Novel Neurotrophic Factors

Abstract

The invention relates to neublastinneurotrophic factor polypeptides, nucleic acids encoding neublastin polypeptides, and antibodies that bind specifically to neublastin polypeptides, as well as methods of making and methods of using the same.

1 . An isolated neublastin nucleic acid comprising the sequence of any one of SEQ. ID. NOS. 1, 3, 8, 13, 14, 15, 29 and 30. 
     
     
         2 . A nucleic acid sequence comprising an open reading frame which encodes neublastin neurotrophic factor or a unique subregion thereof, and which codes on expression for aneublastin polypeptide which comprises at least 70% homology to SEQ. ID. NOS. 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 16. 
     
     
         3 . A nucleic acid that hybridizes specifically under high stringency solution hybridization conditions to the nucleic acid of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         4 . A nucleic acid that comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is complementary to the nucleic acid of  claim 3 . 
     
     
         5 . A method of using a nucleic acid of  claim 1 , comprising the step of causing a polypeptide encoded by said nucleic acid to be expressed in a cell. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the step of administering said nucleic acid to an animal, and causing said polypeptide to be expressed in said animal. 
     
     
         7 . A vector comprising the nucleic acid of  claim 18   
     
     
         8 . The vector of  claim 7 , wherein said vector is an expression vector. 
     
     
         9 . A method of using the vector of  claim 8 , comprising the step of causing a polypeptide encoded by said nucleic acid to be expressed from said nucleic acid. 
     
     
         10 . A cell transformed with the nucleic acid of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . The cell of  claim 10 , wherein said cell is selected from the group consisting of mammalian cells, fungal cells, yeast cells, insect cells and bacterial cells. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said cell is a Chinese hamster ovary cell. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said cell is a cell derived from the mammalian central nervous system. 
     
     
         14 . A neublastin neurotrophic factor polypeptide comprising any one of the amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ. ID. NOS. 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 16. 
     
     
         15 . The polypeptide of  claim 14 , wherein said polypeptide is glycosylated. 
     
     
         16 . The polypeptide of  claim 14 , wherein said polypeptide is coded for by a nucleic acid of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         17 . A method of making the polypeptide of  claim 14 , said method comprising the step of expressing said polypeptide from a neublastin neurotrophic factor nucleic acid. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising the step of culturing a cell comprising said neublastin neurotrophic factor nucleic acid in a culture medium which permits the production of said polypeptide. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of recovering said polypeptide from said culture medium. 
     
     
         20 . A method of treating a neurodegenerative disease or disorder in an animal, comprising administering to said animal a neublastin polypeptide one or more of the neublastin polypeptides set forth in SEQ. ID. NOs. 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 16.