Expression and purification of a mutant of human interleukin-2 in Pichia pastoris.

Interleukin (IL)-2 is a pharmacologically important cytokine secreted by T-lymphocytes. Recombinant IL-2 (rIL-2) has been modified and produced in many systems. Mass production of rIL-2 is the prerequisite for its wide application.

Identification of human dopamine D1-like receptor agonist using a cell-based functional assay.

Aim: To establish a cell-based assay to screen human dopamine D1 and D5 receptor agonists against compounds from a natural product compound library.

Methods: Synthetic responsive elements 6 cAMP response elements (CRE) and a mini promoter containing a TATA box were inserted into the pGL3 basic vector to generate the reporter gene construct pCRE/TA/Luci. CHO cells were co-transfected with the reporter gene construct and human D1 or D5 receptor cDNA in mammalian expression vectors.

Establishment of a cell-based assay to screen regulators for Klotho gene promoter.

Aim: To discover compounds which can regulate Klotho promoter activity. Klotho is an aging suppressor gene. A defect in Klotho gene expression in the mouse results in the phenotype similar to human aging.