Biomedical subjects

T Nagashunmugam

Publications and source records attributed to T Nagashunmugam.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1992

Analysis of the viral determinants underlying replication kinetics and cellular tropism of human immunodeficiency virus.

Human immunodeficiency viruses (HIVs) isolated from infected individuals show genetic and biological diversity. To delineate the genetic determinants underlying specific biological characteristics such as rate of replication and cellular tropism, generation of hybrid HIV using viruses which exhibit distinct biological feature is essential. We have used three different infectious HIV proviral DNAs, designated pZ6, pHXB2 and pARV, derived from HIVZr6, HIVHTLV-IIIB and HIVSF-2 strains, respectively, to construct hybrid HIV. Proviral DNAs differed in their ability to direct the synthesis of viral particles upon transfection into cells and the viruses derived from the molecular clones exhibited different cellular tropism. Three different methods were utilized to generate hybrid HIV, including construction of hybrid proviral DNA using molecular techniques, intracellular ligation of viral DNA fragments and the homologous recombination approach. The chimeric proviral DNAs with exchanges involving only the long terminal repeat (LTR) region indicated that LTR does not exert influence on the overall level of virus production despite extensive differences in the U3 region of the LTR. Regarding the cellular tropism of HIV, the virus derived from pHXB2 productively infected CEMx174 cells. On the other hand, pARV-derived virus did not show productive infection of CEMx174 cells. The hybrid HIV containing the 3'-end of the genome from pARV and the 5'-end of the genome from pHXB2 was effective in infecting CEMx174 cells. However, the converse hybrid containing the 5'-pARV and the 3'-pHXB2 was not effective in infecting CEMx174 cells. These results suggest that differences in the genes outside of env and nef may play a role in the ability of virus to infect a certain cell type.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1991

Structure and expression of the beta-platelet-derived growth factor receptor gene in human tumor cell lines.

Southern digests of DNA from 15 human connective tissue tumor-derived cell lines (and cell strains) and from peripheral blood lymphocytes from normal volunteers were prepared to compare structure of the beta-platelet-derived growth factor receptor gene in normal and tumor-derived cells. The tumor-derived samples had no alterations in gene structure, nor was gene amplification evident. Two restriction fragment length polymorphisms were detected within the beta-receptor gene. Expression of the alpha- and beta-platelet-derived growth factor receptor was quantified using Northern blots. Expression was not tumor-type specific. For example, one rhabdomyosarcoma cell line expressed only the alpha-receptor, whereas two others expressed the beta. In contrast, a human fibroblast cell strain expressed both receptor types. Alterations in receptor expression may be a result of the tumorigenic process.

Alleles↗

PubMed1991

Generation of hybrid human immunodeficiency virus utilizing the cotransfection method and analysis of cellular tropism.

Human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) isolated from infected individuals show tremendous genetic and biologic diversity. To delineate the genetic determinants underlying specific biologic characteristics, such as rate of replication, cytopathic effects, and ability to infect macrophages and T4 lymphoid cells, generation of hybrid HIV using viruses which exhibit distinct biologic features is essential. To develop methods for generating hybrid HIV, we constructed truncated HIV proviral DNA plasmids. Upon digestion with restriction enzymes, these plasmid DNAs were cotransfected into human rhabdomyosarcoma cells to generate hybrid HIV. The hybrid HIVs derived by this method were infectious upon transmission to both phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes and established human leukemic T-cell lines. The virus derived from molecular clone pHXB2 (HIVHTLV-III) productively infected CEMx174 cells. On the other hand, molecular clone pARV (HIVSF2)-derived virus did not show productive infection of CEMx174 cells when used as a cell-free virus. The hybrid HIV containing the 3' end of the genome from pARV and the 5' end of the genome from pHXB2 was effective in infecting CEMx174 cells, but the converse hybrid containing 5' pARV and 3' pHXB2 was not effective in infecting CEMx174 cells. These results suggest that differences in the genes outside of env and nef play a role in the ability of the virus to infect a certain cell type. The intracellular ligation method should be useful in the analysis of related and unrelated HIV-1 isolates with common restriction enzyme cleavage sites.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1989

Effect of dimethyl sulfoxide on mouse embryo fibroblasts: inhibition of plasminogen activator inhibitor deposition and interference with early events of serum-stimulated growth.

Quiescent and serum-stimulated cultures of Swiss mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEF) showed alterations in cell morphology including an enlargement in size upon treatment with 2% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Treatment of MEF and monkey kidney epithelial cells (MK2) with 2% DMSO at the early periods of serum-stimulated growth inhibited RNA, protein and DNA synthesis. DMSO treatment of cells at late stages of serum-stimulated growth (MEF after 1 hr and MK2 cells after 3 hr of stimulation) had little effect on DNA and protein synthesis although cell enlargement occurred in these cells. When the [35S]methionine labelled proteins of the control and the DMSO treated cells were analysed by high resolution polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, no apparent difference was observed in the pattern of intracellular proteins of these cells. In contrast, the extracellular levels of two serum-induced secreted proteins of MEF (Mr 48,000 and 26,000) were dramatically reduced by DMSO treatment. The DMSO sensitive 48 kDa protein was found to be the major component of the extracellular matrix, while the 26 kDa protein was not. The 48 kDa protein was identified as plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1). Densitometric quantitation showed a gradual accumulation of this protein in the matrix of serum-stimulated cells. The deposition of this protein in the matrix was inhibited by DMSO. Flow-cytometric quantitation of indirect immunofluorescence indicated higher intracellular levels of the 48 kDa protein in fetal calf serum (FCS) + DMSO treated cells, suggesting that the low level of this protein in the medium of DMSO treated cells is probably due to lack of transport of this protein from the cells into the medium.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

S phase mouse embryo fibroblasts secrete varying amounts of a 45,000 dalton protein.

Synchronized cultures of mouse embryo fibroblasts upon release from hydroxyurea (HOU) arrest, secreted several proteins of which a polypeptide of molecular weight 45,000 (45K) was barely visible in the conditioned medium of cells that synthesized DNA at peak levels. The quantity of the 45K protein was higher in the medium of HOU arrested cells and the level got progressively reduced as the cells entered into the DNA synthetic phase. Conditioned media containing the 45K protein inhibit DNA synthesis when added to synchronized cultures. These results suggest that the 45K secreted protein may be involved in the autocrine regulation of turning-off of DNA synthesis at the end of S phase.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

Partial purification of a recombinase activity from human placenta and assay of recombination using rec-blot.

We have designed an assay for the detection of recombination intermediates. The assay can also be used for screening for recombinases. In this assay, the nonradioactive plasmid was immobilized on a nylon membrane and the radioactive plasmid counterpart was allowed to recombine in the presence of a DNA binding protein fraction from human placenta. After incubation for 30 min at 30 degrees C, the membrane was washed extensively and dried. The recombination was visualised by autoradiography and quantitated by counting the corresponding areas of the membrane. Recombination was confirmed by transformation using pRDK plasmids and by gel electrophoresis. These results indicate the presence of recombinase activity in the DNA binding protein fraction of human placenta.

DNA Nucleotidyltransferases↗