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K Ervin

Publications and source records attributed to K Ervin.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

The dissociation rate of estrogen receptor alpha from the consensus estrogen response element.

The rate of dissociation of recombinant, purified human estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) from a fluorescein-labeled DNA containing the consensus vitellogenin ERE sequence (F-vitERE) was determined in real time using fluorescence anisotropy. The complex of estradiol-occupied ERalpha with F-vitERE had an apparent dissociation rate of 1.48+/-0.06x10(-2) s(-1) and a half-life of 46.6 s at room temperature. The dissociation rate was characterized by a single exponential decay, suggesting that ER dissociates from the DNA as a preformed dimer, rather than as two individual monomers. The association rate of estradiol-occupied ERalpha for the F-vitERE was calculated as 7x10(6) M(-1) s(-1) based on the dissociation rate measured and previous determinations of the equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) in similar assay conditions (Ozers et al., 1997). In buffer containing various concentrations of salt, the rate of dissociation of estradiol-occupied ERalpha from F-vitERE was accelerated by increasing salt concentrations. Compared to estradiol-occupied ERalpha, the rate of dissociation of unoccupied ERalpha from the F-vitERE was very similar, indicating that estradiol occupancy does not affect the dissociation rate of ERalpha from the ERE.

Binding, Competitive↗
PubMed2001

Making faces: creating three-dimensional parameterized models of facial expression.

Previous studies of the perceptual processing and dynamics of emotional expression in faces have been limited by the lack of realistic yet controlled stimuli. The present work offers researchers a method for creating such stimuli for exploring these phenomena. We describe the creation of the stimuli and a series of experiments testing the validity of these stimuli with respect to emotional expressions in humans. Participants evaluated synthesized facial images and standardized photographs of six basic emotional expressions for intensity and accuracy of perceived emotion. Comparisons of these measures were qualitatively similar for synthesized and photographed faces. A manipulation of the magnitude of the synthesized expressions yielded a significant effect on the perceived intensity of expression. In a subsequent multidimensional scaling study, no systematic differences were uncovered in the derived configurations of the synthesized expressions and the photographs. These results are discussed in the context of possible future research applications.

Emotions↗
PubMed1998

Rapid screening of environmental chemicals for estrogen receptor binding capacity.

Over the last few years, an increased awareness of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and their potential to affect wildlife and humans has produced a demand for practical screening methods to identify endocrine activity in a wide range of environmental and industrial chemicals. While it is clear that in vivo methods will be required to identify adverse effects produced by these chemicals, in vitro assays can define particular mechanisms of action and have the potential to be employed as rapid and low-cost screens for use in large scale EDC screening programs. Traditional estrogen receptor (ER) binding assays are useful for characterizing a chemical's potential to be an estrogen-acting EDC, but they involve displacement of a radioactive ligand from crude receptor preparations at low temperatures. The usefulness of these assays for realistically determining the ER binding interactions of weakly estrogenic environmental and industrial compounds that have low aqueous solubility is unclear. In this report, we present a novel fluorescence polarization (FP) method that measures the capacity of a competitor chemical to displace a high affinity fluorescent ligand from purified, recombinant human ER-[alpha] at room temperature. The ER-[alpha] binding interactions generated for 15 natural and synthetic compounds were found to be similar to those determined with traditional receptor binding assays. We also discuss the potential to employ this FP technology to binding studies involving ER-ss and other receptors. Thus, the assay introduced in this study is a nonradioactive receptor binding method that shows promise as a high throughput screening method for large-scale testing of environmental and industrial chemicals for ER binding interactions.

Environmental Pollutants↗
PubMed1997

Equilibrium binding of estrogen receptor with DNA using fluorescence anisotropy.

Interaction of estrogen receptor (ER) with DNA sequences known as estrogen response elements (ERE) is required for estrogen regulation of the expression of target genes. To characterize the affinity and specificity of ER interaction with ERE sequences in vitro under equilibrium conditions, fluorescence anisotropy assays were performed using recombinant, purified ER and a fluorescein-labeled 35-base pair oligonucleotide bearing an idealized palindromic ERE. In buffer containing 100 mM KCl, the baculovirus-expressed, purified human ER bound with similar affinity to the consensus ERE and a mutant ERE with a single base pair change per half-site. Above 225 mM KCl, ER exhibited discrimination between the consensus and mutated ERE targets. Between 225 and 275 mM KCl, binding to the consensus ERE was independent of salt concentration and occurred with an equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) of 1.8 +/- 0.6 nM, whereas binding to the mutant ERE was not detected at ER concentrations below 100 nM under the same conditions. At 300 mM KCl, the Kd for the consensus ERE increased approximately 25-fold, suggesting complex salt concentration dependence. Both estrogen-occupied and unoccupied ER bound to the consensus ERE sequence with similar affinity, indicating that estrogen affects ER activity at a step other than DNA binding. Unlike the full-length ER, the recombinant DNA binding domain of ER did not discriminate between the consensus and mutated ERE sequences even at buffer salt concentrations greater than 200 mM NaCl, suggesting that ER sequences outside the DNA binding domain may be important in promoting specific binding.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Transferability studies for the AACC reference method and the IFCC method for measurement of alkaline phosphatase activity.

We present the results of measurements of alkaline phosphatase activity from interlaboratory transferability studies conducted by 12 laboratories in five countries. The variability, as demonstrated by within-day precision (CV less than or equal to 2.6%), between-day precision (CV less than or equal to 3.6%), and between-lab precision (CV less than or equal to 6.3%) establishes the transferability of this method for alkaline phosphatase. Some common errors encountered in enzyme measurements that affect the accuracy and precision of the measurements are listed.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1983

A reference method for measurement of alkaline phosphatase activity in human serum.

We present an official AACC reference method for the measurement of alkaline phosphatase, the culmination of optimization experiments conducted by a group of independent laboratories. The details of this method and evaluation of factors affecting the measurement are described. A metal ion buffer has been incorporated that maintains optimal and constant concentrations of zinc(II) and magnesium(II) ions. Final reaction conditions are: pH (30 degrees C), 10.40 +/- 0.05; 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol buffer, 0.35 mol/L; 4-nitrophenyl phosphate, 16.0 mmol/L; magnesium acetate, 2.0 mmol/L; zinc sulfate, 1.0 mmol/L; and N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid, 2.0 mmol/L.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗