1291 results about "Proteolysis" patented technology

Methods, compositions, kits, and apparatus are provided wherein the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase system is used to analyze amino acids. The method allows very small devices for quantitative or semi-quantitative analysis of the amino acids in samples or in sequential or complete proteolytic digestions. The methods can be readily applied to the detection and/or quantitation of one or more primary amino acids by using cognate aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase and cognate tRNA. The basis of the method is that each of the 20 synthetases and/or a tRNA specific for a different amino acid is separated spatially or differentially labeled. The reactions catalyzed by all 20 synthetases may be monitored simultaneously, or nearly simultaneously, or in parallel. Each separately positioned synthetase or tRNA will signal its cognate amino acid. The synthetase reactions can be monitored using continuous spectroscopic assays. Alternatively, since elongation factor Tu:GTP (EF-Tu:GTP) specifically binds all AA-tRNAs, the aminoacylation reactions catalyzed by the synthetases can be monitored using ligand assays. Microarrays and microsensors for amino acid analysis are provided. Additionally, amino acid analysis devices are integrated with protease digestions to produce miniaturized enzymatic sequenators capable of generating either N- or C-terminal sequence and composition data for a protein or peptide. The possibility of parallel processing of many samples in an automated manner is discussed.

Compositions and methods for protecting a plant from an insect pest are provided. The invention provides mutagenized nucleic acids that have been engineered to encode pesticidal polypeptides having increased resistance to proteolytic degradation by a plant protease. In particular, nucleic acid sequences encoding pesticidal polypeptides modified to comprise a proteolytic protection site that confers resistance to degradation or proteolytic inactivation by a plant protease are provided. Particular embodiments of the invention provide expression cassettes and transformed plants, plant cells, and seeds. These compositions find use in methods for protecting a plant from a pest.

The invention provides methods and compositions for monitoring enzymatic activity as a function of the interaction of modification dependant binding partner polypeptides. Association or dissociation of the binding partner polypeptides is dependant upon the addition or removal of a moiety to or from one or both of the binding partner polypeptides or upon proteolytic digestion of one or both of the binding partner polypeptides by a modifying enzyme.

This invention provides a treatment regimen that is effective in inhibiting chemotherapy-induced apoptosis and promoting cell survival. The invention also relates to a treatment regimen that confers resistance to caspase activation, thereby inhibiting caspase-mediated, proteolytic cleavage of functional cellular enzymes. Specifically, subjects undergoing chemotherapy are first exposed to a pretreatment regimen. Under this regimen, a GLP-2 receptor activator, such as h[GLY2]-GLP2, is administered each day for a predetermined beneficial period, e.g., three consecutive days. Approximately about 1 week following pretreatment, the subjects are exposed to an appropriate chemotherapy treatment regimen. Pretreatment with a GLP-2 receptor activator followed by administration of chemotherapeutic agents improves cell survival, reduces bacteremia, attenuates epithelial injury, and inhibits cellular apoptosis. Moreover, it does not impair the effectiveness of chemotherapy nor result in weight loss. The anti-apoptotic effects of GLP-2 may be useful in the reduction of cytoxicity and bacterial infection induced by chemotherapeutic agents.

The present invention provides a manufacturing method for polypeptides that are produced in insect cells using a baculoviral expression system. In one example, the insect cell culture is supplemented with a lipid mixture immediately prior to infection (e.g., one hour prior to infection). The polypeptides are isolated from the insect cell culture using a method that employs anion exchange or mixed-mode chromatography early in the purification process. This process step is useful to remove insect-cell derived endoglycanases and proteases and thus reduces the loss of desired polypeptide due to enzymatic degradation. In another example, mixed-mode chromatography is combined with dye-ligand affinity chromatography in a continuous-flow manner to allow for rapid processing of the insect-cell culture liquid and capture of the polypeptide. In yet another example, a polypeptide is isolated from an insect cell culture liquid using a process that combines hollow fiber filtration, mixed-mode chromatography and dye-ligand affinity in a single unit operation producing a polypeptide solution that is essentially free of endoglycanase and proteolytic activities. In a further example, the isolated polypeptides are glycopeptides having an insect specific glycosylation pattern, which are optionally conjugated to a modifying group, such as a polymer (e.g., PEG) using a glycosyltransferase and a modified nucleotide sugar.

Proteolytically stable small molecule β-turn peptidomimetic compounds have been identified as agonists or antagonists of neurotrophin receptors, such as TrkA. A compound of particular interest binds the immunoglobulin-like C2 region of the extracellular domain of TrkA, competes the binding of another TrkA ligand, affords selective trophic protection to TrkA-expressing cell lines and neuronal primary cultures, and induces the differentiation of primary neuronal cultures. The small β-turn peptidomimetic compounds of the invention can activate a tyrosine kinase neurotrophin receptor that normally binds a relatively large protein ligand. Such compounds that bind the extracellular domain of Trk receptors are useful pharmacological agents to address disorders where Trk receptors play a role, by targeting populations selectively.

The present invention provides compositions and methods for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease (AD). In particular, the present invention provides monoclonal antibodies that specifically bind to soluble, non-fibrillar oligomeric amyloid β protein assemblies proteolytically derived from the transmembrane amyloid precursor protein (APP) while not reacting with fibrillar amyloid β protein assemblies, monoclonal antibodies that specifically bind to fibrillar amyloid β protein assemblies that do not react with soluble, non-fibrillar oligomeric amyloid β protein assemblies, and methods of use of these compositions in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, as well as methods to monitor treatment and/or disease progression of AD in patients.

The present invention includes compositions and methods for making and using a vaccine that includes a DC-specific antibody or fragment thereof to which an engineered Gag antigen is attached to form an antibody-antigen complex, wherein the Gag antigen is less susceptible to proteolytic degradation by eliminating one or more proteolytic sites or a DC-specific antibody or fragment thereof to which an engineered Nef antigen is attached to form an antibody-antigen complex, wherein the Nef antigen comprises one or more codon usage optimization that increase antibody-antigen complex secretion, or both, wherein the vaccine is able to elicit an HIV-specific T cell immune response to Gag p17, Gag p24, Nef and/or Cyclin D1.

Disclosed are useful constructs and methods for the expression of proteins using primary translation products that are processed within a recombinant host cell. Constructs comprising a single open reading frame (sORF) are described for protein expression including expression of multiple polypeptides. A primary translation product (a pro-protein or a polyprotein) contains polypeptides such as inteins or hedgehog family auto-processing domains, or variants thereof, inserted in frame between multiple protein subunits of interest. The primary product can also contain cleavage sequences such as other proteolytic cleavage or protease recognition sites, or signal peptides which contain recognition sequences for signal peptidases, separating at least two of the multiple protein subunits. The sequences of the inserted auto-processing polypeptides or cleavage sites can be manipulated to enhance the efficiency of expression of the separate multiple protein subunits. Also disclosed are independent aspects of conducting efficient expression, secretion, and/or multimeric assembly of proteins such as immunoglobulins. Where the polyprotein contains immunoglobulin heavy and light chain segments or fragments capable of antigen recognition, in an embodiment a selectable stoichiometric ratio is at least two copies of a light chain segment per heavy chain segment, with the result that the production of properly folded and assembled functional antibody is made. Modified signal peptides, including such from immunoglobulin light chains, are described.

The invention provides a method of determining activity of a protease. The method can include the steps of (a) providing a protease substrate including a protein moiety attached to a nucleic acid moiety and a ligand moiety; (b) contacting the protease substrate with a protease under conditions wherein the protease catalyzes cleavage of the protein moiety, thereby producing a proteolytic product wherein the nucleic acid moiety is separated from at least a portion of the protein moiety and the ligand moiety; (c) contacting the proteolytic product with a receptor under conditions wherein the ligand moiety binds to the receptor to form a complex; (d) separating the complex from the nucleic acid moiety, thereby forming a separation product including the nucleic acid moiety; (e) contacting the separation product with a probe nucleic acid under conditions wherein the nucleic acid moiety hybridizes to a complementary sequence of the probe; and (f) detecting hybridization of the separation product to the probe, thereby determining activity of the protease.

The present invention relates to enzymes produced by mutating the genes for a number of subtilases and expressing the mutated genes in suitable hosts are presented. The enzymes exhibit improved autoproteolytic stability in comparison to their wild type parent enzymes.

The invention relates to the culture medium research and development technical field of modern biological technology and provides a serum-free medium for MDCK cell large-scale adherent culture and single-cell suspension culture, which comprises 21 amino acids, 6 vitamins, 8 salts, 8 lipids, 4 trace elements, 2 buffers, 1 protein hydrolysate, 1 acid-base indicator and 6 other additives. The serum-free medium can be prepared by the conventional preparation method, and an application method thereof is the conventional method. The serum-free medium has the beneficial effects that: the serum-free medium does not contain serum, has clear components, is beneficial for separating and purifying the product and improves the product quality; the serum-free medium supports long-term subculture of MDCK cells and does not require long-term and complex adaptation process; and the serum-free medium can well support the adherent growth and single-cell suspension growth of the MDCK cells, has clear components and easy preparation and utilization, and is suitable for mass production of biological products.

The invention relates to a method for enzymatically obtaining protein hydrolysates for human consumption, animal feed and cosmetics. The process involves the use of a proteolytic composition derived from fish, such as Cod (Gadus morhua), to obtain hydrolysates which have a non-bitter taste and retain the flavor and aroma of the protein-containing material which is hydrolyzed: e.g. when hydrolyzing protein-containing material from marine organisms or parts thereof, such as fish, shrimp, lobster or other seafood according to the invention, a protein hydrolysate is produced that has a characteristic natural flavor of the organism Also provided are food products comprising the hydrolysates of the invention, such as soup, sauce, cheese, HVP, meat extract and flavoring agent, broth, paté, mousse, frying dough, orly dough, and pastries.

The present invention provides novel human glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) peptide mimics that mimic the biological activity of the native GLP-1 peptide and thus are useful for the treatment or prevention of diseases or disorders associated with GLP activity. Further, the present invention provides novel, chemically modified peptides that not only stimulate insulin secretion in type II diabetics, but also produce other beneficial insulinotropic responses. These synthetic peptide GLP-1 mimics exhibit increased stability to proteolytic cleavage making them ideal therapeutic candidates for oral or parenteral administration.

Processes and materials are provided for the detection, diagnosis, or determination of the severity of a neurological injury or condition, including traumatic brain injury, multiple-organ injury, stroke, Alzeimer's disease, Pakinson disease and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). The processes and materials include biomarkers detected or measured in a biological sample such as whole blood, serum, plasma, or CSF. Such biomarkers include Tau and GFAP proteins, their proteolytic breakdown products, brain specific or enriched micro-RNA, and brain specific or enriched protein directed autoantibodies. The processes and materials are operable to detect the presence of absence of acute, subacute or chronic brain injuries and predict outcome for the brain injury.

Optimized enzymatic conditions incorporate a single oxygen atom into digested peptides using a peptidase. The incorporation of a single oxygen atom is especially useful for proteolytic ¹⁸O labeling in comparative proteomics. The optimized proteolytic ¹⁸O labeling minimizes the generation of a mixture of isotopic isoforms of the peptides resulting from incorporation of either one or two ¹⁸O atoms. The outcome is accurate quantification of isotopically labeled peptides.