Lutte biologique contre les mollusques vecteurs de Bilharziose. Action predatrice de Tilapia rendalli,Boulenger et de Sarotherodon mossambica,Peters a l'égard de Biomphalaria glabrata,Say

Laboratory experiments indicate that the Cichlidae Sarotherodon mossambica and, mainly, Tilapia rendalli may be promising biological control agents of Schistosomiasis by acting as predators of eggs and young Biomphalaria glabrata less than 10 mm diameter.

     

Action pattern of alpha-amylase from Aspergillus oryzae in concentrated media

The influence of concentrated maltotetraose solutions on fungal alpha-amylase activity and specificity has been determined. It has been found that the enzyme is not inhibited by 500 g/L substrate concentration and that transglycosylation reactions are increased with rising substrate concentration. The amount of oligosaccharides of polymerization degree higher than maltotetraose reaches 20% (w/w). Moreover, the effect of polyhydric alcohols, known as water activity depressors has been analyzed: the presence of polyols does not modify the amount of transglycosylation products, but changes the hydrolysis pattern by favoring the formation of low polymerization degree oligosaccharides.     

Oxidative ozonolysis of 6-oxo-PGF1α, 11,15-diacetate, methyl acetal, methyl ester

Ozonolysis of 6-oxo-PGF_1α, 11,15-diacetate, methyl acetal, methyl ester followed by oxidative workup and treatment with diazomethane gave 3-acetoxy-5-hydroxy-2-(methoxycarbonyl) cyclopentane acetic acid, γ-lactone and dimethyl 3-acetoxy-5[[−(methoxycarbonyl)valeryl] oxy]-1,2-cyclopentane dicarboxylate as two of the major products. The mass spectral properties of the latter compound were identical with those previously published by other investigators.     

The carboxy-terminal region of human interleukin-5 is essential for maintenance of tertiary structure but not for dimerization

The C-terminal region of interleukin-5 has previously been suggested to be important for biological activity [Mackenzieet al., (1991),Mol. Immunol. 28, 155–158; Kodamaet al. (1991),Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 178, 514–519]. We have investigated this region by making a series of truncation mutants. The proteins were expressed inEscherichia coli, purified from inclusion bodies, and were able to refold with the disulfide homodimeric topology typical of interleukin-5. Analysis of the truncated carboxy-terminal proteins in an interleukin-5-dependent proliferation assay on TF-1 cells showed a rapid loss of activity as the C-terminal was shortened by more than two amino acids. This loss of biological activity correlated with a drop in binding affinity to both the chain of the receptor and the high-affinity complex consisting of the and subunits. Analysis of the proteins by¹H-NMR showed that the truncated mutants have higher exchange rates with solvent, indicating a less rigid structure. The carboxy-terminal region is therefore necessary to maintain the stability of the four-helix bundle and to orient correctly the important residues of the fourth helix. Inspection of the structure determined by X-ray crystallography shows that Trp-110 acts as the major residue in anchoring the fourth helix.     

Accurate Differentiation of Neuronopathic and Nonneuronopathic Forms of Niemann-Pick Disease by Evaluation of the Effective Residual Lysosomal Sphingomyelinase Activity in Intact Cells

Abstract: Niemann-Pick disease types A and B are two clinical forms of an inherited lysosomal storage disorder characterized by accumulation of sphingomyelin due to deficient activity of the lysosomal enzyme, acid sphingomyelinase. Patients with both types have hepatosplenomegaly, but only those with type A have nervous system involvement leading to death in early infancy. The residual activities of lysosomal sphingomyelinase in types A and B have never been well characterized because of limitations in both in vitro enzymatic assays and loading tests on intact cells. To evaluate the effective level of sphingomyelinase activity, intact, living cultured Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoid cells were incubated with a radiolabeled sphingomyelin that was first associated to human low-density lipoproteins. This lipoprotein-associated sphingomyelin was targeted to lysosomes, thereby permitting selective hydrolysis by the lysosomal sphingomyelinase. Short-term pulse-chase experiments allowed the determination of the initial rates of degradation; in normal cells, the half-time of sphingomyelin degradation averaged 4.5 h. Whereas cells from the severe neuronopathic type A form of Niemann-Pick disease exhibited about 0.15% residual sphingomyelinase activity, cells from patients with the visceral type B form exhibited about 4%, i.e., 27 times more. Cells from heterozygous Niemann-Pick subjects showed about 70% residual activity. These results provide the first approach to measuring the effective activity of a lysosomal enzyme and represent an accurate method for the differential diagnosis of Niemann-Pick disease types A and B. They also support the hypothesis of relationships among the effective in situ residual enzyme activity, the amount of stored substrate, and the severity of the ensuing lysosomal storage disorder.     

Autochthonous intestinal bacterial flora and cholesterol levels in specific pathogen-free swine fed high-lipid and high-sucrose diets

Graber, C. D. (Baylor University College of Medicine, Houston, Tex.). R. W. Moore, M. Suzuki, W. E. Redmond, R. M. O'Neal, and B. M. Lockhart. Autochthonous intestinal bacterial flora and cholesterol levels in specific pathogen-free swine fed high-lipid and high-sucrose diets. J. Bacteriol. 92:1290-1297. 1966.-Thirty-two specific pathogen-free (SPF) and conventional swine fed high fat, high sugar, and a standard ration were cultured for intestinal flora, and their blood cholesterol levels were measured. The diets, whether sterilized or not sterilized, fed ad libitum or restricted, did not alter bacterial flora greatly or influence blood cholesterol levels. Anaerobes outnumbered aerobes by several logs. Four autochthonous bacteria, lactobacilli, Escherichia coli, enterococci, and gram-variable, nonspore-forming anaerobes (GVNSA; a type of bacteroides), were shown to be constantly present in all animals regardless of dietary conditions. From the duodenum and jejunum of 14 pigs, GVNSA and Bacteroides nigrescens were cultured in rather large numbers, a finding not previously reported in swine or in most other mammals. This finding may have special significance in reference to bile acid and cholesterol metabolism.     

Agents that raise cAMP in human T lymphocytes release an intracellular pool of calcium in the absence of inositol phosphate production

Prostaglandins (PGs) of the E series are recognized by specific receptors on T lymphocytes which lead to an increase in cAMP. The role of cAMP in modulation of T lymphocyte function is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that agents which increase cAMP in human T cells raise the intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i). This increase in [Ca2+]i occurred following receptor stimulation with PGEs or by bypassing the receptor with the cell-permeant analog 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-cAMP or forskolin, a direct activator of adenylyl cyclase. The calcium response to a submaximally stimulatory concentration of PGE2 was potentiated by the cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor isobutylmethylxanthine. A time course of cAMP production in response to PGE2 stimulation closely resembled the calcium response and suggested that the two events were coincident. The PGE2 concentrations required to achieve 50% maximum effect of cAMP production and increases in [Ca2+]i were similar, 0.07 and 0.15 microM respectively. Chelation of extracellular Ca2+ did not abolish the PGE2-stimulated Ca2+ response, suggesting that an intracellular source of calcium was sensitive to cAMP. Significant inositol phosphate production was not detected in response to PGE2 over a wide concentration range. The PGE2-induced calcium response curves were of lesser magnitude with shorter times to peak than those of a known inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate-producing agonist, anti-CD3, suggesting distinct Ca2+ release mechanisms. However, the cAMP-releasable store appeared to be contained within the inositol trisphosphate-releasable store since no response could be seen with cAMP-elevating agents following emptying of the inositol trisphosphate-sensitive pool of Ca2+.     

The conformation and stability of recombinant-derived granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factors

The conformation and stability of recombinant-derived human and murine granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factors produced in Escherichia coli have been investigated by analytical ultracentrifugation, urea-gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and several spectroscopic methods. The proteins were demonstrated to be physically homogeneous monomeric proteins with compact globular shapes and shown to have similar secondary structures containing both alpha-helix and beta-sheet structure. The intramolecular disulphide linkages of both proteins were shown to be essential for maintaining native conformation as reduction with dithiothreitol resulted in protein unfolding. Comparison of the human E. coli-derived (non-glycosylated) and mammalian cell culture-derived (glycosylated) proteins by urea-gradient electrophoresis indicated that glycosylation had no major effect on the conformational stability and kinetics of urea induced unfolding and refolding.