Methodology in the study of seabass (Lates calcarifer Bloch): nutritional requirements in Singapore

This paper describes the effort of the Marine Aquaculture Section of the Primary Production Department in Singapore and the Institut Francais de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer in developing adequate facilities for fish nutritional requirement studies in Singapore, and in introducing appropriate nutritional methodology so that results are reliable and accurate. One of the first achievements was the demonstration of homogeneous fish (tropical seabass, Lates calcarifer Bloch) growth response in a newly established tank system before any nutritional experiments were initiated. The application of statistical procedures that take into consideration the power of a test and number of replications required has allowed for more accurate interpretation of results. This can be seen in the results of the first nutritional requirement experiment on the optimal dietary protein level of the seabass at constant energy.     

Comparison of Germline Mosaics of Genes in the Polycomb Group of Drosophila Melanogaster

The genes of the Polycomb group (PcG) repress the genes of the bithorax and Antennapedia complexes, among others. To observe a null phenotype for a PcG gene, one must remove its maternal as well as zygotic contribution to the embryo. Five members of the PcG group are compared here: Enhancer of Polycomb [E(Pc)], Additional sex combs (Asx), Posterior sex combs (Psc), Suppressor of zeste 2 [Su(z)2] and Polycomblike (Pcl). The yeast recombinase (FLP) system was used to induce mitotic recombination in the maternal germline. Mutant embryos were analyzed by staining with antibodies against six target genes of the PcG. The loss of the maternal component leads to enhanced homeotic phenotypes and to unique patterns of misexpression. E(Pc) and Su(z)2 mutations had only subtle effects on the target genes, even when the maternal contributions were removed. Asx and Pcl mutants show derepression of the targets only in specific cell types. Psc shows unusual effects on two of the targets, Ultrabithorax and abdominal-A. These results show that the PcG genes do not act only in a common complex or pathway; they must have some independent functions.     

Analysis of the loop-helix interaction in bundle motif protein structures

Molecular dynamics simulations and energy analysis have been carried out to study the structural mobility and stability of the four -helix bundle motifs. The simulation results as well as the X-ray data show that the atomic RMS fluctuation is larger at the loop region for four representative proteins investigated: methemerythrin, cytochrome b-562, cytochrome c, and bovine somatotropin. The loop-loop, helix-helix, and loop-helix interactions are computed for the unfolded and folded proteins. In the folded and solvated protein structures the loop-helix interaction is stronger than the helix-helix interaction, especially in the electrostatic component. But the stabilization energies of both the loop-helix and the helix-helix interactions relative to the those of an unfolded structure are of the same order of magnitude. The stabilization due to protein-solvent interaction is greater in the helix region than in the loop region. The percentage of hydrophilic solvent accessible area for the four proteins studied was calculated with the method of Eisenberg and McLachlan. The percentage of the hydrophilic area is greater in the loops than in the helices. A Poisson-Boltzmann calculation shows that the potential from the loops acting on a helix is generally more negative than that from other helices.     

Theoretical and experimental determination of SAR patterns for spherical tissue models in a rectangular resonant cavity

Specific absorption rates (SARs) were determined theoretically and experimentally for several spherical models of tissue exposed to electrical fields of TE101 mode in a rectangular cavity of 57.3 MHz resonant frequency. The approximate theoretical SAR can be calculated according to the Mie theory by superposition of four plane waves representing the fields excited in the cavity. The theoretical and thermographically determined SAR patterns in spheres with radii of 5, 7.5, and 10 cm and with conductivities of 0.1, 1, and 10 S/m were compared. For a sphere with radius less than 7.5 cm and conductivity less than 1 S/m, the SAR was quite uniform. When conductivity was increased to 10 S/m, the SAR patterns showed higher absorption in the periphery of the largest sphere (10-cm radius). These characteristics are important in evaluating the scaling technique of exposing a model of a human to very-high-frequency fields to obtain power absorption data in humans exposed to high-frequency or very-low-frequency fields.     

SAR in rats exposed in 2,450-MHz circularly polarized waveguides

Average specific absorption rates (SARs) for live rats exposed in 2,450-MHz circularly polarized waveguides were estimated from the total system loss determined from measurements using five power meters, and a correction factor representing actual SAR/apparent SAR. The actual SAR was measured by twin-well calorimetry and the apparent SAR by power meters. Values were obtained for carcasses of various body masses for five orientations. The average SAR with free movement in the cages changed less than threefold as the rats grew from 200 to 700 g. The ratio of peak to average SAR in the body was less than 3. These results indicate relatively constant energy disposition in rats exposed in the circularly polarized waveguide.     

Regulation of the synthesis of human chorionic gonadotropin by strains of HeLa cells in culture

Summary Thirty-seven strains of HeLa cells were examined for their ability to synthesize human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and its alpha subunit (hCG-α) in culture. Synthesis of hCG-α and hCG also was investigated in the presence of sodium butyrate and 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdUrd). All HeLa strains synthesized hCG-α in culture. Sodium butyrate increased the synthesis of hCG-α in all HeLa cells; BrdUrd increased synthesis in 32 of the 37 strains examined. Although few HeLa strains synthesized hCG in the absence of inducers, hCG was detected in most strains in the presence of sodium butyrate. The synthesis of hCG and its alpha subunit is, therefore, a stable genetic characteristics of HeLa cells. Certain preparations of hCG and its subunits were generously provided through the Center for Population Research of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH.     

Modifications of myelin basic protein which occur during its isolation.

Abstract— Chromatography of myelin basic protein (BP) on carboxymethylcellulose gives a pattern of multiple components, of which three are major. Component 1 is considered the unmodified species of BP while component 2 has been found to be modified primarily by deamidation and component 3 by phosphorylation (Chou et al., 1976). ³ 3 The numbering system for the components is that used by DEIBLER & MARTENSON (1973) for guinea pig BP and is preferred over the reverse system of numbering used by CHOU et al. (1976); i.e. components 1, 2 and 3 of DEIBLER & MARTENSON (1973) are the same as components 6, 5 and 4 of CHOU et al. (1976), respectively.
In contrast to BP prepared from tissue delipidated in the standard fashion in chloroform–methanol (CM powder), BP prepared from tissue delipidated first in acetone and then in chloroform–methanol (ACM powder) gave an elution pattern on carboxymethylcellulose characterized by a decrease in component 1 and an increase in the earlier eluting, less basic components. Studies with radiolabelled component 1 showed that this difference in elution patterns was due to the partial conversion of component 1 to less basic components during the extraction of ACM powder at neutral pH. The components derived from component 1 (D2, D3 and D4) were then isolated and subjected to tryptic peptide map analyses and determination of their carboxy-terminal arginine content and content of phosphorus. None of the derived components contained phosphorus but tryptic peptide map analyses did show the presence of two minor peptides, T14M₂ and T20M, previously found in component 2 from CM powder and considered to be the deamidation products of their parent peptides T14 and T20 (Chou et al., 1976). In addition components D3 and D4 were shown to have lost appreciable arginine from their carboxy-termini. Since none of the efforts to reduce enzyme activity in vitro had any appreciable effect on components 2 and 3 it was concluded that phosphorylation probably occurs exclusively in vivo, that deamidation occurs both in vivo and in vitro and that loss of carboxy-terminal arginine occurs exclusively in vitro.