254 PATENT ABSTRACTS

A DNA sequence wherein a DNA segment coding for a signal peptide of the formula: See Patent for Tabular Presentation PS is bound to the 5' end of a DNA segment coding for human lysozyme, a cell transformed with the above DNA sequence and a process for producing human lysozyme, which comprises cultivating the above cell accumulating human lysozyme in the culture and recovering the same are dis- closed. The above techniques make the mass production of human lysozyme useful as pharmaceuticals possible. The present signal peptide is superior to that of hen egg white lysozyme for secretive production of human lysozyme.

4945052

P R O D U C T I O N O F A V I T A M I N C P R E C U R S O R U S I N G

G E N E T I C A L L Y M O D I F I E D O R G A N I S M S

Kimber Hardy, Pol Hendric van de, June Grind- ley, Mark A Payton, Geneva, Switzerland as- signed to Biogen Inc

An enzyme for conversion of 2,5-diketo-D- gluconate (2,5-DKG) to 2-keto-L-gulonic acid (2-KLG) and a genetically modified organism that expresses all the fermentation enzymes needed to convert glucose to 2-KLG (a precursor to ascorbic acid) using the new enzyme are described. Preferably, the organism is Erwinia citreus, or a mutated strain of Erwinia citreus, unable to use 2,5-DKG or 2-KLG as a sole car- bon source, into which the gene for a 2,5-DKG reductase, produced by Corynebacterium sp., SHS 752001, has been inserted. The preferred transformed organism expresses the fermenta- tion enzymes Erwinia citreus normally expresses for fermentation of glucose to 2,5-DKG and, in addition, an enzyme Corynebacterium sp. SHS 752001 expresses for fermentation of 2,5-DKG to 2-KLG.

4945057

M O N O C L O N A L A N T I B O D I E S T O C R Y S T A L P R O T E I N O F

B A C I L L U S T H U R I N G I E N S I S S U B S P E C I E S I S R A E L E N S I S

Kevin B Temeyer, Maurice Haufler, John H Pruett assigned to The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture

Murine hybridomas are disclosed which were constructed by fusing spleen cells from BALB/c mice immunized with soluble crystal protein from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp, israelensis (B.t.i.) to the murine myeloma cell line SP2/0- AGI4. An ELISA (enzyme-linked immuno- sorbent assay) method for detection of antibodies specific for crystal protein of B.t.i. was modified to produce 100- to 1,000-fold in- creased sensitivity and was used to identify hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibody specific for the B.t.i. crystal protein. Analysis of the hybridoma culture supernatant fluid in- dicated production of monoclonal IgG3 anti- bodies, specific for the 68,000 dalton protein presumed to be the insecticidal delta-endotoxin of B.t.i.

4945058

P L A S M I D W I T H W I D E H O S T R A N G E A N D P R O C E S S O F

P R O D U C I N G L. T H R E O N I N E U S I N G T H E S A M E

Akira Yanai, Yoshizumi Ueda, Tsunishi, Kamakura, Japan

This invention provides a plasmid with a wide host range, which can replicate in micro- organisms belonging to the family Enterobac- teriaceae. These plasmids may be used to clone the genes repsonsible for the fermentative pro- duction of various useful biochemicals. The recombinant plasmids containing these genes can be used to transform bacteria so that the fer- mentative production of the biochemical is en- hanced.

4946773

D E T E C T I O N O F B A S E P A I R M I S M A T C H E S U S I N G R N A A S E A

Thomas P Maniatis, Richard Myers assigned to President and Fellows of Harvard College

A method for detecting and localizing single base substitutions in RNA or DNA that involves RNAase A cleavage of single base mismatches in RNA:RNA or RNA:DNA heteroduplexes. A RNA probe complementary to wild type DNA is annealed to the test DNA containing a single base substitution. Many of the possible single base mismatches can be cleaved by RNAase A. The location of the single base substitution can