Abstract: The present invention relates to 16S-23S rRNA spacer sequences from Staphylococcus aureus and their use in a method for detection and/or identification of Staphylococcus aureus . The invention further relates to a method for detection and identification of Staphylococcus aureus in a sample, involving the steps of: (i) optionally releasing, isolating and/or concentrating the polynucleic acids present in the sample; (ii) optionally amplifying the 16S-23S rRNA spacer region, or a part thereof, with at least one primer pair; (iii) detecting the presence of a 16S-23S rRNA spacer sequence; and (iv) identifying the Staphylococcus aureus present in the sample from the nucleic acid(s) detected in the sample.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for the diagnosis of tauopathies in an individual and/or for the differential diagnosis of a tauopathy versus a non-tauopathy based on the detection of the ratio of phospho-tau (181)/total tau in said individual. The present invention further provides a phospho-peptide for standardization in a method of the invention.

Abstract: The current invention relates to vectors and methods for efficient expression of HCV envelope proteins in eukaryotic cells. More particularly said vectors comprise the coding sequence for an avian lysozyme signal peptide or a functional equivalent thereof joined to a HCV envelope protein or a part thereof. Said avian lysozyme signal peptide is efficiently removed when the protein comprising said avian lysozyme signal peptide joined to a HCV envelope protein or a part thereof is expressed in a eukaryotic cell. Suitable eukaryotic cells include yeast cells such as Saccharomyces or Hansenula cells.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for detection and/or genetic analysis of HBV in a biological sample, comprising hybridizing the polynucleic acids of the sample with a combination of at least two nucleotide probes, with said combination hybridizing specifically to a mutant target sequence chosen from the HBV RT pol gene region and/or to a mutant target sequence chosen from the HBV preCore region and/or to a mutant target sequence chosen from the HBsAg region of HBV and/or to a HBV genotype-specific target sequence, with said target sequences being chosen from FIG.

Abstract: The invention relates to recombinant polypeptides and peptides and particularly to the polypeptide containing in its polypeptidic chain the following amino acid sequence: the one extending from the extremity constituted by nucleotide at position (1) to the extremity constituted by nucleotide at position (194) represented in FIG. 4a and FIG. 4b. The polypeptides and peptides of the invention can be used for the diagnostic of tuberculosis, and can also be part of the active principle in the preparation of vaccine against tuberculosis.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for genotyping any HCV isolate present in a biological sample, previously identified as being HCV positive, and for classifying said isolate according to the percentage of homology with other HCV isolates, comprising the steps of: contacting said sample in which the ribonucleotides or deoxyribonucleotides have been made accessible, if need be, under suitable denaturation, with at least one probe from about 10 to about 40 nucleotides, with said probe being liable to hybridize to a region being in the domain extending from nucleotide at position ?291 to nucleotide at position ?66 of the 5? untranslated region of one of the HCV isolates represented by their cDNA sequences, with said numbering of position beginning with the first ATG codon of the open reading frame encoding the HCV polyprotein, or with said probe being complementary to the above-defined probes, detecting the complexes possibly formed between said probe and the nucleotide sequence of the HCV isolate to be iden

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for genotyping any HCV isolate present in a biological sample, previously identified as being HCV positive, and for classifying said isolate according to the percentage of homology with other HCV isolates, comprising the steps of: contacting said sample in which the ribonucleotides or deoxyribonucleotides have been made accessible, if need be, under suitable denaturation, with at least one probe from about 10 to about 40 nucleotides, with said probe being liable to hybridize to a region being in the domain extending from nucleotide at position -291 to nucleotide at position -66 of the 5? untranslated region of one of the HCV isolates represented by their cDNA sequences, with said numbering of position beginning with the first ATG codon of the open reading frame encoding the HCV polyprotein, or with said probe being complementary to the above-defined probes, detecting the complexes possibly formed between said probe and the nucleotide sequence of the HCV isolate to be iden

Abstract: The present invention is based on the finding that peptides derived from a specific domain of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-?) can efficiently be used to treat oedema. More specifically, the present invention relates to the usage of peptides derived from the region of human TNF-? from Ser100 to Glu116 to treat pulmonary oedema. For example, the circularized peptide having amino acid sequence CGQRETPEGAEAKPWYC is shown to be very efficient in inducing oedema resorption.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polynucleic acid composition comprising or consisting of at least one polynucleic acid containing 8 or more contiguous nucleotides corresponding to a nucleotide sequence from the region spanning positions 417 to 957 of the Core/E1 region of HCV type 3; and/or the region spanning positions 4664 to 4730 of the NS3 region of HCV type 3; and/or the region spanning positions 4892 to 5292 of the NS3/4 region of HCV type 3; and/or the region spanning positions 8 023 to 8 235 of the NS5 region of the BR36 subgroup of HCV type 3a; and/or the coding region of HCV type 4a starting at nucleotide 379 in the core region; and/or the coding region of HCV type 4; and/or the coding region of HCV type 5, with said nucleotide numbering being with respect to the numbering of HCV nucleic acids as show in Table 1, and with said polynucleic acids containing at least one nucleotide difference with known HCV type 1, and/or HCV type 2 genomes in the above-indicated regions, or the complement thereof.

Abstract: Method for the detection of the antibiotic resistance spectrum of Mycobacterium species present in a sample, possibly coupled to the identification of the Micobacterium species involved, comprising the steps of: (i) if need be releasing, isolating or concentrating the polynucleic acids present in the sample; (ii) if need be amplifying the relevant part of the antibiotic resistance genes present in said sample with at least one suitable primer pair; (iii) hybridizing the polynucleic acids of step (i) or (ii) with at least one of the rpoB gene probes, as specified in table 2, under the appropriate hybridization and wash conditions; (iv) detecting the hybrids formed in step (iii); (v) inferring the Mycobacterium antibiotic resistance spectrum, and possibly the Mycobacterium species involved from the differential hybridization signal(s) obtained in step (iv).

Abstract: The current invention relates to HCV envelope proteins or parts thereof which are the product of expression in eukaryotic cells. More particularly said HCV envelope proteins are characterized in that on average up to 80% of their N-glycosylation sites are core-glycosylated. Of these N-glycosylated sites more than 70% are glycosylated with an oligomannose having a structure defined by Man(8 to 10)-GlcNAc(2). Furthermore, the ratio of the oligomannose with structure Man(7)-GlcNAc(2) over the oligomannose with structure Man(8)-GlcNAc(2) is less than or equal to 0.45. Less than 10% of the oligomannoses is terminated with an ?1,3 linked mannose. The HCV envelope proteins of the invention are particularly suited for diagnostic, prophylactic and therapeutic purposes. A suitable eukaryotic cell for production of the HCV envelope proteins of the invention is a Hansenula cell.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polynucleic acid composition comprising or consisting of at least one polynucleic acid containing 8 or more contiguous nucleotides corresponding to a nucleotide sequence from the region spanning positions 417 to 957 of the Core/E1 region of HCV type 3; and/or the region spanning positions 4664 to 4730 of the NS3 region of HCV type 3; and/or the region spanning positions 4892 to 5292 of the NS3/4 region of HCV type 3; and/or the region spanning positions 8 023 to 8 235 of the NS5 region of the BR36 subgroup of HCV type 3a; and/or the coding region of HCV type 4a starting at nucleotide 379 in the core region; and/or the coding region of HCV type 4; and/or the coding region of HCV type 5, with said nucleotide numbering being with respect to the numbering of HCV nucleic acids as shown in Table 1, and with said polynucleic acids containing at least one nucleotide difference with known HCV type 1, and/or HCV type 2 genomes in the above-indicated regions, or the complement thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to genomic nucleotide sequences and amino acid sequences corresponding to the non-coding and coding region of a new type of HCV. The invention relates to new HCV types and subtypes sequences which are different from the known HCV types and subtypes sequences. Particularly, the present invention relates to said new HCV type sequences; a process for preparing them, and their use for diagnosis, prophylaxis and therapy. More particularly, the present invention provides new type-specific sequences of the 5? NCR, Core, the E1 and the NS5 regions of the new HCV type. These new HCV sequences are useful to diagnose the presence of HCV type genotypes or serotypes in a biological sample. Moreover, the availability of these new type-specific sequences can increase the overall sensitivity of HCV detection and should also prove to be useful for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polynucleic acid composition comprising or consisting of at least one polynucleic acid containing 8 or more contiguous nucleotides corresponding to a nucleotide sequence from the region spanning positions 417 to 957 of the Core/E1 region of HCV type 3; and/or the region spanning positions 4664 to 4730 of the NS3 region of HCV type 3; and/or the region spanning positions 4892 to 5292 of the NS3/4 region of HCV type 3; and/or the region spanning positions 8023 to 8235 of the NS5 region of the BR36 subgroup of HCV type 3a; and or the coding region of HCV type 4a starting at nucleotide 379 in the core region; and/or the coding region of HCV type 4; and/or the coding region of HCV type 5, with said nucleotide numbering being with respect to the numbering of HCV nucleic acids as shown in Table 1, and with said polynucleic acids containing at least one nucleotide difference with known HCV type 1, and/or HCV type 2 genomes in the above-indicated regions, or the complement thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to new genomic nucleotide sequences and amino acid sequences corresponding to the coding region of these genomes. The invention relates to new HCV types and subtypes sequences which are different from the known HCV types and subtypes sequences. More particularly, the present invention relates to new HCV type 7 sequences, new HCV type 9 sequences, new HCV type 10 and new HCV type 11 sequences. Also, the present invention relates to new HCV type 1 sequences of subtypes 1d, 1e, 1f and 1g; new HCV type 2 sequences of subtypes 2e, 2f, 2g, 2h, 2i, 2k and 2l; new HCV type 3 sequences of subtype 3g, new HCV type 4 sequences of subtypes 4k, 4l and 4m; a process for preparing them, and their use for diagnosis, prophylaxis and therapy. More particularly, the present invention provides new type-specific sequences of the Core, the E1 and the NS5 regions of new HCV types 7, 9, 10 and 11, as well as of new variants (subtypes) of HCV types 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Abstract: The present application provides polynucleic acid sequences of 8 or more contiguous nucleotides selected from an HCV subtype 3c genomic sequence selected from the region spanning positions 1 to 957 of the Core of Core/E1 region of HCV subtype 3c, wherein said polynucleic acid sequence is capable of hybridizing to HCV type 3c, but not another type or subtype of HCV; or the complement of the polynucleic acid, wherein the polynucleic acid contains at least one genotype-specific nucleotide. Methods and means of using and making the described sequences are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for purifying recombinant HCV single or specific oligomeric envelope proteins selected from the group consisting of E1 and/or E2 and/or E1/E2, characterized in that upon lysing the transformed host cells to isolate the recombinantly expressed protein a disulphide bond cleavage or reduction step is carried out with a disulphide bond cleavage agent. The present invention also relates to a composition isolated by such a method. The present invention also relates to the diagnostic and therapeutic application of these compositions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for purifying recombinant HCV single or specific oligomeric envelope proteins selected from the group consisting of E1 and/or E2 and/or E1/E2, characterized in that upon lysing the transformed host cells to isolate the recombinantly expressed protein a disulphide bond cleavage or reduction step is carried out with a disulphide bond cleavage agent. The present invention also relates to a composition isolated by such a method. The present invention also relates to the diagnostic and therapeutic application of these compositions. Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of HCV E1 protein and peptides for prognosing and monitoring the clinical effectiveness and/or clinical outcome of HCV treatment.

Abstract: The invention relates to recombinant polypeptides and peptides and particularly to the polypeptide containing in its polypeptidic chain the following amino acid sequence: the one extending from the extremity constituted by nucleotide at position (1) to the extremity constituted by nucleotide at position (194) represented in FIG. 4a and FIG. 4b. The polypeptides and peptides of the invention can be used for the diagnostic of tuberculosis, and can also be part of the active principle in the preparation of vaccine against tuberculosis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the general field of recombinant protein expression, purification of recombinant proteins, diagnosis of HCV infection, prophylactic treatment against HCV infection and to the prognosing/monitoring of the clinical efficiency of treatment of an individual with chronic hepatitis, or the prognosing/monitoring of the natural disease. In particular, the present invention relates to the use of yeast, i.e. Hansenula or Saccharomyces glycosylation minus strains, for the efficient expression of HCV envelope proteins that are core-glycosylated, purification methods for these proteins, and the use in various applications, such as the use in diagnosis, prophylaxis or therapy of HCV envelope proteins purified according to the present invention.