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E Meier

Publications and source records attributed to E Meier.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Extreme heterogeneity in populations of vesicular stomatitis virus.

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) sequence evolution and population heterogeneity were examined by T1 oligonucleotide mapping. Individual clones isolated from clonal pools of wild-type Indiana serotype VSV displayed identical T1 maps. This was observed even after one passage at high concentrations of the potent viral mutagen 5-fluorouracil. Under low-multiplicity passage conditions, the consensus T1 fingerprint of this virus remained unchanged after 523 passages. Interestingly, however, individual clones from this population (passage 523) differed significantly from each other and from consensus sequence. When virus population equilibria were disrupted by high-multiplicity passage (in which defective interfering particle interference is maximized) or passage in the presence of mutagenic levels of 5-fluorouracil, rapid consensus sequence evolution occurred and extreme population heterogeneity was observed (with some members of these population differing from others at hundreds of genome positions). A limited sampling of clones at one stage during high-multiplicity passages suggested the presence of at least several distinct master sequences, the related subpopulations of which exhibit at least transient competitive fitness within the total virus population (M. Eigen and C.K. Biebricher, p. 211-245, in E. Domingo, J.J. Holland, P. Ahlquist, ed., RNA Genetics, vol. 3, 1988). These studies further demonstrate the important role of selective pressure in determining the genetic composition of RNA virus populations. This is true under equilibrium conditions in which little consensus sequence evolution is observed owing to stabilizing selection as well as under conditions in which selective pressure is driving rapid RNA virus genome evolution.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Inactivation of dopamine D-1 or D-2 receptors differentially inhibits stereotypies induced by dopamine agonists in rats.

Ex vivo D-1 or D-2 receptor binding in the striatum was reduced by 65-78% after treatment with EEDQ (N-ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline) in combination with either the D-2 antagonist, raclopride, or the D-1 antagonist, SCH 23390, respectively. EEDQ induced a 65% reduction in D-1 receptor binding and a 51% decrease in cAMP production in striatal homogenates. Selective D-2 receptor inactivation inhibited the stereotyped behaviour induced by the mixed D-1/D-2 agonist, apomorphine, or by the D-2 agonist, quinpirole, when given alone and in combination with the D-1 agonist, SK&F 38393. Selective inactivation of D-1 receptors did not inhibit the behavioural effects of quinpirole when given alone and in combination with the D-1 agonists, SK&F 81297, SK&F 38393 or SK&F 75670. Likewise, the effect of apomorphine was unchanged. These results indicate that a normal density of D-2 receptors is critical for the expression of the stereotyped behaviour induced by DA agonists. In contrast, there is a large surplus of D-1 receptors to enable the response to a D-2 agonist. This is particularly illustrated by the persistent behavioural effects of the partial D-1 agonist, SK&F 75670, in rats with up to a 78% decrease in D-1 receptor binding.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMed1988

GABA agonist promoted formation of low affinity GABA receptors on cerebellar granule cells is restricted to early development.

The ability of the GABA receptor agonist 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-3-ol (THIP) to promote formation of low affinity GABA receptors on cerebellar granule cells was tested using primary cultures of these neurons. Granule cells were exposed to THIP (150 microM) for 6 hr after, respectively, 4, 7, 10 and 14 days in culture. It was found that THIP treatment of 4- and 7-day-old cultures led to formation of low affinity GABA receptors, whereas such receptors could not be detected after THIP treatment in the older cultures (10 and 14 days) in spite of the fact that these cultured granule cells expressed a high density of high affinity GABA receptors. It is concluded that the ability of THIP to promote formation of low affinity GABA receptors on cerebellar granule cells is restricted to an early developmental period.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Heterocyclic muscarinic agonists. Synthesis and biological activity of some bicyclic sulfonium arecoline bioisosteres.

A number of S-methylsulfonium analogues of the conformationally restricted muscarinic agonists of the 3-alk-oxy-4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[4,5-c]pyridine (O-alkyl-THPO) type have been synthesized. The effects on muscarinic receptors of these 3-alkoxy-5-methyl-6,7-dihydro-4H-thiopyrano[3,4-d]isoxazol-5 -ium (O-alkyl-S-methyl-DHTO) analogues (7a-d) were assessed in receptor-binding experiments with tritiated oxotremorine M, pirenzepine, and quinuclidinyl benzilate as ligands and were supported by studies on the isolated guinea pig ileum. The degree of muscarinic agonist activity of the compounds (M-agonist index) and their selectivity for M-1 or M-2 muscarinic receptor subtypes (M-2/M-1 index) were estimated on the basis of receptor-binding studies. The in vitro pharmacological profiles of the compounds were compared with those of arecoline and its sulfonium and 3-methoxyisoxazole isosteres, sulfoarecoline and O,5-dimethyl-THPO, respectively. While O-methyl-DHTO (5a) and N-methyl-DHTO (6a) were inactive, all of the sulfonium analogues 7a-d were muscarinic agonists with the exception of O-ethyl-S-methyl-DHTO (7b), which showed a muscarinic antagonist profile.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Gamma-aminobutyric acid agonist-induced alterations in the ultrastructure of cultured cerebellar granule cells is restricted to early development.

The effect of 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]-pyridin-3-ol (THIP) on the ultrastructural composition of cultured cerebellar granule cells was investigated during development by quantitative electron microscopy (morphometric analysis). Granule cells were exposed to THIP (150 microM) for 6 h after 7 and 14 days, respectively, in culture. THIP treatment of 7-day-old cultures led to a statistically significant increase in the cytoplasmic density of rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, vesicles, and coated vesicles, whereas no significant increase in the cytoplasmic density of these organelles was observed in 14-day-old cultures exposed to THIP for 6 h. These findings show that the effect of THIP on the ultrastructural composition of cultured cerebellar granule cells is restricted to early development.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Relative dopamine D1 and D2 receptor affinity and efficacy determine whether dopamine agonists induce hyperactivity or oral stereotypy in rats.

The effects of a range of dopamine (DA) agonists on stereotyped behaviour in rats were analysed and compared both with the affinity of the compounds for D1 and D2 receptor binding sites in vitro and their ability to stimulate the adenylate cyclase activity in rat striatal homogenates. Full and partial agonists at the D1 receptor coupled to adenylate cyclase do not induce sterotypies when given alone, whereas full D2 agonists (e.g. quinpirole) induce hyperactivity but not oral sterotypies. Partial D2 agonists (e.g. (-)-3-PPP) only induce sedation. Mixed D1/D2 agonists (e.g. apomorphine) induce both hyperactivity and oral stereotypies. Maximum stereotypies were induced by combination of SK & F 38393 and a series of D2 agonists, including full agonists and the partial D2 agonist B-HT 920, whereas partial agonists with low intrinsic activity (e.g. (-)-3-PPP, EMD 23448) did not induce stereotypies when given together with SK & F 38393. However, these partial agonists reduced the maximum effect of apomorphine, whereas the full agonists (e.g. quinpirole, (-)-NPA) and B-HT 920 had no apomorphine antagonistic activity. The mixed D1/D2 agonists apomorphine and N,N-dipropyl-5,6-ADTN were only weakly influenced by SK & F 38393, or not at all. D1 agonists with central effects, including SK & F 38393, SK & F 81297 (with relatively high efficacies), and the partial agonist SK & F 75670 with low efficacy, changed the hyperactivity induced by quinpirole into maximum oral stereotypy, whereas the peripheral D1 agonist fenoldopam had no such effect. Inhibition of DA and NA synthesis with alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine depleted striatal DA levels by 72 per cent and antagonized the hyperactivity induced by the D2 agonists quinpirole and (-)-NPA, but not that of apomorphine. Combination of SK & F 38393 and quinpirole induced maximum stereotypy in DA-depleted animals. These results suggest that D1 receptor tonus is a necessary prerequisite for the expression of a DA agonist's effect. The hyperactivity induced by full D2 agonists appears to be mediated by D1 tonus provided by endogenous DA activity, but stronger D1 stimulation is necessary to induce oral stereotypy. A high degree of D1 receptor activation increases the ability of partial D2 agonists to induce hyperactivity or oral stereotypies since treatment with both SK & F 38393 and B-HT 920 had marked effects while B-HT 920 was ineffective.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-ben↗
PubMed1988

A family of interferon-induced Mx-related mRNAs encodes cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins in rat cells.

Mouse Mx protein, an interferon (IFN)-induced nuclear protein, confers selective resistance to influenza virus. We show here that, as with influenza virus-resistant Mx+ mouse embryo cells, influenza virus mRNA accumulation and protein synthesis are strongly inhibited in rat embryo cells treated with IFN-alpha/beta. IFN-alpha/beta induced in rat cells the synthesis of Mx-related mRNAs migrating on Northern (RNA) gels as two bands of about 3.5 and 2.5 kilobases which directed the synthesis of three electrophoretically distinct proteins called rat Mx proteins 1, 2, and 3. The three rat proteins were antigenically related to the mouse Mx protein but differed in molecular weight and intracellular location. Rat Mx protein 1 was found predominantly in the nucleus and, on the basis of several criteria, resembled the nuclear mouse Mx protein. It was induced by IFN-alpha/beta in all 28 inbred rat strains tested. Rat Mx proteins 2 and 3 differed from protein 1 at the carboxy terminus and were predominantly cytoplasmic like the human Mx homolog. Sequence data of partial cDNA clones indicate that three Mx-related genes, rather than one, exist in the rat.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Influenza virus-susceptible mice carry Mx genes with a large deletion or a nonsense mutation.

The interferon-regulated mouse Mx gene encodes the 72-kilodalton nuclear Mx protein that selectively inhibits influenza virus replication. Mice carrying Mx+ alleles synthesize Mx protein and resist influenza virus infection, whereas mice homozygous for Mx- alleles fail to synthesize Mx protein and, as a consequence, are influenza virus susceptible. Southern blot analysis allowed us to define the following three distinct Mx restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) types among classical inbred strains: RFLP type 1 in the Mx+ strains A2G and SL/NiA, RFLP type 2 in BALB/c and 33 other Mx- strains, and RFLP type 3 in CBA/J and 2 other Mx- strains. cDNA clones of Mx mRNAs from BALB/c and CBA/J cells were isolated, and their sequences were compared with that of the wild-type Mx mRNA of strain A2G. Mx mRNA of BALB/c mice has 424 nucleotides absent from the coding region, resulting in a frame shift and premature termination of Mx protein. The missing sequences correspond exactly to Mx exons 9 through 11. These three exons, together with some flanking intron sequences, are deleted from the genomes of all Mx RFLP type 2 strains. The Mx- phenotype of the Mx RFLP type 3 strain CBA/J is due to a point mutation that converts the lysine codon in position 389 to a termination codon. Mx RFLP type 3 strains have an extra HindIII site which maps to an intron and thus probably does not affect the coding capacity of Mx mRNA. We further show that the Mx mRNA levels in interferon-treated BALB/c and CBA/J cells are about 15-fold lower than in similarly treated Mx+ cells. This is probably due to decreased metabolic stabilities of the mutant mRNAs.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

The effect of a neuron-specific antiserum, BPM, on the in vitro development of cerebellar granule cells.

Anti-BPM is a neuron-specific antiserum which specifically recognizes the D2 cell adhesion molecule in crossed immunoelectrophoresis of Triton X-100-solubilized brain extracts. Here the effect of this antiserum on the in vitro development of cerebellar neuronal cultures is described. The initial adhesion of cells and neurite outgrowth were not influenced by immunoglobulin fractions of anti-BPM. However, after 5 days in vitro the cultures had become completely disorganized, with the majority of cells being dead at immunoglobulin concentrations greater than 0.5 mg/ml culture medium. This effect was seen only with immunoglobulins and their F(ab')2 fragments, the F(ab') fragments being without effect. The addition of anti-BPM to 8-day-old cultures resulted in a more rapid and pronounced rate of cell death. In many instances this was preceded by a rapid "destabilization" of culture organization. The cytotoxic effect of anti-BPM was neuron specific and the small numbers of astrocytes and fibroblasts found in the cultures were unaffected by prolonged exposure to this serum.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Organization of and access to semantic memory in aphasia.

Previous experiments with picture sorting and matching tasks have shown aphasics to give more deviant responses than controls when decisions require the identification of single features of concepts, whereas their responses are close to normal whenever decisions have to be based on the relative overlap of broad associative fields. The present experiment was designed to compare picture matching based on single features (property verification) with picture matching based on category membership (category verification). Fifty-five aphasics (14 amnesics, 18 Brocas, 13 Wernickes, 10 global aphasics) and 29 right-brain-damaged control patients served as subjects. Aphasics were poorer than right hemisphere controls on property as well as on category sortings, especially when the sorting criterion was not a dominant property of the object or when the object in question was not a typical member of the criterion category. Contrary to other studies, the "semantic distance" variable did not differentially affect Brocas as compared to Wernickes aphasics. Verbal labels denoting the sorting criterion and added to the picture presentation did not affect the performance of the right hemisphere controls but significantly improved that of the aphasics.

Aphasia↗
PubMed1987

Temporal development of GABA agonist induced alterations in ultrastructure and GABA receptor expression in cultured cerebellar granule cells.

The temporal development of the effect of THIP (4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-3-ol) on the ultrastructure composition and GABA receptor expression in cerebellar granule cells was investigated by quantitative electron microscopy (morphometric analysis) and GABA binding assays. It was found that the cytoplasmic density of smooth endoplasmic reticulum was decreased, while the cytoplasmic density of rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, vesicles and coated vesicles was greatly enhanced after exposure of the cells to THIP (150 microM) for only 1 hr. In cerebellar granule cells exposed to THIP (150 microM) for 3 hr low affinity GABA receptors were induced. These findings show that the effect of THIP on the ultrastructure composition and GABA receptor expression in cultured cerebellar granule cells may be interrelated and moreover it is likely that the turn-over of GABA receptors is extremely fast.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Memory for spatial and temporal order in aphasics and right hemisphere damaged patients.

Sets of five photographs per item were presented successively in five vertically arranged frames to 53 aphasics, 27 right hemisphere damaged (RHD) patients and 18 normal subjects. Following the presentation of the five slides subjects were given a spatial and a temporal recognition task. In the spatial task subjects had to indicate which of two pictures of a probe had been nearer to the top of the vertically arranged set of frames. In the temporal task they had to indicate which of the two pictures of the probe had been presented earlier. Aphasics made significantly more errors than RHD and normals in both the spatial and the temporal task, while RHD were significantly impaired in comparison to the normal controls only in the spatial task.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Effect of repeated treatment with a gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor agonist on postnatal neural development in rats.

The effect of treatment with the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonist tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-3-ol (THIP) on neural development was monitored in rats by following the expression of the neuron-specific proteins neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), D1, and D3 as well as the enzymes glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH). As judged from the effect of the treatment on the expression of NCAM and GAD, GABA agonists have the capacity to accelerate and enhance neuronal development during the early postnatal period. However, as judged from the expression of D1- and D3-protein some adverse late effects may result from prolonged treatment with high doses of GABA agonists. The decrease in GLDH specific activity observed in THIP-treated rats during their late postnatal development possibly indicates a repression of glutamatergic neurons.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Homotypic and heterotypic exclusion of vesicular stomatitis virus replication by high levels of recombinant polymerase protein L.

The recombinant polymerase protein L of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) expressed in COS cells is able to transcribe and replicate the viral genome, resulting in complementation of temperature-sensitive polymerase mutants of VSV at the restrictive temperature (M. Schubert, G. G. Harmison, C. D. Richardson, and E. Meier, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82:7984-7988, 1985). Here we report that the efficiency of complementation is dependent on the level of L protein expression. Unexpectedly, only cells expressing low levels of recombinant L protein efficiently complemented tsL gene mutants, whereas cells with high levels of L protein did not. In fact, in all cells with high levels of L protein expression, which at 40 h posttransfection represented almost the total number of transfected cells, viral replication not only of the temperature-sensitive mutant but also of wild-type VSV was excluded. The inhibition of VSV appeared to occur at an early stage of the infectious cycle, and wild-type virus of the same serotype (Indiana) as the recombinant L protein as well as wild-type virus of a different serotype (New Jersey) was affected. Measles virus, on the other hand, was not arrested in cells with high levels of recombinant L protein, demonstrating that these cells were still capable of supporting a viral infection. The expression of high levels of only the amino-terminal half of the L protein from a recombinant mutant L gene that contains a small out-of-frame deletion in the middle of the L gene did not inhibit a VSV infection. Since the level of amplification for both L- and truncated L-encoding vectors is similar, we conclude that the arrest of VSV was caused by high levels of functional full-length L protein itself and not by high levels of vector-encoded L mRNA or other vector products or by side effects of vector amplification. These data strongly support the idea that the highly conserved gene order of nonsegmented negative-strand viruses and the sequential and attenuated mode of transcription are important regulatory elements which balance the intracellular concentration of viral proteins. They both assure that the L gene is the last and the least frequently transcribed gene, giving rise to low levels of L protein necessary for efficient replication.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Pharmacologically distinct glutamate receptors on cerebellar granule cells.

Cultured cerebellar granule cells were found to exhibit calcium-dependent release of 3H-D-aspartate when stimulated with excitatory amino acids. L-glutamate and L-aspartate were found to be potent stimulators of 3H-D-aspartate release, D-aspartate was weaker and only minor effects were seen with D-glutamate, quisqualate, kainate, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and L-alpha-aminoadipate (L-alpha AA). It was also found that only L-glutamate and L-aspartate showed high affinity for the 3H-L-glutamate binding sites on granule cell membranes. Stimulation by L-glutamate of 3H-D-aspartate release could be blocked by various excitatory amino acid antagonists. From the relative potencies of agonists and antagonists on D-aspartate release it is suggested that cerebellar granule cells express functionally active glutamate receptors with pharmacological characteristics different from all known excitatory amino acid receptors.

2-Aminoadipic Acid↗
PubMed1986

GABA-agonists induce the formation of low-affinity GABA-receptors on cultured cerebellar granule cells via preexisting high affinity GABA receptors.

The kinetics of specific GABA-binding to membranes isolated from cerebellar granule cells, cultured for 12 days from dissociated cerebella of 7-day-old rats was studied using [3H]GABA as the ligand. The granule cells were cultured in the presence of the specific GABA receptor agonist 4, 5, 6, 7-tetrahydroisoxazolo [5,4-c]pyridin-3-ol (THIP, 150 microM) or THIP plus the antagonist bicuculline methobromide (150 microM of each) or in the absence of the agonist or antagonist. Membranes isolated from granule cells cultured in a medium without the GABA agonist revealed a single binding site for GABA with a binding constant (KD) of 7.9 +/- 0.4 nM and a Bmax of 3.42 +/- 0.08 pmol X mg-1 protein. Membranes from cells cultured in the presence of THIP had two binding sites for GABA with KD-values of 6.8 +/- 0.9 nM and 476 +/- 311 nM, respectively. The corresponding Bmax values were 4.41 +/- 0.42 pmol X mg-1 and 5.81 +/- 1.20 pmol X mg-1. The effect of culturing the cells in THIP was antagonized by the simultaneous presence of bicuculline in the culture media, i.e. no significant low-affinity binding for GABA was found on the membranes from granule cells cultured in both THIP and bicuculline. The KD value (14.3 +/- 1.4 nM) for the high affinity binding site was, however, slightly increased compared to the non-treated cells. These findings suggest that the ability of THIP to induce formation of low-affinity GABA receptors is mediated by preexisting high-affinity GABA-receptors on the granule cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Gamma-aminobutyric acid affects the developmental expression of neuron-associated proteins in cerebellar granule cell cultures.

The effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on the expression of the neuron-associated D2 and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) was studied during development in culture of cerebellar granule cells. It was found that the presence of GABA during culture development increased the overall protein content. D2 content was also increased but not above the general increase in protein whereas NSE increased above the general level of protein. The presence of GABA in the growth medium also appeared to accelerate the changes in molecular forms of D2 and NSE seen during neuronal development. This suggests that GABA promotes or accelerates the general maturation of neurons, as these two neuron-associated proteins otherwise differ from each other with respect to their subcellular localization and their physiological and biochemical properties.

Animals↗