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The human interleukin 5 receptor alpha (hIL-5-alpha) subunit exists in either soluble or membrane-bound isoforms. Previous investigations have isolated the cDNA coding for a soluble form of hIL-5-alpha. Using a 3' extension cDNA/PCR strategy coupled with a size selection step, two additional cDNA clones coding for a soluble and membrane-bound form of hIL-5-alpha were isolated. Sequence analysis showed that all of the isoforms are encoded by one gene and differ at the splicing level. The soluble forms could arise by normal or no splicing, while the membrane-bound form arises from alternative splicing.

1. Due to intensive selection, broiler chickens became the most efficient meat-producing animals because of their fast growth, supported by a virtually unlimited voluntary feed intake. These characteristics cause many problems in the management of broiler breeder hens because of the negative correlation between muscle growth and reproduction effectiveness. 2. This problem, namely the fast muscle growth versus reproduction health paradox, induces a second paradox, acceptable reproduction and health versus hunger stress and impaired welfare, because broiler breeder hens require dedicated programmes of feed restriction (1) to maximise egg and chick production and (2) to avoid metabolic disorders and mortality in broiler breeders. 3. Given that poultry selection is a global large-scale business and chickens are a prolific species, improvement in profit can only be obtained by selecting on feed conversion and/or for higher breast meat percentage, which will intensify the broiler-breeder paradox. 4. New feeding strategies are being studied, but it is questionable if the paradox can be solved by management tools alone. Because breeding and selection are long-term processes, involving animals, farmers, consumers, industry, environment etc., a more sustainable breeding goal needs to be determined by a multidisciplinary approach and an open debate between several actors in the discussion. 5. Using dwarf broiler breeder hens could be one alternative, because dwarf hens combine relatively good reproductive fitness with ad libitum feeding. Another possibility is to accept lower broiler productivity by assigning economic values to welfare and including integrity traits in an extended breeding goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency and the gravity of allergic reactions to insulin have decreased substantially with the availability of recombinant DNA-human insulins. Today, the frequency of immediate reactions is estimated to be on the order of 10%. Most of these allergic reactions are related to components of these preparations other than insulin. The manifestations are usually benign and localized to the injection site. True insulin allergies are very rare. We report three cases of patients who presented generalized immediate allergic manifestations after insulin injections. Intradermal skin tests with a panel of recombinant DNA-human insulins were negative in nonallergic diabetic controls and non-diabetic controls but positive in our three patients, suggesting the occurrence of IgE-dependant systemic allergy to recombinant DNA-human insulin. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary Identifying novel targets for therapy in allergic disease: protein interactions inside the cell Therapy of allergic disease currently relies on pharmacological manipulation of mediators or immunotherapy. Drugs have been developed to target specific mediators and their receptors: for example antihistamines blocking the H1 receptor have been refined to maximize antagonism and reduce central side-effects or adverse effects of activity on other receptors such as muscarinic cholinergic receptors. Traditional pharmacological approaches identify new surface receptors against which chemists will then design or screen compounds for activity: examples are H 3 or H 4 histamine receptors. With the advent of the sequenced human genome we are faced with a vast array of genes and proteins that interact to define normal physiology or indeed pathology. A major challenge to biotechnology is to evolve novel techniques to understand the function and interaction of these myriad proteins. One particular area of current interest is the signalling cascades downstream of surface receptors. For many years pathways have appeared overlapping and to offer little chance of specific intervention. However, greater understanding of the complexity and integration of signalling, together with the possibility of directing drugs to specific cells has aroused considerable interest in this area for novel therapeutics. Indeed, targeting events within the cell has been done for many years with steroids. Here, Jan Tavernier and colleagues describe some signalling pathways relevant to allergic disease and potential methods for understanding protein interactions that allow mapping of the cascades. In particular they describe an elegant new system of analysis of protein–protein interactions in a mammalian system, which they have developed, termed MAPPIT. The basis of the system is an engineered receptor with JAK kinase but which lacks STAT activation sites.... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Identifying novel targets for therapy in allergic disease: protein interactions inside the cell Therapy of allergic disease currently relies on pharmacological manipulation of mediators or immunotherapy. Drugs have been developed to target specific mediators and their receptors: for example antihistamines blocking the H1 receptor have been refined to maximize antagonism and reduce central side-effects or adverse effects of activity on other receptors such as muscarinic cholinergic receptors. Traditional pharmacological approaches identify new surface receptors against which chemists will then design or screen compounds for activity: examples are H 3 or H 4 histamine receptors. With the advent of the sequenced human genome we are faced with a vast array of genes and proteins that interact to define normal physiology or indeed pathology. A major challenge to biotechnology is to evolve novel techniques to understand the function and interaction of these myriad proteins. One particular area of current interest is the signalling cascades downstream of surface receptors. For many years pathways have appeared overlapping and to offer little chance of specific intervention. However, greater understanding of the complexity and integration of signalling, together with the possibility of directing drugs to specific cells has aroused considerable interest in this area for novel therapeutics. Indeed, targeting events within the cell has been done for many years with steroids. Here, Jan Tavernier and colleagues describe some signalling pathways relevant to allergic disease and potential methods for understanding protein interactions that allow mapping of the cascades. In particular they describe an elegant new system of analysis of protein–protein interactions in a mammalian system, which they have developed, termed MAPPIT. The basis of the system is an engineered receptor with JAK kinase but which lacks STAT activation sites.... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sixteen common seals () were stranded on the Belgian and northern French coasts during the summer of 1998. Eleven (10 pups and one adult) were sampled for histopathological, immunohistochemical, serological, bacteriological, parasitological and virological investigations. The main gross findings were severe emaciation, acute haemorrhagic enteritis, acute pneumonia, interstitial pulmonary emphysema and oedema, and chronic ulcerative stomatitis. Microscopical lung findings were acute to subacute pneumonia with interstitial oedema and emphysema. Severe lymphocytic depletion was observed in lymph nodes. Severe acute to subacute meningoencephalitis was observed in one animal. Specific staining with two monoclonal antibodies directed against canine distemper virus (cDv) and phocine distemper virus was observed in a few lymphocytes in the spleen and lymph nodes of three seals. Anti-cDv neutralising antibodies were detected in sera from six animals. Seven of the seals were positive by reverse transcriptase- PCR for the morbillivirus phosphoprotein gene. The lesions observed were consistent with those in animals infected by a morbillivirus, and demonstrated that distemper has recently recurred in North Sea seals. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As tumour necrosis serum kills malarial parasites in vitro and inhibits the multiplication of some species of Plasmodium in mice, we examined the effect of recombinant mouse tumour necrosis factor (rTNF) on P. yoelii both in vitro and in vivo. Parasites incubated overnight with rTNF showed no loss of viability, but repeated injection of rTNF into infected mice reduced parasitaemia and significantly prolonged survival of mice infected with a lethal variant of the parasite. We conclude that TNF acts on blood-stage malaria in vivo via a host cell and that another molecule in tumour necrosis serum is involved in killing the parasite in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]