Niemann-Pick C1 disease gene: homology to mediators of cholesterol homeostasis.

Niemann-Pick type C (NP-C) disease, a fatal neurovisceral disorder, is characterized by lysosomal accumulation of low density lipoprotein (LDL)-derived cholesterol. By positional cloning methods, a gene (NPC1) with insertion, deletion, and missense mutations has been identified in NP-C patients. Transfection of NP-C fibroblasts with wild-type NPC1 cDNA resulted in correction of their excessive lysosomal storage of LDL cholesterol, thereby defining the critical role of NPC1 in regulation of intracellular cholesterol trafficking. The 1278-amino acid NPC1 protein has sequence similarity to the morphogen receptor PATCHED and the putative sterol-sensing regions of SREBP cleavage-activating protein (SCAP) and 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase.

Computer assisted tomography of focal cerebral radiation necrosis in the monkey.

The right occipital lobe in a series of pubescent monkeys was exposed to 3500 rads of orthovoltage radiation in a single dose. Sixteen to 38 weeks later the irradiated region broke down, rather abruptly. The visual evoked response, funduscopic photography, cerebral spinal fluid determinations for protein and lactic dehydrogenase, and computer assisted tomography (CAT) were used to anticipate and reflect the breakdown in neural tissue. CAT scanning demonstrated the two main effects of focal delayed radiation necrosis in this model (in a representative monkey): pronounced vasogenic edema from a break in the blood brain barrier, and contralateral hydrocephalus from brain distortion with obstruction of cerebral spinal fluid circulation. These findings were confirmed by postmortem examinations.

Isolated horizontal supranuclear gaze palsy as a marker of severe systemic involvement in Gaucher's disease.

Type 3 neuronopathic Gaucher's disease (GD3) is phenotypically heterogeneous. In many GD3 patients, progressive myoclonus and dementia dominate the illness, with death secondary to progressive CNS disease. We have designated this group as GD3a. We studied 14 children with Gaucher's disease, isolated horizontal supranuclear gaze palsy, and aggressive systemic disease, and designated this group as GD3b. In comparison with 13 children with type 1 non-neuronopathic Gaucher's disease, the GD3b children presented earlier, and were shorter, underweight, and more prone to cardiopulmonary, hepatic, and skeletal complications. One-half of the children died in childhood or adolescence of systemic complications. Patients with at least one copy of the mutation that causes substitution of asparagine for serine at amino acid 370 of glucocerebrosidase did not develop neurologic signs. Patients homoallelic for the mutation causing substitution of leucine for proline at position 444 had severe systemic disease; neurologic signs were frequently, but not invariably, present. Early diagnosis and timely enzyme replacement therapy promise to improve the prognosis in GD3b.

Discrete regional analysis of norepinephrine, dopamine, choline acetyltransferase and glutamic acid decarboxylase in the brain of the newborn and pubescent monkey.

A method is described for the removal of discrete areas of the monkey brain. A detailed mapping of norepinephrine, dopamine, choline acetyltransferase and glutamic acid decarboxylase in the newborn and pubescent monkey brain is presented.

Diverse wild mouse origins of xenotropic, mink cell focus-forming, and two types of ecotropic proviral genes.

We analyzed wild mouse DNAs for the number and type of proviral genes related to the env sequences of various murine leukemia viruses (MuLVs). Only Mus species closely related to laboratory mice carried these retroviral sequences, and the different subclasses of viral env genes tended to be restricted to specific taxonomic groups. Only Mus musculus molossinus carried proviral genes which cross-reacted with the inbred mouse ecotropic MuLV env gene. The ecotropic viral env sequence associated with the Fv-4 resistance gene was found in the Asian mice M. musculus molossinus and Mus musculus castaneus and in California mice from Lake Casitas (LC). Both M. musculus castaneus and LC mice carried many additional Fv-4 env-related proviruses, two of which are common to both mouse populations, which suggests that these mice share a recent common ancestry. Xenotropic and mink cell focus-forming (MCF) virus env sequences were more widely dispersed in wild mice than the ecotropic viral env genes, which suggests that nonecotropic MuLVs were integrated into the Mus germ line at an earlier date. Xenotropic MuLVs represented the major component of MuLV env-reactive genes in Asian and eastern European mice classified as M. musculus molossinus, M. musculus castaneus, and Mus musculus musculus, whereas Mus musculus domesticus from western Europe, the Mediterranean, and North America contained almost exclusively MCF virus env copies. M. musculus musculus mice from central Europe trapped near the M. musculus domesticus/M. musculus musculus hybrid zone carried multiple copies of both types of env genes. LC mice also carried both xenotropic and MCF viral env genes, which is consistent with the above conclusion that they represent natural hybrids of M. musculus domesticus and M. musculus castaneus.

Analogues of butyric acid that increase the expression of transfected DNAs.

Butyric acid has many strong effects on gene expression in mammalian and viral systems, as well as in increasing the expression of recombinant DNAs artificially introduced into cultured cells. We screened 14 analogues of butyric acid for their ability to upregulate expression from 3 different recombinant chloramphenicol acetyltransferase expression vectors stably integrated into NIH 3T3 cells that had been transformed by calcium phosphate transfection or electroporation. Butyric acid, 2-bromobutyric acid, 3-bromopropionic acid, 3-mercaptopropionic acid, vinylacetic acid, and butyraldehyde were found to upregulate human immunodeficiency viral long terminal repeat-, SV40 early gene promoter-, and glucocerebrosidase promoter-directed expression of heterologous genes in cultured cells. Three other analogues had lesser effects; and 6 additional analogues had very little, if any, effect.

An assay for myristoyl-CoA: protein N-myristoyltransferase activity based on ion-exchange exclusion of [3H]myristoyl peptide.

We developed an assay to test for inhibition of myristoyl-CoA:protein N-myristoyltransferase (NMT) activity since this enzyme is important in viral replication and cellular biochemistry. Saccharomyces cerevisae NMT was harvested from Escherichia coli carrying a plasmid vector containing the yeast NMT cDNA. Following the enzyme-catalyzed reaction of [3H]myristoyl-CoA and an octapeptide substrate (GlyAsnAla4Arg2-NH2), the assay mixture was loaded on AG1-8X anion-exchange resin which bound negatively charged reactants and by-products and left a doubly positively charged and nonbinding [3H]myristoyl-peptide product in the supernatant. Optimum conditions for separating reactants and by-products from myristoyl-peptide in a 100-pmol reaction were 450 mg resin and 25% methanol at pH 5.8. Under these conditions 97% of myristic acid and 98% of myristoyl-CoA bound to the resin, whereas 99% of myristoyl peptide remained in the supernatant. The potent inhibitor S-(2-oxopentadecyl)-CoA was tested in our assay system. In addition, high-specific-activity [3H]myristoyl-CoA, synthesized using acyl-CoA synthetase, was purified on a 200-microCi scale (60 nmol) using a reverse-phase C-18 silica gel cartridge. Impurities, including free CoA, were washed from the column using 10% acetonitrile in 10 mM potassium phosphate buffer, pH 7.5, while purified (95% by radiochemical scan) myristoyl-CoA was eluted from the column using 1:1 acetonitrile:phosphate buffer.

Nonecotropic murine leukemia viruses in BALB/c and NFS/N mice: characterization of the BALB/c Bxv-1 provirus and the single NFS endogenous xenotrope.

We used hybridization probes that react specifically with xenotropic and mink cell focus-forming virus envelope sequences to characterize the nonecotropic proviruses of BALB/c and NFS/N mice. Analysis of somatic cell hybrids with different BALB/c chromosomes showed that the 9 xenotropic and more than 20 MCF virus-related proviral sequences in this mouse were present on more than nine BALB/c chromosomes. Multiple copies were found on chromosomes 1, 4, 7, 12, and probably 11, and the copies found on a single chromosome were not identical by restriction enzyme mapping. We also identified and characterized the proviral sequences that give rise to infectious xenotropic virus in both BALB/c and NFS/N mice. BALB/c contains the major locus for induction of infectious virus in inbred mice, Bxv-1, which is on chromosome 1. We showed that this locus contains a single xenotropic provirus on an 18-kilobase HindIII fragment. Restriction enzyme analysis of a hybrid cell DNA that contains only the Bxv-1 xenotropic provirus showed that the Bxv-1 provirus contains restriction enzyme sites characteristic of the infectious virus induced from BALB/c fibroblasts. The Bxv-1 provirus and its flanking sequences also contain the same restriction sites as the provirus thought to contribute U3 long terminal repeat sequences to leukemogenic (class I) AKR MCF viruses. Analysis of cell hybrids made with the nonvirus-inducible strain NFS/N showed that the single xenotropic virus env gene of NFS mice, here termed Nfxv-1, is not on chromosome 1. Unlike that of Bxv-1, the restriction map of Nfxv-1 does not resemble that of any known infectious xenotropic virus including xenotropic viruses isolated from NFS mice. These data suggest that Bxv-1, but not Nfxv-1, is a full-length xenotropic provirus that can be transcribed directly to produce infectious virus.

Use of image analysis to quantitate changes in form of mitochondrial DNA after x-irradiation.

In order to develop a sensitive method that can reliably assess the amount of previous genotoxic exposure, we examined whether relative loss of the supercoiled form of mitochondrial DNA in tissue culture cells could retrospectively reflect exposure to x-irradiation of 375,750, and 1500 roentgens. Five routines of a graphic analysis program named IMAGE developed for the Apple Macintosh II computer were used to densitometrically quantitate the relative amounts of supercoiled and nicked-circular forms of mitochondrial DNA blotted onto nitrocellulose. After x-irradiation, there were dose-dependent losses of supercoiled relative to nicked-circular DNA forms. Further developments in the methodology to evaluate changes in form of mitochondrial DNA should increase the sensitivity and reliability of the dosimetry. The IMAGE program is useful for a wide variety of studies in molecular biology, and is available at no charge.

Molecular and functional characterization of the murine glucocerebrosidase gene.

A genomic clone of glucocerebrosidase (D-glucosyl-N-acyl-sphingosine glucohydrolase; E.C. 3.2.1.45) purified from a genomic library derived from a Balb/c mouse was analyzed by restriction mapping and nucleotide sequencing of its promoter and protein coding regions. Promoter activity was functionally assessed by ligation of a 2 kb glucocerebrosidase fragment to the protein coding segment of a bacterial neomycin resistance gene. Smaller segments of the 5' flanking sequence were then analyzed for their ability to initiate transcription of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene. A 319 bp Eco RI-Bgl II fragment (containing 259 bp upstream of the cDNA 5' limit) ligated to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase open reading frame produced considerable activity.

Amphotropic proviral envelope sequences are absent from the Mus germ line.

We derived an amphotropic murine leukemia virus (MuLV) type-specific probe for use in Southern blot hybridizations with cloned and genomic DNAs. A 133-base-pair RsaI-RsaI fragment from the 5' env region of the amphotropic viral isolate 4070A was subcloned into M13mp18 and radiolabeled in vitro. The probe detected the proviral DNAs in mink cells infected with seven different amphotropic MuLV isolates. The probe did not cross hybridize with the DNAs of molecular clones of ecotropic, mink cell focus-forming, or xenotropic MuLVs; nor did it anneal to the proviral DNAs of four xenotropic or six mink cell focus-forming viral isolates grown in mink cells. DNAs of 12 inbred laboratory mouse strains and more than 15 different wild mouse species and subspecies were examined for the presence of endogenous amphotropic env-related fragments. Amphotropic env-related sequences were found only in the DNAs of wild mice trapped in southern California in an area previously shown to harbor mice producing infectious amphotropic virus. Restriction enzyme analyses of DNAs from these mice showed that amphotropic sequences were not present as germ line copies but were the result of congenital or horizontal infection or both in this population. The DNAs of 11 various mammalian and avian species, including both natural predators of mice and squabs from the farms with virus-positive mice, lacked amphotropic envelope-related sequences.

Comparison of the chromosomal localization of murine and human glucocerebrosidase genes and of the deduced amino acid sequences.

To study structure-function relationships and molecular evolution, we determined the nucleotide sequence and chromosomal location of the gene encoding murine glucocerebrosidase (glucosylceramidase; D-glucosyl-N-acylsphingosine glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.45). In the protein coding region of the murine cDNA, the nucleotide sequence and the corresponding deduced amino acid sequences were 82% and 86% identical to the respective human sequences. All five amino acids presently known to be essential for normal enzymatic activity were conserved between mouse and man. The murine enzyme had a single deletion relative to the human enzyme at amino acid number 273. One ATG translation initiation signal was present in the mouse sequence in contrast to the human sequence, where two start codons have been reported. Nucleotide sequencing of a clone derived from murine genomic DNA revealed that the murine signal for translation initiation was located in exon 2. The locations of all 10 introns were conserved among mouse and man. We mapped the genetic locus for glucocerebrosidase to mouse chromosome 3, at a position 7.6 +/- 3.2 centimorgans from the locus for the beta subunit of nerve growth factor. Comparison of linkage relationships in the human and murine genome indicates that these closely linked mouse genes are also syntenic on human chromosome 1 but in positions that span the centromere.

Nucleotide sequence of the env-specific segment of NFS-Th-1 xenotropic murine leukemia virus.

The sequence of 863 contiguous nucleotides encompassing portions of the pol and env genes of NFS-Th-1 xenotropic proviral DNA was determined. This region of the xenotropic murine leukemia virus genome contains and env-specific segment that hybridizes exclusively to xenotropic and mink cell focus-forming but not to ecotropic proviral DNAs (C. E. Buckler et al., J. Virol. 41:228-236, 1982). The unique xenotropic env segment contained several characteristic deletions and insertions relative to the analogous region in AKR and Moloney ecotropic murine leukemia viruses. Portions of an endogenous env segment cloned from a BALB/c mouse embryo gene library that had a restriction map and hybridization properties typical of xenotropic viruses (A. S. Khan et al., J. Virol. 44:625-636, 1982) were also sequenced. The sequence of the endogenous env gene was very similar to the comparable region of the NFS-Th-1 xenotropic virus containing the characteristic deletions and insertions previously observed and could represent a segment of an endogenous xenotropic provirus.

Characterization and partial nucleotide sequence of endogenous type C retrovirus segments in human chromosomal DNA.

Twenty-six different murine leukemia virus (MuLV)-related clones have been isolated from a human DNA library and characterized by restriction enzyme mapping and reciprocal nucleic acid hybridization reactions. The sequence of approximately 2,600 nucleotides, spanning more than 4.0 kilobases, of one of the MuLV-related cloned human DNAs was also determined. The deduced amino acid sequence permitted the alignment of this prototype cloned human DNA segment with the p12 gag, p30 gag, p10 gag, and pol regions of Moloney MuLV. A majority of the endogenous type C retrovirus-related segments present in human DNA are approximately 6.0 kilobases in size and appear to contain a deletion of env sequences.

Specific hybridization probes demonstrate fewer xenotropic than mink cell focus-forming murine leukemia virus env-related sequences in DNAs from inbred laboratory mice.

We have derived hybridization probes from analogous 100-base-pair segments located within the N-terminal region of gp70 coding sequences which differentiate xenotropic from mink cell focus-forming (MCF)-related murine leukemia virus (MuLV) DNAs. The MCF probe annealed to the integrated proviruses of all six MCF MuLV isolates tested; the xenotropic probe hybridized to the DNAs of all four xenotropic proviral isolates examined. No cross-hybridization was observed, and neither probe reacted with the env segments of amphotropic or ecotropic MuLV DNAs. Southern blot analysis of HindIII- or EcoRI-digested genomic DNAs from a variety of inbred laboratory mice demonstrated the presence of more MCF- than xenotropic MuLV-related segments in every strain tested.