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J H Shaper

Publications and source records attributed to J H Shaper.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Murine alpha 1,3-galactosyltransferase. A single gene locus specifies four isoforms of the enzyme by alternative splicing.

We have reported the characterization of a cDNA (clone 31A) encoding bovine alpha 1,3-galactosyltransferase (alpha 1,3-GT) (Joziasse, D. H., Shaper, J. H., Van den Eijnden, D. H., Van Tunen, A. J., and Shaper, N. L. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 14290-14297). With the goal of isolating a full-length cDNA encoding murine alpha 1,3-GT we screened a cDNA library with clone 31A and isolated a 3.4-kilobase (kb) alpha 1,3-GT clone (4A). The murine coding sequence is 78% similar to that of the bovine alpha 1,3-GT cDNA, but the "stem" region (defined as the region that links the single transmembrane domain to the catalytic domain) of the murine alpha 1,3-GT encoded by clone 4A, is 31 amino acids shorter than the corresponding region of the bovine alpha 1,3-GT. To screen for heterogeneity in the murine alpha 1,3-GT transcripts, we carried out a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis on mouse C127 cDNA. Four distinct transcripts were detected, which predict four isoforms of the alpha 1,3-GT polypeptide that differ only in the length of their stem region. To determine how the four different transcripts are generated from a single gene, we have established the genomic organization for murine alpha 1,3-GT. The full-length mRNA spans at least 35 kb of genomic DNA and is distributed over nine exons that range in size from 36 base pairs (bp) to approximately 2600 bp. The protein coding region is distributed over six exons, and the 5'-untranslated sequence is distributed over three exons. Comparison of the genomic DNA sequence with that of the four different mRNAs indicates that these transcripts are produced by alternative splicing of the murine pre-mRNA according to a cassette model. A tissue survey using RNA-PCR revealed the presence of four different alpha 1,3-GT transcripts in all mouse tissues and cell lines examined to date, with the notable exception of male germ cells. Additionally, although alpha 1,3-GT levels increased upon thioglycollate-induced activation of mouse peritoneal macrophages, the ratio of the alpha 1,3-GT isoforms was essentially unchanged. Similar results were obtained upon retinoic acid-induced differentiation of murine F9 teratocarcinoma cells. Lastly, a similar PCR analysis of bovine cDNA produced only a single DNA fragment, corresponding to bovine cDNA clone 31A.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Murine beta 1,4-galactosyltransferase: round spermatid transcripts are characterized by an extended 5'-untranslated region.

We have previously shown that the expression of the gene encoding murine beta 1,4-galactosyltransferase (beta 1,4-GT, UDP-galactose:N-acetyl-D-glucosaminyl-glycopeptide 4-beta-D galactosyltransferase, EC 2.4.1.38) is fundamentally different between somatic and male germ cells (Shaper et al., 1990b). In somatic cells, two transcripts of 3.9 kb and 4.1 kb are produced. In contrast, in spermatogonia only the 4.1 kb transcript is expressed. Maturation of spermatogonia to pachytene spermatocytes is accompanied by reduced expression of the 4.1 kb transcript to barely detectable levels. Continued differentiation to haploid round spermatids is coincident with renewed expression in which the 4.1 kb transcript is replaced by two truncated transcripts of 2.9 and 3.1 kb. In this study, we report the characterization of a full-length beta 1,4-GT cDNA clone from a murine round spermatid library that corresponds to the 2.9 kb transcript. This transcript encodes the same open reading frame as the 4.1 kb transcript, but utilizes alternative poly(A) signals embedded within the long 3'-untranslated region of the somatic transcript. Based on sequence analysis, together with primer extension and S1 nuclease protection experiments, both the 2.9 and the 3.1 kb round spermatid beta 1,4-GT transcripts are distinguished by the presence of an additional 5'-untranslated sequence of approximately 560 bp that is absent in premeiotic germ cells and somatic cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Immunocytochemical localization of beta 1,4 galactosyltransferase in epithelial cells from bovine tissues using monoclonal antibodies.

Post-embedding immunocytochemistry was employed to investigate the distribution of UDP-galactose:N-acetylglucosamine galactosyltransferase (beta 1,4-GT) in epithelial cells from various bovine organs. Several well characterized monoclonal antibodies previously demonstrated to recognize distinct polypeptide epitopes within the primary structure of beta 1,4-GT were applied to thin sections from tissues embedded in Lowicryl K4M, followed by the protein A-gold technique. Immunoreactivity was observed in the Golgi apparatus of epithelial cells from intestine, thymus and trachea. No immunoreactivity was observed in other intracellular structures, including rough endoplasmic reticulum, nuclear envelope and goblet cell mucus droplets. Within the Golgi apparatus, the staining was restricted to several cisternae in the trans region, with most portions of the trans-Golgi network appearing unlabelled. However, in thymic epithelial-reticular cells trans-Golgi network portions resembling classical GERL elements were stained by the antibodies. Thus, although immunoreactivity was subcompartmentalized within the Golgi apparatus in all epithelial cell types examined, the extent of staining within the trans-Golgi network was variable. Immunoreactivity was not detected at the plasma membrane (ecto-galactosyl-transferase), except in the case of a subpopulation of tracheal cells that resemble brush cells. These results suggest that in the epithelial cells examined, the subcompartmental distribution of beta 1,4-GT within the Golgi apparatus is maintained across different types of epithelial cell organization. Moreover, no evidence for a general epithelial cell ecto-galactosyltransferase could be discerned with these reagents.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Evidence that rodent epididymal sperm contain the Mr approximately 94,000 glucocorticoid receptor but lack the Mr approximately 90,000 heat shock protein.

Monoclonal antibodies directed against four different polypeptide epitopes on the Mr approximately 94,000 steroid-binding subunit of the rat liver cytosolic glucocorticoid receptor (GcR) were used to probe Western blots of epididymal spermatozoa from rats and mice. Two sperm polypeptides with apparent molecular weights of 94,000 (indistinguishable in size from the liver GcR subunit) and 150,000 reacted with these antibodies. Other polypeptides that are present in a wide variety of somatic cells [lamin-A, -B, and -C; topoisomerase-I; poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase; the 62-kilodalton internal nuclear matrix protein; the nucleolar protein B23; and histone H1] could not be detected in these preparations of spermatozoa, thus appearing to rule out contamination by somatic cells. Rat and mouse pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids contained much lower amounts of the Mr approximately 94,000 and 150,000 polypeptides. These results suggested that the steroid-binding subunit of the GcR might be accumulated late in spermatogenesis. Consistent with this view, a 6-kilobase mRNA (identical in size to a mRNA detected in mouse somatic cell lines) was detected when Northern blots of mouse round spermatid RNA were probed with a cDNA to the steroid-binding GcR subunit. Although the results described above suggest the presence of GcR in rodent sperm, high affinity binding of glucocorticoids to epididymal sperm could not be detected in a whole cell binding assay. Further analysis revealed that the Mr approximately 90,000 heat shock protein (hsp90), a component reportedly required for high affinity ligand binding to the GcR, was present in early germ cells, but absent from rodent epididymal sperm. These results suggest that the Mr approximately 94,000 steroid-binding subunit of the GcR and an immunologically related Mr approximately 150,000 polypeptide are specifically accumulated during the later stages of rodent spermatogenesis, but are not assembled into receptor complexes capable of binding steroid. In addition, these results support the view that hsp90 is required for high affinity binding of glucocorticoids to the Mr approximately 94,000 GcR subunit in intact cells.

Adrenalectomy↗
PubMed1991

Characterization of an alpha 1----3-galactosyltransferase homologue on human chromosome 12 that is organized as a processed pseudogene.

UDP-Gal:Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc alpha 1----3-galactosyltransferase is a terminal glycosyltransferase that is widely expressed in a variety of mammalian species, with the notable exception of man, apes, and Old World monkeys. We recently reported the isolation of a bovine cDNA clone that contains the complete coding sequence for this enzyme (Joziasse, D. H., Shaper, J. H., Van den Eijnden, D. H., Van Tunen, A. J., and Shaper, N. L. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 14290-14297). Using this cDNA as a probe, we have demonstrated that, although transcripts cannot be detected in a variety of established human cell lines by Northern blot analysis, homologous sequences are present in human genomic DNA. To establish that these sequences represent a human homologue of alpha 1----3-galactosyltransferase, we have used the bovine cDNA as a probe to isolate two nonoverlapping clones (HGT-2 and HGT-10) from a human genomic DNA library. Clone HGT-2 contains a 1.5-kilobase uninterrupted linear sequence similar to bovine alpha 1----3-galactosyltransferase that is organized as a processed pseudogene. This sequence, flanked by Alu type repeats, contains a short 5'- and 3'-untranslated region and a complete recognizable coding region that is 81% similar at the nucleotide level to bovine alpha 1----3-galactosyltransferase. This putative coding region contains multiple frameshift mutations and nonsense codons in all three reading frames which precludes the synthesis of a functional enzyme. Nevertheless, after optimal alignment, translation predicts a polypeptide that is 68% similar at the amino acid level to the bovine enzyme. Based on Southern analysis and limited sequence analysis, clone HGT-10 contains coding sequences similar to the NH2-terminal region of bovine alpha 1----3-galactosyltransferase. By analysis of panels of human-rodent somatic cell hybrids we have established that the nonfunctional, processed pseudogene and the human homologue represented by HGT-10 are located on human chromosomes 12 and 9, respectively. Interestingly, a comparison of the predicted amino acid sequence of the carboxyl-terminal two-thirds of human alpha 1----3-galactosyltransferase, with the corresponding region of the human blood group A, UDP-GalNAc:[Fuc alpha 1----2]Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc alpha 1----3-GalNAc-transferase (Yamamoto, F., Marken, J., Tsuji, T., White, T., Clausen, H., and Hakomori, S. (1990a) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 1146-1151), reveals a significant similarity (39%) suggesting that these two enzymes may have arisen from the same ancestral gene as a result of gene duplication and subsequent divergence.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Differential expression of nuclear envelope lamins A and C in human lung cancer cell lines.

The lamins, an intranuclear class of intermediate filament proteins, are major structural proteins of the nuclear envelope. In the present study, the three abundant mammalian lamins (lamins A, B, and C) were observed to be present in roughly equivalent amounts in the Calu-1, Calu-3, H157, and SK-MES-1 non-small cell lung cancer lines. In the small cell lung cancer lines OH-1, OH-3, NCI-H82, NCI-H209, and NCI-H249, levels of lamin B were similar to those observed in the non-small cell lines, but the levels of lamins A and C were diminished by greater than or equal to 80%. The relationship between lung cancer phenotype and lamin expression was explored further in the NCI-H249 small cell line. Introduction of the v-rasH oncogene into this line gives rise to a cell line (NCI-H249rasH) with many features of large cell carcinoma of the lung (Falco, J. P., Baylin, S. B., Lupu, R., et al. J. Clin. Invest., 85: 1740-1745, 1990). Concomitant with the v-rasH-induced change in phenotype, a greater than 10-fold increase in the amounts of lamins A and C was observed. Levels of the cytoplasmic intermediate filament protein vimentin also increased. In contrast, levels of a variety of nonlamin nuclear polypeptides including topoisomerase I, topoisomerase II, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, and the nucleolar protein B23/nucleophosmin did not change. Comparison of polyadenylated RNA from NCI-H249 and NCI-H249rasH cells on Northern blots revealed similar levels of the mRNA for lamin B but higher levels of the mRNAs for lamins A and C in the v-rasH-expressing cell line. These observations provide evidence for differences in nuclear envelope structure in histologically different neoplastic cells derived from the same epithelial cell system and suggest that differences in lamina structure result from phenotype-specific differences in lamin gene expression.

Blotting, Western↗
PubMed1991

Distribution of nucleolar proteins B23 and nucleolin during mouse spermatogenesis.

The intracellular distribution of nucleolar phosphoproteins B23 and nucleolin was studied during mouse spermatogenesis, a process that is characterized by a progressive reduction of nucleolar activity. Biochemical analyses of isolated germ cell fractions were performed in parallel with the in situ ultrastructural immunolocalization of these two proteins by means of specific antibodies and colloidal gold markers, and by silver staining. RNA blot experiments showed that mRNA for nucleolin progressively decreased during spermatogenesis whereas mRNA for B23 increased in amount during early spermatogenic stages. Immunoblotting confirmed that both proteins were present during early spermatogenesis up to the round spermatid stage and absent from mature sperm. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that in spermatogonia, leptotene and pachtyene spermatocytes, and in Golgi phase spermatids, B23 and nucleolin were localized in the dense fibrillar component and granular component of the nucleolus but not in the fibrillar centers. In the dense fibrillar residue of the cap phase spermatids, labeling with anti-nucleolin but not with anti-B23 was observed. During nucleolar inactivation, neither of the two polypeptides was dispersed to the nucleoplasm. Silver salts stained the fibrillar centers and dense fibrillar component but not the granular component of the nucleolus. Our results suggest that there is no direct relationship between nucleolar activity and the occurrence of B23 and nucleolin or silver staining. Moreover, we confirm that silver staining and the presence of B23 or nucleolin are not directly related to each other.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Association of topoisomerase II with the hepatoma cell nuclear matrix: the role of intermolecular disulfide bond formation.

Previous studies have resulted in conflicting data regarding the recovery of the nuclear enzymes topoisomerase (topo) II and topo I in the nuclear matrix fraction. In the present study we have assessed the effect of systematically altering a single extraction procedure on the distribution of these enzymes during the subfractionation of nuclei from HTC hepatoma tissue culture cells. When nuclear monolayers (prepared by treating attached cells in situ with the neutral detergent Nonidet-P40 at 4 degrees C) were isolated in the presence of the irreversible sulfhydryl blocking reagent iodoacetamide, subsequent treatment with DNase I and RNase A followed by 1.6 M NaCl resulted in structures which were extensively depleted of intranuclear components as assessed by phase contrast microscopy and conventional transmission electron microscopy. These structures contained 12 +/- 4% of the total protein present in the original nuclear monolayers. The lamins and polypeptides with molecular weights comparable to those of actin and vimentin were the predominant polypeptides present on SDS-polyacrylamide gels. Western blotting revealed that less than 5% of the total nuclear topo II molecules were present in these structures. In contrast, when the sulfhydryl cross-linking reagent sodium tetrathionate (NaTT) was substituted for iodoacetamide, the same extraction procedure yielded structures containing components of the nucleolus and an extensive intranuclear network. These structures contained a wide variety of nonlamin, nonhistone nuclear polypeptides including 23 +/- 4% of the total nuclear topo II. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis performed under nonreducing conditions revealed that topo II in these nuclear matrices was present as part of a large disulfide cross-linked complex. Treatment of these structures with reducing agents in 1.6 M NaCl released the topo II. In contrast, topo I did not form disulfide cross-linked oligomers and was not detectable in any of these nuclease- and salt-resistant structures prepared at 4 degrees C. To assess the effect of in vitro heat treatment on the distribution of the topoisomerases, nuclear monolayers (isolated in the absence of iodoacetamide and NaTT) were heated to 37 degrees C for 1 h prior to treatment with nucleases and 1.6 M NaCl. The resulting structures (which retained 26 +/- 5% of the total nuclear protein) were morphologically similar to the NaTT-stabilized nuclear matrices and contained 15 +/- 4% of the total nuclear topo II. High-molecular-weight disulfide cross-linked oligomers of topo II were again demonstrated. Attempts to demonstrate these disulfide cross-linked oligomers in intact cells were unsuccessful.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed1991

Association of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase with the nuclear matrix: the role of intermolecular disulfide bond formation, RNA retention, and cell type.

The recovery of the enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (pADPRp) in the nuclease- and 1.6 M NaCl-resistant nuclear subfraction prepared from a number of different sources was assessed by Western blotting. When rat liver nuclei were treated with DNase I and RNase A followed by 1.6 M NaCl, approximately 10% of the nuclear pADPRp was recovered in the sedimentable fraction. The proportion of pADPRp recovered with the residual fraction decreased to less than 5% of the total nuclear polymerase when nuclei were prepared in the presence of the sulfhydryl blocking reagent iodoacetamide and increased to approximately 50% of the total nuclear pADPRp when nuclei were treated with the sulfhydryl cross-linking reagent sodium tetrathionate (NaTT) prior to fractionation. To determine whether this effect of disulfide bond formation was unique to rat liver nuclei, nuclear matrix/cytoskeleton structures were prepared in situ by sequentially treating monolayers of tissue culture cells with Nonidet-P40, DNase I and RNase A, and 1.6 M NaCl (S.H. Kaufmann and J.H. Shaper (1991) Exp. Cell Res. 192, 511-523). When nuclear monolayers were prepared from HTC rat hepatoma cells, CaLu-1 human lung carcinoma cells, and CHO hamster ovary cells in the absence of NaTT, pADPRp was undetectable in the nuclease- and 1.6 M NaCl-resistant fraction. In contrast, when nuclear monolayers were isolated in the presence of NaTT, from 5% (CaLu-1) to 26% (HTC cells) of the total nuclear pADPRp was recovered with the nuclease- and salt-resistant fraction. Examination of these residual structures by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under nonreducing conditions suggested that pADPRp was present as a component of disulfide cross-linked complexes. Further analysis by immunofluorescence revealed that the pADPRp was diffusely distributed throughout the CaLu-1 or CHO nuclear matrix. In addition, when matrices were prepared in the absence of RNase A, pADPRp was also observed in the residual nucleoli. These observations reveal that the recovery of pADPRp with a nuclease- and salt-resistant nuclear subfraction is dependent on the source of the nuclei and on the conditions used to fractionate those nuclei. In addition, these observations raise the possibility that there might be different functional classes of pADPRp molecules within the nucleus.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Alpha 1----3-galactosyltransferase: the use of recombinant enzyme for the synthesis of alpha-galactosylated glycoconjugates.

We have reported the isolation and characterization of a bovine cDNA clone containing the complete coding sequence for UDP-Gal:Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc alpha 1----3-galactosyltransferase [Joziasse, D. H., Shaper, J. H., Van den Eijnden, D. H., Van Tunen, A. J. & Shaper, N. L. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 14290-14297]. Insertion of this cDNA clone into the genome of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV) and subsequent infection of Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cells with recombinant virus, resulted in high-level expression of enzymatically active alpha 1----3-galactosyltransferase. The expressed enzyme accounted for about 2% of the cellular protein; the corresponding specific enzyme activity was 1000-fold higher than observed in calf thymus, the tissue with the highest specific enzyme activity reported to date. The recombinant alpha 1----3-galactosyltransferase could be readily detergent-solubilized and subsequently purified by affinity chromatography on UDP-hexanolamine-Sepharose. The recombinant alpha 1----3-galactosyltransferase showed the expected preference for the acceptor substrate N-acetyllactosamine (Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc), and demonstrated enzyme kinetics identical to those previously reported for affinity-purified calf thymus alpha 1----3-galactosyltransferase [Blanken, W. M. & Van den Eijnden, D. H. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 12927-12934]. In pilot studies, the recombinant enzyme was examined for the ability to synthesize alpha 1----3-galactosylated oligosaccharides, glycolipids and glycoproteins. By a combination of 1H-NMR, methylation analysis, HPLC, and exoglycosidase digestion it was established that, for each of the model compounds, the product of galactose transfer had the anticipated terminal structure, Gal alpha 1----3Gal beta 1----4-R. Our results demonstrate that catalysis by recombinant alpha 1----3-galactosyltransferase can be used to obtain preparative quantities of various alpha 1----3-galactosylated glycoconjugates. Therefore, enzymatic synthesis using the recombinant enzyme is an effective alternative to the chemical synthesis of these biologically relevant compounds.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Bovine beta 1----4-galactosyltransferase: two sets of mRNA transcripts encode two forms of the protein with different amino-terminal domains. In vitro translation experiments demonstrate that both the short and the long forms of the enzyme are type II membrane-bound glycoproteins.

We have used S1 and primer extension analysis to demonstrate that the gene for bovine beta 1----4-galactosyltransferase specifies two sets of mRNA transcripts of different lengths. The longer mRNA transcripts initiate upstream of two in-frame ATG codons and encode a protein of 402 amino acids (long form). The shorter mRNA transcripts initiate between the two in-frame ATG codons and encode a protein of 389 amino acids (short form). These two related forms of beta 1----4-galactosyltransferase have an identical large (358 amino acids), potentially glycosylated, COOH-terminal catalytic domain, and an identical single transmembrane domain. The only difference in primary structure between the two forms is that the long form contains an NH2-terminal extension of 13 amino acids. Thus, bovine beta 1----4-galactosyltransferase fits the pattern established for murine beta 1----4-galactosyltransferase (Shaper, N. L., Hollis, G. L., Douglas, J. G., Kirsch, I. R., and Shaper, J. H. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 10420-10428). Inspection of the NH2-terminal domain suggests that the long form of the bovine enzyme, like its murine counterpart, has a functional cleavable signal sequence which would dictate that the two forms of the membrane-bound enzyme are oriented in opposite directions. We have tested this hypothesis by in vitro translation in the absence or presence of dog pancreas microsomes. In vitro translation of RNA transcripts for the long and short form of beta 1----4-galactosyltransferase in the absence of microsomes results in the synthesis of polypeptides with apparent Mr of 44,500 and 43,000, respectively. In vitro translation of each transcript in the presence of microsomes results in the synthesis of two glycosylated, endoglycosidase H-sensitive proteins with apparent Mr of 47,500 and 46,000. These experiments and additional protease protection experiments demonstrate that the COOH-terminal domain of both the short and the long form of bovine beta 1----4-galactosyltransferase are translocated into the microsomal lumen. By extrapolation, both forms of the enzyme are oriented in vivo as Type II membrane-bound glycoproteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Tumor cell haptotaxis on immobilized N-acetylglucosamine gradients.

Polyacrylamide surfaces covalently derivatized with quantifiable gradients of glycosides superimposed on a uniform adhesive background of coimmobilized Arg-Gly-Asp-containing adhesion peptide were synthesized. Substrate-directed cell redistribution (haptotaxis) was measured by seeding derivatized surfaces uniformly with B16F10 murine melanoma cells. After 4-32 hr, cells on gradients of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) redistributed markedly; higher cell densities were found at gel positions having a higher immobilized GlcNAc density. In contrast, cells seeded on otherwise identical gels having a uniform concentration of immobilized GlcNAc, or on gels having gradients of glucose or galactose, did not redistribute. Soluble inhibitors containing nonreducing terminal GlcNAc (but not those with terminal GalNAc or Gal) blocked redistribution on immobilized GlcNAc gradients. Redistribution was not affected by the presence or absence of serum in the medium. An affinity-purified antibody against beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase, a GlcNAc-binding protein reported to be expressed on B16F10 cell surfaces, attenuated GlcNAc-directed redistribution. When cells were seeded on surfaces derivatized with various uniform densities of immobilized GlcNAc coimmobilized with an invariant density of immobilized Arg-Gly-Asp-peptide, neither cell attachment nor proliferation rate were enhanced on the gels having a higher GlcNAc density. These data indicate that the redistribution on immobilized GlcNAc gradients was due to cell motility. Although gels derivatized with Arg-Gly-Asp-peptide alone supported strong B16F10 cell adhesion, surfaces derivatized with uniform high concentrations of GlcNAc did not. We conclude that cell recognition of substratum gradients that support, at best, weak adhesion (GlcNAc) on an otherwise uniform strongly adhesive background (Arg-Gly-Asp-peptide) may be sufficient to direct cell migration.

Acetylglucosamine↗
PubMed1990

Murine beta 1,4-galactosyltransferase: both the amounts and structure of the mRNA are regulated during spermatogenesis.

Previously we have shown that the gene encoding murine beta 1,4-galactosyltransferase (beta 1,4-GT; UDPgalactose:N-acetyl-D-glucosaminyl-glycopeptide 4-beta-D-galactosyltransferase, EC 2.4.1.38) is unusual in that it specifies two sets of mRNAs of about 3.9 and 4.1 kilobases (kb). Translation of the 3.9- and 4.1-kb mRNAs results in the predicted synthesis of two related membrane-bound forms of the protein of 386 amino acids (short form) and 399 amino acids (long form), respectively. In this study we have examined the expression of beta 1,4-GT during murine spermatogenesis. Spermatogonia contain a 4.1-kb transcript that is comparable in size to the beta 1,4-GT mRNA identified in somatic cells. During differentiation from spermatogonia (2n) to pachytene spermatocytes (4n), the amount of beta 1,4-GT mRNA is reduced to barely detectable levels. Continued differentiation to round spermatids (n) is coincident with a renewed production of beta 1,4-GT mRNA to levels comparable with those detected in spermatogonia. However, the characteristic 4.1-kb mRNA detected in spermatogonia is replaced by two truncated transcripts of 2.9 and 3.1 kb. By S1 nuclease analysis, the 2.9- and 3.1-kb transcripts were shown to encode the same open reading frame as the 4.1-kb transcript found in somatic cells. The shorter round spermatid transcripts arise as a consequence of the use of alternative poly(A) signals. Lastly, we show that, in direct contrast to all somatic tissues and cell lines examined to date, male germ cells synthesize only the long form of the beta 1,4-GT polypeptide.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Nucleolar distribution of proteins B23 and nucleolin in mouse preimplantation embryos as visualized by immunoelectron microscopy.

The ultrastructural distribution of proteins B23 and nucleolin in the nucleolus of mouse embryos from the zygote to the early blastocyst has been analyzed by means of specific antibodies and immunocytochemistry using colloidal gold complexes as markers. In parallel, silver staining of nucleoli was carried out on ultrathin sections. Our results show that the compact prenucleolar bodies at 1- and 2-cell stage as well as the compact residual fibrillar masses observed up to the morula stage, are labelled with the two antibodies. These masses, however, are not stained with silver up to the 4-cell stage. In well-developed nucleoli, the two antibodies co-localize in the dense fibrillar component (DFC) and the granular component (GC) while fibrillar centers (FCs) are devoid of label. On the contrary, silver staining occurs in the FCs and DFC but not in the GC. Our observations suggest that there is no direct relationship between the occurrence of silver staining and the distribution of protein B23 or nucleolin. Moreover, neither the localization of the two above proteins nor silver staining are unequivocally related to the nucleolar activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Bovine alpha 1----3-galactosyltransferase: isolation and characterization of a cDNA clone. Identification of homologous sequences in human genomic DNA.

We have isolated, by immunological screening of a lambda gt11 expression library, a cDNA clone that represents the complete coding sequence for bovine alpha 1----3-galactosyltransferase. The coding sequence predicts a membrane-bound protein with three distinct structural features: a large, potentially glycosylated COOH-terminal domain (346 amino acids), a single transmembrane domain (16 amino acids), and a short NH2-terminal domain (6 amino acids). Thus, the domain structure for this transferase is similar to that deduced for beta 1----4-galactosyltransferase (Shaper, N. L., Hollis, G. F., Douglas, J. G., Kirsch, I. R., and Shaper, J. H. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 10420-10428) and alpha 2----6-sialyltransferase (Weinstein, J., Lee, E. V., McEntee, K., Lai, P.-H., and Paulson, J. C. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 17735-17743). S1 analysis demonstrates that two sets of mRNAs, which are heterogeneous at their 5' ends, are transcribed. Because both sets initiate upstream of the translational start site, only one protein is encoded by this gene. alpha 1----3-Galactosyltransferase is widely expressed in different mammalian species, with the notable exception of man and Old World monkeys (Galili, U., Shohet, S. B., Kobrin, E., Stults, C.L.M., and Macher, B. A. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 17755-17762). By Northern blot analysis we were indeed unable to detect transcripts for this enzyme in various human and Old World monkey cell lines; transcripts were readily detected in other mammalian species. However, by Southern blot analysis, homologous sequences for alpha 1----3-galactosyltransferase were identified in human genomic DNA. This suggests that the gene, although present in the human genome, is normally not expressed. These observations have potential medical implications. Because many humans have high levels of circulating antibodies directed against the enzymatic product of alpha 1----3-galactosyltransferase (Gal alpha 1----3Gal beta 1----4GlcN Ac) (Galili, U., Clark, M. R., Shohet, S. B., Buehler, J., and Macher, B. A. (1987) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 84, 1369-1373), it has been suggested that activation of this normally silent gene may play a role in autoimmune disease in man (Etienne-Decerf, J., Malaise, M., Mahieu, P., and Winand, R. (1987) Acta Endocrinol. 115, 67-74).

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Genomic structure of murine beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase.

We have isolated a series of overlapping murine genomic DNA clones that include the complete coding sequence of the Golgi membrane bound marker enzyme beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase. The coding sequence is distributed into six exons spanning 50,000 b.p. of mouse chromosome 4. The COOH terminal domain is predominantly encoded by exons 2-6 and the transmembrane and amino terminal cytoplasmic domains are encoded by exon 1. S1 analysis establishes the most 5' transcriptional initiation site 190 b.p. upstream of the first methionine residue.

Amino Acid Sequence↗