Secreted and transmembrane polypeptides and nucleic acids encoding them.

摘要

An isolated nucleic acid: (i) encodes a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence shown in Figure 2 (SEQ ID NO: 4), with or without the signal sequence and / or the initiating methionine, optionally with the transmembrane domain removed or inactivated; (Ii) encodes an extracellular domain of the polypeptide having the amino acid sequence shown in Figure 2 (SEQ ID NO: 4), with or without the signal sequence; (Iii) encodes a polypeptide having at least 80% identity in amino acid sequence to the polypeptide of (i) or the extracellular domain of (ii), wherein the polypeptide is capable of inducing redifferentiation of chondrocytes; (Iv) has the nucleic acid sequence shown in Figure 1 (SEQ ID NO: 3); (V) has the nucleic acid sequence of the full length coding sequence shown in Figure 1 (SEQ ID NO: 3); (Vi) has the full-length coding sequence of the insert (DNA84920-2614) contained in ATCC 203966; (Vii) it has at least 80% identity in the nucleic acid sequence with the nucleic acid of (iv), (v) or (vi) and encodes a polypeptide capable of inducing redifferentiation of chondrocytes; or (viii) hybridises under stringent hybridization and wash the complement of the nucleic acid between nucleotides 181 and 1008, inclusive, of Figure 1 (SEQ ID NO: 3) and encodes a polypeptide capable of inducing redifferentiation of chondrocytes ,