Novel retroelement found in mollusks
AssigneeThe Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
InventorsStephen P. Goff, W. Ian Lipkin, Gloria Arriagada, Carol Reinisch, James Sherry, Charles Walker
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Abstract
This invention relates to a novel retroelement, named “Steamer”, found in mollusks, more specifically Mya arenaria, that is associated with haemic neoplasia in these organisms. Haemic neoplasia (HN) is a recognizable leukemic-like disease. The invention provides the retroelement protein, antibodies to the protein, nucleic acids encoding the protein, probes, primer, gene constructs comprising the nucleic acids, host cells comprising the nucleic acids, and methods of using.
Claims31
An isolated cDNA coding for a retroelement found in mollusks, said cDNA comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:
- 1 or functional homologues, derivatives or fragments thereof.
An isolated cDNA comprising at least fifteen consecutive nucleotides that specifically hybridizes to the cDNA comprising SEQ ID NO:
- 1 or functional homologues, derivatives or fragments thereof.
A construct comprising a vector and an isolated cDNA comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:
- 1 or functional homologues, derivatives or fragments thereof.
An antibody directed to a retroelement found in mollusks and associated with haemic neoplasia.
A method of identifying or screening for a neoplasia or leukemia in a subject, comprising:
- a. obtaining a sample of cells or protein from the subject;
- b. contacting the sample with the antibody of directed to a retroelement found in mollusks and associated with haemic neoplasia;
- c. detecting any specific binding in step (b);
- and
- d. determining the subject has a neoplasia or leukemia based upon the binding of the antibody with the retroelement in the sample.
A method of identifying or screening for a neoplasia or leukemia in a subject comprising:
- a. obtaining a sample of deoxyribonucleic acid or ribonucleic acid from the subject;
- b. contacting the sample of step (a) with a nucleic acid that specifically hybridizes with the cDNA of SEQ ID NO:
- 1, under conditions permitting the nucleic acid to specifically hybridize to a deoxyribonucleic acid or ribonucleic acid encoding a retroelement;
- and
- c. detecting any hybridization in step (b), and
- d. determining that the subject has a neoplasia or leukemia based upon the binding of the cDNA with the deoxyribonucleic acid or ribonucleic acid encoding a portion of a retroelement in the sample.
A method of identifying or screening for a neoplasia or leukemia in a subject, comprising:
- a. obtaining biological tissue from the subject;
- b. isolating and purifying a sample of nucleic acid from the biological tissue or bodily fluid;
- and
- a. detecting the presence of steamer retroelement in the sample of nucleic acid;
- wherein the presence of the steamer retroelement in the sample of nucleic acid is detected by an assay selected from the group consisting of (a) hybridizing a steamer retroelement probe to the nucleic acid sample, and detecting the presence of hybridization products, (b) hybridizing an allele-specific probe to nucleic acid sample and detecting the presence of hybridization products in the sample, (c) amplifying all or part of the steamer retroelement from the nucleic acid sample to produce an amplified sequence and sequencing the amplified sequence, (d) amplifying all or part of the steamer retroelement from the nucleic acid sample using primers for the steamer retroelement and determining the presence of a hybridization product in the sample, (e) amplifying all or part of the steamer retroelement from the nucleic acid sample using primers for the steamer retroelement and determining the presence of amplicons in the sample, (f) molecularly cloning all or part of the steamer retroelement from the nucleic acid sample to produce a cloned sequence and sequencing the cloned sequence, (f) amplification of steamer retroelement sequences in the nucleic acid sample and hybridization of the amplified sequences to nucleic acid probes which comprise the steamer retroelement and (g) in situ hybridization of the nucleic acid sample with nucleic acid probes which comprise the steamer retroelement;
- wherein the presence of steamer retroelement determines, or identifies the subject as having neoplasia or leukemia.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.