The rates of inhibition of high molecular weight (HMW) and low molecular weight (LMW) urokinase (UK) incubated in plasma or with purified antithrombin III (AT-III) were compared. Using a fibrinolytic assay system to determine residual biologic activity, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to demonstrate the formation of complexes, and selective immunoprecipitation techniques to identify the plas...

Nitric oxide (NO(.)) is a short-lived physiological messenger. Its various biological activities can be preserved in a more stable form of S-nitrosothiols (RS-NO). Here we demonstrate that at physiological NO(.) concentrations, plasma albumin becomes saturated with NO(.) and accelerates formation of low-molecular-weight (LMW) RS-NO in vitro and in vivo. The mechanism involves micellar catalysis...

We report the cloning of a low-molecular-weight GTP-binding protein that appears to be the first member of a new class of G proteins. This G protein was cloned from the HT4 neural cell line and has the closest homology to the rab, sec4, and ypt1 members of the low-molecular-weight (LMW) G-protein family. The amino acid sequence identity is only 30% with these other LMW G proteins, but in the fo...

The anti-CD20 mAb Rituximab has revolutionized lymphoma therapy, in spite of a number of unresponsive or relapsing patients. Immunotoxins, consisting of toxins coupled to antibodies, are being investigated for their potential ability to augment Rituximab efficacy. Here, we compare the anti-tumor effect of high- and low-molecular-weight Rituximab/saporin-S6 immunotoxins, named HMW-IT and LMW-IT,...

A single step ion-exchange chromatography on a sulfo-propyl (SP)- Sepharose column was performed to separate both the high molecular weight (HMW)- and low molecular weight (LMW)- forms of enzymatically active urokinase type plasminogen activator from human kidney (HT1080) cell culture media. The level of urokinase secreted by the cell line reached to about 145 Plough units/ml culture broth with...

Livers from bluegills exposed to increased soluble copper (Cu) under field and laboratory conditions were analyzed to determine the concentration and distribution of Cu in metalloproteins of different molecular size. Analyses were performed on bluegills collected from the impoundment of the H. B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant (Florence, SC) near the effluent discharge from the power plant, near...

During tumor cell invasion, certain extracellular matrix (ECM) components such as hyaluronan (HA) are degraded into small oligosaccharides, which are detected in patients. We previously reported that such HA oligosaccharides induce the proteolytic cleavage of an ECM-binding molecule CD44 from tumor cells and promote tumor cell migration in a CD44-dependent manner. Here, we report that chondroit...

An optimized technique of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Staircase Electrophoresis (SCE), was applied to determine the stable Low Molecular Weight RNA (LMW RNA) profiles of 25 Frankia strains from diverse geographic origins and host specificity groups as well as species from other actinomycete genera. Application of the technique permits the rapid identification of Frankia strains and thei...

The effect of ultrasound (US) pre-treatment on the evolution of Maillard reaction (MR), induced between low molecular weight (LMW) peptides and sucrose, was studied. LMW peptides (<1kDa) were obtained by the ultrafiltration of smooth hound viscera protein hydrolysates, produced by Neutrase, Esperase and Purafect. MR was induced by heating the LMW peptides in the presence of sucrose for 2h at 90...

OBJECTIVE To investigate tolerability and efficacy of low molecular weight (LMW) heparin therapy in patients with severe Raynaud's phenomenon. METHODS A prospective parallel group study comparing patients receiving regular subcutaneous LMW heparin (n = 16) with a matched control group (n = 14). Endpoints were change in Raynaud's attack severity, non-invasive vascular studies or serum levels o...