31 research outputs found
Candidate epitopes for measurement of hCG and related molecules: the second ISOBM TD-7 workshop
Differential Susceptibility of Transferrin Glycoforms to Chymotrypsin: A Proteomics Approach to the Detection of Carbohydrate-Deficient Transferrin
Leukocyte adhesion - a fundamental process in leukocyte physiology
Leukocyte adhesion is of pivotal functional importance. The adhesion involves several different adhesion molecules, the most important of which are the leukocyte ß2-integrins (CD11/CD18), the intercellular adhesion molecules, and the selectins. We and others have extensively studied the specificity and binding sites in the integrins and the intercellular adhesion molecules for their receptors and ligands. The integrins have to become activated to exert their functions but the possible mechanisms of activation remain poorly understood. Importantly, a few novel intercellular adhesion molecules have been recently described, which seem to function only in specific tissues. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly apparent that changes in integrins and intercellular adhesion molecules are associated with a number of acute and chronic diseases
An immunocapture-LC-MS-based assay for serum SPINK1 allows simultaneous quantification and detection of SPINK1 variants
Characterization of recombinant amino-terminal NC4 domain of human collagen IX - Interaction with glycosaminoglycans and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein
The N-terminal NC4 domain of collagen IX is a globular structure projecting away from the surface of the cartilage collagen fibril. Several interactions have been suggested for this domain, reflecting its location and its characteristic high isoelectric point. In an attempt to characterize the NC4 domain in more detail, we set up a prokaryotic expression system to produce the domain. The purified 27.5-kDa product was analyzed for its glycosaminoglycan-binding potential by surface plasmon resonance and solid-state assays. The results show that the NC4 domain of collagen IX specifically binds heparin with a K-d of 0.6 muM, and the full-length recombinant collagen IX has an even stronger interaction with heparin, with an apparent K-d of 3.6 nM. The heparin-binding site of the NC4 domain was located in the extreme N terminus, containing a heparin-binding consensus sequence, whereas electron microscopy suggested the presence of at least three additional heparin-binding sites on full-length collagen IX. The NC4 domain was also shown to bind cartilage oligomeric matrix protein. This interaction and the association of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein with other regions of collagen IX were found to be heparin-competitive. Circular dichroism analyses of the NC4 domain indicated the presence of stabilizing disulfide bonds and a thermal denaturation point of about 80degreesC. The pattern of disulfide bond formation within the NC4 domain was identified by tryptic peptide mass mapping of the NC4 in native and reduced states. A similar pattern was demonstrated for the NC4 domain of full-length recombinant collagen IX