Peter J. Curtis

RABIES SUBUNIT VACCINES

Conclusions The secondary and tertiary structures of the rabies virus spike G protein are important for its ability to induce VN antibodies and confer immunity to the host. For a subunit peptide vaccine to be as effective as the native spike G protein, it would appear that the amino acid sequence comprising the antigenic determinant for VN antibody binding must be made to fold properly even when deprived of its native support structure. Since CNBr peptides have retained at least some of their antigenicity for binding antibodies from hyperimmune serum but not monoclonal VN antibodies, and their immunogenicity, then synthetic peptides containing corresponding sequences should show similar activities. Additionally, determinants that might be necessary for stimulating T lymphocytes would have to be built into the synthetic peptide preparation. It would also appear that a properly folded peptide might have to be aggregated into suitably large particles for it to achieve its full protective effect. Adjuvants may serve in this capacity to enhance the immune response to relevant peptides and thus improve the immunogenicity of a subunit vaccine that ultimately protects animals and humans against rabies virus infection.

A model system for detection and isolation of a tumor cell surface antigen using antibody phage display

To establish a screening procedure for tumor cell-surface reactive Fabs, we used a model antigen/antibody system including the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) and the anti-EGF-R monoclonal antibody 425. The 425 Fab was displayed on the surface of M13 filamentous phage. In a screening assay for 425 phage binding to tumor cell surfaces, biotinylated 425-phage bound specifically to EGF-R-positive A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells and not to K562 non-expressor erythroleukemia cells. With a model library, the sensitivity of phage enrichment by phage binding to cell surfaces was one 425-phage in 20,000 unrelated phages after 4 rounds of panning on A431 cells. In a phage tissue screening assay, 425-phage, but not unrelated phage, bound specifically to melanoma cells expressing EGF-R. Epitope and idiotope specificity of 425-phage was demonstrated in phage competition assays, using as targets A431 cells and anti-idiotypic antibodies to monoclonal antibody 425, respectively. Finally, the EGF-R protein was directly isolated from A431 cell extracts, using biotinylated 425-phage. The data obtained with the 425 model library system demonstrate the usefulness of antibody phage display for the rapid identification and isolation of tumor or other disease-related cell surface antigens.

Nucleotide sequence of mouse 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase cDNA and expression of its gene in hepatic and erythroid tissues.

The cDNA coding for 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) synthase (EC 2.3.1.37) in both liver and anemic spleen of the mouse has been cloned. The liver clone was selected by complementation of an Escherichia coli hemA mutant. Erythroid clones were obtained by screening a cDNA library made from mouse anemic spleen RNA, using the liver cDNA as a probe. The sequences of the spleen-derived and liver-derived cDNAs are identical. The nucleotide sequence and predicted amino acid (aa) sequence of a 1.85-kb spleen-derived cDNA is presented. The mouse ALA synthase as sequence displays extensive homology to ALA synthase of chick embryonic liver. The ALA synthase mRNA, detected by Northern blot analysis, was the same size, approx. 2.3 kb, in mouse liver, anemic spleen, and mouse erythroleukemia cells. It is therefore unlikely that different isozymic forms of ALA synthase are present in mouse erythroid and hepatic tissue and this is not the basis for the different effects of heme and porphyrinogenic compounds on the expression of liver and erythroid ALA synthase.

Immunotherapeutic Suppression of Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase and Tumor Growth with Ethyl Pyruvate

Efforts to improve cancer care in the developing world will benefit from the identification of simple, inexpensive, and broadly applicable medical modalities based on emergent innovations in treatment, such as targeting mechanisms of tumoral immune tolerance. In this report, we offer preclinical evidence that the low-cost, anti-inflammatory agent ethyl pyruvate elicits a potent immune-based antitumor response through inhibition of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), a key tolerogenic enzyme for many human tumors. Consistent with its reported ability to interfere with NF-kappaB function, ethyl pyruvate blocks IDO induction both in vitro and in vivo. Antitumor activity was achieved in mice with a noncytotoxic dosing regimen of ethyl pyruvate shown previously to protect against lethality from sepsis. Similar outcomes were obtained with the functional ethyl pyruvate analogue 2-acetamidoacrylate. Ethyl pyruvate was ineffective at suppressing tumor outgrowth in both athymic and Ido1-deficient mice, providing in vivo corroboration of the importance of T-cell-dependent immunity and IDO targeting for ethyl pyruvate to achieve antitumor efficacy. Although ethyl pyruvate has undergone early-phase clinical testing, this was done without consideration of its possible applicability to cancer. Our findings that IDO is effectively blocked by ethyl pyruvate treatment deepen emerging links between IDO and inflammatory processes. Further, these findings rationalize oncologic applications for this agent by providing a compelling basis to reposition ethyl pyruvate as a low-cost immunochemotherapy for clinical evaluation in cancer patients.

Production of a functional monoclonal antibody recognizing human colorectal carcinoma cells from a baculovirus expression system

The light and heavy chain cDNA of a murine monoclonal antibody (MoAb) with specificity for human colorectal carcinoma cells have been expressed separately, together, and as a dual construct in insect cells infected with recombinant baculoviruses. High levels of the MoAb were expressed under the control of the polyhedrin promoter. The antibody maintained its specific binding to human colorectal carcinoma cells and mediated lysis of these cells by human lymphocytes, monocytes, and murine macrophages, as determined in antibody-directed cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) assays. The recombinant immunoglobulin (Ig), like its ascitic counterpart, did not mediate lysis by either human or rabbit complement. The expression of a recombinant antibody exhibiting both functional binding site and Fc region capacities shows that the baculovirus system could be employed in the production of therapeutic Ig.

Sequence comparison of human and murine erythrocyte alpha-spectrin cDNA

The results of hybridization analyses using cDNA probes for mouse and human alpha-spectrin mRNA indicate that a single gene encodes the alpha-subunit of erythrocyte spectrin. Sequencing of the cDNA clones showed that they code for 370 amino acids (aa) covering three repeat domains close to the C terminus of alpha-spectrin. The cloned cDNAs will now permit the isolation of the alpha-spectrin gene and should lead to the characterization of the genetic aspects in human hereditary anemias in which alpha-spectrin has been characterized as the site of the molecular defect.

Molecular evolution of the carbonic anhydrase genes: Calculation of divergence time for mouse carbonic anhydrase I and II

SummaryA cDNA clone in pBR322 that cross-hybridizes with a mouse carbonic anhydrase form II (CAII) probe has been sequenced and identified as mouse carbonic anhydrase form I (CAI). The 1224-base-pair clone encodes the entire 260-amino-acid protein and appears to contain an Alu-like element in the 3′ untranslated region. The deduced amino acid sequence exhibits 77% homology to human CAI and contains 17 of the 20 residues that are considered unique to and invariant for all mammalian CAI isozymes. The results of a detailed comparison of the nucleic acid sequences spanning the coding regions of mouse CAI and rabbit CAI have been used to calibrate an evolutionary clock for the carbonic anhydrases (CAs). These data have been applied to a comparison of the mouse CAI and CAII nucleic acid sequences to calculate the divergence time between the two genes. The divergence-time calculation provides the first estimation of the evolutionary relationship between CAs based entirely on nucleotide sequence comparison.

The exon-intron organization of the human erythrocyte α-spectrin gene

Abstract The human erythrocyte α-spectrin gene which spans 80 kbp has been cloned from human genomic DNA as overlaping λ recombinants. The exon-intron junctions were identified and the exons mapped. The gene is encoded by 52 exons whose sizes range from 684 bp to the smallest of 18 bp. The donor and acceptor splice site sequences match the splice site consensus sequences, with the exception of one splice site where a donor sequence begins with -GC. The size and location of exons do not correlate with the 106-amino-acid repeat, except in three locations where the surrounding codons are conserved as well. The lack of correspondence between exons and the 106-amino-acid repeat is interpreted to reflect the appearance of a spectrin-like gene from a minigene early in the evolution of eukaryotes. Since current evidence indicates that introns were present in genes before the divergence of prokaryotes and eukaryotes, it is possible that the original distribution of introns within the minigene has been lost by the random deletion of introns from the spectrin gene.

Cloning of rabies virus matrix protein mRNA and determination of its amino acid sequence

A cDNA clone of mRNA for rabies virus matrix (M) protein has been identified. The clone hybridizes to an mRNA species from rabies virus-infected cells, whose size correlates to the size of the M protein in rabies virions, and selects an mRNA that translates into a polypeptide corresponding in size to M protein. The nucleotide sequence of the cloned cDNA was determined and from this a complete amino acid sequence for M protein was deduced. The deduced sequence of 202 amino acids bears no detectable sequence homology with vesicular stomatitis virus M protein although these proteins may share functional homology.

Assignment of mouse beta-spectrin gene to chromosome 12

The structural gene for the Β-subunit of the mouse erythrocyte spectrin, hereinafter designated as Sp-b, was assigned to the mouse chromosome 12. This assignment was made by Southern analysis of genomic DNA from mouse X Chinese hamster hybrid cells using cloned mouse erythrocyte Β-spectrin cDNA as a probe. In the PstI-digested genomic hamster cell DNA a single band of 2.0 kb was detected, whereas PstI-digested mouse DNA gave a band of 4.2 kb, when probed with the mouse erythroid Β-spectrin cDNA clone. This allowed us to analyze a panel of mouse X Chinese hamster somatic cell hybrids to map this gene to chromosome 12. Interestingly, this assignment is different from that observed for the α-subunit of spectrin, which has been mapped to chromosome 1 in mouse. These results serve as a basis for further genetic characterization of the mouse hemolytic anemias.