The Multiple Chemokine–Binding Bovine Herpesvirus 1 Glycoprotein G (BHV1gG) Inhibits Polymorphonuclear Cell but Not Monocyte Migration into Inflammatory Sites

Chemokines facilitate the recruitment of inflammatory cells into tissues, contributing to target organ injury in a wide range of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Targeting either single chemokines or chemokine receptors alters the progression of disease in animal models of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus with varying degrees of efficacy, but clinical trials in humans have been less successful. Given the redundancy of chemokine–chemokine receptor interactions, targeting of more than one chemokine may be required to inhibit active inflammatory disease. To test the effects of multiple chemokine blockade in inflammation, we generated an adenovirus expressing bovine herpesvirus 1 glycoprotein G (BHV1gG), a viral chemokine antagonist that binds to a wide spectrum of murine and human chemokines, fused to the fragment crystallizable (Fc) portion of murine immunoglobulin (IgG)2a. Administration of the adenovirus significantly inhibited thioglycollate-induced migration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes into the peritoneal cavity of BALB/c mice and reduced both clinical severity and articular damage in K/BxN serum transfer-induced arthritis. However, treatment with BHV1gG-Ig fusion protein did not prevent monocyte infiltration into the peritoneum in the thioglycollate model and did not prevent renal monocyte infiltration or nephritis in lupus-prone NZB/W mice. These observations suggest that the simultaneous inhibition of multiple chemokines by BHV1gG has the potential to interfere with acute inflammatory responses mediated by polymorphonuclear leukocytes, but is less effective in chronic inflammatory disease mediated by macrophages.     

Biochemical and immunological studies on an α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase from the tephritid fly,Anastrepha suspensa

A rapid and efficient procedure has been developed for the purification of α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase from the tephritid fly Anastrepha suspensa. This procedure is applicable to the isolation of the enzyme from other tephritids. The A. suspensa α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase is dimeric with a molecular weight of 70,000 and a subunit molecular weight of 35,000. The pH optimum of the enzyme is 7.0. The amino acid composition is compared with that of other α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenases. By means of the quantitative microcomplement fixation procedure the A. suspensa α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase is compared immunologically to a variety of other tephritid and dipteran α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenases.     

A comparative SAR and computer modeling study of benzisothiazolone, mechanism-based inhibitors with porcine pancreatic and human leukocyte elastase

Distinct differences in the SAR for HLE and PPE inhibition in this class of compounds were observed. For example, larger lipophilic substituents at the benzisothiazolone 4-position afforded inhibitors that were potent against HLE, but inactive against PPE. These findings are consistent with computer models of inhibitor-enzyme complexes built using the X-ray structure coordinates of HLE and PPE. These models show that substituents at the benzisothiazolone 4-position fit into the S1 specificity pocket of the enzyme and that other differences in the SAR can be explained based on the structural differences of HLE and PPE.     

Theoretical Model of the Three-dimensional Structure of a Disease Resistance Gene Homolog Encoding Resistance Protein in Vigna mungo

Abstract

Plant disease resistance (R) genes, the key players of innate immunity system in plants encode ‘R’ proteins. ‘R’ protein recognizes product of avirulance gene from the pathogen and activate downstream signaling responses leading to disease resistance. No three dimensional (3D) structural information of any ‘R’ proteins is available as yet. We have reported a ‘R’ gene homolog, the 'VMYR1′, encoding ‘R’ protein in Vigna mungo. Here, we describe the homology modeling of the 'VMYR1′ protein. The model was created by using the 3D structure of an ATP-binding cassette transporter protein from Vibrio cholerae as a template. The strategy for homology modeling was based on the high structural conservation in the superfamily of P-loop containing nucleoside triphosphate hydrolase in which target and template proteins belong. This is the first report of theoretical model structure of any ‘R’ proteins.