Interferon-kappa, a novel type I interferon expressed in human keratinocytes.

High throughput cDNA sequencing has led to the identification of interferon-kappa, a novel subclass of type I interferon that displays approximately 30% homology to other family members. Interferon-kappa consists of 207 amino acids, including a 27-amino acid signal peptide and a series of cysteines conserved in type I interferons. The gene encoding interferon-kappa is located on the short arm of chromosome 9 adjacent to the type I interferon gene cluster and is selectively expressed in epidermal keratinocytes. Expression of interferon-kappa is significantly enhanced in keratinocytes upon viral infection, upon exposure to double-stranded RNA, or upon treatment with either interferon-gamma or interferon-beta. Administration of interferon-kappa recombinant protein imparts cellular protection against viral infection in a species-specific manner. Interferon-kappa activates the interferon-stimulated response element signaling pathway and a panel of genes similar to those regulated by other type I interferons including anti-viral mediators and transcriptional regulators. An antibody that neutralizes the type I interferon receptor completely blocks interferon-kappa signaling, demonstrating that interferon-kappa utilizes the same receptor as other type I interferons. Interferon-kappa therefore defines a novel subclass of type I interferon that is expressed in keratinocytes and expands the repertoire of known proteins mediating host defense.

[Rapid time-resolved fluoroimmunometric analysis of myoglobin]. / Bystryi vremiarazreshennyi fliuoroimmunometricheskii analiz na mioglobin.

High performance quantitative procedure for evaluation of myoglobin in blood serum is developed. The principle of two-site immunometry was used involving monoclonal antibodies against nonoverlapping epitopes of myoglobin molecule. The fluorescent compound containing europium served as a label of the antibody. Modification of the single-step assay enabled to increase the velocity of the assay to about 30 min and simplify it. The assay allowed estimation of myoglobin over a broad range of concentrations from 2 ng up to 1,000 ng/ml. The assay may be recommended for use in clinical practice for express diagnosis of myocardium infarction.

[Immune electron microscope localization of RNA-polymerase on the Escherichia coli chromosome using monoclonal antibodies against the beta-subunit]. / Immuno-élektronno-mikroskopicheskaia lokalizatsiia RNK-polimerazy na khromosome Escherichia coli pri pomoshchi monoklonal'nykh antitel protiv beta-sub''edinitsy.

Possibility of the immunoelectron microscopic visualization of RNA polymerase on the Escherichia coli chromosome with monoclonal antibodies against the beta-subunit labelled by [protein A.gold] complex was demonstrated. Using this method RNA polymerase molecules were revealed within nucleoid as well as on the membrane-free chromosome.

[A simple method of determination of antigenic determinants in proteins with known primary structure]. / Prostoi metod opredeleniia antigennykh determinant v belkakh s izvestnoi pervichnoi strukturoi.

A simple and rapid method is proposed for the localization of antigenic determinants in proteins of known primary structure exemplified by human myoglobin. The polypeptide chain of myoglobin was cleaved with BrCN (at Met residues) or with bromosuccinimide (at Trp and Tyr residues) under conditions which on average gave less than one scission per myoglobin molecule. The "single-hit" cleavage products were separated by gel electrophoresis and transferred to nitrocellulose by electroblotting. The peptides containing intact antigenic determinants were vizualized by immuno-peroxidase staining with four monoclonal anti-myoglobin antibodies. Comparison of the lengths of the immuno-reactive peptides with the known positions of methionine, tryptophan and tyrosine residues suggested that the four monoclonal antibodies were bound by myoglobin over the region Trp-14 to Met-55. As compared with other methods of localization, the method proposed is much faster and takes much lesser amount of protein.

[Effect of hydrocortisone on the properties of rat liver polyribosomes, metabolism, and template activity of polysomal poly-A-containing RNA]. / Bliianie gidrokortizona na svoistva poliribosom pecheni krys, metabolizm i matrichnuiu aktivnost' polisomnoi poli-A-siderzhashchei RNK.

The effect of hydrocortisone on the amount of newly synthesized polyribosomal poly-A+-RNA and its translation activity and the distribution of polyribosomes in the induction dynamics according to their size were studied. It was shown that 3-5 hours after intraperitoneal injection of hydrocortisone the incorporation of labelled precursors into polyribosomal poly-A+-mRNA is increased, which is accompanied by rapid accumulation of mRNA in the polyribosomes. Under prolonged induction those parameters come down to the initial level. 4-7 hours after the injection of the hormone the relative amount of heavy polyribosomes (350-412S) in liver cells is increased. It was found that hydrocortisone significantly changes the specific translation activity of polysomal poly-A+-mRNA: it shows an increase 2-4 hours after the hormone injection and returns to the initial level 12 hours after the injection.