Glyoxalase (GLO) II, which is a component of GLO system and catalyze the conversion of S-lactoyl-glutathione to D-lactate, was purified 1488 fold from rat liver by two steps of Affigel blue and carbobenzoxyglutathione-Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 29 kDa which is similar to those from other species. The sequence of N-terminal 9 amino acid residues was determined to be MGIRLLPAT. This was then used to synthesize degenerative primers. cDNA clone was isolated by first synthesizing cDNA from RNA and then PCR amplification. The sequence of cDNA clone was determined by serial sequencing analysis.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animal ; Base Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; Comparative Study ; Liver/enzymology* ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ; Thiolester Hydrolases/isolation & purification ; Thiolester Hydrolases/genetics

A quantitative assessment of the density of the protein gene product 9.5 (PGP9.5), the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), and the low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) expressing nerve fibers in the circular muscle layer in the colon was carried out by morphometric analyses from 13 patients with Hirschsprung's disease (HD). The difference in the nerve fiber density between the ganglionic and aganglionic segments was compared by calculating the ratio of the sum of the areas occupied by positively stained nerve fibers per unit area of the muscle after immunohistochemical staining on paraffin embedded tissue sections using computer software. There was an obvious difference in the density of the PGP9.5 stained nerve fibers between the ganglionic (0.0380 +/- 0.0171) and aganglionic segments (0.0143 +/- 0.01661). The NCAM-positive nerve fibers were fewer in number than those of both the PGP9.5-positive fibers and NCAM-positive fibers, which were also markedly lower in number in the aganglionic segment (0.0066 +/- 0.0076) than in the ganglionic segment (0.0230 +/- 0.0195). Immunostaining for low-affinity NGFR revealed much fainter staining in the ganglionic and aganglionic segment without a statistically significant difference in their density. Considering the fact that PGP9.5 is a very sensitive marker for nerve fibers, the results of this study reaffirm the innervation failure of the proper muscle in HD. The decreased NCAM expression level in the aganglionic segment appears to be caused not by the selective down-regulation of NCAM expression among the nerve fibers but by a markedly reduced number of nerve fibers.
Colon/*innervation ; Hirschsprung Disease/*pathology ; Human ; Muscle, Smooth/*innervation ; Nerve Fibers/*chemistry/pathology ; Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules/*analysis ; Receptor, Nerve Growth Factor/analysis ; Thiolester Hydrolases/*analysis

Merkel cells are thought to function as slowly adapting mechanoreceptors and are known as targets for sensory nerves. However, the nerve-dependency of Merkel cells remains controversial. In this respect, some investigators have found interregional differences between hairy and glabrous skin and others have shown intraregional differences within denervated rat touch domes. Differences between species have also been reported. This study was performed to determine whether Merkel cells proliferate in vitro in the absence of the systemic factors, blood vessels and the intact nerves in human skin. Suspension organ culture was performed using fetal digits to investigate their in vitro proliferation. Merkel cells and cutaneous nerves were identified using antibodies to cytokeratin 20 and protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5), respectively. Fetal digits of 56-82 day gestational age were cultured in serum free medium in a high O2 (45%) environment. Tissues were harvested before starting culture (D0) and 1,4,7,14, 28d after culture. Merkel cells were observed in the volar pads and dorsal nail matrices at D0. After 28d of suspension organ culture, digits looked healthy structurally and the number of Merkel cells had increased. However, PGP 9.5-immunoreactive nerves were markedly diminished after 1 day of culture and almost disappeared after 4 days. Merkel cell proliferation in vitro suggested that Merkel cell development is probably nerve-independent in human fetal glabrous skin.
Cell Division ; Female ; Human ; Intermediate Filament Proteins/analysis ; Merkel Cells/*physiology ; Organ Culture ; Pregnancy ; Skin/cytology/*embryology/*innervation ; Thiolester Hydrolases/analysis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical features and genetic characteristics of patients with 3-hydroxy-isobutyryl-CoA hydrolase (HIBCH) gene mutations.

METHODThe clinical data of a patient with novel HIBCH mutations were collected, the related literature was searched from China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, National Center for Biotechnology Information and PubMed (up to December 2014) by using search terms" HIBCH", "3-hydroxy-isobutyryl-CoA hydrolase" or "beta-Hydroxyisobutyryl CoA Deacylase Deficiency". The clinical features, neuroimage and treatment of the patients with HIBCH gene mutations were studied.

RESULTThe patient was a girl who was born at term after an uneventful pregnancy to non-consanguineous healthy parents, she was hospitalized at 5 years and 5 months of age because of development delay for 5 years and 5 months and abnormal posture on the left of body for more than 10 days. The family history was unremarkable. Her psychomotor development was significantly delayed. Three times brain MRI between 2. 5 years and 5 years of age revealed bilateral symmetrical lesions in basal ganglia. At the age of 5 years and 5 months, she presented with acute encephalopathy and severe extrapyramidal symptoms preceded by fever. At that time, her brain MRI revealed aggravated lesions in bilateral basal ganglia, new lesions in the midbrain cerebral peduncle and pons, and cerebellar atrophy. The results of biochemical tests were normal. A novel compound heterozygous mutation of HIBCH gene, c. 1027C > G, p. H343D and c. 79-1G > T, splicing, were found in the parent. Further study showed that c. 1027 C > G mutation was inherited from her father and c. 79-1 G > T from her mother. Her symptoms were mitigated after "cocktail" therapy and symptomatic treatment. Repeated brain MRI revealed that the lesion in basal ganglia got better, the lesions in brain stem disappeared. Literature relevant to HIBCH published all around the world was reviewed, no Chinese cases with HIBCH gene mutations had been reported, 6 foreign cases with HIBCH gene mutations were reported. Among them, 5 patients were diagnosed as Leigh-like syndrome, with progressive neurodegenerative course, and symmetrical basal ganglia lesions on brain MRI. Another case was reported in 1982, with developmental delay and various physical malformations without data on his brain MRI. HIBCH gene mutational analysis showed that 4 cases had homozygous mutations, which were c. 950G > A (p. G317E) in two brothers, c. 219 _220insTTGAATAG (p. K73fsX86) and c. 1128_1129insT (p. K377X) respectively. Three of them died before 3 years old. Two cases had compound heterozygous mutations: c. 365A > G (p. Y122C) and IVS2-3C > G (p. R27fsX50); c. 517 + 1G > A and c. 410C > T (p. A137V). They were alive at the time of the report.

CONCLUSIONPatients with HIBCH gene mutation mainly presented as Leigh-like syndrome both in clinical manifestation and in neuroimage. HIBCH gene mutational analysis should be performed on children with Leigh-like syndrome, if the mutations of known genes of Leigh syndrome were negative.

Abnormalities, Multiple ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Female ; Heterozygote ; Homozygote ; Humans ; Infant ; Leigh Disease ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Mutation ; Siblings ; Thiolester Hydrolases ; deficiency ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo search for possible novel mutations in palmitoyl-protein thioesterase 1 (PPT1) gene in two Chinese babies with infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (INCL).

METHODSTwo probands with INCL, confirmed clinically and pathologically, were used for mutation search in PPT1 gene. Onset of the disease occurred before the age of 1 year and they mainly showed progressive mental and motor retardation. The 9 coding exons and their flanking intron sequences of palmitoyl-protein thioesterase 1 (PPT1) gene were amplified by using PCR and sequenced. The parents of proband 1 were also examined.

RESULTSOne splicing mutation and two missense mutations were identified in the two probands: the proband 1 carrying a compound heterozygous mutation of a IVS1 + 1G-->A mutation in intron 1 and a c550G-->A mutation in exon 6 leading to the amino acid substitution of E184K. Additionally, the parents of the proband 1 also harbored one of the mutations of the patient, respectively. The proband 2 carrying a homozygous mutation of c272A-->C in exon 3, which resulted in the amino acid substitutions of Q91P.

CONCLUSIONSThe IVS1 + 1G-->A mutation and Q91P mutation are novel mutations, which lead to INCL. The genetic abnormalities of PPT1 in Chinese patients may not be completely the same as those in the patients of other regions of the world.

Age of Onset ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Base Sequence ; Child, Preschool ; Codon ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Exons ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Introns ; Male ; Mutation ; Mutation, Missense ; Neuronal Ceroid-Lipofuscinoses ; diagnosis ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Pedigree ; Phenotype ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA Splice Sites ; Thiolester Hydrolases ; genetics