Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts: Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound   Target Concepts: Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound

---

Query: EC:3.2.1.23 (beta-galactosidase)
14,648 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Chloragocytes were isolated from the earthworm species Lumbricus terrestris. After mechanical dissociation and sedimentation through Percoll, a highly purified fraction of viable chloragocytes was obtained. The isolated chloragocytes accumulated the vital dye neutral red and reduced the tetrazolium dye MTT, thereby indicating cellular integrity. Time of flight flow cytometric analyses revealed a main population of large and highly granulated cells in the 30-33 microm size range. Hydrolase measurements showed that beta-D-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase and acid phosphatase exhibited the highest activities (146.6 and 24.9 mU/mg of protein, respectively), possibly indicating a major role for these 2 hydrolases in the physiological function of chloragocytes. In contrast, other acid hydrolases such as beta-D-galactosidase and beta-D-glucuronidase had specific activities of respectively 26 and 182 times lower than the glucosaminidase. The specific activity of the membrane-bound alkaline phosphatase was comparable to that of its acid counterpart (18.9 vs. 24.9 mU/mg of protein, respectively) and this level of activity may show an important trans-membrane activity in chloragocytes. The cytoplasmic and mitochondrial enzyme isocitrate dehydrogenase had a level of activity comparable to that of the exclusively cytoplasmic enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (6.6 vs. 8.1 mIU/mg of protein, respectively). When L. terrestris chloragocyte homogenates were separated on Percoll, results showed that hydrolases and dehydrogenases were mainly associated with the lighter materials that remained above the Percoll layer. Nonetheless, the detection of significant proportions (15-25%) of the total recovered activity of acid phosphatase and beta-galactosidase in the enriched chloragosome fraction supports the notion that some chloragosomes may be 'lysosome-like' organelles.
...
PMID:Isolation, purification and partial characterization of chloragocytes from the earthworm species Lumbricus terrestris. 974 18

A novel colorimetric microbial bioassay for toxicity has been developed; it shows particular sensitivity to trichothecene mycotoxins. The assay uses inhibition of expression of beta-galactosidase activity within the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus as a sensitive toxicity indicator, cultures remaining yellow, rather than turning deep green-blue, in the presence of X-gal, a chromogenic substrate. The assay is conducted in standard microtitre plates, permitting small volumes (160 microl) and many replicates, and can be scored either automatically by a plate-reader, or by eye. Factors likely to affect the efficacy of the bioassay, including carbon source, solvents, inoculum cell density, and the use of membrane-modulating agents (MMAs), were assessed. Polymyxin B nonapeptide was the most effective toxicity-enhancing MMA tested, enabling the trichothecene mycotoxin, verrucarin A, to be detected at a concentration of about 1 ng/ml. The assay's reproducibility was examined using polymyxin B sulfate, a cheaper MMA, and another trichothecene mycotoxin, T2 toxin: reproducibility and sensitivity were better for the beta-galactosidase X-gal endpoint than for an alternative chromogenic toxicity indicator, the respiratory substrate 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT).
...
PMID:A novel colorimetric yeast bioassay for detecting trichothecene mycotoxins. 1033 72

The present study was undertaken to develop an efficient non-viral gene delivery system for cardiovascular gene therapy. We investigated transfection efficiency and toxic properties of the new transfection reagent, FuGene6, and compared it with two other transfection reagents, Tfx-50 and LipoTaxi. For in vivo experiments, the plasmid was delivered intramuscularly via transplantation of fibroblasts transfected with plasmid and FuGene6. Conditions for efficient gene delivery were initially studied in vitro. Human and rabbit fibroblasts were isolated from skin, cultured and transfected with phVEGF165 or pCMVbeta gal plasmids, coding for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or beta-galactosidase, respectively. The effect of the DNA amount and the DNA:transfection reagent ratio on plasmid uptake were studied. Of the transfection reagents tested, only FuGene6 provided high-efficiency and dose-dependent plasmid transfer both for cell-localised (beta-galactosidase) and secreted (VEGF) gene products. When analysed with an MTT assay, FuGene6 showed no toxicity at low doses. Optimised conditions were applied for in vivo reporter gene delivery. Rabbits were injected intramuscularly with ex vivo-transfected fibroblasts. As in in vitro studies, ex vivo-transfected fibroblasts showed highly efficient gene expression in vivo. Tissue sections were analysed with macrophage-specific immunostaining. No signs of inflammation were seen in the region of fibroblast injection. This study demonstrates that FuGene6 is a highly efficient transfection reagent that may be useful for in vitro non-viral transfection of primary human and rabbit fibroblasts and for in vivo therapeutic non-viral gene delivery.
...
PMID:Highly efficient cell-mediated gene transfer using non-viral vectors and FuGene6: in vitro and in vivo studies. 1102 22

Amphipathic asymmetric dendrimers have been investigated for use in delivery of genes into cells, with the objective of optimising transfection efficiency and maintaining cell viability. We have synthesised amphipathic asymmetric dendrimers by solid phase methods. The ability of two of these to transfect BHK cells in culture with beta-galactosidase gene was determined by X-gal staining. Cell viability was measured by the MTT assay for BHK cells, and by spectroscopy for lysis of erythrocytes. Interactions between dendrimer and DNA were investigated by agarose gel electrophoresis. BHK cells were optimally transfected at 5:1 +/- charge ratio yielding 20% cells receiving at least one copy of the plasmid. Cell viability decreased when the dendrimer to DNA ratio exceeded 5:1. Raising the pH significantly affected the electrophoretic mobility of complexes of dendrimer and DNA. We conclude that amphipathic asymmetric dendrimers enable efficient plasmid DNA uptake into BHK cells. Cell viability is maintained at high concentrations of dendrimer when complexed with DNA at a 5:1 +/- charge ratio. Efficiency of transfection and cell viability suggest the system may be suitable for gene delivery in vivo.
...
PMID:DNA transfection and transfected cell viability using amphipathic asymmetric dendrimers. 1106 10

Serum apolipoprotein AI (apoAI) levels correlate with the risk of developing atherosclerosis. Previous studies have suggested that dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) lowers high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol levels. We investigated whether or not DHEA may lower HDL-cholesterol levels by suppressing apoAI gene transcription in hepatocytes. ApoAI mRNA levels, assessed by Northern blotting, were suppressed in HepG2 cells treated with DHEA (34%) (10 microg/mL) or testosterone (36%) (T, 1 microg/mL). Estradiol alone (E2, 1 microg/mL) had relatively little effect on apoAI mRNA levels, while E2 in combination with DHEA prevented a decrease in apoAI mRNA levels compared to DHEA alone. To determine whether these effects were due to changes in apoAI gene transcription, HepG2 cells were transfected with a plasmid carrying the full-length promoter of the rat apoAI gene ligated into a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter construct. The plasmid pCMV.SPORT-beta-gal was included in each transfection to normalize the data to transfection efficiency. Cells were then cultured in the presence or absence of DHEA (10 microg/mL), T (1 microg/mL), 17alpha-methyltestosterone (MTT, 1 microg/mL), 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT, 1 microg/mL), E2 (1 microg/mL), or a combination of DHEA plus E2, T plus E2, MTT plus E2, and DHT plus E2, for 24 hours. CAT activity, relative to beta-galactosidase activity, was reduced by 19.6%, 57.6%, 38.6%, and 54.6% with DHEA, T, DHT, and MTT addition, respectively. E2 increased CAT activity by 43.8%. When the androgens (ie, DHEA, T, DHT, or MTT) were combined with E2, apoAI promoter activity was suppressed. We conclude, therefore, that androgens downregulate apoAI promoter activity in the presence or absence of E2. However, the changes in mRNA levels do not always reflect changes in promoter activity, suggesting that these steroids may have additional post-transcriptional effects on steady-state apoAI mRNA levels. It remains to be established if the transcriptional effects we observed are mediated through an androgen response element.
...
PMID:Effects of dehydroepiandrosterone on rat apolipoprotein AI gene expression in the human hepatoma cell line, HepG2. 1188 77

We assessed whether the adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of triple human complement regulating proteins (hCRPs) to the porcine aortic endothelium (PAE), could possibly exert a synergistic effect to inhibit human complement activation. Adenovirus vectors, encoding E.Coli beta-galactosidase (AxCALacZ), human membrane cofactor protein (MCP) (AxCAMCP), decay-accelerating factor (DAF) (AxCADAF), and CD59 (AxCACD59) were produced by the COS-TPC method. AxCALacZ was transfected to porcine aortic endothelium cells (PAECs) under various multiplicities of infection (MOI) to determine the efficiency of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer by 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl beta- D-galactopyranoside (X-gal) staining. The mRNA expressions of transfected CRPs were examined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Cellular damage to the PAEC was assessed by an MTT assay. PAEC was most efficiently transfected with the LacZ gene at 10(3) MOI/60-min incubation time (89.1%). In all samples transfected with the CRP gene, the corresponding mRNAs were detected in the RT-PCR. In the MTT assay, PAECs co-cultured with 20% human serum, showed the highest cellular viability after gene transfer of triple CRPs (117.7%), when compared with those of marker LacZ, single or double CRPs. The adenovirus-mediated multiple gene transfer of CRPs may thus be an efficient method for suppressing complement activation in the porcine-to-human model of hyperacute rejection.
...
PMID:Adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of triple human complement regulating proteins (DAF, MCP and CD59) in the xenogeneic porcine-to-human transplantation model. Part I: in vitro assays using porcine aortic endothelial cells. 1201 40

In this work, the tumor suppressor gene p16 was efficiently transferred into FR cells isolated from a patient with malignant mesothelioma using cationic liposomes prepared from trimethyl aminoethane carbamoyl cholesterol (TMAEC-Chol) and triethyl aminopropane carbamoyl cholesterol (TEAPC-Chol). This transfer was performed after preliminary assays were undertaken to find the optimal transfection conditions. Results showed that an efficient transfer of plasmids containing the reporter gene pCMV-beta galactosidase vectorized by TMAEC-Chol/DOPE and TEAPC-Chol/DOPE liposomes into mesothelioma FR cells was obtained as assessed by luminometric measurements of beta-galactosidase activity. Cytotoxicity studied by MTT test showed that at concentrations used for this study, the cationic liposomes have no effect on cell growth. Transfer into mesothelioma FR cells of a plasmid construct containing the tumor suppressor gene p16 was carried out with these liposomes. Western blotting and immunofluorescence showed the presence of p16 in treated cells. An inhibition of cell growth was observed, indicating that efficient tumor suppressor gene transfer can be performed by using cationic liposomes.
...
PMID:Transfer into a mesothelioma cell line of tumor suppressor gene p16 by cholesterol-based cationic lipids. 1265 54

Chitosan has the potential for DNA complexation and is useful as a non-viral vector for gene delivery. Highly purified low molecular weight chitosan (LMWC) was prepared. Lactobionic acid (LA) bearing galactose group was coupled with LMWC for liver-specificity. A series of galactosylated-LMWC (gal-LMWC) samples covering a range of galactose group contents were prepared. The chitosan/DNA complexes were obtained using a complex coacervation process. Gal-LMWCs were used to transfer pSV-beta-galactosidase reporter gene into human hepatocellular carcinoma cell (HepG2), L-02, SMMC-7721, and human cervix adenocarcinoma cell line (HeLa) cell lines in vitro. Transfection efficiency of gal-LMWCs was evaluated by beta-galactosidase assay and compared with those of lipofectin, calcium phosphate (CaP), high molecular weigh chitosan (HMWC) and LMWC. Gal-LMWC/DNA complex shows a very efficient cell selective transfection to hepatocyte. The transfection efficiency of gal-LMWCs increased with the improvement of the galactosylation degree. Cytotoxicity of gal-LMWC was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazd-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltentrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and the results show that the modified chitosan has relatively low cytotoxicity, giving the evidence that the modified chitosan vector has the potential to be used as a safe gene-delivery system.
...
PMID:Galactosylated low molecular weight chitosan as DNA carrier for hepatocyte-targeting. 1267 2

We have developed defective herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) vectors, based on amplicon plasmids with a replication-deficient mutant, as helper for the transfer of the glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67) or beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) gene as control directed by HCMV promoter into neuronal-like cells (PC12) and primary neurons. GAD67 protein was detected immunochemically, while GAD67 activity in virus-producing and nonproducing cell lines was detected enzymatically or by GABA release. Infection with GAD67-expressing amplicon vectors enhanced the resistance of PC12 cells to H(2)O(2). This protection was related to increased energy metabolism, as shown by MTT reduction and ATP level, and involved the GABA shunt, as shown by the reduction in ATP level seen in the presence of gamma-vinyl GABA (GVG), a specific GABA transaminase inhibitor. Level of glutathione (GSH), which requires ATP for its synthesis, was increased by the GAD67 transgene. The activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase involved in the maintenance of the NADPH that can be used for the regeneration of the GSH pool, was increased by infection with amplicon vectors. Thus, replication-deficient HSV-1 and the GAD67 transgene have complementary neuroprotective effects and infection with GAD67-expressing amplicon vectors was able to protect nondifferentiated cortical neurons from glutamate toxicity mediated by oxidative stress. Such defective GAD67-expressing HSV-1, as neurotropic vector, should be helpful in neurodegenerative diseases implicating alterations of energy metabolism and oxidative stress in neuronal cells expressing GABA transaminase.
...
PMID:Enhancement of neuronal protection from oxidative stress by glutamic acid decarboxylase delivery with a defective herpes simplex virus vector. 1463 8

RIN cells were infected with recombinant Semliki Forest virus (SFV) particles containing the LacZ gene. X-gal staining showed 100% infectivity of the cell cultures and high-level expression of bacterial beta-galactosidase in these cells. The cytopathogenic effects of the SFV infection were studied by measuring the viability of the RIN cells. Comparisons between control RIN cells and Bcl-2 overexpressing RIN cells were done 72 h post-infection. Significant differences in viability levels were observed. The control RIN cells showed in the MTT assay a mean value of 0.156+/-0.017 compared to 0.347+/-0.057 for the RIN/Bcl-2 cells. FACS analysis of cells labelled with propidium iodide indicated that only an average of 4.5+/-0.5% of the control cells were viable 72 h post-infection, while 44.5+/-3.5% of the RIN/Bcl-2 cells were still alive. Thus, the Bcl-2 overexpression clearly protected the SFV-infected cells from undergoing apoptosis.
...
PMID:Anti-apoptotic effect of Bcl-2 overexpression in RIN cells infected with Semliki Forest virus. 1464 53


1 2 3 Next >>

---