Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0040822 (tremor)
 18,428 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The dark and light reduction of nitrate and nitrite by cell-free preparations of the blue-green alga Anacystis nidulans has been investigated. The three following methods have been successfully applied to the preparation of active particulate fractions from the alga cells: (a) shaking with glass beads, (b) lysozyme treatment and lysis of the resulting protoplasts, and (c) sonication. The two enzymes of the nitrate-reducing system-namely, nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase-are firmly bound to the isolated pigment-containing particles, and can be easily solubilized by prolonging the vibration or sonication time. Both enzymes-whether solubilized or bound to the particles-depend on reduced ferredoxin as the immediate electron donor. In its presence, the alga particles catalyze the gradual photoreduction of nitrate to nitrite and ammonia, a process that can thus be considered as one of the most simple and relevant examples of Photosynthesis. Some of the properties of nitrate reductase have been studied. Nitrate reductase as well as nitrite reductase are adaptive enzymes repressed by ammonia.
Mol Cell Biochem 1976 Feb 25
PMID:Ferredoxin-dependent photosynthetic reduction of nitrate and nitrite by particles of Anacystis nidulans. 0 27

Calcium-activated neutral protease (CANP) in normal and dysmyelinating mutant, paralytic tremor (PT) rabbit myelin and premyelin fractions was studied using immature (4-5 wk) or adult animals. The enzyme was estimated by determination of its catalytic activity as well as by using immunoblot analysis after SDS-PAGE separation. The presence of two forms of CANP--one activated by calcium in the micromolar concentration (mu CANP) range and the other exhibiting low calcium sensitivity in the millimolar concentration range (m-CANP)--was found in the myelin and premyelin fractions. The developmental pattern of the enzyme activity was different for each of these two enzyme isoforms depending on the fraction studied. The higher activity on CANP (both isoforms) found in PT myelin and premyelin could be related to delayed myelination and/or to the higher turnover rate of already formed myelin. These results suggest complex and specific roles for these isoenzymes during myelin formation as is discussed further in this article. Our results confirm the extensive degradation of myelin basic protein (MBP), proteolipid protein (PLP), and, to a lesser extent, the other myelin proteins by endo- and exogenous CANP. This degradation process was significantly elevated in PT rabbit myelin. Moreover as was shown by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, calcium-controlled proteolysis in nonmutant rabbits affected the net-charge of MBP in a manner similar to that reported for PT myelin, suggesting the possible involvement of CANP in the generation of charge isomers of MBP.
Mol Chem Neuropathol 1992 Jun
PMID:Calcium-activated neutral protease (CANP) in normal and dysmyelinating mutant paralytic tremor rabbit myelin. 141 20

A mutant strain of Han-Wistar rat carries an autosomal recessive gene producing spastic paresis which is characterized by ataxia, tremor and hind limb rigidity. Brains of affected rats and unaffected littermate controls were transected at the mesencephalon into rostral and caudal portions (the caudal portion contained the cerebellum and brainstem). Poly(A)+ mRNA was isolated from pooled rostral or caudal portions and injected into Xenopus oocytes. The oocytes were voltage-clamped and exposed to 1 mM L-glutamate, 500 microM kainate, 500 microM quisqualate, 200 microM N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) or 1 mM gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Oocytes injected with mRNA isolated from the caudal portions of the affected rat brains exhibited statistically significant increases in glutamate and kainate peak current responses compared to oocytes injected with mRNA from other brain samples. No differences were noted in the responses of the groups when exposed to quisqualate, NMDA or GABA. Cerebellar and brain stem mRNA were also isolated separately in different groups of mutants and unaffected littermates. Only oocytes injected with cerebellar mRNA from mutants displayed statistically significant increases in responses to glutamate and kainate. In parallel morphological studies changes in the cerebellum of mutants were also observed. These consisted of a loss of Purkinje cells and an asymmetrical disarrangement of the granule cell layer of cerebellar cortex. Taken together, the physiological and morphological results suggest that alterations in glutamate/kainate receptors in the cerebellum are phenotypic manifestations of the Han-Wistar mutation. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that this mutant rat might serve as a model of glutamate/kainate excitotoxicity in the brain.
Brain Res Mol Brain Res 1991 Aug
PMID:Altered excitatory amino acid function and morphology of the cerebellum of the spastic Han-Wistar rat. 168 5

2-Propylpentylglycinamide (2-PPG), a branched aliphatic amine derivative, was found to be readily deaminated by rat liver monoamine oxidase B in vitro and in vivo. The deamination leads to production of 2-propyl-1-pentaldehyde, which can be subsequently converted to valproic acid (VPA), and glycinamide, which is then subsequently converted to glycine. Absorption and biotransformation of a single ip dose of 2-PPG into blood as well as transfer of the drug and its metabolite into the brain were rapid processes. Although VPA (an anticonvulsant) and glycine (an inhibitory neurotransmitter) can be detected in the brain following administration of 2-PPG, its anticonvulsant action cannot be determined. 2-PPG at relatively low doses exhibited distinct tremor effects. Furthermore, 2-PPG appeared to potentiate the convulsant effect induced by pentylenetetrazol.
Mol Chem Neuropathol 1991 Aug
PMID:Simultaneous delivery of valproic acid and glycine to the brain. Deamination of 2-propylpentylglycinamide by monoamine oxidase B. 177 33

DdrasG gene expression during the early development of Dictyostelium discoideum has been examined in detail. The amount of DdrasG-specific mRNA increased approximately twofold during the first 2 to 3 h of development and then declined rapidly, reaching negligible levels by the aggregation stage. The increase in mRNA levels that occurred during the first 2 to 3 h of development also occurred during differentiation in cell suspensions and was enhanced when cells were shaken rapidly. This initial increase was unaffected by cell density. When cells were set up to differentiate on filters, the addition of a glucose-amino acid mixture slightly delayed differentiation and had a similar effect on the expression of the gene. The decline in DdrasG expression during development did not occur when cells were treated with cycloheximide, suggesting that the expression of a developmentally regulated gene product is essential for the reduction of DdrasG gene mRNA. There was no decrease in DdrasG mRNA level during differentiation in shake suspension, but the decrease did occur upon application of pulses of cyclic AMP to shaking cultures. The application of a continuously high level of cyclic AMP delayed the increase in expression of the gene and did not result in the subsequent decline. These results suggest that the induction of a functional cyclic AMP relay system is important in reducing DdrasG gene mRNA levels.
Mol Cell Biol 1990 Mar
PMID:Regulation of DdrasG gene expression during Dictyostelium development. 215 84

We have recently reported the existence of two forms of glycogen phosphorylase (1,4-alpha-D-glucan: orthophosphate-alpha-glucosyltransferase; EC 2.4.1.1) in Dictyostelium discoideum. During development the activity of the glycogen phosphorylase b form decreased as the activity of the a form increased. The total phosphorylase activity remained constant. The physical and kinetic properties of the Dictyostelium enzyme were similar to those of the mammalian enzyme. In mammals, cAMP regulates the conversion of the two forms by a cAMP dependent protein kinase (cAMPdPK). We report here that if cAMP is added to a single cell suspension, the Dictyostelium phosphorylase activity becomes independent of 5'AMP and a 104 kd peptide appears. We also show the effect of several cAMP analogs on the phosphorylase activity in these single-cell suspensions. The cAMP analogs were selected on the basis of their affinities for the membrane-bound cAMP receptor or the cytoplasmic cAMPdPK. We found that relatively low levels, 100 microM, of cAMP or 2'd-cAMP added to aggregation-competent cells in shaking culture caused a loss of phosphorylase b activity and the appearance of phosphorylase a activity. The analog, 2'd-cAMP, has a high affinity for the cAMP receptor but a low affinity for the cAMPdPK. Two other analogs, Bt2-cAMP and 8-Br-cAMP, which have low affinities for the cAMP receptor but high affinities for the cAMPdPK, required high levels (500 microM) for 'b' to 'a' conversion. cDNAs to three cAMP-regulated genes--PL3, D11, and D3--were used as controls in the above experiments. In order to determine if intracellular levels of cAMP were involved in the regulation of phosphorylase activity, both the phosphorylase and the PL3, D11 and D3 mRNA levels were examined in cells suspended in a glucose/albumin mixture--a medium in which adenylate cyclase is inhibited. Under these conditions, neither gene regulation nor a change in the phosphorylase b to a activity occurred in response to added extra cellular cAMP. The results suggest that an intracellular increase in cAMP is involved in the regulation of the two forms of glycogen phosphorylase in Dictyostelium.
Mol Cell Biochem 1990 Sep 03
PMID:Regulation of the two forms of glycogen phosphorylase by cAMP and its analogs in Dictyostelium discoideum. 217 98

Among a series of 44 transgenic families established after microinjection into fertilized eggs of a plasmid DNA where the structural gene for the large T antigen of polyoma virus is located downstream from the viral early promoter-enhancer region, one family with a hereditary neurological disorder was observed. At about three weeks of age, these animals developed a syndrome of constant tremor with recurrent seizures. Histological and ultra-structural examination revealed extensive dysmyelination in the white matter of the brain stem, cerebellum and spinal cord, as well as of peripheral nerves. This phenotype is reminiscent of that of the mouse "twitcher" (twi) mutant and of the human hereditary leukodystrophies. Expression of the viral sequences, assayed by Northern analysis and immunolabeling of T antigen, occurred predominantly in cells of the central nervous system. Integration of the transgene was mapped by in situ hybridization on metaphasic plaques in region B-C1 of chromosome 12 (where the twi locus was previously localized). Long-term cultures of cells with neural characteristics could be established readily from the brain of the transgenic mice.
Mol Biol Med 1989 Dec
PMID:Neurological disorder in transgenic mice that express the large T antigen of polyoma virus in the nervous system. 256 75

We examined two sets of genes expressed early in the developmental cycle of Dictyostelium discoideum that appear to be regulated by cyclic AMP (cAMP). The transcripts of both sets of genes were not detectable in vegetative cells. During normal development on filter pads, RNA complementary to these genes could be detected at about 2 h, peaked around 6 to 8 h, and decreased gradually thereafter. Expression of these genes upon starvation in shaking culture was stimulated by pulsing the cells with nanomolar levels of cAMP, a condition that mimics the in vivo pulsing during normal aggregation. Expression was inhibited by caffeine or by continuous levels of cAMP, a condition found later in development when in vivo expression of these genes decreased. The inhibition of caffeine could be overcome by pulsing cells with cAMP. These results suggest that the expression is mediated via the cell surface cAMP receptor, but does not require a rise in intracellular cAMP. mRNA from a gene of the second class was induced upon starvation, peaked by 2.5 h of development, and then declined. In contrast to the other genes, its expression was maintained by continuous levels of cAMP and repressed by cAMP pulses. These and other results on a number of classes of developmentally regulated genes indicates that changing levels of cAMP, acting via the cell surface cAMP receptor, are involved in controlling these groups of genes. We also examined the structure and partial sequence of the cAMP pulse-induced genes. The two tandemly duplicated M3 genes were almost continuously homologous over the sequenced portion of the protein-coding region except for a region near the N-terminal end. The two M3 genes had regions of homology in the 5' flanking sequence and showed slight homology to the same regions in gene D2, another cAMP pulse-induced gene. D2 showed extremely significant homology over its entire sequenced length to an acetylcholinesterase. The results presented here and by others suggest that expression of many early genes in D. discoideum is regulated via the cell surface cAMP receptor. We expect that many of these genes may play essential roles in early Dictyostelium development and could code for elements of the cAMP signal transduction pathway involved in aggregation.
Mol Cell Biol 1987 Jan
PMID:Cyclic AMP regulation of early gene expression in Dictyostelium discoideum: mediation via the cell surface cyclic AMP receptor. 303 75

The solubilization of epicuticle from third-stage (L3) Dirofilaria immitis larval cuticles was investigated. Cuticles collected after L3 had molted were incubated in 1.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) at 37 degrees C with vigorous shaking. Solubilization of epicuticular layers was accomplished as demonstrated by electron microscopy. Diminished binding of an epicuticular specific monoclonal antibody (DIM-229) was seen when SDS-treated cuticles were compared to untreated cuticles in an indirect fluorescence antibody assay. Cuticles which were extracted further by boiling in 1.5% dithiothreitol (DTT) produced less protein than cuticles solubilized in SDS. Both extracts reacted with DIM-229 in an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, indicating retention of antigenic reactivity of the solubilized epitope. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of SDS-derived antigens revealed, after silver staining, proteins from 12 to 77 kDa and only 1 band at 15 kDa for SDS-treated cuticles boiled in DTT. Western blot analyses of the extracts with DIM-229 were inconclusive.
Mol Biochem Parasitol 1988 Nov
PMID:Solubilization of epicuticular antigen from Dirofilaria immitis third-stage larvae. 305 43

The stereological technique was used to quantify glycogen areas and endoplasmic reticulum in fetal rat hepatocytes cultured for 24 hr in monolayer (monolayer cells) or following shaking by gyratory rotation (shaken cells). The volume density and volume per cell of glycogen areas decreased in order of freshly isolated hepatocytes, monolayer cells, and shaken cells. The surface density and area per cell of smooth endoplasmic reticulum increased in order of freshly isolated cells, monolayer cells, and shaken cells. The results show that the decrease of glycogen areas and proliferation of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum are more prominent in shaken cells than in monolayer cells. Prominent proliferation of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum in shaken cells may be due to the consumption of glycogen for energy release as a result of gyratory rotation.
J Ultrastruct Mol Struct Res 1986 Jan
PMID:Morphometric analysis of fetal rat hepatocytes cultured in monolayer or following gyratory shaking. 377 80


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>