Purification of a new extracellular 90-kDa serine proteinase with isoelectric point of 3.9 from Bacillus subtilis (natto) and elucidation of its distinct mode of action.

A new extracellular 90-kDa serine proteinase with an isoelectric point (pI) of 3.9 was purified from Bicillus subtilis (natto). Microheterogeneity was detected in the 50-kDa protease of bacillopeptidase F with pI 4.4 reported previously by Wu et al. and the sequence for the first 25 amino acids in the internal region of the enzyme was analyzed: ATDGVEWNVDQIDAPKAWALGYDGA. The cleavage sites in the oxidized B-chain of insulin by the proteinase were CySO3H7-Gly8, Val12-Glu13, Try16-Leu17, and Phe25-Tyr26. The activity was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and chymostatin, while the activity was not inhibited by proteinaceous Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor (SSI) or alpha 2-macroglubulin.     

Phylogeny of gymnosperms inferred fromrbcL gene sequences

Partial nucleotide sequences of the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (rubisco) gene (1333 base pairs: about 90% of the gene) from several seed plants were determined. Phylogenetic trees based on amino acid sequences were inferred by using the neighbor joining and maximum likelihood methods. The results indicate (1) monophyly of gnetum group (Ephedra, Gnetum, Welwitschia), (2) monophyly of extant gymnosperms containing gnetum group, which contradicts the results of morphological data.     

Comparative leaf development ofOsmunda lancea andO. japonica (osmundaceae): Heterochronic origin of rheophytic stenophylly

Comparative development of the narrow pinnules of rheophyticOsmunda lancea and of the broad pinnules of a related dryland species,O. japonica, was examined and the origin of rheophytic stenophylly was discussed. The mature leaves and their various parts ofO. lancea are smaller and narrower than those ofO. japonica. The young pinnules ofO. lancea at the initiation of cell expansion are smaller than those ofO. japonica. The growth pattern of the pinnules is fundamentally the same in the two species, but pinnule growth period is shorter inO. lancea than inO. japonica. While the largest growth rate in pinnule length is quite similar, inO. lancea the pinnules are less elongated and much less broadened during ontogeny. Cell expansion in the mesophyll and epidermis proceeds acropetally and toward the margin along the axes of costules and veins. Although the numbers of mesophyll and epidermal cells between two adjacent veinlets are almost the same inO. lancea andO. japonica, during the subsequent growth period inO. lancea, the cells expand to a smaller extent and the veinlets become more narrowly oblique to the costule. This oblique distortion of laminar segments framed by veins causes stenophylly, an allometric modification. The stenophylly ofO. lancea is believed to have arisen by heterochronic evolution, in particular, progenesis.     

Diploid and triploid offspring of triploid agamosporous fernDryopteris pacifica

A cytological and reproductive study of the diploid and triploid agamosporousDryopteris pacifica was made to elucidate the origin of its infraspecific cytotypes. Some triploids produced 16 spore mother cells (SMCs) sometimes with n=41II+41I chromosomes, in addition to eight SMCs with n=123II, in each sporangium. In the former case the 16 SMCs usually underwent abnormal meiosis to give rise to some 50 spores, some of which were regular-shaped; in the latter the eight SMCs multiplied into 32 spores by normal meiosis. We found that spores from one of the triploid plants developed into either diploid or triploid gametophytes, which further apogamously produced diploid or triploid sporophytes, respectively. This novel mechanism of ploidy reduction is discussed in relation to the origin of diploid agamosporous ferns, the taxonomic complexity of the species, and the correlation of agamospory with polyploidy. The mechanism is also compared to that operating in agamospermous angiosperms.     

Promotive Effect of C18-Unsaturated Fatty Acids on the Abscission of Bean Petiole Explants

The abscission-promoting effects of C₁₈-unsaturated fatty acidswere studied in bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Masterpiece)petiole explants with the junction between the petiole and thepulvinus in the primary leaves in the light. Linolenic, linoleicand oleic acids promoted the abscission of the explants in thelight. Linolenic acid was the most effective among the compoundstested and its promotive effect was evident without any accompanyingincrease in the production of ethylene from the explants, ascompared with non-treated explants. Linolenic acid is easilyconverted to its hydroperoxide during the incubation with explants,as indicated by the formation of the conjugated diene and thegeneration of ethane. The production of ethylene from the explantstreated with linolenic acid was completely inhibited by theaddition of aminoethoxyvi-nylglycine (AVG), but large amountsof ethane were still generated. The promotive effect of linolenicacid was almost eliminated by the addition of scavengers offree radicals. Hydrogen peroxide and tert-butyl hydroperoxidepromoted abscission in the light. From these results, we concludedthat the abscission-promoting effect of linolenic acid are notmediated by the effect of ethylene but by the effect of itshydroperoxide, while the well-established pathway for the biosynthesisof ethylene from S-adenosylmethionine to ethylene, via 1-aminocyclopropane-l-carboxylicacid (ACC), was apparently operative. (Received May 1, 1991; Accepted July 10, 1991)     

Testicular development in Chinese Meishan boars

The developmental process of the testis and age-related changes in the morphology of rete testicular spermatozoa were investigated in Meishan boars at 1 to 364 days of age. Testicular weight and the diameter of seminiferous tubules increased rapidly until 150 to 180 days of age. Leptotene stage spermatocytes, round spermatids and spermatozoa were first found in the section of seminiferous tubules at 30 to 45, 60 and 75 days of age, respectively. However, after 105 to 120 days of age, most rete testicular spermatozoa were morphologically normal. These results indicate that Meishan boars reach puberty as early as 75 days of age, though the testes acquire the ability to produce morphologically normal spermatozoa at about 120 days.     

The influence of experimentally produced oligohydramnios on lung growth and pulmonary surfactant content in fetal rabbits.

To study the effect of oligohydramnios on lung growth and biochemical lung development in fetal rabbits, amniotic fluid was drained through a tube inserted into the maternal peritoneal cavity on the 23 day of gestation. Littermate fetuses without an amniotic shunt were used as controls. The fetuses were delivered abdominally on the 28 day of gestation. In a total of 8 pregnant does, 17 fetuses underwent amniotic shunting and 22 fetuses were used as controls. The amniotic shunt produced a significant reduction in the amniotic fluid volume. There were no differences in the wet weights of the fetal body, liver or brain between the two groups. However, the amniotic shunt significantly decreased the wet weight of the fetal lung, fetal lung wet weight/body weight ratio, and protein concentration per lung as compared to the control fetuses. In the fetal liver and brain tissues, no changes were found in the concentrations of total phospholipids, phosphatidylcholine (PC) or disaturated phosphatidylcholine (DSPC, the main component of lung surfactant) per g of wet tissue and per mg of protein. However, the lungs of the fetuses with amniotic shunts contained significantly more PC and DSPC, and the L/S ratio was higher than in the control fetuses. These results suggest that the oligohydramnios produced by an amniotic shunt causes pulmonary hypoplasia, but raises the pulmonary surfactant content of fetal rabbit lung.     

L-cell growth stimulation by a beta-casein peptide: the importance of its phosphorylation site for activity.

L-cell proliferation was markedly enhanced by addition to the medium of a synthetic peptide corresponding to residues 1-18 of human beta-casein. Experiments using several synthetic peptides of decreasing length demonstrated that L-S-S-S-E-E (residues 7-12), a major phosphorylation site in beta-casein, appeared to be important for the activity. The phosphorylated beta-casein peptide showed no activity. Recent findings have demonstrated that a similar sequence, S-E-E-E or S-D-D-E, is commonly present in many oncoproteins derived from nuclear oncogenes such as myc, myb and E1A, and plays an important role in transformation functions. The beta-casein peptide may affect mammalian cell proliferation through a modification of of the oncoprotein functions.