Patents Examined by Richard Hutson
  • Patent number: 6939695
    Abstract: An isolated polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide sequence chosen from the group consisting of a) polynucleotide which is identical to the extent of at least 70% to a polynucleotide which codes for a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 2, b) polynucleotide which codes for a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence which is identical to the extent of at least 70% to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 2, c) polynucleotide which is complementary to the polynucleotides of a) or b), and d) polynucleotide comprising at least 15 successive nucleotides of the polynucleotide sequence of a), b) or c), and a process for the fermentative preparation of L-amino acids using coryneform bacteria in which at least the rpsL gene is present in enhanced form, as well as the use of polynucleotides which comprise the sequences according to the invention as hybridization probes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Degussa AG
    Inventors: Bettina Moeckel, Brigitte Bathe, Stefan Hans, Caroline Kreutzer, Thomas Hermann, Walter Pfefferle, Michael Binder
  • Patent number: 6921641
    Abstract: The present invention provides thermostabile UvrA polypeptides, thermostable UvrB polypeptides and the polynucleotides that encode the UvrA and UvrB polypeptides. The invention also includes compositions and kits containing the UvrA and UvrB polypeptides of the present invention. Also provided by the present invention are methods of detecting DNA damage using the UvrA and UvrB polypeptides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Bennet Van Houten, Milan Skorvaga
  • Patent number: 6916906
    Abstract: The invention relates to a composition of polypeptides, characterized in that it contains at least one protein or part of a protein selected from the sequences of amino acids identified in the list of the sequences as SEQ ID NO 1 (VanH), SEQ ID NO 2 (VanA).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Institut Pasteur
    Inventors: Michel Arthur, Sylvie Dukta-Malen, Catherine Molinas, Patrice Courvalin
  • Patent number: 6897293
    Abstract: A novel growth arrest homeobox gene has been discovered and the nucleotide sequences have been determined in both the rat and the human. The expression of the novel homeobox gene inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell growth. The growth arrest homeobox gene hereinafter referred to as the “Gax gene” and its corresponding proteins are useful in the study of vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and in the treatment of blood vessel diseases that result from excessive smooth muscle cell proliferation, particularly after balloon angioplasty.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Case Western Reserve University
    Inventors: David H. Gorski, Kenneth Walsh
  • Patent number: 6897053
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an isolated DNA molecule from a thermophilic bacterium which encodes a DNA polymerase III-type enzyme subunit. Also encompassed by the present invention are host cells and expression system including the heterologous DNA molecule of the present invention, as well as isolated replication enzyme subunits encoded by such DNA molecules. Also disclosed is a method of producing a recombinant thermostable DNA polymerase III-type enzyme, or subunit thereof, from a thermophilic bacterium, which is carried out by transforming a host cell with at least one heterologous DNA molecule of the present invention under conditions suitable for expression of the DNA polymerase III-type enzyme, or subunit thereof, and then isolating the DNA polymerase III-type enzyme, or subunit thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Rockefeller University
    Inventors: Michael E. O'Donnell, Olga Yurieva
  • Patent number: 6893853
    Abstract: This invention relates to an isolated nucleic acid fragment encoding a chromatin associated protein. The invention also relates to the construction of a chimeric gene encoding all or a portion of the chromatin associated protein, in sense or antisense orientation, wherein expression of the chimeric gene results in production of altered levels of the chromatin associated protein in a transformed host cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Steven J. Vollmer, Joan Tellefsen Odell, Guo-Hua Miao
  • Patent number: 6887986
    Abstract: The invention relates to a variant of a parent Termamyl-like ?-amylase, comprising mutations in two, three, four, five or six regions/positions. The variants have increased stability at high temperatures (relative to the parent). The invention also relates to a DNA construct comprising a DNA sequence encoding an ?-amylase variant of the invention, a recombinant expression vector which carries a DNA construct of the invention, a cell which is transformed with a DNA construct of the invention, the use of an ?-amylase variant of the invention for washing and/or dishwashing, textile desizing, starch liquefaction, a detergent additive comprising an ?-amylase variant of the invention, a manual or automatic dishwashing detergent composition comprising an ?-amylase variant of the invention, a method for generating a variant of a parent Termamyl-like ?-amylase, which variant exhibits increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Novozymes A/S
    Inventors: Allan Svendsen, Soren Kjaerulff, Henrik Bisgard-Frantzen, Carsten Andersen
  • Patent number: 6884870
    Abstract: The invention provides a fusion protein including a reporter polypeptide, a linker polypeptide comprising a protease cleavage site, and a repressor polypeptide. The repressor polypeptide represses the activity of the reporter polypeptide by conferring a specific localization in a cell that reduces activity of the reporter activity until the cleavage site is cleaved. A method is also provided for identifying a protease that recognizes a specific protease cleavage site. The invention further provides a method of identifying a compound that activates a protease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Bruce A. Hav, Christine J. Hawkins
  • Patent number: 6875852
    Abstract: The present invention is directed toward the 5 previously unknown genes, for subunits ?, ??, ?, ?, and ?, of the DNA polymerase III holoenzyme, and toward a unique man-made enzyme containing 5, preferably 6, protein subunits which shows the same activity as the naturally occurring 10 protein subunit DNA polymerase III holoenzyme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Cornell Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael E. O'Donnell
  • Patent number: 6872564
    Abstract: A transformant, whose polyhydroxybutanoic acid polymerase gene is disrupted, having a recombinant vector containing a polyester polymerase gene, a ?-ketothiolase gene, and a NADPH-acetoacetyl CoA reductase gene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Japan Science and Technology Corporation, and Riken
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Doi, Hiromi Matsusaki
  • Patent number: 6869784
    Abstract: Enzymes are modified by incorporating anchor sites for linking the enzymes to a target surface without destroying the catalytic activity of the enzymes. A stable carrier to accommodate and bind the selected enzyme is constructed, and the enzyme is non-covalently linked to the carrier, generally through metal salts of iminodiacetate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of America
    Inventors: Alok Singh, Mehran Pazirandeh, Paul E. Schoen, Michael A. Markowitz, J. Matthew Mauro
  • Patent number: 6867027
    Abstract: Disclosed are RNA polymerases consisting of a wild type RNA polymerase provided that at least one of amino acids in the wild type RNA polymerase has been modified to enhance its ability for incorporating 3?-deoxyribonucleotides and derivatives thereof in comparison with the corresponding wild type RNA polymerases. Specifically, disclosed are, for example, the RNA polymerases wherein at least one amino acid present in a nucleotide binding sites of the wild type RNA polymerases such as phenylalanine has been replaced with tyrosine. The RNA polymerases of the present invention are a RNA polymerase which exhibits little or no bias for incorporation between ribonucleotides and 3?-deoxyribonucleotide as well as among ribonucleotides having different base groups and among deoxyribonucleotides having. different base groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignees: The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Nippon Gene Co., Ltd., Nippon Genetech Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihide Hayashizaki, Masanori Watahiki
  • Patent number: 6864076
    Abstract: The present invention provides an isolated protein obtainable from a plant source which has antifungal activity, specifically anti-Phytophthora activity and/or anti-Pythium activity and a molecular weight of about 55-65 kDa as judged by SDS PAGE-electrophoresis, an isolated DNA sequence comprising an open reading frame capable of encoding a protein according to the invention, preferably characterized in that it comprises an open reading frame which is capable of encoding a protein depicted in SEQ ID NO. 16, SEQ ID NO. 57, SEQ ID NO. 70, SEQ ID NO. 72 or SEQ ID NO. 74 or muteins thereof, and DNA capable of hybridizing therewith under stringent conditions. The invention further comprises plants incorporating chimeric DNA capable of encoding a protein according to the invention, and wherein the protein is expressed. Also shown is the carbohydrate and preferably hexose oxidating activity of said protein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Syngenta Mogen B.V.
    Inventors: Maarten Hendrik Stuiver, Jerome Hubertus Henricus Victor Custers, Marianne Beatrix Sela-Buurlage, Leo Sjoerd Melchers, Wessel Lageweg, Anne Silene Ponstein, Johanna Pieternella Els Van Deventer-Troost
  • Patent number: 6864070
    Abstract: The present invention provides novel human PDE10 polypeptides, polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides, expression constructs comprising the polynucleotides, host cells transformed with the expression constructs; methods for producing PDE10 polypeptides; antisense polynucleotides; and antibodies specifically immunoreactive with the PDE10 polypeptides. The invention further provides methods to identify binding partners of PDE 10, and more particularly, binding partners that modulate PDE10 enzyme activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Icos Corporation
    Inventor: Kate Loughney
  • Patent number: 6855529
    Abstract: Regulation of expression of programmed cell death, including senescence, in plants is achieved by integration of a gene or gene fragment encoding senescence-induced deoxyhypusine synthase, senescence-induced elF-5A or both into the plant genome in antisense orientation. Plant genes encoding senescence-induced deoxyhypusine synthase and senescence-induced elF-5A are identified and the nucleotide sequences of each, alone and in combination are used to modify senescence in transgenic plants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Senesco, Inc.
    Inventors: John E. Thompson, Tzann-Wei Wang, Dongen Lily Lu
  • Patent number: 6855525
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for preparing (S)-4-halo-3-hydroxybutyric acid ester comprises asymmetric reduction of 4-halo-acetoacetic acid ester using ?-ketoacyl-acylcarrier protein reductase constituting Type II fatty acid synthase or acetoacetyl-CoA reductase constituting the poly-?-hydroxy fatty acid synthesis system. ?-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein reductase constituting Type II fatty acid synthase or acetoacetyl-CoA reductase constituting the poly-?-hydroxy fatty acid synthesis system has a extremely high reducing activity as well as stereoseletivity for (S)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutyric acid ester. In addition, the enzyme exhibits almost no oxidizing activity toward either configuration of ethyl 4-chloro-3-hydroxybutyrate, performing only the reducing reaction of ethyl, 4-chloroacetoacetate. Therefore, this enzyme can be used to efficiently produce (S)-4-halo-3-hydroxybutyric acid ester.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6852523
    Abstract: The present invention pertains to novel strains of the Bacillus subtilis group capable of fermenting beans, which are essentially devoid of any iso-valeric acid production. The present invention especially relates to novel strains of Bacillus natto, in which one or more genes involved in the biosynthetic pathway for the production of iso-valeric acids are essentially non-functional.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Nestec S.A.
    Inventors: Beat Mollet, Raymond David Pridmore, Marie Camille Zwahlen
  • Patent number: 6846659
    Abstract: A cDNA encoding (E)-?-farnesene synthase from peppermint (Mentha piperita) has been isolated and sequenced, and the corresponding amino acid sequence has been determined. Accordingly, an isolated DNA sequence (SEQ ID NO:1) is provided which codes for the expression of (E)-?-farnesene synthase (SEQ ID NO:2), from peppermint (Mentha piperita). In other aspects, replicable recombinant cloning vehicles are provided which code for (E)-?-farnesene synthase, or for a base sequence sufficiently complementary to at least a portion of (E)-?-farnesene synthase DNA or RNA to enable hybridization therewith. In yet other aspects, modified host cells are provided that have been transformed, transfected, infected and/or injected with a recombinant cloning vehicle and/or DNA sequence encoding (E)-?-farnesene synthase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Washington State University Research Foundation
    Inventors: Rodney Bruce Croteau, John E. Crock
  • Patent number: 6846647
    Abstract: The present invention provides a secreted protein (A55) produced by murine embryonic cardiac cells and a polynucleotide encoding the protein. The invention also provides a second secreted protein (A55b) produced by a splice variant of the gene encoding the first protein, and a polynucleotide encoding the variant. Finally, the invention also provides methods for utilizing the two proteins in the treatment and prevention of diseases, such as through the inhibition of proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and through the regulation of physiological activities including hematopoietic cell activity, tissue forming/repairing activity, activin/inhibin activity, chemotactic/chemokinetic activity, blood coagulating and thrombotic activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: ONO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tasuku Honjo, Kei Tashiro, Tomoyuki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6841375
    Abstract: This invention is directed to Flavobacterium heparinum for use as a host cell organism for the expression of homologous and heterologous genes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: BioMarin Pharmaceuticals Inc.
    Inventors: Hongsheng Su, Zhongqi Shao, Ana Lydia Tkalec, Francoise Blain, Joseph Zimmerman