Human placental calcitonin receptors.

Receptors for the hypocalcaemic hormone, calcitonin (CT), have been identified in a membrane fraction prepared from term human placentae. Binding of 125I-labelled salmon CT (125I-sCT) to the membranes was time- and temperature-dependent, saturable (Bmax. 58 +/- 11 fmol/mg of protein), of high affinity (Kd 80 +/- 21 pM) and poorly reversible. Species-specific CTs and CT analogues competed for 125I-sCT binding with potencies proportional to their known biological potencies. Various unrelated peptide hormones did not compete, indicating that receptor binding was specific for CT. Photoaffinity labelling using a derivatized biologically active sCT analogue, [Arg11,18,3-nitrophenylazide-Lys14]sCT, identified a receptor component of Mr approximately 85,000, comparable with findings in osteoclasts and other target cells. The presence of CT receptors in the human placenta supports other evidence that CT may have a role in the regulation of placental function.     

The complete amino acid sequence of the human erythrocyte membrane anion-transport protein deduced from the cDNA sequence.

1. We have isolated cDNA clones corresponding to the red cell membrane anion-transport protein (Band 3). 2. The cDNA clones cover 3475 bases of the mRNA and contain the entire protein-coding region, 150 bases of the 5' untranslated region and part of the 3' non-coding region, but do not extend to the 3' end of the mRNA. 3. The translated protein sequence predicts that the human red cell anion transporter contains 911 amino acids. 4. The availability of the amino acid sequence allows the interpretation of some of the many studies on the chemical and proteolytic modification of the human protein aimed at examining the structure and mechanism of this membrane transport protein.     

Platelet tyrosine-specific protein phosphorylation is regulated by thrombin.

Intact human platelets, terminally differentiated cells with no growth potential, were found to possess unusually high levels of tyrosine-specific protein phosphorylation. The physiological platelet activator thrombin transiently elevated platelet phosphotyrosine content, apparently through stimulation of one or more tyrosine-specific protein kinases. Immunoblotting with antiphosphotyrosine antiserum showed that thrombin caused dramatic changes in the tyrosine phosphorylation of a number of individual protein bands and that these changes occurred in three distinct temporal waves. Most but not all of the protein bands phosphorylated at tyrosine in response to thrombin were also tyrosine phosphorylated in response to chilling or the combination of ionophore A23187 and tetradecanoylphorbol acetate. Thrombin stimulated the phosphorylation of the tyrosine kinase pp60c-src, primarily at Ser-12 and Tyr-527, although the effects of these phosphorylations on platelet pp60c-src function were not apparent. Together, these results suggest that tyrosine-specific protein kinases of uncertain identity are involved in signal transduction in platelets.     

Alterations of class I HLA genes in human colon cancers

Summary Alterations of HLA class I genes were found in 3 of 12 human colon cancers. Rearrangements in HLA class I genes were observed in 2 cancers and amplification of HLA-coding genes was observed in 1 cancer. All 3 cancers were at an advanced stage. No examples of amplification or rearrangement in the HLA genes were found in 10 other tumours of diverse types. No alterations in the ₂-microgubulin gene were observed in 22 human solid tumours included in this study. The association between alterations in HLA genes and proto-oncogenes in these tumours is discussed.