Biomedical subjects

K Kitajima

Publications and source records attributed to K Kitajima.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1999

Lactation-dependent expression of an mRNA splice variant with an exon for a multiply O-glycosylated domain of mouse milk fat globule glycoprotein MFG-E8.

Expression of mRNA encoding MFG-E8, a milk fat-associated glycoprotein was investigated in mouse mammary gland. Two forms of mRNA, long and short variants, were shown to be expressed in the mammary tissue by RT-PCR analysis. Sequence analyses of these two variants and an isolated MFG-E8 gene segment indicated that the long and short mRNA variants resulted from an alternative splicing of a single pre-mRNA through in-flame inclusion and skipping of one exon, which encodes a proline/threonine (Pro/Thr)-rich domain. The long variant was expressed predominantly in mammary gland and the expression level was remarkably increased at late gestation and kept high during lactation. On the contrary, the short variant was detected ubiquitously in various tissues and its expression in the mammary gland was rather decreased in a lactation dependent manner. Expression of the long variant was also detected in a mouse mammary epithelial cell line, COMMA-1D, and enhanced by incubation with lactogenic hormones. Glycosylation inhibition analyses using tunicamycin and alpha-benzyl-GalNAc were conducted with COS7 cells transfected with plasmids expressing each mRNA variant, demonstrating that a fully glycosylated product of the long mRNA variant was not only N-glycosylated but also multiply O-glycosylated, whereas a product of the short one had only N-glycan(s). These results suggest that the alternative splicing plays a critical role for the mammary-specific and lactation-dependent expression of the MFG-E8 isoform and that the multiply O-glycosylated Pro/Thr-rich domain of this isoform is functionally important for formation of milk fat globules in mammary epithelial cells.

Alternative Splicing↗

PubMed1999

Fluorescent-assisted detection of oligosialyl units in glycoconjugates.

A highly sensitive chemical method to detect various types of oligo/polysialic acid (oligo/polySia) units in glycoconjugates, i.e., alpha2 --> 8-linked homo-oligo/polySia [N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac), N-glcolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc), or 2-keto-3-deoxy-d-glycero-d-galacto-nononic acid], alpha2 --> 8-linked heterodimers of Neu5Ac and Neu5Gc, alpha2 --> 9-linked homooligo/polyNeu5Ac, and alpha2 --> 5-Oglycolyl-linked homooligo/polyNeu5Gc, was developed with an alpha-keto acid-reactive fluorescent labeling reagent, 1,2-diamino-4,5-methylenedioxybenzene (DMB). Fluorescent labeled di- or oligoSia was separated and quantitated by fluorometric anion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). As little as 13 fmol of Neu5Acalpha2 --> 8Neu5Ac was detectable by this method. When alpha2 --> 8-linked oligo/polyNeu5Ac with on average eight Neu5Ac residues was labeled with DMB, DMB derivatives of oligomers with only lower degrees of polymerization of 2 to 7, were detected, due to concomitant partial depolymerization of oligo/polySia chain with the derivatization. For glycoproteins and glycolipids, mild acid hydrolysis was performed to release oligoSia prior to DMB derivatization. The mild acid hydrolysis/fluorometric HPLC method was also applicable to glycoprotein samples blotted on the membrane.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Definitive but not primitive hematopoiesis is impaired in jumonji mutant mice.

A novel gene, jumonji was identified by a mouse gene trap strategy. The jumonji gene encodes a protein containing a putative DNA binding domain. The mice homozygous for jumonji gene with a BALB/cA genetic background show hypoplasia of the fetal liver and embryonic lethality, suggesting impaired hematopoiesis. In the peripheral blood of jumonji mutant embryos, the number of fetal liver-derived definitive erythrocytes, but not yolk sac-derived primitive erythrocytes, showed a marked reduction, suggesting that jumonji mutants die of anemia. The defects of definitive erythrocytes in jumonji mutants seemed to be caused by a decrease in the numbers of multiple hematopoietic progenitors including colony-forming unit-spleen (CFU-S) in the fetal liver. However, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in the fetal liver of jumonji mutants could reconstitute the hematopoietic system of lethally irradiated recipients. In the fetal liver, the jumonji gene is expressed in fibroblastic cells and endothelial cells, but not in Lin-/c-Kit+/Sca-1(+) cells known to include HSCs. These results suggest that an environmental defect induce the impaired hematopoiesis in the fetal liver of jumonji mutant embryos.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Peptides glycosylated in the endoplasmic reticulum of yeast are subsequently deglycosylated by a soluble peptide: N-glycanase activity.

Several lines of evidence suggest that soluble peptide:N-glycanase (PNGase) is involved in the quality control system for newly synthesized glycoproteins in mammalian cells. Here we report the occurrence of a soluble PNGase activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The enzyme, which was recovered in the cytosolic fraction, has a neutral pH optimum, and dithiothreitol is required for activity. All of these properties were similar to those of earlier described for mammalian PNGases. Interestingly, the yeast enzyme activity was found to be present almost exclusively in cells in stationary phase; little activity was detected in logarithmic growth phase cells. Upon incubation of a glycosylatable peptide R-Asn-X-Thr-R' with permeabilized yeast spheroplasts, we detected formation of both glycosylated peptide and the peptide product expected from PNGase-mediated deglycosylation of this glycopeptide, namely, R-Asp-X-Thr-R'. Recent findings that yeast have an active system for the retrograde transport of unfolded (glyco)proteins and glycopeptides out of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) into the cytosol raise the possibility that this PNGase may participate in an early step in degradation of these molecules following their export from the ER.

Amidohydrolases↗

PubMed1998

Development of a highly sensitive chemical method for detecting alpha2-->8-linked oligo/polysialic acid residues in glycoproteins blotted on the membrane.

A highly sensitive chemical method for detecting alpha2-->8-linked oligo/polysialic acid (oligo/polySia) chains was developed, including (i) periodate oxidation, reduction with sodium borohydride, and subsequent acid hydrolysis, giving rise to C7 analogues and intact C9 compounds from nonreducing terminal and internal sialic acid residues, respectively; (ii) fluorescent labeling of these C7 and C9 compounds with 1,2-diamino-4,5-methylenedioxybenzene (DMB); and (iii) quantitation of theseDMB derivatives on fluorometric high-performance liquid chromatography. As little as 1 ng of internal sialic acid residues of oligo/polySia chains, the existence of which indicates the presence of oligo/polySia structure, was detectable by this method. This fluorometric C7/C9 analysis was successfully applied to glycoproteins blotted onto a slit of polyvinylidene fluoride membranes and suggested the presence of some novel oligoSia-containing glycoproteins in pig embryonic brains.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Induction of KDNase Sm, a deaminoneuraminic acid (KDN) residue-specific sialidase from Sphingobacterium multivorum, using synthetic KDN-glycosides.

Various aryl and alkyl alpha-glycosides of KDN were synthesized and tested as substrates for their susceptibility to a deaminoneuraminic acid (KDN)-specific sialidase from Sphingobacterium multivorum, designated KDNase Sm. The synthetic KDN-glycosides were all hydrolyzed by the action of KDNase Sm. A hydroxyl group at C-5 position of KDN was required for the recognition by the enzyme, and was shown not to be replaced by an amino- or an acylamino group for the enzymatic recognition. These synthetic KDN-glycosides were also examined for their inducing activity of KDNase in S. multivorum and were shown to induce the KDNase activity effectively when the bacterium was cultured minimum salt medium containing both 0.1% glucose and 0.1% various KDN-glycosides. No KDNase activity was induced by the KDN-glycosides without 0.1% glucose. This is the first case of using synthetic KDN-glycosides as inducers of KDNase Sm.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗

PubMed1998

RT-PCR analysis of mRNA expression of natriuretic peptide family and their receptors in rat inner ear.

To assess the possible physiological role of the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) family, we investigated the expression of mRNA of ANP, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), and their receptors in rat inner ear using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction method. ANP and CNP message bands were detected in the inner ear, but the BNP message band was not. Amplification products of the expected sizes of ANP-A, ANP-B and ANP-C receptors were detected in the inner ear. These results suggest that natriuretic peptide family may influence the function of the inner ear through the ANP-A, ANP-B, and ANP-C receptors.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based method for measuring galactosyltransferase activity using a synthetic glycopolymer acceptor substrate.

A lectin-assisted enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based method using a synthetic glycopolymer as an acceptor substrate was developed for measuring beta 1,4-galactosyltransferase (GalT) activity. A polyacrylamide derivative having a beta-linked N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc beta) moiety on each monomeric unit was synthesized chemically and immobilized on a polystyrene microtiter plate as an acceptor substrate for GalT. After the plate was incubated with bovine GalT, the enzyme reaction product, beta-linked Gal residue on the polyacrylamide-bound GlcNAc residue, was detected by using Ricinus communis agglutinin 1 (RCA1), rabbit anti-RCA1 antibody, and a peroxidase-labeled anti-rabbit IgG. The lowest GalT concentration detectable by this method was about 0.5 mU/ml, which is comparable to those by the previously reported ELISA-based assays. The unique property of the glycopolymer, PAP(GlcNAc beta), of binding noncovalently but tightly to the polystyrene microtiter plate allowed the use of this acceptor substrate for the GalT activity measurement even in the presence of 1% Triton CF-54 and X-100. Our system was successfully applied to assess GalT activity in milk of various mammals.

Acetylglucosamine↗

PubMed1998

Identification of oligo-N-glycolylneuraminic acid residues in mammal-derived glycoproteins by a newly developed immunochemical reagent and biochemical methods.

The occurrence of the alpha2-->8-linked oligomeric form of N-glycolylneuraminic acid (oligo-Neu5Gc) residues in mammalian glycoproteins was unequivocally demonstrated using a newly developed anti-oligo/poly-Neu5Gc monoclonal antibody as well as by chemical and biochemical methods. First, the antibody, designated mAb.2-4B, which specifically recognized oligo/poly-Neu5Gc with a degree of polymerization of >2, was developed by establishing a hybridoma cell line from P3U1 myeloma cells fused with splenocytes from an MRL autoimmune mouse immunized with dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine-conjugated oligo/poly-Neu5Gc. Second, oligo-Neu5Gc was shown to occur in glycoproteins derived from pig spleen by Western blot analysis using mAb.2-4B, which was also confirmed by fluorometric high performance liquid chromatographic analysis of the product of periodate oxidation/reduction/acid hydrolysis of the purified glycopeptide fractions and by TLC and 600-MHz 1H NMR spectroscopic analysis of their mild acid hydrolysates. Finally, the ubiquitous occurrence of oligo-Neu5Gc chains as glycoproteinaceous components in Wistar rat tissue was immunochemically indicated. This is the first example demonstrating the diversity in oligo/poly-Sia structure in mammalian glycoproteins, where only poly-N-acetylneuraminic acid is known to occur. Such diversity in oligo/poly-Sia structure also implicates a diverged array of biological functions of this glycan unit in glycoproteins.

Animals↗

PubMed1998