The antifungal activity of carrier peptides, L-arginyl-X-L-phenylalanine, containing amino acid antagonists or atypical non-biogenic D-amino acids in the central position.

Eleven analogues of L-arginyl-D-allo-threonyl-L-phenylalanine, a naturally occurring peptide with antifungal activity, were synthesized. Two tripeptides of the form L-arginyl-X-L-phenylalanine (X = p-F-DL-phenylalanine or m-F-DL-tyrosine) inhibited Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus. In comparison with the free antagonists, the tripeptide-bound antagonists were more active against Candida-albicans-isolates which means that the amino acid sequence may serve as carrier function: it enhances delivery or uptake of the antimetabolite.

[Above-average synthesis of anti-HAV by a booster effect after viral hepatitis A (author's transl)].

Above-average high antibody titres without repeat illness were obtained in 31 persons who, after having recovered from viral hepatitis A had renewed contact with the hepatitis-A virus. The titre was five to thirty-fold above the level usually observed after the initial infection. The time of second or third infection appears to be decisive for the level of the titre rise, which is probably a booster effect.

In vitro transformation with avian myelocytomatosis virus strain CMII: characterization of the virus and its target cells.

Avian myelocytomatosis virus strain CMII induced an in vitro transformation in cells from various hematopoietic tissues and could be quantitated by focus and soft agar colony assay techniques. The CMII-transformed bone marrow cells had a high proliferative capacity in comparison to uninfected controls. The cells closely resembled hematopoietic cells transformed by strain MC29 myelocytomatosis virus, but differed from avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV)-transformed cells.