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Biomedical subjects

G A Martin

Publications and source records attributed to G A Martin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Distinct phosphotyrosines on a growth factor receptor bind to specific molecules that mediate different signaling pathways.

The receptor for platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) binds two proteins containing SH2 domains, GTPase activating protein (GAP) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase). The sites on the receptor that mediate this interaction were identified by using phosphotyrosine-containing peptides representing receptor sequences to block specifically binding of either PI3-kinase or GAP. These results suggested that PI3-kinase binds two phosphotyrosine residues, each located in a 5 aa motif with an essential methionine at the fourth position C-terminal to the tyrosine. Point mutations at these sites caused a selective elimination of PI3-kinase binding and loss of PDGF-stimulated DNA synthesis. Mutation of the binding site for GAP prevented the receptor from associating with or phosphorylating GAP, but had no effect on PI3-kinase binding and little effect on DNA synthesis. Therefore, GAP and PI3-kinase interact with the receptor by binding to different phosphotyrosine-containing sequence motifs.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1992

GAP domains responsible for ras p21-dependent inhibition of muscarinic atrial K+ channel currents.

The interaction between the low molecular weight G protein ras p21 and a guanosine triphosphatase activating protein (GAP) uncouples a heterotrimeric G protein (Gk) from muscarinic receptors. Through the use of isolated atrial cell membranes and genetically engineered GAP deletion mutants, the src homology regions (SH2-SH3) at the amino terminus of GAP have been identified as the domains responsible for this effect. Deletion of the domain required to stimulate the guanosine triphosphatase activity of ras p21 relieves the requirement for ras p21 in this system. A model is presented that suggests that ras p21 induces a conformational change in GAP, which allows the SH2-SH3 regions of GAP to function.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Trans-repressor activity of nuclear glycosaminoglycans on Fos and Jun/AP-1 oncoprotein-mediated transcription.

Heparin blocks the phorbol ester-induced progression of nontransformed cells through the G0/G1 phase (Wright, T.C., L.A. Pukac, J.J. Castellot, M.J. Karnovsky, R.A. Levine, H.-Y. Kim-Park, and J. Campisi. 1989. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 86: 3199-3203) or G1 to S phase (Reilly, C. F., M. S. Kindy, K. E. Brown, R. D. Rosenberg, and G. E Sonenshein. 1989. J. Biol. Chem. 264:6990-6995) of the cell cycle. Cell cycle arrest was associated with decreased levels of stage-specific mRNAs suggesting transcriptional regulation of cell growth. In the present report, we show that heparin selectively repressed TPA-inducible AP-1-mediated gene expression. Heparin-induced trans-repression was observed in primary vascular smooth muscle cells, as well as in the transformed HeLa cell line and in nondifferentiated F9 teratocarcinoma cells. Inhibition of AP-1-mediated trans-activation occurred with heparin and pentosan polysulfate but not with chondroitin sulfate A or C. Heparin-binding peptides or heparitinase I addition to nuclear lysates of heparin-treated cells allowed enhanced recovery of endogenous AP-1-specific DNA binding activity. We propose a model in which nuclear glycosaminoglycans play a trans-regulatory role in altering the patterns of inducible gene expression.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

GTPase-activating protein SH2-SH3 domains induce gene expression in a Ras-dependent fashion.

The p21ras GTPase-activating protein (GAP) is thought to function as both a negative regulator and a downstream target of p21ras. Here, we have investigated the role of GAP by using a transient expression assay with a fos luciferase reporter plasmid. We used GAP deletion mutants that lack the domain involved in interaction with p21ras and encode essentially only the SH2-SH3 domains. When these GAP deletion mutants were expressed, we observed a marked induction of fos promoter activity similar to induction by activated p21ras. Expression of a full-length GAP construct had no effect on the activity of the fos promoter. Activation of the fos promoter by these GAP SH2-SH3 regions was inhibited by cotransfection of a dominant inhibitory mutant of p21ras, Ras(Asn-17). Thus, the induction of gene expression by GAP SH2-SH3 domains is dependent on p21ras activity. Moreover, induction of fos promoter activity by GAP SH2-SH3 domains is increased severalfold after cotransfection of an activated mutant of p21ras, Ras(Leu-61), or insulin stimulation of A14 cells, both leading to an increase in the levels of GTP-bound p21ras. The combined effect of Ras(Leu-61) and the GAP deletion mutants was not inhibited by Ras(Asn-17), indicating that GAP SH2-SH3 domains do not function to activate endogenous p21ras but cooperate with another signal coming from active p21ras. These data suggest that GAP SH2-SH3 domains serve to induce gene expression by p21ras but that additional signals coming from p21ras are required for them to function.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1991

Regulation of ras p21 by GTPase activating proteins.

We propose a model for dual effector functions of the known ras GAPs p120-GAP and NF1-GAP. This model is consistent with known biological and biochemical effects of GAPs in mammalian cells, but it is clearly not a proven hypothesis, and several difficulties remain in making this model convincing. One is the apparent difference between mammalian cells and yeasts, in which GAPs do not have a demonstrable effector function. The other is the difficulty of eliminating the possibility that other effectors exist that do not have GAP activity and do not bind ras p21 sufficiently tightly to allow detection through physical association. We hope that further analysis of GAP function will clarify the roles of these proteins, allowing at least a partial description of ras action in normal and malignant mammalian cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Differential regulation of hepatic triglyceride lipase and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase gene expression in a human hepatoma cell line, HepG2.

The level of hepatic triglyceride lipase (H-TGL) synthesis and secretion was examined in response to changes in cholesterol biosynthesis in the human hepatoma cell line HepG2. Cells were first fed a lipoprotein-deficient serum-supplemented medium to eliminate exogenous cholesterol. Mevinolin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor, was then added at a concentration (37 microM) which inhibited cholesterol biosynthesis by greater than 85% and decreased total cell cholesterol from 36.1 to 27.4 micrograms/ml of cell protein. Mevinolin treatment caused a 4.9 +/- 0.8-fold increase in the amount of H-TGL activity secreted into the medium, a 1.8 +/- 0.4-fold rise in H-TGL-specific mRNA, and a concurrent 14-fold increase in HMG-CoA reductase mRNA. Addition of 1 mM mevalonic acid to normal or mevinolin-treated cells raised the cellular cholesterol content and decreased the amount of secreted H-TGL activity to levels below control values. Mevalonic acid also prevented mevinolin-induction of H-TGL and HMG-CoA reductase mRNA, suggesting a common regulatory step for H-TGL and HMG-CoA reductase. Exposure of cells to mevinolin and 25-hydroxycholesterol together resulted in a marked repression of HMG-CoA reductase mRNA levels, whereas these conditions further enhanced the secretion of H-TGL activity and the expression of H-TGL mRNA. These results demonstrate a differential role for 25-hydroxycholesterol in the regulation of H-TGL and HMG-CoA reductase expression.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed1990

The GAP-related domain of the neurofibromatosis type 1 gene product interacts with ras p21.

The neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) protein contains a region of significant sequence similarity to ras p21 GTPase-activating protein (GAP) and the yeast IRA1 gene product. A fragment of NF1 cDNA encoding the GAP-related domain (NF1 GRD) was expressed, immunoaffinity purified, and assayed for effects on N-ras p21 GTPase activity. The GTPase of wild-type ras p21 was stimulated by NF1 GRD, but oncogenic mutants of ras p21 (Asp-12 and Val-12) were unaffected, and the GTPase of an effector mutant (Ala-38) was only weakly stimulated. NF1 GRD also down-regulated RAS function in S. cerevisiae. The affinity of NF1 GRD for ras p21 was estimated to be 250 nM: this is more than 20-fold higher than the affinity of GAP for ras p21. However, its specific activity was about 30 times lower. These kinetic measurements suggest that NF1 may be a significant regulator of ras p21 activity, particularly at low ras p21 concentrations.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Heparin induces the expression of hepatic triglyceride lipase in a human hepatoma (HepG2) cell line.

Hepatic triglyceride lipase (H-TGL) is a key lipolytic enzyme in the metabolism of human plasma high density lipoproteins. The enzyme is bound to glycosaminoglycans on endothelial cells in the liver and is immediately released into the circulation after heparin administration. In addition to releasing H-TGL, heparin-like glycosaminoglycans have also been shown to suppress hepatocyte proliferation and to alter tissue-specific gene expression. In the present study, the effects of heparin exposure on the secretion of H-TGL were examined in a human parenchymal hepatoma (HepG2) cell line. The addition of heparin to serum-supplemented medium induced the secretion of H-TGL in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. At 5.4 micrograms/ml heparin, H-TGL levels, as determined by triacyglycerol hydrolase activity, increased 7-fold after a 44-h incubation. Heparin exposure decreased intracellular H-TGL activity from 21.3 to 4.8 nmol of oleic acids released/h/10(8) cells and increased enzyme activity in the medium from 16.2 to 165.3 nmol of oleic acids released/h/10(8) cells. The heparin-induced secretion of H-TGL was associated with increased levels of H-TGL-specific mRNA. The addition of actinomycin D or cycloheximide reversed the heparin-induced increase in H-TGL activity and mRNA. Heparin treatment did not increase the level of actin mRNA suggesting that elevated H-TGL mRNA is due to enhanced tissue-specific expression of H-TGL. Expression of apolipoprotein E, another protein involved in lipoprotein metabolism, also showed induced levels of mRNA by heparin but to a lesser extent than that for H-TGL. We conclude that heparin stimulates the de novo synthesis of H-TGL in liver parenchymal cells in vivo by influencing both transcriptional and post-transcriptional events.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed1988

Molecular cloning of two types of GAP complementary DNA from human placenta.

The ras p21 GTPase-activating protein (GAP) was purified from human placental tissue. Internal amino acid sequence was obtained from this 120,000-dalton protein and, by means of this sequence, two types of complementary DNA clones were isolated and characterized. One type encoded GAP with a predicted molecular mass of 116,000 daltons and 96% identity with bovine GAP. The messenger RNA of this GAP was detected in human lung, brain, liver, leukocytes, and placenta. The second type appeared to be generated by a differential splicing mechanism and encoded a novel form of GAP with a predicted molecular mass of 100,400 daltons. This protein lacks the hydrophobic amino terminus characteristic of the larger species, but retains GAP activity. The messenger RNA of this type was abundantly expressed in placenta and in several human cell lines, but not in adult tissues.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Isolation and cDNA sequence of human postheparin plasma hepatic triglyceride lipase.

Hepatic triglyceride lipase (H-TGL) was isolated from human postheparin plasma by column chromatography on heparin-Sepharose and phenyl-Sepharose and immunoaffinity chromatography with monoclonal antibodies. The purified enzyme had an apparent molecular weight of 65,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and an amino-terminal sequence of Leu-Gly-Gln-Ser-Leu-Lys-Pro-Glu. Partial amino acid sequences of seven cyanogen bromide peptides were obtained. A human hepatoma cDNA library was screened with synthetic oligonucleotides derived from the partial protein sequence. The cloned H-TGL cDNA of 1569 nucleotides predicts a mature protein of 477 amino acids plus a leader sequence of 22 amino acids. Blot hybridization analysis of poly(A)+ mRNA with a putative H-TGL cDNA clone gave a single hybridizing band of 1.7 kilobases. The protein contains four consensus N-glycosylation sequences based on the cDNA sequence. Comparison of the enzyme sequence with that of other lipases reveals highly conserved sequences in regions of putative lipid and heparin binding. The carboxyl terminus of H-TGL contains a highly basic sequence which is not reported to be present in rat H-TGL or other members of the lipase gene family.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

cDNA cloning and expression of murine macrophage colony-stimulating factor from L929 cells.

A 4-kilobase and a 2-kilobase cDNA clone encoding a murine macrophage colony-stimulating factor have been isolated. Except for 2 amino acid residue differences, these two clones encode the same 520 amino acid residue protein, which is preceded by a 32-amino acid residue signal peptide. The two clones, whose molecular masses correspond to the two transcripts observed in murine L929 fibroblasts, contain 3' untranslated regions that are markedly different in sequence and length. Both clones can be expressed in COS cells and the recombinant protein is active in a mouse bone marrow colony assay.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Human CSF-1: gene structure and alternative splicing of mRNA precursors.

Bone marrow progenitor cells differentiate into mononuclear phagocytes in the presence of colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1). Characterization of the human CSF-1 gene shows that it contains 10 exons and 9 introns, which span 20 kb. Analysis of multiple CSF-1 transcripts demonstrates that alternate use of exon 6 splice acceptor sites and 3' noncoding sequence exons occurs. These alternatively spliced transcripts can encode either a 224 or a 522 amino acid CSF-1. Implications of differential splicing for the production and function of CSF-1 are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1976

A method for the regulation of microbial population density during continuous culture at high growth rates.

A method for the continuous culture of microorganisms is described which employs growth-dependent pH changes to control the rate of addition of fresh medium to a culture vessel. The apparatus (the "phauxostat") supports, at constant pH, long-term continuous culture at rates near or at the maximum of which the organisms are capable. The buffering capacity of the inflowing medium determines the steady-state population density of the culture, but the rate of growth is independent of the buffering capacity. The fundamental theory of operation is tested and some basic parameters of growth are estimated using Escherichia coli B growing continuously in media containing glucose, glycerol or DL-lactate.

Bacteria↗