Direct and indirect effects of insulin on glucose uptake and storage by the liver.

Studies were conducted in conscious 42-h-fasted dogs to determine how much of insulin's effect on hepatic glucose uptake arises from its direct hepatic action versus its indirect (extrahepatic) action. Each experiment consisted of equilibration, basal, and experimental periods. During the latter, somatostatin, basal intraportal glucagon, portal glucose (21.

Loss of red cell A, B, and H antigens is frequent in myeloid malignancies.

Loss of A, B, and H antigens from the surface of red blood cells has been a recurrent observation in patients with hematologic malignancy, particularly those malignancies in which the myeloid lineage is involved. To better understand this phenomenon, a 2-color flow cytometric method was developed to determine quantitative and qualitative alterations of A, B, and H antigens in patients with myeloid malignancies. Characteristic patterns, dependent on the genotype, were seen for healthy individuals from each of the blood groups.

Mutational analysis of the lysyl hydroxylase 1 gene (PLOD) in six unrelated patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type VI: prenatal exclusion of this disorder in one family.

Screening of full length cDNAs for lysyl hydroxylase 1 (LH1; also PLOD) amplified from dermal fibroblasts from six unrelated patients with the autosomal recessive disorder Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type VI (EDS VI) has shown them to be both homozygous and compound heterozygous for mutations in the gene. These mutations, which were verified in genomic DNA, result in a deficiency of LH activity (<25% of normal) in the probands, who are clinically characterized by kyphoscoliosis and extensibility of skin and joints. Four novel mutations identified in these patients include a mutation of an inserted C in one homozygous patient (1702insC) and three point mutations resulting in premature termination codons (PTCs): Y142X, Q327X (in two patients), and R670X.

Backbone and side chain dynamics of uncomplexed human adipocyte and muscle fatty acid-binding proteins.

Adipocyte lipid-binding protein (A-LBP) and muscle fatty acid-binding protein (M-FABP) are members of a family of small ( approximately 15 kDa) cytosolic proteins that are involved in the metabolism of fatty acids and other lipid-soluble molecules. Although highly homologous (65%) and structurally very similar, A-LBP and M-FABP display distinct ligand binding characteristics. Since ligand binding may be influenced by intrinsic protein dynamical properties, we have characterized the backbone and side chain dynamics of uncomplexed (apo) human A-LBP and M-FABP.

Anatomy and orientation of the human external ear.

A knowledge of the external ear and tympanic membrane is essential to practicing audiologists. This article provides an introduction to the anatomy of this area including dimensions, orientation, vasculature, innervation, and relations to other structures. Traditional diagrams are often inadequate in describing these structures.

Characterization of NADP+ binding to perdeuterated MurB: backbone atom NMR assignments and chemical-shift changes.

Backbone-atom resonances have been assigned for both the substrate-free and the NADP+-complexed forms of UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvylglucosamine reductase (MurB), a monomeric, 347-residue (38.5 kDa) flavoenzyme essential for bacterial cell-wall biosynthesis. NMR studies were performed using perdeuterated, uniformly 13C/15N-labeled samples of MurB.

Characterizing the use of perdeuteration in NMR studies of large proteins: 13C, 15N and 1H assignments of human carbonic anhydrase II.

Perdeuteration of all non-exchangeable proton sites can significantly increase the size of proteins and protein complexes for which NMR resonance assignments and structural studies are possible. Backbone 1H, 15N, 13CO, 13C alpha and 13C beta chemical shifts and aliphatic side-chain 13C and 1H(N)/15N chemical shifts for human carbonic anhydrase II (HCA II), a 259 residue 29 kDa metalloenzyme, have been determined using a strategy based on 2D, 3D and 4D heteronuclear NMR experiments, and on perdeuterated 13C/15N-labeled protein. To date, HCA II is one of the largest monomeric proteins studied in detail by high-resolution NMR.

The three-dimensional solution structure of the SH2 domain from p55blk kinase.

Signal transduction in B cells is mediated, in part, by the interaction of the cytoplasmic components of the antigen receptor complex and various members of the src family tyrosine kinases. Key to this process appears to be the interaction of the tyrosine kinase SH2 domains with the tyrosine-phosphorylated cytoplasmic domain of Ig-alpha, a disulfide-bonded heterodimeric (with Ig-beta or Ig-gamma) transmembrane protein that noncovalently associates with the antigen receptor immunoglobin chains. In addition to binding to the phosphorylated cytoplasmic domains of Ig-alpha and Ig-beta, blk and fyn(T), two members of the src family kinases, have been shown to bind overlapping but distinct sets of phosphoproteins [Malek & Desiderio (1993) J.

Assignment of aliphatic side-chain 1HN/15N resonances in perdeuterated proteins.

The perdeuteration of aliphatic sites in large proteins has been shown to greatly facilitate the process of sequential backbone and side-chain 13C assignments and has also been utilized in obtaining long-range NOE distance restraints for structure calculations. To obtain the maximum information from a 4D 15N/15N-separated NOESY, as many main-chain and side-chain 1HN/15N resonances as possible must be assigned. Traditionally, only backbone amide 1HN/15N resonances are assigned by correlation experiments, whereas slowly exchanging side-chain amide, amino, and guanidino protons are assigned by NOEs to side-chain aliphatic protons.

Triple resonance HNCCCH experiments for correlating exchangeable and nonexchangeable cytidine and uridine base protons in RNA.

A set of triple resonance experiments is presented, providing through-bond H2N/HN to H6 connectivities in uridines and cytidines in 13C-/15N-labeled RNAs. These connectivities provide an important link between the sequential assignment pathways for the exchangeable and nonexchangeable proton resonances in nucleic acids. Both 2D and pseudo-3D HNCCCH experiments were applied to a 30-nucleotide lead-dependent ribozyme, known as the leadzyme.

Oxygen sensors based on luminescence quenching: interactions of pyrene with the polymer supports.

Oxygen quenching of pyrene has been studied in a diverse series of polymers. Most measurements were made using homo- or copolymers containing a poly(dimethylsiloxane) region. Systematic variations in the polymer properties have been made in order to delineate the structural features important for satisfactory use as supports for oxygen sensors.

Pharmacokinetics of fluconazole in renal failure.

Fluconazole (FLU) is a widely used antifungal agent. The multiple-dose pharmacokinetics of FLU in renal impairment have not been previously investigated. The following groups were studied: volunteers with creatinine clearances (CLcr, > 50 mL/min) of 107 mL/min, given a loading dose of 400 mg and a daily dose of 200 mg/day for 9 days (Group 1); subjects with CLcr between 21 and 50 mL/min with a mean of 38 mL/min, given a loading dose of 200 mg and a maintenance dose of 100 mg/day for 9 days (Group 2); subjects with CLcr between 11 and 20 mL/min with a mean of 14.

High-level 2H/13C/15N labeling of proteins for NMR studies.

The protein human carbonic anhydrase II (HCA II) has been isotopically labeled with 2H, 13C and 15N for high-resolution NMR assignment studies and pulse sequence development. To increase the sensitivity of several key 1H/13C/15N triple-resonance correlation experiments, 2H has been incorporated into HCA II in order to decrease the rates of 13C and 1HN T2 relaxation. NMR quantities of protein with essentially complete aliphatic 2H incorporation have been obtained by growth of E.

Refined solution structure of human profilin I.

Profilin is a ubiquitous eukaryotic protein that binds to both cytosolic actin and the phospholipid phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate. These dual competitive binding capabilities of profilin suggest that profilin serves as a link between the phosphatidyl inositol cycle and actin polymerization, and thus profilin may be an essential component in the signaling pathway leading to cytoskeletal rearrangement. The refined three-dimensional solution structure of human profilin I has been determined using multidimensional heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy.

Orientation of peptide fragments from Sos proteins bound to the N-terminal SH3 domain of Grb2 determined by NMR spectroscopy.

NMR spectroscopy has been used to characterize the protein-protein interactions between the mouse Grb2 (mGrb2) N-terminal SH3 domain complexed with a 15-residue peptide (SPLLPKLPP-KTYKRE) corresponding to residues 1264-1278 of the mouse Sos-2 (mSos-2) protein. Intermolecular interactions between the peptide and 13C-15N-labeled SH3 domain were identified in half-reverse-filtered 2D and 3D NOESY experiments. Assignments for the protons involved in interactions between the peptide and the SH3 domain were confirmed in a series of NOESY experiments using a set of peptides in which different leucine positions were fully deuterated.