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Biomedical subjects

A Akatsuka

Publications and source records attributed to A Akatsuka.

64 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Phosphorylation of glycogen synthase by cyclic AMP-independent casein kinase-2 from rabbit skeletal muscle.

Cyclic AMP-independent casein kinase-2 from rabbit skeletal muscle has been extensively purified by procedures including phosphocellulose, Bio-Gel A-1.5m, casein-Sepharose, and DEAE-cellulose column chromatographies. The casein kinase and glycogen synthase kinase activities are co-purified throughout the purification. The casein kinase-2 has Mr approximately equal to 135,000 as determined by glycerol density gradient centrifugation and by gel filtration. Analysis of the purified kinase by gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate reveals the presence of two major protein bands having Mr = 42,000 and 27,000 in a ratio of 0.85:1. The kinase phosphorylates glycogen synthase, casein, and phosvitin either in the presence of ATP or GTP; however, the Km values for GTP are slightly higher than those of ATP. The activity of this kinase is inhibited by heparin but is not affected by the addition of cyclic AMP, heat-stable inhibitor of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, Ca2+, ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid, or the combination of Ca2+ and calmodulin. The phosphorylation of the synthase by the kinase results in the incorporation of approximately 0.8 mol of PO4/subunit and a reduction in the synthase activity ratio from 0.82 to 0.6. The extent of phosphorylation of the synthase catalyzed by casein kinase-2 is similar to that by phosphorylase kinase; however, the sites phosphorylated by these two kinases are different. The relationships of casein kinase-2 to the cyclic AMP-independent synthase kinases that have been described by other laboratories and to the casein kinases isolated from other tissues are discussed.

Animals↗

Morphology and function of ganglio-N-tetraosylceramide-positive lymphocyte mediators of natural killer activity.

More than 90% of nylon wool-passed spleen cells from nude mice reacted with ganglio-N-tetraosylceramide (asialo GM1) which eliminated mouse natural killer (NK) cell activity in the presence of complement. The successful enrichment of asialo GM1-positive (asialo GM1+) cells made possible the demonstration that the number of asialo GM1+ cells was correlated with NK cell activity as well as with binding frequency to YAC-1 target cells. Morphologically, by light and immunoelectron microscopic examinations, the enriched asialo GM1+ cells were composed of 90% lymphocytes and 10% large cells with the characteristics of monocytes. However, the asialo GM1+ lymphocytes (but not the monocytes) bound to the target cells and gave rise to the asialo GM1+ monocytes were sometimes observed to bind to target cells, cytolytic features of the target cells were not demonstrated. These results strongly suggest that asialo GM1+ lymphocytes are essential for NK cytolysis by directly binding to target cells.

Animals↗

Human yolk sac tumor serially transplanted in nude mice: its morphologic and functional properties.

Three human yolk sac tumors (TE, OE, and TT-1) were serially transplanted into nude mice. The histology of the transplanted tumors is moderately different from that of the original tumor; the transplants had mainly a tubular structure with an inconspicuous endodermal sinus structure due to a decreased mesenchymal element surrounding the vascular core. Ultrastructural features of the transplanted tumor cells, however, were identical to those of the original tumor. Immunochemical survey of the blood plasma of nude mice bearing these tumors demonstrated the production of adult type human plasma proteins including prealbumin, albumin (Alb), alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha AT), transferrin (Tf), hemopexin, and alpha 1-fetoprotein (AFP). The types of adult plasma proteins that were produced varied, depending on the tumor line but were the same between serial passages within the same tumor line. The intracellular localization of AFP, alpha AT, Tf, and Alb was also investigated by immunoelectron microscopy. Plasma proteins of the adult type and AFP were localized mainly within the membrane systems of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex and occasionally on the microvilli. These results suggest that transplanted human yolk sac tumors have almost all of the protein-producing function possessed by their normal counterparts.

Animals↗

Biologic and therapeutic effects of 1 alpha-hydroxycholecalciferol in different types of Fanconi syndrome.

The plasma 1,25-(OH)2VD3 level in Fanconi syndrome was low but rose rapidly following the administration of 1 alpha-OHVD3. 1 alpha-OHVD3 was administered to 6 patients with different types of Fanconi syndrome. The effect of 1 alpha-OHVD3 proved to be 200-250 times as great as that of vitamin D2. From our results it was suggested that Ca malabsorption due to failure of 1 alpha-hydroxylation of vitamin D in the kidney, together with renal tubular acidosis and hypophosphatemia, is involved in the pathogenesis of the rickets of Fanconi syndrome.

Adolescent↗

Trisomy 9 mosaicism with punctate mineralization in developing cartilages.

A case of mosaic trisomy 9 (46,XX/47,XX,+9) is described. The main clinical findings included intrauterine growth retardation, failure to thrive, hydrocephalus, deeply set eyes, prominent antihelix, highly arched palate, subluxation of the interphalangeal joints of some fingers, hip dislocation, excessive sweating, and punctate mineralization in developing cartilages.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗