Location of a highly conserved neutralizing epitope in the F glycoprotein of human respiratory syncytial virus.

Trypsin digestion of the purified F protein from human respiratory syncytial virus (Long strain) generated a set of fragments in the amino-terminal third of the F1 subunit which contained the epitope 47F involved in neutralization. Sequencing of five escape mutant viruses selected with monoclonal antibody 47F allowed us to map precisely two amino acid residues (262 and 268) of the F1 subunit which are essential for the integrity of this important epitope. The results are discussed in terms of the mechanisms involved in virus neutralization and the design of potential synthetic vaccines.     

Functional properties of FC-2.15, a monoclonal antibody that mediates human complement cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells

FC-2.15 is a murine IgM monoclonal antibody (mAb) that recognizes a cell-surface antigen (Ag2.15) expressed in most tumor-proliferating cells of human breast carcinomas and other neoplasias. In this study the cytotoxic ability of mAb FC-2.15, its cell-surface binding properties and endocytosis in Ag2.15-expressing (Ag2.15⁺) cells were investigated. A⁵¹Cr-release assay was used to test the FC-2.15-mediated cytotoxicity. When human serum was used as source of complement, FC-2.15 exerted a strong cytotoxic effect against human Ag2.15⁺ cells such as MCF-7 (breast cancer cell line), primary breast carcinoma cells, polymorphonuclear leukocytes and chronic myeloid leukemia cells. The mAb concentration range was 1–50 g/ml. Cytotoxicity was completely abolished when complement was inactivated. Only 3.8±2.9% of MCF-7 cells survived the treatment with FC-2.15 in the presence of human serum. A flow-cytometry assay was performed to study the Ag2.15 expression of the surviving cells and they were found to be Ag2.15^–. FC-2.15 did not mediate antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity when different effector cells were used. Scatchard analysis with¹²⁵I-FC-2.15 on MCF-7 cells demonstrated an affinity constant of 6.9×10⁷ M^–1 and 2.8×10⁶ antigenic sites/cell.¹²⁵I-FC-2.15 was internalized to cytoplasmic vesicles reaching a maximum of 27% after 6 h incubation, followed by the release of labeled degradation products to the supernatant. FC-2.15 appears to exert its cytotoxic effect mainly in the presence of human complement, it reacts with intermediate affinity with a high-density surface antigen, and it is slowly internalized by Ag2.15⁺ cells.     

Felling the giants: integral projection models indicate adult management to control an exotic invasive palm

Plant Ecology - Population models are helpful for understanding demographic trends in invasive plants and crucial in defining effective management actions. Here, we assessed the dynamics of three...     

A Shift from Cellular to Humoral Responses Contributes to Innate Immune Memory in the Vector Snail Biomphalaria glabrata

Discoveries made over the past ten years have provided evidence that invertebrate antiparasitic responses may be primed in a sustainable manner, leading to the failure of a secondary encounter with the same pathogen. This phenomenon called “immune priming” or "innate immune memory" was mainly phenomenological. The demonstration of this process remains to be obtained and the underlying mechanisms remain to be discovered and exhaustively tested with rigorous functional and molecular methods, to eliminate all alternative explanations. In order to achieve this ambitious aim, the present study focuses on the Lophotrochozoan snail, Biomphalaria glabrata, in which innate immune memory was recently reported. We provide herein the first evidence that a shift from a cellular immune response (encapsulation) to a humoral immune response (biomphalysin) occurs during the development of innate memory. The molecular characterisation of this process in Biomphalaria/Schistosoma system was undertaken to reconcile mechanisms with phenomena, opening the way to a better comprehension of innate immune memory in invertebrates. This prompted us to revisit the artificial dichotomy between innate and memory immunity in invertebrate systems.     

A panel of recombinant proteins for the serodiagnosis of caseous lymphadenitis in goats and sheep

Caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) is a small ruminant disease characterized by the development of granulomatous lesions in superficial and internal lymph nodes, as well as in some organs, and causes significant economic losses worldwide. The aetiological agent of CLA is the bacterium Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis; however, the commercially available diagnostic tools present problems with regard to specificity, which can lead to false-negative results. This study aimed to develop an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of specific immunoglobulins in goats and sheep using recombinant C. pseudotuberculosis PLD, CP40, PknG, DtxR and Grx proteins. For validation of the ELISAs, 130 goat serum samples and 160 sheep serum samples were used. The best ELISA for goats was developed using a combination of PLD and CP40 as antigens at a 1:1 ratio, which presented 96.9% sensitivity and 98.4% specificity. The most effective ELISA for sheep presented 91% sensitivity and 98.7% specificity when recombinant PLD alone was used as the antigen. These ELISAs can be used as highly accurate tools in epidemiological surveys and for the serodiagnosis of C. pseudotuberculosis infection in goats and sheep.     

Bacterial cellulose: a versatile biopolymer for wound dressing applications

Although several therapeutic approaches are available for wound and burn treatment and much progress has been made in this area, room for improvement still exists, driven by the urgent need of better strategies to accelerate wound healing and recovery, mostly for cases of severe burned patients. Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a biopolymer produced by bacteria with several advantages over vegetal cellulose, such as purity, high porosity, permeability to liquid and gases, elevated water uptake capacity and mechanical robustness. Besides its biocompatibility, BC can be modified in order to acquire antibacterial response and possible local drug delivery features. Due to its intrinsic versatility, BC is the perfect example of a biotechnological response to a clinical problem. In this review, we assess the BC main features and emphasis is given to a specific biomedical application: wound dressings. The production process and the physical–chemical properties that entitle this material to be used as wound dressing namely for burn healing are highlighted. An overview of the most common BC composites and their enhanced properties, in particular physical and biological, is provided, including the different production processes. A particular focus is given to the biochemistry and genetic manipulation of BC. A summary of the current marketed BC-based wound dressing products is presented, and finally, future perspectives for the usage of BC as wound dressing are foreseen.     

Effects of diazepam and stress on lung inflammatory response in OVA-sensitized rats

The influence of stress and diazepam treatment on airway inflammation was investigated in ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized rats. Animals were injected with OVA plus aluminum hydroxide intraperitoneally (day 0) and boosted with OVA subcutaneously (day 7). From the first to 13th day after sensitization, rats were treated with diazepam, and 1 h later they were placed in a shuttle box where they received 50 mild escapable foot shocks/day preceded by a sound signal (S). Response during the warning (S) canceled shock delivery and terminated the S. On day 14, rats were submitted to a single session of 50 inescapable foot shocks preceded by S and then were challenged with OVA. High levels of stress were detected in shocked animals, manifested as ultrasonic vocalizations. Morphometric analysis of stressed animals revealed a significant increase in both edema and lymphomononucleated cells in airways compared with controls. Diazepam treatment reduced edema in stressed and nonstressed rats. No differences were found in polymorphonucleated cell infiltration. Diazepam treatment reduced lymphomononucleated cell infiltration in stressed animals. These data suggest that stress and diazepam treatment play relevant roles in edema and lymphomononucleated airway inflammation in OVA-sensitized rats.     

Vaccinia virus Transmission through Experimentally Contaminated Milk Using a Murine Model

Bovine vaccinia (BV) is a zoonosis caused by Vaccinia virus (VACV), which affects dairy cattle and humans. Previous studies have detected the presence of viable virus particles in bovine milk samples naturally and experimentally contaminated with VACV. However, it is not known whether milk contaminated with VACV could be a route of viral transmission. However, anti-Orthopoxvirus antibodies were detected in humans from BV endemic areas, whom had no contact with affected cows, which suggest that other VACV transmission routes are possible, such as consumption of contaminated milk and dairy products. Therefore, it is important to study the possibility of VACV transmission by contaminated milk. This study aimed to examine VACV transmission, pathogenesis and shedding in mice orally inoculated with experimentally contaminated milk. Thirty mice were orally inoculated with milk containing 10⁷ PFU/ml of VACV, and ten mice were orally inoculated with uncontaminated milk. Clinical examinations were performed for 30 consecutive days, and fecal samples and oral swabs (OSs) were collected every other day. Mice were euthanized on predetermined days, and tissue and blood samples were collected. Nested-PCR, plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT), viral isolation, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) methods were performed on the collected samples. No clinical changes were observed in the animals. Viral DNA was detected in feces, blood, OSs and tissues, at least in one of the times tested. The lungs displayed moderate to severe interstitial lymphohistiocytic infiltrates, and only the heart, tonsils, tongue, and stomach did not show immunostaining at the IHC analysis. Neutralizing antibodies were detected at the 20^th and 30^th days post infection in 50% of infected mice. The results revealed that VACV contaminated milk could be a route of viral transmission in mice experimentally infected, showing systemic distribution and shedding through feces and oral mucosa, albeit without exhibiting any clinical signs.     

Epigenetic modifications and human disease

Epigenetics is one of the most rapidly expanding fields in biology. The recent characterization of a human DNA methylome at single nucleotide resolution, the discovery of the CpG island shores, the finding of new histone variants and modifications, and the unveiling of genome-wide nucleosome positioning maps highlight the accelerating speed of discovery over the past two years. Increasing interest in epigenetics has been accompanied by technological breakthroughs that now make it possible to undertake large-scale epigenomic studies. These allow the mapping of epigenetic marks, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and nucleosome positioning, which are critical for regulating gene and noncoding RNA expression. In turn, we are learning how aberrant placement of these epigenetic marks and mutations in the epigenetic machinery is involved in disease. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of epigenetic mechanisms, their interactions and alterations in health and disease, has become a priority in biomedical research.