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Biomedical subjects

Y L Chiang

Publications and source records attributed to Y L Chiang.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Adenovirus-mediated gene therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma using cancer-specific gene expression.

Most patients with hepatocellular carcinoma have an elevated alpha-feto-protein (AFP) level. This high level of AFP expression is transcriptionally controlled by the 5'-flanking sequence of the AFP gene. Using the 5'-flanking sequence as a promoter for the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) gene in an adenoviral vector (Av1AFPTK1), the therapeutic efficacy of adenovirus-mediated HSV-TK gene transduction, followed by ganciclovir (GCV) administration, was studied in tumors in athymic nude mice. Av1AFPTK1 transduction of two cell lines demonstrated HSV-TK enzyme activity only in the AFP-producing cells (HuH7) and not in the AFP nonproducing cells (SK-Hep-1). As expected, only transduced HuH7 cells were killed by GCV treatment. Transduction by an adenoviral vector harboring a Rous sarcoma virus promoter and HSV-TK gene (Av1TK1) showed enzymatic activity and GCV killing in both cell lines. All HuH7 tumors that were transduced with either Av1AFPTK1 or Av1TK1 completely regressed after GCV treatment. On the other hand, there was complete regression of SK-Hep-1 tumors only when treated with Av1TK1 and GCV and not when treated with Av1AFPTK1 and GCV. Thus, cell-specific killing was achieved by adenoviral vector containing AFP promoter for the HSV-TK gene and GCV treatment.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1994

Improved methods of retroviral vector transduction and production for gene therapy.

To facilitate clinical applications of retroviral-mediated human gene transfer, retroviral vectors must be of high titer and free of detectable replication-competent retroviruses. The purpose of this study was to optimize methods of retroviral vector production and transduction. Studies were conducted using 22 retroviral vector producer cell lines. Inactivation of retroviral vectors was greater at 37 degrees C than at 32 degrees C. A 5- to 15-fold increase of vectors was produced at 32 degrees C compared to 37 degrees C; the vector increase at 34 degrees C was intermediate. For example, PA317/G1Na.40 grew to a titer of 1.8 x 10(7) cfu/ml at 32 degrees C, compared to 5.0 x 10(5) cfu/ml at 37 degrees C. The production of retroviral vectors was scalable achieving similar results in flasks, roller bottles, or a CellCube Bioreactor. Retroviral vectors were concentrated 15-24 times with vector recovery ranging from 91 to 96% in a Pellicon tangential flow filtration system. Retroviral supernatants were successfully lyophilized. The combination of glucose or sorbitol with gelatin resulted in recovery rates of 64-83%. In studies on transduction by retroviral vectors, centrifugation of vector supernatants onto target cells significantly increased transduction efficiency as measured by vector titration for G418 resistance, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses. The combination of the above methods has significantly increased the growth and transduction by this vector system.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1993

[The 1991 dengue epidemic in Kaohsiung City].

In Kaohsiung City, dengue fever subsided for two years after the 1987-1988 epidemic. The main reason that it recurred was due to late diagnoses of the dengue fever in patients because of mild or atypical clinical presentations. The first patient contracted dengue fever from Thailand in mid-May, 1991. The disease then spread among his co-workers. Dengue fever was not suspected until the 9th patient contracted it in early July 1991. Through chain transmission, the epidemic spread in the community and even to other parts of Taiwan. There were 113 confirmed dengue cases in Kaohsiung City, and a total of 175 cases on the whole island during the 1991 epidemic. The clinical manifestations were mainly fever, body pain, dizziness, general weakness, and a skin rash. No instances of severe bleeding, shock or dengue hemorrhagic fever were found. Seven dengue 1 and three dengue 3 viruses were isolated from the sera of patients. We found that the clinical severity of the 1991 dengue epidemic was milder, and the viral isolation rate was lower, compared with the 1987-1988 epidemic, although these two outbreaks of dengue fever were both mostly due to dengue type 1. Genetic variation in the dengue virus may be the explanation. Clinically, about 35% of the patients were missed or not reported, although they were finally demonstrated to be dengue fever patients during a patient survey in the epidemic area. For early detection, viral surveys should be performed in new epidemic regions in addition to fixed-spot surveillance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Activated Langerhans cells release tumor necrosis factor.

Langerhans cells act as antigen-presenting cells in immune reactions in the skin. What other roles they may play in inflammation is less well defined. We have tested whether these cells can produce TNF-alpha, an important mediator of inflammation. Resting Langerhans cells produce less than 0.1 U TNF-alpha/ml. Langerhans cells stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) release 4-5 U TNF-alpha/ml. Specificity of the released TNF-alpha in an L929 cytotoxicity assay was confirmed by using neutralizing anti-TNF-alpha monoclonal antibodies, and the identity of TNF-alpha was further confirmed by Northern blot hybridization with an TNF-alpha oligomer DNA probe. Activated Langerhans cells may contribute to inflammation in the skin by releasing TNF-alpha, which is known to effect fibroblast growth, endothelial cell activation, and lymphocyte function.

Humans↗
PubMed1989

Direct cDNA cloning of the rearranged immunoglobulin variable region.

A major problem in the study of multigene families is the effort required to clone and sequence these genes. We describe a method to rapidly clone and sequence immunoglobulin variable region gene sequences without constructing cDNA libraries. Because immunoglobulin variable-region genes are flanked by conserved sequences, we have been able to apply the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to clone and sequence both the light- and heavy-chain rearranged immunoglobulin genes from small numbers of hybridoma cells. This method will greatly facilitate the construction of chimeric mouse/human monoclonal antibodies for immunoglobulin structural studies as well as for therapeutic use.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Human globin gene expression in hybrid 2S MEL X human fibroblast cells.

A somatic cell hybrid line, called M11-X, was developed in order to study the expression and regulation of the human beta-like globin genes in a mouse erythroid environment. M11-X cells were obtained by fusing the human fibroblast cell line GM3552 (which contains the translocation chromosome t(11;X) that carries the human beta-like globin genes) with hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) -negative tetraploid (2S) mouse erythroleukemia (MEL) cells. After induction with 5 mM hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA), these cells contain approximately 300-600 copies per cell of correctly initiated, processed, and terminated human beta-globin mRNA; however, neither human epsilon- nor gamma-globin mRNAs were detected. Carboxymethylcellulose chromatography followed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting revealed that normal human beta-globin protein was also present. These results suggest that the human beta-globin gene, when present in mouse erythroid cells, can be transcribed and its mRNA translated into normal products, but at a much lower level than the mouse beta-globin genes. Analysis of the frequency of cytosine methylation near the human gamma-globin genes indicated that these genes are heavily methylated in M11-X cells. The inability to express the human gamma-globin genes of these cells might be accounted for, at least in part, by DNA methylation.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

DNA methylation and regulation of the human beta-globin-like genes in mouse erythroleukemia cells containing human chromosome 11.

The human beta-globin gene is expressed--but the human fetal (gamma) and embryonic (epsilon) globin genes are not--in an induced mouse erythroleukemia cell line (M11-X) that contains most of human chromosome 11. A 24-hr exposure of M11-X cells to 5-azacytidine before induction causes "global" DNA hypomethylation but selective activation of the human gamma-globin genes. Genomic DNA is remethylated 2-3 days after exposure to 5-azacytidine, but sequences near the human and mouse globin genes remain hypomethylated, suggesting that the remethylation process is inhibited in these regions.

Acetamides↗
PubMed1983

Globin gene expression in somatic cell hybrids.

Fusions between somatic cell lines have previously yielded evidence for the existence of trans-acting gene regulatory factors. For this reason, we developed a cell line containing a "locked in" human 11-X translocation chromosome (containing the beta-globin-like gene cluster) in MEL cells. The human 11-X chromosome is stably integrated in the "M11-X" cell line, and single-copy human gamma and beta genes are present. After induction with HMBA, M11-X cells produced 500 copies per cell of correctly initiated, processed, and terminated human beta-globin mRNA; authentic human beta-globin chains were also produced at a low level. Despite the presence of normally arranged human gamma-globin genes, no gamma-globin mRNA could be detected after HMBA induction. However, cytosine residues near the gamma-globin gene promoters are completely methylated in these cells, suggesting that the gamma-globin genes may be repressed in part by DNA methylation. The pattern of human globin gene expression in M11-X cells may be affected by methylation and/or by trans-acting factors produced by these tetraploid cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

A study on topographical change of proteoglycans in human lumbar disc.

Proteoglycan aggregates, the binding of disc proteoglycan to hyaluronate, chondroitin sulfate chain length, hexosamine and amino acid compositions were measured in different regions of the L1/L2 and L4/L5 intervertebral discs from 3 spines aged 35, 49, and 60 years. The results were as follows: proteoglycan aggregates and the binding of disc proteoglycan to hyaluronate were shown to increase from the nucleus pulposus to the outer annulus, while only small differences were observed among the anterior, posterior and lateral regions in either the inner or the outer annulus within a given disc. Changes in chondroitin sulfate chain length were observed with aging. However, within a given disc, and furthermore, within a given spine, chondroitin sulfate chains were similar in length. Glucosamine/galactosamine molar ratios of disc proteoglycan were higher in the L1/L2 disc than the L4/L5 disc. Changes with age were also observed. Nevertheless, only minor differences among the anterior, posterior and lateral regions of the annulus fibrosus were found within a given disc. The amino acid compositions showed small differences when proteoglycans from various regions of a disc were compared. All of them had a high content of aspartic acid, threonine, serine, glutamic acid, proline and glycine. The results indicate that it seems there are only minor differences among the anterior, posterior and lateral regions of the annulus fibrosus in a number of the experimented parameters.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Cytochrome c1 complexes.

Cytochrome c1 forms an active complex with cytochrome c as previously reported (Chiang, Y. L., Kaminsky, L. S., and King, T. E. (1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 29-36). It also forms a complex with cytochrome oxidase with heme ratio of 1:1. This cytochrome c1.oxidase complex has been purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation and is stable in media of high ionic strength (greater than 0.1 M) but dissociates as the pH deviates from neutral. The purified cytochrome c1 aggregates to an oligomer, presumably a pentamer. No agent has been found to depolymerize isolated c1 without denaturation. However, in the cytochrome c1.oxidase complex, these two cytochromes apparently were depolymerized to form smaller aggregates, if not monomeric units, as judged by sedimentation behavior. Cytochrome c1 also forms a ternary complex with cytochrome c and oxidase in the heme ratio of 1:1:1. This complex can be prepared by any of the following four methods: (i) c1 + c + oxidase: (ii) c1.c complex + oxidase; (iii) c1 + c.oxidase complex: or (iv) c + c1.oxidase complex. The mode of formation of these complexes is all from pure protein-protein interactions. Cytochrome c1 is also incorporated into phospholipid vesicles and these vesicles show about 200 molecules of phospholipid/cytochrome c1 in terms of heme. The spectrophotometric, circular dichroic, sedimentation behavior and enzymic properties of these complexes have been investigated.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Regio- and stereoselectivity of various forms of purified cytochrome P-450 in the metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene and (-) trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene as shown by product formation and binding to DNA.

Highly purified cytochromes P-450(LM2) and P-450(LM4) and partially purified P-450(LM1), P-450(LM3b), and P-450(LM7) from rabbit liver microsomes exhibit different catalytic activities in the metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene (BzP) and (-)-trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene [(-)trans-7,8-diol] in a reconstituted enzyme system. The two highly purified cytochromes also exhibit differences in the activation of BzP and (-)trans-7,8-diol to intermediates that bind to DNA, as well as in the stereoselective conversion of (-)trans-7,8-diol to the highly mutagenic and carcinogenic diol-epoxides r-7,t-8-dihydroxy-t-9,10-oxy-7,8,9,10- tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (diol-epoxide I) and r - 7,t - 8 - dihydroxy - c - 9,10 - oxy - 7,8,9,10 - tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (diol-epoxide II). P-450(LM2) is more active than P-450(LM4) in the metabolism of BzP and in its conversion to products that bind to DNA. In contrast, P-450(LM4) is more active than P-450(LM2) in the metabolism of (-)trans-7,8-diol and in its conversion to products that bind to DNA. The ratio of activity (percent substrate metabolized) with BzP relative to that with (-)trans-7,8-diol is 21 for P-450(LM2) and 0.3 for P-450(LM4); P-450(LM1), P-450(LM3b), and P-450(LM7) gave intermediate ratios. Marked stereoselectivity in the oxygenation of the (-)trans-7,8-diol to the highly mutagenic and putatively carcinogenic diol-epoxides I and II was observed with P-450(LM4), whereas the other preparations showed less selectivity. The ratio of diolepoxide I to diol-epoxide II ranges from 0.3 for P-450(LM7) to 11 for P-450(LM4). The substrate specificity and regio- and stereo-selectivity of the different forms of cytochrome P-450 may regulate the balance between activation and detoxification pathways of BzP and therefore determine the susceptibility of individual tissues, strains, and species to the carcinogenic action of BzP.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

A complex of cardiac cytochrome c1 and cytochrome c.

The interactions of cytochrome c1 and cytochrome c from bovine cardiac mitochondria were investigated. Cytochrome c1 and cytochrome c formed a 1:1 molecular complex in aqueous solutions of low ionic strength. The complex was stable to Sephadex G-75 chromatography. The formation and stability of the complex were independent of the oxidation state of the cytochrome components as far as those reactions studied were concerned. The complex was dissociated in solutions of ionic strength higher than 0.07 or pH exceeding 10 and only partially dissociated in 8 M urea. No complexation occurred when cytochrome c was acetylated on 64% of its lysine residues or photooxidized on its 2 methionine residues. Complexes with molecular ratios of less than 1:1 (i.e. more cytochrome c) were obtained when polymerized cytochrome c, or cytochrome c with all lysine residues guanidinated, or a "1-65 heme peptide" from cyanogen bromide cleavage of cytochrome c was used. These results were interpreted to imply that the complex was predominantly maintained by ionic interactions probably involving some of the lysine residues of cytochrome c but with major stabilization dependent on the native conformations of both cytochromes. The reduced complex was autooxidizable with biphasic kinetics with first order rate constants of 6 X 10(-5) and 5 X U0(-5) s-1 but did not react with carbon monoxide. The complex reacted with cyanide and was reduced by ascorbate at about 32% and 40% respectively, of the rates of reaction with cytochrome c alone. The complex was less photoreducible than cytochrome c1 alone. The complex exhibited remarkably different circular dichroic behavior from that of the summation of cytochrome c1 plus cytochrome c. We concluded that when cytochromes c1 and c interacted they underwent dramatic conformational changes resulting in weakening of their heme crevices. All results available would indicate that in the complex cytochrome c1 was bound at the entrance to the heme crevice of cytochrome c on the methionine-80 side of the heme crevice.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Some properties of mammalian cardiac cytochrome c1.

Investigations into the nature of the axial heme ligands, the strength of the heme crevice, the reactivity with cyanide, and the ascorbate reducibility of cytochrome c1 were performed to explore structure-function relationships of cytochrome c1. The existence of an absorbance band at 690 nm, which was quenched by raising the pH with a pK of 9.2 corresponding to a low spin-low transition, suggested that a methionine residue probably functioned as one of the axial heme iron ligands in this cytochrome. Spectral titrations of cytochrome c1 in the low pH range showed a markedly elevated pK for the low spin-high spin transition relative to cytochrome c. Denaturation studies with urea, the absence of any reaction with cyanide, and the evidence from other lines would appear to indicate that the heme group of cytochrome c1 was reduced by ascorbate at approximately 5% of the rate of reduction of cytochrome c but this rate dramatically increased with increasing pH concomitant with the disappearance of the 690 nm absorbance band. Circular dichroic spectra substantiated that elevated pH produced conformational changes localized to the heme crevice and probably also the regions containing aromatic residues. The enhanced rate of ascorbate reduction was perhaps a consequence of the increased accessibility of the heme iron to ascorbate. Major unfolding of the protein in 8 M urea, however, completely abolished the ascorbate reducibility of cytochrome c1. The buried nature of the heme group of cytochrome c1 would probably preclude transfer of an electron from cytochrome c1 to cytochrome c through a direct Fe-Fe or a heme-heme interaction. This poses an important question concerning the mechanism of this electron transfer between these two cytochromes not only in mitochondria but also in solution.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Photoreduction of cytochrome c1.

1. Ferricytochrome c1 solution was reduced completely between pH 7 and 10 by illumination under anaerobic conditions. Photoreduction was not affected by the ionic strength of the medium. However, it did not take place at pH lower than 6 or higher than 10, or in the presence of p-hydroxymercuric benzoate. The ferricyanide-reoxidized photoreduced c1 was not further reduced upon illumination. The reductant was most probably a specific sulfhydryl group in the subunit containing the heme of the cytochrome since this subunit contained one less p-HMB-titratable group in the photoreduced sample than in the untreated preparation. 2. The photoreduced cytochrome c1 showed the same spectra as the native cytochrome, and was not reactive with carbon monoxide. The equilibrium constant of the reaction c12+ + c3+ equilibrium c13+ + c2+ for the photoreduced c1 was found to be slightly lower (Keq = 2.6) than that for the native c1 (Keq = 3.5). The antimycin A-sensitive electron acceptor activity of ferricyanide-reoxidized photoreduced c13+ catalyzed by succinate-cytochrome c reductase was about 80% of that of the native c1. 3. A somewhat simplified method for isolation of cytochrome c1 was developed. Anaerobic ammonium sulfate fractionation and calcium phosphate gel chromatography were still used in order to achieve the purity level of about 25 nmol of heme/mg of protein. The cytochrome c1 prepared by this procedure showed the same properties tested as that by the beta-mercaptoethanol method (Yu, C.A., Yu, L., and King, T.E. (1972) J. Biol. Chem. 247, 1012-1019).

Animals↗
PubMed1975

A trypsin-resistant heme peptide from cardiac cytochrome c1.

A tryptic resistant heme peptide has been prepared and purified from cardiac cytochrome c1. This purified peptide is not further hydrolyzed by reactions of other proteolytic enzymes, such as pronase. The peptide contains 2 residues each of serine, cysteine and valine, and 1 residue each of alanine, methionine, tyrosine, histidine, arginine, proline, glutamic acid (glutamine) and aspartic acid. The intensity of the absorption spectrum of the peptide has been found to be dependent upon, but the positions of the absorption maxima do not vary with, concentration. The heme peptide does not show multiple splitting of absorption peaks at liquid N2 temperatures as does the intact cytochrome C1. However, cyanide rapidly reacts with the peptide and causes significant spectral changes. CD spectra of the peptide exhibit a typical profile of a non-structured heme peptide with positive CD bands in the Soret region and around 250 nm, and a broad negative extreme of 320-360 nm. The similarities and differences between the tryptic resistant heme peptides from cytochromes c1 and c have been compared.

Amino Acids↗