Patent ID: 6864363

Claim:
An isolated nucleic acid, the complement of which hybridizes to SEQ ID NO: 1 under hybridization conditions of 0.5 M phosohate buffer, pH 7.2, 7% SDS, 10 mM EDTA, at 68° C. followed by three washes for 20 minutes each in 2×SSC, and 0.1% SDS, at 65° C.; wherein the isolated nucleic acid encodes a protein having dipeptidylpeptidase amidolytic activity; wherein the isolated nucleic acid has a nucleotide sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 1; and wherein the dipeptidylpeptidase amidolytic activity is defined as activity for cleaving the peptide bond between the second and the third amino acids from the unblocked amino-terminal end of a target polypeptide having an aliphatic or an aromatic residue as asubstituent on the α-carbon atom of the second amino acid from the unblocked amino-terminal end of the polpeptide, with the proviso that the second amino acid from the unblocked amino-terminal end of the polypeptide is not charged.