Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.6.1.44 (AGT)
 770 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Our previous studies have shown that human skin cancers occurring on sun-exposed body sites frequently contain activated Ha-ras oncogenes capable of inducing morphologic and tumorigenic transformation of NIH 3T3 cells. In this study, we analyzed human primary squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) and basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) occurring on sun-exposed body sites for mutations in codons 12, 13, and 61 of Ha-ras, Ki-ras, and N-ras oncogenes by amplification of genomic tumor DNAs by the polymerase chain reaction, followed by dot-blot hybridization to synthetic oligonucleotide probes designed to detect single base-pair mutations. In addition to the primary human skin cancers, we also analyzed Ha-ras-positive NIH 3T3 transformants for mutations in the Ha-ras oncogene. The results indicated that all three NIH 3T3 transformants, 11 of 24 (46%) SCCs, and 5 of 16 (31%) BCCs contained mutations at the second position of Ha-ras codon 12 (GGC----GTC), predicting a glycine-to-valine amino acid substitution, whereas only 1 of 40 skin cancers (an SCC) displayed a mutation in the first position of Ki-ras codon 12 (GGT----AGT), predicting a glycine-to-serine amino acid change. In addition, three of the SCCs contained highly amplified copies of the N-ras oncogene in their genomic DNA. Interestingly, two of the SCCs containing amplified N-ras sequences also had G----T mutations in codon 12 of the Ha-ras oncogene. These studies demonstrate that mutations in codon 12 of the Ha-ras oncogene occurred at a high frequency in human skin cancers originating on sun-exposed body sites, whereas mutation in codon 12 of Ki-ras or amplification of N-ras occurred at a low frequency. Since the mutations in the Ha-ras and Ki-ras oncogenes were located opposite potential pyrimidine dimer sites (C-C), it is likely that these mutations were induced by ultraviolet radiation present in sunlight.
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PMID:Ras gene mutation and amplification in human nonmelanoma skin cancers. 206 25

The point mutations occurring in codons 12 and 13 of Ki-ras in 78 patients with colorectal carcinoma (31 Dukes' A and B, 21 Dukes' C, and 26 Dukes' D) have been determined by allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization and sequencing. Duplicate samples of invasive primary carcinoma, adjacent normal tissue, and available lymph node and liver metastases from the same patients were microdissected from paraffin sections. There were no differences in the mutation rate between primary carcinomas and secondary deposits: 26 of 78 (33 per cent) primary carcinomas, 10 of 32 (31 per cent) lymph node metastases, and 10 of 26 (38 per cent) liver metastases. Multiple sampling revealed frequent heterogeneity within carcinomas: 9 of 26 primaries with Ki-ras mutations also contained areas of carcinoma with only the wild-type gene, implying that Ki-ras mutation, even when present in a colonic carcinoma, may not have been necessary for establishing the malignant phenotype. Also, 2 of 26 (8 per cent) Dukes' D patients had a mutation in their primary carcinoma but none in liver metastases and 6 of 47 (13 per cent) Dukes' C and D patients had mutations in liver or lymph node metastases but none in the primary carcinoma. Such heterogeneity may modify the effectiveness of novel therapies targeting mutant Ki-ras function, such as farnesyltransferase inhibition. Mutation of codon 12 from GGT (glycine) to GTT (valine) was more prevalent in primary and metastatic deposits of Dukes' C/D carcinomas (P = 0.01) than in primary carcinomas from Dukes' A/B patients. Mutations of codon 12 to GAT, AGT, GCT and codon 13 GGC to GAC were also found, but no correlation with carcinoma aggressiveness was apparent. Follow-up of 71/78 patients (up to 12 years) revealed decreased overall survival (P = 0.001) in patients with the GGT to GTT transversion in codon 12, even when the analysis was restricted to Dukes' D cases, supporting the suggestion that this mutation may confer a more aggressive phenotype in colorectal carcinoma.
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PMID:Heterogeneity of mutant versus wild-type Ki-ras in primary and metastatic colorectal carcinomas, and association of codon-12 valine with early mortality. 971 38

O6-Alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT, EC 2.1.1.63) is a principle DNA repair protein in repairing O6-alkylguanine in DNA, a major premutagenic lesion produced by environmental and therapeutic alkylating agents. AGT plays a critical role in protecting cells against mutation and cytotoxicity induced by these alkylating agents. The existence of a large interindividual variation in human AGT activity level has been observed and we hypothesize that genetic polymorphism of AGT could be an important determinant for this variation. The present study reports the identification of a novel missense polymorphism in the human AGT gene. The polymorphic alteration occurs at codon 143 in exon 5, converting isoleucine (ATC) to valine (GTC). Because Ile143 is adjacent to the alkyl acceptor Cys145 of the AGT active site and is conserved among mammalian AGTs, amino acid substitution at this position may affect the function of AGT. The codon 143 polymorphism appears to be linked to another new polymorphic alteration at codon 178, which converts lysine (AAG) to arginine (AGG). Because it has been reported that human AGT can be truncated at position 176 without loss of activity, the codon 178 polymorphism may not affect AGT activity. The codon 143/178 polymorphism was found in two of 90 (2%) esophageal cancer patients residing in a high incidence area of China, but was not detected in 60 normal individuals residing in the same area. Six of 28 (210%) non-cancer Caucasian individuals, however, were found to carry this polymorphic allele, suggesting a significant ethnic difference in distribution of this codon 143/178 polymorphism between Chinese and Caucasian individuals. In addition, we confirmed the existence of a codon 84 genetic polymorphism previously identified in a Japanese population, which converts leucine (CTT) to phenylalanine (TTT). The distribution of codon 84 polymorphism was 16%, 20% and 36%, respectively, in the Chinese esophageal cancer patients, Chinese and Caucasian non-cancer individuals. Coexistence of codons 84 and 143/178 polymorphic alterations was found in one Caucasian individual. In all the Chinese (n = 150) and Caucasian (n = 28) samples examined, we were unable to detect a previously reported codon 160 polymorphism (Gly to Arg) which occurred in 10-25% of the Japanese individuals and was shown to affect the reaction of AGT with the drug O6-benzylguanine. The functional significance of the codon 143/178 genetic polymorphism of human AGT and its role in determining an individual's susceptibility to environmental alkylating carcinogens and response to alkylating chemotherapeutic drugs both remain to be studied.
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PMID:Genetic polymorphism of human O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase: identification of a missense variation in the active site region. 1020 46

Mutations in the Kirsten ras 2 (K-ras) gene were described as early events in the process of colorectal carcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to find a possible relationship between the presence of K-ras mutation in samples of primary colorectal carcinomas and the clinico-pathological data of the investigated patients. Mutation in codon 12 of the K-ras gene was determined in 18 of 53 colorectal carcinomas (34%) in our group of patients. The presence of K-ras gene mutations was not related to gender, age of subject at diagnosis, staging or cancer location (p > 0.05). Sixteen of the 42 (38%) moderately differentiated carcinomas, and two of the eight (25%) well differentiated carcinomas contained K-ras mutation in codon 12, but none of the three poorly differentiated carcinomas contained the mutation. Moderately differentiated tumours contained an aspartate code GAT (in eight cases), a valine code GTT (in six cases), an alanine code GCT (in one case) and a serine code AGT (in one case) in codon 12. Well differentiated tumours contained only the valine code GTT (two cases). Our results show that the frequency of mutations in the K-ras gene in carcinomas in Central Europe is not different from the frequencies found in other parts of the world. The homogeneous incidence of K-ras mutation does not seem to be related to ethnic factors, dietary habits, or the composition of the diet.
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PMID:A relationship between K-ras gene mutations and some clinical and histologic variables in patients with primary colorectal carcinoma. 1051 Jul 29

An association between preeclampsia (PE) and a common missense mutation of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR), a C to T substitution at nucleotide 677 (C677T), which converts an alanine to a valine residue, has been reported in Italian and Japanese populations. We examined 101 cases of hypertension in pregnancy (HP), including 73 cases of PE, and 215 normal pregnancy controls to confirm the association in Japanese women. No significant differences of the frequency of the T677 allele frequency or percentage of T677 homozygotes were detected among the various types of cases: HP (0.38, 12%, respectively), severe HP (0. 40, 12%), PE (0.38, 11%), severe PE (0.41, 11%), primiparous HP (0. 40, 12%), primiparous PE (0.44, 18%), nonelderly HP (0.39, 13%), nonelderly PE (0.40, 14%), nonobese HP (0.38, 12%), nonobese PE (0. 39, 10%), HP without homozygous T235 of the angiotensinogen gene (TT of AGT) (0.38, 15%), PE without TT of AGT (0.38, 15%), and controls (0.38, 15%). The results indicate that T677 of MTHFR may not be a risk factor for PE in Japanese population.
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PMID:Absence of association between a common mutation in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene and preeclampsia in Japanese women. 1086 14

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) types I-V have been inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. OI type I is associated with mutations in COL1A1 mostly due to a null allele. OI types II-IV are associated with mutations in COL1A1 or COL1A2 and mostly are due to glycine substitutions. It has been suggested that the effect of glycine substitutions is position specific, and the substitution of glycine by serine has much less lethal effect than the substitutions by valine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, arginine and cysteine. We report identification of c.3064G>A, GGT>AGT, Gly1022Ser (Gly(844) --> Ser844 in triple helix) in exon 43 of the COL1A1 gene in an 8-year-old girl with OI type III. Our report provides evidence that at triple helix glycine residue 844 (p.Gly1022), a glycine substitution by serine can result in OI type III but not a lethal outcome.
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PMID:Identification of a missense mutation of c.3064G>A, Gly1022Ser in exon 43 of COL1A1 gene in a girl with osteogenesis imperfecta type III. 2307 83

Emergence of antiviral resistance among H5N1 avian influenza viruses is the major challenge in the control of pandemic influenza. Matrix 2 (M2) inhibitors (amantadine and rimantadine) and neuraminidase inhibitors (oseltamivir and zanamivir) are the two classes of antiviral agents that are specifically active against influenza viruses and are used for both treatment and prophylaxis of influenza infections. Amantadine targets the M2 ion channel of influenza A virus and interrupts virus life cycle through blockade of hydrogen ion influx. This prevents uncoating of the virus in infected host cells which impedes the release of ribonucleoprotein required for transcription and replication of virion in the nucleus. The present study was carried out to review the status of amantadine resistance in H5N1 viruses isolated from India and to study their replicative capability. Results of the study revealed resistance to amantadine in antiviral assay among four H5N1 viruses out of which two viruses had Serine 31 Asparagine (AGT-AAT i.e., S31N) mutation and two had Valine 27 Alanine (GTT-GCT i.e., V27A) mutation. The four resistant viruses not only exhibited significant difference in effective concentration 50% (EC50) values of amantadine hydrochloride from that of susceptible viruses (P < 0.0001) but also showed significant difference between two different types (S31N and V27A) of mutant viruses (P < 0.05). Resistance to amantadine could also be demonstrated in a simple HA test after replication of the viruses in MDCK cells in presence of amantadine. The study identifies the correlation between in vitro antiviral assay and presence of established molecular markers of resistance, the retention of replicative capacity in the presence of amantadine hydrochloride by the resistant viruses and the emergence of resistant mutations against amantadine among avian influenza viruses (H5N1) without selective drug pressure.
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PMID:Amantadine resistance among highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (H5N1) isolated from India. 2663 79

Grafting has been reported as a factor that influences fruit quality. However, a comprehensive study of the metabolic profile related to fruit quality and the underlying molecular mechanism in grafted watermelon has not been carried out. Metabolomics and transcriptome analysis were performed on both pumpkin-grafted watermelon and ungrafted watermelon at different developmental stages. In total, 56 primary metabolites were identified with either high or low abundance between ungrafted and pumpkin-grafted watermelon. The results indicated that ornithine, arginine, lysine (amino acids), glucose, sucrose, glucosamine (sugars), malic acid, fumaric acid and succinic acid (organic acids) were among the dominant metabolites influencing fruit quality. Additionally, comparative RNA sequence analysis on grafted and ungrafted watermelon yielded 729, 174, 128 and 356 differentially expressed genes at 10, 18, 26 and 34 days after pollination (DAP), respectively. Functional annotations of these genes indicated that grafting significantly altered the biological and metabolic processes related to fruit quality. Our comparative metabolomics and transcriptome analysis revealed that FBA2, FK, SuSy, SPS, IAI, AI and sugar transporter gene (SWT3b) might play a central role in the accumulation of glucose and sucrose, whereas higher malic acid content was attributed to high down regulation of ALMT13 and ALMT8 in pumpkin-grafted watermelon. Changes in the ornithine, glutamine, alanine, tyrosine, valine, asparagine, phenylalanine, arginine and tryptophan contents were consistent with the transcript level of their metabolic genes such as NAOD, GS, AGT, TaT, aDH1, OGDH, aDC, 4CL 1, PaL, CaT and two nitrate transporter genes (NRT1) in pumpkin-grafted watermelon. This study provides the basis for understanding the graft-responsive changes in the metabolic profile and regulatory mechanism related to fruit quality.
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PMID:Comparative analysis of primary metabolites and transcriptome changes between ungrafted and pumpkin-grafted watermelon during fruit development. 3193 3