Biomedical subjects

R B Rodríguez

Publications and source records attributed to R B Rodríguez.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Production and characterization of murine monoclonal antibodies against human podocalyxin.

Podocalyxin (podxl) is a protein with a peptide bone of approximately 55.5 kDa that undergoes a post-translational glycosylation, yielding a final molecular mass from approximately 145 to approximately 200 kDa. This protein is normally found covering the vascular side of the epithelial glomerular cells, the podocytes, and its presence is essential to maintain a normal renal function. It has also been reported in other cells and tissues although its function has not been yet clarified. The carboxy-terminal intracellular domain of podxl is nearly 100% identical in most species; however, the ectodomain shows considerable variations although the cysteine residues are conserved. Detection of this protein is elusive, most likely due to differences in post-translational modifications. We aimed at producing murine monoclonal antibodies against human podxl. Immunization with Chinese hamster ovarian -hpodxl-green fluorescence protein live cells yielded five different monoclonal antibodies that were characterized by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis/western blot, flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and immunoprecipitation. The different behavior of these antibodies suggests that some of them may react against epitopes masked by different glycosylated protein moieties.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2003

A novel homozygous splice junction mutation in GPIIb associated with alternative splicing, nonsense-mediated decay of GPIIb-mRNA, and type II Glanzmann's thrombasthenia.

This work reports the study of a patient suffering a bleeding disorder clinically diagnosed as Glanzmann's thrombasthenia (GT). Immunoblotting and flow cytometric analysis showed a low (</= 10% of control) platelet content of GPIIb-IIIa, confirming it was indeed a type II GT. The molecular genetic analysis of the proband revealed the presence of a homozygous G188A transition in GPIIb. This mutation alters the consensus sequence of the splice donor site of intron 1 changing arginine 63 for lysine (R63K). No other mutation than [G188A]GPIIb was found in the proband and her parents after complete analysis of GPIIb and GPIIIa coding sequences, and the promoter, 3'-UTR, and intronic flanking regions of GPIIb. The GT phenotype of the proband is the result of a limited availability of GPIIb-mRNA. The etiopathogenic role of the [G188A]GPIIb mutation is supported by the following observations: (i) both parents, who are heterozygous for the [G188A]GPIIb mutation, show a marked decrease in the platelet content of GPIIb-mRNA; (ii) exontrap analysis demonstrated that the G188A mutation leads to a marked reduction in the steady-state level of GPIIb-mRNA. The reduced availability of platelet GPIIb-mRNA associated with the G188A mutation seems to be caused by either inefficient RNA splicing or a preferred utilization of alternative intronic donor sites that generate an in-frame STOP codon with the result of activation of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, or both.

Alternative Splicing↗

PubMed1995

The use of recombinant gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) growth hormone for radioiodination and standard preparation in radioimmunoassay.

A gilthead sea bream growth hormone (sbGH) obtained by cloning and expression of sbGH cDNA was used to develop a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay (RIA). Iodination of recombinant sbGH (rsbGH) was performed by the classical Chloramine-T method. Specific antiserum, raised in rabbits, was added in a final dilution of 1/36,000. The minimum detectable dose was 30 pg, and the midrange of the assay (ED50) was 275 pg. Intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation (CV) were 3.3 and 5.8% at ED50 levels. Human GH (hGH), ovine GH (oGH), carp gonadotropin (cGtH), chinook salmon gonadotropin (sGtH), ovine prolactin (oPRL) and recombinant tilapia prolactin (rtiPRL) did not show cross-reactivity. Serial dilutions of chinook salmon GH (sGH) and recombinant rainbow trout GH (rtGH) showed a low but significant cross-reactivity. A good parallelism between rsbGH standard and serial dilutions of native sbGH, plasma and pituitary extracts was observed. In addition, when plasma and pituitary samples were analyzed for GH quantification, non-significant differences were observed within this and previous RIA for native sbGH. Therefore, it appears conclusive that our rsbGH can be used successfully as a standard and radioiodinated hormone in GH assays for gilthead sea bream, which is extensively cultured in the Mediterranean area.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Cloning of the sole (Solea senegalensis) growth hormone-encoding cDNA.

We report here the complete nucleotide (nt) sequence of a cDNA clone encoding Solea senegalensis growth hormone (sGH) isolated from an expression library prepared from sole pituitary gland poly(A)+RNA. The library was screened using a flounder GH cDNA. The cDNA sequence containing an insert of 769 nt was found to encode a polypeptide of 203 amino acids (aa), including a signal peptide of 17 aa. The 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions of the message are 17 and 119-nt long, respectively. Northern blot hybridization detected a 0.9-kb RNA species. The sGH cDNA sequence shows homologies of 80.9, 76.9, 73.8 and 64.2% with the GH of tuna, gilthead seabream, flounder and rainbow trout.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1994

Cloning, expression, and characterization of a recombinant gilthead seabream growth hormone.

cDNA clones coding for the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) growth hormone (sbGH) were isolated from a pituitary expression library using a flounder cDNA probe. The nucleotide sequence of a GH cDNA clone containing an insert of 896 nucleotides was determined. The cDNA encoded a polypeptide of 204 amino acids including a signal peptide of 17 amino acids and contained a 5' and a 3' untranslated region of 48 and 233 nucleotides, respectively. The mRNA determined by Northern blot was approximately 1 kb. Amino acid sequence homologies of 97.1% with red seabream GH, 88.9% with the tuna GH, and 67% with the coho salmon GH was found. Transient expression of a sbGH cDNA was done in HeLa cells by induction with a vaccinia virus system, and the expressed GH was detected by immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation with a specific antibody to the native sbGH. The sbGH cDNA was expressed in Escherichia coli by using the pGEX-3X and the pET-3a expression systems. The recombinant sbGH expressed in the pET-3a system was similar, if not identical, to the native hormone when analyzed by homologous radioimmunoassay and receptor binding assay.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1994

Protein G-horseradish peroxidase based method for light-microscope immunocytochemistry. Application to the pituitary gland of the killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus.

Horseradish peroxidase-protein G conjugate was used to localize anti-human luteinizing hormone and anti-human chorionic gonadotropin primary antibodies bound to gonadotropins in paraffin and Historesin embedded sections of Fundulus heteroclitus pituitaries. The sensitivity and specificity of this method and those obtained after the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex, the streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase complex and the peroxidase-antiperoxidase procedures were compared. The protein G-horseradish peroxidase method gave a clear immunostaining of gonadotrophic cells with virtually no background. Detection efficiency was reduced in comparison with the other techniques. As for the embedding medium, hydrophilic resin Historesin considerably enhanced the structural detail and the resolution of the immunostaining at light-microscope level.

Animals↗