Generation of neoheparin from E. coli K5 capsular polysaccharide

Heparin remains a major drug in prevention of thromboembolic disease. Concerns related to its animal source have prompted search for heparin analogues. The anticoagulant activity of heparin depends on a specific pentasaccharide sequence that binds antithrombin. We report the generation of a product with antithrombin-binding, anticoagulant, and...

Synthesis, analysis and reduction of 2-nitropropyl starch

Granular 2-nitropropyl potato starch was synthesized by reaction with 2-nitropropyl acetate in an aqueous suspension. Nitroalkylation occurs preferentially with the amylose fraction of potato starch, as was confirmed by leaching experiments and digestion of the modified starch with α-amylase. The 2-nitropropyl substituent is a mixture of the...

Filamentous fungi as production organisms for glycoproteins of bio-medical interest

Filamentous fungi are commonly used in the fermentation industry for large scale production of glycoproteins. Several of these proteins can be produced in concentrations up to 20-40 g per litre. The production of heterologous glycoproteins is at least one or two orders of magnitude lower but research is in progress to increase the production...

Cross-linking of starch with bifunctional precursors of nitroalkenes

Granular starch was cross-linked with 1,3-di-O-acetyl-2-nitro-1,3-propanediol (1), 1,3-di-O-pivaloyl-2-nitro-1,3-propanediol (2), 2-nitro-3-O-pivaloyl-1-propene-3-ol (3), 1,3-di-O-acetyl-aci-2-nitro-1,3-propanediol (4), 1,3-di-O-pivaloyl-aci-2-nitro-1,3-propanediol (5) and 1,6-di-O-acetyl-2,5-dinitro-1,6-hexanediol (6). The bifunctional...

Structural differences among serum IgA proteins of chimpanzee, rhesus monkey and rat origin

Asparagine-linked sugar chains were quantitatively released from chimpanzee, Rhesus monkey and rat IgA proteins as oligosaccharides by hydrazinolysis, converted to radioactive oligosaccharides by reduction with NaB3H4, and separated into neutral and two acidic fractions by paper electrophoresis. The acidic oligosaccharides were converted to...

Molecular characterization of a saline-soluble lectin from a parasitic fungus: Extensive sequence similarities between fungal lectins

It has been proposed that the interactions between several parasite and pathogenic fungi and their hosts are mediated by soluble lectins present in the fungus. We have cloned and analyzed a gene encoding such a lectin (AOL) from the nematophagous fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora (deuteromycete). The deduced primary structure of the AOL gene...

Tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1 induce expression of the verocytotoxin receptor globotriaosylceramide on human endothelial cells: Implications for the pathogenesis of the hemolytic uremic syndrome

The epidemic form of the hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), beginning with an acute gastroenteritis, has been associated with a verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli infection. The endothelial cell is believed to play an important role in the pathogenesis of HUS. Endothelial cell damage by verocytotoxin-1 (VT-1) in vitro is potentiated by the...