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Biomedical subjects

M Groenen

Publications and source records attributed to M Groenen.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Integration of chicken genomic resources to enable whole-genome sequencing.

Different genomic resources in chicken were integrated through the Wageningen chicken BAC library. First, a BAC anchor map was created by screening this library with two sets of markers: microsatellite markers from the consensus linkage map and markers created from BAC end sequencing in chromosome walking experiments. Second, HINdIII digestion fingerprints were created for all BACs of the Wageningen chicken BAC library. Third, cytogenetic positions of BACs were assigned by FISH. These integrated resources will facilitate further chromosome-walking experiments and whole-genome sequencing.

Animals↗

Polymorphic microsatellites developed by cross-species amplifications in common pheasant breeds.

Genetic variability was analysed in two common breeds of pheasant (Phasianus colchicus L. 1758) by means of cross-species amplifications of microsatellite loci: 154 chicken, Gallus gallus and 32 turkey, Meleagris gallopavo, primers were tested for amplification of pheasant DNA. Thirty-six primers (25 specific for chicken and 11 for turkey) amplified pheasant DNA. Fifteen markers yielded specific products and were tested for polymorphism. Eight of them (55%) were polymorphic, with an average polymorphism of two alleles per locus. Specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were sequenced; repeats were found in 11 of the 15 markers, although only two loci showed the same repeat and could be homologous to chicken ones.

Alleles↗

Role of interferon-gamma and nitric oxide in pulmonary edema and death induced by lipopolysaccharide.

Mice given lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intravenously developed lung edema, which was maximum after 6 h. Tumor necrosis factor, interleukin 12 (IL-12), IL-6, and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) appeared in the serum, and levels of nitrogen oxide (NO) derivatives were increased in serum and bronchoalveolar fluid. Mice pretreated with neutralizing anti-IFN-gamma antibodies had lower serum levels of IFN-gamma, and fewer died. However, levels of other cytokines and NO derivatives as well as lung edema were unchanged. If IFN-gamma and LPS were given together, pulmonary edema was less, but levels of cytokines and NO derivatives in serum were raised, and the mortality was greater. IFN-gamma receptor knockout mice had more edema after LPS, but were less sensitive to the lethal effects. Treatment with anti-IL-12 antibody inhibited IFN-gamma induction and reduced mortality, but had no effect on the lung edema; exogenous IL-12 also failed to affect edema, but boosted serum cytokine levels and increased the mortality. Aminoguanidine, an inhibitor of NO synthase, protected against pulmonary edema, but did not modify the lethal effects of LPS. Clearly, in this model, early pulmonary edema and lethality are not directly related, and induced IFN-gamma has no role in causing early lung edema, but augments other events that result in death.

Animals↗

Role of endogenous interleukin-12 (IL-12) in induced and spontaneous relapses of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice.

Actively induced, chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (CREAE) was studied in SJL/J and in Biozzi ABH mice. In Biozzi ABH mice, relapses occurred spontaneously with high frequency. In SJL/J mice, spontaneous relapses occurred infrequently; however they could be induced reproducibly by reimmunization. In both models, moderately increased levels of serum IL-12(p40) were consistently found shortly before primary attacks, but irregularly at later times. Injections of anti-IL-12 antibody inhibited disease development in both SJL/J and in Biozzi ABH mice. The time window during which treatment needed to be initiated in order to be effective, ranged from before induction until shortly before the symptoms of primary attacks emerged. Such treatment inhibited not only the first attack but also the spontaneous or induced relapses. Most significantly, anti-IL-12 antibody given during remission of primary disease inhibited actively re-induced relapses in SJL/J, but not spontaneous relapses in Biozzi ABH mice. These results indicate that endogenous IL-12 favours EAE development by crucially affecting the active induction process, but that a second burst of IL-12 production may not be necessary for triggering spontaneous relapses.

Animals↗

Chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (CREAE) in mice: enhancement by monoclonal antibodies against interferon-gamma.

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a T cell-mediated inflammatory and demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system. Depending on the experimental conditions, it takes an acute monophasic or a chronic relapsing-remitting course. We have previously reported that the incidence and severity of acute EAE in mice are reduced by administration of interferon (IFN)-gamma and augmented by treatment with neutralizing antibodies against IFN-gamma. Here, we investigated the role of IFN-gamma in chronic relapsing models of EAE (CREAE) in SJL/J and Biozzi ABH mice. Spontaneous relapses in Biozzi mice as well as induced relapses in SJL/J mice were facilitated by administration of neutralizing monoclonal antibody (mAb) against IFN-gamma in the disease-free interval. The enhancing effect of anti-IFN-gamma mAb given before and during the primary attack did not carry over to the relapses. However, early administration of IFN-gamma in Biozzi mice, which developed spontaneous relapses in a high proportion, provided partial protection not only against the first attack, but also against subsequent relapses. Administration of exogenous IFN-gamma during the remission phase provided some protection against subsequent relapses. These results indicate that in both types of relapses, IFN-gamma is produced and does provide a certain degree of protection against disease progression.

Animals↗

Overproduction of bovine beta-casein in Escherichia coli and engineering of its main chymosin cleavage site.

A cDNA clone containing the entire coding region for bovine beta-casein A3 flanked by 53 base pairs of 5' non-coding and 358 base pairs of 3' non-coding sequences was isolated from a bovine mammary cDNA phagemid library. The coding segment for mature beta-casein was subcloned into the T7 expression system, in which the expression of recombinant beta-casein was controlled by the T7 gene 10 promoter and ribosome binding site. High level expression of Met-beta-casein to approximately 20% of the total soluble proteins was obtained in Escherichia coli within 2 h after induction of T7 RNA-polymerase synthesis. In an attempt to induce secretion the coding segment for mature beta-casein was coupled to the ompA translational initiation signal and signal peptide coding sequence but no secretion of the fusion protein and no processing of the signal peptide from the fusion protein was observed. Instead, the Met-beta-casein could be isolated in a soluble form from E.coli cells after an osmotic shock, indicative of a periplasmic location. This procedure did not lyse the cells. The protein was purified to homogeneity after a pH 4.8 isoelectric precipitation followed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The beta-casein cDNA was altered to change the main chymosin cleavage site in beta-casein at position 192-193 in two ways, namely from Leu-Tyr to Pro-Pro and to Leu-stop.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Comparison of the crystallin mRNA populations from rat, calf and duck lens. Evidence for a longer alpha A2-mRNA and two distinct alpha B2-mRNAs in the birds.

Total cytoplasmic poly(A)-containing RNA from rat, calf and duck lens was fractionated by electrophoresis in methylmercury hydroxide-containing agarose gels. RNA electrophoresed in parallel lanes was either transferred onto nitrocellulose and hybridized with total cDNA synthesized on the initial mRNA or was recovered from individual gel fractions for in vitro translation in a reticulocyte cell-free system. This allowed the identification and size-characterization of individual mRNA species encoding alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-crystallin polypeptides. The 14 S mRNA fraction of rat lens comprises two alpha A2-mRNAs of approximately 1250 and 1350 nucleotides and the alpha AIns-mRNA with a size similar to that of the largest alpha A2-mRNA. The calf lens 14 S mRNA fraction harbors a heterogeneous population of alpha A2-mRNA. In the same fraction another mRNA encoding a polypeptide, designated X, has been found sharing no homology with alpha A sequences. The duck lens alpha A2-mRNA appears to be 400-450 bases longer than the rat and calf lens alpha A2-mRNAs. Furthermore, in contrast to the single alpha B2-mRNA in rat and calf lens, two alpha B2-mRNAs have been identified in duck lens, one, the major species, similar in size to the alpha B2-mRNA in rat and calf lens (800 bases), and the other species 700 nucleotides longer. The large size differences among the alpha A2- and alpha B2-mRNAs most likely reside in their 3'-untranslated sequences.

Animals↗