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R J MacDonald

Publications and source records attributed to R J MacDonald.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Pancreas-specific genes: structure and expression.

Via recombinant DNA technology the mRNA sequence of pancreatic amylase has been cloned and its nucleotide sequence has been determined. The cloned sequence represents 96% of the total length of amylase mRNA; missing are an estimated 75 +/- 30 nucleotides from the 5' end. The amino acid sequence of rat pancreatic amylase was deduced solely from the nucleotide sequence of the mRNA. Unlike other eukaryotic mRNAs, the amylase mRNA has short 5' and 5' untranslated regions, suggesting that long untranslated regions of eukaryotic mRNAs either do not contain extensive functional sequences or that these sequences are incorporated within the amino acid coding region of amylase mRNA. The cloned amylase mRNA sequence was radiolabeled and used as a probe for in situ hybridization. These experiments demonstrate that amylase mRNA is present in all acinar cells but not in other pancreatic cell types. Using the cloned amylase mRNA sequences as a hybridization probe, three nonoverlapping genomic DNA fragments containing amylase gene sequences were isolated. From the similar sequence organization of the three amylase genes visualized by DNA heteroduplex mapping, a consensus structure of a rat amylase gene is proposed. It is an extended gene structure 10 kilobase pairs in length containing the 1547 base pairs of the cloned mRNA coding sequence interrupted by seven intervening sequences ranging from 400-2000 base pairs long. Thus, in nuclear DNA the amylase mRNA coding sequence is disrupted into at least eight segments from 150-300 base pairs long.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1980

Structure of a family of rat amylase genes.

The sequences of two cloned rat pancreatic amylase cDNAs comprising 95% of the mRNA sequence are reported. Analysis of cloned rat genomic DNA fragments using cloned cDNA probes indicates that the rat genome contains multiple closely related amylase genes in which the cDNA sequences are distributed within a region 9 kilobases in length and are interrupted by at least seven intervening sequences.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1980

Proteins synthesized and secreted during rat pancreatic development.

The synthesis and secretion of proteins during development of the pancreas was analyzed using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The pattern of synthesis of the total proteins of the pancreas was found to change very little from 14 to 18 d gestation. In addition, the protein synthetic pattern of the embryonic pancreas was very similar to the protein patterns of several other embryonic tissues (gut, lung, and mesenchyme). Between 18 d gestation and the adult stage, the synthesis of the majority of protein species fades as the synthesis of the secretory (pro)enzymes becomes dominant. Thus, the terminal differentiation of the pancreas appears to involve the dominant expression of a limited set of genes (coding, in part, for the digestive [pro]enzymes) while the pattern of expression of the remaining domain remains relatively unchanged. Many of the secretory (pro)enzymes were identified and their synthesis during development was monitored. The synthesis of several secretory proteins was detected between 15 and 18 d gestation (e.g., amylase and chymotrypsinogen), whereas the synthesis of others was not detected until after 18 d gestation (i.e., trypsinogen, ribonuclease, proelastase, and lipase). Between 18 d gestation and the adult stage, the synthesis of the digestive (pro)enzymes increases to > 90% of pancreatic protein synthesis. The secretion of digestive (pro)enzymes was detected as early as 15 d gestation. The selective release of a second set of proteins was detected in the early embryo. These proteins are not detected in the adult pancreas or in zymogen granules but are also released by several other embryonic tissues. The function of this set of proteins is unknown.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Isolation of biologically active ribonucleic acid from sources enriched in ribonuclease.

Intact ribonucleic acid (RNA) has been prepared from tissues rich in ribonuclease such as the rat pancreas by efficient homogenization in a 4 M solution of the potent protein denaturant guanidinium thiocyanate plus 0.1 M 2-mercaptoethanol to break protein disulfide bonds. The RNA was isolated free of protein by ethanol precipitation or by sedimentation through cesium chloride. Rat pancreas RNA obtained by these means has been used as a source for the purification of alpha-amylase messenger ribonucleic acid.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Glycoprotein synthesis in the adult rat pancreas. IV. Subcellular distribution of membrane glycoproteins.

Zymogen granule membranes from the rat exocrine pancreas displays distinctive, simple protein and glycoprotein compositions when compared to other intracellular membranes. The carbohydrate content of zymogen granule membrane protein was 5-10-fold greater than that of membrane fractions isolated from smooth and rough microsomes, mitochondria and a preparation containing plasma membranes, and 50-100-fold greater than the zymogen granule content and the postmicrosomal supernate. The granule membrane glycoprotein contained primarily sialic acid, fucose, mannose, galactose and N-acetylglucosamine. The levels of galactose, fucose and sialic acid increased in membranes in the following order: rough microsomes less than smooth microsomes less than zymogen granules. Membrane polypeptides were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate. The profile of zymogen granule membrane polypeptides was characterized by GP-2, a species with an apparent molecular weight of 74 000. Radioactivity profiles of membranes labeled with [3H]glucosamine or [3H]leucine, as well as periodic acid-Schiff stain profiles, indicated that GP-2 accounted for approx. 40% of the firmly bound granule membrane protein. Low levels of a species similar to GP-2 were detected in membranes of smooth microsomes and the preparation enriched in plasma membranes but not in other subcellular fractions. These results suggest that GP-2 is a biochemical marker for zymogen granules. Membrane glycoproteins of intact zymogen granules were resistant to neuraminidase treatment, while those in isolated granule membranes were readily degraded by neuraminidase. GP-2 of intact granules was not labeled by exposure to galactose oxidase followed by reduction with NaB3H4. In contrast, GP-2 in purified granule membranes was readily labeled by this procedure. Therefore GP-2 appears to be located on the zymogen granule interior.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Isolation and in vitro translation of the messenger RNA coding for pancreatic amylase.

RNA prepared from dog pancreas polysomes or microsomes directs the synthesis of pancreas-specific proteins in heterologous cell-free translation systems. A translation product, approximately 1500 daltons larger than authentic amylase, corresponding to pancreatic amylase was identified by immunoprecipitation with anti-amylase gamma-globulin and tryptic peptide analysis. We suggest that this larger form of amylase is an amylase precursor. Using amylase immunoprecipitation of reticulocyte translation reactions as an assay, we have shown that greater than 99% of the mRNA for amylase is associated with polysomes bound to the endoplasmic reticulum. Electrophoresis of pancreatic mRNA preparations in formamide-containing polyacrylamide gels and subsequent translation of the fractions have shown that amylase mRNA is of a discrete size with a mobility equivalent to that of 18 S ribosomal RNA, and therefore significantly larger than required to code solely for the amino acid sequence of the amylase precursor.

Amylases↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cloning cDNAs corresponding to the 5' end of messenger RNAs using specific DNA primers.

A method is described to clone cDNAs corresponding to the 5' end of specific mRNAs which are absent from cDNA libraries. A segment is excised from the 5' end of a previously cloned truncated cDNA and hybridized to total polyadenylated RNA. The hybridized primer is extended using reverse transcriptase, tailed with deoxycytidine, and the second strand synthesized using oligo (dG)10-16 as a primer. The primer-extended double-stranded cDNA is cloned into pBR322 by dC-dG homopolymeric tailing. This method has been successful for cloning a 398 bp cDNA fragment corresponding to the entire 5' end of rat pancreatic elastase I mRNA, a prominent pancreatic mRNA, and a 510 bp fragment encoding the 5' end of kallikrein mRNA, a lower abundant pancreatic mRNA.

Animals↗