PYK2 related products and methods

Abstract

The present invention features a method for treatment of an organism having a disease or condition characterized by an abnormality in a signal transduction pathway, wherein the signal transduction pathway includes a PYK2 protein. The invention also features methods for diagnosing such diseases and for screening for agents that will be useful in treating such diseases. The invention also features purified and/or isolated nucleic acid encoding a PYK2 protein.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . Isolated, purified, or enriched nucleic acid encoding a nucleic acid encoding PYK2 polypeptide.  
     
     
         2 . A nucleic acid probe for the detection of nucleic acid encoding a PYK2 polypeptide in a sample.  
     
     
         3 . Recombinant nucleic acid encoding a PYK2 polypeptide and a vector or a promoter effective to initiate transcription in a host cell.  
     
     
         4 . Recombinant nucleic acid comprising a transcriptional region functional in a cell, a sequence complimentary to an RNA sequence encoding a PYK2 polypeptide and a transcriptional termination region functional in a cell.  
     
     
         5 . An isolated, purified, recombinant, or enriched PYK2 polypeptide having a phosphorylation activity.  
     
     
         6 . A purified antibody having specific binding affinity to a PYK2 polypeptide.  
     
     
         7 . A hybridoma which produces an antibody having specific binding affinity to a PYK2 polypeptide.  
     
     
         8 . A method of detecting a compound capable of binding to a PYK2 polypeptide comprising the steps of incubating said compound with said PYK2 polypeptide and detecting the presence of said compound bound to said PYK2 polypeptide.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said compound inhibits a phosphorylation activity of said PYK2 polypeptide and is selected from the group consisting of tyrphostins, quinazolines, quinoxolines, and quinolines.  
     
     
         10 . A compound capable of inhibiting the phosphorylation activity of a PYK2 polypeptide identified by the method of  claim 9 .  
     
     
         11 . A method of screening potential agents useful for treatment of a disease or condition characterized by an abnormality in a signal transduction pathway, wherein said signal transduction pathway includes an interaction between a PYK2 polypeptide and a natural binding partner, comprising the step of assaying said potential agents for those able to promote or disrupt said interaction as an indication of a useful said agent.  
     
     
         12 . A method for diagnosis of a disease or condition characterized by an abnormality in a signal transduction pathway, wherein said signal transduction pathway includes an interaction between a PYK2 polypeptide and a natural binding partner, comprising the step of detecting the level of said interaction as an indication of said disease or condition.  
     
     
         13 . A method for treatment of an organism having a disease or condition characterized by an abnormality in a signal transduction pathway, wherein said signal transduction pathway includes an interaction between a PYK2 polypeptide and a natural binding partner comprising the step of promoting or disrupting said interaction.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said disease or condition is selected from the group consisting of epilepsy, schizophrenia, extreme hyperactivity in children, chronic pain and acute pain.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said disease or condition is selected from the group consisting of stroke, alzheimer's disease, parkinson's disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and migraine.