Biomedical subjects

H F Kung

Publications and source records attributed to H F Kung.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1999

Effects of age on dopamine transporters in healthy humans.

UNLABELLED: 99mTc-TRODAT-1 is a new radiopharmaceutical that selectively binds the dopamine transporters. This study characterized the effects of aging on its regional cerebral distribution in healthy human volunteers. METHODS: The sample consisted of 27 men and 28 women with a mean age of 41.1 +/- 17.1 y (age range 18.7-73.8 y). Dynamic SPECT scans of the brain were obtained with a standardized acquisition and processing protocol on a triple-head camera. Mean counts per pixel were measured in multiple regions of interest within each basal ganglia. Regression analyses were used to relate the specific uptake values at 3-4 h after administration to age. Both linear and nonlinear models of aging were tested. RESULTS: The relative concentration of radioactivity in most subregions of the basal ganglia decreased significantly with age (all P values < 0.0001). Nonlinear models of aging fit the data significantly better than a straight line. The rate of decline was significantly faster in young adults than in older volunteers (P < 0.001). The break-point age at which the rate of change slowed down and became more stable was 36 y old for the whole striatum and ranged from 32 to 44 y old depending on subregion. CONCLUSION: The effects of aging on central nervous system dopamine transporters do not appear to be linear. Most effects seem to occur during young adulthood before people reach their 40s. The distribution then appears to remain relatively stable until late in life. The findings suggest that the adult life cycle is better characterized as a series of phases than as a continuum.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Kinetic modeling of [99mTc]TRODAT-1: a dopamine transporter imaging agent.

UNLABELLED: [99mTc]Technetium[2-[[2-[[[3-(4-chlorophenyl)-8-methyl-8-azabicyclo [3.2.1] oct-2-yl]-methyl] (2-mercaptoethyl) amino] ethyl] amino] ethane-thiolato(3-)-N2,N2',S2,S2']oxo-[1R-(exo-exo)] ([99mTc] TRODAT-1) is a useful imaging agent for central nervous system dopamine transporters. The purpose of this study was to characterize the in vivo binding potential and kinetic rate constants of this agent in nonhuman primates. METHODS: A series of four SPECT scans were performed on each of two female baboons with a bolus injection of [99mTc]TRODAT-1 (717+/-78 MBq; 19.38+/-2.12 mCi). Dynamic images of the brain were acquired over 4 h using a triple-head camera equipped with fan-beam collimators. Arterial and venous blood were sampled frequently using a peristaltic pump throughout the duration of the study. Regions of interest were drawn on the corresponding MRI scan to which each functional image was coregistered. Using analytical solutions to the three-compartment model with the Levenberg-Marquardt minimization technique, each study was individually fitted to a kinetic parameter vector (method I). Additionally, within each subject, three corresponding intrasubject studies were fitted simultaneously to a single parameter vector by constraining the binding potential, distribution volume and dissociation rate constant to improve the identifiability of the parameter estimates (method II). RESULTS: The results clearly indicated that [99mTc] TRODAT-1 localized in the striatum with slower washout rate than other brain regions. A maximal target/nontarget ratio of 3.5 between striatum and cerebellum was obtained. SPECT image analysis of the striatum yielded unconstrained k3/k4 values of 3.4+/-1.4, 2.4+/-0.7, 3.0+/-1.5, and 4.0+/-10.3, with respective constrained (fixed k4) values of 2.9 +/- 0.4, 2.4 +/- 0.4, 1.7+/-0.4 and 1.8+/-0.4 in one baboon using method I. With method II, the corresponding simultaneously fitted values were 2.1+/-0.3 using no constraints and 2.2+/-0.2 using a fixed k4. The second baboon had similar results. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the binding potential and corresponding kinetic rate constants can be reliably estimated in nonhuman primates with dynamic SPECT imaging of the dopamine transporter using a technetium-based tropane analogue. Furthermore, method II parameter vectors compare favorably to those produced using method I based on SEEs.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Serotonin receptor 1A knockout: an animal model of anxiety-related disorder.

To investigate the contribution of individual serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) receptors to mood control, we have used homologous recombination to generate mice lacking specific serotonergic receptor subtypes. In the present report, we demonstrate that mice without 5-HT1A receptors display decreased exploratory activity and increased fear of aversive environments (open or elevated spaces). 5-HT1A knockout mice also exhibited a decreased immobility in the forced swim test, an effect commonly associated with antidepressant treatment. Although 5-HT1A receptors are involved in controlling the activity of serotonergic neurons, 5-HT1A knockout mice had normal levels of 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, possibly because of an up-regulation of 5-HT1B autoreceptors. Heterozygote 5-HT1A mutants expressed approximately one-half of wild-type receptor density and displayed intermediate phenotypes in most behavioral tests. These results demonstrate that 5-HT1A receptors are involved in the modulation of exploratory and fear-related behaviors and suggest that reductions in 5-HT1A receptor density due to genetic defects or environmental stressors might result in heightened anxiety.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Transcriptional regulation of BMP-4 in the Xenopus embryo: analysis of genomic BMP-4 and its promoter.

Recent experiments in the Xenopus embryo suggest that proper regulation of BMP-4 signaling is critical to the dorsal ventral specification of both mesoderm and ectoderm. Regulation of BMP-4 signaling is known to occur extracellularly by direct binding with chordin, noggin, and follistatin, and intracellularly through the antagonistic signal interaction with dorsalizing TGF-beta family member activin. However, tight repressional regulation of BMP transcription may also be required to sustain the dorsal and neural status of the induced cells. Here we demonstrate that the dominant negative mutant of the BMP receptor (DN-BR) or the BMP-4 antagonizers, chordin and noggin, negatively regulate BMP-4 transcription in animal cap explants. We suggest that repression of BMP-4 transcription is important in the maintenance of dorsal fate and that continuous input of BMP-4 signaling is required to sustain the expression of BMP-4 transcription in the maintenance of epidermal/ventral fate. Consistent with this postulation, we found that the promoter region of the isolated BMP-4 genomic DNA includes several consensus binding sites for transcriptional regulators functioning under BMP-4 signaling such as GATA binding and ventralizing homeobox genes. In a functional assay we found that the GATA binding and ventral homeobox proteins can positively modulate BMP-4 promoter activity. We also observed that DN-BR decreases BMP-4 promoter activity. This was likely due to a repression of the above-mentioned transcription factors. The significance of these observations to embryonic patterning is discussed.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Xenopus CRMP-2 is an early response gene to neural induction.

A neural specific protein, CRMP-2 (for Collapsin Response Mediator Protein-2), is considered to mediate collapsin-induced growth cone collapse during neural development. We have isolated the Xenopus homologue of the CRMP-2 (XCRMP-2) cDNA and studied the expression of XCRMP-2 mRNA and protein during neural induction. Induction of XCRMP-2 mRNA and protein expression, like N-CAM, occurred at the midgastrula stage and increased through early neural developmental stages. Whole mount in situ hybridization demonstrated that expression of XCRMP-2 mRNA was localized in neural tissues such as the neural plate and tube at early stages, while its expression in the brain, spinal cord, and eyes was observed at later stages. Immunostaining of Xenopus embryos with the antibody against CRMP-2 also showed that the protein was specifically expressed in the neural tissues at early stages. XCRMP-2 expression was induced by neural inducers such as noggin and chordin which antagonize a neural inhibitor, BMP4. A dominant negative BMP receptor also induced XCRMP-2 expression, suggesting that transcription of XCRMP-2 gene was negatively regulated by the BMP4 signaling. These results indicate that expression of XCRMP-2 is an early response marking neural commitment, and that transcriptional control of XCRMP-2 gene, is one of the targets of BMP4 signaling.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1998

Specificity of diastereomers of [99mTc]TRODAT-1 as dopamine transporter imaging agents.

Recently, we reported the first human study of [99mTc]TRODAT-1, technetium, 2-[[2-[[[3-(4-chlorophenyl)-8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-2- yl]methyl](2-mercaptoethyl)amino]ethyl]amino]-ethanethiolato(3-)-o xo- [1R-(exo-exo)]-, as an imaging agent of central nervous system (CNS) dopamine transporters. Due to the existence of several chiral centers on this molecule, upon the formation of [99mTc]TRODAT-1 complex (2) several diastereomers could be created. Two major diastereomers of [99mTc]TRODAT-1 (2), designated as peak A (2A) and peak B (2B), were separated by HPLC. Biodistribution of the purified diastereomers 2A,B was evaluated in rats. It appears that 2A displayed a higher lipophilicity than 2B (PC = 305 and 229, respectively), and a similar trend was observed for the initial brain uptake at 2 min postinjection (0.50% and 0.28% dose/organ for 2A,B, respectively). At 60 min post-iv-injection, the specific uptakes, as measured by [striatum - cerebellum]/cerebellum ([ST-CB]/CB) ratio, were 1.72 and 2.79 for 2A,B, respectively. The higher [ST-CB]/CB ratio observed for 2B was corroborated by the results of an in vitro binding assay. Higher binding affinity for dopamine transporters was observed for 3B (Ki = 13.87 and 8.42 nM for the analogous rhenium complexes 3A,B, respectively). The structure of the [99mTc]TRODAT-1 complexes was deduced using nonradioactive rhenium as a surrogate for radioactive technetium complex. Reacting free TRODAT-1 ligand with [Bu4N][ReOCl4] yielded two major complexes: Re-TRODAT-1A (3A) and Re-TRODAT-1B (3B) (corresponding with peaks A and B of [99mTc]TRODAT-1, respectively), whose structures were determined by X-ray analysis. The X-ray structures show that both complexes have a pseudo-square-pyramidal structure of [RevO]3+N2S2 core with oxygen occupying the apical position and the N-alkyl substitution in syn-configuration to the oxo-rhenium bond. In conclusion, TRODAT-1 formed at least two diastereomers after complexing with a metal(V)-oxo (M = 99mTc, Re) center core. The two isomers display different binding affinities toward dopamine transporters and distinct properties of localization in the striatum area of the brain where the transporters are located.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Loss of cell adhesion in Xenopus laevis embryos mediated by the cytoplasmic domain of XLerk, an erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular ligand.

The erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular (Eph) family of ligands and receptors has been implicated in the control of axon guidance and the segmental restriction of cells during embryonic development. In this report, we show that ectopic expression of XLerk, a Xenopus homologue of the murine Lerk-2 (ephrin-B1) transmembrane ligand, causes dissociation of Xenopus embryonic blastomeres by the mid-blastula transition. Moreover, a mutant that lacks the extracellular receptor binding domain can induce this phenotype. The carboxyl-terminal 19 amino acids of the cytoplasmic domain of XLerk are necessary but not sufficient to induce cellular dissociation. Basic fibroblast growth factor, but not activin, can rescue both the loss of cell adhesion and mesoderm induction in ectodermal explants expressing XLerk. Collectively, these results show that the cytoplasmic domain of XLerk has a signaling function that is important for cell adhesion, and fibroblast growth factor signaling modulates this function.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Mesoderm induction by heterodimeric AP-1 (c-Jun and c-Fos) and its involvement in mesoderm formation through the embryonic fibroblast growth factor/Xbra autocatalytic loop during the early development of Xenopus embryos.

We have previously demonstrated the involvement of AP-1/Jun in fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling by loss-of-function assay (Dong, Z., Xu, R.-H., Kim, J., Zhan, S.-N., Ma, W.-Y., Colburn, N. H., and Kung, H. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 9942-9946). Further investigations by gain-of-function are reported in this study. AP-1 transactivation activity was increased by the treatment of animal cap explants with FGF. Ectopic overexpression of two components of AP-1 (c-jun and c-fos together, but not alone) produced posteriorized embryos and induced mesoderm formation in animal cap explants, indicating that both AP-1 heterodimers are required for mesoderm induction. Since Ras/AP-1 functions downstream of FGF signaling, we then tested the involvement of Ras/AP-1 in mesoderm maintenance mediated by embryonic FGF/Xbra using dominant-negative mutants. Mesoderm maintenance mediated by embryonic FGF/Xbra was blocked by dominant-negative mutants of Ras/AP-1, and AP-1 enhanced the expression of Xbra. Further studies demonstrated the inhibition of Ras/AP-1-mediated mesoderm formation by dominant-negative mutants of the FGF receptor and Xbra. These results indicate that Ras/AP-1 and FGF/Xbra signals are involved in the mesoderm maintenance machinery and mesoderm formation through the synergistic action of the diversified signal pathways derived from the FGF/Xbra autocatalytic loop.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Isoindol-1-one analogues of 4-(2'-methoxyphenyl)-1-[2'-[N-(2"-pyridyl)-p-iodobenzamido]ethyl]pipera zine (p-MPPI) as 5-HT1A receptor ligands.

In developing radioiodinated antagonists for in vivo imaging of 5-HT1A receptors with SPECT, a series of new arylpiperazine benzamido derivatives, including 4-(2'-methoxyphenyl)-1-[2'-[N-(2"-pyridyl)-p-iodobenzamido]ethyl]p iperazine (p-MPPI, 31) (Kd = 0.36 nM), as potential ligands for 5-HT1A receptors were reported previously. However, rapid in vivo metabolism may have caused the breakdown of the amide bond of [123I]-31 and rendered this agent obsolete as an in vivo imaging agent in humans. To improve the in vivo stability of 31, a series of cyclized amide analogues were designed and synthesized. In vitro binding, metabolic stability, and in vivo biodistribution of these new derivatives were investigated. Several five-membered-ring isoindol-1-ones displayed very high in vitro binding affinity, especially 2-{2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl]ethyl}-6-nitro-3-phenyl-2, 3-dihydroisoindol-1-one, 15, 3-hydroxy-6-iodo-2-{2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl]ethyl}- 3- phenyl-2,3-dihydroisoindol-1-one, 18, and 6-iodo-2-{2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl]ethyl}-3-phenyl-2, 3-dihydroisoindol-1-one, 21, which showed Ki values of 0.05, 0.65, and 0.07 nM, respectively. The affinities for 5-HT1A receptors of other cyclized amide derivatives, 5-(4-bromophenyl)-1-{2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)- piperazin-1-yl]ethyl}pyrrolidin-2-one, 25, 5-(4-iodophenyl)-1-{2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazin- 1-yl]ethyl}pyrrolidin-2-one, 27, and 2-{2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl]ethyl}-2,3-dihydro- isoindol-1-one, 29, were 1.09, 2.54, and 14.9 nM, respectively. Compared to [125I]-31, iodinated cyclized amide derivatives [125I]-21 and [125I]-27 displayed a slower metabolism in human liver microsomal and cytosolic preparations. Biodistribution of [125I]-21 and [125I]-27 in rats (after an i.v. injection) displayed moderate to low brain uptakes with little or no specific localization in hippocampal region, where 5-HT1A receptors are concentrated. These data indicate that the new iodinated ligands showed high binding affinities and better metabolic stability but displayed unexpectedly low selective binding to 5-HT1A receptors in vivo. Additional structural modifications may be needed to correct the unfavorable properties displayed for these iodinated cyclized amide derivatives for in vivo biodistribution in rats.

Aminopyridines↗

PubMed1998

Pharmacological effects of dopaminergic drugs on in vivo binding of [99mTc]TRODAT-1 to the central dopamine transporters in rats.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of drugs competing for the dopamine transporter (DAT) or changing intra- and/or extracellular dopamine levels on the binding of a novel technetium-99m labeled tropane derivative, technetium, [2-[[2-[[[3-(4-chloro- phenyl)-8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3, 2, 1]oct-2-yl]methyl] (2-mercaptoethyl)amino]ethyl]amino]ethanethiolato(3)]-oxo-[1R-(exo -exo)]-, [99mTc]TRODAT-1, to DAT. This paper describes the further characterization of [99mTc]TRODAT-1 binding sites in rats under conditions which may exist in patients receiving various drug treatments. All experiments were carried out using an i.v. injection of [99mTc]TRODAT-1 into male Sprague-Dawley rats. Measurements of % dose/gram ratio of (striatum-cerebellum)/cerebellum at 1 h post injection were used as an indicator for specific DAT binding. The biodistribution studies were performed in the presence of drugs which compete for the binding site, such as CFT (WIN 35,428) and methylphenidate, drugs which influence dopamine levels, such as L-DOPA, gamma-hydroxybutyrolactone, and alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine, and d-amphetamine, which both acts as a competitor for DAT binding and increases dopamine levels. Additionally, the influence of dopamine receptor agonists, such as apomorphine and (+)bromocriptine, on biodistribution was tested. Binding of [99mTc]TRODAT-1 to DAT was found to be inhibited by CFT, methylphenidate, and d-amphetamine in a dose-dependent manner. The specific binding of [99mTc]TRODAT-1 was not altered by dopamine receptor agonists or by drugs which cause minor changes in dopamine levels. When administered in high doses (634 micromol/kg), L-DOPA also decreased the binding of [99mTc]TRODAT-1. It is likely that a low dose of L-DOPA (normally needed in the treatment of Parkinson's disease) will not affect the results on [99mTc]TRODAT-1 single-photon emission tomographic (SPET) imaging studies. In conclusion, the results clearly demonstrate the specificity of [99mTc]TRODAT-1 binding to DAT in vivo. Competition for [99mTc]TRODAT-1 binding was observed only with drug treatment that significantly increases dopamine levels or actively competes for binding at DAT. The results suggest that prior knowledge of whether patients are receiving various drug treatments may assist in the interpretation of DAT status as assessed by SPET imaging studies using [99mTc]TRODAT-1.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Small and neutral Tc(v)O BAT, bisaminoethanethiol (N2S2) complexes for developing new brain imaging agents.

Bisaminoethanethiol (BAT) ligands with various gem-dimethyl and amide groups were prepared, and the corresponding neutral Tc-99m complexes were prepared and evaluated for their relative stabilities by ligand-exchange reactions. It was demonstrated that technetium complexes containing gem-dimethyl substituents have higher lipophilicities, whereas those with an amide group possess greater stability, which enhances ligand-exchange reaction. The most interesting observation was that the brain uptake in rats is not determined only by lipophilicity. Apparently, Tc-99m complexes with an amide functional group display lower brain uptakes in rats compared to those without an amide group. The brain uptake was strongly influenced by substituents on the BAT ligand. These factors are critically important and should be taken into consideration when designing Tc-99m-labeled agents for CNS receptor imaging.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Overexpression of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase Cgamma in NIH 3T3 cells promotes transformation and tumorigenicity.

Phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase Cgamma (PLCgamma) is a key regulatory enzyme that binds to the phosphoryl-tyrosine residues in the cytoplasmic domain of certain activated receptors and catalyses the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PtdIns(4,5)P2] forming IP3 and diacylglycerol (DAG) in response to several mitogenic factors. Previously, we determined that microinjected PLCgamma induces DNA synthesis in G0-arrested NIH 3T3 cells, suggesting the possibility that PLCgamma may have an oncogenic potential. In this report, we demonstrate that overexpression of PLCgamma in NIH 3T3 cells results in altered growth properties and cellular transformation. The PLCgamma/3T3 transfectants do not require serum growth factors to proliferate, display anchorage-independent growth in soft agar and induce tumors when transplanted into nude mice. These findings suggest that overexpression of PLCgamma facilitates the transformation of NIH 3T3 cells. Furthermore, PLCgamma expression and activity have been shown to be elevated in many human tumors. Thus, PLCgamma signaling may contribute to the promotion and/or progression of human cancers.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed1998

Effect of oncogene expression on telomerase activation and telomere length in human endothelial, fibroblast and prostate epithelial cells.

Although strong evidence is mounting that telomerase reactivation and the thereof resulting stabilization of telomeres is a major mechanism for human cells to overcome replicative senescence, a causal relationship linking telomerase activation conclusively to tumorigenesis remains to be established. Thus, the possibility exists that telomerase activation is passively co-selected as tumors develop. To elucidate the function of telomerase during tumorigenesis, we followed telomerase reactivation during immortalization of human primary cell types with in vitro transforming agents and determined the tumorigenic potential of these cells at various stages of transformation. The effects of SV40, v-Ki-ras, HPV-18 and HPV-16 E6/E7 oncoproteins on telomerase expression was examined in primary and immortalized human prostate epithelial (HPE), human prostate fibroblast (HPF), and umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). All of five SV40-transformed HPE and HPF lines were telomerase positive and had shorter telomeres than primary cells. The two HPV-18 immortalized HPE cell lines also expressed telomerase activity. In contrast, E6 or E7 alone could not produce immortalized HUVEC and did not reactivate telomerase. Life-span, however, was extended. The E6/E7 immortalized HUVEC had telomerase activity and short but stable telomeres. HPE, HPF or HUVEC cells which had been transformed by one oncoprotein alone were not tumorigenic although they had overcome cellular senescence and re-activated telomerase. However, if these cells were transformed by a second agent, either infection with v-Ki-ras or X-ray treatment, they were able to form tumors in nude mice. This suggests that tumorigenesis is a multistep process and that telomerase activation alone is not sufficient for malignant transformation in human cells.

Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming↗

PubMed1998

Biodistribution and dosimetry of TRODAT-1: a technetium-99m tropane for imaging dopamine transporters.

UNLABELLED: Technetium-99m TRODAT-1 is an analog of cocaine that selectively binds the presynaptic dopamine transporters. The primary purpose of this study was to measure its whole-body biokinetics and radiation dosimetry in healthy human volunteers. The study was conducted within a regulatory framework that required its pharmacological safety to be assessed simultaneously. METHODS: The sample included 4 men and 6 women ranging in age from 22-54 yr. An average of 20 whole-body scans were acquired sequentially on a dual-head camera for up to 46 hr after the intravenous administration of 370+/-16 MBq (10.0+/-0.42 mCi) 99mTc TRODAT. The renal excretion fractions were measured from 12-24 discrete urine specimens. The fraction of the administered dose in 17 regions of interest and each urine specimen was quantified from the attenuation and background corrected geometric mean counts in conjugate views. Multiexponential functions were iteratively fit to each time-activity curve using a nonlinear, least squares regression algorithm. These curves were numerically integrated to yield source organ residence times. Gender-specific radiation doses were then estimated with the Medical Internal Radiation Dose technique for each subject individually before any results were averaged. RESULTS: There were no pharmacological effects of the radiotracer on any of the subjects. The early planar images showed differentially increased activity in the nose, pudendum and stomach. SPECT images demonstrated that the radiopharmaceutical localized in the basal ganglia in a distribution that was consistent with selective transporter binding. Image analysis showed that the kidneys excreted between 20% and 32% of the injected dose during the first 22-28 hr postadministration, after which no more activity could be recovered in the urine. The dose limiting organ in both men and women was the liver, which received an average of 0.046 mGy/MBq (0.17 rads/mCi, range 0.14-0.22 rad/mCi). In the worst case, which was clearly an over-estimation, it would have taken 22.7 mCi to deliver 5 rad to the liver. CONCLUSION: TRODAT may be a safe and effective radiotracer for imaging dopamine transporters in the brain and the body.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Quantitative autoradiographic studies of dopamine D3 receptors in rat cerebellum using [125I]S(-)5-OH-PIPAT.

Recently, [125I]S(-)5-OH-PIPAT (5-hydroxy-2-(N-n-propyl-N-3'-iodo-2'-propenyl)amino-tetralin) was reported to be a selective radioiodinated ligand for dopamine D2-like receptors. This ligand displayed a high binding affinity (Kd = 0.3-0.4 nM) and an agonist binding profile to dopamine D2 and D3 receptors expressed in HEK293 cells and dopamine D4 receptors expressed in CHO cells. Herein, a series of studies to characterize D3 receptors in native tissues is presented. Based on studies of the distribution of receptor mRNA, D3, but not D2, receptors are present in the rat cerebellum. Quantitative autoradiographic experiments using [125I]S(-)5-OH-PIPAT to label molecular layers 9 and 10 of rat cerebellum were conducted. Saturation experiments demonstrated that [125I]S(-)5-OH-PIPAT bound with high affinity (Kd = 0.1 nM) to a low density (approximately 3 fmol/mg protein) of sites in molecular layers 9 and 10 of rat cerebellum. Increasing concentrations of Gpp(NH)p, but not ATP, decreased the specific binding of [125I]S(-)5-OH-PIPAT in rat cerebellum slices. In comparison studies, binding of [125I]NCQ298, a dopamine D2/D3 receptor antagonist, with a similar affinity (Kd = 0.2 nM) for D3 receptors as [125]S(-)5-OH-PIPAT, was not sensitive to Gpp(NH)p. Analysis of inhibition by S(-)5-OH-PIPAT of [125I]NCQ298 binding to rat cerebellum resulted in two-site binding with IC50 values of 0.07 nM and 6.0 nM. In the presence of GTP (300 microM), the data best fit a one-site model with an IC50 value of 1.6 nM. Agonists and antagonists inhibited the binding of [125I]S(-)5-OH-PIPAT in the cerebellum with a rank order of potency consistent with an interaction at D3 receptors. These results indicate that [125I]S(-)5-OH-PIPAT binds to D3 receptors in rat cerebellum. Furthermore, [125I]S(-)5-OH-PIPAT binds to GTP sensitive and GTP insensitive states of D3 receptors with distinctive high and low affinity states, respectively.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

The homeobox gene PV.1 mediates specification of the prospective neural ectoderm in Xenopus embryos.

Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), a member of the TGF beta superfamily, has been implicated in the dorsoventral specification of both mesoderm and ectoderm. High levels of BMP4 signaling appear to specify ventral lineages, while lower levels are causally associated with the development of dorsal lineages. We have previously identified a homeobox-containing transcription factor (PV. 1) which is a likely mediator of the ventralizing effects of BMP4 in the mesoderm. Here we provide evidence that PV.1 also functions downstream of BMP4 in the patterning of ectoderm, specifying epidermal and suppressing neural gene expression. PV.1 is expressed in the prospective neuroectoderm at the time of ectodermal fate determination. BMP4 and xSmad1 (a downstream effector of BMP4) induce PV.1 in uncommitted ectoderm and the dominant negative form of the BMP4 receptor (DN-BR) blocks PV.1 expression. In animal pole explants PV.1 counteracts the neuralizing effects of chordin and the DN-BR and restores them to their original epidermal fate. To address the physiological significance of these observations we employed an animal cap transplantation system and demonstrated that overexpression of PV.1 in the prospective neuroectoderm specifically blocks neurogenesis in intact embryos. Thus, PV.1 plays an important role in the ventralization of both mesoderm and ectoderm. We have previously shown that PV.1 is also preferentially expressed in the ventral endoderm, suggesting that this transcription factor may be involved in the ventralization of all three germ layers.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1997

Cloning and developmental expression of Xenopus cDNAs encoding the Enhancer of split groucho and related proteins.

The two full-length cDNAs encoding ESG1 (Enhancer of split groucho) and related AES (Amino Enhancer of split) proteins of 767 and 197 amino acids, respectively, were cloned and sequenced from the African frog Xenopus laevis. The amino acid sequence of Xenopus ESG1 protein had 61% identity to the full-length Drosophila groucho. Xenopus AES protein exhibited 91%, 58% and 48% identity to the mouse AES, amino-terminal regions of Xenopus ESG1 and Drosophila groucho, respectively. Northern blot analysis showed that widespread RNA expression of ESG1 of 2.8 kb, ESG2 of 3.6 kb and AES of 2.2 kb transcripts were seen in adult tissues, whereas ESG1 and AES transcripts of 2.8 kb and 2.2 kb, respectively, were ubiquitously expressed in the developing embryos. The overall structural relationships of ESG and AES proteins among human, mouse, rat, Xenopus and Drosophila were analysed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1997

Preliminary findings of an in vitro human spleen mononuclear cell culture system for primary isolates of HIV type 1.

Acute HIV-1 infection is often manifested with a high level of viremia. The cell types and tissues/organs that contribute to the virus load are thought to be of central and peripheral lymphoreticular origin. The establishment and permissiveness of organ-based cell culture systems from spleen with laboratory strains or primary isolates of HIV-1 have not been reported. We studied unseparated splenic mononuclear cells (SMCs) and adherent cells derived from human spleen and liver in comparison with blood monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs). Unstimulated, SMCs were highly permissive to primary lymphotropic HIV-1 and dual/macrophage-tropic isolates (which are able to replicate in both MDMs and PBMCs). Furthermore, SMCs were found to replicate virus to high titer in a rapid log-phase manner and exhibited a prolonged stationary phase of virus production, unlike PBMCs, which required conventional activation with mitogens and exhibited a much shorter period of virus production. Interestingly, the SMCs maintained themselves as a mixed phenotype of nested lymphocytes with complex and well-differentiated macrophage(s) for extended periods of time. In addition, splenic macrophages readily purified by adherence were highly permissive to a dual/macrophage-tropic primary isolate, HIV-1ADA, intermediate with two laboratory strains, HIVR-1RF and HIV-lHXB3, and least permissive to the lymphotropic primary isolate HIV-1Mr452 and two other laboratory strains, HIV-1CC and HIV-1MN. The replication of HIV-1ADA as measured by extracellular p24 was sustained for up to 7 weeks and similar to the replication patterns observed with adherent hepatic macrophages and blood-derived MDMs. This study demonstrates that exogenous stimulation is not required for infection of these cells; either adherence-isolated and/or mixed lymphoid populations can be studied together, and viable stocks can be readily prepared and cryopreserved. In addition, these cells could be used for isolating new and/or other variants of HIV-1. Thus, the use of the SMC primary in vitro cell culture system for future studies involving HIV-1 is warranted.

Adult↗