B cells are subjected to selection at multiple checkpoints during their development. The selection of Ab H chains is difficult to study because of the large diversity of the CDR3. To study the selection of individual Ab H chain V region genes (V(H)), we performed CDR3 spectratyping of ∼ 75-300 rearrangements per individual V(H) in C57BL6/J mice. We measured the fraction of rearrangements that w...

Although high-throughput sequencing and associated bioinformatics technologies have enabled the in-depth, sequence-based characterization of human immune repertoires, only a few studies on a relatively small number of sequences explored the characteristics of antibody repertoires in neonates, with contradictory conclusions. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of the human IgM antibody re...

Single domain antibodies (sdAbs) are the recombinantly-expressed variable domain from camelid (or shark) heavy chain only antibodies and provide rugged recognition elements. Many sdAbs possess excellent affinity and specificity; most refold and are able to bind antigen after thermal denaturation. The sdAb A3, specific for the toxin Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), shows both sub-nanomolar af...

The micafungin and caspofungin susceptibilities of Candida albicans laboratory and clinical isolates and of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains stably hyperexpressing fungal ATP-binding cassette (ABC) or major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporters involved in azole resistance were determined using three separate methods. Yeast strains hyperexpressing individual alleles of ABC transporters or ...

7C8 is a mouse monoclonal antibody specific for the third hypervariable region (V3) of the human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2)-associated protein gp125. The three-dimensional crystal structure of the Fab fragment of 7C8, determined to 2.7 Å resolution, reveals a deep and narrow antigen-binding cleft with architecture appropriate for an elongated epitope. The highly hydrophobic cleft is ...

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restriction element for a human Ni(2+) reactive T cell, ANi-2.3, was identified as DR52c. A series of experiments established that the functional ligand for this T cell was a preformed complex of Ni(2+) bound to the combination of DR52c and a specific peptide that was generated in human and mouse B cells, but not in fibroblasts nor other antigen proces...

OBJECTIVE To characterize the problems of feeding and swallowing in individuals with moderate and severe Alzheimer´s disease (AD) and to correlate these with functional aspects. METHOD Fifty patients with AD and their caregivers participated in this study. The instruments used were: Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), Mini-Mental State Examination, Index of Activities of Daily Living, Assessment ...

The susceptibility to several oligopeptide and amino acid antifungals of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain carrying multiple deletions in yeast multidrug resistance genes was compared to transformants containing the CDR1, CDR2, or MDR1 genes that encode the major Candida albicans drug efflux pumps. Recombinant yeast strains overexpressing Cdr1p and Cdr2p showed enhanced susceptibilities to all ...