The Molecular Basis of Peanut Allergy

Peanut allergens can trigger a potent and sometimes dangerous immune response in an increasing number of people. The molecular structures of these allergens form the basis for understanding this response. This review describes the currently known peanut allergen structures and discusses how modifications both enzymatic and non-enzymatic affect digestion, innate immune recognition, and IgE interactions. The allergen structures help explain cross-reactivity among allergens from different sources, which is useful in improving patient diagnostics. Surprisingly, it was recently noted that similar short peptide sequences among unrelated peanut allergens could also be a source of cross-reactivity. The molecular features of peanut allergens continue to inform predictions and provide new research directions in the study of allergic disease

The Molecular Basis of Peanut Allergy

Peanut allergens can trigger a potent and sometimes dangerous immune response in an increasing number of people. The molecular structures of these allergens form the basis for understanding this response. This review describes the currently known peanut allergen structures and discusses how modifications both enzymatic and non-enzymatic affect digestion, innate immune recognition, and IgE interactions. The allergen structures help explain cross-reactivity among allergens from different sources, which is useful in improving patient diagnostics. Surprisingly, it was recently noted that similar short peptide sequences among unrelated peanut allergens could also be a source of cross-reactivity. The molecular features of peanut allergens continue to inform predictions and provide new research directions in the study of allergic disease

On an asymptotic estimate of the nn-loop correction in perturbative QCD

A recently proposed method of estimating the asymptotic behaviour of QCD perturbation theory coefficients is critically reviewed and shown to contain numerous invalid mathematical operations and unsubstantiated assumptions. We discuss in detail why this procedure, based solely on renormalization group (RG) considerations and analyticity constraints, cannot lead to such estimates. We stress the importance of correct renormalization scheme (RS) dependence of any meaningful asymptotic estimate and argue that the unambiguous summation of QCD perturbation expansions for physical quantities requires information from outside of perturbation theory itself.Comment: PRA-HEP-92/17, Latex, 20 pages of text plus 5 figures contained in 5 separate PS files. Four of them (corresponding to Figs.1,2,3,5) are appended at the end of this file, the (somewhat larger one) corresponding to Fig.4 can be obtained from any of the mentioned E-mail addresses upon request. E-mail connections: J. Chyla - [email protected]) or h1kchy@dhhdesy3 P. Kolar - [email protected]

A metabolomic, geographic, and seasonal analysis of the contribution of pollen-derived adenosine to allergic sensitization

Background Studies on ragweed and birch pollen extracts suggested that the adenosine content is an important factor in allergic sensitization. However, exposure levels from other pollens and considerations of geographic and seasonal factors have not been evaluated. Objective This study compared the metabolite profile of pollen species important for allergic disease, specifically measured the adenosine content, and evaluated exposure to pollen-derived adenosine. Methods An NMR metabolomics approach was used to measure metabolite concentrations in twenty-six pollen extracts. Pollen count data was analyzed from five cities to model exposure. Results A principal component analysis of the various metabolites identified by NMR showed that pollen extracts could be differentiated primarily by sugar content: glucose, fructose, sucrose, and myo-inositol. In extracts of 10 mg of pollen/ml, the adenosine was highest for grasses (45 μM) followed by trees (23 μM) and weeds (19 μM). Pollen count data showed that tree pollen was typically 5–10 times the amount of other pollens. At the daily peaks of tree, grass, and weed season the pollen-derived adenosine exposure per day is likely to only be 1.1, 0.11, and 0.12 μg, respectively. Seasonal models of pollen exposure and respiration suggest that it would be a rare event limited to tree pollen season for concentrations of pollen-derived adenosine to approach physiological levels. Conclusions Sugar content and other metabolites may be useful in classifying pollens. Unless other factors create localized exposures that are very different from these models, pollen-derived adenosine is unlikely to be a major factor in allergic sensitization

\u3csup\u3e1\u3c/sup\u3eH, \u3csup\u3e13\u3c/sup\u3eC, and \u3csup\u3e15\u3c/sup\u3eN NMR assignments for the \u3ci\u3eBacillus subtilis\u3c/i\u3e yndB START domain

The steroidogenic acute regulatory-related lipid transfer (START) domain is found in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes, with putative functions including signal transduction, transcriptional regulation, GTPase activation and thioester hydrolysis. Here we report the near complete 1H, 15N and 13C backbone and side chain NMR resonance assignments for the Bacillus subtilis START domain protein yndB

Touchscreen performance and knowledge transfer in the red-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonaria)

In recent years red-footed tortoises have been shown to be proficient in a number of spatial cognition tasks that involve movement of the animal through space (e.g., the radial maze). The present study investigated the ability of the tortoise to learn a spatial task in which the response required was simply to touch a stimulus presented in a given position on a touchscreen. We also investigated the relation between this task and performance in a different spatial task (an arena, in which whole-body movement was required). Four red-footed tortoises learned to operate the touchscreen apparatus, and two learned the simple spatial discrimination. The side-preference trained with the touchscreen was maintained when behaviour was tested in a physical arena. When the contingencies in the arena were then reversed, the tortoises learned the reversal but in a subsequent test did not transfer it to the touchscreen. Rather they chose the side that had been rewarded originally on the touchscreen. The results show that red-footed tortoises are able to operate a touchscreen and can successfully solve a spatial two-choice task in this apparatus. There was some indication that the preference established with the touchscreen could transfer to an arena, but with subsequent training in the arena independent patterns of choice were established that could be evoked according to the test context

Enhanced Approaches for Identifying Amadori Products: Application to Peanut Allergens

The dry roasting of peanuts is suggested to influence allergic sensitization as a result of the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) on peanut proteins. Identifying AGEs is technically challenging. The AGEs of a peanut allergen were probed with nano-scale liquid chromatography−electrospray ionization−mass spectrometry (nanoLC−ESI−MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analyses. Amadori product ions matched to expected peptides and yielded fragments that included a loss of three waters and HCHO. As a result of the paucity of b and y ions in the MS/MS spectrum, standard search algorithms do not perform well. Reactions with isotopically labeled sugars confirmed that the peptides contained Amadori products. An algorithm was developed on the basis of information content (Shannon entropy) and the loss of water and HCHO. Results with test data show that the algorithm finds the correct spectra with high precision, reducing the time needed to manually inspect data. Computational and technical improvements allowed for better identification of the chemical differences between modified and unmodified proteins

Structural studies of the PARP-1 BRCT domain

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is one of the first proteins localized to foci of DNA damage. Upon activation by encountering nicked DNA, the PARP-1 mediated trans-poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of DNA binding proteins occurs, facilitating access and accumulation of DNA repair factors. PARP-1 also auto-(ADP-ribosyl)ates its central BRCT-containing domain forming part of an interaction site for the DNA repair scaffolding protein X-ray cross complementing group 1 protein (XRCC1). The co-localization of XRCC1, as well as bound DNA repair factors, to sites of DNA damage is important for cell survival and genomic integrity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here we present the solution structure and biophysical characterization of the BRCT domain of rat PARP-1. The PARP-1 BRCT domain has the globular α/β fold characteristic of BRCT domains and has a thermal melting transition of 43.0°C. In contrast to a previous characterization of this domain, we demonstrate that it is monomeric in solution using both gel-filtration chromatography and small-angle X-ray scattering. Additionally, we report that the first BRCT domain of XRCC1 does not interact significantly with the PARP-1 BRCT domain in the absence of ADP-ribosylation. Moreover, none of the interactions with other longer PARP-1 constructs which previously had been demonstrated in a pull-down assay of mammalian cell extracts were detected.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The PARP-1 BRCT domain has the conserved BRCT fold that is known to be an important protein:protein interaction module in DNA repair and cell signalling pathways. Data indicating no significant protein:protein interactions between PARP-1 and XRCC1 likely results from the absence of poly(ADP-ribose) in one or both binding partners, and further implicates a poly(ADP-ribose)-dependent mechanism for localization of XRCC1 to sites of DNA damage.</p