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Biomedical subjects

K Sperling

Publications and source records attributed to K Sperling.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

Deficiency of DNA ligase activity in Fanconi's anemia.

A significant decrease in DNA ligase activity was observed in lymphocytes and fibroblasts of a patient with Fanconi's anemia (FA). This decrease is related to the observed DNA repair deficiency indicated by the delayed closing of repair DNA strands following UV irradiation. Other steps of DNA repair were analyzed in the FA fibroblasts, including endonucleolytic incision of DNA, repair DNA synthesis, and exonucleolytic removal of the photoproducts. No differences were found against control cells. The action of DNA ligase is delayed during replication in the FA cells, as seen by an accumulation of replicative intermediates.

Anemia, Aplastic

Transfer of human chromosomes via human minisegregant cells into mouse cells and the quantitation of the expression of hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase in the hybrids.

The behaviour of human cells arrested in mitosis can be severely perturbed so as to generate numerous small minisegregants containing very few chromosomes. These cells can be separated according to size and DNA content and fused with intact cells. In this paper we describe the production and some properties of proliferating cell hybrids generated by fusion of human minisegregant cells derived from a HeLa strain with mouse A9 cells deficient in hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT, EC 2.4.2.8). The hybrids were shown to contain up to 10 human chromosomes including a single X. Independently derived hybrid clones were quantitatively characterized and compared with the parental phenotypes with respect to HPRT. Human isozymes of each of the 3 enzymes HPRT, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49) and phosphoglycerate kinase (EC 2,7.2.3) were found. Tests to evaluate both structure and function of HPRT were utilized. The specific activity of HPRT of more than 10 hybrids tested was approximately 10% that of the HeLa parent. Structural characterization of HPRT from hybrid cells as evidenced by heat inactivation and electrophoretic mobility results in a 'human-like' phenotype. Functional characterization of parental HPRT results in kinetic constants for cofactor and substrate which do not permit distinction of human and of human and mouse enzymes; HPRT from the minisegregant hybrids had normal kinetic constants. The reduced specific activity of HPRT in the hybrids is discussed in terms of the inability of the mouse environment to regulate the full expression of the human structural gene.

Animals

Length of human C-bands in relation to the degree of chromosome condensation.

The C-band length of human chromosome 1 in prophase and prematurely condensed interphase chromosomes is relatively shorter than in metaphase chromosomes. However, even in chromosomes with the same degree of contraction the absolute length of the C-band varies considerably. This allocyclic behaviour of human constitutive heterochromatin has to be kept in mind if C-bands of different individuals are compared.

Chromosome Aberrations

Cytogenetic investigations in a new case of Bloom's syndrome.

Cytogenetic studies of an 8-year-old caucasian girl with typical but mild manifestation of Bloom's syndrome showed a characteristic increase of homologous chromatid translocations and prematurely condensed chromosomes. The average frequency of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in lymphocytes with 133 was much higher than in skin fibroblasts with 49. The inter- and intrachromosomal distributions of SCE in lymphocytes were analyzed.

Abnormalities, Multiple

Mapping of a gene for epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma to the region of the acidic keratin gene cluster at 17q12-q21.

Epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma (EPPK) (Vörner-Unna-Thost) is an autosomal dominantly inherited skin disease of unknown etiology characterized by diffuse severe hyperkeratosis of the palms and soles and, histologically, by cellular degeneration. We have mapped a gene for EPPK to chromosome 17q11-q23, with linkage analysis using microsatellite DNA-polymorphisms, in a single large family of 7 generations. A maximum lod score of z = 6.66 was obtained with the probe D17S579 at a recombination fraction of theta = 0.00. This locus maps to the same region as the type I (acidic) keratin gene cluster. Keratins, members of the intermediate filament family, the major proteins of the cytoskeleton in epidermis, are differentially expressed in a tissue-specific manner. One acidic keratin, keratin 9 (KRT9), is expressed only in the terminally differentiated epidermis of palms and soles. The KRT9 gene has not yet been cloned; however, since the genes for most acidic keratins are clustered, it is highly probable that it too will map to this region. We therefore propose KRT9 as the candidate gene for EPPK.

Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17