Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Antigen – epitope – or other immunospecific immunoeffector – Amino acid sequence disclosed in whole or in part; or...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-21
2004-03-30
Eyler, Yvonne (Department: 1646)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Antigen, epitope, or other immunospecific immunoeffector
Amino acid sequence disclosed in whole or in part; or...
C424S192100, C435S069100, C435S320100, C435S325000, C530S350000, C536S023500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06713061
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel member of the tumor necrosis factor family of receptors. More specifically, isolated nucleic acid molecules are provided encoding human Death Domain Containing Receptors (DR3 and DR3-V1). Death Domain Containing Receptor 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 DR3 activity.
2. Related Art
Many biological actions, for instance, response to certain stimuli and natural biological processes, are controlled by factors, such as cytokines. Many cytokines act through receptors by engaging the receptor and producing an intra-cellular response.
For example, tumor necrosis factors (TNF) alpha and beta are cytokines which act through TNF receptors to regulate numerous biological processes, including protection against infection and induction of shock and inflammatory disease. The TNF molecules belong to the “TNF-ligand” superfamily, and act together with their receptors or counter-ligands, the “TNF-receptor” superfamily. So far, nine members of the TNF ligand superfamily have been identified and ten members of the TNF-receptor superfamily have been characterized.
Among the ligands there are included TNF-&agr;, lymphotoxin-&agr; (LT-&agr;, also known as TNF-&bgr;), L-&bgr; (found in complex heterotrimer LT-&agr;2-&bgr;), FasL, CD40L, CD27L, CD30L, 4-1BBL, OX40L and nerve growth factor (NGF). The superfamily of TNF receptors includes the p55TNF receptor, p75TNF receptor, TNF receptor-related protein, FAS antigen or APO-1, CD40, CD27, CD30, 4-1BB, OX40, low affinity p75 and NGF-receptor (A. Meager,
Biologicals
, 22:291-295 (1994)).
Many members of the TNF-ligand superfamily are expressed by activated T-cells, implying that they are necessary for T-cell interactions with other cell types which underlie cell ontogeny and functions. (A. Meager, supra).
Considerable insight into the essential functions of several members of the TNF receptor family has been gained from the identification and creation of mutants that abolish the expression of these proteins. For example, naturally occurring mutations in the FAS antigen and its ligand cause lymphoproliferative disease (R. Watanabe-Fukunaga et al.,
Nature
356:314 (1992)), perhaps reflecting a failure of programmed cell death. Mutations of the CD40 ligand cause an X-linked immunodeficiency state characterized by high levels of immunoglobulin M and low levels of immunoglobulin G in plasma, indicating faulty T-cell-dependent B-cell activation (R. C. Allen et al.,
Science
259:990 (1993)). Targeted mutations of the low affinity nerve growth factor receptor cause a disorder characterized by faulty sensory innovation of peripheral structures (K. F. Lee et al.,
Cell
69:737 (1992)).
TNF and LT-&agr; are capable of binding to two TNF receptors (the 55- and 75-kd TNF receptors). A large number of biological effects elicited by TNF and LT-&agr;, acting through their receptors, include hemorrhagic necrosis of transplanted tumors, cytotoxicity, a role in endotoxic shock, inflammation, immunoregulation, proliferation and anti-viral responses, as well as protection against the deleterious effects of ionizing radiation. TNF and LT-&agr; are involved in the pathogenesis of a wide range of diseases, including endotoxic shock, cerebral malaria, tumors, autoimmune disease, AIDS and graft-host rejection (B. Beutler and C. Von Huffel,
Science
264:667-668 (1994)). Mutations in the p55 receptor cause increased susceptibility to microbial infection.
Moreover, an about 80 amino acid domain near the C-terminus of TNFR1 (p55) and Fas was reported as the “death domain,” which is responsible for transducing signals for programmed cell death (Tartaglia et al.,
Cell
74:845 (1993)).
Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a physiologic process essential to the normal development and homeostasis of multicellular organisms (H. Steller,
Science
267, 1445-1449 (1995)). Derangements of apoptosis contribute to the pathogenesis of several human diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (C. B. Thompson,
Science
267, 1456-1462 (1995)). Recently, much attention has focused on the signal transduction and biological function of two cell surface death receptors, Fas/APO-1 and TNFR-1 (J. L. Cleveland et al.,
Cell
81,479-482 (1995); A. Fraser et al.,
Cell
85, 781-784 (1996); S. Nagata et al.,
Science
267, 1449-56 (1995)). Both are members of the TNF receptor family which also include TNFR-2, low affinity NGFR, CD40, and CD30, among others (C. A. Smith et al.,
Science
248, 1019-23 (1990); M. Tewari et al., in
Modular Texts in Molecular and Cell Biology
M. Purton, Heldin, Carl, Ed. (Chapman and Hall, London, 1995). While family members are defined by the presence of cysteine-rich repeats in their extracellular domains, Fas/APO-1 and TNFR-1 also share a region of intracellular homology, appropriately designated the “death domain,” which is distantly related to the Drosophila suicide gene, reaper (P. Golstein et al.,
Cell
81, 185-6 (1995); K. White et al.,
Science
264, 677-83 (1994)). This shared death domain suggests that both receptors interact with a related set of signal transducing molecules that, until recently, remained unidentified. Activation of Fas/APO-1 recruits the death domain-containing adapter molecule FADD/MORT1 (A. M. Chinnaiyan et al.,
Cell
81, 505-12 (1995); M. P. Boldin e al.,
J. Biol Chem
270, 7795-8 (1995); F. C. Kischkel et al.,
EMBO
14, 5579-5588 (1995)), which in turn binds and presumably activates FLICE/MACH1, a member of the ICE/CED-3 family of pro-apoptotic proteases (M. Muzio et al.,
Cell
85, 817-827 (1996); M. P. Boldin et al.,
Cell
85, 803-815 (1996)). While the central role of Fas/APO-1 is to trigger cell death, TNFR-1 can signal an array of diverse biological activities—many of which stem from its ability to activate NF-kB (L. A. Tartaglia et al.,
Immunol Today
13, 151-3 (1992)). Accordingly, TNFR-1 recruits the multivalent adapter molecule TRADD, which like FADD, also contains a death domain (H. Hsu et al.,
Cell
81, 495-504 (1995); H. Hsu et al.,
Cell
84, 299-308 (1996)). Through its associations with a number of signaling molecules including FADD, TRAF2, and RIP, TRADD can signal both apoptosis and NF-kB activation, Id.; H. Hsu et al.,
Immunity
4, 387-396 (1996)).
The effects of TNF family ligands and TNF family receptors are varied and influence numerous functions, both normal and abnormal, in the biological processes of the mammalian system. There is a clear need, therefore, for identification and characterization of such receptors and ligands that influence biological activity, both normally and in disease states. In particular, there is a need to isolate and characterize novel members of the TNF receptor family.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides for isolated nucleic acid molecules comprising, or alternatively consisting of, nucleic acid sequences encoding the amino acid sequences shown in SEQ ID NO:2 and SEQ ID NO:4 or the amino acid sequence encoding the cDNAs deposited as ATCC Deposit No. 97456 on Mar. 1, 1996 and ATCC Deposit No. 97757 on Oct. 10, 1996.
The present invention also provides vectors and host cells for recombinant expression of the nucleic acid molecules described herein, as well as to methods of making such vectors and host cells and for using them for production of DR3 or DR3 Variant 1 (DR3-V1) (formerly named DDCR) polypeptides or peptides by recombinant techniques.
The invention further provides an isolated DR3 or DR3-V1 polypeptide having an amino acid sequence encoded by a polynucleotide described herein.
The present invention also provides diagnostic assays such as quantitative and diagnostic assays for detecting levels of DR3 or DR3-V1 protein. Thus, for instance, a diagnostic assay in accordance with the invention for detecting over-expression of DR3 or DR3-V1, or
Dillon Patrick J.
Dixit Vishva M.
Gentz Reiner L.
Ni Jian
Yu Guo-Liang
Eyler Yvonne
Human Genome Sciences Inc.
Human Genome Sciences Inc.
O'Hara Eileen B.
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