Patent ID: 7176013

Claim:
An modified corin molecule, comprising a serine protease catalytic domain encoded by a nucleic acid sequence that hybridizes to the complementary strand of a nucleic acid molecule consisting of nucleotides 2404 to 3126 of SEQ ID NO:1 at 42° C. in 50% (vol/vol) formamide, 5×SSC (0.75M NaCl, 0.075 M sodium citrate). 50 mM sodium phosphate (pH 6.8), 0.1% sodium pyrophosphate, 5× Denhardt's solution, sonicated salmon sperm DNA (50 mg/ml), 0.1% SDS, and 10% dextran sulfate followed by washes at 42° C. in 0.2×SSC 0.1% SDS, wherein the modification is the substitution of the activation sequence at positions corresponding to positions 801 through 805 of SEQ ID NO:2 with another activation sequence selected from the group consisting of LKTPRVVGG (SEQ ID NO:38), TRQARVVGG (SEQ ID NO:39), DDDDKIVGG (SEQ ID NO:40), and DDDDKILGG (SEQ ID NO:43), and wherein said modified corin molecule, when activated, is capable of cleaving a pro-atrial natrurietic factor to produce an atrial natrurietic factor.