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Biomedical subjects

Wei Wang

Publications and source records attributed to Wei Wang.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

Correlation between CD105 expression and postoperative recurrence and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis is one of the mechanisms most critical to the postoperative recurrence and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thus, finding the molecular markers associated with angiogenesis may help identify patients at increased risk for recurrence and metastasis of HCC. This study was designed to investigate whether CD105 or CD34 could serve as a valid prognostic marker in patients with HCC by determining if there is a correlation between CD105 or CD34 expression and postoperative recurrence or metastasis. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining for the CD105, CD34 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibodies was performed in 113 HCC tissue specimens containing paracarcinomatous tissue and in 14 normal liver tissue specimens. The quantitation of microvessels identified by anti-CD105 and anti-CD34 monoclonal antibodies and the semiquantitation of VEGF expression identified by anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody were analyzed in conjunction with the clinicopathological characteristics of the HCC and any available follow-up information about the patients from whom the specimens were obtained. RESULTS: CD105 was not expressed in the vascular endothelial cells of any normal liver tissue or paracarcinomatous liver tissue but was expressed in the vascular endothelial cells of all HCC tissue. In contrast, CD34 was expressed in the vascular endothelial cells of normal liver tissue, paracarcinomatous tissue, and HCC tissue in the following proportions of specimens: 86.7%, 93.8%, and 100%, respectively. The microvascular densities (MVDs) of HCC determined by using an anti-CD105 mAb (CD105-MVD) and an anti-CD34 mAb (CD34-MVD), were 71.7 +/- 8.3 (SD) and 106.3 +/- 10.4 (SD), respectively. There was a significant correlation between CD105-MVD and CD34-MVD (r = 0.248, P = 0.021). Although CD34-MVD was significantly correlated with VEGF expression (r = 0.243, P = 0.024), CD105-MVD was more closely correlated (r = 0.300, P= 0.005). The correlation between microscopic venous invasion and CD105-MVD, but not CD34-MVD, was also statistically significant (r = 0.254, P = 0.018). Univariate analysis showed that CD105-MVD was significantly correlated with the 2-year overall survival rate (P = 0.014); CD34-MVD was not (P = 0.601). Multivariate analysis confirmed that CD105-MVD was an independent prognostic factor and that CD34-MVD was not. CONCLUSION: The anti-CD105 mAb is an ideal instrument to quantify new microvessels in HCC as compared with anti-CD34 mAb. CD105-MVD as compared with CD34-MVD is relevant a significant and independent prognostic indicator for recurrence and metastasis in HCC patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Effect of ethanolic extracts of Ananas comosus L. leaves on insulin sensitivity in rats and HepG2.

Ethanolic extracts of Ananas comosus L. leaves (AC) enriched with phenols have hypoglycemic activity in diabetic rats. Here, we investigated the effect of AC on insulin sensitivity in rats and HepG2. In high-fat diet-fed and low-dose streptozotozin-treated diabetic Wistar rats subjected to challenge with exogenous human insulin, AC treatment at an oral dose of 0.40 g/kg could significantly improve sensitivity to exogenous insulin. After a sub-acute treatment, AC also could inhibit the development of insulin resistance in high-fat diet-fed and low-dose streptozotozin-treated diabetic rats following the test of loss of tolbutamide-induced blood glucose lowering action. For intravenous insulin/glucose infusion test, high-fat diet-fed and low-dose alloxan-treated Wistar rats were associated with insulin resistance, which was improved after AC or fenofibrate treatment. AC application inhibited the development of insulin resistance in HepG2 cells. The above animal models were well developed to simulate type 2 diabetes. Taken together, our results suggest that AC may improve insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes and could be developed into a new potential natural product for handling of insulin resistance in diabetic patients.

Ananas↗
PubMed2006

Theta-defensins prevent HIV-1 Env-mediated fusion by binding gp41 and blocking 6-helix bundle formation.

Retrocyclin-1, a -defensin, protects target cells from human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) by preventing viral entry. To delineate its mechanism, we conducted fusion assays between susceptible target cells and effector cells that expressed HIV-1 Env. Retrocyclin-1 (4 microm) completely blocked fusion mediated by HIV-1 Envs that used CXCR4 or CCR5 but had little effect on cell fusion mediated by HIV-2 and simian immunodeficiency virus Envs. Retrocyclin-1 inhibited HIV-1 Env-mediated fusion without impairing the lateral mobility of CD4, and it inhibited the fusion of CD4-deficient cells with cells bearing CD4-independent HIV-1 Env. Thus, it could act without cross-linking membrane proteins or inhibiting gp120-CD4 interactions. Retrocyclin-1 acted late in the HIV-1 Env fusion cascade but prior to 6-helix bundle formation. Surface plasmon resonance experiments revealed that retrocyclin bound the ectodomain of gp41 with high affinity in a glycan-independent manner and that it bound selectively to the gp41 C-terminal heptad repeat. Native-PAGE, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and CD spectroscopic analyses all revealed that retrocyclin-1 prevented 6-helix bundle formation. This mode of action, although novel for an innate effector molecule, resembles the mechanism of peptidic entry inhibitors based on portions of the gp41 sequence.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed2006

Evaluation of placenta growth factor and soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 receptor levels in mild and severe preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine if maternal serum concentrations of placenta growth factor (PlGF) and soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 receptor (s-Flt1) are more abnormal in patients with severe preeclampsia compared with mild preeclampsia. STUDY DESIGN: Serum samples were collected from 32 control patients and 80 patients with mild or severe preeclampsia. PlGF and s-Flt1 concentrations were quantitated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results are expressed as median (Q1-Q3) unless stated otherwise. After normalization, serum markers were compared using one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). RESULTS: Patients with preeclampsia had decreased levels of PlGF (75.1 +/- 14 vs 391 +/- 54 pg/mL, P < .0001) and elevated s-Flt1 concentration (1081 +/- 108 vs 100.1 +/- 26.9 pg/mL, P < .0001) compared with the respective controls (mean +/- SEM). PlGF concentration was lower in patients with mild preeclampsia compared with severe, respectively (67 pg/mL [39-158] vs 24 pg/mL [4-57], P < .02). s-Flt1 was not different between mild and severe preeclampsia (674 pg/mL [211-1297] vs 1015 pg/mL [731-1948], P = .08). CONCLUSION: PlGF and s-Flt1 serum levels are abnormal in patients with preeclampsia compared with controls, but only PlGF is more abnormal in severe preeclampsia compared with mild preeclampsia.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

K562 cell growth activity and metabolism characteristics in APA microencapsulated culture and modeling study.

Cell microencapsulation is likely to play a major role in cell and transplantation therapies in the next decade. The microcapsules provide a special microenvironment in which cells always have different behaviors compared with free non-encapsulated culture. In this work, the behaviors of K562 leukemia cells were studied once entrapped in solid and liquefied APA microcapsules as well as in free non-encapsulated culture. Glucose pulse culture was employed to characterize the growth and metabolism of microencapsulated K562 cells. And mathematical modeling was presented to develop a basis for the deeper understanding of cells responses to different culture environments. Based on the results of experiments and modeling, it was found that cells presented a better growing pattern and maintain the activity at a higher level for extending time. The concentration of lactate was higher in solid microcapsules culture than that of liquefied microcapsules culture, but the cell number was lower. And the lactate yield coefficients (lactate/glucose) were 0.8129, 0.6978 and 0.601 for free non-encapsulated, solid microcapsules and liquefied microcapsules culture, respectively. An increase of glucose concentration led a decrease of cell activity, The glucose consumption ratio were 99.9%, 86.8%, 49.4% and 28.6% with the decrease in its concentration from 2 to 4, 6, 10 g/L, however, the lactate yield coefficient were 0.7184, 0.6654, 0.8239 and 0.9693, respectively.

Alginates↗
PubMed2006

[Effect of fenofibrate and metformin on lipotoxicity in OLETF rat kidney].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the possible molecular mechanism of abnormal renal lipid metabolism in OLETF rats, and the effects of fenofibrate or metformin on renal local lipid metabolism. METHODS: OLETF rats were randomly divided into three groups: one treated with fenofibrate, one with metformin and one without treatment. LETO rats were used as age-matched normal controls. The animals were sacrificed and the kidneys were obtained respectively at the age of 17 and 30 weeks. 24-hour urine albumin contents and TG contents in renal cortex were measured.The levels of SREBP-1 protein and mRNA in kidney were measured. FAS mRNA and ACC mRNA expressions were measured with RT-PCR. RESULTS: OLETF rats showed characters of obesity, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia. At the end of thirty weeks clinical characters of renal damage appeared in OLETF rats, OLETF rats showed higher levels of 24-hour urine albumin contents than those of LETO rats. 24-hour urine albumin contents were correlated positively with TG contents in kidney. The partial correlation coefficient was 0.870 (P = 0.011) by controlling for body weight, serum lipid, blood glucose and fasting insulin concentration. OLETF rats showed higher levels of SREBP-1 protein (43.2%, P<0.01), FAS mRNA (126.0%, P<0.01), ACC mRNA (72.3%, P<0.01) than those of group LETO. OLETF/F rats showed lower levels of SREBP-1 (15.7%, P = 0.061), FAS mRNA (36.8%, P<0.05), ACC mRNA (40.3%, P<0.05) than those of group OLETF. OLETF/M rats showed lower levels of SREBP-1 (19.3%, P<0.01), FAS mRNA (57.3%, P<0.01), ACC mRNA (22.5%, P<0.05) than those of group OLETF. There was no difference in SREBP-1 mRNA levels for each group. CONCLUSION: Renal damage occurred in OLETF rats at the prediabetes stage. 24-hour urine albumin contents were correlated positively with TG contents in kidney. SREBP-1 might aggravate fat deposition in kidney through some enzyme associated with fat synthesis, which was a possible pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. Treatment with fenofibrate or metformin ameliorated renal damage in OLETF rats through SREBP-1 and some enzyme regulated by it reduced fat deposit in kidney directly.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Application of a suite of biomarkers in Posidonia oceanica (L.) delile to assess the ecotoxicological impact on the coastal environment.

The main aim of this study was to develop and validate a suite of sensitive responses (biomarkers) for monitoring conservation status and ecotoxicological impact in Posidonia oceanica meadows. Analytical methods were developed for NADPH cytochrome c reductase, ethoxycoumarin-o-deethylase (ECOD), guaiacol peroxidase (GPOX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) assays. A preliminary proteomic approach using 2-D electrophoresis was also proposed as a biomarker. These techniques were initially tested on samples of posidonia exposed experimentally to various contaminants. Once validated, this approach was applied to posidonia in a field study. Samples of the seagrass were collected at four sites with potentially different environmental impact along the northern Tyrrhenian coast. The results showed that reductase activity was significantly induced in the various sampling areas with respect to the reference site. GPOX and SOD showed a similar trend; the highest activities were found in samples collected off a chlor-alkali plant and near a river estuary. Analysis of trace elements, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine compounds (OCs) in posidonia leaves showed differences between sites. A significant correlation was found between Hg concentrations and GPOX activity and between Cr, Al and As concentrations and reductase activity. The results validated these biomarkers in posidonia for the assessment of ecotoxicological impact on the coastal ecosystem.

Alismatales↗
PubMed2006

Cross-species transferability of G. arboreum-derived EST-SSRs in the diploid species of Gossypium.

Diploid species with a common Gossypium origin are highly diverse in morphology and have been classified into eight genomic groups designated A-G and K. In this study, the transferability of 207 Gossypium arboreum-derived expressed sequence tag-simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) primer pairs was examined among 25 different diploid accessions representing 7 genomes and 23 Gossypium species. We found that 124 of the 207 (60%) primer pairs produced amplification products in all 25 accessions. The remaining 83 (40%) primer pairs produced amplification in only a subset of species, ranging from 13 to 22 species, which is consistent with some genome- and species-specific amplification. The cross-species amplification of these EST-SSRs in 22 diploid species was 96.5% in 4,554 combinations (207 SSRsx22 species), indicative of a high transferability among the Gossypium species. Furthermore, a high level of polymorphism with an average number of 6.53 alleles per SSR marker was detected. No correlation was found between the repeat motif type and cross-species amplification. DNA sequencing showed that the high-level polymorphism findings was mainly due to changes in the number of repeat motifs and that the high transferability can be attributed to a higher-level conservation in the flanking regions among these diploid Gossypium species. The transferability among these different diploid species presented here can increase the efficiency of transferring genetic information across species and further enhance their introgression into cultivated cotton species by the molecular tagging of important genes existing in these diploid species using the EST-SSR markers.

Alleles↗
PubMed2006

[Effects of cyclin dependent protein kinase inhibitor olomoucine on the microenvironment of axonal regeneration after spinal cord injury: an experiment with rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of olomoucine, a cyclin dependent protein kinase (CDK) inhibitor, on the microenvironment of axonal regeneration after spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: Forty-five SD rats were randomly divided into 3 equal groups: SCI group undergoing SCI by hemisection technique and peritoneal injection of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution 30 min after the SCI, SCI + olomoucine (SCI + Olo) group undergoing SCI by hemisection technique and peritoneal injection of olomoucine solution 30 min after the SCI, and sham operation group undergoing sham operation and peritoneal injection of DMSO solution 30 min after the operation. Three days after the operation the injured spinal cord segments of 5 rats from each group were taken out. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of the cell cycle related proteins, cyclin A, cyclin B, cyclin E, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Immunofluorescence (IF) staining was used to detect the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), growth associated protein-43 (GAP-43) and chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan (CSPG). Four weeks after the operation specimens of the injured spinal cord segment 15 mm in length were taken out from 5 rats in each group to undergo histological examination. The locomotion function of the hindlimbs was determined by modified Gale combined behavioral scoring (SBS) 1 day and 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after the operation. RESULTS: Western blotting 3 days after the operation showed that the expressions of cyclin A, cyclin B, cyclin E, and PCNA were very weak in the sham operation group, were significantly increased in the SCI group, and were significantly down-regulated in the SCI + Olo group compared with those of the SCI group. IF staining showed that the number of astrocytes was small and the expressions of GFAP, CSPG, and GAP-43 were weak in the sham operation group; in the SCI group the astrocytic proliferation and glial scar was obvious, and the expressions of GFAP, CSPG, and GAP-43 were significantly increased compared with those of the sham operation group (all P < 0.05); and the astrocytic proliferation was significantly weaker and no obvious glial scar could be seen, and the expressions of GFAP and CSPG were weaker in the SCI + Olo group in comparison with the SCI group, however, the GAP-43 expression of the sham operation group was significantly increased compared with that of the sham operation group (P < 0.05). The hindlimbs of the SCI + Olo group and sham operation group were paralyzed without significant difference in the CBS values between these 2 groups, however, two weeks after the operation, the locomotion function scores at different time points of the SCI + Olo group were all significantly improved in comparison with that of the SCI group (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Olomoucine promotes the recovery of the locomotion function of the paralyzed hindlimbs, probably through microenvironmental improvement of axonal regeneration by inhibiting the glial scar formation and CSPG secretion as well as upregulating the GAP-43 expression.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Detection of outliers and establishment of targets in external quality assessment programs.

BACKGROUND: The establishment of target values is important in external quality assessment (EQA) programs since most of the programs use the target as the assessment criterion. Results submitted to EQA programs usually are not Gaussian-distributed due to the contamination with outliers. The traditional or robust statistical method can be chosen for the truncation of outliers. We investigated the two methods when setting targets for glucose in an EQA program. METHODS: The results of glucose were analyzed as an all-methods group and divided into four subgroups according to the analytical methods prior to testing of each data distribution. Based on the distribution, the traditional or robust statistical method was used to detect outliers. After removal of outliers, the data distributions were retested and if Gaussian distributions were obtained, the mean values were used as the target. RESULTS: Original data sets were not Gaussian-distributed for all tested groups. Therefore, the robust statistical method was employed to detect outliers. After truncation of outliers, the data sets showed Gaussian distributions and the means were used to set target values. CONCLUSIONS: The targets of glucose were determined for all-methods and individual methods from the mean values following removal of outliers using the robust statistical method. This led to comparable targets among the tested groups.

Enzymes, Immobilized↗
PubMed2006

Folding with downhill behavior and low cooperativity of proteins.

The downhill folding observed experimentally for a small protein BBL is studied using off-lattice Gō-like model. Our simulations show that the downhill folding has low cooperativity and is barrierless, which is consistent with the experimental findings. As an example of comparison in detail, the two-state folding behavior of proteins, for example, protein CI2, is also simulated. By observing the formation of contacts between the residues for these two proteins, it is found that the physical origin of the downhill folding is due to the deficiency of nonlocal contacts which determine the folding cooperatively. From a statistics on contacts of the native structures of 17 well-studied proteins and the calculation of their cooperativity factors kappa2 based on folding simulations, a strong correlation between the number of nonlocal contacts per residue NN and the factors kappa2 is obtained. Protein BBL with a value of NN = 0.73 has the lowest cooperativity factor kappa2 = 0.34 among all 17 proteins. A crossover around NNc approximately 0.9 could be defined to separate the two-state folders and the downhill folder roughly. A protein would behave downhill folding when its NN = NNc. For proteins with their NN values are about (or slightly larger than) NNc, the folding behaves with low cooperativity and the barriers are small, showing a weak two-state behavior or a downhill-like behavior. Furthermore, simulations on mutants of a two-state folder show that a mutant becomes a downhill folder when its NN is reduced to a value smaller than NNc. These could enable us to identify the downhill folding or the cooperative two-state folding behavior solely from the native structures of proteins.

Biophysical Phenomena↗
PubMed2006

Iron chelation in the biological activity of curcumin.

Curcumin is among the more successful chemopreventive compounds investigated in recent years, and is currently in human trials to prevent cancer. The mechanism of action of curcumin is complex and likely multifactorial. We have made the unexpected observation that curcumin strikingly modulates proteins of iron metabolism in cells and in tissues, suggesting that curcumin has properties of an iron chelator. Curcumin increased mRNA levels of ferritin and GSTalpha in cultured liver cells. Unexpectedly, however, although levels of GSTalpha protein increased in parallel with mRNA levels in response to curcumin, levels of ferritin protein declined. Since iron chelators repress ferritin translation, we considered that curcumin may act as an iron chelator. To test this hypothesis, we measured the effect of curcumin on transferrin receptor 1, a protein stabilized under conditions of iron limitation, as well as the ability of curcumin to activate iron regulatory proteins (IRPs). Both transferrin receptor 1 and activated IRP, indicators of iron depletion, increased in response to curcumin. Consistent with the hypothesis that curcumin acts as an iron chelator, mice that were fed diets supplemented with curcumin exhibited a decline in levels of ferritin protein in the liver. These results suggest that iron chelation may be an additional mode of action of curcumin.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Reversal of the malignant phenotype of cervical cancer CaSki cells through adeno-associated virus-mediated delivery of HPV16 E7 antisense RNA.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most important risk factor for the development of cervical cancer. The oncogene E7 from high-risk HPV strains has the ability to immortalize epithelial cells and increase cellular transformation in culture. In this study, we explored the possibility of preventing cervical cancer growth by inhibiting HPV16 E7 expression through gene transfer of an antisense construct. A recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vector was chosen for the transfer, based on its transfection efficiency, in vivo stability, and lack of detectable pathology. In vitro transfer of an rAAV vector expressing antisense HPV16 E7 (AAV-HPV16E7AS) inhibited cell proliferation, induced apoptosis, reduced cell migration, and restrained in vivo proliferation of HPV16/HPV18-positive cervical cancer CaSki cells. These results indicate that down-regulation of HPV16 E7 with antisense RNA is beneficial in reducing the tumorigenicity of CaSki cells, and rAAV vectors ought to be a new efficient approach for delivering the expression of therapeutic genes.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

A protein database constructed from low-coverage genomic sequence of Bacillus megaterium and its use for accelerated proteomic analysis.

Peptide mass fingerprint (PMF) matching is a high-throughput method used for protein spot identification in connection with two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE). However, the success of PMF matching largely depends on whether the proteins to be identified exist in the database searched. Consequently, it is often necessary to apply other more sophisticated but also time-consuming technologies to generate sequence-tags for definitive protein identification. On the other hand, modern sequencing technologies are generating a large quantity of DNA sequences, first in unfinished form or with low genome coverage due to the time-consuming and thus limiting steps of finishing and annotation. We recently started to sequence the genome of Bacillus megaterium DSM 319, a bacterium of industrial interest. In this study, we demonstrate that a protein database generated from merely three-fold coverage, unfinished genomic sequences of this bacterium allows a fast and reliable protein spot identification solely based on PMF from high-throughput MALDI-TOF MS analysis. We further show that the strain-specific protein database from low coverage genomic sequence greatly outperforms the commonly used cross-species databases constructed from 13 completely sequenced Bacillus strains for protein spot identification via PMF.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2006

Angiotensin II enhances carotid body chemoreflex control of sympathetic outflow in chronic heart failure rabbits.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether Angiotensin II (Ang II) modulates peripheral chemoreflex function through carotid body (CB) chemoreceptors in chronic heart failure (CHF). METHODS: We measured renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) in response to graded hypoxia before and after intravenous administration of Ang II (20 ng/kg/min, i.v. 30 min) or AT1 receptor antagonist (L-158,809, 0.33 mg/kg, i.v.) in conscious sham and pacing-induced CHF rabbits. We also investigated the effects of Ang II (100 pM) and L-158,809 (1 microM) on CB chemoreceptor activity in vascularly isolated-perfused CB preparations from sham and CHF rabbits. RESULTS: Ang II enhanced hypoxia-induced RSNA increases in sham rabbits but not in CHF rabbits. Conversely, L-158,809 attenuated hypoxia-induced responses in RSNA in CHF rabbits but not in sham rabbits. Using RT-PCR, Western blotting, and immunocytochemistry, we found that the mRNA and protein expression of AT1 receptor in the CB from CHF rabbits were greater than that in sham rabbits. CB chemoreceptor afferent activity during normoxia and graded hypoxia was increased in CHF rabbits compared with sham rabbits. Ang II increased the response of CB chemoreceptors to hypoxia in sham rabbits but not CHF rabbits. L-158,809 decreased CB chemoreceptor responses to hypoxia in CHF rabbits but not in sham rabbits. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that elevation of Ang II and concomitant upregulation of AT1 receptor in the CB contribute to the increased CB chemoreceptor activity and enhanced peripheral chemoreflex function in CHF.

Angiotensin II↗
PubMed2006

Gene targeting of GAN in mouse causes a toxic accumulation of microtubule-associated protein 8 and impaired retrograde axonal transport.

Mutations in gigaxonin were identified in giant axonal neuropathy (GAN), an autosomal recessive disorder. To understand how disruption of gigaxonin's function leads to neurodegeneration, we ablated the gene expression in mice using traditional gene targeting approach. Progressive neurological phenotypes and pathological lesions that developed in the GAN null mice recapitulate characteristic human GAN features. The disruption of gigaxonin results in an impaired ubiquitin-proteasome system leading to a substantial accumulation of a novel microtubule-associated protein, MAP8, in the null mutants. Accumulated MAP8 alters the microtubule network, traps dynein motor protein in insoluble structures and leads to neuronal death in cultured wild-type neurons, which replicates the process occurring in GAN null mutants. Defective axonal transport is evidenced by the in vitro assays and is supported by vesicular accumulation in the GAN null neurons. We propose that the axonal transport impairment may be a deleterious consequence of accumulated, toxic MAP8 protein.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

The opioid ligand binding of human mu-opioid receptor is modulated by novel splice variants of the receptor.

The pharmacological actions of morphine and morphine-like drugs, such as heroin, mediate primarily through the mu-opioid receptor (MOR). It has been proposed that the functional diversity of MOR may be related to alternative splicing of the MOR gene. Although a number of MOR mRNA splice variants have been reported, their biological function has been controversial. In this study, two novel splice variants of the human MOR gene were discovered. Splice variants 1 and 2 (here called the SV1 and SV2) retain different portions of intron I. In vitro translation of SV1 and SV2 produced proteins with the predicted molecular weights. The splice variant proteins were identical to the wild-type MOR-1 up to the first transmembrane domains, but were different after the first intracellular loop domains. SV1 and SV2 of hMOR were present in human neuroblastoma NMB cells and human whole brain confirmed by RT-PCR. In a receptor binding assay, cells expressing the SV1 and SV2 do not exhibit binding to [(3)H]diprenorphine. The formations of MOR.SV1 and MOR.SV2 heterodimers were demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation and bioluminescence resonance energy transfer between MOR and splice variants. Co-transfection of MOR-GFP and SV-DsRed gene showed that MOR and SV protein co-localized at the cytoplasmic membrane. In NMB cells expressing human MOR gene, transfection of SV1 or SV2 reduced binding activity of the endogenous MOR. These data support a potential role of SV1 and SV2 proteins as possible biological modulator of human mu-opioid receptor.

Alternative Splicing↗