scholarly journals Identification and biological activity of ovine and caprine calcitonin receptor-stimulating peptides 1 and 2

2008 ◽  
Vol 198 (2) ◽  
pp. 429-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J Charles ◽  
Takeshi Katafuchi ◽  
Timothy G Yandle ◽  
Naoto Minamino
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Renin ◽  
New Members ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Peptide Family ◽  
Plasma Camp ◽  
Receptor Activity Modifying Proteins ◽  
Conscious Sheep ◽  
Dose Dependent

We have recently reported the isolation of three new members of the calcitonin (CT) gene-related peptide family of peptides, the CT receptor (CT-R)-stimulating peptides (CRSPs). We now report the sequencing and characterization of ovine/caprine CRSP-1 and caprine CRSP-2. Mature ovine and caprine CRSP-1 are identical and have strong structural homology to CRSP-1s identified to date from other species. As with other CRSP-1s, ovine/caprine CRSP-1 binds to and activates the CT-R but not the CT-like receptor (CL-R) in combination with the receptor activity-modifying proteins (RAMPs). By contrast, caprine CRSP-2 does not activate any of these receptor-RAMP complexes. Intravenous infusions of ovine CRSP-1 to normal conscious sheep induced dose-dependent reduction in plasma total Ca levels (P=0.02) and corrected Ca levels (P=0.017) associated with increases in plasma cAMP (P=0.002). CRSP-1 reduced both plasma amino-terminal pro-C-type natriuretic peptide levels (P=0.006) and plasma renin activity (P=0.028). There were no significant effects observed on hemodynamic or renal indices measured. In conclusion, we have sequenced ovine/caprine CRSP-1 and caprine CRSP-2 precursors. This newly identified CRSP-1 has been shown to share the structural and biological features of CRSP-1s known to date. In vivo studies confirm that ovine CRSP-1 reduces plasma Ca levels in sheep, presumably via a cAMP-mediated mechanism. By contrast, caprine CRSP-2 did not stimulate any combination of CT-R, CL-R, and RAMPs. Accession numbers of cDNA determined in this study are caprine CRSP-1, AB364646; caprine CRSP-2, AB364647; and ovine CRSP-1, AB364648.

scholarly journals Functional identification of ygiP as a positive regulator of the ttdA-ttdB-ygjE operon

Microbiology ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 152 (7) ◽  
pp. 2129-2135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taku Oshima ◽  
Francis Biville
Keyword(s):  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Anaerobic Growth ◽  
Functional Identification ◽  
New Members ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Inner Membrane Protein ◽  
Tartrate Dehydratase

Functional characterization of unknown genes is currently a major task in biology. The search for gene function involves a combination of various in silico, in vitro and in vivo approaches. Available knowledge from the study of more than 21 LysR-type regulators in Escherichia coli has facilitated the classification of new members of the family. From sequence similarities and its location on the E. coli chromosome, it is suggested that ygiP encodes a lysR regulator controlling the expression of a neighbouring operon; this operon encodes the two subunits of tartrate dehydratase (TtdA, TtdB) and YgiE, an integral inner-membrane protein possibly involved in tartrate uptake. Expression of tartrate dehydratase, which converts tartrate to oxaloacetate, is required for anaerobic growth on glycerol as carbon source in the presence of tartrate. Here, it has been demonstrated that disruption of ygiP, ttdA or ygjE abolishes tartrate-dependent anaerobic growth on glycerol. It has also been shown that tartrate-dependent induction of the ttdA-ttdB-ygjE operon requires a functional YgiP.

A potential role for the plasmin(ogen) system in the posttranslational cleavage of the neural cell adhesion molecule L1

1999 ◽  
Vol 112 (24) ◽  
pp. 4739-4749 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Nayeem ◽  
S. Silletti ◽  
X. Yang ◽  
V.P. Lemmon ◽  
R.A. Reisfeld ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transmembrane Domain ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Neural Cell Adhesion ◽  
Cellular Aggregation ◽  
Important Regulator ◽  
Cell Adhesion Molecule L1 ◽  
And Function ◽  
Dose Dependent ◽  
Amino Terminal Fragment

L1 is a neural recognition molecule that promotes neural developmental and regenerative processes. Posttranslational cleavage of L1 is believed to be important for regulating its function in vivo, but little is known of the proteolytic systems responsible. In this study we present evidence that plasmin can regulate both L1 expression and function. The addition of plasmin to cell lines results in a dose-dependent loss of surface L1 expression, with the simultaneous appearance of soluble L1 species. The addition of plasminogen to primary neurons and melanoma cells also resulted in the generation of plasmin and the concomitant release of L1. One product of plasmin-mediated cleavage is an amino-terminal fragment of approximately 140 kDa that has been previously described as a natural posttranslational cleavage product in vivo. This fragment was confirmed to result from cleavage at two sites in the middle of the third fibronectin-like domain of L1. Cleavage at a further site, proximal to the transmembrane domain of L1, was also observed at higher plasmin concentrations. Plasmin was further confirmed to abrogate homophilic L1 interactions required for cellular aggregation. Based on these findings we propose that plasmin is likely to be an important regulator of L1-mediated processes including those documented in the nervous system.

scholarly journals Characterization of Bacteriophage Lambda Excisionase Mutants Defective in DNA Binding

2000 ◽  
Vol 182 (20) ◽  
pp. 5807-5812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eun Hee Cho ◽  
Renato Alcaraz ◽  
Richard I. Gumport ◽  
Jeffrey F. Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Glutamic Acid ◽  
Cooperative Interaction ◽  
Mutant Proteins ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Factor For Inversion Stimulation ◽  
Α Helix

ABSTRACT The bacteriophage λ excisionase (Xis) is a sequence-specific DNA binding protein required for excisive recombination. Xis binds cooperatively to two DNA sites arranged as direct repeats on the phage DNA. Efficient excision is achieved through a cooperative interaction between Xis and the host-encoded factor for inversion stimulation as well as a cooperative interaction between Xis and integrase. The secondary structure of the Xis protein was predicted to contain a typical amphipathic helix that spans residues 18 to 28. Several mutants, defective in promoting excision in vivo, were isolated with mutations at positions encoding polar amino acids in the putative helix (T. E. Numrych, R. I. Gumport, and J. F. Gardner, EMBO J. 11:3797–3806, 1992). We substituted alanines for the polar amino acids in this region. Mutant proteins with substitutions for polar amino acids in the amino-terminal region of the putative helix exhibited decreased excision in vivo and were defective in DNA binding. In addition, an alanine substitution at glutamic acid 40 also resulted in altered DNA binding. This indicates that the hydrophilic face of the α-helix and the region containing glutamic acid 40 may form the DNA binding surfaces of the Xis protein.

scholarly journals The characterization of a humanized rabbit anti-TNFα monoclonal antibody

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Wang ◽  
Xianpu Ni ◽  
Ying Liu ◽  
Zheng Jin ◽  
Huanzhang Xia
Keyword(s):  
Specific Binding ◽  
Positive Control ◽  
Negative Control ◽  
Necrosis Factor Alpha ◽  
Neutralizing Activity ◽  
Immune Mediated ◽  
Factor Alpha ◽  
Dose Dependent

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) is now regarding as a key role in the pathogenesis of immune-mediated disease such as Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Crohn's Disease, Psoriatic arthritis and Plaque Psoriasis. HERE we have successfully developed an anti-hTNFα monoclonal rabbit antibody(HZ3M) with high binding and neutralizing activity based on RabMAbs platform. Rabbit hybridomas, immunized subcutanrously with 0.4 mg human TNFα, were generated from the rabbit splenocytes and a total of 142 hybridoma clones with specific binding to human TNFa were obtained. The anti-TNFa RabMAbs showed better neutralizing activity and higher antigen binding affinity compared to Humira and Remicade, the elimination phase half-life 58.2h respectively. In vivo efficay studies, normal mice or human TNF-alpha transgenic mice were injected with 1.0 mg/kg Humira (positive control), HZ3M at 0.33?1.0 or 3.0 mg/kg, or solvent (negative control), showed that HZ3M is able to bind and neutralize hTNFα in transgenic and normal mice as well as normal rabbits.Clearly dose-dependent response can be determined. Compared to marketed anti-TNFa drug Humira, the efficacy of HZ3M is seems to show significant longer holding time.Our observations indicate that the HZ3M derived from RabMAb preclinical safety study, and might have a therapeutic role in RA treatment.

scholarly journals Immunochemical characterization of fibrinogen, fibrin I, and fibrin II in human thrombi and atherosclerotic lesions

Blood ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 1038-1045 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Bini ◽  
J Jr Fenoglio ◽  
J Sobel ◽  
J Owen ◽  
M Fejgl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Total Protein ◽  
Cyanogen Bromide ◽  
Fibrinogen Concentration ◽  
Beta Chain ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Atherosclerotic Lesions ◽  
Predominant Component

Abstract Arterial thrombi and atherosclerotic lesions were analyzed immunochemically and examined histologically. The extent of in vivo proteolytic cleavage of the amino-terminal end of fibrinogen by thrombin and plasmin was determined and quantitated by specific radioimmunoassays. The samples were treated with cyanogen bromide (CNBr), and the total amount of fibrinogen and fibrin-derived protein was determined as NDSK, the NH2-terminal disulfide knot of fibrinogen. Thrombin-releasable fibrinopeptides A and B were used to quantitate fibrinogen and fibrin I. Previous plasmin cleavage of the B beta chain was inferred from the amount of B beta 1–42 and B beta 15–42 in undigested NDSK. The results obtained in both acute and organized thrombi indicate that approximately 60% of the total protein (as determined by amino acid analysis) was fibrinogen-derived and that 70% to 80% of the fibrinogen-derived material was fibrin II. These findings support the hypothesis that fibrin II as distinct from fibrin I is the predominant component in a thrombus. In samples from normal and atherosclerotic aortas, fibrinogen-derived protein comprised less than 10% of the total protein. Samples from grossly normal aortas contained only fibrinogen and fibrin I. Fibrinogen concentration decreased and fibrin II concentration increased with increasing severity of the lesions, suggesting that increased fibrin II formation is associated with progression of atheromas.

scholarly journals Virulent Bacteriophages Can Target O104:H4 Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli in the Mouse Intestine

2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (12) ◽  
pp. 6235-6242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damien Maura ◽  
Matthieu Galtier ◽  
Chantal Le Bouguénec ◽  
Laurent Debarbieux
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Intestinal Pathogens ◽  
Colonization Model ◽  
Mouse Intestine ◽  
Further Development ◽  
Dose Dependent

ABSTRACTIn vivobacteriophage targeting of enteroaggregativeEscherichia coli(EAEC) was assessed using a mouse intestinal model of colonization with the O104:H4 55989Str strain and a cocktail of three virulent bacteriophages. The colonization model was shown to mimic asymptomatic intestinal carriage found in humans. The addition of the cocktail to drinking water for 24 h strongly decreased ileal and weakly decreased fecal 55989Str concentrations in a dose-dependent manner. These decreases in ileal and fecal bacterial concentrations were only transient, since 55989Str concentrations returned to their original levels 3 days later. These transient decreases were independent of the mouse microbiota, as similar results were obtained with axenic mice. We studied the infectivity of each bacteriophage in the ileal and fecal environments and found that 55989Str bacteria in the mouse ileum were permissive to all three bacteriophages, whereas those in the feces were permissive to only one bacteriophage. Our results provide the first demonstration that bacterial permissivity to infection with virulent bacteriophages is not uniform throughout the gut; this highlights the need for a detailed characterization of the interactions between bacteria and bacteriophagesin vivofor the further development of phage therapy targeting intestinal pathogens found in the gut of asymptomatic human carriers.

Thrombin-mediated In Vitro Processing of Pro-von Willebrand Factor

2001 ◽  
Vol 86 (12) ◽  
pp. 1449-1458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katalin Váradi ◽  
Peter Turecek ◽  
Artur Mitterer ◽  
Friedrich Dorner ◽  
Hans Peter Schwarz
Keyword(s):  
Von Willebrand Factor ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Thrombin Inhibitor ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
In Vitro Processing ◽  
Von Willebrand ◽  
Willebrand Factor ◽  
Dose Dependent

SummaryVon Willebrand factor (vWF) is synthesized in endothelial cells as pre-provWF and processed intracellularly to propeptide (vWFpp) and mature vWF. Building on previous studies indicating that recombinant provWF when infused into animals can also be processed extracellularly in vivo, we investigated the processing of provWF in vitro. Incubation of a recombinant provWF (rpvWF) preparation with canine and human vWF-deficient plasma induced a time-dependent decrease in provWF antigen and an increase in vWFpp antigen without changing total vWF antigen or collagen-binding activity. Multimer analysis showed the gradual transformation of the provWF multimers to mature vWF multimers and cleaved vWFpp was visualized on autoradiograms of SDS-polyacrylamide electrophoresis gels using 125 I-labeled provWF. Processing was facilitated by CaCl2, but prevented by a thrombin inhibitor and did not occur in prothrombin-depleted plasma. When recombinant provWF was incubated with increasing amounts of purified thrombin, the extent of provWF processing was dose-dependent. The specific cleavage of vWFpp was confirmed by immunoblots using an anti-vWFpp antibody and by amino terminal amino-acid analysis. Binding of provWF to collagen decreased the thrombin concentration necessary for propeptide removal to a concentration in the range of that found during blood clotting. Meizothrombin, an intermediate of prothrombin activation, was also able to induce dose-dependent removal of the propeptide from rpvWF. Hirudin preconditioning of vWF-deficient mice attenuated processing of infused rpvWF suggesting that thrombin plays a part in the processing events in vivo.

scholarly journals In Vivo Characterization of the Pharmacodynamics of Flucytosine in a Neutropenic Murine Disseminated Candidiasis Model

2000 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 938-942 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Andes ◽  
M. van Ogtrop
Keyword(s):  
Peak Level ◽  
Yeast Cells ◽  
Time Curve ◽  
Disseminated Candidiasis ◽  
Dosing Regimens ◽  
Minimal Concentration ◽  
In Vivo Characterization ◽  
Dose Dependent

ABSTRACT In vivo pharmacodynamic parameters have been characterized for a variety of antibacterial agents. These parameters have been studied in correlation with in vivo outcomes in order to determine (i) which dosing parameter is predictive of outcome and (ii) the magnitude of that parameter associated with efficacy. Very little is known of the pharmacodynamics of antifungal agents. We used a neutropenic murine model of disseminated candidiasis to correlate the pharmacodynamic parameters (percentage of time above the MIC, area under the concentration-time curve [AUC]/MIC and peak level/MIC) for flucytosine (5-FC) in vivo with efficacy as measured by organism number in homogenized kidney cultures after 24 h of therapy. The pharmacokinetics of 5-FC in infected mice were linear. Serum half-lives ranged from 0.36 to 0.43 h. Infection was achieved by intravenous inoculation of 106 CFU of yeast cells per ml via the lateral tail vein of neutropenic mice. Groups of mice were treated with fourfold escalating total doses of 5-FC ranging from 1.56 to 400 mg/kg of body weight/day divided into one, two, four, or eight doses over 24 h. Increasing doses produced minimal concentration-dependent killing ranging from 0 to 0.9 log10 CFU/kidneys. 5-FC did, however, produce a dose-dependent suppression of growth after levels in serum had fallen below the MIC. The fungistatic dose increased from 6 to 8 mg/kg with dosing every 3 and 6 h to 70 mg/kg at with dosing every 24 h. Nonlinear regression analysis was used to determine which pharmacodynamic parameter best correlated with efficacy. Time above the MIC was the parameter best predictive of outcome, while AUC/MIC was only slightly less predictive (time above MIC,R 2 = 85%; AUC/MIC,R 2 = 77%; peak level/MIC,R 2 = 53%). Maximal efficacy was observed when levels exceeded the MIC for only 20 to 25% of the dosing interval. If one considers drug kinetics in humans, these results suggest reevaluation of current dosing regimens.

scholarly journals Immunochemical characterization of fibrinogen, fibrin I, and fibrin II in human thrombi and atherosclerotic lesions

Blood ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 1038-1045 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Bini ◽  
J Jr Fenoglio ◽  
J Sobel ◽  
J Owen ◽  
M Fejgl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Total Protein ◽  
Cyanogen Bromide ◽  
Fibrinogen Concentration ◽  
Beta Chain ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Atherosclerotic Lesions ◽  
Predominant Component

Arterial thrombi and atherosclerotic lesions were analyzed immunochemically and examined histologically. The extent of in vivo proteolytic cleavage of the amino-terminal end of fibrinogen by thrombin and plasmin was determined and quantitated by specific radioimmunoassays. The samples were treated with cyanogen bromide (CNBr), and the total amount of fibrinogen and fibrin-derived protein was determined as NDSK, the NH2-terminal disulfide knot of fibrinogen. Thrombin-releasable fibrinopeptides A and B were used to quantitate fibrinogen and fibrin I. Previous plasmin cleavage of the B beta chain was inferred from the amount of B beta 1–42 and B beta 15–42 in undigested NDSK. The results obtained in both acute and organized thrombi indicate that approximately 60% of the total protein (as determined by amino acid analysis) was fibrinogen-derived and that 70% to 80% of the fibrinogen-derived material was fibrin II. These findings support the hypothesis that fibrin II as distinct from fibrin I is the predominant component in a thrombus. In samples from normal and atherosclerotic aortas, fibrinogen-derived protein comprised less than 10% of the total protein. Samples from grossly normal aortas contained only fibrinogen and fibrin I. Fibrinogen concentration decreased and fibrin II concentration increased with increasing severity of the lesions, suggesting that increased fibrin II formation is associated with progression of atheromas.

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