Latency associated peptide has in vitro and in vivo immune effects independent of TGF-beta1

Latency Associated Peptide (LAP) binds TGF-beta1, forming a latent complex. Currently, LAP is presumed to function only as a sequestering agent for active TGF-beta1. Previous work shows that LAP can induce epithelial cell migration, but effects on leukocytes have not been reported. Because of the multiplicity of immunologic processes in which TGF-beta1 plays a role, we hypothesized that LAP could function independently to modulate immune responses. In separate experiments we found that LAP promoted chemotaxis of human monocytes and blocked inflammation in vivo in a murine model of the delayed-type hypersensitivity response (DTHR). These effects did not involve TGF-beta1 activity. Further studies revealed that disruption of specific LAP-thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) interactions prevented LAP-induced responses. The effect of LAP on DTH inhibition depended on IL-10. These data support a novel role for LAP in regulating monocyte trafficking and immune modulation.     

Tracing the transition of methicillin resistance in sub-populations of Staphylococcus aureus, using SELDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry and Artificial Neural Network Analysis

Strains (n = 99) of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from a large number of clinical sources and tested for methicillin sensitivity were analysed by MALDI-TOF-MS using the Weak Cation Exchange (CM10) ProteinChip Array (designated SELDI-TOF-MS). The profile data generated was analysed using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Analysis modelling techniques. Seven key ions identified by the ANNs that were predictive of MRSA and MSSA were validated by incorporation into a model. This model exhibited an area under the ROC curve value of 0.9147 indicating the potential application of this approach for rapidly characterising MRSA and MSSA isolates. Nearly all strains (n = 97) were correctly assigned to the correct group, with only two aberrant MSSA strains being misclassified. However, approximately 21% of the strains appeared to be in a process of transition as resistance to methicillin was being acquired.     

Cadmium exposure in tobacco workers: possible renal effects.

Cadmium is a nephrotoxic metal widely used in industry and the main source of Cd in general population is smoking. Considering that the source of Cd in cigarettes is the tobacco leaf, the exposure to Cd was evaluated in workers employed at a tobacco leaf processing factory. Blood and urinary Cd levels were measured by flameless atomic absorption spectrometry in 87 workers and 35 controls. Urinary enzymes, total protein, albumin and uric acid were also determined to investigate the possible nephrotoxic effects of Cd. Blood Cd levels were significantly higher in workers (1.63 +/- 1.95 microg/L) than in controls (0.91 +/- 1.15 microg/L) (p = 0.044). The increase observed in urinary Cd levels of workers was non significant (0.56 +/- 0.5 microg/g creatinine in workers and 0.46 +/- 0.5 microg/g creatinine in controls). Both in workers and in controls, subjects smoking >10 cigarettes/day showed significantly increased blood Cd levels compared to non-smokers (p = 0.000 and p = 0.011, respectively). In workers, urinary alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), total protein, and uric acid were observed to be significantly increased (p = 0.013, p = 0.000, p = 0.000, p = 0.025, respectively), ALP, GGT and total protein being positively correlated with Cd in urine. In conclusion, the workers in the tobacco leaf processing factory were found to be exposed to Cd compared to the general population. The increase in the urinary enzymes and proteins suggests that an exposure to Cd affects kidney functions even below the toxic limits generally accepted.     

Wavelets filtering for classification of very noisy electron microscopic single particles images- application on structure determination of VP5-VP19C recombinant

Background

Images of frozen hydrated [vitrified] virus particles were taken close-to-focus in an electron microscope containing structural signals at high spatial frequencies. These images had very low contrast due to the high levels of noise present in the image. The low contrast made particle selection, classification and orientation determination very difficult. The final purpose of the classification is to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the particle representing the class, which is usually the average. In this paper, the proposed method is based on wavelet filtering and multi-resolution processing for the classification and reconstruction of this very noisy data. A multivariate statistical analysis (MSA) is used for this classification.

Results

The MSA classification method is noise dependant. A set of 2600 projections from a 3D map of a herpes simplex virus -to which noise was added- was classified by MSA. The classification shows the power of wavelet filtering in enhancing the quality of class averages (used in 3D reconstruction) compared to Fourier band pass filtering. A 3D reconstruction of a recombinant virus (VP5-VP19C) is presented as an application of multi-resolution processing for classification and reconstruction.

Conclusion

The wavelet filtering and multi-resolution processing method proposed in this paper offers a new way for processing very noisy images obtained from electron cryo-microscopes. The multi-resolution and filtering improves the speed and accuracy of classification, which is vital for the 3D reconstruction of biological objects. The VP5-VP19C recombinant virus reconstruction presented here is an example, which demonstrates the power of this method. Without this processing, it is not possible to get the correct 3D map of this virus.

     

Fluorination of BC3 nanotubes: DFT studies

We have studied the adsorption of atomic and molecular fluorines on a BC₃ nanotube by using density functional calculations. It was found that the adsorption of atomic fluorine on a C atom of the tube surface is energetically more favorable than that on a B atom by about 0.97 eV. The adsorption of atomic fluorine on both C and B atoms significantly affects the electronic properties of the BC₃ tube. The HOMO-LUMO energy gap is considerably reduced from 2.37 to 1.50 and 1.14 eV upon atomic F adsorption on B and C atoms, respectively. Molecular fluorine energetically tends to be dissociated on B atoms of the tube surface. The associative and dissociative adsorption energies of F₂ were calculated to be about ?0.42 and ?4.79 eV, respectively. Electron emission density from BC₃ nanotube surface will be increased upon both atomic and molecular fluorine adsorptions due to work function decrement.     

The K-Segments of the Wheat Dehydrin DHN-5 are Essential for the Protection of Lactate Dehydrogenase and β-Glucosidase Activities In Vitro

The wheat dehydrin DHN-5 has been previously shown to exhibit heat protecting effect on enzymatic activities. In order to understand the molecular mechanism by which DHN-5 exerts its protective function, we performed an approach to dissect the functional domains of DHN-5 responsible for this feature. In two distinct enzymatic assays, we found that the truncated forms of DHN-5 containing only one K- or two K-segments are able to protect albeit to less extent than the wild type protein, lactate dehydrogenase and β-glucosidase against damage induced by various stresses in vitro. However, the YS- and Φ-segments alone have no protective effects on these enzymes. Therefore, our study provides the evidence that the protective function of DHN-5 seems to be directly linked to its K-segments which through their amphipatic α-helical structure, may act to prevent protein aggregation.     

Bacterial lipopolysaccharides form procollagen-endotoxin complexes that trigger cartilage inflammation and degeneration: implications for the development of rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction

We have previously reported that bacterial toxins, especially endotoxins such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS), might be important causative agents in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in an in vitro model that simulates the potential effects of residing in damp buildings. Since numerous inflammatory processes are linked with the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), we investigated in detail the effects of LPS on the NF-κB pathway and the postulated formation of procollagen-endotoxin complexes.

Methods

An in vitro model of human chondrocytes was used to investigate LPS-mediated inflammatory signaling.

Results

Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that LPS physically interact with collagen type II in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and anti-collagen type II significantly reduced this interaction. BMS-345541 (a specific inhibitor of IκB kinase (IKK)) or wortmannin (a specific inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K)) inhibited the LPS-induced degradation of the ECM and apoptosis in chondrocytes. This effect was completely inhibited by combining BMS-345541 and wortmannin. Furthermore, BMS-345541 and/or wortmannin suppressed the LPS-induced upregulation of catabolic enzymes that mediate ECM degradation (matrix metalloproteinases-9, -13), cyclooxygenase-2 and apoptosis (activated caspase-3). These proteins are regulated by NF-κB, suggesting that the NF-κB and PI-3K pathways are involved in LPS-induced cartilage degradation. The induction of NF-κB correlated with activation of IκBα kinase, IκBα phosphorylation, IκBα degradation, p65 phosphorylation and p65 nuclear translocation. Further upstream, LPS induced the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and bound with TLR4, indicating that LPS acts through TLR4.

Conclusion

These results suggest that molecular associations between LPS/TLR4/collagen type II in chondrocytes upregulate the NF-κB and PI-3K signaling pathways and activate proinflammatory activity.     

Peripheral blood cytotoxic gammadelta T lymphocytes from patients with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection and AIDS lyse uninfected CD4+ T cells,and their cytocidal potential correlates with viral load

Progression of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in humans is marked by declining CD4+-T-cell counts and increasing virus load (VL). Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) play an important role in the lysis of HIV-infected cells, especially during the early phase of asymptomatic infection. CTL responses in the later phase of disease progression may not be as effective since progressors with lower CD4+-T-cell counts have consistently higher VL despite having elevated CTL counts. We hypothesized that, apart from antiviral effects, some CTL might also contribute to AIDS pathogenesis by depleting CD4+ T cells and that this CTL activity may correlate with the VL in AIDS patients. Therefore, a cross-sectional study of 31 HIV-1-infected patients at various clinical stages was carried out. Purified CTL from these donors as well as HIV-seronegative controls were used as effectors against different human cell targets by using standard 51Cr release cytolytic assays. A direct correlation between VL and CTL-mediated, major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-unrestricted lysis of primary CD4+-T-cell, CEM.NKR, and K562 targets was observed. CD4+-T-cell counts and duration of infection also correlated with MHC-unrestricted cytolytic activity. Our data clearly show that gammadelta CTL are abnormally expanded in the peripheral blood of HIV-infected patients and that the Vdelta1 subset of gammadelta T cells is the main effector population responsible for this type of cytolysis. The present data suggest that gammadelta CTL can contribute to the depletion of bystander CD4+ T cells in HIV-infected patients as a parallel mechanism to HIV-associated immunopathogenesis and hence expedite AIDS progression.