Comparison of the effects of various anticholinergic drugs on human isolated urinary bladder

We investigated the effects of various anticholinergic drugs (atropine, oxybutynin, terodiline and propiverine) on the contractions induced by acetylcholine, KCl, CaCl2, and electrical field stimulation, in human isolated urinary bladder smooth muscles using the muscle bath technique. Urinary bladders were obtained from 20 patients who underwent total cystectomy due to malignant bladder tumor. The detrusor preparations were taken from the intact part of the dome of the bladder. Acetylcholine caused a concentration-dependent contraction in human detrusor preparations. Atropine (10(-9)-10(-6) M), oxybutynin (10(-8)-10(-5) M), terodiline (10(-7)-10(-5) M) and propiverine (10(-7)-10(-5) M) caused parallel shifts to the right of the concentration-response curves to acetylcholine. The rank order of pA2 values was: atropine > oxybutynin > terodiline = propiverine. Atropine did not suppress the maximum contraction to acetylcholine, while the other drugs significantly suppressed the maximum contractions at the higher concentrations. Each drug caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of the KCl (80 mM)- and CaCl2 (5 mM)-induced contractions; the maximum inhibitions of terodiline and propiverine were significantly greater than those of oxybutynin and atropine. Each drug caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of the contraction induced by electrical field stimulation; the maximum inhibitions of terodiline and propiverine were significantly greater than those of oxybutynin and atropine. The results suggest that the drugs have both anticholinergic and calcium antagonistic effects. Furthermore, it also appears that part of the human bladder contraction, which was significantly inhibited by terodiline and propiverine, is an atropine-resistant component.

Characterization of the apolipoprotein(a) gene

Five homologous genes have been isolated and characterized and found to belong to the plasminogen-apolipoprotein(a) gene family. One of these genes is the true apolipoprotein(a) gene because it has typical regulatory elements and exons coding for kringle 4 repeats. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that each of 11 types of the kringle 4 repeats is encoded by two exons and that the splice junctions of the exons coding for the (pseudo)serine protease domain of apo(a) were also located in exactly the same positions as those of plasminogen.

Detection of polymorphisms in the 5'-flanking region of the gene for apolipoprotein(a)

Concentration of lipoprotein(a) in plasma is inherited in an autosomal co-dominant manner and its high concentration leads to atherothrombotic disease. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the apolipoprotein(a) gene revealed the presence of polymorphisms in its 5'-flanking region, which can be analyzed by in vitro amplification employing gene-specific primers. Genomic DNAs from normal individuals have been subclassified into four alleles according to the patterns of restriction digestion. The ratios of these subtypes differed between Caucasians and Japanese and in patients with myocardial infarction. It is very likely that the 5'-alleles in part control the plasma lipoprotein(a) level.

Molecular and cellular basis of deficiency of the b subunit for factor XIII secondary to a Cys430-Phe mutation in the seventh Sushi domain

We studied the defect responsible for deficiency of the b subunit for factor XIII in the first known case of this condition. The patient is a compound heterozygote of two genetic defects: deletion of A-4161 at the acceptor splice junction of intron A, resulting in a loss of the obligatory AG splicing sequence; and, replacement of G-11499 by T in exon VIII, resulting in an amino acid substitution of Cys430 by Phe. To determine how the latter mutation impaired b subunit synthesis, recombinant b subunit bearing the mutation was expressed in BHK cells. The mutant as well as wild-type b subunit was synthesized by the cells. However, the apparent molecular weight of the mutant was slightly higher than those of the wild-type and plasma b subunits under nonreducing conditions, probably because of destruction of a disulfide bond. The mutant b subunit was secreted from the cells much less effectively than the wild type and remained susceptible to endoglycosidase H, indicating that it was not transported from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus where the processing of oligosaccharides occurs. Immunofluorescence study suggested that the mutant protein was retained in the endoplasmic reticulum. These studies demonstrate that a Cys430-Phe mutation does not prevent the de novo synthesis of the b subunit, but alters the conformation of the mutant protein sufficiently to impair its intracellular transport, resulting in its deficiency in this patient.

Expression of fimbriae and host response in Branhamella catarrhalis respiratory infections

Sputum during the acute exacerbation of chronic respiratory diseases were observed under the electron microscope, to determine the in vivo expression of surface structures of Branhamella catarrhalis (B. catarrhalis), the polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) response to B. catarrhalis infections, and the composition of sputum. It was found that during infection fimbriae are expressed in B. catarrhalis. However, there were sparsely to densely fimbriated bacteria in each sputum sample. The length of the fimbriae were from 50 to 76 nm. In the sparsely fimbriated B. catarrhalis, external to the cell wall, a thin, granular, electron-dense layer was observed. Due to the presence of fimbriae, this layer was not seen in densely fimbriated B. catarrhalis. Blebs were also found in B. catarrhalis. PMNs were found to phagocytose both B. catarrhalis and debris. Evidence was found that debris were formed mainly by the destruction of PMNs. Bacteria as well as debris were phagocytosed by PMNs.

Neutrophil response to nontypable Haemophilus influenzae in respiratory infections

Sputa from patients with respiratory infections by nontypable Haemophilus influenzae (H. influenzae) were investigated by electron microscopy. The cell wall of H. influenzae appeared wavy and nonwavy. In the cell wall the peptidoglycan layer was ill-defined. These patients had adequate IgG response in the serum against H. influenzae. However neither capsule nor fimbriae were found. Different stages of phagocytosis and destruction of the bacteria by polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) were observed. PMNs were also found to phagocytose the debris. Evidences were found that the debris is formed mainly by the destruction of polymorphonuclear neutrophil. Extracellular lysosomes were also observed, which may have a role in destruction of both bacteria and host tissue. It was concluded that nontypable H. influenzae are nonfimbriated and noncapsulated during infection. Debris are the end product of PMN destruction, and phagocytosis of debris by PMNs has a role in the pathogenesis of chronic respiratory diseases.

Neutrophil response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in respiratory infection

Sputum from patients with acute exacerbation of respiratory infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa was observed under the electron microscope. External to the cell wall of P. aeruginosa a granular, electron-dense material was observed which is suggestive of capsule. It is supposed that stabilization of capsule occurred by the host antibody, which was produced due to chronic infection by P. aeruginosa. Mucoid type of microcolonies were observed with a fibrous matrix of exopolysaccharide. Other types of microcolonies were surrounded by granular substances or fine fibers. Neutrophil was found to be partially surrounding the microcolony in an attempt to defense. Debris was formed mainly by the destruction of the neutrophil. Most neutrophils were found full of phagocytosed debris; in contrast only a few neutrophils were found to have phagocytosed P. aeruginosa. This study concludes that instead of phagocytosing bacteria, neutrophil phagocytosed debris and bacteria were not completely eradicated. Therefore, this might be one of the factors in the pathogenesis of respiratory infection and persistent colonization by P. aeruginosa.

Two genetic defects in a patient with complete deficiency of the b-subunit for coagulation factor XIII

A genomic DNA obtained from a female patient with complete b-subunit deficiency was examined by Southern blotting analysis and in vitro amplification. Nucleotide sequence analysis showed that adenosine-4161 at the acceptor splice junction of intron A/exon II was deleted in half of the amplified DNAs, resulting in a loss of the obligatory AG splicing sequence. The absence of adenosine-4161 was confirmed by cleavage with TaqI endonuclease of the amplified DNAs. Moreover, sequence analysis showed that guanosine-11499 coding for Cys 430 (TGC) in exon VIII was replaced by thymidine in half of the amplified DNAs, resulting in an amino acid change to Phe (TTC) and the destruction of a disulfide bond in the seventh Sushi domain. This mutation was also confirmed by cleavage with MboII endonuclease. Thus, the proband turned out to be a compound heterozygote of two separate defective alleles. Although half of the amplified DNAs for exon VIII of her daughter or son were cleaved by MboII, those for intron A were not cleaved by TaqI. The replacement of guanosine-11499 by thymidine in their exon VIII has also been confirmed by sequence analysis, indicating that they are heterozygous for one normal and one defective allele.

Limulus hemocyte transglutaminase. cDNA cloning, amino acid sequence, and tissue localization

We have evidence that the limulus (Tachypleus tri-dentatus) hemocyte transglutaminase (TGase) has a molecular mass of 86 kDa and properties of the mammalian type II TGase-like enzyme (Tokunaga, F., Yamada, M., Miyata, T., Ding, Y.-L., Hiranaga-Kawabata, M., Muta, T., Iwanaga, S., Ichinose, A., and Davie, E.W. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 252-261). We present here the cDNA and amino acid sequences, and localization of the TGase in various tissues of limulus. The cloned cDNA for TGase consists of 2,884 base pairs. An open reading frame of 2,292 base pairs encodes a sequence comprising 764 residues of the mature protein with molecular masses of 87,021 and 87,110 Da, due to two different clones. The discrepancies of nucleotides in these two clones result in 3 amino acid exchanges at positions Gly452(GGT)-Arg(CGT), Ser477(AGT)-Cys(TGT), and Ile486(ATC)-Ser(AGC), respectively. Northern blot analysis on a total RNA extracted from various tissues of limulus revealed that TGase is expressed with 3.0 kilobases of a single type of mRNA, mainly in hemocytes, hepatopancreas, and gastric tissues. Limulus TGase shows significant sequence similarity with the mammalian TGase family, as follows: guinea pig liver TGase (32.7%), human factor XIIIa subunit (34.7%), human keratinocyte TGase (37.6%), and human erythrocyte band 4.2 (23.0%). Limulus TGase has a unique NH2-terminal cationic extension of 60 residues with no homology to the NH2 termini of mammalian TGases. Based on the alignment of the amino acid sequence of limulus TGase with those of the known TGase family, a phylogenetic tree representing an evolutionary relationship among the family members was inferred by the neighbor joining method.

Limulus hemocyte transglutaminase. Its purification and characterization, and identification of the intracellular substrates

To investigate further the molecular events of the intracellular coagulation cascade in limulus hemocytes, a transglutaminase (TGase), which may be involved in the formation of a stabilized gel, was purified and characterized. Through the purification procedures consisting of six steps, 1.6 mg of TGase with a specific activity of 940 amine incorporation unit/mg was obtained from 32.4 g of Tachypleus tridentatus hemocytes. The purified TGase gave a single band on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with a molecular mass of 86 kDa, and demonstrated mammalian-type II TGase-like enzymatic properties. The TGase activity was Ca(2+)-dependent and was inhibited by primary amines, EDTA, and SH-reagents. Moreover, two major potential substrates for TGase were identified in the hemocyte lysate by using dansylcadaverine (DCA) incorporation in the presence of 10 mM CaCl2 and 10 mM dithiothreitol. Of these protein substrates, an 80-kDa protein contained a large number of proline residues, amounting to about 22% of the total amino acids. On the other hand, an 8.6-kDa protein abundantly present in the hemocytes was characterized as a Cys-rich protein consisting of 81 amino acid residues and a calculated molecular mass of 8,671. The entire amino acid sequence of this protein was established. Also, the 8.6-kDa protein was readily cross-linked intermolecularly by TGase, forming multimers as large as pentamers. We speculate that like plasma factor XIIIa, limulus TGase and its two protein substrates in the hemocytes may play an important role in the defense of this animal against invading microorganisms.

Multiple members of the plasminogen-apolipoprotein(a) gene family associated with thrombosis

Plasminogen and apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)] are closely related plasma proteins that are associated with hereditary thrombophilia. Low plasminogen levels are found in some patients who developed venous thrombosis, while a population with high plasma concentrations of apo(a) have a higher incidence of arterial thrombosis. Two different genes coding for human apo(a) have been isolated and characterized in order to study and compare these genes with four other closely related genes in the plasminogen-apo(a) gene family. These include the gene coding for plasminogen, two unique plasminogen-related genes, and a gene coding for hepatocyte growth factor. Nucleotide sequence analysis of these genes revealed that the exons and their boundaries of the genes for plasminogen and apo(a), and the plasminogen-related genes, differ only 1-5% in sequence. The types of exon/intron junctions and positions of introns in the molecules are also exactly identical, suggesting that these genes have evolved from an ancestral plasminogen gene via duplication and exon shuffling. By utilizing these results, gene-specific probes have been designed for the analysis of each of the genes in this gene family. The plasminogen and two apo(a) genes were all localized to chromosome 6 by employing the gene-specific primers and genomic DNAs from human-hamster cell hybrids. These data also make it possible to characterize the apo(a) and plasminogen genes in individuals by in vitro amplification.

Possible presence of a capsule in Branhamella catarrhalis

Clinical isolates of Branhamella catarrhalis from patients with respiratory infections were used in this study. Electron microscopic observation after treating Branhamella catarrhalis with immune serum and ruthenium red revealed the capsule. In the phagocytosis test, most organisms were not ingested by human polymorphonuclear neutrophils in the presence of normal rabbit serum (NRS), while organisms were primarily cell associated and apparently ingested in the presence of immunized rabbit serum (IRS). The capsule may be one of the virulence factors in this bacteria. This study demonstrates the possible presence of a capsule in Branhamella catarrhalis.

Nucleotide sequence of the gene for the b subunit of human factor XIII

Factor XIII (Mr 320,000) is a blood coagulation factor that stabilizes and strengthens the fibrin clot. It circulates in blood as a tetramer composed of two a subunits (Mr 75,000 each) and two b subunits (Mr 80,000 each). The b subunit consists of 641 amino acids and includes 10 tandem repeats of 60 amino acids known as GP-I structures, short consensus repeats (SCR), or sushi domains. In the present study, the human gene for the b subunit has been isolated from three different genomic libraries prepared in lambda phage. Fifteen independent phage with inserts coding for the entire gene were isolated and characterized by restriction mapping, Southern blotting, and DNA sequencing. The gene was found to be 28 kilobases in length and consisted of 12 exons (I-XII) separated by 11 intervening sequences. The leader sequence was encoded by exon I, while the carbonyl-terminal region of the protein was encoded by exon XII. Exons II-XI each coded for a single sushi domain, suggesting that the gene evolved through exon shuffling and duplication. The 12 exons in the gene ranged in size from 64 to 222 base pairs, while the introns ranged in size from 87 to 9970 nucleotides and made up 92% of the gene. The introns contained four Alu repetitive sequences, one each in introns A, E, I, and J. A fifth Alu repeat was present in the flanking 3' end of the gene. Two partial KpnI repeats were also found in the introns, including one in intron I and one in intron J. The KpnI repeat in intron J was 89% homologous to a sequence of approximately 2200 nucleotides flanking the gene coding for human beta globin and approximately 3800 nucleotides from the L1 insertion present in the gene for human factor VIII. Intron H also contained an "O" family repeat, while two potential regions for Z-DNA were identified within introns G and J. One nucleotide change was found in the coding region of the gene when its sequence was compared to that of the cDNA. This difference, however, did not result in a change in the amino acid sequence of the protein.

Amino acid sequence of human protein Z, a vitamin K-dependent plasma glycoprotein

Protein Z is a vitamin K-dependent glycoprotein isolated and characterized from human and bovine plasma. A cDNA coding for human protein Z has been obtained by the isolation of phage clones from a liver cDNA library and in vitro amplification of two other liver libraries. Protein Z is synthesized with a prepro-leader sequence of 40 amino acids. The mature protein is composed of 360 residues including a Gla domain of 13 carboxyglutamic acid residues, two epidermal growth factor domains, and a carboxyl terminal region which is highly homologous to the catalytic domain of serine proteases. Human protein Z, however, contains an Asp instead of Ser and a Lys instead of His in the catalytic triad of the active site.

Characterization of the gene for human plasminogen, a key proenzyme in the fibrinolytic system

The organization and structure of the gene coding for plasminogen has been determined by a combination of in vitro amplification of leukocyte DNA from normal individuals and isolation of unique clones from three different human genomic libraries. These clones were characterized by restriction mapping, Southern blotting, and DNA sequencing. The gene for human plasminogen spanned about 52.5 kilobases of DNA and consisted of 19 exons separated by 18 introns. DNA sequence analysis revealed that the five kringle structures in plasminogen were coded by two exons. The nucleotides in the introns at the intron-exon boundaries were GT-AG analogous to those found in other eukaryotic genes. Three polyadenylation sites for plasminogen mRNA were also identified. When the amino acid sequences deduced from the genomic DNA and cDNAs of plasminogen were compared with that of the plasma protein determined by amino acid sequence analysis, an apparent amino acid polymorphism was observed in several positions of the polypeptide chain. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the amplified genomic DNAs and genomic clones also revealed that the plasminogen gene was very closely related to several other proteins, including apolipoprotein(a). This protein may have evolved via duplication and exon shuffling of the plasminogen gene. The presence of another plasminogen-related gene(s) in the human genomic library was also observed.