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Biomedical subjects

H Okayama

Publications and source records attributed to H Okayama.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

Bovine papillomavirus contains multiple transforming genes.

Bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV-1) and its cloned full-length DNA can transform rodent cells in vitro, and the viral DNA persists as an extrachromosomal multicopy plasmid in these transformed cells. Previous studies have identified at least five discrete viral RNAs that are expressed in BPV-1 transformed cells and have shown that these transcripts share a 3' coterminus. To further define the structure of these RNAs and to characterize the functions of individual viral transcripts, we constructed a cDNA library with mRNA from BPV-1-transformed mouse C127 cells using an Okayama and Berg plasmid. From a library of 10(5) independent clones, 200 BPV-1 specific clones were isolated and characterized. Sequence analysis has revealed differential splicing patterns for the mRNA species in BPV-1 transformed cells. In conjunction with the open reading frames (ORFs) deduced from the BPV-1 DNA sequence, it is possible to predict the structure of the potential encoded proteins. The vector used to generate these cDNA clones contains mammalian cell transcriptional regulatory elements, facilitating their functional characterization. We have identified two distinct classes of cDNA clones that can each independently transform mouse C127 cells. One class of cDNA clones contains the E2 ORF intact and the second contains the E6 ORF intact. These two putative viral functions appear to act synergistically in transforming mouse C127 cells in vitro.

Animals↗

Metastatic squamous-cell carcinomas derived from solar keratosis.

Actinic squamous-cell carcinoma has been described to have a low risk of metastasis. Reported here are four Japanese cases of lymphatic metastasis of squamous-cell carcinoma derived form solar keratosis. The primary lesions were on the face in three cases and on the back of the hand in one. Two patients died, and others had recurrent incurable metastatic lymph nodes. Therefore, it is noteworthy that actinic squamous-cell carcinoma in the Japanese can become so aggressive and metastasize.

Aged↗

Differential expression of three alpha-tubulin genes in Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Chinese hamster ovary cells contain a complex family of ca. 16 unique alpha-tubulin sequences and a similar multiplicity of beta sequences. To examine which members of this multigene family are expressed, we constructed cDNA libraries from two Chinese hamster ovary cell lines according to the method of H. Okayama and P. Berg (Mol. Cell. Biol. 3:280-289, 1983). Each library consisted of 5.5 X 10(5) transformants and contained a high percentage of full-length tubulin clones. Three different alpha-tubulin genes were identified by sequence analysis of the 3' noncoding regions of these tubulin clones. The relative abundance of the transcripts corresponding to the three genes was estimated by gene-specific dot blotting of 96 cDNA alpha-tubulin clones and was found to be 71, 24, and 5%. There is little homology in the 3' noncoding sequences of these genes; however, a strong interspecies homology exists in this region for two of the Chinese hamster ovary genes with the two alpha-tubulin genes previously described in other systems. The third Chinese hamster ovary gene, with an expression frequency of 24%, is unique in that its 3' noncoding region is unlike that of the other mammalian alpha-tubulin genes. In addition, limited sequence data from the coding region of this gene indicates it codes for a unique alpha-tubulin protein.

Animals↗

Bacteriophage lambda vector for transducing a cDNA clone library into mammalian cells.

We have developed a bacteriophage lambda vector (lambda NMT) that permits efficient transduction of mammalian cells with a cDNA clone library constructed with the pcD expression vector (H. Okayama and P. Berg, Mol. Cell. Biol. 3:280-289, 1983). The phage vector contains a bacterial gene (neo) fused to the simian virus 40 early-region promoter and RNA processing signals, providing a dominant-acting selectable marker for mammalian transformation. The phage DNA can accommodate pcD-cDNA recombinants with cDNA of up to about 9 kilobases without impairing the ability of the phage DNA to be packaged in vitro and propagated in vivo. Transfecting cells with the lambda NMT-pcD-cDNA recombinant phage yielded G418-resistant clones at high frequency (approximately 10(-2]. Cells that also acquired a particular cDNA segment could be detected among the G418-resistant transformants by a second selection or by a variety of screening protocols. Reconstitution experiments indicated that the vector could transduce 1 in 10(6) cells for a particular phenotype if the corresponding cDNA was present as 1 functional cDNA clone per 10(5) clones in the cDNA library. This expectation was confirmed by obtaining two hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT)-positive transductants after transfecting 10(7) HPRT-deficient mouse L cells with a simian virus 40-transformed human fibroblast cDNA library incorporated into the lambda NMT phage vector. These transductants contained the human HPRT cDNA sequences and expressed active human HPRT.

Animals↗

Analysis of full-length cDNA clones carrying GAL1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: a model system for cDNA expression.

A cDNA cloning vector that allows expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been developed using the plasmid primer approach described by Okayama and Berg [Mol. Cell. Biol. 2:161-170(1982)]. The vector contains ARS1 and TRP1 for plasmid maintenance in yeast and the ADC1 or GAL1 promoter and the TRP5 terminator for expression of the cloned cDNA. Using this system, several recombinants with nearly full-length GAL1 cDNA inserts in a cDNA library made with galactose-induced yeast mRNA were identified. By measurement of galactokinase mRNA and its protein, the expression of GAL1 cDNA was shown to be under the control of the promoter placed upstream of the cDNA insert. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that the 3'-ends of the GAL1 cDNA inserts were not unique, indicating that polyA tails were added to GAL1 transcripts at multiple sites in the GAL1 gene. Genetic complementation of appropriate yeast mutants permitted the isolation of clones containing the coding sequences for GAL1, HIS3, and LEU2 from the same cDNA library.

Base Sequence↗

Plasmid R46 provides a function that promotes recA-independent deletion, fusion and resolution of replicon.

We report that plasmid R46 provides a function which promotes recA-independent deletion, replicon fusion, and resolution of the fusion. R46 belongs to the incompatibility group N and specifies resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline, streptomycin and sulfonamide. Four kinds of deletion derivatives were observed by selection for susceptability to tetracycline from ampicillin-resistant clones. A common region, will be called alpha region thereafter, was postulated to be involved in these deletions. The replicon fusion occurred by a conjugative mobilization of each derivative with plasmid R388. The fusion was suggested to contain both replicons linked at each junction by the sequence in the alpha region in direct orientation. The resolution of the replicon fusion was found between two alpha regions and a consequently generated, parental deletion derivative and an R388 derivative which gained one alpha region. It is possible that the alpha region contains one potential Insertion Sequence (IS) element. These events were also speculated to occur as a consequence of insertion of the potential IS onto the intramolecular or intermolecular target sequence, or reciprocal recombination between two potential IS elements.

Base Sequence↗

Interaction between histamine and vagal stimulation on tracheal smooth muscle in dogs.

We examined the interaction between histamine and vagal efferent activity on airway smooth muscle reactivity in 11 anesthetized vagotomized dogs using an isolated closed segment of the intrathoracic trachea filled with Tyrode solution under an isovolumetric condition. Intratracheal pressure change was measured as an index of tracheal smooth muscle tone. The administration into the tracheal segment of histamine (0.1 or 1.0 mg/ml) in six dogs and methacholine chloride (0.001 or 0.01 mg/ml) in the other five dogs elevated intratracheal pressure by about 5 cmH2O. The electrical stimulation of the peripheral ends of both of the cut cervical vagus nerves in the presence of histamine produced significantly greater responses than the additive responses of these two stimuli applied individually (two-way analysis of variance, P less than 0.025). However, the combined effects of vagal stimulation and methacholine were not significantly different from the additive responses of these two stimuli applied individually. The average values of intratracheal pressure elevated by the combined effects of vagal stimulation and histamine were significantly higher than those obtained by the combination of vagal stimulation and methacholine (two-way analysis of variance, P less than 0.01). This suggests that histamine potentiates tracheal smooth muscle reactivity to electrical vagal stimulation, which may contribute to the hyperreactivity observed in patients with asthma.

Animals↗

Isolation and characterization of a full-length expressible cDNA for human hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase.

We have cloned a full-length 1.6-kilobase cDNA of a human mRNA coding for hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT; IMP:pyrophosphate phosphoribosyltransferase, EC 2.4.2.8) into a simian virus 40-based expression vector and have determined its full nucleotide sequence. The inferred amino acid sequence agrees with a partial amino acid sequence determined for authentic human HPRT protein. Transfection of HPRT-deficient mouse LA9 cells with the purified plasmid leads to the expression of human HPRT enzyme activity in cells stably transfected and selected for enzyme activity in hypoxanthine/aminopterin/thymidine medium.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Atypical ("pseudosarcomatous") cutaneous histiocytoma.

We report a patient with a cytologically atypical hemosiderotic histiocytoma that histologically suggested a sarcoma. The lesion is differentiated from atypical fibroxanthoma and fibroxanthosarcoma. We wish to emphasize the benign nature of this variant of histiocytoma whose extreme cellular atypicality may simulate a sarcoma.

Culture Techniques↗

A cDNA cloning vector that permits expression of cDNA inserts in mammalian cells.

This paper describes a plasmid vector for cloning cDNAs in Escherichia coli; the same vector also promotes expression of the cDNA segment in mammalian cells. Simian virus 40 (SV40)-derived DNA segments are arrayed in the pcD vector to permit transcription, splicing, and polyadenylation of the cloned cDNA segment. A DNA fragment containing both the SV40 early region promoter and two introns normally used to splice the virus 16S and 19S late mRNAs is placed upstream of the cDNA cloning site to ensure transcription and splicing of the cDNA transcripts. An SV40 late region polyadenylation sequence occurs downstream of the cDNA cloning site, so that the cDNA transcript acquires a polyadenylated 3' end. By using pcD-alpha-globin cDNA as a model, we confirmed that the alpha-globin transcript produced in transfected cells is initiated correctly, spliced at either of the two introns, and polyadenylated either at the site coded in the cDNA segment or at the distal SV40 polyadenylation signal. A cDNA clone library constructed with mRNA from SV40-transformed human fibroblasts and this vector (about 1.4 X 10(6) clones) yielded full-length cDNA clones that express hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (Jolly et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., in press).

Animals↗

Isolation and characterization of full-length cDNA clones for human alpha-, beta-, and gamma-actin mRNAs: skeletal but not cytoplasmic actins have an amino-terminal cysteine that is subsequently removed.

cDNA clones encoding three classes of human actins have been isolated and characterized. The first two classes (gamma and beta, cytoplasmic actins) were obtained from a cDNA library constructed from simian virus 40-transformed human fibroblast mRNA, and the third class (alpha, muscle actin) was obtained from a cDNA library constructed from adult human muscle mRNA. A new approach was developed to enrich for full-length cDNAs. The human fibroblast cDNA plasmid library was linearized with restriction enzymes that did not cut the inserts of interest; it was then size-fractionated on gels, and the chimeric molecules of optimal length were selected for retransformation of bacteria. When the resulting clones were screened for actin-coding sequences it was found that some full-length cDNAs were enriched as much as 50- to 100-fold relative to the original frequency of full-length clones in the total library. Two types of clones were distinguished. One of these clones encodes gamma actin and contains 100 base pairs of 5' untranslated region, the entire protein coding region, and the 3' untranslated region. The second class encodes beta actin, and the longest such clone contains 45 base pairs of 5' untranslated region plus the remainder of the mRNA extending to the polyadenylic acid tail. A third class, obtained from the human muscle cDNA library, encodes alpha actin and contains 100 base pairs of 5' untranslated region, the entire coding region, and the 3' untranslated region. Analysis of the DNA sequences of the 5' end of the clones demonstrated that although beta- and gamma-actin genes start with a methionine codon (MET-Asp-Asp-Asp and MET-Glu-Glu-Glu, respectively), the alpha-actin gene starts with a methionine codon followed by a cysteine codon (MET-CYS-Asp-Glu-Asp-Glu). Since no known actin proteins start with a cysteine, it is likely that post-translational removal of cysteine in addition to methionine accompanies alpha-actin synthesis but not beta- and gamma-actin synthesis. This observation has interesting implications both for actin function and actin gene regulation and evolution.

Actins↗

Effects of Ca antagonist on the contractile force in glycerinated dog heart muscles.

The effect of Ca antagonist on the contractile apparatus was investigated in glycerinated cardiac muscle preparations obtained from canine hearts. Each muscle preparation had three consecutive isometric contractions. The 1st and 3rd contractions were produced with a control contraction solution, and compared with the 2nd contraction which was induced with a contraction solution containing verapamil. The results showed that maximal developed tension (Po) was enhanced significantly by 1.02 X 10(-2) mM of verapamil, and the augmentation of contractility was dependent on the concentrations of verapamil. Thus, not only Po, but also dT/dt increased tremendously at 1.02 mM of verapamil. Such contractile potentiation by verapamil was also ascertained by another Ca antagonist, Diltiazem hydrochloride. The developed tension was maximum at pCa 4.0, and no developed tension was found at pCa 8.0. The relationship between pCa and tension with verapamil shifted to the left from that without verapamil, showing higher sensitivity to Ca2+. From these results, it was strongly indicated that Ca antagonist is a potentiating agent of the contractile force.

Animals↗

Isobaric force-velocity relationship of in situ canine trachealis muscle.

We measured the force-velocity relationship of the in situ trachealis muscle during vagal stimulation in six anesthetized dogs. The trachea, about 10 cm in length, was transected above the carina and left in situ with its blood supply intact, and its cut ends artificially closed. The lung was ventilated by a respiratory. First the vagal nerves were electrically stimulated to induce isometric contractions which resulted in an increase in tracheal pressure; then the tracheal volume was reduced to a rate (velocity) which kept the tracheal pressure constant at a given level (force). The force-velocity curve was hyperbolic. Using Hill's equation, we calculated the values of P0 (the maximum force at 10, lo being the trachealis muscle length at which the maximum active tension develops) and Vmax (the maximum velocity at zero afterload). They were P0 = 0.85 +/- 0.20 kg/cm2 and Vmax = 0.08 +/- 0.02 l0/s. We concluded that both force and velocity of the trachealis muscle in situ exhibited lower values than those in vitro.

Animals↗

High-efficiency cloning of full-length cDNA.

A widely recognized difficulty of presently used methods for cDNA cloning is obtaining cDNA segments that contain the entire nucleotide sequence of the corresponding mRNA. The cloning procedure described here mitigates this shortcoming. Of the 10(5) plasmid-cDNA recombinants obtained per microgram of rabbit reticulocyte mRNA, about 10% contained a complete alpha- of beta-globin mRNA sequence, and at least 30 to 50%, but very likely more, contained the entire globin coding regions. We attribute the high efficiency of cloning full- or nearly full-length cDNA to (i) the fact that the plasmid DNA vector itself serves as the primer for first- and second-strand cDNA synthesis, (ii) the lack of any nuclease treatment of the products, and (iii) the fact that one of the steps in the procedure results in preferential cloning of recombinants with full-length cDNA's over those with truncated cDNA's.

Animals↗