Rakesh Goorha

Bio: Rakesh Goorha is an academic researcher from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The author has contributed to research in topics: Virus & DNA. The author has an hindex of 29, co-authored 61 publications receiving 2224 citations. Previous affiliations of Rakesh Goorha include University of Tennessee Health Science Center & University of Tennessee.

Frog Virus 3 DNA Replication Occurs in Two Stages

Abstract: Viral DNA synthesis in frog virus 3 (FV3)-infected cells occurs both in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm (Goorha et al., Virology 84:32-51, 1978). Relationships between viral DNA molecules synthesized in these two compartments and their role in the virus replication were examined. The data presented here suggest that (i) FV3 DNA replicated in two stages and (ii) nucleus and cytoplasm were the sites of stages 1 and 2 of DNA replication, respectively. Stages 1 and 2 were further distinguished by their temporal appearance during infection and by the sizes of the replicating DNA as determined by sedimentation in neutral sucrose gradients. In stage 1, replicating molecules, between the size of unit and twice the unit length, were produced early in infection (2 h postinfection). In contrast, stage 2 of DNA replication occurred only after 3 h postinfection, and replicating molecules were large concatemers. Results of pulse-chase experiments showed that the concatemeric DNA served as the precursor for the production of mature FV3 DNA. Denaturation of concatemeric DNA with alkali or digestion with S1 nuclease reduced it to less than genome size molecules, indicating the presence of extensive single-stranded regions. Analysis of replicating DNA by equilibrium centrifugation in CsCl gradients after a pulse-chase suggested that these single-stranded regions were subsequently repaired. Based on these and previous data, a scheme of FV3 replication is presented. According to this scheme, FV3 utilizes the nucleus for early transcription and stage 1 of DNA replication. The viral DNA is then transported to the cytoplasm, where it participates in stage 2 DNA replication to form a concatemeric replication complex. The processing of concatemers to produce mature viral DNA and virus assembly also occurs in the cytoplasm. This mode of replication is strikingly different from any other known DNA virus.

LMO2-associated clonal T cell proliferation in two patients after gene therapy for SCID-X1.

Abstract: We have previously shown correction of X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency [SCID-X1, also known as gamma chain (gamma(c)) deficiency] in 9 out of 10 patients by retrovirus-mediated gamma(c) gene transfer into autologous CD34 bone marrow cells. However, almost 3 years after gene therapy, uncontrolled exponential clonal proliferation of mature T cells (with gammadelta+ or alphabeta+ T cell receptors) has occurred in the two youngest patients. Both patients' clones showed retrovirus vector integration in proximity to the LMO2 proto-oncogene promoter, leading to aberrant transcription and expression of LMO2. Thus, retrovirus vector insertion can trigger deregulated premalignant cell proliferation with unexpected frequency, most likely driven by retrovirus enhancer activity on the LMO2 gene promoter.

Mechanotransduction across the cell surface and through the cytoskeleton

Abstract: Mechanical stresses were applied directly to cell surface receptors with a magnetic twisting device. The extracellular matrix receptor, integrin beta 1, induced focal adhesion formation and supported a force-dependent stiffening response, whereas nonadhesion receptors did not. The cytoskeletal stiffness (ratio of stress to strain) increased in direct proportion to the applied stress and required intact microtubules and intermediate filaments as well as microfilaments. Tensegrity models that incorporate mechanically interdependent struts and strings that reorient globally in response to a localized stress mimicked this response. These results suggest that integrins act as mechanoreceptors and transmit mechanical signals to the cytoskeleton. Mechanotransduction, in turn, may be mediated simultaneously at multiple locations inside the cell through force-induced rearrangements within a tensionally integrated cytoskeleton.

The spindle-assembly checkpoint in space and time.

Abstract: The spindle-assembly checkpoint is a safety device that monitors the attachment of spindle microtubules to kinetochores and ensures the fidelity of chromosome segregation in mitosis. Molecular studies are finally starting to reveal the mechanisms of checkpoint activation and inactivation.

Identification of Genes Periodically Expressed in the Human Cell Cycle and Their Expression in Tumors

Abstract: The genome-wide program of gene expression during the cell division cycle in a human cancer cell line (HeLa) was characterized using cDNA microarrays. Transcripts of >850 genes showed periodic variation during the cell cycle. Hierarchical clustering of the expression patterns revealed coexpressed groups of previously well-characterized genes involved in essential cell cycle processes such as DNA replication, chromosome segregation, and cell adhesion along with genes of uncharacterized function. Most of the genes whose expression had previously been reported to correlate with the proliferative state of tumors were found herein also to be periodically expressed during the HeLa cell cycle. However, some of the genes periodically expressed in the HeLa cell cycle do not have a consistent correlation with tumor proliferation. Cell cycle-regulated transcripts of genes involved in fundamental processes such as DNA replication and chromosome segregation seem to be more highly expressed in proliferative tumors simply because they contain more cycling cells. The data in this report provide a comprehensive catalog of cell cycle regulated genes that can serve as a starting point for functional discovery. The full dataset is available at http://genome-www.stanford.edu/Human-CellCycle/HeLa/.

Standardization and quality control studies of ‘real-time’ quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction of fusion gene transcripts for residual disease detection in leukemia – A Europe Against Cancer Program

Abstract: Detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) has proven to provide independent prognostic information for treatment stratification in several types of leukemias such as childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and acute promyelocytc leukemia. This report focuses on the accurate quantitative measurement of fusion gene (FG) transcripts as can be applied in 35-45% of ALL and acute myeloid leukemia, and in more than 90% of CML. A total of 26 European university laboratories from 10 countries have collaborated to establish a standardized protocol for TaqMan-based real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR) analysis of the main leukemia-associated FGs within the Europe Against Cancer EAC) program. Four phases were scheduled: (1) training, (2) optimization, (3) sensitivity testing and (4) patient sample testing. During our program, three quality control rounds on a large series of coded RNA samples were performed including a balanced randomized assay, which enabled final validation of the EAC primer and probe sets. The expression level of the nine major FG transcripts in a large series of stored diagnostic leukemia samples (n = 278) was evaluated. After normalization, no statistically significant difference in expression level was observed between bone marrow and peripheral blood on paired samples at diagnosis. However, RQ-PCR revealed marked differences in FG expression between transcripts in leukemic samples at diagnosis that could account for differential assay sensitivity. The development of standardized protocols for RQ-PCR analysis of FG transcripts provides a milestone for molecular determination of MRD levels. This is likely to prove invaluable to the management of patients entered into multicenter therapeutic trials.