Epitope mapping with a recombinant human 68-kDa (U1) ribonucleoprotein antigen reveals heterogeneous autoantibody profiles in human autoimmune sera

Several cDNA fragments encoding parts of the (U1)RNP specific 68-kDa autoantigen were expressed in Escherichia coli and the fusion proteins were used as substrate for localization of the autoreactive epitopes. We have identified a region of approximately 30 amino acids reacting with more than 90% (16 of 17) of all human anti-p68 sera tested, regions which carry only a few and a region with no autoepitopes. Comparative analysis of epitopes recognized on partially degraded fusion proteins indicated that the anti-p68 autoimmune response is polyclonal. It involves generation of antibodies to several epitopes including one in a region with retroviral gag protein homology speculated to play a role in the initiation of the autoimmune response. Each of the 17 sera tested contained a different set of autoantibody specificities. These data are not consistent with random mutation as a sole mechanism of anti-p68 autoantibody induction and argue for an Ag-driven autoimmune response.     

Direct high-performance liquid chromatographic resolution of the enantiomers of tiaprofenic acid using immobilized human serum albumin

Resolution of racemic tiaprofenic acid (TA) has been performed using immobilized human serum albumin as the stationary phase. The eluent was phosphate buffer—acetonitrile—n-octanoic acid (90:10:0.015, v/v). Detection was achieved at 305 nm. The pharmacokinetics of the enantiomers were studied following oral administration into humans and after subcutaneous injection in rats. Plasma concentrations of (+)-TA were much greater than those of (−)-TA. For the rat, the pharmacokinetic parameters between (−)-TA and (+)-TA were all statistically different (p < 0.005).     

The lepidopteran mitochondrial control region: structure and evolution

For several species of lepidoptera, most of the approximately 350-bp mitochondrial control-region sequences were determined. Six of these species are in one genus, Jalmenus; are closely related; and are believed to have undergone recent rapid speciation. Recent speciation was supported by the observation of low interspecific sequence divergence. Thus, no useful phylogeny could be constructed for the genus. Despite a surprising conservation of control-region length, there was little conservation of primary sequences either among the three lepidopteran genera or between lepidoptera and Drosophila. Analysis of secondary structure indicated only one possible feature in common--inferred stem loops with higher-than-random folding energies-- although the positions of the structures in different species were unrelated to regions of primary sequence similarity. We suggest that the conserved, short length of control regions is related to the observed lack of heteroplasmy in lepidopteran mitochondrial genomes. In addition, determination of flanking sequences for one Jalmenus species indicated (i) only weak support for the available model of insect 12S rRNA structure and (ii) that tRNA translocation is a frequent event in the evolution of insect mitochondrial genomes.      

Pro- and anti-inflammatory properties of human recombinant IL-1 beta during experimental arthritis in rats: 1. Dependence on dose and severity threshold.

The effects of human recombinant interleukin-1 beta (HrIL-1 beta) were investigated in arthritic rats sensitized with type II collagen (CII) and muramyl dipeptide (MDP). When administered subcutaneously (sc) daily during established arthritis, low (0.02 micrograms) and medium (0.2 micrograms) HrIL-1 beta doses exerted paradoxical beneficial properties on paws with moderate and severe inflammation, respectively. In contrast, the highest dose (2 micrograms) had a pejorative effect on developing arthritis. In addition, HrIL-1 beta attenuated paw volume and deterioration of the joints as assessed radiologically. Hence, paw inflammation response to IL-1 exposure depended on the dosage and the severity of previous arthritis prior to the IL-1 challenge. Some of these paradoxical activities may be due to the capacity of IL-1 to induce its own inhibitors or feedback loops thus counterbalancing its phlogistic properties.     

Glutamine repeats and inherited neurodegenerative diseases: molecular aspects

Several dominantly inherited, late onset, neurodegenerative diseases are due to expansion of CAG repeats, leading to expansion of glutamine repeats in the affected proteins. These proteins are of very different sizes and, with one exception, show no sequence homology to known proteins or to each other; their functions are unknown. In some, the glutamine repeat starts near the N-terminus, in another near the middle and in another near the C-terminus, but regardless of these differences, no disease has been observed in individuals with fewer than 37 repeats, and absence of disease has never been found in those with more than 41 repeats. Protein constructs with more than 41 repeats are toxic to E. coli and to CHO cells in culture, and they elicit ataxia in transgenic mice. These observations argue in favour of a distinct change of structure associated with elongation beyond 37–41 glutamine repeats. The review describes experiments designed to find out what these structures might be and how they could influence the properties of the proteins of which they form part. Poly- -glutamines form pleated sheets of β-strands held together by hydrogen bonds between their amides. Incorporation of glutamine repeats into a small protein of known structure made it associate irreversibly into oligomers. That association took place during the folding of the protein molecules and led to their becoming firmly interlocked by either strand- or domain-swapping. Thermodynamic considerations suggest that elongation of glutamine repeats beyond a certain length may lead to a phase change from random coils to hydrogen-bonded hairpins. Possible mechanisms of expansion of CAG repeats are discussed in the light of looped DNA model structures.     

Mutations in the mitochondrial split gene COXI are preferentially located in exons: a mapping study of 170 mutants

We have analysed the precise location of a large number (170) of mutations affecting the structural gene for subunit 1 of the cytochrome c oxidase complex. This gene, COXI, is 12.9 kb long and the major part of the sequence (i.e. 11.3 kb) is composed of introns. Several conclusions can be drawn from this study: (1) A significant proportion (84/170) of the mutations cannot be assigned to a single position within the gene by deletion mapping, in spite of clearly being located in it. These mutations are probably large deletions or multiple mutations. (2) Four mutants carry distant double mutations, which have been individually localized. (3) Eighty-two mutants have lesions that are restricted to very short regions of the gene and we therefore conclude that they are most probably due to single hits; amongst these single mutations, 41 are unambiguously located in exons and 28 in introns. This result implies that, at least in this particular split gene, the probability of selection of a mutant phenotype in an exon is, on the average, 13.3 times greater than in an intron, in spite of the existence, within most of these introns, of open reading frames specifying intronic proteins. The evolutionary significance and biological implications of these results are discussed.     

Unsuspected prophage-like elements in Salmonella typhimurium

We present evidence for the existence of two large (approximately 50 kb) excisable segments in the chromosome of Salmonella typhimurium. The two elements--designated Gifsy-1 and Gifsy-2--cover, respectively, the 57 units and the 24 units of the genetic map where they contribute indicative rare restriction sites. The two elements are closely interrelated and both contain a region of sequence similarity to the recE locus of the Rac prophage of Escherichia coli. Mutations within this region of Gifsy-1 yield the classical 'Sbc' phenotype: they suppress the recombination defect of recB mutants, apparently by activating a normally silent recE-like gene. At the same time, these 'sbcE' mutations activate a Xis-type function that promotes excision of one or other of the two elements. Predictably, curing of Gifsy-1 results in the loss of recB mutant suppression. Surprisingly, the suppressor phenotype is also lost in cells cured for Gifsy-2 even though the Gifsy-1-associated sbcE mutation is still present. Moreover, the excision frequency of Gifsy-1 drops dramatically in Gifsy-2-cured cells. Thus, both elements must co-operate in the activation of recombination and excision functions. Overall, the data presented here suggest that Gifsy-1 and Gifsy-2 are cryptic prophages. They are distinct from previously described Fels prophages. Unlike Fels, they are not specific to S. typhimurium strain LT2 since they are both also found in a virulent S. typhimurium isolate (ATCC 14028s).