Epidermal polyamine levels related to cell cycle events during the metamorphosis of Tenebrio molitor L. (insecta,coleoptera): Effect of juvenoid application

• 1.1. Three polyamines were separated by reverse-phase HPLC and detected by fluorescence in Tenebrio epidermis: putrescine, spermidine and spermine.
• 2.2. The levels of these compounds varied during metamorphosis: one peak was observed during the G₂-arrest preceding the pupal-adult mitotic crisis and a second occurred when cells were again G₂-arrested after the mitotic period.
• 3.3. A juvenile hormone analogue, which inhibits the G₂-M transition preparing cells to the adult mitoses, was unable to prevent the first polyamine increase suggesting that juvenile hormone does not act on further development via inhibition of polyamine synthesis.

     

Effect of berenil on polyamine metabolism in primary cultured rat hepatocytes

• 1.1. Putrescine and spermidine content increased in hepatocytes during culture. In the presence of 10 μM Berenil, putrescine content was further increased, while the increase of spermidine was prevented.
• 2.2. Ornithine decarboxylase activity was markedly reduced, and to a lesser extent also S-adenosyl-methionine decarboxylase activity.
• 3.3. Berenil appears to promote an increase in the transformation of spermidine into putrescine, and to inhibit the polyamine efflux.

     

Effect of temperature and diet on polyamine concentrations of the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.)

• 1.1. A fall of environmental temperature causes a decrease in total polyamine concentrations of heart, red and white muscles of sea bass fed on a diet containing 70% herring meal (diet S).
• 2.2. When sea bass was fed with a diet partially replaced by casein (diet A), an increase of total polyamine concentration in liver and heart was observed at a lower temperature.
• 3.3. In all tissues studied an increase of putrescine concentrations and a parallel decrease of spermidine and spermidine levels were found for both groups S and A of sea bass when the temperature was lowered.
• 4.4. In general concentrations of putrescine, spermidine and spermine were considerably higher in group A when the temperature was lowered.

     

Involvement of polyamines in epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor (TGF)-α and -β1 action on culture of L6 and fetal bovine myoblasts

• 1.1. α-Difluoromethylornithine, an irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase significantly abolished stimulation of protein synthesis evoked by EGF, TGF-α or -β 1 in L6 and fetal bovine myoblasts.
• 2.2. The participation of polyamines in early events evoked by growth factors was shown by a significant stimulation of ornithine decarboxylase and Sdenosylmethionine decarboxylase activity as well as increased concentration of spermidine and spermine in L6 cells exposed to TGF-α and EGF.
• 3.3. TGF-β 1 at a high concentration (1 ng/ml) increased protein synthesis in L6 myoblasts but inhibited it in fetal bovine myoblasts. Metabolic effects of TGF-β 1 in L6 cells was associated with an enhancement of decarboxylase activities, however there were no significant changes in cellular polyamine concentrations. Presented data suggest that polyamines are involved in the signal transduction pathway of EGF, TGF-α, and -β 1 in L6 and fetal bovine myoblasts.

     

Growth and haematological response of sturgeon hybrids Russian sturgeon (Acipenser guldenstadti brandt) × beluga (Huso huso L.) to protein and lipid contents in the diet

• 1.1. Fingerlings of intergenious hybrid Russian sturgeon (Acipenser guldenstadti) × beluga (Huso huso) weighing 22 g reared in water with salinity 18 ppt were fed nine diets differing in protein and fat content.
• 2.2. The increase of dietary protein content (from 45 to 52%) improved the fingerlings growth rate, food and protein conversion efficiencies. No effect of further protein content increase to 60% was observed.
• 3.3. The increase of dietary fat content from 10 to 20% positively influenced all growth results.
• 4.4. The muscular lipid content increased following the increase in dietary fat due to accumulation of triacylglycerols.
• 5.5. Distinctive leucopenia in neutrophils and leucophilia in lymphocytes following dietary protein and fat content increase were observed.
• 6.6. It was concluded that within the analysed range of values the increase of dietary protein and lipid content improved the physiological status of sturgeon hybrid fingerlings.

     

Activity of some enzymes involved in the metabolism of polyamines in the liver of streptozotocin-diabetic rats

• 1.1. The effect of diabetes on some enzymes of polyamine metabolism was studied in male rats 1–12 days after administration of streptozotocin.
• 2.2. Hepatic ornithine decarboxylase activity decreased in the first days after the administration, but increased thereafter. The decrease was not due to an alteration of the ODC-antizyme concentration, nor to a posttranslational modification catalyzed by transglutaminase.
• 3.3. S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase and ornithine transaminase were both increased.
• 4.4. Spermicline acetyltransferase activity was practically unchanged, while its inactivating factor was markedly decreased.

     

Regulation of polyamine synthesis in chicken liver

• 1.1. Insulin injected into fasting chickens promotes a marked increase of liver S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, with maximum activity 6 hr after administration.
• 2.2. The apparent half-life of the enzyme is 22 min.
• 3.3. Ornithine and putrescine in vivo give rise only to small modifications in enzyme activity; spermidine and spermine induce the enzyme.
• 4.4. Putrescine activates the decarboxylase in vitro. Spermidine and spermine, however, appear to be inhibitors.
• 5.5. Insulin promotes a decrease of arginine, ornithine and all other amino acids, except for proline which increases. Putrescine is enhanced, spermidine slightly decreased and spermine unchanged.
• 6.6. Levels of polyamines are significantly altered by administration of methionine which promotes synthesis of spermidine, and by spermine which blocks transformation of putrescine into spermidine.

     

Characterization of Colorado potato beetle lipophorin: A hydrocarbon-rich diacylgycerol-poor lipophorin

• 1.1. The lipid composition of lipophorin from the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say, was analyzed.
• 2.2. This insect lipophorin contains 44% lipid and is characterized by large amounts of hydrocarbons and small amounts of diacylglycerol.
• 3.3. This is the first observation of a diacylglycerol-poor insect lipophorin in haemolymph.
• 4.4. Since the main energy source for flight in the Colorado potato beetle is proline, the low diacylglycerol content in lipophorin must be related to its peculiar flight metabolism.
• 5.5. This lipophorin, however, can still take up appreciable amounts of diacylglycerol from the locust fat body. Hydrocarbon uptake by this lipophorin was also demonstrated.
• 6.6. The main function of this lipophorin therefore seems to be transport of hydrocarbons from oenocytes to the cuticle.

     

Aspects of iron metabolism in Bifidobacterium bifidum var. pennsylvanicus

• 1.1. Btfidobacterium bifidum var. Pennsylvanias requires ferrous iron for growth, and cannot utilize ferric iron even in the presence of siderophores.
• 2.2. Acid production by the microorganisms is dependent in part on iron content of the medium.
• 3.3. Heme and heme-containing proteins inhibit the microbial growth, and it is proposed that this is in part responsible for the change in the infant's intestinal flora upon weaning.
• 4.4. Bacterial growth inhibition brought about by heme cannot be restored by heme biosynthesis intermediates, and known heme biosynthesis inhibitors have no effect on bacterial growth. The basis for heme-induced microbial growth inhibition remains unclear.

     

Kinetics of porphyrin accumulation in cultured epithelial cells exposed to ALA

• 1.1. The kinetics of porphyrin accumulation in cultured mammalian epithelial cells (CNCM-I-221) during exposure to ALA was investigated.
• 2.2. The total porphyrin synthesized is a function of ALA concentration and the incubation time. The cellular porphyrin content exhibited a saturation pattern, reaching a plateau at about 0.04 fmol porphyrins/cell. A biphasic time-dependent increase in the total porphyrin synthesized was observed.
• 3.3. After 3 hr of exposure to ALA the rate of synthesis increased to ahnost twice the initial rate, reaching between 0.02 and 0.05 fmol porphyrins/cell/hr depending on serum concentration in the medium.
• 4.4. Two effects of FBS on ALA-stimulated porphyrin accumulation were observed. Greater total porphyrin synthesis was found when incubations were made in 10% FBS compared to those in 1% FBS.
• 5.5. The higher serum concentration also caused a greater release into the medium of the porphyrins generated in the cells with a calculated half-life of 24 min in 10% serum-supplemented medium compared with 62 min in 1% serum.
• 6.6. The results obtained from cell synchronization experiments suggest that there is little obvious cell cycle-dependent variation in the synthesis of porphyrins from ALA.
• 7.7. The small differences in the intracellular porphyrin content that were observed may be attributed to a slight reduction in the rate of loss of porphyrins in G2/M cells.

     

Occurrence of d-alanine in the eggs and the developing embryo of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus

• 1.1. d-Alanine has been found in appreciable amounts in the eggs and embryos of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus.
• 2.2. The content of d-alanine, expressed as pmol/egg or embryo, is 1.32 in the egg, 0.81 in the blastula, 0.54 in the gastrula and 0.60 in the pluteus.
• 3.3. The percentage of d-alanine with respect to the total alanine (d + l) decreases during embryonic development.
• 4.4. d-Amino acid oxidase, d-alanine transaminase and d-alanine racemase activities were found neither in eggs nor in embryos.
• 5.5. Therefore, it does not appear likely that d-alanine is subject to oxidative metabolism.
• 6.6. The decrease in this d-amino acid during development may be due to its utilization in the synthesis of a more complex molecule.

     

Impact of histamine treatment and feeding on the hydrolytic enzyme level of Tetrahymena in culture and in conditions of starvation

• 1.1. The unicellular Tetrahymena pyriformis contains and also produces hydrolytic enzymes, such as glucosidase, phosphatase and glucosaminidase.
• 2.2. Return of Tetrahymena to plain medium after treatment with bacteria alone, histamine alone or bacteria plus histamine was equally followed by persistence of the hydrolytic enzyme activity around the control value and an activity increase at about 60 min.
• 3.3. Incubation of Tetrahymena in salt (Losina-Losinsky) solution after the applied treatment accounted for reduction to practically zero of the glucosidase and glucosaminidase activities, whereas the phosphatase activity tended to increase rather than to decrease in both the bacterium-treated and histamine-treated cultures.
• 4.4. The enzyme activity patterns of the Tetrahymena cells pretreated (imprinted) with histamine did not differ from the control pattern either after re-exposure to histamine or after feeding with bacteria, but showed a uniformization of the activity pattern and a considerable decrease in enzyme activity on incubation (starvation) in salt (Losina-Losinsky) solution.

     

Effect of polyunsaturated fatty acids on the growth of fish cells in culture

• 1.1. The effects on growth of supplementing the medium with (n-3) and (n-6) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were investigated in Atlantic salmon (AS) and turbot (TF) cell lines.
• 2.2. Neither cell line grew in the absence of serum, and addition of increasing percentages of serum resulted in graded increases in cell growth in both cell lines.
• 3.3. The growth of AS cells was stimulated by supplementing the medium with both (n-6)PUFA and (n-3)PUFA at 5–25 μM, especially 18:3(n-3) and 20:5(n-3).
• 4.4. Intermediate concentrations (15–20 μM) of 18:2(n-6) and 18:3(n-3) increased cell growth in TF cells, although only after 8 days in culture.
• 5.5. In contrast, both (n-3) and (n-6)PUFA at 25 μM tended to inhibit the growth of TF cells, and in longer incubations caused cell death.
• 6.6. The inhibition of TF cell growth rate and, in particular, the cell death induced by 25 μM PUFA could be abolished by the addition of vitamin E to the medium.

     

Uptake of inorganic ions from the maternal circulation during development of the embryo of a viviparous lizard,Sphenomorphus quoyii

• 1.1. Inorganic ion content of developing follicles and of whole eggs and separated embryos and yolk sacs of the viviparous lizard, Sphenomorphus quoyii has been measured.
• 2.2. There is a net increase in calcium, sodium and potassium in whole eggs during gestation. Magnesium and phosphorus content remains constant.
• 3.3. The additional ions are incorporated into the developing embryo.
• 4.4. Calcium content of the yolk is compared with that of the fowl and other species of reptile.

     

Purification and characterization of hatching enzyme of the pike (Esox lucius)

• 1.1. A choriolytic enzyme was isolated from the hatching medium of the pike, Esox lucius.
• 2.2. The enzyme is defined as hatching enzyme.
• 3.3. The molecular weight of the enzyme is 24,000.
• 4.4. The enzyme is a glycoprotein containing 2% carbohydrate.
• 5.5. Its isoelectric point is 6.5.
• 6.6. The pH optimum is around pH 8.
• 7.7. The enzyme molecule contains two disulfide bonds but no free cysteine.
• 8.8. Inhibitor studies and metal analysis show that the enzyme is a zinc-metalloprotease.

     

Phylogeny and ontogeny of the phosphoglycerate mutases—II. Characterization of phosphoglycerate mutase isozymes from vertebrates by their thermal lability and sensitivity to the sulfhydryl group reagents

• 1.1. To characterize the three phosphoglycerate mutase (PGM) isozymes present in vertebrates (types M, B and MB) their sensitivity to the reagents of the sulfhydryl groups and to heat treatment has been studied.
• 2.2. In mammals and reptiles type M PGM is not affected by the —SH group reagents, type MB PGM is inhibited about 50% and type B PGM is fully inhibited. Types B and MB PGM show greater heat lability than type M PGM.
• 3.3. In amphibians and fishes PGM isozymes do not differ in their sensitivity to the —SH reagents.
• 4.4. The results strongly support the homodimeric and heterodimeric structure suggested for PGM isozymes and favour their genetic origin.

     

Organ specific changes in energy metabolism due to anaerobiosis in the sea mussel Mytilus edulis (L.)

• 1.1. Anaerobic energy metabolism was investigated in different organs of Mytilus edulis and the whole animal.
• 2.2. Succinate accumulates to high levels in most organs but remains low in the hemolymph.
• 3.3. After 16 hours propionate accumulation is observed in all organs. Experimental evidence is not sufficient yet to point out organs that produce more propionate than others.
• 4.4. Acetate is a minor end product.
• 5.5. Acetate and propionate are found in the hemolymph in amounts equal to those in the organs.
• 6.6. Animals incubated in oxygen-free seawater accumulate more end products than animals exposed to air, in the form of volatile fatty acids that are excreted into the incubation water.
• 7.7. Alanine and glutamine increase in the posterior adductor muscle. Aspartate decreases in the total animal, posterior adductor muscle and gills, while in the hemolymph decrease in alanine, asparagine, serine, threonine and proline are observed.

     

On the variation in enzyme activities during the growth of burkitts lymphoma cells in suspension culture

• 1.1. The growth characteristics of Burkitt's lymphoma cells in suspension culture have been studied, and a mean population doubling time of 20–21 hr established for this cell line under a range of nutritional and physical conditions; data which have provided a basis for the assessment of the reproducibility of the culture techniques and conditions which were employed in the subsequent studies.
• 2.2. Activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aldolase and esterase, as well as the cellular content of total soluble protein, and the isoenzyme pattern of LDH, were monitored in randomly growing Raji cells for the duration of a complete growth cycle.
• 3.3. In this period, the temporal pattern of variation in the levels of total soluble protein were seen to reflect alterations in LDH activity during a single growth cycle.
• 4.4. The fluctuations observed in LDH activity were greater than those observed for either aldolase or esterase activity, and, from the data considered, the maximum degree of variation appeared to be confined to the initial stages of growth.
• 5.5. Extracellular levels of LDH activity remained relatively constant throughout the growth cycle. so that the large fluctuations in intracellular LDH activity could not be attributed to either secretion or leakage of the enzyme into the culture medium.
• 6.6. No gross changes in the pattern of LDH isoenzymes in these Raji cells were detected during the course of a single growth cycle.