The Experts below are selected from a list of 288 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform

Tamio Ueno - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

Robert J. Gould - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

Timothy J Foster - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • identification of the ligand binding domain of the surface located Fibrinogen Receptor clumping factor of staphylococcus aureus
    Molecular Microbiology, 1995
    Co-Authors: Damien Mcdevitt, Patrice Francois, Pierre Vaudaux, Timothy J Foster
    Abstract:

    The ability of Staphylococcus aureus to bind to Fibrinogen and fibrin is believed to be an important factor in the initiation of foreign-body and wound infections. Recently, we reported the cloning and sequencing of the gene clfA encoding the Fibrinogen Receptor (clumping factor, ClfA) of S. aureus strain Newman and showed that the gene product was responsible for the clumping of bacteria in soluble Fibrinogen and for the adherence of bacteria to solid-phase Fibrinogen. This was confirmed here by showing that antibodies raised against purified Region A inhibited both of these properties. Also, immunofluorescent microscopic analysis of wild-type Newman and a clfA::Tn917 mutant of Newman with anti-ClfA Region A sera confirmed that Region A is exposed on the bacterial cell surface. Furthermore, polystyrene beads coated with the Region A protein formed clumps in soluble Fibrinogen showing that the ClfA protein alone is sufficient for the clumping phenotype. Western immunoblotting with anti-ClfA Region A antibodies identified the native ClfA Receptor as a 185 kDa protein that was released from the cell wall of S. aureus by lysostaphin treatment. A single extensive ligand-binding site was located within Region A of the ClfA protein. Truncated ClfA proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli. Lysates of E. coli and proteins that had been purified by affinity chromatography were tested for (i) their ability to bind Fibrinogen in Western ligand blotting experiments, (ii) for their ability to inhibit clumping of bacteria in Fibrinogen solution and adherence of bacteria to solid-phase Fibrinogen, and (iii) for their ability to neutralize the blocking activity of anti-ClfA Region A antibody. These tests allowed the ligand-binding domain to be localized to a 218-residue segment (residues 332-550) within Region A.

  • molecular characterization of the clumping factor Fibrinogen Receptor of staphylococcus aureus
    Molecular Microbiology, 1994
    Co-Authors: Damien Mcdevitt, Patrice Francois, Pierre Vaudaux, Timothy J Foster
    Abstract:

    Four mutants of Staphylococcus aureus strain Newman that were defective in the Fibrinogen Receptor (clumping factor) were isolated by transposon Tn917 mutagenesis. Southern hybridization analysis of the mutants identified transposon-host DNA junction fragments, one of which was cloned and used to generate a probe to identify and clone the wild-type clumping factor locus (clfA). The mutants failed to form clumps in soluble Fibrinogen and adhered poorly to polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) coverslips coated with Fibrinogen. A single copy of the clfA gene, when introduced into the chromosome of the mutant strains, fully complemented the clumping deficiency of these strains and restored the ability of these mutants to adhere to Fibrinogen-coated PMMA. In addition, the cloned clfA gene on a shuttle plasmid allowed the weakly clumping strain 8325-4 to form clumps with the same avidity as the wild-type strain Newman and also significantly enhanced the adherence of 8325-4 strains. Thus the formation of clumps in soluble Fibrinogen correlated with adherence of bacteria to solid-phase Fibrinogen. The clfA gene encodes a Fibrinogen-binding protein with an apparent molecular mass of c. 130 kDa. The amino acid sequence of the protein was deduced from the DNA sequence; it was predicted that a 896 residue protein (molecular mass 92 kDa) would be expressed. The putative ClfA protein has features that suggest that it is associated with the cell surface. Furthermore it contains a novel 308 residue region comprising dipeptide repeats predominantly of Asp and Ser ending 28 residues upstream from the LPXTG motif common to wall-associated proteins. Significant homology was found between the ClfA protein and the fibronectin-binding proteins of S. aureus, particularly in the N- and C-termini.

Bernard Maigret - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Elucidation of a common structure of selective Fibrinogen Receptor antagonists
    Journal of Computer-Aided Molecular Design, 1998
    Co-Authors: Hervé Minoux, Nicolas Moitessier, Yves Chapleur, Bernard Maigret
    Abstract:

    In this paper, we investigate the common structural and electrostatic parameters of a series of specific inhibitors of the αIIbβ3 integrin. Molecular dynamics simulations with an explicit aqueous environment led to an original theoretical pattern. Our results may suggest that the studied non-peptide αIIbβ3 antagonists developed upon the Arg-Gly-Asp ubiquitous recognition sequence, in fact, should mimic the C-terminus part of the Fibrinogen γ chain. This assumption could, therefore, explain their specificity with respect to other Arg-Gly-Asp-dependent integrins.

  • Synthesis of carbohydrate-based peptidomimetics as potential selective Fibrinogen Receptor antagonists
    Letters in Peptide Science, 1998
    Co-Authors: Nicolas Moitessier, Hervé Minoux, Bernard Maigret, Françoise Chrétien, Yves Chapleur
    Abstract:

    Modeling studies of several known antagonists of the Fibrinogen Receptor have provided a theoretical pattern of the essential characteristics for high affinity and selectivity toward this Receptor. Potentially active and selective antagonists of the Fibrinogen Receptor were thus designed by computational comparison of their aqueous conformations with that of known selective antagonists, and synthesized by grafting suitable functional groups on a D-xylose scaffold.

  • Design of specific antagonists of the Fibrinogen Receptor
    Letters in Peptide Science, 1997
    Co-Authors: Hervé Minoux, Nicolas Moitessier, Yves Chapleur, Bernard Maigret
    Abstract:

    The aim of this work was to elucidate, usingmolecular modeling, structural and electrostaticcommon parameters of several selective FibrinogenReceptor antagonists. From this theoretical pattern,we are currently designing and synthesizing originalnon-peptidic and selective carbohydrate-basedantagonists of the Fibrinogen Receptor.

Jacquelynn J. Cook - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.