Muscle and nerve in muscular dysgenesis in the mouse at birth: Sprouting and multiple innervation

Muscular dysgenesis (mdg) in the mouse is a recessive autosomal mutation affecting the striated musculature: during the whole gestation period, the muscles never show any sign of contractile activity. They are cytologically immature at birth, although the diaphragm is more mature than limb muscles, as confirmed by the levels of creatine phosphokinase. In both limb muscles and diaphragm the cytochemical localization of acetylcholinesterase demonstrates focal accumulations on the entire surface of $\text{mdg}\text{mdg}$ muscles, whereas such foci of acetylcholinesterase activity are restricted to a narrow end plate-rich region in $\text{+}\text{mdg}$? diaphragms. Teased single $\text{mdg}\text{mdg}$ myofiber preparations show that one myofiber can possess several foci of acetylcholinesterase, generally presenting aspects of very immature motor end plates. A study of the motor innervation, after silver nitrate impregnation, provides evidence for a spectacular overgrowth and a generalized sprouting of $\text{mdg}\text{mdg}$ nerves and axons. The $\text{mdg}\text{mdg}$ nerve terminals are generally very immature-looking, with an intense ultraterminal sprouting. Aspects suggesting a denser multiple innervation of $\text{mdg}\text{mdg}$ than $\text{+}\text{mdg}$? myofibers have been observed and choline acetyltransferase activity is increased in $\text{mdg}\text{mdg}$ tissues. Acetylcholinesterase specific activity and the number of α-bungarotoxin binding sites per milligram protein increased in $\text{mdg}\text{mdg}$ compared to $\text{+}\text{mdg}$? diaphragms. The very low amount of 16 S (and 12 S) acetylcholinesterase is probably related to $\text{mdg}\text{mdg}$ muscle inactivity. If the cytological and biochemical data are compared, it seems possible to propose that $\text{mdg}\text{mdg}$ myofibers and axons are in contact in several regions of the same myofiber, in variably mature appositions, and with a very dense multi-innervation.     

A fast and simple radiometric assay for adenosine deaminase using reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography

A new quantitative radiometric assay for adenosine deaminase is described. The reaction conditions are similar to those used in other radioassays and are shown to result in an activity which increases linearly with time and with enzyme concentration. An original feature of the technique resides in the use of reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography to separate adenosine from inosine. The separation is complete, fast, and reproducible. Both compounds can be recovered almost quantitatively from the plates. The assay is very simple and allows the determination of up to 36 samples in 3 h.     

Iron-porphyrin catalysis of the oxidative dealkylation of para-nitro-anisole and 7-ethoxycoumarin by cumylhydroperoxide: a possible model for the corresponding cytochrome P 450-dependent reactions

A biphasic system containing an iron porphyrin, Fe (TPP) (C1)¹ or [Fe(TPP)]₂O, efficiently catalyzes the cumyl-or tertiobutyl-hydroperoxide-supported dealkylation of p-nitroanisole and 7-ethoxycoumarin to the corresponding phenol and formaldehyde. Stoichiometric amounts of iron porphyrin and hydroperoxide give a quantitative reaction. Catalytic amounts of iron porphyrin give reaction rates and yields which are proportional to substrate concentration. With increasing hydroperoxide concentrations, the rates level offto limit values and the yield rapidly decreases. The maximum rates obtained approach those of the reactions mediated by cytochrome P 450-dependent monooxygenases.     

The palisade endings of cat extraocular muscles: a light and electron microscope study.

The palisade endings (PEs), a particular type of nerve ending found only in extraocular muscles of mammals, have been studied using both silver-stained teased preparations and electron microscope techniques. They have been found, in act, in both the proximal and distal muscle insertions of the four recti and the two oblique mucles. PEs are exclusively associated with some of the mitochondria-poor, multiply-innervated muscle fibres present in the globar layer os these muscles, and consist of a multitude of terminal branches embracing the extremity of the muscle fibre and penetrating the infoldings formed by the muscle fibre at its tendinous attachment. The whole formation is surrounded by a thin capsule. These nerve endings present striking similarities to the developing Golgi tendon organ; the terminal branches lying among the collagen fibrils and occasionally making 'sensory-like' close contacts with the muscle fibre are disposed in such a way that they could easily have a sensory role. It was concluded that PEs present sufficient morphological evidence to be considered as sensory, encapsulated, myotendinous receptors, each related to a single multiply-innervated muscle fibre.     

Evidence for a correlation between late replication and autosomal gene inactivation in a familial translocation t(X;21)

Summary A familial translocation t(X;21)(q2700;q11) is studied. A girl, trisomic for almost all the chromosome 21, has a mildly abnormal phenotype. A second girl, phenotypically abnormal, is monosomic for the juxtacentromeric region of chromosome 21 only. A comparison of the replication pattern and of the activity of superoxide dismutase (gene located on chromosome 21) shows a clear correlation between late replication, gene inactivation and phenotype expression of chromosome 21.This work has been supported by CNRS (ERA 47)     

Attribution des signaux de résonance magnétique nucléaire-13c de disaccharides peracétylés dans la série du D-glucose

Selective, double irradiation allows the assignment of most ¹³C-n.m.r. signals in a series of per-O-acetyl disaccharides composed of two D-glucose residues linked α-(1→3), β-(1→3), α-(1→4), β-(1→4), α-(1→6), β-(1→6), and α,α-(1→1). The main influences that affect the chemical shifts are discussed and the spectra of β-cellobiose octaacetate and β-maltose octaacetate are compared to those of cellulose and amylose triacetate, respectively, to show the possibilities and limitations of a disaccharide model for the interpretation of the ¹³C-spectrum of a polymer.     

Dérivés d'acides 3-(β-d-érythrofuranosyl)-pyrazolecarboxyliques

Treatment of 2,5-anhydro-1-bromo-1-deoxy-2,3-O-isopropylidene-1-p-nitrophenylhydrazono-d-ribose with methyl acetylenecarboxylate gave methyl 3-(2,3-O-isopropylidene-β-d-erythrofuranosyl)-1-p-nitrophenylpyrazole- (8) and 5-carboxylate (9). Amidification at C-5 of 8 was easier than at C-4 of 9. Similarly, dimethyl 3-(2,3-O-isopropylidene-β-d-erythrofuranosyl)- 1 - p-nitrophenylpyrazole-4,5-dicarboxylate gave specifically a 5-carbamoyl derivative, the structure of which was established by comparison of the ¹³C-n.m.r.spectrum with those of a series of glycosylpyrazoles. The correlation between the experimental values of the chemical shifts of the carbon atoms of the pyrazole ring and the values calculated by addition of the contributions of the various groups linked to the ring was better (R 0.98) than the correlations obtained by calculation by the CNDO/2 method of the total electron population (R 0.92) or of the π-electron population of each carbon atom (R 0.85).     

Further studies on polyploid amphibians

The manner in which centromere regions of mitotic chromosomes are distributed with respect to the age of their DNA was studied. Cells of the Indian deer, Muntiacus muntjak, were grown in the presence of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) for two generations and stained with the fluorescent dye Hoechst 33258. Chromatids containing granddaughter DNA appear dim when compared with those containing grandparental DNA. The frequencies of the various anaphase patterns of bright and dim centromere regions were binomially distributed, indicating random distribution of chromatids with respect to the age of their DNA templates.