242 PATENT ABSTRACTS

1.15 and about 3.95 megadaltons from the cleavage site of BamHl. The plasmid is extracted from mycelia of microorganisms of the species Streptomyces fulvoviridis, especially the strain Streptomyces fulvoviridis FERM P-6279, and is useful as a vector for genetic engineering.

4 5 2 0 1 0 7

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

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

4520103

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

Burt Ensley assigned to Amgen

Microbial synthesis of indigo dyestuff in indole- free media is disclosed. Indigo production is pre- ferably accomplished by genetic transformation of selected host cells having the capacity to pro- duce and accumulate indole (either as a result of endogenous genomic capacity or genetic trans- formation) to incorporate the capacity for syn- thesis of an aromatic dioxygenase enzyme. Growth of transformed cells under suitable con- ditions facilitates aromatic dioxygenase enzyme catalyzed oxidative transformation of cellular indole, with consequent formation of indigo from the oxidized reaction products. In a highly preferred embodiment, E coli cells having endo- genous indole production capacity are trans- formed with a DNA expression vector comprising the structural gene for naphthalene dioxygenase, resulting in the microbial synthesis of isolatable quantities of indigo.

4 5 2 0 1 0 6

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

Clarence I Kado assigned to The Regents of the University of California

George M Healy, Kenneth D Curry, Scar- borough, Canada assigned to Polydex Chem- icals Ltd

This invention relates to a novel cell growth- promoting material for use as a supplement to basal tissue culture media for the cultivation of animal cells in vitro and to the method for its pre- paration. More particularly, it relates to an infu- sion consisting of growth-promoting material from adult, calf or fetal bovine blood clots as a supplement to basal media for cultivation of animal cells in vitro:

4 5 2 1 5 1 3

P R O T E C T I O N A G A I N S T D E N T A L C A R I E S

Roy R Russell, Bromley, United Kingdom as- signed to The Secretary of State of Social Ser- vices in Her Britannic Majesty's Government of the United Kingdon of Great Brtian and Nor- thern Ireland

An antigenic protein, termed antigen C, present on the cell walls and in cultures of Streptococeus mutans, especially genetic group I (serotypes c, e and f) is separated from other antigenic proteins, notably those which react heart tissue, to give an antigen preparation which may be used as a vac- cine or to raise antibodies for use in protecting against dental caries. Antigen C is destroyed or extracted from the cell walls by treatment with boiling aqueous sodium dodecyl sulphate (10 gm per liter) for 10 minutes. It has a molecular weight of 70,000+/-5,000 and an isoelectric point of 4.45+/-0.24. It is destroyed by pro- teolytic enzyme and does not cross react with heart tissue. The antigen also occurs in the cul- ture filtrate and/or ceil extract and may readily be separated from these sources by affinity chromatography on immobilised antibody.

4 5 2 6 6 9 0

DNA sequences which are capable of expressing a polypeptide with the ability to catabolize L- tartrate are incorporated into suitable vectors and used to transform both prokaryotic and eu- karyotic hosts.

A P P A R A T U S F O R N U C L E I C A C I D Q U A N T I F I C A T I O N

Joseph R Kiovsky, Clifl~rd Hendrick assigned to Millipore Corporation