Novel motor proteins and methods for their use

Abstract

The invention provides isolated nucleic acid and amino acid sequences of HsKif2x, antibodies to HsKif2x, methods of screening for HsKif2x modulators using biologically active HsKif2x, and kits for screening for HsKif2x modulators.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An isolated nucleic acid sequence encoding a microtubule motor protein, wherein the motor protein has the following properties: (i) the protein's activity includes microtubule stimulated ATPase activity; and (ii) the protein has a sequence that has greater than 70% amino acid sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 4 as measured using a sequence comparison algorithm.  
     
     
         2 . An isolated nucleic acid sequence of  claim 1 , wherein the encoded protein specifically binds to polyclonal antibodies to a protein comprising SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 4.  
     
     
         3 . An isolated nucleic acid sequence of  claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid encodes SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 4.  
     
     
         4 . An isolated nucleic acid sequence of  claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid has a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO: 3.  
     
     
         5 . An isolated nucleic acid sequence of  claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid selectively hybridizes under stringent hybridization conditions to SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO: 3.  
     
     
         6 . An expression vector comprising a nucleic acid encoding a microtubule motor protein, wherein the motor protein has the following properties: (i) the protein's activity includes microtubule stimulated ATPase activity; and (ii) the protein has a sequence that has greater than 70% amino acid sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 4 as measured using a sequence comparison algorithm.  
     
     
         7 . A host cell transfected with the vector of  claim 6 .  
     
     
         8 . An isolated microtubule motor protein, wherein the protein has greater than 70% amino acid sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 4 as measured using a sequence comparison algorithm.  
     
     
         9 . An isolated protein of  claim 8 , wherein the protein specifically binds to polyclonal antibodies to HsKif2x.  
     
     
         10 . An isolated protein of  claim 8 , wherein the protein is HsKif2x.  
     
     
         11 . An isolated protein of  claim 8 , wherein the protein has an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 4.  
     
     
         12 . An isolated protein of  claim 8 , wherein the protein specifically binds to polyclonal antibodies generated against a motor domain of HsKif2x.  
     
     
         13 . An isolated protein of  claim 8 , whereiri the protein comprises an amino acid sequence of a HsKif2x motor domain.  
     
     
         14 . A method for screening for modulators of HsKif2x, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (i) providing biologically active HsKif2k, wherein has the following properties: (i) activity including microtubule stimulated ATPase activity; and (ii) sequence that has greater than 70% amino acid sequence identity to HsKif2x of SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 4 as measured using a sequence comparison algorithm;    (ii) contacting biologically active HsKif2x with a candidate agent in a test and control concentration; and    (iii) assaying for the level of HsKif2x activity, wherein the HsKif2x activity is selected from the group consisting of binding activity or ATPase activity, and wherein a change in activity between the test and control concentration indicates a modulator.    
     
     
         15 . A method of  claim 14 , wherein the screening occurs in a multi-well plate as part of a high-throughput screen.  
     
     
         16 . A method of  claim 14 , wherein the biologically active HsKif2x comprises an amino acid sequence of a HsKif2x motor domain.  
     
     
         17 . A compound that modulates HsKif2x, wherein said compound is identified using the method of  claim 14 .  
     
     
         18 . An isolated nucleic acid comprising a sequence which has greater than 60% sequence identity with nucleotide SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO: 3.