p53 status and human papillomavirus infection in Thai women with cervical carcinoma.

Loss of p53 function has been implicated in a wide variety of human malignacies. Many studies suggest that in cervical carcinoma p53 function is inactivated either by gene mutation or by complex formation with E6 oncoprotein product of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV). The aim of this study was to determine the status of HPV infection and p53 gene mutation as well as their correlation in cervical carcinomas. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues of 12 cervicitis, 21 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN 3) and 17 squamous cell carcinomas were determined for the presence of HPV using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and dot blot hybridization. The status of p53 mutations in exons 5-8 was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and confirmed by direct nucleotide sequencing. HPV infections were detected in all CIN 3 and squamous cell carcinomas (100%). Mutations of p53 were present in 3 of 38 HPV-positive samples: one with an ATG-->TTG transversion (Met-->Leu) in codon 237 of exon 7; and the others with a TGC-->TGG transversion (Cys-->Trp) in codon 242 of exon 7, and a CGT-->CCT transversion (Arg-->Pro) in codon 273 of exon 8, respectively. Our findings show that the frequency of p53 mutation is low in primary cervical carcinoma and that the p53 gene mutation and HPV infection are not mutually exclusive events in the development of cervical cancer. Thus, other genetic events independent of p53 inactivation may also significantly contribute to the carcinogenesis of the uterine cervix.

Production and evaluation of Taq DNA polymerase.

Taq DNA polymerase is an enzyme essential in performing Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) which has recently become a basic technology in research and diagnostic laboratories. In order to reduce the cost of research work in Thailand, recombinant Taq DNA polymerase was locally produced from pTaq cloned in E. coli. The enzyme was characterized and evaluated in comparison with the commercial Taq DNA polymerase produced by Perkin Elmer Cetus, U.S.A. The yield of enzyme was 6.72 mg/ml and the activity of 9,524 units/mg protein with the total of 448,000 units/litre of the bacterial culture. The preparation was free of DNase based upon its ability to degrade Lambda DNA evaluated by gel electrophoresis. Although the enzyme produced gave a high DNA polymerase activity, the preparation was not as pure as the enzyme produced by Perkin Elmer Cetus. Immunoblot analysis indicated that the enzyme preparation contained the products of enzyme degradation obtained during preparation and bacterial protein contaminations. In spite of the existence of bacterial proteins in the preparation, the Taq enzyme produced was proved to be applicable in performing PCR such as the PCR-SSP (Sequence Specific Primers) typing for HLA-DR. The cost of enzyme preparation was about 256 times less than that of the commercial enzyme. Economically, the locally produced Taq DNA polymerase can be used efficiently in the research laboratories performing PCR based typing of the HLA genes.

Characterization of a Plasmodium falciparum epitope recognized by a monoclonal antibody with broad isolate and species specificity.

Monoclonal antibody (MAb) 7H8 raised against Plasmodium yoelii reacted with a series of proteins from P. falciparum that range in molecular weight from 46 to 194 kDa. By immunofluorescence assay, this MAb reacted with all isolates of P. falciparum tested. MAb 7H8 was used to screen a genomic expression library of asexual blood stage antigens of P. falciparum, Malayan Camp K+ and 7 independent clones were identified. These 7 clones were sequenced and the epitope recognized by MAb 7H8 in the recombinant protein of one of these clones was mapped. This epitope contained Lys Tyr Pro as core amino acids. However, similar sequences were not found in the other clones, indicating that this MAb binds to a structural epitope formed by different amino acids. The variable composition of the epitope may account for the number of P. falciparum malarial proteins recognized by MAb 7H8.