Patent ID: 6641999
Filing Date: 2003-11-04
Classification: A61K,C07K

Abstract:
A process for finding at least one murine VH-encoding polynucleotide encoding at least the heavy chain variable region (VH) of an antibody having binding specificity for TAG-72, the VH-encoding segment of said VH-encoding polynucleotide having a nucleotide sequence which is at least 80% homologous to the nucleotide sequence of the VH&agr;TAG germline gene (SEQ ID NO:1), and said VH-encoding polynucleotide being a productively rearranged or mutated productively rearranged variant of the VH&agr;TAG germline gene, said process comprising the steps of:A. providing at least one test medium containing at least one murine anti-TAG-72 VH-encoding polynucleotide that is a productively rearranged or mutated productive rearranged variant of the VH&agr;TAG germline gene (SEQ ID NO:1), said VH-encoding polynucleotide comprising at least one 5â€²-nontranslated region (5â€²-NTR) of a murine anti-TAG-72 VH-encoding gene that is a productively rearranged or mutated productively rearranged variant of the VH&agr;TAG germline gene (SEQ ID NO:1); B. providing at least one detectably labeled hybridization probe comprising a base sequence of, or fully complementary to, about 15 nucleotides or more of (1) the 5â€²-NTR of mRNA transcribed from the DNA VH&agr;TAG germline gene (SEQ ID NO:1), or of DNA corresponding thereto, or (2) the 5â€²-NTR of mRNA transcribed from a productively rearranged or mutated productively rearranged variant of the DNA VH&agr;TAG germline gene, or of DNA corresponding thereto; C. contacting said VH-encoding polynucleotide(s) with said probe(s) under conditions in which said base sequence of the probe(s) binds specifically to said 5â€²-NTR(s) of said VH-encoding polynucleotide(s) in the test medium so as to form at least one detectably labeled probe-VH-encoding polynucleotide hybrid, wherein said hybrid contains a polyntcleotide that has a nucleotide sequence that is at least 80% homologous to the nucleotide sequence of the VH&agr;TAG germline gene and that encodes a VH that is able to function as the VH of an antibody having binding specificity for TAG-72; D. detecting said hybrid(s); and E. optionally isolating said hybrid(s); provided that, where both the VH-encoding polynucleotide and the probe are single stranded, one of these is a (+) strand and the other is a (âˆ’) strand.