Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J L Goldstein

Publications and source records attributed to J L Goldstein.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Massive xanthomatosis and atherosclerosis in cholesterol-fed low density lipoprotein receptor-negative mice.

Mice that are homozygous for a targeted disruption of the LDL receptor gene (LDLR-/- mice) were fed a diet that contained 1.25% cholesterol, 7.5% cocoa butter, 7.5% casein, and 0.5% cholic acid. The total plasma cholesterol rose from 246 to > 1,500 mg/dl, associated with a marked increase in VLDL, intermediate density lipoproteins (IDL), and LDL cholesterol, and a decrease in HDL cholesterol. In wild type littermates fed the same diet, the total plasma cholesterol remained < 160 mg/dl. After 7 mo, the LDLR-/- mice developed massive xanthomatous infiltration of the skin and subcutaneous tissue. The aorta and coronary ostia exhibited gross atheromata, and the aortic valve leaflets were thickened by cholesterol-laden macrophages. No such changes were seen in the LDLR-/- mice on a normal chow diet, nor in wild type mice that were fed either a chow diet or the high-fat diet. We conclude that LDL receptors are largely responsible for the resistance of wild type mice to atherosclerosis. The cholesterol-fed LDLR-/- mice offer a new model for the study of environmental and genetic factors that modify the processes of atherosclerosis and xanthomatosis.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

The esophageal mucosal resistance: structure and function of an unique gastrointestinal epithelial barrier.

The purpose of this review is to delineate the factors that contribute to the innate epithelial resistance of the esophageal mucosa when challenged with potentially damaging intraluminal aggressive factors that are present as a result of gastroesophageal reflux. The ability of this mucosa to act as an effective barrier is dependent on the structural complexity of its 20 to 30 cell layer-thick stratified squamous epithelia, its convoluted intercellular spaces (paracellular resistance), and the cellular ion transport mechanisms that maintain intracellular homoestasis (cellular resistance). Because H+ ion is the most important damaging agent in the gastroesophageal refluxate, we have primarily focused on mechanisms that impede or prevent H+ ion entry into the mucosa ("pre-epithelial" and "mucosal factors"), cellular mechanisms that allow cells to maintain their intracellular pH in the presence of an external acid environment ("cellular factors"), mechanisms that limit continued mucosal and cellular injury ("submucosal factors") and reparative processes that come into play after damage has occurred.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

SREBP-2, a second basic-helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper protein that stimulates transcription by binding to a sterol regulatory element.

We report the cDNA cloning of SREBP-2, the second member of a family of basic-helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper (bHLH-Zip) transcription factors that recognize sterol regulatory element 1 (SRE-1). SRE-1, a conditional enhancer in the promoters for the low density lipoprotein receptor and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A synthase genes, increases transcription in the absence of sterols and is inactivated when sterols accumulate. Human SREBP-2 contains 1141 amino acids and is 47% identical to human SREBP-1a, the first recognized member of this family. The resemblance includes an acidic NH2 terminus, a highly conserved bHLH-Zip motif (71% identical), and an unusually long extension of 740 amino acids on the COOH-terminal side of the bHLH-Zip region. SREBP-2 possesses one feature lacking in SREBP-1a--namely, a glutamine-rich region (27% glutamine over 121 residues). In vitro SREBP-2 bound SRE-1 with the same specificity as SREBP-1a. In vivo it mimicked SREBP-1a in activating transcription of reporter genes containing SRE-1. As with SREBP-1a, activation by SREBP-2 occurred in the absence and presence of sterols, abolishing regulation. Cotransfection of low amounts of pSREBP-1a and pSREBP-2 into human embryonic kidney 293 cells stimulated transcription of promoters containing SRE-1 in an additive fashion. At high levels transcription reached a maximum, and the effects were no longer additive. The reason for the existence of two SREBPs and the mechanism by which they are regulated by sterols remain to be determined.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Replacement of serine-871 of hamster 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase prevents phosphorylation by AMP-activated kinase and blocks inhibition of sterol synthesis induced by ATP depletion.

An AMP-activated protein kinase has been reported to phosphorylate rodent 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase [HMG-CoA reductase; (S)-mevalonate:-NAD+ oxidoreductase (CoA-acylating), EC 1.1.1.88] at Ser-871, thereby lowering its catalytic activity [Clarke, P. R. & Hardie, D. G. (1990) EMBO J. 9, 2439-2446]. To explore the physiologic role of this reaction, we prepared a cDNA encoding a mutant form of hamster HMG-CoA reductase with alanine substituted for serine at residue 871. When overexpressed in transfected cells, the wild-type enzyme, but not the Ser-871 to Ala mutant, was labeled with [32P]phosphate, confirming Ser-871 as the site of phosphorylation. The wild-type enzyme, but not the mutant enzyme, showed reduced activity when the cells were harvested with the phosphatase inhibitor KF, confirming phosphorylation as a mechanism for inactivation within the cell. Despite the lack of phosphorylation, the posttranscriptional feedback regulation of the mutant enzyme was normal, as indicated by reduced activity when cells were incubated with mevalonate, 25-hydroxycholesterol, or low density lipoprotein. Moreover, the mutant enzyme showed a normal acceleration of degradation when the transfected cells were incubated with sterols. Cells expressing the wild-type enzyme showed a decreased incorporation of [14C]pyruvate into sterols when ATP was depleted by incubation with 2-deoxy-D-glucose. No such reduction was seen in cells expressing the Ser-871 to Ala mutant enzyme. We conclude that the AMP-activated protein kinase does not play a role in end-product feedback regulation of HMG-CoA reductase, but rather it comes into play when cellular ATP levels are depleted, thereby lowering the rate of cholesterol synthesis and preserving the energy stores of the cell.

Adenosine Monophosphate↗
PubMed1993

SREBP-1, a basic-helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper protein that controls transcription of the low density lipoprotein receptor gene.

Sterol regulatory element 1 (SRE-1), a decamer (5'-ATC-ACCCCAC-3') flanking the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene, activates transcription in sterol-depleted cells and is silenced by sterols. We report the cDNA cloning of human SREBP-1, a protein that binds SRE-1, activates transcription, and thereby mediates the final regulatory step in LDL metabolism. SREBP-1 contains a basic-helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper (bHLH-ZIP) motif, but it differs from other bHLH-ZIP proteins in its larger size (1147 amino acids) and target sequence. Instead of an inverted repeat (CANNTG), the target for all known bHLH-ZIP proteins, SRE-1 contains a direct repeat of CAC. Overexpression of SREBP-1 activates transcription of reporter genes containing SRE-1 in the absence (15-fold) and presence (90-fold) of sterols, abolishing sterol regulation. We suggest that SREBP-1 is regulated by an unknown factor that is overwhelmed when SREBP-1 is overexpressed. Understanding the regulation of SREBP-1 may be crucial for understanding the control of plasma cholesterol in humans.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Nuclear protein that binds sterol regulatory element of low density lipoprotein receptor promoter. II. Purification and characterization.

This paper describes the purification and characterization of a sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP) that recognizes the SRE-1 sequence in the 5' flanking region of the gene for the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor. The protein was purified more than 38,000-fold from nuclear extracts of human HeLa cells by ion exchange, gel filtration, and DNA-affinity chromatography. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the purified preparation revealed a cluster of bands at 59-68 kDa, each of which bound to the SRE-1 element as revealed by cross-linking experiments. Binding of SREBP correlated perfectly with transcriptional activity in a series of 16 sterol regulatory elements with point mutations. In the LDL receptor promoter, the 10-base pair SRE-1 is embedded in a 16-base pair sequence designated Repeat 2, which is adjacent to Repeat 3, a binding site for nuclear factor Sp1. Oligonucleotides containing Repeat 2 + 3 bound SREBP and Sp1 as revealed by mobility shift assays. SREBP produced a DNase I footprint over the SRE-1 sequence, which was immediately adjacent to the footprint produced by Sp1. The current data are consistent with the concept that SREBP acts in concert with Sp1 to achieve high level, sterol-suppressible transcription of the gene for the LDL receptor.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Nuclear protein that binds sterol regulatory element of low density lipoprotein receptor promoter. I. Identification of the protein and delineation of its target nucleotide sequence.

The current paper reports the identification of a protein in rat liver nuclei that binds to the sterol regulatory element (SRE-1) in the promoter of the gene for the low density lipoprotein receptor. The 10-base pair SRE-1 is embedded within a 16-base pair sequence designated Repeat 2 located immediately upstream of a related sequence designated Repeat 3. To confirm that DNA recognition by the SRE-1 binding protein (SREBP) correlates with sterol-regulated transcription, we synthesized an artificial promoter that contains two copies of wild-type or mutant Repeat 2 + 3 sequences immediately upstream of a TATA box from adenovirus. The synthetic promoters were inserted upstream of a reporter gene and tested for transcriptional activity in the absence and presence of sterols after transient transfection into monkey CV-1 cells. The reporter gene with two copies of the wild-type Repeat 2 + 3 sequence was transcribed actively in sterol-deprived cells and was repressed by more than 80% when sterols were present. Binding of SREBP to the SRE-1 sequence, assessed by gel mobility shift assays, correlated precisely on a nucleotide-by-nucleotide basis with the transcriptional activity of each of 16 synthetic promoters with point mutations in Repeat 2. The SREBP bound to the nine mutant promoters that were positive for sterol-regulated transcription, and it did not bind to any of the nine point mutants that abolished transcription. We conclude that SREBP is a DNA binding protein that mediates sterol-regulated transcription of the low density lipoprotein receptor gene.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Benzodiazepine peptidomimetics: potent inhibitors of Ras farnesylation in animal cells.

Oncogenic Ras proteins transform animal cells to a malignant phenotype only when modified by farnesyl residues attached to cysteines near their carboxyl termini. The farnesyltransferase that catalyzes this reaction recognizes tetrapeptides of the sequence CAAX, where C is cysteine, A is an aliphatic amino acid, and X is a carboxyl-terminal methionine or serine. Replacement of the two aliphatic residues with a benzodiazepine-based mimic of a peptide turn generated potent inhibitors of farnesyltransferase [50 percent inhibitory concentration (IC50) < 1 nM]. Unlike tetrapeptides, the benzodiazepine peptidomimetics enter cells and block attachment of farnesyl to Ras, nuclear lamins, and several other proteins. At micromolar concentrations, these inhibitors restored a normal growth pattern to Ras-transformed cells. The benzodiazepine peptidomimetics may be useful in the design of treatments for tumors in which oncogenic Ras proteins contribute to abnormal growth, such as that of the colon, lung, and pancreas.

Alkyl and Aryl Transferases↗
PubMed1993

cDNA cloning of component A of Rab geranylgeranyl transferase and demonstration of its role as a Rab escort protein.

cDNA cloning of component A of rat Rab geranylgeranyl transferase confirms identity of the protein with the human choroideremia gene product and its resemblance to Rab3A guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor (GDI), which binds prenylated Rabs. In biochemical assays we demonstrate that component A binds unprenylated Rab1A, presents it to the catalytic component B, and remains bound to it after the geranylgeranyl transfer reaction. In the absence of detergents, the reaction terminates when all of component A is occupied with prenylated Rab. Detergents allow multiple rounds of catalysis, apparently by dissociating the component A-Rab complex and thus allowing recycling of component A. Within the cell, component A may be regenerated by transferring its prenylated Rab to a protein acceptor, such as Rab3A GDI. In view of its function in escorting Rab proteins during and presumably after the prenyl transfer reaction, we propose to rename component A as Rab escort protein (REP). A genetic defect in REP underlies human choroideremia, a disease of retinal degeneration.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed1993

cDNA cloning and expression of the alpha and beta subunits of rat Rab geranylgeranyl transferase.

Rab geranylgeranyl transferase (Rab GG transferase) attaches 20-carbon geranylgeranyl groups to cysteine residues in Rab proteins that contain the COOH-terminal sequence Cys-X-Cys or Cys-Cys. Rab GG transferase consists of two components that are separable in high salt solutions. Component A is a 95-kDa protein, and Component B is a heterodimer consisting of a 60-kDa alpha subunit and a 38-kDa beta subunit. In the current paper, we have cloned cDNAs for the alpha and beta subunits of Component B. The cDNAs for the rat alpha and beta subunits predict proteins of 567 and 331 amino acids, respectively. The mRNAs for both subunits are expressed in many tissues. When transfected together in embryonic kidney 293 cells, the alpha and beta subunit cDNAs produced Rab GG transferase activity that was stimulated in vitro by the addition of purified Component A. Comparisons of the amino acid sequences suggest that the proteins encoded by the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes MAD2 and BET2 are the yeast counterparts of the mammalian Rab GG transferase alpha and beta subunits, respectively.

Alkyl and Aryl Transferases↗
PubMed1993

Retinal degeneration in choroideremia: deficiency of rab geranylgeranyl transferase.

Rab geranylgeranyl transferase (GG transferase) is a two-component enzyme that attaches 20-carbon isoprenoid groups to cysteine residues in Rab proteins, a family of guanosine triphosphate-binding proteins that regulate vesicular traffic. The mutant gene in human choroideremia, an X-linked form of retinal degeneration, encodes a protein that resembles component A of rat Rab GG transferase. Lymphoblasts from choroideremia subjects showed a marked deficiency in the activity of component A, but not component B, of Rab GG transferase. The deficiency was more pronounced when the substrate was Rab3A, a synaptic vesicle protein, than it was when the substrate was Rab1A, a protein of the endoplasmic reticulum. The data imply the existence of multiple component A proteins, one of which is missing in choroideremia.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Mutational analysis of alpha-subunit of protein farnesyltransferase. Evidence for a catalytic role.

Protein farnesyltransferase from rat brain is composed of tightly associated alpha- and beta-subunits of 377 and 437 amino acids that migrate on SDS-polyacrylamide gels with apparent molecular masses of 49 and 46 kDa, respectively. The enzyme attaches farnesyl groups to cysteines in p21ras and other proteins that contain cysteine residues at the fourth position from the COOH terminus. Production of stable enzyme in animal cells requires the simultaneous synthesis of both subunits, and all activity is lost when the subunits are dissociated chemically. The beta-subunit functions in the Zn(2+)-dependent binding of the protein substrate. The role of the alpha-subunit is unknown. In the current studies we used in vitro mutagenesis and transfection of cloned cDNAs to define the parts of the alpha-subunit that are necessary to stabilize the beta-subunit and to support farnesyl transfer. Deletion of 51 amino acids at the NH2 terminus of the alpha-subunit allowed normal stabilization of the beta-subunit and production of normal enzyme activity, but deletion of 106 amino acids abolished both of these properties. A proline-rich region at residues 12-34 of the alpha-subunit is not required for activity, but its presence explains the anomalously slow migration of the polypeptide on SDS-polyacrylamide gels. Deletion of only 5 amino acids at the COOH terminus of the alpha-subunit reduced activity appreciably. Substitution of asparagine for a conserved lysine at position 164 produced an alpha-subunit that stabilized the beta-subunit normally and permitted normal binding of the two substrates, farnesyl pyrophosphate and p21H-ras. Nevertheless, the rate of transfer of the bound farnesyl group to p21H-ras was markedly reduced. The latter finding suggests that the alpha-subunit plays a direct role in the catalytic reaction in addition to its role in the stabilization of the beta-subunit.

Alkyl and Aryl Transferases↗
PubMed1993

cDNA cloning of the two subunits of human CAAX farnesyltransferase and chromosomal mapping of FNTA and FNTB loci and related sequences.

The CAAX farnesyltransferase is a heterodimeric enzyme that attaches a farnesyl group to a single cysteine in several cellular proteins. Substrates include the p21ras proteins, nuclear lamins, and several retinal proteins, all of which end with a "CAAXbox," where C is cysteine, A is an aliphatic amino acid, and X is methionine or serine. Full-length cDNAs for the alpha and beta subunits of the rat farnesyltransferase have been cloned, and both have been shown to be essential for catalytic activity. Here we have used the rat cDNAs to clone cDNAs for the human alpha and beta subunits. Comparison of the human and rat amino acid sequences revealed a remarkable degree of conservation (93% identity for the alpha subunit and 96% identity for the beta subunit). The functional genes for the alpha and beta subunits of human farnesyltransferase (gene symbols, FNTA and FNTB) were localized to human chromosome bands 8p22-q11 and 14q23-q24, respectively, by Southern blot hybridization and PCR analyses of panels of human x Chinese hamster somatic cell hybrid lines and by fluorescence chromosomal in situ hybridization. We also found several related farnesyltransferase genes. FNTAL1 was assigned to 11q13.4-q14.1, FNTAL2 to chromosome 13, and FNTBL1 to chromosome 9.

Alkyl and Aryl Transferases↗
PubMed1993

Rabbit esophageal cells show regulatory volume decrease: ionic basis and effect of pH.

BACKGROUND: Regulatory volume decrease (RVD) after osmotic cellular swelling has been shown in several gastrointestinal epithelia but not in esophageal cells. In acid reflux disease, esophageal injury may be related in part to loss of RVD. METHODS: Isolated basal esophageal cells were exposed to an external hyposmolar solution, and changes in relative cell size were assessed using a Coulter counter (Hilaleah, FL) in the presence of K+ and Cl- transport inhibitors and at varying extracellular pH (pHo). RESULTS: At pHo 7.4, a 30% hyposmotic dilution of the external solution caused an initial peak cell swelling (1.15 +/- 0.05-fold) followed by a return to starting cell size by 5 minutes (RVD). RVD was inhibited by Ba2+ (4 mmol/L), quinine (1 mmol/L), or increasing the [K+]o > or = 10 mmol/L. RVD was also inhibited by depleting [Cl-]i or in the presence of 0.5 mmol/L 4,4'-diisothiocyanastostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid disodium salt (DIDS) or 50 mumol/L diphenylamine-2-carboxylate, a Cl- conductance inhibitor. To test the effect of pH on RVD, cells in solutions at pHo 7.4, 7.0, or 6.8 were subjected to hyposmotic stress; RVD was significantly inhibited at pHo 6.8. This pH-dependent inhibition of RVD was reversed in the presence of valinomycin, a K+ ionophore. CONCLUSIONS: These studies show that isolated esophageal cells possess RVD mechanisms that are mediated by Cl(-)- and pH-dependent K+ effluxes. RVD appears to be inhibited by a decrease in pHo, suggesting the possibility that acid-induced esophageal injury results from inhibition of normal volume regulatory mechanisms.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Rabbit esophageal cells possess K+ channels: effect of hyposmotic stress on channel activity.

BACKGROUND: In many cell types, basolateral K+ channels are important in maintaining transepithelial Na+ absorption and regulatory volume decrease (RVD) after hyposmolar stress. However, in the esophagus the effect of K+ transport in maintaining baseline short-circuit current (SCC) (Na+ absorption) and RVD is unknown. METHODS: Ussing chambers were used to evaluate changes in SCC of rabbit esophageal mucosa in response to serosal Ba2+ (4 mmol/L), quinine (1 mmol/L), and increasing serosal [K+]. To determine whether K+ channel(s) are activated in RVD, changes in SCC in response to serosal hyposmolarity (156 mOsm) were assessed in the presence or absence of serosal quinine. RESULTS: Serosal Ba2+, quinine, or increased serosal [K+] caused a decline in baseline SCC. Serosal hyposmolarity caused an increase in SCC that was not blocked by mucosal application of amiloride (10(-4) mmol/L). In contrast, serosal quinine completely blocked the hyposmolar-induced increase in SCC. CONCLUSIONS: These studies suggest that rabbit esophageal cells possess Ba(2+)- and quinine-sensitive basolateral K+ channel(s) that are active under baseline conditions. Potassium conductance(s) also appear to be activated by external serosal hyposmolarity and may be involved in the process of RVD.

Amiloride↗
PubMed1993

Hypercholesterolemia in low density lipoprotein receptor knockout mice and its reversal by adenovirus-mediated gene delivery.

We employed homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells to produce mice lacking functional LDL receptor genes. Homozygous male and female mice lacking LDL receptors (LDLR-/- mice) were viable and fertile. Total plasma cholesterol levels were twofold higher than those of wild-type litter-mates, owing to a seven- to ninefold increase in intermediate density lipoproteins (IDL) and LDL without a significant change in HDL. Plasma triglyceride levels were normal. The half-lives for intravenously administered 125I-VLDL and 125I-LDL were prolonged by 30-fold and 2.5-fold, respectively, but the clearance of 125I-HDL was normal in the LDLR-/- mice. Unlike wild-type mice, LDLR-/- mice responded to moderate amounts of dietary cholesterol (0.2% cholesterol/10% coconut oil) with a major increase in the cholesterol content of IDL and LDL particles. The elevated IDL/LDL level of LDLR-/- mice was reduced to normal 4 d after the intravenous injection of a recombinant replication-defective adenovirus encoding the human LDL receptor driven by the cytomegalovirus promoter. The virus restored expression of LDL receptor protein in the liver and increased the clearance of 125I-VLDL. We conclude that the LDL receptor is responsible in part for the low levels of VLDL, IDL, and LDL in wild-type mice and that adenovirus-encoded LDL receptors can acutely reverse the hypercholesterolemic effects of LDL receptor deficiency.

Alleles↗
PubMed1992

Low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein and gp330 bind similar ligands, including plasminogen activator-inhibitor complexes and lactoferrin, an inhibitor of chylomicron remnant clearance.

The low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein/alpha 2-macroglobulin receptor (LRP) and gp330, two members of the low density lipoprotein receptor gene family, share a multitude of cysteine-rich repeats. LRP has been shown to act as an endocytosis-mediating receptor for several ligands, including protease-antiprotease complexes and plasma lipoproteins. The former include alpha 2-macroglobulin-protease complexes and plasminogen activator inhibitor-activator complexes. The latter include chylomicron remnant-like particles designated beta-very low density lipoproteins (beta-VLDL) complexed with apoprotein E or lipoprotein lipase. The binding specificity of gp330 is unknown. In the current studies we show that gp330 from rat kidney membranes binds several of these ligands on nitrocellulose blots. We also show that both LRP and gp330 bind an additional ligand, bovine lactoferrin, which is known to inhibit the hepatic clearance of chylomicron remnants. Lactoferrin blocked the LRP-dependent stimulation of cholesteryl ester synthesis in cultured human fibroblasts elicited by apoprotein E-beta-VLDL or lipoprotein lipase-beta-VLDL complexes. Cross-competition experiments in fibroblasts showed that the multiple ligands recognize at least three distinct, but partially overlapping sites on the LRP molecule. Binding of all ligands to LRP and gp330 was inhibited by the 39-kDa protein, which co-purifies with the two receptors, suggesting that the 39-kDa protein is a universal regulator of ligand binding to both receptors. The correlation of the inhibitory effects of lactoferrin in vivo and in vitro support the notion that LRP functions as a chylomicron remnant receptor in liver. LRP and gp330 share a multiplicity of binding sites, and both may function as endocytosis-mediating receptors for a large number of ligands in different organs.

Animals↗