Novel nuclear ribonucleoprotein structural components in the dormouse adrenal cortex during hibernation

Adrenocortical cell nuclei of the dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius were investigated by electron microscopic immunocytochemistry in hibernating, arousing and euthermic individuals. While the basic structural constituents of the cell nucleus did not significantly were found in nuclei of hibernating dormice. Lattice-like bodies (LBs), clustered granules (CGs), fibrogranular material (FGM) and granules associated with bundles of nucleoplasmic fibrils (NF) all contained ribonucleoproteins (RNPs), as shown by labeling with anti-snRNP (small nuclear RNP), anti-m₃G-capped RNA and anti-hnRNP (heterogeneous nuclear RNP) antibodies. Moreover, the FGM also showed immunoreactivity for the proliferation associated nuclear antigen (PANA) and the non-snRNP splicing factor SC-35. All these nuclear structural components disappeared early during arousal and were not found in euthermic animals. These novel RNP-containing structures, which have not been observed in other tissues investigated so far in the same animal model, could represent storage and/or processing sites for pre-mRNA during the extreme metabolic condition of hibernation, to be quickly released upon arousal. NFs, which had been sometimes found devoid of associated granules in nuclei of brown adipose tissue from hibernating dormice, were present in much higher amouts in adrenocortical cell nuclei; they do not contain RNPs and their role remains to be elucidated. The possible roles of these structures are discussed in the frame of current knowledge of morpho-functional relationships in the cell nucleus.     

Use of sequence characterised amplified region and RAPD markers in the identification of the white truffle Tuber magnatum Pico

Isolates of white truffles were identified as Tuber magnatum Pico species using a pair of primers selected from a sequence characterised amplified region (SCAR) and a specific random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker. The present study reveals that PCR-fragment-pattern polymorphisms, the construction of probes and couples of primers from one or more of these polymorphic fragments may provide a useful and rapid tool for identifying species of ectomycorrhizal fungi in addition to conventional methods (morphological parameters).     

A simple mathematical model of the interaction between intracranial pressure and cerebral hemodynamics

Ursino, Mauro, and Carlo Alberto Lodi. A simplemathematical model of the interaction between intracranial pressure andcerebral hemodynamics. J. Appl.Physiol. 82(4): 1256-1269, 1997.A simplemathematical model of intracranial pressure (ICP) dynamics oriented toclinical practice is presented. It includes the hemodynamics of thearterial-arteriolar cerebrovascular bed, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)production and reabsorption processes, the nonlinear pressure-volumerelationship of the craniospinal compartment, and a Starling resistormechanism for the cerebral veins. Moreover, arterioles are controlledby cerebral autoregulation mechanisms, which are simulated by means ofa time constant and a sigmoidal static characteristic. The model isused to simulate interactions between ICP, cerebral blood volume, andautoregulation. Three different related phenomena are analyzed: thegeneration of plateau waves, the effect of acute arterial hypotensionon ICP, and the role of cerebral hemodynamics during pressure-volume index (PVI) tests. Simulation results suggest the following:1) ICP dynamics may become unstablein patients with elevated CSF outflow resistance and decreasedintracranial compliance, provided cerebral autoregulation is efficient.Instability manifests itself with the occurrence of self-sustainedplateau waves. 2) Moderate acutearterial hypotension may have completely different effects on ICP,depending on the value of model parameters. If physiological compensatory mechanisms (CSF circulation and intracranial storage capacity) are efficient, acute hypotension has only negligible effectson ICP and cerebral blood flow (CBF). If these compensatory mechanismsare poor, even modest hypotension may induce a large transient increasein ICP and a significant transient reduction in CBF, with risks ofsecondary brain damage. 3) The ICPresponse to a bolus injection (PVI test) is sharply affected, viacerebral blood volume changes, by cerebral hemodynamics andautoregulation. We suggest that PVI tests may be used to extractinformation not only on intracranial compliance and CSF circulation,but also on the status of mechanisms controlling CBF.

     

A conformational analysis of mono and dialkyl ethers of 2,2′-dihydroxy-1,1′-binaphthalene by circular dichroism spectroscopy and cholesteric induction in nematic liquid crystals

The coupling of the analysis of the absorption and circular dichroism (CD) spectra with that of the cholesteric mesophases induced in nematic liquid crystals indicated some interesting conformational features of bridged and nonbridged mono- and dialkylethers of optically active 2,2′-dihydroxy-1,1′-binaphthalene. Bridged derivatives are characterized by relatively small dihedral angles. Simple monoalkyl ethers are characterized by larger dihedral angles but they all assume an s-cis conformation, owing to the existence of intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Nonbridged dialkylethers prefer even larger dihedral angles and, depending on the bulkiness of the alkyl groups, the s-trans conformation can be found. Interestingly, the conformation of dialkylethers is strongly dependent on the structure of the liquid crystal solvent, because the intramolecular hydrogen bond is not possible there. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Secretion and reabsorption of uterine luminal fluid in rats

Treatment of ovariectomized rats with oestradiol-17beta and progesterone demonstrated that oestradiol-17beta causes secretion of sodium, potassium and water into the lumen of the uterine horn and that progesterone causes reabsorption of these substances.     

Linear oligopeptides: 65′. Conformational analysis of the N-protected aromatic α-amino acid N-tert-butyloxycarbonyl-l-phenylalanine by X-ray diffraction and infrared absorption

The X-ray diffraction and i.r. absorption conformational analysis of $\text{N}\text{-tert-butyloxycarbonyl-}\text{l}\text{-phenylalanine}$ has showed the absence of intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded peptide conformations in the solid state. The molecules are held together in rows of ‘cyclic dimer’ motifs through intermolecular NH … OC (acid) and OH … OC {urethane} hydrogen bonds, the secondary amide-like group of the urethane moiety being in the unusual cis conformation, whereas the carboxylic acid group in the common syn conformation. The two molecules in the unit cell present a centrosymmetric set of ?, ψ¹, and ψ² values. In polar solvents solvated species largely predominate. In saturated hydrocarbon solution non-associated and associated (mostly involving the carboxylic acid CO as the proton acceptor) species simultaneously occur. The extent of association decreases with dilution. The amount of intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded oxy-C₇ and C₅ forms if any, should be extremely small. The type of association at saturation seems to differ from that found in the crystalline compound obtained by precipitation with saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons (from a diethyl ether solution).     

Specific protein synthesis in isolated epithelium of guinea-pig seminal vesicle. General features

Four intrinsic soluble proteins are synthesized and secreted by sexually mature guinea-pig seminal-vesicle mucosa, which comprises a monolayer of a homogeneous columnar epithelial cell. All four proteins can be extracted readily in 154mm-NaCl from the organ's luminal constituents in which they are present in high concentration. They are referred to as proteins 1, 2, 3 and 4 in order of their elution during DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. Specific primary antibodies were harvested from goats that had been inoculated with the purified vesicular proteins; secondary antibodies were obtained from a donkey inoculated with goat γ-globulins. Double-antibody-immunoprecipitation techniques were developed to precipitate the vesicular proteins. Thus proteins newly synthesized from ¹⁴C-labelled amino acids could be precipitated and the incorporated radioactivity assessed. Isolated seminal-vesicle mucosa, incubated in only a buffered salt solution containing glucose, readily synthesized the soluble secreted proteins from added [¹⁴C]lysine plus [¹⁴C]glycine, [¹⁴C]histidine plus [¹⁴C]glutamate, [¹⁴C]glutamine alone and [¹⁴C]arginine alone. The rates of incorporation (d.p.m./mg of total soluble protein) of labelled lysine and glycine and of labelled arginine were linear with time over 180min. With the other labelled precursors, rates diminished between 60 and 180min. Labelled protein could be detected after only 10–15min of incubation. Only 4–9% of the newly synthesized protein remained associated with the mucosa; the remainder was found in the cell-free incubation medium. The isolated seminal-vesicle mucosal preparation will provide a unique opportunity to study the synthesis and secretion of abundant cell-specific proteins by this androgen-dependent tissue.     

Syndrome +12p

Summary Familial 12/15 translocation with a child trisomic for the short arm of chromosome 12 (segment p 12.1pter) is reported. The clinical picture of the child is strikingly similar to previous reports of 12p trisomy. The main symptoms of 12p syndrome are defined.     

Amino acid composition of zein molecular components

Zein extracted from maize endosperm has been fractionated into four polypeptide chains, having the following MWs 23 000, 21 000, 13 500 and 9600. By amino acid analysis the two smaller MW chains (representing 30% of total zeins) have been found to be zein-type molecules. These two chains are thought to be responsible for zein granule formation via -S-S- bridges. Zein is also highly heterogeneous in charge, and is resolved into at least 15 components, with pI's in the pH range 5–9. As demonstrated by amino acid analysis, part of this heterogeneity is due to spot mutations in some of the genes responsible for zein synthesis.     

Evaluation by electron microscopy of the integrity of iodinated plasmalipoproteins

Summary Iodination of proteins and lipoproteins is a widely used in vitro labelling procedure in metabolic, autoradiographic and various other studies. However, all available iodination techniques have involved the possible damage to the proteins by self-irradiation, oxidizing agents, the alkaline milieu or by the introduction of iodine into the molecular structure itself. To evaluate the integrity of iodinated lipoproteins, we observed the electron microscopic appearance of normal and iodinated rabbit very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) by negative staining with phosphotungstic acid. Iodination up to a molar iodine/protein ratio of 2.89 did not result in any change of shape, size or aggregating tendency of the particles. No stacks or disk-like particles like those of various hyperlipoproteinemic states were found. We conclude that electron microscopy is a valuable tool in assessing the morphological appearance of lipoprotein iodination, but it should be complemented by other techniques.