Human monocyte Arg-Serpin cDNA. Sequence, chromosomal assignment, and homology to plasminogen activator-inhibitor.

An LPS-stimulated, human monocyte cDNA library was screened for stimulation-specific clones. One clone (pcD-1214) contained a 1.9-kb pair insert that hybridized to a 2,000-nucleotide mRNA expressed by peripheral blood monocytes, the histiocytic lymphoma cell line U937, and umbilical cord endothelial cells. The 415-amino-acid precursor polypeptide predicted from the cDNA (46,596 molecular weight) has a putative 22-residue signal peptide and approximately 35% homology with members of the serine protease inhibitor (Serpin) superfamily. On the basis of amino acid homology and alignment of COOH-terminal residues within the Serpin-reactive center, the clone pcD-1214 was identified as coding for an Arg-Serpin. Southern blot analysis of human-mouse somatic cell hybrid DNA locates the Arg-Serpin gene on human chromosome 18. A perfect match between amino acid residues 347-376 in this Arg-Serpin and the published sequence of a 30-residue, tryptic peptide from the COOH-terminus of a monocyte plasminogen activator-inhibitor (PAI-2), strongly suggests that the Arg-Serpin encoded by pcD-1214 is PAI-2.

Molecular genetics of inherited variation in human color vision.

The hypothesis that red-green "color blindness" is caused by alterations in the genes encoding red and green visual pigments has been tested and shown to be correct. Genomic DNA's from 25 males with various red-green color vision deficiencies were analyzed by Southern blot hybridization with the cloned red and green pigment genes as probes. The observed genotypes appear to result from unequal recombination or gene conversion (or both). Together with chromosome mapping experiments, these data identify each of the cloned human visual pigment genes.

Chromosomal locations of human tissue plasminogen activator and urokinase genes.

A panel of human-mouse somatic cell hybrids and specific complementary DNA probes were used to map the human tissue plasminogen activator and urokinase genes to human chromosomes 8 and 10, respectively. This result is in contrast to a previous assignment of a plasminogen activator gene to chromosome 6. As neoplastic cells produce high levels of plasminogen activator, it is of interest that aberrations of chromosome 8 have been linked to various leukemias and lymphomas and that two human oncogenes, c-mos and c-myc, have also been mapped to chromosome 8.

Genes for beta chain of human T-cell antigen receptor map to regions of chromosomal rearrangement in T cells.

The T-cell antigen receptor is a cell-surface molecule that participates in the immune response. In the present experiments the genes encoding the beta chain of the T-cell receptor were found to reside on the long arm of human chromosome 7 at or near band q32. Related sequences were found on the short arm of chromosome 7 in bands p15-21 in some experiments. Chromosomal rearrangements in T-cells from normal individuals and patients with ataxia telangiectasia have previously been observed at and near these map assignments for the beta-chain genes.

Brn-3b: a POU domain gene expressed in a subset of retinal ganglion cells.

A search for POU domain transcription factors in human retina cDNA has led to the identification of Brn-3b, a class IV POU domain protein. Immunohistochemical experiments show that chicken, mouse, rabbit, monkey, and human retinas contain Brn-3b exclusively within a subpopulation of ganglion cells. In the adult mouse brain, Brn-3b is found only within cells in the deep layers of the superior colliculus, in the dorsal periaqueductal gray, and in a small cluster of cells in the brain stem near the area postrema. During the immediate postnatal period, cells containing Brn-3b are distributed in a number of regions within the brain stem and cerebellum. These data suggest that Brn-3b plays a role in determining and/or maintaining the identities of a small number of neurons, including a subset of visual system neurons.

The core polypeptide of cystic fibrosis tracheal mucin contains a tandem repeat structure. Evidence for a common mucin in airway and gastrointestinal tissue.

A cystic fibrosis trachea cDNA library was constructed and probed with a synthetic oligonucleotide containing a consensus sequence recently identified in human intestinal mucin. One of the isolated clones, AMN-22, has been characterized extensively. The cDNA sequence of this 884-bp fragment was determined, and revealed a tandem repeat structure rich in threonine and proline residues. The repeating sequence of AMN-22 was similar but not identical to that determined for gut mucin. When examined by Northern analysis, the mRNA hybridizing to AMN-22 is extremely polydisperse in cystic fibrosis (CF) trachea, with apparent message length varying from approximately 2 kb to greater than 10 kb. A similar pattern was observed, with less abundant message, in CF bronchiectatic lung parenchyma. The lung cDNA hybridized to a similarly polydisperse message in ulcerative colitis colon RNA, but did not hybridize to control RNA from U937 lymphoma cells or stomach RNA. Pedigree analysis of restriction digests of genomic DNA revealed a pattern indicating a single polymorphic locus for the mucin gene expressed in the lung and the intestine. Southern analyses of human:mouse somatic cell hybrid cell lines allow a chromosomal localization for the mucin gene to human chromosome II, within the region 11p13-11pTer. Taken together, these data demonstrate that a polymorphic gene encodes a mucin core polypeptide expressed in both lung and intestine.

Molecular cloning and chromosomal mapping of DNA rearranged with the parathyroid hormone gene in a parathyroid adenoma.

Parathyroid adenomas are common benign neoplasms for which no chromosomal defects have been described. We recently found two parathyroid adenomas bearing clonal restriction fragment abnormalities involving the PTH locus, and now show that in one of these tumors: (a) a DNA rearrangement occurred at the PTH locus; (b) the rearrangement separated the PTH gene's 5' flanking region from its coding exons, conceivably placing a newly adjacent gene under the influence of PTH regulatory elements; (c) the DNA that recombined with PTH normally maps to 11q13, the known chromosomal location of several oncogenes and the gene for multiple endocrine neoplasia type I; and (d) the rearrangement was a reciprocal, conservative recombination of the locus on 11q13 (Human Gene Mapping Library assignment D11S287) with PTH (on 11p15). These data provide molecular cytogenetic evidence for the clonal occurrence of a major chromosome 11 aberrancy in this benign parathyroid tumor. The D11S287 clone could prove useful in genetic linkage analyses, in determining precise 11q13 breakpoints in other neoplasms, and in identifying a gene on chromosome 11 that may participate in parathyroid tumor development.

Two chromosomal locations for human ornithine decarboxylase gene sequences and elevated expression in colorectal neoplasia.

The polyamines are known to be essential for cellular proliferation. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is a rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of these amines, and activity is elevated in colorectal tumors and polyps. Two ODC genes (designated ODC1 and ODC2) were localized by somatic cell hybridization and in situ techniques to 2p25 and 7q31-qter, respectively. Investigation of the expression of ODC in colorectal neoplasia reveals a consistent increase in mRNA expression compared with normal adjacent mucosa and control mucosa, ranging from 1.3- to 12.2-fold. No amplification of the loci was seen. Comparison of ODC mRNA expression with ODC activity from the same samples revealed no direct correlation, suggesting that regulation of ODC in this system occurs at the posttranscriptional level.

Anatomical pulmonary magnetic resonance imaging segmentation for regional structure-function measurements of asthma.

PURPOSE: Pulmonary magnetic-resonance-imaging (MRI) and x-ray computed-tomography have provided strong evidence of spatially and temporally persistent lung structure-function abnormalities in asthmatics. This has generated a shift in their understanding of lung disease and supports the use of imaging biomarkers as intermediate endpoints of asthma severity and control. In particular, pulmonary (1)H MRI can be used to provide quantitative lung structure-function measurements longitudinally and in response to treatment. However, to translate such biomarkers of asthma, robust methods are required to segment the lung from pulmonary (1)H MRI. Therefore, their objective was to develop a pulmonary (1)H MRI segmentation algorithm to provide regional measurements with the precision and speed required to support clinical studies. METHODS: The authors developed a method to segment the left and right lung from (1)H MRI acquired in 20 asthmatics including five well-controlled and 15 severe poorly controlled participants who provided written informed consent to a study protocol approved by Health Canada. Same-day spirometry and plethysmography measurements of lung function and volume were acquired as well as (1)H MRI using a whole-body radiofrequency coil and fast spoiled gradient-recalled echo sequence at a fixed lung volume (functional residual capacity + 1 l). We incorporated the left-to-right lung volume proportion prior based on the Potts model and derived a volume-proportion preserved Potts model, which was approximated through convex relaxation and further represented by a dual volume-proportion preserved max-flow model. The max-flow model led to a linear problem with convex and linear equality constraints that implicitly encoded the proportion prior. To implement the algorithm, (1)H MRI was resampled into ∼3 × 3 × 3 mm(3) isotropic voxel space. Two observers placed seeds on each lung and on the background of 20 pulmonary (1)H MR images in a randomized dataset, on five occasions, five consecutive days in a row. Segmentation accuracy was evaluated using the Dice-similarity-coefficient (DSC) of the segmented thoracic cavity with comparison to five-rounds of manual segmentation by an expert observer. The authors also evaluated the root-mean-squared-error (RMSE) of the Euclidean distance between lung surfaces, the absolute, and percent volume error. Reproducibility was measured using the coefficient of variation (CoV) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for two observers who repeated segmentation measurements five-times. RESULTS: For five well-controlled asthmatics, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) was 83% ± 7% and FEV1 was 86 ± 9%pred. For 15 severe, poorly controlled asthmatics, FEV1/FV C = 66% ± 17% and FEV1 = 72 ± 27%pred. The DSC for algorithm and manual segmentation was 91% ± 3%, 92% ± 2% and 91% ± 2% for the left, right, and whole lung, respectively. RMSE was 4.0 ± 1.0 mm for each of the left, right, and whole lung. The absolute (percent) volume errors were 0.1 l (∼6%) for each of right and left lung and ∼0.2 l (∼6%) for whole lung. Intra- and inter-CoV (ICC) were <0.5% (>0.91%) for DSC and <4.5% (>0.93%) for RMSE. While segmentation required 10 s including ∼6 s for user interaction, the smallest detectable difference was 0.24 l for algorithm measurements which was similar to manual measurements. CONCLUSIONS: This lung segmentation approach provided the necessary and sufficient precision and accuracy required for research and clinical studies.

Identification of a new endothelial cell growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase.

A new growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) gene (designated KDR) has been cloned from a human endothelial cell cDNA library. The gene was identified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and degenerate oligonucleotide primers complementary to conserved tyrosine kinase domains that flank the insert domain, characteristic of known type III RTKs [e.g. platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGF-R), colony-stimulating-1 receptor (CSF-1-R), fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGF-R) and ckit]. The DNA product from PCR was then used as a probe to isolate larger DNA segments encoding the receptor from the cDNA library. The predicted amino acid sequence contained multiple characteristics (i.e. an ATP-binding site, a membrane-spanning region, split tyrosine kinase regions) typical of a type III receptor tyrosine kinase. The KDR gene is expressed as a 7.0 kb transcript, and is localized to human chromosome 4.

Chromosomal localization and nucleoside diphosphate kinase activity of human metastasis-suppressor genes NM23-1 and NM23-2.

Human metastasis-suppressor genes nm23-1 (NME1) and nm23-2 (NME2) are implicated in control of the metastatic potential of malignant cells. Using somatic cell hybrid analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization we co-localized both genes to 17q21.3. The 17q21 region carries the locus responsible for early-onset familial breast-ovarian cancer and several other genes that are involved in tumorigenesis and differentiation and undergo frequent rearrangements during neoplastic development. Thus, our mapping places the NME genes in a region that may be subjected to multiple selection pressures. NME1 and NME2 genes were expressed as soluble proteins in a T7 bacterial expression system. Both proteins are independently active nucleotide diphosphate kinases and readily form intra- and intermolecular disulfide bonds. The biochemical properties of these proteins may explain the diversity of mature eucaryotic nucleoside diphosphate kinases.

Polymorphic human insulin-responsive glucose-transporter gene on chromosome 17p13.

Glucose uptake by heart, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue is acutely regulated by insulin, which stimulates facilitative glucose transport, at least in part, by promoting the translocation of transporters from an intracellular pool to the plasma membrane. cDNAs encoding the major human insulin-responsive glucose transporter have been isolated and indicate that the insulin-responsive glucose transporter expressed by heart, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue is a 509-amino acid protein having 65.3, 54.3, and 57.5% identity with the erythrocyte/HepG2, liver, and fetal muscle glucose transporters, respectively. The gene encoding the insulin-responsive glucose transporter (designated GLUT4) was mapped to the p11----p13 region of the short arm of human chromosome 17 by analyzing its segregation in a panel of reduced human-mouse somatic cell hybrids. In situ hybridization to prometaphase chromosomes indicated that GLUT4 was in band p13. A common two-allele restriction-fragment-length polymorphism (RFLP) was identified with Kpn I, and linkage of this RFLP to other polymorphic DNA markers in this region of chromosome 17 provides a set of probes that will be useful for examining the role of this gene in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus.

Polymorphic human glucose transporter gene (GLUT) is on chromosome 1p31.3----p35.

The glucose transporter is a membrane glycoprotein that is involved in the uptake of glucose by most, if not all, animal cells. A cloned cDNA that encodes the human protein was used to map the gene to a specific chromosomal region and to identify a DNA polymorphism. The human gene (designated GLUT) was assigned to chromosome 1p31.3----p35 by hybridization of the probe to DNA from a panel of human-mouse somatic cell hybrids containing different human chromosomes and by in situ hybridization to isolated metaphase chromosomes. The most likely location of GLUT is in 1p33. A common two-allele restriction-fragment-length polymorphism was identified with Xba I.

Gastric inhibitory polypeptide: structure and chromosomal localization of the human gene.

Gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) is a 42-amino-acid hormone which may have a role in the regulation of insulin secretion. The characterization of cDNA clones encoding this hormone indicates that it is derived by proteolytic processing of a 153-amino-acid precursor. The human gene coding for the human GIP precursor spans approximately 10 kilobase pairs and consists of six exons. Similar to genes encoding other members of the glucagon superfamily, each exon appears to encode a distinct region of the GIP precursor or its mRNA. The promoter region of the human GIP gene contains potential binding sites for a number of transcriptional factors including Sp 1, AP-1, and AP-2. The human GIP gene has been assigned to chromosome 17q21.3----q22.

Human islet amyloid polypeptide gene: complete nucleotide sequence, chromosomal localization, and evolutionary history.

The gene-encoding human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP), a recently discovered 37 amino acid hormone-like polypeptide which is expressed in the insulin-producing beta-cells of the endocrine pancreas, has been isolated and characterized. The coding region of the gene is interrupted in the 5'-untranslated region and NH2-terminal propeptide by introns of 330 and 4808 base pairs (bp), respectively. Exon 1 (104 bp) encodes most of the 5'-untranslated region of the mRNA; exon 2 (95 bp) encodes 15 nucleotides of 5'-untranslated region, the putative 22 amino acid signal peptide and five residues of the NH2-terminal propeptide; exon 3 (1246 bp) encodes the remainder of the NH2-terminal propeptide (residues 6-9), the IAPP moiety and its processing signals and the 16 amino acid COOH-terminal propeptide, as well as the 3'-untranslated region of the mRNA (1059 bp). Analysis of the nucleotide and predicted amino acid sequence of intron 2 of the hIAPP gene did not reveal any homology with the structurally related calcitonin/calcitonin-gene-related peptide genes and indicated that, in contrast to these latter genes, the hIAPP gene apparently gives rise to only a single hormonal product. The transcriptional initiation site was identified about 28 bp downstream from a TATAA sequence. The hIAPP gene was localized to the p12.3 region of chromosome 12.

New members of the chemokine receptor gene family.

Chemokines are relatively small peptides with potent chemoattractant and activation activities for leukocytes. Several chemokine receptors have been cloned and characterized and all are members of the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily. Using degenerate oligonucleotides and polymerase chain reaction, we have identified seven novel receptors. Two of these sequences are presented here for the first time. We have shown, with gene mapping studies, that receptors with the highest sequence similarity are closely linked on human chromosomes. This close genetic association suggests a functional relationship as well.

Growth hormone refractory interval to levodopa stimulation.

The GH response to repeat l-dopa stimulation was studied in three phases. In phase I and phase II, 16 normal adults divided into four groups were restimulated at 3, 4, 5, and 6 hours with 500 mg l-dopa and 1000 mg l-dopa, respectively. No response could be elicited at 3 hours and only at 6 hours (500 mg l-dopa) and 5 hours (1000 mg l-dopa) did the repeat responses return in magnitude to that of the initial. The period of decreased responsiveness to GH was terned the "refractory interval". In phase III, addition of an inhibitor of peripheral L-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase (50 mg MK-486) to the restimulation dose shortened but did not eliminate the refractoriness. Our results suggest that the refractory interval is not due to a peripherally located mechanism.

The orphan G-protein-coupled receptor-encoding gene V28 is closely related to genes for chemokine receptors and is expressed in lymphoid and neural tissues.

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) strategy with degenerate primers was used to identify novel G-protein-coupled receptor-encoding genes from human genomic DNA. One of the isolated clones, termed V28, showed high sequence similarity to the genes encoding human chemokine receptors for monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and macrophage inflammatory protein 1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha)/RANTES, and to the rat orphan receptor-encoding gene RBS11. When RNA was analyzed by Northern blot, V28 was found to be most highly expressed in neural and lymphoid tissues. Myeloid cell lines, particularly THP.1 cells, showed especially high expression of V28. We have mapped V28 to human chromosome 3p21-3pter, near the MIP-1 alpha/RANTES receptor-encoding gene.

Exon-intron organization, expression, and chromosomal localization of the human motilin gene.

The human motilin gene has been isolated and characterized. The gene spans about 9 kilobase pairs (kb) and the 0.7 kb motilin mRNA is encoded by five exons. The 22-amino-acid motilin sequence is encoded by exons 2 and 3. The human motilin gene was mapped to the p21.2----p21.3 region of chromosome 6 by hybridization of the cloned cDNA to DNAs from a panel of reduced human-mouse somatic cell hybrids and by in situ hybridization to human prometaphase chromosomes. RNA blotting using RNA prepared from various regions of the human gastrointestinal tract revealed high levels of motilin mRNA in duodenum and lower levels in the antrum of the stomach; motilin mRNA could not be detected by this procedure in the esophagus, cardia of the stomach, descending colon or gallbladder.

Assignment of the gene for human intra-acrosomal protein SP-10 to the p12----q13 region of chromosome 11.

The human sperm antigen SP-10 is a testis-specific, intra-acrosomal protein associated with the membranes of the acrosomal vesicle. The molecule has been designated a "primary vaccine candidate" by a World Health Organization (WHO) Taskforce on Contraceptive Vaccines. cDNA cloning and sequencing have indicated that SP-10 is encoded by a 795-base-pair (bp) reading frame that predicts a 265-amino acid protein of 28.3 kd. In this study, we used a 634-bp fragment (bp 68 through 700, amino acids 3 through 222) of the SP-10 sequence to probe, by Southern blotting, EcoRI-digested DNA from 33 mouse/human somatic cell hybrids involving 16 unrelated human cell lines and 4 mouse cell lines. The hybrids were characterized by karyotypic analysis and by mapped enzyme markers. The presence or absence of positive human bands was scored on the blots and the percent of concordance and discordance with a specific human chromosome was determined. The DNA probe for SP-10 showed a concordance of 31 and a discordancy of 0 for human chromosome 11, mapping SP-10 unequivocally to this chromosome. The hybrid XER-7 with the 11/X translocation: 11p12 or 11p11----11qter:: Xq11----Xqter and the hybrid EXR-5CSAZ with the X/11 translocation: Xpter----Xq22::11q13----11qter localized the SP-10 gene to the p12----q13 region. The SP-10 locus has been assigned the gene symbol ACRV1 (acrosomal vesicle protein-1).