Abstract: The present invention relates to a G-protein coupled receptor and a novel ligand therefor. The invention provides screening assays for the identification of candidate compounds which modulate the activity of the G-protein coupled receptor, as well as assays useful for the diagnosis and treatment of a disease or disorder related to the dysregulation of G-protein coupled receptor signaling.

Abstract: The present invention provides polynucleotides that encode the chemokine receptors 88-2B or 88C and materials and methods for the recombinant production of these two chemokine receptors. Also provided are assays utilizing the polynucleotides which facilitate the identification of ligands and modulators of the chemokine receptors. Receptor fragments, ligands, modulators, and antibodies are useful in the detection and treatment of disease states associated with the chemokine receptors such as atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, tumor growth suppression, asthma, viral infection, AIDS, and other inflammatory conditions.

Abstract: Methods for making proteins with anti-angiogenic properties are disclosed. The system used is a yeast expression system which produces biologically active proteins at high titer.

Abstract: This invention relates to newly identified polynucleotides and polypeptides, and their production and uses, as well as their variants, agonists and antagonists, and their uses. In particular, the invention relates to polynucleotides and polypeptides of a Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) DnaI related protein, as well as its variants, hereinafter referred to as “S. aureus DnaI”, “S. aureus DnaI polypeptide(s)”, and “S. aureus dnaI polynucleotides” as the case may be. Also, the invention relates to a specific interaction between the S. aureus DnaI related protein and a growth-inhibitory protein encoded by the S. aureus bacteriophage 77 genome. The phage ORF product interacts with the S. aureus DnaI polypeptide, and the invention contemplates use of this interaction target site for the basis of a drug screening assay. In addition, the invention relates to polynucleotides and polypeptides of a protein complex containing S.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of screening for precursor lesions which can lead to cervical malignancy, methods of detecting and typing human papilloma virus infections, and reagents of use in these methods.

Abstract: The presence or absence of a predetermined target first generation environmental sourced microbe in an environmentally derived sample is determined by adding a testing medium to the sample, or vice versa. The testing medium provides a selective growth medium for the target microbe and includes a specific nutrient which only the target microbe can metabolize. This specific nutrient is modified by attaching a sample-altering moiety thereto, thereby converting the nutrient to a nutrient-indicator. The sample-altering moiety is activated to alter the sample only if the specific nutrient is metabolized by the target microbe. The sample-altering moiety can be a material which changes the color of the sample (visible or non-visible) or changes an electrical characteristic of the sample, or alters some other detectable characteristic of the sample. The testing media does not have to be kept sterile, and the testing procedure does not have to be performed in a sterile environment.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for determining whether a test compound binds to a target RNA, the method comprising the steps of: (a) contacting the test compound with a pair of indicator molecules comprising an antimicrobial labelled with a donor group or an acceptor group and the target RNA labelled with a complementary acceptor or donor group, the pair being capable of binding to each other in an orientation that permits the donor group to come into sufficient proximity to the acceptor group to permit fluorescent resonance energy transfer and/or quenching to take place; and (b) measuring the fluorescence of the target RNA and/or the antimicrobial in the presence of the test compound and comparing this value to the fluorescence of a standard.

Abstract: The invention features a novel recombinant polypeptide that transactivates the somatostatin promoter, the polypeptide being present in pancreatic duct cells and not present in pancreatic &agr;-cells, the polypeptide being encoded by a gene which encodes a protein on the order of 31 kd.