Tyrosine metabolism for cuticle tanning in the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta (L.) and other Lepidoptera: identification of beta-D-glucopyranosyl-O-L-tyrosine and other metabolites

When [${}^{14}\text{C}$]tyrosine and [${}^{14}\text{C}$]glucose were fed or injected into feeding fifth-instar larvae of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta (L.), they were incorporated into a conjugate identified in hemolymph and carcass extracts as β-d-glucopyranosyl-O-l-tyrosine. In wandering larvae and pupae, the conjugate was hydrolyzed, and tyrosine was hydroxylated and decarboxylated to dihydroxyphenylalanine and 2-(dihydroxyphenyl)ethylamine. None of these metabolites were formed in fourth-instar larvae or in adults. [${}^{14}\text{C}$]Phenylalanine was hydroxylated to tyrosine in all stages of insect development. β-d-Glucopyranosyl-O-l-tyrosine was also detected in 18 other species of Lepidoptera but not in species from other insect orders. This conjugate appears to be the major tyrosine storage metabolite for production of tanning diphenol substrates in Lepidoptera.     

Targeting of the antiviral protein from Phytolaccaamericana with an antibody

The antiviral protein (PAP) of $\text{Phytolacca}\text{americana}$ was conjugated with the Fab' fragment of IgG from a rabbit antiserum against murine leukemia L1210 cells via a disulfide bond employing $\text{N}$-succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio)-propionate (SPDP) as the coupling agent. The conjugate showed a potent $\text{in}\text{vitro}$ cytotoxicity against L1210 cells which was competitively blocked by F(ab′)₂ directed against L1210 cells. PAP itself did not exhibit the cytotoxicity at the concentration corresponding to the PAP content in the conjugate concurrently tested.     

Glycolipids are not extracted from phospholipid bilayers by binding to ferritin-lectin conjugates

A radioactively-labelled glycosphingolipid, asialo-G_M1, has been incorporated into phosphatidylcholine multilamellar vesicles. After incubation with ferritin-Ricinus communis agglutinin 60 (RCA 60) conjugate at different temperatures, the vesicles were separated from the conjugate by discontinuous density gradient ultracentrifugation. Measurement of the distribution of the radioactively-labelled asialo-G_M1 in the pelleted conjugate fraction and freeze-etch electron microscopy of the vesicle fraction indicate that the decrease in labelling of vesicles by ferritin-RCA 60 conjugate with increasing temperatures (Tillack, T.W., Wong, M., Allietta, M. and Thompson, T.E. (1982) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 691, 261–273) reflects a decrease in apparent binding affinity rather than an ability of the conjugate to extract glycolipid from the phospholipid bilayer after binding.     

Proteolytic inactivation of a pentafunctional enzyme conjugate: coordinate protection by the first substrate.

The $\text{arom}$ pentafunctional enzyme conjugate of $\text{Neurospora crassa}$ was exposed to trypsin, chymotrypsin, or a protease preparation from $\text{Neurospora}$ in the presence and absence of the first substrate, 3-deoxy-D-$\text{arabino}$-heptulosonate 7-phosphate. It was found that the first substrate coordinately protects all five activities from proteolytic inactivation, which indicates a conformational change induced by this compound. In addition, the data presented are consistent with the “domain” theory of conjugate structure. It is also argued that coordinate protection may be of physiological significance.     

A study on the stability of an estrogen-protein conjugate in vivo and under in vitro conditions

[³ H] Estradiol-17β-succinyl bovine serum albumin conjugate ([³H]-E₂-BSA) was synthesized with a specific activity of 1.92 × 10⁷ cts/min/mg. The conjugate was administered iv to ovariectomized rats and the quantity of free [³H] steroid in the uterus was determined. Radioactive material was detected in all of the subcellular fractions of the uterus and identified as estradlol-17β. Similar subcellular distribution of the radioactivity was observed when [³H]E₂-BSA was added $\text{in vitro}$ to uterine homogenate. Free estradlo1-17β was released when the conjugate was Incubated with rat uterine homogenate or with serum. The results of the present study suggest that E₂-BSA is hydrolyzed $\text{in vivo}$ and under $\text{in vitro}$ conditions. It is recommended that the stability of a hormone-protein conjugate be established before use.     

Occurrence of N-malonyl-D-alanine in pea seedlings

One of the ninhydrin-negative alanine conjugates isolated from pea seedlings was identified as $\text{N-}\text{malonyl}\text{-}\text{D}\text{-}\text{alanine}$.The identification of this conjugate was carried out by a comparison of its gas-liquid chromatographic and mass spectrometric properties, and its nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectra with those of synthetic $\text{N-}\text{malonyl}\text{-}\text{D}\text{-}\text{alanine}$. The alanine in the conjugate was shown to be present as the D-isomer by enzymatic and chromatographic analyses.     

Synthesis of a cytotoxic insulin cross-linked to diphtheria toxin fragment A capable of recognizing insulin receptors

Insulin has been cross-linked via a disulfide bond to the diphtheria toxin fragment A which is catalytically active in ADP-ribosylating elongation factor-2 but does not retain binding sites for toxin receptors. The purified conjugate proved to be cytotoxic to mouse Swiss/3T3 cells which are toxin resistant but express insulin receptors. This cytotoxicity coincided with a decrease in protein synthesis and with drastic morphology changes. In contrast, IN-2 cells, which are insulin-nonresponsive variants derived from mouse $\text{BALBc}\text{3T3}$ cells, were resistant to the conjugate. Thus, the conjugate (a chimeric insulin) appears to mediate entry of the toxic fragment A into 3T3 cells through insulin receptors.     

Experimental studies on a mutant gene (e) preventing the differentiation of eye and normal hypothalamus primordia in the axolotl

The phenotype of axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) homozygous for the mutant gene e (“eyeless”) is different from normal in that (1) no optic vesicles develop in $\text{e}\text{e}$ embryos, (2) $\text{e}\text{e}$ larvae from posthatching onward are darker than normal white larvae, and (3) fully grown $\text{e}\text{e}$ animals are sterile.Experiments reported here show that eyelessness in $\text{e}\text{e}$ embryos results from a direct effect of the gene on presumptive forebrain ectoderm; not on the mesoderm that induces the ectoderm to form eyes. Homotopic grafts of normal presumptive ectoderm on $\text{e}\text{e}$ blastula hosts differentiated complete eyes, but reciprocally grafted embryos were always eyeless. Similarly, grafts of either $\text{e}\text{e}$ or normal presumptive prechordal mesoderm into normal hosts gave normal eyes, but in the mutant hosts no eyes developed. Thus the e gene affects only the ectodermal component of the inductive system for eye formation.Genetically eyeless (pigmented) cells, when interspersed prior to gastrulation among genetically eyed (albino) cells in the eye preprimordium, are induced to form clones of pigmented retinal epithelium in the albino host eye.The sterility of $\text{e}\text{e}$ larvae appears also to be due to a direct effect of the e gene on the ectodermal (neural plate) primordium of the hypothalamus. Grafts of normal cells which included the hypothalamic, but not the optic or anterior pituitary primordia, always restored fertility to $\text{e}\text{e}$ recipients.The mutant pigmentation phenotype was demonstrated to be a consequence of eyelessness and, therefore, an indirect effect of the gene. The pigment pattern of normal embryos from which both optic vesicles were removed resembles that of the mutants. In addition, implantation of a single full-sized, functional eye was able to restore the normal pigmentation, but not fertility, to $\text{e}\text{e}$ recipients.     

Structure of the ecdysone glucoside formed by a baculovirus ecdysteroid UDP-glucosyltransferase

The egt gene of the baculovirus Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus encodes an ecdysteroid UDP-glucosyltransferase. The glucoside formed by this enzyme using ecdysone and UDP-glucose as substrates has been purified and structurally characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. These studies have identified the conjugate as ecdysone $\text{22-O-β-}\text{d}\text{-glucopyranoside}$. Substrate specificity studies have confirmed that ecdysteroids lacking a hydroxyl moiety at C-22 are not substrates for the enzyme.     

Autonomy for a specific gene product in oocytes: Experimental evidence in the polychaetous annelid,Platynereis dumerilii

Oocytes of Platynereis dumerilii in early vitellogenesis were injected into female worms with oocytes of similar diameter. The donor oocytes were labeled by the or gene controlling eye pigmentation and, after some weeks of growth, were spawned together with the host oocytes. In most cases, a few donor progeny could be found among the offspring produced by the hosts. Donor progeny were examined with respect to an or gene-dependent maternal effect which normally causes wild-type eye color in homozygous ($\text{or}\text{or}$) larvae originating from the crossings of heterozygous ($\text{or}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{or}$) females and homozygous ($\text{or}\text{or}$) males. This maternal effect was absent from homozygous ($\text{or}\text{or}$) larvae derived from homozygous ($\text{or}\text{or}$) donor oocytes which had developed in heterozygous females. Conversely, this maternal effect was observed in homozygous ($\text{or}\text{or}$) larvae derived from heterozygous ($\text{or}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{or}$) donor oocytes which had developed in homozygous ($\text{or}\text{or}$) host females. It is concluded that the oocyte genome is active at the or⁺ locus during oogenesis and that the oocyte is autonomous with respect to the product of synthesis of the or⁺ locus. In the present case, the “maternal effect” is therefore caused by synthetic activity in the growing oocyte. The results are discussed with respect to current information on gene products from animal genomes.     

Hymenolepis nana: Immunogenicity of a lumen phase of the direct cycle and failure of autoinfection in BALBc mice

When $\text{BALB}\text{c}$ mice were given $\text{BALB}\text{c}$ mouse-derived cysticercoids (cysts) of Hymenolepis nana, only $\text{1}\text{43}$ mice became autoinfected, whereas most ($\text{31}\text{38}$) of dd mice given the same infection became massively autoinfected with mature worms. When $\text{BALB}\text{c}$ mice initially given cysts were challenged with eggs on Day 7, just before the patency of the primary infection, there was normal development into cysts, but almost none of them developed into adult worms. Thus, the failure of autoinfection of H. nana in $\text{BALB}\text{c}$ mice was not a result of failure of eggs to differentiate into cysts in the intestinal tissue, but a result of failure of these cysts to develop into adult worms in the lumen. The reasons why autoinfection does occur in dd and other strains of mice and not in the $\text{BALB}\text{c}$ strain are discussed in terms of the difference in onset of the late response in these strains of mice, ie., the response that is acquired after egg inoculation, and is directed against the lumen phase of cyst challenges. It is strongly suggested that (1) the lumen phase which follows cyst inoculation is highly immunogenic, but clearly differs from tissue phase which follows egg inoculation, (2) the autoinfection which occurs in some strains of mice is therefore not a result of no or poor immunogenicity of the lumen phase but is due to a delay of onset of the late response with the result that a secondary generation may mature, and (3) in other strains of mice, including $\text{BALB}\text{c}$, which acquire the late response within 15 days of initial egg inoculation, autoinfection normally does not occur after cyst infections.     

Immunoassay for honey bee cytochrome c in single animals with cytochrome c-coated bacteriophages: A sensitive tool for the study of caste formation in the honey bee, Apis Mellifera

The development of a sensitive viroimmunoassay for honey bee cytochrome $\text{c}$ and its usage for early detection of caste differentiation is described. Pure honey bee cytochrome $\text{c}$ was isolated from workers and used to produce antibodies in rabbits. Bacteriophage T4 was chemically modified by covalent attachment of honey bee cytochrome $\text{c}$ using tolylene-2,4-diisocyanate as a cross-linking agent. The immunospecific inactivation of this bacteriophage-cytochrome c conjugate by anti-cytochrome $\text{c}$ antibodies can be inhibited by free cytochrome $\text{c}$. In quantitative determinations, 50% inhibition is reproducibly achieved at a concentration of 6 ng/ml (5 pmol/ml) and as little as 0.3 ng/ml (0.25 pmol/ml) could be detected by this system. Cytochrome $\text{c}$ concentrations were measured in individual animals and substantial differences between corresponding larval stages of worker and queen bees are reported.     

Chlorophyll-protein complexes of a Codium species,including a light-harvesting siphonaxanthin-Chlorophylla ab-protein complex,an evolutionary relic of some Chlorophyta

Eight chlorophyll-protein complexes were isolated from thylakoid membranes of a Codium species, a marine green alga, by mild SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. CP 1a¹, CP 1a², CP 1a³ and CP 1a⁴ were partially dissociated Photosystem (PS) I complexes, which in addition to the core reaction centre complex, CP 1, possessed PS I light-harvesting complexes containing chlorophyll (Chl) a, Chl b and siphonaxanthin. LHCP¹ and LHCP³ are orange-brown green chlorophyll $\text{a}\text{b-}\text{proteins}$ ($\text{Chl}\text{a}\text{Chl}\text{b}$ ratios of 0.66) that contain siphonaxanthin and its esterified form, siphonein. CP a and CP 1, the core reaction centre complexes of PS II and PS I, respectively, had similar spectral properties to those isolated from other algae or higher plants. These P-680- or P-700-Chl a-proteins are universally distributed among algae and terrestrial plants; they appear to be highly conserved and have undergone little evolutionary adaptation. Siphonaxanthin and siphonein which are present in the Codium light-harvesting complexes of PS II and PS I are responsible for enhanced absorption in the green region (518 and 538 nm). Efficient energy transfer from both xanthophylls and Chl b to only Chl a in Codium light-harvesting complexes, which have identical fluorescence emission spectra at 77 K to those of the lutein-Chl $\text{a}\text{b-}\text{proteins}$ ($\text{Chl}\text{a}\text{Chl}\text{b}$ ratios of 1.2) of most green algae and all higher plants, proved that the molecular arrangement of these light-harvesting pigments was maintained in the isolated Codium complexes. The siphonaxanthin-Chl $\text{a}\text{b-}\text{proteins}$ allow enhanced absorption of blue-green and green light, the predominant light available in deep ocean waters or shaded subtidal marine habitats. Since there is a variable distribution of lutein, siphonaxanthin and siphonein in marine green algae and siphonaxanthin is found in very ancient algae, these novel siphonein-siphonaxanthin-Chl $\text{a}\text{b-}\text{proteins}$ may be ancient light-harvesting complexes which were evolved in deep water algae.     

Two tissue culture media for production of lepidopteran cells and nuclear polyhedrosis viruses

Two media supporting the growth of several established lepidopteran cell lines in monolayer and suspension culture are described. The medium designated $\text{BML-TC}\text{10}$ was developed specifically as an inexpensive medium for production of cells of Spodoptera frugiperda and the homologous nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) of this species. Simultaneously, a second medium was formulated in which the amino acid requirements were provided by enzymatic protein hydrolysates, one of which was termed $\text{BML-TC}\text{7A}$. Several cell lines could be adapted easily to this medium. $\text{BML-TC}\text{10}$ supported growth of S. frugiperda cells and production of the NPV's of S. frugiperda and Autographa californica. $\text{BML-TC}\text{7A}$ supported the growth of cells of S. frugiperda. Carpocapsa pomonella, Heliothis zea, and Trichoplusia ni. Cells of the latter produced the polyhedra of T. ni and A. californica NPV's in this medium.     

Biliary metabolites of testosterone and testosterone glucosiduronate in the rat

A mixture of testosterone-4-¹⁴C and testosterone-1,2-³H-17-glucosiduronate was intraperitoneally administered into male and female rats with bile fistulas. Biliary metabolites were separated and purififd by a combination of column chromatography, enzymic hydrolysis or solvolysis of the conjugate fractions and identification of the liberated aglycones. The injected steroids were extensively metabolized and excreted predominantly in the blue. 5β-Androstane-3α, 17β-diol was found principally in monoglucosiduronate fraction and was produced preferentially from the injected conjugate in both sexes. Very marked sex differences from the injected conjugate in both sexes. Very marked sex differences were observed in the following metabolites: Androsterone was present only in the female as monoglucosidironate, which was preferentially derived from testosterone. 5α-Androstane-3α,17β-diol was identified in both monoglucosiduronate and diconjugate fractions of the female, which was formed significanrly more from the conjugate than testosterone. These findings provide evidence that testosterone glucosiduronate could be converted directly into 5α-steroids as well as 5β-ones $\text{in}$$\text{vivo}$. In marked contrast, the major portion of testosterone was metabolized to polar steroids in the male.     

Experimental studies on supercooling in two Antarctic micro-arthropods

Samples of mites and Collembola which had been acclimated at 5°C and provided with natural foods were cooled at four constant cooling rates: 1, $\text{1}\text{2}$, $\text{1}\text{4}$, $\text{1}\text{8}\text{deg min}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}$ and ca 20 deg min^?1, and their individual supercooling points measured. Frequency distributions of supercooling points comprised not less than 84 (Alaskozetes antarcticus) and 96 (Cryptopygus antarcticus) individuals in each case. Two modal groups were displayed in these distributions, which were widely separated in temperature and termed low group and high group. In Alaskozetes a trough between ?3 and ?4°C was present in the high-group distribution, which may be due to a lack of a certain class of nucleators. The highest temperatures at which animals froze occurred at the slowest cooling rate ($\text{1}\text{8}\text{deg min}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}$), whereas rapid cooling removed the trough to form a single high-group peak. In Cryptopygus, the high groups were narrow and peaked (<2 deg wide) at all cooling rates, with a downward shift of ca 1 deg between the rates $\text{1}\text{8}$ and $\text{1}\text{2}\text{deg min}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}$. Both species showed a trend towards a lower mean low-group supercooling point at faster rates of cooling, but these were not significant. Regressions of cooling rate on individual low-group supercooling points (≥?20°C) for both species showed a significant negative correlation, which did not differ between species. The distribution of the deviations about each rate-defined mean in the low group for each species was skewed to the right, with 88% occurring between ±2 deg of the means. It is suggested that minor deviations (e.g. halving or doubling of the cooling rate) do not affect the resultant supercooling points at non-constant cooling rates, but a rate of 1 deg min^?1 is to be preferred.     

The synthesis of methyl 4-O-(4-O-α-d-galactopyranosyl-β-d-galactopyranosyl)-β-d-glucopyranoside: The methyl β-glycoside of the trisaccharide related to Fabry's disease

As part of a program to synthesize the ceramide trisaccharide (1) related to Fabry's disease, methyl 4-O-(4-O-α-$\text{d}$-galactopyranosyl-β-$\text{d}$-galactopyranosyl)-β-$\text{d}$-glucopyranoside (12) was prepared. Methyl β-lactoside (2) was converted into methyl 4-O-(4,6-O-benzylidene-β-$\text{d}$-galactopyranosyl)-β-$\text{d}$-glucopyranoside (4). Methyl 2,3,6-tri-O-benzoyl-4-O-(2,3,6-tri-O-benzoyl-β-$\text{d}$-galactopyranosyl)-β-$\text{d}$-glucopyranoside (7) was synthesized from 4 through the intermediates methyl 2,3,6-tri-O-benzoyl-4-O-(4,6-O-benzylidene-2,3-di-O-benzoyl-β-$\text{d}$-galactopyranosyl)-β-$\text{d}$-glucopyranoside (5) and methyl 2,3,6-tri-O-benzoyl-4-O-(2,3-di-O-benzoyl-β-$\text{d}$-galactopyranosyl)-β-$\text{d}$-glucopyranoside (6). The halide-catalyzed condensation of 7 with 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-$\text{d}$-galactopyranosyl bromide (8) gave methyl 2,3,6-tri-O-benzoyl-4-O-[2,3,6-tri-O-benzoyl-4-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-α-$\text{d}$-galactopyranosyl)- β-$\text{d}$-galactopyranosyl]-β-$\text{d}$-glucopyranoside (10). Stepwise deprotection of 10 led to 12, the methyl β-glycoside of the trisaccharide related to Fabry's disease.     

Formation of neutral steroids from endogenous precursors in minced human fetal adrenals in vitro

The role of endogenous precursors in steroid biosynthesis in the human fetal adrenals was studied in $\text{in vitro}$ incubations with no added exogenous substrate. The identification and quantitative determination of the steroids was carried out by gas-liquid chromatography and gas chromatography - mass spectrometry. During the incubation a 10–60-fold increase in the concentration of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate was observed. An increase was also seen in the concentrations of the other two steroid sulfates detected, pregnenolone and 17-hydroxypregnenolone sulfate. The concentrations of the corresponding free steroids were seen to decrease during the incubations. Only traces of free dehydroepiandrosterone and progesterone were detected endogenously or at any stage during the incubations. No corticoids could be found. Endogenous cholesterol was found in high concentrations (1.5 – 3.0 mg/g wet tissue) in the tissue samples studied. A small proportion of it was present as a sulfate conjugate.It is concluded that fetal adrenals can form neutral steroid sulfates of the 3β-hydroxy-5-ene series from endogenous precursors $\text{in vitro.}$ Cholesterol which was detected in high concentrations in the adrenal tissue is a possible precursor of these metabolites. The results obtained would suggest that this endogenous metabolism involves sulfated intermediates principally.     

A trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitor from Taenia pisiformis

The somatic extract of mature T. pisiformis has been demonstrated to contain a potent inhibitor capable of inactivating the esterolysis of $\text{N-α-}\text{benzoyl-}\text{L}\text{-arginine ethyl ester}$ and $\text{N-}\text{benzoyl-}\text{L}\text{-tyrosine ethyl ester}$ by trypsin and chymotrypsin, respectively, of bovine, dog and rabbit origin, but not affecting the caseinolytic activity of subtilisin and elastase. The protease inhibitor, partially purified by trichloroacetic acid treatment, Sephadex G-100 column chromatography and affinity chromatography on CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B-bovine chymotrypsin conjugate, was soluble in 5% trichloroacetic acid, stable to heating at 100°C for up to 30 min, tolerated the pH range of 1.5–9.0, and was unaffected by 8 m-urea or 0.2 M-2-mercaptoethanol. The molecular weight of the inhibitor was estimated to be 7000–7200 by Sephadex G-100 chromatography. Activity determinations on crystalline bovine trypsin and chymotrypsin revealed that both inhibitory actions are located on the same or closely adjacent sites of the inhibitor molecule. Complex formation between the inhibitor and mammalian trypsin and chymotrypsin required 3–4 min for completion.