The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 02, 2002
Filed:
Jul. 27, 1998
Verity A. Letts, Bar Harbor, ME (US);
Wayne N. Frankel, Bar Harbor, ME (US);
Kevin P. Campbell, Iowa City, IA (US);
Ricardo Felix, Iowa City, IA (US);
Gloria Biddlecome, Coralville, IA (US);
Other;
Abstract
Disclosed are mammalian nucleic acid sequences encoding a neuronal-specific subunit of a voltage-gated calcium channel. Specifically disclosed are &ggr; , &ggr; and &ggr; subunits. In other aspects, the disclosure relates to expression vectors which encode neuronal-specific subunits, as well as cells containing such vectors. In other aspects, the disclosure relates to antigenic fusion proteins comprising at least a portion of a mammalian neuronal-specific subunit of a voltage-gated calcium channel. Such fusion proteins are useful, for example, in the production of antibodies specifically reactive with the subunits of the invention. The nucleic acid sequences of the invention find application, for example, in screening for compounds which modulate the activity of neuronal voltage-gated calcium channels and also in diagnostic methods for diagnosing the autoimmune disease Lambert-Eaton Syndrome, as well as diagnosing defects in &ggr; subunit genes of a patient with a neuronal disease such as epilepsy. An additional application of the nucleic acid sequences of the invention is in therapeutic methods of treatment for such disorders.