Chugai Seiyaku Kabushiki Kaisha

Kazusa Dna Research Institute

Other

Kazusa Dna Research Institute Foundation

Chugai Sieyaku Kabushiki Kaisha

Shin-Ichi Funahashi

Shoji Miyata

Osamu Ohara

Takahiro Nagase

Keiichi Nagai

Takao Isogai

Koji Hayashi

Tetsuo Nishikawa

Toshio Ota

Ai Wakamatsu

Tomoyasu Sugiyama

Shizuko Ishii

Tetsuji Otsuki

Jun-Ichi Yamamoto

Kaoru Otsuka

Kenji Sobue

Nobuo Nomura

Daisuke Nakajima

Reiko Kikuno

A cDNA fragment participating in the maintenance of smooth muscle differentiation was isolated using a culture system of chicken gizzard smooth muscle cells, the differential display method and the subtracted hybridization method. Using the obtained cDNA sequence as a query, cDNA sequences of Helix Research Institute (Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-118776) were retrieved, and thus, a novel gene 'C-NT2RP3001495' was obtained. The protein encoded by this gene has two WW domains that participate in protein interactions in the N-terminal domain. Evidence suggests that this protein binds to other proteins, and thus regulates the intracellular signal transduction, gene expression, and so on, thereby participating in the maintenance of the differentiation of smooth muscle cells. This protein and compounds regulating the expression thereof are markedly useful in developing drugs for various diseases associated with abnormality in the maintenance of smooth muscle cell differentiation.

Antibody directed to protein involved in maintaining differentiation of smooth muscle cells

The present invention is related to a DNA comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide represented by SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2. The DNA according to the present invention is highly expressed in prostatic adenocarcinoma and ovarian carcinoma, and is a cancer-associated gene, so that it is possible to inhibit cancer by blocking the binding of the present protein to its ligand. Accordingly, the present antibody is used not only in the detection of the present protein, but also as an agent for the treatment or prevention of cancers such as prostatic adenocarcinoma and ovarian carcinoma.

Cancer-associated genes

A novel gene apparently encoding a transmembrane glycoprotein has been successfully isolated by constructing a cDNA library of 4 kb or above in size from mRNA expressed in human adult brain and analyzing the structures of the cDNAs contained within said library by the shotgun method. The novel gene shows brain-specific expression and the protein encoded by said gene has a typical PDZ binding motif.

Antibodies to brain specific membrane protein

The present invention provides: a novel DNA, a carcinoma-associated gene comprising the DNA, a recombinant protein encoded by the DNA, an antibody binding to the protein, an anti-carcinoma agent comprising the antibody, a low-molecular-weight compound binding to the protein, and a screening system. An example of such a novel DNA is a DNA comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding the following polypeptide (a) or (b):

Cancer-associated gene

Gene encoding brain specific membrane protein

Genes associated with the maintenance of differentiation of smooth muscle cells

While analyzing changes in gene expression by TNF&#x3b1; in umbilical vascular endothelial cells, a gene showing enhanced expression due to stimulation with TNF&#x3b1; was isolated. After screening with this gene as a probe, a gene encoding a protein was isolated. Analysis of the protein encoded by this isolated gene revealed that this novel protein has never been reported and has a PDZ domain in its molecule that plays an important role in protein&#x2014;protein interactions.

Protein having PDZ domain sequence

A novel gene apparently encoding a transmembrane glycoprotein has been successfully isolated by constructing a cDNA library of 4 kb or above in size from mRNA expressed in human adult brain and analyzing the structures of cDNAs contained within said library by the shotgun method. The novel gene shows brain-specific expression and the protein encoded by said gene has a typical PDZ protein binding motif.

Gene encoding brain-specific membrane protein

Growing community of inventors

Ibaraki, Japan

Shin-Ichi Funahashi