80

taining the cloned gene, and microorganisms transformed by those vectors.

PATENT ABSTRACTS

8705026

DNA E N C O D I N G S T R E P T A V I D I N , S T R E P T A V I D I N P R O D U C E D

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

S E Q U E N C E S P R E S E N T IN S T R E P T A V I D I N A N D U S E S

T H E R E O F

Charles R CANTOR, Richard AXEL, Carlos ARGARANA assigned to THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF

DNA which encodes the polypeptide strep- tavidin has been isolated as a fragment 2kb in length derived from a restriction endonuclease digestion of the chromosomal DNA of Strep- tomyces avidinii). The nucleic acid sequence of the gene and the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide have been determined. A fused gene has been prepared which comprises the strep- tavidin gene fused to a gene encoding the human I_DL receptor. Expression of the gene fusion results in a fused streptavidin-human LDL receptor polypeptide. Methods are provided for using the fused gene to produce labeled, chem- ically modified proteins in vivo and to isolate a protein knowing only the nucleotide sequence of the gene encoding the protein.

8705048

P L A S M I D S W H I C H I N H I B I T H U M A N T - C E L L

L Y M P H O T R O P I C V I R U S T Y P E III R E P L I C A T I O N

Amanda G FISHER, Steven F JOSEPHS, Mark B FEINBERG, Robert C GALLO, Flossie WONG-STAAL assigned to UNITED STATES OF AMERICA represented by THE UNITE

Biologically competent clones pHXB2ETASal- Sst and pHXB2ETASaI-RI are derivatives of Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus Type III molecular clones, and contain TAT-Ill gene defective genomes. These clones specifically in- hibit the replication of HTLV-III virus, and are thus suitable for use in the study and treatment of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

8705049

E U C A R Y O T I C E X P R E S S I O N O F S T E R O I D R E C E P T O R P R O T E I N S

John SHINE assigned to CALIFORNIA BIO- TECHNOLOGY INC;

Eucaryotic steroid receptor proteins, including human estrogen receptor proteins, are prepared by the expression of a recombinant DNA molecule introduced into appropriate eucaryotic host cells.

8705027

Y - S P E C I F I C DNA H Y B R I D I Z A T I O N P R O B E S AND

U S E S T H E R E F O R

8705050

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

David C PAGE, David C PAGE assigned to WHITEHEAD INSTITUTE FOR BIO- MEDICAL RESEARCH

Philip N BRYAN, Michele L ROLLENCE, Michael W PANTOLIANO assigned to GENEX CORPORATION

Y-specific DNA which can be used as probes to establish unambiguously the presence or absence of regions of the normal Y chromosome in DNA from a subject, as is a method for the use of such probes. The Y DNA sequences can be used to determine whether homologous sequences are present in an individual's genome or not; to detect the presence or absence of specific por- tions of the Y chromosome in genomic DNA; and/or to determine the location of genes of interest on the Y chromosome.

Cloned DNA is mutated by creating a single- stranded target region in a cloned DNA seg- ment, and introducing a mutation into the single-stranded target region by treating the tar- get region with a chemical or biological mutagenizing agent capable of introducing mutations into single-stranded DNA. The mutated target region then is rendered double- stranded and a microorganism is transformed with the mutated double-stranded DNA present in an expression vector. The transformed micro-

PATENT ABSTRACTS 81

organism is cultivated under conditions wherein the mutated DNA is expressed to form an ex- pression product, and the expression product is screened to identify a desired mutation in the DNA segment. Mutant subtilisins of enhanced thermal stability are also disclosed.

first genetic sequence coding for genomic GS functional in the plant cell operably linked to a second genetic sequence capable of increasing the levels of expression of the first genetic sequence, thereby increasing the levels of GS ac- tivity within the cell.

8705326

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

G L Y C O P R O T E I N S , A N T I B O D I E S T H E R E T O A N D H C M V

V A C C I N E S , A N D R E C O M B I N A N T V E C T O R S T H E R E F O R

Geoffrey Lilley SMITH, Martin Patrick CRANAGE, Barclay George BARRELL, 325 Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QT, United King- dom assigned to COGENT LIMITED

HCMV glycoproteins B and H have been iden- tified. The gB protein is encoded by DNA in the HindllI F fragment of the HCMV genome lying between 1378 and 4095 bases from the F/D boundary. The gH protein is encoded by DNA in the HindlII L fragment lying between 228 and 2456 bases from the L/D boundary. The genes have been incorporated in recombinant vaccinia vectors and expressed in host animals to raise HCMV-neutralising antibody, thereby in- dicating vaccine potential. The glycoproteins can also be used in a variety of different ways, as vaccines or in the production, purification or detection of HCMV antibody.

8705327

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

Howard M GOODMAN, Gunter DONN as- signed to THE GENERAL HOSPITAL COR- PORATION

A plant cell which is resistant to a herbicidal glutamine synthetase (GS) inhibitor, wherein the resistance is caused by levels of GS activity which, when present in an otherwise herbicidal GS inhibitor senstive plant cell, render the cell substantially resistant to the herbicidal GS- inhibitor. The plant cell may, for example, carry a genetic sequence combination comprising a

8705331

C O N S T R U C T I O N A N D A P P L I C A T I O N S O F

P O L Y P R O T E I N S

Matthew J TOTH, Paul R SCHIMMEL as- signed to MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

A method for constructing polyproteins which can perform multiple sequential activities. A DNA sequences is constructed using genetic engineering techniques to insert sequences encoding the desired proteins into a plasmid, in the correct order, following a single promoter element and before a single stop codon. The reading frames of the mRNA sequences are phased so that a polyprotein with the desired ac- tivities, in the required order, is produced. Modified polyproteins can be produced by in- serting or substituting amino acids into the mRNA sequence to create spaces between the in- dividual proteins, to increase the stability of the total polyprotein, to change the spatial orienta- tion of the individual proteins relative to each other and their substrates, and to modify the ac- tivity of the individual proteins.

8705332

R E C O M B I N A N T H U M A N E N D O T H E L I A L C E L L G R O W T H

F A C T O R

Michael JAYE, Wilson BURGESS, Thomas MACIAG, William DROHAN assigned to MELOY LABORATORIES INC;

Endothelial cell growth factor is achieved through the application of recombinant DNA technology to prepare cloning vehicles encoding the ECGF protein and procedures are disclosed for recovering ECGF protein essentially free of other proteins of human origin. The product is useful for, among other purposes, diagnostic applications and as potential in the treatment of damaged blood vessels or other endothelical cell- lined structures.