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S E Mole

Publications and source records attributed to S E Mole.

49 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Germ-line mutations of the RET proto-oncogene in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN 2A) is a dominantly inherited cancer syndrome that affects tissues derived from neural ectoderm. It is characterized by medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and phaeochromocytoma. The MEN2A gene has recently been localized by a combination of genetic and physical mapping techniques to a 480-kilobase region in chromosome 10q11.2 (refs 2,3). The DNA segment encompasses the RET proto-oncogene, a receptor tyrosine kinase gene expressed in MTC and phaeochromocytoma and at lower levels in normal human thyroid. This suggested RET as a candidate for the MEN2A gene. We have identified missense mutations of the RET proto-oncogene in 20 of 23 apparently distinct MEN 2A families, but not in 23 normal controls. Further, 19 of these 20 mutations affect the same conserved cysteine residue at the boundary of the RET extracellular and transmembrane domains.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Assignment of the human pulmonary surfactant protein D gene (SFTP4) to 10q22-q23 close to the surfactant protein A gene cluster.

Pulmonary surfactant consists of a complex mixture of phospholipids and several proteins essential to normal respiratory function. Two of the surfactant proteins, SP-A and SP-D, appear to have lectin-like activity relevant to the local phagocytic defense. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based somatic cell hybrid mapping, the human SP-D gene (SFTP4) was assigned to chromosome 10. A regional mapping panel was assembled and characterized using sequence tagged sites for five loci previously mapped to 10q. SFTP4, the SP-A gene (SFTP1), and the microsatellite D10S109 were placed in the interval 10q22-q23. Low-stringency PCR using the SFTP1 primer pair suggested the presence of at least two additional SP-A-related genes in the same region. With the locus for mannose-binding lectin (MBL) at 10q21, this may be indicative of this region's central role in the evolutionary history of carbohydrate-binding proteins containing collagen-like regions.

Animals↗

Genetic linkage studies map the multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 loci to a small interval on chromosome 10q11.2.

We have carried out genetic linkage analyses using fifteen polymorphic loci in the pericentromeric region of chromosome 10 in families with the inherited cancer syndromes multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2A or 2B. A highly polymorphic microsatellite from the locus D10S141 in q11.2 was found to be recombinant with respect to the disease locus in two individuals and defines a new proximal flanking marker for both MEN2A and 2B. An additional recombination provides evidence that the locus D10S94, also in q11.2, is the closet distal flanking marker for MEN2A. This localises the MEN2A gene to a small region of 10q11.2 flanked by the loci D10S141 and D10S94, which are separated by a sex-averaged genetic distance of 0.55 cM. The MEN2B gene maps to a larger region, flanked by D10S141 and RBP3.

Chromosome Mapping↗

Characterisation of a boundary between satellite III and alphoid sequences on human chromosome 10.

Alphoid and satellite III sequences are arranged as large tandem arrays in the centromeric regions of human chromosomes. Several recent studies using in situ hybridisation to investigate the relative positions of these sequences have shown that they occupy adjacent but non-overlapping domains in metaphase chromosomes. We have analysed the DNA sequence at the junction between alphoid and satellite III sequences in a cosmid previously mapped to chromosome 10. The alphoid sequence consists of tandemly arranged dimers which are distinct from the known chromosome 10-specific alphoid family. Polymerase chain reaction experiments confirm the integrity of the sequence data. These results, together with pulsed field gel electrophoresis data place the boundary between alphoid and satellite III sequences in the mapping interval 10 centromere-10q11.2. The sequence data shows that these repetitive sequences are separated by a partial L1 interspersed repeat sequence less than 500bp in length. The arrangement of the junction suggests that a recombination event has brought these sequences into close proximity.

Base Sequence↗

Host proteins that bind to or mimic SV40 large T antigen: using antibodies to look at protein interactions and their significance.

The papovavirus SV40 is able to induce tumours in susceptible hosts and will transform cells in vitro. Its major early protein, large T antigen, is required for viral DNA synthesis, both in vivo and in vitro, and is also responsible for the oncogenic action of the virus. We have made use of an extensive library of anti-T monoclonal antibodies to investigate the cellular effects of T. Large T shares an antigenic determinant with a growth-regulated host protein, p68, which is a member of an expanding super-family of helicases with particular homology to the translation initiation factor elF-4A. We have also studied the binding and interaction of large T with two particular host components: the replicative enzyme DNA polymerase alpha and the proto-oncogene p53. These two proteins bind to similar regions of T and exert similar effects on its antigenic structure. We found that p53 can block the binding of DNA polymerase alpha to T as well as co-existing with DNA polymerase alpha in a trimeric complex with T. This suggests that these interactions may be important in the oncogenic and replicative action of large T.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Structure and function of SV40 large-T antigen.

The small eukaryotic DNA tumour virus, SV40, has long provided a very useful model for the study of eukaryotic DNA replication and cellular transformation. The viral gene product, large-tumour (large-T) antigen, is essential for the initiation of viral DNA replication and the initiation and maintenance of SV40-virus-mediated cellular transformation. The large-T antigen is a complex multifunctional protein, and to delineate its activity more precisely in viral DNA replication and cellular transformation, small functional domains of the protein have been expressed in Escherichia coli and analysed by using a very extensive library of anti-T monoclonal antibodies.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Use of simian virus 40 large T-beta-galactosidase fusion proteins in an immunochemical analysis of simian virus 40 large T antigen.

Simian virus 40 large T antigen is a multifunctional protein that is encoded by the early region of the viral genome. We constructed fusion proteins between simian virus 40 large T antigen and beta-galactosidase by cloning HindIII fragments A and D of the virus into the HindIII sites of expression vectors pUR290, pUR291, and pUR292. Large amounts of the fusion protein were synthesized when the DNA fragment encoding part of simian virus 40 large T antigen was in frame with the lacZ gene of the expression vector. Using Western blotting and a competition radioimmunoassay, we assessed the binding of existing anti-T monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to the two fusion proteins. Several monoclonal antibodies reacted with the protein encoded by the fragment A construction, but none reacted with the protein encoded by the fragment D construction. However, mice immunized with pure beta-galactosidase-HindIII fragment D fusion protein produced good levels of anti-T antibodies, which immunoprecipitated simian virus 40 large T antigen from lytically infected cells, enabling derivation of monoclonal antibodies to this region of large T antigen. Therefore, the fusion proteins allowed novel epitopes to be discovered on large T antigen and permitted the precise localization of epitopes recognized by existing antibodies. The same approach can also be used to produce antibodies against defined regions of any gene.

Animals↗

Molecular genetic analysis of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis.

The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses comprise a group of inherited neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the accumulation of autoflourescent lipopigment in neurones and other cell types. Three main childhood sub-types occur: infantile (Haltia-Santavouri disease, locus CLN1), late-infantile (Jansky-Bielschowsky disease, locus CLN2) and juvenile (Spielmeyer-Sjogren-Vogt, Batten disease, locus CLN3). Inheritance is autosomal recessive. The basic biochemical defect remains unknown. The infantile disease Iocus (CLN1) has been mapped to human chromosome 1p32 and the juvenile disease Iocus (CLN3) to human chromosome 16p12 by linkage analysis. Marker loci in strong allelic association with the disease loci have been identified in each case and haplotype analysis suggests a founder mutation for CLN1 and CLN3. Classical late-infantile disease (CLN2) has been shown not to be an allelic variant of either CLN1 or CLN3. Identification of linked markers has provided a new method for pre-natal diagnosis. Work is in progress to clone CLN1 and CLN3 and to map CLN2. This will allow elucidation of the molecular genetic basis of the neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses.

Animals↗