Kidney-specific urate transporter and gene thereof

Abstract

It is intended to identify and provide a novel urate transporter gene participating in the urate transport in the kidney and a urate transporter which is a polypeptide encoded by the above gene. Namely, a protein comprising the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO:1 or an amino acid sequence derived therefrom by deletion, substitution or addition of one to several amino acids and being capable of transporting uric acid and its analogs; and a gene encoding this protein.

1 . A protein comprising an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO:1 or an amino acid sequence derived therefrom by deletion, substitution or addition of one to several amino acids and being capable of transporting uric acid and its analogs.  
     
     
         2 . The protein according to  claim 1  which is derived from human.  
     
     
         3 . The protein according to  claim 1  which is derived from organs, tissues or cultured cells.  
     
     
         4 . A gene encoding the protein according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         5 . DNA comprising the base sequence represented by SEQ ID NO:1 or DNA hybridizing with the DNA under a stringent condition and encoding a protein being capable of transporting uric acid and its analogs or exchanging uric acid and the other anion.  
     
     
         6 . The gene according to  claim 5 , which is derived from human.  
     
     
         7 . The gene according to  claim 5 , which is derived from organs, tissues or cultured cells.  
     
     
         8 . The gene according to  claim 4  or a plasmid comprising a gene encoding a protein of the gene.  
     
     
         9 . The plasmid according to  claim 8 , wherein the plasmid is an expression plasmid.  
     
     
         10 . Host cells transformed with the plasmid according to  claim 8 .  
     
     
         11 . Nucleotides comprising a partial sequence of consecutive 14 bases or more in the base sequence represented by SEQ ID NO:1 or a complementary sequence thereof.  
     
     
         12 . The nucleotides according to  claim 11 , used as a probe to detect the gene encoding the protein being capable of transporting uric acid and its analogs or exchanging uric acid and other anion.  
     
     
         13 . The nucleotides according to  claim 11 , used to modulate the expression of the gene encoding the protein being capable of transporting uric acid and its analogs or exchanging uric acid and other anion.  
     
     
         14 . An antibody against the protein according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         15 . A method for detecting an action of a subject substance as a substrate for an ability to transport uric acid of the protein and its analogs or exchange uric acid and other anion using the protein according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         16 . A method for screening substances having a uricosuric regulating action using the protein according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         17 . A uricosuric regulating agent capable of being screened by the method according to  claim 16 .  
     
     
         18 . A method for changing kinetics of uric acid and its analogs transported by the protein in the kidney, by modulating an ability to transport uric acid of the protein and its analogs or exchange the uric acid and other anion, using the protein according to  claim 1 , a specific antibody thereof, a function accelerating substance thereof or a function inhibiting substance thereof.  
     
     
         19 . A method for changing effects of uric acid and its analogs transported by the protein on kinetics in the kidney, by modulating an ability to transport uric acid of the protein and its analogs or exchange the uric acid and other anion, using the protein according to  claim 1 , a specific antibody thereof, a function accelerating substance thereof or a function inhibiting substance thereof.  
     
     
         20 . A method for changing effects of uric acid and its analogs transported by the protein on total blood concentrations, by modulating an ability to transport uric acid of the protein and its analogs or exchange the uric acid and other anions, using the protein according to  claim 1 , a specific antibody thereof, a function accelerating substance thereof or a function inhibiting substance thereof.  
     
     
         21 . A method for detecting and changing effects of uric acid and its analogs transported by the protein on kinetics in the kidney, by excessively expressing the protein in the certain cells or by modulating an ability to transport uric acid of the protein existing in the cells and its analogs, using the protein according to  claim 1 , a specific antibody thereof, a function accelerating substance thereof or a function inhibiting substance thereof, and cDNA (complementary DNA) encoding the same.