Patent ID: 7078221

Claim:
A recombinant nucleotide sequence consisting of: (a) CTGTATGTCAGCTTCCGAGACCTGGGCTGGCAGGACTGGATCATCGCGCCTG AAGGCTACGCGCGCTACTACTGTGAGGGGGAGTGTGCCTTCCCTCTGAACTC CTACATGAACGCCACCAACCACGCCATCGTGCAGACGCTGGTCCACTTCATC AACCCGGAAACGGTGCCCAAGCCCTGCTGTGCGCCCACGCAGCTCAATGCCA TCTCCGTCCTCTACTTCGATGACAGCTCCAACGTCATCCTGAAGAAATACAGA AACATGGTGGTCCGGGCCTGTGGCTGCCACTAGCTCCT (nucleotides 16–314 of SEQ ID NO: 42), or (b) a sequence encoding an amino acid sequence: LYVSFRDLGWQDWIIAPEGYAAYYCEGECAFPLNSYMNATNHAIVQTLV HFINPETVPKPCCAPTQLNAISVLYFDDSSNVILKKYRNMVVRACGCH (SEQ ID NO: 39), or a conservative amino acid variant thereof, wherein said conservative amino acid variant encodes a protein competent to induce bone and cartilage in a mammal.