Chiron Corporation

Cetus Corporation

Leland Stanford Junior University

Berlex Laboratories, Inc.

Monsanto Company

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Swain, William F.

Barton, Kenneth A.

Mccormick, Francis P.

Francis P McCormick

Gail L Wong

Robin Clark

Michael A Innis

Bonnee Rubinfeld

Gordon M Ringold

Kirston E Koths

Robert F Halenbeck

Danute E Nitecki

George A Martin

Michael Kriegler

Norman Arnheim

Edward C O'Rourke

Ernest S Kawasaki

Kenneth A Barton

William F Swain

Paul G Polakis

Mary M Trahey

James R Feramisco

Owen O Witto

A strategy for effecting virus resistance in plants causes the transcription in the plant cells of negative RNA strands which are substantially complementary to a target RNA strand. The target RNA strand can be an mRNA transcript created in gene expression, a viral RNA, or other RNA present in the plant cells. The negative RNA strand is complementary to at least a portion of the target RNA strand to inhibit its activity in vivo.

Effecting virus resistance in plants through the use of negative strand RNAs

Native Type II GAP (GTPase activating protein), its uses in cancer diagnosis, and methods for obtaining and purifying native and recombinant Types I and II GAPs are described.

Native type II GAP, methods for purifying various GAPs and uses of GAPs

.beta.-interferon is produced in Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO) in high amounts.

Human interferon-.beta. (IFN-.beta.) produced in Chinese hamster ovary

The subject invention provides for nucleotide sequences encoding polypeptide p62 and derivatives thereof. Another aspect of the subject invention also provides for methods of purifying p62 and derivatives thereof from cells naturally producing p62 and from cells genetically modified so as to produce p62. The subject invention also provides for methods of assaying tyrosine kinase activity by means of measuring the phosphorylation of p62 and p62 derivatives. Measurement of p62/p62 derivative phosphorylation may be used to determine whether or not a call is cancerous.

Method for determining tyrosine kinase activity

Peptides, that inhibit GAP stimulated ras p21 hydrolysis of GTP; peptides that mediate dissociation of GDP from ras p21-GTP complex; and antibodies to the peptides are described. These peptides are useful as cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, particularly to detect cancer cells with an over expression of normal or oncogenic ras p21 protein and to treat cancer caused by ras oncogene. Methods for assaying products of oncogenes using the described peptides and antibodies are also disclosed. Method for treating cancer caused by ras oncogenes is also disclosed.

GTPase activating protein fragments

Guanosine triphosphatase activating protein (GAP) DNA sequences are described that are useful as cancer diagnostics, particularly to detect cancer cells that express the ras oncogene protein p21 by measuring the level of GAP gene expression or amplification.

Gap gene sequences

Nucleic acids encoding a gap-associated protein

A drug delivery virion which contains an expression system for the desired protein active ingredient packaged in an envelope derived from a retrovirus is especially useful in administering materials which need to cross cell membranes in order to serve their function.

Retroviral vectors expressing tumor necrosis factor (TNF)

Retroviral vectors expressing cytokines

Polypeptides and antibodies derived from GAP associated protein, p62

DNA constructs are prepared which operably link human interferon genes, selective, eukaryotic marker genes, and promoter and expression control sequences for the expression of human interferon in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells or progeny thereof. The human recombinant interferon so produced contains glycans which are a subset of the population of glycans which are contained in the native counterpart, and may be used in therapeutic formulations. The CHO cells yield high levels of human interferon with no detectable amounts of host, IFN, either constitutive or inductive.

Expression of interferon genes in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Compositions useful for detecting ras gene proteins are described consisting of GTP and a protein having an apparent reduced molecular weight of about 115,000-120,000 daltons, or fragments derived therefrom, that stimulate ras protein guanosine triphosphatase activity. Also described are methods whereby the compositions are used to identify cancer therapeutics.

Compositions for detecting ras gene proteins and cancer therapeutics

The invention provides highly sensitive methods for detecting specific sequences contained in chimeric mRNA. The mRNA sequences are reverse transcribed into complementary DNA (cDNA), amplified by the Polymerase Chain Reaction, and detected by hybridization with a labeled sequence specific oligonucleotide probe. The method is particularly valuable for the detection of chimeric mRNAs experessed by activated oncogenes that result from aberrant genetic rearragements such as chromosomal translocations.

Chimeric messenger RNA detection methods

DNA constructs are prepared which operably link human interferon genes, selective, eukaryotic marker genes, and promoter and expression control sequences for the expression of human interferon in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells or progeny thereof. The human recombinant interferon so produced contains glycans which are a subset of the population of glycans which are contained in the native counterpart, and may be used in therapeutic formulations. The CHO cells yield high levels of human interferon with no detectable amounts of host IFN, either constitutive or inductive.

Antibodies exhibit specificity toward single amino acid differences between proteins. These antibodies may be produced by synthesizing a peptide of the appropriate amino acid sequence contained in the protein, immunizing a host with the peptide, and extracting sera from the host to obtain the antibodies. The antibodies and the desired protein are then immunoprecipitated under conditions of partial denaturation to expose the epitope of the protein. The antibodies may be used for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.

Growing community of inventors

Albany, CA, United States of America

Francis P McCormick