Patents Examined by John LeGuyader
  • Patent number: 5688670
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method for creating, identifying, and isolating ribozymes capable of binding a selected ligand and catalyzing a reaction involving the selected ligand. The method entails sequential selections for ligand binding molecules and catalytic molecules. The invention also includes novel ribozymes produced by these methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1997
    Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation
    Inventors: Jack W. Szostak, Jon R. Lorsch, Charles Wilson
  • Patent number: 5683909
    Abstract: The claimed invention is drawn to a recombinant plasmid which can replicate in Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and lactic acid Streptococcus bacteria comprising the replication of origin from Streptococcus cremoris plasmid pWV01 as its origin of replication, in addition to coding marker genes and genes of interest which code for improved fermenting properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1997
    Assignee: Van Den Bergh Foods Company, Division of Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Jan Kok, Jan Maat, Josephus Mauritius van der Vossen, Gerard Venema
  • Patent number: 5663061
    Abstract: Particularly suitable expression vectors for the synthesis of proteins in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe (S. pombe) are described. These expression vectors are (in addition to other advantageous elements, equipped with a strong homologous promoter and terminator).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1997
    Assignee: Behringwerke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Michael Broker
  • Patent number: 5658780
    Abstract: Enzymatic RNA molecules which cleave rel A mRNA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 19, 1997
    Assignee: Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
    Inventors: Dan T. Stinchcomb, Kenneth G. Draper, James McSwiggen
  • Patent number: 5643776
    Abstract: A diagnostic or control composition is useful to characterize or control insects and comprises a nucleotide sequence coding for juvenile hormone esterase (JHE). The coding sequence may be combined with a promoter sequence regulating the transcription thereof in a recombinant expression vector for use in controlling insects having a juvenile hormone esterase dependency. Preferred embodiments of the invention are recombinant baculoviruses in which a mutated JHE coding sequence provides relatively rapid speed of kill in insects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Bruce D. Hammock, Terry N. Hanzlik, Lawrence G. Harshman, Bryony C. Bonning, Vernon K. Ward
  • Patent number: 5641754
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions for the treatment of cancer using an oligonucleotide and an hydroxyl radical up-regulator. The oligonucleotide is characterized by its ability to down-regulate the path by which the cell repairs oxidative damage to its DNA. Thus, the oligonucleotide renders the tumor cells more susceptible to eradication upon exposure to the hydroxyl radical up-regulator administered substantially concomitantly with or subsequent to administration of the oligonucleotide. This novel treatment, preferentially inhibits the proliferation or kills malignant cells but not normal cells. Preferably, the oligonucleotide is antisense to the gene which encodes protein p53, although other antisense oligonucleotides can also be used. The invention also includes novel conjugates of the oligonucleotide and the hydroxyl up-regulator, as well as new oligonucleotides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 24, 1997
    Assignee: The Board of Regents of The University of Nebraska
    Inventor: Patrick L. Iversen
  • Patent number: 5639655
    Abstract: An enzymatic RNA molecule which cleaves mRNA associated with development or maintenance of promyelocytic leukemia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignee: Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
    Inventors: James D. Thompson, Kenneth G. Draper
  • Patent number: 5620887
    Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided for producing and utilizing nucleic acid and peptide sequences associated with cofactors which bind to transcription factors to enhance transcriptional activity of the transcriptional factors and maintain the transcriptional factors as dimers. The compositions can be used for modulating expression of genes, particularly coordinately regulated genes, as evidenced by the combination of the transcription factors HNF-1.alpha. and -1.beta. with the cofactor DCoH.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1997
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees fot the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Gerald R. Crabtree, Dirk B. Mendel
  • Patent number: 5616488
    Abstract: Enzymatic RNA molecules which cleave IL-5 mRNA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1997
    Assignee: Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
    Inventors: Sean Sullivan, Kenneth G. Draper, James McSwiggen, Dan T. Stinchcomb
  • Patent number: 5578463
    Abstract: Novel vectors are disclosed for expressing and secreting heterologous polypeptides from filamentous fungi. Such vectors are used in novel processes to express and secrete such heterologous polypeptides. The vectors used for transforming a filamentous fungus to express and secrete a heterologous polypeptide include a DNA sequence encoding a heterologous polypeptide and a DNA sequence encoding a signal sequence which is functional in a secretory system in a given filamentous fungus and which is operably linked to the sequence encoding the heterologous polypeptide. Such signal sequences may be the signal sequence normally associated with the heterologous polypeptides or may be derived from other sources. The vector may also contain DNA sequences encoding a promoter sequence which is functionally recognized by the filamentous fungus and which is operably linked to the DNA sequence encoding the signal sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Assignee: Genencor International, Inc.
    Inventors: Randy M. Berka, Daniel Cullen, Gregory L. Gray, Kirk J. Hayenga, Virgil B. Lawlis
  • Patent number: 5503993
    Abstract: A method for preparing foreign protein in yeast using an expression recombinant DNA comprising DNA encoding the serum albumin signal peptide adjacent to DNA encoding the foreign protein is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 2, 1996
    Assignee: The Green Cross Corporation
    Inventors: Naofumi Hayasuke, Yukimitsu Nakagawa, Yutaka Ishida, Ken Okabayashi, Kohji Murakami, Kiyoshi Tsutsui, Kazuo Ikegaya, Hitoshi Minamino, Sadao Ueda, Haruhide Kawabe, Hirofumi Arimura, Atusi Masaki
  • Patent number: 5464615
    Abstract: A description is given of the possibility of using transglutaminases in a process for the preparation of an immunosuppressant.Additionally described is a pharmaceutical containing a transglutaminase and a plasminogen activator inhibitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1995
    Assignee: Behringwerke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Stief, Norbert Heimburger, Hans U. Schorlemmer
  • Patent number: 5463024
    Abstract: Fusion proteins comprise a first amino acid sequence and a second amino acid sequence. The first amino acid sequence is derived from a retrotransposon or an RNA retrovirus and confers on the fusion protein the ability to assemble into particles; an example is the product of the TYA gene of the yeast retrotransposon Ty. The second amino acid sequence is biologically active; for example it may be antigenic. So particles formed of the fusion proteins may be useful in vaccines or in diagnostic or purification applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1995
    Assignee: British Biotech Pharmaceuticals Limited
    Inventors: Alan J. Kingsman, Susan M. Kingsman, Sally E. Adams, Elizabeth J. C. Mellor, Michael H. Malim
  • Patent number: 5447857
    Abstract: L-tryptophan is produced by constructing a recombinant DNA composed of a vector DNA and DNA fragments bearing all of genetic information relating to the synthesis of DS, AS, PRT, PRAI, InGPS, TS and PGDH, introducing the recombinant DNA into a microorganism belonging to the genus Corynebacterium or Brevibacterium, culturing the microorganism in a medium, and recovering L-tryptophan accumulated in the culture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1995
    Assignee: Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryoichi Katsumata, Masato Ikeda, Keiko Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 5435730
    Abstract: A recombinant DNA molecule comprising the Streptomyces gal operon galK gene; galE gene; galT gene; P1 promoter; P2 promoter; P2 promoter expression unit; P1 promoter regulated region; or the entire Streptomyces gal operon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1995
    Inventors: Craig W. Adams, Mary E. Brawner, James A. Fornwald, Francis J. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 5356773
    Abstract: A novel method that allows introduction of unidirectional deletions into cloned DNA is described. This method is based on the use of a mixture of oligodeoxynucleotide primers that have fixed 5' (or 3') ends defining the end point of the deletion and variable 3' (or 5') ends composed of mixtures of all four nucleotides at six positions. The 5' ends of the oligodeoxynucleotides are hybridized to a fixed location of the M13K11RX templates and the 3' ends are hybridized randomly to the DNA to be analyzed. Such oligodeoxynucleotide primers when extended with DNA polymerase can direct deletions of intervening parts of the single-stranded DNA that by design contains multiple Eco K sites; the deletion products are selected on a host strain with the Eco K restriction system (e.g., using JM101 cells). This method is an efficient way of generating a nested set of deletion mutants useful for dideoxy-sequencing. It can also be used for creating a set of deletion mutants with a particular codon at the 5' or 3' end point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1994
    Assignee: Kinetic Investments Limited
    Inventors: Wenyan Shen, Mary M. Y. Waye
  • Patent number: 5349059
    Abstract: Yeast promoters of glycolytic enzymes are modified by isolating a fragment encompassing the RNA polymerase binding site and joining to the 5' end of this fragment a DNA sequence providing for enhanced inducible or constitutive transcription of a structural gene. Constructs are prepared for efficient expression of foreign genes in yeast.Yeast strains 2150-2-3(pC1/1GAPSOD) and AB110(pC1/1GAPATi9), producing human .alpha..sub.1 -antitrypsin and superoxide dismutase, were deposited at the A.T.C.C. on May 9, 1984 and given Accession Nos. 20708 and 20709, respectively; and 2150-2-3(GAP5), 2150-2-3(Pyk5) and 2150-2-3(PHO5GAP1), expressing Hepatitis B surface antigen, were deposited at the A.T.C.C. on May 9, 1984 and given Accession Nos. 20705, 20706 and 20707, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1994
    Assignee: Chiron Corporation
    Inventors: Steven Rosenberg, Patricia Tekamp-Olson
  • Patent number: 5336609
    Abstract: Transformed yeasts comprising DNA which include at least one copy of a fragment coding for a 1,4-.beta.-N-acetylmuramidase which is expressed in the yeasts as the corresponding active protein, and a process for preparing lysozyme by growing said transformed yeasts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1994
    Assignee: Labofina, S.A.
    Inventors: Jacques Oberto, John R. N. Davison
  • Patent number: 5268463
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the .beta.-glucuronidase (GUS) gene fusion system, and to the cloning and characterization of the .beta.-glucuronidase and glucuronide permease genes of Escherichia coli. It is based on the surprising discovery that gene fusions comprising the .beta.-glucuronidase gene may be effectively expressed in a wide variety of organisms to produce active .beta.-glucuronidase enzyme. Because of the abundance and availability of useful substrates for .beta.-glucuronidase enzyme, GUS gene fusions may serve as a superior reporter gene system as well as an effective means of altering cellular phenotype. In conjunction with recombinant glucuronide permease, which may be used to render host cells permeable to .beta.-glucuronidase substrates, the GUS gene fusion system offers almost unlimited applications in the fields of plant and animal genetic engineering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1993
    Inventor: Richard A. Jefferson
  • Patent number: 5252482
    Abstract: A precursor of a C-terminal amidated peptide represented by the general formula P-X-Gly-Y.sub.n, wherein P is a peptide residue. X is an amino acid residue the C terminal of which (on the Gly side) can be converted in vivo to a --CONH.sub.2 group. Gly is a glycine residue, Y is a basic amino acid residue, n is an interger of 2 to 4 and a further amino acid residue other than Y or a peptide residue may be attached to Y.sub.n, is produced by a gene engineering technology. The precursor exhibits in vivo physiological activity like the C-terminal amidated peptide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1993
    Assignee: Suntory Limited
    Inventors: Shoji Tanaka, Kazuhiro Ohsuye, Ichiro Kubota, Norio Ohnuma, Teruhisa Noguchi