UDP-Gal: <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-acetylglucosamine β 1–4 galactosyltransferase expressing live attenuated parasites as vaccine for visceral leishmaniasis

As compared to cutaneous leishmaniasis, vaccination against visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has received limited attention. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that an UDP-Galactose: N-acetylglucosamine β 1–4 galactosyltransferase (GenBank Accession No. EF159943) expressing attenuated LD clonal population (A-LD) is able to confer protection against the experimental challenge with the virulent LD AG83 parasite. A-LD was also effective in established leishmania infection. The vaccinated animals showed both cell mediated (in vitro T-cell proliferation, and DTH response) and humoral responses (Th1 type). These results demonstrate the potential of the attenuated clones as an immunotherapeutic and immunoprophylactic agent against visceral leishmaniasis.     

Linkage analysis of the murine mos proto-oncogene on chromosome 4

A linkage analysis of the murine Mos gene, which codes for the c-mos proto-oncogene, was performed in 88 backcross progeny of an interspecies cross of laboratory mice and Mus spretus. Linkage was tested for four different genes on mouse chromosome 4: Aco-1, Mup-1, b, and Ifb. The gene order (from centromere) with intervening percentage recombination is Mos-15.9 (+/- 3.9)-Aco-1-5.6 (+/- 2.4)-Mup-1-3.4 (+/- 1.9)-b-5.6 (+/- 2.4)-Ifb. These results confirm the previous assignment of Mos to chromosome 4 on the basis of segregation in somatic cell hybrids (D. Swan et al., 1982, J. Virol. 44: 752-754) and show furthermore that Mos and the Ifa/Ifb clusters are not tightly linked as a group of intronless genes, but are separated by a map distance of 30.6 +/- 4.9 recombination units. The linkage data obtained in the present study place Mos in a region compatible with the physical map (D. W. Threadgill and J. E. Womack, 1988, Genomics 3: 82-86).     

Reactivity of consecutive basic amino acid residues in peptides

Different tetrapeptides of general formula L-Ala-X-X-Gly, possessing a basic doublet in the second and third position (X = Arg or Lys), have been synthesized as free or N-acetylated molecules. The chemical reactivity of the arginine guanidino group and of the lysine epsilon-amino group were studied using respectively the Sakaguchi and the ortho-diacetylbenzene reactions, in the tetrapeptides as well as in related molecules. In both cases, the colour yield is markedly influenced by the length of the polypeptide chain and by the relative positions of the arginine and lysine residues, suggesting the occurrence of intramolecular bonds within the tetrapeptide molecule. Tryptic hydrolysis of the tetrapeptides was followed by evaluating the amino acids or peptides which appear to be specific for the different possible cleavages at the arginyl or at the lysyl bonds. The susceptibility to trypsin of the carboxylic group of the second basic amino acid decreases progressively in the order Lys-Arg greater than Arg-Arg much greater than Lys-Lys greater than Arg-Lys, which shows a fair correlation with the intra-cellular cleavage of the bonds observed during the processing of preproteins of of the precursors of several physiologically active peptides.     

A split-pot experiment with sorghum to test a root water uptake partitioning model

Correct modeling of root water uptake partitioning over depth is an important issue in hydrological and crop growth models. Recently a physically based model to describe root water uptake was developed at single root scale and upscaled to the root system scale considering a homogeneous distribution of roots per soil layer. Root water uptake partitioning is calculated over soil layers or compartments as a function of respective soil hydraulic conditions, specifically the soil matric flux potential, root characteristics and a root system efficiency factor to compensate for within-layer root system heterogeneities. The performance of this model was tested in an experiment performed in two-compartment split-pot lysimeters with sorghum plants. The compartments were submitted to different irrigation cycles resulting in contrasting water contents over time. The root system efficiency factor was determined to be about 0.05. Release of water from roots to soil was predicted and observed on several occasions during the experiment; however, model predictions suggested root water release to occur more often and at a higher rate than observed. This may be due to not considering internal root system resistances, thus overestimating the ease with which roots can act as conductors of water. Excluding these erroneous predictions from the dataset, statistical indices show model performance to be of good quality.     

Effects of basic proteins of low molecular weight on the phosphohydrolase and phosphotransferase activities of microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase in adult monkey hepatocytes (author's transl)

The effects of histone 2A and some polycations on microsomal carbamylphosphate:D-glucose phosphotransferase and glucose-6-phosphate phosphohydrolase activities (D-glucose-6-phosphate phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.3.9), have been investigated. 1. Histone 2A and polycations activate the two enzymic activities. At a constant cation concentration, this activation increases with the number of cationic groups per molecule. 2. Activation by histone 2A is related to its fixation on microsomal membranes. This fixation varies with quantities of histones and pH. 3. The nature of the interactions between histones and microsomal membranes is shown to be electrostatic, probably between the cationic groups of histones and the anionic group of membranous lipids. 4. Kinetic analysis reveal that histone 2A increases the maximal reaction velocity but does not affect the apparent Michaelis constant values for the substrates. 5. The role played by the cationic groups of histone 2A on the microsomal glucose 6-phosphatase, is discussed.     

Education and timing of parenthood among Canadian women: a cohort analysis.

This research examines factors associated with the timing of first birth in Canada, focusing primarily on the role of women's educational attainment. Proportional hazards modelling techniques are applied to data from the 1984 Canadian Fertility Survey (CFS) in order to determine how educational attainment, estimated as close as possible to the date of first birth, influences the timing of first birth and whether the importance of this variable varies according to age cohorts. The results suggest that among a number of variables useful for distinguishing different levels of risk, educational attainment proves to be the most important predictor in the model. Education exerts a substantial positive influence on birth timing for women of all age groups. As expected, moreover, significant cohort differences are also evident, with the greatest to the smallest impact on the risk from the youngest to the oldest cohorts. These clear-cut cohort differences indicate a fundamental change in the effects of education over time, a trend most likely resulting from substantial changes in both the content and social significance of formal schooling during the past few decades.     

On the mechanism of enzyme action. XLV. The role of certain dicarboxylic acids in the formation of oxalic acid by wood-destroying molds

Alkalinity of the medium was shown to be the chief factor involved in the accumulation of oxalate by T. cinnabarina. Glutamate and aspartate are shown to lead to oxalate with this organism and with L. lepideus by dehydrogenation to α-ketoglutarate and oxaloacetate, respectively. Malate was also shown to be dehydrogenated. It is proposed that oxaloacetate may either undergo β-decarboxylation to yield CO₂ and pyruvate, or splitting by coenzyme A to yield oxalate and acetylated coenzyme A. The reversal of this latter reaction is suggested as the explanation of the disappearance of oxalate from culture media. The reduction of resazurin by the dehydrogenase systems of the molds is inhibited by cyanide, indicating the participation of metal systems, such as the cytochromes.