Effects of prostaglandins on cyclic AMP levels in isolated cells from developing chick limbs

Effects of prostaglandins (PGs) on accumulation of cyclic AMP (cAMP) in the presence of a phosphodiesterase inhibitor were investigated in cells isolated from avian limb buds at various stages of development. Cells were responsive to PGE2 at the earliest stage investigated (stage 20-21) which was well in advance of specific cytodifferentiation of limb tissues. At three later stages (24-25; 26-28; 30-32), the responsiveness of cells isolated from the developing skeletal anlagen of the limb progressively increased coincident with the differentiation and maturation of the cartilage phenotype. Cells isolated from stage 26-28 cartilage rods were responsive also to prostacyclin (PGI2); however, the response produced was only about 50% of the response to an equivalent concentration of PGE2. Cells were not responsive to either PGF2 alpha or 6-keto PGF1 alpha, at concentrations of 30-33 micrograms/ml demonstrating a degree of specificity for PGE2 and PGI2. In the absence of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor, PGE2 increased cAMP accumulation two-fold over the controls and produced a concentration-dependent response between 0.3-30 micrograms/ml. The results demonstrate that PGs are capable of modulating cAMP levels of undifferentiated limb mesenchymal cells as well as embryonic cartilage cells and suggest a role for these compounds in limb chondrogenesis.     

The relative significance of acetate and glucose as precursors for lipid synthesis in liver and adipose tissue from ruminants

1. The incorporation of labelled glucose into lipid by liver slices from sheep and cows is considerably less than that by liver slices from the rat, although oxidation to carbon dioxide occurs to a similar extent. ATP citrate lyase and NADP malate dehydrogenase are inactive in both sheep and cow liver but active in rat liver. The absence of the citrate-cleavage pathway of lipogenesis in ruminant liver has been confirmed by the negligible amounts of C-3 of aspartate incorporated into fatty acids. 2. Considerable amounts of [(14)C]acetate are incorporated into fatty acids and non-saponifiable lipid in rat and ruminant liver. Acetyl-CoA synthetase, the initial enzyme in the metabolism of acetate, has a high activity in liver from rat and ruminants. 3. In adipose tissue from ruminants more acetate than glucose is converted into lipids, whereas the converse is true in rat adipose tissue. The greater incorporation of [(14)C]acetate into fatty acids in adipose tissue from the ruminant as compared with the non-ruminant may be caused, in part, by the higher activity of acetyl-CoA synthetase activity in the ruminant. 4. The results suggest that, in both liver and adipose tissue from ruminants, acetate is a more important source of lipid than glucose. 5. Two enzymes of the hexose monophosphate shunt, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, are active in both tissues and from the three species.     

Pathways of fructose conversion into glucose in foetal rat liver

1. Glucose, formed from [1-(14)C]fructose or [6-(14)C]fructose in rat-liver slices, has been isolated as gluconate and degraded to give the radioactivity in C-1, C-2-5 and C-6. 2. By using this method it has been shown that, in liver from foetal rats younger than 20 days, glucose is formed from fructose without splitting of the molecule by the aldolase reaction. The rate of glucose formation from fructose in liver from these foetuses is approximately half of the rate in adult liver. 3. The direct conversion of fructose into glucose in foetal rat liver is not via sorbitol as in seminal vesicles, as this pathway cannot be detected. 4. When liver slices are incubated with [U-(14)C]fructose of high specific activity, the labelled intermediates are similar whether from liver from 18-day foetal, newborn or adult rats. 5. These findings are discussed with reference to the changing pathways of fructose metabolism during perinatal development of the liver in the rat.     

Kinetic studies with liver galactokinase

1. Kinetic measurements of the forward reaction catalysed by ATP-galactose phosphotransferase were carried out with a purified preparation from pig liver. 2. The rate of reaction at pH7.8 is dependent on the concentration of MgATP(2-) rather than total ATP or magnesium chloride concentrations. 3. The effect of changes in pH on K(m) (galactose), K(m) (MgATP(2-)) and V(max.) was studied. 4. Of several possible nucleotide substrates only ATP and deoxyATP were effective. 5. The initial-velocity patterns both in the absence and presence of products were determined. 6. Galactose 1-phosphate is a non-competitive inhibitor when either galactose or MgATP(2-) was the variable substrate. 7. MgADP(-) was a non-competitive inhibitor with galactose and a competitive inhibitor with MgATP(2-) as variable substrate. 8. These results are consistent with an ordered reaction pathway in which galactose combines with an initial enzyme-MgATP(2-) complex.     

Insulin inhibition of protein degradation in cell monolayers

Protein degradation has been measured in confluent monolayers of eleven lines of contact-inhibited cells and ten transformed lines as the rate of release of trichloroacetic acid-soluble radioactivity after prelabeling cell protein with [³H]leucine. Insulin, at concentrations from 10^?12 M to 10^?6 M, has been added at the beginning of the 4-hour degradation period to detect selective effects of this hormone as an inhibitor of the inducible proteolysis occurring in serumfree medium. In addition insulin binding measurements have been performed on selected cell lines in an attempt to relate receptor properties to insulin action. Substantial effects of insulin are found in most cells with a selective inhibition at low insulin concentrations noted in several of the transformed lines. The difference in insulin sensitivity is not entirely definitive because temperature-sensitive transformation mutants of NRK cells are not more sensitive to insulin at a temperature where they show the transformed phenotype. Although insulin receptors on different cell lines have similar binding properties, two of the hepatomas used, H35 and MH₁C₁, show inhibition of protein degradation at insulin concentrations where receptor occupancy is extremely low. Calvarial osteoblast-like cells have a high rate of protein degradation which can be reduced by growth factors but not by insulin. The lack of an insulin response is a consequence of poor insulin binding to the cells. Insulin binds to the osteogenic sarcoma cells in substantial amounts. However, its normal action to inhibit the induced proteolysis is restricted because with these cells no increase of proteolysis occurs in serum-free medium. Generally higher rates of protein degradation are observed in the contact-inhibited lines than the transformed cells. We suggest that this difference may provide a selective growth advantage to transformed cells.     

Role of cryptic genes in microbial evolution

Cryptic genes are phenotypically silent DNA sequences, not normally expressed during the life cycle of an individual. They may, however, be activated in a few individuals of a large population by mutation, recombination, insertion elements, or other genetic mechanisms. A consideration of the microbial literature concerning biochemical evolution, physiology, and taxonomy provides the basis for a hypothesis of microbial adaptation and evolution by mutational activation of cryptic genes. Evidence is presented, and a mathematical model is derived, indicating that powerful and biologically important mechanisms exist to prevent the loss of cryptic genes. We propose that cryptic genes persist as a vital element of the genetic repertoire, ready for recall by mutational activation in future generations. Cryptic genes provide a versatile endogenous genetic reservoir that enhances the adaptive potential of a species by a mechanism that is independent of genetic exchange.      

Regulation of protein accumulation in cultured cells.

1. A technique is described whereby protein synthesis, protein breakdown and net protein accumulation are measured separately in monolayer cultures of mammalian cells. All rates are expressed as microgram of protein per 18 h incubation. 2. Under most incubation conditions with either L6 rat myoblasts or T47D human breast carcinoma cells the rates of protein accumulation, determined directly, agreed with the rates obtained by subtracting protein breakdown from protein synthesis. 3. Foetal calf serum, human and bovine colostrum, human milk and insulin increased protein accumulation in both cell lines, mainly as a consequence of effects on protein synthesis. 4. NH4Cl, in addition to inhibiting protein breakdown in both cell lines in the presence and in the absence of serum, stimulated protein synthesis in L6 myoblasts. 5. Leupeptin slightly inhibited protein breakdown without affecting protein-synthesis rates. 6. Cycloheximide almost completely inhibited protein synthesis, but restricted the net loss of cell proteins under most conditions because protein-breakdown rates were also decreased. 7. The assumptions, limitations and potential application of this technique for evaluating changes in protein turnover are described.     

Genetic linkage mapping in peach using morphological,RFLP and RAPD markers

We have constructed a genetic linkage map of peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] consisting of RFLP, RAPD and morphological markers, based on 71 F₂ individuals derived from the self-fertilization of four F₁ individuals of a cross between New Jersey Pillar and KV 77119. This progeny, designated as the West Virginia (WV) family, segregates for genes controlling canopy shape, fruit flesh color, and flower petal color, size and number. The segregation of 65 markers, comprising 46 RFLP loci, 12 RAPD loci and seven morphological loci, was analyzed. Low-copy genomic and cDNA probes were used in the RFLP analysis. The current genetic map for the WV family contains 47 markers assigned to eight linkage groups covering 332 centi Morgans (cM) of the peach nuclear genome. The average distance between two adjacent markers is 8 cM. Linkage was detected between Pillar (Pi) and double flowers (Dl) RFLP markers linked to Pi and flesh color () loci were also found. Eighteen markers remain unassigned. The individuals analyzed for linkage were not a random sample of all F₂ trees, as an excess of pillar trees were chosen for analysis. Because of this, Pi and eight other markers that deviated significantly from the expected Mendelian ratios (e.g., 121 or 31) were not eliminated from the linkage analysis. Genomic clones that detect RFLPs in the WV family also detect significant levels of polymorphism among the 34 peach cultivars examined. Unique fingerprint patterns were created for all the cultivars using only six clones detecting nine RFLP fragments. This suggests that RFLP markers from the WV family have a high probability of being polymorphic in crosses generated with other peach cultivars, making them ideal for anchor loci. This possibility was examined by testing RFLP markers developed with the WV family in three other unrelated peach families. In each of these three peach families respectively 43%, 54% and 36% of RFLP loci detected in the WV family were also polymorphic. This finding supports the possibility that these RFLP markers may serve as anchor loci in many other peach crosses.