bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Two proto-oncogenes implicated in mammary carcinogenesis, int-1 and int-2, are independently regulated during mouse development.
Authors: Jakobovits A , Shackleford G M , Varmus H E , Martin G R
Published: May 2006

The int-1 and int-2 genes were first isolated as targets for transcriptional activation by proviral insertion mutations in mammary carcinomas induced by the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV). Since these proto-oncogenes are not expressed at detectable levels in previously tested normal tissues from adult mice, we sought to determine whether these genes might be active during embryogenesis by examining mouse embryos and cultured teratocarcinoma cells for RNA encoded by int-1 and int-2. A single size class of int-1 RNA is present only at mid-gestation stages of development (days 8 through 13) and is also detected in testes from postpuberal mice. Four species of int-2 RNA are found in peri-implantation embryos and teratocarcinoma cells and are particularly abundant in derivatives of the primitive endodermal lineage, but int-2 RNA is not detected during mid- or late gestation or in any normal adult tissues tested. Thus, these two proto-oncogenes, activated during mammary carcinogenesis by the same mechanisms, are normally expressed at different times and places in embryonic and adult mice.
Immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor beta-chain gene rearrangement analysis of Hodgkin's disease: implications for lineage determination and differential diagnosis.
Authors: Knowles D M , Neri A , Pelicci P G , Burke J S , Wu A , Winberg C D , Sheibani K , Dalla-Favera R
Published: May 2006

The lineage and clonality of Hodgkin's disease (HD) were investigated by analyzing the organization of the immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor beta-chain (T beta) gene loci in 18 cases of HD, and for comparison, in a panel of 103 cases of B- and T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) and lymphoid leukemias (LLs). Sizable clonal B- or T-cell populations, representing greater than or equal to 10% of the pathologic sample, were readily detectable by immunogenotypic analysis in all 103 NHLs and LLs but not in any of the 18 cases of HD. However, extremely minor clonal populations (less than or equal to 1%) were detectable in 3 of 18 cases of HD. We demonstrated that these minor clonal populations do not correspond to Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells since clonal immunoglobulin or T beta gene rearrangements are not detectable in cases of HD containing greater than 25% RS cells. The number of RS cells present in these samples appeared to correlate directly with the pattern of gene rearrangements characteristic of polyclonal T cells. These studies demonstrate that Southern blot hybridization analysis for clonal immunoglobulin and T beta gene rearrangements represents an accurate, objective tool in the differential diagnosis between HD and NHL; that HD is predominantly composed of polyclonal B and T cells; that minor clonal B- or T-cell populations unrelated to RS cells occasionally can be found in HD; and that RS cells do not represent clonal B- or T-cell expansions. Finally, our data preliminarily suggest that RS cells may represent polyclonal T-cell populations.
Metalloendoprotease inhibitors that block fusion also prevent biochemical differentiation in L6 myoblasts.
Authors: Baldwin E , Kayalar C
Published: May 2006

The effect of metalloendoprotease inhibitors on the biochemical differentiation of the rat skeletal muscle line, L6, was investigated. Confluent unfused L6 cells exposed briefly to 1,10-phenanthroline, a chelator of divalent metal cations, or continuously to dipeptide amide metalloendoprotease substrates that are blocked at the NH2-terminals, N-carbobenzyloxyserylleucyl amide and N-carbobenzyloxyglycylleucyl amide, did not fuse or express creatine kinase, myosin heavy chain, or alpha-actin. These effects were reversible and dose-dependent. Exposure to N-carbobenzyloxylglycylglycyl amide, which is not a metalloendoprotease inhibitor, had no effect. As the differentiation in a culture progressed, 1,10-phenanthroline became less effective in blocking the accumulation of creatine kinase and myosin heavy chain. Exposure of partially fused cultures to N-carbobenzyloxyserylleucyl amide prevented any further accumulation of muscle-specific proteins. In confluent cultures where cell division was blocked before the onset of differentiation, N-carbobenzyloxyserylleucyl amide still prevented fusion and the induction of creatine kinase. This indicates that these inhibitors do not act by interfering with the cell cycle. Experiments that measured DNA synthesis rates, plating efficiencies, and the effects of sequential dipeptide and dimethyl sulfoxide treatments indicate that L6 myoblasts do not irreversibly withdraw from the cell cycle when exposed to N-carbobenzyloxyserylleucyl amide. These results are consistent with the role of a metalloendoprotease in initiating the terminal differentiation of cultured muscle cells.
Distance between substrate sites on the Na-glucose cotransporter by fluorescence energy transfer.
Authors: Peerce B E , Wright E M
Published: May 2006

Covalent fluorescent probes were used to label the rabbit intestinal brush border Na+-glucose cotransporter at the putative glucose and Na+ binding sites, and a steady-state fluorescence energy transfer technique was used to measure the distance between the two binding sites. In both intact brush border membrane vesicles and partially purified soluble protein, the distance (R2/3) between the Na+ and glucose sites was approximately equal to 35 A. This distance was the same with four different donor/acceptor pairs with different transfer efficiencies, by donor quantum yield measurements, or sensitized acceptor fluorescence. The fact that the Na+ site and glucose site probes bind to a 75-kDa polypeptide, copurify with the same isoelectric point (pI 5.3) and retain function, and exhibit energy transfer indicates that the sites are on the same 75-kDa polypeptide. The large distance between the Na+ and glucose site probes raises questions about simple models of frictional interactions between the two substrates during the transport cycle.
Induction of c-fos and c-myc mRNA by epidermal growth factor or calcium ionophore is cAMP dependent.
Authors: Ran W , Dean M , Levine R A , Henkle C , Campisi J
Published: May 2006

Phorbol esters activate protein kinase C and induce expression of the c-fos and c-myc protooncogenes in density-arrested BALB/c 3T3 (A31) cells; in contrast, epidermal growth factor (EGF) does not activate protein kinase C and is a poor inducer of c-fos and c-myc in these confluent cells. We show that, when A31 cells were subconfluent and made quiescent by serum deprivation, the phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate induced c-fos and c-myc mRNA poorly, whereas EGF was a better inducer. Another platelet-derived growth factor-inducible gene, JE, did not show this differential regulation by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and EGF. The ability of EGF to induce protooncogene mRNA was associated with elevated levels of intracellular cAMP. First, serum-deprived cells maintained cAMP at about 2-fold higher level than density-arrested cells. Second, induction was greatly enhanced by cholera toxin and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, which increased intracellular cAMP 3- to 10-fold. The calcium ionophore A23187 mimicked EGF in that it elevated c-fos and c-myc mRNA when administered with cholera toxin and isobutylmethylxanthine. Neither cholera toxin and isobutyl-methylxanthine nor A23187 appreciably induced these mRNAs when used alone. Our results suggest that c-fos and c-myc expression can be regulated by an EGF-directed pathway that utilizes calcium and cAMP as cooperating cytoplasmic messengers.
Hepatitis B virus integration site in hepatocellular carcinoma at chromosome 17;18 translocation.
Authors: Hino O , Shows T B , Rogler C E
Published: May 2006

Integrated hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA is almost invariably found in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) which develop in HBV carriers. Integrated HBV DNAs from two single-integration HCCs (C3 and C4) have been cloned, and the cellular integration sites have been analyzed. Integrated HBV DNA of C3 is present in chromosome 6 and contains a nearly complete linear HBV genome. The HBV DNA integration in tumor C3 was not associated with major rearrangements of cellular DNA. In contrast, the integrated HBV DNA in C4 contains a large inverted repeat of HBV DNA, in which each repeat consists of a linear HBV DNA segment similar to that present in C3. The C4 integration was also accompanied by a cellular DNA translocation at the HBV integration site. The translocation occurred between chromosomes 17 and 18, along with a deletion of at least 1.3 kilobases of chromosome 18 DNA at the translocation site. Our data support a model in which postintegration rearrangement of integrated HBV and cellular DNA results in the generation of chromosomal aberrations. These chromosomal aberrations may function in a multistage mechanism leading to fully malignant HCC.
Formation of muconaldehyde, an open-ring metabolite of benzene, in mouse liver microsomes: an additional pathway for toxic metabolites.
Authors: Latriano L , Goldstein B D , Witz G
Published: May 2006

It has been proposed that a ring-opened form may be responsible for the toxicity of benzene. The present studies demonstrate that incubation of [14C]benzene with liver microsomes (obtained from male CD-1 mice treated with benzene) in the presence of NADPH results in the formation of a ring-opened product. Evidence for the identity of this product was obtained by derivatizing with 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA), which resulted in the formation of an adduct with a 490-nm absorbance maximum. This maximum is identical to that observed after authentic trans,trans-muconaldehyde has reacted with TBA. Separation of muconaldehyde, both with and without trapping with TBA, from other benzene metabolites in the incubation mixture was accomplished by HPLC. The radioactivity profile of fractions collected during HPLC analysis contained peaks that eluted with muconaldehyde and the muconaldehyde-TBA adduct. The structure of the ring-opened product was confirmed by mass spectrometry, studies in which the HPLC peak from the microsomal incubation mixture that eluted at the retention time of authentic muconaldehyde was collected and derivatized with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine. The high-resolution mass spectrum of this sample contained an ion with an m/z of 291.0729, corresponding to muconaldehyde mono-dinitrophenylhydrazone. These results indicate that benzene is metabolized in vitro to a ring-opened product identified as muconaldehyde.
Antibodies cytotoxic to bovine parathyroid cells in autoimmune hypoparathyroidism.
Authors: Brandi M L , Aurbach G D , Fattorossi A , Quarto R , Marx S J , Fitzpatrick L A
Published: May 2006

We utilized a recently developed long-term serum-free culture system for bovine parathyroid cells to detect antibodies in seven patients with autoimmune hypoparathyroidism (AHP). Antibodies were tested by indirect immunofluorescence methods and by cytotoxicity utilizing the chromium (51Cr) release technique. Seven AHP sera caused specific lysis [57 +/- 6% release of 51Cr vs. 5 +/- 1% for 56 controls (15 normal subjects and 41 patients with diverse other conditions associated with immune dysfunction)]. The least effect of any of the AHP sera on cell lysis exceeded the greatest effect of any of the control sera. Absorption of AHP sera (two cases) with bovine pituitary, thyroid, liver, or kidney cells did not affect lysis, but absorption with adrenal or parathyroid cells caused a marked decrease in specific lysis. Cytotoxicity determined by 51Cr release increased with antiserum concentration and time of incubation. Cytotoxicity was dependent on complement. Replicating parathyroid cells provide a uniform reproducible detection method for anti-parathyroid antibodies in AHP. The autoantibodies in AHP appear to be specific for tissue (parathyroid and adrenal cortex) but not for species.
Gene 32 protein, the single-stranded DNA binding protein from bacteriophage T4, is a zinc metalloprotein.
Authors: Giedroc D P , Keating K M , Williams K R , Konigsberg W H , Coleman J E
Published: May 2006

Gene 32 protein (g32P) isolated from bacteriophage T4-infected Escherichia coli and from an overproduction vector derived from the plasmid pKC30 contains 1 mol of tightly incorporated Zn(II) per mol of protein. A linear incorporation of three molar equivalents of p-hydroxymercuriphenylsulfonate (PMPS) results in a linear release of 1.1 mol of Zn(II) from the protein. Reversal of formation of the g32P-PMPS complex with thiol in the presence of EDTA results in a zinc-free apo-g32P. Cd(II) and Co(II) can be exchanged with the intrinsic Zn(II) ion. The Cd(II) protein shows a charge-transfer band at approximately 250 nm. The Co(II) protein shows a set of absorption bands typical of a tetrahedral Co(II) complex (epsilon max = 660 M-1 X cm-1 at 645 nm), and two intense charge-transfer bands are present at 355 nm (epsilon = 2,250 M-1 X cm-1) and 320 nm (epsilon = 3,175 M-1 X cm-1). These observations are consistent with three cysteines as ligands to the Zn(II) ion in g32P. Zn(II) g32P undergoes precise limited proteolysis by trypsin to produce the small fragments A and B and the core, g32P-(A + B). Under identical conditions, apo-g32P is hydrolyzed rapidly beyond the g32P-(A + B) stage to produce many proteolyzed fragments. Fluorescence quenching experiments show that at low protein concentration apo-g32P has markedly altered binding affinity for poly(dT) relative to native g32P. Three of the four cysteines of g32P are found in a tyrosine-rich sequence corresponding to residues 72-116 and implicated in DNA binding by 1H NMR investigations. Zn(II) appears to provide a conformational element contributing to DNA binding by coordinating the cysteine and possibly histidine side chains in the sequence -Cys-X3-His-X5-Cys-X2-Cys-, residues 77-90, located in the DNA binding domain of g32P.
Barium modulates c-fos expression and post-translational modification.
Authors: Curran T , Morgan J I
Published: May 2006

The addition of exogenous barium ions to PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells elicits a transient induction of the c-fos gene. Induction is antagonized by extracellular calcium and the dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers, and it is attenuated in the presence of calmodulin inhibitors. Thus, barium appears to enter the cell through a voltage-dependent calcium channel and, either directly or indirectly, interacts with calmodulin to stimulate c-fos expression. This property of barium is not shared by a range of di- and trivalent cations examined. Agents that induce the c-fos gene in PC12 cells may be divided into two broad categories. The first comprises polypeptide growth factors and phorbol esters, which give rise to a c-fos protein that undergoes extensive post-translational modification. The second, which comprises depolarizing agents and barium ions, acts via calcium channels and yields a c-fos protein that undergoes less extensive post-translational modification. These different forms of c-fos protein can be distinguished on the basis of their apparent molecular weights on sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gels.
Bovine brain kinesin is a microtubule-activated ATPase.
Authors: Kuznetsov S A , Gelfand V I
Published: May 2006

Recently, a protein called kinesin was described, which is capable of inducing movement of inert particles along microtubules. To purify this protein from bovine brain, we used the ability of kinesin to bind to taxol-stabilized microtubules in the presence of inorganic tripolyphosphate. The brain kinesin preparation contained one major polypeptide of 135 kDa and four minor polypeptides of 45-70 kDa. The minor polypeptides were eluted from a gel-permeation chromatography column at the same position as the major component. All the polypeptides of the preparation were capable of binding to the microtubules under identical conditions. The kinesin molecule is most probably a complex of these polypeptides. Brain kinesin had a very low ATPase activity (0.06-0.08 mumol X min-1 X mg-1 in 3 mM Mg2+ at pH 6.7). ATPase activity was strongly stimulated by microtubules (Vmax = 4.6 mumol per min per mg of kinesin). Microtubule-activated kinesin ATPase had a Km for ATP between 10 and 12 X 10(-6) M and a Kapp for microtubules (i.e., polymerized tubulin concentration required for a half-maximal activation) of 12-14 X 10(-6) M. Kinesin had a significant ATPase activity even without microtubules if 2 mM Ca2+ was substituted for Mg2+ (Vmax = 1.6 mumol X min-1 X mg-1; Km = 800 X 10(-6) M). Kinesin is therefore a mechanochemical ATPase that is activated by microtubules.
Interaction of a nuclear factor with the polyomavirus enhancer region.
Authors: Ostapchuk P , Diffley J F , Bruder J T , Stillman B , Levine A J , Hearing P
Published: May 2006

We have identified a factor present in nuclear extracts of undifferentiated F9 murine embryonal carcinoma cells that specifically interacts with the polyomavirus enhancer region. Nuclease "footprint" analysis was used to define the binding site that corresponds precisely to the boundaries of polyoma enhancer element C defined by Veldman et al. [Veldman, G. M., Lupton, S. & Kamen, R. (1985) Mol. Cell. Biol. 5, 649-658] that is required as an enhancer for efficient viral DNA replication and early and late region transcription. The region of nuclease protection contains a 6-base-pair inverted repeat, separated by 3 base pairs, and symmetrical flanking DNase I hypersensitive cleavage sites, suggesting that this factor may bind as a dimer. A cloned 29-base-pair polyoma DNA fragment contains an intact binding domain. Similar levels of binding activity were found in nuclear extracts prepared from differentiated murine F9 cells, as well as murine L cells and human HeLa cells. The factor has been termed "EF-C" for enhancer binding factor to polyoma element C.
Two-dimensional crystals of cholera toxin B-subunit-receptor complexes: projected structure at 17-A resolution.
Authors: Ludwig D S , Ribi H O , Schoolnik G K , Kornberg R D
Published: May 2006

The B subunit of cholera toxin forms two-dimensional crystals when bound to its membrane receptor, ganglioside GM1, in phospholipid layers. A rectangular crystal lattice gives diffraction extending to 15-A resolution in negative stain, and image-processing of electron micrographs reveals a ring of five protein densities. The diameter of the central hole and the outer diameter of the ring are about 20 and 60 A, respectively. These data are consistent with a pentameric, doughnut-shaped structure of the B subunit that lies flat on a membrane surface. A hexagonal crystal lattice is obtained as well, and results of image processing and chemical crosslinking allow two interpretations: the B subunit may exist in both pentameric and hexameric forms or, more likely, the hexagonal lattice may represent a disordered or liquid crystalline form, in which a pentamer undergoes rotational averaging about its 5-fold axis.
Effects of glucagon and vasopressin on hepatic Ca2+ release.
Authors: Kraus-Friedmann N
Published: May 2006

The effects of physiological levels of glucagon on Ca2+ efflux were examined in the perfused rat liver. Two methods were used to estimate Ca2+ efflux: prior labeling of the calcium pools with 45Ca2+ and measurement of perfusate Ca2+ with atomic absorption. According to both methods, glucagon administration at the physiological level evoked Ca2+ release. The released Ca2+ originated mostly from a carbonylcyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP)-depletable pool and also from an FCCP-insensitive pool from which Ca2+ could be released with A23187. Maximally effective doses of glucagon and vasopressin had no additive effect on Ca2+ release. Prior administration of vasopressin resulted in markedly reduced Ca2+ release by glucagon. These results indicate that glucagon releases Ca2+ from the same pool that vasopressin does.
Temporal comparisons in bacterial chemotaxis.
Authors: Segall J E , Block S M , Berg H C
Published: May 2006

Responses of tethered cells of Escherichia coli to impulse, step, exponential-ramp or exponentiated sine-wave stimuli are internally consistent, provided that allowance is made for the nonlinear effect of thresholds. This result confirms that wild-type cells exposed to stimuli in the physiological range make short-term temporal comparisons extending 4 sec into the past: the past second is given a positive weighting, the previous 3 sec are given a negative weighting, and the cells respond to the difference. cheRcheB mutants (defective in methylation and demethylation) weight the past second in a manner similar to the wild type, but they do not make short-term temporal comparisons. When exposed to small steps delivered iontophoretically, they fail to adapt over periods of up to 12 sec; when exposed to longer steps in a flow cell, they partially adapt, but with a decay time of greater than 30 sec. cheZ mutants use a weighting that extends at least 40 sec into the past. The gain of the chemotactic system is large: the change in occupancy of one receptor molecule produces a significant response.
Localization of Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNAs by in situ hybridization.
Authors: Howe J G , Steitz J A
Published: May 2006

Human B lymphocytes latently infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) synthesize two low molecular weight RNAs designated EBER 1 and 2. Using an in situ hybridization technique we have localized EBER 1 and 2 within the nucleus of single EBV-harboring B lymphocytes from established and recently transformed cell lines. As controls, the locations of the small nuclear RNA, U1, and the small cytoplasmic RNA, 7SL, were examined in HeLa and EBV-harboring cells. Because of possible functional similarities between EBERs and the adenovirus-associated (VA) RNAs, VAI was also localized; it appeared to be in the nucleus and cytoplasm, implying that VAI may have a different role than that of the nuclear-localized EBERs.
Control of smooth muscle cell growth by components of the extracellular matrix: autocrine role for thrombospondin.
Authors: Majack R A , Cook S C , Bornstein P
Published: May 2006

Addition of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) to growth-arrested cultured smooth muscle cells (SMC) induces the synthesis and secretion of thrombospondin (TS), a glycoprotein component of the SMC extracellular matrix in vitro. This induction occurs at PDGF concentrations that are suboptimal for a mitogenic response. In this study we examined the effect of TS on the proliferation of SMC, using a serum-free mitogenesis assay. Addition of either epidermal growth factor (EGF) or purified human platelet TS to quiescent rat vascular SMC did not substantially stimulate mitogenesis; the 30-hr nuclear labeling index increased from a mean of 7% in control cells to 20% for EGF-treated SMC and 17% for cells exposed to TS alone. However, TS and EGF acted synergistically to stimulate DNA synthesis by SMC, increasing the labeling index to 47%. The facilitative effect of TS on EGF-mediated mitogenesis was inhibited by heparin, a known inhibitor of SMC growth and migration that also blocks incorporation of TS into the SMC extracellular matrix. The effect was specific for EGF; TS did not augment the response of cells to insulin or insulin-like growth factor 1. These data establish a functional role for cell-derived TS and provide evidence for the presence of an autocrine, growth-supportive mechanism involving the extracellular matrix. In addition, our experiments support the existence of a novel, heparin-sensitive SMC mitogenic pathway and suggest a mechanism whereby heparin-like molecules may inhibit SMC proliferation.
Distance between two active-site lysines of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase from
Rhodospirillum rubrum
Authors: Lee Eva H. , Stringer Claude D. , Hartman Fred C.
Published: May 2006

In the absence of a three-dimensional structure of ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase [3-phospho-D-glycerate carboxy-lyase(dimerizing), EC 4.1.1.39], we have probed the distance between two active-site lysyl residues (Lys-166 and Lys-329) of the
Rhodospirillum rubrum
enzyme with 4,4′-diisothiocyano-2,2′-disulfonate stilbene, a covalent cross-linking reagent that spans 12 Å. The reagent rapidly inactivated the carboxylase, and a competitive inhibitor provided substantial protection. To remove products arising from intersubunit or intermolecular cross-linking, the inactivated enzyme was subjected to gel filtration in the presence of urea. Inspection of a tryptic digest of the isolated monomeric fraction revealed that more than half of the incorporated reagent was associated with a single peptide. This peptide was purified by gel filtration, followed by high HPLC. Compositional and sequence analyses of the purified peptide established that it was composed of two chains, encompassing positions 149-168 and 314-337 of the original protein subunit and connected by a cross-link between Lys-166 and Lys-329. Thus, the two active-site lysines of the carboxylase can be juxtaposed within 12 Å, a finding that is consistent with their purported proximity to ribulose bisphosphate in the enzyme-substrate complex. The cross-link was not formed when the carboxylase was treated with the reagent either in the presence of a transition-state analogue (carboxyarabinitol bisphosphate) or in the absence of CO
2
and Mg
2+
, conditions under which the enzyme exists in a deactivated form.
New RNA polymerase sigma factor under spo0 control in Bacillus subtilis.
Authors: Carter H L , Moran C P
Published: May 2006

In Bacillus subtilis transcription of spoVG is activated within minutes after the initiation of sporulation. Mutations in several spo0 genes prevent the activation of spoVG transcription. We have found a sigma-like protein that is capable of directing core RNA polymerase to use the spoVG promoter in an in vitro run-off transcription assay. This sigma-like protein was not found to be associated with RNA polymerase in a spo0A or spo0B mutant but was present in a spo0H mutant. We suggest that one role of the spo0A gene product in transcription of spoVG is the modulation of RNA polymerase activity by this sigma-like protein.
Activation of the multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase by autophosphorylation: ATP modulates production of an autonomous enzyme.
Authors: Lou L L , Lloyd S J , Schulman H
Published: May 2006

The multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase purified from rat brain cytosol undergoes an intramolecular self-phosphorylation or autophosphorylation. Autophosphorylation produces two strikingly different effects on kinase activity that are dependent on the level of ATP used in the reaction. At low but saturating levels of ATP (5 microM), autophosphorylation causes a 75% reduction in kinase activity, with the residual activity still retaining a dependence on Ca2+ and calmodulin. By contrast, at high but physiological levels of ATP (500 microM), the kinase is converted by autophosphorylation to a form that is autonomous of Ca2+ and calmodulin, with no accompanying reduction in activity. The extent of phosphate incorporation does not determine whether the kinase becomes inhibited or autonomous. Autophosphorylated kinase shows the functional change characteristic of the ATP concentration used during the reaction--inhibited at low ATP and autonomous at high ATP--even when compared at the same level of incorporated phosphate. ATP appears to regulate the site(s) phosphorylated during activation of the kinase and thereby modulates the dual effects of autophosphorylation. Events triggered by transient elevations of cellular Ca2+ may be potentiated and retained by generation of the Ca2+/calmodulin-independent protein kinase activity.
The homeo domain of a murine protein binds 5' to its own homeo box.
Authors: Fainsod A , Bogarad L D , Ruusala T , Lubin M , Crothers D M , Ruddle F H
Published: May 2006

Nuclear protein extracts from day 12.5 mouse embryos were used to study protein binding to DNA sequences 5' of the Hox 1.5 homeo box. Embryos of this developmental stage are known to express this gene. DNA binding protein blotting and retardation gel techniques show that murine embryonic nuclear proteins specifically bind a 753-base pair (bp) DNA fragment from the region upstream of the Hox 1.5 homeo box. A fusion protein containing the Hox 1.5 homeo domain constructed in lambda gt11 also binds the same 753-bp DNA fragment. Specific binding of the fusion protein to the upstream DNA fragment shows that the homeo box contains the sequences required for specific protein-DNA interactions, and the 753-bp fragment contains a homeo domain binding site. These results support the hypothesis that murine homeo boxes are DNA binding domains of proteins involved in the regulation of embryonic development.
Monocyte migration explains the changes in macrophage arachidonate metabolism during the immune response.
Authors: Tripp C S , Unanue E R , Needleman P
Published: May 2006

The profile of arachidonic acid metabolites in resident peritoneal macrophages is distinctly different from the profile of macrophages isolated after an acute bacterial infection. The latter produce decreased prostaglandins E2 and I2 and leukotriene C4 while conserving the synthesis of thromboxane A2. We show here that the initial changes in peritoneal macrophage arachidonate metabolism during the immune response appear to be the result of the large influx of blood monocytes, which have a characteristic metabolism distinct from resident macrophages. We demonstrate that the initial decrease in peritoneal macrophage arachidonate metabolism and the increase in macrophage numbers occur simultaneously after infection with Listeria monocytogenes. Also the macrophage arachidonate metabolism seen at the height of the peritoneal cellular influx is the same as that of purified blood monocytes. Both Listeria peritoneal macrophages and blood monocytes produce equal or greater quantities of thromboxane A2 relative to prostaglandins I2 and E2 or leukotriene C4 whereas resident cells produce 1/10 to 1/25 as much thromboxane A2 compared to the other products. Furthermore, the changes in peritoneal macrophage arachidonate metabolism in response to Listeria infection do not occur if the influx of blood monocytes is stopped by irradiating the mice prior to infection implying that the cellular influx is necessary to see the changes in arachidonate metabolism. Finally, activation of peritoneal macrophages, measured as an increase in Ia expression, occurs 36 hr after the influx of monocytes from the blood and the resultant shift in arachidonate metabolism during Listeria infection.
Elevated levels of mRNA can account for the trans-activation of human immunodeficiency virus.
Authors: Peterlin B M , Luciw P A , Barr P J , Walker M D
Published: May 2006

The genome of human immunodeficiency virus encodes a protein that dramatically elevates amounts of viral proteins. The precise mechanism of this trans-activation remains to be established. It has been reported that trans-activation can occur without major changes in the levels of mRNA. We constructed recombinant plasmids containing those viral sequences required in cis for trans-activation linked to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene. These plasmids were introduced into cultured cells in either the presence or absence of a second plasmid that directed expression of the viral trans-activator protein. Expression of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene was measured at the level of protein (by enzymatic assay) and RNA (by ribonuclease protection and primer extension). Our results demonstrate that trans-activation is accompanied by large increases in mRNA levels; these increases may be sufficient to explain the elevated levels of trans-activated protein.
Cross-reactivity to human T-lymphotropic virus type III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus and molecular cloning of simian T-cell lymphotropic virus type III from African green monkeys.
Authors: Hirsch V , Riedel N , Kornfeld H , Kanki P J , Essex M , Mullins J I
Published: May 2006

Simian T-lymphotropic retroviruses with structural, antigenic, and cytopathic features similar to the etiologic agent of human acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, human T-lymphotropic virus type III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus (HTLV-III/LAV), have been isolated from a variety of primate species including African green monkeys (STLV-IIIAGM). This report describes nucleic acid cross-reactivity between STLV-IIIAGM and HTLV-III/LAV, molecular cloning of the STLV-IIIAGM genome, and evaluation of its structure and genetic relationship to other retroviruses. Overlapping clones from a cell line infected with virus from a single animal were found to encompass the entire STLV-IIIAGM genome and exhibit a limited degree of restriction-site variability. Specific hybridizing fragments were detected in DNA from this and other STLV-IIIAGM-infected cell lines. A fraction of viral DNA present in at least two STLV-IIIAGM lines persists as unintegrated viral DNA, a characteristic of infection with cytopathic retroviruses. Strongest cross-reactivity was detected between HTLV-III/LAV pol- and gag- genes and STLV-IIIAGM, whereas no cross-reactivity was detected between STLV-IIIAGM and molecular clones of human T-lymphotropic virus types I and II (HTLV-I and -II), visna virus, bovine leukemia virus, or feline leukemia virus.
Evolution and organization of the human protein C gene.
Authors: Plutzky J , Hoskins J A , Long G L , Crabtree G R
Published: May 2006

We have isolated overlapping phage genomic clones covering an area of 21 kilobases that encodes the human protein C gene. The gene is at least 11.2 kilobases long and is made up of nine exons and eight introns. Two regions homologous to epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor are encoded by amino acids 46-91 and 92-136 and are precisely delimited by introns, as is a similar sequence in the genes for coagulation factor IX and tissue plasminogen activator. When homologous amino acids of factor IX and protein C are aligned, the positions of all eight introns correspond precisely, suggesting that these genes are the product of a relatively recent gene duplication. Nevertheless, the two genes are sufficiently distantly related that no nucleic acid homology remains in the intronic regions and that the size of the introns varies dramatically between the two genes. The similarity of the genes for factor IX and protein C suggests that they may be the most closely related members of the serine protease gene family involved in coagulation and fibrinolysis.
Two ornithine decarboxylase mRNA species in mouse kidney arise from size heterogeneity at their 3' termini.
Authors: Hickok N J , Seppänen P J , Kontula K K , Jänne P A , Bardin C W , Jänne O A
Published: May 2006

Ornithine decarboxylase (OrnDCase; L-ornithine carboxy-lyase, EC 4.1.1.17) mRNA present in mouse kidney comprises two species with molecular sizes of approximately 2.2 and approximately 2.7 kilobases (kb). cDNA clones prepared from murine kidney OrnDCase mRNA were used to determine the reason for the size heterogeneity of these mRNAs. Two of the cDNA clones (pODC16 and pODC74) that differed at the 3' termini were isolated and sequenced. DNA sequencing indicated that each cDNA had a poly(A) tail; however, pODC74 was 429 nucleotides longer than pODC16 at the 3' end and contained two AATAAA signals for poly(A) addition. That the longer cDNA corresponded to the larger mRNA was confirmed by hybridization of a unique Pst I/Pst I fragment from the 3' terminus of pODC74 only to the 2.7-kb OrnDCase mRNA. The two cDNAs did not represent full-length copies of OrnDCase mRNAs and were 1199 (pODC16) and 1204 base pairs (bp) (pODC74) long. There were five mismatches in their 759-bp-long overlapping nucleotide sequence, suggesting that the 2.2- and 2.7-kb OrnDCase mRNAs may be products of two separate, yet very similar, OrnDCase genes. Androgen regulation of the accumulation of these two OrnDCase mRNAs appeared to occur coordinately, as testosterone administration brought about comparable increases in their concentrations in mouse kidney.
Determinator-inhibitor pairs as a mechanism for threshold setting in development: a possible function for pseudogenes.
Authors: McCarrey J R , Riggs A D
Published: May 2006

Thresholds are frequently thought to be involved in the development of discrete structures in response to a shallow, monotonic gradient of morphogenetic information. We propose a mechanism for threshold setting that incorporates two essential components: (i) determinator genes that produce intracellular "determinators" that control cellular differentiation during development and (ii) intracellular "inhibitors" that bind tightly and specifically to the determinators to form "determinator-inhibitor pairs" that are inactive with respect to determinator function. The interaction of these components amplifies the intracellular response to an extra-cellular morphogen, thus producing a sharp transition in determinator gene activity. This system could operate at either the RNA level with the determinator-inhibitor pairs taking the form of sense-antisense RNAs or at the protein level via a competitive inhibition mechanism. In either case this model suggests a possible role for pseudogenes in development as a source of the intracellular inhibitors.
Developmental and tissue-specific expression directed by the alpha 2 type I collagen promoter in transgenic mice.
Authors: Khillan J S , Schmidt A , Overbeek P A , de Crombrugghe B , Westphal H
Published: May 2006

Eight transgenic mice were generated in which the promoter of the mouse alpha 2(I) collagen gene (nucleotides -2000 to +54), linked to the bacterial gene for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT), is stably integrated in the germ line. These strains contain from 1 to 20 copies of the alpha 2(I) collagen-CAT chimeric gene per haploid genome. In seven of the eight strains, the CAT gene is expressed, although the levels of CAT enzyme activity vary considerably from one strain to the other. In six of these strains, the expression of the CAT gene follows the expected tissue distribution pattern of expression of the alpha 2(I) collagen gene. In these six strains, the level of CAT activity is much higher in extracts of tail, a tissue that is very rich in tendons, than in any other tissue that was tested. This distribution parallels the much higher levels of alpha 2(I) collagen RNA that are found in the tail as compared to other tissues. Expression of the chimeric gene is detected in the embryo after 8.5 days of gestation, at approximately the same time that the endogenous type I genes become active. We conclude that the alpha 2(I) collagen promoter sequences present in the recombinant plasmid used for our experiments contain sufficient information to ensure stage- and tissue-specific activity of this promoter.
Vasoactive intestinal peptide and electrical activity influence neuronal survival.
Authors: Brenneman D E , Eiden L E
Published: May 2006

Blockade of electrical activity in dissociated spinal cord cultures results in a significant loss of neurons during a critical period in development. Decreases in neuronal cell numbers and 125I-labeled tetanus toxin fixation produced by electrical blockade with tetrodotoxin (TTX) were prevented by addition of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) to the nutrient medium. The most effective concentration of VIP was 0.1 nM. At higher concentrations, the survival-enhancing effect of VIP on TTX-treated cultures was attenuated. Addition of the peptide alone had no significant effect on neuronal cell counts or tetanus toxin fixation. With the same experimental conditions, two closely related peptides, PHI-27 (peptide, histidylisoleucine amide) and secretin, were found not to increase the number of neurons in TTX-treated cultures. Interference with VIP action by VIP antiserum resulted in neuronal losses that were not significantly different from those observed after TTX treatment. VIP10-28, a fragment that inhibits VIP stimulation of adenylate cyclase, also produced a dose-dependent decrease in neuronal cell counts similar to that seen with TTX treatment. These data indicate that under conditions of electrical blockade a neurotrophic action of VIP on neuronal survival can be demonstrated.
Theoretical calculation of relative binding affinity in host-guest systems.
Authors: Lybrand T P , McCammon J A , Wipff G
Published: May 2006

The relative free energy of binding the anions Cl- and Br- to the macrotricyclic receptor SC24 in water has been computed by a computer simulation technique. This result and an incidental result for the relative free energy of hydration of the anions are in excellent agreement with experimental data. The simulation approach to ligand-receptor interactions that is described here has significant potential as a predictive tool in chemistry, biochemistry, and pharmacology.
Calderón-Zygmund theory for product domains:

H
p

spaces
Authors: Fefferman Robert
Published: May 2006

This article deals with the boundedness properties of singular integrals that generalize the double Hilbert transform on product domains. The action of these operators on Hardy spaces and on
L
(log
L
) is discussed.
Lateral diffusion of specific antibodies bound to lipid monolayers on alkylated substrates.
Authors: Subramaniam S , Seul M , McConnell H M
Published: May 2006

We have measured the lateral mobility of fluoresceinated monoclonal IgG antibodies bound specifically to a spin label lipid hapten in phospholipid monolayers supported on alkylated silicon oxide surfaces. Dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine and dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine monolayers containing 5 mol% of the lipid hapten were transferred by conventional Langmuir-Blodgett techniques onto substrates alkylated with hydrocarbon chains containing 10, 16, and 18 carbon atoms. We show that the diffusion of the bound antibodies depends on their lateral density, the composition of the lipid monolayer, and the nature of lipid coupling to hydrocarbon chains on the alkylated substrate. Antibody diffusion coefficients at low antibody densities are within a factor of 2 of those displayed by the lipid hapten in the absence of the bound antibody. High antibody densities result in reduced antibody mobility, but the lateral diffusion of unbound lipids is unaffected.
Direct comparison of Ca2+ requirements for calmodulin interaction with and activation of protein phosphatase.
Authors: Kincaid R L , Vaughan M
Published: May 2006

The mechanism of Ca2+-dependent protein-protein interaction and enzyme activation by calmodulin was investigated with the phosphoprotein phosphatase, calcineurin. Dimethylaminonaphthalene (dansyl)-calmodulin, a fluorescent derivative used to monitor complex formation, produced similar maximal activation (10- to 12-fold) with a Ca2+ dependence (Ka = 17 microM) identical to that of native calmodulin. The Ca2+-dependent increase in fluorescence intensity of dansyl-calmodulin was enhanced 100-150% by calcineurin, indicating complex formation; the concentration of Ca2+ required for a half-maximal increase in fluorescence was the same (K1/2 approximately equal to 7 microM) with and without calcineurin. Since the Ca2+ concentration required for activation appeared to differ from that necessary for protein-protein interaction, a method was devised to measure both the formation of complexes between dansyl-calmodulin and calcineurin and enzyme activity in the same samples. Direct comparison of interaction (measured by polarization of fluorescence) and enzyme activity demonstrated different Ca2+ requirements for the two events. Whereas dansyl-calmodulin-calcineurin interaction, measured in the presence of phosphoprotein substrate, exhibited very little cooperativity (Hill coefficient = 1.2, Ca2+ concentration required for the half-maximal increase in fluorescence, K1/2, approximately equal to 6 microM), phosphatase activation was highly cooperative (Hill coefficient = 3.5) and required 3 times higher Ca2+ concentration for half-maximal stimulation. Equivalent results were obtained with p-nitrophenyl phosphate as substrate. These data are consistent with a sequential mechanism for interaction and activation wherein filling of perhaps two Ca2+ sites permits calmodulin interaction with the phosphatase; this complex is inactive, requiring further binding of Ca2+ for activation. Such a scheme would provide a sensitive switch for control of enzyme activity within a narrow range of free Ca2+ concentration.
Human protein HC and its IgA complex are inhibitors of neutrophil chemotaxis.
Authors: Méndez E , Fernández-Luna J L , Grubb A , Leyva-Cobián F
Published: May 2006

Protein HC, a heterogeneously charged low molecular weight glycoprotein, and its IgA complex were isolated from human plasma and urine. Plasma from individuals with monoclonal IgA populations was used as starting material for the isolation of the protein HC-IgA complex to obtain homogeneous complex populations. Neither low molecular weight protein HC nor its IgA complex in the concentrations 30 and 600 mg/liter influenced the random migration of normal human neutrophils. The chemotactic response of neutrophils to endotoxin-activated serum was, however, attenuated in a dose-dependent way by both low molecular weight protein HC and protein HC-IgA complex. Concentrations of protein HC and its IgA complex producing significant inhibition of the chemotactic response were found to occur in plasma from healthy and diseased individuals as well as in synovial fluid from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. These results suggest that protein HC and its IgA complex play physiological roles in the regulation of the inflammatory response.
Altered expression of G1-specific genes in human malignant myeloid cells.
Authors: Calabretta B , Venturelli D , Kaczmarek L , Narni F , Talpaz M , Anderson B , Beran M , Baserga R
Published: May 2006

We have studied the expression of cell-cycle genes specific to the G1 (2A9, 2F1, 4F1, c-myc) and S (histone H3) phases of the cell cycle in normal and malignant human myeloid cycling cells. The levels of expression were determined by measuring the amounts of specific RNA in blot hybridization assays. Levels of expression of the G1 genes were compared to the level of expression of the S-phase-specific H3 gene. This method can distinguish whether an increased expression of G1 genes is truly due to deregulation or simply reflects an increase in the fraction of proliferating cells. In a normal asynchronous system provided by the bone marrow cells of three normal donors, the expressions of the four G1-specific genes 2A9, 2F1, 4F1, and c-myc, and of the S-phase-specific gene H3 were in ratios that differed little from one individual to another. In the total RNA of eight patients in the chronic phase of chronic myelogenous leukemia, a high level of expression of G1 cell-cycle genes was paralleled by a high level of expression of the S-phase H3 gene, simply reflecting an increase in the fraction of proliferating cells. In patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), the RNA levels of 2F1 and 4F1 paralleled the expression of H3-i.e., the ratios of expression 2F1/H3 and 4F1/H3 were the same as in normal bone marrow cells. However, in 9 of 10 patients with AML we found that the expression of c-myc was elevated with respect to H3 expression. The expression of 2A9 (with respect to H3) was also elevated in some of these AML patients. Two important conclusions can be drawn from these findings: increased levels of a G1-specific RNA in a tumor may not indicate overexpression of that gene but may instead simply reflect the fraction of proliferating cells; and in some patients with AML, however, the expression of certain G1 genes is truly deregulated and might contribute to the impairment of proliferative control that is associated with this phenotype.