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Biomedical subjects

M Rabin

Publications and source records attributed to M Rabin.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Human c-fos oncogene mapped within chromosomal region 14q21----q31.

The human cellular homolog (c-fos) of the transforming gene of Finkel-Biskis-Jinkins (FBJ) murine osteosarcoma virus was mapped to a single human chromosome. DNA from a series of 31 mouse-human somatic cell hybrid lines was probed with v- and c-fos molecular clones by Southern blotting. Human c-fos segregated with the distal region of the long arm of human chromosome 14. In situ hybridization of 125I-labeled human c-fos probe to normal human metaphase chromosomes independently confirmed these results and localized the c-fos oncogene to region 14q21----q31.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Chromosomal sites of integration of simian virus 40 DNA sequences mapped by in situ hybridization in two transformed hybrid cell lines.

Simian virus 40 DNA sequences, integrated on human chromosome 7 in two transformed human-mouse hybrid somatic cell lines, were mapped to a specific chromosomal locus by in situ hybridization. To detect the integrated viral DNA by in situ hybridization, we increased the sensitivity of the technique by using as a probe 125I-labeled simian virus 40 cRNA (2 X 10(9) to 3 X 10(9) dpm/micrograms) prepared by in vitro transcription of simian virus 40 DNA with high-specific-radioactivity [125I]CTP. Although the viral nucleic acid was shown by blot hybridization in the two cell lines to be integrated in different restriction fragments, it was shown by in situ hybridization in the two cell lines to map to the same position, q31, on the long arm of human chromosome 7. The viral DNA integration sites were localized with a precision of +/- 1 silver grain diameter, equivalent to about 6.2 X 10(7) nucleotide pairs in the human genome. The procedures we describe may be adapted for localization of any gene on diploid chromosomes that can be cloned in a recombinant DNA vector.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Detection and expression of DNA homologous to the tox gene in nontoxinogenic isolates of Corynebacterium diphtheriae.

Three probes have been described which can be used to detect the presence of DNA sequences homologous to the tox gene of Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Probes "A" and "B" detected sequences coding for A and B fragments of diphtheria toxin, respectively. The third "A-B" probe contained both the A and B coding sequences. The B probe was completely unambiguous in detecting only toxin-related sequences, and the A probe was only slightly less so. The efficacy of the probes was tested on a series of toxinogenic and nontoxinogenic isolates of C. diphtheriae. All isolates which were toxinogenic as characterized by the gel immunodiffusion technique gave positive reactions with the probes. Of particular interest was the finding that 14 of 43 nontoxinogenic isolates also carried DNA homologous to both the A and B probes. All 14 isolates were nontoxinogenic by the rabbit intracutaneous test as well as by the gel immunodiffusion test; however, 12 of them produced ADP-ribosylating activity, whereas two were negative. The isolates producing ADP-ribosylating activity belonged to a cohort of cultures, of which 11 were isolated in South Dakota and 1 was isolated in Montana. Genomic DNAs of all 12 appeared to be identical when restriction enzyme digest patterns were compared, and the same fragment carried the tox gene in all of them. The tox-bearing nontoxinogenic isolates from Alaska and Florida each had unique restriction patterns and did not produce ADP-ribosylating activity. A number of genomic fragments of all the tox-bearing nontoxinogenic isolates hybridized with beta converting phage DNA. The significance of these observations to the natural history of diphtheria was discussed.

Bacteriophages↗
PubMed1982

Gene responsible for superinfection exclusion of heteroimmune corynebacteriophage.

Wild-type beta and gamma corynebacteriophages are heteroimmune and infect lysogens of each other productively. Unlike their wild-type counterparts, the bin mutants of each phage are excluded in lysogens carrying the heteroimmune phage. The wild-type phages overcome exclusion by means of the bin gene product which appears to act as an antirepressor. When repression is lifted, exclusion of bin mutants is abolished (N. Groman and M. Rabin, J. Virol. 28:28-33, 1978; J. Virol. 36:526-532, 1980). It has not been clear whether the excluding compound is the immune repressor itself or one whose synthesis is positively regulated by repressor. We have isolated beta exclusion mutants (xcl) that as prophage exhibited normal immune repression but no longer excluded gamma-bin mutants. Furthermore, we have shown that an xcl phage with an active immune repressor acted in trans to continue the positive regulation of exclusion by a second xcl+ prophage whose immune repressor was inactivated. From these results it was concluded that there is a gene distinct from the imm gene which is directly or indirectly responsible for exclusion. The xcl gene, mapped in prophage crosses, was located between imm and bin, that is, in the regulatory region of the phage genome. The simplest hypothesis compatible with the established observations is that beta immune repressor regulates the expression of the xcl and bin genes, the former positively and the latter negatively. It is likely that an analogous regulatory model applies to gamma phage since it has already been shown that both beta and gamma have bin alleles.

Actinomycetales↗
PubMed1980

Hiatus hernia in Johannesburg blacks.

With westernization of diet and lifestyle among South African Blacks, particularly urban dwellers, hitherto unknown gastro-intestinal diseases are becoming evident. Previously unreported is hiatus hernia, now a definite disease entity, although still very uncommon. At Baragwanath Hospital, Johannesburg, over 17 months in 1977-1978, 46 patients with hiatus hernia were detected from barium meal examinations on 1392 persons, i.e. 3,3%, or 0,07% of total hospital admissions of adults. The disease affected mainly middle-aged and elderly women. Prevalences of obesity, comparative physical inactivity and hypertension appeared commoner than in the general urban adult population. Just as appendicitis is a marker of westernization in young urban Blacks, hiatus hernia may be regarded as a marker in the middle-aged and elderly.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Repeated transhepatic obliteration of gastro-oesophageal varices.

Two patients with life-threatening bleeding from gastro-oesophageal varices were treated by transhepatic obliteration of the varices. The procedure was repeated in both patients on several occasions and the bleeding successfully controlled. The procedure is reviewed and the advantages, pitfalls and limitations are discussed.

Esophageal and Gastric Varices↗
PubMed1980

Superinfection exclusion by heteroimmune corynebacteriophages.

Superinfection of Corynebacterium diphtheriae C7(beta) by heteroimmune phage gamma is productive, whereas superinfection by gamma-bin mutants is for the most part nonproductive. Exclusion of gamma-bin phage occurred after its DNA had penetrated and was partially expressed in the heteroimmune lysogen. All of the infected cells were killed, and lysis was observed. The beta inhibitor causing exclusion was produced during the prophage state and appeared to be distinct from immune repressor. The ability of gamma-bin phage to superinfect C7(beta) productively could be restored by recombination with beta phage, indicating that both beta and gamma phages contain either indentical or similar alleles of the bin gene. The bin gene was mapped by vegetative and prophage crosses and found to be located in the region of the phage genome concerned with regulation. Both beta and gamma wild-type phages induced the resident prophage in a significant fraction of superinfeted heteroimmune lysogens. This, coupled with the fact that induction of C7(beta) abolished exclusion, suggests that the bin gene product acts as antirepressor, i.e., it reduces the level of heteroimmune repressor either directly or indirectly. The gamma-bin mutants either failed to produce antirepressor or did so with reduced efficiency. Antirepressor activity was negatively controlled by homoimmune repressor. The isolation of beta mutants that appeared bin-like suggests that beta and gamma phages contain homologous systems of exclusion and antiexclusion. Exclusion of gamm-bin by beta phage in gram-positive C. diphtheriae exhibited striking parallels to the sieB exclusion described for phages P22 and lambda in gram-negative organisms. The extended similarities of these coryngephages to lambda bacteriophage is noted.

Bacteriophages↗
PubMed1979

Reflux oesophagitis resembling varices.

Three cases of established reflux oesophagitis resembling varices are presented. Although the condition is rare, the importance of distinguishing oesophagitis from varices is pointed out in order to avoid unnecessary arteriography and surgery.

Aged↗
PubMed1978

Control of corynebacteriophage reproduction by heteroimmune repression.

Corynebacteriophages beta and gamma are closely related but heteroimmune; hence, gamma reproduces in C7(beta). A series of gamma mutants, designated gamma-bin (beta-inhibited), has been isolated. They reproduce in only 2 to 14% of infected C7(beta) cells, and, as a result, plaque with an efficiency of 10(-4) to 10(-5) on this strain. The proportion of C7(beta) cells in which gamma-bin phage can replicate is increased to 30 to 80% when immunity is lifted by UV induction of C7(beta) or by heat induction of C7(beta-tsr3). The gamma-bin mutants carry out a normal vegetative or lysogenic cycle in strain C7 and thus do not appear to be defective in any essential phage function. Infection of C7(beta) by gamma-bin results in cell killing whether the infection is productive or nonproductive. The data support the hypothesis that inhibition of gamma-bin is due to the direct or indirect action of a beta prophage gene. The simplest hypothesis is that gamma-bin phages have sustained mutations in an operator site and that beta repressor now combines with the mutated operator to inhibit normal replication in a significant proportion of infected cells.

Bacteriophages↗
PubMed1976

The identification of fibrous proteins in fetal rat epidermis by electrophoretic and immunologic techniques.

Two proteins have been identified in extracts of fetal rat skin which are related to the two major fibrous proteins of newborn rat stratum corneum. The relative amount of these proteins increases daily from the 16th to the 20th day (d) of gestation when judged by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis using antibody to the purified fibrous protein. Two-dimensional analysis by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis demonstrates that these two proteins are the only cross-reactive species in the fetal skin from 16d to 19d development. Some additional lower-molecular-weight components can be detected at 20d and 21d. In double-diffusion analysis, cross-reactive proteins in 19d fetal extracts show partial identity but have fewer antigenic sites than proteins in 20d extracts. The 20d protein shows a reaction of identity with purified newborn fibrous protein. Immunofluorescence studies on fetal skin support the prescence of cross-reacting components at 16d development related to the newborn fibrous protein. Intensity of fluorescence increases at 18d and 20d in the spinous and granular cell cytoplasm and in the keratohyaline granules. The stratum corneum, first seen at 20d, is intensely fluorescent. The cellular localization and time of appearance of the cross-reactive proteins suggest that they may be associated with tonofilaments.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Contrast sensitivity in dyslexia.

Contrast sensitivity was determined for dyslexic and normal readers. When testing with temporally ramped (i.e. stimuli with gradual temporal onsets and offsets) gratings of 0.6, 4.0, and 12.0 cycles/deg, we found no difference in contrast sensitivity between dyslexic readers and controls. Using 12.0 cycles/deg gratings with transient (i.e. abrupt) onsets and offsets, we found that dyslexic individuals had, compared to controls, markedly inferior contrast sensitivity at the shortest stimulus durations (i.e. 17, 34, and 102 ms). This deficit may reflect more sluggish temporal summation. There was no difference in sensitivity to 0.6 cycles/deg gratings with transient onsets and offsets. Under these conditions, the two groups showed a consistent and equal increase in sensitivity relative to the ramped baseline condition at 0.6 cycles/deg at the longer stimulus durations. This demonstrates that dyslexic readers have no deficit in their ability to detect stimulus transients, a finding which appears to be inconsistent with a transient system deficit. That detection of the low-frequency stimuli was mediated by the transient system is further indicated by the fact that these stimuli were more susceptible to forward masking than were the high-frequency stimuli. The effects of masking of both high and low spatial-frequency stimuli were about equal for dyslexic readers and controls. This is not in agreement with the transient system deficit theory, according to which one would expect there to be less masking of high spatial-frequency stimuli in the case of dyslexic readers.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Two homoeo box loci mapped in evolutionarily related mouse and human chromosomes.

The homoeo box is a 180-base pair (bp) DNA sequence conserved in Drosophila homoeotic genes, which regulate early development. These DNA sequences are present in open reading frames and have been identified in specific gene transcripts in Drosophila and Xenopus embryos; they possess structural features in common with genes encoding some DNA-binding proteins. Homologous homoeo box sequences have been detected in species ranging from insects and annelids to vertebrates. The high degree of sequence conservation (70-90%) among different species suggests a strong evolutionary relationship and implies a common role in embryonic development. To test this hypothesis, one approach we have used is to examine the patterns of genetic organization of homoeo box sequences in mouse and human for any similarities; the second approach is to localize the chromosomal map positions of homoeo box sequences in the two species. A similar genomic organization and chromosomal distribution of homoeo box sequences would argue for a conserved function and might shed light on their mechanism of action. Here, we describe experiments which show that two homoeo box loci map, respectively, to evolutionarily related regions on mouse chromosome 11 and human chromosome 17.

Animals↗