Neural coding of speech sound in the telencephalic auditory area of the mynah bird

Summary The responses of neurons in field L in the auditory neostriatum of the mynah bird, Gracula religiosa, were recorded during presentation of intact or manipulated mimic voices. A typical mimic voice konnichiwa elicited responses in most of the neurons. Neurons in the input layer (L2) of field L showed many peaks on peristimulus time histograms while those in other layers (L1 and L3) exhibited only one or two peaks. Several neurons in L1 and L3 responded only to the affricative consonant /t/ in the intact mimic voices. They did not respond to the affricative consonant in the isolated segment or to the one in the playbacked voice in reverse. Forty-five percent of the neurons (33/ 73) decreased in firing rates at the affricative consonant in the isolated segment compared with in the intact voice. Some of these neurons, in which neither the affricative consonant in the isolated segment nor bursts of noise alone elicited responses, exhibited clear phasic responses to /t/ in the case when bursts of noise with particular central frequencies preceded the affricative consonant. The responsiveness of these neurons appears to receive temporal facilitation. These results suggest that these neurons code the temporal relationship of speech sound.Abbreviations HVc hyperstriatum ventrale, pars caudale - TFN temporally facilitated neuron - TSN temporally suppressed neuron     

Mitochondrial DNA polymorphism among five Asian populations

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms were detected using 13 restriction enzymes on the total DNA obtained from blood samples of five Asian populations: Japanese and Ainu of northern Japan, Korean, Negrito (Aeta) of the Philippines, and Vedda of Sri Lanka. Of a total of 28 restriction-enzyme morphs detected, eight had not been reported previously. By combining the morphs, we were able to classify mtDNAs of 243 individuals into 20 mtDNA types. Phylogenetic analyses using maximum parsimony and genetic distance methods both showed that the Japanese, Ainu, and Korean populations were closely related to each other. Aeta was found to show a relatively close relationship to these three populations, confirming the conclusion from previous studies of blood markers. In contrast, Vedda was quite different from the other four populations.     

On some freshwater harpacticois from Japan,closely related to Canthocamptus mirabilis Štěrba

Preliminary comparisons are presented, of certain diagnostic characters of four species of Canthocamptus, all the specimens examined here being collected from freshwater bodies throughout Japan. The geographical distribution of each species is also discussed.Contribution No. 69 from the Itako Hydrobiological Station, Ibaraki University.     

Molecular cloning of complementary DNA encoding one of the human pancreatic protease E isozymes

We have cloned a DNA from a human pancreatic cDNA library using a cloned rat pancreatic elastase 1 cDNA as a probe, and determined its nucleotide sequence. This cDNA contains a coding region of 810 nucleotides which encodes a 270-amino-acid protein. The deduced amino acid sequence shows less than 60% homologies with rat and porcine pancreatic elastase 1, although its substrate binding region is homologous with those of the above elastases 1. When this deduced amino acid sequence was compared with known amino acid sequences of pancreatic proteases other than elastases, it was found to contain an amino acid sequence which was highly homologous with the N-terminal amino acid sequence of porcine pancreatic protease E. We also purified human pancreatic protease E isozymes from human pancreatic juice, and determined their N-terminal amino acid sequences. One of the isozymes does not hydrolyze elastin but does hydrolyze a synthetic substrate. Endoglycosidase F digests glycoside bonds of the isozyme. These results suggest that the cDNA cloned by us corresponded to one of the human protease E isozymes.     

A single amino acid substitution converts cytochrome P450(14DM) to an inactive form, cytochrome P450SG1: complete primary structures deduced from cloned DNAS

Genes for lanosterol 14-demethylase, cytochrome P450(14DM), and a mutated inactive cytochrome P450SG1 were cloned from S. cerevisiae strains D587 and SG1, respectively. A single nucleotide change resulting in substitution of Asp for Gly-310 of cytochrome P450(14DM) was found to have occurred in cytochrome P450SG1. In this protein the 6th ligand to heme iron is a histidine residue instead of a water molecule, which may be the ligand for the active cytochrome P450(14DM). Molecular models of the active sites of the cytochrome P450(14DM) and cytochrome P450SG1 were built by computer modeling on the basis of the known structure of that of cytochrome P450CAM whose crystallographic data are available. The mechanisms which may cause a histidine residue to gain access to the heme iron are discussed.     

Possible involvement of 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in proliferation and differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells

Growth of 3T3-L1 cells was inhibited by 10(-10)-10(-7)M of 1 alpha,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 [1 alpha,25(OH)2D3] in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The potency of 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3 in inducing differentiation was low, since 3T3-L1 cells cultured with 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3 did not become mature adipocyte-like cells but were changed to slightly rounded cells containing small droplet-like substances in the cytoplasm and glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (sn-glycerol-3-phosphate: NAD+2-oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.8), the marker enzyme of differentiation to adipocyte, did not increase. These results together with the natural occurrence of this vitamin indicate that 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3 may play an important role in the cell growth and differentiation besides such known action as intestinal calcium transport and bone mineral mobilization.     

Branching Photocycle of Sensory Rhodopsin in Halobacterium Halobium

Temperature effect of the photocyle of sensory rhodopsin (sR) was studied by nanosecond spectroscopy. Though the formation yield of sR_M (sR₃₇₀) was sharply decreased with temperature, those of sR_K (sR₆₈₀) and sR_L were insensitive to temperature changes. These results show the existence of the branching process back to sR from sR_L. The absorption maxima for sR_K and sR_L were 595 ± 5 and 555 ± 15 nm, respectively.     

Stacking and hydrogen bonding interactions between phenylalanine and guanine nucleotide: crystal structure of L-phenylalanine-7-methylguanosine-5'-monophosphate complex

The crystal structure of title complex has been analyzed by X-ray diffraction method as a model for elucidating the possible interaction between the phenylalanyl residue of proteins and the N7-protonated or methylated guanine base of nucleic acids. The guanine base is associated with the benzene ring of phenylalanine by stacking interaction, and further connected with the carboxyl group by the formation of a pair of hydrogen bonds. These two interaction modes are suggested to be responsible for the specific recognition of base sequence by protein.     

The bialaphos biosynthetic genes ofStreptomyces hygroscopicus: Molecular cloning and characterization of the gene cluster

Summary We have isolated and studied the organization ofStreptomyces hygroscopicus genes responsible for the biosynthesis of the antibiotic herbicide bialaphos. Bialaphos production genes were cloned from genomic DNA using a plasmid vector (pIJ702). Three plasmids were isolated which restored productivity toS. hygroscopicus mutants blocked at different steps of the biosynthetic pathway. Subcloning experiments using other nonproducing mutants showed that four additional bialaphos production genes were also contained on these plasmids. A gene conferring resistance to bialaphos, which was independently cloned using the plasmid vector pIJ61, and an antibiotic-sensitive host (S. lividans), was also linked to the production genes. Cosmids were isolated which defined the location of these genes in a 16 kb cluster.     

Changes in Lipoxygenase Components of Rice Seedlings during Germination

Changes in lipoxygenase (LOX) activity were followed duringthe germination of rice seeds. The enzyme activity of 3-day-oldseedlings was 20 times higher than that of ungerminated seeds.Sixty per cent of the increased activity was found in shoots.The increase in LOX activity was mainly due to an increase inlipoxygenase-2 (LOX-2), a minor component in ungerminated seeds;this increase was inhibited by cycloheximide. LOX-2 was isolatedfrom the 3-day-old seedlings and compared for its enzymologicalproperties with rice lipoxygenase-3 (LOX-3), a major componentin ungerminated seeds. Both LOX-2 and LOX-3 were stable at pH5 to 8, but LOX-2 was more heatstable than LOX-3. Apparent K_mvalues of LOX-2 and LOX-3 for linoleic acid were 170 and 59µM, and those for linolenic acid were 5,300 and 88 µM,respectively. Both LOXs were inhibited by some metal ions andantioxidants. (Received February 5, 1986; Accepted May 9, 1986)