| abstract |
This invention relates to nucleotide sequences which encode a Ret ligant (RetL9, as well as to methods of stimulating neural and renal growth by treating cells and mammalian subjects with RetL DNA or protein. The invention provides a purified and isolated DNA molecule coding for a RetL, having the nucleotide sequence of any RetL, but specifically including rat retL 1 cDNA (SEQ ID NO.1), partial human RetL1 cDNA (SEQ ID NO:8), full length human retL 1 cDNA (SEQ ID NO:10), human retL2 cDNA (SEQ ID NO:12), murine retL3 cDNA (SEQ ID NO:12) or human retL3 cDNA (SEQ ID NO;16), partial human retL3 cDNA (SEQ ID NO:18) or human retL3 cDNA (SEQ ID NO:20). The invention further provides a RetL protein, with an amino acid sequence comprising that of rat RetL1 (SEQ ID NO:2), partial human RetL1 (SEQ ID NO:9), full length human RetL (SEQ ID NO:11), human RetL2 (SEQ ID NO:13), murine RetL3 (SEQ ID NO:17), partial human RetL3 (SEQ ID NO:19) or human RetL3 (SEQ ID NO:21). |