Purification and physicochemical characterization of murine T cell replacing factor (TRF)

Murine T cell replacing factor (TRF) was purified from a cellfree supernatant of a T cell hybridoma (B151K12) that constitutively produces TRF. Two assay systems for TRF activity were employed: 1) induction of anti-DNP IgG PFC responses in cultures of splenic B cells from DNP-KLH-primed BALB/c mice, and 2) induction of IgM PFC in chronic B cell leukemic cells (BCL1). The purification scheme consisted of ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-cellulose chromatography, Blue-Sepharose chromatography, hydroxylapatite chromatography, gel permeation with fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC), and disc polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Overall, TRF was purified approximately 34,000-fold with a maximum 3.8% recovery of activity, and the specific activity of the purified TRF was approximately 9.6 X 10(4) U/mg. The TRF that is active in these systems is distinct from the other lymphokines such as IL 1, IL 2, BCGFI (now known as BSFp1), and gamma-interferon. The TRF is extremely hydrophobic, with an apparent m.w. of 50,000 to 60,000 on gel permeation chromatography and 18,000 on SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions. Highly purified B151-TRF abrogated the activity by treatment with trypsin but not with RNase. Moreover, it bound to lima bean agglutinin-Sepharose specific for N-acetylgalactosamine residues, indicating that B151-TRF is a glycosylated glycoprotein containing N-acetylgalactosamine residues. The role of N-acetylgalactosamine residues on TRF activity was additionally substantiated by the fact that the addition of appropriate amounts of N-acetylgalactosamine in the assay systems for TRF preferentially induced a profound suppression for TRF-mediated PFC responses.     

Spontaneous Mutations Modifying the Activity of Alcohol Dehydrogenase (Adh) in DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

In a marked-inversion balanced lethal system of the second chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster, mutations were accumulated under minimum pressure of natural selection in 1000 individual lines that originated essentially from two individuals. After about 300 generations, the specific activities of alcohol dehydrogenase of 69 randomly selected individual lines were measured with replications using four replicated vials (on 2 days—two replications per day) by observing the reduction of NAD⁺ to NADH at 340 nm. Total soluble protein as the basis of standardization of enzyme activity was measured by the Lowry method for each vial. A control experiment was made immediately after the establishment of 20 individual lines from a single genotype. A significant increase in genetic variance was observed among the mutation-accumulating lines but was not detected in the control experiment. The statistical analysis of the data on the basis of the one-band/one-gene hypothesis suggests that many mutations controlling the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase occurred in regions different from the alcohol dehydrogenase locus itself, mainly in the noncoding DNA. Furthermore, it is suggested that transposon-like elements are related to the induction of these changes in alcohol dehydrogenase specific activities. Additional experimental evidence supporting this conclusion is also given.     

Incorporation of sialoglycoprotein containing lacto-series oligosaccharides into chicken asialoerythrocyte membranes and restoration of receptor activity toward hemagglutinating virus of Japan (Sendai virus)

Bovine erythrocyte sialoglycoprotein (GP-2) (1) containing lactoseries oligosaccharide chains, which showed highly specific inhibition of hemagglutination by HVJ (Hemagglutinating virus of Japan, Sendai virus), was incorporated into neuraminidase-treated chicken erythrocytes which had lost their biological responsiveness to the virus. The GP-2-incorporated erythrocytes were agglutinated and lyzed again by the virus. Incorporation of 1,900 molecules of GP-2 per asialoerythrocyte restored fairly well the susceptibility of the cells to HVJ-mediated agglutination and hemolysis. Treatment of the erythrocytes with neuraminidase again resulted in the complete abolishment of the response to HVJ. The above observations are consistent with the view that exogenous sialoglycoprotein, GP-2, can be functionally integrated into the surface membrane of asialoerythrocytes and serve as the receptor for HVJ during the initial adsorption-fusion phase of the virus infection of the target cells.     

Characterization of a Rous sarcoma virus mutant defective in packaging its own genomic RNA: biochemical properties of mutant TK15 and mutant-induced transformants.

The accompanying paper (S. Kawai and T. Koyama , J. Virol. 51:147-153, 1984) describes the isolation and biological properties of a mutant, TK15 , derived from a Rous sarcoma virus mutant, tsNY68 . The cis-acting defect of the mutant is analyzed biochemically in this paper. TK15 virions released from virus-producing 15c (+) cells were deficient in viral genomic 39S RNA, although comparable amounts of viral RNAs were transcribed in 15c (+) and tsNY68 -infected cells. Analysis of provirus DNA occurring in 15c (+) cells suggested that the mutant genome had a deletion of ca. 250 bases near the 5' end of the genome somewhere between the primer binding site and the 5' end of the gag-coding region. These findings indicate that at least part of the sequence lost in the TK15 genome is indispensable for packaging viral genomic RNA into virions. TK15 induces nonvirus -producing 15c (-) transformants at high frequency. Southern blot analysis of DNAs from those 15c (-) clone cells revealed that TK15 -derived proviruses contained various extents of internal deletions. Many 15c (-) clones had a provirus carrying only the src gene with long terminal repeat sequences at both ends. The mechanism for the segregation of 15c (-) cells is discussed.     

Coordinate repression of arginine aminopeptidase and three enzymes of the arginine deiminase pathway in Streptococcus mitis

Streptococcus mitis contains two arginine aminopeptidases (I and II) as an arginine-supplying system and the arginine deiminase pathway as an arginine-utilizing system. The levels of arginine aminopeptidase I and three enzymes of the arginine deiminase pathway were suppressed by glucose in an apparently coordinate manner. Enzyme II appeared to be constitutive.     

Expression of synthetic human-lysozyme gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: use of a synthetic chicken-lysozyme signal sequence for secretion and processing

A multicopy plasmid was constructed to direct the synthesis and secretion of human lysozyme (HLY) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This plasmid contains a synthetic chicken-lysozyme signal sequence (SIG) and a synthetic HLY structural gene, both inserted between the yeast GAL10 promoter and 2 mu plasmid FLP (flip-flop recombination gene) terminator. The resulting plasmid directed the expression of the hybrid pre-lysozyme, with most of the HLY activity secreted into the culture medium and extracellular periplasmic space. The HLY activity in the culture medium increased with cell growth. The yeast accurately processed the hybrid precursor at the junction between the chicken SIG and the coding sequence downstream, yielding mature HLY. HLY purified from the culture medium was homogeneous and displayed specific activity identical to that of authentic HLY.     

Suppressive effect of elcatonin, an eel calcitonin analogue, on excessive urinary hydroxyproline excretion in polyostotic fibrous dysplasia (McCune-Albright's syndrome)

A 12-year-old Japanese girl with polyostotic fibrous dysplasia and endocrine concomitants, was treated with elcatonin, a synthetic eel calcitonin analogue, 10 MRC unit/twice a week given by intramuscular injection. Significant decreases in 24 hr urinary content of hydroxyproline and other amino acids from bone collagen were observed during the course of treatment over 5 months. This biochemical result suggests that the synthetic eel calcitonin analogue exhibits the therapeutic effect in patients with polyostotic fibrous dysplasia by inhibiting bone resorption.     

Uptake of liposome-encapsulating plasmid DNA by plant protoplasts and molecular fate of foreign DNA

Summary Conditions faborable for the uptake of artificial lipid vesicles (liposomes) encapsulating plasmid DNA byDaucus carota protoplasts were investigated. Incubation period necessary for the maximum uptake of liposome-DNA was in the neighborhood of 10 minutes under the circumstances where liposomes (approximately 1.28 moles lecithin/ml) were mixed with 5 × 10⁶ protoplasts/ml. Results obtained by Southern hybridization indicated that the recombinant DNA vector, pBR325 was found in protoplasts after 20 hours incubation in the open circular, linear and some complexed forms. There were some variations in DNA-uptake among protoplasts from different plant species. The gradual disappearance of plasmid molecules was confirmed after 1 week culture, suggesting instability of pBR325 in prolonged cell culture.