A novel cell-surface antigen expressed on most leukocytes and a minor cortisone-resistant population of thymocytes in rats: characterization by monoclonal antibodies

A cell-surface antigen on rat lympho-hemopoietic cells was determined by using a monoclonal antibody, R2-1B3 (1B3). The 1B3 antibody, when tested for its reactivity with different hemopoietic cells by cytofluorography with a FACS analyzer, labeled more than 80% of lymph node, spleen, and bone marrow cells and 10-20% of thymus cells. Cytofluorographic analysis performed on purified rat T cells, B cells, macrophages, and granulocytes demonstrated that the antigen defined by 1B3 was readily detectable on all of these cell types, with the greatest expression on B cells. A minor population of thymocytes that were labeled by 1B3 appeared to be cortisone-resistant and were located mainly in the thymic medulla. These 1B3 positive thymic cells seemed to be functionally more mature than 1B3-negative thymus cells as suggested by the fact that the cytotoxic treatment of thymus cells with 1B3 antibody and complement (C) resulted in significant reduction of their responsiveness to phytomitogens and lymphokines derived from concanavalin A (con A) activated rat spleen cell cultures. Immunochemical data showed that 1B3 antibody recognized the broad ill-defined band with a molecular weight of 32K to 47K daltons as estimated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These data indicate that the 1B3 defined antigen is distinct from other, previously reported, antigens on rat lymphoid cells including leukocyte-common (L-C) and MRC OX-22 antigens, and that this 1B3 antibody is a useful reagent for analyzing the intrathymic differentiation of T cells in rats.     

Molecular epidemiology of adenovirus type 8 (Ad 8) in Taiwan: four subtypes recovered during the period of 1980-1981 from patients with epidemic keratoconjunctivitis

Adenovirus type 8 (Ad 8) has been the major and important causative agent of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC). By enzymatic cleavage analysis with five endonucleases, PstI, HindIII, BamHI, SalI and SstI, 27 out of 149 Ad 8 isolates recovered from patients with EKC during the period from July, 1980 to July, 1981 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, were studied. By cleavage patterns, 27 Ad 8 isolates in Kaohsiung were classified into four subtypes which were found to be different from the subtypes (Ad 8A, Ad 8B) prevalent in Sapporo (1).     

Regulatory Mechanisms of Reproductive Effort in Plants II. Plasticity in Reproductive Energy Allocation and Propagule Output of Glycine max Merr. (Leguminosae) Cultivated at Varying Densities and Nitrogen Levels

Abstract Plasticity in growth, reproductive energy allocation (RA), and reproductive output were studied in Glycine max Merr. Cv. Enrei (Leguminosae) grown under varying densities and soil nitrogen levels.
Marked plastic responses were detected in individual biomass, the patterns of resource allocation to total reproductive structures (RA) and also to propagules, reproductive outputs, and propagule weight under changing densities and soil nitrogen levels. Plants cultivated at higher densities exhibited proportionately lower individual biomass, lower RA, lower seed output, and smaller seed size in response to increasing density and decreasing soil nitrogen levels, although some deviations were observed, especially in the highest density plot with no fertilization. Differences due to different N-levels were not as great as those to changing density, which may in part be due to the fact that soybean has nitrogen-fixing bacteria in root tubercles, just as in any other Leguminosae. Fecundity was also maintained at the similar high rates of 80–97% in all plots examined, although slight but steady decreases were noted with increasing density. This resemblance in fecundity may be due to its strong inbreeding system.
Another important finding was that seed production under limited resource availability, notably lack of ample solar radiation due to strong interference at higher density plots, is exceedingly costly. This was most clearly exhibited by a sharp increase in relative energy partitioning to a single propagule in response to the increased density, the relative energy cost to a single propagule (RA) increasing from one to seven-fold. The results obtained in this study coincide well with the findings made in other plants, e.g., Helianthus annuus, Oryza sativa , and Coix ma-yuen , with the same experimental designs.     

Detection of immunoreactive human placental oxytocin and its contractile effect on the uterine muscle

Freshly obtained human placentas from various periods of gestation were quantitatively analysed for their immunoreactive oxytocin (OT) content and its biological activity was examined in a Magnus apparatus by utilizing rat uterus. The mean values for placental immunoreactive OT per gram tissue increased from the first to the second trimester, maintaining its high level to term. The total content of placental OT also increased continually from the beginning of pregnancy to term. Blood levels of estrogen stimulated neurophysin (ESN) and OT were concomitantly enhanced through gestation. Placental extract and synthetic OT showed similar peaks in the elution pattern of ion-exchange chromatography through a carboxymethyl cellulose column. Synthetic OT and placental extract induced marked uterine contraction in diestrous rats. However placental extract previously incubated with OT antiserum failed to induce this effect. Though detection of immunoreactive OT by immunoassay alone does not provide definite identification of pituitary and placental OT, the present study suggests that placental immunoreactive OT could have a contracting effect on the uterine muscle.     

Determination of molecular weight of membrane proteins by the use of low-angle laser light scattering combined with high-performance gel chromatography in the presence of a non-ionic surfactant

An assessment study was carried out to evaluate the performance of the low-angle laser light scattering technique combined with high-performance gel chromatography in the presence of a nonionic surfactant, octaethyleneglycol n-dodecyl ether, precision differential refractometry and ultraviolet photometry. It was found that the combined technique is highly promising as a method for the determination of the molecular weight of a membrane protein solubilized by the surfactant. For trial, molecular weights of the following membrane proteins of Escherichia coli, both solubilized in oligomeric forms, were measured; porin that forms the transmembrane diffusion pore in the outer membrane, and lambda-receptor protein that facilitates the diffusion of maltose-maltodextrins across the outer membrane. The result obtained indicates that both porin and lambda-receptor protein exist as trimers in the surfactant solution.     

Cadaverine Involved in Urate Degrading Activity (Uricase Activity) in Soybean Radicles

Cadaverine, a 5-carbon diamine, was identified as the cofactorof uricase activity previously found in soybean seedlings. Thesubstance purified from freeze dried hypocotyls was subjectedto liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, ¹H- and ¹³C-nuclearmagnetic resonance spectrometry for identification. The concentrationsof cadaverine in 3-day-old radicles and hypocotyls were 2.37mM and 5.09 mM, respectively. Other polyamine concentrationswere low. Biogenic polyamines (cadaverine, putrescine, spermidineand spermine) functioned as cofactors, whereas conjugated polyamines(tyramine and histamine) and amino acids had no effect. Theaddition of catalase to the assay system counteracted the effectof cadaverine. Peroxide at appropriate concentrations actedlike cadaverine with an identical K_m value, suggesting thaturate degrading activity can be ascribed to the diamine oxidase-peroxidasesystem. (Received October 19, 1982; Accepted December 23, 1982)     

Stress-Induced Alterations in Metabolism of Γ-Aminobutyric Acid in Rat Brain

The effect of a stressful manipulation on the metabolism of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the rat brain was studied. Application of an immobilized stress to animals induced a significant increase in the striatal and hypothalamic GABA contents without affecting those in other central structures examined. It was also found that the increase in striatal GABA level preceded that in the hypothalamus. This increase in steady-state levels of GABA in the striatum and hypothalamus disappeared at 12 h after the termination of the application of stress for 3 h, which exhibited a maximal stimulatory action on the GABA contents in both central areas. The activity of L-glutamic acid decarboxylase was found to be significantly elevated in the striatum and hypothalamus following the stress application with a concomitant decrease in the content of L-glutamic acid, which is converted to GABA by the catalytic action of the latter enzyme. The in vivo turnover of GABA in the brain was estimated by taking advantages of the postmortem accumulation of GABA following decapitation and of the selective inhibitory action of a low dose of aminooxyacetic acid on the GABA degrading system, respectively. Analysis using these two different methods revealed that the cerebral turnover of GABA in vivo was not significantly altered under stressful situations despite of the increase in its steady-state level. These results suggest that central GABA system may respond to the input of painful stimuli resulting from the application of a severe physical and psychological stressor, in addition to the well-known functional alterations in catecholamine neurons. The functional significance of these alterations in the central GABA neurons is also discussed.     

Solaniol, a Toxic Metabolite of Fusarium solani

Fusarium solani M-1-1 isolated from moldy bean hulls produces T-2 toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol, and a new toxic trichothecene, solaniol, in Czapek-Dox-peptone medium.     

Chain conformation of copoly(γ-methyl D,L-glutamate)

Copolymers of γ-methyl D - and L -glutamates with various D /L ratios were prepared. Infrared absorption spectra of solid films were measured and sums of right- and left-handed helix contents were determined from intensities of amide V bands. Farultraviolet absorption spectra and optical rotatory dispersion of these copolymers in solutions are used to ascertain their helical character. Chain conformations of DL -copolypeptides are discussed.