Patent AT-E400584-T1: [Translated] NEW LIGAND AND DNA FROM IT

Peptides (I) (of six sequences (GPR7 ligands A through F) of human, mouse, rat and bovine origin, given in the specification) which bind to the GPR7 opioid-somatostatin-like receptor protein, and the amides, esters and salts of these peptides, and their derivatives brominated at the N-terminal amino acid, are new. Independent claims are also included for (1) peptides containing partial sequences of (I); (2) precursor peptides of (I); (3) polynucleotides encoding all or part of (I); (4) expression vectors containing these polynucleotides; (5) hosts transformed by the expression vectors; (6) preparation of (I) or their partial peptides or precursors, by culture of host cells transformed by the expression vectors; (7) antibodies to all or part of (I); (8) drug compositions containing peptides (I), their partial peptides, polynucleotides encoding them, or antibodies recognizing them; (9) diagnostic reagents containing polynucleotides encoding all or part of (I), or antibodies recognizing all or part of (I); (10) screening compounds modifying the binding of (I) to GPR7 or modifying the degree of expression of (I); (11) compounds identified by the screening method; (12) drug compositions containing these compounds; (13) kits for carrying out the screening method; (14) bovine GPR7 receptor protein and its partial peptides; (15) polynucleotides encoding all or part of bovine GPR7; (16) expression vectors containing these polynucleotides; (17) hosts transformed by the expression vectors; (18) preparation of bovine GPR7 and its partial peptides by culture of the transformed host cells; (19) antibodies to bovine GPR7; (20) drug compositions containing bovine GPR7, its partial peptides, polynucleotides encoding it or antibodies recognizing it; (21) diagnostic reagents containing antibodies to bovine GPR7 or polynucleotides encoding all or part of bovine GPR7; (22) bovine GPR8 receptor protein and its partial peptides; (23) polynucleotides encoding all or part of bovine GPR8; expression vectors containing these polynucleotides; (24) hosts transformed by the expression vectors; (25) preparation of bovine GPR8 and its partial peptides by culture of the transformed host cells; (26) antibodies to bovine GPR8; (27) drug compositions containing bovine GPR8, its partial peptides, polynucleotides encoding it or antibodies recognizing it; (28) diagnostic reagents containing antibodies to bovine GPR8 or polynucleotides encoding all or part of bovine GPR8; (29) non-human mammals which are transgenic animals containing foreign DNA encoding (I), bovine GPR7 or bovine GPR8, or are knockout animals for the genes encoding (I), bovine GPR7 or bovine GPR8; (30) non-human mammal embryonic stem cells (ES cells) having the gene for (I), bovine GPR7 or bovine GPR8 in an inactivated form; (31) expression vectors for (I) in mammals; and (32) screening compounds for their ability to modify the promoter activity of the gene for (I), bovine GPR7 or bovine GPR8, using non-human mammals transformed by a reporter gene under the control of the promoter region of the gene for (I), bovine GPR7 or bovine GPR8. ACTIVITY : Anorectic; Cytostatic. No biological data is given. MECHANISM OF ACTION : Modifying the binding of the opioid-somatostatin-like receptor GPR7 to its ligands; (I) and N-terminal brominated derivatives have an agonist effect on GPR7 expression.