Single gene encoding aortic-specific and striated-specific muscle cell isoforms and uses thereof

Abstract

Aortic-preferentially-expressed gene-1 (APEG-1) and striated muscle preferentially expressed (SPEG) polypeptide, DNA sequences encoding and controlling the transcription of the APEG-1/SPEG encoding gene, methods of diagnosing vascular injury, methods of conferring smooth muscle-cell specific expression, and methods of inhibiting vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation by increasing the level of APEG-1 at the site of vascular injury.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A substantially pure DNA comprising SEQ ID NO:20 operably linked to a heterologous promoter and a polypeptide encoding sequence, wherein said polypeptide coding sequence does not encode APEG-1.  
     
     
         2 . The DNA of  claim 1 , wherein said DNA is less than 2.7 kb in length.  
     
     
         3 . The DNA of  claim 1 , wherein said promoter/enhancer sequence regulates developmental stage-specific expression of said polypeptide-encoding sequence.  
     
     
         4 . The DNA of  claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is chosen from a group consisting of tissue plasminogen activator, p21 cell cycle inhibitor, nitric oxide synthase, interferon-γ, and atrial natriuretic polypeptide.  
     
     
         5 . A vector comprising the DNA of  claim 4 .  
     
     
         6 . A method of directing vascular smooth muscle cell-specific expression of a polypeptide, comprising introducing into a vascular smooth muscle cell the vector of  claim 4 .  
     
     
         7 . A method of directing developmental stage-specific expression of a polypeptide, comprising introducing into a vascular smooth muscle cell the vector of  claim 4 .  
     
     
         8 . The DNA of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of copies of SEQ ID NO:20.  
     
     
         9 . The DNA of  claim 1 , wherein said DNA consists of Seq ID NO:20.  
     
     
         10 . A substantially pure DNA comprising a sequence encoding a striated muscle-preferentially expressed gene-1 (SPEG-1) polypeptide.  
     
     
         11 . The DNA of  claim 10 , wherein said polypeptide is human SPEG-1.  
     
     
         12 . The DNA of  claim 11 , wherein said polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:14.  
     
     
         13 . A substantially pure DNA comprising a nucleotide sequence having at least 50% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:13.  
     
     
         14 . The DNA of  claim 10 , wherein said polypeptide is mouse SPEG.  
     
     
         15 . The DNA of  claim 14 , wherein said polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:16.  
     
     
         16 . A substantially pure DNA comprising a strand which hybridizes at high stringency to a strand of DNA having the sequence of SEQ ID NO:16, or the complement thereof.  
     
     
         17 . A substantially pure DNA having at least 50% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:15, and encoding a polypeptide having the biological activity of a SPEG-1 polypeptide.  
     
     
         18 . A substantially pure human SPEG-1 polypeptide.  
     
     
         19 . The polypeptide of  claim 18 , wherein said polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:14.