Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.1.26.9 (ribonuclease)
 6,589 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Endothelial cells (EC) are very responsive to the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1). EC are induced by IL-1 to secrete chemotactic factors and to increase expression of cell surface adhesion molecules leading to increased leukocyte adhesion. Activated EC further contribute to the inflammatory response by secreting additional cytokines. IL-1 interacts with EC through high-affinity cell-surface receptors. However, the low number of receptors present on EC has made characterization difficult. Further, recent evidence has suggested diversity in the responses of EC from different regions of the vascular system. Interested in the effect of IL-1 on early atherosclerotic lesion formation, we have characterized the IL-1 receptors on human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC). Using a direct binding assay, we found that HAEC have 1,000-3,000 IL-1 receptors per cell and bind IL-1 alpha with a Kd of 3.5 x 10(-10) M. We found that a monoclonal antibody specific for the type I receptor completely blocks IL-1 alpha binding. The blocking antibody also completely inhibits the IL-1 induced increase in intracellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) expression by HAEC. Using solution hybridization and ribonuclease protection with an antisense probe, a sensitive method for detection of low abundance mRNA species we found that HAEC as well as human umbilical vein EC (HUVEC) have significant levels of mRNA for the type I IL-1 receptor. To test whether HAEC might also contain transcripts for the type II IL-1 receptor, we compared levels of mRNAs by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of cDNAs reverse-transcribed from total RNA. We found only transcripts for the type I receptor and not the type II receptor in HAEC. Based on this data, we conclude that aortic endothelial cells respond to IL-1 through the type I receptor.
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PMID:Human aortic endothelial cells express the type I but not the type II receptor for interleukin-1 (IL-1). 136 15

Using the cDNA coding for the human interferon alpha/beta receptor (IFNAR), the IFNAR gene has been physically mapped relative to the other loci of the chromosome 21q22.1 region. 32,906 base pairs covering the IFNAR gene have been cloned and sequenced. Primer extension and solution hybridization-ribonuclease protection have been used to determine that the transcription of the gene is initiated in a broad region of 20 base pairs. Some aspects of the polymorphism of the gene, including noncoding sequences, have been analyzed; some are allelic differences in the coding sequence that induce amino acid variations in the resulting protein. The exon structure of the IFNAR gene and of that of the available genes for the receptors of the cytokine/growth hormone/prolactin/interferon receptor family have been compared with the predictions for the secondary structure of those receptors. From this analysis, we postulate a common origin and propose an hypothesis for the divergence from the immunoglobulin superfamily.
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PMID:The structure of the human interferon alpha/beta receptor gene. 137 Aug 33

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta and interleukin (IL)-10 inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophage production of the inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF), IL-1 alpha, and IL-1 beta by contrasting post-transcriptional mechanisms. TGF-beta acted slowly and late, as it required 12-16 h to exert a suppressive effect, and inhibited TNF production even when added 6 h after LPS. TGF-beta affected neither the level of TNF mRNA, the release of preformed TNF nor the degradation of TNF. Thus, TGF-beta appeared to inhibit translation of TNF mRNA. IL-10 not only suppressed TNF release to a 25-fold greater extent than TGF-beta, but also inhibited release of IL-1. In contrast to TGF-beta, IL-10 acted on an early step in cytokine production, its effect being maximal 3 h after addition of LPS. Unlike TGF-beta, IL-10 markedly suppressed TNF, IL-1 alpha, and IL-1 beta mRNA levels. However, this was accomplished without suppressing transcription of the corresponding genes. Moreover, cycloheximide antagonized the IL-10-dependent reduction in cytokine mRNA levels. Thus, IL-10 may induce a ribonuclease active on cytokine transcripts or may induce a protein that enhances the susceptibility of TNF, IL-1 alpha, and IL-1 beta mRNAs to ribonucleolytic action. We conclude that IL-10 and TGF-beta induce different phenotypes of macrophage deactivation, and deactivate macrophages by different mechanisms: IL-10 promotes degradation of cytokine mRNA, while TGF-beta primarily suppresses translation.
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PMID:Contrasting mechanisms for suppression of macrophage cytokine release by transforming growth factor-beta and interleukin-10. 142 77

Interferon-alpha (IFN) induces the enzyme 2-5 oligoadenylate synthetase (2-5 AS) in cells from patients with hairy cell leukemia and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia and this is associated with a breakdown of certain species of cytokine messenger (m)RNA via the activation of a latent ribonuclease. We have studied the expression of the cytokines interleukin 1-beta (IL-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF) as well as of the ribonuclease activator 2-5 AS in the presence and absence of IFN in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) blast cells from 26 patients. Before monocyte and T-cell depletion there was no expression of IL-1, IL-6 or GM-CSF, and only three of 13 patients studied expressed TNF mRNA. After cell depletion one or more cytokine was expressed in 31-62% of the 26 patients. Expression of one or more mRNA for IL-1, IL-6, GM-CSF and TNF after 18 h incubation was detected in 16 of 26 patients (63%) and this was particularly so in French-American-British (FAB) subtypes M4 and M5. Eight of nine patients with IL-6 mRNA expression and seven of 10 with IL-1 mRNA expression were in the FAB subtypes M4 and M5. Twenty-two of 26 patients showed induction of 2-5 AS mRNA in response to IFN in vitro. Exposure to IFN resulted in reduction of IL-1 mRNA in nine of 12 cases, of IL-6 mRNA in eight of nine, and GM-CSF mRNA in five of seven cases. TNF mRNA was unaffected by IFN despite 2-5 AS induction in 12 of 13 patients expressing this cytokine. In the presence of exogenous IFN, cells from six of seven patients studied showed inhibition of 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA. DNA synthesis could also be abrogated in six of seven patients with anti-IL-1 monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) and in two of seven with anti-IL-6 MoAb. This inhibitory effect could be reversed in all patients when anti-IL-1 or anti-IL-6 was given in combination with their corresponding cytokine. These data suggest that IFN may exert a therapeutic effect in a proportion of AML patients by blocking IL-1 and IL-6 mediated growth, consequent on activation of the ribonuclease activator 2-5 AS.
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PMID:Effects of interferon-alpha (IFN) on the expression of interleukin 1-beta (IL-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts. 143 98

Recent evidence suggests that tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF) is an autocrine growth factor for the chronic B-cell malignancies hairy cell leukaemia (HCL) and some cases of B-chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL). Incubation with TNF in vitro has been shown to increase viability, DNA synthesis and the expression of the protooncogenes myc, fos and jun in the tumour cells from these patients. TNF in vitro also increases expression of TNF-mRNA, suggesting the existence of an autocrine growth loop for TNF in these cells. Current experiments are compatible with the hypothesis that interferon alpha (IFN) interferes with this autocrine growth loop in HCL and B-CLL by stimulating degradation of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) for a number of cytokines including that of TNF. This RNA degradation may be mediated through induction of the enzyme 2,5 oligo-A synthetase with consequent increased synthesis of 2,5 oligo-A which is known to stimulate the activity of a latent ribonuclease capable of degrading cytokine mRNAs. Circulating tumour-derived TNF may also contribute to the pancytopenia in HCL and B-CLL. Whether cytokine autocrine growth loops are important in other B-cell malignancies, e.g. myeloma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and subject to IFN-stimulated breakdown needs further study.
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PMID:Possible mechanism of action of interferon alpha in chronic B-cell malignancies. 193 2

Granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF) is a potent stimulator of macrophages and neutrophils and is produced by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovium. We now report studies that identify some of the synovial cells and cytokines responsible for local GM-CSF production and gene expression in RA. GM-CSF was assayed by ELISA in supernatants from cultured RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes stimulated with various cytokines (IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, macrophage-CSF, IFN-gamma, IL-6, and TGF-beta). Immunoreactive GM-CSF was detected in IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha-stimulated cultures, but not in cells cultured in medium or stimulated with any of the other cytokines. IL-1 and TNF-alpha had a synergistic effect on GM-CSF production. GM-CSF gene expression by fibroblast-like synoviocytes was analyzed by ribonuclease protection assay, Northern blot analysis, and in situ hybridization. Both IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha induced GM-CSF mRNA accumulation, with a maximum effect after 4 h of stimulation. We then studied GM-CSF production by macrophage-like synoviocytes (MLS) isolated from fresh synovial specimens by flow microfluorimetry. Fresh MLS spontaneously secreted the cytokine and exogenous IL-1 beta or TNF-alpha had no effect. After 1 wk in culture, additional stimulation with IL-1 beta or TNF-alpha was required for GM-CSF production. Finally, in situ hybridization performed on freshly isolated subpopulations of synovial cells, identified GM-CSF RNA transcripts in MLS.
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PMID:Cytokines in chronic inflammatory arthritis. VI. Analysis of the synovial cells involved in granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor production and gene expression in rheumatoid arthritis and its regulation by IL-1 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. 202 69

The B lymphoproliferative disorders B chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) and hairy cell leukemia (HCL) produce a number of autocrine growth factors, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and IL-1, all of which may induce positive feedback growth loops. If such malignancies depend on these autocrine growth loops for survival, their interruption may be therapeutically valuable. Interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) abrogates TNF- or IL-6-induced proliferation of HCL and B-CLL cells in vitro and has therapeutic activity in these diseases. We have investigated the possibility that IFN-alpha may act by interrupting autocrine growth factor loops. If purified B-CLL or HCL cells are cultured in the presence of TNF, there is induction of mRNA for TNF, IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-6. However, culture in the presence of IFN-alpha in addition to TNF reduced the level of mRNA for all these cytokines, compared with cells cultured in TNF alone. While cytokine mRNA levels were diminished, levels of mRNA for the ribonuclease activator 2-5A synthetase were increased. Analysis of the kinetics of cytokine mRNA production showed that levels fall shortly after the rise of 2-5A synthetase mRNA. IFN-alpha may produce these effects by shortening the half-life of cytokine mRNA, since TNF mRNA half-life in B-CLL and HCL cells is substantially reduced when the cells are cultured with IFN-alpha. These data suggest that IFN-alpha may mediate its therapeutic effects in these malignancies by blocking autocrine growth factor loops.
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PMID:Effects of interferon alpha on autocrine growth factor loops in B lymphoproliferative disorders. 225 3

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important intercellular signaling molecule synthesized in diverse human tissues by proteins encoded by a family of NO synthase (NOS) genes. The similarity of sequence and cofactor binding sites has suggested that the NOS genes may also be related to cytochrome P450 reductase, as well as to plant and bacterial oxidoreductases. Endothelial NOS activity is a major determinant of vascular tone and blood pressure, and in several important (and sometimes hereditary) disease states, such as hypertension, diabetes, and atherosclerosis, the endothelial NO signaling system appears to be abnormal. To explore the relationship of the endothelial NOS gene to other similar genes, and to delineate the genetic factors involved in regulating endothelial NOS activity, we isolated the human gene encoding the endothelial NOS. Genomic clones containing the 5' end of this gene were identified in a human genomic library by applying a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based approach. Identification of the human gene for endothelial NOS (NOS3) was confirmed by nucleotide sequence analysis of the first coding exon, which was found to be identical to its cognate cDNA. The NOS3 gene spans at least 20 kb and appears to contain multiple introns. The transcription start site and promoter region of the NOS3 gene were identified by primer extension and ribonuclease protection assays. Sequencing of the putative promoter revealed consensus sequences for the shear stress-response element, as well as cytokine-responsive cis regulatory sequences, both possibly important to the roles played by NOS3 in the normal and the diseased cardiovascular system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Isolation and chromosomal localization of the human endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) gene. 751 68

Steel factor (SF), the ligand for c-kit, is an essential regulator of normal hematopoiesis, melanogenesis, gametogenesis, and mast-cell growth and development. Hematopoietic stromal cells are important sources of SF, because inactivation of SF in mice results in defects in the support function of hematopoietic stromal cells. To identify specific cells that produce, and factors that govern the expression of the different isoforms of SF in human hematopoiesis, we quantified levels of SF mRNA and membrane-bound protein in human stromal cells before and after exposure to recombinant human interleukin (IL)-1 alpha, a cytokine known to induce the expression of a variety of hematopoietic growth factors. In addition, because stromal cells in longterm bone marrow cultures (LTBMC) are supportive of hematopoietic progenitor cell survival in vitro, while umbilical vein endothelial cells (EC) and diploid fibroblasts (DF) are not, we also sought to test the hypothesis that SF gene expression would differ in cells from LTBMC when compared with EC or DF. Using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction amplification (RT-PCR), ribonuclease protection assays (RPA), and Northern blot analysis, SF was found to be constitutively transcribed in EC, DF, and LTBMC. IL-1 alpha neither induced accumulation of SF mRNA nor altered the ratio of exon 6+ to exon 6- transcripts in these stromal cells. By Northern blot analysis, the predominant SF mRNA species was shown to be 5.6 kb; a minor population of 3.6 kb was also found. Low levels of membrane-bound SF protein were found to be constitutively expressed by all three types of stromal cells, and were not regulated by IL-1 alpha. We conclude that the unique capacity of LTBMC to support in vitro hematopoiesis, when compared with EC or DF, cannot be explained on the basis of qualitative or quantitative differences in SF gene expression in these cells.
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PMID:Constitutive expression of steel factor gene by human stromal cells. 768 92

Differentiation inhibiting activity/leukaemia inhibitory factor (DIA/LIF) is a pleiotropic cytokine which has been implicated in a variety of developmental and physiological processes in mammals due to its broad range of biological activities in vitro. A role in very early development is suggested by the requirement for DIA/LIF to support the self-renewal of cultured embryonic stem (ES) cells. Other data point to potential roles in the establishment and maintenance of primordial germ cells, in osteogenesis and in haematopoiesis, and possibly in neuronal specification. DIA/LIF may also act as a mediator of the hepatic acute phase response. In the present study the expression of DIA/LIF transcripts during murine development and in adult mice has been determined using a highly sensitive ribonuclease protection analysis. In contrast to previous reports, it is apparent that DIA/LIF transcripts are present at low levels in many adult mouse tissues. Higher levels of expression are observed in skin, lung, intestine, and uterus. Elevated amounts of mRNA are also found in certain foetal tissue during late gestation and neonatally. In earlier embryogenesis, however, DIA/LIF mRNA is produced primarily in extraembryonic tissues. The alternative transcripts which produce either soluble or matrix-associated DIA/LIF exhibit overlapping but non-identical patterns of expression, consistent with the proposition that the two isoforms may have distinct biological functions. These findings are suggestive of widespread roles for DIA/LIF in vivo and are discussed in the light of available data on the phenotype of homozygous DIA/LIF-deficient mice.
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PMID:Expression of alternative forms of differentiation inhibiting activity (DIA/LIF) during murine embryogenesis and in neonatal and adult tissues. 768 30


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