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Biomedical subjects

D E Sabath

Publications and source records attributed to D E Sabath.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Identification of a major positive regulatory element located 5' to the human zeta-globin gene.

The function of the zeta-globin promoter was studied using a series of zeta-globin promoter deletion constructs to drive luciferase expression in transiently transfected human erythroleukemia cells. The promoters were used without enhancers, or with enhancers derived from the beta-globin locus control region and the alpha-globin HS-40 enhancer. When transfected into K562 cells, which express zeta-globin, comparable amounts of activity were obtained from the -557 and -417 zeta-luciferase constructs and the alpha-luciferase constructs when no enhancers or the alpha-globin locus enhancers were used. When the constructs were transfected into OCIM1 cells, which do not express zeta-globin, the zeta-globin promoters were at best 20% as active as the alpha-globin promoters. When sequences from -417 to -207 5' to the zeta-globin mRNA cap site were deleted, up to 95% of the zeta-globin promoter activity was lost in K562 cells. Reinsertion of these sequences into zeta-luciferase constructs missing the -417 to -207 region showed that the sequences lack classical enhancer activity. Point mutation of a GATA-1 site at -230 reduced promoter activity by 37%. Point mutation of a CCACC site at -240 had no effect. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays indicated that the -230 GATA-1 site has a relatively low affinity for GATA-1. These experiments show the presence of a strong positive-acting element, located between -417 and -207 bp 5' to the zeta-globin mRNA cap site, is necessary for high-level promoter activity in K562 cells. This element requires GATA-1 and additional unknown factors for maximal activity.

Base Sequence↗

A novel deletion of the entire alpha globin locus causing alpha-thalassemia-1 in a northern European family.

alpha-Thalassemia, though one of the most common genetic abnormalities in humans, is uncommon outside of tropical or subtropical regions of the world. The authors describe a family of northern European ancestry with a clinical presentation consistent with alpha-thalassemia-1, or deletion of both alpha globin genes on chromosome 16 in cis. Genomic mapping studies show that the deletion in this family spans 36.5-40 kbp and removes the entire alpha globin locus. This represents a novel deletion causing alpha-thalassemia-1, here termed "--RT." The 5' breakpoint is localized near the 5' breakpoints of previously described deletions in Thai and Filipino persons, consistent with this being an unstable region of chromosome 16.

Adult↗

Analysis of the human zeta-globin gene promoter in transgenic mice.

zeta-Globin is the embryonic form of the alpha chain of hemoglobin. Transgenic mice generated with zeta-globin constructs containing the zeta-globin gene, 557 bp of 5' flanking sequence, and 2-kb of 3' flanking sequence linked to the beta-globin locus control region hypersensitive site 2 (HS2) expressed human zeta-globin only in embryonic yolk sac erythroid tissue, and not in definitive erythroid tissue in the fetal liver or in adult peripheral blood. To determine what sequences in the 5' flanking region of the zeta-globin gene might be important for developmental specificity, a series of 5' deletion constructs of the zeta-globin gene were made and used to generate transgenic mice. The 5' ends of these constructs were located 417, 207, and 128 bp 5' to the zeta-globin transcriptional start site, and HS2 was included to increase the level of erythroid-specific expression. In all lines of mice tested, human zeta-globin was expressed only in embryonic tissue, and not in fetal livers or in adult peripheral blood. Expression was independent of copy number and appeared to be dependent on the site of transgene insertion. These data suggest that the proximal 128 bp of the zeta-globin promoter is sufficient to properly regulate zeta-globin expression during development.

Animals↗

cDNA cloning and characterization of interleukin 2-induced genes in a cloned T helper lymphocyte.

Clonal expansion of antigen-specific lymphocytes is an important aspect of the immune response. Interleukin 2 (IL2) is largely responsible for the amplification of antigen-specific T cells. In this study, the changes in gene expression accompanying interleukin 2 stimulation of T cells are examined, using a cloned T helper lymphocyte line as a model system. To isolate cDNA clones of IL2-induced genes, a cDNA library was screened by differential hybridization. Twenty-one different cDNA clones were isolated by this method, comprising six glycolytic enzymes, vimentin, alpha-tubulin, beta-actin, gamma-actin, ERp99, elongation factor 2, ribosomal phosphoprotein P1, the DNA-binding protein dbpB/YB-1, as well as seven clones which do not correspond to any previously described sequences. These clones are used to study the time course of expression and the sensitivity to cycloheximide inhibition of IL2-induced mRNAs. In addition, the tissue specificity of the unidentified mRNAs is examined, and two of these are shown to be expressed at high levels in normal mouse brain, with much lower or undetectable levels in the other tissues tested. These cDNA clones will be useful in future studies to determine the molecular basis of IL2-induced gene expression.

Animals↗

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase mRNA is a major interleukin 2-induced transcript in a cloned T-helper lymphocyte.

A cDNA library was constructed using mRNA from interleukin 2 (IL2)-stimulated cloned murine T lymphocytes to isolate cDNA clones of mRNAs that were induced by IL2 and present at maximal levels in late G1/early S phase of the cell cycle. When the library was screened by differential hybridization, over half of the clones isolated were found to cross-hybridize, indicating that there was a predominant IL2-induced mRNA in these cells. This cDNA was identified as encoding murine glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH; EC 1.2.1.12). The in vitro translation product of this cDNA was a 36-kDa protein using both hybridization-selected RNA and in vitro transcribed RNA. We estimate that GAPDH mRNA comprises approx. 0.7% of total mRNA in the cloned T cells in late G1. GAPDH mRNA is induced two- to fivefold over resting levels upon IL2 stimulation, due in part to an increased rate of transcription. GAPDH enzymatic activity is induced approx. sevenfold over resting levels. The induction of GAPDH mRNA is inhibited only slightly by CHX under conditions in which cell proliferation is inhibited. In addition, the induction of GAPDH is directly due to the effect of IL2, and not in conjunction with any serum components, since IL2 will induce GAPDH mRNA under serum-free conditions. Finally, when genomic DNA is probed with a full-length GAPDH cDNA, a complex pattern of bands is observed, whereas if a 5' end probe is used, a much simpler pattern is obtained, indicating that many of the GAPDH pseudogenes in the murine genome lack 5' sequence information.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Deletion of carboxy-terminal residues of murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor results in a loss of biologic activity and altered glycosylation.

A deletion mutant of murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) which differs in primary structure from native GM-CSF in the carboxy-terminal 11 amino acids was prepared. Four amino acid residues are mutated and the seven terminal residues including Cys-118 are deleted. Supernatants from COS-1 cells transfected with this deletion mutant (GM-CSF(del] showed a 3000-fold decrease in the ability to stimulate bone marrow stem cells to proliferate and differentiate into granulocytes and macrophages in vitro. Northern blot analysis using poly(A)+ RNA extracted from the transfected cells showed equal accumulations of GM-CSF and GM-CSF(del). Transfection with full-length GM-CSF followed by immunoprecipitation of metabolically labeled supernatant proteins with rabbit anti-rGM-CSF antiserum yielded predominantly the 23-kDa, fully glycosylated form and small amounts of both a 29-kDa form and the 18-kDa non-N-glycosylated form. Transfection of the GM-CSF(del) mutant and immunoprecipitation revealed a large, diffuse band on sodium dodecyl sulfate--polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with a molecular weight of about 29 kDa. Digestion of the immunoprecipitated 29-kDa species with N-glycanase converted the 29-kDa form into two forms of about 23 and 18 kDa, suggesting that the increase in molecular weight of the deletion mutant protein resulted from hyperglycosylation. Adding tunicamycin to the culture medium of cells transfected with GM-CSF(del) also yielded a single non-N-glycosylated species of about 18 kDa, but secretion was at a significantly lower level than either the 29-kDa hyperglycosylated GM-CSF(del) protein from non-tunicamycin-treated cells or the 18-kDa non-N-glycosylated full-length GM-CSF from tunicamycin-treated cells. Since very recent scanning-deletion analysis indicates that there is a critical region for activity near Cys-118 and that Cys-118 is necessary for maximal activity, we conclude that the Cys-118 residue is necessary for proper glycosylation and maximal biologic activity of GM-CSF.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Cyclin mRNA and protein expression in recombinant interleukin 2-stimulated cloned murine T lymphocytes.

Expression of cyclin, a non-histone nuclear protein, during recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL2)-driven cell-cycle progression of cloned T lymphocytes has been assessed. We found that expression of cyclin protein, as detected by immunofluorescence, is tightly associated with proliferation, and not merely S-phase, of L2 cells stimulated with rIL2. Cyclin immunofluorescence was detected in all cell-cycle phases (G1/S/G2/M, as detected by flow cytometry) of proliferating L2 cells. Accumulation of cyclin mRNA levels was induced as early as 1 h after stimulation, was maximal at 25-49 h, and remained elevated throughout stimulation, as detected by Northern blot analysis. A cDNA-encoding murine cyclin was cloned from a cDNA library prepared from IL2-stimulated cloned T cells. The sequence of the 5' end of the murine cyclin cDNA was determined and found to be 88% and 82% similar to the sequences of cDNA clones encoding rat and human cyclin, respectively. The present studies demonstrate that cyclin protein and mRNA accumulation are highly regulated during IL2-induced proliferation of a cloned T cell. These data provide a framework for addressing the molecular mechanisms regulating cyclin gene expression during cellular proliferation.

Animals↗

Myeloperoxidase and oncogene expression in GM-CSF induced bone marrow differentiation.

DNA synthesis, morphology, specific RNA accumulation and rates of specific protein synthesis in GM-CSF stimulated bone marrow progenitor cells were studied. DNA synthesis increased markedly for 64 hours and then gradually decreased to 5% maximal activity by 160 hours. Morphologic examination 40 to 64 hours after stimulation revealed an increasing proportion of immature myeloid cells. After this proliferative peak, cells differentiated into segmented neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages; only mature forms were present by 160 hours. Accumulation of mRNA for c-myb and c-myc was maximal at 40 hours just prior to maximal [3H]thymidine incorporation, while maximal accumulation of histone type 3 (H3) was coincident with maximal [3H]thymidine incorporation at 64 hours. As proliferation decreased and differentiation proceeded, levels of mRNA for c-myb and H3 decreased markedly, while levels of RNA for c-myc decreased gradually and remained elevated above day 0 levels. Levels of c-fos mRNA fluctuated slightly during the first 64 hours of culture and increased 13-fold by 160 hours when mature cells were present. Similarly, beta-2 microglobulin mRNA increased steadily to maximal levels at 112 to 160 hours which were 15-fold higher than day 0 levels. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) mRNA was present in maximal amounts at 40 to 64 hours after stimulation with GM-CSF as the number of immature myeloid cells peaked. Immunoprecipitation of MPO from pulse-labeled cell lysates demonstrated a 7-fold rise in synthetic rate of MPO of 64 hours and a 28-fold decline by 160 hours when only 5% immature myeloid cells were present. Thus, MPO protein synthesis closely follows MPO mRNA accumulation. Immunoprecipitation of lactoferrin, a marker of myeloid secondary granules, demonstrated a gradual 5-fold increase in synthetic rate as the cells matured. Taken together, these data show that maximal expression of the early myeloid differentiation enzyme myeloperoxidase in GM-CSF stimulated normal bone marrow cells occurs during peak proliferation of immature myeloid cells.

Animals↗

Isolation and initial characterization of multiple species of T-lymphocyte subset cDNA clones.

A modified differential screening procedure was applied to analyze cDNA libraries of cloned helper T lymphocytes (Th) and cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL). Negative and positive differential screening and RNA blot analysis were used to identify cDNA clones that were expressed preferentially in Th or CTL. Seven clones corresponded to previously described T-cell genes, and 16 additional types of cDNA clones were isolated, 9 from Th and 7 from CTL. Of these, 3 were expressed in both Th and CTL, 7 were expressed in only Th, and 6 only in CTL. These clones were analyzed for induction after stimulation by interleukin 2 or Con A or after stimulation of the T-cell antigen receptor (TCR). Three different patterns of expression were seen: induction only by Con A, induction by Con A and interleukin 2, and induction by Con A and TCR stimulation. The approach is potentially useful for analyzing paths of T-cell differentiation and detecting cDNA clones encoding unrecognized cytokines.

Animals↗

Cloned T-cell proliferation and synthesis of specific proteins are inhibited by quinine.

Recombinant human interleukin 2 (rIL-2) drives the proliferation of the cloned murine T-helper line L2. The initial G1 activation occurs during the first 20 hr after stimulation, with DNA synthesis (S phase) beginning approximately 20 hr after rIL-2 stimulation. Three patterns of protein synthesis were observed during G1 activation. Type I proteins (e.g., p72 and p66) were synthesized at near maximal rates as early as 4 hr after stimulation, with little change in rates of synthesis through the G1 to S phase transition. Type II proteins (e.g., p52 and p36) were detectable early after stimulation, but their rates of synthesis continued to increase throughout G1 activation, becoming maximal 24-28 hr after stimulation. Type III proteins (e.g., p93, p89, and p63) were synthesized maximally 4 or 8 hr after rIL-2 stimulation, then their rates of synthesis declined markedly to prestimulation levels. Type II proteins, p52 and p36, were shown to be correlated with cell proliferation, since their rates of synthesis were maximal while L2 cells were proliferating and declined as the cells returned to a quiescent state. The potassium channel blocker quinine inhibited cell growth and the synthesis of p52 and p36 when added 0 or 2 hr after rIL-2 stimulation but not when added 6 hr after rIL-2 stimulation. Thus, a quinine-sensitive event occurring in L2 cells between 2 and 6 hr after rIL-2 stimulation is necessary for synthesis of type II proteins, DNA synthesis, and cell proliferation.

Animals↗

Increased voltage-gated potassium conductance during interleukin 2-stimulated proliferation of a mouse helper T lymphocyte clone.

Recent work has demonstrated the presence of voltage-gated potassium channels in human peripheral blood T lymphocytes (Matteson, R., and C. Deutsch, 1984, Nature (Lond.), 307:468-471; DeCoursey T. E., T. G. Chandy, S. Gupta, and M. D. Cahalan, 1984, Nature (Lond.), 307:465-468) and a murine cytolytic T-cell clone (Fukushima, Y., S. Hagiwara, and M. Henkart, 1984, J. Physiol., 351:645-656). Using the whole cell patch clamp, we have found a potassium conductance with similar properties in a murine noncytolytic T lymphocyte clone, L2. Under voltage clamp, a step from a holding potential of -70 mV to +50 mV produces an average outward current of 100-150 pA in "quiescent" L2 cells at the end of their weekly maintenance cycle. When these cells are stimulated with human recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL2, 100 U/ml), they grow in size and initiate DNA synthesis at approximately 24 h. Potassium conductance is increased as early as 8 h after stimulation with rIL2 and rises to a level 3-4 times that of excipient controls by 24 h. The level remains elevated through 72 h, but as the cells begin to leave the cell cycle at 72-96 h, the conductance decreases quickly to a value only slightly higher than the initial one. Quinine, a blocker of this conductance, markedly reduces the rate at which L2 cells traverse the cell cycle, while also reducing the rate of stimulated protein synthesis. The regulation of potassium conductance in L2 cells during rIL2-stimulated proliferation suggests that potassium channel function may play a role in support of the proliferative response.

Animals↗

Recombinant interleukin 2 regulates levels of c-myc mRNA in a cloned murine T lymphocyte.

The cellular oncogene c-myc has been implicated in the regulation of growth of normal and neoplastic cells. Recently, it was suggested that c-myc gene expression may control the G0----G1-phase transition in normal lymphocytes that were stimulated to enter the cell cycle by the lectin concanavalin A (ConA). Here we describe the effects of purified recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL2) and of ConA on levels of c-myc mRNA in the noncytolytic murine T-cell clone L2. In contrast to resting (G0) primary cultures of lymphocytes, quiescent L2 cells have a higher RNA content than resting splenocytes and express receptors for interleukin 2 (IL2). Resting L2 cells are therefore best regarded as early G1-phase cells. Purified rIL2 was found to stimulate the rapid accumulation of c-myc mRNA in L2 cells. Levels of c-myc mRNA became maximal within 1 h and declined gradually thereafter. In contrast, ConA induced slower accumulation of c-myc mRNA in L2 cells, with increased levels of c-myc mRNA becoming detectable 4 to 8 h after stimulation. Experiments with the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide demonstrated that the increase in levels of c-myc mRNA that were induced by ConA was a direct effect of this lectin and not secondary to IL2 production. Cyclosporin A, an immunosuppressive agent, markedly reduced the accumulation of c-myc mRNA that was induced by ConA but only slightly diminished the accumulation of c-myc mRNA that was induced by rIL2. Taken together, these data provide evidence that (i) c-myc gene expression can be regulated by at least two distinct pathways in T lymphocytes, only one of which is sensitive to cyclosporine A, and (ii) the accumulation of c-myc mRNA can be induced in T cells by IL2 during the G1 phase of the cell cycle.

Animals↗