Abstract: Antagonists of human proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (“PCSK9”) are disclosed. The disclosed antagonists are effective in the inhibition of PCSK9 function and, accordingly, present desirable antagonists for use in the treatment of conditions associated with PCSK9 activity. The present invention also discloses nucleic acid encoding said antagonists, vectors, host cells, and compositions comprising the antagonists. Methods of making PCSK9-specific antagonists as well as methods of using the antagonists for inhibiting or antagonizing PCSK9 function are also disclosed and form important additional aspects of the present disclosure.

Abstract: Antagonists of human proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (“PCSK9”) are disclosed. The disclosed antagonists are effective in the inhibition of PCSK9 function and, accordingly, present desirable antagonists for use in the treatment of conditions associated with PCSK9 activity. The present invention also discloses nucleic acid encoding said antagonists, vectors, host cells, and compositions comprising the antagonists. Methods of making PCSK9-specific antagonists as well as methods of using the antagonists for inhibiting or antagonizing PCSK9 function are also disclosed and form important additional aspects of the present disclosure.

Abstract: A chromogenic assay is described for the identification and isolation of drug-resistant HIV protease mutants. Coversely, the assay is useful to screen for new inhibitors of HIV protease, e.g., inhibitors not affected by drug-resistance of the HIV protease. This color screening assay contains a vector comprising a regulatable promoter which controls the transcription of two adjacent structural sequences, one sequence coding for HIV protease or mutant thereof, the other sequence coding for beta-galactosidase with an amino acid substrate insert cleavable by HIV protease. A library of HIV proteases is also described and is isolated in the form of a collection of such vectors, which is a color screen vector library.

Abstract: An expression vector which can be used to express fusion proteins which are useful as immunogens. The vector is characterized as a 3.35 kilobase pair vector having origins for replication and selectivity markers for bacteria. The plasmid has an E. coli promotor segment, a CheY fusion protein sequence and a unique restriction site at the 3' end of the CheY segment for preparing a DNA segment which codes for a foreign protein to be expressed.