282 PATENT ABSTRACTS

4946780 4948724

M E T H O D F O R P R O D U C I N G S O D I U M H Y A L U R O N A T E BY

F E R M E N T A T I O N M E T H O D

Masamich Hashimoto, Haruhisa Saegusa, Susumu Chiba, Hironoshi Kitagawa, Teruzo Miyoshi, Tokyo, Japan assigned to Denkl Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

A method for producing sodium hyaluronate by a fermentation method comprises culturing a mutant strain FM 100 derived from Streptococ- cus equi and partially free from auxotrophy to thereby stably produce sodium hyaluronate and accumulating the hyaluronate. A method for producing sodium hyaluronate by a fermenta- tion method comprises culturing a mutant strain FM 300 derived from Streptococcus equi and partially free from auxotophy to thereby stably produce sodium hyaluronate and accumulating the hyaluronate.

C O M P O S I T I O N , K I T A N D M E T H O D F O R A S S A Y I N G

H E P A R I N A N D A M E T H O D F O R M A K I N G T H E C O M P O S I T I O N

E Thy Yin

A composition, kit, and method for determining the concentration of heparin in a blood plasma sample and a method for making the composi- tion. The method includes incubating a blood plasma sample with a known amount of Factor Xa, combining the incubated product with an admixture of calcium chloride, brain phospholipids, and a buffered plasma fraction that has been produced by treating mammalian blood to substantially remove Factors II, VII, IX and X while retaining incidental amounts of Fac- tor V and fibrinogen, and measuring the time it takes for clotting to occur after combining the in- cubated product with the admixture.

4946794

V I S U A L I Z A T I O N O F P R O T E I N S O N E L E C T R O P H O R E S I S G E L S

U S I N G P L A N A R D Y E S

Gene R Berube assigned to Protein Databases Inc

A rapid, self limiting, sensitive and reproducible method of visualization of proteins which have been separated by gel electrophoresis is dis- closed.

4946835

A N T I F U N G A L F E R M E N T A T I O N P R O D U C T A N D M E T H O D

Charles F Hirsch, Jerrold M Liesch, Michael J Salvatore, Robert Schwartz, David Sesin as- signed to Merck & Co lnc

A novel dioxa diazacyclohexadecenetetrone isolated from the fermentation of a cyano- bacterium (Nostoc sp.) is described. The com- pound is a new antifungal agent with a specificity generally toward filamentous fungi but also ef- fective against Cryptococcus sp.

4948725

N O V E L T Y P E VI B A C T E R I A L FC R E C E P T O R S

Michael D P Boyle assigned to University of Florida Research Foundation Inc

Novel Fc receptors, denoted type VI, are dis- closed as reacting with rat immunoglobulins with a reasonable affinity. These receptors, or the microorganisms which produce them, are useful in immunoassays.

4948726

E N Z Y M E I M M U N O A S S A Y B A S E D O N M E M B R A N E S E P A R A T I O N

O F A N T I G E N - A N T I B O D Y C O M P L E X E S

Claude C Longoria

An enzyme immunoassay based on membrane separation of antigen-antibody complexes wherein human or animal body fluid specimens containing an antigen are mixed with an enzyme- conjugated antibody specific for the antigen un- der test. Following incubation the antigen- antibody-conjugate mixture is passed through a filter membrane having an electrostatic charge

PATENT ABSTRACTS

providing an affinity for retaining antigen- antibody-conjugate complexes while not retaining free antibody-conjugate. Following washing of the filter membrane to remove free antibody-conjugate remaining thereon an en- zyme substrate-chromogen reagent solution is applied to the filter membrane, which reacts with filter-bound antibody-conjugate and develops a visible or fluorogenic color indicative of the pre- sence of antibody-conjugate.

4948728

M O N O L I T H R E A C T O R C O N T A I N I N G A P L U R A L I T Y O F

F L O W P A S S A G E S A N D M E T H O D F O R C A R R Y I N G O U T

B I O L O G I C A L R E A C T I O N S

Gregor Stephanopoulos, Julia A Kornfield, Gerald Voecks assigned to California Institute of Technology

Biological reactions are carried out with a unitary structure, preferably formed of a ceramic material, having a plurality of flow passages in- cluding first and second sets of flow passages ar- ranged so that individual passages of the first set are adjacent individual passages of the second set and are separated by walls formed of the ceramic material. The ceramic material is porous to pro- vide mass transfer of gaseous oxygen and bio- logical reaction products while containing liquid in the second set of passages. Walls of the pas- sages may be covered with a gaseous oxygen per- meable membrane. Inside walls of the second set of passages may coated with a compound adap- ted to immobilize biological reaction materials. In a biological reaction, the first set of passages are contacted with a fluid such as an air stream to provide gaseous oxygen, and a fluid flow such as a nutrient medium is established through the second set of flow passages whereby an oxygen flow producing gradient is produced through the porous ceramic material between the first and second sets of flow passages to supply oxygen for cells immobilized on inside walls of the second set of flow passages.

4948736

C O N T I N U O U S M I C R O O R G A N I S M C U L T I V A T I N G A P P A R A T U S

Takesh Kobayashi, Masayuki Taniguchi, Shunji Yasuda, Shigehito Ikeda, Nagoya, Japan as- signed to Toshiba Ceramics Co Ltd

283

A continuous microorganism cultivating ap- paratus has a stock solution tank which receives a stock solution for a microbial reaction and is provided with a cylindrical filter through which the stock solution is passed. The stock solution is separated by the filter into filtrate containing a metabolic product and concentrated liquid con- taining microbes. The concentrated liquid is then recycled to the stock solution. The filter is a ceramic filter having a multitude of pores, which is connected to a back wash device.

4950590

M E T H O D A N D K I T F O R A S S A Y F O R M E A S U R E M E N T O F S E R U M

T H Y M O S I N A L P H A 1

Milton G Mutchnick, Frederick E Weller as- signed to Board of Governors of Wayne State University

A micro-enzyme described immunosorbent as- say (microELISA) method is described for detec- ting small amounts of thymosin alphal in a solution such as serum. The method uses a known amount of an antibody to the thymosin alphal which is reacted with the thymosin al- phal in solution to form a first complex. The solution with the first complex and unreacted antibody is then contacted with thymosin alphal bound to a solid phase which quantitatively forms a second complex with the unreacted anti- body. The amount of the second complex is determined and correlated with the amount of thymosin alphal of the solution. Thymosin al- phal is an important hormone the presence or absence of which is signifcant clinically.

4950591

M E M B R A N E N A + C H A N N E L P R O T E I N A N D R E L A T E D

T H E R A P E U T I C C O M P O U N D S

Bruce Cherksey

A channel protein has a N a + / K + selectivity of approximately 100 and capable of affecting N a + membrane transport. Amiloride derivatives, and amiloride gel materials in- corporating such derivatives, are useful in treating membrane transport, cellular volume and cellular pressure disorders and in isolating the channel protein. The channel protein is used in diagnostic assays and screening assays.