In situ fluorescence hybridization of Y translations: cytogenetic analysis using probes Y190 and Y431

Two moderately repetitive DNA probes (Y190 and Y431) and a fluorescent in situ hybridization technique, using a biotin, avidin, anti-avidin system, were employed to investigate a group of patients with Y chromosome abnormalities. In normal male subjects, a bright fluorescent spot could be detected in cells in interphase and on the short arm of the Y chromosome in metaphase spreads. Translocations of DNA fragments of the short arm of the Y chromosome to autosomes 10, 13 and 15 were observed in five patients. In a 45,XX male subject the translocation involved one of the X chromosomes. With this in situ hybridization procedure, bright fluorescent spots were also noticed in uncultured amniotic cells and chorionic cellular elements from male fetuses, thus allowing a rapid and reproducible approach to prenatal fetal sexing.     

河北汉族人群四个Y短串联重复序列基因座遗传多态性

目的调查Y染色体特异基因座DYS438、DYS439、GATAA7.1、GATAA7.2的遗传多态性在河北汉族人群中的分布。方法应用聚合酶链反应及8%变性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳分离扩增产物结合银染显带技术,对DYS438、DYS439、GATAA7.1、GATAA7.2基因座进行调查。结果DYS438、DYS439、GATAA7.1、GATAA7.2基因座分别检出4、5、5、4种等位基因,基因频率分布分别为0.0359～0.6587、0.0179～0.4107、0.0122～0.4146、0.0476～0.5238,个人识别率分别为0.5121、0.6811、0.6679和0.6327;上述4个基因座组成的单倍型在164名无关男性中共观察到70种,其中有36种仅出现一次,单倍型的个人识别机率达0.9480,家系调查符合单倍型父系遗传方式。结论DYS438、DYS439、GATAA7.1、GATAA7.2基因座个人识别机率高,属较高鉴别能力的遗传标记系统,且具有明显的人群分布差异,在法医学及人类遗传学研究中具有重要的应用价值。     

Mechanisms of the ATP potentiation of hyposmotic taurine release in Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts

Reducing osmolarity by 35% increased ³H-taurine efflux from Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts from 0.5% to a peak of 5.7%. The presence of ATP (10–100 µM; EC₅₀ 1.5 µM) increased taurine efflux up to 10%, and decreased the set point for hyposmotically stimulated taurine release (HTR). ATP potentiation was mimicked by UTP, reduced by addition of suramin and pyridoxal phosphate-6-azophenyl-2,4-disulphonic acid (PPADS) and unaffected by ADP, ,-methylene-ATP (,-ATP) or 2-methylthio-ATP (Me-ATP), suggesting its mediation by purinergic P2Y₂ and P2Y₄ metabotropic receptors. Under isosmotic conditions ATP increased the cytosolic [Ca²⁺] ([Ca²⁺]_i) markedly, but did not increase taurine release. HTR was independent of external Ca²⁺ but was reduced (by 56–59%) by BAPTA-AM, thapsigargin-induced depletion of intracellular Ca²⁺ stores, or phospholipase C (PLC) inhibition. Blockade of calmodulin (CaM) or calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII) reduced HTR by 54% and 76%, respectively. The ATP-mediated potentiation was prevented fully by all these treatments. HTR was reduced by 30–50% by blockers of protein tyrosine kinases (AG18), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) (wortmannin), p21rho (toxin B), p21rho-kinase (Y27632) and the stress-activated kinase p38 (PD169316). ATP-mediated potentiation was reduced similarly by these blockers. Simultaneous inhibition of PI3K and CaMKII abolished HTR. Altogether, these results suggest a modulatory effect of ATP, probably exerted by a potentiation of the Ca²⁺-dependent fraction of HTR. This fraction has as signalling elements a PLC-dependent [Ca²⁺]_i increase, resulting from Ca²⁺ released from thapsigargin-sensitive internal stores, followed by activation of CaM/CaMKII reactions. The Ca²⁺/ATP effect operates only when the Ca²⁺-independent, tyrosine kinase-mediated pathway is already activated. Suggested elements of cross-talk between the two pathways are PLC, PI3K and CaMKII.     

Desensitization of acetylcholine induced inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate formation in neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells following repetitive acetylcholine stimulations

In this study, the desensitization of acetylcholine-induced inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [I(1,4,5)P₃] formation, upon short-time prestimulations, was investigated in cultures of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Four repeated stimulations for 10 seconds with 10 μM acetylcholine were necessary to induce a desensitization of the I(1,4,5)P₃ formation. The desensitization was observed 4 hours after the initiation of repetitive stimulations. The same effect was obtained by a single prestimulation with 1 mM acetylcholine. Preincubation of the cells with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) markedly down-regulated the acetylcholine-induced I(1,4,5)P₃ formation. However, the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors H7 and staurosporine did not influence the desensitization induced by four repeated stimulations with 20 μM acetylcholine. These results indicate that the signal transduction can be desensitized following repeated stimulations with sub-maximal concentrations of receptor agonist and although activation of PKC can induce the same down-regulation, PKC is most likely not involved in the desensitization induced by repetitive acetylcholine-stimulations.     

Implementation of HaemScreen, a workplace-based genetic screening program for hemochromatosis

There is debate as to whether community genetic screening for the mutation(s) causing hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) should be implemented, due to issues including disease penetrance, health economic outcomes, and concerns about community acceptance. Hemochromatosis is a common preventable iron overload disease, due in over 90% of cases to C282Y homozygosity in the HFE gene. We are, therefore, piloting C282Y screening to assess understanding of genetic information and screening acceptability in the workplace setting. In this program, HaemScreen, education was by oral or video presentation in a group setting. C282Y status was assessed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and melt-curve analysis on DNA obtained by cheek-brush sampling. Of eligible participants, 5.8% (1.5-15.8%) attended information and screening sessions, of whom 97.7% (5571 individuals) chose to be tested. Twenty-two C282Y (1 : 253) homozygotes were identified and offered clinical follow-up. There were 638 heterozygotes (1 : 8.7). The determinants for participation have been analyzed in terms of the principles outlined in the Health Belief Model. Widespread screening for HH is readily accepted in a workplace setting, and a one-to-many education program is effective. The level of participation varies greatly and the advertizing and session logistics should be adapted to the specific features of each workplace.     

Neuropeptide gene expression in brain is differentially regulated by midbrain dopamine neurons

Summary In situ hybridization was used to study the expression of prepro-neuropeptide Y (NPY), preprosomatostatin (SOM), preprotachykinin (PPT) and preprocholecystokinin (CCK) mRNA in caudate-putamen and frontoparietal cortex of rat brain with unilateral lesion of midbrain dopamine neurons. Neurons expressing NPY and SOM mRNA showed a similar distribution and the expression of both NPY and SOM appears to be regulated by dopamine in a similar fashion. Following a dopamine deafferentation, the numerical density of both NPY and SOM mRNA producing neurons almost doubled in the lesioned caudate-putamen with no change in the average grain density over positive neurons. Hence, in the intact caudate-putamen dopamine appears to suppress expression of these two neuropeptide genes leading to an activation of both NPY and SOM mRNA expression in many non- or low-expressing neurons when the level of dopamine is decreased. In the fronto-parietal cortex, on the other hand, dopamine appears to stimulate NPY and SOM gene expression. Thus, in the absence of dopamine about half of the NPY positive neurons disappeared. However, for SOM the number of positive neurons did not change, but rather most positive neurons appeared to have down-regulated their SOM mRNA expression. No evidence was found for a change in CCK mRNA expression by the dopamine deafferentation, while PPT mRNA expression decreased in the deafferented caudate-putamen. Consequently, dopamine exerts dissimilar effects on the expression of different neuropeptide genes, that in turn do not respond in the same way in different brain regions.     

A murine TSPY

Sequences homologous to human and bovine TSPY were isolated from M. musculus testicular cDNA, and a nearly full-length gene was polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified from mouse genomic DNA. This gene is apparently non-functional. Contrary to the situation encountered in species along the primate and artiodactyl lineages, in which TSPY is moderately repetitive, murine Tspy appears to be single copy. Murine Tspy is located on Yp, i.e. in the same syntenic group as in man. Sequence comparisons of murine, human and bovine TSPY exons suggest that TSPY became non-functional during rodent evolution.     

Structural difference between the two forms of guinea-pig beta 2-microglobulin and their occurrence in inbred guinea-pig strains

The structural difference between two forms (basic and acidic) of guinea-pig beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) has been established. Both forms are present in urine from inbred guinea-pig strains. The beta 2m forms were each digested with carboxypeptidase Y and carboxypeptidase A contaminated with carboxypeptidase B. Released amino acids were separated from remaining protein, dansylated and analysed by 2-dimensional TLC on polyamide layer sheets. From the results it was concluded that the basic beta 2m form has lysine and the acidic beta 2m form has asparagine as their respective C-terminal amino acids. The acidic form is also 1 amino acid (lysine) shorter than the basic form, which is supported by electrophoretic studies on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The presence of the 2 forms of beta 2m in urine from inbred guinea-pig strains 2 and 13, shown by gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography, makes it unlikely that the 2 forms are a result of genetic polymorphism.     

MUC1/Y基因体外冲击树突状细胞诱导抗瘤免疫反应

目的制备含MUC1/Y cDNA质粒转染的树突状细胞(DC),体外诱导杀伤细胞,研究其治疗消化道肿瘤的效果.方法构建MUC1/Y cDNA真核表达载体pIRES2-EGFP-MUC1/Y、pcDNA3.1-MUC1/Y.以pcDNA3.1-MUC/Y电转染8例HLA-A2(+)消化道肿瘤患者单个核细胞衍生的DC后,与自体T细胞混合培养,诱导CTL(T-pcDAN3.1-MUC1/Y).以SW620细胞[HLA-A2(+)、MUC1/Y(+)]为特异性靶细胞,Raji细胞[HLA-A2(-)、MUC1/Y(-)]和Lovo细胞[HLA-A2(-)、MUC1/Y(+)]为非特异性靶细胞,通过乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)释放实验测定杀伤活性,ELISA法检测基因修饰后DC刺激自体T细胞产生IFN-γ的能力,并以ANNEXIN V-FITC试剂盒检测特异性CTL诱导靶细胞凋亡情况.结果pIRES2-EGFP-MUC1/Y转染效率为8%左右.T-pcDAN3.1-MUC1/Y诱导的杀伤作用显著高于T-pcDNA3.1[pcDNA3.1(+)修饰DC诱导的CTL]和T-IL-2(IL-2刺激外周血单个核细胞产生的CTL),P＜0.05.而且T-pcDNA3.1-MUC1/Y对靶细胞的杀伤和诱导凋亡的能力显著高于对照组.基因修饰后的DC能刺激自体T细胞分泌高水平IFN-γ,与未转染的DC相比具有显著差异(P＜0.05).结论成功构建MUC1/Y全长cDNA真核表达载体.pIRES2-EGFP-MUC1/Y可用于真核细胞转染,通过观察转染效率,易于筛选阳性克隆;经pcDNA3.1-MUC1/Y修饰的DC可有效诱导特异性抗肿瘤免疫应答.     

浙江畲族DYS287、DYS440位点的多态性研究

目的　研究浙江畲族人群中DYS2 87和DYS44 0位点的多态性。方法　采用聚合酶链反应扩增DYS2 87和DYS44 0 ,PCR产物用 2 %的琼脂糖电泳分析 10 0名畲族个体的基因型。结果　 10 0名个体DYS2 87位点全部是YAP-;没有发现YAP ;10名为DYS44 0 3 ,占总人群数的 10 % ,其余 90名是DYS44 0 4。结论　浙江畲族人群DYS2 87和DYS44 0多态性与属于汉藏语系的其它民族之间存在着明显的不同 ,因此这两个基因位点对研究人类的进化是一种稳定的、重要的遗传标记。