Biomedical subjects

T Mizuno

Publications and source records attributed to T Mizuno.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

PubMed1998

Pressure overload induces cardiac hypertrophy in angiotensin II type 1A receptor knockout mice.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have suggested that the renin-angiotensin system plays an important role in the development of pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy. Moreover, it has been reported that pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy is completely prevented by ACE inhibitors in vivo and that the stored angiotensin II (Ang II) is released from cardiac myocytes in response to mechanical stretch and induces cardiomyocyte hypertrophy through the Ang II type 1 receptor (AT1) in vitro. These results suggest that the AT1-mediated signaling is critical for the development of mechanical stress-induced cardiac hypertrophy. METHODS AND RESULTS: To determine whether AT1-mediated signaling is indispensable for the development of pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy, pressure overload was produced by constricting the abdominal aorta of AT1A knockout (KO) mice. Quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction revealed that the cardiac AT1 (probably AT1B) mRNA levels in AT1A KO mice were <10% of those of wild-type (WT) mice and were not affected by pressure overload. Chronic treatment with subpressor doses of Ang II increased left ventricular mass in WT mice but not in KO mice. Pressure overload, however, fully induced cardiac hypertrophy in KO as well as WT mice. There were no significant differences between WT and KO mice in expression levels of fetal-type cardiac genes, in the left ventricular wall thickness and systolic function as revealed by the transthoracic echocardiogram, or in the histological changes such as myocyte hypertrophy and fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: AT1-mediated Ang II signaling is not essential for the development of pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy.

Angiotensin II↗

PubMed1998

Response regulators implicated in His-to-Asp phosphotransfer signaling in Arabidopsis.

The His to Asp phosphotransfer signal transduction mechanism involves three common signaling domains: the transmitter (or His-kinase), the receiver, and the histidine-containing phototransfer (HPt) domain. Typically, a sensor kinase has a His-kinase domain and a response regulator has a receiver domain containing a phosphoaccepting aspartate, whereas a histidine-containing phototransfer domain serves as a mediator of the histidine-to-aspartate phosphotransfer. This signal transduction mechanism was thought to be restricted to prokaryotes. However, many examples have been discovered in diverse eukaryotic species including higher plants. In Arabidopsis, three sensor kinases have been characterized, namely, ETR1, ERS, and CKI1, which were suggested to be involved in ethylene- and cytokinin-dependent signal transduction pathways, respectively. To date, no response regulator has been discovered in higher plants. We identify five distinct Arabidopsis response regulator genes, each encoding a protein containing a receiver-like domain. In vivo and in vitro evidence that ARRs can function as phosphoaccepting response regulators was obtained by employing the Escherichia coli His-Asp phosphotransfer signaling system.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1998

Molecular cloning of human homolog of yeast GAA1 which is required for attachment of glycosylphosphatidylinositols to proteins.

Anchoring proteins to cell surface membranes by glycosylphosphatidylinositols (GPIs) is important. We have isolated a component of the putative transamidase machinery, hGaa1p (human GPI anchor attachment protein). hGAA1 cDNA is approximately 2 kb in length and codes 621 amino acids. The amino acid sequence of hGaa1p is 25%, identical and 57% homologous to that of yeast Gaa1p. Moreover, Kite-Dolittle hydrophobicity plots of both proteins show marked similarity. hGAA1 gene is expressed ubiquitously and mRNA levels are higher in the undifferentiated state. Overexpression of antisense hGAA1 in human K562 cells significantly reduced the production of a reporter GPI-anchored protein.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1998

Two distinct kinds of tubular organelles involved in the rapid recycling and slow processing of endocytosed transferrin.

The tubular structures of endosomes are thought to mediate the sorting and recycling of endocytosed macromolecules. These structures have been reported to show considerable morphological variety. However, it is not clear whether they are functionally identical. To address this question, we applied quantitative imaging analysis to characterize tubular organelles loaded with a recycling protein marker, fluorescent transferrin, in living human carcinoma HEp2 cells, using laser scanning confocal microscopy. High-resolution images of the cells demonstrated two types of tubular structures with a distinct morphology and showing a time dependency in their appearance: the fine tubular element and the extensive tubular element. Fine tubular elements 2-10 microns long were distributed throughout the cytoplasm after 10 min of loading with the tracer. Extensive tubular elements 5-20 microns long radiated from the cytocenter after 2 h of loading, but not after 10 min. Time-lapse imaging analysis demonstrated that the half-life of transferrin in the fine and extensive tubular elements was 12 min and approximately 50 min, respectively, at 33 degrees C. Double labeling experiments using fluorescent transferrin and epidermal growth factor indicated that the extensive tubular element was neither a late endosome nor a lysosome. From these results, we conclude that the fine tubular and extensive tubular elements are distinct organelles: the former comprising the sorting endosome and recycling compartment which mediate the rapid recycling of transferrin, and the latter being part of a novel pathway of slower transferrin processing.

Biological Transport↗

PubMed1998

Crystallization of a complex between a novel C-terminal transmitter, HPt domain, of the anaerobic sensor kinase ArcB and the chemotaxis response regulator CheY.

The histidine-containing phosphotransfer (HPt) domain at the C-terminus of the anaerobic sensor kinase ArcB has been cocrystallized with the chemotaxis response regulator CheY by a hanging-drop vapor-diffusion method. Crystals belong to space group P212121 with unit-cell dimensions a = 55.32, b = 76.29 and c = 83.89 A, with one molecule in the crystallographic asymmetric unit. The crystals diffract to 2.7 A resolution. This is the first crystallization of a protein-protein complex formed by a transmitter domain of sensor kinase and a receiver domain of response regulator in the two-component signal-transduction system.

Anaerobiosis↗

PubMed1998

The Tup1-Ssn6 general repressor is involved in repression of IME1 encoding a transcriptional activator of meiosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Ime1 plays a pivotal role in the initiation of meiosis in a/alpha diploid cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the absence of glucose and nitrogen, IME1 expression is greater in a/alpha cells than in either a or alpha cells and therefore only a/alpha, but not a/a or alpha/alpha, cells are committed to sporulation. It is known that IME1 expression is positively regulated by Mck1, Rim1, Ime4 and the Swi-Snf complex but other factors may also be involved. In addition, Rme1 is assumed to repress IME1 expression. To provide more details of the repression of expression of IME1, we have isolated mutants in which the IME1p-PHO5 fusion gene integrated at the ura3 locus is expressed in alpha cells under nutritionally rich conditions. We found that mutations occurred in TUP1, SSN6, SIN4 and RGR1, among which TUP1 and SSN6 were identified for the first time as negative regulators of IME1 expression. Deletion of the Rme1-binding site from the IME1 promoter did not result in activation of the expression of IME1 under nutritionally rich conditions, suggesting that Rme1 does not function as a DNA-binding protein with the Tup1-Ssn6 repression complex. We also demonstrated that the 294-bp fragment from nucleotide position -914 to -621 and the 301-bp fragment from nucleotide position -1215 to -915 of the IME1 promoter region contain elements acting as URS and UAS in TUP1+ and tup1 mutant cells, respectively. These findings indicate that IME1 is negatively regulated by the Tup1-Ssn6 repressor complex through two distinct upstream regions in conjunction with unidentified DNA-binding proteins.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1998

A genetic locus susceptible to the overt proteinuria in BUF/Mna rat.

The BUF/Mna (BUF) strain is a high-proteinuria line of rats, and virtually all rats develop overt proteinuria by the age of 20 weeks. Genetic analysis revealed that proteinuria susceptibility was determined principally by two autosomal recessive genes. These findings prompted us to perform genetic mapping of the genes. (BUF/Mna x WKY/NCrj) F1 x BUF/Mna backcross rats were raised and maintained for 40-60 weeks to detect proteinuria. DNAs were extracted from ears of these rats and were examined by linkage study with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with 132 microsatellite markers. Fifty-three out of 167 rats developed proteinuria. DNAs of 51 out of these 53 rats showed homozygous BUF/BUF genotype in the D13Mgh4 and D13N1 markers located on Chromosome (Chr) 13. The D13Rat1, D13Mgh2, D13Rat13, D13Mgh3, Syt2, Ren, D13Rat25, D13Mit2, D13Mgh5, and D13N2 markers located on the chromosome also showed statistically significant linkage to the development of proteinuria, whereas the other 110 markers showed no linkage. Here we report that a proteinuria-susceptible gene, Pur1, resides on a region flanked by the loci D13Mgh3 and D13Mgh4 on Chr 13.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

L-arginine, a nitric oxide precursor, attenuates ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the effect of pretreatment with nitric oxide precursor before ischemia on recovery with reperfusion in rat hearts. METHODS: Isolated rat hearts were perfused with Krebs-Henseleit buffer without (C group) or with 3 mmol/L L-arginine (A group) before 30 minutes of ischemia. The left ventricular function, including heart rate, developed pressure, maximal dp/dt, and coronary flow, were measured before pretreatment and after 10 and 30 minutes of reperfusion. Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (by radioimmunoassay), calcium (by absorption spectrophotometry), and inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate synthesized from tritiated myo-inositol (by ion-exchange chromatography preceding counting) were measured at the same times and immediately after ischemia. RESULTS: Recovery of ventricular function was significantly greater in the A group than in the C group. Pretreatment increased postischemic cyclic guanosine monophosphate content compared with the preischemic level (from 1.06 +/- 0.12 to 1.94 +/- 0.09 pmol/mg protein, p < 0.05). No change in cyclic guanosine monophosphate was evident in the C group. In the C group, inositol triphosphate content increased after 10 minutes of reperfusion beyond the preischemic level (from 0.53 +/- 0.023 to 1.15 +/- 0.045 cpm x 10(-3)/gm, p < 0.05) as did calcium at 30 minutes (from 4.12 +/- 0.164 to 6.86 +/- 0.544 mmol/gm dry weight). In the A group, both of these increases were significantly attenuated. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that L-arginine pretreatment may reduce calcium overload by increasing cyclic guanosine monophosphate production, which in turn downregulates inositol triphosphate synthesis during reperfusion.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Multiple, unique, and common p53 mutations in a thorotrast recipient with four primary cancers.

Four primary cancers found at autopsy of a patient who received the thorium-based contrast agent Thorotrast 50 years ago and who was healthy up until a few months before his death from liver failure were analyzed for p53 mutations. The data suggest that the chronic alpha-irradiation may be a large causative factor. Multiple mutations were found in all the cancer tissues: two foci of a cholangiocellular carcinoma, a tubular adenocarcinoma of the stomach, a squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, and an adenocarcinoma of Vater's ampulla. The total number of point mutations detected were 13. Moreover, homozygous aberrations were detected in a large area of normal small intestine and noncancer liver tissues suggesting that nontumor cells which harbored p53 abnormalities gained a survival advantage and clonally expanded.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed1998

Clinicopathological and immunological characteristics of six cats with granular lymphocyte tumors.

Clinical and immunological characteristics were investigated in six cases of feline granular lymphocyte (GL) tumor. The ages of the affected cats were relatively old, ranging from 4 to 13 years of age. Gastrointestinal signs were commonly observed in these cases. Only one of the six GL tumor cases was positive for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) antigen. Phenotypic analysis revealed that the GL tumor cells from all of the six cases lacked the T- or B-cell markers. These GL tumor cells were examined by Southern blot analysis using feline immunoglobulin (Ig) and T-cell receptor (TCR) gene probes. GL tumor cells obtained from two cases were identified as cells of T-cell lineage by the presence of a rearranged TCR beta gene, whereas those from the other four cases were considered to be derived from non-T- non-B-cell lineage because of the absence of rearrangement of these genes. These findings indicated that feline GL tumors can be considered as a specific disease entity in feline lymphomas because the cases examined in this study showed onset at an older age, a low incidence of FeLV infection and frequent involvement of gastrointestinal lesions, which are not found in typical FeLV-associated lymphomas. Although no specific phenotypes was observed by phenotypic analysis, the feline GL tumor cells were divided into two consistent genotypes of T-cell or non-T- non-B-cell lineages.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗

PubMed1998

Genetic heterogeneity of env gene of feline immunodeficiency virus obtained from multiple districts in Japan.

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection is widespread in many countries. FIV isolates have been classified into five distinct subtypes, A, B, C, D and E based on their env gene sequences. Several reports indicate that most of the FIVs isolated in Japan belong to subtype B which includes the first Japanese isolate, TM2 strain. To examine the distribution of FIV subtypes in Japan, proviral DNA sequences of the env gene were directly amplified by nested PCR from FIV-infected cats that had been kept in multiple districts throughout Japan. Phylogenetic analysis of the 11 strains showed that four FIV subtypes, A, B, C and D, were present in Japan. Among these subtypes, subtypes B and D were the two most common subtypes in Japan, and they were mainly distributed in the eastern and western parts of Japan, respectively. The present study provides information that is fundamental for development of a vaccine to protect against FIV infection in cats.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1998

Zebrafish wnt11: pattern and regulation of the expression by the yolk cell and No tail activity.

This study analyzed the spatial and temporal expression pattern of zebrafish wnt11 and the regulation of the expression during zebrafish early development, focusing on the interaction with the no tail (ntl) gene, a zebrafish orthologue of mouse Brachyury (T). Zygotic expression of wnt11 was first detected at the late blastula stage in the blastoderm margin, a presumptive mesoderm region. wnt11 expression coincided with mesoderm induction, and the expression was induced by mesoderm inducers such as the yolk cell (Mizuno, T., Yamaha, E., Wakahara, M., Kuroiwa, A., Takeda, H., 1996. Mesoderm induction in zebrafish. Nature 383, 131-132) or FGFs, indicating that, like ntl, wnt11 is one of the immediate-early genes in mesoderm induction. Initial expression domains of wnt11 and ntl overlapped, and these genes showed a similar response to mesoderm inducers. However, analysis of the ntl mutant embryos suggested that wnt11 and ntl are placed in distinct genetic pathways; the ntl mutation had no effect on wnt11 expression in the blastoderm margin. This was further supported by the result of RNA injection experiments showing that overexpression of Wnt11 did not affect ntl expression in the margin. Thus, wnt11 and ntl expression are induced and maintained independently in their initial phase of expression. In later stages, wnt11 was expressed in various organs, such as the somites, particularly in the developing notochord. Since no wnt gene has been reported to be expressed in the axial mesoderm, which is known to act as a signaling source that patterns the neural tube and somites, zebrafish wnt11 is the first wnt gene expressed in the notochord. Furthermore, in contrast to early expression, wnt11 expression in the notochord depended on Ntl activity. In the ntl mutant in which somite patterning is severely affected, wnt11 expression was completely lost, while another signaling molecule, sonic hedgehog is expressed in the mutant notochord precursor cells (Krauss, S., Concordet, J.-P., Ingham, P.W., 1993. A functionally conserved homolog of the Drosophila segment polarity gene hh is expressed in tissues with polarizing activity in zebrafish embryos. Cell 75, 1431-1444). wnt11 expression in the somite also shows a characteristic pattern, correlated with the migration and differentiation of slow muscle precursors. These observations suggest a role for wnt11 in patterning the somites.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1998

An Escherichia coli protein that exhibits phosphohistidine phosphatase activity towards the HPt domain of the ArcB sensor involved in the multistep His-Asp phosphorelay.

The Escherichia coli sensory kinase, ArcB, possesses a histidine-containing phosphotransfer (HPt) domain, which is implicated in the His-Asp multistep phosphorelay. We searched for a presumed phosphohistidine phosphatase, if present, which affects the function of the HPt domain through its dephosphorylation activity. Using in vivo screening, we first identified a gene that appeared to interfere with the His-Asp phosphorelay between the HPt domain and the receiver domain of OmpR, provided that the gene product was expressed through a multicopy plasmid. The cloned gene (named sixA) was found to encode a protein consisting of 161 amino acids, which has a noticeable sequence motif, an arginine-histidine-glycine (RHG) signature, at its N-terminus. Such an RHG signature, which presumably functions as a nucleophilic phosphoacceptor, was previously found in a set of divergent enzymes, including eukaryotic fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase, E. coli periplasmic phosphatase and E. coli glucose-1-phosphate phosphatase, and ubiquitous phosphoglycerate mutase. Otherwise, the entire amino acid sequences of none of these enzymes resembles that of SixA. It was demonstrated in vitro that the purified SixA protein exhibited the ability to release the phosphoryl group from the HPt domain of ArcB, but the mutant protein lacking the crucial histidine residue in the RHG signature did not. Evidence was also provided that a deletion mutation of sixA on the chromosome affected the in vivo phosphotransfer signalling. These results support the view that SixA is capable of functioning as a phosphohistidine phosphatase that may be implicated in the His-Asp phosphorelay through regulating the phosphorylation state of the HPt domain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1998

Dorsal specification in blastoderm at the blastula stage in the goldfish, Carassius auratus.

The teleost dorsoventral axis cannot be morphologically distinguished before gastrulation. Previous studies by the current authors have shown that localized dorsalizing activity in the yolk cell (YC) induces the dorsal tissues in the overlying blastoderm. In order to examine whether or not dorsal blastomeres are committed to their dorsal fate before the gastrula stage, a variety of transplant operations were performed in goldfish blastoderms at the mid- to late-blastula stages. When the blastoderm was cut from the YC, rotated horizontally at 180 degrees, and recombined with the YC, the blastoderm frequently developed two axes, indicating that dorsal blastomeres of the blastula had already acquired the ability to differentiate into the organizer in the absence of dorsalizing signals from the YC. This result was further confirmed by experiments using ventralized embryos in which no dorsal structures formed: the axis formation was frequently observed in the normal blastoderm combined with the ventralized YC at the blastula stage. However, the axes formed in the absence of dorsal information from the YC exhibited a lower dorso-anterior index. Furthermore, the dorsal specification was not stably maintained when the dorsal cells were located far from the YC. These results suggest that the inductive and permissive influence of the YC may be required for the blastoderm to undergo full dorsal differentiation.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Elevated B-type natriuretic peptide levels after anthracycline administration.

BACKGROUND: Cardiotoxicity leading to congestive heart failure is a complication of the anthracyclines. Biochemical methods to diagnose and monitor cardiac function after anthracycline administration would be most useful. We examined the diagnostic role of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), a potent biochemical marker of left ventricular dysfunction, in patients administered anthracyclines. METHODS: Twenty-seven consecutive patients receiving anthracyclines were investigated by serial measurements of BNP levels and other cardiac neurohormones (A-type natriuretic peptide, renin, aldosterone, angiotensin II, norepinephrine, and epinephrine) and myocardial markers (creatine kinase-MB and myosin light chain). Echocardiography was done to assess systolic (ejection fraction) and diastolic (mitral inflow A/E ratio) functions. RESULTS: Of the examined cardiac biochemical markers, BNP levels alone showed marked elevations to abnormal levels after anthracycline administration. Most patients showed transient increases (peak at 3 to 7 days). Patients with persistent elevations showed a poor prognosis. A/E ratio also correlated with increases in BNP levels in selected patients, which may suggest that raised BNP levels are reflective of induced diastolic dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Our studies suggest the possible use of BNP levels to assess the cardiac state after anthracycline administration. BNP levels most likely reflect cardiac tolerance to the cardiotoxic agent. Serial BNP profiles also suggest persistent elevations to be associated with potentially decompensatory states in contrast to tolerable transient increases. Diagnosis of degree of cardiac tolerance by response to drug administration may be analogous to use of stress testing (exercise) to help define underlying left ventricular dysfunction.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

His-Asp phosphotransfer signal transduction.

In general, protein phosphorylation is one of the most widely used mechanisms for regulating biological processes, including intracellular signal transduction. In eukaryotes, the cascades of protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation events involving a number of protein tyrosine or serine/threonine kinases have been well studied. In contrast, recent intensive studies revealed that bacteria have devised a quite different phosphotransfer signaling mechanism for eliciting a variety of adaptive responses to their environment. Such a bacterial signal transduction mechanism was originally referred to as a "two-component regulatory system." The mode of molecular communication between a "sensor kinase" and its cognate phospho-accepting "response regulator" is principally based on histidine-to-aspartate (His-Asp) phosphotransfer. In Escherichia coli, for example, at least 30 different sensor-regulator pairs operate in a wide variety of adaptive responses. This particular signal transduction mechanism was once thought to be restricted to prokaryotes. However, many instances have recently been uncovered in diverse eukaryotic species. Furthermore, recent studies suggested that the molecular mechanism underlying the bacterial signal transduction is not simple as, and, in fact, is more sophisticated than thought previously. The new concept should be referred to as the "multi-step His-Asp phosphotransfer signaling mechanism."

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1998

The structure and function of the histidine-containing phosphotransfer (HPt) signaling domain of the Escherichia coli ArcB sensor.

The Escherichia coli ArcB sensor is involved in anaerobic signal transduction. ArcB is an unorthodox His-kinase, in that it contains three types of phosphotransfer signaling domains in its primary amino acid sequence, namely, transmitter (or His-kinase), receiver, and histidine-containing phosphotransfer (HPt) domains. In this study, we first conducted an in vivo experiment to determine whether or not the phosphorylation of the HPt domain is crucial for ArcB/ArcA-mediated anaerobic signal transduction. The results are best interpreted as meaning that the HPt domain of ArcB is important for the anaerobic signal transduction, as far as the expression of the succinate dehydrogenase (sdh) operon is concerned. We then isolated a set of ArcB mutant each with a single amino acid substitution in the HPt domain, which has lost the ability to function as a phospho-transmitter. The results of such mutational analyses, together with the three-dimensional crystal structure of the HPt domain, provided an insight into the structure and function of the HPt domain of ArcB.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1998

Histidine-containing phosphotransfer (HPt) signal transducers implicated in His-to-Asp phosphorelay in Arabidopsis.

His to Asp phosphorelay signal transduction mechanisms involve three types of widespread signaling components: a sensor His-kinase, a response regulator, and a histidine-containing phosphotransfer (HPt) domain. In Arabidopsis, several sensor His-kinases have recently been discovered (e.g., ETR1 and CKI1) through extensive genetic studies. Furthermore, a recent search for response regulators in this higher plant revealed that it possesses a group of response regulators (ARR-series), each of which exhibits the phospho-accepting receiver function. However, no signal transducer containing the HPt domain has been reported. Here we identify three distinct Arabidopsis genes (AHP1 to AHP3), each encoding a signal transducer containing a HPt domain. Both in vivo and in vitro evidence that each AHP can function as a phospho-transmitting HPt domain with an active histidine site was obtained by employing both the Escherichia coli and yeast His-Asp phosphorelay systems. It was demonstrated that AHP1 exhibits in vivo ability to complement a mutational lesion of the yeast YPD1 gene, encoding a typical HPt domain involved in an osmosensing signal transduction. It was also demonstrated that AHPs can interact in vitro with ARRs through the His-Asp phosphotransfer reaction. It was thus suggested that the uncovered sensors-AHPs-ARRs lineups may play important roles in propagating environmental stimuli through the multistep His-Asp phosphorelay in Arabidopsis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗