Biomedical subjects

Finn C Nielsen

Publications and source records attributed to Finn C Nielsen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Dimerization of ADAR2 is mediated by the double-stranded RNA binding domain.

Members of the family of adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADARs) can catalyze the hydrolytic deamination of adenosine to inosine and thereby change the sequence of specific mRNAs with highly double-stranded structures. The ADARs all contain one or more repeats of the double-stranded RNA binding motif (DRBM). By both in vitro and in vivo assays, we show that the DRBMs of rat ADAR2 are necessary and sufficient for dimerization of the enzyme. Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) demonstrates that ADAR2 also exists as dimers in living mammalian cells and that mutation of DRBM1 lowers the dimerization affinity while mutation of DRBM2 does not. Nonetheless, the editing efficiency of the GluR2 Q/R site depends on a functional DRBM2. The ADAR2 DRBMs thus serve differential roles in RNA dimerization and GluR2 Q/R editing, and we propose a model for RNA editing that incorporates the new findings.

Adenosine Deaminase↗

PubMed2006

Characteristics of the Danish families with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is caused by autosomal dominantly inherited mutations in the MEN1 gene. Here, we report 25 MEN1 mutations - of which 12 are novel - found in 36 Danish families with MEN1 or variant MEN1 disease. Furthermore, one FIHP family was found to have an earlier reported mutation. The mutations were predominantly found in exons 9 and 10 encoding the C-terminal part of menin. Seven of the mutations were missense mutations, changing conserved residues. Furthermore screening of 93 out of 153 consecutive patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) identified five mutation carriers. Two of these belonged to known MEN1 families, whereas the only MEN1-related disease in the other three was pHPT. Screening of 96 consecutive patients with fore-/midgut endocrine tumours revealed five mutation carries out of 28 patients with sporadic gastrinomas, whereas no mutations were found in 68 patients with other fore-/midgut endocrine tumours. Moreover, screening of 60 consecutive patients with primary prolactinoma did not identify any mutation carriers. Our data indicate that MEN1 mutation screening is efficient in patients with familial MEN1. Screening should also be offered to patients with pHPT or gastrinomas after thorough investigation into the family history. In contrast, sporadic carcinoid tumours or primary prolactinomas are rarely associated with germ-line MEN1 mutations.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2006

RNA-binding IMPs promote cell adhesion and invadopodia formation.

Oncofetal RNA-binding IMPs have been implicated in mRNA localization, nuclear export, turnover and translational control. To depict the cellular actions of IMPs, we performed a loss-of-function analysis, which showed that IMPs are necessary for proper cell adhesion, cytoplasmic spreading and invadopodia formation. Loss of IMPs was associated with a coordinate downregulation of mRNAs encoding extracellular matrix and adhesion proteins. The transcripts were present in IMP RNP granules, implying that IMPs were directly involved in the post-transcriptional control of the transcripts. In particular, we show that a 5.0 kb CD44 mRNA contained multiple IMP-binding sites in its 3'UTR, and following IMP depletion this species became unstable. Direct knockdown of the CD44 transcript mimicked the effect of IMPs on invadopodia, and we infer that CD44 mRNA stabilization may be involved in IMP-mediated invadopodia formation. Taken together, our results indicate that RNA-binding proteins exert profound effects on cellular adhesion and invasion during development and cancer formation.

3' Untranslated Regions↗

PubMed2006

IA1 is NGN3-dependent and essential for differentiation of the endocrine pancreas.

Neurogenin 3 (Ngn3) is key for endocrine cell specification in the embryonic pancreas and induction of a neuroendocrine cell differentiation program by misexpression in adult pancreatic duct cells. We identify the gene encoding IA1, a zinc-finger transcription factor, as a direct target of Ngn3 and show that it forms a novel branch in the Ngn3-dependent endocrinogenic transcription factor network. During embryonic development of the pancreas, IA1 and Ngn3 exhibit nearly identical spatio-temporal expression patterns. However, embryos lacking Ngn3 fail to express IA1 in the pancreas. Upon ectopic expression in adult pancreatic duct cells Ngn3 binds to chromatin in the IA1 promoter region and activates transcription. Consistent with this direct effect, IA1 expression is normal in embryos mutant for NeuroD1, Arx, Pax4 and Pax6, regulators operating downstream of Ngn3. IA1 is an effector of Ngn3 function as inhibition of IA1 expression in embryonic pancreas decreases the formation of insulin- and glucagon-positive cells by 40%, while its ectopic expression amplifies neuroendocrine cell differentiation by Ngn3 in adult duct cells. IA1 is therefore a novel Ngn3-regulated factor required for normal differentiation of pancreatic endocrine cells.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Favourable effect of TNF-alpha inhibitor (infliximab) on Blau syndrome in monozygotic twins with a de novo CARD15 mutation.

Blau syndrome is a hereditary granulomatous disease caused by mutations in the CARD15 gene that is diagnosed in children of young age with exanthema/erythema, arthritis/periarthritis and/or uveitis. We report two cases of Blau syndrome in Danish Caucasian monozygotic male twins, exhibiting a heterozygous de novo R334W mutation in codon 334 of CARD15. The patients were initially diagnosed as having sarcoidosis. In both twins, symptoms (exanthema, arthritis/periarthritis) started at 1 year of age, and were followed by uveitis at 7-10 years of age. There was no involvement of the lungs or other organs. An initial course of standard antituberculous treatment had no effect on the symptoms. Hydroxychloroquine and cyclosporine A were also ineffective, and the latter caused impaired renal function. Partial symptomatic relief was obtained with prednisolone and increased benefit was observed in combination with methotrexate. Subsequent introduction of the TNF-alpha inhibitor eternacept did not discernibly benefit the clinical condition, but was associated with recurrent infections. In contrast, a trial of infliximab therapy demonstrated clinical efficacy and eliminated all symptoms, restoring a high quality of life. At follow up at 20 years of age (after 2-5 years of infliximab treatment) the twins had an almost normal physical appearance and a normal psychomotoric development, indicating a favourable short-term prognosis of the disease. Blau syndrome has pathologic, clinical and therapeutic features in common with sarcoidosis, but rarely involves the lungs or other parenchymatous organs. In children, discrimination between early onset sarcoidosis and Blau syndrome should include a CARD15 mutation analysis.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Control of fetal growth and neonatal survival by the RasGAP-associated endoribonuclease G3BP.

The regulation of mRNA stability plays a major role in the control of gene expression during cell proliferation, differentiation, and development. Here, we show that inactivation of the RasGAP-associated endoribonuclease (G3BP)-encoding gene leads to embryonic lethality and growth retardation. G3BP-/- mice that survived to term exhibited increased apoptotic cell death in the central nervous system and neonatal lethality. Both in mouse embryonic fibroblasts and during development, the absence of G3BP altered the expression of essential growth factors, among which imprinted gene products and growth arrest-specific mRNAs were outstanding. The results demonstrate that G3BP is essential for proper embryonic growth and development by mediating the coordinate expression of multiple imprinted growth-regulatory transcripts.

Alleles↗

PubMed2005

Expression of IGF-II mRNA-binding proteins (IMPs) in gonads and testicular cancer.

Insulin-like growth factor-II mRNA-binding proteins 1, 2 and 3 (IMP1, IMP2 and IMP3) belong to a family of RNA-binding proteins implicated in mRNA localization, turnover and translational control. We examined their expression pattern during development of murine and human testis and ovaries. In the mouse, IMPs were expressed in male and female gonadal cells at embryonic day 12.5 (E12.5). From E16.5, IMP1 and IMP3 became restricted to the developing germ cells, whereas IMP2 expression persisted in the interstitial cells. In mature mouse and human ovaries, IMP1, IMP2 and IMP3 were detected in resting and growing oocytes and in the granulosa cells. In testis, IMP1 and IMP3 were found mainly in the spermatogonia, whereas IMP2 was expressed in the immature Leydig cells. Moreover, all three IMPs were detected in human semen. The developmental expression pattern of IMP1 and IMP3 in the human testis prompted us to examine their possible involvement in testicular neoplasia. IMPs were detected primarily in germ-cell neoplasms, including preinvasive testicular carcinoma in situ, classical and spermatocytic seminoma, and nonseminomas, with particularly high expression in undifferentiated embryonal carcinoma. The relative expression of IMP1, IMP2 and IMP3 varied among tumor types and only IMP1 was detected in all carcinoma in situ cells. Thus IMPs, and in particular IMP1, may be useful auxiliary markers of testicular neoplasia.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Procholecystokinin as marker of human Ewing sarcomas.

PURPOSE: Ewing sarcoma is a rapidly growing mesenchymal tumor in young adults. Although it was shown previously to express the cholecystokinin (CCK) gene, it is unknown whether CCK gene expression is detectable at protein level in Ewing sarcoma tumor cell lines, in tumor tissue, and in plasma from Ewing sarcoma patients, and, if so, whether CCK peptides might play a role as tumor markers. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: CCK gene expression was evaluated with in situ hybridization or reverse transcription-PCR in tumor tissue. CCK precursors and bioactive CCK were measured with specific RIAs in tumor tissue, in cell culture medium, and in plasma of Ewing sarcoma patients before and after chemotherapy as well as after tumor recurrence. RESULTS: CCK mRNA was identified in 12 Ewing sarcoma biopsies sampled in two series and in four Ewing sarcoma cell lines but not in unrelated neoplasia. Immunoreactive proCCK was identified in the culturing medium of all Ewing sarcoma cell lines but not in the media from unrelated tumor cell lines. Moreover, in plasma from Ewing sarcoma patients, precursors and mature forms of CCK, in particular proCCK, were detected; several fold elevation of the total proCCK product was found in plasma from patients before treatment and after tumor recurrence, whereas successful chemotherapy reduced proCCK to basal concentrations. Plasma concentrations of proCCK paralleled the respective tumor size. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study that consistently documents an altered CCK metabolism in human cancer; Ewing sarcomas synthesize and secrete proCCK that can be identified in plasma as circulating tumor marker.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

PubMed2004

GSK-3beta reduces cAMP-induced cholecystokinin gene expression by inhibiting CREB binding.

The cAMP signaling pathway stimulates cholecystokinin (CCK) gene transcription via CREB binding to a cAMP response element (CRE). In the present study we examined the function of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta) on cAMP-induced CCK gene transcription. Co-transfection of GSK-3beta reduced the cAMP-induced CCK promoter activity with approximately 80% and approximately 60% in SK-N-MC and PC12 cells, respectively. Binding of in vitro translated CREB to the CCK CRE(-80) promoter element was reduced following incubation with recombinant GSK-3beta. Finally, mutation of serine-129, which is a phosphorylation site for GSK-3beta, did not abolish cAMP-induced CREB-dependent transcription, and cAMP-mediated GAL4-CREB transcription was unaffected by co-transfection with GSK-3beta. We conclude that GSK-3beta regulates cAMP-induced CCK transcription by reducing CREB binding to the CRE(-80) element in the CCK promoter.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

KCl and forskolin synergistically up-regulate cholecystokinin gene expression via coordinate activation of CREB and the co-activator CBP.

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is one of the most abundant peptide transmitters in the mammalian brain. Despite the physiological significance of CCK expression in long-term memory and psychiatric disorders, little is known about the factors that regulate the expression of CCK peptides. Here, we report that KCl and forskolin synergistically increase CCK gene transcription via protein kinase A (PKA) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signalling pathways, activating cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) associated with the CRE(- 80) element of the CCK promoter. Whereas, CREB Ser133 phosphorylation was essential for transcriptional activation, the synergistic stimulation was not correlated to the level of Ser133 phosphorylation, indicating that recruitment and/or activation of additional downstream factors were required for maximal stimulation. Transcriptional activation was reduced by co-expression of adenovirus 12S E1A, that inhibits binding of CREB-binding protein (CBP) to CREB. Moreover GAL4-CREB-DIEDML, which mediates the phosphorylation-independent binding of CBP, and the C-terminal domain of CBP was synergistically activated by forskolin and KCl. Taken together the results imply that neuronal CCK gene transcription is regulated by the cumulative action of calcium and cAMP via stimulation of the PKA and ERK signalling pathways and that synergy is accomplished by the coordinate activation of CREB and CBP.

Adenovirus E1A Proteins↗

PubMed2004

Dwarfism and impaired gut development in insulin-like growth factor II mRNA-binding protein 1-deficient mice.

Insulin-like growth factor II mRNA-binding protein 1 (IMP1) belongs to a family of RNA-binding proteins implicated in mRNA localization, turnover, and translational control. Mouse IMP1 is expressed during early development, and an increase in expression occurs around embryonic day 12.5 (E12.5). To characterize the physiological role of IMP1, we generated IMP1-deficient mice carrying a gene trap insertion in the Imp1 gene. Imp1(-/-) mice were on average 40% smaller than wild-type and heterozygous sex-matched littermates. Growth retardation was apparent from E17.5 and remained permanent into adult life. Moreover, Imp1(-/-) mice exhibited high perinatal mortality, and only 50% were alive 3 days after birth. In contrast to most other organs, intestinal epithelial cells continue to express IMP1 postnatally, and Imp1(-/-) mice exhibited impaired development of the intestine, with small and misshapen villi and twisted colon crypts. Analysis of target mRNAs and global expression profiling at E12.5 indicated that Igf2 translation was downregulated, whereas the postnatal intestine showed reduced expression of transcripts encoding extracellular matrix components, such as galectin- 1, lumican, tenascin-C, procollagen transcripts, and the Hsp47 procollagen chaperone. Taken together, the results demonstrate that IMP1 is essential for normal growth and development. Moreover, IMP1 may facilitate intestinal morphogenesis via regulation of extracellular matrix formation.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Nuclear transit of human zipcode-binding protein IMP1.

The human IMPs (insulin-like growth factor II mRNA-binding proteins) belong to a vertebrate zipcode-binding protein family consisting of two RNA recognition motifs and four K homology domains and have been implicated in cytoplasmic mRNA localization, turnover and translational control. In the present study, we show that IMP1 is capable of translocating into nuclei of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and its immunoreactivity is present in the nuclei of human spermatogenic cells. IMP1 does not contain a simple import signal, but nuclear entry was facilitated by disruption of RNA binding and cytoplasmic granule formation. IMP1 contains two NESs (nuclear export signals) within the RNA-binding K homology domains 2 and 4. The former is a leucine-rich leptomycin B-sensitive NES, whereas the latter is a leptomycin B-insensitive NES. Taken together, these results indicate that IMP1 may attach to its target mRNAs in the nucleus and thereby define the cytoplasmic fate of the transcripts.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗

PubMed2003

KCl potentiates forskolin-induced PC12 cell neurite outgrowth via protein kinase A and extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling pathways.

In the present study, the effect of KCl-induced calcium influx on PC12 cell differentiation was examined. We show that KCl depolarization potentiates the effect of forskolin-induced neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells. The effects of KCl and forskolin were mediated via the protein kinase A (PKA) and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathways, since addition of the ERK kinase (MEK1) inhibitor PD98059 and the PKA inhibitor H89 inhibits neurite outgrowth. KCl depolarization and forskolin synergistically activate the ERK signaling pathway, but whereas KCl-mediated ERK activation depends on both PKA and MEK1, forskolin activates ERK in a PKA-independent manner. Finally, we find that KCl depolarization and forskolin both induce nuclear ERK2 translocation via a PKA- and MEK1-dependent pathway. The results demonstrate that PKA and ERK play a key role in KCl- and forskolin-induced neuronal differentiation by integration of signals from both pathways.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗

PubMed2003

ADAM12 induces actin cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix reorganization during early adipocyte differentiation by regulating beta1 integrin function.

Changes in cell shape are a morphological hallmark of differentiation. In this study we report that the expression of ADAM12, a disintegrin and metalloprotease, dramatically affects cell morphology in preadipocytes, changing them from a flattened, fibroblastic appearance to a more rounded shape. We showed that the highest levels of ADAM12 mRNA were detected in preadipocytes at the critical stage when preadipocytes become permissive for adipogenic differentiation. Furthermore, as assessed by immunostaining, ADAM12 was transiently expressed at the cell surface concomitant with the reduced activity of beta1 integrin. Co-immunoprecipitation studies indicated the formation of ADAM12/beta1 integrin complexes in these preadipocytes. Overexpression of ADAM12 at the cell surface of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes achieved by transient transfection or retroviral transduction led to the disappearance of the extensive network of actin stress fibers that are characteristic of these cells, and its reorganization into a cortical network located beneath the cell membrane. The cells became more rounded, exhibited fewer vinculin-positive focal adhesions, and adhered less efficiently to fibronectin in attachment assays. Moreover, ADAM12-expressing cells were more prone to apoptosis, which could be prevented by treating the cells with beta1-activating antibodies. A reduced and re-organized fibronectin-rich extracellular matrix accompanied these changes. In addition, beta1 integrin was more readily extracted with Triton X-100 from cells overexpressing ADAM12 than from control cells. Collectively, these results show that surface expression of ADAM12 impairs the function of beta1 integrins and, consequently, alters the organization of the actin cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix. These events may be necessary for early adipocyte differentiation.

ADAM Proteins↗

PubMed2003

Compensation for dystrophin-deficiency: ADAM12 overexpression in skeletal muscle results in increased alpha 7 integrin, utrophin and associated glycoproteins.

Mouse models for genetic diseases are among the most powerful tools available for developing and testing new treatment strategies. ADAM12 is a disintegrin and metalloprotease, previously demonstrated to significantly alleviate the pathology of mdx mice, a model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy in humans. More specifically ADAM12 appeared to prevent muscle cell necrosis in the mdx mice as evidenced by morphological analysis and by the reduced levels of serum creatine kinase. In the present study we demonstrated that ADAM12 may compensate for the dystrophin deficiency in mdx mice by increasing the expression and redistribution of several components of the muscle cell-adhesion complexes. First, we analyzed transgenic mice that overexpress ADAM12 and found mild myopathic changes and accelerated regeneration following acute injury. We then analyzed changes in gene-expression profiles in mdx/ADAM12 transgenic mice compared with their littermate controls and found only a few genes with an expression change greater than 2-fold between mdx/ADAM12 and mdx. The small changes in gene expression were unexpected, considering the marked improvement of the mdx pathology when ADAM12 is overexpressed, and suggested that significant changes in mdx/ADAM12 muscle might occur post-transcriptionally. Indeed, by immunostaining and immunoblotting we found an approximately 2-fold increase in expression, and distinct extrasynaptic localization, of alpha 7B integrin and utrophin, the functional homolog of dystrophin. The expression of the dystrophin-associated glycoproteins was also increased. In conclusion, these results demonstrate a novel way to alleviate dystrophin deficiency in mice, and may stimulate the development of new approaches to compensate for dystrophin deficiency in animals and humans.

ADAM Proteins↗

PubMed2003

New tools for quantifying and visualizing adoptively transferred cells in recipient mice.

Adoptive transfer of donor cells in mice is widely used in research on the function and metabolism of lymphocytes. We have evaluated new approaches for quantifying and visualizing adopted cells in recipient mouse tissue. We injected spleen cells from male beta-galactosidase (LacZ) transgenic mice into female wild type mice and assessed the robustness of real-time PCR for quantifying the accumulation of the donor cells in blood and tissues of the recipient mice. The clearance of donor cells from the blood and their recruitment in lung, spleen, liver, and kidney was almost identical when obtained with amplification of the donor cell-specific LacZ or sex-determining region on the Y-chromosome (SRY) gene. We found, however, a marked difference in the PCR amplification efficiency of genomic DNA of different tissues, which should be taken into account when comparing recruitment of donor cells in different tissues. To visualize adoptively transferred cells, we used either spleen cells from transgenic mice, which express a Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) transgene or spleen cells that had been fluorescence labeled ex vivo with CellTracker Orange. Whereas ex vivo and in vivo labeled donor cells could easily be detected in recipient mouse tissue by laser scanning confocal microscopy, only CellTracker Orange-labeled cells could be detected by conventional fluorescence microscopy due to autofluorescence in the examined tissues. Importantly, CellTracker Orange labeling did not appear to affect the blood clearance or the tissue accumulation of the donor cells. Together, the results demonstrate the usefulness of new protocols for quantifying and visualizing adoptively transferred cells by genetic tracing or fluorescence labeling.

Adoptive Transfer↗

PubMed2002

Disruption of a novel regulatory element in the erythroid-specific promoter of the human PKLR gene causes severe pyruvate kinase deficiency.

We established the molecular basis for pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency in a white male patient with severe nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia. The paternal allele exhibited the common PKLR cDNA sequence (c.) 1529G>A mutation, known to be associated with PK deficiency. On the maternal allele, 3 in cis mutations were identified in the erythroid-specific promoter region of the gene: one deletion of thymine -248 and 2 single nucleotide substitutions, nucleotide (nt) -324T>A and nt -83G>C. Analysis of the patient's RNA demonstrated the presence of only the 1529A allele, indicating severely reduced transcription from the allele linked to the mutated promoter region. Transfection of promoter constructs into erythroleukemic K562 cells showed that the most upstream -324T>A and -248delT mutations were nonfunctional polymorphisms. In contrast, the -83G>C mutation strongly reduced promoter activity. Site-directed mutagenesis of the promoter region revealed the presence of a putative regulatory element (PKR-RE1) whose core binding motif, CTCTG, is located between nt -87 and nt -83. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay using K562 nuclear extracts indicated binding of an as-yet-unidentified trans-acting factor. This novel element mediates the effects of factors necessary for regulation of pyruvate kinase gene expression during red cell differentiation and maturation.

Alleles↗

PubMed2002

Cytoplasmic trafficking of IGF-II mRNA-binding protein by conserved KH domains.

The IGF-II mRNA-binding proteins (IMPs), which are composed of two RNA recognition motifs, (RRM) and four hnRNP K homology (KH) domains, have been implicated in subcytoplasmic localization of mRNAs during embryogenesis. The IMP family originated via two gene duplications before the divergence of vertebrates, and IMP homologues consisting of only the four KH motifs have been identified in Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans. Here we characterise the trafficking of GFP-IMP1 fusion proteins and determine the structural determinants for proper cytoplasmic localization. GFP-IMP1 is present in large 200-700 nm RNP granules, which are distributed along microtubules. In motile cells, GFP-IMP1 is transported towards the leading edge into the cortical region of the lamellipodia where it is connected to microfilaments. Granules travel in an ATP-dependent fashion at an average speed of 0.12 microm/s (range 0.04-0.22 microm/s), and cells switch from a delocalized to a localized pattern within 15-20 minutes. Both granule formation and localization are unaffected by removal of the two RRMs, whereas deletion of the KH domains, which mediate RNA-binding, impairs these functions. We conclude that IMP1 localization is associated with motility and that the major functions of IMP1 are carried out by the phylogenetically conserved KH domains.

3T3 Cells↗