Biochemical and physical analysis of subcellular membranes in rat parotid gland enlarged by chronic isoproterenol administration

1. Chronic administration of isoproterenol caused similar alterations of membrane lipid profile in at least two rat parotid subcellular fractions, secretory granular and microsomal. 2. Typical changes in phospholipid classes and fatty-acyl chain groups were an increase of phosphatidylcholine and a decrease of sphingomyelin, and an increase of octadecadienoyl chain and a decrease of eicosatetraenoyl chain, respectively. 3. Electron spin resonance study showed that the isoproterenol-treatment also affected a membrane physical property, which may be through these compositional changes in membrane constituents.     

Hepatotrophic growth factor in blood of mice treated with carbon tetrachloride

The presence of a human hepatocyte growth factor (hHGF)-like DNA-synthesis promoter in platelet-poor serum of mice with liver injury was examined. Activity of the serum for stimulating DNA synthesis in cultured rat hepatocytes was low in untreated or vehicle-treated mice, but markedly increased 24 h after carbon tetrachloride administration and then dropped to normal levels prior to the peak of liver DNA synthesis. The effect of the serum was additive with the maximal effects of mouse and human epidermal growth factors, but not with that of hHGF. The growth-stimulating factor in the mouse serum, like hHGF, had affinity for heparin and was heat-labile. These results indicate that the level of a serum hHGF-like hepatocyte growth factor increased in mice treated with carbon tetrachloride prior to liver regeneration.     

Protective Effect of External Ca2+ on Elongation and the Intracellular Concentration of K+ in Intact Mung Bean Roots under High NaCl Stress

The effects of Ca²⁺ in the external medium on intact mung beanroots under high NaCl stress were investigated. With increasingexternal concentrations of NaCl, mung bean roots showed suppressionof elongation and a decrease in the intracellular concentrationof K⁺. Addition of Ca²⁺ to the external medium alleviated theinhibition of root elongation under the high NaCl stress andmaintained a high intracellular concentration of K⁺ in the elongatingregion of the roots. This counter effect of Ca²⁺ against theNaCl stress on roots was correlated with the ratio of [Ca²⁺]/[Na⁺]²in the external medium. A value above 5.0 ? 10^–4 mM^–1resulted in almost complete recovery of root elongation undervarious high concentrations of NaCl. Root elongation for 24h under NaCl stress was correlated with the extent to whichthe intracellular concentration of K⁺ was in excess of 10 mM.Maintenance of an adequate concentration of K⁺ in root cellsis essential for root elongation under salt stress. These findingsindicate that Ca²⁺ prevents the leakage of intracellular K⁺and thereby supports the elongation of roots under salt stress. (Received November 13, 1989; Accepted June 5, 1990)     

Genetic Screens Identify Host Factors for SARS-CoV-2 and Common Cold Coronaviruses

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Changes in Targeting Efficiencies of Proteins to Plant Microbodies Caused by Amino Acid Substitutions in the Carboxy-terminal Tripeptide

It has been demonstrated that the carboxyl terminus of microbodyenzymes functions as a targeting signal to microbodies in higherplants. We have examined an ability of 24 carboxy-terminal aminoacid sequences to facilitate the transport of a cytosolic passengerprotein, ß-glucuroni-dase, into microbodies in greencotyledonary cells of trans-genic Arabidopsis. Immunoelectronmicroscopic analysis revealed that carboxy-terminal tripeptidesequences of the form [C/A/S/P]-[K/R]-[I/L/M] function as amicrobody-targeting signal, although tripeptides with prolineat the first amino acid position and isoleucine at the carboxylterminus show weak targeting efficiencies. All known micro-bodyenzymes that are synthesized in a form similar in size to themature molecule, except catalase, contain one of these tripeptidesequences at their carboxyl terminus. (Received April 14, 1997; Accepted April 8, 1997)