Alteration of Extracellular Enzymes in Pinto Bean Leaves upon Exposure to Air Pollutants, Ozone and Sulfur Dioxide

Diamine oxidase and peroxidase, associated with the wall in pinto bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. var Pinto) leaves, can be washed out by vacuum infiltration and assayed without grinding the leaf. The diamine oxidase activity is inhibited in vivo by exposure of the plants to ozone (dose of 0.6 microliters per liter x hour), whereas the peroxidase activity associated with the wall space is stimulated. This dose does not cause obvious necrosis or chlorosis of the leaf. These alterations are greater when the dose of ozone exposure is given as a triangular pulse (a slow rise to a peak of 0.24 microliters per liter followed by a slow fall) compared to that given as a constant square wave pulse of 0.15 microliters per liter for the same 4 hour period. Exposure of the plants to sulfur dioxide (at a concentration of 0.4 microliters per liter for 4 hours) does not result in any change in the diamine oxidase or peroxidase activities, yet the total sulfhydryl content of the leaf is increased, demonstrating the entry of sulfur dioxide. These two pollutants, with different chemical reactivities, affect the activities of the extracellular enzymes in different manners. In the case of ozone exposure, the inhibition of extracellular diamine oxidase could profoundly alter the movements of polyamines from cell to cell.     

Echinococcus granulosus: ultrastructure of epithelial changes during the first 8 days of metacestode development in vitro

The epithelium of artificially hatched and activated oncospheres of E. granulosus was studied ultrastructurally over the first 8 days of metacestode development in vitro. Within 4 h of activation, the epithelium was transformed from a thin cytoplasmic layer into a much wider layer packed with penetration gland granules and containing mitochondria and Golgi apparatus. Microvilli were extended from the outer plasma membrane and the basal lamina on the inner epithelial surface virtually disappeared. Microvilli increased in number and length over the first 24 h of development while granules in both the epithelium and penetration gland decreased in number. The granules appear to be involved in microvilli formation. After 3 days of development, the first lamination resolved ultrastructurally as shortened microvilli and some microtriches extending from the epithelium surrounded by an electron-dense microfibrillate material containing sloughed microvilli. By 6 days post-activation, no microvilli remained and only double-walled truncated microtriches extended from the epithelium. The microfibrillate material had become more electron-dense and was closer to the epithelium than at day 1. Within 8 days of metacestode development, a second lamination had developed. Both microfibrillate and particulate material of a greater electron density than the first lamination was added to the microthrix side of the first lamination.     

Gut fungi

Herbivores consume large quantities of cellulose and other plant cell wall (fibre) carbohydrates yet generally lack the enzymes to digest them. This has led to the evolution of specialized portions of the gut, such as the rumen and caecum, which contain large populations of digestive anaerobic microorganisms. Diverse bacteria and protists from this environment have been studied for over a hundred years but it is only recently that a significant population of highly specialized flagellate fungi have been identified. These fungi are important in fibre digestion. Their diversity, properties, activities, phylogeny and possible economic significance are the subjects of this review.     

The marginal regions of thylakoid membranes: A partial characterization by polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate (Tween 20) solubilization of spinach thylakoids

The detergent Tween-20 solubilized preferentially portions of the marginal regions of Spinacea oleracea L. thylakoid membranes and, thus, opened the inside of the grana to the external media. Differential centrifugation. following Tween-20 solubilization. enabled separate fractions of grana and stromal-exposed membranes to be isolated. Analysis of Tween-20 solubilized material, after pelleting all membrane material by centrifugation at 100 000 g, revealed polypeptides associated with the coupling factor (CF₁) particles, cytochrome b₆/f and photosystem II complexes, suggesting that the marginal membranes contain these proteins. Concomitantly, the 100 000 g pellet was depleted in cytochrome b₆/f and P700, determined spectroscopically, Thus. our results reveal the margin to be a distinct membrane region, which does not contain the light-harvesting centers of photosystem II (LHC II). The implication of these results, in terms of the energetic interaction of components of granal and stromalexposed membrane regions, is discussed.     

Hematology, serum chemistry values, and rectal temperatures of adult greater galagos (Galago garnetti and G. crassicaudatus)

Hematological and serum chemistry values, as well as rectal temperatures, were obtained from greater galagos (Galago garnettii and G. crassicaudatus), in order to establish normative values. No species or sex differences were found for four hematological parameters and 15 serum chemistry parameters. Species differences were seen in phosphate, magnesium, cholesterol, alkaline phosphate, G-glutamyl transferase, mean corpuscular volume and leucocyte, neutrophil, and lymphocyte number. Significant sex differences were observed in glucose, hemoglobin, and hematocrit values. Species and sex differences were seen in chloride and erythrocyte number.     

Immunochemical characterisation of parathyroid hormone-related protein from tumor and non-tumor cells

The molecular forms of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHRP) in conditioned media from the BEN human lung cancer cell line, rat parathyroid cells (PT-r) and human keratinocytes were studied by gel-filtraton chromatography with assay of PTHRP by immunoassays and bioassay. Immunoreactivity (1–86 and 1–34) and bioactivity (1–34) in conditioned media eluted as a coincident major peak (approx. molecular mass 19–22 kDa) and there was evidence of amino-terminal species in the molecular mass range 10–16 kDa in BEN and keratinocyte media. Western blotting of PTHRP affinity purified by monoclonal antibodies directed at regions 1–34 or 37–67, identified a major species in all cell cytosols and media with an apparent molecular mass of 24–25 kDa, consistently slighty larger than recombinant PTHRP(1–141) (mobility of 21 kDa) which may represent an intact or native form of PTHRP. Additional amino-terminal species were identified in medium from keratinocytes (16 and 7 kDa), BEN cells (18 and 14 kDa) and PT-R cells (17 kDa), suggesting that processing occurs at the C-terminus and within the mid-region to form a range of amino-terminal fragments.     

Humanization of a mouse monoclonal antibody by CDR-grafting: the importance of framework residues on loop conformation.

A mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb 425) with therapeutic potential was 'humanized' in two ways. Firstly the mouse variable regions from mAb 425 were spliced onto human constant regions to create a chimeric 425 antibody. Secondly, the mouse complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) from mAb 425 were grafted into human variable regions, which were then joined to human constant regions, to create a reshaped human 425 antibody. Using a molecular model of the mouse mAb 425 variable regions, framework residues (FRs) that might be critical for antigen-binding were identified. To test the importance of these residues, nine versions of the reshaped human 425 heavy chain variable (VH) regions and two versions of the reshaped human 425 light chain variable (VL) regions were designed and constructed. The recombinant DNAs coding for the chimeric and reshaped human light and heavy chains were co-expressed transiently in COS cells. In antigen-binding assays and competition-binding assays, the reshaped human antibodies were compared with mouse 425 antibody and to chimeric 425 antibody. The different versions of 425-reshaped human antibody showed a wide range of avidities for antigen, indicating that substitutions at certain positions in the human FRs significantly influenced binding to antigen. Why certain individual FR residues influence antigen-binding is discussed. One version of reshaped human 425 antibody bound to antigen with an avidity approaching that of the mouse 425 antibody.     

Tandem duplications of the lac region of the Escherichia coli chromosome

Tandem duplications are caused by unequal crossing over between homologous sequences. Duplications in the lac region of the Escherichia coli chromosome were isolated by two methods. Duplication frequency using a method involving P1 transduction increased from 0.4% with no UV to 2.0% following UV irradiation at 35 J/m2. Duplication frequency in lac using a second generalizable method that does not involve P1 transduction increased from 0.7 to 12% at 35 J/m2 UV. In both cases the duplication frequency began to plateau at UV doses of 12 J/m2 and 24 J/m2. According to segregation analysis of sixteen duplications there may be at least seven classes of duplications isolated by each method. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was used to measure the duplications isolated without P1 transduction. The minimum size of the duplications ranged from 30 to 320 kb but could be much larger.     

Differential effects of parathyroid hormone and its analogues on cytosolic calcium ion and cAMP levels in cultured rat osteoblast-like cells

While the stimulatory effect of parathyroid hormone (PTH) on osteoblast-like cell adenylate cyclase is well known, the effect of PTH on cytosolic calcium ion ([Ca2+]i) mobilization is controversial, one group finding no effect but others reporting various increases. We investigated the effects on [Ca2+]i of synthetic rat PTH fragment 1-34 (rPTH(1-34)) and two bovine PTH analogues that inhibit PTH's stimulation of adenylate cyclase (bovine 8,18Nle, 34Tyr-PTH(3-34) and 34Tyr-PTH(7-34]. [Ca2+]i was measured before, during, and after exposure to PTH analogues in perifused, attached osteoblast-like rat osteosarcoma cells (ROS 17/2.8) that had been scrape-loaded with the luminescent photoprotein aequorin. Resting [Ca2+]i was 0.094 +/- 0.056 microM (mean +/- S.D., n = 103) and rose in a time- and dose-specific way after exposure to rPTH(1-34). At 10(-10) M rPTH(1-34), [Ca2+]i rose 100% within 30 s to a plateau; higher concentrations of PTH yielded increasing initial peaks of [Ca2+]i followed by lower plateaus. At 10(-6) M, the initial peak was 5-fold basal, or 0.64 +/- 0.07 microM. Both analogues of PTH were at least partial agonists for [Ca2+]i mobilization and did not reduce peak [Ca2+]i when co-perifused with rPTH(1-34). However, the analogues did reduce significantly rPTH(1-34)-induced cAMP accumulation and did not increase cAMP accumulation by themselves. Thus, rPTH(1-34) strongly mobilizes [Ca2+]i in ROS 17/2.8 cells, at near-physiologic concentrations. Failure of the PTH analogues to block the effect of PTH on [Ca2+]i while inhibiting the effect on cAMP accumulation suggests separate pathways for PTH activation of adenylate cyclase and mobilization of calcium.