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R W Sweet

Publications and source records attributed to R W Sweet.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

A soluble form of CD4 (T4) protein inhibits AIDS virus infection.

CD4 (T4) is a glycoprotein of relative molecular mass 55,000 (Mr 55K) on the surface of T lymphocytes which is thought to interact with class II MHC (major histocompatibility complex) molecules, mediating efficient association of helper T cells with antigen-bearing targets. The CD4 protein is also the receptor for HIV, a T-lymphotropic RNA virus responsible for the human acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) (refs 4-7). To define the mechanisms of interaction of CD4 with the surface of antigen-presenting cells and with HIV, we have isolated the CD4 gene and expressed this gene in several different cellular environments. Here we describe an efficient expression system in which a recombinant, soluble form of CD4 (sCD4) is secreted into tissue culture supernatants. This sCD4 retains the structural and biological properties of CD4 on the cell surface, binds to the envelope glycoprotein (gp110) of HIV and inhibits the binding of virus to CD4+ lymphocytes, resulting in a striking inhibition of virus infectivity.

Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte↗
PubMed1988

DHFR coamplification of t-PA in DHFR+ bovine endothelial cells: in vitro characterization of the purified serine protease.

High-level expression of human tissue-type plasminogen activator was accomplished in endothelial cells by a novel approach to dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) coamplification in DHFR+ cells. A tripartite mammalian expression vector coding for DHFR, neomycin phosphotransferase, and the t-PA gene was introduced into bovine endothelial cells by transfection and selection for G418 resistance. Upon methotrexate selection of these transformants, we obtained endothelial cells that had amplified the plasmid-encoded DHFR and t-PA genes. As a result, cell lines were isolated that efficiently produced t-PA (greater than 4 pg/cell.day). This t-PA was purified and compared with recombinant t-PA produced in Chinese hamster ovary cells. These two t-PA samples differed in carbohydrate composition, and amounts of 530 and 527 amino acid forms but had similar in vitro activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Murine mammary tumor virus pol-related sequences in human DNA: characterization and sequence comparison with the complete murine mammary tumor virus pol gene.

Sequences in the human genome with homology to the murine mammary tumor virus (MMTV) pol gene were isolated from a human phage library. Ten clones with extensive pol homology were shown to define five separate loci. These loci share common sequences immediately adjacent to the pol-like segments and, in addition, contain a related repeat element which bounds this region. This organization is suggestive of a proviral structure. We estimate that the human genome contains 30 to 40 copies of these pol-related sequences. The pol region of one of the cloned segments (HM16) and the complete MMTV pol gene were sequenced and compared. The nucleotide homology between these pol sequences is 52% and is concentrated in the terminal regions. The MMTV pol gene contains a single long open reading frame encoding 899 amino acids and is demarcated from the partially overlapping putative gag gene by termination codons and a shift in translational reading frame. The pol sequence of HM16 is multiply terminated but does contain open reading frames which encode 370, 105, and 112 amino acid residues in separate reading frames. We deduced a composite pol protein sequence for HM16 by aligning it to the MMTV pol gene and then compared these sequences with other retroviral pol protein sequences. Conserved sequences occur in both the amino and carboxyl regions which lie within the polymerase and endonuclease domains of pol, respectively.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Microinjection of the ras oncogene protein into nonestablished rat embryo fibroblasts.

Early (twice) and late (eighth) passage nonestablished rat embryo fibroblasts exhibit dramatically different responses to microinjection of the oncogenic form (T24) of the ras protein. Late passage cells respond like established cultures in that they both synthesize DNA and divide in response to the oncogenic protein. However, early passage cells are shown to be much less responsive to the introduction of this protein in terms of the threshold concentration required to elicit a mitogenic response. Furthermore, conditioned medium from late passage cells can both potentiate the effect of ras in early passage cells and stimulate colony formation in soft agar. In addition, we show that human cells can respond to microinjection of the ras oncogene protein by synthesizing DNA.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Purification and characterization of human H-ras proteins expressed in Escherichia coli.

The full-length normal and T24 mutant human H-ras proteins and two truncated derivatives of the T24 mutant were expressed efficiently in Escherichia coli. The proteins accumulated to 1 to 5% of total cellular protein, and each was specifically recognized by anti-ras monoclonal antibodies. The two full-length proteins as well as a carboxyl-terminal truncated derivative (deleted for 23 amino acid residues) were soluble upon cell lysis and were purified to 90% homogeneity without the use of denaturants. In contrast, an amino-terminal truncated ras derivative (deleted for 22 amino acid residues) required treatment with urea for its solubilization. The guanine nucleotide binding activity of these four proteins was assessed by a combination of ligand binding on proteins blots, immunoprecipitation, and standard filter binding procedures. The full-length proteins showed similar binding kinetics and a stoichiometry approaching 1 mol of GTP bound per mol of protein. The showed similar binding kinetics and a stoichiometry approaching 1 mol of GTP bound per mol of protein. The carboxyl-terminal truncated protein also bound GTP, but to a reduced extent, whereas the amino-terminal truncated protein did not have binding activity. Apparently, the carboxyl-terminal domain of ras, although important for transforming function, does not play a critical role in GTP binding.

DNA, Recombinant↗
PubMed1984

Microinjection of the oncogene form of the human H-ras (T-24) protein results in rapid proliferation of quiescent cells.

Using an E. coli expression-vector system we have efficiently produced, purified, and characterized the full-length, nonfused, protooncogenic and oncogenic (T-24) forms of the human H-ras gene product. These purified ras proteins have been introduced by microinjection into a variety of somatic cells in an effort to examine their function. Within several hours after injection of the oncogenic form of the human H-ras protein into quiescent cells, we observe dramatic morphological changes followed by transient proliferation of the cells. In contrast, microinjection of the normal, protooncogenic form of the ras protein at the same level appears to have only little effect on the cells. Additional experiments indicate that the effect of the ras protein requires entry into the cells, is temporary, is inhibited by cycloheximide or actinomycin D, and is seen only in established cell lines. This experimental approach demonstrates that the bacterially derived and purified human H-ras proteins retain their ability to function when put back into mammalian cells and furthermore, provides a novel assay for transformation induced in established cells by the human H-ras oncogene protein.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

The structure of the thymidine kinase gene promoter: nuclease hypersensitivity correlates with expression.

Accurate and quantitative transcription of the tk gene requires sequence elements that reside within 110 nucleotides of 5'-flanking DNA. We have determined the boundaries of a hypersensitive region in 5'DNA flanking the tk gene by analyzing the relative sensitivity of specific restriction sites clustered in this region. Five different restriction enzymes, recognizing over 50 sites in the promoter region of the tk gene, each show a preferential cleavage in nuclei at a restricted number of sites residing between positions -4 and -182. Thus the tk promoter sequences are contained entirely within a hypersensitive region. Analysis of this site in tk+ transformants, a tk- mutant and tk+ rerevertant indicates that expression of tk RNA is correlated with structural alterations in the tk promoter.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Somatic DNA rearrangement generates functional rat immunoglobulin kappa chain genes: the J kappa gene cluster is longer in rat than in mouse.

The kappa immunoglobulin (Ig) genes from rat kidney and from rat myeloma cells were cloned and analyzed. In kidney DNA one C kappa species is observed by Southern blotting and cloning in phage vectors; this gene most likely represents the embryonic configuration. In the IR52 myeloma DNA two C kappa species are observed: one in the same configuration seen in kidney and one which has undergone a rearrangement. This somatic rearrangement has brought the expressed V region to within 2.7 kb 5' of the C kappa coding region; the rearrangement site is within the J kappa cluster which we have mapped. The rat somatic Ig rearrangement, therefore, closely resembles that seen in mouse Ig genes. In the rat embryonic fragment two J kappa segments were mapped at 2 and 4.3 kb 5' from the C kappa coding region. Therefore, the rat J kappa cluster extends over about 2.3 kb, a region much longer than the 1.4 kb of the mouse and human J kappa clusters. In the region between C kappa and the expressed J kappa of IR52 myeloma DNA, and XbaI site present in the embryonic kappa gene has been lost. A somatic mutation has therefore occurred in the intervening sequence DNA approx. 0.7 kb 3' from the V/J recombination site. Southern blots of rat kidney DNA hybridized with different rat V kappa probes showed non-overlapping sets of bands which correspond to different subgroups, each composed of 8-10 closely related V kappa genes.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Recent duplication and germ-line diversification of rat immunoglobulin kappa chain gene joining segments.

Sequence determination of the joining segment gene (J) cluster in the kappa chain (J kappa) in the embryonic context demonstrates that rat genome contains seven J kappa gene segments that expanded from an ancestral cluster of five J kappa genes. The rat J segments are separated by about 300 base pairs (bp) and are flanked 5' by the presumed variable region (V)/J recombination signal sequence and 3' by the RNA splicing signal. Two of the J gene segments designated J2A and J2B and their 5'-flanking spacer DNA bear striking homology to J2 and its 5'-flanking spacer. Thus, the unit of duplication was the entire J kappa coding region and 5' noncoding spacer (345 bp). The duplication probably occurred as two separate unequal crossing-over (UXO) events. The first UXO event can be confined to recombination within an identical stretch (14 bp long) located at the 3' ends of the coding regions of J1 and J2. The second event could involve a longer segment (372 bp) of tight homology generated by the first UXO event, thus increasing the probability of repeated expansion of the same DNA segment. The sequence homology among the rat duplicated segments (98-99%) is larger than the homology between the corresponding rat and mouse segments (89%), showing that the rat J kappa gene expansion must have occurred after rat and mouse divergence 10 X 10(6) yr ago. We estimate that the first and second UXO events occurred 2 X 10(6) and 1 X 10(6) yr ago, respectively. J3 of rat and mouse share the same mutation (G leads to C) in the RNA splicing signal that presumably inactivates J3. This mutation preceded divergence of the two species. A mutation in the first nucleotide of codon 96 has occurred in both duplicated segments, the only position along 345 bp where J2, J2A, and J2B differ from each other. This results in three different amino acids at position 96 not present in any other J kappa. These mutations are physiologically significant because they diversify the third complementarity-determining region (CDR3) and, thus, may reflect selective pressure to increase antibody diversity. The germ-line diversification of CDR3 was exercised within the last 1-2 X 10(6) yr.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1982

The structure and function of a eukaryotic promoter.

Transformation, or DNA-mediated gene transfer, permits the stable introduction of new genetic information into a cell and therefore provides an opportunity to examine the expression of exogenous DNA sequences in the transformed host. A series of deletion mutants to analyze the sequences required for accurate and quantitative in vivo transcription of the herpes simplex virus (HSV) thymidine kinase (tk) gene has been constructed. Control of the efficiency of transcription as well as rough specification of the sites of initiation reside within sequences 40-110 nucleotides from the tk structural gene. The sequences responsible for induction of tk mRNA overlap this transcriptional control region. Analysis of the conformation of the integrated tk gene in the chromosome reveals that these DNA sequences are exquisitely sensitive to nuclease attack. The major heat shock gene of Drosophila and the human beta globin gene have also been introduced into murine cells to identify sequences responsible for induction of these finely regulated genes.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Purification and characterization of the DNA polymerase of human breast cancer particles.

Previous studies have identified human breast tumor particles possessing many of the features characteristic of RNA tumor viruses. In addition to the expected size (600 S) and density (1.16 g/ml) these include possession of an outer membrane and an inner one surrounding a "core" containing a DNA polymerase and a large-molecular-weight (70S) RNA possessing detectable homology to the RNAs of the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) and of the Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (MPMV). We report here the purification and characterization of the DNA polymerase from the human breast cancer particles. Its key properties are very similar to those ofthe RNA-dependent DNA nucleotidyltransferase (reverse transcriptase) found in MMTV and MPMV. Thus like these viral enzymes, the purified human breast cancer DNA polymerase exhibits the following three features that together distinguish the known viral reverse transcriptases from normal cellular DNA polymerases: (i) a strong preference for oligo(dT)-poly(rA) over oligo(dT)-poly(dA) as a template for the synthesis of poly(dT); (ii) the acceptance of the highly specific oligo(dG)-poly(rCm) as a template for the formation of poly(dG); (iii) the ability to use a viral RNA (AMV) as a template to fashion a faithful DNA complementary copy; and (iv) its preference for Mg++ over Mn++. In summary, the data described here on the enzyme of the human breast cancer particles add further evidence of similarities to the viral agents associated with the corresponding malignancies in the mouse and monkey models. To date, an enzyme with these properties has not been detected in normal breast tissues or in benign tumors of the breast.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1974

The presence of unique DNA sequences after viral induction of leukemia in mice. (RNA tumor virus-nucleic acid hybridization-insertion of viral DNA).

From previous studies, lymphocyte DNA from human leukemias and DNA from involved tissues of patients with Hodgkin's disease or Burkitt's lymphoma contain sequences that are absent from their normal counterparts. These sequences are related to those found in particulate elements associated with these neoplasias and possessing biochemical properties characteristic of RNA tumor viruses. Similar observations have been made of unique sequences related to those of the feline virus RD-114 and found in spontaneous mastocytomas in cats. Here we extend these results to the classical murine model of virus-induced leukemias. Splenic DNA from BALB/c mice with leukemia induced by Rauscher leukemia virus (RLV) possess some RLV-related sequences that do not exist in normal BALB/c DNA. Furthermore, these leukemia-specific sequences were absent in all other mouse strains examined, including AKR, a strain with a high incidence of spontaneous leukemia. The DNA of all noninfected mouse strains possesses considerable homology with the RLV genome. Temperature denaturation studies indicate, however, that although the RLV-related sequences found in all normal mice are similar to each other, they are not exactly homologous with RLV sequences. We conclude that RLV-induced leukemia in BALB/c results in the insertion of RLV sequences into cellular DNA that itself possesses only partial homology with the RLV genome.

Animals↗