title: Structural and functional properties of Yersinia pestis Caf1 capsular antigen and their possible role in fulminant development of primary pneumonic plague.
abstract: Yersinia pestis capsular antigen Caf1 is shown to be a beta-structural protein that in polymeric form possesses very high conformational stability. Different approaches show that a dimer is the minimal cooperative block of Caf1 adhesin. Caf1 dimer interacts effectively with IL-1 receptors of human macrophage and epithelial cells. The specificity of such interaction is confirmed by the inhibition of IL-1alpha binding by Caf1. The Caf1 role in pneumonic plague pathogenesis is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunological Engineering, 142380 Lyubuchany, Moscow Region, Russia.
authors.forename: Vyacheslav M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Abramov
authors.forename: Anatoly M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Vasiliev
authors.forename: Valentin S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Khlebnikov
authors.forename: Raisa N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Vasilenko
authors.forename: Nataly L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Kulikova
authors.forename: Igor V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Kosarev
authors.forename: Alexander T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Ishchenko
authors.forename: Joel R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Gillespie
authors.forename: Ian S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Millett
authors.forename: Anthony L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: Vladimir N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Uversky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D019281:Dimerization; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D019791:Guanidine / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D010930:Plague / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D015010:Yersinia pestis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1; C086725:caf1 protein, Yersinia pestis; D019791:Guanidine