Expression of chromogranin-A messenger ribonucleic acid in parathyroid tissue from patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.

Chromogranin-A (CgA), also termed secretory protein-I, is an acidic glycoprotein that is synthesized and secreted by cells of the diffuse endocrine and neuroendocrine system. Several previous studies had suggested that plasma levels of CgA were elevated in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. In the present study we sought to examine expression of the CgA gene in human parathyroid tissue from patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. We characterized the mRNAs coding for CgA and beta-actin in parathyroid tissue fragments obtained from 12 patients with parathyroid adenomas, 11 patients with familial multiple endocrine neoplasia type I (FMEN I) with parathyroid hyperplasia, and 11 normal subjects. The mRNAs were detected and analyzed by dot and Northern blot hybridization using cDNA probes. CgA mRNA transcripts of 2.1 kilobases were detected in normal and pathological parathyroids. Similarly, beta-actin mRNA species of 2.1 kilobases was present in all tissues. The relative level of parathyroid tissue CgA mRNA, calculated as the CgA/beta-actin mRNA ratio, was 73 +/- 18 in parathyroid adenoma, 73 +/- 20 in FMEN I, and 100 +/- 9 in controls (mean +/- SE; expressed as a percentage of the control reference group value). There were no significant differences among the steady state levels of CgA mRNA levels in these three groups (F = 0.98; P = 0.39). These results demonstrate that expression of CgA mRNA is qualitatively and quantitatively normal in parathyroid tumors from patients with FMEN I and parathyroid adenoma.

Molecular cloning of beta 3 subunit, a third form of the G protein beta-subunit polypeptide.

The signal-transducing guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory (G) proteins are heterotrimers composed of three subunits--alpha, beta, and gamma. Although multiple distinctive forms of the alpha subunit have been described, only two forms of the beta subunits of the G proteins have been identified. To investigate further the structural diversity of the beta subunits, we screened bovine and human retina cDNA libraries and isolated clones encoding three distinct types of G protein beta subunit. One form was identical to previously isolated beta 1-subunit cDNA clones that encode the 36-kDa form of the beta subunit, whereas a second form was identical to previously described beta 2 cDNAs that encode the 35-kDa beta isoform. In addition, we identified another species, designated beta 3 subunit, which encodes a third distinct form of the beta subunit. The beta 3-subunit cDNA corresponds to a 2.0-kilobase mRNA expressed in all tissues and clonal cell lines examined. Nucleotide sequence analysis indicates that the encoded peptide consists of 340-amino acid residues with a Mr of 37,221. The amino acid sequences of the three beta subunits are closely related: 83% identity between beta 1 and beta 3 subunits and 81% identity between beta 2 and beta 3 subunits. By contrast, the 3'-untranslated regions of the three cDNAs show no significant homology. Our data support the hypothesis that a family of beta-subunit polypeptides exists and extend understanding of beta-subunit structure.

Influence of thyroid hormone status on expression of genes encoding G protein subunits in the rat heart.

We have studied the influence of thyroid hormone status in vivo on expression of the genes encoding guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein (G protein) alpha-subunits Gs alpha, Gi alpha(2), Gi alpha(3), and both the 36-kDa form (beta 1) and the 35-kDa form (beta 2) of the beta-subunit in rat ventricle. The relative amounts of immunoactive Gi alpha(2) and Gi alpha(3) were greater in ventricular membranes from hypothyroid animals than from euthyroid animals (1.9- and 2.6-fold, respectively). A corresponding 2.3-fold increase in Gi alpha(2) mRNA was observed as well as a 1.5-fold increase in Gi alpha(3) mRNA. The relative amounts of immunoactive beta 1 and beta 2 polypeptides were also increased (2.8- and 1.8-fold, respectively) in the hypothyroid state and corresponded with comparable increases in the relative levels of beta 1 and beta 2 mRNAs. No difference was seen between the amounts of Gi alpha(2), Gi alpha(3), beta 1, and beta 2 in the euthyroid state and the hyperthyroid state. In contrast to these effects of thyroid hormone status on Gi alpha and beta, the steady-state amounts of Gs alpha protein and mRNA were not altered by thyroid hormone status. Thyroid hormone status did not alter sensitivity of adenylyl cyclase to stimulation by sodium fluoride or guanyl-5'-yl imidodiphosphate (GppNHp), nor did it influence GppNHp-induced inhibition of forskolin-stimulated enzyme activity. These results demonstrate that thyroid hormone status in vivo can regulate expression of specific G protein subunits in rat myocardium. However, the physiological consequences of these changes remain unclear.

Molecular cloning and primary structure of human chromogranin A (secretory protein I) cDNA.

Chromogranin A (CGA), also referred to as secretory protein I, is an acidic protein that has been detected in all neuroendocrine cell types examined and is often present in large amounts relative to other secreted proteins. For example, CGA comprises at least 40% of the soluble protein of the adrenal chromaffin granule, and it appears to be the major secretory protein in the parathyroid secretory granules. CGA complementary DNAs (cDNAs) from bovine adrenal and pituitary have recently been cloned and sequenced and found to be nearly identical. A region of bovine CGA has a high degree of amino acid sequence identity to pancreastatin, a recently isolated porcine peptide that inhibits glucose-induced insulin secretion. This suggests that CGA may be a prohormone. We have cloned and sequenced a human cDNA encoding CGA. This human CGA cDNA has an overall 86% nucleic acid identity to the bovine cDNA. Like the bovine CGA cDNA, the human cDNA has little homology to pancreastatin at the 5' region of this peptide but significant amino acid homology to the carboxyl-terminal portion of pancreastatin where the biologic activity resides. There is an area within the pancreastatin region of human CGA and porcine pancreastatin with a 70% amino acid identity to the calcium-binding moiety of the E-F hand proteins such as parvalbumin and oncomodulin. These data suggest that CGA and pancreastatin may both be members of a larger family of calcium-binding proteins.

Genetic deficiency of the alpha subunit of the guanine nucleotide-binding protein Gs as the molecular basis for Albright hereditary osteodystrophy.

Patients who have pseudohypoparathyroidism type I associated with Albright hereditary osteodystrophy commonly have a genetic deficiency of the alpha subunit of the G protein that stimulates adenylyl cyclase (alpha Gs) (ATP pyrophosphate-lyase, EC 4.6.1.1). To discover the molecular mechanism that causes alpha Gs deficiency in these patients, we examined eight kindreds with one or more members affected with Albright hereditary osteodystrophy or pseudohypoparathyroidism and alpha Gs deficiency. In these families, alpha Gs deficiency and the Albright hereditary osteodystrophy phenotype were transmitted together in a dominant inheritance pattern. Using a cDNA hybridization probe for alpha Gs, restriction analysis with several endonucleases showed no abnormalities of restriction fragments or gene dosage. RNA blot and dot blot analysis of total RNA from cultured fibroblasts obtained from the patients revealed approximately equal to 50% reduced mRNA levels for alpha Gs in affected members of six of the pedigrees but normal levels in affected members of the two other pedigrees, compared to mRNA levels in fibroblasts from unaffected individuals. By contrast, mRNA levels encoding the alpha subunit of the G protein that inhibits adenylyl cyclase were not altered. Our findings suggest that several molecular mechanisms produce alpha Gs deficiency in patients with pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ia and that major gene rearrangements or deletions are not a common cause for alpha Gs deficiency in pseudohypoparathyroidism type I.

Primary structure of bovine pituitary secretory protein I (chromogranin A) deduced from the cDNA sequence.

Secretory protein I (SP-I), also referred to as chromogranin A, is an acidic glycoprotein that has been found in every tissue of endocrine and neuroendocrine origin examined but never in exocrine or epithelial cells. Its co-storage and co-secretion with peptide hormones and neurotransmitters suggest that it has an important endocrine or secretory function. We have isolated cDNA clones from a bovine pituitary lambda gt11 expression library using an antiserum to parathyroid SP-I. The largest clone (SP4B) (approximately equal to 1.6 kilobases) hybridized to a transcript of 2.1 kilobases in RNA from parathyroid, pituitary, and adrenal medulla. Immunoblots of bacterial lysates derived from SP4B lysogens demonstrated specific antibody binding to an SP4B/beta-galactosidase fusion protein (160 kDa) with a cDNA-derived component of 46 kDa. Radioimmunoassay of the bacterial lysates with SP-I antiserum yielded parallel displacement curves of 125I-labeled SP-I by the SP4B lysate and authentic SP-I. SP4B contains a cDNA of 1614 nucleotides that encodes a 449-amino acid protein (calculated mass, 50 kDa). The nucleotide sequences of the pituitary SP-I cDNA and adrenal medullary SP-I cDNAs are nearly identical. Analysis of genomic DNA suggests that pituitary, adrenal, and parathyroid SP-I are products of the same gene.

Familial isolated hypoparathyroidism: a molecular genetic analysis of 8 families with 23 affected persons.

Abnormalities in the parathyroid hormone (PTH) gene as a cause of hypoparathyroidism were evaluated by linkage analysis with DNA polymorphisms adjacent to the PTH gene in 8 families in which members were affected with familial isolated hypoparathyroidism (FIH). We found that in none of the 23 affected individuals was there absence of the parathyroid hormone gene or abnormal restriction patterns to suggest recognizable deletions, insertions, or rearrangements. To determine if subtle mutations within the PTH gene were associated with hypoparathyroidism in these families, we used the Pst I and Taq I restriction-site polymorphisms in linkage analysis as markers to differentiate between PTH alleles. In 4 families, affected sibs inherited different PTH gene alleles, implying that hypoparathyroidism was not due to an abnormality in the PTH gene. In 2 other families, linkage analysis was uninformative because of inability to differentiate between PTH alleles. In 2 families, concordance was found between the inheritance of hypoparathyroidism and specific PTH alleles in affected members, suggesting that in these families, hypoparathyroidism may be due to an alteration in or near the PTH structural gene. We conclude that FIH is a diverse group of disorders and is characterized by genetic and molecular heterogeneity. In some forms of FIH the mutation that leads to PTH deficiency does not lie within the region of the structural gene for PTH. Linkage analysis using DNA polymorphisms within the PTH gene is of benefit in identifying individuals with disorders of PTH secretion or synthesis in whom DNA sequencing and expression studies of the PTH gene might succeed in establishing the molecular basis of the disease.