Novel haemopoietin receptor

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to novel haemopoietin receptors, or components or parts thereof and to a method for cloning genetic sequences encoding same. More particularly, the subject invention is directed to recombinant or synthetic haemopoietin receptors or components or parts thereof. The receptor molecules or components or parts thereof and their genetic sequences of the present invention are useful in the development of a wide range of agonists, antagonists and therapeutics and diagnostic reagents based on ligand interaction with its receptor.

1 . (Amended) An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a sequence of nucleotides encoding or complementary to a sequence encoding an Interleukin (IL)-11 receptor or a mutant, derivative, component, part, fragment, homologue, analogue or a peptide or polypeptide equivalent thereof wherein said L-1 I receptor comprises an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO 1: 
 Trp-Ser-Xaa-Trp-Ser,    wherein Xaa is any amino acid.    
     
     
         2 . (Deleted).  
     
     
         3 . (Amended) An isolated nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 1  wherein the IL-11 receptor is of mammalian origin.  
     
     
         4 . An isolated nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 3  wherein the IL-11 receptor is of human or murine origin.  
     
     
         5 . An isolated nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 4  wherein the nucleic acid is DNA.  
     
     
         6 . An isolated nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 5  wherein the nucleic acid molecule encodes an α-chain of murine IL-11 receptor comprising an amino acid sequence substantially as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 3.  
     
     
         7 . An isolated nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 6  wherein said nucleic acid molecule comprises a sequence of nucleotides substantially as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2 or is capable of hybridising thereto under low stringency conditions.  
     
     
         8 . An isolated nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 5  wherein the nucleic acid molecule encodes an α-chain of human IL-11 receptor having an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5.  
     
     
         9 . An isolated nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 8  wherein said nucleic acid molecule comprises a sequence of nucleotides substantially as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4 or is capable of hybridising thereto under low stringency conditions.  
     
     
         10 . A recombinant vector comprising the nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 6  or  7 .  
     
     
         11 . A recombinant vector comprising the nucleic acid molecule according to  claim 8  or  9 .  
     
     
         12 . An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a sequence of DNA which encodes a mammalian IL-11 receptor α-chain, said nucleic acid molecule further defined by the ability of an oligonucleotide to hybridise thereto under medium stringency conditions and wherein said oligonucleotide is selected from SEQ ID NO: 6 to SEQ ID NO: 10 or a complement sequence thereof.  
     
     
         13 . A recombinant polypeptide comprising a sequence of amino acids corresponding to all or a part of a mammalian IL-11 receptor α-chain and containing the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1: 
 Trp-Ser-Xaa-Trp-Ser  
 wherein Xaa is any amino acid.  
 
     
     
         14 . A recombinant polypeptide according to  claim 13  wherein the mammal is a human or murine species.  
     
     
         15 . A recombinant polypeptide according to  claim 14  wherein the polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence substantially set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5 or has at least about 40% similarity to all or part thereof.  
     
     
         16 . A recombinant polypeptide according to  claim 14  wherein the polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence substantially set forth in SEQ ID NO: 3 or has at least about 40% similarity to all or part thereof.  
     
     
         17 . A method of identifying and/or cloning a genetic sequence encoding or complementary to a sequence encoding a haemopoietin receptor or a component or part thereof, said method comprising screening a source of genetic material with one or more degenerate oligonucleotides designed from the sequence of amino acids comprising: 
 Trp-Ser-Xaa-Trp-Ser (SEQ ID NO: 1)    wherein Xaa is any amino acid.    
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 17  wherein the haemopoietin receptor is Interleukin (IL)-11 receptor.  
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 18  wherein the IL-11 receptor is of mammalian origin.  
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19  wherein the IL-11 receptor is of human or murine origin.  
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein the genetic sequence is DNA.  
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 21  wherein the genetic sequence encodes an α-chain of murine IL-11 receptor comprising an amino acid sequence substantially as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 3 or having at least about 40% similarly to all or part thereof.  
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 22  wherein the genetic sequence comprises a nucleotide sequence substantially as set forth in SEQ ID NO. 2 or 10 capable of hybridizing thereto under low stringency conditions.  
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 21  wherein the genetic sequence encodes an i-chain of human IL-1 receptor having an amino acid sequence substantially as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5 or having at least about 40% similarity to all or part thereof.  
     
     
         25 . A method according to  claim 24  wherein said genetic sequence comprises a sequence of nucleotide substantially as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4 or is capable of hybridising thereto under low stringency conditions.  
     
     
         26 . (Amended) An oligonucleotide probe capable of hybridising under medium stringency conditions to a nucleotide sequence encoding an IL-11 receptor.  
     
     
         27 . (Deleted)  
     
     
         28 . (Amended) An oligonucleotide probe according to  claim 26  wherein the probe is capable of hybridising to a genetic sequence encoding the IL-11 receptor α-chain.  
     
     
         29 . (Amended) An oligonucleotide probe according to  claim 26  or  28  selected from SEQ ID NO: 6 to SEQ ID NO: 10 or a complementary sequence thereof.