The androgen-dependent rat prostate protein,probasin, is a heparin-binding protein that co-purifies with heparin-binding growth factor-1

Summary Rat prostate extracts contain an abundant 20–22 kilodalton heparin-binding protein with near identical chromatographic properties, but only 0.2–1% of the mitogenic activity, of bovine brain heparin-binding growth factor-1 (acidic fibroblast growth factor). Amino terminal amino acid sequence (met-met-thr-asp-lys-asn-leu-lys-lys-lys-ile-glu-gly-asn-trp-arg-thr-val-tyr-leu-ala-ala-ser-?-val-glu-lys-ile-asn-glu-gly-ser-pro) and immunochemical analysis revealed that the protein is identical to the androgen-dependent protein “probasin”. This work was supported in part by NCI grant CA37589 (W. L. M., J. W. C.) and the Medical Research Council of Canada (R. J. M.).     

Establishment of five human myeloma cell lines

Summary Five human myeloma cell lines, KMM-1, KMS-5, KMS-11, KMS-12- PE, and KMS-12-BM, have been established at Kawasaki Medical School since 1980. As the KMS-12-PE and KMS-12-BM lines were obtained from the same patient, these five cell lines have been derived from four patients with multiple myeloma. The five myeloma cell lines are stably growing at present in RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. They can also grow in a defined culture medium without serum. That these cell lines were, human myeloma cells was confirmed by the following findings. Ultranstructually, all five cell lines showed features characteristic of plasma cells. KMM-1 and KMS-11 cells secreted lambda and kappa chains into the culture medium, respectively, but the other cell lines produced no immunoglobulins. KMM-1 expressed cytoplasmic lambda antigen, KMS-5 showed cytoplasmic delta, and KMS-11 expressed surface kappa, whereas KMS-12-PE and KMS-12-BM cells showed no surface or cytoplasmic immunoglobulins. Regarding reaction with a monoclonal plasma cell antibody (PCA-1), four of the five lines were positive, the exception being KMS-5. Another monoclonal antibody (CD38), which also recognizes plasma cells, reponded to KMM-1, KMS-12-PE, and KSM-12-BM. KMS-5 cells expressed acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigens (CALLA). These data suggest that such lines as KMM-1, KMS-11, KMS-12-PE, and KMS-12-BM represent later stages of B-cell differentiation, and that KMS-5 represents a relatively early stage of B-cell differentiation. All the cell lines lacked Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen, showed abnormal karyotypes of human origin, and differed from each other in the isozyme patterns examined. Only KMS-5 was tumorigenic when transplanted subcutaneously into nude mice.     

A mutation causing reduced biological activity and stability of thyroxine-binding globulin probably as a result of abnormal glycosylation of the molecule

T4-binding globulin (TBG), a 54-kilodalton glycoprotein, is the major thyroid hormone transport protein in man. The exact nature of the mutations causing X chromosome-linked TBG deficiency, which affect about 1 in 2,500 newborn males, is unknown. Here we report the sequence of a unique variant TBG (TBG-Gary) encoding a protein with severely impaired T4 binding as well as decreased stability at 37 C, resulting in its rapid in vivo denaturation. A single nucleotide substitution in the codon for residue 96 of the mature protein replaces isoleucine with asparagine; this replacement creates an additional site for N-linked glycosylation. The anodal shift of TBG-Gary on isoelectric focusing gel electrophoresis suggests that this new site is likely glycosylated. Since glycosylated is required for TBG to assume its correct tertiary structure, but is not subsequently necessary for maintenance of the biological properties or stability of the molecule, we believe that the likely presence of additional carbohydrate probably affects a higher order structure of the molecule and is thus responsible for the reduced stability and hormone binding activity of TBG-Gary (TBGASN-96).     

Regional Dissociation of Cyclic AMP and Inositol Phosphate Formation in Response to Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone in the Rat Brain

The present study was undertaken to define effects of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) on formation of cyclic AMP (cAMP) and inositol phosphates (IPs) in rat brain regions. The brain of male Wistar rats was dissected into seven discrete regions, and each region was sliced. The slices were incubated in Krebs-Henseleit glucose buffer containing varying doses of TRH. TRH caused a significant and consistent increase in cAMP level, but not in formation of IPs, in the hypothalamus, striatum, and midbrain. TRH stimulated formation of IPs in the cerebellum, where the tripeptide did not change the cAMP level. In contrast, formation of neither cAMP nor IPs was affected by TRH in the cortex, hippocampus, or pons-medulla. These data suggest that TRH possesses two distinct types of brain intracellular signaling systems, which vary with brain regions.     

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.