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We developed a protein to rapidly and accurately diagnose Chagas disease, a life-threatening illness identified by the WHO as a critical worldwide public health risk. Limitations in present day serological tests are complicating the current health situation and contributing to most infected persons being unaware of their condition and therefore untreated. To improve diagnostic testing, we developed an immunological mimic of the etiological agent, Trypanosoma cruzi , by combining ten pathogen-specific epitopes within the beta-barrel protein structure of Thermal Green Protein. The resulting multi-epitope protein, DxCruziV3, displayed high specificity and sensitivity as the antibody capture reagent in an ELISA platform with an analytical sensitivity that exceeds WHO recommendations. Within an immunochromatographic platform, DxCruziV3 showed excellent performance for the point of application diagnosis in a region endemic for multiple diseases, the municipality of Barcelos in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. In total, 167 individuals were rapidly tested using whole blood from a finger stick. As recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, venous blood samples were laboratory tested by conventional assays for comparison. Test results suggest utilizing DxCruziV3 in different assay platforms can confidently diagnose chronic infections by T. cruzi . Rapid and more accurate results will benefit everyone but will have the most noticeable impact in resource-limited rural areas where the disease is endemic.

Serological tests are critical tools in the fight against infectious disease. They detect antibodies produced during an adaptive immune response against a pathogen with an immunological reagent, whose antibody binding characteristics define the specificity and sensitivity of the assay. While pathogen proteins have conveniently served as reagents, their performance is limited by the natural grouping of specific and non-specific antibody binding sites, epitopes. An attractive solution is to build synthetic proteins that only contains pathogen-specific epitopes, which could theoretically reach 100% specificity. However, the genesis of de novo proteins remains a challenge. To address the uncertainty of producing a synthetic protein, we have repurposed the beta barrel of fluorescent proteins into a receptacle that can receive several epitope sequences without compromising its ability to be expressed. Here, two versions of a multiepitope protein were built using the receptacle that differ by their grouping of epitopes specific to the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi , the causative agent for Chagas disease. An evaluation of their performance as the capture reagent in ELISAs showed near-complete agreement with recommended diagnostic protocols. The results suggest that a single assay could be developed for the diagnosis of Chagas disease and that this approach could be applied to other diseases.

Despite successful vaccination efforts, the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants poses ongoing challenges to control COVID-19. Understanding humoral responses regarding SARS-CoV-2 infections and their impact is crucial for developing future vaccines that are effective worldwide. Here, we identified 41 immunodominant linear B-cell epitopes in its spike glycoprotein with an SPOT synthesis peptide array probed with a pool of serum from hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The bioinformatics showed a restricted set of epitopes unique to SARS-CoV-2 compared to other coronavirus family members. Potential crosstalk was also detected with Dengue virus (DENV), which was confirmed by screening individuals infected with DENV before the COVID-19 pandemic in a commercial ELISA for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. A high-resolution evaluation of antibody reactivity against peptides representing epitopes in the spike protein identified ten sequences in the NTD, RBD, and S2 domains. Functionally, antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) in SARS-CoV-2 infections of monocytes was observed in vitro with pre-pandemic Dengue-positive sera. A significant increase in viral load was measured compared to that of the controls, with no detectable neutralization or considerable cell death, suggesting its role in viral entry. Cross-reactivity against peptides from spike proteins was observed for the pre-pandemic sera. This study highlights the importance of identifying specific epitopes generated during the humoral response to a pathogenic infection to understand the potential interplay of previous and future infections on diseases and their impact on vaccinations and immunodiagnostics.

Background: The newly introduced COVID-19 vaccines have reduced disease severity and hospitalizations. However, they do not significantly prevent infection or transmission. In the same context, measuring IgM and IgG antibody levels is important, but it does not provide information about the status of the mucosal immune response. This article describes a comprehensive mapping of IgA epitopes of the S protein, its cross-reactivity, and the development of an ELISA-peptide assay., Methods: IgA epitope mapping was conducted using SPOT synthesis and sera from RT-qPCR COVID-19-positive patients. Specific and cross-reacting epitopes were identified, and an evolutionary analysis from the early Wuhan strain to the Omicron variant was performed using bioinformatics tools and a microarray of peptides. The selected epitopes were chemically synthesized and evaluated using ELISA-IgA., Results: A total of 40 IgA epitopes were identified with 23 in S1 and 17 in the S2 subunit. Among these, at least 23 epitopes showed cross-reactivity with DENV and other organisms and 24 showed cross-reactivity with other associated coronaviruses. Three MAP4 polypeptides were validated by ELISA, demonstrating a sensitivity of 90-99.96% and a specificity of 100%. Among the six IgA-RBD epitopes, only the SC/18 epitope of the Omicron variants (BA.2 and BA.2.12.1) presented a single IgA epitope., Conclusions: This research unveiled the IgA epitome of the S protein and identified many epitopes that exhibit cross-reactivity with DENV and other coronaviruses. The S protein of variants from Wuhan to Omicron retains many conserved IgA epitopes except for one epitope (#SCov/18). The cross-reactivity with DENV suggests limitations in using the whole S protein or the S1/S2/RBD segment for IgA serological diagnostic tests for COVID-19. The expression of these identified specific epitopes as diagnostic biomarkers could facilitate monitoring mucosal immunity to COVID-19, potentially leading to more accurate diagnoses and alternative mucosal vaccines.

The rise in antibiotic-resistant strains of clinically important pathogens is a major threat to global health. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized the urgent need to develop alternative treatments to address the growing list of priority pathogens. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) rank among the suggested options with proven activity and high potential to be developed into effective drugs. Many AMPs are naturally produced by living organisms protecting the host against pathogens as a part of their innate immunity. Mechanisms associated with AMP actions include cell membrane disruption, cell wall weakening, protein synthesis inhibition, and interference in nucleic acid dynamics, inducing apoptosis and necrosis. Acinetobacter baumannii is a critical pathogen, as severe clinical implications have developed from isolates resistant to current antibiotic treatments and conventional control procedures, such as UV light, disinfectants, and drying. Here, we review the natural AMPs representing primary candidates for new anti- A. baumannii drugs in post-antibiotic-era and present computational tools to develop the next generation of AMPs with greater microbicidal activity and reduced toxicity.

Tetanus is an acute, fatal disease caused by exotoxins released from Clostridium tetani during infections. A protective humoral immune response can be induced by vaccinations with pediatric and booster combinatorial vaccines that contain inactivated tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) as a major antigen. Although some epitopes in TeNT have been described using various approaches, a comprehensive list of its antigenic determinants that are involved with immunity has not been elucidated. To this end, a high-resolution analysis of the linear B-cell epitopes in TeNT was performed using antibodies generated in vaccinated children. Two hundred sixty-four peptides that cover the entire coding sequence of the TeNT protein were prepared in situ on a cellulose membrane through SPOT synthesis and probed with sera from children vaccinated (ChVS) with a triple DTP-vaccine to map continuous B-cell epitopes, which were further characterized and validated using immunoassays. Forty-four IgG epitopes were identified. Four (TT-215-218) were chemically synthesized as multiple antigen peptides (MAPs) and used in peptide ELISAs to screen post-pandemic DTP vaccinations. The assay displayed a high performance with high sensitivity (99.99%) and specificity (100%). The complete map of linear IgG epitopes induced by vaccination with inactivated TeNT highlights three key epitopes involved in the efficacy of the vaccine. Antibodies against epitope TT-8/G can block enzymatic activity, and those against epitopes TT-41/G and TT-43/G can interfere with TeNT binding to neuronal cell receptors. We further show that four of the epitopes identified can be employed in peptide ELISAs to assess vaccine coverage. Overall, the data suggest a set of select epitopes to engineer new, directed vaccines.

Oral immunization with the choleric toxin (CT) elicits a high level of protection against its enterotoxin activities and can control cholera in endemic settings. However, the complete B-cell epitope map of the CT that is responsible for protection remains to be clarified. A library of one-hundred, twenty-two 15-mer peptides covering the entire sequence of the three chains of the CT protein (CTP) was prepared by SPOT synthesis. The immunoreactivity of membrane-bound peptides with sera from mice vaccinated with an oral inactivated vaccine (Schankol™) allowed the mapping of continuous B-cell epitopes, topological studies, multi-antigen peptide (MAP) synthesis, and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) development. Eighteen IgG epitopes were identified; eight in the CTA, three in the CTB, and seven in the protein P. Three V. cholera specific epitopes, Vc/TxA-3, Vc/TxB-11, and Vc/TxP-16, were synthesized as MAP4 and used to coat ELISA plates in order to screen immunized mouse sera. Sensitivities and specificities of 100% were obtained with the MAP4s of Vc/TxA-3 and Vc/TxB-11. The results revealed a set of peptides whose immunoreactivity reflects the immune response to vaccination. The array of peptide data can be applied to develop improved serological tests in order to detect cholera toxin exposure, as well as next generation vaccines to induce more specific antibodies against the cholera toxin., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Intracellular parasites such as Trypanosoma cruzi need to acquire valuable carbon sources from the host cell to replicate. Here, we investigated the energetic metabolism of T. cruzi during metacyclogenesis through the determination of enzymatic activities and quantification by HPLC of glycolytic and Krebs cycle short-chain carboxylic acids. Altered concentrations in pyruvate, acetate, succinate, and glycerate were measured during the growth of epimastigote in the complex medium BHI and their differentiation to trypomastigotes in the chemically defined medium, TAU3AAG. These alterations should represent significant differential metabolic modifications utilized by either form to generate energy. This paper is the first work dealing with the intracellular organic acid concentration measurement in T. cruzi parasites. Although it confirms the previous assumption of the importance of carbohydrate metabolism, it yields an essential improvement in T. cruzi metabolism knowledge.

Background: Angiostrongyliasis, the leading cause universal of eosinophilic meningitis, is an emergent disease due to Angiostrongylus cantonensis (rat lungworm) larvae, transmitted accidentally to humans. The diagnosis of human angiostrongyliasis is based on epidemiologic characteristics, clinical symptoms, medical history, and laboratory findings, particularly hypereosinophilia in blood and cerebrospinal fluid. Thus, the diagnosis is difficult and often confused with those produced by other parasitic diseases. Therefore, the development of a fast and specific diagnostic test for angiostrongyliasis is a challenge mainly due to the lack of specificity of the described tests, and therefore, the characterization of a new target is required., Material and Methods: Using bioinformatics tools, the putative presenilin (PS) protein C7BVX5-1 was characterized structurally and phylogenetically. A peptide microarray approach was employed to identify single and specific epitopes, and tetrameric epitope peptides were synthesized to evaluate their performance in an ELISA-peptide assay., Results: The data showed that the A. cantonensis PS protein presents nine transmembrane domains, the catalytic aspartyl domain [(XD (aa 241) and GLGD (aa 332-335)], between TM6 and TM7 and the absence of the PALP and other characteristics domains of the class A22 and homologous presenilin (PSH). These individualities make it an atypical sub-branch of the PS family, located in a separate subgroup along with the enzyme Haemogonchus contournus and separated from other worm subclasses. Twelve B-linear epitopes were identified by microarray of peptides and validated by ELISA using infected rat sera. In addition, their diagnostic performance was demonstrated by an ELISA-MAP4 peptide., Conclusions: Our data show that the putative AgPS is an atypical multi-pass transmembrane protein and indicate that the protein is an excellent immunological target with two (PsAg3 and PsAg9) A. costarisencis cross-reactive epitopes and eight (PsAg1, PsAg2, PsAg6, PsAg7, PsAg8, PsAg10, PsAg11, PsAg12) apparent unique A. cantonensis epitopes. These epitopes could be used in engineered receptacle proteins to develop a specific immunological diagnostic assay for angiostrongyliasis caused by A. cantonensis .

Dengue viral (DENV) infections can lead to acute pancreatitis and associated tissue damage. This study examined the pancreas from two fatal cases of DENV for histopathological changes as well as for the detection of cytokines, and other inflammatory mediators. Tissue sections were prepared for examination by ultrastructural and histopathological techniques. Sections from the pancreas of non-infected individuals were prepared in parallel as a control. The presence of viral replication in macrophages was detected by co-staining for the proteins NS3 and CD68 by immunofluorescence. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect cells that expressed cytokines and inflammatory mediators to characterize the inflammatory response. Edema, acinar necrosis and fibrosis areas associated with a mononuclear infiltrate were found in infected tissues. The major site of virus replication appeared to be macrophages based on their exclusive presentation of the viral protein NS3. Pancreatic tissues from the infected individuals also displayed increased levels of high mobility group box-1, caspase-3, gelatinase B and tumor necrosis factor alpha compared to controls. The presence of virus replicating macrophages in the pancreas was associated with multiple changes in tissue structure that included elevated levels of cytokines and inflammatory markers that may differentiate acute pancreatitis due to DENV infections from other causes., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

(1) Background: coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been linked to hematological dysfunctions, but there are little experimental data that explain this. Spike (S) and Nucleoprotein (N) proteins have been putatively associated with these dysfunctions. In this work, we analyzed the recruitment of hemoglobin (Hb) and other metabolites (hemin and protoporphyrin IX-PpIX) by SARS-Cov2 proteins using different approaches. (2) Methods: shotgun proteomics (LC-MS/MS) after affinity column adsorption identified hemin-binding SARS-CoV-2 proteins. The parallel synthesis of the peptides technique was used to study the interaction of the receptor bind domain (RBD) and N-terminal domain (NTD) of the S protein with Hb and in silico analysis to identify the binding motifs of the N protein. The plaque assay was used to investigate the inhibitory effect of Hb and the metabolites hemin and PpIX on virus adsorption and replication in Vero cells. (3) Results: the proteomic analysis by LC-MS/MS identified the S, N, M, Nsp3, and Nsp7 as putative hemin-binding proteins. Six short sequences in the RBD and 11 in the NTD of the spike were identified by microarray of peptides to interact with Hb and tree motifs in the N protein by in silico analysis to bind with heme. An inhibitory effect in vitro of Hb, hemin, and PpIX at different levels was observed. Strikingly, free Hb at 1mM suppressed viral replication (99%), and its interaction with SARS-CoV-2 was localized into the RBD region of the spike protein. (4) Conclusions: in this study, we identified that (at least) five proteins (S, N, M, Nsp3, and Nsp7) of SARS-CoV-2 recruit Hb/metabolites. The motifs of the RDB of SARS-CoV-2 spike, which binds Hb, and the sites of the heme bind-N protein were disclosed. In addition, these compounds and PpIX block the virus's adsorption and replication. Furthermore, we also identified heme-binding motifs and interaction with hemin in N protein and other structural (S and M) and non-structural (Nsp3 and Nsp7) proteins.

Nicastrin (NICT) is a transmembrane protein physically associated with the polytypical aspartyl protease presenilin that plays a vital role in the correct localization and stabilization of presenilin to the membrane-bound γ-secretase complex. This complex is involved in the regulation of a wide range of cellular events, including cell signaling and the regulation of endocytosed membrane proteins for their trafficking and protein processing. Methods: In Trypanosoma cruzi , the causal agent of the Chagas disease, a NICT-like protein (Tc/NICT) was identified with a short C-terminus orthologous to the human protein, a large ectodomain (ECD) with numerous glycosylation sites and a single-core transmembrane domain containing a putative TM-domain (457GSVGA461) important for the γ-secretase complex activity. Results: Using the Spot-synthesis strategy with Chagasic patient sera, five extracellular epitopes were identified and synthetic forms were used to generate rabbit anti-Tc/NICT polyclonal serum that recognized a ~72-kDa molecule in immunoblots of T. cruzi epimastigote extracts. Confocal microscopy suggests that Tc/NICT is localized in the flagellar pocket, which is consistent with data from our previous studies with a T. cruzi presenilin-like protein. Phylogenetically, Tc/NICT was localized within a subgroup with the T. rangeli protein that is clearly detached from the other Trypanosomatidae, such as T. brucei. These results, together with a comparative analysis of the selected peptide sequence regions between the T. cruzi and mammalian proteins, suggest a divergence from the human NICT that might be relevant to Chagas disease pathology. As a whole, our data show that a NICT-like protein is expressed in the infective and replicative stages of T. cruzi and may be considered further evidence for a γ -secretase complex in trypanosomatids.

Mayaro virus (MAYV), which causes mayaro fever, is endemic to limited regions of South America that may expand due to the possible involvement of Aedes spp. mosquitoes in its transmission. Its effective control will require the accurate identification of infected individuals, which has been restricted to nucleic acid-based tests due to similarities with other emerging members of the Alphavirus genus of the Togaviridae family; both in structure and clinical symptoms. Serological tests have a more significant potential to expand testing at a reasonable cost, and their performance primarily reflects that of the antigen utilized to capture pathogen-specific antibodies. Here, we describe the assembly of a synthetic gene encoding multiple copies of antigenic determinants mapped from the nsP1, nsP2, E1, and E2 proteins of MAYV that readily expressed as a stable chimeric protein in bacteria. Its serological performance as the target in ELISAs revealed a high accuracy for detecting anti-MAYV IgM antibodies. No cross-reactivity was observed with serum from seropositive individuals for dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, Zika, and other infectious diseases as well as healthy individuals. Our data suggest that this bioengineered antigen could be used to develop high-performance serological tests for MAYV infections., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Snakebite envenomation is considered a neglected tropical disease, and SVTLEs critical elements are involved in serious coagulopathies that occur on envenoming. Although some enzymes of this group have been structurally investigated, it is essential to characterize other proteins to better understand their unique properties such as the Lachesis muta rhombeata 47 kDa (Lmr-47) venom serine protease., Methods: The structure of Lmr-47 was studied in solution, using SAXS, DLS, CD, and in silico by homology modeling. Molecular docking experiments simulated 21 competitive inhibitors., Results: At pH 8.0, Lmr-47 has an Rg of 34.5 ± 0.6 Å, Dmax of 130 Å, and SR of 50 Å, according to DLS data. Kratky plot analysis indicates a rigid shape at pH 8.0. Conversely, the pH variation does not change the center of mass's intrinsic fluorescence, possibly indicating the absence of fluorescent amino acids in the regions affected by pH variation. CD experiments show a substantially random coiled secondary structure not affected by pH. The low-resolution model of Lmr-47 presented a prolate elongated shape at pH 8.0. Using the 3D structure obtained by molecular modeling, docking experiments identified five good and three suitable competitive inhibitors., Conclusion: Together, our work provided insights into the structure of the Lmr-47 and identified inhibitors that may enhance our understanding of thrombin-like family proteins.

In Brazil, an epidemic of Zika virus (ZIKV) infections was declared in 2015 that coincided with alarming reports of microcephaly in newborns associated with mother infection. Although the virus has placental tropism, changes in the tissue morphology and immunity of infected patients have not yet been elucidated. Here, we investigated the histopathological and ultrastructural changes along with the immunological profile and the BDNF expression in rare placental material. Tissues were obtained in the 2015-2016 Brazilian epidemic, of ten ZIKV-infected patients during pregnancy, five resulting in cases of fetal microcephaly and five non-microcephaly, compared to five non-infected control placentae. Viral antigens were only detected in samples from the ZIKV infected patients. Infected placentae presented histopathological severe damage, while the ultrastructural evaluation showed abnormal organelles, such as clusters of virus-like particles consistent with the ZIKV dimensions. Increased infiltration of CD68 + and TCD8 + cells, expression of MMPs, cytokines (IFN-γ and TNF-α) and other immunological mediators (RANTES/CCL5 and VEGFR-2) confirmed excessive inflammation and vascular permeability dysfunction. An evaluation of BDNF showed a decrease that could modulate neuronal damage in the developing fetus. The placental changes caused by ZIKV are not pathognomonic, however, the data provide evidence that this infection leads to severe placental injury., (Copyright © 2020 Rabelo, de Souza, Salomão, Machado, Pereira, Portari, Basílio-de-Oliveira, dos Santos, Neves, Morgade, Provance, Higa, Tanuri, de Carvalho and Paes.)

BACKGROUND Chagas disease, resulting from Trypanosoma cruzi infections, continues to be a health concern mainly in Latin American countries where the parasite is endemic. The laboratory diagnosis of a chronic infection is determined through serological assays for antibodies against T. cruzi and several tests are available that differ in key components, formats and methodologies. To date, no single test meets the criteria of a gold standard. The situation is further complicated by the difficulties associated with performance comparisons between different immunoassays or methodologies executed at different times and geographical areas. OBJECTIVE To improve the diagnosis of Chagas disease, the WHO coordinated the development of two International Biological Reference Standards for antibodies against anti-T. cruzi: NIBSC 09/186 and NIBSC 09/188 that respectively represent geographical regions with the highest prevalence of TcII and TcI lineages of the parasite. METHODS The principle goal of this study was to verify the behavior of these standards when assayed by several commercially available serological tests that employ different methods to capture and detect human anti-T. cruzi antibodies. FINDINGS AND MAIN CONCLUSIONS The results reinforce the recommendation that these standards be considered for performance evaluations of commercialised immunoassays and should be an integral step in the development of new test components or assay paradigms.

Physical exercise is known to activate the sympathetic nervous system, which influences the production of saliva from salivary glands. Our examination of saliva collected from highly trained athletes before and after a number of physical competititions showed an increase in the secretion of S-type cystatins and cystatin C as a subacute response to aerobic and anaerobic exercise. The elevation in salivary cystatins was transient and the recovery time course differed from that of amylase and other salivary proteins. An in vitro assay was developed based on a cell line from a human submandibular gland (HSG) that differentiated into acinus-like structures. Treatments with the β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol caused a shift in the intracellular distribution of S-type cystatins and cystatin C, promoting their accumulation at the outer regions of the acinus prior to release and suggesting the activation of a directional transport involving co-migration of both molecules. In another treatment using non-differentiated HSG cells, it was evident that both expression and secretion of cystatin C increased upon addition of the β-adrenergic agonist, and these effects were essentially eliminated by the antagonist propranolol. The HSG cell line appears to have potential as a model for exploring the mechanism of cystatin secretion, particularly the S-type cystatins that originate primarily in the submandibular glands., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The technique of high-speed countercurrent chromatography was applied to the isolation of compounds in essential oil derived from the leaves of Piper mollicomum species. Plant leaves (200.0 g) were submitted to hydrodistillation in a modified Clevenger apparatus. The resulting crude leaf essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to determine the profile of the components. The purified fractions were composed of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes such as camphor (85.0 mg at 98.5% purity), ( E )-nerolidol (100.0 mg at 92.8% purity), and camphene (150.0 mg at 82.0% purity). A minor component of the essential oil, bornyl acetate (16.2 mg at 91.2% purity) was also isolated in the one-step separation protocol in 2 h. The countercurrent chromatography technique proved to be a fast and efficient method for the separation of volatile metabolites that conserved the solvent while delivering various fractions of high purity.

Together, the three human rhinovirus (RV) species are the most frequent cause of the common cold. Because of their high similarity with other viral species of the genus Enterovirus, within the large family Picornaviridae, studies on RV infectious activities often offer a less pathogenic model for more aggressive enteroviruses, e.g. poliovirus or EV71. Picornaviruses enter via receptor mediated endocytosis and replicate in the cytosol. Most of them depend on functional F-actin, Rab proteins, and probably motor proteins. To assess the latter, we evaluated the role of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) and two myosin V isoforms (Va and Vb) in RV-B14 infection. We report that ML-9, a very specific MLCK inhibitor, dramatically reduced RV-B14 entry. We also demonstrate that RV-B14 infection in cells expressing dominant-negative forms of myosin Va and Vb was impaired after virus entry. Using immunofluorescent localization and immunoprecipitation, we show that myosin Va co-localized with RV-B14 exclusively after viral entry (15 min post infection) and that myosin Vb was present in the clusters of newly synthesized RNA in infected cells. These clusters, observed at 180 min post infection, are reminiscent of replication sites. Taken together, these results identify myosin light chain kinase, myosin Va and myosin Vb as new players in RV-B14 infection that participate directly or indirectly in different stages of the viral cycle.

Echinodorus grandiflorus (Cham. & Schltdl.) Micheli is a native Brazilian species used in traditional practices for the treatment of several conditions such as inflammatory diseases, arthritis and hypertension. Through a systematic review of the accumulated knowledge about the species E. grandiflorus, the botanical, phytochemistry, ethnobotanical and pharmacological properties of this medicinal plant demonstrates its potential to naturally provide anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant with a special emphasis on anti-hypertensive and cardioprotective effects. The body of literature reports that the chemical composition of crude E. grandiflorus extracts are notably composed of diterpenoids and flavonoids metabolites. Pharmacological studies have shown that oral treatments using the hydroalcoholic extracts of leaves from this plant has a significant anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, diuretic and cardioprotective effects in rats with no toxicity. The holistic activities of complex extracts are corroborated by the individuals mechanisms of action, as well as, synergistic benefits attributed to the isolated chemical major constituents in this species. In light of the serious health concerns ascribed, it is important to investigate medicinal plant species with histories of traditional use for circulatory problems to meet the growing demands by scientifically validating their use and safety., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Controversy still exists over whether the benefits of the available HPV vaccines outweigh the risks and this has suppressed uptake of the HPV vaccines in comparison to other vaccines. Concerns about HPV vaccine safety have led some physicians, healthcare officials and parents to withhold the recommended vaccination from the target population. The most common reason for not administering the prophylactic HPV vaccines are concerns over adverse effects. The aim of this review is the assessment of peer-reviewed scientific data related to measurable outcomes from the use of HPV vaccines throughout the world with focused attention on the potential adverse effects. We found that the majority of studies continue to suggest a positive risk-benefit from vaccination against HPV, with minimal documented adverse effects, which is consistent with other vaccines. However, much of the published scientific data regarding the safety of HPV vaccines appears to originate from within the financially competitive HPV vaccine market. We advocate a more independent monitoring system for vaccine immunogenicity and adverse effects to address potential conflicts of interest with regular systematic literature reviews by qualified individuals to vigilantly assess and communicate adverse effects associated with HPV vaccination. Finally, our evaluation suggests that an expanded use of HPV vaccine into more diverse populations, particularly those living in low-resource settings, would provide numerous health and social benefits.

Background: The identification of epitopes in proteins recognized by medically relevant antibodies is useful for the development of peptide-based diagnostics and vaccines. In this study, epitopes in the cytoplasmic repetitive antigen (CRA) and flagellar repetitive antigen (FRA) proteins from Trypanosoma cruzi were identified using synthetic peptide techniques and pooled sera from Chagasic patients. The epitopes were further assayed with an ELISA assay based on synthetic peptides., Methods: Twenty-two overlapping synthetic peptides representing the coding sequence of the T. cruzi CRA and FRA proteins were assessed by a Spot-synthesis array analysis using sera donated by patients with Chagas disease. Shorter peptides were selected that represented the determined epitopes and synthesized by solid phase synthesis to evaluate the patterns of cross-reactivities and discrimination through an ELISA-diagnostic assay., Results: The peptide Spot-synthesis array successfully identified two IgG antigenic determinants in the CRA protein and four in FRA. Bioinformatics suggested that the CRA antigens were unique to T. cruzi while the FRA antigen showed similarity with sequences present within various proteins from Leishmania sp. Subsequently, shorter peptides representing the CRA-1, CRA-2 and FRA-1 epitopes were synthesized by solid phase synthesis and assayed by an ELISA-diagnostic assay. The CRA antigens gave a high discrimination between Chagasic, Leishmaniasis and T. cruzi-uninfected serum. A sensitivity and specificity of 100% was calculated for CRA. While the FRA antigen showed a slightly lower sensitivity (91.6%), its specificity was only 60%., Conclusions: The epitopes recognized by human anti-T. cruzi antibodies have been precisely located in two biomarkers of T. cruzi, CRA and FRA. The results from screening a panel of patient sera through an ELISA assay based on peptides representing these epitopes strongly suggest that the sequences from CRA would be useful for the development of diagnostic reagents that could improve upon the sensitivity and specificity of currently available diagnostic tests. Overall, the results provide further evidence of the usefulness of identifying specific linear B-cell epitopes for improving diagnostic tools.

Myosin-Va (Myo5a) is a motor protein associated with synaptic vesicles (SVs) but the mechanism by which it interacts has not yet been identified. A potential class of binding partners are Rab GTPases and Rab3A is known to associate with SVs and is involved in SV trafficking. We performed experiments to determine whether Rab3A interacts with Myo5a and whether it is required for transport of neuronal vesicles. In vitro motility assays performed with axoplasm from the squid giant axon showed a requirement for a Rab GTPase in Myo5a-dependent vesicle transport. Furthermore, mouse recombinant Myo5a tail revealed that it associated with Rab3A in rat brain synaptosomal preparations in vitro and the association was confirmed by immunofluorescence imaging of primary neurons isolated from the frontal cortex of mouse brains. Synaptosomal Rab3A was retained on recombinant GST-tagged Myo5a tail affinity columns in a GTP-dependent manner. Finally, the direct interaction of Myo5a and Rab3A was determined by sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation using recombinant mouse Myo5a tail and human Rab3A. When both proteins were incubated in the presence of 1 mm GTPγS, Myo5a tail and Rab3A formed a complex and a direct interaction was observed. Further analysis revealed that GTP-bound Rab3A interacts with both the monomeric and dimeric species of the Myo5a tail. However, the interaction between Myo5a tail and nucleotide-free Rab3A did not occur. Thus, our results show that Myo5a and Rab3A are direct binding partners and interact on SVs and that the Myo5a/Rab3A complex is involved in transport of neuronal vesicles.

Learning-related plasticity at excitatory synapses in the mammalian brain requires the trafficking of AMPA receptors and the growth of dendritic spines. However, the mechanisms that couple plasticity stimuli to the trafficking of postsynaptic cargo are poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that myosin Vb (MyoVb), a Ca2+-sensitive motor, conducts spine trafficking during long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic strength. Upon activation of NMDA receptors and corresponding Ca2+ influx, MyoVb associates with recycling endosomes (REs), triggering rapid spine recruitment of endosomes and local exocytosis in spines. Disruption of MyoVb or its interaction with the RE adaptor Rab11-FIP2 abolishes LTP-induced exocytosis from REs and prevents both AMPA receptor insertion and spine growth. Furthermore, induction of tight binding of MyoVb to actin using an acute chemical genetic strategy eradicates LTP in hippocampal slices. Thus, Ca2+-activated MyoVb captures and mobilizes REs for AMPA receptor insertion and spine growth, providing a mechanistic link between the induction and expression of postsynaptic plasticity.

Background: Myosin-Vb has been shown to be involved in the recycling of diverse proteins in multiple cell types. Studies on transferrin trafficking in HeLa cells using a dominant-negative myosin-Vb tail fragment suggested that myosin-Vb was required for recycling from perinuclear compartments to the plasma membrane. However, chemical-genetic, dominant-negative experiments, in which myosin-Vb was specifically induced to bind to actin, suggested that the initial hypothesis was incorrect both in its site and mode of myosin-Vb action. Instead, the chemical-genetic data suggested that myosin-Vb functions in the actin-rich periphery as a dynamic tether on peripheral endosomes, retarding transferrin transport to perinuclear compartments., Results: In this study, we employed both approaches, with the addition of overexpression of full-length wild-type myosin-Vb and switching the order of myosin-Vb inhibition and transferrin loading, to distinguish between these hypotheses. Overexpression of full-length myosin-Vb produced large peripheral endosomes. Chemical-genetic inhibition of myosin-Vb after loading with transferrin did not prevent movement of transferrin from perinuclear compartments; however, virtually all myosin-Vb-decorated particles, including those moving on microtubules, were halted by the inhibition. Overexpression of the myosin-Vb tail caused a less-peripheral distribution of early endosome antigen-1 (EEA1)., Conclusion: All results favored the peripheral dynamic tethering hypothesis.

Selective, in situ inhibition of individual unconventional myosins is a powerful approach to determine their specific physiological functions. Here, we report the engineering of a myosin Vb mutant that still hydrolyzes ATP, yet is selectively sensitized to an N(6)-substituted ADP analog that inhibits its activity, causing it to remain tightly bound to actin. Inhibition of the sensitized mutant causes inhibition of accumulation of transferrin in the cytoplasm and increases levels of plasma-membrane transferrin receptor, suggesting that myosin Vb functions in traffic between peripheral and pericentrosomal compartments.

Myosin Va is associated with discrete vesicle populations in a number of cell types, but little is known of the function of myosin Vb. Yeast two-hybrid screening of a rabbit parietal cell cDNA library with dominant active Rab11a (Rab11aS20V) identified myosin Vb as an interacting protein for Rab11a, a marker for plasma membrane recycling systems. The isolated clone, corresponding to the carboxyl terminal 60 kDa of the myosin Vb tail, interacted with all members of the Rab11 family (Rab11a, Rab11b, and Rab25). GFP-myosin Vb and endogenous myosin Vb immunoreactivity codistributed with Rab11a in HeLa and Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. As with Rab11a in MDCK cells, the myosin Vb immunoreactivity was dispersed with nocodazole treatment and relocated to the apical corners of cells with taxol treatment. A green fluorescent protein (GFP)-myosin Vb tail chimera overexpressed in HeLa cells retarded transferrin recycling and caused accumulation of transferrin and the transferrin receptor in pericentrosomal vesicles. Expression of the myosin Vb tail chimera in polarized MDCK cells stably expressing the polymeric IgA receptor caused accumulation of basolaterally endocytosed polymeric IgA and the polymeric IgA receptor in the pericentrosomal region. The myosin Vb tail had no effects on transferrin trafficking in polarized MDCK cells. The GFP-myosin Va tail did not colocalize with Rab11a and had no effects on recycling system vesicle distribution in either HeLa or MDCK cells. The results indicate myosin Vb is associated with the plasma membrane recycling system in nonpolarized cells and the apical recycling system in polarized cells. The dominant negative effects of the myosin Vb tail chimera indicate that this unconventional myosin is required for transit out of plasma membrane recycling systems.

Our understanding of the organization of postsynaptic signaling systems at excitatory synapses has been aided by the identification of proteins in the postsynaptic density (PSD) fraction, a subcellular fraction enriched in structures with the morphology of PSDs. In this study, we have completed the identification of most major proteins in the PSD fraction with the use of an analytical method based on mass spectrometry coupled with searching of the protein sequence databases. At least one protein in each of 26 prominent protein bands from the PSD fraction has now been identified. We found 7 proteins not previously known to be constituents of the PSD fraction and 24 that had previously been associated with the PSD by other methods. The newly identified proteins include the heavy chain of myosin-Va (dilute myosin), a motor protein thought to be involved in vesicle trafficking, and the mammalian homolog of the yeast septin protein cdc10, which is important for bud formation in yeast. Both myosin-Va and cdc10 are threefold to fivefold enriched in the PSD fraction over brain homogenates. Immunocytochemical localization of myosin-Va in cultured hippocampal neurons shows that it partially colocalizes with PSD-95 at synapses and is also diffusely localized in cell bodies, dendrites, and axons. Cdc10 has a punctate distribution in cell bodies and dendrites, with some of the puncta colocalizing with PSD-95. The results support a role for myosin-Va in transport of materials into spines and for septins in the formation or maintenance of spines.

Background: The establishment, maintenance and rearrangement of junctions between epithelial cells are extremely important in many developmental, physiological and pathological processes. AF-6 is a putative Ras effector; it is also a component of tight and adherens junctions, and has been shown to bind both Ras and the tight-junction protein ZO-1. In the mouse, AF-6 is encoded by the Af6 gene. As cell-cell junctions are important in morphogenesis, we generated a null mutation in the murine Af6 locus to test the hypothesis that lack of AF-6 function would cause epithelial abnormalities., Results: Although cell-cell junctions are thought to be important in early embryogenesis, homozygous mutant embryos were morphologically indistinguishable from wild-type embryos through 6.5 days post coitum (dpc) and were able to establish all three germ layers. The earliest morphological abnormalities were observed in the embryonic ectoderm of mutant embryos at 7.5 dpc. The length of the most apical cell-cell junctions was reduced, and basolateral surfaces of those cells were separated by multiple gaps. Cells of the embryonic ectoderm were less polarized as assessed by histological criteria and lateral localization of an apical marker. Mutant embryos died by 10 dpc, probably as a result of placental failure., Conclusions: AF-6 is a critical regulator of cell-cell junctions during mouse development. The loss of neuroepithelial polarity in mutants is consistent with a loss of efficacy of the cell-cell junctions that have a critical role in establishing apical/basolateral asymmetry.

Mutant alleles at the dilute unconventional myosin heavy chain locus cause diluted coat color, opisthotonic seizures, and death. The dilute coat color phenotype is caused by irregular clumping of pigment in the hair, but amounts of melanin are unchanged from wild-type controls. The melanocyte phenotype has been described as adendritic, since hair bulb and Harderian gland melanocytes appear to be rounded in tissue sections. These observations do not exclude the possibility that the processes lack pigment, since the melanocyte shape was judged by the distribution of melanin. We have tested this hypothesis by culturing primary melanocytes from dilute mutant and wild-type mice. The mutant melanocytes do not lack processes; instead, they exhibit a concentrated perinuclear distribution of melanosomes, while wild-type melanocytes have a very uniform cytoplasmic distribution of melanosomes. Electron micrographs show no detectable differences in melanosome morphology or maturation between dilute and wild-type melanocytes. Immunofluorescence experiments indicate that the dilute protein is concentrated in regions of the cytoplasm that contain melanosomes. These experiments show that the dilute myosin is necessary for the localization of melanosomes, either by active transport or tethering.

We have isolated cDNAs encoding a second member of the dilute (myosin-V) unconventional myosin family in vertebrates, myr 6 (myosin from rat 6). Expression of myr 6 transcripts in the brain is much more limited than is the expression of dilute, with highest levels observed in choroid plexus and components of the limbic system. We have mapped the myr 6 locus to mouse chromosome 18 using an interspecific backcross. The 3' portion of the myr 6 cDNA sequence from rat is nearly identical to that of a previously published putative glutamic acid decarboxylase from mouse [Huang, W.M., Reed-Fourquet, L., Wu, E. & Wu, J.Y. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87, 8491-8495].

By fluorescence ratio imaging of large and small inert tracer particles in living cells, we have previously shown that particles 24 nm in radius are excluded from otherwise uncharacterized compartments in the distal and perinuclear cytoplasm (Luby-Phelps, K. and Taylor, D.L., 1988. Cell Motil. Cytoskel. 10, 28-37). In this study we examined the cytoarchitecture of these compartments. Whole-mount TEM showed that distal size-excluding compartments were devoid of membrane-bounded organelles and were filled with a dense cytomatrix consisting of numerous, long bundles of thin filaments interconnected by a more random meshwork of short thin filaments. The mean diameter of void spaces in the cytomatrix of distal excluding compartments was 31 nm, compared to 53 nm in adjacent non-excluding domains. The height of the distal excluding compartments was generally < or = 50% of the height in the adjacent non-excluding compartment. An electron-dense structure having the same projected outline as the perinuclear size-excluding compartment was visible by whole-mount TEM, but the cells were too thick and osmiophilic in this region to resolve any detail. Immunofluorescence localization of cytoskeletal proteins in distal excluding compartments indicated the presence of filament bundles containing F-actin nonmuscle filamin (ABP280) and alpha-actinin. F-actin and ABP280, but not alpha-actinin, were found also in between these filament bundles. Microtubules and vimentin generally were rare or absent from distal excluding domains. Staining of living cells with DMB-ceramide revealed that the perinuclear size-excluding compartment consisted of a compact, juxtanuclear domain coinciding with the trans-Golgi, surrounded by a more diffuse domain coinciding with a perinuclear concentration of endoplasmic reticulum. Intense immunofluorescence staining for vimentin was also observed in the perinuclear size-excluding compartment. We propose that the most likely mechanism for exclusion from distal compartments is molecular sieving by a meshwork of actin filament bundles interconnected by an F-actin/ABP280 gel network, while exclusion from the perinuclear compartment may be due to close apposition of cisternae in the trans-Golgi and a network or basket of vimentin filaments in the centrosomal region of the cell.