NIH Invention Disclosures, Feb. 5, 1997
NIH invention disclosures forwarded for pubication in the Federal Register, February 5, 1997
The CCHC Zinc Fingers of the Retroviral Nucleocapsid Protein Comprises a New Target Useful in Identification and Evaluation of Anti-HIV Therapeutics
Description of Invention:
HIV-1 contains domains known as "CCHC zinc fingers" in the retroviral nucleocapsid (NC) protein. Nucleocapsid CCHC zinc fingers are highly conserved throughout nearly all retroviruses, and are sequences of 14 amino acids with four invariant residues, Cys(X)2Cys(X)4His(X)4Cys, that chelate zinc and perform essential functions in viral infectivity. HIV-1 NC has two CCHC zinc fingers, both of which are necessary for infectivity. Many compounds that disrupt the CCHC zinc fingers also inactivate HIV-1 by preventing the initiation of reverse transcription and blocking production of infectious virus from previously infected cells by disruption of Gag processing. Compounds with this activity may be useful for developing new types of antiretroviral drugs. The invention concerns antiretroviral compounds that disrupt the CCHC zinc fingers and assays for identifying such compounds. The invariant nature of retroviral zinc fingers extends the usefulness of these compounds to other retroviruses. Thus these assays are also useful for screening compounds effective against adult T cell leukemia, tropical spastic paraparesis caused by HTLV-I and HTLV-II, feline leukemia virus, feline immunodeficiency virus, equine infectious virus, and lentivirus infections in other animals.
Inventors:
L Henderson, L Arthur, W Rice and A Rein (NCI)
Patent Status:
Serial No. 08/379,420 filed 27 Jan 95
Relevant Publications:
( Turpin, J.A., et al., J. Virol., 70: 6180-6189 (1996)
( Rice, W.G., et al., J. Medicinal Chem., 39: 3606-3616 (1996)
( Rice, W.G., et al., Science, 270: 1194-1197 (1995)
( Gorelick, R.J., et al., J. Virol., 70: 2593-2597 (1996)
( Rein, A., et al., J. Virol., 70: 4966-4972 (1996)
( Wu, W., et al., J. Virol., 70: 7132-7142 (1996)
( Rice, W.G., and Turpin, J.A., Reviews in Medical Virology, 6: 187-199 (1996)
Portfolios:
Infectious Diseases - Therapeutics, Anti-Virals, AIDS
Infectious Diseases - Research Materials
Licensing Status:
Available for exclusive or non-exclusive licensing
For additional information, please contact:
Cindy K. Fuchs, J.D.
Office of Technology Transfer
National Institutes of Health
6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325
Rockville, MD 20852-3804
Phone: 301/496-7735, ext. 232
Fax: 301/402-0220
Allelic Variation of the Serotonin 5HT7 Receptor
Description of Invention:
The 5HT7 serotonin receptor is structurally distinct from known serotonin receptors and exhibits a high affinity for serotonin and several antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs. The neurotransmitter serotonin has a variety of functions in the CNS, and disruption of serotonergic systems may be a factor in a number of clinical disorders or conditions including schizophrenia, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, sleep disorders, migraine headaches, and pain. This invention identifies a rare nonconservative mutation of the human 5HT7 serotonin receptor. The mutation from Pro279 , a common amino acid found in the helical turns of proteins, to Leu279 in the third cytoplasmic loop may alter the secondary and tertiary structure of the receptor and create changes in binding affinities. The 5HT7 Leu279 receptor may prove valuable for studying the function of this neurotransmitter in the CNS and make it possible to find biochemical and genetic variables that predict vulnerability to psychiatric disorders, including antisocial personality, and therefore predict these behaviors and also facilitate implementation of preventative and therapeutic measures. The receptor may also be used in medication development and screening for ligands that may bind to the receptor, as well as in receptor inhibition studies.
Inventors:
U Pesonen, M Koulu, M Linnoila, D Goldman, and M Virkkunen (NIAAA)
Patent Status:
Serial No. 08/745,269 filed 08 Nov 96 (claiming priority date of 09 Nov 95)
Portfolios:
Central Nervous System - Research Materials, receptors and cell lines
Central Nervous System - Research Materials, cDNA clones and probes
For additional information, please contact:
Stephen Finley, Ph.D.
Office of Technology Transfer
National Institutes of Health
6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325
Rockville, MD 20852-3804
Phone: 301/496-7735, ext. 215
Fax: 301/402-0220
Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies to 14-3-3 Proteins
Description of Inventions:
The inventions are biological materials that can be used to detect 14-3-3 proteins in biological samples. One (E-054-97) is a monoclonal antibody produced from partially-purified proteins of sheep pineal gland. It is specific for the 33 kD isoform of 14-3-3 and is designated 8C3.
The other invention (E-055-97) is a polyclonal antibody raised in rabbits using a synthetic peptide corresponding to a sequence conserved among 14-3-3 proteins. It reacts with both the 33 kD and 30 kD isoforms of 14-3-3 and is designated 274A.
Potential Areas of Application:
Development of assays for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD).
In basic research studies of prion diseases.
Main Advantage of Inventions:
Antibodies are well-characterized and immediately available for use.
Inventors:
E-054-97 -- M. Namboodiri, D. Klein, P. Roseboom, and J. Moffett (NICHD)
E-055-97 -- P. Roseboom, D. Klein, F. Thomas, and M. Bernard (NICHD)
Recent Relevant Publication:
P. Roseboom, J. Weller, T. Babila, A. Aitken, L. Sellers, J. Moffett, M. Namboodiri and D. Klein (1994) "Cloning and Characterization of the ( and ( Isoforms of the 14-3-3 Proteins," DNA and Cell Biology 13, 629-640.
Licensing Status:
Available for non-exclusive licensing
Portfolio:
Infectious Diseases- Diagnostics
For additional information, please contact:
George Keller, Ph.D.
Office of Technology Transfer
National Institutes of Health
6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325
Rockville, MD 20852-3804
Phone: 301/496-7735, ext. 246
Fax: 301/402-0220