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Query: UMLS:C0027819 (neuroblastoma)
 27,800 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Comparison of several isolation procedures for neuroblastoma poly(A)-containing mRNAs shows that the highest percentage recovery of undegraded and biologically active messenger RNAs is obtained using proteinase K prior to phenol extraction. The messenger RNAs thus isolated comprise approximately 1.5% of the total ribosomal RNAs and have negligible contamination with 18 and 28 S RNAs. On denaturing polyacrylamide gels they have an average molecular weight of 6.5-10(5) with a range from 2.2-10(5) to 1.53-10(6). The messenger RNAs have an average poly(A) content of 154 nucleotides. They are highly active in wheat germ in vitro protein synthesizing systems, giving as much as 4.3 pmol [35S]methionine incorporation into total protein per mol of mRNA. This is almost as active as a control globin mRNA preparation.
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PMID:Quantitation and characterisation of poly(A)-containing messenger RNAs from mouse neuroblastoma cells. 56 Feb 10

Scrapie and related transmissible spongiform encephalopathies result in the accumulation of a protease-resistant form of an endogenous brain protein called PrP. As an approach to understanding the scrapie-associated modification of PrP, we have studied the processing and sedimentation properties of protease-resistant PrP (PrP-res) in scrapie-infected mouse neuroblastoma cells. Like brain-derived PrP-res, the neuroblastoma cell PrP-res aggregated in detergent lysates, providing evidence that the tendency to aggregate is an intrinsic property of PrP-res and not merely a secondary consequence of degenerative brain pathology. The PrP-res species had lower apparent molecular masses than the normal, protease-sensitive PrP species and were not affected by moderate treatments with proteinase K. This suggested that the PrP-res species were partially proteolyzed by the neuroblastoma cells. Immunoblot analysis of PrP-res with a panel of monospecific anti-PrP peptide sera confirmed that the PrP-res species were quantitatively truncated at the N terminus. The metabolic labeling of PrP-res in serum-free medium did not prevent the proteolysis of PrP-res, showing that the protease(s) involved was cellular rather than serum-derived. The PrP-res truncation was inhibited in intact cells by leupeptin and NH4Cl. This provided evidence that a lysosomal protease(s) was involved, and therefore, that PrP-res was translocated to lysosomes. When considered with other studies, these results imply that the conversion of PrP to the protease-resistant state occurs in the plasma membrane or along an endocytic pathway before PrP-res is exposed to endosomal and lysosomal proteases.
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PMID:N-terminal truncation of the scrapie-associated form of PrP by lysosomal protease(s): implications regarding the site of conversion of PrP to the protease-resistant state. 168 7

Previous studies have indicated that scrapie infection results in the accumulation of a proteinase K-resistant form of an endogenous brain protein generally referred to as prion protein (PrP). The molecular nature of the scrapie-associated modification of PrP accounting for proteinase K resistance is not known. As an approach to understanding the cellular events associated with the PrP modification in brain tissue, we sought to identify proteinase K-resistant PrP (PrP-res) in scrapie-infected neuroblastoma cells in vitro and to compare properties of PrP-res with those of its normal proteinase K-sensitive homolog, PrP-sen. PrP-res was detected by immunoblot in scrapie-infected but not uninfected neuroblastoma clones. Densitometry of immunoblots indicated that there was two- to threefold more PrP-res than PrP-sen in one infected clone. Metabolic labeling and membrane immunofluorescence experiments indicated that PrP-sen was located on the cell surface and could be removed from intact cells by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C and proteases. In contrast, PrP-res was not removed after reaction with these enzymes. Thus, either the scrapie-associated PrP-res was not on the cell surface or it was there in a form that is resistant to these hydrolytic enzymes. Attempts to detect intracellular PrP-res by immunofluorescent staining of fixed and permeabilized cells revealed that PrP was present in discrete perinuclear Golgi-like structures. However, the staining pattern was similar in both scrapie-infected and uninfected clones, and thus the intracellular staining may have represented only PrP-sen. Analysis of scrapie infectivity in cells treated with extracellular phospholipase, proteinase K, and trypsin indicated that, like PrP-res, the scrapie agent was not removed from the infected cells by any of these enzymes.
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PMID:Normal and scrapie-associated forms of prion protein differ in their sensitivities to phospholipase and proteases in intact neuroblastoma cells. 196 4

Both the cellular and scrapie isoforms of the prion protein (PrP) designated PrPc and PrPSc are encoded by a single-copy chromosomal gene and appear to be translated from the same 2.1-kb mRNA. PrPC can be distinguished from PrPSc by limited proteolysis under conditions where PrPC is hydrolyzed and PrPSc is resistant. We report here that PrPC can be released from the surface of both normal-control and scrapie-infected murine neuroblastoma (N2a) cells by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PIPLC) digestion and it can be selectively labeled with sulfo-NHS-biotin, a membrane impermeant reagent. In contrast, PrPSc was neither released by PIPLC nor labeled with sulfo-NHS-biotin. Pulse-chase experiments showed that [35S]methionine was incorporated almost immediately into PrPC while incorporation into PrPSc molecules was observed only during the chase period. While PrPC is synthesized and degraded relatively rapidly (t1/2 approximately 5 h), PrPSc is synthesized slowly (t1/2 approximately 15 h) and appears to accumulate. These results are consistent with several observations previously made on rodent brains where PrP mRNA and PrPC levels did not change throughout the course of scrapie infection, yet PrPSc accumulated to levels exceeding that of PrPC. Our kinetic studies demonstrate that PrPSc is derived from a protease-sensitive precursor and that the acquisition of proteinase K resistance results from a posttranslational event. Whether or not prolonged incubation periods, which are a cardinal feature of prion diseases, reflect the slow synthesis of PrPSc remains to be established.
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PMID:Scrapie and cellular prion proteins differ in their kinetics of synthesis and topology in cultured cells. 196 66

Numerous studies have indicated that a modified proteinase K-resistant form of an endogenous brain protein, prion protein (PrP), is associated with scrapie infection in animals. This scrapie-associated PrP modification appears to occur posttranslationally in brain, but its molecular nature is not known. To learn about the normal PrP biosynthesis and whether it is altered by scrapie infection in vitro, we did metabolic labeling experiments with uninfected and scrapie-infected mouse neuroblastoma tissue culture cells. Pulse-chase labeling experiments indicated that, in both cell types, two major PrP precursors of 28 and 33 kilodaltons (kDa) were processed to mature 30- and 35- to 41-kDa forms. Endoglycosidase H, tunicamycin, and phospholipase treatments revealed that the 28- and 33-kDa precursors resulted from the addition of high-mannose glycans to a 25-kDa polypeptide containing a phosphatidylinositol moiety and that maturation of the precursors involved the conversion of the high-mannose glycans to hybrid or complex glycans. Treatments of the live cells with trypsin and phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C indicated that the mature PrP species were expressed solely on the cell surface, where they were anchored by covalent linkage to phosphatidylinositol. Once on the cell surface, the major PrP forms had half-lives of 3 to 6 h. No differences in PrP biosynthesis were observed between the scrapie-infected versus uninfected neuroblastoma cells.
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PMID:Prion protein biosynthesis in scrapie-infected and uninfected neuroblastoma cells. 256 14

A number of studies have indicated that an endogenous brain protein, PrP, is associated with transmissible agents causing spongiform encephalopathies such as scrapie, kuru, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. It has been proposed that PrP derived from scrapie brain is the scrapie agent itself. To test directly whether the PrP mRNA in scrapie brain tissue can encode the scrapie agent, we expressed PrP cDNA cloned from scrapie-infected mouse brain in vitro. The expressed PrP did not transmit scrapie to susceptible mice. Thus either PrP is not the scrapie agent, or the expressed PrP requires additional modification to be infectious. The normal function of PrP is unknown, however, comparison of the amino acid sequences of PrP from mouse, hamster, and human revealed that many structural features of potential functional significance have been conserved during evolution. To learn about normal PrP and whether it is altered by scrapie infection in vitro, we have performed studies of PrP biosynthesis in normal and scrapie-infected mouse neuroblastoma tissue culture cells. The major PrP species were glycoproteins anchored at the cell surface by covalent linkage to phosphatidylinositol. No scrapie-associated modifications of PrP biosynthesis were observed, and, none of the metabolically labeled PrP observed in either scrapie-infected normal cells was resistant to proteinase K.
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PMID:Comparative sequence analysis, in vitro expression and biosynthesis of mouse PrP. 257 73

Scrapie, a spongiform encephalopathy of sheep and goats, is caused by a poorly understood transmissible agent in which no nucleic acid has been conclusively identified. Biochemical characterization of agent derived from animal tissues has not been precise because of the tenacious association of the agent with tissue components. As an approach toward obtaining homogeneous preparations of agent generated in vitro, we cloned scrapie-infected neuroblastoma cells. By frequency analysis, nearly every cell in expanded cultures contained scrapie agent. We also analyzed cell-dose infectivity relationships and developed a standard curve which allowed various cultures to be compared. Since a proteinase K (PK)-resistant form of a protein designated prion protein (PrP) has been found in partially purified preparations of scrapie agent from infected animal spleens and brains, we sought to identify this protein in cell cultures. No PK-resistant PrP was found in infected or uninfected cultures, although the PK-sensitive PrP was readily detected. These results suggested that PK-resistant PrP may not be an essential component of the infectious scrapie agent.
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PMID:Analyses of frequency of infection, specific infectivity, and prion protein biosynthesis in scrapie-infected neuroblastoma cell clones. 289 75

The mouse neuroblastoma cell line NB2A produces cellular and secreted acetylcholinesterase (AChE). After incubation of the cells for 4 days the ratio between AChE secreted into the medium and AChE in the cells was 1:1. The cell-associated enzyme could be subdivided into soluble AChE (25%) and detergent-soluble AChE (75%). Both extracts contained predominantly monomeric AChE (4.6S) and minor amounts of tetrameric AChE (10.6S), whereas the secreted AChE in the culture supernatant contained only the tetrameric form. All forms were partially purified by affinity chromatography. It could be demonstrated that the secretory and the intracellular soluble tetramers were hydrophilic, whereas the detergent-soluble tetramer was an amphiphilic protein. On the other hand the soluble and the detergent-soluble monomeric forms were amphiphilic and their activity depended on the presence of detergent. By digestion with proteinase K amphiphilic monomeric and tetrameric AChE could be converted to a hydrophilic form that no longer required detergent for catalytic activity. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of [3H]diisopropylfluorophosphate-labelled AChE gave one band at 64 kilodaltons (kD) under reducing conditions and two additional bands at 120 kD and 140 kD under nonreducing conditions.
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PMID:Acetylcholinesterase in mouse neuroblastoma NB2A cells: analysis of production, secretion, and molecular forms. 292 96

Scrapie and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are transmissible, degenerative neurological diseases caused by prions. Considerable evidence argues that prions contain protease-resistant sialoglycoproteins, designated PrPSc, encoded by a cellular gene. The prion protein (PrP) gene also encodes a normal cellular protein designated PrPC. We established clonal cell lines which support the replication of mouse scrapie or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease prions. Mouse neuroblastoma N2a cells were exposed to mouse scrapie prions and subsequently cloned. After limited proteinase K digestion, three PrP-immunoreactive proteins with apparent molecular masses ranging between 20 and 30 kilodaltons were detected in extracts of scrapie-infected N2a cells by Western (immuno-) blotting. The authenticity of these PrPSc molecules was established by using monospecific antiserum raised against a synthetic peptide corresponding to a portion of the prion protein. Those clones synthesizing PrPSc molecules possessed scrapie prion infectivity as measured by bioassay; clones without PrPSc failed to demonstrate infectivity. Detection of PrPSc molecules in scrapie-infected N2a cells supports the contention that PrPSc is a component of the infectious scrapie particle and opens new approaches to the study of prion diseases.
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PMID:Scrapie-infected murine neuroblastoma cells produce protease-resistant prion proteins. 328 80

Scrapie is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of sheep and other mammals in which disease appears to be caused by the accumulation of an abnormal form of a host protein, prion protein (PrP), in the brain and other tissues. The process by which the normal protease-sensitive form of PrP is converted into the abnormal protease-resistant form is unknown. Several hypotheses predict that oligomeric forms of either the normal or abnormal PrP may act as intermediates in the conversion process. We have now identified a 60-kDa PrP derived from hamster PrP expressed in murine neuroblastoma cells. Peptide mapping studies provided evidence that the 60-kDa PrP was composed solely of PrP and, based on its molecular mass, appeared to be a PrP dimer. The 60-kDa PrP was not dissociated under several harsh denaturing conditions, which indicated that it was covalently linked. It was similar to the disease-associated form of PrP in that it formed large aggregates. However, it resembled the normal form of PrP in that it was sensitive to proteinase K and had a short metabolic half-life. The 60-kDa PrP, therefore, had characteristics of both the normal and disease-associated forms of PrP. Formation and aggregation of the 60-kDa hamster PrP occurs in uninfected mouse neuroblastoma cells, which suggests that hamster PrP has a predisposition to aggregate even in the absence of scrapie infectivity. Similar 60-kDa PrP bands were identified in scrapie-infected hamster brain but not in uninfected brain. Therefore, a 60-kDa molecule might participate in the scrapie-associated conversion of protease-sensitive PrP to protease-resistant PrP.
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PMID:A 60-kDa prion protein (PrP) with properties of both the normal and scrapie-associated forms of PrP. 785 15


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