scholarly journals Isolation and characterization of a highly specific monoclonal antibody targeting the botulinum neurotoxin type E exposed SNAP-25 neoepitope

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adva Mechaly ◽  
Eran Diamant ◽  
Ron Alcalay ◽  
Alon Ben-David ◽  
Eyal Dor ◽  
...  

Botulinum neurotoxin type E (BoNT/E), the fastest acting toxin of all BoNTs, cleaves the 25 kDa synaptosomal associated protein (SNAP-25) in motor neurons, leading to flaccid paralysis. Specific detection and quantification of BoNT/E-cleaved SNAP-25 neoepitope is essential for diagnosis of BoNT/E intoxication as well as for characterization of anti-BoNT/E antibody preparations. In order to isolate highly specific monoclonal antibodies suitable for in vitro immuno-detection of the exposed neoepitope, mice and rabbits were immunized with an eight amino acid peptide composed of the C-terminus of the cleaved SNAP-25. Immunized rabbits developed a specific and robust polyclonal antibody response, whereas immunized mice mostly demonstrated a weak antibody response that could not discriminate between the two forms of SNAP-25. An immune scFv phage-display library was constructed from the immunized rabbits and a panel of antibodies was isolated. Sequence alignment of the isolated clones revealed high similarity between both heavy and light chains, with exceptionally short HCDR3 sequences. A chimeric scFv-Fc antibody was further expressed and characterized, exhibiting a selective, ultra-high affinity (pM) towards the SNAP-25 neoepitope. Moreover, this antibody enabled sensitive detection of the cleaved SNAP-25 in BoNT/E treated SiMa cells with no cross reactivity with the intact SNAP-25. This novel antibody can be further used to develop an in vitro cell-based assay to diagnose BoNT/E intoxication and to characterize antitoxin preparations, thus eliminating the use of animals in the standard mouse bioassay.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tal Noy-Porat ◽  
Adva Mechaly ◽  
Yinon Levy ◽  
Efi Makdasi ◽  
Ron Alcalay ◽  
...  

AbstractSince the onset of the current COVID-19 pandemic, high priority is given to the development of neutralizing antibodies, as a key approach for the design of therapeutic strategies to countermeasure and eradicate the disease. Previously, we reported the development of human therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) exhibiting very high protective ability. These mAbs recognize epitopes on the spike receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 that is considered to represent the main rout of receptor engagement by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The recent emergence of viral variants emphasizes the notion that efficient antibody treatments need to rely on mAbs against several distinct key epitopes in order to circumvent the occurrence of therapy escape-mutants. Here we report the isolation and characterization of 12 neutralizing mAbs, identified by screening a phage-display library constructed from lymphatic cells collected from severe COVID-19 patients. The antibodies target three distinct epitopes on the spike N-terminal domain (NTD) of SARS-CoV-2, one of them defining a major site of vulnerability of the virus. Extensive characterization of these mAbs suggests a neutralization mechanism which relies both on amino-acid and N-glycan recognition on the virus, and involvement of receptors other than the hACE2 on the target cell. Two of the selected mAbs, which demonstrated superior neutralization potency in vitro, were further evaluated in vivo, demonstrating their ability to fully protect K18-hACE2 transgenic mice even when administered at low doses and late after infection. The study demonstrates the high potential of the mAbs for therapy of SARS-CoV-2 infection and underlines the possible role of the NTD in mediating infection of host cells via alternative cellular portals other than the canonical ACE2 receptor.


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-84
Author(s):  
Ahmad Riduan ◽  
Rainiyati Rainiyati ◽  
Yulia Alia

Every plant rhizospheres in any ecosystem there are various living microorganisms including Arbuscular Mycorrhizae Fungi (AMF).  An isolation and characterization is required to investigate the species or type of the AMF. This research was aimed at studying the isolation and characterization of AMF sporulation in soybean rhizospheres in Jambi Province. The results of evaluation on soil samples before trapping showed that there are spores from three genus of AMF twelve types Glomus , two types Acaulospora and one type of Enthrophospora.  Following single spore culture in soybean rhizosphere, 5 spore types were obtained:  Glomus sp-1, Glomus sp-4, Glomus sp-7, Glomus sp-8 Glomus sp-10.


1984 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 305-319
Author(s):  
S.J. Goss

‘77orn’, a derivative of the Morris rat hepatoma 7777, stably expresses high levels of ornithine transcarbamoylase (OTC) and carbamoylphosphate synthetase I (CPS-I), and is able to grow indefinitely in ornithine-medium (medium with ornithine in place of arginine). Variants that have lost this ability are isolated from 77orn by a ‘suicide’ selective technique dependent on the cellular incorporation of [3H]ornithine. These variants, which have reduced levels of CPS-I, or of both CPS-I and OTC, are shown to have developed multiple hormonal requirements; their enzyme deficiencies can be reversed by use of an appropriately supplemented medium. In particular, CPS-I is inducible by dexamethasone and dibutyryl-cyclic-AMP in combination. Cholera toxin can be used instead of cyclic-AMP, but then butyrate is additionally required if the induction is to be maintained in the long term. The use of these agents in excess can depress OTC. Several other hepatomas, and alos explanted foetal rat liver cells, have similar requirements for CPS-I expression. It is argued that multiple hormonal requirements for CPS-I production are normal in liver cells in vitro, and that hormone-independent hepatomas should be regarded as abnormal. The implications of this for the somatic cell genetic investigation of differentiation are briefly discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 110-117
Author(s):  
Kannan Abhirami ◽  
K. Jayakumar

Phosphorous is considered as a major parameter for crop yield. Its availability to plant is independent of its abundance. For the plants to utilize phosphorous, it is to be converted to absorbable form. Here, the part rendered by phosphate solubilizing bacteria is significant for it plays a crucial role in the formation of plant usable phosphate from organic forms. In the present work, an effort had been made to isolate and identify phosphate solubilising bacterial isolate from the rhizhospheric soils of various plants in Ponthenpuzha forest. One of the isolate from Cymbopogon citrates responded positively to Pikovskaya’s medium by producing a halo zone during in vitro culture. Colony features and 16S rRNA sequence analysis identified the isolate as Burkholderia sps. We have reported the presence of genus Burkholderia in the rhizospheric zone of Cymbopogon citratus. Further studies are warranted for species level identification of the isolate.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-237
Author(s):  
Istiaq Ahmed ◽  
Md Tofazzal Islam ◽  
Md Akhter Hossain Chowdhury ◽  
Md Kamruzzaman

This study was carried out to isolate, screen and characterize arsenic (As) resistant bacteria from As contaminated soils of Dumrakandi and Matlab under Faridpur and Chandpur districts and to evaluate their efficiency in reducing As toxicity against rice seedlings during germination. Thirteen strains were isolated from the soils which showed resistance to different levels of sodium arsenite (viz. 5, 10, 20 and 40 mM) in both agar plate and broth assay using BSMY I media. Among the isolates, BTL0011, BTL0012, BTL0015 and BTL0022 showed highest resistance to 40 mM sodium arsenite. Gram staining and KOH solubility test revealed that five strains were gram positive and rest eight was gram negative. They grew well in the liquid media at pH 5.5 to 8.5. In-vitro rice seedling bioassay with two superior isolates (BTL0011 and BTL0022) revealed that As resistant strains significantly enhanced seed germination of BRRI dhan29 and BRRI dhan47 at 60 ppm As. This study was laid out in CRD with three replications. The performance of BTL 0022 was superior to BTL0011. The overall results suggest that BTL0011 and BTL0022 can be used for bioremediation of As contaminated soils and to increase the germination and seedling growth of rice in As contaminated soils.Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.2(2): 229-237, August 2015


1993 ◽  
Vol 121 (3) ◽  
pp. 513-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
W Jiang ◽  
J Lechner ◽  
J Carbon

We have cloned and determined the nucleotide sequence of the gene (CBF2) specifying the large (110 kD) subunit of the 240-kD multisubunit yeast centromere binding factor CBF3, which binds selectively in vitro to yeast centromere DNA and contains a minus end-directed microtubule motor activity. The deduced amino acid sequence of CBF2p shows no sequence homologies with known molecular motors, although a consensus nucleotide binding site is present. The CBF2 gene is essential for viability of yeast and is identical to NDC10, in which a conditional mutation leads to a defect in chromosome segregation (Goh, P.-Y., and J. V. Kilmartin, in this issue of The Journal of Cell Biology). The combined in vitro and in vivo evidence indicate that CBF2p is a key component of the budding yeast kinetochore.


2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (51) ◽  
pp. 12997-13002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Steenblock ◽  
Maria F. Rubin de Celis ◽  
Luis F. Delgadillo Silva ◽  
Verena Pawolski ◽  
Ana Brennand ◽  
...  

The adrenal gland is a master regulator of the human body during response to stress. This organ shows constant replacement of senescent cells by newly differentiated cells. A high degree of plasticity is critical to sustain homeostasis under different physiological demands. This is achieved in part through proliferation and differentiation of adult adrenal progenitors. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of a Nestin+ population of adrenocortical progenitors located under the adrenal capsule and scattered throughout the cortex. These cells are interconnected with progenitors in the medulla. In vivo lineage tracing revealed that, under basal conditions, this population is noncommitted and slowly migrates centripetally. Under stress, this migration is greatly enhanced, and the cells differentiate into steroidogenic cells. Nestin+ cells cultured in vitro also show multipotency, as they differentiate into mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid-producing cells, which can be further influenced by the exposure to Angiotensin II, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and the agonist of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, triptorelin. Taken together, Nestin+ cells in the adult adrenal cortex exhibit the features of adrenocortical progenitor cells. Our study provides evidence for a role of Nestin+ cells in organ homeostasis and emphasizes their role under stress. This cell population might be a potential source of cell replacement for the treatment of adrenal insufficiency.


2010 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 607-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daiane Hansen ◽  
Mitsue Haraguchi ◽  
Antonio Alonso

The plant of the genus Pterodon (Fabaceae, Leguminosae), commonly known as 'sucupira' or 'faveira', are disseminated throughout the central region of Brazil and has frequently been used in popular medicine for its anti-rheumatic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties. In recent years, interest in these plants has increased considerably. The biological effects of different phytoextracts and pure metabolites have been investigated in several experimental models in vivo and in vitro. The literature describes flavonoids, triterpene and steroids, while one paper presented studies with proteins isolated from the genus. This review provides an overview of phytochemical and pharmacological research in Pterodon, showing the main chemical compounds studied to date, and focusing on the relationship between these molecules and their biological activity. Furthermore, this study paves the way for more in-depth investigation, isolation and characterization of the molecules of this plant genus.


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