Small peptide libraries: combinatorial split-mix synthesis followed by combinatorial amino acid analysis of selected variants.

Peptides from small combinatorial libraries, covalently attached to polymeric TentaGel beads, can be directly sequenced using amino acid analysis. For libraries with restricted diversity, generated by the split-mix synthesis method, the amino acids on a selected single bead identified by pre-column derivatization with o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA) correlate directly with the sequence of a given peptide. This is shown on a tripeptide (343 different compounds) and a tetrapeptide (4096 different compounds) library.

Epidemiology of penicillin-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Frankfurt, Germany.

In the present study 150 Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains from prostitutes in Frankfurt, Germany, were investigated for their in vitro susceptibility to eight antimicrobial agents by the agar dilution test. While 21.3% of gonococci were highly resistant to penicillin (MICs > or = 2 mg/l), 49.

Isolation and refolding of a mutant methionine-free interleukin-2-receptor alpha chain synthesized as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli.

A soluble domain of the interleukin(IL)-2 receptor, the alpha chain synthesized in Escherichia coli, was employed to study expression and refolding of the protein. The results showed that it is possible to obtain biologically active synthetic methionine-free IL-2 receptor alpha chain (synIL-2R alpha) after BrCN cleavage and renaturation of the crude cleavage material, although the alpha chain is expressed as a deglycosylated, methionine-free protein. The soluble receptor comprises amino acids 1-219 and forms 5 disulfide bonds in its biologically active state.

Allocortical involvement in Huntington's disease.

Seven brains of individuals who had suffered from Huntington's disease and seven control brains were examined. Preparations stained for Nissl material and lipofuscin pigment revealed a characteristic layer-specific loss of nerve cells in two allocortical areas, the entorhinal region and the subiculum. The most severe changes occurred in the entorhinal layer Pri-gamma while layer Pre-alpha, layer Pre-gamma and the subiculum showed less severe alterations.

Overexpression in Escherichia coli of a methionine-free designed interleukin-2 receptor (Tac protein) based on a chemically cleavable fusion protein.

Several fusion proteins of our previously chemically synthesized gene encoding the interleukin-2-receptor alpha subunit (IL-2R alpha or Tac protein) were constructed. They were designed in order to be cleavable by cyanogen bromide. Thus, the original internal methionines of the IL-2R alpha were replaced by either alanine, valine, leucine or isoleucine, based on secondary structure predictions.

Urapidil inhibits 5-hydroxytryptamine induced platelet aggregation and 14C-5-hydroxytryptamine uptake in platelets.

The effect of urapidil, an a1-antagonist with additional antihypertensive action via central 5HT1A agonism, was determined on platelet aggregation induced by 5HT and adrenaline. The 5HT uptake in human platelets was determined as well. Urapidil inhibited both the 5HT and adrenaline-induced human platelet aggregation and the 5HT uptake by platelets in vitro.

Cortical and subcortical argyrophilic grains characterize a disease associated with adult onset dementia.

Unusual cytoskeleton abnormalities were found in the brains of 28 individuals afflicted with adult onset dementia. Most conspicuous were small spindle-shaped argyrophilic grains loosely scattered throughout the neuropil. Additionally, coiled bodies of silver-stained filaments were encountered, mainly located within the white matter close to the cortical grey matter.

Neuropil threads occur in dendrites of tangle-bearing nerve cells.

Transparent Golgi preparations counterstained for Alzheimer's neurofibrillary changes rendered possible the demonstration of neuropil threads in defined cellular processes. Only dendrites of tangle-bearing cortical nerve cells were found to contain neuropil threads. Processes of glial cells as well as axons present in the material were devoid of neuropil threads.