Increased placental concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in pregnant rats treated with human chorionic gonadotropin

Pregnant rats were injected intrajugularly with 2500 i.u. human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) toward the end of gestation (days 18-19) and 7.0 pmoles of tritiated 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [( 3H]25(OH)D3) the following day. They were sacrificed ten to 24 hours later. [3H]25(OH)D3 and the in vivo produced [3H]24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [( 3H]24,25(OH)2D3) in lipid extracts from maternal serum, kidneys, placenta and fetal tissues were separated by Sephadex LH-20 chromatography, and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). HCG treatment of pregnant rats increased significantly 25(OH)D3 levels in the placenta and kidneys and 24,25(OH)2D3 level in the placenta. Fetal metabolites levels were unaffected by HCG treatment. Serum and kidney levels of 25(OH)D3 and 24,25(OH)2D3 in pregnant rats were significantly lower than in non-pregnant rats. Serum and kidney levels of both metabolites in non-pregnant female rats treated with HCG did not differ from the untreated controls. HCG may, therefore, be involved in regulation of fetoplacental vitamin D metabolism.     

A generalized diffusion model for growth and dispersal in a population

A reaction-diffusion model is presented in which spatial structure is maintained by means of a diffusive mechanism more general than classical Fickian diffusion. This generalized diffusion takes into account the diffusive gradient (or gradient energy) necessary to maintain a pattern even in a single diffusing species. The approach is based on a Landau-Ginzburg free energy model. A problem involving simple logistic kinetics is fully analyzed, and a nonlinear stability analysis based on a multi-scale perturbation method shows bifurcation to non-uniform states.Part of this work was done while at the Mathematical Institute, Oxford University as a Senior Visiting Fellow supported by the Science Research Council of Great Britain under grant GR/B31378     

Analysis of structural similarities between brain Thy-1 antigen and immunoglobulin domains. Evidence for an evolutionary relationship and a hypothesis for its functional significance.

The Thy-1 membrane glycoprotein from rat brain is shown to have structural and sequence homologies with immunoglobulin (Ig) domains on the basis of the following evidence. 1. The two disulphide bonds of Thy-1 are both consistent with the Ig-fold. 2. The molecule contains extensive beta-structure as shown by the c.d. spectrum. 3. Secondary structure prediction locates beta-strands along the sequence in a manner consistent with the Ig-fold. 4. On the basis of rules derived from known beta-sheet structures, a three-dimensional structure with the Ig-fold is predicted as favourable for Thy-1. 5. Sequences in the proposed beta-strands of Thy-1 and known beta-strands of Ig domains show significant sequence homology. This homology is statistically more significant than for the comparison of proposed beta-strand sequences of beta 2-microglobulin with Ig domains. An hypothesis is presented for the possible functional significance of an evolutionary relationship between Thy-1 and Ig. It is suggested that both Thy-1 and Ig evolved from primitive molecules, with an Ig fold, which mediated cell--cell interactions. The present-day role of Thy-1 may be similar to that of the primitive domain.     

Construction and characterization of amplifiable multicopy DNA cloning vehicles derived from the P15A cryptic miniplasmid.

Construction and characterization of a class of multicopy plasmid cloning vehicles containing the replication system of miniplasmid P15A are described. The constructed plasmids have cleavage sites within antibiotic resistance genes for a variety of commonly employed site-specific endonucleases, permitting convenient use of the insertional inactivation procedure for the selection of clones that contain hybrid DNA molecules. Although the constructed plasmids showed DNA sequence homology with the ColE1 plasmid within the replication region, were amplifiable by chloramphenicol or spectinomycin, required DNA polymerase I for replication, and shared other replication properties with ColE1, they were nevertheless compatible with ColE1. P15A-derived plasmids were not self-transmissible and were mobilized poorly by Hfr strains; however, mobilization was complemented by the presence of a ColE1 plasmid within the same cell.