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L Stubbs

Publications and source records attributed to L Stubbs.

64 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

The alpha-A-crystallin and cystathionine beta-synthase genes are physically very closely linked in proximal mouse chromosome 17.

Murine genes homologous to those contributing to the Down syndrome (DS) phenotype in man are currently of interest because of their potential for providing animal models for the study of specific DS symptoms. Most of the genes mapping to human chromosome 21q22, where the DS genes are concentrated, are related to sequences located on mouse chromosome 16. Others, however, are known to map to mouse chromosome 10, and two genes, cystathionine beta-synthase (Cbs) and alpha-A-crystallin (Crya-1), have been localized to the proximal portion of mouse chromosome 17. In this paper, we show that the two genes mapping to human chromosome 21q22 and mouse chromosome 17 are very tightly linked in mouse, being separated by at least 70 kb, but not more than 130 kb. The very close physical linkage of mouse Cbs and Crya-1, combined with data that localize homologs of the closely flanking markers H2k and Pim-1 to human chromosome 6, suggests that the human 21q22/mouse chromosome 17 conserved segment is of a very limited total physical size and is likely to contain a relatively small number of genes.

Animals↗

Identification of a testis-specific gene from the mouse t-complex next to a CpG-rich island.

We have used an approach based on the observation of CpG-rich regions near the 5' end of many genes to screen a panel of cosmids derived from the t-complex and tested candidate sequences for evidence of transcription in a number of different mouse tissues. One gene so identified is expressed specifically in testicular germ cells and maps to a subregion of the t-complex also containing loci involved in transmission ratio distortion and male sterility. The transcript is first detected during the pachytene stage of the first meiotic division, but is expressed in highest levels in the later haploid spermatogenic stages. Sequence analysis verified the existence of a CpG-rich element on the 5' end of the gene and predicts a unique protein species with no significant homologies to those previously determined.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

DNA synthesis at selective sites during pachytene in mouse spermatocytes.

DNA repair replication has been previously demonstrated to occur in mouse spermatocytes during the pachytene stage. The results reported in this study provide a more detailed characterization of pachytene repair by focusing upon specific properties of the sites of replication. Our data demonstrate that single-strand breaks persist within replicated sequences throughout a period which corresponds to a defined interval of the pachytene stage. A large fraction of the sites may be nicked more than once within the same DNA strand, allowing the selective release of replicated DNA sequences from gently denatured spermatocyte DNA. DNA fragments thus prepared from pachytene spermatocytes are not of random sequence composition, but are derived from a specific subset of the mouse genome. Sites of replication are also associated with chromatin of distinctive structure in pachytene spermatocytes, as evidenced by the sensitivity of replicated chromatin to DNase II, and its solubility in the presence of Mg2+. In each of these respects, sequences replicated in pachytene spermatocytes closely resemble their counterparts in the Lilium genome.

Animals↗

Meiosis-specific transcripts of a DNA component replicated during chromosome pairing: homology across the phylogenetic spectrum.

In meiotic cells of Lilium, a group of single or low copy number DNA sequences that constitute about 0.1-0.2% of the genome do not replicate during the premeiotic S-phase but do so at zygotene in coordination with chromosome pairing. An appreciable fraction of these sequences has now been found to be transcribed into poly(A)+ RNA when chromosomes initiate the pairing process. This "zygRNA" has not been detected in nonmeiotic tissues. Even within the meiocytes, zygRNA is not detectable prior to leptotene or beyond midpachytene. S1 nuclease digestion of mouse spermatocyte nuclei selectively released zygDNA, which hybridizes with lily zygRNA. zygRNA has not been detected in mouse somatic tissues. The profile of zygRNA formation and disappearance in mouse spermatocytes is very similar to that of zygRNA in lily meiocytes.

Animals↗

Studies of the diphtheria toxin receptor on Chinese hamster cells.

Concanavalin A, wheat germ agglutinin and the ovalbumin glycopeptide are all inhibitors of the cytotoxic effect of diphtheria toxin on Chinese hamster cells. Ovalbumin glycopeptide loses its inhibitory property after treatment with beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase. This demonstrates the importance of the glycopeptide structure for the mechanism of inhibition. The glycopeptide may be a toxin cell-surface receptor analogue. Diphtheria toxin-resistant mutants were isolated in order to search for cells that might have an altered toxin receptor. One mutant was 10- to 15-fold more resistant to diphtheria toxin than wild-type cells when protein synthesis was measured as a function of toxin concentration. However, when protein synthesis was measured as a function of time at a high toxin concentration, the time before onset of inhibition was identical in the mutant and wild-type cells. We present evidence indicating that the resistance of this mutant can be accounted for by a decreased affinity of toxin for a cell-surface receptor.

Cell Line↗

Induced mouse chromosomal rearrangements as tools for identifying critical developmental genes and pathways.

Due to the rapid advances that have been made in molecular and genetic technology during the past decade, the genes associated with a large number of human hereditary diseases have been isolated and analyzed in detail. These cloned genes provide new tools for research geared toward a better understanding of normal human development, and also of the many ways that basic, essential morphologic pathways can be disturbed. Chromosomal rearrangements, especially deletions and translocations, have been especially beneficial in the mapping and isolation of human disease genes because of their visibility on both the cytogenetic and molecular levels. However, these useful types of mutations occur with low frequency in the human population. Chromosomal rearrangements can be induced relatively easily in mice, and several large, independent collections of translocation and deletion mutants have been generated in the course of risk-assessment and mutagenesis studies over the past several decades. Combined with new molecular technologies, these collections of mutant animals provide a means of gaining ready access to genes associated with developmental defects including craniofacial abnormalities, hydrocephaly, skeletal deformities, and complex neurologic disorders. As an illustration of this approach, we briefly review our progress in the study of three mutations associated with defects in palate development, juvenile growth, fitness and sterility, and neurologic development in mice, respectively.

Animals↗