Dispatched polypeptides
OwnerRichard E. Burke, Konrad Baslerinventors
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a new family of sterol sensing domain proteins which modulate the release of Hedgehog proteins and lipid modified hydrophobic proteins from cells. Such proteins e.g. are involved in developmental processes, differentiation, regeneration and cell homeostasis, making them particularly suitable tools for diagnosis and therapy.
Claims39
A purified and/or modified polypeptide comprising a lipid sensing domain, in particular a sterol sensing domain functioning in the release of hedeghog proteins and/or lipid modified proteins.
A purified and/or modified dispatched polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from
- a) sequences comprising a stretch of at least 100 contiguous amino acids with a minimal identity percentage of 35%, preferably 45% and more preferably 52% to the amino acid sequence of Table 5 and SEQ ID NO:
- 1 in a blastp comparison.
- b) sequences comprising a stretch of at least 150 contiguous amino acids with a minimal identity percentage of 30%, preferably 37% and more preferably 48% to the amino acid sequence of Table 5 and SEQ ID NO:
- 1 in a blastp comparison
- c) sequences comprising a stretch of at least 200 contiguous amino acids with a minimal identity percentage of 27%, preferably 35% and more preferably 46% to the amino acid sequence of Table 5 and SEQ ID NO:
- 1 in a blastp comparison
A purified and/or modified polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence which is at least 20% identical to the amino acid sequence of Table 5 and SEQ ID NO:1.
A purified and/or modified dispatched polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence selected from the Table 5 and SEQ ID NO:1 and its homologues comprising proteins whose full length amino acid sequence shows at least
- a) a 13% minimal identity with Clustal W for amino acids 1-1218.
- b) a 25% minimal identity with Clustal W for amino acids 442-635.
- c) a 25% minimal identity with Clustal W for amino acids 718-1218.
A method for screening for agonists or antagonists of dispatched activity comprising contacting a suitable cell containing a dispatched expression construct with a candidate compound and determining the effect of said compounds on the activity and/or amount of lipid modified proteins.
A method for screening for agonists or antagonists of dispatched activity wherein eggs or larvae of a fly which is either wildtyp, dispatched negative or carrying a dispatched mutant gene with reduced or enhanced dispatched activity are contacted with a candidate compound and analysing the resulting phenotype.
A fly carrying a dispatched mutant gene wherein the mutation causes an enhanced, reduced or a loss of dispatched activity.
An isolated and/or modified polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:3.
An isolated and/or modified polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:4.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.