Relationship between postabsorptive respiratory exchange ratio and plasma free fatty acid concentrations

The relationship between overnight postabsorptive (fasting) respiratory exchange ratio (RER) and plasma FFA concentrations was addressed using data from three separate protocols, each of which involved careful control of the antecedent diet. Protocol 1 examined the relationship between fasting RER and the previous daytime RER. In Protocol 2 fasting, RER and plasma palmitate concentrations were measured in 29 women and 31 men (body mass index <30 kg·m⁻²). Protocol 3 analyzed data from Nielsen et al. (Nielsen, S., Z. K. Guo, J. B. Albu, S. Klein, P. C. O''Brien, M. D. Jensen. 2003. Energy expenditure, sex and endogenous fuel availability in humans. J. Clin. Invest. 111: 981-988.) to understand how fasting RER and palmitate concentrations relate within individuals during four consecutive measurements. The results were as follows: 1) Fasting RER was correlated (r = 0.74, P < 0.001) with the previous day''s average RER, and less so with RER variability. 2) Fasting RER was correlated (r = −0.39, P = 0.007) with fasting plasma palmitate concentrations. 3) The pattern of the RER/palmitate relationship was similar within individuals and between individuals; a negative slope was observed significantly more often than a positive slope (χ² test; P < 0.001). Our findings suggest that, despite a fixed food quotient, the slight departures from energy equilibrium in a controlled General Clinical Research Center environment can effect plasma FFA concentrations. We suggest that including indirect calorimetry as part of FFA metabolism studies may aid in data interpretation.     

Composition and peptide maps of cross-linked human choriogonadotropin-receptor complexes on porcine granulosa cells

Radioiodinated human choriogonadotropin was affinity-cross-linked with a cleavable (nondisulfide) homobifunctional reagent to the hormone receptor on porcine granulosa cells and the solubilized sample was electrophoresed. Cross-linked samples revealed four additional bands of slower electrophoretic mobility in addition to the hormone alpha, beta, and alpha beta dimer bands. The four bands corresponded to masses of 68, 74, 102, and 136 kDa whereas the alpha beta dimer band corresponded to 50 kDa. Formation of the four bands requires the 125I-hormone to bind specifically to the receptor with subsequent cross-linking. Binding can be prevented by excess of native hormone but not by follitropin. A monofunctional analog of the cross-linking reagent failed to produce the four bands. They were also produced by cross-linking Triton X-100-solubilized hormone-receptor complexes. Reagent concentration-dependent cross-linking revealed that their formation was sequential; smaller complexes formed first and then larger ones. When gels of the cross-linked sample were treated with reagents that cleave covalent cross-links and then electrophoresed in a second dimension gel, 18-, 24-, 28-, and 34-kDa components were released, in addition to the alpha and beta subunits of the native hormone. Simultaneous peptide mapping of the cross-linked complexes in the gel matrix with Staphylococcus V8 protease or papain revealed progressive proteolysis to generate terminal fragments of 30 or 27 kDa, respectively. These fragments were unique to and commonly present in the 74-, 102-, and 136-kDa hormone-receptor complexes but were not produced by proteolysis of the cross-linked human choriogonadotropin (hCG) alpha beta dimer or the hCG alpha subunit. Apparently, the radioactively labeled segment(s) of the alpha subunit of 125I-hCG was cross-linked to the 24-kDa component. The results demonstrate the protein nature of the receptor and suggest that 125I-hCG was initially cross-linked to the 24-kDa component to generate the 74-kDa complex, then the 28- and 34-kDa components were sequentially cross-linked to the 24-kDa component in the 74-kDa complex to generate the 102- and 134-kDa complexes.     

Long-term effects of postovulatory aging of mouse oocytes on offspring: a two-generational study.

Aims of this study were to analyze the long-term effects of postovulatory aging of mouse oocytes on 1) reproductive traits of parental (F(0)) and first (F(1))-generation females (pregnancy rate, gestation length, litter size, perinatal death, and sex ratio of offspring) and 2) developmental and behavioral variables of F(1) and second-generation (F(2)) offspring (birth weight and weight gain during preweaning development, postnatal day of attainment of immediate righting, spontaneous motor activity, and passive and active conditioned learning ability). Hybrid (C57BL/6JIco x CBA/JIco) females were artificially inseminated at 13 h (control group) or 22 h (oocyte-aged group) after GnRH injection. Experimental (oocyte-aged group) F(0) females exhibited lower pregnancy rate, shortened gestation length, decreased litter size, higher perinatal death of their pups, and increased percentage of male offspring compared to control F(0) females. Postovulatory aging of oocytes was also associated with increased number of growth-retarded pups, delayed development of the righting reflex, and higher spontaneous motor activity and emotionality of F(1) offspring. Postovulatory aging of F(0) oocytes did not affect birth weight, weight gain during preweaning development, passive and active conditioned learning ability of F(1) offspring, or reproductive traits of F(1) females or developmental and behavior variables of F(2) offspring.     

Secretion of Recombinant Pediocin PA-1 by Bifidobacterium longum, Using the Signal Sequence for Bifidobacterial α-Amylase

A recombinant DNA, encoding the chimeric protein of the signal sequence for bifidobacterial α-amylase mature pediocin PA-1, was introduced into Bifidobacterium longum MG1. Biologically active pediocin PA-1 was successfully secreted from the strain and showed bactericidal activity against Listeria monocytogenes and the same molecular mass as native pediocin PA-1.     

New subspecies ofSparganium erectum L. from Iran

From the Caspian coastal region of Iran a new taxon,Sparganium erectum L. subsp.mazanderanicum Ponert, is described and illustrated. This new subspecies in some of its characters is near toSparganium erectum L. subsp.microcarpum (Neumann)Domin (with its east distribution trend); in other characters it is near toSparganium erectum L. subsp.neglectum (Beeby)Schinz etThell. (with ist south distribution trend). A comparative table of diacritical characters of these three subspecies is appended.     

Cultivation of mammalian cells as aggregates in bioreactors: effect of calcium concentration of spatial distribution of viability

Recombinant human kidney epithelial 293 cells were cultivated as aggregates in suspension. The concentration calcium ion, in the range of 100 muM to 1mM, affected the rate of aggregate formation. During the course of cultivation the size distribution of aggregates shifted and the fraction of larger aggregates increased. This effect was more profound in cultures with a high calcium concentration. Scanning and transmission microscopic examination of the aggregates revealed that cell packing was greater in the high calcium cultures and that ultrastructural integrity was retained in aggregates from both low and high calcium cultures. Confocal microscopy was applied to examine the viability of cells in the interior of the aggregates. High viability was observed in the aggregates obtained from exponentially growing cultures. Aggregates from the high calcium culture in the stationary phase exhibited lower viability in the interior. With its ease of retention in a perfusion bioreactor, aggregate cultures offer an alternative choice for large-scale operation. (c) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

湖羊瘤胃微生物GH9家族葡聚糖酶基因IDSGLUC9-25的表达与功能表征

【目的】葡聚糖酶是饲用添加剂的重要成分,本研究旨在从湖羊消化道微生物中挖掘性质优良的GH9家族葡聚糖酶基因,用于研发新型饲用酶制剂。【方法】从湖羊瘤胃微生物cDNA中扩增IDSGLUC9-25基因,在大肠杆菌中进行异源表达,对重组蛋白进行诱导表达和纯化,研究重组蛋白的酶学性质和底物水解模式。【结果】IDSGLUC9-25基因编码527个氨基酸,包含一个CelD_N结构和一个GH9家族催化结构域;重组蛋白rIDSGLUC9-25分子量约为62.7 kDa,最适反应温度和pH分别为40℃和6.0,在30-50℃下活性较高,在pH 4.0-8.0范围内能够保持较高的稳定性,经pH 4.0-8.0缓冲液处理1 h后残余活性均大于90%;底物谱分析表明,rIDSGLUC9-25能催化大麦β-葡聚糖、苔藓地衣多糖、魔芋胶和木葡聚糖,比活性分别为(443.55±24.48)、(65.56±5.98)、(122.37±2.85)和(159.16±7.73) U/mg;利用薄层色谱法(thin layer chromatography, TLC)和高效液相色谱法(high performance liquid chromatography, HPLC)分析水解产物发现,rIDSGLUC9-25降解大麦葡聚糖主要生成纤维三糖(占总还原糖64.19%±1.19%)和纤维四糖(占总还原糖26.24%±0.12%),催化地衣多糖主要生成纤维三糖(占总还原糖78.46%±0.89%)。【结论】本研究报道了一种来自密螺旋体属细菌的内切β-1,4-葡聚糖酶IDSGLUC9-25 (EC 3.2.1.4),能高效催化多糖底物生成纤维三糖和纤维四糖,为研发饲用酶制剂和制备低聚寡糖建立基础。     

HhaI and HpaII DNA methyltransferases bind DNA mismatches, methylate uracil and block DNA repair.

The hydrolytic deamination of 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) to thymine (T) is believed to be responsible for the high mutability of the CpG dinucleotide in DNA. We have shown a possible alternate mechanism for mutagenesis at CpG in which HpaII DNA-(cytosine-5) methyltransferase (M.HpaII) can enzymatically deaminate cytosine (C) to uracil (U) in DNA [Shen, J.-C., Rideout, W.M., III and Jones, P.A., Cell, 71, 1073-1080, (1992)]. Both the hydrolytic deamination of 5-mC and enzymatic deamination of C create premutagenic DNA mismatches (G:U and G:T) with the guanine (G) originally paired to the normal C. Surprisingly, we found that DNA-(cytosine-5) methyltransferases have higher affinities for these DNA mismatches than for their normal G:C targets and are capable of transferring a methyl group to the 5-position of U, creating T at low efficiencies. This binding by methyltransferase to mismatches at the recognition site prevented repair of G:U mismatches by uracil DNA glycosylase in vitro.