Patent ID: 8076455

Claim:
An isolated protein selected from the group consisting of: (a) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2; (b) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 with one to three amino acid substitutions, deletions, additions and/or insertions, wherein said protein is a guanosine triphosphate-binding protein-coupled receptor protein; (c) a protein encoded by a DNA comprising the coding region of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1; and (d) a protein encoded by a DNA having a sequence that hybridizes to the DNA consisting of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, under conditions of hybridization in 6×SSC, 40% formamide at 25° C. and washing in 0.2×SSC at 55° C. wherein said DNA encodes a guanosine triphosphate-binding protein-coupled receptor which binds to one or more bile acid ligands selected from the group consisting of cholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, deoxycholic acid, and lithocholic acid, or the full complement of said DNA.