Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "1987"
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- Porcine D-amino acid oxidase: determination of the mRNA nucleotide sequence by the characterization of genomic and cDNA clonesPublication . Jacobs, P.; Brockly, F.; Massaer, M.; Loriau, R.; Guillaume, J. P.; Ciccarelli, E.; Heinderyckx, M.; Cravador, A.; Biemans, R.; Van Elsen, A.; Herzog, A.; Bollen, A.Oligodeoxynucleotide probes derived from the published amino acid (aa) sequence for D-amino acid oxidase (DAO) [Ronchi et al. J. Biol. Chem. 259 (1982) 8824-8834] were used to screen cDNA libraries made from porcine kidney cortex and liver. Whereas no clones were obtained from kidney mRNAs, 20 independent ones were isolated from the liver library. Surprisingly, all of them carried only partial cDNAs for DAO starting around aa 100 in the coding sequence and extending for up to 250 bp in the 3'-noncoding sequence. One of these clones, pULB9103, was used to screen a porcine genomic library and allowed the isolation of DAO gene clone phULB001. Four exons encoding aa 1-151 were identified and sequenced, as well as the relevant exon-intron junctions. The mRNA sequence coding for DAO has been reconstituted from the genomic and cDNA sequences; its analysis by computer did not reveal and significant secondary structure, or particular feature, which could explain the failure to obtain full-length cDNAs.
- Mutant and chimeric recobinant plasminogen activatorsproduction in eukaryotic cellsand preliminary characterizationPublication . Pierard, L.; Jacobs, P.; Gheysen, D.; Hoylaerts, M.; Andre, B.; Topisirovic, L.; Cravador, A.; Deforesta, F.; Herzog, A.; Collen, D.; Dewilde, M.; Bollen, A.Mutant urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) genes and hybrid genes between tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and u-PA have been designed to direct the synthesis of new plasminogen activators and to investigate the structure-function relationship in these molecules. The following classes of constructs were made starting from cDNA encoding human t-PA or u-PA: 1) u-PA mutants in which the Arg156 and Lys158 were substituted with threonine, thus preventing cleavage by thrombin and plasmin; 2) hybrid molecules in which the NH2-terminal regions of t-PA (amino acid residues 1-67, 1-262, or 1-313) were fused with the COOH-terminal region of u-PA (amino acids 136-411, 139-411, or 195-411, respectively); and 3) a hybrid molecule in which the second kringle of t-PA (amino acids 173-262) was inserted between amino acids 130 and 139 of u-PA. In all cases but one, the recombinant proteins, produced by transfected eukaryotic cells, were efficiently secreted in the culture medium. The translation products have been tested for their ability to activate plasminogen after in situ binding to an insolubilized monoclonal antibody directed against urokinase. All recombinant enzymes were shown to be active, except those in which Lys158 of u-PA was substituted with threonine. Recombination of structural regions derived from t-PA, such as the finger, the kringle 2, or most of the A-chain sequences, with the protease part or the complete u-PA molecule did not impair the catalytic activity of the hybrid polypeptides. This observation supports the hypothesis that structural domains in t-PA and u-PA fold independently from one to another.
- Mutant and chimeric recombinant plasminogen activatorsPublication . Pierard, L.; Jacobs, P.; Gheysen, D.; Hoylaerts, M.; Cravador, A.; Herzog, A.; Collen, D.; Bollen, A.Mutant urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) genes and hybrid genes between tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and u-Pa have been designed to direct the synthesis of new plasminogen activators.
- High-level production of fully active human alpha 1-antitrypsin in Escherichia coli.Publication . Johansen, H.; Sutiphong, J.; Sathe, G.; Jacobs, P.; Cravador, A.; Bollen, A.; Rosenberg, M; Shatzman, A.The human alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT) gene expressed in Escherichia coli as a full-length, non-fusion gene product accumulates to a relatively low level approaching less than or equal to 0.1% of total cellular protein. In contrast, deletion of the first 5, 10 or 15 codons leads to production of truncated A1AT derivatives at levels between 10 and 30% of total cellular protein. The protein with the largest truncation was insoluble and inactive following solubilization by chaotropic agents. In contrast, the two derivatives with the smaller truncations were found to be soluble, and exhibit identical specific activities in both trypsin and elastase inhibition assays to authentic human A1AT. The expression of the full-length A1AT was also optimized by making silent third position mutations within its first 15 codons. These mutations were chosen to optimize codon usage and minimize the possibility of RNA secondary structure formation in this region. Via this approach, expression of full-length, authentic, fully active A1AT was increased at least 20-fold to 2% of total cellular protein. Optimal expression was obtained using as few as three silent mutations in the first five codons, confirming the importance of this 5'-terminal region as had been defined by our deletion mutants. Both the full-length derivatives as well as the small N-terminal deletion derivative can be readily purified from bacterial extracts in fully active form suitable for the examination of their potential therapeutic application.
- The induction of DNA strand breaks at specific sites by N-nitroso-N-ethylurea depends on the phases of the cell cyclePublication . Leitão, José; Petkova, S.; Djondjurov, L.Synchronized root meristems of Pisum sativum were treated at each phase of the cell cycle with 6.25 mM N-nitroso-N-ethylurea. DNA extracted from treated cells and run in agarose gel electrophoresis exhibits a series of discrete fragments with length below 2500 bp and a significant number of unspecific single-stranded breaks (or alkali-labile sites). Experiments with micrococcal nuclease indicated that the nucleosomal organization of the chromatin is not responsible for the generation of the discrete fragments: it seems that their appearance is associated with a preferable attack of the mutagen at specific sites, characteristic for the plant genome. Moreover, a cell cycle dependent release of the discrete fragments was found with maximum at G1-S and minimum at mitosis. The model experiments designed to clarify this observation suggest that it might be determined from the cell cycle dependent fluctuation in the accessibility of the chromatin DNA and/or the process of excision-repair.
- The heretical pedagogy of Luis BuñuelPublication . Reia-Baptista, VítorThe scope of this study is not to present the rich biographical aspects that could support the former statements, since this task has already been done by many authors including Buñuel himself, but rather to analyze the pedagogical value of his work, which, I believe, is the most important characteristic of the Buñuelian cinema, giving him a unique place in the history of cinematographic creation
- A situação actual do Sida ao nível mundialPublication . Cravador, A.O objectivo deste artigo é informar sobre a situação actual do SIDA nos seus aspectos e implicações mais variados, da sua evolução, desde que foi descoberto e dos problemas sociais, políticos, legislativos e morais que o seu reconhecimento e a estratégia para o eliminar têm levantado em diferentes países.
- A síntese química do DNAPublication . Cravador, A.Apresentamos neste artigo um resumo geral da química que está na base da síntese de DNA tal como ela é praticada actualmente, e algumas das suas aplicações.