Synthetic magainin analogues with improved antimicrobial activity

Based on modifications to enhance the alpha-helical structure of the broad spectrum antibiotic magainin 2, a series of analogues have been synthesized which display an increase up to two orders of magnitude in antimicrobial activity and, in the most favorable case, no appreciable increase in hemolytic activity over magainin 1 at the concentrations tested.     

Kinetic measurements of fusion of phosphatidylserine-containing vesicles by electron microscopy and fluorometry

Large unilamellar vesicles (REV) containing phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine at a ratio of 1:3 were induced to fuse by adding calcium (4 mM). The kinetics of fusion was monitored by fluorometry using terbium or dipicolinic acid-containing vesicles. The morphology and the states of vesicle aggregation and fusion were examined at approx. 2, 30, 60, 150 and 900 s after calcium addition, by rapid quenching and freeze-fracture electron microscopy. The size and the state of aggregation of vesicles are quantitated from 4000 randomly selected vesicles. The aggregation and fusion kinetics as assayed by fluorescence volume mixing is very well simulated and predicted by the mass action model. The model essentially predicts the time course of the distribution of the aggregates and the increase in size of fused particles as measured by electron microscopy, although in some cases the predicted fusion rate exceeds that by morphometric measurement. No morphological features can be defined as fusion intermediates, although bead-like and rim-like materials may be attributed to the remnants of broken diaphragms between fusion partners.     

Human transforming growth factor beta.alpha 2-macroglobulin complex is a latent form of transforming growth factor beta

125I-Labeled human platelet-derived transforming growth factor beta (125I-TGF-beta) and human alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M) formed a complex as demonstrated by 5% native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The 125I-TGF-beta.alpha 2M complex migrated at a position identical to that of the fast migrating form of alpha 2M. Most of the 125I-TGF-beta.alpha 2M complex could be dissociated by acid or urea treatment. When 125I-TGF-beta was incubated with serum, the high molecular weight form of 125I-TGF-beta could be immunoprecipitated by anti-human alpha 2M anti-sera as demonstrated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. alpha 2M purified from platelet-rich plasma also showed the latent transforming growth factor activity and immunoreactivity of TGF-beta. These results suggest that TGF-beta.alpha 2M complex is a latent form of TGF-beta.     

Alpha-L-fucosidase from bull seminal plasma: its purification and acrosome reaction promoting property

Alpha-L-fucosidase was purified from the bull seminal plasma by chromatography on DEAE-disk, octyl sepharose hydrophobic column and HPLC. The enzyme appeared to be pure as judged by the polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis both under the nondenaturing and denaturing conditions. The pure enzyme promoted the acrosome reaction of guinea pig spermatozoa in vitro. This is the first report showing that an acrosomal enzyme induces acrosome reaction which is an essential pre-requisite for the gamete interaction and fertilization.     

Target-sensitive immunoliposomes: preparation and characterization

A novel target-sensitive immunoliposome was prepared and characterized. In this design, target-specific binding of antibody-coated liposomes was sufficient to induce bilayer destabilization, resulting in a site-specific release of liposome contents. Unilamellar liposomes were prepared by using a small quantity of palmitoyl-immunoglobulin G (pIgG) to stabilize the bilayer phase of the unsaturated dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (PE) which by itself does not form stable liposomes. A mouse monoclonal IgG antibody to the glycoprotein D of Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and PE were used in this study. A minimal coupling stoichiometry of 2.2 palmitic acids per IgG was essential for the stabilization activity of pIgG. In addition, the minimal pIgG to PE molar ratio for stable liposomes was 2.5 X 10(-4). PE immunoliposomes bound with HSV-infected mouse L929 cells with an apparent Kd of 1.00 X 10(-8) M which was approximately the same as that of the native antibody. When 50 mM calcein was encapsulated in the PE immunoliposomes as an aqueous marker, binding of the liposomes to HSV-infected cells resulted in a cell concentration dependent lysis of the liposomes as detected by the release of the encapsulated calcein. Neither uninfected nor Sendai virus infected cells caused a significant amount of calcein release. Therefore, the release of calcein from PE immunoliposomes was target specific. Dioleoylphosphatidylcholine immunoliposomes were not lysed upon contact with infected cells under the same conditions, indicating that PE was essential for the target-specific liposome destabilization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Further characterization of the vesicular stomatitis virus temperature-sensitive O45 mutant: intracellular conversion of the glycoprotein to a soluble form.

Reexamination of the viral products of tsO45, a glycoprotein mutant of vesicular stomatitis virus, showed that at 39 degrees C there was a conversion of the glycoprotein (G) to a truncated, soluble form, Gs, which subsequently appeared in the extracellular medium. The half-life for this intracellular conversion and extracellular appearance was about 2 h at 39 degrees C. Gs was precipitated by a monoclonal antibody to the ektodomain but not by an antipeptide serum made against the first 15 amino acids at the carboxy terminus of G. Gs was also resistant to endoglycosidase H digestion. On the basis of pulse-chase experiments, the generation of Gs most probably occurred in the rough endoplasmic reticulum. This additional phenotype of the tsO45 mutant provides another approach for studying the generation and subsequent transport of a secreted protein in fibroblast cells.     

Inner acrosomal membrane of mammalian spermatozoa: its properties and possible functions in fertilization

The inner acrosomal membrane (IAM) develops during the spermatid stage of differentiation as that portion of the Golgi-derived acrosome granule that tightly associates with the condensing sperm nucleus. In some mammalian species, an electron-dense proteinaceous material accumulates between the IAM and the nuclear envelope, collectively comprising the "perforatorium." Evidence, including its partial purification and its structural resistance to detergents and sonication, suggests that the IAM is an unusually resiliant membrane. Dense paracrystalline arrays of intramembranous particles, a lack of lectin-mediated receptor modulation, and its lack of participation in sperm-egg fusion suggest that the IAM lacks the same degree of fluidity as the egg surface plasmalemma. Observations using monoclonal antibodies, however, suggest that some specific antigenic modulations may be possible within the IAM. Its structural rigidity is of obvious mechanical value during sperm penetration through the zone pellucida. An additional role as a scaffold for putative zona lysin material remains controversial. Biochemical evidence suggests that acrosin, for example, is not entirely soluble and that some remains sperm-associated, depending on the conditions of acrosome disruption. Nevertheless, morphological studies do not agree on acrosin's specific localization to the IAM. Currently there is only very limited information concerning the localization of the other acrosomal enzymes to the IAM. Another possible role for the IAM in some species may be in recognizing the zona pellucida. Evidence for this derives from the observation that fucoidin, a fucose heteropolysaccharide, inhibits guinea pig sperm-zona binding, and bound fucoidin can be localized to the IAM and equatorial regions of the living acrosome-reacted spermatozoa. Finally, the IAM may have a role in early recognition/adhesion with the colemma.     

Sodium arsenite enhances the cytotoxicity, clastogenicity, and 6-thioguanine-resistant mutagenicity of ultraviolet light in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Cytotoxicity, chromosome aberrations, and mutations to 6-thioguanine resistance were synergistically increased by incubating the ultraviolet light (UV)-irradiated Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells in medium containing sodium arsenite. However, the frequencies of sister-chromatid exchanges and mutations to ouabain resistance induced by UV were not synergistically increased by sodium arsenite. The synergistic effect of sodium arsenite on UV-induced chromosome aberrations varied with cell-harvesting time and decreased with increasing time intervals between UV and sodium arsenite treatments.