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Biomedical subjects

G Wang

Publications and source records attributed to G Wang.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Reaction of Escherichia coli cytochrome bo(3) and mitochondrial cytochrome bc(1) with a photoreleasable decylubiquinol.

In order to probe the reaction chemistry of respiratory quinol-oxidizing enzymes on a rapid time scale, a photoreleasable quinol substrate was synthesized by coupling decylubiquinol with the water-soluble protecting group 3',5'-bis(carboxymethoxy)benzoin (BCMB) through a carbonate linkage. The resulting compound, DQ-BCMB, was highly soluble in aqueous detergent solution, and showed no reactivity with quinol-oxidizing enzymes prior to photolysis. Upon photolysis in acetonitrile, 5, 7-bis(carboxymethoxy)-2-phenylbenzofuran, carbon dioxide, and decylubiquinol were formed. In aqueous media, free 3', 5'-bis(carboxymethoxy)benzoin was also produced. Photolysis of DQ-BCMB with a 308 nm excimer laser led to the release of the BCMB group in less than 10(-6) s. Decylubiquinol was released in the form of a carbonate monoester, which decarboxylated with an observed first-order rate constant of 195-990 s(-1), depending on the reaction medium. Yields of decylubiquinol as high as 35 microM per laser pulse were attained readily. In the presence of Escherichia coli cytochrome bo(3), photolysis of DQ-BCMB led to the oxidation of quinol by the enzyme with a rate that was limited by the rate of the decylubiquinol release. Mitochondrial cytochrome bc(1) reacted with photoreleased decylubiquinol with distinct kinetic phases corresponding to rapid b heme reduction and somewhat slower c heme reduction. Oxidation of photoreleased ubiquinol by this enzyme showed saturation kinetics with a K(m) of 3.6 microM and a k(cat) of 210 s(-1). The saturation behavior was a result of decylubiquinol being released as a carbonate monoester during the photolysis of DQ-BCMB and interacting with cytochrome bc(1) before decarboxylation of this intermediate yielded free decylubiquinol. The reaction of cytochrome bc(1) and photoreleased decylubiquinol in the presence of antimycin A led to monophasic b heme reduction, but also yielded slower quinol oxidation kinetics. The discrimination of kinetic phases in the reaction of cytochrome bc(1) with ubiquinol substrates has provided a means of exploring the bifurcation of electron transfer that is central to the operation of the Q-cycle in this enzyme.

Cytochrome b Group↗
PubMed2000

Molecular and clinical study of spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 in Chinese kindreds.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical and molecular characteristics of spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) in Chinese kindreds. BACKGROUND: Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 is caused by the expansion of an unstable CAG repeat in the first exon of the SCA7 gene. METHODS: Clinical and related examinations were performed in all affected or at-risk individuals from 4 Chinese families presenting with autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia and decreased visual acuity. The size of the (CAG)(n) array of the SCA7 gene was detected by polymerase chain reaction, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and related techniques in the 4 families and 67 healthy controls. The relationship between expanded repeat number and age of onset was statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The SCA7 mutation was identified in 2 families. Clinical study revealed that great variation occurred in the age of onset, initial symptoms, and associated signs. Meanwhile, the analysis of 11 parent-child couples demonstrated the existence of marked anticipation. Some distinct retinal changes were noted in 2 affected patients. All SCA7 patients in our series exhibited expanded CAG repeats, ranging from 44 to 85 repeats, with a strong negative correlation between repeat size and age of onset. Repeat lengths of expanded alleles showed somatic mosaicism in leukocyte DNA. There were some subtle clinical differences between the SCA7-positive and -negative cases. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical variation occurred not only among the SCA7 families but also within the same kindred. Meiotic and mitotic instability of the CAG repeat in the SCA7 gene were demonstrated, and intergenerational instability of the array was associated with the clinical phenomenon of anticipation. Arch Neurol. 2000;57:1513-1518

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Stiffness, viscosity, and upper-limb inertia about the glenohumeral abduction axis.

To evaluate the dynamic properties of the shoulder and understand how they are controlled by the central nervous system, glenohumeral-joint stiffness and viscosity and upper-limb inertia were quantified under various levels of muscle contraction in seven healthy human subjects. Through a cast attachment, the upper limb was perturbed in a precise pattern by a computer-controlled servomotor to manifest the dynamic properties of the joint. The recorded joint position and torque were used to estimate joint stiffness and viscosity and upper-limb inertia. With moderate muscle contraction, the stiffness and viscosity increased several fold. A stiffer shoulder joint associated with stronger muscle contraction made the shoulder more stable and protected it from potential injuries during strenuous tasks. Joint viscosity, especially the stronger viscous damping associated with more strenuous contraction, smoothed shoulder movement and stabilized the joint. From the control viewpoint, the glenohumeral joint responded to the central nervous system more quickly with increasing muscle contraction, which was useful during strenuous tasks. On the other hand, the central nervous system controlled stiffness and viscosity synchronously so that it dealt with only a nearly constant damping ratio of the joint over various levels of contraction, which simplified its task substantially. This approach quantified the dynamic and static properties of the shoulder under various levels of contraction more accurately and completely than a manual test, and it can potentially be used to evaluate changes in these properties caused by musculoskeletal injuries and their surgical treatments.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Induction of cell-cycle regulators in simian immunodeficiency virus encephalitis.

Neuronal degeneration associated with human immunodeficiency virus encephalitis has been attributed to neurotoxicity of signaling molecules secreted by activated, infected macrophages. We hypothesized that the barrage of signals present in the extracellular milieu of human immunodeficiency virus-infiltrated brain causes inappropriate activation of neuronal cell-cycle machinery. We examined the presence of three members of the cell-cycle control machinery: pRb, E2F1, and p53 in the simian immunodeficiency virus encephalitis (SIVE) model. Compared to noninfected and simian immunodeficiency virus-infected, nonencephalitic controls, we observed increased protein expression of E2F1 and p53 and aberrant cellular localization of E2F1 and pRb. In SIVE, E2F1 was abundant in the cytoplasm of neurons in both neurons and astrocytes proximal to SIVE pathology in the basal ganglia. pRb staining was nuclear and cytoplasmic in cortical neurons of SIVE cases. Antibodies to phosphorylated pRb also labeled the cytoplasm of cortical neurons. These data suggest that in SIVE, cell signaling results in phosphorylation of pRb which may result in subsequent alteration in E2F1 activity. As increased E2F1 and p53 activities have been linked to cell death, these data suggest that the neurodegeneration in SIVE could in part be because of changes in expression and activity of cell-cycle machinery.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Mechanical properties and microstructures of glass-ionomer cements.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the flexural strength (FS), compressive strength (CS), diametral tensile strength (DTS), Knoop hardness (KHN) and wear resistance of ten commercial glass-ionomer cements (GICs). The fracture surfaces of these cements were examined using scanning electron microscopic (SEM) techniques to ascertain relationships between the mechanical properties and microstructures of these cements. METHODS: Specimens were fabricated according to the instructions from each manufacturer. The FS, CS, DTS, KHN and wear rate were measured after conditioning the specimens for 7 d in distilled water at 37 degrees C. One-way analysis of variance with the post hoc Tukey-Kramer multiple range test was used to determine which specimen groups were significantly different for each test. The fracture surface of one representative specimen of each GIC from the FS tests was examined using a scanning electron microscope. RESULTS: The resin-modified GICs (RM GICs) exhibited much higher FS and DTS, not generally higher CS, often lower Knoop hardness and generally lower wear resistance, compared to the conventional GICs (C GICs). Vitremer (3M) had the highest values of FS and DTS; Fuji II LC (GC International) and Ketac-Molar (ESPE) had the highest CS; Ketac-Fil (ESPE) had the highest KHN. Ketac-Bond (ESPE) had the lowest FS; alpha-Silver (DMG-Hamburg) had the lowest CS. Four GICs (alpha-Fil (DMG-Hamburg), alpha-Silver, Ketac-Bond and Fuji II) had the lowest values of DTS, which were not significantly different from each other; alpha-Silver and Ketac-Silver had the lowest values of KHN. The highest wear resistance was exhibited by alpha-Silver and Ketac-Fil; F2LC had the lowest wear resistance. The C GICs exhibited brittle behavior, whereas the RM GICs underwent substantial plastic deformation in compression. The more integrated the microstructure, the higher were the FS and DTS. Higher CS was correlated with smaller glass particles, and higher KHN was found where there was a combination of smaller glass particles and lower porosity. Larger glass particle sizes and a more integrated microstructure contributed to a higher wear resistance. SIGNIFICANCE: The mechanical properties of GICs were closely related to their microstructures. Factors such as the integrity of the interface between the glass particles and the polymer matrix, the particle size, and the number and size of voids have important roles in determining the mechanical properties.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2000

Two distinct ospA genes among Borrelia valaisiana strains.

Borrelia valaisiana is a recently described bacterial species in the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. To further characterize this bacterium, the plasmid-encoded ospA genes from eight B. valaisiana isolates were amplified by PCR, cloned and sequenced. All B. valaisiana isolates studied possessed an ospA gene with a size of 822-825 bp. The identity of the predicted amino acid sequences of the OspA proteins among B. valaisiana isolates was 69.1-100%, and ranged from 68.2 to 79.1% between B. valaisiana and other B. burgdorferi sensu lato species. Based on the OspA protein sequences, the eight B. valaisiana isolates could be distinguished into two subgroups. Subgroup I contained six B. valaisiana isolates of which OspA sequences were almost identical, but clearly differed from other LB spirochetes. Subgroup II consisted of two isolates with identical OspA sequences which were only 70% identical to subgroup I B. valaisiana isolates and similarly distant from the OspA sequences of other B. burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that B. valaisiana isolates belonging to subgroups I and II possibly evolved from two distinct ancestors. Our data showed for the first time a major difference in OspA proteins within a well-defined B. burgdorferi sensu lato species at the evolutionary level, suggesting that it is not always reliable to assign Borrelia isolates to a definite species solely based on data from ospA gene sequence analysis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Tryptophan fluorescence quenching by alkaline earth metal cations in deionized bacteriorhodopsin.

Tryptophan quenching by the addition of alkaline earth metal cations to deionized bacteriorhodopsin suspensions was determined. The results show that the addition of cation primarily quenches fluorescence from surface tryptophan residues. The quenched intensity exhibits a 1/R dependence, where R is the ionic radius of the corresponding metal ion. This observation results from a stronger energy transfer coupling between the tryptophan and the retinal. The membrane curvature may be involved as a result of cations motion and correlated conformational changes.

Bacteriorhodopsins↗
PubMed2000

Fast algorithm for soft straightening of the colon.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: In this study, the authors developed a fast algorithm for soft straightening of the colon with computed tomographic data that greatly accelerates the unraveling process based on the interpolation of representative electric force lines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Each curved cross section of the colon is defined by electric force lines of a common origin on an electrically charged central path and is constructed by interpolating most of these force lines from a limited number of representative force lines that are traced directly. Both a synthetic colon phantom and a colon in a living patient were used to demonstrate the feasibility of the fast interpolation algorithm compared with direct implementation for soft straightening of the colon. RESULTS: The interpolation-based soft-straightening algorithm ran approximately 40 times faster than the direct implementation of the electric field-based soft-straightening algorithm. CONCLUSION: The fast algorithm for soft straightening of the colon has potential for use in computed tomographic colonography.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2000

Distortion reduction for fast soft straightening of the colon.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to suppress the geometric distortion associated with soft straightening of the colon by moderately adjusting curved cross sections, which is equivalent to appropriately modifying the underlying electrical field. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A computational mechanism to reduce the geometric distortion associated with soft straightening was developed. Because the cause of distortion is uneven sampling of the colon wall with curved cross sections, the curved cross sections formed according to a numerically simulated electrical field were redistributed in the distortion reduction process. This mechanism can be directly incorporated into a previously published fast soft-straightening algorithm. Simulations were performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the mechanism, and a phantom colon with digitally implanted, spherical polyps was straightened and rendered to visually display the efficacy of the mechanism. RESULTS: The distortion reduction mechanism was advantageous regarding shape preservation of polyps and alleviated distortion substantially. The mechanism occupied only a small portion of the total processing time. CONCLUSION: The distortion reduction mechanism can effectively reduce the geometric distortion associated with soft straightening at little computational cost and has potential for use with computed tomographic colonography.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2000

Fast iterative algorithm for metal artifact reduction in X-ray CT.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The reduction of metal artifacts in x-ray computed tomography (CT) has important clinical applications. An iterative method adapted from the expectation maximization (EM) formula for emission CT was shown to be effective for metal artifact reduction, but its computational speed is slow. The goal of this project was to accelerate that iterative method for metal artifact reduction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using the row-action/ordered-subset (EM) formula for emission CT as a basis, the authors developed a fast iterative algorithm for metal artifact reduction. In each iteration of this algorithm, both reprojection from an intermediate image and backprojection from discrepancy data are performed. RESULTS: The feasibility of the fast iterative algorithm was demonstrated in numerical and phantom experiments. In comparison with the nonaccelerated iterative algorithm, the speed of iterative metal artifact reduction is improved by an order of magnitude given image quality in terms of visual inspection, I-divergence in the projection domain, and the euclidean distance in the image domain. CONCLUSION: The fast iterative algorithm corrects intermediate reconstruction according to subsets of projections and produces satisfactory image quality at a much faster speed than the previously published iterative algorithm. This algorithm has important potential in clinical applications, such as orthopedic, oncologic, and dental imaging.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2000

Effects of Ca2+ on the activity and stability of methanol dehydrogenase.

The effects of exogenously added Ca2+ on the enzymatic activity and structural stability of methanol dehydrogenase were studied for various Ca2+ concentrations. Methanol dehydrogenase activity increased significantly with increasing concentration of Ca2+, approaching saturation at 200 mM Ca2+. The effect of Ca2+ on the activation of MDH was time dependent and Ca2+ specific and was due to binding of the metal ions to the enzyme. Addition of increasing concentration of Ca2+ caused a decrease of the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence intensity in a concentration-dependent manner to a minimum at 200 mM, but with no change in the fluorescence emission maximum wavelength or the CD spectra. The results revealed that the activation of methanol dehydrogenase by Ca2+ occurred concurrently with the conformational change. In addition, exogenously bound Ca2+ destabilized MDH. The potential biological significance of these results is discussed.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed2000

Recognition of human colon cancer by T cells transduced with a chimeric receptor gene.

Transduction with chimeric T-cell receptor genes can be used to redirect primary T lymphocytes to recognize specific antigens (Ags), including ovarian and breast cancer Ags. To extend this approach to colon cancer we report here redirection of T cells using a chimeric receptor recognizing the colon cancer-associated Ag EGP40. Chimeric T cell receptors were constructed by ligating single-chain genes of either of two EGP40-specific monoclonal antibodies (CO17.1 A, GA733) to the Fc receptor gamma-signaling chain. Retroviral vectors incorporating these constructs were used to transduce a murine T-cell line and human peripheral blood lymphocytes. These modified T cells were analyzed for specific recognition of colon cancer lines by measuring cytokine release and lytic activity against tumor targets. Murine lymphocytes transduced with the chimeric receptor based on GA733, but not CO17.1A, released cytokine specifically in response to EGP40-expressing colon cancer cell lines. Recognition of colon cancer targets by murine lymphocytes was blocked by the addition of GA733 antibody or soluble EGP40 Ag, confirming that colon cancer recognition is based on specific chimeric receptor-Ag interaction. Human lymphocytes transduced with chimeric GA733 specifically recognized colon carcinoma cells in cytokine release assays and lysed EGP40-expressing tumor cells. Genetic modification of T cells can be used to redirect T cells against EGP40-expressing tumor cells. The expression of chimeric GA733 in the autologous lymphocytes of patients may provide a source of tumor-reactive cells with therapeutic application against colon cancer.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed2000

Genetic aberration in primary hepatocellular carcinoma: correlation between p53 gene mutation and loss-of-heterozygosity on chromosome 16q21-q23 and 9p21-p23.

To elucidate the molecular pathology underlying the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we used 41 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers to examine 55 HCC and corresponding non-tumor liver tissues on chromosome 9, 16 and 17. Loss-of-heterozygosity (LOH) is observed with high frequency on chromosomal region 17p13 (36/55, 65%), 9p21-p23 (28/55, 51%), 16q21-q23 (27/55, 49%) in tumors. Meanwhile, microsatellite instability is rarely found in these microsatellite loci. Direct sequencing was performed to detect the tentative mutation of tumor suppressor genes in these regions: p53, MTS1/p16, and CDH1/E-cadherin. Within exon 5-9 of p53 gene, 14 out of 55 HCC specimens (24%) have somatic mutations, and nucleotide deletion of this gene is reported in HCC for the first time. Mutation in MTS1/p16 is found only in one tumor case. We do not find mutations in CDH1/E-cadherin. Furthermore, a statistically significant correlation is present between p53 gene mutation and loss of chromosome region 16q21-q23 and 9p21-p23, which indicates that synergism between p53 inactivation and deletion of 16q21-q23 and 9p21-p23 may play a role in the pathogenesis of HCC.

Cadherins↗
PubMed2000

Lewis antigens in Helicobacter pylori: biosynthesis and phase variation.

The lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of most Helicobacter pylori strains contain complex carbohydrates known as Lewis antigens that are structurally related to the human blood group antigens. Investigations on the genetic determinants involved in the biosynthesis of Lewis antigens have led to the identification of the fucosyltransferases of H. pylori, which have substrate specificities distinct from the mammalian fucosyltransferases. Compared with its human host, H. pylori utilizes a different pathway to synthesize the difucosylated Lewis antigens, Lewis y. and Lewis b. Unique features in the H. pylori fucosyltransferase genes, including homopolymeric tracts mediating slipped-strand mispairing and the elements regulating translational frameshifting, enable H. pylori to produce variable LPS epitopes on its surface. These new findings have provided us with a basis to further examine the roles of molecular mimicry and phase variation of H. pylori Lewis antigen expression in both persistent infection and pathogenesis of this important human gastric pathogen.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Differential expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 in chronic murine retroviral encephalitis.

The cell adhesion molecules, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1, are important mediators of immune interactions within the central nervous system (CNS). A wide variety of pro-inflammatory insults to the brain, including viral infection, result in upregulation of these molecules on brain endothelial cells, astrocytes, and microglia. This study investigated the expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in chronic encephalitis induced by infection with a temperature sensitive (ts-1) strain of Moloney murine leukaemia virus (MoMuLV), an ecotropic murine retrovirus. During the late stages of disease, viral antigen was present in both endothelial cells and microglia, but not astrocytes, in regions of spongiform change and gliosis. In these areas, ICAM-1 staining was detected on activated microglia, but not on endothelial cells or astrocytes. In contrast, no cells showed increased VCAM-1 expression in the CNS. These findings demonstrate that there is cell-specific, differential expression of these adhesion molecules in ts-1 retroviral encephalitis. The lack of endothelial cell expression correlates with the characteristic lack of lymphocytic infiltrate in this chronic retroviral encephalitis and suggests that increased microglial ICAM-1 expression may play a role in the pathogenesis of MoMuLV (ts-1)-mediated neurodegeneration.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Synthesis of mono- and di-fucosylated type I Lewis blood group antigens by Helicobacter pylori.

The identification of Helicobacter pylori isolates that expresses exclusively type I Lewis antigens is necessary to determine the biosynthetic pathway of these antigens. Fast-atom bombardment MS provides evidence that the H. pylori isolate UA1111 expresses predominantly Leb, with H type I and Lea in lesser amounts. Cloning and expression of the H. pylori fucosyltransferases (FucTs) allow comparisons with previously identified H. pylori enzymes and determination of the enzyme specificities. Although all FucTs, one alpha(1,2) FucT and two alpha(1,3/4) FucTs, appear to be functional in this isolate, their activities are lower and enzyme specificities are different to other H. pylori FucTs previously characterized. Studies of the cloned enzyme activities and mutational analysis indicate that Lea acts as the substrate for the synthesis of Leb. This is different from the human Leb biosynthetic pathway, but analogous to the biosynthetic pathway utilized by H. pylori for the production of Ley.

Amino Acid Sequence↗