Abstract: The invention pertains to novel genes which function in the regulation of DNA replication and/or entry of a cell into mitosis. The invention also pertains to novel proteins encoded by the genes described herein, antibodies which bind the encoded protein, and homologs of the novel genes which function in regulation of DNA replication and/or entry of a cell into mitosis and hybridize to the DNA sequence of the novel genes.

Abstract: A target nucleic acid sequence is amplified by providing a polynucleotide such as VII including the sequence to be amplified as well as an RNA polymerase promoter sequence, and contacting said polynucleotide, in the presence of a system having the RNA polymerase activity, a RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity, and a DNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity and capable of strand displacement, with a set of primers. The primers include a primer such as A capable of hybridizing with a segment complementary to a portion of the sequence to be amplified, wherein A includes an upstream RNA polymerase promoter sequence followed by an arbitrary sequence, a primer such as D containing said RNA polymerase promoter sequence, and primer such as C containing said arbitrary sequence. The elongation product of D is displaced by the elongation product of C, and the elongation product of D is thus obtained in the form of single-stranded VIII.

Abstract: Xylanase DNA is recovered from soil by PCR amplification using degenerate primers. Because of the complexity of the soil samples, it is likely that the recovered product will include more than one species of polynucleotide. These recovered copies may be cloned into a host organism to produce additional copies of each individual species prior to characterization by sequencing. Recovered DNA which is found to vary from known xylanases can be used in several ways to facilitate production of novel xylanases for industrial application. First, the recovered DNA, or probes corresponding to portions thereof, can be used as a probe to screen DNA libraries and recover intact xylanase genes including the unique regions of the recovered DNA. Second, the recovered DNA or polynucleotides corresponding to portions thereof, can be inserted into a known xylanase gene to produce a recombinant xylanase gene with the sequence variations of the recovered DNA.

Abstract: The present invention relates to oligonucleotide probes useful in detecting, e.g. by hybridization or the ligase chain reaction, Chlamydia trachomatis DNA in the presence of other related DNA. The present invention is also directed to methods of detecting Chlamydia trachomatis organisms in a sample using the ligase chain reaction.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for the rapid and cost-effective sequencing of DNA. There are three principal components of the system: (1) a microreactor, which prepares DNA sequencing "ladders" using solid-phase techniques, preferably in capillary tubes whose volumes are on the order of 10-1000 nanoliters, preferably 10-200 nanoliters; (2) a microfabricated electrophoresis capillary separation unit; and (3) a fluorescence detector with single-mode optical fibers interfaced directly to the electrophoresis capillary. The system is suitable for a highly multiplexed, automated DNA sequencing device Typical. steps in sequencing are as follows: (1) PCR amplification of a DNA template in microtiter dishes using labelled primers, e.g.

Abstract: The present invention provides nucleotide and amino acid sequences that identify and encode a novel cellubrevin (CB). The present invention also provides for antisense molecules to the nucleotide sequences which encode CB, expression vectors for the production of purified CB, antibodies capable of binding specifically to CB, hybridization probes or oligonucleotides for detecting the upregulation of CB encoding nucleotide sequences, genetically engineered host cells for the expression of CB, diagnostic tests for activated, inflamed or diseased cells and/or tissues based on CB-encoding nucleic acid molecules and antibodies capable of binding specifically to CB.

Abstract: A novel polypeptide with binding affinity for the p185.sup.HER2 receptor, designated heregulin-.alpha., has been identified and purified from cultured human cells. DNA sequences encoding additional heregulin polypeptides, designated heregulin-.alpha., heregulin-.beta.1, heregulin-.beta.2, heregulin-.beta.2-like, and heregulin-.beta.3, have been isolated, sequenced and expressed. Provided herein are nucleic acid sequences encoding the amino acid sequences of heregulins useful in the production of heregulins by recombinant means. Further provided are the amino acid sequences of heregulins and purification methods therefor. Heregulins and their antibodies are useful as therapeutic agents and in diagnostic methods.

Abstract: Novel 2 polypeptides with binding affinity for the p185.sup.HER2 receptor, designated heregulin 2-.alpha. and heregulin 2-.beta., have been identified and purified from human tissue. The cDNA encoding the novel heregulin 2-.alpha. has been isolated from human tissue and sequenced. Provided herein is nucleic acid sequence of the heregulin 2-.alpha. useful in the production of heregulin 2-.alpha. by recombinant means. Further provided an amino acid sequence of heregulin 2-.alpha. and heregulin 2-.beta.. Heregulins and their antibodies are useful as therapeutic agents and in diagnostic methods.

Abstract: A DNA analyzing method which bonds a first oligomer of known base sequence to a DNA fragment obtained by digesting a DNA sample with a restrictive enzyme. The oligomer and DNA fragment are hybridized to other oligomers which have the sequences of all combinations of the types of bases within the length of several bases following the known base sequence. The presence or absence of hybridization or complementary DNA strand extension is determined and identifies the DNA fragment terminal sequence from this result. The DNA fragments are then fractionated and analyzed to determine the sequence. This DNA analyzing method provides an effective analysis of mixtures of long DNAs or DNA fragments.

Abstract: Nucleic acid molecules capable of hybridizing under stringent conditions to the nucleotide sequence residing between positions 1 and 1185 of the human cyclin E cDNA sequence shown in FIG. 2. Polypeptides encoded by such nucleic acid molecules, and immunologic binding partners directed to such polypeptides.

Abstract: Nucleic sequences from the genome of Salmonella Typhi include all or part of the genetic information required for the in vitro infection of cultured HeLa cells by Salmonella bacteria. Polypeptides encoded by these nucleic sequences are also described, as is the use of said polypeptides and nucleic sequences for implementing methods of in vitro Salmonella detection in biological samples which are thought to contain it.

Abstract: Fluorescence polarization methods for detection of nucleic acid amplification at thermophilic temperatures employ a fluorescently labeled oligonucleotide signal primer which is converted from single- to double-stranded form in a target amplification-dependent manner. This conformational change is accompanied by an increase in fluorescence polarization values. The decrease in FP typically observed for the duplex at elevated temperatures is overcome by double-stranded DNA binding proteins which are believed to stabilize the double-stranded structure by reducing the single-strandedness normally associated with higher temperatures. The inventive methods provide a closed, homogeneous system for amplification and detection of amplification in real-time or at an endpoint.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the separation and detection of components of a mixture of materials by temperature gradient gel electrophoresis, wherein eithera spatial temperature gradient is built up by spatially separated temperature levels, ora time temperature gradient, ora temperature gradient is built up by combination of spatial and timewise temperature gradient.The temperature levels for building up the spatial temperature gradient are adjusted by controllable heating or cooling devices.To build up the time temperature gradient, the temperature level at each point of the separation path within the separation medium may be optionally adjusted time-dependently by means of controllable heating or cooling devices. There is described a device for performing the process with controllable heating or cooling devices to build up temperature gradients, a hollow body arranged between the temperature levels which contains the medium used for separation, and a thermostat jacket enclosing the hollow body.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to cloning the ends of genes. Traditionally it has been very difficult to recover the 5' end of a gene. The present invention greatly eases this problem. The invention is a variation on RACE and uses a combination of techniques. Specific genes are purified by using three enrichment steps--1) a polymerase chain reaction, 2) a hybrid capture step, and 3) a second polymerase chain reaction. The inclusion of the hybrid capture step results in a greater enrichment than occurs with RACE. The ends of the gene are retained by use of a novel technique of attaching adaptors at the ends of the nucleic. The 5' end of the gene is conserved by preparing a first strand of cDNA and ligating to this an adaptor which is partially double stranded wherein the overhang or single stranded region of the adaptor is degenerate which allows for a fraction of the adaptor population to hybridize with the first strand of cDNA at the 3' end of the cDNA.

Abstract: Nucleic acid molecules capable of hybridizing under stringent conditions to the nucleotide sequence residing between positions 1 and 1185 of the human cyclin E cDNA sequence shown in FIG. 2. Polypeptides encoded by such nucleic acid molecules, and immunologic binding partners directed to such polypeptides.

Abstract: Carcinogenic human papillomavirus types HPV16 and HPV18 are detected in a sample of cervical tissue. A selected characteristic DNA portion of the virus defined by oligonucleotide primers is amplified using a polymerase chain reaction involving successive heating and cooling steps, for example up to 250,000 copies. The presence/absence of the characteristic cloned DNA portion is detected by gel electrophoresis or using a labelled oligonucleotide probe.

Abstract: A method of autoligating self-assembled oligonucleotide blocks is disclosed. The method includes the step of displacing a 5' displaceable group by a 3' thiophosphoryl group to form an --OP(O)(O.sup.-)S-- internucleoside linkage.

Abstract: Human G-protein coupled receptor polypeptides and DNA (RNA) encoding such polypeptides and a procedure for producing such polypeptides by recombinant techniques is disclosed. Also disclosed were methods for utilizing such polypeptides for identifying antagonists and agonists to such polypeptides and methods of using the agonists and antagonists therapeutically to treat conditions related to the underexpression and overexpression of the G-protein coupled receptor polypeptides, respectively. Also disclosed are diagnostic methods for detecting a mutation in the G-protein coupled receptor nucleic acid sequences and an altered level of the soluble form of the receptors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the acid sphingomyelinase gene and to methods of diagnosing Niemann-Pick disease. It is based, at least in part, on the cloning and expression of the full-length cDNA encoding acid sphingomyelinase and on the discovery of mutations in the acid sphingomyelinase gene of Ashkenazi Jewish Niemann-Pick disease patients.

Abstract: A method for determining the capacity of a human sperm to fertilize a human egg is described by assessing sperm activation events in an in vitro assay using a non-mammalian egg extract, particularly a Xenopus laevis frog egg extract. Fertilizing capacity is assessed as a comparison of sperm decondensation, DNA synthesis and/or sperm recondensation as between a test sperm sample sperm and fertile sperm, such as a sperm sample from a proven fertile human male. The method employs results from the in vitro assay to also determine relative sufficiency or insufficiency of a sperm sample for fertilizing a human egg in human couples with a history of a diagnosed unexplained infertility from standard infertility diagnostic tests. The method may also be used to screen human sperm donors in human artificial insemination programs.