Generation of recombinant single-chain antibodies neutralizing the cytolytic activity of vaginolysin, the main virulence factor of Gardnerella vaginalis

Generated scFvs is the first example of recombinant single-chain antibodies with VLY-neutralizing activity produced in prokaryote expression system. G. vaginalis caused infections continue to be a world-wide problem, therefore neutralizing recombinant antibodies may provide novel therapeutic agents useful in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis and other diseases caused by G. vaginalis

Influenza Virus Ribonucleoprotein Complexes Gain Preferential Access to Cellular Export Machinery through Chromatin Targeting

In contrast to most RNA viruses, influenza viruses replicate their genome in the nucleus of infected cells. As a result, newly-synthesized vRNA genomes, in the form of viral ribonucleoprotein complexes (vRNPs), must be exported to the cytoplasm for productive infection. To characterize the composition of vRNP export complexes and their interplay with the nucleus of infected cells, we affinity-purified tagged vRNPs from biochemically fractionated infected nuclei. After treatment of infected cells with leptomycin B, a potent inhibitor of Crm1-mediated export, we isolated vRNP export complexes which, unexpectedly, were tethered to the host-cell chromatin with very high affinity. At late time points of infection, the cellular export receptor Crm1 also accumulated at the same regions of the chromatin as vRNPs, which led to a decrease in the export of other nuclear Crm1 substrates from the nucleus. Interestingly, chromatin targeting of vRNP export complexes brought them into association with Rcc1, the Ran guanine exchange factor responsible for generating RanGTP and driving Crm1-dependent nuclear export. Thus, influenza viruses gain preferential access to newly-generated host cell export machinery by targeting vRNP export complexes at the sites of Ran regeneration

Genetic engineering of peptide hormones : III. Cloning of cDNA of porcine growth hormone and construction of gene for expression of hormone in bacteria

Results are presented of cloning cDNA of procine growth hormone, analysis of its primary structure, and creation of a construction capable of expression of this cDNA in Esqheriahia coti cells. It is shown that in the population of mRNA coding porcine growth hormone, heterogeneity is noted which is manifested not only at the level of the nucleotide sequence, but also is reflected in the amino acid sequence of the mature hormone

Genetic engineering of peptide hormones

Peptide and polypeptide hormones represent an extensive group of biologically active compounds of important significance for medicine and agriculture. In recent years genetic engineering methods have been used to create strains of microorganisms synthesizing eukaryotic proteins, including hormones and their precursors. The first stage of such developments is the isolation of DNA coding the des~red product. We have accomplished the cloning of the cDNA of a number of polypeptide and peptide hormones of the pituitary of man and domestic animals. The model gene of human calcitonin has also been synthesized and cloned. The obtained genes are being used to develop methods for the microbiological synthesis of human and animal-hormones

Modification of the Coordination Behaviour of 4,6-Dimethylpyrimidine-2-thiol with Divalent Cadmium at pH 5.5: A Supramolecular Assembly Generated by Axially Directed Zigzag Weaving of Tripolar Zwitterionic Motifs Through Alternate Pairs of Charge-Assisted C(sp(2))-H center dot center dot center dot Cl and N(sp(2))-H center dot center dot center dot Cl Interactions in Solid State

At pH 5.5, coordination between Cd2+ and 4,6-dimethylpyrimidine-2-thiol was studied using CdCl2 and Cd(NO3)(2). For both of these, the same complex, bis-4,6-dimethylpyrimidinium-2-thiolato cadmium (II) chloride was invariably formed. It crystallized from water in the space group P2(1)/c, Z = 4 (a = 12.955(2) , b = 8.429(1) , c = 15.727(2) , beta = 97.19(0)A degrees), displaying a distorted tetrahedral molecular geometry characterized by a [CdCl2S2](2(-)) chromophore. The negative charge on the coordination zone is intramolecularly compensated by protonation of one azomethine N in each of the two thiolpyrimidine ligands, resulting in a tripolar zwitterion; its aqueous solution is consequently acidic and highly conducting. The crystal structure is mainly characterized by two kinds of charge-driven H-bonding interactions generated in pairs by the inversion symmetry of the space group and translation symmetry of its periodic lattice. This ultimately results in extensive intermolecular interactions, forming left handed zigzag H-bond networks and a consequent supramolecular growth along b. Spectroscopic studies agree well with the proposed molecular structure. The aqueous solubility of the complex and a high 50% lethal dose (mice) of its ligand seem to indicate development of the pyrimidinethiol moiety into a prospective antidote to Cd2+ toxicity.</p