Patent ID: 7226758

Claim:
A purified and isolated nucleic acid encoding a glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) polypeptide, wherein said nucleic acid: (a) comprises nucleotides 304 through 705 of SEQ ID NO:3; or (b) comprises nucleotides 105 through 506 of SEQ ID NO:5; or (c) encodes a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth as 1-134 of SEQ ID NO:4; or (d) encodes a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth as 1-134 of SEQ ID NO:6; or (e) hybridizes to an oligonucleotide probe fully complementary to a nucleic acid encoding the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:6 under hybridization conditions comprising 6×SSPE and 0.1% SDS at 50° C., followed by washing in 2×SSPE and 0.1% SDS at room temperature and twice in 0.1×SSPE, 0.1% SDS preheated to 50° C. and wherein said polypeptide promotes dopamine uptake in dopaminergic neurons; or (f) hybridizes to an oligonucleotide probe fully complementary to a nucleic acid encoding amino acids 2 to 86 of SEQ ID NO:4 under hybridization conditions comprising 6×SSPE, 0.1% SDS and 30% formamide at 42° C., followed by washing in 2×SSPE and 0.1% SDS at room temperature and twice in 0.1×SSPE, 0.1% SDS preheated to 50° C. and wherein said polypeptide promotes dopamine uptake in dopaminergic neurons.