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Biomedical subjects

G I Bell

Publications and source records attributed to G I Bell.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Mammalian facilitative glucose transporters: evidence for similar substrate recognition sites in functionally monomeric proteins.

Four facilitative glucose transporters isoforms, GLUT1/erythrocyte, GLUT2/liver, GLUT3/brain, and GLUT4/muscle-fat, as well as chimeric transporter proteins were expressed in Xenopus oocytes, and their properties were studied. The relative Km's of the transporters for 2-deoxyglucose were GLUT3 (Km = 1.8 mM) > GLUT4 (Km = 4.6 mM) > GLUT1 (Km = 6.9 mM) > GLUT2 (Km = 17.1 mM). In a similar fashion, the uptake of 2-deoxyglucose by GLUT1-, GLUT2-, and GLUT3-expressing oocytes was inhibited by a series of unlabeled hexoses and pentoses and by cytochalasin B in a similar hierarchical order. To determine if the functional unit of the glucose transporter was a monomer or higher-order multimer, the high-affinity transporter GLUT3 was coexpressed with either the low-affinity GLUT2 or a GLUT3 mutant which contained a transport inactivating Trp410-->Leu substitution. In oocytes expressing both GLUT2 and GLUT3, the transport activity associated with each transporter isoform could be distinguished kinetically. Similarly, there was no alteration in the kinetic parameters of GLUT3, or the ability of glucose or cytochalasin B to inhibit 2-deoxyglucose uptake, when coexpressed with up to a 3-fold greater amount of functionally inactive mutant of GLUT3. These studies suggest that the family of glucose transporters have similar binding sites which may be in the form of a functional monomeric unit when expressed in Xenopus oocytes.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Cloning of a novel somatostatin receptor, SSTR3, coupled to adenylylcyclase.

The gene encoding a novel mouse somatostatin receptor termed mSSTR3 was isolated and characterized. The sequence of mSSTR3 shows 46 and 47% identity with mSSTR1 and mSSTR2, respectively. mSSTR3 binds somatostatin-14 and somatostatin-28 with high affinity, but shows very low affinity for the somatostatin analogs MK-678 and SMS-201-995. In addition, mSSTR3 is coupled to pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins and mediates somatostatin inhibition of forskolin-stimulated and dopamine D1 receptor-stimulated cAMP formation, indicating that it is coupled to adenylylcyclase. The pharmacological properties of mSSTR3 and its ability to couple with adenylylcyclase distinguish SSTR3 from the other cloned somatostatin receptors and indicates that it mediates biological functions different from SSTR1 or SSTR2. In situ hybridization indicates that SSTR3 mRNA is widely distributed in the mouse brain, and its expression in the nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract and in the piriform cortex, the primary olfactory cortex in the rodent brain, suggests that SSTR3 may participate in the processing and modulation of primary sensory information.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMed1992

Human Oct3 gene family: cDNA sequences, alternative splicing, gene organization, chromosomal location, and expression at low levels in adult tissues.

Transcription factors containing the POU-domain have been shown to be important regulators of tissue-specific gene expression in the pituitary and lymphoid cells. Using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based strategy, we have searched for similar factors that may be expressed in adult human pancreatic islets. This approach resulted in the amplification of sequences encoding the octamer binding proteins Oct1 and Oct3 (also called Oct4). The isolation of cDNAs encoding Oct3 revealed the expression of two isoforms of this transcription factor termed Oct3A and Oct3B that are generated by alternative splicing. Human Oct3A and Oct3B are composed of 360 and 265 amino acids, respectively, of which the 225 amino acids at the COOH-termini are identical. The sequence of human Oct3A shows 87% amino acid identity with mouse Oct3. Reverse-transcriptase PCR showed low levels of expression of both Oct3A and Oct3B mRNA in all adult human tissues examined. We also isolated and characterized the human Oct3 gene (OTF3) and a related gene, OTF3C. The human Oct3 gene, localized to human chromosome 6 in the region of the MHC complex, spans about 7 kb and consists of five exons. The Oct3-related gene, OTF3C, is a retroposon and has been localized to human chromosome 8. Southern blotting and PCR amplification of human DNA indicated the presence of other OTF3-related genes as has been previously noted in the mouse. Two polymorphisms which can be typed using PCR were identified in OTF3 which will facilitate genetic studies of this gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Repression of the insulin-like growth factor II gene by the Wilms tumor suppressor WT1.

The Wilms tumor suppressor gene wt1 encodes a zinc finger DNA binding protein, WT1, that functions as a transcriptional repressor. The fetal mitogen insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) is overexpressed in Wilms tumors and may have autocrine effects in tumor progression. The major fetal IGF-II promoter was defined in transient transfection assays as a region spanning from nucleotides -295 to +135, relative to the transcription start site. WT1 bound to multiple sites in this region and functioned as a potent repressor of IGF-II transcription in vivo. Maximal repression was dependent on the presence of WT1 binding sites on each side of the transcriptional initiation site. These findings provide a molecular basis for overexpression of IGF-II in Wilms tumors and suggest that WT1 negatively regulates blastemal cell proliferation by limiting the production of a fetal growth factor in the developing vertebrate kidney.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Fructose transporter in human spermatozoa and small intestine is GLUT5.

We recently reported that the glucose transporter isoform, GLUT5, is expressed on the brush border membrane of human small intestinal enterocytes (Davidson, N. O., Hausman, A. M. L., Ifkovits, C. A., Buse, J. B., Gould, G. W., Burant, C. F., and Bell, G. I. (1992) Am. J. Physiol. 262, C795-C800). To define its role in sugar transport, human GLUT5 was expressed in Xenopus oocytes and its substrate specificity and kinetic properties determined. GLUT5 exhibits selectivity for fructose transport, as determined by inhibition studies, with a Km of 6 mM. In addition, fructose transport by GLUT5 is not inhibited by cytochalasin B, a competitive inhibitor of facilitative glucose transporters. RNA and protein blotting studies showed the presence of high levels of GLUT5 mRNA and protein in human testis and spermatozoa, and immunocytochemical studies localize GLUT5 to the plasma membrane of mature spermatids and spermatozoa. The biochemical properties and tissue distribution of GLUT5 are consistent with a physiological role for this protein as a fructose transporter.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Expression and regulation of the human GLUT4/muscle-fat facilitative glucose transporter gene in transgenic mice.

To study the molecular basis of tissue-specific expression of the GLUT4/muscle-fat facilitative glucose transporter gene, we generated lines of transgenic mice carrying 2.4 kilobases of the 5'-flanking region of the human GLUT4 gene fused to a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene (hGLUT4[2.4]-CAT). This reporter gene construct was specifically expressed in tissues that normally express GLUT4 mRNA, which include both brown and white adipose tissues as well as cardiac, skeletal, and smooth muscle. In contrast, CAT reporter activity was not detected in brain or liver, two tissues that do not express the GLUT4 gene. In addition, the relative levels of CAT mRNA driven by the human GLUT4 promoter in various tissues of these transgenic animals mirrored those of the endogenous mouse GLUT4 mRNA. Since previous studies have observed alterations in GLUT4 mRNA levels induced by fasting and refeeding (Sivitz, W. I., DeSautel, S. L., Kayano, T., Bell, G. I., and Pessin, J. E. (1989) Nature 340, 72-74), the regulated expression the hGLUT4[2.4]-CAT transgene was also assessed in these animals. Fasting was observed to decrease CAT activity in white adipose tissue which was super-induced upon refeeding. These alterations in CAT expression occurred in parallel to the changes in endogenous mouse GLUT4 mRNA levels. Although CAT expression in skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue was unaffected, the endogenous mouse GLUT4 mRNA was also refractory to the effects of fasting/refeeding in these tissues. These data demonstrate that 2.4 kilobases of the 5'-flanking region of the human GLUT4 gene contain all the necessary sequence elements to confer tissue-specific expression and at least some of the sequence elements controlling the hormonal/metabolic regulation of this gene.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1992

Nonsense mutation in the glucokinase gene causes early-onset non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a form of non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) which is characterized by an early age at onset and an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. Except for these features, the clinical characteristics of patients with MODY are similar to those with the more common late-onset form(s) of NIDDM. Previously we observed tight linkage between DNA polymorphisms in the glucokinase gene on the short arm of chromosome 7 and NIDDM in a cohort of sixteen French families having MODY. Glucokinase is an enzyme that catalyses the formation of glucose-6-phosphate from glucose and may be involved in the regulation of insulin secretion and integration of hepatic intermediary metabolism. Because the glucokinase gene was a candidate for the site of the genetic lesion in these families, we scanned this gene for mutations. Here we report the identification of a nonsense mutation in the gene encoding glucokinase and its linkage with early-onset diabetes in one family. To our knowledge, this result is the first evidence implicating a mutation in a gene involved in glucose metabolism in the pathogenesis of NIDDM.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Cloning of the alpha 1 subunit of a voltage-dependent calcium channel expressed in pancreatic beta cells.

The isoforms of the alpha 1 subunits of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels expressed in human pancreatic islets were identified by using a pair of degenerate oligonucleotide primers and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify mRNAs encoding alpha 1 subunit-like sequences. The sequences of the PCR products indicate that islets express the heart-type alpha 1 subunit as well as a second isoform whose complete sequence has not been previously reported. The sequences of cloned cDNAs encoding the human beta-cell, or neuroendocrine-type, alpha 1 subunit indicate that it is composed of 2181 amino acids. It shares 68%, 64%, and 41% identity with the sequences of the alpha 1 subunits of rabbit heart, skeletal muscle, and brain, respectively, and is predicted to have a similar structure including four homologous domains composed of six membrane-spanning segments each. RNA blotting studies indicate that the beta-cell-type alpha 1 subunit is also expressed in brain as well as in the insulin-producing cell lines RINm5F and beta TC-3; however, it could not be detected by RNA blotting in a third cell line, HIT-T15. In situ hybridization studies revealed expression of beta-cell-type alpha 1 subunit mRNA in beta cells of rat pancreatic islets, implying that this protein may play a role in the regulation of insulin secretion.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Glucose transporter expression in brain. cDNA sequence of mouse GLUT3, the brain facilitative glucose transporter isoform, and identification of sites of expression by in situ hybridization.

Complementary DNAs encoding the mouse GLUT3/brain facilitative glucose transporter have been isolated and sequenced. The predicted amino acid sequence indicates that mouse GLUT3 is composed of 493 amino acids and has 83 and 89% identity and similarity, respectively, to the sequence of human GLUT3. In contrast to human GLUT3 mRNA, which can be readily detected by RNA blotting in all human tissues that have been examined, mouse GLUT3 mRNA was only present at significant levels in brain. In situ hybridization showed differential expression of GLUT3 mRNA in several regions of adult mouse brain. Specific expression was observed in the hippocampus, with GLUT3 mRNA levels being higher in areas CA1 to CA3 than in the dentate gyrus. It was also detected in the Purkinje cell layer of the cerebellum and in the cerebral cortex, with higher expression in the piriform cortex than in other regions of the cortex. Antisera to mouse GLUT3 immunoblotted a series of proteins of 45-50 kDa in mouse brain plasma membranes. These results are consistent with GLUT3 being a neuronal glucose transporter.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Cloning and functional characterization of a family of human and mouse somatostatin receptors expressed in brain, gastrointestinal tract, and kidney.

Somatostatin is a tetradecapeptide that is widely distributed in the body. It acts on multiple organs including brain, pituitary, gut, exocrine and endocrine pancreas, adrenals, thyroid, and kidneys to inhibit release of many hormones and other secretory proteins. In addition, it functions as a neuropeptide affecting the electrical activity of neurons. Somatostatin exerts its biological effects by binding to specific high-affinity receptors, which appear in many cases to be coupled to GTP-binding proteins. Here we report the cloning, functional expression, and tissue distribution of two different somatostatin receptors (SSTRs). SSTR1 and SSTR2 contain 391 and 369 amino acids, respectively, and are members of the superfamily of receptors having seven transmembrane segments. There is 46% identity and 70% similarity between the amino acid sequences of SSTR1 and SSTR2. Stably transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing SSTR1 or SSTR2 exhibit specific somatostatin binding, with an apparently higher affinity for somatostatin-14 than somatostatin-28, and NH2-terminally extended form of somatostatin-14. RNA blotting studies show that SSTR1 and SSTR2 are expressed at highest levels in jejunum and stomach and in cerebrum and kidney, respectively. A SSTR1 probe hybridized to multiple DNA fragments in EcoRI digests of human and mouse DNA, indicating that SSTR1 and SSTR2 are members of a larger family of somatostatin receptors. Thus, the biological effects of somatostatin are mediated by a family of receptors that are expressed in a tissue-specific manner.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Human pancreatic beta-cell glucokinase: cDNA sequence and localization of the polymorphic gene to chromosome 7, band p 13.

The glucose phosphorylating enzyme glucokinase plays an important role in the regulation of glucose homeostasis. Studies in rodents indicate that pancreatic Beta cells and hepatocytes express different isoforms of this protein as a consequence of the presence of tissue-specific promoters and exon 1 sequences which are spliced to a shared group of nine exons which encode most of the mRNA and protein. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of cDNA clones encoding human Beta-cell glucokinase. The sequence of human Beta-cell glucokinase shows 97% amino acid identity with that of the cognate rat protein. We also mapped the human glucokinase gene to the short arm of chromosome 7 by analysing its segregation in a panel of reduced human-mouse somatic cell hybrids. In situ hybridization to metaphase chromosomes confirmed the localization of the human glucokinase gene to chromosome 7 and indicated that it was in band p 13. A microsatellite DNA polymorphism that can be typed using the polymerase chain reaction was identified upstream of exon 1 a, the Beta-cell specific first exon. The glucokinase cDNA clone and highly informative DNA polymorphism will be useful for examining the role of this gene in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Molecular biology of islet amyloid polypeptide.

We investigated the relationship between non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) gene by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-direct sequencing analysis. Endonuclease BglII and/or PvuII RFLP analysis revealed no positive correlation of IAPP gene with NIDDM. In PCR-direct sequencing of 25 NIDDM patients, no nucleotide sequence differences were found. These data do not support the view that IAPP plays an important role in the pathogenesis of NIDDM. cDNAs encoding cat, rat, mouse, guinea pig and degu IAPP precursors were also cloned, and comparison of these predicted amino acid sequences clarified the species difference, especially between amyloid-forming and non-amyloid-forming species. Amino acid residues 25-28 of mature IAPP might be responsible for their amyloidogeneity. The alternative splicing transcripts of guinea pig IAPP gene were identified by using PCR. If these types of transcripts are translated, N-terminal mutated IAPP might be produced and act as an antagonist. The signal peptide cleavage site of rat IAPP precursor was also identified by an in vitro translation and processing system.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Detection of a polymorphism within the pepsinogen C gene with PCR: construction of a linkage map around PGC from 6p11-6p21.3.

An insertion/deletion polymorphism between exons 7 and 8 of the pepsinogen C gene (PGC), previously detectable with Southern analysis, was formatted for detection with PCR. Alleles were rapidly typed by UV irradiation of ethidium bromide-stained agarose gels. Whereas Southern analysis revealed two alleles, the smaller fragments generated with PCR allowed the resolution of three alleles that were previously scored as a single allele and increased the heterozygosity of the system from 0.20 to 0.53. After a set of reference families was genotyped with the PCR-based polymorphism, a linkage map around the PGC gene on chromosome 6 was constructed. This included the HLA cluster and the highly informative D6S223 locus. PGC lies 22 cM proximal to HLA-DPB and between D6S5 and D6S4 at distances of 4.5 and 13.1 cM, respectively.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Linkage of Rieger syndrome to the region of the epidermal growth factor gene on chromosome 4.

Rieger syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder of morphogenesis in which previous cytogenetic arrangements have suggested chromosome 4 as a candidate chromosome. Using a group of highly polymorphic short tandem repeat polymorphisms (STRP), including a new tetranucleotide repeat for epidermal growth factor (EGF), significant linkage of Rieger syndrome to 4q markers has been identified. Tight linkage to EGF supports its role as a candidate gene, although a recombinant in an unaffected individual has been identified. This study demonstrates the utility of using polymorphic STRP markers when only a limited number of small families are available for study.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1992

Missense glucokinase mutation in maturity-onset diabetes of the young and mutation screening in late-onset diabetes.

We describe a codon 299 mutation in the glucokinase gene in a British pedigree with maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) resulting in a substitution of glycine to arginine. One out of fifty patients diagnosed with classical late-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus was also found to have this mutation. All nine relatives of this patient who have inherited the mutation have type 2 diabetes, although six others without the mutation are also present with diabetes. The discovery that glucokinase mutations can cause MODY and was also found in ten affected members of a pedigree with type 2 diabetes in which MODY had not previously been considered indicates that diagnosis based on molecular pathology will be helpful in understanding the aetiology of type 2 diabetes.

Adolescent↗