Determination of oxalyl thiolesters, N-oxalylcysteine and N-oxalylcysteamine in biological materials

A convenient method is described for the quantitative analysis of oxalyl thiolesters (OTEs), a newly discovered class of mammalian metabolites, in biological samples. By this particular technique the total concentration of all OTEs in the sample is determined. The method involves first reacting the biological material with cysteamine (2-aminoethanethiol) or cysteine under conditions that convert OTEs quantitatively to N-oxalylcysteamine (or N-oxalylcysteine), followed by reaction with monobromobimane to give a highly fluorescent derivative that is analyzed by reversed-phase ion-pair chromatography, with tetrabutylammonium ion as the counterion and N-(2-mercaptopropionyl)glycine as an internal standard. The method is capable of detecting as little as 0.6 pmol of the bimane derivative of the N-oxalyl compound in a single HPLC injection. The application of this method has led to the discovery that not only OTEs but also N-oxalylcysteine and N-oxalylcysteamine are normal mammalian metabolites. In various rat tissues the OTE concentration ranges up to 65 nmol/g (wet wt), the N-oxalylcysteine concentration is approximately 10 nmol/g, and the N-oxalylcysteamine concentration is 0-3 nmol/g.     

Tool-use by a rook (Corvus frugilegus), and its causation

A young captive rook, Corvus frugilegus, inserted a plug into a plug-hole in its aviary floor so that a pool of water formed, which was used by all four rooks in the aviary for drinking and bathing. The bird was selective about which, of six holes, it chose for insertion of the tool, choosing the appropriate one with respect to the water source. Days on which attempted or successful tool-use occurred were drier than other days, and days of successful tool-uses were also warmer. Availability of fresh water to the birds did not influence the occurrence of tool-use.     

Insulin receptor substrate-4 enhances insulin-like growth factor-I-induced cell proliferation.

The insulin receptor substrates (IRSs)-1-4 play important roles in signal transduction emanating from the insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I receptors. IRS-4 is the most recently characterized member, which has been found primarily in human cells and tissues. It interacts with SH2-containing proteins such as phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI3K), Grb2, Crk-II, and CrkL. In this study, we transfected IRS-4 in mouse NIH-3T3 cells that overexpress IGF-I receptors. Clones expressing IRS-4 showed enhanced cellular proliferation when cells were cultured in 1% fetal bovine serum without added IGF-I. Addition of IGF-I enhanced cellular proliferation in cells overexpressing the IGF-I receptor alone but had an even greater proliferative effect in cells overexpressing both the IGF-I receptors and IRS-4. When etoposide and methylmethane sulfonate (MMS), both DNA damaging agents, were added to the cells, they uniformly induced cell cycle arrest. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis demonstrated that the arrest of the cell cycle occurred at the G(1) checkpoint, and furthermore no significant degree of apoptosis was demonstrated with the use of either agent. In cells, overexpressing IGF-I receptors alone, IGF-I addition enhanced cellular proliferation, even in the presence of etoposide and MMS. In cells overexpressing IGF-I receptors and IRS-4, the effect of IGF-I in overcoming the cell cycle arrest was even more pronounced. These results suggest that IRS-4 is implicated in the IGF-I receptor mitogenic signaling pathway.     

Vegetation fluctuation in mediterranean dune ponds in relation to rainfall variation and water extraction

Abstract. The structure of dune ponds hygrophytic vegetation has a spatial organisation in belts around the pond basin, closely related to water level and flooding regime. Doñana National Park has an important representation of temporal dune ponds, which are subjected to rainfall fluctuations and may be suffering the impact of water extraction from the neighbouring tourist resort. Permanent transects in a vegetation complex of five dune ponds have been monitored during a eight year period (1990-1997). This period was characterised by a number of dry years (annual rainfall around 300 mm), located between two wet cycles (800-900 mm). Transects were analysed in 1990 (wet period), 1994 (dry) and 1997 (wet) by hierarchical agglomera-tive clustering. During the dry period hygrophytic species showed regression, with a high mortality of some species like Ulex minor, while the xerophytic species advanced to lower areas. Seedlings of some xerophytic species colonised the dry surface of the pond basin. The lowering of the water table varied in the different ponds, ranging from 312 to 190 cm depending on topography and the distance to the pumping area. The new period of flooding during 1995-96 and 1996-97 cycles provided the opportunity for hygrophytic spe cies to re-establish themselves in their original places. This study suggest that changes in vegetation are caused by the interaction between weather conditions and human disturbance (water extractions). In our example man-made disturbance is more marked during the dry periods while wet periods tend to obscure the effects of water extractions. From a management perspective, long-term monitoring of water table and vegetation structure is revealed as a key procedure to the management of land-water ecotones on pressured areas and threatened habitats.     

Expression of a lipocalin in prokaryote and eukaryote cells: quantification and structural characterization of recombinant bovine beta-lactoglobulin.

In this paper we quantify and characterize the expression of recombinant beta-lactoglobulin (rBLG) in prokaryote and eukaryote cells. In Escherichia coli we used the pET26 vector, which permits the secretion of rBLG in periplasm. We studied the expression of rBLG in COS-7 cells and in vivo in mouse tibialis muscle. The expression of rBLG was measured by two immunoassays specific, respectively, for BLG in its native and denatured conformation. We observed that rBLG was essentially expressed in a denatured form in E. coli even in the periplasm, whereas rBLG in eukaryote cells was found in its native conformation.     

Inhibition of farnesylation blocks growth but not differentiation in FRTL-5 thyroid cells.

The cholesterol lowering drug lovastatin, a competitive inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, blocks DNA synthesis and proliferation of thyrotropin (TSH) primed FRTL-5 rat thyroid cells. The blockade can be completely prevented and/or reversed by mevalonate and largely prevented and/or reversed by farnesol whereas cholesterol and/or other non-sterol mevalonate derivatives such as ubiquinone, dolichol or isopentenyladenosine are ineffective. TSH-dependent augmentation of cyclic-AMP and cAMP dependent differentiated functions, such as iodide uptake, are unaffected by lovastatin. 3H-Thymidine incorporation into DNA is also decreased by alpha-hydroxyfarnesyl-phosphonic acid, an inhibitor of protein farnesylation which mimicks the effect of lovastatin since it also leaves unaffected TSH stimulated iodide uptake. It is suggested that the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor lovastatin affects cell proliferation mainly through inhibition of protein farnesylation which results in altered function proteins relevant for proliferation control, notably p21ras and/or other small GTPases.