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 Three Plant Rhabdovirus Isolates by Two Different Serological Techniques

Three different rhabdovirus isolates, eggplant mottled dwarf virus (EMDV), tomato veinyellowing virus (TVYV) and a hitherto undefined isolate from tomato in Portugal (Tom-P) were compared by two different serological techniques, immunosorbent electron microscopy (ISEM) and electro-blot-immunoassay (EBIA). Antisera were prepared either against purified virus or against partially purified virus preparations extracted by a one-step procedure. Even the partially purified virus preparations yielded antisera that allowed unequivocal identification of two of the five structural virus proteins, G and N, in EBIA and were suitable for specific trapping of complete virus particles on electron microscope grids. With both serological techniques identical results were obtained indicating a close serological relationship between the three isolates tested. Cross-reactions between the G proteins could be deduced from heterologous trapping of complete virus particles in ISEM. The cross-reactions for the G proteins were substantiated by the EBIA-results which indicated in addition cross-reactions between the remaining three major structural virus proteins, N, M₁, and M₂, but also revealed significant differences in the molecular weights of the G and M₁ proteins between TVYV and the other two isolates. The results obtained indicate that Tom-P is serologically closely related and in respect of protein molecular weights identical to EMDV, and that TVYV is not a separate virus but rather a strain of EMDV.