Thymic stromal lymphopoietin receptor molecules and uses thereof

An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:

• (a) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide which is at least about 70 percent identical to the polypeptide as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2, wherein the encoded polypeptide has an activity of the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2;
• (b) a nucleotide sequence encoding an allelic variant or splice variant of the nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 1 or (a);
• (c) a region of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 1, (a), or (b) encoding a polypeptide fragment of at least about 25 amino acid residues, wherein the polypeptide fragment has an activity of the encoded polypeptide as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2, or is antigenic;
• (d) a region of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 1, or any of (a)-(c) comprising a fragment of at least about 16 nucleotides;
• (e) a nucleotide sequence which hybridizes under moderately or highly stringent conditions to the complement of any of (a)-(d);
• and
• (f) a nucleotide sequence complementary to any of (a)-(d).

An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:

• (a) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2 with at least one conservative amino acid substitution, wherein the encoded polypeptide has an activity of the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2;
• (b) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2 with at least one amino acid insertion, wherein the encoded polypeptide has an activity of the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2;
• (c) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2 with at least one amino acid deletion, wherein the encodedpolypeptide has an activity of the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2;
• (d) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2 which has a C- and/or N-terminal truncation, wherein the encoded polypeptide has an activity of the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2;
• (e) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2 with at least one modification selected from the group consisting of amino acid substitutions, amino acid insertions, amino acid deletions, C-terminal truncation, and N-terminal truncation, wherein the encoded polypeptide has an activity of the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2;
• (f) a nucleotide sequence of any of (a)-(e) comprising a fragment of at least about 16 nucleotides;
• (g) a nucleotide sequence which hybridizes under moderately or highly stringent conditions to the complement of any of (a)-(f);
• and
• (h) a nucleotide sequence complementary to any of (a)-(e).

An isolated polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:

• (a) the amino acid sequence as set forth in either SEQ ID NO:
• 6 or SEQ ID NO:
• 9, optionally further comprising an amino-terminal methionine;
• (b) an amino acid sequence for an ortholog of SEQ ID NO:
• 2;
• (c) an amino acid sequence which is at least about 70 percent identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 2, wherein the polypeptide has an activity of the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2;
• (d) a fragment of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2 comprising at least about 25 amino acid residues, wherein the fragment has an activity of the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2, or is antigenic;
• and
• (e) an amino acid sequence for an allelic variant or splice variant of the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2, or any of (a)-(c).

An isolated polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:

• (a) the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2 with at least one conservative amino acid substitution, wherein the polypeptide has an activity of the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2;
• (b) the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2 with at least one amino acid insertion, wherein the polypeptide has an activity of the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2;
• (c) the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2 with at least one amino acid deletion, wherein the polypeptide has an activity of the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2;
• (d) the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2 which has aC- and/or N-terminal truncation, wherein the polypeptide has an activity of the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2;
• and
• (e) the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2 with at least one modification selected from the group consisting of amino acid substitutions, amino acid insertions, amino acid deletions, C-terminal truncation, and N-terminal truncation, wherein the polypeptide has an activity of the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2.