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R Derynck

Publications and source records attributed to R Derynck.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

Transforming growth factor beta gene maps to human chromosome 19 long arm and to mouse chromosome 7.

Transforming growth factors (TGF) are defined as biologically active polypeptides which reversibly confer the transformed phenotype onto untransformed cultured cells. They have been subdivided into two classes: type alpha and type beta TGFs. TGF-beta acts synergistically with TGF-alpha in inducing phenotypic transformation. TGF-beta can also act as a negative autocrine growth factor. A human 1050-bp EcoRi cDNA fragment was used to map the human locus for TGF-beta by Southern blotting of DNA prepared from 17 human X Chinese hamster somatic cell hybrids. The human-specific restriction fragments segregated with human chromosome 19 in all of 14 informative hybrids. All other human chromosomes were discordant with the TGF-beta bands in at least four hybrids. After in situ hybridization of the tritiated TGF-beta probe to normal human metaphase spreads, 151 silver grains were scored in 54 cells. Of 24 grains over chromosome 19, 16 grains (11%) lay over region 19q13.1----q13.3. Of the 54 cells analyzed, 16 (30%) had label over region 19q13.1----q13.3. Thus, TGFB is assigned to chromosome 19, subbands q13.1----q13.3. The Tgf-beta locus in the mouse was mapped to chromosome 7 by hybridizing a murine cDNA probe to a Chinese hamster X mouse hybrid panel. Human chromosome 19 and proximal mouse chromosome 7 share another four homologous loci.

Animals↗

Human recombinant transforming growth factor alpha stimulates bone resorption and inhibits formation in vitro.

Human recombinant transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha), which binds to the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor and causes several biological effects similar to those caused by EGF, was compared with murine EGF for its effects on a number of parameters of bone cell metabolism. TGF alpha stimulated bone resorption in two organ culture systems, the fetal rat long bone and neonatal mouse calvarial systems. TGF alpha stimulated bone resorption at concentrations as low as 0.1 ng/ml. TGF alpha effects on bone resorption in mouse calvariae were inhibited by indomethacin, suggesting that, like EGF, its effects were mediated by prostaglandin synthesis. TGF alpha had a different time course of action on bone resorption from that of EGF, causing more rapid release of previously incorporated 45Ca from bone cultures, suggesting that TGF alpha does not function on bone as a simple EGF analogue. TGF alpha also caused effects on osteoblast function resembling those of EGF. It inhibited alkaline phosphatase activity in cultured rat osteosarcoma cells with the osteoblast phenotype and inhibited collagen synthesis in fetal rat calvaria at concentrations of 1.0 ng/ml. The lowest concentration of TGF alpha (expressed as nanogram equivalents of EGF per ml) required to produce a response in all of the systems tested was about 1/10th of that needed for EGF to produce a similar effect. These results indicate that TGF alpha is a potent stimulator of bone resorption and inhibitor of bone formation as assessed by inhibition of collagen synthesis and alkaline phosphatase activity and are consistent with the hypothesis that TGF alpha may be responsible, at least in part, for the bone resorption associated with some tumors.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Recombinant human transforming growth factor-alpha stimulates the formation of osteoclast-like cells in long-term human marrow cultures.

Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) is synthesized by a variety of tumor cell lines and stimulates osteoclastic bone resorption in vitro. The mechanism by which TGF-alpha increases osteoclast activity is unknown. We used a human marrow culture system that forms osteoclast-like multinucleated cells (MNCs) to determine the effects of recombinant human TGF-alpha on MNC formation. Addition of 0.01 ng/ml TGF-alpha for the 1st week followed by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] for the subsequent 2 wk significantly increased MNCs. Treatment of these cultures with TGF-alpha without later addition of 1,25(OH)2D3 did not increase MNC formation. Autoradiographic studies revealed that TGF-alpha stimulated proliferation of precursors for MNCs, and 1,25(OH)2D3 increased their rate of fusion into MNCs. Addition of murine epidermal growth factor (EGF) (0.1 ng/ml) followed by 1,25(OH)2D3 also significantly stimulated MNC formation. These data suggest that TGF-alpha and EGF may stimulate bone resorption by increasing the proliferation of osteoclast precursors, which leads to increased numbers of osteoclasts.

Bone Marrow↗

Actions of growth factors on plasma calcium. Epidermal growth factor and human transforming growth factor-alpha cause elevation of plasma calcium in mice.

Specific humoral substances produced and secreted by human tumors that cause hypercalcemia have not been identified. Certain growth factors (such as epidermal growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, and transforming growth factors-alpha and -beta) have been shown to stimulate the resorption of bone in organ culture by both prostaglandin-dependent and prostaglandin-independent pathways. In this report we demonstrate that epidermal growth factor and recombinant human transforming growth factor-alpha induce a significant rise in plasma calcium concentration when administered repeatedly to intact mice for periods ranging from 24 h to 16 d. The elevation of plasma calcium is not dependent on dietary calcium and is not invariably accompanied by an increase in systemic levels of the prostaglandin E2 metabolite 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin E2. The in vivo calcium-mobilizing activity of epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor-alpha indicate that these or related growth factors need be considered as potential mediators of tumor-induced hypercalcemia.

Animals↗

Alpha and beta human transforming growth factors stimulate prostaglandin production and bone resorption in cultured mouse calvaria.

Human alpha and beta transforming growth factors (TGF-alpha and TGF-beta) stimulated the production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and bone resorption in neonatal mouse calvaria in organ culture. Significant stimulation of bone resorption by TGF-alpha was observed with a concentration of 0.2 ng/ml (35 pM) and by TGF-beta with 0.2 ng/ml (8.0 pM). Enhanced production of PGE2 and bone resorption stimulated by either TGF-alpha or TGF-beta were both inhibited by indomethacin. We conclude that TGF-alpha and TGF-beta are potent and powerful stimulators of the resorption of mouse bone by a mechanism that involves the enhanced local production of PGE2.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗

Human transforming growth factor-alpha stimulates bone resorption in vitro.

Tumor-derived transforming growth factors (TGF) have been proposed as possible mediators of hypercalcemia in malignancy. We have studied the action of recombinant human TGF-alpha in cultured bone cells and in bone explant cultures. In clonal UMR-106 rat osteosarcoma cells, TGF-alpha and epidermal growth factor (EGF) were equipotent in binding to the EGF receptor. TGF-alpha and EGF both stimulated resorption of neonatal mouse calvaria, and maximal responses were obtained with 10 ng/ml of TGF-alpha after 72 h in culture. The effects of both TGF-alpha and EGF in calvaria, but not those of parathyroid hormone, were inhibited by 5 X 10(-7) M indomethacin. Fetal rat limb bone cultures were less sensitive to TGF-alpha than neonatal mouse calvaria, with a concentration of 30 ng/ml being required to stimulate resorption in this system. The bone-resorbing activity of TGF-alpha in fetal rat bones was inhibited by 10 ng/ml calcitonin but not by 5 X 10(-7) M indomethacin. EGF at concentrations up to 300 ng/ml did not stimulate resorption of the limb bones at time periods up to 66 h. The results indicate that human TGF-alpha is a potent bone-resorbing agent, and support the concept that this growth factor exhibits some effects distinct from those of EGF. TGF-alpha could play an etiologic role in the hypercalcemia of malignancy.

Animals↗

Mapping of transforming growth factor alpha gene on human chromosome 2 close to the breakpoint of the Burkitt's lymphoma t(2;8) variant translocation.

Transforming growth factors (TGFs) are defined as biologically active polypeptides which reversibly confer the transformed phenotype onto untransformed cultured cells. TGF-alpha shows sequence homology with epidermal growth factor and competes with epidermal growth factor for binding to the epidermal growth factor receptor, stimulating the phosphorylation of the receptor. TGF-alpha is secreted by many transformed cells and may be involved in embryonic development. A cloned human TGF-alpha gene was used to map the locus for the TGF-alpha precursor to the short arm of human chromosome 2, region 2p11----2p13, by Southern blotting techniques with DNA prepared from rodent X human somatic cell hybrids. These hybrids contained different subsets of human chromosomes and included a set with a translocation between human chromosomes 1 and 2 [t(1;2) (q32;q13)]. In situ hybridization of the TGF-alpha probe to normal human metaphase spreads confirmed these data and localized TGF-alpha more precisely to bands 2p11----2p13. Breakpoints in the variant Burkitt lymphoma translocation t(2;8) occur within these bands. Such a t(2;8) translocation could place TGF-alpha next to c-myc in band 8q24. The possibility is raised that TGF-alpha might contribute to tumor progression in these cases of Burkitt's lymphoma.

Burkitt Lymphoma↗

Human transforming growth factor-alpha: precursor structure and expression in E. coli.

Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) is secreted by many human tumors and can induce the reversible transformation of nontransformed cell lines. Using long synthetic deoxyoligonucleotides as hybridization probes we isolated an exon coding for a portion of TGF-alpha from a human genomic DNA library. Utilizing this exon as a probe, a cell line derived from a human renal cell carcinoma was identified as a source of TGF-alpha mRNA. A cloned TGF-alpha cDNA was isolated from a cDNA library prepared using RNA from this cell line, and was found to encode a precursor polypeptide of 160 amino acids. The 50 amino acid mature TGF-alpha produced by expression of the appropriate coding sequence in E. coli binds to the epidermal growth factor receptor and induces the anchorage independence of normal mammalian cells in culture.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Expression of the human interferon-gamma cDNA in yeast.

Several plasmids which direct the expression of human interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) cDNA in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the transcriptional control of the 3-phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) promoter have been constructed. Up to 25 x 10(6) units per liter culture of biologically active IFN-gamma are synthesized in yeast transformed with these expression plasmids. The amount of IFN-gamma mRNA in yeast transformed with the IFN-gamma expression plasmids is much lower than the amount of PGK mRNA present when the PGK gene and promoter are inserted on a similar plasmid. The major and three minor sites of transcription initiation have been localized. The major starting point of the IFN-gamma mRNA is at 4 basepairs upstream of the PGK mRNA start. All transcription starts map at an ApG as does PGK mRNA. The yeast IFN-gamma mRNA terminates in a specific segment of the 3' untranslated region of the IFN-gamma cDNA. The polyadenylation site at about 182-184 nucleotides 3' of the IFN-gamma stop codon is preceded by a sequence which is very similar to a sequence proposed to be involved in transcription termination and polyadenylation (49).

Cloning, Molecular↗

The primary structure of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene for 3-phosphoglycerate kinase.

The DNA sequence of the gene for the yeast glycolytic enzyme, 3-phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK), has been obtained by sequencing part of a 3.1 kbp HindIII fragment obtained from the yeast genome. The structural gene sequence corresponds to a reading frame of 1251 bp coding for 416 amino acids with no intervening DNA sequences. The amino acid sequence is approximately 65 percent homologous with human and horse PGK protein sequences and is in general agreement with the published protein sequence for yeast PGK. As for other highly expressed structural genes in yeast, the coding sequence is highly codon biased with 95 percent of the amino acids coded for by a select 25 codons (out of 61 possible). Besides structural DNA sequence, 291 bp of 5'-flanking sequence and 286 bp of 3'-flanking sequence were determined. Transcription starts 36 nucleotides upstream from the translational start and stops 86-93 nucleotides downstream from the translational stop. These results suggest a non-polyadenylated mRNA length of 1373 to 1380 nucleotides, which is consistent with the observed length of 1500 nucleotides for polyadenylated PGK mRNA. A sequence TATATATAAA is found at 145 nucleotides upstream from the translational start. This sequence resembles the TATAAA box that is possibly associated with RNA polymerase II binding.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Human interferon gamma is encoded by a single class of mRNA.

Polyadenylated RNA from human peripheral blood lymphocytes and spleen cells, treated with different inducers for IFN-gamma production, was fractionated on denaturing sucrose gradients. Two IFN-gamma mRNA peaks at 12S and 16S were consistently observed. Nucleotide sequence analysis of cDNA clones showed that the 12S IFN-gamma mRNA from the different sources is identical to the gel fractionated 18S IFN-gamma mRNA which gave rise to the IFN-gamma cDNA clone p69 (1). Nucleotide sequence analysis of several IFN-gamma cDNA clones showed the presence of a CGA (Arg) codon at position 140 of mature IFN-gamma in contrast with the CAA (Gln) codon, which is found in p69 (1). Specifically primed cDNA extension on total induced polyadenylated RNA revealed the presence of a single mRNA species having a 5' untranslated region of 125-130 nucleotides. The nucleotide sequence of this region has been obtained. These data suggest that a single human IFN-gamma gene, which has very little polymorphism, gives rise to a single size class of mRNA.

Base Sequence↗

Secretory proteins induced in human fibroblasts under conditions used for the production of interferon beta.

Human fibroblast cells treated with a combination of inhibitors of protein and RNA synthesis [cycloheximide and actinomycin D as used to superinduce interferon beta (IFN-beta)] secrete two proteins with molecular masses of 22000 and 27000 kilodaltons (called 22-kDal and 27-kDal) that are precipitable with an antiserum raised against impure IFN-beta but are antigenically distinct from IFN-beta 1. Translation in vitro of mRNA extracted from human fibroblast cells induced for the production of IFN-beta leads to the synthesis of a 26-kDal protein that is structurally closely related to the 22- and 27-kDal proteins. This 26-kDal protein mRNA is relatively abundant and also appears in human fibroblasts induced only with cycloheximide. It has been partially purified by sucrose gradient centrifugation and more extensively by diazobenzyloxymethyl-cellulose hybridization to plasmid DNA from a bacterial cDNA clone. When translated in an in vitro reticulocyte system supplemented with dog pancreas microsomes, the 26-kDal protein and two other intermediates corresponding presumably to its signal-cleaved (19-kDal) and partially glycosylated (24-kDal) forms were observed. Crude, partially purified, and highly purified 26-kDal mRNA failed to program the synthesis of antiviral or ppp(A2'p5')nA synthetase-inducing activity when translated in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Moreover, partially purified 22-kDal and 27-kDal (i.e., the in vivo equivalents of the 26-kDal protein) are also devoid of antiviral or ppp(A2'p5')nA synthetase-inducing activity. Hence, this 26-kDal mRNA, although presumably identical to the human IFN-beta 2 mRNA described by Weissenbach et al. [Weissenbach, J., Chernajovsky, Y., Zeevi, M., Shulman, K., Soreq, H., Nir. U., Wallach, D., Perricaudet, M., Tiollais, P. & Revel, M. (1980) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 77, 7152-7156], cannot be considered to be a fibroblast interferon mRNA.

Cells, Cultured↗

The human fibroblast interferon gene(s) and their expression in heterologous cells.

A clone has been identified which contains the genetic information specifying human fibroblast interferon (beta 1) and which was derived from a messenger RNA population. On the basis of the nucleotide sequence the complete amino acid sequence (166 residues) of human fibroblast interferon was deduced. It is preceded by a 21 amino acids long signal sequence. Also, a genomic clone was isolated and characterized in detail; on this basis we can conclude that the interferon beta 1 gene does not contain introns. The nucleotide sequence of the putative promoter region was deduced and compared with other eukaryotic promoters. So far, no evidence has been obtained for other human interferons of the fibroblast type. The interferon beta 1 was expressed in the mature form of Escherichia coli without glycosylation. Fully processed interferon was obtained by transfection of monkey CV1-cells with an SV40-derivative, in which the interferon gene replaced the major structural protein VP1.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Evidence for a unique human fibroblast interferon (IFN-beta 1) chromosomal gene, devoid of intervening sequences.

Direct restriction analysis of the human genome, using the Southern transfer technique and hybridization with a human fibroblast interferon (IFN-beta) complementary DNA insert probe, revealed the presence of a single gene; no additional closely related IFN-beta genes could be detected. A lambda-linked human gene library (Lawn et al., Cell, 15, 1157-1174 (1978)) was screened using the cDNA probe. Out of 600,000 recombinant phage examined, one single clone bearing interferon sequences was obtained. Restriction analysis of the relevant region revealed an identical restriction map as obtained for the IFN-beta 1 cDNA clones. No intervening sequences could be detected, either in the coding or the non-coding regions of the gene.

Base Sequence↗