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PubMed2001

Two-step transcriptional amplification as a method for imaging reporter gene expression using weak promoters.

We are developing assays to image tissue-specific reporter gene expression in living mice by using optical methods and positron emission tomography. Approaches for imaging reporter gene expression depend on robust levels of mRNA and reporter protein. Attempts to image reporter gene expression driven by weak promoters are often hampered by the poor transcriptional activity of such promoters. Most tissue-specific promoters are weak relative to stronger but constitutively expressing viral promoters. In this study, we have validated methods to enhance the transcriptional activity of the prostate-specific antigen promoter for imaging by using a two-step transcriptional amplification (TSTA) system. We used the TSTA system to amplify expression of firefly luciferase (fl) and mutant herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-sr39tk) in a prostate cancer cell line (LNCaP). We demonstrate approximately 50-fold (fl) and approximately 12-fold (HSV1-sr39tk) enhancement by using the two-step approach. The TSTA system is observed to retain tissue selectivity. A cooled charge-coupled device optical imaging system was used to visualize the amplified fl expression in living mice implanted with LNCaP cells transfected ex vivo. These imaging experiments reveal a approximately 5-fold gain in imaging signal by using the TSTA system over the one-step system. The TSTA approach will be a valuable and generalizable tool to amplify and noninvasively image reporter gene expression in living animals by using tissue-specific promoters. The approaches validated should have important implications for study of gene therapy vectors, cell trafficking, transgenic models, as well as studying development of eukaryotic organisms.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Elevation of the placental glutathione S-transferase form (GST-pi) in tumor tissues and the levels in sera of patients with cancer.

The content of glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-pi) in colon and esophageal cancer tissues was determined by single radial immunodiffusion or activity inhibition tests. Average levels in colon adenomas and carcinomas were 163 +/- 38 and 143 +/- 30 micrograms/g, respectively, about 6-fold higher than the value of 25 +/- 4 micrograms/g observed for normal colonic mucosa. The content in esophageal cancer was similarly increased at 240 +/- 160 micrograms/g, about 6-fold higher than the level found in normal mucosa, 42 +/- 21 micrograms/g. The content was significantly higher in highly differentiated carcinoma (331 +/- 138 micrograms/g) than in moderately (205 +/- 123) or poorly (125 +/- 61) differentiated carcinomas, suggesting that GST-pi content seems to be related to the degree of differentiation of esophageal cancer. GST-pi was also expressed in cell lines derived from various cancers, including IMR 32, TE-9, and Ca Ski cells. The results thus indicate that GST-pi may be a useful marker for a wide range of cancers. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay developed to determine serum GST-pi content is described. Using this method GST-pi could be accurately measured in the range between 0.7 and 150 ng/ml, without interference of other isoenzymes. The serum GST-pi content was 1.3 +/- 1.2 ng/ml in 35 healthy controls and values of over 3.7 ng/ml (control mean + 2 SD) were found in patients with cancers of the stomach (10 of 23 cases), esophagus (26/43), bile duct (3/9), and colon (3/9), and in some leukemic cases. Although elevation of the serum content was not so often as that of tissue content, the fact that higher serum values of patients with esophageal cancer often reverted to the normal range after surgical removal of the cancer suggested a direct derivation of serum GST-pi from tumor tissues. Thus, follow-up of elevated serum GST-pi levels may be useful for monitoring cancer patients during the course of treatment.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

PubMed2001

The impact of whole genome sequence data on drug discovery--a malaria case study.

BACKGROUND: Identification and validation of a drug discovery target is a prominent step in drug development. In the post-genomic era it is possible to reevaluate the association of a gene with a specific biological function to see if a homologous gene can subsume this role. This concept has special relevance to drug discovery in human infectious diseases, like malaria. A trophozoite cysteine protease (falcipain-1) from the papain family, thought to be responsible for the degradation of erythrocyte hemoglobin, has been considered a promising target for drug discovery efforts owing to the antimalarial activity of peptide based covalent cysteine protease inhibitors. This led to the development of non-peptidic non-covalent inhibitors of falcipain-1 and their characterization as antimalarials. It is now clear from sequencing efforts that the malaria genome contains more than one cysteine protease and that falcipain-1 is not the most important contributor to hemoglobin degradation. Rather, falcipain-2 and falcipain-3 appear to account for the majority of cysteine hemoglobinase activity in the plasmodium trophozoite. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have modeled the falcipain-2 cysteine protease from one of the major human malaria species, Plasmodium falciparum and compared it to our original work on falcipain-1. As with falcipain-1, computa-tional screening of the falcipain-2 active site was conducted using DOCK. Using structural superpositions within the protease family and evolutionary analysis of substrate specificity sites, we focused on the commonalities and the protein specific features to direct our drug discovery effort. RESULTS: Since 1993, the size of the Available Chemicals Directory had increased from 55313 to 195419 unique chemical structures. For falcipain-2, eight inhibitors were identified with IC50's against the enzyme between 1 and 7 microM. Application of three of these inhibitors to infected erythrocytes cured malaria in culture, but parasite death did not correlate with food vacuole abnormalities associated with the activity of mechanistic inhibitors of cysteine proteases like the epoxide E64. CONCLUSIONS: Using plasmodial falcipain proteases, we show how a protein family perspective can influence target discovery and inhibitor design. We suspect that parallel drug discovery programs where a family of targets is considered, rather than serial programs built on a single therapeutic focus, will become the dominant industrial paradigm. Economies of scale in assay development and in compound synthesis are expected owing to the functional and structural features of individual family members. One of the remaining challenges in post-genomic drug discovery is that inhibitors of one target are likely to show some activity against other family members. This lack of specificity may lead to difficulties in functional assignments and target validation as well as a complex side effect profile.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

Role of hepatic monooxygenases in generating estrogenic metabolites from methoxychlor and from its identified contaminants.

Previous investigations demonstrated that methoxychlor [1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)ethane] contains estrogenic contaminants and that methoxychlor per se is not an estrogen but is a proestrogen being metabolized in vivo into estrogenic products. The present study examined structurally identified methoxychlor contaminants as to their estrogenic or proestrogenic properties. Also, the estrogenic activity of demethylated metabolites of methoxychlor and of one contaminant was determined. To examine these properties, we utilized an assay developed by us that monitors whether a given compound, incubated with isolated rat uteri, can diminish the uterine cytosolic estrogen receptor and elevate the nuclear estrogen receptor and whether metabolic intervention by hepatic microsomal monooxygenase(s) is required by the respective compound for this cellular redistribution of the receptor. Of the 15 compounds examined which constitute with methoxychlor 99.5% of total technical grade methoxychlor, two compounds, 1,1-dichloro-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethene (mono-OH-MDDE) and 1,1,1-trichloro-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethane (mono-OH-methoxychlor), were active per se and two compounds, 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)ethene (MDDE) and methoxychlor, required metabolic transformation for estrogenic activity to be manifested. Subsequently, it was shown that the mono- and bis-OH metabolites of MDDE and of methoxychlor were active estrogens and that the order of activity, either by the above procedure or in terms of relative binding affinity to rat uterine cytosolic receptor, was as follows: bis-OH-MDDE much greater than bis-OH-methoxychlor greater than mono-OH-MDDE greater than mono-OH-methoxychlor. Following the in vitro observations, the activity of MDDE and bis-OH-MDDE was determined in vivo in immature rats. It appears that both compounds are estrogenic, yielding marked elevation in ornithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17) levels and moderate increase in uterine weight. A comparison with methoxychlor and bis-OH-methoxychlor [1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-hydroxyphenyl)ethane] demonstrates that the order of potencies is similar to that observed in the in vitro determinations. These studies demonstrate the usefulness of the in vitro assay for determining the estrogenic and proestrogenic properties of compounds of which limited quantities are available, often insufficient for in vivo determination. Also, whereas the in vitro assay is simple and rapid, a lengthy investigation might be required to determine in vivo whether a given compound is an estrogen or a proestrogen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Kinetics of O(6)-methyl-2'-deoxyguanosine repair by O(6)-alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase within K-ras gene-derived DNA sequences.

O(6)-Methyl-2'-deoxyguanosine (O(6)-Me-dG) is a potent mutagenic DNA adduct that can be induced by a variety of methylating agents, including tobacco-specific nitrosamine, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). O(6)-Me-dG is directly repaired by the specialized DNA repair protein, O(6)-alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase (AGT), which transfers the O(6)-alkyl group from the modified guanine to a cysteine thiol within the active site of the protein. Previous investigations suggested that AGT repair of O(6)-alkylguanines may be sequence-dependent as a result of flanking nucleobase effects on DNA conformation and energetics. In the present work, a novel high-performance/pressure liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI+-MS/MS)-based approach was developed to analyze the kinetics of AGT-mediated repair of O(6)-Me-dG adducts placed at different sites within the double-stranded DNA sequence representing codons 8-17 of the K-ras protooncogene, 5'-G1TA G2TT G3G4A G5CT G6G7T G8G9C G10TA G11G12C AAG13 AG14T-3', where G5, G6, G7, G8, G9, G10, or G11 was replaced with O(6)-Me-dG. The second guanine of K-ras codon 12 (G7 in our numbering system) is a major mutational hotspot for G --> A transitions observed in lung tumors of smokers and in neoplasms induced in laboratory animals by exposure to methylating agents. O(6)-Me-dG-containing duplexes were incubated with human recombinant AGT protein, and the reactions were quenched at specific times. Following acid hydrolysis to release purines, isotope dilution HPLC-ESI-MS/MS was used to determine the amounts of O(6)-Me-G remaining in DNA. The relative extent of demethylation for O(6)-Me-dG adducts located at G5, G6, G7, G8, G9, G10, or G11 following a 10 s incubation with AGT showed little variation as a function of sequence position. Furthermore, the second-order rate constants for the repair of O(6)-Me-dG adducts located at the first and second positions of the K-ras codon 12 (5'-G6G7T-3') were similar (1.4 x 10(7) M(-1) s(-1) vs 7.4 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1), respectively), suggesting that O(6)-Me-dG repair by AGT is not the determining factor for K-ras codon 12 mutagenesis following exposure to methylating agents. The new HPLC-ESI-MS/MS assay developed in this work is a valuable tool which will be used to further explore the role of local sequence environment and endogenous DNA modifications in shaping mutational spectra of NNK and other methylating agents.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2002

Natural changes in the spread of bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) among Estonian cattle.

The results of a survey conducted during 1993-2000 to study the spread of bovine viral diarrhoeal virus (BVDV) among Estonian cattle are presented. The BVDV infection status of a representative random sample of cattle herds housing 20 or more dairy cows was established to estimate the prevalence of herds with active BVDV infection [potentially having persistently infected (PI) cattle--suspect PI herds]. The herds investigated comprised approximately 70% of all Estonian dairy cows. The BVDV infection status was established in 315-350 herds (making the sampling fraction about 20%) during three sampling periods: 1993-95, 1997-98, 1999-2000. BVDV antibodies were detected in herd bulk milk samples and/or sera from young stock by a liquid-phase-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay developed in the Danish Veterinary Institute for Virus Research. The results of the survey demonstrate the reduction in the prevalence of herds with active BVDV infection in the studied fraction of the Estonian cattle population. During the first sampling period (1993-95) a prevalence of 46% (+/- 5%) for suspect PI herds was observed, during the second sampling period this prevalence was 16% (+/- 3%) and in the third period it was 18% (+/- 3%). As there is no control programme for BVDV in Estonia, the observed changes reflect the natural course of the infection in the study population. A possible cause for these changes is the decreased trade in breeding animals as a result of the economic difficulties present in cattle farming during the study period. The farming practices (most large herds are managed as closed herds) and the low density of cattle farms have obviously facilitated the self-clearance of herds from the BVDV infection, diminishing the new introduction of infection into the herds.

Animal Husbandry↗

PubMed2003

Development and evaluation of PCR assays for the detection of Paenibacillus larvae in honey samples: comparison with isolation and biochemical characterization.

PCR assays were developed for the direct detection of Paenibacillus larvae in honey samples and compared with isolation and biochemical characterization procedures. Different primer pairs, designed from the 16S rRNA and the metalloproteinase precursor gene regions, and different DNA extraction methods were tested and compared. The sensitivity of the reactions was evaluated by serial dilutions of DNA extracts obtained from P. larvae cultures. The specificity of the primers was assessed by analyzing related Paenibacillus and Bacillus strains isolated from honey. The PCR assays also amplified these related bacteria, but at lower sensitivity. In the next step, the PCR assays were applied to contaminated honey and other bee products originating from 15 countries. Lysozyme treatment followed by proteinase K digestion was determined to be the best DNA extraction method for P. larvae spores. The most sensitive primer pair detected P. larvae in 18 of 23 contaminated honey samples, as well as in pollen, wax, and brood. Honey specimens containing saprophyte bacilli and paenibacilli, but not P. larvae, were PCR negative. Although the isolation and biochemical identification method (BioLog) showed higher sensitivity and specificity, PCR proved to be a valuable technique for large-scale screening of honey samples for American foulbrood, especially considering its rapidity and moderate costs.

Animals↗

PubMed1981

IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test for the diagnosis of congenital Toxoplasma infection.

An IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, developed for detection of IgM antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, was evaluated to define its usefulness for diagnosis of congenital Toxoplasma infection. Sera from 51 infants suspected of having congenital Toxoplasma infection but in whom this diagnosis was ruled out were negative in the IgM-ELISA test. Fifty of them were also negative in the IgM-fluorescent antibody test; the one which was positive was from an infant with congenital syphilis who had circulating rheumatoid factor. Of 55 sera from newborn infants with proved congenital Toxoplasma infection, the IgM-ELISA test was positive in 43 (72.7%), whereas the IgM-IFA test was positive in only 14 (25.4%). Of those sera obtained during the first 30 days of life the infected infants, 81.2% were positive in the IgM-ELISA test, whereas only 25% were positive in the IgM-IFA test. The Igm-ELISA test avoids the false-positive results owing to RF and the false-negative results owing to competition from high levels of maternal IgG antibody which occur in the IgM-IFA test. We conclude that the IgM-ELISA test is highly sensitive and specific for diagnosis of congenital Toxoplasma infection.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed1990

Quantitation of bovine immunoglobulin isotypes and allotypes using monoclonal antibodies.

A panel of 10 monoclonal antibodies specific for bovine immunoglobulins M, A, G1, G2 and light chains were produced and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays developed to measure Ig levels in body fluids and culture supernatants using this panel of MAbs. An inhibition ELISA was accurate and sensitive for MAbs of high affinity, detecting levels as low as 10 ng ml-1 of IgM using a high-affinity MAb, IL-A50 (dissociation constant = 1.3 X 10(-11) M). For MAbs of lower affinity (KD of less than 0.25 X 10(-9) M) a sandwich ELISA was more sensitive, detecting 0.1-1.0 microgram ml-1 Ig, provided a conjugate of an anti-light chain MAb was used. Using these ELISA techniques, four pairs of MAbs specific for bovine IgM, IgA, IgG1 and IgG2 respectively, were screened on sera from over 100 cattle of different breeds to determine whether any detected a polymorphic epitope. MAbs IL-A30, IL-A60, IL-A66, IL-A71, IL-A72, IL-A73 and IL-A74 were shown to recognise monomorphic determinants on their respective heavy chains. In contrast, the epitope recognised on the mu-heavy chain by MAb IL-A50, which had previously been shown to be polymorphic, was found to be allelic and inherited under the control of a single gene, probably Cu.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Distribution of phospholipid transfer protein in human plasma: presence of two forms of phospholipid transfer protein, one catalytically active and the other inactive.

Plasma phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) plays an important role in the maintenance of plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) content and remodeling of HDL in the circulation. In the present study we have used different fractionation methods to investigate the distribution of PLTP in human plasma. A novel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay developed during the study allowed for simultaneous assessment of both PLTP mass and activity in the fractions obtained. Size-exclusion chromatography and plasma fractionation by nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) yielded similar results demonstrating that PLTP associates in native plasma with two distinct particle populations, while ultracentrifugation with high salt leads to detachment of PLTP from lipoprotein particles and loss of a majority of its phospholipid transfer activity. Interestingly, analysis of the size-exclusion chromatography fractions demonstrated that PLTP exists in the circulation as an active population that elutes in the position of HDL corresponding to an average molecular mass of 160+/-40 kDa and an inactive form with an average mass of 520+/-120 kDa. The inactive fraction containing approximately 70% of the total PLTP protein eluted between HDL and low density lipoprotein (LDL). Thus, the two PLTP pools are associated with different types of lipoprotein particles, suggesting that the PLTP activity in circulation is modulated by the plasma lipoprotein profile and lipid composition.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMed1987

Chemosensitivity profiles of primary and cultured human retinoblastoma cells in a human tumor clonogenic assay.

The drug sensitivity of retinoblastoma cells obtained from 14 fresh primary materials (13 from enucleation and 1 from autopsy) and 2 cultured lines (Y-79 and WERI-Rb1) was determined using the human tumor clonogenic assay developed by Hamburger and Salmon. Components of the conventional soft agar medium were slightly modified to make them suitable for growing primary retinoblastoma cells. More than 5 colonies were formed by all 14 primary samples tested from the 500 X 10(3) cells plated. More than 30 colonies per dish were formed from the 13 samples, with a median plating efficiency of 0.033% (0.005-0.400), and these were used in the in vitro measurements of drug chemosensitivities. They showed homogeneous sensitivity to the representative alkylating agent L-phenylalanine mustard; 13 out of 14 showed a decrease in the colony formation of more than 70%. The other drugs which were effective (more than 70% colony inhibition) against the primary retinoblastoma cells were: doxorubicin (7 out of 13), mitomycin C (7 out of 13), actinomycin D (4 out of 13), cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (3 out of 13), nimustine (1 out of 13), and peplomycin (1 out of 13). Vincristine, bleomycin, 5-fluorouracil, methotrexate, decarbazine, and cytosine arabinoside were not effective. When the chemosensitivity of retinoblastoma cells of the two established cell lines was examined by the same method, only L-phenylalanine mustard was effective against Y-79, and no drug was effective against WERI-Rb1.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

PubMed2000

Association between polymorphisms in dopamine metabolic enzymes and tobacco consumption in smokers.

Central dopaminergic reward pathways give rise to dependence and are activated by nicotine. Allelic variants in genes involved in dopamine metabolism may therefore influence the amount of tobacco consumed by smokers. We developed assays for polymorphisms in dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH), monoamine oxidase (MAO) and catechol O-methyl transferase (COMT) using the polymerase chain reaction with sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP). We then typed 225 cigarette smokers to assess whether genotype was related to the number of cigarettes smoked a day. Smokers with DBH 1368 GG genotype smoked fewer cigarettes than those with GA/AA [mean difference -2.9 cigarettes, 95% confidence interval (CI) -5.5, -0.4; P = 0.022]. The effect reached statistical significance in women (-3.8, 95% CI -6.4, -1.0, P = 0.007) but not in men (-1.5, 95% CI -6.0, 3.0, P = 0.498). Overall, the effect was greater when analysis was confined to Caucasians (-3.8, 95% CI -6.6, -1.1, P = 0.007). Smokers with MAO-A 1460 TT/TO smoked more cigarettes than those with CC/CT/CO (2.9, 95% CI 0.6, 5.1, P = 0.013). Within each sex group, the trend was similar but not statistically significant (difference for men 2.9, 95% CI -1.0, 6.7; for women 2.0, 95% CI -0.7, 4.8). The effect of the allele was greater in smokers with a high body mass index (> 26) (difference 5.1, 95% CI 1.4, 8.8, P = 0.008). More heavy smokers (> 20 a day) had the DBH 1368A allele when compared to light smokers (< 10 a day). (Relative risk 2.3, 95% CI 1.1, 5.0, P = 0.024.) The trend for increasing prevalence of the DBH A allele in heavy smokers was greater when analysis was restricted to Caucasians (relative risk 3.2, 95% CI 1.3, 8.2, P = 0.004). Conversely, heavy smokers were less likely to have the MAO-A 1460C allele (relative risk 0.3, 95% CI 0.1, 0.7, P = 0.012). Variations in DBH and MAO predict whether a person is a heavy smoker and how many cigarettes they consume. Our results support the view that these enzymes help to determine a smoker's requirement for nicotine and may explain why some people are predisposed to tobacco addiction and why some find it very difficult to stop smoking. This finding has important implications for smoking prevention and offers potential for developing patient-specific therapy for smoking cessation.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Prospective study of Campylobacter jejuni infection in Chilean infants evaluated by culture and serology.

A prospective study of Campylobacter jejuni infection was performed during a 6-month period in a cohort of 198 Chilean infants. Surveillance was based on biweekly home visits by a team of trained nurses. C. jejuni colonization was studied by culturing stool samples from diarrheal episodes and paired asymptomatic controls and by performing an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay developed to measure C. jejuni outer membrane protein polyvalent antibodies in a representative group of infants. C. jejuni was isolated from 30 of 299 diarrheal episodes (10%) and from 17 of 304 samples from asymptomatic infants (6%). Significantly higher (P less than 0.05) C. jejuni illness/infection ratios were found in infants less than 9 months old. Polyvalent antibodies to C. jejuni were found in 27 of 89 serum samples (30%). The lowest prevalence (4%) was observed among infants less than 9 months old, and the highest was found in patients older than 15 months (63%; P less than 0.01). Data obtained by analysis of paired serum samples revealed a significant increase in the number of seropositive individuals, from 8% on admission to 50% at the end of the protocol (P less than 0.001). The change in the immune status of these infants was associated with symptomatic infection in 9 of 18 cases. The antibody rise found in the remaining nine infants suggested the presence of asymptomatic C. jejuni infections. This inference was documented by the isolation of C. jejuni from stools of two of these infants when the infants were randomly studied while asymptomatic. This study points out the impact of C. jejuni-associated diarrheal episodes and the high frequency with which asymptomatic infections elicit specific antibodies in infants living in areas such as Chile.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2004

Membrane estrogen receptor-alpha levels predict estrogen-induced ERK1/2 activation in MCF-7 cells.

INTRODUCTION: We examined the participation of a membrane form of estrogen receptor (mER)-alpha in the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (extracellular signal-regulated kinase [ERK]1 and ERK2) related to cell growth responses in MCF-7 cells. METHODS: We immunopanned and subsequently separated MCF-7 cells (using fluorescence-activated cell sorting) into mER-alpha-enriched (mERhigh) and mER-alpha-depleted (mERlow) populations. We then measured the expression levels of mER-alpha on the surface of these separated cell populations by immunocytochemical analysis and by a quantitative 96-well plate immunoassay that distinguished between mER-alpha and intracellular ER-alpha. Western analysis was used to determine colocalized estrogen receptor (ER)-alpha and caveolins in membrane subfractions. The levels of activated ERK1 and ERK2 were determined using a fixed cell-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay developed in our laboratory. RESULTS: Immunocytochemical studies revealed punctate ER-alpha antibody staining of the surface of nonpermeabilized mERhigh cells, whereas the majority of mERlow cells exhibited little or no staining. Western analysis demonstrated that mERhigh cells expressed caveolin-1 and caveolin-2, and that ER-alpha was contained in the same gradient-separated membrane fractions. The quantitative immunoassay for ER-alpha detected a significant difference in mER-alpha levels between mERhigh and mERlow cells when cells were grown at a sufficiently low cell density, but equivalent levels of total ER-alpha (membrane plus intracellular receptors). These two separated cell subpopulations also exhibited different kinetics of ERK1/2 activation with 1 pmol/l 17beta-estradiol (E2), as well as different patterns of E2 dose-dependent responsiveness. The maximal kinase activation was achieved after 10 min versus 6 min in mERhigh versus mERlow cells, respectively. After a decline in the level of phosphorylated ERKs, a reactivation was seen at 60 min in mERhigh cells but not in mERlow cells. Both 1A and 2B protein phosphatases participated in dephosphorylation of ERKs, as demonstrated by efficient reversal of ERK1/2 inactivation with okadaic acid and cyclosporin A. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the levels of mER-alpha play a role in the temporal coordination of phosphorylation/dephosphorylation events for the ERKs in breast cancer cells, and that these signaling differences can be correlated to previously demonstrated differences in E2-induced cell proliferation outcomes in these cell types.

Blotting, Western↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of natural products as inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase.

Inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase is currently considered a useful approach in the prophylaxis and intervention of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and natural products have not been extensively explored as inhibitors of this enzyme. We currently report that the reverse transcriptase assay developed for the detection of the enzyme in virions involving polyadenylic acid.oligodeoxythymidylic acid (poly rA.oligo dT) and radiolabeled thymidine 5'-triphosphate (TTP), can be applied as a simple method for screening the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase (HIV-1 RT) inhibitory potential of natural products. As reported herein, 156 pure natural products have been examined in this system. Benzophenanthridine alkaloids such as faragaronine chloride [1] and nitidine chloride, which are known inhibitors of avian myeloblastosis virus reverse transcriptase, demonstrated potent activity in the HIV-1 RT system, and 1 (IC50 10 micrograms/ml) was adopted as a positive-control substance. Additional inhibitors found were columbamine iodide [2] and other protoberberine alkaloids, the isoquinoline alkaloid O-methylpsychotrine sulfate [3], and the iridoid fulvoplumierin [4]. A number of indolizidine, pyrrolizidine, quinolizidine, indole, and other alkaloids, as well as compounds of many other structural classes, were tested and found to be inactive. A total of 100 plant extracts have also been evaluated, and 15 of these extracts showed significant inhibitory activity. Because tannins and other polyphenolic compounds are potent reverse transcriptase inhibitors, methods were evaluated for the removal of these from plant extracts prior to testing. Polyphenolic compounds were found to be responsible for the activity demonstrated by the majority of plant extracts. After appropriate tannin removal procedures were established, the bioassay system was shown to be generally applicable to both pure natural products and plant extracts. The method also proved useful in directing an isolation procedure with Plumeria rubra to yield fulvoplumierin [4] as an active compound (IC50 45 micrograms/ml).

Antiviral Agents↗

PubMed1997

Evaluation of ELISA microtiter plate-based assays for the direct determination of isoproturon in water samples and soil extracts.

Trials were carried out on the commercially available Millipore isoproturon ELISA microtiter plate tests and on laboratory assays developed by Hirst as part of a Joint European Union research project (BIOPTICAS). The lowest detectable dose (LDD) was determined as three times the standard deviation of the blanks. Depending on the calibration curves obtained on different days with different plates, the LDD varied from 0.020 to 0.064 microgram/L for the Millipore test and from 0.080 to 0.329 microgram/L for the Hirst test. The mean coefficients of variation within a single plate for triplicate determinations of standard solutions in the 0.05 to 0.5 microgram/L range were 5.5 and 3.6% for Millipore and Hirst respectively. Cross-reactivity was studied for mono- and di-demethylated isoproturon, chlortoluron, diuron and linuron. The highest cross-reactivity with both tests was that of mono-demethylated isoproturon (22% for Millipore, 4% for Hirst). This molecule was the only one to show significant cross-reactivity in the Hirst test, whereas in the Millipore test, the di-demethylated isoproturon also cross-reacted (4%). Natural water samples, 19 ground-, 53 lysimetric plate and 47 suction cup water samples, and 32 soil samples were also analysed with the ELISA tests. HPLC with a diode array detector was used as a validated control technique for the natural samples. For each water type, ELISA concentrations of both tests were significantly correlated with the HPLC values (r > or = 0.937; p < 0.001). For the soil extracts, the correlations were also significant (p < 0.001), but the scatter in the data was greater. Overall, the Millipore correlation coefficients were higher than those of Hirst.

Antibodies↗

PubMed1995

Considerations in the development of a sensitive HPLC assay for human epidermal growth factors in human plasma.

A sensitive assay was developed for human epidermal growth factors (hEGF) 1-48 (dosed), hEGF 1-53 (endogenous), without interference from potential metabolites hEGFs 1-47 or 1-46. Spiked human plasma samples were injected directly, utilizing on-line immunoaffinity HPLC (anti-hEGF) clean-up. No change in capacity was noted after 81 cycles. After release from the immunoaffinity column, the fragments were further resolved by strong cation-exchange (SCX) via a column switching valve. Method development also required interfacing immunoaffinity, ion-exchange, and detection components. Immunoassays on collected fractions yielded a detection limit of 1 microgram ml-1, although a detection limit of 75 pg ml-1 appears feasible.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1996

Acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity. Analysis of total covalent binding vs. specific binding to cysteine.

Acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity is believed to be mediated by covalent binding of the reactive metabolite N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine to essential proteins in liver. It has been shown that the primary reaction of this metabolite with hepatic proteins is the formation of 3-(cysteine-S-yl)-acetaminophen adducts. The importance of covalent binding to other amino acids that may be formed by reaction of N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine with protein is unclear. Previously, we developed immunochemical assays for the acetaminophen cysteine adducts by immunizing animals with the conjugate 3-(N-acetylcystein-S-yl)acetaminophen-keyhole limpet hemocyanin, wherein the carboxyl group of the N-acetyl-cysteine moiety was coupled to amino groups on the protein. A very sensitive and specific immunochemical assay was developed for acetaminophen specifically bound to cysteine groups on protein [3-(cystein-S-yl)acetaminophen protein adducts]. Analysis of protein adducts indicated that after toxic doses, acetaminophen covalently bound at high levels to cysteine residues on a relatively small number of hepatic proteins. In the present work, a new antiacetaminophen antiserum was prepared by immunizing mice with 4-acetamidobenzoic acid coupled to keyhole limpet hemocyanin. Competitive ELISA data indicate that the resulting antiserum has excellent recognition of acetaminophen and related arylacetamide derivatives. Using this new antiserum, Western blot analyses of liver proteins from acetaminophen-intoxicated mouse livers were performed and compared with similar assays using the anti-3-(cystein-S-yl)acetaminophen antiserum. Visual and densitometric analyses of the Western blots indicate that the two antisera detect the same primary acetaminophen protein adducts; however, minor differences in the intensity of certain bands were observed. These differences may represent either differences in antibody accessibility to 3-(cystein-S-yl)acetaminophen adducts or differences in the proportion of acetaminophen bound to cysteine vs. binding to other amino acids.

Acetaminophen↗