G-protein coupled receptor and uses therefor
First Claim
1. An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid which encodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
- 2.
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Abstract
The present invention is based on the identification of a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) that is expressed predominantly in the brain and placenta and nucleic acid molecules that encoded the GPCR, which is referred to herein as the hCAR protein and hCAR gene respectively (for human Constitutively Active Receptor). Based on this identification, the present invention provides: (1) isolated hCAR protein; (2) isolated nucleic acid molecules that encode an hCAR protein; (3) antibodies that selectively bind to the hCAR protein; (4) methods of isolating allelic variants of the hCAR protein and gene; (5) methods of identifying cells and tissues that express the hCAR protein/gene; (6) methods of identifying agents and cellular compounds that bind to the hCAR protein; (7) methods of identifying agents that modulate the expression of the hCAR gene; and (8) methods of modulating the activity of the hCAR protein in a cell or organism.
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Citations
41 Claims
- 1. An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid which encodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
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7. An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:
- 1, or a degenerate variant thereof.
- View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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8. An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising the coding region of SEQ ID NO:
- 1.
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11. An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid which would hybridize under stringent conditions to a nucleic acid comprising a non-coding region of the hCAR gene or the complement of said non-coding region.
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12. A gene encoding a hCAR protein.
- 13. An isolated hCAR protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
- 14. An isolated peptide comprising an extracellular domain of the hCAR protein.
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21. A method for detecting the presence of a protein selected from the group consisting of:
- a) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO;
2;
b) a fragment of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO;
2, wherein the fragment comprises at least 15 contiguous amino acids of a transmembrane or extracellular region of SEQ ID NO;
2; and
c) a naturally occurring allelic variant of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO;
2, wherein the protein is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO;
1 under stringent conditions;
the method comprising the steps of;
i) contacting the sample with a compound which selectively binds to the protein; and
ii) determining whether the compound binds to the protein in the sample. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
- a) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO;
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24. A method for detecting the presence of a nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of:
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a) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO;
2;
b) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a fragment of a protein comprising the amino acid of SEQ ID NO;
2, wherein the fragment comprises at least 15 contiguous amino acids of a transmembrane or extracellular region of SEQ ID NO;
2; and
c) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a naturally occurring allelic variant of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO;
2, wherein the nucleic acid molecule hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO;
1 under stringent conditions;
in a sample, the method comprising the steps of;
i) contacting the sample with a nucleic acid probe or primer which selectively hybridizes to the nucleic acid molecule; and
ii) determining whether the nucleic acid probe or primer binds to a nucleic acid molecule in the sample. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. A method for identifying a compound which binds to a protein selected from the group consisting of:
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a) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO;
2;
b) a fragment of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO;
2, wherein the fragment comprises at least 15 contiguous amino acids of a transmembrane or extracellular region of SEQ ID NO;
2; and
c) a naturally occurring allelic variant of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO;
2, wherein the protein is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO;
1 under stringent conditions;
the method comprising the steps of;
i) contacting the protein, or a cell expressing the protein with a test compound; and
ii) ii) determining whether the protein binds to the test compound. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. A method for modulating the activity of a protein selected from the group consisting of:
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a) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO;
2; and
b) a naturally occurring allelic variant of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO;
2, wherein the protein is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO;
1 under stringent conditions, the method comprising the step of contacting a cell expressing the protein with a compound which binds to the protein in a sufficient concentration to modulate the activity of the protein.
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30. A method for the treatment of a patient having need of the inhibition of hCAR activity such treatment comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of an antibody which binds to an extracellular portion of HCAR.
- 31. A transgenic or chimeric nonhuman animal comprising the nucleic acid of SEQ ID NO:
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33. A knockout nonhuman animal wherein at least one allele of the HCAR gene has been functionally disrupted.
- 34. A knockout nonhuman animal wherein at least one allele of the HCAR gene can be functionally disrupted by the induction of the Cre gene.
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38. A method for inhibiting expression of the HCAR gene comprising providing to a cell double stranded ribonucleic acid complementary to a portion of the HCAR gene wherein said ribonucleic acid comprises about 600 base pairs.
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39. A method of inhibiting expression of the HCAR gene in a cell comprising providing said cell with an antisense nucleic acid.
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40. A method of producing a hCAR protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
- 2 which method comprises hCAR gene activation.
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41. A method of producing a hCAR protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
- 2 which method comprises operably linking a heterologous regulatory sequence to the hCAR gene in a cell such that the cell expresses the hCAR protein.
Specification