bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expression cloning of the cDNA for a polypeptide associated with rat hepatic sinusoidal reduced glutathione transport: characteristics and comparison with the canalicular transporter.
Authors: Yi J R , Lu S , Fernández-Checa J , Kaplowitz N
Published: May 2006

Using the Xenopus oocyte expression system, we previously identified an approximately 4-kb fraction of mRNA from rat liver that expresses sulfobromophthalein reduced glutathione S-conjugate (BSP-GSH)-insensitive and an approximately 2.5-kb fraction expressing BSP-GSH-sensitive reduced glutathione (GSH) transport. From the former, a 4.05-kb cDNA was cloned and characterized as the putative rat canalicular GSH transporter. Starting with a cDNA library constructed from the approximately 2.5-kb fraction, we have now isolated a single clone that leads to expression of a BSP-GSH- and cystathionine-inhibitable GSH transporter activity with Km approximately 3 mM characteristic of the sinusoidal GSH transporter. The cDNA for the rat sinusoidal GSH transporter-associated polypeptide (RsGshT) is 2733 bases with an open reading frame of 1059 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide of 353 amino acids (39,968 Da) with two putative membrane-spanning domains. No identifiable homologies were found in searching various data bases. An approximately 40-kDa protein is generated in in vitro translation of cRNA for RsGshT. Northern blot analysis revealed a single approximately 2.8-kb transcript in rat and human liver with negligible hybridization signal in other organs. The abundance of mRNA for RsGshT did not increase with phenobarbital treatment. Cis-inhibition by BSP-GSH and trans-inhibition by cystathionine and lack of induction by phenobarbital are characteristic of sinusoidal GSH secretion and thus indicate that RsGshT either encodes the sinusoidal GSH transporter itself or a regulatory subunit of the transporter that determines its liver-specific activity.
A genetic locus of enterocyte effacement conserved among diverse enterobacterial pathogens.
Authors: McDaniel T K , Jarvis K G , Donnenberg M S , Kaper J B
Published: May 2006

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7 are intestinal pathogens that profoundly damage the microvilli and subapical cytoskeleton of epithelial cells. Here we report finding in EPEC a 35-kbp locus containing several regions implicated in formation of these lesions. DNA probes throughout this locus hybridize to E. coli O157:H7 and other pathogens of three genera that cause similar lesions but do not hybridize to avirulent members of the same species. The EPEC locus and a different virulence locus of uropathogenic E. coli insert into the E. coli chromosome at the identical site and share highly similar sequences near the point of insertion.
Femtosecond infrared spectroscopy of reaction centers from Rhodobacter sphaeroides between 1000 and 1800 cm-1.
Authors: Hamm P , Zurek M , Mäntele W , Meyer M , Scheer H , Zinth W
Published: May 2006

Time-resolved pump-and-probe experiments of reaction centers of the purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides (R26) in the mid-IR region between 1000 and 1800 cm-1 are recorded with a time resolution of 300-400 fs. The difference spectra of the states P*, P+HA-, and P+QA- with respect to the ground state P predominantly reflect changes of the special pair. They show positive and negative bands due to changes of distinct vibrational modes superimposed on a broad background of enhanced absorption. A number of certain bands can be assigned to the special pair P, to the bacteriopheophytin HA, and to the quinone QA. The temporal evolution of the IR absorbance changes is well described by the time constants known from femtosecond spectroscopy of the electronic states. Differences occur only at very early times, which are indicative of fast vibrational relaxation with a time constant of a few hundred femtoseconds.
Possible function of Ah receptor nuclear translocator (Arnt) homodimer in transcriptional regulation.
Authors: Sogawa K , Nakano R , Kobayashi A , Kikuchi Y , Ohe N , Matsushita N , Fujii-Kuriyama Y
Published: May 2006

Arnt (Ah receptor nuclear translocator) is a member of a transcription factor family having characteristic motifs designated bHLH (basic helix-loop-helix) and PAS and was originally found as a factor forming a complex with Ah receptor (AhR) to bind the specific xenobiotic responsive element (XRE) sequence for induction of drug-metabolizing P4501A1. We have examined interaction of Arnt with other PAS proteins--Drosophila Per, Sim, and AhR--by the coimmunoprecipitation method. Arnt formed a homodimer with itself as well as heterodimers with the others by means of the PAS and HLH domains in a cooperative way. The Arnt homodimer binds the sequence of adenovirus major late promoter (MLP) with the E box core sequence CACGTG, suggesting that the CAC half of the XRE, CACGCN(A/T), recognized by the AhR-Arnt heterodimer is a target for Arnt. Cotransfection experiments using CV-1 cells with an Arnt expression plasmid and a MLP chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter plasmid revealed that Arnt markedly activated CAT expression, indicative of a newly discovered regulatory role of Arnt.
Motility protein interactions in the bacterial flagellar motor.
Authors: Garza A G , Harris-Haller L W , Stoebner R A , Manson M D
Published: May 2006

Five proteins (MotA, MotB, FliG, FliM, and FliN) have been implicated in energizing flagellar rotation in Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. One model for flagellar function envisions that MotA and MotB comprise the stator of a rotary motor and that FliG, FliM, and FliN are part of the rotor. MotA probably functions as a transmembrane proton channel, and MotB has been proposed to anchor MotA to the peptidoglycan of the cell wall. To study interactions between the Mot proteins themselves and between them and other components of the flagellar motor, we attempted to isolate extragenic suppressors of 13 dominant or partially dominant motB missense mutations. Four of these yielded suppressors, which exhibited widely varying efficiencies of suppression. The pattern of suppression was partially alleles-specific, but no suppressor seriously impaired motility in a motB+ strain. Of 20 suppressors from the original selection, 15 were characterized by DNA sequencing. Fourteen of these cause single amino acid changes in MotA. Thirteen alter residues in, or directly adjacent to, the putative periplasmic loops of MotA, and the remaining one alters a residue in the middle of the fourth predicted transmembrane helix of MotA. We conclude that the MotA and MotB proteins form a complex and that their interaction directly involves or is strongly influenced by the periplasmic loops of MotA. The 15th suppressor from the original selection and 2 motB suppressors identified during a subsequent search cause single amino acid substitutions in FliG. This finding suggests that the postulated Mot-protein complex may be in close proximity to FliG at the stator-rotor interface of the flagellar motor.
Determination of the mechanical properties of the different layers of blood vessels in vivo.
Authors: Fung Y C , Liu S Q
Published: May 2006

The structure and materials of the blood vessel wall are layered. This article presents the principle of a method to determine the mechanical properties of the different layers in vivo. In vivo measurement begets in vivo data and avoids pitfalls of in vitro tests of dissected specimens. With the proposed method, we can measure vessels of diameters 100 microns and up and obtain data on vascular smooth muscles and adventitia. To derive the full constitutive equations, one must first determine the zero-stress state, obtain the morphometric data on the thicknesses of the layers, and make mechanical measurements in the neighborhood of the zero-stress state. Then eight small perturbation experiments are done on earth blood vessel in vivo to determine eight incremental elastic moduli of the two layers of the blood vessel wall. The calculation requires the morphometric data and the location of the neutral axis. The experiments are simple, the interpretation is definitive, but the analysis is somewhat sophisticated. The method will yield results that are needed to assess the stress and strain in the tissues of the blood vessel. The subject is important because blood vessels remodel themselves significantly and rapidly when their stress and strain deviate from their homeostatic values, and because cell proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, contraction, and locomotion depend on stress and strain in the tissue.
Cloning, expression, and characterization of cDNAs encoding Arabidopsis thaliana squalene synthase.
Authors: Nakashima T , Inoue T , Oka A , Nishino T , Osumi T , Hata S
Published: May 2006

We have isolated and characterized two overlapping cDNA clones for Arabidopsis thaliana squalene synthase. Their nucleotide sequences contained an open reading frame for a 410-amino acid polypeptide (calculated molecular mass, 47 kDa). The deduced amino acid sequence of the Arabidopsis polypeptide was significantly homologous (42-44% identical) to the sequences of known squalene synthases of several species, from yeast to man, but it was much less homologous to that of tomato phytoene synthase. To express the Arabidopsis enzyme in Escherichia coli, the entire coding region was subcloned into an expression vector. A cell-free extract of E. coli transformed with the recombinant plasmid, in the presence of NADPH and Mg2+, efficiently converted [14C]farnesyl diphosphate into squalene. On the other hand, in the absence of NADPH and the presence of Mn2+, the cell-free extract formed dehydrosqualene as a secondary product. Another E. coli extract expressing mouse squalene synthase showed the same activity as the Arabidopsis enzyme. Therefore, both the structure and reaction mechanism of squalene synthases are markedly conserved in taxonomically remote eukaryotes.
E2F-4 and E2F-5, two members of the E2F family, are expressed in the early phases of the cell cycle.
Authors: Sardet C , Vidal M , Cobrinik D , Geng Y , Onufryk C , Chen A , Weinberg R A
Published: May 2006

The E2F transcription factors play a role in regulating the expression of genes required for cell proliferation. Their activity appears to be regulated by association with the retinoblastoma protein (pRb) and the pRb-related proteins p107 and p130. In vivo, pRb is found in complex with a subset of E2F components--namely, E2F-1, E2F-2, and E2F-3. Here we describe the characterization of cDNAs encoding two unusual E2Fs, E2F-4 and E2F-5, each identified by the ability of their gene product to interact with p130 in a yeast two-hybrid system. E2F-4 and -5 share common sequences with E2F-1, E2F-2, and E2F-3 and, like these other E2Fs, the ability to heterodimerize with DP-1, thereby acquiring the ability to bind an E2F DNA recognition sequence with high affinity. However, in contrast to E2F-1, E2F-4 and E2F-5 fail to bind pRb in a two-hybrid assay. Moreover, they show a unique pattern of expression in synchronized human keratinocytes: E2F-4 and E2F-5 mRNA expression is maximal in mid-G1 phase before E2F-1 expression is detectable. These findings suggest that E2F-4 and E2F-5 may contribute to the regulation of early G1 events including the G0/G1 transition.
ABT-538 is a potent inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus protease and has high oral bioavailability in humans.
Authors: Kempf D J , Marsh K C , Denissen J F , McDonald E , Vasavanonda S , Flentge C A , Green B E , Fino L , Park C H , Kong X P
Published: May 2006

Examination of the structural basis for antiviral activity, oral pharmacokinetics, and hepatic metabolism among a series of symmetry-based inhibitors of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease led to the discovery of ABT-538, a promising experimental drug for the therapeutic intervention in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). ABT-538 exhibited potent in vitro activity against laboratory and clinical strains of HIV-1 [50% effective concentration (EC50) = 0.022-0.13 microM] and HIV-2 (EC50 = 0.16 microM). Following a single 10-mg/kg oral dose, plasma concentrations in rat, dog, and monkey exceeded the in vitro antiviral EC50 for > 12 h. In human trials, a single 400-mg dose of ABT-538 displayed a prolonged absorption profile and achieved a peak plasma concentration in excess of 5 micrograms/ml. These findings demonstrate that high oral bioavailability can be achieved in humans with peptidomimetic inhibitors of HIV protease.
Sexual isolation in Drosophila melanogaster: a possible case of incipient speciation.
Authors: Wu C I , Hollocher H , Begun D J , Aquadro C F , Xu Y , Wu M L
Published: May 2006

It is generally believed that Drosophila melanogaster has no closely related species with which it can produce the viable and fertile hybrids that are essential for the genetic analysis of speciation. Following the recent report of molecular differentiation between a Zimbabwe, Africa, population and two United States populations, we provide evidence that strong sexual isolation exists between the D. melanogaster population in Zimbabwe and populations of other continents. In the presence of males of their own kind, females from most isofemale lines of Zimbabwe would not mate with males from elsewhere; the reciprocal mating is also significantly reduced, but to a lesser degree. The genes for sexual behaviors are apparently polymorphic in Zimbabwe and postmating reproductive isolation between this and other populations has not yet evolved. Whole chromosome substitutions indicate significant genetic contributions to male mating success by both major autosomes, whereas the X chromosome effect is too weak to measure. In addition, the relative mating success between hybrid and pure line males supports the interpretation of strong female choice. These observations suggest that we are seeing the early stages of speciation in this group and that it is driven by sexual selection. The genetic and molecular tractability of D. melanogaster offers great promise for the detailed analysis of this apparent case of incipient speciation.
Iontophoresis for modulation of cardiac drug delivery in dogs.
Authors: Labhasetwar V , Underwood T , Schwendeman S P , Levy R J
Published: May 2006

Cardiac arrhythmias are a frequent cause of death and morbidity. Conventional antiarrhythmia therapy involving oral or intravenous medication is often ineffective and complicated by drug-associated side effects. Previous studies from our laboratory have demonstrated the advantages of cardiac drug-polymer implants for enhanced efficacy for cardiac arrhythmia therapy compared with conventional administration. However, these studies were based on systems that deliver drugs at a fixed release rate. Modulation of the drug delivery rate has the advantage of regulating the amount of the drug delivered depending upon the disease state of the patient. We hypothesized that iontophoresis could be used to modulate cardiac drug delivery. In this study, we report our investigations of a cardiac drug implant in dogs that is capable of iontophoretic modulation of the administration of the antiarrhythmic agent sotalol. We used a heterogeneous cation-exchange membrane (HCM) as an electrically sensitive and highly efficient rate-limiting barrier on the cardiac-contacting surface of the implant. Thus, electric current is passed only through the HCM and not the myocardium. The iontophoretic cardiac implant demonstrated in vitro drug release rates that were responsive to current modulation. In vivo results in dogs have confirmed that iontophoresis resulted in regional coronary enhancement of sotalol levels with current-responsive increases in drug concentrations. We also observed acute current-dependent changes in ventricular effective refractory periods reflecting sotalol-induced refractoriness due to regional drug administration. In 30-day dog experiments, iontophoretic cardiac implants demonstrated robust sustained function and reproducible modulation of drug delivery kinetics.
Two helices plus a linker: a small model substrate for eukaryotic RNase P.
Authors: Carrara G , Calandra P , Fruscoloni P , Tocchini-Valentini G P
Published: May 2006

Using precursor tRNA molecules to study RNA-protein interactions, we have identified an RNA motif recognized by eukaryotic RNase P (EC 3.1.26.5). Analysis of circularly permuted precursors indicates that interruptions in the sugar-phosphate backbone are not tolerated in the acceptor stem, in the T stem-loop, or between residues A-9 and G-10. Prokaryotic RNase P will function with a minihelix consisting of the acceptor stem connected directly to the T stem-loop. Eukaryotic RNase P cannot use such a minimal substrate unless a linker sequence is added in the gap where the D stem and anticodon stem-loop were deleted.
Kinetics and mechanism of polyamide ("peptide") nucleic acid binding to duplex DNA.
Authors: Demidov V V , Yavnilovich M V , Belotserkovskii B P , Frank-Kamenetskii M D , Nielsen P E
Published: May 2006

To elucidate the mechanism of recognition of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) by homopyrimidine polyamide ("peptide") nucleic acid (PNA) leading to the strand-displacement, the kinetics of the sequence-specific PNA/DNA binding have been studied. The binding was monitored with time by the gel retardation and nuclease S1 cleavage assays. The experimental kinetic curves obey pseudo-first-order kinetics and the dependence of the pseudo-first-order rate constant, kps, on PNA concentration, P, obeys a power law kps approximately P gamma with 2 < gamma < 3. The kps values for binding of decamer PNA to dsDNA target sites with one mismatch are hundreds of times slower than for the correct site. A detailed kinetic scheme for PNA/DNA binding is proposed that includes two major steps of the reaction of strand invasion: (i) a transient partial opening of the PNA binding site on dsDNA and incorporation of one PNA molecule with the formation of an intermediate PNA/DNA duplex and (ii) formation of a very stable PNA2/DNA triplex. A simple theoretical treatment of the proposed kinetic scheme is performed. The interpretation of our experimental data in the framework of the proposed kinetic scheme leads to the following conclusions. The sequence specificity of the recognition is essentially provided at the "search" step of the process, which consists in the highly reversible transient formation of duplex between one PNA molecule and the complementary strand of duplex DNA while the other DNA strand is displaced. This search step is followed by virtually irreversible "locking" step via PNA2/DNA triplex formation. The proposed mechanism explains how the binding of homopyrimidine PNA to dsDNA meets two apparently mutually contradictory features: high sequence specificity of binding and remarkable stability of both correct and mismatched PNA/DNA complexes.
Chloroplast gene sequence data suggest a single origin of the predisposition for symbiotic nitrogen fixation in angiosperms.
Authors: Soltis D E , Soltis P S , Morgan D R , Swensen S M , Mullin B C , Dowd J M , Martin P G
Published: May 2006

Of the approximately 380 families of angiosperms, representatives of only 10 are known to form symbiotic associations with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in root nodules. The morphologically based classification schemes proposed by taxonomists suggest that many of these 10 families of plants are only distantly related, engendering the hypothesis that the capacity to fix nitrogen evolved independently several, if not many, times. This has in turn influenced attitudes toward the likelihood of transferring genes responsible for symbiotic nitrogen fixation to crop species lacking this ability. Phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences for the chloroplast gene rbcL indicates, however, that representatives of all 10 families with nitrogen-fixing symbioses occur together, with several families lacking this association, in a single clade. This study therefore indicates that only one lineage of closely related taxa achieved the underlying genetic architecture necessary for symbiotic nitrogen fixation in root nodules.
Energy transfer and trapping in photosystem I reaction centers from cyanobacteria.
Authors: DiMagno L , Chan C K , Jia Y , Lang M J , Newman J R , Mets L , Fleming G R , Haselkorn R
Published: May 2006

A mutant strain of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis 6803, TolE4B, was constructed by genetic deletion of the protein that links phycobilisomes to thylakoid membranes and of the CP43 and CP47 proteins of photosystem II (PSII), leaving the photosystem I (PSI) center as the sole chromophore in the photosynthetic membranes. Both intact membrane and detergent-isolated samples of PSI were characterized by time-resolved and steady-state fluorescence methods. A decay component of approximately 25 ps dominates (99% of the amplitude) the fluorescence of the membrane sample. This result indicates that an intermediate lifetime is not associated with the intact membrane preparation and the charge separation in PSI is irreversible. The decay time of the detergent-isolated sample is similar. The 600-nm excited steady-state fluorescence spectrum displays a red fluorescence peak at approximately 703 nm at room temperature. The 450-nm excited steady-state fluorescence spectrum is dominated by a single peak around 700 nm without 680-nm "bulk" fluorescence. The experimental results were compared with several computer simulations. Assuming an antenna size of 130 chlorophyll molecules, an apparent charge separation time of approximately 1 ps is estimated. Alternatively, the kinetics could be modeled on the basis of a two-domain antenna for PSI, consistent with the available structural data, each containing approximately 65 chlorophyll a molecules. If excitation can migrate freely within each domain and communication between domains occurs only close to the reaction center, a charge separation time of 3-4 ps is obtained instead.
P-Lim, a LIM homeodomain factor, is expressed during pituitary organ and cell commitment and synergizes with Pit-1.
Authors: Bach I , Rhodes S J , Pearse R V , Heinzel T , Gloss B , Scully K M , Sawchenko P E , Rosenfeld M G
Published: May 2006

A pituitary LIM homeodomain factor, P-Lim, is expressed as Rathke's pouch forms and as specific pituitary cell phenotypes are established, suggesting functional roles throughout pituitary development. While selectively expressed in both anterior and intermediate pituitary in mature mice, P-Lim is also transiently expressed in the developing ventral neural cord and brainstem. P-Lim binds to and activates the promoter of the alpha-glycoprotein subunit gene, a marker of early pituitary development, and synergizes with Pit-1 in transcriptional activation of genes encoding terminal differentiation markers. The LIM domain of P-Lim specifically interacts with the Pit-1 POU domain and is required for synergistic interactions with Pit-1, but not for basal transcriptional activation events.
Growth hormone receptor C-terminal domains required for growth hormone-induced intracellular free Ca2+ oscillations and gene transcription.
Authors: Billestrup N , Bouchelouche P , Allevato G , Ilondo M , Nielsen J H
Published: May 2006

The biological effects of growth hormone (GH) are initiated by its binding to the GH receptor (GHR) followed by association and activation of the tyrosine kinase JAK2. Here we report that GH can stimulate an increase in intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in cells expressing wild-type GHRs and receptor mutants lacking up to 132 amino acids of the C terminus, whereas GHRs lacking a further 52 amino acids in the C terminus are unable to induce Ca2+ signaling. The GH-induced rise in [Ca2+]i was dependent upon extracellular Ca2+ and the response consisted of GH-induced Ca2+ oscillations of varying frequency and amplitude. GH-induced transcription of the serine protease inhibitor 2.1 gene required the same C-terminal 52-amino acid domain of the receptor as for Ca2+ signaling. Mutation of the four proline residues in the conserved box 1 region of the GHR, which is responsible for binding and activation of JAK2 kinase, completely abolished GH-induced gene transcription but did not affect the GH-induced rise in [Ca2+]i. The Ca2+ channel blocker verapamil prevented GH-induced Ca2+ signaling as well as GH-induced gene transcription in cells expressing endogenous GHRs. These findings indicate that the GHR can initiate two independent signaling pathways, one requiring the box 1 region and the other requiring the region between amino acids 454 and 506, and suggest that both of these pathways are required for GH-induced gene transcription.
Schizosaccharomyces pombe mutants that are defective in glycoprotein galactosylation.
Authors: Ballou L , Ballou C
Published: May 2006

Several mutants of Schizosaccharomyces pombe were obtained that are defective in protein glycosylation. One of the mutants, strain Sp550, makes galactomannoproteins with about half of the wild-type amount of galactose, whereas another strain, Sp137, makes glycoproteins that are almost devoid of galactose. Nondenaturing gel electrophoresis of cell extracts of both mutants revealed that they make invertases with a greatly increased mobility relative to the wild type. Additional study showed that Sp137 invertase has a subunit molecular mass that is about half that reported for the wild-type enzyme, owing to a reduction in carbohydrate content, whereas the native multimeric state appears unaltered. Structural studies on bulk cell-wall glycoprotein from Sp137 showed that the N-linked carbohydrate chains consist of a typical branched core oligosaccharide to which is attached an unsubstituted alpha 1-->6-polymannose outer chain. Consequently, the cells are agglutinated by antibodies against alpha 1-->6-linked mannose and have N-linked carbohydrate chains that are structurally analogous to the mnn2 mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Molecular identification of porcine interleukin 10: regulation of expression in a kidney allograft model.
Authors: Blancho G , Gianello P , Germana S , Baetscher M , Sachs D H , LeGuern C
Published: May 2006

Clones encoding porcine interleukin 10 (IL-10) were isolated from a cDNA library produced from phytohemagglutinin-activated pig peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The porcine IL-10 nucleotide sequence was found to be highly homologous to the rat, mouse, and human IL-10 counterparts and to one of the open reading frames from the Epstein-Barr virus. In addition, pig IL-10 caused inhibition of gamma-interferon gene transcription as determined by a bioassay. To investigate the possible immunomodulatory role of IL-10, its expression during the induction of tolerance to kidney allografts by cyclosporin A in miniature swine was also investigated. Delayed expression and higher levels of IL-10 were observed in tolerant animals compared with animals rejecting their allografts. Since tolerance is achieved by a short course of cyclosporin A, we have also studied the in vitro effect of this drug on IL-10 gene transcription in blood mononuclear cells and have found that cyclosporin A inhibits IL-10 gene activation in T cells but does not interfere with IL-10 transcription in lipopolysaccharide-activated cells. These results suggest that the overexpression of IL-10, observed in cell populations infiltrating grafts from tolerant animals, may be a function of monocytes and/or B cells.
Lactation is disrupted by alpha-lactalbumin deficiency and can be restored by human alpha-lactalbumin gene replacement in mice.
Authors: Stacey A , Schnieke A , Kerr M , Scott A , McKee C , Cottingham I , Binas B , Wilde C , Colman A
Published: May 2006

Mice carrying either a deletion of the murine alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-lac) gene (null allele) or its replacement by the human alpha-lac gene (humanized allele) have been generated by gene targeting. Homozygous null females are alpha-lac-deficient, produce reduced amounts of thickened milk containing little or no lactose, and cannot sustain their offspring. This provides definitive evidence that alpha-lac is required for lactose synthesis and that lactose is important for milk production. Females homozygous for the humanized allele lactate normally, indicating that human alpha-lac can replace murine alpha-lac. Mouse and human alpha-lac expression was compared in mice heterozygous for the humanized allele. The human gene expressed approximately 15-fold greater mRNA and approximately 14-fold greater protein than the mouse, indicating that the major determinants of human alpha-lac expression are close to, or within, the human gene and that the mouse locus does not exert a negative influence on alpha-lac expression. Variations in alpha-lac expression levels in nondeficient mice did not affect milk lactose concentration, but the volume of milk increased slightly in mice homozygous for the humanized allele. These variations demonstrated that alpha-lac expression in mice is gene dosage dependent.
Combinatorial diffusion assay used to identify topically active melanocyte-stimulating hormone receptor antagonists.
Authors: Quillan J M , Jayawickreme C K , Lerner M R
Published: May 2006

alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) is implicated in pigmentation, central nervous system and immune system functions, growth, mitogenesis, and melanoma. Evaluation of these roles has been hindered by the lack of alpha-MSH antagonists. A combinatorial chemistry-based diffusion assay is used to find random tripeptides that antagonize normal frog and human melanoma MSH receptors and to identify pharmacological groups responsible for receptor interaction. The alpha-MSH antagonist D-Trp-Arg-Leu-NH2 is used to demonstrate directly the contribution of MSH to normal skin tone in frogs following injection or topical application.
Heat shock protein synthesis and thermotolerance in Cataglyphis, an ant from the Sahara desert.
Authors: Gehring W J , Wehner R
Published: May 2006

The ant Cataglyphis lives in the Sahara desert and is one of the most thermotolerant land animals known. It forages at body temperatures above 50 degrees C, and the critical thermal maxima are at 53.6 +/- 0.8 degrees C for Cataglyphis bombycina and 55.1 +/- 1.1 degrees C for Cataglyphis bicolor. The synthesis and accumulation of heat shock proteins (HSPs) were analyzed in Cataglyphis and compared to Formica, an ant living in more moderate climates, and to two Drosophila species. In Cataglyphis, protein synthesis continues at temperatures up to 45 degrees C as compared to 39 degrees C for Formica and Drosophila. The two Drosophila species, Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila ambigua, differ with respect to their maximal induction of HSP synthesis and accumulation by 3-4 degrees C. In contrast, the two ant species accumulate HSPs prior to their exposure to heat, and in Cataglyphis the temperature of maximal HSP induction by de novo protein synthesis is only 2 degrees C higher than in Formica. These findings are interpreted as preadaption of the ants prior to exposure to high temperatures.
Mutations associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis convert superoxide dismutase from an antiapoptotic gene to a proapoptotic gene: studies in yeast and neural cells.
Authors: Rabizadeh S , Gralla E B , Borchelt D R , Gwinn R , Valentine J S , Sisodia S , Wong P , Lee M , Hahn H , Bredesen D E
Published: May 2006

Familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS) is associated with mutations in SOD1, the gene encoding copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD). However, the mechanism by which these mutations lead to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is unknown. We report that FALS mutant SODs expressed in yeast lacking CuZnSOD are enzymatically active and restore the yeast to the wild-type phenotype. In mammalian neural cells, the overexpression of wild-type SOD1 inhibits apoptosis induced by serum and growth factor withdrawal or calcium ionophore. In contrast, FALS-associated SOD1 mutants promote, rather than inhibit, neural apoptosis, in a dominant fashion, despite the fact that these mutants retain enzymatic SOD activity both in yeast and in mammalian neural cells. The results dissociate the SOD activity of FALS-associated mutants from the induction of neural cell death, suggesting that FALS associated with mutations in SOD1 may not be simply the result of a decrease in the enzymatic function of CuZnSOD. Furthermore, the results provide an in vitro model that may help to define the mechanism by which FALS-associated SOD1 mutations lead to neural cell death.
Inflammatory processes induce beta-amyloid precursor protein changes in mouse brain.
Authors: Brugg B , Dubreuil Y L , Huber G , Wollman E E , Delhaye-Bouchaud N , Mariani J
Published: May 2006

In Alzheimer disease, a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors may contribute to changes in beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) expression, beta-amyloid peptide deposition, and neuronal loss. Factors such as head injury or acute infection that trigger inflammatory processes may play a crucial role in development of the disease. In the present in vivo study, we showed that, in mouse brain, peripheral stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced a transient increase in the inflammatory cytokine mRNAs (interleukin 1 beta and interleukin 6), followed by changes in expression of APP isoforms in the cerebellum but not in the cerebral cortex. These changes consisted of a decrease in the APP-695 and an increase in the Kunitz protease inhibitor-bearing isoforms (KPI-APP). In the cerebellum of the staggerer mouse mutant, where a severe loss of Purkinje and granule cells occurs, basal mRNA levels of these interleukins were elevated and an increase in the KPI-APP/APP-695 ratio compared to wild-type mice was observed. These abnormalities were further accentuated by LPS stimulation. This study shows that acute and chronic inflammatory processes play an important role in changes in APP expression possibly associated with neurodegeneration.
Induction of cell proliferation in mammalian inner-ear sensory epithelia by transforming growth factor alpha and epidermal growth factor.
Authors: Yamashita H , Oesterle E C
Published: May 2006

Regenerative proliferation occurs in the inner-ear sensory epithelial of warm-blooded vertebrates after insult. To determine how this proliferation is controlled in the mature mammalian inner ear, several growth factors were tested for effects on progenitor-cell division in cultured mouse vestibular sensory epithelia. Cell proliferation was induced in the sensory epithelium by transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) in a dose-dependent manner. Proliferation was also induced by epidermal growth factor (EGF) when supplemented with insulin, but not EGF alone. These observations suggest that stimulation of the EGF receptors by TGF-alpha binding, or EGF (plus insulin) binding, stimulates cell proliferation in the mature mammalian vestibular sensory epithelium.
p53-dependent growth arrest of REF52 cells containing newly amplified DNA.
Authors: Ishizaka Y , Chernov M V , Burns C M , Stark G R
Published: May 2006

The rat cell line REF52 is not permissive for gene amplification. Simian virus 40 tumor (T) antigen converts these cells to a permissive state, as do dominant negative mutants of p53, suggesting that the effect of T antigen is due mainly to its ability to bind to p53. To manipulate permissivity, we introduced a temperature-sensitive mutant of T antigen (tsA58) into REF52 cells and selected for resistance to N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartate (PALA). Most freshly isolated PALA-resistant colonies, each of approximately 200 cells, selected at a permissive temperature, arrested when shifted to a nonpermissive temperature. Growth arrest was stable, with no evidence of apoptosis, as long as T antigen was absent but was reversed when T antigen was restored. In contrast, PALA-resistant clones grown to approximately 10(7) cells at a permissive temperature did not arrest when shifted to a nonpermissive temperature. All PALA-resistant clones examined had amplified carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase-aspartate transcarbamoylase-dihydroorotase (CAD) genes, present in structures consistent with a mechanism involving bridge-breakage-fusion (BBF) cycles. We propose that p53-mediated growth arrest operates only early during the complex process of gene amplification, when newly formed PALA-resistant cells contain broken DNA, generated in BBF cycles. During propagation under permissive conditions, the broken DNA ends are healed, and, even though the p53-mediated pathway is still intact at a nonpermissive temperature and the cells contain amplified DNA, they are not arrested in the absence of broken DNA. The data support the hypothesis that BBF cycles are an important mechanism of amplification and that the broken DNA generated in each cycle is a key signal that regulates permissivity for gene amplification.
Citrate modulates the regulation by Zn2+ of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated channel current and neurotransmitter release.
Authors: Westergaard N , Banke T , Wahl P , Sonnewald U , Schousboe A
Published: May 2006

The effect of the two metal-ion chelators EDTA and citrate on the action of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors was investigated by use of cultured mouse cerebellar granule neurons and Xenopus oocytes, respectively, to monitor either NMDA-evoked transmitter release or membrane currents. Transmitter release from the glutamatergic neurons was determined by superfusion of the cells after preloading with the glutamate analogue D-[3H]aspartate. The oocytes were injected with mRNA isolated from mouse cerebellum and, after incubation to allow translation to occur, currents mediated by NMDA were recorded electrophysiologically by voltage clamp at a holding potential of -80 mV. It was found that citrate as well as EDTA could attenuate the inhibitory action of Zn2+ on NMDA receptor-mediated transmitter release from the neurons and membrane currents in the oocytes. These effects were specifically related to the NMDA receptor, since the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 abolished the action and no effects of Zn2+ and its chelators were observed when kainate was used to selectively activate non-NMDA receptors. Since it was additionally demonstrated that citrate (and EDTA) preferentially chelated Zn2+ rather than Ca2+, the present findings strongly suggest that endogenous citrate released specifically from astrocytes into the extracellular space in the brain may function as a modulator of NMDA receptor activity. This is yet another example of astrocytic influence on neuronal activity.
Decrements in auditory responses to a repeated conspecific song are long-lasting and require two periods of protein synthesis in the songbird forebrain.
Authors: Chew S J , Mello C , Nottebohm F , Jarvis E , Vicario D S
Published: May 2006

Earlier work showed that playbacks of conspecific song induce expression of the immediate early gene ZENK in the caudo-medial neostriatum (NCM) of awake male zebra finches and that this response disappears with repeated presentations of the same stimulus. In the present study, we investigated whether repetitions of a song stimulus also elicited a decrement in the electrophysiological responses in the NCM neurons of these birds. Multiunit auditory responses in NCM were initially vigorous, but their amplitude decreased (habituated) rapidly to repeated stimulation, declining to about 40% of the initial response during the first 50 iterations. A similar time course of change was seen at the single unit level. This habituation occurred specifically for each song presented but did not occur when pure tones were used as a stimulus. Habituation to conspecific, but not heterospecific, song was retained for 20 h or longer. Injections of inhibitors of protein or RNA synthesis at the recording site did not affect the initial habituation to a novel stimulus, but these drugs blocked the long-term habituation when injected at 0.5-3 h and at 5.5-7 h after the first exposure to the stimulus. Thus, at least two waves of gene induction appear to be necessary for long-lasting habituation to a particular song.
Fluctuation analysis of rotational speeds of the bacterial flagellar motor.
Authors: Samuel A D , Berg H C
Published: May 2006

We measured the dependence of the variance in the rotation rate of tethered cells of Escherichia coli on the mean rotation rate over a regime in which the motor generates constant torque. This dependence was compared with that of broken motors. In either case, motor torque was augmented with externally applied torque. We show that, in contrast to broken motors, functioning motors in this regime do not freely rotationally diffuse and that the variance measurements are consistent with the predicted values of a stepping mechanism with exponentially distributed waiting times (a Poisson stepper) that steps approximately 400 times per revolution.
Feedback from luminosity horizontal cells mediates depolarizing responses of chromaticity horizontal cells in the Xenopus retina.
Authors: Witkovsky P , Gabriel R , Krizaj D , Akopian A
Published: May 2006

It has been proposed that the depolarizing responses of chromaticity horizontal cells (C-HCs) to red light depend on a feedback signal from luminosity horizontal cells (L-HCs) to short-wavelength-sensitive cones in the retinas of lower vertebrates. In this regard we studied the C-HCs of the Xenopus retina. C-HCs and L-HCs were identified by physiological criteria and then injected with neurobiotin. The retina then was incubated with peanut agglutinin, which stains red-but not blue-sensitive cones. Electron microscopic examination revealed that L-HCs contact all cone classes, whereas C-HCs contact only blue-sensitive cones. Simultaneous recordings from C-HC/L-HC pairs established that when the L-HC was saturated by a steady bright red light, C-HCs alone responded to a superimposed blue stimulus. In response to red test flashes, the C-HC response was delayed by approximately 30 msec with respect to the L-HC response. Isolated HCs of both subtypes were examined by whole-cell patch clamp. Both responded to kainate with sustained inward currents and to quisqualate or alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) with desensitizing currents from a negative holding potential; i.e., both have AMPA-type glutamate receptors. gamma-Aminobutyric acid or glycine opened a chloride channel in the L-HC, whereas the C-HC was unresponsive to either inhibitory amino acid. Since glycine has been shown to abolish selectively the depolarizing response of the C-HC, this finding and other pharmacological data strongly implicate the L-HC in the underlying circuit. Moreover, because the C-HC does not respond to gamma-aminobutyric acid, the neurotransmitter of the L-HC, by elimination, a feedback synapse from L-HC to blue cone is the most plausible mechanism for the creation of depolarizing responses in C-HCs.
Quantitative analysis of senile plaques in Alzheimer disease: observation of log-normal size distribution and molecular epidemiology of differences associated with apolipoprotein E genotype and trisomy 21 (Down syndrome).
Authors: Hyman B T , West H L , Rebeck G W , Buldyrev S V , Mantegna R N , Ukleja M , Havlin S , Stanley H E
Published: May 2006

The discovery that the epsilon 4 allele of the apolipoprotein E (apoE) gene is a putative risk factor for Alzheimer disease (AD) in the general population has highlighted the role of genetic influences in this extremely common and disabling illness. It has long been recognized that another genetic abnormality, trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), is associated with early and severe development of AD neuropathological lesions. It remains a challenge, however, to understand how these facts relate to the pathological changes in the brains of AD patients. We used computerized image analysis to examine the size distribution of one of the characteristic neuropathological lesions in AD, deposits of A beta peptide in senile plaques (SPs). Surprisingly, we find that a log-normal distribution fits the SP size distribution quite well, motivating a porous model of SP morphogenesis. We then analyzed SP size distribution curves in genotypically defined subgroups of AD patients. The data demonstrate that both apoE epsilon 4/AD and trisomy 21/AD lead to increased amyloid deposition, but by apparently different mechanisms. The size distribution curve is shifted toward larger plaques in trisomy 21/AD, probably reflecting increased A beta production. In apoE epsilon 4/AD, the size distribution is unchanged but the number of SP is increased compared to apoE epsilon 3, suggesting increased probability of SP initiation. These results demonstrate that subgroups of AD patients defined on the basis of molecular characteristics have quantitatively different neuropathological phenotypes.
Simple tandem DNA repeats and human genetic disease.
Authors: Sutherland G R , Richards R I
Published: May 2006

The human genome contains many repeated DNA sequences that vary in complexity of repeating unit from a single nucleotide to a whole gene. The repeat sequences can be widely dispersed or in simple tandem arrays. Arrays of up to 5 or 6 nt are known as simple tandem repeats, and these are widely dispersed and highly polymorphic. Members of one group of the simple tandem repeats, the trinucleotide repeats, can undergo an increase in copy number by a process of dynamic mutation. Dynamic mutations of the CCG trinucleotide give rise to one group of fragile sites on human chromosomes, the rare folate-sensitive group. One member of this group, the fragile X (FRAXA) is responsible for the most common familial form of mental retardation. Another member of the group FRAXE is responsible for a rarer mild form of mental retardation. Similar mutations of AGC repeats give rise to a number of neurological disorders. The expanded repeats are unstable between generations and somatically. The intergenerational instability gives rise to unusual patterns of inheritance--particularly anticipation, the increasing severity and/or earlier age of onset of the disorder in successive generations. Dynamic mutations have been found only in the human species, and possible reasons for this are considered. The mechanism of dynamic mutation is discussed, and a number of observations of simple tandem repeat mutation that could assist in understanding this phenomenon are commented on.
Disruption of the adenosine deaminase gene causes hepatocellular impairment and perinatal lethality in mice.
Authors: Wakamiya M , Blackburn M R , Jurecic R , McArthur M J , Geske R S , Cartwright J , Mitani K , Vaishnav S , Belmont J W , Kellems R E
Published: May 2006

We have generated mice with a null mutation at the Ada locus, which encodes the purine catabolic enzyme adenosine deaminase (ADA, EC 3.5.4.4). ADA-deficient fetuses exhibited hepatocellular impairment and died perinatally. Their lymphoid tissues were not largely affected. Accumulation of ADA substrates was detectable in ADA-deficient conceptuses as early as 12.5 days postcoitum, dramatically increasing during late in utero development, and is the likely cause of liver damage and fetal death. The results presented here demonstrate that ADA is important for the homeostatic maintenance of purines in mice.
G-utrophin, the autosomal homologue of dystrophin Dp116, is expressed in sensory ganglia and brain.
Authors: Blake D J , Schofield J N , Zuellig R A , Górecki D C , Phelps S R , Barnard E A , Edwards Y H , Davies K E
Published: May 2006

The utrophin gene is closely related to the dystrophin gene in both sequence and genomic structure. The Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) locus encodes three 14-kb dystrophin transcripts in addition to several smaller isoforms, one of which, Dp116, is specific to peripheral nerve. We describe here the corresponding 5.5-kb mRNA from the utrophin locus. This transcript, designated G-utrophin, is of particular interest because it is specifically expressed in the adult mouse brain and appears to be the predominant utrophin transcript in this tissue. G-utrophin is expressed in brain sites generally different from the regions expressing beta-dystroglycan. During mouse embryogenesis G-utrophin is also seen in the developing sensory ganglia. Our data confirm the close evolutionary relationships between the DMD and utrophin loci; however, the functions for the corresponding proteins probably differ.