Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

B Solomon

Publications and source records attributed to B Solomon.

95 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Functional conformations of calmodulin: I. Preparation and characterization of a conformational specific anti-bovine calmodulin monoclonal antibody.

Calmodulin, similarly to many other Ca(2+)-activated proteins, undergoes considerable conformational changes in the presence of Ca2+ ions. These changes were followed using specific monoclonal antibodies against calmodulin. Since calmodulin is a poor immunogen due to its high phylogenetic conservancy, glutaraldehyde-crosslinked bovine brain extract, which contains a considerable amount of functionally active calmodulin complexed with its target proteins, was used as an antigen. Out of nine anti-calmodulin mAbs isolated, three (namely, CAM1, CAM2 and CAM4) were purified and characterized. MAb CAM1 was identified as an IgG1 while mAbs CAM2 and CAM4 belong to IgM class. Additivity ELISA showed that mAb CAM1 binds to an epitope located remote from the epitopes recognized by the other two mAbs, while mAbs CAM2 and CAM4 recognize close epitopes. MAb CAM1 was found to be especially sensitive to the conformational state of calmodulin in the presence of Ca2+ ions. The interactions of mAbs CAM2 and CAM4 with calmodulin are only slightly affected by Ca2+ removal. In addition mAb CAM1 failed to recognize other calmodulin molecules, such as spinach and various plant recombinant calmodulins, while mAbs CAM1 and CAM4 share common epitopes with the above molecules.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Chaperone-like effect of monoclonal antibodies on refolding of heat-denatured carboxypeptidase A.

The availability of monoclonal antibodies which bind to a specific antigen at distinct and well-defined sites has led to a better understanding of the effects of highly specific enzyme-antibody interactions on enzyme behaviour. By appropriate selection it has been possible to isolate those antibodies that are non-inhibitory to biological activity of the enzyme and bind at strategic locations on the antigen molecule, resulting in a considerable stabilization effect on the enzyme conformation. Moreover, such monoclonal antibodies proved to have a chaperone activity leading to a considerable refolding effect on the enzyme which was already partially heat denatured. Renaturation of carboxypeptidase A after heat denaturation in the presence of selected monoclonal antibodies, was followed by recovery of its enzymatic activity. The refolding effect of anti-CPA monoclonal antibodies on heat-denatured enzyme depends on the degree of denaturation of the enzyme and on the location of the antigenic site of each antibody. The additivity effect of the pairs of monoclonal antibodies on the refolding process of CPA proved to be dependent on the localization of the antigenic sites of the monoclonal antibodies studied.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Towards Alzheimer's beta-amyloid vaccination.

Beta-amyloid pathology, the main hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), has been linked to its conformational status and aggregation. We recently showed that site-directed monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) towards the N-terminal region of the human beta-amyloid peptide bind to preformed beta-amyloid fibrils (Abeta), leading to disaggregation and inhibition of their neurotoxic effect. Here we report the development of a novel immunization procedure to raise effective anti-aggregating amyloid beta-protein (AbetaP) antibodies, using as antigen filamentous phages displaying the only EFRH peptide found to be the epitope of these antibodies. Due to the high antigenicity of the phage no adjuvant is required to obtain high affinity anti-aggregating IgG antibodies in animals model, that exhibit identity to human AbetaP. Such antibodies are able to sequester peripheral AbetaP, thus avoiding passage through the blood brain barrier (BBB) and, as recently shown in a transgenic mouse model, to cross the BBB and dissolve already formed beta-amyloid plaques. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to use as a vaccine a self-anti-aggregating epitope displayed on a phage, and this may pave the way to treat abnormal accumulation-peptide diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease or other amyloidogenic diseases.

Alzheimer Disease↗