Hedgehog interacting proteins and uses related thereto

An isolated and/or recombinantly produced mammalian HIP polypeptide.

An isolated and/or recombinantly produced human HIP polypeptide.

An isolated and/or recombinantly produced polypeptide comprising a HIP amino acid sequence that binds to a hedgehog protein.

An isolated and/or recombinantly produced polypeptide comprising a HIP amino acid sequence sufficient to bind to a hedgehog protein, which HIP amino acid sequence is at least 60% identical with a sequence selected from the group consisting of residues 18-678 of SEQ ID. No. 5 and residues 18-678 of SEQ ID. No. 6.

An isolated and/or recombinantly produced polypeptide comprising a HIP amino acid sequence immunologically crossreactive with an antibody which specifically binds a HIP protein having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID No:1, SEQ ID No:2, SEQ ID No:3 and SEQ ID No:4, which HIP amino acid sequence binds to a hedgehog protein.

An isolated and/or recombinantly produced antibody or antibody fragment which is specifically immunoreactive with a HIP protein.

A monoclonal antibody specifically immunoreactive with a HIP protein.

An isolated nucleic acid comprising coding sequence encoding a HIP polypeptide.

An isolated nucleic acid comprising HIP coding sequence encoding a HIP amino acid sequence that binds a hedgehog protein.

A probe/primer comprising a substantially purified oligonucleotide, said oligonucleotide containing a region of nucleotide sequence which hybridizes under stringent conditions to at least 10 consecutive nucleotides of sense or antisense sequence of SEQ ID No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 or 14, or naturally occuring mutants thereof.

A purified preparation of an antisense nucleic acid which specifically hybridizes to and inhibits expression of a HIP gene under physiological conditions, which nucleic acid is at least one of (i) a synthetic oligonucleotide, (ii) single-stranded, (iii) linear, (iv) 10 to 50 nucleotides in length, and (v) a DNA analog resistant to nuclease degradation.

A transgenic animal in which HIP-dependent signal transduction pathways are inhibited in one or more tissue of the animal by one of either expression of an antagonistic HIP polypeptide or disruption of a HIP gene.

A method for modulating cell growth, differentiation or survival in an animal, comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of an agent which induces, potentiates or inhibits HIP-dependent signal transduction.

A method for determining if a subject is at risk for a disorder characterized by unwanted cell proliferation, differentiation or death, comprising detecting, in a tissue of the subject, the presence or absence of a genetic lesion characterized by at least one of (i) a mutation of a gene encoding a HIP protein;

• and (ii) the mis-expression of the gene.

A method of detecting the presence of a HIP ligand on cells present in a biological sample, comprising contacting the cells with a labeled HIP polypeptide and under conditions where the HIP polypeptide can specifically bind to cognate ligand, and detecting presence of the HIP polypeptide bound to the cells.