A sialic acid-binding lectin (Hericium erinaceum lectin, HEL), isolated from fresh fruiting bodies of Hericium erinaceum, was treated with various temperature and pH to investigate its fluorescence spectra and hemagglutinating activity. It was found that the hemagglutinating activity of HEL was relatively steady below 60 degrees and at pH from 6 to 11, and the change of hemagglutinating activity was relative to the change of hydrophobic areas where tryptophan residues located. In fluorescence quenching study of HEL by acrylamide and KI, it was indicated that nearly all the tryptophan residues of HEL located on the surface of the molecule, and most of them were in hydrophobic areas or negatively charged areas. Chemical modification of HEL proved that there were about twelve tryptophan residues in a HEL molecule and all of them were located on the surface or in the shallow groove of the molecule, and eight of them were essential for hemagglutinating activity; aspartic acid or glutamic acid residues were involved in maintaining the crucial conformation of activity center and made great contribution to the hemagglutinating activity of HEL, but they could not touch the sialic acid molecule directly; tyrosine residues also played a role in the hemagglutinating activity of HEL; while arginine, serine, threonine, histidine residues had no effect on the hemagglutinating activity of HEL.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/abbs/36.5.343 | DOI Listing |
Vaccine
January 2025
Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Introduction: While it remains impossible to predict the timing of the next influenza pandemic, novel avian influenza A viruses continue to be considered a significant threat.
Methods: A Phase II study was conducted in healthy adults aged 18-64 years to assess the safety and immunogenicity of two intramuscular doses of pre-pandemic 2017 influenza A(H7N9) inactivated vaccine administered 21 days apart. Participants were randomized (n = 105 in each of Arms 1-3) to receive 3.
Sex Transm Dis
February 2025
Department of International Public Health, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Background: Effective strategies to reduce sexually transmitted infection burden and transmission among female sex workers (FSWs) and their networks are needed. We report sexually transmitted infection prevalence among FSWs in Zimbabwe and investigate the performance of screening algorithms.
Methods: Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) surveys, including blood sampling for syphilis serology, were conducted among FSWs in 3 communities in Zimbabwe in 2017.
Vaccines (Basel)
November 2024
Women's and Children's Health Network, North Adelaide, SA 5006, Australia.
Background/objectives: Influenza vaccination is recommended for pregnant women, offering the dual benefit of protecting pregnant women and their newborn infants against influenza. This study aimed to investigate the impact of body mass index (BMI) on influenza vaccine responses in pregnant women and their newborns.
Methods: Participants included pregnant women attending the Women's and Children's Hospital in South Australia between 2018 and 2021.
Antioxidants (Basel)
December 2024
Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute Named by B.P. Konstantinov of National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute", 188300 Gatchina, Russia.
Viral infections and many other dangerous diseases are accompanied by the development of oxidative stress, which is a consequence of an increase in the level of the reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this regard, the search for effective antioxidants remains highly relevant. We tested fullerenol C(OH) in the context of the connection between its self-assembly in aqueous solutions and cell culture media, antiradical activity, UV cytoprotective action, and antiviral activity against international reference strains of influenza virus A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2), and B subtypes in vitro on the MDCK cell line.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
December 2024
State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis, Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
Influenza virus infections are a serious danger to people's health worldwide as they are responsible for seasonal flu outbreaks. There is an urgent need to improve the effectiveness and durability longevity of the immune response to influenza vaccines. We synthesized the CpG HP021 and examined the impact of it on the immune response to an influenza vaccine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!