Novel taste receptors in Drosophila
AssigneeYale University
InventorsJohn R. Carlson, Peter J. Clyne, Coral G. Warr
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Abstract
The present invention provides nucleic acids and amino acids for novel gustatory receptors as well as methods for identifying gustatory receptors. More specifically, the present invention provides nucleic acids and amino acids for novel gustatory receptors in Drosophila as well as methods of using the provided nucleic acids and amino acids. In addition, this invention provides methods of identifying ligands which bind to the novel gustatory receptors as well as a variety of methods for using the receptors and ligands so identified.
Claims26
An isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of:
- a) an isolated nucleic acid molecule that encodes the amino acid sequence of a Drosophila Gustatory Receptor protein;
- b) an isolated nucleic acid molecule that encodes a protein fragment of at least 6 amino acids of a Drosophila Gustatory Receptor protein;
- and
- c) an isolated nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a Drosophila Gustatory Receptor protein under conditions of sufficient stringency to produce a clear signal.
An isolated protein or protein fragment selected from the group consisting of:
- a) an isolated protein comprising one of the amino acid sequences depicted in SEQ ID NO:
- 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90 and 92;
- b) an isolated protein fragment comprising at least six amino acids of any of the sequences depicted in SEQ ID NO:
- 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90 and 92;
- c) an isolated protein comprising conservative amino acid substitutions of any of the sequences depicted in SEQ ID NO:
- 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90 and 92;
- and
- d) naturally occurring amino acid sequence variants of any of the sequences depicted in SEQ ID NO:
- 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90 and 92.
A method of identifying novel gustatory receptor genes comprising the steps of:
- a) selecting candidate gustatory receptor genes by screening a nucleic acid database using an algorithm trained to identify seven transmembrane receptors genes;
- b) screening said selected candidate gustatory receptor genes by identifying nucleic acid sequences with conserved amino acid residues and intron-exon boundaries common to gustatory receptors, and having open reading frames of sufficient size so as to encode a seven transmembrane receptor;
- and
- c) identifying the novel gustatory receptor genes and measuring the expression of gustatory receptor genes wherein the detection of expression confirms said candidate gustatory gene as an gustatory gene.
A method of identifying novel gustatory receptor genes comprising the steps of:
- a) selecting candidate gustatory receptor genes by screening a nucleic acid database for nucleic acid sequences with sufficient homology to at least one known gustatory receptor gene;
- b) screening said selected candidate gustatory receptor genes by identifying nucleic acids with conserved amino acid residues and intron-exon boundaries common to gustatory receptors, and having open reading frames of sufficient size so as to encode a seven transmembrane receptor;
- and
- c) identifying the novel gustatory receptor genes and measuring the expression of gustatory receptor genes wherein the detection of expression confirms said candidate gustatory gene as an gustatory gene.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.