PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Efstratiadis

Publications and source records attributed to A Efstratiadis.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Disruption of imprinting caused by deletion of the H19 gene region in mice.

The imprinted H19 gene, which encodes an untranslated RNA, lies at the end of a cluster of imprinted genes in the mouse. Imprinting of the insulin-2 and insulin-like growth factor 2 genes, which lie about 100 kilobases upstream of H19, can be disrupted by maternal inheritance of a targeted deletion of the H19 gene and its flanking sequence. Animals inheriting the H19 mutation from their mothers are 27% heavier than those inheriting it from their fathers. Paternal inheritance of the disruption has no effect, which presumably reflects the normally silent state of the paternal gene. The somatic overgrowth of heterozygotes for the maternal deletion is attributed to a gain of function of insulin-like growth factor 2, rather than a loss of function of H19.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Increased apoptosis and early embryonic lethality in mice nullizygous for the Huntington's disease gene homologue.

The expansion of CAG triplet repeats in the translated region of the human HD gene, encoding a protein (huntingtin) of unknown function, is a dominant mutation leading to manifestation of Huntington's disease. Targeted disruption of the homologous mouse gene (Hdh), to examine the normal role of huntingtin, shows that this protein is functionally indispensable, since nullizygous embryos become developmentally retarded and disorganized, and die between days 8.5 and 10.5 of gestation. Based on the observation that the level of the regionalized apoptotic cell death in the embryonic ectoderm, a layer expressing the Hdh gene, is much higher than normal in the null mutants, we propose that huntingtin is involved in processes counterbalancing the operation of an apoptotic pathway.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Construction and characterization of a normalized cDNA library.

We have developed a simple procedure based on reassociation kinetics that can reduce effectively the high variation in abundance among the clones of a cDNA library that represent individual mRNA species. For this normalization, we used as a model system a library of human infant brain cDNAs that were cloned directionally into a phagemid vector and, thus, could be easily converted into single-stranded circles. After controlled primer extension to synthesize a short complementary strand on each circular template, melting and reannealing of the partial duplexes at relatively low C0t, and hydroxyapatite column chromatography, unreassociated circles were recovered from the flow through fraction and electroporated into bacteria, to propagate a normalized library without a requirement for subcloning steps. An evaluation of the extent of normalization has indicated that, from an extreme range of abundance of 4 orders of magnitude in the original library, the frequency of occurrence of any clone examined in the normalized library was brought within the narrow range of only 1 order of magnitude.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Parental imprinting of autosomal mammalian genes.

The molecular mechanisms introducing epigenetic modifications that lead to differential silencing of some autosomal alleles depending on their parental legacy are still largely unknown, but recent results from studies of endogenously imprinted genes and particular transgenes make DNA methylation a strong candidate. At the same time, these results have raised new questions about the details of the imprinting process.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Selection of cDNAs using chromosome-specific genomic clones: application to human chromosome 13.

We have developed a general method for en masse isolation of cDNAs present in a normalized library by hybridization to arrayed chromosome-specific phage lambda clones; we have used this approach to initiate exon-mapping of human chromosome 13. An advantage of the simultaneous isolation of cDNA/lambda pairs is that it allows cytogenetic assignment of a bona fide genomic clone by in situ hybridization, which also verifies that the corresponding cDNA or a homologous expressed sequence resides on chromosome 13. This information is enriched by partial sequencing of a selected cDNA from both ends. The sequence of the 3' noncoding region provides an 'identifier' that is used to develop STSs, while the sequence from the 5' end, often corresponding to a coding region, is used for homology searches in databases that occasionally reveal gene functions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Effect of a null mutation of the insulin-like growth factor I receptor gene on growth and transformation of mouse embryo fibroblasts.

Fibroblast cell lines, designated R- and W cells, were generated, respectively, from mouse embryos homozygous for a targeted disruption of the Igf1r gene, encoding the type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor, and from their wild-type littermates. W cells grow normally in serum-free medium supplemented with various combinations of purified growth factors, while pre- and postcrisis R- cells cannot grow, as they are arrested before entering the S phase. R- cells are able to grow in 10% serum, albeit more slowly than W cells, and with all phases of the cell cycle being elongated. An activated Ha-ras expressed from a stably transfected plasmid is unable to overcome the inability of R- cells to grow in serum-free medium supplemented with purified clones. Nevertheless, even in the presence of serum, R- cells stably transfected with Ha-ras, alone or in combination with simian virus 40 large T antigen, fail to form colonies in soft agar. Reintroduction into R- cells (or their derivatives) of a plasmid expressing the human insulin-like growth factor I receptor RNA and protein restores their ability to grow with purified growth factors or in soft agar. The signaling pathways participating in cell growth and transformation are discussed on the basis of these results.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Simian virus 40 large tumor antigen is unable to transform mouse embryonic fibroblasts lacking type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor.

Fibroblast cell lines were established from mouse embryos homozygous for a targeted disruption of the Igf1r gene, encoding the type 1 receptor for insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and from their wild-type littermates. The cells from the wild-type embryos (W cells) grow in serum-free medium supplemented with platelet-derived growth factor, epidermal growth factor, and IGF-I, whereas the cells from Igf1r(-/-) embryos (R- cells) do not, although they grow at a reduced rate in 10% fetal calf serum. The simian virus 40 (SV40) large T antigen, expressed from a transfected plasmid, can transform W cells, which form foci in monolayer cultures and colonies in soft agar (anchorage-independent growth). In contrast, the SV40 large tumor antigen, although normally expressed from the transfected template, is unable to transform R- cells, which remain contact-inhibited and fail to grow in soft agar. The transformed phenotype is restored if the R- cells carrying the SV40 large tumor antigen are stably transfected with a plasmid expressing the human IGF-I receptor. These results demonstrate that signaling via the IGF-I receptor is an indispensable component of the SV40 transformation pathway. This conclusion is further supported from the results of antisense RNA experiments with tumor cell lines showing that interference with the function of the IGF-I receptor has a profound effect on anchorage-independent growth, even under conditions that only modestly affect growth in monolayers.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Mice carrying null mutations of the genes encoding insulin-like growth factor I (Igf-1) and type 1 IGF receptor (Igf1r).

Newborn mice homozygous for a targeted disruption of insulin-like growth factor gene (Igf-1) exhibit a growth deficiency similar in severity to that previously observed in viable Igf-2 null mutants (60% of normal birthweight). Depending on genetic background, some of the Igf-1(-/-) dwarfs die shortly after birth, while others survive and reach adulthood. In contrast, null mutants for the Igf1r gene die invariably at birth of respiratory failure and exhibit a more severe growth deficiency (45% normal size). In addition to generalized organ hypoplasia in Igf1r(-/-) embryos, including the muscles, and developmental delays in ossification, deviations from normalcy were observed in the central nervous system and epidermis. Igf-1(-/-)/Igf1r(-/-) double mutants did not differ in phenotype from Igf1r(-/-) single mutants, while in Igf-2(-)/Igf1r(-/-) and Igf-1(-/-)/Igf-2(-) double mutants, which are phenotypically identical, the dwarfism was further exacerbated (30% normal size). The roles of the IGFs in mouse embryonic development, as revealed from the phenotypic differences between these mutants, are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Role of insulin-like growth factors in embryonic and postnatal growth.

A developmental analysis of growth kinetics in mouse embryos carrying null mutations of the genes encoding insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), IGF-II, and the type 1 IGF receptor (IGF1R), alone or in combination, defined the onset of mutational effects leading to growth deficiency and indicated that between embryonic days 11.0 and 12.5, IGF1R serves only the in vivo mitogenic signaling of IGF-II. From E13.5 onward, IGF1R interacts with both IGF-I and IGF-II, while IGF-II recognizes an additional unknown receptor (XR). In contrast with the embryo proper, placental growth is served exclusively by an IGF-II-XR interaction. Additional genetic data suggested that the type 2IGF/mannose 6-phosphate receptor is an unlikely candidate for XR. Postnatal growth curves indicated that surviving Igf-1(-/-) mutants, which are infertile and exhibit delayed bone development, continue to grow with a retarded rate after birth in comparison with wild-type littermates and become 30% of normal weight as adults.

Aging↗
PubMed1993

Parental imprinting of an Igf-2 transgene.

As a consequence of parental imprinting in mice, the paternal allele encoding insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) is expressed, whereas the maternal allele is silent in most tissues. To examine whether cis-acting sequences involved in imprinting are located in the vicinity of the Igf-2 gene, we have constructed mouse transgenic lines and studied the expression of a 30 kb rat Igf-2 transgene, in which the coding region has been replaced with the lacZ reporter sequence. Chromatin position effects and/or absence of long-range regulatory elements seem to have affected tissue-specific expression in the transgenic mice. However, in one of six expressing lines, staining of embryos for beta-galactosidase activity was detected in a minor subset of tissues normally transcribing the endogenous homolog, but only when the transgene was transmitted paternally. This transgene was integrated into mouse chromosome 19, which is apparently free of imprinted loci. Although the possibility that the Igf-2 transgene was inserted into an as yet unidentified imprinted locus is discussed, a more likely interpretation of our results is that the transgene carries at least a portion of its own imprinting signal, because it consists of the genomic sequences of a locus already known to be imprinted and maintains the correct imprinting mode.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Rescue of the T-associated maternal effect in mice carrying null mutations in Igf-2 and Igf2r, two reciprocally imprinted genes.

In mice, only the paternal allele of the Igf2 gene, encoding insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) is expressed due to parental imprinting. Interestingly, the Igf2r gene, which encodes one of the two known receptors (IGF2R) to which IGF-II binds with high affinity is also subject to imprinting, but in a reciprocal fashion. This observation raises the possibility that imprinting of these loci serves to regulate the ratios of the gene products, since IGF2R provides a mechanism for IGF-II turnover. To test this hypothesis, we crossed mice mutant for Igf-2 with animals carrying the Thp chromosomal deletion, which encompasses the Igf2r locus. Inheritance of the Thp chromosome through the maternal germline results in a dominant lethal maternal effect (Tme). However, as we show here, Thp/+ embryos that inherit the Thp maternally are variably rescued to birth if they also lack IGF-II. Based on these data, the Tme phenotype can be viewed as a dominant effect resulting from an overabundance of IGF-II.

Alleles↗
PubMed1991

Parental imprinting of the mouse insulin-like growth factor II gene.

We are studying mice that carry a targeted disruption of the gene encoding insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II). Transmission of this mutation through the male germline results in heterozygous progeny that are growth deficient. In contrast, when the disrupted gene is transmitted maternally, the heterozygous offspring are phenotypically normal. Therefore, the difference in growth phenotypes depends on the type of gamete contributing the mutated allele. Homozygous mutants are indistinguishable in appearance from growth-deficient heterozygous siblings. Nuclease protection and in situ hybridization analyses of the transcripts from the wild-type and mutated alleles indicate that only the paternal allele is expressed in embryos, while the maternal allele is silent. An exception is the choroid plexus and leptomeninges, where both alleles are transcriptionally active. These results demonstrate that IGF-II is indispensable for normal embryonic growth and that the IGF-II gene is subject to tissue-specific parental imprinting.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

A growth-deficiency phenotype in heterozygous mice carrying an insulin-like growth factor II gene disrupted by targeting.

Growth factors are thought to function as pivotal autocrine-paracrine regulatory signals during embryonic development. Insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II), a mitogenic polypeptide for a variety of cell lines, could have such a role, as indicated by the pattern of expression of its gene during rodent development. The IGF-II gene uses at least three promoters and expresses several transcripts in many tissues during the embryonic and neonatal periods, whereas expression in adult animals is confined to the choroid plexus and the leptomeninges. To examine the developmental role of IGF-II, we have begun to study the consequences of introducing mutations at the IGF-II gene locus in the mouse germ line. We have disrupted one of the IGF-II alleles in cultured mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells by gene targeting and constructed chimaeric animals. Germ-line transmission of the inactivated IGF-II gene from male chimaeras yielded heterozygous progeny that were smaller than their ES cell-derived wild-type littermates (about 60% of normal body weight). These growth-deficient animals were otherwise apparently normal and fertile. The effect of the mutation was exerted during the embryonic period. These results provide the first direct evidence for a physiological role of IGF-II in embryonic growth.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Cloning of PCR-amplified total cDNA: construction of a mouse oocyte cDNA library.

We describe a general method for the synthesis and cloning of cDNA, applicable to cases in which the availability of biological material for mRNA extraction is extremely limited. A protocol allowing amplification of a heterogeneous mixture of cDNAs by the polymerase chain reaction has been devised and applied successfully to the construction of an apparently representative cDNA library, using as a model of a scarce RNA source 50 mouse ovulated eggs that can yield a maximum of 1.75 ng of poly(A)+ RNA. However, about 5% of the material obtained after amplification was adequate for cloning. Using the cloned sequences, we have derived a preliminary indirect measurement of the sequence complexity of the maternal poly(A)+ RNA in this mammalian oocyte.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Pattern of the insulin-like growth factor II gene expression during early mouse embryogenesis.

The mouse insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) gene encodes a polypeptide that plays a role in embryonic growth. We have examined the temporal and spatial pattern of expression of this gene in sections of the mouse conceptus between embryonic days 4.0 and 8.5 by in situ hybridization. Abundant IGF-II transcripts were detected in all the trophectodermal derivatives, after implantation. Labeling was then observed in primitive endoderm, but was transient and disappeared after formation of the yolk sac. Expression was next detected in extraembryonic mesoderm at the early primitive streak stage. Labeling in the embryo proper appeared first at the late primitive streak/neural plate stage in lateral mesoderm and in anterior-proximal cells located between the visceral endoderm and the most cranial region of the embryonic ectoderm. The position of the latter cells suggests that their descendants are likely to participate in the formation of the heart and the epithelium of the ventral and lateral walls of the foregut, where intense labeling was observed at the neural fold stage. Hybridization was also detected in cranial mesenchyme, including neural crest cells. The intensity of hybridization signal increased progressively in paraxial (presomitic and somitic) mesoderm, while declining in the ectoplacental cone. The neuroectoderm and surface ectoderm did not exhibit hybridization at any stage. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated co-localization of IGF-II transcripts, translated pre-pro-IGF-II, and the cognate IGF-II/mannose-6-phosphate receptor. These correlations are consistent with the hypothesis that IGF-II has an autocrine function.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Complementation of in vitro-assembled spliceosomes.

We describe the development and application of a system of in vitro-assembled splicing complexes that can be used for the identification of protein splicing factors which become associated with the spliceosome at the end of the assembly process ("late" splicing components). A splicing reaction performed in the presence of polyvinyl alcohol is interrupted after 15 to 20 minutes, before the appearance of splicing intermediates and products in significant amounts. Following low-speed centrifugation, a pellet is obtained containing splicing complexes that can be solubilized with 0.6 M-KCl. These complexes can be rapidly complemented for splicing in the presence of ATP and Mg2+ with protein factors that are present in HeLa cell nuclear extracts or in chromatographic extract fractions. Biochemical features of the complementation reactions, and conditions for reversible uncoupling of the two splicing steps, are described and discussed. These conditions are used to generate fully assembled spliceosomes in which splicing of the pre-mRNA can occur in the presence of ATP and Mg2+, but in the absence of nuclear extract ("autonomous splicing").

Adenosine Triphosphate↗