Cell wall extracts from the double-mutant mnn1 mnn9 strain were used as the immunogen to obtain a monoclonal antibody (MAb), SAC A6, that recognizes a specific mannoprotein-which we have named Icwp-in the walls of cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Icwp runs as a polydisperse band of over 180 kDa in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of Zymolyase extracts of cell walls, although an analysis of the secretory pattern of the mannoprotein shows that at the level of secretory vesicles, it behaves like a discrete band of 140 kDa. Immunofluorescence analysis with the MAb showed that Icwp lies at the inner layer of the cell wall, being accessible to the antibody only after the outer layer of mannoproteins is disturbed by treatment with tunicamycin. The screening of a gt11 expression library enabled us to identify the open reading frame (ORF) coding for Icwp. ICWP (EMBL accession number YLR391w, frame ؉3) codes for 238 amino acids, of which over 40% are serine or threonine, and contains a putative N-glycosylation site and a putative glycosylphosphatidylinositol attachment signal. Both disruption and overexpression of the ORF caused increased sensitivities to calcofluor white and Congo red, while the disruption caused an increased sensitivity to Zymolyase digestion, suggesting for Icwp a structural role in association with glucan.The cell wall of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is made up of three components, namely, glucans, mannoproteins, and chitin, and represents some 20% of the dry weight of the cell. It consists of a layered structure, with an internal layer made up of ␤-1,3 and ␤-1,6 glucans, small amounts of chitin and mannoproteins, and an outer layer of mannoproteins (13, 23). The inner layer is responsible for the shape and mechanical strength of the wall (19,24,50), while the outer mannoprotein layer determines the surface properties of the cell, such as hydrophobicity, electrical charge, flocculence, and sexual agglutinability, as well as limiting the porosity of the cell wall (8-10, 50).The mannoproteins can be divided into three groups according to the methods used for their extraction from the cell wall: sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-extractable mannoproteins (44), glucanase-extractable mannoproteins, which can be released only after glucanase digestion of the glucan layer (31,44,47), and mannoproteins extractable by reducing agents (35). The glucanase-extractable mannoproteins identified so far have two common characteristics: one is a high serine/threonine content (up to 50% of the C-terminal half of the protein), and the other is the presence of a putative glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) attachment site (23,46). Several of the proteins characterized so far, such as the sexual ␣-agglutinin (27, 29, 30), the anchor subunit of the a-agglutinin (38), and the flocculin encoded by the FLO1 gene, play a role on the surface of the cell (42). In these proteins, the highly O-glycosylated Cterminal half may endow them with a rod-like structure (22) that facilitates the exposure of their ...

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Background. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a high prevalence of emotional disturbances which worsen the symptoms of the disease. As a therapeutic alternative that is part of a comprehensive care alongside medication, the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (BMGIM) music-assisted therapy has achieved promising emotional improvements in patients with chronic diseases. The objective of the study was to determine the impact of a treatment based on a BMGIM group adaptation on patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and their emotional state, therefore analyzing state of mind, quality of life, anxiety, depression, immunocompetence as a marker of well-being, and levels of acute and chronic stress. Methods. Longitudinal, prospective, quantitative, and experimental study including 43 patients with IBD divided into an intervention group (22 patients), who received eight sessions over eight weeks, and a control group (21 patients). A saliva sample was taken from each patient before and after each session in order to determine cortisol and IgA levels. Similarly, a hair sample was taken before the first and after the last session to determine the cumulative cortisol level. All molecules were quantified using the ELISA immunoassay technique. In addition, patients completed several emotional state questionnaires: HADS, MOOD, and CCVEII. Results. An improvement was observed in the following states of mind: sadness, fear, anger, and depression. No significant effect was observed in state of mind in terms of happiness or anxiety, in the levels of cortisol in hair, and in patients’ perceived quality of life. A reduction in cortisol was observed in saliva, although this did not significantly affect the IgA titer. Conclusions. BMGIM seems to improve the emotional state of patients with IBD.