Bovine testicular [beta]-galactosidase: Purification of enzyme fractions that exhibit high affinity for phosphomannosyl receptors

An improved method is described for the preparation of bovine testicular [beta]-galactosidase that allows the isolation of enzyme fractions that bind avidly to phosphomannosyl receptors. The procedure permits removal of a contaminating [beta]-hexosaminidase and yields nearly homogeneous [beta]-galactosidase. Enzyme eluted from DEAE-Sephacel was arbitrarily divided into pools that exhibited differing ability to bind phosphomannosyl receptors. A high binding fraction was rapidly assimilated by cultured cells and bound to both low and high molecular weight phosphomannosyl receptors. Carbohydrate analysis of the high binding fraction indicates an average content of one complex and one high mannose oligosaccharide chain per molecule and an average mannose 6-phosphate content of two residues per molecule. However, electrofocusing studies indicated that all the fractions were heterogeneous with respect to sialic acid and phosphate content. The purification procedure also provides highly purified [beta]-galactosidase suitable for removing [beta]-galactosidase residues from a variety of complex carbohydrates.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/27707/1/0000093.pd

VIOLIN: vaccine investigation and online information network

Vaccines are among the most efficacious and cost-effective tools for reducing morbidity and mortality caused by infectious diseases. The vaccine investigation and online information network (VIOLIN) is a web-based central resource, allowing easy curation, comparison and analysis of vaccine-related research data across various human pathogens (e.g. Haemophilus influenzae, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Plasmodium falciparum) of medical importance and across humans, other natural hosts and laboratory animals. Vaccine-related peer-reviewed literature data have been downloaded into the database from PubMed and are searchable through various literature search programs. Vaccine data are also annotated, edited and submitted to the database through a web-based interactive system that integrates efficient computational literature mining and accurate manual curation. Curated information includes general microbial pathogenesis and host protective immunity, vaccine preparation and characteristics, stimulated host responses after vaccination and protection efficacy after challenge. Vaccine-related pathogen and host genes are also annotated and available for searching through customized BLAST programs. All VIOLIN data are available for download in an eXtensible Markup Language (XML)-based data exchange format. VIOLIN is expected to become a centralized source of vaccine information and to provide investigators in basic and clinical sciences with curated data and bioinformatics tools for vaccine research and development. VIOLIN is publicly available at http://www.violinet.or