Secretion of unprocessed human surfactant protein B in milk of transgenic mice

Because of the apparent clinical importance of human pulmonary surfactant B (SP-B), the expression of SP-B was directed to the mammary gland of transgenic mice using previously characterized rat whey acidic protein (WAP) regulatory sequences. rWAP/SP-B mRNA was expressed specifically in the mammary gland, and ranged from 1 to 5% of the endogenous WAP mRNA levels. SP-B was detected immunologically in both tissue and milk. The transgene product had an apparent molecular weight of 40--45 kDa, corresponding to the predicted size of the SP-B proprotein. Incubation of an SP-B-enriched fraction of milk with cathepsin D in vitro produced 20--25 kDa species, consistent with cleavage of the amino terminal domain by cathepsin D. This was confirmed using antibodies specific to the carboxy-terminal domain of SP-B. However, the appearance of only the SP-B proprotein in milk suggests that cathepsin D is not involved in the in vivo processing of SP-B. The SP-B proprotein can be expressed in milk of transgenic mice without any observed effects on mammary gland morphology or lactation     

Iron supplementation moderates but does not cure the Belgrade anemia

Belgrade rats inherit microcytic, hypochromic anemia as an autosomalrecessive trait (gene symbol b). Erythrocytes and tissue are iron deficientin the face of elevated TIBC (total iron binding capacity) and percent ironsaturation; iron injections increased the number of erythrocytes but theirappearance remained abnormal. We have investigated iron supplements toimprove husbandry of b/b rats and to learn more about the underlying defectand its tissue distribution. Weekly IM (intramuscular) injections ofiron–dextran (Imferon at 30 mg kg) improved the anemia but did not alter thered cell morphology. Certain diets also improved the health of b/b rats whencompared to standard rat chows by the criteria of weight, survival toadulthood, hematology and reproduction. The critical nutritional factorturned out to be iron bioavailability, with ferrous iron added to the dietimproving the health of Belgrade rats without affecting the underlyingerythroid defect. Tissue iron measurements after dietary or parenteralsupplementation confirmed the iron deficient status of untreated b/b rats andestablished that dietary ferrous iron partially relieved this deficiency,with injections leading to greater amounts of tissue iron. Serum iron andTIBC were also found to be elevated in untreated b/b rats, with dietarysupplementation decreasing but not eliminating the elevation in TIBC. Thesestudies indicate that iron supplements can improve the health of b/b ratswithout altering the underlying defect and also suggest that the mutationcould alter iron uptake in the GI (gastrointestinal) tract.     

Effects of fish predation and habitat type on stream benthic communities

The influence of habitat on interactions between a fish predator (brown trout Salmo trutta) and a benthic invertebrate community was studied in nine field enclosures (8 ×3 m) in a creek in southern Sweden. Three habitat treatments were tested, a shallow sandy habitat, a deep habitat containing a mixture of large and small cobbles and a moderately deep habitat with large cobbles. The one month-long experiment showed that there were no major differences in the abundance and biomass of the benthic macroinvertebrate fauna among these habitats as no functional groups of invertebrates and only a few taxa differed between treatments. Invertebrate drift rates decreased over time, which was probably related to seasonal changes in invertebrate life cycles or to effects of predation independent of habitat type, as there was no difference between treatments.     

Novel β-Secretase Cleavage of β-Amyloid Precursor Protein in the Endoplasmic Reticulum/Intermediate Compartment of NT2N Cells

Previous studies have demonstrated that NT2N neurons derived from a human embryonal carcinoma cell line (NT2) constitutively process the endogenous wild-type β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) to amyloid β peptide in an intracellular compartment. These studies indicate that other proteolytic fragments generated by intracellular processing must also be present in these cells. Here we show that the NH₂-terminal fragment of APP generated by β-secretase cleavage (APPβ) is indeed produced from the endogenous full length APP (APP_FL). Pulse–chase studies demonstrated a precursor–product relationship between APP_FL and APPβ as well as intracellular and secreted APPβ fragments. In addition, trypsin digestion of intact NT2N cells at 4°C did not abolish APPβ recovered from the cell lysates. Furthermore, the production of intracellular APPβ from wild-type APP appears to be a unique characteristic of postmitotic neurons, since intracellular APPβ was not detected in several non-neuronal cell lines. Significantly, production of APPβ occurred even when APP was retained in the ER/ intermediate compartment by inhibition with brefeldin A, incubation at 15°C, or by expression of exogenous APP bearing the dilysine ER retrieval motif.     

CD8+ T cells can mediate almost complete short-term and partial long-term immunity to rotavirus in mice.

We have recently shown that CD8+ T cells mediate clearance of rotavirus infection in mice. B-cell-deficient J(H)D knockout (-/-) mice depleted of CD8+ T cells become chronically infected with murine rotavirus, and beta2 microglobulin -/- and other mice depleted of CD8+ T cells have a 1- to 4-day delay in clearance of primary rotavirus infection. A role for CD8+ T cells in protection from reinfection with rotavirus was suggested by these studies, because J(H)D -/- mice rechallenged 6 to 8 weeks after primary infection shed smaller quantities of viral antigen and for fewer days than naive mice. Here we show that 8, 11, 13, and 18 days after primary infection the J(H)D -/- mice are almost completely resistant to reinfection and that they are still partially protected from reinfection 6 weeks, 5 months, and 8 months after primary infection. Protection against reinfection was dependent on CD8+ T cells, since J(H)D -/- mice depleted of CD8+ T cells by administration of an anti-CD8 monoclonal antibody became chronically infected with rotavirus upon rechallenge 13 days, 18 days, 6 weeks, and 5 months after primary infection. Thus, CD8+ T cells can actively mediate almost complete short-term and partial long-term protection from reinfection.     

Virus-like particle-induced fusion from without in tissue culture cells: role of outer-layer proteins VP4 and VP7.

We recently described an assay that measures fusion from without induced in tissue culture cells by rotavirus, a nonenveloped, triple-protein-layered member of the Reoviridae family (M. M. Falconer, J. M. Gilbert, A. M. Roper, H. B. Greenberg, and J. S. Gavora, J. Virol. 69:5582-5591, 1995). The conditions required for syncytium formation are similar to those for viral penetration of the plasma membrane during the course of viral infection of host cells, as the presence of the outer-layer proteins VP4 and VP7 and the cleavage of VP4 are required. Here we present evidence that virus-like particles (VLPs) produced in Spodoptera frugiperda Sf-9 cells from recombinant baculoviruses expressing the four structural proteins of rotavirus can induce cell-cell fusion to the same extent as native rotavirus. This VLP-mediated fusion activity was dependent on trypsinization of VP4, and the strain-specific phenotype of individual VP4 molecules was retained in the syncytium assay similar to what has been seen with reassortant rotaviruses. We show that intact rotavirus and VLPs induce syncytia with cells that are permissive to rotavirus infection whereas nonpermissive cells are refractory to syncytium formation. This finding further supports our hypothesis that the syncytium assay accurately reflects very early events involved in viral infection and specifically the events related to viral entry into the cell. Our results also demonstrate that neither viral replication nor rotavirus proteins other than VP2, VP6, VP4, and VP7 are required for fusion and that both VP4 and VP7 are essential. The combination of a cell-cell fusion assay and the availability of recombinant VLPs will permit us to dissect the mechanisms of rotavirus penetration into host cells.     

Extended models of the ventilatory response to sustained isocapnic hypoxia in humans

Liang, Pei-Ji, Daphne A. Bascom, and Peter A. Robbins.Extended models of the ventilatory response to sustained isocapnic hypoxia in humans. J. Appl. Physiol. 82(2): 667-677, 1997.The purpose of this study was to examine extensions of a modelof hypoxic ventilatory decline (HVD) in humans. In the original model (model I) devised by R. Painter, S. Khamnei, and P. Robbins(J. Appl. Physiol. 74: 2007-2015, 1993), HVD is modeledentirely by a modulation of peripheral chemoreflex sensitivity. In thefirst extension (model II), a more complicated dynamic is usedfor the change in peripheral chemoreflex sensitivity. In the secondextension (model III), HVD is modeled as a combination ofboth the mechanism of Painter et al. and a component that isindependent of peripheral chemoreflex sensitivity. In all cases, aparallel noise structure was incorporated to describe the stochasticproperties of the ventilatory behavior to remove the correlation of theresiduals. Data came from six subjects from a study by D. A. Bascom, J. J. Pandit, I. D. Clement, and P. A. Robbins (Respir. Physiol.88: 299-312, 1992). For model II, there was a significantimprovement in fit for two out of six subjects. The reasons for thiswere not entirely clear. For model III, the fit was againsignificantly improved in two subjects, but in this case the subjectswere those who had the most marked undershoot and recovery ofventilation at the relief of hypoxia. In these two subjects, thechemoreflex-independent component contributed ~50% to total HVD.In the other four subjects, the chemoreflex-independent componentcontributed ~10% to total HVD. It is concluded that in somesubjects, but not in others, there may be a component of HVD thatis independent of peripheral chemoreflex sensitivity.

     

Haploinsufficiency of cytosolic serine hydroxymethyltransferase in the Smith-Magenis syndrome.

Folate-dependent one-carbon metabolism is critical for the synthesis of numerous cellular constituents required for cell growth, and serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) is central to this process. Our studies reveal that the gene for cytosolic SHMT (cSHMT) maps to the critical interval for Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS) on chromosome 17p11.2. The basic organization of the cSHMT locus on chromosome 17 was determined and was found to be deleted in all 26 SMS patients examined by PCR, FISH, and/or Southern analysis. Furthermore, with respect to haploinsufficiency, cSHMT enzyme activity in patient lymphoblasts was determined to be approximately 50% that of unaffected parent lymphoblasts. Serine, glycine, and folate levels were also assessed in three SMS patients and were found to be within normal ranges. The possible effects of cSHMT hemizygosity on the SMS phenotype are discussed.     

A rapid method for extraction and purification of DNA from dental plaque.

A rapid method based on previously described DNA extraction procedures was developed for the isolation of DNA from dental plaque samples. The isolated DNA is suitable for use in the PCR. Freeze-thawing, cell wall-degrading enzymes, and guanidine isothiocyanate were used to lyse cells and release DNA. The released DNA was adsorbed onto diatomaceous earth and purified by washing with guanidine isothiocyanate, ethanol, and acetone. The purified DNA was released from the diatomaceous earth into an aqueous buffer and analyzed by PCR with 16S rDNA primers (rDNA is DNA coding for rRNA). As judged from studies with pure cultures of a number of bacterial species, gram-negative and gram-positive organisms were lysed equally well by this procedure. The amount of PCR product was proportional to the number of cells analyzed over the range tested, 500 to 50,000 cells. On the basis of studies with plaque samples that were spiked with known quantities of the oral bacterium Treponema denticola, the DNA prepared from plaque was free of substances inhibitory to PCR. This method should have utility in molecular genetic studies of bacterial populations not only in uncultured plaque samples but also in other complex bacterial assemblages.     

A genetic analysis of natural resistance to nonsyngeneic cells: The role of H-2

The genetic control of natural resistance in vivo to four natural killer (NK) cell-resistant H-2 homozygous lymphoid tumor cell lines was investigated by following the survival and organ distribution of cells prelabeled with radioactive iododeoxyuridine. Backcross mice derived from DBA/2J and CBA/J parents were injected with H-2 ^dtumor cells and tumor cell elimination was lowest in H-2 ^dhomozygotes. Natural killer cell activity was also reduced in mice with the H-2 ^dhaplotype, but no direct correlation between NK cell levels against YAC-1 or SL2-5 lymphoma cells and natural resistance in vivo was demonstrable. Analysis of 23 BXD recombinant inbred strains indicated that natural resistance to H-2 ^dtumors was restricted to H-2 ^bstrains. There was no direct association of NK cell activity with H-2 type in the BXD strains and NK cell levels did not correlate with tumor survival in vivo. By comparing natural resistance to H-2 ^dand H-2 ^btumors in DBA/2, C57BL/6, B6D2F₁, and B10.D2 mice we found that H-2 nonidentity between the tumor and the host, rather than the host H-2 haplotype, determined whether natural resistance occurred. Again, NK cell activity against YAC-1 cells was not predictive of tumor survival in these strains. These results provide genetic evidence that NK cells alone cannot account for natural resistance to H-2 nonidentical cells of hemopoietic origin.