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Biomedical subjects

S M Anderson

Publications and source records attributed to S M Anderson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Over-expression of c-src or v-src in bone marrow stromal cells stimulates hematopoiesis in long-term bone marrow culture.

The S17 murine stromal cell line was infected with retroviral vectors encoding the v-src and c-src oncogenes and cells expressing high levels of either pp60v-src or pp60c-src were isolated. Long-term bone marrow cultures (LTBMCs) established with these different stromal cell lines showed that progenitor cells proliferated to a greater extent in cultures with stromal cells that over-expressed either c-src or v-src. An increase in the number of granulocytes, monocytes, and colony-forming units granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) in the nonadherent cell population of LTBMCs prepared with S17/v-src or S17/c-src stromal cells was observed. Conditioned media from the S17/v-src and S17/src stromal cell lines stimulated the formation of CFU-GM in the absence of additional hematopoietic cell growth factors. Conditioned media from S17/v-src and S17/c-src stimulated proliferation of the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-responsive cell line FDCP-1 and this stimulation was inhibited by neutralizing antisera to murine GM-CSF. An increase in the concentration of GM-CSF was confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. No secretion of interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) or tumor necrosis factor-alpha was detected by any of the stromal cell lines. There was no increase in the secretion of either CSF-1 or IL-6 by either S17/v-src or S17/c-src. The addition of 1 micrograms/mL monoclonal anti-GM-CSF antibody to LTBMCs caused a decrease in the number of nonadherent cells in cultures established with each of the different stromal cell lines. Northern blot analysis showed no difference in the level of GM-CSF RNA among the different stromal cell lines. These studies suggest that the increased proliferation of hematopoietic progenitor cells in LTBMCs with S17/v-src or S17/c-src cells may result from a posttranscriptional event that elevates production of GM-CSF by the S17/c-src and S17/v-src stromal cells.

3T3 Cells

Localisation of actin in the liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica.

Adult and 3-week-old juvenile Fasciola hepatica were examined for the presence of the cytoskeletal protein actin. Techniques of direct fluorescence using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-phalloidin and of indirect immunofluorescence using a monoclonal anti-actin antibody (MAA) demonstrated actin in the testes, sub-tegumental and gut musculature, tegumental cell bodies and tegumental spines. In contrast, polyclonal anti-actin antibody (PAA) revealed immunostaining only in the vitellaria. Effective removal of the tegument with 1% (w/v) sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and this enabled immunoblotting of whole fluke and tegumental fractions with and without spines. Whole fluke fractions produced three bands corresponding to molecules exhibiting relative molecular weights of 43, 28 and 15 kDa, respectively, whereas the tegumental fraction with spines revealed a single band corresponding to 15 kDa in size. The fraction without spines displayed no bands. The present study localised actin in a number of different tissue types within the liver fluke. Using MAA, three forms of actin have been identified in the whole fluke and a single one in the tegumental spines.

Actins

Effects of controllable vs. uncontrollable chronic stress on stress-responsive plasma hormones.

We have previously reported effects of chronic stress on circadian rhythms of temperature, eating, and locomotor activity. These studies were conducted using an around-the-clock signalled intermittent footshock paradigm in which some rats have control over shock termination while other rats are yoked to the rats with control. Although this paradigm is stressful, as suggested by decreases in food intake and disrupted circadian rhythms, rats tolerate the paradigm well, continuing to eat, drink, gain weight, and groom. In the present studies, rats were sacrificed following 3 or 14 days of stress, and plasma was collected for hormonal assays. After 3 days of stress, plasma corticosterone and prolactin levels were elevated in both stress groups compared to controls; yoked rats had higher levels of corticosterone than rats in the group with control over shock termination, while prolactin levels in both stressed groups were similar. ACTH levels were similar in stressed and control rats. After 14 days of stress, ACTH and corticosterone levels in both stress groups were similar to control levels. Prolactin levels were elevated in the yoked experimental group compared to levels in control or controllable stress groups. These data support previous studies suggesting that control over stressors attenuates the effects of stress on physiology and demonstrate that two hormones with diverse biological effects are elevated by chronic stress.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone

Transformation of Acetobacter xylinum with plasmid DNA by electroporation.

Genetic analysis of Acetobacter xylinum, a cellulose-synthesizing bacterium, has been limited by lack of a successful transformation method. Transformation of A. xylinum was attempted using two broad-host-range plasmids (pUCD2 and pRK248) and a variety of transformation methods. Methods using CaCl2, freeze/thaw treatments, and polyethylene glycol were unsuccessful. Transformation of a cellulose-negative strain of A. xylinum with plasmid DNA has been achieved with high-voltage electroporation. Electroporation conditions of 25 microF capacitance, 2.5 kV, 400 ohms resistance, and pulse lengths of 6-8 ms were applied to a cell/DNA mixture in a 0.2-cm cuvette. Plasmid pUCD2 transformed at an efficiency of 10(6)-10(7) transformants/micrograms DNA and pRK248 yielded 10(5) transformants/micrograms DNA. The frequency of transformation increased linearly with increasing DNA concentration, while transformation efficiency remained constant. pUCD2 was recovered from transformants following chloramphenicol amplification and observed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Both plasmids could be reisolated from Escherichia coli after back-transformation with alkaline lysis DNA preparations from Acetobacter transformants. Electro-transformation of A. xylinum with plasmid DNA suggests its potential use for analysis of the A. xylinum genome.

Cellulose

Detection of human papillomavirus in the prostate by polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization.

Human papillomavirus is associated with a variety of anogenital lesions, including genital warts, precancers and cancers. In male patients human papillomavirus has been identified in proliferative lesions ranging from penile and urethral warts to penile and prostatic cancers. We examined the association of human papillomavirus deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in 84 prostate tissue specimens. Specimens were selected from radical prostatectomy, transurethral resection or transrectal biopsy procedures. A total of 60 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues (24 prostate cancer specimens, 16 benign prostatic hyperplasia specimens and 20 normal specimens) was examined by polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization. Also, 24 gelatin-embedded frozen prostate cancer specimens were examined for human papillomavirus DNA by polymerase chain reaction. Of the specimens 69 were deemed adequate for polymerase chain reaction analysis, whereas all 60 paraffin-embedded tissues were sufficient for in situ hybridization. Human papillomavirus DNA was detected in 2 normal tissues and 6 prostate cancers using polymerase chain reaction. None of the benign prostatic hyperplasia specimens was positive for human papillomavirus. Human papillomavirus typing results indicated that virus type 16 was present in each of the 8 positive specimens. Confirmation of the presence of human papillomavirus was obtained for 1 of the prostate cancers by nonisotopic in situ hybridization with biotinylated human papillomavirus genomic probes. The low prevalence of human papillomavirus in this study population does not strongly support an etiological role for the virus in prostate cancer.

Adult

A trial of recombinant human interleukin-1 in patients with severe refractory aplastic anaemia.

We report here the effects of in vivo administration of recombinant interleukin-1 alpha (rIL-1 alpha) to patients with severe, idiopathic aplastic anaemia. Four patients who were refractory to immunosuppressive therapy and were not bone marrow transplantation candidates received daily doses of 0.03 microgram/kg and 0.10 microgram/kg intravenously as 5 d courses. No significant changes in either peripheral blood counts or bone marrow cellularity were observed at either dose during or following therapy. Two patients showed increased numbers of bone marrow progenitor colonies. Lymphocyte phenotyping demonstrated an elevated percentage of CD8+/DR+ activated suppressor T lymphocytes prior to therapy. After rIL-1 alpha administration, the percentage of CD8+/DR+ cells was reduced or returned to normal in all patients. Significant side-effects included fever, rigours, fatigue, headache and nausea. Transient hypotension was observed at both doses in all patients. These results suggest that while rIL-1 alpha can be safely administered, no significant haematologic improvement was observed in patients with severe aplastic anaemia.

Adolescent

Comparative analysis of human papillomavirus detection by dot blot hybridisation and non-isotopic in situ hybridisation.

AIMS: To determine the relative diagnostic performance of non-isotopic in situ hybridisation (NISH) and a dot-blot assay for detecting human papillomavirus (HPV) on exfoliated cervical cells; and to correlate the results with cytopathological assessment. METHODS: Cervical smears and cytological samples were obtained from 122 patients during the same clinical examination and the presence of HPV sequences determined by NISH and dot-blot analysis, respectively. RESULTS: Dot-blot analysis gave an autoradiographic signal in 15 of 121 (12.4%) cases, while NISH detected viral genomes in 38 of 114 (33.3%) cases. Even in the presence of koilocytosis, where vegetative replication of the virus occurs, NISH was positive in over twice as many cases as dot-blot analysis (NISH 90%, dot-blot 40%), while in smears within normal cytological limits, where the viral copy number is likely to be considerably lower, the differences were more striking (NISH 31%, dot-blot 5%). CONCLUSIONS: These data show that NISH on cytological smears is more sensitive than a standardised dot-blot hybridisation assay for detecting HPV infection in cytological material and is therefore a more appropriate screening tool.

Cervix Uteri

The v-src oncogene may not be responsible for the increased radioresistance of hematopoietic progenitor cells expressing v-src.

Infection of the IL-3-dependent, myeloid progenitor cell line 32D cl 3 with murine retroviruses that contain either the wild-type or a temperature-sensitive mutant v-src can render these cells growth-factor independent. These cells also became resistant to gamma irradiation administered at the low-dose rate of 0.05 Gy/min, which is used clinically. The v-src-dependent nature of resistance to gamma irradiation was examined by studying four clones of 32D cl 3 cells that had been infected with a retrovirus carrying the tsLA31A mutant of v-src. The tyrosine-specific kinase activity of this mutant is dramatically reduced at the nonpermissive temperature of 39 degrees C. Cells transformed by v-src and grown at either 34 or 39 degrees C, in the presence or absence of IL-3, demonstrated a significantly higher D0 compared to parental cells examined under identical conditions. In addition, expression of v-src abrogated the synergistic killing effect of heat and gamma irradiation. The D0 of parental 32D cl 3 cells kept at 39 degrees C after gamma irradiation was reduced significantly compared to the D0 of these cells kept at 34 degrees C. This contrasts with data from 32D cl 3 cells infected with either the wild-type v-src or the temperature-sensitive mutant, neither exhibited a synergistic effect in the D0 at either 34 or 39 degrees C. Therefore, while continuous expression of a v-src gene product is required for maintenance of the growth-factor-independent state, v-src does not appear to be responsible for the increased gamma-radiation resistance of these cells at low dose rate.

Animals

Analysis of phosphotyrosine-containing proteins present in v-src-infected myeloid progenitor cells.

We examined the phosphotyrosine-containing proteins in v-src-infected myeloid cells. Proteins with relative molecular weights (M(r)) of 180,000, 175,000, 135,000, 125,000, 120,000, 90,000, 75,000, and 60,000 were present in v-src-infected but not in uninfected 32D cl3 cells. Stimulation of 32D cl3 cells with interleukin 3 (IL-3) resulted in the tyrosine phosphorylation of a protein of 150,000 (M(r)), which was not phosphorylated in v-src-infected 32D cl3 cells. A panel of monoclonal antibodies directed against phosphotyrosine-containing proteins in v-src-transformed chicken embryo fibroblasts (3C4, 2A7, 2B12 and 4F11, directed against p210, p125, p120 and p85 respectively) was used to characterize these substrates. We did not observe tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins recognized by these four monoclonal antibodies in either IL-3-stimulated or v-src-infected 32D cl3 cells. However, we did detect tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins recognized by these monoclonal antibodies in v-src-transformed NIH3T3 cells. Tyrosine phosphorylation of GTPase-activating protein (GAP) and the GAP-associated proteins p62 and p190 was observed in v-src-infected 32D cl3 cells. Stimulation of 32D cl3 cells with IL-3 does not induce phosphorylation of GAP or the GAP-associated proteins p62 or p190. These results suggest that substrates for v-src vary between different cell types.

3T3 Cells

The involvement of alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase in alcohol/aldehyde metabolism in Drosophila melanogaster.

In this study we have examined the roles of alcohol dehydrogenase, aldehyde oxidase, and aldehyde dehydrogenase in the adaptation of Drosophila melanogaster to alcohol environments. Fifteen strains were characterized for genetic variation at the above loci by protein electrophoresis. Levels of in vitro enzyme activity were also determined. The strains examined showed considerable variation in enzyme activity for all three gene-enzyme systems. Each enzyme was also characterized for coenzyme requirements, effect of inhibitors, subcellular location, and tissue specific expression. A subset of the strains was chosen to assess the physiological role of each gene-enzyme system in alcohol and aldehyde metabolism. These strains were characterized for both the ability to utilize alcohols and aldehydes as carbon sources as well as the capacity to detoxify such substrates. The results of the above analyses demonstrate the importance of both alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase in the in vivo metabolism of alcohols and aldehydes.

Acetaldehyde

Tissue specific expression of the Drosophila Adh gene: a comparison of in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry.

The tissue specific patterns for Drosophila melanogaster alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh) mRNA and protein expression were determined using in situ hybridization and immunocytochemical techniques. Alcohol dehydrogenase mRNAs were localized in thin sections of frozen tissue using the hybridization of single stranded RNA probes. Alcohol dehydrogenase protein was identified in frozen tissue samples using ADH antisera, a biotinylated secondary antibody, and streptavidin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase. In tissues such as fat body, gastric caeca, and adult cardiac valve, the patterns of expression for ADH protein and mRNA were identical. Other tissues such as oocytes, nurse cells, imaginal disks, and brain show levels of Adh mRNA that are lower than or equivalent to those observed in the previously mentioned tissues, but they exhibit little or no ADH protein. The lack of concordance between Adh mRNA and ADH protein expression in oocytes and nurse cells may reflect the packaging of maternal mRNAs (but not ADH protein) for use in early development. The reason(s) for the other discrepancies in protein and mRNA expression are not known at this time but may be due to post-transcriptional regulation in these specific tissues.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase

Biogenesis of bacterial cellulose.

Cellulose is the most abundant biological polymer on Earth. It is found in wood and cotton, and forms the basic structural foundation of the cell wall of almost all eukaryotic plants. Bacteria are known to secrete cellulose as part of their metabolism of glucose and other sugars. The focus of this review is upon bacterial cellulose synthesis. We emphasize recent literature directed primarily upon Acetobacter xylinum, which has been most widely studied. Our review covers the following topics relating to cellulose synthesis: genetics, biochemistry, ultrastructure, growth conditions, and ecological considerations as they relate to the diversity of microbes capable of synthesizing this abundant, unique polymer--cellulose.

Acetobacter

The v-src oncogene blocks the differentiation of a murine myeloid progenitor cell line and induces a tumorigenic phenotype.

We have investigated the ability of the v-src oncogene to block the differentiation of the murine myeloid progenitor cell line 32D cl3. In response to granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), 32D cl3 cells are induced to differentiate into mature granulocytes (Valtieri et al., 1987). In contrast, no differentiation was observed following G-CSF treatment of 32D cl3 cells infected with a murine retrovirus carrying the wild-type v-src oncogene. Furthermore, cells infected with a v-src temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant did not differentiate at the permissive temperature, however, at the nonpermissive temperature G-CSF induced granulocytic differentiation. Differentiation of 32D cl3 cells infected with ts WP31A (ts LA31A src gene inserted into amphotropic murine leukemia virus 4070A; Anderson et al., 1987) occurred with the same kinetics as uninfected 32D cl3 cells. Temperature-shift experiments indicate that after 72 hours of treatment with G-CSF at the nonpermissive temperature, approximately half of the 32D cl3 cells infected with ts WP31A virus become committed to differentiation. Prior to that time, activation of v-src by shifting the cells to the permissive temperature resulted in the presence of only undifferentiated blast cells after six days in culture. In contrast to normal 32D cl3 cells, cells infected with the wild-type v-src were tumorigenic when injected into nu/nu Swiss mice. Lesions appeared in the spleen, liver, kidney, lungs and lymph nodes following subcutaneous injection. Growth factor-independent cells were recovered from the tumor, spleen, bone marrow and a lymph node of tumor-bearing nude mouse. Analysis of the proviral integration site by inverse polymerase chain reaction (PCR) demonstrated that the tumor cells were of donor cell origin.

Animals