Search

Hepatocyte transplantation might represent a potential therapeutic alternative to liver transplantation in the future1,2; however, transplanted cells have a limited capacity to repopulate the liver, as they do not proliferate under normal conditions. Recently, studies in urokinase (uPA) transgenic mice3,4,5 and in fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH)-deficient mice6 have shown that the liver can be repopulated by genetically engineered hepatocytes harboring a selective advantage over resident hepatocytes7. We have reported that transgenic mice expressing human Bcl-2 in their hepatocytes are protected from Fas/CD95-mediated liver apoptosis8. We now show that Bcl-2 transplanted hepatocytes selectively repopulate the liver of mice treated with nonlethal doses of the anti-Fas antibody Jo2. FK 506 immunosuppressed mice were transplanted by splenic injection with Bcl-2 hepatocytes. The livers of female recipients were repopulated by male Bcl-2 transgenic hepatocytes, as much as 16%, after 8 to 12 administrations of Jo2. This only occurred after anti-Fas treatment, confirming that resistance to Fas-induced apoptosis constituted the selective advantage of these transplanted hepatocytes. Thus, we have demonstrated a method for increasing genetic reconstitution of the liver through selective repopulation with modified transgenic hepatocytes, which will allow optimization of cell and gene therapy in the liver.

In order to identify regulatory elements that direct widespread in vivo expression of a linked gene, we have examined one of the human aldolase A alternative promoters, the ubiquitous pH promoter, which is active in most foetal and adult tissues. We have used the pH promoter region to drive expression of an heterologous CAT reporter gene in transgenic mice. We show that a short 820 bp pH promoter fragment is able to confer a ubiquitous and reproducible activity pattern on the CAT reporter gene in most of the transgenic lines analysed, with a particularly high level of expression in adult skeletal muscle. Activity of this transgene was detected from early embryonic stages. Therefore, this pH promoter region appears to be a powerful tool to direct ubiquitous and early expression of a transgene in vivo. Deletion analysis revealed that: (i) the region between −651 and −369 bp relative to the pH promoter transcription start site includes DNA elements capable of overriding effects of the surrounding chromatin at the integration site, (ii) the region between −285 and −211 bp is involved in pH promoter tissue-specific expression pattern in skeletal muscle and/or nervous tissues, (iii) the region located between −211 and −108 bp is necessary for its ubiquitous and muscle-pre dominant activity and (iv) the most proximal region downstream from −108 bp is still sufficient to confer an activity in brain and lung

La demonstration du role de l’hepcidine permet de mieux comprendre les mecanismes de la regulation du metabolisme du fer, tout en apportant un eclairage nouveau sur la physiopathologie des hemochromatoses et des surcharges en fer d’un cote, des hyposideremies et anemies inflammatoires de l’autre. Le foie apparait comme un element central ou sont traites les signaux de l’organisme qui concourent au maintien de l’homeostasie du fer. L’ensemble de ces signaux converge vers la synthese d’hepcidine qui, en regulateur final, permet d’ajuster les besoins en fer de l’organisme en modulant son absorption intestinale et son recyclage au niveau des macrophages. Un travail important reste a effectuer pour preciser les mecanismes moleculaires de l’activite de l’hepcidine, de sa regulation, de sa synthese et de sa secretion par le fer ainsi que pour caracteriser les voies liant les regulateurs hemochromatosiques identifies par la genetique (HFE, HJV, RTF2) a l’hepcidine. A terme, le dosage de l’hepcidine pourrait etre utilise pour le diagnostic et la classification des anomalies du metabolisme du fer ainsi que pour le suivi therapeutique des surcharges en fer. Enfin, les applications therapeutiques de la decouverte de cette hormone devraient etre considerables. Les molecules agonistes et antagonistes de l’hepcidine seront sans nul doute des medicaments importants dans, respectivement, les surcharges en fer et les anemies chroniques inflammatoires.

Fas is an apoptosis-signalling cell surface antigen that has been shown to trigger cell death upon specific ligand or antibody binding. Treatment of mice with an anti-Fas antibody causes fulminant hepatic failure due to massive apoptosis. To test a putative protective effect of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein, transgenic mice were generated to express the human bcl-2 gene product in hepatocytes. Early onset of massive hepatic apoptosis leading to death was observed in all nontransgenic mice treated with an anti-Fas antibody. By contrast, hepatic apoptosis was delayed and dramatically reduced in transgenic animals, yielding a 93% survival rate. These results demonstrate that Bcl-2 is able to protect from in vivo Fas-mediated cytotoxicity, and could be of significance for preventing fulminant hepatic failure due to viral hepatitis in humans.

Since the isolation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene (CFTR) and the characterization of the main mutation (delta F508) in 1989, a large number of rare mutations has been found. Full screening of the CFTR gene is difficult because it is split into 27 exons covering 250 kb of genomic DNA. This gene is essentially expressed in the lung and intestinal tract, neither of which are easily accessible for routine investigations. The recent description of a faint transcription of highly tissue-specific genes in any cell, a phenomenon known as illegitimate transcription, would facilitate the research of mutations and the characterization of truncated m-RNA caused by splicing mutations. Using the polymerase chain reaction on cDNA (cDNA-PCR), we detected transcripts of the CFTR gene in lymphocytes and lymphoblast cells at a very low level (about 300 times less than in lung or intestine). This strategy allowed us to obtain a sufficient amount of cDNA-PCR product compatible with further molecular analyses. We have, therefore, analyzed a cDNA fragment overlapping exons 10 and 11 by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and direct sequencing, and detected the delta F508 mutation at this level. Our protocol can be generalized to the investigation of the total 4.5-kb CFTR coding sequence.

PDX-1 encodes a homeodomain protein involved in pancreas development and islet-cell function, and transfer of this gene to liver cells induces them to produce insulin in diabetic mice. Therapeutic strategies for diabetes should focus not only on transplantation approaches, but also on the induction of surrogate β cells to replace impaired islet-cell function in diabetics (pages 568–572).

It has been shown that the dystrophin gene, which is defective in patients with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (reviewed in ref. 1), is transcribed in brain from a specific promoter that is different from the one used in muscle, and so the two types of transcripts differ at least in their first exon. We recently found that the dystrophin gene is expressed at a higher level in primary cultures of neuronal cells than in astro-glial cells derived from adult mouse brain. Here we investigate the use of two different promoters in each cell type. Our results demonstrate that the brain-type promoter of the dystrophin gene is highly specific to neurons, in which there is a significant increase in the amount of brain-specific messenger RNA during the course of in vitro maturation. By contrast, the muscle-type promoter is active in a wider range of cell types, including not only striated and smooth muscle, but also glial cells to a lesser extent, and probably neurons.

What are the implications for humankind of the astounding report two weeks ago of the production of viable sheep from adult cells? The moral imperative of preserving human dignity must remain paramount.

Background: We have developed an adenovirus-based construct containing a human acid α-glucosidase (GAA) cDNA sequence under the control of CMV promoter. Replication-deficient adenovirus (AdCMV-GAA) was generated by homologous recombination in 293 cells.

Clinical, familial and biochemical studies from six unrelated Spanish patients with hereditary hemolytic anemia and erythrocyte pyruvate-kinase (PK) deficiency are described. A remarkable molecular heterogeneity of mutant PK variants involving kinetic properties, molecular stability or electrophoretic mobility is demonstrated. In two patients whose PK variants showed abnormal electrophoretic pattern and strongly aberrant kinetic properties, a chronic hemolytic anemia associated with several other clinical manifestations of chronic hemolysis occurred. In patients whose PK variants showed less abnormal kinetic and electrophoretic characteristics, there was only moderate or mild hemolytic anemia. One patient's PK variant with no obvious kinetic or electrophoretic alterations, showed a markedly decreased heat stability with severe diminution of antigenic concentration of the enzyme. This patient presented a spectacular clinical and hematological improvement after splenectomy. The purpose of the present study is to describe six new PK variants of Spanish origin. In addition, an attempt is made to find relationships between molecular abnormalities of mutant PK variants and the severity of hemolytic anemia, in these patients. The possible role of some kinetic alteration, such as fructose disphosphate (FDP) activation or ATP inhibition of PK variants, in the clinical manifestations of chronic hemolysis is also suggested.

A G-6PD deficiency was detected in a Negro patient from Senegal suffering from congenital nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia. The main characteristics of this variant were: profound defect of G-6PD activity in the red cells, decreased immunologic specific activity, fast electrophoretic mobility, decreased Km-G-6P and normal Km-NADP+, normal inhibition by ATP and NADPH, slightly increased utilization of the substrate analogues, slightly biphasic pH curve, high heat lability, subnormal activation energy. The characteristics of this variant being unique, it was called 'G-6PD Hôtel Dieu.'

Protein phosphorylation at serine and threonine residues has been implicated in the regulation of many cellular processes. More recently, tyrosine residue phosphorylation has been shown to be associated with stimulation of cell proliferation, including viral transformation1–7 and stimulation by epidermal growth factors (EGF)7–10, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)10–12 and other compounds related to cellular growth such as insulin13–15 and dimethyl sulphoxide16. To compare protein kinases and phosphoproteins of normal and leukaemic human haematopoietic cells in vivo and in vitro, we first have investigated the percentages of phosphoserine, phosphothreonine and phosphotyrosine obtained after hydrolysis of proteins from different blood cell fractions phosphorylated in vitro. We report here that phosphotyrosine formed less than 1% of the soluble fractions from polymorphonuclear cells, mononuclear cells (80% circulating lymphocytes, 20% monocytes), blood platelets and red blood cells (not shown). Surprisingly, high percentages of phosphorylated tyrosine were found only in the particulate fractions from non-proliferating anuclear cells, platelets and red blood cells.

A new G6PD variant, called G6PD Vientiane, has been discovered in a patient from Laos. The characteristics of this variant are: mild enzyme deficiency (about 50% of the normal activity) in the granulocytes and the red cells, with normal G6PD-related antigen concentration; increased stability; normal Km glucose 6-phosphate and NADP+; increased inhibition constant by NADPH; decreased inhibition by ATP; slightly increased utilization of the substrate analogue; abnormal pH curve, with maximum activity at pH 9.5; slightly reduced starch gel electrophoretic migration. The implications of the molecular stability of a deficient mutant variant are discussed.

By focusing in sucrose, gradient L-type pyruvate kinase from human liver could be separated into 2 major forms (pI 6.28 +/- 0.03 and 5.85 +/- 0.09) and a minor more acid form (pI = 5). These different forms could also be detected by focusing in acrylamide-ampholine slab gel. The major forms were interconvertible, the equilibrium being shifted toward the acid form by fructose 1,6-diphosphate and SH reagents, and toward the alkaline form by proteinic factors extracted by ammonium sulphate fractionation from liver extracts and from hemolysates. These factors seemed to be responsible for the stabilization of the liver crude extract enzyme in its alkaline conformation. By acrylamide slab gel electrofocusing, erythrocyte pyruvate kinase from whole hemolysates exhibited a complex pattern composed of at least 3 introconvertible forms. The in vitro aging of the red blood cells and the storage of the hemolysates resulted in a progressive disappearance of the acid forms and in a strengthening of the alkaline form. Partially purified erythrocyte enzyme focused in 2 major bands, interconvertible under the influence of the same factors as those described for L-type pyruvate kinase. Although closely related, the focusing patterns of L-type and erythrocyte-type were never exactly identical. Double immunodiffusion against antihuman erythrocyte-and L-type pyruvate kinases. Moreover, antihuman M2-type serum was unable to neutralize erythrocyte pyruvate kinase as well as to change its electrophoretic mobility. Consequently, we conclude that both human erythrocyte- and liver L-type pyruvate kinases existed under several conformers interconvertible under the influence of the same ligands or proteinic factors; erythrocyte-type enzyme seems to include L-type subunit and not M1- or M2-type subunits. The erythrocyte- and L-type enzymes, however, are not identical and the nature of the differences between them is discussed.

Summary: Four patients with hereditary glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI) deficiency and their parents have been studied by means of various enzymatic, immunologic, electrophoretic, and stability methods. The four defective mutants enzymes (identified here as “GPI Barcelona,” “GPI Utrecht,” “GPI Nijmegen,” and “GPI Kortrijk”) were antigenically identical with normal enzyme as judged by double immunodiffusion and microcomplement fixation tests. Immunologic specific activity (i.e., the ratio of enzyme activity to antigen concentration) was slightly lowered for three variants (between 60 and 75% of normal). The various methods used allowed us to establish that all of the patients were heterozygous for two different mutated alleles inherited from each parent. One of them was a silent allele which did not seem to code for any enzymatic cross-reacting material; the other mutated gene coded for a structurally modified glucose phosphate isomerase subunit. In two parents heterozygous for a structurally modified gene, only two enzymatic forms were detected, even in the young cells synthesizing actively proteins such as granulocytes: one was the normal homodimer, and the other corresponded to the heterodimer “normal subunit-mutant subunit”; the mutant homodimer was not detected. The assumption that, in these heterozygotes, the mutant subunit dimerized more easily with a normal subunit than with another mutant subunit could be proposed. In contrast, the three expected enzyme forms were detected in the leukocytes from a woman heterozygous for GPI Nijmegen. From these results the defect in activity observed in the patients could be explained in the following way: 50% of the defect was due to the inheritance of a silent gene. The decrease below 50% of the residual activity in red cells was due to the molecular instability of the mutant enzyme associated in three cases (GPI Barcelona, GPI Utrecht, and GPI Kortrijk) with the decreased immunologic specific activity. Speculation: In spite of the relatively high frequency of the mutations which are responsible for a silent GPI structural gene, GPI deficiency due to the inheritance of two silent genes has never been described. It can be speculated that the homozygous state of such a mutation, which would lead to null enzyme activity in all the tissues, could be lethal. As in most cases of genetic disorders due to silent genes, the nature of the mutation involved is unknown. A deletion, a polar mutation, a structural mutation leading to a highly labile product, or a cis-dominant regulator mutation are the different genetic hypotheses which could be put forward.

The defective PK variant of a patient with a severe form of hemolytic anemia was characterized by its inability to undergo a normal 'proteolytic maturation.' In obligatory heterozygotes it could be proved that red cells contained different PK species, some of them sensitive and the others partially resistant to the action of trypsin.

Blood from 10 normal healthy adults and cord blood from 8 healthy full term infants were infiltrated through a mixture sulfoethylethycellulose-Sephadex G 25 in order to eliminate the platelets and the leukocytes. Then the erythrocytes were fractionated into young and old cells by centrifugation in microhematocrit tubes. The enzyme activity and the immunologic reactivity of glucose phosphate isomerase (EC.5.3.1.9), phosphoglycerate kinase (EC.2.7.2.3), pyruvate kinase (ec.2.7.1.40), glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC. 1.1.1.49), and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (EC.1.1.1.44) were measured in every fraction. As previously reported, the enzyme activities were far higher in cord blood than in adult blood red cells; nevertheless, the age-related loss of enzyme activity was similar in both cord and adult blood. The decrease of the enzyme activity of glucose phosphate isomerase and phosphoglycerate kinase in old cells was singly associated with a lowered concentration of the enzyme-related antigen; by contrast, the age-related decrease of the enzyme activity of pyruvate kinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase was associated with both a lowered concentration of the enzyme-related antigen and a lowered "molecular specific activity" (i.e., a lowered ratio of enzyme activity to enzyme-related antigen concentration). This phenomenon was especially marked for pyruvate kinase, which had a molecular specific activity in old cells that was 68% of that in young cells. Phosphofructokinase had a lower enzyme activity in cord blood erythrocytes than in adult blood erythrocytes; the difference was especially important in old cells from infants in which phosphofructokinase activity was 53% of that in old cells from adults. Phosphofructokinase from old cells of full term infants and from unfractionated cells from two premature infants (21 and 32 weeks of gestation) was less neutralized by anti-muscle phosphofructokinase serum and more inhibited by ATP than the enzyme from adult blood erythrocytes.

Anti human M2 type and anti human L type pyruvate kinase sera allowed us to distinguish two groups of pyruvate kinase in man. Erythrocyte and liver (L type) enzymes on the one hand were inhibited by anti L and not all by anti M2 serum; pyruvate kinase from all the other tissues on the other hand were inhibited by anti M2 and not at all by anti L serum. This latter group represent the M type pyruvate kinase isozymes. The M type isozymes have been studied by electrofocusing in thin layer acrylamide-ampholine gel. In adult tissues 4 types of isozymes were found, designated, from acid to alkaline pH, as M2 (predominant form in spleen, leukocytes, lung...), M3, M4 and M1 (predominant form in muscle and brain). In foetal tissues an extra band M2, called M2f, more anodic than M2, was added to the previously described isozymes. Except in brain (in which the isozymes M2, M3, M4 and M1 were found), the most anodic bands (M2f, M2 and M3) were predominant in all the foetal tissues. The isozymes M2f and M2 seem therefore to be the original M type pyruvate kinase forms from which the other isozymes issue. The rate of each isozyme seems to depend on tissue factors characterizing the state of differentiation of some tissues, as indicated by the ability of adult muscle extracts to change the isozymes M2 and M3 into more cathodic forms.

The isozymic composition of phosphofructokinase (EC.2.7.1.11) from human fetal tissues has been investigated by immunological characterization, electrophoresis, purification, and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the dissociated subunits. One of the characteristics of fetal tissues is the indiscriminate expression by all the cells of two or three of the basic forms of phosphofructokinase without any isozyme really corresponding to a specifically fetal form. In particular, L-type enzyme, identical to the highly regulatory enzyme synthesized by the adult hepatocytes, is found in most fetal tissues, especially in muscle and brain. M-type subunits are also detected in most of the organs and constitute the major form in fetal muscle and adrenals. F-type subunits are predominant in fetal stomach and yolk sac and are practically the only form in fetal heart. Some electrophoretic and chromatographic differences between fetal and adult M-type phosphofructokinase exist; whether their nature is genetic or posttraductional is so far unknown. Some differences (of molecular weight and chromatographic properties) are also detected between the fetal L-type subunits and enzyme from adult granulocytes. A mild proteolytic attack of the former by subtilisin transforms it into an enzyme form indistinguishable from granulocyte phosphofructokinase.

Erythrocyte pyruvate kinase (PK) from 5 patients with cogenital non-spherocytic hemolytic and erythrocyte PK deficiency have been studied by immunological methods and electrofucusing. L type immunologically related PK was titrated in crude hemolysate with anti human liver L type PK rabbit serum and M2 type immunologically related PK with anti human leukocyte M2 type PK serum. After partial purification, molecular specific activity of erythrocyte PK was measured by immunoinactivation and electroimmunodiffusion and anti L type PK serum. Partially purified erythrocyte PK was focused on continuous sucrose gradient with 2% ampholines covering the pH range 5--8. PK enzymatic deficiency was due two times to a lowered molecular specific activity of the PK variants, the concentration of PK antigen being in the normal range. In the 3 other cases enzyme activity and immunological reactivity were likewise lowered. In the 2 patients with the most marked erythrocyte PK deficiency about 50% of the residual activity in crude hemolysate were non inhibited by anti L type PK serum, but were inhibited by anti M2 type PK serum. In 3 patients, the electrofocusing pattern of partially purified PK was significantly different from than of normal controls. In conclusion, the heterogeneity of the molecular mechanisms of the deficiency on the one hand, and the abnormalities of electrofucusing patterns on the other hand, seem to indicate that erythrocyte PK deficiency is due to the synthesis by muted structural genes of various abnormal PK molecules.

A case of hereditary nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia associated with partial erythrocyte PFK deficiency without muscular symptoms is reported: erythrocyte enzyme activity in the propositus was 60% of normal. Kinetic studies of erythrocyte PFK revealed increased sensitivity to ATP inhibition and decreased sensitivity to citrate inhibition. Muscle PFK from the patient had a normal enzymatic activity, but was highly unstable to heat, dilution without stabilizer and urea; furthermore its starch gel electrophoretic mobility was markedly faster than the one of a normal control. The results suggested that a muscle type's subunit was deficient in the erythrocyte PFK. The authors hypothesize that there was no PFK deficiency in the patient's muscle because of the active synthesis of proteins by this tissue. In contrast, the deficiency of PFK would be easily detected in erythrocytes, because of the absence of protein synthesis.

Southern blot analysis of human genomic DNA hybridized with a coding region aldolase A cDNA probe (600 bases) revealed four restriction fragments with EcoRI restriction enzyme: 7.8 kb, 13 kb, 17 kb and greater than 30 kb. By human-hamster hybrid analysis (Southern technique) the principal fragments, 7.8 kb, 13 kb, greater than 30 kb, were localized to chromosomes 10, 16 and 3 respectively. The 17-kb fragment was very weak in intensity; it co-segregated with the greater than 30-kb fragment and is probably localized on chromosome 3 with the greater than 30-kb fragment. Analysis of a second aldolase A labelled probe protected against S1 nuclease digestion by RNAs from different hybrid cells, indicated the presence of aldolase A mRNAs in hybrid cells containing only chromosome 16. Under the stringency conditions used, the EcoRI sequences detected by the coding region aldolase A cDNA probe did not correspond to aldolase B or C. The 7.8-kb and greater than 30-kb EcoRI sequences, localized respectively on chromosomes 10 and 3, correspond to aldolase A pseudogenes; the 13-kb EcoRI sequence localized on chromosome 16 corresponds to the aldolase active gene. The fact that the aldolase A gene and pseudogenes are located on three different chromosomes supports the hypothesis that the pseudogenes originated from aldolase A mRNAs, copied into DNA and integrated in unrelated chromosomal loci.

With an electro-immunodiffusion technique the authors immunologically titrated 10 deficient glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase variants in the leukocytes, platelets, and red blood cells.

A new G-6PD varient with enzyme deficiency is described in a 7-month-old Turkish boy without any hemolytic manifestation, except neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. The main characteristics of this variant were the following: Severe enzyme deficiency in erythrocytes (8% of normal), fast starch-gel-electrophoretic mobility (110% of normal), increased Ki NADPH with respect to NADP+, slightly biphasic pH curve, enzyme instability, in vivo and in vitro, decreased molecular specific activity (58% of normal).

In a 5-year-old Italian girl with severe congenital hemolytic anemia, red cell GPI deficiency was proven, and found to be due to a new variant, 'GPI Roma.' The parents are first cousins and have been proven to be heterozygous for this variant. GPI Roma was slightly unstable to heat and exhibited a slightly increased Michaelis constant for fructose-6-phosphate. A single predominant fast-migrating GPI form existed in the patient's white blood cells, while the electrophoretic pattern in the red cells was composed, in addition to this 'fast band,' of a major band migrating as normal GPI and of an additional slow band. It is shown that this phenomenon may be ascribed to postsynthetic events modifying the charge of the mutant enzyme.

A new deficient G-6PD variant, Gd(--) Abrami, was found in granulocytes, platelets and red blood cells of a 65-year-old woman with myelofibrosis. Enzyme and immunological titrations showed that only the deficient variant was present in blood cells whereas both the normal and abnormal enzymes were found in the fat cells of this patient. These results seem to indicate that the granulocytes, platelets and erythrocytes of this woman with myelofibrosis have arisen from a single abnormal precursor the functional X chromosome of which is the one carrying the abnormal G-6PD gene.

Les auteurs ont dose l'activite et determine la migration electrophoretique de la glucose-6-phosphate deshydrogenase erythrocytaire chez 301 sujets mâles de race noire.

The gene that is defective in patients with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy consists of about 60 short exons scattered along a gigantic DNA region that spans some 2 megabase pairs1,2. The encoded protein, dystrophin, was recently characterized as a component of muscle intracellular membranes of low abundance3,4. The dystrophin messenger RNA is difficult to study in both normal and pathological tissue specimens because it is large (14 kilobases) and scarce (0.01–0.001% of total muscle mRNA)2. We report here that efficient in vitro co-amplifications of the mRNAs of the dystrophin gene and of a reporter gene, aldolase A, by the poly-merase chain reaction procedure5 enables us to obtain a quantitative estimate of the dystrophin gene transcript. A processed, transcribed segment was thus detected in 13 different human tissues. It ranged from 0.02–0.12% of total mRNA in skeletal muscle to 25,000 times less in lymphoblastoid cells.

Pyruvate kinase subunits of red cells and liver differ in their molecular weights. Peptide mapping of the rat enzymes has shown that this difference is due to a single exon peptide present in the red cell enzyme1‐3. There is strong genetic evidence in man that both enzymes are encoded by the same structural gene (refs 4–8 and G. E. J. Staal et al., personal communication). Here we describe in vitro protein synthesis experiments using RNA extracted from rat red cells and liver which demonstrate that the difference is reflected in tissue-specific mRNAs. Thus the difference is not due to post-translational processing and presumably involves either gene rearrangement or differential processing of a common nuclear RNA precursor.

A low rate value of G6PD was found in red blood cells from a Cambodian boy. Enzyme mapping was performed according to the WHO standard methods. G6PD presented all the characteristics of the A(-) variant encountered in the Negroes and behaved distinct from fast migrating enzymes described in China. No negro was in the ancestry of the mother.