摘要:
Polymeric chelating agents and metal chelates, particularly those of lanthanide metals and more specifically those of Gd(III), useful as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for therapeutic and diagnostic applications as well as clinical and biomedical research applications. The polymeric chelates are generated using ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). Polymers can have multiple sites for functionalization allowing for the synthesis of multimodal and targeted contrast agents. Hydroxypyridonate (HOPO)-based chelating moieties are integrated into a ROMP-derived polymer. More specifically, the HOPO-based chelating moiety is integrated into a benzonorbornadiene unit that constitutes the backbone of the polymer. The ROMP-derived polymer chelators can comprise multiple metal ions, particularly Gd(III) ions, in polymers of varying lengths to provide a series of agents with controlled relaxivites. Polymer chelates include those that are water-soluble.
摘要:
Disclosed are β-peptides and β-peptide conjugates that are capable of diffusing or otherwise being transported across the cell membranes of living cells. The β-peptides contain at least six β-amino acid residues, at leastsix of which are preferably β3-homoarginine residues. It has been found that when pharmacologically-active agents are conjugated to these types of β-peptides, the resulting conjugates (also disclosed herein) are also capable of diffusing or otherwise being transported across the cell membranes of living cells, including mammalian cells.
摘要:
A method for evaluating a test compound's ability to modulate prolyl 4-hydroxylase is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of introducing a test compound into a test chimeric, P4H-gene modified, or a wild-type nematode, wherein the test chimeric nematode has a complemented prolyl-4-hydroxylase gene mutation, and observing the effect of the test compound on the prolyl 4-hydroxylase activity of the progeny of the test chimeric, P4H-gene modified, or the wild-type nematode, wherein a dpy or embryonic lethal phenotype indicates prolyl-4-hydroxylase inhibition.
摘要:
A novel collagen mimic comprising a tripeptide unit having the formula (XaaFlpGly).sub.n, where Flp is 4(R)-fluoro-L-proline, is disclosed. The collagen mimic has increased stability relative to the collagen-related triple helices (ProProGly).sub.n and (ProHypGly).sub.n.
摘要:
A method for inactivating, at a desired stage of an in vitro process, a target enzyme having coupled thereto a biotin molecule, includes adding to a reaction mix an inactivating protein having an affinity for the biotin molecule that is sufficient to inhibit the activity of the target enzyme. The method is embodied in the ribonuclease activity of the enzyme RNase S, which can be active in a form composed of an S peptide and an S protein, not covalently bound together, which associate to form the catalytic molecule. By adding an affinity moeity to the S peptide, it is possible to a second, inactivating protein having affinity for the affinity moeity to disassociate the S peptide from the S protein, and thereby terminate catalytic activity of RNase S at a desired point in any reaction.
摘要:
A ribonuclease molecule altered at a single amino acid, relative to its wild-type form, displays altered substrate specificity and substrate binding mechanism. The altered protein cleaves RNA efficiently after C, U and A residues, whereas the wild-type protein cannot cleave efficiently after A. The change that alters the specificity also permits the protein to cleave poly (A) portions of an RNA molecule processively.
摘要:
Methods for enhancing cellular uptake of cargo molecules by boronating the cargo molecule, particularly with one or more phenylboronic acid groups. Cellular uptake includes at least partial uptake into the cytosol. Boronation includes ligating, crosslinking or otherwise bonding one or more phenylboronic acids substituted to contain a reactive group to a cargo molecule. Boronation also includes ligating, crosslinking or otherwise bonding a phenylboronated oligopeptide to a cargo molecule. The phenylboronate groups are optionally conjugated to the cargo molecule via linking moieties that can be selectively cleaved, such cleavable linkers can allow the phenylboronate groups to be removed from the cargo molecule after the boronated cargo molecule is introduced into the cell. The invention includes certain phenylboronates which are boronation reagents, certain boronated oligopeptides and certain boronated peptides and proteins. The invention also includes kits for enhancing cellular uptake of cargo molecules by boronation with one or more phenylboronates or boronated oligopeptides.
摘要:
Water soluble reagents and methods for the formation of an amide bond between a phosphinothioester and an azide in an aqueous medium. The phosphinothioester is generated using a water-soluble phosphinothiol reagent. This reaction allows formation of an amide bond between a wide variety of chemical species including amino acids, peptides or protein fragments in an aqueous solution. Of particular interest, this reaction allows for the formation of an amide bond in a physiological setting. In a specific embodiment, this invention provides reagents and methods for peptide ligation in an aqueous medium. The reaction eliminates the need for a cysteine residue and is traceless leaving no residual atoms in the ligated peptide product.
摘要:
This invention relates to cytotoxic variants of human ribonuclease 1 (RNase 1) identified through analysis of the interaction between RNase 1 and the human ribonuclease inhibitor (hRI) as defined by the three dimensional (3-D) atomic structure of the RNase1 hRI complex. Also disclosed is the 3-D structure of the hRI•RNase 1 complex and methods for designing the RNase 1 variants.
摘要:
This invention relates to methods and compositions for designing novel fluorescent proteins, preferably to a green fluorescent proteins (GFP). The engineered GFPs are modified by substituting negatively charged amino acids with positively charged amino acids on the exterior of the protein making the protein cell permeable. The ability of the engineered fluorescent proteins to permeate cells obviates the need for transfections, allowing these novel proteins to be used in numerous biological applications.