Novel Human Enzymes of the Metalloprotease Family

Abstract

This invention relates to newly identified polypeptides which have zinc metalloprotease activities and are referred to as IGS5, and polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides, to their use in therapy and in identifying compounds which may be stimulators and/or inhibitors which are useful in therapy, to antibodies specific to such peptides, and to production of such polypeptides and polynucleotides.

1 . A method of diagnosing a disease or susceptibility to a disease in a subject related to expression or activity of a polypeptide having a zinc metalloprotease activity and consisting of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4 and SEQ ID NO:6 in a subject comprising one or more steps of: 
 (a) determining the presence or absence of a mutation in the nucleotide sequence encoding said polypeptide in the genome of said subject; and    (b) comparing a level of expression of the polypeptide a sample derived from said subject with a standard base level.