Evaluation of the ARMD1 locus on 1q25-31 in patients with age-related maculopathy: genetic variation in laminin genes and in exon 104 of HEMICENTIN-1.

The age-related maculopathy (ARM) genetics program at Columbia University utilizes comprehensive genetic analysis of candidate genes in large case-control studies to determine genotypes associated with the ARM complex trait. Genes encoding laminins, a class of extracellular matrix proteins, represent attractive candidates for two reasons. First, the presence of laminins in the basal lamina of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), Bruch's membrane, and choriocapillaris suggests a possible role in the pathophysiology of ARM. Second, three laminin genes, LAMC1, LAMC2, and LAMB3, are located in the 1q25-31 region, within the previously mapped ARMD1 locus. The entire open reading frame of the three laminin genes was screened for variants by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) and direct sequencing in at least 92, and up to 368 ARM patients and matched unaffected controls. Sixty-nine sequence variants were detected in the 69 exons of the LAMC1, LAMC2, and LAMB3 genes. Screening of exon 104 of the recently proposed ARMD1 gene, HEMICENTIN-1, residing in the 1q25-31 locus, did not detect the suggested causal variant, Q5345R, in 632 study subjects. Overall, we did not find statistically significant differences in the frequency of variants between ARM-affected individuals and age-matched controls. Four rare, non-synonymous, variants were detected in single cases of ARM patients. Our data on relatively limited numbers of study subjects do not suggest a significant role for genetic variation in the three laminin genes and in exon 104 of HEMICENTIN-1 in predisposing individuals to ARM. However, as in many instances in similar studies, involvement of rare amino acid-changing variants in a fraction of ARM cannot be ruled out.

A pre-aspartate-specific protease from human leukocytes that cleaves pro-interleukin-1 beta.

Interleukin-1 beta is a 17.4-kilodalton hormone derived from a 33-kilodalton inactive precursor produced by monocytes. We used the precursor as a substrate to detect proteolytic activities in peripheral blood mono-nuclear cell-conditioned medium that might be involved in interleukin-1 beta processing. We found that the conditioned medium, following passage through DEAE-Sephacel, generates a biologically active fragment from the precursor that runs slightly higher than the mature hormone in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The responsible activity behaved as a single protein in ion exchange chromatography. It was completely inhibited by metal ion chelators and not by inhibitors of serine, cysteine, or aspartate proteases, and it was dependent on both calcium (or magnesium) and zinc. The enzyme was not inhibited by three substrate-based metalloprotease inhibitors, phosphoramidon, benzyloxycarbonyl-Gly-Leu-NH2, and N-(2-carboxy-3-phenylpropionyl)-Leu. NH2-terminal sequence analysis showed that cleavage of the precursor occurred between a histidine and an aspartate residue, and digestion of synthetic peptides indicated that the protease is specific for pre-aspartate cleavages.

Human rhinovirus 3C protease: cloning and expression of an active form in Escherichia coli.

A cDNA encoding the viral protease from the 3C region of human rhinovirus type 14 was expressed in Escherichia coli through the use of a periplasmic secretion vector. The recombinant protease contained an eight amino acid N-terminal extension that enabled its detection by a specific antibody. It was expressed at a level of approximately 1 mg/L of E. coli culture. Biological activity of the protease was assessed in vitro by using a chemically synthesized peptide consisting of a consensus picornavirus protease cleavage site, Arg-Ala-Glu-Leu-Gln-Gly-Pro-Tyr-Asp-Glu. The peptide was cleaved by the recombinant protease at the Gln-Gly bond, generating the product peptides Arg-Ala-Glu-Leu-Gln and Gly-Pro-Tyr-Asp-Glu, which could be separated from the substrate peptide by reversed-phase HPLC. An in vitro assay for the rhinovirus 3C protease was developed by observing the rate of disappearance of the substrate peak from chromatograms of the supernatants of digestion mixtures.

Encapsulation, with high efficiency, of radioactive metal ions in liposomes.

The encapsulation of radioactive metalic cations, such as 111In3+ or 67Ga3+, in the internal aqueous compartment of liposomes can be achieved with an efficiency of about 90%. The efficient loading of a high specific activity of cations into liposomes involves the transport of 111In3+ or 67Ga3+ through the lipid bilayer to an encapsulated strong chelate, such as nitrilotriacetic acid, by 8-hydroxyquinoline, in conjunction with an efficient anion-exchange resin technique for the removal of the external cations. The efficiency of loading cations to liposomes is affected markedly by the concentration of 8-hydroxyquinoline-metal, and the presence of the chelating agents in the loading incubation mixture. However, the loading efficiency is not affected by the pH of the internal aqueous compartment of liposomes over a range of pH 5-9, the concentration of the liposomes, the method of liposomal preparation, the lamellar structure of the liposomes, and the composition of liposomes. Furthermore, the loading procedures do not appear to affect the size and the permeability of liposomes. There is a good agreement in the tissue distributions of the liposomes prepared by the present loading methods and those by the conventional method of encapsulation by sonication. Liposomes entrapping high specific activity of 67Ga3+ or 111In3+ will be useful for future studies of the in vivo kinetics of liposomes by the combined techniques of scintigraphic imaging and the gamma-ray perturbed angular correlation.