KIAA0551 polynucleotides and polypeptides use

Abstract

The use of KIAA0551 polypeptides and polynucleotides in the design of protocols for the treatment of neuropathies, neuropathic pain, inflammatory and chronic pain, neurodegenerative conditions such as Motor Neuron Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias, as well as ischaemic damage in neuronal and cardiac tissues, through disease or infectious agents, among others, and diagnostic assays for such conditions. Also disclosed are methods for producing such polypeptides by recombinant techniques.

1 . The use of a compound selected from: 
 (a) a KIAA0551 polypeptide;    (b) a compound which activates a KIAA0551 polypeptide;    (c) a compound which inhibits a KIAA0551 polypeptide; or    (d) a polynucleotide encoding a KIAA0551 polypeptide,    for the manufacture of a medicament for treating: 
 (i) neuropathies;  
 (ii) neuropathic pain;  
 (iii) inflammatory and chronic pain;  
 (iv) neurodegenerative conditions; or  
 (v) neurotraumatic disease or ischaemic damage in cardiac tissues.  
   
     
     
         2 . The use according to  claim 1  wherein the medicament comprises an isolated polypeptide selected from the group consisting of: 
 (a) an isolated polypeptide encoded by a polynucleotide comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1;  
 (b) an isolated polypeptide comprising a polypeptide sequence having at least 95% identity to the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2;  
 (c) an isolated polypeptide having at least 95% identity to the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2;  
 (d) the isolated polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 2; and  
 (e) fragments and variants of such polypeptides in (a) to (d) having at least 95% identity to the KIAA0551 polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 2.  
 
     
     
         3 . The use according to  claim 1  wherein the medicament comprises an isolated polynucleotide selected from the group consisting of: 
 (a) an isolated polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide sequence having at least 95% identity to the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1;  
 (b) an isolated polynucleotide having at least 95% identity to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO: 1;  
 (c) an isolated polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide sequence having at least 95% identity to the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2;  
 (d) an isolated polynucleotide having a polynucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide sequence having at least 95% identity to the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2; or a polynucleotide complementary to said isolated polynucleotide.  
 
     
     
         4 . An isolated polynucleotide as claimed in  claim 3  selected from the group consisting of: 
 (a) an isolated polynucleotide comprising the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO: 1;  
 (b) the isolated polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO: 1;  
 (c) an isolated polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 2; and  
 (d) an isolated polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 2.  
 
     
     
         5 . A method for screening to identify compounds that stimulate or inhibit the function or level of the polypeptide of  claim 1  comprising a method selected from the group consisting of: 
 (a) measuring or detecting, quantitatively or qualitatively, the binding of a candidate compound to the polypeptide or a fusion protein thereof by means of a label directly or indirectly associated with the candidate compound;  
 (b) measuring the competition of binding of a candidate compound to the polypeptide or a fusion protein thereof in the presence of a labeled competitor;  
 (c) testing whether the candidate compound results in a signal generated by activation or inhibition of the polypeptide, using detection systems appropriate to the polypeptide; or  
 (d) mixing a candidate compound with a solution containing a polypeptide of  claim 1 , to form a mixture, measuring activity of the polypeptide in the mixture, and comparing the activity of the mixture to a control mixture which contains no candidate compound.  
 
     
     
         6 . An isolated polypeptide selected from the group consisting of: 
 (a) an isolated polypeptide comprising a polypeptide sequence having at least 95% identity to the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2;    (b) an isolated polypeptide comprising the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2; and    (c) the isolated polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 2.    
     
     
         7 . An isolated polynucleotide selected from the group consisting of: 
 (a) an isolated polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide sequence having at least 95% identity to a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 2;    (b) an isolated polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide sequence that has at least 95% identity to that of SEQ ID NO: 1; or a polynucleotide sequence complementary to said isolated polynucleotide;    (c) an isolated polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 2;    (d) a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 2;    (e) the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO: 1; and    (f) a polynucleotide with a nucleotide sequence of at least 100 nucleotides or greater obtained by screening a library under stringent hybridization conditions with a labeled probe having the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a fragment thereof having at least 15 nucleotides;    or a nucleotide sequence complementary to said isolated polynucleotide over the entire length thereof.    
     
     
         8 . An expression vector comprising a polynucleotide capable of producing a polypeptide of  claim 7  when said expression vector is present in a compatible host cell.  
     
     
         9 . A host cell comprising the expression vector of  claim 8  or a membrane thereof.  
     
     
         10 . A process for producing a polypeptide comprising the step of culturing a host cell as defined in  claim 9  under conditions sufficient for the production of said polypeptide and recovering the polypeptide from the culture medium.