Using Exclusion-Based Sample Preparation (ESP) to Reduce Viral Load Assay Cost

Viral load (VL) measurements are critical to the proper management of HIV in developing countries. However, access to VL assays is limited by the high cost and complexity of existing assays. While there is a need for low cost VL assays, performance must not be compromised. Thus, new assays must be validated on metrics of limit of detection (LOD), accuracy, and dynamic range. Patient plasma samples from the Joint Clinical Research Centre in Uganda were de-identified and measured using both an existing VL assay (Abbott RealTime HIV-1) and our assay, which combines low cost reagents with a simplified method of RNA isolation termed Exclusion-Based Sample Preparation (ESP).71 patient samples with VLs ranging from <40 to >3,000,000 copies/mL were used to compare the two methods. We demonstrated equivalent LOD (~50 copies/mL) and high accuracy (average difference between methods of 0.08 log, R² = 0.97). Using expenditures from this trial, we estimate that the cost of the reagents and consumables for this assay to be approximately $5 USD. As cost is a significant barrier to implementation of VL testing, we anticipate that our assay will enhance access to this critical monitoring test in developing countries.     

Evaluation of Intracellular Signaling Downstream Chimeric Antigen Receptors

CD19-targeting CAR T cells have shown potency in clinical trials targeting B cell leukemia. Although mainly second generation (2G) CARs carrying CD28 or 4-1BB have been investigated in patients, preclinical studies suggest that third generation (3G) CARs with both CD28 and 4-1BB have enhanced capacity. However, little is known about the intracellular signaling pathways downstream of CARs. In the present work, we have analyzed the signaling capacity post antigen stimulation in both 2G and 3G CARs. 3G CAR T cells expanded better than 2G CAR T cells upon repeated stimulation with IL-2 and autologous B cells. An antigen-driven accumulation of CAR+ cells was evident post antigen stimulation. The cytotoxicity of both 2G and 3G CAR T cells was maintained by repeated stimulation. The phosphorylation status of intracellular signaling proteins post antigen stimulation showed that 3G CAR T cells had a higher activation status than 2G. Several proteins involved in signaling downstream the TCR were activated, as were proteins involved in the cell cycle, cell adhesion and exocytosis. In conclusion, 3G CAR T cells had a higher degree of intracellular signaling activity than 2G CARs which may explain the increased proliferative capacity seen in 3G CAR T cells. The study also indicates that there may be other signaling pathways to consider when designing or evaluating new generations of CARs.     

Procedures for improving maternal behavior in captive chimpanzees

Captive female chimpanzees who have had no opportunity to observe mothers with infants or to interact with infants often show inappropriate maternal behavior, particularly with their first-born infant, and this usually results in the removal of the infant to be human-reared. The present study used two techniques to encourage appropriate maternal behavior in ten pregnant female chimpanzees. These females were housed together with unrelated infant chimpanzees to adopt, or with lactating female chimpanzees and infants to observe. In five cases both techniques were used, in two cases only the first technique was used, and in three cases only the second technique was used. All ten female chimpanzees showed appropriate maternal behavior when their infants were born, in contrast to a group of eight female chimpanzees who had no such experience whose infants had to be removed for human-rearing. It is suggested that these techniques, or adaptations of them, could be applied to many other captive female chimpanzees with similar results.     

High production of D-β-hydroxyisobutyric acid from methacrylic acid by Candida rugosa and its mutant

Production of D-β-hydroxyisobutyric acid (D-HIBA) from methacrylic acid (MA) was investigated using Candida rugosa IFO 0750 and its mutant. Cell growth decreased as the MA concentration increased and was inhibited at D-HIBA concentrations higher than 30 g/l. Optimal MA concentration for D-HIBA production was in the range of 10–20 g/l. It was also noted that cell growth and D-HIBA production were inhibited by higher concen-trations of Na⁺, K⁺, and NH₄ ⁺, which were required for pH control during cultivation. With a suitably designed feeding mode of MA, the parent strain produced 65 g/l of D-HIBA after 120?h of fed-batch cultivation, but molar conversion yield of D-HIBA was less than 40%. The mutant, unable to assimilate propionic acid, produced as high as 70 g/l of D-HIBA in the same culture period with a molar conversion yield of more than 70%.     

Activation of phospholipase C by the alpha subunits of the Gq and G11 proteins in transfected Cos-7 cells.

High efficiency transient transfection was used to introduce cDNA corresponding to various G protein alpha subunits into Cos-7 cells. The proteins that were subsequently synthesized were detected with specific G protein alpha subunit antipeptide antiserum and were localized in the membrane fraction of the cell. Cells that were prelabeled with the [3H]inositol and transfected with G alpha q and G alpha 11 cDNA showed marked increases in formation of [3H]inositol phosphates after stimulation with aluminum fluoride. Co-transfection with cDNAs corresponding to phosphoinositide specific phospholipase C beta 1 (PI-PLC beta 1) and to G alpha q or G alpha 11 resulted in even higher levels of inositol phosphate formation. The introduction of mutations that convert residue glutamine 209 to leucine in G alpha q and G alpha 11 resulted in persistent activation of PI-PLC and high steady state levels of inositol phosphates. On the other hand, transfection with a variety of other G alpha subunit cDNAs, i.e. G alpha Z, G alpha OA, G alpha OB, transducin, and the glutamine 205 to leucine mutants of G alpha Z and of G alpha OA did not increase inositol phosphate formation. To further test the specificity of G protein activation of PI-PLC, a cell-free system was prepared by using washed membranes of transiently transfected cells and purified PI-PLC beta 1. Membranes derived from G alpha q and G alpha 11, but not G alpha OA transfected cells, showed guanosine 5-O-thiotriphosphate (GTP gamma S)-stimulated PIP2 hydrolysis. The activity seen in the system reconstituted with membranes derived from G alpha 11-transfected cells was blocked by preincubation with specific G alpha 11 antipeptide antibodies. All of these results are consistent with the conclusion that G alpha q and G alpha 11 cDNA encode proteins that in the presence of GTP gamma S specifically activate PI-PLC.     

l-Type amino acid transporter 1 activity of 1,2,3-triazolyl analogs of l-histidine and l-tryptophan

A series of 1,2,3-triazole analogs of the amino acids l-histidine and l-tryptophan were modeled, synthesized and tested for l-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1; SLC7A5) activity to guide the design of amino acid-drug conjugates (prodrugs). These triazoles were conveniently prepared by the highly convergent Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (Click Chemistry). Despite comparable predicted binding modes, triazoles generally demonstrated reduced cell uptake and LAT1 binding potency relative to their natural amino acid counterparts. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) data for these triazoles has important ramifications for treating cancer and brain disorders using amino acid prodrugs or LAT1 inhibitors.     

Ectodomain cleavage and shedding of the type III transforming growth factor-beta receptor in lung membranes effect of temperature, ligand binding and membrane solubilization.

Previous studies from our laboratory [Philip, A. & O'Connor-McCourt, M. D. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 22290--22296] have shown that the lung exhibited the highest uptake of circulating [125I]-transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) on a per gram basis. This observation, together with the lack of information on TGF-beta receptor expression in the lung, prompted us to attempt to characterize TGF-beta receptors in this tissue. In the present report we show that the type III TGF-beta receptor is the most abundant TGF-beta binding protein in rat lung membranes and that it exhibits a 10-fold higher affinity for TGF-beta2 than for TGF-beta1. We observed that the majority of the type III receptor population in lung membranes is cleaved at a site in the central portion of the ectodomain, the resulting two fragments (95 kDa and 58 kDa) being held together by disulfide bonds. Furthermore, we demonstrate that a soluble form of the ectodomain of the type III receptor is shed from rat lung membranes in an efficient manner, with protease cleavage occurring at a site close to the transmembrane domain. This shedding is controllable by temperature, thus providing a system to study the mechanism of ectodomain release. Using this system, we show that the shedding is inhibited by prior ligand binding and by membrane solubilization. The identification of a membrane preparation which exhibits controllable and quantitative release of the type III receptor ectodomain provides a unique cell-free system for further studies of the mechanism of shedding of the type III TGF-beta receptor ectodomain.