Methods for detecting nucleic acid molecules encoding flh2882, a GPCR showing homology to the 5HT family of receptors

Abstract

The present invention is based on the identification of a novel G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) that is expressed predominantly in the brain and nucleic acid molecules that encoded the GPCR, referred to herein as the flh2882 protein and flh2882 gene respectively. Based on this identification, the present invention provides: 1) isolated flh2882 protein; 2) isolated nucleic acid molecules that encode an flh2882 protein; 3) antibodies that selectively bind to the flh2882 protein; 4) methods of isolating allelic variants of the flh2882 protein and gene; 5) methods of identifying cells and tissues that express the flh2882 protein/gene; 6) methods of identifying agents and cellular compounds that bind to the flh2882 protein; 7) methods of identifying agents that modulate the expression of the flh2882 gene; and 8) methods of modulating the activity of the flh2882 protein in a cell or organism.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: 
 a) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;    b) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a fragment of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the fragment comprises at least 15 contiguous amino acids of SEQ ID NO:2; and    c) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a naturally occurring allelic variant of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the nucleic acid molecule hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:1 under stringent conditions.    
     
     
         2 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 1  further comprising vector nucleic acid sequences.  
     
     
         3 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 1  further comprising nucleic acid sequences encoding a heterologous protein.  
     
     
         4 . A host cell which contains the nucleic acid molecule of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         5 . The host cell of  claim 4  which is a mammalian host cell.  
     
     
         6 . A non-human mammalian host cell containing the nucleic acid molecule of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         7 . The isolated nucleic acid molecule of  claim 1 , which is selected from the group consisting of: 
 a) the coding region of SEQ ID NO:1;    b) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:4;    c) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:5;    d) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:6;    e) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:7;    f) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:8;    g) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:9; and    h) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:10.    
     
     
         8 . An isolated protein selected from the group consisting of: 
 a) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;    b) a fragment of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the fragment comprises at least 15 contiguous amino acids of SEQ ID NO:2; and    c) a naturally occurring allelic variant of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the protein is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:1 under stringent conditions.    
     
     
         9 . The protein of  claim 8  further comprising heterologous amino acid sequences.  
     
     
         10 . An antibody which selectively binds to a protein of  claim 8 .  
     
     
         11 . A method for producing a protein selected from the group consisting of: 
 a) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;    b) a fragment of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the fragment comprises at least 15 contiguous amino acids of SEQ ID NO:2; and    c) a naturally occurring allelic variant of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the protein is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:1 under stringent conditions;    the method comprising the step of culturing the host cell of  claim 4  under conditions in which the nucleic acid molecule is expressed.    
     
     
         12 . A method for detecting the presence of a protein selected from the group consisting of: 
 a) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;    b) a fragment of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the fragment comprises at least 15 contiguous amino acids of SEQ ID NO:2; and    c) a naturally occurring allelic variant of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the protein is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:1 under stringent conditions;    in a sample, the method comprising the steps of: 
 i) contacting the sample with a compound which selectively binds to the protein; and  
 ii) determining whether the compound binds to the protein in the sample.  
   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the compound which binds to the protein is an antibody.  
     
     
         14 . A kit comprising reagents used for the method of  claim 12 , wherein the reagents comprise a compound which selectively binds to a protein selected from the group consisting of: 
 a) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;    b) a fragment of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the fragment comprises at least 15 contiguous amino acids of SEQ ID NO:2; and    c) a naturally occurring allelic variant of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the protein is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:1 under stringent conditions.    
     
     
         15 . A method for detecting the presence of a nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: 
 a) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;    b) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a fragment of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the fragment comprises at least 15 contiguous amino acids of SEQ ID NO:2; and    c) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a naturally occurring allelic variant of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the nucleic acid molecule hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:1 under stringent conditions;    in a sample, the method comprising the steps of: 
 i) contacting the sample with a nucleic acid probe or primer which selectively hybridizes to the nucleic acid molecule; and  
 ii) determining whether the nucleic acid probe or primer binds to a nucleic acid molecule in the sample.  
   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the sample comprises mRNA molecules and is contacted with a nucleic acid probe.  
     
     
         17 . A kit comprising reagents used for the method of  claim 15 , wherein the reagents comprise a compound which selectively hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: 
 a) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;    b) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a fragment of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the fragment comprises at least 15 contiguous amino acids of SEQ ID NO:2; and    c) a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a naturally occurring allelic variant of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the nucleic acid molecule hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:1 under stringent conditions.    
     
     
         18 . A method for identifying a compound which binds to a protein selected from the group consisting of: 
 a) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;    b) a fragment of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the fragment comprises at least 15 contiguous amino acids of SEQ ID NO:2; and    c) a naturally occurring allelic variant of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the protein is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:1 under stringent conditions,    the method comprising the steps of: 
 i) contacting the protein, or a cell expressing the protein with a test compound; and  
 ii) determining whether the protein binds to the test compound.  
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the binding of the test compound to the protein is detected by a method selected from the group consisting of: 
 a) detection of binding by direct detecting of test compound/protein binding;    b) detection of binding using a competition binding assay;    c) detection of binding using an assay for flh2882 activity.    
     
     
         20 . A method for modulating the activity of a protein selected from the group consisting of: 
 a) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2; and    b) a naturally occurring allelic variant of a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the protein is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:1 under stringent conditions,    the method comprising the steps of: 
 i) contacting a cell expressing the protein with a compound which binds to the protein in a sufficient concentration to modulate the activity of the protein.  
   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the activity is a phosphatidylinositol activity.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the method results in an increase in phosphatidylinositol metabolism.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the method results in a decrease in phosphatidylinositol metabolism.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the activity is a cAMP activity.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the method results in an increase in cAMP metabolism.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the method results in a decrease in cAMP metabolism.