Enthesopathies (lesions of muscular insertions) as indicators of the activities of neolithic Saharan populations

Enthesopathies are bony lesions involving the sites of insertion of muscles or ligaments. Those caused by hyperactivity of the relevant muscles may be distinguished clearly from those of metabolic or inflammatory origin. Observations from sporting and occupational medicine indicate that specific enthesopathies are correlated with different activities. Examination of the enthesopathies present on two groups of well-preserved neolithic skeletons from separate regions of the Sahara with different paleoenvironments show that overall 20% of the skeletons presented lesions. Three different forms of enthesopathy involved the arm, principally the elbow, and may be tentatively correlated with javelin throwing, wood cutting, and archery. Two types of lesion involving the foot were observed in skeletons from a hunter-gatherer population and may be correlated with much walking or running over hard ground. I suggest that the analysis of such lesions on ancient skeletons may, in concert with other archaeological data, throw light on the activities of ancient people.     

Restriction endonuclease mapping of ribosomal RNA genes: Sequence divergence and the origin of the tetraploid treefrog Hyla versicolor

Hyla chrysoscelis (2n=24) and H. versicolor (2n=48) are a diploid-tetraploid species pair of treefrogs. Restriction endonuclease mapping of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene repeat units of diploids collected from eastern and western populations reveals no differences within rRNA gene coding regions but distinctive differences within the nontranscribed spacers. A minimum of two physical maps is required to construct an rRNA gene map for the tetraploid, whose repeat units appear to be a composite, with about 50% of the elements resembling the western diploid population and about 50% resembling the eastern population. These results imply that this population of the tetraploid species may have arisen from a genetically hybrid diploid. Alternatively, the dual level of sequence heterogeneity in H. versicolor may reflect some type of gene flow between the two species. The coding region of the rRNA genes in the tetraploid differs from that in either diploid in about 20% of all repeat units, as exemplified by a BamHI site located near the 5 terminus of the 28 S rRNA gene. If the 20% variant class of 28 S rRNA gene coding sequences is expressed, then there must be two structural classes of ribosomes; if only the 80% sequence class is expressed, then a genetic control mechanism must be capable of distinguishing between the two different sequence variants. It is postulated that the 20% variant sequence class may be correlated with a partial functional diploidization of rRNA genes in the tetraploid species.This research was supported, in part, by NSF Grants CDP-8002341 and PRM-8106947 and by faculty research grants from Miami University to J.C.V.     

Crystal structure of subtilisin complexed with its trapped substrateStreptomyces subtilisin inhibitor—Protein-protein interaction and evolution of serine proteinases and their proteinaceous inhibitors

The complex of a bacterial alkaline serine proteinase, subtilisin BPN’, with its proteinaceous inhibitorStreptomyces subtilisin inhibitor is unique in several respects, compared with other similar complexes containing serine proteinases of trypsin family. In addition to the usual antiparallelβ-sheet involving P₁-P₃ residues of the inhibitor, P₄-P₆ residues form antiparallelβ-sheet with a previously unnoticed chain segment (the ‘S4-6 site’) of subtilisin. The ‘S4-6 site’ does not exist in serine proteinases of trypsin family, whether of mammalian or microbial origin. Global induced-fit movement seems to occur on the ‘trapped substrate’Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor: a channel-like structure in SSI remote from the contact region becomes about 2 Å wider upon complexing with subtilisin. Main role of the secondary contact region ofStreptomyces subtilisin inhibitor seems to support the reactive site loop (primary contact region). Steric homology for the two contact regions is so high between the inhibitors ofStreptomyces subtilisin inhibitor family and those of pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor-ovomucoid inhibitor family that it seems to favour a divergent evolution and to support the general notion as to the relationship of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genes put forwarded by Doolittle(Nature (London),272, 581, 1978).     

Cytochromec oxidase fromParacoccus denitrificans in Triton X-100: Aggregation state and kinetics

Cytochromec oxidase fromParacoccus denitrificans was homogenously dispersed in Triton X-100. Using gel exclusion chromatography and sucrose gradient centrifugation analysis a molecular weight of the detergent-protein complex of 155,000 was determined. After subtraction of the bound detergent (111 mol/mol hemeaa ₃) a molecular weight of 85,000 resulted, which agreed well with the model of a monomer containing two subunits. This monomer showed high cytochromec oxidase activity when measured spectrophotometrically in the presence of Triton X-100 (V _max=85 s^–1). The molecular activity, plotted according to Eadie-Hofstee, was monophasic as a function of the cytochromec concentration. AK _m of 3.6×10^–6 M was evaluated, similar to theK _m observed in the presence of dodecyl maltoside [Naeczet al. (1985).Biochim. Biophys. Acta 808, 259–272].     

An analysis of tobacco mosaic virus replicative structures synthesized in vitro

Summary The RNA structures synthesized in vitro by a crude enzyme complex from tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)-infected leaves have been analyzed; the major viral-specific products were similar to TMV-replicative form (RF) and-replicative intermediate (RI) in electrophoretic behavior and ribonuclease sensitivity. Synthesis of these RF-like and RI-like structures neither required nor responded to added viral RNA, but did require all four ribonucleotide triphosphates. Enriched radiolabeled RF-like and RI-like RNA fractions were isolated from non-denaturing agarose gels by electroelution and hybridized to a collection of TMV sequences cloned into bacteriophage M13. Enriched RF-RNA hybridized to sequences of both plus and minus polarity, while enriched RI-RNA hybridized only to inserts of minus polarity, indicating only plus strand synthesis in this fraction. Most of the label incorporated into the plus strand of the enriched RF-RNA was found near the 3-end of this strand, while most of the label incorporated into enriched RI-RNA was found several hundred bases from the 5-end of the plus strand.Paper presented at the first International Congress of Plant Molecular Biology (Savannah, GA, 1985).     

Acetylcholinesterase molecular forms in the fast or slow muscles of the chicken and the pigeon

Molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were examined in various skeletal muscles of the chicken and the pigeon. In chicken pectoralis m., AChE was found to be restricted to endplate containing segments, and no asymmetric form could be detected in aneural samples. In the chicken muscles studied, a relation has been established between globular (G1,G2,G4) forms or asymmetric (A8,A12) forms, and muscle fibre types. Asymmetric forms are preponderant in fast-twitch muscles, whereas in slow tonic muscles 80% of the AChE activity is due to globular forms. However, comparison with pigeon muscles shows that AChE chicken muscle patterns may not be generalized.     

Target size analysis by radiation inactivation: a large capacity tube rack for irradiation in a Gammacell 220

Target size analysis by radiation inactivation is now a well-established method to study structure-function relationships in biologically active macromolecules without prior purification or even solubilization. Recently, it was reported that a relatively low-dose-rate but commonly available gamma source such as the Gammacell 220 (Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd.) can be used to carry out radiation inactivation experiments providing it is appropriately calibrated with enzymes of known radiation sensitivities (G. Beauregard and M. Potier (1982) Anal. Biochem. 122, 379-384). In this report, a tube rack designed to fit into the irradiation chamber of the Gammacell 220 which allows five experiments (at 30 tubes per experiment) to be carried out simultaneously with both standard and unknown samples is described. The dose rates delivered at different positions in the rack were determined by irradiating rat liver cytosolic neuraminidase, an enzyme of known radiation sensitivity. A better than 2.7% agreement was obtained between experimental dose rate and computed values from isodose curves previously published by other authors (O. A. Curzio and H. O. Quaranta (1982) Int. J. Appl. Radiat. Isot. 33, 1-3).     

The effect of whey protein hydrolyzates on the lactic acid fermentation

Summary The batch fermentation of whey permeate to lactic acid was improved markedly by the addition of enzymehydrolyzed whey protein. Acid concentrations greater than 90 g/l were achieved at a productivity of 4.3 g/l per h and a 98% substrate use. Cell mass concentration reached 6 g/l. The acid productivity achieved is somewhat higher than that typical for fermentation of whole whey. The process economics, based on in-house hydrolyzate preparation, look promising. Presented in this paper are the experimental results showing the effects of hydrolyzate concentration on acid and cell mass production.     

分子氮影响下的蓝藻Anabaena7120乙炔还原

经分子氮预处理的蓝藻乙炔还原活性下降。分子氮对乙炔还原的抑制作用可因CO_2的加入而削弱,氮浓度增高时,CO_2的此种有益作用即消失。在5％ CO_2条件下:(1)光照强度大时,经分子氮预处理的蓝藻乙炔还原活性比未经处理的(氮气中)高些,弱光下则削弱,暗中削弱更大;(2)它受到光合抑制剂的抑制较大;(3)对CO_2和O_2的敏感度比未经氮预处理者小;(4)分子氢对其支持与来经氮预处理的相差甚微,但对其受O_2损伤时的保护作用则大些;(5)MSX对分子氮预处理的蓝藻乙炔还原也有明显的抑制,且比单加CO_2的大。