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)

An E. coli expression clone coding for human proinsulin, which was fused to NH2-terminal beta-galactosidase, was engineered for the separation from host proteins by introducing peptide devices, and for the sequential removal of the fused polypeptide by cyanogen bromide in front of the NH2 terminal residue (methionine) of the human proinsulin gene. Short synthetic genes encoding oligopeptide residues including (Glu)n, (His)n, (Trp)n, and (Ser)n (n = 10 or 11), which have certain characteristic physical properties such as metal-affinity, polarity, hydrophobicity, and hydrophilicity, respectively, were inserted at the junction region of the gene fusion. Interestingly, it was found that among the oligopeptides, the oligohistidine residue as an affinity-tag has greatly facilitated the procedures for FPI purification, particularly in the manner of selective metal-affinity precipitation. The chelating peptide covering the NH2-terminal beta-galactosidase portion could then be removed simply after purification to generate a protein with the natural amino acid sequence of proinsulin by cyanogen bromide.
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PMID:Metal affinity engineering of proinsulin carrying genetically attached (His)10-X-Met affinity tail and removal of the tag by cyanogen bromide. 776 85

A soluble domain of the interleukin(IL)-2 receptor, the alpha chain synthesized in Escherichia coli, was employed to study expression and refolding of the protein. The results showed that it is possible to obtain biologically active synthetic methionine-free IL-2 receptor alpha chain (synIL-2R alpha) after BrCN cleavage and renaturation of the crude cleavage material, although the alpha chain is expressed as a deglycosylated, methionine-free protein. The soluble receptor comprises amino acids 1-219 and forms 5 disulfide bonds in its biologically active state. Biological activity has been analysed by affinity chromatography and ELISA with mutant [Ala125]IL-2 and monoclonal antibodies as ligands. Renaturation yield is limited mainly by the high aggregation rate of incorrectly folded protein. Aggregation could be limited by varying the oxidation conditions. The deletion of a non-bridging cysteine at position 192 in the synIL-2R alpha did not affect the renaturation yield of the receptor protein. Additionally a cysteine-free and methionine-free beta-galactosidase derivative was fused to the soluble synIL-2R alpha derivatives to prevent reoxidation of incorrect disulfide bonds in the crude BrCN-cleavage material. It is suggested that cysteine impurities from cyanogen-bromide-cleaved peptides might interfere seriously with the refolding process of the synthetic IL-2 receptor alpha-subunit.
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PMID:Isolation and refolding of a mutant methionine-free interleukin-2-receptor alpha chain synthesized as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli. 803 3

In an effort to detect active renal tubular dysfunction in 74 epileptic patients being treated with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), we measured the urinary activity of two lysosomal enzymes, N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG) and beta-galactosidase (beta-gal). The heterogeneity of the types of seizures and therapeutic regimens permitted us to examine the potential differences in AED effects. We also examined the chronological changes in the urinary excretion rates of NAG and beta-gal in 132 healthy controls, aged 3 months to 37 years. Increased NAG excretion rates (defined as > or = 2 S.D. compared with age-matched controls) were found in 36.5% of the patients. Valproic acid was highly associated with this increase, and in combination with potassium bromide caused the highest levels of NAG excretion. Among the patients taking carbamazepine, only 11.1% exhibited high levels of NAG in urine. Children under 1 year of age showed higher levels of NAG excretion than older patients. In spite of the abnormally high urinary excretion of NAG, we could not detect any signs of renal dysfunction by urinalysis and measurement of blood urea nitrogen and serum electrolytes. We cannot exclude the possibility that the increased levels of urinary NAG in epileptic patients might be due to renal tubular enzyme induction by AEDs.
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PMID:Urinary excretion of N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase and beta-galactosidase by patients with epilepsy. 821 37

The application of cationic liposome reagents has advanced DNA and mRNA transfection research in vitro, and data are accumulating which show their utility for in vivo gene transfer. However, chemical structure-activity data leading to a better mechanistic understanding of their biological activity is still limited. Most of the cationic lipid reagents in use today for this application are formulated as liposomes containing two lipid species, a cationic amphiphile and a neutral phospholipid, typically dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE). The studies reported here examine the effects of some systematic chemical structural changes in both of these lipid components. Cationic and neutral phospholipids were formulated together as large multilamellar vesicles (MLV) or small sonicated unilamellar vesicles (SUV) in water, and each formulation was assayed quantitatively in 96-well microtiter plates under 64 different assay conditions using COS.7 cells and an RSV-beta-galactosidase expression plasmid. The cationic lipid molecules used for these studies were derived from a novel series of 2,3-dialkyloxypropyl quaternary ammonium compounds containing a hydroxyalkyl moiety on the quaternary amine. A homologous series of dioleylalkyl (C18:1) compounds containing increasing hydroxyalkyl chain lengths on the quaternary amine were synthesized, formulated with 50 mol % DOPE, and assayed for transfection activity. The order of efficacy was ethyl > propyl > butyl > pentyl > 2,3-dioleyloxypropyl-1-trimethyl ammonium bromide (DOTMA). DOTMA, which is commercially available under the trademark Lipofectin Reagent, lacks a hydroxyalkyl moiety on the quaternary amine. A homologous series of hydroxyethyl quaternary ammonium derivatives with different alkyl chain substitutions were synthesized, formulated with 50 mol % DOPE, and assayed in the transfection assay. The order of transfection efficacy was dimyristyl (di-C14:0) > dioleyl (di-C18:1) > dipalmityl (di-C16:0) > disteryl (di-C18:0). The addition of 100 microM chloroquine in the transfection experiment enhanced the activity of the dioleyl compound by 4-fold and decreased the activity of the dimyristyl compound by 70%. For each of the compounds and formulations examined in this report, large multilamellar vesicles (MLV; diameter 300-700 nm) were more active than small unilamellar vesicles (SUV; diameter 50-100 nm). The neutral phospholipid requirements for transfection activity in COS.7 cells with these cationic lipid molecules were examined.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:Enhanced gene delivery and mechanism studies with a novel series of cationic lipid formulations. 830 May 83

A new method for mammalian cell transformation is proposed which is based on incorporation of plasmids into interpolyelectrolyte complexes (IPECs) with carbon chain polycations. The method is illustrated by examples of pRSV CAT and p beta-Gal plasmid IPECs with poly(N-ethyl-4-vinylpyridinium bromide) (C2PVP) and poly(N-ethyl-4-vinylpyridinium)-poly(N-cetyl-4-vinylpyridinium+ ++) bromides random copolymer (C16PVP). These IPECs are produced spontaneously due to formation of a cooperative system of interchain electrostatic bonds after mixing DNA and polycation solutions. The interaction of IPEC with normal mouse fibroblasts NIH 3T3, human T-lymphoma "Jurkat", and Mardin Darby canine kidney cells has been studied. The data obtained has revealed that plasmid incorporation into IPECs significantly enhances both DNA adsorption on the plasma membrane and DNA uptake into a cell. The in vitro transformation of NIH 3T3 cells was monitored by a standard cloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) assay (pRSV CAT plasmid) and by detection of beta-galactosidase (beta-Gal) expression using 4-methylumbeliferril beta-D-galactopyranoside as a substrate (p beta-Gal plasmid). In both cases it has been proved that IPEC-incorporated plasmids possess an ability for efficient cell transformation. The transforming activity of IPECs depends on their composition and polycation chemical structure. Under optimal conditions the efficiency of cell transformation with IPECs is several fold higher than that observed during standard calcium phosphate precipitation. The mechanism of the phenomenon observed is discussed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Efficient transformation of mammalian cells using DNA interpolyelectrolyte complexes with carbon chain polycations. 830 14

Transformed Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells overexpressing the Escherichia coli LacZ gene and the transcriptional activator GAL4, release in the external medium a fraction (from 2 to 10%) of the total beta-galactosidase activity (Porro et al., 1992b). It is known that this abnormal release of a cytoplasmic protein is related to a partial cell lysis of the yeast population, which is likely to be caused by the overexpression of the transcriptional activator GAL4. In the present paper we have characterized the GAL4-induced cell lysis phenomenon. The expression of the GAL4 gene causes morphological modifications and alteration of the cell size distribution. The cell lysis is independent of the expression of the heterologous LacZ gene and occurs in a specific subpopulation of cells (the parent cells) independently of the genealogical age, growth phase conditions and cell cycle progression. Lysis is preceded by a loss of the plasma membrane integrity as indicated by the uptake of ethidium bromide in unfixed cells. Computer analysis of simulated protein distributions indicates that cell lysis takes place in a sizeable aliquot (about 50%) of the parent cells, therefore profoundly altering the age structure of the population.
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PMID:Alteration of cell population structure due to cell lysis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells overexpressing the GAL4 gene. 834 73

Gene transfer with vectors derived from murine retroviruses is restricted to cells which are proliferating and synthesizing DNA at the time of infection. This suggests that retroviral-mediated gene transfer might permit targeting of gene integration into malignant cells in organs composed mainly of quiescent nonproliferating cells, such as in the brain. Accordingly, selective introduction of genes encoding for susceptibility to otherwise nontoxic drugs ("suicide" genes) into proliferating brain tumors may be used to treat this cancer. We investigated the efficacy and dynamics of in vivo transduction of growing brain tumors with the herpes simplex-thymidine kinase gene followed by administration of the antiviral drug ganciclovir. Ganciclovir is phosphorylated by thymidine kinase to toxic triphosphates that interfere with DNA synthesis, resulting in the preferential death of the transduced tumor cells. Rats inoculated with 4 x 10(4) 9L gliosarcoma cells into the frontal lobe were treated 7 days later with an intratumoral stereotaxic injection of murine fibroblasts (NIH 3T3 cells) that were producing a retroviral vector containing the herpes simplex-thymidine kinase gene. Controls received vector producer and nonproducer NIH 3T3 cell lines containing the Escherichia coli lacZ (beta-galactosidase) gene as well as nonproducer NIH 3T3 cells containing the thymidine kinase gene. The animals were rested for 7 days to allow time for in situ transduction of the proliferating tumor cells with the herpes-thymidine kinase retroviral vector. The animals were then treated with ganciclovir, 15 mg/kg i.p. twice a day for 14 days. Gliomas receiving an injection of 3-5 x 10(6) thymidine kinase producer cells regressed completely in 23 of 30 rats given ganciclovir therapy, while 25 of 26 control rats developed large tumors. Intratumoral injection of a lower concentration of thymidine kinase vector producer cells (1.8 x 10(6)) resulted in a lower frequency of tumor regression (5 of 13 rats). To estimate the efficiency of in vivo gene transfer, 9L brain tumors were given injections of 5 x 10(6) beta-galactosidase vector producer cells. 5-Bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-beta-D-galactopyranaside staining revealed maximal staining of beta-galactosidase within the tumor 7-14 days after injection of the vector producer cells. In vivo transduction rates in harvested tumors ranged from 10 to 70%. There was no evidence of transduction of the surrounding normal neural tissue. Occasional blood vessel endothelial cells within or adjacent to the tumor were observed to be 5-bromo-4- chloro-3-indolyl-beta-D-galactopyranaside positive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:In situ retroviral-mediated gene transfer for the treatment of brain tumors in rats. 803 19

An Escherichia coli tyrosine auxotroph (MR1) with an inducible lacZ was generated by mutagenesis. Of several tyrosine derivatives tested, only m-fluorotyrosine supported the growth of this mutant and allowed synthesis of active beta-galactosidase. The pH profiles of the beta-galactosidase that was obtained when this mutant was grown on m-fluorotyrosine (81.5% of the tyrosine was replaced by m-fluorotyrosine) indicated that a tyrosine may be acting as a general acid-base catalyst and that it (or another tyrosine with the same pKa) may be involved in substrate binding. Inactivation of normal beta-galactosidase by treatment with lactoperoxidase in the presence of I- did not affect affinity-column binding, but incubation of this iodinated beta-galactosidase with chymotrypsin caused a rapid degradation of a portion of the treated enzyme equal to the portion of the activity that was lost. A study with 125I- showed that the rapid degradation was mainly confined to iodinated molecules of enzyme. These studies indicate that iodination of beta-galactosidase does not affect binding ability, but causes the enzyme to lose catalytic activity and become susceptible to chymotryptic action. Chloroperoxidase also caused rapid inactivation of normal beta-galactosidase in the presence of Br- or I-, but there was a lag followed by a slow inactivation in the presence of Cl-.
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PMID:The properties of beta-galactosidases (Escherichia coli) with halogenated tyrosines. 839 70

Although remyelination of demyelinated CNS axons is known to occur after transplantation of exogenous glial cells, previous studies have not determined whether cell transplantation can restore the conduction properties of demyelinated axons in the adult CNS. To examine this issue, the dorsal columns of the adult rat spinal cord were demyelinated by x-irradiation and intraspinal injections of ethidium bromide. Cell suspensions of cultured astrocytes and Schwann cells derived from neonatal rats transfected with the (beta-galactosidase) reporter gene were injected into the glial-free lesion site. After 3-4 weeks nearly all of the demyelinated axons were remyelinated by the transplanted Schwann cells. The dorsal columns were removed and maintained in an in vitro recording chamber; conduction properties were studied using field potential and intra-axonal recording techniques. The demyelinated axons exhibited conduction slowing and block, and a reduction in their ability to follow high-frequency stimulation. Axons remyelinated by transplantation of cultured Schwann cells exhibited restoration of conduction through the lesion, with reestablishment of normal conduction velocity. The axons remyelinated after transplantation showed enhanced impulse recovery to paired-pulse stimulation and greater frequency-following capability as compared with both demyelinated and control axons. These results demonstrate the functional repair of demyelinated axons in the adult CNS by transplantation of cultured myelin-forming cells from the peripheral nervous system in combination with astrocytes.
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PMID:Restoration of normal conduction properties in demyelinated spinal cord axons in the adult rat by transplantation of exogenous Schwann cells. 862 58

The cationic liposome DOTAP was complexed with plasmid DNA encoding beta-galactosidase in various ratios. As the concentration of DOTAP increased, the DNA became increasingly refractory to staining with ethidium bromide, presumably because the DNA was becoming condensed and being encapsulated by the liposomes. Transfection by DNA-DOTAP complexes at all ratios tested was unaffected by treatment of the complexes with DNase I. This finding has relevance to clinical trials for gene therapy of cystic fibrosis, in which patients are normally removed from treatment with DNase before receiving administration of DNA. We additionally tested the effect of aerosolisation of the liposome-DNA complex and of the DNA alone on the efficiency of in vitro transfection. Aerosolised DNA complexed with fresh DOTAP led to much lower reporter gene expression in Cos 7 cells than non-aerosolised complex, since aerosolisation appeared to destroy almost all of the plasmid. However, complexing the plasmid before passage through the nebuliser did protect most of the DNA from degradation, as reflected in the levels of transfection obtained. These findings contribute towards an overall understanding of both how DNA-cationic liposome complexes are formed and their fate following administration in vivo.
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PMID:Plasmid DNA molecules complexed with cationic liposomes are protected from degradation by nucleases and shearing by aerosolisation. 887 34


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