Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Ziegler.
Spectra obtained with phase-encoding techniques show phase-shifts varying from voxel to voxel. The procedure allowing voxel-dependent phase-shifts to be compensated is presented. The method has been applied to the characterization of the 1.3-ppm resonance observed in intracerebral tumors in the rat.
Genes of three protein families, which are in part specifically expressed in the course of terminal differentiation of human epidermis, have previously been mapped to chromosome 1q21. Here we show that these genes are physically linked within 2.05 Mb of DNA. The order is calpactin I light chain, trichohyalin, profilaggrin, involucrin/small proline-rich protein, loricrin, and calcyclin. The colocalization in the 1q21 region together with their functional interdependence during epidermal differentiation raises the question whether these genes share regulatory elements which control their transcriptional activities. As several of them are potential candidate genes for dyskeratotic skin diseases, this physical map should be of great value for genetic linkage analyses.
We have explored the potential of irradiation-fusion gene transfer (IFGT) hybrids as a source of well-defined human chromosome fragments from which probes can be derived. Extensive characterization of the IFGT hybrid 4J4 with a full panel of markers from Chromosome (Chr) 6 showed that the human DNA content derives largely from 6p21.3 and 6q27. A cosmid library has been constructed from 4J4 DNA, and 370 recombinants containing human DNA have been isolated and overlapping clones ordered into 20 contigs. Regional localization of representative clones from each contig, determined by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), places 13 contigs in 6q27 and 6 in 6p21.3. Preliminary screening of cDNA libraries with selected cosmids has identified two expressed sequences. Since there are a number of medically important genes in both these regions of human Chr 6 with several disease loci linked to the HLA-A region in 6p21.3 and various tumor suppressor genes to 6q27, this library will provide a valuable resource to aid the isolation of candidate genes for these diseases. In addition, unique markers for detailed physical and genetic mapping of these regions of human Chr 6 can be easily obtained.
Raspberry bushy dwarf virus (RBDV) has an unusual combination of properties and has been classified as the sole member of a new plant virus genus, for which the name idaeovirus has been proposed. Particles of RBDV resemble those of ilarviruses (family Bromoviridae) in appearance and in being transmitted in association with pollen. RBDV has two genomic RNA species, RNA-1 (5,449 nt) and RNA-2 (2,231 nt). The particles also contain RNA-3 (946 nt), a subgenomic monocistronic coat protein mRNA which is derived from the 3' end of the bicistronic RNA-2. The single 190 K protein encoded by RNA-1 contains methyltransferase, helicase and polymerase domains. Evolutionary distance data obtained from multiple alignments of the amino acid sequence of the RBDV 190 K protein and corresponding proteins with replicative function from other plant viruses suggest that the closest affinities of RBDV are with the tripartite genomed viruses in the family Bromoviridae. We propose that the genus idaeovirus be included in the family Bromoviridae.
Strong peptide dependency of HLA-B*3501-specific alloreactive T-cell clones was observed in the recognition of cells bearing closely related B35 variants. The single amino acid exchange in the beta-pleated sheet of B*3503 completely abolished the responses of all clones, whereas an amino acid exchange in the alpha 2 helix of the newest B35 member (B*3508) only altered allorecognition of one T-cell clone, demonstrating the differential impact of these positions on peptide binding to B35 molecules. In contrast to T cells, a mAb (TU165) recognizing the B35 specificity in a peptide-dependent manner bound to the B35 variants irrespective of their sequence heterogeneity. However, quantitative binding differences were detected with cells bearing the same B35 alleles. This is most likely due to variations in the amount of peptide(s) that associates with B35 and forms the ligand seen by this mAb. These results reveal how naturally occurring single amino acid substitutions have led to generation of functionally distinct molecules of another multimember HLA class I cluster.
1. The endothelium-dependence of catecholamine-induced relaxation of rat cerebral arteries was investigated in vitro. 2. In the basilar artery (BA), the maximal relaxant response was most pronounced with noradrenaline (NA), less with isoprenaline (Iso), and only very little with terbutaline. Methoxamine and the alpha 2-adrenoceptor selective agonists BHT 933 and clonidine, had no relaxant effect. 3. In BA, the relaxation by NA or Iso was markedly attenuated by N omega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG) 10(-4) M. Short term perfusion of the vessels by Triton X 100 (1:1,000) suppressed the NA-induced relaxation. 4. The relaxation induced by NA or Iso was markedly reduced in presence of L-NOARG in the posterior, medial and anterior cerebral artery. 5. In BA, NA-induced relaxation was non-competitively inhibited by propranolol, atenolol, and the beta 1- and beta 2-adrenoceptor selective antagonists, CGP 20712 A and ICI 118551. 6. The relaxant NA-effect was not affected by prazosin but was non-competitively blocked by phentolamine. 7. The Iso-induced relaxation was competitively blocked by propranolol, whereas atenolol, CGP 20712 A and ICI 118551 caused a non-competitive inhibition. 8. The experiments indicate that the catecholamine-induced relaxation in rat isolated cerebral arteries depends upon the endothelium. They suggest that the NA-induced relaxation of BA is mediated by different alpha- and beta-adrenoceptors and that the Iso-induced relaxation is mediated by different beta-receptors. The findings would also be compatible with the idea of a receptor type which cannot be characterized by the pharmacological tools that we have used.
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Presentation of cytoplasmic antigens to class I-restricted cytotoxic T cells implied the existence of a specialized peptide transporter. For most class I heavy chains, association with peptides of the appropriate length is required for stable assembly with beta 2-microglobulin. Mutant cells RMA-S and .174/T2 neither assemble stable class I molecules nor present intracellular antigens, and we have suggested that they have lost a function required for the transport of short peptides from the cytosol to the endoplasmic reticulum. The genetic defect in .174 has been localized to a large deletion in the class II region of the major histocompatibility complex, within which two genes (RING4 and RING11) have been identified that code for 'ABC' (ATP-binding cassette) transporters. We report here that the protein products of these two genes assemble to form a complex. Defects in either protein result in the formation of unstable class I molecules and loss of presentation of intracellular antigens. The molecular defect in a new mutant, BM36.1, is shown to be in the ATP-binding domain of the RING11/PSF2 protein. This is in contrast to the mutant .134, which lacks the RING4/PSF1 protein.
The effects of beta-adrenergic stimulation on the cellular content and subcellular distribution of Na, Mg, Ca, K and Cl were determined by electron probe X-ray microanalysis of muscles stimulated with 5-hydroxytryptamine. Isoproterenol caused a significant decrease in cytoplasmic and mitochondrial Na and Cl, and an increase in cytoplasmic Mg. Isoproterenol also significantly decreased total cytoplasmic Ca measured with small diameter probes, without affecting cellular Ca measured with large probes that included the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). The decrease in cytoplasmic Na and the effects on cytoplasmic and cellular Ca are consistent with, respectively, beta-adrenergic stimulation of the Na-pump and of Ca-uptake into the SR, but the beta-adrenergic increase in cytoplasmic Mg also raises the possibility of stimulated Na/Mg exchange.
Transdermal absorption of drugs is limited by the stratum corneum, which serves as a diffusion barrier. This barrier might be overcome by enhancing the thermodynamic activity of the drug vehicle. Thermodynamic activity is particularly high in supersaturated systems because it is directly correlated with the degree of saturation. Since supersaturated systems are not stable, they were formed in situ by application of water-free microemulsion bases. These water-free microemulsion bases saturated with the drug were applied to New Zealand albino rabbits with an occlusive patch. Occlusion leads to water uptake from the skin due to hydratation and changes the microemulsion base into a microemulsion. The microemulsion will become supersaturated as a result of decreasing solubility of the drug with increasing water content. The pharmacodynamic effect of the model drug bupranolol in vivo was investigated over a 10-hr time period. The in vitro solubility of bupranolol was examined with respect to the water content. The solubility vs water content curves were compared to the effect vs time curves. The microemulsions and their individual components were studied, and the effect vs time curves were inversely correlated with the solubility vs water content curves.
Raspberry bushy dwarf virus (RBDV) has isometric, 33 nm diameter particles and a bipartite RNA genome. Sequencing of the larger component (RNA-1) showed that it consists of 5449 nucleotides and contains one large open reading frame encoding a putative translation product with a calculated M(r) of 190,000. Comparisons of this polypeptide with non-structural proteins of other plant viruses revealed significant homologies with those of alfalfa mosaic virus (AlMV), brome mosaic virus (BMV), cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). Thus RBDV belongs to the supergroup of 'Sindbis-like' plant viruses. The translation product of RBDV RNA-1 contains motifs characteristic of proteins with polymerase, methyltransferase and helicase activities, suggesting that this protein is involved in the replication of the viral RNA. Thus in RBDV, as in TMV, all three functional domains are combined in the single protein, whereas in AlMV, BMV and CMV these domains are distributed over the proteins encoded by RNA-1 and RNA-2. These findings support the idea that RBDV should be placed in a distinct virus genus for which the name idaeovirus has been proposed.
The locus for one subtype of autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA1) is closely linked (within 1-2 cM) to D6S89, which contains a highly polymorphic dinucleotide repeat sequence. D6S89 has been mapped previously to 6p24----p21.3, between the HLA and F13A1 loci. Mutant cell lines were used to correlate the absence or presence of D6S89 with cytogenetically detectable interstitial 6p deletions. The results allowed us to map D6S89 to the 6p24.2----p23.05 region. The close linkage of SCA1 to D6S89 indicates that this locus is most likely located in the 6p24----p23 segment.
Dominant-negative and/or loss-of-function mutations of the p53 tumor suppressor gene are frequently found in squamous cell carcinomas of the skin and of the head-and-neck region. In order to identify the precise mechanisms of inactivation of p53 in tumors of this class, we examined the status of p53 RNA, protein and DNA in a panel of eight human squamous carcinoma cell lines (head-and-neck, 3; esophagus, 1; lung, 1; uterine cervix, 2; vulva, 1). Three lines (A253, CaLu-1, SqCC/Y1) failed to express any p53 mRNA. A253 cells contained a single p53 allele without mutations in exons 2-9, suggesting that the lack of transcription was the result of mutations in the regulatory region of the gene. Both p53 alleles were deleted in CaLu-1 cells, whereas the single allele present in SqCC/Y1 cells was rearranged and carried two missense mutations in exon 5. Two cell lines (A431, FaDu) expressed only 50% of the normal level of p53 mRNA, either because only one allele was present (A431), or because only one of the two alleles was transcribed (FaDu). The two cervical carcinoma lines (CaSki, C4-1) expressed normal levels of p53 mRNA, but no wild type protein, presumably as a result of accelerated degradation by the human papillomavirus 16 or -18 E6 oncoprotein present in these cells as previously described (Scheffner et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:5523-5527; 1991). Three of the lines expressed only mutant p53 protein (A431, FaDu, CE-48) resulting from missense mutations in codons 248 and 273.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Expression of the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) gene in LLC-PK1 cells can be induced by signals mediated by both cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and Ca(2+)- and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (PKC). We have utilized the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) to down-regulate PKC, in order to test for an effect on the PKA-mediated induction of the uPA gene expression. Incubation of cells for 24 h with 100 ng/ml TPA caused a marked decrease of PKC protein, both in cytosolic and particulate fractions, and an 85% reduction of total PKC activity. After down-regulation of PKC, uPA mRNA accumulation induced by 8-Br-cAMP was 5-10-fold higher than in control cells. Both uPA mRNA stability and uPA gene transcription rates induced by 8-Br-cAMP were increased by PKC down-regulation (6- and 1.8-fold, respectively). Although total PKA activity was reduced by 20% in extracts from PKC-depleted cells, activation of PKA by 8-Br-cAMP was 2.5-fold higher than in control cells. This enhanced activation of PKA in PKC-depleted cells also occurred in response to other cAMP derivatives and to cAMP induced endogenously by the activation of adenylate cyclase with forskolin, but was not due to down-regulation-associated changes in the rate of cAMP synthesis. Our results demonstrate that in LLC-PK1 cells, down-regulation of PKC results in an enhanced induction of uPA gene expression by cAMP-mediated signals without alterations in adenylate cyclase activity, suggesting a mechanism distal to adenylate cyclase.
Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) gene expression in LLC-PK1 cells is induced by activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cAMP-PK) or protein kinase C (PK-C). To determine whether protein phosphatases can also modulate uPA gene expression, we tested okadaic acid, a potent specific inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A, in the presence and absence of cAMP-PK and PK-C activators. Okadaic acid by itself induced uPA mRNA accumulation. This induction was strongly attenuated by the inhibition of protein synthesis. In contrast, the inhibition of protein synthesis enhanced induction by 8-bromo-cAMP and only delayed induction by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). In addition, down-regulation of PK-C by chronic treatment with TPA did not abrogate the okadaic acid-dependent induction. These results provide evidence for a novel signal transduction pathway leading to gene regulation that involves protein phosphorylation but is independent of both cAMP-PK and PK-C.