Monoclonal antibodies against the capsular K antigen of Escherichia coli (09: K30(A): H12): characterisation and use in analysis of K antigen organisation on the cell surface

1988 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 1159-1165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary K. Homonylo ◽  
Sheila J. Wilmot ◽  
Joseph S. Lam ◽  
Leslie A. MacDonald ◽  
Christopher Whitfield

Monoclonal antibodies were produced against the capsular antigen of Escherichia coli serotype K(A)30, using a mouse hybridoma system. The antibodies also recognised the chemically identical capsular polysaccharide produced by Klebsiella K20. Chemical modification of the K30 polysaccharide indicated that the glucuronic acid residues found in the E. coli K30 capsular antigen were important in the epitope recognised by these antibodies. Use of the antibodies as molecular probes revealed the presence of two discrete forms of the K30 antigen. One form was comprised of high molecular weight polysaccharide, present as a surface capsular layer. The second form of the antigen was of low molecular weight and was associated with lipopolysaccharide fractions from cell surface polysaccharide extracts. Separation of lipopolysaccharide fractions using gel chromatography in the presence of detergent showed that the low molecular weight K-antigenic fraction comigrated with a lipopolysaccharide lipid A core fraction present in encapsulated E. coli K30 bacteria but absent in acapsular mutants.

2000 ◽  
Vol 182 (6) ◽  
pp. 1714-1721 ◽  
Author(s):  
David E. Nelson ◽  
Kevin D. Young

ABSTRACT Although general physiological functions have been ascribed to the high-molecular-weight penicillin binding proteins (PBPs) ofEscherichia coli, the low-molecular-weight PBPs have no well-defined biological roles. When we examined the morphology of a set of E. coli mutants lacking multiple PBPs, we observed that strains expressing active PBP 5 produced cells of normal shape, while mutants lacking PBP 5 produced cells with altered diameters, contours, and topological features. These morphological effects were visible in untreated cells, but the defects were exacerbated in cells forced to filament by inactivation of PBP 3 or FtsZ. After filamentation, cellular diameter varied erratically along the length of individual filaments and many filaments exhibited extensive branching. Also, in general, the mean diameter of cells lacking PBP 5 was significantly increased compared to that of cells from isogenic strains expressing active PBP 5. Expression of cloned PBP 5 reversed the effects observed in ΔdacA mutants. Although deletion of PBP 5 was required for these phenotypes, the absence of additional PBPs magnified the effects. The greatest morphological alterations required that at least three PBPs in addition to PBP 5 be deleted from a single strain. In the extreme cases in which six or seven PBPs were deleted from a single mutant, cells and cell filaments expressing PBP 5 retained a normal morphology but cells and filaments lacking PBP 5 were aberrant. In no case did mutation of another PBP produce the same drastic morphological effects. We conclude that among the low-molecular-weight PBPs, PBP 5 plays a principle role in determining cell diameter, surface uniformity, and overall topology of the peptidoglycan sacculus.


2016 ◽  
Vol 94 (11) ◽  
pp. 920-926 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas Aretz ◽  
Paul Robin Wratil ◽  
Eike-Christian Wamhoff ◽  
Hoang Giang Nguyen ◽  
Werner Reutter ◽  
...  

Many biological processes from infection to tumor immune evasion are controlled by cell surface sialylation. To gather further insight into these processes, methods to alter cell surface sialylation are required. One way to achieve this is inhibiting the key enzyme of sialic acid de novo biosynthesis, the intracellular bifunctional UDP-N-acetylglucosamine epimerase/N-acetylmannosamine kinase (GNE/MNK). Here, we present low molecular weight inhibitors of MNK activity based on picolinic acid derivatives. They were identified in a fragment screening using 19F NMR and validated in a biochemical inhibition assay followed by a structure–activity relationship analysis and docking. The optimized compound 6-carbamoylpicolinic acid inhibits MNK with a double-digit micromolar affinity. Its low molecular weight (166 Da) renders this picolinic acid derivative an exquisite starting point for the development of high-affinity MNK inhibitors, which may serve as molecular probes or lead candidates in future.


1979 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. P. Muller ◽  
N. H. van Tilburg ◽  
R. M. Bertina ◽  
J. J. Veltkamp

FVIII was separated into low molecular weight FVIII (LMW FVIII) and high molecular weight FVIII (HMW FVIII) by gel chromatography in the presence of high salt concentration or by high salt elution of LMW FVIII from FVIII bound to anti HMW FVII-Sepharose. Specific antibodies were raised in rabbits against HMW FVIII and LMW FVIII. After removal of the contaminating anti HMW activities the rabbit anti LMW FVIII was still able to neutralize the FVIII coagulant activity of normal plasma and of IMW FVIII with canparable efficiency and it had no effect on the VIIIR:WF of FVIII in normal plasma or in HMW FVIII. Anti LMW FVIII does not bind to HMW FVIII and does not precipitate FVIII as tested by counter immunoelectrophoresis. Rabbit anti HMW FVIII precipitates FVIII in normal plasma, inhibits VIIIR:WF activity, while it has no effect on the FVIII coagulant activity of LMW FVIII. The coagulant activity of FVIII in normal plasma is slightly inhibited by anti HMW FVIII presumably by non-specific effects (sterical hindrance). It is concluded that inhibitory antibodies against VIII:C raised in rabbits recognize antigenic structures only present on LMW FVIII. Antibodies against HMW FVIII raised in rabbits appears to recognize structures only present on HMW FVIII.


2013 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph P. Park ◽  
Min-Jung Choi ◽  
Se Hun Kim ◽  
Seung Hwan Lee ◽  
Haeshin Lee

ABSTRACTMussels attach to virtually all types of inorganic and organic surfaces in aqueous environments, and catecholamines composed of 3,4-dihydroxy-l-phenylalanine (DOPA), lysine, and histidine in mussel adhesive proteins play a key role in the robust adhesion. DOPA is an unusual catecholic amino acid, and its side chain is called catechol. In this study, we displayed the adhesive moiety of DOPA-histidine onEscherichia colisurfaces using outer membrane protein W as an anchoring motif for the first time. Localization of catecholamines on the cell surface was confirmed by Western blot and immunofluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, cell-to-cell cohesion (i.e., cellular aggregation) induced by the displayed catecholamine and synthesis of gold nanoparticles on the cell surface support functional display of adhesive catecholamines. The engineeredE. coliexhibited significant adhesion onto various material surfaces, including silica and glass microparticles, gold, titanium, silicon, poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(urethane), and poly(dimethylsiloxane). The uniqueness of this approach utilizing the engineered stickyE. coliis that no chemistry for cell attachment are necessary, and the ability of spontaneousE. coliattachment allows one to immobilize the cells on challenging material surfaces such as synthetic polymers. Therefore, we envision that mussel-inspired catecholamine yielded stickyE. colithat can be used as a new type of engineered microbe for various emerging fields, such as whole living cell attachment on versatile material surfaces, cell-to-cell communication systems, and many others.


1989 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 487-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul H. Goodwin

Xylella fastidiosa DNA, partially digested with Sau3A, was ligated into the cosmid vector, pUCD615. Approximately 4500 ampicillin-resistant Escherichia coli colonies were obtained. The frequency of complementation of leucine auxotrophy in transfected E. coli indicated that the cosmid gene bank was representative of X. fastidiosa genomic DNA. Colonies were lysed directly onto nitrocellulose membranes using a thermo-inducible λ lysogen and screened for expression of X. fastidiosa antigens. Approximately 16.5% of a random sample of clones were found to express X. fastidiosa antigens as determined by Western blots. These proteins comigrated with proteins of X. fastidiosa and ranged in molecular weight from 10 000 to 160 000. Conjugation of several of the plasmids into Erwinia stewartii resulted in expression of the similar molecular weight cloned proteins with similar levels of expression as in E. coli.Key words: Xylella fastidiosa, Pierce's disease, immunological clone screening, thermo-inducible lysogeny.


1982 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
pp. 1596-1601 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Roch ◽  
J. A. McCarter ◽  
A. T. Matheson ◽  
M. J. R. Clark ◽  
R. W. Olafson

Hepatic metallothionein was measured in livers of freshly killed rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) using differential pulse polarography. The fish were caught in metal-contaminated lakes of the Campbell River watershed and in a nearby control lake. The livers were analyzed for zinc, copper, and cadmium using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. High and low molecular weight protein fractions were separated by gel chromatography from liver cytosols and analyzed for metals. A downward trend from the most contaminated lake to the least was found in levels of zinc in the water, of cadmium and copper in high molecular weight fractions, and of copper in low molecular weight fractions and metallothionein. The concentration of metallothionein is a useful quantitative measure of the degree of exposure of fish to heavy metals.Key words: metallothionein, rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri; heavy metal pollution, sublethal exposures, mine wastes


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