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Biomedical subjects

M Katsuki

Publications and source records attributed to M Katsuki.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Isolation of a yeast tropomyosin-related cDNA clone that encodes a novel transmembrane protein having a C-terminal highly basic region.

A novel cDNA clone was isolated from a yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae lambda gt11 cDNA library using rabbit anti-rat tropomyosin (TM30nm) polyclonal antibody (RTM8-2). It consists of an open reading frame of 951 bp, encoding 317 amino acid residues. The putative sequence recognized by RTM8-2 was present in Asn-235 to Thr-250. The deduced amino acid sequence and hydropathy plot suggested that this protein has a tropomyosin-homologous sequence, a predicted transmembrane, and a C-terminal basic region. A search of the data bases (EMBL and GenBank) revealed that the 128bp sequence in the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) is almost identical (96.9%) to the human cDNA clone 54E05 sequence (EMBL accession number Z15978).

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Naive T cells can mediate delayed-type hypersensitivity response in T cell receptor transgenic mice.

We produced transgenic mice expressing T cell receptor-alpha beta chain genes, derived from the chicken ovalbumin (OVA)-specific I-Ad-restricted CD4+CD8- T helper cell clone 7-3-7. In transgenic mice with H-2d genetic background (Tg-d mice), delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) was induced in the hind footpad by one inoculation with OVA without any previous sensitization, suggesting that naive T cells have the potential to be involved in DTH response. Spleen cells from nonimmunized Tg-d mice showed a strong T cell proliferative response to in vitro stimulation with OVA. Furthermore, these spleen cells produce cytokines including interleukin(IL)-2, IL-3, interferon-gamma, granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1 alpha and MIP-1 beta, which may play an important role in the attraction of mononuclear cells to an antigen-challenging site.

Animals↗

Transgenic mouse model of hemifacial microsomia: cloning and characterization of insertional mutation region on chromosome 10.

The 643 transgenic mouse line carries an autosomal dominant insertional mutation that results in hemifacial microsomia (HFM), including microtia and/or abnormal biting. In this paper, we characterize the transgene integration site in transgenic mice and preintegration site of wildtype mice. The locus, designated Hfm (hemifacial microsomia-associated locus), was mapped to chromosome 10, B1-3, by chromosome in situ hybridization. We cloned the transgene insertion site from the transgenic DNA library. By using the 5' and 3' flanking sequences, the preintegration region was isolated. The analysis of these regions showed that a deletion of at least 23 kb DNA occurred in association with the transgene integration. Evolutionarily conserved regions were detected within and beside the deleted region. The result of mating between hemizygotes suggests that the phenotype of the homozygote is lethality in the prenatal period. These results suggest that the Hfm locus is necessary for prenatal development and that this strain is a useful animal model for investigating the genetic predisposition to HFM in humans.

Animals↗

Site-specific mutation of the human c-Ha-ras transgene induced by dimethylbenzanthracene causes tissue-specific tumors in mice.

Forestomach squamous cell carcinomas, lung adenocarcinomas and spleen angiosarcomas were induced by dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA) in the rasH2 transgenic mouse line carrying human c-Ha-ras genes with their own promoter, encoding the prototype p21 gene product. Fifteen out of 21 mice (71%) developed forestomach squamous cell carcinomas, while 15 out of 21 (71%) had lung adenocarcinomas and 3 out of 21 (14%) showed spleen angiosarcomas within 8 weeks after a single administration of 50 mg/kg DMBA intraperitoneally. Somatic mutation at the 61st codon of the transgenes, from CAG(Gln) to CTG(Leu), was detected in all these newly developed tumors. However, non-transgenic littermates demonstrated no tumors at all. These findings provide strong evidence that the somatic mutational activation of human c-Ha-ras genes is a critical event in tumorigenesis and a close relationship is therefore strongly suggested between the tissue-specific development of tumors and the somatic mutation of human c-Ha-ras genes in these rasH2 transgenic mice.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene↗

The pedicle latissimus dorsi transfer for reconstruction of the plexus brachialis and brachium.

To reconstruct the area from the brachial plexus to the upper arm, pedicle latissimus dorsi muscle transfer was performed in 16 patients. Nine patients underwent functional bipolar transfer for reconstruction of elbow flexion. The surgical results were satisfactory in 6 patients, but were unsatisfactory in 3 because of an incorrect preoperative assessment of the strength of the latissimus dorsi muscle and an unsuitable length of transferred muscle in 2 patients, and because of progression of spastic paralysis caused by cervical myelopathy in the third patient. Seven patients with skin loss and an unstable scar underwent aesthetic unipolar transfer in which the exposed nerve, neurovascular bundle, bone, and joint were covered by a musculocutaneous flap with good vascularity. The surgical results were successful in all 7 patients. Infection was present before transfer in 4 of the 16 patients, but it was successfully treated by simultaneous radical debridement of the infected wound and latissimus dorsi transfer.

Adolescent↗

Lymphocyte infiltration of the skin in transgenic mice carrying the human interleukin-2 gene.

Inflammatory lesions of the skin such as erythema, depigmentation and hair loss were observed in C57/BL6(B6) transgenic mice that carried an intact human genomic interleukin-2 gene (gIL-2 transgenic mice). Accumulation of T lymphocytes in the perivascular and periadnexal areas of the dermis was the first change, followed by dermal papillary oedema, which occurred before the development of macroscopic skin lesions. In 3- or 4-week-old transgenic mice with slight erythema and depigmentation of the skin, there was an increase in the number of perivascular lymphocytes accompanied by the diffuse infiltration of neutrophils and monocytes in the damaged skin. These morphological skin changes were not observed in non-transgenic mice, which were bred together with transgenic litter mates. These findings suggest that lymphocyte infiltration of the perivascular space of the skin is a primary event of exogenously introduced human interleukin-2 gene, resulting in secondary cutaneous changes in gIL-2 transgenic mice.

Animals↗

Biochemical characteristics of human renin expressed in transgenic mice.

1. Biochemical properties of human renin expressed in transgenic mice (hRN8-12 mice) carrying the human renin gene (Fukamizu et al. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1989; 165: 826-32) were examined. The optimum pH of the enzymic activity against human angiotensinogen was 5.5 for both plasma and renal human renin in the hRN8-12 mice. Plasma concentrations of human active and inactive renin in the plasma of hRN8-12 mice were 16.7 +/- 2.8 and 79.9 +/- 14.0 pmol of angiotensin Ih-1 ml-1, respectively, thereby indicating that the predominant form of plasma human renin is the inactive form, as is the case in humans. 2. The molecular masses of plasma human active and inactive renin and renal human active renin in the hRN8-12 mice were estimated to be 46 kDa, 48 kDa and 44 kDa, respectively, as determined by h.p.l.c. on G3,000SW. 3. Human renin in the hRN8-12 mouse kidney was bound to a concanavalin A-Sepharose column, and was eluted with alpha-methyl-D-mannoside, showing that this renin is glycosylated, as is native human renin. 4. Low sodium treatment of the hRN8-12 mice for 2 weeks increased plasma human active renin, renal human renin and renal human renin mRNA levels by 2.6-, 3.8- and 2.8-fold, respectively. Thus, the biosynthesis and secretion of renal human renin in these transgenic mice are obviously stimulated by sodium depletion.

Animals↗

Low-dose/long-term erythromycin for treatment of bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP).

Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) is a pathologic entity characterized by intraluminal fibrosis of distal air spaces. Corticosteroids have been widely used for the treatment of this condition, and most patients showed a dramatic response to it. However, long-term treatment with corticosteroids, which often increases the risk of several undesirable side-effects, is usually required because a relapse tends to occur soon after termination of treatment. We administered erythromycin (EM) at low-dose (600 mg daily) for 3-4 months to 6 patients with BOOP, and obtained a good clinical, radiological, and physiological improvement. This suggests that EM can be successfully used, instead of corticosteroids, in the treatment of BOOP.

Adolescent↗

Direct sequencing of PCR products using unlabeled primers.

An improved protocol is described for using lambda exonuclease to directly sequence PCR products. It is important not to execute PCR cycles beyond the plateau of amplification. The asymmetric PCR and double-stranded DNA sequencing by a snap-cooling procedure were also performed using the same DNA samples and primers. The improved method was the most reliable and produced the best results.

Animals↗

Inhibition of chemical carcinogenesis in vivo by azatyrosine.

A single painting of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene on the skin of transgenic mice harboring the human protooncogene c-Ha-ras induced papillomas at 100% incidence after 20 weeks (M. Izawa et al., unpublished data). Application of L-beta-(5-hydroxy-2-pyridyl)alanine (azatyrosine) to the skin at a dose of 2 mg/mouse once every 3 days after initiation with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene greatly reduced the percentage incidence, number per mouse, and size of papillomas. Injection of methylnitrosourea i.p. into transgenic mice induced papillomas in the forestomach after 12 weeks (2 to 12 papillomas/mouse) at 100% incidence (K. Ando et al., Cancer Res., 52: 978-982, 1992). Administration of azatyrosine i.p. at a dose of 2 mg/mouse once every 2 days for 12 weeks after initiation with methylnitrosourea completely prevented the formation of forestomach papillomas. These results clearly indicated that azatyrosine inhibits chemical carcinogenesis in vivo.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene↗

Genetic alteration of catecholamine specificity in transgenic mice.

Epinephrine-producing cells are characterized by the presence of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT), which catalyzes the formation of epinephrine from norepinephrine. We generated a line of transgenic mice carrying a chimeric gene containing human PNMT cDNA fused to the 4-kilobase fragment of the human dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) gene promoter, to switch catecholamine phenotype in the nervous and endocrine systems. Human PNMT transcripts and immunoreactivity were mainly detected in norepinephrine neurons in brain and sympathetic ganglion as well as in norepinephrine-producing cells in adrenal medulla of transgenic mice, indicating that the human DBH gene promoter of 4 kilobases is sufficient to direct expression of the gene in norepinephrine-producing cells. Analysis of catecholamines in the various tissues showed that the expression of human PNMT in transgenic mice induced the appearance of epinephrine in sympathetic ganglion and dramatic changes in norepinephrine and epinephrine levels in brain, adrenal gland, and blood. These results indicate that the additional PNMT expression in norepinephrine-producing cells can convert these cells to the epinephrine phenotype, and suggest that norepinephrine-producing cells normally possess the basic machinery required for the synthesis of epinephrine except for PNMT. Thus it appears that the only major difference between norepinephrine- and epinephrine-producing cells is the expression of PNMT. Our transgenic animals provide an experimental model to investigate the functional differences between norepinephrine and epinephrine.

Animals↗

Overexpression of apolipoprotein E in transgenic mice: marked reduction in plasma lipoproteins except high density lipoprotein and resistance against diet-induced hypercholesterolemia.

Apolipoprotein E (apoE) has a high affinity to cell-surface low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor. To determine the role of apoE in plasma lipoprotein metabolism, transgenic mouse lines with integrated rat apoE gene under the control of the metallothionein promoter were established. We found that a high expressor line produced rat apoE mainly in the liver, and the gene product was almost entirely associated with plasma lipoproteins. The plasma level of rat apoE in homozygotes for the transgene was 17.4 mg/dl after zinc induction (vs. 4.56 mg/dl of mouse apoE in controls). In this group, plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels were 43% and 68% reduced as compared with controls, respectively. Heterozygotes showed decreases in both lipids to a lesser extent. Gel filtration chromatography showed that lipid reduction was mainly due to decreased very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and LDL. Especially in zinc-treated homozygotes, VLDL had almost disappeared, and a remarkable decrease in LDL and a slight decrease in high density lipoprotein were also observed. Consistently, the plasma level of apoB, a structural protein of VLDL and LDL, was 78% lower than that of controls, indicating a marked reduction in lipoproteins containing apoB. Furthermore, the transgenic mice, in contrast to controls, did not develop hypercholesterolemia when fed a high cholesterol diet. These results demonstrated that overexpression of apoE reduces plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels and prevents diet-induced hypercholesterolemia. From dramatic and dose-related decreases in plasma lipoproteins in transgenic mice, we conclude that apoE plays a key role in plasma lipoprotein metabolism.

Animals↗

Chemically induced forestomach papillomas in transgenic mice carry mutant human c-Ha-ras transgenes.

Forestomach papillomas and skin papillomas were induced very efficiently by a single dose administration of the chemical carcinogen methylnitrosourea (MNU) in transgenic mice (rasH2 line) carrying human hybrid c-Ha-ras genes, which encode the prototype p21 gene product. The incidence of forestomach papillomas was dose dependent; when 50 mg/kg of MNU were administered i.p., all of the transgenic mice (56 of 56) developed forestomach papillomas within 12 weeks after administration, whereas 5 and 0.5 mg/kg of MNU induced papillomas in 2 of 19 and 1 of 19 mice, respectively. Nine of 56 transgenic mice (16%) also developed skin papillomas at sites wounded by bites or scratches. Only 1 of 77 nontransgenic littermates developed forestomach papillomas after administration of 50 mg/kg of MNU, and no skin papillomas appeared within 12 weeks after MNU administration. The transgenes (integrated copy number, 5-6) in the tumors developed in 55 of 56 affected transgenic mice (98%) contained at least 1 copy of the transgene that was activated by somatic point mutation at the 12th codon, from GGC (Gly) to GAC (Asp). Because somatic point mutations at the 12th or 61st codon of transgenes have never been detected in normal tissues of transgenic mice thus far examined, these mutational activations of transgenes are tumor-specific events. RNA expression of these activated transgenes was also detected. From these results, it is suggested that somatic mutational activation of the human c-Ha-ras transgene plays a causative role in the occurrence of forestomach and skin papillomas induced by MNU administration in these transgenic mice. This transgenic mouse provides a unique screening system for chemicals that induce or suppress papillomagenesis.

Animals↗

De novo production of alpha 2-macroglobulin in cultured astroglia from rat brain.

Previous studies from our laboratory demonstrated that alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M) is one of the neurite-promoting factors in the conditioned medium of astroglia. In the present study, we further examined the de novo production of alpha 2M in cultured astroglia by determining the expression of alpha 2M mRNA, and the biosynthesis of [35S]methionine-labeled alpha 2M protein. We analyzed the mRNA of cultured astroglia by differential hybridization using specific probes to alpha 2M and its homologous protein, alpha 1-inhibitor 3 (alpha 1I3), after amplification of reverse-transcribed cDNA with the polymerase chain reaction. The result clearly showed that only alpha 2M mRNA is expressed in cultured astroglia. Northern blotting analysis revealed that alpha 2M mRNA is expressed mainly in the astroglia and is not detected in neurons, microglia and meningeal fibroblasts. Furthermore, the biosynthesis of alpha 2M protein in the astroglia was confirmed by an immunoprecipitation experiment after labeling of each type of cell with [35S]methionine. It was concluded that alpha 2M is produced in the cultured astroglia which is the major source of alpha 2M production among various types of cells in rat brain.

Animals↗