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Biomedical subjects

L Mao

Publications and source records attributed to L Mao.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Transthoracic echocardiography in models of cardiac disease in the mouse.

BACKGROUND: Transthoracic echocardiography (M-mode and Doppler) offers a noninvasive approach for in vivo evaluation of the mouse heart. The present study examines its usefulness for assessing the morphological/functional phenotype of the left ventricle (LV) in several transgenic and surgical murine models of cardiac disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: Observations were made in 83 intact, anesthetized mice. In mice with a surgical arteriovenous fistula, volume overload and LV dilation were detected. In normal mice, echocardiographic indexes of increased contractility (dobutamine) were confirmed by LV dP/dtmax. In transgenic mice with overexpression of the beta 2-adrenergic receptor, heart rate and mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening were increased, indicating enhanced contractility. In colony screening of transgenic mice overexpressing the H-ras gene, 45% had increased LV wall thickness (> 0.9 mm), and those showing a striking increase were selected for breeding. In mice with LV hypertrophy (aortic constriction) and normal mice, the actual LV mass determined by echocardiography correlated well (r = .93), and 95% confidence limits were determined. The maximum intraobserver and interobserver coefficients of variation for M-mode data were 0.03 +/- 0.29 mm (+/- 2 SD), < 10% for LV internal dimensions but 27% to 30% for wall thickness. CONCLUSIONS: These studies provide the first application of transthoracic echocardiography for morphological/functional characterization of the cardiac phenotype in transgenic and surgical murine models, including (1) high reliability for detecting LV chamber dilation and function; (2) reliability (and its limits) for determining abnormal LV wall thickness and LV mass; (3) identification of marked, sometimes asymmetrical, hypertrophy in a transgenic model of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; and (4) usefulness for transgenic colony screening to identify markedly abnormal phenotypes.

Anesthesia

DPC4, a candidate tumor suppressor gene, is altered infrequently in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

DPC4, a candidate tumor suppressor gene, was identified recently at chromosome 18q21.1. Frequent homozygous deletion or mutations of the gene were observed in pancreatic carcinomas. To investigate the role of this gene in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs), we examined 16 HNSCC cell lines from 11 patients and 20 primary HNSCCs for alterations of the gene by sequencing all 11 exons of the gene. Fourteen cell lines from 10 patients showed monomers at marker D18s46 (l8q21.1). Full-length cDNA was detectable in all cell lines by reverse transcription-PCR. A nonsense mutation was identified at codon 526 (GAA to TAA, glutamine to termination) in two cell lines (UMSCC22A and UMSCC22B) derived from the primary tumor and lymph node metastasis of the same patient. Loss of heterozygosity was found in 7 of 15 (47%) informative primary tumors at D18s46, whereas only one polymorphism was observed in both tumor and normal tissues from the same patient (at codon 525; ATT to GTT, isoleucine to valine). Our data indicate that although DPC4 is altered infrequently in HNSCC, it may play some role in the tumorigenesis of a small subset of HNSCCs.

Base Sequence

Enhanced myocardial relaxation in vivo in transgenic mice overexpressing the beta2-adrenergic receptor is associated with reduced phospholamban protein.

To assess the effect of targeted myocardial beta-adrenergic receptor (AR) stimulation on relaxation and phospholamban regulation, we studied the physiological and biochemical alterations associated with overexpression of the human beta2-AR gene in transgenic mice. These mice have an approximately 200-fold increase in beta-AR density and a 2-fold increase in basal adenylyl cyclase activity relative to negative littermate controls. Mice were catheterized with a high fidelity micromanometer and hemodynamic recordings were obtained in vivo. Overexpression of the beta2-AR altered parameters of relaxation. At baseline, LV dP/dt(min) and the time constant of LV pressure isovolumic decay (Tau) in the transgenic mice were significantly shorter compared with controls, indicating markedly enhanced myocardial relaxation. Isoproterenol stimulation resulted in shortening of relaxation velocity in control mice but not in the transgenic mice, indicating maximal relaxation in these animals. Immunoblotting analysis revealed a selective decrease in the amount of phospholamban protein, without a significant change in the content for either sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase or calsequestrin, in the transgenic hearts compared with controls. This study indicates that myocardial relaxation is both markedly enhanced and maximal in these mice and that conditions associated with chronic beta-AR stimulation can result in a selective reduction of phospholamban protein.

Animals

Age-associated differences in TNF-alpha and nitric oxide production in endotoxic mice.

Gram-negative bacterial infection is a common cause of septic shock in the older population in the U.S. We employed an experimental model of sepsis to study the cause of increased lethality due to LPS in older animals. Three ages of male B6JC3J/Nia mice, young (2 mo old), mature (12 mo old), and senescent (24 mo old), were treated with bacterial LPS, and the older mice were found to be 10 times more sensitive to LPS lethality. Increased sensitivity to LPS in senescent mice correlated with significantly elevated plasma TNF-alpha and nitric oxide levels. Abs to TNF-alpha afforded aged animals passive protection against a supralethal dose of LPS, establishing a central role for TNF in the increased sensitivity to LPS seen in the aged animals. Other cytokines, such as IL-1 and IFN-gamma, appeared secondary to TNF and nitric oxide in the age-associated sensitivity to LPS. Plasma corticosterone levels were increased by LPS at a time when maximal levels of plasma TNF-alpha were observed in both age groups, although the kinetics of hormone production and the magnitude of TNF-alpha release varied among the age groups. Exogenously administered dexamethasone protected senescent animals given a high dose of LPS, by decreasing cytokine levels. The increased sensitivity to LPS observed in aged animals, therefore, seems to be due to excessive TNF and nitric oxide production, resulting from perturbed endogenous hormonal control of cytokine production.

Aging

Molecular detection of primary bladder cancer by microsatellite analysis.

Microsatellite DNA markers have been widely used as a tool for the detection of loss of heterozygosity and genomic instability in primary tumors. In a blinded study, urine samples from 25 patients with suspicious bladder lesions that had been identified cystoscopically were analyzed by this molecular method and by conventional cytology. Microsatellite changes matching those in the tumor were detected in the urine sediment of 19 of the 20 patients (95 percent) who were diagnosed with bladder cancer, whereas urine cytology detected cancer cells in 9 of 18 (50 percent) of the samples. These results suggest that microsatellite analysis, which in principle can be performed at about one-third the cost of cytology, may be a useful addition to current screening methods for detecting bladder cancer.

Adult

Frequent microsatellite alterations at chromosomes 9p21 and 3p14 in oral premalignant lesions and their value in cancer risk assessment.

To better understand genetic alterations in oral premalignant lesions, we examined 84 oral leukoplakia samples from 37 patients who had been enrolled in a chemoprevention trial. The samples were analyzed for two microsatellite markers located at chromosomes 9p21 and 3p14. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at either or both loci was identified in 19 of the 37 (51%) patients. Of these 19 patients, seven (37%) have developed head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) while only one of 18 (6%) of patients without LOH developed HNSCC. Our data suggest that clonal genetic alterations are common in oral premalignant lesions; that multiple genetic alterations have already occurred in oral premalignant lesions, allowing at least a focal clonal expansion; and that losses of the 9p21 and 3p14 regions may be related to early processes of tumorigenesis in HNSCC. These genetic alterations in premalignant tissues may serve as markers for cancer risk assessment.

Adult

Effects of induced tolerance to bacterial lipopolysaccharide on myocardial infarct size in rats.

OBJECTIVES: Induced tolerance to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by pretreatment with sublethal doses of LPS has been shown to reduce the inflammatory response of monocytes, circulating PMNs and PMN adhesion to endothelial cells in response to subsequent stimuli, and also to increase cellular and organ tolerance to stress by other mechanisms. Therefore, we undertook to determine whether or not LPS desensitization is associated with reduced myocardial infarct size at 3 days after reperfusion following coronary occlusion. METHODS: Rats were randomized to either daily intraperitoneal LPS injections to provide LPS tolerance, or to equal volumes of saline (controls). In both groups at day 7 nontransmural infarction was produced by a 45 min coronary occlusion followed by 3 days of reperfusion during which LPS injections were continued. Histologic infarct size was assessed as percent of the left ventricle and as a percent of the risk zone (determined by fluorescent microspheres). RESULTS: Myocardial infarct size as percent of the left ventricle and of the risk zone were significantly reduced in the LPS-tolerant group (n = 14) compared to control rats (n = 12), the latter being reduced by 37% (33.6 +/- 18.4 vs. 54.1 +/- 8.6% of the risk zone, P < 0.002). The percentages of activated circulating PMN after LPS desensitization and saline pretreatment were not different prior to coronary occlusion (at 7 days), but 3 days after coronary occlusion and reperfusion the percent of activated PMNs in the treated group was markedly reduced compared to controls (2.9 +/- 1.6 vs. 11.4 +/- 7.2%, respectively, P < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: LPS desensitization in rats for 1 week prior to coronary occlusion inhibited activation of circulating PMNs 3 days after reperfusion following 45 min of coronary occlusion. LPS also is well-known to induce heat stress proteins and may affect other protective mechanisms. These actions are associated with a significant reduction in myocardial infarct size in LPS-tolerant animals compared to untreated controls.

Animals

Multiple mechanisms of p16INK4A inactivation in non-small cell lung cancer cell lines.

p16INK4A, a specific inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk)4 and cdk6, is a candidate tumor suppressor in malignancies with wild-type retinoblastoma (Rb). Loss of p16INK4A frees these cdks from inhibition, permitting constitutive phosphorylation of Rb and inactivation of its growth suppressive properties. Consistent with this model, Rb-positive non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) have little or no detectable p16INK4A protein, whereas Rb-negative lung cancers have abundant p16INK4A. However, only some NSCLCs have homozygous deletions or nonsense mutations in a remaining p16INK4A allele, suggesting that other mechanisms must account for absent or low levels of p16INK4A protein. Here, we analyzed 9 Rb-positive NSCLC cell lines for the controls governing p16INK4A activity. Four lines had homozygous deletions of p16INK4A (SK-LU-1, SK-MES-1, A-427, and SW900), and three had a point mutation in a single allele. First, in H520 cells, the previously reported deletion at codon 45 results in a frameshift that produces no detectable protein. Second, in Calu-3 cells, a His to Tyr substitution at codon 83 produced a variant with a shortened half-life that was unable to form complexes with cdk4 or cdk6. Third, in H661 cells, the previously reported point mutation in the second intron splice donor site resulted in a smaller p16INK4A protein. Although this variant formed complexes with cdk4 and cdk6, it had a profoundly reduced half-life, producing low steady-state levels of p16INK4A and abundant levels of free cdks. Finally, Calu-1 and Calu-6 cells transcribed no detectable mRNA encoding authentic p16INK4A. These cell lines displayed methylation of the CpG island surrounding the first exon of p16INK4A and expressed abundant levels of a nontranslated mRNA containing an alternative first exon (E1 beta), as did all other cell lines in which the p16INK4A locus was not deleted. These data indicate that Rb-positive NSCLC cells have evolved a variety of pathways to suppress p16INK4A expression. Reintroduction of p16INK4A into these cell lines by retroviral transfer resulted in a reduced growth rate, increased abundance of hypophosphorylated Rb, accumulation of cells in G1, and a less transformed morphology in Rb-positive, but not Rb-negative cells, suggesting that loss of p16INK4A is essential for maintenance of the transformed phenotype.

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung

Inactivation of the CDKN2/p16/MTS1 gene is frequently associated with aberrant DNA methylation in all common human cancers.

The tumor suppressor gene CDKN2/p16/MTS1, located on chromosome 9p21, is frequently inactivated in many human cancers through homozygous deletion. Recently, we have reported another pathway of inactivation that involves loss of transcription associated with de novo methylation of a 5' CpG island of CDKN2/p16 in lung cancers, gliomas, and head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. We now show that this aberrant CpG island methylation also occurs frequently in cell lines of breast cancer (33%), prostate cancer (60%), renal cancer (23%), and colon cancer (92%) and is associated with loss of transcription. Primary tumors of the breast (31%) and colon (40%) also displayed de novo methylation of this CpG island. This alteration of p16 in colon cancer was particularly striking, since inactivation does not occur through homozygous deletion in this tumor type. Our data show that in tumors, de novo methylation of the 5' CpG island is a frequent mode of inactivation of CDKN2/p16 and also firmly demonstrate that CDKN2/p16 is one of the most frequently altered genes in human neoplasia.

Carrier Proteins

A novel p16INK4A transcript.

p16INK4A and p15INK4B were initially identified as potent inhibitors of activated cyclin/cyclin-dependent kinase complexes. These genes were colocalized to chromosome 9p21, and p16 was subsequently found to be mutated in familial melanoma and deleted in a wide variety of sporadic cancers. We recently found that de novo methylation of a 5' CpG island led to transcriptional block of full-length p16 in many neoplasms. However, the presence of a truncated p16 transcript in methylated cell lines led us to investigate the presence of an alternative promoter or initiation site. We have now identified an abundant alternative p16 transcript in both methylated and unmethylated cell lines generated from a novel sequence (exon 1 beta) potentially involved in the complex regulation of these critical cell cycle genes.

Base Sequence

Molecular assessment of histopathological staging in squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

BACKGROUND: Surgical oncologists rely heavily on the histopathological assessment of surgical margins to ensure total excision of the tumor in patients with head and neck cancer. However, current techniques may not detect small numbers of cancer cells at the margins of resection or in cervical lymph nodes. METHODS: We used molecular techniques to determine whether clonal populations of infiltrating tumor cells harboring mutations of the p53 gene could be detected in histopathologically negative surgical margins and cervical lymph nodes of patients with squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck. RESULTS: We identified 25 patients with primary squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck containing a p53 mutation who appeared to have had complete tumor resection on the basis of a negative histopathological assessment. In 13 of these 25 patients, molecular analysis was positive for a p53 mutation in at least one tumor margin. In 5 of 13 patients with positive margins by this method (38 percent), the carcinoma has recurred locally, as compared with none of 12 patients with negative margins (P = 0.02 by the log-rank test). Furthermore, molecular analysis identified neoplastic cells in 6 of 28 lymph nodes (21 percent) that were initially negative by histopathological assessment. CONCLUSIONS: Among specimens initially believed to be negative by light microscopy, a substantial percentage of the surgical margins and lymph nodes from patients with squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck contained p53 mutations specific for the primary tumor. Patients with these positive margins appear to have a substantially increased risk of local recurrence. Molecular analysis of surgical margins and lymph nodes can augment standard histopathological assessment and may improve the prediction of local tumor recurrence.

Aged

Survival of infants with malignant astrocytomas. A Report from the Childrens Cancer Group.

BACKGROUND: Very young children with central nervous system malignant brain tumors have a poor prognosis. As compared with older children, survival is less likely, and those children who do survive frequently have severe impairment of growth and cognitive abilities, resulting partly from treatment with radiotherapy. Therefore, an intensive chemotherapeutic regimen was used to treat children younger than 2 years of age with a diagnosis of malignant astrocytomas. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-nine children younger than 24 months of age who were diagnosed with malignant astrocytoma were treated on a Childrens Cancer Group protocol with an eight-drug chemotherapeutic regimen (vincristine, carmustine, procarbazine, hydroxyurea, cisplatin, cytosine arabinoside, prednisone, and dimethyl-triazenoimidazole-carboxamide) after surgery and postoperative staging. Radiation therapy was to be deferred until the completion of chemotherapy. RESULTS: The objective response rate after two cycles of chemotherapy was 24%. Most patients did not receive radiotherapy. Progression-free survival (PFS) and survival at 3 years was 36% (standard error, 8%) and 51% (8%), respectively. The PFS of those children with anaplastic astrocytoma was 44% (11%), significantly better than that of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) (0%). Extent of resection was not associated significantly with PFS, but tumors within the cerebral hemispheres were associated with a more favorable prognosis. Tumor progression occurred locally in almost all cases and early in treatment (median PFS, 8 months). CONCLUSION: Chemotherapy appears to be effective primary adjuvant treatment for some very young children with anaplastic astrocytomas. Overall, however, survival remains poor, especially for children with GBM. Strategies to improve outcome require early intervention, because tumor progression occurs soon after diagnosis in the majority of patients.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols

Transplantation of reproductive organs.

A historical review of the literature concerning replantation and transplantation of reproductive organs has included studies from this laboratory, using rats, over the past 25 years. From the basic observation of ischemic and traumatic injury due to the transplantation, syngeneic testicle transplants, resulting in a partner's impregnation and histological restoration of the testicles, led to human testicular transplantation. As to the ovarian transplants, granulosa-theca cell tumors may transform into malignancies if followed for a prolonged period as intrasplenic ovaries, and high doses (15 to 20 mg/kg b.w.) of azathioprine can produce such malignant tumors in a shorter period. By caval-portal shunt, ovarian hormones enter directly into the portal blood stream and no typical granulosa-theca cell tumors were produced, owing to the fact that the liver cannot degrade all the hormones secreted by both ovaries. While en-bloc vagino-utero-ovarian transplantation in the rat is possible, no impregnation has been yet achieved. Finally, it is hypothesized that those who have acquired microsurgical techniques and have a full understanding of the anatomy of the reproductive system will not only be able to perform replantation of the penis, but also will be capable of allogeneic transplantation of genital organs, whether ethically approved or not, and sooner than one may think. In such cases a penile part may be obtained at a sex-change surgery or from a cadaveric donor, similar to other vital organ transplantation practices.

Animals

Blockade of L-glutamate receptors in the rostral ventrolateral medulla contributes to ethanol-evoked impairment of baroreflexes in conscious rats.

This study investigated the effect of ethanol microinjected into the rostral ventrolateral medulla on the cardiovascular responses to intrarostral ventrolateral medulla administration of the excitatory amino acids L-glutamate and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and on baroreflex-mediated heart rate responses (baroreflex sensitivity) in conscious freely moving Sprague-Dawley rats. L-Glutamate (5 nmol) or NMDA (25, 50, and 100 pmol) microinjected into the rostral ventrolateral medulla elicited pressor and bradycardiac responses. The cardiovascular responses elicited by both L-glutamate and NMDA were significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated by intrarostral ventrolateral medulla ethanol (10 micrograms) or 2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic (2 nmol), a selective NMDA receptor antagonist, but not by ACSF. Enhancement of the cardiovascular responses to L-glutamate by intrarostral ventrolateral medulla p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonic acid (0.1 nmol), a glutamate uptake inhibitor, was reversed by subsequent ethanol, but not ACSF, microinjection. None of the treatments influenced baseline blood pressure or heart rate. Ethanol or 2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid microinjected into the rostral ventrolateral medulla significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated baroreflex sensitivity tested by phenylephrine. In contrast, p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonic acid significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced baroreflex sensitivity (-2.14 +/- 0.09 vs. -3.08 +/- 0.18); subsequent ethanol microinjection reversed this enhancement (-2.90 +/- 0.21 vs. -1.86 +/- 0.24). Equal volume of ACSF had no effect on baroreflex sensitivity of pretreated rats (-3.22 +/- 0.31 vs. -2.98 +/- 0.34). These results suggest that ethanol exerts a marked inhibitory action on glutamatergic pathways within the rostral ventrolateral medulla that act to enhance baroreflex sensitivity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate

Frequency of homozygous deletion at p16/CDKN2 in primary human tumours.

Many tumour types have been reported to have deletion of 9p21 (refs 1-6). A candidate target suppressor gene, p16 (p16INK4a/MTS-1/CDKN2), was recently identified within the commonly deleted region in tumour cell lines. An increasing and sometimes conflicting body of data has accumulated regarding the frequency of homozygous deletion and the importance of p16 in primary tumours. We tested 545 primary tumours by microsatellite analysis with existing and newly cloned markers around the p16 locus. We have now found that small homozygous deletions represent the predominant mechanism of inactivation at 9p21 in bladder tumours and are present in other tumour types, including breast and prostate cancer. Moreover, fine mapping of these deletions implicates a 170 kb minimal region that includes p16 and excludes p15.

Blotting, Southern

5' CpG island methylation is associated with transcriptional silencing of the tumour suppressor p16/CDKN2/MTS1 in human cancers.

Loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 9p21 is one of the most frequent genetic alterations identified in human cancer. The rate of point mutations of p16, a candidate suppressor gene of this area, is low in most primary tumours with allelic loss of 9p21. Monosomic cell lines with structurally unaltered p16 show methylation of the 5' CpG island of p16. This distinct methylation pattern was associated with a complete transcriptional block that was reversible upon treatment with 5-deoxyazacytidine. Moreover, de novo methylation of the 5' CpG island of p16 was also found in approximately 20% of different primary neoplasms, but not in normal tissues, potentially representing a common pathway of tumour suppressor gene inactivation in human cancers.

5-Methylcytosine

Microsatellite alterations as clonal markers for the detection of human cancer.

Microsatellite instability has been reported to be an important feature of tumors from hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal carcinoma (HNPCC) patients. The recent discovery of genetic instability in small cell lung carcinoma, a neoplasm not associated with HNPCC, led us to investigate the possible presence of microsatellite alterations in other tumor types. We examined 52 microsatellite repeat sequences in the DNA of normal and tumor pairs from 100 head and neck, bladder, and lung cancer patients by the polymerase chain reaction. Although alterations were rare in dinucleotide repeats, larger (tri- or tetranucleotide) repeats were found to be more prone to expansion or deletion. We screened 100 tumors with a panel of nine tri- and tetranucleotide repeat markers and identified 26 (26%) that displayed alterations in at least one locus. This observation prompted us to examine the possibility of using microsatellite alterations as markers to detect clonal tumor-derived cell populations in pathologic samples. The identical microsatellite alterations detected in the primary tumors were successfully identified in corresponding urine, sputum, and surgical margins from affected patients. This study demonstrates that appropriately selected microsatellite loci are commonly altered in many cancers and can serve as clonal markers for their detection.

Base Sequence

Inhibition of glutamate uptake in the rostral ventrolateral medulla enhances baroreflex-mediated bradycardia in conscious rats.

The current investigation tested the hypothesis that inhibition of L-glutamate uptake in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVL) enhances the baroreceptor-mediated heart rate responses. In conscious freely moving rats, unilateral microinjection of the L-glutamate uptake blocker p-chloromercuriphenylsalfonic acid (PCMS, 0.1 nmol) elicited a 45% increase in the baroreflex-mediated bradycardic response tested by i.v. phenylephrine (-2.0 +/- 0.1 vs -2.9 +/- 0.2 beats/min/mmHg). In the same rats, evidence for the ability of PCMS to inhibit L-glutamate uptake at the site of its microinjection in the RVL was obtained. PCMS microinjected into the RVL did not influence basal blood pressure and heart rate. However, the cardiovascular responses elicited by L-glutamate (5 nmol) microinjected into the RVL were significantly enhanced by PCMS pretreatment. The pressor and bradycardic responses to L-glutamate increased 53% (from 28.3 +/- 2.4 to 43.4 +/- 4.7 mmHg) and 68% (from -59.6 +/- 13.1 to -100.0 +/- 7.2 beats/min), respectively after PCMS. An equal volume of ACSF microinjected into the RVL had no effect on BRS (-2.1 +/- 0.2 vs -1.9 +/- 0.1 beats/min/mmHg), nor on the pressor (29.9 +/- 7.4 vs 30.6 +/- 4.4 mmHg) and bradycardic (-50.3 +/- 12.0 vs -43.3 +/- 12.0 beats/min) responses elicited by L-glutamate. These findings suggest that: (i) glutamatergic pathways in the RVL serve a facilitatory role in processing the baroreceptor information, and (ii) L-glutamate uptake mechanisms exert a restraining influence on BRS and the cardiovascular effect of L-glutamate.

4-Chloromercuribenzenesulfonate