Patent ID: 6413730
Filing Date: 2002-07-02
Classification: A61K,C07K,C12N,C12Q

Abstract:
A method for identifying a compound which inhibits or enhances activation of a transmembrane ligand for a receptor tyrosine kinase, selected from Elk-L/LERK2/Efl-3/Cek5-L, hHtk-L/ELF-2/Lerk5, and hElk-L3/Efl-6, in a cell expressing the transmembrane ligand, comprising the steps of:(a) contacting one of the following: (i) a purified and isolated oligomerized receptor tyrosine kinase selected from Nuk, Hek, Erk, Sek3, Cek5, Elk, Cek6a, xEk, Hek2, Sek4, Cek10, Htk and Myk1, (ii) a purified and isolated oligomerized isoform of a receptor tyrosine kinase selected from Nuk, Hek, Erk, Sek3, Cek5, Elk, Cek6a, xEk, Hek2, Sek4, Cek10, Htk and Myk1, or (iii) a purified and isolated oligomerized extracellular domain of a receptor tyrosine kinase selected from Nuk, Hek, Erk, Sek3, Cek5, Elk, Cek6a, xEk, Hek2, Sek4, Cek10, Htk and Myk1; with a cell expressing a transmembrane ligand for a receptor tyrosine kinase selected from Elk-L/LERK2/Efl-3/Cek5-L, hHtk-L/ELF-2/Lerk5, and hElk-L3/Efl-6, which binds to the receptor tyrosine kinase to form receptor-ligand complexes which activate said signal transduction activities of the transmembrane ligand in the cell; and a test compound under conditions which permit the formation of receptor-ligand complexes; (b) assaying for activation of the transmembrane ligand; (c) performing a control experiment in which said parts (a) and (b) are performed in the absence of said test compound; and (d) comparing the effect of said test compound to the effect of the control experiment to determine if said test compound inhibits or enhances activation of the transmembrane ligand in the cell.