title: Bovine 'transfer factor': an oligoribonucleopeptide which initiates antigen-specific lymphocytes responsiveness.
abstract: Bovine transfer factor (TF)--active in initiating specific responsiveness in human thymus-derived (T) lymphocytes to purified protein derivative from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (PPD) in vitro--was partially purified from the dialyzable portion of medium from immune lymph node cells (DLNE). Its physiochemical properties and structure were determined by methods previously employed to characterize human PPD-specific TF isolated from dialyzable leukocyte extracts (DLE). Bovine TF had a molecular weight (MW) of 1100-3000, was destroyed by heating at 56 or 80 degrees C for 30 min, was soluble in water but not in phenol or ether, and could be precipitated with ethanol. Bovine TF activity eluted as a single peak after high-pressure reverse-phase liquid chromatography (HPLC); the active moiety contained at least one free co-planar cis-diol group, as shown by boronate affinity chromatography. Additional structural features were deduced by evaluating TF activity after incubation with various endonucleases, exonucleases, and peptidases, a phosphatase, and a protease. The combined results indicate that bovine TF specific for PPD is an oligoribonucleopeptide. A simplest case molecular model was constructed on the basis of the data obtained. A comparative evaluation of the physicochemical properties and structural features of bovine TF and human TF specific for PPD indicated striking similarities and some differences.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D005591:Chemical Fractionation; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D009843:Oligoribonucleotides; D014165:Transfer Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D014373:Tuberculin / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D009843:Oligoribonucleotides; D014165:Transfer Factor; D014373:Tuberculin