Evolution and comparative genomics of subcellular specializations: EST sequencing of Torpedo electric organ.

Uncharacterized open reading frames (ORFs) in human genomic sequence often show a high degree of evolutionary conservation, yet have little or no tissue EST or protein data suggestive of protein product function. The encoded proteins may have highly restricted expression in specialized cells, subcellular specializations, and/or narrow windows during development. One such highly specialized and minute subcellular compartment is the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), where motorneurons contact muscle fibers. The electric Torpedo ray has evolved to expand the NMJ structure to the size of a large organ (electroplax organ), and we hypothesized that Torpedo electroplax proteins would be candidates for human ESTs expressed at the human NMJ. A total of 9,719 primary electroplax cDNA clones were sequenced. We identified 44 human ORFs showing high (>63%) amino acid identity to Torpedo electroplax transcripts with enrichment for mRNA splicing motifs (SH2 and pre-mRNA splicing domains), an observation potentially important for the strict nuclear domains maintained by myonuclei underlying the NMJ. We generated antibodies against two uncharacterized human genes (C19orf29 [Drosophila cactin] and C15orf24) and showed that these were indeed expressed at the murine NMJ. Cactin, a member of the Rel transcription factor family in Drosophila, localized to the postsynaptic cytosol of the NMJ and nuclear membrane. C15orf24 protein localized to the murine postsynaptic sarcolemma. We show a novel approach towards identifying proteins expressed at a subcellular specializations using evolutionary diversity of organ function and cross-species mapping

Clearance of Staphylococcus aureus from In Vivo Models of Chronic Infection by Immunization Requires Both Planktonic and Biofilm Antigens.

Staphylococcus aureus is a causative agent of chronic biofilm-associated infections that are recalcitrant to resolution by the immune system or antibiotics. To combat these infections, an anti-staphylococcal, biofilm-specific quadrivalent vaccine against an osteomyelitis model in rabbits has previously been developed and shown to be effective at eliminating biofilm-embedded bacterial populations. However, the addition of antibiotics was required to eradicate remaining planktonic populations. In this study a planktonic up-regulated antigen was combined with the quadrivalent vaccine to remove the need for antibiotic therapy. Immunization with this pentavalent vaccine followed by intraperitoneal challenge of BALB/c mice with S. aureus resulted in 16.7% versus 91.7% mortality in pentavalent vaccine and control groups, respectively (p<0.001). Complete bacterial elimination was found in 66.7% of the pentavalent cohort, while only 8.3% of the control animals cleared the infection (p<0.05). Further protective efficacy was observed in immunized rabbits following intramedullary challenge with S. aureus, where 62.5% of the pentavalent cohort completely cleared the infection versus none of the control animals (p<0.05). Passive immunization of BALB/c mice with serum IgG against the vaccine antigens prior to intraperitoneal challenge with S. aureus prevented mortality in 100% of mice and eliminated bacteria in 33.3% of the challenged mice. These results demonstrate that targeting both the planktonic and biofilm stages with the pentavalent vaccine or the IgG elicited by immunization can effectively protect against S. aureus infection