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Biomedical subjects

S G Harris

Publications and source records attributed to S G Harris.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

In vitro apolipoprotein B mRNA editing activity can be modulated by fasting and refeeding rats with a high carbohydrate diet.

Apolipoprotein B mRNA editing in vivo is subject to tissue specific, developmental and metabolic regulation. We demonstrate for the first time that the metabolic modulation of apo B mRNA editing activity can be assayed in vitro using rat liver extracts. The editing activity in extracts from 48h-fasted rats was suppressed relative to that of normal chow-fed rats. Refeeding with a high-sucrose fat-free chow for 48h stimulated liver in vitro editing activity to approximately three times that of control liver extracts. The physical properties of editosomes assembled in extracts from fasted/refed rats differed from those assembled in control or fasted rat liver extracts. Polypeptide analysis revealed quantitative alterations of several proteins in each treatment group suggesting a complex regulatory process. The data corroborate those from in vivo studies and suggest the potential of the in vitro system in studying factors responsible for metabolic regulation of apo B mRNA editing.

Animals

In vitro apolipoprotein B mRNA editing: identification of a 27S editing complex.

Specific apolipoprotein B (apoB) mRNA editing can be performed in vitro on apoB RNA substrates. Native gels and glycerol gradient sedimentation have been used to determine the physical properties of the in vitro editing activity in rat liver cytosolic S100 extracts. ApoB RNA substrates were progressively assembled as 27S complexes for 3 hr with similar kinetics as seen for the accumulation of edited RNA. Assembly was not observed on RNAs from apoB deletion constructs that did not support editing. The 27S complex contained both edited and unedited RNA sequences. Inhibition of 27S complex assembly by vanadyl-ribonucleoside complexes was accompanied by inhibition of editing. Based on these data, we propose that the 27S complex is the in vitro "editosome," A "mooring sequence" model for RNA recognition and editosome assembly has been proposed involving RNA sequences flanking the edited nucleotide.

Animals

Quantitation of endogenous liver apolipoprotein B mRNA editing.

The mRNA for apolipoprotein B is translated into either a high molecular weight (apo BH) or low molecular weight (apo BL) form of the protein depending on a novel form of RNA processing known as RNA editing. Apo BH mRNA editing is both tissue-specific and hormonally regulated and involves transition of cytidine to uridine at codon 2153 thereby converting a glutamine codon (CAA) to a translational stop codon (UAA). Three methods for quantitating the endogenous levels of liver apo B mRNA editing were compared: (1) Southern blot hybridization with discriminative thermal washes, (2) competimer-hybridization with discriminative thermal washes and (3) competimer-polymerase chain reaction (competimer-PCR). The data suggest that hybridization and PCR can yield similar quantitation when competing oligonucleotides are used. Based on competimer-PCR it is proposed that 40% and 85% of normal rat liver and small intestine apo B mRNA (respectively) are edited.

Animals

Evidence that a nuclear matrix protein participates in premessenger RNA splicing.

The role of nuclear matrix proteins in premessenger RNA splicing has been investigated using antibodies raised against isolated rat liver nuclear matrix and cross-reactive with a 65-kDa HeLa cell nuclear matrix protein (IGA-65). IGA-65 is an internal nuclear matrix component which can be solubilized as a component of nuclear splicing extracts, by the action of endogenous ribonucleases, EDTA, and DTT during extract preparation. Preincubation of splicing extract with antibodies against IGA-65 (anti-IGA-65) inhibited in vitro splicing of exogenous adenovirus precursor RNA. Furthermore, assembly of precursor RNA into active spliceosome complexes was inhibited by pretreatment of extracts with anti-IGA-65, suggesting a role for IGA-65 during early spliceosome assembly. The IGA-65 present in splicing extracts was distinguishable from known U-snRNP and hnRNP proteins on protein gels. Furthermore, electrophoresis of splicing extract on native gels indicated that IGA-65 was present in protein complexes different from those containing U-snRNPs or hnRNP C protein. The data support identification of complexes containing IGA-65 as nuclear factors involved in pre-mRNA splicing and, by extension, suggest a role for the nuclear matrix during processing in vivo.

Antibodies

Chemical cross-linking of Sm and RNP antigenic proteins.

Nuclear extracts, competent for in vitro premessenger RNA splicing, were chemically cross-linked with thiol-reversible reagents in order to study the organization of proteins within ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs) containing uridine-rich small nuclear RNAs (UsnRNPs). The distribution of select UsnRNP antigens within cross-linked complexes was determined by Western blotting of diagonal two-dimensional gels. On the basis of calculations from the molecular weights of cross-linked complexes containing UsnRNP common proteins B', B, and D, it is proposed that each of these proteins was associated with UsnRNP common proteins E and G. In addition, D' is proposed to be positioned close to D. The spatial distribution of UsnRNP common proteins was such that B' and B could not be cross-linked to D. The data also suggested that the 63-kDa U1 snRNP specific protein was cross-linked to other U1-specific proteins, particularly C, but not to the UsnRNP common proteins. We propose that part of the UsnRNP core of common proteins contains at least two asymmetrical copies of B':B:D:D':E:G with stoichiometries of 2:1:1:1:1:1 and 1:2:1:1:1:1.

Cell Nucleus

SnRNP core protein enrichment in the nuclear matrix.

The D protein (16 kDa) is part of a protein core, common to U1, U2, U5, U4/U6 small nuclear RNA containing ribonucleoprotein particles. Monoclonal antibodies reactive with the D protein were used in quantitative dot blotting and Western blotting to demonstrate that this protein was a component of salt resistant nuclear structures and was enriched greater than 3 to 5-fold in RNAase-protected nuclear matrix preparations.

Antibodies, Monoclonal

Reversible chemical cross-linking and ribonuclease digestion analysis of the organization of proteins in ribonucleoprotein particles.

The organization of select proteins within ribonucleoprotein particles containing heterogeneous nuclear and uridine-rich small nuclear RNAs (hnRNP and UsnRNP respectively) was examined by chemical cross-linking and ribonuclease digestion using diagonal two dimensional PAGE and immunoblotting detection systems. Monoclonal antibodies specific for A2, C1 and C2 hnRNP proteins, detected these proteins at gel coordinates which suggested homotypic dimers and trimers of A2 and homotypic trimers, hexamers and larger multimers of C1 and C2. Ribonuclease digestion did not alter the cross-linking properties of hnRNP C1 and C2 proteins but did result in loss of A2 homotypic dimers and trimers. Blots simultaneously reacted with hnRNP specific monoclonal antibodies and autoimmune patient serum (RNP/Sm), or monoclonal antibodies reactive with the U1 snRNP specific 63 kDa protein and/or the UsnRNP common proteins B', B and D revealed no complexes which would indicate interactions between hnRNPs and UsnRNPs. The U1 UsnRNP specific 63 kDa protein appeared not to be cross-linked to UsnRNP common B', B and D proteins. The data also suggested that UsnRNP common protein D was cross-linkable to UsnRNP common proteins D', E and G but not to B' and B. The cross-linking properties of D were unaffected by ribonuclease digestion. In contrast, ribonuclease digestion resulted in an inability to cross-link select complexes containing either B' and B, or p63. The data suggest that both hnRNPs and UsnRNPs are comprised of RNA-dependent and RNA-independent protein-protein interactions.

Cross-Linking Reagents

Effects of varying geometry on dose calibrator response: cobalt-57 and technetium-99m.

A joint project between the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) and Biomedical Products Department, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Inc. compared the indicated activity of (a) cobalt-57 samples in NBS 5-ml ampoules, plastic syringes, Du Pont 27-ml Vial E epoxy- and solution-filled containers, and (b) technetium-99m solutions in NBS 5-ml ampoules, elution vials, and syringes. The measurements were made in ionization chambers from two manufacturers, Capintec and Radcal. The main objective was to examine the use of radionuclides in NBS ampoules and Du Pont Vial E containers as suitable reference sources for ionization chambers used to assay radiopharmaceuticals in elution vials and syringes. The exercise illustrated that regardless of the brand of dose calibrator used, a calibration factor for each geometry should be determined to ensure the highest accuracy. The data show that as much as a 9% difference from the correct activity can be observed for these radionuclides, even when the ampoule reference source gives the appropriate reading.

Calibration

Carrier diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy using restriction fragment length polymorphisms.

Molecular probes that are tightly linked to and flank the Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) locus, have been used to characterize DMD mutations and diagnose female carriers. Deletions within the Xp21 region were identified for 8 of 71 families studied. Using both DNA and CK studies, accurate (96 to 98%) carrier or noncarrier diagnoses were made for 51 of 75 females at risk in 24 families with a single affected male. DNA studies resulted in an alteration of predicted risk in 40% of the cases. Recombinant diagnostic methods are useful for carrier detection in families with one or more affected males.

Chromosome Deletion