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Biomedical subjects

N Gotoh

Publications and source records attributed to N Gotoh.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

DOCK180, a major CRK-binding protein, alters cell morphology upon translocation to the cell membrane.

CRK belongs to a family of adaptor proteins that consist mostly of SH2 and SH3 domains. Far Western blotting with CRK SH3 has demonstrated that it binds to 135- to 145-, 160-, and 180-kDa proteins. The 135- to 145-kDa protein is C3G, a CRK SH3-binding guanine nucleotide exchange protein. Here, we report on the molecular cloning of the 180-kDa protein, which is designated DOCK180 (180-kDa protein downstream of CRK). The isolated cDNA contains a 5,598-bp open reading frame encoding an 1,866-amino-acid protein. The deduced amino acid sequence did not reveal any significant homology to known proteins, except that an SH3 domain was identified at its amino terminus. To examine the function of DOCK180, a Ki-Ras farnesylation signal was fused to the carboxyl terminus of DOCK180, a strategy that has been employed successfully for activation of adaptor-binding proteins in vivo. Whereas wild-type DOCK180 accumulated diffusely in the cytoplasm and did not have any effect on cell morphology, farnesylated DOCK180 was localized on the cytoplasmic membrane and changed spindle 3T3 cells to flat, polygonal cells. These results suggest that DOCK180 is a new effector molecule which transduces signals from tyrosine kinases through the CRK adaptor protein.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1996

Inhibition of oxidation of low density lipoprotein by vitamin E and related compounds.

The oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) was carried out aiming specifically at elucidating the anti-oxidant action of alpha-tocopherol. Lipophilic and hydrophilic azo compounds and copper induced the oxidation of LDL similarly to give cholesterol ester and phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxides as major products. The antioxidant potency of alpha-tocopherol in LDL was much poorer than in homogeneous solution. Doxyl stearic acids were used as spin probe and incorporated in LDL. The rate of reduction of doxyl nitroxide in LDL by ascorbate decreased with increasing distance from the LDL surface. From the competition between the spin probe and alpha-tocopherol in scavenging radical, it was found that the efficacy of radical scavenging by alpha-tocopherol became smaller as the radical went deeper into the interior of LDL. On the other hand, 2,2,5,7,8-pentamethyl-6-chromal spared the spin label regardless of the position of nitroxide. The antioxidant activity of chromanols against LDL oxidation increased with decreasing length of isoprenoid side chain at the 2-position. All these results were interpreted by location and low mobility of alpha-tocopherol in LDL. The tocopherol mediated propagation was observed notably at low rate of radical flux, but this was suppressed by reductant such as ascorbic acid and ubiquinol.

Amidines↗
PubMed1995

The SH2 domain of Shc suppresses EGF-induced mitogenesis in a dominant negative manner.

Recently, we have shown that an EGF-R-mutant lacking the autophosphorylation sites phosphorylates Shc and retains mitogenic activity. In this report, we have shown that in these cells, in response to EGF, Ras is fully activated with formation of the tyrosine-phosphorylated Shc-Grb2-mSOS complex without the receptor. This pointed out the importance of Shc in EGF-induced Ras activation. To investigate the mechanism of tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc by EGF-R, we carried out in vitro kinase assays using immunoprecipitated EGF-R and bacterially-expressed Shc proteins as substrates. The EGF-R phosphorylated Shc, but not the Shc SH2 mutant, lacking binding ability for phosphotyrosine. This suggests that intact Shc SH2 is essential for the full-length Shc to become phosphorylated, probably by inducing a conformational change in Shc. Thus a Shc SH2 peptide may inhibit competitively Shc phosphorylation. We microinjected the Shc SH2 domain into NIH3T3 cells overexpressing the EGF-R. Microinjected Shc SH2 greatly suppressed EGF-induced DNA synthesis. But microinjection of neither the Shc SH2 mutant nor PLC-gamma 1 SH2 had any effect. This suppressing effect was rescued by comicroinjection of the full-length Shc, suggesting Shc SH2 specifically suppressed the Shc pathway. Thus we concluded Shc phosphorylation is crucial, whereas receptor autophosphorylation is dispensable, in EGF-induced mitogenesis.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1995

A unique signal transduction from FLT tyrosine kinase, a receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor VEGF.

Flt-1 (fms-like tyrosine kinase-1), a receptor-type tyrosine kinase of sharing similar features with two other flt-family encoded proteins KDR/Flk-1 and Flt-4, has been recently identified as a receptor for Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) known to induce the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells. In this study, we demonstrate that Flt-1 encodes for a 180 kDa glycoprotein, binds VEGF with high affinity, undergoes autophosphorylation but does not generate any mitogenic response in transfected NIH3T3 fibroblasts. Interestingly, the immediate early gene c-myc was not induced, whereas the c-fos was induced very weakly in Flt-1 expressing NIH3T3 cells. A comparative analysis of the Flt-1 signal cascade in the environment of endothelial cells with that of Flt-1 expressing NIH3T3 cells showed that VEGF induced phosphorylation of PLC gamma and GAP complex on tyrosine in both type of cells. However, a strong activation of MAP kinases was observed only in endothelial cells. Further, different from many other receptor tyrosine kinases, tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc protein, an important adaptor for signal transduction from many receptor kinases, was very weak in both Flt-1-NIH3T3 cells and endothelial cells. These results suggest that Flt-1 kinase utilizes a unique signal transduction system in endothelial cells, and the activation of the Flt-1 kinase is insufficient to trigger a mitogenic response in NIH3T3 fibroblasts.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1995

Interaction among vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene.

The effects of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), and beta-carotene as antioxidants and their cooperative action against the oxidation of lipid in solution, membranes, and lipoproteins have been studied and reviewed. Ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol act as potent, and probably the most important, hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidants, respectively. They function at their own site individually and furthermore act synergistically. beta-Carotene has lower reactivity toward radicals than does alpha-tocopherol and acts as a weak antioxidant in solution. It is more lipophilic than alpha-tocopherol and is assumed to be present at the interior of membranes or lipoproteins, which enables it to scavenge radicals within the lipophilic compartment more efficiently than does alpha-tocopherol. The cooperative interaction between vitamin C and vitamin E may be quite probable, that of vitamin C and beta-carotene is improbable, whereas that between vitamin E and beta-carotene may be possible.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed1995

The outer membrane protein OprM of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is encoded by oprK of the mexA-mexB-oprK multidrug resistance operon.

An outer membrane protein (OprK) overproduced in a multiply antibiotic-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was previously identified as the product of the third gene of a multidrug resistance operon, mexA-mexB-oprK (K. Poole, K. Krebes, C. McNally, and S. Neshat, J. Bacteriol. 175:7363-7372, 1993). To determine whether this protein was identical to another outer membrane protein (OprM) also overproduced in some multiply resistant strains, attempts were made to map the transposon insertion site of several OprM-deficient mutants to the mex operon. Amplification of chromosomal DNA of several Tn5 insertion OprM-deficient mutants with primers specific to each gene of the mex operon revealed that the transposon had inserted into mexB in one instance and into oprK in two others. Furthermore, introduction of the cloned mexA-mexB-oprK operon into these mutants restored expression of multidrug resistance, concomitant with OprM production. These data demonstrated that OprM is encoded by the mex operon. OprM and OprK were not, however, immunologically cross-reactive, indicating that they are distinct proteins and that OprK is, in fact, not encoded by the mex operon. This operon is thus renamed mexA-mexB-oprM.

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins↗
PubMed1995

nfxC-type quinolone resistance in a clinical isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Quinolone resistance gene nqr-T91 in a clinical isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa P1481 was cotransducible with catA1 in P. aeruginosa PAO. The nqr-T91 transductant, PKH-T91, was resistant to norfloxacin, imipenem, and chloramphenicol and showed less norfloxacin accumulation than the parent strain did. Loss of the 46-kDa outer membrane protein (D2) and an increase in the 50-kDa outer membrane protein in PKH-T91 were observed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Lipopolysaccharides in the transductant were also changed. These alterations were considered to be related to lower levels of norfloxacin accumulation in PKH-T91. These genetic and biochemical properties suggested that an nfxC type of quinolone-resistant mutation occurred in a clinical isolate of P. aeruginosa P1481.

4-Quinolones↗
PubMed1995

Purification of a 54-kilodalton protein (OprJ) produced in NfxB mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and production of a monoclonal antibody specific to OprJ.

The 54-kDa outer membrane protein (designated OprJ) of a norfloxacin-resistant nfxB mutant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 was purified by ion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography. Mobility of OprJ in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was not affected by reduction and heating. A murine monoclonal antibody (MAb) against OprJ was prepared to investigate existence of this protein in fluoroquinolone-susceptible and -resistant strains of P. aeruginosa. Western blot (immunoblot) analysis with this MAb revealed a single band at the position corresponding to OprJ in outer membrane proteins of NfxB mutants derived from clinical isolates. However, the MAb did not react with any outer membrane proteins of the respective parent strains. Complementation of the NfxB mutation by transformation with plasmid pNF111, which contained the wild-type nfxB gene, led to disappearance of the single band corresponding to OprJ. The existence of OprJ was associated with fluoroquinolone resistance. Furthermore, the MAb did not react with any outer membrane proteins of other fluoroquinolone-resistant nalB and nfxC mutants. These results suggest that OprJ is newly produced in NfxB mutants of P. aeruginosa and is involved in fluoroquinolone resistance specific to NfxB, and it appears that the MAb to OprJ should aid in detection of the NfxB mutation in P. aeruginosa.

Anti-Infective Agents↗
PubMed1995

[Synergism of ciprofloxacin and roxithromycin to Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm].

Synergism of ciprofloxacin (CPFX) and roxithromycin (RXM) to bacterial biofilms formed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated. Measurement of antibacterial activities and morphological observation with a scanning electron-microscope suggested that RXM eradicated the biofilms by unknown mechanism and thereby enhanced the bactericidal activity of CPFX to P. aeruginosa in biofilms.

Biofilms↗
PubMed1994

Isolation of OprM-deficient mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by transposon insertion mutagenesis: evidence of involvement in multiple antibiotic resistance.

Overproduction of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane protein OprM was observed in the nalidixix acid (NalB-type) multidrug-resistant strains. To clarify the involvement of OprM in the resistance, transposon mutants were isolated from strain PAO4141 and its OprM-overexpressed mutant KG2113 and were screened for OprM production by immunoblot assays using murine polyclonal antiserum resulting from immunization with purified OprM. Two OprM-deficient mutants from PAO4141 and one from KG2113 were identified. Determination of the susceptibilities of these mutants to antimicrobial agents demonstrated that OprM was involved not only in the acquired resistance, but also in the intrinsic resistance of P. aeruginosa to quinolones, cephems, penicillins, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol.

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins↗
PubMed1994

Evidence for the location of OprM in the Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane.

OprM with a M(r) of 49 K is associated with the multidrug resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Detergent fractionation of bacterial cells has demonstrated that OprM is located in the outer membrane from which it sediments with the other major outer membrane proteins. In this study we have determined the location of OprM as the P. aeruginosa outer membrane. Western immunoblots of cell fractions, obtained by sucrose density gradient centrifugation of whole cell lysates, were probed with an OprM-specific murine polyclonal antiserum.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1994

Effects of ebselen and probucol on oxidative modifications of lipid and protein of low density lipoprotein induced by free radicals.

The oxidative modification of low density lipoprotein (LDL) is accepted to be an important early event of atherosclerosis, but it has not yet been well understood. The preventive effects of two antioxidants with different functions, ebselen and probucol, against the oxidative modification of LDL induced by copper or a water-soluble radical initiator, 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) were studied in order to elucidate the mechanism of modification of apolipoprotein B-100 (apoB). Ebselen inhibited the copper-induced oxidation completely by reducing the hydroperoxides in LDL, since the initiation of copper-dependent oxidation requires the presence of a trace amount of hydroperoxides in LDL. On the other hand, ebselen did not suppress the oxidations of LDL induced by AAPH which generated free radicals by its thermal decomposition. The AAPH-induced oxidation of LDL in the absence of ebselen gave phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide and cholesteryl ester hydroperoxide as major products, while in its presence, the hydroperoxides were reduced to corresponding alcohols. Interestingly, ebselen had little effect on the increase of relative electrophoretic mobility and fragmentation of intact apoB in the AAPH-induced oxidation. Probucol inhibited the oxidation of lipids in LDL effectively induced by either copper or AAPH, but the protein modifications were observed even in the presence of probucol. It was suggested that (1) lipid hydroperoxides do not play an important role in the modification of apoB such as increase in negative charge and fragmentation, (2) the direct attack of free radicals upon apoB and its modification by lipid oxidation products derived from hydroperoxides increase the negative charge of apoB, and (3) its fragmentation is caused primarily by an attack of free radicals.

Amidines↗
PubMed1994

Epidermal growth factor-receptor mutant lacking the autophosphorylation sites induces phosphorylation of Shc protein and Shc-Grb2/ASH association and retains mitogenic activity.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) can induce cell growth and transformation in a ligand-dependent manner. To examine whether the autophosphorylation of EGFR correlates with the capacity of the activated EGFR to induce cell growth and transformation, we truncated the human EGFR just after residue 1011, removing all three major autophosphorylation sites (DEL1011). Further, a point mutation was introduced at another autophosphorylation site, Tyr-992-->Phe (DEL1011+F992). The wild-type and mutant receptors were stably expressed in a NIH 3T3 variant cell line that expresses an extremely low level of endogenous EGFR and does not grow with EGF. As expected, DEL1011 and DEL1011+F992 were found to be severely impaired in EGF-induced autophosphorylation, due to the deletion of the appropriate target tyrosines. However, mutant receptors still could induce EGF-dependent DNA synthesis, morphological transformation, and anchorage-independent growth, although the extent of these was significantly reduced when compared with wild-type EGFR. EGF-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Ras-GTPase activating protein-associated protein p62 and phospholipase C gamma 1 was dramatically reduced in the cells expressing DEL1011 and DEL1011+F992. On the other hand, tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc, complex formation of Shc-Grb2/Ash, and activation of microtubule-associated protein kinase were still fully induced upon EGF stimulation without binding of Shc or Grb2/Ash to the mutant receptor. Thus, tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc may play a crucial role for activating Ras and generating mitotic signals by the activated EGFR mutant.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1994

Isolation and characterization of the outer-membrane proteins of Burkholderia (Pseudomonas) pseudomallei.

Membranes obtained from whole-cell lysates of Burkholderia (Pseudomonas) pseudomallei (strain 319a) were separated into four fractions by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Membranes were characterized by enzymic and chemical analyses, and by SDS-PAGE. Cytoplasmic membranes and two forms of outer membranes (OM-1, OM-2) were detected. The major outer-membrane proteins had M(r) values of 70,000, 38,000, 31,000, 24,000 and 17,000. To determine which outer-membrane proteins were common to B. pseudomallei strains, OM-1 fractions from 12 different strains were prepared. SDS-PAGE analysis of these fractions demonstrated that the five major outer-membrane proteins were common to the strains tested. Further studies have shown that an M(r) 110,000 protein, which is oligomeric in that it migrates as an M(r) 38,000 protein upon heating at 95 degrees C and which is peptidoglycan-associated, serves as a porin in B. pseudomallei. Using proteoliposomes reconstituted from this protein and phospholipid, it was demonstrated by the liposome-swelling assay that this protein acts as a porin through which small saccharides may diffuse. Further characterization of this M(r) 38,000 protein will be important in delineating the role of this molecule in the permeability of the B. pseudomallei outer membrane.

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins↗
PubMed1994

Burkholderia (formerly Pseudomonas) cepacia porin is an oligomer composed of two component proteins.

The 81 kDa protein (designated OpcPO) which forms a diffusion pore in the outer membrane of Burkholderia (formerly Pseudomonas) cepacia has a unique characteristic in that when the purified protein is heated it yields a major 36 kDa protein (designated OpcP1) and a minor 27 kDa protein (designated OpcP2). Moreover, incubation of OpcPO in citrate buffer at pH 3.0 produced an unusual dissociation into 72 kDa and 27 kDa proteins. For the characterization of OpcPO and its derivatives, OpcP1 and OpcP2 from purified OpcPO were isolated by preparative SDS-PAGE. Reconstitution of OpcPO using purified preparations of OpcP1 and OpcP2 indicated that these derivatives were not proteolytic fragments of OpcPO. Moreover, immunoblot assays with murine polyclonal antisera specific for OpcP1 and OpcP2 yielded the following results: (i) OpcP1 and OpcP2 are immunologically distinguishable proteins; (ii) the unusual dissociation of OpcPO in citrate buffer at pH 3.0 resulted in the release of OpcP2 from OpcPO, and the resulting 72 kDa protein was probably an oligomer of OpcP1; (iii) purified OpcP1 itself produced two additional 53 kDa and 72 kDa proteins spontaneously following elution from the bottom of the SDS-PAGE gel. From these findings, it was concluded that OpcPO is formed by the non-covalent association of OpcP2 with an oligomer of OpcP1 that has the ability to self-assemble.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1994

A new communication system between hepatocytes and sinusoidal endothelial cells in liver through vascular endothelial growth factor and Flt tyrosine kinase receptor family (Flt-1 and KDR/Flk-1).

Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF)/Scatter Factor secreted from sinusoidal endothelial cells and Kupffer cells in liver activates the c-Met tyrosine kinase receptor expressed on hepatocytes. Here we report yet another possible communication system through a different ligand and tyrosine kinase receptor in an opposite direction. We isolated and determined the primary structure of the entire coding region of rat flt-1 (fms-like tyrosine kinase), a receptor for Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF). Using rat flt-1 cDNA as a probe we found that the flt-1 mRNA was expressed at very high levels in sinusoidal endothelial cells in normal rat liver, but was hardly detectable in hepatocytes. The transcripts of another VEGF receptor KDR/Flk-1 structurally related to Flt-1 was also expressed specifically in sinusoidal endothelial cells. On the other hand, VEGF mRNA was expressed weakly in hepatocytes, but not in the nonparenchymal cell fraction. Furthermore, in an in vitro culture system, VEGF demonstrated a remarkably specific growth-stimulatory activity as well as maintenance activity on the sinusoidal endothelial cells. These results suggest that hepatocytes regulate the proliferation and survival of the sinusoidal endothelial cells in liver in a paracrine manner. Therefore two reciprocal communication systems, VEGF-Flt receptor family and HGF-Met receptor, may exist in hepatic tissue.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Possible involvement of VEGF-FLT tyrosine kinase receptor system in normal and tumor angiogenesis.

A novel receptor-type tyrosine kinase gene flt (fms-like tyrosine kinase, flt-1) was isolated from human placenta cDNA library. Flt-1 receptor carries a ligand binding domain which contains seven immunoglobulin-like stretches. Further, Flt-1 tyrosine kinase domain is separated by an approximately 70 amino acid-insert region similar to the cases of Fms/Kit/PDGF-R (fms family). However, unlike the fms family members, Flt-1 insert region does not contain "Tyr-X-X-Met" motif, which is known to be important for signal transduction and for the binding of P13 kinase to the receptor. Thus, a unique structure of Flt-1 suggests that a signal transduction pathway from Flt receptor is different from that in the fms family. The expression of flt-1 gene is detectable in a variety of normal tissues, and cell fractionation studies indicate that the flt-1 mRNA is highly expressed in endothelial cell-enriched fraction. VEGF, which has recently been reported as a ligand for Flt-1 receptor, dramatically stimulated growth of endothelial cells in culture. Many human tumors were found to express VEGF mRNA but not Flt-1 message, suggesting a paracrine mechanism for tumor angiogenesis. Interestingly, VEGF could not stimulate proliferation of Flt-1-overexpressing NIH3T3 fibroblast cells. These results suggest that Flt-1 is an endothel-specific growth factor receptor and that the signal transducing pathway through Flt-1 receptor is inactive in the fibroblast background.

3T3 Cells↗