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J F Bateman

Publications and source records attributed to J F Bateman.

90 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Regulation and organization of connective tissues.

It is difficult to study the regulation and interactions of the connective tissue macromolecules in vivo. However, studies of genetically determined diseases of the connective tissues have yielded a large amount of new information in these areas. Specific molecular defects can then be correlated with the functional and pathological changes in the tissues. We have concentrated on this approach which takes advantage of the large number of families with genetic diseases who come to our Hospital from all parts of Australasia and also takes advantage of developments in molecular biology in our Unit which were initiated with a RACS John Mitchell Crouch Fellowship. In addition to these studies on naturally occurring mutations we are also studying specific mutations that we are able to produce in specific regions of the collagen molecule. Another approach takes advantage of a unique model culture system developed in our Unit. These studies will be supplemented by various collaborative projects such as current ones involving smooth muscle cells in atherosclerosis, bone cells metabolism and myelofibrosis in leukaemia.

Adult↗

Autoantibodies to type II collagen: occurrence in rheumatoid arthritis, other arthritides, autoimmune connective tissue diseases, and chronic inflammatory syndromes.

Serum IgG antibodies to native and denatured human type II collagen (Col II) were measured using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). One hundred and thirty one patients with various forms of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriatic arthritis (PSA). Reiter's Syndrome (RS), osteoarthritis (OA), and gout, 60 with autoimmune connective tissue disease, and 37 with the chronic inflammatory conditions--graft versus host disease and leprosy--were studied. With the exception of RS, PSA, OA, and gout, significant levels of Col II antibodies were detected in each disease group. Blocking studies with types I and II collagen on selected serum samples confirmed the specificity to native Col II, though some cross reactivity was apparent with denatured collagen. The patients with RA who were Col II antibody positive tended to fall into stage III of disease progression. There was, however, no correlation with rheumatoid factor, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, or disease duration and this, together with the finding that Col II antibodies are present in a wide array of diseases, makes their role in the pathogenesis of RA questionable. They may arise as a secondary disease perpetuating mechanism in some patients, or in turn may be an epiphenomenon secondary to generalised disturbed immunoregulation or B cell hyperreactivity, or both, that characterises these clinical conditions.

Adult↗

Cell-layer-associated proteolytic cleavage of the telopeptides of type I collagen in fibroblast culture.

In human skin fibroblast cultures a fraction of the procollagen that was processed to collagen and remained in the cell layer was further proteolytically modified by removal of both N- and C-terminal telopeptides. The proteolytic activity was associated with the cell layer, since secreted collagens were found always to contain intact telopeptides. The inclusion of neutral polymers, which caused the accumulation of the collagen in the cell layer [Bateman, Cole, Pillow & Ramshaw (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 4198-4203], made the telopeptide cleavage more apparent in those cells which expressed the proteolytic activity. The extent of this cleavage was variable from cell culture to cell culture and between experiments with the same fibroblast line. The proteolytic activity was pH-dependent; cleavage was greatest at a culture-medium pH of 7.5 and 8.0 and was completely inhibited at a culture-medium pH of 7.0 and 6.5. The activity was significantly inhibited by soybean trypsin inhibitor, an elastase-specific inhibitor (N-acetylalanylalanylprolylvalylchloromethane) and the thrombin inhibitor hirudin. This cell-associated proteolytic activity may play a role in collagen degradation by removing the telopeptides, which are the primary sites of collagen cross-linking, thus destabilizing the collagen matrix sufficiently to render it susceptible to further proteolytic breakdown.

Cells, Cultured↗

Peptide analysis of collagen produced from cDNA by transcription and translation in vitro.

When collagen CNBr-cleavage peptides are analysed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis each peptide is resolved into a reproducible set of charged forms. To test whether this peptide heterogeneity resulted from polymorphic mRNA, collagen was produced by transcription and translation in vitro of a collagen cDNA clone, and the peptides were mapped by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. A cDNA construct was produced by ligation of the 5' end of the rat phenylalanine hydroxylase cDNA [Dahl & Mercer (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 4148-4153], containing the translation-initiation codon, to a human alpha 1(I) cDNA [Chu, Myers, Bernard, Ding & Ramirez (1982) Nucleic Acids Res. 10, 5925-5934] coding for a large portion of helical region including the complete CB7 and CB3 CNBr-cleavage peptides. This cDNA construct was ligated into the transcription vector pSP65, and cell-free translation of the mRNA transcribed from the pSP65 plasmid was performed with a rabbit reticulocyte lysate system. After CNBr cleavage of the hybrid protein translation products, the collagen CB7 and CB3 peptides were resolved by two-dimensional electrophoresis into the same multiple charged forms whether the mRNA was produced from the cDNA construct or was extracted from normal fibroblast cultures. This result demonstrated that the multiple peptide spots were not due to polymorphic mRNA species. The heterogeneity must result from some uncharacterized specific post-translational modification or chemical alterations during sample preparation. This method of expression and analysis of proteins from cDNA clones should be of considerable use in the identification and characterization of clones that code for mutant proteins.

Collagen↗

Lethal perinatal osteogenesis imperfecta due to the substitution of arginine for glycine at residue 391 of the alpha 1(I) chain of type I collagen.

A baby with the lethal perinatal form of osteogenesis imperfecta was shown to have a structural defect in the alpha 1(I) chain of type I procollagen. Normal and mutant alpha 1(I) CB8 cyanogen bromide peptides, from the helical part of the alpha 1(I) chains, were purified from bone. Amino acid sequencing of tryptic peptides derived from the mutant alpha 1(I) CB8 peptide showed that the glycine residue at position 391 of the alpha 1(I) chain had been replaced by an arginine residue. This substitution accounted for the more basic charged form of this peptide that was observed on two-dimensional electrophoresis of the collagen peptides obtained from the tissues. The substitution was associated with increased enzymatic hydroxylation of lysine residues in the alpha 1(I) CB8 and the adjoining CB3 peptides but not in the carboxyl-terminal CB6 and CB7 peptides. This finding suggested that the sequence abnormality had interfered with the propagation of the triple helix across the mutant region. The abnormal collagen was not incorporated into the more insoluble fraction of bone collagen. The baby appeared to be heterozygous for the sequence abnormality and as the parents did not show any evidence of the defect it is likely that the baby had a new mutation of one allele of the pro-alpha 1(I) gene. The amino acid substitution could result from a single nucleotide mutation in the codon GGC (glycine) to produce the codon CGC (arginine).

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A structural mutation of the collagen alpha 1(I)CB7 peptide in lethal perinatal osteogenesis imperfecta.

Structurally abnormal type I collagen was identified in the dermis, bone, and cultured fibroblasts obtained from a baby with lethal perinatal osteogenesis imperfecta. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of the CNBr peptides demonstrated that the alpha 1(I)CB7 peptide from the alpha 1(I)-chain of type I collagen existed in a normal form and a mutant form with a more basic charge distribution. This heterozygous peptide defect was not detected in the collagens from either parent. The defect was localized to a 224-residue region at the NH2 terminus of the alpha 1(I)CB7 peptide by mammalian collagenase digestion. Analysis of unhydroxylated collagens produced in cell culture indicated that the mutant alpha 1(I)CB7 migrated faster on electrophoresis suggesting that the abnormality may be a small deletion or a mutation that alters sodium dodecyl sulfate binding. The post-translational hydroxylation of lysine residues was increased in the CB7 peptide and also in peptides CB3 and CB8 which are toward the NH2 terminus of the alpha 1(I)-chain. The COOH-terminal CB6 peptide was normally hydroxylated. These findings support the proposal that the lysine overhydroxylation resulted from a perturbation of helix propagation from the COOH to NH2 terminus of the collagen trimer caused by the structural defect in alpha 1(I)CB7.

Collagen↗

Collagen defects in lethal perinatal osteogenesis imperfecta.

Quantitative and qualitative abnormalities of collagen were observed in tissues and fibroblast cultures from 17 consecutive cases of lethal perinatal osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). The content of type I collagen was reduced in OI dermis and bone and the content of type III collagen was also reduced in the dermis. Normal bone contained 99.3% type I and 0.7% type V collagen whereas OI bone contained a lower proportion of type I, a greater proportion of type V and a significant amount of type III collagen. The type III and V collagens appeared to be structurally normal. In contrast, abnormal type I collagen chains, which migrated slowly on electrophoresis, were observed in all babies with OI. Cultured fibroblasts from five babies produced a mixture of normal and abnormal type I collagens; the abnormal collagen was not secreted in two cases and was slowly secreted in the others. Fibroblasts from 12 babies produced only abnormal type I collagens and they were also secreted slowly. The slower electrophoretic migration of the abnormal chains was due to enzymic overmodification of the lysine residues. The distribution of the cyanogen bromide peptides containing the overmodified residues was used to localize the underlying structural abnormalities to three regions of the type I procollagen chains. These regions included the carboxy-propeptide of the pro alpha 1(I)-chain, the helical alpha 1(I) CB7 peptide and the helical alpha 1(I) CB8 and CB3 peptides. In one baby a basic charge mutation was observed in the alpha 1(I) CB7 peptide and in another baby a basic charge mutation was observed in the alpha 1(I) CB8 peptide. The primary defects in lethal perinatal OI appear to reside in the type I collagen chains. Type III and V collagens did not appear to compensate for the deficiency of type I collagen in the tissues.

Bone and Bones↗

Deletion of 24 amino acids from the pro-alpha 1(I) chain of type I procollagen in a patient with the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type VII.

A child with the type VII form of the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome was shown to have a structural defect in the amino terminus of the pro-alpha 1(I) chain of type I procollagen. Normal and mutant amino-terminal cyanogen bromide peptides (pN-alpha 1(I) CB0,1 peptides) were purified from the medium of the patient's cultured fibroblasts. Amino acid sequencing of tryptic peptides derived from the mutant pN-alpha 1(I) CB0,1 peptide showed that an expected sequence of 24 amino acids (positions 136-159 of the normal pN-alpha 1(I) CB0,1 peptide) was deleted. The segment deleted from the mutant pro-alpha 1(I) chain contains the small globular region of the NH2-propeptide, the procollagen N-proteinase cleavage site, the NH2-telopeptide, and first triplet of the helix of the alpha I(I) collagen chain (Chu, M.-L., de Wet, W., Bernard, M., Ding, J.F., Morabito, M., Myers, J., Williams, C., and Ramirez, F. (1984) Nature 310, 337-340). Loss of the procollagen N-proteinase cleavage site from the mutant pro-alpha 1(I) chain accounted for the persistence of its NH2-propeptide despite normal production of the N-proteinase by cultured mutant fibroblasts. Collagen production by mutant fibroblasts was doubled possibly due to reduced feedback inhibition by the NH2-propeptides. The child appeared to be heterozygous for the peptide deletion and, as the parents did not show any evidence of the deletion, it is likely that the child had a new mutation of one allele of the pro-alpha 1(I) gene. The deleted peptide corresponds precisely to the sequence coded by exon 46 of the normal pro-alpha 1(I) gene (Chu, M.-L., de Wet, W., Bernard, M., Ding, J.F., Morabito, M., Myers, J., Williams, C., and Ramirez, F. (1984) Nature 310, 337-340).

Amino Acids↗

Induction of procollagen processing in fibroblast cultures by neutral polymers.

In cultures of dermal fibroblasts, procollagen and the intermediates pC- and pN-collagen accumulated in the culture medium with little further processing to collagen. When polyethylene glycol (PEG) or other neutral polymers were added to fibroblast culture medium, no collagen or procollagen was found in the medium, but all the collagen was associated with the cell layer. The type I procollagen was fully processed to collagen with an initial transient accumulation of pN-collagen, and the processed collagen formed covalently cross-linked dimers. The presence of pepsin-sensitive COOH-terminal telopeptides and the accumulation of pN-collagen in PEG-treated cultures of dermatosparactic fibroblasts indicated that it was likely that processing occurred via the correct in vivo propeptidase activities. At the levels used in this study, PEG did not have any toxic effect during the incubation period on the fibroblasts in culture, since the amount of total protein synthesis was not altered by addition of PEG to cultures. However, the level of collagen production was reduced to about half, indicating that there was increased degradation or that the released collagen propeptides or the accumulation of processed collagen in association with the cells exerted a feedback regulation on collagen synthesis. Addition of neutral polymers to the culture medium provided a simple means of achieving complete and accurate processing of procollagen which more closely resembled the in vivo process.

Animals↗

Rapid fractionation of collagen chains and peptides by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A strategy was developed, using a Pharmacia Fast Protein Liquid chromatography (FPLC) system, for the rapid preparation of the alpha-chains, cyanogen bromide peptides and tryptic peptides of type I collagen obtained from tissues and cultured fibroblasts. Collagen alpha-chains were prepared using a C18 PEP-RPC reverse-phase column and volatile solvents. Preliminary Superose 6 gel permeation chromatography was used to separate the crosslinked beta- and gamma-chains from the alpha-chains of tissue collagen samples. A Mono S cation-exchange column was used to resolve all of the major type I collagen cyanogen bromide peptides including the alpha 1(I)CB7 and CB8 peptides, which have not been well resolved by previously published methods. Collagen tryptic peptides were chromatographed on the PEP-RPC reverse-phase column.

Cells, Cultured↗

A [4,5-3H]lysine:[14C]lysine dual-label method to measure lysine hydroxylation in collagen.

A new method has been developed to determine the extent of lysine hydroxylation in newly synthesized collagen. This method relies on the measurement of changes in the ratio of [3H]lysine:[14C]lysine in collagenase digests, resulting from loss of tritium from the C-5 position of lysine during hydroxylation. Lysine hydroxylation can be measured in the presence of large amounts of noncollagen proteins, and simultaneous quantitation of the relative rates of collagen and non-collagen protein production is obtained. The dual-label lysine method is simple, rapid, and accurate. There was a very good correlation between this method and column chromatography procedures currently used for the measurement of lysine hydroxylation.

Animals↗

Abnormal type I collagen metabolism by cultured fibroblasts in lethal perinatal osteogenesis imperfecta.

Cultured skin fibroblasts from seven consecutive cases of lethal perinatal osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) expressed defects of type I collagen metabolism. The secretion of [14C]proline-labelled collagen by the OI cells was specifically reduced (51-79% of control), and collagen degradation was increased to twice that of control cells in five cases and increased by approx. 30% in the other two cases. Sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis revealed that four of the OI cell lines produced two forms of type I collagen consisting of both normally and slowly migrating forms of the alpha 1(I)- and alpha 2(I)-chains. In the other three OI cell lines only the 'slow' alpha (I)'- and alpha 2(I)'-chains were detected. In both groups inhibition of the post-translational modifications of proline and lysine resulted in the production of a single species of type I collagen with normal electrophoretic migration. Proline hydroxylation was normal, but the hydroxylysine contents of alpha 1(I)'- and alpha 2(I)'-chains purified by h.p.l.c. were greater than in control alpha-chains. The glucosylgalactosylhydroxylysine content was increased approx. 3-fold while the galactosylhydroxylysine content was only slightly increased in the alpha 1(I)'-chains relative to control alpha 1(I)-chains. Peptide mapping of the CNBr-cleavage peptides provided evidence that the increased post-translational modifications were distributed throughout the alpha 1(I)'- and alpha 2(I)'-chains. It is postulated that the greater modification of these chains was due to structural defects of the alpha-chains leading to delayed helix formation. The abnormal charge heterogeneity observed in the alpha 1 CB8 peptide of one patient may reflect such a structural defect in the type I collagen molecule.

Cells, Cultured↗

Precipitation of collagens by polyethylene glycols.

Types I, II, and III collagens are readily precipitated at neutral pH by polyethylene glycols (PEG). As the molecular weight fraction of the polyethylene glycols increases, they become more effective as precipitants on a weight basis. The amount of PEG required for precipitation depends on the pH, the ionic strength, and the nature of the buffer or salts present. In tissue culture media, low concentrations of collagens and procollagens may be quantitatively precipitated and readily collected by low-speed centrifugation. Polyethylene glycol precipitation can be used to obtain collagens and procollagens from tissue culture media at either analytical or preparative scale, and since the polyethylene glycols do not bind to collagens, the precipitates may be further analyzed directly by chromatographic or electrophoretic methods.

Cells, Cultured↗

Mechanisms of Kirsten murine sarcoma virus transformation-induced changes in the collagen phenotype and synthetic rate of BALB 3T3 cells.

Specific viral transformation rather than cell selection can explain the previously observed increase in the proportion of type III procollagen compared to type I procollagen in BALB 3T3 cells transformed by Kirsten murine sarcoma virus (Ki-MSV). Two subclones of BALB 3T3 A31 were productively infected with with a temperature-sensitive Ki-MSV in the presence of helper murine leukemia virus (MLV), resulting in virtually complete transformation of cultures and eliminating selection of transformed foci. Analysis of radioactive collagen, derived from procollagen by pepsin treatment, showed that both of the tsKi-MSV/MLV-transformed subclones contained a 4-fold greater proportion of type III procollagen than did control MLV-infected cultures. A nonproducer derivative exhibited an even greater change (10-fold), indicating that viral replication was irrelevant. After 48 hr at a nonpermissive temperature, tsKi-MSV-transformed cells retained a high proportion of type III procollagen, suggesting that either this change is not induced by src protein or else there is a slowly reversible or irreversible step involved. Alternatively, type III procollagen mRNA may be long lived. In contrast, the relative rate of procollagen synthesis in transformed cells was clearly regulated by src protein. Translation of mRNA from cells preincubated at permissive or nonpermissive temperatures revealed that the decreased relative rate can be explained by a simultaneous small decrease in the level of procollagen mRNA and a large increase in mRNA for noncollagen proteins.

Animals↗

Characterization of the collagen synthesized by cultured cartilage cells.

Cartilage cells from embryonic chick cartilage were grown in primary cultures. The cell layer was sequentially extracted with neutral saline, mercaptoethylamine and pepsin which revealed that these cells produced salt-soluble and salt-insoluble collagen. The alpha1- to alpha2-chain ratio was determined for the collagen extracted from the cultured cells and was found to be 13 to 1. Further analysis of the molecule was carried out by CNBr cleavage of the salt-extracted collagen and separation of resulting peptides by ion-exchange chromatography. It was shown that the cultured cartilage cells synthesize collagen of the type (alpha1[II])3.

Amino Acids↗