bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Yeast beta-glucan synthesis: KRE6 encodes a predicted type II membrane protein required for glucan synthesis in vivo and for glucan synthase activity in vitro.
Authors: Roemer T , Bussey H
Published: May 2006

The KRE6 gene product is required for synthesis of the major beta-glucans of the yeast cell wall, as mutations in this gene confer reduced levels of both the (1----6)- and (1----3)-beta-D-glucan polymers. Cloning and sequencing of KRE6 reveals a gene encoding a predicted 80-kDa protein with a central transmembrane domain and the topology of a type II membrane protein. Null mutants of KRE6 grow slowly, have larger cells, and show a reduction in alkali-insoluble wall glucans. The mutants show good viability and are not osmotically sensitive, but they are more susceptible to beta-glucanase digestion and mechanical stress than wild-type cells. The specific activity of the GTP-dependent, membrane-associated, in vitro (1----3)-beta-glucan synthase is reduced 50% in kre6 null mutants, and this reduction correlates with the mutation in meiotic tetrads. Transformants of kre6 null mutants with a KRE6 gene expressed from a centomere-based vector show a 4- to 5-fold increase in in vitro (1----3)-beta-glucan synthase activity over transformants with the vector alone. The phenotype and structure of the KRE6 product, Kre6p, suggest that Kre6p may be a beta-glucan synthase, and if so, it implies that beta-glucan synthases are functionally redundant in yeast. Alternatively, Kre6p may be part of a single multiprotein glucan synthase or modulate its activity. Use of KRE6 should permit a genetic analysis of eukaryotic (1----3)-beta-glucan synthesis.
Song-selective auditory circuits in the vocal control system of the zebra finch.
Authors: Doupe A J , Konishi M
Published: May 2006

Birdsong is a learned behavior controlled by a distinct set of brain nuclei. The song nuclei known as area X, the medial nucleus of the dorsolateral thalamus (DLM), and the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior neostriatum (L-MAN) form a pathway that plays an important but unknown role in song learning. One function served by this circuit might be auditory feedback, which is critical to normal song development. We used single unit recordings to demonstrate that all three of these nuclei contain auditory neurons in adult male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). These neurons are song selective: they respond more robustly to the bird's own song than to songs of conspecific individuals, and they are sensitive to the temporal structure of song. Auditory neurons so highly specialized for song within a pathway required for song learning may play a role in the auditory feedback essential in song development. Recordings in the robust nucleus of the archistriatum (RA), the nucleus to which L-MAN projects, showed that RA also contains highly song-selective neurons. RA receives a direct projection from the caudal nucleus of the ventral hyperstriatum (HVc) as well as from L-MAN. We investigated the contributions of these two inputs to auditory responses of RA neurons by selectively inactivating one or both inputs. Our results suggest that there is a song-selective pathway directly from HVc to RA in addition to the circuit via L-MAN. Thus the songbird brain contains multiple auditory pathways specialized for song, and these circuits may vary in their functional importance at different stages of learning.
Critical cytoplasmic region of the interleukin 6 signal transducer gp130 is conserved in the cytokine receptor family.
Authors: Murakami M , Narazaki M , Hibi M , Yawata H , Yasukawa K , Hamaguchi M , Taga T , Kishimoto T
Published: May 2006

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) signal is transduced through gp130 that associates with a complex of IL-6 and IL-6 receptor. Truncations or amino acid substitutions offe introduced in the cytoplasmic region of human gp130, and the mutant cDNAs were transfected into murine interleukin 3-dependent cells to determine amino acid residues critical for generating the IL-6-mediated growth signal. In the 277-amino acid cytoplasmic region of gp130, a 61-amino acid region proximal to the transmembrane domain was sufficient for generating the growth signal. In this region, two short segments were significantly homologous with other cytokine-receptor family members. One segment is conserved in almost all members of the family, and the other is found especially in granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor, interleukin 2 receptor beta chain, erythropoietin receptor, KH97 (a granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor-associated molecule), and interleukin 3 receptor. gp130 molecules with mutations in either of these two segments could not transduce growth signal. Loss of signal-transducing ability of gp130 with such a mutation coincided with disappearance of IL-6-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of gp130.
Expression cloning of a cDNA encoding the bovine histamine H1 receptor.
Authors: Yamashita M , Fukui H , Sugama K , Horio Y , Ito S , Mizuguchi H , Wada H
Published: May 2006

A functional cDNA clone for the histamine H1 receptor was isolated from a cDNA library of bovine adrenal medulla by a combination of molecular cloning in an expression vector and electrophysiological assay in Xenopus oocytes. The H1 receptor cDNA encodes a protein of 491 amino acids (Mr 55,954) with seven putative transmembrane domains, illustrating the similarity to other receptors that couple with guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory proteins (G protein-coupled receptors). The sequence homology between the H1 and H2 receptors is not higher than that between the histamine H1 and m1-muscarinic receptors. The cloned receptor protein expressed in COS-7 cells bound specifically to [3H]mepyramine, an H1 receptor antagonist, and this binding was displaced by H1 receptor antagonists and histamine with affinities comparable with those in membranes of bovine adrenal medulla. H1 receptor mRNA was shown to be expressed in brain and in peripheral tissues, including lung, small intestine, and adrenal medulla. This investigation discloses the molecular nature of the H1 receptor--a receptor that mediates diverse neuronal and peripheral actions of histamine and that may be of therapeutic importance in allergy.
Amantadine selection of a mutant influenza virus containing an acid-stable hemagglutinin glycoprotein: evidence for virus-specific regulation of the pH of glycoprotein transport vesicles.
Authors: Steinhauer D A , Wharton S A , Skehel J J , Wiley D C , Hay A J
Published: May 2006

Mutants of influenza Rostock virus (H7N1 subtype) were selected for resistance to amantadine hydrochloride at concentrations of the antiviral drug known to affect the function of the virus M2 transmembrane protein. Sequence analysis revealed that three mutants had no changes in M2 but contained a lysine to isoleucine substitution in the hemagglutinin (HA) membrane glycoprotein at position 58 of HA2. The mutant viruses were found to fuse membranes at a pH value 0.7 lower than wild type and to exhibit changes in the conformation of their HAs specifically at the lower pH. The homologous lysine to isoleucine substitution was introduced by site-specific mutagenesis into the HA of X-31 influenza virus (H3 subtype), which was expressed by using vaccinia virus recombinants. The expressed HA also mediated membrane fusion and changed in conformation at a pH value 0.7 lower than wild type. These results indicate that increased acid stability of the HA obviates the consequences of the inhibition of M2 function by amantadine and provide further evidence for the role of M2 in regulating the pH of vesicles involved in glycoprotein transport to the cell surface.
Association of DQw7 (DQB1*0301) with ocular cicatricial pemphigoid.
Authors: Ahmed A R , Foster S , Zaltas M , Notani G , Awdeh Z , Alper C A , Yunis E J
Published: May 2006

Ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP) is an autoimmune blistering disease that affects the conjunctiva and multiple mucous membranes. Class I and II and complement genetic markers of the major histocompatibility complex were studied in 20 Caucasian OCP patients and members of their families. Frequencies of individual alleles and common fixed or extended haplotypes in the patients were compared with those in normal family control haplotypes and with overall normal Caucasian haplotypes. The most striking increase compared with overall controls was noted in HLA-DQw3 (P = 0.006), unassociated with any extended haplotype. All but 1 of the 20 patients carried DQw3 in linkage with HLA-DR4 (increased significantly with P = 0.042 compared with overall normal genotype controls) or DR5. The DQw3, on analysis by restriction fragment length polymorphism in genomic DNA, was, in every instance, DQw7 (3.1, DQB1*0301). The frequency of DQB1*0301 in patient haplotypes compared with overall normal DR4 and DR5 DQw3-bearing haplotypes was statistically significantly increased (P less than 0.003, relative risk = 9.6). The distribution of homozygotes and heterozygotes for DQB1*0301 among the patients was consistent with dominant but not recessive inheritance of DQB1*0301 or a gene, probably a class II allele, in linkage disequilibrium with it as the major histocompatibility complex susceptibility gene for OCP.
Accurate and efficient RNA polymerase II transcription with a soluble nuclear fraction derived from Drosophila embryos.
Authors: Kamakaka R T , Tyree C M , Kadonaga J T
Published: May 2006

We describe the preparation and biochemical properties of a soluble nuclear fraction derived from Drosophila embryos. This extract, which can be easily prepared in 2.5 hr, is capable of accurate and efficient RNA polymerase II transcription of a variety of diverse genes from both Drosophila and mammals. With the relatively strong promoter of the Drosophila Krüppel gene, it is possible to achieve 20% template usage in a single round of transcription, which is considerably higher than the template usage of approximately 3% seen with standard nuclear extracts. Further, although U small nuclear RNA genes are refractory to transcription with HeLa transcription extracts, the soluble nuclear fraction transcribes a U1 small nuclear RNA gene from Drosophila. Moreover, transcriptional activation by sequence-specific activators can be attained in vitro with the soluble nuclear fraction. The overall transcriptional efficiency appears limited to 0.45 transcript per template of DNA per 30 min, but the mechanism of limitation is not known. The soluble nuclear fraction, which was developed to recreate the environment within the nucleus, should be useful when high efficiencies of RNA polymerase II transcription are desired.
The role of envelope proteins in hepatitis B virus assembly.
Authors: Bruss V , Ganem D
Published: May 2006

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) particles are generated by budding of preformed cytoplasmic nucleocapsids into endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes containing the three viral envelope proteins (L, M, and S). We have examined the contributions of the envelope proteins to virion assembly by using cultured hepatoma cells transfected with mutant HBV genomes bearing lesions in the envelope coding regions. We show here that HBV nucleocapsids are not released from cells without expression of envelope proteins, implying an active role for these proteins in viral morphogenesis. S and L but not M proteins are necessary for virion production. L protein over-expression inhibits virion release, just as it inhibits the release of subviral hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) particles. Mutant L proteins that are no longer capable of retaining HBsAg particles in the ER still allow virion formation, indicating that this ER retention reaction is not required for viral budding. Myristoylation of L protein is also dispensable for virion formation. A chimeric protein bearing foreign epitopes fused to the S protein can be incorporated into virions when coexpressed with the wild-type envelope proteins. Models for the dependence of virion formation on both L and S proteins are discussed.
Insect immune response to bacterial infection is mediated by eicosanoids.
Authors: Stanley-Samuelson D W , Jensen E , Nickerson K W , Tiebel K , Ogg C L , Howard R W
Published: May 2006

Inhibition of eicosanoid formation in larvae of the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta, using specific inhibitors of phospholipase A2, cyclooxygenase, and lipoxygenase, severely weakened the ability of larvae to clear the bacterium Serratia marscescens from their hemolymph. The reduced capability to remove bacteria is associated with increased mortality due to these bacteria. There is a dose-dependent relationship between the phospholipase A2 inhibitor dexamethasone and both the reduced bacterial clearance and increased larval mortality. The dexamethasone effects on larval survival were reversed by treatment with arachidonic acid. Maleic acid, a nonspecific antioxidant, did not interfere with the insects' ability to remove bacterial cells from hemolymph. The larvae were shown to contain all of the C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids necessary for eicosanoid biosynthesis and to be capable of converting radioactive arachidonic acid into several primary prostaglandins. These results strongly suggest that eicosanoids mediate transduction of bacterial infection signals into the complex of cellular and humoral responses that comprise invertebrate immunity.
Capture of flanking DNA by a P element in Drosophila melanogaster: creation of a transposable element.
Authors: Tsubota S I , Huong D V
Published: May 2006

A 6.1-kilobase insertion into the rudimentary (r) gene was cloned and partially sequenced. The insertion consists of a 703-base-pair (bp) P element next to a 5.4-kilobase single-copy sequence. The normal position of the single-copy sequence is near the tip of the X chromosome. Upon insertion into the r gene, this chimeric element generated an 8-bp target-site duplication, characteristic of P elements. At the non-P-element end of the insertion, the first 8 bp are identical to the first 8 bp of the inverted terminal repeats of the P element. Thus, this element has inverted terminal repeats of 8 bp. This large element can excise from the r gene under conditions of hybrid dysgenesis, which indicates that it behaves like a normal P element. These data support the conclusion that a normally stable single-copy sequence has now become unstable and duplicated within the genome.
Calcium channels from Cyprinus carpio skeletal muscle.
Authors: Grabner M , Friedrich K , Knaus H G , Striessnig J , Scheffauer F , Staudinger R , Koch W J , Schwartz A , Glossmann H
Published: May 2006

The complete amino acid sequence of the L-type calcium channel alpha 1 subunit from the carp (Cyprinus carpio) white skeletal muscle was deduced by cDNA cloning and sequence analysis. The open reading frame encodes 1852 amino acids (Mr 210,060). A 155-amino acid COOH-terminal sequence (after the fourth internal repeat) is evolutionarily preserved (90% homology) and may represent an important functional domain of L-type calcium channels. The photolabeled, membrane-bound, and purified carp alpha 1 subunits have masses of 211 and 190 kDa. The purified channel could not be phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Two glycoproteins (alpha 2 subunits) are associated with the alpha 1 subunit and change their apparent masses from 235 and 220 kDa to 159 kDa upon reduction of disulfide bonds. Nucleic acid hybridization with alpha 2 cDNA revealed an 8.0-kilobase transcript in carp skeletal muscle. Evidence for a copurification of subunits similar in size to mammalian beta or gamma subunits was not obtained.
Cholinergic depletion prevents expansion of topographic maps in somatosensory cortex.
Authors: Juliano S L , Ma W , Eslin D
Published: May 2006

Although the role of acetylcholine in processing stimuli in the cerebral cortex is becoming defined, the impact of cholinergic activity on the character of cortical maps remains unclear. In the somatosensory cortex, topographic maps appear capable of lifelong modifications in response to alterations in the periphery. One factor proposed to influence this adaptational ability is the presence of acetylcholine in the cortex. The studies presented here, using the 2-deoxyglucose technique, demonstrate that the unilateral removal of a digit in cats, followed by stimulation of an adjacent digit, produces a pattern of metabolic activity in the somatosensory cortex that is dramatically expanded when compared with the opposite (normal) hemisphere. In contrast, experiments in which the somatosensory cortex was depleted of acetylcholine and the animal received a similar amputation led not to patterns of expanded metabolic activity, but rather to reductions in the evoked metabolic distribution. These studies implicate acetylcholine in normal map formation and in the maintenance of the capacity of cortical maps to adapt to changes in the periphery.
Guanosine 5'-[beta-thio]triphosphate selectively activates calcium signaling in mast cells.
Authors: von zur Mühlen F , Eckstein F , Penner R
Published: May 2006

In rat peritoneal mast cells, the activation of GTP-binding proteins (G proteins) by guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate GTP[gamma S] has been found to induce a transient rise in intracellular calcium as well as degranulation. A G protein that couples to phospholipase C (Gp) is thought to mediate the calcium response, whereas degranulation is mediated by a different G protein, termed Ge. In an attempt to activate mast-cell G proteins more selectively, the GTP analogues guanosine 5'-[alpha-thio]triphosphate (GTP[alpha S]) and guanosine 5'-[beta-thio]triphosphate (GTP[beta S]) (RP and SP diastereomers) were introduced into mast cells by means of patch pipettes. Degranulation and free intracellular calcium were monitored by cell capacitance and fura-2 measurements, respectively. It was found that RP-GTP[alpha S], like GTP[gamma S], induced both calcium release and exocytosis. In contrast, RP-GTP[beta S] induced repetitive calcium spikes that were not regularly accompanied by exocytosis. These results suggest that RP-GTP[beta S] selectively activates calcium signaling in mast cells. The RP-GTP[beta S]-induced oscillations were independent of extracellular calcium. They were absent in the presence of heparin or high concentrations of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and modulated by compound 48/80, suggesting the involvement of the inositol phospholipid signaling pathway. Latency of appearance and spiking frequency were markedly modulated by varying the intracellular ATP concentration. The differential activation of intracellular calcium signaling and exocytosis by GTP[beta S] confirms the presence of independent signal-transduction pathways for the two cell responses. RP-GTP[beta S] may prove helpful in the biochemical and molecular characterization of Gp, the as-yet-unidentified G protein that couples receptors to intracellular calcium release.
cDNA cloning and sequencing of human fibrillarin, a conserved nucleolar protein recognized by autoimmune antisera.
Authors: Aris J P , Blobel G
Published: May 2006

We have isolated a 1.1-kilobase cDNA clone that encodes human fibrillarin by screening a hepatoma library in parallel with DNA probes derived from the fibrillarin genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (NOP1) and Xenopus laevis. RNA blot analysis indicates that the corresponding mRNA is approximately 1300 nucleotides in length. Human fibrillarin expressed in vitro migrates on SDS gels as a 36-kDa protein that is specifically immunoprecipitated by antisera from humans with scleroderma autoimmune disease. Human fibrillarin contains an amino-terminal repetitive domain approximately 75-80 amino acids in length that is rich in glycine and arginine residues and is similar to amino-terminal domains in the yeast and Xenopus fibrillarins. The occurrence of a putative RNA-binding domain and an RNP consensus sequence within the protein is consistent with the association of fibrillarin with small nucleolar RNAs. Protein sequence alignments show that 67% of amino acids from human fibrillarin are identical to those in yeast fibrillarin and that 81% are identical to those in Xenopus fibrillarin. This identity suggests the evolutionary conservation of an important function early in the pathway for ribosome biosynthesis.
Molecular genetic basis for complex flagellar antigen expression in a triphasic serovar of Salmonella.
Authors: Smith N H , Selander R K
Published: May 2006

Strains of most Salmonella serovars produce either one (monophasic) or two (diphasic) antigenic forms of flagellin protein, but strains capable of expressing three or more serologically distinct flagellins ("complex" serovars) have occasionally been reported. A molecular genetic analysis of a triphasic strain of the normally diphasic serovar Salmonella rubislaw revealed that it has three flagellin genes, including the normal fliC (phase 1) and fljB (phase 2) chromosomal genes encoding type r and type e,n,x flagellins, respectively, and a third locus (herein designated as flpA) that is located on a large plasmid (pRKS01) and codes for a type d flagellin. The coding sequence of the plasmid-borne gene is similar to that of a phase 1 chromosomal gene, but the sequence of its promoter region is homologous to that of a phase 2 chromosomal gene. The irreversible loss of the ability to express a type d flagellin that occurs when the triphasic strain is grown in the presence of d antiserum is caused by deletion of part or all of the flpA gene. Thus, the molecular basis for the unusual serological reactions of the triphasic strain of S. rubislaw and, by inference, other complex serovars of Salmonella is explained. Plasmids of the type carried by the triphasic strain of S. rubislaw provide a mechanism for the generation of new serovars through the lateral transfer and recombination of flagellin genes.
Is the cygnet the quintessential baryon?
Authors: Segal I E
Published: May 2006

The apparently new hadron-like particle ("cygnet") indicated by cosmic ray observations on certain neutron stars is predicted to be a spin 1/2 fermion of magnetic moment and charge 0 and lifetime infinity. This derives from the natural identification of the cygnet with the one hitherto unobserved fundamental fermion of chronometric particle theory, the x or "exon", which plays the role of a quintessential baryon. The "partons" are represented by the other fundamental fermions, consisting of e, nue, and numu; e.g., n = x + e+ + e-, p = x + e+ + nue. With further empirical assignments, chronometric theory has a potential for explaining diverse phenomena, such as mixing in the neutral kaon complex and the nature of the higher electrons. Its fundamental fermion and boson fields transform indecomposably under its symmetry group, the conformal group G. Theoretical elementary particles transforming irreducibly under G derive as successive quotients in a maximal chain of invariant subspaces. Mass fixing by Mach's principle breaks the symmetry down to microscopically observed covariance with respect to the Poincare group P0. The resulting representation is normally irreducible, but splits in the case of the K0 into two P0-irreducible components that are mixed by the excess of the chronometric over the relativistic energy ("gravity"), which provides a "superweak" force that may be explanatory of CP violation.
Association of DNA helicase and primase activities with a subassembly of the herpes simplex virus 1 helicase-primase composed of the UL5 and UL52 gene products.
Authors: Dodson M S , Lehman I R
Published: May 2006

Herpes simplex virus 1 encodes a helicase-primase that is composed of the products of the UL5, UL8, and UL52 genes. A stable subassembly consisting of only the UL5 and UL52 gene products has been purified to near homogeneity from insect cells doubly infected with baculovirus recombinant for these two genes. The purified subassembly has the DNA-dependent ATPase, DNA-dependent GTPase, DNA helicase, and DNA primase activities that are characteristic of the three-subunit holoenzyme. The purified UL8 gene product, although required for viral DNA replication, neither exhibits these enzymatic activities nor stably associates with either the UL5 or the UL52 gene product.
Reconstitution in vitro of RNase H activity by using purified N-terminal and C-terminal domains of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase.
Authors: Hostomsky Z , Hostomska Z , Hudson G O , Moomaw E W , Nodes B R
Published: May 2006

Two constituent protein domains of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase were expressed separately and purified to homogeneity. The N-terminal domain (p51) behaves as a monomeric protein exhibiting salt-sensitive DNA polymerase activity. The C-terminal domain (p15) on its own has no detectable RNase H activity. However, the combination of both isolated p51 and p15 in vitro leads to reconstitution of RNase H activity on a defined substrate. These results demonstrate that domains of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase are functionally interdependent to a much higher degree than in the case of reverse transcriptase from Moloney murine leukemia virus.
Ca2+ current is regulated by cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase in mammalian cardiac myocytes.
Authors: Méry P F , Lohmann S M , Walter U , Fischmeister R
Published: May 2006

Regulation of cardiac contraction by neurotransmitters and hormones is often correlated with regulation of the L-type Ca2(+)-channel current (ICa) through the opposite actions of two second messengers, cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP. While cyclic AMP stimulation of ICa is mediated by the activation of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, inhibition of ICa by cyclic GMP in frog heart is largely mediated by activation of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase. The present patch-clamp study reveals that, in rat ventricular cells, cyclic GMP can also regulate ICa via activation of endogenous cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase (cGMP-PK). Indeed, the effect of cyclic GMP on ICa was mimicked by intracellular perfusion with the proteolytic active fragment of purified cGMP-PK. Moreover, cGMP-PK immunoreactivity was detected in pure rat ventricular myocytes by using a specific polyclonal antibody. These results demonstrate a dual mechanism for the inhibitory action of cyclic GMP in heart, as well as a physiological role for cGMP-PK in the control of mammalian heart function.
Multiple actions of extracellular ATP on calcium currents in cultured bovine chromaffin cells.
Authors: Diverse-Pierluissi M , Dunlap K , Westhead E W
Published: May 2006

Hormone secretion from chromaffin cells is evoked by calcium influx through voltage-dependent channels in the plasma membrane. Previous studies have shown that ATP, cosecreted with catecholamines from chromaffin granules, can modulate the secretion resulting from depolarization by nicotinic agonists. The immediate effect of ATP is to enhance secretion; more prolonged exposure to the nucleotide results in inhibition. These receptor-mediated actions of ATP involve the activation of at least two separate classes of GTP-binding protein. Results from electrophysiological experiments reported here demonstrate that the modulatory actions of ATP can, in large part, be explained by the effects of the nucleotide on inward calcium current. ATP shows a rapid enhancement and a slower, persistent inhibition of the depolarization-induced inward current.
Mechanism of glucoregulatory responses to stress and their deficiency in diabetes.
Authors: Miles P D , Yamatani K , Lickley H L , Vranic M
Published: May 2006

During exercise, increased energy demands are met by increased glucose production that occurs simultaneously with the increased glucose uptake. We had previously observed that, during exercise, metabolic clearance rate of glucose (MCR) increases markedly in normal, but only marginally in poorly controlled diabetic dogs. We wished to determine (i) whether in a more general model of stress matched increases in rate of appearance of glucose and MCR also occur, or if MCR is suppressed, as during catecholamine infusion; and (ii) whether diabetes affects stress-induced changes in rate of glucose appearance and MCR. Therefore, we injected carbachol (27 nmol/50 microliters), an analog of acetylcholine, intracerebroventricularly in seven conscious dogs before and after induction of alloxan diabetes. In normal dogs, plasma epinephrine and cortisol increased 4- to 5-fold, whereas norepinephrine and glucagon doubled. Plasma insulin, however, remained unchanged. Tracer-determined hepatic glucose production increased rapidly, but transiently, by 2.5-fold. This increment can be fully explained by the observed increments in the counterregulatory hormones. Surprisingly, however, MCR also promptly increased, and therefore, plasma glucose changed only marginally. After induction of diabetes, the animals were given intracerebroventricular carbachol while plasma glucose was maintained at moderate hyperglycemia (9.0 +/- 0.4 mM). Increments in counterregulatory hormones were similar to those seen in normal dogs, except for exaggerated norepinephrine release. Peripheral insulin levels were higher in diabetic than in normal dogs; however, MCR was markedly reduced and the lipolytic response to stress increased, indicating insulin resistance. Interestingly, the hyperglycemic response to stress was 6-fold greater in diabetic than normal animals, relating mainly to the failure of MCR to rise. Plasma lactate increased equivalently in diabetic and normal animals despite suppression of MCR in the diabetics, indicating either greater muscle glycogenolysis and/or impairment in glucose oxidation. We conclude that in this stress model MCR increases as in exercise in normal but not in diabetic dogs. We speculate that glucose uptake in stress could be mediated through an insulin-dependent neural mechanism.
In vitro peptide binding to the heavy chain of the class I molecule of the major histocompatibility complex molecule HLA-A2.
Authors: Dornmair K , Clark B R , McConnell H M
Published: May 2006

The heavy chain of class I molecules of the major histocompatibility complex forms the binding site for antigenic peptides. We describe the binding of a synthetic peptide to the purified heavy chain of the human major histocompatibility complex molecule HLA-A2. The peptide binding capacity is found to be markedly increased if the protein is first partly denatured by reduction of its disulfide bonds in detergent and subsequently renatured by reoxidation. In the presence of certain detergents, the heavy chain binds peptides even when the protein is partly unfolded.
In vivo mapping of a DNA adduct at nucleotide resolution: detection of pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photoproducts by ligation-mediated polymerase chain reaction.
Authors: Pfeifer G P , Drouin R , Riggs A D , Holmquist G P
Published: May 2006

DNA adducts in unique sequences along the mammalian genome are mapped in vivo at single-nucleotide resolution. Pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photoproducts [(6-4) photoproducts] represent one of the two major adduct classes found after UV irradiation of DNA and were shown to play an important role in UV-induced mutagenesis. After UV light treatment of cells, DNA is prepared and chemically cleaved at (6-4) photoproducts with piperidine. Gene-specific fragments are then amplified from total genomic DNA by use of a ligation-mediated polymerase chain reaction. Analysis of the human chromosome X-linked phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK1) gene's promoter has shown that the frequency of (6-4) photoproducts expressed as piperidine-labile sites is (i) high at TpC and CpC dinucleotides, (ii) dependent on the nearest-neighbor bases, (iii) inhibited by the binding of a transcription factor, and (iv) different for DNA derived from the active and inactive X chromosome. This latter difference is mainly a consequence of the presence of 5-methylcytosine (m5C) in CpG dinucleotides on the inactive X chromosome. 5-Methylcytosine in the sequences Tm5CG and Cm5CG inhibits the formation of (6-4) photoproducts. Thus, in addition to in vivo mapping of a DNA adduct at nucleotide resolution, we also report another method for methylation analysis and photofootprinting.
Characterization of a variant of human T-lymphotropic virus type I isolated from a healthy member of a remote, recently contacted group in Papua New Guinea.
Authors: Yanagihara R , Nerurkar V R , Garruto R M , Miller M A , Leon-Monzon M E , Jenkins C L , Sanders R C , Liberski P P , Alpers M P , Gajdusek D C
Published: May 2006

We report the characterization of a variant of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) isolated from an interleukin 2-dependent, CD8+ T-cell line derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a healthy member of a remote, recently contacted hunter-horticulturalist group (Hagahai) in Madang province of Papua New Guinea. Antigenic characterization of this variant, designated PNG-1, by immunofluorescence, indicated no expression of gag-encoded proteins p19 and p24 (even after incubation with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine), using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies against HTLV-I gag gene products. Virus-specific proteins of 15, 19, 46, 53, and 61/68 kDa were demonstrated by Western blot analysis, using sera from patients with serologically and/or virologically confirmed HTLV-I myeloneuropathy, sera from HTLV-I-infected rabbits, and antibodies prepared against the C terminus of the major envelope glycoprotein gp46. Restriction endonuclease maps of PNG-1 proviral DNA differed from that of a prototype strain of HTLV-I (MT-2), but, as verified by polymerase chain reaction, PNG-1 was definitely HTLV-I, not HTLV-II. Nucleotide sequencing and further molecular genetic studies of this variant may provide insights into the origin and evolution of HTLV-I.
Epithelial-mesenchymal transformation of embryonic cardiac endothelial cells is inhibited by a modified antisense oligodeoxynucleotide to transforming growth factor beta 3.
Authors: Potts J D , Dagle J M , Walder J A , Weeks D L , Runyan R B
Published: May 2006

During early cardiac development, the progenitor cells of the heart valves and membranous septa undergo an epithelial-mesenchymal transformation. Previous studies have shown that this transformation depends on the activity of a transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) molecule produced by the heart. In the present study, we have used modified antisense oligodeoxynucleotides generated to nonconserved regions of TGF beta 1, -2, -3, and -4 to examine the possible roles of these members in this transformation. A phosphoramidate-modified oligonucleotide complementary to TGF beta 3 mRNA was capable of inhibiting normal epithelial-mesenchymal transformation by 80%. Unmodified oligonucleotides to TGF beta 3, modified oligonucleotides to TGF beta 1, -2, and -4, and two modified control oligonucleotides were unable to inhibit the transformation. These data demonstrate that a specific member of the TGF beta family, TGF beta 3, is essential for the epithelial-mesenchymal cell transformation.
A spectroscopic and calorimetric study of the melting behaviors of a "bent" and a "normal" DNA duplex: [d(GA4T4C)]2 versus [d(GT4A4C)]2.
Authors: Park Y W , Breslauer K J
Published: May 2006

We have calorimetrically detected and energetically characterized a premelting event in the "bent" duplex [d(GA4T4C)]2 that is absent in the "normal" duplex [d(GT4A4C)]2. This premelting may correspond to the thermally induced "unbending" of the duplex. Specifically, we have used a combination of spectroscopic and calorimetric techniques to evaluate whether differences in the electrophoretic and hydrogen exchange properties of the bent duplex, [d(GA4T4C)]2, and the normal duplex, [d(GT4A4C)]2, are paralleled by differences in the equilibrium melting properties of these duplexes. Our results reveal that the bimolecular global meltings of both duplexes exhibit two-state behavior and are characterized by the expected thermodynamic changes, as well as the expected salt-dependencies. Significantly, however, at temperatures below duplex melting and over a similar temperature range in which the aberrant electrophoretic mobility is observed (approximately less than 35 degrees C), the bent duplex exhibits calorimetric premelting behavior absent in the normal duplex. Analysis of the calorimetric data in this preglobal melting domain (approximately less than 35 degrees C) allows us to estimate a lower-limit value of 1.6 kcal/(mol-base pair) for the thermally induced unbending of the decameric duplex.
Human beta-globin locus control region: analysis of the 5' DNase I hypersensitive site HS 2 in transgenic mice.
Authors: Caterina J J , Ryan T M , Pawlik K M , Palmiter R D , Brinster R L , Behringer R R , Townes T M
Published: May 2006

The human beta-globin locus control region (LCR) is essential for high-level expression of human epsilon-, gamma-, and beta-globin genes. Developmentally stable DNase I hypersensitive sites (designated HS) mark sequences within this region that are important for LCR activity. A 1.9-kilobase (kb) fragment containing the 5' HS 2 site enhances human beta-globin gene expression 100-fold in transgenic mice and also confers position-independent expression. To further define important sequences within this region, deletion mutations of the 1.9-kb fragment were introduced upstream of the human beta-globin gene, and the constructs were tested for activity in transgenic mice. Although enhancer activity was gradually lost with deletions of both 5' and 3' sequences, a 373-base-pair (bp) fragment retained the ability to confer relative position-independent expression. Three prominent DNase I footprints were observed in this region with extracts from the human erythroleukemia cell line K-562, one of which contained duplicated binding sites for transcription factor AP-1 (activator protein 1). When the 1.9-kb fragment containing an 18-bp deletion of the AP-1 binding sites was tested in transgenic mice, enhancer activity decreased 20-fold but position-independent expression was retained.
Heme inhibits human immunodeficiency virus 1 replication in cell cultures and enhances the antiviral effect of zidovudine.
Authors: Levere R D , Gong Y F , Kappas A , Bucher D J , Wormser G P , Abraham N G
Published: May 2006

The effects of heme alone and heme administered together with 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) on human immunodeficiency virus replication in human peripheral blood lymphocytes and in the H9 cell line were studied. Heme enhanced the antiviral action of AZT against both drug-resistant and drug-sensitive viral strains; the heme effect was more pronounced against the latter. Moreover, heme alone displayed a significant ability to inhibit viral replication in concentrations markedly smaller than those required to inhibit the reverse transcriptase of Rauscher murine leukemia virus. The results of this study extend the range of pharmacological actions that metalloporphyrins exert in biological systems and suggest that further study of the interactions of the natural compound heme and human immunodeficiency virus chemotherapeutic agents such as AZT may be useful.
An Id-related helix-loop-helix protein encoded by a growth factor-inducible gene.
Authors: Christy B A , Sanders L K , Lau L F , Copeland N G , Jenkins N A , Nathans D
Published: May 2006

An mRNA encoding a helix-loop-helix protein that we have named HLH462 is induced in mouse 3T3 cells as part of the immediate early transcriptional response to growth factors and other signaling agents. The RNA is present in a number of mouse tissues and in the developing mouse fetus. The HLH462 gene has been mapped by interspecific backcross analysis to the distal region of mouse chromosome 4. In its helix-loop-helix region HLH462 is closely related to the Id protein and the Drosophila emc protein. Like Id, HLH462 lacks a basic region required for DNA binding, and it inhibits the DNA-binding activities of other helix-loop-helix proteins. On the basis of its structural and functional similarity to Id, we suggest that HLH462 may inhibit the activities of helix-loop-helix transcription factors during the cellular growth response and during development.
D1 and D2 dopamine receptor mRNA in rat brain.
Authors: Weiner D M , Levey A I , Sunahara R K , Niznik H B , O'Dowd B F , Seeman P , Brann M R
Published: May 2006

Physiological and pharmacological criteria have divided dopamine receptors into D1 and D2 subtypes, and genes encoding these subtypes have recently been cloned. Based on the sequences of the cloned receptors, we prepared oligodeoxynucleotide probes to map the cellular expression of the corresponding mRNAs in rat brain by in situ hybridization histochemistry. These mRNAs showed largely overlapping yet distinct patterns of expression. The highest levels of expression for both mRNAs were observed in the caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens, and olfactory tubercle. Within the caudate-putamen, 47 +/- 6% and 46 +/- 5% of the medium-sized neurons (10-15 microns) expressed the D1 and D2 mRNAs, respectively, and only the D2 mRNA was observed in the larger neurons (greater than 20 microns). The D1 and D2 mRNAs were expressed in most cortical regions, with the highest levels in the prefrontal and entorhinal cortices. Within neocortex, D1 mRNA was observed primarily in layer 6 and D2 mRNA in layers 4-5. Within the amygdala, D1 mRNA was observed in the intercalated nuclei, and D2 mRNA in the central nucleus. Within the hypothalamus, D1 mRNA was observed in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and D2 mRNA in many of the dopaminergic cell groups. Within the septum, globus pallidus, superior and inferior colliculi, mammillary bodies, and substantia nigra only D2 mRNA was detected. These data provide insight into the neuroanatomical basis of the differential effects of drugs that act on D1 or D2 receptors.
Interstrand cross-links are preferentially formed at the d(GC) sites in the reaction between cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) and DNA.
Authors: Lemaire M A , Schwartz A , Rahmouni A R , Leng M
Published: May 2006

A DNA restriction fragment with convergent SP6 and T7 promoters has undergone reaction with cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cis-DDP) and was then used as a template for RNA synthesis in vitro. The T7 and SP6 RNA polymerases generate fragments of defined sizes. Analysis of the RNA fragments shows that the polymerases are mainly blocked at the level of the d(GG) and d(AG) sites and to a lesser extent at the level of the d(GC) sites. The adducts at the d(GC) sites are more resistant to cyanide ion attack than those at the major sites and are identified as interstrand cross-links. The formation of an interstrand cross-link between the N-7 atoms of two guanine residues at the d(GC) sites was further confirmed by chemical modifications.
FVB/N: an inbred mouse strain preferable for transgenic analyses.
Authors: Taketo M , Schroeder A C , Mobraaten L E , Gunning K B , Hanten G , Fox R R , Roderick T H , Stewart C L , Lilly F , Hansen C T
Published: May 2006

FVB/N mice offer a system suitable for most transgenic experiments and subsequent genetic analyses. The inbred FVB/N strain is characterized by vigorous reproductive performance and consistently large litters. Moreover, fertilized FVB/N eggs contain large and prominent pronuclei, which facilitate microinjection of DNA. The phenotype of large pronuclei in the zygote is a dominant trait associated with the FVB/N oocyte but not the FVB/N sperm. In experiments to generate transgenic mice, the same DNA constructs were injected into three different types of zygotes: FVB/N, C57BL/6J, and (C57BL/6J x SJL/J)F1. FVB/N zygotes survived well after injection, and transgenic animals were obtained with efficiencies similar to the F1 zygotes and much better than the C57BL/6J zygotes. Genetic markers of the FVB/N strain have been analyzed for 44 loci that cover 15 chromosomes and were compared with those of commonly used inbred strains. In addition to the albino FVB/N strain, pigmented congenic strains of FVB/N are being constructed. These features make the FVB/N strain advantageous to use for research with transgenic mice.
A novel cytoarchitectonic area induced experimentally within the primate visual cortex.
Authors: Rakic P , Suñer I , Williams R W
Published: May 2006

The cerebral cortex is divisible into a number of cytoarchitectonic areas, but developmental mechanisms that regulate their number and size remain unknown. Here we provide evidence that reducing the population of selected thalamic fibers projecting into the primary visual cortex (area 17) of monkeys during midgestation induces the formation of a novel cytoarchitectonic area situated along the border of and embedded within area 17. This region, termed area X, differs cytoarchitectonically from both area 17 and the adjacent secondary visual cortex (area 18). We propose that an aberrant combination of thalamic and cortical connections acting on a portion of prospective area 17 deprived of its normal thalamic input may result in formation of a hybrid cortex. Our results support the protomap hypothesis of cortical parcellation and suggest how during evolution new cytoarchitectonic regions may arise by cell-cell interactions that depend on a unique combination of intrinsic properties of cortical neurons and afferent fibers.
Receptor-stimulated death pathway is opened by antigen in mature T cells.
Authors: Russell J H , White C L , Loh D Y , Meleedy-Rey P
Published: May 2006

Clonal deletion provides an important mechanism for the elimination of autoreactive T cells. Deletion is accomplished by programmed cell death directed by interaction of the T-cell receptor (TCR) of the developing thymocyte with major histocompatibility complex elements in the thymic environment. In this report we present evidence to support the hypothesis that the activation and the maturation state of the T cell may be important in coupling the TCR to the "death program." We show that coupling of the TCR to the death program is open during maturation but closed in naive mature T cells. However, during primary antigenic stimulation, coupling between the TCR and the death program is reopened, as demonstrated by the stimulation of the death of these cells by immobilized anti-TCR. Our results suggest that further examination of mature cells that are either resistant or sensitive to receptor-stimulated death may lead to the identification of the components of the death pathway and may provide clues to the regulation of their coupling to TCR signals.
Genetic relationship between acylpeptide hydrolase and acylase, two hydrolytic enzymes with similar binding but different catalytic specificities.
Authors: Jones W M , Scaloni A , Bossa F , Popowicz A M , Schneewind O , Manning J M
Published: May 2006

An 87% identity has been found between the reported cDNA sequence that encodes acylpeptide hydrolase (EC 3.4.19.1) [Mitta, M., Asada, K., Uchimura, Y., Kimizuka, F., Kato, I., Sakiyama, F. & Tsunasawa, S. (1989) J. Biochem. 106, 548-551] and a cDNA transcribed from a locus (DNF15S2) on the short arm of human chromosome 3, reported by Naylor et al. [Naylor, S.L., Marshall, A., Hensel, C., Martinez, P.F., Holley, B. & Sakaguchi, A.Y. (1989) Genomics 4, 355-361]; the DNF15S2 locus suffers deletions in small cell lung carcinoma associated with a reduction or loss of acylase activity (EC 3.5.1.14). Acylpeptide hydrolase catalyzes the hydrolysis of the terminal acetylated amino acid preferentially from small acetylated peptides. The acetylamino acid formed by acylpeptide hydrolase is further processed to acetate and a free amino acid by an acylase. The substrates for the acylpeptide hydrolase and the acylase behave in a reciprocal manner since acylpeptide hydrolase binds but does not process acetylamino acids and the acylase binds acetylpeptides but does not hydrolyze them; however, the two enzymes share the same specificity for the acyl group. These findings indicate some common functional features in the protein structures of these two enzymes. Since the gene coding for acylpeptide hydrolase is within the same region of human chromosome 3 (3p21) that codes for the acylase and deletions at this locus are also associated with a decrease in acylase activity, there is a close genetic relationship between the two enzymes. There could also be a relationship between the expression of these two enzymes and acetylated peptide growth factors in some carcinomas.