Novel protein related to melanoma-inhibiting protein and uses thereof

An isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of:

• a) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 80% identical to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 98823, the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 98844, the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 98845, or a complement thereof;
• b) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a fragment of at least 500 nucleotides of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 98823, the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 98844, the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 98845, or a complement thereof;
• c) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a fragment of at least 5820 nucleotides of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:14, or a complement thereof;
• d) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a fragment of at least 3610 nucleotides of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:15, or a complement thereof;
• e) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert 6f the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 98823, an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 98844, or an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 98845;
• f) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a fragment of a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:9, or SEQ ID NO:10, wherein the fragment comprises at least 15 contiguous amino acids of SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:9, or SEQ ID NO:10, the polypeptide encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 98823, the polypeptide encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 98844, or the polypeptide encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 98845;
• g) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a fragment of a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:16 or SEQ ID NO:17, wherein the fragment comprises at least 1200 contiguous amino acids of SEQ ID NO:16 or SEQ ID NO:17;
• and
• h) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a naturally occurring allelic variant of a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 98823, an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 98844, or an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 98845, wherein the nucleic acid molecule hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, or a complement thereof under stringent conditions.