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At least 1,351 records · Page 75Linked to original sources

In vitro transformation of mesenchymal cells derived from embryonic muscle into cartilage in response to extracellular matrix components of bone.

Subcutaneous implantation of demineralized diaphyseal bone matrix into rats induces cartilage and bone formation in vivo. When minced skeletal muscle is cultured on hemicylinders of demineralized bone in vitro, mesenchymal cells are transformed into chondrocytes. In the present investigation, the potential of extracellular matrix components of bone to trigger cartilage differentiation in vitro was examined. Extraction of bone hemicylinders with 6 M guanidine X HCl resulted in the absence of chondrogenesis in vitro and endochondral bone formation in vivo. Biologically inactive hemicylinders of bone were then reconstituted with the guanidine extract and also with partially purified components extracted from bone matrix and bioassayed. Reconstitution completely restored the ability to elicit chondrogenesis in vitro and endochondral bone differentiation in vivo. Reconstitution of the whole guanidine extract on Millipore filters coated with gels of tendon collagen (type I) and subsequent culture with minced skeletal muscle also resulted in cartilage induction in vitro. These observations show that the extracellular matrix of bone is a repository of factors that govern local cartilage and bone differentiation.

Animals↗

Socioeconomic studies of high-level nuclear waste disposal.

The socioeconomic investigations of possible impacts of the proposed repository for high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, have been unprecedented in several respects. They bear on the public decision that sooner or later will be made as to where and how to dispose permanently of the waste presently at military weapons installations and that continues to accumulate at nuclear power stations. No final decision has yet been made. There is no clear precedent from other countries. The organization of state and federal studies is unique. The state studies involve more disciplines than any previous efforts. They have been carried out in parallel to federal studies and have pioneered in defining some problems and appropriate research methods. A recent annotated bibliography provides interested scientists with a compact guide to the 178 published reports, as well as to relevant journal articles and related documents.

Government Agencies↗

Epstein-Barr virus vectors for gene delivery to B lymphocytes.

Basic research in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) molecular genetics has provided means to maintain episomes in human cells, to efficiently deliver episomes with up to 150 kbp of heterologous DNA to human B lymphocytes, and to immortalize human B lymphocytes with EBV recombinants that can maintain up to 120 kbp of heterologous DNA. Episome maintenance requires an EBV nuclear protein, EBNA1, whereas immortalization of cells with EBV recombinants requires EBNA1, EBNA2, EBNA3A, EBNA3C, EBNALP, and LMP1. EBV-derived vectors are useful for experimental genetic reconstitution in B lymphocytes, a cell type frequently used in establishing repositories of human genetic deficiencies. The ability of EBV-infected cells to establish a balanced state of persistence in normal humans raises the possibility that cells infected with EBV recombinants could be useful for genetic reconstitution, in vivo.

B-Lymphocytes↗

Nuclear waste forms for actinides.

The disposition of actinides, most recently 239Pu from dismantled nuclear weapons, requires effective containment of waste generated by the nuclear fuel cycle. Because actinides (e.g., 239Pu and 237Np) are long-lived, they have a major impact on risk assessments of geologic repositories. Thus, demonstrable, long-term chemical and mechanical durability are essential properties of waste forms for the immobilization of actinides. Mineralogic and geologic studies provide excellent candidate phases for immobilization and a unique database that cannot be duplicated by a purely materials science approach. The "mineralogic approach" is illustrated by a discussion of zircon as a phase for the immobilization of excess weapons plutonium.

Journal Article↗

Reversibility of the pathological changes in the follicular dendritic cell network with treatment of HIV-1 infection.

Over the course of HIV-1 infection, the lymphoid follicles where the humoral immune response is generated initially increase in size and number and then progressively involute. In advanced disease, the network of the processes of follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) that serve as antigen repositories and anatomical substrate for B and T cells and antigen to interact is destroyed, contributing to the breakdown of the immune system. Because destruction of FDCs is associated with deposition of HIV-1, and much of the virus can be cleared from the network with antiretroviral therapy, we investigated the reversibility of damage. We measured the immunohistochemically stainable FDC compartment by quantitative image analysis, and we documented changes in this compartment at different stages of disease. We show that treatment, initiated even at advanced stages of HIV-1 disease, can slowly reverse pathological changes in the FDC network.

Anti-HIV Agents↗

Purification, microsequencing, and immunolocalization of p36, a new interferon-alpha-induced protein that is associated with human lupus inclusions.

The trace interferon-alpha-induced protein, p36, was induced in Raji cells in association with lupus inclusions. It was solubilized in a nonionic detergent buffer, enriched by differential centrifugation and by preparative isoelectric focusing, and purified to homogeneity on two-dimensional protein gels. Failure to obtain N-terminal amino acid sequence, however, suggested a blocked alpha-amino group. Sequences of six tryptic peptides, 13-19 amino acids in length, were obtained after digestion, microbore-high performance liquid chromotography purification, and chemical sequence analysis. None of the six sequences, which represented approximately 25% of the entire protein, shared any meaningful homologies with entries in protein sequence repositories. Raji-cell p36 was shown in Western blots with antipeptide antibodies to be induced at least 400-fold and by immunofluorescence microscopy to co-localize with the endoplasmic reticulum resident protein, protein disulfide isomerase. These results show that p36 is a new interferon-alpha-induced protein that localizes in the endoplasmic reticulum, the cell region in which the lupus inclusions form, and that p36 is probably physically associated with the lupus inclusions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Glycogenin-2, a novel self-glucosylating protein involved in liver glycogen biosynthesis.

Glycogenin is a self-glucosylating protein involved in the initiation phase of glycogen biosynthesis. A single mammalian gene had been reported to account for glycogen biogenesis in liver and muscle, the two major repositories of glycogen. We describe the characterization of novel forms of glycogenin, designated glycogenin-2 (GN-2), encoded by a second gene that is expressed preferentially in certain tissues, including liver, heart, and pancreas. Cloning of cDNAs encoding glycogenin-2 indicated the existence of multiple species, including three liver forms (GN-2alpha, GN-2beta, and GN-2gamma) generated in part by alternative splicing. Overall, GN-2 has 40-45% identity to muscle glycogenin but is 72% identical over a 200-residue segment thought to contain the catalytic domain. GN-2 expressed in Escherichia coli or COS cells is active in self-glucosylation assays, and self-glucosylated GN-2 can be elongated by skeletal muscle glycogen synthase. Antibodies raised against GN-2 produced in E. coli recognized proteins of Mr approximately 66,000 present in extracts of rat liver and in cultured H4IIEC3 hepatoma cells. In H4IIEC3 cells, most of the GN-2 was present as a free protein but some was covalently associated with glycogen fractions and was only released by treatment with alpha-amylase. H4IIEC3 cells also expressed the muscle form of glycogenin (glycogenin-1), which was attached to a chromatographically separable glycogen fraction.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

G2 DNA damage checkpoint inhibition and antimitotic activity of 13-hydroxy-15-oxozoapatlin.

Checkpoints activated in response to DNA damage cause arrest in the G(1) and G(2) phases of the cell cycle. Inhibitors of the G(2) checkpoint may be used as tools to study this response and also to increase the effectiveness of DNA-damaging therapies against cancers lacking p53 function. Using a cell-based assay for G(2) checkpoint inhibitors, we have screened extracts from the NCI National Institutes of Health Natural Products Repository and have identified 13-hydroxy-15-oxozoapatlin (OZ) from the African tree Parinari curatellifolia. Flow cytometry with a mitosis-specific antibody showed that checkpoint inhibition by OZ was maximal at 10 microm, which released 20% of irradiated MCF-7 cells expressing defective p53 and 30% of irradiated HCT116p53(-/-) cells from G(2) arrest. OZ additively increased the response to the checkpoint inhibitors isogranulatimide and debromohymenialdisine, but it did not augment the effects of UCN-01 or caffeine. Unlike other checkpoint inhibitors, OZ did not inhibit ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM), ATM and Rad3-related (ATR), Chk1, Chk2, Plk1, or Ser/Thr protein phosphatases in vitro. Treatment with OZ also caused G(2)-arrested and cycling cells to arrest in mitosis in a state resembling prometaphase. In these cells, the chromosomes were condensed and scattered over disordered mitotic spindles. The results demonstrate that OZ is both a G(2) checkpoint inhibitor and an antimitotic agent.

Cell Cycle↗

A hydrophobic patch in a charged alpha-helix is sufficient to target proteins to dense core secretory granules.

Many endocrine and neuroendocrine cells contain specialized secretory organelles called dense core secretory granules. These organelles are the repository of proteins and peptides that are secreted in a regulated manner when the cell receives a physiological stimulus. The targeting of proteins to these secretory granules is crucial for the generation of certain peptide hormones, including insulin and ACTH. Although previous work has demonstrated that proteins destined to a variety of cellular locations, including secretory granules, contain targeting sequences, no single consensus sequence for secretory granule-sorting signals has emerged. We have shown previously that alpha-helical domains in the C-terminal tail of the prohormone convertase PC1/3 play an important role in the ability of this region of the protein to direct secretory granule targeting (Jutras, I. Seidah, N. G., and Reudelhuber, T. L. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 40337-40343). In this study, we show that a variety of alpha-helical domains are capable of directing a heterologous secretory protein to granules. By testing a series of synthetic alpha-helices, we also demonstrate that the presence of charged (either positive or negative) amino acids spatially segregated from a hydrophobic patch in the alpha-helices of secretory proteins likely plays a critical role in the ability of these structures to direct secretory granule sorting.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Inhibition of metalloprotease botulinum serotype A from a pseudo-peptide binding mode to a small molecule that is active in primary neurons.

An efficient research strategy integrating empirically guided, structure-based modeling and chemoinformatics was used to discover potent small molecule inhibitors of the botulinum neurotoxin serotype A light chain. First, a modeled binding mode for inhibitor 2-mercapto-3-phenylpropionyl-RATKML (K(i) = 330 nM) was generated, and required the use of a molecular dynamic conformer of the enzyme displaying the reorientation of surface loops bordering the substrate binding cleft. These flexible loops are conformationally variable in x-ray crystal structures, and the model predicted that they were pivotal for providing complementary binding surfaces and solvent shielding for the pseudo-peptide. The docked conformation of 2-mercapto-3-phenylpropionyl-RATKML was then used to refine our pharmacophore for botulinum serotype A light chain inhibition. Data base search queries derived from the pharmacophore were employed to mine small molecule (non-peptidic) inhibitors from the National Cancer Institute's Open Repository. Four of the inhibitors possess K(i) values ranging from 3.0 to 10.0 microM. Of these, NSC 240898 is a promising lead for therapeutic development, as it readily enters neurons, exhibits no neuronal toxicity, and elicits dose-dependent protection of synaptosomal-associated protein (of 25 kDa) in a primary culture of embryonic chicken neurons. Isothermal titration calorimetry showed that the interaction between NSC 240898 and the botulinum A light chain is largely entropy-driven, and occurs with a 1:1 stoichiometry and a dissociation constant of 4.6 microM.

Animals↗

Multi-layered representation for cell signaling pathways.

To understand complex signaling pathways and networks, it is necessary to develop a formal and structured representation of the available information in a format suitable for analysis by software tools. Due to the complexity and incompleteness of the current biological knowledge about cell signaling, such a device must be able to represent cellular pathways at differing levels of details, one level of information abstract enough to convey an essential signaling flow while hiding its details and another level of information detailed enough to explain the underlying mechanisms that account for the signaling flow described at a more abstract level. We have defined a formal ontology for cell-signaling events that allows us to describe these cellular pathways at various levels of abstraction. Using this formal representation, ROSPath (reactive oxygen species-mediated signaling pathway) database system has been implemented and made available on the web (rospath.ewha.ac.kr). ROSPath is a database system for reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated cell signaling pathways and signaling processes in molecular detail, which facilitates a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory mechanisms in signaling pathways. ROSPath includes growth factor-, stress-, and cytokine-induced signaling pathways containing about 500 unique proteins (mostly mammalian) and their related protein states, protein complexes, protein complex states, signaling interactions, signaling steps, and pathways. It is a web-based structured repository of information on the signaling pathways of interest and provides a means for managing data produced by large-scale and high-throughput techniques such as proteomics. Also, software tools are provided for querying, displaying, and analyzing pathways, thus furnishing an integrated web environment for visualizing and manipulating ROS-mediated cell-signaling events.

Cell Physiological Phenomena↗

Toward a comprehensive atlas of the physical interactome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Defining protein complexes is critical to virtually all aspects of cell biology. Two recent affinity purification/mass spectrometry studies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have vastly increased the available protein interaction data. The practical utility of such high throughput interaction sets, however, is substantially decreased by the presence of false positives. Here we created a novel probabilistic metric that takes advantage of the high density of these data, including both the presence and absence of individual associations, to provide a measure of the relative confidence of each potential protein-protein interaction. This analysis largely overcomes the noise inherent in high throughput immunoprecipitation experiments. For example, of the 12,122 binary interactions in the general repository of interaction data (BioGRID) derived from these two studies, we marked 7504 as being of substantially lower confidence. Additionally, applying our metric and a stringent cutoff we identified a set of 9074 interactions (including 4456 that were not among the 12,122 interactions) with accuracy comparable to that of conventional small scale methodologies. Finally we organized proteins into coherent multisubunit complexes using hierarchical clustering. This work thus provides a highly accurate physical interaction map of yeast in a format that is readily accessible to the biological community.

Cluster Analysis↗

Mass spectrometry-based expression profiling of clinical prostate cancer.

The maturation of MS technologies has provided a rich opportunity to interrogate protein expression patterns in normal and disease states by applying expression protein profiling methods. Major goals of this research strategy include the identification of protein biomarkers that demarcate normal and disease populations, and the identification of therapeutic biomarkers for the treatment of diseases such as cancer (Celis, J. E., and Gromov, P. (2003) Proteomics in translational cancer research: Toward an integrated approach. Cancer Cell 3, 9-151). Prostate cancer is one disease that would greatly benefit from implementing MS-based expression profiling methods because of the need to stratify the disease based on molecular markers. In this review, we will summarize the current MS-based methods to identify and validate biomarkers in human prostate cancer. Lastly, we propose a reverse proteomic approach implementing a quantitative MS research strategy to identify and quantify biomarkers implicated in prostate cancer development. With this approach, the absolute levels of prostate cancer biomarkers will be identified and quantified in normal and diseased samples by measuring the levels of native peptide biomarkers in relation to a chemically identical but isotopically labeled reference peptide. Ultimately, a centralized prostate cancer peptide biomarker expression database could function as a repository for the identification, quantification, and validation of protein biomarker(s) during prostate cancer progression in men.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Challenges and opportunities in proteomics data analysis.

Accurate, consistent, and transparent data processing and analysis are integral and critical parts of proteomics workflows in general and for biomarker discovery in particular. Definition of common standards for data representation and analysis and the creation of data repositories are essential to compare, exchange, and share data within the community. Current issues in data processing, analysis, and validation are discussed together with opportunities for improving the process in the future and for defining alternative workflows.

Databases, Protein↗

EBP, a program for protein identification using multiple tandem mass spectrometry datasets.

MS/MS combined with database search methods can identify the proteins present in complex mixtures. High throughput methods that infer probable peptide sequences from enzymatically digested protein samples create a challenge in how best to aggregate the evidence for candidate proteins. Typically the results of multiple technical and/or biological replicate experiments must be combined to maximize sensitivity. We present a statistical method for estimating probabilities of protein expression that integrates peptide sequence identifications from multiple search algorithms and replicate experimental runs. The method was applied to create a repository of 797 non-homologous zebrafish (Danio rerio) proteins, at an empirically validated false identification rate under 1%, as a resource for the development of targeted quantitative proteomics assays. We have implemented this statistical method as an analytic module that can be integrated with an existing suite of open-source proteomics software.

Algorithms↗

Differential sorting of constitutively co-secreted proteins in the ovarian follicle cells of Drosophila.

Conventional and freeze-fracture electron microscopy, immuno-electron microscopy of ovarian cryosections and confocal immunofluorescence were used to analyze the ovarian distribution of the major protein classes being secreted by the follicle cells during the vitellogenic and choriogenic stages of Drosophila oogenesis. Our results clearly demonstrated that at vitellogenic stages the follicle cells co-secrete constitutively vitelline membrane and yolk proteins that are either sorted into distinct secretory vesicles or they are segregated in different parts of bipartite vesicles by differential condensation. Following their exocytosis only the vitelline membrane proteins are incorporated into the forming vitelline membrane. The yolk proteins (along with their hemolymph circulating counterparts) diffuse through gaps amongst the incomplete vitelline membrane and are internalized through endocytosis by the oocyte where they are finally stored into modified lysosomes referred to as alpha-yolk granules. The unexpected immunolocalization of vitelline membrane antigens in the associated body of the alpha-yolk granules may indicate that this structure is a transient repository for the proteins being internalized into the oocyte along with the yolk proteins. In the early choriogenic follicle cells the vitelline membrane and early chorion proteins were found to be co-secreted and to be evenly intermixed into the same secretory vesicles. These findings illuminate new details concerning the follicle cells secretory and oocyte endocytic pathways and provide for the first time evidence for condensation-mediated sorting of constitutively secreted proteins in Drosophila.

Animals↗

Season modifies the relationship between bone and blood lead levels: the Normative Aging Study.

Bone serves as a repository for 75% and 90-95% of lead in children and adults, respectively. Bone lead mobilization heightens during times of increased bone turnover, such as pregnancy, lactation, hyperthyroidism, and the rapid growth of childhood. Blood lead levels show seasonal periodicity. Children demonstrate peak blood lead levels in mid-summer and a secondary peak in late winter. Pregnant women demonstrate the highest mean blood lead levels in winter (January-March) and the lowest in summer (July-September). This fluctuation in blood lead levels may be related to seasonal patterns of environmental exposures, but it may also be partially related to the increased mobilization of bone lead stores during the winter months. We performed bone lead measurements using a K-x-ray fluorescent instrument to determine micrograms of lead per gram of bone mineral (parts per million) in middle-aged and elderly men who participated in the Normative Aging Study. We obtained measurements of blood and bone lead during the high sun exposure months of May-August (summer; n = 290); the intermediate sun exposure months of March, April, September, and October (spring/fall; n = 283); and the low sun exposure months of November-February (winter; n = 191). Mean blood lead concentrations were 5.8 microg/dl, 6.1 microg/dl, and 6.6 microg/dl for the summer, spring/fall, and winter, respectively. Mean patella (trabecular bone) lead concentrations were 34.3 microg/gm, 29.7 microg/gm, and 29.0 microg/gm for the summer, spring/fall, and winter time periods, respectively. In multivariate regression models, adjusted for age, smoking, alcohol ingestion, and dietary intake of iron and vitamin C, the authors found a strong interaction between season and bone lead level--with bone lead levels exerting an almost 2-fold greater influence on blood levels during the winter months than the summer months. The authors concluded that elevated blood lead levels in winter may be related to increased mobilization of endogenous bone lead stores, potentially from decreased exposure to sunlight, lower levels of activated vitamin D, and enhanced bone resorption.

Adult↗

Framework for usability: healthcare professionals and the Internet.

The vastness and diversity of the Internet make it an emerging choice as an information repository and dissemination mechanism for healthcare-related information. The objective of this research is to characterize empirically the use of the Internet by a variety of healthcare professionals as well as to gauge perceptions of the Internet as a tool for information retrieval. This was accomplished through use of a questionnaire explicitly designed to gauge usage and perceptions of the Internet. Differences were detected between individual occupations of healthcare professionals with respect to Internet use and opinions concerning possible enhancements to the Internet. It was found that users' subjective experiences with the World-Wide Web (WWW) were more important than self-reported user knowledge when indicating the value of enhancements to the search process on the WWW. The methodological implications of the research together with a conceptual framework for usability that captures the essence of Internet usability in healthcare are presented. Directions for future research are provided.

Adult↗