Biomedical subjects

M E Newton

Publications and source records attributed to M E Newton.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Hydrogen incorporation in diamond: the vacancy-hydrogen complex.

We report the identification of the vacancy-hydrogen complex in single crystal diamond synthesized by chemical vapor deposition. The S=1 defect is observed by electron paramagnetic resonance in the negative charge state. The hydrogen atom is bonded to one of the carbon atoms neighboring the vacancy. Unlike the analogous defect in silicon, no symmetry lowering reconstruction occurs between the three remaining carbon dangling orbitals. The very small measured hydrogen hyperfine interaction is explained by dipolar coupling between the hydrogen and the unpaired electron probability density delocalized on the three equivalent carbon neighbors.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2003

Hydrogen incorporation in diamond: the nitrogen-vacancy-hydrogen complex.

We report the identification of the nitrogen-vacancy-hydrogen complex in a freestanding nitrogen-doped isotopically engineered single crystal diamond synthesized by chemical vapor deposition. The hydrogen atom is located in the vacancy of a nearest-neighbor nitrogen-vacancy defect and appears to be bonded to the nitrogen atom maintaining the trigonal symmetry of the center. The defect is observed by electron paramagnetic resonance in the negative charge state in samples containing a suitable electron donor (e.g., substitutional nitrogen N(0)(S)).

Journal Article↗

PubMed1992

CD28 and T cell antigen receptor signal transduction coordinately regulate interleukin 2 gene expression in response to superantigen stimulation.

Activation of an immune response requires intercellular contact between T lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells (APC). Interaction of the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) with antigen in the context of major histocompatibility molecules mediates signal transduction, but T cell activation appears to require the induction of a second costimulatory signal transduction pathway. Recent studies suggest that interaction of CD28 with B7 on APC might deliver such a costimulatory signal. To investigate the role of CD28 signal transduction during APC-dependent T cell activation, we have used Staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) presented by a B7-positive APC. We used anti-B7 monoclonal antibodies and a mutant interleukin 2 (IL-2) promoter construct, unresponsive to CD28-generated signals, in transient transfection assays to examine the contribution of the CD28-B7 interaction to IL-2 gene activation. These studies indicate that the CD28-regulated signal transduction pathway is activated during SE stimulation of T cells and plays an important role in SE induction of IL-2 gene expression through its influence upon the CD28-responsive element contained within the IL-2 gene promoter. This effect is particularly profound in the activation of the IL-2 gene in peripheral blood T cells.

Antigen-Presenting Cells↗

PubMed1990

Stimulation of the phosphatidylinositol pathway can induce T-cell activation.

The T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) regulates two signal transduction pathways: the phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) and tyrosine kinase pathways. Stimulation of T cells with antigen or anti-TCR monoclonal antibodies induces an increase in inositol phosphates and diacylglycerol, the second messengers responsible for the mobilization of cytoplasmic free calcium and activation of protein kinase C-4. The TCR also activates a tyrosine kinase that is not intrinsic to the TCR. The relationship between these two signal transduction pathways and their contribution to later T-cell responses is unclear. Studies using variants of a murine hybridoma suggested that the PtdIns pathway might not be necessary for or be involved in regulating interleukin-2 (IL-2) production. To address the relationship between later T-cell responses and the early biochemical signals, we investigated the ability of a heterologous receptor with defined signal transduction function to induce T-cell activation. The human muscarinic subtype-1 receptor (HM1), which elicits PtdIns metabolism in neuronal cells through a G protein-coupled mechanism, also functionally activates this pathway when expressed in the T-cell line Jurkat-derived host, J-HM1-2.2 (ref.8). We show here that stimulation of HM1 alone induced IL-2 production and IL-2 receptor alpha chain expression. HM1 does not induce the tyrosine kinase pathway, suggesting that this pathway does not directly influence later T cell-activation responses. Instead, our studies indicate that activation of the PtdIns pathway is probably sufficient to induce later T-cell responses.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Heterogeneity of protein kinase C isoenzyme gene expression in human T cell lines. Protein kinase C-beta is not required for several T cell functions.

An early consequence of stimulation of T cells via their Ag receptor is the activation of protein kinase C (PKC). It has recently been shown that PKC activity resides in a family of homologous proteins. Inasmuch as T cells are phenotypically and functionally heterogeneous, we examined the possibility that this heterogeneity may be reflected in differential expression of message for PKC isoenzyme genes. RNA from six leukemic T cell lines was probed for PKC-alpha, -beta, and -gamma message before and after activation. These studies revealed significant differences among these lines. None expressed mRNA for PKC-gamma. Whereas all cells possessed message for PKC-alpha, there was consistent variability in the level expressed. The greatest heterogeneity was seen with PKC-beta. Two cell lines, HUT 78 and HPB-ALL, did not hybridize with the beta probe under any conditions tested. We subsequently used these PKC-beta negative cells to study the role of this isoenzyme in mediating some of the effects seen with phorbol esters that directly bind to and activate PKC. Our results indicate that PKC-beta, which is expressed in some T cells, is not necessary for PMA-induced CD3 or CD4 internalization, IL-2 production, or acquisition of the p55 chain of the IL-2 receptor.

Cell Line↗

PubMed1988

The lysine residue in the membrane-spanning domain of the beta chain is necessary for cell surface expression of the T cell antigen receptor.

The TCR is a complex receptor composed of seven polypeptide chains consisting of a ligand-binding subunit, Ti, and a putative signal-transducing subunit, CD3. Phylogenetically conserved charged amino acid residues within the membrane-spanning domains present in all seven chains of the TCR have been proposed to be important in the association between Ti and CD3. Using a Ti beta chain-deficient mutant of the cell line Jurkat, site-directed mutagenesis and transfection of Ti beta chain cDNA was performed to assess the importance of the lysine residue at position 290 within the membrane-spanning domain of the Ti beta chain to expression of the TCR complex. These studies demonstrated that the lysine residue, and not simply conservation of either basic charge or secondary structure, is important at this position.

Blotting, Northern↗

PubMed1987

Heterochromatin diversity and cyclic responses to selective silver staining in Aedes aegypti (L.).

In interphase cells of Aedes aegypti (L.) (2n = 4+ XX/XY), only the nucleolus responded to selective silver staining. The secondary constriction on chromosome 3 remained unresponsive at all times but the six centromeres were identified throughout mitosis from early prophase as well as those stages of meiosis subsequent to diplotene. The centromeric blocks were not synonymous with the pericentric heterochromatin revealed by C-banding. X chromosomes without an intercalary C-band were newly discovered in Ae. aegypti in the Bangalore strain. Sequential Q- or Hoechst 33258/C-banding in this and the Trinidad-30 strain revealed intercalary heterochromatin diversity within and between strains and also differences between intercalary and pericentric heterochromatin.

Aedes↗

PubMed1974