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D K Palmer

Publications and source records attributed to D K Palmer.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

2-Aminopurine induces spindle cell morphology in MM14 myoblasts in the absence of differentiation signals.

MM14 murine myoblast cells remain in an undifferentiated and proliferative state if they are maintained in the continuous presence of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) and serum factors, but terminally differentiate into myocytes and myotubes if deprived of FGF-2 during G1 of the cell cycle. We find that 2-aminopurine (2-AP) induces a reversible, rapid, and profound alteration in the morphology of proliferating MM14 cells to a polarized shape which is similar to that observed during normally induced differentiation. This change requires neither a differentiation signal nor de novo protein synthesis. In contrast, we do not observe a morphological change in response to 2-AP in nonmyogenic cell lines. The morphological alteration of MM14 cells in response to 2-AP requires reorganization of the microtubule and actin cytoskeletons, in common with changes during normal differentiation. Additionally, we show that cytoskeletal rearrangements that occur during both normal differentiation and in response to 2-AP require the activity of the small GTPase Rho. Differentiation defective MM14 cells (DD-1 cells), which lack MyoD, also undergo a profound morphological alteration in the presence of 2-AP. These results indicate that morphological changes consistent with myoblast differentiation are regulated by a pathway independent of MyoD transcriptional control.

2-Aminopurine↗

Purification of the centromere-specific protein CENP-A and demonstration that it is a distinctive histone.

CENP-A, a centromere-specific 17-kDa protein, has histone-like properties. However, in contrast to the common somatic histones, CENP-A is quantitatively retained in bull spermatozoa, and we have exploited this fact to purify CENP-A to apparent homogeneity. Partial sequence analysis of the purified protein indicates that CENP-A is a distinctive gene product. Some CENP-A sequences are highly similar to regions of histone H3. Other segments of CENP-A are not related to H3 or any other histone. These unrelated segments are presumably involved in localizing CENP-A to centromeric DNA or in centromere-specific functions of CENP-A.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Thymic stromal cells in culture. 2. Binding of normal thymocytes to a cloned thymic stromal cell line.

Thymic stromal cell line TS-9 was found to selectively bind a subpopulation of normal murine thymocytes. Selective binding allowed the isolation and phenotypic characterization of the adherent and nonadherent subpopulations of thymocytes. Flow cytometric analysis of fluorescently labeled thymocytes revealed that the adherent and nonadherent populations differ in maturity, with the adherent population enriched in immature thymocytes of the PNAhi, Thy-1hi, CD3-/lo, and CD4+/CD8+ double positive surface phenotype. A quantitative microwell assay was developed to measure the binding of thymocytes to TS-9. Thymocytes labeled with vital DNA stain Hoechst 33342 were allowed to bind to TS-9 in microwells and the intense fluorescence of this label was readily detected with a scanning fluorometer. The binding was trypsin-sensitive and hyaluronidase and PI-PLC resistant. The binding was also temperature dependent and sensitive to cytochalasin B. A panel of monoclonal antibodies to cell surface antigens including CD2, LFA-I/ICAM-I, and Thy-1 was screened in a quantitative binding assay for their ability to inhibit the binding of thymocytes to TS-9. The binding was partially inhibited by the C3C12 monoclonal antibody which recognizes the recently identified and apparently unique gp23,gp45 complex expressed on murine stromal cells.

Animals↗

Telophase disc: a new mammalian mitotic organelle that bisects telophase cells with a possible function in cytokinesis.

We have discovered a novel mitosis-specific human autoantigen that arises at the centromeres of prophase chromosomes, but ultimately participates in formation of an organelle that bisects the cell at late anaphase and during telophase. The organelle, discernible as a three-dimensional disc by confocal microscopy, encompasses the entire midzone diameter, and its distribution survives disassembly of interpolar microtubules by cold temperature treatment and detergent lysis of cells. Cytokinetic furrow contraction proceeds normally in dihydrocytochalasin B (DCB)-treated cells, and antigen distribution in the furrow is unaltered. In DCB, the furrow retracts in early interphase, coincident with loss of normal membrane association with the disc, resulting in the formation of binucleate cells. The midzone disc in both drug-treated and normal cells is present at the correct time and position to play a central role in cytokinesis. By immunocytochemistry, the disc appears to contain myosin but not actin. The position of the disc and the possible presence of myosin suggest that cytokinesis may involve the interaction of the disc organelle with actin in the cell cortex to produce cleavage in mammalian cells.

Actins↗

The centromere specific histone CENP-A is selectively retained in discrete foci in mammalian sperm nuclei.

The 17 kDa human autoantigen designated CENP-A is a centromere specific histone. We show here that CENP-A is present in tissue of bovine origin, and that it is quantitatively retained in mature spermatozoa. This result is striking, as a prominent feature of spermatogenesis in mammals is the replacement of most somatic and testes specific histones with protamines. Indirect immunofluorescence studies further show that CENP-A is retained in sperm nuclei in discrete foci, rather than being dispersed throughout the sperm head. These observations suggest that CENP-A is a functionally important component of centromeres, and that pre-existing CENP-A:DNA interactions are likely to be important in organizing the centromeres of the paternal genome during early embryogenesis.

Animals↗

Kinetochore appearance during meiosis, fertilization and mitosis in mouse oocytes and zygotes.

The events of mammalian fertilization overlap with the completion of meiosis and first mitosis; the pro-nuclei never fuse, instead the parental genomes first intermix at the mitotic spindle equator at metaphase. Since kinetochores are essential for the attachment of chromosomes to spindle microtubules, this study explores their appearance and behavior in mouse oocytes, zygotes and embryos undergoing the completion of meiosis, fertilization and mitoses. Kinetochores are traced with immunofluorescence microscopy using autoimmune sera from patients with CREST (CREST = calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, telangiectasia) scleroderma. These sera cross-react with the 17 kDa centromere protein (CENP-A) and the 80 kDa centromere protein (CENP-B) found at the kinetochores in human cell cultures. The unfertilized oocyte is ovulated arrested at second meiotic metaphase and kinetochores are detectable as paired structures aligned at the spindle equator. At meiotic anaphase, the kinetochores separate and remain aligned at the distal sides of the chromosomes until telophase, when their alignment perpendicular to the spindle axis is lost. The female pronucleus and the second polar body nucleus each receive a detectable complement of kinetochores. Mature sperm have neither detectable centrosomes nor detectable kinetochores, and shortly after sperm incorporation kinetochores become detectable in the decondensing male pronucleus. In pronuclei, the kinetochores are initially distributed randomly and later found in apposition with nucleoli. At mitosis, the kinetochores behave in a pattern similar to that observed at meiosis or mitosis in somatic cells: irregular distribution at prophase, alignment at metaphase, separation at anaphase and redistribution at telophase. They are also detectable in later stage embryos. Colcemid treatment disrupts the meiotic spindle and results in the dispersion of the meiotic chromosomes along the oocyte cortex; the chromosomes remain condensed with detectable kinetochores. Fertilization of Colcemid-treated oocytes results in the incorporation of a sperm which is unable to decondense into a male pronucleus. Remarkably kinetochores become detectable at 5 h post-insemination, suggesting that the emergence of the paternal kinetochores is not strictly dependent on male pronuclear decondensation.

Animals↗

Three distinct epitopes of the human MSK20 cell surface antigen are expressed on human and nonhuman primate cells.

Five monoclonal antibodies which indirectly agglutinate human rbc were isolated and designated 2D8, 4E12, 4H10, 5A8, and 5H5. Expression of the antigen defined by 2D8 was 100% concordant with the presence of human chromosome 19 in a panel of human-Chinese hamster somatic cell hybrids. Secondary clones isolated from antigen positive hybrids exposed to antibody 2D8 and complement were shown to have lost both the cell surface antigen and chromosome 19. Small terminal deletions of 19p were observed in the karyotypes of two antigen negative clones that continued to express human GPI. All five monoclonal antibodies and the previously isolated F10 labelled the surface of parental cells and did not label the surface of deletion mutants, and the five monoclonal antibodies produced in this study inhibited the binding of F10 to the human rbc surface. Therefore, all must recognize the MSK20 cell surface antigen which was defined previously by antibody F10. Chimpanzee cells bind 5A8 and 5H5, orangutan cells bind 4E12, and neither bind 2D8 and 4H10. Therefore, the monoclonal antibodies produced in this study must recognize at least three distinct epitopes of the MSK20 cell surface antigen which are expressed on the human rbc.

Animals↗

A 17-kD centromere protein (CENP-A) copurifies with nucleosome core particles and with histones.

We have detected and begun to characterize a 17-kD centromere-specific protein, CENP-A (Earnshaw, W. C., and N. Rothfield, 1985, Chromosoma., 91:313-321). Sera from several humans with CREST scleroderma autoimmune disease (CREST: calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dsymotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia) bind this protein in immunoblot assays of HeLa whole cell or nuclear extracts. We have affinity purified the anti-17-kD centromere protein (anti-CENP-A) specific antibodies from immunoblots of HeLa nuclear protein. The antibodies react with epitopes present on CENP-A derived from humans but apparently do not recognize specific epitopes in either rat or chicken nuclei. Only human nuclear protein is CENP-A positive by immunoblot. Furthermore, human cells show localization of anti-CENP-A antibody to centromeres by immunofluorescence microscopy, whereas rat cells do not. On extraction from the nucleus, CENP-A copurifies with core histones and with nucleosome core particles. We conclude that this centromere-specific protein is a histone-like component of chromatin. The data suggest that CENP-A functions as a centromere-specific core histone.

Animals↗

MER2: a red cell polymorphism defined by monoclonal antibodies.

Two murine monoclonal antibodies, 1D12 and 2F7, apparently of the same specificity, define a new red cell polymorphism, MER2. 92% of English blood donors are MER2+ giving the gene frequencies MER2+ 0.7159; MER2- 0.2841. Family studies showed that MER2+ is inherited as a Mendelian dominant character and that MER2 is not controlled by any of the main blood group loci. The MER2 antigen is also present on some leukaemia fibroblasts and human cell lines. Using somatic cell hybrids, MER2 appears to be coded for by a gene on chromosome 11 at 11p15.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Identification of a cell-surface antigen produced by a gene on human chromosome 3 (cen-q22) and not expressed by Rhnull cells.

A monoclonal antibody, 1D8, which recognizes a cell-surface antigen expressed by human chromosome 3 in Chinese hamster-human somatic-cell hybrids, has been produced. Testing of hybrids containing various deletions of chromosome 3 determines that the gene encoding the antigen is regionally localized to 3q (cen-22). This regional mapping is distinct from that elsewhere reported for two other cell-surface antigens assigned to chromosome 3--namely, the human transferrin receptor and the p97 melanoma-associated antigen. In addition, biochemical characterization is different from that elsewhere reported for other chromosome 3-encoded cell-surface antigens. When tested against a panel of rare-phenotype red blood cells, the only cells that failed to react were those of the Rhnull phenotype. The antibody reacts only weakly with homozygous -D- and fetal red cells, in contrast with a previously described antibody, R6A, which does not react with Rhnull cells. Furthermore, R6A does not recognize a cell-surface antigen expressed by chromosome 3 in Chinese hamster-human somatic-cell hybrids. Thus, the monoclonal antibody 1D8 recognizes a previously undescribed cell-surface antigen encoded by human chromosome 3 and not expressed on Rhnull cells. The gene on chromosome 3 regulating expression of this antigen may be that defective in Rhnull disease or may require the normal allele at an unlinked Rhnull locus for expression. Linkage studies will be required to further elucidate this matter.

Animals↗

Expression of human chromosome 11-encoded cell-surface antigens by DNA-mediated transfectants.

DNA-mediated transfectants were isolated that expressed two of the cell-surface antigens encoded by human chromosome 11. These tranfectants were used to analyze monoclonal antibodies selected to recognize human cell-surface antigens expressed by a somatic cell hybrid containing 11 as its only human chromosome. Analysis of the transfectants, deletion hybrids, and mutants showed that the monoclonal antibodies recognized at least five different antigens, one of which we had not identified previously. A majority of the monoclonal antibodies recognized the a1 antigen. The use of cells from higher primates demonstrated that the a1-specific monoclonal antibodies recognize at least two epitopes.

Animals↗

Drosophila histone H2A.2 is associated with the interbands of polytene chromosomes.

Drosophila chromatin contains two antigenically distinct H2A histones, H2A.1 and H2A.2. Indirect immunofluorescence analyses revealed that anti-H2A.1 binding was distributed throughout polytene chromosomes, whereas anti-H2A.2 binding was interband-specific. Thus, H2A.2 probably contributes to the less compacted structure of interbands. Since each band-interband region is thought to contain a single gene, our results suggest that the distribution of H2A.2 echoes the functional organization of the Drosophila genome. Similar H2A histones occur in eukaryotes ranging from protozoa to mammals. Their placement might be an important determinant of chromatin structure.

Animals↗

Production of Chinese hamster monoclonal antibody to a human cell-surface antigen using a hamster-human somatic cell hybrid as antigen.

Hybridomas producing monoclonal antibody (MAb) of predefined specificity were isolated from a Chinese hamster that had received injections of a Chinese hamster-human somatic cell hybrid. A standard method for the production of murine hybridomas was used to produce Chinese spleen lymphocyte X murine plasmacytoma hybridomas, and they were screened for complement-mediated cytotoxicity against a panel of Chinese hamster-human somatic cell hybrids and agglutination of human erythrocytes. Two hybridomas were established in tissue culture following limiting dilution cloning, and their reactivity with a panel of Chinese hamster-human somatic cell hybrids indicates that they are specific for the previously identified human cell-surface antigen a1. The Chinese hamster appears to respond preferentially to human antigens of Chinese hamster-human somatic cell hybrids, and it will serve as a useful tool for the production of MAb specific for human cell-surface antigens expressed in the many well-characterized Chinese hamster-human somatic cell hybrids available.

Animals↗

Kinetochore components recognized by human autoantibodies are present on mononucleosomes.

We have developed a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for solubilized kinetochore components, using human CREST (calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysfunction, sclerodactyly, telangiectasia) scleroderma autoimmune antibodies specific for these kinetochore elements. Using this quantitative assay, we found interphase persistent or "pre-kinetochore" components in low- and moderately high-salt (375 mM salt) extracts of micrococcal nuclease-digested rat liver and chicken erythrocyte nuclei. The release of antigen activity from nuclei under these conditions has been correlated with loss of pre-kinetochore foci as determined by immunofluorescence microscopy. Combined biochemical and competition assay analysis of chicken erythrocyte nuclear extracts indicates that pre-kinetochore components are tightly bound to chromatin of mononucleosome size. The conclusions based on competition assay data are supported by a direct binding assay, which confirms that antigens recognized by CREST sera are present on chromatin. These results raise the possibility that the kinetochore-specific chromosomal antigen(s) we have detected substitutes for "standard" mononucleosome components, such as histone H1. Furthermore, they suggest approaches to the isolation of kinetochore-specific DNA sequences from higher eucaryotes.

Animals↗