Erythrocyte differentiation factor, gene encoding same, and methods of use thereof

A pharmaceutical composition comprising an erythrocyte differentiation factor having an amino acid sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NOS:

• 1-3, or a fragment, a mutant or a variant thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

An isolated nucleic acid encoding an erythrocyte differentiation factor, said isolated nucleic acid having a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:

• 4 (genomic clone AC090510), or a fragment, mutant or variant thereof.

An expression vector comprising an isolated nucleic acid encoding an erythrocyte differentiation factor, said isolated nucleic acid having a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:

• 4 (genomic clone AC090510), or a fragment, mutant or variant thereof.

A method of promoting differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells to erythrocytes in vitro, comprising the step of culturing hematopoietic stem cells in a culture medium comprising an erythrocyte differentiation factor having an amino acid sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NOS:

• 1-3, or a fragment, mutant or variant thereof, in an amount effective to promote the differentiation of said hematopoietic stem cells to erythrocytes.

A method of producing erythrocytes in vitro, comprising the step of culturing hematopoietic stem cells in a culture medium comprising an erythrocyte differentiation factor having an amino acid sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NOS:

• 1-3, or a fragment, mutant or variant thereof, in an amount effective to induce differentiation of said hematopoietic stem cells, thereby producing said erythrocytes.

A method for treating anemia in a subject, comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an erythrocyte differentiation factor derived from the same mammalian species as that of said subject, said differentiation factor having an amino acid sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NOS:

• 1-3, or a fragment, mutant or varian thereof.

A method for treating anemia in a subject, comprising administering to the subject a pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of an erythrocyte differentiation factor derived from the same mammalian species as that of said subject, said differentiation factor having an amino acid sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NOS:

• 1-3, or a fragment, mutant or variant thereof.

A method for treating anemia in a subject, comprising administering to the subject a pharmaceutical composition comprising a construct encoding an erythrocyte differentiation factor derived from the same mammalian species as that of said subject, said differentiation factor having a polynucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:

• 4, or a fragment, mutant or variant thereof.

A method for diagnosing anemia in a subject, comprising the step of analyzing in the subject the gene encoding an erythrocyte differentiation factor derived from the same mammalian species as that of said subject, said differentiation factor having a polynucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:

• 4, or a fragment, mutant or variant thereof.

A host cell comprising a vector comprising a polynucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:

• 4, or a fragment, mutant or variant thereof.

An antibody capable of binding to an erythrocyte differentiation factor comprising an amino acid sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NOS:

• 1-3, or a fragment, a mutant or a variant thereof.