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Biomedical subjects

J M Shaw

Publications and source records attributed to J M Shaw.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Characterization of four CD18 mutants in leucocyte adhesion deficient (LAD) patients with differential capacities to support expression and function of the CD11/CD18 integrins LFA-1, Mac-1 and p150,95.

Leucocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD) is a hereditary disorder caused by mutations in the CD18 (beta2 integrin) gene. Four missense mutations have been identified in three patients. CD18(A270V) supports, at a diminished level, CD11b/CD18 (Mac-1, alphaMbeta2 integrin) and CD11c/CD18 (p150,95, alphaXbeta2 integrin) expression and function but not CD11a/CD18 (LFA-1, alphaLbeta2 integrin) expression. Conversely, CD18(A341P) supports a limited level of expression and function of CD11a/CD18, but not of the other two CD11/CD18 antigens. CD18(C590R) and CD18(R593C) show a decreasing capacity to associate with the CD11a, CD11c and CD11b subunits. Transfectants expressing the CD11a/CD18 with the C590R and R593C mutations are more adhesive than transfectants expressing wild-type LFA-1, and express the reporter epitope of the monoclonal antibody 24 constitutively. Thus, the four mutations affect CD18 differently in its capacities to support CD11/CD18 expression and adhesion. These results not only provide a biochemical account for the clinical diversity of patients with leucocyte adhesion deficiency, but also offer novel insights into the structural basis of interaction between the alpha and beta subunits, which is an integral component in our understanding of integrin-mediated adhesion and its regulation.

Alleles↗

The GTPase effector domain sequence of the Dnm1p GTPase regulates self-assembly and controls a rate-limiting step in mitochondrial fission.

Dnm1p belongs to a family of dynamin-related GTPases required to remodel different cellular membranes. In budding yeast, Dnm1p-containing complexes assemble on the cytoplasmic surface of the outer mitochondrial membrane at sites where mitochondrial tubules divide. Our previous genetic studies suggested that Dnm1p's GTPase activity was required for mitochondrial fission and that Dnm1p interacted with itself. In this study, we show that bacterially expressed Dnm1p can bind and hydrolyze GTP in vitro. Coimmunoprecipitation studies and yeast two-hybrid analysis suggest that Dnm1p oligomerizes in vivo. With the use of the yeast two-hybrid system, we show that this Dnm1p oligomerization is mediated, in part, by a C-terminal sequence related to the GTPase effector domain (GED) in dynamin. The Dnm1p interactions characterized here are similar to those reported for dynamin and dynamin-related proteins that form higher order structures in vivo, suggesting that Dnm1p assembles to form rings or collars that surround mitochondrial tubules. Based on previous findings, a K705A mutation in the Dnm1p GED is predicted to interfere with GTP hydrolysis, stabilize active Dnm1p-GTP, and stimulate a rate-limiting step in fission. Here we show that expression of the Dnm1 K705A protein in yeast enhances mitochondrial fission. Our results provide evidence that the GED region of a dynamin-related protein modulates a rate-limiting step in membrane fission.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Swim-trained rats have greater bone mass, density, strength, and dynamics.

Weight-bearing exercise is traditionally recommended for improving bone health in postmenopausal women. Effects of swim exercise were studied as an alternative to weight-bearing exercise in ovariectomized rats. Rats in a swim group (Sw, n = 8) swam for 12 wk, 5 days/wk for 60 min per session. A control group (Con, n = 9) engaged in no structured exercise. Femurs were analyzed for bone mineral density and for bone mineral content by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, biomechanical properties by three-point bending (Instron), and bone structure and formation by histomorphometry. Food intake did not differ among groups. Final body weights were significantly lower in Sw compared with Con (P < 0.05). Swimmers had significantly greater femoral shaft bone mineral density and content (P < 0.05) compared with Con. Femurs of the Sw group had greater mechanical properties (P < 0.05) compared with Con. Histomorphometric data were significantly better in the Sw group compared with Con after the 12-wk intervention (P < 0.05). In conclusion, data from this study demonstrate some beneficial effects of swim exercise on bone structure, turnover, and strength.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

Xenografting of canine ovarian tissue to ovariectomized severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice.

Xenografting of ovarian tissue salvaged from valuable dogs to an immunologically incompetent recipient is a possible mechanism to allow the ovarian tissue to be used for recovery of fertilizable oocytes. In this study, follicular development was assessed after xenotransplantation of fresh canine ovarian tissue into immunodeficient mice. Fresh prepubertal canine ovarian tissue was grafted beneath the kidney capsule of 7-week-old ovariectomized severe combined immunodeficient mice. At intervals after grafting, the recipient mice were killed, necropsied and the xenografts were recovered. The number and stage of development of follicles were assessed quantitatively by histological examination of serial sections of the xenografts. By day 56 after grafting, recruitment of primordial follicles had occurred but follicular development to the antral stage was not observed. The recipients showed persistent vaginal cornification and uterine dilation, which indicates that the grafts were producing hormones. However, these changes are not consistent with the oestrous cycle of either bitches or mice, indicating that inappropriate communication may occur between the recipient hypothalamic-pituitary glands and the axis of the xenograft gonad.

Animals↗

The dynamin-related GTPase, Mgm1p, is an intermembrane space protein required for maintenance of fusion competent mitochondria.

Mutations in the dynamin-related GTPase, Mgm1p, have been shown to cause mitochondrial aggregation and mitochondrial DNA loss in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells, but Mgm1p's exact role in mitochondrial maintenance is unclear. To study the primary function of MGM1, we characterized new temperature sensitive MGM1 alleles. Examination of mitochondrial morphology in mgm1 cells indicates that fragmentation of mitochondrial reticuli is the primary phenotype associated with loss of MGM1 function, with secondary aggregation of mitochondrial fragments. This mgm1 phenotype is identical to that observed in cells with a conditional mutation in FZO1, which encodes a transmembrane GTPase required for mitochondrial fusion, raising the possibility that Mgm1p is also required for fusion. Consistent with this idea, mitochondrial fusion is blocked in mgm1 cells during mating, and deletion of DNM1, which encodes a dynamin-related GTPase required for mitochondrial fission, blocks mitochondrial fragmentation in mgm1 cells. However, in contrast to fzo1 cells, deletion of DNM1 in mgm1 cells restores mitochondrial fusion during mating. This last observation indicates that despite the phenotypic similarities observed between mgm1 and fzo1 cells, MGM1 does not play a direct role in mitochondrial fusion. Although Mgm1p was recently reported to localize to the mitochondrial outer membrane, our studies indicate that Mgm1p is localized to the mitochondrial intermembrane space. Based on our localization data and Mgm1p's structural homology to dynamin, we postulate that it functions in inner membrane remodeling events. In this context, the observed mgm1 phenotypes suggest that inner and outer membrane fission is coupled and that loss of MGM1 function may stimulate Dnm1p-dependent outer membrane fission, resulting in the formation of mitochondrial fragments that are structurally incompetent for fusion.

Cell Compartmentation↗

Dnm1p GTPase-mediated mitochondrial fission is a multi-step process requiring the novel integral membrane component Fis1p.

Yeast Dnm1p is a soluble, dynamin-related GTPase that assembles on the outer mitochondrial membrane at sites where organelle division occurs. Although these Dnm1p-containing complexes are thought to trigger constriction and fission, little is known about their composition and assembly, and molecules required for their membrane recruitment have not been isolated. Using a genetic approach, we identified two new genes in the fission pathway, FIS1 and FIS2. FIS1 encodes a novel, outer mitochondrial membrane protein with its amino terminus exposed to the cytoplasm. Fis1p is the first integral membrane protein shown to participate in a eukaryotic membrane fission event. In a related study (Tieu, Q., and J. Nunnari. 2000. J. Cell Biol. 151:353-365), it was shown that the FIS2 gene product (called Mdv1p) colocalizes with Dnm1p on mitochondria. Genetic and morphological evidence indicate that Fis1p, but not Mdv1p, function is required for the proper assembly and distribution of Dnm1p-containing fission complexes on mitochondrial tubules. We propose that mitochondrial fission in yeast is a multi-step process, and that membrane-bound Fis1p is required for the proper assembly, membrane distribution, and function of Dnm1p-containing complexes during fission.

Dynamins↗

Effect of integrin beta 2 subunit truncations on LFA-1 (CD11a/CD18) and Mac-1 (CD11b/CD18) assembly, surface expression, and function.

LFA-1 (CD11a/CD18) and Mac-1 (CD11b/CD18) are members of the beta2 integrins involved in leukocyte function during immune and inflammatory responses. We aimed to determine a minimized beta2 subunit that forms functional LFA-1 and Mac-1. Using a series of truncated beta2 variants, we showed that the subregion Q23-D300 of the beta2 subunit is sufficient to combine with the alphaL and alphaM subunits intracellularly. However, only the beta2 variants terminating after Q444 promote cell surface expression of LFA-1 and Mac-1. Thus, the major cysteine-rich region and the three highly conserved cysteine residues at positions 445, 447, and 449 of the beta2 subunit are not required for LFA-1 and Mac-1 surface expression. The surface-expressed LFA-1 variants are constitutively active with respect to ICAM-1 adhesion and these variants express the activation reporter epitope of the mAb 24. In contrast, surface-expressed Mac-1, both the wild type and variants, require 0. 5 mM MnCl2 for adhesion to denatured BSA. These results suggest that the role of the beta2 subunit in LFA-1- and Mac-1-mediated adhesion may be different.

Animals↗

Gonadotrophin administration can benefit ovarian tissue grafted to the body wall: implications for human ovarian grafting.

Ovarian grafting provides a strategy for clinical infertility treatment and is starting to be used in conjunction with ovarian tissue storage for patients at risk of early ovarian failure. As patients are starting to return for their frozen stored tissue we need to ascertain how to maximise follicle survival when this tissue is grafted back to the patient. For research purposes ovarian tissue is commonly grafted to the kidney capsule as the rich capillary bed at this site favours rapid graft revascularization. This is however not an ideal site for natural conceptions or for the harvest of mature oocytes for in vitro fertilization. While oocytes would be relatively easy to recover from grafts on the abdominal wall or subcutaneous tissue graft revascularization at these sites is slower and evidence indicates that fewer follicles survive. As gonadotropins can upregulate angiogenic growth factors in the ovary this study was designed to test whether the administration of exogenous gonadotropins would increase the number of surviving follicles in grafts placed at less vascularised sites. We showed that exogenous gonadotrophins, given to either the donor or the recipient, could increase the number of developing follicles but the magnitude of this effect was influenced by the timing of the injections relative to the time of grafting.

Abdominal Muscles↗

Evaluation of the long-term function of cryopreserved ovarian grafts in the mouse, implications for human applications.

Ovarian tissue storage has several potentially very valuable clinical applications, including the management of young female patients that are at risk of premature menopause. Ovarian tissue collection, used alone or in combination with oocyte and embryo cryopreservation, may help these patients safeguard their own future fertility. All available evidence from animal studies indicates that grafting of frozen ovarian tissue should be feasible in the human. This study on the mouse shows that frozen thawed ovarian tissue grafts can restore long term fertility to previously ovariectomised recipients. This, and other available evidence, indicates that ovarian tissue collection and storage, used alone or in combination with oocyte or embryo collection, may help safeguard the fertility of patients at risk of premature menopause.

Animals↗

Fundamental cryobiology of mammalian oocytes and ovarian tissue.

Embryo cryopreservation is a widely used and relatively well-established procedure. By contrast, ovarian tissue and unfertilized oocytes are only rarely cryopreserved, even though for germ line storage these often would be preferable to embryo cryopreservation. There are many reasons for this discrepancy. Unfertilized mature (MII) stage oocytes are more difficult to cryopreserve than cleavage stage embryos of the same species. Many factors contribute to this including the oocyte's surface to volume ratio, single membrane, temperature-sensitive metaphase spindle and zona, and its susceptibility to parthenogenetic activation and chill-injury. A completely different set of problems applies to primordial follicles. Oocytes in primordial follicles are very small and tolerate cryopreservation by slow cooling very well. The problem lies in the difficulty in producing mature oocytes from these primordial follicles. Better and/or more convenient cryopreservation procedures for both oocytes and ovarian tissue are being developed. This paper describes some of the advances in this area and outlines the relative merits and limitations of several currently available egg and ovarian tissue cryopreservation procedures.

Animals↗

A novel point mutation in CD18 causing the expression of dysfunctional CD11/CD18 leucocyte integrins in a patient with leucocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD).

Leucocyte adhesion deficiency type 1 (LAD-1) is characterized by the incapacity of leucocytes to carry out their adhesion functions via their CD11/CD18 antigens, which are also referred to as the leucocyte integrins. The patients generally suffer from poor wound healing and recurrent bacterial and fungal infections. In severe cases, the infections are often systemic and life-threatening. A LAD patient (AW) of moderate phenotype has been identified but, unlike most other cases, the level of CD11/CD18 antigens on her leucocytes are uncharacteristically high for a LAD patient. Molecular analysis revealed that she is a compound heterozygote for CD18 mutations. She has inherited a D231H mutation from her father and a G284S mutation from her mother. By transfection studies, it was established that the G284S mutation does not support CD11/CD18 antigen expression on the cell surface. In contrast, the D231H mutation does not affect CD18 forming integrin heterodimers with the CD11 antigens on the cell surface. However, the expressed integrins with the D231H mutation are not adhesive to ligands.

Animals↗

Suppressors of mdm20 in yeast identify new alleles of ACT1 and TPM1 predicted to enhance actin-tropomyosin interactions.

The actin cytoskeleton is required for many aspects of cell division in yeast, including mitochondrial partitioning into growing buds (mitochondrial inheritance). Yeast cells lacking MDM20 function display defects in both mitochondrial inheritance and actin organization, specifically, a lack of visible actin cables and enhanced sensitivity to Latrunculin A. mdm20 mutants also exhibit a temperature-sensitive growth phenotype, which we exploited to isolate second-site suppressor mutations. Nine dominant suppressors selected in an mdm20/mdm20 background rescue temperature-sensitive growth defects and mitochondrial inheritance defects and partially restore actin cables in haploid and diploid mdm20 strains. The suppressor mutations define new alleles of ACT1 and TPM1, which encode actin and the major form of tropomyosin in yeast, respectively. The ACT1 mutations cluster in a region of the actin protein predicted to contact tropomyosin, suggesting that they stabilize actin cables by enhancing actin-tropomyosin interactions. The characteristics of the mutant ACT1 and TPM1 alleles and their potential effects on protein structure and binding are discussed.

Acetyltransferases↗

Long-term exercise using weighted vests prevents hip bone loss in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Bone mineral density (BMD) is a primary risk factor for hip fracture. We studied the effect of long-term weighted vest plus jumping exercise on hip BMD in postmenopausal women as a strategy for reducing hip fracture risk. METHODS: Eighteen postmenopausal women (age = 64.1 +/- 1.6 years at baseline, 69.9 +/- 1.6 years at post-testing) who had participated in a 9-month exercise intervention volunteered for the long-term trial. Nine of the original group engaged in weighted vest plus jumping exercise three times per week for 32 weeks of the year over a period of 5 years. Nine of the original controls were active but not enrolled in the exercise program. BMD of the proximal femur was assessed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry at baseline and after 5 years. RESULTS: At baseline, groups were similar for age, weight, height, years past menopause, and BMD of the femoral neck, trochanter, and total hip. At follow-up, differences in BMD at all regions of the hip were higher in exercisers than controls. For exercisers, changes in BMD were + 1.54% +/- 2.37%, -0.24% +/- 1.02%, and -0.82% +/- 1.04% (means + SE) at the femoral neck, trochanter, and total hip, respectively; controls decreased at all sites (-4.43% +/- 0.93%. 3.43% +/- 1.09%, and -3.80% +/- 1.03%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: A 5-year program of weighted vest plus jumping exercise maintains hip BMD by preventing significant bone loss in older postmenopausal women. Furthermore, this particular program appears to promote long-term adherence and compliance, as evidenced by the commitment of the exercisers for more than 5 years.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

A strategy for rapid cooling of mouse embryos within a double straw to eliminate the risk of contamination during storage in liquid nitrogen.

Double packaging, in which an inner straw containing the specimen is inserted into an outer, larger straw (here termed 'straw-in-straw') to prevent the inner straw from coming into direct contact with liquid nitrogen provides a simple strategy for reducing or eliminating the potential contamination risk associated with storage in liquid nitrogen. This approach has in the past been used in conjunction with cryopreservation by slow cooling, but has not previously been tested for use throughout an entire rapid cooling and warming procedure. This study determined whether keeping the straw containing the embryos inside a second protecting container throughout the cryopreservation and storage protocol would compromise embryo viability. We established that a cryoprotectant containing a high polymer concentration (35% dextran or Ficoll) together with 25% ethylene glycol (as the penetrating cryoprotectant) was highly effective for day 2 and day 3 mouse embryos in both single and double straws. The survival and development of all cryopreserved embryos, as assessed both in vitro and in vivo, was not statistically different to their untreated controls. This established that a protein/serum-free cryoprotectant solution supplemented with polymers could provide complete protection of mouse embryos. It also shows, for the first time, that embryos can be cooled by direct immersion in liquid nitrogen and warmed by direct immersion into a waterbath within a double straw arrangement to reduce the likelihood of contamination.

Animals↗

Body composition and physical self-concept in older women.

We sought to determine the performance and anthropometric correlates of physical self-concept and self-esteem and to observe whether long-term resistance training would alter these variables in postmenopausal women. Forty-four nonsmoking, community-dwelling, Caucasian women aged 50-75 years participated in the study. Half of the subjects participated in a 9-month regimen of weight-bearing exercises performed 3 times per week which emphasized lower body muscle strength and power development. At baseline, total body fat was negatively associated with physical self-concept and perception of physical appearance but not with self-esteem. Perception of physical appearance improved in both exercisers and controls after the 9-month trial but was most noticeable in exercisers who had low self-esteem at baseline. The only predictor of improvement in perception of physical appearance was a decrease in lower body fat mass. Minimal or nonsignificant change in psychological measures associated with the training may be due to high initial values.

Aged↗

Sugars exert a major influence on the vitrification properties of ethylene glycol-based solutions and have low toxicity to embryos and oocytes.

A systematic approach was taken to assess the vitrification properties of ethylene glycol-based solutions supplemented with carbohydrates. Solutions were prepared by weight (gravimetrically) using ethylene glycol as the cryoprotectant, 0.9% NaCl in water, and six different sugars: d-glucose, d(-)-fructose, d-sorbitol, sucrose, d(+)-trehalose, and raffinose. Sugars were added on a molal basis (0. 1, 0.5, and 1 m). Characteristics of the solutions were measured during warming by differential scanning calorimetry using a cooling rate of 100 degrees C/min and a warming rate of 10 degrees C/min. In the absence of carbohydrates a 59 wt% EG-saline solution formed a stable glass. When EG was replaced by an equimolal concentration of glucose, fructose, or sorbitol (monosaccharides) at 0.1, 0.5, or 1.0 m there was no change in the total solute concentration at which vitrification occurred, but the glass transition (Tg) occurred at a higher temperature than in EG-saline alone. When EG was replaced by an equimolal concentration of sucrose or trehalose (disaccharides) both the Tg and the lowest total solute concentration required for vitrification became progressively higher as the molecular weight, or the ratio of sugar to EG in the solutions, increased. At the highest tested disaccharide concentration (1 m) vitrification was achieved at a total solute concentration of 65 wt% (sucrose) and 67 wt% (trehalose). The polysaccharide raffinose significantly modified the vitrification properties of ethylene glycol solutions. When 0.5 or 0.1 m raffinose replaced EG on an equimolal basis the glass transition point was raised more than with either the monosaccharides or the disaccharides. Raffinose allowed vitrification at a total solute concentration of 67 wt% (0.5 m) and 63 wt% (0.1 m). The maturation of immature mouse oocytes, and the development of embryos in media containing 5-7 mM of any sugar was comparable to controls, indicating that they are not toxic. Exposure of freshly collected GV or MII oocytes to sugar concentrations between 0.5 and 1.0 M, for up to 10 min had no significant effect on the proportion which subsequently formed two cells. We conclude that added sugars do contribute to a solutions overall vitrification properties, and their properties should be taken into consideration when vitrification solutions are being designed or modified.

Animals↗

The dynamin-related GTPase Dnm1 regulates mitochondrial fission in yeast.

The dynamin-related GTPase Dnm1 controls mitochondrial morphology in yeast. Here we show that dnm1 mutations convert the mitochondrial compartment into a planar 'net' of interconnected tubules. We propose that this net morphology results from a defect in mitochondrial fission. Immunogold labelling localizes Dnm1 to the cytoplasmic face of constricted mitochondrial tubules that appear to be dividing and to the ends of mitochondrial tubules that appear to have recently completed division. The activity of Dnm1 is epistatic to that of Fzo1, a GTPase in the outer mitochondrial membrane that regulates mitochondrial fusion. dnm1 mutations prevent mitochondrial fragmentation in fzo1 mutant strains. These findings indicate that Dnm1 regulates mitochondrial fission, assembling on the cytoplasmic face of mitochondrial tubules at sites at which division will occur.

Crosses, Genetic↗