Preparation and investigation of antibacterial carbohydrate-based surfaces

Surfaces bearing carbohydrate units have been modified in a two-step process to incorporate functionalities (lipophilic with polycationic units) that bear antibacterial activity. The effectiveness of these modified surfaces for antibacterial action against a series of seven Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria are reported.     

Preparations and properties of tripodal and linear tetradentate N,S-Donor ligands and their complexes containing the MoO22+core

New linear and tripodal tetradentate ligands, LH₂, are reported and their syntheses are described. The new linear ligands L = HSCH₂CH₂SCH₂CH₂NRCH₂CR₂SH, R = H, CH₃) and the new tripodal ligands N(CH₂CH₂SH)₂CH₂Z, Z = CH₂NH₂, CH₂N(CH₃)₂, CH₂N(C₂H₅)₂, CH₂SCH₃ and CO₂^- were synthesized. The known linear ligands HSCH₂CH₂NCH₃(CH₂)_nNCH₃CH₂CH₂SH (n = 2, 3) and HSCR₂CH₂NHCH₂CH₂NHCH₂CR₂SH (R = H, CH₃) were also utilized. These ligands react with MoO₂(acac)₂ in CH₃OH to yield MoO₂L complexes in high yield. Infra-red and ¹H nmr spectra provide evidence to supplement X-ray crystallographic results reported elsewhere for selected numbers of the series. Octahedral structures with cis MoO₂²⁺ groupings are assigned. Solution ¹H nmr studies are consistent with a trans placement of the two thiolate donors in agreement with the X-ray studies.     

Identification of a Human Cancer Related Organ-Specific Neoantigen

Human cancers express organ-specific neoantigens (OSNs) which elicit specific cellular immune responses in the cancer patient, as demonstrated by leukocyte adherence inhibition (LAI), an in vitro immune response assay. A purified protein of MW 40,000 (p40) exhibiting OSN (colon specific) activity was cleaved into specific peptide fragments and their partial amino acid sequences determined. This information was used in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to obtain a 992 bp cDNA clone (PCR-992) from a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line (LS-180). By comparison of the predicted amino acid sequence of PCR-992 with the known sequence of p40 peptides, PCR-992 was shown to correspond to almost the entire coding region of p40. Nucleotide sequence analysis suggested that the protein was mycoplasmal in origin due to its high A+T content (76%) and the presence of five in frame TGA termination codons; at least two of the latter are actually read as tryptophan, a known feature of mycoplasma translation. We have confirmed this origin by direct isolation of a contaminating mycoplasma species from the LS-180 cell line and demonstration that it could be hybridized with the PCR-992 probe. Northern and PCR analysis of RNA preparations from the contaminated LS-180 cell line showed that p40 was part of the high affinity transport system operon of Mycoplasma hyorhinis (Dudler et al, EMBO J., 7: 3963-3970, 1988). Total protein lysates of Mycoplasma hyorhinis cultivated without animal cells could elicit positive LAI responses when incubated with cancer patient leukocytes but not with normal patient leukocytes. The organ-specific nature of the response was, however, not observed indicating that host cell-mycoplasmal interactions may play a role in determining the organ-specific nature of p40 seen with the LAI. The significance of these findings will be discussed in the context of previous thinking regarding the origin of OSNs.     

Neural cell sequestration on immunoaffinity columns

An important approach to the separation of neural cells into homotypic and still viable subpopulations is to sequester selected cell classes on immobilized ligands specifically recognized by surface constituents of those cells. A category of ligands of general applicability to this problem is provided by antibodies directed to neural cell surface antigens. This report describes an immunoaffinity chromatography system in which chick embryonal spinal cord cells are retained on columns containing immune globulin against the cord cells, while they are allowed to pass through when the globulin used is not immunocompetent. Among the procedures described are: selection of the cell-chromatography matrix, small-scale fractionation of immune sera, titration on monolayer cultures of the complement-dependent cytotoxicity of immune globulin, and covalent coupling of normal or immune globulin to the chromatography matrix.     

Trisomy 9p with an isochromosome of 9p

An 18 1/2-year-old female is described with moderately severe mental retardation, the phenotype of the trisomy 9p syndromy, and an isochromosome for the short arm of a chromosome 9, contained in an unique karyotype, 46,XX,-9,t(7q9q),+ iso 9p.     

Isozyme band variation within the algal species Pandorina morum

Ten clones from five collections of the freshwater green alga Pandorina morum, taken from four sites and representing three syngens, were analyzed for electrophoretic variants of five enzyme. Isozyme bands of different mobility were found in isolates from different syngens, different sites, and even the same site and syngen; the pattern of variation differed with the enzyme studied. The results suggest care is needed in choosing isozyme mobilities as syngen or species characters.     

Corticotropin regulation of the synthesis of a specific rat adrenal cytosolic protein. Effects of hypophysectomy and actinomycin D

The mechanism of corticotropin stimulation of the synthesis of a specific rat adrenal cytosolic protein was investigated. This protein (protein E) has a mol.wt. of approx. 30000. It is detected by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of cytosol prepared from adrenal slices from rats treated with corticotropin in vivo and control rats, the slices being incubated with [(3)H]- and [(14)C]-leucine respectively. In rats 1-15 days after hypophysectomy, corticotropin, like dibutyryl cyclic AMP, induces an increase in protein E similar to that induced in control rats, even though both compounds no longer stimulate total protein synthesis. Corticotropin stimulation of protein E synthesis is mediated by cyclic AMP but not by corticosterone, since aminoglutethimide, a steroidogenic inhibitor, does not affect corticotropin stimulation, and dexamethasone alone has no effect. Actinomycin D, when injected in vivo 1h before or after corticotropin injection, prevents the effect of corticotropin on protein E synthesis, which is interpreted as evidence that mRNA synthesis is necessary for the stimulation of protein E synthesis. When injected more than 2h after corticotropin, actinomycin D does not prevent corticotropin stimulation of protein E synthesis, but completely blocks corticotropin stimulation of total protein synthesis. This is interpreted as meaning that, after stimulation of mRNA coding for protein E, corticotropin has no effect on the synthesis of protein E. On the other hand, corticotropin stimulation of protein E synthesis persists after hypophysectomy even though it no longer stimulates total protein synthesis. These data suggest that the factor(s) involved in the synthesis of protein E are more stable than those involved in total protein synthesis.     

Nurturing diversity and inclusion in AI in Biomedicine through a virtual summer program for high school students

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the power to improve our lives through a wide variety of applications, many of which fall into the healthcare space; however, a lack of diversity is contributing to limitations in how broadly AI can help people. The UCSF AI4ALL program was established in 2019 to address this issue by targeting high school students from underrepresented backgrounds in AI, giving them a chance to learn about AI with a focus on biomedicine, and promoting diversity and inclusion. In 2020, the UCSF AI4ALL three-week program was held entirely online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, students participated virtually to gain experience with AI, interact with diverse role models in AI, and learn about advancing health through AI. Specifically, they attended lectures in coding and AI, received an in-depth research experience through hands-on projects exploring COVID-19, and engaged in mentoring and personal development sessions with faculty, researchers, industry professionals, and undergraduate and graduate students, many of whom were women and from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds. At the conclusion of the program, the students presented the results of their research projects at the final symposium. Comparison of pre- and post-program survey responses from students demonstrated that after the program, significantly more students were familiar with how to work with data and to evaluate and apply machine learning algorithms. There were also nominally significant increases in the students’ knowing people in AI from historically underrepresented groups, feeling confident in discussing AI, and being aware of careers in AI. We found that we were able to engage young students in AI via our online training program and nurture greater diversity in AI. This work can guide AI training programs aspiring to engage and educate students entirely online, and motivate people in AI to strive towards increasing diversity and inclusion in this field.     

Endogenous Interleukin 6 Conveys Resistance to cis-Diamminedichloroplatinum-Mediated Apoptosis of the K562 Human Leukemic Cell Line

Cisplatin is an effective chemotherapeutic agent that elicits its antineoplastic activity by binding to DNA and disrupting template functions. IL-6 is a cytokine which has been shown to play a central role in host immunological defense mechanisms. Although K562 leukemic cells have been shown to secrete IL-6, little is known of whether there exists a correlation between the expression of IL-6 and the resistance of these cells to anticancer chemotherapeutic agents. To determine the contribution of IL-6 to the regulation of cisplatin-induced apoptosis in K562 cells, we examined whether treatment of K562 cells and cisplatin-resistant K562 subclones with anti-IL-6 mAb enhances their sensitivity to cisplatin. The results show that cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (CDDP) resistance was overcome by treatment with nontoxic doses of CDDP in combination with anti-IL-6 mAb. When we tested if the synergistic effect of anti-IL-6 and cisplatin could restore the ability of K562 mutant cells to undergo apoptosis, we found the typical DNA laddering in these cells, even in the presence of a nontoxic dose of the drug. Treatment of cells with anti-IL-6 reduced the levels of glutathione. The current studies show that anti-IL-6 mAb sensitized CDDP-resistant K562 cells to CDDP by induction of apoptotic death and the reduction of glutathione levels might be implicated in the enhanced cytotoxicity observed.