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L Saez

Publications and source records attributed to L Saez.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Phosphorylation of period is influenced by cycling physical associations of double-time, period, and timeless in the Drosophila clock.

The clock gene double-time (dbt) encodes an ortholog of casein kinase Iepsilon that promotes phosphorylation and turnover of the PERIOD protein. Whereas the period (per), timeless (tim), and dClock (dClk) genes of Drosophila each contribute cycling mRNA and protein to a circadian clock, dbt RNA and DBT protein are constitutively expressed. Robust circadian changes in DBT subcellular localization are nevertheless observed in clock-containing cells of the fly head. These localization rhythms accompany formation of protein complexes that include PER, TIM, and DBT, and reflect periodic redistribution between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Nuclear phosphorylation of PER is strongly enhanced when TIM is removed from PER/TIM/DBT complexes. The varying associations of PER, DBT and TIM appear to determine the onset and duration of nuclear PER function within the Drosophila clock.

Animals↗

Analysis of notch lacking the carboxyl terminus identified in Drosophila embryos.

The cell surface receptor Notch is required during development of Drosophila melanogaster for differentiation of numerous tissues. Notch is often required for specification of precursor cells by lateral inhibition and subsequently for differentiation of tissues from these precursor cells. We report here that certain embryonic cells and tissues that develop after lateral inhibition, like the connectives and commissures of the central nervous system, are enriched for a form of Notch not recognized by antibodies made against the intracellular region carboxy-terminal of the CDC10/Ankyrin repeats. Western blotting and immunoprecipitation analyses show that Notch molecules lacking this region are produced during embryogenesis and form protein complexes with the ligand Delta. Experiments with cultured cells indicate that Delta promotes accumulation of a Notch intracellular fragment lacking the carboxyl terminus. Furthermore, Notch lacking the carboxyl terminus functions as a receptor for Delta. These results suggest that Notch activities during development include generation and activity of a truncated receptor we designate NDeltaCterm.

Animals↗

Notch responds differently to Delta and Wingless in cultured Drosophila cells.

Notch, a cell surface receptor, is required for producing different types of cells during development of Drosophila melanogaster. Notch activates expression of one set of genes in response to ligand Delta and another set of genes in response to ligand Wingless. The means by which Notch initiates these different intracellular activities was examined in this study. Cultured cells expressing Notch were treated with Delta or Wingless, and the effect on Notch was examined by Western blotting. Treatment of cells with Delta resulted in accumulation of approximately 120-kDa Notch intracellular domain molecules in the cytoplasmic fraction. This form of Notch did not accumulate in cells treated with Wingless, but the approximately 350-kDa full-length Notch molecules accumulated. These results indicate that N responds differently to binding by Delta and Wingless, and suggest that although the Delta signal is transduced by the Notch intracellular domain released from the plasma membrane, the Wingless signal is transduced by the Notch intracellular domain associated with the plasma membrane.

Animals↗

A TIMELESS-independent function for PERIOD proteins in the Drosophila clock.

The mutation timeless(UL) generates 33 hr rhythms, prolonged nuclear localization of PERIOD/TIMELESS(UL) protein complexes, and protracted derepression of period (per) and timeless (tim) transcription. Light-induced elimination of TIM(UL) from nuclear PER/TIM(UL) complexes gives strong downregulation of per and tim expression. Thus, in the absence of TIM, nuclear PER can function as a potent negative transcriptional regulator. Two additional studies support this role for PER: (1) Drosophila expressing PER that constitutively localizes to nuclei produce dominant behavioral arrhythmicity, and (2) constitutively nuclear PER represses dCLOCK/CYCLE-mediated transcription of per in cultured cells without TIM. Conversion of PER/TIM heterodimers to nuclear PER proteins appears to be required to complete transcriptional repression and terminate each circadian molecular cycle.

Animals↗

The Drosophila clock gene double-time encodes a protein closely related to human casein kinase Iepsilon.

The cloning of double-time (dbt) is reported. DOUBLETIME protein (DBT) is most closely related to human casein kinase Iepsilon. dbtS and dbtL mutations, which alter period length of Drosophila circadian rhythms, produce single amino acid changes in conserved regions of the predicted kinase. dbtP mutants, which eliminate rhythms of per and tim expression and constitutively overproduce hypophosphorylated PER proteins, abolish most dbt expression. dbt mRNA appears to be expressed in the same cell types as are per and tim and shows no evident oscillation in wild-type heads. DBT is capable of binding to PER in vitro and in Drosophila cells, suggesting that a physical association of PER and DBT regulates PER phosphorylation and accumulation in vivo.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Mammalian circadian autoregulatory loop: a timeless ortholog and mPer1 interact and negatively regulate CLOCK-BMAL1-induced transcription.

We report the cloning and mapping of mouse (mTim) and human (hTIM) orthologs of the Drosophila timeless (dtim) gene. The mammalian Tim genes are widely expressed in a variety of tissues; however, unlike Drosophila, mTim mRNA levels do not oscillate in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) or retina. Importantly, hTIM interacts with the Drosophila PERIOD (dPER) protein as well as the mouse PER1 and PER2 proteins in vitro. In Drosophila (S2) cells, hTIM and dPER interact and translocate into the nucleus. Finally, hTIM and mPER1 specifically inhibit CLOCK-BMAL1-induced transactivation of the mPer1 promoter. Taken together, these results demonstrate that mTim and hTIM are mammalian orthologs of timeless and provide a framework for a basic circadian autoregulatory loop in mammals.

ARNTL Transcription Factors↗

Regulation of nuclear entry of the Drosophila clock proteins period and timeless.

Two genes, period (per) and timeless (tim), are essential for circadian rhythmicity in Drosophila. The encoded proteins (PER and TIM) physically interact. Here, it is shown that TIM and PER accumulate in the cytoplasm when independently expressed in cultured (S2) Drosophila cells. However, the proteins move to the nuclei of these cells if coexpressed. Domains of PER and TIM have been identified that block nuclear localization of the monomeric proteins. In vitro protein interaction studies indicate that the sequence inhibiting the nuclear accumulation of PER forms a binding site for TIM. The results indicate a mechanism for controlled nuclear localization in which suppression of cytoplasmic localization is accomplished by direct interaction of PER and TIM. No other clock functions are required for nuclear localization. The findings suggest that a checkpoint in the circadian cycle is established by requiring cytoplasmic assembly of a PER/TIM complex as a condition for nuclear transport of either protein.

Animals↗

Isolation of timeless by PER protein interaction: defective interaction between timeless protein and long-period mutant PERL.

The period (per) gene likely encodes a component of the Drosophila circadian clock. Circadian oscillations in the abundance of per messenger RNA and per protein (PER) are thought to arise from negative feedback control of per gene transcription by PER. A recently identified second clock locus, timeless (tim), apparently regulates entry of PER into the nucleus. Reported here are the cloning of complementary DNAs derived from the tim gene in a two-hybrid screen for PER-interacting proteins and the demonstration of a physical interaction between the tim protein (TIM) and PER in vitro. A restricted segment of TIM binds directly to a part of the PER dimerization domain PAS. PERL, a mutation that causes a temperature-sensitive lengthening of circadian period and a temperature-sensitive delay in PER nuclear entry, exhibits a temperature-sensitive defect in binding to TIM. These results suggest that the interaction between TIM and PER determines the timing of PER nuclear entry and therefore the duration of part of the circadian cycle.

Animals↗

Block in nuclear localization of period protein by a second clock mutation, timeless.

In wild-type Drosophila, the period protein (PER) is found in nuclei of the eyes and brain, and PER immunoreactivity oscillates with a circadian rhythm. The studies described here indicate that the nuclear localization of PER is blocked by timeless (tim), a second chromosome mutation that, like per null mutations, abolishes circadian rhythms. PER fusion proteins without a conserved domain (PAS) and some flanking sequences are nuclear in tim mutants. This suggests that a segment of PER inhibits nuclear localization in tim mutants. The tim gene may have a role in establishing rhythms of PER abundance and nuclear localization in wild-type flies.

Animals↗

In situ localization of the per clock protein during development of Drosophila melanogaster.

The per locus influences biological rhythms in Drosophila melanogaster. In this study, per transcripts and proteins were localized in situ in pupae and adults. Earlier genetic studies have demonstrated that per expression is required in the brain for circadian locomotor activity rhythms and in the thorax for ultradian rhythmicity of the Drosophila courtship song. per RNA and proteins were detected in a restricted group of cells in the eyes and optic lobes of the adult brain and in many cell bodies in the adult and pupal thoracic ganglia. per products were also found in the pupal ring gland complex, a tissue involved in rhythmic aspects of Drosophila development. Abundant expression was seen in gonadal tissue. No biological clock phenotypes have been reported for this tissue in any of the per mutants, per protein mapped to different subcellular locations in different tissues. The protein accumulated in or around nuclei in some cells and appeared to be cytoplasmic in others.

Animals↗

Characterization of diverse forms of myosin heavy chain expressed in adult human skeletal muscle.

In an attempt to define myosin heavy chain (MHC) gene organization and expression in adult human skeletal muscle, we have isolated and characterized genomic sequences corresponding to different human sarcomeric MHC genes (1). In this report, we present the complete DNA sequence of two different adult human skeletal muscle MHC cDNA clones, one of which encodes the entire light meromyosin (LMM) segment of MHC and represents the longest described MHC cDNA sequence. Additionally, both clones provide new sequence data from a 228 amino acid segment of the MHC tail for which no protein or DNA sequence has been previously available. One clone encodes a "fast" form of skeletal muscle MHC while the other clone most closely resembles a MHC form described in rat cardiac ventricles. We show that the 3' untranslated region of skeletal MHC cDNAs are homologous from widely separated species as are cardiac MHC cDNAs. However, there is no homology between the 3' untranslated region of cardiac and skeletal muscle MHCs. Isotype-specific preservation of MHC 3' untranslated sequences during evolution suggests a functional role for these regions.

Adult↗

Isolation and characterization of human myosin heavy chain genes.

We have isolated four unique human sarcomeric myosin heavy chain (MHC) genomic clones using rat MHC cDNA clones as probes. Three of these clones contain adult skeletal muscle-specific DNA sequences, whereas one clone contains embryonic skeletal muscle-specific sequences. This developmental and tissue specificity was determined by hybridization of each of the human clones to MHC mRNA from different muscle tissues. Cross-hybridization studies indicate that certain sequences of the human MHC genes have been conserved through evolution while other portions have diverged considerably. Preliminary evidence demonstrates that the MHC gene family is polymorphic in human populations. Each of the human MHC genes was shown to have repetitive sequences in multiple positions, both within the gene and in adjacent flanking DNA sequences. We have shown that, in contrast, four rat MHC genes have far fewer repetitive sequences even though two of the four genes contain the same muscle specificity as the human genes. Therefore, these genes may be useful to study gene evolution and repetitive sequence transposition.

Animals↗

Behavior of RNA and protein synthesis during the acclimatization of the carp. Studies with isolated hepatocytes.

1. Carp hepatocytes were isolated by dissociating the liver tissue with collagenase. The procedure yields viable cells with highly preserved ultrastructural and metabolic features. The isolated cells were able to self-aggregated and form tissue. 2. RNA and protein synthesis activity was significantly higher in the carp hepatocytes from summer acclimatized fish compared to the activity present in the cold adapted animals. 3. RNA synthesis assayed in carp hepatocytes suspensions obtained from summer and winter acclimatized fish exhibited a behaviour consistent with an inverse compensation to the cold acclimatization state, being apparently repressed, whereas protein synthesis did not show a compensatory activity.

Acclimatization↗

Horse erythrocyte glycoprotein-latex reagent that reacts with infectious mononucleosis heterophile antibody.

A sialoglycoprotein from horse erythrocytes was isolated in essentially homogeneous form and found to contain the neuraminidase-sensitive determinant of the horse erythrocyte for Paul-Bunnell heterophile antibodies of infectious mononucleosis. This reactivity was retained after covalent coupling of the antigen to latex particles. The latex reagent has greater stability (greater than 3 years) than either fresh or preserved horse erythrocytes. It can be used in a direct slide test; no absorption of the serum is necessary. The new test compared favorably with some standard tests for infectious mononucleosis antibody which use horse erythrocytes. Agreement of the latex test with the absorbed fresh horse cell test was 100%, and agreement with a stabilized horse erythrocyte spot test was 94%. The latex test also agreed 100% with a radioimmunoassay for the detection of heterophile antibody with 125I-labeled horse erythrocyte glycoprotein. The new latex test was compared with a bovine erythrocyte glycoprotein-latex test, and a correlation of 94% was observed. In addition, it was compared with the Wöllner test (enzyme-treated sheep cell-absorbed sheep cell agglutination test) with which it agreed in 92% of samples tested.

Animals↗