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E A Shephard

Publications and source records attributed to E A Shephard.

70 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Cloning and sequence analysis of a rat liver cDNA coding for a phenobarbital-inducible microheterogenous cytochrome P-450 variant: regulation of its messenger level by xenobiotics.

A rat liver cDNA library was prepared from total polyribosomal poly(A)+ RNA extracted from phenobarbital-treated animals. A cDNA clone coding for a phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P-450 (PB P-450) was identified by differential colony hybridization to cDNAs synthesized from liver poly(A)+RNAs isolated from phenobarbital-treated rats for positive selection and cDNAs from either untreated rats or beta-naphthoflavone-treated rats as negative controls, followed by hybrid-selected translation and analysis of the translation products by immunoprecipitation. As the cloning and screening strategies involve no prior enrichment for specific mRNAs, they also permit the identification of sequences coding for phenobarbital-induced proteins other than cytochromes P-450. This relatively straightforward approach is generally applicable to the molecular cloning of sequences coding for other inducible cytochromes P-450. Nucleic acid sequencing data indicated that the cloned PB P-450 cDNA codes for a cytochrome P-450 variant [designated P-450e(U.C.)] that is very similar, but not identical, to P-450e. Sequence analysis of the section of cDNA specifying the 3'-non-coding region of the mRNA revealed that it lacked the usual poly(A) addition site signal sequence but contained three inverted repeat structures. Solution hybridization analysis demonstrated that PB P-450 mRNA is increased 20-fold by phenobarbital treatment and decreased 3-fold by beta-naphthoflavone treatment.

Animals↗

Complexes of cytochrome P450 with metyrapone. A convenient method for the quantitative analysis of phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P450 in rat liver microsomes.

Phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P450 variants have a higher affinity (app. Ks = 0.6 microM). The difference in affinity has enabled us to quantitate, by metyrapone-induced difference spectral analysis, phenobarbital-inducible cytochromes P450 in liver microsomal membranes. The result obtained by this simple, rapid technique compare well with those found by more sophisticated techniques such as radioimmunoassay and immunoprecipitation.

Animals↗

Induction by phenobarbital of the mRNA for a specific variant of rat liver microsomal cytochrome P-450.

The treatment of rats for 4 days with phenobarbital causes an apparent 3-fold increase in the amount of total liver cytochrome P-450. By sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, metyrapone binding and immunoprecipitation, this increase was found to be due to a much larger increase in a restricted number of specific cytochrome P-450 variants. A radioimmunoassay technique demonstrated that the major phenobarbital-inducible variant, of molecular weight 52 000, is induced 24-fold by phenobarbital. Immunoprecipitation analysis of products of translation in vitro with an antibody specific to the 52 000-mol.wt. cytochrome P-450 showed that phenobarbital induces the mRNA in polyribosomes for this variant 20-fold. Evidence is presented for the action of phenobarbital at the transcriptional and translational levels.

Animals↗

Representation of mRNA sequences in normal and SV40 transformed human diploid fibroblasts.

The representation of mRNA sequences in normal and SV40-transformed WI-38 human diploid fibroblasts was examined. Variations in the hybridization of polysomal RNAs to 3H-labeled DNAs complementary to poly A+ mRNA of normal and SV40-transformed cells suggest differences in the mRNA populations. a comparison of the representation of histone RNA sequences of normal and SV40-transformed human diploid cells did not reveal significant differences.

Base Sequence↗

Nuclear protein kinase activities during the cell cycle of HeLa S3 cells.

To ascertain the activity and substrate specificity of nuclear protein kinases during various stages of the cell cycle of HeLa S3 cells, a nuclear phospho-protein-enriched sample was extracted from synchronised cells and assayed in vitro in the presence of homologous substrates. The nuclear protein kinases increased in activity during S and G2 phase to a level that was twice that of kinases from early S phase cells. The activity was reduced during mitosis but increased again in G1 phase. When the phosphoproteins were separated into five fractions by cellulose-phosphate chromatography each fraction, though not homogenous, exhibited differences in activity. Variations in the activity of the protein kinase fractions were observed during the cell cycle, similar to those observed for the unfractionated kinases. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic analysis of the proteins phosphorylated by each of the five kinase fractions demonstrated a substrate specificity. The fractions also exhibited some cell cycle stage-specific preference for substrates; kinases from G1 cells phosphorylated mainly high molecular weight polypeptides, whereas lower molecular weight species were phosphorylated by kinases from the S, G2 and mitotic stages of the cell cycle. Inhibition of DNA and histone synthesis by cytosine arabinoside had no effect on the activity or substrate specificity of S phase kinases. Some kinase fractions phosphorylated histones as well as non-histone chromosomal proteins and this phosphorylation was also cell cycle stage dependent. The presence of histones in the in vitro assay influenced the ability of some fractions to phosphorylate particular non-histone polypeptides; non-histone proteins also appeared to affect the in vitro phosphorylation of histones.

Cell Cycle↗

Pyruvate-induced long-term maintenance of glutathione s-transferase in rat hepatocyte cultures.

The addition of pyruvate to the culture medium has been reported to improve the maintenance of P450-dependent enzyme expression in primary rat hepatocyte cultures. In this study, the effects of 30mM pyruvate on cell morphology, albumin secretion and glutathione S-transferase (GST) expression were investigated as a function of the time in culture. The effect of triiodothyronine (T3) exposure on GST expression was also measured in pyruvate-treated cultures. Transmission electron microscopy showed that untreated hepatocytes deteriorated after culture for 7 days, whereas the morphology of the pyruvate-treated cells was similar to that observed in intact liver tissue. The albumin secretion rate was significantly higher in rat hepatocytes exposed to pyruvate than in control cells. In the presence of pyruvate, mu and alpha class GST activities were well maintained, whereas GST pi activity was increased over the entire culture period. HPLC analysis revealed that the complement of GST subunits present in hepatocytes is altered during culture with pyruvate: mu,class proteins remained relatively constant, whereas a decrease in the alpha class content was accompanied by a strong increase in GST subunit P1 (GSTP1). The induction of GSTP1 was confirmed at the mRNA level. In control cultures, pi class GST activity was increased, but total, mu, and alpha class GST activities continuously declined as a function of culture time and became undetectable beyond 7 days in culture. At the protein and mRNA levels, a much smaller increase in GSTP1 was observed than in the pyruvate cultures. When the pyruvate-treated cell cultures were exposed to T3, an inhibitory effect on GST activities and proteins was found. These results indicate that this simple culture model could be useful for studying the expression and regulation of GST.

Albumins↗