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Biomedical subjects

F E Young

Publications and source records attributed to F E Young.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Contemporary issues: diseases with a food vector.

Foodborne disease has become a contemporary issue. Several large, well-publicized outbreaks of foodborne disease have heightened public awareness that harmful microorganisms may be present in food and that chronic as well as acute disease may be caused by foodborne microbes. The field of food microbiology has likewise experienced a resurgence of interest. New tools, such as recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid technology and monoclonal antibody production, used to elucidate microbial virulence factors have facilitated identification of disease-causing microbes once thought to be harmless and demonstrated the complexity of individual virulence mechanisms previously considered to be well understood. Foodborne pathogens are also causing disease via some surprising food vectors, such as chopped, bottled garlic and sauteed onions. In addition to acute gastrointestinal disturbances, certain microorganisms may, through complex interactions with the human immune response, cause chronic diseases that affect several major organ systems. These microbes are serving as models in studies of molecular mimicry and genetic interrelatedness of procaryotes and eucaryotes. Other recently recognized attributes of foodborne microorganisms, such as the heat shock phenomenon and the possible nonculturability of some bacteria, may affect their ability to cause disease in humans. Because foodborne disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, the study of these diseases and their causative microorganisms presents a unique challenge to many professionals in the subdisciplines of microbiology, epidemiology, and clinical medicine.

Bacterial Toxins↗
PubMed1987

DNA probes. Fruits of the new biotechnology.

The emergence of recombinant DNA technology in the 1970s has given rise to new diagnostic techniques based on DNA probes. The Food and Drug Administration's interest in these probes stems from its regulatory responsibilities regarding DNA probes as medical devices. The agency also sees DNA probes as valuable tools in meeting its mission of identifying, preventing, and resolving public health problems, especially in the area of food safety. The development of DNA probes for genetic diseases is raising medical and ethical questions that must be addressed by the medical community, whose ultimate responsibility must be to see that this new technology is used wisely, appropriately, and correctly.

Biotechnology↗
PubMed1987

Evidence for prokaryotic transcription and translation control regions in the human factor IX gene.

A human factor IX cDNA clone isolated from a liver cDNA library constructed in phage lambda gt11 vector was shown to express factor IX protein in Escherichia coli. A factor IX immunospecific protein of 46.8 kDa was expressed, but was not a beta-galactosidase-factor IX fusion protein. Expression was seen when the factor IX cDNA was cloned into two different vector systems, lambda gt11 and pUC9, in both orientations with respect to the vector lacZ promoter. The expression of factor IX was not under control of the lacZ promoter of either vector system. In addition, when the factor IX cDNA fragment was subcloned in both orientations into a promoterless cloning vector (p CPP3), the factor IX cDNA fragment demonstrated promoter activity when inserted in only one orientation resulting in expression of chloramphenicol acetyl transferase in E. coli and Bacillus subtilis. A DNA computer search of the N-terminal sequences of the factor IX gene revealed prokaryotic-like promoter and ribosome-binding site (RBS) sequences with strong homology to the E. coli consensus sequences. The predicted sites homologous with prokaryotic promoter and RBS consensus sequences are followed by an in-frame methionine which could correspond to the translation start codon of the expressed factor IX. This report provides the first evidence that a eukaryotic gene encodes the information necessary for both transcription and translation to control gene expression in a prokaryotic host.

Bacteriophage lambda↗
PubMed1986

Biotechnology: the view from the FDA.

What is biotechnology? This is not a naive question. The Office of Technology Assessment has found differing definitions of biotechnology emanating from eight foreign countries and three international organizations. FDA's working definition of biotechnology is the application of biological systems and organisms to technical and industrial processes. This definition is necessarily broad. It takes in both the "old" and "new" science: the age-old techniques for making beer or yogurt as well as the most advanced uses of recombinant DNA technology. It takes in many applications, from production of enzymes for laundry detergents, to selective breeding of plants and animals, to genetic engineering of bacteria to clean up oil spills. As with any new technology, ethical issues are raised. But in the case of genetic engineering and cloning, many of the primordial fears of man concerning the power of science are awakened.

Biotechnology↗
PubMed1985

Autoplaquing in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Irregularly shaped autoplaques were observed on a lawn of two different strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Autoplaquing occurred on gonococcal genetic medium lacking arginine and was noninducible on complete gonococcal genetic medium. The cell density, incubation temperature, and agar base influenced autoplaquing. Single-colony suspensions varied in plaque morphology. We were unable to isolate a stable nonplaquing variant but separated strain RUN5287 into two plaquing phenotypes.

Arginine↗
PubMed1985

More precise localization of the human factor IX gene by in situ hybridization.

The location of the human antihemophilic Factor IX has been more specifically assigned from the region Xq27----qter to Xq26----q27 by quantitative in situ hybridization. The present study utilized a complex hybridization probe and prephotographed G-banded human chromosomes to improve analytical sensitivity and accuracy.

Chromosome Banding↗
PubMed1984

The effect of carbohydrate depletion on procoagulant activity and in vivo survival of highly purified human factor VIII.

Human factor VIII procoagulant protein (factor VIII) was purified using a modification of our previously described method, in which Sephacryl S-400 elution, rather than QAE-cellulose chromatography, served as the final purification step. The protein had a specific activity of more than 2500 U/mg and consisted of a single polypeptide (Mr 100 000) when analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Factor VIII was shown to be a glycoprotein by staining with periodic acid-Schiff's reagent following electrophoresis. Treatment of factor VIII with a mixture of exo- and endoglycosidases caused a reduction by about 50% in the intensity of periodic acid-Schiff staining, as determined by scanning densitometry, and an increase in electrophoretic mobility (equivalent to a new Mr 95 000). Removal of this portion of the total carbohydrate had no significant effect on factor VIII clotting activity or on thrombin potentiation of clotting activity. The in vivo survival curves of a native and sugar-depleted 125I-labeled factor VIII both showed similar patterns of initial rapid decay to 60 and 40% activity, respectively, followed by a one-half decay time of 4 h for both. These results suggest that the carbohydrate portion of human factor VIII does not contribute significantly to either clotting function in vitro or to biological turnover in vivo.

Animals↗