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Biomedical subjects

W J Rutter

Publications and source records attributed to W J Rutter.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources

Specific inhibition of nuclear RNA polymerase II by alpha-amanitin.

alpha-Amanitin, a toxic substance from the mushroom Amanita phalloides, is a potent inhibitor of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II (the nucleoplasmic form) from sea urchin, rat liver, and calf thymus. This compound exerts no effect on the activity of polymerase I (nucleolar form) or polymerase III (also nucleoplasmic). The inhibition is due to a specific interaction with polymerase II or with a complex of DNA and polymerase II.

Animals↗

Specific nucleolar and nucleoplasmic RNA polymerases.

The DNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity present in rat liver nuclei has been solubilized and purified from whole nuclei and from subnuclear fractions. As reported earlier (Roeder, R. G., and W. J. Rutter, Nature, 224, 234 (1969)), two major chromatographically distinct enzymatic species (I and II) are present in whole nuclei. Subfractionation of whole nuclei into nucleolar and nucleoplasmic fractions had little effect on the total recovery of activity. Purified nucleoli contain predominantly polymerase I, whereas the nucleoplasmic fraction is greatly enriched for polymerase II. A third minor peak of activity has also been resolved in the nucleoplasmic preparations. We conclude that the RNA polymerases are specifically localized within the nucleus and may, therefore, play specific roles in the regulation of genetic transcription.

Animals↗

The development of the dorsal and ventral mammalian pancreas in vivo and in vitro.

The origin, morphogenesis, and biochemical differentiation of the dorsal and ventral pancreas of the rat embryo have been investigated in order to ascertain the similarities and dissimilarities between the two lobes. We have utilized a culture system in which the primitive gut gives rise to a number of differentiated organs, including the dorsal and ventral pancreas. The two pancreases do not undergo fusion in these cultures, thus allowing independent analyses of the two lobes for comparison with in vivo results. The dorsal pancreas first appeared at the 23-25 somite stage while the ventral pancreas appeared approximately 12 hr later at the 29-30 somite stage. Guts from embryos as young as 12 somites were capable of developing both pancreases in vitro. In spite of the 12 hr difference between the times of their appearance, the dorsal and ventral pancreases exhibited identical patterns of morphological and biochemical differentiation. The two lobes contained the same exocrine enzymes and hormones, at similar levels, differing only in their glucagon content, the dorsal pancreas possessing a fivefold higher glucagon specific activity. The implications of these results are discussed.

Amylases↗

Heterogeneity of presumably homogeneous protein preparations.

Some highly purified glycolytic enzymes have been subjected to isoelectric focusing and found to contain a number of enzymatically active species. Crystalline aldolase A and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from rabbit muscle were resolved into five components, crystalline aldolase from yeast was resolved into three components, pyruvate kinase from rabbit muscle yielded four components, and yeast enolase was resolved into two components. Rabbit muscle lactate dehydrogenase (M(4)) gave one major peak of protein and enzymatic activity. The profiles of aldolase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and yeast aldolases suggest random combinations of two closely related subunits into tetramers and dimers, respectively. The molecular heterogeneity of the other enzymes is not so easily related to subunit structure.

Animals↗