Effect of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) on diphosphoinositide (DPI) synthesis in rat mast cell granules

Rat mast cell granules were obtained by homogenization of highly purified rat mast cells and isolated in a Percoll gradient. DPI synthesis in rat mast cell granules was assayed by measuring the incorporation of 32P from [gamma 32P] ATP into DPI in the absence of exogenous phosphatidylinositol (PI). Lipids were isolated with methanol/chloroform/HC1 and were separated by thin-layer chromatography on oxalic acid impregnated silica gel plates. DPI areas were identified by staining with iodine, scraped and measured for 32P radioactivity. The addition of PMA to the granules caused an increase of DPI synthesis, which can be catalysed by PI kinase. Neither an inactive phorbol ester, 4-alpha-phorbol-12, 13-didecanoate, nor dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) used as a solvent for PMA had any effect. The effect of PMA in the DPI synthesis was dose-dependent and maximal effects were observed at 10-100 ng/ml. Dose-response curves of the effects of PMA in DPI synthesis in the granules corresponded to those of other biochemical effects of PMA in rat mast cells, such as mediator release mediated through the activation of protein kinase C. These results suggest that PMA may directly affect PI kinase or indirectly regulate its activity in rat mast cell granules.     

Effect of phospholipase A2 inhibitor ONO-RS-082 on substance P-induced histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells.

Rat peritoneal mast cells purified on a Percoll gradient were challenged with substance P (SP) and the effect of phospholipase A2 inhibitor ONO-RS-082 on SP-induced histamine release from the cells was investigated. 10(-5) mol/l SP caused a significant histamine release and the amount of histamine release reached maximum at 1 min after the challenge. ONO-RS-082 inhibited the SP-induced histamine release in a concentration-dependent manner at the concentration from 10(-6) to 10(-4) mol/l, suggesting possible involvement of phospholipase A2 in SP-induced histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells.     

A novel insertional mutation at exon VII of the myelin proteolipid protein gene in Pelizaeus -- Merzbacher disease

Pelizaeus — Merzbacher disease (PMD) is an X-linked neurologicaldisorder characterized by dysmyelination in the central nervoussystem (CNS). Recently mutations of the myelln proteollpid protein(PLP) gene which encodes both PLP and Its Isoform, DM-20 generatedby alternative spllcing, have been demonstrated In PMD patients.We analyzed the seven exons of the PLP gene of a Japanese boyaffected with PMD by direct sequencing and identified an Insertionevent In exon Vll of the PLP gene. This mutation was also presentIn his carrier mother, but was absent In ninety-five X chromosomesof normal Japanese. The frame-shift mutation leads to the productionof truncated PLP with altered carboxyl terminal amlno acid sequences,resulting In conslderable change of the structure of PLP andDM-20 necessary for functional purposes. This is the first reportof a mutation In exon Vll of the PLP gene associated with PMD.     

Sotos syndrome associated with a de novo balanced reciprocal translocation t(5;8)(q35;q24.1).

We describe a de novo balanced reciprocal translocation between the long arms of chromosomes 5 and 8 [46,XX,t(5;8)(q35;q24.1)] in a 15-month-old girl with a typical Sotos syndrome phenotype. Involvement of the 5q35 region was previously reported (Maroun et al. [1994: Am J Med Genet 50:291-293]) as one of translocation breakpoints in the present patient. We suggest that the gene responsible for Sotos syndrome is located to a distal long-arm region of chromosome 5.     

Male with type II autosomal recessive cutis laxa

A 5-year-old boy, who had pre- and postnatal growth retardation, delayed motor development, cutis laxa, delayed closure of large fontanels, congenital hip dislocation and characteristic facies, is described. Disorders with cutis laxa are now divided into five types. The patient had clinical manifestations very similar to those of cutis laxa with bone dystrophy (type II autosomal recessive cutis laxa). Eighteen patients have been reported, the ratio of males to females being 5 to 14. This is the fifth case of this disorder occurring in a male, which provides further evidence for autosomal recessive inheritance.     

Functional analysis of PTPN11/SHP-2 mutants identified in Noonan syndrome and childhood leukemia

Noonan syndrome (NS) is characterized by short stature, characteristic facial features, and heart defects. Recently, missense mutations of PTPN11, the gene encoding protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) SHP-2, were identified in patients with NS. Further, somatic mutations in PTPN11 were detected in childhood leukemia. Recent studies showed that the phosphatase activities of five mutations identified in NS and juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) were increased. However, the functional properties of the other mutations remain unidentified. In this study, in order to clarify the differences between the mutations identified in NS and leukemia, we examined the phosphatase activity of 14 mutants of SHP-2. We identified nine mutations, including a novel F71I mutation, in 16 of 41 NS patients and two mutations, including a novel G503V mutation, in three of 29 patients with leukemia. Immune complex phosphatase assays of individual mutants transfected in COS7 cells showed that ten mutants identified in NS and four mutants in leukemia showed 1.4-fold to 12.7-fold increased activation compared with wild-type SHP-2. These results suggest that the pathogenesis of NS and leukemia is associated with enhanced phosphatase activity of mutant SHP-2. A comparison of the phosphatase activity in each mutant and a review of previously reported cases showed that high phosphatase activity observed in mutations at codons 61, 71, 72, and 76 was significantly associated with leukemogenesis.     

Hypodense eosinophils are much labeled with 32P than normodense eosinophils]

Peripheral blood eosinophils from the patients with atopic dermatitis were isolated on a Percoll gradient and incubated with H3(32)PO4. After stopping the reaction, SDS/PAG electrophoresis was performed and autoradiographs were prepared to determine the incorporation of 32P into proteins. Eosinophils developed at least 14 protein bands below 66.2 K by SDS/PAG electrophoresis and the differences of the staining patterns between hypodense and normodense eosinophils were observed. In the autoradiographs 5 distinct radioactive bands were observed below 31 K. 32P incorporation into the bands of hypodense eosinophils were stronger than that of normodense eosinophils, suggesting possible involvement of protein phosphorylation in the activation process of eosinophils.     

Possible mechanisms of the concentration-dependent action of substance P to induce histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells and the effect of extracellular calcium on mast-cell activation

Rat peritoneal mast cells purified on a Percoll gradient were loaded with the fluorescent Ca²⁺ indicator fura-2 and were challenged with different concentrations of substance P (SP), and intracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca²⁺]_i) were measured by a spectrofluorometric assay. SP at 5 × 10⁻⁶ mol/1 and 10⁻⁵ mol/1 caused a significant histamine release with a significant increase in [Ca²⁺]_i in a dose-dependent manner. However, SP at 10⁻⁸-10⁻⁶ mol/1 did not induce either histamine release or increase in [Ca²⁺]_i. Extracellular calcium at 0.9 mM inhibited the histamine release with a significant reduction of [Ca²⁺]ⁱ compared with that of the cells in a nominally calcium-free condition. These results indicate that the action of SP on rat mast cells relies upon [Ca²⁺]_i to induce histamine release.