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Biomedical subjects

R Brasseur

Publications and source records attributed to R Brasseur.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

Conformational analysis of the calcium--A23187 complex at a lipid--water interface.

A possible conformation of the complex formed by one calcium ion and two molecules of the ionophore A23187 at a simulated lipid--water interface was predicted by a variant method for conformational analysis. This method takes into account, in addition to the Van der Waals energy, electrostatic interaction, and torsional potential, the alteration of electrostatic forces attributable to changes in dielectric constant at the interface and the transfer energy for each part of the complex as it moves through the lipid-water interface. The most probable conformer was characterized by a two-fold axial symmetry that was maintained during transition to the hydrophobic bulk conformation. Minor changes in the interfacial structure were sufficient to achieve the configuration characteristic of the hydrophobic bulk phase.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Induction of antituberculous immunity by polysaccharidic contaminants of crude ribosomal vaccines isolated from Mycobacterium bovis, strain BCG.

Crude ribosomal fractions isolated from the BCG strain of Mycobacterium bovis are capable of inducing antituberculous immunity in CF-1 mice. These crude preparations contain varying amounts of polysaccharides in addition to ribosomal ribonucleic acid and proteins. Whereas these latter two constituents of the crude fractions were found inactive, high levels of antituberculous immunity were induced by a ribosomal sub-fraction significantly enriched with polysaccharides. These results strongly suggest that polysaccharides play an important role in the induction of antituberculous immunity in CF-1 mice immunized with crude ribosomal fractions isolated from the BCG strain and that if ribosomal proteins and/or RNA are of a certain importance, their role would be secondary (complexes providing physical support to polysaccharides, adjuvant, etc.).

Animals↗

Factors affecting the immunizing activity of ribosomal fractions isolated from Mycobacterium tuberculosis var. bovis strain BCG.

Levels of antituberculous immunity similar to those induced by live BCG vaccine were detected in CF1 mice immunized with ribosomal fractions isolated from Mycobacterium tuberculosis var. bovis, strain BCG, and challenged 3 weeks later with the virulent H37Rv strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis var. hominis. The activity of the crude ribosomal preparations was found to be a function of the immunizing doses and the immunity induced by 1.0-mg doses remained at the same high level after 4 weeks of storage at 4 degrees C but decreased markedly thereafter. Dialysis and lyophilization had no detrimental effects on the activity of the crude preparations whereas purification by column chromatography on Sephadex G-200 annihilated their biological activity. Crude low-polysaccharide-containing preparations were found inactive even at the 1.0-mg dose level and results of experiments performed with crude ribosomal fractions of varying polysaccharide contents strongly suggest that polysaccharides, or RNA-polysaccharide complexes, may play an important role in the induction of immunity with crude ribosomal fractions isolated from the BCG strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis var. bovis.

Animals↗