Biomedical subjects

G Vereb

Publications and source records attributed to G Vereb.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

Photodynamic therapy combined with a cysteine proteinase inhibitor synergistically decrease VEGF production and promote tumour necrosis in a rat mammary carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and inhibition of cathepsin B proteases by cystatin (cysteine proteinase inhibitor, CPI) are potential new tumour treatment modalities. We have investigated the efficacy of PDT and CPI alone and in combination on a solid mammary carcinoma transplanted into Wistar rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Intraperitoneally injected single doses of chlorine e6 or HpD as photosensitizers were excited at 630 nm (90 J/cm(2)). CPI (500 micro g per animal) was injected around the tumour daily during the 8-day treatment. Inoculation of tumour was either on day 1 of the protocol, or 8 days before. On day 8, tumour size was measured, tumour necrosis and vascularization were determined based on haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained sections and serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. RESULTS: No differences (two-way anova) were found for treatments started with various time lags. At doses where CPI or PDT alone had no or negligible effect, their combination caused a marked (P < 0.001) decrease in serum VEGF, paralleled by a significant decrease in tumour size and number of capillary vessels, and a significant increase in necrosis (up to 80% of the tumour tissue). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of PDT and CPI could be a useful approach in tumour therapy as the two agents appear to be synergistic and probably decrease VEGF production by the tumour tissue.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Dynamic, yet structured: The cell membrane three decades after the Singer-Nicolson model.

The fluid mosaic membrane model proved to be a very useful hypothesis in explaining many, but certainly not all, phenomena taking place in biological membranes. New experimental data show that the compartmentalization of membrane components can be as important for effective signal transduction as is the fluidity of the membrane. In this work, we pay tribute to the Singer-Nicolson model, which is near its 30th anniversary, honoring its basic features, "mosaicism" and "diffusion," which predict the interspersion of proteins and lipids and their ability to undergo dynamic rearrangement via Brownian motion. At the same time, modifications based on quantitative data are proposed, highlighting the often genetically predestined, yet flexible, multilevel structure implementing a vast complexity of cellular functions. This new "dynamically structured mosaic model" bears the following characteristics: emphasis is shifted from fluidity to mosaicism, which, in our interpretation, means nonrandom codistribution patterns of specific kinds of membrane proteins forming small-scale clusters at the molecular level and large-scale clusters (groups of clusters, islands) at the submicrometer level. The cohesive forces, which maintain these assemblies as principal elements of the membranes, originate from within a microdomain structure, where lipid-lipid, protein-protein, and protein-lipid interactions, as well as sub- and supramembrane (cytoskeletal, extracellular matrix, other cell) effectors, many of them genetically predestined, play equally important roles. The concept of fluidity in the original model now is interpreted as permissiveness of the architecture to continuous, dynamic restructuring of the molecular- and higher-level clusters according to the needs of the cell and as evoked by the environment.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Synthesis of new cyclitol compounds that influence the activity of phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase isoform, PI4K230.

The synthesis, chemical derivatization, and investigation of the inhibitory properties of novel cyclitol derivatives on the phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase enzymes PI4K55 and PI4K230 involved in the phosphatidylinositol cycle are reported. Some of the prepared cyclitol derivatives (i.e. 9, 11, 12, and 14) proved to be very powerful and specific irreversible inhibitors of PI4K230 at or below a concentration of 1 mM.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

The ATP-binding site of brain phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase PI4K230 as revealed by 5'-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyladenosine.

The ATP-binding site of purified bovine brain phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase 230 (PI4K230) was studied by its reaction with 5'-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyladenosine (FSBA), an ATP-like alkylating reagent. Four hundred to eight hundred micromolar FSBA inactivated PI4K230 specifically with apparently first-order kinetics and resulted in 50% loss of enzyme activity in 36--130 min. The specificity of the reaction with FSBA was demonstrated by the lack of inactivation with 5'-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyl chloride and by protection with ATP and ATP analogues against inactivation. Most ATP analogues competed with FSBA inactivation in order of their increasing hydrophobicity, parallel to their inhibitory potency in activity measurements. The specific binding of FSBA to PI4K230 was demonstrated also by Western-blot experiments. These results suggest that FSBA-reactive group(s) involved in the enzyme activity are located near to the ATP-binding site in a hydrophobic region of native PI4K230. Experiments with site-directed mutagenesis indicate that the conserved Lys-1792 plays essential role in the enzyme activity and serves as one target of affinity labelling by FSBA. Prevention of both Lys-1792-directed and Lys-1792-independent binding of FSBA by Cibacron Blue 3GA suggest that these sites are located spatially close to each other.

1-Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase↗

PubMed2000

Cholesterol-dependent clustering of IL-2Ralpha and its colocalization with HLA and CD48 on T lymphoma cells suggest their functional association with lipid rafts.

Immunogold staining and electron microscopy show that IL-2 receptor alpha-subunits exhibit nonrandom surface distribution on human T lymphoma cells. Analysis of interparticle distances reveals that this clustering on the scale of a few hundred nanometers is independent of the presence of IL-2 and of the expression of the IL-2R beta-subunit. Clustering of IL-2Ralpha is confirmed by confocal microscopy, yielding the same average cluster size, approximately 600-800 nm, as electron microscopy. HLA class I and II and CD48 molecules also form clusters of the same size. Disruption of cholesterol-rich lipid rafts with filipin or depletion of membrane cholesterol with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin results in the blurring of cluster boundaries and an apparent dispersion of clusters for all four proteins. Interestingly, the transferrin receptor, which is thought to be located outside lipid rafts, exhibits clusters that are only 300 nm in size and are less affected by modifying the membrane cholesterol content. Furthermore, transferrin receptor clusters hardly colocalize with IL-2Ralpha, HLA, and CD48 molecules (crosscorrelation coefficient is 0.05), whereas IL-2Ralpha colocalizes with both HLA and CD48 (crosscorrelation coefficient is between 0.37 and 0.46). This coclustering is confirmed by electron microscopy. The submicron clusters of IL-2Ralpha chains and their coclustering with HLA and CD48, presumably associated with lipid rafts, could underlie the efficiency of signaling in lymphoid cells.

Antigens, CD↗

PubMed2000

Immunohistochemical localisation of two phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase isoforms, PI4K230 and PI4K92, in the central nervous system of rats.

The distribution and cellular localisation of the phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase isoforms, PI4K230 and PI4K92, that are believed to play important roles in the intracellular signalling mechanisms were studied in the rat brain (cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus and spinal cord) using immunocytochemistry with light and electron microscopy. PI4K230 was detected with a specific antibody purified by affinity chromatography from the egg yolk of chicken immunised with a 33-kDa fragment of bovine PI4K230, comprising amino acids 873-1175 of the native protein. PI4K92 was immunostained with a commercially available antibody raised in rabbit against amino acid residues 410-537 of human PI4K92. At the light microscopic level, the immunostaining of PI4K230 and PI4K92 showed a very similar distribution throughout the neurons and appeared as dense punctate labelling in the cytoplasm of perikarya and stem dendrites of various neurons. In addition to neurons, a strongly stained cell population was observed in the molecular layer of the cerebellar cortex that resembled Bergmann glia cells. Electron microscopy of neurons in the ventral horn of the spinal cord showed dense granular immunoprecipitates for both PI4K230 and PI4K92, mostly associated with the outer membrane of mitochondria and membranes of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. In addition, immunostaining of PI4K92 was also frequently found on the outer surface of cisterns and vesicles of Golgi complexes, whereas PI4K230 immunoreactivity was colocalised with some multivesicular bodies. Neither nuclear localisation nor a regular attachment to the cell membrane of these enzymes were observed. Our findings indicate that PI4K230 and PI4K92 are not involved directly in the ligand-stimulated turnover of phosphoinositides at the plasma membrane of neurons. However, they may provide regulatory phosphoinositides for intracellular vesicular traffic being associated with various organelles.

1-Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase↗

PubMed1999

Rapid characterization of green fluorescent protein fusion proteins on the molecular and cellular level by fluorescence correlation microscopy.

Fluorescence correlation microscopy (FCM) was applied to characterize fusion proteins of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) on the cellular as well as molecular level within seconds in an integrated instrument. FCM combines the inherent sensitivity and high spatial resolution of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy with fluorescence imaging and micropositioning, thereby providing a spectrum of molecular information in the cellular context. Signatures of characteristic parameters derived from the autocorrelation functions served to distinguish a GFP fusion protein of the epidermal growth factor receptor from GFP fluorescence in the endoplasmic reticulum and cytoplasm. Diffusion constants measured for free transiently expressed GFP reproduced values reported previously with other techniques. The accessible concentration range extends from millions to only a few thousand molecules per cell, with single molecule detectability in the femtoliter detection volume. The detailed molecular characterization offered by FCM is fully compatible with automation in sample identification and detection, offering new possibilities for highly integrated high-throughput screening.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Functional expression and characterisation of a new human phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase PI4K230.

By constructing DNA probes we have identified and cloned a human PtdIns 4-kinase, PI4K230, corresponding to a mRNA of 7.0 kb. The cDNA encodes a protein of 2044 amino acids. The C-terminal part of ca. 260 amino acids represents the catalytic domain which is highly conserved in all recently cloned PtdIns 4-kinases. N-terminal motifs indicate multiple heterologous protein interactions. Human PtdIns 4-kinase PI4K230 expressed in vitro exhibits a specific activity of 58 micromol mg-1min-1. The enzyme expressed in Sf9 cells is essentially not inhibited by adenosine, it shows a high Km for ATP of about 300 microM and it is half-maximally inactivated by approximately 200 nM wortmannin. These data classify this enzyme as type 3 PtdIns 4-kinase. Antibodies raised against the N-terminal part moderately activate and those raised against the C-terminal catalytic domain inhibit the enzymatic activity. The coexistence of two different type 3 PtdIns 4-kinases, PI4K92 and PI4K230, in several human tissues, including brain, suggests that these enzymes are involved in distinct basic cellular functions.

1-Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase↗

PubMed1998

Temporally and spectrally resolved imaging microscopy of lanthanide chelates.

The combination of temporal and spectral resolution in fluorescence microscopy based on long-lived luminescent labels offers a dramatic increase in contrast and probe selectivity due to the suppression of scattered light and short-lived autofluorescence. We describe various configurations of a fluorescence microscope integrating spectral and microsecond temporal resolution with conventional digital imaging based on CCD cameras. The high-power, broad spectral distribution and microsecond time resolution provided by microsecond xenon flashlamps offers increased luminosity with recently developed fluorophores with lifetimes in the submicrosecond to microsecond range. On the detection side, a gated microchannel plate intensifier provides the required time resolution and amplification of the signal. Spectral resolution is achieved with a dual grating stigmatic spectrograph and has been applied to the analysis of luminescent markers of cytochemical specimens in situ and of very small volume elements in microchambers. The additional introduction of polarization optics enables the determination of emission polarization; this parameter reflects molecular orientation and rotational mobility and, consequently, the nature of the microenvironment. The dual spectral and temporal resolution modes of acquisition complemented by a posteriori image analysis gated on the spatial, spectral, and temporal dimensions lead to a very flexible and versatile tool. We have used a newly developed lanthanide chelate, Eu-DTPA-cs124, to demonstrate these capabilities. Such compounds are good labels for time-resolved imaging microscopy and for the estimation of molecular proximity in the microscope by fluorescence (luminescence) resonance energy transfer and of molecular rotation via fluorescence depolarization. We describe the spectral distribution, polarization states, and excited-state lifetimes of the lanthanide chelate crystals imaged in the microscope.

Chelating Agents↗

PubMed1997

Microspectroscopic imaging of nodulation factor-binding sites on living Vicia sativa roots using a novel bioactive fluorescent nodulation factor.

A novel bioactive fluorescent nodulation (Nod) factor, NodRlv-IV(BODIPY FL-C16), has been synthesized by attaching a BODIPY FL-C16 acyl chain to the primary amino group of chitotetraose deacetylated at the nonreducing terminus by recombinant NodB. The binding of the fluorescent Nod factor to root systems of Vicia sativa was investigated with fluorescence spectral imaging microscopy (FSPIM) and fluorescence ratio imaging microscopy (FRIM). Spatially resolved fluorescence spectra of living and labeled Vicia sativa root systems were measured by FSPIM. Strong autofluorescence, inherent to many plant systems when excited at 488 nm, was corrected for by utilizing the difference in fluorescence emission spectra of the autofluorescence and NodRlv-IV(BODIPY FL-C16). A methodology is presented to break down the in situ fluorescence emission spectra into spatially resolved autofluorescence and BODIPY FL fluorescence spectra. Furthermore, an FRIM method was developed for correcting autofluorescence in fluorescence micrographs for this system. After autofluorescence correction it was shown that NodRlv-IV(BODIPY FL-C16) was concentrated in the root hairs, but was also bound to other parts of the root surface.

Binding Sites↗

PubMed1997

Effect of anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies on TPO activity measured by chemiluminescence assay.

A chemiluminescence method was developed to measure thyroid peroxidase (TPO) activity and the inhibitory effect of anti-TPO antibodies in purified porcine TPO. The TPO preparation was characterized kinetically and controlled by Western-blotting technique. The chemiluminescence method proved to be reproducible and much more sensitive than the widely used guaiacol method, being able to detect TPO concentrations of 2.21 x 10(-5) g/L vs 6.63 x 10(-2) g/L with the latter. Otherwise, the determinations with the two methods correlated well (r = 0.76). Investigating the effect of IgGs from 23 hypothyroid patients on measured TPO activity, we detected inhibition in 19 cases with the chemiluminescence technique (15 with the guaiacol method). Anti-TPO antibodies showed competitive inhibition of TPO activity with respect to the substrate guaiacol. In both systems, the inhibition is present in the IgG F(ab')2 fragment. We conclude that the high sensitivity of chemiluminescence detection allows routine determination of the inhibition of TPO activity by anti-TPO antibodies.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Mutual protection of microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase II against mu-calpain.

Phosphorylation by adenosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase (PKA), but not by Ca(++)-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMK II), was shown earlier to protect microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) from cleavage by m-calpain (Johnson and Foley: J Neurosci Res 34: 642-647, 1993). We reinvestigated this phenomenon with the physiologically more relevant mu-calpain and found a qualitatively similar but quantitatively different picture. We further demonstrate that 1) protection is biphasically dependent on the degree of phosphorylation; 2) Ca(++)-phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (PKC) has about the same effect as PKA; 3) the effects of kinases A and C are not additive; and 4) stripping of native MAP2 from its phosphate content (17.8 +/- 2.3 mol/mol) enhances calpainolysis 3.6-fold. A reciprocal effect between kinase A and MAP2 was found: the RII, but not the RI, regulatory subunit of kinase A, which was shown to bind specifically to MAP2, is protected by MAP2 from mu-calpain attack. It is suggested that the specific anchoring of kinase A-II on MAP2 may serve not only kinase targeting in the dendrites, but also protection from calpainolytic degradation.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Depletion of intracellular calcium stores facilitates the influx of extracellular calcium in platelet derived growth factor stimulated A172 glioblastoma cells.

Calcium signaling in non-excitable cells is the consequence of calcium release from intracellular stores, at times followed by entry of extracellular calcium through the plasma membrane. To study whether entry of calcium depends upon the level of saturation of intracellular stores, we measured calcium channel opening in the plasma membrane of single confluent A172 glioblastoma cells stimulated with platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) and/or bradykinin (BK). We monitored the entry of extracellular calcium by measuring manganese quenching of Indo-1 fluorescence. PDGF raised intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) after a dose-dependent delay (tdel) and then opened calcium channels after a dose-independent delay (tch). At higher doses (> 3 nM), BK increased [Ca2+]i after a tdel approximately 0 s, and tch decreased inversely with both dose and peak [Ca2+]i. Experiments with thapsigargin (TG), BK, and PDGF indicated that BK and PDGF share intracellular Ca2+ pools that are sensitive to TG. When these stores were depleted by treatment with BK and intracellular BAPTA, tdel did not change, but tch fell to almost 0 s in PDGF stimulated cells, indicating that depletion of calcium stores affects calcium channel opening in the plasma membrane. Our data support the capacitative model for calcium channel opening and the steady-state model describing quantal Ca2+ release from intracellular stores.

Becaplermin↗

PubMed1996

Identification of a 200 kDa polypeptide as type 3 phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase from bovine brain by partial protein and cDNA sequencing.

Two phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase isozymes, type 3 and type 2, have been separated on hydroxylapatite after solubilizing bovine brain microsomes with Triton X-114. Employing a newly developed renaturation procedure following SDS-PAGE, we demonstrate that a 200 kDa polypeptide carries the enzyme activity of this type 3 isoform. Chromatography on hydroxylapatite, Heparin-Sepharose, Superdex 200 and finally SDS-PAGE results in an approximately 30,000-fold purification. Tryptic peptides generated from the 200 kDa polypeptide after SDS-PAGE have been sequenced and the obtained data have been used for constructing and synthesizing degenerated oligonucleotides. Polymerase chain reaction as well as screening of cDNA libraries allowed several clones to be isolated from which a 4.7 kb contiguous sequence can be built up. The open reading frame covers 4.4 kb with a 0.3 kb untranslated 3' end which yields a deduced amino acid sequence of 1,467 amino acids. The C-terminal part of ca. 300 amino acids represents the catalytic domain. Sequence alignment of this domain with the mammalian counterpart, the human type 2 phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase, the yeast kinases STT4 and PIK1, as well as with the catalytic domains of bovine, human, mouse and yeast phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases reveals a high degree of identity: 26 of these approximately 300 amino acids are invariable in all of these eight catalytic domains. Five motifs indicate nuclear localization and DNA binding properties of the enzyme. Two leucine zipper motifs (amino acids 358-386, 862-882) are detectable. Furthermore, a helix loop helix motif (amino acids 716-729) as well as two nuclear localization signals (amino acids 838-854, 345-349) indicate the presence of the type 3 isoform in the nucleus.

1-Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase↗

PubMed1995

Structural hierarchy in the clustering of HLA class I molecules in the plasma membrane of human lymphoblastoid cells.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens in the plasma membranes of human T (HUT-102B2) and B (JY) lymphoma cells were probed by immunochemical reagents using fluorescence, transmission electron, and scanning force microscopies. Fluorescent labels were attached to monoclonal antibodies W6/32 or KE-2 directed against the heavy chain of HLA class I (A, B, C) and L368 or HB28 against the beta 2-microglobulin light chain. The topological distribution in the nanometer range was studied by photobleaching fluorescence resonance energy transfer (pbFRET) on single cells. A nonrandom codistribution pattern of MHC class I molecules was observed over distances of 2-10 nm. A second, nonrandom, and larger-scale topological organization of the MHC class I antigens was detected by indirect immunogold labeling and imaging by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning force microscopy (SFM). Although some differences in antigen distribution between the B- and T-cell lines were detected by pbFRET, both cell lines exhibited similar clustering patterns by TEM and SFM. Such defined molecular distributions on the surfaces of cells of the immune system may reflect an underlying specialization of membrane lipid domains and fulfill important functional roles in cell-cell contacts and signal transduction.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Kinetic characterization of thyroid peroxidase enzyme and its inhibition by autoantibodies.

A guaiacol method was developed to measure thyroid peroxidase (TPO) activity and the inhibitory effect of anti-TPO antibodies using purified porcine TPO. The TPO preparation was characterized kinetically and identified by western-blotting technique. The K(M) for guaiacol determined in vitro was 5.6 x 10(-4) M. Investigating the effect of IgG's from 23 hypothyroid patients on TPO activity inhibition was detected in 15 cases with the guaiacol method. It was found that anti-TPO antibodies exerted a competitive inhibition TPO activity with respect to the substrate guaiacol. The inhibition is carried by IgGF(ab')2 fragment. We wanted to gain a method which is interpreted immunologically and can be well employed in the clinical practice.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Partially phosphorylated phosphorylase in the rat heart after beta-receptor stimulation in vivo.

The formation of the phosphorylase ab hybrid and its further transformation into phosphorylase a has been demonstrated in the rat heart after different periods of i.v. isoproterenol administration. Phosphorylase ab hybrid was determined in the presence of AMP and/or caffeine. Only the partially phosphorylated phosphorylase was found in the control rat hearts and its activity was 30% of the total phosphorylase. The phosphorylase ab hybrid was disclosed particularly after small isoproterenol doses (0.031-0.062 microgram.kg-1) and at short time interval (15 s) after its administration. Higher isoproterenol doses (0.25-0.5 microgram.kg-1) changed the partially phosphorylated phosphorylase to phosphorylase a (58%) after a longer time interval (40 s). The phosphorylase ab hybrid was revealed even at the maximal rate of stimulation. The formation of the phosphorylase ab hybrid in the rat heart in vivo appears to be of physiological significance. Our results confirmed the earlier suggestion that the -AMP/+AMP activity ratio reflects the percentage proportion of the phosphorylated subunits of phosphorylase but not of the activated phosphorylase molecules.

Adenosine Monophosphate↗

PubMed1994

Effects of bretylium tosylate on voltage-gated potassium channels in human T lymphocytes.

Using the patch-clamp technique, we determined that bretylium tosylate, a quaternary ammonium compound possessing immunomodulating activity, decreased the whole-cell K+ current in human T lymphocytes, in a dose-dependent manner, in the 0.05-5 mM extracellular concentration range. Bretylium tosylate prolonged the recovery from inactivation and accelerated the inactivation and deactivation of the K+ current but did not influence the kinetics of activation or the voltage dependence of activation and steady state inactivation of the K+ conductance. The percentage of drug-induced block was independent of membrane potential. K+ channel block by bretylium tosylate was partially and slowly removable by washing with drug-free extracellular solution. Bovine serum albumin (10 mg/ml) in the bath lifted the drug-induced block almost instantaneously, although not completely. In control experiments bovine serum albumin increased the inactivation time constant of the K+ channels but left the peak K+ current amplitude unaffected. On the basis of the experimental evidence, a gating-dependent allosteric interaction is suggested for the mechanism of drug action. The effective dose range, time of exposure, and reversibility of bretylium tosylate-induced K+ channel block correlated well with the same parameters of the drug-induced inhibition of T lymphocyte activation. The reported effects of bretylium tosylate on T cell mitogenesis can be regarded partly as a consequence of its blocking effects on voltage-gated K+ channels.

Bretylium Tosylate↗