Inducible podocyte-specific gene expression in transgenic mice
The podocyte plays a key role in glomerular function and glomerular disease. To facilitate studies of podocyte function, we have developed a transgenic mouse model with inducible expression in the podocyte. The tetracycline-inducible transgenic system facilitates gene expression with restricted cellular distribution and tight temporal control. Recently, Bujard and colleagues have developed a functionally improved reverse tetracycline-controlled transcriptional activator (rtTA) with substantially lower background in the off state (the absence of tetracycline) and greater inducibility in the on state (the presence of tetracy...
Source: NIDDK Research Resources - August 17, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research
Gs Alpha LoxP (Gnas tm1Lsw) Mouse
Generation of a floxed Gnsa gene for the G-protein Gs α for the construction of conditional knockout mice.
The heterotrimeric G protein Gsa couples many receptors to adenylyl cyclase and is essential for hormone-stimulated cAMP generation. Previous mouse models with germ-line mutations in Gnas, the gene that encodes Gsa had limited usefulness in trying to decipher the role of Gsa pathways in specific tissues since only heterozygotes were viable and could be analyzed. Analysis was further complicated by the fact that Gsa is imprinted expressed in many metabolically active tissues.Gsa-floxed mice were generated so tha...
Source: NIDDK Research Resources - August 17, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research
Gaucher Gba-444 knock-in(Gba tm2Rlp) Mouse
Gba-444 knock-in mice carrying the milder L444P Gaucher disease mutation (Gba-L444P mice) and the severe Gaucher disease mutation (Gba-L444P A456P mice).Gba-L444P and Gba-L444P A456P mice, respectively, carry common gene mutations for milder or severe Gaucher disease, a lysosomal storage disease. Gaucher Disease is caused by mutations in the lysosomal enzyme, glucocerebrosidase. Deficiency of enzyme activity leads to the accumulation of glucosylceramide in liver, spleen, bone, and in the most severe cases, the central nervous system. A single insertion mutagenesis procedure was used to introduce mutations found in human Ga...
Source: NIDDK Research Resources - August 17, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research
Epibatidine and derivatives, compositions and methods of treating pain (Patent Number U.S. 5,314,899)
The present invention is directed to compounds, compositions and methods of treating pain, and derivatives that have potent analgetic activity. The compounds have the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is selected from H, lower alkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.9 cycloalkyl, acyl, and C.sub.3 -C.sub.9 cycloalkylalkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, hydroxyalkyl, or C.sub.3 -C.sub.8 cycloalkenyl or C.sub.3 -C.sub.8 cycloalkynyl; and wherein R is selected from cycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryls (selected from the group consisting of pyridyl, thienyl, furanyl, imidazolyl, pyrazinyl, and pyrimidyl) or phenoxy and wherein said R groups can be subs...
Source: NIDDK Research Resources - August 17, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research
DNA sequence acting as an insulator for the effects of cis-acting regulatory elements
A newly characterized chromatin insulator element isolated from the DNA of a higher eukaryotic organism and contained in vector constructs is described. The insulator element of the invention comprises a DNA sequence which contains a 5' constitutive hypersensitive site whose functional activity and biochemical characterization as a pure insulator were previously unknown. A core DNA sequence having strong insulator activity is described. The insulator element, including the core sequence, have been demonstrated for the first time in mammalian cells to function to buffer or insulate an expressed gene from the activity of cis...
Source: NIDDK Research Resources - August 17, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research
Dendrimer Conjugates of Agonists and Antagonists of the GPCR Superfamily (U.S. Patent Number 8,153,781)
Disclosed are conjugates comprising a dendrimer and a ligand, which is a functionalized congener of an agonist or antagonist of a receptor of the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily, for example, wherein the functionalized congener is an A1 adenosine receptor agonist having a purine nucleoside moiety and a functional group at the N6 position of the purine nucleoside moiety, wherein the functional group has the formula (I):N6H-Ar1-CH2-C(?? O)NH-R1 (I), wherein Ar1 and R1 as defined herein. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions, methods of treating various diseases, and a diagnostic method employing such...
Source: NIDDK Research Resources - August 17, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research
Cryogenic MAS NMR Probe: Collaboration for Commercialization with Revolution NMR
A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) probe is a device that inserts into the magnet of an NMR spectrometer and contains both the radio-frequency circuitry for NMR experiments and the sample of interest. Magic-angle Spinning (MAS) is a technique in which the sample is rotated around an axis inclined at a 54.7 degree angle to the external magnetic field during experiments. This is a collaboration to produce a NMR probe capable of performing experiments on biochemical samples with MAS at sample temperatures of approximately 25 K. (Source: NIDDK Research Resources)
Source: NIDDK Research Resources - August 17, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research
Compositions and methods for vaccine and virus production (U.S. Patent Application Number WO 2009126308 A2)
The present invention features methods of producing immunogenic compositions and viruses, methods of treating and preventing viral infection, and methods of producing an immune response using cells that express a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of: cdkl3, siat7e, Iama4, cox15, egr1, gas6, map3k9, and gap43, and a virus. (Source: NIDDK Research Resources)
Source: NIDDK Research Resources - August 17, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research
Body Weight Simulator - Java Applet for Modeling Human Metabolism and Energy Expenditure for Adaptive Dieting and Exercise Regimens
Known methods for predicting weight loss fail to account for slowing of metabolism as weight is lost and therefore overestimate the degree of weight loss. While this limitation of the 3500 Calorie per pound rule has been known for some time, it was not clear how to dynamically account for the metabolic slowing. The invention provides a Java applet for modeling of human metabolism to improve the weight change predictions. The model has been validated using previously published human data and the model equations have been published. A web-based implementation of the published dynamic model has been created to allow users to ...
Source: NIDDK Research Resources - August 17, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research
Bcl-x LoxP (Bcl2l1 tm1.1Mam) Mouse
Floxed Bcl-x: Conditional knockout of pro-survival Bcl-x in primordial germ cells was used to study the balance between pro-aptoptotic Bax during embryogenesis.Bcl-x is a pro-survival protein that opposes the pro-apoptotic action of Bax which interacts with mitochondria to activate the caspase 9 pathway. Mice in which the Bcl-x gene is inactivated die at E12.5. To be able to study lineage-specific activites of Bcl-x at different stages of development, the Cre-LoxP recombination system was used. Homologous recombination was used to flank the promoter, exon1, and major coding exon2 of the Bcl-x gene with loxP sites. The targ...
Source: NIDDK Research Resources - August 17, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research
Antimicrobial Compounds that Inhibit FTSZ Protein (U.S. Patent Number 61/446,978)
This invention, offered for licensing and commercial development, relates to a new class of naturally occurring antimicrobial compounds called Chrysophaetins, and to their synthetic analogues. Isolated from an alga species, the mechanism of action of these compounds is through the inhibition of bacterial cytoskeletal protein FtsZ, an enzyme necessary for the replication of bacteria. FtsZ is responsible for Z-ring assembly in bacteria, which leads to bacterial cell division. Highly conserved among all bacteria, FtsZ is a very attractive antimicrobial target.The chrysophaetin exhibits antimicrobial activity against drug resi...
Source: NIDDK Research Resources - August 17, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research
Anti-HIV Acylthiol & Thioether prodrugs (U.S. Patent Number 12/414,321)
These inventions provide the compositions, pharmaceutical carrier, and usages of the new Acylthiols (E-329-2000 family) and Thioether pro-drug (E-177-2010 family) compounds in treatment of retroviral infections such as HIV. These compounds target the highly-conserved nucleocapsid protein 7 (NCp7) of HIV-1. This protein functions throughout the viral replication cycle and is involved with reverse transcription, integration, and assembly and packaging of the viral genomic material. This protein is conserved among strains of HIV-1. Activity of these compounds against the nucleocapsid protein leads to inactivation of the virus...
Source: NIDDK Research Resources - August 17, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research
Animal Models to Study Mammary Gland Development, Physiology, and Tumorigenesis
A guide to animal models which have been used to study molecular mechanisms of Mammary Gland Development, Physiology and Tumorigenesis. (Source: NIDDK Research Resources)
Source: NIDDK Research Resources - August 17, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research
Adiabatic T2 Preparation Sequence for Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Reduced B1 Sensitivity (U.S. Patent Number US 7788930 B2)
Adiabatic pulses that define an amplitude modulation and a frequency modulation are applied in a sequence of pulses to obtain a T2 weighted magnetic resonance image. Such an adiabatic T2 prep sequence typically includes a first 90 ° pulse, an even number of adiabatic pulses, and a second 90° pulse. Adiabatic pulses can be selected based on function pairs, or can be defined numerically. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system includes a library of adiabatic pulse waveforms, and is configured to select a waveform and apply an RF magnetic field based on the selected pulse waveform. (Source: NIDDK Research Resources)
Source: NIDDK Research Resources - August 17, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research
Adenovirus gene expression system (U.S. Patent Number 6,824,770)
The invention is directed to an adenoviral vector comprising (a) at least one insertion site for cloning a heterologous gene, and, in an orientation opposite to the direction of transcription of the adenoviral region into which it is inserted, (b) a heterologous promoter positioned upstream from the insertion site, (c) a eukaryotic splice acceptor and splice donor site positioned between the promoter and the insertion site; and (d) a polyadenylation sequence positioned downstream of the insertion site. The invention also provides a host cell infected with such a vector, a method of producing a selected protein, and a metho...
Source: NIDDK Research Resources - August 17, 2018 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research
