Use of an A-T-rich DNA clone for identification and detection of Peronosclerospora sorghi

A recombinant plasmid, pMLY12-1, screened from a Peronosclerospora sorghi library hybridizes only to DNA of P. sorghi, or to DNA from leaves infected with P. sorghi, not to DNA of P. sorghi Thailand isolate, P. philippinensis, P. sacchari, or P. maydis. The terminal sequences of the 1.3-kb insert, which appears to contain mitochondrial DNA, are 85% A and T. No polymorphisms were detected when the probe was hybridized to Southern blots containing DNA from P. sorghi pathotype 1, pathotype 3, or a Botswana isolate digested with any of the eight restriction endonucleases tested. The banding patterns were the same whether DNA was extracted directly from the fungus or from infected leaves.     

Synthesis of low molecular weight RNA components in cells with a temperature-sensitive polymerase II

AF 8 cells are a mutant cell line of baby hamster kidney cells with a temperature-sensitive polymerase II activity. When these cells grow at the non-permissive temperature (40 degrees C) the syntheseis of low molecular weight RNA components D, C and A is preferentially inhibited, whereas the synthesis of rRNA, tRNA, 5 S RNA and component L is affected only a little or not at all. These results indicate that polymerase II catalyzes the synthesis of components D, C and A.     

Can membrane excitation be described without a membrane capacity?

A simplified model of excitation is introduced in which the membrane capacity is ignored. It is shown that: (1) Threshold, action potentials, and strength-duration relation can be reproduced by a membrane without a capacity, even for a very simplified model. (2) The delayed build up of the sodium conductance can mimic a membrane capacity. (3) A constant potential stimulus can be used to reveal the influence of the membrane capacity, eventually combined with a feed back mechanism which reduces the effect of the capacity. (4) The effect of the membrane capacity depends on the ratio between the membrane time constant and the time constant for the fast conductance changes.     

Physical properties of myosin from aortic smooth muscle.

Porcine aortic myosin is a smooth muscle contractile protein similar to its striated muscle counterpart. Electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate indicates that the molecule consists of three classes of subunits with polypeptide chain molecular weights of 192,000, 19,000, and 15,000. At 277 nm the absorption spectrum gives an extinction coefficient for aortic myosin of 0.558 cm2/mg; the circular dichroism spectrum of the protein indicates that aortic myosin contains about 70% of its residues in the alpha-helical configuration. Amino acid analysis shows that the smooth muscle myosin has significantly more arginine and leucine and significantly less valine and isoleucine than rabbit skeletal muscle myosin. Other studies yielded these data: Vapp = 0.716 mL/g [eta] = 0.213 mL/mg, S20, w = 5.84 x 10(-13)S. Similar studies with rabbit skeletal muscle myosin indicate that Vapp = 0.711 mL/g and S20, w = 6.36 x 10(-13)S. These properties suggest that aortic myosin, like skeletal muscle myosin, behaves hydrodynamically like a rigid rod.     

Goblet Cell Carcinoids: Characteristics of a Danish Cohort of 83 Patients

BackgroundAppendiceal goblet cell carcinoids (GCCs) exhibit neuroendocrine and adenocarcinoma features.ResultsMedian age for f/m was 59/58 years, respectively, and similar for localized and disseminated disease. At diagnosis 54 patients had localized appendiceal disease (f/m: 29/25). According to TNM 24% had Stage I, 70% had Stage II and 6% had Stage III. Twenty-nine patients had disseminated disease (f/m: 27/2). Chromogranin A, synaptophysin and p53 were positive in >90%. Serotonin was positive in 70%. Median Ki67 index was 32% (6-75%) and higher in Tang group C (50%) compared to group A (30%; p<0.0001), and group B (30%; p<0.004). All patients had surgery. Sixty-three (76%) had radical resections including all patients with localized disease. Median OS was 83 months. The 1-, 5- and 10-year survival rates were 90%, 58%, and 38%, respectively. For localized disease OS was 164 months and 1-, 5- and 10-year survival rates were 100%, 80%, and 55%, respectively. For disseminated disease OS was 19 months and 1-, 5- and 10-year survival rates were 73%, 18% and 6%, respectively. The 1-, 5- and 10 year-survival rates for f/m were 87%/96%, 49%/76% and 31%/57%, respectively (p = 0.02). According to the Tang classification group A, B, and C OS was 118, 83 and 20 months, respectively (p = 0.0002).ConclusionThe Tang classification was found to be a significant prognostic factor, while the Ki67 index was not. Localized GCCs occurred equally in males and females, while disseminated GCCs were mostly seen in females. Median age of patients with localized disease and disseminated disease was identical. Cox regression analysis found Stage IV, focally positive synaptophysin and non-radical surgery as strongest negative prognostic factors.