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Biomedical subjects

J C Baker

Publications and source records attributed to J C Baker.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Comparison of type I and type II bovine viral diarrhea virus infection in swine.

Some isolates of type II bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) are capable of causing severe clinical disease in cattle. Bovine viral diarrhea virus infection has been reported in pigs, but the ability of these more virulent isolates of type II BVDV to induce severe clinical disease in pigs is unknown. It was our objective to compare clinical, virologic, and pathologic findings between type I and type II BVDV infection in pigs. Noninfected control and BVDV-infected 2-month-old pigs were used. A noncytopathic type I and a noncytopathic type II BVDV isolate were chosen for evaluation in feeder age swine based upon preliminary in vitro and in vivo experiments. A dose titration study was performed using 4 groups of 4 pigs for each viral isolate. The groups were inoculated intranasally with either sham (control), 10(3), 10(5), or 10(7) TCID50 of virus. The pigs were examined daily and clinical findings were recorded. Antemortem and postmortem samples were collected for virus isolation. Neither the type I nor type II BVDV isolates resulted in clinical signs of disease in pigs. Bovine viral diarrhea virus was isolated from antemortem and postmortem samples from groups of pigs receiving the 10(5) and the 10(7) TCID50 dose of the type I BVDV isolate. In contrast, BVDV was only isolated from postmortem samples in the group of pigs receiving the 10(7) TCID50 dose of the type II BVDV isolate. Type I BVDV was able to establish infection in pigs at lower doses by intranasal instillation than type II BVDV. Infection of pigs with a type II isolate of BVDV known to cause severe disease in calves did not result in clinically apparent disease in pigs.

Animals↗

Effect of experimentally induced type II bovine viral diarrhea virus infection on platelet function in calves.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate platelet aggregation responses in calves experimentally infected with a thrombocytopenia-inducing type II bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) isolate (BVDV 890). ANIMALS: 9 neonatal male Holstein calves. PROCEDURE: 5 calves were inoculated with BVDV 890, and 4 were used as controls. Platelet aggregation studies and attempts to isolate BVDV from platelets were performed 2 days before, the day of, and every 2 days for 12 days after inoculation. Platelet function was assessed by means of optical aggregometry, using adenosine diphosphate and platelet-activating factor as agonists. Bovine viral diarrhea virus was isolated from purified platelet preparations by use of an immunoperoxidase monolayer assay. RESULTS: Maximum percentage aggregation and slope of the aggregation curve decreased over time in calves infected with BVDV. Bovine viral diarrhea virus was not isolated from platelets from control calves, but it was isolated from infected calves from 4 through 12 days after inoculation. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that platelet function may be depressed in calves infected with type II BVDV. Although the mechanism for altered platelet function was not determined, it likely involved an increase in the percentage of aged platelets in the circulation, a direct virus-platelet interaction, or an indirect virus-platelet interaction. Platelet dysfunction, in addition to thrombocytopenia, may contribute to the hemorrhagic syndrome associated with acute type II BVDV infection in calves.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

Two 22q telomere deletions serendipitously detected by FISH.

Cryptic telomere deletions have been proposed to be a significant cause of idiopathic mental retardation. We present two unrelated subjects, with normal G banding analysis, in whom 22q telomere deletions were serendipitously detected at two different institutions using fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH). Both probands presented with several of the previously described features associated with 22q deletions, including hypotonia, developmental delay, and absence of speech. Our two cases increase the total number of reported 22q telomere deletions to 19, the majority of which were identified by cytogenetic banding analysis. With the limited sensitivity of routine cytogenetic studies (approximately 2-5 Mb), these two new cases suggest that the actual prevalence of 22q telomere deletions may be higher than currently documented. Of additional interest is the phenotypic overlap with Angelman syndrome (AS) as it raises the possibility of a 22q deletion in patients in whom AS has been ruled out. The use of telomeric probes as diagnostic reagents would be useful in determining an accurate prevalence of chromosome 22q deletions and could result in a significantly higher detection rate of subtelomeric rearrangements.

Child, Preschool↗

Bovine respiratory syncytial virus.

Since the first report of BRSV in the 1970s, the understanding of this agent and its respective disease has increased dramatically. Current evidence supports a major role for this virus in bovine respiratory disease. Advances in diagnostics have increased the ability to demonstrate this virus in field outbreaks of respiratory disease. The clinical signs and pathologic features have been well described, and vaccines are available to aid in prevention and control. Still, many questions remain to be answered with respect to BRSV. It appears there may be antigenic subgroups of BRSV, but the epidemiologic significance and relevance to immunization of this remains unknown. The question of differences in virulence among isolates of this virus has yet to be addressed. From an epidemiologic standpoint, the means by which BRSV perpetuates in the cattle population has yet to be elucidated. Although progress has been made in understanding the pathogenesis and immune response to BRSV, the mechanism of disease production and immune protection is incomplete. Lastly, efficacy testing of existing vaccines need to continue, as well as the development of new vaccines and new approaches to vaccination.

Animals↗

From receptor to nucleus: the Smad pathway.

The transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily plays a central role in the specification and patterning of cells in the early embryo. Several years ago, the TGF-beta s were shown to signal through serine/threonine receptor kinases. Now, with the identification of Smad proteins, we can trace the TGF-beta signal transduction pathway from the receptors into the nucleus.

Animals↗

Neutralizing antibodies to type 1 and 2 bovine viral diarrhea viruses: detection by inhibition of viral cytopathology and infectivity by immunoperoxidase assay.

Neutralizing antibodies to type 1 and 2 bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) strains were measured by a microtiter virus neutralization test (MVNT) in cell culture. Antibodies (neutralizing) were detected by inhibition of viral infectivity, by the absence of viral cytopathology for cytopathic strains, or by immunoperoxidase staining for noncytopathic strains. The immunoperoxidase-stained monolayers could be detected without the aid of light microscopy. Twenty BVDV strains were used as challenge viruses in the in vitro MVNT, including 14 type 1 and 6 type 2 strains. Representative noncytopathic and cytopathic strains of both types were used. Positive control serum samples available for diagnostic testing contained both type 1 and type 2 BVDV antibodies. There did not appear to be major differences in antibody titers among the respective type strains, regardless of biotype (cytopathic or noncytopathic). In a study with sera from calves receiving a modified live virus or inactivated BVDV vaccine, the calves receiving type 1 strains responded with higher antibody titers to type 1 strains than to type 2 strains.

Animals↗

Otitis media in preweaned Holstein dairy calves in Michigan due to Mycoplasma bovis.

Mycoplasma bovis was isolated from the tympanic bullae of dairy calves with an exudative otitis media. The history, clinical signs, gross and histologic lesions, and bacteriologic findings are described for 5 preweaned Holstein calves with otitis media from a 600-cow dairy in Michigan. Clinical findings consisted of unilateral or bilateral ear droop, epiphora, head tilt, and recumbency in severely affected calves. Postmortem examination revealed unilateral or bilateral fibrinosuppurative to caseous exudate in the tympanic bullae. Histologically, a marked fibrinosuppurative to caseous exudate filled the tympanic air spaces. The partially ulcerated tympanic mucosa was markedly thickened with mononuclear cell infiltration and proliferation of fibrous connective tissue. Bone remodeling and periosteal hyperostosis were present in some osseous septa. Mycoplasma bovis was isolated from the tympanic bullae of all 5 calves and from the lungs of 2 calves and the frontal sinus of 1 calf. Mycoplasma bovis was isolated at > 100,000 colony forming units/ml from the bulk milk tank of the farm of origin. The isolation of M. bovis from the bulk milk tank, indicating subclinical mycoplasmal mastitis coupled with the feeding of waste milk from mastitic cows to calves is suggestive of a possible source of the infection resulting in otitis media in preweaned dairy calves.

Animals↗

Phosphoprotein profile analysis of ruminant respiratory syncytial virus isolates.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the apparent molecular weight for 24 ruminant respiratory syncytial viruses (RSV) on the basis of differences in the electrophoretic mobility of the phosphoprotein (P protein). PROCEDURE: 29 bovine RSV (BRSV), 20 of which were not previously tested, 3 ovine RSV, and 1 caprine RSV isolates were selected for determination of electrophoretic mobility of the P protein. Virus radiolabeled with [35S]methionine was immunoprecipitated with polyclonal antiserum to BRSV and analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. RESULTS: On the basis of apparent molecular size of the P protein, all isolates could be categorized into 2 electropherotypes, low molecular size of 36 kd and high molecular size of 38 kd. Twenty-three BRSV, the 3 ovine RSV, and 1 caprine RSV isolates had a high molecular size P protein; 6 BRSV isolates had a low molecular size P protein. CONCLUSIONS: The apparent molecular size of the P protein of the ruminant RSV strains is greater than that of the human RSV subgroups, providing further evidence of their distinctiveness. Whether categorization of electrophoretic mobility of the P protein of BRSV underlies distinct antigenic subgroups, as it does in human RSV, requires further antigenic and genetic analysis. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Antigenic subgroups of ruminant RSV may have relevance in the development of new vaccines for control of the disease.

Animals↗

A novel mesoderm inducer, Madr2, functions in the activin signal transduction pathway.

A functional assay to clone mouse mesoderm inducers has identified the mouse gene Mad related 2 (Madr2). Madr2 induces dorsal mesoderm from Xenopus ectoderm and can mimic the organizer in recruiting neighboring cells into a second axis. By analyzing the expression of a lacZ/Madr2 fusion protein, we find Madr2 confined to the nucleus in the deep, anterior cells of the second axis, whereas in epidermal and more posterior cells the protein is cytoplasmically localized. This context-dependent nuclear localization suggests that in certain regions of the embryo, Madr2 responds to a localized signal and amplifies this signal to form the second axis. Furthermore, although Madr2 remains unlocalized in ectodermal explants, addition of activin enhances the concentration of Madr2 in the nucleus. Significantly, a functional lacZ fusion to a carboxy-terminal portion of Madr2 is nuclear localized even in the absence of activin. This indicates that Madr2 contains a domain that can activate downstream components and a repressive domain that anchors the protein in the cytoplasm. Nuclear localization of Madr2 in response to activin, and the activin-like phenotypes induced by overexpression of Madr2, indicate that Madr2 is a signal transduction component that mediates the activity of activin.

Activins↗

A human Mad protein acting as a BMP-regulated transcriptional activator.

The TGF-beta/activin/BMP cytokine family signals through serine/threonine kinase receptors, but how the receptors transduce the signal is unknown. The Mad (Mothers against decapentaplegic) gene from Drosophila and the related Sma genes from Caenorhabditis elegans have been genetically implicated in signalling by members of the bone-morphogenetic-protein (BMP) subfamily. We have cloned Smad1, a human homologue of Mad and Sma. Microinjection of Smad1 messenger RNA into Xenopus embryo animal caps mimics the mesoderm-ventralizing effects of BMP4. Smad1 moves into the nucleus in response to BMP4. Smad1 has transcriptional activity when fused to a heterologous DNA-binding domain, and this activity is increased by BMP4 acting through BMP-receptor types I and II. The transactivating activity resides in the conserved carboxy-terminal domain of Smad1 and is disrupted by a nonsense mutation that corresponds to null mutations found in Mad and in the related gene DPC4, a candidate tumour-suppressor gene in human pancreatic cancer. Additionally, we show that DPC4 contains a transcriptional activation domain. The results suggests that the Smad proteins are a new class of transcription factors that mediate responses to the TGF-beta family.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Role of C-terminal B-chain residues in insulin assembly: the structure of hexameric LysB28ProB29-human insulin.

BACKGROUND: LysB28ProB29-human insulin (Humalog), a fully potent insulin analog in which the prolyl, lysyl sequence at the C-terminal end of the B-chain is inverted, exhibits a decreased association of monomers to dimers leading to rapid in vivo absorption. This provides important benefits for the insulin-requiring diabetic. In spite of its monomeric nature, LysB28ProB29-human insulin can exist as a discrete hexameric structure in the presence of both zinc and phenol. Studies of the crystal structure of LysB28ProB29-human insulin in a hexameric complex were initiated to gain a molecular understanding of the effect of the sequence inversion on the analog's self-association properties and, consequently, its in vivo efficacy. RESULTS: Under the conditions reported, LysB28ProB29-human insulin crystallized as a T3Rf3 hexamer that is isomorphous with the uncomplexed T3Rf3 native human insulin hexamer previously known as '4Zn insulin'. The three-dimensional structure of the T3Rf3 hexamer was determined by X-ray crystallographic methods to a resolution of 2.3 A. The prolyl, lysyl sequence inversion leads to local conformational changes at the C termini of the B-chains which eliminate two critical hydrophobic interactions and weaken two terminal beta-sheet hydrogen bonds that stabilize the dimer. CONCLUSIONS: The loss of these native dimer interactions weakens the hexameric LysB28ProB29-human insulin complex formed in the presence of phenolic ligands. Thus, it is hypothesized that the diffusion of the phenolic ligands from the site of injection results in the dissociation of hexamers directly to monomers, thereby maintaining the rapid time-action of the monomeric analog in spite of the hexameric conformation in therapeutic formulations.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Recombinant expression and evaluation of the lipoyl domains of the dihydrolipoyl acetyltransferase component of the human pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.

The subunits of the dihydrolipoyl acetyltransferase (E2) component of mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) associate to form a large inner core with a protruding structure composed of three globular domains connected by mobile linker regions. This exterior region of E2 includes two lipoyl domains which engage not only in the intermediate reactions of the complex but also have integral roles in the kinase-phosphatase regulatory interconversion of the pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) component. To facilitate understanding of these roles, lipoyl domain constructs of the E2 component of human PDC were expressed as glutathione S-transferase (GST)-linked fusion proteins from plasmid inserts prepared by polymerase chain reaction procedures. The NH2-terminal lipoyl domain, E2L1, and the interior lipoyl domain, E2L2, are connected by a 30-amino-acid hinge region, H1. Constructs designed and expressed were E2L1(1-98), E2L1.H1(1-128), E2L2(120-233), E2H1.L2(98-233), and E2L1.H1.L2(1-233), where numbers in parentheses give the amino acid sequence for the portions of the E2 component incorporated into a construct. The domains were expressed in Escherichia coli with and without lipoate supplementation. GST constructs were purified to homogeneity by affinity chromatography and selectively released by thrombin treatment. Sequencing of insert DNAs and NH2-terminal sequencing confirmed that domains were produced as designed. Measurement of masses by electrospray mass spectrometry indicated that constructs with lipoylated, nonlipoylated, and octanoylated forms were produced when expression was with E. coli grown without lipoate supplementation and that fully lipoylated forms were produced upon lipoate supplementation. The lipoylation status was confirmed, following delipoylation with Enterococcus faecalis lipoamidase, by the expected decrease in mass and by the observation in native gel electrophoresis of a shift to a slower mobility (possibly less compact) form. Constructs were used in E1-catalyzed reductive-acetylation reaction in proportion to their degree of lipoylation and were effective substrates in a NADH-dependent dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase reduction reaction. Thus, we have produced lipoyl domain constructs that can be employed in sorting the specific roles of E2L1 and E2L2 in facilitating catalytic and regulatory processes.

Acetylation↗

Binding of the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase to recombinant constructs containing the inner lipoyl domain of the dihydrolipoyl acetyltransferase component.

The dihydrolipoyl acetyltransferase (E2) component of the mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase complex forms a 60-subunit core in which E2's inner domain forms a dodecahedron shaped structure surrounded by its globular outer domains that are connected to each other and the inner domain by 2-3-kDa mobile hinge regions. Two of the outer domains are approximately 10 kDa lipoyl domains, an NH2-terminal one, E2L1, and, after the first hinge region a second one, E2L2. The pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase binds tightly to the lipoyl domain region of the oligomeric E2 core and phosphorylates and inactivates the pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) component. We wished to determine whether lipoyl domain constructs prepared by recombinant techniques from a cDNA for human E2 could bind the bovine E1 kinase and, that being the case, to pursue which lipoyl domain the kinase binds. We also wished to gain insights into how a molecule of kinase tightly bound to the E2 core can rapidly phosphorylate 20-30 molecules of the pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) component which are also bound to an outer domain of the E2 core. We prepared recombinant constructs consisting of the entire lipoyl domain region or the individual lipoyl domains with or without the intervening hinge region. Constructs were made and used both as free lipoyl domains and fused to glutathione S-transferase (GST). Using GSH-Sepharose to selectively bind GST constructs, tightly bound kinase was shown to rapidly transfer in a highly preferential way from intact E2 core to GST constructs containing the E2L2 domain rather than to ones containing only the E2L1 domain. GST-E2L2-kinase complexes could be eluted from GSH-Sepharose with glutathione. Delipoylation of E2L2 by treatment with lipoamidase eliminated kinase binding supporting a direct role of the lipoyl prosthetic group in this association. Transfer to and selective binding of the kinase by E2L2 but not E2L1 was also demonstrated with free constructs using a sucrose gradient procedure to separate the large E2 core from the various lipoyl domain constructs. E2L2 but not E2L1 increased the activity of resolved kinase by up to 43%. We conclude that the kinase selectively binds to the inner lipoyl domain of E2 subunits and that this association involves its lipoyl prosthetic group. We further suggest that transfer of tightly bound kinase between E2L2 domains occurs by a direct interchange mechanism without formation of free kinase (model presented).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Acetyltransferases↗

Production and characterization of monoclonal antibodies to bovine respiratory syncytial virus.

Monoclonal antibodies to the SmithKline Beecham Animal Health BRSVR vaccine strain (375 isolate of Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus) were produced and then characterized by radioimmunoprecipitation followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, virus neutralization, inhibition of viral-induced fusion and isotype. Nineteen hybridomas produced antibodies that were reactive with the F0, F1, N or P viral proteins of bovine respiratory syncytial virus. One hybridoma (1E72C4) produced antibodies that immunoprecipitated the F0 glycoprotein, neutralized virus (1:8) in the presence of complement, but did not inhibit fusion. Another hybridoma (8B21E7) produced antibodies that immunoprecipitated the F0, F1 and F2 glycoproteins, neutralized virus (1:4) with and without complement and inhibited fusion. Antibodies from 11 hybridomas immunoprecipitated N and F1 proteins, one hybridoma immunoprecipitated the N and P protein, and 5 hybridomas immunoprecipitated the N protein. All monoclonal antibodies were of the IgG2b subtype with either kappa or lambda light chains.

Animals↗

The clinical manifestations of bovine viral diarrhea infection.

BVDV infections may result in a wide range of clinical manifestations ranging from subclinical infections to a severe, highly fatal form referred to as MD. In recent years, a better understanding of pathogenesis has been achieved that has allowed for a better understanding of the different clinical forms of BVDV infection. Knowledge in this area continues to evolve. The clinical forms of BVDV infections are best understood by breaking them into categories that include infections in immunocompetent cattle, fetal infections, and infections in cattle that are immunotolerant to BVDV.

Animals↗