| 摘要 |
Nucleic acid molecules comprising a polynucleotide encoding a cytokine that is similar to tissue necrosis factor-á (TNF-á) are disclosed. This cytokine is named endokine alpha and is believed to have similar biological effects and activities to TNF. This cytokine also includes endokine alpha polypeptides having at least a portion of the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID NO:2 or an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA clone deposited in a bacterial host as ATCC Deposit Number 97640 on June 27, 1996. The nucleotide sequence, which was determined by sequencing the endokine alpha cDNA clone, contains an open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of about 169 amino acid residues including an N-terminal methionine, an intracellular domain of about 17 amino acid residues, a transmembrane domain of about 26 amino acids, an extracellular domain of about 126 amino acids, and a deduced molecular weight for the complete protein of about 19 kDa. The 126 amino acid sequence of the expected mature endokine alpha protein of SEQ ID NO:2 (residues 44 to 169). Antibodies or antibody fragments that bind specifically to the polypeptide disclosed have a use in decreasing the level of endokine alpha activity and may be useful diagnostically or therapeutically as antagonists in the treatment of endokine alpha- and/or TNP related disorders.
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