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C Bucci

Publications and source records attributed to C Bucci.

51 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

MRC OX19 recognizes the rat CD5 surface glycoprotein, but does not provide evidence for a population of CD5bright B cells.

To clone the rat CD5 gene we first produced two rat CD5 probes. The probes were obtained by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on rat genomic DNA using primers designed on conserved regions between mouse and human CD5. The screening of a rat cDNA library at high stringency using these probes resulted in a 1.5-kb positive clone. The DNA sequence of this clone confirmed its CD5 nature, but the clone appeared to lack part of the 5' and part of the 3' end. These missing 5' and 3' ends were obtained by PCR on rat thymus RNA. By ligating these PCR products to the original 1.5-kb CDM8 clone, a full-length rat CD5 gene was constructed. The full-length clone showed high identity with mouse and human CD5; however, at the 5' site of the gene a region of 36 nucleotides is present which is not seen in either mouse or human CD5. We have evidence that this sequence is a normal constituent of the rat CD5 gene: first, it is in frame with the rest of the CD5 coding sequence; second, it does not contain a stop codon; and third, it is also present in the CD5 gene of other rat strains. We transfected the full-length CD5 construct in COS cells and demonstrated that indeed the CD5 protein is recognized by MRC OX19. Although we showed that CD5 mRNA is present in rat B cells, extensive flow cytometry analysis using MRC OX19 as antibody failed to detect B cells expressing significant levels of CD5 on their cell surface compared to other B cells in any tissue or cell suspension tested from a variety of rat strains. This is in contrast with the mouse where a distinct population of B cells (B-1a cells) can be found expressing more CD5 than the other B cells. Either B-1 cells are not present in rats or CD5 is not the right phenotypic marker for rat B-1 cells. It still remains to be investigated whether a population of B cells with functions similar to those of murine B-1 cells is present in rats.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Association of Rap1a and Rap1b proteins with late endocytic/phagocytic compartments and Rap2a with the Golgi complex.

Among the small GTPases of the Ras family, Rap proteins exhibit the highest homology with p21Ras. The four Rap proteins so far identified constitute two subgroups, comprising the Rap1(A,B) and the Rap2(A,B) proteins. The intracellular location of Rap1A, Rap1B and Rap2A proteins was investigated in mammalian cells by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. Using a specific anti-Rap1 affinity-purified antibody, both Rap1A and Rap1B proteins were localized to late endocytic compartments (late endosomes/lysosomes) in fibroblasts. The localization of the Rap1A and B proteins transiently overexpressed with the vaccinia T7 system was identical to that observed for endogenous Rap1 proteins. In contrast, epitope-tagged Rap2A protein colocalized with several markers of the Golgi complex, thus indicating that its site of function was distinct from that of Rap1A. In addition, morphological and subcellular fractionation studies provided evidence for the association of Rap1 proteins with phagosomes displaying biochemical features of late endocytic structures in J774 macrophages. Thus, the localization of Rap1A and Rap1B implicates their involvement in late endocytic/phagocytic processes.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

The small GTPase rab5 functions as a regulatory factor in the early endocytic pathway.

We have investigated the in vivo functional role of rab5, a small GTPase associated with the plasma membrane and early endosomes. Wild-type rab5 or rab5-ile133, a mutant protein defective in GTP binding, was overexpressed in baby hamster kidney cells. In cells expressing the rab5ile 133 protein, the rate of endocytosis was decreased by 50% compared with normal, while the rate of recycling was not significantly affected. The morphology of early endosomes was also drastically changed by the mutant protein, which induced accumulation of small tubules and vesicles at the periphery of the cell. Surprisingly, overexpression of wild-type rab5 accelerated the uptake of endocytic markers and led to the appearance of atypically large early endosomes. We conclude that rab5 is a rate-limiting component of the machinery regulating the kinetics of membrane traffic in the early endocytic pathway.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Plasticity of early endosomes.

We observed that the structural organization of early endosomes was significantly modified after cell surface biotinylation followed by incubation in the presence of low concentrations of avidin. Under these conditions early endosomes increased in size to form structures which extended over several micrometers and which had an intra-luminal content with a characteristic electron-dense appearance. The modified early endosomes were not formed when either avidin or biotinylation was omitted, suggesting that they resulted from the cross-linking of internalized biotinylated proteins by avidin. Accumulation of a fluid-phase tracer was increased after the avidin-biotin treatment (145% after 45 min). Both recycling and transport to the late endosomes still occurred, albeit to a somewhat lower extent than in control cells. Quantitative electron microscopy showed that the volume of the endosomal compartment was increased approximately 1.5-fold but that the surface area of the compartment decreased relative to its volume after avidin-biotin treatment. Finally, overexpression of a rab5 mutant, which is known to inhibit early endosome fusion in vitro, prevented the formation of these structures in vivo and caused early endosome fragmentation. Altogether, our data suggest that early endosomes exhibit a high plasticity in vivo. Cross-linking appears to interfere with this dynamic process but does not arrest membrane traffic to/from early endosomes.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Molecular cloning, reconstruction and expression of the gene encoding the alpha-chain of the bovine CD8--definition of three peptide regions conserved across species.

We report the cloning of a cDNA encoding the alpha-chain of the bovine CD8 (BoCD8 alpha). A bovine thymus cDNA library was hybridized at low stringency with a human CD8 alpha cDNA clone. The first round of screening of 5 x 10(4) independent colonies yielded 12 clones containing incomplete BoCD8 alpha genes. Two further rounds of colony hybridization were conducted, each using as a probe the 5' fragment from the longest BoCD8 alpha clone previously isolated. The final screening yielded a clone containing a 2 kilobase (kb) insert. We mapped and sequenced the 2 kb BoCD8 alpha clone and compared it with the published sequences of the genes encoding the human, mouse and rat CD8 alpha. Sequence analysis confirmed that the clone under study encoded the BoCD8 alpha. The overall similarity of the BoCD8 alpha coding region with the human CD8 alpha coding sequence is 74.7% at the nucleotide level and 62.1% at the protein level. Lower levels of similarity are found with the mouse and rat CD8 alpha. Interestingly, three separate highly homologous regions are clearly defined at the peptide level in bovine versus human and mouse versus rat comparisons. Two of the regions are highly conserved among all species analysed, while the most 5' region is not. We speculate that the latter region may contain the binding site of CD8 alpha to the alpha 3 domain of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. Sequence analysis showed that the 2 kb BoCD8 alpha clone contains an incomplete coding region, i.e. lacks six bases corresponding to the first two amino acids of the leader region. To allow efficient translation and processing of the BoCD8 alpha gene, we constructed a chimeric gene containing the coding sequence of the BoCD8 alpha clone and synthetic sequences corresponding to the first two amino acids of the human CD8 alpha leader sequence. The chimeric gene was subcloned in the pKSV10 expression vector. The pKSV10-BoCD8 alpha construct is efficiently expressed both transiently in COS cells and stably in L cells, as determined by Northern blot and by FACS analysis, using the ILA-51 monoclonal antibody to BoCD8 alpha. The latter result formally proves that the ILA-51 antibody does indeed recognize the product of the BoCD8 alpha gene, as previously suggested on serological grounds.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Immunofluorescence analysis in flow cytometry: better selection of antibody-labeled cells after fluorescence overcompensation in the red channel.

Selection of cells labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated (FITC) antibodies can be difficult if large autofluorescent cells are used and if the cells bind only a few molecules of antibody. We have developed a simple flow cytometric procedure that allows better selection of stained cells. When an argon ion laser emitting at 488 nm is used, the green fluorescence detected is the sum of cell autofluorescence and of the signal generated by the FITC antibody. Thus, when we subtract green signal from the red by fluorescence compensation, the signal of stained cells is on average reduced more than for the unstained counterpart. In this scenario, positive selection of cells with low red signal allows more efficient selection of stained cells. We tested the overcompensation procedure on mixtures of cells unstained and stained with a relevant FITC antibody. Cell mixtures were analyzed using normal vs increased levels of compensation in the red channel. Increased levels of compensation resulted in easier gating and higher recovery of stained cells. The efficiency of the overcompensation procedure was particularly high when using red filters with low cutoff (i.e., 560 or 570 nm), possibly because of the significant emission of fluorescein in the red channel, which caused separation between stained and unstained cells also in the red dimension. This method is useful for sorting cells expressing low levels of surface markers and facilitates selection of rare cells transfected with surface antigen genes. This technique is compatible with the use of propidium iodide for live/dead cell discrimination and with the subtraction of the cellular background of autofluorescence.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

A new member of the ras gene superfamily identified in a rat liver cell line.

A new member of the ras genes superfamily was isolated from a cDNA library derived from a rat liver cell line (BRL-3A). The predicted 201 amino acids ras-like protein shows 30-35% homology with other members of the ras and ras-related gene products so far described. Conserved features include the GTP-binding and hydrolysis domains and the carboxyl terminal cysteine residues. A protein of the expected size (Mr 23,000) was synthesized in an in vitro transcription-translation system. The BRL-ras gene is present in single copy in the rat genome and is ubiquitously expressed at high levels in all tissues and cell lines examined.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Study of 47 DNA markers in five populations from four continents.

Forty seven DNA markers from 30 genes or chromosomal regions were investigated in five populations (Biaka and Mbuti Pygmies, Melanesians, Chinese and Caucasoids). Both the variation between populations (measured by FST) and between markers is highly significant. The average heterozygosity for all markers is .284 and the average FST is .145. There was no significant difference in the FST values, or in the average heterozygosity between known genes and random segments. The FST distance between all populations considered in pairs, and averaged over all loci favours a primary split between Eurasia and Africa, but this conclusion is neither statistically significant nor uncomplicated. Condensing the 47 markers into 30 "genes" where 10 were treated as haplotypes, it was found that the haplotypes always give higher FST's than the separate markers, although similar conclusions can be drawn.

Africa↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Radiology information systems (RISs): state of the art and new perspectives.

The Diagnostic Imaging Department plays a crucial role in the hospital structure, essentially due to the critical importance of its activities at the clinical as well as the organizational level. Moreover, its structure is complex and susceptible of changes in the course of time. Thus Radiology Information Systems (RISs) have acquired a specific relevance within Hospital Information Systems (HISs). The major requirements of a Diagnostic Imaging Department and the developmental course, RISs have followed in time to meet them effectively and efficiently, are reported. The main problems of the present situation and the trend of the future development of RISs are considered.

Italy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Radiology Information Systems: DREAM. patient management.

Until recently Radiology Information Systems (RISs) were considered a set of separate, often heterogeneous applications at the functional, technological and architectural level. In last years, the need for an integrated methodological approach and an engineering vision of the system design has become the most important aspect in the implementation of RISs. Based on this approach, the fundamental organizational, operational and clinical objectives of an advanced RIS together with the major critical factors of success, are presented. Such objectives and requirements have constituted the starting basis for the implementation of the DREAM (Distributed radiological environment advanced and multimedia) system, the result of the collaboration of the "Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Policlinico A. Gemelli" of Rome and "GESI-Gestione Sistemi per l'Informatica". An overview of the main functional characteristics, the most qualifying aspects of the system and the methodological approach followed in its implementation, are reported.

Radiology Information Systems↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Diagnostic Imaging Information Systems: DREAM. Reporting management.

From the clinical standpoint, the report represents the synthesis of the diagnostic process and it is the central activity of radiology. However, reporting cannot be separated from the entire organizational cycle inside the Diagnostic Imaging Department as well as within the structure as a whole. The effectiveness of the contribution an information system can give to the radiologist is related to the information and functional integration of the various applications operating in the hospital and over the territory. Based on these considerations, the main types of support the information tool can offer, are reported together with the primary objectives which were basic to the development of the reporting module within the DREAM system and the major solutions adopted to facilitate the attainment of these objectives.

Humans↗