Interferon-like protein zcyto21

Abstract

The present invention relates to polynucleotide and polypeptide molecules for Zcyto21, an interferon-like protein, which is most closely related to interferon-α at the amino acid sequence level. The present invention also includes antibodies to the Zcyto21 polypeptides, and methods of using the polynucleotides and polypeptides.

1 . A method of detecting the presence of Zcyto21 gene expression in a biological sample, comprising the steps of:
 a) contacting a Zcyto21 nucleic acid probe under hybridizing conditions with either
 i) test RNA molecules isolated from the biological sample, or 
 ii) nucleic acid molecules synthesized from the isolated RNA molecules, wherein the probe consists of a nucleotide sequence comprising a portion of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, or a complement thereof, and 
   b) detecting the formation of hybrids of the nucleic acid probe and either the test RNA molecules or the synthesized nucleic acid molecules,   wherein the presence of the hybrids indicates the presence of Zcyto21 RNA in the biological sample.   
     
     
         2 . A method of detecting the presence of Zcyto21 gene expression in a biological sample, comprising the steps of:
 a) contacting the biological sample with an antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof that specifically binds to a polypeptide consisting of amino acid residues 20-200 of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the contacting is performed under conditions that allow the binding of the antibody or antigen-binding fragment to the polypeptide in the biological sample, and   b) detecting any of the bound antibody or bound antigen-binding fragment.