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U B Rasmussen

Publications and source records attributed to U B Rasmussen.

25 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

On antisense peptides: the parathyroid hormone as an experimental example and a critical theoretical view.

We followed an approach which predicts that translation of two complementary RNA strands into protein generates pairs of "antisense" peptides which bind each other with specific and high affinity (Bost et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (1985) 82, 1372). We used human parathormone as an experimental example, and we analysed by computer homologies between antisense peptide sequences and their published receptor sequences. We conclude that there is no experimental indication that parathormone binds to a synthetic peptide, the sequence of which was derived from the antisense RNA sequence. Based on homology scores and antigenicity indexes (Hopp) the analysis shows that the peptide ligand itself, or a random artificial peptide, are as good candidates as the antisense peptide in producing antibodies, presumably recognizing the receptor. We therefore question the general applicability of this approach.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Specific expression of the pS2 gene in subclasses of breast cancers in comparison with expression of the estrogen and progesterone receptors and the oncogene ERBB2.

The expression of the pS2 gene, which is induced by estrogen in the breast cancer cell line MCF-7, has been investigated in breast cancers by using pS2 mRNA determination in tumor specimens and immunocytochemistry to identify pS2 protein in paraffin-embedded sections. Using these assays we show that determination of pS2 gene expression allows the definition of subclasses of estrogen-receptor-containing breast cancers that may be used to more precisely identify estrogen-dependent tumors. Tumor specimens have also been analyzed for the presence of mRNAs for the estrogen receptor and for the ERBB2 oncogene. No evidence for the presence of truncated forms of estrogen-receptor mRNA has been found, and overexpression of the ERBB2 oncogene did not correlate with the steroid receptor status or pS2 gene expression.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Conserved structural domains among species and tissues-specific differences in the mitochondrial phosphate-transport protein and the ADP/ATP carrier.

Peptide maps were generated of the CNBr-digested mitochondrial phosphate-transport protein and ADP/ATP carrier from bovine and rat heart, rat liver and blowfly flight muscle. Total mitochondrial proteins from the same sources plus pig heart were separated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The peptide maps and the total mitochondrial proteins were electroblotted onto nitrocellulose membranes and reacted with rabbit antisera raised against the purified bovine heart phosphate-transport protein and the ADP/ATP carrier. On the basis of antibody specificity, mobility in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and peptide maps the following was concluded. Phosphate-transport protein alpha and phosphate-transport protein beta (pig and bovine heart) react equally with the first and also with the second of two independent phosphate-transport protein-antisera. Tissue-specific structural domains exist for both the phosphate-transport protein and the ADP/ATP carrier, i.e., one phosphate-transport protein-antiserum reacts with the phosphate-transport protein from all assayed sources, the other only with the cardiac phosphate-transport protein. These differences may reflect tissue-specific regulation of phosphate and adenine nucleotide transport. Homologies among the different species are found for the phosphate transport protein and the ADP/ATP carrier, except for the flight muscle ADP/ATP carrier. These conserved structural domains of the phosphate-transport protein may relate directly to catalytic activity. Alkylation of the purified phosphate-transport proteins and the ADP/ATP carriers by the transport inhibitor N-ethylmaleimide affects electrophoretic mobilities but not the antibody binding. Neither of the two phosphate-transport protein-antisera nor the ADP/ATP-carrier antiserum react with both phosphate transport protein and ADP/ATP carrier, even though these two proteins possess similarities in primary structure and function. Possible mechanisms for generating tissue-specific structural differences in the proteins are discussed.

Animals↗

Bovine cardiac mitochondrial ADP/ATP-carrier: two distinct mRNAs and an unusually short 3'-noncoding sequence.

cDNA clones for bovine cardiac mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier have been isolated. They hybridize with two mRNAs that differ in size by about 300 nucleotides. The concentration ratio and total abundance of the two mRNAs varies among bovine tissues (heart, liver, kidney, and uterus). At least one of them has an unusually short 3'-noncoding sequence, which includes the two consensus cleavage/polyadenylation signal sequences CATTG and ATTAAA. The 3'-end shows complementarity to regions of human U4 small nuclear RNA. The predicted amino acid sequence confirms the reported sequence from Val207 to the C-terminal Val297, which has been proposed (residue 279-291) to contribute to a nucleotide binding site.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Purification and some properties of uracil phosphoribosyltransferase from Escherichia coli K12.

Uracil phosphoribosyltransferase from Escherichia coli K12 was purified to homogeneity as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. For this purpose a pyrimidine-requiring strain harboring the upp gene on a ColE1 plasmid was used, which showed 15-times higher uracil phosphoribosyltransferase activity in a crude extract. When this strain was grown under conditions of uracil starvation, an additional 10-times elevation of the enzyme activity was obtained. The molecular weight of uracil phosphoribosyltransferase was determined to be 75000; the enzyme consists of three subunits with a molecular weight of 23500. Uracil phosphoribosyltransferase is specific for uracil and some uracil analogues. The apparent Km values for uracil and PRib-PP were 7 microM and 300 microM, respectively. As an effector of enzyme activity, GTP lowered the Km for PRib-PP to 90 microM and increased the Vmax value 2-fold, but had no effect on the Km for uracil. The effect of GTP was found to be pH-dependent. The enzymatic characterization of uracil phosphoribosyltransferase and the observed regulation of its synthesis emphasizes the role of the enzyme in pyrimidine salvage.

Chromatography, Affinity↗