Los Alamos National Security, LLC

United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of Agriculture

University of California

Innate Immunity LLC

Goutam Gupta

Eddie W Stover

Guixia Hao

Xian Chen

E Morton Bradbury

Patrick R Shiflett

Nancy M Lehnert

Elizabeth Hong-Geller

A chimeric protein and method of creating genetically altered plant and parts thereof with a chimeric protein wherein the chimeric protein comprises a recognition element and a lysis element connected by a linker wherein the recognition element binds to a pathogen and the lysis element lyses the pathogen and wherein the recognition element is derived from a first protein and the lysis element is derived from a second protein wherein the first protein and the second protein are endogenous to the host to be treated with the chimeric protein.

Compositions and methods for protecting hosts against pathogen infections

Two small proteins with anti-bacterial activity are generated and called optimized thionin and optimized pro-thionin. Optimized pro-thionin contains a signal sequence for intracellular trafficking of the protein and is cleaved off to yield optimized thionin. Genetically altered plants and their progeny expressing a polynucleotide encoding optimized pro-thionin or optimized thionin resist diseases caused by bacteria.

Optimized thionin protects plants against bacterial infections

The generation of a chimeric protein containing a first domain encoding either a pro-thionon or thionin, a second domain encoding D4E1 or pro-D4E1, and a third domain encoding a peptide linker located between the first domain and second domain is described. Either the first domain or the second domain is located at the amino terminal of the chimeric protein and the other domain (second domain or first domain, respectively) is located at the carboxyl terminal. The chimeric protein has antibacterial activity. Genetically altered plants and their progeny expressing a polynucleotide encoding the chimeric protein resist diseases caused by bacteria.

Thionin-D4E1 chimeric protein protects plants against bacterial infections

The invention provides therapeutic compositions useful in the treatment of bacterial superantigen mediated conditions, such as Toxic Shock Syndrome. The compositions comprise genetically engineered bifunctional polypeptides containing a specific T-cell receptor binding domain and a specific MHC class II receptor binding domain, each targeting non-overlapping epitopes on a superantigen molecule against which they are designed. The anti-superantigen 'receptor mimetics' or 'chimeras' are rationally designed to recreate the modality of superantigen binding directly to both the TCR and the MHC-II receptor, and are capable of acting as decoys for superantigen binding, effectively out-competing the host T-cell and MHC-II receptors, the natural host receptors.

Structure-based receptor MIMICS targeted against bacterial superantigen toxins

Chimeric anti-microbial proteins, compositions, and methods for the therapeutic and prophylactic treatment of plant diseases caused by the bacterial pathogenare provided. The anti-microbial proteins of the invention generally comprise a surface recognition domain polypeptide, capable of binding to a bacterial membrane component, fused to a bacterial lysis domain polypeptide, capable of affecting lysis or rupture of the bacterial membrane, typically via a fused polypeptide linker. In particular, methods and compositions for the treatment or prevention of Pierce's disease of grapevines are provided. Methods for the generation of transgenicplants expressing xylem-secreted anti-microbial chimeras are also provided.

Compositions and methods for the treatment of Pierce's disease

Preparation of,C/,N-labeled DNA oligomers using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A PCR based method for uniform (,C/,N)-labeling of DNA duplexes is described. Multiple copies of a blunt-ended duplex are cloned into a plasmid, each copy containing the sequence of interest and restriction Hinc II sequences at both the 5&prime; and 3&prime; ends. PCR using bi-directional primers and uniformly,C/,N-labeled dNTP precursors generates labeled DNA duplexes containing multiple copies of the sequence of interest. Twenty-four cycles of PCR, followed by restriction and purification, gave the uniformly,C/,N-labeled duplex sequence with a 30% yield. Such labeled duplexes find significant applications in multinuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Fe, NM, United States of America

Goutam Gupta