T; SEQ ID NO: 26) paired with the "universal" 3' primer (SEQ ID NO: 23) labeled with 6-carboxyfluorescein (6FAM, ABI) at the 5' terminus. PCR reaction products were resolved by gel electrophoresis on 4.5% acrylamide gels and fluorescence data acquired on ABI377 automated sequencers. Data were analyzed using GeneScan software (Perkin-Elmer).

The results of TOGA analysis using a 5' PCR primer with parsing bases C-G-A- C-G-G-T-A-T-C-G-G-T-T-G-T (SEQ ID NO: 26) are shown in Figs. 13 and 14, which show PCR products produced from mRNA isolated from the striatum/nucleus accumbens of mice treated with clozapine (Fig. 13) or moφhine (Fig. 14). In Fig. 13, the vertical index line indicates a PCR product of about 266 b.p. that is present in control cells, and whose expression decreases in the striatum/nucleus accumbens of mice treated with clozapine for 45 minutes, 7 hours, 5 days, 12 days, and 14 days. The down-regulation of CLZ 40 occurs as early as 45 minutes following clozapine treatment and remains downregulated for at least 14 days.

In Fig. 14, the vertical index line indicates a PCR product of about 266 b.p. that is present in control cells, and whose expression differentially regulated in control striatum (PS), acutely treated striatum (AS), withdrawal striatum (WS), control amygdala (PA), acutely treated amygdala (AA), chronically treated amygdala (TA), and withdrawal amygdala (WA). The expression of CLZ_40 product is greater in striatum than in amygdala. Further, CLZ_40 displays chronic-specific or withdrawal-specific regulation in both of these brain regions. In striatum, CLZ_40 is downregulated in withdrawal striatum but not acutely treated striatum. In amygdala, CLZ_40 is slightly upregulated in acutely treated amygdala and increasingly upregulated in chronically treated amygdala and withdrawal amygdala. Shown in Fig. 15, Northern Blot analysis was performed using mRNA extracted from the striatum/nucleus accumbens of control mice and clozapine-treated mice. Briefly, an agarose gel containing 2μg of poly A enriched mRNA as well as size standards was electrophoresed on a 1.5% agarose gel containing formaldehyde, transferred to a biotrans membrane, and prehybridized for 30 minutes in Expresshyb (Clonetech). An 265 bp insert of CLZ_40 (25-100 ng) was labeled with [α-³²P]-d CTP by oligonucleotide labeling to specific activities of approximately 5x10 cpm/μg and added to the prehybridization solution and incubated 1 hour. Filters were washed to high stringency (0.2 X SSC) (1 X SSC: 0.015 M NaCl and 0.0015 M Na citrate) at 68°C then exposed to Kodak X-AR film (Eastman Kodak, Rochester, NY) for up to 1 week. As shown in Fig. 15, a 9-12 Kb transcript was detected in control and clozapine-treated mice which decreases dramatically after 45 minutes with clozapine treatment and remains down-regulated for at least 14 days.

Figure 16 is a graphical representation comparing the results of the clozapine treatment TOGA analysis of clone CLZ_40 shown in Fig. 13 and the clozapine treatment Northern Blot analysis of clone CLZ_40 shown in Figure 15. The Northern Blot was imaged using a phosphoimager to determine the amount of CLZ 40 mRNA in each clozapine-treated sample relative to the amount of mRNA in the control sample. As can be seen, the clozapine treatment TOGA analysis shows coπelation with the clozapine treatment Northern Blot analysis.

Figure 17A-B is an in situ hybridization analysis, demonstrating CLZ 40 mRNA expression in the mouse brain. In situ hybridization was performed on free-floating sections (25 μM thick). Coronal sections were hybridized at 55°C for 16 hour with an

S-labeled, single-stranded antisense cRNA probe of CLZ 40 at 10 cpm/ml. The probe was synthesized from the 3 '-ended cDNA TOGA clone using the Maxiscript Transcription Kit (Ambion, Austin, TX). Excess probe was removed by washing with 2 X SSC (I X SSC = 0.015 M NaCl/0.0015 M Na citrate) containing 14 mM β- mercaptoethanol (30 minutes), followed by incubation with 4 μg/ml ribonuclease in 0.5 M NaCl/0.05 M EDTA 0.05 M Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, for 1 hour at 37°C. High stringency washes were carried out at 55°C for 2 hours in 0.5 X SSC/50% formamide/0.01 M β- mercaptoethanol, and then at 68°C for 1 hour in 0.1 X SSC/0.01 M β- mercaptoethanol/0.5% sarkosyl. Slices were mounted onto gelatin-coated slides and dehydrated with ethanol and chloroform before autoradiography. Slides were exposed for 1-4 days to Kodak X-AR film and then dipped in Ilford K-5 emulsion. After 4 weeks, slides were developed with Kodak D19 developer, fixed, and counterstained with Richardson's blue stain. Interestingly, CLZ_40 mRNA is specifically expressed in the nucleus accumbens and pyriform cortex (Fig. 17A), and dentate gyms (Fig. 17B), but is not detected in any other brain regions.

At present, CLZ 40 (SEQ ID NO: 12) is of unknown identity. However, the CLZ_40 DST has been PCR amplified and the extended sequence clone of CLZ 40 (SEQ ID NO: 13) matches an EST in the GenBank database (AI509550) as shown in Table 4. The observation that CLZ_40 is down-regulated with clozapine treatment suggests a potential association with the therapeutic effects of clozapine. Furthermore, its highly unique gene expression pattern is like no other gene identified to date, and its presence in the nucleus accumbens may implicate CLZ 40 in a number of functional roles associated with this structure, namely limbic/mental behavior and addiction.

Addiction to opiates and other drags of abuse is a chronic disease of the brain, most likely resulting from molecular and cellular adaptations of specific neurons to repeated exposure to opiates (Leshner, A., Science, 278, 45-47 (1997)). An important neural substrate implicated in the opioid reinforcement and addiction is the mesolimbic system, notably the nucleus accumbens (Everitt, et al, Ann. NY. Acad. Sci., 877, 412-438 (1999)). All highly addictive drags, such as opiates, cocaine and amphetamines, produce adaptations in the neural circuitry of the nucleus accumbens, but the precise relationships are unknown. The molecular neuroadaptation which takes place in this structure may offer important insight into the mechanisms of drag addiction. CLZ 40 is a likely candidate for involvement in such mechanisms due to its specific expression in the nucleus accumbens. Elucidation of the biology underlying psychoses and addiction is key to understanding the underlying causes of such disorders and may lead to the development of more effective treatments, including anti-addiction medications.

Furthermore, the behavioral mechanisms associated with addiction reflect mechanisms of learning and memory (White, N., Addiction, 91, 921-949 (1996)). The hippocampal system has long been associated with learning and memory, including forms of conditional associative learning (Sziklas, et al., Hippocampus, 8, 131-137 (1998)), which is the form of learning associated with addiction (Di Chiara, et al., Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., 877, 461-85 (1999)). The expression of CLZ 40 in the hippocampus suggests that this gene may provide a link with such learning processes.

EST = Expressed Sequence Tag, N/A = Not Applicable

EST = Expressed Sequence Tag

©

EXAMPLE 4 Characterization of CLZ 34

Male C57B1/6J mice (20-28 g) were housed as previously described in

Example 1. The same experimental paradigm used in Example 1 for clozapine treatment was used for the TOGA analyses described below.

The TOGA data shown in Figure 18 was generated with a 5' -PCR primer (C-

G-A-C-G-G-T-A-T-C-G-G-T-A-T-T; SEQ ID NO: 27) paired with the "universal" 3' primer (SEQ ID NO: 23) labeled with 6-carboxyfluorescein (6FAM, ABI) at the 5' terminus. PCR reaction products were resolved by gel electrophoresis on 4.5%> acrylamide gels and fluorescence data acquired on ABI377 automated sequencers. Data were analyzed using GeneScan software (Perkin-Elmer).

The results of TOGA analysis using a 5' PCR primer with parsing bases C-G- A-C-G-G-T-A-T-C-G-G-T-A-T-T (SEQ ID NO: 27) are shown in Figure 18, which shows PCR products produced from mRNA isolated from the striatum/nucleus accumbens of mice treated with clozapine for various lengths of time as described in Example 1. In Fig. 18, the vertical index line indicates a PCR product of about 89 b.p. that is present in control cells, and whose expression in the striatum/nucleus accumbens of mice treated with clozapine is differntially regulated with acute treatment versus chronic treatment. CLZ_34 is upregulated with clozapine treatment at 45 minutes and 7 hours, but decreases to control level by day 5 and remains at about control level for as long as 12 days, showing a slight increase at day 14. In situ analysis performed using CLZ_34 as a probe revealed that CLZ_34 is expressed ubiquitously throughout the brain (data not shown).

CLZ_34 coπesponds with GenBank sequence UO8262, which is identified as a rat N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor/NMD AR1 -2a subunit (NMDAR1). The NMDAR1 receptor is a glutamate receptor involved in the processes underlying learning and memory. In addition, numerous studies show that blockade of glutamate actions by noncompetitive (e.g. MK801 and dextromethoφhan) and competitive (e.g. LY274614) NMDA receptor antagonists blocks or reduces the development of moφhine tolerance following long term opiate administration (Trajillo et al., Science, 251, 85-87, (1991); Elliott et al., Pain, 56, 69-75 (1994); Wiesenfeld-Hallin, Z., Neuropsychopharm., 13, 347-56 (1995)). The early change in the level of expression of CLZ_34 which has high homology with an NMDA receptor is interesting in view of the ability of NMDA antagonists to block the development of tolerance to opioids.

EXAMPLE 5

Figure 19 shows the consensus sequence from the computer generated assembly of the following 4 sequences AI415388: Soares mouse p3NMF19.5 Mus musculus cDNA clone IMAGE:350746 3', mRNA sequence; AI841003: UI-M-AMO- ado-e-04-O-UI.sl NIH_BMAP_MAM Mus musculus cDNA clone UI-M-AMO-ado-e- 04-0-UI 3*, mRNA sequence; AI413353: Soares mouse embryo NbME13.5 14.5 Mus musculus cDNA EMAGE:356159 3', mRNA sequence; AI425991 : Soares mouse embryo NbME13.5 14.5 Mus musculus cDNA IMAGE:426077 3', mRNA sequence. (SEQ ID NO: 53)

Figure 20 shows the sequence of the EST AF006196: Mus musculus metalloprotease-disintegrin MDC 15 mRNA, complete eds. (SEQ ID NO: 54)

Figure 21 shows the consensus sequence from the computer generated assembly of the following 3 sequences: C86593: Mus musculus fertilized egg cDNA 3'-end sequence, clone J0229E09 3', mRNA sequence; AI428410: Life Tech mouse embryo 13 5dpc 10666014 Mus musculus cDNA clone EMAGE:553802 3', mRNA sequence; AI561814: Stratagene mouse skin (#937313) Mus musculus cDNA clone IMAGE: 1227449 3', mRNA sequence. (SEQ ID NO: 55).

EXAMPLE 6

Characterization of CLZ 44

Male C57B1/6J mice (20-28 g) were housed as previously described in

Example 1. The same experimental paradigm used in Example 1 for clozapine treatment was used for the TOGA analyses. The TOGA data was generated with a 5'- PCR primer (C-G-A-C-G-G-T-A-T-C-G-G-A-C-G-G; SEQ ID NO:96) paired with the "universal" 3' primer (SEQ ID NO: 23) labeled with 6-carboxyfluorescein (6FAM, ABI) at the 5' terminus. PCR reaction products were resolved by gel electrophoresis on 4.5%> acrylamide gels and fluorescence data acquired on ABI377 automated sequencers. Data were analyzed using GeneScan software (Perkin-Elmer).

As shown in Table 1, the results of TOGA analysis indicate that CLZ_44 is slightly up-regulated by clozapine treatment. Tables 2 and 3 show that CLZ_44 is an EST isolated from mouse kidney. In further characterization of CLZ_44, northern blot analyses were performed to determine the pattern of expression in the striatum/nucleus accumbens after 2 weeks of treatment of control mice, clozapine- treated mice, haloperidol-treated mice, and ketanserin-treated mice (Figure 22). Ketanserin is a 5HT_2A/2C - selective antagonist, and is used to determine serotonorgic involvement in these drag effects.

Briefly, an agarose gel containing 2μg of poly A enriched mRNA as well as size standards was electrophoresed on a 1.5% agarose gel containing formaldehyde, transfeπed to a biotrans membrane, and prehybridized for 30 minutes in Expresshyb (Clonetech). A CLZ_44 insert (25-100 ng) was labeled with [α-³²P]-d CTP by o oligonucleotide labeling to specific activities of approximately 5x10 cpm/μg and added to the prehybridization solution and incubated 1 hour. Filters were washed to high stringency (0.2 X SSC) (1 X SSC: 0.015 M NaCl and 0.0015 M Na citrate) at 68°C then exposed to Kodak X-AR film (Eastman Kodak, Rochester, NY) for up to 1 week. Figure 22 is a graphical representation of the described northern blot analyses. As shown, after 2 weeks of treatment, CLZ 44 was up-regulated with haloperidol and ketanserin, but not clozapine. This suggests that both dopamines D2 and 5HT_2A/2C receptors are involved in CLZ 44 expression regulation. The lack of effect of clozapine may indicate that antagonism at other receptors (i.e. 5HT₃, D4, DI) may override the effects of D2, 5HT₂ receptors.

EXAMPLE 7

Characterization of CLZ 38

Male C57B1/6J mice (20-28 g) were housed as previously described in Example 1. The same experimental paradigm used in Example 1 for clozapine treatment was used for the TOGA analyses. The TOGA data was generated with a 5'- PCR primer (C-G-A-C-G-G-T-A-T-C-G-G-T-G-C-A; SEQ ID NO: 97) paired with the "universal" 3' primer (SEQ ID NO: 23) labeled with 6-carboxyfluorescein (6FAM, ABI) at the 5' terminus. PCR reaction products were resolved by gel electrophoresis on 4.5% acrylamide gels and fluorescence data acquired on ABI377 automated sequencers. Data were analyzed using GeneScan software (Perkin-Elmer).

Tables 2 and 3 show that CLZ 38 is an oligodendrocyte-specific protein mRNA. In further characterization of CLZ 38, northern blot analyses were performed to determine the pattern of expression in the striatum/nucleus accumbens of control miceand mice treated with clozapine for 45 minutes, 7 hours, 5 days, and 2 weeks (Figure 23).

Briefly, an agarose gel containing 2μg of poly A enriched mRNA as well as size standards was elecfrophoresed on a 1.5% agarose gel containing formaldehyde, transfeπed to a biotrans membrane, and prehybridized for 30 minutes in Expresshyb

(Clonetech). A CLZ_38 insert (25-100 ng) was labeled with [α-³²P]-d CTP by oligonucleotide labeling to specific activities of approximately 5xl0⁸ cpm/μg and added to the prehybridization solution and incubated 1 hour. Filters were washed to high stringency (0.2 X SSC) (1 X SSC: 0.015 M NaCl and 0.0015 M Na citrate) at

68°C then exposed to Kodak X-AR film (Eastman Kodak, Rochester, NY) for up to 1 week. Figure 23 is a graphical representation of the described northern blot analyses.

As shown, the pattern of CLZ_38 expression in clozapine-treated animals was similar to the pattern observed with TOGA analysis.

EXAMPLE 8 Characterization of CLZ 16

Male C57B1/6J mice (20-28 g) were housed as previously described in

Example 1. The same experimental paradigm used in Example 1 for clozapine treatment was used for the TOGA analyses. The TOGA data was generated with a 5'-

PCR primer (C-G-A-C-G-G-T-A-T-C-G-G-C-T-A-G; SEQ ID NO: 97) paired with the "universal" 3' primer (SEQ ID NO: 23) labeled with 6-carboxyfluorescein

(6FAM, ABI) at the 5' terminus. PCR reaction products were resolved by gel electrophoresis on 4.5% acrylamide gels and fluorescence data acquired on ABI377 automated sequencers. Data were analyzed using GeneScan software (Perkin-Elmer).

As shown in Table 1, the results of TOGA analysis indicate that CLZ_16 is slightly down-regulated by clozapine treatment. Tables 2 and 3 show that CLZ 16 is an arm-repeat protein. In further characterization of CLZ_16, in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ 16 were performed to show the pattern of CLZ_16 mRNA expression in mouse anterior brain (24B) and posterior brain (24A). Control mice and mice treated with 7.5 mg/kg clozapine were sacrificed after two weeks. In situ hybridization was performed on free-floating sections (25 μM thick). Coronal sections were hybridized at 55°C for 16 hour with an S-labeled, single-stranded antisense cRNA probe of CLZ 16 at 10 cpm ml.

The probe was synthesized from the 3 '-ended cDNA TOGA clone using the

Maxiscript Transcription Kit (Ambion, Austin, TX). Excess probe was removed by washing with 2 X SSC (I X SSC = 0.015 M NaCl/0.0015 M Na citrate) containing 14 mM β-mercaptoethanol (30 minutes), followed by incubation with 4 μg/ml ribonuclease in 0.5 M NaCl 0.05 M EDTA/0.05 M Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, for 1 hour at 37° C. High stringency washes were carried out at 55°C for 2 hours in 0.5 X SSC/50% formamide/0.01 M β-mercaptoethanol, and then at 68°C for 1 hour in 0.1 X SSC/0.01 M β-mercaptoethanol/0.5% sarkosyl. Slices were mounted onto gelatin-coated slides and dehydrated with ethanol and chloroform before autoradiography. Slides were exposed for 1-4 days to Kodak X-AR film and then dipped in Ilford K-5 emulsion. After 4 weeks, slides were developed with Kodak D 19 developer, fixed, and counterstained with Richardson's blue stain.

As shown in Figure 24 A and B, CLZ_16 mRNA is expressed ubiquitously throughout mouse brain. Figure 24A shows dense labelling in the cortex and suπounding the hippocampal formation as well as moderate labelling in the dorsal thalamus and posterior brain. Figure 24B shows uniform labelling throughout. EXAMPLE 9 Characterization of CLZ 17

Male C57B1/6J mice (20-28 g) were housed as previously described in

PCR primer (C-G-A-C-G-G-T-A-T-C-G-G-C-T-C-A; SEQ ID NO: 99) paired with the "universal" 3' primer (SEQ ID NO: 23) labeled with 6-carboxyfluorescein

As shown in Table 1, the results of TOGA analysis indicate that CLZ_17 is slightly down-regulated by clozapine treatment. Table 4 shows that CLZ_17 matches several ESTs isolated from mouse tissue. In further characterization of CLZ_17, in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ_17 were performed to show the pattern of CLZ 17 mRNA expression in mouse sections from anterior (25B) and posterior regions of the brain (25 A).

In situ hybridization was performed on free-floating sections (25 μM thick) taken from control mice and mice treated with 7.5 mg/kg clozapine for 2 weeks. Coronal sections were hybridized at 55°C for 16 hour with an ³⁵S-labeled, single- stranded antisense cRNA probe of CLZ_17 at IO⁷ cpm ml. The probe was synthesized from the 3 '-ended cDNA TOGA clone using the Maxiscript Transcription Kit (Ambion, Austin, TX). Excess probe was removed by washing as previously described in Example 8. Slices were mounted onto gelatin-coated slides and dehydrated with ethanol and chloroform before autoradiography. Slides were exposed for 1 -4 days to Kodak X-AR film and then dipped in Ilford K-5 emulsion. After 4 weeks, slides were developed with Kodak D19 developer, fixed, and counterstained with Richardson's blue stain.

Figure 25A-B shows an in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ_17, showing the pattern of CLZ 17 mRNA expression in a coronal sections from posterior (25A) and anterior (25B) regions of mouse brain. As shown, CLZ_17 mRNA is expressed in the cortex, hippocampus, striatum, and amygdala.

EXAMPLE 10 Characterization of CLZ 24

Male C57B1/6J mice (20-28 g) were housed as previously described in Example 1. The same experimental paradigm used in Example 1 for clozapine treatment was used for the TOGA analyses. The TOGA data was generated with a 5'- PCR primer (C-G-A-C-G-G-T-A-T-C-G-G-G-G-C-A; SEQ ID NO: 100) paired with the "universal" 3' primer (SEQ ID NO: 23) labeled with 6-carboxyfluorescein (6FAM, ABI) at the 5' terminus. PCR reaction products were resolved by gel electrophoresis on 4.5% acrylamide gels and fluorescence data acquired on ABI377 automated sequencers. Data were analyzed using GeneScan software (Perkin-Elmer).

As shown in Table 1, the results of TOGA analysis indicate that CLZ_24 is up-regulated by clozapine treatment. Tables 2 and 3 show that CLZ_24 is an EST isolated from rat tissue. In further characterization of CLZ_24, in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ 24 were performed to show the pattern of CLZ_24 mRNA expression in mouse anterior brain (26B) and posterior brain (26A)

In situ hybridization was performed on free-floating sections (25 μM thick) obtained from comtrol mica nd mice treated with 7.5 mg/kg clozapine for 2 weeks. Coronal sections were hybπdized at 55°C for 16 hour with an S-labeled, single- stranded antisense cRNA probe of CLZ 24 at IO⁷ cprn/ml. The probe was synthesized from the 3 '-ended cDNA TOGA clone using the Maxiscript Transcription Kit (Ambion, Austin, TX). Excess probe was removed by washing as previously described in Example 8. Slices were mounted onto gelatin-coated slides and dehydrated with ethanol and chloroform before autoradiography. Slides were exposed for 1-4 days to Kodak X-AR film and then dipped in Ilford K-5 emulsion. After 4 weeks, slides were developed with Kodak D19 developer, fixed, and counterstained with Richardson's blue stain. Figure 26A-B shows an in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ 24, showing the pattern of CLZ_24 mRNA expression in a coronal section through the hemispheres (26A) and cross section through the brainstem (26B) in mouse brain. As shown, CLZ_24 mRNA is ubiquitously expressed in the cortex.

EXAMPLE 11 Characterization of CLZ 26

Male C57B1/6J mice (20-28 g) were housed as previously described in

PCR primer (C-G-A-C-G-G-T-A-T-C-G-G-G-G-C-T; SEQ ID NO: 101) paired with the "universal" 3' primer (SEQ ID NO: 23) labeled with 6-carboxyfluorescein

As shown in Table 1, the results of TOGA analysis indicate that CLZ 26 is slightly down-regulated by clozapine treatment. Table 4 shows that CLZ_26 is a metalloprotease-disintegrin MDC15 mRNA. In further characterization of CLZ_26, in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ 26 were performed to show the pattern of CLZ 26 mRNA expression in mouse anterior brain (27B) and posterior brain (27A).

In situ hybridization was performed on free-floating coronal sections (25 μM thick) w viitthh aann ³⁵SS--llaabbeelleedd,, ssiinnggllee--ssttrraannddeedd aanntt:isense cRNA probe of CLZ 26 using the methods described in the above examples.

Figure 27A-B is an in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ_26, showing the pattern of CLZ 26 mRNA expression in a coronal section of the hemispheres at the level of hippocampal formation (27 A) and coronal section of the hemispheres at the level of striatum (27B) in mouse brain. As shown, CLZ_26 mRNA is ubiquitously expressed in the cortex.

EXAMPLE 12

Characterization of CLZ 28

Male C57B1/6J mice (20-28 g) were housed as previously described in

Example 1. The same experimental paradigm used in Example 1 for clozapine treatment was used for the TOGA analyses. The TOGA data was generated with a 5'- PCR primer (C-G-A-C-G-G-T-A-T-C-G-G-G-G-T-A; SEQ ID NO: 102) paired with the "universal" 3' primer (SEQ ID NO: 23) labeled with 6-carboxyfluorescein (6FAM, ABI) at the 5' terminus. PCR reaction products were resolved by gel electrophoresis on 4.5% acrylamide gels and fluorescence data acquired on ABI377 automated sequencers. Data were analyzed using GeneScan software (Perkin-Elmer).

As shown in Table 1, the results of TOGA analysis indicate that CLZ_28 is down-regulated by clozapine treatment. Table 4 shows that CLZ_28 matches several ESTs isolated from mouse tissue. In further characterization of CLZ_28, in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ_28 were performed to show the pattern of CLZ 28 mRNA expression in mouse anterior brain (28B) and posterior brain (28A).

In situ hybridization was performed on free-floating coronal sections (25 μM thick) with an ³⁵S-labeled, single-stranded antisense cRNA probe of CLZ 28 using the methods described in the above examples.

Figure 28A-B is an in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ_28, showing the pattern of CLZ_28 mRNA expression in a coronal section through the hemispheres at the level of hippocampus (28 A) and coronal section through the posterior region of hemispheres (28B) in mouse brain. As shown in Figure 28A and B, CLZ 28 mRNA is expressed ubiquitously in the cortex. EXAMPLE 13 Characterization of CLZ 3

Male C57B1/6J mice (20-28 g) were housed as previously described in

PCR primer (C-G-A-C-G-G-T-A-T-C-G-G-A-G-T-A; SEQ ID NO: 94) paired with the "universal" 3' primer (SEQ ID NO: 23) labeled with 6-carboxyfluorescein

As shown in Table 1, the results of TOGA analysis indicate that CLZ_3 is upregulated by clozapine treatment. Tables 2 and 3 show that CLZ 3 is a serine protease HTRA mRNA. In further characterization of CLZ 3, in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ_3 were performed to show the pattern of CLZ_3 mRNA expression in mouse anterior brain (29B) and posterior brain (29A).

In situ hybridization was performed on free-floating coronal sections (25 μM thick) with an ³⁵S-labeled, single-stranded antisense cRNA probe of CLZ_3 using the methods described in the above examples.

Figure 29A-B is an in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ_3, showing the pattern of CLZ 3 mRNA expression in a coronal section through the hemispheres at level of hippocampus

(29 A) and cross section through midbrain (29B) in mouse brain. As shown in Figure 29A and B, CLZ 3 mRNA is expressed in the cortex, thalamus, hippocampus, striatum, and amygdala.

EXAMPLE 14 Characterization of CLZ 34

Male C57B1 6J mice (20-28 g) were housed as previously described in

Example 1. The same experimental paradigm used in Example 1 for clozapine treatment was used for the TOGA analyses. The TOGA data was generated with a 5'- PCR primer (C-G-A-C-G-G-T-A-T-C-G-G-T-A-T-T; SEQ ED NO: 103) paired with the "universal" 3' primer (SEQ ED NO: 23) labeled with 6-carboxyfluorescein (6FAM, ABI) at the 5' terminus. PCR reaction products were resolved by gel electrophoresis on 4.5% acrylamide gels and fluorescence data acquired on ABI377 automated sequencers. Data were analyzed using GeneScan software (Perkin-Elmer).

As shown in Table 1, the results of TOGA analysis indicate that CLZ 34 is up-regulated by clozapine treatment. Tables 2 and 3 show that CLZ_34 is an N- methy 1-D-aspartate receptor NMD ARl -2a subunit mRNA. In further characterization of CLZ_34, in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ 34 were performed to show the pattern of CLZ_34 mRNA expression in mouse anterior brain (30B) and posterior brain (30A).

In situ hybridization was performed on free-floating coronal sections (25 μM thick) with an ³⁵S-labeled, single-stranded antisense cRNA probe of CLZ 34 using the methods described in the above examples.

Figure 30A-B is an in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ_34, showing the pattern of CLZ_34 mRNA expression in a coronal section through the hemispheres at the level of hippocampus (30A) and cross section through the midbrain (30B) in mouse brain. As shown in Figure 30A and B, CLZ 34 mRNA is ubiquitously expressed.

EXAMPLE 15 Characterization of CLZ 43

Male C57B1/6J mice (20-28 g) were housed as previously described in

PCR primer (C-G-A-C-G-G-T-A-T-C-G-G-C-T-A-A; SEQ ID NO: 104) paired with the "universal" 3' primer (SEQ ID NO: 23) labeled with 6-carboxyfluorescein

As shown in Table 1, the results of TOGA analysis indicate that CLZ_43 is up-regulated by clozapine treatment. Tables 2 and 3 show that CLZ_43 matches an EST isolated from mouse tissue that matches oxysterol binding protein family member. In further characterization of CLZ_43, in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ 43 were performed to show the pattern of CLZ 43 mRNA expression in mouse anterior brain (31C), midbrain (31 A), and posterior brain (3 IB).

In situ hybridization was performed on free-floating coronal sections (25 μM thick) with an ³⁵S-labeled, single-stranded antisense cRNA probe of CLZ 43 using the methods described in the above examples.

Figure 31A-C is an in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ_43, showing the pattern of CLZ_43 mRNA expression in coronal sections of the hemispheres showing in the cortex, and intense lebelling in the striatum (31 A-C) in mouse brain. Comparison with brain sections obtained from control mice showed that CLZ_43 expression is increased approximately 10-fold by chronic treatment (2 weeks) with clozapine.

Following the cloning of the mouse DST CLZ_43, a BLAST analysis was performed. A human homology was identified as a 5556 b.p. GenBank entry (AB040884, also known as KIAA1451). An oligonucleotide was chosen from this sequence and used to isolate the remaining 5' end of the human gene from an adult human brain cDNA plasmid library. Using the method described below, a 1717 b.p. cDNA clone (SEQ ID NO: 103) was isolated that overlaps the human sequence. This clone provides an additional (novel) 512 b.p. at the 5' end of the GenBank entry. Sequence analysis suggests the position of the methionine start codon for the open reading frame is at base 562 of the 1717 b.p. clone (SEQ ID NO: 108). The open reading frame of the 1717 b.p. clone encodes a 385 amino acid peptide (SEQ ID NO: 108, SEQ ID NO: 109). The following methods were used to isolate the 1717 b.p. cDNA clone. The target pool was a cDNA plasmid library created from adult human brain RNA. The oligonucleotide sequence used for hybridization was 5' - AAC AAG TCC GTC CTG GCA TGG-3' (SEQ ID NO:88). The clone was isolated using the methods prescribed by the manufacturer of the GeneTrapper kit (Life Technologies, Inc.). Capture oligonucleotide were prepared by end-labeling the oligonucleotide with biotin-14- dCTP using terminal deoxynucloetidyl transferase. The cDNA plasmid pool was converted from double-stranded cDNA to single-stranded cDNA through the specific action of Genell protein and exonuclease III. The single-stranded cDNA pool was combined with the end-labelled oligonucleotide and hybridization was allowed to occur at room temperature for 30 minutes. The reaction was then mixed with strepavidin-coated magnetic beads. The single-stranded cDNA plasmids that hybridized to the oligonucleotide were purified using a magnet to retain the magnetic beads in the reaction tube while all of the unbound components were washed away. The single-stranded plasmid DNA was released from the oligonucleotide and repaired back into a double-stranded plasmid using a fresh sample of the capture oligonucleotide and DNA polymerase. The repaired plasmids were transformed into bacteria and plated on an agar plate. The following day, bacterial colonies were individually picked and grown overnight. Plasmid DNA was prepared from these mini-preparations and subjected to sequence analysis.

Homology matches with a human genome database have identified 7 exons spread across more than 22,000 b.p. Further it has been determined that CLZ_43 maps to chromosome 12, which is not a chromosome previously linked to schizophrenia. The sequence data reveals that the open reading frame encodes a protein of 472 amino acids (SEQ ID NO: 110). Comparison with protein databases indicate that the protein is novel and is a member of a class of proteins that binds lipids, especially oxysterols.

The observation that, of thousands of proteins expressed by the striatum, apoD and a novel oxysterol binding protein are among the few modulated by neuroleptic drags strengthens the hypothesis that schizophrenia is a disease of brain sterol homeostasis, and thus may have etiologies as diverse as atherosclerosis. The brain has by far more cholesterol and 24S-hydroxysterol than any organ other than the adrenal glands, and the special importance of the membrane activities of neurons and their myelinating cells are self-evident. The lipid bilayer of the membrane is made up of glycerolphopholipids and cholesterol, and variations in composition and hydrocarbon chain saturation state determine membrane order and fluidity. These properties affect the binding of extrinsic membrane proteins and, thus, second messenger signaling. As we have shown previously, a large percentage of the mRNAs highly enriched in the striatum encode proteins that regulate second messenger signaling along the inner membrane. Thus, a panneural or panorganismic disruption in lipid metabolism might manifest first as a striatal disease. As of now, this is a somewhat impressionistic concept. Working out the nature of the neuroleptic drag effects on membrane properties may bring the issue into greater focus.

EXAMPLE 16 Characterization of CLZ 44 Male C57B1/6J mice (20-28 g) were housed as previously described in

Example 1. The same experimental paradigm used in Example 1 for clozapine treatment was used for the TOGA analyses. The TOGA data was generated with a 5'- PCR primer (C-G-A-C-G-G-T-A-T-C-G-G-A-C-G-G; SEQ ID NO: 105) paired with the "universal" 3' primer (SEQ ID NO: 23) labeled with 6-carboxyfluorescein (6FAM, ABI) at the 5' terminus. PCR reaction products were resolved by gel electrophoresis on 4.5% acrylamide gels and fluorescence data acquired on ABI377 automated sequencers. Data were analyzed using GeneScan software (Perkin-Elmer).

As shown in Table 1, the results of TOGA analysis indicate that CLZ_44 is up-regulated by clozapine treatment. Tables 2 and 3 show that CLZ_44 matches an EST isolated from mouse tissue. In further characterization of CLZ 44, in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ_44 were performed to show the pattern of CLZ_44 mRNA expression in mouse anterior brain (32A) and posterior brain (32B).

In situ hybridization was performed on free-floating coronal sections (25 μM thick) with an S-labeled, single-stranded antisense cRNA probe of CLZ_44 using the methods described in the above examples. Figure 32A-B is an in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ 44, showing the pattern of CLZ_44 mRNA expression in a coronal section showing labelling in the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and temporal cortex (32A) and coronal section showing cortical labelling (32B) in mouse brain.

EXAMPLE 17 Characterization of CLZ 64

Male C57B1/6J mice (20-28 g) were housed as previously described in Example 1. The same experimental paradigm used in Example 1 for clozapine treatment was used for the TOGA analyses. The TOGA data was generated with a 5'-

PCR primer (C-G-A-C-G-G-T-A-T-C-G-G-T-C-A-T; SEQ ID NO: 106) paired with the "universal" 3' primer (SEQ ID NO: 23) labeled with 6-carboxyfluorescein

(6FAM, ABI) at the 5' terminus. PCR reaction products were resolved by gel electrophoresis on 4.5%> acrylamide gels and fluorescence data acquired on ABI377 automated sequencers. Data were analyzed using GeneScan software (Perkin-Elmer).

As shown in Table 1, the results of TOGA analysis indicate that CLZ_64 is up-regulated by chronic clozapine treatment. Tables 2 and 3 show that CLZ_64 matches an EST isolated from mouse tissue and shares homolgy with mitochondrial enoyl-CoA hydratase mRNA. In further characterization of CLZ_64, in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ_64 were performed to show the pattern of CLZ_64 mRNA expression in mouse anterior brain (33B) and mid-brain (33 A).

In situ hybridization was performed on free-floating coronal sections (25 μM thick) w viitthh aann SS--llaabbeelleedd,, ssiinnggllee--ssttrraannddeedd aanntt:isense cRNA probe of CLZ_64 using the methods described in the above examples.

Figure 33A-B is an in situ hybridization analysis using an antisense cRNA probe directed against the 3' end of CLZ 64, showing the pattern of CLZ 64 mRNA expression in different coronal sections of the hemispheres in mouse brain. As shown in Figure 33A and B, CLZ_64 mRNA is ubiquitously expressed.

Claims

We claim:

1. An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide chosen from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1 , SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID

NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:ll, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO: 49, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO: 57, SEQ ID NO:58, SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ ED NO:60, SEQ ID NO:61, SEQ ID NO:62, SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:64, SEQ ID NO:65, SEQ ID NO:66, SEQ ID NO:67, SEQ ID NO:68, SEQ ID NO:69, SEQ ID NO:70, SEQ ID NO:71, SEQ ID NO:72 and SEQ ID NO: 107.

2. An isolated polypeptide encoded by a polynucleotide chosen from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOT, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ

ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:l l, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO: 49, SEQ ID NO:50, SEQ ID NO:51, SEQ ID NO:52, SEQ ID NO: 57, SEQ ID NO:58, SEQ ID NO:59, SEQ ID NO:60, SEQ ID NO:61, SEQ ID NO:62, SEQ ID NO:63, SEQ ID NO:64, SEQ ID NO:65, SEQ ID NO:66, SEQ ID NO:67, SEQ ID NO:68, SEQ ID NO:69, SEQ ID NO:70, SEQ ID NO:71, SEQ ID NO:72 and SEQ ID NO: 107.

3. An isolated polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 109.

4. An isolated polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 110.

5. An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide at least 95% identical to the isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1.

6. An isolated nucleic acid molecule at least ten bases in length that is hybridizable to the isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 under stringent conditions.

7. An isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding the polypeptide of claim 2.

8. An isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding a fragment of the polypeptide of claim 2.

9. An isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide epitope of the polypeptide of claim 2.

10. The polypeptide of claim 2 wherein the polypeptide has biological activity.

11. An isolated nucleic acid encoding a species homologue of the polypeptide of claim 2.

12. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1, wherein the nucleotide sequence comprises sequential nucleotide deletions from either the 5 ' end or the 3 'end.

13. A recombinant vector comprising the isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1.

14. A recombinant host cell comprising the isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1.

15. A method of making the recombinant host cell of claim 14.

16. The recombinant host cell of claim 14 comprising vector sequences.

17. The isolated polypeptide of claim 2, wherein the isolated polypeptide comprises sequential amino acid deletions from either the C-terminus or the N- terminus.

18. An isolated antibody that binds specifically to the isolated polypeptide of claim 2.

19. An isolated antibody that binds specifically to the isolated polypeptide of claim 3.

20. An isolated antibody that binds specifically to the isolated polypeptide of claim 4.

21. The isolated antibody of claims 16, 17 or 18 wherein the antibody is a monoclonal antibody.

22. The isolated antibody of claims 16, 17 or 18 wherein the antibody is a polyclonal antibody.

23. A recombinant host cell that expresses the isolated polypeptides of claim 2, 3 or 4.

24. An isolated polypeptide produced by the steps of:

(a) culturing the recombinant host cell of claim 14 under conditions such that said polypeptide is expressed; and

(b) isolating the polypeptide.

25. A method for preventing, treating, modulating, or ameliorating a medical condition, comprising administering to a mammalian subject a therapeutically effective amount of the polypeptide of claims 2, 3 or 4, or the polynucleotide of claim 1.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the medical condition is a neuropsychiatric disorder.

27. A method for preventing, treating, modulating, or ameliorating a medical condition comprising administering to a mammalian subject a therapeutically effective amount of the antibody of claims 18, 19 or 20.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the medical condition is a neuropsychiatric disorder.

29. A method of diagnosing a pathological condition or a susceptibility to a pathological condition in a subject comprising:

(a) determining the presence or absence of a mutation in the polynucleotide ofclaim l; and

(b) diagnosing a pathological condition or a susceptibility to a pathological condition based on the presence or absence of said mutation.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the pathological condition is a neuropsychiatric disorder. 30. A method of diagnosing a pathological condition or a susceptibility to a pathological condition in a subject comprising detecting an alteration in expression of a polypeptide encoded by the polynucleotide of claim 1, wherein the presence of an alteration in expression of the polypeptide is indicative of the pathological condition or susceptibility to the pathological condition.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the alteration in expression is an increase in the amount of expression or a decrease in the amount of expression.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the pathological condition is a neuropsychiatric disorder.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the method further comprises the steps of: obtaining a first biological sample from a patient suspected of having a neuropsychiatric disorder and obtaining a second sample from a suitable comparable control source;

(a) determining the amount of at least one polypeptide encoded by a polynucleotide of claim lin the first and second sample; and (b) comparing the amount of the polypeptide in the first and second samples; wherein a patient is diagnosed as having a neuropsychiatric disorder if the amount of the polypeptide in the first sample is greater than or less than the amount of the polypeptide in the second sample.

34. The use of the polynucleotide of claim 1 or polypeptide of claims 2, 3 or 4 for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of a neuropsychiatric disorder.

35. The use of the antibody of claims 18, 19 or 20 for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of a neuropsychiatric disorder.

36. A method for identifying a binding partner to the polypeptide of claims 2, 3 or 4 comprising:

(a) contacting the polypeptide of claim 2, 3 or 4 with a binding partner; and

(b) determining whether the binding partner effects an activity of the polypeptide.

37. The gene coπesponding to the cDNA sequence of the isolated nucleic acid of claim 1.

38. A method of identifying an activity of an expressed polypeptide in a biological assay, wherein the method comprises: (a) expressing the polypeptide of claims 2, 3 or 4 in a cell;

(b) isolating the expressed polypeptide;

(c) testing the expressed polypeptide for an activity in a biological assay; and

(d) identifying the activity of the expressed polypeptide based on the test results.

39. A substantially pure isolated DNA molecule suitable for use as a probe for genes regulated by neuroleptics, chosen from the group consisting of the DNA molecules identified in Table 1, having a 5' partial nucleotide sequence and length as described by their digital address, and having a characteristic regulation pattern by neuroleptics.

40. A kit for detecting the presence of the polypeptide of the claims 2, 3 or

4 in a mammalian tissue sample comprising a first antibody which immunoreacts with a mammalian protein encoded by a gene coπesponding to the polynucleotide of claim 1 or with a polypeptide encoded by the polynucleotide of claim 2, 3 or 4 in an amount sufficient for at least one assay and suitable packaging material.

41. A kit of claim 40 further comprising a second antibody that binds to the first antibody.

42. The kit of claim 41 wherein the second antibody is labeled.

43. The kit of claim 42 wherein the label comprises enzymes, radioisotopes, fluorescent compounds, colloidal metals, chemiluminescent compounds, phosphorescent compounds, or bioluminescent compounds.

44. A kit for detecting the presence of a genes encoding an protein comprising a polynucleotide of claim 1, or fragment thereof having at least 10 contiguous bases, in an amount sufficient for at least one assay, and suitable packaging material.

45. A method for detecting the presence of a nucleic acid encoding a protein in a mammalian tissue sample, comprising the steps of:

(a) hybridizing a polynucleotide of claim 1 or fragment thereof having at least 10 contiguous bases, with the nucleic acid of the sample; and (b) detecting the presence of the hybridization product.

46. A method of diagnosing a neuropsychiatric disorder or a susceptibility to a neuropsychiatric disorder in a subject comprising:

(a) determining the presence or absence of a mutation in apolipoprotein D polynucleotide; and (b) diagnosing a neuropsychiatric disorder or a susceptibility to a neuropsychiatric disorder based on the presence or absence of said mutation.

47. A method of diagnosing a neuropsychiatric disorder or a susceptibility to a neuropyschiatric disorder in a subject comprising:

(a) determining the presence or amount of expression of apolipoprotein D polypeptide in a biological sample; and

(b) diagnosing a neuropsychiatric disorder or a susceptibility to a neuropsychiatric disorder based on the presence or amount of expression of the apolipoprotein D polypeptide.

48. The method of claims 46 or 47 wherein the neuropsychiatric disorder is schizophrenia.

49. The method of claims 46 or 47 wherein the neuropsychiatric disorder is bipolar disorder.

50. A method of diagnosing a neuropsychiatric disorder or a susceptibility to a neuropsychiatric disorder in a subject comprising: (a) determining the presence or absence of a mutation in the polynucleotide or polynucleotide fragment of SEQ ID NO: 2 and

(b) diagnosing a neuropsychiatric disorder or a susceptibility to a neuropsychiatric disorder based on the presence or absence of said mutation.

51. A method of diagnosing a neuropsychiatric disorder or a susceptibility to a neuropsychiatric disorder in a subject comprising:

(a) determining the presence or amount of expression of the polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to a polypeptide fragment of a translation of SEQ ID NO: 2 in a biological sample; and (b) diagnosing a neuropsychiatric disorder or a susceptibility to a neuropsychiatric disorder based on the presence or amount of expression of the polypeptide.

52. The method of claims 50 or 51 wherein the neuropsychiatric disorder is schizophrenia.

53. The method of claims 50 or 51 wherein the neuropsychiatric disorder is bipolar disorder.

54. The method of claims 50 or 5 lwherein the neuropsychiatric disorder is addiction-related behavior.