The present disclosure provides an isolated, engineered or non-naturally occurring protein comprising an antibody light chain variable domain (V.sub.L) which may comprise at least one negatively charged amino acid positioned between residues 49 to 56 according to the numbering system of Kabat, the protein capable of binding specifically to an antigen.

This invention relates to novel rationale and methods for identifying human and primate taste-specific genes, including genes involved in salty taste perception, especially human salty taste perception, but also genes involved in sweet, bitter, umami, and sour taste perception, and genes involved in other taste cell or taste receptor related activities such as digestive function and digestive related diseases, taste cell turnover, immunoregulation of the oral and digestive tract, and metabolic regulation such as in diabetes and obesity, the genes identified using these methods, and assays for identifying taste modulators (enhancers or blockers) and potential therapeutics using these genes. These compounds have potential application in modulating (enhancing or blocking) taste perception, especially salty taste perception and as potential therapeutics. In addition, this invention relates to novel methods for identifying taste-specific genes that can be used as markers for different taste cell types, including sweet, bitter, umami, sour, salty, and other taste cells in mammals as well as assays that measure the activity of the sweet, bitter, umami, or sour receptor in the presence of these genes to identify modulators of sweet, bitter, umami, and sour taste and to identify therapeutics especially for treating digestive or metabolic disorders, taste loss, and oral infections. Particularly, the genes identified herein and antibodies or oligos thereto can be used as markers to identify and/or purify specific taste cells e.g., from taste cell suspensions by use of FACS or magnetic bead cell selection or other known cell purification and isolation procedures.

This invention relates to novel rationale and methods for identifying human and primate taste-specific genes, including genes involved in salty taste perception, especially human salty taste perception, but also genes involved in sweet, bitter, umami, and sour taste perception, and genes involved in other taste cell or taste receptor related activities such as digestive function and digestive related diseases, taste cell turnover, immunoregulation of the oral and digestive tract, and metabolic regulation such as in diabetes and obesity, the genes identified using these methods, and assays for identifying taste modulators (enhancers or blockers) and potential therapeutics using these genes. These compounds have potential application in modulating (enhancing or blocking) taste perception, especially salty taste perception and as potential therapeutics. In addition, this invention relates to novel methods for identifying taste-specific genes that can be used as markers for different taste cell types, including sweet, bitter, umami, sour, salty, and other taste cells in mammals as well as assays that measure the activity of the sweet, bitter, umami, or sour receptor in the presence of these genes to identify modulators of sweet, bitter, umami, and sour taste and to identify therapeutics especially for treating digestive or metabolic disorders, taste loss, and oral infections. Particularly, the genes identified herein and antibodies or oligos thereto can be used as markers to identify and/or purify specific taste cells e.g., from taste cell suspensions by use of FACS or magnetic bead cell selection or other known cell purification and isolation procedures.

The present invention relates to the fields of molecular medicine and targeted delivery of therapeutic or diagnostic agents to cells outside the vascular system and into the parenchymal tissue of organs within the body. More specifically, the present invention relates to the methods used to identify membrane receptors or transporters capable of carrying cargo specifically targeted to the parenchymal tissue of the brain and to in vivo enrichment methods for selecting peptides that are transported across the blood-brain barrier (“BBB”), or analogously, across other membrane containing organs or structures, such as liver, spleen, kidney and tumors.

Provided herein are lasso peptides libraries, and particularly molecular display libraries of lasso peptides. Also provided herein are related methods and systems for producing the libraries and for screening the libraries to identify candidate lasso peptides having desirable properties.

Provided herein are lasso peptides libraries, and particularly molecular display libraries of lasso peptides. Also provided herein are related methods and systems for producing the libraries and for screening the libraries to identify candidate lasso peptides having desirable properties.

Provided are a method for screening for nanobodies and a corresponding system. The method uses polymerase chain reactions and cDNA 5′ end rapid amplification technology to screen for and obtain nanobodies. The experiment cycle requires only approximately 21 days.

Provided are a method for screening for nanobodies and a corresponding system. The method uses polymerase chain reactions and cDNA 5′ end rapid amplification technology to screen for and obtain nanobodies. The experiment cycle requires only approximately 21 days.

Disclosed is a method for diagnosing a mood disorder or susceptibility to a mood disorder, including depressive disorders and bipolar disorder, from a biological sample taken from a subject. The method includes detecting markers of monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) in the biological sample; determining MAO-A concentration from the markers; and correlating the MAO-A concentration in the biological sample to a control group which does not have a mood disorder in order to diagnose or determine susceptibility to the mood disorder in the subject. Also disclosed is a method of detecting peripheral markers of MAO-A for the diagnosis of a mood disorder or susceptibility to a mood disorder. Also provided are polypeptide markers.

Disclosed is a method for diagnosing a mood disorder or susceptibility to a mood disorder, including depressive disorders and bipolar disorder, from a biological sample taken from a subject. The method includes detecting markers of monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) in the biological sample; determining MAO-A concentration from the markers; and correlating the MAO-A concentration in the biological sample to a control group which does not have a mood disorder in order to diagnose or determine susceptibility to the mood disorder in the subject. Also disclosed is a method of detecting peripheral markers of MAO-A for the diagnosis of a mood disorder or susceptibility to a mood disorder. Also provided are polypeptide markers.