[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 235 (Thursday, December 7, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62870-62871]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-29761]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health


Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The inventions listed below are owned by an agency of the U.S. 
Government and are available for licensing in the U.S. in accordance 
with 36 U.S.C. 207 or pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 241 to achieve expeditious 
commercialization of results of federally-funded research and 
development.

ADDRESSES: Licensing information for the technologies referenced below 
may be obtained by contacting Stephen Finley, Ph.D., at the Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive 
Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville, Maryland 20852-3804 (telephone 301/
496-7056 ext 215; fax 301/402-0220).

cDNA Sequence of a Clone Encoding Arylalkylamine N-
acetyltransferase

Klein et al. (NICHD)

[DHHS Reference No. E-161-95/0]

    and

Human Gene Encoding Serotonin N-acetyltransferase

Klein et al. (NICHD)

[DHHS Reference No. E-222-95/0]

    The identification of an arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AA-
NAT) mRNA in the brain and the cloning of ovine and human cDNAs 
encoding for the pineal enzyme serotonin N-acetyltransferase. These 
findings open a new area of research--the importance of AA-NAT in the 
regulation of brain serotonin and the development of drugs which raise 
serotonin levels by inhibiting this enzyme. This enzyme is the rate-
controlling step in the conversion of serotonin to melatonin. The 
hormone melatonin has been linked to controlling circadian rhythms. 
Development of regulators of the synthesis of the hormone melatonin may 
be the preferred route to controlling seasonal reproduction cycles or 
sleep cycles of vertebrates. Activators of the serotonin N-
acetyltransferase may be beneficial to induce or enhance the quality of 
sleep at night. Inhibitors of serotonin N-acetyltransferase may lead to 
drugs that stimulate the levels of alertness and physical activity or 
delay the onset of fatigue. Licenses for the cDNAs encoding for this 
enzyme or the production of the enzyme are available.


[[Page 62871]]

    Dated: November 20, 1995.
Barbara M. McGarey,
Deputy Director, Office of Technology Transfer.
[FR Doc. 95-29761 Filed 12-6-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M