The actin domain of Gardner-Rasheed feline sarcoma virus inhibits kinase and transforming activities.

The transforming gene product, P70gag-actin-fgr, of Gardner-Rasheed feline sarcoma virus (GR-FeSV) is a single polypeptide composed of regions derived from cellular and viral genes. Gamma actin and c-fgr genes are the two known cellular components of the GR-FeSV genome. In the present study, sequences representing each cell-derived gene were deleted and the resulting constructs were tested for transforming activity by transfection of NIH 3T3 cells. Constructs lacking a portion of the c-fgr proto-oncogene failed to induce focus formation, demonstrating the essential nature of this component for GR-FeSV oncogenic activity. In contrast, the construct lacking the actin domain was more active than GR-FeSV DNA in transformation assays. Protein specified by the actin deletion mutant possessed a 2.4-fold greater specific protein-tyrosine kinase activity compared with that of the wild-type gene product. Furthermore, the actin domain had no detectable effect on the ability of the fgr kinase to associate with cytoskeleton or to phosphorylate unique cellular proteins on tyrosine. Our findings demonstrate that the actin domain inhibits focus formation and impairs protein-tyrosine kinase activity.     

Structure, function and expression of a murine homeobox protein AREC3, a homologue of Drosophila sine oculis gene product, and implication in development.

The cDNA clones encoding ARE(Na,K-ATPase alpha1 subunit gene regulatory element) binding protein AREC3 were isolated from myoblast C2C12 cells and mouse skeletal muscle cDNA library. At least four alternatively spliced forms of AREC3 cDNA were identified. Sequence analysis indicates that AREC3 has an extensive homology with the Drosophila sine oculis gene product required for development of the entire visual system [Cheyette et al.(1994) Neuron 12, 977-996]. The homologous region including a homeodomain is required for specific DNA binding to ARE. A transactivation domain was identified in the C-terminal part of the AREC3 by reporter gene assays using GAL4-AREC3 fusion protein constructs. Immunohistochemistry revealed that AREC3 localized to the nucleus and cytoplasm of myoblast C2C12 cells, and the production of AREC3 is augmented during muscle differentiation. Western blot analysis indicated that the 115 kDa form of AREC3 protein is increased in the cytoplasmic extract, and the 67kDa form is increased both in nuclear and cytoplasmic extracts of C2C12 cells during muscle differentiation.     

Entrapment of lipase in silica glass by the sol-gel method and its esterification activity in organic media

Summary Silica glass-entrapped lipase was prepared by the sol-gel method using tetramethoxysilane, and its esterification activity in n-hexane was examined for isoamylbutyrate formation. The hydrogel preparation containing a large amount of water exhibited enough activity. Although the activity of xerogel-entrapped lipase drastically decreased probably due to shrinkage of the gel matrix, the lyophilized gel retained much higher activity than the air-dried gel.     

Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) of Genomic DNA of Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis Isolates in a Hospital

Epidemiological typing, based on restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), was attempted for the 38 clinical isolates of Moraxella catarrhalis obtained at Shinshu University Hospital during the years 1987 and 1993. Digestion with SmaI or NotI generated well separable, 12 to 5 genomic DNA fragments ranging from 1,000 kb to 30 kb and the strains could be classified into 14 or 13 types, respectively. The electrophoretic profile differed with the strain in most of them and was hence useful to distinguish the each strain. Investigation for their RFLP have, however, suggested that majority of them, including the type strain ATCC25238, may have derived from a common ancestor.     

Mechanism of inhibitory action of capsaicin on particulate axoplasmic transport in sensory neurons in culture

The inhibitory effect of capsaicin on axoplasmic transport in cultured dorsal root ganglion cells was analyzed by video-enhanced contrast microscopy. Capsaicin inhibited particle transports in a dose-dependent manner, irrespective of the diameter of axons. The effect of capsaicin was reversible at low concentrations. Capsaicin affected both the anterograde and retrograde transport. Large organelles were more sensitive to capsaicin than small ones in the retrograde transport. An experiment using calcium-sensitive dye, Fura 2, indicated that capsaicin raised the intraneuronal free calcium concentration preceding the inhibition of the transport. Electron microscopy revealed that microtubules and neurofilaments are disorganized and disoriented by capsaicin. We reached a conclusion that capsaicin inhibits fast axoplasmic transport of both anterograde and retrograde directions in all types of somatosensory neurons in culture by disorganizing intraaxonal cytoskeletal structures, through the elevated intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

In vivo cross-linking of nucleosomal histones catalyzed by nuclear transglutaminase in starfish sperm and its induction by egg jelly triggering the acrosome reaction.

A histone heterodimer, designated as p28, which contains an Nepsilon(gamma-glutamyl)lysine cross-link between Gln9 of histone H2B and Lys5 or Lys12 of histone H4, is present in starfish (Asterina pectinifera) sperm. Treatment of sperm nuclei with micrococcal nuclease produced soluble chromatin, which was size-fractionated by sucrose-gradient centrifugation to give p28-containing oligonucleosome and p28-free mononucleosome fractions, indicating that the cross-link is internucleosomal. When sperm nuclei were incubated with monodansylcadaverine, a fluorescent amine, in the presence or absence of Ca(2+), histone H2B was modified only in the presence of Ca(2+). Gln9, in the N-terminal region, was modified, but the other Gln residues located in the internal region were not, suggesting that the modification takes place on the surface of the nucleosome core by the in situ action of a Ca(2+)-dependent nuclear transglutaminase. Treatment of sperm with the egg jelly, which activates Ca(2+) influx to induce the acrosome reaction, resulted in a significant elevation of the p28 content in the nucleus. This is the first demonstration of an in vivo activation of transglutaminase leading to the formation of a cross-link in intracellular proteins.     

SSCP analysis of pig mitochondrial DNA D-loop region polymorphism

The sequence polymorphism that occurs in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) displacement (D)-loop region is useful as a cytoplasmic DNA marker. We cloned the mtDNA D-loop regions of five breeds of pig by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and determined their sequences. The sequence diversities in D-loop regions among five breeds of pig were located in the starting area of heavy-strand replication. From these sequences, we designed primers for PCR-mediated single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis that amplified the most polymorphic 227 bp fragment of the D-loop region. The results of PCR-SSCP analysis clearly showed that four types of polymorphism (A to D) are found in Landrace (A), Large White (A, B), Duroc (A), Göttingen miniature pig (B) and Meishan (C, D). The same polymorphisms were also detected from each porcine embryo by this method. Our results show that PCR-SSCP analysis is useful in detecting polymorphisms in the D-loop region of pigs and pig embryos.