Mitochondrial H+-ATPase in mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with defective subunit 8 of the enzyme complex

Mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae carrying defined lesions in the mitochondrial aap1 gene, coding for membrane subunit 8 of the H+-ATPase, have been investigated to examine the consequence of the mutations on the function and assembly of the enzyme complex. These include three mit- mutants, which cannot grow by oxidative metabolism due to their inability to synthesize full-length subunit 8, and three partial revertants of one of the mutants. The mutations in these strains have been previously characterized by DNA sequencing. The use of a monoclonal antibody to the beta subunit of the H+-ATPase as a probe of assembly defect revealed that the presence of subunit 8 is essential for the assembly of subunit 6 to the enzyme complex. Mitochondria isolated from the mit- mutants have negligible [32Pi]ATP exchange activity and they exhibited ATPase activity which is not sensitive to inhibition by oligomycin, indicating a defective membrane F0 sector. Normal assembly of subunit 8 (and subunit 6) was observed in the revertant strains, despite 8-9 amino-acid substitutions in the membrane-spanning region of the H+-ATPase subunit 8 in two of the strains. The assembled complex, however, exhibited reduced [32Pi]ATP exchange activity and low sensitivity to oligomycin, indicating that the product of the aap1 gene is a functional subunit of the mitochondrial H+-ATPase.     

Phase I study of combination recombinant interleukin-2 and interferon gamma in patients with advanced malignancies

A phase I trial of interleukin-2 and interferon gamma combination treatment in patients with advanced malignancies was performed based on preclinical in vitro and in vivo data which demonstrated synergistic antitumor effect. The toxicities, immune parameters, and tumor responses are described. The clinical and biologic maximal tolerated doses were extrapolated from these data.     

Purification of the Lewis blood-group gene associated α-3/4-fucosyltransferase from human milk: an enzyme transferring fucose primarily to Type 1 and lactose-based oligosaccharide chains

A soluble Lewis blood-group gene associated -3/4-L-fucosyltransferase has been purified from human milk by a series of steps involving hydrophobic chromatography on Phenyl Sepharose 4B, ion exchange chromatography on CM-Sephadex C-50, affinity chromatography on GDP-hexanolamine Sepharose 4B and gel filtration on Sephacryl S-200. The first step separated -3-L-fucosyltransferase activity directed towardsN-acetylglucosamine in Type 2 (Gal1-4GlcNAc-R) acceptors from an -3/4-fucosyltransferase fraction acting on both Type 1 (Gal1-3GlcNAc-R) and Type 2 acceptors. Further purification of this latter fraction on CM-Sephadex and GDP-hexanolamine Sepharose gave a single peak of fucosyltransferase activity that catalysed the addition of fucose toN-acetylglucosamine in both Type 1 and Type 2 acceptors and to theO-3 position of glucose in lactose-based oligosaccharides. The enzyme preparation at this stage resembled previously described -3/4-fucosyltransferase preparations purified from human milk. However, gel filtration of this preparation on Sephacryl S-200 or Sephadex G-150 separated further amounts of -3-fucosyltransferase activity acting solely on Type 2 acceptors and left a residual -3/4-fucosyltransferase that retained strong -4 activity with the Type 1 acceptor, lacto-N-biose 1, and -3 activity with 2-fucosyllactose, but had relatively little -3 activity withN-acetyllactosamine and virtually no capacity to transfer fucose to glycoproteins withN-linked oligosaccharide chains having unsubstituted terminal Type 2 structures.     

Generation of 19 STS markers that can be anchored at specific sites on human chromosome 21.

Sequence-tagged sites (STSs) are short stretches of DNA that can be specifically detected by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and can be used to construct long-range physical maps of chromosomal DNA. These STSs can be detected by PCR assays developed by reference to data obtained from the sequencing of restriction fragment length polymorphism-DNA markers for chromosome 21, which were derived from recombinant lamba-phage and plasmid clones made from DNA of a human-hamster hybrid cell line. In this report, we describe the generation of 19 new STSs that are specific for human chromosome 21.     

Carbon-phosphorus bond cleavage activity in cell-free extracts of Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 15038 and Pseudomonas sp. 4ASW.

Carbon-phosphorus bond cleavage activity was investigated in cell-free extracts of Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 15038 (IFO 12010) and Pseudomonas sp. 4ASW, strains known to utilize a range of phosphonates as sole phosphorus source. In vitro phosphonatase activity was detected in extracts of both organisms; however extensive analysis failed to detect any organic product from phosphonates other than phosphonoacetal dehyde. Non-specific liberation of phosphate was observed in Pseudomonas sp. 4ASW, associated with a single fraction of FPLC-purified extract, and is believed to result from the activity of cellular phosphatases.     

Novel compound for identifying Escherichia coli.

A new chromogenic compound, 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indoxyl-beta-D-glucuronide, was found to be useful for the rapid, specific, differential identification of Escherichia coli in the sanitary analysis of shellfish and wastewater. Of 1,025 presumptively positive colonies (blue) and 583 presumptively negative colonies (nonblue), only 1% false-negative and 5% false-positive results were found.     

Effects of ethinyl estradiol on intestinal membrane structure and function in the rabbit

Structural and functional properties of the small intestinal microvillus membrane were evaluated in the rabbit after administration of ethinyl estradiol, a synthetic estrogen with a demonstrated propensity to alter hepatic membrane lipid fluidity, and promote cholestasis. In the jejunum, no estrogen-induced changes in microvillus membrane total lipid, cholesterol or phospholipid content were observed. However, the ileal microvillus membrane in estradiol-treated animals demonstrates significant reductions vs. controls (per mg protein) in total lipid (0.55 milligrams vs. 0.89 milligrams) [corrected] and phospholipid (206.7 micrograms vs. 304.91 micrograms) (p less than 0.001) content, as well as modifications in specific phospholipid species. The increase in the ileal microvillus membrane cholesterol: phospholipid molar ratio (0.65 vs. 0.51, p less than 0.05) was associated with a significant decrease in membrane lipid fluidity reflected by an increase in fluorescence anisotropy measurements utilizing diphenyl hexatriene as the fluorophore (r at 25 degrees C = 0.306 vs. 0.282, p less than 0.05). Thermotropic lipid phase transitions, assessed by Arrhenius plots of both fluorescence data and ileal microvillus membrane p-nitrophenylphosphatase activity demonstrate that phase changes occur between and 24 and 28 degrees C in both treated and untreated groups. Within the temperature range studied (40-10 degrees C) no differences from control were observed in microvillus membrane alkaline phosphatase activity following estrogen treatment. These data therefore indicate that ethinyl estradiol-induced effects on microvillus membrane lipid composition and physical properties occur predominantly in the ileum and appear to be related, in part, to specific alterations in the availability of phospholipid following estrogen treatment.     

Regional localization of DNA sequences on chromosome 21 using somatic cell hybrids.

We have used a panel of Chinese hamster X human somatic cell hybrids, each containing various portions of chromosome 21 as the only detectable human chromosome component, for regional mapping of cloned, chromosome 21-derived DNA sequences. Thirty unique and very low-repeat sequences were mapped to the short arm and three sections of the long arm. Three unique sequences map to the proximal part of the terminal band 21q22.3, and five to the distal part of this band. Some of these may represent parts of gene sequences that may be relevant to the pathogenesis of Down syndrome, as 21q22 is the area required to be present in triplicate for the full clinical picture.     

IS1-dependent generation of high-copy-number replicons from bacteriophage P1 Ap Cm as a mechanism of gene amplification.

Mutant P1 Ap Cm lysogens were isolated in which the drug resistance genes resident on the plasmid prophage P1 Ap Cm are amplified by a novel mechanism. The first step required for amplification is IS1-mediated rearrangement of the P1 Ap Cm prophage. The drug resistance genes are amplified from the rearranged P1 Ap Cm prophage by the formation of a plasmid (P1dR) which contains the two resistance genes. The P1dR plasmid is an independent replicon about one-half the size of P1 Ap Cm that can be maintained at a copy number eightfold higher than that at which P1 Ap Cm can be maintained. It contains no previously identified replication origin and is dependent on the Rec+ function of the host.