Angiography of the iliofemoral arteriovenous system supplying free groin flaps and free hypogastric flaps.

The circulatory anatomy of the iliofemoral region was elucidated by doing detailed angiography in 50 cases, and we classified the vessels into 4 types. In most cases, the s.c.i.a. predominated over the s.i.e.a. Therefore, it is probably better to plan free flaps supplied by this artery. This vessel usually arises approximately two or three fingerbreadths inferior to the intersection of the femoral artery and the inguinal ligament, and the skin flap should be designed in the area inferior and parallel to the inguinal ligament.     

Involvement of tryptase-related cellular protease(s) in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection

Trypstatin, a new cellular Kunitz-type protease inhibitor purified from rat mast cells, inhibited syncytium formation in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected CCRF-CEM and uninfected Molt-4 clone 8 at a concentration of 1 microM. Anti-rat tongue mast cell tryptase antibodies reacted with Molt-4 clone 8 cells, as determined by Western blot and by immunofluorescence. In addition, the antibody inhibited syncytium formation. These findings along with homologous sequences with trypstatin and a neutralizing epitope of gp120 of HIV-1 suggest that a tryptase-like cellular enzyme(s) is involved in HIV-1 infection.     

Formate production from methanol by formaldehyde dismutase coupled with a methanol oxidation system

Summary Formaldehyde dismutase was greatly stabilized by immobilization in a urethane prepolymer (PU-6). The immobilized enzyme exhibited stochiometrical dismutation of formaldehyde to methanol and formate in several repeated reactions. Conversion of methanol to formate occurred in a reaction with an immobilized enzyme system consisting of alcohol oxidase, catalase and formaldehyde dismutase, and with an intact cell-mixture of Hansenula polymorpha and Pseudomonas putida. Furthermore, the stability of the cell-mixture during repeated reactions was greatly improved by the immobilization, the 600 mM methanol added periodically being converted to formate in a 75% yield in 12 h. The immobilized cellsystem was also effective for the conversion of several aliphatic alcohols, C₁ to C₄, to the corresponding acids.     

Sequence-dependent cleavage of DNA by alkylation with antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotides containing a 2-(N-iodoacetylaminoethyl)thio-adenine.

Antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotides (15mers), containing a 2-(N-iodoacetylaminoethyl)thio-adenine, were synthesized and tested for their ability to cleave complementary DNAs (21mers). Cleavage of the target DNAs was done by alkylation followed by treatment with piperidine, and the positions of the alkylated sites were estimated by identification of the cleaved products. By using several combinations of the modified strands and their target DNAs, it was determined that alkylation occurred at adenine or guanine, depending on the torsion angle of the modified nucleoside.     

A chymotrypsin-type serine protease in rat basophilic leukemia cells: evidence for its immunologic identity with atypical mast cell protease

Activity of a chymotrypsin-type serine protease was found in a subline of rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells. The protease was immunologically cross-reactive with anti-atypical mast cell protease immunoglobulin (Ig) G, and its activity was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by the antibody. The apparent m.w. of the protease that reacted with the antibody was 25,000, which was identical with that of atypical mast cell protease in rat mucosal mast cells. These results show that the chymotrypsin type serine protease in RBL-2H3 cells is immunologically identical with atypical mast cell protease, which was first purified from rat small intestine. Immunohistochemical studies showed that the protease was located not only in intracytoplasmic granules but also in organelles synthesizing protein, such as cisternae of the rough endoplasmic reticulum, perinuclear spaces, and the Golgi apparatus. However, no immunoreactivity was demonstrated in rat basophils. The activity of the protease increased in the exponential phase of growth of RBL-2H3 cells in which some activity was also detected in the medium, and it decreased in the late stationary phase.     

Flowering and Endogenous Levels of Plant Hormones in Lemna Species

The occurrence and endogenous level of various plant hormoneswere measured for the short-day plants Lemna paucicostata 151and 381 and the long-day plant Lemna gibba G3 to determine whetherany of them are involved in the photoperiodic control of flowering.ABA, IAA, GA₁, GA₂₉, GA₃₄, GA₅₃, trans- and cis-zeatin, trans-and cis-ribosyl zeatin, N⁶-(²-isopentenyl) adenine and N⁶-(²-isopentenyl)adenosine were definitely detected in each species, while GA₄was only detected in L. gibba G3 and GA₂₀ was only detectedin L. paucicostata 151. The endogenous levels of ABA and IAAwere in the range of 1–7 ng/g fr wt and were not significantlydifferent in vegetative and flowering plants. The endogenousgibberellin levels were generally higher in Lemna grown underlong-day rather than short-day conditions. The endogenous cytokininlevels were almost the same in both flowering and vegetativeplants of L. paucicostata 151 and 381. In L. gibba G3, however,the level of cis-ribosyl zeatin, N⁶-(²-isopentenyl) adenineand N⁶-(²-sopentenyl) adenosine were higher in vegetative thanin flowering plants. These results indicate that there is not necessarily a directrelation between endogenous plant hormone levels and flowering,and that the chemical basis for the photoperiodic control offlowering cannot be explained solely by changes in hormone levels.The possibility remains, however, that one or more of the planthormones has some influence of secondary importance on the floweringprocess in Lemna. (Received January 29, 1986; Accepted July 12, 1986)     

Placental-soluble aconitase polymorphism in Japanese

Polymorphism of soluble aconitase was investigated in 152 Japanese placentae. The allelic frequencies were ACONS1 = 0.951 and ACONS2 = 0.049. ACONS2 appears to be rather high among Orientals including Japanese, while ACONS4 seems to be characteristic for Negroids.     

Human indolylamine 2,3-dioxygenase. Its tissue distribution, and characterization of the placental enzyme.

The presence of indolylamine 2,3-dioxygenase was examined in human subjects by determining its activity with L-tryptophan as substrate. Enzyme activity was detected in various tissues, and was relatively high in the lung, small intestine and placenta. Human indolylamine 2,3-dioxygenase, partially purified from the placenta, had an Mr of about 40 000 by gel filtration and exhibited a single pI of 6.9. The human enzyme required a reducing system, ascorbic acid and Methylene Blue, for maximal activity and was able to oxidize D-tryptophan, 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan as well as L-tryptophan, but kinetic studies indicated that the best substrate of the enzyme was L-tryptophan.     

Significance of 12S Toxin of Clostridium botulinum Type E

The pathogenesis of type E botulism is discussed as an aspect of the physicochemical and biological properties of 12S toxins (prototoxin and trypsin-activated 12S toxin) and the Ealpha and Ebeta components of each 12S toxin. A molecular weight of 350,000 was determined for each 12S toxin and 150,000 for Ealpha and Ebeta. Owing to the structure comprising the subunits Ealpha and Ebeta, 12S toxins are much more stable than Ealpha at low pH values and high temperatures. Such was also the case with type A 19S toxin and its alpha component. The Ealpha component alone accounts for the total toxicity of type E toxin. The toxic substance detected in the blood of the animals administered 12S toxins orally or parenterally was identified as Ealpha from the molecular size and the chromatographic pattern. Prototoxin escaping from detoxification in the stomach owing to the subunit structure may undergo dissociation in the intestine to release the Ealpha component. After absorption, the activated Ealpha appeared in the circulating blood without any further signs of dissociation or enzymatic digestion.