scholarly journals Characterization of Yolk DNA from Xenopus laevis Oocytes Ovulated In Vitro

1972 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 1322-1326 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Hanocq ◽  
M. Kirsch-Volders ◽  
J. Hanocq-Quertier ◽  
E. Baltus ◽  
G. Steinert
Keyword(s):  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Oocytes ◽  
Yolk Dna

Characterization of the repressed 5S DNA minichromosomes assembled in vitro with a high-speed supernatant of Xenopus laevis oocytes

1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 4257-4269
Author(s):  
A Shimamura ◽  
D Tremethick ◽  
A Worcel
Keyword(s):  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Histone H1 ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Oocytes ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Oocyte ◽  
5S Rna ◽  
Rna Transcription

We describe an in vitro system, based on the Xenopus laevis oocyte supernatant of Glikin et al. (G. Glikin, I. Ruberti, and A. Worcel, Cell 37:33-41, 1984), that packages DNA into minichromosomes with regularly spaced nucleosomes containing histones H3, H4, H2A, and H2B but no histone H1. The same supernatant also assembles the 5S RNA transcription complex; however, under the conditions that favor chromatin assembly, transcription is inhibited and a phased nucleosome forms over the 5S RNA gene. The minichromosomes that are fully loaded with nucleosomes remain refractory to transcriptional activation by 5S RNA transcription factors. Our data suggest that this repression is caused by a nucleosome covering the 5S RNA gene and that histone H1 is not required for regular nucleosome spacing or for gene repression in this system.

scholarly journals Characterization of the repressed 5S DNA minichromosomes assembled in vitro with a high-speed supernatant of Xenopus laevis oocytes.

1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 4257-4269 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Shimamura ◽  
D Tremethick ◽  
A Worcel
Keyword(s):  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Histone H1 ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Oocytes ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Oocyte ◽  
5S Rna ◽  
Rna Transcription

We describe an in vitro system, based on the Xenopus laevis oocyte supernatant of Glikin et al. (G. Glikin, I. Ruberti, and A. Worcel, Cell 37:33-41, 1984), that packages DNA into minichromosomes with regularly spaced nucleosomes containing histones H3, H4, H2A, and H2B but no histone H1. The same supernatant also assembles the 5S RNA transcription complex; however, under the conditions that favor chromatin assembly, transcription is inhibited and a phased nucleosome forms over the 5S RNA gene. The minichromosomes that are fully loaded with nucleosomes remain refractory to transcriptional activation by 5S RNA transcription factors. Our data suggest that this repression is caused by a nucleosome covering the 5S RNA gene and that histone H1 is not required for regular nucleosome spacing or for gene repression in this system.

scholarly journals Functional Characterization of the Oxantel-Sensitive Acetylcholine Receptor from Trichuris muris

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 698
Author(s):  
Tina V. A. Hansen ◽  
Richard K. Grencis ◽  
Mohamed Issouf ◽  
Cédric Neveu ◽  
Claude L. Charvet
Keyword(s):  
Single Dose ◽  
Mouse Model ◽  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Acetylcholine Receptor ◽  
Drug Target ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Oocytes ◽  
Trichuris Muris ◽  
Electrode Voltage

The human whipworm, Trichuris trichiura, is estimated to infect 289.6 million people globally. Control of human trichuriasis is a particular challenge, as most anthelmintics have a limited single-dose efficacy, with the striking exception of the narrow-spectrum anthelmintic, oxantel. We recently identified a novel ACR-16-like subunit from the pig whipworm, T. suis which gave rise to a functional acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) preferentially activated by oxantel. However, there is no ion channel described in the mouse model parasite T. muris so far. Here, we have identified the ACR-16-like and ACR-19 subunits from T. muris, and performed the functional characterization of the receptors in Xenopus laevis oocytes using two-electrode voltage-clamp electrophysiology. We found that the ACR-16-like subunit from T. muris formed a homomeric receptor gated by acetylcholine whereas the ACR-19 failed to create a functional channel. The subsequent pharmacological analysis of the Tmu-ACR-16-like receptor revealed that acetylcholine and oxantel were equally potent. The Tmu-ACR-16-like was more responsive to the toxic agonist epibatidine, but insensitive to pyrantel, in contrast to the Tsu-ACR-16-like receptor. These findings confirm that the ACR-16-like nAChR from Trichuris spp. is a preferential drug target for oxantel, and highlights the pharmacological difference between Trichuris species.

A cDNA clone for a polyadenylated RNA-binding protein of Xenopus laevis oocytes hybridizes to four developmentally regulated mRNAs

1985 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. 2697-2704
Author(s):  
L J Lorenz ◽  
J D Richter
Keyword(s):  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Cdna Clone ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Single Gene ◽  
In Vitro Translation ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Oocytes ◽  
Cdna Insert ◽  
Alternative Processing

Xenopus laevis oocytes contain a unique group of proteins which decrease during oogenesis, bind poly(A) RNA, and possibly play a role in the regulation of translation. A monoclonal antibody generated against one of these proteins was used to screen an expression vector cDNA library. A cDNA clone was isolated and confirmed to code for the binding protein by in vitro translation of hybrid-selected RNA followed by immunoprecipitation. This cDNA, when used in RNA gel blots, hybridized to four transcripts of 2.0, 1.7 (two transcripts of similar size), and 1.2 kilobases. All of the transcripts decreased in amount during oogenesis and were not evident in somatic cells. In addition, the fraction of the transcripts associated with polysomes decreased during oogenesis. Digestion of the cDNA insert with PstI generated two fragments of 220 and 480 base pairs which, when used as probes in an RNA gel blot, hybridized to unique as well as common transcripts. Genomic Southern blots suggested the presence of a single gene, indicating that these transcripts arose by alternative processing.

Functional characterization of leucine transport induced in Xenopus laevis oocytes injected with mRNA isolated from midguts of lepidopteran larvae (Philosamia cynthia).

1995 ◽  
Vol 198 (4) ◽  
pp. 961-966
Author(s):  
V F Sacchi ◽  
C Perego ◽  
S Magagnin
Keyword(s):  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Oocytes ◽  
Fourfold Increase ◽  
Leucine Uptake ◽  
Lepidopteran Larvae ◽  
Nacl Concentration ◽  
Leucine Transport ◽  
The Difference

The injection of poly(A)+ mRNA prepared from Philosamia cynthia midgut caused time- and dose-dependent increases of leucine transport in Xenopus laevis oocytes, with an increase in leucine uptake 1.5-3 times that of oocytes injected with water. When the NaCl concentration was reduced from 100 to 5 mmol l-1, the difference between mRNA- and water-injected oocytes was greater and a fourfold increase of L-leucine uptake was measured. D-Leucine (10 mmol l-1) completely inhibited the induced uptake of 0.1 mmol l-1 L-leucine. The newly expressed component of L-leucine uptake increased at alkaline pH and was abolished by incubation for 15 min with 15 mmol l-1 phenylglyoxal. The mean Km values, calculated using Na+ activation curves of leucine uptake, were 23.3 +/- 6.1 mmol l-1 in water-injected oocytes and 0.4 +/- 0.2 mmol l-1 for the newly expressed component of leucine uptake in mRNA-injected oocytes. On the basis of these results, we conclude that the increase of L-leucine uptake in mRNA-injected oocytes was due to the expression of a new transport system, which differs from the endogenous ones and shares many features with that found previously in Philosamia cynthia midgut.

Uptake of biotin by native Xenopus laevis oocytes

1990 ◽  
Vol 259 (3) ◽  
pp. C397-C401 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. Said ◽  
L. Polenzani ◽  
S. Khorchid ◽  
D. Hollander ◽  
R. Miledi
Keyword(s):  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Xenopus Oocytes ◽  
Sulfhydryl Group ◽  
Maximum Velocity ◽  
Significant Inhibition ◽  
Metabolic Inhibitors ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Oocytes ◽  
Uptake System

The present study examined biotin uptake by Xenopus laevis oocytes in vitro. Uptake of low (0.03 microM) and high (10 microM) concentrations of biotin was linear with time for up to 4 h of incubation and occurred with little initial binding to oocytes. Uptake of biotin was dependent on extracellular Na+ concentration [Na+]o and was severely inhibited when Na+ was replaced by other monovalent cations [choline, tetraethylammonia, Li+, and tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane]. The initial rate of biotin uptake was saturable as a function of concentration with an apparent Michaelis constant of 3.9 +/- 0.5 microM and maximum velocity of 1,559 +/- 70 fmol.oocyte-1.h-1. Addition to the incubation medium of biotin structural analogues desthiobiotin and thioctic acid caused significant and concentration-dependent inhibition in the uptake of [3H]biotin. This inhibition was found to be competitive in nature with inhibition constant values of 9 and 17.5 microM. In contrast, neither the structural analogue biocytin nor biotin methyl ester (compounds in which the carboxyl group of the valeric acid moiety is blocked) showed any effect on the uptake of [3H]biotin. Biotin uptake was significantly blocked by the metabolic inhibitors dinitrophenol, cyanide, and azide and by incubation at 4 degrees C. Also, the sulfhydryl group blocker p-(chloromercuri)phenylsulfonate caused significant inhibition in biotin uptake. These results demonstrate that Xenopus oocytes possess an uptake system for biotin in its cell membrane that is Na+, energy, and temperature dependent. These characteristics of biotin uptake are similar to those reported in mammalian cells. It is suggested that Xenopus oocytes might be a useful in vitro model system to study the details of the mechanisms and regulation of biotin movement across biological membranes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Remifentanil Directly Activates Human N-methyl-d-aspartate Receptors Expressed in Xenopus laevis Oocytes

2004 ◽  
Vol 100 (6) ◽  
pp. 1531-1537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus Hahnenkamp ◽  
Joke Nollet ◽  
Hugo K. Van Aken ◽  
Hartmut Buerkle ◽  
Tobias Halene ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nmda Receptor ◽  
Postoperative Pain ◽  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Nmda Receptors ◽  
Messenger Rna ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Oocytes ◽  
Opiate Tolerance ◽  
Induced Currents ◽  
Pore Blocker

Background Clinical studies suggest that intraoperative administration of the clinical remifentanil formulation Ultiva (GlaxoWellcome GmbH & Co, Bad Oldesloe, Germany) increases postoperative pain and postoperative analgesic requirements, but mechanisms remain unclear. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are thought to play a major role in development of postoperative pain and opiate tolerance. The authors hypothesized that Ultiva directly stimulates human NMDA receptors. Methods To test this hypothesis, the authors expressed human NR1A/NR2A and NR1A/NR2B NMDA receptors in Xenopus laevis oocytes by injection of messenger RNA prepared in vitro. After protein expression, they used a two-electrode voltage clamp to measure currents induced by NMDA receptor agonists and opioids. Results Noninjected cells were unresponsive to all compounds tested. Glutamate/glycine (1 nM-1 mM each) or Ultiva (0.01 pM-0.1 mM) stimulated NMDA receptors concentration dependently. NR1A/2A EC50 values were 8.0 microM/12 microM for glutamate/glycine and 3.5 nM for Ultiva, and NR1A/2B EC50 values were 3.9 microM/1.9 microM for glutamate/glycine and 0.82 microM for Ultiva. Glycine in combination with Ultiva showed no additive effect compared with Ultiva alone. Ultiva-induced currents were inhibited by MK-801 (pore blocker) but not by 7-CK (glycine antagonist), D-AP5 (glutamate antagonist), or naloxone. Fentanyl (10 microM) did not stimulate NMDA receptors. Conclusion These data indicate that Ultiva but not fentanyl stimulates NMDA receptors of different subunit combinations (NR1A/2A, NR1A/2B). The mechanism seems to be allosteric activation of the NMDA receptor.

Transcriptional characteristics of in vitro assembled chromatin assayed by microinjection into Xenopus laevis oocytes

FEBS Letters ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 249 (2) ◽  
pp. 367-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herbert Steinbeißer ◽  
Ansgar Hofmann ◽  
Pierre Oudet ◽  
Michael F. Trendelenburg
Keyword(s):  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Oocytes
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