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Biomedical subjects

D C Watson

Publications and source records attributed to D C Watson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Protection of mice against Salmonella typhimurium with an O-specific polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccine.

Serious infections with salmonellae remain a threat in many human populations. Despite extensive study of salmonella infections in animals and clinical experience with killed cellular vaccines, there are no vaccines against serotypes other than Salmonella typhi licensed for human use. Serum antibodies to the O-specific polysaccharide (O-SP) of salmonellae protect mice against invasive infection. In order to render it immunogenic, we have conjugated the O-SP of Salmonella typhimurium to carrier proteins by various schemes. O-SP conjugated to tetanus toxoid (O-SP-TT) elicited antibodies in outbred mice after three subcutaneous injections without adjuvant. The O-SP alone elicited no detectable antibody. The antibody response to O-SP-TT was boosted by successive doses and consisted of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM. Most mice only produced antibodies specific for the abequose (O:4 factor) region of the O-SP. Occasional animals also produced antibodies to the core oligosaccharide. Immunized mice were protected against intraperitoneal challenge with S. typhimurium, demonstrating a 160-fold increase in the 50% lethal dose. Passive immunization with conjugate-induced IgM or IgG also protected against challenge. These results indicate that an O-SP-TT conjugate, when given by a route and formulation acceptable for human use, protects mice against challenge with S. typhimurium.

Animals

The practice of cardiothoracic surgeons in the perioperative staging of non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: The treatment and prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer, and assessment of the results of treatment, depend on accurate perioperative staging. The extent to which this is carried out in the United Kingdom is unknown. METHODS: A postal questionnaire survey was undertaken in 1990 to determine the perioperative staging practices of cardiothoracic surgeons in the United Kingdom. RESULTS: Replies from 77 surgeons, who between them performed about 4833 pulmonary resections a year for lung cancer, were analysed. Forty four per cent of surgeons, operating on 43% of the patients, do not perform computed tomography of the thorax or mediastinal exploration before surgery. They may therefore embark on a thoracotomy for stage III disease. At thoracotomy 45% of surgeons, operating on 40% of patients, do not sample macroscopically normal lymph nodes. They may therefore understage cases as N0/N1 when there is at least microscopic disease in mediastinal lymph nodes. CONCLUSIONS: The staging of lung cancer in the United Kingdom in 1990 appears in many instances to be inadequate. There should be a more organised approach to perioperative staging so that prognosis may be assessed and comparisons between groups of patients can be made.

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung

The amino acid sequences of jacalin and the Maclura pomifera agglutinin.

Amino acid sequences for the alpha-chains of the Moraceae lectins, jacalin and Maclura pomifera agglutinin, were determined by protein sequencing. Both are 133 residues long and contain several genetically variant positions; the overall homology is 85%. A possible site for the known glycopeptide of jacalin was located. The alpha-chains have a conserved tryptophan residue that may be part of the binding-site.

Amino Acid Sequence

The amino acid sequence of peanut agglutinin.

The amino acid sequence of peanut (Arachis hypogaea) agglutinin was determined from three major fragments obtained by mild acid cleavage at Asp-Pro peptide bonds. The sequence of 236 amino acids has residues identical to those that form the metal-binding site and the hydrophobic pocket in concanavalin A and other lectins, although the overall similarity is only 42%. In the segments of peanut agglutinin that correspond to the four loops that form the carbohydrate-binding site in concanavalin A and favin, several central residues are homologous, while others show changes to smaller side chains, such as Tyr----Gly. The carbohydrate-binding site of peanut agglutinin may therefore have a similar peptide-backbone architecture, but form a considerably more open cleft.

Amino Acid Sequence

Cloning, sequencing and expression of the Schwanniomyces occidentalis NADP-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase gene.

The cloned NADP-specific glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) genes of Aspergillus nidulans (gdhA) and Neurospora crassa (am) have been shown to hybridize under reduced stringency conditions to genomic sequences of the yeast Schwanniomyces occidentalis. Using 5' and 3' gene-specific probes, a unique 5.1 kb BclI restriction fragment that encompasses the entire Schwanniomyces sequence has been identified. A recombinant clone bearing the unique BclI fragment has been isolated from a pool of enriched clones in the yeast/E. coli shuttle vector pWH5 by colony hybridization. The identity of the plasmid clone was confirmed by functional complementation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gdh-1 mutation. The nucleotide sequence of the Schw. occidentalis GDH gene, which consists of 1380 nucleotides in a continuous reading frame of 459 amino acids, has been determined. The predicted amino acid sequence shows considerable homology with GDH proteins from other fungi and significant homology with all other available GDH sequences.

Amino Acid Sequence

Atrioventricular septal defect repair in infants.

From September 1984 through August 1989, 33 consecutive infants (mean age, 9 months; 13 male) received a single-stage intracardiac repair of complete atrioventricular septal defect. Preoperative evaluation of valvar morphology and function involved echocardiograms in 21% (7/33) and echocardiograms with cineangiograms in 79% (26/33). All infants operated on were included in the analysis. Patients with other complicating abnormalities were not excluded. All operations used a two-patch technique for closure of the atrioventricular septal defect in association with mitral valve repair. The newly formed septal leaflet of the mitral valve was repaired using unpledgeted interrupted sutures. Preoperative and postoperative echocardiograms were used to evaluate mitral valve regurgitation and left ventricular dysfunction as mild, moderate, or severe. The 30-day mortality was 6% (2/33). Follow-up ranged from 1 month to 60 months. Postoperative mitral valve insufficiency was mild in 84% versus 6% preoperatively, moderate in 3% versus 52% preoperatively, and severe in 13% versus 42% preoperatively. Mitral valve dysfunction necessitating reoperation occurred in 6% (2/31). Mitral valve function postoperatively was improved compared with preoperatively (p less than 0.001). The low 30-day operative mortality and the excellent late postoperative valvar function demonstrate the value of single-stage two-patch repair of atrioventricular septal defect early in life.

Congenital Abnormalities

Mycobacterium paratuberculosis antigen D: characterization and evidence that it is a bacterioferritin.

By using a combination of agarose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Mycobacterium paratuberculosis antigen D was resolved from a crude sonicated preparation of the organism and characterized as a component with a molecular mass of approximately 400,000 Da. While this component was composed mainly of protein, with unusually high proportions of glutamic acid and leucine, it was resistant to digestion with a number of proteolytic enzymes. Structural detail revealed by electron microscopy, amino acid sequence data, and the demonstration of a Soret band in its absorption spectrum indicated that antigen D was similar to an Escherichia coli bacterioferritin.

Amino Acid Sequence

Chromatographic purification and characterization of antigens A and D from Mycobacterium paratuberculosis and their use in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for diagnosis of paratuberculosis in sheep.

The protein antigens A and D were purified from culture filtrates and sonic extracts of laboratory strains of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis by salt precipitation and chromatography. The characterization of antigen A is shown here, and both antigens were evaluated along with lipoarabinomannan antigen in indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for the serodiagnosis of ovine paratuberculosis. After anion-exchange (DEAE-5PW) and hydrophobic (phenyl-5PW) chromatography using high-performance liquid chromatography, antigen A showed a prominant band in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) at 31 kDa with small amounts of low-molecular-mass proteins but with no evidence of antigen D. A single precipitin arc was evident with purified antigen A in crossed immunoelectrophoresis. The determination of the N-terminal amino acid sequence showed a high degree of homology between the 31-kDa component of antigen A and antigens of the BCG85 complex of Mycobacterium bovis BCG, a total of 24 of 26 residues being identical to those of BCG85C. A prominant SDS-PAGE band at 400 kDa and a single crossed-immunoelectrophoresis arc was also evident for antigen D after gel filtration (Sephacryl S-200), anion-exchange (DEAE-Sephacel), and concanavalin A-Sepharose affinity chromatography. By ELISA, purified antigen A detected antibody in the sera of 18 of 22 paratuberculosis-infected sheep (82% sensitivity), whereas the purified antigen D detected antibody in all 22 infected animals (100% sensitivity). Combined ELISA results showed increased specificity with some loss in sensitivity.

Amino Acid Sequence

The amino acid sequence of chymopapain from Carica papaya.

Chymopapain is a polypeptide of 218 amino acid residues. It has considerable structural similarity with papain and papaya proteinase omega, including conservation of the catalytic site and of the disulphide bonding. Chymopapain is like papaya proteinase omega in carrying four extra residues between papain positions 168 and 169, but differs from both papaya proteinases in the composition of its S2 subsite, as well as in having a second thiol group, Cys-117. Some evidence for the amino acid sequence of chymopapain has been deposited as Supplementary Publication SUP 50153 (12 pages) at the British Library Document Supply Centre, Boston Spa., Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ, U.K., from whom copies may be obtained on the terms indicated in Biochem. J. (1990) 265, 5. The information comprises Supplement Tables 1-4, which contain, in order, amino acid compositions of peptides from tryptic, peptic, CNBr and mild acid cleavages, Supplement Fig. 1, showing re-fractionation of selected peaks from Fig. 2 of the main paper. Supplement Fig. 2, showing cation-exchange chromatography of the earliest-eluted peak of Fig. 3 of the main paper, Supplement Fig. 3, showing reverse-phase h.p.l.c. of the later-eluted peak from Fig. 3 of the main paper, and Supplement Fig. 4, showing the separation of peptides after mild acid hydrolysis of CNBr-cleavage fragment CB3.

Amino Acid Sequence

The complete amino-acid sequence of a trout-testis non-histone protein, H6, localized in a subset of nucleosomes and its similarity to calf-thymus non-histone proteins HMG-14 and HMG-17.

The complete amino acid sequence of a basic non-histone protein, H6, isolated from the chromatin of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdnerii) testis cells, has been determined. Protein H6, first described by D. T. Wigle and G. H. Dixon [J. Biol. Chem. 246, 5636--5644 (1971)] was extracted with 5% trichloracetic acid and purified by ion-exchange chromatography on carboxymethyl-cellulose (CM-52). Sequence analysis was performed by automatic Edman degradation of the amino terminus of the intact protein and a series of large fragments derived by cleavage with chymotrypsin, staphylococcal protease and with mild acid to cleave at aspartic acid residues. Protein H6 possesses 69 residues and shows considerable similarities to the 89-residue calf thymus HMG-17 protein previously sequenced [Walker, J. M., Hastings, J. R. B. & Johns, E. W. (1977) Eur. J. Biochem. 76, 461--468]. B. Levy W. and G. H. Dixon [Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 2810--2814 (1977)] have shown that H6 is selectively solubilized when trout testis nuclei (or chromatin) are digested with DNase I under conditions which preferentially hydrolyze that portion of DNA enriched in transcribed sequences [Levy, W. B. & Dixon, G. H. (1977) Nucleic Acids Res. 4, 883--898]. Recently H6 has been located as a stoichiometric component of a distinct subset of trout testis nucleosomes that are complexed with a core nucleosome comprising 140 base pairs of DNA and the inner histones H2A, H2B, H3 and H4 [Levy, W. B., Connor, W. & Dixon, G. H. (1979) J. Biol. Chem., in the press].

Amino Acid Sequence

Primary osteogenic sarcoma of the heart.

The clinical course of a 17-year-old boy with primary osteogenic sarcoma of the left atrium with partial obstruction of the mitral valve and the right pulmonary veins is described. After operative removal of the tumor, echocardiography documented its rapid recurrence. Despite two subsequent open-heart operations and adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the patient died twenty-one months after the initial symptoms. Previous reports of such tumors are reviewed, and technical difficulties of removal are discussed.

Adolescent

Multiacetylated forms of H4 are found in a putative transcriptionally competent chromatin fraction from trout testis.

We have examined the distribution of acetylated histones derived from various trout testis chromatin fractions of different composition. Our results indicate that a chromatin fraction, preferentially solubilized by micrococcal nuclease, containing the bulk of the HMG proteins and similar to a fraction released from intact trout nuclei and previously shown to be enriched in transcribed DNA sequences also possesses high levels of multiacetylated species of H4. Histones 2A, 2B and 3 are also acetylated in this particular chromatin fraction. Monoacetylated species of the 4 inner nucleosomal histones appear to be characteristic of the nucleohistone portion of trout testis chromatin.

Acetates

Distant heart procurement for transplantation.

Between January 1, 1977, and September 15, 1978, 39 cardiac transplants were performed on 38 patients. Twenty donor hearts were removed at Stanford University Hospital, and 19 donor hearts were removed at distant hospitals. The characteristics of recipients and donors in both groups were similar. The only significant difference between donor hearts was the mean ischemia time (154 +/- 30 minutes in distant hearts and 52 +/- 12 minutes in local hearts, P less than 0.001). As of February 1, 1979, the total mortality rate was 32% for the distant heart donors and 40% for the local heart donors. No difference between the two groups was present in immediate myocardial function, the need for postoperative inotropic support, the mortality rate within the first 90 days after operation, the mean maximum serum enzyme levels, the occurrence of rejection or infection, and the histological appearance of the hearts, both early and late. The results of cardiac transplantation when hearts are removed at distant hospitals are entirely comparable to the results with hearts removed on site with a minimum ishchemic time. Distant heart procurement provides an expanded donor pool for potential cardiac recipients.

Coronary Vessels

Deconvolution analysis in radionuclide quantitation of left-to-right cardiac shunts.

A poor bolus injection results in an unsatisfactory quantitative radionuclide angiocardiogram in as many as 20% of children with possible, left-to-right (L-R) cardiac shunts. Deconvolution analysis was applied to similar studies in experimental animals to determine whether dependence on the input bolus could be minimized. Repeated good-bolus, prolonged (greater than 2.5 sec), or multiple-peak injections were made in four normal dogs and seven dogs with surgically created atrial septal defects (ASD). QP/QS was determined using the gamma function. The mean QP/QS from ten good-bolus studies in each animal was used as the standard for comparison. In five trials in normal animals, where a prolonged or double-peak bolus led to a shunt calculation (QP/QS greater than 1.2 : 1), deconvolution resulted in QP/QS = 1.0. Deconvolution improved shunt quantitation in eight of ten trials in animals that received a prolonged bolus. The correlation between the reference QP/QS and the QP/QS calculated from uncorrected bad bolus studies was only 0.39 (p greater than 0.20). After deconvolution using a low pass filter, the correlation improved significantly (r = 0.77, p less than 0.01). The technique gave inconsistent results with multiple-peak bolus injections. Deconvolution analysis in these studies is useful in preventing normals from being classified as shunts, and in improving shunt quantitation after a prolonged bolus. Clinical testing of this technique in children with suspected L-R shunts seems warranted.

Angiocardiography

Sites of phosphorylation on pyruvate dehydrogenase from bovine kidney and heart.

The highly purfied pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (EC 1.2.4.1) and uncomplexed pyruvate dehydrogenase from bovine kidney and heart mitochondria were phosphorylated and inactivated with pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase and [gamma-32P]ATP. Tryptic digestion of the phosphorylated pyruvate dehydrogenase yielded three phosphopeptides, a mono- (site 1) and a di- (sites 1 and 2) phosphorylated tetradecapeptide and a monophosphorylated nonapeptide (site 3). The amino acid sequences of the three phosphopeptides were established to be Tyr-His-Gly-His-Ser(P)-Met-Ser-Asn-Pro-Gly-Val-Ser-Tyr-Arg, Tyr-His-Gly-His-Ser(P)-Met-Ser-Asn-Pro-Gly-Val-Ser(P)-Tyr-Arg, and Tyr-Gly-Met-Gly-Thr-Ser(P)-Val-Glu-Arg. Phosphorylation proceeded markedly faster at site 1 than at sites 2 and 3, and phosphorylation at site 1 correlated closely with inactivation of pyruvate dehydrogenase. Complete inactivation of pyruvate dehydrogenase was associated with incorporation at site 1 of 1.0--1.6 mol of phosphoryl groups per mol of enzyme. Since pyruvate dehydrogenase is a tetramer (alpha2beta2) and since phosphorylation occurs only on the alpha subunit, the possibility of half-site reactivity is considered.

Adenosine Triphosphate