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G I Bell

Publications and source records attributed to G I Bell.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Mapping diabetes-susceptibility genes. Lessons learned from search for DNA marker for maturity-onset diabetes of the young.

During our search for a marker for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in a large multigenerational family with a form of NIDDM termed maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY), we learned a great deal that may serve to streamline the search for diabetes-susceptibility genes in other families. We describe here our experience and suggest strategies that may enhance the search for markers for other diabetes susceptibility genes with genetic linkage approaches.

Chromosome Mapping↗
PubMed1992

Linkage analysis of maturity-onset diabetes of the young with microsatellite polymorphisms. No linkage to ADA or GLUT2 genes in two families.

MODY is a form of NIDDM inherited as an autosomal dominant condition. We studied the linkage of MODY to two loci: ADA and GLUT2 in two large pedigrees with nonradioactive microsatellite polymorphic systems. A positive linkage of ADA to MODY was recently demonstrated in the large RW pedigree. Formal linkage analysis excluded a tight linkage between ADA and MODY with a LOD score of -5.82 and -2.24 at a recombination fraction of 0.01 in the two families. This result suggests genetic heterogeneity in the molecular basis of MODY. GLUT2 is a candidate gene that is expressed in the liver and beta-cells of pancreatic islets. In the two families studied, the disease did not cosegregate with GLUT2 alleles. The LOD scores for GLUT2 were -7.79 and -1.9 at a recombination fraction of 0.001 in the two families, thus providing evidence against the involvement of GLUT2 in MODY.

Adenosine Deaminase↗
PubMed1992

Pharmacological properties of two cloned somatostatin receptors.

Previous studies have shown that at least two subtypes of somatostatin (SRIF) receptors (SRIF1 and SRIF2) are expressed in mammalian cells. SRIF1 receptors have high affinity for MK 678, whereas SRIF2 receptors have no affinity for MK 678 but selectively bind peptides with structures similar to that of CGP 23996. Recently, two SRIF receptor genes have been cloned from human and mouse genomic libraries. In the present study, the pharmacological properties of these two cloned SRIF receptors, expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, were investigated, to determine whether they have any similarity to the previously described SRIF1 and SRIF2 receptor subtypes. Both cloned receptors could be labeled with 125I-Tyr11-SRIF and exhibited high affinity for SRIF. The SSTR1 receptor could also bind CGP 23996-like compounds but not MK 678. In contrast, the SSTR2 receptor was insensitive to CGP 23996-like compounds but bound MK 678 with high affinity. These findings indicate that the peptide specificities of the cloned SSTR1 and SSTR2 receptors differ from each other. Pretreatment of CHO cells expressing the two cloned SRIF receptors with SRIF abolished high affinity agonist binding to the cloned SSTR2 receptor but not the cloned SSTR1 receptor. Agonist binding to SSTR1 receptors was not significantly affected by guanosine-5'-)-(3-thiotriphosphate) or pertussis toxin pretreatment, whereas agonist binding to SSTR2 receptors was inhibited by both treatments. These findings suggest that SSTR2 receptors can be regulated and they associate with pertussis toxin-sensitive guanine nucleotide-binding proteins, whereas SSTR1 receptors do not. SRIF is a potent inhibitor of adenylyl cyclase activity in mammalian cells. However, neither the cloned SSTR2 nor SSTR1 receptor mediated SRIF inhibition of adenylyl cyclase activity in stably transformed CHO cells or COS-1 cells transiently expressing the cloned receptors, suggesting that neither cloned receptor couples to adenylyl cyclase. The results of these studies indicate that the two cloned SRIF receptors have different pharmacological properties. The characteristics of the cloned SSTR2 receptor are similar to those of the previously described SRIF1 receptor, and the characteristics of the cloned SSTR1 receptor are similar to those of the previously described SRIF2 receptor.

Adenylate Cyclase Toxin↗
PubMed1992

The aggregation of the 5' insulin gene polymorphism in insulin dependent (type I) diabetes mellitus families.

Population studies have suggested an increased frequency of small DNA insertions (class I alleles) 5' to the insulin gene in insulin dependent (type I) diabetes mellitus (IDDM). The present study examined this relationship within families. Forty-one families with at least one diabetic offspring were studied. Analysis of the insulin gene polymorphism was performed by digestion of DNA with Bg1I, SstI, RsaI, or PvuII and hybridisation with an insulin gene probe or polymorphic region specific probes. An increased frequency of class I alleles was found among the parents of diabetics (p = 0.02), as well as a trend towards increased frequency of parents homozygous for class I alleles and matings of two homozygous subjects. This increased homozygosity for class I alleles was present in non-diabetic sibs as well (p = 0.01). These results show that ascertainment through an offspring with IDDM selects for families with high frequencies of homozygosity for the class I allele and thus suggests that the insulin gene polymorphism is indeed providing part of the genetic predisposition to IDDM. When the major portion of genetic predisposition is provided by other genes (estimates are that HLA accounts for 30 to 70% in IDDM), identification of additional susceptibility genes becomes difficult. Even when formal linkage analysis is uninformative, our studies indicate that analysis for aggregation of specific alleles within families is a useful approach to this problem.

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1↗
PubMed1992

Differential expression of somatostatin receptor subtypes in brain.

The tetradecapeptide somatostatin has been implicated as an important regulator of neuronal and neuroendocrine function in the CNS. The cellular actions of somatostatin are mediated by specific receptors. The genes encoding two different somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) have been isolated and characterized, and RNA blotting studies have shown that both SSTR1 and SSTR2 are expressed in the brain. In order to gain a better understanding of the functions of somatostatin in the CNS, the distribution of SSTR1 and SSTR2 mRNAs was determined using the technique of in situ hybridization. SSTR1 mRNA was present throughout the mouse brain, particularly in the supra- and infragranular layers of the cortex, the amygdala, hippocampus, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, substantia innominata, hypothalamus, pretectum, substantia nigra, parabrachial nucleus, and nucleus of the solitary tract. SSTR2 mRNA was primarily observed in the infragranular layers of the cortex, the amygdala, claustrum, endopiriform nucleus, arcuate and paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus, and medial habenular nucleus. Several regions of the brain reported to contain dense somatostatin-like immunoreactive terminal fields and receptor binding sites were devoid of both SSTR1 and SSTR2 mRNA, suggesting the existence of additional SSTR subtypes.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Expression of human glucose transporters in Xenopus oocytes: kinetic characterization and substrate specificities of the erythrocyte, liver, and brain isoforms.

We describe the functional expression of three members of the family of human facilitative glucose transporters, the erythrocyte-type transporter (GLUT 1), the liver-type transporter (GLUT 2), and the brain-type transporter (GLUT 3), by microinjection of their corresponding mRNAs into Xenopus oocytes. Expression was determined by the appearance of transport activity, as measured by the transport of 3-O-methyl-D-glucose or 2-deoxy-D-glucose. We have measured the Km for 3-O-methyl-D-glucose of GLUTs 1, 2, and 3, and the results are discussed in light of the possible roles for these different transporters in the regulation of blood glucose. The substrate specificity of these transporter isoforms has also been examined. We show that, for all transporters, the transport of 2-deoxy-D-glucose is inhibited by D-but not by L-glucose. In addition, both D-galactose and D-mannose are transported by GLUTs 1-3 at significant rates; furthermore, GLUT 2 is capable of transporting D-fructose. The nature of the glucose binding sites of GLUTs 1-3 was investigated by using hexose inhibition of 2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake. We show that the characteristics of this inhibition are different for each transporter isoform.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Gene for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (maturity-onset diabetes of the young subtype) is linked to DNA polymorphism on human chromosome 20q.

Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a form of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus characterized by an early age of onset, usually before 25 years of age, and an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. The largest and best-studied MODY pedigree is the RW family. The majority of the diabetic subjects in this pedigree has a reduced and delayed insulin-secretory response to glucose, and it has been proposed that this abnormal response is the manifestation of the basic genetic defect that leads to diabetes. Using DNA from members of the RW family, we tested more than 75 DNA markers for linkage with MODY. A DNA polymorphism in the adenosine deaminase gene (ADA) on the long arm of chromosome 20 was found to cosegregate with MODY. The maximum logarithm of odds (lod score) for linkage between MODY and ADA was 5.25 at a recombination fraction of 0.00. These results indicate that the odds are greater than 178,000:1 that the gene responsible for MODY in this family is tightly linked to the ADA gene on chromosome 20q.

Adenosine Deaminase↗