Short review: field recovery and potential information value of small elements of the skeleton.

The recovery of small elements of the skeleton (e.g. hyoid, carpals, and hand and foot phalanges) is one of the established tasks of the archaeologist and physical anthropologist when working in the field, whether in an archaeological or forensic context. In the present work, we illustrate the field location of ossified laryngeal cartilages, hand sesamoids, and the medial clavicular epiphyses. The potential information offered by these elements is briefly summarized. The frequency of these elements observed in a cemetery dating from 1943 indicates the possibility that these elements could be found in other contexts at a higher frequency than expected.

Inhibition of activity of the protease from bovine leukemia virus.

In view of the close similarity between bovine leukemia virus (BLV) and human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) we investigated the possibility of developing specific inhibitors of the proteases of these retroviruses using the purified enzyme from BLV. We tested the ability of this protease to specifically cleave various short oligopeptide substrates containing cleavage sites of BLV and HTLV-I proteases, as well as a recombinant BLV Gag precursor. The best substrate, a synthetic decapeptide bearing the natural cleavage site between the matrix and the capsid proteins of BLV Gag precursor polyprotein, was used to develop an inhibition assay. We determined the relative inhibitory effect of synthetic Gag precursor-like peptides in which the cleavable site was replaced by a non-hydrolyzable moiety. The encouraging inhibitory effect of these compounds indicates that potent non-peptidic inhibitors for retroviral proteases are not unattainable.

Modelling, synthesis and biological activity of a BLV proteinase, made of (only) 116 amino acids.

Bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) is the aetiological agent of Leukosis enzootica bovis [Viral Oncology (1980), G. Klein (Ed.) Raven Press, New York, pp. 231-238], a widely spread disease in cattle. BLV is reported as the animal model of human T-cell leukaemia virus (HLTV) which is the causative agent of adult T-cell leukaemia and tropical spastic paraparesis. Like the viruses themselves, the two retroviral proteinases (PR) are very closely related [Virology 142 (1985) 357-377]. BLV and HTLV-I PR are reported as putative proteins made of 126 [J. Virol. 57 (1986) 826-832] and 125 [FEBS Lett. 293 (1991) 106-110] amino acids, respectively (long sequences), belonging to the aspartyl proteinase family [Nature 329 (1987) 351-354], with the aid of molecular modelling, we show that BLV and HTLV-I proteinases made of only 116 and 115 amino acids, respectively (short sequences), display three-dimensional structures similar to that observed for other retroviral aspartyl proteinases. The models are based on three-dimensional structures of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV PR) and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1 PR). We used solid phase peptide synthesis to produce the putative proteolytic enzyme of BLV (116 amino acids). In this study, we show that the folded synthetic protease accurately hydrolyzes a decapeptide corresponding to the sequence of the Matrice-Capside (MA/CA) cleavage site of the gag polyprotein. In addition, the proteolytic activity is inhibited by a statine ((4S,3S)-4-amino-3-hydroxyl-6-methylheptanoic acid) containing an analogous sequence.

Conformational study of a putative HLTV-1 retroviral protease inhibitor.

The crystal structure of prolyl-glutaminyl-valyl-statyl-alanyl-leucine (Pro-Gln-Val-Sta-Ala-Leu, C(32)H(57)N(7)0(9).5H(2)0, M(r) = 683.9 + 90.1), a putative HTLV-1 protease inhibitor based on one of the consensus retroviral protease cleavage sequences, and containing the statine residue [(4S,3S)-4-amino-3-hydroxy-6-methylheptanoic acid], has been determined by X-ray diffraction. The same molecule has been modelled in the active site of the HTLV-1 protease and both conformations have been compared. The peptide crystallizes as a pentahydrate in space group P2(1) with a = 10.874(2), b = 9.501(2), c = 21.062(5) A, beta = 103.68 (1) degrees, Z = 2, V= 2114.3 A(3), D(x) = 1.21 g cm(-3), micro = 8.02 cm(-1), T= 293 K, lambda(Cu Kalpha) = 1.5418 A. The structure has been refined to an R value of 0.070 for 2152 observed reflections. The peptide main chain can be described as extended and adopts the usual zigzag conformation from the prolyl to the statyl residue. The main difference in conformation between the individual observed and modelled molecules is located on the Sta, Ala and Leu residues with the main chain of the modelled molecule rotated by about 180 degrees as compared to the observed conformation in the crystal state.

Modifications of biological activities of heparin and fraxiparine induced by the size and the age of a thrombus. Experimental study.

Heparin and its fractions have often been tested on fresh experimental thrombosis. However in human clinic, drugs are administered not on fresh, but rather on old constituted thrombi. In order to evaluate the effects of antithrombotic agents in these conditions, both drugs (unfractionated heparin and Fraxiparine) were administered on 150 rats at different times and so, could take effect on thrombi with different ages. Heparin was more active as its fraction on fresh thrombi (2 hours old), but no more effects could be observed for all drugs when the thrombus was 52 hours old. Biological activities (A.P.T.T., anti-IIa and anti-Xa activities) decreased as the thrombi increased in weight and age.