Optimization of capsid-incorporated antigens for a novel adenovirus vaccine approach

Background

Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) are the predominant cause of common cold. In addition, HRVs are implicated in the worsening of COPD and asthma, as well as the loss of lung transplants. Despite significant efforts, no anti-viral agent is approved for the prevention or treatment of HRV-infection.

Results

In this study we demonstrate that Iota-Carrageenan, a sulphated polysaccharide derived from red seaweed, is a potent anti-rhinoviral substance in-vitro. Iota-Carrageenan reduces HRV growth and inhibits the virus induced cythopathic effect of infected HeLa cells. In addition, Iota-Carrageenan effectively prevents the replication of HRV1A, HRV2, HRV8, HRV14, HRV16, HRV83 and HRV84 in primary human nasal epithelial cells in culture. The data suggest that Iota-Carrageenan acts primarily by preventing the binding or the entry of virions into the cells.

Conclusion

Since HRV infections predominately occur in the nasal cavity and the upper respiratory tract, a targeted treatment with a product containing Iota-Carrageenan is conceivable. Clinical trials are needed to determine whether Iota-Carrageenan-based products are effective in the treatment or prophylaxis of HRV infections.     

Applicability of indicator monitoring to ecological risk assessment

Although ecological risk assessment (ERA) and environmental monitoring would seem to be potentially complimentary activities, they have been disjunct in practice. This is because of differences in goals and products. Environmental monitoring determines status and trends in indicators to determine whether the environment is improving. ERA estimates effects of stressors on endpoint attributes to support decision making. Indicators are, by definition, indicative of some unmeasured condition. Assessment endpoints are valued properties of the environment that are susceptible to stressors of concern. Indicators are justified by the logic of the monitoring program, which may be self-referential. Assessment endpoints are justified by their potential susceptibility and by environmental policies and public values. Indicators are often expressed in terms of indices or scores that obscure the actual condition of the environment. Because assessment endpoints must be clear to decision makers and the public, they require real units of actual environmental properties. Monitoring programs are peripherally concerned about causal relationships, while risk assessment is devoted to elucidating causal relationships. As a result, risk assessments may use the results of monitoring studies, but only after disaggregating the indicators to their components and choosing those that are appropriate. Monitoring programs could be more useful if they used a risk-based approach to address important problems rather than simply tracking indicators.     

90 Initial characterization of the terminal domains of linear plasmid-like dna's from ernodesmis verticillata (chlorophyta)

Phylogenetic analyses inferred from rbcL sequences indicates that specimens of Caloglossa (Harvey) G. Martens collected from Vermilion Bay, Louisiana and Galveston, Texas, reported as C. leprieurii (Montagne) G. Martens (1869) constitutes a separate taxon. Studies are presently being conducted to compare this northwestern Gulf of Mexico taxon with material of C. intermedia Kamiya et West in Kamiya et al. (2000, J. Phycol. 36:411-420) from the Western Atlantic coast and with C. apomeiotica West et Zuccarello in West et al. (1994, Bot. Mar. 37:381–390) from Baja California, Mexico.     

Identification of Listeria monocytogenes Genes Expressed in Response to Growth at Low Temperature

Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne bacterial pathogen that is able to grow at refrigeration temperatures. To investigate microbial gene expression associated with cold acclimation, we used a differential cDNA cloning procedure known as selective capture of transcribed sequences (SCOTS) to identify bacterial RNAs that were expressed at elevated levels in bacteria grown at 10°C compared to those grown at 37°C. A total of 24 different cDNA clones corresponding to open reading frames in the L. monocytogenes strain EGD-e genome were obtained by SCOTS. These included cDNAs for L. monocytogenes genes involved in previously described cold-adaptive responses (flaA and flp), regulatory adaptive responses (rpoN, lhkA, yycJ, bglG, adaB, and psr), general microbial stress responses (groEL, clpP, clpB, flp, and trxB), amino acid metabolism (hisJ, trpG, cysS, and aroA), cell surface alterations (fbp, psr, and flaA), and degradative metabolism (eutB, celD, and mleA). Four additional cDNAs were obtained corresponding to genes potentially unique to L. monocytogenes and showing no significant similarity to any other previously described genes. Northern blot analyses confirmed increased steady-state levels of RNA for all members of a subset of genes examined during growth at a low temperature. These results indicated that L. monocytogenes acclimation to growth at 10°C likely involves amino acid starvation, oxidative stress, aberrant protein synthesis, cell surface remodeling, alterations in degradative metabolism, and induction of global regulatory responses.     

Seasonal and Diurnal Patterns of Behavior Exhibited by Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Mississippi Sound

Many of the threats to bottlenose dolphins are anthropogenic factors including overfishing, high‐speed boats, chemical runoff, and noise pollution. Having a thorough understanding of the behavior and behavioral patterns of these animals can help with conservation plans to protect this species. This study examined the behavioral states and behavioral events of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Mississippi Sound. The behavioral states exhibited by dolphins within the Sound were found to vary by both season and time of day. Dolphins socialized more during the spring and spent more time feeding in the fall. Feeding was highest early in the morning and decreased throughout the day, while socializing occurred at low levels in the morning and increased in the early afternoon. Two distinct forms of social behavior and multiple feeding strategies were exhibited by dolphins within the Sound. Results suggest that certain percussive behavioral events may be used to communicate motivation during transitional behavioral states. These results demonstrate the need for a more complete understanding of dolphin behavior that will facilitate the conservation of this species.     

The convergent properties of the neocortical vestibular area in the cat]

In acute experiments on cats under nembutal-chloralose anaesthesia the evoked potentials and cellular reactions were studied of suprasylvian vestibular and auditory projection zones to stimulation of vestibular, acoustic and visual nerves and frontal paw. It has been shown that the suprasylvian vestibular zone represents the region of convergence of vestibular, auditory, somatic and visual afferentation. Properties of summary and cellular reactions of the vestibular zone and also the character of interaction of the evoked potentials of homo- and heteromodal origin testify to the absence of significant dominance of vestibular input to this area of the cerebral cortex in cats. Limitation of spreading of labyrinth activity in the cerebral cortex and the absence of dominance of homomodal input in the projection zone should, probably, be considered as typical property of the vestibular system presentation in the cortex, determining the disability of monomodal specific reaction in the sensory-perceptive sphere.     

Some features of cyclic adenosine monophosphate metabolism in mouse liver and hepatoma 22]

The levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and two forms of cAMP phosphodiesterase with low (PDE1) and high (PDE2) affinity for the substrate were determined in homogenates from mouse liver and transplanted hepatoma 22. The level of cAMP in the tumour is 3 times lower than that in liver. By te kinetic parameters (Vmax, Km, pH optimum) adenylate cyclase from tumour does not show any significant differences as compared to the liver enzyme; the enzyme from hepatoma is, however, more sensitive to activation by F- ions. The activities of adenylate cyclase in liver and tumour cells are the same. Phosphodiesterases of cAMP from tumour and liver cells are similar in their Km values (3,3-10(-4) M for PDE1 and 2-10(-6) M for PDE2); however, the maximal and real rates of cAMP hydrolysis in hepatoma are much higher than in liver. The fact that both cAMP phosphodiesterase activities have similar dependence on Mg2+ and Ca2+ concentrations, suggests that PDE1 is a latent form of PDE2. In tumour cells the equilibrium between these two forms is probably shifted towards the enzyme with high affinity for the substrate. The results suggest that a decreased cAMP level in hepatoma cells (as compared to the liver) is due to the activation of PDE2.