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Biomedical subjects

C Wu

Publications and source records attributed to C Wu.

At least 577 records · Page 32Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

The chromatin structure of specific genes: II. Disruption of chromatin structure during gene activity.

We have compared the chromatin structure in the active and inactive states at loci encoding the major heat shock protein in Drosophila. DNAase I and micrococcal nuclease were used as probes of higher order organization and nucleosomal integrity. Such integrity is gauged here by the characteristic pattern of discrete DNA fragments produced at specific chromosomal loci by nucleolytic cleavage. The specific fragment patterns are visualized by gel electrophoresis, Southern blotting onto nitrocellulose sheets, hybridization with 32P-labeled cloned DNA containing the heat shock genes and autoradiography. Using this criterion, a disruption in nucleosomal and possibly in higher order organization are observed as indicated by a relative loss or smearing of the characteristic discrete DNA fragment patterns from the heat shock loci in the active state. The fragment patterns are restored when cells are allowed to recover from heat shock and these loci return to the inactive state.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

The escape of cyclic AMP from human diploid fibroblasts: general properties.

A variety of human diploid fibroblasts released large amounts of cAMP to the medium in a time-dependent fashion concomitant with stimulation of the cells by agonists of the adenylate cyclase. In WI-38 cells increased medium cAMP levels were detectable as quickly as increased cellular levels. Escape was not secondary to serum deprivation nor cell injury. It occurred in defined media, and was pH and temperature dependent. Elevated rates of escape were maintained for up to 24 hours after stimulation. A variety of PDE inhibitors reduced the rate of escape. A rough proportionality existed between the potencies of the compounds as potentiators of PGE1 increased cellular cAMP levels on the one hand and as inhibitors of escape on the other. In the case of IBMX, the inhibition of escape was transient, the most pronounced effect being during the first 5 minutes of incubation. In addition, a variety of compounds without significant acute effects on cellular cAMP levels inhibited escape.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗
PubMed1977

Characterization of human platelet UDPglucose-collagen glucosyltransferase using a new rapid assay.

A rapid and specific assay has been developed for UDPglucose-collagen glucosyltransferase (UDPglucose: 5-hydroxylysine-collagen glucosyltransferase, EC 2.4.1.66) using galactosylhydroxylysine (Gal-Hyl) as acceptor. Studies with intact human platelets and isolated plasma membranes indicated that about 5--10% of the total activity was surface bound and the rest was of cytoplasmic origin. The two forms of the enzyme had similar broad pH optima (6.5--8.0), Km values for UDPglucose (5 muM) and Gal-Hyl (approx. 4 mM) and for optimal manganese concentrations (25 mM). The soluble form of the enzyme was purified 80-fold. The reaction mechanism was determined as being rapid equilibrium random BiBi + dead end complex or ordered BiBi with UDPglucose being the first substrate to bind. Using Gal-Hyl bound in purified alpha 1 chain of chick skin collagen, a Km value three orders of magnitude less (2 muM) was found than for free Gal-Hyl and the manganese requirement decreased to 2 mM. These results suggest that the binding to the enzyme of Gal-Hyl in the collagen molecule is enhanced by the presence of the protein portion so that the enzyme may be capable of recognizing not only the carbohydrate side chains but also the primary structure of collagen.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Glutamine synthetase. IX. Purification and characterization of the enzyme from sheep spleen.

Glutamine synthetase (L-glutamate: ammonia ligase (ADP-forming), EC 6.3.1.2) has been purified about 550-fold from sheep spleen. The subunit weight of the enzyme is estimated to be 48 000. Sedimentation coefficient determination by density gradient centrifugation gives a value of 15.0 S. The approximate molecular weight calculated from the S value is 378500. In addition, electron micrographs of the enzyme show an "H" shape. Hence, the protein appears to have eight subunits. In sheep spleen, the enzyme resides chiefly in the soluble fraction of the cell. The amino acid composition of the enzyme from spleen shows similarity to that from other sources. The enzyme activity is nearly five times as high in Mg2+ as in Mn2+. ATP inhibits the enzyme; the inhibition is competitive with respect to Mg2+ATP. A number of compounds, such as D-alanine, AMP, creatine phosphate, arsenite in combination with 2,3-dimercaptopropanol, and 2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate, also inhibit the enzyme. The inhibition by the last compound is competitive with respect to glutamate. D-Glutamate and alpha-methyl-DL-glutamate can serve as substrates in the synthesis reaction, but N-methyl-DL-glutamate cannot. On the other hand, neither D-glutamine nor N-acetyl-L-glutamine can replace L-glutamine as a substrate in the gamma-glutamyl transfer reaction of the enzyme. Inhibition of Mn2+ and ATP and its reversal by Mg2+ have been discussed as a means of regulating the enzyme activity in mammalian tissues.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1977

Cerebrospinal fluid changes in experimental cardiopulmonary bypass using hemodilution with glucose water.

Cardiopulmonary bypass using hemodilution with isotonic glucose water was performed on seven dogs. Intense systemic metabolic acidosis, hyponatremia, hypochloremia, and hyperglycemia were accompanied by only comparatively small changes in the corresponding cerebrospinal fluid values. The data suggested that in the present study, cardiopulmonary bypass was not associated with gross disruptions of the barriers for bicarbonate, sodium, chloride, and glucose between blood and cerebrospinal fluid.

Animals↗
PubMed1971

Antigenic promotion. Increase in hapten-specific plaque-forming cells after pre-injection with structurally unrelated macromolecules.

Rabbits were immunized with p-azobenzene arsonic acid derivatives of human serum albumin (HA-As) or of dissociated keyhole limpet hemocyanin. The IgM response to the hapten was evaluated in terms of the number of hapten-specific plaque-forming cells in the lymph node draining the injection site. In some experiments, antibody was measured by agglutination of tanned and sensitized erythrocytes. The hapten response of animals immunized with HA-As was increased (promoting effect) when the animals were injected with one of several structurally unrelated macromolecules: keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), horse spleen ferritin (HSF), lysozyme (Lys), alum-precipitated human gamma globulin (alum-precipitated HGG). Different macromolecules differed in the magnitude of the promoting effect they induced, e.g., promotion by the associated form of KLH was greater than that by the dissociated form; alum-precipitated HGG was a better promoter than was soluble HGG. The relative magnitude of promotion by different macromolecules (associated vs. dissociated KLH, alum-precipitated vs. soluble HGG) correlated with the relative magnitude of the carrier effect, as judged by the hapten response induced by p-azobenzene arsonic acid conjugated to various proteins. Promotion was detected by agglutination assay of circulating antibody, by plaque assay of cells from the popliteal lymph node draining the site of preinjection, but not by plaque assay of cells from the contralateral lymph node. Promotion was dependent on the dose of the promoting macromolecule and on the dose of the hapten-protein conjugate. It was not observed in animals tolerant to the promoting macromolecule. Inhibition (i.e. antigenic competition), rather than promotion, was observed upon a secondary response to the preinjected macromolecule or when the hapten-protein conjugate was incorporated in Freund's adjuvant.

Animals↗