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D F Steiner

Publications and source records attributed to D F Steiner.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Effects of amino acid replacements within the tetrabasic cleavage site on the processing of the human insulin receptor precursor expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells.

We have studied the specificity requirements for processing of the human insulin proreceptor by successively replacing each basic amino acid in the tetrabasic cleavage site with alanine. These mutated receptor cDNAs have then been overexpressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells, using vectors containing the mouse dihydrofolate reductase gene to amplify the transfected cDNAs in the presence of increasing concentrations of methotrexate. High levels of expression, ranging up to 6 x 10(7) receptors/cell were achieved in these experiments. Replacement of the P1 arginine with alanine led to the complete suppression of processing, as occurs also in a naturally occurring serine mutation at this site (Yoshimasa, Y., Seino, S., Whittaker, J., Kakehi, T., Kosaki, A., Kuzuya, H., Imura, H., Bell, G. I., and Steiner, D. F. (1988) Science 240, 783-787). A small amount of cleavage at alternative sites was detected. Replacement of the P2 arginine or P3 lysine with alanine did not in either case affect conversion to mature alpha and beta subunits, while replacement of the P4 arginine significantly inhibited processing. The binding isotherms for the processed versions of the receptor were comparable to previously published normal values. The unprocessed proreceptor bound insulin normally but was autophosphorylated less efficiently than processed versions of the receptor expressed in the same cells. These results suggest that a single processing protease with trypsin-like specificity may be involved in processing both insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I receptor precursors as well as a variety of viral envelope glycoprotein precursors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Novel putative protein tyrosine phosphatases identified by the polymerase chain reaction.

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases) are a family of enzymes that specifically dephosphorylate phosphotyrosyl residues in selected protein substrates. To more fully understand the regulatory role of protein tyrosine phosphorylation and dephosphorylation in cellular signal transduction, characterization of PTPases is essential. Using the polymerase chain reaction and degenerate oligonucleotide primers corresponding to conserved amino acid sequences within the catalytic domain of PTPases, we have identified 11 PTPase-related human liver cDNA sequences. Five of these have not been described previously. These results indicate that, like protein tyrosine kinases, PTPases may also comprise a gene family with a large number of members.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Baculovirus-directed expression of the human insulin receptor and an insulin-binding ectodomain.

In this report we describe the use of the baculovirus expression system to overproduce the human insulin holoreceptor (HIR) and a truncated, secretory version of the HIR cDNA (HIRsec) consisting of the alpha subunit and the extracellular portion of the beta subunit (beta'). Sf9 cells infected with the full-length HIR viruses synthesize recombinant HIR (rHIR) with an insulin-binding alpha subunit of apparent Mr = 110,000 and a beta subunit of apparent Mr = 80,000. Uncleaved alpha beta proreceptor accumulates in infected cells. Both of these forms assemble into higher order disulfide-linked dimers or heterotetramers of apparent Mr greater than 350,000. Insulin-binding activity in cells infected with rHIR viruses is present predominantly on the extracellular aspect of the plasma membrane (greater than 80%). Insulin binding to the full-length rHIR occurs with typical complex kinetics with Kd1 = 0.5-1 x 10(-9) M and Kd2 = 10(-7) M and receptors are present in large amounts in infected cells (1 x 10(6) receptors/cell; 1-2 mg HIR/10(9) cells). The full-length rHIR undergoes insulin-dependent autophosphorylation; half-maximal activation of beta subunit autophosphorylation occurs at 1-2 x 10(-8) M. The alpha beta proreceptor also becomes phosphorylated in vitro. Analysis of tryptic phosphopeptides derived from in vitro autophosphorylated beta subunit and alpha beta proreceptor reveals a pattern of phosphorylation that is indistinguishable from that of authentic placental HIR. Sf9 cells infected with rHIRsec viruses synthesize and secrete an (alpha beta')2 heterotetrameric complex having an insulin-binding alpha subunit of apparent Mr = 110,000 and a truncated beta' subunit of apparent Mr = 45,000 that lacks kinase activity. The rHIRsec complex purified from the conditioned medium of infected cells binds insulin with high affinity (Kd = 10(-9) M).

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Identification of a human insulinoma cDNA encoding a novel mammalian protein structurally related to the yeast dibasic processing protease Kex2.

We have identified a human insulinoma cDNA (PC2) that encodes a protein homologous to the precursor processing Kex2 endoprotease of yeast by using a polymerase chain reaction to detect and amplify conserved sequences within the catalytic site. The 638-residue amino acid sequence of PC2 begins with a cleavable signal peptide, indicating that it enters the secretory pathway, and contains a 282-residue domain that is homologous to the catalytic modules of both Kex2 and the related bacterial subtilisins. Within this region 49 and 27% of the amino acids are identical to those in the aligned Kex2 and subtilisin BPN' sequences, respectively, and the catalytically essential Asp, His, and Ser residues are all conserved. Northern blot analysis revealed the presence of 2.8- and 5.0-kilobase hybridizing bands in mRNA from the insulinoma. The PC2 protein also shows great similarity to the incomplete NH2-terminal sequence of the human furin gene product, a putative membrane-inserted receptor-like molecule. We propose that PC2 is a member of a family of mammalian Kex2/subtilisin-like proteases that includes members involved in a number of specific proteolytic events within cells, including the processing of prohormones.

Adenoma, Islet Cell↗
PubMed1990

Islet amyloid polypeptide (amylin): no evidence of an abnormal precursor sequence in 25 type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic patients.

Islet amyloid polypeptide is the major protein component of the islet amyloid of patients with Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Since the synthesis of a structurally abnormal or mutant protein may contribute to the formation of amyloid deposits, we have examined the possibility that a mutant form of islet amyloid polypeptide or its precursor contributes to the formation of islet amyloid in Type 2 diabetic patients. We have sequenced the islet amyloid polypeptide precursor coding regions of the gene of 25 patients with Type 2 diabetes. Genomic DNA fragments corresponding to exon 2 and 3 of the islet amyloid polypeptide gene were amplified from patients' peripheral blood leucocyte DNAs using the polymerase chain reaction and specific oligonucleotide primer sets, and then directly sequenced. The nucleotide sequences of the amplified regions of both alleles of the islet amyloid polypeptide gene of these 25 patients were identical to one another and to the sequence of an islet amyloid polypeptide allele isolated from a human fetal liver genomic library. These findings suggest that a primary structural abnormality of islet amyloid polypeptide or its precursor is unlikely to play a significant role in the formation of islet amyloid in Type 2 diabetic patients.

Amyloid↗
PubMed1990

Molecular cloning of rat precursor cathepsin H and the expression of five lysosomal cathepsins in normal tissues and in a rat carcinosarcoma.

1. A rat cathepsin H cDNA was isolated from a rat liver cDNA library with synthetic oligonucleotide probes. 2. DNA sequence analysis indicated that it codes for rat preprocathepsin H. 3. Using this clone together with the cDNA for cathepsins B, D, L and S as probes, the expression of five major lysosomal proteinases was investigated in ten different normal rat tissues and in a rat carcinoma. 4. The common feature of their expression is that the five cathepsins have relatively high mRNA levels in lung and kidney, suggesting that they all play important roles in organs engaged in active protein metabolism. 5. In other tissues, the concentrations of the five cathepsin mRNAs are significantly different. This may indicate that their expressions are differentially regulated and that they may have specialized functions in specific tissues. 6. The cathepsin B mRNA level is at least 2.5-fold higher in the rat W256-carcinoma than in any of the normal rat tissues surveyed. 7. In contrast, the mRNA levels for the other four cathepsins show no comparable elevations. 8. This finding is consistent with previous observations reporting a correlation between cathepsins B expression and malignant tumors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Evolution of the insulin superfamily: cloning of a hybrid insulin/insulin-like growth factor cDNA from amphioxus.

Although insulin and the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) share marked similarities in amino acid sequence and biological activity, their evolutionary origins have not been resolved. To investigate this issue, we recently cloned a cDNA encoding an insulin-like peptide (ILP) from a primitive chordate species, amphioxus (Branchiostoma californiensis). The deduced sequence of amphioxus preproILP indicates that it is a hybrid molecule containing features characteristic of both insulin and IGF. Like proinsulin, amphioxus proILP contains a C-peptide, which is flanked by paired basic residues and is probably removed by proteolysis. However, proILP also contains an extended carboxyl-terminal peptide region that can be divided into D and E domains similar to those of proIGF. Sequence comparisons show that the amphioxus ILP A and B domains are equally homologous to those of human insulin and IGF-I and -II. Based on these results and the exon-intron organization of the amphioxus ILP gene, we propose that IGF emerged at a very early stage in vertebrate evolution from an ancestral insulin-type gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Cloning of complementary DNAs encoding islet amyloid polypeptide, insulin, and glucagon precursors from a New World rodent, the degu, Octodon degus.

The degu, Octodon degus, is a South American hystricomorph rodent that is of interest because it develops spontaneous diabetes mellitus and has been found to have islet amyloidosis. To help clarify these problems we have cloned cDNAs encoding islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), insulin, and glucagon precursors from this species. The predicted amino acid sequence of degu IAPP is very similar to that of nonamyloid-forming guinea pig IAPP. In contrast, degu insulin and the C-terminal region of degu glucagon are highly divergent from those of other mammals, as is also the case in the guinea pig, suggesting the existence of some form of positive evolutionary pressure on these hormones of carbohydrate metabolism in the hystricomorph rodents.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Lack of islet amyloid polypeptide regulation of insulin biosynthesis or secretion in normal rat islets.

We examined the effects of rat islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) on insulin biosynthesis and secretion by isolated rat islets of Langerhans. Culture of islets for 24 h in the presence of 10(-6) M IAPP and 5.5 mM glucose had no effect on insulin mRNA levels. Similarly, the rates of proinsulin biosynthesis were not altered in islets incubated in 10(-4)-10(-9) M IAPP and 5.5 mM glucose, nor was the rate of conversion of proinsulin to insulin changed at 10(-6) M IAPP. Addition of 10(-5) M IAPP to islets incubated in 11 mM glucose decreased the fractional insulin secretion rate; however, the secretion of newly synthesized proinsulin and insulin was not affected. These data indicate that it is unlikely that IAPP is a physiologically relevant modulator of insulin biosynthesis or secretion.

Amyloid↗
PubMed1990

Lessons learned from molecular biology of insulin-gene mutations.

Studies on naturally occurring and man-made mutations in the insulin gene have provided new insights into insulin biosynthesis, action, and metabolism. Ten families have been identified in which one or more members have single-point mutations in their insulin genes that result in amino acid substitutions within the proinsulin molecule. Six of these cause the secretion of biologically defective insulin molecules due to changes within the A or B chains. Replacing A3-Val with Leu, B24-Phe with Ser, or B25-Phe with Leu results in molecules that have essentially normal immunoreactivity but greatly reduced insulin-receptor-binding potency. Individuals with these mutations have a syndrome of mild diabetes or glucose intolerance, which is inherited in an autosomal-dominant mode and is associated with hyperinsulinemia and altered insulin-C-peptide ratios. Although affected individuals are heterozygous and coexpress both normal and abnormal molecules, the elevated circulating insulin consists mainly of the biologically defective form, which accumulates because it fails to be rapidly metabolized via receptor-mediated endocytosis. Four additional families have mutations that are associated with relatively asymptomatic hyperproinsulinemia. A point mutation affecting proinsulin occurs in 3 of the 4 families, leading to replacement of Arg-65 by His, which prevents recognition of the C-peptide-A-chain dibasic cleavage site by the appropriate beta-cell processing protease and results in the circulation of a type II proinsulin intermediate form (des 64, 65 HPI). Members of a fourth family with hyperproinsulinemia have a substitution of B10-His with Asp, resulting in a proinsulin that exhibits markedly altered subcellular sorting behavior.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Expression of five cathepsins in murine melanomas of varying metastatic potential and normal tissues.

The relative levels of mRNAs for cathepsins B, D, H, L, and S in eight normal murine tissues and three murine melanoma variants, B16-F1, B16-F10, and B16a, have been analyzed by RNA dot blot and densitometry. A direct correlation was observed between the levels of cathepsin B mRNA and the metastatic potentials of these three melanoma variants. The relative amount of cathepsin B mRNA in B16a, which is the melanoma variant with the highest metastatic potential, was at least 3 times greater than that found in any of the normal murine tissues surveyed. Similar results were obtained in analyses of either solid tumors or of cultures of tumor cells, confirming that the tumor cells themselves were the source for the elevated expression of cathepsin B mRNA. Northern blot analysis revealed the presence of three cathepsin B transcripts of 5.0, 4.0, and 2.2 kilobases in the melanoma variants, while only the 2.2-kilobase transcript was seen in the normal murine tissues. Concurrently with the mRNA analysis, enzyme assays for cathepsin B activity were also performed using synthetic peptide substrates. The assays revealed increased cathepsin B activities in the melanoma variants, corresponding well with the increased cathepsin B mRNA levels, and in addition demonstrated that all three of the melanoma variants secreted a latent form of cathepsin B into conditioned medium, which could be activated by limited proteolysis with pepsin. The levels of the latent enzyme released by the murine melanoma variants correlated well with the levels of cathepsin B mRNA and with the metastatic potentials as determined by spontaneous metastasis form a s.c. site.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Molecular cloning and sequencing of the cDNA for human membrane-bound carboxypeptidase M. Comparison with carboxypeptidases A, B, H, and N.

Carboxypeptidase M, a widely distributed membrane-bound carboxypeptidase that can regulate peptide hormone activity, was purified to homogeneity from human placenta (Skidgel, R. A., Davis, R. M., and Tan, F. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 2236-2241). The NH2-terminal 31 amino acids were sequenced, and two complementary oligonucleotide probes were synthesized and used to isolate a carboxypeptidase M clone from a human placental cDNA library. Sequencing of the cDNA insert (2009 base pairs) revealed an open reading frame of 1317 base pairs coding for a protein of 439 residues. The NH2-terminal protein sequence matched the deduced amino acid sequence starting with residue 14. Hydropathic analysis revealed hydrophobic regions at the NH2 and COOH termini. The NH2-terminal 13 amino acids probably represent part of the signal peptide, and the COOH-terminal hydrophobic region may act either as a transmembrane anchor or as a signal for attachment to a phosphatidylinositol glycan moiety. The carboxypeptidase M sequence contains six potential Asn-linked glycosylation sites, consistent with its glycoprotein nature. The sequence of carboxypeptidase M was 41% identical with that of the active subunit of human plasma carboxypeptidase N, 41% identical with bovine carboxypeptidase H (carboxypeptidase E, enkephalin convertase), and 15% with either bovine pancreatic carboxypeptidase A or B. Many of the active site residues identified in carboxypeptidases A and B, including all of the zinc-binding residues (2 histidines and a glutamic acid), are conserved in carboxypeptidase M. These data indicate that all of the metallocarboxypeptidases are related, but the nondigestive carboxypeptidases with more specialized functions, present in cell membranes, blood plasma, or secretory granules (i.e., carboxypeptidase M, carboxypeptidase N and carboxypeptidase H), are more closely related to each other (41-49% identity) than they are to carboxypeptidase A or B (15-20% identity).

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Conservation of the sequence of islet amyloid polypeptide in five mammals is consistent with its putative role as an islet hormone.

Islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) is a 37-amino acid peptide found in the pancreatic amyloid deposits of type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic patients and insulinomas. We previously reported the nucleotide sequence of a human cDNA, which indicated that IAPP is a C-terminally amidated peptide derived by proteolytic processing of an 89-amino acid precursor. We now report the isolation of cDNA clones coding for cat, rat, mouse, and guinea pig IAPP precursors, obtained using the combination of "amplification of homologous DNA fragments" (AHF) and "rapid amplification of cDNA ends" (RACE). The predicted structure of IAPP precursors from these four mammals revealed that the IAPP moiety of each is derived from an 89- to 93-amino acid precursor by proteolytic processing and is likely to be amidated at the C terminus. The predicted amino acid sequence identities between the IAPP domains of these four mammals and human IAPP were 89% (cat), 84% (rat and mouse), and 78% (guinea pig). Within the IAPP domains, the N-terminal and C-terminal amino acid sequences are very highly conserved among the mammals, as is also the case with a structurally related neuropeptide, calcitonin-gene-related peptide (CGRP), suggesting that IAPP and CGRP interact with similar though not identical receptors. By contrast, the N- and C-terminal propeptides of the IAPP precursor show very little sequence conservation, which suggests that these regions do not represent additional biologically active molecules. Interspecies variations in the amino acid sequence of residues 20-29 of IAPP may account for the presence of amyloid deposits in the islets of humans and cats and their absence in rats and mice.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Human islet amyloid polypeptide gene: complete nucleotide sequence, chromosomal localization, and evolutionary history.

The gene-encoding human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP), a recently discovered 37 amino acid hormone-like polypeptide which is expressed in the insulin-producing beta-cells of the endocrine pancreas, has been isolated and characterized. The coding region of the gene is interrupted in the 5'-untranslated region and NH2-terminal propeptide by introns of 330 and 4808 base pairs (bp), respectively. Exon 1 (104 bp) encodes most of the 5'-untranslated region of the mRNA; exon 2 (95 bp) encodes 15 nucleotides of 5'-untranslated region, the putative 22 amino acid signal peptide and five residues of the NH2-terminal propeptide; exon 3 (1246 bp) encodes the remainder of the NH2-terminal propeptide (residues 6-9), the IAPP moiety and its processing signals and the 16 amino acid COOH-terminal propeptide, as well as the 3'-untranslated region of the mRNA (1059 bp). Analysis of the nucleotide and predicted amino acid sequence of intron 2 of the hIAPP gene did not reveal any homology with the structurally related calcitonin/calcitonin-gene-related peptide genes and indicated that, in contrast to these latter genes, the hIAPP gene apparently gives rise to only a single hormonal product. The transcriptional initiation site was identified about 28 bp downstream from a TATAA sequence. The hIAPP gene was localized to the p12.3 region of chromosome 12.

Amino Acid Sequence↗