Posttranslational deamidation of crystalline lens proteins during animal aging

The amide content of total proteins and protein fractions (alpha-, beta-, gamma-cristallins and albuminoid) from cortex and nuclear lens zones of cattle has been investigated. The amide content in proteins of cortex and nuclear lens of young animals (1,5-2 years old) is the same. The decrease of the amide content in the proteins of nuclear lenz zone of old animals (6-12 years old) is due to fraction of readily hydrolysed amides. The data obtained prove the posttranslational desamidation of lens proteins at ageing. beta-Cristallines--the proteins with the highest amides content is exposed to posttranslational desamidation most of all.     

Promotion and inhibition of vesicle fusion by polylysine

Polylysine induced rapid aggregation of large unilamellar vesicles composed of phosphatidylcholine-cardiolipin (1:1 molar ratio) but not their fusion. Application of the terbium-dipicolinic acid fusion assay showed that addition of polylysine at nanomolar concentrations enabled a significant lowering of the Ca2+ threshold concentration for vesicle fusion from 9 to 1 mM. Analysis of the kinetics of fusion with a mass-action kinetic model showed that polylysine enhanced significantly the rate of aggregation but affected only slightly the rate of fusion per se. Maximal enhancement of overall fusion rates occurred at a charge ratio (polylysine/cardiolipin) of about 0.5. At larger polylysine concentrations, e.g., at charge ratios greater than 3, polylysine inhibited vesicle fusion.     

Differential Effects of Long-Term Electroconvulsive Shock on Brain Levels of Enkephalin and Humoral-Endorphin

Abstract: Electroconvulsive shock (ECS) administrations repeated for 10 consecutive days cause an elevation in the opioid content of the rat brain. Two different endogenous opioids, enkephalin and humoral-endorphin, undergo independent changes that differ in both their time course and intracerebral localization. These metabolic changes parallel long-term behavioral modifications such as the development and dissipation of tolerance to the analgesic effect of ECS. The activation of two different, independent, endogenous opioid systems by ECS is in agreement with previous behavioral and pharmacological studies.     

Effect of brain acid extract products in inbred mice on 3H-diazepam reception

The influence of brain acid extract products, isolated by high-performance liquid chromatography on H3-diazepam binding was investigated in synaptosomal membranes of C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice. Fractions with stimulatory and inhibitory activity were isolated. Quantitative and qualitative differences in the effects and structure of ACTH-immunoreactive peptide fractions under study were established.     

Two new flavone glycosides from Cirsium lineare

An examination of four species of Cirsium disclosed the presence of two new flavonoids in C. lineare. The structure of one was 5,4′-dihydroxy-6,7,3′-trimethoxyflavone (cirsilineol) 4′-monoglucoside and the other 5,3′,4′-trihydroxy-6,7-dimethoxyflavone (cirsiliol) 4′-monoglucoside. Luteolin 7-glucoside was found in C. suffultum, and pectolinarin and linarin in C. kamtschaticum and C. pectinellum.