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Biomedical subjects

M Seiki

Publications and source records attributed to M Seiki.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

p27x-III and p21x-III, proteins encoded by the pX sequence of human T-cell leukemia virus type I.

Human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) is an etiological agent of adult T-cell leukemia and has a unique sequence, pX, that contains four possible open reading frames, I-IV. p40x was previously identified as the gene product of frame IV (x-lor) and was suggested to mediate transcriptional trans-activation of the viral long terminal repeats. We have identified two pX gene products, p27x-III and p21x-III, encoded by frame III, which mostly overlapped frame IV. These proteins were detected with rabbit antiserum against the synthetic peptide predicted from the 3' end of frame III. p27x-III is phosphorylated in cultured cells, and the phosphoprotein (pp27x-III) is localized in nuclei; some pp27x-III was tightly bound to nuclear components. p27x-III was detected in a number of cell lines that express other viral antigens, including a cell line previously reported to express only p40x as a viral protein. The function(s) of p27x-III and p21x-III is not known, but the tight binding of pp27x-III to nuclear components suggests that it is associated with regulation of viral gene expression.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Functional activation of the long terminal repeat of human T-cell leukemia virus type I by a trans-acting factor.

Promoter function for gene expression of the long terminal repeat (LTR) of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) was studied by constructing plasmids containing the LTR sequence. The gene encoding chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CATase) was linked to an HTLV-I LTR sequence (pLTR-CAT) by replacing the simian virus 40 promoter in plasmid pSV2-CAT with the LTR sequence. The transient CATase activities of cells transfected with the plasmids were compared. The results are summarized as follows: The HTLV LTR was active even in an epithelial cell line, with efficiency similar to that of the simian virus 40 promoter. pLTR-CAT expressed high CATase activity, 40-200 times that expressed by pSV2-CAT, in HTLV-I-infected T-cell lines, such as the human cell lines MT-2 and HUT-102, or in HTLV-I-infected rat cell lines. This enhanced activity of the LTR seems to be associated with HTLV gene expression, since only low activity of pLTR-CAT was observed in the HTLV-infected cell line MT-1, in which only a small percent of cells express viral antigens. In HTLV-infected rat cell lines, the pX-encoded protein p40x was the only viral protein detected. Thus, we suggest that p40x is the factor associated directly or indirectly with the enhanced activity of the LTR.

Acetyltransferases↗
PubMed1985

Adult T-cell leukemia-like disease in monkey naturally infected with simian retrovirus related to human T-cell leukemia virus type I.

Spontaneous T-cell leukemia similar to human adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) was found in an African green monkey naturally infected with simian retrovirus closely related to human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I). Monoclonal integration of the simian retrovirus was detected in the primary leukemic cells, suggesting an association of the retrovirus with ATL-like leukemia in the monkey.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

The p40x of human T-cell leukemia virus type I is a trans-acting activator of viral gene transcription.

Human T-cell leukemia virus type I has a unique sequence pX and the product p40x was proposed to be a specific trans-acting transcriptional activator of expression of the viral gene. Recently, a second pX protein p27x-III in addition to p40x was identified; these two proteins are encoded by overlapping frames III and IV (x-lor). For determination of which product is the trans-acting activator, site-directed mutations were introduced into the pX sequence which was placed under the metallothionein promoter. On cotransfection with pLTR-CAT (a plasmid containing the LTR of HTLV-I and chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene), only the mutations that affected p40x expression inactivated the transcriptional activation from the LTR.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Plasma fibrinolysis after intraduodenal administration of urokinase in rats.

Plasma fibrinolysis in rats rose above the level of physiological fluctuations in a curve with two peaks at 1 and 6 h, following intraduodenal administration of high-molecular-weight urokinase (HMW-UK; MW 53,000; 124,000 IU/mg protein). Activation of plasma fibrinolysis was also confirmed with insolubilized enzyme (glass-coupled UK), but lacked the first activity peak. Plasma fibrinolytic enzyme isolated by affinity chromatography revealed strong fibrinolytic (1,120 IU/dl), pyro-Glu-Gly-Arg-pNA amidolytic (3,200 nmol/dl) and Glu-plasminogen activating (24.5 IU/dl) activities. Using specific UK antibody, it appeared that the first peak originated from the administered UK, while the second one derived from endogenous plasminogen activator. Dose response of UK was not observed, and the maximal effect was at about 5,000 IU/kg body weight.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Detection and characterization of simian retroviruses homologous to human T-cell leukemia virus type I.

Lymphoid cell lines were established from five different species of monkeys which were positive in antibodies cross-reactive with human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) and were shown to contain provirus sequences homologous to HTLV-I. Gene-specific probes of HTLV-I, gag, pol, env, pX, and LTR, hybridized efficiently with monkey DNAs from these cell lines under stringent conditions, indicating that the proviruses are very similar to HTLV-I along with whole viral genomes. However, the preliminary restriction mapping turned out the difference between simian retroviruses and HTLV-I and also among simian retroviruses. These findings suggest a common ancestor of simian and human retroviruses, but exclude the recent interspecies transmission between monkeys and humans.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Identification of gag and env gene products of human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV).

The gag and env gene products of human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV) were identified with rabbit antisera against the synthetic peptides and a polypeptide produced in Escherichia coli, which corresponded to parts of the proteins predicted from the nucleotide sequence of HTLV [M. Seiki, S. Hattori, Y. Hirayama, and M. Yoshida (1983). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80, 3618-3622]. Viral proteins were detected by immunoprecipitation in two HTLV-producing cell lines. The precursor of gag products was a protein with an apparent molecular weight of 53,000 (Pr53), and was shown to be processed into three mature gag proteins, p19, p24, and p15, in this order, from the 5' end of the gag gene. The processing sites were confirmed to be the same as those predicted from the nucleotide sequence. The env gene product was identified as a glycoprotein of 62,000 Da (gp62), which was processed into gp46 and p20E. All the viral antigens described above were also detected with sera from ATL patients, indicating that all these proteins are expressed in the patients.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1984

Envelope proteins of human T-cell leukemia virus: expression in Escherichia coli and its application to studies of env gene functions.

The DNA fragments of the 5' and 3' halves of the putative env gene predicted from the DNA sequence of human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV) provirus were inserted into expression vectors pORF2 and pORF1, respectively, and two hybrid proteins composed of env polypeptides and beta-galactosidase were efficiently produced in Escherichia coli. The hybrid proteins containing the NH2-terminal (EH9) and COOH-terminal (EA1) halves were both immunologically reactive with sera from adult T-cell leukemia patients, demonstrating the utility of the hybrid proteins for diagnosis of HTLV infection. Rabbit antisera against these hybrid proteins detected the two glycoproteins gp62 and gp46, which were previously identified as HTLV env gene products. With these rabbit antisera, two properties of the env gene products were studied. (i) The antisera inhibited syncytia formation of cat S+L- cells induced by HTLV, suggesting that one or both of the env gene products of HTLV, gp62 and gp46, are involved in induction of cell fusion. (ii) The env product gp62 or gp46 or both products are exposed on the surface of HTLV-infected cells and might modulate the proliferation of HTLV-infected T cells in the host because the antisera against the hybrid proteins were cytotoxic on HTLV-producing cell lines. The latter conclusion also is supported by the fact that adult T-cell leukemia patients and healthy HTLV carriers have antibodies to the env gene products.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Monoclonal integration of human T-cell leukemia provirus in all primary tumors of adult T-cell leukemia suggests causative role of human T-cell leukemia virus in the disease.

The genome of human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV) was surveyed in fresh tumor cells of 163 patients with lymphoma and leukemia from the southwest part of Japan where adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) is endemic. Leukemic cells of all 88 cases of ATL tested so far were found to contain the provirus genome and also found to be monoclonal with respect to the integration site of provirus genome. In most cases of ATL, leukemic cells contained one or two copies of the complete HTLV provirus genome, and it was shown that the single species of HTLV with a fully determined sequence is typical in ATL. Some cases of T-cell malignancies, diagnosed as chronic lymphocytic leukemia or non-Hodgkin lymphoma, also had the provirus genome in their tumor cells, whereas some cases with the same diagnosis did not. No cases of other types of lymphoma or leukemia contained the provirus genome in their tumor cells. Monoclonal integration of the HTLV provirus genome in all primary tumor cells of ATL not only indicates that HTLV directly interacts with target cells, which become leukemic, and that integration of the provirus genome is a prerequisite for development of ATL and possibly other related diseases but also indicates that the virus is not associated with other types of lymphoma or leukemia.

Cloning, Molecular↗
PubMed1984

Characterization of simian retrovirus genome related to human T-cell leukemia virus type I.

Human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) is exogenous for human transmission by viral infection and was shown to be a causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) in man. Monkeys of several species were found to have antibodies reactive with HTLV-I antigens and thus infection with HTLV-I like retroviruses was suspected. The retroviruses in several species of monkeys were characterized by Southern hybridization, molecular cloning and sequencing. These monkey retroviruses, tentatively called simian T-cell leukemia viruses (STLV), have a genome structure of LTR-gag-pol-env-pX-LTR and are highly homologous with HTLV-I in all regions. A DNA clone of the STLV was isolated from a pig-tailed monkey and the nucleotide sequence was determined. The STLV showed 90% homology in the nucleotide sequence with that of HTLV-I in env-pX-LTR region. This highly homologous sequence indicates that the STLV is a member of the HTLV family but apparently different from HTLV-I. This result excluded the possibility of recent interspecies viral transmission from monkeys to humans, and suggested that STLV can be useful as an animal model in studies on HTLV-I transmission and leukemogenesis in humans. Supporting this suggestion, an African green monkey which was naturally infected with STLV was found to have developed T-cell leukemia that was very similar to human ATL.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Nakahara memorial lecture. Human T-cell leukemia virus type I: molecular biology and its implications in adult T-cell leukemia.

Isolation and characterization of the human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV) type I was carried out from patients with adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). Total nucleotide sequence of the provirus genome was determined and the HTLV was distinguished from other retroviruses by a unique gene pX and also by its extremely long R sequence in the long terminal repeat (LTR). HTLV was demonstrated to be a causative agent of ATL by monoclonal integration of the proviruses in ATL cells. However, nonspecific provirus integration in ATL cells disproved the direct insertional activation of a specific cellular onc gene, eventually suggesting that a transacting viral function was involved in the leukemogenesis. A gene product of the unique gene pX and trans-activation of the transcription by the product was identified. This pX gene function might explain the leukemogenesis in ATL. The mass-production of the env gene products and their identified function provided information useful for developing the systems for diagnosis and prevention of HTLV infection and ATL.

DNA, Viral↗
PubMed1984

The detection of human T cell leukemia virus proviral DNA and its application for classification and diagnosis of T cell malignancy.

Adult T cell leukemia virus (HTLV or ATLV) proviral DNA integrated in the cellular DNA was examined by a modified Southern blotting method in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells and/or lymph node cells from 61 patients with adult T cell leukemia (ATL) and other hematologic diseases. Serum antibodies against ATL-associated antigens (ATLA) were also examined. The presence of human T cell leukemia virus (HTLV) proviral DNA was confirmed in all 20 patients with overt ATL and in 3 patients with T cell malignant lymphoma, who were seropositive but did not show clinical features characteristic of prototypic ATL. However, it was not detected in 6 antibody-positive healthy individuals and 8 seropositive patients with various hematologic disorders. Thus, the detection of proviral DNA by the method described here seems to be useful for the diagnosis of ATL in the endemic area and may provide a powerful tool for the classification of T cell malignancies.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1983

Human adult T-cell leukemia virus: complete nucleotide sequence of the provirus genome integrated in leukemia cell DNA.

Human retrovirus adult T-cell leukemia virus (ATLV) has been shown to be closely associated with human adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) [Yoshida, M., Miyoshi, I. & Hinuma, Y. (1982) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 79, 2031-2035]. The provirus of ATLV integrated in DNA of leukemia T cells from a patient with ATL was molecularly cloned and the complete nucleotide sequence of 9,032 bases of the proviral genome was determined. The provirus DNA contains two long terminal repeats (LTRs) consisting of 755 bases, one at each end, which are flanked by a 6-base direct repeat of the cellular DNA sequence. The nucleotides in the LTR could be arranged into a unique secondary structure, which could explain transcriptional termination within the 3' LTR but not in the 5' LTR. The nucleotide sequence of the provirus contains three large open reading frames, which are capable of coding for proteins of 48,000, 99,000, and 54,000 daltons. The three open frames are in this order from the 5' end of the viral genome and the predicted 48,000-dalton polypeptide is a precursor of gag proteins, because it has an identical amino acid sequence to that of the NH2 terminus of human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV) p24. The open frames coding for 99,000- and 54,000-dalton polypeptides are thought to be the pol and env genes, respectively. On the 3' side of these three open frames, the ATLV sequence has four smaller open frames in various phases; these frames may code for 10,000-, 11,000-, 12,000-, and 27,000-dalton polypeptides. Although one or some of these open frames could be the transforming gene of this virus, in preliminary analysis, DNA of this region has no homology with the normal human genome.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Replication origin region of Bacillus subtilis chromosome contains two rRNA operons.

The first replicating DNA fragment (BamHI-7) of the Bacillus subtilis chromosome contains two promoters for a rRNA operon. A map of restriction enzyme cleavage sites of the region of replication origin suggests the presence of a second rRNA operon in this region. Hybridization of rRNA genes (rDNA) with DNA fragments derived from the origin region by treatment with various enzymes clearly revealed two rRNA operons in this region, one at the B7-B3 junction and the other at the B5-B6 junction. The restriction enzyme cleavage sites surrounding the rRNA operons show that the operon at the B5-B6 junction corresponds to the rrnA operon. A novel operon at the B7-B3 junction was termed rrnO. Transformation by density-labeled fragments of the origin region showed that the first replicating marker, guaA, is located in the B3 fragment. From these results, a map was constructed for the first time to correlate the genetic markers with the physical structure of the replication origin region of the B. subtilis chromosome. The role of the rrnO operon in regulating the initiation of chromosomal replication is discussed, based on the fact that the promoter of the rrnO operon suppresses the replication of the plasmid carrying the promoter.

Bacillus subtilis↗