Members of the capsaicin/vanilloid receptor family of proteins and uses thereof
The invention provides isolated nucleic acids molecules, designated hVR-1, hVR-2, and rVR-2 nucleic acid molecules, which encode novel members of the Capsaicin/Vanilloid receptor family. The invention also provides antisense nucleic acid molecules, recombinant expression vectors containing hVR-1, hVR-2, and rVR-2 nucleic acid molecules, host cells into which the expression vectors have been introduced, and nonhuman transgenic animals in which an hVR-1, hVR-2, and rVR-2 gene has been introduced or disrupted. The invention still further provides isolated hVR-1, hVR-2, and rVR-2 proteins, fusion proteins, antigenic peptides and anti-hVR-1, anti-hVR-2, and anti-rVR-2 antibodies. Diagnostic methods utilizing compositions of the invention are also provided.
1. An isolated nucleic acid molecule which encodes a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of
(1) a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2;
(2) a polypeptide consisting of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2;
(3) a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least about 87% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2; and
(4) a polypeptide comprising at least 200 contiguous amino acid residues of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.
2. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 further comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a heterologous polypeptide.
3. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 which is a vector.
4. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 3 which is an expression vector.
5. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 which comprises SEQ ID NO:1.
6. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 3 which comprises SEQ ID NO:1.
7. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 4 which comprises SEQ ID NO:1.
8. A host cell transfected with an expression vector which comprises a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of (1) a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2; (2) a polypeptide consisting of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2; (3) a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least about 87% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2; and (4) a polypeptide comprising at least 200 contiguous amino acid residues of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.
9. The host cell of claim 8 , wherein the expression vector comprises SEQ ID NO:1.
10. A method, comprising culturing a host cell in an appropriate culture medium, wherein the host cell comprises an expression vector and wherein the expression vector comprises a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of (1) a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2; (2) a polypeptide consisting of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2; (3) a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least about 87% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2; and (4) a polypeptide comprising at least 200 contiguous amino acid residues of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, thereby expressing the polypeptide encoded by the nucleic acid molecule.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the nucleic acid molecule comprises SEQ ID NO:1.