Localization and neuroanatomy of catecholaminergic neurons in some rotifer species

We studied Dicranophorus sp., Platyias quadricornis (Ehrb.) and Rotaria tardigrada (Ehrb.). These rotifers, systematically distant from each other, show the same pattern of the catecholaminergic (CA-ergic) part of the nervous system. It is formed of a small (23–24), but steady number of neurons characteristic for each species. Three types of CA-ergic neurons are described. The sizes of neurons vary from to two to ten µm. The distribution of the brain neurons is correlated with body shape. Such a type of nervous system is topographically comparable to the concentrated orthogon of the flatworms.     

A Drosophila hsp70 gene contains long,antiparallel, coupled open reading frames (LAC ORFs) conserved in homologous loci

A clone isolated from a Drosophila auraria heat-shock cDNA library presents two long, antiparallel, coupled (LAC) open reading frames (ORFs). One strand ORF is 1,929 nucleotides long and exhibits great identity (87.5% at the nucleotide level and 94% at the amino acid level) with the hsp70 gene copies of D. melanogaster, while the second strand ORF, in antiparallel in-frame register arrangement, is 1,839 nucleotides long and exhibits 32% identity with a putative, recently identified, NAD⁺-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase (NAD⁺-GDH). The overlap of the two ORFs is 1,824 nucleotides long. Computational analysis shows that this LAC ORF arrangement is conserved in other hsp70 loci in a wide range of organisms, raising questions about possible evolutionary benefits of such a peculiar genomic organization.Correspondence to: Z.G. Scouras     

P1 clones from Drosophila melanogaster as markers to study the chromosomal evolution of Muller's A element in two species of the obscura group of Drosophila

Thirty P1 clones from the X chromosome (Muller's A element) of Drosophila melanogaster were cross-hybridized in situ to Drosophila subobscura and Drosophila pseudoobscura polytene chromosomes. An additional recombinant phage Dsuby was also used as a marker. Twenty-three (77%) of the P1 clones gave positive hybridization on D. pseudoobscura chromosomes bat only 16 (53%) did so with those of D. subobscura. Eight P1 clones gave more than one hybridization signal on D. pseudoobscura and/or D. subobscura chromosomes. All P1 clones and Dsuby hybridized on Muller's A element (X chromosome) of D. subobscura. In contrast, only 18 P1 clones and Dsuby hybridized on Muller's D element (XR chromosomal arm) of D. pseudoobscura; 4 additional P1 clones hybridized on Muller's D element (XR chromosomal arm) of this species and the remaining P1 clone gave on hybridization signal on each arm of the X chromosome. This latter clone may contain one breakpoint of a pericentric inversion that may account for the interchange of genetic material between Muller's A and D elements in D. pseudoobscura. In contrast to the rare interchange of genetic material between chromosomal elements, profound differences in the order and spacing of markers were detected between D. melanogaster, D. pseudoobscura and D. subobscura. In fact, the number of chromosomal segments delimited by identical markers and conserved between pairwise comparisons is small. Therefore, extensive reorganization within Muller's A element has been produced during the divergence of the three species. Rough estimates of the number of cytologically detectable inversions contributing to differentiation of Muller's A element were obtained. The most reliable of these estimates is that obtained from the D. pseudoobscura and D. melanogaster comparison since a greater number of markers have been mapped in both species. Tentatively, one inversion breakpoint about every 200 kb has been produced and fixed during the divergence of D. pseudoobscura and D. melanogaster.     

Sustainability,equity, and natural resource development in Northwest Siberia and Arctic Alaska

Today, the search for new energy sources continues unabated throughout the North. At the same time, scientists are increasingly concerned over the degradation of the Arctic and sub-Arctic environment stemming from fossil fuel and other large-scale energy projects already underway. Similar apprehensions are expressed by indigenous peoples who have often suffered from the impact of such development. While the most dramatic evidence of environmental devastation and social disruption is found in the Russian North, serious problems are by no means confined to that area alone. Nor are these negative effects necessarily limited to the borders of the country in which they originated. Indeed, the deleterious environmental impact of our global industrial economy has become sufficiently profound that social analysts are beginning to ask whether development strategies that cause such harm to the Arctic and sub-Arctic region should continue; and if not, what should replace them. This article addresses these issues as they relate to questions of sustainability, equity, political empowerment, and human rights in northwest Siberia and northern North America.     

In vitro mimicry of CaMBr1 tumor-associated antigen by synthetic oligosaccharides

The murine monoclonal antibody (Mab) MBr1, raised against thebreast cancer cell line MCF7, recognizes a saccharidic epitopeoverexpressed on a high percentage of human breast, ovary, andlung carcinomas. This antigen was originally identified on theimmunogen as a globo-series glycosphingolipid with an H-likedeterminant at its terminus (globo-H). We report here the biologicalcharacterization of the entire globo-H hexasaccharide and fivesynthetic oligosaccharides representing fragments of the entirestructure andlor different anomeric configurations. Using competitivebinding assays on live cells, we identified the residues andthe linkages essential for mimicry of the cellular antigensrecognized by Mab MBr1 on the breast carcinoma cell line MCF7and small cell lung cancer cell line POVD. The terminal tetrasaccharidicfragment of globo-H is the oligosaccharide that most resemblesthe MBr1-defined epitope both on glycolipids and on glycoproteins.This information will help in the rational design of a highlyspecific reagent for active specific immunotherapy of carcinomasoverexpressing the MBr1-defined antigen. CaMBr1 immunotherapy monoclonal antibody oligosaccharides tumor-associated antigen     

Interleukin 1β-converting Enzyme Related Proteases/Caspases Are Involved in TRAIL-induced Apoptosis of Myeloma and Leukemia Cells

The Fas/APO-1/CD95 ligand (CD95L) and the recently cloned TRAIL ligand belong to the TNFfamily and share the ability to induce apoptosis in sensitive target cells. Little information is available on the degree of functional redundancy between these two ligands in terms of target selectivity and intracellular signalling pathway(s). To address these issues, we have expressed and characterized recombinant mouse TRAIL. Specific detection with newly developed rabbit anti-TRAIL antibodies showed that the functional TRAIL molecule released into the supernatant of recombinant baculovirus-infected Sf9 cells is very similar to that associated with the membrane fraction of Sf9 cells. CD95L resistant myeloma cells were found to be sensitive to TRAIL, displaying apoptotic features similar to those of the CD95L- and TRAIL-sensitive T leukemia cells Jurkat. To assess if IL-1β-converting enzyme (ICE) and/or ICE-related proteases (IRPs) (caspases) are involved in TRAIL-induced apoptosis of both cell types, peptide inhibition experiments were performed. The irreversible IRP/caspase-inhibitor AcYVAD-cmk and the reversible IRP/caspase-inhibitor Ac-DEVD-CHO blocked the morphological changes, disorganization of plasma membrane phospholipids, DNA fragmentation, and loss of cell viability associated with TRAIL-induced apoptosis. In addition, cells undergoing TRAIL-mediated apoptosis displayed cleavage of poly(ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP) that was completely blocked by Ac-DEVD-CHO.

These results indicate that TRAIL seems to complement the activity of the CD95 system as it allows cells, otherwise resistant, to undergo apoptosis triggered by specific extracellular ligands. Conversely, however, induction of apoptosis in sensitive cells by TRAIL involves IRPs/caspases in a fashion similar to CD95L. Thus, differential sensitivity to CD95L and TRAIL seems to map to the proximal signaling events associated with receptor triggering.

     

Identification and Characterization of a New Serotonergic Recognition Site with High Affinity for 5-Carboxamidotryptamine in Mammalian Brain

Abstract: We analyzed the existence of an additional serotonin (5-HT) receptor subtype, sensitive to 5-carboxamidotryptamine, in the mammalian brain. Radioligand binding studies with [³H]5-HT were carried out in rat, guinea pig, and human brain membranes, in the presence of unlabeled drugs to mask the binding to all known 5-HT receptors, with the exception of 5-HT_1E sites. Under these conditions, unlabeled 5-carboxamidotryptamine still showed a biphasic competition curve with a nanomolar affinity component. Saturation studies with 5-[³H]carboxamidotryptamine were carried out in the presence of (±)-8-hydroxy-2-(di- n -propylamino)tetralin, mesulergine, and ergotamine, to mask the binding to all receptors known to be labeled by 5-carboxamidotryptamine. These studies showed the existence in cortex and hippocampus from guinea pig and human brain of a remaining binding site with high affinity ( pK _D = 7.8–8.1) and a unique pharmacological profile. 5-HT and 5-carboxamidotryptamine showed nanomolar affinity, whereas 5-methoxytryptamine recognized this binding site with intermediate affinity. Other drugs exhibited low or very low potency in inhibiting this binding. The addition of 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate significantly reduced the number of binding sites labeled by 5-[³H]carboxamidotryptamine, in the presence of the masking drugs described above, indicating the interaction with a GTP-binding protein. Preliminary autoradiographic studies in human brain appear to indicate that this 5-HT binding site is present in areas such as the globus pallidus, neocortex, and hippocampus, among others.     

Chromosome-encoded inducible copper resistance inPseudomonas strains

NinePseudomonas strains were selected by their high copper tolerance from a population of bacteria isolated from heavy-metal polluted zones. Copper resistance (Cu ^r ) was inducible by previous exposure of cultures to subinhibitory amounts of copper sulfate. All nine strains possessed large plasmids, but transformation and curing results suggest that Cu ^r is conferred by chromosomal genes. Plasmid-lessPseudomonas aeruginosa PAO-derived strains showed the same level of Cu ^r as environmental isolates and their resistance to copper was also inducible. Total DNA from the environmentalPseudomonas, as well as fromP. aeruginosa PAO strains, showed homology to a Cu ^r P. syringae cop probe at low-stringency conditions but failed to hybridize at high-stringency conditions.     

Posterior dental size reduction in hominids: The Atapuerca evidence

In order to reassess previous hypotheses concerning dental size reduction of the posterior teeth during Pleistocene human evolution, current fossil dental evidence is examined. This evidence includes the large sample of hominid teeth found in recent excavations (1984–1993) in the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene cave site of the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain). The lower fourth premolars and molars of the Atapuerca hominids, probably older than 300 Kyr, have dimensions similar to those of modern humans. Further, these hominids share the derived state of other features of the posterior teeth with modern humans, such as a similar relative molar size and frequent absence of the hypoconulid, thus suggesting a possible case of parallelism. We believe that dietary changes allowed size reduction of the posterior teeth during the Middle Pleistocene, and the present evidence suggests that the selective pressures that operated on the size variability of these teeth were less restrictive than what is assumed by previous models of dental reduction. Thus, the causal relationship between tooth size decrease and changes in food-preparation techniques during the Pleistocene should be reconsidered. Moreover, the present evidence indicates that the differential reduction of the molars cannot be explained in terms of restriction of available growth space. The molar crown area measurements of a modern human sample were also investigated. The results of this study, as well as previous similar analyses, suggest that a decrease of the rate of cell proliferation, which affected the later-forming crown regions to a greater extent, may be the biological process responsible for the general and differential dental size reduction that occurred during human evolution. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.