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Biomedical subjects

M Kulomaa

Publications and source records attributed to M Kulomaa.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

Selective targeting of avidin/mannose 6-phosphate receptor chimeras to early or late endosomes.

In this study we have used the Semliki forest virus expression system to transiently express chimeric proteins that contain transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of the cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor (CI-MPR) fused to chicken avidin. Immunofluorescence and electron microscopy studies showed that the chimeric protein with the entire cytoplasmic domain of CI-MPR was transported to late endosomes, where it accumulated. We made use of the biotin-binding capacity of lumenal avidin, and found that, in agreement with this distribution, the chimeric protein could be labelled with biotinylated HRP endocytosed for a long, but not a brief, period of time. However, truncation of the C-terminal tail distal to the rapid endocytosis motif (YKYSKV), caused the truncated chimera to be transported to, and accumulated within, early endosomes. This truncated chimera did not reach recycling early endosomes labelled with internalised transferrin, to any significant extent, but was accessible to biotinylated HRP internalised for 5 min (or for longer periods at 19 degrees C). Coinfection of these chimeras showed that they follow the same route from the TGN to the early endosomes. We conclude that the sequence distal to the endocytosis motif contains the signals which are required for efficient transport to late endosomes. Our results also suggest that the YKYSKV sequence close to the CI-MPR transmembrane segment is sufficient for targeting to sorting early endosomes.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Inducibility of the avidin gene by progesterone is suppressed during estrogen-induced cytodifferentiation.

We have studied epithelial differentiation of the chick oviduct as induced by diethylstilbestrol (DES) and 17 beta-estradiol (E2). The proportion of goblet cells in the oviduct was slightly higher after E2 than after DES treatment. Also avidin induction by progesterone was stronger following DES than E2 priming. In the estrogen pretreated oviduct epithelium, avidin expression was induced by progesterone in the surface epithelial cells, protodifferentiated gland cells and tubular gland cells, but not in goblet cells. During prolonged estrogen treatment, however, the inducibility of avidin by progesterone ceased in tubular gland cells but not in surface epithelial cells. The estrogen action on the expression of avidin could be explained by estrogen-induced terminal differentiation of the epithelial gland cells or by a direct effect of estrogen on the progesterone action, for instance interaction of estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor in the regulation of transcription.

Animals↗

In situ hybridization of ovalbumin mRNA in the chick oviduct reveals target cell specificity for estrogen and progesterone.

An in situ hybridization method using paraffin-embedded sections was used to characterize the chicken oviduct cells synthesizing ovalbumin mRNA due to the action of estrogen and progesterone. The cytodifferentiation of the oviduct cells was induced by 17 beta-estradiol administration to newly hatched female chicks. To avoid possible effect of estrogen on the action of progesterone the chicks were withdrawn from the estrogen by six days withdrawal period without hormone treatment. Ovalbumin mRNA was not synthesized after a period of estrogen withdrawal. Administration of estrogen induced ovalbumin mRNA in the tubular gland cells. Administration of progesterone induced the expression of ovalbumin mRNA in the surface epithelial cells. It was also found that progesterone induced mucus producing goblet cells in the surface epithelium. Estrogen did not have an effect on the mucus production, which suggests that progesterone could induce the terminal differentiation of the goblet cells. We conclude that the expression of ovalbumin in the surface epithelial cells and in the tubular gland cells is specific for progesterone and estrogen, respectively.

Animals↗

Localization of lysozyme mRNA in the labial salivary glands by in situ hybridization in Sjögren's syndrome.

In this study, lysozyme mRNA in labial salivary glands has been localized with in situ hybridization technique using 35S-labeled hen lysozyme cDNA (cDNALZM) as a hybridization probe in normals and in patients with Sjögren's syndrome, 35S-DNALZM:mRNA hybrids were detected only in acinar serous cells, although lysozyme was identified in ductal cells using immunohistochemical techniques. Our results suggest that the serous acinar cells are the only site of lysozyme synthesis in small salivary glands. The presence of lysozyme in ductal cells may be a result of reabsorption from the saliva or concentration from the blood or surrounding tissues.

Autoradiography↗

Lactoferrin in human amniotic fluid.

The concentration of human lactoferrin (LF) was measured by radioimmunoassay or non-competitive avidin--biotin assay in amniotic fluid, cord blood and in the decidua, trophoblast, fetal membranes and umbilical cord. Amniotic fluid was obtained by amniocentesis, and cord blood and tissue samples were taken after delivery or elective Caesarean section. No detectable concentration of LF was found in amniotic fluid before week 20 of pregnancy. A significant increase in the LF concentration was observed around week 30 and it remained high until term. In cord blood, an undetectable or low concentration of LF was measured. In tissue specimens the amount of LF was highest in the decidua (9-95 micrograms/g), a moderate concentration was assayed in the amniotic (2-37 micrograms/) and chorion (2-26 micrograms/g) membrane and in the trophoblast (5-35 micrograms/g). In the umbilical cord, the concentration was less than 1 microgram/g. These results suggest a decidual origin of LF. The role of LF during pregnancy is discussed.

Amnion↗

Localisation of lysozyme mRNA in rheumatoid synovial membrane by in situ hybridisation.

Type A synovial lining cells have been shown to contain lysozyme in their lysosomes. This might be phagocytosed because synovial fluid contains lysozyme originating from tissue macrophages and articular cartilage but in arthritides, in particular, from neutrophils. In situ hybridisation with 35S labelled cDNA was used to detect mRNA for lysozyme over synovial lining in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. No hybridisation was found with lactoferrin cDNA, which was used as a negative control. Computer search against the EMBL gene bank (release 14) did not show any significant cross hybridisation to a known sequence. In cytological specimens 35S-cDNA:mRNA hybrids were observed in positive but not in negative control cells. The presence of lysozyme and its mRNA suggests that type A synovial lining cells are of mononuclear phagocyte lineage.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗

Development of progestin-specific response in the chicken oviduct.

Avidin is a host acute defense protein induced by progestins and by inflammation caused by injurious factors such as microbes, viruses, toxic factors or tissue trauma. In the reproductive tract of egg-laying vertebrates avidin has evolved into a progestin-dependent secretory protein involved in anti-microbial action through its biotin avidity. For "progestin-dependent avidin" production, cellular differentiation by estrogen is necessary. In contrast, the expression of "progestin-independent or inflammation-induced avidin" does not require differentiation. Many cell types such as macrophages, heterophils and fibroblasts can produce avidin after non-specific cellular injuries. The wide distribution of avidin in avian, reptilian and amphibian species could be explained on the basis of its vital functions such as antimicrobial or antifungal, metabolic and immunomodulatory actions. The ontogeny of the progestin-dependent avidin synthesis is a complex event involving oviductal differentiation by steroid hormones leading to a specific gene expression. The first phase in oviductal differentiation by estrogens is characterized by a new chromatin organization and by an infiltration of progesterone receptor (PR)-containing mesenchymal cells into the subepithelial mucosa leading to epithelial cell differentiation ("mesenchymal and epithelial cell interaction"). The second phase in the differentiation of progestin-induced response is dependent on the presence of PR in the secretory cells. Two kinds of PR expression occur in the oviduct. The first is a "constitutive PR" and is found in the epithelial, submucosal and peritoneal cells of the immature chick oviduct without steroid treatment, and the second is an "inducible PR" found especially in the mucosal mesenchymal and smooth muscle cells. Avidin production requires PR in the target cells, but not all PR-containing cells can produce avidin. Therefore, in addition to PR, other transcription factors are needed to define the target cell specificity of the response to progestins. Earlier biochemical studies suggested that cytosolic and/or nuclear unoccupied PR was complexed as an 8 S form with the heat shock protein 90 (hsp90). Our immunohistochemical results, however, indicate that PR in vivo is not bound to hsp90, which is located entirely in the cytoplasm, whereas PR is an entirely nuclear protein in both ligand-occupied and unoccupied forms. Therefore, we assume that PR is a monomeric (4S) or homodimeric (5S) (chromatin?) protein associated to DNA. Ligand binding to PR appears to lead to a conformational change, dimer formation, tighter binding to PRE (progesterone responsive element) and to transcription factors, phosphorylation and proteolysis of PR as well as a chromatin change.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

Precipitating and non-precipitating monoclonal antibodies against chicken avidin. Significance of epitope density.

1. Monoclonal antibodies, generated against chicken avidin, were characterized in Ouchterlony's immunodiffusion. 2. Of the nine antibodies three were non-precipitable but six could form clear visible precipitation lines with egg-white avidin in agarose gel. 3. The latter six antibodies could be divided into two groups according to their reactive pattern in immunodiffusion. 4. Antibodies belonging to the first group precipitated both dimeric as well as tetrameric avidin molecules, while those of the second group precipitated only the tetrameric avidin molecules. 5. The relevance of these results to the structure of avidin as well as possibilities to use monoclonal antibodies and the immunodiffusion technique to compare the structure of avidin induced by different factors are discussed.

Animals↗

Production of monoclonal antibodies against avidin.

Monoclonal antibodies of the IgG1 subclass were generated against chicken avidin. These antibodies were shown to be as sensitive as polyclonal antiserum in detecting avidin by radioimmunoassay (RIA) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods. Furthermore, the monoclonal antibodies were considerably more specific. Our results with a monoclonal anti-avidin RIA support previous findings that in inflammatory conditions avidin is synthesized also in other organs than the oviduct, although in the liver a major part of the activity detected by polyclonal anti-avidin RIA or biotin-bentonite assay was not due to avidin.

Animals↗

Avidin is induced in chicken embryo fibroblasts by viral transformation and cell damage.

Synthesis and secretion of avidin was studied in cultured chicken embryo fibroblasts infected with transforming retroviruses (Rous sarcoma virus, its mutants temperature-sensitive for transformation, OK-10 virus) or a nontransforming retrovirus (RAV-1). Avidin was detectable in both transformed and untransformed cultures, and was identical to chicken egg white avidin by several criteria: biotin-binding, heat-induced biotin exchange, subunit size (mol. wt. 15 600), immunoprecipitation of metabolically labeled proteins and immunoblotting. Transformation increased the production of avidin up to 50-fold, but several experiments suggested that the induction was not a direct consequence of virus-induced cell transformation. The production of avidin seemed to relate to cellular damage both in cultures of virus-transformed and of normal fibroblasts. It may represent a response to cellular damage and viral transformation may activate the process.

Alpharetrovirus↗

Induction of avidin in chickens infected with the acute leukemia virus OK 10.

The presence of avidin, a progesterone-dependent oviductal glycoprotein, was studied in viral tumors. Newborn chickens were infected with the acute leukemia virus OK 10, and the first tumors occurred within 2-3 weeks. Avidin was assayed using a [14C]biotin-binding method and radioimmunoassay. In the control chickens, avidin concentrations were less than 0.3 microgram/g in the plasma and less than 1.5 microgram/g in various tissues including the immature oviduct. In the OK 10 virus-infected chickens, no significant induction was observed during the acute infection or any time thereafter if no tumors were seen. In chickens that developed tumors, avidin concentrations were significantly increased in tumorous tissue only located in the mesenterium and occasionally in the oviduct. In tumors occurring elsewhere (kidney, ovary, muscle, testis, liver, colon) avidin concentrations were not elevated. Tumor-associated avidin had extraordinary biotin-binding capacity after treatment at +90 degrees C similar to the progesterone-dependent avidin, whereas antibody-binding properties suggested that tumor-associated avidin may have a somewhat altered antigenic structure.

Animals↗

Characterization of progesterone-independent avidin production of chicken tissues in culture.

1. Primary cell cultures of chick oviduct, intestine, peritoneal membrane and lung, but not those of wing muscle or calcaneal tendon, produced avidin progesterone-independently through a 5-week culture. 2. Actinomycin D and cycloheximide, but not hydroxyurea, inhibited the avidin production. 3. The common feature of the cultures producing avidin was a fibroblast-like cell type. 4. Similarly, oviduct and lung, but not muscle or tendon, also produced avidin in hormone-free short-term organ cultures, where the avidin synthesis began during the first 8 h of culture. 5. Induction of the general protein synthesis does not explain the avidin production, since another egg-white protein, ovalbumin, was not induced by the culture procedure.

Animals↗

Progesterone-independent avidin in chick oviduct fibroblast culture.

The production of avidin was studied in chick oviduct cell cultures derived from immature chicks or from chicks with 4, 8, or 14 days of estrogen priming in vivo. Cells were grown for 5--7 weeks, and the monolayers formed were composed of collagen-producing fibroblasts. In some cultures, epithelial cells were also found, but only in the original explants. Two-day avidin production of cultures was measured in the media weekly. Cultures produced avidin spontaneously, the amount being fairly stable during the 7-week culture period. No difference was found in avidin production or cell morphology when estrogen-containing medium was used. Cultures from 4- to 8-day-estrogen-primed chick oviducts produced the same amount of avidin as cultures from immature oviducts, whereas further estrogen pretreatment seemed to reduce avidin production. Progesterone did not enhance avidin production with or without estrogen priming but, due to its inhibition of growth, clearly inhibited avidin when it was continuously in the culture medium. It is concluded that chick oviductal fibroblasts have an inherent capacity for avidin production and that this is independent of progesterone.

Animals↗