On the transposition of copia-like nomadic elements in cultured Drosophila cells

We studied the stability of the genomic distribution of six retrotransposon families in long-term and short-term cultures of Drosophila cells. In a subclone derived from Kc cells, no significant rearrangements were detected over an 8 year period. On the contrary, extensive reshuffling and amplification of transposon families were observed in recently established cell lines. These results show that in cultured Drosophila cells transposition appears to be restricted to the transition from the embryo to continuous cell lines.     

Identification of host range determinants in the Rhizobium species MPIK3030

Summary R. meliloti primarily nodulates Medicago sativa but cannot nodulate Macroptilium atropurpureum. By introducing an 11.4 kb region into R. meliloti from the Symplasmid of Rhizobium strain MPIK3030, the host range of the R. meliloti transconjugants were shown to be extended to M. atropurpureum, one of the hosts of MPIK3030 but not normally nodulated by R. meliloti. The region responsible for host range extension was isolated by mass conjugating a clone bank from MPIK3030 into the R. meliloti wild type, and subsequent screening for nodulation on M. atropurpureum. Using deleted derivatives of a plasmid reisolated from endosymbiotic bacteria, the host range region was further narrowed down to three EcoRI fragments. Tn5 mutagenesis allowed the isolation of three discrete regions on an 11.4 kb section, which are involved in the extension of host range to M. atropurpureum. Finally, complementation experiments performed with R. meliloti common nod and hsn mutants indicated that none of the genes involved in the early steps of nodulation, including host-range functions, can be complemented by genes carried on the 11.4 kb fragment derived from MPIK3030.     

Evidence for a pool of non-recycling transferrin receptors in peripheral sheep reticulocytes

Sheep reticulocytes from phlebotomized animals have a total transferrin binding potential that may exceed by an order of magnitude the surface binding capacity. Steady state uptake of transferrin at 37 degrees C is generally less than 50% of the total transferrin binding capacity. During long-term incubation of the reticulocytes, all transferrin binding ability is lost, the ability to internalize being lost most rapidly. The loss in ability to bind transferrin during long-term incubation is independent of the number of surface transferrin binding sites, since removal of surface receptors with pronase does not affect the rate of loss of the internal pool of receptors during long-term incubation. Moreover, after removing surface receptors with pronase, only a fraction of the original number of receptors is restored to the surface, despite the presence of a large pool of internal receptors. These data suggest that only a fraction of the internal pool of receptors is capable of recycling to the cell surface in sheep reticulocytes.     

Amino Acid Analysis Demonstrates that Increased Plasma Free Tryptophan Causes the Increase of Brain Tryptophan During Exercise in the Rat

Rats were trained to run on a horizontal treadmill for 2 h at 20 m/min. This activity considerably increased plasma free tryptophan (TRP) (+70%) but did not alter plasma total TRP levels and had little or no effect on plasma concentrations of the other large neutral amino acids (LNAAs) that compete with TRP for entry into the brain. Brain TRP levels increased by 80%. The only other brain LNAA to be affected by exercise was threonine, which rose moderately. The results indicate that increased plasma free TRP was specifically responsible for the increase of brain TRP after 2 h of exercise. Brain lysine was also increased whereas glycine, alanine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid were decreased. The differences between the present findings and those previously obtained following 2 h immobilization stress are discussed.     

3α, 11α-Dihydroxy-23-oxo-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid from Acanthopanax trifoliatus

The new triterpene 3α,11α-dihydroxy-23-oxo-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid was isolated from Acanthopanax trifoliatus. Its structure has been determined on the basis of spectroscopic data and chemical transformations.     

Prekallikrein and kininogens in blister fluids in burn patients

Blister fluids removed from benign cutaneous burns contain the components of the prekallikrein-kininogens system in a non activated state. Their occurrence in the fluids is explained by a diffusion from the blood plasma.     

Specific absorption rate in rats exposed to 2,450-MHz microwaves under seven exposure conditions

Both positive and negative biological effects of microwaves on drug actions in rats exposed to 1-mW/cm2, 2,450-MHz microwaves have been reported by several investigators. We conducted dosimetry studies for seven different exposure conditions to determine whether these different results could be due to the rats having been exposed differently. They included anterior and posterior exposures in a circular waveguide, near field, far field with E- or H-field parallel to the long axis of the body and dorsal exposure in a miniature anechoic chamber with E- or H-field parallel to the long axis of the body. The average specific absorption rates (SARs) in the head, tail, and body of the exposed rats were measured by means of a calorimetry system. The local SARs at eight locations in the brain were determined by temperature measurement with Vitek probes. Intensive coupling of energy to the tail when it was exposed parallel to the E-field was shown by thermography. For the same average incident power density, the average SARs in the heads of rats were about two times higher in the circular waveguide than for other exposures. The local SARs in the brain varied for different exposure conditions. Statistical comparisons of SARs under the different exposure conditions are presented.     

Taxonomy and distribution of Chaptalia dentata and C. Albicans (Asteraceae: Mutisieae)

Chaptalia dentata (L.) Cass. andC. albicans (Sw.) Vent. ex Steudel incorrectly have been recognized as conspecific in recent treatments. Although they are vegetatively similar, they differ in features of the flowers and fruits—especially the mature achenes. Both species occur in the Bahamas and the Greater Antilles of the West Indies:Chaptalia dentata is endemic to that area, absent only from Jamaica;C. albicans is more widespread, as it occurs in Jamaica as well as in scattered localities on the American mainland—southern Florida, various localities in Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala, and the Mexican states of Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, Chiapas, and Yucatán.     

Lymphokine regulation of human lymphocyte proliferation: Formation of resting G0 cells by removal of interteukin 2 in cultures of proliferating T lymphocytes

The question of whether lymphocytes which have once been activated and have completed one or several cell cycle(s) can return to the G₀ phase and stay ready for a new activation (G₀-G₁ transition), rather than simply die, was investigated. To do so interleukin 2 (IL-2) was removed from cultures of continuously proliferating human T lymphocytes and the formation of resting (G₀) cells was measured. Kinetic analyses in freshly prepared peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) revealed that the onset of detectable RNA synthesis and the appearance of structures binding the anti-Tac antibody occurred simultaneously. This allowed the expansion of the definition of G₀ T lymphocytes as cells having a low RNA (and DNA) content, and no Tac antigen. When cultured human T cells proliferating continuously by means of IL-2 were characterized in terms of their distribution in the cell cycle, 7 days after the initial PHA stimulation, it could be demonstrated that very few cells were in the G₀ phase, supporting the concept of direct S/G₂/M-G₁ transition. However, when IL-2 was removed from the cultures, the [³H]thymidine incorporation per 10⁴ cells and correspondingly the number of cells in the S/G₂/M and G₁ phases were reduced drastically and during the following 72-hr period, the number of G₀ cells increased markedly. Restimulation of such in vitro formed G₀ cells, under conditions permitting observation of their shift from the G₀ to G₀ phase, demonstrated that most cells could respond normally. Based on these observations, it was concluded that IL-2 not only ensures T-lymphocyte survival and proliferation, but IL-2 starvation induces many continuously proliferating T lymphocytes to stop cycling and to return to the G₀ phase of the cell cycle where they remain functional.     

Calcium compartments and fluxes are affected by the src gene product of Rat-1 cells transformed by temperature-sensitive Rous sarcoma virus

Total cellular calcium content (determined by atomic absorption spectrometry) of Rat-1 cells transformed by temperature-sensitive Rous sarcoma virus decreases with cell density, but is found not significantly different at permissive and at non-permissive temperature. Kinetic analysis of 45Ca efflux from preloaded cells exhibits three separable pools of exchangeable calcium. The ratio of pool size of the fast-exchanging Ca-compartment (bound to cell surface) to pool size of the intermediate Ca-compartment (cytoplasmic) was found to decrease from 2.5 to 1.3 upon shift from non-permissive to permissive temperature. The slowly exchanging Ca-pool (presumably mitochondrial) did not change significantly upon temperature shift. These and further data demonstrate a close correlation between distribution of cellular Ca among different cellular compartments and characteristics of cellular proliferation, both attributable to the function(s) of a single oncogene.