Solubilization of soybean mitochondria in AOT/isooctane water-in-oil microemulsions

The water-in-oil microemulsion system bis(2 ethyl-hexyl-sodium-succinate (AOT)/isooctane/water is able to solubilize soybean nodules mitrochrondria. Transparent and thermodynamically stable hydrocarbon solutions are obtained, which can be assayed for mitochondrial activity just as aqueous solutions. Malate dehydrogenase (MDH) activity was measured in vivo and gave in reverse micelles very similar results as in water. However the kinetic behavior of this reaction in AOT/isooctane reverse micelles shows some differences with respect to water. Mitochondria in reverse AOT micelles are able to retain about 70% of their initial MDH activity after three days. Mitochondria can be back-transferred from reverse micelles to water and show respiratory activity almost identical to the native organelles. Electron microscopy studies show that the dimensions of mitochondria back-transferred into water from AOT micelles are comparable to the dimensions of the native organelles.     

Photocatalyzed Anaerobic Oxidation of Nicotinamide Coenzyme Dimers to NAD+ by Adriamycin

The nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dimers (NAD)₂ obtained by electrochemical reduction of NAD⁺ are oxidized by adriamycin in anaerobic photocatalyzed reaction yielding NAD⁺ and 7-deoxyadriamyci-none. Under the same conditions NADH is not oxidized.     

Synthesis of the biologically active β-subunit of human nerve growth factor in Escherichia coli

The gene(NGFB) encoding the β subunit of mature human nerve growth factor (hNGFB) was subcloned into the pJLA503 expression vector under the control of bacteriophage promoters p_R and p_L, and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein represented approximately 3% of the total cellular protein. Biologically active hNGFB was solubilized (0.2% total NGFB) and purified by cation-exchange chromatography and it yielded two bands on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis under nonreducing conditions, corresponding to the monomeric (14 kDa) and homodimeric (26.5 kDa) forms of the molecule. Both hNGFB forms were immunopositive on Western blots with rabbit anti-NGFB antibodies; however, following additional purification, only the species corresponding to the hNGFB homodimer was biologically active on cultured chicken dorsal root ganglion neurons. These results demonstrate the feasibility of synthesizing the biologically active form of hNGFB in E. coli.     

Pollinosis in trentino (Northern Italy). Aerobiological and clinical research

Summary A study to evaluate and define the atmospheric pollen concentration in Trentino was carried out through the aerobiologic sampling in three localities chosen according to their different climatic conditions.1375 patients with pollinosis living in Trentino were studied retrospectively over the period ranging from 1986 to 1988 and selected according to the area they came from.Results have proved that the most allergenic pollen types are the following: Poaceae, Urticaceae (Parietaria), Compositae (Artemisia) and the tree pollen of Betulaceae and Corylaceae (Alnus, Betula, Corylus), and that pollinosis caused by such pollen, types has different features and frequencies according to the different localities.As far as symptoms are concerned, our data shows that rhinoconjuntivitis is more frequent in those patients who are allergic toParietaria while asthma results being more frequent in patients who are allergic to tree pollen.     

Folding of protein fragments: conformational and biological studies on thioredoxin and its fragments

Thioredoxin can be cleaved enzymatically into the two fragments (1–73) and (74–108) and chemically into two different ones (1–37) and (38–108). In this paper, the conformational properties of the short fragment (1–37) are reported and compared with those of the larger fragment (1–73). Using mainly circular dichroism (CD), it is shown that the (1–37) fragment, which contains the active disulfide unit center, is present as an unordered structure in the neutral pH range, but assumes a rigid folding at pH values below 6. The form of the CD spectrum is very similar to that of the complete native protein, and to that of the folded (1–73) fragment. The possible mechanisms for refolding of the short fragment are discussed.     

Applicability of the induced-fit model to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from sturgeon muscle. Study of the binding of oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and nicotinamide 8-bromoadenine dinucleotide

A new method of calculation, based on a direct fitting of the protein fluorescence intensity observed upon coenzyme binding (H.-P. Lutz, unpublished results), is used to study the negative cooperative behavior of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from sturgeon muscle. The calculation procedure simultaneously elaborates data obtained for four different protein concentrations, and it is able to compare different models by computing the minimal and critical sum of squares. Using this approach, it is shown that the induced-fit model [Koshland, D. E., Jr., Nemethy, G., & Filmer, D. (1966) Biochemistry 5,365] and the dimer of dimer model [Malhotra, O. P., & Bernhard, S. A. (1968) J. Biol. Chem. 243, 1243-1252] can both be applied for explaining the negative cooperativity observed upon coenzyme binding to sturgeon glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. In addition to the progressive modification of the binding affinity during ligand binding, different maximal fluorescence quenchings for the binding steps must be postulated; and furthermore, the binding capability decreases by decreasing the protein concentration. The fact that the induced-fit model can also be applied is rather in contradiction with the view generally accepted of a dimer of dimer structure of sturgeon glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. By use of the same approach, nicotinamide 8-bromoadenine dinucleotide is shown to bind to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from sturgeon in a negative cooperative manner.     

Endogenous Benzodiazepine Receptor Ligands in Human and Animal Hepatic Encephalopathy

The role of endogenous benzodiazepine receptor ligands in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy was studied in humans and in rat models of hepatic encephalopathy. Endogenous benzodiazepine ligands were extracted from rat brain and human CSF by acid treatment and purification by HPLC. Detection and partial characterization of these endogenous benzodiazepine ligands were carried out using both radioreceptor binding assays and radioimmunoassays with anti-benzodiazepine antibodies. Four different benzodiazepine receptor ligands were identified in human and rat tissue, two of which may be diazepam and desmethyldiazepam, based on elution profiles and anti-benzo-diazepine antibody reactivity. Human CSF and serum from patients with hepatic encephalopathy contained approximately 10 times more endogenous benzodiazepine receptor ligand than CSF from controls or nonencephalopathic patients with liver disease. The levels of brain benzodiazepine receptor ligand compounds were also increased approximately 10-fold in rats suffering from fulminant hepatic failure, but not in rats with portacaval shunts, a model of chronic hepatic disease. The increased concentrations of these substances could be behaviorally significant and may contribute to the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy.