Glucose/galactose malabsorption caused by a defect in the Na+/glucose cotransporter

Glucose/galactose malabsorption (GGM) is an autosomal recessive disease manifesting within the first weeks of life and characterized by a selective failure to absorb dietary glucose and galactose from the intestine. The consequent severe diarrhoea and dehydration are usually fatal unless these sugars are eliminated from the diet. Intestinal biopsies of GGM patients have revealed a specific defect in Na(+)-dependent absorption of glucose in the brush border. Normal glucose absorption is mediated by the Na+/glucose cotransporter in the brush border membrane of the intestinal epithelium. Cellular influx is driven by the transmembrane Na+ electrochemical potential gradient; thereafter the sugar moves to the blood across the basolateral membrane via the facilitated glucose carrier. We have previously cloned and sequenced a Na+/glucose cotransporter from normal human ileum and shown that this gene, SGLT1, resides on the distal q arm of chromosome 22. We have now amplified SGLT1 complementary DNA and genomic DNA from members of a family affected with GGM by the polymerase chain reaction. Sequence analysis of the amplified products has revealed a single missense mutation in SGLT1 which cosegregates with the GGM phenotype and results in a complete loss of Na(+)-dependent glucose transport in Xenopus oocytes injected with this complementary RNA.     

Effect of actinomycin D on Trypanosoma cruzi

Viable metacyclic forms of T. cruzi, Y strain, treated with an adequate dose of actinomycin D (50 micrograms Act-D/ml/10(7) parasites/ml for 72 h at 28 degrees C) showed the following properties: 1) they lost their ability to replicate in culture medium, in blood and in tissues of normal mice and were no longer able to incorporate tritiated thymidine; 2) they could not penetrate into Vero cells and could not replicate inside normal macrophages; 3) they retained their immunogenicity and the ability to protect mice against a virulent infection; 4) they did not induce histological lesions as described in chronic experimental Chagas' disease.     

dNTP pools imbalance as a signal to initiate apoptosis

Fidelity in DNA synthesis and repair is largely dependent on a balanced supply of deoxynucleotide triphosphate (dNTP) pools. Results from different groups have shown that alterations in dNTP supply result in DNA fragmentation and cell death with characteristics of apoptosis. We have recently shown that in apoptosis driven by deprivation of interleukin-3 (IL-3) in a murine hemopoietic cell line, there is a rapid imbalance in the availability of dNTP that precedes DNA fragmentation. In these cells, dNTP pool balance is closely coupled to the function of the salvage pathway of dNTP synthesis. Apoptosis, induced by treatment of these cells with drugs that inhibit the de novo dNTP synthesis, is prevented when dNTP precursors are supplied through the salvage pathway. IL-3 regulates thymidine kinase activity, suggesting that alterations in dNTP metabolism after IL-3 deprivation could be a relevant event in the commitment of hemopoietic cells to apoptosis.     

Sequence-directed curvature of DNA

DNAs from both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms have yielded restriction fragments which manifest markedly anomalous electrophoretic behaviour (reduced mobility) when run on polyacrylamide gels. We have shown previously that the abnormal electrophoretic behaviour of one such fragment is a consequence of stable curvature of the helix axis in solution. The molecules involved tend to contain oligo(dA)-oligo(dT) runs which are approximately in-phase with the helix repeat; however, the precise structural elements responsible for DNA curvature have not been identified. One popular model for curvature invokes a non-coplanar 'wedge-like' conformation of ApA/TpT dinucleotide pairs. Despite a lack of direct evidence in support of this model, it has been used to provide quantitative estimates of curvature. To critically evaluate the ApA wedge model, we have performed an electrophoretic analysis of a series of closely related DNA polymers in which oligo(dA)-oligo(dT) runs of different polarity were compared. We conclude that ApA dinucleotide wedges cannot account for DNA curvature. Therefore, quantitative estimates for ApA wedge deformations, based solely on apparent curvature, cannot be correct.     

Neuronal cell-cell adhesion depends on interactions of N-CAM with heparin-like molecules

Cell-cell interactions are of critical importance during neural development, particularly since the migration of neural cells and the establishment of functional interactions between growing axons and their target cells has been suggested to depend upon cell recognition processes. Neurone-neurone adhesion has been well studied in vitro, and is mediated in part by the neural cell adhesion molecule N-CAM. N-CAM-mediated cell-cell adhesion has been postulated to occur by a homophilic binding mechanism, in which N-CAM on the surface of one cell binds to N-CAM on a neighbouring cell. Studies in our laboratory have identified a cell surface glycoprotein, now known to be N-CAM, which participates in cell-substratum interactions in the developing chicken nervous system. Although this adhesion involves a homophilic binding mechanism, the binding of the cell surface proteoglycan heparan sulphate to the glycoprotein is also required. This raises the question of whether the binding of heparan sulphate to N-CAM is also required for cell-cell adhesion. Here we show that the binding of retinal probe cells to retinal cell monolayers is inhibited by heparin, a functional analogue of heparan sulphate, but not by chondroitin sulphate. Monoclonal antibodies that recognize two different domains on N-CAM, the homophilic-binding and heparin-binding domains, inhibit cell-cell adhesion. The heparin-binding domain isolated from N-CAM by selective proteolysis also inhibits cell-cell adhesion when bound to the probe cells.