Patents by Inventor Thomas W. Whaley

Thomas W. Whaley has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Optical probe for the cytochrome P-450 cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme
    Patent number: 5208332
    Abstract: An optical probe enables the study of enzyme activity by absorbance spectroscopy or by sensitive fluorescence methods. In particular, the probe provides the ability to monitor the activity of cytochrome P-450.sub.scc enzyme, the rate limiting enzyme for steroid biosynthesis. Located on the inner mitochondrial membrane, P-450.sub.scc catalyzes the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone and isocapraldehyde by sequential oxidations of the cholesterol side chain. The fluorogenic probe includes a cholesterol-like steroid linked to a chromophore through a linking group. The chromophore is selected to have little optical response when linked to the steroid substrate and an enhanced optical response when cleaved from the substrate and linking group. Thus, a fluorescent anion that can be optically detected is generated by the side-chain cleavage reaction during steroidogenesis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1993
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Babetta L. Marrone, Daniel J. Simpson, Clifford J. Unkefer, Thomas W. Whaley
  • Optical probe for the cytochrome P-450 cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme
    Patent number: 5110725
    Abstract: An optical probe enables the study of enzyme activity by absorbance spectroscopy or by sensitive fluorescence methods. In particular, the probe provides the ability to monitor the activity of cytochrome P-450.sub.scc enzyme, the rate limiting enzyme for steroid biosynthesis. Located on the inner mitochondrial membrane, P-450.sub.scc catalyzes the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone and isocapraldehyde by sequential oxidations of the cholesterol side chain. The fluorogenic probe includes a cholesterol-like steroid linked to a chromophore through a linking group. The chromophore is selected to have little optical response when linked to the steroid substrate and an enhanced optical response when cleaved from the substrate and linking group. Thus, a fluorescent anion that can be optically detected is generated by the side-chain cleavage reaction during steroidogenesis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Babetta L. Marrone, Daniel J. Simpson, Clifford J. Unkefer, Thomas W. Whaley