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PubMed2004

A novel intermediate in initiation complex assembly for fission yeast DNA replication.

Assembly of initiation factors on individual replication origins at onset of S phase is crucial for regulation of replication timing and repression of initiation by S-phase checkpoint control. We dissected the process of preinitiation complex formation using a point mutation in fission yeast nda4-108/mcm5 that shows tight genetic interactions with sna41(+)/cdc45(+). The mutation does not affect loading of MCM complex onto origins, but impairs Cdc45-loading, presumably because of a defect in interaction of MCM with Cdc45. In the mcm5 mutant, however, Sld3, which is required for Cdc45-loading, proficiently associates with origins. Origin-association of Sld3 without Cdc45 is also observed in the sna41/cdc45 mutant. These results suggest that Sld3-loading is independent of Cdc45-loading, which is different from those observed in budding yeast. Interestingly, returning the arrested mcm5 cells to the permissive temperature results in immediate loading of Cdc45 to the origin and resumption of DNA replication. These results suggest that the complex containing MCM and Sld3 is an intermediate for initiation of DNA replication in fission yeast.

Cell Cycle↗
PubMed1993

Postpartum abnormalities of carbohydrate and cellular calcium metabolism in pregnancy induced hypertension.

We have previously reported that young, primigravid, African-American women who developed preeclampsia exhibited insulin resistance (elevated fasting insulin:glucose ratios) and abnormal intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) metabolism as early as the second trimester of pregnancy. To determine if these abnormalities persist postpartum (suggesting a genetic link), we evaluated the effects of an oral glucose load (50 g) on plasma and glucose insulin, basal platelet [Ca2+]i and platelet [Ca2+]i responses to arginine vasopressin (AVP). The study population consisted of nine, young, primigravid, African-American women at 43 +/- 12 weeks postpartum from pregnancy induced hypertensive (PIH) gestations and 10 age- and weight-matched African-American women who were 29 +/- 7 weeks postpartum from normal pregnancies. The PIH group consisted of five subjects who were preeclamptic and four subjects with gestational hypertension. Baseline fasting body weights, body mass indices, plasma glucose, plasma insulin, basal platelet [Ca2+]i, and platelet [Ca2+]i responses to AVP were similar in the postpartum PIH and control groups. The oral glucose load had no effect on basal platelet [Ca2+]i levels in either group. However, plasma glucose and insulin and platelet [Ca2+]i responses to AVP were accentuated at 30 min following an oral glucose load suggesting a subtle abnormality of carbohydrate and [Ca2+]i metabolism that persists in individuals with pregnancy induced hypertension. Long term studies involving African-American populations will be necessary to determine if these metabolic abnormalities are associated with an increased propensity to hypertension.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Prevention of spontaneous mammary adenocarcinoma in HER-2/neu transgenic mice by foreign DNA.

Unmethylated CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODNs) are recognized as a 'danger signal' and are potent immunostimulators. To test whether tumors might be prevented by maintaining the innate immune system on continuous alert, proto-neu transgenic female mice, which develop spontaneous mammary tumors, were systemically treated with CpG-ODNs at 10-day intervals. Tumor incidence and number of tumors/mouse were significantly lower in treated mice compared with the control group. Moreover, CpG-ODN systemic treatment significantly reduced lung metastases induced by intravenous inoculation of N202.1A cells derived from a spontaneous mammary carcinoma. Growth of established tumors was modestly inhibited after CpG-ODN systemic treatment but strongly on peritumoral application. Our data indicate that systemic repeated injection of CpG-ODN to maintain the innate immune system on continuous alert prevents the onset of genetically determined tumors and confers tumor protection when the tumor load is low.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1984

Picolinic acid in acrodermatitis enteropathica: evidence for a disorder of tryptophan metabolism.

Three children with acrodermatitis enteropathica (AE) were treated with oral zinc dipicolinate (zinc-PA). The daily dose of zinc required to prevent exacerbations, when administered as the dipicolinate complex, was one-third the minimum amount of zinc required as the sulfate salt. The concentration of picolinic acid in the plasma of asymptomatic children with AE was significantly less than that of normal children. However, oral treatment with PA alone was ineffective. The plasma of the three AE children contained a measurable quantity of kynurenine which was undetectable in plasma from normal children. Absorption of an oral zinc load was normal. The results support the hypothesis that the genetic defect in AE is in the tryptophan pathway, although the role of PA in zinc metabolism remains to be defined.

Acrodermatitis↗
PubMed2004

HIV-1 superinfections in a cohort of commercial sex workers in Burkina Faso as assessed by an autologous heteroduplex mobility procedure.

OBJECTIVE: To describe and evaluate a simple procedure to identify HIV-1 co- or super-infections based on a heteroduplex mobility assay (HMA). METHODS: To identify heteroduplexes corresponding to divergent viral populations in a the same individual, HMA was applied to single DNA samples from each subject in a prospective cohort of commercial sex workers (CSW) in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. After denaturation and renaturation of env DNA amplicons, hybridized DNA was separated by electrophoresis through polyacrylamide gel. HIV-1 co-infections were suspected by slow migration of heteroduplex, at a level comparable to that of mixed reference strains. Following electrophoresis, DNA in bands representing heteroduplex was extracted and cloned in a plasmid vector; identification of phylogenetically distinct clones was confirmed by sequencing divergent clones identified through a second HMA step of a pair of two mixed clones. RESULTS: Among 147 HIV-1 infected CSW, four had an autologous HMA profile comparable to low mobility of hybridized DNA from mixed reference strains representing most frequent HIV-1 clades and circulating recombinant forms (CRF) prevalent in Burkina Faso. In two of them, two phylogenetically distinct HIV-1 populations were coexisting. The first woman presented with a CRF02-AG and CRF06-cpx co-infection, and the second with a CRF02-AG and a divergent virus co-infection not significantly related to any other known subtypes. In both women, retrospective analyses of stored samples by the same HMA procedure showed acquisition of a second virus concomitent with an increasing plasma HIV RNA. CONCLUSIONS: Autologous HMA procedure followed by acrylamide extraction of heteroduplexes allowed identifying HIV-1 co- and super-infections in a large cohort study. HIV-1 super-infection is not an uncommon phenomenon.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed2005

Parasite-mediated heterozygote advantage in an outbred songbird population.

Coevolution with parasites is thought to maintain genetic diversity in host populations. However, while there are sound theoretical reasons to expect heterozygosity and parasite resistance to be related, this pattern has generally been shown only in inbred laboratory and island populations. This leaves doubt as to whether parasite-mediated selection for genetic diversity is in fact a general process. Here we show that haematozoan parasite load is linked to two complementary measures of microsatellite variability in an outbred population of mountain white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha) for which we know that parasites reduce fitness. Moreover, each of the genetic measures predicts a subtly different aspect of parasitism. Microsatellite heterozygosity is related to an individual's risk of parasitism, and mean d2 (a broader, more long-term measure of parental relatedness) to the severity of infection among parasitized individuals.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

HIV-1 subtypes in Spain: a retrospective analysis from 1995 to 2003.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a retrospective analysis of all HIV-1 non-B variants circulating in Spain from 1995 to 2003 and extend their virological characterization. METHODS: Samples from a total of 396 HIV-infected subjects with epidemiological suspicion of being infected with non-B clades were analysed during the study period. Subtyping was carried out on the protease (PR), reverse transcriptase (RT) and envelope (env) genes. RESULTS: PR sequences belonging to non-B subtypes were recognized in 43.2% of cases (23 A, 13C, 6D, 3F, 118 G, 3H, 4 J and 1 U). Subtype G and AG recombinants were the most frequent variants (69%), and were found most often in subjects from West and Central Africa. Up to 70% of pol (PR, RT) sequences belonging to subtype G harboured env sequences belonging to clade A (55%), B (13.8%) or K (3.4%). Nearly half were mosaic GA viruses, and a few were CRF 14 BG viruses. Up to 14 new recombinant viruses, which could not be assigned to previously described circulating recombinant forms (CRFs), were found. CONCLUSIONS: There is great diversity in the HIV-1 variants and recombinant viruses circulating in Spain. Non-B sequences may be underestimated if only the env region is examined in phylogenetic analyses. Drug resistance testing provides the advantage of pol subtyping, and its additional use for this purpose should be encouraged.

CD4 Lymphocyte Count↗
PubMed2000

Treatment with the selective muscarinic agonist talsaclidine decreases cerebrospinal fluid levels of total amyloid beta-peptide in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Brain amyloid load in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is, at least in genetic forms, associated with overproduction of amyloid beta-peptides (A beta). Thus, lowering A beta production is a central therapeutic target in AD and may be achieved by modulating such key enzymes of amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing as beta-, gamma-, and alpha-secretase activities. Talsaclidine is a selective muscarinic M1 agonist that stimulates the nonamyloidogenic alpha-secretase pathway in model systems. Talsaclidine was administered double-blind, placebo-controlled, and randomized to 24 AD patients and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of total A beta were quantitated before and after 4 weeks of drug treatment. We observed that talsaclidine decreases CSF levels of A beta significantly over time within the treatment group (n = 20) by a median of 16% as well as compared to placebo (n = 4) by a median of 27%. We conclude that treatment with selective M1 agonists may reduce A beta production and may thus be further evaluated as a potential amyloid-lowering therapy of AD.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Differential selection of specific human immunodeficiency virus type 1/JC499 variants after mucosal and parenteral inoculation of chimpanzees.

Regardless of the route of transmission, it is generally accepted that the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) quasispecies transmitted from an infected individual to an uninfected individual is genetically homogeneous. This finding and the observation that HIV-1 genotypes in recipients are minor variants in the donors suggest strongly that selection for specific variants occurs. However, most analyses have been limited to the V3 region of env. In addition, the exact time at which most new infections occurred was not known, making it almost impossible to analyze virus populations present in donor-recipient pairs at the time of HIV-1 transmission. To circumvent this problem, three chimpanzees were inoculated with a genetically defined stock of cell-free HIV-1/JC499 by one of three routes: intravenously or via the cervical or penile mucosa. PCR products of the C2-to-V5 region of env were amplified from both proviral DNA and virion RNA in blood samples collected soon after infection and were screened by heteroduplex analysis (HDA). Those PCR products with distinct HDA banding patterns were cloned and sequenced. In all three animals, transmitted variants encoded one of two V3-loop populations identified in the inoculum, indicating relative homogeneity in this region. However, different virus populations, defined by combinations of specific V4 and V5 sequences, were found when variants in the animal inoculated intravenously (at least 13 V4-plus-V5 combinations) were compared with those in the two animals inoculated by the mucosal routes (limited to only four V4-plus-V5 combinations). The only V4-plus-V5 population in variants found in all three chimpanzees was the major population in the inoculum, which contained viruses with more than 30 different V4-plus-V5 combinations. That the majority of the V4-plus-V5 genotypes in variants transmitted to all three animals were minor populations in the inoculum indicated that selective transmission defined by the V4-plus-V5 regions had occurred but that distinct populations were transmitted by parenteral versus mucosal routes. These results indicate that the putative homogeneity of HIV-1 variants in a newly infected individual might be an artifact of the region of the env gene evaluated and that regions other than V3 might play a major role in selective transmission.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Iron overload in urban Africans in the 1990s.

BACKGROUND: In a previously described model, heterozygotes for an African iron loading locus develop iron overload only when dietary iron is high, but homozygotes may do so with normal dietary iron. If an iron loading gene is common, then homozygotes with iron overload will be found even in an urban population where traditional beer, the source of iron, is uncommon. AIMS: To determine whether iron overload and the C282Y mutation characteristic of hereditary haemochromatosis are readily identifiable in an urban African population. METHODS: Histological assessment, hepatocellular iron grading, and dry weight non-haem iron concentration were determined in post mortem tissue from liver, spleen, heart, lungs, and skin. DNA of subjects with elevated hepatic iron indexes was analysed for the C282Y mutation. Iron concentrations in other tissues were compared. RESULTS: A moderate increase (>30 micromol/g) in hepatic iron concentrations was found in 31 subjects (23%; 95% confidence interval 15.9 to 30.1%), and they were considerably elevated (>180 micromol/g) in seven subjects (5.2%; 95% confidence interval 1.5 to 8.9%). Appreciably elevated hepatic iron concentrations were associated with heavy iron deposition in both hepatocytes and macrophages, and either portal fibrosis or cirrhosis. All were negative for the C282Y mutation. Very high concentrations were uncommon in subjects dying in hospital. Concentrations of iron in spleen, heart, lung, and skin were significantly higher in subjects with elevated hepatic iron. CONCLUSIONS: Iron overload is readily identified among urban Africans and is associated with hepatic damage and iron loading of several tissues. The condition is unrelated to the genetic mutation found in hereditary haemochromatosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Venous disease: from pathophysiology to quality of life.

Venous insufficiency is a multifactorial pathology that has an important impact on the quality of life of the patients. The primary factor of venous disease is an abnormal wall distensibility, which seems to be correlated with genetic factors. Facilitating factors include hormonal impregnation and prolonged hydrostatic load, particularly under conditions where the control of the sympathetic nervous system is reduced by an increase in local temperature. The resulting valvular incompetence, combined with the augmented hydrostatic load, leads to varicosis and venous stasis. The ensuing tissue hypoxia and local edema favor inflammation and infection, which ultimately favor the occurrence of ulcers. The available data on the impact of the disease suggest a relation between the physiopathological phenomena and some parameters of health-related quality of life.

Body Temperature Regulation↗
PubMed2001

Deregulation of the expression of the fractalkine/fractalkine receptor complex in HIV-1-infected patients.

Fractalkine is the only member of the CX3C chemokine family. Polymorphism of the fractalkine receptor gene may influence the prognosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, but the nature of the cells expressing fractalkine or its receptor in HIV-infected patients remains unknown. We show that, in contrast to HIV-uninfected individuals, a large number of cells expressed fractalkine in T-cell zones of lymph nodes from HIV-infected patients. CD83(+) mature and CD123(+) plasmacytoid dendritic cells as well as plasma cells are involved in this increased expression of fractalkine. Increased numbers of plasmacytoid dendritic cells and plasma cells were present in T-cell zones of HIV-infected patients. CD83(+) dendritic cells were present in similar number in HIV-infected patients and controls, but an increased fraction of these cells produced fractalkine in HIV-infected patients. Many plasma cells in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue from HIV-infected patients also produced fractalkine, whereas few cells produced fractalkine in the gut of controls. The fraction of CD45RO(+) and CD45RO(-) T helper (Th) cells expressing the fractalkine receptor CX3CR1 was higher in HIV-infected patients than in healthy individuals, and these cells were abnormally sensitive to fractalkine stimulation. This increased response correlated with HIV viremia, and it returned to normal levels in patients successfully treated with antiretroviral drugs. The increased expression of the fractalkine/fractalkine receptor complex associated with HIV infection may affect adhesion and migration of Th lymphocytes and their interaction with dendritic cells. Thus, it may influence the equilibrium between depletion and renewal of the Th lymphocyte compartment.

Antigens, CD↗
PubMed1993

[Dopamine and hypertension].

Dopamine has been well recognized to be a precursor of norepinephrine, exhibiting cardiovascular effects through alpha-adrenoceptor stimulation by norepinephrine production and release in sympathetic nerve endings. It also has the specific and unique effects of natriuresis and vasodilation. Since dopamine is one of the important endogenous hypotensive and natriuretic substances, it is speculated that impaired dopamine generation and/or the disturbance of the effects of dopamine could cause hypertension with suppression of plasma renin activity and/or salt-sensitivity. A non-specific enzyme of aromatic L-amine acid decarboxylase (AAAD) converting from 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) to dopamine is widely distributed in the peripheral tissue, e.g. the sympatho-adrenomedullary system, the small intestine, the lung, the liver, the kidney, etc. Since tyrosine hydroxylase is a rate-limiting enzyme of catecholamine biosynthesis, DOPA generation in the neuronal tissues is accelerated with the sympathetic nerve activation by stress such as emotional and environmental changes, resulting in an increase of DOPA delivery to the non-neuronal tissues containing non-neuronal AAAD. More than five receptors for dopamine are cloned in the brain, and it is suggested that more than three different types of dopamine receptors are in the peripheral tissues. In spontaneously hypertensive rats, the post-receptor defect of renal dopamine D1-receptor has been proposed where peripheral dopamine generation compensatorily increased. In Dahl salt-sensitive rats, another model of genetic hypertension, the blunted response of urinary dopamine to sodium loading has been demonstrated. It is controversial whether abnormalities of the neuronal and/or non-neuronal (particularly renal) dopamine system play a contributory role on the pathogenesis of essential hypertension. However, it is plausible that the impairment of dopamine generation and/or the defective responses of a dopamine receptor might induce sodium retention and hypertension.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Prevalence of primary and secondary resistant mutations to antiretroviral drug in a population of Puerto Rican infected with HIV.

INTRODUCTION: Several studies have reported increasing number of therapeutic failures with HAART in HIV-infected individuals. In order to assess the impact HIV antiretroviral resistance could have on treatment, we decided to determine the prevalence of primary and secondary antiretroviral resistant genotypes in a population of HIV-infected Puerto Ricans and compare the mutational distribution pattern with that reported in Europe and US. METHOD: In a total of 80 plasma samples from patients with detectable viral load of over 1,000 RNA copies/ml, the Trugene Visible Genetics HIV sequencing method was used to detect antiretroviral resistance mutations. RESULTS: We found 55 subjects (69%) with high level of resistance to ZDV in the reverse transcriptase gene and 46 subjects (58%) with high level of resistance to NFV in the protease gene. Mutation frequencies to the NRTI ranged in appearance from as high as 54% (i.e., M184V) in the studied subjects to a low of less than 5% (i.e., M184I and V75T). For the NNRTI the most common mutation was K103N in 40% of the subjects and found to confer cross resistance to NVP, DLV and EFV. Another concerning finding is the increasing trend of the frequency of primary and secondary resistant mutations from year 2000 to 20001. Nine (23%) of the total detected primary mutations, to either RTI or PI, showed an increase of at least 5% from one year to the other. Similarly, there were 6 (11%) secondary resistant mutations showing an increase of at least 5% during the two years studied. CONCLUSIONS: In two year period we detected a tendency to increase in primary and secondary HIV-resistant mutation in a population of HIV-infected Puerto Ricans.

Anti-HIV Agents↗
PubMed2005

Higher prevalence of OCA1 in an ethnic group of eastern India is due to a founder mutation in the tyrosinase gene.

PURPOSE: Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is a group of autosomal recessive disorders characterized by deficient synthesis of melanin pigment and associated with common developmental abnormalities of the eye. It is one of the major causes of childhood blindness in India. The disease is common among an ethnic group (Tili) of Eastern India, which represents about 12.56% of the Bankura district population (approximately 0.4 million) of West Bengal. The purpose of the study was to investigate the molecular lesions causing OCA within this ethnic group for the unequivocal diagnosis of the carriers and attempt to decipher the cause for the high prevalence of OCA. METHODS: Fourteen OCA-affected Tili families consisting a total of 161 individuals, including 26 patients, were recruited for the study. A lack of tyrosinase (TYR) activity among all the patients was ascertained by the tyrosinase hair bulb assay. Mutation screening in the tyrosinase gene (TYR) was done by single strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) and DNA sequencing. The restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay was carried out to determine the frequency of the pathogenic changes among the normal individuals. Haplotype analysis was performed at the TYR locus using a set of informative microsatellite and SNP markers. RESULTS: All the patients were homozygous for a null mutation (c.832C>T, Arg278stop) in TYR exon 2, which might cause a complete loss of enzyme activity. The mutation occurred in the same haplotype background. The frequency of the disease in this ethnic group was estimated to be significantly higher than the world average. CONCLUSIONS: OCA1 in the Tili population is due to the occurrence of a founder mutation in the TYR as indicated by haplotype analysis. Higher prevalence of the mutation in the population group is due to marriage within the same community. The diagnostic RFLP assay can be utilized for genetic counseling and thereby will help to reduce the disease load on the population.

Albinism, Oculocutaneous↗
PubMed1978

[Effect of different types of sports on skeletal growth in child, adolescent and young sportsmen].

The work represents a theoretical review on the influence of various kinds of sport on the locomotorium. There exists a great discrepancy on how sport influences growth and synostosis in bones. The work from the Department of Normal Anatomy of the First Medical Institute, Leningrad is dedicated to the effects of various kinds of sport on the skeleton of young sportsmen and summarizes the results of the investigations performed. It is demonstrated that different kinds of sport affect differently the process of synostosis in tubular bones. The influence depends on the character of bones involving in the given kind of sport and on the character of physical loading. Thus, the process of synostosis depends not only on genetic factors, but also on social ones which include physical culture. Despite a great number of works dedicated to the study how different kinds of sport influence growth and synostosis of bones, regularities of the process remain to be clarified. Further investigations are needed.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1979

[X-ray anatomic features of the skeletons of twin children].

The size of right and left middle phalanges in the II-V fingers and the III finger have been studied in 108 pairs of monozygotic and dizygotic twins at 8--19 years of age and in 60 paris (pedagogical experiment) of separated twins (from the same pair), schoolchildren of the 2d--5th forms trained according different programs of physical culture. A great similarity of osteometric signs has been stated in monozygotic twins. As to local (intradigital) differences, a prevalence of the IIId finger should be mentioned. Maximum of genetic determination is evident for transversal growth--under high mechanical loadings on the bones, for longitudinal--under low mechanical loadings. The data of the pedagogical experiment demonstrate that increased mechanical loading on the hand bones activates osteogenesis. According to the majority of indices the main is the "radial" (II--III fingers) type.

Adolescent↗