Patent ID: 7202210

Claim:
A GDF-8 propeptide that has been modified at the aspartate residue corresponding to Asp 76 of SEQ ID NO:5 comprising an amino acid sequence that is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:5, wherein the modification is a mutation at aspartate 76 of SEQ ID NO:5, and wherein the GDF-8 propeptide has an increased in vivo or in vitro half-life relative to a corresponding unmodified GDF-8 propeptide; and wherein the 8 propeptide inhibits one or more GDF-8 activities chosen from GDF-8 propeptide binding, negative regulation of skeletal muscle mass, modulation of preadipocyte differentiation, inhibition of muscle formation, inhibition of muscle cell growth, inhibition of muscle development, regulation of muscle-specific enzymes, inhibition of myoblast cell proliferation, modulation of preadipocyte differentiation to adipocytes, increasing sensitivity to insulin, regulation of glucose uptake, glucose hemostasis, and modulation of neuronal cell development and maintenance.