Biomedical subjects

X Zhao

Publications and source records attributed to X Zhao.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Alterations in the regulation of androgen-sensitive Cyp 4a monooxygenases cause hypertension.

Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular, cerebral, and renal disease morbidity and mortality. Here we show that disruption of the Cyp 4a14 gene causes hypertension, which is, like most human hypertension, more severe in males. Male Cyp 4a14 (-/-) mice show increases in plasma androgens, kidney Cyp 4a12 expression, and the formation of prohypertensive 20-hydroxyarachidonate. Castration normalizes the blood pressure of Cyp 4a14 (-/-) mice and minimizes Cyp 4a12 expression and arachidonate omega-hydroxylation. Androgen replacement restores hypertensive phenotype, Cyp 4a12 expression, and 20-hydroxy-arachidonate formation. We conclude that the androgen-mediated regulation of Cyp 4a arachidonate monooxygenases is an important component of the renal mechanisms that control systemic blood pressures. These results provide direct evidence for a role of Cyp 4a isoforms in cardiovascular physiology, establish Cyp 4a14 (-/-) mice as a monogenic model for the study of cause/effect relationships between blood pressure, sex hormones, and P450 omega-hydroxylases, and suggest the human CYP 4A homologues as candidate genes for the analysis of the genetic and molecular basis of human hypertension.

Androgens↗

PubMed2001

TNF-alpha stimulates caspase-3 activation and apoptotic cell death in primary septo-hippocampal cultures.

Primary septo-hippocampal cell cultures were incubated in varying concentrations of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha; 0.3-500 ng/ml) to examine proteolysis of the cytoskeletal protein alpha-spectrin (240 kDa) to a signature 145 kDa fragment by calpain and to the apoptotic-linked 120-kDa fragment by caspase-3. The effects of TNF-alpha incubation on morphology and cell viability were assayed by fluorescein diacetate-propidium iodide (FDA-PI) staining, assays of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, nuclear chromatin alterations (Hoechst 33258), and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Incubation with varying concentrations of TNF-alpha produced rapid increases in LDH release and nuclear PI uptake that were sustained over 48 hr. Incubation with 30 ng/ml TNF-alpha yielded maximal, 3-fold, increase in LDH release and was associated with caspase-specific 120-kDa fragment but not calpain-specific 145-kDa fragment as early as 3.5 hr after injury. Incubation with the pan-caspase inhibitor, carbobenzosy- Asp-CH(2)-OC (O)-2-6-dichlorobenzene (Z-D-DCB, 50-140 microM) significantly reduced LDH release produced by TNF-alpha. Apoptotic-associated oligonucleosomal-sized DNA fragmentation on agarose gels was detected from 6 to 72 hr after exposure to TNF-alpha. Histochemical changes included chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation, and formation of apoptotic bodies. Results of this study suggest TNF-alpha may induce caspase-3 activation but not calpain activation in septo-hippocampal cultures and that this activation of caspase-3 at least partially contributes to TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Search for B --> tau(nu) and B --> K(nu)nu.

We report results of a search for B-->tau(nu) in a sample of 9.7 x 10(6) charged B meson decays. We exclusively reconstruct the companion B decay to suppress background. We set an upper limit on the branching fraction B(B-->tau(nu))<8.4 x 10(-4) at 90% confidence level. We also establish B(B+/--->K+/-nu(nu))<2.4 x 10(-4) at 90% confidence level.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2001

Parity violation observed in the beta decay of magnetically trapped 82Rb atoms.

Laser cooling and atomic trapping techniques have been employed to confine polarized 82Rb atoms ( T1/2 = 75 s) in a magnetic time-orbiting-potential (TOP) trap. We have observed the parity-violating correlation between the emitted positron momentum and the parent nuclear spin as a continuous function of angle and positron energy for this pure Gamow-Teller (GT) transition. These proof-of-principle measurements demonstrate the utility of exploring fundamental symmetries in a TOP trap and the steps required to improve sensitivity in the search for physics beyond the standard model.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2001

Measurement of the relative branching fraction of upsilon(4S) to charged and neutral B-meson pairs.

We analyze 9.7x10(6) B_B pairs recorded with the CLEO detector to determine the production ratio of charged to neutral B-meson pairs produced at the Upsilon(4S) resonance. We measure the rates for B0-->J/psiK((*)0) and B+-->J/psiK((*)+) decays and use the world-average B-meson lifetime ratio to extract the relative widths f(+-) / f(00) = gamma(Upsilon(4S)-->B+B-) / gamma(Upsilon(4S)-->B0 B-0)) = 1.04+/-0.07(stat)+/-0.04(syst). With the assumption that f(+-)+f(00) = 1, we obtain f(00) = 0.49+/-0.02(stat)+/-0.01(syst) and f(+-) = 0.51+/-0.02(stat)+/-0.01(syst). This production ratio and its uncertainty apply to all exclusive B-meson branching fractions measured at the Upsilon(4S) resonance.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2001

A universal, photocleavable DNA base: nitropiperonyl 2'-deoxyriboside.

A universal, photochemically cleavable DNA base analogue would add desirable versatility to a number of methods in molecular biology. A novel C-nucleoside, nitropiperonyl deoxyriboside (NPdR, P), has been investigated for this purpose. NPdR can be converted to its 5'-DMTr-3'-CE-phosphoramidite and was incorporated into pentacosanucleotides by conventional synthesis techniques. The destabilizing effect on hybrid formation with a complementary strand when this P base opposes A, T, and G was found to be 3-5 kcal/mol, but 9 kcal/mol when it opposes C. Brief irradiation (lambda > 360 nm, 20 min) of DNA containing the P base and piperidine treatment causes strand cleavage giving the 3'- and 5'-phosphates. Two significant recent interests, universal/non-hydrogen-bonding base analogues and photochemical backbone cleavage, have thus been combined in a single molecule that serves as a light-based DNA scissors.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2001

Robust prostate-specific expression for targeted gene therapy based on the human kallikrein 2 promoter.

Tissue-specific transcriptional regulatory elements can increase the safety of gene therapy vectors. Unlike prostate-specific antigen (PSA/hK3), whose expression displays an inverse correlation with prostate cancer grade and stage, human glandular kallikrein 2 (hK2) is upregulated in higher grade and stage disease. Therefore, our goal was to develop a strong and prostate-specific hK2-based promoter for targeted gene therapy. We identified the minimum "full-strength" hK2 enhancer and built transcriptional regulatory elements composed of multiple tandem copies of this 1.2-kb enhancer, fused to the hK2 minimal promoter. Relative to the weak induction of the minimal hK2 promoter by androgen analog (R1881) in androgen receptor (AR)-positive LNCaP cells, transcriptional activity was increased by 25-, 44-, 81-, and 114-fold when one to four enhancers were spliced to the hK2 promoter, respectively. In contrast, the enhancer/promoter elements were inactive in the AR(-) prostate cancer line PC-3 and in a panel of nonprostate lines, including 293, U87, MCF-7, HuH-7, and HeLa cells. Furthermore, we generated a recombinant adenovirus, ADV.hK2-E3/P-EGFP, expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) under the control of the hK2 triplicate enhancer/promoter, and compared its properties with ADV.CMV-EGFP expressing EGFP under the control of the cytomegalovirus (CMV) enhancer/promoter. Unlike the CMV promoter, the hK2-E3/P promoter was at least 100-fold inducible by R1881 in the adenoviral backbone. Compared with in situ injection of subcutaneous LNCaP tumors with ADV.CMV-EGFP, which led to detectable EGFP expression in tumor, liver, and brain tissue, ADV.hK2-E3/P-EGFP injection led to robust but tumor-restricted EGFP expression. These results suggest that the hk2 multienhancer/promoter should be a powerful novel reagent for safer targeted gene therapy of prostate cancer.

Adenoviridae↗

PubMed2001

Aedes aegypti peroxidase gene characterization and developmental expression.

The functions of insect peroxidases include detoxification, stabilization of extracellular matrices, and possible involvement in insect immunity. The current study describes the isolation of a peroxidase gene, AePox, and its cDNA from the mosquito, Aedes aegypti. AePox codes for a protein that is homologous to various heme-peroxidases from vertebrates and invertebrates, with highest identity to Drosophila melanogaster peroxidase (62%). Sequence comparison identified several functionally and structurally conserved domains in the mosquito peroxidase, including a heme environment, a calcium binding site, and five possible disulfide bridges. These results imply that AePOX may likely have a similar structure and catalytic mechanism as those described for the mammalian myeloperoxidase superfamily. Expression studies demonstrate that AePox is transcribed in mosquito larvae and pupae, but not in adults, in ovaries, or in early embryos. However, AePOX protein is present in all mosquito stages and possibly has a maturation process that is similar to that of human myeloperoxidase. Unlike most human peroxidases, the AePox gene contains a TATA box and an ecdysone response element (EcRE).

Aedes↗

PubMed2001

p300/CBP-mediated p53 acetylation is commonly induced by p53-activating agents and inhibited by MDM2.

The tumor suppressor p53 is activated in response to many types of cellular and environmental insults via mechanisms involving post-translational modification. Here we demonstrate that, unlike phosphorylation, p53 invariably undergoes acetylation in cells exposed to a variety of stress-inducing agents including hypoxia, anti-metabolites, nuclear export inhibitor and actinomycin D treatment. In vivo, p53 acetylation is mediated by the p300 and CBP acetyltransferases. Overexpression of either p300 or CBP, but not an acetyltransferase-deficient mutant, efficiently induces specific p53 acetylation. In contrast, MDM2, a negative regulator of p53, actively suppresses p300/CBP-mediated p53 acetylation in vivo and in vitro. This inhibitory activity of MDM2 on p53 acetylation is in turn abrogated by tumor suppressor p19(ARF), indicating that regulation of acetylation is a central target of the p53-MDM2-p19(ARF) feedback loop. Functionally, inhibition of deacetylation promotes p53 stability, suggesting that acetylation plays a positive role in the accumulation of p53 protein in stress response. Our results provide evidence that p300/CBP-mediated acetylation may be a universal and critical modification for p53 function.

Acetylation↗

PubMed2001

A simple method of DNA extraction for Eimeria species.

A new, simple method is described for extracting DNA from coccidia (Eimeriidae) oocysts. In our hands this method works well for all Eimeria oocysts and, presumably, will work equally well for oocysts of other coccidia genera. This method combines the two steps of breaking oocyst and sporocyst walls, and dissolving the sporozoite membrane in one step. This greatly simplifies the currently used DNA extraction procedures for Eimeria species and overcomes the disadvantages of existing DNA extraction methods based on glass-bead grinding and sporozoite excystation procedures. Because all the procedures are done in a 1.5-ml microfuge tube, which minimizes the loss of DNA in the extraction procedures, this method is especially suitable for samples with small number of oocysts. In addition, this method directly lyses the oocyst and sporocyst walls as well as the sporozoite membrane in a continuous incubation; therefore, it does not require the sporozoites to be alive. The results of PCR experiments indicate that this method generates better quality of DNA than what the existing glass-bead grinding method does for molecular analysis, and is suitable for both large or small number (<10(2) oocysts) of living or dead oocyst samples.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Immobilization of oligodeoxyribonucleotides with multiple anchors to microchips.

Facile modification of oligodeoxyribonucleotides is required for efficient immobilization to a pre-activated glass surface. This report presents an oligodeoxyribonucleotide which contains a hairpin stem-loop structure with multiple phosphorothioate moieties in the loop. These moieties are used to anchor the oligo to glass slides that are pre-activated with bromoacetamidopropylsilane. The efficiency of the attachment reaction was improved by increasing the number of phosphorothioates in the loop, as shown in the remarkable enhancement of template hybridization and single base extension through catalysis by DNA polymerase. The loop and stem presumably serve as lateral spacers between neighboring oligodeoxyribonucleotides and as a linker arm between the glass surface and the single-stranded sequence of interest. The oligodeoxyribonucleotides of this hairpin stem-loop architecture with multiple phosphorothioate moieties have broad application in DNA chip-based gene analysis.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2001

First observation of the sigma(+)(c) baryon and a new measurement of the sigma(+)(c) mass.

Using data recorded with the CLEO II and CLEO II.V detector configurations at the Cornell Electron Storage Rings, we report the first observation and mass measurement of the Sigma(*+)(c) charmed baryon, and an updated measurement of the mass of the Sigma(+)(c) baryon. We find M(Sigma(*+)(c))-M(Lambda(+)(c)) = (231.0+/-1.1+/-2.0) MeV, and M(Sigma(+)(c))-M(Lambda(+)(c)) = (166.4+/-0.2+/-0.3) MeV, where the errors are statistical and systematic, respectively.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2001

Reduced susceptibility to ischemic brain injury and N-methyl-D-aspartate-mediated neurotoxicity in cyclooxygenase-2-deficient mice.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), a prostanoid-synthesizing enzyme that contributes to the toxicity associated with inflammation, has recently emerged as a promising therapeutic target for several illnesses, ranging from osteoarthritis to Alzheimer's disease. Although COX-2 has also been linked to ischemic stroke, its role in the mechanisms of ischemic brain injury remains controversial. We demonstrate that COX-2-deficient mice have a significant reduction in the brain injury produced by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. The protection can be attributed to attenuation of glutamate neurotoxicity, a critical factor in the initiation of ischemic brain injury, and to abrogation of the deleterious effects of postischemic inflammation, a process contributing to the secondary progression of the damage. Thus, COX-2 is involved in pathogenic events occurring in both the early and late stages of cerebral ischemia and may be a valuable therapeutic target for treatment of human stroke.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Interactions among subunits of human Arp2/3 complex: p20-Arc as the hub.

The Arp2/3 complex is critical for nucleation and crosslinking of actin filaments. To gain insight into its subunit topology and assembly pathway, we systematically examined interactions among subunits of human Arp2/3 complex by yeast two-hybrid assays. It was shown that p20-Arc was able to interact with p21-Arc, p34-Arc, and p16-Arc, respectively. In contrast, p41-Arc only interacted with p20-Arc/p16-Arc heterodimer. In addition, we found that structural integrity was important for association between p20-Arc and p21-Arc, while the N-terminal half of p34-Arc was dispensable for its binding to p20-Arc. Our data suggest a key role of p20-Arc and a multistep pathway for the complex formation.

Actin-Related Protein 2↗

PubMed2001

Study of B Decays to Charmonium States: B-->eta(c)K and B --> chi(c0)K.

In a sample of 9.66x10(6)B&Bmacr; pairs collected with the CLEO detector we make the first observation of B decays to an eta(c) and a kaon. We measure branching fractions B(B+-->eta(c)K+) = (0.69(+0.26)(-0.21)+/-0.08+/-0.20)x10(-3) and B(B degrees -->eta(c)K degrees ) = (1.09(+0.55)(-0.42)+/-0.12+/-0.31)x10(-3), where the first error is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is from the eta(c) branching fraction uncertainty. From these we extract the eta(c) decay constant in the factorization approximation, f(eta(c)) = 335+/-75 MeV. We also search for B decays to a chi(c0) and a kaon. No evidence for a signal is found and we set 90% C.L. upper limits: B(B+-->chi(c0)K+)<4.8x10(-4) and B(B degrees -->chi(c0)K degrees )<5.0x10(-4).

Journal Article↗

PubMed2001

Overexpressing eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E stimulates bovine mammary epithelial cell proliferation.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E regulates the proliferation of many cell types. In the present study, the effect of its overexpression on the growth of an immortalized bovine mammary epithelial cell line, MAC-T, has been investigated. Since involvement of cyclin D1 in growth regulation of other cell types has been suggested previously, the differences in cyclin D1 expression among the 4E-overexpressing and parental cells were also investigated. METHODS: The cDNA of mouse eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E coding region (either wild-type or mutant, where Trp-56 was mutated to Ala) was transfected into MAC-T cells, and its protein expression was detected by Western blot analysis. Growth rates and saturation densities were calculated based on the cell counting data at desired time points. KEY RESULTS: The cells overexpressing wild-type 4E displayed higher growth rates and saturation densities compared to the parental cells (P<0.05), whereas cells expressing mutant 4E showed lower growth rates and saturation densities than the parental controls (P<0.05). The amounts of cyclin D1 mRNA and protein were higher in the wild-type transfectants than in the parental controls, whereas the mutant transfectants contained lower amounts of cyclin D1 mRNA and protein compared to the parental cells. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that overexpression of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E leads to increased cyclin D1 expression at the transcriptional level, which consequently stimulates the proliferation of MAC-T cells.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Mannosylerythritol lipid induces characteristics of neuronal differentiation in PC12 cells through an ERK-related signal cascade.

Rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells undergo neuronal differentiation in response to nerve growth factor (NGF). The differentiation involves protein kinase cascades that include the kinases MEK and ERK, as well as activation of the transcription factors c-Jun and c-Fos. We show here, that exposure of PC12 cells to mannosylerythritol lipid (MEL), a yeast extracellular glycolipid, enhances the activity of acetylcholinesterase and interrupts the cell cycle at the G1 phase, with resulting outgrowth of neurites and partial cellular differentiation. Treatment with MEL stimulates the phosphorylation of ERK to a similar extent as treatment with NGF, although, the appearance of phosphorylated ERK is somewhat delayed. Both the MEL-induced outgrowth of neurites and the increase in the activity of acetylcholinesterase are prevented by PD98059, a specific inhibitor of MEK. Northern blotting analysis of c-jun transcripts and analysis of transcription in PC12 cells of a c-jun/CAT reporter construct demonstrated a significant increase in the rate of transcription of the c-jun gene upon treatment with MEL. The sequence elements required for the MEL-mediated activation of transcription of the c-jun gene are located between nucleotides -126 and -79 in the 5' flanking region. Our results suggest that MEL induces characteristics of neuronal differentiation in PC12 cells, with transactivation of the c-jun gene, via an ERK-related signal cascade that is partially overlapping the pathways activated in response to NGF. These results might provide the groundwork for the use of microbial extracellular glycolipids as novel reagents for the treatment of cancer cells.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

PubMed2001

Site-directed mutagenesis of human membrane-associated ganglioside sialidase: identification of amino-acid residues contributing to substrate specificity.

Unlike microbial sialidases, mammalian sialidases possess strict substrate specificity, for example the human membrane-associated sialidase, which hydrolyzes only gangliosides. To cast light on the molecular basis of this narrow substrate preference, predicted active site amino-acid residues of the human membrane sialidase were altered by site-directed mutagenesis. When compared with the active site amino-acid residues proposed for Salmonella typhimurium sialidase, only five out of 13 residues were found to be different to the human enzyme, these being located upstream of the putative transmembrane region. Alteration of seven residues, including these five, was followed by transient expression of the mutant enzymes in COS-1 cells and characterization of their kinetic properties using various substrates. Substitution of glutamic acid (at position 51) by aspartic acid and of arginine (at position 114) by glutamine or alanine resulted in retention of good catalytic efficiency toward ganglioside substrates, whereas other substitutions caused a marked reduction. The mutant enzyme E51D exhibited an increase in hydrolytic activity towards GM2 as well as sialyllactose (which are poor substrates for the wild-type) with change to a lower Km and a higher Vmax. R114Q demonstrated a substrate specificity shift in the same direction as E51D, whereas R114A enhanced the preference for gangliosides GD3 and GD1a that are effectively hydrolyzed by the wild-type. The inhibition experiments using 2-deoxy-2,3-didehydro-N-acetylneuraminic acid were consistent with the results in the alteration of substrate specificity. The findings suggest that putative active-site residues of the human membrane sialidase contribute to its substrate specificity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗