Patent ID: 7273710

Claim:
A method for screening a compound or a salt thereof that alters the binding property of Melanin Concentrating Hormone (MCH) or a salt thereof to a protein having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3, an amide, an ester or a salt thereof, said method comprising: combining a MCH derivative or a salt thereof, a protein having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3, an amide, an ester or a salt thereof, and a test compound in an assay; determining the amount of MCH derivative or a salt thereof that binds to a protein having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 in the presence of said compound or in the absence of said compound; and comparing the amount of binding in the presence of said compound with the amount of binding in the absence of said compound; wherein said MCH derivative is a peptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of: the 2 nd residue through the 19 th residue, the 3 rd residue through the 19 th residue, the 4 th residue through the 19 th residue, the 5 th residue through the 19 th residue, the 6 th residue through the 19 th residue, and the 7 th residue through the 19 th residue of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6, an amide or an ester thereof, with the proviso that said MCH derivative is not a peptide comprising the 1 st residue through the 19 th residue of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6.