UCP3 genes

Details UCP3 genes UCP3 genes

2000-02-14

2001-06-19

McKelvey, Terry (Department: 1636)

Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology

Micro-organism, tissue cell culture or enzyme using process...

Recombinant dna technique included in method of making a...

C435S243000, C435S325000, C435S375000, C435S410000, C435S455000, C536S023500

Reexamination Certificate

active

06248561

ABSTRACT:

INTRODUCTION
1. Field of the Invention
The field of this invention is UCP3 genes and their use in biotechnology.
2. Background
A mitochondrial protein called uncoupling protein (UCP1) is thought to play an important role in the body's regulation of energy utilization. Such regulation provides wide spread physiological controls including body weight, appetite, glucose metabolism, temperature, immune responses, etc. Mechanistically, UCP1 is thought to create a pathway that allows dissipation of the proton electrochemical gradient across the inner mitochondrial membrane in brown adipose tissue, without coupling to any other energy consuming process (for review, see Nicholis & Locke (1984) Physiol Rev 64, 1-64). Unfortunately, the role of UCP1 in physiologies such as body weight regulation in large adult mammals such as people, cattle, pigs, etc. is likely to be limited, since there is little brown adipose tissue in such animals.
UCP2 is a second, related uncoupling protein that is much more widely expressed in large adult mammals (see, e.g. Fleury et al. (1997) Nature Genetics 15, 269-272 and Tartaglia et al. (1996) WO96/05861). Consistent with a role in the regulation of energy utilization generally, and in diabetes and obesity in particular, the UCP2 gene is upregulated in response to fat feeding and maps to regions of the human and mouse genomes linked to hyperinsulinaemia and obesity. More recently, a third structurally related UCP gene, hUCP3 has been charaterized and found to be preferentially expressed in skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissues; see, Vidal-Puig et al. (1997) BBRC 235, 79-82 and Boss et al. (1997) FEBS Letters 408, 39-42.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides methods and compositions relating to isolated mUCP3 polypeptides, related nucleic acids, polypeptide domains thereof having mUCP3-specific structure and activity and modulators of mUCP3 function. mUCP3 polypeptides and modulators of mUCP3 expresssion and/or function can regulate mitochodrial respiration and hence provide important regulators of cell metabolism and function. The polypeptides may be produced recombinantly from transformed host cells or extracts from the subject mUCP3 polypeptide encoding nucleic acids or purified from mammalian cells. The invention provides isolated mUCP3 hybridization probes and primers capable of specifically hybridizing with the disclosed mUCP3 genes, mUCP3-specific binding agents such as specific antibodies, and methods of making and using the subject compositions in diagnosis (e.g. genetic hybridization screens for mUCP3 transcripts) and in the biopharmaceutical industry (e.g. as immunogens, reagents for isolating other transcriptional regulators, knockin/out vectors, transgenic animals anc cell lines, reagents for screening chemical libraries for lead pharmacological agents, etc.).


REFERENCES:
patent: 5702902 (1997-12-01), Tartaglia
patent: 5846779 (1998-12-01), Zhang et al.
Ngo et al. The Protein Folding Problem and Tertiary Structure Prediction, Mertz et al (eds.). pp. 433 and 492-495. 1994.
Marra et al. EST # AA062091. GenBank-est106 database [CD-ROM]. Sep. 23, 1996.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

UCP3 genes does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with UCP3 genes, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and UCP3 genes will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2498677