LL-37, the only member of the mammalian cathelicidin in humans, plays an essential role in innate... more LL-37, the only member of the mammalian cathelicidin in humans, plays an essential role in innate immunity by killing pathogens and regulating the inflammatory response. However, at an inflammatory focus, arginine residues in LL-37 can be converted to citrulline via a reaction catalyzed by peptidyl-arginine deiminases (PAD2 and PAD4), which are expressed in neutrophils and are highly active during the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Citrullination impairs the bactericidal activity of LL-37 and abrogates its immunomodulatory functions. Therefore, we hypothesized that citrullination-resistant LL-37 variants would retain the functionality of the native peptide in the presence of PADs. To test this hypothesis, we synthetized LL-37 in which arginine residues were substituted by homoarginine (hArg-LL-37). Bactericidal activity of hArg-LL-37 was comparable with that of native LL-37, but neither treatment with PAD4 nor exposure to NETs affected the antibacterial and immu...
Quantitative differences were found when bovine spleen cathepsin B was subjected to SH-group titr... more Quantitative differences were found when bovine spleen cathepsin B was subjected to SH-group titration in the presence and in the absence of denaturing agents, as well as when the pH of the titration buffer was increased. The intra- and interchain thiol-disulfide exchange reactions accompanying the denaturation of cathepsin B were investigated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in SDS and by gel filtration experiments. An identical behavior in these experiments showed also cathepsin B whose active site Cys29 only had been carboxymethylated; these findings suggested the presence of one additional SH-group. After conditions preventing thiol-disulfide exchange reactions, had been developed, the second SH-group (Cys240) was demonstrated independently in carboxymethylated cathepsin B by labeling with 4-(dimethylamino)azobenzene-4'-iodoacetamide and by selective isolation of the SH-peptide containing Cys240 on thiopropyl-Sepharose. As the second important result, a disulfide bridge...
Many nuclear proteins contain thiols, which undergo reversible oxidation and are critical for nor... more Many nuclear proteins contain thiols, which undergo reversible oxidation and are critical for normal function. These proteins include enzymes, transport machinery, structural proteins, and transcription factors with conserved cysteine in zinc fingers and DNA-binding domains. Uncontrolled oxidation of these thiols causes dysfunction, and two major thiol-dependent antioxidant systems provided protection. The redox states of these systems, including the small redox active protein thioredoxin-1 (Trx1) and the abundant, low molecular weight thiol antioxidant glutathione (GSH), in nuclei provide means to quantify nuclear redox conditions. Redox measurements are obtained under conditions with excess thiol-reactive reagents. Here we describe a suite of methods to measure nuclear redox state, which include a redox Western blot technique to quantify the redox state of Trxl, a biotinylated iodoacetamide (BIAM) method for thioredoxin reductase-1 (TrxR1), GSH redox measurement using total protein S-glutathionylation, and a redox isotope-coded affinity tag (ICAT) method for measuring oxidation of specific cysteines in high-abundance nuclear proteins.
A pneumococcal serotyping/genotyping system (PSGS) was developed based upon targeted PCR, followe... more A pneumococcal serotyping/genotyping system (PSGS) was developed based upon targeted PCR, followed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and amplicon base composition analysis. Eight multiplex PCRs, 32 targeting serotype-determining capsular biosynthetic loci, and 8 targeting multilocus sequence typing (MLST) loci were employed for each of 229 highly diverse Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates. The most powerful aspect of the PSGS system was the identification of capsular serotypes accounting for the majority of invasive and carried pneumococcal strains. Altogether, 45 different serotypes or serogroups were correctly predicted among the 196 resolvable isolates, with only 2 unexpected negative results. All 33 isolates that represented 23 serotypes not included in the PSGS yielded negative serotyping results. A genotyping database was constructed using the base compositions of 65- to 100-bp sections of MLST alleles compiled within http://www.mlst.net . From this database, one or ...
Collection of Czechoslovak Chemical Communications, 1982
S-sulfonated chicken pepsinogen was digested with TPCK-trypsin; large tryptic peptides, separated... more S-sulfonated chicken pepsinogen was digested with TPCK-trypsin; large tryptic peptides, separated on Sephadex G-25 fine, were subjected to additional cleavage with α-chymotrypsin. The hold-up fraction of the chymotryptic digest from the Sephadex G-25 column, was resolved by high voltage electrophoresis. The three most acidic zones contained glycopeptides of identical amino acid sequence Val-Ser-Thr-Asn-Glu-Thr-Val-Tyr, yet differed in the composition of the sugar moiety. These glycopeptides, moreover, bear different numbers of sulfate groups which enabled the resolution of the peptides. The most acidic glycopeptide contains 7 glucosamine residues, 3 mannose residues and 5 sulfate groups, the second one 6 glucosamine residues, 3 mannose residues and 4 sulfate groups and the slowest, minority glycopeptide, 5 glucosamine residues, 2 mannose residues and 2 sulfate groups. The entire sugar moiety is attached to one of the chain viaasparagine. In other experiments the glycopeptides were a...
The action of bovine spleen cathepsin B as a dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase on newly synthesized sub... more The action of bovine spleen cathepsin B as a dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase on newly synthesized substrates of the type peptidyl-X-p-nitrophenylalanyl (Phe(NO2))-Y (X,Y = amino acid residue) or 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl (Dns)-peptidyl-X-Phe(NO2)-Y was investigated. The kinetic parameters of hydrolysis of the X-Phe(NO2) bond were determined by difference spectrophotometry (delta epsilon 310 = 1600 M-1 cm-1) or by spectrofluorometry by following the five- to eightfold increase of Dns-group fluorescence with excitation at 350 nm and emission at 535 nm. The substrates were moderately sensitive to cathepsin B; kcat varied from 0.7 to 4 s-1 at pH 5 and 25 degrees C; Km varied from 6 to 240 microM. The very acidic optima of pH 4-5 are characteristic for dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase activity of cathepsin B. Bovine spleen cathepsins S and H had little and no activity, respectively, when assayed with Pro-Glu-Ala-Phe(NO2)-Gly. These peptides should be a valuable tool for routine assays and for mechanistic studies on cathepsin B.
Solid-phase synthesis was used for the preparation of pyroglutamyl-histidyl-p-nitrophenylalanyl-p... more Solid-phase synthesis was used for the preparation of pyroglutamyl-histidyl-p-nitrophenylalanyl-phenylalanyl-alanyl-leucine amide (I) and glycyl-glycyl-histidyl-p-nitrophenylalanyl-phenylalanyl-alanyl-leucine amide (II), two water-soluble and sensitive chromophoric substrates of chicken pepsin, hog pepsin A, and bovine spleen cathepsin D. The kinetic constants of hydrolysis of the p-nitrophenylalanyl-phenylalanyl bond of the substrates were measured by difference spectrophotometry at 308 nm (delta epsilon = 860 M-1 cm-1) and by ninhydrin colorimetry (substrate I, epsilon 570 = 2.31 X 10(4) M-1 cm-1). The pH optimum of cleavage is 5 for the pepsins and 3.7 for cathepsin D. Since all three proteinases still have a significant activity at pH 5.5-6 a new, simple assay was designed for submicrogram quantities of pepsins in the presence of pepsinogens without interference of the latter. The method is particularly suitable for the analyses of the zymogen activation mixtures.
Val-D-Leu-Pro-Phe-Phe-Val-D-Leu, a specific inhibitor of aspartate proteinases of the pepsin type... more Val-D-Leu-Pro-Phe-Phe-Val-D-Leu, a specific inhibitor of aspartate proteinases of the pepsin type, was synthesized. Its bonding to activated 6-aminohexanoic acid-Sepharose 4B afforded an affinity support suitable for the purification of human, porcine, and chicken pepsin, human gastricsin, and bovine cathepsin D. These enzymes bind to the support over the pH range 2-5 at 0-1.5 M concentration of NaCl. A buffer at pH greater than or equal to 6, low ionic strength, and containing 20% dioxane can serve as a general desorption agent. The proteinases were isolated from the crude extracts by a single-step procedure in a high degree of purity and in yields exceeding 70%; human pepsin, however, was not separated from human gastricsin. The support does not show any binding capacity for rat plasma renin at pH 7.4 and for some cysteine endopeptidases (cathepsin B, H, and L) at pH 3-5. The cathepsin D preparations isolated by affinity chromatography on the new support and on pepstatin-Sepharose were of the same degree of purity as evidenced by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, N-terminal amino acid sequences, and specific activity.
Plasmodium cynomolgi causes zoonotic malarial infections in Southeast Asia and this parasite spec... more Plasmodium cynomolgi causes zoonotic malarial infections in Southeast Asia and this parasite species is important as a model for Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale. Each of these species produces hypnozoites in the liver, which can cause relapsing infections in the blood. Here we present methods and data generated from iterative longitudinal systems biology infection experiments designed and performed by the Malaria Host-Pathogen Interaction Center (MaHPIC) to delve deeper into the biology, pathogenesis, and immune responses of P. cynomolgi in the Macaca mulatta host. Infections were initiated by sporozoite inoculation. Blood and bone marrow samples were collected at defined timepoints for biological and computational experiments and integrative analyses revolving around primary illness, relapse illness, and subsequent disease and immune response patterns. Parasitological, clinical, haematological, immune response, and -omic datasets (transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, an...
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) desig... more At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) designed, manufactured, and distributed the CDC 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel for SARS-CoV-2 detection. The diagnostic panel targeted three viral nucleocapsid gene loci (N1, N2, and N3 primers and probes) to maximize sensitivity and to provide redundancy for virus detection if mutations occurred. After the first distribution of the diagnostic panel, state public health laboratories reported fluorescent signal in the absence of viral template (false-positive reactivity) for the N3 component and to a lesser extent for N1. This report describes the findings of an internal investigation conducted by the CDC to identify the cause(s) of the N1 and N3 false-positive reactivity. For N1, results demonstrate that contamination with a synthetic template, that occurred while the “bulk” manufactured materials were located in a research lab for quality assessment, was...
IntroductionAtherosclerosis preferentially occurs in arterial regions exposed to disturbed blood ... more IntroductionAtherosclerosis preferentially occurs in arterial regions exposed to disturbed blood flow (d-flow), while regions exposed to stable flow (s-flow) are protected. The proatherogenic and atheroprotective effects ofd-flowands-floware mediated in part by the global changes in endothelial cell gene expression, which regulates endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and atherosclerosis. Previously, we identified Kallikrein-Related Peptidase 10 (KLK10, a secreted serine protease) as a flow-sensitive gene in arterial endothelial cells, but its role in endothelial biology and atherosclerosis was unknown.Methods and ResultsHere, we show that KLK10 is upregulated unders-flowconditions and downregulated underd-flowconditions usingin vivomouse models andin vitrostudies with cultured endothelial cells (ECs). Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) and scATAC sequencing (scATACseq) study using the partial carotid ligation mouse model showed flow-regulated KLK10 expression at the epigenomic...
A public anti-COVID antibody repertoire Most analyses of the antibody responses induced by severe... more A public anti-COVID antibody repertoire Most analyses of the antibody responses induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection have focused on antibodies cloned from memory B cells. This approach has led researchers to conclude that neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) primarily target the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the virus's spike protein. Voss et al. took a different approach, using proteomic deconvolution of the serum immunoglobulin G antibody repertoire from four COVID-19 convalescent patients. They found that the nAb response was largely directed against epitopes such as the N-terminal domain (NTD), which lie outside the RBD. Several of these nAbs were shared among donors and targeted an NTD epitope that is frequently mutated by variants of concern. Science , abg5268, this issue p. 1108
Human Plasmodium infection produces a robust adaptive immune response. Time courses for 104 child... more Human Plasmodium infection produces a robust adaptive immune response. Time courses for 104 children followed for 42 days after initiation of Plasmodium falciparum chemotherapy were assayed for antibody levels to the five isotypes of human immunoglobulins (Ig) and 4 subclasses of IgG for 32 P. falciparum antigens encompassing all 4 parasite stages of human infection. IgD and IgE against these antigens were undetectable at 1:100 serum concentration, but other Ig isotypes and IgG subclasses were consistently observed against all antigens. Five quantitative parameters were developed to directly compare Ig response among isotypes and antigens: Cmax, maximum antibody level; ΔC, difference between Cmax and the antibody level at Day 0; tmax, time in days to reach Cmax; t1/2, Ig signal half-life in days; tneg, estimated number of days until complete loss of Ig signal. Classical Ig patterns for a bloodborne pathogen were seen with IgM showing early tmax and IgG production highest among Ig is...
Three dominant proteins (41, 48, and 49 kDa) were detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylami... more Three dominant proteins (41, 48, and 49 kDa) were detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) in purified preparations of the extracellular aspartyl proteinase (AP) of Candida albicans. All three proteins bound to the specific carboxyl proteinase ligand, pepstatin A, and were associated with maximum AP activity. The N-terminal amino acid sequence for the 48- and 49-kDa proteins matched that reported by others for AP, whereas the sequence for the 41-kDa protein was unique and was not homologous to any known protein. Time course studies demonstrated the simultaneous presence of all three proteins, supporting evidence that the 41- and 48-kDa proteins were not breakdown products of AP. Previous studies did not detect carbohydrate in SDS-polyacrylamide gels of purified AP preparations stained with periodic acid and silver, making glycosylation an unlikely explanation for the observed differences in the molecular masses of the proteins. Some monoclonal...
Bacterial nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs) are critical to genome integrity and chromosome mai... more Bacterial nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs) are critical to genome integrity and chromosome maintenance. Post-translational modifications of bacterial NAPs appear to function similarly to their better studied mammalian counterparts. The histone-like NAP HupB from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) was previously observed to be acetylated by the acetyltransferase Eis, leading to genome reorganization. We report biochemical and structural aspects of acetylation of HupB by Eis. We also found that the SirT-family NAD+-dependent deacetylase Rv1151c from Mtb deacetylated HupB in vitro and characterized the deacetylation kinetics. We propose that activities of Eis and Rv1151c could regulate the acetylation status of HupB to remodel the mycobacterial chromosome in response to environmental changes.
LL-37, the only member of the mammalian cathelicidin in humans, plays an essential role in innate... more LL-37, the only member of the mammalian cathelicidin in humans, plays an essential role in innate immunity by killing pathogens and regulating the inflammatory response. However, at an inflammatory focus, arginine residues in LL-37 can be converted to citrulline via a reaction catalyzed by peptidyl-arginine deiminases (PAD2 and PAD4), which are expressed in neutrophils and are highly active during the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Citrullination impairs the bactericidal activity of LL-37 and abrogates its immunomodulatory functions. Therefore, we hypothesized that citrullination-resistant LL-37 variants would retain the functionality of the native peptide in the presence of PADs. To test this hypothesis, we synthetized LL-37 in which arginine residues were substituted by homoarginine (hArg-LL-37). Bactericidal activity of hArg-LL-37 was comparable with that of native LL-37, but neither treatment with PAD4 nor exposure to NETs affected the antibacterial and immu...
Quantitative differences were found when bovine spleen cathepsin B was subjected to SH-group titr... more Quantitative differences were found when bovine spleen cathepsin B was subjected to SH-group titration in the presence and in the absence of denaturing agents, as well as when the pH of the titration buffer was increased. The intra- and interchain thiol-disulfide exchange reactions accompanying the denaturation of cathepsin B were investigated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in SDS and by gel filtration experiments. An identical behavior in these experiments showed also cathepsin B whose active site Cys29 only had been carboxymethylated; these findings suggested the presence of one additional SH-group. After conditions preventing thiol-disulfide exchange reactions, had been developed, the second SH-group (Cys240) was demonstrated independently in carboxymethylated cathepsin B by labeling with 4-(dimethylamino)azobenzene-4'-iodoacetamide and by selective isolation of the SH-peptide containing Cys240 on thiopropyl-Sepharose. As the second important result, a disulfide bridge...
Many nuclear proteins contain thiols, which undergo reversible oxidation and are critical for nor... more Many nuclear proteins contain thiols, which undergo reversible oxidation and are critical for normal function. These proteins include enzymes, transport machinery, structural proteins, and transcription factors with conserved cysteine in zinc fingers and DNA-binding domains. Uncontrolled oxidation of these thiols causes dysfunction, and two major thiol-dependent antioxidant systems provided protection. The redox states of these systems, including the small redox active protein thioredoxin-1 (Trx1) and the abundant, low molecular weight thiol antioxidant glutathione (GSH), in nuclei provide means to quantify nuclear redox conditions. Redox measurements are obtained under conditions with excess thiol-reactive reagents. Here we describe a suite of methods to measure nuclear redox state, which include a redox Western blot technique to quantify the redox state of Trxl, a biotinylated iodoacetamide (BIAM) method for thioredoxin reductase-1 (TrxR1), GSH redox measurement using total protein S-glutathionylation, and a redox isotope-coded affinity tag (ICAT) method for measuring oxidation of specific cysteines in high-abundance nuclear proteins.
A pneumococcal serotyping/genotyping system (PSGS) was developed based upon targeted PCR, followe... more A pneumococcal serotyping/genotyping system (PSGS) was developed based upon targeted PCR, followed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and amplicon base composition analysis. Eight multiplex PCRs, 32 targeting serotype-determining capsular biosynthetic loci, and 8 targeting multilocus sequence typing (MLST) loci were employed for each of 229 highly diverse Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates. The most powerful aspect of the PSGS system was the identification of capsular serotypes accounting for the majority of invasive and carried pneumococcal strains. Altogether, 45 different serotypes or serogroups were correctly predicted among the 196 resolvable isolates, with only 2 unexpected negative results. All 33 isolates that represented 23 serotypes not included in the PSGS yielded negative serotyping results. A genotyping database was constructed using the base compositions of 65- to 100-bp sections of MLST alleles compiled within http://www.mlst.net . From this database, one or ...
Collection of Czechoslovak Chemical Communications, 1982
S-sulfonated chicken pepsinogen was digested with TPCK-trypsin; large tryptic peptides, separated... more S-sulfonated chicken pepsinogen was digested with TPCK-trypsin; large tryptic peptides, separated on Sephadex G-25 fine, were subjected to additional cleavage with α-chymotrypsin. The hold-up fraction of the chymotryptic digest from the Sephadex G-25 column, was resolved by high voltage electrophoresis. The three most acidic zones contained glycopeptides of identical amino acid sequence Val-Ser-Thr-Asn-Glu-Thr-Val-Tyr, yet differed in the composition of the sugar moiety. These glycopeptides, moreover, bear different numbers of sulfate groups which enabled the resolution of the peptides. The most acidic glycopeptide contains 7 glucosamine residues, 3 mannose residues and 5 sulfate groups, the second one 6 glucosamine residues, 3 mannose residues and 4 sulfate groups and the slowest, minority glycopeptide, 5 glucosamine residues, 2 mannose residues and 2 sulfate groups. The entire sugar moiety is attached to one of the chain viaasparagine. In other experiments the glycopeptides were a...
The action of bovine spleen cathepsin B as a dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase on newly synthesized sub... more The action of bovine spleen cathepsin B as a dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase on newly synthesized substrates of the type peptidyl-X-p-nitrophenylalanyl (Phe(NO2))-Y (X,Y = amino acid residue) or 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl (Dns)-peptidyl-X-Phe(NO2)-Y was investigated. The kinetic parameters of hydrolysis of the X-Phe(NO2) bond were determined by difference spectrophotometry (delta epsilon 310 = 1600 M-1 cm-1) or by spectrofluorometry by following the five- to eightfold increase of Dns-group fluorescence with excitation at 350 nm and emission at 535 nm. The substrates were moderately sensitive to cathepsin B; kcat varied from 0.7 to 4 s-1 at pH 5 and 25 degrees C; Km varied from 6 to 240 microM. The very acidic optima of pH 4-5 are characteristic for dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase activity of cathepsin B. Bovine spleen cathepsins S and H had little and no activity, respectively, when assayed with Pro-Glu-Ala-Phe(NO2)-Gly. These peptides should be a valuable tool for routine assays and for mechanistic studies on cathepsin B.
Solid-phase synthesis was used for the preparation of pyroglutamyl-histidyl-p-nitrophenylalanyl-p... more Solid-phase synthesis was used for the preparation of pyroglutamyl-histidyl-p-nitrophenylalanyl-phenylalanyl-alanyl-leucine amide (I) and glycyl-glycyl-histidyl-p-nitrophenylalanyl-phenylalanyl-alanyl-leucine amide (II), two water-soluble and sensitive chromophoric substrates of chicken pepsin, hog pepsin A, and bovine spleen cathepsin D. The kinetic constants of hydrolysis of the p-nitrophenylalanyl-phenylalanyl bond of the substrates were measured by difference spectrophotometry at 308 nm (delta epsilon = 860 M-1 cm-1) and by ninhydrin colorimetry (substrate I, epsilon 570 = 2.31 X 10(4) M-1 cm-1). The pH optimum of cleavage is 5 for the pepsins and 3.7 for cathepsin D. Since all three proteinases still have a significant activity at pH 5.5-6 a new, simple assay was designed for submicrogram quantities of pepsins in the presence of pepsinogens without interference of the latter. The method is particularly suitable for the analyses of the zymogen activation mixtures.
Val-D-Leu-Pro-Phe-Phe-Val-D-Leu, a specific inhibitor of aspartate proteinases of the pepsin type... more Val-D-Leu-Pro-Phe-Phe-Val-D-Leu, a specific inhibitor of aspartate proteinases of the pepsin type, was synthesized. Its bonding to activated 6-aminohexanoic acid-Sepharose 4B afforded an affinity support suitable for the purification of human, porcine, and chicken pepsin, human gastricsin, and bovine cathepsin D. These enzymes bind to the support over the pH range 2-5 at 0-1.5 M concentration of NaCl. A buffer at pH greater than or equal to 6, low ionic strength, and containing 20% dioxane can serve as a general desorption agent. The proteinases were isolated from the crude extracts by a single-step procedure in a high degree of purity and in yields exceeding 70%; human pepsin, however, was not separated from human gastricsin. The support does not show any binding capacity for rat plasma renin at pH 7.4 and for some cysteine endopeptidases (cathepsin B, H, and L) at pH 3-5. The cathepsin D preparations isolated by affinity chromatography on the new support and on pepstatin-Sepharose were of the same degree of purity as evidenced by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, N-terminal amino acid sequences, and specific activity.
Plasmodium cynomolgi causes zoonotic malarial infections in Southeast Asia and this parasite spec... more Plasmodium cynomolgi causes zoonotic malarial infections in Southeast Asia and this parasite species is important as a model for Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale. Each of these species produces hypnozoites in the liver, which can cause relapsing infections in the blood. Here we present methods and data generated from iterative longitudinal systems biology infection experiments designed and performed by the Malaria Host-Pathogen Interaction Center (MaHPIC) to delve deeper into the biology, pathogenesis, and immune responses of P. cynomolgi in the Macaca mulatta host. Infections were initiated by sporozoite inoculation. Blood and bone marrow samples were collected at defined timepoints for biological and computational experiments and integrative analyses revolving around primary illness, relapse illness, and subsequent disease and immune response patterns. Parasitological, clinical, haematological, immune response, and -omic datasets (transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, an...
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) desig... more At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) designed, manufactured, and distributed the CDC 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel for SARS-CoV-2 detection. The diagnostic panel targeted three viral nucleocapsid gene loci (N1, N2, and N3 primers and probes) to maximize sensitivity and to provide redundancy for virus detection if mutations occurred. After the first distribution of the diagnostic panel, state public health laboratories reported fluorescent signal in the absence of viral template (false-positive reactivity) for the N3 component and to a lesser extent for N1. This report describes the findings of an internal investigation conducted by the CDC to identify the cause(s) of the N1 and N3 false-positive reactivity. For N1, results demonstrate that contamination with a synthetic template, that occurred while the “bulk” manufactured materials were located in a research lab for quality assessment, was...
IntroductionAtherosclerosis preferentially occurs in arterial regions exposed to disturbed blood ... more IntroductionAtherosclerosis preferentially occurs in arterial regions exposed to disturbed blood flow (d-flow), while regions exposed to stable flow (s-flow) are protected. The proatherogenic and atheroprotective effects ofd-flowands-floware mediated in part by the global changes in endothelial cell gene expression, which regulates endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and atherosclerosis. Previously, we identified Kallikrein-Related Peptidase 10 (KLK10, a secreted serine protease) as a flow-sensitive gene in arterial endothelial cells, but its role in endothelial biology and atherosclerosis was unknown.Methods and ResultsHere, we show that KLK10 is upregulated unders-flowconditions and downregulated underd-flowconditions usingin vivomouse models andin vitrostudies with cultured endothelial cells (ECs). Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) and scATAC sequencing (scATACseq) study using the partial carotid ligation mouse model showed flow-regulated KLK10 expression at the epigenomic...
A public anti-COVID antibody repertoire Most analyses of the antibody responses induced by severe... more A public anti-COVID antibody repertoire Most analyses of the antibody responses induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection have focused on antibodies cloned from memory B cells. This approach has led researchers to conclude that neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) primarily target the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the virus's spike protein. Voss et al. took a different approach, using proteomic deconvolution of the serum immunoglobulin G antibody repertoire from four COVID-19 convalescent patients. They found that the nAb response was largely directed against epitopes such as the N-terminal domain (NTD), which lie outside the RBD. Several of these nAbs were shared among donors and targeted an NTD epitope that is frequently mutated by variants of concern. Science , abg5268, this issue p. 1108
Human Plasmodium infection produces a robust adaptive immune response. Time courses for 104 child... more Human Plasmodium infection produces a robust adaptive immune response. Time courses for 104 children followed for 42 days after initiation of Plasmodium falciparum chemotherapy were assayed for antibody levels to the five isotypes of human immunoglobulins (Ig) and 4 subclasses of IgG for 32 P. falciparum antigens encompassing all 4 parasite stages of human infection. IgD and IgE against these antigens were undetectable at 1:100 serum concentration, but other Ig isotypes and IgG subclasses were consistently observed against all antigens. Five quantitative parameters were developed to directly compare Ig response among isotypes and antigens: Cmax, maximum antibody level; ΔC, difference between Cmax and the antibody level at Day 0; tmax, time in days to reach Cmax; t1/2, Ig signal half-life in days; tneg, estimated number of days until complete loss of Ig signal. Classical Ig patterns for a bloodborne pathogen were seen with IgM showing early tmax and IgG production highest among Ig is...
Three dominant proteins (41, 48, and 49 kDa) were detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylami... more Three dominant proteins (41, 48, and 49 kDa) were detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) in purified preparations of the extracellular aspartyl proteinase (AP) of Candida albicans. All three proteins bound to the specific carboxyl proteinase ligand, pepstatin A, and were associated with maximum AP activity. The N-terminal amino acid sequence for the 48- and 49-kDa proteins matched that reported by others for AP, whereas the sequence for the 41-kDa protein was unique and was not homologous to any known protein. Time course studies demonstrated the simultaneous presence of all three proteins, supporting evidence that the 41- and 48-kDa proteins were not breakdown products of AP. Previous studies did not detect carbohydrate in SDS-polyacrylamide gels of purified AP preparations stained with periodic acid and silver, making glycosylation an unlikely explanation for the observed differences in the molecular masses of the proteins. Some monoclonal...
Bacterial nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs) are critical to genome integrity and chromosome mai... more Bacterial nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs) are critical to genome integrity and chromosome maintenance. Post-translational modifications of bacterial NAPs appear to function similarly to their better studied mammalian counterparts. The histone-like NAP HupB from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) was previously observed to be acetylated by the acetyltransferase Eis, leading to genome reorganization. We report biochemical and structural aspects of acetylation of HupB by Eis. We also found that the SirT-family NAD+-dependent deacetylase Rv1151c from Mtb deacetylated HupB in vitro and characterized the deacetylation kinetics. We propose that activities of Eis and Rv1151c could regulate the acetylation status of HupB to remodel the mycobacterial chromosome in response to environmental changes.
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