Peptides modified by pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP), linked to a lysine residue via reductive amination, exhibit distinct spectral characteristics in the collision-induced dissociation (CID) tandem mass (MS/MS) spectra that are described here. The MS/MS spectra typically display two dominant peaks whose m/z values correspond to neutral losses of [H3PO4] (-98 Da) and the PLP moiety as [C8H10NO5P] ...

A search of a nonmouse, nonhuman, expressed sequence tag database for messenger RNAs in the PRL/GH family has identified a novel rat complementary DNA clone. The encoded protein, designated PRL-like protein J (PLP-J), is predicted to be synthesized as a precursor of 211 amino acids, modified by N-linked glycosylation, and secreted as a mature glycoprotein of 182 residues. PLP-J messenger RNA sy...

Female B10.S mice are highly resistant to proteolipid protein (PLP) 139-151-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and depletion of PLP 139-151-reactive CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells can slightly increase their EAE susceptibility. Although male B10.S mice are moderately susceptible to EAE, we report that depletion of Treg cells in male B10.S mice before immunization with ...

Historically, phantom limb pain (PLP) develops in 50-80% of amputees and may arise within days following an amputation for reasons presently not well understood. Our case involves a 29-year-old male with previous surgical amputation who develops PLP after the performance of a femoral nerve block. Although there have been documented cases of reactivation of PLP in amputees after neuraxial techni...

Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), the active form of vitamin B6, has been implicated in preventing human pathologies, such as diabetes and cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of PLP are still unclear. Using Drosophila as a model system, we show that PLP deficiency, caused either by mutations in the pyridoxal kinase-coding gene (dPdxk) or by vitamin B6 antagonists, resu...

The velocity of the nerve impulse conduction of vertebrates relies on the myelin sheath, an electrically insulating layer that surrounds axons in both the central and peripheral nervous systems, enabling saltatory conduction of the action potential. Oligodendrocytes are the myelin-producing glial cells in the central nervous system. A deeper understanding of the molecular basis of myelination a...

Successful species develop strategies to optimize their reproductive performance. This optimization likely includes the evolution of genes that specifically permit reproduction in physiologically challenging conditions. The prolactin (PRL) family gene cluster is one of 25 mouse-specific gene clusters, the majority of which are associated with reproduction. A prevailing theme characterizing the ...

We examined how cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) regulates heterogeneous CD4(+) T cell responses by using experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a CD4(+) T cell-mediated disease that is subject to regulation by CTLA-4. Disease incidence and severity were used as measures of in vivo CD4(+) T cell responses. The frequency, cytokine production, and reactivity of primed T cells w...

MBP and PLP are major structural protein components of myelin. Both proteins play a functional role in formation of myelin sheath and in maintenance of its compaction. Immune responses to MBP and PLP have been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), an auto-immune disease of the central nervous system. Recombinant forms of both proteins isolated and purified from bacterial or...

Severe acute respiratory coronavirus (SARS-CoV) emerged in 2002, resulting in roughly 8000 cases worldwide and 10% mortality. The animal reservoirs for SARS-CoV precursors still exist and the likelihood of future outbreaks in the human population is high. The SARS-CoV papain-like protease (PLP) is an attractive target for pharmaceutical development because it is essential for virus replication ...