Chemokine Alpha-4

Abstract

The present invention relates to a novel CKα-4 protein which is a member of the CXC chemokine family. In particular, isolated nucleic acid molecules are provided encoding the human CKα-4 protein. CKα-4 polypeptides are also provided as are vectors, host cells and recombinant methods for producing the same. The invention further relates to screening methods for identifying agonists and antagonists of CKα-4 activity. Also provided are diagnostic methods for detecting immune system-related disorders and therapeutic methods for treating immune system-related disorders.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide having a nucleotide sequence at least 95% identical to a sequence selected from the group consisting of: 
 (a) a nucleotide sequence encoding the CKα-4 polypeptide having the complete amino acid sequence in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2);    (b) a nucleotide sequence encoding the predicted mature CKα-4 polypeptide having the amino acid sequence at positions 19-94 in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2);    (c) a nucleotide sequence encoding the CKα-4 polypeptide having the complete amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA clone contained in ATCC Deposit No. 97692;    (d) a nucleotide sequence encoding the mature CKα-4 polypeptide having the amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA clone contained in ATCC Deposit No. 97692; and    (e) a nucleotide sequence complementary to any of the nucleotide sequences in (a), (b), (c) or (d).    
     
     
         2 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 1  wherein said polynucleotide has the complete nucleotide sequence in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:1).  
     
     
         3 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 1  wherein said polynucleotide has the nucleotide sequence in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO: 1) encoding the CKα-4 polypeptide having the complete amino acid sequence in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2).  
     
     
         4 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 1  wherein said polynucleotide has the nucleotide sequence in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO: 1) encoding the predicted mature CKα-4 polypeptide having the amino acid sequence in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2).  
     
     
         5 . An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide having a nucleotide sequence at least 95% identical to a sequence selected from the group consisting of: 
 (a) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence consisting of residues n-94 of SEQ ID NO:2, where n is an integer in the range of 2-29; and    (b) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide consisting of a portion of the complete amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA clone contained in ATCC Deposit No. 97692 wherein said portion includes about 63 to about 93 amino acids including the C-terminus of said complete amino acid sequence.    
     
     
         6 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 1  wherein said polynucleotide has the complete nucleotide sequence of the cDNA clone contained in ATCC Deposit No. 97692.  
     
     
         7 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 1  wherein said polynucleotide has the nucleotide sequence encoding the CKα-4 polypeptide having the complete amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA clone contained in ATCC Deposit No. 97692.  
     
     
         8 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 1  wherein said polynucleotide has the nucleotide sequence encoding the mature CKα-4 polypeptide having the amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA clone contained in ATCC Deposit No. 97692.  
     
     
         9 . An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide which hybridizes under stringent hybridization conditions to a polynucleotide having a nucleotide sequence identical to a nucleotide sequence in (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e) of  claim 1  wherein said polynucleotide which hybridizes does not hybridize under stringent hybridization conditions to a polynucleotide having a nucleotide sequence consisting of only A residues or of only T residues.  
     
     
         10 . An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide which encodes the amino acid sequence of an epitope-bearing portion of a CKα-4 polypeptide having an amino acid sequence in (a), (b), (c) or (d) of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         11 . The isolated nucleic acid molecule of  claim 10 , which encodes an epitope-bearing portion of a CKα-4 polypeptide selected from the group consisting of: a polypeptide comprising amino acid residues from about Pro 23 to about Cys 32 in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2); a polypeptide comprising amino acid residues from about Pro 35 to about Ser 49 in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2); a polypeptide comprising a polypeptide comprising amino acid residues from about Tyr 52 to about Val 62 in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2); and a polypeptide comprising amino acid residues from about a polypeptide comprising amino acid residues from about Leu 66 to about Phe 94 in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2)  
     
     
         12 . A method for making a recombinant vector comprising inserting an isolated nucleic acid molecule of  claim 1  into a vector.  
     
     
         13 . A recombinant vector produced by the method of  claim 12 .  
     
     
         14 . A method of making a recombinant host cell comprising introducing the recombinant vector of  claim 13  into a host cell.  
     
     
         15 . A recombinant host cell produced by the method of  claim 14 .  
     
     
         16 . A recombinant method for producing a CKα-4 polypeptide, comprising culturing the recombinant host cell of  claim 15  under conditions such that said polypeptide is expressed and recovering said polypeptide.  
     
     
         17 . An isolated CKα-4 polypeptide having an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to a sequence selected from the group consisting of: 
 (a) the amino acid sequence of the CKα-4 polypeptide having the complete amino acid sequence in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2);  
 (b) the amino acid sequence of the mature CKα-4 polypeptide having the amino acid sequence at positions 19-94 in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2);  
 (c) the amino acid sequence of the CKα-4 polypeptide having the complete amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA clone contained in ATCC Deposit No. 97692;  
 (d) the amino acid sequence of the mature CKα-4 polypeptide having the amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA clone contained in ATCC Deposit No. 97692; and  
 (e) the amino acid sequence of an epitope-bearing portion of any one of the polypeptides of (a), (b), (c), or (d).  
 
     
     
         18 . An isolated polypeptide comprising an epitope-bearing portion of the CKα-4 protein, wherein said portion is selected from the group consisting of: a polypeptide comprising amino acid residues from about Pro 23 to about Cys 32 in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2); a polypeptide comprising amino acid residues from about Pro 35 to about Ser 49 in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2); a polypeptide comprising a polypeptide comprising amino acid residues from about Tyr 52 to about Val 62 in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2); and a polypeptide comprising amino acid residues from about a polypeptide comprising amino acid residues from about Leu 66 to about Phe 94 in FIG. 1 (SEQ ID NO:2)  
     
     
         19 . An isolated antibody that binds specifically to a CKα-4 polypeptide of  claim 17.