Two-dimensional gel analysis of swine histocompatibility antigens

Miniature swine MHC antigens from three inbred herds were examined by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. These antigens were found to constitute a series of complex glycoproteins displaying haplotype-specific patterns that allowed the distinction of both class I and class II molecules among the three haplotypes. Selected outbred pig antisera reacted with a subset of class I antigens, suggesting the presence of at least two distinct molecular species among these antigens. Similarly, alloantisera reacting with mouse Ia antigens and a monoclonal anti-human DR were shown to immunoprecipitate a subset of class II molecules. Examination of the cells from two recombinant haplotypes demonstrated that both independent recombinational events took place between the class I and class II genes.     

Isolation, characterization, and amino acid sequence of a polypeptide neurotoxin occurring in the sea anemone Stichodactyla helianthus

An aqueous exudate collected from frozen and thawed bodies of a Caribbean sea anemone, Stichodactyla (formerly Stoichactis) helianthus, contained a polypeptide neurotoxin (Sh I) selectively toxic to crustaceans. The polypeptide was purified by G-50 Sephadex, phosphocellulose, and sulfopropyl-Sephadex chromatography and shown to have a molecular size of 5200 daltons and a pI of 8.3. The amino acid sequence determined by automatic Edman degradations of whole RCM Sh I and of its clostripain, staphylococcal protease, and cyanogen bromide digest peptides is A1ACKC5DDEGP10DIRTA15PLTGT20VDLGS25CNAGW30EKCAS35YYTII40ADCCR45KKK . Only 33% of this sequence is identical with the sequence of Anemonia sulcata toxin II, a sea anemone toxin isolated from the taxonomic family Actiniidae. The six half-cystines are located in equivalent positions to those of the actiniid toxins and account for nearly half of the residues common to all of the toxins. However, 69% of the Sh I sequence is identical with that of toxin II from Heteractis paumotensis, another sea anemone belonging to the family Stichodactylidae. Stichodactylid toxins lack the initial N-terminal residue of actiniid toxins and possess three consecutive acidic residues at positions 6-8, a single tryptophan at position 30, and four consecutive basic residues at positions 45-48 (C-terminus). A rabbit IgG prepared by Sh I immunization bound Sh I with a K0.5 of 4.7 nM but failed to bind homologous actiniid (Anemonia sulcata II, Condylactis gigantea III) or bolocerid (Bolocera tuedae II) polypeptide neurotoxins.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Antigenic heterogeneity of strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans recognised by serum antibodies from patients with Crohn''s disease

Abstract Vitronectin, a serum and extracellular matrix protein involved in immunological reactions, interacts with Helicobacter pylori strains. Of the 20 H. pylori strains tested three strains bound more than 50% of the vitronectin added, five strains bound 25–40%, nine strains bound 10–20% and three strains bound 5–8% vitronectin. Two strains, one with high- and one with low-binding properties, were selected for further characterization of ¹²⁵I-vitronectin binding. Binding to the urea-activated ¹²⁵I-labelled vitronectin was fast, saturable and reversible when an excess of unlabelled vitronectin was added to the bacteria with bound ¹²⁵I-vitronectin. The binding was heat- and protease-sensitive, suggesting that the binding was mediated by bacterial cell-surface proteins. Since components such as fetuin and orosomucoid but not asialofetuin inhibited the binding, sialic-acid specific proteins, related to H. pylori sialic-acid specific haemagglutinins, were probably involved.     

Differentiation of staphylococcal species and strains by ribosomal RNA gene restriction patterns

Staphylococcal DNA was digested with endonucleases and probed with labelled ribosomal RNA (rRNA) from Escherichia coli. Reproducible restriction patterns containing between seven and 22 bands were obtained for seven different species of staphylococci. These profiles were species-specific with different strains of a particular species sharing an identical or similar restriction pattern. The results reported here indicate that rRNA gene restriction pattern analyses have an application in the taxonomy of staphylococci.     

Antitumor response to recombinant murine interferon γ correlates with enhanced immune function of organ-associated,but not recirculating cytolytic T lymphocytes and macrophages

The mechanism of therapeutic activity for recombinant murine interferon-(rMu IFN) in the treatment of metastatic disease was investigated by comparing effector cell augmentation with therapeutic activity in mice bearing experimental lung metastases (B16-BL6 melanoma). Effector cell functions in spleen, peripheral blood, and lung (the tumor-bearing organ) were tested after 1 week and 3 weeks of rMu IFN administration (i.v. three times per week). Natural killer (NK), lymphokine-activated killer (LAK), cytolytic T lymphocyte (CTL) activities against specific and nonspecific targets, and macrophage tumoristatic activity were measured. rMu IFN demonstrated immunomodulatory activity in most assays of immune function. The optimal therapeutic protocol of rMu IFN (2.5×10⁶ U/kg, three times per week) prolonged survival and decreased the number of pulmonary metastatic foci. This therapeutic activity was correlated with specific CTL activity from pulmonary parenchymal mononuclear cells (PPMC), but not from spleen or blood. Macrophage tumoristatic activity in PPMC also correlated with therapeutic activity, but activity in alveolar macrophages did not. However, therapeutic activity did not correlate with NK or LAK activity at any site. These results demonstrate that the optimal therapeutic protocol is the same as the optimal immunomodulatory dose for pulmonary CTL and macrophage activities. Furthermore, while immunological monitoring may help to optimize treatment protocols, current monitoring procedures that use readily accessible sites, particularly peripheral blood, may not accurately predict the therapeutic efficacy of biological response modifiers in clinical trials.By acceptance of this article, the publisher or recipient acknowledges the right of the US. Government to retain a nonexclusive, royalty-free license in and to any copyright covering the articleThis research was sponsored by the DHHS, under contract N01-23910 with Program Resources Inc. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the US Government     

Lipogenesis in the liver and adipose tissue of the cardiomyopathic hamster.

The activities of fatty acid synthetase, citrate cleavage enzyme, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme were measured in the liver and adipose tissue of cardiomyopathic and normal hamsters at age 33, 68 and 108 days. There was no difference in the activity of hepatic fatty acid synthetase between the diseased animals and the controls at any stage in their development. The activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was not different until age 108 days where it was significantly elevated in the BIO 82.62 strain. Citrate cleavage enzyme in the liver was depressed at all stages in the diseased animals as was malic enzyme. In adipose tissue, all enzyme activities were significantly depressed in the cardiomyopathic animals at the three stages. These data suggest that lipogenesis was depressed in the cardiomyopathic hamster.