Abstract: The present invention relates to organic molecules capable of modulating tyrosine kinase signal transduction and particularly KDR/FLK-1 receptor signal transduction in order to regulate and/or modulate vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. The invention is based, in part, on the demonstration that KDR/FLK-1 tyrosine kinase receptor expression is associated with endothelial cells and the identification of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as the high affinity ligand of FLK-1. These results indicate a major role for KDR/FLK-1 in the signaling system during vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. Engineering of host cells that express FLK-1 and the uses of expressed FLK-1 to evaluate and screen for drugs and analogs of VEGF involved in FLK-1 modulation by either agonist or antagonist activities is also described.

Abstract: A biological control agent comprising the mycoparasite Trichoderma harzianum T-315 (ATCC No. 20671), which is characterized by fungicidal activity against fungi of the genera Pythium, Rhizoctonia, Sclerotium and Fusarium. This strain is useful for controlling damping-off, root-rot, crown-rot and neck-rot in seedling crops. This strain is also resistant to chemical pesticides and soil-sterilants and useful for integrated biological and chemical control of soil-borne pathogens.