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Biomedical subjects

G Gustafson

Publications and source records attributed to G Gustafson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Nucleotide sequence of barley stripe mosaic virus RNA alpha: RNA alpha encodes a single polypeptide with homology to corresponding proteins from other viruses.

The complete nucleotide sequence of RNA alpha from the Type strain of barley stripe mosaic virus has been determined. The RNA is 3768 nucleotides long and contains a single open reading frame which codes for a polypeptide of 1139 amino acids (mw 129,634). The open reading frame is flanked by a 5'-terminal sequence of 91 nucleotides and a 3'-nontranslated region composed of a short poly(A) tract followed by a 238-nucleotide tRNA-like structure. The amino acid sequence of the polypeptide (alpha a) encoded by the open reading frame has homology with the TMV 126K protein and with related polypeptides from other viruses. The carboxy-terminal portion of the alpha a polypeptide also has limited homology with the 58K (beta b) protein encoded by BSMV RNA beta and includes a consensus sequence found in mononucleotide-binding polypeptides.

Amino Acid Sequence

The nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome--Gorlin's syndrome. Multiple jaw cysts and skin cancer.

The nevoid basal cell carcinoma (NBS) syndrome with its characteristic multiple cysts of the jaws and skin cancer is of great interest to the dentist, the dermatologist and the oncologist. The dentist may have the opportunity of making an early diagnosis as the multiple cysts appear mostly in the ramus of the lower jaw. There is a great risk of recurrence as surgical removal is often very complicated. The disease is hereditary and is transmitted through females. The skin cancer can in most cases be treated surgically. It is essential that the family with the syndrome is investigated regularly and at periods of about six months.

Adult

Nucleotide sequence and genetic organization of barley stripe mosaic virus RNA gamma.

The complete nucleotide sequences of RNA gamma from the Type and ND18 strains of barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) have been determined. The sequences are 3164 (Type) and 2791 (ND18) nucleotides in length. Both sequences contain a 5'-noncoding region (87 or 88 nucleotides) which is followed by a long open reading frame (ORF1). A 42-nucleotide intercistronic region separates ORF1 from a second, shorter open reading frame (ORF2) located near the 3'-end of the RNA. There is a high degree of homology between the Type and ND18 strains in the nucleotide sequence of ORF1. However, the Type strain contains a 366 nucleotide direct tandem repeat within ORF1 which is absent in the ND18 strain. Consequently, the predicted translation product of Type RNA gamma ORF1 (mol wt 87,312) is significantly larger than that of ND18 RNA gamma ORF1 (mol wt 74,011). The amino acid sequence of the ORF1 polypeptide contains homologies with putative RNA polymerases from other RNA viruses, suggesting that this protein may function in replication of the BSMV genome. The nucleotide sequence of RNA gamma ORF2 is nearly identical in the Type and ND18 strains. ORF2 codes for a polypeptide with a predicted molecular weight of 17,209 (Type) or 17,074 (ND18) which is known to be translated from a subgenomic (sg) RNA. The initiation point of this sgRNA has been mapped to a location 27 nucleotides upstream of the ORF2 initiation codon in the intercistronic region between ORF1 and ORF2. The sgRNA is not coterminal with the 3'-end of the genomic RNA, but instead contains heterogeneous poly(A) termini up to 150 nucleotides long (J. Stanley, R. Hanau, and A. O. Jackson, 1984, Virology 139, 375-383). In the genomic RNA gamma, ORF2 is followed by a short poly(A) tract and a 238-nucleotide tRNA-like structure.

Amino Acid Sequence

The complete nucleotide sequence of RNA beta from the type strain of barley stripe mosaic virus.

The complete nucleotide sequence of RNA beta from the type strain of barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) has been determined. The sequence is 3289 nucleotides in length and contains four open reading frames (ORFs) which code for proteins of Mr 22,147 (ORF1), Mr 58,098 (ORF2), Mr 17,378 (ORF3), and Mr 14,119 (ORF4). The predicted N-terminal amino acid sequence of the polypeptide encoded by the ORF nearest the 5'-end of the RNA (ORF1) is identical (after the initiator methionine) to the published N-terminal amino acid sequence of BSMV coat protein for 29 of the first 30 amino acids. ORF2 occupies the central portion of the coding region of RNA beta and ORF3 is located at the 3'-end. The ORF4 sequence overlaps the 3'-region of ORF2 and the 5'-region of ORF3 and differs in codon usage from the other three RNA beta ORFs. The coding region of RNA beta is followed by a poly(A) tract and a 238 nucleotide tRNA-like structure which are common to all three BSMV genomic RNAs.

Amino Acid Sequence

Appearance of different lymphoid cells in synovial tissue and in peripheral blood during the course of collagen II-induced arthritis in rats.

The involvement of different sets of lymphoid cells in the development of collagen II-induced arthritis in rats was studied by means of immunohistochemical analyses on frozen sections of tissue from joint biopsy specimens taken at different phases of arthritis development. Particular attention was paid to cells involved in early pannus formation. Accumulation of anti-Ia-reactive cells close to the cartilage surface was seen early in the development of pannus, and the anti-Ia reactive cells could in later phases be seen infiltrating cartilage and crowding bone surfaces at sites of marginal erosion. With the help of monoclonal anti-T-cell subset antibodies and rabbit anti-rat immunoglobulin antiserum, it was demonstrated that synovial infiltration of T lymphocytes, particularly W3/25-reactive T "helper" cells, occurs very early in the development of arthritis, whereas a moderate increase of Ox 8-positive 'suppressor/cytotoxic' T cells and a small number of B cells and plasma cells are seen later in the course of the disease. Levels of Ia-expressing cells and of T cells belonging to different subsets were recorded in peripheral blood by means of immunocytochemical analyses on cell smears; no significant deviations from normal levels were seen during the development of arthritis.

Animals

Disulfide crosslinks and the specificity of protein turnover in plants.

Studies of the protein metabolism of detached tomato leaves, hormonally induced to accumulate proteinase inhibitors, have indicated that the state of oxidation of protein-bound half-cystine residues may be a principal parameter affecting in vivo and in vitro stability of leaf proteins. Induced leaves exhibited a general specificity of intracellular protein degradation directed towards the preferential hydrolysis of proteins having free-sulfhydryl residues. Proteins having disulfide cross-linkages, including the proteinase inhibitors, were markedly stable to in vivo degradation, and as a result, accumulated. These results provide a precedence for a cellular protein selection process, resulting from a directed specificity of intracellular protein degradation, which is focused on a particular protein structural parameter.

Cysteine

Specificity of protein turnover in tomato leaves. Accumulation of proteinase inhibitors, induced with the wound hormone, PIIF.

Detached tomato leaves, supplied with the proteinase inhibitor inducing factor (PIIF) and incubated with water under constant light, exhibited a specificity of intracellular protein turnover directed toward the selective accumulation of heat-stable proteins having disulfide corss-linkages. Approximately 70% of the accumulated proteins could be accounted for in two proteinase inhibitors rich in disulfide links. The accumulation of proteins containing disulfides was accompanied by a net loss in total leaf protein, mainly of heat-precipitable proteins having free sulfhydryl residues. Relative rates of synthesis of --S--S-- proteins and --SH proteins were assessed by comparing rates of incorporation of isotope into the inhibitor proteins and noninhibitor leaf proteins. Although the inhibitors represented about 12% of total leaf protein after 71 h of induction, only about 2% of total protein synthesis was directed toward inhibitor synthesis during incubation of induced leaves. The marked stability of inhibitors, and other disulfide proteins against degradation in vivo, appeared to be a major factor providing for their selective accumulation. It was concluded that the state of oxidation of protein-bound half-cystine residues may be a principle parameter influencing the susceptibility of leaf proteins to degradation in vivo.

Binding Sites

Evidence for a physiologic role of pancreatic glucagon in human glucose homeostasis: studies with somatostatin.

To study the role of glucagon in human glucose homeostasis, experimental glucagon deficiency was produced by infusing somatostatin (i. v. 250 mug bolus, followed by infusion of 500 mug/hr) in six normal subjects and in two hypophysectomized patients-an insulin-dependent diabetic and a nondiabetic. In normal subjects, somatostatin lowered plasma glucagon from a mean (plus or minus SE) basal level of 85 plus or minus 15 to 33 plus or minus 10 pg/ml, p smaller than 0.001. Concurrently, plasma glucose fell from 90 plus or minus 2 to 73 plus or minus 3 mg/100 ml, p smaller than 0.001. Serum insulin and growth hormone fell slightly during somatostatin infusion, while plasma free fatty acids rose. In both hypophysectomized patients, somatostatin lowered plasma glucagon and glucose levels. In all subjects, after stopping somatostatin infusions, plasma glucagon and glucose returned promptly to control values, while serum growth hormone did not change. In additional in vitro studies, somatostatin (1 mug/ml) had no effect on muscle glucose uptake. Since it is known that somatostatin has no direct effect on hepatic glucose production, these results suggest that the fall in plasma glucose during somatostatin infusion resulted from inhibition of glucagon secretion, thus providing evidence that this hormone plays a physiologic role in the maintenance of fasting euglycemia in man.

Adult

Normalization of fasting hyperglucagonemia and excessive glucagon responses to intravenous arginine in human diabetes mellitus by prolonged infusion of insulin.

Infusion of insulin (1 U/hr) for 14 hr suppressed basal glucagon levels and normalized previously excessive glucagon responses to arginine in juvenile-onset, insulin-dependent diabetic subjects, indicating that abnormal pancreatic alpha-cell function in human juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus may be a consequence of insulin lack.

Adult

Effects of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate and adenosine 5'-monophosphate on glycogen degradation and synthesis in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Data are presented demonstrating that the presence in vivo of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (3',5'-AMP) causes a rapid depletion of glycogen storage material in the cellular slime mold. The effect of adenosine 5'-monophosphate (5'-AMP) is twofold, stimulating both glycogen degradation and synthesis. In pseudoplasmodia, cell-free extracts appear to contain at least two species of glycogen phosphorylase, one of which is severely inhibited by glucose-1-phosphate and another which is only partially inhibited by this hexose-phosphate. In some cases, 5'-AMP partially overcomes the inhibition by glucose-1-phosphate. Data presented here also indicate the existence of two forms of glycogen synthetase, the total activity of which does not change during 10 hr of differentiation from aggregation to culmination. During this period there is a quantitative conversion of glucose-6-phosphate-independent enzyme activity to glucose-6-phosphate-dependent activity. It is suggested that one effect of 3',5'-AMP is closely related to enzymatic processes involved in the rapid conversion of glycogen to cell wall material and other end products accumulating during sorocarp construction.

Adenine Nucleotides