Mycobacterium tuberculosis epitope-specific interferon-g production in healthy Brazilians reactive and non-reactive to tuberculin skin test

The interferon (IFN)-γ response to peptides can be a useful diagnostic marker of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) latent infection. We identified promiscuous and potentially protective CD4+ T-cell epitopes from the most conserved regions of MTB antigenic proteins by scanning the MTB antigenic proteins GroEL2, phosphate-binding protein 1 precursor and 19 kDa antigen with the TEPITOPE algorithm. Seven peptide sequences predicted to bind to multiple human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR molecules were synthesised and tested with IFN-γ enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assays using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 16 Mantoux tuberculin skin test (TST)-positive and 16 TST-negative healthy donors. Eighty-eight percent of TST-positive donors responded to at least one of the peptides, compared to 25% of TST-negative donors. Each individual peptide induced IFN-γ production by PBMCs from at least 31% of the TST-positive donors. The magnitude of the response against all peptides was 182 ± 230 x 106 IFN-γ spot forming cells (SFC) among TST-positive donors and 36 ± 62 x 106 SFC among TST-negative donors (p = 0.007). The response to GroEL2 (463-477) was only observed in the TST-positive group. This combination of novel MTB CD4 T-cell epitopes should be tested in a larger cohort of individuals with latent tuberculosis (TB) to evaluate its potential to diagnose latent TB and it may be included in ELISPOT-based IFN-γ assays to identify individuals with this condition.

[3 phot. par G. Berthault et fils, Angers, des ardoisières de Trélazé, don E. Reclus en 1886]

Donateur : Reclus, Élisée (1830-1905)

A constitutively active mutant of the alpha 1B-adrenergic receptor can cause greater agonist-dependent down-regulation of the G-proteins G9 alpha and G11 alpha than the wild-type receptor.

Rat 1 fibroblasts transfected to express either the wild-type hamster alpha 1B-adrenergic receptor or a constitutively active mutant (CAM) form of this receptor resulting from the alteration of amino acid residues 288-294 to encode the equivalent region of the human beta 2-adrenergic receptor were examined. The basal level of inositol phosphate generation in cells expressing the CAM alpha 1B-adrenergic receptor was greater than for the wild-type receptor, The addition of maximally effective concentrations of phenylephrine or noradrenaline resulted in substantially greater levels of inositol phosphate generation by the CAM alpha 1B-adrenergic receptor, although this receptor was expressed at lower steady-state levels than the wild-type receptor. The potency of both phenylephrine and noradrenaline to stimulate inositol phosphate production was approx. 200-fold greater at the CAM alpha 1B-adrenergic receptor than at the wild-type receptor. In contrast, endothelin 1, acting at the endogenously expressed endothelin ETA, receptor, displayed similar potency and maximal effects in the two cell lines. The sustained presence of phenylephrine resulted in down-regulation of the alpha subunits of the phosphoinositidase C-linked, pertussis toxin-insensitive, G-proteins G9 and G11 in cells expressing either the wild-type or the CAM alpha 1B-adrenergic receptor. The degree of down-regulation achieved was substantially greater in cells expressing the CAM alpha 1B-adrenergic receptor at all concentrations of the agonist. However, in this assay phenylephrine displayed only a slightly greater potency at the CAM alpha 1B-adrenergic receptor than at the wild-type receptor. There were no detectable differences in the basal rate of G9 alpha/G11 alpha degradation between cells expressing the wild-type or the CAMalpha 1B-adrenergic receptor. In both cell lines the addition of phenylephrine substantially increased the rate of degradation of these G-proteins, with a greater effect at the CAM alpha 1B-adrenergic receptor. The enhanced capacity of agonist both to stimulate second-messenger production at the CAM alpha 1B-adrenergic receptor and to regulate cellular levels of its associated G-proteins by stimulating their rate of degradation is indicative of an enhanced stoichiometry of coupling of this form of the receptor to G9 and G11.

Catalogue de tableaux modernes... provenant de la collection de M. G***... / [expert] Francis Petit

[Vente. Art. 1859-12-24. Paris]

[44 phot. de Norvège, de Bergen au Varanger fjord, par P.C.J. Villié Moriamez, prises en mai-juin 1881, don G. Pouchet en 1886]

Donateur : Pouchet, H. Ch. Georges (1833-1894)

[ Phot. de la "demoiselle de Fontenaille", rocher du Calvados, don Gabriel Desclozières en 1880. Voir le Bulletin de la S.G., 6e s., 20 (1880), p. 92, et les ouvrages cotés D4/532 et 532 bis]

Donateur : Desclozières, Gabriel (18..-18..?)

[11 phot. de l'île d'Heligoland par Albert Meyer, Louis Koch (phot. à Brême), Jacob Kruss (phot. à Aeuckens) et G. Friederichs, Hof-Photograph, don Raoul de Clermont en 1886]

Donateur : Clermont, Raoul de (18..-19..?)

L'Enfer de la mère Cardine, traitant de la cruelle et terrible bataille qui fut aux enfers, entre les diables et les maquerelles de Paris, aux nopces du portier Cerberus et de Cardine, qu'lles vouloyent faire royne d'enfer ; et qui fut celle d'entr'elles qui donna le conseil de la trahyson, etc. ([Réimpression]) / Outre plus est adioustée une chanson de certaines Bourgeoises de Paris, qui faignant d'aller en voyage furent surprinses au logis d'une maquerelle, à S. G. des Prez.

Comprend : Deploration et complaincte de la mere Cardine de Paris, cydevant gouvernante du huleu sur l'abolition d'iceluy : trouvée après le deceds d'icelle Cardine en un escrain auquel estoient ses plus privez et pretieux secretz,...