Protein–protein interaction (PPI) maps provide insight into cellular biology and have received considerable attention in the post-genomic era. While large-scale experimental approaches have generated large collections of experimentally determined PPIs, technical limitations preclude certain PPIs from detection. Recently, we demonstrated that yeast PPIs can be computationally predicted using re-occurring short polypeptide sequences between known interacting protein pairs. However, the computational requirements and low specificity made this method unsuitable for large-scale investigations. Here, we report an improved approach, which exhibits a specificity of ∼99.95% and executes 16 000 times faster. Importantly, we report the first all-to-all sequence-based computational screen of PPIs in yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae in which we identify 29 589 high confidence interactions of ∼2 × 107 possible pairs. Of these, 14 438 PPIs have not been previously reported and may represent novel interactions. In particular, these results reveal a richer set of membrane protein interactions, not readily amenable to experimental investigations. From the novel PPIs, a novel putative protein complex comprised largely of membrane proteins was revealed. In addition, two novel gene functions were predicted and experimentally confirmed to affect the efficiency of non-homologous end-joining, providing further support for the usefulness of the identified PPIs in biological investigations.

We describe a novel method for the detection of human rhinoviruses in clinical samples, using the polymerase chain reaction. Two synthetic oligonucleotide primers were produced that bind in the 5' noncoding region of all rhinovirus serotypes tested, about 350 nucleotides apart, and were used to prime polymerase chain reaction amplification of the intervening stretch of DNA. The product of this reaction, which can be clearly visualized by gel electrophoresis, is a discrete 380 bp band, the occurrence of which is diagnostic of the presence of a rhinovirus in the clinical sample analysed. The technique, which is rapid, sensitive, and reliable, has been used successfully for all the different rhinovirus serotypes tested to date in our laboratory. However, the sensitivity of detection is greatly dependent on the inclusion of both tRNA and vanadyl complexes during the viral RNA extraction process. Using this technique, under optimal conditions, we were able to detect virus in clinical samples with titres as low as TCID50 10(2.5).

SUMMARYWe have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of coxsackievirus A21 (CAV-21), the first member of this enterovirus subgroup to be analysed in molecular detail. The sequence, which is 7401 nucleotides long, encodes an open reading frame of 2206 codons, preceded by a 5' non-coding region of 711 nucleotides and followed by a 3' noncoding region of 72 nucleotides plus a poly(A) tract. The most striking feature is the remarkable homology to the poliovirus (>90G at the amino acid level) in the

SUMMARYWe have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of human rhinovirus 1B and made comparisons with other rhinoviruses. Extensive homology was found with serotypes 2 and 89 but the similarity to serotype 14 was considerably less. Rhinovirusspecific characteristics have been noted, in particular the length of the 5' non-coding region and the pattern of codon usage, and these may be sufficient to define the rhinoviruses as a distinct genus rather than being considered as members of the enteroviruses as has been suggested previously.