Trichloroethylene exposure and specific somatic mutations in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The development of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has been associated with both genetic and environmental factors-with mutations in the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene for clear-cell RCC specifically and with long-term exposure to high doses of trichloroethylene (TRI), an industrially important solvent, for RCC generally. We investigated whether TRI exposure produces RCC through a specific mutational effect on the VHL gene by analyzing VHL sequences in the RCCs of patients exposed to high, cumulative doses of TRI. METHODS: The level of exposure for each of 44 patients with RCC who had known industrial exposure to TRI was classified according to the duration, frequency, and mode of exposure. Samples of normal and cancerous tissues were microdissected from paraffin-embedded tissue. DNA was isolated from these samples, and somatic VHL mutations were identified by polymerase chain reaction analysis, single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis, DNA sequencing, and restriction enzyme digestion. Control samples included RCC DNA from 107 patients without known TRI exposure and lymphocyte DNA from 97 healthy subjects. RESULTS: RCCs of TRI-exposed patients showed somatic VHL mutations in 33 (75%) of 44 cases. The mutations were frequently multiple and accompanied by loss of heterozygosity, and there was an association between the number of mutations and the severity of TRI exposure. We observed a specific mutational hot spot at VHL nucleotide 454 in the RCCs of 13 (39%) of the patients, and this mutation was present in adjacent non-neoplastic kidney parenchyma in four of these patients. The nucleotide 454 mutation was neither detected in any of the RCCs from patients without TRI exposure nor in any of the healthy subjects. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that RCC in patients with high, cumulative TRI exposure is associated with a unique mutation pattern in the VHL gene.

Sporadic pheochromocytomas are rarely associated with germline mutations in the vhl tumor suppressor gene or the ret protooncogene.

Pheochromocytoma is a tumor that may occur sporadically or may be a manifestation of a hereditary disease, such as von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL) and multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2. As patients with VHL or MEN type 2 are at risk to develop multiple tumors, they must be distinguished from sporadic cases. We determined the incidence of VHL and MEN type 2 among 62 German patients diagnosed with pheochromocytoma without a history of a hereditary disease. Germline analyses of the vhl gene and exons 10, 11, and 13 of the ret protooncogene were performed by PCR, single strand conformation polymorphism, enzyme digestion, or sequencing. Two patients (3%) showed vhl mutations (95% confidence interval, 1-11%). One patient showed loss of the MspI restriction site at nucleotides 712/713. Another patient had a C/T change at an intronic site that was also detected in 2 of his offspring. No mutations were detected in the ret protooncogene (97.5% confidence interval, 0-6%). In Germany, most sporadic pheochromocytomas are not due to VHL or MEN type 2. Therefore, clinical work-up in patients with pheochromocytoma without signs of hereditary disease is not recommended. However, because the costs of genetic screening are relatively low, and each index case allows optimal care for family members, molecular testing might be cost-effective.

Inhibition of HIV-1 replication in lymphocytes by mutants of the Rev cofactor eIF-5A.

Eukaryotic initiation factor 5A(eIF-5A) is a cellular cofactor require d for the function of the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) Rev trans-activator protein. The majority of a set of eIF-5A mutants did not support growth of yeast cells having an inactivated genomic copy of eIF-5A, indicating that the introduced mutation eliminated eIF-5A activity. Two nonfunctional mutants, eIF-5AM13 and eIF-5AM14, retained their binding capacity for the HIV-1 Rev response element:Rev complex. Both mutants were constitutively expressed in human T cells. When these T cells were infected with replication-competent HIV-1, virus replication was inhibited. The eIF-5AM13 and eIF5AM14 proteins blocked Rev trans-activation and Rev-mediated nuclear export.

Identification of a new member of the human eIF-5A gene family.

Using an oligodeoxynucleotide generated by rapid PCR amplification of 5'-cDNA ends (5'-RACE) as a detection probe, we have isolated a new genomic clone encoding the human eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (eIF-5A). Sequence analysis revealed that the eIF-5A coding region is identical to the corresponding cDNA but interrupted by three introns. In a plasmid shuffle experiment we show functional replacement of the essential homologous gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by this human eIF-5A.

Purification and characterization of human deoxyhypusine synthase from HeLa cells.

Post-translational modification of a specific lysine residue in eukaryotic initiation factor 5A is essential for cell viability. The amino acid hypusine, which is the product of this modification, is derived in two subsequent enzyme-catalyzed reactions. We have purified and characterized the enzyme responsible for the first step in hypusine modification, deoxyhypusine synthase, from HeLa cells. The human enzyme is multimeric with a native apparent molecular weight of 150,000 consisting of subunits of 41,000. The amino acid sequences of its peptide fragments share high sequence identity with a hypothetical protein (YHRO68w) on chromosome VIII of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This protein appears to be the deoxyhypusine synthase of yeast.

Corneal subepithelial infiltrate recurrence sine adenovirus.

Corneal subepithelial infiltrates are a known complication of adenoviral conjunctivitis. In this article, we present a case of a 32-year-old man who developed these classic infiltrates after a well-documented adenoviral conjunctivitis. What is unique about this case is that the infiltrates recurred 8 months later after an upper respiratory infection without any clinical or laboratory evidence of a viral conjunctivitis. The possible confounding variable of corticosteroid withdrawal being responsible for the recurrence is highly unlikely because he had not used topical corticosteroids for almost 4 months.

The use of genomic DNA probes for in-gel hybridization.

Hybridization within agarose gels using oligonucleotide probes has been described in several publications; genomic DNA probes, however, have been used rarely and only with limited success. Here we present a simple and convenient procedure for in-gel hybridization using radiolabeled genomic DNA fragments. The protocol was improved by the use of formamide in the hybridization as well as in the washing step. This method was compared with the conventional Southern blotting technique and was shown to produce good results in restriction pattern analysis, as well as in chromosomal localization with the help of pulsed field gel electrophoresis.

Detection of nonfunctional overexpression gene products using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis with a narrowed pH range.

A commonly used technique in the analysis of yeast protein function is the overexpression of cloned genes. In the case that overexpression does not lead to an altered phenotype a stable synthesis of the protein has to be demonstrated. Here an example is shown where overexpression of the yeast HYP2 genes, coding for a hypusine-containing protein, was alternatively analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) alone or by two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis, using the narrowed pH range of 4.5-5.4. The results of the SDS-PAGE suggested a stable overproduction of HYP gene product, whereas 2-D analysis revealed an accumulation of nonfunctional protein isoforms.

The function of the hypusine-containing proteins of yeast and other eukaryotes is well conserved.

The hypusine-containing protein (Hypp) is highly conserved in evolution, from man to archaebacteria, but is not found in eubacteria. Hypp is essential for the viability for yeast cells, where two forms are encoded by the genes HYP1 and HYP2. The hypusine-containing protein Hyp2p, encoded by the HYP2 gene in yeast, is present under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, whereas Hyp1p synthesis is restricted to anaerobiosis. hyp1 disruption mutants grown under anaerobic conditions reveal no detectable alteration in phenotype relative to wild-type strains. We demonstrate that either Hyp1p or Hyp2p alone is sufficient for normal growth under both metabolic conditions. Moreover, Hypp from various eukaryotic species (slime mold, alfalfa and man) carries the lysine to hypusine modification when expressed in yeast and can substitute functionally for Hyp2p in strains disrupted for HYP2, indicating a highly conserved function of this protein. In contrast, the archaebacterial Hypp expressed in yeast is neither modified by hypusine, nor does it allow growth of cells deficient for yeast Hypp.

Determination and mutational analysis of the phosphorylation site in the hypusine-containing protein Hyp2p.

Electrospray mass spectrometry of the purified isoforms of the hypusine-containing protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hyp2p suggested a phosphorylation of the acidic isoform, which was confirmed by phosphatase treatment. The phosphorylation site was mapped to the N-acetylated serine residue in position no. 1 by mass spectrometric analysis of enzymatic fragments. Mutation of this serine residue gives rise to only the basic isoform, confirming our protein chemical data. As this mutation has no effect on cell viability or growth rate, the unphosphorylated isoform is sufficient to exert the essential in vivo function of Hyp2p.

The HYP2 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is essential for aerobic growth: characterization of different isoforms of the hypusine-containing protein Hyp2p and analysis of gene disruption mutants.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, hypusine-containing proteins are encoded by two closely related genes, HYP1 and HYP2, which are regulated reciprocally by oxygen and heme. We have purified the aerobically expressed hypusine-containing proteins from yeast. The three proteins detected (two isoforms, which differ in their pI values, and a degradation product thereof, lacking the N-terminal 10 amino acid residues) are all encoded by HYP2. The N-terminus of both isoforms is formed by acetylation of a serine residue after cleavage of the first methionine. Cells mutant for hyp2 are unable to grow aerobically. However, under anaerobic conditions these mutants display no obvious phenotype, presumably because the strictly anaerobically expressed HYP1 gene product (Hyp1p) is present. This implies that Hyp1p and Hyp2p fulfill very similar functions. In fact, Hyp1p can substitute for Hyp2p under aerobic conditions, when expressed under the control of the GAL1 promoter in hyp2 mutant cells.

Chromosomal localization of the HYP2-gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and use of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis for detection of irregular recombination events in gene disruption experiments.

In the hypusine-containing protein (HP), a specific lysine residue is modified by spermidine to form the unusual amino acid hypusine (4-amino-2-hydroxybutyllysine). The HP has been designated as an eucaryotic translation initiation factor--eIF-5A--because of its stimulating effect in the methionyl-puromycin in vitro assay. Nevertheless, the precise function of this protein remains to be elucidated. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae two genes, HYP1 and HYP2, coding for two different forms of the HP, are present. The HYP1-gene is identical to the ANB1-gene and has already been localized on chromosome X. However, the chromosomal localization of the HYP2-gene has not been elucidated. By using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and subsequent Southern blotting, we determined the localization of the HYP2-gene to chromosome V. Furthermore, PFGE was used for the detection of irregular recombination events, such as misintegration or integration into a duplicated gene, and in gene disruption experiments using haploid and diploid yeast cells. The obtained data support the critical role of the HP for cell viability.

Hemianopsia from occipital lobe abscess after dental care.

We treated four patients who developed a homonymous hemianopsia from a bacterial abscess in the occipital lobe of the brain. All four patients were treated successfully by surgical drainage of the abscess and administration of parenteral antibiotics for at least six weeks. Despite cure of the brain abscess, each patient was left with a permanent residual homonymous visual field defect. Cultures from the abscess fluid in three of the four patients grew oral flora. Moreover, each patient had a history of dental care two to four weeks before the onset of visual symptoms. A history of recent dental treatment in a patient with a new hemianoptic field defect should alert the ophthalmologist to the possibility of a bacterial abscess in the occipital lobe.