Patent ID: 6162896
Filing Date: 2000-12-19
Classification: A61K,C07K

Abstract:
An isolated precursor of a vertebrate activin receptor, the precursor encoded by a nucleotide sequence which is:(a) the nucleotide sequence of a cDNA molecule present in a vertebrate library, wherein the noncoding strand of the cDNA molecule hybridizes under conditions of low stringency with a probe having a sequence selected from the group consisting of:(i) nucleotides 71-1609 of SEQ ID NO: 1;(ii) nucleotides 71-1609 of SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein nucleotides 185-187 are replaced by a codon for lysine, nucleotides 344-346 are replaced by a codon for valine, and nucleotides 932-934 are replaced by a codon for glutamine;(iii) nucleotides 468-1997 of SEQ ID NO: 3; and or(b) a sequence degenerate with the sequence of a cDNA molecule according to (a);wherein the precursor comprises an N-terminal signal sequence and the sequence of the mature receptor, the mature receptor having an extracellular ligand-binding domain, a transmembrane domain, and an intracellular serine/threonine kinase domain, and wherein activin specifically binds to the mature receptor.