Close linkage of MEN2A with RBP3 locus in Japanese kindreds

Summary The gene responsible for multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN2A) has recently been assigned to the pericentromeric region of chromsome 10 in European Caucasian kindreds by linkage analysis using a DNA marker, interstitial retinol-binding protein 3 (RBP3). We have found tight linkage between the MEN2A and RBP3 loci in Japanese MEN2A kindreds. The maximum lod score is 5.19 at a recombination fraction of 0.00. This result suggests that mutation of a certain gene close to RBP3 is responsible for MEN2A irrespective of ethnic backgrounds.     

Increased choline acetyltransferase activity by Chinese herbal medicine Sho-saiko-to-go-keishi-ka-shakuyaku-to in aged rat brain

The effect of a Chinese herbal medicine Sho-saiko-to-go-keishi-ka-shakuyaku-to (TJ-960) on the brain choline acetyltransferase (CAT) activity was studied in adult (3.5 months of age) and aged (24 months of age) rats. After oral administration of 5% TJ-960 solution for 3 months, CAT activity in the hippocampus, pons-medulla oblongata and striatum of aged rats was significantly lower than that of adult rats. CAT activity in the cerebellum, however, was significantly higher in the aged rats, as compared to the adult rats. TJ-960 significantly increased CAT activity in the hippocampus and striatum of aged rats, but did not affect the activity of the enzyme in the adult rat brain.     

A novel type of human alpha-amylase produced in lung carcinoid tumor

A novel type of alpha-amylase was detected in a lung carcinoid tissue after surveying the cDNA library constructed from this tumor mRNA. Nucleotide sequence analysis showed that the amylase expressed in this carcinoid tumor has 13 and 6 amino acid substitutions when compared with salivary amylase (Amy1) and pancreatic amylase (Amy2), respectively. The nucleotide sequence homologies of cDNAs between this carcinoid amylase and amy1, amy2 are 97.5% and 98.2%, respectively. The nucleotide sequence comparison strongly suggests that this new amylase is the product of the amy3 gene that has been detected in human genome [Emi et al., Gene 62 (1988) 229-235]     

Base sequence specificity of a monoclonal antibody binding to (6-4)photoproducts.

The DNA base sequence specificity of the 64M-1 monoclonal antibody, which recognizes ultraviolet (UV)-induced (6-4)photoproducts, was characterized. The 64M-1 antibody strongly bound to UV-poly(dU) as well as to UV-poly(dT), and weakly to UV-poly(dC), UV-poly(me5dC) and UV-poly(rU). A competitive inhibition assay using UV-oligo(dT)8, UV-oligo(dTdC)4, UV-oligo(dC)8, UV-PvuI linker (GCGATCGC) and UV-PvuII linker (GCAGCTGC) indicated that the main (6-4)photoproducts detected by the 64M-1 antibody in UV-irradiated DNA are TT(6-4)photoproducts and TC(6-4)photoproducts. Comparison between dTpdT(6-4)photoproduct and dTpdC(6-4)photoproduct showed that the affinity of the 64M-1 antibody for dTpdT(6-4)photoproduct was about 5 times higher than that for dTpdC(6-4)photoproduct. The antibody also binds to isolated TT(6-4)photoproducts.     

Effects of the Cortex on Light- and Kinetin-Induced Accumulation of Betacyanin in the Epidermal Tissue of Phytolacca americana

Accumulation of betacyanin in the peeled green epidermis fromthe stem of P. americana was induced by incubating the epidermisin Murashige and Skoog's medium, under light, and was promotedby the presence of kinetin. However, in the epidermal tissuewith cortex attached, the accumulation of betacyanin was inhibited. (Received March 27, 1989; Accepted January 24, 1990)     

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone-degrading enzyme in human serum is classified as type II of pyroglutamyl aminopeptidase: influence of thyroid status

The characteristics of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)-degrading enzyme in human serum were studied. Serum was incubated in 0.1 M phosphate buffer containing [proline-3H]TRH at 37 degrees C. A thin layer chromatography analysis of TRH degradation did not show any radioactive peak located in an acid TRH position, but apparent radioactive peaks corresponding to His-Pro and His-ProNH2 occurred in the presence of p-hydroxymercuriphenyl sulfonic acid, an inhibitor of proline dipeptidase. With ion exchange paper chromatography, the formation of 3H-labeled His-Pro and His-ProNH2 was estimated as an end point in the measurement of pyroglutamyl aminopeptidase (pGlu-peptidase) activity. An assay using p-hydroxymercuriphenyl sulfonic acid was developed to sensitively quantitate the pGlu-peptidase. Neither bacitracin nor p-chloromercuribenzoic acid increased the activity of pGlu-peptidase. The addition of EDTA, dithiothreitol, and o-phenanthroline significantly inhibited pGlu-peptidase activity, but neither iodoacetamide nor ethylmaleimide altered its activity. The pGlu-peptidase had a stereotypic specificity for the tripeptide, pGlu-His-ProNH2 of TRH, and its Km was 44.9 microM. The pGlu-peptidase activity was not changed by either hyper- or hypothyroidism. The present data indicate that a TRH-degrading enzyme in human serum possesses a nature identical to type II of pGlu-peptidase which is not altered by thyroid status.     

Nef genes of SIV

Molecular clones of SIVmac were constructed that differed only in sequences within the nef gene. DEAE-transfection of viral DNA containing an open from of nef yielded virus that replicated with similar kinetics and to a similar extent in macaque peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) cultures as virus with a deletion or stop codon within nef. Rhesus monkeys that received each kind of molecularly cloned virus became infected. Our results additionally suggest that mutant forms of virus are selected in vitro while open, functional forms are selected in vivo. In animals infected with virus containing a stop codon within nef, reversion of the stop codon to a coding codon was demonstrated in five of five clones analyzed. These results indicate that nef is playing some role crucial to the virus life cycle in vivo.     

Epinephrine stimulates inositol phospholipid metabolism by activating alpha-2 adrenergic receptors in human platelets

The metabolism of inositol phospholipids in response to epinephrine was investigated in intact human platelets. In platelets prelabelled with [3H]-myo-inositol in Ca2+-free HEPES buffer containing 10 mM LiCl, epinephrine caused an accumulation of inositol-1-phosphate in a concentration-dependent manner. The EC50 value for epinephrine was 5 microM. Yohimbine (1 microM), a selective alpha-2 adrenergic receptor antagonist, inhibited 88% of the epinephrine (10 microM) response, whereas prazosin (1 microM), a selective alpha-1 adrenergic receptor antagonist, failed to inhibit the response. Yohimbine inhibited the epinephrine (10 microM) response in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibition constant (Ki) value for yohimbine was 60.3 nM. These data indicate that epinephrine stimulates phosphoinositide (PI) turnover by activating adrenergic receptors of the alpha-2 type in human platelets. In addition, this PI response elicited by epinephrine was found to be inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner by treatment of platelets with dibutyryl cyclic AMP and 8-bromo-cyclic GMP which are known as potent inhibitors for platelet activation, and may therefore be a useful biochemical index for the study of the function of human alpha-2 adrenergic receptors.     

Characterization of human thyrotropin receptor-related peptide-like immunoreactivity in peripheral blood of Graves' disease.

An antiserum raised against an alignment of amino acid-(32-56), termed TSHRP-1, in the extracellular domain of human thyrotropin (TSH) receptor was used to identify the TSH receptor-like substance in plasma of Graves' disease. The dilution curve of plasma TSHRP-1-like immunoreactivity was observed in a manner parallel to the standard synthetic peptide curve in radioimmunoassay, and its molecular weight estimated approximately 60 kDa. The amounts of TSHRP-1-like immunoreactivity were significantly higher in Graves' plasma than those in plasma of normal and hypothyroid patients due to Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The present results indicate that human peripheral blood possesses a soluble form of the extracellular domain of TSH receptor which may contribute to the pathophysiology of Graves' disease.     

Differential regulation of thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor mRNA levels by thyroid hormone in vivo and in vitro (GH3 cells).

We studied the effect of thyroid status on thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor (TRH-R) mRNA levels both in vivo and in vitro (GH3 cells) using a cloned rat TRH-R cDNA by RT-PCR. Experimental hypothyroid rats were produced by total thyroidectomy and were then killed 7 days after the operation. TRH receptor binding in the anterior pituitary and serum TSH level were elevated approximately 2-fold and 8-fold, respectively, in 7 day thyroidectomized rats. TRH-R mRNA levels in hypothyroid rats were also increased significantly compared with those of normal rats. In GH3 cells, however, no significant change of TRH-R mRNA level was observed between cultures treated with triiodothyronine (T3, 10(-9) and 10(-7) M) and the untreated group. The present data indicate that 1) the in vivo effects of thyroid status on TRH-R mRNA levels differ from the in vitro one, and that 2) the down regulation of TRH-R binding by thyroid hormone in GH3 cells may be mediated by translational or post-translational mechanisms.