Abstract: This invention relates to crystallised human neutrophil elastase and the use of its three-dimensional structure to design modulators for human neutrophil elastase.

Abstract: The invention concerns polymerase chimeras which are composed of amino acid fragments representing domains and which combine properties of naturally occurring polymerases that are advantageous with regard to a particular application. It has surprisingly turned out that the domains from the various enzymes are active in the chimeras and exhibit cooperative behavior. In addition the present invention concerns a process for the production of the chimeras according to the invention and the use of these chimeras for the synthesis of nucleic acids e.g. during a polymerase chain reaction. Moreover the present invention concerns a kit which contains the polymerase chimeras according to the invention.

Abstract: The invention concerns polymerase chimeras which are composed of amino acid fragments representing domains and which combine properties of naturally occurring polymerases that are advantageous with regard to a particular application. It has surprisingly turned out that the domains from the various enzymes are active in the chimeras and exhibit cooperative behaviour. In addition the present invention concerns a process for the production of the chimeras according to the invention and the use of these chimeras for the synthesis of nucleic acids e.g. during a polymerase chain reaction. Moreover the present invention concerns a kit which contains the polymerase chimeras according to the invention.

Abstract: The invention concerns polymerase chimeras which are composed of amino acid fragments representing domains and which combine properties of naturally occurring polymerases that are advantageous with regard to a particular application. It has surprisingly turned out that the domains from the various enzymes are active in the chimeras and exhibit cooperative behavior. In addition the present invention concerns a process for the production of the chimeras according to the invention and the use of these chimeras for the synthesis of nucleic acids e.g. during a polymerase chain reaction. Moreover the present invention concerns a kit which contains the polymerase chimeras according to the invention.

Abstract: Enzymes stabilized against the destabilizing effect of ionic surfactants and a method of producing such stabilized enzymes in which DNA sequences which code for the enzymes are modified by directed mutation in defined positions which correlate with defined surface regions of the enzyme, in such a way that the codon in which the mutation is located now codes for an amino acid differing from the original amino acid.

Abstract: Novel, optimized highly alkaline proteases which are suitable for use in detergent formulations are prepared by employing microorganisms transformed by mutated DNA sequences. The mutated sequences are obtained starting from DNA sequences which code for highly alkaline protease usually produced by Bacillus species by altering these DNA sequences in defined positions by directed mutagenesis (point mutation) in such a way that the codon in which the point mutation is located now codes for an amino acid which is more strongly basic than the original amino acid. The result is highly alkaline proteases in which original amino acids have been replaced by more strongly basic amino acids, preferably by the amino acids lysine or arginine. Synthetic oligonucleotides, DNA sequences, vectors and transformed microorganisms which are used for generating and obtaining the optimized highly alkaline protease are also described.

Abstract: The invention relates to cyclic antibiotics of formula ##STR1## wherein the prefix R represents that the substituents on the adjacent carbon atom are in the R configuration; the prefix S represents that the substituents on the adjacent carbon atom are in the S configuration;R.sub.1 is hydrogen or hydroxy and R.sub.2 is hydroxy and salts thereof, especially pharmaceutically acceptable salts.The compounds of formula I are prepared by fermentation using the strain So ce 12 (NCIB 12134) of the species Sorangium cellulosum and are effective antibiotics.

Abstract: The invention relates to cyclic antibiotics of formula ##STR1## wherein the prefix R represents that the substituents on the adjacent carbon atom are in the R configuration; the prefix S represents that the substituents on the adjacent carbon atom are in the S configuration; R.sub.1 is hydrogen or hydroxy and R.sub.2 is hydroxy or .beta.-glucopyranosyloxy, and to the hydrates and salts thereof, especially pharmaceutically acceptable salts.The compounds of formula I are prepared by fermentation using the strain So ce 12 (NCIB 12134) of the species Sorangium celulosum and are effective antiobiotics.