Patent ID: 6221613
Filing Date: 2001-04-24
Classification: A61M,A61P,C07K

Abstract:
A process involving competitive binding for identifying a chemical compound which specifically binds to a rat Melanin-concentrating hormone 1 (MCH1) receptor which comprises contacting cells expressing on their cell surface the rat MCH1 receptor, with both the chemical compound and a second chemical compound known to bind to the receptor, and separately with only the second chemical compound, under conditions suitable for binding of both compounds, and detecting specific binding of the chemical compound to the rat MCH1 receptor, a decrease in the binding of the second chemical compound to the rat MCH1 receptor in the presence of the chemical compound relative to the binding of the second chemical compound in the absence of the chemical compound indicating that the chemical compound binds to the rat MCH1 receptor, wherein the cells do not normally express the rat MCH1 receptor, the DNA encoding the rat MCH1 receptor has the defined sequence shown in FIG. 4 (SEQ ID NO: 3) and the second chemical compound is Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) or an analog of MCH.