Patent ID: 7037671

Claim:
An in vitro method for identifying a compound which binds to a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of: a) a polypeptide which is at least 95% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:4; b) a polypeptide which is at least 95% identical to the amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Patent Deposit Number PTA-1844; and c) a polypeptide encoded by a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 95% identical to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:5 or SEQ ID NO:6; wherein the polypeptide has an agmatinase activity, the method comprising: i) contacting a sample comprising the polypeptide with a test compound under conditions suitable for binding; and ii) detecting binding of the test compound to the polypeptide; thereby identifying a compound which binds to the polypeptide.