Retention of oncogenicity by a Marek's disease virus mutant lacking six unique short region genes.

We previously reported the construction of Marek's disease virus (MDV) strains having mutations in various genes that map to the unique short (US) region of the viral genome (J.L. Cantello, A.S. Anderson, A. Francesconi, and R.W. Morgan, J. Virol. 65:1584-1588, 1991; M.S. Parcells, A.S. Anderson, and R.W. Morgan, Virus Genes 9:5-13, 1994; M.S. Parcells, A.S. Anderson, and R.W. Morgan, J. Virol. 68:8239-8253, 1994). These strains were constructed by using a high-passage-level serotype 1 MDV strain which grew well in chicken embryo fibroblasts. Despite the growth of the parent and mutant viruses in cell culture, in vivo studies were limited by poor growth of these strains in chickens. One of the mutants studied lacked 4.5 kbp of US region DNA and contained the lacZ gene of Escherichia coli inserted at the site of the deletion. The deletion removed MDV homologs to the US1, US2, and US10 genes of herpes simplex virus type 1 as well as three MDV-specific open reading frames. We now report the construction of a mutant MDV containing a similar deletion in the US region of the highly oncogenic RB1B strain. This mutant, RB1B delta 4.5lac, had a growth impairment in established chicken embryo fibroblasts similar to that described previously for MDVs lacking a functional US1 gene. In chickens, RB1B delta 4.5lac showed decreased early cytolytic infection, mortality, tumor incidence, and horizontal transmission. Several lymphoblastoid cell lines were established from RB1B delta 4.5lac-induced tumors, and virus reactivated from these cell lines was LacZ+. These results indicate that the deleted genes are nonessential for the transformation of chicken T cells or for the establishment and maintenance of latency. On the basis of the growth impairment observed for RB1B delta 4.5lac in cell culture and in vivo, we conclude that deletion of these genes affects the lytic replication of MDV. This is the first MDV mutant constructed in the RB1B oncogenic strain, and the methodology described herein provides for the direct examination of MDV-encoded determinants of oncogenicity.     

Enhanced Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein RNA Response to Fornix Transection in Aged Mice

Abstract: The effects of age on basal and lesion-induced changes in astrocyte RNA messages reported to respond to neurodegeneration were examined in the mouse brain. The first study found an age-related increase in glial fibrillary acidic protein RNA throughout the brain. Other astrocyte RNAs remained generally stable with age. We hypothesize this increase is due to astrocytes undergoing a mild reaction to the small amount of synaptic degeneration occurring with usual aging. To test this theory, we used an experimental model of modest synaptic loss in the hippocampus by transecting the fimbria/fornix bundle in mice and examined the same series of messages. In situ hybridization revealed the expected increase in glial fibrillary acidic protein RNA after the lesion; however, we unexpectedly found that aged mice showed a greater magnitude of this response, which appeared to develop more slowly. There was no significant change in the hippocampus for any of the other messages, although responses were observed at the site of transection. This study supports the idea that the age-related increase in glial fibrillary acidic protein may be secondary to modest synaptic degeneration. We also demonstrated an exaggerated reactive astrocytic response in aged mice, which may be associated with age-related deficits in reactive synaptogenesis and behavioral recovery in normal aging.     

Effects of phosphorylation by CAK on cyclin binding by CDC2 and CDK2.

The cyclin-dependent protein kinases (CDKs) are activated by association with cyclins and by phosphorylation at a conserved threonine residue by the CDK-activating kinase (CAK). We have studied the binding of various human CDK and cyclin subunits in vitro, using purified proteins derived from baculovirus-infected insect cells. We find that most CDK-cyclin complexes known to exist in human cells (CDC2-cyclin B, CDK2-cyclin A, and CDK2-cyclin E) form with high affinity in the absence of phosphorylation or other cellular components. One complex (CDC2-cyclin A) forms with high affinity only after CAK-mediated phosphorylation of CDC2 at the activating threonine residue. CDC2 does not bind with high affinity to cyclin E in vitro, even after phosphorylation of the CDC2 subunit. Thus, phosphorylation is of varying importance in the formation of high-affinity CDK-cyclin complexes.     

Cosmid-derived markers anchoring the bovine genetic map to the physical map

The mapping strategy for the bovine genome described in this paper uses large insert clones as a tool for physical mapping and as a source of highly polymorphic microsatellites for genetic typing, and was one objective of the BovMap Project funded by the European Union (UE). Eight-three cosmid and phage clones were characterized and used to physically anchor the linkage groups defining all the bovine autosomes and the X Chromosome (Chr). By combining physical and genetic mapping, clones described in this paper have led to the identification of the linkage groups corresponding to Chr 9, 12, 16, and 25. In addition, anchored loci from this study were used to orient the linkage groups corresponding to Chr 3, 7, 8, 9, 13, 16, 18, 19, and 28 as identified in previously published maps. Comparison of the estimated size of the physical and linkage maps suggests that the genetic length of the bovine genome may be around 4000 cM. Received: 1 July 1996 / Accepted: 13 September 1996     

Insulin activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in human skeletal muscle in vivo

Hickey, Matthew S., Charles J. Tanner, D. Sean O'Neill,Lydia J. Morgan, G. Lynis Dohm, and Joseph A. Houmard. Insulin activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in human skeletal muscle invivo. J. Appl. Physiol. 83(3):718-722, 1997.The purpose of this investigation was to determinewhether insulin-stimulated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase)activity is detectable in needle biopsies of human skeletal muscle.Sixteen healthy nonobese males matched for age, percent fat, fastinginsulin, and fasting glucose participated in one of two experimentalprotocols. During an intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT)protocol, insulin-stimulated PI3-kinase activity was determined frompercutaneous needle biopsies at 2, 5, and 15 min post-insulinadministration (0.025 U/kg). In the second group, a 2-h, 100 mU · m² · min¹euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp was performed, and biopsies wereobtained at 15, 60, and 120 min after insulin infusion was begun.Insulin stimulated PI3-kinase activity by 1.6 ± 0.2-, 2.2 ± 0.3-, and 2.2 ± 0.4-fold at 2, 5, and 15 min, respectively, duringthe IVGTT. During the clamp protocol, PI3-kinase was elevated by 5.3 ± 1.3-, 8.0 ± 2.6-, and 2.7 ± 1.4-fold abovebasal at 15, 60, and 120 min, respectively. Insulin-stimulatedPI3-kinase activity at 15 min post-insulin administration wassignificantly greater during the clamp protocol vs. the IVGTT(P < 0.05). These observations suggest that insulin-stimulated PI3-kinase activity is detectable inneedle biopsies of human skeletal muscle, and furthermore, that theeuglycemic, hyperinsulinemic clamp protocol may be a useful tool toassess insulin signaling in vivo.

     

Preparation of O-phosphotyrosine-containing peptides by Fmoc solid-phase synthesis: Evaluation of several Fmoc-Tyr(PO3R2)-OH derivatives

Summary The synthesis of two model Tyr(P)-containing peptides using Fmoc-Tyr(PO₃ tBu₂)-OH, Fmoc-Tyr(PO₃Bzl₂)-OH and Fmoc-Tyr(PO₃H₂)-OH established that the t-butylphosphate-protected derivative was the preferred derivative for use in Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis, since it afforded phosphopeptides in high purity and with the lowest amount of Tyr-peptide contamination. In addition, this study confirmed that commercially available Fmoc-Tyr(PO₃H₂)-OH is also suitable for use in Fmoc solid-phase synthesis but gives less pure phosphopeptides, along with the generation of 1–4% of the tyrosine-containing peptide for the model sequences studied. In view of the good performance of Fmoc-Tyr(PO₃ tBu₂)-OH, a large-scale three-step synthetic procedure was developed which involved phenacyl protection of the carboxyl group, phosphite-triester phosphorylation of the tyrosyl hydroxyl using di-t-butyl N,N-diethylphosphoramidite, and final removal of the phenacyl group by zinc reduction in acetic acid.Abbreviations BOP benzotriazol-1-yl-oxy-tris(dimethylamino)phosphonium hexafluorophosphate - tBu t-butyl - Bzl benzyl - DBU 1,8-diazabicyclo[5,4,0]undec-7-ene - DMF N,N-dimethylformamide - EDT ethanedithiol - Fmoc 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl - HOBt N-hydroxybenzotriazole - HPLC high performance liquid chromatography - NMM N-methylmorpholine - Pac phenacyl - TFA trifluoroacetic acid - THF tetrahydrofuran - Tyr(P) O-phosphotyrosine     

Thermodynamics of heme-induced conformational changes in hemopexin: role of domain-domain interactions.

Hemopexin is a serum glycoprotein that binds heme with high affinity and delivers heme to the liver cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis. A hinge region connects the two non-disulfide-linked domains of hemopexin, a 35-kDa N-terminal domain (domain I) that binds heme, and a 25-kDa C-terminal domain (domain II). Although domain II does not bind heme, it assumes one structural state in apo-hemopexin and another in heme-hemopexin, and this change is important in facilitating the association of heme-hemopexin with its receptor. In order to elucidate the structure and function of hemopexin, it is important to understand how structural information is transmitted to domain II when domain I binds heme. Here we report a study of the protein-protein interactions between domain I and domain II using analytical ultracentrifugation and isothermal titration calorimetry. Sedimentation equilibrium analysis showed that domain I associates with domain II both in the presence and absence of heme with Kd values of 0.8 microM and 55 microM, respectively. The interaction between heme-domain I and domain II has a calorimetric enthalpy of +11 kcal/mol, a heat capacity (delta Cp) of -720 cal/mol.K, and a calculated entropy of +65 cal/mol.K. By varying the temperature of the centrifugation equilibrium runs, a van't Hoff plot with an apparent change in enthalpy (delta H) of -3.6 kcal/mol and change in entropy (delta S) of +8.1 cal/mol.K for the association of apo-domain I with domain II was obtained.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Poly(pyrimidine) . poly(purine) synthetic DNAs containing 5-methylcytosine form stable triplexes at neutral pH

Poly(pyrimidine) . poly(purine) tracts have been discovered in the 5'-flanking regions of many eucaryotic genes. They may be involved in the regulation of expression since they can be mapped to the nuclease-sensitive sites of active chromatin. We have found that poly(pyrimidine) . poly(purine) DNAs which contain 5-methylcytosine (e.g. poly[d(Tm5C)] . poly[d(GA)]) will form a triplex at a pH below 8. In contrast, the unmethylated analogue, poly[d(TC)] . poly[d(GA)] only forms a triplex at pHs below 6. Synthetic DNAs containing repeating trinucleotides and poly[d(Um5C)] . poly[d(GA)] behave in a similar manner. Thus the stability of a triplex can be controlled by methylation of cytosine. This suggests a model for the regulation of expression based upon specific triplex formation on the 5'-side of eucaryotic genes.