New chimeric protein derived from high threshold calcium channel, useful e.g. in screening for therapeutic modulators of signaling and regulatory pathways in cells, also related nucleic acid

摘要

Chimeric protein (I) derived from a high-threshold calcium channel is new. It consists of at least one beta-subunit (Ia), or its fragment that includes the interaction domain BID, fused at either end with the I-II loop (Ib) of the alpha1 subunit, or fragment of it containing the interaction domain AID. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) variant chimeric protein (II) derived from (I) and having at least one amino acid (aa) mutation in either (Ia) and (Ib); (2) peptide (III) that is a fragment of at least 7 aa from (I) or (II), situated at the beta/alpha junction; (3) antibodies (Ab) directed against (I)-(II); (4) nucleic acid (IV) that encodes (I)-(III), also their complements, sense or antisense; (5) probes and primers that contain a sequence of 10-30 nt corresponding to the beta/alpha1 junction of (I); (6) recombinant vector that contains (IV); (7) cells modified by the vector of (6), by (IV) or by (I) or (II); (8) transgenic non-human mammal in which at least some cells are transfected by (IV); (9) method for studying signaling and regulatory processes in cells that are dependent on G protein-coupled receptors; (10) method of screening for (ant)agonists of such signaling and regulatory processes; (11) method of screening for antagonists of the interaction between the alpha1 and beta subunits of high-threshold calcium channels; and (12) kits for performing methods (9)-(11).