Identification of peptides that mimic the pertussis toxin binding site on bovine fetuin.

The introduction of acellular pertussis vaccines has greatly enhanced the safety profile of vaccines to prevent whooping cough. Pertussis toxin (Ptx) is one component produced by Bordetella pertussis that is contained in all of these vaccines, either in combination with other known pertussis virulence factors or as the sole pertussis component, combined with tetanus and diphtheria toxoids. A hydrogen peroxide toxoid of Ptx has been shown to be efficacious in preventing pertussis infections in a mass vaccination trial and is presently licensed in the United States and Europe (B.

Sea nettle (Chrysaora quinquecirrha) lethal factor: purification by recycling on m-aminophenyl boronic acid acrylic beads.

Experiments were performed to define the best isolation method for isolating Chrysaora fishing tentacle nematocyst organelles in order to minimize non-nematocyst contaminating proteins and proteases and stabilize crude nematocyst venom lethal activity. Techniques employed to disrupt the tentacles included autolysis, homogenization, or digestion using either trypsin or collagenase. Sephacryl-200 gel-filtration chromatography separated two lethal fractions.

Characteristics of hyaluronidase and hemolytic activity in fishing tentacle nematocyst venom of Chrysaora quinquecirrha.

The enzyme, hyaluronidase, detected in crude venom was active over a pH range of 4-9 and was stable to at least a 72 hr storage at 4 degrees C. Preparative electrofocusing indicated a pI value for this enzyme between 9.5 and 10.