PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R J Simpson

Publications and source records attributed to R J Simpson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Non-transferrin-bound iron species in the serum of hypotransferrinaemic mice.

Serum from homozygous hypotransferrinaemic mice (a mixed group of males and females, aged 6-8 wk) was found to contain low levels of iron (mean 0.9 +/- 0.5 microM (SEM, n = 4), as assayed by conventional serum iron assays. Similarly, low levels of non-transferrin-bound iron were determined with a nitrilotriacetate chelation assay (1.3 +/- 0.4 microM, n = 4) (Singh, S., Hider, R.C. and Porter, J.B. (1990) Analytical Biochemistry 186, 320-323). Mononuclear Fe (citrate) was undectable by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR). Significantly larger quantities of iron (16 +/- 5 microM, n = 8) were detected by the bleomycin assay (Gutteridge, J.M.C., Rowley, D.A. and Halliwell, B. (1981) Biochemical Journal 199, 263-265), while non-haem iron assay or atomic absorption spectrophotometry revealed up to 96 microM iron. Haemoglobin iron was detectable at approximately 10 microM by spectrophotometry. Ferri-haem was undetectable by EPR spectroscopy. Serum ferritin levels of 641 +/- 128 micrograms/l (n = 14) in hypotransferrinaemic mice (wild-types 44 +/- 6 micrograms/l, n = 14) were observed and these cannot account for the non-transferrin-bound iron. Hypotransferrinaemic mouse serum therefore contains large quantities of non-transferrin-bound iron which is unreactive in some assays used to detect such iron in human iron overload. Fractionation by Sephadex G200 chromatography revealed three distinct species with apparent molecular weights of > or = 150 kDa, 40-80 kDa and 1-5 kDa. The iron may be distinguished from known extracellular iron proteins and haem-proteins by its availability to hot acid extractions.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

A major binding protein for leukemia inhibitory factor in normal mouse serum: identification as a soluble form of the cellular receptor.

A protein that specifically binds leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) has been isolated from normal mouse serum by using four successive fractionation steps: chromatography on a LIF affinity matrix, anion-exchange chromatography, size-exclusion chromatography, and preparative native gel electrophoresis. The purified LIF-binding protein (LBP) is a glycoprotein with an apparent molecular mass of 90 kDa that specifically binds 125I-labeled murine LIF with an affinity comparable to that of the low-affinity cellular LIF receptor (Kd = 600 pM). N-terminal sequencing has identified this protein as a soluble truncated form of the alpha chain of the cellular LIF receptor. LBP is present in normal mouse serum at high levels (1 microgram/ml) and these levels are elevated in pregnant mice and reduced in neonatal mice. Since normal serum concentrations of LBP can block the biological actions of LIF in culture, LBP may serve as an inhibitor of the systemic effects of locally produced LIF.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Purification and characterization of a recombinant murine interleukin-6. Isolation of N- and C-terminally truncated forms.

Murine interleukin-6 (IL-6), when expressed in Escherichia coli using the pUC9 vector, accumulated as insoluble aggregates or 'inclusion bodies'. After selective urea washing of the inclusion bodies, to remove extraneous proteins, murine IL-6 was solubilized with 8 M guanidine hydrochloride and then rapidly purified to homogeneity by gel-permeation chromatography followed by reversed-phase HPLC. It was demonstrated that complete disulfide bond formation in murine IL-6 occurred during the early urea washing/guanidine hydrochloride extraction steps, so no refolding step was required. When fully reduced murine IL-6 was dissolved in 8 M guanidine hydrochloride and allowed to air-oxidize, complete disulfide bond formation, monitored by analytical reversed-phase HPLC, was shown to occur within 13 h at 6 degrees C. About 25 mg pure protein was obtained from 37 g wet cells. This recombinant murine IL-6 had a specific activity in the hybridoma growth factor assay of 2 x 10(8) U/mg, which is equivalent to that of native murine IL-6. During the purification procedure, a number of variant forms of murine IL-6 were isolated and partially characterized. Two of these forms, T1 and T3, were C-terminal deletants of murine IL-6 lacking about 60 and 20 amino acids from the C-terminus, respectively, while the other form, T2, was an N-terminal deletant lacking 37 amino acids from the N-terminus. None of these variant forms of murine IL-6 bound to the murine IL-6 receptor and, consequently, all were inactive in the hybridoma growth factor assay.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1992

Investigation of a role for reduction in ferric iron uptake by mouse duodenum.

59Fe uptake rates by mouse duodenal fragments incubated in vitro were markedly reduced by non-permeable reagents, ferricyanide (oxidising agent) and ferrozine (Fe2+ chelator), in the medium; ferrocyanide had no effect. Reduction of Fe3+, as reflected by an increase in ferrozine-(Fe2+)-chelatable iron, was observed in the presence of the tissue fragments. The generation of Fe2+ occurred linearly with time, was independent of the medium ferrozine concentration, and was not due to release of reducing factors from the duodenal fragments. Fe(3+)-reducing activity was mainly present on the mucosal surface and was localised primarily to the proximal region of the small intestine. Changes in Fe3+ reduction rates closely parallelled the changes in duodenal 59Fe uptake, when metabolic inhibitors or modulators of membrane potential were included in the medium. The enhancement in duodenal mucosal 59Fe uptake in chronic hypoxic and iron-deficient mice parallelled the changes in the tissue reduction of medium Fe3+. Moreover, the rates of reduction were quantitatively similar to rates of uptake. These observations indicate that a sequential reduction and uptake process operates for Fe3+ uptake in mouse duodenum.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Application of capillary reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography to high-sensitivity protein sequence analysis.

A continuous gradient elution method for capillary column (less than 0.32 mm I.D.) liquid chromatography was developed. Gradient eluent from a microbore liquid chromatograph was split ahead of the injector so that an accurate percentage (2-3%) of the mobile phase delivered by the pump flowed through the capillary column. The outlet of the column was connected to a length of 0.075 mm I.D. fused-silica capillary tubing which, in turn, was connected to a 6-mm optical path length longitudinal capillary flow cell. Fused-silica capillary columns of 0.32 mm I.D. were slurry-packed efficiently with 7-microns spherical, 300 A pore size, C8 bonded-phase particles, and evaluated in terms of their ability to resolve mixtures of proteins, peptides or phenylthiohydantoin (PTH)-amino acid derivatives. The gradient elution profiles agreed with those obtained using microbore (less than 2.1 mm I.D.) and larger bore columns. The minimum detectable amounts for proteins and PTH-amino acids on 0.32 mm I.D. capillary columns were 50 pg and 25 fmol, respectively. At a flow-rate of 3.6 microliters/min, proteins and peptides were recovered from the capillary columns in volumes of about 2-8 microliters. The use of a multiple-wavelength, forward-optics detector for identifying tryptophan- and tyrosine-containing peptides is discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Purification and structural analysis of a murine chemotactic cytokine (CP-10) with sequence homology to S100 proteins.

In delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions, cytokine-mediated cell migration leads to localized accumulation of neutrophils and mononuclear cells over 4-48 h. In contrast to transient (2-6 h) responses elicited by other chemotactic factors, earlier studies indicated that a chemotactic activity previously described in our laboratory elicited skin test responses over 24 h, identical to those induced by injection of antigen into a sensitized test subject. We have isolated this factor, a 10.3-kDa chemotactic protein designated CP-10, from supernatants of activated murine spleen cells. Purification to homogeneity was achieved using affinity chromatography on iminodiacetic acid-immobilized copper and cation-exchange, mixed mode (cation exchange/metal affinity), reversed-phase, and size-exclusion high performance liquid chromatography. CP-10 had maximal chemotactic activity for neutrophils at 10(-13) M. The 76-amino acid sequence, obtained by automated N-terminal microsequence analysis of native CP-10, and fragments derived from trypsin digestion and cyanogen bromide cleavage indicated no sequence identity with any known cytokine or chemotactic factor but revealed up to 55% sequence homology with S100, Ca2(+)-binding proteins. CP-10 appears to be the first protein of this family with a well defined function affecting cell migration, and its biological potency suggests an important role for this cytokine in cellular immune reactions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Rapid purification of the gastric H+/K(+)-ATPase complex by tomato-lectin affinity chromatography.

We have previously shown that tomato lectin binds specifically to the 60-90 kDa membrane glycoprotein of parietal cell tubulovesicles, the beta-subunit of the gastric H+/K(+)-ATPase (proton pump) [Callaghan, Toh, Pettitt, Humphris & Gleeson (1990) J. Cell Sci. 95, 563-576; Toh, Gleeson, Simpson, Mortiz, Callaghan, Goldkorn, Jones, Martinelli, Mu, Humphris, Pettitt, Mori, Masuda, Sobieszczuk, Weinstock, Mantamadiotis & Baldwin (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 6418-6422]. Here we have exploited this interaction for the development of a rapid single-step chromatography procedure for the purification of an active pig gastric proton pump complex. Initially, H+/K(+)-ATPase-enriched membranes, prepared from pig gastric microsomes by density-gradient centrifugation, were extracted in 1% Triton X-100 and passed through a 1 ml tomato lectin-Sepharose 4B column. The bound material, eluted with 20 mM-chitotriose, showed a major band with an apparent molecular mass of 95 kDa, and a faint broad band of 60-90 kDa, by SDS/PAGE. N-Glycanase treatment of the bound material resulted in the appearance of a 35 kDa band, the size of the protein core of the 60-90 kDa glycoprotein beta-subunit. The two components were identified as the 95 kDa alpha-subunit and the 60-90 kDa beta-subunit of the gastric H+/K(+)-ATPase, by immunoreactivity with monospecific antibodies, and by tryptic peptide sequences of the tomato-lectin-bound material. The beta-subunit was present in approximately equimolar amounts to the catalytic alpha-subunit. Whereas the gastric H+/K(+)-ATPase was not active after solubilization in 1% Triton X-100, solubilization of density-gradient-purified membranes in the non-ionic detergent, C12E8, followed by chromatography of the extract on tomato lectin-Sepharose 4B, resulted in the purification of the gastric H+/K(+)-ATPase complex which exhibited K(+)-dependent phosphatase activity. This is the first report of a rapid purification of a partially active solubilized gastric H+/K(+)-ATPase complex.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1992

Isolation and characterization of a novel receptor-type protein tyrosine kinase (hek) from a human pre-B cell line.

In this report we describe the identification and characterization of a novel tumor-associated receptor-type tyrosine kinase (hek). We produced a monoclonal antibody (III.A4) that detected a novel glycoprotein on the immunizing pre-B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line (LK63). This antigen was shown to be expressed sporadically on hemopoietic tumor cell lines and on ex vivo tumors. However, using antibody staining, the molecule was undetectable on normal tissues. Further biochemical characterization showed this molecule (hek) to be a phosphoroprotein. This observation taken together with the tumor-associated nature of hek expression suggested that hek might be a receptor-type protein tyrosine kinase. This was demonstrated by affinity purification of hek. In in vitro kinase experiments the purified hek protein was autophosphorylated on tyrosine and also mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of casein. Purified hek was subjected to N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis which showed that hek had a unique N terminus. Amino acid sequence determination of peptides from a V8 protease digest of hek yielded one 21-amino acid stretch of sequence which showed close homology with the eph subfamily of protein tyrosine kinases. These studies show hek to be a novel human tumor-associated protein tyrosine kinase, which by analogy with previously characterized protein tyrosine kinase proto-oncogenes, may have a role in tumorigenesis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Automated solid-phase peptide synthesis: use of 2-(1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyluronium tetrafluoroborate for coupling of tert-butyloxycarbonyl amino acids.

2-(1H-Benzotriazol-1-yl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyluronium tetrafluoroborate (TBTU) has been adapted for use as a coupling reagent for tert-butyloxycarbonyl (Boc) amino acids in automated solid-phase peptide synthesis. When compared to the existing preformed symmetrical anhydride procedure employing dicyclohexyl-carbodiimide (DCC), the use of TBTU in the presence of 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HOBt) provides a more efficient coupling procedure for Boc-amino acid derivatives. Overall cycle times using TBTU/HOBt coupling reagents (30 min) compare favorably to those of the DCC-mediated procedure (approx 65 min). Dimethylformamide can be used as the sole solvent for both activation and coupling reactions. Implementation of TBTU/HOBt coupling conditions does not require replumbing of any lines of the Applied Biosystems Model 430A instrument and necessitates changes to only three reagent bottle positions. The variable coupling efficiencies of Boc-asparagine following activation with TBTU/HOBt (as low as 89%) can be overcome by protection of the amide function of Boc-asparagine with the 9-xanthyl group. Examples of the synthesis and characterization of a number of peptides ranging in length from 13 to 29 residues are given.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

The purification of a Rap1 GTPase-activating protein from bovine brain cytosol.

Two GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) have been detected in extracts from bovine brain: GAP-1, which is specific for the activation of ras GTPases, and GAP-3, which is specific for the activation of the rap1 GTPases. We present a strategy for the purification to homogeneity of a cytosolic form of GAP-3 from bovine brain. The 100,000 x g supernatant from homogenized brains was chromatographed sequentially on DEAE Fast Flow, green H-E4BD Sepharose, Bio-Gel A1.5, hydroxyapatite, and phenyl-Sepharose prior to high resolution separation on Mono Q HR 5/5, phenyl-Superose HR 5/5, Mono Q PC 1.6/5, and Superose 12 PC 3.2/30. This procedure resulted in an approximately 18,000-fold purification, yielding 50 micrograms of GAP-3 from 1.6 kg of tissue. Purified cytosolic GAP-3 migrated as a single band of apparent Mr 55,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. However, on gel filtration cytosolic GAP-3 chromatographed as a dimer with an apparent Mr 92,000. Purified GAP-3 does not activate ras or rho GTPases and possesses no intrinsic GTPase activity. Amino acid sequence data indicated a proline-rich N terminus. The amino acid sequences of peptides generated by Staphylococcus aureus V8 digestion of reduced and pyridine-ethylated GAP-3 showed no similarity to the predicted primary structure of GAP-1 or any other proteins in the nucleic acid or protein data bases. By comparison with the data of Rubinfeld et al. (Rubinfeld, B., Munemitsu, S., Clark, R., Conroy, L., Watt, K., Crosier, W.J., McCormick, F., and Polakis, P. (1991) Cell 65, 1033-1042), it appears that the membrane-associated (Mr 85,000-95,000) and cytosolic forms of GAP-3 are derived from equivalent, or closely related, genes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Workshop on two-dimensional gel protein databases.

A workshop on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) protein database, organized by the Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) of the International Council of Scientific Unions Task Group on Biological Macromolecules, was held at the CODATA Secretariat in Paris on March 9, 1992. Eleven scientists from eight different countries represented various aspects of 2-DE analysis--namely, cellular protein database development and protein microsequencing methodologies. The purpose of the workshop was to explore means of integrating the rapidly expanding body of information on 2-DE resolved proteins from different laboratories. A major proposal emanating from the workshop was the establishment of an intermediary or "relational" 2-DE gel protein database. This intermediary database, which would catalogue pertinent information on 2-DE resolved proteins (experimental source, 2-DE loci, biological information, etc.) could be an adjunct to, and accessed through, the existing international protein sequence databanks. It would function as a pointer for researchers to the individual 2-DE protein databases where primary and more specialized 2-DE data would be housed.

Databases, Factual↗
PubMed1992

Effect of hypoxic exposure on iron absorption in heterozygous hypotransferrinaemic mice.

Heterozygous hypotransferrinaemic mice show serum iron, haemoglobin and reticulocyte levels similar to those of normal (+/+) controls but the plasma apotransferrin level is significantly reduced. Male heterozygous hypotransferrinaemic Balb/cJ mice and control (+/+) littermates were exposed to 1-3 days' hypoxia at 0.5 atmospheres. Controls increased their haemoglobin and iron absorption significantly during the first day of exposure; serum transferrin levels were increased and iron absorption had returned to normal levels by the third day or serum transferrin above normal levels and the elevated iron absorption persisted for longer than in controls. Serum iron levels were lower following hypoxic exposure than in controls. Liver iron loading was significantly enhanced by hypoxia in heterozygotes, but not in controls. These observations demonstrate the importance of the reservoir of plasma apotransferrin in the initial phase of enhanced erythropoiesis, and that the ability to enhance plasma levels of iron-bound transferrin is required in order to increase haemoglobin levels under the hypoxic stress.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Relationship between the cytolysins tenebrosin-C from Actinia tenebrosa and equinatoxin II from Actinia equina.

The chemical, physical and biological properties of the cytolysin tenebrosin-C from Actinia tenebrosa have been compared with those of equinatoxin II from Actinia equina. The two proteins are indistinguishable by reverse-phase and cation-exchange HPLC and capillary zone electrophoresis, and give similar peptide fragments upon cyanogen bromide cleavage (as judged by the chromatographic behaviour, ultraviolet absorption spectra, amino acid composition and N-terminal amino acid sequences of the peptides). Their cardiac stimulatory activities are identical, and their haemolytic activities are similar, with equinatoxin II having slightly greater activity. These data indicate that the two molecules are either identical in all 179 amino acid positions, or differ by no more than one or two residues. These findings are discussed in the context of the taxonomic relationship between the two species of sea anemone.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Nutrition education for cardiovascular disease prevention among low income populations--description and pilot evaluation of a physician-based model.

Low income Americans are at greatest risk for coronary heart disease but have least access to health promotion programs for life style modification. Primary care physicians may represent one of the few sources of preventive care available to the poor. However, the majority of physicians feel unprepared to help patients achieve dietary change, and few existing nutrition intervention programs address the special needs of low literacy populations. The Food for Heart Program was developed to facilitate dietary counseling experienced by primary care physicians who care for low literacy patients and to overcome barriers to behavior change faced by patients. The program consists of three components: (1) a validated dietary risk assessment that rapidly identifies atherogenic eating habits and requires no nutritional expertise to administer or interpret, (2) a structured diet treatment program that is culturally specific for a southern patient population and links practical behavior change recommendations with results of the diet assessment, and (3) a system for monitoring and reinforcement that prompts physicians to review progress, reinforce prior messages, and reward positive change. Behavior change theory is used to guide the intervention and readability of the material has been assessed at the 5-6th grade level. An evaluation study of the Food for Heart Program suggests that it has a positive impact on physician counseling and that patients are responding favorably to these efforts.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1992

Application of selective extraction to the study of iron species present in diet and rat gastrointestinal tract contents.

Iron speciation in rodent diet and rat gastrointestinal tract lumen during dietary digestion and absorption was investigated with a novel selective extraction technique. Five Fe fractions were identified, namely exchangeable (soluble in 1 M-magnesium chloride), carbonate-bound (soluble in mild acid), oxide-bound (soluble in hydroxylamine-acetic acid), organic-bound (soluble after treatment with peroxide in nitric acid) and residual. Fe from the pelleted diet was mobilized by rat stomach to the exchangeable fraction, then redistributed to the carbonate- and oxide-bound fractions on passage through the proximal small intestine. In vitro incubation of diet with hydrochloric acid failed to mimic the in vivo effect of the stomach. In vitro neutralization of stomach contents with bicarbonate was found to produce a similar effect on Fe speciation to that seen when diet passed the proximal small intestine in vivo. Comparison of 59Fe speciation in extrinsically labelled diet with endogenous Fe speciation showed that extrinsic labelling does not uniformly label all endogenous species. The experiments suggest that selective extraction may provide a useful approach to the study of Fe species present in diets, in vitro digestions and gastrointestinal contents.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Recombinant interleukin-6 protects mice against experimental bacterial infection.

Because of reports of high levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in patients during infection, we studied the role of IL-6 in experimental infection. Mice infected with the facultative intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes displayed high levels of IL-6 in their sera and tissues, particularly the spleen, 1 to 3 days after infection. At this time, the IL-6 titers correlated with bacterial numbers in individual mice and in groups of mice given graded doses of Listeria organisms. However, the presence of IL-6 in serum declined after 4 days, even when a large initial dose of bacteria meant that bacterial numbers were still increasing at this time. Recombinant mouse IL-6 injected intraperitoneally before infection protected mice in a dose-dependent manner. It was effective when given 4 h before infection but not when administration was delayed for 24 h postinfection. It is therefore believed that IL-6 plays a role in early priming of the immune response to infection. Its exact function in this model is being investigated.

Animals↗