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Biomedical subjects

M J Adams

Publications and source records attributed to M J Adams.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

A large duplication in the 3'-untranslated region of a subpopulation of RNA2 of the UK-M isolate of barley mild mosaic bymovirus.

The UK-M isolate of the bipartite barley mild mosaic bymovirus (BaMMV UK-M) cannot be fungally transmitted, and has previously been shown to have a 1092 nt deletion in the coding region of RNA2. We now report, using sequence and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) data, that a subpopulation of BaMMV UK-M RNA2 contains a direct imperfect sequence repeat of 552 nt in the 3' untranslated region. The secondary structure of the 3' end of RNA2, and its possible effects on replication of the virus, are also discussed.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Complete RNA1 sequences of two UK isolates of barley mild mosaic virus: a wild-type fungus-transmissible isolate and a non-fungus-transmissible derivative.

The complete RNA1 sequences of two isolates (fungus transmissible and non-fungus transmissible) of barley mild mosaic virus (BaMMV) were obtained. The two isolates' RNA1 sequences had very high sequence identity (99.3%), and of the 15 amino acid differences (out of 2258) between the putative polyproteins, 11 were conservative and unlikely to affect the structure or function of the protein. The remaining amino acid differences were thought unlikely to affect fungus transmission because they occur in the CI- and NIb-coding regions. This strongly suggests that the P73 protein of RNA2 (which has a 364-aa deletion in the non-fungus-transmissible isolate) is involved in fungus transmission of BaMMV.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

5,10 Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genetic polymorphism as a risk factor for neural tube defects.

Persons with a thermolabile form of the enzyme 5,10 methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) have reduced enzyme activity and increased plasma homocysteine which can be lowered by supplemental folic acid. Thermolability of the enzyme has recently been shown to be caused by a common mutation (677C-->T) in the MTHFR gene. We studied 41 fibroblast cultures from NTD-affected fetuses and compared their genotypes with those of 109 blood specimens from individuals in the general population. 677C-->T homozygosity was associated with a 7.2 fold increased risk for NTDs (95% confidence interval: 1.8-30.3; p value: 0.001). These preliminary data suggest that the 677C-->T polymorphism of the MTHFR gene is a risk factor for spina bifida and anencephaly that may provide a partial biologic explanation for why folic acid prevents these types of NTD.

5,10-Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (FADH2)↗
PubMed1996

Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase mutations causing enzyme deficiency in a model of the tertiary structure of the human enzyme.

Human glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) has a particularly large number of variants resulting from point mutations; some 60 mutations have been sequenced to date. Many variants, some polymorphic, are associated with enzyme deficiency. Certain variants have severe clinical manifestations; for such variants, the mutant enzyme almost always displays a reduced thermal stability. A homology model of human G6PD has been built, based on the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme from Leuconostoc mesenteroides. The model has suggested structural reasons for the diminished enzyme stability and hence for deficiency. It has shown that a cluster of mutations in exon 10, resulting in severe clinical symptoms, occurs at or near the dimer interface of the enzyme, that the eight-residue deletion in the variant Nara is at a surface loop, and that the two mutations in the A- variant are close together in the three-dimensional structure.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Identification of an arginine residue in the dual coenzyme-specific glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides that plays a key role in binding NADP+ but not NAD+.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides can utilize either NADP or NAD as coenzyme. The enzyme's three-dimensional structure has been solved (Rowland et al., 1994, Structure 2, 1073-1087) and shown to contain a conventional nucleotide binding domain. NADP+ was modeled into the structure by superimposing the beta alpha beta domain and that of coenzyme-bound 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (Adams et al., 1994, Structure 2, 651-658), enabling us to identify Arg-46 as a potentially important residue for NADP+ binding. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we constructed mutant enzymes in which Arg-46 was replaced by glutamine (R46Q) and alanine (R46A) and examined their kinetic properties. The principal effects in these mutant enzymes were that the Km and Ki values for NADP+ increased by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude over those of the wild-type enzyme. No other kinetic constant was altered more than 6.5-fold. Changing this single amino acid leads to mutant glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenases with coenzyme specificities that favor NAD+, whereas the wild-type enzyme prefers NADP+ as coenzyme. These results confirm that Arg-46 plays a key role in NADP+ binding by contributing a positively charged planar residue that interacts primarily with the 2'-adenosine phosphate. The Arg residue corresponding to Arg-46 in L. mesenteroides glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase is conserved in all glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenases and, presumably, plays the same role in all these enzymes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

The complete nucleotide sequence of RNA-2 of a fungally-transmitted UK isolate of barley mild mosaic bymovirus and identification of amino acid combinations possibly involved in fungus transmission.

The complete nucleotide sequence of RNA-2 of a fungally-transmitted UK isolate of barley mild mosaic bymovirus (BaMMV isolate UK-F) was determined and compared with other published sequences, particularly UK-M, an isolate derived from the same source but which has been mechanically passaged for several years, has a deletion of about 1 kb and cannot be fungally transmitted. From an alignment of the BaMMV RNA-2 encoded protein with that for barley yellow mosaic bymovirus (BaYMV), several regions of consistent homology were identified and extensive searches made for similarities with the proteins of other fungally-transmitted viruses, especially amongst the furovirus capsid readthrough proteins which seem especially prone to deletion and which have already been implicated in fungus transmission. The amino acid combinations ER (glutamic acid-arginine) or QR (glutamine-arginine) were found consistently in all of the viruses. They occurred in positions predicted to be on the outside of the protein, and therefore available for interaction with the fungus vector, and were also within the regions prone to spontaneous deletion. In view of the lack of other structural or sequence homologies, it is suggested that these motifs are strong candidates for involvement in fungus transmission.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Sequence analysis of wheat and oat furovirus capsid protein genes suggests that oat golden stripe virus is a strain of soil-borne wheat mosaic virus.

In northern blots, cDNA probes prepared to soil-borne wheat mosaic virus (SBWMV) RNA-1 and RNA-2 hybridized to RNA-1 and RNA-2, respectively, from a UK isolate of oat golden stripe virus (OGSV), as well as to their homologous RNAs. RT-PCR was used to amplify, clone and sequence a region of about 750 nucleotides spanning the capsid protein gene and part of the readthrough protein on RNA-2 from OGSV, a French isolate of SBWMV and two stable deletion mutants (Lab1 and Okl-7) of SBWMV isolates from Nebraska and Oklahoma respectively. There was very high (96.7-99.1%) nucleotide homology between all these sequences and the wild-type SBWMV sequences from Nebraska and Oklahoma. OGSV was more similar to SBWMV from France and Nebraska than were any of the isolates to SBWMV from Oklahoma. Of the few differences in the deduced amino acid sequences of the capsid proteins from the different isolates, OGSV differed from all SBWMV isolates only in one amino acid (isoleucine for valine at position 88). The high degree of similarity suggests that OGSV may best be classified as an oat strain of SBWMV.

Avena↗
PubMed1996

Single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis of RT-PCR products of UK isolates of barley yellow mosaic virus.

Single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of the bipartite genomes of several UK isolates of barley yellow mosaic virus (Ba YMV) was done using fragments of cDNA amplified by RT-PCR. Isolates differed in their SSCP patterns in several regions, but in no case was the pattern able to distinguish between common and resistance-breaking strains. In regions where the nucleotide sequences of UK isolates had been determined, there was no simple relationship between numbers of nucleotide differences and SSCP patterns: differences of only 2 or 3 nucleotides (nt) gave different SSCP patterns, whereas differences of as many as 29 nt did not. Although SSCP analysis has some potential as a rapid and sensitive tool for distinguishing virus isolates, differences detected do not necessarily relate to biological properties and the results are highly dependent on gel conditions.

Acrylic Resins↗
PubMed1996

More folic acid for everyone, now.

Research during the last 5 years has made it clear that people who do not take folic acid supplements are at increased risk for functional folate deficiency, which has been proven to cause spina bifida and anencephaly and also has been associated with an increased risk for occlusive cardiovascular disease. The overriding folate policy issue is how to increase dramatically the folate consumption of 75% of the population who are now consuming 0.4 mg of folic acid in a supplement. The most expeditious way to increase consumption is through fortification of a food staple. Public health programs are also needed to educate people about the vital importance of increased consumption of folic acid vitamin supplements and of food rich in natural folates. It is urgent that fortification of cereal-grain products be implemented now. The level proposes by FDA would accomplish some prevention, but much more prevention would occur if the fortification were 2.5 times that level. Fortification at the higher level would prevent about 1000 spina bifida and anencephaly birth defects each year and perhaps as many as 50,000 premature deaths each year from coronary disease. Available data have not demonstrated that increasing consumption of folic acid by 0.1 to 0.25 mg of folic acid a day is harmful. If a policy needs to be established on the assumption that people who take vitamin supplements could be harmed, a good policy option ia available; require that all folic acid vitamin supplements also contain 0.4 mg of vitamin B-12.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

HFA-134a (1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane): effects of inhalation exposure upon reproductive performance, development and maturation of rats.

1. HFA-134a was administered to AHA rats by snout-only inhalation for 1 h daily to assess the effects of treatment on reproduction and development. 2. In a fertility study, rats were exposed to atmospheres of 2500, 10,000 or 50,000 p.p.m. HFA-134a throughout gametogenesis, mating, pregnancy and lactation. 3. In a peri- and post-natal study, rats were exposed to HFA-134a from days 17 to 20 of pregnancy and days 1 to 21 post partum to atmospheres of 1800, 9900 or 64,400 p.p.m. 4. The only treatment-related effect was a slight reduction in body weight gain of males of the treated parental generation at 50,000 p.p.m. (fertility study). 5. In neither study were there any adverse effects of HFA-134a on the reproductive performance of treated animals or on the development, maturation or reproductive performance of up to two successive generations.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Results of an international round robin for serum and whole-blood folate.

Because of the increasing significance of folate nutriture to public health, a "round robin" interlaboratory comparison study was conducted to assess differences among methods. Twenty research laboratories participated in a 3-day analysis of six serum and six whole-blood pools. Overall means, SDs, and CVs derived from these results were compared within and across method types. Results reported for serum and whole-blood folate demonstrated overall CVs of 27.6% and 35.7%, respectively, across pools and two- to ninefold differences in concentrations between methods, with the greatest variation occurring at critical low folate concentrations. Although results for serum pools were less variable than those for whole-blood pools, substantial intermethod variation still occurred. The overall results underscore the urgent need for developing and validating reference methods for serum and whole-blood folate and for properly characterized reference materials. For evaluating study or clinical data, method-specific reference ranges (established with clinical confirmation of values for truly folate-deficient individuals) must be used.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Structure of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase refined at 2 A resolution.

The X-ray unliganded structure of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (E.C. 1.1.1.44) (6-PGDH) from sheep liver has been determined at 2A resolution and refined to a final R-factor of 19.8% for 35 031 unique reflections. The enzyme is dimeric, each subunit being comprised of an N-terminal coenzyme-binding domain with a Rossmann fold, a large all-helical domain and a small C-terminal tail. The model contains 473 residues, three sulfate ions and 346 water molecules; the two best defined sulfates are found in the active site. This structure, based on improved diffraction data, is an extension of the 2.5 A, resolution model reported earlier. It has good geometry with 92% of the residues falling in the most favoured areas of the Ramachandran plot. Several unusual features are discussed: the incorporation of an alanine in place of the second conserved glycine of the dinucleotide-binding fingerprint; a duplicated five-helix motif which is unique to this enzyme; an extended water network at the dimer interface and a C-terminal tail which is incorporated within the second subunit, forming not only a major part of the dimer interface but also part of the active site.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

Elevated midtrimester serum methylmalonic acid levels as a risk factor for neural tube defects.

The role of folic acid in the primary prevention of neural tube defects (NTDs) is well established. However, questions related to the protective mechanism remain unanswered. To help answer these questions, we designed a case-control study to assess the role of folate- and cobalamin-related metabolites in the pathogenesis of NTDs. Concentrations of folate, cobalamin, and 14 other related metabolites were measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in midtrimester serum specimens from 32 women with an NTD-affected pregnancy and from 132 control women, and in serum specimens from 46 nonpregnant women who had a history of NTD-affected pregnancy and from 43 nonpregnant control women. Log-transformed means of metabolites were compared between case and control women for both the midtrimester and nonpregnant groups. In the pregnant group, serum methylmalonic acid (MMA) concentrations were higher among case women than among control women (130 vs 105 nM). There was a strong dose-response relationship between midtrimester serum MMA level and the risk for an NTD-affected pregnancy, with the relative risk increasing 13-fold for women with MMA levels > 90th percentile. In the nonpregnant group, there was no difference in serum MMA levels between case and control women (140 vs 140 nM). Thus, the serum MMA levels of women in the midtrimester of pregnancies unaffected by NTDs were significantly lower than the levels of nonpregnant women, whereas the levels of women whose pregnancies were affected by NTDs were similar to those of nonpregnant women. The finding of elevated MMA serum concentrations among women in the midtrimester of NTD-affected pregnancies suggests that cobalamin may be involved in the etiology of NTDs. The possible role of cobalamin in relation to the protective effect of folic acid needs further evaluation.

Adult↗