Congenital cardiac malformations in Adams-Oliver syndrome

Whole genomic hprt clones were used in Southern analysis to screen the integrity of the hprt gene in a family that includes a patient with HPRT enzyme deficiency causal to Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. A 5 kb DNA sequence deletion was found to have its endpoints in the first and third introns. The probes identified the carrier status of female family members, aided by an RFLP carried by the mother's normal X-chromosome.     

Biochemical characterization of I-Ak proteins from mutant antigen-presenting B-cell--B-lymphoma hybridomas

Chemically induced mutants of an I-Ak,d expressing antigen-presenting B-cell--B-lymphoma hybridoma have recently been generated by immunoselection in vitro and were found to possess alterations in some of their serologically and functionally defined I-Ak region dependent functions. In order to identify at the structural level the origin of the differences in serological and functional properties of these mutants, I-Ak molecules from several of these mutant hybridomas were compared biochemically to wild-type I-Ak polypeptides by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and high-pressure liquid chromatographic tryptic peptide analyses. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis indicated that no major structural alterations, resulting in changes in mol. wt or charge, had occurred in the Ak alpha or Ak beta polypeptides from the mutant cells. Likewise, Ak alpha peptide maps of the mutants were indistinguishable from the normal Ak alpha peptide maps. However, two of the three mutants studied did exhibit one additional peptide in their Ak beta peptide maps. These results suggest that the major deficiencies in T-cell-activating functions of these mutants are a result of a limited alteration in the Ak beta polypeptide primary structure.     

Immunohistochemically demonstrated variation in expression of cathepsin E between uracil-induced papillomatosis and N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine-induced preneoplastic and neoplastic changes in rat urinary bladder

Expression of rat urinary bladder cathepsin E in benign papillomatosis induced by uracil and various stages of N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN)-induced carcinogenesis was investigated immunohistochemically. Seven-week-old, male F344/DuCrj rats were used. In the normal urothelium of control rats, cathepsin E stained in all layers of cells, although in umbrella cells and some basal cells the reaction was relatively weak. In rats given a diet containing 3% uracil for 5 weeks immunoreactivity of cathepsin E in uracil-induced papillomatosis was consistently homogeneous in all layers, but weaker than in normal urothelium. In rats given 0.05% BBN in drinking water for 12 weeks and subsequently maintained without treatment for 48 weeks cells with little cathepsin E, never observed in normal urothelium, appeared at 5 weeks above the basement membrane in the earliest stage of BBN-induced urinary bladder cancer (simple hyperplasia). Throughout the neoplastic process, groups of cells with a little cathepsin E were randomly distributed, with expression in the urothelium being markedly unstable. Almost all areas of squamous cell proliferation in TCC were negative for cathepsin E. Instability of cathepsin E expression in rat urothelium therefore appears characteristic for carcinogenesis and offers the possibility of using this feature as an early biomarker for urinary bladder carcinogenesis.     

Chromosomal mapping of the uracil permease gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Summary The gene FUR4, coding for the uracil permease in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was mapped on chromosome II, at a distance of 7.8 cM from the centromere on the right arm of the chromosome. In a first step, we used the chromosome loss mapping method developed by Falco and Botstein (1983) to determine on which chromosome the gene mapped. After the observation that FUR4 was closely linked to GAL10, one of the three genes forming the gal cluster (Bassel and Mortimer 1971), we could determine precisely the position of the gene on chromosome II.     

吗啡对PC12细胞嘌呤核苷酸代谢相关酶基因表达的影响

目的：研究吗啡对神经细胞模型PC12嘌呤核苷酸补救合成酶与分解代谢关键酶基因表达的影响。方法：采用逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）方法检测暴露于吗啡不同时间的PC12细胞次黄嘌呤-鸟嘌呤磷酸核糖转移酶（HGPRT）、腺苷激酶（AK）和腺苷脱氨酶（AD A）mRNA的表达水平。结果：与相应时段对照组相比，PC12细胞暴露于吗啡12及24 h时，HGPRT mRNA水平均明显增高(P<0.05)，作用48 h时HGPRT mRNA水平显著降低(P<0.05)，72 h后HGPRT mRNA水平再次升高(P<0.05)；吗啡处理的PC12细胞于12和24 h时，AK mRNA水平均明显降低(P<0.05)，作用48 h时AK mRNA水平升高(P<0.05)，72 h后AK mRNA水平恢复正常；ADA mRNA水平均表现为轻度降低，12 h差异有显著性(P<0.05)。结论：吗啡影响神经细胞嘌呤核 苷酸代谢，使细胞内腺苷酸及腺苷水平增高，这可能是吗啡依赖和耐受形成的机理之一 。     

Frequent HPRT mutations in paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria reflect T cell clonal expansion, not genomic instability

Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) results from acquired mutations in the PIG-A gene of an haematopoietic stem cell, leading to defective biosynthesis of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors and deficient expression of GPI-anchored proteins on the surface of the cell's progeny. Some laboratory and clinical findings have suggested genomic instability to be intrinsic in PNH; this possibility has been supported by mutation analysis of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) gene abnormalities. However, the HPRT assay examines lymphocytes in peripheral blood (PB), and T cells may be related to the pathophysiology of PNH. We analysed the molecular and functional features of HPRT mutants in PB mononuclear cells from eleven PNH patients. CD8 T cells predominated in these samples; approximately half of the CD8 cells lacked GPI-anchored protein expression, while only a small proportion of CD4 cells appeared to derive from the PNH clone. The HPRT mutant frequency (Mf) in T lymphocytes from PNH patients was significantly higher than in healthy controls. The majority of the mutant T lymphocyte clones were of CD4 phenotype, and they had phenotypically normal GPI-anchored protein expression. In PNH patients, the majority of HPRT mutant clones were contained within the Vbeta2 T cell receptor (TCR) subfamily, which was oligoclonal by complementarity-determining region three (CDR3) size analysis. Our results are more consistent with detection of uniform populations of expanded T cell clones, which presumably acquired HPRT mutations during antigen-driven cell proliferation, and not due to an increased Mf in PNH. HPRT mutant analysis does not support underlying genomic instability in PNH.     

尼克酰胺磷酸核糖转移酶对心肌缺血/再灌注的影响研究进展

背景 尼克酰胺磷酸核糖转移酶(nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase,NAMPT)是合成烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸(nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide,NAD)的限速酶.NAMPT可存在于细胞内和细胞外,它们的作用不尽相同.NAMPT在心血管系统中发挥着重要作用,但在心肌缺血/再灌注(ischemia/reperfusion,I/R)中的作用尚存争议. 目的 进一步了解NAMPT的心血管作用及对心肌I/R的影响. 内容 就目前研究对NAMPT的来源及潜在的心血管作用、细胞内NAMPT(intracellular NAMPT,iNAMPT)及细胞外NAMPT(extracellular NAMPT,eNAMPT)、以及对心肌I/R的影响作一综述. 趋向 促进对NAMPT的作用及机制的了解,NAMPT有望成为治疗心肌I/R损伤的新靶点.     

A unique insertion of low complexity amino acid sequence underlies protein-protein interaction in human malaria parasite orotate phosphoribosyltransferase and orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase

Objective:To investigate the multienzyine complex formation of human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum[P.falciparum)orotate phosphoribosyltransferase(OPRT)and orotidine5'-monophosphate decarboxylase(OMPDC),the fifth and sixth enzyme of the de novo pyrimidine biosynthetic palhway.Previously,we have clearly established that the two enzymes in the malaria parasite exist physically as a heterotetrameric(OPRT)_2(OMPDG)_2 complex containing two subunits each of OPRT and OMPDC.and that the complex have catalytic kinetic advantages over the monofunetional enzyme.Methods:Both enzymes were cloned and expressed as recombinant proteins.The protein-protein interaction in the enzyme complex was identified using bifunctionul chemical cross-linker,liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis and homology modeling,Results:The unique insertions of low complexity region at the a 2 and a 5 helices of the parasite OMPDC,characterized by single amino acid repeat sequence which was not found in homologous proteins from other organisms,was located on the OPRT-OMPDC interface.The structural models for the protein-prolein interaction of the helerotetrameric(OPRT)_2(OMPDC)_2multienzyme complex were proposed.Conclusions:Based on the proteomic data and structural modeling,it is surmised that the human malaria parasite low complexity region is responsible for the OPRT-OMPDC interaction.The structural complex of the parasite enzymes,thus,represents an efficient functional kinetic advantage,which in line with co-localization principles of evolutional origin,and allosteric control in protein-protein-interactions.     

Treatment of Lesch–Nyhan disease with S-adenosylmethionine: Experience with five young Malaysians,including a girl

Background: Lesch–Nyhan disease (LND) is a rare X-linked recessive neurogenetic disorder caused by deficiency of the purine salvage enzyme hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT, EC 2.4.2.8) which is responsible for recycling purine bases into purine nucleotides. Affected individuals have hyperuricemia leading to gout and urolithiasis, accompanied by a characteristic severe neurobehavioural phenotype with compulsive self-mutilation, extrapyramidal motor disturbances and cognitive impairment. Aim: For its theoretical therapeutic potential to replenish the brain purine nucleotide pool, oral supplementation with S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) was trialed in 5 Malaysian children with LND, comprising 4 related Malay children from 2 families, including an LND girl, and a Chinese Malaysian boy. Results: Dramatic reductions of self-injury and aggressive behaviour, as well as a milder reduction of dystonia, were observed in all 5 patients. Other LND neurological symptoms did not improve during SAMe therapy. Discussion: Molecular mechanisms proposed for LND neuropathology include GTP depletion in the brain leading to impaired dopamine synthesis, dysfunction of G-protein-mediated signal transduction, and defective developmental programming of dopamine neurons. The improvement of our LND patients on SAMe, particularly the hallmark self-injurious behaviour, echoed clinical progress reported with another purine nucleotide depletion disorder, Arts Syndrome, but contrasted lack of benefit with the purine disorder adenylosuccinate lyase deficiency. This first report of a trial of SAMe therapy in LND children showed remarkably encouraging results that warrant larger studies.     

UPLC法同时测定盐酸阿糖胞苷原料药的含量和有关物质

目的:建立同时测定盐酸阿糖胞苷原料药的含量和有关物质的方法。方法:采用超高效液相色谱法。色谱柱为Inertsil ODS-3 C18,流动相为磷酸盐缓冲液-甲醇(梯度洗脱),流速为0.8 ml/min,检测波长为254 nm,柱温为40Ⅴ,进样量为10μl。结果:尿嘧啶、尿苷、阿糖尿苷、盐酸阿糖胞苷检测质量浓度分别在0.100 8²0.16、0.120.16、0.1²0.12、0.095 620.12、0.095 6¹9.12、0.119.12、0.1²0.004μg/ml范围内与各自峰面积积分值呈良好的线性关系(r=0.999 9、0.999 8、0.999 9、0.999 9);精密度、稳定性、重复性试验的RSD≤0.79%;尿嘧啶、尿苷、阿糖尿苷平均加样回收率为103.8%、102.2%、99.7%,RSD分别为2.44%、2.69%、3.16%(n=9)。结论:该方法准确、灵敏度高、专属性强、重复性好,可用于盐酸阿糖胞苷原料药的质量控制。