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Biomedical subjects

J Egebjerg

Publications and source records attributed to J Egebjerg.

33 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

1-(3-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)-1-propyl)-4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-4-piperidinol, a novel subtype selective inhibitor of the mouse type II GABA-transporter.

The selectivity of new derivatives of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-uptake inhibitor, tiagabine was characterized at the four cloned mouse GABA transporters (mGAT1 through mGAT4) by measuring [3H]-GABA uptake into stably transfected baby hamster kidney cells. While tiagabine is a highly selective inhibitor of mGAT1 (Ki = 0.11 +/- 0.02 microM), these derivatives exhibited low potencies at mGAT1 but differential activities at mGAT2, mGAT3 and mGAT4. In particular, 1-(3-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)-1-propyl)-4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-4-piperidino l (NNC 05-2090) was a potent inhibitor of mGAT2 (Ki = 1.4 +/- 0.3 microM) showing at least 10 fold selectivity over mGAT1, mGAT3 and mGAT4. NNC 05-2090 is the first subtype selective inhibitor of mGAT2 and may represent a novel useful tool for investigating the physiological roles of GAT2 in the brain and periphery.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Intron sequence directs RNA editing of the glutamate receptor subunit GluR2 coding sequence.

The Ca2+ permeability and the rectifying properties of the glutamate receptors assembled from the subunits GluR1-GluR4 depend upon a critical Arg in the GluR2 subunit located in a domain that has been proposed to span the membrane. The GluR2 subunit gene encodes a Gln (CAG) at this position, whereas the mRNA is edited so that it encodes an Arg (CGG) at this position [Sommer, B., Kohler, M., Sprengel, R. & Seeburg, P. H. (1991) Cell 67, 11-20]. The editing process is specific since only the GluR2 subunit RNA is edited even though the GluR1, GluR3, and GluR4 RNAs have a similar sequence. We show that this selective RNA editing depends upon a critical intron sequence in the GluR2 gene. This critical intron sequence is sufficient to cause editing of the GluR3 subunit exon in a chimera minigene constructed so that the GluR3 exon is placed upstream to the GluR2 intron sequence. Transfections of a neuronal cell line, N2a, with minigene constructs encoding different fragments of the GluR2 gene demonstrate that the 5' part of the 3' intron is essential for editing. Part of the exon and this critical intron sequence contains an inverted repeat that can fold into a structure consisting of three helical elements. Similar conclusions were reached by Higuchi, M., Single, F. n., Köhler, M., Sommer, B., Sprengel, R. & Seeburg, P. H. [(1993) Cell 75, 1361-1370]. These experiments demonstrate that the low Ca2+ permeability of the ionotropic non-N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptors depends upon RNA editing, which requires a sequence in an intron 3' to the exon.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1994

Selective RNA editing and subunit assembly of native glutamate receptors.

RNA editing and subunit assembly of ionotropic glutamate receptors (GluRs) were examined in an oligodendrocyte progenitor cell line, CG4, which expresses GluR2-GluR4, GluR6, GluR7, KA1, and KA2. AMPA-evoked currents rapidly desensitize, whereas kainate-evoked currents contain a steady-state component with a nearly linear current-voltage relation and a fast desensitizing component that is inwardly rectifying. The Q/R site is edited > 95% to the arginine codon in GluR2(Q607) mRNA, and < 5% in GluR6(Q621) mRNA. Immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrate that GluR6 and/or GluR7 subunits assemble with KA2, but not with GluR2-GluR4. These results indicate that oligodendrocyte progenitor cells selectively edit and assemble glutamate receptors into at least two functionally and structurally distinct heteromeric channels.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Ca2+ permeability of unedited and edited versions of the kainate selective glutamate receptor GluR6.

The Ca2+ permeability of the kainate selective glutamate receptor GluR6 depends on the editing of the RNA (or DNA). The unedited version of GluR6, GluR6Q, encodes a glutamine at position 621 (Q/R site) and exhibits a Ca2+/monovalent ion permeability ratio of 1.2, while the edited version of GluR6, GluR6R, encodes an arginine at position 621 and exhibits a permeability ratio of 0.47. Kainate activation of the GluR6 receptor results in currents that are modulated by extracellular calcium ions. Permeability ratios of other divalent ions indicate that the Q/R site is not the only determinant for divalent ion permeability. The level of editing of the receptor will determine the Ca2+ influx through the GluR6 receptor channels and, consequently, may modulate the synaptic activity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Cloning of a putative glutamate receptor: a low affinity kainate-binding subunit.

Kainate, a glutamate receptor agonist, is a potent neuroexcitatory agent that produces epileptiform activity and selective neuronal degeneration. Binding studies using neuronal membrane homogenates or brain sections have identified sites having either high or low affinity for [3H]kainate. Here we report the cloning of a gene, GluR7, with approximately 75% sequence identity with the previously cloned GluR5 and GluR6 subunit genes. Transcripts of the GluR7 gene are evident in brain areas that bind [3H]kainate and are susceptible to kainate-induced neurotoxicity. We have performed ligand binding studies with membranes of transfected HeLa cells expressing GluR6 or GluR7 subunits. Our data show that the GluR6 and GluR7 subunits have a rank order of agonist affinity (domoate greater than kainate much greater than L-glutamate, quisqualate much greater than AMPA, NMDA) and a dissociation constant for kainate (95 and 77 nM, respectively) characteristic of the low affinity kainate-binding sites described in the brain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Attachment sites of primary binding proteins L1, L2 and L23 on 23 S ribosomal RNA of Escherichia coli.

The attachment sites of the primary binding proteins L1, L2 and L23 on 23 S ribosomal RNA of Escherichia coli were examined by a chemical and ribonuclease footprinting method using several probes with different specificities. The results show that the sites are confined to localized RNA regions within the large ribonuclease-protected ribonucleoprotein fragments that were characterized earlier. They are as follows: (1) L1 recognizes a tertiary structural motif in domain V centred on two interacting internal loops; the main protein interaction sites occur at the internal loop/helix junctions. (2) The L2 site constitutes a single irregular stem/loop structure in the centre of domain IV where non-Watson-Crick pairing is likely to occur. (3) L23 recognizes a tertiary structural motif involving a single terminal loop structure and part of an adjacent internal loop at the centre of domain III. Each of the three primary binding proteins, whose presence is essential for ribosomal assembly, has been associated with important ribosomal functions: L1 lies in the E-site for deacylated tRNA binding while L2 and L23 have been implicated in the P and A substrate sites, respectively, of the peptidyl transferase centre. Moreover, each of the protein sites, but particularly those of L2 and L23, lies at the centre of RNA domains where they can maximally influence both the assembly of secondary binding proteins and the function of the RNA region.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Cloning of a cDNA for a glutamate receptor subunit activated by kainate but not AMPA.

Fast excitatory transmission in the vertebrate central nervous system is mediated mainly by L-glutamate. On the basis of pharmacological, physiological and agonist binding properties, the ionotropic glutamate receptors are classified into NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate), AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazole-4-propionate) and kainate subtypes. Sequence homology between complementary DNA clones encoding non-NMDA glutamate receptor subunits reveals at least two subunit classes: the GluR1 to GluR4 class and the GluR5 class. Here we report the cloning and expression of a functional rat glutamate receptor subunit cDNA, GluR6, which has a very different pharmacology from that of the GluR1-GluR4 class. Receptors generated from the GluR1-GluR4 class have a higher apparent affinity for AMPA than for kainate. When expressed in Xenopus oocytes the homomeric GluR6 receptor is activated by kainate, quisqualate and L-glutamate but not by AMPA, and the apparent affinity for kainate is higher than for receptors from the GluR1-GluR4 class. Desensitization of the receptor was observed with continuous application of agonist. The homomeric GluR6 glutamate receptor exhibits an outwardly rectifying current-voltage relationship. In situ hybridizations reveal a pattern of GluR6 gene expression reminiscent of the binding pattern obtained with [3H]kainate.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Characterization of the binding sites of protein L11 and the L10.(L12)4 pentameric complex in the GTPase domain of 23 S ribosomal RNA from Escherichia coli.

Ribonuclease and chemical probes were used to investigate the binding sites of ribosomal protein L11 and the pentameric complex L10.(L12)4 on Escherichia coli 23 S RNA. Protein complexes were formed with an RNA fragment constituting most of domains I and II or with 23 S RNA and they were investigated by an end-labelling method and a reverse transcriptase procedure, respectively. The results demonstrate that the two protein moieties bind at adjacent sites within a small RNA region. The L11 binding region overlaps with those of the modified peptide antibiotics thiostrepton and micrococcin and is constrained structurally by a three-helix junction while the L10.(L12)4 site is centred on an adjacent internal loop. The secondary structure of the whole region was determined in detail by the phylogenetic sequence comparison method, and the results for the L11 binding region, together with the experimental data, were used in a computer graphics approach to build a partial RNA tertiary structural model. The model provides insight into the topography of the L11 binding site. It also provides a structural rationale for the mutually co-operative binding of protein L11 with the antibiotics thiostrepton and micrococcin, and with the L10.(L12)4 protein complex.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Protein L18 binds primarily at the junctions of helix II and internal loops A and B in Escherichia coli 5 S RNA. Implications for 5 S RNA structure.

Ribonuclease and chemical probes were used to investigate the binding sites of ribosomal protein L18 on Escherichia coli 5 S RNA using both end-labelling and reverse transcriptase procedures. The results, together with earlier data, were superimposed on a cylindrical projection of RNA double helices and most of the protection effects were found to cluster in the major groove at two sites located on one side of the RNA at the junctions of helix II with the adjoining internal loops A and B. The loop A/helix II junction was investigated using 5 S RNA mutants, produced by site-directed mutagenesis, that exhibited altered binding properties to L18. These results, together with those from a circular dichroism study of L18 complexed with the wild-type and different mutant RNAs, enabled us to assign an L18-induced conformational change to loop A. We infer that this change contributes to the co-operative binding of L5 to helix I, which may be reinforced by the binding of the very basic N-terminal peptide of L18 within the minor groove of helix I. A psoralen derivative formed a mono-addition product with U25 within loop B in the free RNA but not in the L18 complex. Moreover, the modified molecules were selected against in L18 binding experiments. Protection effects that occurred within the adjoining helix III and loop C were compatible with a tertiary interaction between loop C and loop B/helix III that could be stabilized by the L18 binding to the junction of helix II and loop B. Further support for a bipartite binding site derived from the finding that ethidium bromide molecules that are displaced from E. coli 5 S RNA by L18 intercalate both at the loop A/helix II junction and in loop B at the binding site of the psoralen derivative.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1989

Antibiotic interactions at the GTPase-associated centre within Escherichia coli 23S rRNA.

A comprehensive range of chemical reagents and ribonucleases was employed to investigate the interaction of the antibiotics thiostrepton and micrococcin with the ribosomal protein L11-23S RNA complex and with the 50S subunit. Both antibiotics block processes associated with the ribosomal A-site but differ in their effects on GTP hydrolysis, which is inhibited by thiostrepton and stimulated by micrococcin. The interaction sites of both drugs were shown to occur within the nucleotide sequences A1067-A1098 within the protein L11 binding site on 23S RNA. This region of the ribosome structure is involved in elongation factor-G-dependent GTP hydrolysis and in the stringent response. No effects of drug binding were detected elsewhere in the 23S RNA. In general, the two drugs afforded 23S RNA similar protection from the chemical and nuclease probes in accord with their similar modes of action. One important exception, however, occurred at nucleotide A1067 within a terminal loop where thiostrepton protected the N-1 position while micrococcin rendered it more reactive. This difference correlates with the opposite effects of the two antibiotics on GTPase activity.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1988

Domain VI of Escherichia coli 23 S ribosomal RNA. Structure, assembly and function.

Domain VI at the 3' end of the 23 S ribosomal RNA from Escherichia coli was prepared using the in vitro T7 RNA polymerase system. Its structure was examined by probing with ribonucleases and chemical reagents, including a psoralen derivative, of various nucleotide specificities, using a reverse transcriptase procedure for analysis. The data provided support for the most recent secondary structure derived from phylogenetic sequence comparisons and for additional structuring that was inferred from earlier experimental data. Moreover, the structure was essentially the same in the free domain, in renatured 23 S RNA and in 50 S subunits. Protein L3 bound to the isolated domain and its binding site was located at a long-range double helix containing a large internal loop. This structure is unusual for a protein-RNA binding site and it may characterize a new (third) class of site. Protein L3 has been implicated, together with L24, in initiating assembly of the 50 S subunit and it shares the exceptional property with L24 that it binds adjacent to the junction of two RNA domains from where it can maximally influence RNA folding. Protein L6 also assembled to domain VI and, in a control experiment, protein L2 bound to isolated domain IV. Domain VI was largely inaccessible in the 50 S subunit and the few accessible RNA sites occurred mainly within conserved sequence regions that constitute potential functional sites. alpha-Sarcin inactivates ribosomes by cutting at one of these sites in 50 S subunits; it also recognized the same site in the free 23 S RNA and in the free domain. Both the EF-Tu ternary complex, and the EF-G ternary complex stabilized by fusidic acid or by a non-hydrolyzable GTP derivative, inhibited alpha-sarcin attack while non-enzymatically bound tRNA did not, thus providing evidence, more direct than before, for the involvement of the RNA region in a common elongation factor binding site.

Autoradiography↗
PubMed1988

Studies of the isolation and viability of human islets of Langerhans.

Pancreas obtained from 34 adult human cadaver organ donors was divided into proximal and distal segments, and the duct to each segment was cannulated. Collagenase was injected into the proximal duct of 7 glands and into the distal duct of 7 others; the duct of the opposite segment was perfused with collagenase. The pancreas was then dispersed by teasing, trituration, and passage through filters. Perfused proximal and distal segments released 1461 +/- 287 and 2728 +/- 797 islets/g (+/- SEM) versus 710 +/- 149 (P less than 0.05) and 1950 +/- 636 after injection. Twenty other pancreases were perfused with collagenase warmed rapidly to 39 degrees C (n = 4) or warmed slowly to 37 degrees C (n = 6) or 39 degrees C (n = 10): the yield was 1625 +/- 632, 1320 +/- 116, and 2009 +/- 277 islets/g respectively. Total yields from the latter were 76 X 10(3) large (greater than 100 microns) and 85 X 10(3) small (less than 100 microns) islets with recoveries of 61% and 42%, respectively, after Ficoll density gradient purification. Histology showed highly purified islets. Perifusion with glucose elicited a biphasic release of insulin with the mean response (microU/islet/min) rising to a first peak of 0.5 and constant second phase secretion of 0.25, followed by a return to baseline. Reduced response was observed for islets from pancreas stored greater than 6 hr and tissue obtained from multiple centers. Less insulin was produced by freshly isolated islets, islets less than 100 microns, and after Ficoll separation. Secretion was similar for islets derived from proximal or distal segments. Perfusion of collagenase via the ducts of human pancreas improves islet isolation and Ficoll gradient separation yields highly purified islets. Important factors influencing insulin secretion are the source of donor tissue, cold storage of pancreas, Ficoll purification, islet size, and tissue culture.

Cell Separation↗
PubMed1987

Structure and accessibility of domain I of Escherichia coli 23 S RNA in free RNA, in the L24-RNA complex and in 50 S subunits. Implications for ribosomal assembly.

Domain I of 23 S RNA of Escherichia coli was probed in renatured RNA, in the protein L24-RNA complex and in 50 S subunits with ribonucleases specific for single- and double-stranded regions and with chemical reagents specific for guanosines (N-1 and N-2), adenosines (N-1, N-7 and N-6), cytidines (N-3) and uridines (N-3). Reactive sites were detected by a reverse transcriptase procedure. The results support most new features of the latest version of the Santa Cruz/Urbana model of the secondary structure, which is based on evidence from sequence comparison. Most double-helical segments were reactive to cobra venom ribonuclease to some degree; the exceptions were the five "long-range" helices that are probably compactly folded within the structure. The data provide evidence for the occurrence of A(syn) X G(anti) pairings in internal loops and at the ends of some helices; they also support the existence of extensive higher-order structuring, especially within the interhelical regions, and are compatible with two of three tertiary interactions in the free RNA that were predicted from comparative sequence studies. Protein L24 is the only primary binding protein that associates with domain I and it strongly protects two sites against ribonuclease and chemical activity. Site A has the properties of a classic protein binding site and we conclude from four lines of evidence that it is the primary attachment site. Site B is rich in highly conserved, unpaired adenosine residues and lies in a potentially critical region of the structure adjoining a group of long-range helices; we infer that L24 binding here is related to the important role of L24 in initiating ribosomal assembly; the existence of both sites is supported, independently, by genetic experiments. L24-induced enhanced reactivities were detected throughout the domain and are consistent with a general "tuning" of the RNA structure. The RNA domain in the 50 S subunits is almost completely resistant to ribonucleases and only a few sites, mainly interhelical, are accessible to chemical reagents. The appearance of several newly reactive nucleotides in the subunit RNA and the enhancement of some others suggest that some minor conformational changes occur on assembly. Nevertheless, the minimal secondary structure of the renatured RNA appears to be retained. We draw the general conclusion that domain I is a highly structured domain that is important for initiating assembly and for the subsequent organization of the ribosome.

Binding Sites↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Binding sites of the antibiotics pactamycin and celesticetin on ribosomal RNAs.

The binding sites of the antibiotics pactamycin and celesticetin on the rRNAs of Escherichia coli ribosomes were investigated by a chemical footprinting procedure. Pactamycin protected residues G-693 and C-795 in 16S RNA which are located in an important functional region of the 30S subunit participating in initiation complex formation and ribosomal subunit interaction. Celesticetin altered the reactivities of 5 residues A-2058, A-2059, A-2062, A-2451 and G-2505 within the central loop of domain V of 23S RNA which has been implicated in peptidyltransferase activity. Inferences are drawn concerning the mode of action of the antibiotics.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗