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Vehicular on-board communication is the basis for advanced driver assistance, autonomous driving, over-the-air updates, and many more. If unprotected, this infrastructure is vulnerable to manipulation and various attacks. As any networked system, future connected cars require robust protection, monitoring, and incidence management against cyber-attacks during their lifetime. We demonstrate an infrastructure that secures the in-vehicle communication system and enables the security management of an entire vehicle fleet. Our prototype-a real-world production car-uses an Ethernet backbone network. It implements protective measures using software-defined networking, anomaly detection technologies, and is connected to a cyber defense center in the cloud. We demonstrate how this combination can reliably detect and mitigate common attacks on the vehicle-including its legacy components.

Predominant T-helper 1 (Th1) responses with increased gamma interferon (IFN-γ) levels have been proposed to play an important role inHelicobacter pylori-induced gastritis and peptic ulceration. However, bacterial factors contributing to the initiation of Th1 polarization ofH. pylori-specific immune responses have not been characterized in detail thus far. We report here on the identification ofHelicobactercysteine-rich protein A (HcpA) as a novel proinflammatory and Th1-promoting protein. The capacity of HcpA to induce immune activation was studied in splenocyte cultures of naiveH. pylori-negative mice. HcpA stimulated the release of high concentrations of the proinflammatory and Th1-promoting cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IFN-γ, in addition to significant levels of IL-12, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and IL-10. The observed cytokine profile was comparable to that induced by lipopolysaccharide but differed in the kinetics and maximum levels of cytokine production. In addition, HcpA-induced cytokine release resembled that observed upon incubation withH. pyloriexcept for IL-10, which was only moderately released upon HcpA stimulation. Both HcpA- andH. pylori-mediated IFN-γ production was drastically reduced by a neutralizing antibody against IL-12 but not by an anti-IL-2 antibody. Thus, HcpA seems to represent a novel bacterial virulence factor triggering the release of a concerted set of cytokines to instruct the adaptive immune system for the initiation of proinflammatory and Th1-biased immunity.

Two sequential clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kpn) were isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (Kpn#1) and sputum (Kpn#2) of a patient with pneumonia, complicated by anatomical and immunosuppressive problems due to Wegener's granulomatosis. Despite 4 weeks of systemic treatment with ciprofloxacin (CIP) Kpn#2 was isolated thereafter. A fluoroquinolone-resistant mutant (Kpn#1-SEL) was derived from Kpn#1 in vitro by selecting on agar plates supplemented with ofloxacin. Kpn#1, Kpn#1-SEL and Kpn#2 had an identical pattern in PFGE. CIP MICs were 0.25, 2 and 4 mg/l for Kpn#1, Kpn#2 and Kpn#1-SEL, respectively. Kpn ATCC 10031 (CIP MIC 0.002 mg/l) served as control. We analyzed mechanisms of fluoroquinolone resistance by determining antibiotic susceptibility, organic solvent tolerance, accumulation of fluoroquinolones, dominance testing with wild-type topoisomerase genes (gyrA/B, parC/E), sequencing of the quinolone resistance determining regions of gyrA/B, parC/E and marR and Northern blotting of marR and acrAB genes. Compared with Kpn ATCC 10031, elevated MICs to fluoroquinolones and unrelated antibiotics in Kpn#1 was presumably due to a primary efflux pump other than AcrAB and increased the CIP MIC 125-fold. Although Kpn#1 tested sensitive according to NCCLS breakpoints, the elevated CIP MIC of 0.25 mg/l presumably rendered this isolate clinically resistant and lead to therapeutic failure in this case. Further increase of MIC to fluoroquinolones in vivo and in vitro was distinct. Kpn#1-SEL, selected in vitro, acquired a GyrA target mutation, whereas in Kpn#2 no known resistance mechanism could be detected.

A recent analysis of gene expression in renal cell carcinoma cells led to the identification of mRNAs whose translation was dependent on the presence of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene product, pVHL. Here, we investigate the finding that pVHL-expressing RCC cells (VHL(+)) exhibited elevated levels of polysome-associated p53 mRNA and increased p53 protein levels compared with VHL-defective (VHL(-)) cells. Our findings indicate that p53 translation is specifically heightened in VHL(+) cells, given that (i) p53 mRNA abundance in VHL(+) and VHL(-) cells was comparable, (ii) p53 degradation did not significantly influence p53 expression, and (iii) p53 synthesis was markedly induced in VHL(+) cells. Electrophoretic mobility shift and immunoprecipitation assays to detect endogenous and radiolabeled p53 transcripts revealed that the RNA-binding protein HuR, previously shown to regulate mRNA turnover and translation, was capable of binding to the 3' untranslated region of the p53 mRNA in a VHL-dependent fashion. Interestingly, while whole-cell levels of HuR in VHL(+) and VHL(-) cells were comparable, HuR was markedly more abundant in the cytoplasmic and polysome-associated fractions of VHL(+) cells. In keeping with earlier reports, the elevated cytoplasmic HuR in VHL(+) cells was likely due to the reduced AMP-activated kinase activity in these cells. Demonstration that HuR indeed contributed to the increased expression of p53 in VHL(+) cells was obtained through use of RNA interference, which effectively reduced HuR expression and in turn caused marked decreases in p53 translation and p53 abundance. Taken together, our findings support a role for pVHL in elevating p53 expression, implicate HuR in enhancing VHL-mediated p53 translation, and suggest that VHL-mediated p53 upregulation may contribute to pVHL's tumor suppressive functions in renal cell carcinoma.

Based on evidence that the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor protein is associated with polysomes and interacts with translation regulatory factors, we set out to investigate the potential influence of pVHL on protein translation. To this end, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells that either lacked pVHL or expressed pVHL through stable transfection were used to prepare RNA from cytosolic (unbound) and polysome-bound fractions. Hybridization of cDNA arrays using RNA from each fraction revealed a subset of transcripts whose abundance in polysomes decreased when pVHL function was restored. The tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) mRNA was identified as one of the transcripts that preferentially associated with polysomes in pVHL-deficient cells. Additional evidence that the TNF-alpha mRNA was a target of translational repression by pVHL was obtained from reporter gene assays, which further revealed that pVHL's inhibitory influence on protein synthesis occurred through the TNF-alpha 3'-untranslated region. Our findings uncover a novel function for the pVHL tumor suppressor protein as regulator of protein translation.

Except for hereditary disease, genetic factors that contribute to the development of renal epithelial tumors are unknown. There is a possibility that the MDR1 encoded plasma membrane transporter P-glycoprotein (PGP) influences the risk of development of renal neoplasms. PGP is known to be involved in uptake, binding, transport, and distribution of xenobiotics. There is evidence that the MDR1(C3435T) polymorphism drives expression and modulates disease risk. In an explorational case-control study, constitutional genotype frequencies were established at MDR1(C3435T) of 537 healthy control subjects and compared with those of 212 patients with renal epithelial tumors. There were 179 clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) and 33 tumors collectively assigned as non-CCRCC. In a second study, genotypes of another 150 healthy control subjects and 50 patients with three non-CCRCC types (26 papillary RCC, 11 chromophobe RCC, and 13 renal oncocytic adenoma) were compared. PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism-based analysis of constitutional DNA, and statistical analysis were applied. PGP expression was analyzed by quantitative immunohistochemistry. The explorational study showed a significant association between T allele frequency and the occurrence of tumors (P = 0.007). When tumors were histopathologically distinguished into frequent CCRCC and less frequent non-CCRCC, both patient groups contributed to this effect with a seemingly strong influence by the latter (P = 0.0419). The second study established the T allele as a risk factor especially for non-CCRCC (P = 0.0005) with the highest risk for homozygote TT allele carriers (P < 0.0001). Independently, MDR1(C3435T) genotype associated variations in PGP expression were shown in normal renal parenchyma with a 1.5-fold difference of median values (TT, 1.9; CC, 2.8; P = 0.0065). The data provide evidence for PGP to influence the susceptibility to develop renal epithelial tumors by virtue of its MDR1(C3435T) polymorphism and changes in expression. Especially T and TT carriers are at risk for developing non-CCRCC, i.e., papillary and chromophobe RCC as well as oncocytic adenomas.

The mechanisms of fluoroquinolone resistance in two isolates of Enterobacter cloacae, Ecl#1 and Ecl#2, from the same patient and with identical pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns, have been analysed. MICs of ciprofloxacin were 0.25 and 1 mg/L for Ecl#1 and Ecl#2, respectively. Ecl#2 was also more resistant to chloramphenicol and organic solvents. The quinolone resistance determining regions of gyrA/B and parC/E, and the marORA and acrB genes, were sequenced. Expression of marR, acrB, soxS, robA, ramA and fis was analysed by northern blotting. The activity of a 90 bp E. cloacae mar promoter fragment was examined with the reporter plasmid pIGJ-1mar. Sequencing the gyrAB and parCE genes revealed a single amino acid substitution in GyrA (corresponding to position 83 in GyrA of Escherichia coli) in Ecl#1 and Ecl#2 (Phe83) compared with reference strain E. cloacae DSMZ 3264 (Thr83). Ecl#2 accumulated significantly less norfloxacin and displayed higher levels of expression of marR and acrB than Exl#1, indicative of greater fluoroquinolone efflux activity. Sequencing gyrB, parC/E and marORA, and northern blotting of robA, ramA and fis, did not reveal any further differences between the two strains. No homologue of soxRS was detected in E. cloacae. Expression of GFP from pIGJ1-mar in Ecl#2 was higher than in Ecl#1. In these two closely related clinical isolates of E. cloacae, a target mutation in GyrA (Ecl#1 and Ecl#2) and increased fluoroquinolone efflux by AcrAB (Ecl#2) contribute to the resistance phenotypes, corroborating findings in vitro and in vivo about the sequential development of fluoroquinolone resistance.

To determine the effectiveness of different methods for the detection of tumor cell contamination of collected peripheral stem cells, we performed a study on 39 chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients who were consecutively treated at our department. Analyses of tumor cell contamination by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), conventional cytogenetics, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) showed marked differences in the percentage of evaluable results: Quantitative analysis of tumor cell contamination was feasible in 60 of 105 (57%) samples evaluated with the use of conventional cytogenetic analysis and in 105 of 107 (98%) samples analyzed by FISH. PCR was evaluable in all 85 samples tested (100%). Both methods were shown to be adequate overall in determining the number of BCR-ABL positive cells, although cytogenetics tended to produce slightly higher percentages. Based on these results, we conclude that FISH performed on leukapheresis products is a rapid and reliable method for assessing the quality of these products and should be used for routine evaluation of tumor cell contamination of CML stem cell products.

An immunosensing system based on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is presented for the selection of both antigen specific recombinant antibodies and antigen specific human pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor (hPSTI) mutants isolated from large phage libraries. The QCM was integrated into a flow injection analysis system for the straightforward analysis of large sample numbers. Measurements were performed using a biotinylated antigen immobilized by streptavidin onto the gold surface of the quartz crystal and phages displaying recombinant antibodies or hPSTI mutants. The results obtained by the QCM were in accordance to those of a well established enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Therefore, the QCM is well suited for the detection of single high affinity clones isolated from large phage display libraries.

von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is a pleiotropic disorder featuring a variety of malignant and benign tumors of the eye, central nervous system, kidney, and adrenal gland. Recently the VHL gene has been identified in the chromosomal region 3p25-26. Prognosis and successful management of VHL patients and their descendants depend on unambiguous diagnosis. Due to recurrent hemangioblastomas, a29-year-old patient without familial history of VHL disease was diagnosed to be at risk for the disease. Histopathological examination of a small renal mass identified a clear cell tumor with a G1 grading. Genetic characterization of the germline and of the renal tumor was performed. Polymerase chain reaction/single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR/SSCP) analysis with primers from the VHL gene identified a deletion of a single nucleotide in exon 2 in the patient's germline and in the tumor, but not in the DNA of his parents. This deletion therefore must be a de novo mutation. Comparative genome hybridization (CGH) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of the G1 tumor with differentially labelled yeast artifical chromosome (YAC) clones showed loss of 3p and of the 3p26 signals, respectively. In conclusion, we identified a de novo germline mutation in the VHL gene of a young patient and a somatic chromosome 3p loss at the homologous chromosome 3 in his renal tumor. Our results suggest a recessive mode of inactivation of the VHL gene, providing solid evidence for its tumor-suppressor gene characteristics. Our data show the diagnostic potential of genetic testing, especially in patients without VHL family history. Furthermore, the findings of homozygous inactivation of the VHL gene in a G1 tumor support the notion that the inactivation of the VHL gene is an early event in tumorigenesis of renal cell carcinoma.

CADASIL (cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition, associated with mutations in the notch3 gene. Symptoms include migraine with aura, mood disorders, progressive cognitive decline, subcortical ischemic strokes, dementia, and premature death. We present an 8-year-old boy with attention and behavioral difficulties, as well as a family history of the condition. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed subcortical foci of increased T2 hyperintensity, and sequencing of the notch3 gene revealed 1 previously reported mutation and 1 novel sequence variant. Neurocognitive assessment revealed deficits in several aspects of executive functioning and in verbal learning. To our knowledge, this is the youngest reported patient with this condition, and it prompts reconsideration of CADASIL as an adult-onset disease.

Pheochromocytoma (PCC) in children is rare, genetically not well described, and often related to a poor prognosis. We detected genomic imbalances in all 14 tumors from children analyzed by comparative genomic hybridization. A combinatorial loss of chromatin from 3p and 11p was a common feature in 10 of 14 (72%) patients, which was a result of either a loss of a total chromosome 3 and a total chromosome 11 in 6 of 10 patients, or confined deletions of their p arms in 4 of 10 patients. All patients exhibiting a loss of 3p and 11p carried VHL mutations. The VHL mutations were constitutive in 9 cases and somatic and restricted to tumor DNA in the remaining tumor. On the other hand, VHL mutations were absent in 4 patients, 2 who had other familial syndromes (NF1, SDHD) and 2 with unknown etiology. Our data show that the pattern of imbalances in the tumor DNA of PCC patients strongly correlated with an underlying familial VHL mutation. Furthermore, we show that true sporadic PCC is rare in childhood. Thus, children with PCC should be checked for a related predisposing gene. This would also identify familial syndrome patients requiring long-term monitoring for other syndrome-related malignancies. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

We present a immunosensing system based on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) that allows detection and evaluation of a broad range of molecules relevant to medicine and biology. Soluble analyte is applied by injection into a flow-through chamber where receptor molecules are immobilized, thus enabling real-time measurement of the specific intermolecular interactions. This system can be used for detection purposes, e.g., screening for antibodies, and for determination of affinity constants including affinity evaluation of newly selected or designed aptamers, as kd and ka rates can be derived from the sensograms.

Recently, various bacterial components have been suggested as initiating and modulating immune activation, thereby substantially affecting the complex and dynamic host/pathogen interactions. Herein, we present a valuable and simple methodology for determining the capacity of bacteria as well as defined bacterial structures to stimulate cellular effectors of the innate and cognate immune system. This assay format is based on the exposure of freshly prepared single-cell cultures of splenic cells derived from naive mice with the immunogen of interest. Herein, the determination of exclusive panels of cytokines by the ELISA, ELISpot, and FACS technology will serve as an indicator for the activation of defined arms of the immune system. An increased knowledge about microbial components with immunomodulatory properties will substantially contribute to a more detailed understanding of the dynamic interplay between the host and potential pathogens and, based on this knowledge, to the development of novel substances for the prevention and therapy of microbial infections.

We present a immunosensing system based on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) that allows detection and evaluation of a broad range of molecules relevant to medicine and biology. Soluble analyte is applied by injection into a flow-through chamber where receptor molecules are immobilized, thus enabling real-time measurement of the specific intermolecular interactions. This system can be used for detection purposes, e.g., screening for antibodies, and for determination of affinity constants including affinity evaluation of newly selected or designed aptamers, as kd and ka rates can be derived from the sensograms.

Recently, various bacterial components have been suggested as initiating and modulating immune activation, thereby substantially affecting the complex and dynamic host/pathogen interactions. Herein, we present a valuable and simple methodology for determining the capacity of bacteria as well as defined bacterial structures to stimulate cellular effectors of the innate and cognate immune system. This assay format is based on the exposure of freshly prepared single-cell cultures of splenic cells derived from naive mice with the immunogen of interest. Herein, the determination of exclusive panels of cytokines by the ELISA, ELISpot, and FACS technology will serve as an indicator for the activation of defined arms of the immune system. An increased knowledge about microbial components with immunomodulatory properties will substantially contribute to a more detailed understanding of the dynamic interplay between the host and potential pathogens and, based on this knowledge, to the development of novel substances for the prevention and therapy of microbial infections.

The Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome is found in more than 90% of chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) patients. In most cases, it results from the reciprocal t(9;22)(q34;q11), with the ABL proto-oncogene from 9q34 fused to the breakpoint cluster region (BCR) locus on 22q11. In 5%-10% of patients with CML, the Ph chromosome originates from variant translocations, involving various breakpoints in addition to 9q34 and 22q11. In our investigation, three CML cases with complex Ph translocations have been analyzed by G-banding and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). FISH with breakpoint-spanning probes for the BCR and ABL genes revealed information about the genesis of complex Ph translocations. The occurrence of one fusion signal indicates a one-step mechanism (case 1). Two fusion signals indicate a two-step mechanism (case 2). Lack of signals indicates deletions of parts of the BCR and ABL genes or of adjacent regions (case 3).

This study combines conventional cytogenetics, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), multiplex-FISH and comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). In applying this multimodal approach on the human leukemia cell line K562, the chromosome composition was refined in detail and compared with data from the literature. A hypotriploid karyotype with a modal chromosome number of 67, and 21 unique marker chromosomes were identified. The classification of six markers was identical to published data and the composition of five further markers from the literature could be fully clarified for the first time. The composition of another five markers, which have been interpreted in divergent ways in different studies, were elucidated without doubt. Finally, five new markers of our study seem to have no equivalents in former studies, very likely due to limitations of conventional cytogenetics. The combinatory application of complementary techniques as shown in this study will be very useful to provide the basis of a refined genotype analysis on the chromosomal level.

U The screening of large combinatorial phage display gene libraries usually leads to a set of diverse recombinant antibody fragment clones specifically binding to the antigen which have to be characterised further and ranked for their usefulness. Beside specificity, the key parameter to be determined is the affinity to the antigen. The dissociation rate is of particular significance for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. For the affinity determination, the most convenient method would be one which directly utilises phage bound antibody fragments from the culture supernatants of isolated E. coli clones. However, affinity determinations of phage particles carrying recombinant antibodies are not easy with established methods like equilibrium ELISA or surface plasmon resonance due to a lack of sensitivity and unspecific effects caused by the large size and filamentous shape of the phage particles. QCM (Quartz Crystal Microbalance), however, provides a method to directly monitor association and dissociation of phage antibodies to their antigen, thus allowing to determine an apparent binding constant. The QCM is an acoustic sensor based on a piezoelectric crystal which can be used for the measurement of specific interactions between immobilized molecules and analytes in solution. Binding of a soluble analyte causes a frequency shift in the resonance frequency wich can be recorded by a frequency counter with high resolution.

von Hippel-Lindau disease is a hereditary cancer syndrome. Mutations in the VHL tumor suppressor gene predispose individuals to highly vascularized tumors. However, VHL-deficient mice die in utero due to a lack of vascularization in the placenta. To resolve the contradiction, we cloned the Drosophila VHL homologue (d-VHL) and studied its function. It showed an overall 50% similarity to the human counterpart and 76% similarity in the crucial functional domain: the elongin C binding site. The putative d-VHL protein can bind Drosophila elongin C in vitro. During embryogenesis, d-VHL is expressed in the developing tracheal regions where tube outgrowth no longer occurs. Reduced d-VHL activity (using RNA interference methodology) caused breakage of the main vasculature accompanied by excessive looping of smaller branches, whereas over-expression caused a general lack of vasculature. Importantly, human VHL can induce the same gain-of-function phenotypes. VHL is likely involved in halting cell migration at the end of vascular tube outgrowth. Loss of VHL activity can therefore lead to disruption of major vasculature (as in the mouse embryo), which requires precise cell movement and tube fusion, or ectopic outgrowth from existing secondary vascular branches (as in the adult tumors). Oncogene (2000) 19, 2803 - 2811

The transformation of a panel of rpoB mutations (codons 525 to 586) from rifampin-resistant donor strains into Helicobacter pylori 2802A confirmed the MICs associated with the respective mutations. RpoB V149X random mutations were generated and induced different levels of resistance, depending on the replacement amino acid. Mutagenesis of the rpoB gene at codon position 701 (R701H) induced low-level resistance.

We describe the isolation from a large phagemid library of a human pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor (hPSTI) mutant that binds to Legionella pneumophila. To gain further insight into the binding kinetics of the isolated hPSTI mutant, an immunosensing system based on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) was used. In contrast to ELISA procedures, k(on) and k(off) rates could be derived from the QCM sensograms. Thus, it is possible to characterize specific intermolecular interactions between proteins and phages isolated from large phage display libraries by QCM.

Hereditary papillary renal carcinoma (HPRC) is characterized by multiple, bilateral papillary renal carcinomas. Previously, we demonstrated missense mutations in the tyrosine kinase domain of the MET proto-oncogene in HPRC and a subset of sporadic papillary renal carcinomas. In this study, we screened a large panel of sporadic papillary renal carcinomas and various solid tumors for mutations in the MET proto-oncogene. Summarizing these and previous results, mutations of the MET proto-oncogene were detected in 17/129 sporadic papillary renal carcinomas but not in other solid tumors. We detected five novel missense mutations; three of five mutations were located in the ATP-binding region of the tyrosine kinase domain of MET. One novel mutation in MET, V1110I, was located at a codon homologous to an activating mutation in the c-erbB proto-oncogene. These mutations caused constitutive phosphorylation of MET when transfected into NIH3T3 cells. Molecular modeling studies suggest that these activating mutations interfere with the intrasteric mechanism of tyrosine kinase autoinhibition and facilitate transition to the active form of the MET kinase. The low frequency of MET mutations in noninherited papillary renal carcinomas (PRC) suggests that noninherited PRC may develop by a different mechanism than hereditary papillary renal carcinoma.

Part I. Protein-Based Identification of Antigens Proteomic Approaches to Antigen Discovery Karen M. Dobos, John S. Spencer, Ian M. Orme, and John T. Belisle Immunoproteomics Alexander Krah and Peter R. Jungblut Immunoprecipitation and Blotting: The Visualization of Small Amounts of Antigens Using Antibodies and Lectins Stephen Thompson Part II. DNA-Based Identification of Antigens Representational Difference Analysis of cDNA Lucas D. Bowler Microarray Data Analysis and Mining Silvia Saviozzi, Giovanni Iazzetti, Enrico Caserta, Alessandro Guffanti, and Raffaele A. Calogero Expression Cloning Michael J. Lodes, Davin C. Dillon, Raymond L. Houghton, and Yasir A. W. Skeiky Part III. Identification of Epitopes and Immunomodulatory Components Determination of Epitopes by Mass Spectrometry Christine Hager-Braun and Kenneth B. Tomer Identification of T Cell Epitopes Using ELISpot and Peptide Pool Arrays Timothy W. Tobery and Michael J. Caulfield Virus-like Particles: A Novel Tool for the Induction and Monitoring of Both T-Helper and Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Activity Ludwig Deml, Jens Wild, and Ralf Wagner Application of Single-Cell Cultures of Mouse Splenocytes as an Assay System to Analyze the Immunomodulatory Properties of Bacterial Components Ludwig Deml, Michael Aigner, Alexander Eckhardt, Jochen Decker, Norbert Lehn, and Wulf Schneider-Brachert Part IV. Expression of Recombinant Proteins High-Throughput Expression and Purification of 6xHis-Tagged Proteins in a 96-Well Format Jutta Drees, Jason Smith, Frank Schafer, and Kerstin Steinert Production of Antigens in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: Green Microalgae as a Novel Source of Recombinant Proteins Markus Fuhrmann Codon-Optimized Genes that Enable Increased Heterologous Expression inMammalian Cells and Elicit Efficient Immune Responses in Mice after Vaccination of Naked DNA Marcus Graf, Ludwig Deml, and Ralf Wagner Part V. Purification, Modification, and Renaturation of Recombinant Proteins Purification and Immunological Characterization of Recombinant Antigens Expressed in the Form of Insoluble Aggregates (Inclusion Bodies) Udo Reischl Purification of Recombinant Proteins with High Isoelectric Points Raffaele A. Calogero and Anna Aulicino Refolding of Inclusion Body Proteins Marcus Mayer and Johannes Buchner Small-Molecule-Protein Conjugation Procedures Stephen Thompson Part VI. Characterization of Recombinant Proteins Structural Characterization of Proteins and Peptides Rainer Deutzmann Determination of Kinetic Data Using Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensors Claudia Hahnefeld, Stephan Drewianka, and Friedrich W. Herberg Affinity Measurements of Biological Molecules by a Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) Biosensor Uwe Schaible, Michael Liss, Elke Prohaska, Jochen Decker, Karin Stadtherr, and Hans Wolf Part VII. Evaluation of Recombinant Proteins in Immunological Test Systems Solid Supports in Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay and Other Solid-Phase Immunoassays John E. Butler Design and Preparation of Recombinant Antigens as Diagnostic Reagents in Solid-Phase Immunosorbent Assays Alan Warnes, Anthony R. Fooks, and John R. Stephenson Basic Problems of Serological Laboratory Diagnosis Walter Fierz Molecular Diagnostics Resources on the Internet Larry Winger Part VIII. Recombinant Receptor Molecules Cloning Single-Chain Antibody Fragments (scFv) from Hybridoma Cells Lars Toleikis, Olaf Broders, and Stefan Dubel Index

FHIT (Fragile Histidine Triad), a putative tumor suppressor gene, was cloned from fetal brain and colon cDNA libraries. Portions of this gene are deleted in esophageal, colon, lung and breast tumors, but this gene has not been found altered in sporadic renal cell carcinomas. We report here an alternatively spliced form of this gene cloned from a kidney cDNA library. This cDNA is 1189 bp in length, and contains an additional 94 bp exon, designated exon 2a (E2a). This novel sequence is located between exon 2 and exon 3 of the FHIT gene's untranslated region and exon 2a is present in all normal kidney tissues and cell lines. Analyses performed on sporadic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) tissues and cell lines, show consistent loss of exon 8 of the FHIT cDNA in almost 60% of the cases. Interestingly, in a familial, as well as, in a metastatic RCC, derived from a patient with the sporadic form, exon 2a and exon 3 are also deleted. Northern analyses with the exon 2a of the familial and the metastatic RCC demonstrates concurrent loss of expression of a 4.4 kb transcript with the loss of the E2a sequence, suggesting that exon 2a of the FHIT gene may play an important role in the oncogenesis of renal cell carcinoma.

Hereditary papillary renal carcinoma (HPRC) is a recently recognized form of inherited kidney cancer characterized by a predisposition to develop multiple, bilateral papillary renal tumours. The pattern of inheritance of HPRC is consistent with autosomal dominant transmission with reduced penetrance. HPRC is histologically and genetically distinct from two other causes of inherited renal carcinoma, von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL) and the chromosome translocation (3;8). Malignant papillary renal carcinomas are characterized by trisomy of chromosomes 7, 16 and 17, and in men, by loss of the Y chromosome. Inherited and sporadic clear cell renal carcinomas are characterized by inactivation of both copies of the VHL gene by mutation, and/or by hypermethylation. We found that the HPRC gene was located at chromosome 7q31.1-34 in a 27-centimorgan (cM) interval between D7S496 and D7S1837. We identified missense mutations located in the tyrosine kinase domain of the MET gene in the germline of affected members of HPRC families and in a subset of sporadic papillary renal carcinomas. Three mutations in the MET gene are located in codons that are homologous to those in c-kit and RET, proto-oncogenes that are targets of naturally-occurring mutations. The results suggest that missense mutations located in the MET proto-oncogene lead to constitutive activation of the MET protein and papillary renal carcinomas.

Over the past decade, phage display has maturated to be a frequently used method for the generation of monoclonal antibodies of human origin. The essential step of this method is the “biopanning” of phage carrying functional antibody fragments on their surface on an immobilized antigen. The screening of large combinatorial gene libraries with this method usually leads to a set of diverse clones specifically binding to the antigen that need to be characterized further. Beside its specificity, the key parameter to be determined is the affinity of the recombinant antibody fragment to its antigen. Here, we present a mass sensitive microsensor method that allows the estimation of antibody affinity directly from the phage supernatant. Binding of phage antibodies to the antigen immobilized on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) induced a mass dependent decrease in frequency. This principle was used to determine the apparent affinity of a single-chain (sc)Fv antibody against the RNA polymerase of Drosophila melanogaster presented on the surface of a filamentous phage (M13) from its association and dissociation rates. The apparent affinity obtained is in accordance with the affinity of the scFv fragment as determined by conventional equilibrium enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and plasmon resonance methods.