Patent ID: 6255089
Filing Date: 2001-07-03
Classification: A01K,C07K

Abstract:
A method of constitutively activating G protein-coupled mammalian serotonin receptors; wherein said serotonin receptors are human and rat, comprising the following steps:a. aligning a conserved amino acid sequence occurring in the sixth transmembrane domain of the serotonin receptor with the conserved amino acid sequence in the sixth transmembrane domain of the .alpha..sub.1B -adrenergic receptor for which a constitutively activated form having a mutation in the third intracellular loop is known;b. identifying in the aligned receptor sequences the amino acid position in the serotonin receptor which corresponds to the amino acid position in the third intracellular loop which produced constitutive activation in the .alpha..sub.1B -adrenergic receptor; andc. mutating, by site-directed mutagenesis, the identified amino acid position in the serotonin receptor so that a different amino acid is substituted for the amino acid occurring in the native serotonin receptor.