Abstract: The present invention solves the three-dimensional structure of BPI and thereby provides atomic coordinates of BPI from the analysis of x-ray diffraction patterns of sufficiently high resolution for three-dimensional structure determination of the protein, as well as methods for rational drug design, based on using amino acid sequence data and/or x-ray diffraction data provided on computer readable media, as analyzed on a computer system having suitable computer algorithms; and atomic coordinates are provided yielding structural information on related proteins, including the lipid binding and lipid transport protein family that includes BPI, LBP, CETP and PLTP.

Abstract: A process for the production of an oligomer oil by the polymerization of a feedstock containing one or more C3 to C20 1-olefins in the presence of a solid unsupported metallocene- and activator-containing catalyst system which is formed by removing the solvent from a solution of the soluble metallocene- and activator-containing catalyst system.

Abstract: The disclosure provided herein identifies and characterizes the domain in HER3 receptor that interacts with heregulin ligand. Typical embodiments of the invention disclosed herein include HER3 variant polypeptides having amino acid sequences which differ from the native HER3 polypeptide sequence and which have altered affinities for heregulin. Also disclosed herein are methods and materials for identifying compounds that bind to the heregulin binding domain in HER3 as well as methods and materials for modulating the interaction between HER3 and heregulin.

Abstract: A process for the production of an oligomer oil by the polymerization of a feedstock containing one or more C3 to C20 1-olefins in the presence of a solid unsupported metallocene- and activator-containing catalyst system which is formed by removing the solvent from a solution of the soluble metallocene- and activator-containing catalyst system.

Abstract: A computational method system, and computer program are provided for inferring functional links from genome sequences. One method is based on the observation that some pairs of proteins A′ and B′ have homologs in another organism fused into a single protein chain AB. A trans-genome comparison of sequences can reveal these AB sequences, which are Rosetta Stone sequences because they decipher an interaction between A′ and B. Another method compares the genomic sequence of two or more organisms to create a phylogenetic profile for each protein indicating its presence or absence across all the genomes. The profile provides information regarding functional links between different families of proteins. In yet another method a combination of the above two methods is used to predict functional links.

Abstract: A computer-assisted method for assigning an amino acid probe sequence to a known three-dimensional protein structure. In particular, the invention includes a method for using the amino acid sequence of a probe plus sequence-derived properties of the probe in making fold assignments. The method includes inputting into a computer system a string p1, p2 . . . pn describing the amino acid sequence of the probe sequence and at least one sequence-derived property for the probe sequence; inputting into a computer system a string t1, t2 . . . tm of structural properties for each member of a library of known 3D structures; executing an alignment algorithm in the computer to compute an alignment score indicating the optimal alignment of the string p1, p2 . . . pn to each string t1, t2 . . .

Abstract: The invention provides novel methods for characterizing the function of nucleic acids and polypeptides. The invention provides a novel method for identifying a nucleic acid or a polypeptide sequence that may be a target for a drug. The invention provides a novel method for identifying a nucleic acid or a polypeptide sequence that may be essential for the growth or viability of an organism. The characterization is based on use of methods of the invention comprising algorithms that can identify functional relationships between diverse sets of non-homologous nucleic acid and polypeptide sequences. The invention provides a computer program product, stored on a computer-readable medium, for identifying a nucleic acid or a polypeptide sequence that may be essential for the growth or viability of an organism. The invention provides a computer program product, stored on a computer-readable medium, for identifying a nucleic acid or a polypeptide sequence that may be a target for a drug.

Abstract: A computational method system, and computer program are provided for inferring functional links from genome sequences. One method is based on the observation that some pairs of proteins A′ and B′ have homologs in another organism fused into a single protein chain AB. A trans-genome comparison of sequences can reveal these AB sequences, which are Rosetta Stone sequences because they decipher an interaction between A′ and B. Another method compares the genomic sequence of two or more organisms to create a phylogenetic profile for each protein indicating its presence or absence across all the genomes. The profile provides information regarding functional links between different families of proteins. In yet another method a combination of the above two methods is used to predict functional links.

Abstract: The present invention provides a crystallized Bactericidal Permeability-Increasing (BPI) protein; methods for x-ray diffraction analysis to provide x-ray diffraction patterns of sufficiently high resolution for three-dimensional structure determination of the protein, as well as methods for rational drug design, based on using amino acid sequence data and/or x-ray crystallography data provided on computer readable media, as analyzed on a computer system having suitable computer algorithms; and atomic coordinates are provided yielding structural information on the lipid binding and lipid transport protein family that includes BPI, LBP, CETP and PLTP.

Abstract: Diphtheria toxin polypeptides comprising a mutant R binding domain exhibit reduced target cell binding and may be used as vaccines to immunize a mammal against infection by Corynebacterium diphtheria.

Abstract: The invention features a polypeptide consisting of amino acids 379-535 of diphtheria toxin, and portions thereof. This region, shown by X-ray crystallographic analysis to comprise the receptor binding domain of diphtheria toxin, is used as an immunogen and clinical therapeutic against diphtheria.

Abstract: A computer-assisted method for identifying protein sequences that fold into a known three-dimensional structure. The inventive method attacks the inverse protein folding problem by finding target sequences that are most compatible with profiles representing the structural environments of the residues in known three-dimensional protein structures. The method starts with a known three-dimensional protein structure and determines three key features of each residue's environment within the structure: (1) the total area of the residue's side-chain that is buried by other protein atoms, inaccessible to solvent; (2) the fraction of the side-chain area that is covered by polar atoms (O, N) or water, and (3) the local secondary structure. Based on these parameters, each residue position is categorized into an environment class.