Abstract:
A method for preparing saccharide compositions is disclosed. The method is reiterative and comprises the following three steps: (i) a glycosyltransferase capable of transfering a preselected saccharide unit to an acceptor moiety is isolated by contacting the acceptor moiety with a mixture suspected of containing the glycosyltransferase under conditions effective to bind the acceptor moiety and the glycosyltransferase and thereby isolate the glycosyltransferase. The acceptor moiety is a protein, a glycoprotein, a lipid, a glycolipid, or a carbohydrate. (ii) The isolated glycosyltranferase is then used to catalyze the bond between the acceptor moiety and the preselected saccharide unit. (iii) Steps (i) and (ii) are repeated a plurality of times with the intermediate product obtained in the first iteration of the method being used as the acceptor moiety of the second iteration.
Abstract:
Disclosed are methods and compositions for the identification, characterization and inhibition of farnesyl protein transferases, enzymes involved in the farnesylation of various cellular proteins, including cancer related ras proteins such as p21ras. One farnesyl protein transferase which is disclosed herein exhibits a molecular weight of between about 70,000 and about 100,000 upon gel exclusion chromatography. The enzyme appears to comprise one or two subunits of approximately 50 kDa each. Methods are disclosed for assay and purification of the enzyme, as well as procedures for using the purified enzyme in screening protocols for the identification of possible anticancer agents which inhibit the enzyme and thereby prevent expression of proteins such as p21ras. Also disclosed is a family of compounds which act either as false substrates for the enzyme or as pure inhibitors and can therefore be employed for inhibition of the enzyme. The most potent inhibitors are ones in which phenylalanine occurs at the third position of a tetrapeptide whose amino terminus is cysteine.
Abstract:
An enzyme which acts on a peptide C-terminal/glycine adduct of formula (I), (wherein A represents a residue formed by removing an alpha -amino or imino group and an alpha -carboxyl group from a natural alpha -amino acid, and X represents a hydrogen atom or a residue of an amino acid derivative which combines with the N atom via a carbonyl group) to produce a peptide C-terminal/ alpha -hydroxyglycine adduct of formula (II), (wherein A and X are each as defined above), and another enzyme which acts on the compound of formula (II) to produce a C-terminal amidated peptide of formula (III), wherein A and X are each as defined above.
Abstract:
This invention relates to the efficient recovery of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) from liquid media and more specifically, to improved methods for recovering intact single-chain t-PA substantially free of degraded t-PA and other non-homologous proteins using chaotropic agents to stabilize high concentrations of t-PA during purification.
Abstract:
Method and reagent for the differential analysis of the bone and lever isoenzyme of the alkaline phosphatase in a sample, said phosphatase being mixed and incubated with a lectine capable of binding the rests of N-acetylglucosamin. The free isoenzyme portions are separated from the portions bound to the lectine and the activity of the alkaline phosphatase is determined in one of the separated media or in both media.
Abstract:
Multifunctional, polyionic copolymers are synthesized on/or applied to substrate surfaces for analytical and sensing purposes, the coatings being particularly useful for suppression of non-specific interaction, adsorption or attachment. Groups can be coupled to, integrated into or absorbed to the multifunctional polymer that are able to recognize, interact with and bind specifically to target analyte molecules. These materials can also be used to modulate biological interactions upon substrate surfaces for use as selective implant surfaces that resist cell attachment and may optionally promote the attachment of specific cell types or induce a particular cellular behaviour. The multifunctional polymer coatings typically include brush copolymers based on a polycationic or polyanionic backbone with side chains that control interaction with the environment, such as poly(ethylene glycol) or poly(ethylene oxide)-based side chains that decrease cellular adhesion, and analyte-specific side chains.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method for producing a bead-shaped, cross-linked hydrophilic mixed polymer which actively bonds with ligands with nucleophilic groups, by inversely bead-polymerising a monomer phase. The invention also relates to polymer support materials with a high capacity for bonding with penicillin acylase and with a lower swelling number, and to their use.
Abstract:
This invention provides methods of retentate chromatography for resolving analytes in a sample. The methods involve adsorbing the analytes to a substrate under a plurality of different selectivity conditions, and detecting the analytes retained on the substrate by desorption spectrometry. The methods are useful in biology and medicine, including clinical diagnostics and drug discovery.
Abstract:
A method for detecting mammalian heparanase activity in a sample such as mammalian tissue, cells or bodily fluids; and a method for the purification of mammalian heparanase from a heparanase-containing material, such as human platelets.
Abstract:
Described is a method of purifying thrombin-like protease enzymes from snake venom, the method consisting of freeing the enzymes of impurities in three chromatographic stages.