Human 7-TM receptor similar to murine frizzled-6 gene

Abstract

hFrizzled-6 polypeptides and polynucleotides and methods for producing such polypeptides by recombinant techniques are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for utilizing hFrizzled-6 polypeptides and polynucleotides in the design of protocols for the treatment of infections such as bacterial, fungal, protozoan and viral infections, particularly infections caused by HIV-1 or HIV-2; pain; cancers; diabetes, obesity, anorexia; bulimia; asthma; Parkinson's disease; acute heart failure; hypotension; hypertension; urinary retention; osteoporosis; angina pectoris; myocardial infarction; ulcers; asthma; allergies; benign prostatic hypertrophy, and psychotic and neurological disorders, including anxiety, schizophrenia, manic depression, delirium, dementia, severe mental retardation and dyskinesias, such as Huntington's disease or Gilles dela Tourett's syndrome, among others and diagnostic assays for such conditions.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence that has at least 80% identity over its entire length to a nucleotide sequence encoding the hFrizzled-6 polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2; or a nucleotide sequence complementary to said isolated polynucleotide.  
     
     
         2 . The polynucleotide of    claim 1    wherein said polynucleotide comprises the nucleotide sequence contained in SEQ ID NO:1 encoding the hFrizzled-6 polypeptide of SEQ ID NO2.  
     
     
         3 . The polynucleotide of    claim 1    wherein said polynucleotide comprises a nucleotide sequence that is at least 80% identical to that of SEQ ID NO: 1 over its entire length.  
     
     
         4 . The polynucleotide of    claim 3    which is polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO: 1.  
     
     
         5 . The polynucleotide of    claim 1    which is DNA or RNA.  
     
     
         6 . A DNA or RNA molecule comprising an expression system, wherein said expression system is capable of producing a hFrizzled-6 polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence, which has at least 80% identity with the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2 when said expression system is present in a compatible host cell.  
     
     
         7 . A host cell comprising the expression system of    claim 6   .  
     
     
         8 . A process for producing a hFrizzled-6 polypeptide comprising culturing a host of    claim 7    under conditions sufficient for the production of said polypeptide and recovering the polypeptide from the culture.  
     
     
         9 . A process for producing a cell which produces a hFrizzled-6 polypeptide thereof comprising transforming or transfecting a host cell with the expression system of    claim 6    such that the host cell, under appropriate culture conditions, produces a hFrizzled-6 polypeptide.  
     
     
         10 . A hFrizzled-6 polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence which is at least 80% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 over its entire length.  
     
     
         11 . The polypeptide of    claim 10    which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.  
     
     
         12 . An antibody immunospecific for the hFrizzled-6 polypeptide of    claim 10   .  
     
     
         13 . A method for the treatment of a subject in need of enhanced activity or expression of hFrizzled-6 polypeptide of    claim 10    comprising: 
 (a) administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an agonist to said receptor; and/or  
 (b) providing to the subject an isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence that has at least 80% identity over its entire length to a nucleotide sequence encoding the hFrizzled-6 polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2; or a nucleotide sequence complementary to said isolated polynucleotide in a form so as to effect production of said receptor activity in vivo.  
 
     
     
         14 . A method for the treatment of a subject having need to inhibit activity or expression of hFrizzled-6 polypeptide of    claim 10    comprising: 
 (a) administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an antagonist to said receptor; and/or  
 (b) administering to the subject a nucleic acid molecule that inhibits the expression of the nucleotide sequence encoding said receptor, and/or  
 (c) administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a polypeptide that competes with said receptor for its ligand.  
 
     
     
         15 . A process for diagnosing a disease or a susceptibility to a disease in a subject related to expression or activity of hFrizzled-6 polypeptide of    claim 10    in a subject comprising: 
 (a) determining the presence or absence of a mutation in the nucleotide sequence encoding said hFrizzled-6 polypeptide in the genome of said subject; and/or  
 (b) analyzing for the presence or amount of the hFrizzled-6 polypeptide expression in a sample derived from said subject.  
 
     
     
         16 . A method for identifying agonists to hFrizzled-6 polypeptide of    claim 10    comprising: 
 (a) contacting a cell which produces a hFrizzled-6 polypeptide with a candidate compound; and  
 (b) determining whether the candidate compound effects a signal generated by activation of the hFrizzled-6 polypeptide.  
 
     
     
         17 . An agonist identified by the method of    claim 16   .  
     
     
         18 . The method for identifying antagonists to hFrizzled-6 polypeptide of    claim 10    comprising: 
 (a) contacting a cell which produces a hFrizzled-6 polypeptide with an agonist; and  
 (b) determining whether the signal generated by said agonist is diminished in the presence of a candidate compound.  
 
     
     
         19 . An antagonist identified by the method of    claim 18   .  
     
     
         20 . A recombinant host cell produced by a method of    claim 9    or a membrane thereof expressing a hFrizzled-6 polypeptide.