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Biomedical subjects

W Wang

Publications and source records attributed to W Wang.

At least 631 records · Page 35Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

DNA pooling in mutation detection with reference to sequence analysis.

We discuss pooling methods of mutation detection for identifying rare mutations. We provide mathematical formulae for obtaining the optimal pool size as a function of the mutation frequency in the study population and the specificity of the test. The optimal pool size depends strongly on the specificity of the test. With a test that has 99% specificity, pooling can reduce the number of tests that need to be performed by 80%, whereas, with a test with 95% specificity, pooling reduces the number of samples that must be tested by only 50%. We used the software PHRED to call mutations after sequencing of pooled samples with known STK11 mutations. We found that, when the area under the curve for the less prominent peak was used to call mutations, we were able to pool pairs of samples and correctly identify mutations. Pooling of three samples did not lead to an adequately specific test for the basic automated allele-calling procedures that we used. We discuss methods by which the specificity may be improved to permit pooling of three or more samples when testing for mutations by sequencing.

AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases↗
PubMed1999

The EH and SH3 domain Ese proteins regulate endocytosis by linking to dynamin and Eps15.

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis is a multistep process which requires interaction between a number of conserved proteins. We have cloned two mammalian genes which code for a number of endocytic adaptor proteins. Two of these proteins, termed Ese1 and Ese2, contain two N-terminal EH domains, a central coiled-coil domain and five C-terminal SH3 domains. Ese1 is constitutively associated with Eps15 proteins to form a complex with at least 14 protein-protein interaction surfaces. Yeast two-hybrid assays have revealed that Ese1 EH and SH3 domains bind epsin family proteins and dynamin, respectively. Overexpression of Ese1 is sufficient to block clathrin-mediated endocytosis in cultured cells, presumably through disruption of higher order protein complexes, which are assembled on the endogenous Ese1-Eps15 scaffold. The Ese1-Eps15 scaffold therefore links dynamin, epsin and other endocytic pathway components.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed1999

Immunoregulatory role of CD8alpha in the veto effect.

BACKGROUND: Allogeneic bone marrow cell (allo-BMC) infusion induces tolerance to incompatible renal allografts in rhesus macaques after depletion of peripheral T lymphocytes with cytolytic anti-T cell antibodies. The tolerogenic effect of allo-BMC, ascribed to a veto mechanism, associates with specific functional deletion of antidonor cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursor (CTLp), and is dependent on a CD8+ donor BMC subset. In previous studies, the CD8 molecule was implicated by loss of suppression after blocking interaction between CD8 on allo-BMC and major histocompatibility complex class Ialpha3 domain on CTLp. CD8 cross-linking on BMC induced secretion of active transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), suggesting a regulatory mechanism(s) operating via a CD8-mediated signaling pathway. METHODS: CD8 on rhesus cells was cross-linked using IgG-conjugated beads, and TGF-beta1 mRNA and protein were quantified. CD8+ cells were tested for veto activity by mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR)-induced cell-mediated lymphocytotoxicity (CML) assay. Activated rhesus T cells exposed to TGF-beta1 were examined for apoptosis by TdT-mediated end-labeling and annexin staining. RESULTS: CD8 cross-linking induces accumulation of TGF-beta1 mRNA and protein. Both CD3- CD8+CD16+ and CD3+ CD8+CD16- subsets of allo-BMC up-regulate TGF-beta1 mRNA after CD8 cross-linking, and exhibit veto activity. The CD3-CD8+CD16+ subset expresses more TGF-beta1 mRNA and increased veto activity at low BMC/CTLp ratios. Exposure of activated T cells to TGF-beta1 induces apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: CD8+ allo-BMC are enriched for veto activity and activation via CD8 induces TGF-beta1 mRNA and protein accumulation. These results agree with the hypothesis that paracrine TGF-beta1 may be involved in peripheral deletion of alloreactive CTLp by CD8+ allo-BMC. We suggest that TGF-beta1 overexpression by donor lymphohematopoietic cells may enhance tolerance induction.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

What determines the van der Waals coefficient beta in the LIE (linear interaction energy) method to estimate binding free energies using molecular dynamics simulations?

Recently a semiempirical method has been proposed by Aqvist et al. to calculate absolute and relative binding free energies. In this method, the absolute binding free energy of a ligand is estimated as deltaGbind = alpha + beta , where Vel(bound) and Vvdw(bound) are the electrostatic and van der Waals interaction energies between the ligand and the solvated protein from an molecular dynamics (MD) trajectory with ligand bound to protein and Vel(free) and Vel(free) and Vvdw(free) are the electrostatic and van der Waals interaction energies between the ligand and the water from an MD trajectory with the ligand in water. A set of values, alpha = 0.5 and beta = 0.16, was found to give results in good agreement with experimental data. Later, however, different optimal values of beta were found in studies of compounds binding to P450cam and avidin. The present work investigates how the optimal value of beta depends on the nature of binding sites for different protein-ligand interactions. By examining seven ligands interacting with five proteins, we have discovered a linear correlation between the value of beta and the weighted non-polar desolvation ratio (WNDR), with a correlation coefficient of 0.96. We have also examined the ability of this correlation to predict optimal values of beta for different ligands binding to a single protein. We studied twelve neutral compounds bound to avidin. In this case, the WNDR approach gave a better estimate of the absolute binding free energies than results obtained using the fixed value of beta found for biotin-avidin. In terms of reproducing the relative binding free energy to biotin, the fixed-beta value gave better results for compounds similar to biotin, but for compounds less similar to biotin, the WNDR approach led to better relative binding free energies.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1999

Post-therapy serum prostate-specific antigen level and survival in patients with androgen-independent prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: With an hypothesis that post-chemotherapy changes in serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels might serve as a surrogate marker for assessing prostate cancer outcome (i.e., survival), we studied the relationship between pretherapy and post-therapy prognostic factors and survival in patients with androgen-independent prostate cancer. METHODS: A prognostic model for survival based on pretherapy and post-therapy parameters was developed from the clinical data on 254 patients with androgen-independent prostate cancer treated with 11 different protocol therapies at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The model was validated by use of an independent dataset of 541 patients enrolled in two randomized phase III trials. RESULTS: In multivariate analysis, a post-therapy decline in PSA levels of 50% achieved in 12 weeks was a statistically significant factor associated with survival (two-sided P = .0012). A similar outcome was obtained with the use of an 8-week time frame. Elevated pretherapy level of serum lactate dehydrogenase (two-sided P = .0001), lower pretherapy level of hemoglobin (P = .0001), and younger age (two-sided P = .0430) had a statistically significant negative impact on outcome. Median survival times were 23, 17, and 9 months for low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups of patients defined by the prognostic model, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study confirms the prognostic value of a post-therapy decline in PSA of 50% or greater from baseline in relation to survival in patients with androgen-independent prostate cancer treated with a variety of therapies. Two consecutive determinations at 4-week intervals can be used as an end point for efficacy in phase II trials of therapies in this disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

A highly convergent and effective synthesis of the phytoalexin elicitor hexasaccharide.

The peracetylated hexasaccharide 1,2,4-tri-O-acetyl-3-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-6- O- (2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-6-O-(2,4-di-O-acetyl-3,6-di-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acety l- beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-alp ha, beta-D-glucopyranose 21 was synthesized in a blockwise manner, employing trisaccharide trichloroacetimidate 2,4-di-O-acetyl-3,6-di-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)- alpha-D-glucopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate 17 as the glycosyl donor, and trisaccharide 4-O-acetyl-3-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-6-O-(2,3,4 -tri -O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-1,2-O-(R,S)ethylidene-alpha-D-glucopyra nose 18 as the acceptor. The donor 17 and acceptor 18 were readily prepared from trisaccharides 3-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-6-O-(2,3,4-tri-O-acet yl- 6-O-chloroacetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-1,2-O-(R,S)ethylidene-alpha-D- glucopyranose 10 and 3,6-di-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-1,2-O-(R,S) ethylidene-alpha-D-glucopyranose 11, respectively, which were obtained from rearrangement of orthoesters 3,4-di-O-acetyl-6-O-chloroacetyl-alpha-D-glucopyranose 1,2-(3-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-1,2-O-(R,S) ethylidene-alpha-D-glucopyranosid-6-yl orthoacetate) 8 and 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-alpha-D-glucopyranose 1,2-(3-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-1,2-O-(R,S) ethylidene-alpha-D-glucopyranosid-6-yl orthoacetate) 9, respectively. The orthoesters were prepared from selective coupling of the disaccharide 3-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-1,2-O-(R,S) ethylidene-alpha-D-glucopyranose 4 with 'acetobromoglucose' (tetra-O-acetyl-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl bromide) and 6-O-chloroacetylated 'acetobromoglucose', respectively. To confirm the selectivity of the orthoester formation and rearrangement, the disaccharide 4-O-acetyl-3-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-1,2-O-(R,S ) ethylidene-alpha-D-glucopyranose 7 was prepared from 4 by selective tritylation, acetylation and detritylation. The title compound, an elicitor-active D-glucohexaose 3-O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-6-O-(6-O-(3,6-di-O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-b eta -D-glucopyranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-alpha,beta-D-glucopyranose 1, was finally obtained by Zemplén deacetylation of 21 in quantitative yield.

Carbohydrate Sequence↗
PubMed1999

A highly efficient and convergent synthesis of a hexasaccharide, a dimer of the repeating unit of the antigen O2 polysaccharide of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.

A highly efficient and convergent synthesis of a hexasaccharide, which is a dimer of the repeating unit of the antigen O2 polysaccharide of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, was achieved via coupling of 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-alpha-L-xylopyranosyl bromide with the tetrasaccharide, allyl 4-O-{3-O-[4-O-(3,4-di-O-benzoyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-2,3,6-tri-O-ben zoyl -alpha-D-mannopyranosyl]-4-benzoyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl}-2,3,6-tri-O- benzoyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside (18) by the Koenigs-Knorr method followed by deacylation. Compound 18 was readily prepared from the coupling of the disaccharide trichloroacetimidate, 4-O-(2-O-acetyl-3,4-di-O-benzoyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-2,3,6-tri-O- benzoyl-alpha-D-mannopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate (8) with the disaccharide acceptor, allyl 4-O-(2-O-acetyl-4-O-benzoyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-2,3,6-tri-O-benzoyl - alpha-D-mannopyranoside (16), and both 8 and 16 were prepared via the trichloroacetimidate method from simple starting materials. The sole use of acyl protecting groups substantially simplified protection and deprotection, and the allyl group at the reducing end of allyl 4-O-{2-O-[2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-beta-L-xylopyranosyl]-3-O-[4-O-(2-O-(2,3,4- tri-O-acetyl-beta-L-xylopyranosyl)-3,4-di-O-benzoyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyrano syl) -2,3,6-tri-O-benzoyl-alpha-D-mannopyranosyl]-4-O-benzoyl-alpha- L-rhamnopyranosyl}-2,3,6-tri-O-benzoyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside 19 allowed further chemical transformation.

Carbohydrate Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Adenovirus early region 1A protein binds to mammalian SUG1-a regulatory component of the proteasome.

Adenovirus early region 1A (Ad E1A) is a multifunctional protein which is essential for adenovirus-mediated transformation and oncogenesis. Whilst E1A is generally considered to exert its influence on recipient cells through regulation of transcription it also increases the level of cellular p53 by increasing the protein half-life. With this in view, we have investigated the relationship of Ad E1A to the proteasome, which is normally responsible for degradation of p53. Here we have shown that both Ad5 and Ad12 E1A 12S and 13S proteins can be co-immunoprecipitated with proteasomes and that the larger Ad12 E1A protein binds strongly to at least three components of the 26S but not 20S proteasome. One of these interacting species has been identified as mammalian SUGI, a proteasome regulatory component which also plays a role in the cell as a mediator of transcription. In vitro assays have demonstrated a direct interaction between Ad12 E1A 13S protein and mouse SUGI. Following infection of human cells with Ad5 wt and Ad5 mutants with lesions in the E1A gene it has been shown that human SUG1 can be co-immunoprecipitated with full-length E1A and with E1A carrying a deletion in conserved region 1 which is the region considered to be responsible for increased expression of p53. We have concluded therefore that Ad EIA binds strongly to SUGI but that this interaction is not responsible for inhibition of proteasome activity. This is consistent with the observation that purified Ad12 E1A inhibits the activity of the purified 20S but not 26S proteasomes. We have also demonstrated that SUGI can be co-immunoprecipitated with SV40 T and therefore we suggest that this may represent a common interaction of transforming proteins of DNA tumour viruses.

ATPases Associated with Diverse Cellular Activitie↗
PubMed1999

Zinc and copper inhibit nerve growth factor-mediated protection from oxidative stress-induced apoptosis.

We have previously provided evidence that two transition metal cations, Zn2+ and Cu2+, can alter the conformation of nerve growth factor (NGF), rendering it unable to bind to its receptors or to activate signal transduction pathways. In the present study, we have assessed the influence of Zn2+ and Cu2+ on NGF-mediated protection from an oxidative insult. Exposure of rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells to hydrogen peroxide resulted in an increase in cell death via apoptosis, which was inhibited by NGF. Zn2+ and Cu2+, when added to cultures at a concentration of 100 microM, prevented NGF-mediated survival-promoting effects. Neither of these ions had an effect on basal cell viability (in the absence of NGF) after an oxidative insult. These results demonstrate that Zn2+ and Cu2+ can selectively inhibit NGF-mediated resistance to an oxidative stress, and have significant implications for neuronal function under both physiological and pathological (e.g. cerebral ischemia) conditions.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Rapid effects of corticosterone on cardiovascular neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla of rats.

The present study has explored possible fast actions of corticosteroid hormones on activity of cardiovascular neurons of the rostral ventrolateral medulla. Experiments were conducted in 60 urethane-anesthetized, artificially ventilated adult rats. Extracellular recordings of unitary firings were made from the RVLM with multi- or single-barreled microelectrodes. Barosensitive cardiovascular neurons were identified through activation of the baroreceptor reflex by electrical stimulation of the aortic nerve and by intravenous injection of phenylephrine. In 52 barosensitive cardiovascular neurons, iontophoretically applied corticosterone sulfate increased the ongoing activity of 30 (57.7%) neurons, the other 22 (42.3%) neurons being unaffected. In 16 bulbospinal pre-sympathetic neurons, iontophorized corticosterone increased the firing rate of 12 neurons. Intravenously applied corticosterone (0.2 mg) increased the firing rates of 5 out of 12 bulbospinal pre-sympathetic neurons. The average baseline activity of cardiovascular neurons sensitive to corticosterone was found to be significantly less than that of the cardiovascular neurons insensitive to corticosterone. In 64 non-cardiovascular neurons, the firing rate of 13 (20.3%) neurons increased, 23 (36.0%) decreased and 28 (43.7%) remained unchanged following local application of corticosterone. The changes in firing rates of RVLM neurons following application of corticosterone occurred rapidly and were dependent on the doses of the agent. RU-38486 was able to reduce or block the rapid effects of corticosterone on cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular neurons. The results demonstrated that corticosterone may fast, non-genomically, modulate the activity of central regulators of the cardiovascular system and suggested that fast non-genomic actions of corticosteroid hormones may be an important mechanism in the integration of the autonomic nervous and the cardiovascular systems during some conditions such as stress.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1999

Processing of the notch ligand delta by the metalloprotease Kuzbanian.

Signaling by the Notch surface receptor controls cell fate determination in a broad spectrum of tissues. This signaling is triggered by the interaction of the Notch protein with what, so far, have been thought to be transmembrane ligands expressed on adjacent cells. Here biochemical and genetic analyses show that the ligand Delta is cleaved on the surface, releasing an extracellular fragment capable of binding to Notch and acting as an agonist of Notch activity. The ADAM disintegrin metalloprotease Kuzbanian is required for this processing event. These observations raise the possibility that Notch signaling in vivo is modulated by soluble forms of the Notch ligands.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

A NF-kappa B/c-myc-dependent survival pathway is targeted by corticosteroids in immature thymocytes.

Glucocorticoid hormones modulate T cell maturation in vivo. While low levels of hormones are required for appropriate T cell development, high levels of glucocorticoid hormones target immature developing thymocytes for cell death during systemic stress. In this report, we propose a molecular mechanism for the induction of apoptosis in CD4+CD8+ double-positive thymocytes by dexamethasone in vivo. Dexamethasone injection induced the expression of IkappaBalpha and IkappaBbeta in thymocytes and down-regulated NF-kappaB DNA binding activated by intrathymic signals. Down-regulation of NF-kappaB DNA binding preceded cell death, suggesting that NF-kappaB may be important for the survival of immature thymocytes. In addition, ex vivo treatment of thymocyte single-cell suspension with dexamethasone accelerated p65/RelA down-regulation and cell death. Conversely, NF-kappaB induction diminished dexamethasone-induced death. Expression of the c-myc proto-oncogene, a NF-kappaB target, was also reduced in thymocytes of dexamethasone-treated animals, and ectopic transgenic expression of c-myc in mice provided partial rescue of double-positive thymocytes from dexamethasone mediated cell death. These observations suggest that viability of CD4+CD8+ thymocytes may be maintained by an NF-kappaB/c-myc-dependent pathway in vivo.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Bilateral renal agenesis and fetal ascites in association with partial trisomy 13 and partial trisomy 16 due to a 3:1 segregation of maternal reciprocal translocation t(13;16)(q12.3; p13.2).

A female fetus with bilateral renal agenesis and fetal ascites was found to have partial trisomy 13 (pter-q12.3) and partial trisomy 16 (p13.2-pter), 47,XX,+der(13)t(13;16)(q12.3; p13.2)mat. The chromosomal aberration was due to a 3:1 segregation with tertiary trisomy transmitted from a maternal reciprocal translocation 13;16. Prenatal ultrasound of a 29-year-old, gravida 2, para 0 woman at 22 gestational weeks showed fetal ascites, severe oligohydramnios and non-visualization of fetal urinary bladder and kidneys. The pregnancy was terminated. At delivery, the proband displayed dysmorphic features of hypertelorism, a prominent glabella, epicanthic fold, a stubby nose with a depressed nasal bridge, anteverted nares, thin lips, micrognathia, low-set ears, a short neck and a distended abdomen. Necropsy confirmed bilateral renal agenesis and ascites. A cytogenetic study performed on fibroblasts obtained from the proband's skin revealed an extra supernumerary chromosome. The mother was later found to have a reciprocal translocation. Fluorescence in situ hybridization for a submicroscopic deletion in chromosome 22q11 in the proband was negative. The parents had no urological anomalies. Our observation further extends the clinical spectrum associated with proximal trisomy 13q and distal trisomy 16p. We suggest prenatal cytogenetic analysis in fetuses with urological anomalies, including renal agenesis, to uncover underlying genetic disorders.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed1999

Prenatal diagnosis of a fetus with distal 10q trisomy.

Distal 10q trisomy is a well-defined but rare syndrome. Most cases are diagnosed in infancy or in childhood and rarely include prenatal findings. We present a case of fetal distal 10q trisomy with abnormal prenatal sonographic findings. A 19-year-old primigravida was referred for genetic counselling at 18 gestational weeks because her husband had a familial history of congenital anomalies. Genetic amniocentesis was thus performed and showed fetal distal 10q trisomy (10q24.1-->qter), 46,XX,der(22)t(10;22)(q24.1;p11.2)pat, resulting from paternal t(10;22) reciprocal translocation. Level II ultrasonograms further demonstrated bilateral hydronephrosis, ventricular septal defect and facial dysmorphism ascertained by three-dimensional ultrasound. The pregnancy was terminated at 22 gestational weeks. Post-mortem autopsy confirmed the sonographic findings. We suggest that abnormal prenatal sonographic findings such as cardio-vascular, renal and facial malformations should alert cytogeneticists to search for subtle chromosomal abnormalities.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Electrospray ionization multiple-stage tandem mass spectrometric analysis of diglycosyldiacylglycerol glycolipids from the bacteria Bacillus pumilus.

Electrospray ionization (ESI) combined with multiple-stage tandem mass spectrometry (MS(n)) was used to directly analyze the glycolipid mixture from bacteria Bacillus pumilus without preliminary separation. Full scan ESI-MS revealed the composition of picomole quantities of glycerolglycolipid species containing C(14)-C(19) fatty acids, some of which were monounsaturated. Two main components were identified from their molecular masses and fragmentation pathways. The fragmentation pathway of the known compound compared with the investigated compound verified the proposed structure as 1(3)-acyl-2-pentadecanoyl-3(1)-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-sn-glycerols. A comparison of the multiple tandem mass spectra of the different alkali-metal cation adducts indicates that the intensity of fragments and the dissociation pathways are dependent on the alkali-metal type. The basic structures of glycerolglycolipids were reflected clearly from the fragmentation patterns of the sodium cations. The intense fragments of the sugar residue from the precursor ions were obtained from the lithiated adduct ions. ESI-MS(n) spectra of [M + K](+) ions did not provide as much fragmentation as [M + Na](+) and [M + Li](+) adducts, but their spectra allow the position of glycerol acylation to be determined. On the basis of MS(2) spectra of [M + K](+) ions, it was established that all components have a C(15:0) fatty acid at the sn-2 position of the glycerol backbone and C(14)-C(19) acids at the sn-1 position of the glycerol backbone. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Fragmentation and sequencing of cyclic peptides by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization post-source decay mass spectrometry.

A series of synthetic cyclic decapeptides and other smaller cyclic peptides were analyzed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. The investigated compounds were cyclized in a head-to-tail manner and contained non-proteinaceous amino acids, such as D-phenylalanine, D,L-4-carboxyphenylalanine, epsilon-aminocaproic acid, and gamma-aminobutyric acid, and were synthesized in a program to develop inhibitors of pp60(c-src) (Src), a tyrosine kinase that is involved in signal transduction and growth regulation. Post-source decay (PSD) spectra of the cyclic peptides featured abundant sequence ions. Two preferential ring opening reactions were detected resulting in linear fragment ions with an N-terminus of proline and a C-terminus of glutamic acid, respectively. MALDI-PSD spectra even permitted de novo sequencing of some cyclic peptides. Systematic studies on cyclic peptides using this method of fragmentation have not been reported to date. This work presents an easy mass spectrometric method, MALDI-PSD, for the characterization and identification of cyclic peptides.

Esters↗
PubMed1999

Immune complex size and complement regulate cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

We have previously shown that immune complexes isolated from children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis are heterogeneous in their size, composition, and proinflammatory capacities. The experiments described here were undertaken to clarify further the roles of size and composition in determining the proinflammatory effects of immune complexes. We incubated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with different soluble immune complex preparations: opsonized complexes, which were formed in the presence of serum, unopsonized complexes, which were formed in the absence of serum, and immune precipitates solubilized by complement after their formation. ELISA assays showed that immune complexes formed in the presence of complement were less efficient than unopsonized complexes in inducing IL-1beta and IL-8 secretion from leukocytes. Solubilized immune precipitates showed intermediate capacity to stimulate the release of both cytokines. Complexes formed in heat-inactivated serum were as efficient as unopsonized complexes in eliciting cytokine secretion from the cells. The capacity of complement to regulate cytokine secretion from leukocytes was related, at least in part, to immune complex size. Sucrose density gradients showed unopsonized complexes and solubilized immune precipitates were larger than opsonized immune complexes. In contrast, fluid-phase binding of C4 to immune complexes, which did not appreciably change immune complex size, substantially increased IL-1beta secretion from PBMC.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗