Human TGFalpha-derived peptide TGFalphaL3 fused with superantigen for immunotherapy of EGFR-expressing tumours.

BACKGROUND: Monoclonal antibodies have been employed as targeting molecules of superantigen for the preclinical treatment of a variety of tumours. However, other targeting molecules, such as tumour-related ligands or peptides, are less exploited. Here, we tested other targeting molecules by genetically fusing the third loop of transforming growth factor alpha (TGFalphaL3) to mutant staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEAD227A). RESULTS: The resultant fusion proteins were expressed in E. coli and purified to homogeneity through a Ni-NTA affinity column. Fusion protein TGFalphaL3SEAD227A can promote splenocyte proliferation to a level comparable to recombinant SEA (rSEA) and bind to EGFR-expressing tumour cells in an EGFR-dependent way. Consistent with these observations, TGFalphaL3SEAD227A exerted an inhibitory effect on the growth of EGFR-expressing tumour cells both in vitro and in vivo. Notably, significant infiltrations of CD8+ and CD4+ T cells were detected in the tumour tissues of these C57BL/6 mice treated with TGFalphaL3SEAD227A, suggesting the involvement of T cells in this tumour-inhibitory process. CONCLUSIONS: The data here showed that TGFαL3 is capable of targeting superantigen to tumours and exerting an inhibitory effect on tumour growth, which enables TGFαL3SEAD227A to be an attractive candidate for the immunotherapy of EGFR-expressing tumours.

[Design and activity analysis of chimeric epidermal growth factor fusion vaccine E5T-mSEA].

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its ligands (EGF and TGFalpha) are over-expressed in a variety of tumors. Immunization EGF-carrier protein inhibits tumor growth through abrogating binding of EGF to EGFR. Here, a chimeric protein of EGF and TGFalpha (E5T) was genetically fused to Staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA), a bacterial superantigenic protein which promotes humoral B cell response through enhancement of Ag-specific CD4 T cells activity. The resulted fusion proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified though metal chelating affinity chromatography. Immunization of E5T-mSEA fusion protein in mice induced production of high titers antibodies, which recognize both EGF and TGFalpha. Anti- E5T-mSEA serum at dilution of 1:10 significantly inhibited growth of A431 cell lines but had little effect on 293T cell lines.

Lack of association between polymorphisms of MASP2 and susceptibility to SARS coronavirus infection.

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of severe acute respiratory disease syndrome (SARS) is not fully understood. One case-control study has reported an association between susceptibility to SARS and mannan-binding lectin (MBL) in China. As the downstream protein of MBL, variants of the MBL-associated serine protease-2 (MASP2) gene may be associated with SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) infection in the same population. METHODS: Thirty individuals with SARS were chosen for analysis of MASP2 polymorphisms by means of PCR direct sequencing. Tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (tagSNPs) were chosen using pairwise tagging algorithms. The frequencies of four tag SNPs (rs12711521, rs2261695, rs2273346 and rs7548659) were ascertained in 376 SARS patients and 523 control subjects, using the Beckman SNPstream Ultra High Throughput genotyping platform. RESULTS: There is no significant association between alleles or genotypes of the MASP2 tagSNP and susceptibility to SARS-CoV in both Beijing and Guangzhou populations. Diplotype (rs2273346 and rs12711521)were analyzed for association with susceptibility to SARS, no statistically significant evidence of association was observed. The Beijing and Guangzhou sample groups were homogeneous regarding demographic and genetic parameters, a joined analysis also showed no statistically significant evidence of association. CONCLUSION: Our data do not suggest a role for MASP2 polymorphisms in SARS susceptibility in northern and southern China.

[Study on relationship between length of homologous sequences and chromosomic recombination rate in Saccharopolyspora erythraea].

In order to study the relationship between lengths of homologous fragments and chromsomic recombination rate in Saccharopolyspora erythraea, three homologous sequences, with mutant loci and different flanking sequences, (26bp + 27bp), (500bp + 576bp) and (1908bp + 1749bp), were synthesized by chemical reaction or PCR amplification, and cloned into pWHM3 to construct homologous recombination plasmids, pWHM1113, pWHM1116 and pWHM1119. When the plasmids were transformed into protoplast of Saccharopolyspora erythraea A226 under PEG mediated, on an average 30, 69 and 170 transformants grew on each plate for the three plasmids respectively, but chromosomic integration frequency were 0, 2% and 19% among corresponding transformants. Both pWHM1116 and pWHM1119 could take double crossover recombination, and exchange the mutant loci in the chromosome. It was concluded that when the flanking sequences were equal or more than (500bp + 576bp), they could take effective single and double recombination with Saccharopolyspora erythraea chromosome.

[Gene cloning, soluble expression and activity analysis of rSEA].

The superantigen,such as staphylococcal enterotoxins, had been identified as possible anti-cancer molecules in many reports. In this paper, we cloned the entA gene encoding Staphylococcal enterotoxin A from the genomic DNA of Staphylococcus aureus(ATCC13565) by PCR, the sequence cloned was accordance with that reported in Genebank. The entA gene could be expressed effectively after inserted into plasmid pET-22b( + ), The rSEA was expressed as inclusion bodies when induced by IPTG at 37 degrees C and became soluble after induced at low temperature, the soluble part is about 55% of total rSEA products. Only one band was detected by western-blotting in expression product of BL-21 (DE3) with pET-SEA. The soluble rSEA was purified by Ni2+ chelating sepharose column. No other protein except rSEA was seen in SDS-PAGE gel stained by both Coomassie brilliant blue and silver salt, which showed that the rSEA was purified effectively. Homology modeling of rSEA determined the structure change was conducted, which indicated there was no apparent structure change between rSEA and native SEA. This result was also confirmed by proliferation assay of PBMC, for the rSEA could induced proliferation of PBMC as effectively as native SEA. The increasing anti-tumor activity of rSEA was also detected after the spleen cell activated in vivo by rSEA, which was accordance with others reports. This work paved the way for the further study of anti-cancer with rSEA.