Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.7.48 (transcriptase)
 9,479 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Lysosomal degradation of ganglioside GM2 by beta-hexosaminidase A (hex A) requires the presence of the GM2 activator protein (GM2AP) as an essential cofactor. A deficiency of the GM2 activator causes the AB variant of GM2 gangliosidosis, a recessively inherited disorder characterized by excessive neuronal accumulation of GM2 and related glycolipids. Two novel mutations in the GM2 activator gene (GM2A) have been identified by the reverse-transcriptase-PCR method--a three-base deletion, AAG262-264, resulting in a deletion of Lys88, and a single-base deletion, A410, that causes a frameshift. The latter results in substitution of 33 amino acids and the loss of another 24 amino acid residues. Both patients are homoallelic for their respective mutations inherited from their parents, who are heteroallelic at the GM2A locus. Although the cultured fibroblasts of both patients produce normal levels of activator mRNA, they lack a lysosomal form of GM2AP. Pulse/chase labeling of cultured fibroblasts of the patients, in presence and absence of brefeldin A, indicates a premature degradation of both--mutant and truncated--GM2APs in the endoplasmic reticulum or Golgi. These results were supported by in vitro translation experiments and expression of the mutated proteins. When the mutated GM2APs were expressed in Escherichia coli, both mature GM2AP forms turned proved to exhibit only residual activities in an in vitro assay.
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PMID:Molecular analysis of a GM2-activator deficiency in two patients with GM2-gangliosidosis AB variant. 890 Feb 33

Aggregation of high affinity IgE receptors (Fc epsilonRI) expressed on mast cells and basophils is a potent stimulus for the release of inflammatory mediators from cytoplasmic granules. Fc epsilonRI-dependent exocytosis requires activation of protein kinase C and mobilization of calcium from intra- and extracellular stores. However, how these events ultimately regulate the membrane fusion step between cytoplasmic granules and the plasma membrane still remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of the small GTPases of the rab3 subfamily in the regulated exocytosis following stimulation of rat basophilic leukemia cells (RBL-2H3). Analysis using reverse-transcriptase-based PCR showed that RBL-2H3 cells expressed rab3a and rab3d isoforms, with a predominance of rab3d at the mRNA level. Investigation of the subcellular distribution using isoform-specific Abs demonstrated that the majority of rab3a was expressed in the cytosol, whereas rab3d was found predominantly in the membrane fraction. To determine whether these proteins play a role in Fc epsilonRI-triggered exocytosis, we established RBL-2H3 transfectants that overexpressed wild-type and expressed GTP-binding mutant forms (N135I) of rab3a and rab3d. Whereas expression of rab3a proteins did not significantly affect degranulation as tested by beta-hexosaminidase release, those of both wild-type and mutant rab3d proteins inhibited degranulation. Calculations of the initial fast and of the second slow release rates showed that they are both inhibited about twofold, suggesting that rab3d interferes with a rate-limiting step in Fc epsilonRI-stimulated exocytosis.
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PMID:Involvement of the ras-like GTPase rab3d in RBL-2H3 mast cell exocytosis following stimulation via high affinity IgE receptors (Fc epsilonRI). 930 Jul 4