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Biomedical subjects

J W Holder

Publications and source records attributed to J W Holder.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

Gap junction function and cancer.

Gap junctions (GJs) provide cell-to-cell communication of essential metabolites and ions. GJs allow tissues to average responses, clear waste products, and minimize the effects of xenobiotics by dilution and allowing steady-state catabolism. Many chemicals can adversely affect the membrane GJ assembly causing reversible alterations in GJ intercellular communication. During toxicity essential metabolites, ions, and regulators are not shared homeostatically throughout a tissue community. Alterations in metabolic circuits are thought to interrupt organ integration. Persistent GJ perturbation can cause chronic effects (e.g., cancer), and many tumor promoters inhibit GJ intercellular communication. Liver precancerous foci intracommunicate (but at a reduced level) and intercommunicate improperly (or not at all) across the foci boundary to normal cells. In time, foci can become less regulated and more isolated within the tissue. GJs remain reduced quantitatively in the tumor progression stage and may be qualitatively altered in metastasis since connections are made between the primary tumor cells and foreign host cells at the secondary metastatic site. Cell sorting and binding mechanisms by the cell adhesion molecules and integrins may also be altered at secondary sites. This may allow the relocation of primary tumor cells and nurturance via GJs at the secondary site.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Ethylene dibromide residues in biscuits and commercial flour.

Flour and biscuit samples from a school lunch program were analyzed for ethylene dibromide (EDB). Flour samples were extracted with hexane at room temperature with maximum extraction of EDB in 4 days. Biscuits were extracted by steam distillation with hexane; optimum recoveries were obtained by a triple extraction of the sample. Recoveries of EDB from flour and biscuits ranged from 85 to 103% as determined by gas-liquid chromatography on a 15% OV-17 column and a 63Ni electron capture detector. Random samples were confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. From less than 8 ppb to 4 ppm EDB were determined in flour and less than 0.5 ppb to 260 ppb in biscuits. Possible sources for the higher values are discussed.

Bread↗
PubMed1976

Secondary structure of ovalbumin messenger RNA.

The secondary structure of highly purified ovalbumin mRNA was studied by automated thermal denaturation techniques and the data were subjected to computer processing. Comparative studies with 20 natural and synthetic model nucleic acids suggested that the secondary structure of ovalbumin mRNA possesses the following features: the extent of base pairing of ovalbumin mRNA is similar to that found in tRNAs or ribosomal RNAs; the secondary structure of ovalbumin mRNA is more thermolabile than any of the model compounds tested, including the copolymer poly(A-U); ovalbumin mRNA does not have extensive G-C rich stems as found in tRNAs or ribosomal RNAs; the base composition of the double-stranded regions reveals 54% G-C residues which was significantly higher than that noted in the whole molecule (approximately 41.5% G-C). The presence of 46% A-U pairs in short stems of about five base pairs would have a very large destabilizing effect on the secondary structure of ovalbumin mRNA. However, at 0.175 M monovalent cations and 36 degrees C most of the secondary structure of ovalbumin mRNA is preserved. These data suggest that the double-stranded regions in ovalbumin mRNA are of sufficient length to provide the necessary stability for maintaining the open loop regions in an appropriate conformation which may be required for the biological function of ovalbumin mRNA. Furthermore, the lability of the double-stranded regions in ovalbumin mRNA may also be important for the biological function of this mRNA.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1975

Determination of secondary structure in rabbit globin messenger RNA by thermal denaturation.

The secondary structure of highly purified globin messenger RNA has been investigated by alkaline hydrolysis, nuclease digestion, and thermal denaturation. The thermal denaturation properties of globin messenger have been compared to poly(U), poly (A), and a synthetic random sequence RNA copolymer. From these studies it is concluded that globin mRNA contains considerable secondary structure and that the amount of helical structure is greater than that which occurs with a random sequence polyribonucleotide. Globin mRNA contains, by comparison to the secondary structures of native DNA, tRNAs, or 18S rRNA, helices with involve 55-62% of the bases or 58-68% if a correction is made for the 3'-terminal poly(A) segment. The helices of globin mRNA appear to be unique as differences in the NaCl stabilization of this RNA have been noted when compared to other naturally ooccurring and synthetic RNAs. Comparison of the hyperchromicity maxima, obtained at 260 and 280 nm for globin mRNA and 18S rRNA, indicates that the helices of the two RNAs contain similar numbers of G-C base pairs. Differential analysis of NaCl stabilization curves indicate three discrete thermally denaturable helix types in globin mRNA.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Preparation and preliminary characterization of purified ovalbumin messenger RNA from the hen oviduct.

Preparation of milligram amounts of purified ovalbumin mRNA was accomplished by a sequential combination of precise sizing techniques with the selective purification of the poly(A) containing RNA by either affinity chromatography or adsorption to nitrocellulose filters. Several new techniques were applied to the purification of ovalbumin mRNA including Sepharose 4B chromatography and agarose gel electrophoresis in the presence of 6 M urea at pH 3.5. All the procedures used were adapted on a preparative sacle to the fractionation of large quantities of RNA. The purity of the ovalbumin mRNA was assessed by several independent criteria. (1) Purified ovalbumin mRNA migrated as a single band during both agarose-urea and formamide-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at pH 3.5 and 7.4, respectively. A single absorbance peak containing all of the ovalbumin mRNA activity was also found using linear formamide-sucrose gradients. (2) Determination of both total mRNA activity and ovalbumin mRNA activity in the wheat germ cell-free translation assay revealed that 92% of the total peptides synthesized were specifically immunoprecipitable with an ovalbumin antiserum. (3) Analysis of the total peptides synthesizied in the wheat germ assay by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated the presence of a single radioactive peak that corresponded exactly to a specifically immunoprecipitable ovalbumin standard. Thus, based on these observations ovalbumin mRNA appears to be greater than 95% pure. A preliminary estimation of the molecular weight of purified ovalbumin mRNA by formamide-containing sucrose gradients yielded a value of 520,000 or approximately 1600 nucleotides. This value was considerably less than the value of 900,000 obtained by gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions. Analysis of the poly(A) content by a hybridization assay with (3H)poly(U) revealed the presence of a poly(A) region containing approximately 70 adenosine residues. Thus, the size of the ovalbumin mRNA is considerably greater than that required to code for a protein of 387 amino acids. The availability of large quantities of purified ovalbumin mRNA should now permit a more thorough analysis of its physical and chemical properties.

Animals↗