Biomedical subjects

V Barkholt

Publications and source records attributed to V Barkholt.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1988

Leaf-specific thionins of barley-a novel class of cell wall proteins toxic to plant-pathogenic fungi and possibly involved in the defence mechanism of plants.

A novel class of highly abundant polypeptides with antifungal activity has been detected in cell walls of barley leaves. Similar polypeptides known as thionins occur not only in monocotyledonous but also in various dictoyledonous plants. The leaf-specific thionins of barley are encoded by a complex multigene family, which consists of at least 50-100 members per haploid genome. All of these genes are confined to chromosome 6. The toxicity of these thionins for plant pathogenic fungi and the fact that their synthesis can also be triggered by pathogens strongly suggest that thionins are a naturally occurring, inducible plant protein possibly involved in the mechanism of plant defence against microbial infections.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1987

Amino acid sequence of endothiapepsin. Complete primary structure of the aspartic protease from Endothia parasitica.

The amino acid sequence of endothiapepsin, the aspartic protease from Endothia parasitica has been determined. The enzyme consists of 330 residues. The sequence determination was performed exclusively at the protein level. The homology of this fungal milk-clotting enzyme with aspartic proteases is demonstrated by alignment with pepsin, chymosin, gastricsin, renin, and cathepsin D from various vertebrates and proteinase A from Saccharomyces cerevisiae showing 25-30% identity. The identity with mucor rennin from Mucor pucillus was 21% and with penicillopepsin from Penicillium janthinellum 53%, the fungal enzymes thus representing the lowest as well as the highest degree of homology.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1987

Localization and functional significance of a polymorphic determinant in the third component of human complement.

A polymorphic epitope in the third component of human complement was studied. This allotypic system is distinct from the electrophoretically determined C3 S/F polymorphism and is defined by the recognition of one allotype by a monoclonal antibody. Allotypic protein variants, C3F+ (reactive with this antibody) and C3S- (non-reactive with the antibody), were purified. Deglycosylation studies and N-terminal sequencing of CNBr fragments, reactive with the antibody, revealed that the polymorphic epitope was present in a beta chain fragment of mol. wt 20,000. In the intact C3 molecule, this fragment is situated with N-terminus at residue No. 202, using the numbering of the cDNA derived amino acid sequence of human prepro C3. Addition of Fab fragments from the alloselective antibody preferentially inhibited the activity of C3F+ in a haemolytic assay which is selective for the C3 activity in the alternative complement pathway.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1986

Human complement component C2: production and characterization of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against C2.

Rabbit antibodies to human complement component C2 were produced by immunization of rabbits with precipitates from line immunoelectrophoresis, and the antibodies were used to monitor a classical chromatographic purification of C2 and for affinity purification of C2. Twelve monoclonal antibodies with specificity for human complement component C2 were produced by fusion of myeloma cells with spleen cells from mice immunized with the affinity purified C2. The specificity of the monoclonal antibodies was confirmed by their reaction with antigen-antibody precipitates where C2 was the antigen, and by their specific reaction with C2 after separation in SDS-PAGE followed by immunoblotting. The affinity of the monoclonal antibodies varied as demonstrated by the titration curves in ELISA. The antibodies will be of importance for immunospecific purification of human C2 and C2 fragments, for specific depletion of C2 from human serum, and for quantification of C2 for clinical purposes.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

Hemolytic plate assay for quantification of active human complement component C3 using methylamine-treated plasma as complement source.

A hemolytic plate assay specific for active human complement component C3 is described. The method is well suited for tracing active C3 during preparative purification or for screening of plasma samples. The assay is based on activation of the alternative pathway of complement by unmodified rabbit erythrocytes. Plasma treated with methylamine supplies the essential complement components other than C3. The lytic reaction is complete in 5 h at 37 degrees C and is unchanged by incubation overnight. The dose-response curve, i.e., lysis diameter versus logarithm of C3 concentration, is linear within 0.1-10 times normal plasma concentrations of C3. The standard deviation is below 10%. The hemolytic agarose plates are easy and inexpensive to prepare, and they can be stored at 4 degrees C for 2 weeks before use. This paper describes the optimal conditions of the assay and proves its specificity. Its use in C3 preparation and plasma screening for C3 is discussed.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

Isolation of Staphylococcus aureus clumping factor.

Immunochemically identical components were isolated from water-soluble phases of five Staphylococcus aureus strains by affinity chromatography on fibrinogen-linked Sepharose 4B. The elution was performed with 1 M MgCl2. The component could be isolated from sonicated preparations of whole cells, cell walls, and extracellular products of S. aureus but not from sonicated preparations of staphylococcal L-forms or from Staphylococcus epidermidis. Investigations of the eluted component by immunoelectrophoresis and Western blot analysis by use of different polyspecific antibodies to S. aureus raised in rabbits revealed only one immunoprecipitate or one band. By means of gel filtration on Sepharose CL 6B and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis a molecular mass of 420,000 and 360,000 was found, respectively. Chemical analysis showed a carbohydrate content of about 20% by weight. By crossed immunoelectrophoresis the isolated component was demonstrated to bind to human fibrinogen. The finding that this purified component inhibited the fibrinogen-induced clumping of staphylococci strongly suggests that the component is the S. aureus clumping factor.

Animals↗

PubMed1983

A simple alternative pathway for hemolytic assay of human complement component C3 using methylamine-treated plasma.

A quantitative, alternative pathway (AP) hemolytic assay for human complement component C3 has been developed. This AP-C3 assay is inexpensive, rapid, simple, reproducible and insensitive to C3 degradation products. The AP-C3 assay uses rabbit erythrocytes as complement activator and methylamine-treated plasma, depleted of C3 and C4, as complement source. Rabbit erythrocyte sensitivity varies little from batch to batch, and remains unaltered for at least one month in Alsever's solution. Methylamine plasma may be stored at -20 degrees C for 3 months. AP-C3 lysis of 5-25% of erythrocytes is complete in 20 min and does not change subsequently. The AP-C3 assay is optimally stable at 2 mM Mg2+, 5 mM EGTA and at 5 X 10(7) erythrocytes/ml, yet insensitive to at least 20% deviation in these concentrations. The AP-C3 assay is specific to functional C3 and well suited for determination in plasma samples and during C3 preparation. Adding excessive amounts of C3c or plasma components other than C3 does not change the hemolytic response. The level of native C3 in plasma from 14 donors relative to a reference plasma pool ranged from 0.78 to 1.23. The standard deviation of relative C3 determinations did not exceed 2%.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Preparation of bioconjugates by solid-phase conjugation to ion exchange matrix-adsorbed carrier proteins.

A solid-phase conjugation method utilizing carrier protein bound to an ion exchange matrix was developed. Ovalbumin was adsorbed to an anion exchange matrix using a batch procedure, and the immobilized protein was then derivatized with iodoacetic acid N-hydroxysuccinimid ester. The activated protein was conjugated with glutathione, the conjugation ratio determined by acid hydrolysis, and amino acid analysis performed with quantification of carboxymethyl cysteine. Elution of conjugates from the resin by a salt gradient revealed considerable heterogeneity in the degree of derivatization, and immunization experiments with the eluted conjugates showed that the more substituted conjugates gave rise to the highest titers of glutathione antibodies. Direct immunization with the conjugates adsorbed to the ion exchange matrix was possible and gave rise to high titers of glutathione antibodies. Conjugates of ovalbumin and various peptides were prepared in a similar manner and used for production of peptide antisera by direct immunization with the conjugates bound to the ion exchanger. Advantages of the method are its solid-phase nature, allowing fast and efficient reactions and intermediate washings, and the ability to release conjugates from the solid phase under mild conditions.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗