Amino acid transporters and uses

• US 6,537,803 B1
• Filed: 01/08/1999
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Oregon Health & Science University
• Original Assignee: Oregon Health & Science University
• Inventors: Amara, Susan G., Arriza, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOBBS, LISA JOE
• Application Number:
  US09/227,614
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 435/317.1, 435/69.1, 435/320.1, 435/455, 435/471, 435/252.3, 435/325, 530/350
• US Class Current: 435/317.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 38/00 Medicinal preparations containing peptides peptides containing beta-lactam rings A61K31/00; cyclic dipeptides not having in their molecule any other peptide link than those which form their ring, e.g. piperazine-2,5-diones, A61K31/00; ergot alkaloids of the cyclic peptide type A61K31/48; containing macromolecular compounds having statistically distributed amino acid units A61K31/74; medicinal preparations containing antigens or antibodies A61K39/00; medicinal preparations characterised by the non-active ingredients, e.g. peptides as drug carriers, A61K47/00
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 14/47 from mammals
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2319/00 Fusion polypeptide
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2799/023 where the vector is derived from a poxvirus

Abstract

The present invention relates to novel mammalian amino acid transporter proteins and the genes that encode such proteins. The invention is directed toward the isolation, characterization and pharmacological use of the human amino acid transporter proteins EAAT1, EAAT2, EAAT3 and ASCT1. The invention specifically provides isolated complementary DNA copies of mRNA corresponding to each of these transporter genes. Also provided are recombinant expression constructs capable of expressing each of the amino acid transporter genes of the invention in cultures of transformed prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, as well as such cultures of transformed cells that synthesize the human amino acid transporter proteins encoded therein. The invention also provides methods for screening in vitro compounds having transport-modulating properties using preparations of transporter proteins from such cultures of cells transformed with recombinant expression constructs.

Claims

1. An isolated 62.1 kilodalton human excitatory amino acid transporter produced by expressing in a cell a recombinant expression vector encoding human EAAT2.

2. The human excitatory amino acid transporter of claim 1 having an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID No.:

7.

3. A cell membrane preparation comprising a 62.1 kilodalton human excitatory amino acid transporter that is EAAT2, produced by a cell that expresses a recombinant expression vector encoding human EAAT2.

4. The cell membrane preparation of claim 3, wherein the human excitatory amino acid transporter has an amino acid sequence identified as SEQ ID No.:

7.