Receptor polypeptides and their production and uses

Abstract

An isolated TGF-β supergene family (TSF) receptor polypeptide is provided. This polypeptide preferably is an inhibin/activin receptor polypeptide and has at least 75% sequence identity with the mature human inhibin/activin receptor sequence. Also provided is a method for purifying TGF-β supergene family members such as inhibin or activin using the polypeptide, and a method for screening for compounds with TGF-β supergene family member activity by contacting the compound with the polypeptide and detecting if binding has occurred and the compound is active.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An isolated TSF receptor polypeptide.  
     
     
         2 . The polypeptide of  claim 1  that is antigenically active.  
     
     
         3 . The polypeptide of  claim 1  that is biologically active.  
     
     
         4 . An isolated inhibin/activin receptor polypeptide.  
     
     
         5 . The polypeptide of  claim 4  sharing at least 80% sequence identity with the mature human inhibin/activin receptor polypeptide sequence.  
     
     
         6 . The polypeptide of  claim 4  that is mature human or bovine inhibin/activin receptor.  
     
     
         7 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising a biologically active polypeptide of  claim 4  in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.  
     
     
         8 . An isolated antibody capable of binding to the polypeptide of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         9 . An isolated antibody capable of binding to the polypeptide of  claim 4 .  
     
     
         10 . A method for detecting a TSF receptor polypeptide in vitro or in vivo comprising contacting the antibody of  claim 8  with a sample or cell suspected of containing receptor polypeptide and detecting if binding has occurred.  
     
     
         11 . A method of determining the presence in a test sample of a molecule that binds to a TSF receptor polypeptide comprising contacting the test sample with the polypeptide of  claim 1  and determining if binding has occurred.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the molecule that binds to the receptor polypeptide is inhibin or activin.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  additionally comprising the step of determining whether the bound molecule has TSF biological activity.  
     
     
         14 . A method for purifying molecules that bind to a TSF receptor polypeptide comprising contacting a sample containing the molecules to be purified with the polypeptide of  claim 1  immobilized on a support under conditions whereby the molecules to be purified are selectively adsorbed onto the immobilized receptor polypeptide, washing the immobilized support to remove non-adsorbed material, and separating the molecules to be purified from the immobilized receptor polypeptide to which they are adsorbed.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the molecules to be purified are inhibin or activin.  
     
     
         16 . An isolated TSF receptor nucleic acid molecule.  
     
     
         17 . The molecule of  claim 16  that is an inhibin/activin receptor nucleic acid molecule.  
     
     
         18 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 17  that is DNA.