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Biomedical subjects

R J Simpson

Publications and source records attributed to R J Simpson.

At least 325 records · Page 18Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Intestinal iron absorption and mucosal transferrin in rats subjected to hypoxia.

Three days hypoxia (0.5 atm) increased the haemoglobin and haematocrit values in rats paralleled by enhanced intestinal iron absorption. The destination of recently-absorbed iron was primarily the erythropoietic system, viz. bone marrow, spleen and red cells. Total plasma transferrin, was increased by 30%, but no significant changes in mucosal transferrin were found. No increase in labelling of mucosal transferrin by absorbed iron was observed. These results suggest that mucosal transferrin does not play a major role in the regulation of intestinal iron absorption in hypoxia.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Peptide sequencing of the chick oviduct progesterone receptor form B.

The progesterone receptor form B has been isolated to apparent homogeneity from large scale preparations of laying hen oviduct cytosol. The quantities obtained were sufficient to monitor the separation of tryptic peptides on HPLC columns. Using a multi-dimensional microbore HPLC peptide purification protocol, several peptides were isolated in homogeneous form and sequenced up to 34 steps at the sub-40 pmol level using a gas phase sequenator. One of the peptides showed a striking homology with sequences of the putative steroid binding domain of the human glucocorticoid receptor; this region is also conserved in the human and chick estrogen receptor.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Physicochemical characterization of a major protein allergen, Der p I, from the house dust mite, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. Amino acid analysis and circular dichroism studies.

A major house dust mite allergen, Der p I, was isolated from spent growth medium and physicochemically characterized. These studies show that the allergen is monomeric, contains approximately 216 residues and 4 intra-chain disulphide bonds. The N-terminal amino acid is threonine. Circular dichroism studies show that the allergen contains 10% alpha-helical, 50% beta-pleated sheet and 40% random structures.

Allergens↗
PubMed1987

Structural studies on the murine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor.

Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a glycoprotein hemopoietic growth factor which regulates the production of granulocytes and macrophages. Reversed-phase microbore high-performance liquid chromatography was employed to purify a number of tryptic and Staphylococcus aureus V8 proteinase peptides generated from approximately 400 pmol G-CSF purified from medium conditioned by lungs from mice previously injected with endotoxin. N-Terminal amino-acid sequence analyses were performed on the parent polypeptide and on four tryptic peptides and one Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease peptide, yielding 68 unique amino-acid assignments; this corresponds to approximately 38% of the molecule.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Isolation, amino acid sequence and action of guinea-pig ACTH on aldosterone production by glomerulosa cells.

Though minor sequence differences between-species have been reported for adrenocorticotrophin, ACTH(1-39), the steroidogenic moiety ACTH(1-24) has appeared invariant in mammals. We here report the isolation, purification and amino acid sequencing of guinea-pig (GP) ACTH in which Pro24 is replaced by Ala24, and the demonstration that GP-ACTH stimulates aldosterone production to maximal levels well above those seen with human ACTH(1-39) or Synacthen, ACTH(1-24) amide, the synthetic ACTH fragment widely used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Adrenal Cortex↗
PubMed1987

Tenebrosin-A, a new cardiostimulant protein from the Australian sea anemone Actinia tenebrosa.

A new cardiac stimulatory protein, tenebrosin-A, has been isolated from the Australian sea anemone Actinia tenebrosa by gel filtration and cation-exchange chromatography, followed by cation-exchange HPLC. Its purity is established by analytical reversed-phase HPLC and N-terminal sequence analysis. According to SDS-PAGE, its apparent Mr is 20,000 daltons. Amino acid analysis indicates that it contains 186 residues, and is devoid of cysteine or cystine. Tenebrosin-A exerts a strong positive inotropic effect on isolated guinea pig atria at a concentration of 1.4 nM, with little chronotropic activity.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1987

Binding of adenosine and receptor-specific analogues to lymphocytes from control subjects and patients with common variable immunodeficiency.

Studies were performed on the binding of tritiated adenosine and its analogues, 5'-N-ethylcarboxamide adenosine (NECA) and N6-phenylisopropyladenosine (PIA), to human peripheral blood lymphocytes. These revealed binding only of adenosine (Kd, 1-10 microM, 14,000 binding sites/cell), which was abolished by dipyridamole, a specific adenosine transport inhibitor, suggesting that the binding is to the nucleoside transporter. The absence of high affinity (Kd less than or equal to 1 microM) binding of adenosine or of the two analogues. NECA and PIA suggests that the previously reported effects of adenosine on cAMP formation are not mediated by cell surface specific nucleoside receptors. Binding of adenosine to the carrier in lymphocytes from patients with common variable immunodeficiency was similar to those from control subjects.

Adenosine↗
PubMed1987

Purification and properties of bacterially synthesized human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor.

Human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) has been synthesized in high yield using a temperature inducible plasmid in Escherichia coli. The human GM-CSF is readily isolated from the bacterial proteins because of its differential solubility and chromatographic properties. The bacterially synthesized form of the human GM-CSF contains an extra methionine residue at position 1, but otherwise it is identical to the polypeptide predicted from the cDNA sequence. The specific activity of 2.9 X 10(7) units/mg of protein for purified bacterially synthesized human GM-CSF indicates that despite the lack of glycosylation, the molecule is substantially in its native conformation. This molecule stimulated the same number and type of both seven- and 14-day human bone marrow colonies as the CSF alpha preparation from human placental conditioned medium. Human GM-CSF had no activity on murine bone marrow or murine leukemic cells. There was no detectable, direct stimulation of adult human erythroid burst forming units (BFU-E) by the bacterially synthesized human GM-CSF. Although impure preparations containing native human GM-CSF (eg, human placental conditioned medium) stimulated the formation of mixed colonies, even in the presence of erythropoietin, the bacterially synthesized human GM-CSF failed to stimulate the formation of mixed colonies from adult human bone marrow cells. The bacterially synthesized human GM-CSF increased N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP)-induced superoxide production and lysozyme secretion. Antibody-dependent cytotoxicity and phagocytosis by human neutrophils was stimulated by the bacterially synthesized human GM-CSF and eosinophils were also activated in the antibody-dependent cytotoxicity assay.

Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity↗
PubMed1987

Structural studies on a 75-kDa glycoprotein isolated from porcine gastric mucosal membranes: close homology with the 78-kDa glucose-regulated family of proteins.

A 75-kDa glycoprotein (P75) has been purified to homogeneity from washed membranes isolated from the corpus of porcine gastric mucosa. The purification procedure employed chromatography on concanavalin A-Sepharose and DEAE-Sepharose, and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Reversed-phase microbore high-performance liquid chromatography was employed to fractionate and purify a number of tryptic peptides generated from approximately 1100 pmol purified P75. The use of reversed-phase microbore (2.1 mm internal diameter) columns facilitated the purification of subnanomole amounts of polypeptides in small volumes (40-60 microliter) suitable for loading onto the gas-phase sequencer without further concentration. N-Terminal amino acid sequence analyses were performed on the intact polypeptide and on 13 tryptic peptides and one Staphylococcus protease V8 peptide, yielding 170 unique assignments; this corresponds to approximately 26% of the molecule. A comparison of this amino acid sequence information with the cDNA-deduced primary structure of a 70-kDa heat-shock-related protein (P72), which is expressed in normal rat liver reveals that these protein sequences are almost identical, differing in only 1 of the 170 positions positively assigned thus far. The probable correspondence of P72 with the 78-kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78) isolated from hamster fibroblasts has been reported.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Studies on the role of transferrin and endocytosis in the uptake of Fe3+ from Fe-nitrilotriacetate by mouse duodenum.

Addition of iron-binding proteins (human serum transferrin, mouse serum transferrin, human lactoferrin) to the luminal fluid in tied-off segments of mouse intestine in vivo led to reduced 59Fe3+ absorption from 59Fe3+-nitrilotriacetate when compared to 59Fe3+-nitrilotriacetate alone. Assay of transferrin in luminal fluid from tied segments revealed only trace amounts of immunoreactivity. The levels of luminal transferrin are unaltered in chronic hypoxia where iron absorption is significantly enhanced. Studies in vitro revealed that NH4Cl, dansylcadavarine, para-chloromercuribenzoate and trinitrobenzenesulphonate have no effect on initial 59Fe3+ uptake rates from 59Fe3+-nitrilotriacetate, while N-ethylmaleimide (1 mM) caused a 40% inhibition. In vivo 59Fe3+ uptake was unaffected by preincubation of tied-off segments with colchicine (5 mM) for up to 2 h. These results suggest that receptor-mediated endocytosis of transferrin is not a significant mechanism in the uptake of luminal Fe3+ by mouse duodenum.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Fe2+ uptake by mouse intestinal mucosa in vivo and by isolated intestinal brush-border membrane vesicles.

In vivo kinetics of mucosal uptake of luminal 59Fe2+ by tied segments of normal mouse duodenum are characterised by a Km of approx. 100 microM and a Vmax of approx. 9 pmol/min per mg wet weight of intestine. These values were determined at pH 7.25 in the presence of excess sodium ascorbate. Studies with luminal Fe2+ concentrations of 100 microM reveal: uptake is relatively independent of ascorbate: Fe ratio and luminal pH and uptake is potently inhibited by 1 mM Co2+ or Mn2+ and large luminal NaCl concentrations but not by Ca2+. 3 days of hypoxia (0.5 atmospheres) yields no significant increase in subsequent total mucosal uptake by in vivo tied segments while uptake is significantly reduced by semi-starvation. Quantitative comparison of in vivo mucosal uptake with subsequent determination of isolated brush-border membrane 59Fe2+ transport in individual mice reveals a positive correlation (P less than 0.01) between the two parameters. These results, in conjunction with studies of isolated mouse duodenal brush-border membrane (Simpson, R.J. and Peters, T.J. (1985) Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 814, 381-388 and (1986) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 856, 109-114) suggest that the Fe2+ transport properties of isolated brush-border membrane are quantitatively adequate to explain in vivo mucosal uptake in normal and hypoxic mice at Fe2+ concentrations up to 100 microM.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Cholate-soluble and -insoluble iron binding components of rabbit duodenal brush-border membrane. Relevance to Fe2+ uptake by brush-border membrane vesicles.

Fe2+ uptake by brush-border membrane vesicles from rabbit duodenum has been investigated and found to show similar qualitative properties to those previously demonstrated with mouse proximal intestine brush-border membrane vesicles (Simpson, R.J. and Peters, T.J. (1986) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 856, 109-114). In particular, a relatively low affinity (Km(app) approx. 83 microM), NaCl and pH sensitive transport component is present. The disruption of 59Fe2+-laden vesicles with sodium cholate, followed by gel filtration or centrifugal analysis reveals that cholate insoluble material (Mr greater than 10(6)) is the major destination for 59Fe2+ taken up by intact vesicles. Analysis of cholate extracts for Fe2+ binding ability reveals a single high-capacity (49.8 +/- 15.6 nmol/mg vesicle protein (S.E., n = 3)), high-affinity (Kd(app) less than 5 microM) binding component with an Mr equivalent to approx. 10(4) on gel filtration in the presence of cholate. This binding component is extracted into chloroform/methanol (2:1, v/v) is relatively heat and protease resistant and thus appears to be a lipid.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

A 1H-NMR study of the activity expressed by lactate dehydrogenase in the human erythrocyte.

The activity expressed by lactate dehydrogenase in the human erythrocyte has been compared with the activity displayed by the isolated enzyme in vitro. Enzyme activity was measured by using 1H spin-echo NMR to measure non-invasively the velocity of hydrogen label exchange between the C-2 positions of two methyl-labelled lactate species. This method has significant advantages over a method which has been described previously. The exchange velocity observed in the cell was much lower than that expected based on a comparison with measurements of the exchange velocity in vitro under conditions thought to simulate the intracellular environment. Measurements of enzyme inhibition in cell extracts suggest that the low intracellular activity is due to inhibition of the enzyme by low-molecular-mass compounds present in the cell.

Erythrocytes↗
PubMed1986

Complete amino acid sequence of plastocyanin from a green alga, Enteromorpha prolifera.

The complete amino acid sequence of the plastocyanin from the green alga Enteromorpha prolifera has been determined by Edman degradation of the intact molecule and fragments produced by enzymatic cleavage of the polypeptide chain with chymotrypsin, Staphylococcus aureus protease, proline-specific endopeptidase, Lys-C endopeptidase and trypsin. The molecule consists of 98 amino acid residues with a calculated relative molecular mass of 10103. The amino acid sequence of E. prolifera plastocyanin shows a high degree of homology with those plastocyanins from other algae and higher plants. In particular, the four residues which are copper ligands in other plastocyanins and in the bacterial electron transport protein azurin (two histidines, one cysteine and one methionine) are conserved. Five out of the six acidic amino acid side-chains which create an 'acidic patch' on the surface of plastocyanin from Populus nigra var. italica [Colman, P. M. et al. (1978) Nature (Lond.) 272, 319-324] are conserved in the amino acid sequence of E. prolifera plastocyanin.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor from mouse lung conditioned medium. Purification of multiple forms and radioiodination.

Four forms of mouse granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) were purified 100,000-fold from mouse lung conditioned medium. Each of the CSF species stimulated the formation of both granulocyte and macrophage colonies, and half-maximal stimulation in the semi-solid mouse bone-marrow colony assay occurred at 1 pm. The four GM-CSF species exhibited similar charge microheterogeneity, focusing between pH 4.2 and pH 5.2. On SDS/polyacrylamide gels two of the GM-CSF sub-species had apparent Mr values of 23,000, and the other two, 21, 000. Treatment with neuraminidase decreased the Mr values of these two sets to 21,000 and 19,000 respectively. Incubation with endoglucosidase F decreased the charge heterogeneity and the Mr of all species to 16,500. A gas-phase radioiodination procedure was used to incorporate 2-3 atoms of 125I/molecule into purified GM-CSF without any loss of biological activity. The 125I-labelled GM-CSF was analysed on a microbore reversed-phase h.p.l.c. column to determine its specific radioactivity directly. This 125I-labelled GM-CSF molecule is suitable for cell-surface receptor-binding studies.

Animals↗