In vivo exposure of human lymphocytes to technetium-99m in nuclear medicine patients does not induce detectable genetic effects.

Recent reports have demonstrated that exposure of nuclear medicine patients to thallium-201 does not result in a detectable increase in mutation at the hprt locus in human lymphocytes. In an effort to study further the potential genetic effects of medical exposures to low dose radiation, we have examined chromosome aberrations and mutations in peripheral blood lymphocytes from nuclear medicine patients exposed to clinical doses of technetium-99m. Our results show that there is no exposure-related increase in chromosomal damage; furthermore, the data do not confirm earlier reports of exposure-related increases in mutations induced by technetium-99m.     

Biosynthesis of porphyrins and corrins. 1. 1H and 13C NMR spectra of (hydroxymethyl)bilane and uroporphyrinogens I and III

High-field NMR spectroscopic methods have been applied to study the reactions catalyzed by porphobilinogen (PBG) deaminase and uroporphyrinogen III (uro'gen III) cosynthase, which are the enzymes responsible for the formation of the porphyrin macrocycle. The action of these enzymes in the conversion of PBG, [2,11-13C]PBG, and [3,5-13C]PBG to uro'gens I and III has been followed by 1H and 13C NMR, and assignments are presented. The principal intermediate that accumulated was the correspondingly labeled (hydroxymethyl)bilane (HMB), the assignments for which are also presented.     

Glycosylation defects alter insulin but not insulin-like growth factor I binding to Chinese hamster ovary cells

Insulin binding to two Chinese hamster ovary cell lines with well-defined defects in their glycosylation pathway has been characterized and compared to insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) binding in the same cell lines. Insulin competition curves indicate that B4-2-1 cells, which transfer co-translationally to proteins an endoglycosidase H insensitive, truncated lipid-linked oligosaccharide, bind insulin with higher than normal affinity. Lec 1 cells, which fail to process oligosaccharide side chains to complex types, bind with a reduced affinity. The potencies of chicken and guinea pig insulins are appropriate for an insulin receptor in the control (WTB) and both mutant cell lines, whereas rat IGF-II is 3 times more potent than expected in the Lec 1 cells and human IGF-I is less potent than anticipated. Insulin bound to Lec 1 cells dissociates more quickly upon dilution than does insulin bound to either WTB or B4-2-1 cells. The Lec 1 insulin receptor is insensitive to pH change, whereas the other lines show the usual optimum of 8. 125I-IGF-I binds well to all three cell lines and is equally pH-sensitive in all three. Serum from a patient with circulating autoantibodies to the insulin receptor competes for insulin but not IGF-I binding, whereas alpha IR3, a monoclonal antibody directed toward the human IGF-I receptor inhibits IGF-I but not insulin binding. Cross-linking of either 125I-insulin or 125I-IGF-I reveals a typical alpha-subunit in the WTB and B4-2-1 cells but a band with faster mobility in the Lec 1 cells. Insulin (10(-8) M) stimulates autophosphorylation of a beta-subunit in all three lines, but again the Lec 1 subunit demonstrates an anomalous mobility on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These data demonstrate the differential effect of glycosylation on two closely related receptor molecules.     

Starch-Ampicillin Agar for the Quantitative Detection of Aeromonas hydrophila

Interest in Aeromonas hydrophila as a food-borne and human pathogen is increasing. Isolation media from the clinical laboratory were evaluated for food use and either did not give quantitative recovery of A. hydrophila or did not permit ready differentiation of A. hydrophila from the background microflora. A new medium was developed which permitted quantitative recovery of A. hydrophila from foods. The medium consisted of phenol red agar base (Difco Laboratories), soluble starch (10 g/liter), and ampicillin (10 mg/liter). All foods surveyed contained A. hydrophila. Foods sampled included red meats, chicken, raw milk, and seafood (fish, shrimp, scallops, crab, and oysters). The count of A. hydrophila at the time of purchase ranged from 1 × 10²/g (lower limit of detection) to 5 × 10⁵/g. In most instances, the count of A. hydrophila increased during 1 week of storage at 5°C. The starch-ampicillin agar developed permitted rapid quantitative recovery of A. hydrophila from foods in the presence of very large numbers of competing microflora.     

DNA damage and repair in embryonic mouse limbs exposed to teratogenic doses of methylnitrosourea

The alkaline elution assay was used to monitor DNA single-strand breaks in embryonic tissue following exposure to the DNA-damaging teratogen N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU, CAS No. 694-93-5). An animal model was developed in which nearly every fetus exposed to the highest dose of MNU had malformations of the hindlimbs while the fetuses exposed to the lowest dose of MNU had none. Hindlimbs pooled within litters were analyzed for DNA single-strand breaks by alkaline elution conducted at rapid (0.35 ml/min) and slow (0.35 ml/min) speeds. Breaks in the DNA of hindlimbs exposed to teratogenic doses of MNU were readily detected by alkaline elution only if slower speeds were used in the assay. Using the more sensitive procedure, DNA breakage was monitored over a 24-h period. DNA breakage peaked in the MNU-exposed hindlimbs in a dose-dependent manner 4 h after injection. While the elution profiles of hindlimbs exposed to the lower doses of MNU returned to control levels 8 h after injection, single-strand breaks persisted in the hindlimbs exposed to the highest dose of MNU for at least 20 h. These latter data suggest that the highly teratogenic dose of MNU induced DNA damage that was more slowly repaired than that produced at lower doses, possibly by saturation of DNA repair systems. Although some necrosis did occur in hindlimbs exposed at teratogenic dose levels, it was not severe and it did not appear to influence the alkaline elution results. These experiments show that alkaline elution is a sensitive assay for the detection of DNA damage in embryonic tissues.     

Interaction of sodium molybdate with highly purified glucocorticoid receptor

Sodium molybdate can affect the properties of the glucocorticoid receptor in relatively crude preparations. To obtain more information as to whether these effects are due to direct interactions of the ion with the receptor or with other components present in the receptor-containing mixtures, the effects were examined of sodium molybdate on glucocorticoid receptors purified 3000-5000-fold to about 10% homogeneity from rat liver cytosol. The ion was found to: (1) increase the stability of the purified receptor at either 0 or 20 degrees C, although the effect was more pronounced at 20 degrees C (2) induce an apparent dimerization of the receptors as judged by sephadex G-150 gel filtration and sucrose density gradient sedimentation and (3) decrease the ionic strength required for elution of the purified receptor from DEAE-cellulose columns. Although, it is conceivable that each of these observed effects is due to indirect actions of the ion on contaminants in the preparations, it is more likely that the ion exerts its effects through direct interactions with the receptor.     

Fine structure of cytoplasmic inclusions of some methylotrophic bacteria from plant surfaces

Five strains of pink-pigmented, facultatively methylotrophic bacteria (PPFM) isolated from plant surfaces and grown in different carbon sources, were fixed, embedded and sectioned for examination with the electron microscope. The strains studied represented the two mainsub-groups, those that can use carbohydrates and those that can not use carbohydrates as a sole carbon and energy source. All of the isolates examined, produced crystalloid inclusions, internal membranous vesicles and internal membranous sheets although the number of cells with inclusions, varied with the carbon source and specific strain. Polybetahydroxybutyrate and polyphosphate bodies were observed in all strains, with all carbon sources used for growing cells which includes methanol, formate and glycerol. Isolates that could use glucose accumulated polyglucoside granules but not when other carbon sources were provided. The relationship of these inclusions to growth conditions is discussed.     

Stimulatory effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid upon animo acid incorporation into protein by a ribosomal system from immature rat brain

Abstract—

• 1 GABAstimulated the incorporation of L-[U-¹⁴C]leucine, primarily into the particulate protein of a ribosomal system from immature rat brain, but not from immature rat liver.
• 2 The GABA effect required the presence of Na⁺ and occurred at GABA concentrations which are thought to be physiological (1–5 mM).
• 3 Of all other amino acids tested at tissue extract concentrations in the system, only glycine had a similar effect. No analogues of GABA tested had a significant stimulatory effect upon leucine incorporation into protein, with the exception of homocarnosine which was mildly stimulatory.
• 4 The effect of GABA upon the incorporation of L-[U-¹⁴C]leucine was examined in the presence of added amino acid substrates, both individually and as mixtures. Also, the incorporation of L-[U-¹⁴C]leucine was compared with incorporation of L-[U-¹⁴C]Iysine and L-[U-¹⁴C]phenylalanine. The results are discussed in terms of GABA interaction with activating, transfer and transport mechanisms of other amino acids, inhibition of proteinase activity, and the possibility that GABA is stimulating the synthesis or turnover of specific proteins in the brain ribosomal system.
• 5 The results illustrate the fact that studies of ‘protein synthesis’ in immature rat brain ribosomes, as measured by amino acid incorporation, will yield answers which depend heavily upon substrate conditions and upon the labelled amino acid used as the marker for protein synthesis or turnover.