Monoclonal antibodies against lipopolysaccharide of Chlamydia trachomatis with cross reactivity to human ApoB

Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Analogs as a Potential Molecular Biology Reagent

In this study, we review the properties of three anionic detergents, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), Sarkosyl, and sodium lauroylglutamate (SLG), as they play a critical role in molecular biology research. SDS is widely used in electrophoresis and cell lysis for proteomics. Sarkosyl and, more frequently, SDS are used for the characterization of neuropathological protein fibrils and the solubilization of proteins. Many amyloid fibrils are resistant to SDS or Sarkosyl to different degrees and, thus, can be readily isolated from detergent-sensitive proteins. SLG is milder than the above two detergents and has been used in the solubilization and refolding of proteins isolated from inclusion bodies. Here, we show that both Sarkosyl and SLG have been used for protein refolding, that the effects of SLG on the native protein structure are weaker for SLG, and that SLG readily dissociates from the native proteins. We propose that SLG may be effective in cell lysis for functional proteomics due to no or weaker binding of SLG to the native proteins.

Autoimmune central diabetes insipidus in a patient with ureaplasma urealyticum infection and review on new triggers of immune response

Diabetes insipidus is a disease in which large volumes of dilute urine (polyuria) are excreted due to vasopressin (AVP) deficiency [central diabetes insipidus (CDI)] or to AVP resistance (nephrogenic diabetes insipidus). In the majority of patients, the occurrence of CDI is related to the destruction or degeneration of neurons of the hypothalamic supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei. The most common and well recognized causes include local inflammatory or autoimmune diseases, vascular disorders, Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), sarcoidosis, tumors such as germinoma/craniopharyngioma or metastases, traumatic brain injuries, intracranial surgery, and midline cerebral and cranial malformations. Here we have the opportunity to describe an unusual case of female patient who developed autoimmune CDI following ureaplasma urealyticum infection and to review the literature on this uncommon feature. Moreover, we also discussed the potential mechanisms by which ureaplasma urealyticum might favor the development of autoimmune CDI.

Potential cross-reactivity of monoclonal antibodies against clinically relevant mycobacteria

Tuberculosis is a disease caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTb). In 2011, global mortality due to tuberculosis was 1·4 million individuals. The only available vaccine is the attenuated M. bovis [bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)] strain, which confers variable protection against pulmonary tuberculosis. Some widely distributed non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), such as M. avium and M. arupense, are also potential pathogens for humans. This work aimed to produce and characterize monoclonal antibodies against the M. bovis BCG Mexico strain of the MTb, M. avium subs. hominissuis and the M. arupense strain from NTM. Hybridomas were produced from splenocytes of BALB/c female mice immunized with radiation-inactivated mycobacteria, and the immunoglobulin (Ig)G2a antibody-producing clones with the highest antigenic recognition were selected. The selected clones, Mbv 2A10 for M. bovis BCG Mexico, Mav 3H1 for M. avium and Mar 2D10 for M. arupense, were used in further studies. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immune proteomics analyses characterized the clones as having the highest cross-reactivity with mycobacteria. Using mass spectrometry, a number of proteins recognized by the monoclonal antibody (mAb) clones were identified. These proteins had roles in metabolic processes, hypoxia, cell cycle and dormancy. In addition, a Clustal W and Immune Epitope Database (IEDB) in-silico analysis was performed in protein sequences that result in the conserved regions within probability epitopes that could be recognized for Mbv2A10 and Mav3H1 clones.