Abstract: The present invention provides methods for determining nucleic acid sequences based on known sequences adjacent to the unknown sequences, and reagents for using such methods.

Abstract: A plasmid was constructed, in which the hiNOS structural gene was replaced with the luciferase structural gene as a reporter gene, with retaining functions of the hiNOS gene 5′-promoter region and 3′-untranslated region. This plasmid was stably transfected into human cell lines. The above transformed cells selectively expressed the reporter gene in the presence of inducers. It has become possible, by examining the reporter gene expression in these transformed cells, to simply and easily screen, with high sensitivity, a compound which is expected to be useful for treating inflammations and sepsis by suppressing the hiNOS expression, or a compound which is expected to be useful for antitumor, antiviral, and vascular restenosis prevention treatments by the hiNOS induction.