Comparative analysis of the human serine hydrolase OVCA2 to the model serine hydrolase homolog FSH1 from S. cerevisiae.

Over 100 metabolic serine hydrolases are present in humans with confirmed functions in metabolism, immune response, and neurotransmission. Among potentially clinically-relevant but uncharacterized human serine hydrolases is OVCA2, a serine hydrolase that has been linked with a variety of cancer-related processes. Herein, we developed a heterologous expression system for OVCA2 and determined the comprehensive substrate specificity of OVCA2 against two ester substrate libraries.

Instanton approach to large N Harish-Chandra-Itzykson-Zuber integrals.

We reconsider the large N asymptotics of Harish-Chandra-Itzykson-Zuber integrals. We provide, using Dyson's Brownian motion and the method of instantons, an alternative, transparent derivation of the Matytsin formalism for the unitary case. Our method is easily generalized to the orthogonal and symplectic ensembles.

Early bacterial dependent induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in epithelial cells upon transfer of CD45RB(high) CD4(+) T cells in a model for experimental colitis.

Background: Both the role of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as well as the molecular details governing its mucosal induction remain unclear.

Methods: In the present study we evaluated the role of the residing intestinal microflora in the induction of epithelial iNOS upon transfer of CD45RB(high) CD4(+) T cells to SCID mice. CB-17 SCID mice were reared with conventional flora (CNV) or germfree CB-17 SCID mice were monoassociated with Helicobacter muridarum, act A(-) mutant Listeria monocytogenes, segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB), or Ochrobactrum anthropi.

Restricted IgA repertoire in both B-1 and B-2 cell-derived gut plasmablasts.

Mucosal IgA is the most abundantly produced Ig upon colonization of the intestinal tract with commensal organisms in the majority of mammals. The repertoire of these IgA molecules is still largely unknown; a large amount of the mucosal IgA cannot be shown to react with the inducing microorganisms. Analysis of the repertoire of used H chain Ig (V(H)) genes by H-CDR3 spectrotyping, cloning, and sequencing of V(H) genes from murine intestinal IgA-producing plasma cells reveals a very restricted usage of V(H) genes and multiple clonally related sequences.

Immunoglobulin VH-gene usage of autoantibodies in mercuric chloride-induced membranous glomerulopathy in the rat.

Brown-Norway (BN) and Dorus Zadel Black (DZB) rats develop a T-cell-dependent membranous glomerulopathy (MGP) with high proteinuria and antiglomerular basement membrane (GBM) autoreactive antibodies (Abs), upon exposure to mercuric chloride (HgCl2). Laminin is an important autoantigenic target of the anti-GBM Abs, absorbing approximately 30% of the anti-GBM reactivity. Although many anti-GBM Abs have undergone isotype switching, it is currently unclear whether affinity maturation occurs during the HgCl2-induced autoimmune response.