title: Binding of 125I-labelled tumor necrosis factor to Pneumocystis carinii and an insoluble cell wall fraction.
abstract: We have previously shown that tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) causes loss of viability of Pneumocystis carinii. In this study, we demonstrate that TNF-alpha irreversibly binds to P. carinii in vitro. The avidity of binding is orders of magnitude greater than that by which it binds to a known sensitive target, L929 cells. A detergent-insoluble fraction of P. carinii, which consists primarily of cyst walls, bound ten times more TNF-alpha per microgram protein as did whole P. carinii.
authors.affiliation: VA Medical Center, Newington, CT 06111.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Pesanti
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tomicic
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Donta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism; D011010:Pneumocystis / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha