Search Results

You are looking at 1 - 4 of 4 items for

  • Author: J. A. Marsh x
  • Refine by access: All content x
Clear All Modify Search
Michael A Hahn Hormones and Cancer Group, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, E25, St Leonards, New South Wales 2065, Australia

Search for other papers by Michael A Hahn in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Julie McDonnell Hormones and Cancer Group, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, E25, St Leonards, New South Wales 2065, Australia

Search for other papers by Julie McDonnell in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
, and
Deborah J Marsh Hormones and Cancer Group, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, E25, St Leonards, New South Wales 2065, Australia

Search for other papers by Deborah J Marsh in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close

Mutations in the tumour suppressor HRPT2 occur in patients with parathyroid carcinoma, kidney tumours and Hyperparathyroidism–Jaw Tumour syndrome. Disruption of exonic splicing through mutation of donor/acceptor splice sites or exonic splice enhancer (ESE) sites leads to loss of function of a number of major tumour suppressors including BRCA1, APC and MLH1. Given that the effect of HRPT2 mutations on splicing has not been widely studied, we used an in vitro splicing assay to determine whether 17 HRPT2 mutations located in hot-spot and other exons predicted to disrupt ESE consensus sites led to aberrant splicing. Using two independent web-based prediction programs, the majority of these mutations were predicted to disrupt ESE consensus sites; however, aberrant splicing of HRPT2 transcripts was not observed. Canonical donor or acceptor splice site mutations were also investigated using this splicing assay and transcripts assessed from tumour tissue. Splice site mutations were shown to lead to either exon skipping or retention of intronic sequences through the use of cryptic splice sites comprised of non-classical splicing signals. Aberrant splicing caused by disruption of ESE sites does not appear to have a major role in HRPT2-associated disease; however, premature truncation of parafibromin as the result of canonical donor or acceptor splice site mutations is associated with pathogenicity. Functional splicing assays must be undertaken in order to confirm web-based software predictions of the modification of putative ESE sites by disease-associated mutations.

Free access
R. W. Lea
Search for other papers by R. W. Lea in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
C. A. Ahene
Search for other papers by C. A. Ahene in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
J. A. Marsh
Search for other papers by J. A. Marsh in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
, and
S. Harvey
Search for other papers by S. Harvey in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close

ABSTRACT

The i.c.v. administration of 0·1 or 10 μg ovine (o)GH to 12- to 16-week-old hypothyroid chickens of a sex-linked dwarf (SLD) strain suppressed the basal plasma GH concentrations, measured 24 h afterwards. The GH response of the oGH-injected SLDs to TRH was suppressed, in a dose-related way, in comparison with that induced by TRH in birds given control injections (10 μg) of bovine serum albumin (BSA). Basal circulating concentrations of GH in euthyroid K strain birds of the same age were even lower than in the SLDs following injection of 10 μg oGH, and were not further reduced by oGH administration. The GH response to TRH in the K strain birds injected i.c.v. with 0·1 or 10 μg oGH was, nevertheless, suppressed in comparison with the BSA-injected K strain controls. The i.c.v. administration of oGH also suppressed circulating concentrations of LH and the LH response to TRH in the K strain birds.

Twenty-four hours after i.c.v. administration of oGH (10 μg), the somatostatin (SRIF) content in the medial basal hypothalamus of 8-week-old euthyroid cockerels was greater than that in BSA (10 μg)-injected controls. At the same time, the binding of [3H]3-methyl-histidine2-TRH to the pituitary caudal and cephalic lobes of GH-injected birds was less than that in the controls.

These results suggest that GH regulation in avian species is partly mediated by an inhibitory short-loop mechanism (mediated by hypothalamic SRIF and a down-regulation of pituitary TRH-binding sites) that suppresses basal and secretagogue-induced GH release.

Journal of Endocrinology (1990) 126, 237–244

Restricted access
K. L. Hull
Search for other papers by K. L. Hull in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
R. A. Fraser
Search for other papers by R. A. Fraser in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
J. A. Marsh
Search for other papers by J. A. Marsh in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
, and
S. Harvey
Search for other papers by S. Harvey in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close

ABSTRACT

GH receptor (GHR) mRNA has been identified in peripheral (liver and muscle) and central (brain and hypothalamus) tissues of sex-linked dwarf (SLD) Leghorn chickens. Total RNA was extracted from the tissues of immature (1 week, 4 week), pubertal (16 week) and adult (> 24 weeks) SLD and K (the normally growing strain) Leghorn chickens. In both groups and all tissues, an mRNA moiety of 4·4 kb hybridized with cRNA probes derived from the rabbit hepatic GHR sequence. An additional low-abundance transcript of 2·8 kb was also identified in some tissues. An age-related increase in expression was observed in K and SLD hepatic GHR mRNA, suggesting normal regulation of SLD GHR gene transcription. Amplification of cDNA from K and SLD tissues in the presence of oligonucleotide primers coding for the intracellular or extracellular domains of the chicken GHR generated electrophoretically separable fragments of expected size. Restriction enzyme digestion of the products with EcoRI, BstNI, HaeIII, NcoI or BamHI produced smaller moieties of expected sizes in both strains. These results demonstrate that, in contrast to broiler SLDs, a GHR gene deletion is not responsible for the GHR dysfunction in Leghorn SLDs. Although the actual defect in GHR gene expression in SLD Leghorns remains to be identified, this study demonstrates that sex-linked dwarfism, like Laron dwarfism, is due to a heterogeneity of lesions.

Journal of Endocrinology (1993) 137, 91–98

Restricted access
G. Leng
Search for other papers by G. Leng in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
S. Mansfield
Search for other papers by S. Mansfield in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
R. J. Bicknell
Search for other papers by R. J. Bicknell in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
A. D. P. Dean
Search for other papers by A. D. P. Dean in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
C. D. Ingram
Search for other papers by C. D. Ingram in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
M. I. C. Marsh
Search for other papers by M. I. C. Marsh in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
J. O. Yates
Search for other papers by J. O. Yates in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
, and
R. G. Dyer
Search for other papers by R. G. Dyer in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close

ABSTRACT

Pregnant rats were implanted with subcutaneous minipumps to deliver either naloxone or saline. The time-course of subsequent parturition was different between the two groups: the interval between successive births was significantly shorter for the naloxone-treated rats. This supports the hypothesis that the opioid innervation of the neurohypophysis, which is known to influence oxytocin release profoundly, has a physiological role in parturition. To test the further hypothesis that this role is particularly important in a stressful environment, pregnant rats, again implanted with minipumps, were regularly transferred, at 15-min intervals beginning with the birth of the first pup, between their normal cage and the unfamiliar environment of a glass observation chamber. No difference was noted between the time-courses of parturition for the naloxone- and saline-treated groups, although the time-courses were markedly altered from those observed in rats not subjected to an unfamiliar environment. We conclude that opioid modulation of oxytocin release may play a role in 'spacing' the delivery of successive births during normal parturition.

J. Endocr. (1985) 106, 219–224

Restricted access