Induction versus progression of brain tumor development: differential functions for the pRB- and p53-targeting domains of simian virus 40 T antigen.

The ability of simian virus 40-encoded large T antigen to disrupt the growth control of a variety of cell types is related to its ability to interfere with certain cellular proteins, such as p53 and the retinoblastoma susceptibility gene product (pRB). We have used wild-type and mutant forms of T antigen in transgenic mice to dissect the roles of pRB, p53, and other cellular proteins in tumorigenesis of different cell types. In this study, using a cell-specific promoter to target expression specifically to brain epithelium (the choroid plexus) and to B and T lymphoid cells, we characterize the tumorigenic capacity of a T-antigen fragment that comprises only the amino-terminal 121 residues. This fragment (dl1137) retains the ability to interact with pRB and p107 but lacks the p53-binding domain. While loss of the p53-binding region results in loss of the capacity to induce lymphoid abnormalities, dl1137 retains the ability to induce choroid plexus tumors that are histologically indistinguishable from those induced by wild-type T antigen. Tumors induced by dl1137 develop much more slowly, however, reaching an end point at around 8 months of age rather than at 1 to 2 months. Analysis of tumor progression indicates that tumor induction by dl1137 does not require secondary genetic or epigenetic events. Rather, the tumor growth rate is significantly slowed, indicating that the T-antigen C-terminal region contributes to tumor progression in this cell type. In contrast, the pRB-binding region appears essential for tumorigenesis as mutation of residue 107, known to disrupt pRB and p107 binding to wild-type T antigen, abolishes the ability of the dl1137 protein to induce growth abnormalities in the brain.     

Autoinduction of differentiation in myeloid leukemic cells: restoration of normal coupling between growth and differentiation in leukemic cells that constitutively produce their own growth-inducing protein.

Growth and differentiation of normal myeloid haematopoietic cells are regulated by a family of macrophage- and granulocyte-inducing (MGI) proteins. Some of these proteins (MGI-1) induce cell growth and others (MGI-2) induce cell differentiation. Addition of MGI-1 to normal myeloid cells induces growth and also induces the endogenous production of MGI-2. This induction of differentiation-inducing protein by growth-inducing protein then ensures the coupling between growth and differentiation found in normal cells. There are myeloid leukemic cells that constitutively produce their own MGI-1, but the cells do not differentiate in culture medium containing horse or calf serum. By removing serum from the medium, or in medium with mouse or rat serum, these leukemic cells are induced to differentiate to mature cells, which like normal mature cells, then no longer multiply. Leukemic cells with constitutive production of MGI-1 continuously cultured in serum-free medium with transferrin were also induced to differentiate by removing transferrin. This induction of differentiation was in all these cases associated with the endogenous production of MGI-2 by the cells. The results indicate that changes in specific constituents of the culture medium can result in autoinduction of differentiation in these leukemic cells due to restoration of the induction of MGI-2 by MGI-1, which then restores the normal coupling of growth and differentiation.     

Self-monitoring of blood glucose in diabetic pregnancy.

Admission to hospital is usually recommended to achieve the best possible diabetic control during pregnancy. We have used blood glucose monitoring at home to find out if patients can achieve equally good control outside hospital. Twenty-five consecutive diabetic patients were studied, of whom 20 had taken insulin before pregnancy. Six of their 14 previous pregnancies had ended in perinatal death. The 25 women performed 4247 blood glucose measurements during their pregnancies. Overall the mean blood glucose concentration was 7.1 mmol/l (128 mg/100 ml); before meals the mean was 6.5 mmol/l (117 mg/100 ml). Mean concentrations were lower in the third trimester, but at no stage was control in hospital significantly better than at home. The mean hospital stay before delivery was 22 days, and all patients had live babies. Monitoring blood glucose concentrations at home produces greater understanding and motivation among patients, improves control early in pregnancy, and shortens time spent in hospital.     

Localization of the gam gene of bacteriophage mu and characterisation of the gene product

Using cloning techniques in conjunction with an in vitro assay for activity of the gam-coded protein (pgam), the gam gene has been located on a 930-bp fragment immediately to the right of an AccI site situated 5.75 kb from the left-hand end of the phage Mu genome. An analysis of the properties of pgam obtained from an overproducing clone indicates that it is a non-specific DNA-binding protein which interacts with linear duplex plasmid DNA having a variety of different termini and confers protection against exonuclease action (Gam function). It also stimulates the frequency with which linear plasmid DNA transforms Escherichia coli to antibiotic resistance (Sot function). The preliminary results reported here suggest that pgam is potentially a useful 'tool' in molecular biology, although the molecular details of pgam activity require further clarification.     

Assignment of orthologous relationships among mammalian alpha-globin genes by examining flanking regions reveals a rapid rate of evolution

In order to study the relationships among mammalian alpha-globin genes, we have determined the sequence of the 3' flanking region of the human alpha 1 globin gene and have made pairwise comparisons between sequenced alpha-globin genes. The flanking regions were examined in detail because sequence matches in these regions could be interpreted with the least complication from the gene duplications and conversions that have occurred frequently in mammalian alpha-like globin gene clusters. We found good matches between the flanking regions of human alpha 1 and rabbit alpha 1, human psi alpha 1 and goat I alpha, human alpha 2 and goat II alpha, and horse alpha 1 and goat II alpha. These matches were used to align the alpha-globin genes in gene clusters from different mammals. This alignment shows that genes at equivalent positions in the gene clusters of different mammals can be functional or nonfunctional, depending on whether they corrected against a functional alpha-globin gene in recent evolutionary history. The number of alpha-globin genes (including pseudogenes) appears to differ among species, although highly divergent pseudogenes may not have been detected in all species examined. Although matching sequences could be found in interspecies comparisons of the flanking regions of alpha- globin genes, these matches are not as extensive as those found in the flanking regions of mammalian beta-like globin genes. This observation suggests that the noncoding sequences in the mammalian alpha-globin gene clusters are evolving at a faster rate than those in the beta-like globin gene clusters. The proposed faster rate of evolution fits with the poor conservation of the genetic linkage map around alpha-globin gene clusters when compared to that of the beta-like globin gene clusters. Analysis of the 3' flanking regions of alpha-globin genes has revealed a conserved sequence approximately 100-150 bp 3' to the polyadenylation site; this sequence may be involved in the expression or regulation of alpha-globin genes.