Regulation of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate concentration in spinach leaves

Fructose-6-phosphate 2-kinase and fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase have been partially purified from spinach leaves and their regulatory properties studied. Fructose-6-phosphate 2-kinase was activated by phosphate and fructose 6-phosphate, and inhibited by 3-phosphoglycerate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate. Fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase was inhibited by fructose 6-phosphate and phosphate. The interaction between these effectors was studied when they were varied, alone or in combination, over a range of concentrations representative of those in the cytosol of spinach leaf cells. In conditions when dihydroxyacetone phosphate or 3-phosphoglycerate rise, as is typical during photosynthesis, the fructose 2,6-bisphosphate level will decrease, which will favour sucrose synthesis. In conditions when fructose 6-phosphate accumulates, fructose 2,6-bisphosphate should rise, which will favour a restriction of sucrose synthesis and promotion of starch synthesis.     

Neuroendocrine cells within colorectal tumours induced by dimethylhydrazine

Summary Colorectal adenocarcinomas were induced in male Wistar rats, by weekly subcutaneous administration of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine, classified according to the degree of differentiation and submitted to immunocytochemistry for the peptides cholecystokinin (CCK), gastrin, gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), glucagon, neurotensin, pancreatic polypeptide (PP), peptide YY (PYY), somatostatin and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and the biogenic monoamine 5-hydroxytryptamine. Well- or moderately well-differentiated adenocarcinomas comprised 46% of the tumour population, only 4% were poorly-differentiated adenocarcinomas, and the remaining 50% possessed a mixture of these two morphologies. Glucagon, PYY and 5-hydroxytryptamine immunoreactive cells were frequently observed within well- or moderately well-differentiated tumours and within such regions of tumours possessing a mixed morphological pattern. The tumours contained no cells immunoreactive for any of the peptides not normally located within the colorectum, nor did they contain cells immunoreactive for somatostatin and VIP, although known positive controls did stain. Poorly-differentiated tumours and portions of tumours of mixed type, were consistently negative. 5-hydroxytryptamine was the most frequently located of the three antigens, being detected in 87% of the moderately well-differentiated tumours and 32% of the tumours with mixed morphologies. 11% of moderately well-differentiated tumours possessed 5-hydroxytryptamine positive cells in such profusion that they contributed significantly to the tumour mass. The distribution of glucagon-and PYY-immunoreactive cells was similar, although they occurred with a lower frequency, presumably corresponding to their lower numbers within the normal colorectal mucosa. Additionally, these two peptide immunoreactivities were colocalized in the majority of cells, although some cells contained only one antigen. The immense numbers of cells immunoreactive for peptides and monoamine in a significant proportion of colorectal adenocarcinomas suggests that they have arisen from multipotential endodermal stem cells within the tumours and are not part of the normal epithelial population being engulfed as the tumour grows.     

Effect of 2-deoxyglucose, α-methylglucoside,and glucosamine on aflatoxin production by Aspergillus parasiticus

The effects of 2-deoxyglucose (2-DOG), -methylglucoside (-MG), and glucosamine (GA) on aflatoxin production by Aspergillus parasiticus were studied using conidia-initiated and replacement cultures. In conidia-initiated, 2-DOG, -MG, and GA supported varying amounts of growth when employed as sole carbon sources. In both conidia-initiated and replacement cultures, 2-DOG, but not -MG nor GA, as sole carbon sources support toxin formation. None of the compounds inhibited aflatoxin production when used in combination with glucose. It appears that neither 2-DOG, -MG, nor GA can be considered nonmetabolizable analogs of glucose in A. parasiticus.Abbreviations YES yeast extract sucrose - PMS peptone-mineral salts - 2-DOG L-deoxyglucose - -MG -methylglucoside - GA glucosamine     

Current versus historical population sizes in vertebrate species with high gene flow: a comparison based on mitochondrial DNA lineages and inbreeding theory for neutral mutations

Using inbreeding theory as applied to neutral alleles inherited maternally, we generate expected probability distributions of times to identity by descent for random pairs of mitochondrial genotypes within a population or within an entire species characterized by high gene flow. For comparisons with these expectations, empirical distributions of times to most recent common ancestry were calculated (by conventional mtDNA clock calibrations) from mtDNA haplotype distances observed within each of three vertebrate species--American eels, hardhead catfish, and redwinged blackbirds. These species were chosen for analysis because census population size in each is currently large and because both genetic and life-history data are consistent with the postulate that historical gene flow within these species has been high. The observed molecular distances among mtDNA lineages were two to three orders of magnitude lower than predicted from census sizes of breeding females, suggesting that rate of mtDNA evolution is decelerated in these species and/or that long-term effective population size is vastly smaller than present-day population size. Several considerations point to the latter possibility as most likely. The genetic structure of any species is greatly influenced by historical demography; even for species that are currently abundant, mtDNA gene lineages appear to have been channeled through fairly small numbers of ancestors.      

Effect of voluntary vs. artificial activation on the relationship of muscle torque to speed

The speed-torque relationship of the right knee extensor muscle group was investigated in eight untrained subjects (28 +/- 2 yr old). Torque was measured at a specific knee angle during isokinetic concentric or eccentric actions at nine angular velocities (0.17-3.66 rad/s) and during isometric actions. Activation was by "maximal" voluntary effort or by transcutaneous tetanic electrical stimulation that induced an isometric torque equal to 60% (STIM 1) or 45% (STIM 2) of the voluntary isometric value. Torque increased (P less than 0.05) to 1.4 times isometric as the speed of eccentric actions increased to 1.57 rad/s for STIM 1 and STIM 2. Thereafter, increases in eccentric speed did not further increase torque. Torque did not increase (P greater than 0.05) above isometric for voluntary eccentric actions. As the speed of concentric actions increased from 0.00 to 3.66 rad/s, torque decreased (P less than 0.05) more (P less than 0.05) for both STIM 1 and STIM 2 (two-thirds) than for voluntary activation (one-half). As a result of these responses, torque changed three times as much (P less than 0.05) across speeds of concentric and eccentric actions with artificial (3.4-fold) than voluntary (1.1-fold) activation. The results indicate that with artificial activation the normalized speed-torque relationship of the knee extensors in situ is remarkably similar to that of isolated muscle. The relationship for voluntary activation, in contrast, suggests that the ability of the central nervous system to activate the knee extensors during maximal efforts depends on the speed and type of muscle action performed.     

Perinatal Hypoxia-Ischemia Disrupts Striatal High-Affinity [3H]Glutamate Uptake into Synaptosomes

We examined the impact of hypoxia-ischemia on high-affinity [3H]glutamate uptake into a synaptosomal fraction prepared from immature rat corpus striatum. In 7-day-old pups the right carotid artery was ligated, and pups were exposed to 8% oxygen for 0, 0.5, 1, or 2.5 h, and allowed to recover for up to 24 h before they were killed. High-affinity glutamate uptakes in striatal synaptosomes derived from tissue ipsilateral and contralateral to ligation were compared. After 1 h of hypoxia plus ischemia, high-affinity glutamate uptake in the striatum was reduced by 54 +/- 13% compared with values from the opposite (nonischemic) side of the brain (p less than 0.01, t test versus ligates not exposed to hypoxia). There were similar declines after 2.5 h of hypoxia-ischemia. Activity remained low after a 1 h recovery period in room air, but after 24 h of recovery, high-affinity glutamate uptake was equal bilaterally. Kinetic analysis revealed that loss of activity could be attributed primarily to a 40% reduction in the number of uptake sites. Hypoxia alone had no effect on high-affinity glutamate uptake although it reduced synaptosomal uptake of [3H]3,4-dihydroxyphenylethylamine. Addition of 1 mg/ml of bovine serum albumin to the incubation medium preferentially stimulated high-affinity glutamate uptake in hypoxic-ischemic brain compared with its effects in normal tissue. These studies demonstrate that hypoxia-ischemia reversibly inhibits high-affinity glutamate uptake and this occurs earlier than the time required to produce neuronal damage in the model.     

DNA fingerprints from hypervariable mitochondrial genotypes

Conventional surveys of restriction-fragment polymorphisms in mitochondrial DNA of menhaden fish (Brevoortia tyrannus/patronus complex) and chuckwalla lizards (Sauromalus obesus) revealed exceptionally high levels of genetic variation, attributable to differences in mtDNA size as well as in restriction sites. The observed probabilities that any two randomly drawn individuals differed detectably in mtDNA genotype were 0.998 and 0.983 in the two species, respectively. Thus, the variable gel profiles provided unique mtDNA "fingerprints" for most conspecific animals assayed. mtDNA fingerprints differ from nuclear DNA fingerprints in several empirical respects and should find special application in the genetic assessment of maternity.      

Relative effects of flurbiprofen on platelet 12-hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid and thromboxane A2 production: influence on collagen-induced platelet aggregation and adhesion

Flurbiprofen has been shown to inhibit cyclo-oxygenase metabolism of arachidonic acid to thromboxane A2 (TxA2), resulting in the inhibition of platelet aggregation. Recently, our laboratory reported that the "irreversible" phase of platelet aggregation and adhesion were regulated, in part, by the lipoxygenase metabolism of arachidonic acid to 12-hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) in platelets, and that selective inhibition of one enzyme i.e. either cyclo-oxygenase or lipoxygenase, resulted in paradoxical effects on the metabolism of arachidonic acid and platelet response related to the other pathway. Therefore, we performed experiments to assess the relative effects of flurbiprofen on TxA2 and 12-HETE synthesis, and on collagen-induced platelet aggregation and platelet adhesion to collagen-coated surfaces. "Irreversible" collagen-induced platelet aggregation was only partially inhibited by pre-incubation with 1 x 10(-6) M flurbiprofen, while TxA2 production was elevated and 12-HETE production was maximally inhibited in these platelets. At this concentration of flurbiprofen (1 x 10(-6)M), collagen-induced platelet adhesion was also reduced by 50%. At higher concentrations of flurbiprofen, both platelet aggregation and adhesion were further reduced, with a corresponding inhibition of TxA2 production. Thus it appears that the lipoxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism in platelets is not only inhibited by flurbiprofen, but is more sensitive to inhibition by flurbiprofen than the cyclo-oxygenase pathway. This differential effect of flurbiprofen on arachidonic acid metabolism in the platelet is related to differential effects on platelet function.     

Inhibition of carotenoid synthesis as a mechanism of action of amitrole, dichlormate, and pyriclor

Amitrole (3-amino-s-triazole), dichlormate (3,4-dichlorobenzyl methylcarbamate), and pyriclor (2,3,5-trichloro-4-pyridinol) inhibited normal carotenogenesis in etiolated wheat (Triticum aestivum L. var. Coker 65-20) seedlings. Carotenoid precursors accumulated in treated plants. In dichlormate-treated plants, ζ-carotene accumulated, whereas phytofluene, phytoene, and ζ-carotene accumulated in amitrole- and pyriclor-treated plants. None of the herbicides interfered with protochlorophyllide synthesis or its conversion to chlorophyllide when etiolated plants were illuminated. Chlorophyll accumulated in treated plants exposed to light at 60 foot candles, but was unstable and partially destroyed by illumination at 4000 foot candles. These data suggest that the phytotoxicity of amitrole, pyriclor, and dichlormate is due to inhibition of the synthesis of carotenoids and to the consequent photodestruction of chlorophyll and chloroplast disruption.