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Biomedical subjects

S Ohno

Publications and source records attributed to S Ohno.

At least 919 records · Page 51Linked to original sources

The binding of androgen receptor to DNA and RNA.

The androgen receptor from mouse kidney cytosol has been studied for its nucleic acid binding properties by DNA-cellulose centrifugation assay. The receptor appears to bind to RNA (mRNA, tRNA, rRNA) as well as to DNA. Salt and heat activation of the androgen receptor enhances both DNA and RNA binding. The receptor binds slightly better to denatured DNA than to native DNA. The androgen receptor binds about 2-fold tighter to poly(dG-dC) than to poly (dA-dT). The interaction of the receptor with DNA is not greatly affected by the BrdUrd substitution. The observation that androgen receptor shows a significant affinity to RNA may imply that androgen receptor-RNA interaction could play a role in gene regulation.

Animals↗

Mechanisms of gonadal differentiation.

Sex differentiation is the result of the translation of genetic sex into gonadal sex. Without recognizable masculinizing signals the embryonic gonad will undergo ovarian differentiation. The main determinant of gonadal differentiation appears to be the presence or absence of a cell surface antigen, called H-Y antigen. The regulation of H-Y antigen expression is complex and involves the interaction between regulatory sites on the Y chromosome, the X chromosome, and possibly the autosomes.

Animals↗

Original domain for the serum albumin family arose from repeated sequences.

The characteristic three-domain structure has been conserved throughout mammalian evolution by serum albumin and its fetal counterpart, alpha-fetoprotein. Thus, one still detects 35.2% amino acid sequence homology between bovine serum albumin and murine alpha-fetoprotein. Yet, natural selection cannot be invoked as the major factor responsible for the observed conservation of these sequences, for the simple reason of their dispensability. Inherited analbuminemia is apparently a harmless trait in man and the rat. The conservation appears inherent in their repetitious origin. Each protein is made of triplicate copies of the ancestral domain. Furthermore, analysis of the published sequence data suggests that the original coding sequence for the ancestral domain arose as repeats of the 18-base-long primordial building block sequence TTC-ACA-GAG-GAG-CAG-CTG specifying Phe-Thr-Glu-Glu-Gln-Leu and its shorter subsidiary TTC-ATG-GAG-GAG specifying Phe-Met-Glu-Glu. Consequently, the homology between bovine serum albumin and alpha-fetoprotein is mostly confined to small segments still specified by recognizable descendants of these building block sequences. The point to be made here is that evolutionary conservation of coding sequences can be an inherent property; natural selection need not be invoked.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide, a calmodulin antagonist, inhibits cell proliferation.

N-(6-Aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (W-7) and its derivatives are putative calmodulin antagonists that bind to calmodulin and inhibit Ca2+/calmodulin-regulated enzyme activities. Autoradiographic studies using tritiated W-7 showed that this compound penetrates the cell membrane, is distributed mainly in the cytoplasm, and inhibits proliferation of Chinese hamster ovary K1 (CHO-K1) cells. Cytoplasmic [3H]W-7 was excluded completely within 6 hr after removal of [3H]W-7 from the culture medium. N-(6-aminohexyl)-1-naphthalenesulfonamide, an analogue of W-7 that interacts only weakly with calmodulin, proved to be a much weaker inhibitor of cell proliferation. CHO-K1 cells were synchronized by shaking during mitosis and then released into the cell cycle in the presence of 25 microM W-7 or 2.5 mM thymidine for 12 hr. Cell division was observed approximately 6 hr later. The results suggest that the effect of W-7 on cell proliferation might be through selective inhibition of the G1/S boundary phase, which is similar to the effect of excess thymidine. This pharmacological demonstration that cytoplasmic calmodulin is involved in cell proliferation is significant; W-7 and its derivatives may be useful tools for research on calmodulin and cell biology-related studies.

Animals↗

Structure of a chromosomal gene for human interferon beta.

We have cloned and analyzed a chromosomal DNA segment containing the human interferon beta(1) gene from a human gene library. The nucleotide sequence of the protein-coding and the noncoding regions of the chromosomal gene was identical to the cDNA sequence reported previously. In the region upstream from the putative transcription initiation site, significant nucleotide sequence homology was observed between interferon beta(1) and alpha(1) genes. This region thus may play a role in expression of the interferon genes. From the sequence data and the result of nuclease S1 mapping experiments, we conclude that, like the interferon alpha(1) gene, the interferon beta(1) gene is devoid of intervening sequences.

Journal Article↗

Relationship between Herpesvirus ateles-associated nuclear antigen (HATNA) and the number of virus genome equivalents in HVA-carrying lymphoid lines.

A DNA-binding antigen (HATNA) was demonstrated in 7 out of 14 cell lines carrying Herpesvirus ateles (HVA) by the acid-fixed nuclear-binding technique. The seven HATNA-positive lines had means of 95, 96, 103, 177, 240, 343 and 326 virus genome equivalents/cell. For the seven HATNA-negative lines, the figures were 4, 8, 10, 33, 39, 72 and 110. This indicates a relationship between the number of HVA genome equivalents/cell and the detectability of HATNA. This association was independent of the virus producer status of the lines.

Animals↗

(AGCTG) (AGCTG) (AGCTG) (GGGTG) as the primordial sequence of intergenic spacers: the role in immunoglobulin class switch.

The means employed for immunoglobulin heavy chain class switch appears to be no different from that by which meiotic intergenic crossing-overs at accomplished. As with other intergenic spacers, the 5' noncoding sequence of each Ig CH (immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region) gene apparently undergoes unconstrained sequence changes due to randomly sustained base substitutions, deletions, and duplications. Yet, there remains sufficient regional sequence homology between the Ig Cmu 5' noncoding sequence and those of its somatic recombination partners, e.g., Ig C gamma 1, Ig C gamma 2b, Ig C alpha, because each of these 5' noncoding sequences is made of multiple copies in various stages of degeneracy of one primordial 20 base pair-long sequence: (AGCTG) (AGCTG) (AGCTG) (GGGTG).

Animals↗

Estrogen-sensitive neurons with preoptic projection in the lower brain stem of the female rat.

Fifty-one neurons in the ventrolateral part of the medulla oblongata were antidromically activated by electrical stimulation of the suprachiasmatic part of the preoptic area in urethane-anestetized, ovariectomized and estrogen-primed female rats. Two types of antidromic responses were distinguished on the basis of their spike configurations and antidromic spike latencies. One type ("fast spikes") was characterized by a fast and smooth rising phase and a shorter duration of the initial positive deflection. The other type ("slow spikes") had a notch in the rising phase and took a longer time to complete the initial deflection. Mean antidromic spike latency for the fast spikes was 9.8 msec while the value for the slow spikes was 30.2 msec. Ionophoretic injection of estradiol was accomplished on 37 of the 51 antidromically identified cells, of which 21 showed slow responses and 16 responded with fast spikes. In cells with slow spikes, estradiol facilitated (n = 9) or suppressed (n = 3) their generation of action potentials. None of cells with fast responses changed their activity in response to estradiol. It is evident from the present experiment that neurons in the ventrolateral part of the medulla oblongata send their axons directly to the suprachiasmatic part of the preoptic area which plays an important role in the control of the ovulatory surge of LH and that some of these neurons themselves are the sensitive sites of estradiol.

Animals↗

Immunological aspects of Behçet's and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada's diseases.

Immunogenetic studies showed that Behçet's disease has a primary association with HLA-B antigen (HLA-BW51) and the same association throughout the world, whereas, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada's disease (VKH) is primarily associated with supertypic HLA-DR antigen (MT3), an HLA-D-linked B cell alloantigen in Japanese. Immunological investigation showed that the serum levels of gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma) were significantly increased in both Behçet's disease and VKH, IFN-gamma showed a significant decrease in the ocular exacerbation stage in Behçet's disease. The highest IFN titre was observed 1 to 2 months after the onset of the disease in VKH.

Behcet Syndrome↗