Abstract: The invention relates to the finding that PHB domain polypeptides can bind cholesterol and related compounds and are involved in the regulation of various cellular activities. Accordingly, the invention includes methods of identifying compounds that can bind to and/or modulate activity of a PHB domain polypeptide such as Podocin or MEC2.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions for controlling the expression of a target gene, whereby an intron cassette such as INT9, an intronic mec-2-derived element, is incorporated into the target gene and expression of the product of the target gene is conditional upon functional expression of the RNA processing protein, mec-8.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of split fluorescent proteins to determine whether promoters are coordinately active, whereby the transcriptional expression of incomplete portions of a fluorescent protein is controlled by different promoters and coordinate (not necessarily contemporaneous) promoter activity results in the reconstitution of a fluorescent protein. The present invention, in non-limiting embodiments, may be used to selectively label cells and cell structures in vivo and to demonstrate changes in promoter activity (for example, in developmental biology and drug discovery applications).

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions which enable the propagation of vectors containing cDNAs whose presence has hitherto been toxic to conventional bacterial strains. It is based, at least in part, on the discovery that a bacterial strain having an insertional mutation in the malT gene of Escherichia coli tolerated the propagation of a mec-4 cDNA-containing plasmid which was toxic to other bacterial strains. The methods and compositions of the invention may be particularly useful in the propagation of cDNAs encoding membrane proteins. The present invention also provides for ion channel assay systems comprising MEC-2, MEC-4, MEC-10 or variants thereof.

Abstract: This invention provides a composition comprising an amount of a polypeptide effective to increase the life-span of cells wherein the polypeptide has the amino acid sequence of a cytosolic catalase and a suitable carrier. This invention also provides an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding a cytosolic catalase. This invention also provides a host vector system for the production of a polypeptide having the biological activity of catalase which comprises the above-described vectors in a suitable host. This invention also provides a method for prolonging cell life, comprising: (a) linking the above-described nucleic acids to a regulatory element such that the expression of the above-described nucleic acids is under the control of the regulatory element; and (b) introducing the linked nucleic acid into cells for expression of the nucleic acid, thereby prolonging cell life.

Abstract: This invention provides a cell comprising a DNA molecule having a regulatory element from a gene, other than a gene encoding a green fluorescent protein operatively linked to a DNA sequence encoding the green fluorescent protein. This invention also provides living organisms which comprise the above-described cell. This invention also provides a method for selecting cells expressing a protein of interest which comprises: a) introducing into the cells a DNAI molecule having DNA sequence encoding the protein of interest and DNAII molecule having DNA sequence encoding a green fluorescent protein; b) culturing the introduced cells under conditions permitting expression of the green fluorescent protein and the protein of interest; and c) selecting the cultured cells which express green fluorescent protein, thereby selecting cells expressing the protein of interest. Finally, this invention provides various uses of a green fluorescent protein.

Abstract: A pre-coelenterazine peptide comprising a modified A. victoria GFP having an amino acid sequence in which Ser.sup.65 is replaced with Tyr. There is further provided a polynucleotide encoding the pre-coelenterazine peptide, allowing synthesis of large, pure amounts of coelenterazine.

Abstract: This invention provides a cell comprising a DNA molecule having a regulatory element from a gene, other than a gene encoding a green-fluorescent protein operatively linked to a DNA sequence encoding the green-fluorescent protein. This invention also provides a method for selecting cells expressing a protein of interest which comprises: a. introducing into the cells a DNAI molecule having DNA sequence encoding the protein of interest and DNAII molecule having DNA sequence encoding a green-fluorescent protein; b. culturing the introduced cells in conditions permitting expression of the green-fluorescent protein and the protein of interest; and c. selecting the cultured cells which express green-fluorescent protein, thereby selecting cells expressing the protein of interest. Finally, this invention provides various uses of a green-fluorescent protein.