A specific immunological probe for the major myelin proteolipid. Confirmation of a deletion in DM-20

Major myelin proteolipid (MMPL, also called PLP) and DM-20 are the two major intrinsic membrane proteins of CNS myelin. A specific immunological probe was obtained for MMPL by raising antibodies against the synthetic tridecapeptide 117-129 of MMPL. Antibodies against this peptide reacted with the MMPL but did not cross react with DM-20, while both proteolipids had been shown previously to be recognized by antibodies directed against the C-terminal hexapeptide of MMPL. This is in accordance with previous findings showing that DM-20 differs only from MMPL by a deletion of residues 100-140 (+/- few units). Furthermore, this site-specific immunological probe also recognizes MMPL in its native form in oligodendrocytes in primary glial cell cultures.     

Mitochondrial Haplotype Influences Mycelial Growth of Agaricus bisporus Heterokaryons

We evaluated the influence of mitochondrial haplotype on growth of the common button mushroom Agaricus bisporus. Ten pairs of heterokaryon strains, each pair having the same nuclear genome but different mitochondrial genomes, were produced by controlled crosses among a group of homokaryons of both wild and commercial origins. Seven genetically distinct mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotypes were evaluated in different nuclear backgrounds. The growth of heterokaryon pairs differing only in their mtDNA haplotypes was compared by measuring mycelial radial growth rate on solid complete yeast medium (CYM) and compost extract medium and by measuring mycelial dry weight accumulation in liquid CYM. All A. bisporus strains were incubated at temperatures similar to those utilized in commercial production facilities (18, 22, and 26(deg)C). Statistically significant differences were detected in 8 of the 10 heterokaryon pairs evaluated for one or two of the three growth parameters measured. Some heterokaryon pairs showed differences in a single growth parameter at all three temperatures of incubation, suggesting a temperature-independent difference. Others showed differences at only a single temperature, suggesting a temperature-dependent difference. The influence of some mtDNA haplotypes on growth was dependent on the nuclear genetic background. Our results show that mtDNA haplotype can influence growth of A. bisporus heterokaryons in some nuclear backgrounds. These observations demonstrate the importance of including a number of mitochondrial genotypes and evaluating different nuclear-mitochondrial combinations of A. bisporus in strain improvement programs.     

Listeria comet tails: the actin-based motility machinery at work

Listeria monocytogenes is a master of mimicry that uses the host cell actin system both to move within the cytoplasm of infected cells and for cell-to-cell spread. Recent studies of Listeria and similarly acting pathogens have generated leaps in our understanding of the actin-based force producing machinery. This machinery is essential for most motile properties of cells, not least for cell migration. In a minimal configuration, it consists of the Arp2/3-complex, Ena-VASP proteins, cofilin, capping protein and a nucleation-promoting factor. In this review, we discuss current models of pseudopodial protrusions and describe how the road to more complex models lies open and is already paved by recent studies using Listeria-based biomimetic motility assays.     

Biosynthesis of rubradirin as an ansamycin antibiotic from Streptomyces achromogenes var. rubradiris NRRL3061

The four overlapping cosmids from the rubradirin producer, Streptomyces achromogenes var rubradiris NRRL 3061, have 58 ORFs within a 105.6 kb fragment. These ORFs harbored essential genes responsible for the formation and attachment of four distinct moieties, along with the genes associated with regulatory, resistance, and transport functions. The PKS (rubA) and glycosyltransferase (rubG2) genes were disrupted in order to demonstrate a complete elimination of rubradirin production. The rubradirin biosynthetic pathway was proposed based on the putative functions of the gene products, the functional identification of sugar genes, and the mutant strains. The GeneBank accession number for the sequence reported in this paper is AJ871581.     

Assay for protein by dye binding

A proposed assay for protein [Bradford, M. M. (1976) Anal. Biochem. 72, 248–254] by binding of Coomassie brilliant blue G-250 has been evaluated. Some proteins give standard curves similar to those reported by Bradford, but others deviate widely; caution is urged in application of the procedure to general assay for protein concentration.     

Transbilayer distribution and movement of lysophosphatidylcholine in liposomal membranes

Single bilayer vesicles were prepared by sonication of 5 mol% 1-palmitoyl lysophosphatidylcholine and 95 mol% egg phosphatidylcholine. Incubation with lysophospholipase results in a fast hydrolysis of 80–90% of lysophosphatidylcholine. The remaining lysophosphatidylcholine is only very slowly hydrolysed. There results are interpreted as lysophosphatidylcholine being asymmetrically distributed over the two halves of the bilayer. The slow phase of lysophosphatidylcholine hydrolysis sets an upper limit to the rate of transbilayer movement of lysophosphatidylcholine. The half time of this process at 37° C is estimated to be about 100 h. Incorporation of cholesterol in the vesicles reduces the distributional asymmetry of lysophosphatidylcholine to the extent of an outside-inside ratio of 60 : 40. [¹⁴C]Lysophosphatidylcholine introduced into the outer monolayer of such vesicles by intervesicular transfer of lysophosphatidylcholine remains virtually completely available for hydrolysis by lysophospholipases, corroborating the interpretation that transbilayer movement of lysophosphatidylcholine in these vesicles is an extremely slow process.In handshaken liposomes consisting of 5 mol% 1-palmitoyl lysophosphatidylcholine and 95 mol% egg phosphatidylcholine 15–20% of lysophosphatidylcholine is readily available for exogenous lysophospholipase. This pool may represent lysophosphatidylcholine in the outer monolayer of the liposomes.     

Comparison in different species of biliary bilirubin-IX alpha conjugates with the activities of hepatic and renal bilirubin-IX alpha-uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferases.

The bilrubin-IXalpha conjugates in bile and the activities of bilirubin-IX alpha--UDP-glycosyltransferases in liver and kidney were determined for ten species of mammals and for the chicken. 1. In the mammalian species, bilirubin-IX alpha glucuronide was the predominant bile pigment. Excretion of neutral glycosides was unimportant, except in the cat, the mouse, the rabbit and the dog, where glucose and xylose represented 12--41% of total conjugating groups bound to bilirubin-IX alpha. In chicken bile, glucoside and glucuronide conjugates were of equal importance. They probably represent only a small fraction of the total bile pigment. 2. The transferase activities in liver showed pronounced species variation. This was also apparent with regard to activation by digitonin, pH optimum and relative activities of transferases acting on either UDP-glucuronic acid or neutral UDP-sugars. 3. Man, the dog, the cat and the rat excrete bilirubin-IX alpha largely as diconjugated derivatives. In general, diconjugated bilirubin-IX alpha could also be synthesized in vitro with liver homogenate, bilirubin-IX alpha and UDP-sugar. In contrast, for the other species examined, bilirubin pigments consisted predominantly of monoconjugated bilirubin-IX alpha. Synthesis in vitro with UDP-glucuronic acid, UDP-glucose or UDP-xylose as the sugar donor led exclusively to the formation of monoconjugated bilirubin-IX alpha. 4. The transferase activities in the kidney were restricted to the cortex and were important only for the rat and the dog. No activity at all could be detected for several species, including man. 5. Comparison of the transferase activities in liver with reported values of the maximal rate of excretion in bile suggests a close linkage between conjugation and biliary secretion of bilirubin-IX alpha.     

A90V TDP-43 variant results in the aberrant localization of TDP-43 in vitro

TAR DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43) is a highly conserved, ubiquitously expressed nuclear protein that was recently identified as the disease protein in frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin-positive inclusions (FTLD-U) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Pathogenic TDP-43 gene (TARDBP) mutations have been identified in familial ALS kindreds, and here we report a TARDBP variant (A90V) in a FTLD/ALS patient with a family history of dementia. Significantly, A90V is located between the bipartite nuclear localization signal sequence of TDP-43 and the in vitro expression of TDP-43-A90V led to its sequestration with endogenous TDP-43 as insoluble cytoplasmic aggregates. Thus, A90V may be a genetic risk factor for FTLD/ALS because it predisposes nuclear TDP-43 to redistribute to the cytoplasm and form pathological aggregates.     

Vaccination of a melanoma patient with mature dendritic cells pulsed with MAGE-3 peptides triggers the activity of nonvaccine anti-tumor cells

We previously characterized the CTL response of a melanoma patient who experienced tumor regression following vaccination with an ALVAC virus coding for a MAGE-A3 Ag. Whereas anti-vaccine CTL were rare in the blood and inside metastases of this patient, anti-tumor CTL recognizing other tumor Ags, mainly MAGE-C2, were 100 times more frequent in the blood and considerably enriched in metastases following vaccination. In this study we report the analysis of the CTL response of a second melanoma patient who showed a mixed tumor response after vaccination with dendritic cells pulsed with two MAGE-A3 antigenic peptides presented, respectively, by HLA-A1 and HLA-DP4. Anti-MAGE-3.A1 CD8 and anti-MAGE-3.DP4 CD4 T cells became detectable in the blood after vaccination at a frequency of approximately 10(-5) among the CD8 or CD4 T cells, respectively, and they were slightly enriched in slowly progressing metastases. Additional anti-tumor CTL were present in the blood at a frequency of 2x10(-4) among the CD8 T cells and, among these, an anti-MAGE-C2 CTL clone was detected only following vaccination and was enriched by >1,000-fold in metastases relative to the blood. The striking similarity of these results with our previous observations further supports the hypothesis that the induction of a few anti-vaccine T cells may prime or restimulate additional anti-tumor T cell clones that are mainly responsible for the tumor regression.