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Biomedical subjects

F M Yang

Publications and source records attributed to F M Yang.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Concentration and chemical characteristics of PM2.5 in Beijing, China: 2001-2002.

Weekly PM2.5 samples were simultaneously collected at a semi-residential (Tsinghua University) and a downtown (Chegongzhuang) site in Beijing from August 2001 through September 2002. The ambient mass concentration and chemical composition of PM2.5 were determined. Analyses including elemental composition, water-soluble ions, and organic and elemental carbon were performed. The annual average concentrations of PM2.5 were 96.5 microg m(-3) and 106.9 microg m(-3) at CGZ and HU site, respectively. More than 80% of the PM2.5 mass concentrations were explained by carbonaceous species, secondary particles, crustal matters and trace elements at the two sites. Carbonaceous species were the most abundant components, constituting about 45% and 48% of the total PM2.5 mass concentrations at CGZ and THU site, respectively. SO4(2-), NO3- and NH4+ were three major ions, accounting for 37%, 23% and 20%, respectively, of the total mass of inorganic water-soluble ions.

Air Pollutants↗

Human ceruloplasmin. Tissue-specific expression of transcripts produced by alternative splicing.

Ceruloplasmin (CP) is a plasma glycoprotein that transports copper throughout the body. In previous studies (Yang, F., Naylor, S., Lum, J., Cutshaw, S., McCombs, J., Naberhaus, K., McGill, J., Adrian, G., Moore, C., Barnett, D., and Bowman, B. (1986) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 83, 3277-3261), two CP cDNA clones, CP-1 and CP-2, from a human cDNA library, differed from each other by the presence or absence, respectively, of 12 nucleotide bases encoding a deduced sequence of Gly-Glu-Tyr-Pro near the carboxyl-terminal region of the ceruloplasmin molecule. Examination of genomic DNA demonstrates that the two CP mRNAs are produced from a single gene by alternative spliced patterns. The additional amino acids deduced in CP-1 are products of alternative splicing within an intron of the CP gene at a site 12 nucleotide bases 3' to the commonly used site of CP-2. The CP-1 mRNA transcript encoding four extra amino acids appeared as a minor species accompanying CP-2 mRNA in placenta and chondrocytes. CP-1 mRNA was the predominant CP transcript in a lymphoblastic leukemia cell line, CEM. The mRNA examined from other tissues contained only CP-2 mRNA transcripts. These findings predict that alternative RNA splicing may lead to the differential expression of CP genomic sequences and produce alternate isoforms from a single CP gene in specific tissues.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Expression of transferrin and vitamin D-binding protein genes in an osteogenic sarcoma cell line.

Expression of genes encoding transferrin and the vitamin D-binding protein is described in a cell line, U-2 OS, derived from a human osteogenic sarcoma. The mRNA transcripts of transferrin and vitamin D-binding protein were shown to be the lengths of those found in normal human liver. The cells synthesize and secrete the transferrin and vitamin D-binding proteins, in addition to human albumin and ceruloplasmin. The U-2 OS cells were successfully transfected with chimeric genes carrying 670 bp of the 5' regulatory sequence of the human transferrin gene fused to a reporter chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene. These data indicate that the appropriate transcriptional factors required for expression of four plasma proteins are produced by U-2 OS nuclei and that the U-2 OS cell line will be useful for studies analyzing regulation of these genes.

Ceruloplasmin↗

Tissue specific expression of mouse transferrin during development and aging.

Transferrin (TF) is a major plasma protein that binds ferric iron and transports it to all target tissues of the body. This study is the first step to identify the tissue specific expression of the transferrin gene in mice during development, into maturity and throughout the aging process. The transferrin gene expresses mainly in mouse liver, the cerebral hemispheres and cerebellum. In mouse, transferrin is expressed in peritoneal macrophages and in mouse macrophage cell line MO59. At 19 days of gestation, transferrin mRNA is detected in the fetal lung, heart, stomach and kidney. TF mRNA levels increase in liver throughout gestation with maximum expression occurring at 19 days. Transferrin mRNA was detected in placentas of pregnant mice, with levels progressively increasing throughout the term of pregnancy. The levels of liver TF mRNA in mouse vary in a cyclic manner during the development increasing with the aging processes. Because of the dynamic nature of tissue requirements for transferrin during homeostasis the TF gene serves as a promising system for analyzing tissue-specific regulation in vivo during development and aging. Results from this study designate periods in the life-span of the mouse where regulatory mechanisms interacting with the TF gene appear to dynamically alter its expression.

Aging↗

Human alpha 2-HS-glycoprotein: the A and B chains with a connecting sequence are encoded by a single mRNA transcript.

The alpha 2-HS-glycoprotein (AHSG) is a plasma protein reported to play roles in bone mineralization and in the immune response. It is composed of two subunits, the A and B chains. Recombinant plasmids containing human cDNA AHSG have been isolated by screening an adult human liver library with a mixed oligonucleotide probe. The cDNA clones containing AHSG inserts span approximately 1.5 kilobase pairs and include the entire AHSG coding sequence, demonstrating that the A and B chains are encoded by a single mRNA transcript. The cDNA sequence predicts an 18-amino-acid signal peptide, followed by the A-chain sequence of AHSG. A heretofore unseen connecting sequence of 40 amino acids was deduced between the A- and B-chain sequences. The connecting sequence demonstrates the unique amino acid doublets and collagen triplets found in the A and B chains; it is not homologous with other reported amino acid sequences. The connecting sequence may be cleaved in a posttranslational step by limited proteolysis before mature AHSG is released into the circulation or may vary in its presence because of alternative processing. The AHSG cDNA was utilized for mapping the AHSG gene to the 3q21----qter region of human chromosome 3. The availability of the AHSG cDNA clone will facilitate the analysis of its genetic control and gene expression during development and bone formation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Plant tumor reversal associated with the loss of foreign DNA.

Transformation of plant tissues into crown gall tumors has been associated with the transfer of a portion of a tumor-inducing plasmid (Ti-plasmid) into plant DNA. Various laboratories have regenerated normal-appearing plants from a number of crown gall tumors. This study investigates the fate of the foreign DNA in a series of tissues derived from various parts of a plant regenerated from the tumor BT-37 by Braum and his coworkers. It was found that all the foreign DNA sequences were lost from tissues that had lost all their tumorous traits; whereas the plasmid DNA sequences were still present in tissues that appeared normal but still exhibited tumorous traits when returned to tissue culture media. From these studies it would appear that the presence of the Ti-plasmid sequences in the plant DNA is required for the maintenance of the transformed state.

DNA↗