PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Silver

Publications and source records attributed to J Silver.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Changes in a murine leukemia virus (MLV) receptor encoded by an alphavirus vector during passage in cells expressing the MLV envelope.

We constructed alphavirus vectors encoding the ecotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV) receptor mCAT1. Cells electroporated with these vector RNAs expressed mCAT1 protein and fused with cells that expressed a fusogenic form of the MLV envelope on the cell surface. Electroporated cells also released submicron particles that were infectious in envelope-expressing cells. Infection resulted in giant syncytia that could be enumerated by plaque assay. Cell-free supernatants could be serially passaged and contained up to 10(4) infectious units/ml. To determine whether repeated passage would select for functional variants of the receptor, we analyzed mCAT1 amplified by RT-PCR after 12 serial passages. Several amino acid substitutions were identified that encoded functional receptor variants. In independent experiments, variants containing an isoleucine or a leucine instead of a phenylalanine at position 224 in the third extracellular domain of the receptor arose spontaneously and outgrew the parental vector, indicating that mutations at this site are highly selected in this system. This region of the receptor has previously been implicated in the envelope-receptor interaction. This alphavirus vector system provides a novel method for generating and selecting functional variants of viral receptors

Alphavirus↗
PubMed2000

The periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis harnesses the chemistry of the mu-oxo bishaem of iron protoporphyrin IX to protect against hydrogen peroxide.

The major haem component in the black pigment of Porphyromonas gingivalis is the mu-oxo bishaem of iron protoporphyrin IX and formation and cell-surface binding of this haem species is proposed as an extracellular buffer against reactive oxidants [Smalley, J.W. et al. (1998) Biochem. J. 331, 681-685]. P. gingivalis cells grown in the presence of the mu-oxo bishaem were protected against H(2)O(2) compared to control cells grown without it. When added to the growth medium, soluble mu-oxo bishaem inactivated H(2)O(2) and supported cell growth. Cells carrying a surface layer of mu-oxo bishaem were less susceptible to peroxidation by H(2)O(2). Cell-surface haems were slowly destroyed during reaction with H(2)O(2). Binding of mu-oxo bishaem by P. gingivalis may aid survival during neutrophil attack through inactivation of hydrogen peroxide.

Bacteroidaceae Infections↗
PubMed2000

Molecular mechanisms of secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Secondary hyperparathyroidism is a frequent complication of chronic renal failure (CRF) and a major factor in the pathogenesis of renal osteodystrophy. A high serum phosphate, decreased levels of serum 1,25(OH)2D3 and the subsequently low serum calcium are the major metabolic abnormalities in CRF, which lead to the secondary hyperparathyroidism. At the level of parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion there is insensitivity to the ambient serum calcium. PTH mRNA levels are increased by a post-transcriptional mechanism that involves the binding of PT cytosolic proteins to the PTH mRNA 3'-untranslated region (UTR). In a dietary model of secondary hyperparathyroidism due to hypocalcemia there is increased binding of parathyroid proteins to the 3'-UTR and decreased degradation as determined by an in vitro degradation assay. Changes in serum phosphate also dramatically regulate PTH mRNA stability. There is also regulation at the level of PT cell proliferation. PT cell proliferation is increased by experimental hypocalcemia or hyperphosphatemia and decreased by hypophosphatemia and administered 1,25(OH)2D3. The understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the genesis of secondary hyperparathyroidism will allow the design of new effective strategies in the management of this troubling condition.

3' Untranslated Regions↗
PubMed2000

Approaches to memory loss in neuropsychiatric disorders.

Many neuropsychiatric disorders affect memory. Brain regions important in the neuroanatomic substrate of memory include the hippocampus, and sections of the frontal, temporal, and parietal cortices and the thalamus. Acetylcholine and many other neurotransmitters and neuromodulators including dopamine, glutamate, GABA, the catecholamines, and estrogen modulate cognitive function. Treatment approaches to memory loss typically use Alzheimer's dementia as the template, and are discussed in this report.

Aging↗
PubMed2000

HLA class II alleles associated with susceptibility and resistance to Crohn's disease in the Jewish population.

Previous studies have suggested that susceptibility to Crohn's disease (CD) is associated with the histocompatibility complex (HLA) class II alleles DR1, DQ5, and DR13 in the Caucasian population, DR7 in the French and German populations, and DR4 and DQ4 in the Japanese population. However, little is known about the relationship between HLA class II alleles and CD in the Jewish population since these previous studies included few Jewish individuals. In order to determine whether the HLA associations observed with predominantly non-Jewish populations were also present in the Jewish CD population and whether there were any HLA class II alleles uniquely associated with CD in the Jewish population, 132 CD patients, of which 82 were Ashkenazi Jewish, were HLA-typed using serologic and DNA methods. Ethnically matched controls were similarly typed. No association with DR1 or DR13 was observed in the Jewish CD population although an association with DR13 (OR [odds ratio] = 5.3, p = 0.02) was observed in the non-Jewish CD population. However, an association with DR15 (OR = 2.7, p = 0.03), which is normally associated with ulcerative colitis, was observed in the Jewish, but not non-Jewish, CD group. In addition, a strong negative association was observed with DR3, which was especially striking in the Jewish population (OR = 0.35, p = 0.025); similar negative associations with DR3 have been observed by others using non-Jewish populations. Furthermore, a significant negative association with DR7 (OR = 0.45, p = 0.04) was observed in the Jewish, but not non-Jewish, population. Consistent with this was the negative association with DQ2 (OR = 0.38, p = 0.005), which is in strong linkage disequilibrium with both DR3 and DR7, in the Jewish, but not non-Jewish, population. These studies support previous suggestions that susceptibility to CD in Jewish and non-Jewish populations is determined by distinct genes and provide further support to the hypothesis that a gene on the DR3 haplotype may protect against CD. Furthermore, protection is conferred by the same or another gene found on Jewish, but not non-Jewish, DR7 haplotypes.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Dynein light chain binding to a 3'-untranslated sequence mediates parathyroid hormone mRNA association with microtubules.

The 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of mRNAs binds proteins that determine mRNA stability and localization. The 3'-UTR of parathyroid hormone (PTH) mRNA specifically binds cytoplasmic proteins. We screened an expression library for proteins that bind the PTH mRNA 3'-UTR, and the sequence of 1 clone was identical to that of the dynein light chain LC8, a component of the dynein complexes that translocate cytoplasmic components along microtubules. Recombinant LC8 binds PTH mRNA 3'-UTR, as shown by RNA electrophoretic mobility shift assay. We showed that PTH mRNA colocalizes with microtubules in the parathyroid gland, as well as with a purified microtubule preparation from calf brain, and that this association was mediated by LC8. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a dynein complex protein binding an mRNA. The dynein complex may be the motor that is responsible for transporting mRNAs to specific locations in the cytoplasm and for the consequent is asymmetric distribution of translated proteins in the cell.

3' Untranslated Regions↗
PubMed2000

The adhesion signaling molecule p190 RhoGAP is required for morphogenetic processes in neural development.

Rho GTPases direct actin rearrangements in response to a variety of extracellular signals. P190 RhoGAP (GTPase activating protein) is a potent Rho regulator that mediates integrin-dependent adhesion signaling in cultured cells. We have determined that p190 RhoGAP is specifically expressed at high levels throughout the developing nervous system. Mice lacking functional p190 RhoGAP exhibit several defects in neural development that are reminiscent of those described in mice lacking certain mediators of neural cell adhesion. The defects reflect aberrant tissue morphogenesis and include abnormalities in forebrain hemisphere fusion, ventricle shape, optic cup formation, neural tube closure, and layering of the cerebral cortex. In cells of the neural tube floor plate of p190 RhoGAP mutant mice, polymerized actin accumulates excessively, suggesting a role for p190 RhoGAP in the regulation of +Rho-mediated actin assembly within the neuroepithelium. Significantly, several of the observed tissue fusion defects seen in the mutant mice are also found in mice lacking MARCKS, the major substrate of protein kinase C (PKC), and we have found that p190 RhoGAP is also a PKC substrate in vivo. Upon either direct activation of PKC or in response to integrin engagement, p190 RhoGAP is rapidly translocated to regions of membrane ruffling, where it colocalizes with polymerized actin. Together, these results suggest that upon activation of neural adhesion molecules, the action of PKC and p190 RhoGAP leads to a modulation of Rho GTPase activity to direct several actin-dependent morphogenetic processes required for normal neural development.

Alleles↗
PubMed1999

Controlled Formation of Low-Volume Liquid Pillars between Plates with a Lattice of Wetting Patches by Use of a Second Immiscible Fluid.

We describe a method for forming an array of microdroplets between two plates, at least one of which is patterned with a lattice of wetting patches, using a second immiscible fluid to control droplet formation. The method may be useful for performing multiple, small-volume biochemical reactions in parallel. We analyze the forces responsible for droplet formation, describe results of a computer simulation using Surface Evolver, and derive an analytic criterion for droplet formation in terms of the contact angles of the droplet:second fluid interface on the wetting patches and surrounding surface, the diameter of the wetting patches, the distance between wetting patches, and the distance between the plates. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Cellular and molecular mechanisms of glial scarring and progressive cavitation: in vivo and in vitro analysis of inflammation-induced secondary injury after CNS trauma.

Post-traumatic cystic cavitation, in which the size and severity of a CNS injury progress from a small area of direct trauma to a greatly enlarged secondary injury surrounded by glial scar tissue, is a poorly understood complication of damage to the brain and spinal cord. Using minimally invasive techniques to avoid primary physical injury, this study demonstrates in vivo that inflammatory processes alone initiate a cascade of secondary tissue damage, progressive cavitation, and glial scarring in the CNS. An in vitro model allowed us to test the hypothesis that specific molecules that stimulate macrophage inflammatory activation are an important step in initiating secondary neuropathology. Time-lapse video analyses of inflammation-induced cavitation in our in vitro model revealed that this process occurs primarily via a previously undescribed cellular mechanism involving dramatic astrocyte morphological changes and rapid migration. The physical process of cavitation leads to astrocyte abandonment of neuronal processes, neurite stretching, and secondary injury. The macrophage mannose receptor and the complement receptor type 3 beta2-integrin are implicated in the cascade that induces cavity and scar formation. We also demonstrate that anti-inflammatory agents modulating transcription via the nuclear hormone receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma may be therapeutic in preventing progressive cavitation by limiting inflammation and subsequent secondary damage after CNS injury.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Protein-RNA interactions determine the stability of the renal NaPi-2 cotransporter mRNA and its translation in hypophosphatemic rats.

Hypophosphatemia leads to an increase in type II Na(+)-dependent inorganic phosphate cotransporter (NaPi-2) mRNA and protein levels in the kidney and increases renal phosphate reabsorption. Nuclear transcript run-on experiments showed that the effect of a low phosphate diet was post-transcriptional. In an in vitro degradation assay, renal proteins from hypophosphatemic rats stabilized the NaPi-2 transcript 6-fold compared with control rats and this was dependent upon an intact NaPi-2 3'-untranslated region (UTR). To determine an effect of hypophosphatemia upon NaPi-2 protein synthesis, the incorporation of injected [(35)S]methionine into renal proteins was studied in vivo. Hypophosphatemia led to increased [(35)S]methionine incorporation only into NaPi-2 protein. The effect of hypophosphatemia on translation was studied in an in vitro translation assay, where hypophosphatemic renal proteins led to increased translation of NaPi-2 and other transcripts. NaPi-2 RNA interaction with cytosolic proteins was studied by UV cross-linking and Northwestern gels. Hypophosphatemic proteins led to increased binding of renal cytosolic proteins to the 5'-UTR of NaPi-2 mRNA. Therefore, hypophosphatemia increases NaPi-2 gene expression post-transcriptionally, which correlates with a more stable transcript mediated by the 3'-UTR, and an increase in NaPi-2 translation involving protein binding to the 5'-UTR. These findings show that phosphate regulates gene expression by affecting protein-RNA interactions in vivo.

3' Untranslated Regions↗
PubMed1999

Robust regeneration of adult sensory axons in degenerating white matter of the adult rat spinal cord.

We have recently reported that minimally disturbed adult CNS white matter can support regeneration of adult axons by using a novel microtransplantation technique to inject minute volumes of dissociated adult rat dorsal root ganglion neurons directly into adult rat CNS pathways (Davies et al., 1997). This atraumatic injection procedure minimized scarring and allowed considerable numbers of regenerating adult axons immediate access to the adult CNS glial terrain where they rapidly extended for long distances. A critical question remained as to whether degenerating white matter at acute and chronic stages (up to 3 months) after injury could still support regeneration. To investigate this, we have microtransplanted adult sensory neurons into degenerating white matter of the adult rat spinal cord several millimeters rostral to a severe lesion of the dorsal columns. Regeneration of donor sensory axons in both directions away from the site of transplantation was robust even within white matter undergoing fulminant Wallerian degeneration despite intimate contact with myelin. Along their route, the regrowing axons extended large numbers of collaterals into the adjacent dorsal horn. However, after entering the lesion, the rapidly extending growth cones stopped and became dystrophic within high concentrations of reactive glial matrix. Our results offer compelling evidence that the major environmental impediment to regeneration in the adult CNS is the molecular barrier that forms directly at the lesion site, and that degenerating white matter beyond the glial scar has a far greater intrinsic ability to support axon regeneration than previously thought possible.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Positive selection of natural autoreactive B cells.

Lymphocyte development is critically influenced by self-antigens. T cells are subject to both positive and negative selection, depending on their degree of self-reactivity. Although B cells are subject to negative selection, it has been difficult to test whether self-antigen plays any positive role in B cell development. A murine model system of naturally generated autoreactive B cells with a germ line gene-encoded specificity for the Thy-1 (CD90) glycoprotein was developed, in which the presence of self-antigen promotes B cell accumulation and serum autoantibody secretion. Thus, B cells can be subject to positive selection, generated, and maintained on the basis of their autoreactivity.

Aging↗