bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of the major mannose-binding proteins from chicken egg yolk and chicken serum as immunoglobulins.
Authors: Wang K Y , Hoppe C A , Datta P K , Fogelstrom A , Lee Y C
Published: May 2006

Chicken egg yolk contains a mannose-binding protein that could be purified with a modification of the procedure of affinity chromatography and gel filtration used for chicken serum mannose-binding protein. The yolk protein was indistinguishable from the serum protein with respect to apparent molecular masses (169 +/- 7 kDa), subunits (74 kDa and 27 kDa, in approximately 1:1 ratio) produced after denaturation in the presence of mercaptoethanol, immunoreactivity with antibody against the chicken serum mannose-binding protein, amino acid composition, pH optimum for binding, calcium independence of binding, sugar-binding specificity, and specific-binding activity. Moreover, the chicken mannose-binding proteins cross-reacted with gamma-chain-specific antibody against chicken IgG. The binding proteins were identified as IgGs by several other criteria: identical electrophoresis pattern when subjected to reducing and nonreducing NaDodSO4/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, cochromatography on a Fractogel TSK HW-55(F) column, similar amino acid composition, and isolation of mannose-binding protein from purified serum IgG at a yield comparable to whole serum. These results support the notion that the mannose-binding proteins from the chicken serum and egg yolk are similar, if not identical, and are a subset of chicken IgG.
Interleukin 4 mediates autocrine growth of helper T cells after antigenic stimulation.
Authors: Fernandez-Botran R , Sanders V M , Oliver K G , Chen Y W , Krammer P H , Uhr J W , Vitetta E S
Published: May 2006

The role of interleukin 4 (IL-4) (previously called B-cell stimulatory factor 1) in the response of T helper (TH) cells to antigen presented by antigen-specific B cells or splenic adherent cells was investigated. Antigenic stimulation of either a keyhole-limpet-hemocyanin-specific TH-cell line or two keyhole-limpet-hemocyanin-specific T-cell clones resulted in the secretion of IL-4 but not interleukin 2 (IL-2). The secretion of IL-4 was first detected in the culture supernatant 6-8 hr after antigenic stimulation. Induction of IL-4 secretion was antigen specific and major histocompatibility complex restricted. Antigenic stimulation also resulted in increased responsiveness of the TH cells to exogenously added or endogenously produced IL-4. The antigen-induced proliferation of the TH cells could be inhibited by an anti-IL-4 antibody but not by an anti-IL-2-receptor antibody. These results suggest that IL-4 mediates the proliferation of some TH cells by an antigen-induced autocrine mechanism. Taken together with past results, these data indicate that, during T-cell-B-cell interactions involving some soluble protein antigens, IL-4 and not IL-2 is the critical lymphokine for activating resting B cells and inducing proliferation of the TH cells.
Oncostatin M: a growth regulator produced by differentiated histiocytic lymphoma cells.
Authors: Zarling J M , Shoyab M , Marquardt H , Hanson M B , Lioubin M N , Todaro G J
Published: May 2006

A polypeptide termed oncostatin M, which inhibits the replication of A375 melanoma and other human tumor cells, but not normal human fibroblasts, has been isolated from serum-free supernatants of U-937 histiocytic lymphoma cells that have been induced to differentiate into macrophage-like cells following treatment with the phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. No such growth inhibitory activity is detected in the supernatant of untreated U-937 cells, indicating that the protein is induced or increased in expression in the phorbol ester-induced differentiated cells. Oncostatin M is stable between pH 2 and 11 and after heating for 1 hr at 56 degrees C but is not stable at 90 degrees C. Purification of oncostatin M has been achieved by gel chromatography and reversed-phase HPLC, using sequentially acetonitrile and n-propanol in the presence of aqueous trifluoroacetic acid. The apparent molecular weight of oncostatin M is approximately 18,000, as determined by gel chromatography, and 28,000, as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The amino-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified polypeptide has been determined. No substantial sequence homology between oncostatin M and other proteins was found, including other tumor cell inhibitory proteins produced by mononuclear cells. Oncostatin M, therefore, appears to represent a distinct cell growth regulator.
Loss of insulin response to glucose but not arginine during the development of autoimmune diabetes in BB/W rats: relationships to islet volume and glucose transport rate.
Authors: Tominaga M , Komiya I , Johnson J H , Inman L , Alam T , Moltz J , Crider B , Stefan Y , Baetens D , McCorkle K
Published: May 2006

The insulin and glucagon responses to 10 mM glucose and 10 mM arginine were studied in pancreata isolated from nondiabetic diabetes-prone and diabetes-resistant BB/W rats at 60, 80, and 140 days of age and in diabetic BB/W rats on the 1st and 14th days of their diabetes. In the former group the insulin response to glucose declined progressively with age (r = -0.575; P less than 0.01) and at 140 days was significantly below age-matched diabetes-resistant controls (P less than 0.05). The insulin response to arginine did not decline with age in either group. For diabetic rats, on the first day of the diabetes, the insulin response to glucose was absent but the response to arginine did not differ from nondiabetic controls. On day 14 responses to glucose and arginine were both absent. The glucagon response to arginine showed no trend despite a decline in baseline glucagon secretion. Endocrine tissue in nondiabetic diabetes-prone rats made up 0.8 +/- 0.2% of the pancreas at 60 days of age and 0.52 +/- 0.22% at 140 days of age; the latter was significantly less than in 140-day-old diabetes-resistant controls (P less than 0.05). In diabetic rats on the 1st and 14th days of diabetes endocrine tissue was 0.2 +/- 0.1% and 0.07 +/- 0.02%, respectively. The glucose transport rate in islets isolated on the first day of diabetes was profoundly reduced compared to age-matched nondiabetic diabetes-prone controls. Thus, a population of arginine-responsive, glucose-unresponsive islets with low glucose transport rates is present at the onset of overt diabetes in BB/W rats.
cDNA clones of the neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) lacking a membrane-spanning region consistent with evidence for membrane attachment via a phosphatidylinositol intermediate.
Authors: Hemperly J J , Edelman G M , Cunningham B A
Published: May 2006

In embryonic chicken brains, the neural cell adhesion molecule N-CAM is expressed mainly as two polypeptides, the large intracellular-domain polypeptide (ld) (Mr = 160,000) and the small intracellular-domain polypeptide (sd) (Mr = 130,000) chains, that differ in their cytoplasmic domains and that arise by alternative splicing of RNA transcribed from a single gene. There is evidence for a minor N-CAM polypeptide of Mr = 120,000 that is similar to the ld and sd chains for most of its amino-terminal sequence, but which lacks a cytoplasmic domain. We report here the isolation and characterization of a cDNA clone, lambda N151, that appears to encode this third N-CAM polypeptide, which we designate the ssd (small surface-domain) polypeptide chain. The cDNA insert of lambda N151 consists of 2437 base pairs (bp). DNA hybridization and sequencing indicate that the first 1721 bp are nearly identical to the corresponding sequences of clone lambda N208, which encodes the ld chain. Following in the same reading frame, lambda N151 encodes 25 amino acids not present in lambda N208. The rest of lambda N151 consists of a 637-bp noncoding region containing an AATACA polyadenylylation sequence and a 55-bp poly(A) tract. Messenger RNAs complementary to lambda N151 appear later in development than those complementary to the ld and sd chains, and their appearance is correlated with the appearance of the ssd polypeptide. Although the polypeptide encoded by lambda N151 lacks a membrane region that would define a cytoplasmic domain, it does contain at its carboxyl end a relatively hydrophobic stretch of amino acids similar to those seen in precursors of membrane proteins that are attached to membranes via the lipid phosphatidylinositol. We show here that the ssd chain of chicken N-CAM can be released from brain vesicles by treatment with phospholipase C, suggesting that it too may have a phosphatidylinositol anchor. These results define two additional modes by which N-CAM expression can be modulated: by RNA splicing at a new site and by differential membrane attachment of the resulting polypeptide through a lipid intermediate.
Detection of single base-pair mismatches in DNA by chemical modification followed by electrophoresis in 15% polyacrylamide gel.
Authors: Novack D F , Casna N J , Fischer S G , Ford J P
Published: May 2006

We have developed a method for distinguishing fragments of DNA that contain single-base mismatches from their perfectly paired homologues. Single-stranded regions within a duplex fragment are accessible to 1-cyclohexyl-3-(2-[4-(4-methyl)morpholinyl]ethyl)carbodiimide, which reacts with unpaired guanidylate and thymidylate residues in DNA. Intact linear duplex DNA molecules do not react with carbodiimide, whereas DNA molecules containing single-base mismatches react quantitatively. After carbodiimide reaction, the DNA molecules are electrophoresed in high-percentage polyacrylamide gels so that modified and unmodified fragments can be resolved. Application of this technique should make it possible to locate and purify DNA fragments that exhibit sequence differences from those that do not; these might be used to signal phenotypic variation as well as to diagnose inherited disease.
Sequence-nonspecific replication of transfected plasmid DNA in poxvirus-infected cells.
Authors: DeLange A M , McFadden G
Published: May 2006

A system in which transfected plasmid DNA replicates in the cytoplasm of poxvirus-infected cells is described. A variety of recombinant plasmids was introduced into poxvirus-infected cells by transfection, and replication of input plasmid DNA was monitored by (i) digestion with restriction enzymes that discriminate between input methylated plasmid DNA and unmethylated DNA produced by replication in mammalian cells; (ii) amplification of intracellular plasmid DNA; and (iii) density shift analysis in the presence of BrdUrd. Replication of plasmid DNA was observed in the cytoplasm of cells infected with the tumorigenic leporipoxviruses Shope fibroma virus (SFV) and myxoma, and less extensively with the orthopoxvirus vaccinia, but not in uninfected cells. Unexpectedly, all input plasmids tested, including pBR322, pUC13, polyoma, PM2 phi X174 replicative form (RF), and M13 RF, replicated with equal efficiency in SFV-infected cells, indicating that no specific replication origin sequence is required. The transfected plasmid DNA was replicated concomitantly with the infecting poxviral DNA and by 24 hr post-transfection, it resided predominantly in high molecular weight Dpn I-resistant head-to-tail tandem repeats. The failure to detect unreplicated Dpn I-sensitive plasmid concatemers early in replication together with the absence of significant levels of integrated plasmid sequences in the poxviral genome suggest that replication of the transfected plasmid DNA is not the consequence of nonhomologous recombination of concatemeric plasmid DNA into the poxvirus genome, but rather of an autonomous process that is dependent on trans-acting replication factors produced during virus infection, and that does not require a specific origin sequence on the substrate plasmid DNA.
Capacity of RecA protein to bind preferentially to UV lesions and inhibit the editing subunit (epsilon) of DNA polymerase III: a possible mechanism for SOS-induced targeted mutagenesis.
Authors: Lu C , Scheuermann R H , Echols H
Published: May 2006

The RecA protein of Escherichia coli is required for SOS-induced mutagenesis in addition to its recombinational and regulatory roles. Most SOS-induced mutations probably occur during replication across a DNA lesion (targeted mutagenesis). We have suggested previously that RecA might participate in targeted mutagenesis by binding preferentially to the site of the DNA damage (e.g., pyrimidine dimer) because of its partially unwound character; DNA polymerase III (polIII) will then encounter RecA-coated DNA at the lesion and might replicate across the damaged site with reduced fidelity. In this report, we analyze at a biochemical level two major predictions of this model. With respect to lesion recognition, we show that purified RecA protein binds more efficiently to UV-irradiated double-stranded DNA than to nonirradiated DNA, as judged by filter-binding and gel electrophoresis assays. With respect to replication fidelity, Fersht and Knill-Jones [Fersht, A. R. & Knill-Jones, J. W. (1983) J. Mol. Biol. 165, 669-682] have found that RecA inhibits the 3'----5' exonuclease (editing function) of polIII holoenzyme. We extend this observation by demonstrating that RecA inhibits the exonuclease of the purified editing subunit of polIII, epsilon protein. Thus, we suggest that the activities of RecA required for targeted mutagenesis are lesion-recognition, followed by localized inhibition of the editing capacity of the epsilon subunit of polIII holoenzme. In this proposed mechanism, one activation signal for RecA for mutagenesis is the lesion itself. Because UV-irradiated, double-stranded DNA efficiently activates RecA for cleavage of the LexA repressor, the lesion itself may also often serve as an activation signal for induction of SOS-controlled genes.
Three human alcohol dehydrogenase subunits: cDNA structure and molecular and evolutionary divergence.
Authors: Ikuta T , Szeto S , Yoshida A
Published: May 2006

Class I human alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH; alcohol:NAD+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.1) consists of several homo- and heterodimers of alpha, beta, and gamma subunits that are governed by the ADH1, ADH2, and ADH3 loci. We previously cloned a full length of cDNA for the beta subunit, and the complete sequence of 374 amino acid residues was established. cDNAs for the alpha and gamma subunits were cloned and characterized. A human liver cDNA library, constructed in phage lambda gt11, was screened by using a synthetic oligonucleotide probe that was matched to the gamma but not to the beta sequence. Clone pUCADH gamma 21 and clone pUCADH alpha 15L differed from beta cDNA with respect to restriction sites and hybridization with the nucleotide probe. Clone pUCADH gamma 21 contained an insertion of 1.5 kilobase pairs (kbp) and encodes 374 amino acid residues compatible with the reported amino acid sequence of the gamma subunit. Clone pUCADH alpha 15L contained an insertion of 2.4 kbp and included nucleotide sequences that encode 374 amino acid residues for another subunit, the alpha subunit. In addition, this clone contained the sequences that encode the COOH-terminal part of the beta subunit at its extended 5' region. The amino acid sequences and coding regions of the cDNAs of the three subunits are very similar (approximately 93-95% identity). A high degree of resemblance is observed also in their 3' noncoding regions. However, distinctive differences exist in the vicinity of the Zn-binding cysteine residue at position 46--i.e., Cys-Gly-Thr in the alpha, Cys-Arg-Thr in the wild-type beta 1, Cys-His-Thr in the Oriental-type beta 2, and Cys-Arg-Ser in the gamma, reflecting the differences in their kinetic properties. Based on the cDNA sequences and the deduced amino acid sequences of the three subunits, their structural and evolutionary relationships are discussed.
Purification and assay of a 145-kDa protein (STOP145) with microtubule-stabilizing and motility behavior.
Authors: Margolis R L , Rauch C T , Job D
Published: May 2006

The capacity of microtubules to disassemble in vitro is profoundly affected by a protein factor designated STOP (stable tubule only polypeptide). Here we report the isolation of STOP protein and confirm that its activity is, as predicted, highly substoichiometric to the tubulin in microtubules. The isolation of the 145-kDa STOP (STOP145) protein has been effected from isolated cold-stable microtubules by two column steps: DEAE ion-exchange and a calmodulin affinity column. To confirm the protein's activity we have produced an antibody against STOP145 and have used the antibody to specifically remove the protein and the activity using an antibody-linked affinity column. We conclude that the STOP145 protein accounts for the observed in vitro stabilization of microtubules.
Shuttle mutagenesis: a method of transposon mutagenesis for Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Authors: Seifert H S , Chen E Y , So M , Heffron F
Published: May 2006

We have extended the method of transposon mutagenesis to the eukaryote, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A bacterial transposon containing a selectable yeast gene can be transposed into a cloned fragment of yeast DNA in Escherichia coli, and the transposon insertion can be returned to the yeast genome by homologous recombination. Initially, the cloned yeast DNA fragment to be mutagenized was transformed into an E. coli strain containing an F factor derivative carrying the transposable element. The culture was grown to allow transposition and cointegrate formation and, upon conjugation, recipients were selected that contained yeast sequences with transposon insertions. The yeast DNA was removed from the vector by restriction endonuclease digestion, and the transposon insertion was transformed into yeast. The procedure required a minimum number of manipulations, and each transconjugant colony contained an independent insertion. We describe 12 transposon Tn3 derivatives for this procedure as well as several cloning vectors to facilitate the method.
Detection of lymphocytes expressing human T-lymphotropic virus type III in lymph nodes and peripheral blood from infected individuals by in situ hybridization.
Authors: Harper M E , Marselle L M , Gallo R C , Wong-Staal F
Published: May 2006

By using in situ hybridization methodology, we have directly examined primary lymph node and peripheral blood from patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex for the presence of human T-lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III) viral RNA. Mononuclear cell preparations were hybridized with a 35S-labeled HTLV-III-specific RNA probe and exposed to autoradiographic emulsion for 2 days. HTLV-III-infected cells expressing viral RNA were detected in approximately 86% (6/7) of lymph node and 50% (7/14) of peripheral blood samples studied. However, in all patient samples examined, labeled cells were observed at very low frequency (less than 0.01% of total mononuclear cells). The HTLV-III-infected cells exhibited morphological characteristics consistent with that of lymphocytes and expressed viral RNA at relatively low abundance (20-300 copies per cell). These results demonstrate that HTLV-III expression in lymph node and peripheral blood is very low in vivo. Furthermore, the lymph node hyperplasia observed in HTLV-III-associated lymphadenopathy is not directly due to proliferation of HTLV-III-infected lymphocytes.
Increased mRNA for low density lipoprotein receptor in livers of rabbits treated with 17 alpha-ethinyl estradiol.
Authors: Ma P T , Yamamoto T , Goldstein J L , Brown M S
Published: May 2006

Pharmacologic doses of 17 alpha-ethinyl estradiol are known to increase the number of low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors in livers of rats, thereby producing a profound fall in plasma cholesterol levels. We now report that ethinyl estradiol exerts the same effect in livers of male and female rabbits and that the increase in receptor number is correlated with a 6- to 8-fold increase in the levels of receptor mRNA. Receptor protein was measured by ligand blotting, and mRNA levels were measured by a quantitative solution hybridization/S1 nuclease protection assay using uniformly 32P-labeled single-stranded cDNA probes. These experiments demonstrate that pharmacologic induction of the mRNA for the LDL receptor in liver can lead to increased LDL receptor levels and a fall in plasma cholesterol in experimental animals.
Operant conditioning of head waving in Aplysia.
Authors: Cook D G , Carew T J
Published: May 2006

Head waving is a naturally occurring behavior that Aplysia use to explore their environment. Aplysia can be operantly trained to modify their head-waving response, increasing the amount of head waving on one side of their body in order to terminate the presentation of an aversive strong light. Acquisition of the operant response is rapid, within 10 min. Two observations indicate that the operant conditioning is under the control of the contingencies of reinforcement: (i) contingent reinforcement significantly elevates operant responding, reversing the contingencies significantly reduces operant performance, and reinstating the contingencies significantly reinstates operant responding; and (ii) yoked controls do not acquire the operant response, yet these same animals readily learn when reinforcement is made contingent upon their responses. Finally, internally derived cues (e.g., proprioceptive or reafferent) appear to play a predominant role in acquiring the operant response. Since progress has been made in understanding the cellular basis of classical conditioning in Aplysia, this demonstration of operant conditioning in a response system that is well-suited for a cellular analysis provides a preparation in which it is possible both to analyze the cellular mechanisms of operant conditioning and to address the theoretical question of the relationship between classical and operant conditioning on a mechanistic level.
Hypothesis about the function of membrane-buried proline residues in transport proteins.
Authors: Brandl C J , Deber C M
Published: May 2006

In a survey of the bilayer-spanning regions of integral membrane proteins, membrane-buried proline residues were found in nearly all transport proteins examined, whereas membrane-buried regions of nontransport proteins were largely devoid of intramembranous proline residues. When amino acids from the complete sequences of representative sets of transport and nontransport membrane proteins were analyzed for the distribution of proline residues between aqueous vs. membranous domains, proline was shown to be selectively excluded from membranous domains of the nontransport proteins, in accord with expectation from energetic and structural considerations. In contrast, proline residues in transport proteins were evenly distributed between aqueous and membranous domains, consistent with the notion that functional membrane-buried proline residues are selectively included in transport proteins. As cis peptide bonds involving proline arise in proteins and have been implicated in protein dynamic processes, the cis-trans isomerization of an Xaa-Pro peptide bond (Xaa = unspecified amino acid) buried within the membrane--and the resulting redirection of the protein chain--is proposed to provide the reversible conformational change requisite for the regulation (opening/closing) of a transport channel. Parallel to this function, the relatively negative character of the carbonyl groups of Xaa-Pro peptide bonds may promote their participation as intramembranous liganding sites for positive species in proton/cation transport processes.
Phosphodiesterase activation by photoexcited rhodopsin is quenched when rhodopsin is phosphorylated and binds the intrinsic 48-kDa protein of rod outer segments.
Authors: Wilden U , Hall S W , Kühn H
Published: May 2006

Each photoexcited rhodopsin (R*) molecule catalyzes binding of GTP to many copies of the guanine nucleotide-binding protein transducin, which, in its GTP-binding form, then activates cGMP phosphodiesterase (PDEase). Subsequent deactivation of this light-activated enzyme cascade involves hydrolysis of the GTP bound to transducin, as well as decay of the activating capacity of R*. We report here that deactivation of PDEase in rod outer segment suspensions is highly enhanced by addition of ATP and purified 48-kDa protein, which is an intrinsic rod outer segment protein that is soluble in the dark but binds to photolyzed rhodopsin that has been phosphorylated by rhodopsin kinase and ATP [Kühn, H., Hall, S.W. & Wilden, U. (1984) FEBS Lett. 176, 473-478]. To analyze the mechanism by which ATP and 48-kDa protein deactivate PDEase, we used an ATP-free system consisting of thoroughly washed disk membranes, whose rhodopsin had been previously phosphorylated and chromophore-regenerated, and to which purified PDEase and transducin were reassociated. Such phosphorylated membranes exhibited a significantly lower (by a factor less than or equal to 5) light-induced PDEase-activating capacity than unphosphorylated controls. Addition of purified 48-kDa protein to phosphorylated membranes further suppressed their PDEase-activating capacity; suppression could be as high as 98% (as compared to unphosphorylated membranes), depending on the amount of 48-kDa protein and the flash intensity. Addition of ATP had little further effect. In contrast, PDEase activation or deactivation with unphosphorylated control membranes was not influenced by 48-kDa protein, even in the presence of ATP, provided rhodopsin kinase was absent. Our data suggest that 48-kDa protein binds to phosphorylated R* and thereby quenches its capacity to activate transducin and PDEase.
Specific inhibition of mRNA translation by complementary oligonucleotides covalently linked to intercalating agents.
Authors: Toulmé J J , Krisch H M , Loreau N , Thuong N T , Hélène C
Published: May 2006

Synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides that are covalently linked at their 3' end to an acridine derivative and are complementary to the repeated sequence UUAAAUUAAAUUAAA adjacent to the ribosome binding site of the gene 32-encoded mRNA from phage T4 have been used to regulate the synthesis of gene 32-encoded protein in vitro. These modified, synthetic oligonucleotides specifically block the translation of gene 32-encoded mRNA with a higher efficiency than the homologous unsubstituted oligonucleotides. The inhibition produced by these short "anti-messengers" is due to the formation of specific mRNA . oligodeoxynucleotide hybrids that are stabilized by the intercalation of the acridine ring in the RNA . DNA duplex.
Rapid formation of an anion-sensitive active site in stoichiometric complexes of streptokinase and human [Glu1]plasminogen.
Authors: Chibber B A , Radek J T , Morris J P , Castellino F J
Published: May 2006

We have examined the time-dependent appearance of amidolytic activity in equimolar complexes of streptokinase (SK) and human [Glu1]plasminogen (HPg) under various conditions. When stoichiometric levels of the two proteins are incubated and assayed in hypotonic buffers at 4 degrees C, amidolytic activity toward the chromogenic substrate D-Val-Leu-Lys-p-nitroanilide (S-2251), within the resulting complex, appears with an observed first-order rate constant of 1.03 +/- 0.06/min. On the other hand, when the assay for amidolytic activity is conducted at a C1- concentration of 0.15 M, this same activity develops with an observed first-order rate constant of 0.13 +/- 0.01/min. Under all conditions of assay of importance to the mechanism proposed, the only molecular components present are SK and HPg. The rate of appearance of an enzyme species displaying amidolytic activity is dependent on the anion in its assay; a much slower rate constant is obtained with C1- than with AcO-. These observations are consistent with the formation, within the complex, of an early anion-sensitive active site (SK-HPg) that is converted to a form (SK-HPg') that is much less sensitive to the presence of anions. During the time period of this process, no conversion of plasminogen to plasmin occurs within the complex. Steadystate kinetic properties of SK-HPg and SK-HPg' have been measured toward the substrate S-2251. Consistent with the mechanism suggested above, the amidolytic activity of SK-HPg is inhibited by C1- to a much greater extent than is that of SK-HPg'.
Deduced primary structure of the alpha subunit of the GTP-binding stimulatory protein of adenylate cyclase.
Authors: Robishaw J D , Russell D W , Harris B A , Smigel M D , Gilman A G
Published: May 2006

A bovine adrenal cDNA clone encoding the entire alpha subunit of the GTP-binding regulatory protein that stimulates adenylate cyclase (Gs) was isolated and sequenced. This cDNA directed the synthesis of the larger, 52-kDa form of the polypeptide in COS cells, even though the clone appeared to encode a 46-kDa protein. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of Gs alpha with the alpha subunit of another G protein, transducin, revealed striking homologies.
A mammalian high mobility group protein recognizes any stretch of six A.T base pairs in duplex DNA.
Authors: Solomon M J , Strauss F , Varshavsky A
Published: May 2006

alpha-Protein is a high mobility group protein originally purified from African green monkey cells based on its affinity for the 172-base-pair repeat of monkey alpha-satellite DNA. We have used DNase I footprinting to identify 50 alpha-protein binding sites on simian virus 40 DNA and thereby to determine the DNA binding specificity of this mammalian nuclear protein. alpha-Protein binds with approximately equal affinity to any run of six or more A X T base pairs in duplex DNA, to many, if not all, runs of five A X T base pairs, and to a small number of other sequences within otherwise (A + T)-rich regions. Unlike well characterized sequence-specific DNA binding proteins such as bacterial repressors, alpha-protein makes extensive contacts within the minor groove of B-DNA. These and related findings indicate that, rather than binding to a few specific DNA sequences, alpha-protein recognizes a configuration of the minor groove characteristic of short runs of A X T base pairs. We discuss possible functions of alpha-protein and the similarities in DNA recognition by alpha-protein and the antibiotic netropsin.
Intracellular activation of protein kinase C and regulation of the surface transferrin receptor by diacylglycerol is a spontaneously reversible process that is associated with rapid formation of phosphatidic acid.
Authors: May W S , Lapetina E G , Cuatrecasas P
Published: May 2006

The effect of the synthetic diacylglycerol, sn-1,2-dioctanoylglycerol (diC8), on the expression of the surface transferrin receptor reveals that exogenous diC8 can act as an intracellular activator of protein kinase C and stimulate both down-regulation and increased receptor phosphorylation in a manner similar to that induced by the active tumor promotor, 4 beta-phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate. Unlike the spontaneously irreversible effect noted when 4 beta-phorbol 12, 13-dibutyrate is added, this same effect mediated by diC8 is brief, lasting only minutes, and is spontaneously reversible. The rate of reversibility is dependent on the concentration of diC8 added, and it is associated with rapid formation of a newly detected intracellular phospholipid that corresponds to sn-1,2-dioctanoyl phosphatidic acid. These data, in conjunction with findings that demonstrate that exogenous diacylglycerols (including diC8) when added to cells do not stimulate cellular phospholipase A2 or C, argue that protein kinase C is activated only briefly in this system since exogenous diC8 is subject to rapid intracellular metabolism to phosphatidic acid.
Functions of and interactions between the A and B blocks in adenovirus type 2-specific VARNA1 gene.
Authors: Cannon R E , Wu G J , Railey J F
Published: May 2006

The internal transcriptional control region (ITCR) of VARNA1 gene consists of a 33-base-pair (bp) interblock sequence and two 12-bp sequence blocks that are highly conserved in most of the genes transcribed by RNA polymerase III. To define the functions of and study the interactions between the two blocks, we have constructed mutants with altered interblock sequence or spacing for transcription. The results of transcription efficiencies and competing strengths indicated that the interblock sequence was dispensable and the A and B blocks were essential for transcription control. One of the major functions of the interblock sequence was to maintain an optimal spacing for an intimate interaction between the two essential blocks. Shortening or elongating the interblock spacing in the mutants beyond this range drastically decreased the transcription efficiencies and competing strengths of these mutated genes. To further study how the interaction between the two blocks leads to initiation, the start sites and sizes of RNA products of the mutants were determined. When the interblock spacing was less than 105 bp, the wild-type start site was dictated by the A block after an interaction with the B block through proteins. However, when the interblock spacing was longer than 105 bp, several new start sites located closer to the B block were preferentially used. This suggests that new start sites may be dictated by the B block when its interaction with the A block is weakened by longer spacing. The mechanisms of interaction between the bipartite domain in this gene leading to initiation are different from those in tRNAs and Alu-family RNA genes.
Bryostatin, an activator of the calcium phospholipid-dependent protein kinase, blocks phorbol ester-induced differentiation of human promyelocytic leukemia cells HL-60.
Authors: Kraft A S , Smith J B , Berkow R L
Published: May 2006

Phorbol esters bind to and activate a calcium phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (C kinase). Some researchers believe that activation of C kinase is necessary for the induction of phorbol ester biologic effects. Our research indicates that bryostatin, a macrocyclic lactone that binds to the phorbol ester receptor in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes, also binds to this receptor in the human promyelocytic leukemia cell line, HL-60. Bryostatin activates partially purified C kinase from HL-60 cells in vitro, and when applied to HL-60 cells in vivo, it decreases measurable cytoplasmic C kinase activity. Unlike the phorbol esters, bryostatin is unable to induce a macrophage-like differentiation of HL-60 cells; however, bryostatin, in a dose-dependent fashion, blocks phorbol ester-induced differentiation of HL-60 cells and, if applied within 48 hr of phorbol esters, halts further differentiation. These results suggest that activation of the C kinase by some agents is not sufficient for induction of HL-60 cell differentiation and imply that some of the biologic effects of phorbol esters may occur through a more complex mechanism than previously thought.
Genetic changeover in Drosophila populations.
Authors: Wallace B
Published: May 2006

Three populations of Drosophila melanogaster that were daughter populations of two others with histories of high, continuous radiation exposure [population 5 (irradiated, small population size) gave rise to populations 17 (small) and 18 (large); population 6 (irradiated, large population size) gave rise to population 19 (large)] were maintained for 1 year with no radiation exposure. The frequency with which random combinations of second chromosomes taken from population 19 proved to be lethal changed abruptly after about 8 months, thus revealing the origin of a selectively favored element in that population. (This "element" may or may not have been the cause of the lethality.) A comparison of the loss of lethals in populations 17 and 18 with a loss that occurred concurrently in the still-irradiated population 5 suggests that a second, selectively favored element had arisen in that population just before populations 17 and 18 were split off. This element was on a nonlethal chromosome. The result in population 5 was the elimination of many lethals from that population, followed by a subsequent increase as mutations occurred in the favored nonlethal chromosome. Populations 17 and 18, with no radiation exposure, underwent a loss of lethals with no subsequent increase. The events described here, as well as others to be described elsewhere, suggest that populations may be subject to episodic periods of rapid gene frequency changes that occur under intense selection pressure. In the instances in which the changeover was revealed by the elimination of preexisting lethals, earlier lethal frequencies were reduced by approximately one-half; the selectively favored elements appear, then, to be favored in the heterozygous--not homozygous--condition.
Alternative adaptations, speciation, and phylogeny (A Review)
Authors: West-Eberhard Mary Jane
Published: May 2006

Alternative adaptations—different adaptive phenotypes maintained in the same life stage and the same population but not necessarily simultaneously expressed in the same individual—represent contrasting character sets produced by the same genome, in effect allowing a single species to occupy more than one sympatric niche. Such alternatives are particularly likely to give rise to novel adaptations because of selection for extreme dissimilarity between them and because established traits buffer populations against extinction while independently expressed alternatives evolve in new directions. Particular alternatives can be suddenly fixed in populations with little or no genetic change, leading to a period of rapid evolution (especially, of morphology) exaggerating the characteristics of the newly fixed form. This burst of change would facilitate rapid speciation and could produce “punctuated” patterns of evolution. Evidence from a wide variety of organisms shows that alternative phenotypes are exceedingly common in nature and that they are probably important in speciation and macroevolution. Although many of these ideas and observations have been noted piecemeal by previous authors, bringing them together demonstrates the probable importance of alternative adaptations in the origin of major evolutionary novelties and calls for a revision of current and traditional ideas about the role of behavior and ontogeny in the genesis of organic diversity.
Bipotential precursors of putative fibrous astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in rat cerebellar cultures express distinct surface features and "neuron-like" gamma-aminobutyric acid transport.
Authors: Levi G , Gallo V , Ciotti M T
Published: May 2006

When postnatal rat cerebellar cells were cultured in a chemically defined, serum-free medium, the only type of astrocyte (defined by the expression of the glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP) present was unable to accumulate gamma-[3H]aminobutyric acid (GABA), did not express surface antigens recognized by two monoclonal antibodies, A2B5 and LB1, and showed minimal proliferation. In these cultures, nonneuronal A2B5+, LB1+ stellate cells exhibiting "neuron-like" [3H]GABA uptake formed cell colonies of increasing size and were GFAP-. After about one week of culturing, the A2B5+, LB1+, GABA-uptake positive cell groups became galactocerebroside (GalCer) positive. Immunocytolysis of the A2B5+ cells at 3 and 4 days in vitro prevented the appearance of the A2B5+, LB1+, GABA-uptake positive cell colonies, and also of the GalCer+ cell groups. If 10% (vol/vol) fetal calf serum was added to 6-day cultures, the A2B5+, LB1+, GABA-uptake positive cell groups expressed GFAP and not GalCer. If the serum was added to the cultures 2 days after lysing the A2B5+ cells, only A2B5-, LB1-, GABA-uptake negative astrocytes proliferated. It is concluded that the putative fibrous astrocytes previously described in serum-containing cultures (which had a stellate shape and were A2B5+, LB1+, GABA-uptake positive) derive from bipotential precursors that differentiate into oligodendrocytes (GalCer+) in serum-free medium or into astrocytes (GFAP+) in the presence of serum, while the epithelioid A2B5-, LB1-, GABA-uptake negative astrocytes originate from a different precursor not yet identified.
Melanin-concentrating hormone: unique peptide neuronal system in the rat brain and pituitary gland.
Authors: Zamir N , Skofitsch G , Bannon M J , Jacobowitz D M
Published: May 2006

A unique neuronal system was detected in the rat central nervous system by immunohistochemistry and radioimmunoassay with antibodies to salmon melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH). MCH-like immunoreactive (MCH-LI) cell bodies were confined to the hypothalamus. MCH-LI fibers were found throughout the brain but were most prevalent in hypothalamus, mesencephalon, and pons-medulla regions. High concentrations of MCH-LI were measured in the hypothalamic medial forebrain bundle (MFB), posterior hypothalamic nucleus, and nucleus of the diagonal band. Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography of MFB extracts from rat brain indicate that MCH-like peptide from the rat has a different retention time than that of the salmon MCH. An osmotic stimulus (2% NaCl as drinking water for 120 hr) caused a marked increase in MCH-LI concentrations in the lateral hypothalamus and neurointermediate lobe. The present studies establish the presence of MCH-like peptide in the rat brain. The MCH-LI neuronal system is well situated to coordinate complex functions such as regulation of water intake.
An optimal property of the repeated significance test
Authors: Lerche Hans Rudolf
Published: May 2006

It is shown that the repeated significance test is a Bayes test for testing sequentially the sign of the drift of a Brownian motion. Its relation to Wald's sequential probability ratio test is studied.
Hepatitis B virus DNA contains a glucocorticoid-responsive element.
Authors: Tur-Kaspa R , Burk R D , Shaul Y , Shafritz D A
Published: May 2006

It has recently been shown that hepatitis B virus (HBV) contains a transcriptional enhancer element. In order to determine whether this enhancer responds to glucocorticoids, a series of derivatives of plasmid pA10CAT2 was constructed containing the HBV enhancer and variable lengths of further upstream sequences. Transient expression of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) was determined after introduction of these plasmids into PLC/PRF/5, Hep 3B, Hep G2, HeLa, and mouse L cells. Highest CAT activity was noted in the human hepatocellular carcinoma line PLC/PRF/5, which contains integrated HBV DNA sequences. Dexamethasone augmented CAT expression in all cell lines tested with 40% of maximal induction at 10 nM and maximum stimulation (3- to 8-fold) at 1 microM dexamethasone. Dexamethasone augmentation of CAT expression was observed only when constructs contained HBV DNA sequences residing upstream to map position 735 from the EcoRI site. This indicates that the glucocorticoid-responsive region is distinct from the previously defined HBV enhancer sequence located at map position 1080-1234. These studies suggest that HBV DNA contains a glucocorticoid-responsive element, which may mediate expression of HBV genes in infected mammalian cells.
Short-circuiting the visual cycle with retinotoxic aromatic amines.
Authors: Bernstein P S , Lichtman J R , Rando R R
Published: May 2006

The retinotoxic drug 1,5-di-(p-aminophenoxy)pentane inhibits the accumulation of all 11-cis-retinoids in the eye and can deplete preformed stores of them. It is shown here that these effects are not specific to 1,5-di-(p-aminophenoxy)pentane but are shared generally by primary aromatic amines containing a hydrophobic tail. Furthermore, certain clinically used drugs, such as the anti-inflammatory drug phenacetin, can be metabolized to produce these retinotoxic amines. It is likely that hydrophobic aromatic amines will in general be retinotoxic, and drugs based on these structures need to be reassessed in this light. It is proposed here that these amines function by catalyzing the isomerization of 11-cis-retinal thermodynamically downhill to form its all-trans congener. This mechanism accounts for the lack of structural specificity observed with these compounds and is supported by experimental evidence presented here. Schiff bases formed between 11-cis-retinal and a relevant aromatic amine in phosphatidylcholine-based liposomes lead to the formation of the all-trans isomer, at rates approximately equal to 15 times faster than the rate of 11-cis-retinal isomerization by itself in these liposomes and 10(2)-10(3) times faster than the rate of isomerization of this molecule in n-heptane. The rates of the amine-catalyzed isomerization are fast enough to account for their in vivo effect.
In vitro synthesis of the iron-molybdenum cofactor of nitrogenase.
Authors: Shah V K , Imperial J , Ugalde R A , Ludden P W , Brill W J
Published: May 2006

Molybdate- and ATP-dependent in vitro synthesis of the iron-molybdenum cofactor (FeMo-co) of nitrogenase requires the protein products of at least the nifB, nifN, and nifE genes. Extracts of FeMo-co-negative mutants of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Azotobacter vinelandii with lesions in different genes can be complemented for FeMo-co synthesis. Both K. pneumoniae and A. vinelandii dinitrogenase (component I) deficient in FeMo-co can be activated by FeMo-co synthesized in vitro. Properties of the partially purified dinitrogenase activated by FeMo-co synthesized in vitro were comparable to those of dinitrogenase from the wild-type organism; e.g., ratios of acetylene- to nitrogen-reduction activities, as well as those of acetylene reduction activities to EPR spectrum peak height at g = 3.65, were very similar. A. vinelandii mutants UW45 and CA30 have mutations in a gene functionally equivalent to nifB of K. pneumoniae.
Human acid beta-glucosidase: isolation and amino acid sequence of a peptide containing the catalytic site.
Authors: Dinur T , Osiecki K M , Legler G , Gatt S , Desnick R J , Grabowski G A
Published: May 2006

Human acid beta-glucosidase (D-glucosyl-N-acylsphingosine glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.45) cleaves the glucosidic bonds of glucosylceramide and synthetic beta-glucosides. The deficient activity of this hydrolase is the enzymatic defect in the subtypes and variants of Gaucher disease, the most prevalent lysosomal storage disease. To isolate and characterize the catalytic site of the normal enzyme, brominated 3H-labeled conduritol B epoxide (3H-Br-CBE), which inhibits the enzyme by binding covalently to this site, was used as an affinity label. Under optimal conditions 1 mol of 3H-Br-CBE bound to 1 mol of pure enzyme protein, indicating the presence of a single catalytic site per enzyme subunit. After V8 protease digestion of the 3H-Br-CBE-labeled homogeneous enzyme, three radiolabeled peptides, designated peptide A, B, or C, were resolved by reverse-phase HPLC. The partial amino acid sequence (37 residues) of peptide A (Mr, 5000) was determined. The sequence of this peptide, which contained the catalytic site, had exact homology to the sequence near the carboxyl terminus of the protein, as predicted from the nucleotide sequence of the full-length cDNA encoding acid beta-glucosidase.