Detection of T-2 toxin by an improved radioimmunoassay

T-2 toxin in serum, urine, and saline was analyzed by a modified radioimmunoassay procedure. The specimens were added directly to the assay tubes without extraction steps. The reaction between antibody and ligands was optimal at 1 h. Albumin-coated charcoal was used to separate bound from free radioactivity. Quenching, which occurred with hemolyzed specimens, was corrected by a wet oxidation process with 60% perchloric acid and 30% hydrogen peroxide. The shorter incubation times resulted in an assay that takes less than 6 h to complete. The average affinity constant of the antibody (Km) was 1.75 X 10(10) liters/mol. The sensitivity was 1 ng per assay or 10 ng/ml. Among the other trichothecenes tested, only H-T-2 cross-reacted significantly (10.3%).     

Trypsin inhibitor from the seeds of Acacia confusa.

A trypsin inhibitor (ACTI) was isolated and purified from the seeds of Acacia confusa by gel filtration, and trypsin-Sepharose 4B column affinity chromatography. The molecular weight of ACTI was found to be 21,000 +/- 1,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and amino acid composition analysis. ACTI contained four half-cystine and no methionine residues, and was rich in aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, leucine, and lysine residues. The native trypsin inhibitor was composed of two polypeptide chains, and it inhibited trypsin and alpha-chymotrypsin stoichiometrically at the molar ratio of 1:1 and 2:1, respectively. The amino-terminal sequence analysis of the A. confusa trypsin inhibitor A and B chains revealed a more extensive homology with Acacia elata and silk tree trypsin inhibitors, and a less extensive homology with Kunitz soybean trypsin inhibitor.     

Nucleotide specificity of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum. Inhibition of GTPase activity by ATP analogue in fluorescein isothiocyanate-modified calcium ATPase.

Unlike skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum, canine cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum hydrolyzes GTP in ways that are similar and different from ATP hydrolysis. Also, ATP and ATP analogues inhibit GTPase activity noncompetitively with a Ki compatible with the high affinity ATP-binding site (c.f. Tate, C.A., Bick, R.J., Blaylock, S., Youker, K., Scherer, N.M., and Entman, M.L. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 7809-7813). This suggested that ATP and GTP may enter the reaction pathway at separate nucleotide-binding sites on the CaATPase. To test this hypothesis, cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum was incorporated with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), which apparently binds at or near the ATP-binding site of the enzyme, preventing ATP binding. After FITC incorporation, calcium-dependent ATPase activity, but not GTPase activity, was completely inhibited. Adenyl-5'-yl imidodiphosphate (AMP-P(NH)P), but not guanyl-5'-yl imidodiphosphate, protected against FITC incorporation and the inhibition of calcium-dependent ATPase activity; at least 100 microM AMP-P(NH)P was required for some protection. Despite FITC incorporation, AMP-P(NH)P still inhibited the GTPase activity with a Ki of 3-7 microM. Direct photo-affinity labeling with either 0.2 microM [alpha-32P]ATP or 0.2 microM [alpha-32P]GTP demonstrated that FITC incorporation did not prevent ATP or GTP binding. The mechanism of FITC inhibition of calcium-dependent ATPase activity was related to the prevention of all calcium-dependent, but not calcium-independent, reactions with both nucleotides.     

Notes on the morphology,ecology and life cycles of Fukaurahydra anthoformis and Hataia parva (Hydrozoa,Athecata)

Fukaurahydra anthoformis and Hataia parva are solitary athecate hydroids occurring in northern Japan. New information on the external morphology, nematocysts, ecology, and life cycles of these species is presented. It is noteworthy that H. parva bears stenoteles, which are generally not found among the families of Filifera. Neither species produces free medusae. The eggs are fertilized in the female gonophores, from which unciliated larvae are released. These larvae do not swim and soon attach to a substrate. After attachment the larvae become covered by a sheath to form cysts. The cysts rest on a substrate without any outer change for several months. As the water temperature drops in autumn to early winter the cysts begin to hatch, forming tiny polyps after the larva creeps out from the chitinous sheath. Cyst formation proves to be common also in other solitary hydroids, most of which are inhabitants of cool or cold waters.     

Formation of functionally active chloroplasts is determined at a limited stage of leaf development in virescent mutants of rice

The ability to form functionally active chloroplasts is determined at a certain early stage of leaf development in three non-allelic temperature-sensitive virescent mutants of rice. Temperature-shift analysis, together with anatomical observations, indicates that the intrinsic developmental signals of the virescent genes are expressed at the stage immediately following the formation of basic leaf structure, but just before the onset of leaf elongation. These signals control the expression of chloroplast-encoded genes but do not affect the subsequent morphological development of the leaf or the photo-regulation of the expression of nuclear genes encoding chloroplast proteins.     

Enhancement of protein kinase C in murine lymphokine-activated killer cells by retinoic acid.

We previously reported that retinoic acid (RA) augmented mouse (BALB/c) lymphokine (interleukin-2)-activated killer (LAK) cell activity in a dose and time dependent manner. As evidence available has suggested the role of protein kinase C (PKC) in the regulation of cell mediated cytotoxicity, the present work was to investigate whether or not PKC may mediate the enhancement of LAK cell activity by RA. Accompanied with an augmented LAK cell activity, RA increased total PKC enzyme activity, [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate binding activity, and the amount of immunoreactive PKC. A prolonged treatment (18 h) of LAK cells with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate resulted in the loss of both PKC and LAK cell activity. PKC inhibitors, 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methyl-piperazine dihydrochloride and staurosporine, also drastically reduced LAK cell activity. Although most of the total PKC activity (97%) was detected in the cytosol fraction, the increase in PKC activity was attributed to an increased enzyme activity in both cytosol and membrane fractions, and shown to be RA dose-dependent. Kinetics study revealed that the increase in PKC was a time-dependent process and the enhancement was detectable as early as 8 h after the addition of RA to LAK cell culture. By immunoblotting, the cytosol PKC of LAK cells was shown to contain alpha and beta isoforms, but not gamma. RA further increased the expression of PKC alpha. The enhanced expression of alpha isozyme of PKC by RA was also in a dose and time dependent manner. Taken together, these results indicate that the mechanism of the augmentation of LAK cell activity by RA may in part result from the increase in PKC, especially PKC alpha isozyme.     

The extent of N epsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine formation in lens proteins and polylysine by the autoxidation products of ascorbic acid.

The autoxidation of ascorbic acid (ASA) leads to the formation of compounds which are capable of glycating and crosslinking proteins in vitro. When the soluble crystallins from bovine lens were incubated with ASA in the presence of sodium cyanoborohydride, a single major adduct was observed, whose appearance correlated with the loss of lysine. When polylysine was reacted with equivalent amounts of ASA under the same conditions, this product represented half of the total lysine content after four weeks of incubation at 37 degrees C. This adduct was isolated and identified as N epsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) by TLC, GC/MS and amino acid analysis. Several oxidation products of ASA were each reacted with polylysine in the presence of sodium cyanoborohydride to identify the reactive species. CML was the major adduct formed with either ASA and dehydroascorbic acid (DHA). Markedly diminished amounts were seen with L-2,3-diketogulonic acid (DKG), and L-threose, while no CML was formed with L-threo-pentos-2-ulose (L-xylosone). In the absence of sodium cyanoborohydride the yield of CML was similar with each of the ASA autoxidation products and required oxygen. Reactions with [1-14C]ASA gave rise to [14C]CML, but only with NaCNBH3 present. At least two routes of CML formation appear to be operating depending upon whether NaCNBH3 is present to reduce the putative Schiff base formed between lysine and DHA.     

A TEA-insensitive flickering potassium channel active around the resting potential in myelinated nerve

A novel potassium-selective channel which is active at membrane potentials between -100 mV and +40 mV has been identified in peripheral myelinated axons of Xenopus laevis using the patch-clamp technique. At negative potentials with 105 mM-K on both sides of the membrane, the channel at 1 kHz resolution showed a series of brief openings and closings interrupted by longer closings, resulting in a flickery bursting activity. Measurements with resolution up to 10 kHz revealed a single-channel conductance of 49 pS with 105 mM-K and 17 pS with 2.5 mM-K on the outer side of the membrane. The channel was selective for K ions over Na ions (PNa/PK = 0.033). The probability of being within a burst in outside-out patches varied from patch to patch (> 0.2, but often > 0.9), and was independent of membrane potential. Open-time histograms were satisfactorily described with a single exponential (tau o = 0.09 msec), closed times with the sum of three exponentials (tau c = 0.13, 5.9, and 36.6 msec). Sensitivity to external tetraethylammonium was comparatively low (IC50 = 19.0 mM). External Cs ions reduced the apparent unitary conductance for inward currents at Em = -90 mV (IC50 = 1.1 mM). Ba and, more potently, Zn ions lowered not only the apparent single-channel conductance but also open probability. The local anesthetic bupivacaine with high potency reduced probability of being within a burst (IC50 = 165 nM). The flickering K channel is clearly different from the other five types of K channels identified so far in the same preparation. We suggest that this channel may form the molecular basis of the resting potential in vertebrate myelinated axons.