Abstract: The invention describes versican activation and modulation of hair growth, e.g., versican expressing dermal papilla cells exhibit hair induction ability.

Abstract: The invention features methods of promoting hair growth in a subject. The methods include inducing or mimicking the effects of Wnt promoted signal transduction, e.g., by increasing the level of Wnt protein or administering an agent which mimics an effect of Wnt promoted signal transduction, e.g., by administering lithium chloride. Methods of inhibiting hair growth are also provided.

Abstract: The invention describes versican activation and modulation of hair growth, e.g., versican expressing dermal papilla cells exhibit hair induction ability.

Abstract: The invention features methods of promoting hair growth in a subject. The methods include inducing or mimicking the effects of Wnt promoted signal transduction, e.g., by increasing the level of Wnt protein or administering an agent which mimics an effect of Wnt promoted signal transduction, e.g., by administering lithium chloride. Methods of inhibiting hair growth are also provided.

Abstract: The invention features methods of promoting hair growth in a subject. The methods include inducing or mimicking the effects of Wnt promoted signal transduction, e.g., by increasing the level of Wnt protein or administering an agent which mimics an effect of Wnt promoted signal transduction, e.g., by administering lithium chloride. Methods of inhibiting hair growth are also provided.

Abstract: The invention features methods of promoting hair growth in a subject. The methods include inducing or mimicking the effects of Wnt promoted signal transduction, e.g., by increasing the level of Wnt protein or administering an agent which mimics an effect of Wnt promoted signal transduction, e.g., by administering lithium chloride. Methods of inhibiting hair growth are also provided.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of evaluating a treatment for its effect on skin. The invention also provides non-human transgenic animals, e.g., mice, having a reporter gene coupled to a skin-metabolism promoter.

Abstract: For a semiconductor integrated circuit having an internal booster circuit such as a flash memory, voltage booster circuits capable of generating a boosted voltage 10 times or more as high as a relatively low source voltage is to be realized. Charge pumps for carrying out first stage voltage boosting on the basis of a source voltage are configured of parallel capacity type units, and charge pumps for carrying out second stage voltage boosting on the basis of the boosted voltage generated by the first charge pumps are configured of serial capacity type units.

Abstract: The invention features methods of promoting hair growth in a subject. The methods include inducing or mimicking the effects of Wnt promoted signal transduction, e.g., by increasing the level of Wnt protein or administering an agent which mimics an effect of Wnt promoted signal transduction, e.g., by administering lithium chloride. Methods of inhibiting hair growth are also provided.

Abstract: For a semiconductor integrated circuit having an internal booster circuit such as a flash memory, voltage booster circuits capable of generating a boosted voltage 10 times or more as high as a relatively low source voltage is to be realized. Charge pumps for carrying out first stage voltage boosting on the basis of a source voltage are configured of parallel capacity type units, and charge pumps for carrying out second stage voltage boosting on the basis of the boosted voltage generated by the first charge pumps are configured of serial capacity type units.

Abstract: A purified enzyme-I is obtained that participates in C-terminal amidation by acting on a peptide C-terminal glycine adduct to form a peptide C-terminal .alpha.-hydroxyglycine adduct. The enzyme has an optimum pH of about 5 to 7, an optimum temperature of 25 to 40.degree. C. and a molecular weight of about 25 kDa or about 36 kDa, and metal ions and ascorbic acid act as a cofactor. A purified enzyme-II is obtained that participates in C-terminal amidation by acting on the peptide C-terminal .alpha.-hydroxyglycine adduct to produce a C-terminal amidated compound. The enzyme has an optimum pH of about 5 to 6, an optimum temperature of 15 to 35.degree. C. and a molecular weight of about 40 kDa or about 43 kDa. Enzyme-I does not act on the peptide C-terminal .alpha.-hydroxyglycine adduct and enzyme-II does not act on the peptide C-terminal glycine adduct. The enzymes may be purified from a biological material such as horse serum by affinity chromatography using a peptide C-terminal glycine adduct as a ligand.

Abstract: Escherichia coli characterized in that a capability thereof of forming acetate is at most one fifth that of wild type Escherichia coli, and a process for producing a useful substance by cultivating the Escherichia coli to a high density and recovering the substance

Abstract: A DNA sequence of high biotin operon-expression system usable for breeding a bacterium having excellent biotin productivity is provided.A DNA sequence of biotin operon characterized in the fact that at least one base pair of either a nucleotide sequence of the regulatory region of the biotin operon of Escherichia coli or a nucleotide sequence in the vicinity of the bioB initiating codon is mutated in comparison with that of the one in its wild type strain is provided. Escherichia coli transformed with a recombinant plasmid carrying such a DNA sequence has high biotin-productivity.

Abstract: A purified enzyme-I is obtained that participates in C-terminal amidation by acting on a peptide C-terminal glycine adduct to form a peptide C-terminal .alpha.-hydroxyglycine adduct. The enzyme has an optimum pH of about 5 to 7, an optimum temperature of 25.degree. to 40.degree. C. and a molecular weight of about 25 kDa or about 36 kDa, and metal ions and ascorbic acid act as a cofactor. A purified enzyme-II is obtained that participates in C-terminal amidation by acting on a peptide C-terminal .alpha.-hydroxyglycine adduct to produce a C-terminal amidated compound. The enzyme has an optimum pH of about 5 to 6, an optimum temperature of 15.degree. to 35.degree. C. and a molecular weight of about 40 kDa or about 43 kDa. Enzyme-I does not act on the peptide C-terminal .alpha.-hydroxyglycine adduct and enzyme-II does not act on the peptide C-terminal glycine adduct.

Abstract: A mutant strain having a glucose consumption rate is at most 1/4 that of wild type strains is provided. The mutant strain belongs to Escherichia, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, or Serratia; has a glucose consumption rate of at most one fourth that of the corresponding wild type strain, and the feedback repression by biotin is removed. Further, a process for producing biotins using this mutant strain is provided.