Abstract: The vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors of the present invention are naturally occurring or recombinantly engineered soluble forms with or without a C-terminal transmembrane region of the receptor for VEGF, a very selective growth factor for endothelial cells. The soluble forms of the receptors will bind the growth factor with high affinity but do not result in signal transduction. These soluble forms of the receptor bind VEGF and inhibit its function.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to novel polypeptides and to nucleic acid molecules encoding those polypeptides. Also provided herein are vectors and host cells comprising those nucleic acid sequences, chimeric polypeptide molecules comprising the polypeptides of the present invention fused to heterologous polypeptide sequences, antibodies which bind to the polypeptides of the present invention and to methods for producing the polypeptides of the present invention.

Abstract: This invention is concerned with human organic anion transporter (“hOAT”). Isolated nucleic acid encoding hOAT is provided, along with ioslated hOAT polypeptide. hOAT nucleic acid and/or hOAT polypeptide are employed in transgenic animals, recombinant cells, replicable vectors and analytical procedures for identifying hOAT agonists or antagonists, assays for identifying hOAT alleles and/or isotypes, screening tests for nephrotoxic or neurologically active compounds, and determination of drug-drug interactions within the kidney or brain.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention is an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding canine erythropoietin. The present invention also relates to an isolated canine erythropoietin protein or polypeptide. Another aspect of the present invention is a method for providing erythropoietin therapy to a dog or a cat including administering recombinant canine erythropoietin to a dog or a cat in need of erythropoietin therapy in an amount sufficient to increase production of reticulocytes and red blood cells in the dog or cat.

Abstract: This invention provides isolated nucleic acids encoding chimeric G proteins, vectors comprising nucleic acids encoding chimeric G proteins, cells comprising such vectors, processes of determining agonists and antagonists of mammalian G protein-coupled receptors utilizing chimeric G proteins, processes of determining compounds which bind to mammalian G protein-coupled receptors utilizing chimeric G proteins, processes for making a composition of matter which specifically binds to a mammalian G protein-coupled receptor utilizing chimeric G proteins, processes for preparing a composition which comprises admixing a carrier and a pharmaceutically effective amount of a chemical compound identified by a process of the invention utilizing chimeric G proteins, processes of identifying a ligand for a mammalian G protein-coupled receptor utilizing chimeric G proteins, and processes of screening a plurality of independent clones to identify and isolate a clone encoding a mammalian G protein-coupled receptor utilizing chi

Abstract: Isolated and purified chemokine peptides, variants, and derivatives thereof, as well as chemokine peptide analogs, are provided.

Abstract: Polynucleotides encoding fluorescent indicators, which contain a sensor polypeptide inserted within a fluorescent moiety, are provided, as are polypeptides encoded by such polynucleotides. Also provided are circularly permuted fluorescent polypeptides and polynucleotides encoding the circularly permuted fluorescent polypeptides. In addition, methods of using the fluorescent indicators and the circularly permuted fluorescent polypeptides are provided.

Abstract: The invention provides chimeric proteins having at least two functional protein units, each containing the dimerization domain of a member of the steroid/thyroid hormone nuclear receptor superfamily. The chimeric proteins can fold under crystallization conditions to form functional entities. The functional entities optionally contain a novel flexible peptide linker of variable lengths between at least two of the protein units. In a preferred embodiment, the linker is designed to be increased in increments of 12 amino acids each to aid in preparation of variant chimeric proteins. The DNA binding characteristics of the invention functional entities differ from those of wild-type complexes formed between “monomeric” receptors and their binding partners. Some functional entities, e.g. dimers expressed as fusion proteins, transactivate responsive promoters in a manner similar to wild-type complexes, while others do not promote transactivation and function instead essentially as constitutive repressors.

Abstract: Biologically active polypeptides comprising a therapeutically active polypeptide fused to human serum albumin or a variant thereof, methods for the preparation thereof, nucleotide sequences encoding such fusion polypeptides, expression cassettes comprising such nucleotide sequences, self-replicating plasmids containing such expression cassettes, and pharmaceutical compositions containing said fusion polypeptides.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and compositions useful for screening for altered cellular phenotypes using an inducible expression system to enrich for and detect the altered phenotypes and, more particularly, relates to screening libraries of candidate bioactive agents, for example, nucleic acids and peptides, in cells using an regulatable expression system to enrich for a subpopulation of cells having an altered phenotype due to the presence of a candidate bioactive agent.

Abstract: Tumor necrosis factor receptor proteins, DNAs and expression vectors encoding TNF receptors, and processes for producing TNF receptors as products of recombinant cell culture, are disclosed.

Abstract: The invention provides methods and compositions for inducing and detecting signal transduction through LDL receptors, including specifically detecting a stress that alters a functional interaction of a low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor binding polypeptide with an LDL receptor interaction domain, by (a) introducing a predetermined stress into a system which provides a physical interaction of an LDL receptor binding polypeptide with an LDL receptor intracellular binding polypeptide interaction domain, whereby the system provides a stress-biased interaction of the binding polypeptide and the interaction domain, wherein the absence of the stress, the system provides a unbiased interaction of the binding polypeptide and the interaction domain; and (b) detecting the stress-biased interaction of the binding polypeptide and the interaction domain, wherein the binding polypeptide is selected from SEMCAP-1, JIP-1, PSD-95, JIP-2, Talin, OMP25, CAPON, PIP4,5 kinase, Na channel brain 3, Mint1, ICAP-1 and APC subunit

Abstract: A E. coli recombinant plasmid expressing a fusion protein having the human erythropoietin receptor extracellular domain is disclosed. A purified fusion protein produced from such a vector is also disclosed, the fusion protein having a cleavage site suitable for separating the erythropoietin receptor extracellular domain from the remainder of the fusion protein. Antibodies having specific binding affinity for a purified extracellular domain polypeptide are also disclosed. The purified human erythropoietin receptor fragment polypeptide binds erythropoietin. The articles, compositions and methods of the invention are useful for studying ligand binding to erythropoietin receptor and for quantitating the amounts of erythropoietin receptor, as well as for understanding receptor structure and signal transduction.

Abstract: A novel, isolated EDG receptor that upon activation results in increased induction of IL-8 or NF-?B. Preferably, the EDG receptor is a human EDG-4 receptor, which has an amino acid sequence shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, or a variant of these sequences having at least 91% sequence identity.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods of effecting a change in the core circadian clock by modulating retinoid nuclear receptors.

Abstract: A new variant of the sigma-1 (?1)receptor is useful in screening compounds useful in the imaging and treatment of proliferative masses (i.e., tumors). This new variant, named sigma—1? (?1?) finds particular use in the non-invasive diagnosis of cancer and more particularly in the diagnosis of proliferative cancer cells.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for identifying compounds which disrupt the functional interaction of an intracellular receptor region of an ?-subunit of a voltage-gated ion channel and an amino-terminal inactivation region of an ion channel protein are disclosed. Compounds that disrupt the functional or binding interaction of these two regions have significant modulatory effects on ion channel activity, and thus are likely to be useful for treating and/or preventing a wide variety of diseases and pathological conditions associated with ion channel dysfunction. Such conditions include, for example, neurological disorders, cardiac diseases, metabolic diseases, tumor-driven diseases, and autoimmune diseases.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for identifying compounds which disrupt the functional interaction of an intracellular receptor region of an ?-subunit of a voltage-gated ion channel and an amino-terminal inactivation region of an ion channel protein are disclosed. Compounds that disrupt the functional or binding interaction of these two regions have significant modulatory effects on ion channel activity, and thus are likely to be useful for treating and/or preventing a wide variety of diseases and pathological conditions associated with ion channel dysfunction. Such conditions include, for example, neurological disorders, cardiac diseases, metabolic diseases, tumor-driven diseases, and autoimmune diseases.

Abstract: A novel hemopoietin receptor gene (NR12) was successfully isolated by extracting motifs conserved among the amino acid sequences of known hemopoietin receptors and by using the predicted sequence. The NR12 gene encodes two forms of proteins, a transmembrane type and a soluble type. The expression of the NR12 gene was detected in tissues containing hematopoietic cells. NR12 is a novel hemopoietin receptor molecule involved in the regulation of immune system and hematopoiesis in vivo. Thus, NR12 is useful in the search for novel hematopoietic factors that functionally bind to the NR12 receptor, and in the development of therapeutic drugs for diseases associated with immunity or hematopoiesis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to use of peptide to which G-protein coupled receptor protein recognizes as a ligand. Since the ligand polypeptide of the present invention has a stimulating action on oxytocin secretion, it is useful as a drug for ameliorating, preserving or treating various diseases related to oxytocin secretion such as uterine inertia, atonic hemorrhage, placental expulsion, subinvolution and the like.