Lack of association between the Gc and Lp serum type systems

Two earlier reports (Mohr and Berg, 1963; Berg and Wendt, 1964) have indicated the possibility of an association between the Gc and Lp serum type systems. In the present study the Gc and Lp types have been determined in a material of 796 Norwegian blood donor sera. A X ₂-test failed to verify a statistically significant association between the factors of the two systems.     

Hereditary recombined three-allele variant of the Gc system

A three-allele variant with Gc 2, Gc 1F and Gc 1A2 alleles was detected in both a baby and his mother during paternity testing by isoelectric focusing. His father had a normal Gc phenotype, Gc 2-1F. Further examination of his mother's relatives revealed that his grandfather also had the same three-allele variant, while his grandmother and his aunt had normal Gc 2-1F and Gc 2-2. From these results, it was considered that the Gc 1F and Gc 1A2 alleles were on the same single chromosome. It was suggested that recombination had occurred between two chromosomes that had the Gc 1F and Gc 1A2 allele, respectively, forming the variant allele Gc 1F1A2 on a single chromosome.     

Studies on the interaction between Ag(+) and human serum albumin

The interaction between Ag(+) and human serum albumin (HSA) has been intensively studied by means of equilibrium dialysis, ligand-to-metal charge transition (LMCT) bands, circular dichroism (CD) and Raman spectroscopy. Scatchard analysis of the results of equilibrium dialysis indicates the presence of two types of binding sites for Ag(+) on HSA, and the orders of magnitude of binding stability constants are found to be 10(5) and 10(4), respectively. During the binding process, a gradual increase in absorbance values of LMCT bands is observed with time-scanning UV absorption spectra, implying the Ag(I) centers are continually formed in HSA. The time-scanning CD spectra provide evidence that the binding of Ag(+) induces HSA to undergo a slow rearrangement of tertiary structure, and to change from the original conformation in the absence of Ag(+) (B-state) to conformation binding with Ag(+) (A-state). The rate constants and activation free energy of A-B transition are calculated. The Raman spectrum of Ag(I)-HSA system shows distinct vibration bands at 224 and 246 cm(-1) in the low-frequency region, which significantly reveal the formation of Ag-S and Ag-N bonds. In addition, the electrostatic interaction between Ag(+) and negatively charged oxygen is also detected with Raman spectroscopy.     

Serum Gc system in liver cirrhosis and hepatoma

Summary Serum Gc polymorphism was studied in 85 patients with liver cirrhosis, in 65 with cirrhosis plus hepatoma, and in 40 with hepatoma without cirrhosis. Six hundred unrelated healthy Greeks served as controls. The Gc 1-1 phenotype was found more frequently in patients who had cirrhosis with or without hepatoma but the incidence of the Gc¹ gene was significantly higher in patients with cryptogenic-HBsAg negative cirrhosis. On the other hand, the Gc 2-2 phenotype was found about three times more frequently in patients who had hepatoma without cirrhosis, and the incidence of the Gc² gene was significantly higher in the same group than in the controls. Consequently, it could be surmised that the Gc¹ and the Gc² genes predispose, under the influence of various factors, the development of cryptogenic cirrhosis and hepatoma without cirrhosis, respectively.     

Close linkage between the albumin and Gc loci in the horse

Evidence for close linkage between the structural loci for albumin and Gc protein in the horse was presented. A recombination frequency (c) of 0.009 ± 0.006 (95 % confidence limits: 0.001 < c < 0.032) was estimated. These results were based on a study of a large sire family comprising 223 offspring from informative matings. No evidence of linkage disequilibrium was observed in one horse population studied.     

Studies on the interaction between tetraphenylporphyrin compounds and bovine serum albumin.

The interaction of three porphyrin compounds with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was examined by fluorescence emission spectra at the excitation wavelength 280 nm and in UV-Vis absorption spectra. Through fluorescence quenching experiments, it was confirmed that the combination of three porphyrin compounds with BSA was a single static quenching process. The binding constant K(A), the thermodynamic parameters enthalpy change (DeltaH(0)), Gibbs free energy change (DeltaG(0)) and entropy change (DeltaS(0)) were obtained. It was found that hydrophobic interaction played a main role in tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) or tetraparacholophenylporphyrin (TClPP) binding to BSA, while tetraparamethoxyphenylporphyrin (TMEOPP) mainly based on van der Waals' force. According to F?ster energy transfer, the separate distance r, the energy transfer efficiency E and F?ster radium R(0) were calculated. The results obtained from the above experiments showed that three porphyrin compounds were tightly bound to BSA.     

Unusual sialilation of three different rare genetic variants of serum DBP: Gc 1A17, Gc 1A16, and Gc 1A11

Summary The proteins of three anodal Gc1 variants, Gc 1A16, 1A11, and 1A17, are characterized by the most acidic isoelectric points observed so far among the different Gc mutants. Stepwise removal of N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) by treatment with neuraminidase was performed to estimate the degree of sialilation of these Gc variants. The results indicate that both proteins, the anodal and the cathodal component of these Gc 1 mutants, carry sialic acid residues. This observation is remarkable in so far as usually only the anodal component of the Gc 1 protein contains NANA and only a single residue. From the experiments carried out it can be deduced that Gc 1A16 has two NANA residues in the anodal and one NANA residue in the cathodal component. Gc 1A16 was found in four members of three generations in a Danish family; the variant segregated as a Mendelian trait. More difficult to interprete are the results obtained with the variants Gc 1A11 and Gc 1A17. Gc 1A11 probably has three NANA residues in the anodal and two NANA residues in the cathodal component. Gc 1A11 has been observed in two mother-child pairs and is presumably also a simple genetic trait. Gc 1A17 has also several NANA residues in both Gc proteins; it is suggested that the anodal component has either three or four NANA residues and the cathodal component either two or three NANA residues. Family information on this variant is not yet available.     

On the correlation between FSH, LH and prolactin serum levels.

In 188 males FSH, LH, and prolactin serum levels determined from a single blood sample were found to be closely correlated. No correlation appeared to testosterone levels. The same correlation is observed, if serum levels of FSH, LH, and prolactin are measured after stimulation with LH-RH and TRH. In order to explain the close correlation, in five young men hormone levels were measured at 2-min-intervals over a period of 2 hours. Peaks of prolactin often correspond to those of FSH and LH, and a statistical correlation was found in two cases between FSH and prolactin. Results suggest a common releasing mechanism, which is superposed to the main mediating mechanism.     

K型小麦花粉粒内壁及ATP酶活性与雄性不育的相关性

运用电镜和细胞化学标记技术,研究比较了K型雄性不育系与其保持系花粉粒内壁发育过程中的超微结构和ATP酶活性变化。结果表明,保持系和不育系花粉粒内壁的发生均从花粉第一次有丝分裂后开始,发育初期2种类型的花粉粒质膜上均具有ATP酶活性反应。随着内壁的加厚,保持系花粉粒质膜上的ATP酶活性增加,当内壁加厚到一定程度时,内壁中形成膜性结构的管状通道,在管状通道中具显著的ATP酶活性反应;其成熟花粉粒萌发孔区的细胞质隆起,孔盖被推出,内壁和周围组织具极显著的ATP酶活性反应。不育系花粉粒随着内壁的加厚,质膜上的ATP酶活性变化不明显,内壁比保持系的厚,没有正常的管状通道的形成和ATP酶活性反应;萌发孔区细胞质隆起不明显,孔盖内陷,内壁和周围组织没有ATP酶活性。分析认为,K型小麦雄性不育花粉粒内壁结构的这种畸形变化及ATP酶活性反应的差异,可能是造成花粉粒败育的重要因素。     

A new hereditary single band variant of the Gc system

Summary A new single band variant (Gc Ar) or the Gc subtypes not identical with the known Gc variants has been detected in the plasma of a healthy blood donor by isoelectric focusing. Using this technique the variant is represented by a single band which has a similar isoelectric point to the Gc 1C2 anodal band. It is well known that the single band Gc phenotypes remain unaltered after neuraminidase treatment. Nevertheless, the new single band variant (Gc Ar) is altered after neuraminidase treatment as is Gc 2A3. After neuraminidase treatment, the Gc Ar band is affected and moved to the nearby position of the Gc 2 band. Investigation of the proband's family shows that the variant occurs combined with the common alleles Gc 1F, Gc 1S and that it has an autosomal dominant inheritance.     

Salinity increases the triterpenoid content of a salt secretor and a non-salt secretor mangrove

The present study describes the effect of salinity on the triterpenoid content of the salt secretor mangrove Avicennia marina and the non-secretor Rhizophora stylosa. Mangrove seedlings were grown for eight months in 0%, 0.5%, 1.5%, 2.0% and 3.0% salt concentration. The growth of both species was increased by salt with maximal stimulation at 1.5%, and this elevation appeared to be attenuated by increasing the salt concentration above 1.5%. The triterpenoid compositions of three types of chemical structures, lupane (lupeol, lupenone), oleanane (β-amyrin, taraxerol, germanicol), and ursane (α-amyrin), were studied. In addition, the phytosterol components campesterol, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol were analyzed. The total triterpenoid contents in the roots and leaves of A. marina for the 0% group were 87.0 and 66.2 μg g⁻¹, respectively, and increased significantly to 173.1 and 142.6 μg g⁻¹ with 3% salinity. The higher salinity also significantly increased the total concentration of phytosterols in the leaves and roots of this species. A similar increase in the concentration of both triterpenoids and phytosterols was observed in the roots and leaves of R. stylosa with increasing salt concentration. Thus, the triterpenoid concentration was increased by salinity in the roots and leaves of both A. marina and R. stylosa irrespective of their differences in salt management by salt excretion or by a non-excretion mechanism. Comparison of the triterpenoid concentration in four species of growing mangrove seedlings revealed a correlation between the total triterpenoid content and the salt tolerance based on the habitat zonation on Iriomote Island. A. marina thrives closest to sea and had the highest content of triterpenoids (173.1 μg g⁻¹ in 3% salt group). Therefore, it is likely that the triterpenoid content play an important role in mangrove plants for protection from salinity in both salt-secretors and non-secretors.