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Sample records for cytidine deaminase target

  1. Hypermutation by intersegmental transfer of APOBEC3G cytidine deaminase.

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    Nowarski, Roni; Britan-Rosich, Elena; Shiloach, Tamar; Kotler, Moshe

    2008-10-01

    Deamination of cytidine residues in single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) is an important mechanism by which apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing, catalytic polypeptide-like (APOBEC) enzymes restrict endogenous and exogenous viruses. The dynamic process underlying APOBEC-induced hypermutation is not fully understood. Here we show that enzymatically active APOBEC3G can be detected in wild-type Vif(+) HIV-1 virions, albeit at low levels. In vitro studies showed that single enzyme-DNA encounters result in distributive deamination of adjacent cytidines. Nonlinear translocation of APOBEC3G, however, directed scattered deamination of numerous targets along the DNA. Increased ssDNA concentrations abolished enzyme processivity in the case of short, but not long, DNA substrates, emphasizing the key role of rapid intersegmental transfer in targeting the deaminase. Our data support a model by which APOBEC3G intersegmental transfer via monomeric binding to two ssDNA segments results in dispersed hypermutation of viral genomes.

  2. Biological function of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID

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    Ritu Kumar

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Activation-induced Cytidine Deaminase (AID is an essential regulator of B cell diversification, but its full range of action has until recently been an enigma. Based on homology, it was originally proposed to be an RNA-editing enzyme, but so far, no RNA substrates are known. Rather, it functions by deaminating cytidine, and in this manner, coupled with base-excision repair or mismatch repair machinery, it is a natural mutator. This allows it to play a central role in adaptive immunity, whereby it initiates the processes of class switch recombination and somatic hypermutation to help generate a diverse and high-affinity repertoire of immunoglobulin isotypes. More recently, it has been appreciated that methylated cytidine, already known as a key epigenetic mark on DNA controlling gene expression, can also be a target for AID modification. Coupled with repair machinery, this can facilitate the active removal of methylated DNA. This activity can impact the process of cellular reprogramming, including transition of a somatic cell to pluripotency, which requires major reshuffling of epigenetic memory. Thus, seemingly disparate roles for AID in controlling immune diversity and epigenetic memory have a common mechanistic basis. However, the very activity that is so useful for B cell diversity and cellular reprogramming is dangerous for the integrity of the genome. Thus, AID expression and activity is tightly regulated, and deregulation is associated with diseases including cancer. Here, we review the range of AID functions with a focus on its mechanisms of action and regulation. Major questions remain to be answered concerning how and when AID is targeted to specific loci and how this impacts development and disease.

  3. APOBEC3 cytidine deaminases in double-strand DNA break repair and cancer promotion.

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    Nowarski, Roni; Kotler, Moshe

    2013-06-15

    High frequency of cytidine to thymidine conversions was identified in the genome of several types of cancer cells. In breast cancer cells, these mutations are clustered in long DNA regions associated with single-strand DNA (ssDNA), double-strand DNA breaks (DSB), and genomic rearrangements. The observed mutational pattern resembles the deamination signature of cytidine to uridine carried out by members of the APOBEC3 family of cellular deaminases. Consistently, APOBEC3B (A3B) was recently identified as the mutational source in breast cancer cells. A3G is another member of the cytidine deaminases family predominantly expressed in lymphoma cells, where it is involved in mutational DSB repair following ionizing radiation treatments. This activity provides us with a new paradigm for cancer cell survival and tumor promotion and a mechanistic link between ssDNA, DSBs, and clustered mutations. Cancer Res; 73(12); 3494-8. ©2013 AACR. ©2013 AACR.

  4. Enzymatic conformational fluctuations along the reaction coordinate of cytidine deaminase

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    Noonan, Ryan C.; Carter, Charles W.; Bagdassarian, Carey K.

    2002-01-01

    Analysis of the crystal structures for cytidine deaminase complexed with substrate analog 3-deazacytidine, transition-state analog zebularine 3,4-hydrate, and product uridine establishes significant changes in the magnitude of atomic-scale fluctuations along the (approximate) reaction coordinate of this enzyme. Differences in fluctuations between the substrate analog complex, transition-state analog complex, and product complex are monitored via changes in corresponding crystallographic tempe...

  5. APOBEC3G enhances lymphoma cell radioresistance by promoting cytidine deaminase-dependent DNA repair.

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    Nowarski, Roni; Wilner, Ofer I; Cheshin, Ori; Shahar, Or D; Kenig, Edan; Baraz, Leah; Britan-Rosich, Elena; Nagler, Arnon; Harris, Reuben S; Goldberg, Michal; Willner, Itamar; Kotler, Moshe

    2012-07-12

    APOBEC3 proteins catalyze deamination of cytidines in single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), providing innate protection against retroviral replication by inducing deleterious dC > dU hypermutation of replication intermediates. APOBEC3G expression is induced in mitogen-activated lymphocytes; however, no physiologic role related to lymphoid cell proliferation has yet to be determined. Moreover, whether APOBEC3G cytidine deaminase activity transcends to processing cellular genomic DNA is unknown. Here we show that lymphoma cells expressing high APOBEC3G levels display efficient repair of genomic DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) induced by ionizing radiation and enhanced survival of irradiated cells. APOBEC3G transiently accumulated in the nucleus in response to ionizing radiation and was recruited to DSB repair foci. Consistent with a direct role in DSB repair, inhibition of APOBEC3G expression or deaminase activity resulted in deficient DSB repair, whereas reconstitution of APOBEC3G expression in leukemia cells enhanced DSB repair. APOBEC3G activity involved processing of DNA flanking a DSB in an integrated reporter cassette. Atomic force microscopy indicated that APOBEC3G multimers associate with ssDNA termini, triggering multimer disassembly to multiple catalytic units. These results identify APOBEC3G as a prosurvival factor in lymphoma cells, marking APOBEC3G as a potential target for sensitizing lymphoma to radiation therapy.

  6. Involvement of activation-induced cytidine deaminase in skin cancer development.

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    Nonaka, Taichiro; Toda, Yoshinobu; Hiai, Hiroshi; Uemura, Munehiro; Nakamura, Motonobu; Yamamoto, Norio; Asato, Ryo; Hattori, Yukari; Bessho, Kazuhisa; Minato, Nagahiro; Kinoshita, Kazuo

    2016-04-01

    Most skin cancers develop as the result of UV light-induced DNA damage; however, a substantial number of cases appear to occur independently of UV damage. A causal link between UV-independent skin cancers and chronic inflammation has been suspected, although the precise mechanism underlying this association is unclear. Here, we have proposed that activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID, encoded by AICDA) links chronic inflammation and skin cancer. We demonstrated that Tg mice expressing AID in the skin spontaneously developed skin squamous cell carcinoma with Hras and Trp53 mutations. Furthermore, genetic deletion of Aicda reduced tumor incidence in a murine model of chemical-induced skin carcinogenesis. AID was expressed in human primary keratinocytes in an inflammatory stimulus-dependent manner and was detectable in human skin cancers. Together, the results of this study indicate that inflammation-induced AID expression promotes skin cancer development independently of UV damage and suggest AID as a potential target for skin cancer therapeutics.

  7. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase induces reproducible DNA breaks at many non-Ig Loci in activated B cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Staszewski, Ori; Baker, Richard E.; Ucher, Anna J.; Martier, Raygene; Stavnezer, Janet; Guikema, Jeroen E. J.

    2011-01-01

    After immunization or infection, activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) initiates diversification of immunoglobulin (Ig) genes in B cells, introducing mutations within the antigen-binding V regions (somatic hypermutation, SHM) and double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) into switch (S) regions, leading

  8. Expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase is confined to B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of germinal-center phenotype

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smit, Laura A.; Bende, Richard J.; Aten, Jan; Guikema, Jeroen E. J.; Aarts, Wilhelmina M.; van Noesel, Carel J. M.

    2003-01-01

    Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is essential for somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination of the immunoglobulin (IG) genes in B cells. It has recently been proposed that AID, as the newly identified DNA mutator in man, may be instrumental in initiation and progression of

  9. Asymmetric Modification of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Genomes by an Endogenous Cytidine Deaminase inside HBV Cores Informs a Model of Reverse Transcription.

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    Nair, Smita; Zlotnick, Adam

    2018-05-15

    Cytidine deaminases inhibit replication of a broad range of DNA viruses by deaminating cytidines on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) to generate uracil. While several lines of evidence have revealed hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome editing by deamination, it is still unclear which nucleic acid intermediate of HBV is modified. Hepatitis B virus has a relaxed circular double-stranded DNA (rcDNA) genome that is reverse transcribed within virus cores from a RNA template. The HBV genome also persists as covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) in the nucleus of an infected cell. In the present study, we found that in HBV-producing HepAD38 and HepG2.2.15 cell lines, endogenous cytidine deaminases edited 10 to 25% of HBV rcDNA genomes, asymmetrically with almost all mutations on the 5' half of the minus strand. This region corresponds to the last half of the minus strand to be protected by plus-strand synthesis. Within this half of the genome, the number of mutations peaks in the middle. Overexpressed APOBEC3A and APOBEC3G could be packaged in HBV capsids but did not change the amount or distribution of mutations. We found no deamination on pregenomic RNA (pgRNA), indicating that an intact genome is encapsidated and deaminated during or after reverse transcription. The deamination pattern suggests a model of rcDNA synthesis in which pgRNA and then newly synthesized minus-sense single-stranded DNA are protected from deaminase by interaction with the virus capsid; during plus-strand synthesis, when enough dsDNA has been synthesized to displace the remaining minus strand from the capsid surface, the single-stranded DNA becomes deaminase sensitive. IMPORTANCE Host-induced mutation of the HBV genome by APOBEC proteins may be a path to clearing the virus. We examined cytidine-to-thymidine mutations in the genomes of HBV particles grown in the presence or absence of overexpressed APOBEC proteins. We found that genomes were subjected to deamination activity during reverse transcription

  10. A putative antiviral role of plant cytidine deaminases [version 2; referees: 2 approved

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    Susana Martín

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: A mechanism of innate antiviral immunity operating against viruses infecting mammalian cells has been described during the last decade.  Host cytidine deaminases (e.g., APOBEC3 proteins edit viral genomes, giving rise to hypermutated nonfunctional viruses; consequently, viral fitness is reduced through lethal mutagenesis.  By contrast, sub-lethal hypermutagenesis may contribute to virus evolvability by increasing population diversity.  To prevent genome editing, some viruses have evolved proteins that mediate APOBEC3 degradation.  The model plant Arabidopsis thaliana genome encodes nine cytidine deaminases (AtCDAs, raising the question of whether deamination is an antiviral mechanism in plants as well. Methods: Here we tested the effects of expression of AtCDAs on the pararetrovirus Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV. Two different experiments were carried out. First, we transiently overexpressed each one of the nine A. thaliana AtCDA genes in Nicotiana bigelovii plants infected with CaMV, and characterized the resulting mutational spectra, comparing them with those generated under normal conditions.  Secondly, we created A. thaliana transgenic plants expressing an artificial microRNA designed to knock-out the expression of up to six AtCDA genes.  This and control plants were then infected with CaMV.  Virus accumulation and mutational spectra where characterized in both types of plants. Results:  We have shown that the A. thaliana AtCDA1 gene product exerts a mutagenic activity, significantly increasing the number of G to A mutations in vivo, with a concomitant reduction in the amount of CaMV genomes accumulated.  Furthermore, the magnitude of this mutagenic effect on CaMV accumulation is positively correlated with the level of AtCDA1 mRNA expression in the plant. Conclusions: Our results suggest that deamination of viral genomes may also work as an antiviral mechanism in plants.

  11. Myeloprotection by Cytidine Deaminase Gene Transfer in Antileukemic Therapy

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    Nico Lachmann

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Gene transfer of drug resistance (CTX-R genes can be used to protect the hematopoietic system from the toxicity of anticancer chemotherapy and this concept recently has been proven by overexpression of a mutant O6-methylguaninemethyltransferase in the hematopoietic system of glioblastoma patients treated with temozolomide. Given its protection capacity against such relevant drugs as cytosine arabinoside (ara-C, gemcitabine, decitabine, or azacytidine and the highly hematopoiesis-specific toxicity profile of several of these agents, cytidine deaminase (CDD represents another interesting candidate CTX-R gene and our group recently has established the myeloprotective capacity of CDD gene transfer in a number of murine transplant studies. Clinically, CDD overexpression appears particularly suited to optimize treatment strategies for acute leukemias and myelodysplasias given the efficacy of ara-C (and to a lesser degree decitabine and azacytidine in these disease entities. This article will review the current state of the art with regard to CDD gene transfer and point out potential scenarios for a clinical application of this strategy. In addition, risks and potential side effects associated with this approach as well as strategies to overcome these problems will be highlighted.

  12. Acquisition of Genetic Aberrations by Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase (AID) during Inflammation-Associated Carcinogenesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takai, Atsushi; Marusawa, Hiroyuki; Chiba, Tsutomu

    2011-01-01

    Genetic abnormalities such as nucleotide alterations and chromosomal disorders that accumulate in various tumor-related genes have an important role in cancer development. The precise mechanism of the acquisition of genetic aberrations, however, remains unclear. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), a nucleotide editing enzyme, is essential for the diversification of antibody production. AID is expressed only in activated B lymphocytes under physiologic conditions and induces somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination in immunoglobulin genes. Inflammation leads to aberrant AID expression in various gastrointestinal organs and increased AID expression contributes to cancer development by inducing genetic alterations in epithelial cells. Studies of how AID induces genetic disorders are expected to elucidate the mechanism of inflammation-associated carcinogenesis

  13. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is localized to subnuclear domains enriched in splicing factors

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    Hu, Yi, E-mail: yihooyi@gmail.com; Ericsson, Ida, E-mail: ida.ericsson@ntnu.no; Doseth, Berit, E-mail: berit.doseth@ntnu.no; Liabakk, Nina B., E-mail: nina.beate.liabakk@ntnu.no; Krokan, Hans E., E-mail: hans.krokan@ntnu.no; Kavli, Bodil, E-mail: bodil.kavli@ntnu.no

    2014-03-10

    Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is the mutator enzyme in adaptive immunity. AID initiates the antibody diversification processes in activated B cells by deaminating cytosine to uracil in immunoglobulin genes. To some extent other genes are also targeted, which may lead to genome instability and B cell malignancy. Thus, it is crucial to understand its targeting and regulation mechanisms. AID is regulated at several levels including subcellular compartmentalization. However, the complex nuclear distribution and trafficking of AID has not been studied in detail previously. In this work, we examined the subnuclear localization of AID and its interaction partner CTNNBL1 and found that they associate with spliceosome-associated structures including Cajal bodies and nuclear speckles. Moreover, protein kinase A (PKA), which activates AID by phosphorylation at Ser38, is present together with AID in nuclear speckles. Importantly, we demonstrate that AID physically associates with the major spliceosome subunits (small nuclear ribonucleoproteins, snRNPs), as well as other essential splicing components, in addition to the transcription machinery. Based on our findings and the literature, we suggest a transcription-coupled splicing-associated model for AID targeting and activation. - Highlights: • AID and its interaction partner CTNNBL1 localize to Cajal bodies and nuclear speckles. • AID associates with its activating kinase PKA in nuclear speckles. • AID is linked to the splicing machinery in switching B-cells. • Our findings suggest a transcription-coupled splicing associated mechanism for AID targeting and activation.

  14. Cytidine deaminases from B. subtilis and E. coli: compensating effects of changing zinc coordination and quaternary structure.

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    Carlow, D C; Carter, C W; Mejlhede, N; Neuhard, J; Wolfenden, R

    1999-09-21

    Cytidine deaminase from E. coli is a dimer of identical subunits (M(r) = 31 540), each containing a single zinc atom. Cytidine deaminase from B. subtilis is a tetramer of identical subunits (M(r) = 14 800). After purification from an overexpressing strain, the enzyme from B. subtilis is found to contain a single atom of zinc per enzyme subunit by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. Fluorescence titration indicates that each of the four subunits contains a binding site for the transition state analogue inhibitor 5-fluoro-3,4-dihydrouridine. A region of amino acid sequence homology, containing residues that are involved in zinc coordination in the enzyme from E. coli, strongly suggests that in the enzyme from B. subtilis, zinc is coordinated by the thiolate side chains of three cysteine residues (Cys-53, Cys-86, and Cys-89) [Song, B. H., and Neuhard, J. (1989) Mol. Gen. Genet. 216, 462-468]. This pattern of zinc coordination appears to be novel for a hydrolytic enzyme, and might be expected to reduce the reactivity of the active site substantially compared with that of the enzyme from E. coli (His-102, Cys-129, and Cys-132). Instead, the B. subtilis and E. coli enzymes are found to be similar in their activities, and also in their relative binding affinities for a series of structurally related inhibitors with binding affinities that span a range of 6 orders of magnitude. In addition, the apparent pK(a) value of the active site is shifted upward by less than 1 unit. Sequence alignments, together with model building, suggest one possible mechanism of compensation.

  15. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase deficiency causes organ-specific autoimmune disease.

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    Koji Hase

    Full Text Available Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID expressed by germinal center B cells is a central regulator of somatic hypermutation (SHM and class switch recombination (CSR. Humans with AID mutations develop not only the autosomal recessive form of hyper-IgM syndrome (HIGM2 associated with B cell hyperplasia, but also autoimmune disorders by unknown mechanisms. We report here that AID-/- mice spontaneously develop tertiary lymphoid organs (TLOs in non-lymphoid tissues including the stomach at around 6 months of age. At a later stage, AID-/- mice develop a severe gastritis characterized by loss of gastric glands and epithelial hyperplasia. The disease development was not attenuated even under germ-free (GF conditions. Gastric autoantigen -specific serum IgM was elevated in AID-/- mice, and the serum levels correlated with the gastritis pathological score. Adoptive transfer experiments suggest that autoimmune CD4+ T cells mediate gastritis development as terminal effector cells. These results suggest that abnormal B-cell expansion due to AID deficiency can drive B-cell autoimmunity, and in turn promote TLO formation, which ultimately leads to the propagation of organ-specific autoimmune effector CD4+ T cells. Thus, AID plays an important role in the containment of autoimmune diseases by negative regulation of autoreactive B cells.

  16. A Novel Regulator of Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase/APOBECs in Immunity and Cancer: Schrödinger’s CATalytic Pocket

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    Mani Larijani

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID and its relative APOBEC3 cytidine deaminases boost immune response by mutating immune or viral genes. Because of their genome-mutating activities, AID/APOBECs are also drivers of tumorigenesis. Due to highly charged surfaces, extensive non-specific protein–protein/nucleic acid interactions, formation of polydisperse oligomers, and general insolubility, structure elucidation of these proteins by X-ray crystallography and NMR has been challenging. Hence, almost all available AID/APOBEC structures are of mutated and/or truncated versions. In 2015, we reported a functional structure for AID using a combined computational–biochemical approach. In so doing, we described a new regulatory mechanism that is a first for human DNA/RNA-editing enzymes. This mechanism involves dynamic closure of the catalytic pocket. Subsequent X-ray and NMR studies confirmed our discovery by showing that other APOBEC3s also close their catalytic pockets. Here, we highlight catalytic pocket closure as an emerging and important regulatory mechanism of AID/APOBEC3s. We focus on three sub-topics: first, we propose that variable pocket closure rates across AID/APOBEC3s underlie differential activity in immunity and cancer and review supporting evidence. Second, we discuss dynamic pocket closure as an ever-present internal regulator, in contrast to other proposed regulatory mechanisms that involve extrinsic binding partners. Third, we compare the merits of classical approaches of X-ray and NMR, with that of emerging computational–biochemical approaches, for structural elucidation specifically for AID/APOBEC3s.

  17. Of the Nine Cytidine Deaminase-Like Genes in Arabidopsis, Eight Are Pseudogenes and Only One Is Required to Maintain Pyrimidine Homeostasis in Vivo.

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    Chen, Mingjia; Herde, Marco; Witte, Claus-Peter

    2016-06-01

    CYTIDINE DEAMINASE (CDA) catalyzes the deamination of cytidine to uridine and ammonia in the catabolic route of C nucleotides. The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) CDA gene family comprises nine members, one of which (AtCDA) was shown previously in vitro to encode an active CDA. A possible role in C-to-U RNA editing or in antiviral defense has been discussed for other members. A comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of plant CDA sequences, combined with biochemical functionality tests, strongly suggests that all Arabidopsis CDA family members except AtCDA are pseudogenes and that most plants only require a single CDA gene. Soybean (Glycine max) possesses three CDA genes, but only two encode functional enzymes and just one has very high catalytic efficiency. AtCDA and soybean CDAs are located in the cytosol. The functionality of AtCDA in vivo was demonstrated with loss-of-function mutants accumulating high amounts of cytidine but also CMP, cytosine, and some uridine in seeds. Cytidine hydrolysis in cda mutants is likely caused by NUCLEOSIDE HYDROLASE1 (NSH1) because cytosine accumulation is strongly reduced in a cda nsh1 double mutant. Altered responses of the cda mutants to fluorocytidine and fluorouridine indicate that a dual specific nucleoside kinase is involved in cytidine as well as uridine salvage. CDA mutants display a reduction in rosette size and have fewer leaves compared with the wild type, which is probably not caused by defective pyrimidine catabolism but by the accumulation of pyrimidine catabolism intermediates reaching toxic concentrations. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  18. Autosomal recessive hyper IgM syndrome associated with activation-induced cytidine deaminase gene in three Turkish siblings presented with tuberculosis lymphadenitis - Case report.

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    Patiroglu, Turkan; Akar, H Haluk; van der Burg, Mirjam; Unal, Ekrem

    2015-09-01

    The hyper-immunoglobulin M (HIGM) syndrome is a heterogeneous group of genetic disorders characterized by recurrent infections, decreased serum levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA, and normal/increased serum levels of IgM. Herein, we describe three Turkish siblings with HIGM syndrome who had a homozygous missense mutation (c.70C>T, p.Arg24Trp) in the activation-induced cytidine deaminase gene which results in autosomal recessive HIGM syndrome. Two of the siblings, sibling 1 and sibling 3, presented with cervical deep abscess and cervical tuberculosis lymphadenitis, respectively.

  19. SU-C-303-01: Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase Confers Cancer Resistance to Radiation Therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yi, S; La Count, S; Liu, J; Bai, X; Lu, L

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: To study the role of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) in malignant cell resistance to radiation therapy. Methods: We first developed several small devices that could be used to adopt radiation beams from clinical high dose rate brachy therapy (HDR) or linac-based megavoltage machines to perform pre-clinical cell and mouse experiments. Then we used these devices to deliver radiation to AID-positive and AID-silenced cancer cells or tumors formed by these cells in mice. Cells and mice bearing tumors received the same dose under the same experimental conditions. For cells, we observed the apoptosis and the cell survival rate over time. For mice bearing tumors, we measured and recorded the tumor sizes every other day for 4 weeks. Results: For cell experiments, we found that the AID-positive cells underwent much less apoptosis compared with AID-silenced cells upon radiation. And for mouse experiments, we found that AID-positive tumors grew significantly faster than the AID-silenced tumors despite of receiving the same doses of radiation. Conclusion: Our study suggests that AID may confer cancer resistance to radiation therapy, and AID may be a significant biomarker predicting cancer resistance to radiation therapy for certain cancer types

  20. Significance of determination of serum cytidine deaminase (CD) levels for diagnosis of active rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiao Chuangqing; Jang Xiaogong; He Yunnan

    2005-01-01

    Objective: To determine the clinical value of measurement of serum cytidine deaminase (CD) levels in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Serum levels of CD were detected with spectrophotometry, in 33 patients with active RA and 60 controls. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and CRP content were also determined in both groups. Results: The ser- um CD contents in patients with active RA(14.80 ± 2.11U/ml) were significantly higher than those in controls(4.86±1.86 U/ml,P<0.01). The CRP contents (51.46 ± 20.43mg/L) and ESR readings(85.03 ± 27.6mm/h) in the patients were also significantly higher than those in the controls(3.40 ± 2.21mg/L and 13.04 ± 4.89mm/h respectively, all P<0.01). In the patients, the serum CD contents were linearly positively correlated with the ESR contents and CRP readings (r=0.6324 and 0.8013 respectively, P <0.01). Conclusion: Serum CD is an early biochemical marker for diagnosis of active rheumatoid arthritis and is also of prognostic value. (authors)

  1. Restriction of Equine Infectious Anemia Virus by Equine APOBEC3 Cytidine Deaminases ▿ †

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    Zielonka, Jörg; Bravo, Ignacio G.; Marino, Daniela; Conrad, Elea; Perković, Mario; Battenberg, Marion; Cichutek, Klaus; Münk, Carsten

    2009-01-01

    The mammalian APOBEC3 (A3) proteins comprise a multigene family of cytidine deaminases that act as potent inhibitors of retroviruses and retrotransposons. The A3 locus on the chromosome 28 of the horse genome contains multiple A3 genes: two copies of A3Z1, five copies of A3Z2, and a single copy of A3Z3, indicating a complex evolution of multiple gene duplications. We have cloned and analyzed for expression the different equine A3 genes and examined as well the subcellular distribution of the corresponding proteins. Additionally, we have tested the functional antiretroviral activity of the equine and of several of the human and nonprimate A3 proteins against the Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), the Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), and the Adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV-2). Hematopoietic cells of horses express at least five different A3s: A3Z1b, A3Z2a-Z2b, A3Z2c-Z2d, A3Z2e, and A3Z3, whereas circulating macrophages, the natural target of EIAV, express only part of the A3 repertoire. The five A3Z2 tandem copies arose after three consecutive, recent duplication events in the horse lineage, after the split between Equidae and Carnivora. The duplicated genes show different antiviral activities against different viruses: equine A3Z3 and A3Z2c-Z2d are potent inhibitors of EIAV while equine A3Z1b, A3Z2a-Z2b, A3Z2e showed only weak anti-EIAV activity. Equine A3Z1b and A3Z3 restricted AAV and all equine A3s, except A3Z1b, inhibited SIV. We hypothesize that the horse A3 genes are undergoing a process of subfunctionalization in their respective viral specificities, which might provide the evolutionary advantage for keeping five copies of the original gene. PMID:19458006

  2. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID)-dependent somatic hypermutation requires a splice isoform of the serine/arginine-rich (SR) protein SRSF1.

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    Kanehiro, Yuichi; Todo, Kagefumi; Negishi, Misaki; Fukuoka, Junji; Gan, Wenjian; Hikasa, Takuya; Kaga, Yoshiaki; Takemoto, Masayuki; Magari, Masaki; Li, Xialu; Manley, James L; Ohmori, Hitoshi; Kanayama, Naoki

    2012-01-24

    Somatic hypermutation (SHM) of Ig variable region (IgV) genes requires both IgV transcription and the enzyme activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). Identification of a cofactor responsible for the fact that IgV genes are much more sensitive to AID-induced mutagenesis than other genes is a key question in immunology. Here, we describe an essential role for a splice isoform of the prototypical serine/arginine-rich (SR) protein SRSF1, termed SRSF1-3, in AID-induced SHM in a DT40 chicken B-cell line. Unexpectedly, we found that SHM does not occur in a DT40 line lacking SRSF1-3 (DT40-ASF), although it is readily detectable in parental DT40 cells. Strikingly, overexpression of AID in DT40-ASF cells led to a large increase in nonspecific (off-target) mutations. In contrast, introduction of SRSF1-3, but not SRSF1, into these cells specifically restored SHM without increasing off-target mutations. Furthermore, we found that SRSF1-3 binds preferentially to the IgV gene and inhibits processing of the Ig transcript, providing a mechanism by which SRSF1-3 makes the IgV gene available for AID-dependent SHM. SRSF1 not only acts as an essential splicing factor but also regulates diverse aspects of mRNA metabolism and maintains genome stability. Our findings, thus, define an unexpected and important role for SRSF1, particularly for its splice variant, in enabling AID to function specifically on its natural substrate during SHM.

  3. Crystal structure of APOBEC3A bound to single-stranded DNA reveals structural basis for cytidine deamination and specificity.

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    Kouno, Takahide; Silvas, Tania V; Hilbert, Brendan J; Shandilya, Shivender M D; Bohn, Markus F; Kelch, Brian A; Royer, William E; Somasundaran, Mohan; Kurt Yilmaz, Nese; Matsuo, Hiroshi; Schiffer, Celia A

    2017-04-28

    Nucleic acid editing enzymes are essential components of the immune system that lethally mutate viral pathogens and somatically mutate immunoglobulins, and contribute to the diversification and lethality of cancers. Among these enzymes are the seven human APOBEC3 deoxycytidine deaminases, each with unique target sequence specificity and subcellular localization. While the enzymology and biological consequences have been extensively studied, the mechanism by which APOBEC3s recognize and edit DNA remains elusive. Here we present the crystal structure of a complex of a cytidine deaminase with ssDNA bound in the active site at 2.2 Å. This structure not only visualizes the active site poised for catalysis of APOBEC3A, but pinpoints the residues that confer specificity towards CC/TC motifs. The APOBEC3A-ssDNA complex defines the 5'-3' directionality and subtle conformational changes that clench the ssDNA within the binding groove, revealing the architecture and mechanism of ssDNA recognition that is likely conserved among all polynucleotide deaminases, thereby opening the door for the design of mechanistic-based therapeutics.

  4. Expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase gene in B lymphocytes of patients with common variable immunodeficiency.

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    Abolhassani, Hassan; Farrokhi, Amir Salek; Pourhamdi, Shabnam; Mohammadinejad, Payam; Sadeghi, Bamdad; Moazzeni, Seyed-Mohammad; Aghamohammadi, Asghar

    2013-08-01

    Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by reduced serum level of IgG, IgA or IgM and recurrent bacterial infections. Class switch recombination (CSR) as a critical process in immunoglobulin production is defective in a group of CVID patients. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) protein is an important molecule involving CSR process. The aim of this study was to investigate the AID gene mRNA production in a group of CVID patients indicating possible role of this molecule in this disorder. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 29 CVID patients and 21 healthy controls were isolated and stimulated by CD40L and IL-4 to induce AID gene expression. After 5 days AID gene mRNA production was investigated by real time polymerase chain reaction. AID gene was expressed in all of the studied patients. However the mean density of extracted AID mRNA showed higher level in CVID patients (230.95±103.04 ng/ml) rather than controls (210.00±44.72 ng/ml; P=0.5). CVID cases with lower level of AID had decreased total level of IgE (P=0.04) and stimulated IgE production (P=0.02); while cases with increased level of AID presented higher level of IgA (P=0.04) and numbers of B cells (P=0.02) and autoimmune disease (P=0.02). Different levels of AID gene expression may have important roles in dysregulation of immune system and final clinical presentation in CVID patients. Therefore investigating the expression of AID gene can help in classifying CVID patients.

  5. Diversification of AID/APOBEC-like deaminases in metazoa: multiplicity of clades and widespread roles in immunity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krishnan, Arunkumar; Iyer, Lakshminarayan M; Holland, Stephen J; Boehm, Thomas; Aravind, L

    2018-04-03

    AID/APOBEC deaminases (AADs) convert cytidine to uridine in single-stranded nucleic acids. They are involved in numerous mutagenic processes, including those underpinning vertebrate innate and adaptive immunity. Using a multipronged sequence analysis strategy, we uncover several AADs across metazoa, dictyosteliida, and algae, including multiple previously unreported vertebrate clades, and versions from urochordates, nematodes, echinoderms, arthropods, lophotrochozoans, cnidarians, and porifera. Evolutionary analysis suggests a fundamental division of AADs early in metazoan evolution into secreted deaminases (SNADs) and classical AADs, followed by diversification into several clades driven by rapid-sequence evolution, gene loss, lineage-specific expansions, and lateral transfer to various algae. Most vertebrate AADs, including AID and APOBECs1-3, diversified in the vertebrates, whereas the APOBEC4-like clade has a deeper origin in metazoa. Positional entropy analysis suggests that several AAD clades are diversifying rapidly, especially in the positions predicted to interact with the nucleic acid target motif, and with potential viral inhibitors. Further, several AADs have evolved neomorphic metal-binding inserts, especially within loops predicted to interact with the target nucleic acid. We also observe polymorphisms, driven by alternative splicing, gene loss, and possibly intergenic recombination between paralogs. We propose that biological conflicts of AADs with viruses and genomic retroelements are drivers of rapid AAD evolution, suggesting a widespread presence of mutagenesis-based immune-defense systems. Deaminases like AID represent versions "institutionalized" from the broader array of AADs pitted in such arms races for mutagenesis of self-DNA, and similar recruitment might have independently occurred elsewhere in metazoa. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

  6. Pyrimidine Pool Disequilibrium Induced by a Cytidine Deaminase Deficiency Inhibits PARP-1 Activity, Leading to the Under Replication of DNA.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon Gemble

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Genome stability is jeopardized by imbalances of the dNTP pool; such imbalances affect the rate of fork progression. For example, cytidine deaminase (CDA deficiency leads to an excess of dCTP, slowing the replication fork. We describe here a novel mechanism by which pyrimidine pool disequilibrium compromises the completion of replication and chromosome segregation: the intracellular accumulation of dCTP inhibits PARP-1 activity. CDA deficiency results in incomplete DNA replication when cells enter mitosis, leading to the formation of ultrafine anaphase bridges between sister-chromatids at "difficult-to-replicate" sites such as centromeres and fragile sites. Using molecular combing, electron microscopy and a sensitive assay involving cell imaging to quantify steady-state PAR levels, we found that DNA replication was unsuccessful due to the partial inhibition of basal PARP-1 activity, rather than slower fork speed. The stimulation of PARP-1 activity in CDA-deficient cells restores replication and, thus, chromosome segregation. Moreover, increasing intracellular dCTP levels generates under-replication-induced sister-chromatid bridges as efficiently as PARP-1 knockdown. These results have direct implications for Bloom syndrome (BS, a rare genetic disease combining susceptibility to cancer and genomic instability. BS results from mutation of the BLM gene, encoding BLM, a RecQ 3'-5' DNA helicase, a deficiency of which leads to CDA downregulation. BS cells thus have a CDA defect, resulting in a high frequency of ultrafine anaphase bridges due entirely to dCTP-dependent PARP-1 inhibition and independent of BLM status. Our study describes previously unknown pathological consequences of the distortion of dNTP pools and reveals an unexpected role for PARP-1 in preventing DNA under-replication and chromosome segregation defects.

  7. Regulated production and anti-HIV type 1 activities of cytidine deaminases APOBEC3B, 3F, and 3G.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rose, Kristine M; Marin, Mariana; Kozak, Susan L; Kabat, David

    2005-07-01

    APOBEC3G and 3F (A3G and A3F) cytidine deaminases incorporate into retroviral cores where they lethally hypermutate nascent DNA reverse transcripts. As substantiated here, the viral infectivity factor (Vif) encoded by human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) binds A3G and A3F and induces their degradation, thereby precluding their incorporation into viral progeny. Previous evidence suggested that A3G is expressed in H9 and other nonpermissive cells that contain this antiviral defense but not in several permissive cells, and that overexpression of A3G or A3F makes permissive cells nonpermissive. Using a broader panel of cell lines, we confirmed a correlation between A3G and cellular abilities to inactivate HIV-1(Deltavif). However, there was a quantitative discrepancy because several cells with weak antiviral activities had similar amounts of wild-type A3G mRNA and protein compared to H9 cells. Antiviral activity of H9 cells was also attenuated in some conditions. These quantitative discrepancies could not be explained by the presence of A3F or other A3G paralogs in some of the cell lines. Thus, A3A, A3B, and A3C had weak but significant anti-HIV-1 activities and did not dominantly interfere with A3G or A3F antiviral functions. Control of A3G synthesis by the protein kinase C/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway was also similar in permissive and nonpermissive cells. A3G in highly permissive cells is degraded by Vif, suggesting that it is not in a sequestered site, and is specifically incorporated in low amounts into HIV-1(Deltavif). Although A3G and/or A3F inactivate HIV-1(Deltavif) and are neutralized by Vif, the antiviral properties of cell lines are also influenced by other cellular and viral factors.

  8. Re-editing the paradigm of Cytidine (C) to Uridine (U) RNA editing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fossat, Nicolas; Tam, Patrick P L

    2014-01-01

    Cytidine (C) to Uridine (U) RNA editing is a post-trancriptional modification that until recently was known to only affect Apolipoprotein b (Apob) RNA and minimally require 2 components of the C to U editosome, the deaminase APOBEC1 and the RNA-binding protein A1CF. Our latest work has identified a novel RNA-binding protein, RBM47, as a core component of the editosome, which can substitute A1CF for the editing of ApoB mRNA. In addition, new RNA species that are subjected to C to U editing have been identified. Here, we highlight these recent discoveries and discuss how they change our view of the composition of the C to U editing machinery and expand our knowledge of the functional attributes of C to U RNA editing.

  9. Antigen receptors and somatic hypermutation in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia with Richter's transformation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smit, Laura A.; van Maldegem, Febe; Langerak, Anton W.; van der Schoot, C. Ellen; de Wit, Mireille J.; Bea, Silvia; Campo, Elias; Bende, Richard J.; van Noesel, Carel J. M.

    2006-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Activation-induced cytidine deaminase is essential for somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination of the immunoglobulin genes in B cells. It has been proposed that aberrant targeting of the somatic hypermutation machinery is instrumental in initiation and

  10. Targeting APOBEC3A to the viral nucleoprotein complex confers antiviral activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Strebel Klaus

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background APOBEC3 (A3 proteins constitute a family of cytidine deaminases that provide intracellular resistance to retrovirus replication and to transposition of endogenous retroelements. A3A has significant homology to the C-terminus of A3G but has only a single cytidine deaminase active site (CDA, unlike A3G, which has a second N-terminal CDA previously found to be important for Vif sensitivity and virus encapsidation. A3A is packaged into HIV-1 virions but, unlike A3G, does not have antiviral properties. Here, we investigated the reason for the lack of A3A antiviral activity. Results Sequence alignment of A3G and A3A revealed significant homology of A3A to the C-terminal region of A3G. However, while A3G co-purified with detergent-resistant viral nucleoprotein complexes (NPC, virus-associated A3A was highly detergent-sensitive leading us to speculate that the ability to assemble into NPC may be a property conveyed by the A3G N-terminus. To test this model, we constructed an A3G-3A chimeric protein, in which the N-terminal half of A3G was fused to A3A. Interestingly, the A3G-3A chimera was packaged into HIV-1 particles and, unlike A3A, associated with the viral NPC. Furthermore, the A3G-3A chimera displayed strong antiviral activity against HIV-1 and was sensitive to inhibition by HIV-1 Vif. Conclusion Our results suggest that the A3G N-terminal domain carries determinants important for targeting the protein to viral NPCs. Transfer of this domain to A3A results in A3A targeting to viral NPCs and confers antiviral activity.

  11. Epstein-Barr Virus Lytic Reactivation Activates B Cells Polyclonally and Induces Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase Expression: A Mechanism Underlying Autoimmunity and Its Contribution to Graves' Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagata, Keiko; Kumata, Keisuke; Nakayama, Yuji; Satoh, Yukio; Sugihara, Hirotsugu; Hara, Sayuri; Matsushita, Michiko; Kuwamoto, Satoshi; Kato, Masako; Murakami, Ichiro; Hayashi, Kazuhiko

    2017-04-01

    Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease that results in and is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism, and the reactivation of persisting Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in B lymphocytes induces the differentiation of host B cells into plasma cells. We previously reported that some EBV-infected B cells had thyrotropin receptor antibodies (TRAbs) as surface immunoglobulins (Igs), and EBV reactivation induced these TRAb+EBV+ cells to produce TRAbs. EBV reactivation induces Ig production from host B cells. The purpose of the present study was to examine total Ig productions from B cell culture fluids and to detect activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), and EBV latent membrane protein (LMP) 1 in culture B cells during EBV reactivation induction and then we discussed the mechanisms of EBV reactivation-induced Ig production in relation to autoimmunity. We showed that the EBV reactivation induces the production of every isotype of Ig and suggested that the Ig production was catalyzed by AID through LMP1 and NF-κB. The results that the amount of IgM was significantly larger compared with IgG suggested the polyclonal B cell activation due to LMP1. We proposed the pathway of EBV reactivation induced Ig production; B cells newly infected with EBV are activated by polyclonal B cell activation and produce Igs through plasma cell differentiation induced by EBV reactivation. LMP1-induced AID enabled B cells to undergo class-switch recombination to produce every isotype of Ig. According to this mechanism, EBV rescues autoreactive B cells to produce autoantibodies, which contribute to the development and exacerbation of autoimmune diseases.

  12. Gender Differences in Global but Not Targeted Demethylation in iPSC Reprogramming

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Inês Milagre

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Global DNA demethylation is an integral part of reprogramming processes in vivo and in vitro, but whether it occurs in the derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs is not known. Here, we show that iPSC reprogramming involves both global and targeted demethylation, which are separable mechanistically and by their biological outcomes. Cells at intermediate-late stages of reprogramming undergo transient genome-wide demethylation, which is more pronounced in female cells. Global demethylation requires activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID-mediated downregulation of UHRF1 protein, and abolishing demethylation leaves thousands of hypermethylated regions in the iPSC genome. Independently of AID and global demethylation, regulatory regions, particularly ESC enhancers and super-enhancers, are specifically targeted for hypomethylation in association with transcription of the pluripotency network. Our results show that global and targeted DNA demethylation are conserved and distinct reprogramming processes, presumably because of their respective roles in epigenetic memory erasure and in the establishment of cell identity.

  13. Potential Development of Tumor-Targeted Oral Anti-Cancer Prodrugs: Amino Acid and Dipeptide Monoester Prodrugs of Gemcitabine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsume, Yasuhiro; Drelich, Adam J; Smith, David E; Amidon, Gordon L

    2017-08-10

    One of the main obstacles for cancer therapies is to deliver medicines effectively to target sites. Since stroma cells are developed around tumors, chemotherapeutic agents have to go through stroma cells in order to reach tumors. As a method to improve drug delivery to the tumor site, a prodrug approach for gemcitabine was adopted. Amino acid and dipeptide monoester prodrugs of gemcitabine were synthesized and their chemical stability in buffers, resistance to thymidine phosphorylase and cytidine deaminase, antiproliferative activity, and uptake/permeability in HFF cells as a surrogate to stroma cells were determined and compared to their parent drug, gemcitabine. The activation of all gemcitabine prodrugs was faster in pancreatic cell homogenates than their hydrolysis in buffer, suggesting enzymatic action. All prodrugs exhibited great stability in HFF cell homogenate, enhanced resistance to glycosidic bond metabolism by thymidine phosphorylase, and deamination by cytidine deaminase compared to their parent drug. All gemcitabine prodrugs exhibited higher uptake in HFF cells and better permeability across HFF monolayers than gemcitabine, suggesting a better delivery to tumor sites. Cell antiproliferative assays in Panc-1 and Capan-2 pancreatic ductal cell lines indicated that the gemcitabine prodrugs were more potent than their parent drug gemcitabine. The transport and enzymatic profiles of gemcitabine prodrugs suggest their potential for delayed enzymatic bioconversion and enhanced resistance to metabolic enzymes, as well as for enhanced drug delivery to tumor sites, and cytotoxic activity in cancer cells. These attributes would facilitate the prolonged systemic circulation and improved therapeutic efficacy of gemcitabine prodrugs.

  14. Characterization of pterin deaminase from Mucor indicus MTCC 3513

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thandeeswaran, M.; Karthika, P.; Mahendran, R.; Palaniswamy, M.; Angayarkanni, J.

    2018-03-01

    Pterin deaminase is an amidohydrolase enzyme which hydrolyses pteridines to produce lumazine derivatives and ammonia. Even though the enzyme was shown as early as 1959 for its anticancer efficacy there was a long gap in the communique after that which was in 2013. In our study we have chosen Mucor indicus MTCC 3513 which was a promising strain for production of different industrial products.The pterin deaminase enzyme was harvested and extracellular from M. indicus. The extracellular sample was partially purified by using ethanol precipitation and ion exchange column (Hi-Trap QFF) in Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography. The molecular weight of the purified pterin deaminase enzyme was apparently determined by SDS-PAGE. The purified enzyme was further biochemically characterized. Molecular docking studies with the predicted sequence showed higher binding affinity towards folic acid interaction. The structure of this protein may open the windows for new drug targets for cancer therapy.

  15. Influence of x-rays on the deamination of cytidine compounds in yeasts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marutyan, S.V.; Navasardyan, A.L.; Arakelyan, L.R.; Navasardyan, L.A.

    2011-01-01

    The investigation of deamination of cytidine, cytosine, and cytidine nucleotides (CMP, CDP and CTP) was carried out on yeast Candida guilliermondii. It has been shown, that after exposure to X-ray the value of deamination of (CTD) was decreased, and the value of deamination of cytosine was increased. The increase of deamination level was detected in presence of all substrates besides cytidine after the post radiation repair of cells

  16. Targeted cytosine deaminase-uracil phosphoribosyl transferase suicide gene therapy induces small cell lung cancer-specific cytotoxicity and tumor growth delay

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Camilla L; Gjetting, Torben; Poulsen, Thomas Tuxen

    2010-01-01

    Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly malignant cancer for which there is no curable treatment. Novel therapies are therefore in great demand. In the present study we investigated the therapeutic effect of transcriptionally targeted suicide gene therapy for SCLC based on the yeast cytosine...... deaminase (YCD) gene alone or fused with the yeast uracil phosphoribosyl transferase (YUPRT) gene followed by administration of 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) prodrug. Experimental design: The YCD gene or the YCD-YUPRT gene was placed under regulation of the SCLC-specific promoter insulinoma-associated 1 (INSM1...

  17. Targeted inhibition of osteosarcoma tumor growth by bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells expressing cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine in tumor-bearing mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    NguyenThai, Quynh-Anh; Sharma, Neelesh; Luong, Do Huynh; Sodhi, Simrinder Singh; Kim, Jeong-Hyun; Kim, Nameun; Oh, Sung-Jong; Jeong, Dong Kee

    2015-01-01

    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered as an attractive approach for gene or drug delivery in cancer therapy. In the present study, the ability of human bone marrow-derived MSCs expressing the cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine prodrug (CD/5-FC MSCs) to target the human osteosarcoma cell line Cal72 was evaluated. The stable CD/5-FC MSC cell line was established by transfection of pEGFP containing the cytosine deaminase gene into MSCs with G418 selection. The anti-tumor effect was verified by a bystander effect assay in vitro and co-injection of Cal72 and CD/5-FC MSCs in cancer-bearing mice. The therapeutic CD/5-FC MSCs retained the characteristics of multipotent cells, such as differentiation into adipocytes/osteocytes and expression of mesenchymal markers (CD90 and CD44), and showed migration toward Cal72 cells to a greater extent than the native MSCs. The bystander effect assay showed that the CD/5-FC MSCs significantly augmented Cal72 cytotoxicity in direct co-culture and in the presence of 5-FC through the application of conditioned medium. In osteosarcoma-bearing mice, the CD/5-FC MSCs inhibited tumor growth compared to control mice subcutaneously injected with only Cal72 cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that CD/5-FC MSCs may be suitable for targeting human osteosarcoma. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. Combined deficiency of MSH2 and Sμ region abolishes class switch recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leduc, Claire; Haddad, Dania; Laviolette-Malirat, Nathalie; Nguyen Huu, Ngoc-Sa; Khamlichi, Ahmed Amine

    2010-10-01

    Class switch recombination (CSR) is mediated by G-rich tandem repeated sequences termed switch regions. Transcription of switch regions generates single-stranded R loops that provide substrates for activation-induced cytidine deaminase. Mice deficient in MSH2 have a mild defect in CSR and analysis of their switch junctions has led to a model in which MSH2 is more critical for switch recombination events outside than within the tandem repeats. It is also known that deletion of the whole Sμ region severely impairs but does not abrogate CSR despite the lack of detectable R loops. Here, we demonstrate that deficiency of both MSH2 and the Sμ region completely abolishes CSR and that the abrogation occurs at the genomic level. This finding further supports the crucial role of MSH2 outside the tandem repeats. It also indicates that during CSR, MSH2 has access to activation-induced cytidine deaminase targets in R-loop-deficient Iμ-Cμ sequences rarely used in CSR, suggesting an MSH2-dependent DNA processing activity at the Iμ exon that may decrease with transcription elongation across the Sμ region.

  19. Myoadenylate deaminase deficiency, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and gigantism syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skyllouriotis, M L; Marx, M; Bittner, R E; Skyllouriotis, P; Gross, M; Wimmer, M

    1997-07-01

    We report a 20-year-old man with gigantism syndrome, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, muscle weakness, exercise intolerance, and severe psychomotor retardation since childhood. Histochemical and biochemical analysis of skeletal muscle biopsy revealed myoadenylate deaminase deficiency; molecular genetic analysis confirmed the diagnosis of primary (inherited) myoadenylate deaminase deficiency. Plasma, urine, and muscle carnitine concentrations were reduced. L-Carnitine treatment led to gradual improvement in exercise tolerance and cognitive performance; plasma and tissue carnitine levels returned to normal, and echocardiographic evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy disappeared. The combination of inherited myoadenylate deaminase deficiency, gigantism syndrome and carnitine deficiency has not previously been described.

  20. Primary adenosine monophosphate (AMP) deaminase deficiency in a hypotonic infant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro-Gago, Manuel; Gómez-Lado, Carmen; Pérez-Gay, Laura; Eirís-Puñal, Jesús; Martínez, Elena Pintos; García-Consuegra, Inés; Martín, Miguel Angel

    2011-06-01

    The spectrum of the adenosine monophosphate (AMP) deaminase deficiency ranges from asymptomatic carriers to patients who manifest exercise-induced muscle pain, occasionally rhabdomyolysis, and idiopathic hyperCKemia. However, previous to the introduction of molecular techniques, rare cases with congenital weakness and hypotonia have also been reported. We report a 6-month-old girl with the association of congenital muscle weakness and hypotonia, muscle deficiency of adenosine monophosphate deaminase, and the homozygous C to T mutation at nucleotide 34 of the adenosine monophosphate deaminase-1 gene. This observation indicates the possible existence of a primary adenosine monophosphate deaminase deficiency manifested by congenital muscle weakness and hypotonia.

  1. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: a strange case of 5-ethynyl-2 '-deoxyuridine and 5-ethynyl-2 '- deoxycytidine

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Ligasová, A.; Liboska, Radek; Friedecký, D.; Mičová, K.; Adam, T.; Oždian, T.; Rosenberg, Ivan; Koberna, K.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 6, č. 1 (2016), č. článku 150172. ISSN 2046-2441 R&D Projects: GA MZd NV15-31604A Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : cytidine deaminase * dCMP deaminase * 5-ethynyl-2 '-deoxyuridine * 5-ethynyl-2 '-deoxycytidine * DNA replication Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 3.481, year: 2016 http://rsob.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/6/1/150172

  2. Replication protein A (RPA hampers the processive action of APOBEC3G cytosine deaminase on single-stranded DNA.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Artem G Lada

    Full Text Available Editing deaminases have a pivotal role in cellular physiology. A notable member of this superfamily, APOBEC3G (A3G, restricts retroviruses, and Activation Induced Deaminase (AID generates antibody diversity by localized deamination of cytosines in DNA. Unconstrained deaminase activity can cause genome-wide mutagenesis and cancer. The mechanisms that protect the genomic DNA from the undesired action of deaminases are unknown. Using the in vitro deamination assays and expression of A3G in yeast, we show that replication protein A (RPA, the eukaryotic single-stranded DNA (ssDNA binding protein, severely inhibits the deamination activity and processivity of A3G.We found that mutations induced by A3G in the yeast genomic reporter are changes of a single nucleotide. This is unexpected because of the known property of A3G to catalyze multiple deaminations upon one substrate encounter event in vitro. The addition of recombinant RPA to the oligonucleotide deamination assay severely inhibited A3G activity. Additionally, we reveal the inverse correlation between RPA concentration and the number of deaminations induced by A3G in vitro on long ssDNA regions. This resembles the "hit and run" single base substitution events observed in yeast.Our data suggest that RPA is a plausible antimutator factor limiting the activity and processivity of editing deaminases in the model yeast system. Because of the similar antagonism of yeast RPA and human RPA with A3G in vitro, we propose that RPA plays a role in the protection of the human genome cell from A3G and other deaminases when they are inadvertently diverged from their natural targets. We propose a model where RPA serves as one of the guardians of the genome that protects ssDNA from the destructive processive activity of deaminases by non-specific steric hindrance.

  3. Replication protein A (RPA) hampers the processive action of APOBEC3G cytosine deaminase on single-stranded DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lada, Artem G; Waisertreiger, Irina S-R; Grabow, Corinn E; Prakash, Aishwarya; Borgstahl, Gloria E O; Rogozin, Igor B; Pavlov, Youri I

    2011-01-01

    Editing deaminases have a pivotal role in cellular physiology. A notable member of this superfamily, APOBEC3G (A3G), restricts retroviruses, and Activation Induced Deaminase (AID) generates antibody diversity by localized deamination of cytosines in DNA. Unconstrained deaminase activity can cause genome-wide mutagenesis and cancer. The mechanisms that protect the genomic DNA from the undesired action of deaminases are unknown. Using the in vitro deamination assays and expression of A3G in yeast, we show that replication protein A (RPA), the eukaryotic single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding protein, severely inhibits the deamination activity and processivity of A3G. We found that mutations induced by A3G in the yeast genomic reporter are changes of a single nucleotide. This is unexpected because of the known property of A3G to catalyze multiple deaminations upon one substrate encounter event in vitro. The addition of recombinant RPA to the oligonucleotide deamination assay severely inhibited A3G activity. Additionally, we reveal the inverse correlation between RPA concentration and the number of deaminations induced by A3G in vitro on long ssDNA regions. This resembles the "hit and run" single base substitution events observed in yeast. Our data suggest that RPA is a plausible antimutator factor limiting the activity and processivity of editing deaminases in the model yeast system. Because of the similar antagonism of yeast RPA and human RPA with A3G in vitro, we propose that RPA plays a role in the protection of the human genome cell from A3G and other deaminases when they are inadvertently diverged from their natural targets. We propose a model where RPA serves as one of the guardians of the genome that protects ssDNA from the destructive processive activity of deaminases by non-specific steric hindrance.

  4. Catalytic Mechanism and Three-Dimensional Structure of Adenine Deaminase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kamat, S.S.; Swaminathan, S.; Bagaria, A.; Kumaran, D.; Holmes-Hampton, G. P.; Fan, H.; Sali, A.; Sauder, J. M.; Burley, S. K.; Lindahl, P. A.; Raushel, F. M.

    2011-03-22

    Adenine deaminase (ADE) catalyzes the conversion of adenine to hypoxanthine and ammonia. The enzyme isolated from Escherichia coli using standard expression conditions was low for the deamination of adenine (k{sub cat} = 2.0 s{sup -1}; k{sub cat}/K{sub m} = 2.5 x 10{sup 3} M{sup -1} s{sup -1}). However, when iron was sequestered with a metal chelator and the growth medium was supplemented with Mn{sup 2+} prior to induction, the purified enzyme was substantially more active for the deamination of adenine with kcat and kcat/Km values of 200 s{sup -1} and 5 x 10{sup 5} M{sup -1} s{sup -1}, respectively. The apoenzyme was prepared and reconstituted with Fe{sup 2+}, Zn{sup 2+}, or Mn{sup 2+}. In each case, two enzyme equivalents of metal were necessary for reconstitution of the deaminase activity. This work provides the first example of any member of the deaminase subfamily of the amidohydrolase superfamily to utilize a binuclear metal center for the catalysis of a deamination reaction. [Fe{sup II}/Fe{sup II}]-ADE was oxidized to [Fe{sup III}/Fe{sup III}]-ADE with ferricyanide with inactivation of the deaminase activity. Reducing [Fe{sup III}/Fe{sup III}]-ADE with dithionite restored the deaminase activity, and thus, the diferrous form of the enzyme is essential for catalytic activity. No evidence of spin coupling between metal ions was evident by electron paramagnetic resonance or Moessbauer spectroscopy. The three-dimensional structure of adenine deaminase from Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Atu4426) was determined by X-ray crystallography at 2.2 {angstrom} resolution, and adenine was modeled into the active site on the basis of homology to other members of the amidohydrolase superfamily. On the basis of the model of the adenine-ADE complex and subsequent mutagenesis experiments, the roles for each of the highly conserved residues were proposed. Solvent isotope effects, pH-rate profiles, and solvent viscosity were utilized to propose a chemical reaction mechanism and the

  5. Photoelectron and computational studies of the copper-nucleoside anionic complexes, Cu-(cytidine) and Cu-(uridine)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiang; Ko, Yeon-Jae; Wang, Haopeng; Bowen, Kit H.; Guevara-García, Alfredo; Martínez, Ana

    2011-02-01

    The copper-nucleoside anions, Cu-(cytidine) and Cu-(uridine), have been generated in the gas phase and studied by both experimental (anion photoelectron spectroscopy) and theoretical (density functional calculations) methods. The photoelectron spectra of both systems are dominated by single, intense, and relatively narrow peaks. These peaks are centered at 2.63 and 2.71 eV for Cu-(cytidine) and Cu-(uridine), respectively. According to our calculations, Cu-(cytidine) and Cu-(uridine) species with these peak center [vertical detachment energy (VDE)] values correspond to structures in which copper atomic anions are bound to the sugar portions of their corresponding nucleosides largely through electrostatic interactions; the observed species are anion-molecule complexes. The combination of experiment and theory also reveal the presence of a slightly higher energy, anion-molecule complex isomer in the case of the Cu-(cytidine). Furthermore, our calculations found that chemically bond isomers of these species are much more stable than their anion-molecule complex counterparts, but since their calculated VDE values are larger than the photon energy used in these experiments, they were not observed.

  6. Photoelectron and computational studies of the copper-nucleoside anionic complexes, Cu(-)(cytidine) and Cu(-)(uridine).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiang; Ko, Yeon-Jae; Wang, Haopeng; Bowen, Kit H; Guevara-García, Alfredo; Martínez, Ana

    2011-02-07

    The copper-nucleoside anions, Cu(-)(cytidine) and Cu(-)(uridine), have been generated in the gas phase and studied by both experimental (anion photoelectron spectroscopy) and theoretical (density functional calculations) methods. The photoelectron spectra of both systems are dominated by single, intense, and relatively narrow peaks. These peaks are centered at 2.63 and 2.71 eV for Cu(-)(cytidine) and Cu(-)(uridine), respectively. According to our calculations, Cu(-)(cytidine) and Cu(-)(uridine) species with these peak center [vertical detachment energy (VDE)] values correspond to structures in which copper atomic anions are bound to the sugar portions of their corresponding nucleosides largely through electrostatic interactions; the observed species are anion-molecule complexes. The combination of experiment and theory also reveal the presence of a slightly higher energy, anion-molecule complex isomer in the case of the Cu(-)(cytidine). Furthermore, our calculations found that chemically bond isomers of these species are much more stable than their anion-molecule complex counterparts, but since their calculated VDE values are larger than the photon energy used in these experiments, they were not observed.

  7. Intestinal absorption of cytidine diphosphate choline and its changes in the digestive tract

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yashima, Keisuke; Takamatsu, Masatoshi; Okuda, Kunio

    1975-01-01

    Intestinal absorption of cytidine diphosphate choline (CDP-choline), its structural changes in the digestive tract, and hepatic uptake have been investigated in rats using 14 C-labeled ( 14 CH 3 attached to N of choline) and 3 H-labeled (at C 5 of pyrimidine) compounds. The results indicate that: 1) CDP-choline is relatively stable in the stomach, but is quickly degraded into cytidine and choline in the intestine; 2) The hepatic uptakes of 14 C and 3 H reach the maximum in two to three hours after oral administration; 3) Whereas the amount of 14 C remaining in the gut is inversely related to the hepatic uptake, no similar correlation is seen with 3 H-labeled CDP-choline, and 4) Extrahepatic uptake of 14 C and 3 H is very small. The possibility of phosphorylation in the mucosa of choline and cytidine has been discussed, based on the differences in relative amount of radioactivity in individual broken-down products in the intestinal lumen and mucosa. (auth.)

  8. Catalytic Mechanism and Three-Dimensional Structure of Adenine Deaminase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    S Kamat; A Bagaria; D Kumaran; G Holmes-Hampton; H Fan; A Sali; J Sauder; S Burley; P Lindahl; et. al.

    2011-12-31

    Adenine deaminase (ADE) catalyzes the conversion of adenine to hypoxanthine and ammonia. The enzyme isolated from Escherichia coli using standard expression conditions was low for the deamination of adenine (k{sub cat} = 2.0 s{sup -1}; k{sub cat}/K{sub m} = 2.5 x 10{sup 3} M{sup -1} s{sup -1}). However, when iron was sequestered with a metal chelator and the growth medium was supplemented with Mn{sup 2+} prior to induction, the purified enzyme was substantially more active for the deamination of adenine with k{sub cat} and k{sub cat}/K{sub m} values of 200 s{sup -1} and 5 x 10{sup 5} M{sup -1} s{sup -1}, respectively. The apoenzyme was prepared and reconstituted with Fe{sup 2+}, Zn{sup 2+}, or Mn{sup 2+}. In each case, two enzyme equivalents of metal were necessary for reconstitution of the deaminase activity. This work provides the first example of any member of the deaminase subfamily of the amidohydrolase superfamily to utilize a binuclear metal center for the catalysis of a deamination reaction. [Fe{sup II}/Fe{sup II}]-ADE was oxidized to [Fe{sup III}/Fe{sup III}]-ADE with ferricyanide with inactivation of the deaminase activity. Reducing [Fe{sup III}/Fe{sup III}]-ADE with dithionite restored the deaminase activity, and thus, the diferrous form of the enzyme is essential for catalytic activity. No evidence of spin coupling between metal ions was evident by electron paramagnetic resonance or Moessbauer spectroscopy. The three-dimensional structure of adenine deaminase from Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Atu4426) was determined by X-ray crystallography at 2.2 {angstrom} resolution, and adenine was modeled into the active site on the basis of homology to other members of the amidohydrolase superfamily. On the basis of the model of the adenine-ADE complex and subsequent mutagenesis experiments, the roles for each of the highly conserved residues were proposed. Solvent isotope effects, pH-rate profiles, and solvent viscosity were utilized to propose a chemical reaction

  9. Enzymatically Active APOBEC3G Is Required for Efficient Inhibition of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1▿

    OpenAIRE

    Miyagi, Eri; Opi, Sandrine; Takeuchi, Hiroaki; Khan, Mohammad; Goila-Gaur, Ritu; Kao, Sandra; Strebel, Klaus

    2007-01-01

    APOBEC3G (APO3G) is a cellular cytidine deaminase with potent antiviral activity. Initial studies of the function of APO3G demonstrated extensive mutation of the viral genome, suggesting a model in which APO3G's antiviral activity is due to hypermutation of the viral genome. Recent studies, however, found that deaminase-defective APO3G mutants transiently expressed in virus-producing cells exhibited significant antiviral activity, suggesting that the antiviral activity of APO3G could be disso...

  10. Genotype-specific enrichment of ACC deaminase-positive bacteria in winter wheat rhizospheres

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bacteria that produce ACC deaminase promote plant growth and development by lowering levels of the stress hormone ethylene through deamination of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), the immediate precursor of ethylene. Therefore, it is hypothesized that ACC deaminase positive (ACC+) bacteri...

  11. Generation and analysis of cDNA library from lipopolysaccharide ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    These immune-related genes include cytidine deaminase, ferritin, nonmuscle myosin essential light chain, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, CD63 antigen-like protein and lysosomal-associated transmembrane protein. This study may contribute to the understanding of the immune mechanism of gastropod abalone Haliotis ...

  12. Adenosine deaminase production by an endophytic bacterium (Lysinibacillus sp.) from Avicennia marina.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kathiresan, Kandasamy; Saravanakumar, Kandasamy; Sahu, Sunil Kumar; Sivasankaran, Muthu

    2014-06-01

    The present study was carried out with the following objectives: (1) to isolate the endophytic bacilli strains from the leaves of mangrove plant Avicennia marina, (2) to screen the potential strains for the production of adenosine deaminase, (3) to statistically optimize the factors that influence the enzyme activity in the potent strain, and (4) to identify the potent strain using 16S rRNA sequence and construct its phylogenetic tree. The bacterial strains isolated from the fresh leaves of a mangrove A. marina were assessed for adenosine deaminase activity by plating method. Optimization of reaction process was carried out using response surface methodology of central composite design. The potent strain was identified based on 16S rRNA sequencing and phylogeny. Of five endophytic strains, EMLK1 showed a significant deaminase activity over other four strains. The conditions for maximum activity of the isolated adenosine deaminase are described. The potent strain EMLK1 was identified as Lysinibacillus sp. (JQ710723) being the first report as a mangrove endophyte. Mangrove-derived endophytic bacillus strain Lysinibacillus sp. EMLK1 is proved to be a promising source for the production of adenosine deaminase and this enzyme deserves further studies for purification and its application in disease diagnosis.

  13. Moonlighting adenosine deaminase: a target protein for drug development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cortés, Antoni; Gracia, Eduard; Moreno, Estefania; Mallol, Josefa; Lluís, Carme; Canela, Enric I; Casadó, Vicent

    2015-01-01

    Interest in adenosine deaminase (ADA) in the context of medicine has mainly focused on its enzymatic activity. This is justified by the importance of the reaction catalyzed by ADA not only for the intracellular purine metabolism, but also for the extracellular purine metabolism as well, because of its capacity as a regulator of the concentration of extracellular adenosine that is able to activate adenosine receptors (ARs). In recent years, other important roles have been described for ADA. One of these, with special relevance in immunology, is the capacity of ADA to act as a costimulator, promoting T-cell proliferation and differentiation mainly by interacting with the differentiation cluster CD26. Another role is the ability of ADA to act as an allosteric modulator of ARs. These receptors have very general physiological implications, particularly in the neurological system where they play an important role. Thus, ADA, being a single chain protein, performs more than one function, consistent with the definition of a moonlighting protein. Although ADA has never been associated with moonlighting proteins, here we consider ADA as an example of this family of multifunctional proteins. In this review, we discuss the different roles of ADA and their pathological implications. We propose a mechanism by which some of their moonlighting functions can be coordinated. We also suggest that drugs modulating ADA properties may act as modulators of the moonlighting functions of ADA, giving them additional potential medical interest. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Evaluation of usefulness of pleural fluid adenosine deaminase in diagnosing tuberculous pleural effusion from empyema

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vijetha Shenoy

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the utility of adenosine deaminase activity in the pleural fluid for the diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion from empyema of non-tubercular origin. Method: A retrospective analysis of data was performed on patients who were diagnosed to have tuberculous pleural effusion and empyema of non tubercular origin. Among 46 patients at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India, from November 201 2 to February 2013 who underwent pleural fluid adenosine deaminase estimation, 25 patients with tuberculous pleural effusion and 21 patients with empyema were diagnosed respectively. Adenosine deaminase in pleural fluid is estimated using colorimetric, Galanti and Guisti method. Results: Pleural fluid Adenosine Deaminase levels among tuberculous pleural effusion(109.38依 53.83 , empyema (141.20依71.69 with P=0.27. Conclusion: Pleural fluid adenosine deaminase alone cannot be used as a marker for the diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion.

  15. DNA Methylation Dynamics of Germinal Center B Cells Are Mediated by AID

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pilar M. Dominguez

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Changes in DNA methylation are required for the formation of germinal centers (GCs, but the mechanisms of such changes are poorly understood. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID has been recently implicated in DNA demethylation through its deaminase activity coupled with DNA repair. We investigated the epigenetic function of AID in vivo in germinal center B cells (GCBs isolated from wild-type (WT and AID-deficient (Aicda−/− mice. We determined that the transit of B cells through the GC is associated with marked locus-specific loss of methylation and increased methylation diversity, both of which are lost in Aicda−/− animals. Differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs between GCBs and naive B cells (NBs are enriched in genes that are targeted for somatic hypermutation (SHM by AID, and these genes form networks required for B cell development and proliferation. Finally, we observed significant conservation of AID-dependent epigenetic reprogramming between mouse and human B cells.

  16. Human adenosine deaminase: properties and turnover in cultured T and B lymphoblasts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daddona, P.E.

    1981-01-01

    In this study, the properties and rate of turnover of adenosine deaminase are compared in cultured human T and B lymphoblast cell lines. 1) Relative to B lymphoblasts, the level of adenosine deaminase activity in extracts of T lymphoblast cell lines (MOLT-4, RPMI-8402, CCRF-CEM, and CCRF-HSB-2) is elevated 7-14-fold and differs by 2-fold between the C cell lines. 2) In both T and B lymphoblast extracts, the enzyme is apparently identical, based on K/sub m/ for adenosine and deoxyadenosine, K/sub i/ for inosine, V/sub max/ for adenosine, /sub S20,w/, isoelectric pH, and heat stability. Furthermore, by radioimmunoassay, the quantity of adenosine deaminase-immunocreative protein is proportional to the level of enzyme activity in all cell lines studies. 3) Using a purification and selective immunoprecipitation technique, the enzyme turnover could be assessed in cell lines labeled with [ 35 S]methionine. The apparent rate of adenosine deaminase synthesis, relative to total protein, is 2-fold faster in both T cell lines (RPMI-8402 and CCRF-CEM) than in the B cell lines (MGL-8 and GM-130). The apparent half-life (tsub1/2) for the enzyme degradation is 19 and 39 h, respectively, in CCFR-CEM and RPMI-8402, while the tsub1/2 in both B cell lines is 7-9 h. From the net rate of synthesis and degradation, the T cell lines, respectively, exhibit approximately a 6- and 12-fold difference in adenosine deaminase turnover relative to B cells, consistent with the observed differences in enzyme activity. This study suggests that while adenosine deaminase is apparently identical in both T and B lymphoblast cell lines, alterations in both the rate of enzyme synthesis and degradation contribute to its high steady state level in T cells

  17. Mechanish of dTTP Inhibition of the Bifunctional dCTP Deaminase:dUTPase Encoded by Mycobacterium tuberculosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Helt, Signe Smedegaard; Thymark, Majbritt; Harris, Pernille

    2008-01-01

    Recombinant deoxycytidine triphosphate (dCTP) deaminase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis was produced in Escherichia coli and purified. The enzyme proved to be a bifunctional dCTP deaminase:deoxyuridine triphosphatase. As such, the M. tuberculosis enzyme is the second bifunctional enzyme to be cha......Recombinant deoxycytidine triphosphate (dCTP) deaminase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis was produced in Escherichia coli and purified. The enzyme proved to be a bifunctional dCTP deaminase:deoxyuridine triphosphatase. As such, the M. tuberculosis enzyme is the second bifunctional enzyme...

  18. ADENOSINE DEAMINASE ACTIVITY IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farija Peruvankuzhiyil

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Altered blood levels of adenosine deaminase may help in predicting immunological dysfunction in diabetic individuals. But very few studies exist on ADA activity in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Aim of this study is to compare serum adenosine deaminase activity in type 2 diabetic patients with non-diabetic control. MATERIALS AND METHODS A comparative study design was used in data collection process. The study was conducted in 40 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients attending diabetic clinic or admitted in the medicine ward for metabolic control of diabetes in medical college, Calicut from January 2011 to January 2012. The adenosine deaminase (ADA level in the serum is measured by endpoint method in these patients. The results were expressed as mean and standard deviation. The statistical significance of the differences between the values was assessed by ANOVA. RESULTS Among 40 diabetic patients, mean ADA level in the serum is 38.56, SD±6.72 (min 30, max 53. Mean ADA level in the serum in the control group is 22.04±4.625 (min 13, max 29. CONCLUSION ADA level in the serum is found to be increased indicating its role as an important immunoenzyme marker in the aetiopathology of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

  19. ACTIVATION OF A CRYPTIC D-SERINE DEAMINASE (DSD) GENE FROM PSEUDOMONAS CEPACIA 17616

    Science.gov (United States)

    D-serine inhibits growth of P. cepacia 17616; however, resistant mutants able to express an ordinarily cryptic D-serine deaminase (dsd) gene were isolated readily. The resistant strains formed high levels of a D-serine deaminase active on D-threonine as well as D-serine. IS eleme...

  20. Preparation of alpha-5-aza-2'-deoxy-[6-3H]cytidine

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Elbert, Tomáš; Černý, B.

    2008-01-01

    Roč. 73, č. 5 (2008), s. 701-704 ISSN 0010-0765 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : alfa-5aza-2'-deoxy-cytidine Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 0.784, year: 2008

  1. AID/APOBEC cytosine deaminase induces genome-wide kataegis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lada Artem G

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Clusters of localized hypermutation in human breast cancer genomes, named “kataegis” (from the Greek for thunderstorm, are hypothesized to result from multiple cytosine deaminations catalyzed by AID/APOBEC proteins. However, a direct link between APOBECs and kataegis is still lacking. We have sequenced the genomes of yeast mutants induced in diploids by expression of the gene for PmCDA1, a hypermutagenic deaminase from sea lamprey. Analysis of the distribution of 5,138 induced mutations revealed localized clusters very similar to those found in tumors. Our data provide evidence that unleashed cytosine deaminase activity is an evolutionary conserved, prominent source of genome-wide kataegis events. Reviewers This article was reviewed by: Professor Sandor Pongor, Professor Shamil R. Sunyaev, and Dr Vladimir Kuznetsov.

  2. [Isolation, identification and characterization of ACC deaminase-containing endophytic bacteria from halophyte Suaeda salsa].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teng, Songshan; Liu, Yanping; Zhao, Lei

    2010-11-01

    We Isolated and characterized 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase-containing endophytic bacteria from halophyte Suaeda salsa to understand the interactions between endophytes and halophyte. ACC deaminase-containing endophytic bacteria were isolated from root, stalk and leaf of Suaeda salsa and were identified based on morphological, physiological-biochemical properties, API and 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Isolates were evaluated for their ACC deaminase, antifungal, protease activity, siderophores and phytohormones, such as indole-3-acetic acid, gibberellic acid and abscisic acid production, as well as atmospheric nitrogen fixation and phosphate solubilization. Four ACC deaminase-containing endophytic bacteria strains named as LP11, SS12, TW1 and TW2 were isolated and identified as Pseudomonas oryzihabitans, Pseudomonas sp., Pantoea agglomerans and Pseudomonas putida respectively. All the strains possessed the phosphate-solubilizing ability and could produce siderophores and phytohormones more or less. None of them could fix atmospheric nitrogen or produce protease. Only strain SS12 showed antagonism against two phytopathogenic fungi viz Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. conglutinans and F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum. ACC deaminase-containing endophytic bacteria of Pseudomonas sp. and Pantoea sp. isolated from halophyte Suaeda salsa have abundant biological characteristics related to plant growth promotion, stress homeostasis regulation and biocontrol activity.

  3. Hydrolytic cleavage of N-6-substituted adenine derivatives by eukaryotic adenine and adenosine deaminases

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pospíšilová, H.; Šebela, M.; Novák, Ondřej; Frébort, I.

    2008-01-01

    Roč. 28, č. 6 (2008), s. 335-347 ISSN 0144-8463 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA522/06/0022 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50380511 Keywords : adenine deaminase * adenosine deaminase (ADA) * aminohydrolase Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.525, year: 2008

  4. Inducing salt tolerance in maize through ACC-deaminase biotechnology (abstract)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shahroona, B.; Arshad, M.; Zahir, Z.A.

    2005-01-01

    Ethylene is one of the five established classes of phytohormones. Its involvement in evoking physiological responses in plants exposed to any kind of environmental stresses (such as salinity, drought and metal toxicity stresses) is well established, thus it has also been designated as 'stress' hormone. It is generally believed that stress induces accelerated synthesis of ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), which subsequently results in the out burst of ethylene production and plant responds to this higher level of ethylene. Thus any check on this accelerated ethylene production in plants exposed to salinity stress could help in minimizing the negative impact of this stress and plants might survive better. There are some soil bacteria which carry ACC-deaminase enzyme and their presence on root surface results in lowering the accelerated production of ethylene. Trials were conducted under axenic condition to study the effect of inoculation with ACC-deaminase containing rhizobacteria to ameliorate the effect of salinity on seedling growth. Maize seedlings were exposed to different salinity levels and results indicated that inoculation with ACC-deaminase containing rhizobacteria significantly increased root elongation, shoot length, fresh and dry weight of seedlings at all the salinity levels. (author)

  5. Adenosine-deaminase (ADA activity in Psoriasis (A Preliminary Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S D Chaudhry

    1988-01-01

    Full Text Available Study of adenosine-deaminase activity ′in 23 patients hav-mg psoriasis compared with an equal number of healthy controls revealed significantly high ADA-activity in the psotiatic patients.

  6. Contributory role of adenosine deaminase in metabolic syndrome ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Adenosine deaminase (ADA) is an enzyme of purine metabolism commonly associated with severe combined immunodeficiency disease and believed to modulate bioactivity of insulin. Its contributory role in patients with metabolic syndrome (having features such as obesity, insulin resistance, fasting hyperglycaemia, lipid ...

  7. Plasma Adenosine Deaminase Enzyme Reduces with Treatment of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    olayemitoyin

    Plasma Adenosine Deaminase Enzyme Reduces with Treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Nigerian Patients: Indication for. Diagnosis and Treatment Monitoring. Ige O.a, Edem V.F.b and Arinola O.G.b,*. aDepartment of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria b Department of Chemical Pathology,. University of ...

  8. Contributory role of adenosine deaminase in metabolic syndrome

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    olayemitoyin

    Cytokine balance was also changed in diet induced obese mice (Mito and Hiyosin, 2002). Although Mito et al (2000) ... immunity in man (Sadasivudu et al, 1982) adenosine deaminase modulates cell growth (Lelieuve et al, .... Colgiuri, S. (2002) The Carnivore Connection- evolution aspect of insulin resistance. Eur. J. Clin.

  9. Assay for mutagenesis in heterozygous diploid human lymphoblasts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skopek, Thomas R.; Liber, Howard L.; Penman, Bruce W.; Thilly, William G.; Hoppe, IV, Henry

    1981-01-01

    An assay is disclosed for determining mutagenic damage caused by the administration of a known or suspected mutagen to diploid human lymphoblastoid cell lines. The gene locus employed for this assay is the gene for thymidine kinase, uridine kinase, or cytidine deaminase. Since human lymphoblastoid cells contain two genes for these enzymes, heterozygotes of human lymphoblastoid cells are used in this assay.

  10. Nbs1 ChIP-Seq Identifies Off-Target DNA Double-Strand Breaks Induced by AID in Activated Splenic B Cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lyne Khair

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID is required for initiation of Ig class switch recombination (CSR and somatic hypermutation (SHM of antibody genes during immune responses. AID has also been shown to induce chromosomal translocations, mutations, and DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs involving non-Ig genes in activated B cells. To determine what makes a DNA site a target for AID-induced DSBs, we identify off-target DSBs induced by AID by performing chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP for Nbs1, a protein that binds DSBs, followed by deep sequencing (ChIP-Seq. We detect and characterize hundreds of off-target AID-dependent DSBs. Two types of tandem repeats are highly enriched within the Nbs1-binding sites: long CA repeats, which can form Z-DNA, and tandem pentamers containing the AID target hotspot WGCW. These tandem repeats are not nearly as enriched at AID-independent DSBs, which we also identified. Msh2, a component of the mismatch repair pathway and important for genome stability, increases off-target DSBs, similar to its effect on Ig switch region DSBs, which are required intermediates during CSR. Most of the off-target DSBs are two-ended, consistent with generation during G1 phase, similar to DSBs in Ig switch regions. However, a minority are one-ended, presumably due to conversion of single-strand breaks to DSBs during replication. One-ended DSBs are repaired by processes involving homologous recombination, including break-induced replication repair, which can lead to genome instability. Off-target DSBs, especially those present during S phase, can lead to chromosomal translocations, deletions and gene amplifications, resulting in the high frequency of B cell lymphomas derived from cells that express or have expressed AID.

  11. A terbium(III)-organic framework for highly selective sensing of cytidine triphosphate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Xi Juan; He, Rong Xing; Li, Yuan Fang

    2012-11-21

    Highly selective sensing of cytidine triphosphate (CTP) against other triphosphate nucleosides including ATP, GTP and UTP is successfully achieved with a luminescent terbium(III)-organic framework (TbOF) of [Tb(2)(2,3-pzdc)(2)(ox)(H(2)O)(2)](n) (2,3-pzdc(2-) = 2,3-pyrazinedicarboxylate, ox(2-) = oxalate).

  12. Cytidine triphosphate synthase activity and mRNA expression in normal human blood cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verschuur, A. C.; van Gennip, A. H.; Muller, E. J.; Voûte, P. A.; Vreken, P.; van Kuilenburg, A. B.

    1999-01-01

    Cytidine triphosphate (CTP) synthase is one of the key enzymes in pyrimidine nucleotide anabolic pathways. The activity of this enzyme is elevated in various malignancies including acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). In this study we investigated the activity of CTP synthase in various human blood

  13. APOBEC3B-Mediated Cytidine Deamination Is Required for Estrogen Receptor Action in Breast Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manikandan Periyasamy

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Estrogen receptor α (ERα is the key transcriptional driver in a large proportion of breast cancers. We report that APOBEC3B (A3B is required for regulation of gene expression by ER and acts by causing C-to-U deamination at ER binding regions. We show that these C-to-U changes lead to the generation of DNA strand breaks through activation of base excision repair (BER and to repair by non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ pathways. We provide evidence that transient cytidine deamination by A3B aids chromatin modification and remodelling at the regulatory regions of ER target genes that promotes their expression. A3B expression is associated with poor patient survival in ER+ breast cancer, reinforcing the physiological significance of A3B for ER action.

  14. A Trojan-Horse Peptide-Carboxymethyl-Cytidine Antibiotic from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serebryakova, Marina; Tsibulskaya, Darya; Mokina, Olga; Kulikovsky, Alexey; Nautiyal, Manesh; Van Aerschot, Arthur; Severinov, Konstantin; Dubiley, Svetlana

    2016-12-07

    Microcin C and related antibiotics are Trojan-horse peptide-adenylates. The peptide part is responsible for facilitated transport inside the sensitive cell, where it gets processed to release a toxic warhead-a nonhydrolyzable aspartyl-adenylate, which inhibits aspartyl-tRNA synthetase. Adenylation of peptide precursors is carried out by MccB THIF-type NAD/FAD adenylyltransferases. Here, we describe a novel microcin C-like compound from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. The B. amyloliquefaciens MccB demonstrates an unprecedented ability to attach a terminal cytidine monophosphate to cognate precursor peptide in cellular and cell free systems. The cytosine moiety undergoes an additional modification-carboxymethylation-that is carried out by the C-terminal domain of MccB and the MccS enzyme that produces carboxy-SAM, which serves as a donor of the carboxymethyl group. We show that microcin C-like compounds carrying terminal cytosines are biologically active and target aspartyl-tRNA synthetase, and that the carboxymethyl group prevents resistance that can occur due to modification of the warhead. The results expand the repertoire of known enzymatic modifications of peptides that can be used to obtain new biological activities while avoiding or limiting bacterial resistance.

  15. Adenosine deaminase activity of erythrocytes in hyperuricemia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krueger, W.; Richter, V.; Beenken, O.; Weinhold, D.; Hirschberg, K.; Rotzsch, W.; Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR, Leipzig. Zentralinstitut fuer Isotopen- und Strahlenforschung)

    1982-01-01

    Erythrocytic adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity was determined in 55 patients with primary hyperuricemia and in 37 healthy control persons. Unlike the controls, the ADA activity in the patient group showed a two-peak response. Hyperuricemia patients with high ADA activity also exhibited increased uric acid excretion and elevated 15 N incorporation into uric acid. High activity values of erythrocytic ADA can be interpreted as an uric acid overproduction, giving hints for a therapeutic plan. (author)

  16. AIDing Chromatin and Transcription-Coupled Orchestration of Immunoglobulin Class-Switch Recombination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaidyanathan, Bharat; Yen, Wei-Feng; Pucella, Joseph N.; Chaudhuri, Jayanta

    2014-01-01

    Secondary diversification of the antibody repertoire upon antigenic challenge, in the form of immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) class-switch recombination (CSR) endows mature, naïve B cells in peripheral lymphoid organs with a limitless ability to mount an optimal humoral immune response, thus expediting pathogen elimination. CSR replaces the default constant (CH) region exons (Cμ) of IgH with any of the downstream CH exons (Cγ, Cε, or Cα), thereby altering effector functions of the antibody molecule. This process depends on, and is orchestrated by, activation-induced deaminase (AID), a DNA cytidine deaminase that acts on single-stranded DNA exposed during transcription of switch (S) region sequences at the IgH locus. DNA lesions thus generated are processed by components of several general DNA repair pathways to drive CSR. Given that AID can instigate DNA lesions and genomic instability, stringent checks are imposed that constrain and restrict its mutagenic potential. In this review, we will discuss how AID expression and substrate specificity and activity is rigorously enforced at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, post-translational, and epigenetic levels, and how the DNA-damage response is choreographed with precision to permit targeted activity while limiting bystander catastrophe. PMID:24734031

  17. The emerging role of adenosine deaminases in insects

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Doleželová, Eva; Žurovec, Michal; Doležal, T.; Šimek, Petr; Bryant, P. J.

    2005-01-01

    Roč. 35, č. 5 (2005), s. 381-389 ISSN 0965-1748 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA204/04/1205; GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA5007107 Grant - others:United States National Science Foundation(US) 440860-21565 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50070508 Keywords : adenosine deaminase * ADA * growth factor Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 2.733, year: 2005

  18. Regulation of Expression of the prb-1b / ACC Deaminase gene by UV-B in Transgenic tomatoes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tamot, B.K.; Pauls, K.P.; Glick, R.

    2003-01-01

    Transgenic tomato plants with 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase gene from Enterobacter cloacae UWA4 under the control of a pathogenesis-related promoter (prb-1b) from tobacco were challenged by abiotic stresses to determine the expression patterns of the transgene. No ACC deaminase RNA or protein was detected bu RT-PCR and in western blots prepared from leaf proteins of transgenic plants after wounding or treatment with alpha-amino butyric acid, xylanase, ethephon, salicylic acid, jasmonic acid , ethylene, or ethylene plus jasmonic acid. However, expression of the ACC deaminase transgene was observed in leaves and roots of transformed tomato lines exposed to UV light. The UV response required a minimum of 48 h of exposure and was specific to UV-B light

  19. Pleural effusion adenosine deaminase: a candidate biomarker to discriminate between Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial infections of the pleural space

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruolin Li

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: Delay in the treatment of pleural infection may contribute to its high mortality. In this retrospective study, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of pleural adenosine deaminase in discrimination between Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial infections of the pleural space prior to selecting antibiotics. METHODS: A total of 76 patients were enrolled and grouped into subgroups according to Gram staining: 1 patients with Gram-negative bacterial infections, aged 53.2±18.6 years old, of whom 44.7% had empyemas and 2 patients with Gram-positive bacterial infections, aged 53.5±21.5 years old, of whom 63.1% had empyemas. The pleural effusion was sampled by thoracocentesis and then sent for adenosine deaminase testing, biochemical testing and microbiological culture. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to examine the differences in adenosine deaminase levels between the groups. Correlations between adenosine deaminase and specified variables were also quantified using Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Moreover, receiver operator characteristic analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of pleural effusion adenosine deaminase. RESULTS: Mean pleural adenosine deaminase levels differed significantly between Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial infections of the pleural space (191.8±32.1 U/L vs 81.0±16.9 U/L, p<0.01. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve was 0.689 (95% confidence interval: 0.570, 0.792, p<0.01 at the cutoff value of 86 U/L. Additionally, pleural adenosine deaminase had a sensitivity of 63.2% (46.0-78.2%; a specificity of 73.7% (56.9-86.6%; positive and negative likelihood ratios of 2.18 and 0.50, respectively; and positive and negative predictive values of 70.6% and 66.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Pleural effusion adenosine deaminase is a helpful alternative biomarker for early and quick discrimination of Gram-negative from Gram-positive bacterial infections of the

  20. Synthesis, hybridization characteristics, and fluorescence properties of oligonucleotides modified with nucleobase-functionalized locked nucleic acid adenosine and cytidine monomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaura, Mamta; Kumar, Pawan; Hrdlicka, Patrick J

    2014-07-03

    Conformationally restricted nucleotides such as locked nucleic acid (LNA) are very popular as affinity-, specificity-, and stability-enhancing modifications in oligonucleotide chemistry to produce probes for nucleic acid targeting applications in molecular biology, biotechnology, and medicinal chemistry. Considerable efforts have been devoted in recent years to optimize the biophysical properties of LNA through additional modification of the sugar skeleton. We recently introduced C5-functionalization of LNA uridines as an alternative and synthetically more straightforward approach to improve the biophysical properties of LNA. In the present work, we set out to test the generality of this concept by studying the characteristics of oligonucleotides modified with four different C5-functionalized LNA cytidine and C8-functionalized LNA adenosine monomers. The results strongly suggest that C5-functionalization of LNA pyrimidines is indeed a viable approach for improving the binding affinity, target specificity, and/or enzymatic stability of LNA-modified ONs, whereas C8-functionalization of LNA adenosines is detrimental to binding affinity and specificity. These insights will impact the future design of conformationally restricted nucleotides for nucleic acid targeting applications.

  1. Optimising the utility of pleural fluid adenosine deaminase for the diagnosis of adult tuberculous pleural effusion in Hong Kong.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, K C; Chan, M C; Leung, W M; Kong, F Y; Mak, C M; Chen, S Pl; Yu, W C

    2018-02-01

    Pleural fluid adenosine deaminase level can be applied to rapidly detect tuberculous pleural effusion. We aimed to establish a local diagnostic cut-off value for pleural fluid adenosine deaminase to identify patients with tuberculous pleural effusion, and optimise its utility. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of consecutive adults with pleural fluid adenosine deaminase level measured by the Diazyme commercial kit (Diazyme Laboratories, San Diego [CA], United States) during 1 January to 31 December 2011 in a cluster of public hospitals in Hong Kong. We considered its level alongside early (within 2 weeks) findings in pleural fluid and pleural biopsy, with and without applying Light's criteria in multiple scenarios. For each scenario, we used the receiver operating characteristic curve to identify a diagnostic cut-off value for pleural fluid adenosine deaminase, and estimated its positive and negative predictive values. A total of 860 medical records were reviewed. Pleural effusion was caused by congestive heart failure, chronic renal failure, or hypoalbuminaemia caused by liver or kidney diseases in 246 (28.6%) patients, malignancy in 198 (23.0%), non-tuberculous infection in 168 (19.5%), tuberculous pleural effusion in 157 (18.3%), and miscellaneous causes in 91 (10.6%). All those with tuberculous pleural effusion had a pleural fluid adenosine deaminase level of ≤100 U/L. When analysis was restricted to 689 patients with pleural fluid adenosine deaminase level of ≤100 U/L and early negative findings for malignancy and non-tuberculous infection in pleural fluid, the positive predictive value was significantly increased and the negative predictive value non-significantly reduced. Using this approach, neither additionally restricting analysis to exudates by Light's criteria nor adding closed pleural biopsy would further enhance predictive values. As such, the diagnostic cut-off value for pleural fluid adenosine deaminase is 26.5 U/L, with a

  2. The AID-induced DNA damage response in chromatin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Daniel, Jeremy A; Nussenzweig, André

    2013-01-01

    Chemical modifications to the DNA and histone protein components of chromatin can modulate gene expression and genome stability. Understanding the physiological impact of changes in chromatin structure remains an important question in biology. As one example, in order to generate antibody diversity...... with somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination, chromatin must be made accessible for activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID)-mediated deamination of cytosines in DNA. These lesions are recognized and removed by various DNA repair pathways but, if not handled properly, can lead to formation...... of oncogenic chromosomal translocations. In this review, we focus the discussion on how chromatin-modifying activities and -binding proteins contribute to the native chromatin environment in which AID-induced DNA damage is targeted and repaired. Outstanding questions remain regarding the direct roles...

  3. Diagnostic significance of adenosine deaminase in pleural tuberculosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khurshid, R.; Shore, N.; Saleem, M.; Zameer, N.

    2009-01-01

    Tuberculosis (TB) is a major cause of pleural effusion, which in TB usually has lymphocytic and exudative characteristics. Analysis of adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity is a very useful diagnostic approach to achieve a more rapid and precise diagnosis in cases of Pleural TB (pTB). Fifty male and fifty female patients presenting with tuberculosis pleural effusion was included in the study. The patients were taken from the medical ward of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital between September 2001 and September 2002. Activity of Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) was estimated by the technique of Sodium dodecyl sulphate electrophoresis (SDS-EF) using 10% polyacrylamide gel. Mean age of males was 45.72+-19.22 years and of female was 43.74+-16.09 years. Mean protein level was 3.39+-0.24 g/dl in males, and it was 3.02+-0.26 g/dl in females. Mean specific gravity both in males and females was 1.020+-0.01. The results show an increased level of enzyme ADA in patients as compared to normal subjects. Estimation of ADA activity may provide basis for rapid and efficient diagnosis of pleural TB in different clinical settings. However study should be extended to larger number of patients to reach a better conclusion. (author)

  4. Radio-chromatographic determination of plasmatic adenosine deaminase (A.D.)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chivot, J.J.; Depernet, D.; Caen, J.

    1970-01-01

    We were able, by using a radio-chromatographic method, to measure an adenosine deaminase activity in normal human heparinized platelet-poor plasma, which can degrade 0.016 μM adenosine. This activity suppressed by heating 56 C for 30 minutes is inhibited by high concentrations of urea and is proportional to the amount of plasma, source of enzyme, in the systems. (authors) [fr

  5. The association constant of 5',8-cyclo-2'-deoxyguanosine with cytidine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amedeo eCapobianco

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The association of 5',8-cyclo-2'-deoxyguanosine (cdG, a DNA tandem lesion, with its complementary base cytosine has been studied by voltammetry and NMR in chloroform, using properly silylated derivatives of the two nucleobases for increasing their solubilities. Both voltammetric data and NMR titrations indicated that the Watson-Crick complex of cytidine with cdG is weaker than that with guanosine, the difference being approximately of one order of magnitude between the two association constants.

  6. Relation fonctionnelle entre le pool de nucléotides et PARP-1 : une nouvelle source d'instabilité génétique

    OpenAIRE

    Gemble , Simon

    2015-01-01

    Genome stability is jeopardized by imbalances of the dNTP pool; such imbalances affect the rate of fork progression. For example, cytidine deaminase (CDA) deficiency leads to an excess of dCTP, slowing the replication fork. We describe here a novel mechanism by which pyrimidine pool disequilibrium compromises the completion of replication and chromosome segregation. Using molecular combing, electron microscopy and a sensitive assay involving cell imaging to quantify steady-state PAR levels, w...

  7. Classical Mus musculus Igκ enhancers support transcription but not high level somatic hypermutation from a V-lambda promoter in chicken DT40 cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naga Rama Kothapalli

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Somatic hypermutation (SHM of immunoglobulin genes is initiated by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID in activated B cells. This process is strictly dependent on transcription. Hence, cis-acting transcriptional control elements have been proposed to target SHM to immunoglobulin loci. The Mus musculus Igκ locus is regulated by the intronic enhancer (iE/MAR and the 3' enhancer (3'E, and multiple studies using transgenic and knock-out approaches in mice and cell lines have reported somewhat contradictory results about the function of these enhancers in AID-mediated sequence diversification. Here we show that the M. musculus iE/MAR and 3'E elements are active solely as transcriptional enhancer when placed in the context of the IGL locus in Gallus gallus DT40 cells, but they are very inefficient in targeting AID-mediated mutation events to this locus. This suggests that either key components of the cis-regulatory targeting elements reside outside the murine Igκ transcriptional enhancer sequences, or that the targeting of AID activity to Ig loci occurs by largely species-specific mechanisms.

  8. ESR study of irradiated single crystals of the cocrystalline complex of cytidine: Salicylic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Close, D.M.; Sagstuen, E.

    1983-01-01

    Irradiation at 77 K of single crystals of the 1:1 complex of cytidine and salicylic acid produces a phenoxyl radical formed by oxidation of the salicylic acid. Anisotropic hyperfine coupling tensors have been determined for this radical which are associated with the para and ortho hydrogens. No cytidine oxidation products (alkoxy or hydroxyalkyl radicals) were observed at 77 K. Following the decay of the phenoxyl radical at room temperature, four radicals were detected. These include the cytosine 5--yl and 6--yl radicals, formed by H addition to the cytosine ring, and an anisotropic doublet. By UV irradiation at room temperature, it is possible to convert a significant fraction of 6-yl radicals into 5-yl radicals. Hyperfine coupling and g tensors determined for the anisotropic doublet indicate that this radical is formed in the C/sub 1'/-C/sub 2'/ region of the sugar moiety. These results indicate a shift in radiation damage away from the salicylic acid upon warming, and show that the radiation chemistry of the cocrystalline complex is different from that of the isolated bases

  9. Spectroscopic evidence for a porphobilinogen deaminase-tetrapyrrole complex that is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of uroporphyrinogen III

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rose, S.; Frydman, R.B.; de los Santos, C.; Sburlati, A.; Valasinas, A.; Frydman, B.

    1988-01-01

    Incubation of porphobilinogen (PBG) with PBG deaminase from Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides in carbonate buffer to total PBG consumption resulted in low yields of uroporphyrinogen I(uro'gen I). In the reaction mixture a pyrrylmethane accumulated, which at longer incubation periods was transformed into uro'gen I. The accumulated pyrrylmethane gave an Ehrlich reaction which was different from that of a 2-(aminomethyl)dipyrrylmethane or 2-(aminomethyl)tripyrrane. It resembled that of a bilane but was different from that of a 2-(hydroxymethyl)bilane. The 13 C NMR spectra of incubations carried out with [11- 13 C]PBG indicated that the pyrrylmethane was a tetrapyrrole with methylene resonances at 22.35-22.50 ppm. It was loosely bound to the deaminase, and when separated from the enzyme by gel filtration or gel electrophoresis, it immediately cyclized to uro'gen I. No enzyme-bound methylene could be detected by its chemical shift, suggesting that its line width must be very broad. When uro'gen III-cosynthase was added to the deaminase-tetrapyrrole complex, uro'gen III was formed at the expense of the latter in about 75% yield. A protonated uro'gen I structure for this intermediate was ruled out by incubations using [2,11- 13 C]PBG. Uro'gen III formation from 2-(hydroxymethyl)bilane (HMB) and from the deaminase-tetrapyrrole intermediate was compared by using deaminase-cosynthase and cosynthase from several sources. It was found that while the HMB inhibited uro'gen III formation at higher concentrations and longer incubation times, uro'gen III formation from the complex did not decrease with time

  10. Natural resistance to HIV infection: The Vif-APOBEC interaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malim, Michael H

    2006-11-01

    Members of the APOBEC family of cellular polynucleotide cytidine deaminases (e.g., APOBEC3G) are potent inhibitors of HIV infection. Wild type viral infections are largely spared from APOBEC function through the action of the viral Vif protein. In Vif's absence, inhibitory APOBEC proteins are encapsidated by budding virus particles leading to excessive cytidine (C) to uridine (U) hypermutation of negative sense reverse transcripts in newly infected cells. This registers as guanosine (G) to adenosine (A) mutations in plus stranded cDNA. Because the functions of Vif and APOBEC proteins oppose each other, it is likely that fluctuations in the Vif/APOBEC balance can influence the natural history of HIV infection. Experimental support for this notion would further justify and stimulate drug discovery initiatives in this area.

  11. A colorimetric assay of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) based on ninhydrin reaction for rapid screening of bacteria containing ACC deaminase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Z; Chang, S; Lin, L; Li, Y; An, Q

    2011-08-01

    1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase activity is an efficient marker for bacteria to promote plant growth by lowering ethylene levels in plants. We aim to develop a method for rapidly screening bacteria containing ACC deaminase, based on a colorimetric ninhydrin assay of ACC. A reliable colorimetric ninhydrin assay was developed to quantify ACC using heat-resistant polypropylene chimney-top 96-well PCR plates, having the wells evenly heated in boiling water, preventing accidental contamination from boiling water and limiting evaporation. With this method to measure bacterial consumption of ACC, 44 ACC-utilizing bacterial isolates were rapidly screened out from 311 bacterial isolates that were able to grow on minimal media containing ACC as the sole nitrogen source. The 44 ACC-utilizing bacterial isolates showed ACC deaminase activities and belonged to the genus Burkholderia, Pseudomonas or Herbaspirillum. Determination of bacterial ACC consumption by the PCR-plate ninhydrin-ACC assay is a rapid and efficient method for screening bacteria containing ACC deaminase from a large number of bacterial isolates. The PCR-plate ninhydrin-ACC assay extends the utility of the ninhydrin reaction and enables a rapid screening of bacteria containing ACC deaminase from large numbers of bacterial isolates. © 2011 The Authors. Letters in Applied Microbiology © 2011 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  12. SRSF1-3 contributes to diversification of the immunoglobulin variable region gene by promoting accumulation of AID in the nucleus

    OpenAIRE

    Kawaguchi, Yuka; Nariki, Hiroaki; Kawamoto, Naoko; Kanehiro, Yuichi; Miyazaki, Satoshi; Suzuki, Mari; Magari, Masaki; Tokumitsu, Hiroshi; Kanayama, Naoki

    2017-01-01

     Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is essential for diversification of the Ig variable region (IgV). AID is excluded from the nucleus, where it normally functions. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for regulating AID localization remain to be elucidated. The SR-protein splicing factor SRSF1 is a nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein, a splicing isoform of which called SRSF1-3, has previously been shown to contribute to IgV diversification in chicken DT40 cells. In this stu...

  13. DNA/RNA hybrid substrates modulate the catalytic activity of purified AID.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdouni, Hala S; King, Justin J; Ghorbani, Atefeh; Fifield, Heather; Berghuis, Lesley; Larijani, Mani

    2018-01-01

    Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) converts cytidine to uridine at Immunoglobulin (Ig) loci, initiating somatic hypermutation and class switching of antibodies. In vitro, AID acts on single stranded DNA (ssDNA), but neither double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) oligonucleotides nor RNA, and it is believed that transcription is the in vivo generator of ssDNA targeted by AID. It is also known that the Ig loci, particularly the switch (S) regions targeted by AID are rich in transcription-generated DNA/RNA hybrids. Here, we examined the binding and catalytic behavior of purified AID on DNA/RNA hybrid substrates bearing either random sequences or GC-rich sequences simulating Ig S regions. If substrates were made up of a random sequence, AID preferred substrates composed entirely of DNA over DNA/RNA hybrids. In contrast, if substrates were composed of S region sequences, AID preferred to mutate DNA/RNA hybrids over substrates composed entirely of DNA. Accordingly, AID exhibited a significantly higher affinity for binding DNA/RNA hybrid substrates composed specifically of S region sequences, than any other substrates composed of DNA. Thus, in the absence of any other cellular processes or factors, AID itself favors binding and mutating DNA/RNA hybrids composed of S region sequences. AID:DNA/RNA complex formation and supporting mutational analyses suggest that recognition of DNA/RNA hybrids is an inherent structural property of AID. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Feed-Forward Inhibition of CD73 and Upregulation of Adenosine Deaminase Contribute to the Loss of Adenosine Neuromodulation in Postinflammatory Ileitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cátia Vieira

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Purinergic signalling is remarkably plastic during gastrointestinal inflammation. Thus, selective drugs targeting the “purinome” may be helpful for inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases. The myenteric neuromuscular transmission of healthy individuals is fine-tuned and controlled by adenosine acting on A2A excitatory receptors. Here, we investigated the neuromodulatory role of adenosine in TNBS-inflamed longitudinal muscle-myenteric plexus of the rat ileum. Seven-day postinflammation ileitis lacks adenosine neuromodulation, which may contribute to acceleration of gastrointestinal transit. The loss of adenosine neuromodulation results from deficient accumulation of the nucleoside at the myenteric synapse despite the fact that the increases in ATP release were observed. Disparity between ATP outflow and adenosine deficit in postinflammatory ileitis is ascribed to feed-forward inhibition of ecto-5′-nucleotidase/CD73 by high extracellular ATP and/or ADP. Redistribution of NTPDase2, but not of NTPDase3, from ganglion cell bodies to myenteric nerve terminals leads to preferential ADP accumulation from released ATP, thus contributing to the prolonged inhibition of muscle-bound ecto-5′-nucleotidase/CD73 and to the delay of adenosine formation at the inflamed neuromuscular synapse. On the other hand, depression of endogenous adenosine accumulation may also occur due to enhancement of adenosine deaminase activity. Both membrane-bound and soluble forms of ecto-5′-nucleotidase/CD73 and adenosine deaminase were detected in the inflamed myenteric plexus. These findings provide novel therapeutic targets for inflammatory gut motility disorders.

  15. Isolation and characterization of novel bacteria containing acc deaminase from the rhizosphere resource on dry-farming lands

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng, P.; Tian, L.; Chen, F.; Cui, Z.

    2014-01-01

    Soil-microbe-plant interactions are known to be intricate and they can greatly influence the crop vigor and yield. Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) containing ACC deaminase can markedly affect plant metabolic processes under stress conditions. In the present study, we isolated 300 bacterial strains from the rhizosphere of maize or apple grown in drought-hit soil including four different locations of the Loess Plateau, China. Of all isolated strains, four with ACC deaminase activity (ranging from 28.88 to 155.12 nmol alpha-ketobutyrate mg-1 h-1) were further studied by determining their biological characters and sequencing the 16S rRNA gene. All four strains showed positive performance in terms of arabinose, citrate utilization, urease, indol, glucose and melibiose. In connection with the results of biochemical characters and phylogenetic analysis, these strains commonly belong to three different genera: Klebsiella, Pseudomonas and Raoultella and four different species: Klebsiella oxytoca, Klebsiella variicola, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Raoultella planticola. Although some researchers have reported their performance under stress conditions, we are the first to report Klebsiella oxytoca, Klebsiella variicola and Raoultella planticola containing ACC deaminase under drought stress. These findings are a reasonable explanation to their superb ability of causing stress-resistance in maize (Zea mays) or apple (Malus domestica) plants. The presence of diverse PGPR possessing potential ACC deaminase activity may be beneficial for enhancing crop production under different stress conditions. (author)

  16. [Isolation and identification of hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria producing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase and the determination of enzymatic activity].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Bo; Wang, Weiwei; Tang, Ming; Chen, Xingdu

    2009-03-01

    We used Medicago sativa rhizosphere in Shaanxi province of China to isolate and identify hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria that produced ACC (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate) deaminase, and then studied the mechanism why they can promote the growth of plants. Hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria were isolated by gas-cycle incubation system. We studied the morphological character, physiological characteristics, 16S rDNA sequence analysis and built the phylogenic tree. Thin layer chromatography was used to isolate the strain that produced ACC deaminase. Ninhydrin reaction was used to test the enzyme activity. In total 37 strains were isolated, 8 of which could oxidize H2 strongly and grow chemolithoautotrophically. We initially identified them as hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria. Only strain WMQ-7 produced ACC deaminase among these 8 strains. Morphological and physiological characteristics analysis showed that strain WMQ-7 was essentially consistent with Pseudomonas putida. The 16S rDNA sequence analysis (GenBank accession number EU807744) suggested that strain WMQ-7 was clustered together with Pseudomonas putida in phylogenetic tree, with the sequence identity of 99%. Based on all these results, strain WMQ-7 was identified as Pseudomonas putida. The enzyme activity of strain WMQ-7 was 0.671 U/microg. A strain producing ACC deaminase was identified and tested.

  17. N3 and O2 Protonated Tautomeric Conformations of 2 '-Deoxycytidine and Cytidine Coexist in the Gas Phase

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wu, R.R.; Yang, B.; Frieler, C.E.; Berden, G.; Oomens, J.; Rodgers, M.T.

    2015-01-01

    Infrared multiple photon dissociation action spectra of the protonated forms of the cytidyl nucleosides, 2'-deoxycytidine, [dCyd+H](+), and cytidine, [Cyd+H](+), are acquired over the IR fingerprint and hydrogen-stretching regions. Electronic structure calculations are performed at the

  18. Adenosine deaminase complexing protein (ADCP): a transformation sensitive protein with potentials of a cancer marker.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herbschleb-Voogt, E; Ten Kate, J; Meera Khan, P

    1983-01-01

    Several observations by independent investigators in the past have indicated that adenosine deaminase complexing protein (ADCP), present in considerable quantities in certain human tissues, was absent or decreased in the cancers originated from them. During the present study, electrophoretic analysis of adenosine deaminase (ADA) isozymes and radioimmunoassay for ADCP in the primary fibroblasts and the transformed as well as certain tumor derived cell lines have demonstrated that ADCP present in large quantities in the primary cells was absent or nearly absent in the transformed or tumor-derived cell lines. Though the mechanisms involved are not yet clear, the above observations indicate that ADCP has the potentials of a useful marker in the studies on transformed cells and cancer tissues.

  19. Histone H3.3 promotes IgV gene diversification by?enhancing formation of AID?accessible single?stranded DNA

    OpenAIRE

    Romanello, Marina; Schiavone, Davide; Frey, Alexander; Sale, Julian E

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Immunoglobulin diversification is driven by activation?induced deaminase (AID), which converts cytidine to uracil within the Ig variable (IgV) regions. Central to the recruitment of AID to the IgV genes are factors that regulate the generation of single?stranded DNA (ssDNA), the enzymatic substrate of AID. Here, we report that chicken DT40 cells lacking variant histone H3.3 exhibit reduced IgV sequence diversification. We show that this results from impairment of the ability of AID t...

  20. A halotolerant Enterobacter sp. displaying ACC deaminase activity promotes rice seedling growth under salt stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarkar, Anumita; Ghosh, Pallab Kumar; Pramanik, Krishnendu; Mitra, Soumik; Soren, Tithi; Pandey, Sanjeev; Mondal, Monohar Hossain; Maiti, Tushar Kanti

    2018-01-01

    Agricultural productivity is proven to be hampered by the synthesis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and production of stress-induced ethylene under salinity stress. One-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) is the direct precursor of ethylene synthesized by plants. Bacteria possessing ACC deaminase activity can use ACC as a nitrogen source preventing ethylene production. Several salt-tolerant bacterial strains displaying ACC deaminase activity were isolated from rice fields, and their plant growth-promoting (PGP) properties were determined. Among them, strain P23, identified as an Enterobacter sp. based on phenotypic characteristics, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry data and the 16S rDNA sequence, was selected as the best-performing isolate for several PGP traits, including phosphate solubilization, IAA production, siderophore production, HCN production, etc. Enterobacter sp. P23 was shown to promote rice seedling growth under salt stress, and this effect was correlated with a decrease in antioxidant enzymes and stress-induced ethylene. Isolation of an acdS mutant strain enabled concluding that the reduction in stress-induced ethylene content after inoculation of strain P23 was linked to ACC deaminase activity. Copyright © 2017 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  1. Piracetam prevents scopolamine-induced memory impairment and decrease of NTPDase, 5'-nucleotidase and adenosine deaminase activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marisco, Patricia C; Carvalho, Fabiano B; Rosa, Michelle M; Girardi, Bruna A; Gutierres, Jessié M; Jaques, Jeandre A S; Salla, Ana P S; Pimentel, Víctor C; Schetinger, Maria Rosa C; Leal, Daniela B R; Mello, Carlos F; Rubin, Maribel A

    2013-08-01

    Piracetam improves cognitive function in animals and in human beings, but its mechanism of action is still not completely known. In the present study, we investigated whether enzymes involved in extracellular adenine nucleotide metabolism, adenosine triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (NTPDase), 5'-nucleotidase and adenosine deaminase (ADA) are affected by piracetam in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of animals subjected to scopolamine-induced memory impairment. Piracetam (0.02 μmol/5 μL, intracerebroventricular, 60 min pre-training) prevented memory impairment induced by scopolamine (1 mg/kg, intraperitoneal, immediately post-training) in the inhibitory avoidance learning and in the object recognition task. Scopolamine reduced the activity of NTPDase in hippocampus (53 % for ATP and 53 % for ADP hydrolysis) and cerebral cortex (28 % for ATP hydrolysis). Scopolamine also decreased the activity of 5'-nucleotidase (43 %) and ADA (91 %) in hippocampus. The same effect was observed in the cerebral cortex for 5'-nucleotidase (38 %) and ADA (68 %) activities. Piracetam fully prevented scopolamine-induced memory impairment and decrease of NTPDase, 5'-nucleotidase and adenosine deaminase activities in synaptosomes from cerebral cortex and hippocampus. In vitro experiments show that piracetam and scopolamine did not alter enzymatic activity in cerebral cortex synaptosomes. Moreover, piracetam prevented scopolamine-induced increase of TBARS levels in hippocampus and cerebral cortex. These results suggest that piracetam-induced improvement of memory is associated with protection against oxidative stress and maintenance of NTPDase, 5'-nucleotidase and ADA activities, and suggest the purinergic system as a putative target of piracetam.

  2. Discovery of a Bacterial 5-Methylcytosine Deaminase

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    5-Methylcytosine is found in all domains of life, but the bacterial cytosine deaminase from Escherichia coli (CodA) will not accept 5-methylcytosine as a substrate. Since significant amounts of 5-methylcytosine are produced in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, this compound must eventually be catabolized and the fragments recycled by enzymes that have yet to be identified. We therefore initiated a comprehensive phylogenetic screen for enzymes that may be capable of deaminating 5-methylcytosine to thymine. From a systematic analysis of sequence homologues of CodA from thousands of bacterial species, we identified putative cytosine deaminases where a “discriminating” residue in the active site, corresponding to Asp-314 in CodA from E. coli, was no longer conserved. Representative examples from Klebsiella pneumoniae (locus tag: Kpn00632), Rhodobacter sphaeroides (locus tag: Rsp0341), and Corynebacterium glutamicum (locus tag: NCgl0075) were demonstrated to efficiently deaminate 5-methylcytosine to thymine with values of kcat/Km of 1.4 × 105, 2.9 × 104, and 1.1 × 103 M–1 s–1, respectively. These three enzymes also catalyze the deamination of 5-fluorocytosine to 5-fluorouracil with values of kcat/Km of 1.2 × 105, 6.8 × 104, and 2.0 × 102 M–1 s–1, respectively. The three-dimensional structure of Kpn00632 was determined by X-ray diffraction methods with 5-methylcytosine (PDB id: 4R85), 5-fluorocytosine (PDB id: 4R88), and phosphonocytosine (PDB id: 4R7W) bound in the active site. When thymine auxotrophs of E. coli express these enzymes, they are capable of growth in media lacking thymine when supplemented with 5-methylcytosine. Expression of these enzymes in E. coli is toxic in the presence of 5-fluorocytosine, due to the efficient transformation to 5-fluorouracil. PMID:25384249

  3. In vitro optimization of non-small cell lung cancer activity with troxacitabine, L-1,3-dioxolane-cytidine, prodrugs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Radi, Marco; Adema, Auke D.; Daft, Jonathan R.; Cho, Jong H.; Hoebe, Eveline K.; Alexander, Lou-Ella M. M.; Peters, Godefridus J.; Chu, Chung K.

    2007-01-01

    l-1,3-Dioxolane-cytidine, a potent anticancer agent against leukemia, has limited efficacy against solid tumors, perhaps due to its hydrophilicity. Herein, a library of prodrugs were synthesized to optimize in vitro antitumor activity against non-small cell lung cancer. N4-Substituted fatty acid

  4. Adenosine deaminase organic effect in normal and abnormal cerebrospinal fluid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamad, A.M.; Samarai, M.A.

    2007-01-01

    To study the effect of the organic substances on adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity in normal and abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Various concentrations of 2-mercaptopurine, Ame-tycine, Adenosine analogues (Guanine, Thymine) and ATP were tested to see their effect on ADA activity in normal and abnormal CSF. ADA activity in normal and abnormal CSF was remarkably decreased with the increasing of concentrations of substances tested. These effects may have important therapeutic implications. (author)

  5. How We Manage Adenosine Deaminase-Deficient Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (ADA SCID).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohn, Donald B; Gaspar, H Bobby

    2017-05-01

    Adenosine deaminase-deficient severe combined immune deficiency (ADA SCID) accounts for 10-15% of cases of human SCID. From what was once a uniformly fatal disease, the prognosis for infants with ADA SCID has improved greatly based on the development of multiple therapeutic options, coupled with more frequent early diagnosis due to implementation of newborn screening for SCID. We review the various treatment approaches for ADA SCID including allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from a human leukocyte antigen-matched sibling or family member or from a matched unrelated donor or a haplo-identical donor, autologous HSCT with gene correction of the hematopoietic stem cells (gene therapy-GT), and enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with polyethylene glycol-conjugated adenosine deaminase. Based on growing evidence of safety and efficacy from GT, we propose a treatment algorithm for patients with ADA SCID that recommends HSCT from a matched family donor, when available, as a first choice, followed by GT as the next option, with allogeneic HSCT from an unrelated or haplo-identical donor or long-term ERT as other options.

  6. Differential programming of B cells in AID deficient mice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marc A Hogenbirk

    Full Text Available The Aicda locus encodes the activation induced cytidine deaminase (AID and is highly expressed in germinal center (GC B cells to initiate somatic hypermutation (SHM and class switch recombination (CSR of immunoglobulin (Ig genes. Besides these Ig specific activities in B cells, AID has been implicated in active DNA demethylation in non-B cell systems. We here determined a potential role of AID as an epigenetic eraser and transcriptional regulator in B cells. RNA-Seq on different B cell subsets revealed that Aicda(-/- B cells are developmentally affected. However as shown by RNA-Seq, MethylCap-Seq, and SNP analysis these transcriptome alterations may not relate to AID, but alternatively to a CBA mouse strain derived region around the targeted Aicda locus. These unexpected confounding parameters provide alternative, AID-independent interpretations on genotype-phenotype correlations previously reported in numerous studies on AID using the Aicda(-/- mouse strain.

  7. The Effect of Acute Exercise upon Adenosin Deaminase Oxidant and Antioxidant Activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kafkas, M. Emin; Karabulut, Aysun Bay; Sahin, Armagan; Otlu, Onder; Savas, Seyfi; Aytac, Aylin

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the changes of MDA, glutation (GSH), Adenozine deaminase (ADA) and superoxidase dismutaze (SOD) levels with exercise training in obese middle-aged women (body mass index, MMI [greater than or equal to] 30.0). Twelve obese middle-aged women participated in this study. The descriptive statistics of some of…

  8. APOBEC3A is an oral cancer prognostic biomarker in Taiwanese carriers of an APOBEC deletion polymorphism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Ting-Wen; Lee, Chi-Ching; Liu, Hsuan; Wu, Chi-Sheng; Pickering, Curtis R; Huang, Po-Jung; Wang, Jing; Chang, Ian Yi-Feng; Yeh, Yuan-Ming; Chen, Chih-De; Li, Hsin-Pai; Luo, Ji-Dung; Tan, Bertrand Chin-Ming; Chan, Timothy En Haw; Hsueh, Chuen; Chu, Lichieh Julie; Chen, Yi-Ting; Zhang, Bing; Yang, Chia-Yu; Wu, Chih-Ching; Hsu, Chia-Wei; See, Lai-Chu; Tang, Petrus; Yu, Jau-Song; Liao, Wei-Chao; Chiang, Wei-Fan; Rodriguez, Henry; Myers, Jeffrey N; Chang, Kai-Ping; Chang, Yu-Sun

    2017-09-06

    Oral squamous cell carcinoma is a prominent cancer worldwide, particularly in Taiwan. By integrating omics analyses in 50 matched samples, we uncover in Taiwanese patients a predominant mutation signature associated with cytidine deaminase APOBEC, which correlates with the upregulation of APOBEC3A expression in the APOBEC3 gene cluster at 22q13. APOBEC3A expression is significantly higher in tumors carrying APOBEC3B-deletion allele(s). High-level APOBEC3A expression is associated with better overall survival, especially among patients carrying APOBEC3B-deletion alleles, as examined in a second cohort (n = 188; p = 0.004). The frequency of APOBEC3B-deletion alleles is ~50% in 143 genotyped oral squamous cell carcinoma -Taiwan samples (27A3B -/- :89A3B +/- :27A3B +/+ ), compared to the 5.8% found in 314 OSCC-TCGA samples. We thus report a frequent APOBEC mutational profile, which relates to a APOBEC3B-deletion germline polymorphism in Taiwanese oral squamous cell carcinoma that impacts expression of APOBEC3A, and is shown to be of clinical prognostic relevance. Our finding might be recapitulated by genomic studies in other cancer types.Oral squamous cell carcinoma is a prevalent malignancy in Taiwan. Here, the authors show that OSCC in Taiwanese show a frequent deletion polymorphism in the cytidine deaminases gene cluster APOBEC3 resulting in increased expression of A3A, which is shown to be of clinical prognostic relevance.

  9. The enzymatic activity of CEM15/Apobec-3G is essential for the regulation of the infectivity of HIV-1 virion but not a sole determinant of its antiviral activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shindo, Keisuke; Takaori-Kondo, Akifumi; Kobayashi, Masayuki; Abudu, Aierken; Fukunaga, Keiko; Uchiyama, Takashi

    2003-11-07

    Human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) Vif protein plays an essential role in the regulation of the infectivity of HIV-1 virion. Vif functions to counteract an anti-HIV-1 cellular factor in non-permissive cells, CEM15/Apobec-3G, which shares a cytidine deaminase motif. CEM15/Apobec-3G deaminates dC to dU in the minus strand DNA of HIV-1, resulting in G to A hypermutation in the plus strand DNA. In this study, we have done the mutagenesis analysis on two cytidine deaminase motifs in CEM15/Apobec-3G and examined their antiviral functions as well as the DNA editing activity. Point mutations in the C-terminal active site such as E259Q and C291A almost completely abrogated the antiviral function, while those in the N-terminal active site such as E67Q and C100A retained this activity to a lesser extent as compared with that of the wild type. The DNA editing activities of E67Q and E259Q mutants were both retained but impaired to the same extent. This indicates that the enzymatic activity of this protein is essential but not a sole determinant of the antiviral activity. Furthermore, all the deletion mutants tested in this study lost the antiviral activity because of the loss of the activity for dimerization, suggesting that the entire protein structure is necessary for the antiviral function.

  10. Inducible tertiary lymphoid structures, autoimmunity, and exocrine dysfunction in a novel model of salivary gland inflammation in C57BL/6 mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bombardieri, Michele; Barone, Francesca; Lucchesi, Davide; Nayar, Saba; van den Berg, Wim B; Proctor, Gordon; Buckley, Christopher D; Pitzalis, Costantino

    2012-10-01

    Salivary glands in patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS) develop ectopic lymphoid structures (ELS) characterized by B/T cell compartmentalization, the formation of high endothelial venules, follicular dendritic cell networks, functional B cell activation with expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase, as well as local differentiation of autoreactive plasma cells. The mechanisms that trigger ELS formation, autoimmunity, and exocrine dysfunction in SS are largely unknown. In this article, we present a novel model of inducible ectopic lymphoid tissue formation, breach of humoral self-tolerance, and salivary hypofunction after delivery of a replication-deficient adenovirus-5 in submandibular glands of C57BL/6 mice through retrograde excretory duct cannulation. In this model, inflammation rapidly and consistently evolves from diffuse infiltration toward the development of SS-like periductal lymphoid aggregates within 2 wk from AdV delivery. These infiltrates progressively acquire ELS features and support functional GL7(+)/activation-induced cytidine deaminase(+) germinal centers. Formation of ELS is preceded by ectopic expression of lymphoid chemokines CXCL13, CCL19, and lymphotoxin-β, and is associated with development of anti-nuclear Abs in up to 75% of mice. Finally, reduction in salivary flow was observed over 3 wk post-AdV infection, consistent with exocrine gland dysfunction as a consequence of the inflammatory response. This novel model has the potential to unravel the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate ELS formation and their role in exocrine dysfunction and autoimmunity in SS.

  11. Vif Proteins from Diverse Primate Lentiviral Lineages Use the Same Binding Site in APOBEC3G

    OpenAIRE

    Letko, Michael; Silvestri, Guido; Hahn, Beatrice H.; Bibollet-Ruche, Frederick; Gokcumen, Omer; Simon, Viviana; Ooms, Marcel

    2013-01-01

    APOBEC3G (A3G) is a cytidine deaminase that restricts human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and other lentiviruses. Most of these viruses encode a Vif protein that directly binds A3G and leads to its proteasomal degradation. Both Vif proteins of HIV-1 and African green monkey simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVagm) bind residue 128 of A3G. However, this position does not control the A3G degradation by Vif variants derived from HIV-2 and SIVmac, which both originated from SIV of sooty man...

  12. Single nucleotide editing without DNA cleavage using CRISPR/Cas9-deaminase in the sea urchin embryo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shevidi, Saba; Uchida, Alicia; Schudrowitz, Natalie; Wessel, Gary M; Yajima, Mamiko

    2017-12-01

    A single base pair mutation in the genome can result in many congenital disorders in humans. The recent gene editing approach using CRISPR/Cas9 has rapidly become a powerful tool to replicate or repair such mutations in the genome. These approaches rely on cleaving DNA, while presenting unexpected risks. In this study, we demonstrate a modified CRISPR/Cas9 system fused to cytosine deaminase (Cas9-DA), which induces a single nucleotide conversion in the genome. Cas9-DA was introduced into sea urchin eggs with sgRNAs targeted for SpAlx1, SpDsh, or SpPks, each of which is critical for skeletogenesis, embryonic axis formation, or pigment formation, respectively. We found that both Cas9 and Cas9-DA edit the genome, and cause predicted phenotypic changes at a similar efficiency. Cas9, however, resulted in significant deletions in the genome centered on the gRNA target sequence, whereas Cas9-DA resulted in single or double nucleotide editing of C to T conversions within the gRNA target sequence. These results suggest that the Cas9-DA approach may be useful for manipulating gene activity with decreased risks of genomic aberrations. Developmental Dynamics 246:1036-1046, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Ecto- and cytosolic 5'-nucleotidases in normal and AMP deaminase-deficient human skeletal muscle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hanisch, Frank; Hellsten, Ylva; Zierz, Stephan

    2006-01-01

    homogenate 5'-nucleotidase and ectoN, or in cN-I expression on Western blots. No correlation for age, fibre type distribution and AMPD1 genotype was found for whole homogenate nucleotidase, total cN and cN-I using multiple linear regression analysis. There was no gender-specific difference in the activities...... with a homozygous C34T mutation, cN-I might be a more important pathway for AMP removal. We determined activities of AMP deaminase, cN-I, total cytosolic 5'-nucleotidase (total cN), ecto-5'-nucleotidase (ectoN) and whole homogenate 5'-nucleotidase activity in skeletal muscle biopsies from patients with different...... AMPD1 genotypes [homozygotes for C34T mutation (TT); heterozygotes for C34T mutation (CT); and homozygotes for wild type (CC): diseased controls CC; and normal controls CC]. AMP deaminase activity showed genotype-dependent differences. Total cN activity in normal controls accounted for 57...

  14. Development of gene therapy: potential in severe combined immunodeficiency due to adenosine deaminase deficiency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudia A Montiel-Equihua

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Claudia A Montiel-Equihua, Adrian J Thrasher, H Bobby GasparCentre for Immunodeficiency, Molecular Immunology Unit, UCL Institute of Child Health, London, UKAbstract: The history of stem cell gene therapy is strongly linked to the development of gene therapy for severe combined immunodeficiencies (SCID and especially adenosine deaminase (ADA-deficient SCID. Here we discuss the developments achieved in over two decades of clinical and laboratory research that led to the establishment of a protocol for the autologous transplant of retroviral vector-mediated gene-modified hematopoietic stem cells, which has proved to be both successful and, to date, safe. Patients in trials in three different countries have shown long-term immunological and metabolic correction. Nevertheless, improvements to the safety profile of viral vectors are underway and will undoubtedly reinforce the position of stem cell gene therapy as a treatment option for ADA-SCID.Keywords: adenosine deaminase, severe combined immunodeficiency, gene therapy, hematopoietic stem cell, retrovirus, clinical trial

  15. The catalase activity of diiron adenine deaminase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kamat S. S.; Swaminathan S.; Holmes-Hampton, G. P.; Bagaria, A.; Kumaran, D.; Tichy, S. E.; Gheyi, T.; Zheng, X.; Bain, K.; Groshong, C.; Emtage, S.; Sauder, J. M.; Burley, S. K.; Lindahl, P. A.; Raushel, F. M.

    2011-12-01

    Adenine deaminase (ADE) from the amidohydrolase superfamily (AHS) of enzymes catalyzes the conversion of adenine to hypoxanthine and ammonia. Enzyme isolated from Escherichia coli was largely inactive toward the deamination of adenine. Molecular weight determinations by mass spectrometry provided evidence that multiple histidine and methionine residues were oxygenated. When iron was sequestered with a metal chelator and the growth medium supplemented with Mn{sup 2+} before induction, the post-translational modifications disappeared. Enzyme expressed and purified under these conditions was substantially more active for adenine deamination. Apo-enzyme was prepared and reconstituted with two equivalents of FeSO{sub 4}. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and Moessbauer spectroscopy demonstrated that this protein contained two high-spin ferrous ions per monomer of ADE. In addition to the adenine deaminase activity, [Fe{sup II}/Fe{sup II}]-ADE catalyzed the conversion of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} to O{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O. The values of k{sub cat} and k{sub cat}/K{sub m} for the catalase activity are 200 s{sup -1} and 2.4 x 10{sup 4} M{sup -1} s{sup -1}, respectively. [Fe{sup II}/Fe{sup II}]-ADE underwent more than 100 turnovers with H{sub 2}O{sub 2} before the enzyme was inactivated due to oxygenation of histidine residues critical for metal binding. The iron in the inactive enzyme was high-spin ferric with g{sub ave} = 4.3 EPR signal and no evidence of anti-ferromagnetic spin-coupling. A model is proposed for the disproportionation of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} by [Fe{sup II}/Fe{sup II}]-ADE that involves the cycling of the binuclear metal center between the di-ferric and di-ferrous oxidation states. Oxygenation of active site residues occurs via release of hydroxyl radicals. These findings represent the first report of redox reaction catalysis by any member of the AHS.

  16. Regulation of adenosine deaminase (ADA) on induced mouse experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) ‡

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Dongchun; Zuo, Aijun; Zhao, Ronglan; Shao, Hui; Kaplan, Henry J.; Sun, Deming

    2016-01-01

    Adenosine is an important regulator of the immune response and adenosine deaminase (ADA) inhibits this regulatory effect by converting adenosine into functionally inactive molecules. Studies have shown that adenosine receptor (AR) agonists can be either anti- or pro-inflammatory. Clarification of the mechanisms that cause these opposing effects should provide a better guide for therapeutic intervention. In this study, we investigated the effect of ADA on the development of experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) induced by immunizing EAU-prone mice with a known uveitogenic peptide, IRBP1–20. Our results showed that the effective time to administer a single dose of ADA to suppress induction of EAU was 8–14 days post-immunization, shortly before EAU expression, but ADA treatment at other time points exacerbated disease. ADA preferentially inhibited Th17 responses and this effect was γδ T cell-dependent. Our results demonstrated that the existing immune status strongly influences the anti- or proinflammatory effects of ADA. Our observations should help improve the design of ADA- and AR-targeted therapies. PMID:26856700

  17. Reduction of nucleotides by ionizing radiation: uridine 5' phosphate, and cytidine 3' phosphate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Box, H.C.; Potter, W.R.; Budzinski, E.E.

    1974-01-01

    Anions formed by the addition of an electron to the uracil base were observed in single crystals of the barium salt of uridine 5' phosphate x irradiated at 4.2 0 K. The hyperfine coupling tensor for the C 6 -H proton was deduced from ENDOR measurements; the principal values are -59.12, -32.92 and -16.24 MHz. Similar measurements were made on single crystals of cytidine 3' phosphate. The principal values for the C 6 -H proton hyperfine coupling in the anion formed on the cytosine base are -59.26, -33.98 and -14.68 MHz. (U.S.)

  18. Analysis of 6912 unselected somatic hypermutations in human VDJ rearrangements reveals lack of strand specificity and correlation between phase II substitution rates and distance to the nearest 3' activation-induced cytidine deaminase target

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ohm-Laursen, Line; Barington, Torben

    2007-01-01

    -23*01) from blood B lymphocytes enriched for CD27-positive memory cells. Analyses of 6,912 unique, unselected substitutions showed that in vivo hot and cold spots for the SHM of C and G residues corresponded closely to the target preferences reported for AID in vitro. A detailed analysis of all possible four......-nucleotide motifs present on both strands of the V(H) gene showed significant correlations between the substitution frequencies in reverse complementary motifs, suggesting that the SHM machinery targets both strands equally well. An analysis of individual J(H) and D gene segments showed that the substitution...... rates in G and T residues correlated inversely with the distance to the nearest 3' WRC AID hot spot motif on both the nontranscribed and transcribed strands. This suggests that phase II SHM takes place 5' of the initial AID deamination target and primarily targets T and G residues or, alternatively...

  19. Regulation of adenosine deaminase (ADA) on induced mouse experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) ?

    OpenAIRE

    Liang, Dongchun; Zuo, Aijun; Zhao, Ronglan; Shao, Hui; Kaplan, Henry J.; Sun, Deming

    2016-01-01

    Adenosine is an important regulator of the immune response and adenosine deaminase (ADA) inhibits this regulatory effect by converting adenosine into functionally inactive molecules. Studies have shown that adenosine receptor (AR) agonists can be either anti- or pro-inflammatory. Clarification of the mechanisms that cause these opposing effects should provide a better guide for therapeutic intervention. In this study, we investigated the effect of ADA on the development of experimental autoim...

  20. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray characterization of the tetrapyrrole-biosynthetic enzyme porphobilinogen deaminase from Bacillus megaterium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Azim, N.; Deery, E.; Warren, M. J.; Erskine, P.; Cooper, J. B.; Wood, S. P.; Akhtar, M.

    2013-01-01

    The enzyme porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD; hydroxymethylbilane synthase; EC 2.5.1.61) catalyses a key early step in the biosynthesis of tetrapyrroles in which four molecules of the monopyrrole porphobilinogen are condensed to form a linear tetrapyrrole. PBGD from B. megaterium was expressed and the enzyme was crystallized in a form which diffracts synchrotron radiation to high resolution. The enzyme porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD; hydroxymethylbilane synthase; EC 2.5.1.61) catalyses an early step of the tetrapyrrole-biosynthesis pathway in which four molecules of the monopyrrole porphobilinogen are condensed to form a linear tetrapyrrole. The enzyme possesses a dipyrromethane cofactor which is covalently linked by a thioether bridge to an invariant cysteine residue. Expression in Escherichia coli of a His-tagged form of Bacillus megaterium PBGD permitted the crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the enzyme from this species at high resolution

  1. Radio-chromatographic determination of plasmatic adenosine deaminase (A.D.); Determination radiochromatographique de l'adenosine deaminase (A.D.)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chivot, J J; Depernet, D; Caen, J [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Bruyeres-le-Chatel (France). Centre d' Etudes

    1970-07-01

    We were able, by using a radio-chromatographic method, to measure an adenosine deaminase activity in normal human heparinized platelet-poor plasma, which can degrade 0.016 {mu}M adenosine. This activity suppressed by heating 56 C for 30 minutes is inhibited by high concentrations of urea and is proportional to the amount of plasma, source of enzyme, in the systems. (authors) [French] Nous avons pu, en utilisant une methode radiochromatographique, mesurer une activite adenosine deaminasique dans le plasma humain pauvre en plaquettes heparine qui peut degrader 0,016 {mu}M d'adenosine. Cette activite qui est supprimee par chauffage a 56 degres pendant 30 minutes, est reduite par conservation a -20 C pendant une semaine, est inhibee par d'importantes concentrations d'uree et ne l'est pas, ni par le dipyridamol, ni par le pHMB. Cette activite est proportionnelle a la quantite de plasma, source d'enzyme, mise dans les differents systemes reactifs. (auteur)

  2. Pleural Fluid Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) Predicts Survival in Patients with Malignant Pleural Effusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terra, Ricardo Mingarini; Antonangelo, Leila; Mariani, Alessandro Wasum; de Oliveira, Ricardo Lopes Moraes; Teixeira, Lisete Ribeiro; Pego-Fernandes, Paulo Manuel

    2016-08-01

    Systemic and local inflammations have been described as relevant prognostic factors in patients with cancer. However, parameters that stand for immune activity in the pleural space have not been tested as predictors of survival in patients with malignant pleural effusion. The objective of this study was to evaluate pleural lymphocytes and Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) as predictors of survival in patients with recurrent malignant pleural effusion. Retrospective cohort study includes patients who underwent pleurodesis for malignant pleural effusion in a tertiary center. Pleural fluid protein concentration, lactate dehydrogenase, glucose, oncotic cytology, cell count, and ADA were collected before pleurodesis and analyzed. Survival analysis was performed considering pleurodesis as time origin, and death as the event. Backwards stepwise Cox regression was used to find predictors of survival. 156 patients (out of 196 potentially eligible) were included in this study. Most were female (72 %) and breast cancer was the most common underlying malignancy (53 %). Pleural fluid ADA level was stratified as low (Pleural fluid cell count and lymphocytes number and percentage did not correlate with survival. Pleural fluid Adenosine Deaminase levels (pleural effusion who undergo pleurodesis.

  3. Comparison of identical and functional Igh alleles reveals a nonessential role for Eμ in somatic hypermutation and class-switch recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Fubin; Yan, Yi; Pieretti, Joyce; Feldman, Danielle A; Eckhardt, Laurel A

    2010-11-15

    Somatic hypermutation (SHM), coupled with Ag selection, provides a mechanism for generating Abs with high affinity for invading pathogens. Class-switch recombination (CSR) ensures that these Abs attain pathogen-appropriate effector functions. Although the enzyme critical to both processes, activation-induced cytidine deaminase, has been identified, it remains unclear which cis-elements within the Ig loci are responsible for recruiting activation-induced cytidine deaminase and promoting its activity. Studies showed that Ig gene-transcription levels are positively correlated with the frequency of SHM and CSR, making the intronic, transcriptional enhancer Eμ a likely contributor to both processes. Tests of this hypothesis yielded mixed results arising, in part, from the difficulty in studying B cell function in mice devoid of Eμ. In Eμ's absence, V(H) gene assembly is dramatically impaired, arresting B cell development. The current study circumvented this problem by modifying the murine Igh locus through simultaneous insertion of a fully assembled V(H) gene and deletion of Eμ. The behavior of this allele was compared with that of a matched allele carrying the same V(H) gene but with Eμ intact. Although IgH transcription was as great or greater on the Eμ-deficient allele, CSR and SHM were consistently, but modestly, reduced relative to the allele in which Eμ remained intact. We conclude that Eμ contributes to, but is not essential for, these complex processes and that its contribution is not as a transcriptional enhancer but, rather, is at the level of recruitment and/or activation of the SHM/CSR machinery.

  4. Enzyme catalysis by entropy without Circe effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazemi, Masoud; Himo, Fahmi; Åqvist, Johan

    2016-03-01

    Entropic effects have often been invoked to explain the extraordinary catalytic power of enzymes. In particular, the hypothesis that enzymes can use part of the substrate-binding free energy to reduce the entropic penalty associated with the subsequent chemical transformation has been very influential. The enzymatic reaction of cytidine deaminase appears to be a distinct example. Here, substrate binding is associated with a significant entropy loss that closely matches the activation entropy penalty for the uncatalyzed reaction in water, whereas the activation entropy for the rate-limiting catalytic step in the enzyme is close to zero. Herein, we report extensive computer simulations of the cytidine deaminase reaction and its temperature dependence. The energetics of the catalytic reaction is first evaluated by density functional theory calculations. These results are then used to parametrize an empirical valence bond description of the reaction, which allows efficient sampling by molecular dynamics simulations and computation of Arrhenius plots. The thermodynamic activation parameters calculated by this approach are in excellent agreement with experimental data and indeed show an activation entropy close to zero for the rate-limiting transition state. However, the origin of this effect is a change of reaction mechanism compared the uncatalyzed reaction. The enzyme operates by hydroxide ion attack, which is intrinsically associated with a favorable activation entropy. Hence, this has little to do with utilization of binding free energy to pay the entropic penalty but rather reflects how a preorganized active site can stabilize a reaction path that is not operational in solution.

  5. The reduction of nucleotides by ionizing radiation: uridine 5' phosphate and cytidine 3' phosphate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Box, H.C.; Potter, W.R.; Budzinski, E.E.

    1975-01-01

    Anions formed by the addition of an electron to the uracil base were observed in single crystals of the barium salt of uridine 5' phosphate x-irradiated at 4.2 degreeK. The hyperfine coupling tensor for the C 6 --H proton was deduced from ENDOR measurements; the principal values are -59.12, -32.92, and -16.24 MHz. Similar measurements were made on single crystals of cytidine 3' phosphate. The principal values for the C 6 --H proton hyperfine coupling in the anion formed on the cytosine base are -59.26, -33.98, and -14.68 MHz

  6. Cloning, expression, and purification of cytidine deaminase from Arabidopsis thaliana

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vincenzetti, Silvia; Cambi, Alessandra; Neuhard, Jan

    1999-01-01

    -optical emission spectroscopy analysis indicated that the enzyme contains 1 mol of zinc atom per mole of subunit. The kinetic properties of AT-CDA1 both toward the natural substrates and with analogs indicated that the catalytic mechanism of the plant enzyme is probably very similar to that of the human the...

  7. The genetics of feto-placental development: A study of acid phosphatase locus 1 and adenosine deaminase polymorphisms in a consecutive series of newborn infants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bergamaschi Antonio

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Acid phosphatase locus 1 and adenosine deaminase locus 1 polymorphisms show cooperative effects on glucose metabolism and immunological functions. The recent observation of cooperation between the two systems on susceptibility to repeated spontaneous miscarriage prompted us to search for possible interactional effects between these genes and the correlation between birth weight and placental weight. Deviation from a balanced development of the feto-placental unit has been found to be associated with perinatal morbidity and mortality and with cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. Methods We examined 400 consecutive newborns from the Caucasian population of Rome. Birth weight, placental weight, and gestational length were registered. Acid phosphatase locus 1 and adenosine deaminase locus 1 phenotypes were determined by starch gel electrophoresis and correlation analysis was performed by SPSS programs. Informed verbal consent to participate in the study was obtained from the mothers. Results Highly significant differences in birth weight-placental weight correlations were observed among acid phosphatase locus 1 phenotypes (p = 0.005. The correlation between birth weight and placental weight was markedly elevated in subjects carrying acid phosphatase locus 1 phenotypes with medium-low F isoform concentration (A, CA and CB phenotypes compared to those carrying acid phosphatase locus 1 phenotypes with medium-high F isoform concentration (BA and B phenotypes (p = 0.002. Environmental and developmental variables were found to exert a significant effect on birth weight-placental weight correlation in subjects with medium-high F isoform concentrations, but only a marginal effect was observed in those with medium-low F isoform concentrations. The correlation between birth weight and placental weight is higher among carriers of the adenosine deaminase locus 1 allele*2, which is associated with low activity, than in homozygous adenosine

  8. Diagnostic Value of Serum Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) Level for Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salmanzadeh, Shokrollah; Tavakkol, Heshmatollah; Bavieh, Khalid; Alavi, Seyed Mohammad

    2015-03-01

    Diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) is not always easy, thus employing methods with a short duration and acceptable sensitivity and specificity is necessary to diagnose TB. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of serum adenosine deaminase (ADA) level for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. A total of 160 sex and age-matched subjects were included in this study, and were divided to four groups; forty patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) diagnosed based on the national TB program (NTP), forty patients with non-tuberculosis bacterial pneumonia, forty patients with lung cancer and forty people who were healthy in every respect. Serum adenosine deaminase activity in patients of each group was measured by the Giusti and Galanti calorimetry method using a commercial kit (Diazyme, USA). The ANOVA analysis was used to compare groups for quantitative variables. Mean serum ADA level in the PTB group was clearly higher than the mean serum ADA in the other three groups. Mean serum ADA was 26 IU/L in PTB patients, 19.48 IU/L in patients with pneumonia, 15.8 IU/L in patients with lung cancer, and 10.7 IU/L in the control group (P ADA in patients with PTB sensitivity and specificity was defined as 35% and 91%, respectively. Serum ADA activity with high specificity percentage may be a useful alternative test in restricted resource areas to rule out diagnosis of PTB. However, serum ADA activity is not a useful tool for TB diagnosis.

  9. Diagnostic value of adenosine deaminase in ascites for tuberculosis ascites: a meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Lin; Ning, Hong-Jian; Nie, Hai-Ming; Guo, Xiao-Yun; Qin, Shan-Yu; Jiang, Hai-Xing

    2014-05-01

    The diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) ascites using standard diagnostic tools is difficult. The aim of the present meta-analysis was to establish the overall diagnostic accuracy of adenosine deaminase (ADA) levels in ascites for diagnosing TB ascites. A systematic review was performed of English language publications prior to April 2013. Sensitivity, specificity, and other measures of the accuracy of ADA for the diagnosis of TB ascites using ascites fluid were summarized using a random-effects model or a fixed-effects model. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to summarize overall test performance. Seventeen studies involving 1797 subjects were eligible for the analysis. The summary estimates of sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, and the area under cure of overall analysis were: 0.93, 0.94, 13.55, 0.11, 169.83, and 0.976, respectively; the results of sensitivity analysis of studies that used Giusti method were 0.94, 0.94, 12.99, 0.08, 183.18, and 0.977, respectively. Our results suggest that ADA in the ascites can be a sensitive and specific target and a critical criterion for the diagnosis of TB ascites. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Protein preparation and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of a putative glucosamine 6-phosphate deaminase from Streptococcus mutants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu, Guan-Jing; Li, Lan-Fen; Li, Dan; Liu, Cong [National Laboratory of Protein Engineering and Plant Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Wei, Shi-Cheng, E-mail: kqsc-wei@bjmu.edu.cn [Peking University School of Stomatology, Beijing 100081 (China); Liang, Yu-He, E-mail: kqsc-wei@bjmu.edu.cn; Su, Xiao-Dong [National Laboratory of Protein Engineering and Plant Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)

    2007-09-01

    A glucosamine 6-phosphate deaminase homologue from S. mutans was expressed, purified and crystallized. Diffraction data have been collected to 2.4 Å resolution. The SMU.636 protein from Streptococcus mutans is a putative glucosamine 6-phosphate deaminase with 233 residues. The smu.636 gene was PCR-amplified from S. mutans genomic DNA and cloned into the expression vector pET-28a(+). The resultant His-tagged fusion protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity in two steps. Crystals of the fusion protein were obtained by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals diffracted to 2.4 Å resolution and belong to space group P2{sub 1}2{sub 1}2{sub 1}, with unit-cell parameters a = 53.83, b = 82.13, c = 134.70 Å.

  11. Protein preparation and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of a putative glucosamine 6-phosphate deaminase from Streptococcus mutants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu, Guan-Jing; Li, Lan-Fen; Li, Dan; Liu, Cong; Wei, Shi-Cheng; Liang, Yu-He; Su, Xiao-Dong

    2007-01-01

    A glucosamine 6-phosphate deaminase homologue from S. mutans was expressed, purified and crystallized. Diffraction data have been collected to 2.4 Å resolution. The SMU.636 protein from Streptococcus mutans is a putative glucosamine 6-phosphate deaminase with 233 residues. The smu.636 gene was PCR-amplified from S. mutans genomic DNA and cloned into the expression vector pET-28a(+). The resultant His-tagged fusion protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity in two steps. Crystals of the fusion protein were obtained by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals diffracted to 2.4 Å resolution and belong to space group P2 1 2 1 2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 53.83, b = 82.13, c = 134.70 Å

  12. Discovery of a cAMP Deaminase That Quenches Cyclic AMP-Dependent Regulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goble, Alissa M.; Feng, Youjun; Raushel, Frank M.; Cronan, John E.

    2013-01-01

    An enzyme of unknown function within the amidohydrolase superfamily was discovered to catalyze the hydrolysis of the universal second messenger, cyclic-3’, 5’-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). The enzyme, which we have named CadD, is encoded by the human pathogenic bacterium Leptospira interrogans. Although CadD is annotated as an adenosine deaminase, the protein specifically deaminates cAMP to cyclic-3’, 5’-inosine monophosphate (cIMP) with a kcat/Km of 2.7 ± 0.4 × 105 M−1 s−1 and has no activity on adenosine, adenine, or 5’-adenosine monophosphate (AMP). This is the first identification of a deaminase specific for cAMP. Expression of CadD in Escherichia coli mimics the loss of adenylate cyclase in that it blocks growth on carbon sources that require the cAMP-CRP transcriptional activator complex for expression of the cognate genes. The cIMP reaction product cannot replace cAMP as the ligand for CRP binding to DNA in vitro and cIMP is a very poor competitor of cAMP activation of CRP for DNA binding. Transcriptional analyses indicate that CadD expression represses expression of several cAMP-CRP dependent genes. CadD adds a new activity to the cAMP metabolic network and may be a useful tool in intracellular study of cAMP-dependent processes. PMID:24074367

  13. Threonine deaminase from extremely halophilic bacteria - Cooperative substrate kinetics and salt dependence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lieberman, M. M.; Lanyi, J. K.

    1972-01-01

    The effect of salt on the activity, stability, and allosteric properties of catabolic threonine deaminase from Halobacterium cutirubrum was studied. The enzyme exhibits sigmoidal kinetics with the substrate, threonine. The Hill slope is 1.55 at pH 10. The enzyme is activated by ADP at low substrate concentrations. In the presence of this effector, sigmoidal kinetics are no longer observed. At pH 10, in the absence of ADP, enzyme activity increases with increasing NaCl concentration from 0 to 4 M.

  14. Increased activity of vascular adenosine deaminase in atherosclerosis and therapeutic potential of its inhibition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kutryb-Zajac, Barbara; Mateuszuk, Lukasz; Zukowska, Paulina; Jasztal, Agnieszka; Zabielska, Magdalena A; Toczek, Marta; Jablonska, Patrycja; Zakrzewska, Agnieszka; Sitek, Barbara; Rogowski, Jan; Lango, Romuald; Slominska, Ewa M; Chlopicki, Stefan; Smolenski, Ryszard T

    2016-11-01

    Extracellular nucleotides and adenosine that are formed or degraded by membrane-bound ecto-enzymes could affect atherosclerosis by regulating the inflammation and thrombosis. This study aimed to evaluate a relation between ecto-enzymes that convert extracellular adenosine triphosphate to adenine dinucleotide phosphate, adenosine monophosphate, adenosine, and inosine on the surface of the vessel wall with the severity or progression of experimental and clinical atherosclerosis. Furthermore, we tested whether the inhibition of adenosine deaminase will block the development of experimental atherosclerosis. Vascular activities of ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 1, ecto-5'-nucleotidase, and ecto-adenosine deaminase (eADA) were measured in aortas of apolipoprotein E-/- low density lipoprotein receptor (ApoE-/-LDLR-/-) and wild-type mice as well as in human aortas. Plaques were analysed in the entire aorta, aortic root, and brachiocephalic artery by Oil-Red O and Orcein Martius Scarlet Blue staining and vascular accumulation of macrophages. The cellular location of ecto-enzymes was analysed by immunofluorescence. The effect of eADA inhibition on atherosclerosis progression was studied by a 2-month deoxycoformycin treatment of ApoE-/-LDLR-/- mice. The vascular eADA activity prominently increased in ApoE-/-LDLR-/- mice when compared with wild type already at the age of 1 month and progressed along atherosclerosis development, reaching a 10-fold difference at 10 months. The activity of eADA correlated with atherosclerotic changes in human aortas. High abundance of eADA in atherosclerotic vessels originated from activated endothelial cells and macrophages. There were no changes in ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 1 activity, whereas ecto-5'-nucleotidase was moderately decreased in ApoE-/-LDLR-/- mice. Deoxycoformycin treatment attenuated plaque development in aortic root and brachiocephalic artery of ApoE-/-LDLR-/- mice, suppressed vascular

  15. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of the tRNA-specific adenosine deaminase from Streptococcus pyogenes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ku, Min-Je [Functional Proteomics Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 39-1 Hawolgok-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Won-Ho [Functional Proteomics Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 39-1 Hawolgok-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 136-701 (Korea, Republic of); Nam, Ki-hyun; Rhee, Kyeong-hee [Biomedical Research Center, Life Science Division, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 39-1 Hawolgok-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Ki-Seog [Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 136-701 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Eunice EunKyung [Biomedical Research Center, Life Science Division, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 39-1 Hawolgok-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Yu, Myung-Hee [Functional Proteomics Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 39-1 Hawolgok-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Hwang, Kwang Yeon, E-mail: hwangky@kist.re.kr [Biomedical Research Center, Life Science Division, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 39-1 Hawolgok-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Functional Proteomics Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 39-1 Hawolgok-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of)

    2005-04-01

    The tRNA-specific adenosine deaminase from the pathogenic bacteria S. pyogenes has been overexpressed and crystallized. The tRNA-specific adenosine deaminase from the pathogenic bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes (spTAD) has been overexpressed in Escherichia coli and crystallized in the presence of Zn{sup 2+} ion at 295 K using ammonium sulfate as a precipitant. Flash-cooled crystals of spTAD diffracted to 2.0 Å using 30%(v/v) glycerol as a cryoprotectant. X-ray diffraction data have been collected to 2.0 Å using synchrotron radiation. The crystal belongs to the tetragonal space group P4{sub 2}2{sub 1}2, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 81.042, c = 81.270 Å. The asymmetric unit contains one subunit of spTAD, with a corresponding crystal volume per protein weight (V{sub M}) of 3.3 Å{sup 3} Da{sup −1} and a solvent content of 62.7%.

  16. Host apolipoprotein B messenger RNA-editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like 3G is an innate defensive factor and drug target against hepatitis C virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Zong-Gen; Zhao, Zhi-Yun; Li, Yan-Ping; Wang, Yu-Ping; Hao, Lan-Hu; Fan, Bo; Li, Yu-Huan; Wang, Yue-Ming; Shan, Yong-Qiang; Han, Yan-Xing; Zhu, Yan-Ping; Li, Jian-Rui; You, Xue-Fu; Li, Zhuo-Rong; Jiang, Jian-Dong

    2011-04-01

    Host cellular factor apolipoprotein B messenger RNA (mRNA)-editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like 3G (hA3G) is a cytidine deaminase that inhibits a group of viruses including human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1). In the continuation of our research on hA3G, we found that hA3G stabilizing compounds significantly inhibited hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication. Therefore, this study investigated the role of hA3G in HCV replication. Introduction of external hA3G into HCV-infected Huh7.5 human hepatocytes inhibited HCV replication; knockdown of endogenous hA3G enhanced HCV replication. Exogenous HIV-1 virion infectivity factor (Vif) decreased intracellular hA3G and therefore enhanced HCV proliferation, suggesting that the presence of Vif might be an explanation for the HIV-1/HCV coinfection often observed in HIV-1(+) individuals. Treatment of the HCV-infected Huh7.5 cells with RN-5 or IMB-26, two known hA3G stabilizing compounds, increased intracellular hA3G and accordingly inhibited HCV replication. The compounds inhibit HCV through increasing the level of hA3G incorporated into HCV particles, but not through inhibiting HCV enzymes. However, G/A hypermutation in the HCV genome were not detected, suggesting a new antiviral mechanism of hA3G in HCV, different from that in HIV-1. Stabilization of hA3G by RN-5 was safe in vivo. hA3G appears to be a cellular restrict factor against HCV and could be a potential target for drug discovery. 2011 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

  17. Human biodistribution and radiation dosimetry of novel PET probes targeting the deoxyribonucleoside salvage pathway

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schwarzenberg, Johannes [David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Ahmanson Biological Imaging Division, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Medical University of Vienna, Department of Pediatrics, Vienna (Austria); Radu, Caius G.; Tran, Andrew Q.; Phelps, Michael E.; Satyamurthy, Nagichettiar [David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Benz, Matthias; Fueger, Barbara; Czernin, Johannes; Schiepers, Christiaan [David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Ahmanson Biological Imaging Division, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Witte, Owen N. [David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

    2011-04-15

    affinities for nucleoside transporters, dCK, and catabolic enzymes such as cytidine deaminase (CDA). Dosimetry demonstrates that all three probes can be used safely to image the deoxyribonucleoside salvage pathway in humans. (orig.)

  18. Optimization of catalyst-solvent system for preparation of alpha-5,6-dihydro-5-aza-2'-deoxy-[6-3H]-cytidine

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Elbert, Tomáš

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 54, č. 5 (2011), s. 285-285 ISSN 0362-4803. [Workshop of the International Isotope Society - Central European Division. The Synthesis and Applications of Isotopes and Isotopically Labelled Compounds /17./. 23.09.2010-24.09.2010, Bad Soden] Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : tritium * labelled compounds * alfa-5,6-dihydro-5-aza-2'-deoxy-cytidine Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry

  19. Characterization of 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylate (ACC) Deaminase-Containing Pseudomonas spp. in the Rhizosphere of Salt-Stressed Canola

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Akhgar, A.; Arzanlou, M.; Bakker, Peter; Hamidpour, M.

    2014-01-01

    When exposed to biotic or abiotic stress conditions, plants produce ethylene from its immediate precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1- carboxylate (ACC), leading to retarded root growth and senescence. Many plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria contain the enzyme ACC deaminase and this enzyme can cleave

  20. Evaluation of the adenosine deaminase (ADA) G22A gene polymorphism with recurrent spontaneous abortion among Egyptian patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abu-Gabal, Khadiga; Katta, Maha; Ibrahim, Raghda

    2017-01-01

    Introduction Adenosine and deoxyadenosine metabolism is influenced by adenosine deaminase (ADA) enzyme. ADA increases in different diseases and is considered as one of the markers for cell-mediated immunity. Pregnancy is associated with depressed cell-mediated immunity. The level of ADA expression, which seems to play a key role in maintaining pregnancy, is influenced by adenosine deaminase G22A gene polymorphism. We aimed in our study to evaluate the association of ADA G22A gene polymorphism with recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) in Egyptian women. Material and methods Adenosine deaminase G22A gene polymorphism was genotyped in 40 patients (age range 22-39 years) with a history of RSA, selected from those attending the Gynaecology and Obstetrics Clinic of Beni-Suef University Hospital, and 20 age-matched healthy women as a control group, using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. Results In our study, no statistically significant difference was found between RSA patients and control group as regards ADA G22A genotypes (p = 0.653) and alleles (p = 0.697). A comparison of the frequencies of ADA alleles in RSA patients as regards the below-35-years-old age group revealed that ADA 2(A) allele was associated with a low risk for RSA in patients aged 35 years old or younger (p = 0.008). Conclusions In conclusion, our study revealed an age-dependent protective value of ADA 2(A) allele in recurrent spontaneous abortions among the Egyptian population. PMID:29204093

  1. [The influence of fasting, of a hyperprotein diet and of nicotinamide on hepatic L-threonine deaminase].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aleo, M F; Casella, A; Marinello, E

    1981-09-15

    The induction of L-threonine deaminase, following nicotinamide injection has been studied: the effect of fasting and of hyperproteic diet have been also taken in consideration. Maximal induction is observed after 5 days hyperproteic diet, and is additional only with nicotinamide treatment. Results are interpreted assuming a different hepatic content and behavior of multiple forms of the enzyme.

  2. Ag(I)-mediated homo and hetero pairs of guanosine and cytidine: monitoring by circular dichroism spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goncharova, Iryna

    2014-01-24

    Ag(I)-containing compounds are attractive as antibacterial and antifungal agents. The renewed interest in the application of silver(I) compounds has led to the need for detailed knowledge of the mechanism of their action. One of the possible ways is the coordination of Ag(I) to G-C pairs of DNA, where Ag(+) ions form Ag(I)-mediated base pairs and inhibit the transcription. Herein, a systematic chiroptical study on silver(I)-mediated homo and mixed pairs of the C-G complementary-base derivatives cytidine(C) and 5'-guanosine monophosphate(G) in water is presented. Ag(I)-mediated homo and hetero pairs of G and C and their self-assembled species were studied under two pH levels (7.0 and 10.0) by vibrational (VCD) and electronic circular dichroism(ECD). VCD was used for the first time in this field and showed itself to be a powerful method for obtaining specific structural information in solution. Based on results of the VCD experiments, the different geometries of the homo pairs were proposed under pH 7.0 and 10.0. ECD was used as a diagnostic tool to characterize the studied systems and as a contact point between the previously defined structures of the metal or proton mediated pairs of nucleobases and the systems studied here. On the basis of the obtained data, the formation of the self-assembled species of cytidine with a structure similar to the i-motif structure in DNA was proposed at pH 10.0. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Diversification of the Primary Antibody Repertoire by AID-Mediated Gene Conversion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lanning, Dennis K; Knight, Katherine L

    2015-01-01

    Gene conversion, mediated by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), has been found to contribute to generation of the primary antibody repertoire in several vertebrate species. Generation of the primary antibody repertoire by gene conversion of immunoglobulin (Ig) genes occurs primarily in gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT) and is best described in chicken and rabbit. Here, we discuss current knowledge of the mechanism of gene conversion as well as the contribution of the microbiota in promoting gene conversion of Ig genes. Finally, we propose that the antibody diversification strategy used in GALT species, such as chicken and rabbit, is conserved in a subset of human and mouse B cells.

  4. Editing of HIV-1 RNA by the double-stranded RNA deaminase ADAR1 stimulates viral infection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doria, Margherita; Neri, Francesca; Gallo, Angela; Farace, Maria Giulia; Michienzi, Alessandro

    2009-01-01

    Adenosine deaminases that act on dsRNA (ADARs) are enzymes that target double-stranded regions of RNA converting adenosines into inosines (A-to-I editing) thus contributing to genome complexity and fine regulation of gene expression. It has been described that a member of the ADAR family, ADAR1, can target viruses and affect their replication process. Here we report evidence showing that ADAR1 stimulates human immuno deficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication by using both editing-dependent and editing-independent mechanisms. We show that over-expression of ADAR1 in HIV-1 producer cells increases viral protein accumulation in an editing-independent manner. Moreover, HIV-1 virions generated in the presence of over-expressed ADAR1 but not an editing-inactive ADAR1 mutant are released more efficiently and display enhanced infectivity, as demonstrated by challenge assays performed with T cell lines and primary CD4+ T lymphocytes. Finally, we report that ADAR1 associates with HIV-1 RNAs and edits adenosines in the 5′ untranslated region (UTR) and the Rev and Tat coding sequence. Overall these results suggest that HIV-1 has evolved mechanisms to take advantage of specific RNA editing activity of the host cell and disclose a stimulatory function of ADAR1 in the spread of HIV-1. PMID:19651874

  5. Adaptive evolution of threonine deaminase in plant defense against insect herbivores

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gonzales-Vigil, Eliana; Bianchetti, Christopher M.; Phillips, Jr., George N.; Howe, Gregg A. (MSU); (UW)

    2011-11-07

    Gene duplication is a major source of plant chemical diversity that mediates plant-herbivore interactions. There is little direct evidence, however, that novel chemical traits arising from gene duplication reduce herbivory. Higher plants use threonine deaminase (TD) to catalyze the dehydration of threonine (Thr) to {alpha}-ketobutyrate and ammonia as the committed step in the biosynthesis of isoleucine (Ile). Cultivated tomato and related Solanum species contain a duplicated TD paralog (TD2) that is coexpressed with a suite of genes involved in herbivore resistance. Analysis of TD2-deficient tomato lines showed that TD2 has a defensive function related to Thr catabolism in the gut of lepidopteran herbivores. During herbivory, the regulatory domain of TD2 is removed by proteolysis to generate a truncated protein (pTD2) that efficiently degrades Thr without being inhibited by Ile. We show that this proteolytic activation step occurs in the gut of lepidopteran but not coleopteran herbivores, and is catalyzed by a chymotrypsin-like protease of insect origin. Analysis of purified recombinant enzymes showed that TD2 is remarkably more resistant to proteolysis and high temperature than the ancestral TD1 isoform. The crystal structure of pTD2 provided evidence that electrostatic interactions constitute a stabilizing feature associated with adaptation of TD2 to the extreme environment of the lepidopteran gut. These findings demonstrate a role for gene duplication in the evolution of a plant defense that targets and co-opts herbivore digestive physiology.

  6. APOBEC3G inhibits elongation of HIV-1 reverse transcripts.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kate N Bishop

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available APOBEC3G (A3G is a host cytidine deaminase that, in the absence of Vif, restricts HIV-1 replication and reduces the amount of viral DNA that accumulates in cells. Initial studies determined that A3G induces extensive mutation of nascent HIV-1 cDNA during reverse transcription. It has been proposed that this triggers the degradation of the viral DNA, but there is now mounting evidence that this mechanism may not be correct. Here, we use a natural endogenous reverse transcriptase assay to show that, in cell-free virus particles, A3G is able to inhibit HIV-1 cDNA accumulation not only in the absence of hypermutation but also without the apparent need for any target cell factors. We find that although reverse transcription initiates in the presence of A3G, elongation of the cDNA product is impeded. These data support the model that A3G reduces HIV-1 cDNA levels by inhibiting synthesis rather than by inducing degradation.

  7. Molecular Analysis of Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase Gene in Immunoglobulin-E Deficient Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergio Roa

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Understanding how class switch recombination (CSR is regulated to produce immunoglobulin E (IgE has become fundamental because of the dramatic increase in the prevalence of IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions. CSR requires the induction of the enzyme AICDA in B cells. Mutations in AICDA have been linked to Hyper-IgM syndrome (HIGM2, which shows absence of switching to IgE as well as to IgG and IgA. Although isolated IgE deficiency is a rare entity, here we show some individuals with normal serum IgM, IgG, and IgA levels that had undetectable total serum IgE levels. We have analyzed the AICDA gene in these individuals to determine if there are mutations in AICDA that could lead to selective IgE deficiency. Conformational sensitive gel electrophoresis (CSGE and sequencing analysis of AICDA coding sequences demonstrated sequence heterogeneity due to 5923A/G and 7888C/T polymorphisms, but did not reveal any novel mutation that might explain the selective IgE deficit.

  8. Discovery and structure determination of the orphan enzyme isoxanthopterin deaminase .

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Richard S; Agarwal, Rakhi; Hitchcock, Daniel; Sauder, J Michael; Burley, Stephen K; Swaminathan, Subramanyam; Raushel, Frank M

    2010-05-25

    Two previously uncharacterized proteins have been identified that efficiently catalyze the deamination of isoxanthopterin and pterin 6-carboxylate. The genes encoding these two enzymes, NYSGXRC-9339a ( gi|44585104 ) and NYSGXRC-9236b ( gi|44611670 ), were first identified from DNA isolated from the Sargasso Sea as part of the Global Ocean Sampling Project. The genes were synthesized, and the proteins were subsequently expressed and purified. The X-ray structure of Sgx9339a was determined at 2.7 A resolution (Protein Data Bank entry 2PAJ ). This protein folds as a distorted (beta/alpha)(8) barrel and contains a single zinc ion in the active site. These enzymes are members of the amidohydrolase superfamily and belong to cog0402 within the clusters of orthologous groups (COG). Enzymes in cog0402 have previously been shown to catalyze the deamination of guanine, cytosine, S-adenosylhomocysteine, and 8-oxoguanine. A small compound library of pteridines, purines, and pyrimidines was used to probe catalytic activity. The only substrates identified in this search were isoxanthopterin and pterin 6-carboxylate. The kinetic constants for the deamination of isoxanthopterin with Sgx9339a were determined to be 1.0 s(-1), 8.0 muM, and 1.3 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1) (k(cat), K(m), and k(cat)/K(m), respectively). The active site of Sgx9339a most closely resembles the active site for 8-oxoguanine deaminase (Protein Data Bank entry 2UZ9 ). A model for substrate recognition of isoxanthopterin by Sgx9339a was proposed on the basis of the binding of guanine and xanthine in the active site of guanine deaminase. Residues critical for substrate binding appear to be conserved glutamine and tyrosine residues that form hydrogen bonds with the carbonyl oxygen at C4, a conserved threonine residue that forms hydrogen bonds with N5, and another conserved threonine residue that forms hydrogen bonds with the carbonyl group at C7. These conserved active site residues were used to identify 24 other genes

  9. Adenosine Deaminase Inhibitor EHNA Exhibits a Potent Anticancer Effect Against Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yasuhiro Nakajima

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aims: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM is an aggressive malignant tumor and an effective therapy has been little provided as yet. The present study investigated the possibility for the adenosine deaminase (ADA inhibitor EHNA as a target of MPM treatment. Methods: MTT assay, TUNEL staining, monitoring of intracellular adenosine concentrations, and Western blotting were carried out in cultured human MPM cell lines without and with knocking-down ADA. The in vivo effect of EHNA was assessed in mice inoculated with NCI-H2052 MPM cells. Results: EHNA induced apoptosis of human MPM cell lines in a concentration (0.01-1 mM- and treatment time (24-48 h-dependent manner, but such effect was not obtained with another ADA inhibitor pentostatin. EHNA increased intracellular adenosine concentrations in a treatment time (3-9 h-dependent manner. EHNA-induced apoptosis of MPM cells was mimicked by knocking-down ADA, and the effect was neutralized by the adenosine kinase inhibitor ABT-702. EHNA clearly suppressed tumor growth in mice inoculated with NCI-H2052 MPM cells. Conclusion: The results of the present study show that EHNA induces apoptosis of MPM cells by increasing intracellular adenosine concentrations, to convert to AMP, and effectively prevents MPM cell proliferation. This suggests that EHNA may be useful for treatment of the tragic neoplasm MPM.

  10. Effective gene editing by high-fidelity base editor 2 in mouse zygotes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Puping Liang

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Targeted point mutagenesis through homologous recombination has been widely used in genetic studies and holds considerable promise for repairing disease-causing mutations in patients. However, problems such as mosaicism and low mutagenesis efficiency continue to pose challenges to clinical application of such approaches. Recently, a base editor (BE system built on cytidine (C deaminase and CRISPR/Cas9 technology was developed as an alternative method for targeted point mutagenesis in plant, yeast, and human cells. Base editors convert C in the deamination window to thymidine (T efficiently, however, it remains unclear whether targeted base editing in mouse embryos is feasible. In this report, we generated a modified high-fidelity version of base editor 2 (HF2-BE2, and investigated its base editing efficacy in mouse embryos. We found that HF2-BE2 could convert C to T efficiently, with up to 100% biallelic mutation efficiency in mouse embryos. Unlike BE3, HF2-BE2 could convert C to T on both the target and non-target strand, expanding the editing scope of base editors. Surprisingly, we found HF2-BE2 could also deaminate C that was proximal to the gRNA-binding region. Taken together, our work demonstrates the feasibility of generating point mutations in mouse by base editing, and underscores the need to carefully optimize base editing systems in order to eliminate proximal-site deamination.

  11. Dicty_cDB: Contig-U05760-1 [Dicty_cDB

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available 3 2 ( BD411378 ) Method for determining a risk of developing diabe... 44 3.9 3 ( DQ117977 ) Biomphalaria gla... gigantea 12,15,18h embr... 46 1.2 1 ( EJ531809 ) 1092955234593 Global-Ocean-Sampling_GS-29-01-01-1... 34 3....10 A87181( A87181 ) cytidine deaminase [imported] - Mycobacterium lep... 67 2e-10 CP000048_594( CP000048 |pid:none) Borreli...000852 ) Caldivirga maquilingensis IC-167, complete genome. 50 0.079 1 ( CP000771 ) Fervidobacterium nodosum Rt17-B1, compl...1-557B13 (Roswell Park Canc... 44 4.8 1 ( AC114772 ) Homo sapiens BAC clone RP11-427H3 from 2, complet... 44

  12. C to U RNA editing mediated by APOBEC1 requires RNA-binding protein RBM47.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fossat, Nicolas; Tourle, Karin; Radziewic, Tania; Barratt, Kristen; Liebhold, Doreen; Studdert, Joshua B; Power, Melinda; Jones, Vanessa; Loebel, David A F; Tam, Patrick P L

    2014-08-01

    Cytidine (C) to Uridine (U) RNA editing is a post-transcriptional modification that is accomplished by the deaminase APOBEC1 and its partnership with the RNA-binding protein A1CF. We identify and characterise here a novel RNA-binding protein, RBM47, that interacts with APOBEC1 and A1CF and is expressed in tissues where C to U RNA editing occurs. RBM47 can substitute for A1CF and is necessary and sufficient for APOBEC1-mediated editing in vitro. Editing is further impaired in Rbm47-deficient mutant mice. These findings suggest that RBM47 and APOBEC1 constitute the basic machinery for C to U RNA editing. © 2014 The Authors.

  13. Selection of efficient salt-tolerant bacteria containing ACC deaminase for promotion of tomato growth under salinity stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kannika Chookietwattana* and Kedsukon Maneewan

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available For successful application of plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB in salt-affected soil, bioinoculant with salt-tolerant property is required in order to provide better survival and perform well in the field. The present study aimed to select the most efficient salt-tolerant bacterium containing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC deaminase from eighty four bacterial strains and to investigate the effects of the selected bacterium on the germination and growth of tomato (Licopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Seeda under saline conditions. The Bacillus licheniformis B2r was selected for its ability to utilize ACC as a sole nitrogen source under salinity stress. It also showed a high ACC deaminase activity at 0.6 M NaCl salinity. Tomato plants inoculated with the selected bacterium under various saline conditions (0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 mM NaCl revealed a significant increase in the germination percentage, germination index, root length, and seedling dry weight especially at salinity levels ranging from 30-90 mM NaCl. The work described in this report is an important step in developing an efficient salt-tolerant bioinoculant to facilitate plant growth in saline soil.

  14. Curcumin inhibits adenosine deaminase and arginase activities in cadmium-induced renal toxicity in rat kidney

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayodele Jacob Akinyemi

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available In this study, the effect of enzymes involved in degradation of renal adenosine and l-arginine was investigated in rats exposed to cadmium (Cd and treated with curcumin, the principal active phytochemical in turmeric rhizome. Animals were divided into six groups (n = 6: saline/vehicle, saline/curcumin 12.5 mg/kg, saline/curcumin 25 mg/kg, Cd/vehicle, Cd/curcumin 12.5 mg/kg, and Cd/curcumin 25 mg/kg. The results of this study revealed that the activities of renal adenosine deaminase and arginase were significantly increased in Cd-treated rats when compared with the control (p < 0.05. However, co-treatment with curcumin inhibits the activities of these enzymes compared with Cd-treated rats. Furthermore, Cd intoxication increased the levels of some renal biomarkers (serum urea, creatinine, and electrolytes and malondialdehyde level with a concomitant decrease in functional sulfhydryl group and nitric oxide (NO. However, co-treatment with curcumin at 12.5 mg/kg and 25 mg/kg, respectively, increases the nonenzymatic antioxidant status and NO in the kidney, with a concomitant decrease in the levels of malondialdehyde and renal biomarkers. Therefore, our results reinforce the importance of adenosine deaminase and arginase activities in Cd poisoning conditions and suggest some possible mechanisms of action by which curcumin prevent Cd-induced renal toxicity in rats.

  15. Discovery and Structure Determination of the Orphan Enzyme Isoxanthopterin Deaminase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hall, R.S.; Swaminathan, S.; Agarwal, R.; Hitchcock, D.; Sauder, J. M.; Burley, S. K.; Raushel, F. M.

    2010-05-25

    Two previously uncharacterized proteins have been identified that efficiently catalyze the deamination of isoxanthopterin and pterin 6-carboxylate. The genes encoding these two enzymes, NYSGXRC-9339a (gi|44585104) and NYSGXRC-9236b (gi|44611670), were first identified from DNA isolated from the Sargasso Sea as part of the Global Ocean Sampling Project. The genes were synthesized, and the proteins were subsequently expressed and purified. The X-ray structure of Sgx9339a was determined at 2.7 {angstrom} resolution (Protein Data Bank entry 2PAJ). This protein folds as a distorted ({beta}/{alpha}){sub 8} barrel and contains a single zinc ion in the active site. These enzymes are members of the amidohydrolase superfamily and belong to cog0402 within the clusters of orthologous groups (COG). Enzymes in cog0402 have previously been shown to catalyze the deamination of guanine, cytosine, S-adenosylhomocysteine, and 8-oxoguanine. A small compound library of pteridines, purines, and pyrimidines was used to probe catalytic activity. The only substrates identified in this search were isoxanthopterin and pterin 6-carboxylate. The kinetic constants for the deamination of isoxanthopterin with Sgx9339a were determined to be 1.0 s{sup -1}, 8.0 {micro}M, and 1.3 x 10{sup 5} M{sup -1} s{sup -1} (k{sub cat}, K{sub m}, and k{sub cat}/K{sub m}, respectively). The active site of Sgx9339a most closely resembles the active site for 8-oxoguanine deaminase (Protein Data Bank entry 2UZ9). A model for substrate recognition of isoxanthopterin by Sgx9339a was proposed on the basis of the binding of guanine and xanthine in the active site of guanine deaminase. Residues critical for substrate binding appear to be conserved glutamine and tyrosine residues that form hydrogen bonds with the carbonyl oxygen at C4, a conserved threonine residue that forms hydrogen bonds with N5, and another conserved threonine residue that forms hydrogen bonds with the carbonyl group at C7. These conserved active site

  16. Pyrimidine homoribonucleosides: synthesis, solution conformation, and some biological properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lassota, P; Kuśmierek, J T; Stolarski, R; Shugar, D

    1987-05-01

    Conversion of uridine and cytidine to their 5'-O-tosyl derivatives, followed by cyanation with tetraethylammonium cyanide, reduction and deamination, led to isolation of the hitherto unknown homouridine (1-(5'-deoxy-beta-D-allofuranosyl)uracil) and homocytidine (1-(5'-deoxy-beta-D-allofuranosyl)cytosine), analogues of uridine and cytidine in which the exocyclic 5'-CH2OH chain is extended by one carbon to CH2CH2OH. Homocytidine was also phosphorylated to its 6'-phosphate and 6'-pyrophosphate analogues. In addition, it was converted, via its 2,2'-anhydro derivative, to arahomocytidine, an analogue of the chemotherapeutically active araC. The structures of all the foregoing were established by various criteria, including 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, both of which were also applied to analyses of the solution conformations of the various compounds, particularly as regards the conformations of the exocyclic chains. The behaviour of the homo analogues was examined in several enzymatic systems. Homocytidine was a feeble substrate, without inhibitory properties, of E. coli cytidine deaminase. Homocytidine was an excellent substrate for wheat shoot nucleoside phosphotransferase; while homouridine was a good substrate for E. coli uridine phosphorylase. Although homoCMP was neither a substrate, nor an inhibitor, of snake venom 5'-nucleotidase, homoCDP was a potent inhibitor of this enzyme (Ki approximately 6 microM). HomoCDP was not a substrate for M. luteus polynucleotide phosphorylase. None of the compounds exhibited significant activity vs herpes simplex virus type 1, or cytotoxic activity in several mammalian cell lines.

  17. Evolution of vertebrate adaptive immunity: immune cells and tissues, and AID/APOBEC cytidine deaminases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirano, Masayuki

    2015-08-01

    All surviving jawed vertebrate representatives achieve diversity in immunoglobulin-based B and T cell receptors for antigen recognition through recombinatorial rearrangement of V(D)J segments. However, the extant jawless vertebrates, lampreys and hagfish, instead generate three types of variable lymphocyte receptors (VLRs) through a template-mediated combinatorial assembly of different leucine-rich repeat (LRR) sequences. The clonally diverse VLRB receptors are expressed by B-like lymphocytes, while the VLRA and VLRC receptors are expressed by lymphocyte lineages that resemble αβ and γδ T lymphocytes, respectively. These findings suggest that three basic types of lymphocytes, one B-like and two T-like, are an essential feature of vertebrate adaptive immunity. Around 500 million years ago, a common ancestor of jawed and jawless vertebrates evolved a genetic program for the development of prototypic lymphoid cells as a foundation for an adaptive immune system. This acquisition preceded the convergent evolution of alternative types of clonally diverse receptors for antigens in all vertebrates, as reviewed in this article. © 2015 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Structural, kinetic, and mutational studies of the zinc ion environment in tetrameric cytidine deaminase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansson, Eva; Neuhard, Jan; Willemoës, Martin

    2004-01-01

    with the dipole moments from two alpha-helices partially neutralizes the additional negative charge in the active site, leading to a catalytic activity similar to D-CDA. Arg56 has been substituted by a glutamine (R56Q), the corresponding residue in D-CDA, an alanine (R56A), and an aspartate (R56D). Moreover, one...

  19. Rev1 Recruits Ung to Switch Regions and Enhances dU Glycosylation for Immunoglobulin Class Switch DNA Recombination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hong Zan

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available By diversifying the biological effector functions of antibodies, class switch DNA recombination (CSR plays a critical role in the maturation of the immune response. It is initiated by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID-mediated deoxycytosine deamination, yielding deoxyuridine (dU, and dU glycosylation by uracil DNA glycosylase (Ung in antibody switch (S region DNA. Here we showed that the translesion DNA synthesis polymerase Rev1 directly interacted with Ung and targeted in an AID-dependent and Ung-independent fashion the S regions undergoing CSR. Rev1−/− Ung+/+ B cells reduced Ung recruitment to S regions, DNA-dU glycosylation, and CSR. Together with an S region spectrum of mutations similar to that of Rev1+/+ Ung−/− B cells, this suggests that Rev1 operates in the same pathway as Ung, as emphasized by further decreased CSR in Rev1−/− Msh2−/− B cells. Rescue of CSR in Rev1−/− B cells by a catalytically inactive Rev1 mutant shows that the important role of Rev1 in CSR is mediated by Rev1’s scaffolding function, not its enzymatic function.

  20. Antibody Affinity Maturation in Fishes—Our Current Understanding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brad G. Magor

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available It has long been believed that fish lack antibody affinity maturation, in part because they were thought to lack germinal centers. Recent research done on sharks and bony fishes indicates that these early vertebrates are able to affinity mature their antibodies. This article reviews the functionality of the fish homologue of the immunoglobulin (Ig mutator enzyme activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID. We also consider the protein and molecular evidence for Ig somatic hypermutation and antibody affinity maturation. In the context of recent evidence for a putative proto-germinal center in fishes we propose some possible reasons that observed affinity maturation in fishes often seems lacking and propose future work that might shed further light on this process in fishes.

  1. Conformational change of adenosine deaminase during ligand-exchange in a crystal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinoshita, Takayoshi; Tada, Toshiji; Nakanishi, Isao

    2008-08-15

    Adenosine deaminase (ADA) perpetuates chronic inflammation by degrading extracellular adenosine which is toxic for lymphocytes. ADA has two distinct conformations: open form and closed form. From the crystal structures with various ligands, the non-nucleoside type inhibitors bind to the active site occupying the critical water-binding-position and sustain the open form of apo-ADA. In contrast, substrate mimics do not occupy the critical position, and induce the large conformational change to the closed form. However, it is difficult to predict the binding of (+)-erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine (EHNA), as it possesses characteristic parts of both the substrate and the non-nucleoside inhibitors. The crystal structure shows that EHNA binds to the open form through a novel recognition of the adenine base accompanying conformational change from the closed form of the PR-ADA complex in crystalline state.

  2. Overproduction, Purification and Characterization of Adenylate Deaminase from Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Shubo; Qian, Yi; Liang, Yunlong; Chen, Xinkuan; Zhao, Mouming; Guo, Yuan; Pang, Zongwen

    2016-12-01

    Adenylate deaminase (AMPD, EC 3.5.4.6) is an aminohydrolase that widely used in the food and medicine industries. In this study, the gene encoding Aspergillus oryzae AMPD was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Induction with 0.75 mM isopropyl β-D-l-thiogalactopyranoside resulted in an enzyme activity of 1773.9 U/mL. Recombinant AMPD was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity using nickel affinity chromatography, and its molecular weight was calculated as 78.6 kDa. Purified AMPD exhibited maximal activity at 35 °C, pH 6.0 and 30 mM K + , with apparent K m and V max values of 2.7 × 10 -4  M and 77.5 μmol/mg/min under these conditions. HPLC revealed that recombinant AMPD could effectively catalyse the synthesis of inosine-5'-monophosphate (IMP) with minimal by-products, indicating high specificity and suggesting that it could prove useful for IMP production.

  3. Effects of an induced adenosine deaminase deficiency on T-cell differentiation in the rat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barton, R.W.

    1985-01-01

    Inherited deficiency of the enzyme adenosine deaminase (ADA) has been found in a significant proportion of patients with severe combined immunodeficiency disease and inherited defect generally characterized by a deficiency of both B and T cells. Two questions are central to understanding the pathophysiology of this disease: (1) at what stage or stages in lymphocyte development are the effects of the enzyme deficiency manifested; (2) what are the biochemical mechanisms responsible for the selective pathogenicity of the lymphoid system. We have examined the stage or stages of rat T-cell development in vivo which are affected by an induced adenosine deaminase deficiency using the ADA inhibitors, erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine (EHNA) and 2'-deoxycoformycin (DCF). In normal rats given daily administration of an ADA inhibitor, cortical thymocytes were markedly depleted; peripheral lymphocytes and pluripotent hemopoietic stem cells (CFU-S) all were relatively unaffected. Since a deficiency of ADA affects lymphocyte development, the regeneration of cortical and medullary thymocytes and their precursors after sublethal irradiation was used as a model of lymphoid development. By Day 5 after irradiation the thymus was reduced to 0.10-0.5% of its normal size; whereas at Days 9 and 14 the thymus was 20-40% and 60-80% regenerated, respectively. When irradiated rats were given daily parenteral injections of the ADA inhibitor plus adenosine or deoxyadenosine, thymus regeneration at Days 9 and 14 was markedly inhibited, whereas the regeneration of thymocyte precursors was essentially unaffected. Thymus regeneration was at least 40-fold lower than in rats given adenosine or deoxyadenosine alone. Virtually identical results were obtained with both ADA inhibitors, EHNA and DCF

  4. Identification of a New Uncompetitive Inhibitor of Adenosine Deaminase from Endophyte Aspergillus niger sp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xin-Guo; Liu, Jin-Wen; Tang, Peng; Liu, Zi-Yu; Guo, Guang-Jun; Sun, Qiao-Yun; Yin, Jian-Jun

    2018-05-01

    Adenosine deaminase (ADA) is an enzyme widely distributed from bacteria to humans. ADA is known as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of lymphoproliferative disorders and cancer. Endophytes are endosymbionts, often bacteria or fungi, which live within plant tissues and internal organs or intercellular space. Endophytes have a broad variety of bioactive metabolites that are used for the identification of novel natural compounds. Here, 54 morphologically distinct endophyte strains were isolated from six plants such as Peganum harmala Linn., Rheum officinale Baill., Gentiana macrophylla Pall., Radix stephaniae tetrandrae, Myrrha, and Equisetum hyemale Linn. The isolated strains were used for the search of ADA inhibitors that resulted in the identification of the strain with the highest inhibition activity, Aspergillus niger sp. Four compounds were isolated from this strain using three-step chromatography procedure, and compound 2 was determined as the compound with the highest inhibition activity of ADA. Based on the results of 1 H and 13 C NMR spectroscopies, compound 2 was identified as 3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyl isoxazole. We showed that compound 2 was a new uncompetitive inhibitor of ADA with high cytotoxic effect on HepG2 and SMCC-7721 cells (the IC 50 values were 0.347 and 0.380 mM, respectively). These results suggest that endophyte strains serve as promising sources for the identification of ADA inhibitors, and compound 2 could be an effective drug in the cancer treatment.

  5. ACC deaminase and IAA producing growth promoting bacteria from the rhizosphere soil of tropical rice plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bal, Himadri Bhusan; Das, Subhasis; Dangar, Tushar K; Adhya, Tapan K

    2013-12-01

    Beneficial plant-associated bacteria play a key role in supporting and/or promoting plant growth and health. Plant growth promoting bacteria present in the rhizosphere of crop plants can directly affect plant metabolism or modulate phytohormone production or degradation. We isolated 355 bacteria from the rhizosphere of rice plants grown in the farmers' fields in the coastal rice field soil from five different locations of the Ganjam district of Odisha, India. Six bacteria producing both ACC deaminase (ranging from 603.94 to 1350.02 nmol α-ketobutyrate mg(-1)  h(-1) ) and indole acetic acid (IAA; ranging from 10.54 to 37.65 μM ml(-1) ) in pure cultures were further identified using polyphasic taxonomy including BIOLOG((R)) , FAME analysis and the 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Phylogenetic analyses of the isolates resulted into five major clusters to include members of the genera Bacillus, Microbacterium, Methylophaga, Agromyces, and Paenibacillus. Seed inoculation of rice (cv. Naveen) by the six individual PGPR isolates had a considerable impact on different growth parameters including root elongation that was positively correlated with ACC deaminase activity and IAA production. The cultures also had other plant growth attributes including ammonia production and at least two isolates produced siderophores. Study indicates that presence of diverse rhizobacteria with effective growth-promoting traits, in the rice rhizosphere, may be exploited for a sustainable crop management under field conditions. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. A Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in Human APOBEC3C Enhances Restriction of Lentiviruses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristina J Wittkopp

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Humans express seven human APOBEC3 proteins, which can inhibit viruses and endogenous retroelements through cytidine deaminase activity. The seven paralogs differ in the potency of their antiviral effects, as well as in their antiviral targets. One APOBEC3, APOBEC3C, is exceptional as it has been found to only weakly block viruses and endogenous retroelements compared to other APOBEC3s. However, our positive selection analyses suggest that APOBEC3C has played a role in pathogen defense during primate evolution. Here, we describe a single nucleotide polymorphism in human APOBEC3C, a change from serine to isoleucine at position 188 (I188 that confers potent antiviral activity against HIV-1. The gain-of-function APOBEC3C SNP results in increased enzymatic activity and hypermutation of target sequences when tested in vitro, and correlates with increased dimerization of the protein. The I188 is widely distributed in human African populations, and is the ancestral primate allele, but is not found in chimpanzees or gorillas. Thus, while other hominids have lost activity of this antiviral gene, it has been maintained, or re-acquired, as a more active antiviral gene in a subset of humans. Taken together, our results suggest that APOBEC3C is in fact involved in protecting hosts from lentiviruses.

  7. Nitric oxide - an activating factor of adenosine deaminase 2 in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sargisova, Ye G; Andreasyan, N A; Hayrapetyan, H L; Harutyunyan, H A

    2012-01-01

    In this study we have investigated the effect of reactive oxygen species produced by some chemicals in aqueous solutions on activity of adenosine deaminase 2 (ADA2) purified from human blood plasma. An activating effect on ADA2 was observed in vitro with sodium nitroprusside (SNP), the source of NO (nitrosonium ions NO(-) in aqueous solutions). Not SH-groups of cysteine but other amino acid residues sensitive to NO were responsible for ADA2 activation. The SNP-derived activation was more pronounced when purified ADA2 was preincubated with heparin and different proteins as an experimental model of the protein environment in vivo. The most effective was heparin, which is known for its ability to regulate enzyme and protein functions in extracellular matrix. We conclude that ADA2 is a protein with flexible conformation that is affected by the protein environment, and it changes its activity under oxidative (nitrosative) stress.

  8. Comparative effectiveness of ACC-deaminase and/or nitrogen-fixing rhizobacteria in promotion of maize (Zea mays L.) growth under lead pollution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassan, Waseem; Bano, Rizwana; Bashir, Farhat; David, Julie

    2014-09-01

    Lead (Pb) pollution is appearing as an alarming threat nowadays. Excessive Pb concentrations in agricultural soils result in minimizing the soil fertility and health which affects the plant growth and leads to decrease in crop production. Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are beneficial bacteria which can protect the plants against many abiotic stresses, and enhance the growth. The study aimed to identify important rhizobacterial strains by using the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) enrichment technique and examine their inoculation effects in the growth promotion of maize, under Pb pollution. A pot experiment was conducted and six rhizobacterial isolates were used. Pb was added to 2 kg soil in each pot (with 4 seeds/pot) using Pb(NO3)2 at the rate of 0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 mg kg(-1) Pb with three replications in completely randomized design. Rhizobacterial isolates performed significantly better under all Pb levels, i.e., 100 to 400 Pb mg kg(-1) soil, compared to control. Comparing the efficacy of the rhizobacterial isolates under different Pb levels, rhizobacterial isolates having both ACC-deaminase and nitrogen-fixing activities (AN8 and AN12) showed highest increase in terms of the physical, chemical and enzymatic growth parameters of maize, followed by the rhizobacterial isolates having ACC-deaminase activity only (ACC5 and ACC8), and then the nitrogen-fixing rhizobia (Azotobacter and RN5). However, the AN8 isolate showed maximum efficiency, and highest shoot and root length (14.2 and 6.1 cm), seedling fresh and dry weights (1.91 and 0.14 g), chlorophyll a, b, and carotenoids (24.1, 30.2 and 77.7 μg/l), protein (0.82 mg/g), proline (3.42 μmol/g), glutathione S-transferase, peroxidase and catalase (12.3, 4.2 and 7.2 units/mg protein), while the lowest Pb uptake in the shoot and root (0.83 and 0.48 mg/kg) were observed under this rhizobial isolate at the highest Pb level (i.e., 400 Pb mg kg(-1) soil). The results revealed that PGPR

  9. One adenosine deaminase allele in a patient with severe combined immunodeficiency contains a point mutation abolishing enzyme activity.

    OpenAIRE

    Valerio, D; Dekker, B M; Duyvesteyn, M G; van der Voorn, L; Berkvens, T M; van Ormondt, H; van der Eb, A J

    1986-01-01

    We have cloned and sequenced an adenosine deaminase (ADA) gene from a patient with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) caused by inherited ADA deficiency. Two point mutations were found, resulting in amino acid substitutions at positions 80 (Lys to Arg) and 304 (Leu to Arg) of the protein. Hybridization experiments with synthetic oligonucleotide probes showed that the determined mutations are present in both DNA and RNA from the ADA-SCID patient. In addition, wild-type sequences could be ...

  10. Enhanced Bacterial α(2,6-Sialyltransferase Reaction through an Inhibition of Its Inherent Sialidase Activity by Dephosphorylation of Cytidine-5'-Monophosphate.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ji-Yeon Kang

    Full Text Available Bacterial α(2,6-sialyltransferases (STs from Photobacterium damsela, Photobacterium sp. JT-ISH-224, and P. leiognathi JT-SHIZ-145 were recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli and their ST activities were compared directly using a galactosylated bi-antennary N-glycan as an acceptor substrate. In all ST reactions, there was an increase of sialylated glycans at shorter reaction times and later a decrease in prolonged reactions, which is related with the inherent sialidase activities of bacterial STs. These sialidase activities are greatly increased by free cytidine monophosphate (CMP generated from a donor substrate CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid (CMP-Neu5Ac during the ST reactions. The decrease of sialylated glycans in prolonged ST reaction was prevented through an inhibition of sialidase activity by simple treatment of alkaline phosphatase (AP, which dephosphorylates CMP to cytidine. Through supplemental additions of AP and CMP-Neu5Ac to the reaction using the recombinant α(2,6-ST from P. leiognathi JT-SHIZ-145 (P145-ST, the content of bi-sialylated N-glycan increased up to ~98% without any decrease in prolonged reactions. This optimized P145-ST reaction was applied successfully for α(2,6-sialylation of asialofetuin, and this resulted in a large increase in the populations of multi-sialylated N-glycans compared with the reaction without addition of AP and CMP-Neu5Ac. These results suggest that the optimized reaction using the recombinant P145-ST readily expressed from E. coli has a promise for economic glycan synthesis and glyco-conjugate remodeling.

  11. Expression of human adenosine deaminase in mice reconstituted with retrovirus-transduced hematopoietic stem cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilson, J.M.; Danos, O.; Grossman, M.; Raulet, D.H.; Mulligan, R.C.

    1990-01-01

    Recombinant retroviruses encoding human adenosine deaminase have been used to infect murine hematopoietic stem cells. In bone marrow transplant recipients reconstituted with the genetically modified cells, human ADA was detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the recipients for at least 6 months after transplantation. In animals analyzed in detail 4 months after transplantation, human ADA and proviral sequences were detected in all hematopoietic lineages; in several cases, human ADA activity exceeded the endogenous activity. These studies demonstrate the feasibility of introducing a functional human ADA gene into hematopoietic stem cells and obtaining expression in multiple hematopoietic lineages long after transplantation. This approach should be helpful in designing effective gene therapies for severe combined immunodeficiency syndromes in humans

  12. Distribution of adenosine deaminase complexing protein (ADCP) in human tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dinjens, W N; ten Kate, J; van der Linden, E P; Wijnen, J T; Khan, P M; Bosman, F T

    1989-12-01

    The normal distribution of adenosine deaminase complexing protein (ADCP) in the human body was investigated quantitatively by ADCP-specific radioimmunoassay (RIA) and qualitatively by immunohistochemistry. In these studies we used a specific rabbit anti-human ADCP antiserum. In all 19 investigated tissues, except erythrocytes, ADCP was found by RIA in the soluble and membrane fractions. From all tissues the membrane fractions contained more ADCP (expressed per mg protein) than the soluble fractions. High membrane ADCP concentrations were found in skin, renal cortex, gastrointestinal tract, and prostate. Immunoperoxidase staining confirmed the predominant membrane-associated localization of the protein. In serous sweat glands, convoluted tubules of renal cortex, bile canaliculi, gastrointestinal tract, lung, pancreas, prostate gland, salivary gland, gallbladder, mammary gland, and uterus, ADCP immunoreactivity was found confined to the luminal membranes of the epithelial cells. These data demonstrate that ADCP is present predominantly in exocrine glands and absorptive epithelia. The localization of ADCP at the secretory or absorptive apex of the cells suggests that the function of ADCP is related to the secretory and/or absorptive process.

  13. RNA editing in Drosophila melanogaster: new targets and functionalconsequences

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stapleton, Mark; Carlson, Joseph W.; Celniker, Susan E.

    2006-09-05

    Adenosine deaminases that act on RNA (ADARs) catalyze the site-specific conversion of adenosine to inosine in primary mRNA transcripts. These re-coding events affect coding potential, splice-sites, and stability of mature mRNAs. ADAR is an essential gene and studies in mouse, C. elegans, and Drosophila suggest its primary function is to modify adult behavior by altering signaling components in the nervous system. By comparing the sequence of isogenic cDNAs to genomic DNA, we have identified and experimentally verified 27 new targets of Drosophila ADAR. Our analyses lead us to identify new classes of genes whose transcripts are targets of ADAR including components of the actin cytoskeleton, and genes involved in ion homeostasis and signal transduction. Our results indicate that editing in Drosophila increases the diversity of the proteome, and does so in a manner that has direct functional consequences on protein function.

  14. Adenosine Deaminase (ADA)-Deficient Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID): Molecular Pathogenesis and Clinical Manifestations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bradford, Kathryn L; Moretti, Federico A; Carbonaro-Sarracino, Denise A; Gaspar, Hubert B; Kohn, Donald B

    2017-10-01

    Deficiency of adenosine deaminase (ADA, EC3.5.4.4), a housekeeping enzyme of purine metabolism encoded by the Ada gene, is a cause of human severe combined immune deficiency (SCID). Numerous deleterious mutations occurring in the ADA gene have been found in patients with profound lymphopenia (T - B - NK - ), thus underscoring the importance of functional purine metabolism for the development of the immune defense. While untreated ADA SCID is a fatal disorder, there are multiple life-saving therapeutic modalities to restore ADA activity and reconstitute protective immunity, including enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and gene therapy (GT) with autologous gene-corrected hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). We review the pathogenic mechanisms and clinical manifestations of ADA SCID.

  15. Partial resolution of bone lesions. A child with severe combined immunodeficiency disease and adenosine deaminase deficiency after enzyme-replacement therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yulish, B.S.; Stern, R.C.; Polmar, S.H.

    1980-01-01

    A child with severe combined immunodeficiency disease and adenosine deaminase deficiency, with characteristic bone dysplasia, was treated with transfusions of frozen irradiated RBCs as a means of enzyme replacement. This therapy resulted in restoration of immunologic competence and partial resolution of the bone lesions. Although the natural history of these lesions without therapy is not known, enzyme-replacement therapy may have played a role in the resolution of this patient's bone lesions

  16. Effect of alginate microencapsulation on the catalytic efficiency and in vitro enzyme-prodrug therapeutic efficacy of cytosine deaminase and of recombinant E. coli expressing cytosine deaminase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Funaro, Michael G; Nemani, Krishnamurthy V; Chen, Zhihang; Bhujwalla, Zaver M; Griswold, Karl E; Gimi, Barjor

    2016-02-01

    Cytosine deaminase (CD) catalyses the enzymatic conversion of the non-toxic prodrug 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) to the potent chemotherapeutic form, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Intratumoral delivery of CD localises chemotherapy dose while reducing systemic toxicity. Encapsulation in biocompatible microcapsules immunoisolates CD and protects it from degradation. We report on the effect of alginate encapsulation on the catalytic and functional activity of isolated CD and recombinant E. coli engineered to express CD (E. coli(CD)). Alginate microcapsules containing either CD or Escherichia coli(CD) were prepared using ionotropic gelation. Conversion of 5-FC to 5-FU was quantitated in unencapsulated and encapsulated CD/E. coli(CD) using spectrophotometry, with a slower rate of conversion observed following encapsulation. Both encapsulated CD/5-FC and E. coli(CD)/5-FC resulted in cell kill and reduced proliferation of 9 L rat glioma cells, which was comparable to direct 5-FU treatment. Our results show that encapsulation preserves the therapeutic potential of CD and E. coli(CD) is equally effective for enzyme-prodrug therapy.

  17. Adenosine deaminase complexing protein (ADCP) immunoreactivity in colorectal adenocarcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    ten Kate, J; van den Ingh, H F; Khan, P M; Bosman, F T

    1986-04-15

    Immunoreactive adenosine deaminase complexing protein (ADCP) was studied in 91 human colorectal adenocarcinomas. The expression of ADCP was correlated with that of secretory component (SC) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), with the histological grade and the Dukes' stage of the carcinomas. The histological grade was scored semi-quantitatively according to 5 structural and 4 cytological variables. ADCP expression was observed in 3 different staining patterns, namely: (1) diffuse cytoplasmic (77% of the carcinomas); (2) granular cytoplasmic (13%); and (3) membrane-associated (66%). These patterns were observed alone or in combination. Eleven percent of the carcinomas exhibited no ADCP immunoreactivity. Linear regression analysis showed that the expression of ADCP correlates with that of SC and CEA. However, no significant correlation emerged between the histological parameters or the Dukes' stage and any of the immunohistological parameters. Comparison of the histological characteristics of carcinomas exhibiting little or no ADCP immunoreactivity with those showing extensive immunoreactivity, showed that membranous ADCP immunoreactivity occurs more frequently in well-differentiated carcinomas. Structural parameters showed a better correlation with membranous ADCP expression than the cytological variables. It is concluded that membranous expression of ADCP and CEA are indicators of a high level of differentiation as reflected primarily in the structural characteristics of the tumor.

  18. Long-term expression of human adenosine deaminase in mice transplanted with retrovirus-infected hematopoietic stem cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lim, B.; Apperley, J.F.; Orkin, S.H.; Williams, D.A.

    1989-01-01

    Long-term stable expression of foreign genetic sequences transferred into hematopoietic stem cells by using retroviral vectors constitutes a relevant model for somatic gene therapy. Such stability of expression may depend on vector design, including the presence or absence of specific sequences within the vector, in combination with the nature and efficiency of infection of the hematopoietic target cells. The authors have previously reported successful transfer of human DNA encoding adenosine deaminase (ADA) into CFU-S (colony-forming unit-spleen) stem cells using simplified recombinant retroviral vectors. Human ADA was expressed in CFU-S-derived spleen colonies at levels near to endogenous enzyme. However, because of the lack of an efficient dominant selectable marker and low recombinant viral titers, stability of long-term expression of human ADA was not examined. They report here the development of an efficient method of infection of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) without reliance on in vitro selection. Peripheral blood samples of 100% of mice transplanted with HSC infected by this protocol exhibit expression of human ADA 30 days after transplantation. Some mice (6 of 13) continue to express human ADA in all lineages after complete hematopoietic reconstitution (4 months). The use of recombinant retroviral vectors that efficiently transfer human ADA cDNA into HSC leading to stable expression of functional ADA in reconstituted mice, provides an experimental framework for future development of approaches to somatic gene therapy

  19. RPA accumulation during class switch recombination represents 5'-3' DNA-end resection during the S-G2/M phase of the cell cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamane, Arito; Robbiani, Davide F; Resch, Wolfgang; Bothmer, Anne; Nakahashi, Hirotaka; Oliveira, Thiago; Rommel, Philipp C; Brown, Eric J; Nussenzweig, Andre; Nussenzweig, Michel C; Casellas, Rafael

    2013-01-31

    Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) promotes chromosomal translocations by inducing DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) at immunoglobulin (Ig) genes and oncogenes in the G1 phase. RPA is a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)-binding protein that associates with resected DSBs in the S phase and facilitates the assembly of factors involved in homologous repair (HR), such as Rad51. Notably, RPA deposition also marks sites of AID-mediated damage, but its role in Ig gene recombination remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that RPA associates asymmetrically with resected ssDNA in response to lesions created by AID, recombination-activating genes (RAG), or other nucleases. Small amounts of RPA are deposited at AID targets in G1 in an ATM-dependent manner. In contrast, recruitment in the S-G2/M phase is extensive, ATM independent, and associated with Rad51 accumulation. In the S-G2/M phase, RPA increases in nonhomologous-end-joining-deficient lymphocytes, where there is more extensive DNA-end resection. Thus, most RPA recruitment during class switch recombination represents salvage of unrepaired breaks by homology-based pathways during the S-G2/M phase of the cell cycle. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Systematic chemical and molecular profiling of MLL-rearranged infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia reveals efficacy of romidepsin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cruickshank, M N; Ford, J; Cheung, L C; Heng, J; Singh, S; Wells, J; Failes, T W; Arndt, G M; Smithers, N; Prinjha, R K; Anderson, D; Carter, K W; Gout, A M; Lassmann, T; O'Reilly, J; Cole, C H; Kotecha, R S; Kees, U R

    2017-01-01

    To address the poor prognosis of mixed lineage leukemia (MLL)-rearranged infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia (iALL), we generated a panel of cell lines from primary patient samples and investigated cytotoxic responses to contemporary and novel Food and Drug Administration-approved chemotherapeutics. To characterize representation of primary disease within cell lines, molecular features were compared using RNA-sequencing and cytogenetics. High-throughput screening revealed variable efficacy of currently used drugs, however identified consistent efficacy of three novel drug classes: proteasome inhibitors, histone deacetylase inhibitors and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors. Gene expression of drug targets was highly reproducible comparing iALL cell lines to matched primary specimens. Histone deacetylase inhibitors, including romidepsin (ROM), enhanced the activity of a key component of iALL therapy, cytarabine (ARAC) in vitro and combined administration of ROM and ARAC to xenografted mice further reduced leukemia burden. Molecular studies showed that ROM reduces expression of cytidine deaminase, an enzyme involved in ARAC deactivation, and enhances the DNA damage–response to ARAC. In conclusion, we present a valuable resource for drug discovery, including the first systematic analysis of transcriptome reproducibility in vitro, and have identified ROM as a promising therapeutic for MLL-rearranged iALL. PMID:27443263

  1. APOBEC3DE Inhibits LINE-1 Retrotransposition by Interacting with ORF1p and Influencing LINE Reverse Transcriptase Activity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weizi Liang

    Full Text Available Human long interspersed elements 1 (LINE-1 or L1 is the only autonomous non-LTR retroelement in humans and has been associated with genome instability, inherited genetic diseases, and the development of cancer. Certain human APOBEC3 family proteins are known to have LINE-1 restriction activity. The mechanisms by which APOBEC3 affects LINE-1 retrotransposition are not all well characterized; here, we confirm that both A3B and A3DE have a strong ability to inhibit LINE-1 retrotransposition. A3DE interacts with LINE-1 ORF1p to target LINE-1 ribonucleoprotein particles in an RNA-dependent manner. Moreover, A3DE binds to LINE-1 RNA and ORF1 protein in cell culture system. Fluorescence microscopy demonstrated that A3DE co-localizes with ORF1p in cytoplasm. Furthermore, A3DE inhibits LINE-1 reverse transcriptase activity in LINE-1 ribonucleoprotein particles in a cytidine deaminase-independent manner. In contrast, A3B has less inhibitory effects on LINE-1 reverse transcriptase activity despite its strong inhibition of LINE-1 retrotransposition. This study demonstrates that different A3 proteins have been evolved to inhibit LINE-1 activity through distinct mechanisms.

  2. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of adenosine 5′-monophosphate deaminase (AMPD) from Arabidopsis thaliana in complex with coformycin 5′-phosphate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, Byung Woo; Bingman, Craig A.; Mahnke, Donna K.; Sabina, Richard L.; Phillips, George N. Jr

    2005-01-01

    Adenosine 5′-monophosphate deaminase from A. thaliana has been crystallized in complex with coformycin 5′-phosphate. Diffraction data have been collected to 3.34 Å resolution. Adenosine 5′-monophosphate deaminase (AMPD) is a eukaryotic enzyme that converts adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMP) to inosine 5′-monophosphate (IMP) and ammonia. AMPD from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtAMPD) was cloned into the baculoviral transfer vector p2Bac and co-transfected along with a modified baculoviral genome into Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells. The resulting recombinant baculovirus were plaque-purified, amplified and used to overexpress recombinant AtAMPD. Crystals of purified AtAMPD have been obtained to which coformycin 5′-phosphate, a transition-state inhibitor, is bound. Crystals belong to space group P6 2 22, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 131.325, c = 208.254 Å, α = β = 90, γ = 120°. Diffraction data were collected to 3.34 Å resolution from a crystal in complex with coformycin 5′-phosphate and to 4.05 Å resolution from a crystal of a mercury derivative

  3. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of adenosine 5′-monophosphate deaminase (AMPD) from Arabidopsis thaliana in complex with coformycin 5′-phosphate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Han, Byung Woo [Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53706-1544 (United States); Center for Eukaryotic Structural Genomics (CESG), University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53706-1549 (United States); Bingman, Craig A. [Center for Eukaryotic Structural Genomics (CESG), University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53706-1549 (United States); Mahnke, Donna K.; Sabina, Richard L. [Department of Biochemistry, The Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226-4801 (United States); Phillips, George N. Jr, E-mail: phillips@biochem.wisc.edu [Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53706-1544 (United States); Center for Eukaryotic Structural Genomics (CESG), University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53706-1549 (United States)

    2005-08-01

    Adenosine 5′-monophosphate deaminase from A. thaliana has been crystallized in complex with coformycin 5′-phosphate. Diffraction data have been collected to 3.34 Å resolution. Adenosine 5′-monophosphate deaminase (AMPD) is a eukaryotic enzyme that converts adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMP) to inosine 5′-monophosphate (IMP) and ammonia. AMPD from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtAMPD) was cloned into the baculoviral transfer vector p2Bac and co-transfected along with a modified baculoviral genome into Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells. The resulting recombinant baculovirus were plaque-purified, amplified and used to overexpress recombinant AtAMPD. Crystals of purified AtAMPD have been obtained to which coformycin 5′-phosphate, a transition-state inhibitor, is bound. Crystals belong to space group P6{sub 2}22, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 131.325, c = 208.254 Å, α = β = 90, γ = 120°. Diffraction data were collected to 3.34 Å resolution from a crystal in complex with coformycin 5′-phosphate and to 4.05 Å resolution from a crystal of a mercury derivative.

  4. Serum adenosine deaminase activity and its isoenzyme in patients treated for tuberculosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rokayan, S.A

    2003-01-01

    Objective: Increased serum adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity, mainly associated with tuberculosis can also occur in a number of other diseases thus negatively affecting the diagnostic utility of ADA measurements in tuberculosis. The aim of the study was to determine whether or not the combined use of the activity of ADA, its isoenzymes and differential cell counts would provide a more efficient means of diagnosing tuberculosis than the use of ADA levels alone. Results: Data suggested significant (p 0.75) of ADA/sub 2/ADA was found to be better indicator of tuberculosis. Lymphocyte neutrophil ratio (L/N)> 0.69 gave additional benefit to increase the sensitivity and specificity for the use of ADA as marker in diagnosing tuberculosis. Conclusion: The combined use of activity of ADA, its isoenzymes and total and differential cell counts is a better indicator and gives better understanding to diagnose and evaluate tuberculosis and response to therapy. (author)

  5. AMP deaminase histochemical activity and immunofluorescent isozyme localization in rat skeletal muscle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, J. L.; Sabina, R. L.; Ogasawara, N.; Riley, D. A.

    1992-01-01

    The cellular distribution of AMP deaminase (AMPda) isozymes was documented for rat soleus and plantaris muscles, utilizing immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoprecipitation methods. AMPda is a ubiquitous enzyme existing as three distinct isozymes, A, B and C, which were initially purified from skeletal muscle, liver (and kidney), and heart, respectively. AMPda-A is primarily concentrated subsarcolemmally and intermyofibrillarly within muscle cells, while isozymes B and C are concentrated within non-myofiber elements of muscle tissue. AMPda-B is principally associated with connective tissues surrounding neural elements and the muscle spindle capsule, and AMPda-C is predominantly associated with circulatory elements, such as arterial and venous walls, capillary endothelium, and red blood cells. These specific localizations, combined with documented differences in kinetic properties, suggest multiple functional roles for the AMPda isozymes or temporal segregation of similar AMPda functions. Linkage of the AMPda substrate with adenosine production pathways at the AMP level and the localization of isozyme-C in vascular tissue suggest a regulatory role in the microcirculation.

  6. Activation-induced deoxycytidine deaminase (AID) co-transcriptional scanning at single-molecule resolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Senavirathne, Gayan; Bertram, Jeffrey G.; Jaszczur, Malgorzata; Chaurasiya, Kathy R.; Pham, Phuong; Mak, Chi H.; Goodman, Myron F.; Rueda, David

    2015-12-01

    Activation-induced deoxycytidine deaminase (AID) generates antibody diversity in B cells by initiating somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class-switch recombination (CSR) during transcription of immunoglobulin variable (IgV) and switch region (IgS) DNA. Using single-molecule FRET, we show that AID binds to transcribed dsDNA and translocates unidirectionally in concert with RNA polymerase (RNAP) on moving transcription bubbles, while increasing the fraction of stalled bubbles. AID scans randomly when constrained in an 8 nt model bubble. When unconstrained on single-stranded (ss) DNA, AID moves in random bidirectional short slides/hops over the entire molecule while remaining bound for ~5 min. Our analysis distinguishes dynamic scanning from static ssDNA creasing. That AID alone can track along with RNAP during transcription and scan within stalled transcription bubbles suggests a mechanism by which AID can initiate SHM and CSR when properly regulated, yet when unregulated can access non-Ig genes and cause cancer.

  7. Diagnostic value of pleural fluid adenosine deaminase activity in tuberculosis pleurisy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abbas ali Niazi

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: Diagnosis of tuberculosis pleurisies is difficult because of its nonspecific clinical presentation and insufficient traditional diagnostic methods. We investigated the use of adenosine deaminase (ADA activity in tuberculosis pleurisies. Methods: A number of 85 patients were analyzed with exudative pleural effusions. Using the ROC curve, we determined the optimal cutoff for TB pleurisy. Results: A number of 58 exudative samples were nontuberculous (non-TB and 27 were tuberculosis (TB. There was statistically significant difference (p<0.0001 between the means of pleural fluid ADA levels among the TB and non-TB populations. The prevalence of TB pleurisy in the studied population was 31%. Using the cutoff point equal to 35 for diagnosing TB effusions the sensitivity and specificity 70.3% and 91.3%, respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV was 79.1% and the negative predictive value (NPV was 86.8%. A pleural fluid ADA value <19 IU/L suggests that a tuberculosis effusion is highly unlikely. Conclusion: Pleural fluid total ADA assay is a sensitive and specific test suitable for rapid diagnosis of TB pleurisy.

  8. Inhibition of APOBEC3G Activity Impedes Double-Strand DNA Repair

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prabhu, Ponnandy; Shandilya, Shivender; Britan-Rosich, Elena; Nagler, Adi; Schiffer, Celia A.; Kotler, Moshe

    2015-01-01

    The cellular cytidine deaminase APOBEC3G (A3G) was first described as an anti-HIV-1 restriction factor by directly deaminating reverse transcripts of the viral genome. HIV-1 Vif neutralizes the activity of A3G, primarily by mediating degradation of A3G to establish effective infection in host target cells. Lymphoma cells, which express high amounts of A3G, can restrict Vif-deficient HIV-1. Interestingly, these cells are more stable in the face of treatments that result in dsDNA damage, such as ionizing irradiation (IR) and chemotherapies. Previously, we showed that the Vif-derived peptide (Vif25-39) efficiently inhibits A3G deamination, and increases sensitivity of lymphoma cells to IR. In the current study, we show that additional peptides derived from Vif, A3G and A3F, which contain the LYYF motif, inhibit deamination activity. Each residue in the Vif25-39 sequence moderately contributes to the inhibitory effect, while, replacing a single amino acid in the LYYF motif completely abrogate inhibition of deamination. Treatment of A3G-expressing lymphoma cells exposed to ionizing radiation with the new inhibitory peptides reduces double-strand break (DSB) repair after radiation. Incubation of cultured irradiated lymphoma cells with peptides that inhibit DSB repair halts their propagation. These results suggest that A3G may be a potential therapeutic target amenable to peptide and peptidomimetic inhibition. PMID:26460502

  9. Inhibition of APOBEC3G activity impedes double-stranded DNA repair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prabhu, Ponnandy; Shandilya, Shivender M D; Britan-Rosich, Elena; Nagler, Adi; Schiffer, Celia A; Kotler, Moshe

    2016-01-01

    The cellular cytidine deaminase APOBEC3G (A3G) was first described as an anti-HIV-1 restriction factor, acting by directly deaminating reverse transcripts of the viral genome. HIV-1 Vif neutralizes the activity of A3G, primarily by mediating degradation of A3G to establish effective infection in host target cells. Lymphoma cells, which express high amounts of A3G, can restrict Vif-deficient HIV-1. Interestingly, these cells are more stable in the face of treatments that result in double-stranded DNA damage, such as ionizing radiation and chemotherapies. Previously, we showed that the Vif-derived peptide (Vif25-39) efficiently inhibits A3G deamination, and increases the sensitivity of lymphoma cells to ionizing radiation. In the current study, we show that additional peptides derived from Vif, A3G, and APOBEC3F, which contain the LYYF motif, inhibit deamination activity. Each residue in the Vif25-39 sequence moderately contributes to the inhibitory effect, whereas replacing a single residue in the LYYF motif completely abrogates inhibition of deamination. Treatment of A3G-expressing lymphoma cells exposed to ionizing radiation with the new inhibitory peptides reduces double-strand break repair after irradiation. Incubation of cultured irradiated lymphoma cells with peptides that inhibit double-strand break repair halts their propagation. These results suggest that A3G may be a potential therapeutic target that is amenable to peptide and peptidomimetic inhibition. © 2015 FEBS.

  10. The inhibitory effect of apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like 3G (APOBEC3G) and its family members on the activity of cellular microRNAs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hui

    2010-01-01

    The apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like 3G (APOBEC3G or APOBEC3G) and its fellow cytidine deaminase family members are potent restrictive factors for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and many other retroviruses. However, the cellular function of APOBEC3G remains to be further clarified. It has been reported that APOBEC3s can restrict the mobility of endogenous retroviruses and LTR-retrotransposons, suggesting that they can maintain stability in host genomes. However, APOBEC3G is normally cytoplasmic. Further studies have demonstrated that it is associated with an RNase-sensitive high molecular mass (HMM) and located in processing bodies (P-bodies) of replicating T-cells, indicating that the major cellular function of APOBEC3G seems to be related to P-body-related RNA processing and metabolism. As the function of P-body is closely related to miRNA activity, APOBEC3G could affect the miRNA function. Recent studies have demonstrated that APOBEC3G and its family members counteract miRNA-mediated repression of protein translation. Further, APOBEC3G enhances the association of miRNA-targeted mRNA with polysomes, and facilitates the dissociation of miRNA-targeted mRNA from P-bodies. As such, APOBEC3G regulate the activity of cellular miRNAs. Whether this function is related to its potent antiviral activity remains to be further determined.

  11. IgG4-related Pleuritis with Elevated Adenosine Deaminase in Pleural Effusion: A Case Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagayasu, Atsushi; Kubo, Satoshi; Nakano, Kazuhisa; Nakayamada, Shingo; Iwata, Shigeru; Miyagawa, Ippei; Fukuyo, Shunsuke; Saito, Kazuyoshi; Tanaka, Yoshiya

    2018-03-09

    An 81-year-old man was admitted with bilateral pleural effusion. A clinical examination showed lymphocytic pleura effusion and elevated serum IgG4 levels, so that IgG4-related disease was suggested, whereas tuberculous pleurisy was suspected because of high adenosine deaminase (ADA) levels in the pleural effusion. A surgical pleural biopsy revealed that there were large numbers of IgG4-positive cells and IgG4/IgG positive cell ratio exceeded 40% in several sites. Accordingly, we diagnosed IgG4-related pleuritis and treated with the patient with glucocorticoid therapy. The ADA levels in pleural effusion can increase in IgG4-related pleuritis, and it is therefore important to perform a pleural biopsy.

  12. Higher capecitabine AUC in elderly patients with advanced colorectal cancer (SWOGS0030).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Louie, S G; Ely, B; Lenz, H-J; Albain, K S; Gotay, C; Coleman, D; Raghavan, D; Shields, A F; Gold, P J; Blanke, C D

    2013-10-01

    The aging process is accompanied by physiological changes including reduced glomerular filtration and hepatic function, as well as changes in gastric secretions. To investigate what effect would aging have on the disposition of capecitabine and its metabolites, the pharmacokinetics between patients ≥70 years and AUC) was accompanied by reduction in capecitabine clearance in ≥70 years patients (PAUCs between the two age groups, suggesting that carboxylesterase and cytidine deaminase (CDA) activity was similar between the two age groups. These results suggest that metabolic enzymes involved in converting capecitabine metabolites are not altered by age. An elevation in capecitabine Cmax and reduction in clearance was seen in females, where capecitabine AUC was 40.3% higher in women. Elevation of DFUR Cmax (45%) and AUC (46%) (PAUC was observed in patients ≥70 years when compared with younger patients who were >60 years.

  13. AID to overcome the limitations of genomic information by introducing somatic DNA alterations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honjo, Tasuku; Muramatsu, Masamichi; Nagaoka, Hitoshi; Kinoshita, Kazuo; Shinkura, Reiko

    2006-05-01

    The immune system has adopted somatic DNA alterations to overcome the limitations of the genomic information. Activation induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is an essential enzyme to regulate class switch recombination (CSR), somatic hypermutation (SHM) and gene conversion (GC) of the immunoglobulin gene. AID is known to be required for DNA cleavage of S regions in CSR and V regions in SHM. However, its molecular mechanism is a focus of extensive debate. RNA editing hypothesis postulates that AID edits yet unknown mRNA, to generate specific endonucleases for CSR and SHM. By contrast, DNA deamination hypothesis assumes that AID deaminates cytosine in DNA, followed by DNA cleavage by base excision repair enzymes. We summarize the basic knowledge for molecular mechanisms for CSR and SHM and then discuss the importance of AID not only in the immune regulation but also in the genome instability.

  14. Three-Dimensional Structure and Catalytic Mechanism of Cytosine Deaminase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    R Hall; A Fedorov; C Xu; E Fedorov; S Almo; F Raushel

    2011-12-31

    Cytosine deaminase (CDA) from E. coli is a member of the amidohydrolase superfamily. The structure of the zinc-activated enzyme was determined in the presence of phosphonocytosine, a mimic of the tetrahedral reaction intermediate. This compound inhibits the deamination of cytosine with a K{sub i} of 52 nM. The zinc- and iron-containing enzymes were characterized to determine the effect of the divalent cations on activation of the hydrolytic water. Fe-CDA loses activity at low pH with a kinetic pKa of 6.0, and Zn-CDA has a kinetic pKa of 7.3. Mutation of Gln-156 decreased the catalytic activity by more than 5 orders of magnitude, supporting its role in substrate binding. Mutation of Glu-217, Asp-313, and His-246 significantly decreased catalytic activity supporting the role of these three residues in activation of the hydrolytic water molecule and facilitation of proton transfer reactions. A library of potential substrates was used to probe the structural determinants responsible for catalytic activity. CDA was able to catalyze the deamination of isocytosine and the hydrolysis of 3-oxauracil. Large inverse solvent isotope effects were obtained on k{sub cat} and k{sub cat}/K{sub m}, consistent with the formation of a low-barrier hydrogen bond during the conversion of cytosine to uracil. A chemical mechanism for substrate deamination by CDA was proposed.

  15. Hyperbilirubinemia and rapid fatal hepatic failure in severe combined immunodeficiency caused by adenosine deaminase deficiency (ADA-SCID).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kühl, J S; Schwarz, K; Münch, A; Schmugge, M; Pekrun, A; Meisel, C; Wahn, V; Ebell, W; von Bernuth, H

    2011-03-01

    Adenosin deaminase (ADA) deficiency is the cause for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) in about 15% of patients with SCID, often presenting as T (-)B (-)NK (-)SCID. Treatment options for ADA-SCID are enzyme replacement, bone marrow transplantation or gene therapy. We here describe the first patient with ADA-SCID and fatal hepatic failure despite bone marrow transplantation from a 10/10 HLA identical related donor. As patients with ADA-SCID may be at yet underestimated increased risk for rapid hepatic failure we speculate whether hepatitis in ADA-SCID should lead to the immediate treatment with enzyme replacement by pegylated ADA. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  16. Mutation Processes in 293-Based Clones Overexpressing the DNA Cytosine Deaminase APOBEC3B.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monica K Akre

    Full Text Available Molecular, cellular, and clinical studies have combined to demonstrate a contribution from the DNA cytosine deaminase APOBEC3B (A3B to the overall mutation load in breast, head/neck, lung, bladder, cervical, ovarian, and other cancer types. However, the complete landscape of mutations attributable to this enzyme has yet to be determined in a controlled human cell system. We report a conditional and isogenic system for A3B induction, genomic DNA deamination, and mutagenesis. Human 293-derived cells were engineered to express doxycycline-inducible A3B-eGFP or eGFP constructs. Cells were subjected to 10 rounds of A3B-eGFP exposure that each caused 80-90% cell death. Control pools were subjected to parallel rounds of non-toxic eGFP exposure, and dilutions were done each round to mimic A3B-eGFP induced population fluctuations. Targeted sequencing of portions of TP53 and MYC demonstrated greater mutation accumulation in the A3B-eGFP exposed pools. Clones were generated and microarray analyses were used to identify those with the greatest number of SNP alterations for whole genome sequencing. A3B-eGFP exposed clones showed global increases in C-to-T transition mutations, enrichments for cytosine mutations within A3B-preferred trinucleotide motifs, and more copy number aberrations. Surprisingly, both control and A3B-eGFP clones also elicited strong mutator phenotypes characteristic of defective mismatch repair. Despite this additional mutational process, the 293-based system characterized here still yielded a genome-wide view of A3B-catalyzed mutagenesis in human cells and a system for additional studies on the compounded effects of simultaneous mutation mechanisms in cancer cells.

  17. AMP Deaminase 3 Deficiency Enhanced 5′-AMP Induction of Hypometabolism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daniels, Isadora Susan; O′Brien, William G.; Nath, Vinay; Zhao, Zhaoyang; Lee, Cheng Chi

    2013-01-01

    A hypometabolic state can be induced in mice by 5′-AMP administration. Previously we proposed that an underlying mechanism for this hypometabolism is linked to reduced erythrocyte oxygen transport function due to 5′-AMP uptake altering the cellular adenylate equilibrium. To test this hypothesis, we generated mice deficient in adenosine monophosphate deaminase 3 (AMPD3), the key catabolic enzyme for 5′-AMP in erythrocytes. Mice deficient in AMPD3 maintained AMPD activities in all tissues except erythrocytes. Developmentally and morphologically, the Ampd3−/− mice were indistinguishable from their wild type siblings. The levels of ATP, ADP but not 5′-AMP in erythrocytes of Ampd3−/− mice were significantly elevated. Fasting blood glucose levels of the Ampd3−/− mice were comparable to wild type siblings. In comparison to wild type mice, the Ampd3−/− mice displayed a deeper hypometabolism with a significantly delayed average arousal time in response to 5′-AMP administration. Together, these findings demonstrate a central role of AMPD3 in the regulation of 5′-AMP mediated hypometabolism and further implicate erythrocytes in this behavioral response. PMID:24066180

  18. Adenosine deaminase complexing protein (ADCP) expression and metastatic potential in prostatic adenocarcinomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dinjens, W N; Ten Kate, J; Kirch, J A; Tanke, H J; Van der Linden, E P; Van den Ingh, H F; Van Steenbrugge, G J; Meera Khan, P; Bosman, F T

    1990-03-01

    The expression of the adenosine deaminase complexing protein (ADCP) was investigated by immunohistochemistry in the normal and hyperplastic human prostate, in 30 prostatic adenocarcinomas, and in seven human prostatic adenocarcinoma cell lines grown as xenografts in athymic nude mice. In the normal and hyperplastic prostate, ADCP was localized exclusively in the apical membrane and the apical cytoplasm of the glandular epithelial cells. In prostatic adenocarcinomas, four distinct ADCP expression patterns were observed: diffuse cytoplasmic, membranous, both cytoplasmic and membranous, and no ADCP expression. The expression patterns were compared with the presence of metastases. We found an inverse correlation between membranous ADCP immunoreactivity and metastatic propensity. Exclusively membranous ADCP immunoreactivity occurred only in non-metastatic tumours. In contrast, the metastatic tumours showed no or diffuse cytoplasmic ADCP immunoreactivity. This suggests that immunohistochemical detection of ADCP might predict the biological behaviour of prostatic cancer. However, the occurrence of membranous ADCP immunoreactivity in the xenograft of a cell line (PC-EW), derived from a prostatic carcinoma metastasis, indicates that not only the tendency to metastasize modulates ADCP expression.

  19. New strategy of cancer therapy by targeting the hypoxic circumstances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yasui, Hironobu; Yamamori, Tohru; Meike, Shunsuke; Eitaki, Masato; Kuwabara, Mikinori; Inanami, Osamu; Iizuka, Daisuke

    2010-01-01

    Described are studies on the sensitization of tumor cells in hypoxic circumstances (known as radio-resistant cells) by authors' recent molecular targeting to adaptive response as well as by the usual agents like nitro-imidazole compounds, and on the intermittent hypoxia, a new topic in this field. The hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is a transcriptional factor and has been known to activate its many downstream genes to cause adoptive response of hypoxic cells. Authors have studied the anti-tumor and radiation sensitizing effects of ethynyl-cytidine (EC) which is found to suppress RNA synthesis through cytidine kinase (CK) inhibition, and the compound is of specificity to tumor cells as they have 5-10 times higher CK activity than normal cells. Authors have also found that EC is of the sensitizing efficacy to normoxic and hypoxic cells by enhancing the radiation-induced apoptosis essentially through inhibition of HIF-1 expression. Intermittent hypoxia in the tumor which has characteristic abnormal vascular morphology and function, occurs by the transient reduction of blood flow and occlusion of vessels in the tissue within minute to hour time cycles. Little is known about the regional hypoxic region and its distribution in the tumor due to difficulty of their detection and quantification. For this, authors have measured the temporal changes of oxygen levels in the mouse tumor with triaryl methyl radical, an oxygen-sensitive contrast compound continuously injected, by microwave-pulsed electron spin resonance imaging (EPRI). By superimposing the EPRI and T2-weighted MRI, the oxymetric imaging is possible in the tumor, which reveals the difference of oxygen level variation depending on the cell type and tissue size. Findings in the field are expected to give important information for more effective cancer therapy and its prognostic prediction in future. (T.T.)

  20. Functional requirements of AID's higher order structures and their interaction with RNA-binding proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mondal, Samiran; Begum, Nasim A; Hu, Wenjun; Honjo, Tasuku

    2016-03-15

    Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is essential for the somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class-switch recombination (CSR) of Ig genes. Although both the N and C termini of AID have unique functions in DNA cleavage and recombination, respectively, during SHM and CSR, their molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. Using a bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assay combined with glycerol gradient fractionation, we revealed that the AID C terminus is required for a stable dimer formation. Furthermore, AID monomers and dimers form complexes with distinct heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs). AID monomers associate with DNA cleavage cofactor hnRNP K whereas AID dimers associate with recombination cofactors hnRNP L, hnRNP U, and Serpine mRNA-binding protein 1. All of these AID/ribonucleoprotein associations are RNA-dependent. We propose that AID's structure-specific cofactor complex formations differentially contribute to its DNA-cleavage and recombination functions.

  1. Non-linear quantitative structure-activity relationship for adenine derivatives as competitive inhibitors of adenosine deaminase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sadat Hayatshahi, Sayyed Hamed; Abdolmaleki, Parviz; Safarian, Shahrokh; Khajeh, Khosro

    2005-01-01

    Logistic regression and artificial neural networks have been developed as two non-linear models to establish quantitative structure-activity relationships between structural descriptors and biochemical activity of adenosine based competitive inhibitors, toward adenosine deaminase. The training set included 24 compounds with known k i values. The models were trained to solve two-class problems. Unlike the previous work in which multiple linear regression was used, the highest of positive charge on the molecules was recognized to be in close relation with their inhibition activity, while the electric charge on atom N1 of adenosine was found to be a poor descriptor. Consequently, the previously developed equation was improved and the newly formed one could predict the class of 91.66% of compounds correctly. Also optimized 2-3-1 and 3-4-1 neural networks could increase this rate to 95.83%

  2. Diagnostic Algorithm for Glycogenoses and Myoadenylate Deaminase Deficiency Based on Exercise Testing Parameters: A Prospective Study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabrice Rannou

    Full Text Available Our aim was to evaluate the accuracy of aerobic exercise testing to diagnose metabolic myopathies.From December 2008 to September 2012, all the consecutive patients that underwent both metabolic exercise testing and a muscle biopsy were prospectively enrolled. Subjects performed an incremental and maximal exercise testing on a cycle ergometer. Lactate, pyruvate, and ammonia concentrations were determined from venous blood samples drawn at rest, during exercise (50% predicted maximal power, peak exercise, and recovery (2, 5, 10, and 15 min. Biopsies from vastus lateralis or deltoid muscles were analysed using standard techniques (reference test. Myoadenylate deaminase (MAD activity was determined using p-nitro blue tetrazolium staining in muscle cryostat sections. Glycogen storage was assessed using periodic acid-Schiff staining. The diagnostic accuracy of plasma metabolite levels to identify absent and decreased MAD activity was assessed using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC curve analysis.The study involved 51 patients. Omitting patients with glycogenoses (n = 3, MAD staining was absent in 5, decreased in 6, and normal in 37 subjects. Lactate/pyruvate at the 10th minute of recovery provided the greatest area under the ROC curves (AUC, 0.893 ± 0.067 to differentiate Abnormal from Normal MAD activity. The lactate/rest ratio at the 10th minute of recovery from exercise displayed the best AUC (1.0 for discriminating between Decreased and Absent MAD activities. The resulting decision tree achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 86.3%.The present algorithm provides a non-invasive test to accurately predict absent and decreased MAD activity, facilitating the selection of patients for muscle biopsy and target appropriate histochemical analysis.

  3. The role of Vif oligomerization and RNA chaperone activity in HIV-1 replication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batisse, Julien; Guerrero, Santiago; Bernacchi, Serena; Sleiman, Dona; Gabus, Caroline; Darlix, Jean-Luc; Marquet, Roland; Tisné, Carine; Paillart, Jean-Christophe

    2012-11-01

    The viral infectivity factor (Vif) is essential for the productive infection and dissemination of HIV-1 in non-permissive cells that involve most natural HIV-1 target cells. Vif counteracts the packaging of two cellular cytidine deaminases named APOBEC3G (A3G) and A3F by diverse mechanisms including the recruitment of an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex and the proteasomal degradation of A3G/A3F, the inhibition of A3G mRNA translation or by a direct competition mechanism. In addition, Vif appears to be an active partner of the late steps of viral replication by participating in virus assembly and Gag processing, thus regulating the final stage of virion formation notably genomic RNA dimerization and by inhibiting the initiation of reverse transcription. Vif is a small pleiotropic protein with multiple domains, and recent studies highlighted the importance of Vif conformation and flexibility in counteracting A3G and in binding RNA. In this review, we will focus on the oligomerization and RNA chaperone properties of Vif and show that the intrinsic disordered nature of some Vif domains could play an important role in virus assembly and replication. Experimental evidence demonstrating the RNA chaperone activity of Vif will be presented. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Radiochromatographic determination of activity of adenosine deaminase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase in blood cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pechan, I.; Rendekova, V.; Pechanova, E.; Krizko, J.

    1982-01-01

    Expeditious and sensitive methods are described for determining the activities of adenosine deaminase (ADA) and purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) in human lymphocytes and erythrocytes. ADA and PNP activity is determined on the basis of the reaction of (U- 14 C)adenosine or (8- 14 C)inosine with the lysate of human blood cells. Reaction products are separated using paper chromatography. Following the measurement of the radioactivity of spots of adenosine, inosine and hypoxanthine, a calculation is made of ADA and PNP activity from the results of the said measurements. On a sample of 52 clinically healthy people average ADA and PNP activity in isolated lymphocytes was found to be (51.6+-18.8) and (185.6+-94.7) pcat/10 6 cells and in erythrocytes (9.8+-2.98) and (17.1+-3.19) pcat/mg of proteins, respectively. The advantage of the method is the small amount of sample needed (1 to 2 ml) which allows its application in pediatrics. (Ha)

  5. The diagnostic value of procalcitonin, adenosine deaminase for tuberculous pleural effusions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Jia; Jing Xiufeng; Hui Fuxin

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To explore differential diagnostic value of procalcitonin (PCT), adenosine deaminase (ADA) in pleural fluid and serum for tuberculous pleural effusions. Methods: The concentrations of PCT and ADA both in serum and pleural fluid in one hundred and twenty-eight patients with pleural effusion were detected. These patients were divided into three groups. Fifty-two patients with tuberculous plueral effusion were composed of the tuberculous group. Twenty-two patients with parapneumonic effusion composed the pneumonic group and forty patients with malignant pleural effusion and fourteen patients with heart faliure composed of the control group. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in serum PCT among the three groups (P > 0.05). PCT of pleural fluid was significantly increased in tuberculous and parapneumonic groups compared to the control group (P < 0.05). ADA activities in tuberculous serum and pleural fluid were both higher than those in the parapneumonic and the control groups (P < 0.01). The ratio of ADA in pleural fluid and serum (P /S) was calculated. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of P /S (cut-off value 1.27) were 92.3% and 100% respectively for tuberculous pleural effusions calcuted by receiver operating curve. Conclusion: Combined measurements of PCT and ADA in pleural fluid are useful in diagnosing tuberculous pleural effusions. (authors)

  6. Effect of repeated pesticide applications on soil properties in cotton fields: II. Insecticide residues and impact on dehydrogenase and arginine deaminase activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vig, K.; Singh, D.K.; Agarwal, H.C.; Dhawan, A.K.; Dureja, P.

    2001-01-01

    Insecticides were applied sequentially at recommended dosages post crop emergence in cotton fields and soil was sampled at regular intervals after each treatment. Soil was analysed for insecticide residues and activity of the enzymes dehydrogenase and arginine deaminase. Insecticide residues detected in the soil were in small quantities and they did not persist for long. Only endosulfan leached below 15 cm. Insecticides had only temporary effects on enzyme activities which disappeared either before the next insecticide treatment or by the end of the experimental period. (author)

  7. The effect of cytidine-diphosphate choline (CDP-choline) on brain lipid changes during aging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Medio, G.E.; Trovarelli, G.; Piccinin, G.L.; Porcellati, G.

    1984-01-01

    Lipid synthesis has been tested in vivo in different brain areas of 12-month-old male rats. Cortex, striatum, brainstem, and subcortex of brain have been examined. The cerebellum was discarded. Mixtures of (2- 3 H)glycerol and (Me- 14 C)choline were injected into the lateral ventricle of the brain as lipid precursors, and their incorporation into total lipid, water-soluble intermediates and choline-containing phospholipids was examined 1 hr after isotope injection. In another series of experiments cytidine-5'-diphosphate choline (CDP-choline) was injected intraventricularly to the aged rats 10 min before sacrifice with a simultaneous injection, and radioactivity assays were performed as above. Distribution of radioactivity content of CDP-choline among brain areas 10 min after its administration showed a noticeable enrichment of the nucleotide and water-soluble-related compounds in the examined areas, but to a lesser degree in the cerebral cortex. The incorporation of labelled glycerol, which is severely depressed in aged rats in all four areas [Gaiti et al, 1982, 1983], was increased only in the cortex, and apparently decreased in the other areas. This last result is probably due to a dilution effect brought about by the administered cold CDP-choline upon the ( 14 C)-containing water-soluble metabolites. As a consequence, the ( 3 H)/( 14 C) ratio in total lipid and in isolated phosphatidylcholine and choline plasmalogen increased after CDP-choline treatment

  8. Adenovirus-assisted lipofection: efficient in vitro gene transfer of luciferase and cytosine deaminase to human smooth muscle cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kreuzer, J; Denger, S; Reifers, F; Beisel, C; Haack, K; Gebert, J; Kübler, W

    1996-07-01

    Smooth muscle cells (SMC) are a central cell type involved in multiple processes of coronary artery diseases including restenosis and therefore are major target cells for different aspects of gene transfer. Previous attempts to transfect primary arterial cells using different techniques like liposomes, CaPO4 and electroporation resulted in only low transfection efficiency. The development of recombinant adenoviruses dramatically improved the delivery of foreign genes into different cell types including SMC. However, cloning and identification of recombinants remain difficult and time-consuming techniques. The present study demonstrates that a complex consisting of reporter plasmid encoding firefly luciferase (pLUC), polycationic liposomes and replication-deficient adenovirus was able to yield very high in vitro transfection of primary human smooth muscle cells under optimized conditions. The technique of adenovirus-assisted lipofection (AAL) increases transfer and expression of plasmid DNA in human smooth muscle cells in vitro up to 1000-fold compared to lipofection. To verify the applicability of AAL for gene transfer into human smooth muscle cells we studied a gene therapy approach to suppress proliferation of SMC in vitro, using the prokaryotic cytosine deaminase gene (CD) which enables transfected mammalian cells to deaminate 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) to the highly toxic 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The effect of a transient CD expression on RNA synthesis was investigated by means of a cotransfection with a RSV-CD expression plasmid and the luciferase reporter plasmid. Western blot analysis demonstrated high expression of CD protein in transfected SMC. Cotransfected SMC demonstrated two-fold less luciferase activity in the presence of 5-FC (5 mmol/l) after 48 h compared to cells transfected with a non-CD coding plasmid. The data demonstrate that a transient expression of CD could be sufficient to reduce the capacity of protein synthesis in human SMC. This simple and

  9. Somatic hypermutation of T cell receptor α chain contributes to selection in nurse shark thymus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ott, Jeannine A; Castro, Caitlin D; Deiss, Thaddeus C; Ohta, Yuko; Flajnik, Martin F; Criscitiello, Michael F

    2018-04-17

    Since the discovery of the T cell receptor (TcR), immunologists have assigned somatic hypermutation (SHM) as a mechanism employed solely by B cells to diversify their antigen receptors. Remarkably, we found SHM acting in the thymus on α chain locus of shark TcR. SHM in developing shark T cells likely is catalyzed by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) and results in both point and tandem mutations that accumulate non-conservative amino acid replacements within complementarity-determining regions (CDRs). Mutation frequency at TcRα was as high as that seen at B cell receptor loci (BcR) in sharks and mammals, and the mechanism of SHM shares unique characteristics first detected at shark BcR loci. Additionally, fluorescence in situ hybridization showed the strongest AID expression in thymic corticomedullary junction and medulla. We suggest that TcRα utilizes SHM to broaden diversification of the primary αβ T cell repertoire in sharks, the first reported use in vertebrates. © 2018, Ott et al.

  10. Gut TFH and IgA: key players for regulation of bacterial communities and immune homeostasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kato, Lucia M; Kawamoto, Shimpei; Maruya, Mikako; Fagarasan, Sidonia

    2014-01-01

    The main function of the immune system is to protect the host against pathogens. However, unlike the systemic immune system, the gut immune system does not eliminate, but instead nourishes complex bacterial communities and establishes advanced symbiotic relationships. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is the most abundant antibody isotype in mammals, produced mainly in the gut. The primary function of IgA is to maintain homeostasis at mucosal surfaces, and studies in mice have demonstrated that IgA diversification has an essential role in the regulation of gut microbiota. Dynamic diversification and constant adaptation of IgA responses to local microbiota require expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase by B cells and control from T follicular helper and Foxp3(+) T cells in germinal centers (GCs). We discuss the finely tuned regulatory mechanisms for IgA synthesis in GCs of Peyer's patches and emphasize the roles of CD4(+) T cells for IgA selection and the maintenance of appropriate gut microbial communities required for immune homeostasis.

  11. Self-cytoplasmic DNA upregulates the mutator enzyme APOBEC3A leading to chromosomal DNA damage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suspène, Rodolphe; Mussil, Bianka; Laude, Hélène; Caval, Vincent; Berry, Noémie; Bouzidi, Mohamed S; Thiers, Valérie; Wain-Hobson, Simon; Vartanian, Jean-Pierre

    2017-04-07

    Foreign and self-cytoplasmic DNA are recognized by numerous DNA sensor molecules leading to the production of type I interferons. Such DNA agonists should be degraded otherwise cells would be chronically stressed. Most human APOBEC3 cytidine deaminases can initiate catabolism of cytoplasmic mitochondrial DNA. Using the human myeloid cell line THP-1 with an interferon inducible APOBEC3A gene, we show that cytoplasmic DNA triggers interferon α and β production through the RNA polymerase III transcription/RIG-I pathway leading to massive upregulation of APOBEC3A. By catalyzing C→U editing in single stranded DNA fragments, the enzyme prevents them from re-annealing so attenuating the danger signal. The price to pay is chromosomal DNA damage in the form of CG→TA mutations and double stranded DNA breaks which, in the context of chronic inflammation, could drive cells down the path toward cancer. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  12. IgD class switching is initiated by microbiota and limited to mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue in mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Jin Huk; Wang, Kuan-wen; Zhang, Duanwu; Zhan, Xiaowei; Wang, Tao; Bu, Chun-Hui; Behrendt, Cassie L.; Zeng, Ming; Wang, Ying; Misawa, Takuma; Li, Xiaohong; Tang, Miao; Zhan, Xiaoming; Scott, Lindsay; Hildebrand, Sara; Murray, Anne R.; Moresco, Eva Marie Y.; Hooper, Lora V.; Beutler, Bruce

    2017-01-01

    Class-switch recombination (CSR) alters the Ig isotype to diversify antibody effector functions. IgD CSR is a rare event, and its regulation is poorly understood. We report that deficiency of 53BP1, a DNA damage-response protein, caused age-dependent overproduction of secreted IgD resulting from increased IgD CSR exclusively within B cells of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues. IgD overproduction was dependent on activation-induced cytidine deaminase, hematopoietic MyD88 expression, and an intact microbiome, against which circulating IgD, but not IgM, was reactive. IgD CSR occurred via both alternative nonhomologous end-joining and homologous recombination pathways. Microbiota-dependent IgD CSR also was detected in nasal-associated lymphoid tissue of WT mice. These results identify a pathway, present in WT mice and hyperactivated in 53BP1-deficient mice, by which microbiota signal via Toll-like receptors to elicit IgD CSR. PMID:28137874

  13. Visualization of the Differential Transition State Stabilization within the Active Site Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jerzy Leszczynski

    2004-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract: Increasing interest in the enzymatic reaction mechanisms and in the nature of catalytic effects in enzymes causes the need of appropriate visualization methods. A new interactive method to investigate catalytic effects using differential transition state stabilization approach (DTSS [1, 2] is presented. The catalytic properties of the active site of cytidine deaminase (E.C. 3.5.4.5 is visualized in the form of differential electrostatic properties. The visualization was implemented using scripting interface of VMD [3]. Cumulative Atomic Multipole Moments (CAMM [4,5,6] were utilized for efficient yet accurate evaluation of the electrostatic properties. The implementation is efficient enough for interactive presentation of catalytic effects in the active site of the enzyme due to transition state or substrate movement. This system of visualization of DTTS approach can be potentially used to validate hypotheses regarding the catalytic mechanism or to study binding properties of transition state analogues.

  14. IgD class switching is initiated by microbiota and limited to mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Jin Huk; Wang, Kuan-Wen; Zhang, Duanwu; Zhan, Xiaowei; Wang, Tao; Bu, Chun-Hui; Behrendt, Cassie L; Zeng, Ming; Wang, Ying; Misawa, Takuma; Li, Xiaohong; Tang, Miao; Zhan, Xiaoming; Scott, Lindsay; Hildebrand, Sara; Murray, Anne R; Moresco, Eva Marie Y; Hooper, Lora V; Beutler, Bruce

    2017-02-14

    Class-switch recombination (CSR) alters the Ig isotype to diversify antibody effector functions. IgD CSR is a rare event, and its regulation is poorly understood. We report that deficiency of 53BP1, a DNA damage-response protein, caused age-dependent overproduction of secreted IgD resulting from increased IgD CSR exclusively within B cells of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues. IgD overproduction was dependent on activation-induced cytidine deaminase, hematopoietic MyD88 expression, and an intact microbiome, against which circulating IgD, but not IgM, was reactive. IgD CSR occurred via both alternative nonhomologous end-joining and homologous recombination pathways. Microbiota-dependent IgD CSR also was detected in nasal-associated lymphoid tissue of WT mice. These results identify a pathway, present in WT mice and hyperactivated in 53BP1-deficient mice, by which microbiota signal via Toll-like receptors to elicit IgD CSR.

  15. Immunoglobulin class-switch recombination deficiencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durandy, Anne; Kracker, Sven

    2012-07-30

    Immunoglobulin class-switch recombination deficiencies (Ig-CSR-Ds) are rare primary immunodeficiencies characterized by defective switched isotype (IgG/IgA/IgE) production. Depending on the molecular defect in question, the Ig-CSR-D may be combined with an impairment in somatic hypermutation (SHM). Some of the mechanisms underlying Ig-CSR and SHM have been described by studying natural mutants in humans. This approach has revealed that T cell-B cell interaction (resulting in CD40-mediated signaling), intrinsic B-cell mechanisms (activation-induced cytidine deaminase-induced DNA damage), and complex DNA repair machineries (including uracil-N-glycosylase and mismatch repair pathways) are all involved in class-switch recombination and SHM. However, several of the mechanisms required for full antibody maturation have yet to be defined. Elucidation of the molecular defects underlying the diverse set of Ig-CSR-Ds is essential for understanding Ig diversification and has prompted better definition of the clinical spectrum of diseases and the development of increasingly accurate diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

  16. A2A adenosine receptor ligand binding and signalling is allosterically modulated by adenosine deaminase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gracia, Eduard; Pérez-Capote, Kamil; Moreno, Estefanía; Barkešová, Jana; Mallol, Josefa; Lluís, Carme; Franco, Rafael; Cortés, Antoni; Casadó, Vicent; Canela, Enric I

    2011-05-01

    A2ARs (adenosine A2A receptors) are highly enriched in the striatum, which is the main motor control CNS (central nervous system) area. BRET (bioluminescence resonance energy transfer) assays showed that A2AR homomers may act as cell-surface ADA (adenosine deaminase; EC 3.5.4.4)-binding proteins. ADA binding affected the quaternary structure of A2ARs present on the cell surface. ADA binding to adenosine A2ARs increased both agonist and antagonist affinity on ligand binding to striatal membranes where these proteins are co-expressed. ADA also increased receptor-mediated ERK1/2 (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2) phosphorylation. Collectively, the results of the present study show that ADA, apart from regulating the concentration of extracellular adenosine, may behave as an allosteric modulator that markedly enhances ligand affinity and receptor function. This powerful regulation may have implications for the physiology and pharmacology of neuronal A2ARs.

  17. Raised Serum Adenosine Deaminase Level in Nonobese Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vineet Kumar Khemka

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The role of inflammation being minimal in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM in nonobese patients; the aim of the study was to investigate the role of adenosine deaminase (ADA and see its association with diabetes mellitus. The preliminary case control study comprised of 56 cases and 45 healthy controls which were age and sex matched. 3 mL venous blood samples were obtained from the patients as well as controls after 8–10 hours of fasting. Serum ADA and routine biochemical parameters were analyzed. Serum ADA level was found significantly higher among nonobese T2DM subjects with respect to controls (38.77±14.29 versus 17.02±5.74 U/L; P<0.0001. Serum ADA level showed a significant positive correlation with fasting plasma glucose (r=0.657; P<0.0001 level among nonobese T2DM subjects, but no significant correlation was observed in controls (r=-0.203; P=0.180. However, no correlation was observed between serum ADA level compared to BMI and HbA1c levels. Our study shows higher serum ADA, triglycerides (TG and fasting plasma glucose (FPG levels in nonobese T2DM patients, and a strong correlation between ADA and FPG which suggests an association between ADA and nonobese T2DM subjects.

  18. Targeting a Novel Vector for Breast Cancer Gene Therapy

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Bzik, David

    2002-01-01

    ... in vitro and in vivo models. We found that cytosine deaminase (CD) and thymidine kinase (TK) markers expressed in T gondii produce a significant bystander killing effect on both human fibroblasts and SKBR3 tumor cells in vitro...

  19. Assessment of adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity and oxidative stress in patients with chronic tonsillitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garca, Mehmet Fatih; Demir, Halit; Turan, Mahfuz; Bozan, Nazım; Kozan, Ahmet; Belli, Şeyda Bayel; Arslan, Ayşe; Cankaya, Hakan

    2014-06-01

    To emphasize the effectiveness of adenosine deaminase (ADA) enzyme, which has important roles in the differentiation of lymphoid cells, and oxidative stress in patients with chronic tonsillitis. Serum and tissue samples were obtained from 25 patients who underwent tonsillectomy due to recurrent episodes of acute tonsillitis. In the control group, which also had 25 subjects, only serum samples were taken as obtaining tissue samples would not have been ethically appropriate. ADA enzyme activity, catalase (CAT), carbonic anhydrase (CA), nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured in the serum and tissue samples of patients and control group subjects. The serum values of both groups were compared. In addition, the tissue and serum values of patients were compared. Serum ADA activity and the oxidant enzymes MDA and NO values of the patient group were significantly higher than those of the control group (p ADA activity (p > 0.05). Elevated ADA activity may be effective in the pathogenesis of chronic tonsillitis both by impairing tissue structure and contributing to SOR formation.

  20. Investigations into the origin of the molecular recognition of several adenosine deaminase inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gillerman, Irina; Fischer, Bilha

    2011-01-13

    Inhibitors of adenosine deaminase (ADA, EC 3.5.4.4) are potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of various health disorders. Several highly potent inhibitors were previously identified, yet they exhibit unacceptable toxicities. We performed a SAR study involving a series of C2 or C8 substituted purine-riboside analogues with a view to discover less potent inhibitors with a lesser toxicity. We found that any substitution at C8 position of nebularine resulted in total loss of activity toward calf intestinal ADA. However, several 2-substituted-adenosine, 8-aza-adenosine, and nebularine analogues exhibited inhibitory activity. Specifically, 2-Cl-purine riboside, 8-aza-2-thiohexyl adenosine, 2-thiohexyl adenosine, and 2-MeS-purine riboside were found to be competitive inhibitors of ADA with K(i) values of 25, 22, 6, and 3 μM, respectively. We concluded that electronic parameters are not major recognition determinants of ADA but rather steric parameters. A C2 substituent which fits ADA hydrophobic pocket and improves H-bonding with the enzyme makes a good inhibitor. In addition, a gg rotamer about C4'-C5' bond is apparently an important recognition determinant.

  1. A robust quantitative solid phase immunoassay for the acute phase protein C-reactive protein (CRP) based on cytidine 5 '-diphosphocholine coupled dendrimers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heegaard, Peter M. H.; Pedersen, H. G.; Jensen, A. L.

    2009-01-01

    C-reactive protein (CRP) is an important acute phase protein, being used as a sensitive indicator of inflammation and infection and is also associated with the risk of cardiovascular problems. The present paper describes a robust and sensitive ELISA for CRP, based on the affinity of CRP for phosp......C-reactive protein (CRP) is an important acute phase protein, being used as a sensitive indicator of inflammation and infection and is also associated with the risk of cardiovascular problems. The present paper describes a robust and sensitive ELISA for CRP, based on the affinity of CRP...... was applied to determination of pig and human CRP using commercially available antibodies against human CRP. The assay was shown to be more sensitive than previously published immunoassays employing albumin-coupled cytidine diphosphocholine. The coating was stable for at least 30 days at room temperature...

  2. Increased Number of Circulating CD8/CD26 T Cells in the Blood of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Patients Is Associated with Augmented Binding of Adenosine Deaminase and Higher Muscular Strength Scores

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonathan H. Soslow

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD is an X-linked disorder that leads to cardiac and skeletal myopathy. The complex immune activation in boys with DMD is incompletely understood. To better understand the contribution of the immune system into the progression of DMD, we performed a systematic characterization of immune cell subpopulations obtained from peripheral blood of DMD subjects and control donors. We found that the number of CD8 cells expressing CD26 (also known as adenosine deaminase complexing protein 2 was increased in DMD subjects compared to control. No differences, however, were found in the levels of circulating factors associated with pro-inflammatory activation of CD8/CD26 cells, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα, granzyme B, and interferon-γ (IFNγ. The number of CD8/CD26 cells correlated directly with quantitative muscle testing (QMT in DMD subjects. Since CD26 mediates binding of adenosine deaminase (ADA to the T cell surface, we tested ADA-binding capacity of CD8/CD26 cells and the activity of bound ADA. We found that mononuclear cells (MNC obtained from DMD subjects with an increased number of CD8/CD26 T cells had a greater capacity to bind ADA. In addition, these MNC demonstrated increased hydrolytic deamination of adenosine to inosine. Altogether, our data demonstrated that (1 an increased number of circulating CD8/CD26 T cells is associated with preservation of muscle strength in DMD subjects, and (2 CD8/CD26 T cells from DMD subjects mediated degradation of adenosine by adenosine deaminase. These results support a role for T cells in slowing the decline in skeletal muscle function, and a need for further investigation into contribution of CD8/CD26 T cells in the regulation of chronic inflammation associated with DMD.

  3. Solubility of disodium cytidine 5′-monophosphate in different binary mixtures from 288.15 K to 313.15 K

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Jin; Ma, Tianle; Li, An; Chen, Xiaochun; Chen, Yong; Xie, Jingjing; Wu, Jinglan; Ying, Hanjie

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Solubility of 5′-CMPNa 2 in different systems was measured the first time. • Experimental data were correlated by CNIBS/Redlich–Kister model and Apelblat model. • Good agreement has been observed between the calculated and the experimental data. • Enthalpy and entropy were calculated by the van’t Hoff equation and Gibbs equation. - Abstract: The solubility of disodium cytidine 5′-monophosphate (5′-CMPNa 2 ) in methanol + water and ethanol + water binary mixtures was measured experimentally at the temperatures ranging from 288.15 to 313.15 K. The results showed that the solubility of 5′-CMPNa 2 increased with the increasing of temperature and the mole fraction of water in different binary mixtures. The (CNIBS)/Redlich–Kister model and the semi-empirical Apelblat model were applied for the prediction of the experimental data. Both models could give satisfactory simulation results. In addition, the thermodynamic properties of the dissolution process such as Gibbs energy, enthalpy, and entropy were calculated using the van’t Hoff equation and the Gibbs equation. The results indicated that the dissolution process was endothermic

  4. Analysis of IgV gene mutations in B cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia according to antigen-driven selection identifies subgroups with different prognosis and usage of the canonical somatic hypermutation machinery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Degan, Massimo; Bomben, Riccardo; Bo, Michele Dal; Zucchetto, Antonella; Nanni, Paola; Rupolo, Maurizio; Steffan, Agostino; Attadia, Vincenza; Ballerini, Pier Ferruccio; Damiani, Daniela; Pucillo, Carlo; Poeta, Giovanni Del; Colombatti, Alfonso; Gattei, Valter

    2004-07-01

    Cases of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL) with mutated (M) IgV(H) genes have a better prognosis than unmutated (UM) cases. We analysed the IgV(H) mutational status of B-CLL according to the features of a canonical somatic hypermutation (SHM) process, correlating this data with survival. In a series of 141 B-CLLs, 124 cases were examined for IgV(H) gene per cent mutations and skewing of replacement/silent mutations in the framework/complementarity-determining regions as evidence of antigen-driven selection; this identified three B-CLL subsets: significantly mutated (sM), with evidence of antigen-driven selection, not significantly mutated (nsM) and UM, without such evidence and IgV(H) gene per cent mutations above or below the 2% cut-off. sM B-CLL patients had longer survival within the good prognosis subgroup that had more than 2% mutations of IgV(H) genes. sM, nsM and UM B-CLL were also characterized for the biased usage of IgV(H) families, intraclonal IgV(H) gene diversification, preference of mutations to target-specific nucleotides or hotspots, and for the expression of enzymes involved in SHM (translesion DNA polymerase zeta and eta and activation-induced cytidine deaminase). These findings indicate the activation of a canonical SHM process in nsM and sM B-CLLs and underscore the role of the antigen in defining the specific clinical and biological features of B-CLL.

  5. Diagnostic Utility of Pleural Fluid Adenosine Deaminase Level in Tuberculousis Pleural Effusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suleman, A.; Abbasi, M. A.; Anwar, S. A.; Kamal, M.; Khan, H.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Early diagnosis and management of tuberculosis is essential for decreasing the disease burden. Pakistan is one of the few countries of world with a very high burden of tuberculosis. Many diagnostic tests are available for detection of tuberculosis but each is fraught with certain limitations of its own. Methods: This study was a cross sectional validation study that sought to determine the validity of pleural fluid adenosine deaminase levels for diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion. Results: A total of 160 patients with exudative lymphocytic pleural effusions were enrolled in this study. The mean pleural fluid ADA level was 52.18±1.98 U/L. The mean pleural fluid ADA level in patients diagnosed to have tuberculosis on pleural biopsy/histopathology was higher as compared to patients who did not have tuberculous pleural effusion 52.16±2.4 U/L vs 38.6±3.14 U/L. The difference was found to be statistically significant between the two groups (p<0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, ppv and npv of pleural fluid ADA level were 88.88 percent, 77.04 percent, 86.28 percent and 81.04 percent respectively. Conclusion: Despite wide variations in the reported sensitivity and specificity of pleural fluid ADA level, it can be used as a surrogate for pleural biopsy when the latter is not feasible. (author)

  6. Restoration of adenosine deaminase-deficient human thymocyte development in vitro by inhibition of deoxynucleoside kinases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joachims, Michelle L; Marble, Patrick A; Laurent, Aletha B; Pastuszko, Peter; Paliotta, Marco; Blackburn, Michael R; Thompson, Linda F

    2008-12-01

    Mutations in the gene encoding adenosine deaminase (ADA), a purine salvage enzyme, lead to immunodeficiency in humans. Although ADA deficiency has been analyzed in cell culture and murine models, information is lacking concerning its impact on the development of human thymocytes. We have used chimeric human/mouse fetal thymic organ culture to study ADA-deficient human thymocyte development in an "in vivo-like" environment where toxic metabolites accumulate in situ. Inhibition of ADA during human thymocyte development resulted in a severe reduction in cellular expansion as well as impaired differentiation, largely affecting mature thymocyte populations. Thymocyte differentiation was not blocked at a discrete stage; rather, the paucity of mature thymocytes was due to the induction of apoptosis as evidenced by activation of caspases and was accompanied by the accumulation of intracellular dATP. Inhibition of adenosine kinase and deoxycytidine kinase prevented the accumulation of dATP and restored thymocyte differentiation and proliferation. Our work reveals that multiple deoxynucleoside kinases are involved in the phosphorylation of deoxyadenosine when ADA is absent, and suggests an alternate therapeutic strategy for treatment of ADA-deficient patients.

  7. Autoimmune dysregulation and purine metabolism in adenosine deaminase (ADA-deficiency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aisha Vanessa Sauer

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Genetic defects in the adenosine deaminase (ADA gene are among the most common causes for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID. ADA-SCID patients suffer from lymphopenia, severely impaired cellular and humoral immunity, failure to thrive and recurrent infections. Currently available therapeutic options for this otherwise fatal disorder include bone marrow transplantation (BMT, enzyme replacement therapy with bovine ADA (PEG-ADA or hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy (HSC-GT. Although varying degrees of immune reconstitution can be achieved by these treatments, breakdown of tolerance is a major concern in ADA-SCID. Immune dysregulation such as autoimmune hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, hemolytic anemia, and immune thrombocytopenia are frequently observed in milder forms of the disease. However, several reports document similar complications also in patients on long-term PEG-ADA and after BMT or GT treatment.A skewed repertoire and decreased immune functions have been implicated in autoimmunity observed in certain B-cell and/or T-cell immunodeficiencies, but it remains unclear to what extent specific mechanisms of tolerance are affected in ADA deficiency. Herein we provide an overview about ADA-SCID and the autoimmune manifestations reported in these patients before and after treatment. We also assess the value of the ADA-deficient mouse model as a useful tool to study both immune and metabolic disease mechanisms. With focus on regulatory T and B cells we discuss the lymphocyte subpopulations particularly prone to contribute to the loss of self-tolerance and onset of autoimmunity in ADA deficiency. Moreover we address which aspects of immune dysregulation are specifically related to alterations in purine metabolism caused by the lack of ADA and the subsequent accumulation of metabolites with immunomodulatory properties.

  8. An Escherichia coli strain deficient for both exonuclease 5 and deoxycytidine triphosphate deaminase shows enhanced sensitivity to ionizing radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Estevenon, A.M.; Kooistra, J.; Sicard, N.

    1995-01-01

    An Escherichia coli mutant lacking deoxycytidine triphosphate deaminase (Dcd) activity and an unknown function encoded by a gene designated ior exhibits sensitivity to ionizing radiation whereas dcd mutants themselves are not sensitive. A DNA fragment from an E. coli genomic library that restores the wild type level of UV and gamma ray resistance to this mutant has been cloned in the multicopy vector pBR322. Comparison of its restriction map with the physical map of the E. coli chromosome revealed complete identity to the recBD genes. ior affects ATP-dependent exonuclease activity, suggesting that it is an allele of recB. This mutation alone does not confer sensitivity to UV and gamma radiation, indicating that lack of Dcd activity is also required for expression of radiation sensitivity

  9. Diagnostic value of sputum adenosine deaminase (ADA) level in pulmonary tuberculosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Binesh, Fariba; Jalali, Hadi; Zare, Mohammad Reza; Behravan, Farhad; Tafti, Arefeh Dehghani; Behnaz, Fatemah; Tabatabaee, Mohammad; Shahcheraghi, Seyed Hossein

    2016-06-01

    Tuberculosis is still a considerable health problem in many countries. Rapid diagnosis of this disease is important, and adenosine deaminase (ADA) has been used as a diagnostic test. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of ADA in the sputum of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. The current study included 40 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (culture positive, smear ±) and 42 patients with non tuberculosis pulmonary diseases (culture negative). ADA was measured on all of the samples. The median value of ADA in non-tuberculosis patients was 2.94 (4.2) U/L and 4.01 (6.54) U/L in tuberculosis patients, but this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.100). The cut-off point of 3.1 U/L had a sensitivity of 61% and a specificity of 53%, the cut-off point of 2.81 U/L had a sensitivity of 64% and a specificity of 50% and the cut-off point of 2.78 U/L had a sensitivity of 65% and a specificity of 48%. The positive predictive values for cut-off points of 3.1, 2.81 and 2.78 U/L were 55.7%, 57.44% and 69.23%, respectively. The negative predictive values for the abovementioned cut-off points were 56.75%, 57.14% and 55.88%, respectively. Our results showed that sputum ADA test is neither specific nor sensitive. Because of its low sensitivity and specificity, determination of sputum ADA for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis is not recommended.

  10. Glucose metabolism during fasting is altered in experimental porphobilinogen deaminase deficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collantes, María; Serrano-Mendioroz, Irantzu; Benito, Marina; Molinet-Dronda, Francisco; Delgado, Mercedes; Vinaixa, María; Sampedro, Ana; Enríquez de Salamanca, Rafael; Prieto, Elena; Pozo, Miguel A; Peñuelas, Iván; Corrales, Fernando J; Barajas, Miguel; Fontanellas, Antonio

    2016-04-01

    Porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD) haploinsufficiency (acute intermittent porphyria, AIP) is characterized by neurovisceral attacks when hepatic heme synthesis is activated by endogenous or environmental factors including fasting. While the molecular mechanisms underlying the nutritional regulation of hepatic heme synthesis have been described, glucose homeostasis during fasting is poorly understood in porphyria. Our study aimed to analyse glucose homeostasis and hepatic carbohydrate metabolism during fasting in PBGD-deficient mice. To determine the contribution of hepatic PBGD deficiency to carbohydrate metabolism, AIP mice injected with a PBGD-liver gene delivery vector were included. After a 14 h fasting period, serum and liver metabolomics analyses showed that wild-type mice stimulated hepatic glycogen degradation to maintain glucose homeostasis while AIP livers activated gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis due to their inability to use stored glycogen. The serum of fasted AIP mice showed increased concentrations of insulin and reduced glucagon levels. Specific over-expression of the PBGD protein in the liver tended to normalize circulating insulin and glucagon levels, stimulated hepatic glycogen catabolism and blocked ketone body production. Reduced glucose uptake was observed in the primary somatosensorial brain cortex of fasted AIP mice, which could be reversed by PBGD-liver gene delivery. In conclusion, AIP mice showed a different response to fasting as measured by altered carbohydrate metabolism in the liver and modified glucose consumption in the brain cortex. Glucose homeostasis in fasted AIP mice was efficiently normalized after restoration of PBGD gene expression in the liver. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. Circulating type 1 vaccine-derived poliovirus may evolve under the pressure of adenosine deaminases acting on RNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yanhan; Ma, Tengfei; Liu, Jianzhu; Zhao, Xiaona; Cheng, Ziqiang; Guo, Huijun; Xu, Ruixue; Wang, Shujing

    2015-01-01

    Poliovirus, the causative agent of poliomyelitis, is a human enterovirus and member of the Picornaviridae family. An effective live-attenuated poliovirus vaccine strain (Sabin 1) has been developed and has protected humans from polio. However, a few cases of vaccine virulence reversion have been documented in several countries. For instance, circulating type 1 vaccine-derived poliovirus is a highly pathogenic poliovirus that evolved from an avirulent strain, but the mechanism by which vaccine strains undergo reversion remains unclear. In this study, vaccine strains exhibited A to G/U to C and G to A/C to U hypermutations in the reversed evolution of Sabin 1. Furthermore, the mutation ratios of U to C and C to U were higher than those of other mutation types. Dinucleotide editing context was then analyzed. Results showed that A to G and U to C mutations exhibited preferences similar to adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADAR). Hence, ADARs may participate in poliovirus vaccine evolution.

  12. The crystal structure of the bifunctional deaminase/reductase RibD of the riboflavin biosynthetic pathway in Escherichia coli: implications for the reductive mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stenmark, Pål; Moche, Martin; Gurmu, Daniel; Nordlund, Pär

    2007-10-12

    We have determined the crystal structure of the bi-functional deaminase/reductase enzyme from Escherichia coli (EcRibD) that catalyzes two consecutive reactions during riboflavin biosynthesis. The polypeptide chain of EcRibD is folded into two domains where the 3D structure of the N-terminal domain (1-145) is similar to cytosine deaminase and the C-terminal domain (146-367) is similar to dihydrofolate reductase. We showed that EcRibD is dimeric and compared our structure to tetrameric RibG, an ortholog from Bacillus subtilis (BsRibG). We have also determined the structure of EcRibD in two binary complexes with the oxidized cofactor (NADP(+)) and with the substrate analogue ribose-5-phosphate (RP5) and superposed these two in order to mimic the ternary complex. Based on this superposition we propose that the invariant Asp200 initiates the reductive reaction by abstracting a proton from the bound substrate and that the pro-R proton from C4 of the cofactor is transferred to C1 of the substrate. A highly flexible loop is found in the reductase active site (159-173) that appears to control cofactor and substrate binding to the reductase active site and was therefore compared to the corresponding Met20 loop of E. coli dihydrofolate reductase (EcDHFR). Lys152, identified by comparing substrate analogue (RP5) coordination in the reductase active site of EcRibD with the homologous reductase from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii (MjaRED), is invariant among bacterial RibD enzymes and could contribute to the various pathways taken during riboflavin biosynthesis in bacteria and yeast.

  13. Solubility of disodium cytidine 5′-monophosphate in different binary mixtures from 288.15 K to 313.15 K

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, Jin [College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing (China); National Engineering Technique Research Center for Biotechnology, Nanjing (China); Ma, Tianle; Li, An [National Engineering Technique Research Center for Biotechnology, Nanjing (China); State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing (China); Chen, Xiaochun; Chen, Yong; Xie, Jingjing [College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing (China); National Engineering Technique Research Center for Biotechnology, Nanjing (China); Wu, Jinglan, E-mail: yinghanjie@njut.edu.cn [College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing (China); National Engineering Technique Research Center for Biotechnology, Nanjing (China); Ying, Hanjie [College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing (China); National Engineering Technique Research Center for Biotechnology, Nanjing (China); State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing (China)

    2013-08-10

    Highlights: • Solubility of 5′-CMPNa{sub 2} in different systems was measured the first time. • Experimental data were correlated by CNIBS/Redlich–Kister model and Apelblat model. • Good agreement has been observed between the calculated and the experimental data. • Enthalpy and entropy were calculated by the van’t Hoff equation and Gibbs equation. - Abstract: The solubility of disodium cytidine 5′-monophosphate (5′-CMPNa{sub 2}) in methanol + water and ethanol + water binary mixtures was measured experimentally at the temperatures ranging from 288.15 to 313.15 K. The results showed that the solubility of 5′-CMPNa{sub 2} increased with the increasing of temperature and the mole fraction of water in different binary mixtures. The (CNIBS)/Redlich–Kister model and the semi-empirical Apelblat model were applied for the prediction of the experimental data. Both models could give satisfactory simulation results. In addition, the thermodynamic properties of the dissolution process such as Gibbs energy, enthalpy, and entropy were calculated using the van’t Hoff equation and the Gibbs equation. The results indicated that the dissolution process was endothermic.

  14. ORF Alignment: NC_004431 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available EDL933] pdb|1KDT|B Chain B, ... Cytidine Monophosphate Kinase From E.Coli In Complex ... With... 2',3'-Dideoxy-Cytidine Monophosphate pdb|1KDT|A ... Chain A, Cytidine Monophosphate Kinase From E.Coli...|1KDR|B Chain B, Cytidine Monophosphate Kinase From ... E.Coli In Complex With Ara-Cytidine Monophosp...hate ... pdb|1KDR|A Chain A, Cytidine Monophosphate Kinase From ... E.Coli In Complex With Ara

  15. ORF Alignment: NC_002655 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available EDL933] pdb|1KDT|B Chain B, ... Cytidine Monophosphate Kinase From E.Coli In Complex ... With... 2',3'-Dideoxy-Cytidine Monophosphate pdb|1KDT|A ... Chain A, Cytidine Monophosphate Kinase From E.Coli...|1KDR|B Chain B, Cytidine Monophosphate Kinase From ... E.Coli In Complex With Ara-Cytidine Monophosp...hate ... pdb|1KDR|A Chain A, Cytidine Monophosphate Kinase From ... E.Coli In Complex With Ara

  16. ORF Alignment: NC_002695 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available EDL933] pdb|1KDT|B Chain B, ... Cytidine Monophosphate Kinase From E.Coli In Complex ... With... 2',3'-Dideoxy-Cytidine Monophosphate pdb|1KDT|A ... Chain A, Cytidine Monophosphate Kinase From E.Coli...|1KDR|B Chain B, Cytidine Monophosphate Kinase From ... E.Coli In Complex With Ara-Cytidine Monophosp...hate ... pdb|1KDR|A Chain A, Cytidine Monophosphate Kinase From ... E.Coli In Complex With Ara

  17. ORF Alignment: NC_000913 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available EDL933] pdb|1KDT|B Chain B, ... Cytidine Monophosphate Kinase From E.Coli In Complex ... With... 2',3'-Dideoxy-Cytidine Monophosphate pdb|1KDT|A ... Chain A, Cytidine Monophosphate Kinase From E.Coli...|1KDR|B Chain B, Cytidine Monophosphate Kinase From ... E.Coli In Complex With Ara-Cytidine Monophosp...hate ... pdb|1KDR|A Chain A, Cytidine Monophosphate Kinase From ... E.Coli In Complex With Ara

  18. Synthesis and functional evaluation of a peptide derivative of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balajthy, Z; Aradi, J; Kiss, I T; Elödi, P

    1992-09-04

    We have synthesized a peptidyl prodrug derivative of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (1) designed to be a selective substrate of plasmin. D-Val-Leu-Lys-ara-C (2) was obtained by coupling the protected peptide Cbz-D-Val-Leu-(N6-Cbz)Lys-OH and ara-C (1) by a water-soluble carbodiimide (EDCI), followed by the removal of the Cbz groups by using catalytic hydrogenolysis over Pd/C. The kinetic constant of hydrolysis of 2 in the presence of plasmin demonstrated effective release of 1. The amino group of 1, which is sensitive to the removal by cytidine deaminase, is protected in 2 by the formation of the amide bond resulting in a prolonged half-life of 2 in biological milieu. The antiproliferative efficiency of 2 against L1210 leukemic cells was significantly higher than that of 1. The activity of 2 was abolished in the presence of serine proteinase inhibitor, (4-amidinopheny)methanesulfonyl fluoride. These data indicate that 2 is a prodrug form of 1 in systems generating plasmin.

  19. Evolution of Alternative Adaptive Immune Systems in Vertebrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boehm, Thomas; Hirano, Masayuki; Holland, Stephen J; Das, Sabyasachi; Schorpp, Michael; Cooper, Max D

    2018-04-26

    Adaptive immunity in jawless fishes is based on antigen recognition by three types of variable lymphocyte receptors (VLRs) composed of variable leucine-rich repeats, which are differentially expressed by two T-like lymphocyte lineages and one B-like lymphocyte lineage. The T-like cells express either VLRAs or VLRCs of yet undefined antigen specificity, whereas the VLRB antibodies secreted by B-like cells bind proteinaceous and carbohydrate antigens. The incomplete VLR germline genes are assembled into functional units by a gene conversion-like mechanism that employs flanking variable leucine-rich repeat sequences as templates in association with lineage-specific expression of cytidine deaminases. B-like cells develop in the hematopoietic typhlosole and kidneys, whereas T-like cells develop in the thymoid, a thymus-equivalent region at the gill fold tips. Thus, the dichotomy between T-like and B-like cells and the presence of dedicated lymphopoietic tissues emerge as ancestral vertebrate features, whereas the somatic diversification of structurally distinct antigen receptor genes evolved independently in jawless and jawed vertebrates.

  20. AID-induced decrease in topoisomerase 1 induces DNA structural alteration and DNA cleavage for class switch recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobayashi, Maki; Aida, Masatoshi; Nagaoka, Hitoshi; Begum, Nasim A; Kitawaki, Yoko; Nakata, Mikiyo; Stanlie, Andre; Doi, Tomomitsu; Kato, Lucia; Okazaki, Il-mi; Shinkura, Reiko; Muramatsu, Masamichi; Kinoshita, Kazuo; Honjo, Tasuku

    2009-12-29

    To initiate class switch recombination (CSR) activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) induces staggered nick cleavage in the S region, which lies 5' to each Ig constant region gene and is rich in palindromic sequences. Topoisomerase 1 (Top1) controls the supercoiling of DNA by nicking, rotating, and religating one strand of DNA. Curiously, Top1 reduction or AID overexpression causes the genomic instability. Here, we report that the inactivation of Top1 by its specific inhibitor camptothecin drastically blocked both the S region cleavage and CSR, indicating that Top1 is responsible for the S region cleavage in CSR. Surprisingly, AID expression suppressed Top1 mRNA translation and reduced its protein level. In addition, the decrease in the Top1 protein by RNA-mediated knockdown augmented the AID-dependent S region cleavage, as well as CSR. Furthermore, Top1 reduction altered DNA structure of the Smu region. Taken together, AID-induced Top1 reduction alters S region DNA structure probably to non-B form, on which Top1 can introduce nicks but cannot religate, resulting in S region cleavage.

  1. In vivo and in vitro studies suggest a possible involvement of HPV infection in the early stage of breast carcinogenesis via APOBEC3B induction.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kenji Ohba

    Full Text Available High prevalence of infection with high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV ranging from 25 to 100% (average 31% was observed in breast cancer (BC patients in Singapore using novel DNA chip technology. Early stage of BC demonstrated higher HPV positivity, and BC positive for estrogen receptor (ER showed significantly higher HPV infection rate. This unique association of HPV with BC in vivo prompted us to investigate a possible involvement of HPV in early stages of breast carcinogenesis. Using normal breast epithelial cells stably transfected with HPV-18, we showed apparent upregulation of mRNA for the cytidine deaminase, APOBEC3B (A3B which is reported to be a source of mutations in BC. HPV-induced A3B overexpression caused significant γH2AX focus formation, and DNA breaks which were cancelled by shRNA to HPV18 E6, E7 and A3B. These results strongly suggest an active involvement of HPV in the early stage of BC carcinogenesis via A3B induction.

  2. AID Biology: A pathological and clinical perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choudhary, Meenal; Tamrakar, Anubhav; Singh, Amit Kumar; Jain, Monika; Jaiswal, Ankit; Kodgire, Prashant

    2018-01-02

    Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), primarily expressed in activated mature B lymphocytes in germinal centers, is the key factor in adaptive immune response against foreign antigens. AID is responsible for producing high-affinity and high-specificity antibodies against an infectious agent, through the physiological DNA alteration processes of antibody genes by somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class-switch recombination (CSR) and functions by deaminating deoxycytidines (dC) to deoxyuridines (dU), thereby introducing point mutations and double-stranded chromosomal breaks (DSBs). The beneficial physiological role of AID in antibody diversification is outweighed by its detrimental role in the genesis of several chronic immune diseases, under non-physiological conditions. This review offers a comprehensive and better understanding of AID biology and its pathological aspects, as well as addresses the challenges involved in AID-related cancer therapeutics, based on various recent advances and evidence available in the literature till date. In this article, we discuss ways through which our interpretation of AID biology may reflect upon novel clinical insights, which could be successfully translated into designing clinical trials and improving patient prognosis and disease management.

  3. GANP regulates the choice of DNA repair pathway by DNA-PKcs interaction in AID-dependent IgV region diversification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eid, Mohammed Mansour Abbas; Maeda, Kazuhiko; Almofty, Sarah Ameen; Singh, Shailendra Kumar; Shimoda, Mayuko; Sakaguchi, Nobuo

    2014-06-15

    RNA export factor germinal center-associated nuclear protein (GANP) interacts with activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) and shepherds it from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and toward the IgV region loci in B cells. In this study, we demonstrate a role for GANP in the repair of AID-initiated DNA damage in chicken DT40 B cells to generate IgV region diversity by gene conversion and somatic hypermutation. GANP plays a positive role in IgV region diversification of DT40 B cells in a nonhomologous end joining-proficient state. DNA-PKcs physically interacts with GANP, and this interaction is dissociated by dsDNA breaks induced by a topoisomerase II inhibitor, etoposide, or AID overexpression. GANP affects the choice of DNA repair mechanism in B cells toward homologous recombination rather than nonhomologous end joining repair. Thus, GANP presumably plays a critical role in protection of the rearranged IgV loci by favoring homologous recombination of the DNA breaks under accelerated AID recruitment. Copyright © 2014 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

  4. Gut-associated lymphoid tissue contains the molecular machinery to support T-cell-dependent and T-cell-independent class switch recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barone, F; Patel, P; Sanderson, J D; Spencer, J

    2009-11-01

    A PRoliferation-Inducing Ligand (APRIL) is a secreted cytokine member of the tumor necrosis factor family. It is a B-cell survival factor that also induces class switch recombination (CSR) toward immunoglobulin A (IgA), independent of T cells. It is therefore an important contributor to the maintenance of the mucosal immunological barrier, which has been linked to a putative extrafollicular inductive phase of the IgA response in lamina propria. By immunohistochemistry (IHC) and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) on microdissected tissue from normal human gut, we observed APRIL expression, together with TACI (transmembrane activator and CAML interactor) and BCMA (B-cell maturation antigen), in gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), lamina propria, and in the epithelium of stomach, small and large intestine, and rectum. However, no activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) expression (an absolute requirement for class switching) was detected in lamina propria by IHC or qRT-PCR. APRIL and its receptors were only observed alongside AID in GALT, showing that GALT contains the apparatus to support both T-independent and T-dependent routes to IgA CSR.

  5. Molecular and functional interactions of cat APOBEC3 and feline foamy and immunodeficiency virus proteins: different ways to counteract host-encoded restriction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chareza, Sarah; Slavkovic Lukic, Dragana; Liu, Yang; Räthe, Ann-Mareen; Münk, Carsten; Zabogli, Elisa; Pistello, Mauro; Löchelt, Martin

    2012-03-15

    Defined host-encoded feline APOBEC3 (feA3) cytidine deaminases efficiently restrict the replication and spread of exogenous retroviruses like Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Foamy Virus (FFV) which developed different feA3 counter-acting strategies. Here we characterize the molecular interaction of FFV proteins with the diverse feA3 proteins. The FFV accessory protein Bet is the virus-encoded defense factor which is shown here to bind all feA3 proteins independent of whether they restrict FFV, a feature shared with FIV Vif that induces degradation of all feA3s including those that do not inactivate FIV. In contrast, only some feA3 proteins bind to FFV Gag, a pattern that in part reflects the restriction pattern detected. Additionally, one-domain feA3 proteins can homo- and hetero-dimerize in vitro, but a trans-dominant phenotype of any of the low-activity feA3 forms on FFV restriction by one of the highly-active feA3Z2 proteins was not detectable. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Differential response to hypomethylating agents based on sex: a report on behalf of the MDS Clinical Research Consortium (MDS CRC).

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeZern, Amy E; Zeidan, Amer M; Barnard, John; Hand, Wesley; Al Ali, Najla; Brown, Francis; Zimmerman, Cassie; Roboz, Gail J; Garcia-Manero, Guillermo; Steensma, David P; Komrokji, Rami S; Sekeres, Mikkael A

    2017-06-01

    First-line therapy for higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) includes decitabine (DAC) or azacitidine (AZA). Variables have not identified differential response rates between these. We assessed the influence of patient sex on outcomes including overall survival (OS) in 642 patients with higher-risk MDS treated with AZA or DAC. DAC-treated patients (35% of females, 31% of males) had marginally better OS than AZA-treated patients (p = .043), (median OS of 18.7 months versus 16.4 months), but the difference varied strongly by sex. Female patients treated with DAC had a longer median OS (21.1 months, 95% CI: 16.0-28.0) than female patients treated with AZA (13.2 months, 95% CI: 11.0-15.9; p = .0014), while for males there was no significant difference between HMAs (median OS 18.3 months with DAC versus 17.9 months for AZA, p = .59). The biological reason for this variability is unclear, but may be a consequence of differences in cytidine deaminase activity between men and women.

  7. Potential benefits of combining cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine gene therapy and irradiation for prostate cancer. Experimental study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kato, Hiroaki; Koshida, Kiyoshi; Yokoyama, Kunihiko; Mizokami, Atsushi; Namiki, Mikio [Kanazawa Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine

    2002-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of combining cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine (CD/5-FC) gene therapy and radiation therapy (either external beam radiation or radioimmunotherapy [RIT]), for the treatment of prostate cancer. Tumor xenografts of CD-transduced LNCaP cells grown in the testes of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice were used to evaluate antitumor effect. The mice were injected intraperitoneally with 500 mg/kg of 5-FC, or with 5, 15 or 30 mg/kg of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), for 9 days. The tumors were treated with fractionated radiation at a dose of 1 or 3 Gy/day for 3 days, or I-131 labelled anti-prostate specific antigen (anti-PSA) monoclonal antibody (mAb) administration at a subtherapeutic dose of 20 or 80 {mu}Ci. Intratumoral and serum concentrations of 5-FU were measured using high performance liquid chromatography. Mice treated with CD/5-FC gene therapy presented a significant tumor growth inhibition comparable to that obtained with 15 mg/kg, 5-FU systemic administration without marked weight loss. Treatment with CD/5-FC gene therapy resulted in higher tumor but lower serum concentrations of 5-FU than treatment with systemic 5-FU chemotherapy. An additive antitumor effect was obtained when CD/5-FC therapy was combined with 1 Gy irradiation, which by itself did not produce a significant antitumor effect. However, the efficacy of CD/5-FC therapy was not enhanced when combined with RIT, probably due to poor accumulation of the mAb as the tumor/blood ratio never exceeded 1. These findings indicate that CD/5-FC gene therapy for prostate cancer may function with enhanced antitumor effect when combined with external beam radiation. However, combining CD/5-FC gene therapy and RIT using an anti-PSA mAb may not be effective because of insufficient accumulation of the mAb at the target tumors. (author)

  8. Potential benefits of combining cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine gene therapy and irradiation for prostate cancer. Experimental study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kato, Hiroaki; Koshida, Kiyoshi; Yokoyama, Kunihiko; Mizokami, Atsushi; Namiki, Mikio

    2002-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of combining cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine (CD/5-FC) gene therapy and radiation therapy (either external beam radiation or radioimmunotherapy [RIT]), for the treatment of prostate cancer. Tumor xenografts of CD-transduced LNCaP cells grown in the testes of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice were used to evaluate antitumor effect. The mice were injected intraperitoneally with 500 mg/kg of 5-FC, or with 5, 15 or 30 mg/kg of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), for 9 days. The tumors were treated with fractionated radiation at a dose of 1 or 3 Gy/day for 3 days, or I-131 labelled anti-prostate specific antigen (anti-PSA) monoclonal antibody (mAb) administration at a subtherapeutic dose of 20 or 80 μCi. Intratumoral and serum concentrations of 5-FU were measured using high performance liquid chromatography. Mice treated with CD/5-FC gene therapy presented a significant tumor growth inhibition comparable to that obtained with 15 mg/kg, 5-FU systemic administration without marked weight loss. Treatment with CD/5-FC gene therapy resulted in higher tumor but lower serum concentrations of 5-FU than treatment with systemic 5-FU chemotherapy. An additive antitumor effect was obtained when CD/5-FC therapy was combined with 1 Gy irradiation, which by itself did not produce a significant antitumor effect. However, the efficacy of CD/5-FC therapy was not enhanced when combined with RIT, probably due to poor accumulation of the mAb as the tumor/blood ratio never exceeded 1. These findings indicate that CD/5-FC gene therapy for prostate cancer may function with enhanced antitumor effect when combined with external beam radiation. However, combining CD/5-FC gene therapy and RIT using an anti-PSA mAb may not be effective because of insufficient accumulation of the mAb at the target tumors. (author)

  9. Diagnostic significance of pleural fluid adenosine deaminase activity in tuberculous pleurisy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharmeen Ahmed

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE is difficult because of its non-specific clinical presentation and insufficient efficiency of conventional diagnostic methods. The study was carried out to evaluate the utility of adenosine deaminase (ADA activity in pleural fluid for the diagnosis of TPE. ADA activity was measured in pleural fluid of 103 pleural effusion patients by colorimetric method using a commercial ADA assay kit. The diagnosis of TPE was made from pleural fluid examinations (including cytology, biochemistry, and bacteriology and pleural biopsy. Patient with negative result of this methods were diagnosed by response of empirical treatment. Out of 130 cases, 62 (61.1% had TPE and the remaining 41 (39.8% had pleural effusion due to non tuberculous diseases. There was statistically significant difference (p < 0.001 between the mean of pleural fluid ADA levels (70.82±22.54 U/L in TPE group and (30.07±22.93 U/L in non-TPE group. Of 62 TPE cases, microscopy for AFB and culture for M.tuberculosis in pleural fluid revealed positivity in 9.6% and 22.5% cases respectively, and biopsy of pleura showed typical epithelioid granuloma in only 43.5% cases. The cut-off value of ADA for diagnosing TPE was 40 U/L using a ROC curve, with a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 88%. Positive and negative predictive value of ADA assay were 92% and 90% respectively. The overall test accuracy was 90%. Pleural fluid ADA assay is therefore a simple, rapid, highly sensitive and specific adjunct test for diagnosis of TPE. Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2011; 5(1: 1-5

  10. Genetic Determinants of RNA Editing Levels of ADAR Targets in Drosophila melanogaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurmangaliyev, Yerbol Z; Ali, Sammi; Nuzhdin, Sergey V

    2015-12-12

    RNA editing usually affects only a fraction of expressed transcripts and there is a vast amount of variation in editing levels of ADAR (adenosine deaminase, RNA-specific) targets. Here we explore natural genetic variation affecting editing levels of particular sites in 81 natural strains of Drosophila melanogaster. The analysis of associations between editing levels and single-nucleotide polymorphisms allows us to map putative cis-regulatory regions affecting editing of 16 A-to-I editing sites (cis-RNA editing quantitative trait loci or cis-edQTLs, P < 10(-8)). The observed changes in editing levels are validated by independent molecular technique. All identified regulatory variants are located in close proximity of modulated editing sites. Moreover, colocalized editing sites are often regulated by same loci. Similar to expression and splicing QTL studies, the characterization of edQTLs will greatly expand our understanding of cis-regulatory evolution of gene expression. Copyright © 2016 Kurmangaliyev et al.

  11. Genetic Determinants of RNA Editing Levels of ADAR Targets in Drosophila melanogaster

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yerbol Z. Kurmangaliyev

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available RNA editing usually affects only a fraction of expressed transcripts and there is a vast amount of variation in editing levels of ADAR (adenosine deaminase, RNA-specific targets. Here we explore natural genetic variation affecting editing levels of particular sites in 81 natural strains of Drosophila melanogaster. The analysis of associations between editing levels and single-nucleotide polymorphisms allows us to map putative cis-regulatory regions affecting editing of 16 A-to-I editing sites (cis-RNA editing quantitative trait loci or cis-edQTLs, P < 10−8. The observed changes in editing levels are validated by independent molecular technique. All identified regulatory variants are located in close proximity of modulated editing sites. Moreover, colocalized editing sites are often regulated by same loci. Similar to expression and splicing QTL studies, the characterization of edQTLs will greatly expand our understanding of cis-regulatory evolution of gene expression.

  12. Turning up the volume on mutational pressure: Is more of a good thing always better? (A case study of HIV-1 Vif and APOBEC3

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wong Joseph K

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract APOBEC3G and APOBEC3F are human cytidine deaminases that serve as innate antiviral defense mechanisms primarily by introducing C-to-U changes in the minus strand DNA of retroviruses during replication (resulting in G-to-A mutations in the genomic sense strand sequence. The HIV-1 Vif protein counteracts this defense by promoting the proteolytic degradation of APOBEC3G and APOBEC3F in the host cell. In the absence of Vif expression, APOBEC3 is incorporated into HIV-1 virions and the viral genome undergoes extensive G-to-A mutation, or "hypermutation", typically rendering it non-viable within a single replicative cycle. Consequently, Vif is emerging as an attractive target for pharmacological intervention and therapeutic vaccination. Although a highly effective Vif inhibitor may result in mutational meltdown of the viral quasispecies, a partially effective Vif inhibitor may accelerate the evolution of drug resistance and immune escape due to the codon structure and recombinogenic nature of HIV-1. This hypothesis rests on two principal assumptions which are supported by experimental evidence: a there is a dose response between intracellular APOBEC concentration and degree of viral hypermutation, and, b HIV-1 can tolerate an elevated mutation rate, and a true error or extinction threshold is as yet undetermined. Rigorous testing of this hypothesis will have timely and critical implications for the therapeutic management of HIV/AIDS, and delve into the complexities underlying the induction of lethal mutagenesis in a viral pathogen.

  13. Prodrug Therapy for Breast Cancer Targeted by Single-Chain Antibodies F19 and 3S193

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Deckert, Peter

    2003-01-01

    ... of E.coli CD with the yeast isoenzyme. In addition, a second line of fusion constructs with green fluorescent protein instead of cytosine deaminase was designed for histological and intracellular distribution studies...

  14. A Phenotypic Screen for Functional Mutants of Human Adenosine Deaminase Acting on RNA 1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yuru; Havel, Jocelyn; Beal, Peter A

    2015-11-20

    Adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADARs) are RNA-editing enzymes responsible for the conversion of adenosine to inosine at specific locations in cellular RNAs. ADAR1 and ADAR2 are two members of the family that have been shown to be catalytically active. Earlier, we reported a phenotypic screen for the study of human ADAR2 using budding yeast S. cerevisiae as the host system. While this screen has been successfully applied to the study of ADAR2, it failed with ADAR1. Here, we report a new reporter that uses a novel editing substrate and is suitable for the study of ADAR1. We screened plasmid libraries with randomized codons for two important residues in human ADAR1 (G1007 and E1008). The screening results combined with in vitro deamination assays led to the identification of mutants that are more active than the wild type protein. Furthermore, a screen of the ADAR1 E1008X library with a reporter construct bearing an A•G mismatch at the editing site suggests one role for the residue at position 1008 is to sense the identity of the base pairing partner for the editing site adenosine. This work has provided a starting point for future in vitro evolution studies of ADAR1 and led to new insight into ADAR's editing site selectivity.

  15. Cyclopentenyl cytosine has biological and anti-tumour activity, but does not enhance the efficacy of gemcitabine and radiation in two animal tumour models

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Bree, Chris; Barten-van Rijbroek, Angeliqué D.; Leen, René; Rodermond, Hans M.; van Kuilenburg, André B. P.; Kal, Henk B.

    2009-01-01

    Cyclopentenyl cytosine (CPEC), targetting the de novo biosynthesis of cytidine triphosphate (CTP), increases the cytotoxicity of gemcitabine (2',2'-difluoro-2'-deoxycytidine, dFdC) alone and in combination with irradiation in several human tumour cells in vitro. We investigated whether OPEC enhances

  16. Epigenetics of peripheral B cell differentiation and the antibody response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hong eZan

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Epigenetic modifications, such as histone post-translational modifications, DNA methylation, and alteration of gene expression by non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs, are heritable changes that are independent from the genomic DNA sequence. These regulate gene activities and, therefore, cellular functions. Epigenetic modifications act in concert with transcription factors and play critical roles in B cell development and differentiation, thereby modulating antibody responses to foreign- and self-antigens. Upon antigen encounter by mature B cells in the periphery, alterations of these lymphocytes epigenetic landscape are induced by the same stimuli that drive the antibody response. Such alterations instruct B cells to undergo immunoglobulin class switch DNA recombination (CSR and somatic hypermutation (SHM, as well as differentiation to memory B cells or long-lived plasma cells for the immune memory. Inducible histone modifications, together with DNA methylation and miRNAs modulate the transcriptome, particularly the expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID, which is essential for CSR and SHM, and factors central to plasma cell differentiation, such as B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein-1 (Blimp-1. These inducible B cell-intrinsic epigenetic marks guide the maturation of antibody responses. Combinatorial histone modifications also function as histone codes to target CSR and, possibly, SHM machinery to the Ig loci by recruiting specific adaptors that can stabilize CSR/SHM factors. In addition, lncRNAs, such as recently reported lncRNA-CSR and an lncRNA generated through transcription of the S region that form G-quadruplex structures, are also important for CSR targeting. Epigenetic dysregulation in B cells, including the aberrant expression of non-coding RNAs and alterations of histone modifications and DNA methylation, can result in aberrant antibody responses to foreign antigens

  17. Hypoxia-targeted suicidal gene therapy system enhances antitumor effects of radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Junye; Guo Yao; Guo Guozhen

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To explore the effects of hypoxia-targeted suicidal gene therapy system combined with radiotherapy on pancreatic cancer. Methods: The recombinant adenovirus Ad-5HRE/hCMVmp-BCD was constructed by DNA recombinant technique. Western blot was used to detect hypoxia-induced expression of bacterial cytosine deaminase (BCD). Cell growth inhibition assay was used to determine the sensitivity of human pancreatic cancer cells MIA-PACA2 to 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC). Tumor xenograft growth delay assays was used to evaluate the effects of Ad-5HRE/hCMVmp-BCD/5-FC combined with radiotherapy on pancreatic cancer. Results: Western blot analysis demonstrated that hypoxia-induced BCD protein expression was achieved in MIA-PACA2 cells infected with Ad-5HRE/hCMVmp-BCD. With hypoxia treatment, the sensitivity of MIA-PACA2 cells infected with Ad-5HRE/hCMVmp-BCD to 5-FC significantly increased. Administration of either Ad-5HRE/hCMVmp-BCD/5-FC or radiotherapy could inhibit the growth of MIA-PACA2 xenografts in nude mice. Moreover, combination of Ad-5HRE/hCMVmp-BCD/5-FC could significantly enhance suppressing effects of radiotherapy on MIA-PACA2 xenografts. Conclusion: Hypoxia-targeted suicidal gene therapy system Ad-5HRE/hCMVmp-BCD/5-FC could enhance antitumor effects of radiotherapy on pancreatic cancer and can be used as a powerful adjunct to conventional radiotherapy. (authors)

  18. Regulation of 5'-adenosine monophosphate deaminase in the freeze tolerant wood frog, Rana sylvatica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dieni, Christopher A; Storey, Kenneth B

    2008-04-22

    The wood frog, Rana sylvatica, is one of a few vertebrate species that have developed natural freeze tolerance, surviving days or weeks with 65-70% of its total body water frozen in extracellular ice masses. Frozen frogs exhibit no vital signs and their organs must endure multiple stresses, particularly long term anoxia and ischemia. Maintenance of cellular energy supply is critical to viability in the frozen state and in skeletal muscle, AMP deaminase (AMPD) plays a key role in stabilizing cellular energetics. The present study investigated AMPD control in wood frog muscle. Wood frog AMPD was subject to multiple regulatory controls: binding to subcellular structures, protein phosphorylation, and effects of allosteric effectors, cryoprotectants and temperature. The percentage of bound AMPD activity increased from 20 to 35% with the transition to the frozen state. Bound AMPD showed altered kinetic parameters compared with the free enzyme (S0.5 AMP was reduced, Hill coefficient fell to approximately 1.0) and the transition to the frozen state led to a 3-fold increase in S0.5 AMP of the bound enzyme. AMPD was a target of protein phosphorylation. Bound AMPD from control frogs proved to be a low phosphate form with a low S0.5 AMP and was phosphorylated in incubations that stimulated PKA, PKC, CaMK, or AMPK. Bound AMPD from frozen frogs was a high phosphate form with a high S0.5 AMP that was reduced under incubation conditions that stimulated protein phosphatases. Frog muscle AMPD was activated by Mg.ATP and Mg.ADP and inhibited by Mg.GTP, KCl, NaCl and NH4Cl. The enzyme product, IMP, uniquely inhibited only the bound (phosphorylated) enzyme from muscle of frozen frogs. Activators and inhibitors differentially affected the free versus bound enzyme. S0.5 AMP of bound AMPD was also differentially affected by high versus low assay temperature (25 vs 5 degrees C) and by the presence/absence of the natural cryoprotectant (250 mM glucose) that accumulates during freezing

  19. 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine synergistic action with thymidine on leukemic cells and interaction of 5-aza-dCMP with dCMP deaminase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Momparler, R.L.; Bartolucci, S.; Bouchard, J.; Momparler, L.F.; Raia, C.A.; Rossi, M.

    1986-01-01

    The authors observe a synergistic antineoplastic effect between 5-AZA-dCR and dTR on leukemia cells in culture. In order to understand the mechanism behind this interaction the authors investigate the effects of dTTP on the deamination of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine-5'-monophosphate (5-AZA-dCMP) by dCMP deaminase. The effects of 5-AZA-dCTP on this enzyme is also studied. The incorporation of tritium-5-AZA-Cdr into DNA of leukemic cells was performed. The amount of radioactivity incorproated into DNA was determined by trapping the cells on GF/C glass fiber filters and washing with cold TCA. It is shown that the modulation of the atieoplastic activity of deoxycytidine analogs by allosteric effectors such as dTTP may have the potential to increase the effectiveness of the chemotherapy for acute leukemia

  20. ADENOSINE DEAMINASE ACTIVITY AND SERUM C-REACTIVE PROTEIN AS PROGNOSTIC MARKERS OF CHAGAS DISEASE SEVERITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iván Darío BRAVO-TOBAR

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available SUMMARY Chagas disease is a public health problem worldwide. The availability of diagnostic tools to predict the development of chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy is crucial to reduce morbidity and mortality. Here we analyze the prognostic value of adenosine deaminase serum activity (ADA and C-reactive protein serum levels (CRP in chagasic individuals. One hundred and ten individuals, 28 healthy and 82 chagasic patients were divided according to disease severity in phase I (n = 35, II (n = 29, and III (n = 18. A complete medical history, 12-lead electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, and M-mode echocardiogram were performed on each individual. Diagnosis of Chagas disease was confirmed by ELISA and MABA using recombinant antigens; ADA was determined spectrophotometrically and CRP by ELISA. The results have shown that CRP and ADA increased linearly in relation to disease phase, CRP being significantly higher in phase III and ADA at all phases. Also, CRP and ADA were positively correlated with echocardiographic parameters of cardiac remodeling and with electrocardiographic abnormalities, and negatively with ejection fraction. CRP and ADA were higher in patients with cardiothoracic index ≥ 50%, while ADA was higher in patients with ventricular repolarization disturbances. Finally, CRP was positively correlated with ADA. In conclusion, ADA and CRP are prognostic markers of cardiac dysfunction and remodeling in Chagas disease.

  1. Urtica dioica inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis by targeting Ornithine decarboxylase and Adenosine deaminase as key regulatory enzymes in adenosine and polyamines homeostasis in human breast cancer cell lines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fattahi, Sadegh; Ghadami, Elham; Asouri, Mohsen; Motevalizadeh Ardekanid, Ali; Akhavan-Niaki, Haleh

    2018-02-28

    Breast cancer is a heterogeneous and multifactorial disease with variable disease progression risk, and treatment response. Urtica dioica is a traditional herb used as an adjuvant therapeutic agent in cancer. In the present study, we have evaluated the effects of the aqueous extract of Urtica dioica on Adenosine deaminase (ADA) and Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC1) gene expression in MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, two breast cancer cell lines being estrogen receptor positive and estrogen receptor negative, respectively.  Cell lines were cultured in suitable media. After 24 h, different concentrations of the extract were added and after 72 h, ADA and ODC1 gene expression as well as BCL2 and BAX apoptotic genes were assessed by Taqman real time PCR assay. Cells viability was assessed by MTT assay, and apoptosis was also evaluated at cellular level. The intra and extracellular levels of ODC1 and ADA enzymes were evaluated by ELISA. Results showed differential expression of ADA and ODC1 genes in cancer cell lines. In MCF-7 cell line, the expression level of ADA was upregulated in a dose-dependent manner but its expression did not change in MDA-MB cell line. ODC1 expression was increased in both examined cell lines. Also, increased level of the apoptotic BAX/BCL-2 ratio was detected in MCF-7 cells. These results demonstrated that Urtica dioica induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells by influencing ODC1 and ADA genes expression, and estrogen receptors. The different responses observed with these cell lines could be due to the interaction of Urtica dioica as a phytoestrogen with the estrogen receptor.

  2. Structural evidence for the partially oxidized dipyrromethene and dipyrromethanone forms of the cofactor of porphobilinogen deaminase: structures of the Bacillus megaterium enzyme at near-atomic resolution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Azim, N.; Deery, E.; Warren, M. J.; Wolfenden, B. A. A.; Erskine, P.; Cooper, J. B.; Coker, A.; Wood, S. P.; Akhtar, M.

    2014-01-01

    The enzyme porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD; hydroxymethylbilane synthase; EC 2.5.1.61) catalyses a key early step in the biosynthesis of tetrapyrroles in which four molecules of the monopyrrole porphobilinogen are condensed to form a linear tetrapyrrole. Two near-atomic resolution structures of PBGD from B. megaterium are reported that demonstrate the time-dependent accumulation of partially oxidized forms of the cofactor, including one that possesses a tetrahedral C atom in the terminal pyrrole ring. The enzyme porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD; hydroxymethylbilane synthase; EC 2.5.1.61) catalyses an early step of the tetrapyrrole-biosynthesis pathway in which four molecules of the monopyrrole porphobilinogen are condensed to form a linear tetrapyrrole. The enzyme possesses a dipyrromethane cofactor, which is covalently linked by a thioether bridge to an invariant cysteine residue (Cys241 in the Bacillus megaterium enzyme). The cofactor is extended during the reaction by the sequential addition of the four substrate molecules, which are released as a linear tetrapyrrole product. Expression in Escherichia coli of a His-tagged form of B. megaterium PBGD has permitted the X-ray analysis of the enzyme from this species at high resolution, showing that the cofactor becomes progressively oxidized to the dipyrromethene and dipyrromethanone forms. In previously solved PBGD structures, the oxidized cofactor is in the dipyromethenone form, in which both pyrrole rings are approximately coplanar. In contrast, the oxidized cofactor in the B. megaterium enzyme appears to be in the dipyrromethanone form, in which the C atom at the bridging α-position of the outer pyrrole ring is very clearly in a tetrahedral configuration. It is suggested that the pink colour of the freshly purified protein is owing to the presence of the dipyrromethene form of the cofactor which, in the structure reported here, adopts the same conformation as the fully reduced dipyrromethane form

  3. Adenovirus-mediated interleukin-12 gene transfer combined with cytosine deaminase followed by 5-fluorocytosine treatment exerts potent antitumor activity in Renca tumor-bearing mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, Kyung-Sun; Cho, Won-Kyung; Yoo, Jinsang; Yun, Hwan-Jung; Kim, Samyong; Im, Dong-Soo

    2005-01-01

    Therapeutic gene transfer affords a clinically feasible and safe approach to cancer treatment but a more effective modality is needed to improve clinical outcomes. Combined transfer of therapeutic genes with different modes of actions may be a means to this end. Interleukin-12 (IL-12), a heterodimeric immunoregulatory cytokine composed of covalently linked p35 and p40 subunits, has antitumor activity in animal models. The enzyme/prodrug strategy using cytosine deaminase (CD) and 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) has been used for cancer gene therapy. We have evaluated the antitumor effect of combining IL-12 with CD gene transfer in mice bearing renal cell carcinoma (Renca) tumors. Adenoviral vectors were constructed encoding one or both subunits of murine IL-12 (Ad.p35, Ad.p40 and Ad.IL-12) or cytosine deaminase (Ad.CD). The functionality of the IL-12 or CD gene products expressed from these vectors was validated by splenic interferon (IFN)-γ production or viability assays in cultured cells. Ad.p35 plus Ad.p40, or Ad.IL-12, with or without Ad.CD, were administered (single-dose) intratumorally to Renca tumor-bearing mice. The animals injected with Ad.CD also received 5-FC intraperitoneally. The antitumor effects were then evaluated by measuring tumor regression, mean animal survival time, splenic natural killer (NK) cell activity and IFN-γ production. The inhibition of tumor growth in mice treated with Ad.p35 plus Ad.p40 and Ad.CD, followed by injection of 5-FC, was significantly greater than that in mice treated with Ad.CD/5-FC, a mixture of Ad.p35 plus Ad.p40, or Ad.GFP (control). The combined gene transfer increased splenic NK cell activity and IFN-γ production by splenocytes. Ad.CD/5-FC treatment significantly increased the antitumor effect of Ad.IL-12 in terms of tumor growth inhibition and mean animal survival time. The results suggest that adenovirus-mediated IL-12 gene transfer combined with Ad.CD followed by 5-FC treatment may be useful for treating cancers

  4. Ikaros controls isotype selection during immunoglobulin class switch recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sellars, MacLean; Reina-San-Martin, Bernardo; Kastner, Philippe; Chan, Susan

    2009-05-11

    Class switch recombination (CSR) allows the humoral immune response to exploit different effector pathways through specific secondary antibody isotypes. However, the molecular mechanisms and factors that control immunoglobulin (Ig) isotype choice for CSR are unclear. We report that deficiency for the Ikaros transcription factor results in increased and ectopic CSR to IgG(2b) and IgG(2a), and reduced CSR to all other isotypes, regardless of stimulation. Ikaros suppresses active chromatin marks, transcription, and activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) accessibility at the gamma2b and gamma2a genes to inhibit class switching to these isotypes. Further, Ikaros directly regulates isotype gene transcription as it directly binds the Igh 3' enhancer and interacts with isotype gene promoters. Finally, Ikaros-mediated repression of gamma2b and gamma2a transcription promotes switching to other isotype genes by allowing them to compete for AID-mediated recombination at the single-cell level. Thus, our results reveal transcriptional competition between constant region genes in individual cells to be a critical and general mechanism for isotype specification during CSR. We show that Ikaros is a master regulator of this competition.

  5. The clinical characteristics and prognostic significance of AID, miR-181b, and miR-155 expression in adult patients with de novo B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Guangquan; Cao, Yang; Dong, Weimin; Lin, Yan; Wang, Qi; Wu, Wei; Hua, Xiaoying; Ling, Yun; Xie, Xiaobao; Hu, Shaoyan; Cen, Jiannong; Gu, Weiying

    2017-09-01

    This study aimed to investigate clinical characteristics and prognostic significance of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) gene, miR-181b and miR-155 expression in de novo adult B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) patients. Results showed that AID and miR-155 expression were higher in B-ALL patients than healthy controls, while miR-181b expression was lower in B-ALL patients. In addition, Ph + B-ALLs had higher AID expression than Ph - B-ALLs, and its high expression was associated with BCR-ABL. Moreover, B-ALL patients with AID high or miR-181b low expression had a shorter overall survival (OS). AID high with miR-181b low , AID high with miR-155 low , miR-181b low , miR-155 low , AID high with miR-181b low and miR-155 low expression were associated with shorter OS. Combination of the three molecules are more accurate predictors for unfavorable OS compared with univariate group. Therefore, AID, miR-181b and miR-155 provide clinical prognosis of adult de novo B-ALL patients and may refine their molecular risk classification.

  6. Role of Pseudoisocytidine Tautomerization in Triplex-Forming Oligonucleotides

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hartono, Yossa Dwi; Pabon-Martinez, Y. Vladimir; Uyar, Arzu

    2017-01-01

    Pseudoisocytidine (1C) is a synthetic cytidine analogue that can target DNA duplex to form parallel triplex at neutral pH. Pseudoisocytidine has mainly two tautomers, of which only one is favorable for triplex formation. In this study, we investigated the effect of sequence on ψC tautomerization ...

  7. Exploiting the pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-one ring system as a useful template to obtain potent adenosine deaminase inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    La Motta, Concettina; Sartini, Stefania; Mugnaini, Laura; Salerno, Silvia; Simorini, Francesca; Taliani, Sabrina; Marini, Anna Maria; Da Settimo, Federico; Lavecchia, Antonio; Novellino, Ettore; Antonioli, Luca; Fornai, Matteo; Blandizzi, Corrado; Del Tacca, Mario

    2009-03-26

    A number of pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-ones bearing either alkyl or arylalkyl substituents in position 2 of the nucleus were synthesized and tested for their ability to inhibit adenosine deaminase (ADA) from bovine spleen. The 2-arylalkyl derivatives exhibited excellent inhibitory activity, showing Ki values in the nanomolar/subnanomolar range. The most active compound, 1-(4-((4-oxo-4,5-dihydropyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-2-yl)methyl)phenyl)-3-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)urea, 14d, was tested in rats with colitis induced by 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonic acid to assess its efficacy to attenuate bowel inflammation. The treatment with 14d induced a significant amelioration of both systemic and intestinal inflammatory alterations in animals with experimental colitis. Docking simulations of the synthesized compounds into the ADA catalytic site were also performed to rationalize the structure-activity relationships observed and to highlight the key pharmacophoric elements of these products, thus prospectively guiding the design of novel ADA inhibitors.

  8. Diagnosis of tuberculosis pleurisy with adenosine deaminase (ADA): a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gui, Xuwei; Xiao, Heping

    2014-01-01

    This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to determine accuracy and usefulness of adenosine deaminase (ADA) in diagnosis of tuberculosis pleurisy. Medline, Google scholar and Web of Science databases were searched to identify related studies until 2014. Two reviewers independently assessed quality of studies included according to standard Quality Assessment of Diagnosis Accuracy Studies (QUADAS) criteria. The sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio and other parameters of ADA in diagnosis of tuberculosis pleurisy were analyzed with Meta-DiSC1.4 software, and pooled using the random effects model. Twelve studies including 865 tuberculosis pleurisy patients and 1379 non-tuberculosis pleurisy subjects were identified from 110 studies for this meta-analysis. The sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR) and diagnosis odds ratio (DOR) of ADA in the diagnosis of tuberculosis pleurisy were 45.25 (95% CI 27.63-74.08), 0.86 (95% CI 0.84-0.88), 0.88 (95% CI 0.86-0.90), 6.32 (95% CI 4.83-8.26) and 0.15 (95% 0.11-0.22), respectively. The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC) was 0.9340. Our results demonstrate that the sensitivity and specificity of ADA are high in the diagnosis of tuberculosis pleurisy especially when ADA≥50 (U/L). Thus, ADA is a relatively sensitive and specific marker for tuberculosis pleurisy diagnosis. However, it is cautious to apply these results due to the heterogeneity in study design of these studies. Further studies are required to confirm the optimal cut-off value of ADA.

  9. Pathophysiology of B-cell intrinsic immunoglobulin class switch recombination deficiencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durandy, Anne; Taubenheim, Nadine; Peron, Sophie; Fischer, Alain

    2007-01-01

    B-cell intrinsic immunoglobulin class switch recombination (Ig-CSR) deficiencies, previously termed hyper-IgM syndromes, are genetically determined conditions characterized by normal or elevated serum IgM levels and an absence or very low levels of IgG, IgA, and IgE. As a function of the molecular mechanism, the defective CSR is variably associated to a defect in the generation of somatic hypermutations (SHMs) in the Ig variable region. The study of Ig-CSR deficiencies contributed to a better delineation of the mechanisms underlying CSR and SHM, the major events of antigen-triggered antibody maturation. Four Ig-CSR deficiency phenotypes have been so far reported: the description of the activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) deficiency (Ig-CSR deficiency 1), caused by recessive mutations of AICDA gene, characterized by a defect in CSR and SHM, clearly established the role of AID in the induction of the Ig gene rearrangements underlying CSR and SHM. A CSR-specific function of AID has, however, been detected by the observation of a selective CSR defect caused by mutations affecting the C-terminus of AID. Ig-CSR deficiency 2 is the consequence of uracil-N-glycosylase (UNG) deficiency. Because UNG, a molecule of the base excision repair machinery, removes uracils from DNA and AID deaminates cytosines into uracils, that observation indicates that the AID-UNG pathway directly targets DNA of switch regions from the Ig heavy-chain locus to induce the CSR process. Ig-CSR deficiencies 3 and 4 are characterized by a selective CSR defect resulting from blocks at distinct steps of CSR. A further understanding of the CSR machinery is expected from their molecular definition.

  10. Drought response of Mucuna pruriens (L. DC. inoculated with ACC deaminase and IAA producing rhizobacteria.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aansa Rukya Saleem

    Full Text Available Drought is one of the major constraints limiting agricultural production worldwide and is expected to increase in the future. Limited water availability causes significant effects to plant growth and physiology. Plants have evolved different traits to mitigate the stress imposed by drought. The presence of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR could play an important role in improving plant performances and productivity under drought. These beneficial microorganisms colonize the rhizosphere of plants and increase drought tolerance by lowering ethylene formation. In the present study, we demonstrate the potential to improve the growth of velvet bean under water deficit conditions of two different strains of PGPR with ACCd (1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylate deaminase activity isolated from rainfed farming system. We compared uninoculated and inoculated plants with PGPR to assess: a photosynthetic performance and biomass; b ACC content and ethylene emission from leaves and roots; c leaf isoprene emission. Our results provided evidence that under drought conditions inoculation with PGPR containing the ACCd enzyme could improve plant growth compared to untreated plants. Ethylene emission from roots and leaves of inoculated velvet bean plants was significantly lower than uninoculated plants. Moreover, isoprene emission increased with drought stress progression and was higher in inoculated plants compared to uninoculated counterparts. These findings clearly illustrate that selected PGPR strains isolated from rainfed areas could be highly effective in promoting plant growth under drought conditions by decreasing ACC and ethylene levels in plants.

  11. Drought response of Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. inoculated with ACC deaminase and IAA producing rhizobacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saleem, Aansa Rukya; Brunetti, Cecilia; Khalid, Azeem; Della Rocca, Gianni; Raio, Aida; Emiliani, Giovanni; De Carlo, Anna; Mahmood, Tariq; Centritto, Mauro

    2018-01-01

    Drought is one of the major constraints limiting agricultural production worldwide and is expected to increase in the future. Limited water availability causes significant effects to plant growth and physiology. Plants have evolved different traits to mitigate the stress imposed by drought. The presence of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) could play an important role in improving plant performances and productivity under drought. These beneficial microorganisms colonize the rhizosphere of plants and increase drought tolerance by lowering ethylene formation. In the present study, we demonstrate the potential to improve the growth of velvet bean under water deficit conditions of two different strains of PGPR with ACCd (1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylate deaminase) activity isolated from rainfed farming system. We compared uninoculated and inoculated plants with PGPR to assess: a) photosynthetic performance and biomass; b) ACC content and ethylene emission from leaves and roots; c) leaf isoprene emission. Our results provided evidence that under drought conditions inoculation with PGPR containing the ACCd enzyme could improve plant growth compared to untreated plants. Ethylene emission from roots and leaves of inoculated velvet bean plants was significantly lower than uninoculated plants. Moreover, isoprene emission increased with drought stress progression and was higher in inoculated plants compared to uninoculated counterparts. These findings clearly illustrate that selected PGPR strains isolated from rainfed areas could be highly effective in promoting plant growth under drought conditions by decreasing ACC and ethylene levels in plants.

  12. A case of red-cell adenosine deaminase overproduction associated with hereditary hemolytic anemia found in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miwa, S; Fujii, H; Matsumoto, N; Nakatsuji, T; Oda, S; Asano, H; Asano, S

    1978-01-01

    A case of red cell adenosine deaminase (ADA) overproduction associated with hereditary hemolytic anemia is reported here. This appears to be the second report. Proband is a 38-year-old Japanese male who had hemoglobin, 15.8 g/100 ml; reticulocyte count, 4.5%; serum indirect bilirubin, 4.9 mg/100 ml; 51Cr-labeled red cell half-life, 12 days; red cells showed moderate stomatocytosis. His red cell ADA activity showed 40-fold increase while that of the mother showed 4-fold increase. The mother was hematologically normal. The father had a normal enzyme activity. The proband and the mother showed slightly high serum uric acid levels. The proband's red cell showed: ATP, 628 nmoles/ml (normal, 1,010--1,550); adenine nucleotide pool, 46% of the normal mean; 2,3-diphosphoglycerate content, 3,782 nmoles/ml (normal 4,170--5,300); increased oxygen affinity of hemoglobin, P50 of intact erythrocytes being 21.8 mmHg (normal, 24.1--26.1). Red cell glycolytic intermediates in the proband were low in general, and the rate of lactate production was low. Kinetic studies using crude hemolysate revealed a normal Km for adenosine, normal electrophoretic mobility but slightly abnormal pH curve and slightly low utilization of 2-deoxyadenosine. The ADA activity of lymphocytes was nearly normal.

  13. Mixed Inhibition of Adenosine Deaminase Activity by 1,3-Dinitrobenzene: A Model for Understanding Cell-Selective Neurotoxicity in Chemically-Induced Energy Deprivation Syndromes in Brain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yipei; Liu, Xin; Schneider, Brandon; Zverina, Elaina A.; Russ, Kristen; Wijeyesakere, Sanjeeva J.; Fierke, Carol A.; Richardson, Rudy J.; Philbert, Martin A.

    2012-01-01

    Astrocytes are acutely sensitive to 1,3-dinitrobenzene (1,3-DNB) while adjacent neurons are relatively unaffected, consistent with other chemically-induced energy deprivation syndromes. Previous studies have investigated the role of astrocytes in protecting neurons from hypoxia and chemical injury via adenosine release. Adenosine is considered neuroprotective, but it is rapidly removed by extracellular deaminases such as adenosine deaminase (ADA). The present study tested the hypothesis that ADA is inhibited by 1,3-DNB as a substrate mimic, thereby preventing adenosine catabolism. ADA was inhibited by 1,3-DNB with an IC50 of 284μM, Hill slope, n = 4.8 ± 0.4. Native gel electrophoresis showed that 1,3-DNB did not denature ADA. Furthermore, adding Triton X-100 (0.01–0.05%, wt/vol), Nonidet P-40 (0.0015–0.0036%, wt/vol), or bovine serum albumin (0.05 mg/ml or changing [ADA] (0.2 and 2nM) did not substantially alter the 1,3-DNB IC50 value. Likewise, dynamic light scattering showed no particle formation over a (1,3-DNB) range of 149–1043μM. Kinetics revealed mixed inhibition with 1,3-DNB binding to ADA (KI = 520 ± 100μM, n = 1 ± 0.6) and the ADA-adenosine complex (KIS = 262 ± 7μM, n = 6 ± 0.6, indicating positive cooperativity). In accord with the kinetics, docking predicted binding of 1,3-DNB to the active site and three peripheral sites. In addition, exposure of DI TNC-1 astrocytes to 10–500μM 1,3-DNB produced concentration-dependent increases in extracellular adenosine at 24 h. Overall, the results demonstrate that 1,3-DNB is a mixed inhibitor of ADA and may thus lead to increases in extracellular adenosine. The finding may provide insights to guide future work on chemically-induced energy deprivation. PMID:22106038

  14. Ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase (E-NPP) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) activities in prostate cancer patients: influence of Gleason score, treatment and bone metastasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Battisti, Vanessa; Maders, Liési D K; Bagatini, Margarete D; Battisti, Iara E; Bellé, Luziane P; Santos, Karen F; Maldonado, Paula A; Thomé, Gustavo R; Schetinger, Maria R C; Morsch, Vera M

    2013-04-01

    The relation between adenine nucleotides and cancer has already been described in literature. Considering that the enzymes ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase (E-NPP) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) act together to control nucleotide levels, we aimed to investigate the role of these enzymes in prostate cancer (PCa). E-NPP and ADA activities were determined in serum and platelets of PCa patients and controls. We also verified the influence of the Gleason score, bone metastasis and treatment in the enzyme activities. Platelets and serum E-NPP activity increased, whereas ADA activity in serum decreased in PCa patients. In addition, Gleason score, metastasis and treatment influenced E-NPP and ADA activities. We may propose that E-NPP and ADA are involved in the development of PCa. Moreover, E-NPP and ADA activities are modified in PCa patients with distinct Gleason score, with bone metastasis, as well as in patients under treatment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  15. Analysis of serum adenosine deaminase (ADA) and ADA1 and ADA2 isoenzyme activities in HIV positive and HIV-HBV co-infected patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khodadadi, Iraj; Abdi, Mohammad; Ahmadi, Abbas; Wahedi, Mohammad Saleh; Menbari, Shahoo; Lahoorpour, Fariba; Rahbari, Rezgar

    2011-08-01

    To determine adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity as a possible diagnostic marker in HIV and HIV-HBV co-infected patients. Blood samples were collected from 72 healthy, 33 HIV positive and 30 HIV-HBV co-infected subjects. Blood CD4+ cell count was recorded and serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total ADA, and ADA1 and ADA2 isoenzyme activities were determined. Serum ALT, AST, total ADA and ADA2 isoenzyme activities were significantly higher in HIV positive and HIV-HBV co-infected groups compare to the control (pADA activities (R(2)=0.589, pADA was significantly increased in HIV and HIV-HBV co-infections. Therefore, because of its low cost and simplicity to perform, ADA activity might be considered as a useful diagnostic tool among the other markers in these diseases. Copyright © 2011 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Clinical efficacy of gene-modified stem cells in adenosine deaminase-deficient immunodeficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaw, Kit L; Garabedian, Elizabeth; Mishra, Suparna; Barman, Provaboti; Davila, Alejandra; Carbonaro, Denise; Shupien, Sally; Silvin, Christopher; Geiger, Sabine; Nowicki, Barbara; Smogorzewska, E Monika; Brown, Berkley; Wang, Xiaoyan; de Oliveira, Satiro; Choi, Yeong; Ikeda, Alan; Terrazas, Dayna; Fu, Pei-Yu; Yu, Allen; Fernandez, Beatriz Campo; Cooper, Aaron R; Engel, Barbara; Podsakoff, Greg; Balamurugan, Arumugam; Anderson, Stacie; Muul, Linda; Jagadeesh, G Jayashree; Kapoor, Neena; Tse, John; Moore, Theodore B; Purdy, Ken; Rishi, Radha; Mohan, Kathey; Skoda-Smith, Suzanne; Buchbinder, David; Abraham, Roshini S; Scharenberg, Andrew; Yang, Otto O; Cornetta, Kenneth; Gjertson, David; Hershfield, Michael; Sokolic, Rob; Candotti, Fabio; Kohn, Donald B

    2017-05-01

    Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) of gene-modified cells is an alternative to enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) and allogeneic HSCT that has shown clinical benefit for adenosine deaminase-deficient (ADA-deficient) SCID when combined with reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) and ERT cessation. Clinical safety and therapeutic efficacy were evaluated in a phase II study. Ten subjects with confirmed ADA-deficient SCID and no available matched sibling or family donor were enrolled between 2009 and 2012 and received transplantation with autologous hematopoietic CD34+ cells that were modified with the human ADA cDNA (MND-ADA) γ-retroviral vector after conditioning with busulfan (90 mg/m2) and ERT cessation. Subjects were followed from 33 to 84 months at the time of data analysis. Safety of the procedure was assessed by recording the number of adverse events. Efficacy was assessed by measuring engraftment of gene-modified hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, ADA gene expression, and immune reconstitution. With the exception of the oldest subject (15 years old at enrollment), all subjects remained off ERT with normalized peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) ADA activity, improved lymphocyte numbers, and normal proliferative responses to mitogens. Three of nine subjects were able to discontinue intravenous immunoglobulin replacement therapy. The MND-ADA vector was persistently detected in PBMCs (vector copy number [VCN] = 0.1-2.6) and granulocytes (VCN = 0.01-0.3) through the most recent visits at the time of this writing. No patient has developed a leukoproliferative disorder or other vector-related clinical complication since transplant. These results demonstrate clinical therapeutic efficacy from gene therapy for ADA-deficient SCID, with an excellent clinical safety profile. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00794508. Food and Drug Administration Office of Orphan Product Development award, RO1 FD003005; NHLBI awards, PO1 HL73104 and Z01 HG000122; UCLA

  17. Mutations in the human adenosine deaminase gene that affect protein structure and RNA splicing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akeson, A.L.; Wiginton, D.A.; States, C.J.; Perme, C.M.; Dusing, M.R.; Hutton, J.J.

    1987-01-01

    Adenosine deaminase deficiency is one cause of the genetic disease severe combined immunodeficiency. To identify mutations responsible for ADA deficiency, the authors synthesized cDNAs to ADA mRNAs from two cell lines, GM2756 and GM2825A, derived from ADA-deficient immunodeficient patients. Sequence analysis of GM2756 cDNA clones revealed a different point mutation in each allele that causes amino acid changes of alanine to valine and arginine to histidine. One allele of GM2825A also has a point mutation that causes an alanine to valine substitution. The other allele of GM2825A was found to produce an mRNA in which exon 4 had been spliced out but had no other detrimental mutations. S1 nuclease mapping of GM2825A mRNA showed equal abundance of the full-length ADA mRNA and the ADA mRNA that was missing exon 4. Several of the ADA cDNA clones extended 5' of the major initiation start site, indicating multiple start sites for ADA transcription. The point mutations in GM2756 and GM2825A and the absence of exon 4 in GM2825A appear to be directly responsible for the ADA deficiency. Comparison of a number of normal and mutant ADA cDNA sequences showed a number of changes in the third base of codons. These change do not affect the amino acid sequence. Analyses of ADA cDNAs from different cell lines detected aberrant RNA species that either included intron 7 or excluded exon 7. Their presence is a result of aberrant splicing of pre-mRNAs and is not related to mutations that cause ADA deficiency

  18. Good Laboratory Practice Preclinical Safety Studies for GSK2696273 (MLV Vector-Based Ex Vivo Gene Therapy for Adenosine Deaminase Deficiency Severe Combined Immunodeficiency) in NSG Mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carriglio, Nicola; Klapwijk, Jan; Hernandez, Raisa Jofra; Vezzoli, Michela; Chanut, Franck; Lowe, Rhiannon; Draghici, Elena; Nord, Melanie; Albertini, Paola; Cristofori, Patrizia; Richards, Jane; Staton, Hazel; Appleby, Jonathan; Aiuti, Alessandro; Sauer, Aisha V

    2017-03-01

    GSK2696273 (autologous CD34+ cells transduced with retroviral vector that encodes for the human adenosine deaminase [ADA] enzyme) is a gamma-retroviral ex vivo gene therapy of bone marrow-derived CD34+ cells for the treatment of adenosine deaminase deficiency severe combined immunodeficiency (ADA-SCID). ADA-SCID is a severe monogenic disease characterized by immunologic and nonimmunologic symptoms. Bone-marrow transplant from a matched related donor is the treatment of choice, but it is available for only a small proportion of patients. Ex vivo gene therapy of patient bone-marrow CD34+ cells is an alternative treatment. In order to prepare for a marketing authorization application in the European Union, preclinical safety studies in mice were requested by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). A pilot study and a main biodistribution study were performed according to Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) at the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy test facility. In the main study, human umbilical cord blood (UCB)-derived CD34+ cells were transduced with gamma-retroviral vector used in the production of GSK2696273. Groups of 10 male and 10 female NOD-SCID gamma (NSG) mice were injected intravenously with a single dose of transduced- or mock-transduced UCB CD34+ cells, and they were observed for 4 months. Engraftment and multilineage differentiation of blood cells was observed in the majority of animals in both groups. There was no significant difference in the level of chimerism between the two groups. In the gene therapy group, vector was detectable in lymphohemopoietic and nonlymphohemopoietic tissues, consistent with the presence of gene-modified human hematopoietic donor cells. Given the absence of relevant safety concerns in the data, the nonclinical studies and the clinical experience with GSK2696273 supported a successful application for market authorization in the European Union for the treatment of ADA-SCID patients, for whom no suitable human leukocyte

  19. Can pleural adenosine deaminase (ADA) levels in pleural tuberculosis predict the presence of pulmonary tuberculosis? A CT analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koh, Myung Je; Lee, In Jae; Kim, Joo-Hee

    2016-06-01

    To assess the relationship between imaging features of pulmonary tuberculosis at computed tomography (CT) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) values via pleural fluid analysis in patients with pleural tuberculosis. This retrospective study enrolled 60 patients who underwent fluid analysis for ADA and chest CT and were diagnosed with tuberculosis by culture or polymerase chain reaction of pleural fluid and sputum. The presence of centrilobular nodules, consolidation, cavitation, and mediastinal lymphadenopathy at CT were evaluated. The relationship between ADA values and the pattern of pulmonary involvement of tuberculosis was analysed. Pulmonary involvement was seen in 42 of the 60 patients. A centrilobular nodular pattern was seen in 37 and consolidation in 22. In 17 patients, both findings were identified. A centrilobular nodular pattern was more common than consolidation or cavitary lesions. When ADA values were high, pulmonary involvement was more frequent (p=0.002). Comparing low and high ADA groups using an obtained cut-off value of 80 IU/l, the high group had more frequent pulmonary involvement (pADA values had a higher probability of manifesting pulmonary tuberculosis. High ADA values may help predict contagious pleuroparenchymal tuberculosis. The most common pulmonary involvement of tuberculous pleurisy showed a centrilobular nodular pattern. Copyright © 2016 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Gene therapy for adenosine deaminase-deficient severe combined immune deficiency: clinical comparison of retroviral vectors and treatment plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Candotti, Fabio; Shaw, Kit L; Muul, Linda; Carbonaro, Denise; Sokolic, Robert; Choi, Christopher; Schurman, Shepherd H; Garabedian, Elizabeth; Kesserwan, Chimene; Jagadeesh, G Jayashree; Fu, Pei-Yu; Gschweng, Eric; Cooper, Aaron; Tisdale, John F; Weinberg, Kenneth I; Crooks, Gay M; Kapoor, Neena; Shah, Ami; Abdel-Azim, Hisham; Yu, Xiao-Jin; Smogorzewska, Monika; Wayne, Alan S; Rosenblatt, Howard M; Davis, Carla M; Hanson, Celine; Rishi, Radha G; Wang, Xiaoyan; Gjertson, David; Yang, Otto O; Balamurugan, Arumugam; Bauer, Gerhard; Ireland, Joanna A; Engel, Barbara C; Podsakoff, Gregory M; Hershfield, Michael S; Blaese, R Michael; Parkman, Robertson; Kohn, Donald B

    2012-11-01

    We conducted a gene therapy trial in 10 patients with adenosine deaminase (ADA)-deficient severe combined immunodeficiency using 2 slightly different retroviral vectors for the transduction of patients' bone marrow CD34(+) cells. Four subjects were treated without pretransplantation cytoreduction and remained on ADA enzyme-replacement therapy (ERT) throughout the procedure. Only transient (months), low-level (< 0.01%) gene marking was observed in PBMCs of 2 older subjects (15 and 20 years of age), whereas some gene marking of PBMC has persisted for the past 9 years in 2 younger subjects (4 and 6 years). Six additional subjects were treated using the same gene transfer protocol, but after withdrawal of ERT and administration of low-dose busulfan (65-90 mg/m(2)). Three of these remain well, off ERT (5, 4, and 3 years postprocedure), with gene marking in PBMC of 1%-10%, and ADA enzyme expression in PBMC near or in the normal range. Two subjects were restarted on ERT because of poor gene marking and immune recovery, and one had a subsequent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. These studies directly demonstrate the importance of providing nonmyeloablative pretransplantation conditioning to achieve therapeutic benefits with gene therapy for ADA-deficient severe combined immunodeficiency.

  1. Cerebrospinal fluid adenosine deaminase activity: A complimentary tool in the early diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taori Girdhar M

    2006-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Tuberculous meningitis (TBM is the commonest form of neurotuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli (MTB. The diagnosis of TBM is often difficult. A reliable, cost-effective and rapid diagnostic test, which can be performed in any standard pathology laboratory, could be of help in the diagnosis of TBM. In the present study we measured the adenosine deaminase (ADA activity in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF of TBM and non-TBM patients. Method ADA activity in CSF was determined according to a method based on the Berthlot reaction, which is the formation of a colored indophenol complex from ammonia liberated from adenosine, and quantified spectrophotometrically. Results The CSF ADA activity from TBM patients was compared with CSF ADA from non-TBM infectious meningitis patients, and from patients with non-infectious neurological disorders. The mean CSF ADA activity was found to be significantly higher in CSF of TBM patients, 14.31 ± 3.87 (2.99–26.94, mean ± SD with range, than in the CSF from non-TBM infectious meningitis, 9.25 ± 2.14 (4.99–13.96 and from the non-infectious neurological disorders group, 2.71 ± 1.96 (0.00–7.68, P Conclusion This study demonstrated that ADA activity in the CSF of TBM patients, using a cut-off value 11.39 U/L/min, can be useful for the early differential diagnosis of TBM. This test can be performed in any pathology laboratory where more sophisticated methods are not available.

  2. Cerebrospinal fluid adenosine deaminase levels as a diagnostic marker in tuberculous meningitis in adult Nepalese patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anil Chander

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To study the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF adenosine deaminase (ADA levels in tuberculous meningitis (TBM and non-TBM -viral meningitis cases and to determine its diagnostic significance as a biochemical marker of TBM infection.Methods: The study population comprised two different patient groups. TBM - group I - 28 cases and non-TBM-viral meningitis - 22 cases. These were enrolled consecutively in the study and CSF specimens were collected from them. ADA estimation was carried out by spectrophotometry.Results: ADA levels (mean依 SD in the TBM and non-TBM groups were 16.46依6.24 U/L and 5.13依2.96 U/L, respectively (highly significant P10 IU/L, the test showed a good sensitivity of 82.14% (95% CI 64.41-92.12 and a high specificity of 90.91% (95% CI 72.19-97.47. Positive and negative predictive value and positive and negative likelihood ratios and accuracy of the test in TBM cases were 92% (95% CI 75.03-97.77, 80% (95% CI 60.86-91.13, 9.03 (95% CI 2.38- 34.25, 0.19 (95% CI 0.09-0.44 and 86%, respectively.Conclusion: CSF ADA levels are elevated in the TBM cases as compared to the non-TBM - viral meningitis cases with a good sensitivity and a high specificity. It is a simple and inexpensive diagnostic adjunctive test in the rapid and early diagnosis of TBM.

  3. Methylobacterium oryzae sp. nov., an aerobic, pink-pigmented, facultatively methylotrophic, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase-producing bacterium isolated from rice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madhaiyan, Munusamy; Kim, Byung-Yong; Poonguzhali, Selvaraj; Kwon, Soon-Wo; Song, Myung-Hee; Ryu, Jeoung-Hyun; Go, Seung-Joo; Koo, Bon-Sung; Sa, Tong-Min

    2007-02-01

    A pink-pigmented, facultatively methylotrophic bacterium, strain CBMB20T, isolated from stem tissues of rice, was analysed by a polyphasic approach. Strain CBMB20T utilized 1-aminocyclopropane 1-carboxylate (ACC) as a nitrogen source and produced ACC deaminase. It was related phylogenetically to members of the genus Methylobacterium. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain CBMB20T was most closely related to Methylobacterium fujisawaense, Methylobacterium radiotolerans and Methylobacterium mesophilicum; however, DNA-DNA hybridization values were less than 70 % with the type strains of these species. The DNA G+C content of strain CBMB20T was 70.6 mol%. The study presents a detailed phenotypic characterization of strain CBMB20T that allows its differentiation from other Methylobacterium species. In addition, strain CBMB20T is the only known member of the genus Methylobacterium to be described from the phyllosphere of rice. Based on the data presented, strain CBMB20T represents a novel species in the genus Methylobacterium, for which the name Methylobacterium oryzae sp. nov. is proposed, with strain CBMB20T (=DSM 18207T=LMG 23582T=KACC 11585T) as the type strain.

  4. Hypoxia targeted bifunctional suicide gene expression enhances radiotherapy in vitro and in vivo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Xiaorong; Xing, Ligang; Deng, Xuelong; Hsiao, Hung Tsung; Manami, Akiko; Koutcher, Jason A.; Clifton Ling, C.; Li, Gloria C.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate whether hypoxia targeted bifunctional suicide gene expression-cytosine deaminase (CD) and uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (UPRT) with 5-FC treatments can enhance radiotherapy. Materials and methods: Stable transfectants of R3327-AT cells were established which express a triple-fusion-gene: CD, UPRT and monomoric DsRed (mDsRed) controlled by a hypoxia inducible promoter. Hypoxia-induced expression/function of CDUPRTmDsRed was verified by western blot, flow cytometry, fluorescent microscopy, and cytotoxicity assay of 5-FU and 5-FC. Tumor-bearing mice were treated with 5-FC and local radiation. Tumor volume was monitored and compared with those treated with 5-FC or radiation alone. In addition, the CDUPRTmDsRed distribution in hypoxic regions of tumor sections was visualized with fluorescent microscopy. Results: Hypoxic induction of CDUPRTmDsRed protein correlated with increased sensitivity to 5-FC and 5-FU. Significant radiosensitization effects were detected after 5-FC treatments under hypoxic conditions. In the tumor xenografts, the distribution of CDUPRTmDsRed expression visualized with fluorescence microscopy was co-localized with the hypoxia marker pimonidazole positive staining cells. Furthermore, administration of 5-FC to mice in combination with local irradiation resulted in significant tumor regression, as in comparison with 5-FC or radiation treatments alone. Conclusions: Our data suggest that the hypoxia-inducible CDUPRT/5-FC gene therapy strategy has the ability to specifically target hypoxic cancer cells and significantly improve the tumor control in combination with radiotherapy.

  5. Uracil DNA glycosylase counteracts APOBEC3G-induced hypermutation of hepatitis B viral genomes: excision repair of covalently closed circular DNA.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kouichi Kitamura

    Full Text Available The covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA of the hepatitis B virus (HBV plays an essential role in chronic hepatitis. The cellular repair system is proposed to convert cytoplasmic nucleocapsid (NC DNA (partially double-stranded DNA into cccDNA in the nucleus. Recently, antiviral cytidine deaminases, AID/APOBEC proteins, were shown to generate uracil residues in the NC-DNA through deamination, resulting in cytidine-to-uracil (C-to-U hypermutation of the viral genome. We investigated whether uracil residues in hepadnavirus DNA were excised by uracil-DNA glycosylase (UNG, a host factor for base excision repair (BER. When UNG activity was inhibited by the expression of the UNG inhibitory protein (UGI, hypermutation of NC-DNA induced by either APOBEC3G or interferon treatment was enhanced in a human hepatocyte cell line. To assess the effect of UNG on the cccDNA viral intermediate, we used the duck HBV (DHBV replication model. Sequence analyses of DHBV DNAs showed that cccDNA accumulated G-to-A or C-to-T mutations in APOBEC3G-expressing cells, and this was extensively enhanced by UNG inhibition. The cccDNA hypermutation generated many premature stop codons in the P gene. UNG inhibition also enhanced the APOBEC3G-mediated suppression of viral replication, including reduction of NC-DNA, pre-C mRNA, and secreted viral particle-associated DNA in prolonged culture. Enhancement of APOBEC3G-mediated suppression by UNG inhibition was not observed when the catalytic site of APOBEC3G was mutated. Transfection experiments of recloned cccDNAs revealed that the combination of UNG inhibition and APOBEC3G expression reduced the replication ability of cccDNA. Taken together, these data indicate that UNG excises uracil residues from the viral genome during or after cccDNA formation in the nucleus and imply that BER pathway activities decrease the antiviral effect of APOBEC3-mediated hypermutation.

  6. First Occurrence of Plasmablastic Lymphoma in Adenosine Deaminase-Deficient Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease Patient and Review of the Literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maddalena Migliavacca

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Adenosine deaminase-deficient severe combined immunodeficiency disease (ADA-SCID is a primary immune deficiency characterized by mutations in the ADA gene resulting in accumulation of toxic compounds affecting multiple districts. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT from a matched donor and hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy are the preferred options for definitive treatment. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT is used to manage the disease in the short term, while a decreased efficacy is reported in the medium-long term. To date, eight cases of lymphomas have been described in ADA-SCID patients. Here we report the first case of plasmablastic lymphoma occurring in a young adult with ADA-SCID on long-term ERT, which turned out to be Epstein–Barr virus associated. The patient previously received infusions of genetically modified T cells. A cumulative analysis of the eight published cases of lymphoma from 1992 to date, and the case here described, reveals a high mortality (89%. The most common form is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, which predominantly occurs in extra nodal sites. Seven cases occurred in patients on ERT and two after haploidentical HSCT. The significant incidence of immunodeficiency-associated lymphoproliferative disorders and poor survival of patients developing this complication highlight the priority in finding a prompt curative treatment for ADA-SCID.

  7. Direct detection of ligand binding to Sepharose-immobilised protein using saturation transfer double difference (STDD) NMR spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haselhorst, Thomas; Muenster-Kuehnel, Anja K.; Oschlies, Melanie; Tiralongo, Joe; Gerardy-Schahn, Rita; Itzstein, Mark von

    2007-01-01

    We report an easy and direct application of 'Saturation Transfer Double Difference' (STDD) NMR spectroscopy to identify ligands that bind to a Sepharose-immobilised target protein. The model protein, cytidine 5'-monophosphate sialic acid (CMP-Sia) synthetase, was expressed as a Strep-Tag II fusion protein and immobilised on Strep-Tactin Sepharose. STD NMR experiments of the protein-enriched Sepharose matrix in the presence of a binding ligand (cytidine 5'-triphosphate, CTP) and a non-binding ligand (α/β-glucose) clearly show that CTP binds to the immobilised enzyme, whereas glucose has no affinity. This approach has three major advantages: (a) only low quantities of protein are required, (b) no specialised NMR technology or the application of additional data analysis by non-routine methods is required, and (c) easy multiple use of the immobilised protein is available

  8. DNA-dependent protein kinase inhibits AID-induced antibody gene conversion.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam J L Cook

    2007-04-01

    Full Text Available Affinity maturation and class switching of antibodies requires activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID-dependent hypermutation of Ig V(DJ rearrangements and Ig S regions, respectively, in activated B cells. AID deaminates deoxycytidine bases in Ig genes, converting them into deoxyuridines. In V(DJ regions, subsequent excision of the deaminated bases by uracil-DNA glycosylase, or by mismatch repair, leads to further point mutation or gene conversion, depending on the species. In Ig S regions, nicking at the abasic sites produced by AID and uracil-DNA glycosylases results in staggered double-strand breaks, whose repair by nonhomologous end joining mediates Ig class switching. We have tested whether nonhomologous end joining also plays a role in V(DJ hypermutation using chicken DT40 cells deficient for Ku70 or the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs. Inactivation of the Ku70 or DNA-PKcs genes in DT40 cells elevated the rate of AID-induced gene conversion as much as 5-fold. Furthermore, DNA-PKcs-deficiency appeared to reduce point mutation. The data provide strong evidence that double-strand DNA ends capable of recruiting the DNA-dependent protein kinase complex are important intermediates in Ig V gene conversion.

  9. High expression of AID and active class switch recombination might account for a more aggressive disease in unmutated CLL patients: link with an activated microenvironment in CLL disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palacios, Florencia; Moreno, Pilar; Morande, Pablo; Abreu, Cecilia; Correa, Agustín; Porro, Valentina; Landoni, Ana Ines; Gabus, Raul; Giordano, Mirta; Dighiero, Guillermo; Pritsch, Otto; Oppezzo, Pablo

    2010-06-03

    Interaction of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) B cells with tissue microenvironment has been suggested to favor disease progression by promoting malignant B-cell growth. Previous work has shown expression in peripheral blood (PB) of CLL B cells of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) among CLL patients with an unmutated (UM) profile of immunoglobulin genes and with ongoing class switch recombination (CSR) process. Because AID expression results from interaction with activated tissue microenvironment, we speculated whether the small subset with ongoing CSR is responsible for high levels of AID expression and could be derived from this particular microenvironment. In this work, we quantified AID expression and ongoing CSR in PB of 50 CLL patients and characterized the expression of different molecules related to microenvironment interaction. Our results show that among UM patients (1) high AID expression is restricted to the subpopulation of tumoral cells ongoing CSR; (2) this small subset expresses high levels of proliferation, antiapoptotic and progression markers (Ki-67, c-myc, Bcl-2, CD49d, and CCL3/4 chemokines). Overall, this work outlines the importance of a cellular subset in PB of UM CLL patients with a poor clinical outcome, high AID levels, and ongoing CSR, whose presence might be a hallmark of a recent contact with the microenvironment.

  10. Generating and repairing genetically programmed DNA breaks during immunoglobulin class switch recombination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicolas, Laura; Cols, Montserrat; Choi, Jee Eun; Chaudhuri, Jayanta; Vuong, Bao

    2018-01-01

    Adaptive immune responses require the generation of a diverse repertoire of immunoglobulins (Igs) that can recognize and neutralize a seemingly infinite number of antigens. V(D)J recombination creates the primary Ig repertoire, which subsequently is modified by somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class switch recombination (CSR). SHM promotes Ig affinity maturation whereas CSR alters the effector function of the Ig. Both SHM and CSR require activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) to produce dU:dG mismatches in the Ig locus that are transformed into untemplated mutations in variable coding segments during SHM or DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in switch regions during CSR. Within the Ig locus, DNA repair pathways are diverted from their canonical role in maintaining genomic integrity to permit AID-directed mutation and deletion of gene coding segments. Recently identified proteins, genes, and regulatory networks have provided new insights into the temporally and spatially coordinated molecular interactions that control the formation and repair of DSBs within the Ig locus. Unravelling the genetic program that allows B cells to selectively alter the Ig coding regions while protecting non-Ig genes from DNA damage advances our understanding of the molecular processes that maintain genomic integrity as well as humoral immunity. PMID:29744038

  11. Impaired class switch recombination (CSR) in Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) despite apparently normal CSR machinery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kriangkum, Jitra; Taylor, Brian J; Strachan, Erin; Mant, Michael J; Reiman, Tony; Belch, Andrew R; Pilarski, Linda M

    2006-04-01

    Analysis of clonotypic isotype class switching (CSR) in Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) and IgM monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) reveals a normal initial phase of B-cell activation as determined by constitutive and inducible expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). Switch mu (Smu) analysis shows that large deletions are not common in WM or IgM MGUS. In CD40L/IL-4-stimulated WM cultures from 2 patients, we observed clonotypic IgG exhibiting intraclonal homogeneity associated with multiple hybrid Smu/Sgamma junctions. This suggests CSR had occurred within WM cells. Nevertheless, the estimated IgG/IgM-cell frequency was relatively low (1/1600 cells). Thus, for the majority of WM B cells, CSR does not occur even when stimulated in vitro, suggesting that the WM cell is constitutively unable to or being prevented from carrying out CSR. In contrast to WM, the majority of IgM MGUS clones exhibit intraclonal heterogeneity of IgH VDJ. Furthermore, most IgM MGUS accumulate more mutations in the upstream Smu region than do WM, making them unlikely WM progenitors. These observations suggest that switch sequence analysis may identify the subset of patients with IgM MGUS who are at risk of progression to WM.

  12. Fanca deficiency reduces A/T transitions in somatic hypermutation and alters class switch recombination junctions in mouse B cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Thuy Vy; Riou, Lydia; Aoufouchi, Saïd; Rosselli, Filippo

    2014-06-02

    Fanconi anemia is a rare genetic disorder that can lead to bone marrow failure, congenital abnormalities, and increased risk for leukemia and cancer. Cells with loss-of-function mutations in the FANC pathway are characterized by chromosome fragility, altered mutability, and abnormal regulation of the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway. Somatic hypermutation (SHM) and immunoglobulin (Ig) class switch recombination (CSR) enable B cells to produce high-affinity antibodies of various isotypes. Both processes are initiated after the generation of dG:dU mismatches by activation-induced cytidine deaminase. Whereas SHM involves an error-prone repair process that introduces novel point mutations into the Ig gene, the mismatches generated during CSR are processed to create double-stranded breaks (DSBs) in DNA, which are then repaired by the NHEJ pathway. As several lines of evidence suggest a possible role for the FANC pathway in SHM and CSR, we analyzed both processes in B cells derived from Fanca(-/-) mice. Here we show that Fanca is required for the induction of transition mutations at A/T residues during SHM and that despite globally normal CSR function in splenic B cells, Fanca is required during CSR to stabilize duplexes between pairs of short microhomology regions, thereby impeding short-range recombination downstream of DSB formation. © 2014 Nguyen et al.

  13. Salivary glands act as mucosal inductive sites via the formation of ectopic germinal centers after site-restricted MCMV infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grewal, Jasvir S; Pilgrim, Mark J; Grewal, Suman; Kasman, Laura; Werner, Phillip; Bruorton, Mary E; London, Steven D; London, Lucille

    2011-05-01

    We investigated the hypothesis that salivary gland inoculation stimulates formation of ectopic germinal centers (GCs), transforming the gland into a mucosal inductive site. Intraglandular infection of mice with murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV; control: UV-inactivated MCMV) induces salivary gland ectopic follicles comprising cognate interactions between CD4(+) and B220(+) lymphocytes, IgM(+) and isotype-switched IgG(+) and IgA(+) B cells, antigen presenting cells, and follicular dendritic cells. B cells coexpressed the GC markers GCT (57%) and GL7 (52%), and bound the lectin peanut agglutinin. Lymphoid follicles were characterized by a 2- to 3-fold increase in mRNA for CXCL13 (lymphoid neogenesis), syndecan-1 (plasma cells), Blimp-1 (plasma cell development/differentiation), and a 2- to 6-fold increase for activation-induced cytidine deaminase, PAX5, and the nonexcised rearranged DNA of an IgA class-switch event, supporting somatic hypermutation and class-switch recombination within the salivary follicles. Intraglandular inoculation also provided protection against a systemic MCMV challenge, as evidenced by decreased viral titers (10(5) plaque-forming units to undetectable), and restoration of normal salivary flow rates from a 6-fold decrease. Therefore, these features suggest that the salivary gland participates in oral mucosal immunity via generation of ectopic GCs, which function as ectopic mucosal inductive sites.

  14. SHIP-1 Deficiency in AID+ B Cells Leads to the Impaired Function of B10 Cells with Spontaneous Autoimmunity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yingjia; Hu, Fanlei; Dong, Xuejiao; Zhao, Meng; Wang, Jing; Sun, Xiaolin; Kim, Tae Jin; Li, Zhanguo; Liu, Wanli

    2017-11-01

    Unlike conventional B cells, regulatory B cells exhibit immunosuppressive functions to downregulate inflammation via IL-10 production. However, the molecular mechanism regulating the production of IL-10 is not fully understood. In this study, we report the finding that activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is highly upregulated in the IL-10-competent B cell (B10) cell from Innp5d fl/fl Aicda Cre/+ mice, whereas the 5' inositol phosphatase SHIP-1 is downregulated. Notably, SHIP-1 deficiency in AID + B cells leads to a reduction in cell count and impaired IL-10 production by B10 cells. Furthermore, the Innp5d fl/fl Aicda Cre/+ mouse model shows B cell-dependent autoimmune lupus-like phenotypes, such as elevated IgG serum Abs, formation of spontaneous germinal centers, production of anti-dsDNA and anti-nuclear Abs, and the obvious deposition of IgG immune complexes in the kidney with age. We observe that these lupus-like phenotypes can be reversed by the adoptive transfer of B10 cells from control Innp5d fl/fl mice, but not from the Innp5d fl/fl Aicda Cre/+ mice. This finding highlights the importance of defective B10 cells in Innp5d fl/fl Aicda Cre/+ mice. Whereas p-Akt is significantly upregulated, MAPK and AP-1 activation is impaired in B10 cells from Innp5d fl/fl Aicda Cre/+ mice, resulting in the reduced production of IL-10. These results show that SHIP-1 is required for the maintenance of B10 cells and production of IL-10, and collectively suggests that SHIP-1 could be a new potential therapeutic target for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Copyright © 2017 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

  15. Molecular mechanism of immunoglobulin V-region diversification regulated by transcription and RNA metabolism in antigen-driven B cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakaguchi, N; Maeda, K; Kuwahara, K

    2011-06-01

    The immune system produces specific antibodies (Ab) against any antigens (Ag) of exogenous and endogenous origins with a diverse repertoire of V-region specificities. The primary V-region repertoire is created by the rearrangement of immunoglobulin (Ig) V-region, D- and J-segments with the insertion of N- and P-sequences during early B cell differentiation. Recent studies revealed that secondary diversification of the IgV-region generated in the peripheral lymphoid organs plays a critical role in the generation of effective Ab production for protection from various pathogens. Naïve B cells that react with Ags initiate proliferation and differentiation in the follicular region and create the germinal centres (GCs), where activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID)-dependent IgV-region somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class-switch recombination generate high-affinity and class-switched mature Ag-specific B cells. Our studies have discovered a 210-kDa nuclear protein, named GC-associated nuclear protein (GANP) that is up-regulated in GC B cells during the T cell-dependent (TD) immune responses. By studying mice with mutant forms of the ganp gene, we demonstrated that GANP is essential for the generation of high-affinity B cells against TD-Ag by affecting SHM at the IgV-regions. GANP is associated with AID in the cytoplasm and the GANP/AID complex is recruited to the nucleus, specifically, the chromatin, and targeted selectively to the IgV-region gene in B cells. GANP augments the access of AID towards IgV-regions in B cells. Here, we review the role of GANP in acquired immunity through the detailed analysis of the molecular mechanism generating SHM specifically at IgV-regions in B cells. © 2011 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Immunology © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  16. Investigation on the diagnosis significance of C reactive protein and adenosine deaminase in cerebrospinal fluid among children with meningitis%脑脊液C反应蛋白和腺苷脱氨酶检测在小儿脑膜炎中的诊断价值探讨

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    徐仁荣; 张慧华; 朱华丽

    2015-01-01

    Objective To determine C reactive protein and adenosine deaminase in cerebrospinal fluid,and to investigate the clinical diagnosis significance for tuberculosis meningitis,purulent meningitis and viral meningitis. Methods A total of 31 5 children with meningitis (1 02 cases of tuberculosis meningitis,1 08 cases of purulent meningitis and 1 05 cases of viral meningitis)were enrolled,96 children undergoing operation without meningitis were enrolled as control group,and their cerebrospinal fluid samples were collected.The levels of C reactive protein and adenosine deaminase were determined,and the results were compared.Results C reactive protein and adenosine deaminase in control and viral meningitis groups were significantly lower than those in tuberculosis and purulent meningitis groups (P 0.05 ).C reactive protein in purulent meningitis group was higher than that in tuberculosis meningitis group(P <0.05 ),and adenosine deaminase was lower than that in tuberculosis meningitis group (P <0.05).C reactive protein in purulent meningitis group was positive,and the positive rate was 1 00%.There were 63 positive cases in tuberculosis meningitis group,and the positive rate was 61 .76%.That in viral meningtis was negative.Conclusions In cerebrospinal fluid,C reactive protein and adenosine deaminase determinations have important reference significance for the differential diagnosis of bacterial meningitis (purulent meningitis and tuberculosis meningitis)and viral meningitis.Adenosine deaminase may be a good indicator for the diagnosis of tuberculosis meningitis,in order to provide the reference for the early diagnosis of various types of meningitis.%目的:探讨小儿脑脊液C反应蛋白和腺苷脱氨酶在结核性脑膜炎、化脓性脑膜炎和病毒性脑膜炎早期诊断中的临床意义。方法分别检测315例小儿脑膜炎患儿(包括结核性脑膜炎102例、化脓性脑膜炎108例、病毒性脑膜炎105例)及96

  17. Cytidine 5’-diphosphocholine administration prevents peripheral neuropathic pain after sciatic nerve crush injury in rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emril DR

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Dessy R Emril,1 Samekto Wibowo,2 Lucas Meliala,2 Rina Susilowati3 1Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh, 2Department of Neurology, 3Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, IndonesiaBackground: Cytidine 5’-diphosphocholine (citicoline has been shown to have beneficial effects in central nervous system injury as well as in motoric functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury. This study aimed to examine the effect of citicoline on prevention of neuropathic pain in a rat model of sciatic nerve crush injury.Methods: Forty experimental rats were divided into four groups. In three groups, the right sciatic nerves were crushed in the mid-thigh region, and a gelatin sponge moistened with 0.4 or 0.8 mL of 100 µmol/L citicoline, or saline 0.4 mL in the control group, was applied. The fourth group of rats was sham-operated, ie the sciatic nerve was exposed with no crush. Functional assessments were performed 4 weeks after crush injury. von Frey filaments (100 g threshold were used to assess neuropathic pain. In addition, the sciatic functional index and extensor postural thrust (EPT tests were used to assess motoric function.Results: The crush/citicoline 0.4 mL group had a lower percentage of pain (23.53%, n=17 compared with the crush/saline group (53.33%, n=15, P<0.005. The crush/citicoline 0.4 mL group also showed better motoric recovery, as seen in stronger EPT results (P<0.001. However, the sciatic functional index analysis did not show significant differences between groups (P=0.35. The crush/citicoline 0.8 mL group showed a higher percentage of pain (66.67%, n=18 and less EPT recovery. These results may be explained by more severe nerve injury due to compression with a larger administered volume.Conclusion: In situ administration of 0.4 mL of 100 μmol/L citicoline prevents the occurrence of neuropathic pain and induces motoric recovery

  18. Molecular Evidence of Adenosine Deaminase Linking Adenosine A2A Receptor and CD26 Proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreno, Estefanía; Canet, Júlia; Gracia, Eduard; Lluís, Carme; Mallol, Josefa; Canela, Enric I; Cortés, Antoni; Casadó, Vicent

    2018-01-01

    Adenosine is an endogenous purine nucleoside that acts in all living systems as a homeostatic network regulator through many pathways, which are adenosine receptor (AR)-dependent and -independent. From a metabolic point of view, adenosine deaminase (ADA) is an essential protein in the regulation of the total intracellular and extracellular adenosine in a tissue. In addition to its cytosolic localization, ADA is also expressed as an ecto-enzyme on the surface of different cells. Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (CD26) and some ARs act as binding proteins for extracellular ADA in humans. Since CD26 and ARs interact with ADA at opposite sites, we have investigated if ADA can function as a cell-to-cell communication molecule by bridging the anchoring molecules CD26 and A 2A R present on the surfaces of the interacting cells. By combining site-directed mutagenesis of ADA amino acids involved in binding to A 2A R and a modification of the bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) technique that allows detection of interactions between two proteins expressed in different cell populations with low steric hindrance (NanoBRET), we show direct evidence of the specific formation of trimeric complexes CD26-ADA-A 2A R involving two cells. By dynamic mass redistribution assays and ligand binding experiments, we also demonstrate that A 2A R-NanoLuc fusion proteins are functional. The existence of this ternary complex is in good agreement with the hypothesis that ADA could bridge T-cells (expressing CD26) and dendritic cells (expressing A 2A R). This is a new metabolic function for ecto-ADA that, being a single chain protein, it has been considered as an example of moonlighting protein, because it performs more than one functional role (as a catalyst, a costimulator, an allosteric modulator and a cell-to-cell connector) without partitioning these functions in different subunits.

  19. Molecular Evidence of Adenosine Deaminase Linking Adenosine A2A Receptor and CD26 Proteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Estefanía Moreno

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Adenosine is an endogenous purine nucleoside that acts in all living systems as a homeostatic network regulator through many pathways, which are adenosine receptor (AR-dependent and -independent. From a metabolic point of view, adenosine deaminase (ADA is an essential protein in the regulation of the total intracellular and extracellular adenosine in a tissue. In addition to its cytosolic localization, ADA is also expressed as an ecto-enzyme on the surface of different cells. Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (CD26 and some ARs act as binding proteins for extracellular ADA in humans. Since CD26 and ARs interact with ADA at opposite sites, we have investigated if ADA can function as a cell-to-cell communication molecule by bridging the anchoring molecules CD26 and A2AR present on the surfaces of the interacting cells. By combining site-directed mutagenesis of ADA amino acids involved in binding to A2AR and a modification of the bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET technique that allows detection of interactions between two proteins expressed in different cell populations with low steric hindrance (NanoBRET, we show direct evidence of the specific formation of trimeric complexes CD26-ADA-A2AR involving two cells. By dynamic mass redistribution assays and ligand binding experiments, we also demonstrate that A2AR-NanoLuc fusion proteins are functional. The existence of this ternary complex is in good agreement with the hypothesis that ADA could bridge T-cells (expressing CD26 and dendritic cells (expressing A2AR. This is a new metabolic function for ecto-ADA that, being a single chain protein, it has been considered as an example of moonlighting protein, because it performs more than one functional role (as a catalyst, a costimulator, an allosteric modulator and a cell-to-cell connector without partitioning these functions in different subunits.

  20. Identification of a Conserved Interface of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Vifs with Cullin 5.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Qinyong; Zhang, Zeli; Gertzen, Christoph G W; Häussinger, Dieter; Gohlke, Holger; Münk, Carsten

    2018-03-15

    Members of the apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like (APOBEC3 [A3]) family of DNA cytidine deaminases are intrinsic restriction factors against retroviruses. In felids such as the domestic cat ( Felis catus ), the A3 genes encode the A3Z2, A3Z3, and A3Z2Z3 antiviral cytidine deaminases. Only A3Z3 and A3Z2Z3 inhibit viral infectivity factor (Vif)-deficient feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). The FIV Vif protein interacts with Cullin (CUL), Elongin B (ELOB), and Elongin C (ELOC) to form an E3 ubiquitination complex to induce the degradation of feline A3s. However, the functional domains in FIV Vif for the interaction with Cullin are poorly understood. Here, we found that the expression of dominant negative CUL5 prevented the degradation of feline A3s by FIV Vif, while dominant negative CUL2 had no influence on the degradation of A3. In coimmunoprecipitation assays, FIV Vif bound to CUL5 but not CUL2. To identify the CUL5 interaction site in FIV Vif, the conserved amino acids from positions 47 to 160 of FIV Vif were mutated, but these mutations did not impair the binding of Vif to CUL5. By focusing on a potential zinc-binding motif (K175-C161-C184-C187) of FIV Vif, we found a conserved hydrophobic region (174IR175) that is important for the CUL5 interaction. Mutation of this region also impaired the FIV Vif-induced degradation of feline A3s. Based on a structural model of the FIV Vif-CUL5 interaction, the 52LW53 region in CUL5 was identified as mediating binding to FIV Vif. By comparing our results to the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Vif-CUL5 interaction surface (120IR121, a hydrophobic region that is localized in the zinc-binding motif), we suggest that the CUL5 interaction surface in the diverse HIV-1 and FIV Vifs is evolutionarily conserved, indicating a strong structural constraint. However, the FIV Vif-CUL5 interaction is zinc independent, which contrasts with the zinc dependence of HIV-1 Vif. IMPORTANCE Feline

  1. Deficiency in L-serine deaminase interferes with one-carbon metabolism and cell wall synthesis in Escherichia coli K-12.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiao; El-Hajj, Ziad W; Newman, Elaine

    2010-10-01

    Escherichia coli K-12 provided with glucose and a mixture of amino acids depletes L-serine more quickly than any other amino acid even in the presence of ammonium sulfate. A mutant without three 4Fe4S L-serine deaminases (SdaA, SdaB, and TdcG) of E. coli K-12 is unable to do this. The high level of L-serine that accumulates when such a mutant is exposed to amino acid mixtures starves the cells for C(1) units and interferes with cell wall synthesis. We suggest that at high concentrations, L-serine decreases synthesis of UDP-N-acetylmuramate-L-alanine by the murC-encoded ligase, weakening the cell wall and producing misshapen cells and lysis. The inhibition by high L-serine is overcome in several ways: by a large concentration of L-alanine, by overproducing MurC together with a low concentration of L-alanine, and by overproducing FtsW, thus promoting septal assembly and also by overexpression of the glycine cleavage operon. S-Adenosylmethionine reduces lysis and allows an extensive increase in biomass without improving cell division. This suggests that E. coli has a metabolic trigger for cell division. Without that reaction, if no other inhibition occurs, other metabolic functions can continue and cells can elongate and replicate their DNA, reaching at least 180 times their usual length, but cannot divide.

  2. Chemovirotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with EGFR-targeted and CD/UPRT-armed oncolytic measles virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaoui, K; Bossow, S; Grossardt, C; Leber, M F; Springfeld, C; Plinkert, P K; Kalle, C von; Ungerechts, G

    2012-03-01

    First-line treatment of recurrent and/or refractory head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is based on platinum, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and the monoclonal antiEGFR antibody cetuximab. However, in most cases this chemoimmunotherapy does not cure the disease, and more than 50% of HNSCC patients are dying because of local recurrence of the tumors. In the majority of cases, HNSCC overexpress the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and its presence is associated with a poor outcome. In this study, we engineered an EGFR-targeted oncolytic measles virus (MV), armed with the bifunctional enzyme cytosine deaminase/uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (CD/UPRT). CD/UPRT converts 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) into the chemotherapeutic 5-FU, a mainstay of HNSCC chemotherapy. This virus efficiently replicates in and lyses primary HNSCC cells in vitro. Arming with CD/UPRT mediates efficient prodrug activation with high bystander killing of non-infected tumor cells. In mice bearing primary HNSCC xenografts, intratumoral administration of MV-antiEGFR resulted in statistically significant tumor growth delay and prolongation of survival. Importantly, combination with 5-FC is superior to virus-only treatment leading to significant tumor growth inhibition. Thus, chemovirotherapy with EGFR-targeted and CD/UPRT-armed MV is highly efficacious in preclinical settings with direct translational implications for a planned Phase I clinical trial of MV for locoregional treatment of HNSCC.

  3. Utility of adenosine deaminase (ADA), PCR & thoracoscopy in differentiating tuberculous & non-tuberculous pleural effusion complicating chronic kidney disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Sravan; Agarwal, Ritesh; Bal, Amanjit; Sharma, Kusum; Singh, Navneet; Aggarwal, Ashutosh N; Verma, Indu; Rana, Satyawati V; Jha, Vivekanand

    2015-03-01

    Pleural effusion is a common occurrence in patients with late-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD). In developing countries, many effusions remain undiagnosed after pleural fluid analysis (PFA) and patients are empirically treated with antitubercular therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of adenosine deaminase (ADA), nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) and medical thoracoscopy in distinguishing tubercular and non-tubercular aetiologies in exudative pleural effusions complicating CKD. Consecutive stage 4 and 5 CKD patients with pleural effusions underwent PFA including ADA and PCR [65 kDa gene; multiplex (IS6110, protein antigen b, MPB64)]. Patients with exudative pleural effusion undiagnosed after PFA underwent medical thoracoscopy. All 107 patients underwent thoracocentesis with 45 and 62 patients diagnosed as transudative and exudative pleural effusions, respectively. Twenty six of the 62 patients underwent medical thoracoscopy. Tuberculous pleurisy was diagnosed in six while uraemic pleuritis was diagnosed in 20 subjects. The sensitivity and specificity of pleural fluid ADA, 65 kDa gene PCR, and multiplex PCR were 66.7 and 90 per cent, 100 and 50 per cent, and 100 and 100 per cent, respectively. Thoracoscopy was associated with five complications in three patients. Uraemia remains the most common cause of pleural effusion in CKD even in high TB prevalence country. Multiplex PCR and thoracoscopy are useful investigations in the diagnostic work-up of pleural effusions complicating CKD while the sensitivity and/or specificity of ADA and 65 kDa gene PCR is poor.

  4. Effects of exposure to Streptococcus iniae on microRNA expression in the head kidney of genetically improved farmed tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiang, Jun; Tao, Fanyi; He, Jie; Sun, Lanyi; Xu, Pao; Bao, Wenjin

    2017-02-20

    Genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT, Oreochromis niloticus) are susceptible to infection by Streptococcus iniae when maintained in modern intensive culture systems. GIFT are commercially important fishes that are cultured widely in southern China. The role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the regulatory response of GIFT to S. iniae infection has been underestimated and has not yet been well studied. Head kidney has an important immune function in teleost fishes. The main aim of this study was to determine the possible function of miRNAs in head kidney of S. iniae-infected GIFT. MiRNAs are small, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by binding to the 3'-untranslated regions of their target mRNAs. MiRNAs are known to regulate immune-regulated signaling and inflammatory response pathways. High-throughput deep sequencing of two libraries (control group [CO] and infected group [IN]) of RNA extracted from GIFT head kidney tissues generated 12,089,630 (CO) and 12,624,975 (IN) clean reads. Bioinformatics analysis identified 1736 and 1729 conserved miRNAs and 164 and 165 novel miRNAs in the CO and IN libraries, respectively. Three miRNAs (miR-310-3p, miR-92, and miR-127) were found to be up-regulated and four miRNAs (miR-92d-3p, miR-375-5p, miR-146-3p, and miR-694) were found to be down-regulated in the S. iniae-infected GIFT. The expressions of these miRNAs were verified by quantitative real-time PCR. RNAhybrid and TargetScan were used to identify complementary miRNA and mRNA target sites, and the Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes databases were used to annotate and predict potential downstream regulation of biological pathways. Seven target genes, which encode immune-related proteins (complement C3, cytidine deaminase, regulator of G-protein Rgs22, mitogen-activated protein kinase Mapk1, metabotropic glutamate receptorm GluR8, calcium-sensing receptor CaSR, and microtubule-associated protein Map1S) were predicted to play crucial roles in the

  5. An Insight into the Environmental Effects of the Pocket of the Active Site of the Enzyme. Ab initio ONIOM-Molecular Dynamics (MD) Study on Cytosine Deaminase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsubara, Toshiaki; Dupuis, Michel; Aida, Misako

    2008-01-01

    We applied the ONIOM-molecular dynamics (MD) method to cytosine deaminase to examine the environmental effects of the amino acid residues in the pocket of the active site on the substrate taking account of their thermal motion. The ab initio ONIOM-MD simulations show that the substrate uracil is strongly perturbed by the amino acid residue Ile33, which sandwiches the uracil with His62, through the steric contact due to the thermal motion. As a result, the magnitude of the thermal oscillation of the potential energy and structure of the substrate uracil significantly increases. TM and MA were partly supported by grants from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.MD was supported by the Division of Chemical Sciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, and by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research of the U.S. Department of Energy DOE. Battelle operates Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for DOE

  6. Tumor targeted gene therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Joo Hyun

    2006-01-01

    Knowledge of molecular mechanisms governing malignant transformation brings new opportunities for therapeutic intervention against cancer using novel approaches. One of them is gene therapy based on the transfer of genetic material to an organism with the aim of correcting a disease. The application of gene therapy to the cancer treatment had led to the development of new experimental approaches such as suicidal gene therapy, inhibition of oncogenes and restoration of tumor-suppressor genes. Suicidal gene therapy is based on the expression in tumor cells of a gene encoding an enzyme that converts a prodrug into a toxic product. Representative suicidal genes are Herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-tk) and cytosine deaminase (CD). Especially, physicians and scientists of nuclear medicine field take an interest in suicidal gene therapy because they can monitor the location and magnitude, and duration of expression of HSV1-tk and CD by PET scanner

  7. Preclinical evaluation of transcriptional targeting strategy for human hepatocellular carcinoma in an orthotopic xenograft mouse model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sia, Kian Chuan; Huynh, Hung; Chung, Alexander Yaw Fui; Ooi, London Lucien Peng Jin; Lim, Kiat Hon; Hui, Kam Man; Lam, Paula Yeng Po

    2013-08-01

    Gene regulation of many key cell-cycle players in S-, G(2) phase, and mitosis results from transcriptional repression in their respective promoter regions during the G(0) and G(1) phases of cell cycle. Within these promoter regions are phylogenetically conserved sequences known as the cell-cycle-dependent element (CDE) and cell-cycle genes homology regions (CHR) sites. Thus, we hypothesize that transcriptional regulation of cell-cycle regulation via the CDE/CHR region together with liver-specific apolipoprotein E (apoE)-hAAT promoter could bring about a selective transgene expression in proliferating human hepatocellular carcinoma. We show that the newly generated vector AH-6CC-L2C could mediate hepatocyte-targeted luciferase gene expression in tumor cells and freshly isolated short-term hepatocellular carcinoma cultures from patient biopsy. In contrast, normal murine and human hepatocytes infected with AH-6CC-L2C expressed minimal or low luciferase activities. In the presence of prodrug 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC), AH-6CC-L2C effectively suppressed the growth of orthotopic hepatocellular carcinoma patient-derived xenograft mouse model via the expression of yeast cytosine deaminase (yCD) that converts 5-FC to anticancer metabolite 5-fluoruracil. More importantly, we show that combination treatment of AH-6CC-L2C with an EZH2 inhibitor, DZNep, that targets EpCAM-positive hepatocellular carcinoma, can bring about a greater therapeutic efficacy compared with a single treatment of virus or inhibitor. Our study showed that targeting proliferating human hepatocellular carcinoma cells through the transcriptional control of therapeutic gene could represent a feasible approach against hepatocellular carcinoma.

  8. Regulation of epithelial and lymphocyte cell adhesion by adenosine deaminase-CD26 interaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ginés, Silvia; Mariño, Marta; Mallol, Josefa; Canela, Enric I; Morimoto, Chikao; Callebaut, Christian; Hovanessian, Ara; Casadó, Vicent; Lluis, Carmen; Franco, Rafael

    2002-01-01

    The extra-enzymic function of cell-surface adenosine deaminase (ADA), an enzyme mainly localized in the cytosol but also found on the cell surface of monocytes, B cells and T cells, has lately been the subject of numerous studies. Cell-surface ADA is able to transduce co-stimulatory signals in T cells via its interaction with CD26, an integral membrane protein that acts as ADA-binding protein. The aim of the present study was to explore whether ADA-CD26 interaction plays a role in the adhesion of lymphocyte cells to human epithelial cells. To meet this aim, different lymphocyte cell lines (Jurkat and CEM T) expressing endogenous, or overexpressing human, CD26 protein were tested in adhesion assays to monolayers of colon adenocarcinoma human epithelial cells, Caco-2, which express high levels of cell-surface ADA. Interestingly, the adhesion of Jurkat and CEM T cells to a monolayer of Caco-2 cells was greatly dependent on CD26. An increase by 50% in the cell-to-cell adhesion was found in cells containing higher levels of CD26. Incubation with an anti-CD26 antibody raised against the ADA-binding site or with exogenous ADA resulted in a significant reduction (50-70%) of T-cell adhesion to monolayers of epithelial cells. The role of ADA-CD26 interaction in the lymphocyte-epithelial cell adhesion appears to be mediated by CD26 molecules that are not interacting with endogenous ADA (ADA-free CD26), since SKW6.4 (B cells) that express more cell-surface ADA showed lower adhesion than T cells. Adhesion stimulated by CD26 and ADA is mediated by T cell lymphocyte function-associated antigen. A role for ADA-CD26 interaction in cell-to-cell adhesion was confirmed further in integrin activation assays. FACS analysis revealed a higher expression of activated integrins on T cell lines in the presence of increasing amounts of exogenous ADA. Taken together, these results suggest that the ADA-CD26 interaction on the cell surface has a role in lymphocyte-epithelial cell adhesion. PMID

  9. Molecular characterization of adenosine 5'-monophosphate deaminase--the key enzyme responsible for the umami taste of nori (Porphyra yezoensis Ueda, Rhodophyta).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minami, Seiko; Sato, Minoru; Shiraiwa, Yoshihiro; Iwamoto, Koji

    2011-12-01

    The enzyme adenosine 5'-monophosphate deaminase (AMPD, EC 3.5.4.6) catalyzes the conversion of adenosine 5'-monophosphate to inosine 5'-mononucleotide (IMP). IMP is generally known as the compound responsible for the umami taste of the edible red alga Porphyra yezoensis Ueda that is known in Japan as nori. Therefore, we suspect that AMPD plays a key role in providing a favorable nori taste. In this study, we undertake the molecular characterization of nori-derived AMPD. The nori AMPD protein has a molecular mass of 55 kDa as estimated from both gel filtration and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The calculated molecular mass from the amino acid sequence deduced from cDNA is 57.1 kDa. The isoelectric point is 5.71. The coding region of AMPD consists of 1,566 bp encoding 522 amino acids and possesses a transmembrane domain and two N-glycosylation sites. The sequence identity of nori AMPD in human and yeast AMPDs was found to be less than 50% and 20% in DNA and amino acid sequences, respectively. Proline in the conserved motif of [SA]-[LIVM]-[NGS]-[STA]-D-D-P was found to be converted to glutamate. These results indicate that nori AMPD is a novel type of AMPD.

  10. Evidence that muscle cells do not express the histidine-rich glycoprotein associated with AMP deaminase but can internalise the plasma protein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.R.M. Sabbatini

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG is synthesized by liver and is present at relatively high concentration in the plasma of vertebrates. We have previously described the association of a HRG-like molecule to purified rabbit skeletal muscle AMP deaminase (AMPD. We also provided the first evidence for the presence of a HRG-like protein in human skeletal muscle where a positive correlation between HRG content and total determined AMPD activity has been shown. In the present paper we investigate the origin of skeletal muscle HRG. The screening of a human skeletal muscle cDNA expression library using an anti-HRG antibody failed to reveal any positive clone. The RT-PCR analysis, performed on human skeletal muscle RNA as well as on RNA from the rhabdomyosarcoma (RD cell line, failed to show any mRNA specific for the plasma HRG or for the putative muscle variant. When the RD cells were incubated with human plasma HRG, a time-dependent increase of the HRG immunoreactivity was detected both at the plasma membrane level and intracellularly. The internalisation of HRG was inhibited by the addition of heparin. The above data strongly suggest that skeletal muscle cells do not synthesize the muscle variant of HRG but instead can actively internalise it from plasma.

  11. ORF Alignment: NC_000913 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available amine-6-Phosphate ... Deaminase From E.Coli, T Conformer, At 1.9a Resolution ... pdb|1FS6|A Ch...ain A, Glucosamine-6-Phosphate Deaminase ... From E.Coli, T Conformer, At ...phate Isomerase pdb|1FRZ|B Chain B, ... Glucosamine-6-Phosphate Deaminase From E.Coli, R ... C...lution ... pdb|1FRZ|A Chain A, Glucosamine-6-Phosphate Deaminase ... From E.Coli, R Conformer....hate At 2.2 A ... Resolution pdb|1CD5|A Chain A, Glucosamine-6-Phosphate ... Deaminase From E.Coli

  12. Development of a simple and efficient method for assaying cytidine monophosphate sialic acid synthetase activity using an enzymatic reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide/oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide converting system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujita, Akiko; Sato, Chihiro; Münster-Kühnel, Anja-K; Gerardy-Schahn, Rita; Kitajima, Ken

    2005-02-01

    A new reliable method to assay the activity of cytidine monophosphate sialic acid (CMP-Sia) synthetase (CSS) has been developed. The activation of sialic acids (Sia) to CMP-Sia is a prerequisite for the de novo synthesis of sialoglycoconjugates. In vertebrates, CSS has been cloned from human, mouse, and rainbow trout, and the crystal structure has been resolved for the mouse enzyme. The mouse and rainbow trout enzyme have been compared with respect to substrate specificity, demonstrating that the mouse enzyme exhibits a pronounced specificity for N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac), while the rainbow trout CSS is equally active with either of three Sia species, Neu5Ac, N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc), and deaminoneuraminic acid (KDN). However, molecular details that explain the pronounced substrate specificities are unknown. Understanding the catalytic mechanisms of these enzymes is of major importance, since CSSs play crucial roles in cellular sialylation patterns and thus are potential drug targets in a number of pathophysiological situations. The availability of the cDNAs and the obtained structural data enable rational approaches; however, these efforts are limited by the lack of a reliable high-throughput assay system. Here we describe a new assay system that allows product quantification in a reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)-dependent color reaction. The activation reaction catalyzed by CSS, CTP+Sia-->CMP-Sia+pyrophosphate, was evaluated by a consumption of Sia, which corresponds to that of NADH on the following two successive reactions: (i) Sia-->pyruvate+ManNAc (or Man), catalyzed by a sialic acid lyase (SAL), and (ii) pyruvate+NADH-->lactate+oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), catalyzed by a lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Consumption of NADH can be photometrically monitored on a microtiter plate reader for a number of test samples at the same time. Furthermore, based on the quantification of CSS used in the SAL/LDH assay

  13. Deficiency in l-Serine Deaminase Interferes with One-Carbon Metabolism and Cell Wall Synthesis in Escherichia coli K-12▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiao; El-Hajj, Ziad W.; Newman, Elaine

    2010-01-01

    Escherichia coli K-12 provided with glucose and a mixture of amino acids depletes l-serine more quickly than any other amino acid even in the presence of ammonium sulfate. A mutant without three 4Fe4S l-serine deaminases (SdaA, SdaB, and TdcG) of E. coli K-12 is unable to do this. The high level of l-serine that accumulates when such a mutant is exposed to amino acid mixtures starves the cells for C1 units and interferes with cell wall synthesis. We suggest that at high concentrations, l-serine decreases synthesis of UDP-N-acetylmuramate-l-alanine by the murC-encoded ligase, weakening the cell wall and producing misshapen cells and lysis. The inhibition by high l-serine is overcome in several ways: by a large concentration of l-alanine, by overproducing MurC together with a low concentration of l-alanine, and by overproducing FtsW, thus promoting septal assembly and also by overexpression of the glycine cleavage operon. S-Adenosylmethionine reduces lysis and allows an extensive increase in biomass without improving cell division. This suggests that E. coli has a metabolic trigger for cell division. Without that reaction, if no other inhibition occurs, other metabolic functions can continue and cells can elongate and replicate their DNA, reaching at least 180 times their usual length, but cannot divide. PMID:20729359

  14. Serum Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) Activity: A Novel Screening Test to Differentiate HIV Monoinfection From HIV-HBV and HIV-HCV Coinfections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdi, Mohammad; Rahbari, Rizgar; Khatooni, Zahed; Naseri, Nima; Najafi, Adel; Khodadadi, Iraj

    2016-05-01

    CD4(+) cell count, the common HIV infection screening test, is costly and unable to differentiate HIV monoinfection from its concurrent infection with hepatitis B or C virus. We aimed to ascertain diagnostic value of serum adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity as a useful tool to differentiate HIV mono- and co-infection. Blood samples were collected from 30 HIV-HBV and 30 HIV-HCV coinfected patients, 33 HIV positive subjects, and 72 controls. CD4(+) cell count, serum total ADA (tADA), and ADA1, and ADA2 isoenzyme activities were determined and their sensitivity and specificity were computed. tADA and ADA2 activities were significantly higher and CD4(+) counts were markedly lower in all patients compared with controls. Strong inverse agreements between CD4(+) cell counts and both tADA and ADA2 activities were observed. Serum tADA and ADA1 activities showed the highest specificity and the highest sensitivity, respectively, for differentiating HIV monoinfection from HIV-HBV and HIV-HCV coinfections. We showed strong agreement and correlation between CD4(+) cell count and ADA enzyme activity. Based on high ADA sensitivity and specificity, it is concluded that determination of ADA activity might be a novel diagnostic tool to distinguish of HIV monoinfection from its coinfection with HBV or HCV. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Assignment of adenosine deaminase complexing protein (ADCP) gene(s) to human chromosome 2 in rodent-human somatic cell hybrids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herbschleb-Voogt, E; Grzeschik, K H; Pearson, P L; Meera Khan, P

    1981-01-01

    The experiments reported in this paper indicate that the expression of human adenosine deaminase complexing protein (ADCP) in the human-rodent somatic cell hybrids is influenced by the state of confluency of the cells and the background rodent genome. Thus, the complement of the L-cell derived A9 or B82 mouse parent apparently prevents the expression of human ADCP in the interspecific somatic cell hybrids. In the a3, E36, or RAG hybrids the human ADCP expression was not prevented by the rodent genome and was found to be proportional to the degree of confluency of the cell in the culture as in the case of primary human fibroblasts. An analysis of human chromosomes, chromosome specific enzyme markers, and ADCP in a panel of rodent-human somatic cell hybrids optimally maintained and harvested at full confluency has shown that the expression of human ADCP in the mouse (RAG)-human as well as in the hamster (E36 or a3)-human hybrids is determined by a gene(s) in human chromosome 2 and that neither chromosome 6 nor any other of the chromosomes of man carry any gene(s) involved in the formation of human ADCP at least in the Chinese hamster-human hybrids. A series of rodent-human hybrid clones exhibiting a mitotic separation of IDH1 and MDH1 indicated that ADCP is most probably situated between corresponding loci in human chromosome 2.

  16. Can pleural adenosine deaminase (ADA) levels in pleural tuberculosis predict the presence of pulmonary tuberculosis? A CT analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koh, Myung Je; Lee, In Jae; Kim, Joo-Hee

    2016-01-01

    Aim: To assess the relationship between imaging features of pulmonary tuberculosis at computed tomography (CT) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) values via pleural fluid analysis in patients with pleural tuberculosis. Materials and methods: This retrospective study enrolled 60 patients who underwent fluid analysis for ADA and chest CT and were diagnosed with tuberculosis by culture or polymerase chain reaction of pleural fluid and sputum. The presence of centrilobular nodules, consolidation, cavitation, and mediastinal lymphadenopathy at CT were evaluated. The relationship between ADA values and the pattern of pulmonary involvement of tuberculosis was analysed. Results: Pulmonary involvement was seen in 42 of the 60 patients. A centrilobular nodular pattern was seen in 37 and consolidation in 22. In 17 patients, both findings were identified. A centrilobular nodular pattern was more common than consolidation or cavitary lesions. When ADA values were high, pulmonary involvement was more frequent (p=0.002). Comparing low and high ADA groups using an obtained cut-off value of 80 IU/l, the high group had more frequent pulmonary involvement (p<0.001). Conclusion: Patients with tuberculous pleurisy who had high ADA values had a higher probability of manifesting pulmonary tuberculosis. High ADA values may help predict contagious pleuroparenchymal tuberculosis. The most common pulmonary involvement of tuberculous pleurisy showed a centrilobular nodular pattern. - Highlights: • To know the relationship of ADA values and pulmonary involvement pattern of pleural tuberculosis. • To help exact diagnosis of pleuroparenchymal tuberculosis in clinical setting. • The imaging findings of pleuroparenchymal tuberculosis.

  17. Detection of protonated non-Watson-Crick base pairs using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishida, Riyoko; Iwahashi, Hideo

    2018-03-01

    Many studies have shown that protonated nucleic acid base pairs are involved in a wide variety of nucleic acid structures. However, little information is available on relative stability of hemiprotonated self- and non-self-dimers at monomer level. We used electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) to evaluate the relative stability under various concentrations of hydrogen ion. These enable conjecture of the formation of protonated non-Watson-Crick base pairs based on DNA and RNA base sequence. In the present study, we observed that ESI-MS peaks corresponded to respective self-dimers for all examined nucleosides except for adenosine. Peak heights depended on the concentration of hydrogen ion. The ESI-MS peak heights of the hemiprotonated cytidine dimers and the hemiprotonated thymidine dimer sharply increased with increased concentration of hydrogen ion, suggesting direct participation of hydrogen ion in dimer formations. In ESI-MS measurements of the solutions containing adenosine, cytidine, thymidine and guanosine, we observed protonated cytidine-guanosine dimer (CH+-G) and protonated cytidine-thymidine dimer (CH+-T) in addition to hemiprotonated cytidine-cytidine dimer (CH+-C) with following relative peak height, (CH+-C) > (CH+-G) ≈ (CH+-T) > (CH+-A). Additionally, in the ESI-MS measurements of solutions containing adenosine, thymidine and guanosine, we observed a considerable amount of protonated adenosine-guanosine (AH+-G) and protonated adenosine-thymidine (AH+-T).

  18. Mediator facilitates transcriptional activation and dynamic long-range contacts at the IgH locus during class switch recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas-Claudepierre, Anne-Sophie; Robert, Isabelle; Rocha, Pedro P; Raviram, Ramya; Schiavo, Ebe; Heyer, Vincent; Bonneau, Richard; Luo, Vincent M; Reddy, Janardan K; Borggrefe, Tilman; Skok, Jane A; Reina-San-Martin, Bernardo

    2016-03-07

    Immunoglobulin (Ig) class switch recombination (CSR) is initiated by the transcription-coupled recruitment of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) to Ig switch regions (S regions). During CSR, the IgH locus undergoes dynamic three-dimensional structural changes in which promoters, enhancers, and S regions are brought to close proximity. Nevertheless, little is known about the underlying mechanisms. In this study, we show that Med1 and Med12, two subunits of the mediator complex implicated in transcription initiation and long-range enhancer/promoter loop formation, are dynamically recruited to the IgH locus enhancers and the acceptor regions during CSR and that their knockdown in CH12 cells results in impaired CSR. Furthermore, we show that conditional inactivation of Med1 in B cells results in defective CSR and reduced acceptor S region transcription. Finally, we show that in B cells undergoing CSR, the dynamic long-range contacts between the IgH enhancers and the acceptor regions correlate with Med1 and Med12 binding and that they happen at a reduced frequency in Med1-deficient B cells. Our results implicate the mediator complex in the mechanism of CSR and are consistent with a model in which mediator facilitates the long-range contacts between S regions and the IgH locus enhancers during CSR and their transcriptional activation. © 2016 Thomas-Claudepierre et al.

  19. Expression of Immunoglobulin Receptors with Distinctive Features Indicating Antigen Selection by Marginal Zone B Cells from Human Spleen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colombo, Monica; Cutrona, Giovanna; Reverberi, Daniele; Bruno, Silvia; Ghiotto, Fabio; Tenca, Claudya; Stamatopoulos, Kostas; Hadzidimitriou, Anastasia; Ceccarelli, Jenny; Salvi, Sandra; Boccardo, Simona; Calevo, Maria Grazia; De Santanna, Amleto; Truini, Mauro; Fais, Franco; Ferrarini, Manlio

    2013-01-01

    Marginal zone (MZ) B cells, identified as surface (s)IgMhighsIgDlowCD23low/−CD21+CD38− B cells, were purified from human spleens, and the features of their V(D)J gene rearrangements were investigated and compared with those of germinal center (GC), follicular mantle (FM) and switched memory (SM) B cells. Most MZ B cells were CD27+ and exhibited somatic hypermutations (SHM), although to a lower extent than SM B cells. Moreover, among MZ B-cell rearrangements, recurrent sequences were observed, some of which displayed intraclonal diversification. The same diversifying sequences were detected in very low numbers in GC and FM B cells and only when a highly sensitive, gene-specific polymerase chain reaction was used. This result indicates that MZ B cells could expand and diversify in situ and also suggested the presence of a number of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID)-expressing B cells in the MZ. The notion of antigen-driven expansion/selection in situ is further supported by the VH CDR3 features of MZ B cells with highly conserved amino acids at specific positions and by the finding of shared (“stereotyped”) sequences in two different spleens. Collectively, the data are consistent with the notion that MZ B cells are a special subset selected by in situ antigenic stimuli. PMID:23877718

  20. Histone H3.3 promotes IgV gene diversification by enhancing formation of AID-accessible single-stranded DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romanello, Marina; Schiavone, Davide; Frey, Alexander; Sale, Julian E

    2016-07-01

    Immunoglobulin diversification is driven by activation-induced deaminase (AID), which converts cytidine to uracil within the Ig variable (IgV) regions. Central to the recruitment of AID to the IgV genes are factors that regulate the generation of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), the enzymatic substrate of AID Here, we report that chicken DT40 cells lacking variant histone H3.3 exhibit reduced IgV sequence diversification. We show that this results from impairment of the ability of AID to access the IgV genes due to reduced formation of ssDNA during IgV transcription. Loss of H3.3 also diminishes IgV R-loop formation. However, reducing IgV R-loops by RNase HI overexpression in wild-type cells does not affect IgV diversification, showing that these structures are not necessary intermediates for AID access. Importantly, the reduction in the formation of AID-accessible ssDNA in cells lacking H3.3 is independent of any effect on the level of transcription or the kinetics of RNAPII elongation, suggesting the presence of H3.3 in the nucleosomes of the IgV genes increases the chances of the IgV DNA becoming single-stranded, thereby creating an effective AID substrate. © 2016 MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.

  1. Mechanism of interaction of the antileukemic drug cytosine arabinoside with aromatic peptides: role of sugar conformation and peptide backbone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Datta, G; Hosur, R V; Verma, N C; Khetrapal, C L; Gurnani, S

    1989-01-01

    Interaction of the antileukemic drugs, cytosine-arabinoside (Ara-C) and adenosine-arabinoside (Ara-A) and a structural analogue, cytidine, with aromatic dipeptides has been studied by fluorescence and NMR spectroscopy. Ara-C and cytidine bind tryptophanyl and histidyl dipeptides but not tyrosyl dipeptides, while Ara-A does not bind to any of them. Both studies indicate association involving stacking of aromatic moieties. NMR spectra also indicate a protonation of the histidine moiety by Ara-C. In case of cytidine, the chemical shifts observed on binding to His-Phe imply that the backbone protons of the dipeptide participate in the binding. The conformation of the sugar and the base seem to play a very important role in the binding phenomenon as three similar molecules, Ara-C, Ara-A and cytidine bind in totally different ways.

  2. G22A Polymorphism of Adenosine Deaminase and its Association with Biochemical Characteristics of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in an Iranian Population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Ali Takhshid

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Adenosine deaminase (ADA is an important regulator of insulin action. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP G22A in the ADA gene decreases enzymatic activity of ADA. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the SNP G22A and blood glycemic control, insulin resistance, and obesity of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM patients in an Iranian population. SNP G22A was determined in women with GDM (N=70 and healthy pregnant women (control, N=70 using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG, hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c, plasma insulin levels and plasma lipids were measured using commercial kits. Homeostasis model of assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR was calculated. The distribution of genotypes and alleles among GDM patients was similar to that of the control group. FPG and HbA1c were significantly higher in GDM patients with GG genotype compared with GDM patients with GA+AA genotype and non-GDM patients. The frequency of GG genotype was significantly higher in obese GDM patients compared to lean GDM patients. The SNP G22A in the ADA gene was not associated with the risk of GDM in our population. GG genotype was associated with poor glycemic control and obesity in GDM patients.

  3. Five-chlorodeoxycytidine, a tumor-selective enzyme-driven radiosensitizer, effectively controls five advanced human tumors in nude mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greer, Sheldon; Alvarez, Marcy; Mas, Marisol; Wozniak, Chandra; Arnold, David; Knapinska, Anna; Norris, Christina; Burk, Ronald; Aller, Alex; Dauphinee, Michael

    2001-01-01

    Purpose: The study's goals were as follows: (1) to extend our past findings with rodent tumors to human tumors in nude mice, (2) to determine if the drug protocol could be simplified so that only CldC and one modulator, tetrahydrouridine (H 4 U), would be sufficient to obtain efficacy, (3) to determine the levels of deoxycytidine kinase and dCMP deaminase in human tumors, compared to adjacent normal tissue, and (4) to determine the effect of CldC on normal tissue radiation damage to the cervical spinal cord of nude mice. Methods and Materials: The five human tumors used were as follows: prostate tumors, PC-3 and H-1579; glioblastoma, SF-295; breast tumor, GI-101; and lung tumor, H-165. The duration of treatment was 3-5 weeks, with drugs administered on Days 1-4 and radiation on Days 3-5 of each week. The biomodulators of CldC were N-(Phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartate (PALA), an inhibitor of aspartyl transcarbamoylase, 5-fluorodeoxycytidine (FdC), resulting in tumor-directed inhibition of thymidylate synthetase, and H 4 U, an inhibitor of cytidine deaminase. The total dose of focused irradiation of the tumors was usually 45 Gy in 12 fractions. Results: Marked radiosensitization was obtained with CldC and the three modulators. The average days in tumor regrowth delay for X-ray compared to drugs plus X-ray, respectively, were: PC-3 prostate, 42-97; H-1579 prostate, 29-115; glioblastoma, 5-51; breast, 50-80; lung, 32-123. Comparative studies with PC-3 and H-1579 using CldC coadministered with H 4 U, showed that both PALA and FdC are dispensable, and the protocol can be simplified with equal and possibly heightened efficacy. For example, PC-3 with X-ray and (1) no drugs, (2) CldC plus the three modulators, (3) a high dose of CldC, and (4) escalating doses of CldC resulted in 0/10, 3/9, 5/10, and 6/9 cures, respectively. The tumor regrowth delay data followed a similar pattern. After treating mice only 1((1)/(2)) weeks with CldC + H 4 U, 92% of the PC-3 tumor cells were found

  4. Cholangiocarcinomas associated with long-term inflammation express the activation-induced cytidine deaminase and germinal center-associated nuclear protein involved in immunoglobulin V-region diversification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan-On, Waraporn; Kuwahara, Kazuhiko; Kobayashi, Naoya; Ohta, Kazutaka; Shimasaki, Tatsuya; Sripa, Banchob; Leelayuwat, Chanvit; Sakaguchi, Nobuo

    2009-08-01

    Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) represents a model of tumor development after long-term inflammation which causes DNA damage or impairs DNA repair mechanism. AID and GANP, both appearing in antigen-driven B cells, are involved in affinity maturation of the immunoglobulin V-region with increased somatic mutation. A normal cholangiocyte line showed the induction of AID transcripts after stimulation with TNF-alpha, whereas ganp transcripts appeared constitutively in this cell line. Next, we examined the expression of AID and GANP in clinical CCA specimens to obtain information whether their expression levels are associated with the malignant grade of CCA. AID expression was similarly detected in the clinical cases of both well-differentiated and poorly-differentiated CCAs. On the contrary, GANP expression was detected in CCA cells at a higher level in the nucleus of poorly-differentiated CCAs with shorter survivals than in that of well-differentiated CCAs. The high and low cases of nuclear GANP expression showed no change in the frequency of the TP53 mutations, however, further investigation by in vitro experiment demonstrated that the high GANP expression caused the increased number of gammaH2AX foci after DNA damage by ionizing-irradiation. These results suggest that GANP is involved in regulation of DNA repair mechanism and the abnormal over-expression of GANP together with AID might be associated with rigorous DNA damage, potentially causing the malignant development of CCAs during long-term inflammation.

  5. Error-free versus mutagenic processing of genomic uracil--relevance to cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krokan, Hans E; Sætrom, Pål; Aas, Per Arne; Pettersen, Henrik Sahlin; Kavli, Bodil; Slupphaug, Geir

    2014-07-01

    Genomic uracil is normally processed essentially error-free by base excision repair (BER), with mismatch repair (MMR) as an apparent backup for U:G mismatches. Nuclear uracil-DNA glycosylase UNG2 is the major enzyme initiating BER of uracil of U:A pairs as well as U:G mismatches. Deficiency in UNG2 results in several-fold increases in genomic uracil in mammalian cells. Thus, the alternative uracil-removing glycosylases, SMUG1, TDG and MBD4 cannot efficiently complement UNG2-deficiency. A major function of SMUG1 is probably to remove 5-hydroxymethyluracil from DNA with general back-up for UNG2 as a minor function. TDG and MBD4 remove deamination products U or T mismatched to G in CpG/mCpG contexts, but may have equally or more important functions in development, epigenetics and gene regulation. Genomic uracil was previously thought to arise only from spontaneous cytosine deamination and incorporation of dUMP, generating U:G mismatches and U:A pairs, respectively. However, the identification of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) and other APOBEC family members as DNA-cytosine deaminases has spurred renewed interest in the processing of genomic uracil. Importantly, AID triggers the adaptive immune response involving error-prone processing of U:G mismatches, but also contributes to B-cell lymphomagenesis. Furthermore, mutational signatures in a substantial fraction of other human cancers are consistent with APOBEC-induced mutagenesis, with U:G mismatches as prime suspects. Mutations can be caused by replicative polymerases copying uracil in U:G mismatches, or by translesion polymerases that insert incorrect bases opposite abasic sites after uracil-removal. In addition, kataegis, localized hypermutations in one strand in the vicinity of genomic rearrangements, requires APOBEC protein, UNG2 and translesion polymerase REV1. What mechanisms govern error-free versus error prone processing of uracil in DNA remains unclear. In conclusion, genomic uracil is an

  6. Lower frequency of the low activity adenosine deaminase allelic variant (ADA1*2 in schizophrenic patients Diminuição da frequência da variante alélica de baixa atividade da adenosina desaminase (ADA1*2 em pacientes esquizofrênicos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gustavo Pimentel Dutra

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Adenosine may play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, since it modulates the release of several neurotransmitters such as glutamate, dopamine, serotonin and acetylcholine, decreases neuronal activity by pos-synaptic hyperpolarization and inhibits dopaminergic activity. Adenosine deaminase participates in purine metabolism by converting adenosine into inosine. The most frequent functional polymorphism of adenosine deaminase (22G→A (ADA1*2 exhibits 20-30% lower enzymatic activity in individuals with the G/A genotype than individuals with the G/G genotype. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ADA polymorphism 22G→A (ADA1*2 in schizophrenic patients and healthy controls. METHOD: The genotypes of the ADA 22G→A were identified with allele-specific PCR strategy in 152 schizophrenic patients and 111 healthy individuals. RESULTS: A significant decrease in the frequency of the G/A genotype was seen in schizophrenic patients (7/152 - 4.6% relative to controls (13/111 - 11.7%, p = 0.032, OR = 2.6. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the G/A genotype associated with low adenosine deaminase activity and, supposingly, with higher adenosine levels is less frequent among schizophrenic patients.OBJETIVO: A adenosina pode ter um papel importante na fisiopatologia da esquizofrenia, uma vez que modula a liberação de vários neurotransmissores, tais como glutamato, dopamina, serotonina e acetilcolina, diminui a atividade neuronal por hiperpolarização pós-sináptica e inibe a atividade dopaminérgica. A adenosina desaminase participa do metabolismo das purinas pela conversão de adenosina em inosina. O mais frequente polimorfismo funcional da adenosina desaminase (22G →A (ADA1*2 exibe uma diminuição de 20-30% da atividade funcional em indivíduos com genótipo G/A quando comparados com indivíduos com o genótipo G/G. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o polimorfismo 22G→A (ADA1*2 em pacientes esquizofrênicos e em

  7. Selective in vivo radiosensitization by 5-fluorocytosine of human colorectal carcinoma cells transduced with the E. coli cytosine deaminase (CD) gene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gabel, M.; Kim, J.H.; Kolozsvary, A.; Khil, M.; Freytag, S.

    1998-01-01

    Purpose: The E. coli cytosine deaminase (CD) gene encodes an enzyme capable of converting the nontoxic prodrug 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a known radiosensitizer. Having previously shown that combined CD suicide gene therapy and radiation (RT) results in pronounced radiosensitization in vitro, we progressed to in vivo studies of combined therapy. Methods and Materials: WiDr human colon cancer cells were transduced in vitro with the CD gene and cells expressing CD were selected for use as xenografts in a nude mouse model. After administration of 5-FC, tumors received 10-30 Gy local field radiation (RT) and tumor growth delay was compared to control animals receiving either 5-FU, 5-FC, or RT alone. Results: Maximal growth delay was seen in mice treated with 5-FC for 6 consecutive days prior to RT. Combined treatment with 15 Gy radiation resulted in a dose-modifying factor (DMF) of 1.50, and a greater DMF was observed with higher doses of radiation. There was no appreciable toxicity using this new approach. In contrast, a similar treatment of combined 5-FU and radiation resulted in considerable toxicity and no appreciable radiosensitization. Conclusion: The present results show that combined suicide gene therapy and RT results in pronounced antitumor effect without any notable toxicity. This indicates that the CD gene may be useful in the development of novel treatment strategies combining radiation and gene therapy in the treatment of locally advanced cancers

  8. Curcumin improves episodic memory in cadmium induced memory impairment through inhibition of acetylcholinesterase and adenosine deaminase activities in a rat model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akinyemi, Ayodele Jacob; Okonkwo, Princess Kamsy; Faboya, Opeyemi Ayodeji; Onikanni, Sunday Amos; Fadaka, Adewale; Olayide, Israel; Akinyemi, Elizabeth Olufisayo; Oboh, Ganiyu

    2017-02-01

    Curcumin, the main polyphenolic component of turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizomes has been reported to exert cognitive enhancing potential with limited scientific basis. Hence, this study sought to evaluate the effect of curcumin on cerebral cortex acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) activities in cadmium (Cd)-induced memory impairment in rats. Animals were divided into six groups (n = 6): saline/vehicle, saline/curcumin 12.5 mg/kg, saline/curcumin 25 mg/kg, Cd/vehicle, Cd/curcumin 12.5 mg/kg, and Cd/curcumin 25 mg/kg. Rats received Cd (2.5 mg/kg) and curcumin (12.5 and 25 mg/kg, respectively) by gavage for 7 days. The results of this study revealed that cerebral cortex AChE and ADA activities were increased in Cd-poisoned rats, and curcumin co-treatment reversed these activities to the control levels. Furthermore, Cd intoxication increased the level of lipid peroxidation in cerebral cortex with a concomitant decreased in functional sulfuhydryl (-SH) group and nitric oxide (NO), a potent neurotransmitter and neuromodulatory agent. However, the co-treatment with curcumin at 12.5 and 25 mg/kg, respectively increased the non-enzymatic antioxidant status and NO in cerebral cortex with a decreased in malondialdehyde (MDA) level. Therefore, inhibition of AChE and ADA activities as well as increased antioxidant status by curcumin in Cd-induced memory dysfunction could suggest some possible mechanism of action for their cognitive enhancing properties.

  9. Evaluation of a diagnostic flow chart applying medical thoracoscopy, adenosine deaminase and T-SPOT.TB in diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Y; Zhang, W; Huang, T; Wang, X; Wang, M

    2015-10-01

    To evaluate a diagnostic flow chart applying medical thoracoscoy (MT), adenosine deaminase (ADA) and T-SPOT.TB in diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) at a high TB burden country. 136 patients with pleural effusion (PE) were enrolled and divided into TPE and Non-TPE group. MT (histology), PE ADA and T-SPOT.TB were conducted on all patients. ROC analysis was performed for the best cut-off value of PE ADA in detection of TPE. The diagnostic flow chart applying MT, ADA and T-SPOT.TB was evaluated for improving the limitations of each diagnostic method. ROC analysis showed that the best cut-off value of PE ADA was 30U/L. The sensitivity and specificity of these tests were calculated respectively to be: 71.4% (58.5%-81.6%) and 100% (95.4-100.0%) for MT, 92.9% (83.0-97.2%) and 68.8% (57.9-77.9%) for T-SPOT.TB, and 80.0% (69.6-88.1%) and 92.9% (82.7-98.0%) for PE ADA. The sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the diagnostic flow chart were 96.4% (87.9-99.0%), 96.3% (89.6-98.7%), 25.714, 0.037, 97.4 and 94.9, respectively. The diagnostic flow chart applying MT, ADA and T-SPOT.TB is an accurate and rapid diagnostic method in detection of TPE.

  10. Expression of immunoglobulin G in human podocytes, and its role in cell viability and adhesion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jing, Ziyang; Deng, Hui; Ma, Junfan; Guo, Yanhong; Liang, Yaoxian; Wu, Rui; A, Lata; Geng, Zihan; Qiu, Xiaoyan; Wang, Yue

    2018-06-01

    Podocyte injury occurs during the initiation and development of numerous forms of glomerular disease, and antibodies targeting podocytes have become a biomarker for diagnosis and monitoring treatment response. Accumulating evidence has suggested that immunoglobulin (Ig) is expressed in non‑B lineage cells, including epithelial cancer cells, myeloid cells and several types of normal cells. The main aim of the present study was to ascertain the expression of IgG in human podocytes and to determine its potential role in cellular bioactivity. The present study detected positive staining for IgG heavy chain (Igγ) and its subtype γ4, and the light chains κ and λ in the cytoplasm or on the membrane by immunofluorescence. In addition, positive bands were detected for Igγ, γ1, γ3, γ4, κ and λ in the lysates of a podocyte cell line by western blotting. Mass spectrometry confirmed IgG1 as an intact tetramer in the culture supernatant. Constant region transcripts of Igγ, γ1, γ3, γ4, κ and λ were identified by reverse transcription‑polymerase chain reaction, and DNA sequencing of these transcripts revealed 96‑99% similarity with Ig mRNAs in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database. Compared with the diverse gene rearrangements from B cell-derived Ig, podocyte‑derived Ig exhibited conservative V(D)J patterns in the variable regions of Igγ and κ chains. Furthermore, the present study investigated the mechanism underlying IgG production in these cells by examining the expression of recombination activating gene (RAG)1, RAG2 and activation‑induced cytidine deaminase. The expression levels of these proteins suggested that podocyte‑derived Ig and traditional Ig may be generated in a similar manner. Furthermore, small interfering RNA‑mediated downregulation of IgG expression reduced podocyte viability and adhesive capabilities. These findings suggested that IgG is expressed in podocytes and that this expression may be associated

  11. Functional Versatility of AGY Serine Codons in Immunoglobulin Variable Region Genes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thiago Detanico

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available In systemic autoimmunity, autoantibodies directed against nuclear antigens (Ag often arise by somatic hypermutation (SHM that converts AGT and AGC (AGY Ser codons into Arg codons. This can occur by three different single-base changes. Curiously, AGY Ser codons are far more abundant in complementarity-determining regions (CDRs of IgV-region genes than expected for random codon use or from species-specific codon frequency data. CDR AGY codons are also more abundant than TCN Ser codons. We show that these trends hold even in cartilaginous fishes. Because AGC is a preferred target for SHM by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID, we asked whether the AGY abundance was solely due to a selection pressure to conserve high mutability in CDRs regardless of codon context but found that this was not the case. Instead, AGY triplets were selectively enriched in the Ser codon reading frame. Motivated by reports implicating a functional role for poly/autoreactive specificities in anti-viral antibodies, we also analyzed mutations at AGY in antibodies directed against a number of different viruses, and found that mutations producing Arg codons in anti-viral antibodies were indeed frequent. Unexpectedly, however, we also found that AGY codons mutated often to encode nearly all of the amino acids that are reported to provide the most frequent contacts with antigen (Ag. In many cases, mutations producing codons for these alternative amino acids in anti-viral antibodies were more frequent than those producing Arg codons. Mutations producing each of these key amino acids required only single-base changes in AGY. AGY is the only codon group in which 2/3rds of random mutations generate codons for these key residues. Finally, by directly analyzing x-ray structures of immune complexes from the RCSB protein database, we found that Ag-contact residues generated via somatic hypermutation occurred more often at AGY than at any other codon group. Thus, preservation of

  12. [18F]CFA as a clinically translatable probe for PET imaging of deoxycytidine kinase activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Woosuk; Le, Thuc M; Wei, Liu; Poddar, Soumya; Bazzy, Jimmy; Wang, Xuemeng; Uong, Nhu T; Abt, Evan R; Capri, Joseph R; Austin, Wayne R; Van Valkenburgh, Juno S; Steele, Dalton; Gipson, Raymond M; Slavik, Roger; Cabebe, Anthony E; Taechariyakul, Thotsophon; Yaghoubi, Shahriar S; Lee, Jason T; Sadeghi, Saman; Lavie, Arnon; Faull, Kym F; Witte, Owen N; Donahue, Timothy R; Phelps, Michael E; Herschman, Harvey R; Herrmann, Ken; Czernin, Johannes; Radu, Caius G

    2016-04-12

    Deoxycytidine kinase (dCK), a rate-limiting enzyme in the cytosolic deoxyribonucleoside (dN) salvage pathway, is an important therapeutic and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging target in cancer. PET probes for dCK have been developed and are effective in mice but have suboptimal specificity and sensitivity in humans. To identify a more suitable probe for clinical dCK PET imaging, we compared the selectivity of two candidate compounds-[(18)F]Clofarabine; 2-chloro-2'-deoxy-2'-[(18)F]fluoro-9-β-d-arabinofuranosyl-adenine ([(18)F]CFA) and 2'-deoxy-2'-[(18)F]fluoro-9-β-d-arabinofuranosyl-guanine ([(18)F]F-AraG)-for dCK and deoxyguanosine kinase (dGK), a dCK-related mitochondrial enzyme. We demonstrate that, in the tracer concentration range used for PET imaging, [(18)F]CFA is primarily a substrate for dCK, with minimal cross-reactivity. In contrast, [(18)F]F-AraG is a better substrate for dGK than for dCK. [(18)F]CFA accumulation in leukemia cells correlated with dCK expression and was abrogated by treatment with a dCK inhibitor. Although [(18)F]CFA uptake was reduced by deoxycytidine (dC) competition, this inhibition required high dC concentrations present in murine, but not human, plasma. Expression of cytidine deaminase, a dC-catabolizing enzyme, in leukemia cells both in cell culture and in mice reduced the competition between dC and [(18)F]CFA, leading to increased dCK-dependent probe accumulation. First-in-human, to our knowledge, [(18)F]CFA PET/CT studies showed probe accumulation in tissues with high dCK expression: e.g., hematopoietic bone marrow and secondary lymphoid organs. The selectivity of [(18)F]CFA for dCK and its favorable biodistribution in humans justify further studies to validate [(18)F]CFA PET as a new cancer biomarker for treatment stratification and monitoring.

  13. Aprotic solvent systems provide mechanistic windows for biomolecular reactions: nucleic acid proton exchange

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McConnell, B.; Tan, A.

    1986-01-01

    Detection of general acid-base catalysis of proton transfer reactions in aqueous cytidine (or adenosine) is completely obscured by the highly reactive endocyclic protonated species of the nucleobase, whose amino proton lifetime is much shorter than that of the neutral form. In aqueous solution, protonation of the nucleobase always accompanies protonation of the buffer catalyzing exchange. However, in DMSO/water mixtures this is not the case; aqueous protonated acetate or chloroacetate can be added to cytidine in DMSO solutions without further dissociation of the buffer or significant protonation of cytidine N-3. Under these conditions general acid catalysis is observed, which involves an H-bonded complex between cytidine (N-3) and the buffer acid. Increased amino proton exchange in response to H-bond donation to C(N-3) is further suggested by increased 1 H NMR saturation-recovery rates with the formation of G-C base-pairs in DMSO and by the inverse dependence of amino proton exchange on nucleoside concentration

  14. Avaliação da adenosina desaminase no diagnóstico da tuberculose pleural: uma metanálise brasileira Evaluation of adenosine deaminase in the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis: a Brazilian meta-analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrizio Morisson

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Avaliar trabalhos brasileiros resumindo a acurácia da adenosina desaminase no diagnóstico da tuberculose pleural, com o intuito de contribuir para a concretização do exame como rotina na investigação dos derrames pleurais. MÉTODOS: Depois de realizada uma busca por trabalhos brasileiros referentes à dosagem da adenosina desaminase no líquido pleural, estes foram avaliados e incluídos no estudo. A análise dos dados foi feita por meio da curva summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC que possibilitou a reunião dos estudos quanto a acurácia para o diagnóstico. Com os valores globais de sensibilidade e especificidade foi aplicado o teorema de Bayes para calcular as probabilidades pós-teste em diferentes prevalências da doença. RESULTADOS: Entre 1987 e 2005 foram encontrados 25 estudos contendo informações suficientes que poderiam ser utilizadas na metanálise. Após avaliação, foram incluídos nove estudos, totalizando 1.674 pacientes. De acordo com a curva SROC, foi encontrada uma sensibilidade de 91,8% (IC95%: 89,8-93,6% e uma especificidade de 88,4% (IC95%: 86,0-90,5%, com uma área abaixo da curva de 0,969. O odds ratio global foi de 112,0 (IC95%: 51,6-243,2. Considerando uma prevalência da tuberculose pleural de 50% (considerada neutra, a probabilidade do diagnóstico pós-teste positivo é de 88,7% e sua exclusão após resultado negativo de 91,5%. CONCLUSÕES: Apesar das diferenças encontradas entre os estudos, é possível concluir que a adenosina desaminase possui alta acurácia no diagnóstico da tuberculose pleural, devendo ser utilizada de rotina em sua investigação.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate Brazilian studies by summarizing the accuracy of adenosine deaminase in the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis, with the objective of lending support to the movement to make the test part of the routine investigation of pleural effusions. METHODS: A search for Brazilian studies related to the determination of

  15. A novel, simple and rapid nondenaturing FISH (ND-FISH) technique for the detection of plant telomeres. Potential used and possible target structures detected.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cuadrado, Angeles; Golczyk, Hieronim; Jouve, Nicolás

    2009-01-01

    We report a new technique-nondenaturing FISH (ND-FISH)-for the rapid detection of plant telomeres without the need for prior denaturation of the chromosomes. In its development, two modified, synthetic oligonucleotides, 21 nt in length, fluorescently labelled at their 5' and 3' ends and complementary to either the cytidine-rich (C(3)TA(3)) or guanosine-rich (T(3)AG(3)) telomeric DNA strands, were used as probes. The high binding affinity of these probes and the short hybridization time required allows the visualization of plant telomeres in less than an hour. In tests, both probes gave strong signals visualized as double spots at both chromosome ends; this was true of both the mitotic and meiotic chromosomes of barley, wheat, rye, maize, Brachypodium distachyon and Rhoeo spathacea. They were also able to detect telomere motifs at certain intercalary sites in the chromosomes of R. spathacea. To investigate the nature of the target structures detected, the chromosomes were treated with RNase A and single strand-specific nuclease S1 before ND-FISH experiments. Signal formation was resistant to standard enzymatic treatment, but sensitive when much higher enzyme concentrations were used. The results are discussed in relation to current knowledge of telomere structure.

  16. The Role of CREB in CML

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-02-01

    responses differ after stroke, seizures, hypoglycemia , and hypoxia: Blood genomic fingerprints of disease. Ann Neurol 2001;50:699–707. 62 Whitney LW...et al. Engraft- ment of gene-modified umbilical cord blood cells in neonates with adenosine deaminase defi- ciency. Nat Med. 1995;1:1017-1023. 33...Proteolysis Targeting Chimeric molecules: Recruiting Cancer- Causing Proteins for Ubiquitination and Degradation. Modulation of Protein Stability in

  17. Substrate sequence selectivity of APOBEC3A implicates intra-DNA interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silvas, Tania V; Hou, Shurong; Myint, Wazo; Nalivaika, Ellen; Somasundaran, Mohan; Kelch, Brian A; Matsuo, Hiroshi; Kurt Yilmaz, Nese; Schiffer, Celia A

    2018-05-14

    The APOBEC3 (A3) family of human cytidine deaminases is renowned for providing a first line of defense against many exogenous and endogenous retroviruses. However, the ability of these proteins to deaminate deoxycytidines in ssDNA makes A3s a double-edged sword. When overexpressed, A3s can mutate endogenous genomic DNA resulting in a variety of cancers. Although the sequence context for mutating DNA varies among A3s, the mechanism for substrate sequence specificity is not well understood. To characterize substrate specificity of A3A, a systematic approach was used to quantify the affinity for substrate as a function of sequence context, length, secondary structure, and solution pH. We identified the A3A ssDNA binding motif as (T/C)TC(A/G), which correlated with enzymatic activity. We also validated that A3A binds RNA in a sequence specific manner. A3A bound tighter to substrate binding motif within a hairpin loop compared to linear oligonucleotide, suggesting A3A affinity is modulated by substrate structure. Based on these findings and previously published A3A-ssDNA co-crystal structures, we propose a new model with intra-DNA interactions for the molecular mechanism underlying A3A sequence preference. Overall, the sequence and structural preferences identified for A3A leads to a new paradigm for identifying A3A's involvement in mutation of endogenous or exogenous DNA.

  18. CD25+ B-1a Cells Express Aicda

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    Hiroaki Kaku

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available B-1a cells are innate-like B-lymphocytes producing natural antibodies. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID, a product of the Aicda gene, plays a central role in class-switch recombination and somatic hypermutation in B cells. Although a role for Aicda in B-1a cells has been suggested on the basis of experiments with knock out (KO mice, whether B-1a cells express Aicda, and if so, which B-1a cell subpopulation expresses Aicda, remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that B-1 cells express Aicda, but at a level below that expressed by germinal center (GC B cells. We previously reported that B-1a cells can be subdivided based on CD25 expression. We show here that B-1a cell Aicda expression is concentrated in the CD25+ B-1a cell subpopulation. These results suggest the possibility that previous studies of memory B cells identified on the basis of Aicda expression may have inadvertently included an unknown number of CD25+ B-1a cells. Although B-1a cells develop normally in the absence of Aicda, a competitive reconstitution assay reveals enhanced vigor for AID KO B-1a cell bone marrow (BM progenitors, as compared with wild-type BM B-1 cell progenitors. These results suggest that AID inhibits the development of B-1a cells from BM B-1 cell progenitors in a competitive environment.

  19. Pms2 and uracil-DNA glycosylases act jointly in the mismatch repair pathway to generate Ig gene mutations at A-T base pairs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Girelli Zubani, Giulia; Zivojnovic, Marija; De Smet, Annie; Albagli-Curiel, Olivier; Huetz, François; Weill, Jean-Claude; Reynaud, Claude-Agnès; Storck, Sébastien

    2017-04-03

    During somatic hypermutation (SHM) of immunoglobulin genes, uracils introduced by activation-induced cytidine deaminase are processed by uracil-DNA glycosylase (UNG) and mismatch repair (MMR) pathways to generate mutations at G-C and A-T base pairs, respectively. Paradoxically, the MMR-nicking complex Pms2/Mlh1 is apparently dispensable for A-T mutagenesis. Thus, how detection of U:G mismatches is translated into the single-strand nick required for error-prone synthesis is an open question. One model proposed that UNG could cooperate with MMR by excising a second uracil in the vicinity of the U:G mismatch, but it failed to explain the low impact of UNG inactivation on A-T mutagenesis. In this study, we show that uracils generated in the G1 phase in B cells can generate equal proportions of A-T and G-C mutations, which suggests that UNG and MMR can operate within the same time frame during SHM. Furthermore, we show that Ung -/- Pms2 -/- mice display a 50% reduction in mutations at A-T base pairs and that most remaining mutations at A-T bases depend on two additional uracil glycosylases, thymine-DNA glycosylase and SMUG1. These results demonstrate that Pms2/Mlh1 and multiple uracil glycosylases act jointly, each one with a distinct strand bias, to enlarge the immunoglobulin gene mutation spectrum from G-C to A-T bases. © 2017 Girelli Zubani et al.

  20. Molecular mechanism for generation of antibody memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shivarov, Velizar; Shinkura, Reiko; Doi, Tomomitsu; Begum, Nasim A; Nagaoka, Hitoshi; Okazaki, Il-Mi; Ito, Satomi; Nonaka, Taichiro; Kinoshita, Kazuo; Honjo, Tasuku

    2009-03-12

    Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is the essential enzyme inducing the DNA cleavage required for both somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination (CSR) of the immunoglobulin gene. We originally proposed the RNA-editing model for the mechanism of DNA cleavage by AID. We obtained evidence that fulfils three requirements for CSR by this model, namely (i) AID shuttling between nucleus and cytoplasm, (ii) de novo protein synthesis for CSR, and (iii) AID-RNA complex formation. The alternative hypothesis, designated as the DNA-deamination model, assumes that the in vitro DNA deamination activity of AID is representative of its physiological function in vivo. Furthermore, the resulting dU was removed by uracil DNA glycosylase (UNG) to generate a basic site, followed by phosphodiester bond cleavage by AP endonuclease. We critically examined each of these provisional steps. We identified a cluster of mutants (H48A, L49A, R50A and N51A) that had particularly higher CSR activities than expected from their DNA deamination activities. The most striking was the N51A mutant that had no ability to deaminate DNA in vitro but retained approximately 50 per cent of the wild-type level of CSR activity. We also provide further evidence that UNG plays a non-canonical role in CSR, namely in the repair step of the DNA breaks. Taking these results together, we favour the RNA-editing model for the function of AID in CSR.

  1. Analysis of IgG4-positive clones in affected organs of IgG4-related disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kakuchi, Yasushi; Yamada, Kazunori; Ito, Kiyoaki; Hara, Satoshi; Fujii, Hiroshi; Yamagishi, Masakazu; Kawano, Mitsuhiro

    2016-11-01

    We investigated class switch reaction (CSR) in affected organs and evaluated whether the same or genetically related clones exist in IgG4-RD. We studied three patients with IgG4-RD. Total cellular RNA was extracted from salivary glands and peripheral blood and lung tissue. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) and immunoglobulin heavy chain third complementarity determining region (IgVH-CDR3) of IgM and IgG4 were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We analyzed the clonal relationship of infiltrating IgG4-positive cells, as compared with IgM. We determined the existence of common clones among organs and patients. AID was expressed in salivary glands of all patients and lung tissue in one. Closely related IgVH-CDR3 sequences in infiltrating IgG4-positive cells were detected in salivary glands and lung tissue. Identical IgVH-CDR3 sequence between IgM and IgG4 in salivary glands was detected in one patient, indicating CSR in salivary glands. Identical IgVH-CDR3 sequences of IgG4-positive cells were detected between salivary glands and peripheral blood in two patients. Four identical sequences of IgVH-CDR3 existed between patients. Interestingly, one of the four sequences was detected in all patients. Our results demonstrate the existence of common antigen(s) shared by patients with IgG4-RD.

  2. In vitro and in vivo studies of pharmacokinetics and antitumor efficacy of D07001-F4, an oral gemcitabine formulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hao, Wei-Hua; Wang, Jong-Jing; Hsueh, Shu-Ping; Hsu, Pei-Jing; Chang, Li-Chien; Hsu, Chang-Shan; Hsu, Kuang-Yang

    2013-02-01

    The chemotherapy agent gemcitabine is currently administered intravenously because the drug has poor oral bioavailability. In order to assess the pharmacokinetics and antitumor activity of D07001-F4, a new self-microemulsifying oral drug delivery system preparation of gemcitabine, this study was performed to compare the effect of D07001-F4 with administered gemcitabine in vitro and in vivo. D07001-F4 pharmacokinetics was examined by evaluation of in vitro deamination of D07001-F4 and gemcitabine hydrochloride by recombinant human cytidine deaminase (rhCDA) and in vivo evaluation of D07001-F4 pharmacokinetics in mice. Antitumor activity was evaluated by comparing the effect of D07001-F4 and gemcitabine hydrochloride in inhibiting growth in nine cancer cell lines and by examining the effect of D07001-F4 and gemcitabine in two xenograft tumor models in mice. In vitro deamination of D07001-F4 by rhCDA was 3.3-fold slower than deamination of gemcitabine hydrochloride. Growth inhibition by D07001-F4 of 7 of the 8 cancer cell lines was increased compared with that seen with gemcitabine hydrochloride, and D07001-F4 inhibited the growth of pancreatic and colon cancer xenografts. In vivo pharmacokinetics showed the oral bioavailability of D07001-F4 to be 34%. D07001-F4 was effective against several cancer types, was metabolized more slowly than gemcitabine hydrochloride, and exhibited enhanced oral bioavailability.

  3. Lurbinectedin induces depletion of tumor-associated macrophages, an essential component of its in vivo synergism with gemcitabine, in pancreatic adenocarcinoma mouse models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Céspedes, María Virtudes; Guillén, María José; López-Casas, Pedro Pablo; Sarno, Francesca; Gallardo, Alberto; Álamo, Patricia; Cuevas, Carmen; Hidalgo, Manuel; Galmarini, Carlos María; Allavena, Paola; Avilés, Pablo; Mangues, Ramón

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT We explored whether the combination of lurbinectedin (PM01183) with the antimetabolite gemcitabine could result in a synergistic antitumor effect in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) mouse models. We also studied the contribution of lurbinectedin to this synergism. This drug presents a dual pharmacological effect that contributes to its in vivo antitumor activity: (i) specific binding to DNA minor grooves, inhibiting active transcription and DNA repair; and (ii) specific depletion of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). We evaluated the in vivo antitumor activity of lurbinectedin and gemcitabine as single agents and in combination in SW-1990 and MIA PaCa-2 cell-line xenografts and in patient-derived PDA models (AVATAR). Lurbinectedin-gemcitabine combination induced a synergistic effect on both MIA PaCa-2 [combination index (CI)=0.66] and SW-1990 (CI=0.80) tumor xenografts. It also induced complete tumor remissions in four out of six patient-derived PDA xenografts. This synergism was associated with enhanced DNA damage (anti-γ-H2AX), cell cycle blockage, caspase-3 activation and apoptosis. In addition to the enhanced DNA damage, which is a consequence of the interaction of the two drugs with the DNA, lurbinectedin induced TAM depletion leading to cytidine deaminase (CDA) downregulation in PDA tumors. This effect could, in turn, induce an increase of gemcitabine-mediated DNA damage that was especially relevant in high-density TAM tumors. These results show that lurbinectedin can be used to develop ‘molecularly targeted’ combination strategies. PMID:27780828

  4. Lurbinectedin induces depletion of tumor-associated macrophages, an essential component of its in vivo synergism with gemcitabine, in pancreatic adenocarcinoma mouse models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Virtudes Céspedes

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available We explored whether the combination of lurbinectedin (PM01183 with the antimetabolite gemcitabine could result in a synergistic antitumor effect in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA mouse models. We also studied the contribution of lurbinectedin to this synergism. This drug presents a dual pharmacological effect that contributes to its in vivo antitumor activity: (i specific binding to DNA minor grooves, inhibiting active transcription and DNA repair; and (ii specific depletion of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs. We evaluated the in vivo antitumor activity of lurbinectedin and gemcitabine as single agents and in combination in SW-1990 and MIA PaCa-2 cell-line xenografts and in patient-derived PDA models (AVATAR. Lurbinectedin-gemcitabine combination induced a synergistic effect on both MIA PaCa-2 [combination index (CI=0.66] and SW-1990 (CI=0.80 tumor xenografts. It also induced complete tumor remissions in four out of six patient-derived PDA xenografts. This synergism was associated with enhanced DNA damage (anti-γ-H2AX, cell cycle blockage, caspase-3 activation and apoptosis. In addition to the enhanced DNA damage, which is a consequence of the interaction of the two drugs with the DNA, lurbinectedin induced TAM depletion leading to cytidine deaminase (CDA downregulation in PDA tumors. This effect could, in turn, induce an increase of gemcitabine-mediated DNA damage that was especially relevant in high-density TAM tumors. These results show that lurbinectedin can be used to develop ‘molecularly targeted’ combination strategies.

  5. IgA class switch occurs in the organized nasopharynx- and gut-associated lymphoid tissue, but not in the diffuse lamina propria of airways and gut.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shikina, Takashi; Hiroi, Takachika; Iwatani, Kohichi; Jang, Myoung Ho; Fukuyama, Satoshi; Tamura, Manabu; Kubo, Takeshi; Ishikawa, Hiromichi; Kiyono, Hiroshi

    2004-05-15

    Secretory IgA plays a crucial role in the host immune response as a first line of defense. A recent demonstration of in situ IgA class switching in intestinal lamina propria provided an opportunity to reconsider the model for the homing of IgA-committed B cells characterized by distinctive trafficking patterns to effector sites. Those effector sites depend on the organized mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues as their site of induction. In this report we show the preferential presence of IgM(+)B220(+) and IgA(+)B220(+) cells belonging to pre- and post-IgA isotype class-switched cells in the organized mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues, such as nasopharynx-associated lymphoid tissues, isolated lymphoid follicles, and Peyer's patches, and the defect of those populations in the diffuse effector tissues, such as the nasal passage and intestinal lamina propria. Consistent with these findings, the expressions of a series of IgA isotype class switch recombination-related molecules, including activation-induced cytidine deaminase, Ialpha-C micro circle transcripts, and Ialpha-C micro circle transcripts, were selectively detected in these organized mucosa-associated lymphoid structures, but not in the diffuse mucosal effector sites. Taken together, these findings suggest that IgA isotype class switching occurs only in the organized mucosa-associated lymphoid organs (e.g., nasopharynx-associated lymphoid tissues, isolated lymphoid follicles, and Peyer's patches), but not in the diffuse effector tissues of the upper respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts.

  6. Selective induction of DNA repair pathways in human B cells activated by CD4+ T cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaosheng Wu

    Full Text Available Greater than 75% of all hematologic malignancies derive from germinal center (GC or post-GC B cells, suggesting that the GC reaction predisposes B cells to tumorigenesis. Because GC B cells acquire expression of the highly mutagenic enzyme activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID, GC B cells may require additional DNA repair capacity. The goal of this study was to investigate whether normal human B cells acquire enhanced expression of DNA repair factors upon AID induction. We first demonstrated that several DNA mismatch repair, homologous recombination, base excision repair, and ATR signaling genes were overexpressed in GC B cells relative to naïve and memory B cells, reflecting activation of a process we have termed somatic hyperrepair (SHR. Using an in vitro system, we next characterized activation signals required to induce AID expression and SHR. Although AID expression was induced by a variety of polyclonal activators, SHR induction strictly required signals provided by contact with activated CD4+ T cells, and B cells activated in this manner displayed reduced levels of DNA damage-induced apoptosis. We further show the induction of SHR is independent of AID expression, as GC B cells from AID-/-mice retained heightened expression of SHR proteins. In consideration of the critical role that CD4+ T cells play in inducing the SHR process, our data suggest a novel role for CD4+ T cells in the tumor suppression of GC/post-GC B cells.

  7. HIV-specific Fc effector function early in infection predicts the development of broadly neutralizing antibodies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richardson, Simone I; Chung, Amy W; Natarajan, Harini; Mabvakure, Batsirai; Mkhize, Nonhlanhla N; Garrett, Nigel; Abdool Karim, Salim; Moore, Penny L; Ackerman, Margaret E; Alter, Galit; Morris, Lynn

    2018-04-01

    While the induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) is a major goal of HIV vaccination strategies, there is mounting evidence to suggest that antibodies with Fc effector function also contribute to protection against HIV infection. Here we investigated Fc effector functionality of HIV-specific IgG plasma antibodies over 3 years of infection in 23 individuals, 13 of whom developed bNAbs. Antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), complement deposition (ADCD), cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and cellular trogocytosis (ADCT) were detected in almost all individuals with levels of activity increasing over time. At 6 months post-infection, individuals with bNAbs had significantly higher levels of ADCD and ADCT that correlated with antibody binding to C1q and FcγRIIa respectively. In addition, antibodies from individuals with bNAbs showed more IgG subclass diversity to multiple HIV antigens which also correlated with Fc polyfunctionality. Germinal center activity represented by CXCL13 levels and expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) was found to be associated with neutralization breadth, Fc polyfunctionality and IgG subclass diversity. Overall, multivariate analysis by random forest classification was able to group bNAb individuals with 85% sensitivity and 80% specificity based on the properties of their antibody Fc early in HIV infection. Thus, the Fc effector function profile predicted the development of neutralization breadth in this cohort, suggesting that intrinsic immune factors within the germinal center provide a mechanistic link between the Fc and Fab of HIV-specific antibodies.

  8. Inducible tertiary lymphoid structures, autoimmunity and exocrine dysfunction in a novel model of salivary gland inflammation in C57BL/6 mice§

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bombardieri, Michele; Barone, Francesca; Lucchesi, Davide; Nayar, Saba; van den Berg, Wim B; Proctor, Gordon; Buckley, Christopher D; Pitzalis, Costantino

    2012-01-01

    Salivary glands in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) develop ectopic lymphoid structures (ELS) characterized by B/T cell compartmentalization, the formation of high endothelial venules (HEV), follicular dendritic cell networks (FDCs), functional B cell activation with expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) as well as local differentiation of autoreactive plasma cells. The mechanisms triggering ELS formation, autoimmunity and exocrine dysfunction in SS are largely unknown. Here we present a novel model of inducible ectopic lymphoid tissue formation, breach of humoral self-tolerance and salivary hypofunction following delivery of a replication-deficient adenovirus-5 (AdV5) in submandibular glands of C57BL/6 mice through retrograde excretory duct cannulation. In this model, inflammation rapidly and consistently evolves from diffuse infiltration towards the development of SS-like periductal lymphoid aggregates within 2 weeks from AdV delivery. These infiltrates progressively acquire ELS features and support functional GL7+/AID+ germinal centers. Formation of ELS is preceded by ectopic expression of lymphoid chemokines CXCL13, CCL19 and lymphotoxin-β and is associated with development of anti-nuclear antibodies in up to 75% of mice. Finally, reduction in salivary flow was observed over 3 weeks post AdV infection consistent with exocrine gland dysfunction as a consequence of the inflammatory response. This novel model has the potential to unravel the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating ELS formation and their role in exocrine dysfunction and autoimmunity in SS. PMID:22942425

  9. Changes in Adenosine Deaminase Activity in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Effect of DPP-4 Inhibitor Treatment on ADA Activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jae-Geun; Kang, Dong Gu; Yu, Jung Re; Kim, Youngree; Kim, Jinsoek; Koh, Gwanpyo

    2011-01-01

    Background Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4, also known as CD26) binds with adenosine deaminase (ADA) to activate T lymphocytes. Here, we investigated whether ADA activity is specifically affected by treatment with DPP-4 inhibitor (DPP4I) compared with other anti-diabetic agents. Methods Fasting ADA activity, in addition to various metabolic and biochemical parameters, were measured in 262 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients taking various anti-diabetic agents and in 46 non-diabetic control subjects. Results ADA activity was increased in T2DM patients compared with that in non-diabetic control subjects (mean±standard error, 23.1±0.6 U/L vs. 18.6±0.8 U/L; PADA activity was correlated with fasting plasma glucose (r=0.258, P9%) showed significantly increased ADA activity (21.1±0.8 U/L vs. 25.4±1.6 U/L; PADA activity in T2DM patients did not differ from those of other oral anti-diabetic agents or insulin. T2DM patients on metformin monotherapy showed a lower ADA activity (20.9±1.0 U/L vs. 28.1±2.8 U/L; PADA activity is increased in T2DM patients compared to that in non-diabetic patients, is positively correlated with blood glucose level, and that DPP4I has no additional specific effect on ADA activity, except for a glycemic control- or HbA1c-dependent effect. PMID:21738897

  10. Changes in Adenosine Deaminase Activity in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Effect of DPP-4 Inhibitor Treatment on ADA Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jae-Geun; Kang, Dong Gu; Yu, Jung Re; Kim, Youngree; Kim, Jinsoek; Koh, Gwanpyo; Lee, Daeho

    2011-04-01

    Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4, also known as CD26) binds with adenosine deaminase (ADA) to activate T lymphocytes. Here, we investigated whether ADA activity is specifically affected by treatment with DPP-4 inhibitor (DPP4I) compared with other anti-diabetic agents. Fasting ADA activity, in addition to various metabolic and biochemical parameters, were measured in 262 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients taking various anti-diabetic agents and in 46 non-diabetic control subjects. ADA activity was increased in T2DM patients compared with that in non-diabetic control subjects (mean±standard error, 23.1±0.6 U/L vs. 18.6±0.8 U/L; PADA activity was correlated with fasting plasma glucose (r=0.258, P9%) showed significantly increased ADA activity (21.1±0.8 U/L vs. 25.4±1.6 U/L; PADA activity in T2DM patients did not differ from those of other oral anti-diabetic agents or insulin. T2DM patients on metformin monotherapy showed a lower ADA activity (20.9±1.0 U/L vs. 28.1±2.8 U/L; PADA activity is increased in T2DM patients compared to that in non-diabetic patients, is positively correlated with blood glucose level, and that DPP4I has no additional specific effect on ADA activity, except for a glycemic control- or HbA1c-dependent effect.

  11. The Role of G22 A Adenosine Deaminase 1 Gene Polymorphism and the Activities of ADA Isoenzymes in Fertile and Infertile Men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fattahi, Amir; Khodadadi, Iraj; Amiri, Iraj; Latifi, Zeinab; Ghorbani, Marzieh; Tavilani, Heidar

    2015-10-01

    To evaluate frequency distribution of adenosine deaminase 1 (ADA1) G22 A alleles and genotypes in fertile and infertile men. In this study we evaluate frequency distribution of ADA1 G22 A alleles and genotypes in 200 fertile and 200 infertile men. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique was used for determining ADA1 G22 A variants. In addition, ADA isoenzymes activities (ADA1 and ADA2) were measured using colorimetric method. The frequency of GG genotype was significantly higher and GA genotype was lower in infertile males compared with fertile men (P = .048 and P = .045, respectively). However, there was not any noticeable difference in allele distribution between groups (P >.05). Based on logistic regression analysis, the GA genotype has a protective role and can decrease the risk of male infertility 1.7 times (P = .046). There were significantly higher activities of ADAT and its isoenzymes in infertile males compared with fertile men (P ADA1 activity with GG genotype was higher than GA carriers in all population (P = .001). Our results revealed that the activity of ADA isoenzymes and distribution of ADA1 G22 A genotypes were different among fertile and infertile men and more likely the GA genotype, which had lower ADA1 activity and was higher in fertile men is a protective factor against infertility. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. A decision tree for the genetic diagnosis of deficiency of adenosine deaminase 2 (DADA2): a French reference centres experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rama, Mélanie; Duflos, Claire; Melki, Isabelle; Bessis, Didier; Bonhomme, Axelle; Martin, Hélène; Doummar, Diane; Valence, Stéphanie; Rodriguez, Diana; Carme, Emilie; Genevieve, David; Heimdal, Ketil; Insalaco, Antonella; Franck, Nathalie; Queyrel-Moranne, Viviane; Tieulie, Nathalie; London, Jonathan; Uettwiller, Florence; Georgin-Lavialle, Sophie; Belot, Alexandre; Koné-Paut, Isabelle; Hentgen, Véronique; Boursier, Guilaine; Touitou, Isabelle; Sarrabay, Guillaume

    2018-04-23

    Deficiency of adenosine deaminase 2 (DADA2) is a recently described autoinflammatory disorder. Genetic analysis is required to confirm the diagnosis. We aimed to describe the identifying symptoms and genotypes of patients referred to our reference centres and to improve the indications for genetic testing. DNA from 66 patients with clinically suspected DADA2 were sequenced by Sanger or next-generation sequencing. Detailed epidemiological, clinical and biological features were collected by use of a questionnaire and were compared between patients with and without genetic confirmation of DADA2. We identified 13 patients (19.6%) carrying recessively inherited mutations in ADA2 that were predicted to be deleterious. Eight patients were compound heterozygous for mutations. Seven mutations were novel (4 missense variants, 2 predicted to affect mRNA splicing and 1 frameshift). The mean age of the 13 patients with genetic confirmation was 12.7 years at disease onset and 20.8 years at diagnosis. Phenotypic manifestations included fever (85%), vasculitis (85%) and neurological disorders (54%). Features best associated with a confirmatory genotype included fever with neurologic or cutaneous attacks (odds ratio [OR] 10.71, p = 0.003 and OR 10.9, p < 0.001), fever alone (OR 8.1, p = 0.01), and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) level with neurologic involvement (OR 6.63, p = 0.017). Our proposed decision tree may help improve obtaining genetic confirmation of DADA2 in the context of autoinflammatory symptoms. Prerequisites for quick and low-cost Sanger analysis include one typical cutaneous or neurological sign, one marker of inflammation (fever or elevated CRP level), and recurrent or chronic attacks in adults.

  13. Comparative effectiveness of Pseudomonas and Serratia sp. containing ACC-deaminase for improving growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under salt-stressed conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zahir, Zahir Ahmad; Ghani, Usman; Naveed, Muhammad; Nadeem, Sajid Mahmood; Asghar, Hafiz Naeem

    2009-05-01

    Ethylene synthesis is accelerated in response to various environmental stresses like salinity. Ten rhizobacterial strains isolated from wheat rhizosphere taken from different salt affected areas were screened for growth promotion of wheat under axenic conditions at 1, 5, 10 and 15 dS m(-1). Three strains, i.e., Pseudomonas putida (N21), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (N39) and Serratia proteamaculans (M35) showing promising performance under axenic conditions were selected for a pot trial at 1.63 (original), 5, 10 and 15 dS m(-1). Results showed that inoculation was effective even in the presence of higher salinity levels. P. putida was the most efficient strain compared to the other strains and significantly increased the plant height, root length, grain yield, 100-grain weight and straw yield up to 52, 60, 76, 19 and 67%, respectively, over uninoculated control at 15 dS m(-1). Similarly, chlorophyll content and K(+)/Na(+) of leaves also increased by P. putida over control. It is highly likely that under salinity stress, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid-deaminase activity of these microbial strains might have caused reduction in the synthesis of stress (salt)-induced inhibitory levels of ethylene. The results suggested that these strains could be employed for salinity tolerance in wheat; however, P. putida may have better prospects in stress alleviation/reduction.

  14. Bioconversion of l-glutamic acid to α-ketoglutaric acid by an immobilized whole-cell biocatalyst expressing l-amino acid deaminase from Proteus mirabilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hossain, Gazi Sakir; Li, Jianghua; Shin, Hyun-dong; Chen, Rachel R; Du, Guocheng; Liu, Long; Chen, Jian

    2014-01-01

    The goal of this work was to develop an immobilized whole-cell biocatalytic process for the environment-friendly synthesis of α-ketoglutaric acid (α-KG) from l-glutamic acid. We compared the suitability of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis strains overexpressing Proteus mirabilisl-amino acid deaminase (l-AAD) as potential biocatalysts. Although both recombinant strains were biocatalytically active, the performance of B. subtilis was superior to that of E. coli. With l-glutamic acid as the substrate, α-KG production levels by membranes isolated from B. subtilis and E. coli were 55.3±1.73 and 21.7±0.39μg/mg protein/min, respectively. The maximal conversion ratio of l-glutamic acid to α-KG was 31% (w/w) under the following optimal conditions: 15g/L l-glutamic acid, 20g/L whole-cell biocatalyst, 5mM MgCl2, 40°C, pH 8.0, and 24-h incubation. Immobilization of whole cells with alginate increased the recyclability by an average of 23.33% per cycle. This work established an efficient one-step biotransformation process for the production of α-KG using immobilized whole B. subtilis overexpressing P. mirabilisl-AAD. Compared with traditional multistep chemical synthesis, the biocatalytic process described here has the advantage of reducing environmental pollution and thus has great potential for the large-scale production of α-KG. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Effects of the inoculations using bacteria producing ACC deaminase on ethylene metabolism and growth of wheat grown under different soil water contents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Guozhuang; Sun, Yonglin; Sheng, Hao; Li, Haichao; Liu, Xiping

    2018-04-01

    Crop growth and productivity are often impacted by the increased ethylene content induced by adverse environmental conditions such drought. Inoculations with bacteria producing ACC deaminase is considered as a potential biological approach to improve the growth and tolerance of stressed plants by lowering endogenous ethylene level. In this study, germinated wheat seeds were inoculated using three species of the rhizobacteria, which were isolated from the rhizosphere of wheat growing in dryland, and sown in pots. After three weeks, wheat seedlings were exposed to non-limiting water condition, medium drought and severe drought, respectively, for six weeks. The results showed that, irrespective of rhizobacterial inoculations, decreased soil water contents stimulated wheat ethylene metabolism, which was reflected by the significantly increased activity of ACC synthetase and ACC oxidase, besides an increased content of ACC both in the roots and leaves, and an enhanced capacity of leaves to release ethylene, concomitant with a significant decline in shoot and roots biomass. The inoculations of all three rhizobacterial species under each water condition reduced ACC content in wheat leaves, but effects of the inoculations on ACC synthase and ACC oxidase activity in the leaves and roots, ACC content in the roots, the capacity of leaves to release ethylene, and wheat growth varied with water conditions and bacterial species. Hence, both soil water conditions and rhizobacterial inoculations acted on all the processes of ethylene metabolism, with the former being dominant. The inoculations under non-limiting water condition and medium drought promoted shoot and root growth of wheat plants. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  16. Targeting eradication of malignant cells derived from human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Yingbin [Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715 (China); Cai, Shaoxi, E-mail: sxcai@cqu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Yang, Li [Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Yu, Shuhui [Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Library of Southwest University, Chongqing 400715 (China); Jiang, Jiahuan; Yan, Xiaoqing [Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Zhang, Haoxing [School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715 (China); Liu, Lan [Department of Laboratory of Medicine, Children' s Hospital of Chongqin Medical University, Chongqing 400014 (China); Liu, Qun [College of Life Science and Technology, Southwest University for Nationalities, Chengdu 610041 (China); Du, Jun [Center of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080 (China); Cai, Shaohui [College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Sung, K.L. Paul [Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Bioengineering, University of California, SD 0412 (United States)

    2010-12-10

    Human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (hBMSC) have been shown to participate in malignant transformation. However, hampered by the low frequency of malignant transformation of hBMSC, we do not yet know how to prevent malignant transformation of implanted hBMSC. In this study, in order to establish a model for the eradication of hBMSC-derived malignant cells, a gene fusion consisting of a human telomerase (hTERT) promoter modified with both c-Myc and myeloid zinc finger protein2 (MZF-2) binding elements and followed by the E. coli cytosine deaminase (CD) and luciferase genes was stably transferred into hBMSC via lentiviral transduction; n-phosphonacelyl-L-aspartic acid (PALA) selection was used to generate malignant cell colonies derived from transduced hBMSC after treatment with the carcinogenic reagent BPDE. Cells that were amplified after PALA selection were used for transplantation and 5-FC pro-drug cytotoxicity tests. The results showed that PALA-resistant malignant cells could be generated from hBMSC co-induced with lentiviral transduction and treatment with Benzo(a)pyrene Diol Epoxide (BPDE); the modification of c-Myc and MZF-2 binding elements could remarkably enhance the transcriptional activities of the hTERT promoter in malignant cells, whereas transcriptional activity was depressed in normal hBMSC; malignant cells stably expressing CD under the control of the modified hTERT promoter could be eliminated by 5-FC administration. This study has provided a method for targeted eradication of malignant cells derived from hBMSC.

  17. Targeting eradication of malignant cells derived from human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Yingbin; Cai, Shaoxi; Yang, Li; Yu, Shuhui; Jiang, Jiahuan; Yan, Xiaoqing; Zhang, Haoxing; Liu, Lan; Liu, Qun; Du, Jun; Cai, Shaohui; Sung, K.L. Paul

    2010-01-01

    Human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (hBMSC) have been shown to participate in malignant transformation. However, hampered by the low frequency of malignant transformation of hBMSC, we do not yet know how to prevent malignant transformation of implanted hBMSC. In this study, in order to establish a model for the eradication of hBMSC-derived malignant cells, a gene fusion consisting of a human telomerase (hTERT) promoter modified with both c-Myc and myeloid zinc finger protein2 (MZF-2) binding elements and followed by the E. coli cytosine deaminase (CD) and luciferase genes was stably transferred into hBMSC via lentiviral transduction; n-phosphonacelyl-L-aspartic acid (PALA) selection was used to generate malignant cell colonies derived from transduced hBMSC after treatment with the carcinogenic reagent BPDE. Cells that were amplified after PALA selection were used for transplantation and 5-FC pro-drug cytotoxicity tests. The results showed that PALA-resistant malignant cells could be generated from hBMSC co-induced with lentiviral transduction and treatment with Benzo(a)pyrene Diol Epoxide (BPDE); the modification of c-Myc and MZF-2 binding elements could remarkably enhance the transcriptional activities of the hTERT promoter in malignant cells, whereas transcriptional activity was depressed in normal hBMSC; malignant cells stably expressing CD under the control of the modified hTERT promoter could be eliminated by 5-FC administration. This study has provided a method for targeted eradication of malignant cells derived from hBMSC.

  18. Ethylene emission and PR protein synthesis in ACC deaminase producing Methylobacterium spp. inoculated tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) challenged with Ralstonia solanacearum under greenhouse conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yim, Woojong; Seshadri, Sundaram; Kim, Kiyoon; Lee, Gillseung; Sa, Tongmin

    2013-06-01

    Bacteria of genus Methylobacterium have been found to promote plant growth and regulate the level of ethylene in crop plants. This work is aimed to test the induction of defense responses in tomato against bacterial wilt by stress ethylene level reduction mediated by the ACC deaminase activity of Methylobacterium strains. Under greenhouse conditions, the disease index value in Methylobacterium sp. inoculated tomato plants was lower than control plants. Plants treated with Methylobacterium sp. challenge inoculated with Ralstonia solanacearum (RS) showed significantly reduced disease symptoms and lowered ethylene emission under greenhouse condition. The ACC and ACO (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase) accumulation in tomato leaves were significantly reduced with Methylobacterium strains inoculation. While ACC oxidase gene expression was found higher in plants treated with R. solanacearum than Methylobacterium sp. treatment, PR proteins related to induced systemic resistance like β-1,3-glucanase, PAL, PO and PPO were increased in Methylobacterium sp. inoculated plants. A significant increase in β-1,3-glucanase and PAL gene expression was found in all the Methylobacterium spp. treatments compared to the R. solanacearum treatment. This study confirms the activity of Methylobacterium sp. in increasing the defense enzymes by modulating the ethylene biosynthesis pathway and suggests the use of methylotrophic bacteria as potential biocontrol agents in tomato cultivation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  19. A Hospital Based Study on Estimation of Adenosine Deaminase Activity (ADA) in Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) in Various Types of Meningitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agarwal, Ashok Kumar; Bansal, Sonia; Nand, Vidya

    2014-02-01

    Tuberculosis kills 3.70 lakh patients in India every year,out of which 7-12 % are meningeal involvement. Delay in its diagnosis and initiation of treatment results in poor prognosis and squeal in up to 25% of cases. The aim of the present study is to look for a simple, rapid, cost effective, and fairly specific test in differentiating tubercular aetiology from other causes of meningitis. In the present study we measured the adenosine deaminase activity (ADA) in Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) of Tubercular Meningitis (TBM) and non-TBM patients. Fifty six patients attending hospital with symptoms and signs of meningitis were selected and divided into three groups: tubercular, pyogenic, and aseptic meningitis, depending upon the accepted criteria. CSF was drawn and ADA estimated. Out of 32 tubercular patients, 28 had CSF-ADA at or above the cut-off value while four had below. Out of 24 non-tuberculous patients (pyogenic and aseptic meningitis), two aseptic meningitis (AM) patient had ADA levels at or above the cut-off value while 22 had below this value. RESULTS of our study indicate that ADA level estimation in CSF is not only of considerable value in the diagnosis of TBM, CSF, and ADA level 10 U/L as a cut-off value with sensitivity 87.5% and specificity 83.33% and positive predictive value of the test was 87.5%.and 83.3% negative predictive value. It can be concluded that ADA estimation in CSF is not only simple, inexpensive and rapid but also fairly specific method for making a diagnosis of tuberculous aetiology in TBM, especially when there is a dilemma of differentiating the tuberculous aetiology from non-tuberculous ones. For this reason ADA estimation in TBM may find a place as a routine investigation.

  20. Prenatal detection of a probable heterozygote for ADA deficiency and severe combined immunodeficiency disease using a microradioassay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aitken, D.A.; Kleijer, W.J.; Niermeijer, M.F.; Galjaard, H.; Herbschleb-Voogt, E.

    1980-01-01

    A pregnancy at risk for adenosine deaminase deficiency and severe combined immunodeficiency disease has been investigated by assay of adenosine deaminase activity in cultured amniotic fluid cells using a microradioassay. A low-normal level of consistent with heterozygote status in the foetus was found and confirmed after birth by assay of red cell and fibroblast adenosine deaminase activities. It is suggested that the radioassay method offers significant advantages in sensitivity and specificity over the standard spectrophotometric procedure. (author)

  1. Tandem mass spectrometry, but not T-cell receptor excision circle analysis, identifies newborns with late-onset adenosine deaminase deficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    la Marca, Giancarlo; Canessa, Clementina; Giocaliere, Elisa; Romano, Francesca; Duse, Marzia; Malvagia, Sabrina; Lippi, Francesca; Funghini, Silvia; Bianchi, Leila; Della Bona, Maria Luisa; Valleriani, Claudia; Ombrone, Daniela; Moriondo, Maria; Villanelli, Fabio; Speckmann, Carsten; Adams, Stuart; Gaspar, Bobby H; Hershfield, Michael; Santisteban, Ines; Fairbanks, Lynette; Ragusa, Giovanni; Resti, Massimo; de Martino, Maurizio; Guerrini, Renzo; Azzari, Chiara

    2013-06-01

    Adenosine deaminase (ADA)-severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is caused by genetic variants that disrupt the function of ADA. In its early-onset form, it is rapidly fatal to infants. Delayed or late-onset ADA-SCID is characterized by insidious progressive immunodeficiency that leads to permanent organ damage or death. Quantification of T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) or tandem mass spectrometry (tandem-MS) analysis of dried blood spots (DBSs) collected at birth can identify newborns with early-onset ADA-SCID and are used in screening programs. However, it is not clear whether these analyses can identify newborns who will have delayed or late-onset ADA-SCID before symptoms appear. We performed a retrospective study to evaluate whether tandem-MS and quantitative TREC analyses of DBSs could identify newborns who had delayed-onset ADA-SCID later in life. We tested stored DBSs collected at birth from 3 patients with delayed-onset ADA-SCID using tandem-MS (PCT EP2010/070517) to evaluate levels of adenosine and 2'-deoxyadenosine and real-time PCR to quantify TREC levels. We also analyzed DBSs from 3 newborns with early-onset ADA-SCID and 2 healthy newborn carriers of ADA deficiency. The DBSs taken at birth from the 3 patients with delayed-onset ADA-SCID had adenosine levels of 10, 25, and 19 μmol/L (normal value, <1.5 μmol/L) and 2'-deoxyadenosine levels of 0.7, 2.7, and 2.4 μmol/L (normal value, <0.07 μmol/L); the mean levels of adenosine and 2'-deoxyadenosine were respectively 12.0- and 27.6-fold higher than normal values. DBSs taken at birth from all 3 patients with delayed-onset ADA deficiency had normal TREC levels, but TRECs were undetectable in blood samples taken from the same patients at the time of diagnosis. Tandem-MS but not TREC quantification identifies newborns with delayed- or late-onset ADA deficiency. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. CD11b regulates antibody class switching via induction of AID.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Seohyun; Sim, Hyunsub; Kim, Hye-In; Jeong, Daecheol; Wu, Guang; Cho, Soo Young; Lee, Young Seek; Kwon, Hyung-Joo; Lee, Keunwook

    2017-07-01

    The integrin CD11b, which is encoded by the integrin subunit alpha M (ITGAM), is primarily expressed on the surface of innate immune cells. Genetic variations in ITGAM are among the strongest risk factors for systemic lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune disease characterized by the presence of autoantibodies. However, the regulatory function of CD11b in the antibody responses remains unclear. Here, we report the induction of CD11b in activated B2 B cells and define its unexpected role in immunoglobulin heavy chain class switch recombination (CSR). LPS-activated B cells lacking CD11b yielded fewer IgG subtypes such as IgG1 and IgG2a in vitro, and immunization-dependent CSR and affinity maturation of antibodies were severely impaired in CD11b-deficient mice. Notably, we observed the reduced expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), an enzyme that initiates CSR and somatic hypermutation, and ectopic expression of AID was sufficient to rescue the defective CSR of CD11b-deficient B cells. LPS-induced phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 and IκBα was attenuated in CD11b-deficient B cells, and hyperactivation of IκB kinase 2 restored the defective AID expression and CSR, which implied that CD11b regulates the NF-κB-dependent induction of AID. Overall, our experimental evidence emphasized the function of CD11b in antibody responses and the role of CD11b as a vital regulator of CSR. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. HIV-specific Fc effector function early in infection predicts the development of broadly neutralizing antibodies.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simone I Richardson

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available While the induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs is a major goal of HIV vaccination strategies, there is mounting evidence to suggest that antibodies with Fc effector function also contribute to protection against HIV infection. Here we investigated Fc effector functionality of HIV-specific IgG plasma antibodies over 3 years of infection in 23 individuals, 13 of whom developed bNAbs. Antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP, complement deposition (ADCD, cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC and cellular trogocytosis (ADCT were detected in almost all individuals with levels of activity increasing over time. At 6 months post-infection, individuals with bNAbs had significantly higher levels of ADCD and ADCT that correlated with antibody binding to C1q and FcγRIIa respectively. In addition, antibodies from individuals with bNAbs showed more IgG subclass diversity to multiple HIV antigens which also correlated with Fc polyfunctionality. Germinal center activity represented by CXCL13 levels and expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID was found to be associated with neutralization breadth, Fc polyfunctionality and IgG subclass diversity. Overall, multivariate analysis by random forest classification was able to group bNAb individuals with 85% sensitivity and 80% specificity based on the properties of their antibody Fc early in HIV infection. Thus, the Fc effector function profile predicted the development of neutralization breadth in this cohort, suggesting that intrinsic immune factors within the germinal center provide a mechanistic link between the Fc and Fab of HIV-specific antibodies.

  4. SRSF1-3 contributes to diversification of the immunoglobulin variable region gene by promoting accumulation of AID in the nucleus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawaguchi, Yuka; Nariki, Hiroaki; Kawamoto, Naoko; Kanehiro, Yuichi; Miyazaki, Satoshi; Suzuki, Mari; Magari, Masaki; Tokumitsu, Hiroshi; Kanayama, Naoki

    2017-04-01

    Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is essential for diversification of the Ig variable region (IgV). AID is excluded from the nucleus, where it normally functions. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for regulating AID localization remain to be elucidated. The SR-protein splicing factor SRSF1 is a nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein, a splicing isoform of which called SRSF1-3, has previously been shown to contribute to IgV diversification in chicken DT40 cells. In this study, we examined whether SRSF1-3 functions in IgV diversification by promoting nuclear localization of AID. AID expressed alone was localized predominantly in the cytoplasm. In contrast, co-expression of AID with SRSF1-3 led to the nuclear accumulation of both AID and SRSF1-3 and the formation of a protein complex that contained them both, although SRSF1-3 was dispensable for nuclear import of AID. Expression of either SRSF1-3 or a C-terminally-truncated AID mutant increased IgV diversification in DT40 cells. However, overexpression of exogenous SRSF1-3 was unable to further enhance IgV diversification in DT40 cells expressing the truncated AID mutant, although SRSF1-3 was able to form a protein complex with the AID mutant. These results suggest that SRSF1-3 promotes nuclear localization of AID probably by forming a nuclear protein complex, which might stabilize nuclear AID and induce IgV diversification in an AID C-terminus-dependent manner. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Malaria, Epstein-Barr virus infection and the pathogenesis of Burkitt's lymphoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mawson, Anthony R; Majumdar, Suvankar

    2017-11-01

    A geographical and causal connection has long been recognized between malaria, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and Burkitt's lymphoma (BL), but the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. Potential clues are that the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum selectively absorbs vitamin A from the host and depends on it for its biological activities; secondly, alterations in vitamin A (retinoid) metabolism have been implicated in many forms of cancer, including BL. The first author has proposed that the merozoite-stage malaria parasite, emerging from the liver, uses its absorbed vitamin A as a cell membrane destabilizer to invade the red blood cells, causing anemia and other signs and symptoms of the disease as manifestations of an endogenous form of hypervitaminosis A (Mawson AR, Path Global Health 2013;107(3):122-9). Repeated episodes of malaria would therefore be expected to expose the tissues of affected individuals to potentially toxic doses of vitamin A. It is proposed that such episodes activate latent EBV infection, which in turn activates retinoid-responsive genes. Expression of these genes enhances viral replication and induces germinal center (GC) B cell expansion, activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) expression, and c-myc translocation, which in turn predisposes to BL. Thus, an endogenous form of retinoid toxicity related to malaria infection may be the common factor linking frequent malaria, EBV infection and BL, whereby prolonged exposure of lymphatic tissues to high concentrations of retinoids may combine to induce B-cell translocation and increase the risk of Burkitt's lymphoma. © 2017 UICC.

  6. An inherited immunoglobulin class-switch recombination deficiency associated with a defect in the INO80 chromatin remodeling complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kracker, Sven; Di Virgilio, Michela; Schwartzentruber, Jeremy; Cuenin, Cyrille; Forveille, Monique; Deau, Marie-Céline; McBride, Kevin M; Majewski, Jacek; Gazumyan, Anna; Seneviratne, Suranjith; Grimbacher, Bodo; Kutukculer, Necil; Herceg, Zdenko; Cavazzana, Marina; Jabado, Nada; Nussenzweig, Michel C; Fischer, Alain; Durandy, Anne

    2015-04-01

    Immunoglobulin class-switch recombination defects (CSR-D) are rare primary immunodeficiencies characterized by impaired production of switched immunoglobulin isotypes and normal or elevated IgM levels. They are caused by impaired T:B cooperation or intrinsic B cell defects. However, many immunoglobulin CSR-Ds are still undefined at the molecular level. This study's objective was to delineate new causes of immunoglobulin CSR-Ds and thus gain further insights into the process of immunoglobulin class-switch recombination (CSR). Exome sequencing in 2 immunoglobulin CSR-D patients identified variations in the INO80 gene. Functional experiments were performed to assess the function of INO80 on immunoglobulin CSR. We identified recessive, nonsynonymous coding variations in the INO80 gene in 2 patients affected by defective immunoglobulin CSR. Expression of wild-type INO80 in patients' fibroblastic cells corrected their hypersensitivity to high doses of γ-irradiation. In murine CH12-F3 cells, the INO80 complex accumulates at Sα and Eμ regions of the IgH locus, and downregulation of INO80 as well as its partners Reptin and Pontin impaired CSR. In addition, Reptin and Pontin were shown to interact with activation-induced cytidine deaminase. Finally, an abnormal separation of sister chromatids was observed upon INO80 downregulation in CH12-F3 cells, pinpointing its role in cohesin activity. INO80 deficiency appears to be associated with defective immunoglobulin CSR. We propose that the INO80 complex modulates cohesin function that may be required during immunoglobulin switch region synapsis. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Apobec 3G efficiently reduces infectivity of the human exogenous gammaretrovirus XMRV.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stieler, Kristin; Fischer, Nicole

    2010-07-23

    The human exogenous gammaretrovirus XMRV is thought to be implicated in prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome. Besides pressing epidemiologic questions, the elucidation of the tissue and cell tropism of the virus, as well as its sensitivity to retroviral restriction factors is of fundamental importance. The Apobec3 (A3) proteins, a family of cytidine deaminases, are one important group of host proteins that control primary infection and efficient viral spread. Here we demonstrate that XMRV is resistant to human Apobec 3B, 3C and 3F, while being highly susceptible to the human A3G protein, a factor which is known to confer antiviral activity against most retroviruses. We show that XMRV as well as MoMLV virions package Apobec proteins independent of their specific restriction activity. hA3G was found to be a potent inhibitor of XMRV as well as of MoMLV infectivity. In contrast to MoMLV, XMRV infection can also be partially reduced by low concentrations of mA3. Interestingly, established prostate cancer cell lines, which are highly susceptible to XMRV infection, do not or only weakly express hA3G. Our findings confirm and extend recently published data that show restriction of XMRV infection by hA3G. The results will be of value to explore which cells are infected with XMRV and efficiently support viral spread in vivo. Furthermore, the observation that XMRV infection can be reduced by mA3 is of interest with regard to the current natural reservoir of XMRV infection.

  8. Carrier frequency of a nonsense mutation in the adenosine deaminase (ADA) gene implies a high incidence of ADA-deficient severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) in Somalia and a single, common haplotype indicates common ancestry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sanchez Sanchez, Juan Jose; Monaghan, Gemma; Børsting, Claus

    2007-01-01

    Inherited adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency is a rare metabolic disorder that causes immunodeficiency, varying from severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) in the majority of cases to a less severe form in a small minority of patients. Five patients of Somali origin from four unrelated families......, with severe ADA-SCID, were registered in the Greater London area. Patients and their parents were investigated for the nonsense mutation Q3X (ADA c7C>T), two missense mutations K80R (ADA c239A>G) and R142Q (ADA c425G>A), and a TAAA repeat located at the 3' end of an Alu element (AluVpA) positioned 1.1 kb...... upstream of the ADA transcription start site. All patients were homozygous for the haplotype ADA-7T/ADA-239G/ADA-425G/AluVpA7. Among 207 Somali immigrants to Denmark, the frequency of ADA c7C>T and the maximum likelihood estimate of the frequency of the haplotype ADA-7T/ADA-239G/ADA-425G/AluVpA7 were both...

  9. ORF Alignment: NC_002678 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_002678 gi|13474471 >1gkpA 2 454 5 422 3e-10 ... ref|NP_106039.1| creatinine deamin...ase [Mesorhizobium loti MAFF303099] ... dbj|BAB51825.1| creatinine deaminase [Mesorhizobium loti ...

  10. X-ray structure of imidazolonepropionase from Agrobacterium tumefaciens at 1.87 Å resolution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tyagi, Rajiv; Kumaran, Desigan; Burley, Stephen K.; Swaminathan, Subramanyam (SGX); (BNL)

    2010-01-12

    Histidine degradation in Agrobacterium tumefaciens involves four enzymes, including histidase (EC 4.3.1.3), urocanase (EC 4.2.1.49), imidazolonepropionase (EC 3.5.2.7), and N-formylglutamate amidohydrolase (EC 3.5.3.8). The third enzyme of the pathway, imidazolone-propionase, a 45.6 kDa protein, catalyzes conversion of imidazolone-5-propanoate to N-forminio-L-glutamate. Initial studies of the role of imidazolonepropionase in histidine degradation were published in 1953. Subsequent publications have been limited to enzyme kinetics, crystallization, and a recently reported structure determination. The imidazolonepropionases are members of metallodepenent-hydrolases (or amidohydroase) superfamily, which includs ureases, adenosine deaminases, phosphotriesterases, dihydroorotases, allantoinases, hydantoinases, adenine and cytosine deaminases, imidazolonepropionases, aryldial-kylphosphatases, chlorohydrolases, and formylmethanofuran dehydroases. Proteins belonging to this large group share a common three-dimensional structural motif (an eightfold {alpha}/{beta} or TIM barrel) with similar active sites. Most superfamily members also share a conserved metal binding site, involving four histidine residues and one aspartic acid. Imidazolonepropionase is one of the targets selected for X-ray crystallpgrahpic structure determination by the New York Structural GenomiX Research Consortium (NYSGXRC) Target ID: 9252b to correlate the structure function relationship of poorly studied by important enzyme. Here they report the crystal structure of imidazolonepropionase from Agrobacterium tumefaciens determined at 1.87 {angstrom} resolution.

  11. Imaging Expression of Cytosine Deaminase-Herpes Virus Thymidine Kinase Fusion Gene (CD/TK Expression with [124I]FIAU and PET

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trevor Hackman

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Double prodrug activation gene therapy using the Escherichia coli cytosine deaminase (CDherpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-tk fusion gene (CD/TK with 5-fluorocytosine (5FC, ganciclovir (GCV, and radiotherapy is currently under evaluation for treatment of different tumors. We assessed the efficacy of noninvasive imaging with [124I]FIAU (2′-fluoro-2′-deoxy-1-β-d-arabinofuranosyl-5-iodo-uracil and positron emission tomography (PET for monitoring expression of the CD/TK fusion gene. Walker-256 tumor cells were transduced with a retroviral vector bearing the CD/TK gene (W256CD/TK cells. The activity of HSV1-TK and CD subunits of the CD/TK gene product was assessed in different single cell-derived clones of W256CD/TK cells using the FIAU radiotracer accumulation assay in cells and a CD enzyme assay in cell homogenates, respectively. A linear relationship was observed between the levels of CD and HSV1-tk subunit expression in corresponding clones in vitro over a wide range of CD/TK expression levels. Several clones of W256CD/TK cells with significantly different levels of CD/TK expression were selected and used to produce multiple subcutaneous tumors in rats. PET imaging of HSV1-TK subunit activity with [124I]FIAU was performed on these animals and demonstrated that different levels of CD/TK expression in subcutaneous W256CD/TK tumors can be imaged quantitatively. CD expression in subcutaneous tumor sample homogenates was measured using a CD enzyme assay. A comparison of CD and HSV1-TK subunit enzymatic activity of the CD/TK fusion protein in vivo showed a significant correlation. Knowing this relationship, the parametric images of CD subunit activity were generated. Imaging with [124I]FIAU and PET could provide pre- and posttreatment assessments of CD/TK-based double prodrug activation in clinical gene therapy trials.

  12. Broadening of neutralization activity to directly block a dominant antibody-driven SARS-coronavirus evolution pathway.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianhua Sui

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available Phylogenetic analyses have provided strong evidence that amino acid changes in spike (S protein of animal and human SARS coronaviruses (SARS-CoVs during and between two zoonotic transfers (2002/03 and 2003/04 are the result of positive selection. While several studies support that some amino acid changes between animal and human viruses are the result of inter-species adaptation, the role of neutralizing antibodies (nAbs in driving SARS-CoV evolution, particularly during intra-species transmission, is unknown. A detailed examination of SARS-CoV infected animal and human convalescent sera could provide evidence of nAb pressure which, if found, may lead to strategies to effectively block virus evolution pathways by broadening the activity of nAbs. Here we show, by focusing on a dominant neutralization epitope, that contemporaneous- and cross-strain nAb responses against SARS-CoV spike protein exist during natural infection. In vitro immune pressure on this epitope using 2002/03 strain-specific nAb 80R recapitulated a dominant escape mutation that was present in all 2003/04 animal and human viruses. Strategies to block this nAb escape/naturally occurring evolution pathway by generating broad nAbs (BnAbs with activity against 80R escape mutants and both 2002/03 and 2003/04 strains were explored. Structure-based amino acid changes in an activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID "hot spot" in a light chain CDR (complementarity determining region alone, introduced through shuffling of naturally occurring non-immune human VL chain repertoire or by targeted mutagenesis, were successful in generating these BnAbs. These results demonstrate that nAb-mediated immune pressure is likely a driving force for positive selection during intra-species transmission of SARS-CoV. Somatic hypermutation (SHM of a single VL CDR can markedly broaden the activity of a strain-specific nAb. The strategies investigated in this study, in particular the use of structural

  13. Rapid determination of the hypoxanthine increase in ischemic exercise tests

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bolhuis, P. A.; Zwart, R.; Bär, P. R.; de Visser, M.; van der Helm, H. J.

    1988-01-01

    After ischemic exercise tests, performed to detect glycogenoses or myoadenylate deaminase (EC 3.5.4.6) deficiency, the increases in serum lactate and ammonia usually are measured. Determination of hypoxanthine instead of ammonia can also be used to show myoadenylate deaminase deficiency, but HPLC of

  14. Targeting a Novel Plasmodium falciparum Purine Recycling Pathway with Specific Immucillins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ting, L; Shi, W; Lewandowicz, A; Singh, V; Mwakingwe, A; Birck, M R; Taylor Ringia, E A; Bench, G; Madrid, D C; Tyler, P C; Evans, G B; Furneaux, R H; Schramm, V L; Kim, K.

    2004-01-01

    Plasmodium falciparum is unable to synthesize purine bases and relies upon purine salvage and purine recycling to meet its purine needs. We report that purines formed as products of the polyamine pathway are recycled in a novel pathway in which 5'-methylthioinosine is generated by adenosine deaminase. The action of P. falciparum purine nucleoside phosphorylase is a convergent step of purine salvage, converting both 5'-methylthioinosine and inosine to hypoxanthine. We used accelerator mass spectrometry to verify that 5'-methylthioinosine is an active nucleic acid precursor in P. falciparum. Prior studies have shown that inhibitors of purine salvage enzymes kill malaria, but potent malaria-specific inhibitors of these enzymes have not previously been described. 5'-methylthio-Immucillin-H, a transition state analogue inhibitor that is selective for malarial over human purine nucleoside phosphorylase, kills P. falciparum in culture. Immucillins are currently in clinical trials for other indications and may have application as antimalarials

  15. Stemcell Information: SKIP000184 [SKIP Stemcell Database[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available negtive, due to adenosine deaminase deficiency adenosine deaminase 欠損患者線維芽細胞(GM01390) 由来。常染...色体劣性adenosine deaminase 欠失。患者は重度の免疫不全、T細胞、B細胞、NK細胞陰性。 ... human ES-like -- Retroviru...deficiency 102700 ... 0-9 Male ... Yes No iPSCs derived from GM01390 Fibroblast. T cell negtive, B cell negative, NK cell...Collections/NIGMS/ipsc_list.aspx?PgId=696 ... 18691744 10.1016/j.cell.2008.07.041 Disease-Specific Induced P

  16. A single intranasal immunization with a subunit vaccine formulation induces higher mucosal IgA production than live respiratory syncytial virus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garg, Ravendra; Theaker, Michael; Martinez, Elisa C.; Drunen Littel-van den Hurk, Sylvia van

    2016-01-01

    Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes serious respiratory illness in infants and elderly. RSV infection induces short-lived immunity, which leaves people prone to re-infection. In contrast, the RSV fusion (F) protein formulated with a novel adjuvant (∆F/TriAdj) elicits long term protective immunity. A comparison of RSV-immunized mice to mice vaccinated with a single dose of ∆F/TriAdj showed no difference in IgG1 and IgG2a production; however, local IgA secreting memory B cell development and B cell IgA production were significantly lower in RSV vaccinated mice than in ∆F/TriAdj-immunized mice. This indicates a potential reason as to why long-term immunity is not induced by RSV infection. The comparison also revealed that germinal center lymphocyte populations were higher in ∆F/TriAdj-vaccinated mice. Furthermore, ∆F/TriAdj induced higher gene expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), as well as IL-6, IL-21, TGF-β cytokines, which are key players in IgA class switch recombination, ultimately leading to a sustained long-term memory response. - Highlights: •Immune responses to adjuvanted RSV F protein, ∆F/TriAdj, and RSV were compared. •∆F/TriAdj stimulates more local IgA production than RSV. •∆F/TriAdj induces more local IgA secreting memory B cells than RSV. •Germinal center lymphocyte populations are higher in ∆F/TriAdj-vaccinated mice. •∆F/TriAdj induces higher gene expression of AID, IL-6, IL-21, and TGF-β than RSV.

  17. A single intranasal immunization with a subunit vaccine formulation induces higher mucosal IgA production than live respiratory syncytial virus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garg, Ravendra [VIDO-InterVac, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E3 (Canada); Theaker, Michael [Microbiology & Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E3 (Canada); Martinez, Elisa C. [VIDO-InterVac, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E3 (Canada); Microbiology & Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada SK S7N 5E3 (Canada); Drunen Littel-van den Hurk, Sylvia van, E-mail: sylvia.vandenhurk@usask.ca [VIDO-InterVac, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E3 (Canada); Microbiology & Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E3 (Canada)

    2016-12-15

    Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes serious respiratory illness in infants and elderly. RSV infection induces short-lived immunity, which leaves people prone to re-infection. In contrast, the RSV fusion (F) protein formulated with a novel adjuvant (∆F/TriAdj) elicits long term protective immunity. A comparison of RSV-immunized mice to mice vaccinated with a single dose of ∆F/TriAdj showed no difference in IgG1 and IgG2a production; however, local IgA secreting memory B cell development and B cell IgA production were significantly lower in RSV vaccinated mice than in ∆F/TriAdj-immunized mice. This indicates a potential reason as to why long-term immunity is not induced by RSV infection. The comparison also revealed that germinal center lymphocyte populations were higher in ∆F/TriAdj-vaccinated mice. Furthermore, ∆F/TriAdj induced higher gene expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), as well as IL-6, IL-21, TGF-β cytokines, which are key players in IgA class switch recombination, ultimately leading to a sustained long-term memory response. - Highlights: •Immune responses to adjuvanted RSV F protein, ∆F/TriAdj, and RSV were compared. •∆F/TriAdj stimulates more local IgA production than RSV. •∆F/TriAdj induces more local IgA secreting memory B cells than RSV. •Germinal center lymphocyte populations are higher in ∆F/TriAdj-vaccinated mice. •∆F/TriAdj induces higher gene expression of AID, IL-6, IL-21, and TGF-β than RSV.

  18. A Rapid Embryonic Stem Cell-Based Mouse Model for B-cell Lymphomas Driven by Epstein-Barr Virus Protein LMP1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ba, Zhaoqing; Meng, Fei-Long; Gostissa, Monica; Huang, Pei-Yi; Ke, Qiang; Wang, Zhe; Dao, Mai N; Fujiwara, Yuko; Rajewsky, Klaus; Zhang, Baochun; Alt, Frederick W

    2015-06-01

    The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) contributes to oncogenic human B-cell transformation. Mouse B cells conditionally expressing LMP1 are not predisposed to B-cell malignancies, as LMP1-expressing B cells are eliminated by T cells. However, mice with conditional B-cell LMP1 expression and genetic elimination of α/β and γ/δ T cells ("CLT" mice) die early in association with B-cell lymphoproliferation and lymphomagenesis. Generation of CLT mice involves in-breeding multiple independently segregating alleles. Thus, although introduction of additional activating or knockout mutations into the CLT model is desirable for further B-cell expansion and immunosurveillance studies, doing such experiments by germline breeding is time-consuming, expensive, and sometimes unfeasible. To generate a more tractable model, we generated clonal CLT embryonic stem (ES) cells from CLT embryos and injected them into RAG2-deficient blastocysts to generate chimeric mice, which, like germline CLT mice, harbor splenic CLT B cells and lack T cells. CLT chimeric mice generated by this RAG2-deficient blastocyst complementation ("RDBC") approach die rapidly in association with B-cell lymphoproliferation and lymphoma. Because CLT lymphomas routinely express the activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) antibody diversifier, we tested potential AID roles by eliminating the AID gene in CLT ES cells and testing them via RDBC. We found that CLT and AID-deficient CLT ES chimeras had indistinguishable phenotypes, showing that AID is not essential for LMP1-induced lymphomagenesis. Beyond expanding accessibility and utility of CLT mice as a cancer immunotherapy model, our studies provide a new approach for facilitating generation of genetically complex mouse cancer models. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

  19. Enhancement of hypermutation frequency in the chicken B cell line DT40 for efficient diversification of the antibody repertoire

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Magari, Masaki; Kanehiro, Yuichi; Todo, Kagefumi; Ikeda, Mika; Kanayama, Naoki, E-mail: nkanayama@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp; Ohmori, Hitoshi

    2010-05-28

    Chicken B cell line DT40 continuously accumulates mutations in the immunoglobulin variable region (IgV) gene by gene conversion and point mutation, both of which are mediated by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), thereby producing an antibody (Ab) library that is useful for screening monoclonal Abs (mAbs) in vitro. We previously generated an engineered DT40 line named DT40-SW, whose AID expression can be reversibly switched on or off, and developed an in vitro Ab generation system using DT40-SW cells. To efficiently create an Ab library with sufficient diversity, higher hypermutation frequency is advantageous. To this end, we generated a novel cell line DT40-SW{Delta}C, which conditionally expresses a C-terminus-truncated AID mutant lacking the nuclear export signal. The transcription level of the mutant AID gene in DT40-SW{Delta}C cells was similar to that of the wild-type gene in DT40-SW cells. However, the protein level of the truncated AID mutant was less than that of the wild type. The mutant protein was enriched in the nuclei of DT40-SW{Delta}C cells, although the protein might be highly susceptible to degradation. In DT40-SW{Delta}C cells, both gene conversion and point mutation occurred in the IgV gene with over threefold higher frequency than in DT40-SW cells, suggesting that a lower level of the mutant AID protein was sufficient to increase mutation frequency. Thus, DT40-SW{Delta}C cells may be useful for constructing Ab libraries for efficient screening of mAbs in vitro.

  20. Vif of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus from Domestic Cats Protects against APOBEC3 Restriction Factors from Many Felids▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zielonka, Jörg; Marino, Daniela; Hofmann, Henning; Yuhki, Naoya; Löchelt, Martin; Münk, Carsten

    2010-01-01

    To get more insight into the role of APOBEC3 (A3) cytidine deaminases in the species-specific restriction of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) of the domestic cat, we tested the A3 proteins present in big cats (puma, lion, tiger, and lynx). These A3 proteins were analyzed for expression and sensitivity to the Vif protein of FIV. While A3Z3s and A3Z2-Z3s inhibited Δvif FIV, felid A3Z2s did not show any antiviral activity against Δvif FIV or wild-type (wt) FIV. All felid A3Z3s and A3Z2-Z3s were sensitive to Vif of the domestic cat FIV. Vif also induced depletion of felid A3Z2s. Tiger A3s showed a moderate degree of resistance against the Vif-mediated counter defense. These findings may imply that the A3 restriction system does not play a major role to prevent domestic cat FIV transmission to other Felidae. In contrast to the sensitive felid A3s, many nonfelid A3s actively restricted wt FIV replication. To test whether VifFIV can protect also the distantly related human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), a chimeric HIV-1.VifFIV was constructed. This HIV-1.VifFIV was replication competent in nonpermissive feline cells expressing human CD4/CCR5 that did not support the replication of wt HIV-1. We conclude that the replication of HIV-1 in some feline cells is inhibited only by feline A3 restriction factors and the absence of the appropriate receptor or coreceptor. PMID:20444897

  1. Vif of feline immunodeficiency virus from domestic cats protects against APOBEC3 restriction factors from many felids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zielonka, Jörg; Marino, Daniela; Hofmann, Henning; Yuhki, Naoya; Löchelt, Martin; Münk, Carsten

    2010-07-01

    To get more insight into the role of APOBEC3 (A3) cytidine deaminases in the species-specific restriction of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) of the domestic cat, we tested the A3 proteins present in big cats (puma, lion, tiger, and lynx). These A3 proteins were analyzed for expression and sensitivity to the Vif protein of FIV. While A3Z3s and A3Z2-Z3s inhibited Deltavif FIV, felid A3Z2s did not show any antiviral activity against Deltavif FIV or wild-type (wt) FIV. All felid A3Z3s and A3Z2-Z3s were sensitive to Vif of the domestic cat FIV. Vif also induced depletion of felid A3Z2s. Tiger A3s showed a moderate degree of resistance against the Vif-mediated counter defense. These findings may imply that the A3 restriction system does not play a major role to prevent domestic cat FIV transmission to other Felidae. In contrast to the sensitive felid A3s, many nonfelid A3s actively restricted wt FIV replication. To test whether Vif(FIV) can protect also the distantly related human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), a chimeric HIV-1.Vif(FIV) was constructed. This HIV-1.Vif(FIV) was replication competent in nonpermissive feline cells expressing human CD4/CCR5 that did not support the replication of wt HIV-1. We conclude that the replication of HIV-1 in some feline cells is inhibited only by feline A3 restriction factors and the absence of the appropriate receptor or coreceptor.

  2. Methylation of zebularine: a quantum mechanical study incorporating interactive 3D pdf graphs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selvam, Lalitha; Vasilyev, Vladislav; Wang, Feng

    2009-08-20

    Methylation of a cytidine deaminase inhibitor, 1-(beta-D-ribofuranosyl)-2-pyrimidone (i.e., zebularine (zeb)), which produces 1-(beta-D-ribofuranosyl)-5-methyl-2-pyrimidinone (d5), has been investigated using density functional theory models. The optimized structures of zeb and d5 and the valence orbitals primarily responsible for the methylation in d5 are presented using state-of-the-art interactive (on a computer or online) three-dimensional (3D) graphics in a portable document format (pdf) file, 3D-PDF (http://www.web3d.org/x3d/vrml/ ). The facility to embed 3D molecular structures into pdf documents has been developed jointly at Swinburne University of Technology and the National Computational Infrastructure, the Australian National University. The methyl fragment in the base moiety shows little effect on the sugar puckering but apparently affects anisotropic properties, such as condensed Fukui functions. Binding energy spectra, both valence space and core space, are noticeably affected; in particular, in the outer-valence space (e.g., IP < 20 eV). The methyl fragment delocalizes and diffuses into almost all valence space, but orbitals 8 (57a, IP = 12.57 eV), 18 (47a, IP = 14.70 eV), and 37 (28a, IP = 22.15 eV) are identified as fingerprint for the methyl fragment. In the inner shell, however, the impact of the methyl can be localized and identified by chemical shift. A small, global, red shift is found for the O-K, N-K and sugar C-K spectra, whereas the base C-K spectrum exhibits apparent methyl-related changes.

  3. E2A-positive gastric MALT lymphoma has weaker plasmacytoid infiltrates and stronger expression of the memory B-cell-associated miR-223: possible correlation with stage and treatment response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ting-Yun; Chen, Shee-Uan; Kuo, Sung-Hsin; Cheng, Ann-Lii; Lin, Chung-Wu

    2010-11-01

    Extranodal marginal-zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue of the stomach (gastric MALT lymphoma) is derived from memory B cells of the marginal zone. Normal memory B cells do not express markers of germinal-center B cells, such as E2A (immunoglobulin enhancer-binding factor E12/E47), B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia/lymphoma 6 (BCL6), or activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). E2A is a transcription factor that induces somatic hypermutations and blocks plasma cell differentiation. In 50 stage-I(E)/II(E1) gastric MALT lymphomas, we confirmed that all cases were BCL6(-)/AID(-), but a subset (50%, 25/50) was E2A(+). As E2A(-) and E2A(+) gastric MALT lymphomas had similar numbers of somatic hypermutations without intraclonal variations, which implied an origin from memory B cells, the expression of E2A was best regarded as a marker of aberrant follicular differentiation. Although the status of somatic hypermutation was not affected by E2A, E2A(+) gastric MALT lymphoma showed less plasmacytoid infiltrates and higher expressions of miRNA-223, a microRNA associated with memory B cells. Clinically, E2A(+) gastric MALT lymphomas were more likely to spread to perigastric lymph nodes and were less responsive to Helicobacter eradication therapy than were E2A(-) gastric MALT lymphomas. Taken together, aberrant E2A expression is a diagnostic feature of a subtype of gastric MALT lymphoma with weaker plasmacytoid infiltrates and stronger miR-223 expression. A prospective study would be necessary to verify the association between E2A expression and a poor response to Helicobacter eradication therapy.

  4. Double-stranded-RNA-specific adenosine deaminase 1 (ADAR1) is proposed to contribute to the adaptation of equine infectious anemia virus from horses to donkeys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Yan-Dong; Zhang, Xiang; Na, Lei; Wang, Xue-Feng; Fu, Li-Hua; Zhu, Chun-Hui; Wang, Xiaojun; Zhou, Jian-Hua

    2016-10-01

    Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is a member of the genus Lentivirus of the family Retroviridae. Horses are the most susceptible equids to EIAV infection and are therefore the primary hosts of this virus. In contrast, infected donkeys do not develop clinically active equine infectious anemia (EIA). This phenomenon is similar to what has been observed with HIV-1, which fails to induce AIDS in non-human primates. Interestingly, Shen et al. developed a donkey-tropic pathogenic virus strain (EIAVDV117, DV117) by serially passaging a horse-tropic pathogenic strain, EIAVLN40 (LN40), in donkeys. LN40, which was generated by passaging a field isolate in horses, displayed enhanced virulence in horses but caused no clinical symptoms in donkeys. Infection with DV117 induced acute EIA in nearly 100 % of donkeys. Genomic analysis of DV117 revealed a significantly higher frequency of A-to-G substitutions when compared to LN40. Furthermore, detailed analysis of dinucleotide editing showed that A-to-G mutations had a preference for 5'TpA and 5'ApA. These results strongly implicated the activity of the adenosine deaminase, ADAR1, in this type of mutation. Further investigation demonstrated that overexpression of donkey ADAR1 increased A-to-G mutations within the genome of EIAV. Together with our previous finding that multiple mutations in multiple genes are generated in DV117 during its adaptation from horses to donkeys, the present study suggests that ADAR1-induced A-to-G mutations occur during virus adaption to related new hosts contributing to the alteration of EIAV host tropism.

  5. Production of phenylpyruvic acid from L-phenylalanine using an L-amino acid deaminase from Proteus mirabilis: comparison of enzymatic and whole-cell biotransformation approaches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Ying; Hossain, Gazi Sakir; Li, Jianghua; Shin, Hyun-Dong; Liu, Long; Du, Guocheng

    2015-10-01

    Phenylpyruvic acid (PPA) is an important organic acid that has a wide range of applications. In this study, the membrane-bound L-amino acid deaminase (L-AAD) gene from Proteus mirabilis KCTC 2566 was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and then the L-AAD was purified. After that, we used the purified enzyme and the recombinant E. coli whole-cell biocatalyst to produce PPA via a one-step biotransformation from L-phenylalanine. L-AAD was solubilized from the membrane and purified 52-fold with an overall yield of 13 %, which corresponded to a specific activity of 0.94 ± 0.01 μmol PPA min(-1)·mg(-1). Then, the biotransformation conditions for the pure enzyme and the whole-cell biocatalyst were optimized. The maximal production was 2.6 ± 0.1 g·L(-1) (specific activity of 1.02 ± 0.02 μmol PPA min(-1)·mg(-1) protein, 86.7 ± 5 % mass conversion rate, and 1.04 g·L(-1)·h(-1) productivity) and 3.3 ± 0.2 g L(-1) (specific activity of 0.013 ± 0.003 μmol PPA min(-1)·mg(-1) protein, 82.5 ± 4 % mass conversion rate, and 0.55 g·L(-1)·h(-1) productivity) for the pure enzyme and whole-cell biocatalyst, respectively. Comparative studies of the enzymatic and whole-cell biotransformation were performed in terms of specific activity, production, conversion, productivity, stability, need of external cofactors, and recycling. We have developed two eco-friendly and efficient approaches for PPA production. The strategy described herein may aid the biotransformational synthesis of other α-keto acids from their corresponding amino acids.

  6. Clinical value of jointly detection serum lactate dehydrogenase/pleural fluid adenosine deaminase and pleural fluid carcinoembryonic antigen in the identification of malignant pleural effusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Fan; Hu, Lijuan; Wang, Junjun; Chen, Jian; Chen, Jie; Wang, Yumin

    2017-09-01

    Limited data are available for the diagnostic value, and for the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of joint detection of serum lactate dehydrogenase (sLDH)/pleural fluid adenosine deaminase (pADA) and pleural fluid carcinoembryonic antigen (pCEA) in malignant pleural effusion (MPE). We collected 987 pleural effusion specimens (of which 318 were malignant pleural effusion, 374 were tubercular pleural effusion, and 295 were parapneumonic effusion specimens) from the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from July 2012 to March 2016. The pADA, sLDH, pleural fluid LDH (pLDH), serum C-reactive protein (sCRP), pleural fluid protein, pCEA, white blood cell (WBC), and red blood cell (RBC) were analyzed, and the clinical data of each group were collected for statistical analysis. The level of sLDH/pADA, pCEA, and RBC from the MPE group was markedly higher than the tuberculosis pleural effusion (TB) group (Mann-Whitney U=28422.000, 9278.000, 30518, P=.000, .000, .000) and the parapneumonic pleural fluid group (Mann-Whitney U=5972.500, 7113.000, 36750.500, P=.000, .000, .000). The receiver operating characteristic curve ROC showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) (=0.924, 0.841) of pCEA and sLDH/pADA (cutoff=4.9, 10.6) were significantly higher than other markers for the diagnosis of MPE. Thus, joint detection of pCEA and sLDH/pADA suggested that the sensitivity, specificity, and AUC was 0.94, 81.70, and 94.32 at the cutoff 0.16 and diagnostic performance was higher than pCEA or sLDH/pADA. Joint detection of sLDH/pADA and pCEA can be used as a good indicator for the identification of benign and MPE with higher sensitivity and specificity than pCEA or sLDH/pADA. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Activation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells by dengue virus infection depotentiates balapiravir.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yen-Liang; Abdul Ghafar, Nahdiyah; Karuna, Ratna; Fu, Yilong; Lim, Siew Pheng; Schul, Wouter; Gu, Feng; Herve, Maxime; Yokohama, Fumiaki; Wang, Gang; Cerny, Daniela; Fink, Katja; Blasco, Francesca; Shi, Pei-Yong

    2014-02-01

    In a recent clinical trial, balapiravir, a prodrug of a cytidine analog (R1479), failed to achieve efficacy (reducing viremia after treatment) in dengue patients, although the plasma trough concentration of R1479 remained above the 50% effective concentration (EC(50)). Here, we report experimental evidence to explain the discrepancy between the in vitro and in vivo results and its implication for drug development. R1479 lost its potency by 125-fold when balapiravir was used to treat primary human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs; one of the major cells targeted for viral replication) that were preinfected with dengue virus. The elevated EC(50) was greater than the plasma trough concentration of R1479 observed in dengue patients treated with balapiravir and could possibly explain the efficacy failure. Mechanistically, dengue virus infection triggered PBMCs to generate cytokines, which decreased their efficiency of conversion of R1479 to its triphosphate form (the active antiviral ingredient), resulting in decreased antiviral potency. In contrast to the cytidine-based compound R1479, the potency of an adenosine-based inhibitor of dengue virus (NITD008) was much less affected. Taken together, our results demonstrate that viral infection in patients before treatment could significantly affect the conversion of the prodrug to its active form; such an effect should be calculated when estimating the dose efficacious for humans.

  8. A Ser29Leu substitution in the cytosine deaminase Fca1p is responsible for clade-specific flucytosine resistance in Candida dubliniensis.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    McManus, Brenda A

    2009-11-01

    The population structure of the opportunistic yeast pathogen Candida dubliniensis is composed of three main multilocus sequence typing clades (clades C1 to C3), and clade C3 predominantly consists of isolates from the Middle East that exhibit high-level resistance (MIC(50) > or = 128 microg\\/ml) to the fungicidal agent flucytosine (5FC). The close relative of C. dubliniensis, C. albicans, also exhibits clade-specific resistance to 5FC, and resistance is most commonly mediated by an Arg101Cys substitution in the FUR1 gene encoding uracil phosphoribosyltransferase. Broth microdilution assays with fluorouracil (5FU), the toxic deaminated form of 5FC, showed that both 5FC-resistant and 5FC-susceptible C. dubliniensis isolates exhibited similar 5FU MICs, suggesting that the C. dubliniensis cytosine deaminase (Fca1p) encoded by C. dubliniensis FCA1 (CdFCA1) may play a role in mediating C. dubliniensis clade-specific 5FC resistance. Amino acid sequence analysis of the CdFCA1 open reading frame (ORF) identified a homozygous Ser29Leu substitution in all 12 5FC-resistant isolates investigated which was not present in any of the 9 5FC-susceptible isolates examined. The tetracycline-inducible expression of the CdFCA1 ORF from a 5FC-susceptible C. dubliniensis isolate in two separate 5FC-resistant clade C3 isolates restored susceptibility to 5FC, demonstrating that the Ser29Leu substitution was responsible for the clade-specific 5FC resistance and that the 5FC resistance encoded by FCA1 genes with the Ser29Leu transition is recessive. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed no significant difference in CdFCA1 expression between 5FC-susceptible and 5FC-resistant isolates in either the presence or the absence of subinhibitory concentrations of 5FC, suggesting that the Ser29Leu substitution in the CdFCA1 ORF is the sole cause of 5FC resistance in clade C3 C. dubliniensis isolates.

  9. Protection against herbivores

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Howe, Gregg A.; Chen, Hui

    2017-10-25

    The present invention relates to genes, proteins and methods comprising molecules that alter amino acid levels. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to altering guanidino substrate hydrolysis activities in plants, arthropods and microorganisms using molecules within the arginase family and other molecules that alter an amino acid levels. In ones embodiment, the present invention relates to altering threonine substrate deamination and dehydration activities in plants, arthropods and microorganisms using molecules within the threonine deaminase family and other molecules that alter amino acid levels. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to using genes, proteins and methods comprising arginase or threonine deaminase for altering the pathophysiology of plants, arthropods and microorganisms. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention relates to altering guanidino substrate hydrolysis activity in plants, arthropods, and microorganisms using arginase. In another preferred embodiment, the invention relates to altering threonine substrated deamination and dehydration activity in plants, arthropods, and microorganisms using threonine deaminase. In some embodiments, the invention related to overexpression and increased activity of arginase, threonine deaminase and a proteinase inhibitor.

  10. Hypochlorite-induced damage to nucleosides

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hawkins, C L; Davies, Michael Jonathan

    2001-01-01

    HOCl damage to DNA bases. We show that reaction of HOCl with the exocyclic -NH(2) groups of cytidine, adenosine, and guanosine, and the ring NH groups of all bases, yields chloramines (RNHCl/RR'NCl). These are the major initial products. Chloramine decay can be accelerated by UV light and metal ions...... for radical formation is cytidine > adenosine = guanosine > uridine = thymidine. These data are inconsistent with the selectivity of HOCl attack and the stability of the resulting chloramines, but can be rationalized if chlorine transfer between bases is rapid and yields the most stable chloramine...

  11. [Target volume margins for lung cancer: internal target volume/clinical target volume].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jouin, A; Pourel, N

    2013-10-01

    The aim of this study was to carry out a review of margins that should be used for the delineation of target volumes in lung cancer, with a focus on margins from gross tumour volume (GTV) to clinical target volume (CTV) and internal target volume (ITV) delineation. Our review was based on a PubMed literature search with, as a cornerstone, the 2010 European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) recommandations by De Ruysscher et al. The keywords used for the search were: radiotherapy, lung cancer, clinical target volume, internal target volume. The relevant information was categorized under the following headings: gross tumour volume definition (GTV), CTV-GTV margin (first tumoural CTV then nodal CTV definition), in field versus elective nodal irradiation, metabolic imaging role through the input of the PET scanner for tumour target volume and limitations of PET-CT imaging for nodal target volume definition, postoperative radiotherapy target volume definition, delineation of target volumes after induction chemotherapy; then the internal target volume is specified as well as tumoural mobility for lung cancer and respiratory gating techniques. Finally, a chapter is dedicated to planning target volume definition and another to small cell lung cancer. For each heading, the most relevant and recent clinical trials and publications are mentioned. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier SAS.

  12. Identification of pleural effusion with low levels of adenosine deaminase but without signs of acute inflammation or pleural thickening to diagnose early malignant pleural mesothelioma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moriyama, Satoru; Tanahashi, Masayuki; Suzuki, Eriko

    2012-01-01

    We reviewed the clinical findings and diagnostic methods used in the diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) in patients with pleural effusion with low levels of adenosine deaminase (ADA), but without signs of acute inflammation or pleural thickening. The hospital records of 40 patients with pleural effusion of unknown origin or pleural thickening were retrospectively investigated. In all of those studies, pleural effusion was exudative, lymphocyte-dominant, no mycobacteria or other bacteria, and low levels of ADA. There were 30 men and 10 women with an average age of 62.8 years old. The diagnosis of MPM was obtained by cytology of the pleural effusion in 3 patients and by core-needle biopsy of the thickened pleura in 3. Thoracoscopic pleural biopsy under general anesthesia was performed for the other 34 patients. The pathologic diagnosis of pleural biopsy was MPM in 20 patients, inflammatory change in 12, and pleural dissemination of cancer in 2. All of the 7 patients with more than 100 μg/ml of hyaluronic acid in their pleural effusion received a diagnosis of MPM. A total of 20 of 23 patients with irregular or nodular pleural thickening on computed tomography findings were confirmed to have MPM. Moreover, 6 of 17 patients with smooth pleural thickening were confirmed to have MPM. In patients with nodular pleural thickening it was easy to make the diagnosis. However, in those with smooth thickening, careful observation was required to select the appropriate biopsy site and resection margins of full-thickness pleura. As the rate of MPM in the patients with pleural effusion with low levels of ADA, but without signs of acute inflammation or pleural thickening is high (65%), an early thoracoscopic pleural biopsy is strongly recommended. (author)

  13. Kinetics of adenylate metabolism in human and rat myocardium

    OpenAIRE

    Tavenier, M.; Skladanowski, A.C.; Abreu, R.A. de; Jong, J.W. de

    1995-01-01

    textabstractPathways producing and converting adenosine have hardly been investigated in human heart, contrasting work in other species. We compared the kinetics of enzymes associated with purine degradation and salvage in human and rat heart cytoplasm assaying for adenosine deaminase, nucleoside phosphorylase, xanthine oxidoreductase, AMP deaminase, AMP- and IMP-specific 5′-nucleotidases, adenosine kinase and hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT). Xanthine oxidoreductase was...

  14. Reference: 497 [Arabidopsis Phenome Database[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available hal albino phenotype. Rescue of tha2 mutants and tha1 tha2 double mutants by overproduction of feedback-inse...-specific expression of feedback-insensitive Thr deaminase in both tha1 and tha2 Thr aldolase mutants greatl...nsitive Thr deaminase (OMR1) shows that Gly formation by THA1 and THA2 is not essential in Arabidopsis. Seed

  15. The tertiary origin of the allosteric activation of E. coli glucosamine-6-phosphate deaminase studied by sol-gel nanoencapsulation of its T conformer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergio Zonszein

    Full Text Available The role of tertiary conformational changes associated to ligand binding was explored using the allosteric enzyme glucosamine-6-phosphate (GlcN6P deaminase from Escherichia coli (EcGNPDA as an experimental model. This is an enzyme of amino sugar catabolism that deaminates GlcN6P, giving fructose 6-phosphate and ammonia, and is allosterically activated by N-acetylglucosamine 6-phosphate (GlcNAc6P. We resorted to the nanoencapsulation of this enzyme in wet silica sol-gels for studying the role of intrasubunit local mobility in its allosteric activation under the suppression of quaternary transition. The gel-trapped enzyme lost its characteristic homotropic cooperativity while keeping its catalytic properties and the allosteric activation by GlcNAc6P. The nanoencapsulation keeps the enzyme in the T quaternary conformation, making possible the study of its allosteric activation under a condition that is not possible to attain in a soluble phase. The involved local transition was slowed down by nanoencapsulation, thus easing the fluorometric analysis of its relaxation kinetics, which revealed an induced-fit mechanism. The absence of cooperativity produced allosterically activated transitory states displaying velocity against substrate concentration curves with apparent negative cooperativity, due to the simultaneous presence of subunits with different substrate affinities. Reaction kinetics experiments performed at different tertiary conformational relaxation times also reveal the sequential nature of the allosteric activation. We assumed as a minimal model the existence of two tertiary states, t and r, of low and high affinity, respectively, for the substrate and the activator. By fitting the velocity-substrate curves as a linear combination of two hyperbolic functions with Kt and Kr as KM values, we obtained comparable values to those reported for the quaternary conformers in solution fitted to MWC model. These results are discussed in the

  16. Molecular Targets for Targeted Radionuclide Therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mather, S.J.

    2009-01-01

    Molecular targeted radionuclide cancer therapy is becoming of increasing importance, especially for disseminated diseases. Systemic chemotherapies often lack selectivity while targeted radionuclide therapy has important advantages as the radioactive cytotoxic unit of the targeting vector is specifically directed to the cancer, sparing normal tissues. The principle strategy to improve cancer selectivity is to couple therapeutic agents to tumour-targeting vectors. In targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT), the cytotoxic portion of the conjugates normally contains a therapeutic radiometal immobilised by a bifunctional chelator. The aim is therefore to use as ligand-targeted therapeutics vectors coupled to Auger-, alpha- and/or beta-emitting radionuclides. An advantage of using radiation instead of chemotherapeutics as the cytotoxic agent is the so called 'crossfire effect'. This allows sterilisation of tumour cells that are not directly targeted due to heterogeneity in target molecule expression or inhomogeneous vector delivery. However, before the targeting ligands can be selected, the target molecule on the tumour has to be selected. It should be uniquely expressed, or at least highly overexpressed, on or in the target cells relative to normal tissues. The target should be easily accessible for ligand delivery and should not be shed or down- regulated after ligand binding. An important property of a receptor (or antigen) is its potential to be internalized upon binding of the ligand. This provides an active uptake mechanism and allows the therapeutic agent to be trapped within the tumour cells. Molecular targets of current interest include: Receptors: G-protein coupled receptors are overexpressed on many major human tumours. The prototype of these receptors are somatostatin receptors which show very high density in neuroendocrine tumours, but there are many other most interesting receptors to be applied for TRT. The targeting ligands for these receptors are

  17. Nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab-paclitaxel for the treatment of pancreas ductal adenocarcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Narayanan V

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Vignesh Narayanan,1 Colin D Weekes1,2 1Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, 2Developmental Therapeutics Program, University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA Abstract: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and surgical resection offers the only chance of cure. Since the majority of patients have unresectable disease at presentation, the emphasis has been on identifying effective chemotherapy regimens to prolong survival and control tumor burden. Gemcitabine has been the cornerstone of treatment ever since it was discovered to be an active agent in advanced pancreatic cancer nearly two decades ago, but the overall prognosis in patients with metastatic disease remains dismal. A dense fibrotic stroma around the tumor devoid of vasculature and the resultant hypoxic tumor microenvironment are implicated in the chemotherapy-resistant nature of this malignancy. In recent years, a growing body of literature has further elucidated several aspects of pancreatic tumor biology, such as its ability to utilize albumin from the peritumoral tissues to support its metabolic needs. High-pressure homogenization of paclitaxel with nanoparticle albumin results in the formation of soluble 130 nm complexes with albumin acting as the carrier for the otherwise hydrophobic paclitaxel. Once these complexes reach the tumor milieu, they act by depleting the tumor stroma. In addition, paclitaxel is also transported into the tumor cell along with albumin, where it then exerts its antineoplastic activity. Nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab-paclitaxel also increases gemcitabine levels inside the tumor cells by inhibiting cytidine deaminase, the enzyme that degrades gemcitabine. This review focuses on proposed mechanisms of efficacy of nab-paclitaxel in pancreatic cancer and discusses the preclinical and clinical studies of relevance. Keywords: pancreatic

  18. Requirement of 8-mercaptoguanosine as a costimulus for IL-4-dependent μ to γ1 class switch recombination in CD38-activated B cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsukamoto, Yumiko; Uehara, Shoji; Mizoguchi, Chieko; Sato, Atsushi; Horikawa, Keisuke; Takatsu, Kiyoshi

    2005-01-01

    Mature B-2 cells expressing surface IgM and IgD proliferate upon stimulation by CD38, CD40 or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and differentiate into IgG1-producing plasma cells in the presence of cytokines. The process of class switch recombination (CSR) from IgM to other isotypes is highly regulated by cytokines and activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). Blimp-1 and XBP-1 play an essential role in the terminal differentiation of switched B-2 cells to Ig-producing plasma cells. IL-5 induces AID and Blimp-1 expression in CD38- and CD40-activated B-2 cells, leading to μ to γ1 CSR at DNA level and IgG1 production. IL-4, a well-known IgG1-inducing factor, does not induce μ to γ1 CSR in CD38-activated B-2 cells or Blimp-1, while IL-4 induces μ to γ1 CSR, XBP-1 expression, and IgG1 production expression in CD40-activated B-2 cells. Interestingly, the addition of 8-mercaptoguanosine (8-SGuo) with IL-4 to the culture of CD38-activated B cells can induce μ to γ1 CSR, Blimp-1 expression, and IgG1 production. Intriguingly, 8-SGuo by itself induces AID expression in CD38-activated B cells. However, it does not induce μ to γ1 CSR. These results imply that the mode of B-cell activation for extracellular stimulation affects the outcome of cytokine stimulation with respect to the efficiency and direction of CSR, and the requirements of the transcriptional regulator and the generation of antibody-secreting cells. Furthermore, our data suggest the requirement of additional molecules in addition to AID for CSR

  19. Human endogenous retrovirus expression is inversely related with the up-regulation of interferon-inducible genes in the skin of patients with lichen planus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nogueira, Marcelle Almeida de Sousa; Gavioli, Camila Fátima Biancardi; Pereira, Nátalli Zanete; de Carvalho, Gabriel Costa; Domingues, Rosana; Aoki, Valéria; Sato, Maria Notomi

    2015-04-01

    Lichen planus (LP) is a common inflammatory skin disease of unknown etiology. Reports of a common transactivation of quiescent human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) support the connection of viruses to the disease. HERVs are ancient retroviral sequences in the human genome and their transcription is often deregulated in cancer and autoimmune diseases. We explored the transcriptional activity of HERV sequences as well as the antiviral restriction factor and interferon-inducible genes in the skin from LP patients and healthy control (HC) donors. The study included 13 skin biopsies from patients with LP and 12 controls. Real-time PCR assay identified significant decrease in the HERV-K gag and env mRNA expression levels in LP subjects, when compared to control group. The expressions of HERV-K18 and HERV-W env were also inhibited in the skin of LP patients. We observed a strong correlation between HERV-K gag with other HERV sequences, regardless the down-modulation of transcripts levels in LP group. In contrast, a significant up-regulation of the cytidine deaminase APOBEC 3G (apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing), and the GTPase MxA (Myxovirus resistance A) mRNA expression level was identified in the LP skin specimens. Other transcript expressions, such as the master regulator of type I interferon-dependent immune responses, STING (stimulator of interferon genes) and IRF-7 (interferon regulatory factor 7), IFN-β and the inflammassome NALP3, had increased levels in LP, when compared to HC group. Our study suggests that interferon-inducible factors, in addition to their role in innate immunity against exogenous pathogens, contribute to the immune control of HERVs. Evaluation of the balance between HERV and interferon-inducible factor expression could possibly contribute to surveillance of inflammatory/malignant status of skin diseases.

  20. Impact of tofacitinib treatment on human B-cells in vitro and in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rizzi, Marta; Lorenzetti, Raquel; Fischer, Kathleen; Staniek, Julian; Janowska, Iga; Troilo, Arianna; Strohmeier, Valentina; Erlacher, Miriam; Kunze, Mirjam; Bannert, Bettina; Kyburz, Diego; Voll, Reinhard E; Venhoff, Nils; Thiel, Jens

    2017-02-01

    B-cells are pivotal to the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis and tofacitinib, a JAK inhibitor, is effective and safe in its treatment. Tofacitinib interferes with signal transduction via cytokine receptors using the common γ-chain. Despite extensive data on T-lymphocytes, the impact of tofacitinib on B-lymphocytes is poorly understood. In this study we assessed the effect of tofacitinib on B-lymphocyte differentiation and function. Tofacitinib treatment strongly impaired in vitro plasmablast development, immunoglobulin secretion and induction of B-cell fate determining transcription factors, Blimp-1, Xbp-1, and IRF-4, in naïve B-cells. Interestingly, class switch and activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AICDA) induction was only slightly reduced in activated naïve B-cells. The effect of tofacitinib on plasmablast formation, immunoglobulin secretion and proliferation was less profound, when peripheral blood B-cells, including not only naïve but also memory B-cells, were stimulated. In line with these in vitro results, the relative distribution of B-cell populations remained stable in tofacitinib treated patients. Nevertheless, a temporary increase in absolute B-cell numbers was observed 6-8 weeks after start of treatment. In addition, B-cells isolated from tofacitinib treated patients responded rapidly to in vitro activation. We demonstrate that tofacitinib has a direct impact on human naïve B-lymphocytes, independently from its effect on T-lymphocytes, by impairing their development into plasmablasts and immunoglobulin secretion. The major effect of tofacitinib on naïve B-lymphocyte development points to the potential inability of tofacitinib-treated patients to respond to novel antigens, and suggests planning vaccination strategies prior to tofacitinib treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Population Pharmacokinetics of Gemcitabine and dFdU in Pancreatic Cancer Patients Using an Optimal Design, Sparse Sampling Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serdjebi, Cindy; Gattacceca, Florence; Seitz, Jean-François; Fein, Francine; Gagnière, Johan; François, Eric; Abakar-Mahamat, Abakar; Deplanque, Gael; Rachid, Madani; Lacarelle, Bruno; Ciccolini, Joseph; Dahan, Laetitia

    2017-06-01

    Gemcitabine remains a pillar in pancreatic cancer treatment. However, toxicities are frequently observed. Dose adjustment based on therapeutic drug monitoring might help decrease the occurrence of toxicities. In this context, this work aims at describing the pharmacokinetics (PK) of gemcitabine and its metabolite dFdU in pancreatic cancer patients and at identifying the main sources of their PK variability using a population PK approach, despite a sparse sampled-population and heterogeneous administration and sampling protocols. Data from 38 patients were included in the analysis. The 3 optimal sampling times were determined using KineticPro and the population PK analysis was performed on Monolix. Available patient characteristics, including cytidine deaminase (CDA) status, were tested as covariates. Correlation between PK parameters and occurrence of severe hematological toxicities was also investigated. A two-compartment model best fitted the gemcitabine and dFdU PK data (volume of distribution and clearance for gemcitabine: V1 = 45 L and CL1 = 4.03 L/min; for dFdU: V2 = 36 L and CL2 = 0.226 L/min). Renal function was found to influence gemcitabine clearance, and body surface area to impact the volume of distribution of dFdU. However, neither CDA status nor the occurrence of toxicities was correlated to PK parameters. Despite sparse sampling and heterogeneous administration and sampling protocols, population and individual PK parameters of gemcitabine and dFdU were successfully estimated using Monolix population PK software. The estimated parameters were consistent with previously published results. Surprisingly, CDA activity did not influence gemcitabine PK, which was explained by the absence of CDA-deficient patients enrolled in the study. This work suggests that even sparse data are valuable to estimate population and individual PK parameters in patients, which will be usable to individualize the dose for an optimized benefit to risk ratio.

  2. High level of APOBEC3F/3G editing in HIV-2 DNA vif and pol sequences from antiretroviral-naive patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertine, Mélanie; Charpentier, Charlotte; Visseaux, Benoit; Storto, Alexandre; Collin, Gilles; Larrouy, Lucile; Damond, Florence; Matheron, Sophie; Brun-Vézinet, Françoise; Descamps, Diane

    2015-04-24

    In HIV-1, hypermutation introduced by APOBEC3F/3G cytidine deaminase activity leads to defective viruses. In-vivo impact of APOBEC3F/3G editing on HIV-2 sequences remains unknown. The objective of this study was to assess the level of APOBEC3F/3G editing in HIV-2-infected antiretroviral-naive patients. Direct sequencing of vif and pol regions was performed on HIV-2 proviral DNA from antiretroviral-naive patients included in the French Agence Nationale de Recherches sur le SIDA et les hépatites virales CO5 HIV-2 cohort. Hypermutated sequences were identified using Hypermut2.0 program. HIV-1 proviral sequences from Genbank were also assessed. Among 82 antiretroviral-naive HIV-2-infected patients assessed, 15 (28.8%) and five (16.7%) displayed Vif proviral defective sequences in HIV-2 groups A and B, respectively. A lower proportion of defective sequences was observed in protease-reverse transcriptase region. A higher median number of G-to-A mutations was observed in HIV-2 group B than in group A, both in Vif and protease-reverse transcriptase regions (P = 0.02 and P = 0.006, respectively). Compared with HIV-1 Vif sequences, a higher number of Vif defective sequences was observed in HIV-2 group A (P = 0.00001) and group B sequences (P = 0.013). We showed for the first time a high level of APOBEC3F/3G editing in HIV-2 sequences from antiretroviral-naive patients. Our study reported a group effect with a significantly higher level of APOBEC3F/3G editing in HIV-2 group B than in group A sequences.

  3. Tumultuous relationship between the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 viral infectivity factor (Vif) and the human APOBEC-3G and APOBEC-3F restriction factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henriet, Simon; Mercenne, Gaëlle; Bernacchi, Serena; Paillart, Jean-Christophe; Marquet, Roland

    2009-06-01

    The viral infectivity factor (Vif) is dispensable for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication in so-called permissive cells but is required for replication in nonpermissive cell lines and for pathogenesis. Virions produced in the absence of Vif have an aberrant morphology and an unstable core and are unable to complete reverse transcription. Recent studies demonstrated that human APOBEC-3G (hA3G) and APOBEC-3F (hA3F), which are selectively expressed in nonpermissive cells, possess strong anti-HIV-1 activity and are sufficient to confer a nonpermissive phenotype. Vif induces the degradation of hA3G and hA3F, suggesting that its main function is to counteract these cellular factors. Most studies focused on the hypermutation induced by the cytidine deaminase activity of hA3G and hA3F and on their Vif-induced degradation by the proteasome. However, recent studies suggested that several mechanisms are involved both in the antiviral activity of hA3G and hA3F and in the way Vif counteracts these antiviral factors. Attempts to reconcile the studies involving Vif in virus assembly and stability with these recent findings suggest that hA3G and hA3F partially exert their antiviral activity independently of their catalytic activity by destabilizing the viral core and the reverse transcription complex, possibly by interfering with the assembly and/or maturation of the viral particles. Vif could then counteract hA3G and hA3F by excluding them from the viral assembly intermediates through competition for the viral genomic RNA, by regulating the proteolytic processing of Pr55(Gag), by enhancing the efficiency of the reverse transcription process, and by inhibiting the enzymatic activities of hA3G and hA3F.

  4. HIV restriction by APOBEC3 in humanized mice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John F Krisko

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Innate immune restriction factors represent important specialized barriers to zoonotic transmission of viruses. Significant consideration has been given to their possible use for therapeutic benefit. The apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide 3 (APOBEC3 family of cytidine deaminases are potent immune defense molecules capable of efficiently restricting endogenous retroelements as well as a broad range of viruses including Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV, Hepatitis B virus (HBV, Human Papilloma virus (HPV, and Human T Cell Leukemia virus (HTLV. The best characterized members of this family are APOBEC3G (A3G and APOBEC3F (A3F and their restriction of HIV. HIV has evolved to counteract these powerful restriction factors by encoding an accessory gene designated viral infectivity factor (vif. Here we demonstrate that APOBEC3 efficiently restricts CCR5-tropic HIV in the absence of Vif. However, our results also show that CXCR4-tropic HIV can escape from APOBEC3 restriction and replicate in vivo independent of Vif. Molecular analysis identified thymocytes as cells with reduced A3G and A3F expression. Direct injection of vif-defective HIV into the thymus resulted in viral replication and dissemination detected by plasma viral load analysis; however, vif-defective viruses remained sensitive to APOBEC3 restriction as extensive G to A mutation was observed in proviral DNA recovered from other organs. Remarkably, HIV replication persisted despite the inability of HIV to develop resistance to APOBEC3 in the absence of Vif. Our results provide novel insight into a highly specific subset of cells that potentially circumvent the action of APOBEC3; however our results also demonstrate the massive inactivation of CCR5-tropic HIV in the absence of Vif.

  5. Characterization of a cultured human T-cell line with genetically altered ribonucleotide reductase activity. Model for immunodeficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waddell, D; Ullman, B

    1983-04-10

    From human CCRF-CEM T-cells growing in continuous culture, we have selected, isolated, and characterized a clonal cell line, APHID-D2, with altered ribonucleotide reductase activity. In comparative growth rate experiments, the APHID-D2 cell line is less sensitive than the parental cell line to growth inhibition by deoxyadenosine in the presence of 10 microM erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine, an inhibitor of adenosine deaminase. The APHID-D2 cell line has elevated levels of all four dNTPs. The resistance of the APHID-D2 cell line to growth inhibition by deoxyadenosine and the abnormal dNTP levels can be explained by the fact that the APHID-D2 ribonucleotide reductase, unlike the parental ribonucleotide reductase, is not normally sensitive to inhibition by dATP. These results suggest that the allosteric site of ribonucleotide reductase which binds both dATP and ATP is altered in the APHID-D2 line. The isolation of a mutant clone of human T-cells which contains a ribonucleotide reductase that has lost its normal sensitivity to dATP and which is resistant to deoxyadenosine-mediated growth inhibition suggests that a primary pathogenic target of accumulated dATP in lymphocytes from patients with adenosine deaminase deficiency may be the cellular ribonucleotide reductase.

  6. Growth inhibition of human breast cancer cells and down-regulation of ODC1 and ADA genes by Nepeta binaloudensis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akbar Safipour Afshar

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Nepeta binaloudensis Jamzad, Lamiaceae, is a rare medicinal plant endemic to Iran. In spite of many studies about the chemical constituents and antibacterial effects of this species, no report has been provided about its cytotoxic and anticancer activities. In this study we have evaluated the effects of EtOH 70%, hexane and aqueous extracts of N. binaloudensis on the cell proliferation and n-hexane extract on the expression of adenosine deaminase and ornithine decarboxylase 1 genes in breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 compared to non-cancer line (MCF-10A. The cell lines were subjected to increasing doses of the extracts ranging from 10 to 320 µg/ml. Cell viability was quantified by MTS assay. Expression of adenosine deaminase and ornithine decarboxylase 1 genes was analyzed by real time PCR. N. binaloudensis inhibited the growth of malignant cells in a time and dose-dependent manner. Among extracts of N. binaloudensis, the hexane extract was found to be more toxic compared to other extracts. Results showed a marked decrease in the expression of ornithine decarboxylase 1 and adenosine deaminase genes in cancer cell lines. At 60 µg/ml concentration of N. binaloudensis hexane extract ornithine decarboxylase 1 and adenosine deaminase mRNA expression were reduced 4.9 fold and 3.5 fold in MCF-7 cell line and 3.6 fold and 2.6 fold in MDA-MB-231 cell line compared to control, respectively. The result of our study highlights the potential influences of N. binaloudensis hexane extract on ornithine decarboxylase 1 and adenosine deaminase genes expression in breast cancer cells and its relation to inhibition of cancer cell growth.

  7. Native bacterial endophytes promote host growth in a species-specific manner; phytohormone manipulations do not result in common growth responses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hoang Hoa Long

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: All plants in nature harbor a diverse community of endophytic bacteria which can positively affect host plant growth. Changes in plant growth frequently reflect alterations in phytohormone homoeostasis by plant-growth-promoting (PGP rhizobacteria which can decrease ethylene (ET levels enzymatically by 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC deaminase or produce indole acetic acid (IAA. Whether these common PGP mechanisms work similarly for different plant species has not been rigorously tested. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We isolated bacterial endophytes from field-grown Solanum nigrum; characterized PGP traits (ACC deaminase activity, IAA production, phosphate solubilization and seedling colonization; and determined their effects on their host, S. nigrum, as well as on another Solanaceous native plant, Nicotiana attenuata. In S. nigrum, a majority of isolates that promoted root growth were associated with ACC deaminase activity and IAA production. However, in N. attenuata, IAA but not ACC deaminase activity was associated with root growth. Inoculating N. attenuata and S. nigrum with known PGP bacteria from a culture collection (DSMZ reinforced the conclusion that the PGP effects are not highly conserved. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We conclude that natural endophytic bacteria with PGP traits do not have general and predictable effects on the growth and fitness of all host plants, although the underlying mechanisms are conserved.

  8. Insulin and adenosine regulate the phosphatidylcholine concentration in isolated rat adipocyte plasma membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiechle, F L; Sykes, E; Artiss, J D

    1995-01-01

    Blockade of adenosine receptors by 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine or degradation of endogenous adenosine with adenosine deaminase increased the phosphatidylcholine concentration in isolated rat adipocyte plasma membranes, an effect which was suppressed by the phosphatidylethanolamine methyltransferase inhibitor, S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine, and reversed by the adenosine analogue, N6-(L-phenylisopropyl)-adenosine. For example, the addition of N6-(L-phenylisopropyl)-adenosine to adenosine deaminase pretreated plasma membranes rapidly lowered the concentration of phosphatidylcholine by 171 nmol/mg at 30 seconds compared to control. Insulin-induced stimulation of phospholipid methylation in membranes treated with 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine or adenosine deaminase was achieved only after the addition of N6-(L-phenylisopropyl)-adenosine. These results suggest that adenosine receptor occupancy inhibits phospholipid methylation, is required for insulin stimulation of phospholipid methylation, and may perhaps activate a phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C or phospholipase D.

  9. Organelle targeting: third level of drug targeting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sakhrani NM

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Niraj M Sakhrani, Harish PadhDepartment of Cell and Molecular Biology, BV Patel Pharmaceutical Education and Research Development (PERD Centre, Gujarat, IndiaAbstract: Drug discovery and drug delivery are two main aspects for treatment of a variety of disorders. However, the real bottleneck associated with systemic drug administration is the lack of target-specific affinity toward a pathological site, resulting in systemic toxicity and innumerable other side effects as well as higher dosage requirement for efficacy. An attractive strategy to increase the therapeutic index of a drug is to specifically deliver the therapeutic molecule in its active form, not only into target tissue, nor even to target cells, but more importantly, into the targeted organelle, ie, to its intracellular therapeutic active site. This would ensure improved efficacy and minimize toxicity. Cancer chemotherapy today faces the major challenge of delivering chemotherapeutic drugs exclusively to tumor cells, while sparing normal proliferating cells. Nanoparticles play a crucial role by acting as a vehicle for delivery of drugs to target sites inside tumor cells. In this review, we spotlight active and passive targeting, followed by discussion of the importance of targeting to specific cell organelles and the potential role of cell-penetrating peptides. Finally, the discussion will address the strategies for drug/DNA targeting to lysosomes, mitochondria, nuclei and Golgi/endoplasmic reticulum.Keywords: intracellular drug delivery, cancer chemotherapy, therapeutic index, cell penetrating peptides

  10. Evolved Cas9 variants with broad PAM compatibility and high DNA specificity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Johnny H; Miller, Shannon M; Geurts, Maarten H; Tang, Weixin; Chen, Liwei; Sun, Ning; Zeina, Christina M; Gao, Xue; Rees, Holly A; Lin, Zhi; Liu, David R

    2018-04-05

    A key limitation of the use of the CRISPR-Cas9 system for genome editing and other applications is the requirement that a protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) be present at the target site. For the most commonly used Cas9 from Streptococcus pyogenes (SpCas9), the required PAM sequence is NGG. No natural or engineered Cas9 variants that have been shown to function efficiently in mammalian cells offer a PAM less restrictive than NGG. Here we use phage-assisted continuous evolution to evolve an expanded PAM SpCas9 variant (xCas9) that can recognize a broad range of PAM sequences including NG, GAA and GAT. The PAM compatibility of xCas9 is the broadest reported, to our knowledge, among Cas9 proteins that are active in mammalian cells, and supports applications in human cells including targeted transcriptional activation, nuclease-mediated gene disruption, and cytidine and adenine base editing. Notably, despite its broadened PAM compatibility, xCas9 has much greater DNA specificity than SpCas9, with substantially lower genome-wide off-target activity at all NGG target sites tested, as well as minimal off-target activity when targeting genomic sites with non-NGG PAMs. These findings expand the DNA targeting scope of CRISPR systems and establish that there is no necessary trade-off between Cas9 editing efficiency, PAM compatibility and DNA specificity.

  11. Enhancement of Nucleoside Production in Hirsutella sinensis Based on Biosynthetic Pathway Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zhi-Qiang; Zhang, Bo; Lin, Shan; Baker, Peter James; Chen, Mao-Sheng; Xue, Ya-Ping; Wu, Hui; Xu, Feng; Yuan, Shui-Jin; Teng, Yi; Wu, Ling-Fang

    2017-01-01

    To enhance nucleoside production in Hirsutella sinensis, the biosynthetic pathways of purine and pyrimidine nucleosides were constructed and verified. The differential expression analysis showed that purine nucleoside phosphorylase, inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase, and guanosine monophosphate synthase genes involved in purine nucleotide biosynthesis were significantly upregulated 16.56-fold, 8-fold, and 5.43-fold, respectively. Moreover, dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, uridine nucleosidase, uridine/cytidine monophosphate kinase, and inosine triphosphate pyrophosphatase genes participating in pyrimidine nucleoside biosynthesis were upregulated 4.53-fold, 10.63-fold, 4.26-fold, and 5.98-fold, respectively. To enhance the nucleoside production, precursors for synthesis of nucleosides were added based on the analysis of biosynthetic pathways. Uridine and cytidine contents, respectively, reached 5.04 mg/g and 3.54 mg/g when adding 2 mg/mL of ribose, resulting in an increase of 28.6% and 296% compared with the control, respectively. Meanwhile, uridine and cytidine contents, respectively, reached 10.83 mg/g 2.12 mg/g when adding 0.3 mg/mL of uracil, leading to an increase of 176.3% and 137.1%, respectively. This report indicated that fermentation regulation was an effective way to enhance the nucleoside production in H. sinensis based on biosynthetic pathway analysis. PMID:29333435

  12. Value of combined detection of interferon-γ, vascular endothelial growth factor, C-reactive protein and adenosine deaminase in differential diagnosis of tuberculous and malignant pleural effusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Guo'an; Han Sugui; Zhou Xiuyan; He Weishe; Sun Fangchu

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To explore the value of interferon II, vascular endothelial growth factor, C-reactive protein and adenosine deaminase in differential diagnosis of tuberculous and malignant pleural effusion. Methods: 122 cases with tuberculous pleurisy, 56 cases of malignant pleural effusion, 48 cases of tuberculous pleural effusion, 18 cases of inflammatory and other pleural fluid were studied. The serum and pleural fluid levels of IFN-γ, VEGF-C, CRP and ADA serum in those patients were detected. Results: The IFN-γ, CRP and ADA levels in tuberculous pleural effusion were higher than in malignant pleural effusion(P<0.01). According to the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve, when 100 ng/L was regarded as critical value of IFN-γ, the sensitivity and specificity of IFN-γ in diagnosing tuberculous pleural effusion were 83.1% and 92.3% respectively. When 45 U/L ADA was regarded as critical value of ADA, the sensitivity and specificity of ADA in diagnosing tuberculous pleural effusion were 85.6% and 96.3% respectively. When 110 mg/L was regarded as critical value of CRP, the sensitivity and specificity of CRP were 79.1% and 84.2% respectively. When combine detection of three markers, the diagnosis sensitivity and specificity were 87.8% and 86.0% respectively. The VEGF-C concentration in malignant pleural effusion was higher than that in tuberculous pleural effusion and inflammatory and other pleural effusion (P<0.01). When the ratio of VEGF-C to ADA≥8, the sensitivity and specificity in diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion were 86.3% and 82.6% respectively, and the ration VEGF-C to ADA≤3, the sensitivity and specificity in diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion were 85.1% and 87.1% respectively. Conclusion: The combined detection of IFN-γ, CRP and ADA could improve sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing tuberculous pleurisy. The concentration ratios of VEGF-C to ADA have clinical value in differential diagnosis of pleural effusions. (authors)

  13. Heavy-ion targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adair, H.L.; Kobisk, E.H.

    1985-01-01

    This chapter examines the characteristics of targets required in heavy-ion accelerator physics experiments. The effects of target parameters on heavy-ion experimental results are reviewed. The target fabrication and characterization techniques used to minimize experimental problems during heavy-ion bombardment are described. Topics considered include target thickness and uniformity, target lifetime, target purity, substrate materials, Doppler shift effects, metal preparations, and target preparation methods

  14. Antiproton Target

    CERN Multimedia

    1980-01-01

    Antiproton target used for the AA (antiproton accumulator). The first type of antiproton production target used from 1980 to 1982 comprised a rod of copper 3mm diameter and 120mm long embedded in a graphite cylinder that was itself pressed into a finned aluminium container. This assembly was air-cooled and it was used in conjunction with the Van der Meer magnetic horn. In 1983 Fermilab provided us with lithium lenses to replace the horn with a view to increasing the antiproton yield by about 30%. These lenses needed a much shorter target made of heavy metal - iridium was chosen for this purpose. The 50 mm iridium rod was housed in an extension to the original finned target container so that it could be brought very close to the entrance to the lithium lens. Picture 1 shows this target assembly and Picture 2 shows it mounted together with the lithium lens. These target containers had a short lifetime due to a combination of beam heating and radiation damage. This led to the design of the water-cooled target in...

  15. Target laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ephraim, D.C.; Pednekar, A.R.

    1993-01-01

    A target laboratory to make stripper foils for the accelerator and various targets for use in the experiments is set up in the pelletron accelerator facility. The facilities available in the laboratory are: (1) D.C. glow discharge setup, (2) carbon arc set up, and (3) vacuum evaporation set up (resistance heating), electron beam source, rolling mill - all for target preparation. They are described. Centrifugal deposition technique is used for target preparation. (author). 3 figs

  16. Inactivation of Lactobacillus leichmannii ribonucleotide reductase by 2',2'-difluoro-2'-deoxycytidine 5'-triphosphate: adenosylcobalamin destruction and formation of a nucleotide-based radical.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lohman, Gregory J S; Gerfen, Gary J; Stubbe, Joanne

    2010-02-23

    Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR, 76 kDa) from Lactobacillus leichmannii is a class II RNR that requires adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl) as a cofactor. It catalyzes the conversion of nucleoside triphosphates to deoxynucleotides and is 100% inactivated by 1 equiv of 2',2'-difluoro-2'-deoxycytidine 5'-triphosphate (F(2)CTP) in cytidine, characterized by mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy, indicating the trapped nucleotide had lost both of its fluorides and gained an oxygen. High-field ENDOR studies with [1'-(2)H]F(2)CTP from the reaction quenched at 30 s revealed a radical that is nucleotide-based. The relationship between this radical and the trapped cytidine analogue provides insight into the nonalkylative pathway for RNR inactivation relative to the alkylative pathway.

  17. Autoradiographic imaging of phosphoinositide turnover in the brain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, P.M.; Bredt, D.S.; Snyder, S.H.

    1990-01-01

    With [ 3 H]cytidine as a precursor, phosphoinositide turnover can be localized in brain slices by selective autoradiography of the product [ 3 H]cytidine diphosphate diacylglycerol, which is membrane-bound. In the cerebellum, glutamatergic stimulation elicits an increase of phosphoinositide turnover only in Purkinje cells and the molecular layer. In the hippocampus, both glutamatergic and muscarinic cholinergic stimulation increase phosphoinositide turnover, but with distinct localizations. Cholinergic stimulation affects CA1, CA3, CA4, and subiculum, whereas glutamatergic effects are restricted to the subiculum and CA3. Imaging phosphoinositide turnover in brain slices, which are amenable to electrophysiologic studies, will permit a dynamic localized analysis of regulation of this second messenger in response to synaptic stimulation of specific neuronal pathways

  18. Localization of phosphatidylinositol signaling components in rat taste cells: Role in bitter taste transduction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, P.M.; Verma, A.; Bredt, D.S.; Snyder, S.H.

    1990-01-01

    To assess the role of phosphatidylinositol turnover in taste transduction we have visualized, in rat tongue, ATP-dependent endoplasmic reticular accumulation of 45 Ca 2+ , inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor binding sites, and phosphatidylinositol turnover monitored by autoradiography of [ 3 H]cytidine diphosphate diacylglycerol formed from [ 3 H]cytidine. Accumulated 45 Ca 2+ , inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors, and phosphatidylinositol turnover are selectively localized to apical areas of the taste buds of circumvallate papillae, which are associated with bitter taste. Further evidence for a role of phosphatidylinositol turnover in bitter taste is our observation of a rapid, selective increase in mass levels of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate elicited by low concentrations of denatonium, a potently bitter tastant

  19. Nuclease Target Site Selection for Maximizing On-target Activity and Minimizing Off-target Effects in Genome Editing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Ciaran M; Cradick, Thomas J; Fine, Eli J; Bao, Gang

    2016-01-01

    The rapid advancement in targeted genome editing using engineered nucleases such as ZFNs, TALENs, and CRISPR/Cas9 systems has resulted in a suite of powerful methods that allows researchers to target any genomic locus of interest. A complementary set of design tools has been developed to aid researchers with nuclease design, target site selection, and experimental validation. Here, we review the various tools available for target selection in designing engineered nucleases, and for quantifying nuclease activity and specificity, including web-based search tools and experimental methods. We also elucidate challenges in target selection, especially in predicting off-target effects, and discuss future directions in precision genome editing and its applications. PMID:26750397

  20. The target effect: visual memory for unnamed search targets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Mark D; Williams, Carrick C

    2014-01-01

    Search targets are typically remembered much better than other objects even when they are viewed for less time. However, targets have two advantages that other objects in search displays do not have: They are identified categorically before the search, and finding them represents the goal of the search task. The current research investigated the contributions of both of these types of information to the long-term visual memory representations of search targets. Participants completed either a predefined search or a unique-object search in which targets were not defined with specific categorical labels before searching. Subsequent memory results indicated that search target memory was better than distractor memory even following ambiguously defined searches and when the distractors were viewed significantly longer. Superior target memory appears to result from a qualitatively different representation from those of distractor objects, indicating that decision processes influence visual memory.

  1. Literature evidence in open targets - a target validation platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kafkas, Şenay; Dunham, Ian; McEntyre, Johanna

    2017-06-06

    We present the Europe PMC literature component of Open Targets - a target validation platform that integrates various evidence to aid drug target identification and validation. The component identifies target-disease associations in documents and ranks the documents based on their confidence from the Europe PMC literature database, by using rules utilising expert-provided heuristic information. The confidence score of a given document represents how valuable the document is in the scope of target validation for a given target-disease association by taking into account the credibility of the association based on the properties of the text. The component serves the platform regularly with the up-to-date data since December, 2015. Currently, there are a total number of 1168365 distinct target-disease associations text mined from >26 million PubMed abstracts and >1.2 million Open Access full text articles. Our comparative analyses on the current available evidence data in the platform revealed that 850179 of these associations are exclusively identified by literature mining. This component helps the platform's users by providing the most relevant literature hits for a given target and disease. The text mining evidence along with the other types of evidence can be explored visually through https://www.targetvalidation.org and all the evidence data is available for download in json format from https://www.targetvalidation.org/downloads/data .

  2. Study of target and non-target interplay in spatial attention task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweeti; Joshi, Deepak; Panigrahi, B K; Anand, Sneh; Santhosh, Jayasree

    2018-02-01

    Selective visual attention is the ability to selectively pay attention to the targets while inhibiting the distractors. This paper aims to study the targets and non-targets interplay in spatial attention task while subject attends to the target object present in one visual hemifield and ignores the distractor present in another visual hemifield. This paper performs the averaged evoked response potential (ERP) analysis and time-frequency analysis. ERP analysis agrees to the left hemisphere superiority over late potentials for the targets present in right visual hemifield. Time-frequency analysis performed suggests two parameters i.e. event-related spectral perturbation (ERSP) and inter-trial coherence (ITC). These parameters show the same properties for the target present in either of the visual hemifields but show the difference while comparing the activity corresponding to the targets and non-targets. In this way, this study helps to visualise the difference between targets present in the left and right visual hemifields and, also the targets and non-targets present in the left and right visual hemifields. These results could be utilised to monitor subjects' performance in brain-computer interface (BCI) and neurorehabilitation.

  3. Using the Nova target chamber for high-yield targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pitts, J.H.

    1987-01-01

    The existing 2.2-m-radius Nova aluminum target chamber, coated and lined with boron-seeded carbon shields, is proposed for use with 1000-MJ-yield targets in the next laser facility. The laser beam and diagnostic holes in the target chamber are left open and the desired 10 -2 Torr vacuum is maintained both inside and outside the target chamber; a larger target chamber room is the vacuum barrier to the atmosphere. The hole area available is three times that necessary to maintain a maximum fluence below 12 J/cm 2 on optics placed at a radius of 10 m. Maximum stress in the target chamber wall is 73 MPa, which complies with the intent of the ASME Pressure Vessel Code. However, shock waves passing through the inner carbon shield could cause it to comminute. We propose tests and analyses to ensure that the inner carbon shield survives the environment. 13 refs

  4. Rapid, reliable, and sensitive detection of adenosine deaminase activity by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS and its application to inhibitory activity evaluation of traditional Chinese medicines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qi, Shenglan; Guan, Huida; Deng, Gang; Yang, Tao; Cheng, Xuemei; Liu, Wei; Liu, Ping; Wang, Changhong

    2018-05-10

    Adenosine deaminase (ADA), which is a key enzyme in the metabolism of purine nucleosides, plays important roles in diverse disorders, such as tuberculosis, diabetes, liver disorders, and cancer. Determination of the activities of ADA and its isoenzymes in body fluids has received considerable attention in the diagnosis and treatment of relative diseases. Ultraviolet spectroscopy with adenosine (AD) as a substrate is a classical approach for screening potential ADA inhibitors by measuring the decrease in substrate (AD) at 265 nm or increase in the product (inosine) at 248 nm. However, AD and inosine share a very close maximum absorption wavelength, and the reaction is uncertain and is frequently interfered by the background color of matrix compounds or plant extracts. Thus, the method usually yields false positive or negative results. In this study, a novel, rapid, sensitive, and accurate ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-Q exactive hybrid quadrupole orbitrap high-resolution accurate mass spectrometric (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS) method was developed for determining and screening ADA inhibitors by directly determining the deamination product of AD, inosine. A proper separation was achieved for inosine and chlormequat (internal standard) within 2 min via isocratic elution (0.1% formic acid:methanol = 85:15, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.3 mL min -1 on a Waters ACQUITY HSS T3 column (2.1 mm × 100 mm, 1.8 μm) following a simple precipitation of proteins. The intra- and inter-day precisions of the developed method were below 7.17% and 8.99%, respectively. The method exhibited advantages of small total reaction volume (60 μL), short running time (2 min), high sensitivity (lowest limit of quantification of 0.02 μM for inosine), and low cost (small enzyme consumption of 0.007 unit mL -1 for ADA and substrate of 3.74 μM for AD in individual inhibition), and no matrix effects (101.64%-107.12%). Stability results showed that all

  5. Ice targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pacheco, C.; Stark, C.; Tanaka, N.; Hodgkins, D.; Barnhart, J.; Kosty, J.

    1979-12-01

    This report presents a description of ice targets that were constructed for research work at the High Resolution Spectrometer (HRS) and at the Energetic Pion Channel and Spectrometer (EPICS). Reasons for using these ice targets and the instructions for their construction are given. Results of research using ice targets will be published at a later date

  6. SeedVicious: Analysis of microRNA target and near-target sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marco, Antonio

    2018-01-01

    Here I describe seedVicious, a versatile microRNA target site prediction software that can be easily fitted into annotation pipelines and run over custom datasets. SeedVicious finds microRNA canonical sites plus other, less efficient, target sites. Among other novel features, seedVicious can compute evolutionary gains/losses of target sites using maximum parsimony, and also detect near-target sites, which have one nucleotide different from a canonical site. Near-target sites are important to study population variation in microRNA regulation. Some analyses suggest that near-target sites may also be functional sites, although there is no conclusive evidence for that, and they may actually be target alleles segregating in a population. SeedVicious does not aim to outperform but to complement existing microRNA prediction tools. For instance, the precision of TargetScan is almost doubled (from 11% to ~20%) when we filter predictions by the distance between target sites using this program. Interestingly, two adjacent canonical target sites are more likely to be present in bona fide target transcripts than pairs of target sites at slightly longer distances. The software is written in Perl and runs on 64-bit Unix computers (Linux and MacOS X). Users with no computing experience can also run the program in a dedicated web-server by uploading custom data, or browse pre-computed predictions. SeedVicious and its associated web-server and database (SeedBank) are distributed under the GPL/GNU license.

  7. The drug target genes show higher evolutionary conservation than non-target genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lv, Wenhua; Xu, Yongdeng; Guo, Yiying; Yu, Ziqi; Feng, Guanglong; Liu, Panpan; Luan, Meiwei; Zhu, Hongjie; Liu, Guiyou; Zhang, Mingming; Lv, Hongchao; Duan, Lian; Shang, Zhenwei; Li, Jin; Jiang, Yongshuai; Zhang, Ruijie

    2016-01-26

    Although evidence indicates that drug target genes share some common evolutionary features, there have been few studies analyzing evolutionary features of drug targets from an overall level. Therefore, we conducted an analysis which aimed to investigate the evolutionary characteristics of drug target genes. We compared the evolutionary conservation between human drug target genes and non-target genes by combining both the evolutionary features and network topological properties in human protein-protein interaction network. The evolution rate, conservation score and the percentage of orthologous genes of 21 species were included in our study. Meanwhile, four topological features including the average shortest path length, betweenness centrality, clustering coefficient and degree were considered for comparison analysis. Then we got four results as following: compared with non-drug target genes, 1) drug target genes had lower evolutionary rates; 2) drug target genes had higher conservation scores; 3) drug target genes had higher percentages of orthologous genes and 4) drug target genes had a tighter network structure including higher degrees, betweenness centrality, clustering coefficients and lower average shortest path lengths. These results demonstrate that drug target genes are more evolutionarily conserved than non-drug target genes. We hope that our study will provide valuable information for other researchers who are interested in evolutionary conservation of drug targets.

  8. PSI1 is responsible for the stearic acid enrichment that is characteristic of phosphatidylinositol in yeast

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Le Guédard, Marina; Bessoule, Jean-Jacques; Boyer, Valérie; Ayciriex, Sophie; Velours, Gisèle; Kulik, Willem; Ejsing, Christer S.; Shevchenko, Andrej; Coulon, Denis; Lessire, René; Testet, Eric

    2009-01-01

    In yeast, both phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylserine are synthesized from cytidine diphosphate-diacylglycerol. Because, as in other eukaryotes, phosphatidylinositol contains more saturated fatty acids than phosphatidylserine (and other phospholipids), it has been hypothesized that either

  9. Nova target experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Drake, R.P.

    1985-11-01

    The Nova laser, at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, provides unique opportunities for target experiments. It has unprecedented energy on target and significant flexibility. The paper presented by John Hunt described the capabilities and the status of Nova. This paper discusses plans for future experiments using Nova, and the present status of target experiments. We plan to perform high-quality physics experiments that exploit the unique capabilities of Nova. Because this is our goal, we are fielding an extensive array of well-characterized target diagnostics to measure the emissions from the target. The first section of this paper discusses the basic target diagnostics. We are also taking care to quantify the performance of the laser

  10. Memory for found targets interferes with subsequent performance in multiple-target visual search.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cain, Matthew S; Mitroff, Stephen R

    2013-10-01

    Multiple-target visual searches--when more than 1 target can appear in a given search display--are commonplace in radiology, airport security screening, and the military. Whereas 1 target is often found accurately, additional targets are more likely to be missed in multiple-target searches. To better understand this decrement in 2nd-target detection, here we examined 2 potential forms of interference that can arise from finding a 1st target: interference from the perceptual salience of the 1st target (a now highly relevant distractor in a known location) and interference from a newly created memory representation for the 1st target. Here, we found that removing found targets from the display or making them salient and easily segregated color singletons improved subsequent search accuracy. However, replacing found targets with random distractor items did not improve subsequent search accuracy. Removing and highlighting found targets likely reduced both a target's visual salience and its memory load, whereas replacing a target removed its visual salience but not its representation in memory. Collectively, the current experiments suggest that the working memory load of a found target has a larger effect on subsequent search accuracy than does its perceptual salience. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

  11. Internal Targeting and External Control: Phototriggered Targeting in Nanomedicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arrue, Lily; Ratjen, Lars

    2017-12-07

    The photochemical control of structure and reactivity bears great potential for chemistry, biology, and life sciences. A key feature of photochemistry is the spatiotemporal control over secondary events. Well-established applications of photochemistry in medicine are photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photopharmacology (PP). However, although both are highly localizable through the application of light, they lack cell- and tissue-specificity. The combination of nanomaterial-based drug delivery and targeting has the potential to overcome limitations for many established therapy concepts. Even more privileged seems the merger of nanomedicine and cell-specific targeting (internal targeting) controlled by light (external control), as it can potentially be applied to many different areas of medicine and pharmaceutical research, including the aforementioned PDT and PP. In this review a survey of the interface of photochemistry, medicine and targeted drug delivery is given, especially focusing on phototriggered targeting in nanomedicine. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Ectopic lymphoid structures support ongoing production of class-switched autoantibodies in rheumatoid synovium.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frances Humby

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Follicular structures resembling germinal centres (GCs that are characterized by follicular dendritic cell (FDC networks have long been recognized in chronically inflamed tissues in autoimmune diseases, including the synovium of rheumatoid arthritis (RA. However, it is debated whether these ectopic structures promote autoimmunity and chronic inflammation driving the production of pathogenic autoantibodies. Anti-citrullinated protein/peptide antibodies (ACPA are highly specific markers of RA, predict a poor prognosis, and have been suggested to be pathogenic. Therefore, the main study objectives were to determine whether ectopic lymphoid structures in RA synovium: (i express activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID, the enzyme required for somatic hypermutation and class-switch recombination (CSR of Ig genes; (ii support ongoing CSR and ACPA production; and (iii remain functional in a RA/severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID chimera model devoid of new immune cell influx into the synovium.Using immunohistochemistry (IHC and quantitative Taqman real-time PCR (QT-PCR in synovial tissue from 55 patients with RA, we demonstrated that FDC+ structures invariably expressed AID with a distribution resembling secondary lymphoid organs. Further, AID+/CD21+ follicular structures were surrounded by ACPA+/CD138+ plasma cells, as demonstrated by immune reactivity to citrullinated fibrinogen. Moreover, we identified a novel subset of synovial AID+/CD20+ B cells outside GCs resembling interfollicular large B cells. In order to gain direct functional evidence that AID+ structures support CSR and in situ manufacturing of class-switched ACPA, 34 SCID mice were transplanted with RA synovium and humanely killed at 4 wk for harvesting of transplants and sera. Persistent expression of AID and Igamma-Cmu circular transcripts (identifying ongoing IgM-IgG class-switching was observed in synovial grafts expressing FDCs/CD21L. Furthermore, synovial mRNA levels of AID

  13. Ectopic lymphoid structures support ongoing production of class-switched autoantibodies in rheumatoid synovium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Humby, Frances; Bombardieri, Michele; Manzo, Antonio; Kelly, Stephen; Blades, Mark C; Kirkham, Bruce; Spencer, Jo; Pitzalis, Costantino

    2009-01-13

    Follicular structures resembling germinal centres (GCs) that are characterized by follicular dendritic cell (FDC) networks have long been recognized in chronically inflamed tissues in autoimmune diseases, including the synovium of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, it is debated whether these ectopic structures promote autoimmunity and chronic inflammation driving the production of pathogenic autoantibodies. Anti-citrullinated protein/peptide antibodies (ACPA) are highly specific markers of RA, predict a poor prognosis, and have been suggested to be pathogenic. Therefore, the main study objectives were to determine whether ectopic lymphoid structures in RA synovium: (i) express activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), the enzyme required for somatic hypermutation and class-switch recombination (CSR) of Ig genes; (ii) support ongoing CSR and ACPA production; and (iii) remain functional in a RA/severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) chimera model devoid of new immune cell influx into the synovium. Using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and quantitative Taqman real-time PCR (QT-PCR) in synovial tissue from 55 patients with RA, we demonstrated that FDC+ structures invariably expressed AID with a distribution resembling secondary lymphoid organs. Further, AID+/CD21+ follicular structures were surrounded by ACPA+/CD138+ plasma cells, as demonstrated by immune reactivity to citrullinated fibrinogen. Moreover, we identified a novel subset of synovial AID+/CD20+ B cells outside GCs resembling interfollicular large B cells. In order to gain direct functional evidence that AID+ structures support CSR and in situ manufacturing of class-switched ACPA, 34 SCID mice were transplanted with RA synovium and humanely killed at 4 wk for harvesting of transplants and sera. Persistent expression of AID and Igamma-Cmu circular transcripts (identifying ongoing IgM-IgG class-switching) was observed in synovial grafts expressing FDCs/CD21L. Furthermore, synovial mRNA levels of AID were

  14. Oral tetrahydrouridine and decitabine for non-cytotoxic epigenetic gene regulation in sickle cell disease: A randomized phase 1 study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Molokie

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Sickle cell disease (SCD, a congenital hemolytic anemia that exacts terrible global morbidity and mortality, is driven by polymerization of mutated sickle hemoglobin (HbS in red blood cells (RBCs. Fetal hemoglobin (HbF interferes with this polymerization, but HbF is epigenetically silenced from infancy onward by DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1.To pharmacologically re-induce HbF by DNMT1 inhibition, this first-in-human clinical trial (NCT01685515 combined 2 small molecules-decitabine to deplete DNMT1 and tetrahydrouridine (THU to inhibit cytidine deaminase (CDA, the enzyme that otherwise rapidly deaminates/inactivates decitabine, severely limiting its half-life, tissue distribution, and oral bioavailability. Oral decitabine doses, administered after oral THU 10 mg/kg, were escalated from a very low starting level (0.01, 0.02, 0.04, 0.08, or 0.16 mg/kg to identify minimal doses active in depleting DNMT1 without cytotoxicity. Patients were SCD adults at risk of early death despite standard-of-care, randomized 3:2 to THU-decitabine versus placebo in 5 cohorts of 5 patients treated 2X/week for 8 weeks, with 4 weeks of follow-up. The primary endpoint was ≥ grade 3 non-hematologic toxicity. This endpoint was not triggered, and adverse events (AEs were not significantly different in THU-decitabine-versus placebo-treated patients. At the decitabine 0.16 mg/kg dose, plasma concentrations peaked at approximately 50 nM (Cmax and remained elevated for several hours. This dose decreased DNMT1 protein in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by >75% and repetitive element CpG methylation by approximately 10%, and increased HbF by 4%-9% (P < 0.001, doubling fetal hemoglobin-enriched red blood cells (F-cells up to approximately 80% of total RBCs. Total hemoglobin increased by 1.2-1.9 g/dL (P = 0.01 as reticulocytes simultaneously decreased; that is, better quality and efficiency of HbF-enriched erythropoiesis elevated hemoglobin using fewer reticulocytes. Also

  15. Radar automatic target recognition (ATR) and non-cooperative target recognition (NCTR)

    CERN Document Server

    Blacknell, David

    2013-01-01

    The ability to detect and locate targets by day or night, over wide areas, regardless of weather conditions has long made radar a key sensor in many military and civil applications. However, the ability to automatically and reliably distinguish different targets represents a difficult challenge. Radar Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) and Non-Cooperative Target Recognition (NCTR) captures material presented in the NATO SET-172 lecture series to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art and continuing challenges of radar target recognition. Topics covered include the problem as applied to th

  16. Elevated Adenosine Induces Placental DNA Hypomethylation Independent of A2B Receptor Signaling in Preeclampsia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Aji; Wu, Hongyu; Iriyama, Takayuki; Zhang, Yujin; Sun, Kaiqi; Song, Anren; Liu, Hong; Peng, Zhangzhe; Tang, Lili; Lee, Minjung; Huang, Yun; Ni, Xin; Kellems, Rodney E; Xia, Yang

    2017-07-01

    Preeclampsia is a prevalent pregnancy hypertensive disease with both maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Emerging evidence indicates that global placental DNA hypomethylation is observed in patients with preeclampsia and is linked to altered gene expression and disease development. However, the molecular basis underlying placental epigenetic changes in preeclampsia remains unclear. Using 2 independent experimental models of preeclampsia, adenosine deaminase-deficient mice and a pathogenic autoantibody-induced mouse model of preeclampsia, we demonstrate that elevated placental adenosine not only induces hallmark features of preeclampsia but also causes placental DNA hypomethylation. The use of genetic approaches to express an adenosine deaminase minigene specifically in placentas, or adenosine deaminase enzyme replacement therapy, restored placental adenosine to normal levels, attenuated preeclampsia features, and abolished placental DNA hypomethylation in adenosine deaminase-deficient mice. Genetic deletion of CD73 (an ectonucleotidase that converts AMP to adenosine) prevented the elevation of placental adenosine in the autoantibody-induced preeclampsia mouse model and ameliorated preeclampsia features and placental DNA hypomethylation. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that elevated placental adenosine-mediated DNA hypomethylation predominantly occurs in spongiotrophoblasts and labyrinthine trophoblasts and that this effect is independent of A2B adenosine receptor activation in both preeclampsia models. Extending our mouse findings to humans, we used cultured human trophoblasts to demonstrate that adenosine functions intracellularly and induces DNA hypomethylation without A2B adenosine receptor activation. Altogether, both mouse and human studies reveal novel mechanisms underlying placental DNA hypomethylation and potential therapeutic approaches for preeclampsia. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  17. ADA genetic polymorphism and the effect of smoking on neonatal bilirubinemia and developmental parameters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gloria-Bottini, F; Magrini, A; Cozzoli, E; Bergamaschi, A; Bottini, E

    2008-11-01

    Genetic variability of metabolic enzymes may influence the effect of cigarette smoking on intrauterine development and on early neonatal events. To investigate the role of adenosine deaminase genetic polymorphism on the effect of smoking on neonatal bilirubinemia and developmental parameters. Analysis of association between adenosine deaminase phenotypes and neonatal developmental parameters. Prospective study of serum bilirubin level in relation to adenosine deaminase phenotype. We have studied 360 consecutive newborn infants from the Caucasian population of Rome. Serum bilirubin concentration was determined at birth and every 24 h for the first five days. Overall maternal smoking is associated with a slight decrease in the incidence of phototherapy (13.4% in non smoking vs 11.7% in smoking mothers) and with a reduction of birth weight (3374 g in non smoking mothers vs 3133 g in smoking mothers). There is a significant interaction between smoke and adenosine deaminase. While in non smoking mothers the incidence of phototherapy in carriers of ADA 2 allele is higher than in ADA 1 phenotype, in infants from smoking mothers the pattern is reversed and the incidence of phototherapy in carriers of ADA 2 allele is lower than in infants with ADA 1 phenotype. Other neonatal bilirubin parameters follow a similar pattern of interaction between smoking and ADA. The negative effect of smoke on birth weight is much more evident in infant with ADA 1 phenotype than in those carrying the ADA 2 allele. The data suggest that ADA phenotype modifies the effect of smoking on developmental and bilirubin parameters.

  18. About miRNAs, miRNA seeds, target genes and target pathways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kehl, Tim; Backes, Christina; Kern, Fabian; Fehlmann, Tobias; Ludwig, Nicole; Meese, Eckart; Lenhof, Hans-Peter; Keller, Andreas

    2017-12-05

    miRNAs are typically repressing gene expression by binding to the 3' UTR, leading to degradation of the mRNA. This process is dominated by the eight-base seed region of the miRNA. Further, miRNAs are known not only to target genes but also to target significant parts of pathways. A logical line of thoughts is: miRNAs with similar (seed) sequence target similar sets of genes and thus similar sets of pathways. By calculating similarity scores for all 3.25 million pairs of 2,550 human miRNAs, we found that this pattern frequently holds, while we also observed exceptions. Respective results were obtained for both, predicted target genes as well as experimentally validated targets. We note that miRNAs target gene set similarity follows a bimodal distribution, pointing at a set of 282 miRNAs that seems to target genes with very high specificity. Further, we discuss miRNAs with different (seed) sequences that nonetheless regulate similar gene sets or pathways. Most intriguingly, we found miRNA pairs that regulate different gene sets but similar pathways such as miR-6886-5p and miR-3529-5p. These are jointly targeting different parts of the MAPK signaling cascade. The main goal of this study is to provide a general overview on the results, to highlight a selection of relevant results on miRNAs, miRNA seeds, target genes and target pathways and to raise awareness for artifacts in respective comparisons. The full set of information that allows to infer detailed results on each miRNA has been included in miRPathDB, the miRNA target pathway database (https://mpd.bioinf.uni-sb.de).

  19. Effect of repeated applications of pesticides used on cotton on soil properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zayed, S.M.A.D.; Farghaly, M.; Soliman, S.M.; Taha, H.

    2001-01-01

    Repeated application of monocrotophos, methomyl and carbaryl for four years considerably reduced microbial counts, iron reduction, nitrification and arginine deaminase activity in soil. The microbial activities seemed to recover several weeks following pesticide application. The inhibition of enzyme activities was in general more obvious during the second to the fourth years. The maximum inhibition of iron reduction capacity and arginine deaminase activity was observed by the end of the fourth year and amounted to about 90% of control values. No pronounced effect of the used insecticides on respiration and dehydrogenase activity could be detected over the experimental period. (author)

  20. Target assignment for security officers to K targets (TASK)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rowland, J.R.; Shelton, K.W.; Stunkel, C.B.

    1983-02-01

    A probabilistic algorithm is developed to provide an optimal Target Assignment for Security officers to K targets (TASK) using a maximin criterion. Under the assumption of only a limited number (N) of security officers, the TASK computer model determines deployment assignments which maximize the system protection against sabotage by an adversary who may select any link in the system, including the weakest, for the point of attack. Applying the TASK model to a hypothetical nuclear facility containing a nine-level building reveals that aggregate targets covering multiple vital areas should be utilized to reduce the number of possible target assignments to a value equal to or only slightly larger than N. The increased probability that a given aggregate target is covered by one or more security officers offsets the slight decrease in interruption probability due to its occurring earlier in the adversary's path. In brief, the TASK model determines the optimal maximin deployment strategy for limited numbers of security officers and calculates a quantitative measure of the resulting system protection

  1. Characterization of the relationship between APOBEC3B deletion and ACE Alu insertion.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kang Wang

    Full Text Available The insertion/deletion (I/D polymorphism of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE, commonly associated with many diseases, is believed to have affected human adaptation to environmental changes during the out-of-Africa expansion. APOBEC3B (A3B, a member of the cytidine deaminase family APOBEC3s, also exhibits a variable gene insertion/deletion polymorphism across world populations. Using data available from published reports, we examined the global geographic distribution of ACE and A3B genotypes. In tracking the modern human dispersal routes of these two genes, we found that the variation trends of the two I/D polymorphisms were directly correlated. We observed that the frequencies of ACE insertion and A3B deletion rose in parallel along the expansion route. To investigate the presence of a correlation between the two polymorphisms and the effect of their interaction on human health, we analyzed 1199 unrelated Chinese adults to determine their genotypes and other important clinical characteristics. We discovered a significant difference between the ACE genotype/allele distribution in the A3B DD and A3B II/ID groups (P = 0.045 and 0.015, respectively, indicating that the ACE Alu I allele frequency in the former group was higher than in the latter group. No specific clinical phenotype could be associated with the interaction between the ACE and A3B I/D polymorphisms. A3B has been identified as a powerful inhibitor of Alu retrotransposition, and primate A3 genes have undergone strong positive selection (and expansion for restricting the mobility of endogenous retrotransposons during evolution. Based on these findings, we suggest that the ACE Alu insertion was enabled (facilitated by the A3B deletion and that functional loss of A3B provided an opportunity for enhanced human adaptability and survival in response to the environmental and climate challenges arising during the migration from Africa.

  2. B cells and ectopic follicular structures: novel players in anti-tumor programming with prognostic power for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anastasia Meshcheryakova

    Full Text Available Remarkably limited information is available about biological mechanisms that determine the disease entity of metastatic colorectal cancer in the liver (CRCLM with no good clinical parameters to estimate prognosis. For the last few years, understanding the relationship between tumor characteristics and local immune response has gained increasing attention. Given the multifaceted roles of B-cell-driven responses, we aimed to elucidate the immunological imprint of B lymphocytes at the metastatic site, the interrelation with macrophages, and their prognostic relevance. Here we present novel algorithm allowing to assess a link between the local patient-specific immunological capacity and clinical outcome. The microscopy-based imaging platform was used for automated scanning of large-scale tissue sections and subsequent qualitative and quantitative analyses of immune cell subtypes using lineage markers and single-cell recognition strategy. Results indicate massive infiltration of CD45-positive leukocytes confined to the metastatic border. We report for the first time the accumulation of CD20-positive B lymphocytes at the tumor-liver interface comprising the major population within the large CD45-positive aggregates. Strikingly, functionally active, activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID-positive ectopic lymphoid structures were found to be assembled within the metastatic margin. Furthermore, the CD20-based data set revealed a strong prognostic power: patients with high CD20 content and/or ectopic follicles had significantly lower risk for disease recurrence as revealed by univariate analysis (p<0.001 for both and in models adjusted for clinicopathological variables (p<0.001 and p = 0.01, respectively, and showed prolonged overall survival. In contrast, CD68 staining-derived data set did not show an association with clinical outcome. Taken together, we nominate the magnitude of B lymphocytes, including those organized in ectopic follicles, as

  3. The DSIF subunits Spt4 and Spt5 have distinct roles at various phases of immunoglobulin class switch recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanlie, Andre; Begum, Nasim A; Akiyama, Hideo; Honjo, Tasuku

    2012-01-01

    Class-switch recombination (CSR), induced by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), can be divided into two phases: DNA cleavage of the switch (S) regions and the joining of the cleaved ends of the different S regions. Here, we show that the DSIF complex (Spt4 and Spt5), a transcription elongation factor, is required for CSR in a switch-proficient B cell line CH12F3-2A cells, and Spt4 and Spt5 carry out independent functions in CSR. While neither Spt4 nor Spt5 is required for transcription of S regions and AID, expression array analysis suggests that Spt4 and Spt5 regulate a distinct subset of transcripts in CH12F3-2A cells. Curiously, Spt4 is critically important in suppressing cryptic transcription initiating from the intronic Sμ region. Depletion of Spt5 reduced the H3K4me3 level and DNA cleavage at the Sα region, whereas Spt4 knockdown did not perturb the H3K4me3 status and S region cleavage. H3K4me3 modification level thus correlated well with the DNA breakage efficiency. Therefore we conclude that Spt5 plays a role similar to the histone chaperone FACT complex that regulates H3K4me3 modification and DNA cleavage in CSR. Since Spt4 is not involved in the DNA cleavage step, we suspected that Spt4 might be required for DNA repair in CSR. We examined whether Spt4 or Spt5 is essential in non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR) as CSR utilizes general repair pathways. Both Spt4 and Spt5 are required for NHEJ and HR as determined by assay systems using synthetic repair substrates that are actively transcribed even in the absence of Spt4 and Spt5. Taken together, Spt4 and Spt5 can function independently in multiple transcription-coupled steps of CSR.

  4. The DSIF subunits Spt4 and Spt5 have distinct roles at various phases of immunoglobulin class switch recombination.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andre Stanlie

    Full Text Available Class-switch recombination (CSR, induced by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID, can be divided into two phases: DNA cleavage of the switch (S regions and the joining of the cleaved ends of the different S regions. Here, we show that the DSIF complex (Spt4 and Spt5, a transcription elongation factor, is required for CSR in a switch-proficient B cell line CH12F3-2A cells, and Spt4 and Spt5 carry out independent functions in CSR. While neither Spt4 nor Spt5 is required for transcription of S regions and AID, expression array analysis suggests that Spt4 and Spt5 regulate a distinct subset of transcripts in CH12F3-2A cells. Curiously, Spt4 is critically important in suppressing cryptic transcription initiating from the intronic Sμ region. Depletion of Spt5 reduced the H3K4me3 level and DNA cleavage at the Sα region, whereas Spt4 knockdown did not perturb the H3K4me3 status and S region cleavage. H3K4me3 modification level thus correlated well with the DNA breakage efficiency. Therefore we conclude that Spt5 plays a role similar to the histone chaperone FACT complex that regulates H3K4me3 modification and DNA cleavage in CSR. Since Spt4 is not involved in the DNA cleavage step, we suspected that Spt4 might be required for DNA repair in CSR. We examined whether Spt4 or Spt5 is essential in non-homologous end joining (NHEJ and homologous recombination (HR as CSR utilizes general repair pathways. Both Spt4 and Spt5 are required for NHEJ and HR as determined by assay systems using synthetic repair substrates that are actively transcribed even in the absence of Spt4 and Spt5. Taken together, Spt4 and Spt5 can function independently in multiple transcription-coupled steps of CSR.

  5. AID protein expression in chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma is associated with poor prognosis and complex genetic alterations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leuenberger, Mona; Frigerio, Simona; Wild, Peter J; Noetzli, Franziska; Korol, Dimitri; Zimmermann, Dieter R; Gengler, Carole; Probst-Hensch, Nicole M; Moch, Holger; Tinguely, Marianne

    2010-02-01

    The biological behavior of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma is unpredictable. Nonetheless, non-mutated IgV(H) gene rearrangement, ATM (11q22-23) and p53 (17p13) deletion are recognized as unfavorable prognosticators in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The mRNA expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), an enzyme indispensable for somatic hypermutation processes, was claimed to be predictive of non-mutated chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells in blood. Here, we evaluated AID protein expression compared with known molecular and immunohistochemical prognostic indicators in 71 chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma patients using a tissue microarray approach. We found AID heterogeneously expressed in tumor cells as shown by colocalization analysis for CD5 and CD23. Ki-67 positive paraimmunoblasts of the proliferation centers displayed the highest expression. This observation is reflected by a significant association of AID positivity with a high proliferation rate (P=0.012). ATM deletion was detected in 10% (6/63) of patients and p53 deletion in 19% (13/67) of patients. Moreover, both ATM (P=0.002) and p53 deletion (P=0.004) were significantly associated with AID. IgV(H) gene mutation was seen in 45% (27/60) of patients. Twenty-five percent (17/69) of patients with AID-positive chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma displayed a shorter survival than AID-negative chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma patients (61 vs 130 months, P=0.001). Although there was a trend, we could not show an association with the IgV(H) gene mutation status. Taken together, our study shows that AID expression is an indicator of an unfavorable prognosis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma patients, although it is not a surrogate marker for the IgV(H) status. Furthermore, the microenvironment of proliferation centers seems to influence AID regulation and might be an initiating factor

  6. Analysis of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the APOBEC3H gene of domestic cats (Felis catus) and their association with the susceptibility to feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Castro, Fernanda Luz; Junqueira, Dennis Maletich; de Medeiros, Rúbia Marília; da Silva, Tailene Rabello; Costenaro, Jamile Girardi; Knak, Marcus Braga; de Matos Almeida, Sabrina Esteves; Campos, Fabrício Souza; Roehe, Paulo Michel; Franco, Ana Cláudia

    2014-10-01

    Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) are widely distributed retroviruses that infect domestic cats (Felis catus). Restriction factors are proteins that have the ability to hamper retroviruses' replication and are part of the conserved mechanisms of anti-viral immunity of mammals. The APOBEC3 protein family is the most studied class of restriction factors; they are cytidine deaminases that generate hypermutations in provirus DNA during reverse transcription, thus causing hypermutations in the viral genome, hindering virus replication. One of the feline APOBEC3 genes, named APOBEC3H, encodes two proteins (APOBEC3H and APOBEC3CH). In other mammals, APOBEC3H single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can alter the stability and cellular localization of the encoded protein, thus influencing its subcellular localization and reducing its anti-viral effect. In cats, the association of APOBEC3H SNPs with susceptibility to retroviral infections was not yet demonstrated. Therefore, this study aimed the investigation on the variability of APOBEC3H and the possible association with FIV/FeLV infections. DNA obtained from whole blood of fifty FIV- and/or FeLV-infected cats and fifty-nine FIV- and/or FeLV-uninfected cats were used as templates to amplify two different regions of the APOBEC3H, with subsequent sequencing and analysis. The first region was highly conserved among all samples, while in the second, six single-nucleotide variation points were identified. One of the SNPs, A65S (A65I), was significantly correlated with the susceptibility to FIV and/or FeLV infections. On the other hand, the haplotype analysis showed that the combination "GGGGCC" was positively correlated with the lack of FIV and/or FeLV infections. Our results indicate that, as previously shown in other mammals, variability of restriction factors may contribute to susceptibility of domestic cats to retroviral infections; however, these results should be confirmed by more

  7. Deuterium pass through target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alger, D.L.

    1975-01-01

    A neutron emitting target is described for use in neutron generating apparatus including a deuteron source and an accelerator vacuum chamber. The target consists of a tritium-containing target layer, a deuteron accumulation layer, and a target support containing passages providing communication between the accumulation layer and portions of the surface of the support exposed to the accelerator vacuum chamber. With this arrangement, deuterons passing through the target layer and implanting in and diffusing through the accumulation layer, diffuse into the communicating passages and are returned to the accelerator vacuum chamber. The invention allows the continuous removal of deuterons from the target in conventional water cooled neutron generating apparatus. Preferably, the target is provided with thin barrier layers to prevent undesirable tritium diffusion out of the target layer, as well as deuteron diffusion into the target layer

  8. Eye tracking a self-moved target with complex hand-target dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landelle, Caroline; Montagnini, Anna; Madelain, Laurent

    2016-01-01

    Previous work has shown that the ability to track with the eye a moving target is substantially improved when the target is self-moved by the subject's hand compared with when being externally moved. Here, we explored a situation in which the mapping between hand movement and target motion was perturbed by simulating an elastic relationship between the hand and target. Our objective was to determine whether the predictive mechanisms driving eye-hand coordination could be updated to accommodate this complex hand-target dynamics. To fully appreciate the behavioral effects of this perturbation, we compared eye tracking performance when self-moving a target with a rigid mapping (simple) and a spring mapping as well as when the subject tracked target trajectories that he/she had previously generated when using the rigid or spring mapping. Concerning the rigid mapping, our results confirmed that smooth pursuit was more accurate when the target was self-moved than externally moved. In contrast, with the spring mapping, eye tracking had initially similar low spatial accuracy (though shorter temporal lag) in the self versus externally moved conditions. However, within ∼5 min of practice, smooth pursuit improved in the self-moved spring condition, up to a level similar to the self-moved rigid condition. Subsequently, when the mapping unexpectedly switched from spring to rigid, the eye initially followed the expected target trajectory and not the real one, thereby suggesting that subjects used an internal representation of the new hand-target dynamics. Overall, these results emphasize the stunning adaptability of smooth pursuit when self-maneuvering objects with complex dynamics. PMID:27466129

  9. Argus target chamber

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rienecker, F. Jr.; Glaros, S.S.; Kobierecki, M.

    1975-01-01

    A target chamber for application in the laser fusion program must satisfy some very basic requirements. (1) Provide a vacuum on the order of 10 -6 torr. (2) Support a microscopically small target in a fixed point in space and verify its location within 5 micrometers. (3) Contain an adjustable beam focusing system capable of delivering a number of laser beams onto the target simultaneously, both in time and space. (4) Provide access for diagnostics to evaluate the results of target irradiation. (5) Have flexibility to allow changes in targets, focusing optics and number of beams. The ARGUS laser which is now under construction at LLL will have a target chamber which meets these requirements in a simple economic manner. The chamber and auxiliary equipment are described, with reference to two double beam focusing systems; namely, lenses and ellipsoidal mirrors. Provision is made for future operation with four beams, using ellipsoidal mirrors for two-sided illumination and lens systems for tetragonal and tetrahedral irradiation

  10. PRICE-LEVEL TARGETING – A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO INFLATION TARGETING?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iulian Vasile Popescu

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The recent financial crisis that has led some central banks reaching the zero lower bound of their interest rate to use unconventional monetary policy instruments, has brought to the forefront theacademic discussions on the shift from inflation targeting (IT to price level targeting. This paper provides a comparative analysis on IT strategy and targeting the price level, assesses the implications and highlights the challenges of an eventual transition to a new monetary policy strategy. Balancing the advantages (mainly better anchored inflation expectations and disadvantages (communication difficulties generated by following a potential price-level targeting strategy and the necessary prerequisites for its functionality (predictive agents, fully familiar with the implications of such a strategy and with complete confidence in themonetary authority has led us to the conclusion that there is no common acceptance that price level targeting strategy might replace the present IT framework.

  11. Wake Shield Target Protection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Valmianski, Emanuil I.; Petzoldt, Ronald W.; Alexander, Neil B.

    2003-01-01

    The heat flux from both gas convection and chamber radiation on a direct drive target must be limited to avoid target damage from excessive D-T temperature increase. One of the possibilities of protecting the target is a wake shield flying in front of the target. A shield will also reduce drag force on the target, thereby facilitating target tracking and position prediction. A Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) code was used to calculate convection heat loads as boundary conditions input into ANSYS thermal calculations. These were used for studying the quality of target protection depending on various shapes of shields, target-shield distance, and protective properties of the shield moving relative to the target. The results show that the shield can reduce the convective heat flux by a factor of 2 to 5 depending on pressure, temperature, and velocity. The protective effect of a shield moving relative to the target is greater than the protective properties of a fixed shield. However, the protective effect of a shield moving under the drag force is not sufficient for bringing the heat load on the target down to the necessary limit. Some other ways of diminishing heat flux using a protective shield are discussed

  12. Post-targeting strategy for ready-to-use targeted nanodelivery post cargo loading.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, J Y; Hu, J J; Zhang, M K; Yu, W Y; Zheng, D W; Wang, X Q; Feng, J; Zhang, X Z

    2017-12-14

    Based on boronate formation, this study reports a post-targeting methodology capable of readily installing versatile targeting modules onto a cargo-loaded nanoplatform in aqueous mediums. This permits the targeted nanodelivery of broad-spectrum therapeutics (drug/gene) in a ready-to-use manner while overcoming the PEGylation-dilemma that frequently occurs in conventional targeting approaches.

  13. Analysis of the bioactive components from different growth stages of Fritillaria taipaiensis P. Y. Li

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rui Peng

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC coupled with an evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD or a diode array detector (DAD were utilized for the quantitative analysis of 4 alkaloids (peimisine, sipeimine, peimine and peiminine and 9 nucleosides and nucleobases (uracil, uridine, adenosine, adenine, inosine, thymine, cytidine, guanosine and thymidine from Fritillaria taipaiensis P. Y. Li that had been cultivated in the same field for 2–6 years. The content of peimisine, sipeimine, peimine, peiminine, uracil, thymine, adenine and inosine in plants cultivated for 2–4 years was significantly higher than that of plants cultivated for 5–6 years, while the content of cytidine, uridine, guanosine, thymidine and adenosine did not change over this period. This is the first evaluation of variation in the bioactive compounds in F. taipaiensis over its life cycle.

  14. Advances of gene therapy for primary immunodeficiencies [version 1; referees: 2 approved

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabio Candotti

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available In the recent past, the gene therapy field has witnessed a remarkable series of successes, many of which have involved primary immunodeficiency diseases, such as X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency, adenosine deaminase deficiency, chronic granulomatous disease, and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. While such progress has widened the choice of therapeutic options in some specific cases of primary immunodeficiency, much remains to be done to extend the geographical availability of such an advanced approach and to increase the number of diseases that can be targeted. At the same time, emerging technologies are stimulating intensive investigations that may lead to the application of precise genetic editing as the next form of gene therapy for these and other human genetic diseases.

  15. Targeting an efficient target-to-target interval for P300 speller brain–computer interfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sellers, Eric W.; Wang, Xingyu

    2013-01-01

    Longer target-to-target intervals (TTI) produce greater P300 event-related potential amplitude, which can increase brain–computer interface (BCI) classification accuracy and decrease the number of flashes needed for accurate character classification. However, longer TTIs requires more time for each trial, which will decrease the information transfer rate of BCI. In this paper, a P300 BCI using a 7 × 12 matrix explored new flash patterns (16-, 18- and 21-flash pattern) with different TTIs to assess the effects of TTI on P300 BCI performance. The new flash patterns were designed to minimize TTI, decrease repetition blindness, and examine the temporal relationship between each flash of a given stimulus by placing a minimum of one (16-flash pattern), two (18-flash pattern), or three (21-flash pattern) non-target flashes between each target flashes. Online results showed that the 16-flash pattern yielded the lowest classification accuracy among the three patterns. The results also showed that the 18-flash pattern provides a significantly higher information transfer rate (ITR) than the 21-flash pattern; both patterns provide high ITR and high accuracy for all subjects. PMID:22350331

  16. Monitoring production target thickness

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oothoudt, M.A.

    1993-01-01

    Pion and muon production targets at the Clinton P. Anderson Meson Physics Facility consist of rotating graphite wheels. The previous target thickness monitoring Procedure scanned the target across a reduced intensity beam to determine beam center. The fractional loss in current across the centered target gave a measure of target thickness. This procedure, however, required interruption of beam delivery to experiments and frequently indicated a different fractional loss than at normal beam currents. The new monitoring Procedure compares integrated ups and downs toroid current monitor readings. The current monitors are read once per minute and the integral of readings are logged once per eight-hour shift. Changes in the upstream to downstream fractional difference provide a nonintrusive continuous measurement of target thickness under nominal operational conditions. Target scans are now done only when new targets are installed or when unexplained changes in the current monitor data are observed

  17. Liquid helium target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujii, Y.; Kitami, T.; Torikoshi, M.

    1984-12-01

    A liquid helium target system has been built and used for the experiment on the reaction 4 He(γ, p). The target system has worked satisfactorily; the consumption rate of liquid helium is 360 ml/h and the cryogenic system retains liquid helium for about ten hours. The structure, operation and performance of the target system are reported. (author)

  18. The ISIS target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carne, A.; Broome, T.A.; Hogston, J.R.; Holding, M.

    1989-01-01

    This presentation discusses the two target failures that have occurred, gives the understanding of the causes and indicates the steps being taken to alleviate the problems. At the outset of the design it was understood that the target would have a finite lifetime, due to radiation damage effects, exacerbated by mechanical damage due to thermal cycling and fatigue. Estimates of target lifetime at full intensity are about 2 years for radiation damage swelling and about 10E4 gross thermal excursions. The latter number is the one which gives uncertainty in defining the life of the target, since it is dependent on the reliability of the accelerator and quality of the proton beam. The commissioning of an accelerator system and bringing it up to high beam intensities have their own special problems. There must be protection of components against uncontrolled beam loss, which produces thermal damage, prompt radiation and induced activity. Fast beam trips for beam loss protection, or equipment failures, result in quenches from high temperature in the target which get bigger with increasing beam intensity. But the target itself is a difficult device to make, taking about 12 months to manufacture. Further, changing one is a complex and time consuming task, not without its hazards. There is thus something of a balancing act to bring the accelerator towards specification before the target fails due to thermal cycling fatigue. In the early days of ISIS beam loss protection was the dominant consideration and the target was regarded somewhat as a sacrificial lamb to the goddess of machine reliability. 2 refs., 6 figs

  19. Pilots' Attention Distributions Between Chasing a Moving Target and a Stationary Target.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Wen-Chin; Yu, Chung-San; Braithwaite, Graham; Greaves, Matthew

    2016-12-01

    Attention plays a central role in cognitive processing; ineffective attention may induce accidents in flight operations. The objective of the current research was to examine military pilots' attention distributions between chasing a moving target and a stationary target. In the current research, 37 mission-ready F-16 pilots participated. Subjects' eye movements were collected by a portable head-mounted eye-tracker during tactical training in a flight simulator. The scenarios of chasing a moving target (air-to-air) and a stationary target (air-to-surface) consist of three operational phases: searching, aiming, and lock-on to the targets. The findings demonstrated significant differences in pilots' percentage of fixation during the searching phase between air-to-air (M = 37.57, SD = 5.72) and air-to-surface (M = 33.54, SD = 4.68). Fixation duration can indicate pilots' sustained attention to the trajectory of a dynamic target during air combat maneuvers. Aiming at the stationary target resulted in larger pupil size (M = 27,105, SD = 6565), reflecting higher cognitive loading than aiming at the dynamic target (M = 23,864, SD = 8762). Pilots' visual behavior is not only closely related to attention distribution, but also significantly associated with task characteristics. Military pilots demonstrated various visual scan patterns for searching and aiming at different types of targets based on the research settings of a flight simulator. The findings will facilitate system designers' understanding of military pilots' cognitive processes during tactical operations. They will assist human-centered interface design to improve pilots' situational awareness. The application of an eye-tracking device integrated with a flight simulator is a feasible and cost-effective intervention to improve the efficiency and safety of tactical training.Li W-C, Yu C-S, Braithwaite G, Greaves M. Pilots' attention distributions between chasing a moving target and a stationary target. Aerosp Med

  20. Metabolic consequences of DNA damage: The role of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase as mediator of the suicide response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berger, N.A.; Berger, S.J.

    1986-01-01

    Recent studies show that DNA damage can produce rapid alterations in steady state levels of deoxynucleoside triphosphate pools, for example, MNNG or uv-irradiation cause rapid increases in dATP and dTTP pools without significant changes in dGTP or dCTP pools. In vitro, studies with purified eukaryotic DNA polymerases show that the frequency of nucleotide misincorporation was affected by alterations in relative concentrations of the deoxynucleoside triphosphates. Thus the alterations in dNTP pool sizes that occur consequent to DNA damage may contribute to an increased mutagenic frequency. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase mediated suicide mechanism may participate in the toxicity of adenosine deaminase deficiency and severe combined immune deficiency disease in humans. Individuals with this disease suffer severe lymphopenia due to the toxic effects of deoxyadenosine. The lymphocytotoxic effect of adenosine deaminase deficiency can be simulated in lymphocyte cell lines from normal individuals by incubating them with the adenosine deaminase inhibitor, deoxycoformycin. Incubation of such leukocytes with deoxycoformycin and deoxyadenosine results in the gradual accumulation of DNA strand breaks and the depletion of NAD + leading to cell death over a period of several days. This depletion of NAD and loss of cell viability were effectively blocked by nicotinamide or 3-amino benzamide. Thus, persistent activation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase by unrepaired or recurrent DNA strand breaks may activate the suicide mechanism of cell death. This study provides a basis for the interesting suggestion that treatment with nicotinamide could block the persistent activity of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and may help preserve lymphocyte function in patients with adenosine deaminase deficiency. 16 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs

  1. TargetSpy: a supervised machine learning approach for microRNA target prediction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sturm, Martin; Hackenberg, Michael; Langenberger, David; Frishman, Dmitrij

    2010-05-28

    Virtually all currently available microRNA target site prediction algorithms require the presence of a (conserved) seed match to the 5' end of the microRNA. Recently however, it has been shown that this requirement might be too stringent, leading to a substantial number of missed target sites. We developed TargetSpy, a novel computational approach for predicting target sites regardless of the presence of a seed match. It is based on machine learning and automatic feature selection using a wide spectrum of compositional, structural, and base pairing features covering current biological knowledge. Our model does not rely on evolutionary conservation, which allows the detection of species-specific interactions and makes TargetSpy suitable for analyzing unconserved genomic sequences.In order to allow for an unbiased comparison of TargetSpy to other methods, we classified all algorithms into three groups: I) no seed match requirement, II) seed match requirement, and III) conserved seed match requirement. TargetSpy predictions for classes II and III are generated by appropriate postfiltering. On a human dataset revealing fold-change in protein production for five selected microRNAs our method shows superior performance in all classes. In Drosophila melanogaster not only our class II and III predictions are on par with other algorithms, but notably the class I (no-seed) predictions are just marginally less accurate. We estimate that TargetSpy predicts between 26 and 112 functional target sites without a seed match per microRNA that are missed by all other currently available algorithms. Only a few algorithms can predict target sites without demanding a seed match and TargetSpy demonstrates a substantial improvement in prediction accuracy in that class. Furthermore, when conservation and the presence of a seed match are required, the performance is comparable with state-of-the-art algorithms. TargetSpy was trained on mouse and performs well in human and drosophila

  2. TargetSpy: a supervised machine learning approach for microRNA target prediction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Langenberger David

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Virtually all currently available microRNA target site prediction algorithms require the presence of a (conserved seed match to the 5' end of the microRNA. Recently however, it has been shown that this requirement might be too stringent, leading to a substantial number of missed target sites. Results We developed TargetSpy, a novel computational approach for predicting target sites regardless of the presence of a seed match. It is based on machine learning and automatic feature selection using a wide spectrum of compositional, structural, and base pairing features covering current biological knowledge. Our model does not rely on evolutionary conservation, which allows the detection of species-specific interactions and makes TargetSpy suitable for analyzing unconserved genomic sequences. In order to allow for an unbiased comparison of TargetSpy to other methods, we classified all algorithms into three groups: I no seed match requirement, II seed match requirement, and III conserved seed match requirement. TargetSpy predictions for classes II and III are generated by appropriate postfiltering. On a human dataset revealing fold-change in protein production for five selected microRNAs our method shows superior performance in all classes. In Drosophila melanogaster not only our class II and III predictions are on par with other algorithms, but notably the class I (no-seed predictions are just marginally less accurate. We estimate that TargetSpy predicts between 26 and 112 functional target sites without a seed match per microRNA that are missed by all other currently available algorithms. Conclusion Only a few algorithms can predict target sites without demanding a seed match and TargetSpy demonstrates a substantial improvement in prediction accuracy in that class. Furthermore, when conservation and the presence of a seed match are required, the performance is comparable with state-of-the-art algorithms. TargetSpy was trained on

  3. Structural and kinetic studies of the allosteric transition in Sulfolobus solfataricus uracil phosphoribosyltransferase: Permanent activation by engineering of the C-terminus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christoffersen, Stig; Kadziola, Anders; Johansson, Eva

    2009-01-01

    and PPi, in the other sites. Combined with three existing structures of uracil phosphoribosyltransferase in complex with UMP and the allosteric inhibitor cytidine triphosphate (CTP), these structures provide valuable insight into the mechanism of allosteric transition from inhibited to active enzyme...

  4. Identification and Characterization of the Nuclear Isoform of Drosophila melanogaster CTP:Phosphocholine Cytidylyltransferase

    Science.gov (United States)

    CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CCT) catalyzes the conversion of phosphocholine and cytidine 5'-triphosphate (CTP) to CDP-choline for the eventual synthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PC). The enzyme is regulated by reversible association with cellular membranes, with the rate of catalysis in...

  5. TBC2target: A Resource of Predicted Target Genes of Tea Bioactive Compounds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shihua Zhang

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Tea is one of the most popular non-alcoholic beverages consumed worldwide. Numerous bioactive constituents of tea were confirmed to possess healthy benefits via the mechanisms of regulating gene expressions or protein activities. However, a complete interacting profile between tea bioactive compounds (TBCs and their target genes is lacking, which put an obstacle in the study of healthy function of tea. To fill this gap, we developed a database of target genes of TBCs (TBC2target, http://camellia.ahau.edu.cn/TBC2target based on a pharmacophore mapping approach. In TBC2target, 6,226 interactions between 240 TBCs and 673 target genes were documented. TBC2target contains detailed information about each interacting entry, such as TBC, CAS number, PubChem CID, source of compound (e.g., green, black, compound type, target gene(s of TBC, gene symbol, gene ID, ENSEMBL ID, PDB ID, TBC bioactivity and the reference. Using the TBC-target associations, we constructed a bipartite network and provided users the global network and local sub-network visualization and topological analyses. The entire database is free for online browsing, searching and downloading. In addition, TBC2target provides a BLAST search function to facilitate use of the database. The particular strengths of TBC2target are the inclusion of the comprehensive TBC-target interactions, and the capacity to visualize and analyze the interacting networks, which may help uncovering the beneficial effects of tea on human health as a central resource in tea health community.

  6. TBC2target: A Resource of Predicted Target Genes of Tea Bioactive Compounds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Shihua; Zhang, Liang; Wang, Yijun; Yang, Jian; Liao, Mingzhi; Bi, Shoudong; Xie, Zhongwen; Ho, Chi-Tang; Wan, Xiaochun

    2018-01-01

    Tea is one of the most popular non-alcoholic beverages consumed worldwide. Numerous bioactive constituents of tea were confirmed to possess healthy benefits via the mechanisms of regulating gene expressions or protein activities. However, a complete interacting profile between tea bioactive compounds (TBCs) and their target genes is lacking, which put an obstacle in the study of healthy function of tea. To fill this gap, we developed a database of target genes of TBCs (TBC2target, http://camellia.ahau.edu.cn/TBC2target) based on a pharmacophore mapping approach. In TBC2target, 6,226 interactions between 240 TBCs and 673 target genes were documented. TBC2target contains detailed information about each interacting entry, such as TBC, CAS number, PubChem CID, source of compound (e.g., green, black), compound type, target gene(s) of TBC, gene symbol, gene ID, ENSEMBL ID, PDB ID, TBC bioactivity and the reference. Using the TBC-target associations, we constructed a bipartite network and provided users the global network and local sub-network visualization and topological analyses. The entire database is free for online browsing, searching and downloading. In addition, TBC2target provides a BLAST search function to facilitate use of the database. The particular strengths of TBC2target are the inclusion of the comprehensive TBC-target interactions, and the capacity to visualize and analyze the interacting networks, which may help uncovering the beneficial effects of tea on human health as a central resource in tea health community.

  7. PRICE-LEVEL TARGETING – A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO INFLATION TARGETING?

    OpenAIRE

    Iulian Vasile Popescu

    2012-01-01

    The recent financial crisis that has led some central banks reaching the zero lower bound of their interest rate to use unconventional monetary policy instruments, has brought to the forefront the academic discussions on the shift from inflation targeting (IT) to price level targeting. This paper provides a comparative analysis on IT strategy and targeting the price level, assesses the implications and highlights the challenges of an eventual transition to a new monetary policy strategy. Bala...

  8. Progress in ISOL target-ion source systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koester, U. [Institut Laue Langevin, 6 Rue Jules Horowitz, F-38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); ISOLDE, CERN, CH-1211 Geneve 23 (Switzerland)], E-mail: koester@ill.fr; Arndt, O. [HGF VISTARS and Institut fuer Kernchemie, Johannes-Gutenberg Universitaet Mainz, D-55128 Mainz (Germany); Bouquerel, E.; Fedoseyev, V.N. [ISOLDE, CERN, CH-1211 Geneve 23 (Switzerland); Franberg, H. [ISOLDE, CERN, CH-1211 Geneve 23 (Switzerland); Laboratory for Radio- and Environmental Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland); Joinet, A. [ISOLDE, CERN, CH-1211 Geneve 23 (Switzerland); Centre d' Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements, 9 Av. du Colonel Roche, F-31028 Toulouse Cedex 4 (France); Jost, C. [HGF VISTARS and Institut fuer Kernchemie, Johannes-Gutenberg Universitaet Mainz, D-55128 Mainz (Germany); Kerkines, I.S.K. [Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Department of Chemistry, Zografou 157 71, GR (Greece); Cherry L. Emerson Center for Scientific Computation and Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 (United States); Kirchner, R. [Gesellschaft fuer Schwerionenforschung, Planckstr. 1, D-64291 Darmstadt (Germany)

    2008-10-15

    The heart of every ISOL (isotope separation on-line) facility is its target and ion source system. Its efficiency, selectivity and rapidity is decisive for the production of intense and pure ion beams of short-lived isotopes. Recent progress in ISOL target and ion source technology is discussed at the examples of radioactive ion beams of exotic zinc and tin isotopes that were purified by isothermal chromatography and molecular sideband separation respectively. An outlook is given to which other elements these purification methods are applicable.

  9. Progress in ISOL target-ion source systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koester, U.; Arndt, O.; Bouquerel, E.; Fedoseyev, V.N.; Franberg, H.; Joinet, A.; Jost, C.; Kerkines, I.S.K.; Kirchner, R.

    2008-01-01

    The heart of every ISOL (isotope separation on-line) facility is its target and ion source system. Its efficiency, selectivity and rapidity is decisive for the production of intense and pure ion beams of short-lived isotopes. Recent progress in ISOL target and ion source technology is discussed at the examples of radioactive ion beams of exotic zinc and tin isotopes that were purified by isothermal chromatography and molecular sideband separation respectively. An outlook is given to which other elements these purification methods are applicable.

  10. ORF Alignment: NC_002932 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available ytidylate ... deaminase family protein [Chlorobium tepidum TLS] ... Length = 155 ... Query: 30 ... EARMRFV...VGASRKSVEEVSGGPFAAAVFEIESGRLVSLGVNLVLTQNSSILHAEMVAIVL 89 ... EARMRFV...VGASRKSVEEVSGGPFAAAVFEIESGRLVSLGVNLVLTQNSSILHAEMVAIVL Sbjct: 1 ... EARMRFVVGASRKSVEEVSGGPFAAAVFEIESGRLVSLGVNLV

  11. Polarized targets and beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meyer, W.

    1985-01-01

    First the experimental situation of the single-pion photoproduction and the photodisintegration of the deuteron is briefly discussed. Then a description of the Bonn polarization facilities is given. The point of main effort is put on the polarized target which plays a vital role in the program. A facility for photon induced double polarization experiments at ELSA will be presented in section 4. Properties of a tensor polarized deuteron target are discussed in section 5. The development in the field of polarized targets, especially on new target materials, enables a new generation of polarized target experiments with (polarized) electrons. Some comments on the use of a polarized target in combination with electron beams will be discussed in section 6. Electron deuteron scattering from a tensor polarized deuteron target is considered and compared with other experimental possibilities. (orig./HSI)

  12. Targeted Radionuclide Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Cheng

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Targeted radiotherapy is an evolving and promising modality of cancer treatment. The killing of cancer cells is achieved with the use of biological vectors and appropriate radionuclides. Among the many advantages of this approach are its selectiveness in delivering the radiation to the target, relatively less severe and infrequent side effects, and the possibility of assessing the uptake by the tumor prior to the therapy. Several different radiopharmaceuticals are currently being used by various administration routes and targeting mechanisms. This article aims to briefly review the current status of targeted radiotherapy as well as to outline the advantages and disadvantages of radionuclides used for this purpose.

  13. Targeted Radionuclide Therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ersahin, Devrim, E-mail: devrimersahin@yahoo.com; Doddamane, Indukala; Cheng, David [Department of Diagnostic Radiology, School of Medicine, Yale University, 333 Cedar St., New Haven, CT 06520 (United States)

    2011-10-11

    Targeted radiotherapy is an evolving and promising modality of cancer treatment. The killing of cancer cells is achieved with the use of biological vectors and appropriate radionuclides. Among the many advantages of this approach are its selectiveness in delivering the radiation to the target, relatively less severe and infrequent side effects, and the possibility of assessing the uptake by the tumor prior to the therapy. Several different radiopharmaceuticals are currently being used by various administration routes and targeting mechanisms. This article aims to briefly review the current status of targeted radiotherapy as well as to outline the advantages and disadvantages of radionuclides used for this purpose.

  14. Targeted Radionuclide Therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ersahin, Devrim; Doddamane, Indukala; Cheng, David

    2011-01-01

    Targeted radiotherapy is an evolving and promising modality of cancer treatment. The killing of cancer cells is achieved with the use of biological vectors and appropriate radionuclides. Among the many advantages of this approach are its selectiveness in delivering the radiation to the target, relatively less severe and infrequent side effects, and the possibility of assessing the uptake by the tumor prior to the therapy. Several different radiopharmaceuticals are currently being used by various administration routes and targeting mechanisms. This article aims to briefly review the current status of targeted radiotherapy as well as to outline the advantages and disadvantages of radionuclides used for this purpose

  15. Using the Dual-Target Cost to Explore the Nature of Search Target Representations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stroud, Michael J.; Menneer, Tamaryn; Cave, Kyle R.; Donnelly, Nick

    2012-01-01

    Eye movements were monitored to examine search efficiency and infer how color is mentally represented to guide search for multiple targets. Observers located a single color target very efficiently by fixating colors similar to the target. However, simultaneous search for 2 colors produced a dual-target cost. In addition, as the similarity between…

  16. Target size matters: target errors contribute to the generalization of implicit visuomotor learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reichenthal, Maayan; Avraham, Guy; Karniel, Amir; Shmuelof, Lior

    2016-08-01

    The process of sensorimotor adaptation is considered to be driven by errors. While sensory prediction errors, defined as the difference between the planned and the actual movement of the cursor, drive implicit learning processes, target errors (e.g., the distance of the cursor from the target) are thought to drive explicit learning mechanisms. This distinction was mainly studied in the context of arm reaching tasks where the position and the size of the target were constant. We hypothesize that in a dynamic reaching environment, where subjects have to hit moving targets and the targets' dynamic characteristics affect task success, implicit processes will benefit from target errors as well. We examine the effect of target errors on learning of an unnoticed perturbation during unconstrained reaching movements. Subjects played a Pong game, in which they had to hit a moving ball by moving a paddle controlled by their hand. During the game, the movement of the paddle was gradually rotated with respect to the hand, reaching a final rotation of 25°. Subjects were assigned to one of two groups: The high-target error group played the Pong with a small ball, and the low-target error group played with a big ball. Before and after the Pong game, subjects performed open-loop reaching movements toward static targets with no visual feedback. While both groups adapted to the rotation, the postrotation reaching movements were directionally biased only in the small-ball group. This result provides evidence that implicit adaptation is sensitive to target errors. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

  17. High-efficiency target-ion sources for RIB generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alton, G.D.

    1993-01-01

    A brief review is given of high-efficiency ion sources which have been developed or are under development at ISOL facilities which show particular promise for use at existing, future, or radioactive ion beam (RIB) facilities now under construction. Emphasis will be placed on those sources which have demonstrated high ionization efficiency, species versatility, and operational reliability and which have been carefully designed for safe handling in the high level radioactivity radiation fields incumbent at such facilities. Brief discussions will also be made of the fundamental processes which affect the realizable beam intensities in target-ion sources. Among the sources which will be reviewed will be selected examples of state-of-the-art electron-beam plasma-type ion sources, thermal-ionization, surface-ionization, ECR, and selectively chosen ion source concepts which show promise for radioactive ion beam generation. A few advanced, chemically selective target-ion sources will be described, such as sources based on the use of laser-resonance ionization, which, in principle, offer a more satisfactory solution to isobaric contamination problems than conventional electromagnetic techniques. Particular attention will be given to the sources which have been selected for initial or future use at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility now under construction at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  18. TargetCompare: A web interface to compare simultaneous miRNAs targets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreira, Fabiano Cordeiro; Dustan, Bruno; Hamoy, Igor G; Ribeiro-Dos-Santos, André M; Dos Santos, Andrea Ribeiro

    2014-01-01

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding nucleotide sequences between 17 and 25 nucleotides in length that primarily function in the regulation of gene expression. A since miRNA has thousand of predict targets in a complex, regulatory cell signaling network. Therefore, it is of interest to study multiple target genes simultaneously. Hence, we describe a web tool (developed using Java programming language and MySQL database server) to analyse multiple targets of pre-selected miRNAs. We cross validated the tool in eight most highly expressed miRNAs in the antrum region of stomach. This helped to identify 43 potential genes that are target of at least six of the referred miRNAs. The developed tool aims to reduce the randomness and increase the chance of selecting strong candidate target genes and miRNAs responsible for playing important roles in the studied tissue. http://lghm.ufpa.br/targetcompare.

  19. Complete fabrication of target experimental chamber and implement initial target diagnostics to be used for the first target experiments in NDCX-1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bieniosek, F.M.; Bieniosek, F.M.; Dickinson, M.R.; Henestroza, E.; Katayanagi, T.; Jung, J.Y.; Lee, C.W.; Leitner, M.; Ni, P.; Roy, P.; Seidl, P.; Waldron, W.; Welch, D.

    2008-01-01

    The Heavy Ion Fusion Science Virtual National Laboratory (HIFS-VNL) has completed the fabrication of a new experimental target chamber facility for future Warm Dense Matter (WDM) experiments, and implemented initial target diagnostics to be used for the first target experiments in NDCX-1. The target chamber has been installed on the NDCX-I beamline. This achievement provides to the HIFS-VNL unique and state-of-the-art experimental capabilities in preparation for the planned target heating experiments using intense heavy ion beams

  20. Structured cylindrical targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arnold, R.

    1986-01-01

    A variety of experimental concepts using high-energy heavy-ion beams in cylindrical targets have been studied through numerical simulation. With an accelerator planned for GSl, plasma temperatures of 100 eV can be reached by cylindrical compression, using inhomogeneous hollow-shell targets. Magnetic insulation, using external fields, has been explored as an aid in reaching high core temperatures. Experiments on collision-pumped x-ray laser physics are also discussed. (ii) Two-dimensional PlC code simulations of homogeneous solid targets show hydrodynamic effects not found in previous 1-D calculations. (iii) Preliminary ideas for an experiment on non-equilibrium heavy-ion charge-states using an existing accelerator and a pre-formed plasma target are outlined. (author)

  1. Structured cylindrical targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arnold, R.; Lackner-Russo, D.; Meyer-ter-Vehn, J.; Hoffmann, I.

    1986-01-01

    A variety of experimental concepts using high-energy heavy-ion beams in cylindrical targets have been studied through numerical simulation. With an accelerator planned for GSl, plasma temperatures of 100 eV can be reached by cylindrical compression, using inhomogenous hollow-shell targets. Magnetic insulation, using external fields, has been explored as an aid in reaching high core temperatures. Experiments on collision-pumped x-ray laser physics are also discussed. (ii) Two-dimensional PlC code simulations of homogeneous solid targets show hydrodynamic effects not found in previous l-D calculations. (iii) Preliminary ideas for an experiment on non-equilibrium heavy-ion charge-states using an existing accelerator and a pre-formed plasma target are outlined. (author)

  2. Target Price Accuracy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander G. Kerl

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available This study analyzes the accuracy of forecasted target prices within analysts’ reports. We compute a measure for target price forecast accuracy that evaluates the ability of analysts to exactly forecast the ex-ante (unknown 12-month stock price. Furthermore, we determine factors that explain this accuracy. Target price accuracy is negatively related to analyst-specific optimism and stock-specific risk (measured by volatility and price-to-book ratio. However, target price accuracy is positively related to the level of detail of each report, company size and the reputation of the investment bank. The potential conflicts of interests between an analyst and a covered company do not bias forecast accuracy.

  3. TargetRNA: a tool for predicting targets of small RNA action in bacteria

    OpenAIRE

    Tjaden, Brian

    2008-01-01

    Many small RNA (sRNA) genes in bacteria act as posttranscriptional regulators of target messenger RNAs. Here, we present TargetRNA, a web tool for predicting mRNA targets of sRNA action in bacteria. TargetRNA takes as input a genomic sequence that may correspond to an sRNA gene. TargetRNA then uses a dynamic programming algorithm to search each annotated message in a specified genome for mRNAs that evince basepair-binding potential to the input sRNA sequence. Based on the calculated basepair-...

  4. Development of distributed target

    CERN Document Server

    Yu Hai Jun; Li Qin; Zhou Fu Xin; Shi Jin Shui; Ma Bing; Chen Nan; Jing Xiao Bing

    2002-01-01

    Linear introduction accelerator is expected to generate small diameter X-ray spots with high intensity. The interaction of the electron beam with plasmas generated at the X-ray converter will make the spot on target increase with time and debase the X-ray dose and the imaging resolving power. A distributed target is developed which has about 24 pieces of thin 0.05 mm tantalum films distributed over 1 cm. due to the structure adoption, the distributed target material over a large volume decreases the energy deposition per unit volume and hence reduces the temperature of target surface, then reduces the initial plasma formalizing and its expansion velocity. The comparison and analysis with two kinds of target structures are presented using numerical calculation and experiments, the results show the X-ray dose and normalized angle distribution of the two is basically the same, while the surface of the distributed target is not destroyed like the previous block target

  5. Cyclopentenyl cytosine induces apoptosis and increases cytarabine-induced apoptosis in a T-lymphoblastic leukemic cell-line

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verschuur, A. C.; Brinkman, J.; van Gennip, A. H.; Leen, R.; Vet, R. J.; Evers, L. M.; Voûte, P. A.; van Kuilenburg, A. B.

    2001-01-01

    Cyclopentenyl cytosine (CPEC) is a nucleoside-analogue that decreases the concentrations of cytidine triphosphate (CTP) and deoxycytidine triphosphate (dCTP) in leukemic cells by inhibiting the enzyme CTP synthetase, resulting in a decreased synthesis of RNA and DNA. Low concentrations of dCTP

  6. Nucleotide metabolism in Lactococcus lactis: Salvage pathways of exogenous pyrimidines

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Martinussen, Jan; Andersen, Paal Skytt; Hammer, Karin

    1994-01-01

    By measuring enzyme activities in crude extracts and studying the effect of toxic analogs (5-fluoropyrimidines) on cell growth, the metabolism of pyrimidines in Lactococcus lactis was analyzed. Pathways by which uracil, uridine, deoxyuridine, cytidine, and deoxycytidine are metabolized in L. lact...

  7. Internal targets for LEAR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kilian, K.; Gspann, J.; Mohl, D.; Poth, H.

    1984-01-01

    This chapter considers the use of thin internal targets in conjunction with phase-space cooling at the Low-Energy Antiproton Ring (LEAR). Topics considered include the merits of internal target operation; the most efficient use of antiprotons and of proton synchrotron (PS) protons, highest center-of-mass (c.m.) energy resolution; highest angular resolution and access to extreme angles; the transparent environment for all reaction products; a windowless source and pure targets; highest luminosity and count rates; access to lowest energies with increasing resolution; internal target thickness and vacuum requirements; required cooling performance; and modes of operation. It is demonstrated that an internal target in conjunction with phase-space cooling has the potential of better performance in terms of the economic use of antiprotons and consequently of PS protons; energy resolution; angular resolution; maximum reaction rate capability (statistical precision); efficient parasitic operation; transparency of the target for reaction products; access to low energies; and the ease of polarized target experiments. It is concluded that all p - experiments which need high statistics and high p - flux, such as studies of rare channels or broad, weak resonance structures, would profit from internal targets

  8. TargetMine, an integrated data warehouse for candidate gene prioritisation and target discovery.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi-An Chen

    Full Text Available Prioritising candidate genes for further experimental characterisation is a non-trivial challenge in drug discovery and biomedical research in general. An integrated approach that combines results from multiple data types is best suited for optimal target selection. We developed TargetMine, a data warehouse for efficient target prioritisation. TargetMine utilises the InterMine framework, with new data models such as protein-DNA interactions integrated in a novel way. It enables complicated searches that are difficult to perform with existing tools and it also offers integration of custom annotations and in-house experimental data. We proposed an objective protocol for target prioritisation using TargetMine and set up a benchmarking procedure to evaluate its performance. The results show that the protocol can identify known disease-associated genes with high precision and coverage. A demonstration version of TargetMine is available at http://targetmine.nibio.go.jp/.

  9. HIRFL–CSR internal cluster target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shao, Caojie; Lu, Rongchun; Cai, Xiaohong; Yu, Deyang; Ruan, Fangfang; Xue, Yingli; Zhang, Jianming; Torpokov, D.K.; Nikolenko, D.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • An internal cluster target was built and installed at HIRFL–CSR. • The target thickness for H 2 amounts up to 6.6 × 10 12 atoms/cm 2 . • The feasibility and stability of the internal cluster target were verified by on-line experiments. -- Abstract: Since HIRFL–CSR internal cluster target was built, it has played a key role in in-ring experiments at HIRFL–CSR. So far it have been operated with five gas species as targets for scattering experiments, i.e. hydrogen, nitrogen, argon, neon, and krypton. The obtained highest thickness for hydrogen target amounts up to 10 12 atoms/cm 2 , and those of other targets are larger than 10 13 atoms/cm 2 with the background pressure of 10 −11 mbar in CSR. The target thickness can be varied by regulating the nozzle temperature and pressure of the inlet gas. The first online internal target experiment dedicated to investigate radioactive electron capture (REC) process with Xe 54+ ions colliding with the nitrogen target demonstrated the stability and reliability of the internal target system. In addition, hydrogen and krypton were also tested online in recent experiments, which indicate the target system can meet experimental requirements for the thickness of target, pressure in scattering chamber, and long-term stability

  10. New type of metal targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bukharov, A.V.; Ankudinov, V.B.; Ogorodnikov, V.P.; Marukhin, Y.A.

    2014-01-01

    Now the technologies based on interaction of high-intensity beams with substance of a target are being intensively developed. As a target it is possible to use the new type of monodisperse metal targets. The principal advantages of new targets type are: target cooling isn't required; there is no induced activity: the target can be used many times; small dispersion on the speed, the size and interaction points with a beam. The basis of a target is the jet of molten metal, following in the vacuum chamber .Under the influence of the special disturbance superimposed on the liquid jet, the jet disintegrated into identical drops. In the vacuum chamber the drops freeze and form into the solid granules. It is possible to receive monodisperse targets from different metals, alloys and salts (diameter of targets is from 30 .m to 1.5 mm). Dispersion by the sizes and speed is less than 1%. The technique allows to receive not only continuous targets, but also hollow targets with dispersion on thickness of wall within 1...2%.

  11. Effects of near-ultraviolet and violet radiations (313-405 NM) on DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis in E. coli B/r

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramabhadran, T.V.

    1975-01-01

    Fluences (21 to 32 kJ/m 2 ) of near-ultraviolet radiation that induced about a 1 hour growth delay in continuously growing cultures of E.coli B/r were found to produce complete cessation of net RNA synthesis, while the effects on protein and DNA synthesis were considerably milder. The near-UV action spectrum for this inhibition of RNA synthesis was similar to the action spectrum for growth decay in E.coli B and to the absorption spectrum of E.coli valyl transfer RNA. In addition, the fluences required for inhibition of RNA synthesis and growth delay were similar to those reported for formation of 4-thiouridine-cytidine adducts in transfer RNA. These findings suggest that the chromophore and target for near-UV-induced inhibition of both net RNA synthesis and growth in E.coli may be 4-thiouridine in transfer RNA. (author)

  12. Effects of near-ultraviolet and violet radiations (313-405 NM) on DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis in E. coli B/r. Implications for growth delay

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ramabhadran, T V [Texas Univ., Dallas (USA). Inst. for Molecular Biology

    1975-09-01

    Fluences (21 to 32 kJ/m/sup 2/) of near-ultraviolet radiation that induced about a 1 hour growth delay in continuously growing cultures of E.coli B/r were found to produce complete cessation of net RNA synthesis, while the effects on protein and DNA synthesis were considerably milder. The near-UV action spectrum for this inhibition of RNA synthesis was similar to the action spectrum for growth decay in E.coli B and to the absorption spectrum of E.coli valyl transfer RNA. In addition, the fluences required for inhibition of RNA synthesis and growth delay were similar to those reported for formation of 4-thiouridine-cytidine adducts in transfer RNA. These findings suggest that the chromophore and target for near-UV-induced inhibition of both net RNA synthesis and growth in E.coli may be 4-thiouridine in transfer RNA.

  13. Heavy water jet target and a beryllium target for production of fast neutrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Logan, C.M.; Anderson, J.D.; Barschall, H.H.; Davis, J.C.

    1975-01-01

    A limitation on the neutron flux obtainable from proton or deuteron induced reactions is the heating of the target by the accelerated charged particles. The heat can be removed more easily if the target moves. The possibility of using a rotating Be target and a heavy water jet as a target for bombardment by 35-MeV deuterons was studied. In a thick Be metal target moving at 10 m/sec through such a beam of 1 cm diameter a temperature pulse of about 300 0 C will be produced by the 0.3 MW beam. The Be target should be able to withstand such a temperature pulse. A Be target suitable for 3 MW of power in a 1 cm diameter beam would require internal cooling and a higher velocity. A free jet of heavy water is also a possible target. Laser photographs of water jets in vacuum show small angles of divergence. The effect of heating by a 0.3 MW beam is probably not important because the temperature rise produced by the beam is small compared to the absolute temperature of the unheated jet. (auth)

  14. Laser targets: introduction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosen, M.D.

    1985-01-01

    The laser target design group was engaged in three main tasks in 1984: (1) analyzing Novette implosion and hohlraum-scaling data, (2) planning for the first experiments on Nova, and (3) designing laboratory x-ray laser targets and experiments. The Novette implosion and hohlraum scaling data are mostly classified and are therefore not discussed in detail here. The authors achieved average final/initial pusher pr ratios of about 50, some 3 times higher than the value achieved in the best Shiva shots. These pr values imply a fuel compression to 100 times liquid density, although this figure and other aspects of the experiments are subject to further interpretation because of detailed questions of target symmetry and stability. Their main long-term goal for Nova is to produce a so-called hydrodynamically equivalent target (HET) - that is, a target whose hydrodynamic behavior (implosion velocity, convergence ratio, symmetry and stability requirements, etc.) is very much like that of a high-gain target, but one that is scaled down in size to match the energy available from Nova and is too small to achieve enough hot-spot pr to ignite the cold, near-Fermi-degenerate fuel around it. Their goal for Nova's first year is to do experiments that will teach them how to achieve the symmetry and stability conditions required by an HET

  15. A method for comparing impacts with real targets to impacts onto the IAEA unyielding target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ammerman, D.J.

    1991-01-01

    The severity of the IAEA accident conditions test requirement (IAEA 1990) of an impact onto an essentially unyielding target from a drop height of 9 meters encompasses a large fraction of all real world impacts. This is true, in part, because of the unyielding nature of the impact target. Impacts onto the unyielding target have severities equivalent to higher velocity impacts onto real targets which are not unyielding. The severity of impacts with yielding targets is decreased by the amount of the impact energy absorbed in damaging the target. In demonstrating the severity of the regulatory impact event it is advantageous to be able to relate this impact onto an essentially unyielding target to impacts with yielding targets

  16. Immunotherapy Targets in Pediatric Cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Orentas, Rimas J.; Lee, Daniel W.; Mackall, Crystal

    2012-01-01

    Immunotherapy for cancer has shown increasing success and there is ample evidence to expect that progress gleaned in immune targeting of adult cancers can be translated to pediatric oncology. This manuscript reviews principles that guide selection of targets for immunotherapy of cancer, emphasizing the similarities and distinctions between oncogene-inhibition targets and immune targets. It follows with a detailed review of molecules expressed by pediatric tumors that are already under study as immune targets or are good candidates for future studies of immune targeting. Distinctions are made between cell surface antigens that can be targeted in an MHC independent manner using antibodies, antibody derivatives, or chimeric antigen receptors versus intracellular antigens which must be targeted with MHC restricted T cell therapies. Among the most advanced immune targets for childhood cancer are CD19 and CD22 on hematologic malignancies, GD2 on solid tumors, and NY-ESO-1 expressed by a majority of synovial sarcomas, but several other molecules reviewed here also have properties which suggest that they too could serve as effective targets for immunotherapy of childhood cancer.

  17. Immunotherapy Targets in Pediatric Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Orentas, Rimas J.; Lee, Daniel W.; Mackall, Crystal, E-mail: rimas.orentas@nih.gov, E-mail: mackallc@mail.nih.gov [Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (United States)

    2012-01-30

    Immunotherapy for cancer has shown increasing success and there is ample evidence to expect that progress gleaned in immune targeting of adult cancers can be translated to pediatric oncology. This manuscript reviews principles that guide selection of targets for immunotherapy of cancer, emphasizing the similarities and distinctions between oncogene-inhibition targets and immune targets. It follows with a detailed review of molecules expressed by pediatric tumors that are already under study as immune targets or are good candidates for future studies of immune targeting. Distinctions are made between cell surface antigens that can be targeted in an MHC independent manner using antibodies, antibody derivatives, or chimeric antigen receptors versus intracellular antigens which must be targeted with MHC restricted T cell therapies. Among the most advanced immune targets for childhood cancer are CD19 and CD22 on hematologic malignancies, GD2 on solid tumors, and NY-ESO-1 expressed by a majority of synovial sarcomas, but several other molecules reviewed here also have properties which suggest that they too could serve as effective targets for immunotherapy of childhood cancer.

  18. Characterization of Mn-resistant endophytic bacteria from Mn-hyperaccumulator Phytolacca americana and their impact on Mn accumulation of hybrid penisetum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Wen-Hui; Chen, Wei; He, Lin-Yan; Wang, Qi; Sheng, Xia-Fang

    2015-10-01

    Three hundred Mn-resistant endophytic bacteria were isolated from the Mn-hyperaccumulator, Phytolacca americana, grown at different levels of Mn (0, 1, and 10mM) stress. Under no Mn stress, 90%, 92%, and 11% of the bacteria produced indole acetic acid (IAA), siderophore, and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, respectively. Under Mn stress, 68-94%, 91-92%, and 21-81% of the bacteria produced IAA, siderophore, and ACC deaminase, respectively. Greater percentages of ACC deaminase-producing bacteria were found in the Mn-treated P. americana. Furthermore, the ratios of IAA- and siderophore-producing bacteria were significantly higher in the Mn treated plant leaves, while the ratio of ACC deaminase-producing bacteria was significantly higher in the Mn treated-roots. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, Mn-resistant bacteria were affiliated with 10 genera. In experiments involving hybrid penisetum grown in soils treated with 0 and 1000mgkg(-1) of Mn, inoculation with strain 1Y31 was found to increase the root (ranging from 6.4% to 18.3%) and above-ground tissue (ranging from 19.3% to 70.2%) mass and total Mn uptake of above-ground tissues (64%) compared to the control. Furthermore, inoculation with strain 1Y31 was found to increase the ratio of IAA-producing bacteria in the rhizosphere and bulk soils of hybrid penisetum grown in Mn-added soils. The results showed the effect of Mn stress on the ratio of the plant growth-promoting factor-producing endophytic bacteria of P. americana and highlighted the potential of endophytic bacterium as an inoculum for enhanced phytoremediation of Mn-polluted soils by hybrid penisetum plants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Bradycardia During Targeted Temperature Management

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Jakob Hartvig; Nielsen, Niklas; Hassager, Christian

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: Bradycardia is common during targeted temperature management, likely being a physiologic response to lower body temperature, and has recently been associated with favorable outcome following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in smaller observational studies. The present study sought...... to confirm this finding in a large multicenter cohort of patients treated with targeted temperature management at 33°C and explore the response to targeted temperature management targeting 36°C. DESIGN: Post hoc analysis of a prospective randomized study. SETTING: Thirty-six ICUs in 10 countries. PATIENTS......: We studied 447 (targeted temperature management = 33°C) and 430 (targeted temperature management = 36°C) comatose out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients with available heart rate data, randomly assigned in the targeted temperature management trial from 2010 to 2013. INTERVENTIONS: Targeted...

  20. 26 CFR 1.338-1 - General principles; status of old target and new target.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false General principles; status of old target and new target. 1.338-1 Section 1.338-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY... of old target and new target. (a) In general—(1) Deemed transaction. Elections are available under...