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Biomedical subjects

D M Helfman

Publications and source records attributed to D M Helfman.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Tropomyosin isoforms in chicken embryo fibroblasts: purification, characterization, and changes in Rous sarcoma virus-transformed cells.

Seven polypeptides (a, b, c, 1, 2, 3a, and 3b) have been previously identified as tropomyosin isoforms in chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF) (Lin, J. J.-C., Matsumura, F., and Yamashiro-Matsumura, S., 1984, J. Cell. Biol., 98:116-127). Spots a and c had identical mobility on two-dimensional gels with the slow-migrating and fast-migrating components, respectively, of chicken gizzard tropomyosin. However, the remaining isoforms of CEF tropomyosin were distinct from chicken skeletal and cardiac tropomyosins on two-dimensional gels. The mixture of CEF tropomyosin has been isolated by the combination of Triton/glycerol extraction of monolayer cells, heat treatment, and ammonium sulfate fractionation. The yield of tropomyosin was estimated to be 1.4% of total CEF proteins. The identical set of tropomyosin isoforms could be found in the antitropomyosin immunoprecipitates after the cell-free translation products of total poly(A)+ RNAs isolated from CEF cells. This suggested that at least seven mRNAs coding for these tropomyosin isoforms existed in the cell. Purified tropomyosins (particularly 1, 2, and 3) showed different actin-binding abilities in the presence of 100 mM KCl and no divalent cation. Under this condition, the binding of tropomyosin 3 (3a + 3b) to actin filaments was significantly weaker than that of tropomyosin 1 or 2. CEF tropomyosin 1, and probably 3, could be cross-linked to form homodimers by treatment with 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoate), whereas tropomyosin a and c formed a heterodimer. These dimer species may reflect the in vivo assembly of tropomyosin isoforms, since dimer formation occurred not only with purified tropomyosin but also with microfilament-associated tropomyosin. The expression of these tropomyosin isoforms in Rous sarcoma virus-transformed CEF cells has also been investigated. In agreement with the previous report by Hendricks and Weintraub (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA., 78:5633-5637), we found that major tropomyosin 1 was greatly reduced in transformed cells. We have also found that the relative amounts of tropomyosin 3a and 3b were increased in both the total cell lysate and the microfilament fraction of transformed cells. Because of the different actin-binding properties observed for CEF tropomyosins, changes in the expression of these isoforms may, in part, be responsible for the reduction of actin cables and the alteration of cell shape found in transformed cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Molecular cloning and in vitro expression of a cDNA clone for human cellular tumor antigen p53.

Three clones for the human tumor antigen p53 were isolated from a cDNA library prepared from A431 cells. One of these clones, pR4-2, contains the entire coding region for human p53. This clone directs the synthesis of a polypeptide with the correct molecular weight and immunological epitopes of an authentic p53 molecule in an in vitro transcription-translation reaction. Although the pR4-2 clone contains the coding region for p53, it is not a full-length copy of the human p53 mRNA. Northern analysis showed that the p53 mRNA is approximately 2,500 nucleotides long, whereas the pR4-2 insert is only 1,760 base pairs in length. Analysis of the DNA sequence of this clone suggests that the human p53 polypeptide has 393 amino acids. We compared the predicted amino acid sequence of the pR4-2 clone with similar clones for the mouse p53 and found long regions of amino acid homology between these two molecules.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1984

Isolation and sequence of a cDNA clone that contains the entire coding region for chicken smooth-muscle alpha-tropomyosin.

We have constructed a cDNA-expression library of approximately 100,000 members from embryonic chicken smooth-muscle mRNA using the plasmid-expression vectors pUC8 and pUC9. Using an immunological screening procedure and 32P-labeled cDNA probes, we have identified and isolated clones encoding smooth-muscle tropomyosin. Plasmid pSMT-10 (approximately 1100 base pairs) was found to hybrid-select mRNA for smooth-muscle alpha-tropomyosin. DNA-sequence analysis revealed that pSMT-10 contained the entire coding region for alpha-tropomyosin and portions of the 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions. Comparison of the derived amino acid sequence of smooth-muscle alpha-tropomyosin with known skeletal-muscle (rabbit and chicken) and platelet (equine) sequences revealed extensive homology between the various proteins. The smooth-muscle tropomyosin shows the greatest sequence divergence from the skeletal-muscle tropomyosins at the COOH-terminal region. In contrast, the smooth-muscle tropomyosin is most homologous to the platelet tropomyosin at the COOH-terminal end. The relationship of the various tropomyosin sequences to function (e.g. interactions with troponin) are considered.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1983

Isolation of cDNA clones for basal lamina components: type IV procollagen.

We have isolated cDNA clones for mouse type IV procollagen from a library constructed from total poly A+RNA of 13.5 day mouse embryo parietal endoderm (PE) cells. In Northern analysis these clones hybridise to a 6.8 kb RNA which is abundant in embryonic PE cells and in differentiated F9 teratocarcinoma cells. Hybrid selection and in vitro translation of the cDNA specific mRNA produced a single polypeptide of Mr = 165 000. This polypeptide was specifically immunoprecipitated with mouse type IV procollagen antisera and comigrated on SDS-gel electrophoresis with one of the two in vitro synthesised chains of type IV procollagen. Undifferentiated F9 teratocarcinoma cells can be induced by retinoic acid and dibutyryl cAMP to differentiate in vitro into endoderm-like cells which resemble mouse PE cells in synthesising large amounts of basement membrane proteins, including type IV procollagen. Here we show, using one of the cDNA clones as a probe for type IV procollagen, that an increase in cellular concentration of type IV procollagen mRNA occurs within 24 to 48 hours of induction, reaching a constant high level by 72 hours.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Phospholipid-sensitive Ca2+-dependent protein kinase and its substrates in human neutrophils.

Phospholipid-sensitive Ca2+-dependent protein kinase (PL-Ca-PK) was found to be present at a high level in human neutrophils, with its activity localized in the particulate fraction. In contrast, cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (A-PK) and cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase (G-PK), present at lower levels compared to PL-Ca-PK, were localized in the cytosolic fraction. Phosphorylation of several endogenous proteins (mol. wts. 89,000, 38,000, 34,000, 17,000 and 15,000), also localized in the particulate fraction, was stimulated specifically by a combination of phosphatidylserine and Ca2+, whereas no substrate proteins were observed for the calmodulin-sensitive Ca2+-dependent protein kinase system under the same incubation conditions. Although no substrate proteins for G-PK were detected, one substrate (mol. wt. 19,000) for A-PK was observed. Phosphorylation of substrates for PL-Ca-PK, but not that for A-PK and for enzymes independent of Ca2+ or cyclic AMP, was inhibited by a variety of agents, including trifluoperazine, W-7 [N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalene-sulfonamide], adriamycin, palmitoylcarnitine, and melittin. The present findings suggest that the phospholipid/Ca2+-stimulated protein phosphorylation system may be important in the membrane associated functions of human neutrophils.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Identification of clones that encode chicken tropomyosin by direct immunological screening of a cDNA expression library.

A cDNA library of approximately equal to 9,000 members has been prepared from chicken smooth muscle mRNA by using the plasmid expression vector pUC8. Addition of Sal I and EcoRI linkers at different stages during the preparation of the cDNA resulted in a population of molecules, most of which had EcoRI linkers at the end of the cDNA that corresponded to the 5' end of the template mRNA and Sal I linkers at the end that corresponded to the 3' end of the mRNA. The cDNA molecules then were inserted into a EcoRI-Sal I-cut plasmid vector, pUC8, that contains the transcriptional and translational start sequences from the lacZ gene upstream of the EcoRI site. The sequential addition of the linkers to the cDNA ensured that most of the cDNAs were inserted into pUC8 in the proper orientation for expression. The colonies were replica plated onto nitrocellulose filters and lysed in situ with chloroform vapor. The library was screened for colonies producing products immunologically related to chicken tropomyosin by incubating the filters first with a rabbit antitropomyosin antibody and second with a 125I-labeled goat anti-rabbit IgG. Two colonies were detected that reacted specifically with the antisera. Plasmids from both clones have been partially subjected to sequence analysis; both plasmids contain cDNAs that encode tropomyosin. These protocols are potentially useful for the identification of cDNA clones for genes expressed at low levels from large cDNA expression libraries.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1983

Phospholipid-sensitive Ca2+-dependent protein phosphorylation system in various types of leukemic cells from human patients and in human leukemic cell lines HL60 and K562, and its inhibition by alkyl-lysophospholipid.

Phospholipid-sensitive Ca2+-dependent protein kinase (PL-Ca-PK), its endogenous substrate proteins, and regulation of the enzyme system by an antitumor agent alkyl-lysophospholipid were investigated in various types of leukemic cells (chronic myelocytic, acute myelocytic, and acute monocytic) from patients and in two cultured human leukemic cell lines (HL60 and K562). Exceedingly high levels of PL-Ca-PK, largely localized in the particulate fraction, were found in all types and lines of leukemic cells; much lower levels of cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase and cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase were also found. Although numerous and similar endogenous substrates for PL-Ca-PK were found in all cell types and lines examined, substrates specific for certain leukemic cells appeared to be present. Substrate proteins for calmodulin-sensitive Ca2+-dependent protein kinase, cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase, and cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase, in comparison, were much fewer or undetected. The PL-Ca-PK activity and the phosphatidylserine-Ca2+-stimulated phosphorylation of endogenous proteins from leukemic cells were inhibited by alkyl-lysophospholipid, which acted as a competitive inhibitor of the phospholipid cofactor of the enzyme. The findings suggested that the PL-Ca-PK system is a predominant protein phosphorylation system in leukemic cells and that this enzyme system may represent a site of cytotoxic action of alkyl-lysophospholipid.

Calcium↗
PubMed1982

Co-existence of vinculin and a vinculin-like protein of higher molecular weight in smooth muscle.

Recently, a protein component of adhesion plaques with a molecular weight of 130,000 (named vinculin) has been purified from smooth muscle and non-muscle cells. As detected by immunological methods, the only vinculin-related polypeptides in fibroblasts are proteins of Mr = 130,000. However, we show here that smooth muscle contains, in addition to vinculin, an apparently distinct protein with a Mr = 152,000 that shares both structural and immunological features with vinculin. Amino acid analysis, peptide mapping, and antibody cross-reaction studies were used to elucidate these similarities. Mr = 152,000 protein seems to be restricted to muscle (mainly or exclusively to smooth muscle). The possibility that vinculin is derived from proteolytic processing of the Mr = 152,000 protein or that the proteins are related by some other type of post-translational modification appears unlikely (although this cannot be completely ruled out) since both proteins are made in a rabbit reticulocyte cell-free translation system when mRNA derived from smooth muscle is used as the template. Both proteins are capable of used as the template. Both proteins are capable of lowering the viscosity of F-actin solutions, although the activity of the Mr = 152,000 protein is stimulated by Ca2+ while the activity of smooth muscle vinculin is not.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1982

A homogeneous cyclic CMP phosphodiesterase hydrolyzes both pyrimidine and purine cyclic 2':3'- and 3':5'-nucleotides.

A homogeneous preparation of cyclic CMP phosphodiesterase (Helfman, D. M., Shoji, M., and Kuo, J. F. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 6327-6334) was found to catalyze the hydrolysis of both pyrimidine and purine cyclic 2':3'- and 3':5'-nucleotides. Hydrolysis of cyclic 2':3'-nucleotides resulted in the formation of both 2'- and 3'-nucleotides, although relative amounts of the products were variable. Hydrolysis of cyclic 2':3'-CMP or cyclic 2':3'-UMP yielded predominantly 3'-nucleotides. In contrast, hydrolysis of cyclic 2':3'-AMP produced equal amounts of 2'- and 3'-nucleotides, while the major product formed from cyclic 2':3'-GMP was 2'-nucleotide. When conventional pyrimidine and purine cyclic 3:5'-nucleotides were used as substrates, the enzyme hydrolyzed specifically the 3'-bond to yield only 5'-nucleotides. The relative rate of hydrolysis of cyclic 2':3'-nucleotides was cyclic CMP greater than cyclic UMP greater than cyclic GMP greater than or equal to cyclic AMP, respectively, whereas that for cyclic 3':5'-nucleotides was cyclic CMP greater than cyclic UMP greater than or equal to cyclic AMP greater than cyclic GMP, respectively. Furthermore, kinetic analysis suggested a single species of catalytic site on the enzyme may be involved in the hydrolysis of both pyrimidine and purine cyclic 2':3'- and 3':5'-nucleotides. These findings indicate that the present enzyme is the first multifunctional phosphodiesterase reported to date that is capable of hydrolyzing such a diversity of cyclic nucleotides.

2',3'-Cyclic Nucleotide 3'-Phosphodiesterase↗
PubMed1982

Inhibition by melittin of phospholipid-sensitive and calmodulin-sensitive Ca2+-dependent protein kinases.

Effects of melittin, an amphipathic polypeptide, on various species of protein kinases were investigated. It was found that melittin inhibited the newly identified phospholipid-sensitive Ca2+-dependent protein kinase (from heart, brain, spleen and neutrophils) and the cardiac myosin light-chain kinase, a calmodulin-sensitive Ca2+-dependent enzyme. In contrast, melittin had little or no effect on either the holoenzymes of the cardiac cyclic AMP-dependent and cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinases or the catalytic subunit of the former. Kinetic analysis indicated that melittin inhibited phospholipid-sensitive Ca2+-dependent protein kinase non-competitively with respect to ATP (Ki = 1.3 microM); although exhibiting complex kinetics, its inhibition of the enzyme was overcome by phosphatidylserine (a phospholipid cofactor), but not by protein substrate (histone H1) or Ca2+. On the other hand, melittin inhibited myosin light-chain kinase non-competitively with respect to ATP (Ki = 1.4 microM) or Ca2+ (Ki = 1.9 microM), and competitively with respect to calmodulin (Ki = 0.08 microM); although exhibiting complex kinetics, its inhibition of the enzyme was reversed by myosin light chains (substrate protein). The present findings indicate the presence of functionally important hydrophobic or hydrophilic loci on the Ca2+-dependent protein kinases, but not on the cyclic nucleotide-dependent class of protein kinase, with which melittin can interact. Moreover, the kinetic data suggest that melittin inhibited myosin light-chain kinase by interacting with a site on the enzyme the same as, or proximal to, the calmodulin-binding site, thus interfering with the formation of active enzyme-calmodulin-Ca2+ complex.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1982

Differential regulation of calcium-dependent and calcium-independent cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases from heart by palmitoylcarnitine and palmitoyl coenzyme A.

Regulation of Ca2+-dependent (peak I) and Ca2+-independent (peak II) phosphodiesterases from the heart by various fatty acyl esters and phospholipids were studied. DL-Palmitoylcarnitine stimulated the basal activity (in the absence of Ca2+) of peak I enzyme, while non-competitively inhibiting peak II enzyme with respect to cyclic AMP. It had no effect on other species of Ca2+-independent phosphodiesterases, including cyclic AMP- and cyclic GMP-specific enzymes from the lung, and cyclic CMP enzyme from the liver Palmitoyl-CoA and phosphatidylserine also stimulated the basal activity of peak I enzyme, but they were without effect on peak II enzyme. In comparison, DL-palmitoylcarnitine inhibited Ca2+-dependent activity of cardiac myosin light chain kinase, whereas phosphatidylserine was without effect. It is conceivable that differential regulation of phosphodiesterases by these lipids could profoundly alter the levels or effects, or both, of cyclic nucleotides and Ca2+ in the myocardium.

3',5'-Cyclic-AMP Phosphodiesterases↗
PubMed1982

Differential effects of various phosphodiesterase inhibitors, pyrimidine and purine compounds, and inorganic phosphates on cyclic CMP, cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP phosphodiesterases.

The effects of various compounds on homogeneous cyclic CMP phosphodiesterase (cyclic CMP-PDE) from pig liver were compared with the effects on cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase (cyclic AMP-PDE) and cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase (cyclic GMP-PDE). Of the conventional inhibitors for AMP-PDE and cyclic GMP-PDE, only Sch 15280 was found to inhibit cyclic CMP-PDE. Nucleoside monophosphates, orthophosphate, and 2':3'-cyclic nucleotides were rather specific and were more effective in inhibiting cyclic CMP-PDE, compared to their effects on cyclic AMP-PDE and cyclic GMP-PDE. On the other hand, nucleoside di-and triphosphates and pyrophosphate (PPi) were less effective in inhibiting cyclic CMP-PDE and were without marked effect on cyclic AMP-PDE and cyclic GMP-PDE. Orthophosphate (Pi) was more potent than CMP, CDP and CTP in inhibiting cyclic CMP-PDE, with a rank order of inhibitory potency of Pi greater than CMP greater than CDP greater than CTP. Of the 3' :5'-cyclic nucleotides examined, cyclic UMP was more specific in inhibiting cyclic CMP-PDE compared to its effect on cyclic AMP-PDE and cyclic GMP-PDE. In all experiments similar results were obtained when either cyclic CMP or cyclic AMP was used as a substrate for this multifunctional cyclic CMP-PDE, supporting the contention that a single catalytic site on the enzyme is responsible for the hydrolysis of both cyclic CMP and cyclic AMP. The present studies further support our original suggestion that cyclic CMP-PDE is a unique enzyme that is distinguishable from the conventional enzymes for purine cyclic nucleotides.

2',3'-Cyclic Nucleotide 3'-Phosphodiesterase↗
PubMed1978

Depression of cytidine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate phosphodiesterase activity in developing tissues of guinea pigs.

Changes in levels of the newly discovered cytidine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic CMP) phosphodiesterase in some representative tissues (cerebral cortex, kidney, intestine, liver, heart, and lung) of guinea pigs from various developmental stages (fetus, neonate, pup, and adult) were studied and compared with those of cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP phosphodiesterases in the same tissues. It was observed that the tissue levels of cyclic CMP phosphodiesterase were invariably the lowest in every one of the fetal tissues examined, the highest in the corresponding tissues from the pups and adult, with intermediate levels seen in some neonatal tissues. The patterns of the ontogenetic changes in levels of cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase activities, however, were variable and tissue specific. These findings suggest that the depressed cyclic CMP phosphodiesterase activity (hence, the elevated cyclic CMP concentration) is perhaps a common factor in developing tissues undergoing rapid cell proliferation. The data also suggest that metabolism of cyclic CMP is perhaps more closely related to cell proliferation than the metabolism of cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Thymus cell variations in AKR leukemia.

The thymus cells from spontaneous and 1st generation AKR leukemic mice were investigated, using electronic cell-volume distributions. The growth pattern of thymus cells in the mice with transplanted leukemic cells varied with the type of donor cells injected. After the transplantation of leukemic cells into 2 month-old recipients, the cortex of thymus decreased in size and medulla of thymus enlarged. The thymus underwent atrophy next, followed by a proliferation of the large-sized cells (greater than channel 40, 136 micrometer3). The electronic cell-volume distributions of the thymus cells from the spontaneous leukemic mice encompass the distributions of thymus cells during the growth of the transplanted leukemia.

Animals↗