Characterization of Borrelia Species Isolated from Ixodid Ticks,Ixodes ovatus

Thirty-two Borrelia isolates were obtained from the adult stage of ixodid ticks, Ixodes ovatus, collected in various localities in Japan. Borrelial isolates were cultivated and analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, with monoclonal antibodies, by pulsed field gel electrophoresis, and by genomic Southern hybridization. All borrelial isolates showed similar protein profiles and monoclonal antibody reactivities, while plasmid profiles were rather diverse. Genomic hybridization using rRNA gene probes demonstrated the genetic similarities of those isolates. We found no significant differences among the borrelial isolates tested, and the restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns of I. ovatus isolates were quite distinct from those of borrelial strains associated with Lyme disease. Therefore, the isolates of Borrelia obtained from I. ovatus were thought to fall into different genospecies.     

Arrest of cell cycle progression of HeLa cells in the early G1 phase in K+-depleted conditions and its recovery upon addition of insulin and LDL

Cell cycle progression of synchronized HeLa cells was studied by measuring labeling of the nuclei with [³H]thymidine. The progression was arrested in a chemically defined medium in which K⁺ was replaced by Rb⁺ (Rb-CDM) but was restored upon addition of insulin and/or low density lipoprotein (LDL). Cells started DNA synthesis 12 hr after addition of insulin and/or LDL, regardless of the time of arrest, suggesting their arrest early in the G1 phase. After incubation of cells in Rb-CDM containing insulin or LDL singly for 3, 6, or 9 hr, replacement of the medium by that without an addition resulted in marked delay in entry of cells into the S phase, but in its replacement by medium containing both agents, the delay was insignificant. Synthesis of bulk protein, estimated as increase in the cell volume, was not strongly inhibited. From these results we conclude that cell cycle progression of HeLa cells in K^?-depleted CDM is arrested early in the G1 phase and that the arrest is due to lack of some protein(s) required for entry into the S phase that is synthesized in the early G1 phase.     

Effects of detergents on the secondary structures of prion protein peptides as studied by CD spectroscopy.

Pathogenic prion proteins (PrP(Sc)) are thought to be produced by alpha-helical to beta-sheet conformational changes in the normal cellular prion proteins (PrP(C)) located solely in the caveolar compartments. In order to inquire into the possible conformational changes due to the influences of hydrophobic environments within caveolae, the secondary structures of prion protein peptides were studied in various kinds of detergents by CD spectra. The peptides studied were PrP(129-154) and PrP(192-213); the former is supposed to assume beta-sheets and the latter alpha-helices, in PrP(Sc). The secondary structure analyses for the CD spectra revealed that in buffer solutions, both PrP(129-154) and PrP(192-213) mainly adopted random-coils (approximately 60%), followed by beta-sheets (30%-40%). PrP(129-154) showed no changes in the secondary structures even in various kinds of detergents such as octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside (OG), octy-beta-D-maltopyranoside (OM). sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), Zwittergent 3-14 (ZW) and dodecylphosphocholine (DPC). In contrast, PrP(192-213) changed its secondary structure depending on the concentration of the detergents. SDS, ZW, OG and OM increased the alpha-helical content, and decreased the beta-sheet and random-coil contents. DPC also increased the alpha-helical content, but to a lesser extent than did SDS, ZW, OG or OM. These results indicate that PrP(129-154) has a propensity to adopt predominantly beta-sheets. On the other hand, PrP(192-213) has a rather fickle propensity and varies its secondary structure depending on the environmental conditions. It is considered that the hydrophobic environments provided by these detergents may mimic those provided by gangliosides in caveolae, the head groups of which consist of oligosaccharide chains containing sialic acids. It is concluded that PrP(C) could be converted into a nascent PrP(Sc) having a transient PrP(Sc) like structureunder the hydrophobic environments produced by gangliosides.     

Mechanomyographic and electromyographic responses of the triceps surae during maximal voluntary contractions.

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of joint angle on the electromyogram (EMG) and mechanomyogram (MMG) during maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Eight subjects performed maximal isometric plantar flexor torque productions at varying knee and/or ankle angles. Maximal voluntary torque, EMG, and MMG from the soleus (Sol), medial (MG) and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) muscles were measured at different joint angles. At varying knee angles, the root mean squared (rms) MMG amplitude of the MG and LG increased with knee joint extension from 60 degrees to 180 degrees (full extension) in steps of 30 degrees, whereas that of the Sol was constant. At varying ankle angles, the rms-MMG of all muscles (Sol, MG, and LG) decreased with torque as ankle joint extending from 80 degrees (10 degrees dorsiflexion position) to 120 degrees (30 degrees plantar flexion position) in steps of 10 degrees. In each case, changes in the rms-MMG of the three muscles were almost parallel to those in torque. In contrast, there were no significant differences in the rms-EMG of all muscles among all joint angles. Our data suggest that the MMG amplitudes recorded from individual muscles during MVCs can represent relative torque-angle relationships that cannot be represented by the EMG signals.     

Immunocytochemical localization of 5α-reductase type 1 in the prostate of normal and castrated rats

We immunohistochemically studied the localization of 5-reductase type 1 in combination with androgen receptor (AR) expression in individual lobes of the prostates of intact and castrated rats. In the normal rat prostate, 5-reductase was localized in the cytoplasm of most epithelial cells in the ventral, dorsal, and lateral type 1 (L1) lobes. Epithelial cells of lateral type 2 (L2) lobes were negative for 5-reductase. AR was present in the nuclei of all epithelial and stromal cells throughout the prostate. The number of 5-reductase-immunoreactive cells rapidly decreased in the ventral and L1 lobes after castration, whereas many positive cells remained in the dorsal lobe even at 4 weeks after castration. AR immunostaining was lost in the ventral, dorsal, and L1 lobes at 1 week after castration, but remained in the L2 lobe of 4-week-castrated rats. Electron microscopic immunocytochemistry showed that 5-reductase was exclusively localized in the rough endoplasmic reticulum membranes and that there were no distinct structural differences between the positively and negatively stained epithelial cells. These findings suggested that the expression of 5-reductase type 1 in the epithelial cell is heterogeneous within and among the individual lobes of the rat prostate, and does not correspond to AR expression.     

Constraints on protein evolution and the age of the eubacteria/eukaryote split

This article discusses research done by Doolittle et al. to determine the evolutionary distance between eubacteria and eukaryotes. Several equations for estimating evolutionary distances and divergence times are considered. Molecular clock calculations and their effects on these estimates are discussed. The authors conclude that their research supports the range of dates for the cenancestor of modern eubacteria, archaebacteria, and eukaryotes estimated by Doolittle et al.     

A Congruence Study of Molecular and Morphological Data for Eutherian Mammals

The four orders of eutherian mammals which are traditionally placed in the superorder Archonta [Chiroptera (microbats and megabats), Dermoptera (flying lemurs), Primates (primates), and Scandentia (tree shrews)] are among the best-studied taxa of their infraclass from both the molecular and morphological perspectives. Nevertheless, the ordinal relationships of archontans remain unresolved. While morphological studies favor their monophyly, molecular investigations do not. To evaluate these opposing conclusions, parsimony analyses were conducted with three separate sets of DNA sequences from both the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes and one file of morphological data for archontans and other eutherian mammals. Statistical tests of character support and ordinal branching pattern differences documented that the three sets of DNA sequences and their results were homogeneous and congruent, thereby allowing for the combination of these data into one large matrix for further phylogenetic analysis. In contrast, these same tests revealed that the combined sequence and morphological files and their topologies were in strong conflict. Archontan monophyly was supported by the morphological evidence, but this arrangement was strongly rejected by the combined DNA sequences that favored instead a grouping of Dermoptera, Primates, and Scandentia with Lagomorpha (rabbits) and Rodentia (rodents). Resolution of these significant differences will require further evaluations about the homologies and evolutionary properties of the molecular and morphological characters and about the appropriateness of the chosen phylogenetic methods, as well as the incorporation of new comparative data from both sources.     

Isolation and Characterization of Hardening-Induced Proteins in Chlorella vulgaris C-27: Identification of Late Embryogenesis Abundant Proteins

Hardening-induced soluble proteins of Chlorella vulgaris BeijerinkIAM C-27 (formerly Chlorella ellipsoidea Gerneck IAM C-27) wereisolated and purified by two-dimensional high-performance liquidchromatography (2D-HPLC) on an anion-exchange column, with subsequentreversed-phase chromatography. Some of the proteins were resolvedby SDS-PAGE, characterized by amino-terminal sequencing andidentified by searching for homologies in databases. Separationof the soluble proteins during the hardening of Chlorella bya combination of 2D-HPLC and SDS-PAGE revealed that at least31 proteins were induced or increased in abundance. Of particularinterest was the induction after 12 h of a 10-kDa protein withthe amino-terminal amino acid sequence AGNKPITEQISDAVGAAGQKVGand the induction after 6 h of a 14-kDa protein with the amino-terminalsequence ALGEESLGDKAKNAFEDAKDAVKDAAGNVKEAV. The amino-terminalsequences of these proteins indicated that they were homologousto late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins. Furthermore,the level of a 22-kDa protein also increased after 12 h. Theamino-terminal sequence of this protein, AAPLVGGPAPDFTAAAVFD,indicated that it was homologous to thioredoxin peroxidase. (Received June 9, 1995; Accepted September 12, 1995)     

Phosphorylation of Myristoylated Alanine-Rich C Kinase Substrate (MARCKS) by Proline-Directed Protein Kinases and Its Dephosphorylation

Abstract: Excitatory amino acid (EAA) neurotransmitters may play a role in the pathophysiology of traumatic injury to the CNS. Although NMDA receptor antagonists have been reported to have therapeutic efficacy in animal models of brain injury, these compounds may have unacceptable toxicity for clinical use. One alternative approach is to inhibit the release of EAAs following traumatic injury. The present study examined the effects of administration of a novel sodium channel blocker and EAA release inhibitor, BW1003C87, or the NMDA receptor-associated ion channel blocker magnesium chloride on cerebral edema formation following experimental brain injury in the rat. Animals (n = 33) were subjected to fluid percussion brain injury of moderate severity (2.3 atm) over the left parietal cortex. Fifteen minutes after injury, the animals received a constant infusion of BW1003C87 (10 mg/kg, i.v.), magnesium chloride (300 µmol/kg, i.v.), or saline over 15 min (2.75 ml/kg/15 min). In all animals, regional tissue water content in brain was assessed at 48 h after injury, using the wet weight/dry weight technique. In saline-treated control animals, fluid percussion brain injury produced significant regional brain edema in injured left parietal cortex ( p < 0.001), the cortical area adjacent to the site of maximal injury ( p < 0.001), left hippocampus ( p < 0.001), and left thalamus ( p = 0.02) at 48 h after brain injury. Administration of BW1003C87 15 min postinjury significantly reduced focal brain edema in the cortical area adjacent to the site of maximal injury ( p < 0.02) and left hippocampus ( p < 0.01), whereas magnesium chloride attenuated edema in left hippocampus ( p = 0.02). These results suggest that excitatory neurotransmission may play an important role in the pathogenesis of posttraumatic brain edema and that pre- or post-synaptic blockade of glutamate receptor systems may attenuate part of the deleterious sequelae of traumatic brain injury.