Radioimmunoassay of low molecular weight human kininogen

A radioimmunoassay for low molecular weight (LMW) human Kininogen has been carried out. The first step was to prepare LMW Kininogen from human plasma. The proposed method allowed to get chemically pure and biologically active LMW Kininogen. This preparation was used to induce antibody. Optimal conditions for labelling and incubation were determined. This method may be applied to the assay of Kininogen in human plasma.     

Cardiolipin biosynthesis and remodeling enzymes are altered during development of heart failure

Cardiolipin (CL) is responsible for modulation of activities of various enzymes involved in oxidative phosphorylation. Although energy production decreases in heart failure (HF), regulation of cardiolipin during HF development is unknown. Enzymes involved in cardiac cardiolipin synthesis and remodeling were studied in spontaneously hypertensive HF (SHHF) rats, explanted hearts from human HF patients, and nonfailing Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. The biosynthetic enzymes cytidinediphosphatediacylglycerol synthetase (CDS), phosphatidylglycerolphosphate synthase (PGPS) and cardiolipin synthase (CLS) were investigated. Mitochondrial CDS activity and CDS-1 mRNA increased in HF whereas CDS-2 mRNA in SHHF and humans, not in SD rats, decreased. PGPS activity, but not mRNA, increased in SHHF. CLS activity and mRNA decreased in SHHF, but mRNA was not significantly altered in humans. Cardiolipin remodeling enzymes, monolysocardiolipin acyltransferase (MLCL AT) and tafazzin, showed variable changes during HF. MLCL AT activity increased in SHHF. Tafazzin mRNA decreased in SHHF and human HF, but not in SD rats. The gene expression of acyl-CoA: lysocardiolipin acyltransferase-1, an endoplasmic reticulum MLCL AT, remained unaltered in SHHF rats. The results provide mechanisms whereby both cardiolipin biosynthesis and remodeling are altered during HF. Increases in CDS-1, PGPS, and MLCL AT suggest compensatory mechanisms during the development of HF. Human and SD data imply that similar trends may occur in human HF, but not during nonpathological aging, consistent with previous cardiolipin studies.     

Anomals and anopes among Beduin of Southern Sinai

Anomaloscope tests on 212 Beduin of Sinai revealed one extreme protanomal, one simple deuteranomal, five protanopes and three deuteranopes. Thus mild defects in color vision are more rare than among Europeans, but severe colorblindness is just as frequent. It is difficult to fit these data to the hypothesis of relaxed selection.     

Comparison of 16S rRNA sequences from the family Pasteurellaceae: phylogenetic relatedness by cluster analysis

The taxonomy of the family Pasteurellaceae has remained controversial despite investigations of biochemistry, serology, and nucleic acid relatedness. In an attempt to resolve some of this confusion, we have partially sequenced the 16S rRNAs of seven members of the family, representing all three genera. The sequences were aligned, similarity scores calculated, and single, average and complete linkage cluster analysis of the resulting distance matrix performed. In this way, an evolutionary branching pattern of these closely related species was reconstructed, and the approximate phylogenetic position of the family determined. Actinobacillus (Haemophilus) actinomycetemcomitans clustered with Haemophilus instead of Actinobacillus, supporting transfer of this species to the genus Haemophilus. Thus cluster analysis of phylogenetic relatedness was found to be particularly useful for studying closely related organisms, and could be performed using a microcomputer.