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T Borggrefe

Publications and source records attributed to T Borggrefe.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Quantitation of the RNA polymerase II transcription machinery in yeast.

TAP tags and dot blot analysis have been used to measure the amounts of RNA polymerase II transcription proteins in crude yeast extracts. The measurements showed comparable amounts of RNA polymerase II, TFIIE, and TFIIF, lower levels of TBP and TFIIB, and still lower levels of Mediator and TFIIH. These findings are consistent with the presumed roles of the transcription proteins, but do not support the idea of their recruitment in a single large complex to RNA polymerase II promoters. The approach employed here can be readily extended to quantitative analysis of the entire yeast proteome.

Cell Division↗

Impaired IgE response in SWAP-70-deficient mice.

Protein SWAP-70 was initially isolated from nuclei of activated B cells and was implicated in the immunoglobulin class switch process. After B cell activation the protein translocates from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, and may serve to signal nuclear processes. We have generated mice deficient in SWAP-70 and found three main differences when compared to wild-type mice: (i) their B lymphocytes are two- to threefold more sensitive to gamma-irradiation than B cells of wild type; (ii) SWAP-70-deficient mice developed autoantibodies at a much higher frequency; and (iii) the CD40 signaling pathway is compromised in the mutant mice. CD40-dependent switching to the IgE isotype is reduced five- to eightfold in vitro. In SWAP-70-deficient mice, IgE levels prior to immunization were six- to sevenfold lower than in wild-type mice, and after immunization three- to fourfold lower. CD40-induced proliferation was transiently increased in the mutant. LPS-induced switching to other isotypes, however, and LPS-induced proliferation were normal. We propose that SWAP-70 serves a specific role in the CD40 signaling pathway, in particular in the IgE response.

Animals↗

Cellular, intracellular, and developmental expression patterns of murine SWAP-70.

SWAP-70 is part of a protein complex that catalyzes cell-free DNA recombination between immunoglobulin heavy chain gene switch region substrates. This report studies the expression pattern of SWAP-70 in mouse tissues, sorted cells, and cultured primary cells. SWAP-70 RNA is strongly increased upon switch-induction of spleen cells, and very weakly expressed in thymus and bone marrow. SWAP-70 protein is specifically expressed in B cells, and levels increase rapidly after stimulation. Tissue staining shows strong expression in germinal center B cells, while macrophages and T lymphocytes do not stain. SWAP-70 is not detected in early B cells in the bone marrow. Its expression during mouse ontogeny after birth correlates with the appearance of non-IgM isotypes. While SWAP-70 localizes to the cell nucleus in activated B cells, it is not tightly associated with the chromatin and is found in the cytoplasm as well. SWAP-70 expression is not increased by gamma or UV irradiation of spleen cells, nor does it depend on p53. These characteristics are consistent with the putative role of SWAP-70 in immunoglobulin class switching.

Animals↗

A B-cell-specific DNA recombination complex.

We have purified and biochemically characterized a multiprotein complex designated SWAP. In a DNA transfer assay, SWAP preferentially recombines ("swaps") sequences derived from Ig heavy chain switch regions. We identified four of the proteins in the SWAP complex: B23 (nucleophosmin), C23 (nucleolin), poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), and SWAP-70. The first three are proteins known to be present in most cells. B23 promotes single-strand DNA reannealing and the formation of joint molecules in a D-loop assay between homologous, but also between Smu and Sgamma sequences. SWAP-70 is a novel protein of 70 kDa. Its cDNA was cloned and sequenced, and the protein was overexpressed in Escherichia coli. SWAP-70 protein expression was found only in B lymphocytes that had been induced to switch to various Ig isotypes and in switching B-cell lines. SWAP-70 is a nuclear protein, has a weak affinity for DNA, binds ATP, and forms specific, high affinity complexes with B23, C23, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. These findings are consistent with SWAP being the long elusive "switch recombinase" and with SWAP-70 being the specific recruiting element that assembles the switch recombinase from universal components.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗