scholarly journals Spermine analogue-regulated expression of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase and its effects on depletion of intracellular polyamine pools in mouse fetal fibroblasts

2009 ◽  
Vol 422 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Uimari ◽  
Tuomo A. Keinänen ◽  
Anne Karppinen ◽  
Patrick Woster ◽  
Pekka Uimari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fusion Gene ◽  
Wild Type Mouse ◽  
Egfp Expression ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Protein Fusion ◽  
Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽  
Fetal Fibroblasts ◽  
Spermine Analogues ◽  
Ssat Activity

SSAT (Spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase, also known as SAT1), the key enzyme in the catabolism of polyamines, is turned over rapidly and there is only a low amount present in the cell. In the present study, the regulation of SSAT by spermine analogues, the inducers of the enzyme, was studied in wild-type mouse fetal fibroblasts, expressing endogenous SSAT, and in the SSAT-deficient mouse fetal fibroblasts transiently expressing an SSAT–EGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein) fusion gene. In both cell lines treatments with DENSpm (N1,N11-diethylnorspermine), CPENSpm (N1-ethyl-N11-[(cyclopropyl)-methy]-4,8-diazaundecane) and CHENSpm (N1-ethyl-N11-[(cycloheptyl)methy]-4,8-diazaundecane) led to high, moderate or low induction of SSAT activity respectively. The level of activity detected correlated with the presence of SSAT and SSAT–EGFP proteins, the latter localizing both in the cytoplasm and nucleus. RT–PCR (reverse transcription–PCR) results suggested that the analogue-affected regulation of SSAT–EGFP expression occurred, mainly, after transcription. In wild-type cells, DENSpm increased the amount of SSAT mRNA, and both DENSpm and CHENSpm affected splicing of the SSAT pre-mRNA. Depleted intracellular spermidine and spermine levels inversely correlated with detected SSAT activity. Interestingly, the analogues also reduced polyamine levels in the SSAT-deficient cells expressing the EGFP control. The results from the present study show that the distinct SSAT regulation by different analogues involves regulatory actions at multiple levels, and that the spermine analogues, in addition to inducing SSAT, lower intracellular polyamine pools by SSAT-independent mechanisms.

scholarly journals Strand Bias in Targeted Gene Repair Is Influenced by Transcriptional Activity

2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 3852-3863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Liu ◽  
Michael C. Rice ◽  
Miya Drury ◽  
Shuqiu Cheng ◽  
Howard Gamper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcriptional Activity ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fusion Gene ◽  
Strand Bias ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Gene Repair ◽  
Protein Fusion ◽  
Template Strand ◽  
Targeted Gene Repair ◽  
Targeting Vector

ABSTRACT Modified single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides can direct nucleotide exchange in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Point and frameshift mutations are corrected in a reaction catalyzed by cellular enzymes involved in various DNA repair processes. The present model centers on the annealing of the vector to one strand of the helix, followed by the correction of the designated base. The choice of which strand to target is a reaction parameter that can be controlled, so here we investigate the properties of strand bias in targeted gene repair. An in vivo system has been established in which a plasmid containing an actively transcribed, but mutated, hygromycin-enhanced green fluorescent protein fusion gene is targeted for repair and upon conversion will confer hygromycin resistance on the cell. Overall transcriptional activity has a positive influence on the reaction, elevating the frequency. If the targeting vector is synthesized so that it directs nucleotide repair on the nontranscribed strand, the level of gene repair is higher than if the template strand is targeted. We provide data showing that the targeting vector can be displaced from the template strand by an active T7 phage RNA polymerase. The strand bias is not influenced by which strand serves as the leading or lagging strand during DNA synthesis. These results may provide an explanation for the enhancement of gene repair observed when the nontemplate strand is targeted.

scholarly journals Specific expression of an oxytocin-enhanced cyan fluorescent protein fusion transgene in the rat hypothalamus and posterior pituitary

2009 ◽  
Vol 204 (3) ◽  
pp. 275-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akiko Katoh ◽  
Hiroaki Fujihara ◽  
Toyoaki Ohbuchi ◽  
Tatsushi Onaka ◽  
W Scott Young ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fusion Gene ◽  
Plasma Osmolality ◽  
Cyan Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Posterior Pituitary ◽  
Protein Fusion ◽  
Transgenic Rats ◽  
Salt Loading ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Enhanced Cyan Fluorescent Protein

We have generated rats bearing an oxytocin (OXT)-enhanced cyan fluorescent protein (eCFP) fusion transgene designed from a murine construct previously shown to be faithfully expressed in transgenic mice. In situ hybridisation histochemistry revealed that the Oxt–eCfp fusion gene was expressed in the supraoptic nucleus (SON) and the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in these rats. The fluorescence emanating from eCFP was observed only in the SON, the PVN, the internal layer of the median eminence and the posterior pituitary (PP). In in vitro preparations, freshly dissociated cells from the SON and axon terminals showed clear eCFP fluorescence. Immunohistochemistry for OXT and arginine vasopressin (AVP) revealed that the eCFP fluorescence co-localises with OXT immunofluorescence, but not with AVP immunofluorescence in the SON and the PVN. Although the expression levels of the Oxt–eCfp fusion gene in the SON and the PVN showed a wide range of variations in transgenic rats, eCFP fluorescence was markedly increased in the SON and the PVN, but decreased in the PP after chronic salt loading. The expression of the Oxt gene was significantly increased in the SON and the PVN after chronic salt loading in both non-transgenic and transgenic rats. Compared with wild-type animals, euhydrated and salt-loaded male and female transgenic rats showed no significant differences in plasma osmolality, sodium concentration and OXT and AVP levels, suggesting that the fusion gene expression did not disturb any physiological processes. These results suggest that our new transgenic rats are a valuable new tool to identify OXT-producing neurones and their terminals.

scholarly journals mGluR6 Transcripts in Non-neuronal Tissues

2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (12) ◽  
pp. 1076-1086 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamar Vardi ◽  
Marie Fina ◽  
Lingli Zhang ◽  
Anuradha Dhingra ◽  
Noga Vardi
Keyword(s):  
Transgenic Mouse ◽  
Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Splice Variants ◽  
Subcommissural Organ ◽  
Wild Type Mouse ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Protein Product ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
In The Wild

To study mGluR6 expression, the authors investigated two transgenic mouse lines that express enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) under control of mGluR6 promoter. In retina, GFP was expressed exclusively in all ON bipolar cell types, either uniformly across all cells of this class (line 5) or in a mosaic (patchy) fashion (line 1). In brain, GFP was found in certain cortical areas, superior colliculus, axons of the corpus callosum, accessory olfactory bulb, and cells of the subcommissural organ. Outside the nervous system, GFP was seen in the corneal endothelium, testis, the kidney’s medulla, collecting ducts and parietal layer that surround the glomeruli, and B lymphocytes. Furthermore, RT-PCR showed that most tissues that expressed GFP in the transgenic mouse also transcribed two splice variants of mGluR6 in the wild-type mouse. The alternate variant was lacking exon 8, predicting a protein product of 545 amino acids that lacks the 7-transmembrane domains of the receptor. In cornea, immunostaining for mGluR6 gave strong staining in the endothelium, and this was stronger in wild-type than in mGluR6-null mice. Furthermore, calcium imaging with Fura-2 showed that application of L-AP4, an agonist for group III metabotropic glutamate receptors including mGluR6, elevated calcium in endothelial cells.

Phase I clinical trial of a genetically modified and oncolytic vaccinia virus GL-ONC1 with green fluorescent protein imaging (NCT009794131).

2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 3062-3062 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khurum Hayat Khan ◽  
Anna-Mary Young ◽  
Joaquin Mateo ◽  
Nina Tunariu ◽  
Timothy Anthony Yap ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Phase I ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fusion Gene ◽  
Plaque Assay ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Renilla Luciferase ◽  
Protein Fusion ◽  
Green Fluorescent

3062 Background: GL-ONC is a genetically engineered virus attenuated by insertion of the ruc-gfp (Renilla luciferase and Aequorea green fluorescent protein fusion gene), beta-galactosidase (lacZ) and beta-glucuronidase (gusA) reporter genes into the FL14.5L, J2R (thymidine kinase) and A56R (hemagglutinin) loci, respectively. A phase I trial of intravenous (i.v) GL-ONC1 was pursued to evaluate safety, tolerability, tumour delivery, neutralising antibody development and antitumor activity. Methods: GL-ONC1 was administered at escalating doses (1x105, 1x106, 1x107, 1x108, 1x109, 3x109 plaque forming units (pfu) on day 1; 1.667x107 and 1.667x108, 1.667x109pfu on days 1-3) utilizing a 28-day cycle and a 3+3 dose escalation design. Paired biopsies before treatment and on day 8 for pharmacodynamic and viral delivery evaluation were obtained. Green flourescent protein (GFP) imaging was performed on skin rash and mucosal tumour lesions at baseline and after each cycle. Results: To date, 33 patients (pts) across 8 cohorts have been treated with 1 dose limiting toxicty reported of grade 3 transaminitis after a single infusion at 1x109pfu. Other reported adverse events (n) included pyrexia (26), musculoskeletal pain (10), fatigue (8), nausea and vomiting (4). 2 pts had transient transaminitis; both had liver metastases, which may have contributed to this. 2 pts developed minimally symptomatic poxvirus skin pustules, which appeared green by GFP and were positive to viral plaque assay (VPA). Overall, stable disease (SD) by RECIST was seen at >24 weeks (n=6) and 8-12 weeks (n=5). 2 out of 4 pts in cohort 8 (one with cholangiocarcinoma and another with non-small cell lung caner) achieved SD for median 5.5 months, with a drop in tumour markers at the time of infusions. Conclusions: GL-ONC1 is well tolerated; more frequent delivery of the virus (2 weekly, at the same dose) is planned in an attempt to increase agent exposure. Clinical trial information: NCT009794131.

PAX5/TEL Causes Down Modulation of B-Lineage Specific Genes, and Enhances Migration to CXCL12 in preBI Cells.

Blood ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 110 (11) ◽  
pp. 980-980
Author(s):  
Grazia Fazio ◽  
Chiara Palmi ◽  
Antonius G. Rolink ◽  
Giovanni Cazzaniga ◽  
Andrea Biondi
Keyword(s):  
B Cell ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Fusion Gene ◽  
Wild Type Mouse ◽  
Leukemic Cells ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Cell Precursor ◽  
Childhood All ◽  
B Lineage ◽  
Lineage Specific Genes

Abstract PAX5 is a transcription factor essential for B-cell development. Recently, it has been found as frequent target of abnormalities in childhood ALL (30% of B-cell precursor ALL cases), showing monoallelic loss, point mutations or chromosomal translocations. The role of these lesions is still poorly understood. We previously cloned the PAX5/TEL fusion gene in a patient affected by B-cell precursor ALL with t(9;12) translocation. We investigated the functional roles of PAX5/TEL protein in vitro, in murine wild type preBI cells, primary cells derived from a wild type mouse and positive for B220, cKIT and CD19 antigens.We demonstrated that the PAX5/TEL protein acts as a transcriptional repressor, down regulating not only CD19, but also other B-lineage specific genes, such as BLNK and MB-1. In addition, PAX5/TEL down regulates FLT3, B220 and μ heavy chain expression, and it does not activate MCSFR. Moreover in PAX5−/− preBI cells, PAX5/TEL did not restore CD19 expression. Comprehensively, these findings suggest that the fusion protein functions as a dominant repressor of transcription on many PAX5-target genes. It is known that CXCL12/SDF1 is a growth factor promoting B-cell progenitor proliferation, acting as a chemo attractant to the bone marrow. In several hematopoietic malignancies, tumor cells express CXCR4, and that the CXCL12-CXCR4 axis may influence the biology of tumor, favoring the metastasis process and the tumor proliferation. Indeed, we demonstrated that PAX5/TEL enhances cell migration towards CXCL12, with over-expression of CXCR4. These phenomena could indicate that leukemic cells carrying PAX5/TEL are able to access to niches that are normally restricted to progenitor cells, and thereby reside in a microenvironment that favours their growth and survival, although this finding must be proved in vivo. Together with previous evidences on the PAX5/TEL capacity to overcome IL7 withdrawal and to interfere with TGFbeta1 pathway, we conclude that PAX5/TEL induces resistance to apoptosis and interferes with the processes of B-cell differentiation and migration. Taken together, these phenomena likely represent key events in the process of B-cell transformation.

scholarly journals Exploring the Function of Alcohol Dehydrogenases During the Endophytic Life of Azoarcus Sp. Strain BH72

2011 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 1325-1332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Krause ◽  
Birte Bischoff ◽  
Lucie Miché ◽  
Federico Battistoni ◽  
Barbara Reinhold-Hurek
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Source ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Endophytic Bacterium ◽  
Microtiter Plate ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Protein Fusion ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Rice Roots ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Green Fluorescent

The endophytic bacterium Azoarcus sp. strain BH72 is capable of colonizing the interior of rice roots, where it finds suitable physicochemical properties for multiplying and fixing nitrogen. Because these properties are poorly understood, a microtiter-plate-based screening of a transcriptional gfp (green fluorescent protein) fusion library of Azoarcus sp. grown under different conditions was performed. Monitoring of the GFP activity allowed the identification of a gene highly expressed in medium supplemented with ethanol. Sequence analysis revealed that this gene encodes a pyrrolo-quinoline quinone-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). Inspection of the complete genome sequence of the Azoarcus sp. strain BH72 identified seven additional genes encoding putative ADH, indicating that BH72 is well equipped to survive in different environmental conditions offering various alcohols as carbon source. Analyses of these eight putative ADH showed that expression of three was induced by ethanol, of which two were also expressed inside rice roots. The fact that waterlogged plants such as rice accumulate ethanol suggests that ethanol occurs in sufficiently high concentration within the root to induce expression of bacterial ADH. Disruption of these two ADH evoked a reduced competitiveness to the wild type in colonizing rice roots internally. Thus, it is likely that ethanol is an important carbon source for the endophytic life of Azoarcus sp.

scholarly journals FimX, a Multidomain Protein Connecting EnvironmentalSignals to Twitching Motility in Pseudomonasaeruginosa

2003 ◽  
Vol 185 (24) ◽  
pp. 7068-7076 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bixing Huang ◽  
Cynthia B. Whitchurch ◽  
John S. Mattick
Keyword(s):  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Response Regulator ◽  
Type Iv Pili ◽  
Environmental Cues ◽  
Twitching Motility ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Protein Fusion ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Signal Transduction Proteins

ABSTRACT Twitching motility is a form of surface translocation mediated by the extension, tethering, and retraction of type IV pili. Three independent Tn5-B21 mutations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with reduced twitching motility were identified in a new locus which encodes a predicted protein of unknown function annotated PA4959 in the P. aeruginosa genome sequence. Complementation of these mutants with the wild-type PA4959 gene, which we designated fimX, restored normal twitching motility. fimX mutants were found to express normal levels of pilin and remained sensitive to pilus-specific bacteriophages, but they exhibited very low levels of surface pili, suggesting that normal pilus function was impaired. The fimX gene product has a molecular weight of 76,000 and contains four predicted domains that are commonly found in signal transduction proteins: a putative response regulator (CheY-like) domain, a PAS-PAC domain (commonly involved in environmental sensing), and DUF1 (or GGDEF) and DUF2 (or EAL) domains, which are thought to be involved in cyclic di-GMP metabolism. Red fluorescent protein fusion experiments showed that FimX is located at one pole of the cell via sequences adjacent to its CheY-like domain. Twitching motility in fimX mutants was found to respond relatively normally to a range of environmental factors but could not be stimulated by tryptone and mucin. These data suggest that fimX is involved in the regulation of twitching motility in response to environmental cues.

scholarly journals Robust Up-Regulation of Nuclear Red Fluorescent-Tagged Fos Marks Neuronal Activation in Green Fluorescent Vasopressin Neurons after Osmotic Stimulation in a Double-Transgenic Rat

Endocrinology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 150 (12) ◽  
pp. 5633-5638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroaki Fujihara ◽  
Yoichi Ueta ◽  
Hitoshi Suzuki ◽  
Akiko Katoh ◽  
Toyoaki Ohbuchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hypertonic Saline ◽  
Supraoptic Nucleus ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fusion Gene ◽  
Regulatory Sequences ◽  
Neuronal Activation ◽  
Protein Fusion ◽  
Transgenic Rats ◽  
Green Fluorescent ◽  
Vasopressin Neurons

Abstract The up-regulation in the expression of mRNA or protein encoded by the c-fos gene is widely used as a marker of neuronal activation elicited by various stimuli. To facilitate the detection of activated neurons, we generated transgenic rats expressing a fusion gene consisting of c-fos coding sequences in frame with monomeric red fluorescent protein 1 (mRFP1) under the control of c-fos gene regulatory sequences (c-fos-mRFP1 rats). In c-fos-mRFP1 transgenic rats, 90 min after hypertonic saline ip administration, nuclear mRFP1 fluorescence was observed abundantly in brain regions known to be osmosensitive, namely the median preoptic nucleus, organum vasculosum lamina terminalis, supraoptic nucleus, paraventricular nucleus, and subfornical organ. Immunohistochemistry for Fos protein confirmed that the distribution of Fos-like immunoreactivity in nontransgenic rats was similar to those of mRFP1 fluorescence after ip administration of hypertonic saline in the transgenic rats. Several double-transgenic rats were obtained from matings between transgenic rats expressing an arginine vasopressin-enhanced green fluorescent protein fusion gene (AVP-eGFP rats) and c-fos-mRFP1 rats. In these double-transgenic rats, almost all eGFP neurons in the supraoptic nucleus and PVN expressed nuclear mRFP1 fluorescence 90 min after hypertonic saline administration. The c-fos-mRFP1 rats are a powerful tool that enables the facile identification of activated neurons in the nervous system. Furthermore, when combined with transgenes expressing another fluorophore under the control of cell-specific regulatory sequences, activation of specific neuronal cell types in response to physiological cues can be readily detected.

scholarly journals CheZ Phosphatase Localizes to Chemoreceptor Patches via CheA-Short

2003 ◽  
Vol 185 (7) ◽  
pp. 2354-2361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian J. Cantwell ◽  
Roger R. Draheim ◽  
Richard B. Weart ◽  
Cameran Nguyen ◽  
Richard C. Stewart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Strain Localization ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Single Gene ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Green Fluorescent Protein Fusion ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Terminal Portion ◽  
Protein Fusion ◽  
Polar Localization ◽  
Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACT We have investigated the conditions required for polar localization of the CheZ phosphatase by using a CheZ-green fluorescent protein fusion protein that, when expressed from a single gene in the chromosome, restored chemotaxis to a ΔcheZ strain. Localization was observed in wild-type, ΔcheZ, ΔcheYZ, and ΔcheRB cells but not in cells with cheA, cheW, or all chemoreceptor genes except aer deleted. Cells making only CheA-short (CheAS) or CheA lacking the P2 domain also retained normal localization, whereas cells producing only CheA-long or CheA missing the P1 and P2 domains did not. We conclude that CheZ localization requires the truncated C-terminal portion of the P1 domain present in CheAS. Missense mutations targeting residues 83 through 120 of CheZ also abolished localization. Two of these mutations do not disrupt chemotaxis, indicating that they specifically prevent interaction with CheAS while leaving other activities of CheZ intact.

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