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Biomedical subjects

R V Lebo

Publications and source records attributed to R V Lebo.

84 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Separation and analysis of human chromosomes by combined velocity sedimentation and flow sorting applying single- and dual-laser flow cytometry.

Human chromosomes were separated on basis of size by velocity sedimentation at 52g in a specially designed sedimentation chamber. The chamber has been constructed in such a way that large numbers of chromosomes can be fractionated on a sucrose gradient while wall sedimentation, streaming, and swirling movements of the gradient during centrifugation are eliminated. Flow deflectors in the chamber allow undisturbed introduction and fractionation of the density gradient. The different chromosomal fractions obtained are highly enriched for the various human chromosomes. Individual chromosomes were subsequently sorted to purity by fluorescence activated flow sorting using a FACS IV flow sorter equipped with a 4-W argon-ion laser. Following this procedure, the sorting rate for specific chromosomes can be speeded up by a factor of 5-10 when the preenriched chromosomal fractions are used as starting material. A high chromosome resolution could be obtained by a few simple modifications of the FACS IV. By applying fluorochromes with different DNA-base specificity the sorting possibilities of individual human chromosomes can be improved. In addition, the chromosomal fractions were analysed by dual-laser flow cytometry after staining the chromosomes with Hoechst 33258 and chromomycin A3. In this way the enrichment of virtually all individual human chromosomes in the different chromosomal fractions can be visualized.

Cell Fractionation↗

Recombination within and between the human insulin and beta-globin gene loci.

We detected a large number of polymorphic insulin restriction fragments in black Americans. These different size fragments were probably generated by unequal recombination on both sides of the human insulin gene. Population genetic analysis indicates that recombination occurred 33 times more frequently than expected to generate this large number of polymorphic fragments. Specific properties of the unique repeated 14- to 16-base-pair sequences 5' to the insulin gene suggest that this sequence would promote increased unequal recombination. Additional pedigree analysis showed that the recombination rate between the structural insulin and beta-globin gene loci was 14% with strong evidence for linkage. Since both insulin and beta-globin have been mapped to the short arm of human chromosome 11, this study establishes that the genetic map distance between these genes is 14.2 centimorgans.

Base Composition↗

Chromosome sorting and DNA sequence localization.

This article focuses on current techniques and possible future developments in chromosome isolation and sorting, and DNA analysis of sorted chromosomes. The strategy of subchromosomal gene mapping by chromosome sorting is outlined and a list of cell lines containing translocated chromosomes is provided which may be used to map genes to a single chromosome with a standard fluorescence activated cell sorter. The usefulness of this and other gene mapping methods for localizing unique DNA sequences and characterizing recombinant DNA libraries constructed from sorted chromosomal DNA is also discussed.

Animals↗

Design and operation of a dual laser chromosome sorter.

We describe the design and operation of a dual laser fluorescence activated chromosome sorter that can analyze and sort chromosome suspensions stained with two complementary DNA stains. We used two 18-watt argon-ion lasers to provide maximal excitation of the DNA-specific stains Hoechst 33258 and chromomycin A3. The lasers are focused onto the sample stream by independent optics permitting optimal focusing of any pair of laser wavelengths. We incorporated beam expanders to decrease the energy density on the optics and improve the focal spot uniformity. Adjustable focusing lens holders are used to set the optimal focal spot size. The redesigned sorter separates suspensions of normal human fibroblast chromosomes into 21 fractions and can reliably sort more pure chromosome fractions than was previously possible.

Bisbenzimidazole↗

Assigning the polymorphic human insulin gene to the short arm of chromosome 11 by chromosome sorting.

We have determined the subchromosomal location of the human insulin gene by analyzing DNA isolated from sorted human metaphase chromosomes. Metaphase chromosome suspensions were sorted into fractions according to relative Hoechst fluorescence intensity by the fluorescence activated chromosome sorter. The chromosomal DNA in each fraction was characterized by restriction endonuclease analysis. Initial sorts indicated that the insulin gene-containing fragment resided in a fraction containing chromosomes 9, 10, 11, and 12. Studies of cell lines that contained chromosome translocations permitted the assignment of the insulin gene to a derivative chromosome that contains portions of the short arm of chromosome II. Simultaneous sorting of the normal homolog from this small derivative chromosome separated the two different sized insulin gene-containing restriction fragments in this individual. These data indicate that the two restriction fragments represent insulin gene polymorphism and not duplicate gene loci.

Alleles↗

Assignment of human beta-, gamma-, and delta-globin genes to the short arm of chromosome 11 by chromosome sorting and DNA restriction enzyme analysis.

Normal human metaphase chromosomes isolated from fibroblasts were resolved into 14 peaks based on total Hoechst 33258 fluorescence and sorted with the fluorescence-activated cell sorter. The chromosomal DNA was extracted and characterized by EcoRI analysis. As expected, analysis of the peak containing chromosomes 16 and 18 detected the alpha-globin genes and of the peak containing chromosomes 9, 10, 11, and 12 detected the beta-, gamma-, and delta-globin genes. Translocations were then used to localize further the beta-, gamma-, and delta-globin genes. The first translocation t(11;22)(q25;q11), which moved nearly all of chromosome 11 to a different peak, confirmed that the beta-, gamma-, and delta-globin genes are on this chromosome. The second, t(4;11)(q25;q13), which moved the distal portion of the long arm of chromosome 11 to a new peak, showed that the genes are not in this segment. The third, t(X;11)(q11;p13), moved the distal region of the short arm of chromosome 11 to a peak which now contained the beta-, gamma-, and delta-globin genes. Therefore, the beta-, gamma-, and delta-globin genes residue on the distal portion of the chromosome 11 short arm including bands p13, p14, and p15. This sorting method may be used generally to assign other genes to chromosomal segments of the entire chromosome complement.

Cell Fractionation↗

Organization of the alpha-globin genes in the Chinese alpha-thalassemia syndromes.

The alpha-thalassemia syndromes are a group of inherited anemias, the clinical severity of which has been shown to increase with the number of alpha-globin structural genes deleted. Employing restriction endonuclease gene mapping, we defined the organization of the alpha-globin genes in cellular DNA from Chinese subjects with various alpha-thalassemia syndromes. The four alpha-globin genes of normals are at two loci located on a 23.0-kilobase pair (kb) Eco RI fragment. In deletion type hemoglobin-H disease the 5' alpha-globin locus is deleted and the single 3' alpha-globin locus is found on a 19.0-kb Eco RI fragment. In alpha-thalassemia-2 there are two alpha-globin genes on a 23.0-kb Eco RI fragment and one on a 19.0-kb fragment. In alpha-thalassemia-1 and the nondeletion type of hemoglobin-H disease the two alpha-globin genes are at two loci on one chromosome and none reside on the other chromosome.

China↗

Inactivation of human gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase by cystamine. Demonstration and quantification of enzyme-ligand complexes.

Human erythrocyte gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase is inactivated by the disulfide cystamine (2,2'-dithiobis-(ethylamine)) at pH 8.2 with a rate constant of 1020 min-1 mM-1. Magnesium ion and various combinations of substrates and products confer differing degrees of protection against cystamine inactivation, thus allowing the detection and quantification of certain enzyme-ligand interactions. By measuring inactivation rates as a function of ligand concentrations in incomplete reaction mixtures, we have obtained evidence for the following complexes: enzyme . Mg2+; enzyme . Mg2+ . MgATP2-; enzyme . Mg2+ . L-glutamate; enzyme . Mg2+ . MgATP2- . L-glutamate; enzyme . Mg2+ . L-gamma-glutamyl-L-alpha-aminobutyrate. The data also imply the existence of enzyme . (Mg2+)2 . MgATP2- . L-glutamate and several enzyme forms resulting from the weak binding to L-alpha-aminobutyrate. The methods used permit the calculation of cystamine inactivation rates for most of these enzyme forms and also give values for the equilibrium constants describing their formation.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Electrophoretic heterogeneity of 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate synthetase within and among humans.

The product of the enzyme 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate (PPriboseP) synthetase is a substrate for purine, pyrimidine, and pyridine biosynthesis and may be rate limiting for purine biosynthesis. A system developed to electrophoretically separate and histochemically detect PPriboseP synthetase in crude cell extracts has facilitated the identification of electrophoretically variant enzyme forms in the erythrocytes of five patients from a patient population of 200. Additional studies of human organs obtained at autopsy revealed a unique electrophoretic mobility for nearly each organ within the same individual.

Electrophoresis, Cellulose Acetate↗

Comparative chromosome mapping of a conserved homoeo box region in mouse and human.

Specific genes are assumed to regulate pattern formation in the mammalian embryo, but as yet none has been identified unequivocally. It is possible that such genes in mammals may be identified by virtue of a conserved coding sequence, because many of the Drosophila melanogaster homoeotic and segmentation genes, which have crucial roles in the regulation of segmental pattern formation during embryonic development, contain a 180-base pair (bp) DNA sequence, the homoeo box, and that sequences homologous to the Drosophila homoeo box are also present in 6-10 copies in higher animals, including mammals. Although the assumption that the homoeo box identifies genes responsible for pattern formation in mammals remains to be validated, it is a particularly attractive hypothesis given the strong conservation of homoeo boxes over vast evolutionary distances. Here we report the localization of a human homoeo box region, previously cloned and shown to contain two homoeo boxes within a sequence of 5-kilobases (kb), to the long arm of chromosome 17. We show that two single-copy homoeo box-flanking probes derived from this region strongly hybridize to single-copy restriction fragments in mouse genomic DNA and that these conserved homoeo box-flanking sequences map to mouse chromosome 11. This may be significant as several genes that map to chromosome 17 in human also map to chromosome 11 in the mouse, implying that a segment of mouse chromosome 11 is homologous to a region of human chromosome 17. Taken together, these data suggest that the homoeo box region detected with our probes is highly conserved in human and mouse.

Animals↗