Nusap, a novel gene encoding a tissue-specific nuclear protein, useful as a diagnostic tool and therapeutic agent
OwnerRoger Bouillon, Geert Carmeliet +1inventors
InventorsRoger Bouillon, Geert Carmeliet, Tim Raemaekers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a eukaryotic nuclear protein NuSAP which is highly expressed in proliferation tissues. More specifically, NuSAP is downregulated in developing bone. NuSAP has a discrete localization in the nucleus. The localization and the expression profile indicate its role in important biological processes such as embryologic development, cell, proliferation, DNA replication and recombination. Its function relates to diseases of the immune system and diseases of the reproductive organs in particular and cancer in general.
Claims28
An isolated and purified eukaryotic polynucleotide encoding a Nuclear Spindle-Associating Protein, the said polynucleotide containing the nucleic acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:1 or the nucleic acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:3 or an allelic variant thereof.
A Nuclear Spindle-Associating Protein having the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:2 or the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:4 or coded by an allelic variant of a polynucleotide containing the nucleic acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:1 or the nucleic acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:3.
A transgenic rodent whose genome is heterozygous or homozygous for an engineered disruption in a rodent NuSAP gene coding for SEQ ID NO:1 or its rodent homologue, wherein said engineered disruption in a heterozygous state inhibits overall or tissue specific production of a NuSAP protein having the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:2 or the rodent homologue thereof, thereby resulting in a transgenic rodent which has increased tendency, with respect to a wild-type rodent, to disorders associated with DNA replication, cell proliferation and meiosis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.