Search results for "Peptide sequence"

Functional Definition of a B Cell Epitope, KGEQGEPGA, on C1q the Fc-Binding Subunit of the First Component of Complement

1999

A synthetic peptide representing the C1q epitope KGEQGEPGA has been shown to suppress or delay the onset of CII-induced arthritis when applied intravenously (i.v.) prior to an intradermal (i.d.) challenge, in a mouse model; the phenomenon being associated with the development of immunoglobulin (Ig)M antibodies specific for the KGEQGEPGA epitope. Here we show that this amino acid sequence provides an immunodominant B cell epitope that is recognised by autoantibodies present in the sera of patients with chronic inflammatory diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis, two diseases associated with an immune response to C1q. The peptide's ability to produce pept…

Enhanced expression of a cloned and sequenced Ciona intestinalis TNFa-like (CiTNFa) gene during the LPS-induced inflammatory response.

2008

A tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha)-like gene from Ciona intestinalis (CiTNF alpha-like) body wall challenged with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was cloned and sequenced 4 h after LPS inoculation. An open reading frame of 936 bp encoding a propeptide of 312 amino acids (35.4 kDa) displaying a transmembrane domain from positions 7 to 29, a TACE cleavage site, and a mature peptide domain of 185 amino acids (20.9 kDa), was determined with a predicted isoelectric point of 9.4. The phylogenetic tree based on deduced amino acid sequences of invertebrate TNF-like protein and vertebrate TNFs supported the divergence between the ascidian and vertebrate TNF families, whereas D. melanogaster…

Cloning and expression of a novel component of the CAP superfamily enhanced in the inflammatory response to LPS of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis.

2010

The CAP superfamily is a group of proteins that have been linked to several biological functions such as reproduction, cancer, and immune defense. A differential screening between lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged and naive Ciona intestinalis has been performed to identify LPS-induced genes. This strategy has allowed the isolation of a full-length 1471-bp cDNA encoding for a 413-amino-acid protein (CiCAP). In silico analysis has shown that this polypeptide displays a modular structure with similarities to vertebrate CAP-superfamily proteins and to a collagen-binding adhesin of Streptococcus mutans. Domain organization analysis and alignment of CiCAP to other vertebrate CAP proteins have r…

Inducible galectins are expressed in the inflamed pharynx of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis

2011

Although ascidians belong to a key group in chordate phylogenesis, amino acid sequences of Ciona intestinalis galectin-CRDs (CiLgals-a and -b) have been retained too divergent from vertebrate galectins. In the present paper, to contribute in disclosing Bi-CRD galectin evolution a novel attempt was carried out on CiLgals-a and -b CRDs phylogenetic analysis, and their involvement in ascidian inflammatory responses was shown. CiLgals resulted aligned with Bi-CRD galectins from vertebrates (Xenopus tropicalis, Gallus gallus, Mus musculus, Homo sapiens), cephalochordates (Branchiostoma floridae), echinoderms (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) and a mono-CRD galectin from the ascidian Clavelina pict…

CiC3-1a-Mediated Chemotaxis in the Deuterostome Invertebrate Ciona intestinalis (Urochordata)

2003

Abstract Deuterostome invertebrates possess complement genes, and in limited instances complement-mediated functions have been reported in these organisms. However, the organization of the complement pathway(s), as well as the functions exerted by the cloned gene products, are largely unknown. To address the issue of the presence of an inflammatory pathway in ascidians, we expressed in Escherichia coli the fragment of Ciona intestinalis C3-1 corresponding to mammalian complement C3a (rCiC3-1a) and assessed its chemotactic activity on C. intestinalis hemocytes. We found that the migration of C. intestinalis hemocytes toward rCiC3-1a was dose dependent, peaking at 500 nM, and was specific for…

Protein mapping of calcium carbonate biominerals by immunogold

2007

The construction of metazoan calcium carbonate skeletons is finely regulated by a proteinaceous extracellular matrix, which remains embedded within the exoskeleton. In spite of numerous biochemical studies, the precise localization of skeletal proteins has remained for a long time as an elusive goal. In this paper, we describe a technique for visualizing shell matrix proteins on the surface of calcium carbonate crystals or within the biominerals. The technique is as follows: freshly broken pieces of biominerals or NaOCl then EDTA-etched polished surfaces are incubated with an antibody elicited against one matrix protein, then with a secondary gold-coupled antibody. After silver enhancement,…

A functional analysis of ACP-20, an adult-specific cuticular protein gene from the beetle Tenebrio. Role of an intronic sequence in transcriptional a…

2004

0962-1075 (Print) Comparative Study Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; A gene encoding the adult cuticular protein ACP-20 was isolated in Tenebrio. It consists of three exons interspersed by two introns, intron 1 interrupting the signal peptide. To understand the regulatory mechanisms of ACP-20 expression, ACP-20 promoter-luciferase reporter gene constructs were transfected into cultured pharate adult wing epidermis. Transfection assays needed the presence of 20-hydroxyecdysone, confirming that ACP-20 is up-regulated by ecdysteroids. Analysis of 5' deletion constructs revealed that three regions are necessary for high levels of transcription. Interaction experiments between i…

Complete cDNA sequence coding for the MHC class II RT1.B alpha chain of the Lewis rat.

1989

Identification and characterization of a gene encoding a putative mouse Rho GTPase activating protein gene 8, Arhgap8.

2003

Rho GTPase activating proteins promote the intrinsic GTP hydrolysis activity of Rho family proteins. We isolated a putative mouse ortholog of the human Rho GTPase activating protein 8, ARHGAP8. The open reading frame encodes a peptide of 387 amino acids with high homology to human ARHGAP8 in its N-terminal domain. Both radiation hybrid mapping and fluorescent in situ hybridization localized the gene to mouse chromosome 15E. The 23 kb genomic Arhgap8 sequence consists of eight exons and seven introns. Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses showed that a transcript of approximately 1.9 kb is ubiquitously expressed in various adult mouse tissues with particularly strong expression in kidney.

Novel Antihypertensive Lactoferrin-Derived Peptides Produced by Kluyveromyces marxianus: Gastrointestinal Stability Profile and In Vivo Angiotensin I…

2014

Novel antihypertensive peptides released by Kluyveromyces marxianus from bovine lactoferrin (LF) have been identified. K. marxianus LF permeate was fractionated by semipreparative high performance liquid chromatography and 35 peptides contained in the angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory fractions were identified by using an ion trap mass spectrometer. On the basis of peptide abundance and common structural features, six peptides were chemically synthesized. Four of them (DPYKLRP, PYKLRP, YKLRP, and GILRP) exerted in vitro inhibitory effects on ACE activity and effectively decreased systolic blood pressure after oral administration to spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Stab…