Biomedical subjects

R Huber

Publications and source records attributed to R Huber.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

PubMed2001

[Frequency of the common cold in healthy subjects during exposure to a lectin-rich and a lectin-poor mistletoe preparation in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study].

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Mistletoe preparations have immunomodulatory properties in vitro and in vivo. We wanted to investigate whether or not these properties have an effect on the frequency of the common cold in healthy subjects. PROBANDS AND METHODS: During a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study 16 volunteers received the mistletoe lectin(ML)-poor preparation Iscador Pini(R) (IP), 16 the ML-rich preparation Iscador Quercus spezial(R) (IQ), and 16 placebo (physiological saline solution) twice a week subcutaneously for 12 weeks. Weekly during weeks 1-12 and finally at week 26, a careful history of common cold symptoms was taken. Because the frequency of the common cold was not the main outcome criterion in this study, the number of cases needed to treat was not adjusted to this criterion. RESULTS: The mean frequency of the common cold during the 12 weeks of injection was 1.5 in the placebo, 1.4 in the IP and 1.1 in the IQ group. During this period in 2.3 (placebo), 1.9 (IP) and 1.4 (IQ) weeks symptoms of common cold were present. The difference in favor to IQ lasted until the end of the observation period in week 26. It was, however, not significant. Leukocyte and granulocyte count as well as C-reactive protein were not different between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed a trend (p = 0.4, exact Kruskal- Wallis test) to reduced frequency and duration of the common cold in subjects who were exposed to IQ.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Glypican-3 (GPC3) expression in human placenta: localization to the differentiated syncytiotrophoblast.

The expression of glypican-3 (GPC3), a heparan-sulfate proteoglycan associated with the Simpson-Golabi-Behmel fetal overgrowth syndrome, was studied in normal human placental tissue and cell lines derived from human placentae. Cytotrophoblasts derived from term placentae expressed GPC3 mRNA at low levels in culture. GPC3 mRNA expression increased markedly during trophoblast differentiation. By contrast, fibroblast cell lines derived from normal placentae did not express GPC3 in culture. Similarly, choriocarcinoma cell lines derived from human placentae (BeWo, JAR, and JEG) failed to express GPC3 mRNA. In situ hybridization confirmed the localization of GPC3 mRNA to the syncytiotrophoblast. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining of paraffin imbedded placental tissue demonstrated intense staining of the syncytiotrophoblast cell layer and less intense staining of cytotrophoblasts. No staining of mesenchymal elements was noted. These data confirm the presence of GPC3 in human placenta and suggest it is expressed by the differentiated syncytiotrophoblast at term.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Bioequivalence between omeprazole MUPS 20 mg as tablet and omeprazole MUPS 20 mg as tablet encapsulated in a hard gelatine capsule.

AIMS: To investigate pharmacokinetic characteristics of omeprazole MUPS 20 mg tablets and its encapsulated form. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Bioequivalence of omeprazole MUPS 20 mg tablet (Reference) and omeprazole MUPS 20 mg tablet in a hard gelatine capsule (Test) was evaluated in a randomized, 2-period crossover study in 38 healthy male Caucasian subjects who received a single oral dose of 20 mg omeprazole in each study period. Serum concentrations of omeprazole MUPS 20 mg were measured using an HPLC assay. In addition, in vitro dissolution profiles were studied. RESULTS: Both formulations were bioequivalent as assessed by the primary pharmacokinetic characteristics AUC(0-infinity) and Cmax, the corresponding ratios (Test/Reference) being 0.97 and 0.98, respectively. Thus, the 90% CI of these ratios were within the equivalence range of 0.8 to 1.25 for AUC(0-infinity) (CI 0.90-1.04) and 0.67 to 1.50 for Cmax (Cl 0.86-1.10). The ratios of the secondary criteria, Cmax/AUC(0-infinity) and t 1/2, were also within the equivalence range. Median tmax of Reference and Test was identical. Both formulations revealed comparable dissolution profiles with high batch conformity and homogeneity releasing > 80% omeprazole within 1 hour. Both study formulations were well tolerated without relevant differences. CONCLUSION: The encapsulation of omeprazole MUPS 20 mg tablets does not influence the extent and rate of absorption as indicated by the AUC and Cmax ratios. Thus, bioequivalence could be demonstrated.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

S100A1 and S100B interactions with annexins.

Members of the annexin protein family interact with members of the S100 protein family thereby forming heterotetramers in which an S100 homodimer crossbridges two copies of the pertinent annexin. Previous work has shown that S100A1 and S100B bind annexin VI in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner and that annexin VI, but not annexin V, blocks the inhibitory effect of S100A1 and S100B on intermediate filament assembly. We show here that both halves of annexin VI (i.e., the N-terminal half or annexin VI-a and the C-terminal half or annexin VI-b) bind individual S100s on unique sites and that annexin VI-b, but not annexin VI-a, blocks the ability of S100A1 and S100B to inhibit intermediate filament assembly. We also show that the C-terminal extension of S100A1 (and, by analogy, S100B), that was previously demonstrated to be critical for S100A1 and S100B binding to several target proteins including intermediate filament subunits, is not part of the S100 surface implicated in the recognition of annexin VI, annexin VI-a, or annexin VI-b. Evaluation of functional properties with a liposome stability and a calcium influx assay reveals the ability of both S100 proteins to permeabilize the membrane bilayer in a similar fashion like annexins. When tested in combinations with different annexin proteins both S100 proteins mostly lead to a decrease in the calcium influx activity although not all annexin/S100 combinations behave in the same manner. Latter observation supports the hypothesis that the S100-annexin interactions differ mechanistically depending on the particular protein partners.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Mutational studies on HslU and its docking mode with HslV.

HslVU is an ATP-dependent prokaryotic protease complex. Despite detailed crystal and molecular structure determinations of free HslV and HslU, the mechanism of ATP-dependent peptide and protein hydrolysis remained unclear, mainly because the productive complex of HslV and HslU could not be unambiguously identified from the crystal data. In the crystalline complex, the I domains of HslU interact with HslV. Observations based on electron microscopy data were interpreted in the light of the crystal structure to indicate an alternative mode of association with the intermediate domains away from HslV. By generation and analysis of two dozen HslU mutants, we find that the amidolytic and caseinolytic activities of HslVU are quite robust to mutations on both alternative docking surfaces on HslU. In contrast, HslVU activity against the maltose-binding protein-SulA fusion protein depends on the presence of the I domain and is also sensitive to mutations in the N-terminal and C-terminal domains of HslU. Mutational studies around the hexameric pore of HslU seem to show that it is involved in the recognition/translocation of maltose-binding protein-SulA but not of chromogenic small substrates and casein. ATP-binding site mutations, among other things, confirm the essential role of the "sensor arginine" (R393) and the "arginine finger" (R325) in the ATPase action of HslU and demonstrate an important role for E321. Additionally, we report a better refined structure of the HslVU complex crystallized along with resorufin-labeled casein.

ATP-Dependent Proteases↗

PubMed2000

Cytochrome c nitrite reductase from Wolinella succinogenes. Structure at 1.6 A resolution, inhibitor binding, and heme-packing motifs.

Cytochrome c nitrite reductase catalyzes the 6-electron reduction of nitrite to ammonia. This second part of the respiratory pathway of nitrate ammonification is a key step in the biological nitrogen cycle. The x-ray structure of the enzyme from the epsilon-proteobacterium Wolinella succinogenes has been solved to a resolution of 1.6 A. It is a pentaheme c-type cytochrome whose heme groups are packed in characteristic motifs that also occur in other multiheme cytochromes. Structures of W. succinogenes nitrite reductase have been obtained with water bound to the active site heme iron as well as complexes with two inhibitors, sulfate and azide, whose binding modes and inhibitory functions differ significantly. Cytochrome c nitrite reductase is part of a highly optimized respiratory system found in a wide range of Gram-negative bacteria. It reduces both anionic and neutral substrates at the distal side of a lysine-coordinated high-spin heme group, which is accessible through two different channels, allowing for a guided flow of reaction educt and product. Based on sequence comparison and secondary structure prediction, we have demonstrated that cytochrome c nitrite reductases constitute a protein family of high structural similarity.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

PubMed2000

Aspartyl beta -hydroxylase (Asph) and an evolutionarily conserved isoform of Asph missing the catalytic domain share exons with junctin.

The mouse aspartyl beta-hydroxylase gene (Asph, BAH) has been cloned and characterized. The mouse BAH gene spans 200 kilobase pairs of genomic DNA and contains 24 exons. Of three major BAH-related transcripts, the two largest (6,629 and 4,419 base pairs) encode full-length protein and differ only in the use of alternative polyadenylation signals. The smallest BAH-related transcript (2,789 base pairs) uses an alternative 3' terminal exon, resulting in a protein lacking a catalytic domain. Evolutionary conservation of this noncatalytic isoform of BAH (humbug) is demonstrated in mouse, man, and Drosophila. Monoclonal antibody reagents were generated, epitope-mapped, and used to definitively correlate RNA bands on Northern blots with protein species on Western blots. The gene for mouse junctin, a calsequestrin-binding protein, was cloned and characterized and shown to be encoded from the same locus. When expressed in heart tissue, BAH/humbug preferably use the first exon and often the fourth exon of junctin while preserving the reading frame. Thus, three individual genes share common exons and open reading frames and use separate promoters to achieve differential expression, splicing, and function in a variety of tissues. This unusual form of exon sharing suggests that the functions of junctin, BAH, and humbug may be linked.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2000

Zinc plays a key role in human and bacterial GTP cyclohydrolase I.

The crystal structure of recombinant human GTP cyclohydrolase I was solved by Patterson search methods by using the coordinates of the Escherichia coli enzyme as a model. The human as well as bacterial enzyme were shown to contain an essential zinc ion coordinated to a His side chain and two thiol groups in each active site of the homodecameric enzymes that had escaped detection during earlier studies of the E. coli enzyme. The zinc ion is proposed to generate a hydroxyl nucleophile for attack of imidazole ring carbon atom eight of the substrate, GTP. It may also be involved in the hydrolytic release of formate from the intermediate, 2-amino-5-formylamino-6-ribosylamino-4(3H)-pyrimidinone 5'-triphosphate, and in the consecutive Amadori rearrangement of the ribosyl moiety.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2000

Crystal structure of the peptidyl-cysteine decarboxylase EpiD complexed with a pentapeptide substrate.

Epidermin from Staphylococcus epidermidis Tü3298 is an antimicrobial peptide of the lantibiotic family that contains, amongst other unusual amino acids, S:-[(Z:)- 2-aminovinyl]-D-cysteine. This residue is introduced by post-translational modification of the ribosomally synthesized precursor EpiA. Modification starts with the oxidative decarboxylation of its C-terminal cysteine by the flavoprotein EpiD generating a reactive (Z:)-enethiol intermediate. We have determined the crystal structures of EpiD and EpiD H67N in complex with the substrate pentapeptide DSYTC at 2.5 A resolution. Rossmann-type monomers build up a dodecamer of 23 point symmetry with trimers disposed at the vertices of a tetrahedron. Oligomer formation is essential for binding of flavin mononucleotide and substrate, which is buried by an otherwise disordered substrate recognition clamp. A pocket for the tyrosine residue of the substrate peptide is formed by an induced fit mechanism. The substrate contacts flavin mononucleotide only via Cys-Sgamma, suggesting its oxidation as the initial step. A thioaldehyde intermediate could undergo spontaneous decarboxylation. The unusual substrate recognition mode and the type of chemical reaction performed provide insight into a novel family of flavoproteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2000

Crystal structure of the human alpha-thrombin-haemadin complex: an exosite II-binding inhibitor.

The serine proteinase alpha-thrombin plays a pivotal role in the regulation of blood fluidity, and therefore constitutes a primary target in the treatment of various haemostatic disorders. Haemadin is a slow tight- binding thrombin inhibitor from the land-living leech Haemadipsa sylvestris. Here we present the 3.1 A crystal structure of the human alpha-thrombin- haemadin complex. The N-terminal segment of haemadin binds to the active site of thrombin, forming a parallel beta-strand with residues Ser214-Gly216 of the proteinase. This mode of binding is similar to that observed in another leech-derived inhibitor, hirudin. In contrast to hirudin, however, the markedly acidic C-terminal peptide of haemadin does not bind the fibrinogen-recognition exosite, but interacts with the heparin-binding exosite of thrombin. Thus, haemadin binds to thrombin according to a novel mechanism, despite an overall structural similarity with hirudin. Haemadin inhibits both free and thrombomodulin-bound alpha-thrombin, but not intermediate activation forms such as meizothrombin. This specific anticoagulant ability of haemadin makes it an ideal candidate for an antithrombotic agent, as well as a starting point for the design of novel antithrombotics.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2000

Crystal structure of paprika ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase. Implications for the electron transfer pathway.

cDNA of Capsicum annuum Yolo Wonder (paprika) has been prepared from total cellular RNA, and the complete gene encoding paprika ferredoxin-NADP(+) reductase (pFNR) precursor was sequenced and cloned from this cDNA. Fusion to a T7 promoter allowed expression in Escherichia coli. Both native and recombinant pFNR were purified to homogeneity and crystallized. The crystal structure of pFNR has been solved by Patterson search techniques using the structure of spinach ferredoxin-NADP(+) reductase as search model. The structure was refined at 2.5-A resolution to a crystallographic R-factor of 19.8% (R(free) = 26.5%). The overall structure of pFNR is similar to other members of the ferredoxin-NADP(+) reductase family, the major differences concern a long loop (residues 167-177) that forms part of the FAD binding site and some of the variable loops in surface regions. The different orientation of the FAD binding loop leads to a tighter interaction between pFNR and the adenine moiety of FAD. The physiological redox partners [2Fe-2S]-ferredoxin I and NADP(+) were modeled into the native structure of pFNR. The complexes reveal a protein-protein interaction site that is consistent with existing biochemical data and imply possible orientations for the side chain of tyrosine 362, which has to be displaced by the nicotinamide moiety of NADP(+) upon binding. A reasonable electron transfer pathway could be deduced from the modeled structures of the complexes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2000

Exposure to pulsed high-frequency electromagnetic field during waking affects human sleep EEG.

The aim of the study was to investigate whether the electromagnetic field (EMF) emitted by digital radiotelephone handsets affects brain physiology. Healthy, young male subjects were exposed for 30 min to EMF (900 MHz; spatial peak specific absorption rate 1 W/kg) during the waking period preceding sleep. Compared with the control condition with sham exposure, spectral power of the EEG in non-rapid eye movement sleep was increased. The maximum rise occurred in the 9.75-11.25 Hz and 12.5-13.25 Hz band during the initial part of sleep. These changes correspond to those obtained in a previous study where EMF was intermittently applied during sleep. Unilateral exposure induced no hemispheric asymmetry of EEG power. The present results demonstrate that exposure during waking modifies the EEG during subsequent sleep. Thus the changes of brain function induced by pulsed high-frequency EMF outlast the exposure period.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

PLAC1, an Xq26 gene with placenta-specific expression.

A novel human X-linked gene shows placenta-specific expression and has been named PLAC1. The gene maps 65 kb telomeric to HPRT at Xq26 and has been completely sequenced at the cDNA and genomic levels. The mouse orthologue Plac1 maps to the syntenically equivalent region of the mouse X chromosome. In situ hybridization studies with the antisense mRNA during mouse embryogenesis detect Plac1 expression from 7.5 dpc (days postcoitum) to 14.5 dpc in ectoplacental cone, giant cells, and labyrinthine trophoblasts. The putative human and murine PLAC1 proteins are 60% identical and 77% homologous. Both include a signal peptide and a peptide sequence also found in an interaction domain of the ZP3 (zona pellucida 3) protein. These results make PLAC1 a marker for placental development, with a possible role in the establishment of the mother-fetus interface.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2000

The effect of intracellular molybdenum in Hydrogenophaga pseudoflava on the crystallographic structure of the seleno-molybdo-iron-sulfur flavoenzyme carbon monoxide dehydrogenase.

Crystal structures of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH), a seleno-molybdo-iron-sulfur flavoprotein from the aerobic carbon monoxide utilizing carboxidotrophic eubacterium Hydrogenophaga pseudoflava, have been determined from the enzyme synthesized at high (Mo(plus) CODH) and low intracellular molybdenum content (Mo(minus) CODH) at 2.25 A and 2.35 A resolution, respectively. The structures were solved by Patterson search methods utilizing the enzyme from Oligotropha carboxidovorans as the initial model. The CODHs from both sources are structurally very much conserved and show the same overall fold, architecture and arrangements of the molybdopterin-cytosine dinucleotide-type of molybdenum cofactor, the type I and type II [2Fe-2S] clusters and the flavin-adenine dinucleotide. Unlike the CODH from O. carboxidovorans, the enzyme from H. pseudoflava reveals a unique post-translationally modified C(gamma)-hydroxy-Arg384 residue which precedes the catalytically essential S-selanyl-Cys385 in the active-site loop. In addition, the Trp193 which shields the isoalloxazine ring of the flavin-adenine dinucleotide in the M subunit of the H. pseudoflava CODH is a Tyr193 in the O. carboxidovorans CODH. The hydrogen bonding interaction pattern of the molybdenum cofactor involves 27 hydrogen bonds with the surrounding protein. Of these, eight are with the cytosine moiety, eight with the pyrophosphate, six with the pyranopterin, and five with the ligands of the Mo ion. The structure of the catalytically inactive Mo(minus) CODH indicates that an intracellular Mo-deficiency affects exclusively the active site of the enzyme as an incomplete non-functional molybdenum cofactor was synthesized. The 5'-CDP residue was present in Mo(minus) CODH, whereas the Mo-pyranopterin moiety was absent. In Mo(plus) CODH the selenium faces the Mo ion and flips away from the Mo site in Mo(minus) CODH. The different side-chain conformations of the active-site residues S-selanyl-Cys385 and Glu757 in Mo(plus) and Mo(minus) CODH indicate a side-chain flexibility and a function of the Mo ion in the proper orientation of both residues.

Aldehyde Oxidoreductases↗

PubMed2000

Probing structural determinants specifying high thermostability in Bacillus licheniformis alpha-amylase.

Bacillus licheniformis alpha-amylase (BLA) is a starch-degrading enzyme that is highly thermostable although it is produced by a rather mesophilic organism. Over the last decade, the origin of BLA thermal properties has been extensively investigated in both academic and industrial laboratories, yet it is poorly understood. Here, we have used structure-based mutagenesis in order to probe the role of amino acid residues previously proposed as being important for BLA thermostability. Residues involved in salt-bridges, calcium binding or potential deamidation processes have been selected and replaced with various amino acids using a site-directed mutagenesis method, based on informational suppression. A total of 175 amylase variants were created and analysed in vitro. Active amylase variants were tested for thermostability by measuring residual activities after incubation at high temperature. Out of the 15 target residues, seven (Asp121, Asn126, Asp164, Asn192, Asp200, Asp204 and Ala269) were found to be particularly intolerant to any amino acid substitutions, some of which lead to very unstable mutant enzymes. By contrast, three asparagine residues (Asn172, Asn188 and Asn190) could be replaced with amino acid residues that significantly increase the thermostability compared to the wild-type enzyme. The highest stabilization event resulted from the substitution of phenylalanine in place of asparagine at position 190, leading to a sixfold increase of the enzyme's half-life at 80 degrees C (pH 5.6, 0.1 mM CaCl(2)). These results, combined with those of previous mutational analyses, show that the structural determinants contributing to the overall thermostability of BLA concentrate in domain B and at its interface with the central A domain. This region contains a triadic Ca-Na-Ca metal-binding site that appears extremely sensitive to any modification that may alter or reinforce the network of electrostatic interactions entrapping the metal ions. In particular, a loop spanning from residue 178 to 199, which undergoes pronounced conformational changes upon removal of calcium, appears to be the key feature for maintaining the enzyme structural integrity. Outside this region, most salt-bridges that were destroyed by mutations were found to be dispensable, except for an Asp121-Arg127 salt-bridge that contributes to the enhanced thermostability of BLA compared to other homologous bacterial alpha-amylases. Finally, our studies demonstrate that the natural resistance of BLA against high temperature is not optimized and can be enhanced further through various means, including the removal of possibly deamidating residues.

Alanine↗

PubMed2000

Noninvasive tracing of recombinant proteins with "fluorophenylalanine-fingers".

High-level residue-specific replacement of phenylalanine residues in recombinant human annexin V and azurin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa with o-fluorophenylalanine, m-fluorophenylalanine, and p-fluorophenylalanine has been achieved using the selective pressure incorporation method. Incorporation was confirmed analytically and by UV spectroscopy while the secondary and tertiary structures of these protein mutants in solution remained unchanged upon the effected substitutions. Fluorinated phenylalanines alone and when integrated into proteins exhibit two characteristic and prominent shoulders ("fingers") in the UV spectrum in the range of 260-270 nm, which do not overlap with the contributions of tyrosine and tryptophan residues in the protein UV spectra. Thus, the presence of such "fluorophenylalanine fingers" ("FF fingers") opens a new spectral window to identify the labeled target protein among other nonlabeled cellular proteins in preparative work by simple UV spectroscopy. In the coming era of proteomics such a reliable, cheap, and easy reproducible methodology might have a great potential for speeding up the identification and characterization of target molecules in the total protein output from the genomes of a variety of organisms.

Annexin A5↗

PubMed2000

Early evolution of cytochrome bc complexes.

Primary structures, functional characteristics and phylogenetic relationships of subunits of cytochrome bc complexes from phylogenetically diverse bacterial and archaeal species were analysed. A single case of lateral gene transfer, i.e. the import of an epsilon-proteobacterial cytochrome bc(1) complex into Aquificales, was identified. For the enzyme in the remainder of the species studied, the obtained phylogenies were globally in line with small subunit rRNA trees. The distribution of a few key phylogenetic markers, such as contiguousness of cytochrome b, nature of the c-type subunit or spacing between b-heme ligands, are discussed. A localised modification of previous tree topologies is proposed on the basis of the obtained data. The comparison of extant enzymes furthermore allowed us to define the minimal functional and evolutionary core of the enzyme. The data furthermore suggest that the ancestral enzyme was put together from subunits that previously had played a role in other electron transfer chains.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2000

The 3.2-A crystal structure of the human IgG1 Fc fragment-Fc gammaRIII complex.

The immune response depends on the binding of opsonized antigens to cellular Fc receptors and the subsequent initiation of various cellular effector functions of the immune system. Here we describe the crystal structures of a soluble Fc gamma receptor (sFc gammaRIII, CD16), an Fc fragment from human IgG1 (hFc1) and their complex. In the 1:1 complex the receptor binds to the two halves of the Fc fragment in contact with residues of the C gamma2 domains and the hinge region. Upon complex formation the angle between the two sFc gammaRIII domains increases significantly and the Fc fragment opens asymmetrically. The high degree of amino acid conservation between sFc gammaRIII and other Fc receptors, and similarly between hFc1 and related immunoglobulins, suggest similar structures and modes of association. Thus the described structure is a model for immune complex recognition and helps to explain the vastly differing affinities of other Fc gammaR-IgG complexes and the Fc epsilonRI alpha-IgE complex.

Amino Acid Sequence↗