Glycosylation Profiling of the Neoplastic Biomarker Alpha Fetoprotein through Intact Mass Protein Analysis.

Elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) can be observed in liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The glycosylation patterns of AFP have been shown to differentiate these conditions, with AFP glycoforms with core fucosylation (AFP-L3) serving as a malignancy risk predictor for HCC. We have developed a method to detect endogenously present AFP proteoforms and to quantify the relative abundance of AFP-L3 glycoforms (AFP-L3%) in serum samples.

Dissecting the Components of Sindbis Virus from Arthropod and Vertebrate Hosts: Implications for Infectivity Differences.

Sindbis virus (SINV) is an enveloped, single-stranded RNA virus, which is transmitted via mosquitos to a wide range of vertebrate hosts. SINV produced by vertebrate, baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells is more than an order of magnitude less infectious than SINV produced from mosquito (C6/36) cells. The cause of this difference is poorly understood.

Probing Antibody Binding to Canine Parvovirus with Charge Detection Mass Spectrometry.

There are many techniques for monitoring and measuring the interactions between proteins and ligands. Most of these techniques are ensemble methods that can provide association constants and in some cases stoichiometry. Here we use charge detection mass spectrometry (CDMS), a single particle technique, to probe the interactions of antigen binding fragments (Fabs) from a series of antibodies with the canine parvovirus (CPV) capsid.

A viral scaffolding protein triggers portal ring oligomerization and incorporation during procapsid assembly.

Most double-stranded DNA viruses package genetic material into empty precursor capsids (or procapsids) through a dodecameric portal protein complex that occupies 1 of the 12 vertices of the icosahedral lattice. Inhibiting incorporation of the portal complex prevents the formation of infectious virions, making this step an excellent target for antiviral drugs. The mechanism by which a sole portal assembly is selectively incorporated at the special vertex is unclear.

Changes in serum concentrations of maternal poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances over the course of pregnancy and predictors of exposure in a multiethnic cohort of Cincinnati, Ohio pregnant women during 2003-2006.

Data on predictors of gestational exposure to poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the United States are limited. To fill in this gap, in a multiethnic cohort of Ohio pregnant women recruited in 2003-2006, we measured perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), and six additional PFASs in maternal serum at ∼16 weeks gestation (N = 182) and delivery (N = 78), and in umbilical cord serum (N = 202). We used linear regression to examine associations between maternal serum PFASs concentrations and demographic, perinatal, and lifestyle factors.