1. A G protein-coupled receptor protein containing the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, or a salt thereof.
2. A G protein-coupled receptor protein having an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 8, SEQ ID NO: 11, SEQ ID NO: 14 or SEQ ID NO: 17, according to claim 1, or a salt thereof.
3. A partial peptide of the G protein-coupled receptor protein according to claim 1, or a salt thereof.
4. A polynucleotide containing a polynucleotide encoding the G protein-coupled protein according to claim 1.
5. A polynucleotide according to claim 4, which is DNA.
6. A polynucleotide according to claim 4, which is represented by SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 6, SEQ ID NO: 9, SEQ ID NO: 12, SEQ ID NO: 15 or SEQ ID NO: 18.
7. A recombinant vector containing the polynucleotide according to claim 4.
8. A transformant transformed with the recombinant vector according to claim 7.
9. A method of manufacturing the G protein-coupled receptor protein or its salt according to claim 1, which comprises culturing the transformant according to claim 8 and accumulating the G protein-coupled receptor protein according to claim 1.
10. An antibody to the G protein-coupled receptor protein according to claim 1, the partial peptide according to claim 3, or a salt of said protein or partial peptide.
11. An antibody according to claim 10, which is a neutralizing antibody capable of inactivating signal transduction of the G protein-coupled receptor protein according to claim 1.
12. A diagnostic composition comprising an antibody according to claim 10.
13. A pharmaceutical comprising an antibody according to claim 10.
14. A ligand to the G protein-coupled receptor protein or its salt according to claim 1, which is obtainable using the G protein-coupled receptor protein according to claim 1 or the partial peptide according to claim 3, or a salt of said protein or partial peptide.
15. A pharmaceutical comprising the ligand to the G protein-coupled receptor according to claim 14.
16. A method of determining a ligand to the G protein-coupled receptor protein or its salt according to claim 1, which comprises using the G protein-coupled receptor protein according to claim 1 or the partial peptide according to claim 3, or a salt of said protein or partial peptide.
17. A method of screening a compound that alters the binding property between a ligand and the G protein-coupled receptor protein or its salt according to claim 1, which comprises using the G protein-coupled receptor protein according to claim 1 or the partial peptide according to claim 3, or a salt of said protein or partial peptide.
18. A kit for screening a compound or its salt that alters the binding property between a ligand and the G protein-coupled receptor protein or its salt according to claim 1, comprising the G protein-coupled receptor protein according to claim 1 or the partial peptide according to claim 3, or a salt of said protein or partial peptide.
19. A compound or its salt that alters the binding property between a ligand and the G protein-coupled receptor protein or its salt according to claim 1, which is obtainable using the screening method according to claim 17 or the screening kit according to claim 18.
20. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound or its salt that alters the binding property between a ligand and the G protein-coupled receptor protein or its salt according to claim 1, which is obtainable using the screening method according to claim 17 or the screening kit according to claim 18.
21. A polynucleotide that hybridizes to the polynucleotide according to claim 4 under a highly stringent condition.
22. A polynucleotide comprising a base sequence complementary to the polynucleotide according to claim 4 or a part of the base sequence.
23. A method of quantifying mRNA of the G protein-coupled receptor protein according to claim 1, which comprises using the polynucleotide according to claim 4 or a part of the polynucleotide.
24. A method of quantifying the G protein-coupled receptor protein according to claim 1, which comprises using the antibody according to claim 10.
25. A diagnostic method for a disease associated with functions of the G protein-coupled receptor protein according to claim 1, which comprises using the quantification method according to claim 23 or claim 24.
26. A method of screening a compound or its salt that alters the expression level of the G protein-coupled receptor protein according to claim 1, which comprises using the quantification method according to claim 23.
27. A method of screening a compound or its salt that alters the amount of the G protein-coupled receptor protein according to claim 1 in cell membrane, which comprises using the quantification method according to claim 24.
28. A compound or its salt that alters the expression level of the G protein-coupled receptor protein according to claim 1, which is obtainable using the screening method according to claim 26.
29. A compound or its salt that alters the amount of the G protein-coupled receptor protein according to claim 1 in cell membrane, which is obtainable using the screening method according to claim 27.
30. A pharmaceutical comprising a compound or its salt that alters the expression level of the G protein-coupled receptor protein according to claim 1, which is obtainable using the screening method according to claim 26.
31. A pharmaceutical comprising a compound or its salt that alters the amount of the G protein-coupled receptor protein according to claim 1 in cell membrane, which is obtainable using the screening method according to claim 27.
32. The pharmaceutical according to claim 20, claim 30 or claim 31, which is a prophylactictherapeutic agent for central dysfunction, endocrine diseases, metabolic disorders, cancer, inflammatory diseases, circulatory diseases, respiratory diseases, alimentary diseases, immune system disorders or infection diseases.
33. A prophylactictherapeutic method for central dysfunction, endocrine diseases, metabolic disorders, cancer, inflammatory diseases, circulatory diseases, respiratory diseases, alimentary diseases, immune system disorders or infection diseases, which comprises administering an effective amount of compound or its salt according to claim 19, claim 28 or claim 29, to mammals.
34. Use of the compound or its salt according to claim 19, claim 28 or claim 29 for manufacturing a prophylactictherapeutic agent for central dysfunction, endocrine diseases, metabolic disorders, cancer, inflammatory diseases, circulatory diseases, respiratory diseases, alimentary diseases, immune system disorders or infection diseases.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An excrement detection system, comprising:
an excretion information acquiring apparatus that acquires excretion information indicating whether or not excretion has been performed by a pet present in a living space;
a toilet observing apparatus that observes inside of a pet toilet installed in the living space to acquire toilet information regarding the inside of the pet toilet;
an excretion information processing unit that determines whether or not the pet has performed excretion based on the excretion information;
a toilet information processing unit that determines whether or not the pet is present in the pet toilet based on the toilet information;
an excretion position determining unit that determines that the pet has performed excretion outside of the pet toilet when the excretion information processing unit determines that the pet has performed excretion and the toilet information processing unit determines that the pet is not present in the pet toilet; and
a notifying unit that notifies an owner of the pet that the pet has performed excretion outside of the pet toilet when the excretion position determining unit determines that the pet has performed excretion outside of the pet toilet.
2. The excrement detection system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a pet observing apparatus that observes the pet to acquire pet information indicating a position of the pet; and
a position information processing unit that determines a position of the pet in the living space based on the pet information, wherein
when the excretion position determining unit determines that the pet has performed excretion outside of the pet toilet, the notifying unit notifies the owner of a position at which the pet has performed excretion based on the position of the pet as determined by the position information processing unit.
3. The excrement detection system according to claim 2, further comprising a position management database for recording history of a position of the pet, wherein
the position information processing unit records the determined position of the pet as history of the position of the pet in the position management database, and
the excretion information processing unit determines whether or not the pet has performed excretion based on the history of the position of the pet that is recorded in the position management database and on the excretion information.
4. The excrement detection system according to claim 2, further comprising a breeding environment database in which a position of an odor source in the living space is recorded, wherein
the excretion information acquiring apparatus includes an odor sensor which is mounted to the pet and which detects an odor component around the pet, and
the excretion information processing unit determines that the pet has performed excretion when the odor sensor has detected an odor component that differs from an odor component in the living space in a normal state that is free of excrement and, at the same time, when a position of the pet as determined by the position information processing unit is a position other than the position of the odor source that is recorded in the breeding environment database.
5. The excrement detection system according to claim 2, further comprising:
an excretion history database for recording a position at which the pet had performed excretion outside of the pet toilet; and
an excretion predicting unit that predicts that the pet may possibly perform excretion outside of the pet toilet when the position of the pet as determined by the position information processing unit is a position that is near a position at which the pet had performed excretion outside of the pet toilet and which is recorded in the excretion history database, wherein
when determining that the pet has performed excretion outside of the pet toilet, the excretion position determining unit records a position of the pet as determined by the position information processing unit in the excretion history database, and
when the excretion predicting unit predicts that the pet may possibly perform excretion outside of the pet toilet, the notifying unit notifies the owner that the pet may possibly perform excretion outside of the pet toilet.
6. The excrement detection system according to claim 5, wherein
when the excretion information processing unit determines that the pet has performed excretion, the excretion position determining unit further records an excretion time at which the pet had performed excretion in the excretion history database,
the excretion predicting unit calculates an excretion cycle of the pet based on the excretion time that is recorded in the excretion history database to predict a next excretion time of the pet based on the calculated excretion cycle, and
the excretion predicting unit predicts that the pet may possibly perform excretion outside of the pet toilet when the position of the pet as determined by the position information processing unit is a position that is near a position at which the pet had performed excretion outside of the pet toilet and which is recorded in the excretion history database and, at the same time, when the predicted next excretion time of the pet approaches.
7. The excrement detection system according to claim 5, further comprising:
a feeding place observing apparatus that observes a feeding place of the pet in the living space to acquire feeding place information that indicates presence or absence of food at the feeding place;
a feeding history database for recording information related to food of the pet; and
a feeding place information processing unit that determines whether or not the pet has eaten food based on the feeding place information and records a result of the determination and a feeding time at which the pet has eaten food in the feeding history database, wherein
the excretion predicting unit calculates an elapsed time that is required from feeding to performing excretion of the pet based on the feeding time that is recorded in the feeding history database and the excretion time of the pet that is recorded in the excretion history database, to predict a next excretion time of the pet based on the calculated elapsed time, and
the excretion predicting unit predicts that the pet may possibly perform excretion outside of the pet toilet when the position of the pet as determined by the position information processing unit is a position that is near a position at which the pet had performed excretion outside of the pet toilet and which is recorded in the excretion history database and, at the same time, when the predicted next excretion time of the pet approaches.
8. An excrement detection method of an excrement detection system that detects whether or not excretion has been performed by a pet, the excrement detection method comprising:
acquiring excretion information indicating whether or not excretion has been performed by the pet present in a living space;
observing inside of a pet toilet installed in the living space to acquire toilet information regarding the inside of the pet toilet;
determining whether or not the pet has performed excretion based on the excretion information;
determining whether or not the pet is present in the pet toilet based on the toilet information;
determining that the pet has performed excretion outside of the pet toilet when it is determined that the pet has performed excretion and that the pet is not present in the pet toilet; and
notifying an owner of the pet that the pet has performed excretion outside of the pet toilet when it is determined that the pet has performed excretion outside of the pet toilet.
9. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a program that controls an excrement detection system that detects whether or not excretion has been performed by a pet, the program causing a computer of the excrement detection system to:
acquire excretion information indicating whether or not excretion has been performed by the pet present in a living space;
acquire toilet information regarding inside of a pet toilet installed in the living space;
determine whether or not the pet has performed excretion based on the excretion information;
determine whether or not the pet is present in the pet toilet based on the toilet information;
determine that the pet has performed excretion outside of the pet toilet when it is determined that the pet has performed excretion and that the pet is not present in the pet toilet; and
notify an owner of the pet that the pet has performed excretion outside of the pet toilet when it is determined that the pet has performed excretion outside of the pet toilet.