WO2000009555A1 - A human gene hspc021 (cbfaig06) - Google Patents

Abstract

The CBFAIG06 polypeptides and polynucleotides and methods for producing such polypeptides by recombinant techniques are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for utilising CBFAIG06 polypeptides and polynucleotides in therapy, and diagnostic assays for such.

Description

A Human Gene HSPC021 (CBFAIG06)

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to newly identified polypeptides and polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides, to their use in therapy and in identifying compounds which may be agonists, antagonists and /or inhibitors which are potentially useful in therapy, and to production of such polypeptides and polynucleotides

Background of the Invention The drug discovery process is currently undergoing a fundamental revolution as it embraces

'functional genomics', that is, high throughput genome- or gene-based biology This approach is rapidly superseding earlier approaches based on 'positional cloning' A phenotype, that is a biological function or genetic disease, would be identified and this would then be tracked back to the responsible gene, based on its genetic map position Functional genomics relies heavily on the various tools of bioinformatics to identify gene sequences of potential interest from the many molecular biology databases now available There is a continuing need to identify and characterise further genes and their related polypeptides/proteins, as targets for drug discovery

Summary of the Invention

The present mvention relates to CBFAIG06, in particular CBFAIG06 polypeptides and CBFAIG06 polynucleotides, recombinant mateπals ana methods for their production In another aspect the invention relates to methods for using such polypeptides and polynucleotides, including the treatment of hematopoietic diseases and cancer, hereinafter referred to as "the Diseases", amongst others In a further aspect, the mvention relates to methods for identifying agonists and antagonists/inhibitors using the mateπals provided by the invention, and treating conditions associated with CBFAIG06 imbalance with the identified compounds In a still further aspect, the invention relates to diagnostic assays for detecting diseases associated with inappropπate CBFAIG06 activity or levels

Description of the Invention

In a first aspect, the present mvention relates to CBFAIG06 polypeptides Such peptides include isolated polypeptides compπsing an ammo acid sequence which has at least 70% identity, preferably at least 80% identity more preferably at least 90% identity, vet more preferably at least 95%o identity, most preferabh at least 97-99% identity to that of SEQ ID NO 2 o\er the entire length of SEQ ID NO:2. Such polypeptides include those comprising the amino acid of SEQ ID NO:2.

Further peptides of the present invention include isolated polypeptides in which the amino acid sequence has at least 70% identity, preferably at least 80%- identity, more preferably at least 90% identity, yet more preferably at least 95 % identity, most preferably at least 97-99% identity, to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO :2 over the entire length of SEQ ID NO:2. Such polypeptides include the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2.

Further peptides of the present invention include isolated polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide comprising the sequence contained in SEQ ID NO:l. Polypeptides ofthe present invention are of interest because HSPC021 is cloned from umbilical cord blood hematopoietic progenitor CD34+ cells and shares no homology with any known gene. Therefore, it is thought to play a role in hematopoiesis. These properties are hereinafter referred to as "CBFAIG06 activity" or "CBFAIG06 polypeptide activity" or "biological activity of CBFAIG06". Also included amongst these activities are antigenic and immunogenic activities of said CBFAIG06 polypeptides, in particular the antigenic and immunogenic activities ofthe polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2. Preferably, a polypeptide ofthe present invention exhibits at least one biological activity of CBFAIG06.

The polypeptides ofthe present invention may be in the form ofthe "mature" protein or may be a part of a larger protein such as a fusion protein. 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 present invention also includes include variants ofthe aforementioned polypeptides, that is polypeptides that vary from the referents by conservative amino acid substitutions, whereby a residue is substituted by another with like characteristics. Typical such substitutions include Ala, Val, Leu and lie; among Ser and Thr; among the acidic residues Asp and Glu; among Asn and Gin; and among the basic residues Lys and Arg; or aromatic residues Phe and Tyr. Particularly preferred are variants in which several, 5-10, 1-5, 1-3, 1-2 or 1 amino acids are substituted, deleted, or added in any combination. Polypeptides ofthe present 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.

In a further aspect, the present invention relates to CBFAIG06 polynucleotides. Such polynucleotides include isolated polynucleotides comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide which has at least 70% identity, preferably at least 80% identity, more preferably at least 90% identity, yet more preferably at least 95% identity, to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, over the entire length of SEQ ID NO:2. In this regard, polypeptides which have at least 97% identity are highly preferred, whilst those with at least 98-99% identity are more highly preferred, and those with at least 99% identity are most highly preferred. Such polynucleotides include a polynucleotide comprising the nucleotide sequence contained in SEQ ID NO: 1 encoding the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2.

Further polynucleotides ofthe present invention include isolated polynucleotides comprising a nucleotide sequence that has at least 70% identity, preferably at least 80% identity, more preferably at least 90% identity, yet more preferably at least 95% identity, to a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2, over the entire coding region. In this regard, polynucleotides which have at least 97% identity are highly preferred, whilst those with at least 98-99% identity are more highly preferred, and those with at least 99% identity are most highly preferred.

Further polynucleotides ofthe present invention include isolated polynucleotides comprising a nucleotide sequence which has at least 70% identity, preferably at least 80% identity, more preferably at least 90%> identity, yet more preferably at least 95 % identity, to SEQ ID NO: 1 over the entire length of SEQ ID NO: 1. In this regard, polynucleotides which have at least 97% identity are highly preferred, whilst those with at least 98-99% identity are more highly prefeπed, and those with at least 99%o identity are most highly preferred. Such polynucleotides include a polynucleotide comprising the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO: 1 as well as the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO: 1.

The invention also provides polynucleotides which are complementary to all the above described polynucleotides.

The nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:l shows homology with human DNA sequence from clone Y738F9(A. McMurray,et al.). The nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 is a cDNA sequence and comprises a polypeptide encoding sequence (nucleotide 15 to 1706) encoding a polypeptide of 564 amino acids, the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2. The nucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2 may be identical to the polypeptide encoding sequence contained in SEQ ID NO: 1 or it may be a sequence other than the one contained in SEQ ID NO: 1, which, as a result ofthe redundancy (degeneracy) ofthe genetic code, also encodes the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2. Preferred polypeptides and polynucleotides ofthe present invention are expected to have, inter alia, similar biological functions/properties to their homologous polypeptides and polynucleotides. Furthermore, preferred polypeptides and polynucleotides ofthe present invention have at least one CBFAIG06 activity. Polynucleotides ofthe present invention may be obtained, using standard cloning and screening techniques, from a cDNA library derived from mRNA in cells of human umbilical cord blood, using the expressed sequence tag (EST) analysis (Adams, M.D., et al. Science (1991) 252:1651-1656; Adams, M.D. et al., Nature, (1992) 355:632-634; Adams, M.D., et al, Nature (1995) 377 Supp:3-174). Polynucleotides ofthe invention can also be obtained from natural sources such as genomic DNA libraries or can be synthesized using well known and commercially available techniques.

When polynucleotides ofthe present invention are used for the recombinant production of polypeptides ofthe present invention, the polynucleotide may include the coding sequence for the mature polypeptide, by itself; or the coding sequence for the mature polypeptide in reading frame with other coding sequences, such as those encoding a leader or secretory sequence, a pre-, or pro- or prepro- protein sequence, or other fusion peptide portions. For example, a marker sequence which facilitates purification ofthe fused polypeptide can be encoded. In certain preferred embodiments of this aspect of the invention, the marker sequence is a hexa-histidine peptide, as provided in the pQE vector (Qiagen, Inc.) and described in Gentz et al. , Proc NatlAcad Sci USA (1989) 86:821-824, or is an HA tag. The polynucleotide may also contain non-coding 5' and 3' sequences, such as transcribed, non-translated sequences, splicing and polyadenylation signals, ribosome binding sites and sequences that stabilize mRNA.

Further embodiments ofthe present invention include polynucleotides encoding polypeptide variants which comprise the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 and in which several, for instance from 5 to 10, 1 to 5, 1 to 3, 1 to 2 or 1, amino acid residues are substituted, deleted or added, in any combination.

Polynucleotides which are identical or sufficiently identical to a nucleotide sequence contained in SEQ ID NO: 1, may be used as hybridization probes for cDNA and genomic DNA or as primers for a nucleic acid amplification (PCR) reaction, to isolate full-length cDNAs and genomic clones encoding polypeptides ofthe present invention and to isolate cDNA and genomic clones of other genes (including genes encoding homologs and orthologs from species other than human) that have a high sequence similarity to SEQ ID NO: 1. Typically these nucleotide sequences are 70% identical, preferably 80% identical, more preferably 90% identical, most preferably 95% identical to that ofthe referent. The probes or primers will generally comprise at least 15 nucleotides, preferably, at least 30 nucleotides and may have at least 50 nucleotides. Particularly preferred probes will have between 30 and 50 nucleotides.

A polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide ofthe present invention, including homologs and orthologs from species other than human, may be obtained by a process which comprises the steps of screening an appropriate library under stringent hybridization conditions with a labeled probe having the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a fragment thereof; and isolating full-length cDNA and genomic clones containing said polynucleotide sequence. Such hybridization techniques are well known to the skilled artisan. Preferred stringent hybridization conditions include overnight incubation at 42°C in a solution comprising: 50% forrnamide, 5xSSC (150mM aCl, 15mM trisodium citrate), 50 mM sodium phosphate (pH7.6), 5x Denhardt's solution, 10 % dextran sulfate, and 20 microgram/ml denatured, sheared salmon sperm DNA; followed by washing the filters in 0. lx SSC at about 65°C. Thus the present invention also includes polynucleotides obtainable by screening an appropriate library under stringent hybridization conditions with a labeled probe having the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a fragment thereof. The skilled artisan will appreciate that, in many cases, an isolated cDNA sequence will be incomplete, in that the region coding for the polypeptide is cut short at the 5' end ofthe cDNA. This is a consequence of reverse transcriptase, an enzyme with inherently low 'processivity' (a measure ofthe ability ofthe enzyme to remain attached to the template during the polymerisation reaction), failing to complete a DNA copy ofthe mRNA template during 1st strand cDNA synthesis.

There are several methods available and well known to those skilled in the art to obtain full-length cDNAs, or extend short cDNAs, for example those based on the method of Rapid Amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) (see, for example, Frohman et al., PNAS USA 85, 8998- 9002, 1988). Recent modifications ofthe technique, exemplified by the Marathon™' technology (Clontech Laboratories Inc.) for example, have significantly simplified the search for longer cDNAs. In the Marathon™ technology, cDNAs have been prepared from mRNA extracted from a chosen tissue and an 'adaptor' sequence ligated onto each end. Nucleic acid amplification (PCR) is then carried out to amplify the 'missing' 5' end ofthe cDNA using a combination of gene specific and adaptor specific oligonucleotide primers. The PCR reaction is then repeated using 'nested' primers, that is, primers designed to anneal within the amplified product (typically an adaptor specific primer that anneals further 3' in the adaptor sequence and a gene specific primer that anneals further 5' in the known gene sequence). The products of this reaction can then be analyzed by DNA sequencing and a full-length cDNA constructed either by joining the product directly to the existing cDNA to give a complete sequence, or carrying out a separate full-length PCR using the new sequence information for the design of the 5' primer.

Recombinant polypeptides ofthe present invention may be prepared by processes well known in the art from genetically engineered host cells comprising expression systems. Accordingly, in a further aspect the present invention relates to expression systems which comprise a polynucleotide or polynucleotides ofthe present invention, to host cells which are genetically engineered with such expression systems and to the production of polypeptides ofthe invention by recombinant techniques. Cell-free translation systems can also be employed to produce such proteins using RNAs derived from the DNA constructs ofthe present invention.

For recombinant production, host cells can be genetically engineered to incorporate expression systems or portions thereof for polynucleotides ofthe present invention. Introduction of polynucleotides into host cells can be effected by methods described in many standard laboratory manuals, such as Davis et a , Basic Methods in Molecular Biology (1986) and Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2nd Ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. (1989). Preferred such methods include, for instance, calcium phosphate transfection, DEAE-dextran mediated transfection, transvection, microinjection, cationic lipid-mediated transfection, ele xoporation, transduction, scrape loading, ballistic introduction or infection.

Representative examples of appropriate hosts include bacterial cells, such as streptococci, staphylococci, E. coli, Streptomyces and Bacillus subtilis cells; fungal cells, such as yeast cells and Aspergillus cells; insect cells such as Drosophila S2 and Spodoptera Sf9 cells; animal cells such as CHO. COS, HeLα, C127, 3T3, BHK, HEK 293 and Bowes melanoma cells; and plant cells.

A great variety of expression systems can be used, for instance, chromosomal, episo al and virus-derived systems, e.g., vectors derived from bacterial plasmids, from bacteriophage, from transposons, from yeast episomes, from insertion elements, from yeast chromosomal elements, from viruses such as baculoviruses, papova viruses, such as SV40, vaccinia viruses, adenoviruses, fowl pox viruses, pseudorabies viruses and retroviruses, and vectors derived from combinations thereof, such as those derived from plasmid and bacteriophage genetic elements, such as cosmids and phagemids. The expression systems may contain control regions that regulate as well as engender expression. Generally, any system or vector which is able to maintain, propagate or express a polynucleotide to produce a polypeptide in a host may be used. The appropriate nucleotide sequence may be inserted into an expression system by any of a variety of well-known and routine techniques, such as, for example, those set forth in Sambrook et al, MOLECULAR CLONING, A LABORATORY MANUAL (supra). Appropriate secretion signals may be incorporated into the desired polypeptide to allow secretion ofthe translated protein into the lumen ofthe endoplasmic reticulum, the periplasmic space or the extracellular environment. These signals may be endogenous to the polypeptide or they may be heterologous signals. If a polypeptide ofthe present invention is to be expressed for use in screening assays, it is generally preferred that the polypeptide be produced at the surface ofthe cell. In this event, the cells may be harvested prior to use in the screening assay. If the polypeptide is secreted into the medium, the medium can be recovered in order to recover and purify the polypeptide. If produced intracellularly, the cells must first be lysed before the polypeptide is recovered. Polypeptides ofthe present invention can be recovered and purified from recombinant cell cultures by well-known methods including ammonium sulfate or ethanol precipitation, acid extraction, anion or cation exchange chromatography, phosphocellulose chromatography, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, affinity chromatography, hydroxylapatite chromatography and lectin chromatography. Most preferably, high performance Uquid chromatography is employed for purification. Well known techniques for refolding proteins may be employed to regenerate active conformation when the polypeptide is denatured during isolation and or purification.

This invention also relates to the use of polynucleotides ofthe present invention as diagnostic reagents. Detection of a mutated form ofthe gene characterized by the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO: 1 which is associated with a dysfunction will provide a diagnostic tool that can add to, or define, a diagnosis of a disease, or susceptibility to a disease, which results from under-expression, over- expression or altered expression ofthe gene. Individuals carrying mutations in the gene may be detected at the DNA level by a variety of techniques.

Nucleic acids for diagnosis may be obtained from a subject's cells, such as from blood, urine, sahva, tissue biopsy or autopsy material. The genomic DNA may be used directly for detection or may be amplified enzymatically by using PCR or other amplification techniques prior to analysis. RNA or cDNA may also be used in similar fashion. Deletions and insertions can be detected by a change in size ofthe amplified product in comparison to the normal genotype. Point mutations can be identified by hybridizing amplified DNA to labeled CBFAIG06 nucleotide sequences. Perfectly matched sequences can be distinguished from mismatched duplexes by RNase digestion or by differences in melting temperatures. DNA sequence differences may also be detected by alterations in electrophoretic mobility of DNA fragments in gels, with or without denaturing agents, or by direct DNA sequencing (e.g., Myers et al. , Science (1985) 230: 1242). Sequence changes at specific locations may also be revealed by nuclease protection assays, such as RNase and S 1 protection or the chemical cleavage method (see Cotton etal., Proc NatlAcad Sci USA (1985) 85: 4397-4401). In another embodiment, an array of oligonucleotides probes comprising CBFAIG06 nucleotide sequence or fragments thereof can be constructed to conduct efficient screening of e.g., genetic mutations. Array technology methods are well known and have general applicability and can be used to address a variety of questions in molecular genetics including gene expression, genetic linkage, and genetic variability (see for example: M.Chee et al., Science, Vol 274, pp 610-613 (1996)).

The diagnostic assays offer a process for diagnosing or deteπnining a susceptibility to the Diseases through detection of mutation in the CBFAIG06 gene by the methods described. In addition, such diseases may be diagnosed by methods comprising determining from a sample derived from a subject an abnormally decreased or increased level of polypeptide or mRNA. Decreased or increased expression can be measured at the RNA level using any ofthe methods well known in the art for the quantitation of polynucleotides, such as, for example, nucleic acid amplification, for instance PCR, RT-PCR, RNase protection, Northern blotting and other hybridization methods. Assay techniques that can be used to determine levels of a protein, such as a polypeptide ofthe present invention, in a sample derived from a host are well-known to those of skill in the art. Such assay methods include radioimmunoassays, competitive-binding assays, Western Blot analysis and ELISA assays.

Thus in another aspect, the present invention relates to a diagonostic kit which comprises:

(a) a polynucleotide ofthe present invention, preferably the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a fragment thereof ;

(b) a nucleotide sequence complementary to that of (a);

(c) a polypeptide ofthe present invention, preferably the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2 or a fragment thereof; or

(d) an antibody to a polypeptide ofthe present invention, preferably to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2.

It will be appreciated that in any such kit, (a), (b), (c) or (d) may comprise a substantial component. Such a kit will be of use in diagnosing a disease or susceptibility to a disease, particularly hematopoietic diseases and cancer, amongst others.

The nucleotide sequences ofthe present invention are also valuable for chromosome identification. The sequence is specifically targeted to, and can hybridize with, a particular location on an individual human chromosome. The mapping of relevant sequences to chromosomes according to the present invention is an important first step in correlating those sequences with gene associated disease. Once a sequence has been mapped to a precise chromosomal location, the physical position ofthe sequence on the chromosome can be correlated with genetic map data. Such data are found in, for example, V. McKusick, Mendelian Inheritance in Man (available on-line through Johns Hopkins

University Welch Medical Library). The relationship between genes and diseases that have been mapped to the same chromosomal region are then identified through linkage analysis (coinheritance of physically adjacent genes).

The differences in the cDNA or genomic sequence between affected and unaffected individuals can also be determined. If a mutation is observed in some or all ofthe affected individuals but not in any normal individuals, then the mutation is likely to be the causative agent ofthe disease.

The polypeptides ofthe invention or their fragments or analogs thereof, or cells expressing them, can also be used as immunogens to produce antibodies immunospecific for polypeptides ofthe present invention. The term "immunospecific" means that the antibodies have substantially greater affinity for the polypeptides ofthe invention than their affinity for other related polypeptides in the prior art. Antibodies generated against polypeptides ofthe present invention may be obtained by administering the polypeptides or epitope-bearing fragments, analogs or cells to an animal, preferably a non-human animal, using routine protocols. For preparation of monoclonal antibodies, any technique which provides antibodies produced by continuous cell line cultures can be used. Examples include the hybridoma technique (Kohler, G. and Milstein, C, Nature (1975) 256:495-497), the trioma technique, the human B-cell hybridoma technique (Kozbor et al. , Immunology Today (1983) 4:72) and the EBV- hybridoma technique (Cole et al. , MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES AND CANCER THERAPY, pp. 77-96, Alan R. Liss, Inc., 1985).

Techniques for the production of single chain antibodies, such as those described in U.S. Patent No. 4,946,778, can also be adapted to produce single chain antibodies to polypeptides of this invention. Also, transgenic mice, or other organisms, including other mammals, may be used to express humanized antibodies. The above-described antibodies may be employed to isolate or to identify clones expressing the polypeptide or to purify the polypeptides by affinity chromatography.

Antibodies against polypeptides ofthe present invention may also be employed to treat the Diseases, amongst others.

In a further aspect, the present invention relates to genetically engineered soluble fusion proteins comprising a polypeptide ofthe present invention, or a fragment thereof, and various portions ofthe constant regions of heavy or light chains of immunoglobulins of various subclasses (IgG, IgM, IgA, IgE). Preferred as an immunoglobulin is the constant part ofthe heavy chain of human IgG, particularly IgGl, where fusion takes place at the hinge region. In a particular embodiment, the Fc part can be removed simply by incorporation of a cleavage sequence which can be cleaved with blood clotting factor Xa. Furthermore, this invention relates to processes for the preparation of these fusion proteins by genetic engineering, and to the use thereof for drug screening, diagnosis and therapy. A further aspect ofthe invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding such fusion proteins. Examples of fusion protein technology can be found in International Patent Application Nos. WO94/29458 and W094/22914. Another aspect ofthe invention relates to a method for inducing an immunological response in a mammal which comprises inoculating the mammal with a polypeptide ofthe present invention, adequate to produce antibody and/or T cell immune response to protect said animal from the Diseases hereinbefore mentioned, amongst others. Yet another aspect ofthe invention relates to a method of inducing immunological response in a mammal which comprises, delivering a polypeptide ofthe present mvention via a vector directing expression ofthe polynucleotide and coding for the polypeptide in vivo in order to mduce such an immunological response to produce antibody to protect said animal from diseases

A further aspect ofthe mvention relates to an immunological/vaccine formulation (composition) which, when mtroduced mto a mammalian host, mduces an immunological response in that mammal to a polypeptide ofthe present mvention wherem the composition compπses a polypeptide or polynucleotide ofthe present mvention The vaccine formulation may further compπse a suitable earner Smce a polypeptide may be broken down m the stomach, it is preferably administered parenterally (for instance, subcutaneous, intramuscular, intravenous, or mtradermal mjection) Formulations suitable for parenteral admimstration mclude aqueous and non-aqueous steπle mjection solutions which may contain anti-oxidants, buffers, bactenostats and solutes which render the formulation lsotonic with the blood ofthe recipient, and aqueous and non- aqueous steπle suspensions which may mclude suspending agents or thickening agents The formulations may be presented m unit-dose or multi-dose containers, for example, sealed ampoules and vials and may be stored m a freeze-dπed condition requiring only the addition ofthe steπle liquid earner immediately pπor to use The vaccme formulation may also mclude adjuvant systems for enhancing the l-mmunogenicity ofthe formulation, such as oil-in water systems and other systems known m the art The dosage will depend on the specific activity ofthe vaccme and can be readily determined by routine experimentation Polypeptides ofthe present mvention are responsible for many biological functions, including many disease states, in particular the Diseases hereinbefore mentioned It is therefore desirous to devise screening methods to identify compounds which stimulate or which inhibit the function ofthe polypeptide Accordingly, in a further aspect, the present invention provides for a method of screening compounds to identify those which stimulate or which inhibit the function of he polypeptide In general, agonists or antagonists may be employed for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes for such Diseases as hereinbefore mentioned Compounds may be identified from a vaneτy of sources, for example, cells, cell-free preparations, chemical hbranes, and natural product mixtures Such agonists, antagonists or inhibitors so-identified may be natural or modified substrates, gands, receptors, enzymes, etc , as the case may be, ofthe polypeptide, or may be structural or functional mimetics thereof (see Cohgan et al . Current Protocols in Immunology 1(2) Chapter 5 (1991))

The screemng method may simply measure the binding of a candidate compound to the polypeptide, or to cells or membranes bearing the polypeptide, or a fusion protein thereof by means of a label directly or indirectly associated with the candidate compound Alternatively, the screening method may involve competition with a labeled competitor Further these screemng methods may test whether the candidate compound results in a signal generated bv activation or inhibition ofthe polypeptide, usmg detection systems appropπate to the cells bearing the polypeptide Inhibitors of activation are generally assayed in the presence of a known agonist and the effect on activation by the agonist by the presence ofthe candidate compound is observed Constitutively active polypeptides may be employed in screemng methods for inverse agomsts or inhibitors, m the absence of an agomst or inhibitor, by testing whether the candidate compound results in inhibition of activation ofthe polypeptide Further, the screemng methods may simply compπse the steps of mixing a candidate compound with a solution containing a polypeptide ofthe present mvention, to form a mixture, measuring CBFAIG06 activity m the mixture, and comparing the CBFAIG06 activity ofthe mixture to a standard Fusion protems, such as those made from Fc portion and CBFAIG06 polypeptide, as herembefore descπbed, can also be used for high-throughput screemng assays to identify antagonists for the polypeptide ofthe present mvention (see D Bennett et al , J Mol Recognition, 8 52-58 (1995), and K Johanson et al X Biol Chem, 270(16) 9459-9471 (1995)) The polynucleotides, polypeptides and antibodies to the polypeptide ofthe present mvention may also be used to configure screening methods for detectmg the effect of added compounds on the production of mRNA and polypeptide m cells For example, an ELISA assay may be constructed for measuring secreted or cell associated levels of polypeptide usmg monoclonal and polvclonal antibodies by standard methods known m the art This can be used to discover agents which may inhibit or enhance the production of polypeptide (also called antagonist or agomst, respectively) from suitably manipulated cells or tissues

The polypeptide may be used to identify membrane bound or soluble receptors, if any, through standard receptor bmdmg techniques known m the art These mclude, but are not limited to, gand bmdmg and crosslinking assays m which the polypeptide is labeled with a radioactive isotope (for mstance, ^1), chemically modified (for mstance, biotmylated), or fused to a peptide sequence suitable for detection or punfication, and incubated with a source ofthe putative receptor (cells, cell membranes, cell supernatants, tissue extracts, bodily fluids) Other methods mclude biophysical techniques such as surface plasmon resonance and spectroscopy These screemng methods may also be used to identify agomsts and antagonists ofthe polypeptide which compete with the bmdmg ofthe polypeptide to its receptors, if any Standard methods for conductmg such assays are well understood m the art

Examples of potential polypeptide antagonists mclude antibodies or, in some cases, ohgonucleotides or proteins which are closely related to the ligands substrates, receptors enzymes etc as the case may be, ofthe polypeptide, e g , a fragment ofthe ligands, substrates receptors cnzvmes etc.; or small molecules which bind to the polypeptide ofthe present invention but do not elicit a response, so that the activity ofthe polypeptide is prevented.

Thus, in another aspect, the present invention relates to a screening kit for identifying agonists, antagonists, ligands, receptors, substrates, enzymes, etc. for polypeptides ofthe present invention; or compounds which decrease or enhance the production of such polypeptides, which comprises:

(a) a polypeptide ofthe present invention;

(b) a recombinant cell expressing a polypeptide ofthe present invention;

(c) a cell membrane expressing a polypeptide ofthe present invention; or (d) antibody to a polypeptide ofthe present invention; which polypeptide is preferably that of SEQ ID NO:2.

It will be appreciated that in any such kit, (a), (b), (c) or (d) may comprise a substantial component.

It will be readily appreciated by the skilled artisan that a polypeptide ofthe present invention may also be used in a method for the structure-based design of an agonist, antagonist or inhibitor ofthe polypeptide, by:

(a) determining in the first instance the three-dimensional structure ofthe polypeptide;

(b) deducing the three-dimensional structure for the likely reactive or binding site(s) of an agonist, antagonist or inhibitor; (c) synthesizing candidate compounds that are predicted to bind to or react with the deduced binding or reactive site; and

(d) testing whether the candidate compounds are indeed agonists, antagonists or inhibitors. It will be further appreciated that this will normally be an interactive process.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides methods of treating abnormal conditions such as, for instance, hematopoietic diseases and cancer, related to either an excess of, or an under-expression of, CBFAIG06 polypeptide activity.

If the activity ofthe polypeptide is in excess, several approaches are available. One approach comprises administering to a subject in need thereof an inhibitor compound (antagonist) as hereinabove described, optionally in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, in an amount effective to inhibit the function ofthe polypeptide, such as, for example, by blocking the binding of ligands, substrates, receptors, enzymes, etc., or by inhibiting a second signal, and thereby alleviating the abnormal condition. In another approach, soluble forms ofthe polypeptides still capable of binding the ligand, substrate, enzymes, receptors, etc. in competition with endogenous polypeptide may be administered Typical examples of such competitors mclude fragments ofthe CBFAIG06 polypeptide

In still another approach, expression ofthe gene encoding endogenous CBFAIG06 polypeptide can be inhibited usmg expression blocking techniques Known such techniques mvolve the use of antisense sequences, either internally generated or separately administered (see, for example, O'Connor, J Neurochem (1991) 56 560 m Ohgodeoxynucleotides as Antisense Inhibitors of Gene Expression, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL (1988)) Alternatively, ohgonucleotides which form tnple helices with the gene can be supplied (see, for example, Lee et al , Nucleic Acids Res (1979) 6 3073, Cooney et al , Science (1988) 241 456, Dervan et al , Science (1991) 251 1360) These ohgomers can be admimstered per se or the relevant ohgomers can be expressed in vivo

For treating abnormal conditions related to an under-expression of CBFAIG06 and its activity, several approaches are also available One approach compπses administering to a subject a therapeutically effective amount of a compound which activates a polypeptide ofthe present mvention, l e , an agonist as descnbed above, in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable earner, to thereby alleviate the abnormal condition Alternatively, gene therapy may be employed to effect the endogenous production of CBFAIG06 by the relevant cells m the subject For example, a polynucleotide ofthe mvention may be engineered for expression in a replication defective retroviral vector, as discussed above The retroviral expression construct may then be isolated and mtroduced mto a packaging cell transduced with a retroviral plasmid vector containing RNA encoding a polypeptide ofthe present mvention such that the packagmg cell now produces infectious viral particles containing the gene of interest These producer cells may be admimstered to a subject for engineering cells in vivo and expression ofthe polypeptide in v vo For an overview of gene therapy, see Chapter 20, Gene Therapy and other Molecular Genetic-based Therapeutic Approaches, (and references cited therein) in Human Molecular Genetics, T Strachan and A P Read, BIOS Scientific Publishers Ltd (1996) Another approach is to administer a therapeutic amount of a polypeptide ofthe present mvention in combination with a suitable pharmaceutical earner

In a further aspect, the present mvention provides for pharmaceutical compositions compπsing a therapeutically effective amount of a polypeptide, such as the soluble form of a polypeptide ofthe present mvention, agonist/antagonist peptide or small molecule compound, m combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable earner or excipient Such earners mclude, but are not limited to, saline, buffered sahne, dextrose, water, glycerol, ethanol, and combinations thereof The mvention further relates to pharmaceutical packs and kits compnsmg one or more containers filled with one or more of he ingredients ofthe aforementioned compositions ofthe mvention Polypeptides and other compounds of the present mvention may be employed alone or in conjunction with other compounds, such as therapeutic compounds

The composition will be adapted to the route of administration, for instance by a systemic or an oral route Preferred forms of systemic admimstration mclude mjection, typically by intravenous mjection Other mjection routes, such as subcutaneous, mtramuscular, or mtrapentoneal, can be used Alternative means for systemic admimstration mclude transmucosal and transdermal admimstration usmg penetrants such as bile salts or fusidic acids or other detergents In addition, if a polypeptide or other compounds ofthe present mvention can be formulated in an entenc or an encapsulated formulation, oral administration may also be possible Administration of these compounds may also be topical and or localized, in the form of salves, pastes, gels, and the like

The dosage range required depends on the choice of peptide or other compounds ofthe present mvention, the route of administration, the nature ofthe formulation, the nature ofthe subject^'s condition, and the judgment ofthe attending practitioner Suitable dosages, however, are in the range of 0 1-100 μg/kg of subject Wide variations in the needed dosage, however, are to be expected in view ofthe vanety of compounds available and the differing efficiencies of vanous routes of administration For example, oral admimstration would be expected to require higher dosages than admimstration by intravenous mjection Vanations in these dosage levels can be adjusted usmg standard empincal routines for optimization, as is well understood in the art

Polypeptides used in treatment can also be generated endogenously in the subject, in treatment modalities often refened to as "gene therapy" as descnbed above Thus, for example, cells from a subject may be engineered with a polynucleotide, such as a DNA or R A to encode a polypeptide ex vivo, and for example, by the use of a retroviral plasmid vector The cells are then mtroduced mto the subject

Polynucleotide and polypeptide sequences form a valuable information resource with which to identify further sequences of similar homology This is most easily facilitated by storing the sequence in a computer readable medium and then using the stored data to search a sequence database usmg well known searching tools, such as GCC Accordingly, in a further aspect, the present mvention provides for a computer readable medium having stored thereon a polynucleotide compnsmg the sequence of SEQ ID NO 1 and or a polypeptide sequence encoded thereby

The following definitions are provided to facilitate understanding of certain terms used frequently herembefore "Antibodies" as used herein includes polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, chimeric, single chain, and humanized antibodies, as well as Fab fragments, including the products of an Fab or other immunoglobulin expression library.

"Isolated" means altered "by the hand of man" from the natural state. If an "isolated" composition or substance occurs in nature, it has been changed or removed from its original environment, or both. For example, a polynucleotide or a polypeptide naturally present in a living animal is not "isolated," but the same polynucleotide or polypeptide separated from the coexisting materials of its natural state is "isolated", as the term is employed herein.

"Polynucleotide" generally refers to any polyribonucleotide or polydeoxribonucleotide, which may be unmodified RNA or DNA or modified RNA or DNA. "Polynucleotides" include, without limitation, 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, "polynucleotide" refers to triple-stranded regions comprising RNA or DNA or both RNA and DNA. The term "polynucleotide" also includes DNAs or RNAs containing one or more modified bases and DNAs or RNAs with 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 may be made to DNA and RNA; thus, "polynucleotide" embraces chemically, enzymatically or metabohcally modified forms of polynucleotides as typically found in nature, as well as the chemical forms of DNA and RNA characteristic of viruses and cells. "Polynucleotide" also embraces relatively short polynucleotides, often referred to as oligonucleotides.

"Polypeptide" refers to any peptide or protein comprising two or more amino acids joined to each other by peptide bonds or modified peptide bonds, i.e., peptide isosteres. "Polypeptide" refers to both short chains, commonly referred to as peptides, oligopeptides or ohgomers, and to longer chains, generally referred to as proteins. Polypeptides may contain amino acids other than the 20 gene-encoded amino acids. "Polypeptides" include amino acid sequences modified either by natural processes, such as post-translational 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 may 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 to 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 as a result of ubiquitination, and they may be cyclic, with or without branching. Cyclic, branched and branched cyclic polypeptides may result from post-translation 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 cystine, formation of pyroglutamate, formylation, gamma- carboxylation, glycosylation, GPI anchor formation, hydroxylation, iodination, methylation, myristoylation, oxidation, proteolytic processing, phosphorylation, prenylation, racemization, selenoylation, sulfation, transfer-RNA mediated addition of amino acids to proteins such as arginylation, and ubiquitination (see, for instance, PROTEINS - STRUCTURE AND MOLECULAR PROPERTIES, 2nd Ed., T. E. Creighton, W. H. Freeman and Company, New York, 1993; Wold, F., Post-translational Protein Modifications: Perspectives and Prospects, pgs. 1-12 in POSTTRANSLATIONAL COVALENT MODIFICATION OF PROTEINS, B. C.

Johnson, Ed., Academic Press, New York, 1983; Seifter et al, "Analysis for protein modifications and nonprotein cofactors", Meth Enzymol (1990) 182:626-646 and Rattan et al., "Protein Synthesis: Post-translational Modifications and Aging", Ann NY Acad Sci (1992) 663:48-62). "Variant" refers to a polynucleotide or polypeptide that differs from a reference polynucleotide or polypeptide, but retains essential properties. A typical variant of a polynucleotide differs in nucleotide sequence from another, reference polynucleotide. Changes in the nucleotide sequence ofthe variant may or may not alter the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide encoded by the reference polynucleotide. Nucleotide changes may result in amino acid substitutions, additions, deletions, fusions and truncations in the polypeptide encoded by the reference sequence, as discussed below. A typical variant of a polypeptide differs in amino acid sequence from another, reference polypeptide. Generally, differences are limited so that the sequences ofthe reference polypeptide and the variant are closely similar overall and, in many regions, identical. A variant and reference polypeptide may differ in amino acid sequence by one or more substitutions, additions, deletions in any combination. A substituted or inserted amino acid residue may or may not be one encoded by the genetic code. A variant of a polynucleotide or polypeptide may be a naturally occurring such as an allelic variant, or it may be a variant that is not known to occur naturally. Non-naturally occurring variants of polynucleotides and polypeptides may be made by mutagenesis techniques or by direct synthesis. "Identity," as known in the art, is a relationship between two or more polypeptide sequences or two or more polynucleotide sequences, as the case may be, as determined by comparing the sequences In the art, "identity" also means the degree of sequence relatedness between polypeptide or polynucleotide sequences, as the case may be, as determined by the match between strings of such sequences "Identity" can be readily calculated by known methods, including but not limited to those descnbed m (Computational Molecular Biology, Lesk, A M , ed , Oxford University Press, New York, 1988, Biocomputing Informatics and Genome Projects, Smith, D W , ed , Academic Press, New York, 1993, Computer Analysis of Sequence Data, Part I, Gπffin, A M , and Gπfϊin, H G , eds , Humana Press, New Jersey, 1994, Sequence Analysis in Molecular Biology, von Hemje, G , Academic Press, 1987, and Sequence Analysis Primer, Gnbskov, M and Devereux, J , eds , M Stockton Press, New York, 1991, and Canllo, H , and Lipman, D , SIAM J Applied Math , 48 1073 (1988) Methods to determine identity are designed to give the largest match between the sequences tested Moreover, methods to determine identity are codified m publicly available computer programs Computer program methods to determine identity between two sequences mclude, but are not limited to, the GCG program package (Devereux, J , et al , Nucleic Acids Research 12(1) 387 (1984)), BLASTP, BLASTN, and FASTA (Atschul, S F et al , J Molec Bwl 215 403-410 (1990) The BLAST X program is publicly available fromNCBI and other sources (BLAST Manual, Altschul, S , et al , NCBI NLM NIH Bethesda, MD 20894, Altschul, S , et al , J Mol Bwl 215 403-410 (1990) The well known Smith Waterman algoπthm may also be used to determine identity Parameters for polypeptide sequence compaπson mclude the following l) Algonthm Needleman and Wunsch, J Mol Biol 48 443-453 (1970) Compaπson matnx BLOSSUM62 from Hentikoff and Hentikoff, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 89 10915-10919 (1992) Gap Penalty 12 Gap Length Penalty 4

A program useful with these parameters is publicly available as the "gap" program from Genetics Computer Group, Madison WI The aforementioned parameters are the default parameters for peptide compansons (along with no penalty for end gaps)

Parameters for polynucleotide compaπson mclude the following l) Algonthm Needleman and Wunsch, J Mol Biol 48 443-453 (1970) Companson matnx matches = +10, mismatch = 0 Gap Penalty 50 Gap Length Penalty 3 Available as The "gap" program from Genetics Computer Group, Madison WI These are the default parameters for nucleic acid compaπsons

A prefeπed meaning for "identity" for polynucleotides and polypeptides, as the case may be, are provided m (1) and (2) below (1) Polynucleotide embodiments further mclude an isolated polynucleotide compπsmg a polynucleotide sequence having at least a 50, 60, 70, 80, 85, 90, 95, 97 or 100% identity to the reference sequence of SEQ ID NO 1, wherem said polynucleotide sequence may be identical to the reference sequence of SEQ ID NO 1 or may mclude up to a certam mteger number of nucleotide alterations as compared to the reference sequence, wherem said alterations are selected from the group consisting of at least one nucleotide deletion, substitution, including transition and transversion, or insertion, and wherem said alterations may occur at the 5' or 3' terminal positions of the reference nucleotide sequence or anywhere between those terminal positions, mterspersed either individually among the nucleotides m the reference sequence or m one or more contiguous groups within the reference sequence, and wherem said number of nucleotide alterations is determined by multiplying the total number of nucleotides m SEQ ID NO 1 by the mteger defining the percent identity divided by 100 and then subtractmg that product from said total number of nucleotides m SEQ ID NO l, or

≤ ^xn " ( ' y)-

wherem n_n is the number of nucleotide alterations, x_n is the total number of nucleotides in SEQ ID NO 1, y is 0 50 for 50%, 0 60 for 60%, 0 70 for 70%, 0 80 for 80%, 0 85 for 85%, 0 90 for 90%, 0 95 for 95%, 0 97 for 97% or 1 00 for 100%, and • is the symbol for the multiplication operator and wherem any non-mteger product of x_n and y is rounded down to the nearest mteger pnor to subtractmg it from x_n Alterations of a polynucleotide sequence encodmg the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO 2 may create nonsense, rmssense or frameshift mutations m this codmg sequence and thereby alter the polypeptide encoded by the polynucleotide following such alterations

By way of example, a polynucleotide sequence ofthe present mvention may be identical to the reference sequence of SEQ ID NO 2, that is it may be 100% identical, or it may mclude up to a certam mteger number of ammo acid alterations as compared to the reference sequence such that the percent identity is less than 100% identity Such alterations are selected from the group consistmg of at least one nucleic acid deletion, substitution, mcludmg transition and transversion, or insertion, and wherein said alterations may occur at the 5' or 3' terminal positions ofthe reference polynucleotide sequence or anywhere between those terminal positions, mterspersed either individually among the nucleic acids in the reference sequence or m one or more contiguous groups within the reference sequence The number of nucleic acid alterations for a given percent identity is determined by multiplying the total number of am o acids m SEQ ID NO 2 by the mteger definmg the percent identity divided by 100 and then subtractmg that product from said total number of ammo acids m SEQ ID NO 2, or

ⁿn ^{≤ x}n - (^xn ' y)>

wherem n_n is the number of amino acid alterations, x_n is the total number of ammo acids in SEQ ID NO 2, y is, for mstance 0 70 for 70%, 0 80 for 80%, 0 85 for 85% etc , • is the symbol for the multiplication operator, and wherem any non-mteger product of x_n and y is rounded down to the nearest mteger pπor to subtractmg it from x_n

(2) Polypeptide embodiments further mclude an isolated polypeptide compnsing a polypeptide having at least a 50,60, 70, 80, 85, 90, 95, 97 or 100% identity to a polypeptide reference sequence of SEQ ID NO 2, wherem said polypeptide sequence may be identical to the reference sequence of SEQ ID NO 2 or may mclude up to a certam mteger number of ammo acid alterations as compared to the reference sequence, wherem said alterations are selected from the group consistmg of at least one amino acid deletion, substitution, including conservative and non- conservative substitution, or insertion, and wherem said alterations may occur at the ammo- or carboxy-terminal positions ofthe reference polypeptide sequence or anywhere between those terminal positions, mterspersed either individually among the ammo acids m the reference sequence or in one or more contiguous groups within the reference sequence, and wherem said number of ammo acid alterations is determined by multiplying the total number of ammo acids m SEQ ID NO 2 by the mteger definmg the percent identity divided by 100 and then subtractmg that product from said total number of ammo acids m SEQ ID NO 2, or

ⁿa ^{≤ x}a " (^xa * ).

wherem n_a is the number of ammo acid alterations, x_a is the total number of ammo acids m SEQ ID NO 2, y is 0 50 for 50%, 0 60 for 60%, 0 70 for 70%, 0 80 for 80%, 0 85 for 85%, 0 90 for 90%, 0 95 for 95%, 0 97 for 97% or 1 00 for 100%, and • is the symbol for the multiplication operator, and wherein any non-integer product of x_a and y is rounded down to the nearest integer prior to subtracting it from x_a.

By way of example, a polypeptide sequence ofthe present invention may be identical to the reference sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, that is it may be 100% identical, or it may include up to a certain integer number of amino acid alterations as compared to the reference sequence such that the percent identity is less than 100% identity. Such alterations are selected from the group consisting of at least one amino acid deletion, substitution, including conservative and non-conservative substitution, or insertion, and wherein said alterations may occur at the amino- or carboxy-terminal positions ofthe reference polypeptide sequence or anywhere between those terminal positions, interspersed either individually among the amino acids in the reference sequence or in one or more contiguous groups within the reference sequence. The number of amino acid alterations for a given % identity is determined by multiplying the total number of amino acids in SEQ ID NO:2 by the integer defining the percent identity divided by 100 and then subtracting that product from said total number of amino acids in SEQ ID NO: 2, or:

ⁿa ^{≤ x}a - (^xa ' y),

wherein n_a is the number of amino acid alterations, x_a is the total number of amino acids in SEQ ID NO:2, y is, for instance 0.70 for 70%, 0.80 for 80%, 0.85 for 85% etc., and • is the symbol for the multiplication operator, and wherein any non-integer product of x_a and y is rounded down to the nearest integer prior to subtracting it from x_a.

"Fusion protein" refers to a protein encoded by two, often unrelated, fused genes or fragments thereof. In one example, EP-A-0 464 discloses fusion proteins comprising various portions of constant region of i munoglobulin molecules together with another human protein or part thereof. In many cases, employing an immunoglobulin Fc region as a part of a fusion protein is advantageous for use in therapy and diagnosis resulting in, for example, improved pharmacokinetic properties [see, e.g., EP-A 0232 262]. On the other hand, for some uses it would be desirable to be able to delete the Fc part after the fusion protein has been expressed, detected and purified.

All publications, including but not limited to patents and patent applications, cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference herein as though fully set forth. SEQUENCE INFORMATION SEQ ID NO:l

1 CGCAAGGGGC AGCCATGTCT TATCCCGCTG ATGATTATGA GTCTGAGGCG

51 GCTTATGACC CCTACGCTTA TCCCAGCGAC TATGATATGC ACACAGGAGA

101 TCCAAAGCAG GACCTTGCTT ATGAACGTCA GTATGAACAG CAAACCTATC

151 AGGTGATCCC TGAGGTGATC AAAAACTTCA TCCAGTATTT CCACAAAACT

201 GTCTCAGATT TGATTGACCA GAAAGTGTAT GAGCTACAGG CCAGTCGTGT

251 CTCCAGTGAT GTCATTGACC AGAAGGTGTA TGAGATCCAG GACATCTATG

301 AGAACAGCTG GACCAAGCTG ACTGAAAGAT TCTTCAAGAA TACACCTTGG

351 CCCGAGGCTG AAGCCATTGC TCCACAGGTT GGCAATGATG CTGTCTTCCT

401 GATTTTATAC AAAGAATTAT ACTACAGGCA CATATATGCC AAAGTCAGTG

451 GGGGACCTTC CTTGGAGCAG AGGTTTGAAT CCTATTACAA CTACTGCAAT

501 CTCTTCAACT ACATTCTTAA TGCCGATGGT CCTGCTCCCC TTGAACTACC

551 CAACCAGTGG CTCTGGGATA TTATCGATGA GTTCATCTAC CAGTTTCAGT

601 CATTCAGTCA GTACCGCTGT AAGACTGCCA AGAAGTCAGA GGAGGAGATT

651 GACTTTCTTC GTTCCAATCC CAAAATCTGG AATGTTCATA GTGTCCTCAA

701 TGTCCTTCAT TCCCTGGTAG ACAAATCCAA CATCAACCGA CAGTTGGAGG

751 TATACACAAG CGGAGGTGAC CCTGAGAGTG TGGCTGGGGA GTATGGGCGG

801 CACTCCCTCT ACAAAATGCT TGGTTACTTC AGCCTGGTCG GGCTTCTCCG

851 CCTGCACTCC CTGTTAGGAG ATTACTACCA GGCCATCAAG GTGCTGGAGA 901 ACATCGAACT GAACAAGAAG AGTATGTATT CCCGTGTGCC AGAGTGCCAG

951 GTCACCACAT ACTATTATGT TGGGTTTGCA TATTTGATGA TGCGTCGTTA

1001 CCAGGATGCC ATCCGGGTCT TCGCCAACAT CCTCCTCTAC ATCCAGAGGA

1051 CCAAGAGCAT GTTCCAGAGG ACCACGTACA AGTATGAGAT GATTAACAAG

1101 CAGAATGAGC AGATGCATGC GCTGCTGGCC ATTGCCCTCA CGATGTACCC

1151 CATGCGTATC GATGAGAGCA TTCACCTCCA GCTGCGGGAG AAATATGGGG

1201 ACAAGATGTT GCGCATGCAG AAAGGTGACC CACAAGTCTA TGAAGAACTT

1251 TTCAGTTACT CCTGCCCCAA GTTCCTGTCG CCTGTAGTGC CCAACTATGA

1301 TAATGTGCAC CCCAACTACC ACAAAGAGCC CTTCCTGCAG CAGCTGAAGG

1351 TGTTTTCTGA TGAAGTACAG CAGCAGGCCC AGCTTTCAAC CATCCGCAGC

1401 TTCCTGAAGC TCTACACCAC CATGCCTGTG GCCAAGCTGG CTGGCTTCCT

1451 GGACCTCACA GAGCAGGAGT TCCGGATCCA GCTTCTTGTC TTCAAACACA

1501 AGATGAAGAA CCTCGTGTGG ACCAGCGGTA TCTCAGCCCT GGATGGTGAA

1551 TTTCAGTCAG CCTCAGAGGT TGACTTCTAC ATTGATAAGG ACATGATCCA

1601 CATCGCGGAC ACCAAGGTCG CCAGGCGTTA TGGGGATTTC TTCATCCGTC

1651 AGATCCACAA ATTTGAGGAG CTTAATCGAA CCCTGAAGAA GATGGGACAG

1701 AGACCTTGAT GATATTCACA CACATTCAGG AACCTGTTTT GATGTATTAT

1751 AGGCAGGAAG TGTTTTTGCT ACCGTGAAAC CTTTACCTAG ATCAGCCATC

1801 AGCCTGTCAA CTCAGTTAAC AAGTTAAGGA CCGAAGTGTT TCAAGTGGAT 1851 CTCAGTAAAG GATCTTTGGA GCCAGAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAA

SEQ ID NO: 2 1 MSYPADDYES EAAYDPYAYP SDYDMHTGDP KQDLAYERQY EQQTYQVIPE

51 VIKNFIQYFH KTVSDLIDQK VYELQASRVS SDVIDQKV E IQDIYENSWT

101 KLTERFFKNT P PEAEAIAP QVGNDAVFLI YKELYYRHI YAKVSGGPSL

151 EQRFESYYNY CN FNYILNA DGPAPLELPN QWLWDIIDEF IYQFQSFSQY

201 RC TAKKSEE EIDFLRSNPK IWNVHSVLNV LHSLVDKSNI NRQLEVYTSG

251 GDPESVAGEY GRHSLYKMLG YFSLVGLLRL HSLLGDYYQA IKVLENIELN

301 KKSMYSRVPE CQVTTYYYVG FAYLMMRRYQ DAIRVFANIL LYIQRTKSMF

351 QRTTYKYEMI NKQNEQMHAL LAIALTMYPM RIDESIHLQL REKYGDKMLR

401 MQKGDPQVYE ELFSYSCPKF LSPWPNYDN VHPNYHKEPF LQQLKVFSDE

451 VQQQAQLSTI RSFLKLYTTM PVAKI-AGFLD LTEQEFRIQL LVFKHKMKNL

501 VWTSGISALD GEFQSASEVD FYIDKDMIHI ADTKVARRYG DFFIRQIHKF

551 EELNRTLKKM GQRP

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An isolated polypeptide selected from the group consisting of: (i) an isolated polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group having at least:

(a) 70% identity;

(b) 80% identity;

(c) 90% identity; or (d) 95% identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 over the entire length of SEQ ID

NO:2; (ii) an isolated polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 or (iii) an isolated polypeptide which is the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.

2. An isolated polynucleotide selected from the group consisting of:

(i) an isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide that has at least

(a) 70% identity; (b) 80% identity;

(c) 90% identity; or

(d) 95% identity; to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, over the entire length of SEQ ID NO:2; (ii) an isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence that has at least: (a) 70%) identity

(b) 80% identity;

(c) 90% identity; or

(d) 95% identity; over its entire length to a nucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2;

(iii) an isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence which has at least:

(a) 70% identity;

(b) 80%) identity;

(c) 90% identity: or (d) 95% identity; to that of SEQ ID NO: 1 over the entire length of SEQ ID NO: 1; (iv) an isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO-2;

(vi) an isolated polynucleotide which is the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO: 1 ; or (vi) an isolated polynucleotide obtainable by screening an appropriate hbrary under stringent hybridization conditions with a labelled probe having the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a fragment thereof - ; or a nucleotide sequence complementary to said isolated polynucleotide.

An antibody immunospecific for the polypeptide of claim 1.

4. A method for the treatment of a subject:

(i) in need of enhanced activity or expression ofthe polypeptide of claim 1 comprising: (a) administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an agonist to said polypeptide; and/or

(b) providing to the subject an isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding said polypeptide in a form so as to effect production of said polypeptide activity in vivo.; or (ii) having need to inhibit activity or expression ofthe polypeptide of claim 1 comprising:

(a) administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an antagonist to said polypeptide; and/or

(b) administering to the subject a nucleic acid molecule that inhibits the expression of a nucleotide sequence encoding said polypeptide; and/or

(c) administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a polypeptide that competes with said polypeptide for its ligand, substrate , or receptor.

5. A process for diagnosing a disease or a susceptibility to a disease in a subject related to expression or activity ofthe polypeptide of claim 1 in a subject comprising:

(a) determining the presence or absence of a mutation in the nucleotide sequence encoding said polypeptide in the genome of said subject; and/or (b) analyzing for the presence or amount of said polypeptide expression in a sample derived from said subject.

6. A method for screening to identify compounds which stimulate or which inhibit the function ofthe polypeptide of claim 1 which comprises a method selected from the group consisting of:

(a) measuring the binding of a candidate compound to the polypeptide (or to the cells or membranes bearing the polypeptide) or a fusion protein thereof by means of a label directly or indirectly associated with the candidate compound;

(b) measuring the binding of a candidate compound to the polypeptide (or to the cells or membranes bearing the polypeptide) or a fusion protein thereof in the presence of a labeled competitor;

(c) testing whether the candidate compound results in a signal generated by activation or inhibition ofthe polypeptide, using detection systems appropriate to the cells or cell membranes bearing the polypeptide; (d) mixing a candidate compound with a solution containing a polypeptide of claim 1, to form a mixture, measuring activity ofthe polypeptide in the mixture, and comparing the activity ofthe mixture to a standard; or

(e) detecting the effect of a candidate compound on the production of mRNA encoding said polypeptide and said polypeptide in cells, using for instance, an ELISA assay.

7. An agonist or an antagonist ofthe polypeptide of claim 1.

8. An expression system comprising a polynucleotide capable of producing a polypeptide of claim 1 when said expression system is present in a compatible host cell.

9. A process for producing a recombinant host cell comprising transforming or transfecting a cell with the expression system of claim 8 such that the host cell, under appropriate culture conditions, produces a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 70% identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 over the entire length of SEQ ID NO:2.

10. A recombinant host cell produced by the process of claim 9.

11. A membrane of a recombinant host cell of claim 10 expressing a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 70% identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 over the entire length of SEQ ID NO:2.

12. A process for producing a polypeptide comprising culturing a host cell of claim 10 under conditions sufficient for the production of said polypeptide and recovering the polypeptide from the culture.