Synthesis and expression in Escherichia coli of DNA encoding the murine lambda 1 chain of a monoclonal antibody specific for Salmonella serotype B O-antigen.

A 658 bp DNA sequence corresponding to the murine lambda 1 chain of a monoclonal antibody, Se155-4, specific for the Salmonella serotype B O-antigen, was designed using Escherichia coli preferred codons and chemically synthesized by ligation of synthetic fragments into a linearized plasmid followed by transformation into E. coli. A synthetic signal peptide (ompA) was fused to express the L chain as a free polypeptide into the periplasm of E. coli cells. After isolation and purification, heterologous recombination of the E. coli L chain with mouse H chain gave an active antigen-binding protein. The activity was 15-20% when compared to protein created by an equivalent association of isolated natural mouse L and H chains as measured by a direct EIA assay. In inhibition experiments with the polysaccharide antigen, the two proteins showed identical titration curves and 50% inhibition points, indicating comparable KA values.     

The function of the suspending medium during the freeze-drying preservation of Escherichia coli

The role of added solutes in the freeze-drying preservation of bacteria is examined. Escherichia coli were washed, suspended in solutions of selected hydroxy-substituted compounds of various molecular weights, and frozen at rates of the order of one degree C per minute. The frozen materials were freeze-dried and rehydrated in several different ways. Freeze-drying survival was correlated with the development and persistence of an amorphous solute matrix and the desorption of residual water. Protection from potentially harmful effects of freeze-drying was attributed to the dispersion, by the aforementioned amorphous matrix, of metabolites released from the cells during the preparation, and freezing of the bacterial suspensions.     

In Vivo Neutralization of α-Cobratoxin with High-Affinity Llama Single-Domain Antibodies (VHHs) and a VHH-Fc Antibody

Small recombinant antibody fragments (e.g. scFvs and V_HHs), which are highly tissue permeable, are being investigated for antivenom production as conventional antivenoms consisting of IgG or F(ab’)₂ antibody fragments do not effectively neutralize venom toxins located in deep tissues. However, antivenoms composed entirely of small antibody fragments may have poor therapeutic efficacy due to their short serum half-lives. To increase serum persistence and maintain tissue penetration, we prepared low and high molecular mass antivenom antibodies. Four llama V_HHs were isolated from an immune V_HH-displayed phage library and were shown to have high affinity, in the low nM range, for α-cobratoxin (α–Cbtx), the most lethal component of Naja kaouthia venom. Subsequently, our highest affinity V_HH (C2) was fused to a human Fc fragment to create a V_HH2-Fc antibody that would offer prolonged serum persistence. After in planta (Nicotiana benthamiana) expression and purification, we show that our V_HH2-Fc antibody retained high affinity binding to α–Cbtx. Mouse α–Cbtx challenge studies showed that our highest affinity V_HHs (C2 and C20) and the V_HH2-Fc antibody effectively neutralized lethality induced by α–Cbtx at an antibody:toxin molar ratio as low as ca. 0.75×:1. Further research towards the development of an antivenom therapeutic involving these anti-α-Cbtx V_HHs and V_HH2-Fc antibody molecules should involve testing them as a combination, to determine whether they maintain tissue penetration capability and low immunogenicity, and whether they exhibit improved serum persistence and therapeutic efficacy.     

Synthesis,Pharmacological Study and Modeling of 7-Methoxyindazole and Related Substituted Indazoles as Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitors

The synthesis, pharmacological evaluation and modelisation of 7-methoxyindazole (7-MI) and related alkoxy-indazoles as novel inhibitors of neuronal nitric oxide synthase are presented. 7-MI remains the most active compound of this series in an in vitro enzymatic assay of neuronal nitric oxide synthase activity. Modeling studies of the interaction of 7-substituted indazole derivatives complexed with nNOS and the relationship with their respective biological activities suggest that a bulky substitution on position-7 is responsible for a steric hindrance effect which does not allow these compounds to interact with nNOS in the same way as 7-NI and 7-MI.     

Trenches like fences make good neighbours: Revenue sharing around Kibale National Park,Uganda

Revenue sharing aims to balance the disadvantages people encounter living next to protected areas while fostering improved conservation behaviours. In Uganda, 20% of protected area entrance fees are shared with local governments to benefit communities adjacent to national parks. The process to distribute funds and implement projects was investigated by interviewing Uganda Wildlife Authority wardens, local government and village residents around Kibale National Park, Uganda. The perceived benefit of revenue sharing by officials and local communities was collected through interviews and a household survey, while the influence of the program on conservation objectives was assessed by measuring illegal resource extraction from the national park adjacent to study villages. It was found that the program is evolving into an effective mechanism for sharing benefits, but that better project management and increased accounting transparency could further improve the program. If the projects specifically dealt with the problem of crop raiding by park-protected animals, then villagers did benefit and lower levels of illegal activity were found inside the park. Generally household perceived benefit was low, however reduced in-park illegal activity was recorded where the village chairperson perceived higher benefit from the program, implying that the village leadership may be influencing the conservation behaviours within the community. Compared with other incentive options such as loss compensation, direct payment, and collaborative management, revenue sharing appears to be an effective and practical choice, given the limited funding available to the wildlife authority to benefit local communities while trying to improve conservation behaviours.     

Modification of seed oil content and acyl composition in the brassicaceae by expression of a yeast sn-2 acyltransferase gene.

A putative yeast sn-2 acyltransferase gene (SLC1-1), reportedly a variant acyltransferase that suppresses a genetic defect in sphingolipid long-chain base biosynthesis, has been expressed in a yeast SLC deletion strain. The SLC1-1 gene product was shown in vitro to encode an sn-2 acyltransferase capable of acylating sn-1 oleoyl-lysophosphatidic acid, using a range of acyl-CoA thioesters, including 18:1-, 22:1-, and 24:0-CoAs. The SLC1-1 gene was introduced into Arabidopsis and a high erucic acid-containing Brassica napus cv Hero under the control of a constitutive (tandem cauliflower mosaic virus 35S) promoter. The resulting transgenic plants showed substantial increases of 8 to 48% in seed oil content (expressed on the basis of seed dry weight) and increases in both overall proportions and amounts of very-long-chain fatty acids in seed triacylglycerols (TAGs). Furthermore, the proportion of very-long-chain fatty acids found at the sn-2 position of TAGs was increased, and homogenates prepared from developing seeds of transformed plants exhibited elevated lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.51) activity. Thus, the yeast sn-2 acyltransferase has been shown to encode a protein that can exhibit lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase activity and that can be used to change total fatty acid content and composition as well as to alter the stereospecific acyl distribution of fatty acids in seed TAGs.     

II. In vitro studies of antibacterial activity

One hundred and forty isolates of beta-hemolytic streptococcus cultured from patients with clinical pharyngitis were studied by disc diffusion for antibiotic sensitivity to lincomycin, erythromycin, cephalexin and penicillin and by agar dilution to cephalexin and penicillin. All isolates were sensitive to ≤ 0.1 μg./ml. penicillin and ≤ 1.56 μg./ml. cephalexin. The disc-diffusion test was reliable in predicting the sensitivities in vitro. One strain of group A betahemolytic streptococcus was resistant to erythromycin by disc diffusion. When compared to Lancefield grouping 18% of strains were incorrectly identified as group A by the bacitracin-disc test. Cephalexin was uniformly effective in vitro in inhibiting beta-hemolytic streptococci and the 30 μg. cephalexin disc was reliable in predicting these sensitivities.