Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Yamaguchi

Publications and source records attributed to J Yamaguchi.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Isolation and characterization of nuclei from rice embryos.

A method has been developed to isolate pure preparations of nuclei in high yield from commercially available viable rice embryos (germ), employing extraction with buffer solution containing glycerol (without detergent) and polyamine, followed by centrifugation on a 30% Percoll cushion. The intactness of the isolated nuclei was confirmed by light microscopy as well as electron microscopy. The protein profiles of both whole nuclei and nuclear extracts obtained by SDS-PAGE, organellar marker enzyme activities, DNA and RNA analyses, and in vitro RNA synthesis, all indicate that the highly purified nuclei are isolated from rice embryos.

Cell Fractionation↗
PubMed1991

ADPG formation by the ADP-specific cleavage of sucrose-reassessment of sucrose synthase.

The standardized enzyme coupling method for assaying sucrose synthase activities in the direction of sucrose cleavage was reexamined using enzyme preparations from cultured cells of sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) and spinach leaves (Spinacea oleracea). Both ATP and Tris, commonly utilized in assay systems to measure sucrose synthase, were found to inhibit non-competitively the ADPG-synthesizing activities of the enzyme. Upon substituting ATP by either GTP or UTP, and Tris by HEPES, we found that the sucrose synthase is capable of producing ADPG effectively, recognizing ADP as the principal substrate (Km = 5.3 microM (sycamore) and 16.8 microM (spinach]. The Vmax value for the synthesis of ADPG clearly surpasses the Vmax observed for the synthesis of UDPG by the enzyme. It was found that UDP is not inhibitory on the synthesis of ADPG by SS, which behaves allosterically with respect to the concentration level of sucrose.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1991

Promoter analysis of genes that are coordinately expressed during pollen development reveals pollen-specific enhancer sequences and shared regulatory elements.

We have investigated the functional organization and properties of cis regulatory elements in the promoter regions of two genes from tomato (LAT52 and LAT59) that are preferentially and coordinately expressed during pollen maturation. Promoter deletion analysis in transgenic plants demonstrated that only minimal (less than 200 bp) promoter proximal regions are required for developmentally regulated expression in pollen and in specific cell types of the sporophyte. Cis-acting regulatory regions of these two promoters and of a third pollen-expressed promoter (LAT56) were characterized in detail using a transient expression assay. We identified two upstream activator regions in the LAT52 promoter and further showed that a 19-bp segment from one of those regions enhanced expression of the heterologous CaMV35S promoter in pollen. Similarities in sequence between crucial cis elements provide evidence that shared regulatory elements are involved in the coordinate expression of the LAT genes during microsporogenesis.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1991

[Spheroplast formation in clinical isolates of gram-negative bacteria by beta-lactam antibiotic in the presence of Ca2+ or Mg2+].

Induction to cell wall-deficient bacteria has been suggested to be a cause of intractable and opportunistic infection after chemotherapy. Spheroplast formation by beta-lactam antibiotic in not so high osmotic pressure was investigated in six species of gram-negative bacteria. Some species of gram-negative bacteria were induced to form spheroplast at a high rate by 1:10 concentration of ceftizoxime in the presence of Ca2+ or Mg2+. Especially in 38% of Proteus mirabilis and P. vulgaris, more than 40% of the original cells were induced to form spheroplast by ceftizoxime in a medium supplemented with 40 mM Ca2+. The same formation rate was also found in 22% of Serratia marcescens. Formation rates in the drug sensitive strains of S. marcescens were enhanced as the drug concentration increased. Ca2+ was more effective in spheroplast formation than Mg2+.

Calcium↗
PubMed1991

Relationship between auditory brainstem response waveform and head size.

The relationship between the head size and the latency and amplitude of the auditory brainstem response (ABR) was investigated in 60 normal-hearing adults (30 males and 30 females). We found a strong positive correlation between the latency of ABR waves and the head size and a strong negative correlation surfaced between the ABR amplitude and head size. These results indicate that the head size is one of the most important factors influencing the waveform of the ABR.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Efficient replication of plasmids containing the SV40 origin in N-myc overexpressing human neuroblastoma cells.

Using test plasmids containing the SV40 origin, we found a wide spectrum of permissiveness to their replication in different human cell lines. N-myc overexpressing neuroblastoma cells were highly permissive. LA-N-1 neuroblastoma cells were the most permissive of all the cell lines that we tested including the homologous CV-1 or COS-1 monkey kidney cells. Other human cell lines expressing various amounts of c-myc, and the 293 cell line expressing adenovirus E1A and E1B exhibited intermediate levels of permissiveness. T24 and EJ bladder carcinoma cells, which do not express the myc genes, were nonpermissive. Transient expression of c-myc or N-myc from plasmid vectors resulted in a modest stimulation of replication. Replication of test plasmids containing different configurations of the SV40 origin region was activated by the myc proteins. The high efficiency of replication in LA-N-1 cells is due to a combination of reasons including the overproduction of N-myc, high efficiency of expression of the SV40 replication initiator protein large T antigen from a cotransfected expression plasmid (containing the T antigen gene under the RSV LTR control), and other unknown host cell replication stimulatory factors. Replication of test plasmids was not detected in N-myc or c-myc overexpressing cells when the T antigen expression plasmid was not provided, showing that the myc proteins cannot substitute for T antigen in SV40 DNA replication.

Antigens, Viral, Tumor↗
PubMed1991

Molecular analysis of gene regulation and function during male gametophyte development.

We have characterised three pollen-expressed genes (LAT52, LAT56 and LAT59) from tomato in order to determine their role in pollen development, and to determine the DNA sequences responsible for gene expression in pollen. LAT52 encodes a protein that shows amino acid sequence similarity to a protein encoded by a pollen-specific cDNA clone (pZmc13) isolated from maize, and both proteins have amino acid sequence similarity to Kunitz trypsin inhibitors of soybean and winged bean. The proteins encoded by LAT56 and LAT59 genes are 54% identical at the amino acid level, and show significant sequence similarity to bacterial pectate lyases and to a fungal pectin lyase. Additionally, regions of LAT56 and LAT59 show significant sequence similarity to tryptic peptides of ragweed and Japanese cedar pollen allergens. Preliminary results suggest that plants harboring antisense constructs of the LAT52 coding region show defects in pollen germination and fertilisation; no obvious phenotype was seen in plants harboring antisense constructs of the LAT59 coding region. Promoter fragments of these three LAT genes were fused to the reporter gene GUS and assayed using both a transient system and stably transformed plants. We have identified relatively short regions of the LAT promoters that are important for pollen expression, and are attempting to isolate trans-acting factors that interact with these cis-acting sequences, using both molecular and classical genetic approaches.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

A major outer membrane protein of Serratia marcescens which was easily solubilized and had a capacity to bind to calcium.

Easily solubilized major outer membrane protein was found in Serratia marcescens. The protein was originally obtained as a membrane-associated, insoluble protein in the outer membrane when the cells were slightly disrupted. However, the amount of this protein in the outer membrane gradually decreased with the time of sonication. The decrease was not due to decomposition of the protein but to solubilization into a soluble fraction after a long period of disruption. The molecular weight of this protein was 47 kDa and it bound calcium. Another 40 kDa calcium binding protein was also found in the outer membrane of S. marcescens.

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins↗
PubMed1990

Molecular and genetic characterization of two pollen-expressed genes that have sequence similarity to pectate lyases of the plant pathogen Erwinia.

A set of cDNAs that are expressed in tomato anthers were isolated. We further characterized two of these cDNAs (LAT56 and LAT59) and their corresponding genomic clones. LAT56 and LAT59 show low levels of steady-state mRNA in immature anthers and maximal levels in mature anthers and pollen. The LAT56 and LAT59 genes are single-copy in the tomato genome, and are linked on chromosome 3, approximately 5 cM apart. Although these cDNAs did not cross-hybridize, their deduced protein sequences (P56 and P59) have 54% amino acid identity. The LAT56 and LAT59 genes each have two introns, but they are located in non-homologous positions. P56 and P59 show significant protein sequence similarity to pectate lyases of plant pathogenic bacteria. The similarity of P56 and P59 to the bacterial pectate lyases is equivalent to the homology described for different pectate lyase sequences of the genus Erwinia. We suggest that the pollen expression of LAT56 and LAT59 might relate to a requirement for pectin degradation during pollen tube growth.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Regulation of inwardly rectifying K+ channels by intracellular pH in opossum kidney cells.

The effects of intracellular pH on an inwardly rectifying K+ channel ("Kin channel") in opossum kidney (OK) cells were examined using the patch-clamp technique. Experiments with inside-out patches were first carried out in Mg2(+)- and adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-free conditions, where Mg2(+)-induced inactivation and ATP-induced reactivation of Kin channels were suppressed. When the bath (cytoplasmic side) pH was decreased from 7.3 to either 6.8 or 6.3, Kin channels were markedly inhibited. The effect of acid pH was not fully reversible. When the bath pH was increased from 7.3 to 7.8, 8.3 or 8.8, the channels were activated reversibly. The channel activity exhibited a sigmoidal pH dependence with a maximum sensitivity at pH 7.5. Inside-out experiments were also carried out with a solution containing 3 mM Mg-ATP and a similar pH sensitivity was observed. However, in contrast with the results obtained in the absence of Mg2+ and ATP, the effect of acid pH was fully reversible. Experiments with cell-attached patches demonstrated that changes in intracellular pH, which were induced by changing extracellular pH in the presence of an H+ ionophore, could influence the channel activity reversibly. It is concluded that the activity of Kin channels can be controlled by the intracellular pH under physiological conditions.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1990

Defective DNA repair in cultured melanocytes from xeroderma pigmentosum patients.

The DNA repair of ultraviolet (UV)-induced damages in primary cultured melanocytes from xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) patients and normal subjects were studied by measuring unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) on autoradiographs. Melanocytes were cultured in alpha-minimum essential medium (alpha-MEM) supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS), 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13 acetate (TPA), and geneticin. The levels of UDS in XP melanocytes were compared with those in normal melanocytes. In both normal and XP melanocytes, post-UV-UDS increased dose-dependently at doses of 5-10 J/m2. XP melanocytes exhibited various levels of defect in DNA repair, depending on the type of XP. Melanocytes from XP-A patients displayed very low levels of UDS, only 6.2-8.4% that of the normal melanocytes. However, UDS values in melanocytes from intermediate groups, XP-D, XP-E, and XP-F, were relatively high, 37.2-53.5% of the control in XP-D, 50.0-66.5% in XP-E, and 38.2-46.7% in XP-F, respectively. Melanocytes from XP-variant patients exhibited almost normal levels of UDS, 87.7-91.6% of those from normal subjects. The levels of UDS in XP melanocytes were very similar to those in fibroblasts isolated from the same specimens.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Xeroderma pigmentosum group D patient bearing lentigo maligna without neurological symptoms.

A 35-year-old Japanese female patient with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), registered as XP114TO, was assigned to complementation group D by the cell fusion complementation test. The patient had manifested moderate solar sensitivity and freckles by the age of 6 years. The skin phototest using 290- and 300-nm monochromatic ultraviolet (UV) light revealed slightly lowered minimal erythema doses at 24 h after irradiation. The XP114TO skin fibroblasts exhibited about the 6-fold higher sensitivity to the lethal effect of 254-nm UV as did normal cells. Unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) induced in XP114TO cells by 254-nm UV (10 J/m2) was 33% of normal, falling into the group D range of 25-50% UDS. The patient developed lentigo maligna on the right side of the nose. Unlike the typical XP group D cases in the West, she showed no neurological abnormalities.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Pollen-specific gene expression in transgenic plants: coordinate regulation of two different tomato gene promoters during microsporogenesis.

To investigate the regulation of gene expression during male gametophyte development, we analyzed the promoter activity of two different genes (LAT52 and LAT59) from tomato, isolated on the basis of their anther-specific expression. In transgenic tomato, tobacco and Arabidopsis plants containing the LAT52 promoter region fused to the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) gene, GUS activity was restricted to pollen. Transgenic tomato, tobacco and Arabidopsis plants containing the LAT59 promoter region fused to GUS also showed very high levels of GUS activity in pollen. However, low levels of expression of the LAT59 promoter construct were also detected in seeds and roots. With both constructs, the appearance of GUS activity in developing anthers was correlated with the onset of microspore mitosis and increased progressively until anthesis (pollen shed). Our results demonstrate co-ordinate regulation of the LAT52 and LAT59 promoters in developing microspores and suggest that the mechanisms that regulate pollen-specific gene expression are evolutionarily conserved.

Chimera↗
PubMed1990

Cytochemical examination of the compartments involved in the transcellular transport of horseradish peroxidase in rat hepatocytes.

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP, 10 mg/100 g body weight) was intravenously injected into rats in order to investigate the nature of the compartments involved in the transcellular transport of the protein through hepatocytes into bile. Double cytochemistry for HRP and the marker enzymes for cytoplasmic organelles was used. HRP was shown to be taken up by hepatocytes via vesicles at the sinusoidal surface, some of which were positive for 5'-nucleotidase activity. HRP was then found in the smooth-surfaced vesicles and tubules which were negative in 5'-nucleotidase, glucose 6-phosphatase, thiamine pyrophosphatase and acid phosphatase activity, suggesting that the tubular structures are neither the endoplasmic reticulum, the Golgi apparatus nor lysosomes. Biochemical studies revealed that the lead procedures used for the double cytochemistry did not inhibit the peroxidatic activity of HRP, and conversely that HRP did not interfere with the marker enzyme activity. Such cytochemical observations seemed to be supported by the observation that administration of monensin (3.5 mg/100 g) and chloroquine (5 mg/100 g), which markedly altered the structure of the Golgi apparatus and lysosomes, respectively, slightly altered the biliary excretion of HRP but not to a significant extent.

5'-Nucleotidase↗
PubMed1990

Protective effect of dl-alpha-tocopherol on the cytotoxicity of ultraviolet B against human skin fibroblasts in vitro.

The effect of dl-alpha-tocopherol on ultraviolet light, 280-320 nm (UVB)-induced damage of human skin fibroblasts was studied by measuring the colony-forming ability, unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) production. Regarding the cell toxicity, the values of the mean lethal dose (D0) of UV in fibroblast strains from 5 normal subjects were examined. D0 increased dose-dependently when the cells were cultured in the presence of dl-alpha-tocopherol at the concentration of 10-1000 micrograms/ml. UDS induced by 500 J/m2 UVB irradiation was not altered by treatment of 100 micrograms/ml dl-alpha-tocopherol. MDA did not increase after 500 J/m2 UVB irradiation in the fibroblasts cultured with 100 micrograms/ml dl-alpha-tocopherol, while MDA in the fibroblasts cultured without dl-alpha-tocopherol increased after irradiation. These results suggest that dl-alpha-tocopherol protects human skin fibroblasts against the cytotoxic effect of UVB, and its mechanism seems to be related to inhibition of UV-induced lipid peroxidation or to the antioxidation effect of dl-alpha-tocopherol.

Adolescent↗