In the present study we investigated the effect of bovine conglutinin on the phagocytic activity of leukocytes. We measured both the chemotactic activity of conglutinin and its effect on the internalization of zymosan particles and E. coli by granulocytes. We also assessed the binding of conglutinin to various microorganisms isolated from clinical cases in cattle. We showed that conglutinin bin...

Psoriasis (Ps) is a chronic, immune-mediated, skin inflammatory disease affecting up to 3% of the population worldwide. Different environmental triggers initiate this complex multifactorial syndrome. Many individuals affected by Ps (6-26%) develop inflammatory disease in other organs, often in the joints as in psoriasis arthritis (PsA). Animal models that reflect the typical Ps syndrome, includ...

A novel antifungal antibiotic, YM-193221, was found in the culture broth of a fungus, Pseudallescheria ellipsoidea. The structure of the antibiotic was determined through several spectroscopic experiments as 2-dimethylamino-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-8,10-dimethyl-6-dodecene-3-one. YM-193221 exhibited potent antifungal activity against Candida albicans and also inhibited mannan synthesis in the yeast ...

The most intensive study of the aerobic sporeforming bacteria (Smith et al., 1952) has revealed the lack of a clear-cut distinction between thermophilic and mesophilic species of the genus Bacius. It was found, however, that of the many cultures studied, only those belonging to the species BaciUlus stearotenwophilus would grow at 65 C. Some cultures of Bacillus coagulans, Bacius subtilie, Bacil...

Murine melanoma cells readily bind and spread on murine laminin. Uncoupling of spreading from adhesion occurs when unglycosylated laminin is used as the cellular substratum; spreading is restored by soluble glycosylated laminin or soluble glycopeptides of laminin. In this study, using kifunensine, we produced and characterized an oligomannoside-rich glycoform of laminin. When used as a substrat...

Two standardized enzyme immunoassays for the serological diagnosis of candidiasis were developed. The first one detects antimannan antibodies, while the second one detects mannan with a sensitivity of 0.1 ng/ml. These tests were applied to 162 serum samples retrospectively selected from 43 patients with mycologically and clinically proven candidiasis caused by Candida albicans. Forty-three seru...

We show here that cell surface glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are involved in the binding of stromal cell-derived factor (SDF)-1alpha to CD4(+)lymphoid CEM or monocytic U937 cells, inasmuch as pretreating the cells with heparitinase or chondroitinase inhibits SDF-1alpha binding by 40-41% and 31-35%, respectively. Soluble heparin or chondroitin sulfate partially but significantly inhibits SDF-1alpha ...

N-oligosaccharides of Saccharomyces cerevisiae glycoproteins are classified as core and mannan types. The former contain 13-14 mannoses whereas mannan-type structures consist of an inner core extended with an outer chain of up to 200-300 mannoses, a process known as hyperglycosylation. The selection of substrates for hyperglycosylation poses a theoretical and practical question. To identify hyp...

Natural abundance carbon 13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to confirm and extend the structural properties of peptidophosphogalactomannan (pPGM) from Penicillium charlesii. The major resonances for phosphogalactomannan (PGM) and phosphomannan (PM) were assigned. Based on comparison of chemical shifts of carbon 13 resonance signals in phosphogalactomannan with those of galactoc...

Targeting of specific receptors on antigen-presenting cells is an appealing prospect in the production of novel nanoparticulate vaccines. In particular, the targeting of vaccines to dendritic cell (DC) subsets has been shown in models to significantly improve the induction of immune responses. This paper describes the evaluation of natural ligands, mannan and chitosan, and monoclonal antibodies...