Differentiation of Langerhans Cells from Interdigitating Cells Using CD1a and S-100 Protein Antibodies

The present study shows that Langerhans cells can be differentiated from Interdigitating cells at the light microscopic level. Superficial lymph nodes and skin taken from necropsies and the lymph nodes of dermatopathic lymphadenopathy (DPL) were used for this experiment. Sections of lymph node and skin were embedded using the acetone, methyl benzoate and xylene (AMeX) method and dendritic cells were immunostained with anti S-100 protein antibody (S-100, and OKT-6 (CD1a) using the restaining method. Langerhans cells in the skin were positive for both CD1a and S-100. Dendritic cells positive for both CD1a and S-100, and dendritic cells positive for S-100, but not for CD1a were observed in superficial lymph nodes. In normal superficial lymph nodes, there were more interdigitating cells than Langerhans cells. The majority of the dendritic cells in the DPL were Langerhans cells. We conclude that the S-100 and CD1a positive cells are Langerhans cells, and the S-100 positive-CD1a negative cells are interdigitating cells.     

Matrix Gla protein C-terminal region binds to vitronectin. Co-localization suggests binding occurs during tissue development.

Matrix Gla protein (MGP) regulates calcification in cartilage and arteries. MGP synthesis during embryonic development and its binding and regulation of growth factors and morphogens of the TGF-beta/BMP superfamily suggests that it has additional functions. Assay by far-western gel overlays and gel filtration shift shows MGP binds vitronectin. Binding is saturable and consistent with a single class of binding sites. MGP binds to vitronectin but not collagen, fibromodulin, heparin, osteocalcin, chondroitin sulfate, laminin, ovalbumin or albumin. We have identified a vitronectin binding site within a 17-amino acid peptide 61-77 near the carboxyl-terminus that corresponds to a naturally occurring MGP C-terminus. MGP and the 61-77 MGP peptide also binds to fibronectin. MGP and vitronectin are focally co-localized in embryonic tissues. Co-localization in vivo suggests that the MGP and vitronectin interactions may modify cell-matrix interactions. Alternatively, vitronectin-bound MGP may have altered function for modulating BMP2 or TGF-beta activity. The current study demonstrates that MGP has a novel binding activity for vitronectin, an extracellular protein that promotes cell-matrix interactions and regulates coagulation.     

Isolation and Characterization of a Catabolite Repression-Insensitive Mutant of a Methanol Yeast, Candida boidinii A5, Producing Alcohol Oxidase in Glucose-Containing Medium

Mutants exhibiting alcohol oxidase (EC 1.1.3.13) activity when grown on glucose in the presence of methanol were found among 2-deoxyglucose-resistant mutants derived from a methanol yeast, Candida boidinii A5. One of these mutants, strain ADU-15, showed the highest alcohol oxidase activity in glucose-containing medium. The growth characteristics and also the induction and degradation of alcohol oxidase were compared with the parent strain and mutant strain ADU-15. In the parent strain, initiation of alcohol oxidase synthesis was delayed by the addition of 0.5% glucose to the methanol medium, whereas it was not delayed in mutant strain ADU-15. This showed that alcohol oxidase underwent repression by glucose. On the other hand, degradation of alcohol oxidase after transfer of the cells from methanol to glucose medium (catabolite inactivation) was observed to proceed at similar rates in parent and mutant strains. The results of immunochemical titration experiments suggest that catabolite inactivation of alcohol oxidase is coupled with a quantitative change in the enzyme. Mutant strain ADU-15 was proved to be a catabolite repression-insensitive mutant and to produce alcohol oxidase in the presence of glucose. However, it was not an overproducer of alcohol oxidase and, in both the parent and mutant strains, alcohol oxidase was completely repressed by ethanol.     

Breeding ofl-threonine hyper-producer ofEscherichia coli W

Summary l-Threonine hyper-producing mutants were obtained fromEscherichia coli W strain KY-8366, by reducingl-threonine degradation activity and enhancingl-threonine biosynthetic activity. Anl-threonine degradation reaction test using resting cells of KY-8366 suggested that the main pathway ofl-threonine degradation by KY-8366 is via glycine. A strain with reducedl-threonine degradation activity was obtained among those mutants that could not utilizel-threonine as sole nitrogen source. Rifampicin-resistant mutants andl-lysine plus methionine-insentitive mutants were isolated. These mutants showed enhanced aspartokinase levels and accumulated morel-threonine than the parental strains. Mutant H-4290 accumulated 58 g/l ofl-threonine.     

l-threonine production by l-aspartate- and l-homoserine-resistant mutant of Escherichia coli

Summary Growth and l-threonine productivity of l-threonine producer Escherichia coli H-4290 were inhibited by precursor amino acids, l-homoserine and l-aspartate. l-Threonine hyper-producers were isolated among the mutants resistant to l-homoserine and l-aspartate. Mutants H-4351 (Hom^r) and H-4578 (Hom^r, Asp^r) accumulated 22.2 g/l and 24.3 g/l of l-threonine in test tube cultures, while the parental strain H-4290 accumulated 18.2 g/l. The enzyme level of aspartokinase I (first enzyme of the threonine operon) was enhanced 2.3 times (H-4351) and 3 times (H-4578) that of H-4290. Mutant H-4578 accumulated 76 g/l of l-threonine in a 2-l jar fermentor after 75 h cultivation.Abbreviations DAP diaminopimeric acid - Met ^l poor growth in methionine-free medium - AHV -amino--hydroxyvaleric acid - Thr-N^- lack of ability to utilize l-threonine as a nitrogen source - Rif rifampicin - Lys+Met^r resistant to l-lysine and dl-methionine     

Activation of 2-5A-dependent RNase by analogs of 2-5A (5'-O-triphosphoryladenylyl(2'----5')adenylyl(2'----5')adenosine ) using 2',5'-tetraadenylate (core)-cellulose

A variety of 2-5A (px(A2'p)nA; x = 2 or 3, n greater than or equal to 2) analogs were assayed for their abilities to activate murine 2-5A-dependent RNase (subsequently "the nuclease") using a recently developed method. This technique consists of immobilizing and partially purifying the nuclease using core-cellulose [A2'p)3A-cellulose) and then monitoring the breakdown of poly(U)-3'-[32P]Cp into acid-soluble fragments. Several 5'-adenosinecapped analogs of 2-5A (containing a tetra-, tri-, or diphosphate) were analyzed, and it was found that reducing the number of phosphoryl groups between the 5' to 5'-diadenosine linkages resulted in a progressive loss of activity. Because A5' pppp(A2'p)3A was a potent activator of the nuclease yet stable during the assay these results suggested that a free 5'-phosphoryl group may not be required for the activation of the nuclease. A number of 8-bromoadenosine-substituted analogs of 2-5A were also studied. Curiously, the brominations decreased the activities of the 5'-di- and triphosphorylated molecules while substantially increasing the activities of the 5'-monophosphorylated species. The results indicated that a tri- or diphosphate moiety on the 5'-end of 2-5A or the presence of ATP is not absolutely required for the nuclease to be active. Furthermore, the ATP analog, beta, gamma-methylene ATP, did not inhibit the activity of the nuclease. Finally, a 3',5'-phosphodiester linkage isomer of 2-5A and a 3'-deoxy (cordycepin) analog of 2-5A were tested, and both were found to be completely without activity.     

Antibody-nucleic acid interactions. Monoclonal antibodies define different antigenic domains in 2',5'-oligoadenylates

To define the epitopes involved in binding anti-oligonucleotide antibodies, several hybridomas producing monoclonal antibodies directed against 2',5'-oligoadenylate were established. A solid-phase enzyme-linked immunoassay that employed microtiter wells coated with Ficoll-2',5'-oligoadenylate conjugates proved useful in screening and characterizing hybridoma supernatants. Control experiments demonstrated that the conjugates were irreversibly adsorbed to polystyrene wells under the conditions employed in the assay. Reactivity of monoclonal antibodies with numerous analogues of 2',5'-oligoadenylate was measured by using a competition assay. Several monoclonal antibodies originating from different mice immunized with the same or different immunogens possessed distinctive fine specificities. At least one 2',5'-phosphodiester bond was important in forming each epitope, suggesting that the ribose phosphate backbone is a critical element in defining an antigenic domain of an oligonucleotide. The purine bases were also important, and modification of the bases had varied effects on the extent of antibody recognition. The length of the oligonucleotide and the nature of the termini were also of some importance. In several instances the modification created by linkage of 2',5'-oligoadenylate to carrier protein also contributed to the determinant. The monoclonal antibody most specific for 2',5'-oligoadenylates was relatively insensitive to ionic strength. In contrast, a monoclonal antibody with a 2',5'-oligopurine specificity appeared to bind 2',5'-oligoadenylate through one ion pair, whereas the binding of a monoclonal antibody with a low degree of base specificity appeared to bind through two ion pairs. The results demonstrated that 2',5'-linked oligoadenylate-protein complexes possess at least three distinct oligonucleotide-related antigenic surfaces that can be recognized with high apparent affinity by monoclonal antibodies. A model for the three epitopes is presented.     

Cordycepin analogs of ppp5'A2'p5'A2'p5'A (2-5A) inhibit protein synthesis through activation of the 2-5A-dependent endonuclease

Analogs of the triphosphate 2'-5'-linked adenylate trimer (ppp5'A2'p5'A2'p5'A, called 2-5A) which contain 3'-deoxyadenosine (cordycepin) instead of adenosine either in positions one and two, or in all three positions, are 10-100-fold less potent than is parent 2-5A in inhibition of protein synthesis in intact cells, when utilizing calcium co-precipitation techniques to introduce the 5'-triphosphate oligonucleotides into the cells. That the inhibition of protein synthesis was a consequence of activation of the 2-5A-dependent endonuclease by the 3'-deoxyadenosine analogs of 2-5A was demonstrated in obtaining the ribosomal RNA cleavage pattern that is characteristic of endonuclease activation by parent 2-5A. Additional results (i.e. lack of activity by the dimer species ppp5'(3'dA)2'p5'-(3'dA) or the monomer 3'dA) as well as kinetic analysis both in intact cells and in cell-free extracts provided further evidence that the inhibition of protein synthesis observed with these 3'-deoxyadenosine 2-5A analogs was not due to their degradation to the antimetabolite monomer unit 3'-deoxyadenosine.     

Purification and characterization of two kinds of porins from the Enterobacter cloacae outer membrane.

Two major outer membrane proteins of Enterobacter cloacae 206 were purified and identified as porins by using reconstituted vesicles. The 37-kilodalton porin forms a channel with a radius of 0.6 nm, which prefers positively charged substances to negatively charged ones, whereas the 39- to 40-kilodalton porin forms a larger channel with a radius of 0.8 nm, which has weaker selectivity for electric charges.     

Plasmid R46 provides a function that promotes recA-independent deletion, fusion and resolution of replicon

Summary We report that plasmid R46 provides a function which promotes recA-independent deletion, replicon fusion, and resolution of the fusion. R46 belongs to the incompatibility group N and specifies resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline, streptomycin and sulfonamide. Four kinds of deletion derivatives were observed by selection for susceptability to tetracycline from ampicillin-resistant clones. A common region, will be called region thereafter, was postulated to be involved in these deletions. The replicon fusion occurred by a conjugative mobilization of each derivative with plasmid R388. The fusion was suggested to contain both replicons linked at each junction by the sequence in the region in direct orientation. The resolution of the replicon fusion was found between two regions and a consequently generated, parental deletion derivative and an R388 derivative which gained one region. It is possible that the region contains one potential Insertion Sequence (IS) element. These events were also speculated to occur as a consequence of insertion of the potential IS onto the intramolecular or intermolecular target sequence, or reciprocal recombination between two potential IS elements.