This article reports the design and synthesis of donor-substituted symmetrical and unsymmetrical benzothiadiazoles (BTDs) of 5-12 type D-π-A-D, D1-π-A-D2, D1-A1-A2-D2, D-A1-A2-D and D-A1-A2-A1-D by Ullmann, Suzuki and cycloaddition-retroelectrocyclization reactions. The photophysical, electrochemical and computational properties were studied and show substantial donor-acceptor interaction. Thei...

Immunization of susceptible strains of mice with type II collagen (CII) elicits an autoimmune arthritis known as collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). One analogue peptide of the immunodominant T cell determinant, A9 (CII245-270 (I260-->A, A261-->B, F263-->N)), was previously shown to induce a profound suppression of CIA when coadministered at the time of immunization with CII. In the present study...

Improving tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) thrombolytic therapy is a high priority in stroke research. The ability of tPA to convert plasminogen efficiently into clot-dissolving plasmin relies on an endogenous fibrinolytic assembly via a triple complex formation of tPA, annexin A2, and plasminogen. Annexin A2 is a cell-surface protein, which, in complex with its binding partner p11, form...

Cell cycle regulators, such as cyclins, are often upregulated in many proliferative disorders, and Cyclin A2 is generally considered as a marker of aggressive cancers. Our recent work, which revealed decreased expression of Cyclin A2 upon metastasis of colorectal cancer, suggests a more complicated situation. Consistent with this, we identified a role for Cyclin A2, via RhoA, in regulation of t...

HIV epitopes may have developed to be poor immunogens. As a counterapproach HIV vaccine strategy, we used epitope enhancement of a conserved HIV reverse transcriptase (RT) epitope for induction of antiviral protection in HLA-A2-transgenic mice mediated by human HLA-A2-restricted CTLs. We designed two epitope-enhanced peptides based on affinity for HLA-A2, one substituted in anchor residues (RT-...

We recently characterized an autocrine renin angiotensin system (RAS) in canine heart. Activation of Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptors (AT1Rs) induced electrical remodeling, including inhibition of the transient outward potassium current Ito, prolongation of the action potential (AP), increased calcium entry and increased contractility. Electrical properties of the mouse heart are very different ...

The antibody response to H. influenzae type b (Hib) is pauciclonal, and is dominated by antibodies using the VkappaA2 gene. Navajos have a 5-10-fold increased incidence of Hib disease compared with control populations. We hypothesized that a polymorphism in one of the genes in this oligoclonal response may lead to increased disease susceptibility. Since the predominant A2+ anti-Hib antibodies h...

Despite increasing evidence that autoreactive CD8 T-cells are involved in both the initiation of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and the destruction of beta-cells, direct evidence for their destructive role in-vivo is lacking. To address a destructive role for autoreactive CD8 T-cells in human disease, we assessed the pathogenicity of a CD8 T-cell clone derived from a T1D donor and specific for an HLA-A2...

Noutsios GT, Silveyra P, Bhatti F, Floros J. Exon B of human surfactant protein A2 mRNA, alone or within its surrounding sequences, interacts with 14-3-3; role of cis-elements and secondary structure. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 304: L722–L735, 2013. First published March 22, 2013; doi:10.1152/ajplung.00324.2012.—Human surfactant protein A, an innate immunity molecule, is encoded by two ...

Adenosine is released from retina in darkness; photoreceptors possess A2 adenosine receptors, and A2 agonists inhibit L-type Ca2+ currents (ICa) in rods. We therefore investigated whether A2 agonists inhibit rod inputs into second-order neurons and whether selective antagonists to A1, A2A, or A3 receptors prevent Ca2+ influx through rod ICa. [Ca2+]i changes in rods were assessed with fura-2. IC...