Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Gervais

Publications and source records attributed to M Gervais.

48 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1980

Biosynthesis of hepatitis B virus surface antigen in Escherichia coli.

Hepatitis B is a widespread viral disease. In the absence of cell cultures capable of propagating the virus (HBV) an efficient vaccine has been prepared from viral envelopes isolated from the plasma of chronic carriers. The major polypeptide of the envelope is one of molecular weight 25,000 which carries the surface antigen (HBsAg). Therefore, the biosynthesis of this polypeptide in Escherichia coli may offer an alternative procedure to produce HbsAg free from human proteins. Recently, the HBV genome has been cloned in E.coli. Determination of its primary structure allowed the localization of the gene (called gene S) coding for HBsAg and the synthesis of the core antigen in E.coli has been reported. We have constructed a derivative of bacteriophage lambda carrying a fusion between the beta-galactosidase gene (lacZ) and the HBsAg coding sequence (lambdalacHBs-1). Infection of E.coli with lambdalacHBs-1 leads to the biosynthesis of a polypeptide of molecular weitht 138,000 carrying antigenic determinants of HBV surface antigen.

DNA, Recombinant↗
PubMed1980

Spontaneous dissociation of a cytochrome core and a biglobular flavoprotein after mild trypsinolysis of the bifunctional Saccharomyces cerevisiae flavocytochrome b2.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae flavocytochrome b2 is known as a bifunctional enzyme which behaves as the association of an FMN flavodehydrogenase with its specific acceptor, a b5-like cytochrome. Mild trypsinolysis gives rise to three complementary fragments (n, X, beta'), both prosthetic groups being still bound. After such proteolysis the separation of a biglobular flavoprotein domain (carrying FMN) from a cytochrome domain (with the heme) is obtained by molecular sieving under non-denaturing conditions. The marked lack of affinity between the tetrameric flavoprotein (X, beta')4 and the monomeric cytochrome core (n) leads to the hypothesis that the two domains are not tightly associated in the native molecule and might more relative to each other. Their respective mobility is possibly required for the catalytic mechanism. The comparison with previous trypsinolysis studies on the flavocytochrome b2 from Hansenula anomala suggests the presence of two common zones of hypersensitivity to proteases, along the protomeric polypeptide chain, and strongly supports the validity of the triglobular model for both flavocytochromes.

Flavin Mononucleotide↗
PubMed1980

A flavin-mononucleotide-binding site in Hansenula anomala nicked flavocytochrome b2, requiring the association of two domains.

Previous experiments in our laboratory with Saccharomyces cervisiae flavocytochrom b2 indicated that both fragments alpha and beta of the enzyme after cleavage by yeast proteases are required to form the flavin site. More detailed experiments have not been carried out on the nicked Hansenula anomala enzyme obtained by tryptic cleavage. A method has been devised that gives a quantitative separation in 4 M urea of beta, and alpha with its heme still bound. The characteristics of the various species: isolated alpha and beta and mixed alpha + beta were studied in 4 M urea and after elimination of this reagent by dialysis in the presence of FMN and 2-mercaptoethanol. Several methods, including heme spectroscopy, tryptophan fluorescence, sedimentation studies, and titration of bound flavin, were used. The results indicate that isolated alpha and beta have a folded globular structure after renaturation. The flavin binding to the alpha + beta mixture was important (50-100%) with recovery of the flavodehydrogenase activity. In contrast, binding was not detectable (< 0.5%, Kf > 10 mM) for isolated alpha and beta. As far as mononucleotide binding is concerned, such a cooperative requirement for two folding domains has never been reported in other enzymes. The present results are discussed together with others obtained in our laboratory which demonstrate that, as deduced from their sensitivity to trypsin, the structure of S. cerevisiae and H. anomala flavocytochrome b2 protomers is triglobular 'n-x-beta' (n and x combined within alpha). The tetramer assembly, which remains intact as a nicked enzyme (alpha beta)4 after the first trypsin cleavage, is broken down following a second cleavage of the chain into four cytochrome cores (n) and a functional T-flavodehydrogenase entity, a tetramer of the type (x beta)4.

Ascomycota↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The humane hospital].

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Hospital-Patient Relations↗
PubMedDate not supplied

6-Hydroximinoandrostenedione, a new specific inhibitor of estrogen biosynthesis and its effect on T47D human breast cancer cells.

A new male steroid hormone analogue, 6-hydroximinoandrostenedione, was obtained in 12% yield by an 8-step synthesis. The compound is cytochrome P450 aromatase-specific, inducing a Type-1 optical difference spectrum with the human placental enzyme (Ks 2.24 microM). It efficiently inhibits human cytochrome P450 aromatase (Ki 0.08 microM) in a time--and concentration--dependent manner, but no conclusive evidence was found that it also inactivates the placental enzyme. Cultured human T47D breast cancer cells have the unique capacity to convert de novo [14C]androstenedione into radioactive estrone and estradiol, as we have established by repetitive HPLC purifications of the biosynthetic products formed. A very small amount of an unidentified radioactive metabolite was also formed. We conclude that an endogenous androgen - aromatizing enzyme is present in T47D cells; a fact not previously reported for this human breast cancer cell line. Furthermore, the new aromatase inhibitor was found to cause a significant decrease in the growth of these cells. Our results indicate that: 1) growth of T47D cancer cells is estrogen-dependent, 2) substitution at the C-6 "front" face of an androst-4-ene-3-one molecule does not cause rejection of the modified C19 male steroidhormone by the aromatase enzyme, 3) the new 6-hydroximinoandrostenedione inhibitor has the potential to act as a highly specific anti-aromatase breast cancer agent.

Androstenedione↗