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W Schwaiger

Publications and source records attributed to W Schwaiger.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Protein kinase C isoforms involved in the transcriptional activation of cyclin D1 by transforming Ha-Ras.

Transcriptional activation of the cyclin D1 by oncogenic Ras appears to be mediated by several pathways leading to the activation of multiple transcription factors which interact with distinct elements of the cyclin D1 promoter. The present investigations revealed that cyclin D1 induction by transforming Ha-Ras is MEK- and Rac-dependent and requires the PKC isotypes epsilon, lambda, and zeta, but not cPKC-alpha. This conclusion is based on observations indicating that cyclin D1 induction by transforming Ha-Ras was depressed in a dose-dependent manner by PD98059, a selective inhibitor of the mitogen-activated kinase kinase MEK-1, demonstrating that Ha-Ras employs extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) for signal transmission to the cyclin D1 promoter. Evidence is presented that PKC isotypes epsilon and zeta, but not lambda are required for the Ras-mediated activation of ERKs. Expression of kinase-defective, dominant negative (DN) mutants of nPKC-epsilon or aPKC-zeta inhibit ERK activation by constitutively active Raf-1. Phosphorylation within the TEY motif and subsequent activation of ERKs by constitutively active MEK-1 was significantly inhibited by DN aPKC-zeta, indicating that aPKC-zeta functions downstream of MEK-1 in the pathway leading to cyclin D1 induction. In contrast, TEY phosphorylation induced by constitutively active MEK-1 was not effected by nPKC-epsilon, suggesting another position for this kinase within the cascade investigated. Transformation by oncogenic Ras requires activation of several Ras effector pathways which may be PKC-dependent and converge on the cyclin D1 promoter. Therefore, we investigated a role for PKC isotypes in the Ras-Rac-mediated transcriptional regulation of cyclin D1. We have been able to reveal that cyclin D1 induction by oncogenic Ha-Ras is Rac-dependent and requires the PKC isotypes epsilon, lambda, and zeta, but not cPKC-alpha. Evidence is presented that aPKC-lambda acts upstream of Rac, between Ras and Rac, whereas the PKC isotypes epsilon and zeta act downstream of Rac and are required for the activation of ERKs.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Towards covering immunological genes with highly informative markers: a trans-species approach.

To establish a highly informative screening system for immunologically relevant genes ("immunoprinting") we co-amplified via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) polymorphic exons plus adjacent intronic simple repetitive dinucleotide stretches in the T-cell receptor (Tcr) Vb6 and Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC)-DRB loci in man and several ungulate species. In both gene families the basic structure of the simple repeat was found to be preserved for more than 70 x 10(6) years in all investigated species. The simple repeats exhibit extensive length variability. Distinct exon sequences are correlated with a defined repeat length and substructure. In addition, PCR and the oligonucleotides for typing were applicable to a broad range of species from different mammalian orders. Multiplex PCR of different members of the Tcr Vb6 family and MHC-DRB resulted in a complex pattern similar to an oligolocus fingerprint. Hence immunoprinting can be employed for searching for associations of immunologically relevant genes with diseases even across species barriers.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Oligonucleotide fingerprinting using simple repeat motifs: a convenient, ubiquitously applicable method to detect hypervariability for multiple purposes.

A panel of simple repetitive oligonucleotide probes has been designed and tested for multilocus DNA fingerprinting in some 200 fungal, plant and animal species as well as man. To date at least one of the probes has been found to be informative in each species. The human genome, however, has been the major target of many fingerprinting studies. Using the probe (CAC)5 or (GTG)5, individualization of all humans is possible except for monozygotic twins. Paternity analyses are now performed on a routine basis by the use of multilocus fingerprints, including also cases of deficiency, i.e. where one of the parents is not available for analysis. In forensic science stain analysis is feasible in all tissue remains containing nucleated cells. Depending on the degree of DNA degradation a variety of oligonucleotides are informative, and they have been proven useful in actual case work. Advantages in comparison to other methods including enzymatic DNA amplification techniques (PCR) are evident. Fingerprint patterns of tumors may be changed due to the gain or loss of chromosomes and/or intrachromosomal deletion and amplification events. Locus-specific probes were isolated from the human (CAC)5/(GTG)5 fingerprint with a varying degree of informativeness (monomorphic versus truly hypervariable markers). The feasibility of three different approaches for the isolation of hypervariable mono-locus probes was evaluated. Finally, one particular mixed simple (gt)n(ga)m repeat locus in the second intron of the HLA-DRB genes has been scrutinized to allow comparison of the extent of exon-encoded (protein-) polymorphisms versus intronic hypervariability of simple repeats: adjacent to a single gene sequence (e.g. HLA-DRB1*0401) many different length alleles were found. Group-specific structures of basic repeats were identified within the evolutionarily related DRB alleles. As a further application it is suggested here that due to the ubiquitous interspersion of their targets, short probes for simple repeat sequences are especially useful tools for ordering genomic cosmid, yeast artificial chromosome and phage banks.

Animals↗