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Biomedical subjects

A Marcotte

Publications and source records attributed to A Marcotte.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Differentiated carcinomas develop as a consequence of the thyroid specific expression of a thyroglobulin-human papillomavirus type 16 E7 transgene.

The oncogenic properties of the high risk human papillomaviruses (HPV) E7 protein are attributed to its interaction with the retinoblastoma susceptibility gene product RB1 and other related proteins. We report here the generation of a transgenic model expressing the E7 oncogene of HPV16 in thyroid follicular cells, under control of the bovine thyroglobulin gene promoter. Transgenics develop differentiated and functionally regulated thyroid goitres, due to thyroid cell proliferation and accumulation of colloid. On the background of this colloid goitre, the mice develop foci of more actively proliferating cells that become invasive and ultimately tend to loose their differentiation. Old mice display secondary tumour nodules that mimic the various histological aspects of the human differentiated thyroid cancers: the follicular and papillary carcinomas. The development of totally undifferentiated carcinoma is in contrast exceptional. We conclude that RB1, and/or related proteins, are responsible for the strict negative control of proliferation that characterizes the thyroid cell of the adult. Inactivation of these proteins results in a continuous growth of the thyroid, without affecting its differentiation, function and regulation. Given the high frequency of progression to highly malignant phenotypes, the retinoblastoma susceptibility and related genes are good candidates as targets for mutations or deletions in early steps of human thyroid carcinogenesis. The search for such mutations in human thyroid cancers will test if this hypothesis holds true.

Animals

On the use of DNA fingerprints for linkage studies in cattle.

To find a marker for the bovine "muscular hypertrophy" gene and for the "roan" locus, we have typed six cattle pedigrees totaling 540 animals for nine blood group systems, for 12 biochemical markers, for RFLPs at four loci, and with five probes revealing multilocus DNA fingerprints. Segregation analysis of the fingerprint bands showed that, in cattle, a fingerprint probe will reveal a mean of 7.6 clearly resolvable bands, behaving as simple, highly informative Mendelian entities characterized by a mean mutation rate of +/- 1/4500 gametes. For one of the bands, we observed a "mutation burst" generating germline mosaicism. Because some of the fingerprint bands were allelic or corresponded to clustered minisatellites, a mean of only 5.7 independent loci is explored per probe. Fingerprint bands revealed by different probes also show a clear propensity for close linkage, pointing toward nonrandom distribution of minisatellite sequences or the existence of minisatellite clusters. Although this reduces the power of fingerprints for linkage analysis substantially, we were able to demonstrate genetic linkage between fingerprint bands and at least three of the classical markers, to exclude the roan locus from 4.5 Morgans of the bovine genome with the DNA fingerprints and for an additional 2.5 Morgans with the classical markers, and to identify a solid candidate marker for the bovine muscular hypertrophy gene, yielding a lod score greater than or equal to 2.84 without any obliged recombinant.

Animals

Linkage relationships among 20 genetic markers in cattle. Evidence for linkage between two pairs of blood group systems: B-Z and S-F/V respectively.

Five bovine paternal half-sib pedigrees for a total of 527 individuals were typed for six blood group systems: A, B, F/V, L, S, Z; for nine biochemical polymorphisms: ADA, MPI, PGM-3(slow), NP, Gc, Pi2, Tf, Ptf1 and Ptf2; and for restriction fragment length polymorphisms at five autosomal loci: Tg, GH, LDLr, BoLA-DQ and BoLA-DY. Two of the pedigrees were informative for segregation at the 'muscular hypertrophy' locus, and one was informative at the coat colour determining 'roan' locus. Linkage analysis was performed between all markers. Linkage was demonstrated between the S and F/V blood group systems (z = 3.11), adding one locus to the previously identified linkage group VII (LGVII) [Pi-2 and S], the most likely order being Pi2-S-F/V with maximum likelihood recombination rates of 0.208 and 0.211. Also shown to be linked were the blood group systems B and Z (z = 5.7, theta = 0.245). We confirmed the observation previously made by Andersson et al. (1988) of a high recombination rate between class II genes DQ and DY, suggesting either a larger physical distance between those genes than expected from comparative data, or the presence of a 'recombinational hotspot' in the bovine major histocompatibility complex. No linkage was found either with the 'muscular hypertrophy' locus, or with the 'roan' locus. However, these two loci could be excluded from respectively 1.7 and 2.5 Morgans of the bovine genome.

Animals

Analysis of genetic variation in the Belgian Blue cattle breed using DNA sequence polymorphism at the growth hormone, low density lipoprotein receptor, alpha-subunit of glycoprotein hormones and thyroglobulin loci.

New DNA sequence polymorphisms were identified at four bovine autosomal loci: growth hormone, low density lipoprotein receptor, alpha-subunit of glycoprotein hormones and thyroglobulin. Assuming independent assortment between these polymorphisms, the probabilities to be heterozygous at these four loci are 0.48, 0.36, 0.10 and 0.77 respectively, within the Belgian Blue Cattle breed (BBCB). Nucleotide diversity was estimated, showing that animals from the BBCB are heterozygous for 1/1450 nucleotides, a value significantly lower than the 1/500 value found in man. Moreover, we have estimated that the mutation rate at the cytosines of CG dinucleotides is about 10 times higher than that for other nucleotides.

Alleles