Patent attributes
This invention provides a polypeptide useful in the field of medicines, a DNA which encodes the novel polypeptide, a recombinant DNA molecule which contains the DNA, a transformant transformed with the DNA or the recombinant DNA molecule, a process for the purification of the polypeptide, a process for the production of the polypeptide, an antibody which recognizes the polypeptide, an oligonucleotide complementary to the DNA and a screening method. Particularly this invention provides a polypeptide, which is Fas ligand or a fragment thereof. This polypeptide can be used as an effective ingredient of a medicament for regulating the apoptosis in a living body. This polypeptide is obtained by identifying a DNA fragment, which encodes the polypeptide, transforming a desired host with a recombinant DNA molecule, which contains the DNA fragment, and purifying the polypeptide produced by the resulting transformant. This polypeptide has a cytoplasmic domain, a transmembrane domain and extracellular domain and takes part in apoptosis.
