A processed J chain pseudogene on human chromosome 8 that is shared by several primate species

Human DNA contains two sequences that hybridize to a human J chain gene probe: the J chain gene itself and a second previously uncharacterized sequence. By cloning and sequence analysis we now show this related sequence to be a processed pseudogene, which we have localized using somatic hybrids to chromosome 8 (distinct from the functional gene on chromosome 4) and mapped by linkage analysis to 8q13-q21. The pseudogene provides evidence of an additional DNA insertion event as it contains an AluI element embedded in sequence corresponding to the 3' untranslated region of the gene. The extent of sequence divergence between the pseudogene and the functional J chain gene suggests that the pseudogene was created roughly 40-50 million years ago; consistent with this estimate, Southern blots suggest that the pseudogene is shared by great apes as well as Old World monkeys.

Microcirculation architecture of melanocytic nevi and malignant melanomas of the ciliary body and choroid. A comparative histopathologic and ultrastructural study

PURPOSE

This study was designed to (1) describe the vascular patterns of ciliary body and choroidal nevi by light microscopy, (2) compare the vascular ultrastructure of nevi with vessels of the normal uvea and uveal melanomas, and (3) compare the behavior of ciliochoroidal melanomas with and without a nevus-like vascular architecture.

METHODS

After delineating the vascular patterns of 23 choroidal and ciliary body nevi by light microscopy, the authors identified 49 melanomas that had the same vascular patterns as nevi from a previously published series of 234 uveal melanomas. The survival of these 49 patients who had melanomas with a nevus-like vascular architecture was compared with the 185 patients who had melanomas that lacked this vascular profile.

RESULTS

By light microscopy, the only vascular patterns identified in nevi are "normal" vessels, zones of avascularity ("silent" pattern), straight, and parallel vessels; closed vascular loops and networks were not detected in nevi. By transmission electron microscopy, the vascular basement membrane of malignant melanomas was multilaminar, fragmented, and significantly thicker than in normal eyes or nevi. None of the patients with nevi died of metastatic disease. Fourteen percent of patients whose melanomas had the same vascular profile as nevi died of metastatic disease, whereas 32% of patients whose melanomas had vascular patterns other than those seen in nevi died of metastatic melanoma (P = 0.012).

CONCLUSIONS

The microcirculation architecture marks tumor progression in uveal melanocytic lesions by light and electron microscopy. In the spectrum of these lesions, nevi are benign, melanomas that have the same vascular profile as nevi have an intermediate biologic behavior, and melanomas with vascular networks are strongly associated with death due to metastatic disease.

Evidence for a GABAergic interface between cortical afferents and brainstem projection neurons in the rat central extended amygdala

The synaptic circuitry of the intrinsic GABAergic system of the central extended amygdala (CEA) in relation to efferent neurons and cortical afferents was examined in the present study. Neurons in the CEA projecting to the dorsal vagal complex and the parabrachial complex were identified by the retrograde transport of wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP). Postembedding GABA-immunocytochemistry revealed that GABA-immunoreactive (GABA-IR) terminals formed largely symmetrical synaptic contacts with the perikarya and proximal dendritic processes of almost all WGA-HRP-labeled neurons in the CEA. To determine the relationship between cortical afferents and CEA GABAergic neurons, WGA-HRP was used to anterogradely label afferents from the insular cortex in combination with postembedding immunogold detection of GABA. Cortical afferents formed asymmetrical synaptic contacts predominantly on small dendrites and dendritic spines. Many of the dendrites postsynaptic to cortical terminals in the central nucleus were immunoreactive for GABA although only relatively few spines were GABA-IR. Combining pre-embedding GAD-immunocytochemistry with cortical lesions resulted in approximately 40% of degenerating terminals of insular cortical origin in the central nucleus in contact with small, GAD-IR dendrites and spines. The present results demonstrate that the neurons providing the major CEA outputs to the brainstem receive an extensive GABAergic innervation, strongly supporting our proposal that CEA efferent neurons are under strong tonic inhibition by intrinsic GABAergic neurons. Further, our finding that the major cortical input to the central nucleus preferentially innervates intrinsic GABAergic neurons suggests that these neurons in the CEA may serve as an interface between the principal inputs and outputs of this forebrain region.

Serial evaluation of parathyroid size by ultrasonography is another useful marker for the long-term prognosis of calcitriol pulse therapy in chronic dialysis patients

To clarify whether the changes of parathyroid size have any correlations with the long-term prognosis of calcitriol pulse therapy, we examined the time course of serum levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and size of parathyroid glands in 14 chronic dialysis patients during and after the oral calcitriol pulse therapy. In 5 patients without any detectable glands, secondary hyperparathyroidism was easily controlled by calcitriol pulse therapy and then by conventional oral active vitamin D therapy. In 2 patients with detectable gland(s) in whom size of all parathyroid glands as well as PTH hypersecretion regressed to normal by calcitriol pulse therapy, secondary hyperparathyroidism could then remain controlled at least for 12 months after switching to conventional oral active vitamin D therapy. In contrast, in 7 patients in whom size of all parathyroid glands did not regress to normal by calcitriol pulse therapy, secondary hyperparathyroidism relapsed after switching to the conventional therapy, even if PTH hypersecretion could be controlled temporarily. Our findings suggest that the time course of parathyroid hyperplasia detected by ultrasonography is an important determinant of the efficacy and the prognosis of calcitriol pulse therapy. Thus, the change of parathyroid gland size as well as PTH hypersecretion should be taken into account for the management of secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Localization of the MAGE1 gene encoding a human melanoma antigen to chromosome Xq28

MAGE1 encodes a tumor specific antigen MZ2-E that elicited a cytotoxic T lymphocytic response (CTL) in the patient from whom it was derived. In this study, cDNA and genomic probes have been used to localize this gene by Southern analysis of a human-rodent somatic cell hybrid panel. The probes detect a small multigene family, and both MAGE1 and several other members of this family are located on the long arm of the human X chromosome. A cosmid with a 12-kb insert including the entire MAGE1 gene was biotinylated and used to further localize the gene to Xq28 by in situ hybridization of metaphase spreads. The function of this antigen in normal cells and tumor cells currently remains unclear.

Localization of two genes encoding plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPases isoforms 2 (ATP2B2) and 3 (ATP2B3) to human chromosomes 3p26-->p25 and Xq28, respectively

The plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPases (PMCA) represent a highly conserved, widely dispersed, multigene family in eukaryotes consisting of at least four functional genes. The genes for PMCA isoforms 1 and 4 (ATP2B1 and ATP2B4) have been previously localized to human chromosomes 12q21-->q23 and 1q25-->q32, respectively. Based upon results of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), analysis of somatic cell hybrids, and genetic linkage analyses, we now report localization of ATP2B3 (PMCA isoform 3) to human chromosome Xq28, and confirm the recent localization of ATP2B2 (PMCA isoform 2) to chromosome 3p26-->p25. In contrast to ATP2B1 and ATP2B4, recent studies have suggested tissue specific regulation of expression of both ATP2B2 and ATP2B3 particularly in the nervous system. The genes for several neurological and neuromuscular diseases have been assigned to the distal portion of Xq, and ATP2B3 is a candidate gene for these diseases.

Ocular pathology of MELAS syndrome with mitochondrial DNA nucleotide 3243 point mutation

PURPOSE

The authors describe the clinical, histopathologic, and ultrastructural findings in two eyes obtained at autopsy from a 21-year-old woman with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS syndrome).

METHODS

The eyes were obtained immediately after death. The right eye was fixed in 10% neutral-buffered formalin and processed for standard histologic examination. The left eye was fixed in a neutral-buffered 2.5% glutaraldehyde solution and processed for transmission electron microscopic examination. The authors compared the histologic and ultrastructural findings with the clinical features recorded photographically.

RESULTS

The main clinical ophthalmologic features were bilateral ptosis, chronic external ophthalmoplegia, diffuse choroidal atrophy, atypical pigmentary retinopathy with macular involvement, and patchy atrophy of the iris stroma. Molecular genetic analysis detected a tRNA Leu (UUR) point mutation at position 3243 of mitochondrial DNA (MELAS genotype). Results of histologic and ultrastructural examination showed ragged-red fibers in the rectus muscles, degeneration of photoreceptor outer segments in the macula, hyperpigmentation and atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium of the macula, atrophy of the iris stroma, early posterior subcapsular cataract, and optic atrophy. The retinal pigment epithelium, inner segments of the photoreceptors, smooth muscle cells of the choroidal and retinal vessels, the dilator and sphincter muscle of the iris, cornea, lens epithelium, and ciliary epithelium all contained many, often enlarged, structurally abnormal mitochondria with occasional paracrystalline inclusions and circular cristae.

CONCLUSIONS

The MELAS-associated mitochondrial DNA nucleotide 3243 point mutation can cause a spectrum of ocular signs and symptoms that may be dependent on the patient's age and the amount of mutant mitochondrial DNA in the tissue. MELAS syndrome should be considered in the differential diagnosis of bilateral ptosis, external ophthalmoplegia, and atypical pigmentary retinopathy with macular involvement.

Brain potentials in a phonological matching task using Chinese characters

In readers of English, involved in a rhyme judgement task, mismatch trials are associated with an enhanced N450 component of the Event Related Potentials (ERPs). It has been suggested that N450 is related to orthographic or phonological priming. In this paper ERPs were recorded during a phonological matching task, using pairs of logographically dissimilar Chinese characters. A pair was considered to match if they sounded alike with identical phoneme sequences. The subjects (native Chinese speakers) were instructed to ignore vowel-inflections, which in Chinese have lexical status. Since sublexical assembly of phonology is not used in reading Chinese characters, and the members of each pair were logographically dissimilar, match and mismatch trials did not suffer in the amount of orthographic or sublexical phonological priming. An enhanced negative component (latency near 400 msec), was observed in ERPs elicited by the second character in non-matching pairs. The negativity could be similar to N450. If this were so, then N450 could not be associated with orthographic priming, nor with sublexical phonology, but would probably be associated with postlexical processing. Also, in both readers of Chinese and English, the negativity enhanced in non-match trials is larger over the right side of the scalp, suggesting a similar brain lateralization of the underlying processes.

Interleukin-2 receptor gamma chain mutation results in X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency in humans

The interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor gamma chain (IL-2R gamma) is a component of high and intermediate affinity IL-2 receptors that is required to achieve full ligand binding affinity and internalization. We have localized the IL-2R gamma gene to human chromosome Xq13. Genetic linkage analysis indicates that the IL-2R gamma gene and the locus for X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (XSCID) appear to be at the same position. Moreover, we demonstrate that each of three unrelated patients with XSCID has a different mutation in his IL-2R gamma gene resulting in a different premature stop codon and predicted C-terminal truncation. These data establish that XSCID is associated with mutations of the IL-2R gamma gene product. Since XSCID is characterized by absent or markedly reduced numbers of T cells, our findings imply that IL-2R gamma plays a vital role in thymic maturation of T cells. These results also have important implications for prenatal and postnatal diagnosis, carrier female detection, and gene therapy for XSCID.

Skeletal 210Pb levels and lung cancer among radon-exposed tin miners in southern China

A preliminary case-control study of 19 lung cancer cases older than 55 y and 141 age-matched controls was carried out among a group of underground miners in Southern China who were exposed to 222Rn and its decay products. 210Pb activity levels were measured in the skull to estimate radon exposure. Radon exposure was also estimated in working level months, based on work histories and available industrial hygiene data. There was a smooth gradient of lung cancer risk with categories of skeletal 210Pb level at time of last radon exposure; relative risks of 1.0, 2.9, 3.2, and 4.7 for categories < 51.8, 51.8-77.7, 77.8-107.3, and > or = 107.4 Bq (< 1,400, 1,400-2,099, 2,100-2,899, and > or = 2,900 pCi), respectively. Relative risks were unaffected by adjustment for exposure to arsenic in the mine or by adjustment for working level months. Risks also increased with cumulative working level month exposure, but the gradient of risk lessened after adjustment for exposure to arsenic. 210Pb, at the time of last radon exposure (p = 0.13) and at the current 210Pb level (p = 0.01), was not highly correlated with the working level month estimate. Data were sparse but smoking had minimal effect on risk gradient with level of skeletal 210Pb activity. This study suggests measured 210Pb level may be a more precise predictor of lung cancer risk than working level month.

Localization of the hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase gene to the pseudoautosomal region: implications for mapping of psychiatric disorders

The human hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT) gene has been mapped to the X chromosome using cDNA probes from the 3' and 5' regions of a human cDNA clone. Southern blot analysis of a panel of human-rodent somatic cell hybrid DNAs revealed that the gene was localized to the short arm of chromosome X, and most probably the pseudoautosomal region of the human X (Xp22.3) and Y (Yp11.3) chromosomes. Several multiallelic restriction fragment length polymorphisms were detected at this locus allowing further localization of the gene by two-point and multipoint linkage analysis in the 40 CEPH families. These results confirmed the pseudoautosomal localization of the HIOMT gene and allowed ordering of the gene in close proximity to DXYS17 at a position about 600-800 kb from the pseudoautosomal boundary and about 1800 to 2000 kb from the telomere. It will be possible to readily identify or exclude the involvement of this gene in genetic diseases by linkage analysis of the disease locus with the high frequency multiallelic polymorphisms at this locus.

Confocal imaging of the retrograde tracer fluoro-gold using a non-ultraviolet laser

Until now, Fluoro-gold confocal imaging has been problematic because it requires an ultraviolet laser. We describe here a practical method to visualize Fluoro-gold in a confocal laser scanning microscope without an ultraviolet laser through an immunofluorescence procedure using antibodies against Fluoro-gold.

Roles of heme insertion and the mannose-6-phosphate receptor in processing of the human myeloid lysosomal enzyme, myeloperoxidase

Biosynthesis of myeloperoxidase (MPO), a myeloid lysosomal hemoprotein critical for the optimal oxygen-dependent microbicidal activity of human neutrophils, is incompletely understood. The primary translation product undergoes cotranslational N-linked glycosylation with subsequent insertion of the Fe-containing prosthetic group into the peptide backbone, thereby converting the enzymatically inactive, heme-free apoproMPO into the peroxidatively active precursor, proMPO. Eventually, proMPO undergoes proteolytic processing into native, lysosomal MPO, with subunits of 59 and 13.5 Kd. We studied three unanswered questions regarding MPO biosynthesis: (1) At what point during MPO biosynthesis is the heme moiety inserted into the apoenzyme? (2) What consequences does heme-insertion have on subsequent processing events? (3) What role does the mannose-6-phosphate receptor (M6PR) system play in the delivery of MPO to the lysosome? Disruption of Golgi by brefeldin A (BFA) produced two major changes in MPO biosynthesis: (1) processing of the 89-Kd precursor to mature MPO was blocked and (2) constitutive secretion of the MPO precursor was inhibited. Inhibition of heme synthesis with succinyl acetone (SA) reduced peroxidase activity and profoundly blocked processing of proMPO to mature MPO. This inhibition of processing was not a generalized effect on all lysosomal enzymes, because the maturation of a non-heme-containing lysosomal enzyme, beta-glucuronidase, was not altered. Electron microscopy showed that, although the normal peroxidase staining of endoplasmic reticulum was absent in SA-treated cells, there were MPO-related peptides in the ER. The role of the M6PR system was assessed by immunoprecipitating fractions obtained from M6PR affinity column chromatography. The 89-Kd proMPO failed to adhere to the M6PR affinity column, whereas the 59-Kd heavy subunit of mature MPO was specifically eluted from the column. We interpret these data to indicate that: (1) processing of proMPO to mature MPO occurs in a post-ER compartment that is itself BFA-sensitive or is distal to a BFA-sensitive compartment and (2) heme insertion into apoproMPO precedes and may be a prerequisite for proteolytic processing to enzymatically active mature MPO. Our analysis of the M6PR system in MPO biosynthesis led to the unanticipated finding that there were phosphomannosyl residues on mature MPO, but none on proMPO. We suggest that the bulk of proMPO at any time is not phosphorylated, but, when generated, the phosphorylated proMPO is quickly processed to the phosphorylated 59-Kd subunit of mature MPO. Thus, if the M6PR is important in the intracellular transport of MPO, it is the phosphorylated mature MPO that is directed to the lysosomal compartment by this system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The morphologic characteristics of tumor blood vessels as a marker of tumor progression in primary human uveal melanoma: a matched case-control study

Nine morphologic patterns of tumor vessels were identified in eyes removed for ciliary body or choroidal melanoma by the examination of tissue sections stained with fluorescein-conjugated Ulex europaeus I using laser scanning confocal microscopy. This technique also highlights intravascular tumor invasion. Each of these nine morphologic patterns of tumor vessels also may be demonstrated by a modification of the periodic acid-Schiff reaction, viewed with a green narrow band pass filter, but this modified histochemical technique does not accurately identify intravascular tumor invasion. Most tumors have a heterogeneous distribution of vascular patterns. Melanomas in two groups of 20 tumors each were matched by tumor size and location (one group of tumors from patients who survived at least 15 years free of metastatic melanoma after enucleation and one group of tumors from patients who died of metastatic melanoma). A matched case-control analysis indicates that the presence of at least one closed vascular loop in a uveal melanoma is the most significant vascular pattern associated with death from metastatic melanoma after enucleation. Closed loops are associated with other histologic features that are predictive of an unfavorable outcome after enucleation: epithelioid cells and mitotic figures. In this preliminary study the formation of closed vascular loops is a marker of tumor progression in ciliary body and choroidal melanomas.

Tetrin polypeptides are colocalized in the cortex of Tetrahymena

There is a complex system of 2- to 5-nm filaments in the oral apparatus of Tetrahymena. Four major subunit proteins, called tetrins, have been isolated from the filaments. These proteins, showing apparent molecular weights in polyacrylamide gels of 79-89 kDa, will assemble in vitro into 2- to 5-nm filaments. Tetrin filaments in vivo show different packing arrangements in different regions of the oral apparatus. We sought to determine the distributions of tetrin polypeptides within the complex oral structure by obtaining monoclonal antibodies specific for individual tetrins, then mapping their distributions within the oral apparatus using standard fluorescence microscopy, confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy, and electron microscopy. The results indicate that the four tetrin polypeptides are colocalized everywhere within the oral apparatus of Tetrahymena. Tetrin-binding proteins or specific nucleating structures may need to be invoked to explain the complex organization of the tetrin network. The 16 monoclonal antibodies obtained were also used to search for evidence of immunological relationships between tetrin and cytoskeletal proteins in multicellular organisms. None was found.

[Determination of baicalin in xiaoer feire kechuan mixture by dual-wavelength spectrophotometry]

A method for the determination of baicalin in traditional Chinese medicine Xiaoer Feire Kechuan Mixture with dual-wavelength spectrophotometry is described. The interference of coexisting ingredients may be eliminated without separation of the samples. Both 751 and UV-3000 spectrophotometers were used.

Stress analysis of the human tooth using a three-dimensional finite element model

A three-dimensional finite element model has been developed for the purpose of analyzing the stress distribution in a human mandibular right first molar. The model takes into account the non-symmetric geometry and loading, and the material inhomogeneities of the tooth. Comparisons with existing two-dimensional analyses are given.