Real-time quantitative PCR was used to measure expression levels of genes encoding efflux pumps, ERG11 and two control genes, ACT1 and PMA1, in a collection of 14 fluconazole-susceptible Candida albicans isolates. For each gene, average expression levels and variations within the population were determined. These values were then used as reference points to make predictions about the molecular ...

In this work, to study the emergence of the H chain V region repertoire during mammalian evolution, we present an analysis of 25 independent H chain V regions from a monotreme, the Australian duck-billed platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus. All the sequences analyzed were found to form a single branch within the clan III of mammalian V region sequences in a distance tree. However, compared with ...

The ataxic syndrome associated with Anti-Yo antibody, or Purkinje cell cytoplasmic antibody type 1 (PCA1), is the most common variant of paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD). The typical presentation involves the subacute development of pancerebellar deficits with a clinical plateau within 6 months. The vast majority of cases have been reported in women with pelvic or breast tumors. Mag...

Many azole-resistant (AR) clinical isolates of Candida albicans display increased expression of the drug transporters CDR1 and CDR2. In this study, we evaluate the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the maintenance of constitutively high CDR1 transcript levels in two matched pairs of azole-susceptible (AS) and AR clinical isolates of C. albicans. To address this, we use reporter constructs...

In this study, a rationally-designed 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) binding peptide derived from an amino acid sequence of the complementarity-determining region (CDR) of an anti-TNT monoclonal antibody was used for TNT detection based on a maleimide-functionalized surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor. By antigen-docking simulation and screening, the TNT binding candidate peptides were obtained ...

The immunoglobulin VH gene 51p1, a member of the large VH1 gene family, is preferentially expressed by B cells in the fetus and in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and appears to be the source for many cryoglobulin rheumatoid factors. Polymorphism of 51p1 may therefore be functionally important. We have studied the germline representation of 51p1 and closely related VH elements to establish t...

Isavuconazole is a novel, broad-spectrum, antifungal azole. In order to evaluate its interactions with known azole resistance mechanisms, isavuconazole susceptibility among different yeast models and clinical isolates expressing characterized azole resistance mechanisms was tested and compared to those of fluconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole. Saccharomyces cerevisiae expres...

Anti-DNA autoantibodies are a characteristic feature of human systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus diseases in the mouse. V-88 is an IgG1/kappa ssDNA-binding Ab, derived from a lupus mouse, that bears a cross-species, cross-reactive Id (CRI) that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of both human and murine disease. A linear epitope map of V-88 has been determined with anti-idiotypic...

In an attempt to provide a global picture of the TCR repertoire diversity of a chronic T cell response against a common Ag, we performed an extensive TCR analysis of cells reactive against a dominant HLA-A2-restricted EBV epitope (hereafter referred to as GLC/A2), obtained after sorting PBL or synovial fluid lymphocytes from EBV-seropositive individuals using MHC/peptide multimers. Although TCR...

We cloned the heavy- and light-chain variable domains of two monoclonal antibodies that recognize each of the two major neutralizing antigenic sites of the canine parvovirus (CPV) capsid. After expression in Escherichia coli as single-chain variable domains (scFv) with glycine-serine linker sequences, both scFv bound CPV capsids with the same specificity as the intact IgG, but with 10- to 20-fo...