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Biomedical subjects

O Camacho-Vanegas

Publications and source records attributed to O Camacho-Vanegas.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

E-cadherin is a novel transcriptional target of the KLF6 tumor suppressor.

The tumor suppressor KLF6 is a member of the Krüppel-like family of transcription factors, which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several human carcinomas. Uncovering the transcriptional targets relevant for its tumorigenic properties, including cellular proliferation and invasion, will be essential to understanding possible mechanisms by which KLF6 and its antagonistic splice form, KLF6-SV1, regulate this development. To begin defining possible metastatic-related pathways, we analysed the effect of KLF6 dysregulation on a recognized suppressor of cellular invasion, E-cadherin. Targeted KLF6 reduction in an ovarian cancer cell line, SKOV-3, resulted in a 50% reduction of E-cadherin expression (P<0.01) and conversely, KLF6-SV1 silencing upregulated E-cadherin approximately fivefold (P<0.0001). These changes resulted from KLF6 directly transactivating the E-cadherin promoter as demonstrated by luciferase promoter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). KLF6-mediated changes in E-cadherin levels were accompanied by downstream changes in both the subcellular localization of beta-catenin and c-myc expression levels. Moreover, and consistent with these experimental findings, patient-derived epithelial ovarian tumors with low KLF6 and high KLF6-SV1 expression ratios had significantly decreased E-cadherin expression (P<0.0001). These combined findings highlight the E-cadherin pathway as a novel and functionally important mediator by which changes in KLF6 and KLF6-SV1 can directly alter ovarian tumor invasion and metastasis.

3' Untranslated Regions↗

Stable in vivo expression of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and rescue of G6PD deficiency in stem cells by gene transfer.

Many mutations of the housekeeping gene encoding glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) cause G6PD deficiency in humans. Some underlie severe forms of chronic nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia (CNSHA) for which there is no definitive treatment. By using retroviral vectors pseudotyped with the vesicular stomatitis virus G glycoprotein that harbor the human G6PD (hG6PD) complementary DNA, stable and lifelong expression of hG6PD was obtained in all the hematopoietic tissues of 16 primary bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipient mice and 14 secondary BMT recipients. These findings demonstrate the integration of a functional gene in totipotent stem cells. The average total G6PD in peripheral blood cells of these transplanted mice, measured as enzyme activity, was twice that of untransplanted control mice. This allowed the inference that the amount of G6PD produced by the transduced gene must be therapeutically effective. With the same vectors both the cloning efficiency and the ability to form embryoid bodies were restored in embryonic stem cells, in which the G6PD gene had been inactivated by targeted homologous recombination, thus effectively rescuing their defective phenotype. Finally, expression of normal human G6PD in hG6PD-deficient primary hematopoietic cells and in human hematopoietic cells engrafted in nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient mice was obtained. This approach could cure severe CNSHA caused by G6PD deficiency.

3T3 Cells↗

Microheterogeneity in the distribution of the 844ins68 in the cystathionine beta-synthase gene in Italy.

Cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) is an important enzyme for methionine metabolism. A common 844ins68 insertion variant in the CBS gene has been described. This 68-bp duplication of the intron 7-exon 8 boundary within the CBS gene already has been reported to be associated in cis with the T833C mutation. Heterozygosity for CBS deficiency is considered an important cause of hyperhomocysteinemia that strongly relates to cardiovascular disease, as well as homozygosity for another common variant, the C677T mutation of 5,10-methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase. We analysed the prevalence of the 844ins68 variant in the CBS gene in 595 unrelated apparently healthy individuals from nine Italian regions and in 133 patients with coronary artery disease. Our data confirm that the T833C mutation cosegregates in cis with the 844ins68 in all carriers of the insertion. Furthermore, no statistical difference was found in the insertion variant allele frequency between controls and coronary artery disease patients. Our study indicates a microheterogeneity in the distribution of the 844ins68 in the Italian population.

Cystathionine beta-Synthase↗

The region 3' to Calpha1 gene of human IG heavy chain displays a polymorphic duplicated sequence and encodes an RNA associated with polysomes.

A highly spread polymorphism flanking the 3. Calpha1 human IG heavy chain gene was identified. This polymorphism allowed the detection of an internal duplication within the 3' flanking region of both Calpha1 and Calpha2. This region has a regulatory function with four enhancer structures also present at the 3' end of the human Calpha2 as well as in that of mouse and rat single Calpha genes. The 5682-bp sequence of clone lambdapl8 described here starts 3' of Calpha1 and presents three open reading frames; one of them contains part of the tandem repeats with the 20-bp consensus described previously that is expressed in a poly(A)+ RNA and found in three dbEST clones of the human tonsillar cDNA library. Here, we demonstrate that in the CLF1 B lymphoblastoid cell line, this transcript is associated with polysomes. We also discuss the possibility of the presence of a new regulatory gene that does not encode an immunoglobulin and maps in the human IG heavy chain gene cluster.

Animals↗

Role of platelet glycoprotein PL(A1/A2) polymorphism in restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

This study suggests a macroheterogeneity in prevalence of platelet glycoprotein PL(A1/A2) polymorphism in different ethnic populations. In patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, this polymorphism does not represent an independent risk factor but seems to be implicated in restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

Adult↗

The binding sites for Xenopus laevis FIII/YY1 in the first exon of L1 and L14 ribosomal protein genes are dispensable for promoter expression.

The genes coding for the ribosomal proteins (rp genes) L14 and L1 in the toad Xenopus laevis are contacted in the first exon by the frog protein, FIII/YY1, homolog of the human zinc-finger protein YY1, acting as repressor, activator and initiator of transcription. To investigate the functional significance of FIII/YY1 in the context of the two rp genes, the L14 region at nucleotide positions -105 to +44, including all of the first exon was linked to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene; constructs with wild-type and mutated sites for FIII/YY1 were injected into nuclei of stage V-VI oocytes and analyzed for CAT activity. The same procedure was followed for constructs made with L1 sequences at nucleotide positions -17 to +1567. Mutations in the sites for FIII/YY1 did not change reporter activity, nor did overexpression of FIII/YY1 in the oocytes prior to injection with L1 and L14 constructs. Since oocytes are non-dividing cells, transfections were made of Xenopus kidney cells in culture with the same constructs and the results obtained in oocytes confirmed.

Animals↗

Growth-dependent and growth-independent translation of messengers for heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins.

The hnRNP A1 transcript has a relatively short 5'- untranslated region (UTR) starting with a pyrimidine tract similar to that of mRNAs encoded by the TOP [terminal oligo(pyrimidine)] genes in vertebrates. Such genes code for ribosomal proteins and for other proteins directly or indirectly involved in the production and function of the translation apparatus. As expected from the role of the pyrimidine tract in the translational regulation of TOP mRNAs, the A1 mRNA is more efficiently loaded onto polysomes in growing than in resting cells. On the other hand, a less stringent regulation with respect to that of other TOP mRNAs is observed, partially due to the presence of multiple transcription start sites within the pyrimidine tract, where transcripts with shorter TOP sequences are less sensitive to regulation. Thus, from the point of view of structural features and translation behaviour the A1 mRNA can be included in the class of TOP genes, suggesting a possible role of A1 in translation. Interestingly, a TOP-like behaviour was observed for hnRNP I mRNA but not for hnRNP C1/C2 and A2/B1 mRNAs, indicating the existence of two classes of hnRNPs with different translational regulation.

Base Sequence↗

Structure and expression of ribosomal protein genes in Xenopus laevis.

In Xenopus laevis, as well as in other vertebrates, ribosomal proteins (r-proteins) are coded by a class of genes that share some organizational and structural features. One of these, also common to genes coding for other proteins involved in the translation apparatus synthesis and function, is the presence within their introns of sequences coding for small nucleolar RNAs. Another feature is the presence of common structures, mainly in the regions surrounding the 5' ends, involved in their coregulated expression. This is attained at various regulatory levels: transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and translational. Particular attention is given here to regulation at the translational level, which has been studied during Xenopus oogenesis and embryogenesis and also during nutritional changes of Xenopus cultured cells. This regulation, which responds to the cellular need for new ribosomes, operates by changing the fraction of rp-mRNA (ribosomal protein mRNA) engaged on polysomes. A typical 5' untranslated region characterizing all vertebrate rp-mRNAs analyzed to date is responsible for this translational behaviour: it is always short and starts with an 8-12 nucleotide polypyrimidine tract. This region binds in vitro some proteins that can represent putative trans-acting factors for this translational regulation.

Animals↗