High level of divergence of male-reproductive-tract proteins, between Drosophila melanogaster and its sibling species, D. simulans

We compared male-reproductive-tract polypeptides of Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans by using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Approximately 64% of male-reproductive-tract polypeptides were identical between two randomly chosen isofemale lines from these two species, compared with 83% identity for third-instar imaginal wing-disc polypeptides. Qualitatively similar differences were found between reproductive tracts and imaginal discs when D. sechellia was compared with D. melanogaster and with D. simulans. When genic polymorphism was taken into account, approximately 10% of male- reproductive-tract polypeptides were apparently fixed for different alleles between D. melanogaster and D. simulans; this proportion is the same as that found for soluble enzymes by one-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Strikingly, approximately 20% of male-reproductive- tract polypeptides of either D. melanogaster or D. simulans had no detectable homologue in the other species. We propose that proteins of the Drosophila male reproductive tract may have diverged more extensively between species than have other types of proteins and that much of this divergence may involve large changes in levels of polypeptide expression.      

Serum-free culture of primitive murine hemopoietic colony-forming cells

We report the effect of four sources of hemopoietic growth factors, alone or in combination, on colony growth in serum-free cultures of bone marrow from normal mice or marrow from mice pre-treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU-bm). The four supplements were: mouse spleen conditioned medium (SCM, a source of multi-lineage colony-stimulating activity, multi-CSA), human placental conditioned medium (HPCM, a source of synergistic activity), pregnant mouse uterus extract (PMUE, a source of M-CSA) and erythropoietin (Epo). First, in cultures of normal marrow, only PMUE and SCM induced significant colony growth when added alone. The majority of those colonies contained granulocytes and macrophages (myeloid colonies). In Epo-supplemented cultures, only SCM supported the growth of erythroid bursts and mixed erythroid-myeloid colonies. HPCM thus appears to be a poor source of multi-CSA. Second, in cultures of 5-FU-bm, few colonies developed if any of the above supplements were added alone. Only SCM + Epo together stimulated the formation of a low number of very large, mixed erythroid/myeloid/megakaryocyte colonies. HPCM, but not SCM, synergized with PMUE to augment myeloid colony numbers. Hence, SCM appears to be a poor source of synergistic activity (SA). In cultures of 5-FU-bm already supplemented with HPCM + PMUE, the addition of Epo did not change total colony numbers but did induce erythroid differentiation in one third of the colonies present. These data suggest that multi-CSA and SA may be expressed by different factors and that 5-FU pre-treated marrow contains: a population of primitive multipotential progenitors which form large, mixed colonies in the presence of SCM + Epo, and a larger Epo-sensitive population which also requires HPCM + PMUE to form mixed colonies.     

Distribution of NG, NG-dimethylarginine in nuclear protein fractions

Nuclear proteins have been fractionated into five distinct classes according to their extractability from rat liver nuclei at different pH and salt concentrations. The fractions have been analyzed for their amino acid composition which shows the presence of N^G, N^G-dimethylarginine, in sizable amount, in non-histone nuclear proteins (NHNP). This modification is most prominent in proteins which are found associated with rapidly-labeled heterogeneous RNA (HnRNP proteins).     

Pre-induction priming of the uterine cervix with oral prostaglandin E2 and a placebo

A double blind study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness or oral prostaglandin E2 as a means of improving the pelvic score prior to induction of labour. 48 patients who were greater than 37 were gestation and who had Bishop scores of less than 6 entered the study. Ten tablets were given on an hourly regime. Of 25 patients in the prostaglandin group, 17 were considered successes (68.0%), whereas of 23 patients who received a placebo, 9 were successes (39.1%). No adverse effects were recorded. Prostaglandin E2 is therefore considered a safe and effective method for priming the unfavourable cervix prior to induction of labour.     

Monoclonal antibodies to rabbit liver cytochrome P-448

Cytochrome P-448 (mol wt 55,000 Daltons) from rabbit liver was purified to a specific content of 16.6 nmol/mg. Mice were immunised with this preparation, their spleens removed and dissociated lymphocytes hybridised with myeloma cells. Four monoclonal antibodies against cytochrome P-448 were raised and partially characterised. All four antibodies interacted with cytochrome P-448 in intact microsomal fractions and selectively immunoadsorbed cytochrome P-448 from solubilised microsomal preparations. One of the antibodies inhibited benzo[a] pyrene hydroxylase activity in a reconstituted system, one had no effect on activity and two increased activity. The possible applications of such antibodies are discussed.     

Manifold effects of sodium butyrate on nuclear function. Selective and reversible inhibition of phosphorylation of histones H1 and H2A and impaired methylation of lysine and arginine residues in nuclear protein fractions

In addition to its known effect in suppressing the deacetylation of the nucleosomal core histones, sodium butyrate in the concentration range 0.5 to 15 mM causes a selective inhibition of [32P]phosphate incorporation into histones H1 and H2A of cultured HeLa S3 cells. No commensurate general inhibition of phosphorylation is seen in the non-histone nuclear proteins of butyrate-treated cells, but phosphorylation patterns are altered and 32P-uptake may be stimulated, as well as inhibited, depending upon the protein fraction analyzed. The degree of inhibition of histone phosphorylation in intact cells increases progressively as the butyrate concentration is raised from 0.5 to 15 mM. The effect is time-dependent and fully reversible. Butyrate has no effect on the kinetics of phosphate release from previously phosphorylated histones of cultured cells, nor does it significantly alter the rate of dephosphorylation of 32P-labeled histone H1 by endogenous phosphatases in vitro. Despite the suppression of [32P]phosphate incorporation into histones H1 and H2A of butyrate-treated cells, Na-butyrate does not inhibit the in vitro activities of either type I or type II cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinases, or the cAMP-independent H1 kinase associated with cell cycle progression. This suggests that the butyrate effect on histone phosphorylation in vivo is indirect and may involve an alteration in substrate accessibility or a modulation of systems affecting kinase activities. The poly(ADP)-ribosylation of HeLa histones is not inhibited by 5 mM Na-butyrate. Cells exposed to butyrate show an impaired methylation of lysine and arginine residues in their histones and nuclear hnRNP particles, respectively.     

A phospholipase A2 with anticoagulant activity. I. Isolation from Vipera berus venom and properties.

An anticoagulant protein has been isolated by DEAE cellulose chromatography and gel filtration from the venom of the Vipera berus orientale (Eastern Europe). Purification has been completed by elution on carboxymethyl cellulose with continuous gradient at constant pH. The inhibitor of coagulation was separated from the other venom enzymes, e.g. procoagulant, fibrinogenolytic, aminoesterase and amino acid oxidase activities. It was also separated from other phospholipase components which were not related to the anticoagulant property. The inhibitor appeared as a simgle polypeptidic chain protein, formed by 119 amino acid residues, with a molecular weight of 13400 and an isoelectric point of 9.2. At low saline molarity, a monomer-trimer transition of this protein was observed. Both forms had the same amino acid composition. There were six disulfide bridges without free SH groups per phospholipase molecule. Deprived of any proteolytic activity, the clotting inhibitor displayed a high phospholipase activity in the presence of calcium. Activity did no appear with EDTA buffer deprived of cation. Finely dispersed micellar suspensions were found suitable for obtaining the highest phospholipase activity. High sodium cholate concentration or methanol/chloroform/ether solvent were effective without loss of enzymatic activity. As characteristis of phospholipase A2 (EC 3.1.1.4), the degradation products identified on thin-layer chromatography induced hemolysis of human erythrocytes. The apparent Km value 1.25 - 10(-3) M was determined on phosphatidylcholine isolated from ovolecithin. This purified berus inhibitor would be of value for investigating the involvement of phospholipids in the clotting mechanism.     

A phospholipase A2 with anticoagulant activity. II. Inhibition of the phospholiped activity in coagulation.

An anticoagulant factor with phospholipase A2 activity has been isolated from Vipera berus venom. Phospholipase activity was studied on platelet phospholipid and on brain cephalin. The venom factor showed a potent anticoagulant activity: 1 mug impaired the clotting of 1 ml of citrated recalcified platelet-poor plasma. The anticoagulant inhibited clotting by antagonism to phospholipid. The antagonism constant (Kan = 6.8-10(-9) M) demonstrated the high affinity of the inhibitor for phospholipid. As with other phospholipases A2, the venom factor was thermoresistant but very sensitive to photo-oxidation. Both activities (anticoagulant activity and phospholipase activity) were not markedly dissociated by either denaturation or neutralization processes. Slightly different curves of photo-oxidative inactivation of both activities suggested the presence, on the molecule, of two very close sites responsible for phospholipase and anticoagulant activities. The inhibitor effect on coagulation was independent of the hydrolysis process. In fact, lysoderivatives and fatty acids, resulting from complete hydrolysis with the venom factor, were as active as the native phospholipids. Moreover phospholipase A2 from other viperidae venom, which did not have anticoagulant activity, produced similarly active lysoderivatives. This showed that the cleavage of the beta-acyl bond does not interfere with the activity of phospholipid. A possible mechanism of clotting inhibition by the venom factor was proposed. Owing to its high affinity for phospholipid, the inhibitor would complex phospholipid at its protein binding site impairing the normal arrangement of coagulation protein factors and, consequently, their activation. The positive charges of the inhibitor (pI = 9.2) could bind with phosphoryl or carboxyl groups of phospholipid, making them unavailable for protein binding. The complex formation involves a loss of dissociating capacity of the enzyme towards its substrate. This required an additional interaction of the inhibitor with a coagulation protein factor. The inhibitor could be removed from the complex by specific antibodies, permitting recovery of normal phospholipid-protein interaction. The role of calcium in the complex has not yet been elucidated. This venom factor affords a useful tool for investigating the phospholipid-clotting protein interaction.