EPR properties of mixed-valent μ-oxo and μ-hydroxo dinuclear iron complexes produced by radiolytic reduction at 77 K

 Radiolytic reduction at 77 K of oxo-/hydroxo-bridged dinuclear iron(III) complexes in frozen solutions forms kinetically stabilized, mixed-valent species in high yields that model the mixed-valent sites of non-heme, diiron proteins. The mixed-valent species trapped at 77 K retain ligation geometry similar to the initial diferric clusters. The shapes of the mixed-valent EPR signals depend strongly on the bridging ligands. Spectra of the Fe(II)OFe(III) species reveal an S=1/2 ground state with small g-anisotropy as characterized by the uniaxial component (g _z –g _av /2<0.03) observable at temperatures as high as ∼100 K. In contrast, hydroxo-bridged mixed-valent species are characterized by large g-anisotropy (g _z –g _av /2>0.03) and are observable only below 30 K. Annealing at higher temperatures causes structural relaxation and changes in the EPR characteristics. EPR spectral properties allow the oxo- and hydroxo-bridged, mixed-valent diiron centers to be distinguished from each other and can help characterize the structure of mixed-valent centers in proteins. Received: 27 June 1998 / Accepted: 25 February 1999     

Comparative triplet-state properties of the three tryptophan residues in bacteriophage T4 lysozyme and in the enzyme complex with methylmercury(II)

Triplet-state energies, zero-field splittings (ZFS), and total decay rate constants of the individual triplet-state sublevels of the tryptophan (Trp) residues located at positions 126, 138, and 158 in bacteriophage T4 lysozyme have been determined by using low-temperature phosphorescence and optical detection of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in zero applied magnetic field. An investigation of spectral and kinetic properties of individual Trp residues was facilitated by measurements on point-mutated proteins containing two Trp----Tyr substitutions. We find that the phosphorescence lifetime of the buried Trp-138 is considerably shorter than those of the solvent-exposed Trp residues. CH3HgII binding to cysteine residues in T4 lysozyme selectively perturbs the triplet state of Trp-158 by means of an external heavy-atom effect. In contrast with the previous observation of selective x-sublevel perturbation in the Trp-CH3Hg complex, the radiative character of the z sublevel (z is the out-of-plane axis) is selectively enhanced due to the heavy-atom perturbation of Trp-158. The observed pattern of radiative and total sublevel decay constants of the perturbed Trp is attributed to a special orientation of the Hg atom with respect to the indole plane.     

肝细胞的异质性：葡萄糖和酮体在大鼠肝脏的代谢

用大鼠肝脏门静脉或肝静脉周围的肝细胞来研究葡萄糖和酮体生成的区域分布。肝细胞通过毛地黄皂苷－胶原酶灌流技术分离。门静脉周围肝细胞的γ谷氨酰转肽酶的活性比肝静脉周围肝细胞高２．４倍;而谷氨酰胺合成酶的活性则相反,肝静脉周围肝细胞高出５６倍。门静脉周围肝细胞的内源性葡萄糖合成比肝静脉周围肝细胞高１．５７倍。给予刺激葡萄糖异生的底物,门静脉周围肝细胞的葡萄糖合成则增加１．７－２．１倍。肝静脉周围肝细胞的内源性酮体生成比门静脉周围肝细胞高１．３倍。给予能明显刺激酮体生成的辛酸盐,肝静脉周围肝细胞的酮体生成仅略为增加。我们的结果证实,在基础和刺激的条件下,葡萄糖的异生在门静脉周围肝细胞中优先,而酮体生成仅在肝静脉周围肝细胞占微弱的优势。     

Immunophenotyping of mitotic cells from long-term cultures of chorionic villi

Chromosomal mosaicism in chorionic villus samples (CVS) may arise from different sources, such as clonal diversity within the chorionic tissue or contamination with maternal cells. To determine the origin of karyotyped cells, we compared the immunocytochemical features of mitotic cells in CVS long-term cultures with histological sections of their tissue of origin, i.e. chorionic villi. Immunolabelling of intermediate filaments specific for epithelial cells (cytokeratin) and mesenchymal cells (vimentin) established that mitoses yielded from CVS long-term cultures indeed stem from independently growing clones derived from both the epithelial and mesenchymal parts of the chorionic villi. Thus, mosaicism in CVS cultures may reflect true genetic heterogeneity within the biopsy. However, epithelial chorionic cells undergo in vitro metaplasia leading to co-expression of cytokeratins and vimentin. Fetal-specific immune markers (-HCG and SP1-glycoprotein) are not reliably expressed in CVS cell culture.     

燕麦-绿豆间作效应及氮素转移特性

为探究燕麦(Avena sativa)-绿豆(Phaseolus radiatus)间作效应及氮素转移特性, 在不施氮肥的大田试验条件下, 设置3种种植模式(燕麦单作、绿豆单作和燕麦-绿豆间作), 采用传统挖根法和¹⁵N同位素标记法进行研究。结果表明, 间作系统中燕麦侵袭力强于绿豆, 绿豆生长受到抑制。整个生育期, 间作燕麦地上部干物质积累量比单作增加14.9%-33.1%, 2年成熟期间作燕麦的氮素积累量比单作分别提高53.1%和44.8%; 间作减少了开花结荚期绿豆氮素积累量和根瘤重量, 降低了绿豆的固氮效率, 绿豆的固氮效率2年平均降低23.7%, 生物固氮量平均减少11.66%。间作绿豆向燕麦的氮素转移率2年平均值达31.7%, 氮素转移量为212.16 kg∙hm^-2。燕麦-绿豆间作降低了开花结荚期绿豆的根瘤固氮酶活性和固氮效率, 但绿豆体内氮素转移增加了燕麦对氮素的吸收利用, 实现了地上部与地下部生长的相互调节和促进, 优化了农田生态系统的氮素管理。     

Large-scale physical mapping within the region 22q12.3-13.1 in meningioma

The lack of physical mapping data strongly restricts the analysis of the meningioma chromosomal region that was assigned to the bands 22q12.3-qter. Recently, we reported a new marker D22S16 for chromosome 22 that was assigned to the region 22q13-qter by in situ hybridization. Utilizing somatic cell hybrids we now sublocalized the marker D22S16 within the band region 22q12-13.1, thus placing it in the vicinity of the gene for the platelet derived growth factor (PDGFB). A physical map was established for the regions surrounding the PDGFB gene and the D22S16 marker. By means of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) D22S16 and PDGFB were found to be physically linked within 900 kb. We also identified two CpG clusters bordering the PDGFB gene. For the enzyme NotI, a variation of the PDGFB restriction pattern was found between different individuals. PFGE analysis of the two loci (PDFGB and D22S16) failed to identify major rearrangements in meningioma.     

Quantitative studies on the arrangement of human metaphase chromosomes

Summary The spatial relationships between the homologous pairs of chromosomes in the normal human colcemid-treated metaphase plate were tested by two different mathematical approaches: (a) determination of the distances between the centromeres of the homologous chromosomes compared to the mean distance of all centromeres of the mitosis in question; (b) measuring the distances of the different chromosomes from the center of the mitosis.The following results were obtained: (1) The arrangement of human metaphase chromosomes does not follow a normal distribution; the distribution is narrower and taller, probably due to an impairment of free chromosome spreading by the cell membrane. We believe that only in membraneless mitotic cells should the chromosome-spread correspond to a normal distribution under the same preparation conditions. (2) There is a positive correlation between decreasing chromosome size and decreasing mean distance between homologous chromosomes. (3) A close positive correlation exists between increasing chromosome size and increasing distance to the barycenter of the mitosis. (4) There is also a close positive correlation between the distance of homologous chromosome pairs and their distance from the center of the mitosis, i.e., with increasing distance from the center of the mitosis, the distance between the homologous partners increases. (5) The following statistically significant deviations from these rules could be established: (a) The large acrocentric chromosomes are closer associated, as one would expect from their size, probably due to their participation in the nucleolus organization; (b) in the female cell one of the two X chromosomes has an extremely peripheral localization; the X chromosomes are furthest apart of all pairs of homologous chromosomes; (c) the chromosome pairs 6 and 8 are relatively close together in spite of their peripheral position, suggesting a truc close association of the homologus partners; (d) the chromosome pair 18 has a more peripheral position than expected, and a relatively large mean distance between the homologous partners; (e) the chromosome pair 1 has a much more central position and a closer association than is expected from its size.     

Quantitative studies on the arrangment of human metaphase chromosomes

Summary The pattern of association of acrocentric chromosomes was examined in ten and five carriers of a 15/21 and a 13/14 Robertsonian translocation, respectively, and was compared with that of the same numbers of relatives with normal karyotypes. In the carriers of 15/21 translocation, the number of large associations (involving more than two acrocentrics) and the association frequencies for individual acrocentric chromosomes, were significantly higher than in the control group. The mean number of associations of the single homologs of the translocation chromosomes was much higher than that of the other acrocentrics. In the carriers of 13/14 translocations, only the association frequency for chromosome 13 was higher than in the normal relatives. The uninvolved chromosomes homologous to those involved in translocations showed an insignificant increase in associations in comparison with the other acrocentrics. These results suggest that some mechanism within the cells compensates for the effect of missing acrocentrics or of acrocentrics lacking NORs on the number of associations. The possible relations of this phenomenon to the activity of the nucleolus organizing regions are discussed.     

Cytological and cytogenetical studies on brain tumors. V. Preferential loss of sex chromosomes in human meningiomas.

Twelve out of 88 cytogenetically examined meningiomas of female patients showed, in addition to the typical loss of a chromosome 22, a loss of 1 or more chromosomes of group C. Among them 8 tumors had less than 8% cells with Barr-body-like particles, whereas in one tumor 12% and in 3 others over 20% Barr bodies were found, which, based on control studies, were classified as sex-chromatin negative, partly positive, and positive, respectively. In one case the loss of an X chromosome was verified by Giemsa banding. In 6 out of 24 meningiomas of male origin, the chromosomal morphology and association pattern strongly indicated that besides the loss of a chromosome 22, the Y chromosome was also missing. Moreover, the loss of the male sex chromosome could be ascertained in 4 tumors by the conspicuous absence of Y fluorescence in interphase nuclei and in metaphase plates after fluorescence staining. The findings are discussed in connection with the gonosomal loss in other human tumors and in old age.