Isozyme differentiation of aldolase and pyruvate kinase in fetal,regenerating, preneoplastic,and malignant rat hepatocytes during culture

Summary Aldolase and pyruvate kinase isozymes were investigated in cultured hepatocytes from fetal, regenerating, and 2-acetyl-aminofluorene-fed rat liver as well as in some epithelial liver cell lines. Our results show that: (a) cell proliferation and prolonged expression of specific isozymes were found only in cultured hepatocytes from 17-day old fetuses; (b) the fetal type of pyruvate kinase expressed in regenerating and carcinogen-treated liver was temporarily lost only in cultured hepatocytes from regenerating liver; (c) the adult type of aldolase and pyruvate kinase was absent in one epithelial cell line derived from a carcinogen-treated liver and in the hepatoma tissue cell (HTC) line but was found in the Faza clone of the Reuber H₃₅ cell line during the 50 first passages in vitro; and (d) the isozyme pattern of pyruvate kinase was always more strongly shifted than that of aldolase. The observations suggest that: (a) hepatocytes from carcinogen-treated liver exhibit the same lack of ability to proliferate in primary culture as normal adult hepatocytes; (b) adult hepatocytes can produce fetal isozymes without prior cell division; (c) pyruvate kinase is a stronger marker of dedifferentiation (retrodifferentiation) than aldolase; and (d) regulatory processes of isozyme expression are different during ontogenesis, regeneration, and hepatocarcinogenesis. This work was supported by the “Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale” and the “Fondation pour la Recherche Medicale Fran?aise”     

C-glycosylflavone accumulation in Sandoz 6706-treated barley seedlings is a photocontrolled response

Sandoz 6706 pretreatment of white light grown barley seedlings causes a 60% increase in saponarin (6-C-glucosyl-7-O-glucosylapigenin) but a 300% increase in lutonarin (3′-hydroxysaponarin). Norflurazon has little effect on saponarin levels but is almost as effective as Sandoz 6706 in enhancing lutonarin net synthesis. Barley roots contain saponarin and lutonarin only after herbicide treatment. Mung bean seedlings respond to Sandoz 6706 by accumulating higher levels of rutin and delphinidin 3-glucoside. The results are discussed in relation to the site of action of the herbicides, the High Energy photoresponse, and control of flavonoid 3′-hydroxylation.     

Inverse modification of antibody responsiveness to RGG in lines of mice selected for high or low responses to somatic antigen of Salmonella

High (H/s) and low (L/s) antibody responder lines of mice selected according to their response to the somatic (s) antigen of Salmonella (Selection IV) have unexpected inverse capacity for antibody production to rabbit gamma globulin (RGG): H/s mice are low or even nonresponders to this antigen, whereas L/s mice are high responders. It was shown that the phenotypic variability within each line is due to environmental factors. RGG was a selection antigen in Selection V; the high (H/p) and low (L/p) responder mice are therefore considered as homozygous for the RGG genes. Responsiveness to RGG was investigated in F₁ and F₂ hybrids obtained by crossing the phenotypically similar RGG responder or nonresponder mice of Selections IV and V. The results support the hypothesis that the same genes control the response to RGG in L/s and H/p lines as well as in H/s and L/p lines. This means that the genes specific for RGG responsiveness were independent from those regulating responses to the s antigen. Unaffected by the selective breeding in Selection IV, they have been fixed by chance in an inverse way in H/s and L/s lines.     

Developmental Expression of HNK-1-Reactive Antigens in Rat Cerebral Cortex and Molecular Heterogeneity of Sulfoglucuronylneolactotetraosylceramide in CNS Versus PNS

Monoclonal antibody HNK-1 reacts with a carbohydrate epitope present in proteins, proteoglycans, and sulfoglucuronylglycolipids (SGGLs). On high-performance TLC plates, SGGLs of the CNS from several species migrated consistently slower than those from the PNS, a result indicating possible differences in the structures. The structural characteristics of the major SGGL, sulfoglucuronylneolactotetraosylceramide (SGGL-1), from CNS was compared with those of SGGL-1 from PNS. Although the composition, sequence, and linkages of the carbohydrate moiety of the SGGL-1 species were identical, SGGL-1 from CNS contained mainly short-chain fatty acids, 16:0, 18:0, and 18:1, amounting to 85% of the total fatty acids, whereas SGGL-1 from PNS contained large proportions (59%) of long-chain fatty acids (greater than 18:0). These differences in the fatty acid composition accounted for the different migration pattern observed. The developmental expression of SGGLs and HNK-1-reactive proteins was studied in rat cerebral cortex between embryonic day (ED) 15 to adulthood. SGGLs in the rat cortex were maximally expressed around ED 19 and almost completely disappeared by postnatal day (PD) 20. This expression was contrary to their increasing expression in the cerebellum and sciatic nerve with postnatal development. Six to eight protein bands with a molecular mass of greater than 160 kDa were HNK-1 reactive in the rat cerebral cortex at different ages. The major HNK-1 reactivity to the 160-kDa protein band seen in ED 19 to PD 10 cortex decreased and completely disappeared from the adult cortex, whereas several other proteins remained HNK-1 reactive even in the adult. Western blot analyses of the neural cell adhesion molecules (N-CAMs) during development of the rat cortex with a polyclonal anti-N-CAM antibody showed that the major HNK-1-reactive protein bands were not N-CAMs. Between PD 1 and 10, 190-200-kDa N-CAM was the major N-CAM, and between PD 15 to adulthood, 180-kDa N-CAM was the only N-CAM present in the rat cortex.     

Evidence for distinct polygenic regulation of antibody responses to some unrelated antigens in lines of mice selected for high or low antibody responses to somatic antigen of Salmonella

The effect of the selective breeding of mice for high or low antibody production to complex immunogens is largely nonspecific, since it modifies the responsiveness of high (H) and low (L) lines to many antigens unrelated to the selection antigen. However, the nonspecific effect of the polygenic control operating in these lines is not a general feature. For example, the group of genes in selection IV, carried out for responsiveness to somatic antigen of Salmonella, does not modify the responses to sheep erythrocytes (SE). Despite equivalent responses in H and L mice of selection IV, a large variability was found in individual responses of F₂ interline hybrids, which demonstrates the presence of alleles with high or low effect on responses to SE. A selective breeding (Selection IV-A) was therefore initiated from this F₂ population for responsiveness to SE. A progressive interline divergence occurred during the first seven generations of selection; the interline separation was due to polygenic regulation (about four independent loci from a preliminary estimate).Equivalent responses to the s antigen of Salmonella are observed in the two lines. This constitutes additional evidence for distinct polygenic regulation of responses to SE and to somatic antigen. Moreover, the pattern of responses to several unrelated antigens (nonspecific effect) also differs between Selections IV and IV-A.Abbreviations H high responder lines - L low responder lines - s somatic antigen of Salmonella - f flagellar antigen of Salmonella - R response to selection - S selection differential - F₀ foundation population - h² heritability (realized) - RGG rabbit gamma globulin - CE chicken erythrocyte - HE human erythrocyte - PE pigeon erythrocyte - SE sheep erythrocyte     

Synaptonemal complexes with modified lateral elements in Sordaria humana: development of and relationship to the “recombination nodules”

Meiotic prophase in Sordaria humana has been analyzed by three-dimensional reconstructions of 3 leptotene, 2 zygotene, 10 pachytene and 3 diplotene nuclei. Several notable features emerged. The lateral components of the synaptonemal complexes (SC) are hollow tubes which show dilations of variable sizes from late leptotene to early diplotene. These bulges occur before pairing. Their number decreases as soon as the SC are completely formed, but their mean size increases. Bulges can be present in all parts of the lateral components including telomeres and nucleolar organizer region, but their distribution along bivalents is not random. The remarkably uniform width of the SC central region, normally observed in other species is not observed in S. humana. Although as a general rule the bulges rarely affect the homologous components at identical sites, they often either fill or partially cover the central region. The recombination nodules are not clearly connected with the bulges. This work provides also additional insight into the development of both SC and the nodules. At late leptotene, the homologues are aligned before SC formation. One case of interlocking has been observed at early pachytene. Nodules are present from zygotene to diplotene. They are not evenly distributed along the bivalents during pachytene. The mean number of nodules, constant from late pachytene to diplotene, is equal to the mean number of chiasmata.     

Découverte de Stringocephaluseet autres Stringocephalidae (Brachiopodes Terebratulida)) dans le Givétien d'Afghanistan

A lot of Stringocephalidae have been discovered,for the first time, in the Givetian of Afghanistan. Among these we have identified: Stringocephalus aff. burtini (Defrance)), St. (Parastringocephalus) dewalense n. sp., Rensselandia aff. circularis (Holzapfel)). The locality is situated in Hazarajat, in a Devonian sequence which is more than one thousand meters thick and the age of which ranges from Gedinnian (probable) to Frasnian.     

Distribution and movement of toxaphene in anaerobic saline marsh soils

The biological oxygen demand (BOD) of filtered water from Lake Wingra, Wisconsin is significantly higher in the littoral zone than in the pelagial zone. Laboratory experiments indicate that BOD is not influenced by water temperature at the time of sampling or by enrichment with nitrate or ammonia. Rather, enrichment with macrophyte leachate sharply increases BOD, and enrichment with phosphate produces a small but significant increase in BOD. We conclude that high BOD in littoral waters of the lake is an indication of production of labile organic matter in the water by dense beds of the macrophyte Myriophyllum spicatum.