Patent ID: 7611857

Claim:
A method for identifying a modulator of IL-17 receptor-like polypeptide activity comprising: (a) exposing a cell to a test compound, wherein the cell is transformed or transfected with a polynucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of: (1) an amino acid sequence that is at least 95 percent identical to amino acids 14 through 350 of SEQ ID NO: 5, wherein the polypeptide binds IL-17E; (2) amino acids 1 through 560 of SEQ ID NO: 5; (3) amino acids 1 through 350 of SEQ ID NO: 5; (4) amino acids 14 through 350 of SEQ ID NO: 5; (5) the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence comprising nucleotides 50 through 1729 of SEQ ID NO: 4; (6) the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence comprising nucleotides 50 through 1099 of SEQ ID NO: 4; and (7) the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence comprising nucleotides 89 through 1099 of SEQ ID NO: 4; b) detecting IL-17 receptor-like polypeptide activity in said cell by measuring induction of expression of TNF-α, IL-1 α, or IL-6, and (c) comparing said activity of IL-17 receptor-like polypeptide in the presence and absence of the test compound, wherein an increase in said IL-17 receptor-like polypeptide activity indicates the candidate modulator is a stimulator of IL-17 receptor-like polypeptide and wherein a decrease in said IL-17 receptor-like polypeptide activity indicates the test compound is an inhibitor of IL-17 receptor-like polypeptide activity.