The present invention provides methods for producing disulfide oxidoreductase A (DsbA) and disulfide oxidoreductase C (DsbC) polypeptides at very high levels of purity. Also provided are ultrapure DsbA and DsbC and methods of using same, e.g., for use in immunoassays to show removal of DsbA and DsbC from biologics produced in bacteria.

Provided is an enzymatic process for preparing mercaptans from disulfides.

The present invention is directed to the cells, compositions and methods for the production of recombinant protein. In particular, the invention is directed to a production process for obtaining high levels of soluble recombinant CRM.sub.197 protein from E. coli. Cells preferably contain one or more mutations of disulfide reductase genes, so that disulfide reductase activity is reduced. The invention also relates to purification method for CRM.sub.197 as well as characterization of properly folded CRM.sub.197 protein.

The present invention relates to a method of producing metal nanoparticles and metal sulfide nanoparticles using a recombinant microorganism co-expressing metallothionein and phytochelatin synthase, which are heavy metal-adsorbing proteins, and to the use of metal nanoparticles and metal sulfide nanoparticles synthesized by the method. The present invention provides a method for synthesizing metal nanoparticles which have been difficult to synthesize by conventional biological methods. The present invention makes it possible to synthesize metal nanoparticles in an environmentally friendly and cost-effective manner, and also makes it possible to synthesize metal sulfide nanoparticles. In addition, even metal nanoparticles which could have been produced by conventional chemical or biological methods are produced in a significantly increased yield by use of the method of the present invention.

Provided is an optically controlled gene expression system of prokaryotic bacterium, comprising: a) a photosensitive recombinant transcription factor encoding gene, the photosensitive recombinant transcription factor is one fusion protein comprising a first polypeptide as the DNA bonding domain and a second polypeptide as the photosensitive domain; b) a target transcription unit comprising promoter or promoter-reaction element or reaction element-promoter containing at least one reaction element recognized/bound by the first polypeptide and the nucleic acid sequence to be transcribed. Also provided is a prokaryotic expression vector comprising said optically controlled gene expression system, and a method for regulating gene expression in a prokaryotic host cell by using the optically controlled gene expression system. Also provided is a reagent kit containing different components of the optically controlled gene expression system. The optically controlled gene expression system of prokaryotic bacterium has a quick, effective and powerful induction, is safer than other inducers, is of little or no toxicity, and can control gene expression both spatially and temporally, and can regulate many life processes of prokaryotic bacterium.

Codon optimized nucleic acid sequences for the long form and short form of RdCVF are provided, as well as recombinant viral vectors, such as AAV, expression cassettes, proviral plasmids or other plasmids containing the codon optimized sequences. Recombinant vectors are provided that express the codon optimized RdCVFL and RdCVF individually, or express two copies of a codon optimized RdCVF or RdCVFL nucleic acid sequence, or both RdCVFL and RdCVF in a single vector or virus. Compositions containing these codon optimized sequences are useful in methods for treating, retarding or halting certain blinding diseases resulting from the absence or inappropriate expression of RdCVF and RdCVFL.

The invention relates to a method of bonding together surfaces of two or more elements, whereby at least one of the two or more elements is a mineral wool element, said mineral wool element(s) being bound by a mineral wool binder, the method comprising the steps of providing two or more elements; applying an adhesive to one or more of the surfaces to be bonded together before, during or after contacting the surfaces to be bonded together with each other; curing the adhesive, wherein the adhesive comprises at least one protein; at least one phenol and/or quinone containing compound, and/or at least one enzyme.

An AhpF protein has thioredoxin reductase, peroxidase, and chaperone activities and is derived from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and a use therefor. By using a novel activity of the AhpF of Pseudomonas aeruginosa according to the present invention, it is possible to produce a plant having strong resistance to various environmental stresses such as oxidative stress or heat stress, thereby making it possible to contribute to increasing crop productivity and mass production of useful constituents. In addition, it is possible to prevent desertification and environmental pollution through the development of transformed plants having resistance to high temperatures and drying.

The invention describes new peptides containing epitopes recognized by CD4+ natural killer T (NKT) cells for increasing activity for use in infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, immune reaction to administration of allofactors, allergic diseases, therapy of tumors, prevention of graft rejection and prevention of immunization against viral proteins used in gene therapy or gene vaccination.

Fusion proteins that include N-acetylaspartate synthetase (ANAT) and at least one solubilizing partner, such as glutathione 5-transferase (GST), thioredoxin (TRX), or maltose binding protein (MBP), are described. Also described are methods of making the fusion proteins, methods of solubilizing the fusion proteins, methods of purifying the fusion proteins, and methods of using the fusion proteins.