Abstract: The present invention relates to eukaryotic host cells which have been modified to produce sialylated glycoproteins by the heterologous expression of a set of glycosyltransferases, including sialyltransferase and/or trans-sialidase, to become host-strains for the production of mammalian, e.g., human therapeutic glycoproteins. Novel eukaryotic host cells expressing a CMP-sialic acid biosynthetic pathway for the production of sialylated glycoproteins are also provided. The invention provides nucleic acid molecules and combinatorial libraries which can be used to successfully target and express mammalian enzymatic activities (such as those involved in sialylation) to intracellular compartments in a eukaryotic host cell. The process provides an engineered host cell which can be used to express and target any desirable gene(s) involved in glycosylation.

Abstract: The present inventors conducted a similarity search of the amino acid sequence of known G protein-coupled receptor proteins in GenBank, and obtained a novel human GPCR gene “BG37”. cDNA containing the ORF of the gene was cloned and its nucleotide sequence was determined. Moreover, novel GPCR “BG37” genes from mouse and rat were isolated. Use of the novel GPCR of the present invention enables screening of ligands, compounds inhibiting the binding to a ligand, and candidate compounds of pharmaceuticals which can regulate signal transduction from the “BG37” receptor.