Mammalian genes; related reagents

Abstract

Nucleic acids encoding a new family of small cysteine rich soluble proteins, from a mammal, reagents related thereto, including specific antibodies, and purified proteins are described. Methods of using said reagents and related diagnostic kits are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A composition of matter selected from the group consisting of:
 a) a substantially pure or recombinant C23 polypeptide exhibiting identity over a length of at least 12 contiguous amino acids to SEQ ID NO: 2;   b) a natural sequence C23 of SEQ ID NO: 2;   c) a fusion protein comprising C23 sequence.   
     
     
         2 . A substantially pure or isolated polypeptide comprising a segment exhibiting sequence identity to a corresponding portion of a C23 of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a) said identity is over at least 15 contiguous amino acids;   b) said identity is over at least 19 contiguous amino acids; or   c) said identity is over at least 25 contiguous amino acids.   
     
     
         3 . The composition of matter of  claim 1 , wherein said:
 a) C23 comprises a mature sequence of Table 1;   b) polypeptide:
 i) is from a warm blooded animal selected from a mammal, including a rodent or primate; 
 ii) comprises at least 27 contiguous amino acids of SEQ ID NO: 2; 
 iii) exhibits a plurality of said lengths exhibiting said identity; 
 iv) is a natural allelic variant of SEQ ID NO: 2; 
 v) has a length at least about 30 amino acids; 
 vi) exhibits at least two non-overlapping epitopes which are specific for a mammalian C23; 
 vii) exhibits a sequence identity over at least 33 amino acids to SEQ ID NO: 2; 
 viii) exhibits at least two non-overlapping epitopes which are specific for SEQ ID NO: 2; 
 ix) exhibits sequence identity over a length of at least about 20 amino acids to SEQ ID NO: 2; 
 x) is not glycosylated; 
 xi) has a molecular weight of at least 3 kD; 
 xii) is a synthetic polypeptide; 
 xiii) is attached to a solid substrate; 
 xiv) is conjugated to another chemical moiety; 
 xv) is a 5-fold or less substitution from natural sequence; or 
 xvi) is a deletion or insertion variant from a natural sequence. 
   
     
     
         4 . A composition comprising:
 a) a sterile C23 polypeptide of  claim 1 ,   b) said C23 polypeptide of  claim 1  and a carrier, wherein said carrier is:
 i) an aqueous compound, including water, saline, and/or buffer; and/or 
 ii) formulated for oral, rectal, nasal, topical, or parenteral administration. 
   
     
     
         5 . The fusion protein of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a) mature protein sequence of Table 1;   b) a detection or purification tag, including a FLAG, His6, or Ig sequence; or   c) sequence of another cytokine or growth factor protein.   
     
     
         6 . A kit comprising a polypolypeptide of  claim 1 , and:
 a) a compartment comprising said polypeptide; and/or   b) instructions for use or disposal of reagents in said kit.   
     
     
         7 . A binding compound comprising an antigen binding portion from an antibody, which specifically binds to a natural C23 polypeptide of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a) said polypeptide is a primate C23;   b) said binding compound is an Fv, Fab, or Fab2 fragment;   c) said binding compound is conjugated to another chemical moiety; or   d) said antibody:
 i) is raised against a peptide sequence of a mature polypeptide of Table 1; 
 ii) is raised against a mature C23; 
 iii) is raised to a purified C23; 
 iv) is immunoselected; 
 v) is a polyclonal antibody; 
 vi) binds to a denatured C23; 
 vii) exhibits a Kd to antigen of at least 30 μM; 
 viii) is attached to a solid substrate, including a bead or plastic membrane; 
 ix) is in a sterile composition; or 
 x) is detectably labeled, including a radioactive or fluorescent label. 
   
     
     
         8 . A kit comprising said binding compound of  claim 7 , and:
 a) a compartment comprising said binding compound; and/or   b) instructions for use or disposal of reagents in said kit.   
     
     
         9 . A method of:
 A) making an antibody of  claim 7 , comprising immunizing an immune system with an immunogenic amount of a primate C23 polypeptide thereby causing said antibody to be produced; or   B) producing an antigen:antibody complex, comprising contacting a primate C23 polypeptide with an antibody of  claim 7  thereby allowing said complex to form.   
     
     
         10 . A composition comprising:
 a) a sterile binding compound of  claim 7 , or   b) said binding compound of  claim 7  and a carrier, wherein said carrier is:
 i) an aqueous compound, including water, saline, and/or buffer; and/or 
 ii) formulated for oral, rectal, nasal, topical, or parenteral administration. 
   
     
     
         11 . An isolated or recombinant nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide or fusion protein of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a) said C family protein is from a primate; or   b) said nucleic acid:
 i) encodes an antigenic peptide sequence of Table 1; 
 ii) encodes a plurality of antigenic peptide sequences of Table 1; 
 iii) exhibits at least about 80% identity to a natural cDNA encoding said segment; 
 iv) is an expression vector; 
 v) further comprises an origin of replication; 
 vi) is from a natural source; 
 vii) comprises a detectable label; 
 viii) comprises synthetic nucleotide sequence; 
 ix) is less than 6 kb, preferably less than 3 kb; 
 x) is from a mammal, including a primate; 
 xi) comprises a natural full length coding sequence; 
 xii) is a hybridization probe for a gene encoding said C family protein; or 
   xiii) is a PCR primer, PCR product, or mutagenesis primer.   
     
     
         12 . A cell or tissue comprising a recombinant nucleic acid of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         13 . The cell of  claim 12 , wherein said cell is:
 a) a prokaryotic cell;   b) a eukaryotic cell;   c) a bacterial cell;   d) a yeast cell;   e) an insect cell;   f) a mammalian cell;   g) a mouse cell;   h) a primate cell; or   i) a human cell.   
     
     
         14 . A kit comprising said nucleic acid of  claim 11 , and:
 a) a compartment comprising said nucleic acid;   b) a compartment further comprising a C23 polypeptide; and/or   c) instructions for use or disposal of reagents in said kit.   
     
     
         15 . A method of:
 A) making a polypeptide, comprising expressing said nucleic acid of  claim 11 , thereby producing said polypeptide; or   B) making a duplex nucleic acid, comprising contacting said nucleic acid of  claim 11  with a hybridizing nucleic acid, thereby allowing said duplex to form.   
     
     
         16 . A nucleic acid which:
 a) hybridizes under wash conditions of 30° C. and less than 2M salt to SEQ ID NO: 1; or   b) exhibits at least about 85% identity over a stretch of at least about 30 nucleotides to a primate C23.   
     
     
         17 . The nucleic acid of  claim 16 , wherein:
 a) said wash conditions are:
 i) at 45° C. and/or 500 mM salt; or 
 ii) at 55° C. and/or 150 mM salt; or 
   b) said identity is:
 i) at least 90% and/or said stretch is at least 55 nucleotides; or 
 ii) at least 95% and/or said stretch is at least 75 nucleotides. 
   
     
     
         18 . A method of modulating physiology or development of a cell or tissue culture cells comprising contacting said cell with an agonist or antagonist of a C23.