PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

F Gautier

Publications and source records attributed to F Gautier.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Analysis of calf-thymus satellite DNA: evidence for specific methylation of cytosine in C-G sequences.

Digestion of purified calf tymus satellite I (phi = 1.714 g/cm3) with a series of restriction enzymes shows that modification in this satellite occurs preferentially in the sequence C-G. This was also shown to be the case in the other satellites and in bulk chromosomal calf thymus DNA. Cloning of purified satellite I DNA in Escherichia coli makes sites, previously modified, available for cutting with certain restriction enzymes. All these 'new sites' contain the sequence C-G. High-resolution mass spectros-copy establishes that the satellites contain a low concentration of 5-methylcytosine. This infers that methylation which inhibits retriction enzyme cutting must occur preferentially in the sequence C-G. Hybridization of cRNA of cloned satellite I DNA with the satellites III (phi = 1.706 g/cm3) and IV (phi = 1.710 g/cm3) shows that there is no or little sequence homology between these satellites. Digestion of calf thymus satellite I DNA with endoR. EcoRI and subsequent hybridization studies with the fragments shows two EcoRI fragments in addition to the usual 1400-base-pair EcoRI repeat unit.

Animals↗

Cloning of calf thymus satellite I DNA in Escherichia coli.

The 1400 base pair repeat produced by digestion of calf satellite I DNA (phi = 1.714 g/cm3) with EcoRI, was cloned in E. coli. The hybrid plasmid (pGM 214) which contains the ColE1-Ap vector (pSF 2124) and the 1400 base pair fragment replicates stably in E. coli and can be amplified by chloramphenicol treatment. No clone was found in which more than one "repeat unit" of the satellite I DNA was present in the chimaera plasmid. Digestion of the original satellite I and the plasmid pGM 214 with R-SmaI shows that the satellite DNA replicated in E. coli is cleaved by the restriction endonuclease SmaI whereas the original satellite I DNA from calf thymus is not, suggesting that the satellite I contains a large amount of modified cytosine or guanosine, probably 5-methyl-cytosine. R-EcoRI* produces a number of fragments with the satellite I in the range of 300 base pairs to 1400 base pairs. A physical map of pGM 214 (and pSF 2124) with R-EcoRI, R-HincII, R-HindIII, R-SmaI, R-BamI and R-EclI was constructed. The 1400 base pair "repeat unit" in the pGM 214 is efficiently transcribed in vitro by purified RNA polymerase, starting from a pSF 2124 promoter. The restriction enzyme EclI produces a 350 base pair repeat with calf satellite II (phi = 1,722 g/cm3), whereas the satellite I is not cut by this enzyme.

Animals↗

Interactions of heteroaromatic compounds with nucleic acids. A - T-specific non-intercalating DNA ligands.

In the present paper we report the results of a study on the base specificity and affinity of eight dyes potentially able to interact with DNA. These compounds include four triphenylmethane dyes used in histochemistry, auramine, "Hoechst 33258" and two acridines substituted with t-butyl groups. They were selected with regard to their inability to intercalate between the base pairs of helical polynucleotides due to structural limitations. Hydrodynamic studies performed with the DNA complexes of crystal violet and Hoechst 33258 confirmed our assumptions that compounds of this type bind to the outside of DNA. The main results from DNA binding studies indicate that the triphenylmethane dyes except p-fuchsin are bound with high preference to two adjacent A - T pairs while Hoechst 33258 seems to need three A - T pairs as the binding site. Model studies with synthetic polynucleotides revealed that not only a sequence of A - T pairs, but also their structural arrangement in a helix, is crucial for the high affinities observed for most of the ligands when interacting with natural DNA. Methyl green and Hoechst 33258 can be used for increasing the resolution power of cesium chloride density gradients for DNAs with different (A + T) content.

Acridines↗

[Alteration in relaxation of atypical beta-adrenergic but not beta-3 receptors in arterial hypertension in the rat].

The aim of this study was to investigate the involvement of beta 3-adrenoceptors (beta 3-AR) in hypertension. Aortic rings were isolated from 12 weeks old WKY (Wistar-Kyoto) and SHR (spontaneously hypertensive rat) rats. Rings were placed in organ baths and constricted with phenylephrine. Then, cumulative concentration-relaxation curves to the beta 3-AR agonists were constructed. In both strains, SR58611, a preferential beta 3-agonist, produced similar concentration-dependent relaxation. CGP 12177 (CGP), (a partial beta 3-AR and atypical beta-AR agonist with beta 1-/beta 2-AR antagonistic properties) produced similar relaxation in WKY (pD2 = 5.10 +/- 0.06; Emax = 54 +/- 2%; n = 6) and in SHR (pD2 = 4.98 +/- 0.02; Emax = 58 +/- 4%; n = 6). In WKY, relaxant response to CGP was not modified by nadolol (10 microM) or L-748.337 (3 microM) suggesting an atypical beta-AR activation. By contrast, in SHR, the effect of CGP was strongly decreased by 3 microM L-748.337 (Emax = 27.8 +/- 5.4%; n = 7; p < 0.05 vs CGP alone), suggesting a possible participation of beta 3-AR in CGP-induced relaxation. In order to investigate the role of endothelium in CGP-induced relaxation, experiments were performed in denuded aortic rings. In WKY, CGP-induced relaxation was not modified by endothelium removal, by contrast, this was greatly inhibited in SHR (Emax = 18.3 +/- 1.9%; n = 9; p < 0.05 vs CGP in intact aortic rings). Endothelium-independent relaxation to CGP was resistant to nadolol or L-748.337 treatment which seems to rule out the involvement of beta 1, beta 2 and beta 3-AR. Endothelium-independent relaxation to CGP was significantly reduced by SQ 22536 or MDL 12330A, non-selective adenylyl cyclase inhibitors, indicating a role of cAMP-dependent pathway in CGP response. By contrast, the relaxant effect to CGP was not modified by SQ 22536 in SHR. In conclusion, these results show that [1] functional response to beta 3-AR stimulation was not altered in hypertension [2]. CGP activated an atypical beta-AR distinct from beta 1, beta 2 and beta 3-AR, partly through cAMP-dependent pathway. Impaired atypical beta-AR relaxation to CGP in SHR could contribute to the pathogenesis of the hypertension.

Animals↗

[Impairment of atypical beta-adrenergic-mediated relaxation in spontaneously hypertensive rats before and during the development of arterial hypertension].

The aims of this study was to characterize the functional response of atypical beta-adrenoceptors (beta-AR) in rat aorta and to investigate whether this relaxation was altered before and during the development of hypertension. Aortic rings from 4 or 12 weeks old Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats or spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were placed in organ baths and constricted with phenylephrine. Then, cumulative concentration-relaxation curves to the beta-AR agonists were constructed. In intact aortic rings from 12 weeks old WKY rats, CGP 12,177 (CGP) and cyanopindolol (partial beta 3-AR agonists and atypical beta-AR agonists with beta 1/beta 2-AR antagonist properties) produced concentration-dependent relaxation (pD2 = 5.09 +/- 0.03; Emax = 60.4 +/- 2.5%; n = 9; pD2 = 6.17 +/- 0.05; Emax = 95.9 +/- 1%; n = 5 respectively). The endothelium removal did not modify this relaxation. In 12 weeks old WKY rats, the endothelium-independent relaxation to CGP was not modified in the presence of nadolol (beta 1/beta 2-AR antagonist) or L-748 337 (beta 3-AR antagonist) excluding the participation of beta 1, beta 2 et beta 3-AR in this effect. By contrast, this relaxation was significantly inhibited by CGP 20712A or bupranolol, atypical beta-AR antagonists at high concentrations. In 12 weeks old SHR, endothelium-independent relaxation to CGP or cyanopindolol was greatly inhibited. In order to sought out whether impairment of atypical beta-AR-mediated relaxation was due to hypertension, experiments were performed in 4 weeks old SHR. At this age, CGP-induced relaxation was greatly inhibited compared to that obtained in age-matched WKY rats. In 12 weeks old SHR pretreated with pertussis toxin (10 micrograms/kg i.p./3 days), the relaxant effect to CGP was partly restored. We conclude that the atypical beta-AR were functionally expressed in aortic vascular smooth muscle cells of rat aorta. In 4 or 12 weeks old SHR rats, atypical beta-AR-mediated relaxation was impaired, suggesting that this dysfunction occurs before the establishment of hypertension. Gi proteins may be one of the factors that contributes to this impairment.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists↗