Syrticola mediterraneus n. sp., a harpacticoid copepod from the Bay of Calvi,Corsica

Syrticola mediterraneus n. sp. belonging to the family Cylindropsyllidae Sars (sensu Lang, 1948) is described from the Bay of Calvi (Corsica). The species is closely related to (?) Notopontia galapagoensis Mielke, 1982 and Syrticola flandricus Willems & Claeys, 1982. The former species is now transferred to the genus Syrticola as Syrticola galapagoensis n. comb.     

Pertussis toxin stimulates cholecystokinin-induced cyclic AMP formation but is without effect on secretagogue-induced calcium mobilization in exocrine pancreas

The role of a pertussis toxin sensitive GTP-binding protein in mediating between cholecystokinin receptors and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate phosphodiesterase as well as in preventing cholecystokinin from increasing cellular cyclic AMP has been investigated using dispersed acini from rabbit pancreas. Pertussis toxin pretreatment (500 ng/ml, 2 h) did not affect cholecystokinin(octapeptide) (CCK-8)-induced increases in cytosolic free Ca2+ as judged from changes in fluorescence obtained from quin2-loaded acini. Although pretreatment with pertussis toxin was also without effect on resting acinar cell cyclic AMP levels, adenylate cyclase activity was increased, since inhibition of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity by isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX) resulted in an additional increase in cyclic AMP levels in toxin-treated acini, indicating that acinar cell adenylate cyclase activity is under some tonic inhibitory control by the pertussis toxin-sensitive inhibitory GTP-binding protein (Gi) of the adenylate cyclase system. CCK-8 gave an increase in cyclic AMP levels in both control (1.6-fold) and toxin-treated (2.3-fold) acini, leading to cyclic AMP levels in the toxin-treated acini 2-times as high as those in control acini. In the presence of IBMX, the cyclic AMP response to CCK-8 was again markedly enhanced in acini pretreated with the toxin (3.2- vs. 1.8-fold), resulting in cAMP levels in the toxin-treated acini 3.7-times those in the absence of IBMX, 2.5-times those in control acini in the presence of IBMX and 7.0-times those in control acini in the absence of IBMX. Neither the pretreatment with pertussis toxin, nor the presence of IBMX alone, nor the combination had an effect on basal amylase secretion. However, all three treatments potentiated the stimulatory effect of CCK-8 on amylase secretion and the amount of potentiation was proportional to the cyclic AMP levels reached. Our findings suggest that in the intact pancreatic acinar cell Gi inhibition of the catalytic subunit of the adenylate cyclase may largely be responsible for preventing cholecystokinin from increasing cellular cyclic AMP. They moreover show that cyclic AMP is a modulatory agent in rabbit pancreatic enzyme secretion, not able to stimulate secretion itself, but potentiating effects mediated by the phosphatidylinositol-calcium pathway.     

No adverse prognostic influence of hepatitis B virus infection in acute childhood lymphoblastic leukemia

In the years 1980-1985 72 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia were diagnosed and treated by intensive combination chemotherapy (BFM protocols 79, 81, 83). Of these children 33 acquired a Hepatitis B-virus-carrier state with 1983 as the peak year of incidence. Both groups of patients, the infected and the uninfected ones, were comparable as to prognostic factors. All except 8 patients are off chemotherapy after a total duration of treatment of 1 1/2 or 2 years. Probability for event-free survival (life table analysis, maximum observation time 82 months, minimum 12 months) is equal (0.77 vs. 0.75) in both groups. With 3 exceptions, all HBV-infected patients still carry the HBs-antigen in the serum; 22 of the 30 living patients in the infected group developed anti-HBc.     

Extrachromosomal circular DNAs in Drosophila melanogaster: Comparison between embryos and Kc0% cells

We established the size distribution of extrachromosomal covalently closed circular DNA molecules from embryos of various Drosophila melanogaster strains and from Kc0% tissue culture cells. In embryos, more than 80% of the circular DNA molecules are smaller than 2.5 kb and all the distributions show a peak of molecules of between 200 and 400 bp. The Kc0% cell distribution differs mainly from that of embryos in that 48% of the molecules have a size between 4 and 8 kb. Correlating with this, circular molecules homologous to copia, 412 and 297 were detected only in Kc0% cells. The three tandemly repeated families containing the 5S genes, the histone genes and the 240 bp repeat of the ribosomal DNA intergenic spacer, which had previously been identified in circular DNAs from embryos, were also found in cultured cells. A fourth tandemly repeated family corresponding to the 1.688 g/cm³ satellite DNA was detected, both in embryos and Kc0% cells. It consists of circular multimeric molecules containing multiple copies of the 359 bp repeated unit. No circular DNA molecules homologous to the actin genes, the type I ribosomal DNA insertion, or the F and I transposable elements were found in embryos or Kc0% cells. Thus it appears that the extrachromosomal circular DNA molecules from embryos and from tissue culture cells differ mainly in the presence of circular copies of the copia-like transposable elements.     

Abnormal expression ofα-L-fucosidase in lymphoid cell lines of fucosidosis patients

Fucosidosis is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease due to a deficiency of-L-fucosidase activity in tissues and body fluids. Exponentially growing lymphoid cell cultures from four fucosidosis patients had 2.7-fold to 15.6-fold less extracellular-L-fucosidase protein and 28.8-fold to 144.0-fold less intracellular-L-fucosidase protein with negligible catalytic activity, compared to the mean of 19 control cultures. The percentage of total-L-fucosidase protein released extracellularly by cultures from the four patients was 64 to 85%, compared to 35±9% for control cultures. Intracellular and extracellular enzyme forms in fucosidosis and control cell lines were glycoproteins containing polypeptide chains ofM _r=52,000. During a 1.5-hr pulse-label with³⁵S-methionine,-L-fucosidase was synthesized by control cells and two fucosidosis cell lines as an intracellular form withM _r=58,000. During a subsequent 21-hr chase with unlabeled methionine, mutant enzyme was almost entirely processed to an extracellular form withM _r=62,000. In contrast, only 25–30% of control enzyme was processed to an extracellular form (M _r=62,000), with the remainder retained intracellularly (M _r=60,000). In the other two fucosidosis cell lines,-L-fucosidase was synthesized as an intracellular form withM _r=56,000 that was processed to an extracellular form withM _r=60,000. In summary, the fucosidosis mutation(s) affected the catalytic activity, quantity, and extracellular release of-L-fucosidase as expressed by lymphoid cells.This work was funded by NIH Grants DK 32161 to R. A. DiCioccio and GM 28428 to J. K. Darby.     

Isolation ofBacillus schlegelii,a thermophilic,hydrogen oxidizing,aerobic autotroph,from geothermal and nongeothermal environments

Thermophilic hydrogen-oxidizing strains forming round, terminal endospores were isolated from geothermal areas. They were neutrophilic and facultatively autotrophic. They resembledBacillus schlegelii, a thermophilic hydrogen bacterium found so far only in cold environments. Phenotypic similarities, as well as DNA G+C content and DNA:DNA homologies, clearly revealed that the isolated strains belonged to the taxospeciesB. schlegelii. Hence, the strains ofB. schlegelii found in cold environments are probably allochthonous, their origin being geothermal and volcanic areas.     

Anti-idiotypic treatment of BALB/c mice induces CRIa-bearing suppressor cells with altered Igh-restricted function

The ABA-specific antibody response of A/J mice (Igh Ie) is dominated by the CRIa idiotype. In contrast, BALB/c mice (Igh Ia) do not produce CRIa-bearing anti-ABA antibodies after antigenic challenge. We have shown previously that treatment with rabbit anti-CRIa (R-anti-CRIa) induces the expression of "CRIa-like" anti-arsonate antibodies in BALB/c mice. In the present report, we demonstrate that R-anti-CRIa treatment enables BALB/c mice to respond to A/J ABA-specific first-order suppressor molecules (TsF1). Manipulated BALB/c also produced CRIa bearing ABA-specific immune response. Thus, R-anti-CRIa treatment induces a change in the characteristic Igh restriction pattern typically seen in this system. These data suggest that Igh restriction in the ABA-specific T suppressor cell pathway is the result of CRIa+ dominance in the T suppressor cell response of A/J mice. The effectiveness of idiotypic manipulation in inducing the expression of a given idiotype at both the B cell and T suppressor cell levels is discussed.     

Time course localization of immunoglobulin M monoclonal antibody and its fragments in leukemic tumor-bearing mice

Summary In vivo localization of a mouse monoclonal antibody (F₂-10.23 IgM) binding leukemic L 1210 cells was studied in DBA/2 mice bearing an L 1210 tumor. F(ab)₂ fragments were prepared and their specific binding to L 1210 cells was analyzed by flow cytofluorometry. Radiolocalization studies were performed by using ¹²⁵I- or ¹³¹I-labeled IgM monoclonal antibody or its F(ab')₂ fragments to ascertain their capacity to visualize the L 1210 tumor. F(ab)₂ fragments were cleared more rapidly than the whole IgM; the clearance was as fast in healthy as in tumor-bearing mice. The tumor-to-muscle ratio observed 24 h after injection of ¹²⁵I-radiolabeled F(ab)₂ fragments and ¹²⁵I-radiolabeled IgM was 10; the radioactivity level in the blood with F(ab)₂ fragments was lower than with IgM, and so -camera imaging was workable with F(ab)₂ fragments without background substraction. The tumor localization was studied over a period of 5 days by recording the distribution of the iodinated fragments in the tumor-bearing leg compared with that in the normal leg, and by computer analysis of the region of interest. F(ab)₂ fragments gave better results than intact IgM in tumor visualization. Nevertheless, the rapid clearance of this antibody or its F(ab)₂ fragments make them hardly suitable as carriers of toxic drugs. Abbreviations used are: MEM Minimum essential medium; SDS sodium dodecylsulfate; PAGE polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis     

Lysis of autologous tumor cells by blood lymphocytes tested at the time of surgery

Summary Lymphocyte-mediated lysis of autologous tumor cells (autologous lymphocyte cytotoxocity ALC) was tested at the time of surgery in 108 patients (46 squamous cell carcinomas of the lung, 25 adenocarcinomas of the lung, 19 soft tissue sarcomas and 18 osteosarcomas). The clinical course of these patients in relation to the test results has been published previously. The group was evaluated again after an extended observation time, now with a mean of 80.2 months (range 36–108). The test was rarely positive in patients with metastasis (2 out of 28 experiments).There was a correlation between the ALC results and the postsurgical clinical course for patients without detectable metastasis in that (1) a negative test was invariably a bad prognostic sign, i.e., all 32 patients with negative ALC died within 3 years (mean survival time 16.1 months). (2) The remission and survival times were longer for the ALC positive patients (p<0.001). (3) All 37 individuals who are alive at present without recurrence belong to the reactive group.The ALC results correlated with the clinical course in 88% of patients. The correlation was highest for the groups of soft tissue sarcoma and adenocarcinoma of the lung. There was no correlation between killing of K562 cells and ALC, or between lymphoproliferative response to PHA and ALC reactivity.     

Isolation and analysis of (Gp)nXp sequences of rat liver 5S RNA by means of restricted ribonuclease T2 hydrolysis

Essentual difficulties arise when base number in oligoguanylic blocks and location of these blocks along the polynucleotide chain need to be determined in the course of determination of the nucleotide sequences in ribonucleic acids. To overcome this difficulty it is suggested to take advantage of a recently discovered resistance of phosphodiester bond between kethoxalated G and its 3′-neighbour against T₂ RNase hydrolysis 1,2. The approach is illustrated by analysis of 5S RNA from rat liver. Sequences of general formula (Gp)_nXp were isolated from T₂ RNase hydrolysate of 5 S RNA rapidly and quantitatively. The information obtained greatly facilitates the whole procedure of sequencing. It is expected that the method proposed would be effective for analysis of 5 S and 4 S RNA and for highmolecular weight fragments of ribosomal and viral RNAs.