Interference between dinitrophenyl and azobenzenearsonate determinants on in vitro binding to lymphoid cells. II. Type of binding cells and studies at the level of individual lymphoid cells.

The specific binding of DNP-T₄ on lymphoid cells occurs on the surface of B-cells. This was proved both by the absence of DNP-T₄ binding in cells pretreated with anti-total mouse Ig or anti-mouse IgM sera and by the absence of significant binding on thymocytes. Moreover, splenocytes of nu/nu mice bound similar amounts of DNP-T₄ as splenocytes of CBA/C₃H or BALB/c mice. Removal of adherent cells from normal spleen populations did not decrease the amounts of DNP-T₄ bound onto the non-adherent cell population. Azobenzenearsonate (ARS) conjugates partially inhibited the specific binding of DNP-T₄ to both splenocytes of nu/nu mice and spleen-cell suspensions depleted from adherent cells. The problem of whether the inhibition of specific DNP binding brought about by treatment of the cells with ARS derivatives was expressed by the reduction of the number of binding cells was investigated by two methods. In the first, the number of lytic plaques formed by DNP-T₄ around single lymphoid cells was counted with populations treated or not with ARS derivatives. In the second, anti-TNP producing MOPC-315 cells were used for rosette formation with TNP-conjugated sheep erythrocytes, in the absence or presence of ARS derivatives. Both these methods showed that this inhibition was due to partial reduction of the number of B-cells specifically binding either DNP or TNP determinant, thus indicating that only a certain percentage of the cells bearing the specific hapten receptors are affected by treatment with ARS derivatives.     

N-caffeoyl-4-amino-n-butyric acid, a new flower-specific metabolite in cultured tobacco cells and tobacco plants

PUT cells were selected from the XD line of cultured tobacco cells (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Xanthi-nc) for the ability to utilize putrescine as sole nitrogen source. Previous work had indicated that hydroxycinnamoylputrescines (principally caffeoylputrescine) and 4-amino-n-butyric acid (GABA) are obligatory intermediates in the assimilation of putrescine by PUT cells. The apparent absence in these cells of diamine or polyamine oxidase and pyrroline dehydrogenase, enzymes which catalyze putrescine oxidation in some plant species, led us to propose the following pathway for putrescine oxidation in PUT cells: putrescine----hydroxycinnamoylputrescine----hydroxycinnamoyl - 4-aminobutyraldehyde----hydroxycinnamoyl-GABA----GABA. We tested the hypothesis by looking for the predicted compound, caffeoyl-GABA. A chemical synthesis was developed, and chromatographic and mass spectroscopic procedures were devised for identifying the compound in extracts of cells and plant tissues. Caffeoyl-GABA was found in extracts of PUT cells in micromolar concentrations but was not present in XD cells. Thus, its occurrence in PUT cells appears to be a direct result of selection for the ability to catabolize putrescine. Caffeoyl-GABA has the same distribution in tobacco plants as caffeoylputrescine, i.e. flower buds greater than open flowers greater than floral leaves, green fruit; absent in vegetative tissues.     

Reduction in postprandial energy expenditure during pregnancy.

Energy expenditure was measured during pregnancy in seven primigravid women at 12-15, 25-28, and 34-36 weeks and after the cessation of lactation. On each occasion the resting metabolic rate and the increase in metabolic rate after ingestion of a liquid test meal were measured by indirect calorimetry. In absolute terms the resting metabolic rate increased steadily during pregnancy but when expressed per unit of body weight no change was found. The energetic response to a mixed constituent meal was significantly reduced by 28% in the middle trimester of pregnancy. These findings suggest a possible maternal adaptation to increase energetic efficiency at a time when the energy demands of the fetus are high.