Suntory Limited

Masafumi Tsujimoto

Nobuo Tsuruoka

Hiroshi Nakazato

Hiroyuki Arai

Keizo Inoue

Hideki Adachi

Nozomi Yamaguchi

Nobuhiro Ishida

Kenju Miura

Tatsuya Kurihara

Kozo Yamaichi

Fuyuki Iwasa

Shoji Tanaka

Yayoi Wada

The present invention relates to an isolated human protein having platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase activity.

Platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase, and gene thereof

A novel megakaryocyte differentiation factor, for example, consisting essentially of SEQ ID NO: 30; DNA coding for the megakaryocyte differentiation factor, an expression vector comprising the DNA, a host transformed with the expression vector, and a process for production of the megakaryocyte differentiation factor using the host. The megakaryocyte differentiation factor accelerates differentiation of megakaryocytes in the presence of IL-3, and acts as a thrombopoietin, and therefore an effective medicament to various diseases involving a decrease in platelete.

Megakaryocyte differentiation factor

An oxidized phospholipid degrading enzyme is provided, which plays an important role in the oxygen stress preventive mechanism in organisms. The enzyme hydrolyzes a 1-acyl-2-.omega.-carboxyfatty acid acyl-3-phosphatidylcholine as a substrate at the 2-ester bond thereof to form 1-acyl-2-lyso-3-phosphatidylcholine. The activity of the enzyme is slightly enhanced by 4 mM calcium chloride. The molecular mass of the enzyme is 95.+-.5 kDa (by gel filtration). The enzyme is composed of three subunits whose molecular masses have been found to be 29 kDa, 30 kDa and 45 kDa, respectively, by SDS-polyacrylamide electrophoresis. A gene coding the enzyme is also provided. This gene is important for the synthesis of the enzyme by genetic engineering.

Oxidized phospholipid degrading enzyme and gene thereof

This invention relates to an isolated and purified DNA encoding an amino acid sequence which comprises SEQ. ID. NO:3.

DNA encoding megakaryocyte differentiation factor

The present invention provides novel megakaryocyte differentiation factors, which are useful as therapeutic agents due to their accelerating effects on the differentiation of megakaryocytes and their thrombopoietic effects. The megakaryocyte differentiation factors of the present invention include the megakaryocyte differentiation factor having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 34. The present invention also provides DNA coding for the megakaryocyte differentiation factors of the present invention, expression vectors containing the DNA, hosts transformed with the expression vectors, and processes for production of the megakaryocyte differentiation factors using transformed hosts. The present invention further provides specific antibodies to the megakaryocyte differentiation factors of the present invention.

Antibodies specific for megakaryocyte differentiation factor

Disclosed is a human TNF derivative with a reduced tendency to cause adverse side effects that is obtained by replacing the 31st and 32nd arginine residues from the N-terminal of the amino acid sequence of human TNF, which has a potential for causing serious adverse effects, with asparagine residue and threoine residue, respectively, as well as a method of preparing the same utilizing recombinant DNA technology.

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Osaka, Japan

Masafumi Tsujimoto