| 51. |
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| 52. |
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| 53. |
- Ben Nasr, Abdelhakim, et al.
(författare)
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Absorption of kininogen from human plasma by Streptococcus pyogenes is followed by the release of bradykinin
- 1997
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Ingår i: Biochemical Journal. - : Portland Press Ltd.. - 0264-6021 .- 1470-8728. ; 326:3, s. 657-660
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- H-kininogen (high-molecular-mass kininogen, HK) is the precursor of the vasoactive peptide hormone bradykinin (BK). Previous work has demonstrated that HK binds to Streptococcus pyogenes through M-proteins, fibrous surface proteins and important virulence factors of these bacteria. Here we find that M-protein-expressing bacteria absorb HK from human plasma. The HK bound to the bacteria was found to be cleaved, and analysis of the degradation pattern suggested that the cleavage of HK at the bacterial surface is associated with the release of BK. Moreover, addition of activated plasma prekallikrein to bacteria preincubated with human plasma, resulted in BK release. This mechanism, by which a potent vasoactive and proinflammatory peptide is generated at the site of infection, should influence the host-parasite relationship during S. pyogenes infections.
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| 54. |
- Ben Nasr, Abdelhakim, et al.
(författare)
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Human kininogens interact with M protein, a bacterial surface protein and virulence determinant.
- 1995
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Ingår i: Biochemical Journal. - 0264-6021. ; 305:1, s. 80-173
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Streptococcus pyogenes, the most significant streptococcal species in clinical medicine, expresses surface proteins with affinity for several human plasma proteins. Here we report that kininogens, the precursors to the vasoactive kinins, bind to the surface of S. pyogenes. M protein, a surface molecule and a major virulence factor-in these bacteria, occurs in > 80 different serotypes. Among 49 strains of S. pyogenes, all of different M serotypes, 41 bound radiolabelled kininogens, whereas 6 M protein-negative mutant strains showed no affinity. M protein of most serotypes bind fibrinogen, and among the 55 strains tested, binding of kininogens was closely correlated to fibrinogen binding (r = 0.88, P < 0.0001). Western blotting, slot binding and enzyme immunoassay experiments demonstrated that M proteins isolated from S. pyogenes of three different M protein serotypes (M1, M6 and M46) bound kininogens. The affinity between kininogens and M1 protein was determined to be 5 x 10(7) M-1 and < or = 10(6) M-1 for high molecular weight (H-kininogen) and low molecular weight kininogen, respectively. The kininogen binding site was tentatively mapped to the N-terminal portion of M1 protein, and this site does not overlap the specific and separate binding sites for albumin, IgG and fibrinogen using monoclonal antibodies to, and synthetic peptides of, the kininogen sequence, the major M protein-binding site(s) was mapped to the C-terminal portion of the H-kininogen light chain. We anticipate that the kininogen-M protein interaction contributes to the host-parasite relationship in S. pyogenes infections.
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| 55. |
- Benthin, G, et al.
(författare)
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Transformation of subcutaneous nitric oxide into nitrate in the rat
- 1997
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Ingår i: The Biochemical journal. - : Portland Press Ltd.. - 0264-6021 .- 1470-8728. ; 323323 ( Pt 3), s. 853-858
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Following its addition to arterialized blood in vitro, nitric oxide (NO) is transformed into nitrate in the erythrocytes. Inhaled NO is similarly transformed into nitrate in the blood in vivo. These observations suggest that nitrate is a universal end-metabolite of NO, i.e. of endogenously formed NO as well. However, endogenous NO may also be inactivated in tissues, i.e. outside the vascular lumen. To study the fate of NO metabolized with delayed access to the blood, rats were given subcutaneous injections of 15NO or K15NO3, and the plasma concentrations of 15NO3- were followed for 450 min after injection. The values for the distribution volume and plasma decay (t½) of 15NO3- did not differ between rats given 15N-labelled NO and NO3-. The area under the plasma decay curve for rats given 15NO amounted to 89% of the corresponding area for animals given K15NO3. This demonstrates that 15NO, when given extravascularly in millimolar concentrations, is mainly transformed into 15N-labelled nitrate. Other rats were kept in an atmosphere containing a mixture of 16O2 and 18O2. Nitrate residues containing either one or two 18O atoms were isolated from the blood, indicating that inhaled oxygen was incorporated during both the formation of NO and the subsequent transformation of NO into nitrate. The fraction of nitrate residues containing two 18O atoms was larger than that containing one 18O atom. We propose that nitrate is a major stable metabolite of endogenous NO that does not primarily diffuse into the vascular lumen following formation. Hence nitrate seems to be the quantitatively most important end-product of the metabolism of endogenous NO. The transformation of endogenous NO into nitrate involves the incorporation of inhaled oxygen.
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| 56. |
- Berggren Söderlund, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Expression of human all-trans-retinoic acid receptor beta and its ligand-binding domain in Escherichia coli
- 1995
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Ingår i: Biochemical Journal. - 0264-6021. ; 308:Pt 1, s. 353-359
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- all-trans-Retinoic acid, one of the hormonally active derivatives of vitamin A, occurs physiologically in plasma at a concentration below 10 nmol/l. The methods currently used for its quantification are based on HPLC, need about 1 ml of serum, are relatively laborious and thus not well suited for mass analysis. The affinity and specificity of retinoic acid receptors for all-trans-retinoic acid encouraged us to express both the entire human retinoic acid receptor beta (RAR-beta) and two versions of its retinoic acid-binding domain in Escherichia coli in the hope that these recombinant proteins might be used as binders in a ligand-binding assay for all-trans-retinoic acid. The recombinant receptors, the whole receptor [RAR-beta-(V7-Q448)], corresponding to domains A-F, and the ligand-binding domain [RAR-beta-(E149-Q448)], corresponding to domains D-F, were expressed in the vector pET 3d/BL21 (DE3) as inclusion bodies, solubilized with guanidinium chloride, renatured and purified by ion-exchange chromatography. RAR-beta-(P193-Q448), corresponding to domains E-F, was expressed in the vector pET 3d/BL21(DE3)pLysS, and purified by reversed-phase chromatography. Under non-denaturing conditions, the expressed whole receptor [RAR-beta-(V7-Q448)] and the D-F construct (RAR-beta-(E149-Q448)] behaved chromatographically as monomeric proteins whereas the E-F construct [RAR-beta-(P193-Q448)] had a strong tendency to aggregate. RAR-beta-(V7-Q448) and RAR-beta-(E149-Q448) had similar Kd values for all-trans-retinoic acid (1.4 and 0.6 nmol/l respectively) whereas RAR-beta-(P193-Q448) bound all-trans-retinoic acid less avidly (Kd 9.6 nmol/l). 9-cis-Retinoic acid bound to RAR-beta-(E149-Q448) and RAR-beta-(V7-Q448) as avidly as all-trans-retinoic acid. Competition experiments showed weak or no binding of 4-oxo-all-trans-retinoic acid, 4-oxo-13-cis-retinoic acid, 13-cis-retinoic acid, acitretin and retinol by RAR-beta-(E149-Q448).
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| 57. |
- Berndt, Carsten, et al.
(författare)
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Chelation of lysosomal iron protects against ionizing radiation.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Biochemical Journal. - 0264-6021 .- 1470-8728. ; 432:2, s. 295-301
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ionizing radiation causes DNA damage and consequent apoptosis, mainly due to the production of hydroxyl radicals (HO•) that follows radiolytic splitting of water. However, superoxide (O2•-) and H2O2 also form and induce oxidative stress with resulting LMP (lysosomal membrane permeabilization) arising from iron-catalysed oxidative events. The latter will contribute significantly to radiation-induced cell death and its degree largely depends on the quantities of lysosomal redox-active iron present as a consequence of autophagy and endocytosis of iron-rich compounds. Therefore radiation sensitivity might be depressed by lysosome-targeted iron chelators. In the present study, we have shown that cells in culture are significantly protected from ionizing radiation damage if initially exposed to the lipophilic iron chelator SIH (salicylaldehyde isonicotinoyl hydrazone), and that this effect is based on SIH-dependent lysosomal stabilization against oxidative stress. According to its dose-response-modifying effect, SIH is a most powerful radioprotector and a promising candidate for clinical application, mainly to reduce the radiation sensitivity of normal tissue. We propose, as an example, that inhalation of SIH before each irradiation session by patients undergoing treatment for lung malignancies would protect normally aerated lung tissue against life-threatening pulmonary fibrosis, whereas the sensitivity of malignant lung tumours, which usually are non-aerated, will not be affected by inhaled SIH.
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| 58. |
- Bessueille, Laurence, et al.
(författare)
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Plasma membrane microdomains from hybrid aspen cells are involved in cell wall polysaccharide biosynthesis
- 2009
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Ingår i: Biochemical Journal. - : Portland Press Ltd.. - 0264-6021 .- 1470-8728. ; 420, s. 93-103
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Detergent-resistant plasma membrane microdomains [DRMs (detergent-resistant membranes)] were isolated recently from several plant species. As for animal cells, a large range of cellular functions, such as signal transduction, endocytosis and protein trafficking, have been attributed to plant lipid rafts and DRMs. The data available are essentially based on protcomics and more approaches need to be undertaken to elucidate the precise function of individual populations of DRMs in plants. We report here the first isolation of DRMs from purified plasma membranes of a tree species, the hybrid aspen Populus tremula x tremuloides, and their biochemical characterization. Plasma membranes were solubilized with Triton X-100 and the resulting DRMs were isolated by flotation in sucrose density gradients. The DRMs were enriched in sterols, sphingolipids and glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins and thus exhibited similar properties to DRMs from other species. However, they contained key carbohydrate synthases involved in cell wall polysaccharide biosynthesis, namely callose [(1 -> 3)-beta-D-glucan] and cellulose synthases. The association of these enzymes with DRMs was demonstrated using specific glucan synthase assays and antibodies, as well as biochemical and chemical approaches for the characterization of the polysaccharides synthesized in vitro by the isolated DRMs. More than 70% of the total glucan synthase activities present in the original plasma membranes was associated with the DRM fraction. In addition to shedding light on the lipid environment of callose and cellulose synthases, our results demonstrate the involvement of DRMs in the biosynthesis of important cell wall polysaccharides. This novel concept suggests a function of plant membrane microdomains in cell growth and morphogenesis.
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| 59. |
- Bhongir, Ravi K. V., et al.
(författare)
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DNA-fragmentation is a source of bactericidal activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- 2017
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Ingår i: Biochemical Journal. - 0264-6021. ; 474:3, s. 411-425
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa airway infection is common in cystic fibrosis (CF), a disease also characterized by abundant extracellular DNA (eDNA) in the airways. The eDNA is mainly derived from neutrophils accumulating in the airways and contributes to a high sputum viscosity. The altered environment in the lower airways also paves the way for chronic P. aeruginosa infection. Here, we show that mice with P. aeruginosa airway infection have increased survival and decreased bacterial load after topical treatment with DNase. Furthermore, DNA from the sputum of CF patients showed increased bactericidal activity after treatment with DNase ex vivo. Both degraded DNA of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and genomic DNA degraded by serum, acquired bactericidal activity against P. aeruginosa. In vitro, small synthetic DNA-fragments (<100 base pairs) but not large fragments nor genomic DNA, were bactericidal against Gram-negative but not Grampositive bacteria. The addition of divalent cations reduced bacterial killing, suggesting that chelation of divalent cations by DNA results in destabilization of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) envelope. This is a novel antibacterial strategy where fragmentation of eDNA and DNA-fragments can be used to treat P. aeruginosa airway infection.
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| 60. |
- Birkholtz, Lyn-Marie, et al.
(författare)
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Polyamine homoeostasis as a drug target in pathogenic protozoa: peculiarities and possibilities
- 2011
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Ingår i: Biochemical Journal. - London : The Biochemical Society. - 0264-6021 .- 1470-8728. ; 438, s. 229-244
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- New drugs are urgently needed for the treatment of tropical and subtropical parasitic diseases, such as African sleeping sickness. Chagas' disease, leishmaniasis and malaria. Enzymes in polyamine biosynthesis and thiol metabolism, as well as polyamine transporters, are potential drug targets within these organisms. In the present review, the current knowledge of unique properties of polyamine metabolism in these parasites is outlined. These properties include prozyme regulation of AdoMetDC (S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase) activity in trypanosomatids, co-expression of ODC (ornithine decarboxylase) and AdoMetDC activities in a single protein in plasmodia, and formation of trypanothione, a unique compound linking polyamine and thiol metabolism in trypanosomatids. Particularly interesting features within polyamine metabolism in these parasites are highlighted for their potential in selective therapeutic strategies.
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