The present invention provides a luminescent enzyme protein comprising the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2, and a mutant enzyme thereof.

A polynucleotide encoding a modified luciferase polypeptide. The modified luciferase polypeptide has at least 60% amino acid sequence identity to a wild-type Oplophorus luciferase and includes at least one amino acid substitution at a position corresponding to an amino acid in a wild-type Oplophorus luciferase of SEQ ID NO:1. The modified luciferase polypeptide has at least one of enhanced luminescence, enhanced signal stability, and enhanced protein stability relative to the wild-type Oplophorus luciferase.

The present invention provides methods for light-dependent gene regulation using a light-responsive DNA-binding protein. Also provided are related nucleic acid molecules, and protein molecules, such as those encoding or comprising the light-responsive DNA-binding protein or DNA-binding sites recognizing the light-responsive DNA-binding protein. Kits using the present light-dependent gene regulation system are further provided by the present invention.

The invention relates to a bioluminescent substrate suitably usable in a series of artificial luciferases (ALuc), and the invention provides a wavelength-shifted spectrum with a selective high intensity luminescence and high luminescence stability obtained by the use of the substrate together with ALuc. The luminescent substrate for ALuc obtained by the invention can be included together with a suitable luminescence solution in a luminescence kit. The bioluminescent substrate for ALuc of the invention can exhibit unprecedented excellent luminescence specificity and functionality in the conventional bioluminescence probe, two-hybrid assay, bioluminescent capsule, and reporter gene assay.

A bioluminescent protein is provided that includes a substituted luciferase polypeptide having amino acid substitutions at positions 21 and 166, and with one or more additional amino acid substitutions at positions 3, 16, 20, 29, 30, 71, 87, 114, and 144, compared to the parent polypeptide. Also provided is a luciferin that has a selenium-containing group at position C8 of an imidazopyrazine backbone, and methods of making the luciferin. In addition, nucleic acids encoding the bioluminescent protein, cells expressing the bioluminescent protein, and reactions between the bioluminescent protein and luciferin substrates are also provided. Fusions between the substituted luciferase polypeptide and a fluorescent protein are also provided for bioluminescence resonance energy transfer based reporters.

Compounds are provided having the following structure: ##STR00001##
or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, tautomer or stereoisomer thereof, wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, L.sup.1, L.sup.2, G.sup.1, G.sup.2 and G.sup.3 are as defined herein. Use of the compounds as a component of lipid nanoparticle formulations for delivery of a therapeutic agent, compositions comprising the compounds and methods for their use and preparation are also provided.

The present disclosure describes an activity-dependent regulated polynucleotide capable of detecting dendritic structural plasticity. The present disclosure also describes methods of using in high throughput screens and kits containing the same.

Disclosed herein are novel lipids and liposomal compositions prepared using such compounds and related methods of neutralizing or otherwise modifying such liposomal compositions. The lipids described herein are useful for example, as liposomal vehicles to facilitate the delivery of encapsulated polynucleotides to target cells and the subsequent transfection of such target cells. In certain embodiments, one or more of the compounds that comprise the liposomal delivery vehicle may be neutralized or further modified such that the properties of the liposomal delivery vehicle are modified.

Disclosed herein are novel lipids and liposomal compositions prepared using such compounds and related methods of neutralizing or otherwise modifying such liposomal compositions. The lipids described herein are useful for example, as liposomal vehicles to facilitate the delivery of encapsulated polynucleotides to target cells and the subsequent transfection of such target cells. In certain embodiments, one or more of the compounds that comprise the liposomal delivery vehicle may be neutralized or further modified such that the properties of the liposomal delivery vehicle are modified.

An isolated polynucleotide encoding a modified luciferase polypeptide and substrates. The OgLuc variant polypeptide has at least 60% amino acid sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 1 and at least one amino acid substitution at a position corresponding to an amino acid in SEQ ID NO: 1. The OgLuc variant polypeptide has at least one of enhanced luminescence, enhanced signal stability, and enhanced protein stability relative to the corresponding polypeptide of the wild-type Oplophorus luciferase.