Human T lymphocytes expressing the C3b/C4b complement receptor type one (CR1, CD35) belong to Fc gamma receptor-positive CD4-positive T cells

The phenotypic characteristics of human T lymphocytes expressing the C3b/C4b complement receptor type one (CR1, CD35) were investigated using dual-color surface immunofluorescence and cytofluorometric analysis of stained peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from normal individuals. Two to ten percent of PBMC coexpressed CR1 and the CD5, CD2, or CD3 antigen. CR1 was detected on a subset of CD4+ T lymphocytes but not on CD8+ or on Leu-7+ lymphocytes. Costaining for CR1 and for the CD4 subpopulation markers anti-Leu-8, TQ1, OKT17, 2H4, and 4B4 indicated that CR1 on lymphocytes may be coexpressed with any of these phenotypic determinants. All CR1+ lymphocytes expressed Fc gamma receptors (Fc gamma Rs) as assessed by their ability to bind biotinylated dimeric human IgG. The expression of CR1 was increased in mixed lymphocyte reaction with kinetics similar to those of HLA-DR antigen expression. Coexpression of CR1 and Fc gamma R+ may provide a subset of CD4+ lymphocytes with an enhanced ability to bind and respond to C3-bearing complexes of IgG and antigen.     

Role of polymodal synaptic influences in temporal connection formation in neuronal microsystems of the association cortex

The role of convergence of sensory influences on unit activity in the association cortex during formation of temporal connection was investigated in experiments on unanesthetized cats. A bioelectrical model of temporal connection was produced after studying unit responses to direct electrical and peripheral stimulation (photic, acoustic, electrodermal, tactile, and proprioceptive). The results showed that 42% of neurons in the association cortex and about 90% of "trained" cells are polysensory. The role of convergence of sensory influences in the formation of microsystems of trained neurons of the association cortex and the microsystemic principle of organization of conditioning mechanisms are examined.     

Effect of psychostimulants on responses of neocortical neurons to afferent and subcortical stimuli

The effect of psychostimulants on unit responses of the pericruciate region of the cortex during sensory and subcortical stimulation was studied in experiments on 52 immobilized cats. Amphetamine (2 mg/kg) caused a definite increase in the number of spontaneously active cortical cells. Caffeine (40 mg/kg) had a weaker action. After administration of psychostimulants afferent stimuli more often induced tonic changes in the spontaneous unit activity. More polymodal neurons were found. Phasic responses were often facilitated but were recorded at the same frequency as in the control. Amphetamine and caffeine weakened inhibition of the unit discharges during stimulation of the caudate nucleus and potentiated activation caused by stimulation of the reticular formation. The character of interaction between sensory and reticular (caudate) stimuli was not modulated by the psychostimulants although its scale and intensity were varied. The possible role of the effects of amphetamine and caffeine in therapeutic psychostimulation is discussed.     

Production and characterization of a monoclonal antibody specific for the human lymphocyte low affinity receptor for IgE: CD 23 is a low affinity receptor for IgE

In the present study a gamma 1 kappa monoclonal antibody, Mab 25, specific for the receptor for the Fc fragment of IgE on lymphocytes (Fc epsilon RL) was established. This antibody was generated after fusion of spleen cells from mice immunized with the EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell line RPMI 8866, which is known to express Fc epsilon RL at high density. Mab 25 inhibits strongly the binding of IgE to RPMI 8866 cells and to other Fc epsilon RL-positive EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines. A 50% inhibition of IgE binding was observed at a Mab 25 concentration of 10 ng/ml. The binding of IgE was also inhibited by Fab fragments of Mab 25, suggesting that the inhibition is not simply due to steric hindrance or to an eventual binding through its Fc portion. Mab 25 only binds to cell lines expressing Fc epsilon RL. Mab 25 immunoprecipitated a single polypeptide with an apparent m.w. of 42 Kd, pI 4.9. The membrane molecule bound to and eluted from a Mab 25 immunoabsorbent had the same apparent m.w. and pI as the Fc epsilon RL purified from an IgE immunoabsorbent. Additionally, when RPMI 8866 cell lysates were cleared with Mab 25, no Fc epsilon RL could be bound to or eluted from an IgE immunoabsorbent. Mab 25 was found to weakly bind to a minor proportion of blood (1 to 4%), tonsil (2 to 9%) and spleen (4 to 5%) mononuclear cells with a low intensity. By double fluorescence analysis, most of the Fc epsilon RL-positive cells were found to be CD 20-positive B lymphocytes. The staining pattern of Mab 25 and the biochemical characteristics of the antigen detected by Mab 25 were comparable to those of the CD 23 Mab. The four CD 23 Mab MHM 6, PL 13, HD 50, and Tü 1 were found to inhibit the binding of IgE. PL 13 was found to totally inhibit the binding of Mab 25 to RPMI 8866 cells, whereas Tü 1 and MHM 6 only partially inhibited Mab 25 binding. HD 50 was unable to block the binding of Mab 25. The finding that different CD 23/Fc epsilon RL-specific monoclonal antibodies recognizing distinct epitopes have in common the capacity of inhibiting the binding of IgE suggests that upon binding they induce a conformational alteration of the Fc epsilon RL resulting in a loss of the IgE binding capacity. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that the CD 23 antigen is a low affinity receptor for IgE on lymphocytes.     

Regulation by anti-CD2 monoclonal antibody of the activation of a human T cell clone induced by anti-CD3 or anti-T cell receptor antibodies

In this study the effect of anti-cluster designation (CD) 2 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) on the activation of a cloned human T cell line, HY837, after triggering the CD3/T cell receptor (TcR) complex by anti-CD3 or anti-TcR mAb is described. HY837, which reacts with a series of mAb directed at different epitopes on the TcR, could be induced to proliferation and interleukin 2 (IL-2) production by soluble mAb directed at the CD3/TcR complex in the absence of accessory cells. mAb directed at the CD2 epitope T11-1 were shown to block the IL-2 production by HY837, as well as the expression of the IL-2 receptor, induced by anti-CD3 mAb, resulting in the inhibition of the proliferative response. The effect of anti-CD2 mAb on the proliferative response of HY837, induced by anti-CD3 mAb, was not due to a competition for Fc binding sites. In contrast, the proliferative responses and IL-2 production of HY837, induced by mAb directed at the TcR, were shown to be enhanced by the action of the anti-CD2 mAb. These results indicate that effects mediated by anti-CD3/TcR mAb cannot always be extrapolated to antigen-mediated effects and show that anti-CD2 mAb may regulate the T cell response, induced by mAb directed at the CD3/TcR complex, depending on which part of this complex is triggered during activation.     

Stereoselectivity of glycosylation with derivatives of 2-azido-2-deoxy-d-galactopyranose. The synthesis of a determinant oligosaccharide related to blood-group a (type 1)

The stereoselective glycosylation of a model alcohol (cyclohexanol) by derivatives of 2-azido-2-deoxy-d-galactopyranose was studied under various conditions. 2-Azido-3,4,6-tri-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-β-d-galactopyranosyl chloride (9) was found to be the most efficient glycosylating agent for the synthesis of oligosaccharides containing 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-d-galactopyranose residues, and gave a tetrasaccharide, which is a determinant of the blood-group A (Type 1), i.e., O-α-l-fucopyranosyl-(1→2)-[O-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-d- galactopyranosyl-(1→3)]-O-β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→3)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-glucose, and its trisaccharide fragment, O-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→3)-O-β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→3)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-glucose. In the course of this synthesis, the determinant trisaccharide related to the H blood-group, i.e., O-α-l-fucopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→3)-2-acetamido-2- deoxy-d-glucose, was also obtained.     

Isometric exertion by the human wrist: Force trajectories with and without visual target

Force trajectories generated during human wrist flexing exertion was investigated under isometric conditions, and the corresponding EMG activity of forearm muscles was analyzed. An exertion of 50 N was developed by test subjects after a signal was sounded and a target level and force trajectory were either shown or not shown on a television screen. The force trajectories performed under conditions of visual control with presence of images (VC), under conditions of exertion "by memory" in the absence of target level images (KC, for kinesthetic control), and during random alteration of these two performance modes, (VC, KC)_r, were compared. The latent periods for emergence of EMG flexion activity were shown to be approximately the same for VC and KC modes and noticeably longer for (VC, KC)_r modes. As compared with VC mode performances, during KC mode performances the relative error for attainment of a given exertion and the duration of force trajectory late components were increased, while during (VC, KC)_r mode performances the time interval between EMG emergence and initiation of force trajectory was increased; moreover, a significant correlational association between this interval and the time of an increase in the exertion rate was noted. Some hypotheses regarding formation of different force trajectory correction strategies for the different test conditions are proposed.A. A. Bogomolets Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Kiev. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 25–34, January–February, 1991.     

Backbone side chain interactions in peptides. I. Crystal structures of model dipeptides with the Pro-Ser sequence

The preferential occurrence of amino-acid residues having short polar side-chain within beta-folded regions of crystallized proteins suggests the existence of some stabilizing interaction involving the side polar function. Three model dipeptides tBuCO-L-Pro-L-Ser-NHMe 1, tBuCO-L-Pro-D-Ser-NHMe 2 in the pure enantiomeric a and racemic b forms, and iPrCO-L-Pro-D-Ser-OMe 3 have been investigated in the solid state by X-ray crystallography. Homo and heterochiral sequences 1 and 2 are folded in the beta I and beta II types, respectively, whereas 3 obviously accommodates an open conformation. Besides the i + 3 leads to i hydrogen bond typical of beta-bends in 1, 2a, and 2b, the Ser NH group in all four crystal structures is a proton donor to the lone orbitals of the Ser O gamma oxygen atom. The result is that the disposition of the Ser C alpha--C beta bond corresponds to the rotamer III (chi 1 congruent to 60 degrees). As shown by the crystal structure of 3, the intra-Ser NH. . .O gamma hydrogen bonding is not restricted to beta-folded Pro-Ser sequences. Therefore, this interaction is not only a stabilizing factor for beta-turns but it is also probably responsible for the already mentioned stability of rotamer III for the Ser C alpha--C beta bond in peptides and protein.     

Tagesrhythmische Veränderungen im Granulationsindex der juxtaglomerulären Zellen der Rattenniere

Zusammenfassung Das Granulations-Index der juxtaglomerulären epitheloiden Zellen der Rattenniere unterliegt tagesrhythmischen Schwankungen, wobei die berechneten Werte in den Nachtstunden significant höher sind als in den Tagesstunden.

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Diurnal changes in the granulation index of juxtaglomerular cells in the rat kidney

Summary Marked diurnal changes occur in the granulation index of the juxtaglomerular cells in the rat kidney. According to the results the night values are significantly higher than those obtained in daytime.

     

The Apectodinium acme and terrestrial discharge during the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum: new palynological, geochemical and calcareous nannoplankton observations at Tawanui, New Zealand

Manifestations of profound perturbations in biogeochemical systems during the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) include a prominent global negative δ¹³C and a pronounced increase in the relative abundance of dinoflagellate cysts (dinocysts) assigned to the genus Apectodinium. While motile representatives of Apectodinium were most likely thermophilic and heterotrophic, the underlying causes of this dinoflagellate response are not well understood. Here we provide new insight by examining the palynology, chemistry and calcareous nannoplankton across the PETM in a continental slope section at Tawanui, New Zealand. Across the PETM, marked changes in the relative abundance of Apectodinium vary antithetically with significant changes in the δ¹³C of carbonate and organic matter. In general, the high relative abundance of Apectodinium relates to enhanced concentrations of dinocysts, signifying a ‘bloom’ of Apectodinium in surface waters during the PETM. Changes in Apectodinium and δ¹³C records correspond to variations in many other parameters, including a smaller negative shift in bulk carbonate δ¹³C than expected, increased terrestrial palynomorphs, elevated TOC and C/N ratios, lower carbonate contents, higher SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ contents, and lower Si/Al ratios. All of these variations can be explained by an increase in delivery of terrigenous material to the continental margin. A peak in the relative abundance of Glaphyrocysta dinocysts at the onset of the PETM may indicate greater down slope transport of neritic material. Changes in calcareous nannoplankton abundances suggest increased nutrient availability in surface waters during the PETM. The combined results show that Apectodinium-dominated assemblages, global perturbations in carbon isotopes and enhanced terrigenous delivery closely correspond in time at Tawanui. A sudden and massive carbon injection to the ocean-atmosphere system may have enhanced weathering and increased terrigenous inputs to continental margins during the PETM. We further suggest that these inputs caused the Apectodinium acme by elevating primary productivity in marginal seas.