Untangling spider silk evolution with spidroin terminal domains

Background  

Spidroins are a unique family of large, structural proteins that make up the bulk of spider silk fibers. Due to the highly variable nature of their repetitive sequences, spidroin evolutionary relationships have principally been determined from their non-repetitive carboxy (C)-terminal domains, though they offer limited character data. The few known spidroin amino (N)-terminal domains have been difficult to obtain, but potentially contain critical phylogenetic information for reconstructing the diversification of spider silks. Here we used silk gland expression data (ESTs) from highly divergent species to evaluate the functional significance and phylogenetic utility of spidroin N-terminal domains.     

Biochemical studies of taste sensation. XI. Isolation, characterization and taste ligand binding activity of plasma membranes from catfish taste tissue

Variants of creatine kinase-MM (variant of ATP:creatine N-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.3.2), present in human heart and skeletal muscle, have been purified to homogeneity using DEAE-Sepharose column chromatography and column chromatofocusing techniques. Creatine kinase-MM I-IV were present in both heart and skeletal muscle, while MM-V was found only in heart. The number, ratio and elution profile of the variants during chromatofocusing remained identical even when they were purified in the presence of proteinase inhibitors. MM-I-V, on chromatofocusing, were eluted at pH 8.3, 7.9, 7.6, 7.2 and 6.8, respectively. Isoelectric focusing revealed the pI of MM-I-V to be 7.2, 6.9, 6.7, 6.4 and 6.2. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed a doublet pattern for creatine kinase-MM variants III-V. However, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis without SDS indicated homogeneity because each variant showed a single band. The doublet pattern observed in the presence of SDS may reflect the presence of two subunits of slightly different mass.     

Thermoregulation during prolonged exercise in heat: alterations with beta-adrenergic blockade

Thermoregulation and cardiovascular drift were studied under conditions of prolonged exercise in a warm environment (dry bulb temperature 31.7 +/- 0.3 degrees C, rh 44.7 +/- 4.7%) during beta-adrenergic blockade. Fourteen subjects performed 90-min rides on a cycle ergometer at a work rate equivalent to 40% of their control maximal O2 uptake under each of three treatments provided in a randomized double-blind manner: atenolol (100 mg/day), propranolol (160 mg/day), and a placebo. Exercise during the propranolol trial resulted in significantly higher forearm vascular resistance values and significantly lower forearm blood flows (FBF) compared with the placebo trial. However, the significantly lower FBF during propranolol did not significantly alter the rectal temperature (Tre) response to prolonged exercise. In addition, both beta-blockers produced lower FBF for any given Tre, suggesting that beta-adrenergic blockade affects FBF through nonthermal factors. The slight differences in Tre, despite the large differences in FBF between the various treatments, are apparently the result of an enhanced sweat loss and a lower mean skin temperature during exercise with beta-blockade. The uncoupling of FBF and sweat loss provides evidence of independent regulation. The reduction in FBF at any given Tre was concomitant to lower blood pressure values during beta-blockade and suggests that baroreflexes provide significant input to the control of skin blood flow when both pressure and temperature maintenance are simultaneously challenged.     

In vitro assessment of the selectivities of various beta-adrenergic blocking agents

Intrinsic sympathomimetic- and membrane activities of beta-adrenoceptor blocking agents are of little or no clinical significance. A selective blockade of cardiac receptors has important therapeutic consequences, especially in the treatment of patients with obstructive airways diseases. Profound depression of miocardial contractility can be deleterious in patients with cardiac muscle damage and the use of beta-adrenergic blockers with a quantitative selectivity towards chronotropism may become an important consideration. The effects of a number of beta-sympatholytics have been determined on isolated cardiac preparations (beta₁-adrenergic receptors) and tracheal preparations (beta₂-adrenergic receptors) of guinea-pigs. Results indicate that prindolol is the most selective blocker of the beta₁ chronotropic receptors whilst atenolol could be classified as being the most cardioselective beta-adrenergic blocker investigated. Butoxamine, on the other hand, proved to be the most beta₂-selective one.     

UVB radiation induced effects on cells studied by FTIR spectroscopy

We have made a preliminary analysis of the results about the effects on tumoral cell line (lymphoid T cell line Jurkat) induced by UVB radiation (dose of 310 mJ/cm²) with and without a vegetable mixture. In the present study, we have used two techniques: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and flow cytometry. FTIR spectroscopy has the potential to provide the identification of the vibrational modes of some of the major compounds (lipid, proteins and nucleic acids) without being invasive in the biomaterials. The second technique has allowed us to perform measurements of cytotoxicity and to assess the percentage of apoptosis. We already studied the induction of apoptotic process in the same cell line by UVB radiation; in particular, we looked for correspondences and correlations between FTIR spetroscopy and flow cytometry data finding three highly probable spectroscopic markers of apoptosis (Pozzi et al. in Radiat Res 168:698–705, 2007). In the present work, the results have shown significant changes in the absorbance and spectral pattern in the wavenumber protein and nucleic acids regions after the treatments.     

Collagen biosynthesis by human skin fibroblasts III. The effects of ascorbic acid on procollagen production and prolyl hydroxylase activity

Human skin fibroblasts were cultured under conditions optimized for collagen synthesis, and the effects of ascorbic acid on procollagen production, proline hydroxylation and the activity of prolyl hydroxylase were examined in cultures. The results indicated that addition of ascorbic acid to confluent monolayer cultures of adult human skin fibroblasts markedly increased tha amount of [³H]hydroxyproline syntehsized. Ascorbic acid, however, did not increase the synthesis of ³H-labeled collagenous polypeptides assayed independently of hydroxylation of proline residues, nor did it affect the amount of prolyl hydroxylase detectable by an in vitro enzyme assay. Also long-term cultures of the cells or initiation of fibroblast cultures in the presence of ascorbic acid did not lead to an apparent selection of a cell population which might be abnormally responsive to ascorbic acid. Thus, ascorbic acid appears to have one primary action on the synthesis of procollagen by cultured human skin fibroblasts: it is necessary for synthesis of hydroxyproline, and consequently for proper triple helix formation and selection of procollagen.     

Heat exchanges in wet suits

Flow of water under foam neoprene wet suits could halve insulation that the suits provided, even at rest in cold water. On the trunk conductance of this flow was approximately 6.6 at rest and 11.4 W . m-2 . C-1 exercising; on the limbs, it was only 3.4 at rest and 5.8 W . m-2 . degrees C-1 exercising; but during vasoconstriction in the cold, skin temperatures on distal parts of limbs were lower than were those of the trunk, allowing adequate metabolic responses. In warm water, minor postural changes and movement made flow under suits much higher, approximately 60 on trunk and 30 W . m-2 . degrees C-1 on limbs, both at rest and at work. These changes in flow allowed for a wide range of water temperatures at which people could stabilize body temperature in any given suit, neither overheating when exercising nor cooling below 35 degrees C when still. Even thin people with 4- or 7- mm suits covering the whole body could stabilize their body temperatures in water near 10 degrees C in spite of cold vasodilatation. Equations to predict limits of water temperature for stability with various suits and fat thicknesses are given.     

Estimation of population parameters and their application to the development of fishery management models in two African rivers

The dynamics of fish populations in two African rivers are being investigated with a view to developing fishery management models for tropical non-floodplain rivers. Preliminary work was carried out in the Rufiji River, East Africa, to establish growth and mortality rates along with L _∞ and K for six species in a river where fishing mortality is zero. These parameters, derived from scale-reading and length frequency analysis, also allowed the development of phased management plans for the fishery resulting from impoundment.
A subsequent investigation has begun on a West African river, the Taia in Sierra Leone, to pursue observations over four seasons, two of which are now complete. A systematic daily sampling programme is being carried out of the whole community, to accumulate similar but more extensive data to those obtained previously. In the Taia, however, fishing mortality must also be estimated from catch surveys, and analysis is carried out using the recently developed ELEFAN programs which can be compared with results obtained by other methods such as scale-reading.