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K Rudd

Publications and source records attributed to K Rudd.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Knotted femoral nerve catheter.

We describe a case of knotting of a femoral nerve catheter which prevented removal by traction after knee replacement surgery. In this context, early surgical removal should be performed as bacterial colonization of femoral catheters is common. Radiological imaging of the catheter may assist decision-making about whether to persist with traction and what surgical approach is required. Minimizing the length of catheter inserted to less than 10 cm makes knotting unlikely, but will decrease the chance of achieving lumbar plexus blockade which could improve analgesia if the catheter passes centrally.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Resolution of three nonproliferative immature splenic B cell subsets reveals multiple selection points during peripheral B cell maturation.

Although immature/transitional peripheral B cells may remain susceptible to selection pressures before full maturation, the nature and timing of these selection events remain unclear. We show that correlated expression of surface (s) IgM (sIgM), CD23, and AA4 defines three nonproliferative subpopulations of immature/transitional peripheral B cells. We designate these populations transitional (T) 1 (AA4(+)CD23(-)sIgM(high)), T2 (AA4(+)CD23(+)sIgM(high)), and T3 (AA4(+)CD23(+)sIgM(low)). Cells within all three subsets are functionally immature as judged by their failure to proliferate following sIgM cross-linking in vitro, and their rapid rate of turnover in vivo as assessed by 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine labeling. These labeling studies also reveal measurable cell loss at both the T1-T2 and T2-T3 transitions, suggesting the existence of multiple selection points within the peripheral immature B cell pool. Furthermore, we find that Btk-deficient (xid) mice exhibit an incomplete developmental block at the T2-T3 transition within the immature B cell pool. This contrasts markedly with lyn(-/-) mice, which exhibit depressed numbers but normal ratios of each immature peripheral B cell subset and severely reduced numbers of mature B cells. Together, these data provide evidence for multiple selection points among immature peripheral B cells, suggesting that the B cell repertoire is shaped by multiple unique selection events that occur within the immature/transitional peripheral B cell pool.

Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase↗
PubMed2001

A common pathway for dendritic cell and early B cell development.

B cells and dendritic cells (DCs) each develop from poorly described progenitor cells in the bone marrow (BM). Although a subset of DCs has been proposed to arise from lymphoid progenitors, a common developmental pathway for B cells and BM-derived DCs has not been clearly identified. To address this possibility, we performed a comprehensive analysis of DC differentiative potential among lymphoid and B lymphoid progenitor populations in adult mouse BM. We found that both the common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs), shown here and elsewhere to give rise exclusively to lymphocytes, and a down-stream early B-lineage precursor population devoid of T and NK cell precursor potential each give rise to DCs when exposed to the appropriate cytokines. This result contrasts with more mature B-lineage precursors, all of which failed to give rise to detectable numbers of DCs. Significantly, both CLP and early B-lineage-derived DCs acquired several surface markers associated with functional DCs, and CLP-derived DCs readily induced proliferation of allogeneic CD4(+) T cells. Surprisingly, however, DC differentiation from both lymphoid-restricted progenitors was accompanied by up-regulation of CD11b expression, a cell surface molecule normally restricted to myeloid lineage cells including putative myeloid DCs. Together, these data demonstrate that loss of DC developmental potential is the final step in B-lineage commitment and thus reveals a previously unrecognized link between early B cell and DC ontogeny.

Aging↗
PubMed1999

16S ribosomal RNA pseudouridine synthase RsuA of Escherichia coli: deletion, mutation of the conserved Asp102 residue, and sequence comparison among all other pseudouridine synthases.

The gene for RsuA, the pseudouridine synthase that converts U516 to pseudouridine in 16S ribosomal RNA of Escherichia coli, has been deleted in strains MG1655 and BL21/DE3. Deletion of this gene resulted in the specific loss of pseudouridine516 in both cell lines, and replacement of the gene in trans on a plasmid restored the pseudouridine. Therefore, rsuA is the only gene in E. coli with the ability to produce a protein capable of forming pseudouridine516. There was no effect on the growth rate of rsuA- MG1655 either in rich or minimal medium at either 24, 37, or 42 degrees C. Plasmid rescue of the BL21/DE3 rsuA- strain using pET15b containing an rsuA gene with aspartate102 replaced by asparagine or threonine demonstrated that neither mutant was active in vivo. This result supports a role for this aspartate, located in a unique GRLD sequence in this gene, at the catalytic center of the synthase. Induction of wild-type and the two mutant synthases in strain BL21/DE3 from genes in pET15b yielded a strong overexpression of all three proteins in approximately equal amounts showing that the mutations did not affect production of the protein in vivo and thus that the lack of activity was not due to a failure to produce a gene product. Aspartate102 is found in a conserved motif present in many pseudouridine synthases. The conservation and distribution of this motif in nature was assessed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1979

Rifampin-resistant mutants of Myxococcus xanthus defective in development.

Rifampin, an antibiotic which is known to bind to and inhibit RNA polymerase, was used to probe the molecular regulation of development in Myxococcus xanthus. Rifampin-resistant mutants were screened for defects in fruiting-body formation. About 20% of the isolates in the initial screenings showed major defects in developmental aggregation or sporulation. Eleven independent mutants with wild-type growth rates and stable phenotypes were analyzed by transduction. In these strains, the rifampin-resistant and nonfruiting phenotypes showed cotransduction frequencies equal to or greater than 99.0 to 99.9%. The RNA polymerase activities were resistant to rifampin in vitro, indicating that the RNA polymerase is altered in these strains. Although their fruiting phenotypes are heterogeneous, these strains can be divided into two classes based on the level of aggregation. The results suggest that RNA polymerase plays a significant role in the regulation of development in M. xanthus since mutations which cause no apparent changes in vegetative growth result in striking defects in fruiting-body formation.

DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases↗