Patent ID: 7227008

Claim:
An isolated nucleic acid molecule which comprises a nucleotide sequence that (a) encodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 or a variant thereof at least 90% identical thereto, wherein amino acid substitutions are conservative amino acid substitutions, which variant raises antibodies that specifically bind the extracellular region of the protein consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2; or (b) encodes the protein encoded by a cDNA contained in the plasmid designated p24p4C12-GTE5 deposited with American Type Culture Collection as Designation No. 207129; or (c) encodes the protein encoded by a cDNA contained in the plasmid designated p24p4C12-GTE9 deposited with American Type Culture Collection as Designation No. 207084; or (d) comprises a nucleotide sequence fully complementary to the entire length of the nucleotide sequences designated in paragraphs (a)–(c).