Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Gas1-Induced Growth Suppression Requires A Transactivation-Independent P53 Function., Giannino Del Sal, Elisabetta M. Ruaro, Rene Utrera, Charles N. Cole

Dartmouth Scholarship

In normal cells, induction of quiescence is accompanied by the increased expression of growth arrest-specific genes (gas). One of them, gas1, is regulated at the transcriptional level and codes for a membrane-associated protein (Gas1) which is down regulated during the G0-to-S phase transition in serum-stimulated cells. Gas1 is not expressed in growing or transformed cells, and when overexpressed in normal fibroblasts, it blocks the G0-to-S phase transition. Moreover, Gas1 blocks cell proliferation in several transformed cells with the exception of simian virus 40- or adenovirus-transformed cell lines. In this paper, we demonstrate that overexpression of Gas1 blocks cell proliferation in …

Survival Of Immunoglobulin G-Opsonized Toxoplasma Gondii In Nonadherent Human Monocytes., Camilo E. Fadul, Jacqueline Y. Channon, Lloyd H. Kasper

Dartmouth Scholarship

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that is able to penetrate human monocytes by either passive uptake during phagocytosis or active penetration. It is expected that immunoglobulin G (IgG) opsonization will target the parasite to macrophage Fc gamma receptors for phagocytic processing and subsequent degradation. Antibody-opsonized T. gondii tachyzoites were used to infect nonadherent and adherent human monocytes obtained from the peripheral blood of seronegative individuals. The infected monocytes were evaluated for the presence of intracellular parasites and the degree of parasiticidal activity. A marked difference in both the numbers of infected macrophages and numbers of parasites per 100 macrophages …

The Nascent-Polypeptide-Associated Complex: Having A "Nac" For Fidelity In Translocation., William Wickner

Dartmouth Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Survival Of Mouse Pancreatic Islet Allografts In Recipients Treated With Allogeneic Small Lymphocytes And Antibody To Cd40 Ligand., David C. Parker, Dale L. Greiner, Nancy E. Phillips, Michael C. Appel, Alan W. Steele, Fiona H. Durie, Randolph J. Noelle, John P. Mordes, Aldo A. Rossini

Dartmouth Scholarship

Combined treatment with allogeneic small lymphocytes or T-depleted small lymphocytes plus a blocking antibody to CD40 ligand (CD40L) permitted indefinite pancreatic islet allograft survival in 37 of 40 recipients that differed from islet donors at major and minor histocompatibility loci. The effect of the allogeneic small lymphocytes was donor antigen-specific. Neither treatment alone was as effective as combined treatment, although anti-CD40L by itself allowed indefinite islet allograft survival in 40% of recipients. Our interpretation is that small lymphocytes expressing donor antigens in the absence of appropriate costimulatory signals are tolerogenic for alloreactive host cells. Anti-CD40L antibody may prevent host T …

A Toxoplasma Gondii-Derived Factor(S) Stimulates Immune Downregulation: An In Vitro Model., Sakhina Haque, Azizul Haque, Lloyd H. Kasper

Dartmouth Scholarship

Suppression of the T-cell lymphoproliferative response and downregulation of interleukin 2 (IL-2) production by Toxoplasma gondii has been observed following in vivo infection. In this study, an experimental in vitro murine system was developed to evaluate the kinetics of these responses. Normal splenocytes from uninfected mice were stimulated with either concanavalin A or an anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody and cocultured with Toxoplasma tachyzoites either directly or separated by a transwell. A progressive decline in the lymphoproliferative response was observed as the concentration of parasites in culture increased. Neither heat-killed nor formaldehyde-fixed parasites stimulated this downregulatory response by the splenocytes. A decline …

The Effect Of A Shared Decisionmaking Program On Rates Of Surgery For Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. Pilot Results., John E. Wennberg

Dartmouth Scholarship

Mulley at al hypothesized that active efforts to involve patients in devisions made about their care should improve outcomes by better matching treatments with patient values and needs. How utilization of various treatments would be affected is a critical element of the evaluation of such efforts. The Shared Decisionmaking Program for benign prostatic hyperplasia (SDP-BPH) is an interactive videodisc-based patient education program designed to help patients make an informed choice about whether to elect a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) or to follow a program of expectant management called "watchful waiting."

The BPH-SDP was piloted by two urology groups …

Patient Reactions To A Program Designed To Facilitate Patient Participation In Treatment Decision For Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, John E. Wennberg

Dartmouth Scholarship

Patients often want considerable information about their conditions, and enhanced patient participation might reduce unwanted practice variation aad improve medical decisions. The authors assessed how men with benign prostatic hyperplasia reacted to an educational program designed to facilitate participation in declsionmaking and how strongly ratings of their symptom state and the prospect of complications predicted their treatment choice. A prospective cohort study was conducted in three hospital-based urology practices: two in prepaid group practices, and one Veterans Administration clinic. Four hundred twenty-one men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia without prior prostatectomy or benign prostatic hyperplasia complication were enrolled, and 373 …

Asbestos Induces Nuclear Factor Kappa B (Nf-Kappa B) Dna-Binding Activity And Nf-Kappa B-Dependent Gene Expression In Tracheal Epithelial Cells., Yvonne M. Janssen, Aaron Barchowsky, Melinda Treadwell, Kevin E. Driscoll, B T. Mossman

Dartmouth Scholarship

Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) is a transcription factor regulating expression of genes intrinsic to inflammation and cell proliferation--features of asbestos-associated diseases. In studies here, crocidolite asbestos caused protracted and dose-responsive increases in proteins binding to nuclear NF-kappa B-binding DNA elements in hamster tracheal epithelial (HTE) cells. This binding was modulated by cellular glutathione levels. Antibodies recognizing p65 and p50 protein members of the NF-kappa B family revealed these proteins in two of the DNA complexes. Transient transfection assays with a construct containing six NF-kappa B-binding DNA consensus sites linked to a luciferase reporter gene indicated that asbestos induced …

Transactivation Of The Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus And T-Cell Receptor Beta-Chain Enhancers By Cbf And Ets Requires Intact Binding Sites For Both Proteins., Wanwen Sun, Barbara J. Graves, Nancy A. Speck

Dartmouth Scholarship

The Moloney murine leukemia virus (Mo-MLV) enhancer contains binding sites (LVb and LVc) for the ets gene family of proteins and a core site that binds the polyomavirus enhancer-binding protein 2/core-binding factor (cbf) family of proteins. The LVb and core sites in the Mo-MLV enhancer contribute to its constitutive activity in T cells. All three binding sites (LVb, LVc, and core) are required for phorbol ester inducibility of the Mo-MLV enhancer. Adjacent binding sites for the ets and cbf proteins likewise constitute a phorbol ester response element within the human T-cell receptor beta-chain (TCR beta) enhancer and contribute to constitutive …

A Tef-1-Independent Mechanism For Activation Of The Simian Virus 40 (Sv40) Late Promoter By Mutant Sv40 Large T Antigens., Paul Casaz, Phillip W. Rice, Charles N. Cole, Ulla Hansen

Dartmouth Scholarship

Simian virus 40 (SV40) large tumor antigen (T antigen) stimulates the activity of the SV40 late promoter and a number of cellular and other viral promoters. We have characterized the ability of T antigens with mutations in the DNA-binding domain and within the N-terminal 85 residues to activate the SV40 late promoter. T antigens lacking both nonspecific and sequence-specific DNA-binding activities were able to induce the late promoter. Mutations within the N-terminal 85 residues of T antigen diminished activation by less than twofold. Activation by wild-type and most of the mutant T antigens required intact binding sites for the cellular …

Transcriptional Activity Of Core Binding Factor-Alpha (Aml1) And Beta Subunits On Murine Leukemia Virus Enhancer Cores., Ari L. Zaiman, Amy F. Lewis, Barbara E. Crute, N. A. Speck, Jack Lenz

Dartmouth Scholarship

Core binding factor (CBF), also known as polyomavirus enhancer-binding protein 2 and SL3 enhancer factor 1, is a mammalian transcription factor that binds to an element termed the core within the enhancers of the murine leukemia virus family of retroviruses. The core elements of the SL3 virus are important genetic determinants of the ability of this virus to induce T-cell lymphomas and the transcriptional activity of the viral long terminal repeat in T lymphocytes. CBF consists of two subunits, a DNA binding subunit, CBF alpha, and a second subunit, CBF beta, that stimulates the DNA binding activity of CBF alpha. …

Protein-Peptide Interactions Analyzed With The Yeast Two-Hybrid System, Meijia Yang, Zining Wu, Stanley Fields

Dartmouth Scholarship

The yeast two-hybrid system was used to screen a library of random peptides fused to a transcriptional activation domain in order to identify peptides capable of binding to the retinoblastoma protein (Rb). Seven peptides were identified, allof which contain the Leu-X-Cys-X-Glu motif found in Rb-binding proteins, although their activity in the yeast assay variedover a 40-fold range. Mutagenesis of the DNA encoding two of these peptides followed by screening in the two-hybrid systemallowed the delineation of residues apart from the invariant Leu, Cys and Glu that affect binding to Rb. Binding affinities of a peptide and one of its variants …

Librarian Participation In Meta-Analysis Projects, Thomas L. Mead, Daniel T. Richards

Dartmouth Scholarship

Meta-analysis is an epidemiological and statistical tool used to combine the results of independent studies and synthesize their conclusions for the purpose of evaluating therapeutic effectiveness, determining procedural efficacy, or providing a basis for development of treatment protocols. Meta-analysis also may be described as "studying the studies." The process, however defined, requires access to a large quantity of medical literature and presents new opportunities for medical librarians to use their data gathering skills. At Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, a librarian assists with the identification, location, and review of literature in support of meta-analysis projects done by the Technology Assessment Program. …

Polyclonal Mycobacterium Avium Infections In Patients With Aids: Variations In Antimicrobial Susceptibilities Of Different Strains Of M. Avium Isolated From The Same Patient., C Fordham Von Reyn, Nicholas J. Jacobs, Robert D. Arbeit, Joe N. Maslow, S Niemczyk

Dartmouth Scholarship

Broth microdilution MICs were determined for pairs of strains isolated from five AIDS patients with polyclonal Mycobacterium avium infection. Four (80%) of the five patients were infected simultaneously with strains having different antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. These findings have implications for the interpretation of susceptibility data in M. avium prophylaxis and treatment trials.

Role Of 4-1bb Ligand In Costimulation Of T Lymphocyte Growth And Its Upregulation On M12 B Lymphomas By Camp, M. A. Debenedette, N. R. Chu, K. E. Pollok, J. Hurtado, William F. Wade, Byoung S. Kwon, Tania H. Watts

Dartmouth Scholarship

K46J B lymphomas express a T cell costimulatory activity that is not inhibited by CTLA-4Ig, anti-B7-1, anti-B7-2, anti-intercellular adhesion molecule 1 or antibodies to heat stable antigen. In this paper we report that this costimulatory activity is mediated at least in part by 4-1BB ligand, a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) gene family that binds to 4-1BB, a T cell activation antigen with homology to the TNF/nerve growth factor receptor family. A fusion protein between 4-1BB and alkaline phosphatase (4-1BB-AP) blocks T cell activation by K46J lymphomas in both an antigen-specific system and with polyclonally (anti-CD3) activated T …

The Leukemic Core Binding Factor Beta-Smooth Muscle Myosin Heavy Chain (Cbf Beta-Smmhc) Chimeric Protein Requires Both Cbf Beta And Myosin Heavy Chain Domains For Transformation Of Nih 3t3 Cells., Amitav Hajra, Pu Liu, Qing Wang, Christine Kelley

Dartmouth Scholarship

An inversion of chromosome 16 associated with the M4Eo subtype of acute myeloid leukemia produces a chimeric protein fusing the beta subunit of the transcription factor core binding factor (CBF beta) to the tail region of smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (SMMHC). We investigated the oncogenic properties of this CBF beta-SMMHC chimeric protein using a 3T3 transformation assay. NIH 3T3 cells expressing CBF beta-SMMHC acquired a transformed phenotype, as indicated by their ability to form foci, grow in soft agarose, and form tumors in nude mice. Cells expressing normal CBF beta or the SMMHC tail domain did not become transformed. …

Strain-Dependent Variation In Carbon Source Regulation Of Nucleus-Encoded Mitochondrial Proteins Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae., Timothy A. Brown, Bernard L. Trumpower

Dartmouth Scholarship

Nuclear genes encoding mitochondrial proteins are regulated by carbon source with significant heterogeneity among four Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. This strain-dependent variation is seen both in respiratory capacity of the cells and in the expression of beta-galactosidase reporter fusions to the promoters of CYB2, CYC1, CYC3, MnSOD, and RPO41.

A Novel Translational Regulation Function For The Simian Virus 40 Large-T Antigen Gene., Prithi Rajan, Sathyamagalam Swaminathan, Jiyue Zhu, Charles N. Cole

Dartmouth Scholarship

Cells use the interferon-induced, double-stranded-RNA-dependent protein kinase PKR as a defense against virus infections. Upon activation, PKR phosphorylates and thereby inactivates the protein synthesis initiation factor eIF-2, resulting in the cessation of protein synthesis. Viruses have evolved various strategies to counteract this cellular defense. In this paper, we show that simian virus 40 (SV40) large-T antigen can antagonize the translational inhibitory effect resulting from the activation of PKR in virus-infected cells. Unlike the situation with other virus-host cell interactions, SV40 large-T antigen does not block the activation of PKR, suggesting that SV40 counteracts the cellular antiviral response mediated by PKR …

The Gtp-Bound Form Of The Yeast Ran/Tc4 Homologue Blocks Nuclear Protein Import And Appearance Of Poly(A)+ Rna In The Cytoplasm., Gabriel Schlenstedt, Claudio Saavedra, Jonathan D. Loeb, Charles N. Cole, Pamela A. Silver

Dartmouth Scholarship

Ran/TC4, a Ras-like GTP-binding protein, and its nucleotide exchanger, RCC1, have been implicated in control of protein movement into the nucleus and cytoplasmic accumulation of mRNA. Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains two homologues of the mammalian Ran/TC4, encoded by the GSP1 and GSP2 genes. We have constructed yeast strains that overproduce either wild-type Gsp1 or a form of Gsp1 with glycine-21 converted to valine (Gsp1-G21V), which we show stabilizes the GTP-bound form. Cells producing Gsp1-G21V have defects in localization of nuclear proteins; nuclear proteins accumulate in the cytoplasm following galactose induction of Gsp1-G21V. Similarly, cells producing Gsp1-G21V retain poly(A)+ RNA in their …