Compositions and methods for the treatment of immune related diseases

1. An isolated nucleic acid having at least 95% nucleic acid sequence identity to:

(a) a nucleic acid sequence encoding the polypeptide shown in FIG. 12 (SEQ ID NO:12);

(b) a nucleic acid sequence encoding-amino acids 31-156 of the polypeptide shown in FIG. 12 (SEQ ID NO:12);

(c) the nucleic acid sequence shown in FIG. 11 (SEQ ID NO:11);

(d) the full-length coding sequence of the nucleic acid sequence shown in FIG. 11 (SEQ ID NO:11); or

(e) the full-length coding sequence of the cDNA deposited under ATCC accession number PTA-617,

wherein the isolated nucleic acid encodes a polypeptide that induces T-cell proliferation.

2. The isolated nucleic acid of claim 1 having at least 99% nucleic acid sequence identity to:

(a) a nucleic acid sequence encoding the polypeptide shown in FIG. 12 (SEQ ID NO:12);

(b) a nucleic acid sequence encoding amino acids 31-156 of the polypeptide shown in FIG. 12 (SEQ ID. NO:12);

(c) the nucleic acid sequence shown in FIG. 11 (SEQ ID NO:11);

(d) the full-length coding sequence of the nucleic acid sequence shown in FIG. 11 (SEQ ID NO:11); or

(e) the full-length coding sequence of the cDNA deposited under ATCC accession number PTA-617.

3. An isolated nucleic acid comprising:

(a) a nucleic acid sequence encoding the polypeptide shown in FIG. 12 (SEQ ID NO:12);

(b) a nucleic acid sequence encoding amino acids 31-156 of the polypeptide shown in FIG. 12 (SEQ ID NO:12);

(c) the nucleic acid sequence shown in FIG. 11 (SEQ ID NO:11);

(d) the full-length coding sequence of the nucleic acid sequence shown in FIG. 11 (SEQ ID NO:11); or

(e) the full-length coding sequence of the cDNA deposited under ATCC accession number PTA-617;

wherein the isolated nucleic acid encodes a polypeptide that induces T-cell proliferation.

4. The isolated nucleic acid of claim 3 comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding the polypeptide shown in FIG. 12 (SEQ ID NO:12).

5. The isolated nucleic acid of claim 3 comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding amino acids 31-156 of the polypeptide shown in FIG. 12 (SEQ ID NO:12).

6. The isolated nucleic acid of claim 3 comprising the nucleic acid sequence shown in FIG. 11 (SEQ ID NO:11).

7. The isolated nucleic acid of claim 3 comprising the full-length coding sequence of the nucleic acid sequence shown in FIG. 11 (SEQ ID NO:11).

8. The isolated nucleic acid of claim 3 comprising the full-length coding sequence of the cDNA deposited under ATCC accession number PTA-617.

9. An isolated nucleic acid that hybridizes under stringent conditions to the complement of

(a) a nucleic acid sequence encoding the polypeptide shown in FIG. 12 (SEQ ID NO:12);

(b) a nucleic acid sequence encoding amino acids 31-156 of the polypeptide shown in FIG. 12 (SEQ ID NO:12);

(c) the nucleic acid sequence shown in FIG. 11 (SEQ ID NO:11);

(d) the full-length coding sequence of the nucleic acid sequence shown in FIG. 11 (SEQ ID NO:11); or

(e) the full-length coding sequence of the cDNA deposited under ATCC accession number PTA-617,

wherein stringent conditions are 50% formamide, 5×SSC (0.75 M NaCl, 0.075 M sodium citrate), 50 mM sodium phosphate (pH 6.8), 0.1% sodium pyrophosphate, 5×Denhardt's solution, sonicated salmon sperm DNA (50 μg/ml), 0.1% SDS, and 10% dextran sulfate at 42° C., with washes at 42° C. in 0.2×SSC (sodium chionde/sodium citrate) and 50% formamide at 55° C., followed by a high-stringency wash consisting of 0.1×SSC containing EDTA at 55° C., and

wherein the isolated nucleic acid encodes a polypeptide that induces T-cell proliferation.

10. A vector comprising the nucleic acid of claim 1 .

11. The vector of claim 10 , wherein said nucleic acid is operably linked to control sequences recognized by a host cell transformed with the vector.

12. An isolated host cell comprising the vector of claim 11 .

13. The host cell of claim 12 , wherein said cell is a CHO cell, an E. coli or a yeast cell.