Novel proteins and use thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides a novel secretory/membrane protein associated with adipocyte differentiation and/or metabolism function, specifically, an adipocyte-derived secretory/membrane protein containing amino acid sequence which is the same or substantially the same as an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NOS: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 or 22, a nucleic acid encoding it, an antibody therefor, a method of screening prophylactic and/or therapeutic agents for diseases involving abnormality of adipocyte differentiation/metabolism function using it and/or a kit for the screening, a prophylactic and/or therapeutic agent for the diseases or a diagnostic agent containing the membrane protein.

1 . An isolated protein comprising an amino acid sequence which is: 
 the same or substantially the same as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2, its partial peptide or a salt thereof.    
     
     
         2 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence encoding the protein or its partial peptide according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         3 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence which is complementary to the polynucleotide according to  claim 2  or an initial transcription product generating the polynucleotide as a result of processing, or a part thereof.  
     
     
         4 . An isolated antibody for the protein, its partial peptide or a salt thereof according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         5 . An isolated protein comprising an amino acid sequence which is the same or substantially the same as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 4, its partial peptide or a salt thereof.  
     
     
         6 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence encoding the protein or its partial peptide according to  claim 5 .  
     
     
         7 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence which is complementary to the polynucleotide according to  claim 6  or an initial transcription product generating the polynucleotide as a result of processing, or a part thereof.  
     
     
         8 . An isolated antibody for the protein, its partial peptide or a salt thereof according to  claim 5 .  
     
     
         9 . An isolated protein comprising an amino acid sequence which is the same or substantially the same as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 6, its partial peptide or a salt thereof.  
     
     
         10 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence encoding the protein or its partial peptide according to  claim 9 .  
     
     
         11 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence which is complementary to the polynucleotide according to  claim 10  or an initial transcription product generating the polynucleotide as a result of processing, or a part thereof.  
     
     
         12 . An isolated antibody for the protein, its partial peptide or a salt thereof according to  claim 9 .  
     
     
         13 . An isolated protein comprising an amino acid sequence which is the same or substantially the same as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 8, its partial peptide or a salt thereof.  
     
     
         14 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence encoding the protein or its partial peptide according to  claim 13 .  
     
     
         15 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence which is complementary to the polynucleotide according to  claim 14  or an initial transcription product generating the polynucleotide as a result of processing, or a part thereof.  
     
     
         16 . An isolated antibody for the protein, its partial peptide or a salt thereof according to  claim 13 .  
     
     
         17 . An isolated protein comprising an amino acid sequence which is the same or substantially the same as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 10, its partial peptide or a salt thereof.  
     
     
         18 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence encoding the protein or its partial peptide according to  claim 17 .  
     
     
         19 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence which is complementary to the polynucleotide according to  claim 18  or an initial transcription product generating the polynucleotide as a result of processing, or a part thereof.  
     
     
         20 . An isolated antibody for the protein, its partial peptide or a salt thereof according to  claim 17 .  
     
     
         21 . An isolated protein comprising an amino acid sequence which is the same or substantially the same as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 12, its partial peptide or a salt thereof.  
     
     
         22 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence encoding the protein or its partial peptide according to  claim 21 .  
     
     
         23 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence which is complementary to the polynucleotide according to  claim 22  or an initial transcription product generating the polynucleotide as a result of processing, or a part thereof.  
     
     
         24 . An isolated antibody for the protein, its partial peptide or a salt thereof according to  claim 21 .  
     
     
         25 . An isolated protein comprising an amino acid sequence which is the same or substantially the same as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 14, its partial peptide or a salt thereof.  
     
     
         26 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence encoding the protein or its partial peptide according to  claim 25 .  
     
     
         27 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence which is complementary to the polynucleotide according to  claim 26  or an initial transcription product generating the polynucleotide as a result of processing, or a part thereof.  
     
     
         28 . An isolated antibody for the protein, its partial peptide or a salt thereof according to  claim 25 .  
     
     
         29 . An isolated protein comprising an amino acid sequence which is the same or substantially the same as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 16, its partial peptide or a salt thereof.  
     
     
         30 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence encoding the protein or its partial peptide according to  claim 29 .  
     
     
         31 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence which is complementary to the polynucleotide according to  claim 30  or an initial transcription product generating the polynucleotide as a result of processing, or a part thereof.  
     
     
         32 . An isolated antibody for the protein, its partial peptide or a salt thereof according to  claim 29 .  
     
     
         33 . An isolated protein comprising an amino acid sequence which is the same or substantially the same as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 18, its partial peptide or a salt thereof.  
     
     
         34 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence encoding the protein or its partial peptide according to  claim 33 .  
     
     
         35 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence which is complementary to the polynucleotide according to  claim 34  or an initial transcription product generating the polynucleotide as a result of processing, or a part thereof.  
     
     
         36 . An isolated antibody for the protein, its partial peptide or a salt thereof according to  claim 33 .  
     
     
         37 . An isolated protein comprising an amino acid sequence which is the same or substantially the same as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 20, its partial peptide or a salt thereof.  
     
     
         38 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence encoding the protein or its partial peptide according to  claim 37 .  
     
     
         39 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence which is complementary to the polynucleotide according to  claim 38  or an initial transcription product generating the polynucleotide as a result of processing, or a part thereof.  
     
     
         40 . An isolated antibody for the protein, its partial peptide or a salt thereof according to  claim 37 .  
     
     
         41 . An isolated protein comprising an amino acid sequence which is the same or substantially the same as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 22, its partial peptide or a salt thereof.  
     
     
         42 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence encoding the protein or its partial peptide according to  claim 41 .  
     
     
         43 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a base sequence which is complementary to the polynucleotide according to  claim 42  or an initial transcription product generating the polynucleotide as a result of processing, or a part thereof.  
     
     
         44 . An isolated antibody for the protein, its partial peptide or a salt thereof according to  claim 41 .  
     
     
         45 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the protein, its partial peptide or a salt thereof according to  claim 1 , and and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier excipient or diluent.  
     
     
         46 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the polynucleotide according to  claim 2 , and and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier excipient or diluent.  
     
     
         47 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the polynucleotide according to  claim 3 , and and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, excipient or diluent.  
     
     
         48 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the antibody according to of  claim 4 , and and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier excipient or diluent.  
     
     
         49 . The pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 45 , which is a prophylactic and/or therapeutic agent for diseases involving abnormality of adipocyte differentiation and/or metabolism function.  
     
     
         50 . A diagnostic agent comprising the polynucleotide according to  claim 2 , or a part thereof.  
     
     
         51 . A diagnostic agent comprising the polynucleotide according to  claim 3 .  
     
     
         52 . A diagnostic agent comprising the antibody according to  claim 4 .  
     
     
         53 . A diagnostic agent according to  claim 50  for diagnosing diseases involving abnormality of adipocyte differentiation and/or metabolism function.  
     
     
         54 . A method of screening a compound or a salt thereof having specific affinity for the protein or a salt thereof according to  claim 1 , or a compound or a salt thereof changing binding property between the protein or a salt thereof and the compound or a salt thereof, which comprises using said protein, its partial peptide or a salt thereof.  
     
     
         55 . A kit for screening a compound or a salt thereof having specific affinity for the protein or a salt thereof according to  claim 1 , or a compound or a salt thereof changing binding property between the protein or a salt thereof and the compound or a salt thereof, which comprises said protein, its partial peptide or a salt thereof.  
     
     
         56 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound or a salt thereof obtained by using the method according to  claim 54  and a pharmaceutically acceptable, carrier, excipient or diluent.  
     
     
         57 . The pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 56 , which is a prophylactic and/or therapeutic agent for diseases involving abnormality of adipocyte differentiation and/or metabolism function.  
     
     
         58 . A method of screening a compound or a salt thereof changing the expression amount of a gene encoding the protein according to  claim 1 , which comprises screening for said protein using an isolated polynucleotide which encodes for said protein or a part thereof.  
     
     
         59 . A kit for screening a compound or a salt thereof changing the expression amount of gene encoding the protein as described in  claim 1 , which comprises a polynucleotide which encodes for said protein or apart thereof.  
     
     
         60 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound or a salt thereof obtained by using the method according to  claim 58  and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, excipient or diluent.  
     
     
         61 . The pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 60 , which is a prophylactic and/or therapeutic agent for diseases involving abnormality of adipocyte differentiation and/or metabolism function.  
     
     
         62 . A method of screening a compound or a salt thereof changing the amount of the protein or a salt thereof according to  claim 1 , on the cell membrane or in the extracellular fluid, which comprises screening for said protein using an isolated antibody which binds to said protein, in a screening assay.  
     
     
         63 . A kit for screening a compound or a salt thereof changing the amount of the protein or a salt thereof according to  claim 1 , on the cell membrane or in the extracellular fluid, which comprises an isolated antibody which binds to said protein and directions for use.  
     
     
         64 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound or a salt thereof obtained by using the method according to  claim 62  and pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, excipient or diluent.  
     
     
         65 . The pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 64 , which is a prophylactic and/or therapeutic agent for diseases involving abnormality of adipocyte differentiation and/or metabolism function.