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Biomedical subjects

G Zhu

Publications and source records attributed to G Zhu.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Using toad oocytes as an ultrasensitive system for estimating the biological activity of trichosanthin.

A sensitive bioassay for estimating the activity of Trichosanthin was developed by using intra-oocyte microinjection as the technique and germinal vesicle breakdown as a marker. The GVBD inhibitory activity assay was million-fold more sensitive than the routinely used abortifacient activity assay. The detectable amount of Trichosanthin ranged from 0.5 to 100 pg. Since the least detectable dose was 0.5 pg, it made the assay suitable to analyse the micro-quantity of pure Trichosanthin used for studying the structure and function of the drug.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed1992

Direct analysis of the binding of Src-homology 2 domains of phospholipase C to the activated epidermal growth factor receptor.

A number of proteins involved in intracellular signaling contain regions of homology to the product of the src oncogene that are termed Src-homology (SH) 2 domains. SH2 domains are believed to mediate the association of these proteins with various tyrosine-phosphorylated receptors in a growth factor-dependent manner. We have examined the kinetic characteristics of one of these interactions, the binding of the SH2 domains of phospholipase C gamma 1 with the receptor for epidermal growth factor (EGF). Bacterial fusion proteins were prepared containing the two SH2 domains of PLC gamma 1 and labeled metabolically with [35S]methionine/cysteine. A fusion protein containing both SH2 domains bound to the purified EGF receptor from EGF-treated cells, whereas no binding to receptors from control cells was detected. Binding was rapid, reaching apparent equilibrium by 10 min. Dissociation of the complex occurred only in the presence of excess unlabeled SH2 protein and exhibited two kinetic components. Similarly, analysis of apparent equilibrium binding revealed a nonlinear Scatchard plot, further indicating complex binding kinetics that may reflect cooperative behavior. The binding of the fusion protein containing both SH2 domains was inhibited by a fusion protein containing only the amino-terminal SH2 domain, although at concentrations an order of magnitude higher than that observed with the complete fusion protein. Fusion proteins containing SH2 domains from the GTPase-activating protein, the p85 regulatory subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase, or the Abl oncoprotein competed less effectively. Binding of the PLC gamma 1 SH2 fusion protein to a mutant EGF receptor lacking the two carboxyl-terminal tyrosine phosphorylation sites exhibited a significantly lower affinity than that observed with the wild type, suggesting that this region of the receptor may play an important role. This binding assay represents a means with which to evaluate the pleiotropic nature of growth factor action.

ErbB Receptors↗
PubMed1992

Solution structure of a calmodulin-target peptide complex by multidimensional NMR.

The three-dimensional solution structure of the complex between calcium-bound calmodulin (Ca(2+)-CaM) and a 26-residue synthetic peptide comprising the CaM binding domain (residues 577 to 602) of skeletal muscle myosin light chain kinase, has been determined using multidimensional heteronuclear filtered and separated nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The two domains of CaM (residues 6 to 73 and 83 to 146) remain essentially unchanged upon complexation. The long central helix (residues 65 to 93), however, which connects the two domains in the crystal structure of Ca(2+)-CaM, is disrupted into two helices connected by a long flexible loop (residues 74 to 82), thereby enabling the two domains to clamp residues 3 to 21 of the bound peptide, which adopt a helical conformation. The overall structure of the complex is globular, approximating an ellipsoid of dimensions 47 by 32 by 30 angstroms. The helical peptide is located in a hydrophobic channel that passes through the center of the ellipsoid at an angle of approximately 45 degrees with its long axis. The complex is mainly stabilized by hydrophobic interactions which, from the CaM side, involve an unusually large number of methionines. Key residues of the peptide are Trp4 and Phe17, which serve to anchor the amino- and carboxyl-terminal halves of the peptide to the carboxyl- and amino-terminal domains of CaM, respectively. Sequence comparisons indicate that a number of peptides that bind CaM with high affinity share this common feature containing either aromatic residues or long-chain hydrophobic ones separated by a stretch of 12 residues, suggesting that they interact with CaM in a similar manner.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Replacement of lysine-181 by aspartic acid in the third transmembrane region of endothelin type B receptor reduces its affinity to endothelin peptides and sarafotoxin 6c without affecting G protein coupling.

A conserved aspartic acid residue in the third transmembrane region of many of the G protein-coupled receptors has been shown to play a role in ligand binding. In the case of endothelin receptors, however, a lysine residue replaces this conserved aspartic acid residue. To access the importance of this residue in ligand binding, we have replaced it with an aspartic acid in the rat endothelin type B (ETb) receptor by PCR mediated mutagenesis. The binding characteristics and functional properties of both the wild type and mutant receptors were determined in COS-7 cells transiently expressing the cloned receptor cDNAs. Using 125I-ET-1 as the radioactive peptide ligand in displacement binding studies, the wild type receptor displayed a typical non-isopeptide-selective binding profile with similar IC50 values (0.2-0.6 nM) for all three endothelin peptides (ET-1, ET-2, and ET-3) and sarafotoxin 6c (SRTX 6c). Interestingly, the mutant receptor showed an increase in IC50 values for ET-1 (5 nM), ET-2 (27 nM), and ET-3 (127 nM) but displayed a much larger increase in IC50 value for SRTX 6c (> 10 uM). The lysine mutant receptor still elicited full inositol phosphate (IP) turnover responses in the presence of saturating concentrations of endothelins (10 nM of ET-1, 100 nM of ET-2, or 1 uM of ET-3), indicating that the mutation (K181D) did not affect the coupling of mutant receptor to the appropriate G protein. These results demonstrate that lysine-181 on the receptor is important for binding ET peptides; however, it is required for binding the ETb selective agonist-SRTX 6c.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Simple Determination of the CO(2)/O(2) Specificity of Ribulose-1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase by the Specific Radioactivity of [C]Glycerate 3-Phosphate.

A new method is presented for measurement of the CO(2)/O(2) specificity factor of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco). The [(14)C]3-phosphoglycerate (PGA) from the Rubisco carboxylase reaction and its dilution by the Rubisco oxygenase reaction was monitored by directly measuring the specific radioactivity of PGA. (14)CO(2) fixation with Rubisco occurred under two reaction conditions: carboxylase with oxygenase with 40 micromolar CO(2) in O(2)-saturated water and carboxylase only with 160 micromolar CO(2) under N(2). Detection of the specific radioactivity used the amount of PGA as obtained from the peak area, which was determined by pulsed amperometry following separation by high-performance anion exchange chromatography and the radioactive counts of the [(14)C]PGA in the same peak. The specificity factor of Rubisco from spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) (93 +/- 4), from the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (66 +/- 1), and from the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodospirillum rubrum (13) were comparable with the published values measured by different methods.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1992

Skeletal muscle metabolism in the chronic fatigue syndrome. In vivo assessment by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

BACKGROUND: Previous study of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has demonstrated a markedly reduced dynamic exercise capacity, not limited by cardiac performance and in the absence of clinical neuromuscular dysfunction, suggesting the possibility of a subclinical defect of skeletal muscle. METHODS: The in vivo metabolism of the gastrocnemius muscles of 22 CFS patients and 21 normal control subjects was compared during rest, graded dynamic exercise to exhaustion and recovery, using 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to reflect minute-to-minute intracellular high-energy phosphate metabolism. RESULTS: Duration of exercise was markedly shorter in the CFS patients (8.1 +/- 2.8 min) compared with the normal subjects (11.3 +/- 4.3 min) (p = 0.005). There were large changes in phosphocreatine (PCr), inorganic phosphate (Pi), and pH from rest to clinical fatigue in all subjects, reflecting the high intensity of the exercise. The temporal metabolic patterns were qualitatively similar in the CFS patients and normal subjects. There were early and continuous changes in PCr and Pi that peaked at the point of fatigue and rapidly reversed after exercise. In contrast, pH was relatively static in early exercise, not declining noticeably until 50 percent of total exercise duration was achieved, and reaching a nadir at 2 min postexercise, before rapidly reversing. There were no differences in pH at rest (7.08 +/- 0.04 vs 7.10 +/- 0.04), exhaustion (6.85 +/- 0.17 vs 6.76 +/- 0.17) or early (6.64 +/- 0.25 vs 6.56 +/- 0.24) or late recovery (7.09 +/- 0.04 vs 7.10 +/- 0.05), CFS patients vs normal subjects, respectively (NS). Neither were there intergroup differences (NS) in PCr or Pi. Although, quantitatively, the changes in PCr, Pi, and pH were marked and similar in both groups from rest to exhaustion, the changes all occurred much more rapidly in the CFS patients. Moreover, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was significantly (p = 0.007) less at exhaustion in the CFS group. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CFS and normal control subjects have similar skeletal muscle metabolic patterns during dynamic exercise and reach similar clinical and metabolic end points. However, CFS patients reach exhaustion much more rapidly than normal subjects, at which point they also have relatively reduced intracellular concentrations of ATP. These data suggest a defect of oxidative metabolism with a resultant acceleration of glycolysis in the working skeletal muscles of CFS patients. This metabolic defect may contribute to the reduced physical endurance of CFS patients. Its etiology is unknown. Whether CFS patients' overwhelming tiredness at rest has a similar metabolic pathophysiology or etiology also remains unknown.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1992

Expression of K12 keratin in alkali-burned rabbit corneas.

The healing of alkali-injured corneas is characterized by the persistence of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) in tissues and recurrent corneal epithelial defects. It has been suggested that the proteolytic enzymes secreted by PMN may account in part for the recurrent epithelial defects in the alkali-burned corneas. Cytoplasmic keratins, which form intracellular intermediate filaments, participate in the formation of hemidesmosomes and play a key role in the focal adhesion of epithelial cells to the basement membranes. The K3/K12 keratin pair is a major constituent of differentiated and stratified corneal epithelium. We have recently cloned the cDNA encoding the rabbit K12 keratin. In the present study we examined the expression of K12 keratin during the healing of alkali-burned rabbit corneas by slot-blot and in situ hybridization. Our results indicate that in normal cornea K12 keratin is equally expressed in all cell layers of stratified corneal epithelium and suprabasal layers of limbal epithelium, but not in bulbar conjunctival and other epithelia, i.e., lens, iris, and retinal pigment epithelium. The basal cells of the detached regenerating epithelium of the injured cornea express a very low level of K12 keratin. These observations are consistent with the notion that defective expression of K3/K12 keratins may play a role in the abnormal attachment of the regenerating epithelium to the basement membrane.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

[Effects of substance P in rat spinal cord on the humoral immune response to SRBC].

The effects of substance P (SP) in rat spinal cord on the humoral immune response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) were investigated by the hemolytic plaque-forming cell (PFC) technique. Radioimmunoassay was used for assessing SP content. Catecholamines contents were measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrochemical-detection. The results suggest that SP in the spinal dorsal horn, but not in the lateral horn, could inhibit the thymus-dependent humoral immune response to SRBC, and this inhibitory effect might be related to the influence of dorsal horn SP on thymic activity. Increased SP content in the spinal dorsal horn at the peak of a humoral immune response might suppress the immune response and play a negative feedback role, preventing excessive immune response.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

In vivo skeletal muscle metabolism during dynamic exercise and recovery: assessment by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to define temporally phosphorus metabolism and pH in the gastrocnemius muscles of 21 normal adult subjects during rest, dynamic exercise to exhaustion, and early and late recovery. METHODS: In vivo nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. RESULTS: At rest, the ratio of phosphocreatine to the alpha peak of ATP averaged 2.26 +/- 0.25, the inorganic phosphate to ATP ratio averaged 0.31 +/- 0.08 and pH averaged 7.10 +/- 0.04. The phosphorus metabolites exhibited immediate and progressive changes with exercise, reaching their minimum (phosphocreatine, 0.95 +/- 0.41) or maximum (inorganic phosphate, 1.95 +/- 0.75) values at exhaustion, after an average exercise of 11 +/- 4 mins. In contrast, pH changed slowly during early exercise, but fell abruptly thereafter and averaged 6.76 +/- 0.17 at exhaustion. Phosphocreatine and inorganic phosphate began to return rapidly towards preexercise values immediately on cessation of exercise. However, pH declined further in the period immediately following cessation of exercise, reaching a nadir of 6.56 +/- 0.24 an average of 2 mins into recovery. Exercise duration did not correlate highly with any metabolic variable. CONCLUSIONS: The data support the concept that the metabolic physiology underlying physical exhaustion of dynamic exercising muscle is multifactorial. The post exercise drop in pH also suggests that normal subjects have a greater contribution to high energy phosphate production from glycolysis, as opposed to oxidative metabolism, in early recovery.

Acid-Base Equilibrium↗
PubMed1992

Characterization in vitro and in vivo of resistance to ionophores in a strain of Eimeria tenella.

A field isolate of Eimeria tenella (FS139) was propagated several times in chickens medicated with 200 ppm of dietary monensin. In a laboratory test with 2-wk-old-chickens, the strain was resistant to monensin, salinomycin, and lasalocid given at double use level and was resistant to narasin and maduramicin at the normal use level. In comparison, a laboratory strain (WIS) was controlled by the normal use level of each product. When free WIS sporozoites were treated in vitro with 1.0 microgram/ml of monensin for 0.5 or 4.0 hr at 41 C and inoculated into primary cultures of chicken kidney cells the invasion was reduced by 35.6% or 96.3%, but invasion of FS139 sporozoites was increased by 18.5% by 0.5 hr treatment and was about the same as controls after 2 hr of treatment. Few sporozoites from the WIS strain developed into schizonts, but numerous sporozoites from the FS139 strain developed into normal first and second generation schizonts. The structure of free WIS sporozoites was distorted after 3 hr of treatment with 2.5 micrograms/ml of monensin at 41 C, as observed by light and scanning electron microscopy, whereas there was no change in structure of most treated FS139 sporozoites.

Animals↗