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)

A receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), TIE (tyrosine kinase that contains immunoglobulin-like loops and epidermal growth factor [EGF] homology domains), is expressed in vascular endothelial and hematopoietic cells. We generated monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) against the extracellular domain of TIE and a polyclonal antibody against the TIE carboxyterminus and used them to analyze expression of TIE in hematopoietic cells. Western blotting detected two forms of TIE protein with a molecular mass of 135 and 130 kD in hematopoietic and endothelial cells. Northern blotting analysis revealed that TIE was expressed preferentially in undifferentiated cell lines, especially when megakaryocytic, but not erythroid differentiation was induced. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed that TIE was predominantly expressed in the human hematopoietic progenitor fraction, CD34+ cells. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) showed that 42% of CD34+ and 17% of KIT-positive (KIT+) cells were TIE-positive (TIE+). The majority (81%) of the primitive hematopoietic stem cells, CD34+CD38- cells, were TIE+. Assays of progenitor cells and long-term culture-initiating cells (LTC-IC) showed that the TIE+ fraction contained more primitive cells than the TIE- fraction. Some TIE+ cells were in the CD34- fraction, which were CD19+ and CD20+ (B cells). These findings indicate that TIE has a unique spectrum of expression in primitive hematopoietic stem cells and B cells. Although its ligand has not been identified, TIE and its ligand may establish a novel regulatory pathway not only in early hematopoiesis, but also in the differentiation and/or proliferation of B cells.
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PMID:Predominant expression of a receptor tyrosine kinase, TIE, in hematopoietic stem cells and B cells. 854 81

The tyrosine kinase receptor, KIT, and its ligand, KL are important regulators of germ cell development. The aim of this study was to examine in detail the expression of the genes encoding these proteins (White and Steel, respectively) during the fetal period (14.5-18.5 days post coitum, dpc) and the two weeks after birth in mouse ovaries using the highly sensitive in situ reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (in situ RT-PCR). KL and KIT mRNAs were not detected in 14.5-15.5 dpc ovaries but, between 16.5 and 17.5 dpc, most of the oocytes in the outer regions of the ovaries positively stained for both mRNAs. The majority of the co-expressing oocytes were identified at the zygotene/pachytene stage of meiotic prophase I. At 18.5 dpc, positive staining for KL mRNA was present only in the somatic cells in the outer regions of the ovaries. At birth, faint KL mRNA-labelled somatic cells were mainly found in the central region of the ovaries and, by P7-14, a higher level of expression was detected in the follicle cells of one- and two-layered growing follicles. Between 17.5 dpc and birth, most of the oocytes expressed KIT mRNA and, from P7 onward, there was a considerable accumulation of transcripts in the growing oocytes. The results of in situ RT-PCR were confirmed by RT-PCR on purified populations of oocytes, and at protein level by means of immunohistochemistry. The co-expression of KL and KIT in a fraction of fetal oocytes suggests that the KL/KIT system, besides the well known paracrine functions on germ cells, may exert a novel autocrine role during the mid-stage of the oocyte meiotic prophase. The possibility that this autocrine loop plays a role in sustaining the survival of fetal oocytes in this stage is supported by the finding that the addition to the culture medium of anti-KL or anti-KIT antibodies led to a significant increase in oocyte apoptosis in the absence of exogenous KL.
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PMID:KL/KIT co-expression in mouse fetal oocytes. 1253 25

Osteosarcoma is a malignant bone tumor that commonly affects adolescents and young adults. In the present study a human osteosarcoma cell line, KTHOS, was established from a primary osteosarcoma lesion in the distal femur of a 16-year-old girl. After 106 passages, the KTHOS cell line retained the biological characteristics of osteosarcoma. The KTHOS cells had spindle to pleomorphic cytoplasm with round to ovoid nuclei containing multiple prominent nucleoli, as expected based on the mesodermic origin of osteoblasts. The KTHOS cells were immunoreactive for osteocalcin, osteonectin, stem cell factor (SCF), and KIT (CD117). Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction indicated that the KTHOS cell line expressed mRNA for SCF and KIT. The KTHOS cells produced relatively high amounts of soluble SCF as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results suggest that cell proliferation of the KTHOS cell line might be involved in autocrine and/or paracrine loops of the SCF/KIT signaling system. The KTHOS cell line is a novel human osteosarcoma cell line that releases SCF and expresses KIT. This cell line can be used for studies to explore the mechanisms for oncogenesis of human osteosarcomas.
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PMID:Establishment and characterization of a KIT-positive and stem cell factor-producing cell line, KTHOS, derived from human osteosarcoma. 1569 48

Synovial sarcoma (SS) is a mesenchymal spindle cell tumor which displays variable epithelial differentiation. It commonly arises around the major joints or tendon sheaths in young adults, but is not commonly seen in the stomach. We experienced a case of primary gastric SS. The patient is a 22-year-old male, who presented with epigastric pain. Upper endoscopy showed an ulcer of 25 mm in diameter with marginal elevation on the posterior mid-gastric body. Biopsy of the ulcer base showed monotonous proliferation of small spindle-shaped cells on HE-stain. On immunohistochemical staining, these cells were positively stained with vimentin, cytokeratin, epithelial membrane antigen, and CD99, but were negative for KIT, CD34, desmin, and S-100 protein. These findings were compatible with SS of monophasic type. Diagnosis of primary gastric SS was made because there were no other primary lesions, nor metastatic lesions. The wedge resection was performed. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), using the RNA from frozen neoplastic tissue of the resected specimen, detected a fusion gene called SYT-SSX1, specific for SS. Though SS arising in the stomach is rare, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of KIT-negative gastric spindle cell tumor.
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PMID:Primary synovial sarcoma of the stomach--a case report and review of the literature. 2391 Jan 74