PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

E L Brown

Publications and source records attributed to E L Brown.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Effect of local ultraviolet irradiation on infections of mice with Candida albicans, Mycobacterium bovis BCG, and Schistosoma mansoni.

In this study, we investigated whether mice given ultraviolet (UV)-B (280-320 nm) radiation in doses sufficient to alter cutaneous immune cells and impair the induction of contact hypersensitivity would also have impaired resistance to infectious agents administered at the site of UV irradiation. C3H mice were exposed to 400 J/m2 UVR from FS40 sunlamps on four consecutive days. Immediately after the last UV treatment, groups of mice were injected subcutaneously with Candida albicans, injected intradermally (ID) with Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), or infected percutaneously with Schistosoma mansoni in UV-irradiated skin. The induction of the delayed hypersensitivity response to C. albicans and BCG, as assessed by footpad swelling, was unaffected by UV irradiation. However, the number of viable mycobacteria recovered from the lymphoid organs of BCG-infected mice was increased significantly in the UV-irradiated animals for a period of more than 2 months. Low-dose UV irradiation of the skin at the site of infection did not influence the number of S. mansoni parasites recoverable from the internal organs of mice that had been infected with cercariae percutaneously 6 weeks earlier. We conclude that the ability of UV radiation to impair the development of cell-mediated immunity to antigens introduced in a UV-irradiated site is not universal and depends on the particular antigen administered. We hypothesize that the involvement of epidermal Langerhans cells as the primary antigen-presenting cells in the induction of cell-mediated immunity may be the critical factor in determining whether a particular immune response will be affected by local UV irradiation.

Animals

Release of early human hematopoietic progenitors from quiescence by antisense transforming growth factor beta 1 or Rb oligonucleotides.

We have used antisense oligonucleotides to study the roles of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) and the two antioncogenes, retinoblastoma susceptibility (Rb) and p53, in the negative regulation of proliferation of early hematopoietic cells in culture. The antisense TGF-beta sequence significantly enhanced the frequency of colony formation by multi-lineage, early erythroid, and granulomonocytic progenitors, but did not affect colony formation by late progenitors. Single cell culture and limiting dilution analysis indicated that autocrine TGF-beta is produced by a subpopulation of early progenitors. Antisense Rb but not antisense p53 yielded similar results in releasing multipotential progenitors (colony-forming unit-granulocyte/erythroid/macrophage/megakaryocyte) from quiescence. Rb antisense could partially reverse the inhibitory effect of exogenous TGF-beta. Anti-TGF-beta blocking antibodies, antisense TGF-beta, or Rb oligonucleotides all had similar effects. No additive effects were observed when these reagents were combined, suggesting a common pathway of action. Our results are consistent with the model that autocrine production of TGF-beta negatively regulates the cycling status of early hematopoietic progenitors through interaction with the Rb gene product.

Antigens, CD

Constitutive production of macrophage colony-stimulating factor by human ovarian and breast cancer cell lines.

Many nonhematologic tumors produce growth factors that may influence cellular proliferation either by autocrine or by paracrine mechanisms. In the current study, human tumor cell lines were investigated for the constitutive production of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF). Culture supernatants obtained from cell lines were analyzed using a radioimmunoassay and a radioreceptor assay specific for M-CSF. Among the various cell types analyzed, all the ovarian cell lines and a majority of the breast cancer cell lines secreted significant amount of an M-CSF-like factor. Treatment of mouse bone marrow cultures with culture supernatants from ovarian cancer cells stimulated the production of macrophage colonies. Analysis of total cellular RNA obtained from the ovarian cell lines by Northern blot showed multiple sizes of M-CSF transcripts with an abundance of a 4.2-kb message. The relative amount of M-CSF transcripts correlated with the level of immunoreactive material seen in the culture supernatants.

Animals

On the location and function of the noncatalytic sites on the bovine heart mitochondrial F1-ATPase.

Modification of Tyr-345 at a catalytic site in a single beta subunit of the bovine heart mitochondrial F1-ATPase (MF1) by 5'-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoylinosine did not affect subsequent labeling of noncatalytic sites at Tyr-368 and His-427 in three copies of the beta subunit by 5'-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyladenosine (FSBA). These results clearly show that the beta subunit contains at least parts of the catalytic and noncatalytic nucleotide binding sites. Inactivation of MF1 by 96% with FSBA was accompanied by a decrease in the endogenous ADP content from 1.86 to 0.10 mol per mol of MF1. Decrease in the endogenous ADP content during the inactivation of the enzyme with FSBA paralleled loss in activity in a manner which suggests that the reaction of FSBA with an open noncatalytic site promoted release of ADP from another noncatalytic site until the third site reacted with FSBA. Two pKa values of about 5.9 and 7.6 were observed on the acid side of the pH optimum in the pH-rate profile for ATP hydrolysis catalyzed by MF1 in neutral acid buffers. In contrast, a single pKa of 5.9 was present in the pH-rate profile for ITP hydrolysis catalyzed by the enzyme in the same buffers. The augmented rate observed for ATP hydrolysis at pH 8.0, over that observed at pH 6.5, was lost as the enzyme was inactivated by FSBA in a manner suggesting that modulation is lost as the third noncatalytic site is modified. This suggests that ATP hydrolysis by MF1 is modulated in a pH-dependent manner by ATP binding to an open noncatalytic site. Two other modulations associated with binding of adenine nucleotides to noncatalytic sites, ADP-induced hysteretic inhibition and apparent negative cooperativity reflected by the Hill coefficient for the hydrolysis of 50-3000 microM ATP at pH 8.0, also disappeared as the third noncatalytic site reacted with FSBA.

Adenosine

A synthetic tyrosine suppressor tRNA gene with an altered promoter sequence. Its cloning and relative expression in vivo.

The total synthesis of a tyrosine suppressor tRNA gene with a modified promoter is described. The alteration involves the replacement of the four G:C base pairs immediately preceding the start point of transcription by A:T base pairs. The new sequence contains the recognition sequence for the HindIII restriction endonuclease at the transcriptional start point, thus permitting fusion of the structural gene with promoters containing independent sequence modifications. The construction, cloning, and biological activity of several recombinant DNAs containing the tRNA gene with the modified promoter are described. The expression of this gene in vivo is compared with that of both the unmodified synthetic suppressor gene and a naturally occurring tyr su3+ gene cloned onto a multicopy plasmid.

Base Sequence

Total synthesis of a tyrosine suppressor transfer RNA gene. XIII. Synthesis of deoxyribopolynucleotide segments corresponding to the nucleotide sequence -1 to -29 in the promoter region.

Chemical syntheses of two tridecanucleotides, d(G-C-A-T-C-A-T-A-T-C-A-A-A) and d(G-C-G-T-C-A-T-T-T-G-A-T-A), and three undecanucleotides, d(G-G-A-A-G-C-G-G-G-G-C), d(T-G-A-T-G-C-G-C-C-C-C), and d(T-G-A-C-G-C-G-C-C-G-C), are described. These deoxyribo-oligonucleotide segments together represent the DNA duplex corresponding to the previously determined nucleotide sequence -1 to -29 of the promoter region of the tyrosine tRNA gene (Sekiya, T., van Ormondt, H., and Khorana, H.G. (1975) J. Biol. Chem. 250, 1087-1098). Chemical syntheses used the principles of stepwise addition of protected mono- and oligonucleotides to the 3'-hydroxyl end of growing oligonucleotide chains. The desired condensation products were isolated by solvent extraction methods in the case of di- and trincleotides and by anion exchange chromatography in the case of longer chains. All the five synthetic oligonucleotides were characterized by chromatographic and radioactive fingerprinting methods after labeling at the 5'-ends with a [32P]phosphate group.

Base Sequence

Total synthesis of a tyrosine suppressor transfer RNA gene. XVI. Enzymatic joinings to form the total 207-base pair-long DNA.

The total synthesis of a 207-base pair-long DNA, which is biologically functional as a tyrosine suppressor transfer RNA gene, has been completed. The synthesis involved the enzymatic joining of the previously synthesized duplexes. Thus, the duplex corresponding to the promoter region [P] (Sekiya, T., Brown, E.L., Ramamoorthy, B., Fritz, H.-J., Gait, M.J., Lees, R.G., Ryan, M.J., Khorana, H.G., and Norris, K.E. (1979) J. Biol. Chem. 254, 5781-5786) was jointed to Duplex [I] (Caruthers, M.H., Kleppe, R., Kleppe, K., and Khorana, H.G. (1976) J. Biol Chem. 251, 658-666) to form [P + I]. Separatively, Duplex [III + IV + Vb] was prepared from the previously described Duplexes [III], [IV], and [Vb]. (Loewen, P.C., Miller, R.C., Panet, A., Sekiya, T., and Khorana, H.G. (1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 642-650; Sekiya, T., Besmer, P., Takeya, T., and Khorana, H.G. 1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 634-641; Ramamoorthy, B., Lees, R.G., Kleid, D., and Khorana, H.G., (1976) J. Biol Chem. 251, 676-694). The product [P + I], was joined to Duplex [II] (Panet, A., Kleppe, R., Kleppe, K., and Khorana, H.G. (1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 651-657) and then to [III + IV + Vb] without isolation of the intermediates. In all the above joinings, the duplexes carried 32P-labeled phosphate groups at the appropriate 5'-ends. The total DNA and the intermediate duplexes were all characterized by their relative mobilities in electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gel slabs, by nearest neighbor analysis, and by degradation to 5'-nucleotides of radioactively labeled joined products. Two succeeding papers describe the transcription in vitro and the suppressor activity in vivo, of the synthetic gene now described.

Base Sequence

Total synthesis of a tyrosine suppressor transfer RNA gene. XIV. Chemical synthesis of oligonucleotide segments corresponding to the terminal regions.

Chemical syntheses of the two dodecanucleotides d(T-C-A-A-C-G-T-A-A-C-A-C) and d(A-C-G-T-T-G-A-G-A-A-A-G), the two undecanucleotides d(T-T-T-A-C-A-G-C-G-G-C) and d(T-G-T-A-A-A-G-T-G-T-T), the decanucleotide d(A-G-T-C-C-G-A-A-A-G), and the nonanucleotide d(A-A-T-T-C-T-T-T-C) are described. These deoxyribo-oligonucleotide segments, excluding the decanucleotide, represent the DNA duplex corresponding to the previously determined nucleotide sequence -30 to -51 of the promoter region of the gene for the tyrosine suppressor tRNA (Sekiya, T., Gait, M.J., Norris, K., Ramamoorthy, B., and Khorana, H.G. (1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 4481-4489) and include the EcoRI restriction endonuclease sequence at the appropriate 5'-end. The nona- and decanucleotide along with the previously synthesized deoxyribo-oligonucleotide segments 25 to 27 (Ramamoorthy, B., Lees, R.G., Kleid, D., and Khorana, H.G. (1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 676-694) together represent the DNA duplex corresponding to the natural nucleotide sequence 121 to 142 of the region adjoining the C-C-A end of the tyrosine tRNA gene and, in addition, a run of nine nucleotides which include the EcoRI restriction enzyme sequence at the 5'-end. The syntheses used protected mono- and oligonucleotides and stepwise condensation methods. A noteworthy feature of the present syntheses was the use of reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography for the rapid and efficient separation of synthetic reaction mixtures.

Base Sequence

Total synthesis of a tyrosine suppressor tRNA gene. XV. Synthesis of the promoter region.

By use of polynucleotide kinase and polynucleotide ligase, the 10 deoxyoligonucleotide segments, whose syntheses have been described in accompanying papers, have been joined to form the 62-nucleotide-long DNA corresponding to the promoter region of an Escherichia coli suppressor tRNA gene. The following sequence in the joining reactions was used to obtain error-free and optimal yields of the products: 1) joining of Segment P-1 to P-3 in the presence of Segment P-2; 2) joining of Segments P-4 to P-7 to form Duplex [P4-7]; 3) joining of Segments P-8 to P-10 to Duplex [P4-7] to form Duplex [P4-10]; and finally, 4) joining of P-(1 + 3) and P-2 to Duplex [P4-10] to form the total promoter Duplex [P].

Base Sequence

Total synthesis of a tyrosine suppressor tRNA gene. XVIII. Biological activity and transcription, in vitro, of the cloned gene.

The chemically synthesized gene for Escherichia coli tyrosine suppressor tRNA has been joined to both plasmid (ColE1 ampr) and bacteriophage (Charon 3A) vector chromosomes after the latter had been digested with the restriction endonuclease EcoRI. Suppression of both bacterial (trpA, his, lacZ) and bacteriophage lambda amber mutations (Aam32, Bam1) has been demonstrated after transformation of E. coli with the recombinant DNA molecules carrying the synthetic suppressor tRNA gene. The cloned synthetic gene has been reisolated from the vector chromosomes after digestion of the latter with EcoRI restriction endonuclease and characterized in regard to its size and its ability to serve as a source of suppressor activity in further transformation experiments. This synthetic gene has also been shown to suppress bacterial amber mutations after it had been incorporated into the E. coli chromosome as part of a lambda prophage. Transcription, in vitro, of the cloned synthetic suppressor gene gave a product which, on treatment with a crude E. coli extract, afforded the tyrosine suppressor tRNA precursor. The latter was characterized by two-dimensional fingerprinting after digestion with T1-RNase. Exposure of the in vitro transcript to RNase P Selectively released the 41-nucleotide-long fragment characteristic of the 5'-end of the tRNA precursor. Thus, the nucleotide sequence of the cloned gene is accurate and its expression is controlled by its promoter.

Base Sequence

High-pressure liquid chromatography in polynucleotide synthesis.

Reverse phase high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) using columns containing microparticulate materials with bonded octadecyl groups has been developed as a rapid and efficient method for the separation of nucleosides, nucleotides, and, in particular, of protected oligonucleotides which are standard intermediates in the stepwise synthesis of deoxyribopolynucleotides. Reported are extensive studies of the influence of the different purine and pyrimidine bases, of protecting groups, of the phosphate groups, and of the chain lengths of oligonucleotides on their retention on such columns. Further, the application of HPLC in the stepwise synthesis of an oligonucleotide, d(G-G-A-A-G-C-T-T-A-A-C), has been described. The methods, which are herein described, lend themselves to separations on a preparative scale and effect a marked reduction (up to 50%) in the time required for the synthesis of oligonucleotides.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid

Inflight measurement of pilot workload: a panel discussion.

A group of U.S. scientists engaged in inflight measurements of pilot workload discussed the problems and aspects of workload; the techniques used for inflight measurements; the various workload models, such as design-oriented, operational, psychological, and physiological concepts; different experimental approaches; and experiences, results and further plans, during the 48th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Aerospace Medical Association in Las Vegas, Nv, on May 10, 1977. The contributions by the chairman and the five panel members are summarized.

Aerospace Medicine