Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.2.1.23 (beta-galactosidase)
 14,648 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A polyclonal antiserum raised against a HeLa cell microtubule-associated protein of Mr 210,000 (210 kD MAP or MAP4), an abundant non-neuronal MAP, was used to isolate cDNA clones encoding MAP4 from a human fetal brain lambda gt11 cDNA expression library. The largest of these clones, pMAP4.245, contains an insert of 4.1 kb and encodes a 245 kD beta-galactosidase fusion protein. Evidence that pMAP4.245 encodes MAP4 sequences includes immunoabsorption of MAP4 antibodies with the pMAP4.245 fusion protein, as well as identity of protein sequences obtained from HeLa 210 kD MAP4 with amino acid sequences encoded by pMAP4.245. The MAP4.245 cDNA hybridizes to several large (approximately 6-9 kb) transcripts on Northern blots of HeLa cell RNA. DNA sequencing of overlapping MAP4 cDNA clones revealed a long open reading frame containing a C-terminal region with three imperfect 18-amino acid repeats; this region is homologous to a motif present in the microtubule (MT)-binding domain of two prominent neuronal MAPs, MAP2 and tau. The pMAP4.245 sequence also encoded a series of unrelated repeats, located in the MAP's projection domain, N-terminal to the MT-binding domain. MAP4.245 fusion proteins bound to MTs in vitro, while fusion proteins that contained only the projection domain repeats failed to bind specifically to MTs. Thus, the major human non-neuronal MAP resembles two neuronal MAPs in its MT-binding domain, while most of the molecule has sequences, and presumably functions, distinct from those of the neuronal MAPs.
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PMID:Non-neuronal 210 x 10(3) Mr microtubule-associated protein (MAP4) contains a domain homologous to the microtubule-binding domains of neuronal MAP2 and tau. 190 96

Although adrenal medullary chromaffin cells have been used extensively for intracerebral grafting, their survival has generally been poor. Improved survival of the implanted cells has been achieved by exposing the chromaffin cells to NGF in vivo. Culture studies have shown, however, that chromaffin cells are converted into sympathetic neurons when NGF is included in the medium. The degree to which such a transdifferentiation may occur in vivo has not been determined. We assessed the effects of cografting chromaffin cells with primary fibroblasts genetically engineered to express NGF. Chromaffin cells from 10 d old rats were implanted with NGF-producing or beta-galactosidase-producing primary fibroblasts (control fibroblasts) into the striatum of 6-hydroxydopamine treated adult rats of the same strain. Eight weeks postgrafting, chromaffin cells cografted with NGF-producing fibroblasts displayed many of the features of mature sympathetic neurons such as large somata, long processes, transmitter vesicles similar to those found in neurons, and positive immunolabeling for the neuronal markers neurofilament, MAP2 and SCG10. Chromaffin-derived neuron number was also significantly enhanced in the presence of NGF-producing fibroblasts. While control fibroblasts were also found to increase chromaffin cell number above that of chromaffin cells grafted alone, the control fibroblasts did not induce neuronal transdifferentiation. These results demonstrate that chromaffin cells cografted with NGF-producing fibroblasts undergo transdifferentiation in vivo and express many characteristics of mature sympathetic neurons. The consequences of this transdifferentiation on the long term survival and function of the transplanted cells in vivo remain to be clarified.
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PMID:Enhanced survival and neuronal differentiation of adrenal chromaffin cells cografted into the striatum with NGF-producing fibroblasts. 786 93

The cells that express Steel factor (SLF) in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract were studied using SLF-lacZ transgenic mice. Expression, detected by beta-galactosidase histochemistry, was evident in cells between the circular and longitudinal muscle layers in the GI tract. Double staining with antibodies specific for the neural markers, PGP 9.5, MAP2 and c-Ret, showed that SLF-lacZ positive cells were enteric neurons. Enteroglia did not express SLF-lacZ. The distribution of expressing cells was complimentary to the expression of c-Kit in myenteric interstitial cells.
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PMID:Enteric neurons express Steel factor-lacZ transgene in the murine gastrointestinal tract. 895 29

Known high and low molecular weight (LMW) MAP2 protein isoforms result from alternative splicing of the MAP2 gene. Contrary to previous reports that MAP2 is neural-specific, we recently identified MAP2 mRNA and protein in somatic and germ cells of rat testis, and showed the predominant testicular isoform is LMW. Although cytoplasmic in neural tissue, MAP2 appeared predominantly nuclear in germ cells using immunohistochemistry. We sought to determine whether this unexpected localization was due to the inclusion of exon 10 within novel LMW MAP2 isoforms. Normally excluded from the LMW MAP2c, exon 10 harbors a putative CcN motif, comprising a nuclear localization sequence (NLS) flanked by regulatory phosphorylation sites for protein kinase CK2 and cdc2 kinase. Characterization of MAP2 mRNA in adult and immature brain and testis, by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction/Southern analysis and Northern blot, identified novel LMW forms containing exons 10 and 11, previously detected only in high molecular weight MAP2a and 2b. The MAP2 NLS targeted a large heterologous protein to the nucleus, as demonstrated using bacterially expressed MAP2-CcN-beta-galactosidase fusion protein and an in vitro nuclear import assay. Antibodies raised against the fusion protein produced a testicular immunohistochemical staining pattern correlating with MAP2 protein distribution in the nucleus of most germ cells, and precipitated both approximately 70-kDa and >220-kDa proteins recognized by the commercial MAP2-specific HM2 monoclonal antibody, supporting our hypothesis of a novel LMW MAP2 isoform. These results demonstrate the presence of a functional NLS in MAP2 and indicate that novel LMW MAP2 isoforms may be targeted to the nucleus in both neural and non-neuronal tissues.
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PMID:Novel low molecular weight microtubule-associated protein-2 isoforms contain a functional nuclear localization sequence. 1038 34

We have generated stable, immortalized cell lines of human NSCs from primary human fetal telencephalon cultures via a retroviral vector encoding v-myc. HB1.F3, one of the human NSC lines, expresses a normal human karyotype of 46, XX, and nestin, a cell type-specific marker for NSCs. F3 has the ability to proliferate continuously and differentiate into cells of neuronal and glial lineage. The HB1.F3 human NSC line was used for cell therapy in a mouse model of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) stroke. Experimental ICH was induced in adult mice by intrastriatal administration of bacterial collagenase; 1 week after surgery, the rats were randomly divided into two groups so as to receive intracerebrally either human NSCs labeled with beta-galactosidase (n = 31) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (n = 30). Transplanted NSCs were detected by 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-beta-d-galactoside histochemistry or double labeling with beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) and mitogen-activated protein (MAP)2, neurofilaments (both for neurons), or glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) (for astrocytes). Behavior of the animals was evaluated for period up to 8 weeks using modified Rotarod tests and a limb placing test. Transplanted human NSCs were identified in the perihematomal areas and differentiated into neurons (beta-gal/MAP2(+) and beta-gal/NF(+)) or astrocytes (beta-gal/GFAP(+)). The NSC-transplanted group showed markedly improved functional performance on the Rotarod test and limb placing after 2-8 weeks compared with the control PBS group (p < .001). These results indicate that the stable immortalized human NSCs are a valuable source of cells for cell replacement and gene transfer for the treatment of ICH and other human neurological disorders. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
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PMID:Brain transplantation of immortalized human neural stem cells promotes functional recovery in mouse intracerebral hemorrhage stroke model. 1721