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Biomedical subjects

T Meyer

Publications and source records attributed to T Meyer.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

An isopeptide bond splitting enzyme from Hirudo medicinalis similar to gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase.

A new enzyme from Hirudo medicinalis capable of splitting gamma-glutamyl-p-nitroanilide and Glu--Lys-(N6-gamma-glutamyllysine) (isopeptidic bond between the epsilon-amino group of lysine and the gammacarboxylic group of glutamic acid) isopeptide bonds was purified. The protein was partially sequenced at the amino acid level, and the complete nucleotide and amino acid sequences were determined after cDNA cloning. The new enzyme has more than 60% similarity at the amino acid level to vertebrate gammaglutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT). According to the cDNA, the new protein has a molecular mass of 65 521 Da and a length of 600 amino acids.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

[Primary pulmonary plasmacytoma. Case report of a rare lung tumor].

HISTORY AND CLINICAL FINDINGS: A 45-year old man, suffering from dry cough without haemoptysis, was admitted for evaluation of pulmonary changes of uncertain aetiology. A chest radiograph and computed tomography (CT) had shown a large space-occupying lesion in the left hilus. His general condition was poor and he had resting dyspnoea and stridor. On auscultation of the lung there were decreased breath sounds and dry rales over the left and vesicular breathing over the right lung. INVESTIGATIONS: CT revealed a 7.0 x 6.0 cm space-occupying lesion in the left hilus and ipsilaterally a tumour in the dorsolateral lower lobe surrounding the left lower lobe bronchus. Initial bronchoscopy showed this bronchus to be involved in the tumour process. Biopsy demonstrated monomorphic proliferating plasma cells which on immunochemical testing showed selective staining to lambda-light chains and immunoglobulin G. The first serum electrophoresis was unremarkable, but a later repeat discovered a small amount of paraprotein for IgG-lambda type. Bence-Jones protein was demonstrated in the urine. On the basis of these findings an extramedullary plasmacytoma of the lung (PPP) was diagnosed. TREATMENT AND COURSE: At first the patient was given i.v. chemotherapy, and to prevent a threatening bronchial occlusion oral dexamethasone was given. Pericardial effusion and recurrent retention pneumonia developed. 6 month after onset of symptoms radiotherapy was begun and the tumour became markedly smaller. CONCLUSION: PPP should be included in the differential diagnosis of pulmonary space-occupying lesions even when initial serum protein electrophoresis is negative for monoclonal paraproteinaemia. Pericardial effusion may be caused by pulmonary involvement of the plasma cell tumours.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1998

5'-heterogeneity of the human excitatory amino acid transporter cDNA EAAT2 (GLT-1).

TWO novel transcripts of the human excitatory amino acid transporter EAAT2 (GLT-1) were cloned using PCR cloning techniques. Comparative sequence analysis of the 5'-untranslated region (UTR) of five EAAT2 transcripts led to the definition of five putative 5'-untranslated exons that are combined in a variable manner. Alternative splicing is a likely mechanism for the 5' complexity of the EAAT2 cDNA. The potential functional meaning of this finding such as differential expression of the EAAT2 transcripts in the central nervous system remains to be demonstrated.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗
PubMed1998

Syntheses and biological evaluation of indolocarbazoles, analogues of rebeccamycin, modified at the imide heterocycle.

A series of 10 indolocarbazole derivatives, analogues to the antitumor antibiotic rebeccamycin, bearing modifications at the imide heterocycle were synthesized. They bear an N-methyl imide, N-methyl amide, or anhydride function instead of the original imide. Their inhibitory potencies toward topoisomerase I were examined using a DNA relaxation assay and by analyzing the drug-induced cleavage of 32P-labeled DNA. Protein kinase C (PKC) inhibition and interaction with DNA were also studied together with the in vitro antiproliferative activities against B16 melanoma and P388 leukemia cells. The antimicrobial activities against two Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus and Streptomyces chartreusis), a Gram-negative bacterium (Escherichia coli), and a yeast (Candida albicans) were tested as well as their antiviral activities toward HIV-1. The efficiency of the anhydride compounds was compared to that of the parent compound rebeccamycin and its dechlorinated analogue. All the compounds studied were inactive against PKC. The structural requirements for PKC and topoisomerase I inhibition are markedly different. In sharp contrast with the structure-PKC inhibition relationships, we found that an anhydride function does not affect topoisomerase I inhibition, whereas a methyl group on the indole nitrogen prevents the poisoning of topoisomerase I. The compounds exhibiting a marked toxicity to P388 leukemia cells had little or no effect on the growth of P388CPT5 cells which are resistant to the topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin. This study reinforces the conclusion that the DNA-topoisomerase I cleavable complex is the primary cellular target of the indolocarbazoles and significantly contributes to their cytotoxicity and possibly to their weak but noticeable anti-HIV-1 activities. The structure-activity relationships are also discussed.

Aminoglycosides↗
PubMed1998

Lamotrigine may limit pathological excitation in the hippocampus by modulating a transient potassium outward current.

Actions of the new antiepileptic drug lamotrigine were characterised using whole cell patch clamp recordings from rat CA1 pyramidal cells in vitro. The results suggest that lamotrigine, besides its previously described effect on the fast sodium inward current and calcium currents, modulates the transient potassium outward current ID. This may be an effective mechanism to inhibit pathological excitation.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Visualization of dynamic trafficking of a protein kinase C betaII/green fluorescent protein conjugate reveals differences in G protein-coupled receptor activation and desensitization.

Protein kinase C (PKC) links various extracellular signals to intracellular responses and is activated by diverse intracellular factors including diacylglycerol, Ca2+, and arachidonic acid. In this study, using a fully functional green fluorescent protein conjugated PKCbetaII (GFP-PKCbetaII), we demonstrate a novel approach to study the dynamic redistribution of PKC in live cells in response to G protein-coupled receptor activation. Agonist-induced PKC translocation was rapid, transient, and selectively mediated by the activation of Gqalpha- but not Gsalpha- or Gialpha-coupled receptors. Interestingly, although the stimuli were continuously present, only one brief peak of PKC membrane translocation was observed, consistent with rapid desensitization of the signaling pathway. Moreover, when GFP-PKCbetaII was used to examine cross-talk between two Gqalpha-coupled receptors, angiotensin II type 1A receptor (AT1AR) and endothelin A receptor (ETAR), activation of ETARs resulted in a subsequent loss of AT1AR responsiveness, whereas stimulation of AT1ARs did not cause desensitization of the ETAR signaling. The development of GFP-PKCbetaII has allowed not only the real time visualization of the dynamic PKC trafficking in live cells in response to physiological stimuli but has also provided a direct and sensitive means in the assessment of activation and desensitization of receptors implicated in the phospholipase C signaling pathway.

Biological Transport↗
PubMed1998

Receptor-induced transient reduction in plasma membrane PtdIns(4,5)P2 concentration monitored in living cells.

Although phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) is a well-characterized precursor for the second messengers inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, diacylglycerol [1] and phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate [2], it also interacts with the actin-binding proteins profilin and gelsolin [3], as well as with many signaling molecules that contain pleckstrin homology (PH) domains [4]. It is conceivable that stimuli received by receptors in the plasma membrane could be sufficiently strong to decrease the PtdIns(4,5)P2 concentration; this decrease could alter the structure of the cortical cytoskeleton and modulate the activity of signaling molecules that have PH domains. Here, we tested this hypothesis by using an in vivo fluorescent indicator for PtdIns(4,5)P2, by tagging the PH domain of phospholipase C delta 1 (PLC-delta 1) with the green fluorescent protein (GFP-PH). When expressed in cells, GFP-PH was found to be enriched at the plasma membrane. Binding studies in vitro and mutant analysis suggested that GFP-PH bound PtdIns(4,5)P2 selectively over other phosphatidylinositol lipids. Strikingly, receptor stimulation induced a transient dissociation of GFP-PH from the plasma membrane, suggesting that the concentration of PtdIns(4,5)P2 in the plasma membrane was effectively lowered. This transient dissociation was blocked by the PLC inhibitor U73122 but was not affected by the phosphoinositide (PI) 3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin, suggesting that it is mostly mediated by PLC and not by PI 3-kinase activation. Overall, our studies show that PtdIns(4,5)P2 can have second messenger functions of its own, by mediating a transient dissociation of proteins anchored in the plasma membrane.

Androstadienes↗
PubMed1998

Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged cysteine-rich domains from protein kinase C as fluorescent indicators for diacylglycerol signaling in living cells.

Cysteine-rich domains (Cys-domains) are approximately 50-amino acid-long protein domains that complex two zinc ions and include a consensus sequence with six cysteine and two histidine residues. In vitro studies have shown that Cys-domains from several protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms and a number of other signaling proteins bind lipid membranes in the presence of diacylglycerol or phorbol ester. Here we examine the second messenger functions of diacylglycerol in living cells by monitoring the membrane translocation of the green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged first Cys-domain of PKC-gamma (Cys1-GFP). Strikingly, stimulation of G-protein or tyrosine kinase-coupled receptors induced a transient translocation of cytosolic Cys1-GFP to the plasma membrane. The plasma membrane translocation was mimicked by addition of the diacylglycerol analogue DiC8 or the phorbol ester, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Photobleaching recovery studies showed that PMA nearly immobilized Cys1-GFP in the membrane, whereas DiC8 left Cys1-GFP diffusible within the membrane. Addition of a smaller and more hydrophilic phorbol ester, phorbol dibuterate (PDBu), localized Cys1-GFP preferentially to the plasma and nuclear membranes. This selective membrane localization was lost in the presence of arachidonic acid. GFP-tagged Cys1Cys2-domains and full-length PKC-gamma also translocated from the cytosol to the plasma membrane in response to receptor or PMA stimuli, whereas significant plasma membrane translocation of Cys2-GFP was only observed in response to PMA addition. These studies introduce GFP-tagged Cys-domains as fluorescent diacylglycerol indicators and show that in living cells the individual Cys-domains can trigger a diacylglycerol or phorbol ester-mediated translocation of proteins to selective lipid membranes.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Alternative splicing of the glutamate transporter EAAT2 (GLT-1).

The human glutamate transporter EAAT2 (GLT-1) is of major importance for synaptic glutamate reuptake, and reportedly, a candidate gene for neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy. Here we report the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cloning of two novel EAAT2 transcripts, named EAAT2-C1 and EAAT2-C2, which originate from alternative splicing of the human EAAT2 gene. EAAT2-C1 results from skipping of the protein coding exon eight. In contrast, EAAT2-C2 is characterized by usage of internal splice sites in the exons five and six. The splicing events lead to a deletion of 45 and 107 amino acids, respectively, located in the C-terminal and central part of the putative protein.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗
PubMed1998

Simultaneous manifestation of acute myocardial infarction and nephrotic syndrome.

This report describes the simultaneous manifestation of ischemic heart disease and nephrotic syndrome in a 37-year-old woman presenting with acute anterior myocardial infarction. Symptoms of nephrotic syndrome, such as facial and peripheral edema accompanied by proteinuria and hyperlipidemia, and onset of severe retrosternal pain developed within 24 h. Coronary angiography revealed a complete thrombotic occlusion of the proximal portion of the left anterior descending artery with no evidence of arteriosclerotic lesions. Histologic examination of renal biopsy, including electron microscopy, revealed evidence of minimal change glomerulonephritis. Ultrastructural studies demonstrated widespread effacement of epithelial foot processes. Elevated levels of circulating fibrinogen appeared to be an important factor for the hypercoagulable state in this patient, suggesting a causative relationship between coronary thrombosis and nephrotic syndrome.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

CaMKIIbeta functions as an F-actin targeting module that localizes CaMKIIalpha/beta heterooligomers to dendritic spines.

Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that regulates long-term potentiation and other forms of neuronal plasticity. Functional differences between the neuronal CaMKIIalpha and CaMKIIbeta isoforms are not yet known. Here, we use green fluorescent protein-tagged (GFP-tagged) CaMKII isoforms and show that CaMKIIbeta is bound to F-actin in dendritic spines and cell cortex while CaMKIIalpha is largely a cytosolic enzyme. When expressed together, the two isoforms form large heterooligomers, and a small fraction of CaMKIIbeta is sufficient to dock the predominant CaMKIIalpha to the actin cytoskeleton. Thus, CaMKIIbeta functions as a targeting module that localizes a much larger number of CaMKIIalpha isozymes to synaptic and cytoskeletal sites of action.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1998

Syntheses, biochemical and biological evaluation of staurosporine analogues from the microbial metabolite rebeccamycin.

The indolocarbazole antibiotics staurosporine and rebeccamycin (1) are potent antitumor drugs targeting protein kinase C and topoisomerase I, respectively. To obtain staurosporine analogues from rebeccamycin, different structural modifications were performed: coupling of the sugar moiety to the second indole nitrogen, dechlorination and then reduction of the imide function to amide. The newly synthesized compounds (3-6) were tested for their abilities to bind to DNA and to inhibit topoisomerase I and protein kinase C. Their antiproliferative effects in vitro against B16 melanoma and P388 leukemia (including the related P388CPT cell line resistant to camptothecin) as well as their anti-HIV-1 and antimicrobial activities against various strains of microorganisms were determined. The cytotoxicity of the dechlorinated imide analogue 5 correlates well with its DNA binding and anti-topoisomerase I activities. These findings provide guidance for the development of new topoisomerase I-targeted antitumor indolocarbazoles equipped with a carbohydrate attached to the two indole nitrogens.

Aminoglycosides↗
PubMed1998

Tyrosine Phosphorylation of Moesin in Arachidonic Acid-Stimulated Human Platelets.

Moesin, a member of the ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) family of cytoskeletal proteins, has been implicated in dynamic membrane-based processes such as the formation and stabilization of filopodia. Ezrin is known to be a substrate of tyrosine kinases in activated T cells and epithelial growth factor-stimulated A431 cells. For the closely related 77-kD protein moesin, which shares 72% identity with ezrin on the basis of their amino acid sequences, a reversible phosphorylation on tyrosine residues has not yet been described. Because our scanning electron microscopy studies revealed the appearance of multiple, up to 3 µm long filopodia on the surface of activated human platelets, we investigated the participation of moesin in dynamic shape changes on platelet stimulation with arachidonic acid. Antimoesin immunoprecipitates obtained under denaturing conditions from lysates of resting platelets contained only low amounts of tyrosine-phosphorylated moesin. In lysates of arachidonic acid-stimulated platelets, the level of tyrosine phosphorylation was significantly increased. This activation-dependent phosphorylation of moesin was verified by probing antiphosphotyrosine immunoprecipitates from unstimulated and stimulated platelets with antimoesin antibodies. Tyrosine-phosphorylated moesin was detectable only in the presence of the tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor vanadate, suggesting that a coordinated balance between kinase and phosphatase activities controls the steady-state level of moesin phosphorylation.

Journal Article↗