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A O'Shea-Greenfield

Publications and source records attributed to A O'Shea-Greenfield.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Differential interaction of nuclear factors with the leukocyte-specific pp52 promoter in B and T cells.

The leukocyte-specific, cytoskeleton-binding pp52 (LSP-1, WP-34) protein is widely expressed in multiple leukocyte lineages, including B and T lymphocytes, granulocytes, and macrophages. We previously detected a tissue-specific promoter preceding the exon encoding the N terminus of the pp52 leukocyte protein. Here we describe the functional characterization of this promoter and identification of the factors in B and T cells that regulate its activity. The pp52 promoter contains an initiator specifying the unique 5' terminus of pp52 mRNA, tandem pairs of Ets and SP1 motifs, and a lone C/EBP motif. All these motifs are essential and collectively control transcriptional activity. DNA binding studies and Ab supershift assays revealed that different combinations of factors interact with these motifs in B cells vs T cells. The Ets motifs are preferentially bound by PU-1 in B cell extracts from all stages of development, whereas a different Ets family member reacts with these motifs in T cell extracts. The C/EBP motif is bound by Ig/EBP-1 in pre-B cell and T cell extracts, but is replaced by nuclear factor-IL-6beta or a nuclear factor-IL-6beta-Ig/EBP-1 heterodimer in plasmacytoma cell extracts. Despite its reported role as a negative regulator of transcription, Ig/EBP-1 appears to exert a stimulatory effect on this promoter. These findings reveal the features controlling the pp52 promoter in B and T cells and provide the foundation for determining the regulation of this promoter in other leukocyte lineages.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Over-expression of p55Cdc inhibits granulocyte differentiation and accelerates apoptosis in myeloid cells.

p55Cdc is a protein identified in cycling mammalian cells. It is highly expressed in proliferating but not in differentiated or growth-arrested cells. Structurally, p55Cdc is similar to the Cdc4 and Cdc20 proteins, which have been proposed to regulate DNA synthesis and mitosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To define the role of p55Cdc during myelopoiesis, we studied the expression and regulation of this protein in response to the hematopoietic growth factors, granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). We analysed the time course of expression of p55Cdc in response to GM-CSF and G-CSF stimulation in the murine factor-dependent myeloid leukemic cell line, 32Dc13, and demonstrated differential regulation of p55Cdc in response to these two growth factors. Over-expression of p55Cdc resulted in acceleration of apoptosis in growth factor- and serum-free conditions, although no difference was observed in the rate of cell proliferation. Decreases in p55Cdc protein levels correlated with cells undergoing apoptosis. p55Cdc over-expression also inhibited granulocyte differentiation of 32Dc13 cells treated with G-CSF. Our studies suggest that p55Cdc regulation is critical for normal cell cycle control during myeloid cell proliferation and differentiation.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Similar mechanisms for transcription initiation mediated through a TATA box or an initiator element.

Previous studies have identified several biochemical parameters that resolve promoter-specific transcription initiation by RNA polymerase II into distinct steps. We have employed these parameters to compare the mechanisms of initiation mediated through either a TATA box or a transcriptional initiator element. Time course experiments revealed that initiator-mediated transcription in a cell-free extract does not display the lag period typically found with TATA-mediated transcription. Titration experiments with increasing amounts of extract revealed further differences between TATA- and initiator-mediated transcription, again suggesting that different steps are rate-limiting. In contrast, experiments with the detergent Sarkosyl, which is believed to define later steps in the initiation process, revealed a striking degree of similarity between TATA- and initiator-mediated transcription. Additional similarities were found using dinucleotide priming experiments, which are believed to measure the flexibility of initiation after RNA polymerase II is positioned over the transcription start site region. Taken together, these results suggest that the location of a preinitiation complex can be determined by core promoter recognition through either a TATA box or an initiator element. However, following these distinct template recognition events, the steps leading to initiation may be very similar and may proceed in a DNA sequence-independent manner.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Roles of TATA and initiator elements in determining the start site location and direction of RNA polymerase II transcription.

Transcriptional initiator elements and TATA elements are functionally similar, in that both can act in concert with a Sp1-dependent activator element to direct high levels of accurately initiated transcription. In this study, we have used in vitro transcription experiments to elucidate the relative activities of TATA and initiator. By varying the locations of TATA and initiator elements within a simple promoter, we compared their abilities to localize transcription start sites and to mediate transcriptional activation by Sp1. In addition, we addressed the contributions of initiator and TATA towards determining the direction of transcription from a promoter. Finally, we addressed the prevalence of initiator elements by analyzing the start site regions of several genes. We found that many of these regions possess initiator activity, although an initiator consensus sequence could not be defined. Taken together, the data presented suggest that an initiator is a common element that can influence the direction of transcription as well as the location of a transcription start site. However, in general, an initiator was incapable of altering these activities of a TATA box within a promoter containing both core elements.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1991

The nicotinic receptor genes.

The causative factor(s) of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are presently unknown. However, it has been shown that the number as well as the fraction of high- to low-affinity nicotine binding sites is altered in patients suffering from this disease. This finding, along with the identification of seven genes which code for nicotinic receptors expressed in the mammalian brain, has led to the idea that one nicotinic receptor subtype may be specifically altered in AD. The present article reviews how, through a molecular genetic approach, a family of genes coding for nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes was uncovered. Also discussed is the use of in situ hybridization to determine the distribution of expression of the mRNA encoding for each receptor subtype and the patch clamp technique to characterize their biophysical properties. Determination of the promoters of these genes, as well as the properties of the expressed receptor subtypes, may make it possible to design new specific nicotinic receptor subtype drugs that will treat not only the symptoms of AD but the progression of the disease process as well.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed1990

Molecular cloning and functional expression of glutamate receptor subunit genes.

Three closely related genes, GluR1, GluR2, and GluR3, encode receptor subunits for the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. The proteins encoded by the individual genes form homomeric ion channels in Xenopus oocytes that are sensitive to glutamatergic agonists such as kainate and quisqualate but not to N-methyl-D-aspartate, indicating that binding sites for kainate and quisqualate exist on single receptor polypeptides. In addition, kainate-evoked conductances are potentiated in oocytes expressing two or more of the cloned receptor subunits. Electrophysiological responses obtained with certain subunit combinations show agonist profiles and current-voltage relations that are similar to those obtained in vivo. Finally, in situ hybridization histochemistry reveals that these genes are transcribed in shared neuroanatomical loci. Thus, as with gamma-aminobutyric acid, glycine, and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, native kainate-quisqualate-sensitive glutamate receptors form a family of heteromeric proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Alpha 3, alpha 5, and beta 4: three members of the rat neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-related gene family form a gene cluster.

We have identified two additional members of the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR)-related gene family. cDNA clones for one new gene, designated alpha 5, were isolated from rat hippocampus and rat PC12 cell line cDNA libraries. The alpha 5 gene encodes a protein of 48,800 daltons (424 amino acids) which exhibits significant overall amino acid sequence identity with the previously cloned rat nAChR subunits alpha 1 (49%), alpha 2 (55%), alpha 3 (52%), and alpha 4 (49%). Features characteristic of other nAChR alpha-subunits are present such as conserved cysteine residues at positions 127, 141, 191, and 192, and four strongly hydrophobic domains. A second addition to the nAChR-related gene family, designated beta 4, is encoded in overlapping rat genomic clones lambda DD15 and lambda RG518A. The beta 4 gene, encoding a mature protein of 53,300 daltons (475 amino acids), consists of 6 exons and has a transcription unit length of approximately 18 kilobase pairs. The beta 4 gene encoded protein shows considerable amino acid sequence identity with nAChR beta 1 (43%), beta 2 (64%), and beta 3 (44%) subunits. Northern blots showed that, along with alpha 3 and beta 2, transcripts for both the alpha 5 and beta 4 genes are present in the PC12 cell line, while in situ hybridization experiments demonstrated expression of the alpha 5 and beta 4 genes in a small number of nuclei in the central nervous system. Finally, the genes that encode the beta 4, alpha 3, and alpha 5 proteins are transcribed with convergent polarities and form a tightly linked gene cluster spanning approximately 60 kilobase pairs.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Cloning of a novel glutamate receptor subunit, GluR5: expression in the nervous system during development.

We have isolated cDNAs encoding a glutamate receptor subunit, designated GluR5, displaying 40%-41% amino acid identity with the kainate/AMPA receptor subunits GluR1, GluR2, GluR3, and GluR4. This level of sequence similarity is significantly below the approximately 70% intersubunit identity characteristic of kainate/AMPA receptors. The GluR5 protein forms homomeric ion channels in Xenopus oocytes that are weakly responsive to L-glutamate. The GluR5 gene is expressed in subsets of neurons throughout the developing and adult central and peripheral nervous systems. During embryogenesis, GluR5 transcripts are detected in areas of neuronal differentiation and synapse formation.

Aging↗
PubMed1989

Cloning by functional expression of a member of the glutamate receptor family.

We have isolated a complementary DNA clone by screening a rat brain cDNA library for expression of kainate-gated ion channels in Xenopus oocytes. The cDNA encodes a single protein of relative molecular mass (Mr) 99,800 which on expression in oocytes forms a functional ion channel possessing the electrophysiological and pharmacological properties of the kainate subtype of the glutamate receptor family in the mammalian central nervous system.

Amino Acid Sequence↗