The Myofibrillar Protein,Projectin, is Highly Conserved Across Insect Evolution Except for Its PEVK Domain

All striated muscles respond to stretch by a delayed increase in tension. This physiological response, known as stretch activation, is, however, predominantly found in vertebrate cardiac muscle and insect asynchronous flight muscles. Stretch activation relies on an elastic third filament system composed of giant proteins known as titin in vertebrates or kettin and projectin in insects. The projectin insect protein functions jointly as a “scaffold and ruler” system during myofibril assembly and as an elastic protein during stretch activation. An evolutionary analysis of the projectin molecule could potentially provide insight into how distinct protein regions may have evolved in response to different evolutionary constraints. We mined candidate genes in representative insect species from Hemiptera to Diptera, from published and novel genome sequence data, and carried out a detailed molecular and phylogenetic analysis. The general domain organization of projectin is highly conserved, as are the protein sequences of its two repeated regions—the immunoglobulin type C and fibronectin type III domains. The conservation in structure and sequence is consistent with the proposed function of projectin as a scaffold and ruler. In contrast, the amino acid sequences of the elastic PEVK domains are noticeably divergent, although their length and overall unusual amino acid makeup are conserved. These patterns suggest that the PEVK region working as an unstructured domain can still maintain its dynamic, and even its three-dimensional, properties, without the need for strict amino acid conservation. Phylogenetic analysis of the projectin proteins also supports a reclassification of the Hymenoptera in relation to Diptera and Coleoptera. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Body mass and body fat in Hungarian schoolboys: differences between 1980-2005

The prevalence of juvenile excess weight keeps growing in the more developed world (WHO, 1998). The aim of the study was to compare the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Hungarian schoolboys in 1980 and 2005.Two independent representative data collections were performed in volunteer boys aged between 6.51 and 18.50 years in the same 90 settlements of the country in 1980 (n=13,061) and 2005 (n=13,060). Height, body mass, and five skinfolds were measured by the same investigators in both instances. Overweight and obesity were estimated by using BMI (Cole et al., 2000), respectively skinfold thicknesses (Parízková, 1961).The pair-wise differences between height means were consistently significant in the 12 age groups studied. Body mass differences were not exactly proportionate with height. The boys of 2005 had significantly more relative body fat than those of 1980. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was remarkably higher in 2005.Taller height and a part of the heavier body mass in 2005 was attributed to a positive secular growth trend. The increases in BMI and fat content are negative consequences of a markedly changed lifestyle associated with inactivity and dietary habits. Because of its public health importance the trends of childhood obesity should be closely monitored.     

A comparison of cDNA, oligonucleotide, and Affymetrix GeneChip gene expression microarray platforms.

We have conducted a study to compare the variability in measured gene expression levels associated with three types of microarray platforms. Total RNA samples were obtained from liver tissue of four male mice, two each from inbred strains A/J and C57BL/6J. The same four samples were assayed on Affymetrix Mouse Genome Expression Set 430 GeneChips (MOE430A and MOE430B), spotted cDNA microarrays, and spotted oligonucleotide microarrays using eight arrays of each type. Variances associated with measurement error were observed to be comparable across all microarray platforms. The MOE430A GeneChips and cDNA arrays had higher precision across technical replicates than the MOE430B GeneChips and oligonucleotide arrays. The Affymetrix platform showed the greatest range in the magnitude of expression levels followed by the oligonucleotide arrays. We observed good concordance in both estimated expression level and statistical significance of common genes between the Affymetrix MOE430A GeneChip and the oligonucleotide arrays. Despite their apparently high precision, cDNA arrays showed poor concordance with other platforms.     

Gastric mucosal endogenous prostacyclin levels are different in Brattleboro rats compared with Wistar strain

Homozygous Brattleboro rats were investigated and compared to normal (physiological) Wistar strain rats regarding their gastric mucosal endogenous prostacyclin (PG-I(2)) level. It seems that the Brattleboro animals have a significantly lower level of this important protective material. Wistar rats having an artificial pituitary stalk lesion (which is the artificial equivalent of homozygous Brattleboro animals) showed no differences in endogenous mucosal prostacyclin level compared to normal Wistar rats. Therefore, we concluded that this hitherto unknown property of the homozygous Brattleboro rats is genetically determined.     

Effects of human chorionic gonadotropin and N6, O2′-dibutyryladenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate on phosphofructokinase activity in isolated rat testis

Phosphofructokinase activity in rat testis is elevated by treatment in vitro with human chorionic gonadotropin or N⁶, O^2′-dibutyryladenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate. Puronycin or actinomycin D suppresses the effect of the gonadotropin but does not affect the enzyme increase induced by the cyclic nucleotide. The possible cause for the divergent action of the two stimulatory agents are discussed.     

Kinetics of histone H1 ° accumulation and commitment to differentiation in murine erythroleukemia cells

The accumulation of histone H1 ° (also denoted IP 25) in murine erythroleukemia cells, induced to differentiate with hexamethylene bis-acetamide, was shown to precede by 15–20 h the appearance in the culture of cells irreversibly committed to differentiate. In addition the rates of accumulation of H1 ° and of committed cells vary in a similar manner with the HMBA concentration. Flow microfluorimetric analysis demonstrated that the accumulation of H1 ° did not occur simultaneously in all the cells. This accumulation of histone H1 ° was initiated first in cell in the G2 phase of the cell cycle and subsequently in the cells situated in all the phases of the cell cycle.     

Bronchial circulation: An auto-perfusion method for assessing its vasomotor activity and the study of alpha-and beta-adrenoceptors in the bronchial artery

A new technique of autoperfusion has been devised for the study of the vasomotor activity of the bronchial artery. The artery is perfused with autologous blood from the femoral artery at a constant flow rate, therefore a change in the perfusion pressure can be related to a change in the active tension of the vascular wall. The method was employed in assessing the effect of α-and β-adrenoceptor stimulations and α- and β-adrenoceptor blockades. The results clearly show both α- and β-adrenoceptors exist in the bronchial artery.