Abstract: A novel polypeptide which is useful in searching for a therapeutic agent for diabetes, a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide, an expression vector comprising the polynucleotide, a cell transfected with the expression vector, an antibody binding to the polypeptide, and a method of screening a therapeutic agent for diabetes are disclosed. The polypeptide is a novel background potassium channel expressed in the pancreas.

Abstract: There is provided a method of screening for substance that inhibits cell death induced by activation of PARP, particularly a substance that is useful as a therapeutic and/or preventive agent for rheumatoid arthritis, neuronal death at the time of cerebral ischemia, cell death of the heart after myocardial infarction reperfusion, autoimmune destruction of ?-cells of pancreatic islets of Langerhans, cell death after shock, or inflammatory reaction by immunocyte death. Also provided are a novel protein and a novel gene encoding the same. The aforementioned screening method comprises a step of allowing a test substance to contact a cell expressing an LTRPC2 protein under a conditions such that the LTRPC2 protein can be activated, and a step of analyzing inhibition of LTRPC2 protein activation. The aforementioned novel protein is a rat or mouse LTRPC2 protein, and the aforementioned novel gene is a rat or mouse LTRPC2 gene.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel potassium channel protein expressed exclusively in the brain, a gene encoding this protein, a vector containing this gene, a host cell containing this vector, and so on. A typical method for obtaining the potassium channel protein of the present invention; mRNA is extracted from human cells or tissue capable of producing the potassium channel protein of the present invention. Then use is made of two primers between which the channel protein mRNA or a part of the mRNA region is located by using the thus extracted mRNA as a template. By carrying out a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (to be referred to as RT-PCR hereinafter), the channel protein cDNA or a part thereof can be obtained. Thereafter, the channel protein can be produced by integrating the thus obtained novel potassium channel cDNA or a part of the same into an appropriate expression vector and then effecting its expression in a host cell.

Abstract: There is provided a method for screening a substance capable of inhibiting cell death induced by the activation of PARP, particularly a substance which is useful as a therapeutic agent and/or a preventive agent for rheumatoid arthritis, neuronal death at the time of cerebral ischemia, cell death of the heart after myocardial infarction reperfusion, autoimmune destruction of &bgr;-cells of pancreatic islets of Langerhans, cell death after shock, or inflammatory reaction by immunocyte death. Also provided are a novel protein and a novel gene coding for the same.

Abstract: A novel polypeptide which is useful in searching for a therapeutic agent for diabetes, a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide, an expression vector comprising the polynucleotide, a cell transfected with the expression vector, an antibody binding to the polypeptide, and a method of screening a therapeutic agent for diabetes are disclosed.

Abstract: A novel polypeptide, a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide, an expression vector comprising the polynucleotide, a cell transfected with the expression vector, an antibody binding to the polypeptide, a method for screening an agent for suppressing the polypeptide, a method for screening an antiobestic agent, and a process for producing the polypeptide are disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel potassium channel protein expressed exclusively in the brain, a gene encoding this protein, a vector containing this gene, a host cell containing this vector, and so on.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel potassium channel protein expressed exclusively in the brain, a DNA molecule having a sequence encoding this protein, a vector containing the DNA molecule, a host cell containing this vector, and a method for obtaining the potassium channel protein, wherein mRNA is extracted from human cells or tissue capable of producing the potassium channel protein of the present invention. Then, use is made of two primers between which the channel protein mRNA or a part of the mRNA region is located by using the thus extracted mRNA as a template. By carrying out a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, the channel protein cDNA or a part thereof can be obtained. Thereafter, the channel protein can be produced by integrating the thus obtained novel potassium channel cDNA or a part of the same into an appropriate expression vector and then effecting its expression in a host cell.