Preparation of mango peel-waste pectin-based nanofibers by solution blow spinning (SBS).

An essential prerequisite for successful solution blow spinning (SBS) is the presence of effective molecular entanglements of polymers in the solution. However, the fabrication of biopolymer fibers is not as straightforward as synthetic polymers. Particularly for biopolymers such as pectin, molecular entanglements are essential but insufficient for successful spinning through the SBS production method. Such a challenge is due to the biopolymer's complex nature. However, incorporating an easily spinnable polymer precursor, such as polyacrylonitrile (PAN), to pectin effectively enabled the production of fibers from the SBS process. In this process, PAN-assisted pectin nanofibers are produced with average diameters ranging from 410.75 ± 3.73 to 477.09 ± 6.60 nm using a feed flow rate of 5 ml h-1, air pressure of 3 bars, syringe tip to collector distance at 30 cm, and spinning time of 10 min. PAN in DMSO solvent at different volume ratios (i.e. 35%-55% v/v) was critical in assisting pectin to produce nanofibers. The addition of a high molecular weight polymer, PAN, to pectin also improved the viscoelasticity of the solution, eventually contributing to its successful SBS process. Furthermore, the composite SBS-spun fibers obtained suggest that its formation is concentration-dependent.

Prediction and monitoring of relapse in stage III melanoma using circulating tumor DNA.

BACKGROUND: The advent of effective adjuvant therapies for patients with resected melanoma has highlighted the need to stratify patients based on risk of relapse given the cost and toxicities associated with treatment. Here we assessed circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to predict and monitor relapse in resected stage III melanoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Somatic mutations were identified in 99/133 (74%) patients through tumor tissue sequencing. Personalized droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assays were used to detect known mutations in 315 prospectively collected plasma samples from mutation-positive patients. External validation was performed in a prospective independent cohort (n = 29). RESULTS: ctDNA was detected in 37 of 99 (37%) individuals. In 81 patients who did not receive adjuvant therapy, 90% of patients with ctDNA detected at baseline and 100% of patients with ctDNA detected at the postoperative timepoint relapsed at a median follow up of 20 months. ctDNA detection predicted patients at high risk of relapse at baseline [relapse-free survival (RFS) hazard ratio (HR) 2.9; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5-5.6; P = 0.002] and postoperatively (HR 10; 95% CI 4.3-24; P < 0.001). ctDNA detection at baseline [HR 2.9; 95% CI 1.3-5.7; P = 0.003 and postoperatively (HR 11; 95% CI 4.3-27; P < 0.001] was also associated with inferior distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). These findings were validated in the independent cohort. ctDNA detection remained an independent predictor of RFS and DMFS in multivariate analyses after adjustment for disease stage and BRAF mutation status. CONCLUSION: Baseline and postoperative ctDNA detection in two independent prospective cohorts identified stage III melanoma patients at highest risk of relapse and has potential to inform adjuvant therapy decisions.

The role of BRAF mutations in primary melanoma growth rate and survival.

BACKGROUND: The clinical behaviour and prognosis of primary melanomas harbouring BRAF mutations is not fully understood. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of mutation status on primary melanoma growth rate and melanoma-specific survival (MSS). METHODS: A prospective cohort of 196 patients with stage I-III primary cutaneous melanoma were followed for a median of 92 months, pre-dating the institution of BRAF inhibitor therapy. Clinicopathological variables were correlated with mutation status and hazard ratios (HRs) estimated for MSS. RESULTS: Of 196 tumours, 77 (39.2%) were BRAF V600E, 10 (5.1%) BRAF V600K and 33 (16.8%) were NRAS mutant. BRAF V600E mutant melanomas were associated with favourable clinical characteristics and tended to be slower growing compared with BRAF V600K, NRAS mutant or BRAF/NRAS wild-type tumours (0.12 mm per month, 0.61 mm per month, 0.36 mm per month and 0.23 mm per month, respectively; P = 0.05). There were 39 melanoma deaths, and BRAF mutant melanomas were associated with poorer MSS in stage I-III disease [HR 2.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20-5.63; P = 0.02] and stage I-II disease (HR 3.39, 95% CI 1.12-10.22; P = 0.03) after adjusting for other prognostic variables. Considered separately, BRAF V600E mutant melanomas were strongly associated with MSS independently of thickness and nodal status (HR 3.89, 95% CI 1.67-9.09; P < 0.01) but BRAF V600K mutant tumours were not (HR 1.19, 95% CI 0.36-3.92; P = 0.77). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of a BRAF mutation does not necessarily 'drive' more rapid tumour growth but is associated with poorer MSS in patients with early-stage disease.

Prokaryotic peptides that block leukocyte adherence to selectins.

Pertussis toxin binds target cells through the carbohydrate recognition properties of two subunits, S2 and S3, which share amino acid sequence similarity with the lectin domains of the eukaryotic selectin family. Selectins appear on inflamed endothelial cells and promote rolling of leukocytes by reversibly binding carbohydrates. S2, S3, and synthetic peptides representing their carbohydrate recognition domains competitively inhibited adherence of neutrophils to selectin-coated surfaces and to endothelial cells in vitro. These proteins and peptides also rapidly upregulated the function of the leukocyte integrin CD11b/CD18. These findings implicate mimicry of eukaryotic selectins by prokaryotic adhesive ligands and link the mechanisms underlying leukocyte trafficking to microbial pathogenesis.

Pertussis toxin S1 mutant with reduced enzyme activity and a conserved protective epitope.

Pertussis toxin (PTX) is a major virulence factor in whooping cough and can elicit protective antibodies. Amino acid residues 8 to 15 of PTX subunit S1 are important for the adenosine diphosphate-ribosyltransferase activity associated with the pathobiological effects of PTX. Furthermore, this region contains at least a portion of an epitope that elicits both toxin-neutralizing and protective antibody responses in mice. The gene encoding the S1 subunit was subjected to site-specific mutagenesis in this critical region. A mutant containing a single amino acid substitution (Arg9----Lys) had reduced enzymatic activity (approximately 0.02% of control) while retaining the protective epitope. This analog S1 molecule may provide the basis for a genetically detoxified PTX with potential for use as a component of an acellular vaccine against whooping cough.

A mammalian telomerase-associated protein.

The telomerase ribonucleoprotein catalyzes the addition of new telomeres onto chromosome ends. A gene encoding a mammalian telomerase homolog called TP1 (telomerase-associated protein 1) was identified and cloned. TP1 exhibited extensive amino acid similarity to the Tetrahymena telomerase protein p80 and was shown to interact specifically with mammalian telomerase RNA. Antiserum to TP1 immunoprecipitated telomerase activity from cell extracts, suggesting that TP1 is associated with telomerase in vivo. The identification of TP1 suggests that telomerase-associated proteins are conserved from ciliates to humans.

Spontaneous activation of latent cytomegalovirus from murine spleen explants. Role of lymphocytes and macrophages in release and replication of virus.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a major pathogen in the compromised host where many infections result from activation of latent virus. Because latent CMV infection has been difficult to study in humans, murine models have been developed and investigated. Here, we describe the events involved in activation of latent murine CMV (MCMV) from spleen explants in vitro. Infectious virus was no longer detectable in murine organs 4 mo after inoculatioN of 10(5) plaque-forming units of MCMV. 8-10 d after establishment of spleen explants, phagocytic macrophages covered 70-80% of the surface of tissue culture dishes, and lymphocytes were continuously released, reaching titers of 10(6) cells/ml. MCMV was produced spontaneously after 12-18 d from spleen explant cultures of 33 of 34 mice. Virus replicated to titers above 10(4) plaque-forming units/ml, remained at that level for 4-5 wk, and gradually disappeared as macrophages were lysed. Although MCMV was shown to be replicating in macrophages, these cells were never found to be the source of latent virus. Cell separation studies indicated that latent virus was initially released from 70% of lymphocyte cultures and was associated with the B cell enriched fraction. We conclude that MCMV establishes nonreplicating dormant infection in B lymphocytes, activates from these cells in spleen explant cultures, and is augmented in titer by replication in permissive macrophages.

Alkylation of cysteine 41, but not cysteine 200, decreases the ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of the S1 subunit of pertussis toxin.

Sulfhydryl-alkylating reagents are known to inactivate the NAD glycohydrolase and ADP-ribosyltransferase activities of the S1 subunit of pertussis toxin, a protein which contains two cysteines at positions 41 and 200. It has been proposed that NAD can retard alkylation of one of the two cysteines of this protein (Kaslow, H.R., and Lesikar, D.D. (1987) Biochemistry 26, 4397-4402). We now report that NAD retards the ability of these alkylating reagents to inactivate the S1 subunit. In order to determine which cysteine is protected by NAD, we used site-directed mutagenesis to construct analogs of the toxin with serines at positions 41 and/or 200. Sulfhydryl-alkylating reagents reduced the ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of the analog with a single cysteine at position 41; NAD retarded this inactivation. In contrast, sulfhydryl-alkylating reagents did not inactivate analogs with serine at position 41. An analog with alanine at position 41 possessed substantial ADP-ribosyltransferase activity. We conclude that alkylation of cysteine 41, and not cysteine 200, inactivates the S1 subunit of pertussis toxin, but that the sulfhydryl group of cysteine 41 is not essential for the ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of the toxin. These results suggest that the region near cysteine 41 contributes to features of the S1 subunit important for ADP-ribosyltransferase activity. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we found that changing aspartate 34 to asparagine, arginine 39 to lysine, and glutamine 42 to glutamate had little effect on ADP-ribosyltransferase activity. However, substituting an asparagine for the histidine at position 35 markedly decreased, but did not eliminate, ADP-ribosyltransferase activity. Chou-Fasman analysis predicted no significant modifications in secondary structure of the S1 peptide with the change of histidine 35 to asparagine. Thus, histidine 35 may interact with a substrate of the S1 subunit without being essential for catalysis.

Pertussis toxin has eukaryotic-like carbohydrate recognition domains.

Bordetella pertussis is bound to glycoconjugates on human cilia and macrophages by multiple adhesins, including pertussis toxin. The cellular recognition properties of the B oligomer of pertussis toxin were characterized and the location and structural requirements of the recognition domains were identified by site-directed mutagenesis of recombinant pertussis toxin subunits. Differential recognition of cilia and macrophages, respectively, was localized to subunits S2 and S3 of the B oligomer. Despite greater than 80% sequence homology between these subunits, ciliary lactosylceramide exclusively recognized S2 and leukocytic gangliosides bound only S3. Substitution at residue 44, 45, 50, or 51 in S2 resulted in a shift of carbohydrate recognition from lactosylceramide to gangliosides. Mutational exchange of amino acid residues 37-52 between S2 and S3 interchanged their carbohydrate and target cell specificity. Comparison of these carbohydrate recognition sequences to those of plant and animal lectins revealed that regions essential for function of the prokaryotic lectins were strongly related to a subset of eukaryotic carbohydrate recognition domains of the C type.

Telomere shortening and apoptosis in telomerase-inhibited human tumor cells.

Despite a strong correlation between telomerase activity and malignancy, the outcome of telomerase inhibition in human tumor cells has not been examined. Here, we have addressed the role of telomerase activity in the proliferation of human tumor and immortal cells by inhibiting TERT function. Inducible dominant-negative mutants of hTERT dramatically reduced the level of endogenous telomerase activity in tumor cell lines. Clones with short telomeres continued to divide, then exhibited an increase in abnormal mitoses followed by massive apoptosis leading to the loss of the entire population. This cell death was telomere-length dependent, as cells with long telomeres were viable but exhibited telomere shortening at a rate similar to that of mortal cells. It appears that telomerase inhibition in cells with short telomeres lead to chromosomal damage, which in turn trigger apoptotic cell death. These results provide the first direct evidence that telomerase is required for the maintenance of human tumor and immortal cell viability, and suggest that tumors with short telomeres may be effectively and rapidly killed following telomerase inhibition.

Photolabelling of mutant forms of the S1 subunit of pertussis toxin with NAD+.

The S1 subunit of pertussis toxin catalyses the hydrolysis of NAD+ (NAD+ glycohydrolysis) and the NAD(+)-dependent ADP-ribosylation of guanine-nucleotide-binding proteins. Recently, the S1 subunit of pertussis toxin was shown to be photolabelled by using radiolabelled NAD+ and u.v.; the primary labelled residue was Glu-129, thereby implicating this residue in the binding of NAD+. Studies from various laboratories have shown that the N-terminal portion of the S1 subunit, which shows sequence similarity to cholera toxin and Escherichia coli heat-labile toxin, is important to the maintenance of both glycohydrolase and transferase activity. In the present study the photolabelling technique was applied to the analysis of a series of recombinant-derived S1 molecules that possessed deletions or substitutions near the N-terminus of the S1 molecule. The results revealed a positive correlation between the extent of photolabelling with NAD+ and the magnitude of specific NAD+ glycohydrolase activity exhibited by the mutants. Enzyme kinetic analyses of the N-terminal mutants also identified a mutant with substantially reduced activity, a depressed photolabelling efficiency and a markedly increased Km for NAD+. The results support a direct role for the N-terminal region of the S1 subunit in the binding of NAD+, thereby providing a rationale for the effect of mutations in this region on enzymic activity.

Properties of pertussis toxin B oligomer assembled in vitro from recombinant polypeptides produced by Escherichia coli.

The subunits that make up the pentameric B oligomer of pertussis toxin (S2, S3, S4, and S5) were individually synthesized as recombinant polypeptides in Escherichia coli, isolated as insoluble inclusion bodies, and assembled into a multimeric form in vitro by spontaneous association following treatment with a chaotropic agent, reduction, and reoxidation. The recombinant B multimer, purified by fetuin-Sepharose affinity chromatography, contained all four of the individual subunits and possessed the mitogenic and hemagglutinating activities characteristic of the native B oligomer. Immunization of mice with the recombinant B oligomer elicited antibodies that neutralized pertussis toxin in vitro and, moreover, provided protection in vivo against the leukocytosis-promoting activity of the toxin. These results demonstrate the potential for assembly of complex multimeric proteins from recombinant DNA-derived polypeptides and provide a novel means for production of an acellular pertussis vaccine component.

Pertussis holotoxoid formed in vitro with a genetically deactivated S1 subunit.

The cytotoxicity of pertussis toxin, a multisubunit exotoxin produced by Bordetella pertussis, is believed to be due to the ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of the S1 subunit. We have previously described the recombinant expression of each of the five individual pertussis toxin subunits in Escherichia coli and the production of an enzymatically deficient form of the S1 subunit by site-directed mutagenesis. We now report the in vitro assembly of holotoxin from native pertussis toxin B oligomer and recombinant S1 subunits, the latter purified and refolded from insoluble inclusion bodies. Holotoxin assembled with recombinant S1 of authentic amino acid sequence was indistinguishable from native pertussis toxin in its electrophoretic migration and ability to elicit a cytopathic response in cultured Chinese hamster ovary cells; in contrast, holotoxin assembled with the genetically deactivated analog of recombinant S1 displayed greatly diminished cytopathicity. These results verify that the in vitro cytopathic effects of pertussis toxin are the result of the enzymatic activity of the S1 subunit and illustrate the potential for constructing complex quaternary protein structures in vitro from insoluble, unfolded polypeptides derived from expression in recombinant systems.

Role of carbohydrate recognition domains of pertussis toxin in adherence of Bordetella pertussis to human macrophages.

Pertussis toxin (PT) and filamentous hemagglutinin can each mediate the association of Bordetella pertussis with human macrophages. Adherence via filamentous hemagglutinin leads to integrin-mediated entry and survival of the bacteria within the human cell. We determined the contribution of PT to bacterial adherence to human macrophages. Plating macrophages on wells coated with recombinant PT subunit 2 (S2) or S3 decreased PT-dependent bacterial binding by greater than 60%; S1, S4, and S5 were ineffective. S3-dependent adherence was reduced 63% +/- 8% by sialic acid, while S2-dependent adherence was reduced 53% +/- 11% by galactose. Loss of the carbohydrate recognition properties of S2 by deletion of residues 40 to 54 or site-specific mutations at Asn-93, His-47, or Arg-50 eliminated the ability of the subunit protein to competitively inhibit bacterial binding. Peptides corresponding to residues 28 to 45 of S2 and S3 competitively inhibited adherence. Treatment of macrophages with antibodies to Le(a) or Le(x) but not CD14, CD15, CD18, or HLA interfered with PT-mediated binding. Exposure of the macrophages to the B oligomer, S2, or S3 increased binding to the CD11b/CD18 integrin. These results indicate that the carbohydrate recognition domains of both S2 and S3 participate in adherence of B. pertussis to human macrophages. The PT receptor(s), as yet unidentified, appears to carry the Le(a) or Le(x) determinants and is functionally capable of modulating integrin-mediated binding to the macrophage.