Replication and amplification of recombinant plasmid molecules as extra chromosomal elements in transformed mammalian cells

Mouse thymidine kinase negative (TK^?) L cells, F4-12B2TK^? Friend erythroleukemic cells and hamster BHKTK^? cells were transformed in the absence of carrier DNA with closed circular molecules of herpes simplex virus 1 TK DNA cloned in plasmid pAT153 (pTK-1). The physical status of donor DNA in the transformed cells was studied by Southern blot hybridization and spot hybridization techniques. Up to 65 copies of pTK-1 DNA molecules/cell were present in transformed cells grown under selective conditions. Whereas a steady increase in the number of pTK-1 copies/cell was found during the first few weeks of growth in selective medium, 2–8 months later copy numbers varied within the same cell line and their numbers rarely exceeded fifty copies/cell. Donor DNA sequences were found both in the Hirt precipitate and in the supernatant showing that some of the pTK-1 molecules existed in circular form. Many of the cell lines gave a Southern blot hybridization pattern indicative of pTK-1 sequences integrated into high molecular weight DNA as well as present in a circular configuration.     

Evidence that erythroid-type glucose transporter intrinsic activity is modulated by cadmium treatment of mouse 3T3-L1 cells

Previous studies suggest that regulation of hexose uptake in Chinese hamster ovary fibroblasts can occur by alterations in glucose transporter intrinsic activity without changes in cell surface transporter number (Harrison, S. A., Buxton, J. M., Helgerson, A. L., MacDonald, R. G., Chlapowski, F. J., Carruthers, A., and Czech, M. P. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 5793-5801). We tested this hypothesis using 3T3-L1 fibroblasts and adipocytes which exhibit 5-6-fold increases in 2-deoxyglucose or 3-O-methylglucose uptake when exposed to low micromolar concentrations of cadmium for 18 h. Cadmium treatment decreased the apparent Km of 3T3-L1 fibroblasts for 3-O-methylglucose influx from approximately 28 to 9 mM and increased the apparent Vmax by 2-3-fold. These fibroblasts lack the skeletal muscle/adipocyte-type (GLUT4) transporter and showed only a small increase in total cellular immunoreactive HepG2 type (GLUT1) transporter in response to cadmium. Furthermore, cell surface GLUT1 levels did not change in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts exposed to cadmium, as assessed by the binding to intact cells of an antibody which recognizes an extracellular GLUT1 epitope. Insulin enhanced 2-deoxyglucose uptake 2-fold in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts, but did not further stimulate cadmium-activated transport rates. In contrast, insulin stimulated hexose transport 15-fold in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, which express both GLUT1 and GLUT4 proteins, and this effect was fully additive with the 5-fold effect of cadmium. Cadmium had little or no effect on immunoreactive GLUT1 or GLUT4 in isolated 3T3-L1 adipocyte plasma membranes. In contrast, insulin action led to marked recruitment (3-fold) of GLUT4 to the plasma membrane fraction in adipocytes treated with or without cadmium. Taken together, these data are consistent with the hypothesis that cadmium-activated sugar uptake is catalyzed by GLUT1, whereas insulin-stimulated sugar uptake is catalyzed predominantly by GLUT4 in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Furthermore, the data suggest that the GLUT1 transporter can undergo significant increases in intrinsic catalytic activity in response to cadmium treatment of 3T3-L1 fibroblasts and adipocytes.     

Pseudomycins, a family of novel peptides from Pseudomonas syringae possessing broad-spectrum antifungal activity.

A family of peptide antimycotics, termed pseudomycins, has been isolated from liquid cultures of Pseudomonas syringae, a plant-associated bacterium. These compounds were purified using Amberlite XAD-2 and reverse-phase liquid chromatography. Pseudomycin A, the predominant peptide in a family of four, showed selective phytotoxicity, and had impressive activity against the human pathogen Candida albicans. Amino acid, mass spectroscopic, and comparative electrophoretic and chromatographic analyses revealed that the pseudomycins are different from previously described antimycotics from P. syringae, including syringomycin, syringotoxin and syringostatins. Pseudomycins A-C contain hydroxyaspartic acid, aspartic acid, serine, arginine, lysine and diaminobutyric acid. The molecular masses of pseudomycins A-C, as determined by plasma desorption mass spectrometry, are 1224, 1208 and 1252 Da, respectively. Pseudomycin D, on the other hand, has a molecular mass of 2401 Da and is more complex than pseudomycins A-C.     

Influence of site-directed modifications on the formation of iron cores in ferritin

The structure and crystal chemical properties of iron cores of reconstituted recombinant human ferritins and their site-directed variants have been studied by transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. The kinetics of Fe uptake have been compared spectrophotometrically. Recombinant L and H-chain ferritins, and recombinant H-chain variants incorporating modifications in the threefold (Asp131----His or Glu134----Ala) and fourfold (Leu169----Arg) channels, at the partially buried ferroxidase sites (Glu62,His65----Lys,Gly), a putative nucleation site on the inner surface (Glu61,Glu64,Glu67----Ala), and both the ferroxidase and nucleation sites (Glu62,His65----Lys,Gly and Glu61,Glu64,Glu67----Ala), were investigated. An additional H-chain variant, incorporating substitution of the last ten C-terminal residues for those of the L-chain protein, was also studied. Most of the proteins assimilated iron to give discrete electron-dense cores of the Fe(III) hydrated oxide, ferrihydrite (Fe2O3.nH2O). No differences were observed for variants modified in the three- or fourfold channels compared with the unmodified H-chain ferritin. The recombinant L-chain ferritin and H-chain variant depleted of the ferroxidase site, however, showed markedly reduced uptake kinetics and comprised cores of increased diameter and regularity. Depletion of the inner surface Glu residues, whilst maintaining the ferroxidase site, resulted in a partially reduced rate of Fe uptake and iron cores of wider particle size distribution. Modification of both ferroxidase and inner surface Glu residues resulted in complete inhibition of iron uptake and deposition. No cores were observed by electron microscopy although negative staining showed that the protein shell was intact. The general requirement of an appropriate spatial charge density across the cavity surface rather than specific amino acid residues could explain how, in spite of an almost complete lack of identity between the amino acid sequences of bacterioferritin and mammalian ferritins, ferrihydrite is deposited within the cavity of both proteins under similar reconstitution conditions.     

Crystallization and X-ray diffraction studies of a soluble form of the human transferrin receptor

A soluble tryptic fragment of the human transferrin receptor (residues 121 to 760) has been crystallized from 2.8 M-KCl (pH 6.2) and polyethylene glycol 8000. This fragment retains the transferrin-binding activity of intact transferrin receptor. Although the trypsin treatment removes the intermolecular disulfide bonds, the receptor fragment is dimeric both under physiological conditions and at the high salt concentrations used for crystallization. The receptor fragment crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), a = 105.5 A, b = 224.5 A, c = 363.5 A. The crystals are extremely radiation sensitive. Their diffraction extends to 3.8 A, and there is some diffuse scatter with helical characteristics. Analysis of these diffraction patterns indicates that the transferrin receptor fragments are arranged in continuous 8-fold symmetric helical columns parallel to the c axis, with a total of 32 receptor fragment monomers in the unit cell. A structure determination is in progress.     

Phorbol Myristate Acetate and 8-Bromo-Cyclic AMP-Induced Phosphorylation of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein and Vimentin in Astrocytes: Comparison of Phosphorylation Sites

Both the protein kinase C (PK-C) activator, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), and the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PK-A) activator, 8-bromo-cyclic AMP (8-BR), have been shown to increase 32P incorporation into glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin in cultured astrocytes. Also, treatment of astrocytes with PMA or 8-BR results in the morphological transformation of flat, polygonal-shaped cells into stellate, process-bearing cells, suggesting the possibility that signals mediated by these two kinase systems converge at the level of protein phosphorylation to elicit similar changes in cell morphology. Therefore, studies were conducted to determine whether treatment with PMA and 8-BR results in the phosphorylation of the same tryptic peptide fragments on GFAP and vimentin in astrocytes. Treatment with PMA increased 32P incorporation into all the peptide fragments that were phosphorylated by 8-BR on both vimentin and GFAP; however, PMA also stimulated phosphorylation of additional fragments of both proteins. The phosphorylation of vimentin and GFAP resulting from PMA or 8-BR treatment was restricted to serine residues in the N-terminal domain of these proteins. Studies were also conducted to compare the two-dimensional tryptic phosphopeptide maps of GFAP and vimentin from intact cells treated with PMA and 8-BR with those produced when the proteins were phosphorylated with purified PK-C or PK-A. PK-C phosphorylated the same fragments of GFAP and vimentin that were phosphorylated by PMA treatment. Additionally, PK-C phosphorylated some tryptic peptide fragments of these proteins that were not observed with PMA treatment in intact cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Echinococcus granulosus: use of an intermediate host mouse model to evaluate sources of protective antigens and a role for antibody in the immune response.

A Balb/cJ mouse model was used to determine which stage of the E. granulosus life cycle possessed the most potent protective antigens. Mice were immunized with crude extracts of protoscoleces, brood capsules, cyst fluid, adult worm tissue, eggs or oncospheres and then challenged intraperitoneally with 600 activated oncospheres. Sonically disrupted oncospheres induced the highest levels of protection (greater than 90%) at doses greater than or equal to 10(3) oncosphere equivalents per mouse. High levels of protection were maintained when these preparations were solubilized in SDS. Immunization with Taenia ovis or T. hydatigena oncosphere preparations induced a maximum of 62 and 40% cross-protection, respectively. In passive transfer experiments, serum from triple-infected immune donors that were completely resistant to subsequent challenge induced 69% protection in naive recipients (P less than 0.01). Serum from mice that had been immunized with oncosphere sonicates that were shown to be highly immune, failed to induce statistically significant protection in recipients. A sheep trial confirmed the protective ability of prior infections. Immunization of sheep with a SDS solubilized oncosphere preparation produced 91% protection (P less than 0.01).     

Uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. HEM12 gene sequence and evidence for two conserved glycines essential for enzymatic activity.

The HEM12 gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase which catalyzes the sequential decarboxylation of the four acetyl side chains of uroporphyrinogen to yield coproporphyrinogen, an intermediate in protoheme biosynthesis. The gene was isolated by functional complementation of a hem12 mutant. Sequencing revealed that the HEM12 gene encodes a protein of 362 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 41,348 Da. The amino acid sequence shares 50% identity with human and rat uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase and shows 40% identity with the N-terminus of an open reading frame described in Synechococcus sp. We determined the sequence of two hem12 mutations which lead to a totally inactive enzyme. They correspond to the amino acid changes Gly33----Asp and Gly300----Asp, located in two evolutionarily conserved regions. Each of these substitutions impairs binding of substrates without affecting the overall conformation of the protein. These results argue that a single active center exists in uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase.