Molecular Imaging of a Zirconium-89 Labeled Antibody Targeting Plasmodium falciparum-Infected Human Erythrocytes.

PURPOSE: Nuclear imaging is an important preclinical research tool to study infectious diseases in vivo and could be extended to investigate complex aspects of malaria infections. As such, we report for the first time successful radiolabeling of a novel antibody specific to Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes (IIIB6), its in vitro assessment and molecular imaging in nude mice. PROCEDURES: In vitro confocal microscopy was used to determine the stage-specificity of Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes recognised by IIIB6. To enable micro-positron emission tomography (PET)/X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging, IIIB6 was conjugated to Bz-DFO-NCS and subsequently radiolabeled with zirconium-89. Healthy nude mice were injected with [89Zr]IIIB6, and pharmacokinetics and organ uptake were monitored over 24 h. This was followed by post-mortem animal dissection to determine the biodistribution of [89Zr]IIIB6. RESULTS: IIIB6 recognised all the relevant stages of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes (trophozoites, schizonts and gametocytes) that are responsible for severe malaria pathology. [89Zr]IIIB6-radiolabeling yields were efficient at 84-89 %. Blood pool imaging analysis indicated a pharmacological half-life of 9.6 ± 2.5 h for [89Zr]IIIB6. The highest standard uptake values were determined at 2-6 h in the liver followed by the spleen, kidneys, heart, stomach and lung, respectively. Minimal activity was present in muscle and bone tissues. CONCLUSION: In vitro characterization of IIIB6 and pharmacokinetic characterization of [89Zr]IIIB6 revealed that this antibody has potential for future use in Plasmodium-infected mouse models to study malaria in a preclinical in vivo setting with PET/CT imaging.

The co-immobilization of P450-type nitric oxide reductase and glucose dehydrogenase for the continuous reduction of nitric oxide via cofactor recycling.

The co-immobilization of enzymes on target surfaces facilitates the development of self-contained, multi-enzyme biocatalytic platforms. This generally entails the co-immobilization of an enzyme with catalytic value in combination with another enzyme that performs a complementary function, such as the recycling of a critical cofactor. In this study, we co-immobilized two enzymes from different biological sources for the continuous reduction of nitric oxide, using epoxide- and carboxyl-functionalized hyper-porous microspheres. Successful co-immobilization of a fungal nitric oxide reductase (a member of the cytochrome P450 enzyme family) and a bacterial glucose dehydrogenase was obtained with the carboxyl-functionalized microspheres, with enzyme activity maintenance of 158% for nitric oxide reductase and 104% for glucose dehydrogenase. The optimal stoichiometric ratio of these two enzymes was subsequently determined to enable the two independent chemical reactions to be catalyzed concomitantly, allowing for near-synchronous cofactor conversion rates. This dual-enzyme system provides a novel research tool with potential for in vitro investigations of nitric oxide, and further demonstrates the successful immobilization of a P450 enzyme with potential application towards the immobilization of other cytochrome P450 enzymes.

Spectrophotometric activity microassay for pure and recombinant cytochrome P450-type nitric oxide reductase.

Nitric oxide reductase (NOR) of the P450 oxidoreductase family accepts electrons directly from its cofactor, NADH, to reduce two nitric oxide (NO) molecules to one nitrous oxide molecule and water. The enzyme plays a key role in the removal of radical NO produced during respiratory metabolism, and applications in bioremediation and biocatalysis have been identified. However, a rapid, accurate, and sensitive enzyme assay has not yet been developed for this enzyme family. In this study, we optimized reaction conditions for the development of a spectrophotometric NOR activity microassay using NOC-5 for the provision of NO in solution. We also demonstrate that the assay is suitable for the quantification and characterization of P450-type NOR. The K(m) and k(cat) kinetic constants obtained by this assay were comparable to the values determined by gas chromatography, but with improved convenience and cost efficiency, effectively by miniaturization. To our knowledge, this is the first study to present the quantification of NOR activity in a kinetic microassay format.

Is IS(ABA-1) customized for Acinetobacter?

An insertion sequence (IS(ABA-1)) was identified in Acinetobacter spp., but not in Enterobacteriacea and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Numerous copies of the IS were identified in Acinetobacter strains containing the element. In one of the Acinetobacter baumannii strains, IS(ABA-1) was identified adjacent to sulII and transcription of the resistance gene is presumed to be dependent on promoter sequences within the IS. Since the IS is adjacent to ampC and bla(OXA) in this A. baumannii strain, it may be that IS(ABA-1) plays an important role in the expression of antibiotic resistance genes in this genus.