Search results for "Fusion protein"
showing 3 items of 353 documents
The endogenous retroviral insertion in the human complement C4 gene modulates the expression of homologous genes by antisense inhibition
2001
Intron 9 contains the complete endogenous retrovirus HERV-K(C4) as a 6.4-kb insertion in 60% of human C4 genes. The retroviral insertion is in reverse orientation to the C4 coding sequence. Therefore, expression of C4 could lead to the transcription of an antisense RNA, which might protect against exogenous retroviral infections. To test this hypothesis, open reading frames from the HERV sequence were subcloned in sense orientiation into a vector allowing expression of a beta-galactosidase fusion protein. Mouse L cells which had been stably transfected with either the human C4A or C4B gene both carrying the HERV insertion (LC4 cells), and L(Tk-) cells without the C4 gene were transiently tr…
Evaluation of HBs, HBc, and frCP virus-like particles for expression of human papillomavirus 16 E7 oncoprotein epitopes.
2002
<i>Objectives:</i> In an attempt to develop virus-like particles (VLPs) as experimental vaccine against human papilloma virus (HPV)-induced tumours, the HPV16 E7 oncoprotein epitopes spanning amino acid (aa) residues 35–98 were expressed on three proteins capable of VLP formation: hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface (HBs) and core (HBc) antigens, and RNA phage fr coats (frCP). <i>Methods:</i> The profile of immunoglobulin isotypes induced in Balb/C mice after immunization with purified chimeric proteins was studied. <i>Results:</i> The HBs*-E7(35–54) protein expressing E7 residues 35–54 between residues 139 and 142 of the HBs carrier formed HBs-like particles…
α-Conotoxins EpI and AuIB switch subtype selectivity and activity in native versus recombinant nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
2003
The Xenopus laevis oocyte expression system was used to determine the activities of alpha-conotoxins EpI and the ribbon isomer of AuIB, on defined nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). In contrast to previous findings on intracardiac ganglion neurones, alpha-EpI showed no significant activity on oocyte-expressed alpha3beta4 and alpha3beta2 nAChRs but blocked the alpha7 nAChR with an IC50 value of 30 nM. A similar IC50 value (103 nM) was obtained on the alpha7/5HT3 chimeric receptor stably expressed in mammalian cells. Ribbon AuIB maintained its selectivity on oocyte-expressed alpha3beta4 receptors but unlike in native cells, where it was 10-fold more potent than native alpha-AuIB, had…