Human TARPP genes and polypeptides

Abstract

The present invention relates to all facets of novel polynucleotides, the polypeptides they encode, antibodies and specific binding partners thereto, and their applications to research, diagnosis, drug discovery, therapy, clinical medicine, forensic science and medicine, etc. The polynucleotides are highly in brain, pituitary, muscle, and thymus, and are therefore useful in variety of ways, including, but not limited to, as molecular markers, as drug targets, and for detecting, diagnosing, staging, monitoring, prognosticating, preventing or treating, determining predisposition to, etc., diseases and conditions, relating to such tissues. The genes and polypeptides can also be used as markers for immature T-cells.

1 . An isolated polynucleotide which codes without interruption for a human TARPP polypeptide having an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO 2 (Br137E), SEQ ID NO 4 (Br137A), SEQ ID NO 6 (Br137B), SEQ ID NO 8 (Br137C), or a complement thereto.  
     
     
         2 . An isolated polynucleotide of  claim 1 , having the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, 3, 5, or 7.  
     
     
         3 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising, 
 polynucleotide sequence having 99% or more sequence identity to the polynucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO 2 (Br137E), SEQ ID NO 4 (Br137A), SEQ ID NO 6 (Br137B), or SEQ ID NO 8 (Br137C), which codes without interruption for a human TARPP, or a complement thereto, and which has nucleic acid binding activity.    
     
     
         4 . An isolated polynucleotide of a human TARPP of  claim 1  consisting essentially of, 
 a polynucleotide sequence coding for amino acids 267-300, 312-331, 1-161, 88-161, effective specific fragments thereof, or complements thereto.  
 
     
     
         5 . An isolated polynucleotide of  claim 4 , wherein said fragment is effective in a polymerase chain reaction.  
     
     
         6 . An isolated polypeptide coding for human TARPP having an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO 2 (Br137E), SEQ ID NO 4 (Br137A), SEQ ID NO 6 (Br137B), and SEQ ID NO 8 (Br137C).  
     
     
         7 . An isolated polypeptide consisting essentially of a polypeptide coded for by a polynucleotide sequence of  claim 4 .  
     
     
         8 . An isolated polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having 99% or more sequence identity to a human TARPP of  claim 1  and having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO 2 (Br137E), SEQ ID NO 4 (Br137A), SEQ ID NO 6 (Br137B), or SEQ ID NO 8 (Br137C).  
     
     
         9 . A method of modulating T-cells, comprising, 
 contacting T-cells with an agent which is effective for regulating a human TARPP gene of  claim 1  expressed in said cells, or for modulating the biological activity of a polypeptide encoded thereby.    
     
     
         10 . A method of  claim 9 , wherein said agent is an antibody or an antisense polynucleotide effective to inhibit translation of said gene.  
     
     
         11 . A method treating a disease of the immune or nervous system, comprising, 
 administering to a subject in need thereof an amount of an agent effective for modulating the expression of a human TARPP of  claim 1 , or for modulating the biological activity of a polypeptide encoded thereby.    
     
     
         12 . A method of detecting expression of a gene coding for human TARPP, comprising, 
 contacting a sample comprising nucleic acid with a polynucleotide probe specific for a human TARPP of  claim 1  under conditions effective for said probe to hybridize specifically with said human TARPP, and    detecting hybridization between said probe and said human TARPP.    
     
     
         13 . A method of  claim 12 , wherein said detecting is performed by: 
 Northern blot analysis, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), reverse transcriptase PCR, RACE PCR, or in situ hybridization.    
     
     
         14 . A method of assessing a therapeutic or preventative intervention in a subject having a disease of the immune or nervous system, comprising, 
 determining the expression levels of a human TARPP of  claim 1  in a sample comprising immune or neuronal cells.    
     
     
         15 . A method for identifying an agent that modulates a human TARPP gene in cells expressing said gene, comprising, 
 contacting cells expressing human TARPP of  claim 1  with a test agent under conditions effective for said test agent to modulate the expression of a gene coding for said human TARPP, and    determining whether said test agent modulates said human TARPP.    
     
     
         16 . A method of  claim 15 , wherein said agent is an antisense polynucleotide to a target polynucleotide sequence selected from SEQ ID NO. 1 (Br137E), 3 (Br137A), 5 (Br137B), or 7 (Br137C), and which is effective to inhibit translation of said human TARPP.  
     
     
         17 . A method for identifying an agent that modulates the biological activity of a human TARPP polypeptide in cells expressing said polypeptide, comprising, 
 contacting cells expressing a human TARPP polynucleotide of  claim 1  with a test agent under conditions effective for said test agent to modulate the biological activity of a human TARPP polypeptide coded for by said polynucleotide, and    determining whether said test agent modulates said human TARPP.    
     
     
         18 . A method of  claim 17 , wherein said agent is a polynucleotide which binds to said polypeptide.  
     
     
         19 . A method of detecting polymorphisms in human TARPP comprising, 
 comparing the structure of: genomic DNA comprising all or part of human TARPP, mRNA comprising all or part of human TARPP, cDNA comprising all or part of human TARPP, or a polypeptide comprising all or part of human TARPP, with the structure of human TARPP of  claim 1 .    
     
     
         20 . A method of  claim 19 , wherein said polymorphism is a nucleotide deletion, substitution, inversion, or transposition.  
     
     
         21 . A human cell whose genome comprises a functional disruption of human TARPP in the region comprising the coding sequence for amino acids 1-161 of a human TARPP of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         22 . A human cell whose genome comprises a deletion of a coding sequence for amino acids 267-300 and/or 312-331 of a human TARPP of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         23 . A method of advertising human TARPP for sale, commercial use, or licensing, comprising, 
 displaying in a computer-readable medium a polynucleotide or amino acid sequence for a human TARPP of  claim 1 , effective specific fragments thereof, or complements thereto.    
     
     
         24 . An antibody which is specific-for a human TARPP, said antibody which is specific for an epitope present in amino acid sequences 1-161, 88-161, 267-300, 312-331, or a polypeptide comprising amino acid 312, of a human TARPP of  claim 1.