Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

F Y Zeng

Publications and source records attributed to F Y Zeng.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Renaturation and ligand blotting of the major subunit of the rat asialoglycoprotein receptor after denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Rat hepatic asialoglycoprotein receptors (ASGP-Rs) bind terminal clustered galactosyl or N-acetylgalactosaminyl residues with high affinity. The affinity-purified ASGP-R consists of three subunits designated RHL1, RHL2, and RHL3. The ligand-binding activity of individual subunits was investigated by ligand blotting, after separation of subunits by SDS-PAGE under nonreducing conditions, electrotransfer to nitrocellulose, and incubation with 125I-asialo-orosomucoid (ASOR). No ligand-binding to any subunits could be detected when proteins such as BSA, casein, gelatin, or fat-free dry milk were used as blocking agents. However, subsequent incubation of BSA-blocked nitrocellulose blots with some nonionic detergents resulted in renaturation of RHL1. 125I-ASOR-binding to RHL2 or RHL3 was weaker and could be detected only after longer exposure. Similarly, direct use of detergents such as Tween 20, Nonidet P-40, or Triton X-100 as blocking agents also preserved the ASOR-binding activity of RHL1. Ionic detergents tested did not show any ability to renature the ligand-binding activity of RHL subunits. Among nonionic detergents tested, Tween 20, Tween 85, Lubrol PX, Nonidet P-40, and Triton X-100 were more effective than Tween 40, Tween 65, Tween 80, or Brij 35, whereas SPAN, digitonin, or octyl-glucoside showed no effect. Weak 125I-ASOR binding to RHL2 or RHL3 could be detected only when the Tween series or Lubrol PX were used. Incubation of blots with dithiothreitol caused a dose-dependent loss of binding activity. The carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) of RHL1, isolated after subtilisin digestion of ASGP-R bound to ASOR-Sepharose, retained ligand-binding activity as assessed by its binding to ASOR-Sepharose and by ligand blotting. 125I-ASOR binding to electroblotted CRD after SDS-PAGE was also dependent on the presence of nonionic detergents. We conclude that restoration of ligand-binding activity of RHL1 after SDS-PAGE by some nonionic detergents is not dependent on the presence of the cytoplasmic, transmembrane, or stalk domains of this subunit.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Fatty acylation of the rat asialoglycoprotein receptor. The three subunits from active receptors contain covalently bound palmitate and stearate.

Rat hepatic asialoglycoprotein receptors (ASGP-Rs) are hetero-oligomers composed of three homologous glycoprotein subunits, designated rat hepatic lectins (RHL) 1, 2, and 3. ASGP-Rs mediate the endocytosis and degradation of circulating glycoconjugates containing terminal N-acetylgalactosamine or galactose, including desialylated plasma glycoproteins. We have shown in permeable rat hepatocytes that the ligand binding activity of one subpopulation of receptors (designated State 2 ASGP-Rs) can be decreased or increased, respectively, by ATP and palmitoyl-CoA (Weigel, P. H., and Oka, J. A. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 27186-27190). We proposed that a reversible and cyclic acylation/deacylation process may regulate ASGP-R activity during endocytosis, receptor-ligand dissociation, and receptor recycling. In the accompanying paper (Zeng, F-Y., and Weigel, P. H. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 21388-21395), we show that the ligand binding activity of affinity-purified State 2 ASGP-Rs is decreased by treatment with hydroxylamine under mild conditions consistent with these ASGP-Rs being fatty acylated in vivo. In this study, we used a chemical method to determine the presence of covalently-bound fatty acids in individual ASGP-R subunits. The affinity-purified ASGP-R preparations were separated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under nonreducing conditions, and the gel slices containing individual RHL subunits were treated with alkali to release covalently bound fatty acids, which were subsequently analyzed by gas chromatography and confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Both stearic and palmitic acids were detected in all three receptor subunits. Pretreatment of ASGP-Rs with hydroxylamine before SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis reduced the content of both fatty acids by 66-80%, indicating that most of these fatty acids are attached to cysteine residues via thioester linkages. Furthermore, when freshly isolated hepatocytes were cultured in the presence of [3H]palmitate, all three RHL subunits in affinity-purified ASGP-Rs were metabolically labeled. We conclude that RHL1, RHL2, and RHL3 are modified by fatty acylation in intact cells.

Acylation↗
PubMed1995

Hydroxylamine treatment differentially inactivates purified rat hepatic asialoglycoprotein receptors and distinguishes two receptor populations.

We previously showed that two subpopulations of asialoglycoprotein receptors (ASGP-Rs), designated State 1 and State 2 ASGP-Rs, are present in intact cells and that State 2 ASGP-Rs can be inactivated in permeable rat hepatocytes in a temperature- and ATP-dependent manner. These inactivated ASGP-Rs can be quantitatively reactivated by the addition of palmitoyl-CoA (Weigel, P. H., and Oka, J. A. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 27186-27190). Here we show that approximately 50% of purified rat ASGP-Rs are inactivated by treatment with hydroxylamine under mild conditions. The activity of affinity-purified ASGP-Rs was assessed by measuring the specific binding of 125I-asialo-orosomucoid (ASOR) in a dot-blot assay after immobilization onto nitrocellulose. Treatment of ASGP-Rs in solution with 0.0125-1.0 M NH2OH, pH 7.4, at 4 degrees C for 4 h resulted in a progressive loss of ASOR binding activity. ASGP-R inactivation with NH2OH occurred more readily at basic pH or at room temperature. Similar treatment with Tris had no effect on ASGP-R activity. The kinetics of ASGP-R activity loss and the dose-response for this inactivation were both biphasic, indicating the presence of two equal populations of ASGP-Rs with different sensitivities to NH2OH. The more sensitive population of ASGP-Rs (approximately 50%) was inactivated by treatment with 0.2 M NH2OH (4 degrees C, 4 h) or with 1.0 M NH2OH (4 degrees C, 1 h) without detectable peptide cleavage as assessed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. State 1 ASGP-Rs, purified from chloroquine- or monensin-treated hepatocytes, showed significantly less sensitivity to NH2OH treatment (both in kinetics and dose dependence). Furthermore, under mild conditions NH2OH caused dissociation and inactivation of approximately 50% of the total ASGP-Rs (State 1 and State 2) that were prebound to ASOR-Sepharose, whereas the same treatment caused dissociation of only < 20% of State 1 ASGP-Rs from such preformed complexes. As shown in the accompanying paper (Zeng, F. Y., Kaphalia, B. S., Ansari, G. A. S., and Weigel, P. H. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 21382-21387) all three RHL subunits of active ASGP-Rs, in fact, contain covalently attached palmitate and stearate. In cultured cells, [3H]palmitic acid is metabolically incorporated into all three subunits. These radiolabeled fatty acids are completely released from purified ASGP-Rs by mild NH2OH treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Differential response of the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase activity to several plant and mammalian lectins.

Biosignalling via lectins may involve modulation of protein kinase activities. This aspect of the biological action of mammalian and plant lectins has been investigated for their effect on the activity of the isolated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The constitutive tyrosine kinase activity of the epidermal growth factor receptor from rat liver, isolated by calmodulin-affinity chromatography, was activated by concanvalin A (ConA), and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) to a similar extent as the measured enhancement induced by EGF. In contrast, two mannose-specific lectins, the mannan-binding protein (MBP) and serum amyloid P component (SAP), isolated from human serum, have inhibitory effects, both in the absence and presence of EGF. The differential effects of these lectins were tested using as phosphorylatable substrates a co-polymer of glutamic acid-tyrosine, as well as calmodulin. However, two galactoside-specific lectins, the laminin-binding beta-galactoside-binding 14 kDa lectin, isolated from bovine heart (14K-BHL), and the alpha/beta-galactoside-binding lectin, isolated from mistletoe (Viscum album L.) leaves (VAA), do not inhibit the EGFR tyrosine kinase activity. The sugar dependence of the lectin-mediated action was studied by inhibition assays. Mannose and a mannose-containing neoglycoprotein prevent the activating effect of ConA, and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine partially prevents the activation produced by WGA. However, mannose and mannose-containing neoglycoprotein were ineffective to reduce the inhibitory effect of MBP or SAP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acetylglucosamine↗
PubMed1995

Differential expression of calcyclin and its accessible ligands in various types of cutaneous tumors.

Calcyclin is the product of a gene that is regulated in dependence of the cell cycle in fibroblasts in vitro. It has recently been proven to be a sialic acid-binding protein in vitro and in the case of mammalian tissues to bind specifically to annexin II, annexin VI, annexin XI, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner. Since calcyclin can be labelled without impairment of its binding activity, it can be employed as a histochemical tool to localize its accessible ligands. Concomitantly, immunohistochemical localization of calcyclin with a specific antibody is warranted. By using histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques, the expression of calcyclin and its accessible binding sites are demonstrated in serial sections of normal skin and benign, pre-cancerous and malignant tumors of the skin, namely in verruca vulgaris, papillary hidradenoma, syringoma, keratoacanthoma, Bowen's disease, squamous cell carcinoma, melanocytic naevi, primary and metastatic malignant melanoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) of the skin. Cytoplasmic and nuclear expression of calcyclin and its ligands is unexceptionally found in normal skin, epithelial tumors and benign melanocytic tumors. Presence of calcyclin and calcyclin-binding sites is detected in more than 80% of tumor cells in the epithelial lesions. In the group of melanomas and lymphomas heterogeneity is obvious. The application of annexin-specific antibodies raises evidence that members of this protein family co-localize with calcyclin in situ to some extent. These findings suggest that calcyclin and accessible calcyclin-binding molecules, like certain annexins, may be differentially regulated in melanomas and lymphomas in contrast to epithelial lesions with presently undefined biological implications.

Annexins↗
PubMed1995

Hydroxyurea therapy in beta-thalassaemia intermedia: improvement in haematological parameters due to enhanced beta-globin synthesis.

The beta-thalassaemias represent a heterogenous group of diseases resulting from decreased erythroid beta-globin mRNA expression and imbalanced alpha/beta-globin chain synthesis which are manifest clinically by ineffective erythropoiesis and excessive haemolysis. Increasing levels of haemoglobin F (HbF) by pharmacological agents has been proposed to ameliorate the severity of the disease by improving the balance in globin chain synthesis. Hydroxyurea (HU), as an effective agent with low toxicity for activating gamma-globin gene, has been shown to enhance HbF synthesis in experimental animals and in patients with sickle cell anaemia. However, previous trials of HU in beta-thalassaemia patients are ambiguous, with a small number having increased HbF synthesis. In a recent study of HU effects in Chinese beta-thalassaemia patients we unexpectedly found that two unrelated patients with beta-thalassaemia intermedia demonstrated an improvement in the effectiveness of erythropoiesis reflected by an increase in haemoglobin concentration (from 4.1 to 6.3 g/dl, patient 1; from 6.5 to 9.7 g/dl, patient 2) and in red cell volume (from 68 to 104 fl, patient 1; from 68 to 85 fl, patient 2) after a period of excess of 300d of low-dosage HU treatment. These effects, however, appear to be due to increased beta-globin biosynthesis, because the percentage of HbF decreased in each patient as total Hb increased. This was reflected by changes in the beta/alpha ratio (from 0.301 to 0.581, patient 1; from 0.348 to 0.487, patient 2) with minimal changes in gamma-globin biosynthesis. We conclude that in addition to its known effects in stimulating gamma-globin production, hydroxyurea may have a more general role in augmenting globin synthesis, including beta-globin in some thalassaemia intermedia patients who maintain the capacity to express normal beta-globin chains.

Female↗
PubMed1994

Characterization of the macrophage migration inhibitory factor-binding site of sarcolectin and its relationship to human serum albumin.

The sialic acid-binding protein sarcolectin from human placenta specifically interacts with the lymphokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor, enabling its convenient purification and histochemical localization. After cyanogen bromide-mediated cleavage of sarcolectin one polypeptide with an apparent molecular weight of approximately 15,000 exhibited binding capacity to the labelled lymphokine, as revealed by ligand blotting. The N-terminal sequence stretch of this peptide is identical to the respective sequence of human serum albumin, following the internal methionine residue in position 298. Cleavage at a methionine moiety in position 446 can explain the size of the 15 KDa product of chemical degradation. Close similarity of circular dichroism of sarcolectin and human serum albumin added further evidence to their structural similarity, calling for further studies to rigorously define their relationship.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Correlation of expression of binding sites for synthetic blood group A-, B- and H-trisaccharides and for sarcolectin with survival of patients with bronchial carcinoma.

Carrier-immobilised carbohydrates were used to monitor the presence of specific carbohydrate-binding sites in tissue sections. Sarcolectin, an interferon-alpha/beta antagonist and growth regulator, had been shown to bind the lymphokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). The lectin is thus a MIF-specific probe. Biotinylated sarcolectin, neoglycoproteins with lactose or N-acetylglucosamine residues, and polyacrylamide-attached trisaccharides, that represent the ABH histo-blood group antigens, were applied to sections of 187 primary lung carcinomas. The panel of cases consisted of 57 epidermoid carcinomas, 55 adenocarcinomas, 43 large cell anaplastic carcinomas and 32 small cell anaplastic carcinomas. 47 cases with intrapulmonary metastatic tumours were also included. Expression of binding sites of both sarcolectin and trisaccharides of histo-blood group antigens A and H correlated with patient survival in lung cancer. In view of the widely performed analysis of the presence of histo-blood group antigens, concomitant profiling of binding sites for these sugar components is suggested to be of potential benefit.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMed1994

RNA transcripts of the beta-thalassaemia allele IVS-2-654 C-->T: a small amount of normally processed beta-globin mRNA is still produced from the mutant gene.

IVS-2-654 C-->T is a common Chinese beta-thalassaemia mutation. Previous studies report that this mutation resulted in the formation of an abnormally spliced mRNA and the absence of detectable normal beta-globin mRNA, hence the mutation was considered to cause beta o-thalassaemia. We recently used the method of PCR amplified cDNA copies of circulating erythroid cell mRNA to analyse the mutant gene transcripts and found that this IVS-2-654 mutation does not abolish normal RNA processing entirely, but that a significant amount (over 15%) of normally processed beta-globin mRNA is produced. Microglobin chain biosynthetic analysis using the HPLC method showed that beta-globin chain was also present in the blood of patients with IVS-2-654 C-->T mutation. Accordingly, this mutant allele leads to a beta (+)-thalassaemia. Further, the methodology described in this paper provides a new approach towards the detection of RNA transcripts of beta-thalassaemia alleles as well as the study of gene expression in beta-thalassaemia and other genetic diseases.

Alleles↗
PubMed1994

Migration inhibitory factor-binding sarcolectin from human placenta is indistinguishable from a subfraction of human serum albumin.

Human sarcolectin is known as growth promoter and interferon-alpha/beta antagonist. Besides N-acetylneuraminic acid-dependent cell agglutination it also binds to a macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). Several types of negatively charged carbohydrates interfere with this binding, indicating importance of a negatively charged cluster. Since human serum albumin that has very similar properties in gel electrophoretic analysis can also bind to this factor with a comparatively reduced extent, sarcolectin and albumin are compared biochemically and immunologically. Their peptide maps, generated by cleavage with cyanogen bromide and N-chlorosuccinimide, reveal no differences. The N-terminal sequences are identical up to the fourteenth position that have unequivocally been determined. Reactivities to anti-human serum albumin antibody that inhibits binding of sarcolectin to MIF are similar. Fractionation of human albumin by chromatography on hydroxyapatite yields a subfraction with increased specific activity, measured by extent of inhibition of sarcolectin-MIF interaction. It exhibits the same inhibitory capacity as a similarly derived subfraction from sarcolectin. Interestingly, rabbit and pig serum albumins are as active as human albumin to inhibit binding of sarcolectin to MIF, whereas hamster, mouse, horse and bovine albumin preparations were ineffective up to 2.5 mg/ml. Thus, sarcolectin appears to be a subfraction of human serum albumin whose functionally relevant molecular peculiarities are presently unknown. Neither treatment with organic solvents nor with lipases, but exposure to trypsin, chymotrypsin and pronase can impair sarcolectin's ability to bind MIF.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Treatment of beta-thalassemia with hydroxyurea (HU)--effects of HU on globin gene expression.

A newly developed method of RT-PCR/competitive PCR for measuring the relative and absolute content of globin mRNAs as well as micro-globin chain biosynthetic assay have been used to study the alterations of globin gene expressions in the patients with beta-thalassemia pre- and post-hydroxyurea (HU) treatment. It was found for the first time that HU had the effect of enhancing beta-globin gene expression in some patients. Two cases with beta-thalassemia who were subjected to HU treatment for over two years showed a marked increase in beta-globin mRNA level and beta-globin chain synthesis, resulting in more effective erythropoiesis and the alleviation of clinical symptoms.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

The major binding protein of the interferon antagonist sarcolectin in human placenta is a macrophage migration inhibitory factor.

The interferon antagonist and growth promotor sarcolectin has affinity for negatively charged carbohydrates. Isolation of cellular binding proteins will be a step to elucidate its physiological significance. Thus, resin-immobilized sarcolectin was employed as affinity ligand for chromatographic fractionation of extract from human placenta. Elution with 0.1 M NH4OH or with 0.1 M N-acetylneuraminic acid and 1 M NaCl resulted primarily in purification of a protein of molecular mass of about 12 kDa according to gel electrophoretic analysis under denaturing conditions in the presence or absence of reductive agent and 12,470 Da by laser desorption mass spectrometry. The native molecular mass, assessed by gel filtration, is approximately 28 kDa. No evidence for detectable post-translational modification by glycosylation was provided by treatment with N-glycosidase F or sialidase and subsequent electrophoretic analysis. The N-terminal sequence of the major sarcolectin-binding protein is identical to that deduced from the cDNA sequence of a human macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), starting from its third amino acid, over the determined stretch of 22 amino acids. Comparison of the calculated molecular mass of 12,221 of this factor to the experimentally determined value of 12,470 excludes any extensive modification of the protein. The sarcolectin-binding protein reduces macrophage migration at a concentration of 100 ng/ml in MIF assays. Recombinant migration inhibitory factor and purified sarcolectin-binding protein reacted equally well with anti-MIF antibody in immunoblot analysis and in assays to block binding to sarcolectin. Binding of biotinylated sarcolectin, too, is nearly identical for the two protein preparations. It is optimal in the range pH 7-9 and is markedly impaired by increasing ionic strength. Chemical modification with group-specific reagents revealed that the integrity of carboxyl groups of the sarcolectin-binding protein and of lysine/arginine groups of sarcolectin are primarily important to maintain binding capacity. In addition to contribute to the understanding of the functional significance of sarcolectin this result provides a convenient procedure to purify a lymphokine.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Identification of annexin II, annexin VI and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase as calcyclin-binding proteins in bovine heart.

1. Matrix-immobilized calcyclin as affinity ligand in chromatography led to purification of three protein bands at 68, 36 and 35 kDa from bovine heart that required Ca2+ for binding. 2. Polyacrylamide-immobilized phosphatidylserine separated this fraction into a phospholipid-binding part (68 kDa, 35 kDa), also attaching to phospholipid vesicles even in the presence of calcyclin, and a flow-through part, constituting approx 30% of the total fraction (36 kDa). 3. Enzyme assays and electrophoretic mobility showed an at least close relationship of the 36 kDa band to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Interaction between enzyme and calcyclin in a solid-phase assay was inhibited by sialoglycoproteins and depended strongly on the integrity of carboxyl and hydrophobic groups of the enzyme. The interaction between the two proteins had a KD value of 110 nM. 4. Application of annexin-specific antibodies revealed an immunological relationship of the 35 and 68 kDa calcyclin-binding proteins to members of the annexin family, namely to annexin II (35 kDa) and annexin VI (68 kDa). The N-terminal amino acid sequence of a cleavage peptide of the 68 kDa protein was identical to a sequence stretch in human annexin VI, corroborating this evidence.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Detection of the lymphokine migration inhibitory factor in normal and disease-affected lung by antibody and by its major binding protein, the interferon antagonist sarcolectin.

Human migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is suggested to play a notable role in regulation of macrophage functions in host defense. A major binding component for the lymphokine in human tissue is the interferon antagonist sarcolectin. This high-affinity interaction gives access to MIF by affinity chromatography on immobilized sarcolectin and may be of significance for in situ activity of MIF. Localization of MIF is one step towards answering this question. Labelled sarcolectin and MIF-specific antibodies can be employed to analyze the expression of the factor. Surgical specimens of 74 patients, who underwent lobe/lung resection or diagnostic biopsy, were fixed with buffered formalin and embedded in paraffin. The material consisted of 36 cases of morphologically normal lung parenchyma of patients, suffering from bronchial carcinoma, of 16 cases with sarcoidosis, of 15 cases with tuberculosis and of 7 cases with idiopathic interstitial pneumonitis. The two types of probe to visualize presence of MIF invariably showed the same level of reactivity, underscoring the potential physiological significance of sarcolectin-MIF interaction. In detail, all cases with pneumonitis, most tuberculosis-affected as well as normal cases and 44% of the cases with sarcoidosis were positive. All positive cases with sarcoidosis and some cases from the other groups revealed accessible binding sites for biotinylated MIF.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1993

A new de novo mutation (A113T) in HMG box of the SRY gene leads to XY gonadal dysgenesis.

We describe a new point mutation in the SRY gene of a Chinese XY female with gonadal dysgenesis (Swyer syndrome). Using the double stranded DNA cycle sequencing method, a single nucleotide substitution of G-->A was identified at codon 113 of the patient's SRY gene, resulting in a conservative amino acid change from alanine (A) to threonine (T) at a residue that lies within the putative DNA binding motif. With this mutation, one MnlI recognition site is abolished and a new BsmAI site is present in the DNA sequence of the SRY gene; therefore, it is easily detected by analysis of the digestion of the amplified SRY DNA fragment on an electrophoretic agarose gel. In situ hybridisation to the XY female's chromosomes showed that her mutant SRY gene was indeed located on the short arm of her Y chromosome. The SRY mutation in the XY female reported here occurred de novo, as sequence analysis showed that it was not present in her father or other family members.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Alteration of human lung parenchyma associated with primary biliary cirrhosis.

The clinical history, radiological and histomorphological alterations of the lung parenchyma in a patient suffering from primary biliary cirrhosis are described. The 70-year-old woman had developed a primary biliary cirrhosis, verified by serological abnormalities (AMA positivity, elevated IgM levels) and by liver biopsy. The lung parenchyma displayed immature epithelioid granulomas and characteristics of a chronic organizing pneumonia. Lung function revealed moderate restrictive changes; chest radiographs revealed bilateral, diffuse, patchy infiltrates in the basal lobes. Application of immunohistology detected antigens in liver cells reactive with anti-IgD and anti-IgG, in pneumocytes those reactive with anti-IgD. Presence of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) by application of its antibody and of the ligand sarcolectin as well as expression of binding capacities to MIF could not be demonstrated in the liver and lung parenchyma. Neoglycoproteins exposing fucose, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, lactose and mannose residues did not bind to both the liver and lung tissue. The data indicate that at least some patients with primary biliary cirrhosis may develop or suffer from immunological abnormalities, affecting the lung.

Aged↗