Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Lussier

Publications and source records attributed to M Lussier.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Localization and targeting of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Kre2p/Mnt1p alpha 1,2-mannosyltransferase to a medial-Golgi compartment.

The yeast Kre2p/Mnt1p alpha 1,2-mannosyltransferase is a type II membrane protein with a short cytoplasmic amino terminus, a membrane-spanning region, and a large catalytic luminal domain containing one N-glycosylation site. Anti-Kre2p/Mnt1p antibodies identify a 60-kD integral membrane protein that is progressively N-glycosylated in an MNN1-dependent manner. Kre2p/Mnt1p is localized in a Golgi compartment that overlaps with that containing the medial-Golgi mannosyltransferase Mnn1p, and distinct from that including the late Golgi protein Kex1p. To determine which regions of Kre2p/Mnt1p are required for Golgi localization, Kre2p/Mnt1p mutant proteins were assembled by substitution of Kre2p domains with equivalent sequences from the vacuolar proteins DPAP B and Pho8p. Chimeric proteins were tested for correct topology, in vitro and in vivo activity, and were localized intracellularly by indirect immunofluorescence. The results demonstrate that the NH2-terminal cytoplasmic domain is necessary for correct Kre2p Golgi localization whereas, the membrane-spanning and stem domains are dispensable. However, in a test of targeting sufficiency, the presence of the entire Kre2p cytoplasmic tail, plus the transmembrane domain and a 36-amino acid residue luminal stem region was required to localize a Pho8p reporter protein to the yeast Golgi.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Arrangement of a cluster of three mouse type I keratin genes expressed sequentially during esophageal-type epithelial cell differentiation.

Keratins are intermediate filament proteins expressed in epithelial cells. They are divided into two groups, type I and type II, that must associate to form filaments. The genes encoding these proteins are clustered in two type-specific loci. In stratified epithelia, differentiation of the basal cells is accompanied by a switch in the expression of keratin genes. However, how this switch is controlled is not yet understood. We report here the cloning and mapping of a 55-kb region surrounding the keratin 19 (K19) gene in the mouse genome. This gene encodes a type I subunit expressed in simple and complex epithelia, notably in nonkeratinizing stratified epithelia of internal organs. In these tissues, it is expressed in basal cells and not in suprabasal cells, where the main type I subunit is keratin 13. Using probes corresponding to highly conserved sequences in intermediate filament proteins, we mapped two other genes downstream from the K19 gene. Restriction mapping and sequencing data indicate that they encode the mouse K15 and K13. The three genes are separated by about 5-6 kb, and they are in the same transcriptional orientation. Because the three genes are expressed together in stratified epithelia and because their order of expression during differentiation is the same as their order on the chromosome, we suggest that there is a relationship between their genomic organization and the control of their expression.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

The nucleotide sequence of TTP1, a gene encoding a predicted type II membrane protein.

The DNA sequence of a 2967 bp fragment located near the centromere of chromosome II, between the CEN2 and FUR4 genes, was determined. The segment contains a new open reading frame of 1794 bp. The product encoded by the gene, designated TTP1, is a predicted type II membrane protein of 597 amino acid residues with a short cytoplasmic NH2-terminus, a membrane-spanning region and a large COOH-terminal region containing three potential N-glycosylation sites. Gene disruption indicated that TTP1 is not essential for cell growth.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

KTR2: a new member of the KRE2 mannosyltransferase gene family.

The KTR2 gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was identified by polymerase chain reaction amplification of genomic DNA using primers derived from regions of high homology between the products of three yeast genes, KRE2, YUR1 and KTR1. The product encoded by the KTR2 gene is a predicted type II membrane protein of 425 amino acid residues with a short cytoplasmic N-terminus, a membrane-spanning region and a large lumenal domain containing residues with a short cytoplasmic N-terminus, a membrane-spanning region and a large lumenal domain containing four potential N-glycosylation sites. Ktr2p has 58% identity with Yur1p, 39% with Ktr1p and 34% with Kre2p. One member of this gene family, KRE2 (also known as MNT1; Häusler and Robbins, 1992), encodes an alpha-1,2 mannosyltransferase which adds the third mannose onto O-linked glycoprotein side-chains (Häusler et al., 1992). In contrast to KRE2 null mutants, which produce shortened (two-mannose) chains, mutants harboring a KTR2 gene disruption synthesize O-linked chains with the wild-type patterns of five mannose residues. A null mutation in KTR2 leads to partial resistance to killer toxin and hints that KTR2, which encodes a putative mannosyltransferase, is involved in extracellular matrix assembly.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Interdigital soft tissue separation induced by retinoic acid in mouse limbs cultured in vitro.

The temporal pattern of separation of the soft tissue between mouse digits was examined in an organ culture model system. Mouse limbs of different gestational age were cultured in vitro and the pattern of separation of the digits characterized. By gestational day 12.5 (E12.5) the limbs were committed to undergo separation of the soft tissue in the interdigital space when cultured in vitro. Prior to E12.5 digital separation did not occur and the limb tissues were not committed to this process. The addition of 10(-7) M retinoic acid (RA) to the media of E12 limbs was capable of inducing digit separation in the uncommitted limbs. Both the soft and hard tissue development of digits formed in vitro for either committed limbs or uncommitted limbs induced with RA was similar to the in vivo pattern.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

New monoclonal antibodies for the detection of immediate early antigens of cytomegalovirus.

Two new monoclonal antibodies, CIE-1 and CIE-2, were developed for the rapid detection of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection. They were found to be reactive with immediate early protein of HCMV in the nuclei of infected fibroblasts, as early as 3 hours post-infection. By radioimmunoprecipitation, CIE-1 was found to react with a protein with an apparent molecular weight of 70,000, whereas CIE-2 precipitated 2 proteins of 70,000 and 72,000 daltons, respectively. Both monoclonal antibodies recognized three prototype strains of HCMV: AD-169, Towne, and Davis, and did not cross-react with other human herpesviruses. CIE-1 and CIE-2 were compared with four commercial anti-HCMV monoclonal antibodies (Clonab, Dupont, Sera-Lab and Syva) by testing 88 clinical isolates. Culture confirmation tests and shell vial assays showed that CIE-1 and CIE-2 were more sensitive than several of these reagents and equally sensitive to the Dupont reagent. Moreover, CIE-1 and CIE-2 produced a bright, sharp staining of the nuclei of infected cells. These monoclonal antibodies should thus be valuable in rapid diagnosis of HCMV.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Evaluation of a urease-based confirmatory enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for diagnosis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

A new urease-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay utilizing novel monoclonal antibodies was evaluated for the culture confirmation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, with 270 isolates of N. gonorrhoeae, 56 isolates of diverse Neisseria spp., and 29 Moraxella isolates. The test was highly specific (100.00%) and sensitive (97.83%). No cross-reactions were observed with any of the Neisseria or Moraxella isolates tested. Fifty percent (3 of 6) of the false-negative results were obtained with isolates of serovar IA-4, a serovar rarely encountered in North America.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1991

Regulated expression of Krox-24 and other serum-responsive genes during differentiation of P19 embryonal carcinoma cells.

In order to identify genes that may play a role in the onset of the differentiation program elicited by retinoic acid, we analyzed, in P19 embryonal carcinoma cells, the expression of genes that are part of the early response of mouse fibroblasts to growth factor stimulation. In this paper, we show that a sequence-specific transcriptional activator, Krox-24, is rapidly induced, under conditions that promote differentiation of P19 cells. Expression of three other serum- and retinoic acid-stimulated genes (clones AC36, C1, and G39) was also studied. Induction of these genes occurs during the first 48 h of exposure of cells to retinoic acid, a period that precedes cell type determination. Our results suggest that different mechanisms regulate the expression of the Krox-24 gene in differentiating P19 cells. A labile repressor seems to be responsible for control of Krox-24 expression in P19 embryonal carcinoma cells. Inactivation of this repressor following retinoic acid treatment resulted in several peaks of activation of the Krox-24 gene, mediated by different mechanisms, some of which did not require de novo protein synthesis. In contrast, activation of AC36 required de novo protein synthesis, and that of C1 and G39 did not. The four genes are differentially expressed in several mouse tissues and during mouse embryonic development.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

The mouse keratin 19-encoding gene: sequence, structure and chromosomal assignment.

Keratin 19 (K19) is synthesized mainly in embryonic and adult simple epithelia, but has also been found in stratified epithelia as well. K19 is the smallest known keratin and is remarkable in that, contrary to all other keratins, it does not have a designated partner for the formation of filaments, implying that regulation of its expression is different from other keratin-encoding genes. As a first step in elucidating the mechanisms by which the K19 gene is regulated in relatively undifferentiated embryonic and in terminally differentiated adult tissues, a series of overlapping clones containing the complete mouse K19 gene was isolated from a mouse genomic library and characterized. The nucleotide (nt) sequence extends over 5119 nt and includes six exons. A region of 303 nt upstream from the transcription start point (tsp) was also sequenced. Comparison with the human and bovine K19 genes revealed the existence of homologies in both the coding and noncoding regions. The putative promoter region of the mouse K19 gene is highly homologous to the corresponding sequences of the human and bovine K19 genes. It contains an ATA box, a CAAT box and two potential Sp1-binding sites. Significant homologies were also found between the sequences of the introns of the mouse, human and bovine genes: this was particularly evident in introns 2, 3, 4 and 5. Intron 1, which showed the greatest degree of divergence, was found to contain many repetitive elements. Finally, it is shown that the mouse K19 gene cosegregates with the type-I keratin-encoding gene locus (Krt-1) on chromosome 11.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Differential regulation of keratin 8 and 18 messenger RNAs in differentiating F9 cells.

F9 embryonal carcinoma cells (F9EC) can be induced to differentiate in vitro into epithelial cells expressing keratin 8 (K8) and keratin 18 (K18). cDNAs corresponding to K8 and K18 mRNAs were cloned and used to study the change in the abundance of these mRNAs during differentiation of F9 cells into parietal endoderm-like cells by treatment with retinoic acid (RA) or with RA and dibutyryl cAMP (Bt2cAMP). Using an RNase protection assay, it was determined that K8 mRNA was induced slightly before K18 mRNA and that it accumulated to a greater extent than K18 mRNA. Furthermore, differentiation in presence of Bt2cAMP plus RA resulted in an earlier induction of the two mRNAs and a higher level of expression of K8 mRNA. These results indicate that K8 and K18 mRNAs are regulated differently in F9 cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Differential expression of the epidermal K1 and K10 keratin genes during mouse embryo development.

Induction of genes coding for the K1 and K10 keratins during mouse development was studied by measuring the accumulation of their respective mRNAs in day 10 to 17 embryos using an RNase protection assay. Although these two keratins are coexpressed in the suprabasal layers of the epidermis, it was found that while K1 mRNA was detectable as soon as day 10, K10 mRNA was not detectable before day 12. The expression of these genes at this stage of development was not expected since they are specifically associated with keratinization, a process that does not begin before day 17 of gestation. Histological examination of the epidermis of day 10 to 17 embryos suggests that both genes are induced in cells committed to epidermal differentiation, after stratification has started but before the onset of keratinization. It was also found that the two mRNAs increased in abundance steadily and significantly until day 16 and that, in spite of the expectation that filaments should contain equivalent amounts of each subunit, K1 mRNA remained more abundant than K10 mRNA at all times including in adult epidermis. These observations indicate that the two genes are regulated independently during development.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Mouse keratin 19: complete amino acid sequence and gene expression during development.

The complete amino acid sequence of the mouse keratin 19 (K19) was determined from a partial sequence of cDNA isolated from a mouse (day 10.5) embryo library and an amplified genomic fragment. Analysis of the sequence reveals strong evolutionary conservation with other K19s. Examination of the expression of the gene encoding K19 (K19) during development using an RNase protection assay reveals it is expressed in extra-embryonic tissues by day 8.5 and in the embryo proper by at least day 9.5. Furthermore, the K19 gene is induced in differentiating F9 embryonal carcinoma cells. These results indicate that K19 is another keratin, in addition to the K8-K18 pair, which is synthesized early during mouse development. Finally, Southern analysis of the K19 gene reveals that it is found as a unique copy in the mouse genome, in contrast to what is found in humans, which have at least one processed pseudogene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae by dot-enzyme immunoassay using monoclonal antibodies.

A highly sensitive and specific dot-enzyme immunoassay for the detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae was developed using a pool of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). The MAbs were obtained following immunization of mice with lithium acetate extracted outer membrane (OM) preparations. Western immunoblotting experiments demonstrated that MAbs NG26 and NG38, both IgG2a, reacted with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and with the major OM protein, P1, respectively, MAb NG28, an IgG3, did not react in Western immunoblotting, MAbs NG28 and NG38 failed to react with OM treated with proteolytic enzymes or with semi-purified preparation of LPS. MAb NG26 reacted with the same LPS preparation. Binding radioimmunoassay with live bacteria showed that all the MAbs adsorbed to cell surface-exposed antigenic determinants. The limit of detection of the dot-enzyme immunoassay was between 1 and 4 x 10(4) cfu per dot. Using a panel of 177 strains of N. gonorrhoeae, MAbs NG28 and NG38 recognized only P1A and P1B strains respectively. MAb NG26 reacted with P1A, P1B and non-typable strains. These MAbs did not react with other Neisseria species or other bacterial species. Using this pool, the dot-enzyme immunoassay had a sensitivity of 93.2% and a specificity of 100%.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1988

Expression of naturally occurring RNA molecules complementary to the murine L27' ribosomal protein mRNA.

We report here the existence of two naturally occurring RNA molecules that are complementary to the murine L27' ribosomal protein (rp) mRNA. These transcripts are 1.8 and 1.0 kb in length, and are both found in poly(A)+ populations of cytoplasmic and polysomal RNA of a number of established cell lines and in all adult murine tissues examined with the exception of the testes, where only the 1.8-kb transcript was detected. The expression of the 1.8-kb transcript is also constant during mouse embryogenesis from days 11 through 18 of gestation, and during differentiation of P19 embryonal carcinoma cells, whereas that of the smaller transcript decreases at 14 days and was not detected in 16- and 18-day embryos or in differentiated P19 cells. At the structural level both countertranscripts share the same region of perfect or near perfect complementarity to the L27' rp mRNA, which spans more than 75% of the coding region of the latter. The 0.8-kb difference in length of the two countertranscripts lies mainly 3' of the divergence from complementarity to the rp sequence. Indirect evidence suggests that the countertranscripts do not originate from the active L27' rp gene copy. The possible biological significance of the co-existence of the countertranscripts with the housekeeping L27' rp mRNA within the same cell is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Identification of a proliferation-related transcript with an elevated expression in the mid-gestation mouse embryo.

Polyadenylated RNA enriched in transformation specific sequences from hamster embryo fibroblast cells transformed by HSV-2 was used to construct a cDNA library. A cDNA clone (pKG4) contained a sequence which was upregulated in HSV-2 transformed cells and also in fibroblastic cell lines transformed by SV40 and 3-methylcholanthrene. The expression of the KG4 sequences in HSV-2-transformed cells was found to be modulated by the growth state of the cells. In confluent cells its level was reduced 5-times compared to the homologous RNAs from exponentially growing cells. Expression of the KG4 sequence was also examined in mouse embryos from day 8 onwards and in adult tissues. During development, KG4 is expressed at all times examined. However, there is a dramatic increase in expression on day 11. In adult tissues, a low and variable level of expression was observed. These findings suggest that the KG4 sequence is related to cellular proliferation.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Influence of gestational hormones on Trypanosoma musculi infection of the mouse.

When mice were infected with Trypanosoma musculi during the second week of pregnancy, the level of parasitemia was significantly higher than in controls. Progesterone and estradiol injected daily into normal virgin mice during the course of infection did not modify the parasitemia. Daily injections of low-dose hydrocortisone into infected mice produced elevated parasitemias although these never reached the levels obtained during pregnancy. It is postulated that systemic levels of gestational hormones are only a minor contributing factor for elevated parasitemia.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Differential expression of keratin genes during mouse development.

Suprabasal layers of the newborn mouse epidermis contain two mRNAs of 2.0 and 2.4 kb which are translated into keratins of 59 and 67 kDa, respectively. To study their expression during development, cDNA sequences corresponding to the 2.0- and the 2.4-kb mRNAs were cloned, characterized by hybridization selection assay, and used as probes to detect keratin sequences in polyadenylated RNA from Day 11, 13, 15, and 17 embryos. In RNA from Day 11 of gestation, two RNAs of 2.8 and 1.8 kb were identified. They were found to have homologies with both epidermal RNAs, suggesting that they are coding for proteins of the keratin family. These two sequences were not detected in sample of later stages. RNAs comigrating with the two epidermal keratin RNAs were identified only in Day 15 and 17 embryos indicating that their expression was induced between Day 13 and 15. Finally, the localization of the 59-kDa keratin mRNA was examined by in situ hybridization. The spinous and granulous cell layers were found to be heavily covered with grains while other regions of the tissue sections were unlabeled. All these results support the hypothesis of a sequential expression of keratins during differentiation of epidermal cells and suggest that proteins related to the keratins expressed specifically in keratinizing cells are expressed earlier during development.

Animals↗