Mammalian hyaluronan synthases, nucleic acids and uses thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to an isolated or recombinant nucleic acid which encodes a mammalian hyaluronan synthase (e.g. human). The present invention also relates to a host cell comprising the nucleic acid encoding mammalian hyaluronan synthase. The present invention also relates to a method for producing a mammalian hyaluronan synthase comprising introducing into a host cell a nucleic acid construct comprising a nucleic acid which encodes a mammalian hyaluronan synthase, whereby a recombinant host cell is produced having said coding sequence operably linked to at least one expression control sequence; and maintaining the host cells produced in a suitable medium under conditions whereby the nucleic acid is expressed. The present invention also relates to an antibody or functional portion thereof which binds mammalian hyaluronan synthase. The present invention also relates to a method of detecting mammalian hyaluronan synthase in a sample comprising contacting a sample with an antibody which binds hyaluronan synthase under conditions suitable for specific binding of said antibody to the mammalian hyaluronan synthase; and detecting antibody-mammalian hyaluronan synthase. The invention further relates to a method of using hyaluronan synthase to make hyaluronan.

We claim:  
     
         1 . An isolated or recombinant nucleic acid which encodes a mammalian hyaluronan synthase.  
     
     
         2 . The nucleic acid of  claim 1  wherein the hyaluronan synthase is human.  
     
     
         3 . The nucleic acid of  claim 1  comprising SEQ ID NO: 1.  
     
     
         4 . The nucleic acid of  claim 1  wherein said nucleic acid hybridizes under stringent conditions with a second nucleic acid having a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1.  
     
     
         5 . The nucleic acid of  claim 1  wherein the nucleic acid encodes the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2.  
     
     
         6 . A recombinant nucleic acid construct comprising a nucleic acid of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         7 . The recombinant nucleic acid construct of  claim 6  comprising SEQ ID NO: 1.  
     
     
         8 . The recombinant nucleic acid construct of  claim 6  wherein the nucleic acid encodes the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2.  
     
     
         9 . The recombinant nucleic acid construct of  claim 6  wherein the nucleic acid is operably linked to an expression control sequence.  
     
     
         10 . A host cell comprising the nucleic acid of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         11 . The host cell of  claim 10  wherein the nucleic acid is operably linked to an expression control sequence, whereby mammalian hyaluronan synthase is expressed when the host cell is maintained under conditions suitable for expression.  
     
     
         12 . A method for producing a mammalian hyaluronan synthase comprising: 
 a) introducing into a host cell a nucleic acid construct comprising a nucleic acid which encodes a mammalian hyaluronan synthase, whereby a recombinant host cell is produced having said coding sequence operably linked to at least one expression control sequence; and    b) maintaining the host cells produced in step a) under conditions whereby the nucleic acid is expressed.    
     
     
         13 . An antibody or functional portion thereof which binds mammalian hyaluronan synthase.  
     
     
         14 . A method of detecting mammalian hyaluronan synthase in a sample comprising: 
 a) contacting a sample with an antibody which binds hyaluronan synthase under conditions suitable for specific binding of said antibody to the mammalian hyaluronan synthase; and    b) detecting an antibody-mammalian hyaluronan synthase complex.    
     
     
         15 . A method of producing hyaluronan comprising maintaining a host cell of  claim 10  under conditions whereby hyaluronan is produced.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising isolating hyaluronan thereby produced.