Abstract
US 2010/0022761 A1 Patent application Published 28 Jan 2010
Photocleavable Linker Methods and Compositions
Inventors/Applicants
Bifunctional linkers are provided that comprise a photocleavable moiety flanked by two different amine reactive moieties. In some embodiments the photocleavable moiety is a dimethoxynitrobenzyl moiety. In other embodiments the photocleavable moiety is 8-bromo-7-hydroxyquinoline. In other embodiments the photocleavable moiety is nitrodibenzofuran. In other embodiments the photocleavable moiety is 6-bromo-7-hydroxycoumarin-4-ylmethyl. The linkers find use in synthetic methods, including the generation of photocleavable oligonucleotides, for example, caged morpholinos.
US 2010/0011453 A1 Patent application Published 14 Jan 2010
Model for Muscular Dystrophy and Cardiomyopathy
Inventors/Applicants
An isolated zebrafish genetic strain having a dystrophin mutant phenotype and fish models useful for screening or assaying agents having potential activity on muscular dystrophy or cardiomyopathy.
WO 2010/005273 A2 Patent application Published 14 Jan 2010
Transgenic Zebrafish and Method for Mass Production of Human Lactoferrin Using the Same
Inventors/Applicants
The present invention relates to zebrafish that mass produce human lactoferrin after being transformed with a recombinant expression vector containing the human lactoferrin gene, to a method for the mass production of human lactoferrin from said transgenic zebrafish, and to functional foods and animal feed additives containing said transgenic zebrafish as the active ingredient. According to the present invention, a large quantity of human lactoferrin can be obtained from transgenic zebrafish. Further, the transgenic zebrafish can be used as an ingredient for functional foods and as an additive for animal feed.
US 2009/0324500 A1 Patent application Published 31 Dec 2009
Screen for Inflammatory Response Modulators
Inventors/Applicants
The present invention relates to transgenic aquatic vertebrate organisms and methods of their use in screening for or identifying agents that are useful in modulating the inflammatory response and particularly for identifying agents useful for treating inflammatory disorders.
WO 2009/156728 A1 Patent application Published 30 Dec 2009
Assay
Inventors/Applicants
The present invention provides zebrafish-based methods for the identification of compounds potentially useful in the treatment of motor neuron degenerative diseases, compounds identified by these methods and compositions, and methods and medicaments for treating motor neuron degenerative diseases.
US 2009/0311278 A1 Patent application Published 17 Dec 2009
Novel Teleost-Derived Antimicrobial Polypeptides
Inventors/Applicants
The invention is directed to an isolated polypeptide that (1) is obtainable from a teleost; (2) has antimicrobial activity; (3) binds to oligoguanosine and/or CpG (SEQ ID NO:7); (4) comprises 58 strongly basic amino acids selected from the group consisting of K and R; (5) comprises 50 hydrophobic amino acids selected from the group consisting of A, I, L, F, W, and V; (6) comprises 50 polar amino acids selected from the group consisting of N, C, Q, S, T, and Y; and (7) contains 11 lysine-rich motifs and antimicrobial fragments thereof as well as methods for preparing said polypeptides, compositions and libraries comprising said polypeptide(s), and uses of said polypeptide(s), particularly in treating microbial infections. The invention is further directed to a nucleic acid(s) encoding said polypeptide, microarrays comprising said nucleic acid(s), and uses for said nucleic acid(s). Further, the invention is directed to an antibody that binds to the polypeptide of the present invention and uses for said antibodies.
US 2009/0297512 A1 Patent application Published 3 Dec 2009
Compositions and Methods for Modulating Vascular Development
Inventors/Applicants
The present invention provides methods of using epidermal growth factor-like domain 7 (EGFL7) antagonist to modulate vascular development. Also provided herein are methods of screening for modulators of EGFL7 activity. Further, methods of treatment using EGFL7 antagonists are provided.
US 2009/0298065 A1 Patent application Published 3 Dec 2009
Methods for Identifying Functional Noncoding Sequences
Inventors/Applicants
The present invention relates to methods for identifying functional noncoding human sequences. Methods may comprise one or more of the following: a comparative genomic sequence analysis step, a genetic analysis step, and a functional analysis step. The functional analysis step comprises transposon-based transgenesis in zebrafish. Also disclosed here is a transposon-based vector to facilitate efficient transgenesis in zebrafish.
US 2009/0255006 A1 Patent application Published 8 Oct 2009
Transgenic Zebrafish
Inventors/Applicants
Transgenic zebrafish containing sqt genomic sequences driving expression of a reporter gene are provided. This line faithfully reproduces the spatiotemporal expression pattern of endogenous sqt, and at the late blastula stage is expressed in the yolk syncytial layer (YSL) as well as in the blastomeres. The data show that expression in embryonic and extraembryonic tissues is controlled by separable regulatory elements, including at least two elements that mediate the response to Nodal signals in different cell types. An element upstream of the transcription start site mediates the response to Nodal signaling specifically in the enveloping layer (EVL) cells. By contrast, a conserved Nodal response element in the first introns is required for transgene expression in the blastomeres. The data show that expression of the transgene in the blastomeres depends on Nodal signaling activity. Further, expression of sqt and cyc in the blastomeres depends upon Nodal signals from the YSL. These experiments suggest that Nodal signals in the YSL act to induce nodal-related gene expression in the embryo margin by activating the Nodal autoregulatory pathway. Targeted depletion of Nodal signals from the YSL results in embryos lacking endoderm and head mesoderm, similar to the defects observed in mice lacking Nodal function in the visceral endoderm. Thus, the data provide strong genetic evidence for the functional conservation between the YSL and the visceral endoderm. This suggests a common evolutionary origin for teleost and mammalian extraembryonic tissues, despite their profound morphological differences.
Footnotes
Ms. Westcot is a J.D./Ph.D. candidate in the Joint Degree Program in Law, Health, and Life Sciences at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota. The contents of this column do not constitute legal advice.
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