Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Designated organic active ingredient containing – Peptide containing doai
Reexamination Certificate
1996-10-22
2001-03-20
Caputa, Anthony C. (Department: 1645)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Designated organic active ingredient containing
Peptide containing doai
C514S012200, C514S903000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06204241
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to polypeptides found in vertebrate species, which polypeptides are mitogenic growth factors for glial cells, including Schwann cells. The invention is also concerned with processes capable of producing such factors, and the therapeutic application of such factors.
The glial cells of vertebrates constitute the specialized connective tissue of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Important glial cells include Schwann cells which provide metabolic support for neurons and which provide myelin sheathing around the axons of certain peripheral neurons, thereby forming individual nerve fibers. Schwann cells support neurons and provide a sheath effect by forming concentric layers of membrane around adjacent neural axons, twisting as they develop around the axons. These myelin sheaths are a susceptible element of many nerve fibers, and damage to Schwann cells, or failure in growth and development, can be associated with significant demyelination or nerve degeneration characteristic of a number of peripheral nervous system diseases and disorders. In the development of the nervous system, it has become apparent that cells require various factors to regulate their division and growth, and various such factors have been identified in recent years, including some found to have an effect on Schwann cell division or development.
Thus, Brockes et al., inter alia, in J. Neuroscience, A (1984) 75-83 describe a protein growth factor present in extracts from bovine brain and pituitary tissue, which was named Glial Growth Factor (GGF). This factor stimulated cultured rat Schwann cells to divide against a background medium containing ten percent fetal calf serum. The factor was also described as having a molecular weight of 31,000 Daltons and as readily dimerizing. In Meth. Enz., 147 (1987), 217-225, Brockes describes a Schwann cell-based assay for GGF.
Brockes et al., supra, also describes a method of purification of GGF to apparent homogeneity. In brief, one large-scale purification method described involves extraction of the lyophilized bovine anterior lobes and chromatography of material obtained thereby using NaCl gradient elution from CM cellulose. Gel filtration is then carried out with an Ultrogel column, followed by elution from a phosphocellulose column, and finally, small-scale SDS gel electrophoresis. Alternatively, the CM-cellulose material was applied directly to a phosphocellulose column, fractions from the column were pooled and purified by preparative native gel electrophoresis, followed by a final SDS gel electrophoresis.
Brockes et al. observed that in previously reported gel filtration experiments (Brockes et al., J. Biol. Chem. 255 (1980) 8374-8377), the major peak of growth factor activity was observed to migrate with a molecular weight of 56,000 Daltons, whereas in the first of the above-described procedures activity was predominantly observed at molecular weight 31,000. It is reported that the GGF dimer is largely removed as a result of the gradient elution from CM-cellulose in this procedure.
Benveniste et al. (PNAS, 82 (1985), 3930-3934) describes a T lymphocyte-derived glial growth promoting factor. This factor, under reducing conditions, exhibits a change in apparent molecular weight on SDS gels.
Kimura et al. (Nature, 348 (1990), 257-260) describes a factor they term Schwannoma-derived growth factor (SDGF) which is obtained from a sciatic nerve sheath tumor. The authors state that SDGF does not stimulate the incorporation of tritium-labelled TdR into cultured Schwann cells under conditions where, in contrast, partially purified pituitary fraction containing GGF is active. SDGF has an apparent molecular weight of between 31,000 and 35,000.
Davis and Stroobant (J. Cell. Biol., 110 (1990), 1353-1360) describe the screening of a number of candidate mitogens. Rat Schwann cells were used, the chosen candidate substances being examined for their ability to stimulate DNA synthesis in the Schwann cells in the presence of 10% FCS (fetal calf serum), with and without forskolin. One of the factors tested was GGF-carboxymethyl cellulose fraction (GGF-CM), which was mitogenic in the presence of FCS, with and without forskolin. The work revealed that in the presence of forskolin, inter alia, platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) was a potent mitogen for Schwann cells, PDGF having previously been thought to have no effect on Schwann cells.
Holmes et al. Science (1992) 256: 1205 and Wen et al. Cell (1992) 69: 559 demonstrate that DNA sequences which encode proteins binding to a receptor (p185
erbB2
) are associated with several human tumors.
The p185
erbB2
protein is a 185 kilodalton membrane spanning protein with tyrosine kinase activity. The protein is encoded by the erbB2 proto-oncogene (Yarden and Ullrich Ann. Rev. Biochem. 57: 443 (1988)). The erbB2 gene, also referred to as HER-2 (in human cells) and neu (in rat cells), is closely related to the receptor for epidermal growth factor (EGF). Recent evidence indicates that proteins which interact with (and activate the kinase of) p185
erbB2
induce proliferation in the cells bearing p185
erbB2
(Holmes et al. Science 256: 1205 (1992); Dobashi et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 88: 8582 (1991); Lupu et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 89: 2287 (1992)). Furthermore, it is evident that the gene encoding p185
erbB2
binding proteins produces a number of variably-sized, differentially-spliced RNA transcripts that give rise to a series of proteins, which are of different lengths and contain some common peptide sequences and some unique peptide sequences. This is supported by the differentially-spliced RNA transcripts recoverable from human breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) (Holmes et al. Science 256: 1205 (1992)). Further support derives from the wide size range of proteins which act as (as disclosed herein) ligands for the p185
erbB2
receptor (see below).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In general the invention provides methods for stimulating glial cell (in particular, Schwann cell and glia of the central nervous system) mitogenesis, as well as new proteins exhibiting such glial cell mitogenic activity. In addition, DNA encoding these proteins and antibodies which bind these and related proteins are provided.
The novel proteins of the invention include alternative splicing products of sequences encoding known polypeptides. Generally, these known proteins are members of the GGF/p185
erbB2
family of proteins.
Specifically, the invention provides polypeptides of a specified formula, and DNA sequences encoding those polypeptides. The polypeptides have the formula
WYBAZCX
wherein WYBAZCX is composed of the amino acid sequences shown in
FIG. 31
(SEQ ID Nos. 136-139, 141-147, 160, 161, 173-178, 42-44, 77); wherein W comprises the polypeptide segment F, or is absent; wherein Y comprises the polypeptide segment E, or is absent; wherein Z comprises the polypeptide segment G or is absent; and wherein X comprises the polypeptide segments C/D HKL, C/D H, C/D HL, C/D D, C/D′ HL, C/D′ HKL, C/D′ H, C/D′ D, C/D C/D′ HKL, C/D C/D′ H, C/D C/D′ HL, C/D C/D′ D, C/D D′ H, C/D D′ HL, C/D D′ HKL, C/D′ D′ H, C/D′ D′ HL, C/D′ D′ HKL, C/D C/D′ D′ H, C/D C/D′ D′ HL, or C/D C/D′ D′ HKL; provided that, either
a) at least one of F, Y, B, A, Z, C, or X is of bovine origin; or
b) Y comprises the polypeptide segment E; or
c) X comprises the polypeptide segments C/D HKL, C/D D, C/D′ HKL, C/D C/D′ HKL, C/D C/D′ D, C/D D′ H, C/D D′ HL, C/D D′ HKL, C/D′ D′ H, C/D′ D′ HKL, C/D C/D′ D′ H, C/D C/D′ D′ HL, C/D C/D′ D′ HKL, C/D′H, C/D C/D′H, or C/D C/D′ HL.
In addition, the invention includes the DNA sequence comprising coding segments
5′
FBA
3′
as well as the with corresponding polypeptide segments having the amino acid sequences shown in
FIG. 31
(SEQ ID Nos. 136, 138, 139, 173-1
Chen Maio Su
Goodearl Andrew David
Hiles Ian
Marchionni Mark
Minghetti Luisa
Bieker-Brady Kristina
Cambridge NeuroScience, Inc.
Caputa Anthony C.
Clark & Elbing LLP
Gucker Stephen
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