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C W Schweinfest

Publications and source records attributed to C W Schweinfest.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

The down-regulated in adenoma (DRA) gene encodes an intestine-specific membrane glycoprotein.

The protein product of the DRA gene, a gene whose expression is down-regulated in colon adenomas and adenocarcinomas, is a membrane glycoprotein and a member of a family of sulfate transporters. It is expressed in the intestinal tract (duodenum, ileum, cecum, distal colon), but not in the esophagus or stomach. DRA mRNA expression is restricted to the mucosal epithelium, and DRA protein expression is further limited to the columnar epithelial cells, particularly to the brush border. Consistent with its expression in the differentiated columnar epithelium of the adult human colon, DRA is first expressed in the midgut of developing mouse embryos at day 16.5, corresponding with the time of differentiation of the epithelium of the small intestine. A model for the structure of the DRA protein is proposed and its possible role in colon tumorigenesis is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Isolation of differentially expressed genes in carcinoma of the esophagus.

BACKGROUND: The genetic alterations that occur in the transformation of normal esophageal mucosa (NEM) to carcinoma of the esophagus (CAE) are not well understood. Differential display of mRNA is a recently described technique that uses reverse transcription and PCR to compare cDNA from paired normal and malignant tissue to determine whether there is either genetic loss (putative tumor suppressor gene) or overexpression (putative oncogene) in malignant cells. Our goal was to identify some of these genes from patients with CAE. METHODS: Specimens of NEM and corresponding CAE were obtained from patients at endoscopy or surgical resection and immediately snap frozen. Total RNA was isolated, reverse transcribed to cDNA, and PCR amplified with a predefined 10-mer oligonucleotide. The products were displayed on a polyacrylamide gel. Differential bands were isolated and sequenced and/or used as probes for Northern analysis. RESULTS: Application of the differential display method resulted in the isolation of 49 cDNA clones from three patients with CAE. Sequencing of the clones has revealed five unique sequences not previously reported and one that has been identified as histone H3.3. Northern analysis of histone H3.3 has revealed overexpression in four of six CAEs but not the paired NEM. In addition, whereas only 5 of 13 normal human cell lines of various origins overexpressed this gene, 11 of 12 human cancer cell lines (9 of 9 adenocarcinomas) overexpressed it. CONCLUSIONS: Differential display can be used to isolate potential oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. We have identified five unique sequences and one known gene that may contribute to the development of CAE.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1993

Identification of a colon mucosa gene that is down-regulated in colon adenomas and adenocarcinomas.

A cDNA, which we call DRA (for down-regulated in adenoma) has been isolated. Its mRNA is expressed exclusively in normal colon tissue, probably only in the mucosal epithelia. Expression of the DRA gene is significantly decreased in adenomas (polyps) and adenocarcinomas of the colon. The DRA gene appears to be a single-copy gene present on chromosome 7, a chromosome associated with colorectal tumorigenesis. The predicted DRA polypeptide is an 84,500-Da protein that contains charged clusters of amino acids, primarily at the NH2 and COOH termini. Together with potential nuclear targeting motifs, an acidic transcriptional activation domain, and a homeobox domain, these elements suggest a transcription factor or a protein that may interact with transcription factors. Such a function may be consistent with a role in tissue-specific gene expression and/or as a candidate tumor-suppressor gene.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1993

Restriction endonuclease cleavage of 5-methyl-deoxycytosine hemimethylated DNA at high enzyme-to-substrate ratios.

We have investigated the ability of a large number of restriction enzymes to digest non-canonically hemimethylated DNA at high enzyme-to-substrate ratios. A single-stranded unmethylated phagemid was used as a template to complete synthesis of the second strand using 5-methyl-dCTP to substitute for all the deoxycytosine residues. A fragment of this double-stranded hemimethylated DNA which contains the multiple cloning site region was used as a substrate. For all the enzymes tested, at least some degree of protection from digestion is observed. Sites completely protected from digestion by their cognate enzymes are SalI, BstXI, SacI, SacII, SmaI, SstI, XhoI, PstI, HinfI, BamHI and AccI. Sites partially protected from digestion by their cognate enzymes are XbaI, HindIII, KpnI, SpeI, ClaI, EcoRI and PvuII. Knowledge of the sensitivity of commonly used restriction enzymes to hemimethylated substrates is useful for several applications, which will be discussed.

5-Methylcytosine↗
PubMed1992

Differential expression of S19 ribosomal protein, laminin-binding protein, and human lymphocyte antigen class I messenger RNAs associated with colon carcinoma progression and differentiation.

Three complementary DNA encoding S19 ribosomal protein (S19), laminin-binding protein (LBP), and HLA class I (HLA-I) genes were isolated from a colon tumor-enriched subtraction library. To evaluate this mRNA expression, surgically removed colon tumors as well as matched normal tissue and human colon carcinoma cell lines showing various differentiation states, anchorage dependence, and proliferation states were examined by Northern blot analysis. The mRNA level of S19 mRNA (0.6 kilobase) was higher in primary colon carcinoma tissue than in matched normal colon tissue in 5 of 6 cases. In 2 of 4 cases, the expression of LBP mRNA (1.2 kilobases) was higher in carcinoma than in normal tissue. In 12 human colon cell lines, the level of LBP mRNA was higher in poorly differentiated cells. On the other hand, HLA-I mRNA (1.7 kilobases) was higher in well-differentiated cells. Although the S19 mRNA was expressed in both well- and poorly differentiated cells, a concomitant increase with tumor progression was observed in two pairs of cell lines derived from the same patients (SW480 and SW620; COLO201 and COLO205). Anchorage dependence of butyrate-treated HT29 colon carcinoma cells was correlated with lower levels of S19 and LBP mRNAs and higher levels of HLA-I mRNA expression compared with untreated cells. While the expression of S19 and LBP mRNAs was not changed due to cell growth states, HLA-I mRNA levels were found to be low in proliferating HT29 cells but highly induced in contact-inhibited cells. In summary, therefore, high expression of S19 and LBP combined with low expression of HLA-I were well correlated with colon carcinoma cells of higher malignant potential.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Subtraction hybridization cDNA libraries from colon carcinoma and hepatic cancer.

cDNA clones of differentially expressed mRNAs in a colon carcinoma and a hepatocellular carcinoma have been isolated by subtractive cDNA cloning. The subtracted material is at least 90 X enriched for differentially expressed sequences and can be used for construction of subtractive cDNA libraries and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification to generate differential probes. Commercially available lambda ZAP II is used for construction of primary libraries since single-stranded phage bearing the cloned cDNA can be excised in vivo and because lambda libraries are convenient for subsequent screening and manipulations. Rare mRNAs (less than 0.01% abundance), which are differentially expressed, can be isolated utilizing this procedure.

Bacteriophage lambda↗
PubMed1988

A heat-shock-inducible eukaryotic expression vector.

We describe a construct, pHS/Cla, containing the Drosophila melanogaster hsp70 promoter which serves as an inducible expression vector in mammalian cells. The construct was made in the plasmid pAT153, a derivative of pBR322. In transient transfections of human H9 T-cells, the transactivator of transcription protein of the human AIDS virus HIV-1 was functionally expressed in response to heat shock. The promoter is very tightly regulated in that no expression can be detected at 37 degrees C. Expression is highly induced upon heat shock and lasts at least 4 h. The construct contains a unique ClaI site for cloning and expressing potentially any gene.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Mammalian ets-1 and ets-2 genes encode highly conserved proteins.

Cellular ets sequences homologous to v-ets of the avian leukemia virus E26 are highly conserved. In mammals the ets sequences are dispersed on two separate chromosomal loci, called ets-1 and ets-2. To determine the structure of these two genes and identify the open reading frames that code for the putative proteins, we have sequenced human ets-1 cDNAs and ets-2 cDNA clones obtained from both human and mouse. The human ETS1 gene is capable of encoding a protein of 441 amino acids. This protein is greater than 95% identical to the chicken c-ets-1 gene product. Thus, the human ETS1 gene is homologous to the chicken c-ets-1 gene, the protooncogene that the E26 virus transduced. Human and mouse ets-2 cDNA clones are closely related and contain open reading frames capable of encoding proteins of 469 and 468 residues, respectively. Direct comparison of these data with previously published findings indicates that ets is a family of genes whose members share distinct domains.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

c-myc can induce expression of G0/G1 transition genes.

The human c-myc oncogene was linked to the heat shock-inducible Drosophila hsp70 promoter and used to stably transfect mouse BALB/c 3T3 cells. Heat shock of the transfectants at 42 degrees C followed by recovery at 37 degrees C resulted in the appearance of the human c-myc protein which was appropriately localized to the nuclear fraction. Two-dimensional analysis of the proteins of density-arrested cells which had been heat shock treated revealed the induction of eight protein species and the repression of five protein species. All of the induced and repressed proteins were nonabundant. cDNA clones corresponding to genes induced during the G0/G1 transition were used as probes to assay for c-myc inducibility of these genes. Two anonymous sequences previously identified as serum inducible (3CH77 and 3CH92) were induced when c-myc was expressed. In response to serum stimulation, 3CH77 and 3CH92 were expressed before c-myc mRNA levels increased. However, in response to specific induction of c-myc by heat shock of serum arrested cells, 3CH77 and 3CH92 mRNA levels increased after the rise in c-myc mRNA. Therefore, we hypothesize that abnormal expression of c-myc can induce genes involved in the proliferative response.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

cDNA cloning and mapping of the human creatine kinase M gene to 19q13.

We describe the first isolation of a human creatine kinase M cDNA clone and its mapping of the gene to human chromosome 19. A human creatine kinase M cDNA clone, pJN2CK-M, harboring a 1,160-bp insert, was isolated by colony hybridization with a previously sequenced chicken creatine kinase M cDNA probe. The human cDNA was used as a probe in Southern transfers of TaqI-digested genomic DNA from mouse/human somatic-cell hybrids to localize the human creatine kinase-M gene to chromosome 19. In situ hybridization of the tritiated cDNA probe to metaphase chromosomes of peripheral blood lymphocytes from normal males revealed significant labeling to chromosome 19. These two independent methodologies assign the human creatine kinase-M gene to chromosome 19. Since greater than 69% of the grains of chromosome 19 label band q13, the human creatine kinase-M gene has been mapped to 19q13. On the basis of high-resolution G-banding, the predominant labeling site was 19q13.2-q13.3.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Molecular cloning of a cDNA complementary to a UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase mRNA of dictyostelium discoideum.

Uridine diphosphoglucose pyrophosphorylase (UTP: -alpha-D-glucose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.9) is an essential enzyme for normal development of Dictyostelium discoideum and its specific activity increases 3- to 10-fold by the later stages of development. Previous experiments have shown that additional forms of the enzyme appear concomitantly with this increase and that two uridine diphosphoglucose pyrophosphorylase (UDPGP) polypeptides are immunoprecipitated from the in vitro translation products of total cellular RNA at any stage of development (B. F. Fishel, R. E. Manrow and R. P. Dottin, 1982, Dev. Biol. 92, 175-187). Using an in vitro translation-immunoprecipitation assay of UDPGP mRNA, we show that an increase in the amount of translatable mRNA is correlated with the accumulation of enzyme during development. A cDNA bank was constructed from a mRNA population that had been enriched for UDPGP mRNA by size fractionation on sucrose gradients containing methylmercuric hydroxide (C. W. Schweinfest, R. W. Kwiatkowski, and R. P. Dottin, 1982, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 79, 4997-5000). A 1.8-Kb cDNA complementary to a UDPGP mRNA was identified after screening the bank by hybridization selection and translation. Only the mRNA encoding the higher molecular weight in vitro translation product is hybrid selected by this cDNA. In hybrid-arrested translation experiments, the coding strand of this cDNA selectively inhibits the translation of only one of the two in vitro translation products. Therefore, there are two distinct UDPGP mRNAs.

Cloning, Molecular↗
PubMed1985

Accumulation of creatine kinase mRNA during myogenesis: molecular cloning of a B-creatine kinase cDNA.

Cytosolic creatine kinase isoenzymes MM, MB, and BB are assembled from M or B subunits which occur in different relative amounts in specific tissues. The accumulation of mRNAs encoding the M and B subunits was measured during myogenesis in culture. The relative concentration of the two mRNAs was determined by hybridization with a M-CK cDNA probe isolated previously and a B-CK cDNA probe, the cloning and characterization of which is reported here. The B-CK cDNA hybridizes specifically to a 1.6-kb mRNA found in brain and gizzard but not in adult skeletal muscle tissue. The M-CK cDNA hybridizes to a smaller mRNA 1.4-kb long which is specific to skeletal muscle. In culture, the B-CK mRNA is transiently induced and then declines to a low but detectable level.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Molecular cloning and the complete nucleotide sequence of the creatine kinase-M cDNA from chicken.

The nucleotide sequence of creatine kinase-M (CK-M) cDNA clones has been determined. It includes the entire coding region of 381 amino acids in addition to 5' and 3' untranslated regions. A comparison with a partial sequence from rat CK-M reveals 84% nucleotide sequence homology in the coding region but divergence in the 3' untranslated region. The amino acid sequence is 94% conserved between chicken and rat. Hybridization to RNA immobilized on filters indicates homology between the CK-M 3' untranslated region and additional muscle specific RNA species. The coding region hybridizes only to CK-M RNA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1982

Molecular cloning of a DNA sequence complementary to creatine kinase M mRNA from chickens.

We have cloned and identified a DNA sequence complementary to the mRNA of creatine kinase (CK) isozyme M, although the mRNA is a minor species of the total mRNA in developing myoblasts. Poly(A)+RNA from breast and thigh muscle of 5-week-old chicks was enriched for CK mRNA by a novel procedure of sucrose gradient centrifugation in the presence of methylmercuric hydroxide. DNA complementary to this mRNA was inserted into pBR322, and colonies containing the recombinant plasmids were screened for the ability of the plasmid DNA to hybridize with and rescue CK mRNA from total muscle mRNA. Three plasmids, pCS195, pCS192, and pM35-4, could specifically rescue CK-M mRNA. CK-M mRNA was detected by in vitro translation and specific immunoprecipitation. The identity of the in vitro translation product was further confirmed by its migration in two-dimensional gels at the isoelectric point and molecular weight of CK-M. The heterogeneity of CK-M observed in vivo also was found upon translation of the CK-M mRNA which hybridizes to the plasmid.

Animals↗