26934, a novel cytidine deaminase-like molecule and uses thereof

An isolated polypeptide selected from the group consisting of:

• a) a biologically active polypeptide which is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 60% identical to a nucleic acid comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3;
• b) a naturally occurring allelic variant of a biologically active polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the polypeptide is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising the complement of SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3 under stringent conditions;
• and,
• c) a fragment of a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the fragment comprises at least 15 contiguous amino acids of SEQ ID NO:2;
• and,
• d) a biologically active polypeptide having at least 60% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:2.

A method for producing a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of:

• a) a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;
• b) a polypeptide comprising a fragment of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the fragment comprises at least 15 contiguous amino acids of SEQ ID NO:2;
• c) a naturally occurring allelic variant of a biologically active polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the polypeptide is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising the complement of SEQ ID NO:1 or 3;
• and,
• d) a biologically active polypeptide having at least 60% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;
• comprising culturing a host cell under conditions in which the nucleic acid molecule is expressed.