An optimized multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of BCR-ABL fusion mRNAs in haematological disorders

A rapid and simple polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method is described that is capable of identifying any of the BCR-ABL transcripts that have yet been described in chronic myeloid or acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Randomly primed cDNA is synthesized from leucocyte RNA and amplified in a single reaction containing four oligonucleotide primers (multiplex PCR). Different size products are generated from ela2 (p190) and b3a2 or b2a2 (p210) BCR-ABL transcripts which are readily and unambiguously distinguishable after agarose gel electrophoresis without the need for either nested PCR or hybridization. Chronic myeloid leukaemia cells are readily detectable even when diluted 1 in 1000 with normal blood. Samples which do not have BCR-ABL rearrangements produce a single band derived from the normal BCR gene, and the presence of this band controls for adequate RNA and cDNA preparation. Using this assay we have detected BCR-ABL transcripts in a variety of haematological disorders.

Association of the hepatic IP3 receptor with the plasma membrane: relevance to mode of action

Studies were carried out to characterize the interaction between inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptors and the plasma membrane fraction. Extraction of the membranes with the nonionic detergents Nonidet P-40 and Triton X-100, followed by centrifugation at 100,000 g, resulted in the doubling of the IP3 receptor in the pellets, whereas no detectable binding was found in the supernatants. These data indicate that the detergents did not solubilize the receptor, that it remained associated with membrane particles, and that it is likely to be associated with the cytoskeleton. The cytoskeleton proteins actin, ankyrin, and spectrin were identified in the plasma membrane fraction. However, comparison of the amount of these proteins in different fractions of the detergent, or otherwise treated plasma membrane fractions, showed no direct correlation between the presence of any of these proteins in the plasma membrane fraction and their ability to bind [3H]IP3. This is in contrast to the brain and T-lymphoma cells in which the IP3 receptor is attached to ankyrin (L. Y. W. Bourguigon, H. Jin, N. Iida, N. R. Brandt, and S. H. Zhang. J. Biol. Chem. 268: 6477-6486, 1993; and S. K. Joseph and S. Samanta. J. Biol. Chem 268: 6477-6486, 1993). Thus the hepatic IP3 receptor, which is different from the brain receptor, might attach to the cytoskeleton by anchoring to a different protein. Because cytochalasin D treatment of livers diminishes the ability of IP3 to raise cytosolic free Ca2+ levels, the attachment of the IP3 receptor to the cytoskeleton seems to involve an association with microfilaments.

Cloning two isoforms of rat cyclooxygenase: differential regulation of their expression

Two isoforms of cyclooxygenase (COX) have been identified in eukaryotic cells: COX-1 encoded by a 2.8-kb mRNA, and a mitogen-inducible COX-2 encoded by a 4-kb mRNA. We have cloned the COX-1 and COX-2 cDNAs from the cDNA library constructed from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated rat peritoneal macrophages. The deduced amino acid sequence showed that COX-1 contained 602 amino acids, whereas COX-2 contained 604 amino acids. There is 95% conservation of the nucleotide sequence in the open reading frame of COX-1 between the rat and the mouse, while the homology of the 3' untranslated region is 68% except for a 150 bp segment adjacent to the stop codon which is nonhomologous with the mouse. Transfection of both COX cDNAs into Cos-7 cells resulted in increased COX activity. In rat vascular smooth muscle cells, interleukin-1 beta selectively increased the expression of COX-2, but not that of COX-1, as assessed by enzyme activity, immunoprecipitation of COX proteins, and mRNA analysis. Only the brain among tissues tested exhibits basal expression of COX-2 as the major form of the enzyme. However, COX-2 mRNA was expressed in vivo in the lung and kidney, but not in the heart, after systemic administration of LPS, suggesting that COX-2 but not COX-1 plays a major role in producing COX-derived products of arachidonic acid during endotoxic shock. Thus, the two COX isoforms were differentially expressed, and COX-2 was selectively induced in response to inflammatory stimuli in rats.

Competitive polymerase chain reaction to estimate the number of BCR-ABL transcripts in chronic myeloid leukemia patients after bone marrow transplantation

We have developed a competitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) titration assay that estimates the number of BCR-ABL transcripts in chronic myeloid leukemia patients to monitor minimal residual disease after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). The assay gave reproducible results and allowed differences in BCR-ABL message levels of half an order of magnitude to be distinguished. Of 91 patients studied by nonquantitative PCR, 28 who had a positive PCR result on at least one occasion posttransplant were analyzed by competitive PCR. Seventeen patients had no evidence in their marrow of cytogenetic relapse during the period of observation; BCR-ABL transcript numbers in these cases ranged from approximately 10 to 800/micrograms RNA. Ten of the 11 patients who relapsed cytogenetically were studied when Philadelphia-positive metaphases were first detected in their marrow; transcript numbers ranged from 1,600 to 7 x 10(5)/micrograms RNA. Patients in hematologic relapse had between 9 x 10(4) and 10(6) BCR-ABL transcripts/micrograms RNA. Patients who progressed from cytogenetic remission to cytogenetic relapse and then to hematologic relapse had increasing numbers of BCR-ABL transcripts in their blood. Three patients had clear evidence of rising numbers of BCR-ABL transcripts before routine detection of cytogenetic relapse. Conversely patients without cytogenetic relapse generally had low or falling numbers of transcripts. We conclude that serial monitoring of residual disease post-BMT by estimating the number of BCR-ABL transcripts provides more information than conventional cytogenetics or nonquantitative PCR and may identify patients in need of therapeutic intervention before the onset of overt relapse.

Cloning a novel form of rat PDGF A-chain with a unique 5'-UT: regulation during development and in glomerulonephritis

An unique form of rat platelet-derived growth factor A-chain (PDGF A-chain), with a novel 5' UT region, was cloned from a rat macrophage cDNA library and expressed. In the 5' UT, the homology of the 79 bp sequence adjacent to the ATG codon between rat and human was 92%; however, the homology of the remainder in the 5' UT was less than 30%. RNase mapping indicated this form was differentially expressed during development and immune glomerular injury, and that it probably arose from alternative splicing. We propose that the variant mRNAs reflect different levels of the control of PDGF A-chain expression.

[Quality of rhizoma Anemarrhenae grown for different periods of time and gathered in different seasons]

The experimental results have shown that except the stem and leaves all kinds of Rhizoma Anemarrhenae and all parts of the herb contain sarsasapogenin, but the contents are different. Furthermore, the root and peel of Rhizoma Anemarrhenae may be used as drug instead of Rhizoma Anemarrhenae.

Mammalian eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha kinases functionally substitute for GCN2 protein kinase in the GCN4 translational control mechanism of yeast

Phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF-2 alpha) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by the GCN2 protein kinase stimulates the translation of GCN4 mRNA. The protein kinases heme-regulated inhibitor of translation (HRI) and double-stranded RNA-dependent eIF-2 alpha protein kinase (dsRNA-PK) inhibit initiation of translation in mammalian cells by phosphorylating Ser-51 of eIF-2 alpha. We show that HRI and dsRNA-PK phosphorylate yeast eIF-2 alpha in vitro and in vivo and functionally substitute for GCN2 protein to stimulate GCN4 translation in yeast. In addition, high-level expression of either mammalian kinase in yeast decreases the growth rate, a finding analogous to the inhibition of total protein synthesis by these kinases in mammalian cells. Phosphorylation of eIF-2 alpha inhibits initiation in mammalian cells by sequestering eIF-2B, the factor required for exchange of GTP for GDP on eIF-2. Mutations in the GCN3 gene, encoding a subunit of the yeast eIF-2B complex, eliminate the effects of HRI and dsRNA-PK on global and GCN4-specific translation in yeast. These results provide further in vivo evidence that phosphorylation of eIF-2 alpha inhibits translation by impairing eIF-2B function and identify GCN3 as a regulatory subunit of eIF-2B. These results also suggest that GCN4 translational control will be a good model system to study how mammalian eIF-2 alpha kinases are modulated by environmental signals and viral regulatory factors.

Dysfunction of glomerular fibrinolysis in experimental antiglomerular basement membrane antibody glomerulonephritis

Glomerular plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) steady-state mRNA and bioactivity were increased after the induction of an augmented form of antiglomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibody glomerulonephritis. PAI-1 mRNA expression was noted at 6 h, peaking at 1 day, and although falling thereafter, remained higher than that of the control group through Day 17. PAI-1 mRNA expression correlated with glomerular PAI-1 bioactivity as determined by a functional tissue type plasminogen activator (t-PA) binding assay. Glomerular PAI-1 bioactivity, not detected in controls, increased to 1.4 +/- 0.3 ng/mg of glomerular lysate at 6 h and then decreased to 0.7 +/- 0.1 ng/mg of glomerular lysate by Day 6. The mRNA of the plasminogen activators (urokinase plasminogen activator), t-PA) either remained unchanged or declined through Day 1, with a slight increase in t-PA mRNA at Day 6. Interleukin-1 beta mRNA expression was maximal at 6 h, declining by Day 3. Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) mRNA began to increase at Day 1, was maximal at Day 6, and fell only slightly by Day 17. Epidermal growth factor mRNA decreased. The increase in PAI-1 mRNA and bioactivity, possibly induced early by the interleukin-1 beta response and perhaps later by the TGF-beta 1 response, was associated with striking glomerular capillary lumen fibrin accumulations on Day 1, which decreased and appeared to recanalize as the PAI-1 mRNA and bioactivity fell. The glomerular lesion continued to have some fibrin deposits even on Day 17 and, in addition, had changes of thickened GBM, suggestive of the early stages of diffuse glomerulosclerosis. The latter had a temporal relationship with the persisting increase in TGF-beta 1 and PAI-1 mRNA levels. These observations suggest the possibility that inhibition of enzymes capable of remodeling excessive extracellular matrix production may have contributed to the thickened GBM.

Minimal residual disease after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for chronic myeloid leukaemia in first chronic phase: correlations with acute graft-versus-host disease and relapse

We have studied 61 patients who underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) in first chronic phase. Minimal residual disease was detected by the amplification of the leukaemia-specific BCR-ABL fusion mRNA with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using a highly sensitive nested primer strategy. As a general pattern, patients often had detectable BCR-ABL (PCR positive) for up to 6 or 9 months post BMT after which time BCR-ABL became undetectable (PCR negative). The conversion from PCR positive to PCR negative was not associated with the time at which cyclosporin A treatment was stopped. Six patients (10%) have relapsed during the period of this study, two within 1 year and four more than 1 year after transplant. The relationship between PCR positivity more than 1 year post transplant and relapse was significant (P = 0.036) but 15 patients who were PCR positive beyond 1 year remain in complete clinical and cytogenetic remission. Thus late positivity identifies a group of patients at increased risk of relapse but is of little predictive value for individual patients. Of the four late relapses, two had been persistently PCR positive and two were initially PCR positive, converted to negative and subsequently to positive again. Although all relapses were preceded by PCR positivity, relapse may occur only 12 months after a PCR negative result. The proportion of patients PCR negative at 3/4 months after BMT was found to increase significantly with the severity of acute GVHD (P = 0.002) but no relationship was found between acute GVHD and subsequent PCR results. There was no clear association between severity of chronic GVHD and PCR result.

LPS-induced MCP-1, IL-1 beta, and TNF-alpha mRNA expression in isolated erythrocyte-perfused rat kidney

The capacity of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated isolated erythrocyte-perfused rat kidney (IEPK) to produce monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) mRNA was investigated. The IEPK was chosen to exclude the influence of circulating neutrophils and monocytes that can produce both these mediators when exposed to LPS. The control minimal LPS group (LPS < 10 pg/ml) showed a small increase in mRNA expression for MCP-1, IL-1 beta, and TNF-alpha in the cortex and medulla after 80 min of perfusion when compared with the unperfused left kidney in which no IL-1 beta or TNF-alpha mRNA and only minimal amounts of MCP-1 mRNA were detected. LPS stimulation (1 microgram/ml for 40 or 80 min) increased MCP-1, IL-1 beta, and TNF-alpha mRNA expression, which was found predominately in peritubular capillary endothelial cells by in situ hybridization. The changes were not due to a marked perturbation of LPS on renal hemodynamics. The renal vascular resistance (RVR) remained constant (40 min LPS exposure) or increased only slightly during the last 5-10 min (80 min LPS exposure) compared with a progressive increase in RVR of the minimal LPS group. The hemodynamic effects of LPS on the IEPK appear to counteract the gradual increase in RVR seen in the minimal LPS group.

Molecular cloning of rat cytokine synthesis inhibitory factor (IL-10) cDNA and expression in spleen and macrophages

Rat cytokine synthesis inhibitory factor (IL-10) was cloned. Like mouse and human IL-10 (mIL-10, hIL-10), rat IL-10 exhibits strong DNA and amino acid sequence homology to the open reading frame in the Epstein-Barr virus, BCRFI. The supernatant of COS-7 transfectants with rat IL-10 was found to inhibit the production of IFN-gamma by murine Th1 cells. A probe from the rat IL-10 was used in an RNase protection assay to demonstrate that IL-10 was expressed in LPS-stimulated rat spleen and FACS-purified OX-42-reactive peritoneal macrophages. The production of IL-10 by macrophages, as shown in the current study, suggests that IL-10 may have an autocrine function in inflammation.

[Quality standards for qingwei huanglian pills]

In the paper systematic studies on quality standards for Qingwei Huanglian Pills are reported, along with the TLC identification of Gardenia jasminoides, Scutellaria baicalensis and Anemarrhena asphodeloides and the quantitative determination of berberine in Coptis chinensis and Phellodendron chinese by TLC densitometric method. To simplify the operation, the same solvent was used for both the identification and determination. The quantitative method is simple, sensitive, reproducible and accurate. The recovery of berberine is 99.48%. The coefficient of variation is 1.42%.

Surface atomic and domain structures of biomedical carbons observed by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)

STM has been used to study the surface domain and atomic structures of three biomedical carbons: glassy carbon (GC), low-temperature isotropic carbon (LTI), and ultra-low-temperature isotropic carbon (ULTI). The images show atomic lattices on both GC and LTI, but not on ULTI. The lattices contain many defects; lattices in GC are more ordered than those in LTI. The images also show patchlike carbon crystallites with sizes of 3-15 nm for GC, 2-8 nm for LTI, and 1-3 nm for ULTI. The crystallites from surface domains that may differ in surface properties due to different orientations of the crystallites. Mechanical polishing makes the LTI surface more amorphous and more homogeneous. Based on the STM observations, we evaluate several hypotheses on the blood compatibility of biomedical carbons.

Changing patterns of gene expression define four stages of cerebellar granule neuron differentiation

Among CNS neuronal populations, the cerebellar granule cell provides a simple model for analysing the molecular regulation of CNS neurogenesis. In this study, polyclonal antisera raised against immature granule cell precursors, purified from early postnatal mouse cerebellum, were used to isolate 39 unique cDNA clones from a lambda gt11 cDNA expression library made from the same cell population. Northern blot analysis revealed developmental stage and tissue-specific expression of 28 of the clones. In situ localization of mRNAs encoded by these novel cDNAs, as well as those encoding the axonal glycoprotein TAG-1 and the alpha 6 subunit of the GABAA receptor, reveal four distinct stages in cerebellar granule cell differentiation. The developmentally transient and spatially restricted expression of clones GC9 and GC44 identify a previously unrecognized step in cerebellar histogenesis.

Minimal residual disease after bone marrow transplant for chronic myeloid leukaemia detected by the polymerase chain reaction

We describe the methodology and application of the polymerase chain reaction to detect BCR-ABL mRNA as a marker for CML cells. The technique is highly sensitive enabling the routine detection of 1 leukaemic cell in 10(5) or 10(6) normal cells and is therefore the most sensitive method available for detecting minimal residual disease. Analysis of marrow or blood from 80 patients after bone marrow transplantation for CML shows that residual leukemia is often detectable for several months but that most subsequently become PCR negative. Patients who relapsed were all PCR positive before the detection of Philadelphia positive metaphases in bone marrow aspirates.

Demonstration of ryanodine-induced metabolic effects in rat liver

The effects of ryanodine, a plant alkaloid which alters Ca2+ sequestration in the liver, on O2 uptake and gluconeogenesis were measured. Ryanodine administration to perfused rat liver resulted in the stimulation of O2 uptake and of gluconeogenesis. Because ryanodine does not affect directly mitochondrial respiration, its stimulatory effect on O2 uptake in the whole cell is likely to be secondary to the increased cytosolic free Ca2+ levels.

Detection of a general ellipse by an optical Hough transform

A method to detect five parameters of an ellipse with an optical Hough transform is described. The method employs the Hough transform for detection of a straight line and for the one-dimensional analysis of the resultant parameter domain. This technique is also applied for detection of four parameters of a straight line segment (the two coordinates of the center, the length, and the orientation) by representing it as a particular case of an ellipse with one axis of zero length.

Human p68 kinase exhibits growth suppression in yeast and homology to the translational regulator GCN2

The human p68 kinase is an interferon-regulated enzyme that inhibits protein synthesis when activated by double-stranded RNA. We show here that when expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the p68 kinase produced a growth suppressing phenotype resulting from an inhibition of polypeptide chain initiation consistent with functional protein kinase activity. This slow growth phenotype was reverted in yeast by two different mechanisms: expression of the p68 kinase N-terminus, shown to bind double-stranded RNA in vitro and expression of a mutant form of the alpha-subunit of yeast initiation factor 2, altered at a single phosphorylatable site. These results provide the first direct in vivo evidence that the p68 kinase interacts with the alpha-subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2. Sequence similarity with a yeast translational regulator, GCN2, further suggests that this enzyme may be a functional homolog in higher eukaryotes, where its normal function is to regulate protein synthesis through initiation factor 2 phosphorylation.

A strategy for isolating differentiation-inducing complementary DNAs from human esophageal cancer cell line treated with retinoic acid

Treatment of the human esophageal cancer cell line EC8712 with retinoic acid (RA) stopped the cell growth significantly and gave rise to terminal differentiation of the cells characterized by increased expression of involucrin gene. Two cDNA libraries were constructed from the parental and RA-treated cells respectively. Repeated subtractive hybridization of single-stranded plasmid DNA prepared from pooled colonies of cDNA library of the parental cells with cDNA probe generated from the RA-treated cells exhausted sequences common to both libraries of the cell. The unhybridized cDNA probe represented, therefore, the genes activated after RA-treatment. By using these enriched cDNAs as probe to screen the cDNA library constructed from the RA-treated cells thirty-nine positive colonies were obtained, of which two were specifically due to RA-induction. One of these two cDNA clones, designated as pRA538, has undergone further analysis and shown differentiation-inducing effect on parental cancer cells. A novel strategy for cloning genes involved in terminal differentiation of cancer cells is developed.

Phosphorylation of initiation factor 2 alpha by protein kinase GCN2 mediates gene-specific translational control of GCN4 in yeast

We show that phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 (eIF-2) by the protein kinase GCN2 mediates translational control of the yeast transcriptional activator GCN4. In vitro, GCN2 specifically phosphorylates the alpha subunit of rabbit or yeast eIF-2. In vivo, phosphorylation of eIF-2 alpha increases in response to amino acid starvation, which is dependent on GCN2. Substitution of Ser-51 with alanine eliminates phosphorylation of eIF-2 alpha by GCN2 in vivo and in vitro and abolishes increased expression of GCN4 and amino acid biosynthetic genes under its control in amino acid-starved cells. The Asp-51 substitution mimics the phosphorylated state and derepresses GCN4 in the absence of GCN2. Thus, an established mechanism for regulating total protein synthesis in mammalian cells mediates gene-specific translational control in yeast.

Different localization of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and ryanodine binding sites in rat liver

The distribution of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and ryanodine binding sites between plasma membrane, microsomal, and mitochondrial fractions of rat liver were compared. IP3 bound mostly to the plasma membrane fraction (Kd = 6 nM; Bmax = 802 fmol/mg protein). Some IP3 binding sites were also present in the microsomal and mitochondrial fractions (Kd = 2.5 and 2.9 nM; Bmax = 35 and 23 fmol/mg protein respectively). The possibility that these binding sites are due to contamination of the fractions with plasma membrane cannot be excluded. Binding of IP3 to the plasma membrane was inhibited by heparin but not by either caffeine or tetracaine. High-affinity ryanodine binding sites were present mostly in the microsomal fraction (Kd = 13 nM; Bmax = 301 fmol/mg protein). Lower affinity binding sites were also found to be present in the mitochondrial and plasma membrane fractions. Binding of ryanodine to the microsomal fraction was inhibited by both caffeine and tetracaine but not by heparin. These data demonstrate that IP3 and ryanodine binding sites are present in different cellular compartments in the liver. These differences in the localization of the binding sites might be indicative of their functional differences.