Stimulatory effect of β-alanyl-L-histidinato zinc on cell proliferation is dependent on protein synthesis in osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells

The effect of -alanyl-L-histidinato zinc (AHZ) on bone metabolism was investigated in osteoblastic MC3T3-El cells. Cells were cultured for 3 days at 37°C in a CO₂ incubator in plastic dishes containing -modified minimum essential medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. After the cultures, the medium was exchanged for that containing 0.1% bovine serum albumin plus various concentrations of AHZ or other reagents, and the cells were cultured further for appropriate periods of time. The presence of AHZ (10^–7–10^–5M) stimulated the proliferation of cells. AHZ (10^–6 and 10^–5M) increased deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content in the cells with 48hr-culture. This increase was completely blocked by the presence of cycloheximide (10^–6M) or hydroxyurea (10^–3M). Also, the presence of cycloheximide (10^–6M) completely inhibited the AHZ (10^–5M)-induced increase in the proliferation of cells. Meanwhile, parathyroid hormone (10^–7M), estrogen (10^–9M) and insulin (10^–M) significantly increased cellular DNA content. However, these hormonal effects clearly lowered in comparison with that of AHZ (10^–5M). Dibutyryl cyclic AMP (10^–4M) and zinc sulfate (10^–5M) did not cause a significant increase in cellular DNA content. The present results support the view that AHZ has a direct specific proliferative effect on osteoblastic cellsin vitro and that this effect is dependent on protein synthesis.     

Carbamylcholine-induced morphological changes and spatial dynamics of [Ca2+]c in Harderian glands of guinea pigs: calcium-dependent lipid secretion and contraction of myoepithelial cells

To determine whether lipid-secreting cells have cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺]_c)-related secretory mechanisms, morphological changes and intracellular calcium dynamics of Harderian glands of guinea pigs stimulated by secretagogs were studied by electron microspy and Fura-2/AM digital image analysis. Control glandular cells contained large lipid vacuoles that were bordered by multi-layered membranes. Rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and smooth-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum may be involved in lipid vacuole formation. Myoepithelial cells surrounded alveoli. After carbamylcholine (CCh, 10^–6, 10^–5, and 10^–3 M) stimulation, lipid materials within the membranous structures were frequently discharged by an exocytotic mechanism. Conspicuous deformation of glandular cells caused by vigorous contraction of myoepithelial cells was observed in isolated alveoli after 10^–6M CCh stimulation, whereas the deformaties of glandular tissues perfused via vessels were small even after 10^–3M CCh stimulation. Connective tissue between glandular alveoli inhibited unbridled myoepithelial-cell contraction. Fura-2/AM digital imaging analysis revealed that CCh stimulation caused an increase in [Ca²⁺]_c in isolated alveoli. The morphological reactions and changes in [Ca²⁺]_c were prevented by atropine. When extracellular calcium ions were absent, enhanced extrusion of lipid vacuoles, myoepithelial-cell contraction, and a rise in [Ca²⁺]_c after CCh stimulation were not observed. Nicotine and catecholamines had no effect on the secretion or on the dynamics of [Ca²⁺]_c. It can be concluded that acetylcholine elicits exocytosis in glandular cells and contraction of the myoepithelial cells of Harderian glands, accompanied by an increase in [Ca²⁺]_c. The dynamics of [Ca²⁺]_c of the gland alveoli are mostly dependent on extracellular Ca²⁺.     

Action of rat liver Galβ1-4GlcNAc α(2-6)-sialyltransferase on Manβ1-4GlcNAcβ-OMe,GalNAcβ1-4GlcNAcβ-OMe,Glcβ1-4GlcNAcβ-OMe and GlcNAcβ1-4GlcNAcβ-OMe as synthetic substrates

Incubation of synthetic Man\1-4GlcNAc-OMe, GalNAc1-4GlcNAc-OMe, Glc1-4GlcNAc-OMe, and GlcNAc1-4GlcNac-OMe with CMP-Neu5Ac and rat liver Gal1-4GlcNAc (2-6)-sialyltransferase resulted in the formation of Neu5Ac2-6Man1-4GlcNAc-OMe, Neu5Ac2-6GalNAc1-4GlcNAc-OMe, Neu5Ac2-6Glc1-4GlcNAc-OMe and Neu5Ac2-6GlcNAc1-4GlcNAc-OMe, respectively. Under conditions which led to quantitative conversion of Gal1-4GlcNAc-OEt into Neu5Ac2-6Gal1-4GlcNAc-OEt, the aforementioned products were obtained in yields of 4%, 48%, 16% and 8%, respectively. HPLC on Partisil 10 SAX was used to isolate the various sialyltrisaccharides, and identification was carried out using 1- and 2-dimensional 500-MHz¹H-NMR spectroscopy.Abbreviations 2D 2-dimensional - CMP cytidine 5-monophosphate - CMP-Neu5Ac cytidine 5-monophospho--N-acetylneuraminic acid - COSY correlation spectroscopy - DQF double quantum filtered - HOHAHA homonuclear Hartmann-Hahn - MLEV composite pulse devised by M. Levitt - Neu5Ac N-acetylneuraminic acid - Neu5Ac2en 2-deoxy-2,3-didehydro-N-acetylneuraminic acid     

Identification of a developmentally regulated sialidase inEimeria tenella that is immunologically related to theTrypanosoma cruzi enzyme

Sporozoites and merozoites of three species ofEimeria, E. tenella, E. maxima, andE. necatrix, that cause diarrhea in chickens worldwide, were examined for their expression of sialidase (SA) activity. The enzyme was found in three species, and the activity of merozoites was 10–20 times higher than that of sporozoites. The enzyme was resistant to degradation by proteases that are normally present in the intestine, a site inhabited by theEimeria parasites, and it was relatively resistant to heat, with optimum activity being at 40°C, which is within the range of temperature in the chicken intestine (40–43°C).E. tenella SA was immuniprecipitated by monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies raised against theTrypanosoma cruzi SA (TCSA), and enzyme activity was neutralized by these antibodies.E. tenella SA was identified by immunoblots as a doublet of molecular weight 190 000 and 180 000 using, as a probe, anti-TCSA antibodies and antibodies against a synthetic peptide (TR) derived from the long tandem repeat domain of TCSA. Binding of the monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies toE. tenella was completely blocked by TR, but not by an irrelevant peptide (BR). Therefore,E. tenella expresses a developmentally regulated SA that is structurally related to theT. cruzi counterpart. Because of the high SA activity in merozoites, and by analogy with other SA-producing microbes that inhabit mucin-rich epithelia, we suggest that theEimeria SA plays a role in desialylating intestinal mucins to reduce viscosity of the local environment and thereby facilitate parasite migration. The enzyme could also play a role in host cell-parasite interaction.Abbreviations SA sialidase (neuraminidase) - Neu5Ac N-acetylneuraminic acid - 4-MU-Neu5Ac 2-(4-methylumbelliferyl)--N-acetyl-d-neuraminic acid - BSA bovine serum albumin - PBS phosphate buffered saline - PMSF phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride - PNA peanut agglutinin - Ab antibody - TCN-2 monoclonal antibody toT. cruzi sialidase, anti-Ars, monoclonal antibody top-azophenylarsonate - TCSA Trypanosoma cruzi sialidase     

Detoxification mechanisms for 1,2,4-benzenetriol employed by a Rhodococcus sp. BPG-8

A Rhodococcus sp. BPG-8 produces 1,2,4-benzenetriol during the transformation of resorcinol by phloroglucinol induced cell-free extract. The oxidation of 1,2,4-benzenetriol to 2-hydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone produces superoxide radicals that may have potential deleterious effects on cellular integrity. It has been shown that both superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase retard the autoxidation of 1,2,4-benzenetriol to 2-hydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone. Termination of the free radical chain reaction between superoxide radical and 1,2,4-benzenetriol seems to prevent this autoxidation. A NAD(P)H-dependent reductase appears to convert the 2-hydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone back to 1,2,4-benzenetriol. Both of these mechanisms appear to stabilize 1,2,4-benzenetriol so that it may be cleaved by meta cleavage enzymes. The enzymes responsible for the stabilization of 1,2,4-benzenetriol appear not to be inducible.     

Metabolism of 2-chloro-4-methylphenoxyacetate by Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP 134

2-Chloro-4-methylphenoxyacetate is not a growth substrate for Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP 134 and JMP 1341. It is, however, being transformed by enzymes of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid metabolism to 2-chloro-4-methyl-cis, cis-muconate, which is converted by enzymatic 1,4-cycloisomerization to 4-carboxymethyl-2-chloro-4-methylmuconolactone as a dead end metabolite. Chemically, only 3,6-cycloisomerization occurs, giving rise to both diastereomers of 4-carboxychloromethyl-3-methylbut-2-en-4-olide. Those lactones harbonring a chlorosubstituent on the 4-carboxymethyl side chain were surprisingly stable under physiological as well as acidic conditions.     

Effect of dissolved inorganic carbon on the expression of carboxysomes,localization of Rubisco and the mode of inorganic carbon transport in cells of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus UTEX 625

In the cyanobacterium Synechococcus UTEX 625, the extent of expression of carboxysomes appeared dependent on the level of inorganic carbon (CO₂+HCO _inf3 ^sup- ) in the growth medium. In cells grown under 5% CO₂ and in those bubbled with air, carboxysomes were present in low numbers (<2 · longitudinal section^-1) and were distributed in an apparently random manner throughout the centroplasm. In contrast, cells grown in standing culture and those bubbled with 30 l CO₂ · 1^-1 possessed many carboxysomes (>8 · longitudinal section^-1). Moreover, carboxysomes in these cells were usually positioned near the cell periphery, aligned along the interface between the centroplasm and the photosynthetic thylakoids. This arrangement of carboxysomes coincided with the full induction of the HCO _inf3 ^sup- transport system that is involved in concentrating inorganic carbon within the cells for subsequent use in photosynthesis. Immunolocalization studies indicate that the Calvin cycle enzyme ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase was predominantly carboxysome-localized, regardless of the inorganic carbon concentration of the growth medium, while phosphoribulokinase was confined to the thylakoid region. It is postulated that the peripheral arrangement of carboxysomes may provide for more efficient photosynthetic utilization of the internal inorganic carbon pool in cells from cultures where carbon resources are limiting.Abbreviations Chl chlorophyll - DIC dissolved inorganic carbon (CO₂+HCO _inf3 ^sup- +CO _inf3 ^sup2- ) - PRK phosphoribulokinase - RuBP ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate - Rubisco LS large subunit of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase     

Energetics and regulations of formate and hydrogen metabolism by Methanobacterium formicicum

Accumulation of formate to millimolar levels was observed during the growth of Methanobacterium formicicum species on H₂–CO₂. Hydrogen was also produced during formate metabolism by M. formicicum. The amount of formate accumulated in the medium or the amount H₂ released in gas phase was influenced by the bicarbonate concentration. The formate hydrogenlyase system was constitutive but regulated by formate. When methanogenesis was inhibited by addition of 2-bromoethane sulfonate, M. formicicum synthesized formate from H₂ plus HCO _inf3 ^sup- or produced H₂ from formate to a steady-state level at which point the Gibbs free energy (G) available for formate synthesis or H₂ production was approximately -2 to -3 kJ/reaction. Formate conversion to methane was inhibited in the presence of high H₂ pressure. The relative rates of conversion of formate and H₂ were apparently controlled by the G available for formate synthesis, hydrogen production, methane production from formate and methane production from H₂. Results from ¹⁴C-tracer tests indicated that a rapid isotopic exchange between HCOO^- and HCO _inf3 ^sup- occurred during the growth of M. formicicum on H₂–CO₂. Data from metabolism of ¹⁴C-labelled formate to methane suggested that formate was initially split to H₂ and HCO _inf3 ^sup- and then subsequently converted to methane. When molybdate was replaced with tungstate in the growth media, the growth of M. formicicum strain MF on H₂–CO₂ was inhibited although production of methane was not Formate synthesis from H₂ was also inhibited.     

Pulmonary gas exchange kinetics during exercise: physiological inferences of model order and parameters

1. 1. The ventilatory and pulmonary gas exchange responses during moderate exercise can be appropriately modelled with first-order dynamics.

2. 2. A delay term, reflecting tissue-to-lung transit time, is needed for accurate characterization, however.

3. 3. The O₂ uptake time constant ( reflects the enzymatically controlled tissue O₂ utilization.

4. 4. is appreciably longer than , consequent to the tissue CO₂ capacitance.

5. 5. As typically longer than , transient errors in alveolar and arterial blood gas tensions are predicted: small for P_CO2 but much larger for P_O2.

6. 6. At work rates above the lactate threshold, a slow and delayed component of V̇_O2 induces an additional V̇ component (“excess” V̇_O2), leading to more rapid fatigue.

7. 7. The ventilatory compensation for the metabolic acidemia at these work rates is slow, with compensation being poor for rapid-incremental exercise.

8. 8. A justifiable control model of the coupling of ventilation to metabolism must cohere with these demonstrable physiological characteristics.