The heat increment of feeding in house wren chicks: magnitude, duration, and substitution for thermostatic costs

The heat increment of feeding (HIF), a transient postprandial increase in metabolic rate, is the energy cost of processing a meal. We measured HIF in house wren chicks (Troglodytes aedon) ranging in mass from 1.6 to 10.3 g. This mass range (age 2–10 days) spanned a transition from blind, naked, ectothermic chicks through alert, endothermic birds with nearly complete feathering. We fed chicks crickets (2.7–10% of chick body mass) and determined HIF from continuous measurements of oxygen consumption rate (O₂) before and after meals. At warm ambient temperatures (T _a) of 33–36 °C, the magnitude of HIF (in ml O₂ or joules) was linearly related to meal mass and was not affected by chick mass. HIF accounted for 6.3% of ingested energy, which is within the range of results for other carnivorous vertebrates. The duration of HIF was inversely related to chick mass; 10-g chicks processed a standard meal approximately twice as fast as 2-g chicks. HIF duration increased with increasing meal mass. The peak O₂ during HIF, expressed as the factorial increase above resting metabolism, was independent of body mass and meal mass. In large, endothermic chicks ( > 8 g), HIF substituted for thermoregulatory heat production at low T _a. Accepted: 11 December 1996     

Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.): allergenicity and molecular characterization of pollen after plant exposure to elevated NO2

Ragweed pollen is the main cause of allergenic diseases in Northern America, and the weed has become a spreading neophyte in Europe. Climate change and air pollution are speculated to affect the allergenic potential of pollen. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of NO₂, a major air pollutant, under controlled conditions, on the allergenicity of ragweed pollen. Ragweed was exposed to different levels of NO₂ throughout the entire growing season, and its pollen further analysed. Spectroscopic analysis showed increased outer cell wall polymers and decreased amounts of pectin. Proteome studies using two‐dimensional difference gel electrophoresis and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry indicated increased amounts of several Amb a 1 isoforms and of another allergen with great homology to enolase Hev b 9 from rubber tree. Analysis of protein S‐nitrosylation identified nitrosylated proteins in pollen from both conditions, including Amb a 1 isoforms. However, elevated NO₂ significantly enhanced the overall nitrosylation. Finally, we demonstrated increased overall pollen allergenicity by immunoblotting using ragweed antisera, showing a significantly higher allergenicity for Amb a 1. The data highlight a direct influence of elevated NO₂ on the increased allergenicity of ragweed pollen and a direct correlation with an increased risk for human health.     

Advances in Fmoc solid‐phase peptide synthesis

Today, Fmoc SPPS is the method of choice for peptide synthesis. Very‐high‐quality Fmoc building blocks are available at low cost because of the economies of scale arising from current multiton production of therapeutic peptides by Fmoc SPPS. Many modified derivatives are commercially available as Fmoc building blocks, making synthetic access to a broad range of peptide derivatives straightforward. The number of synthetic peptides entering clinical trials has grown continuously over the last decade, and recent advances in the Fmoc SPPS technology are a response to the growing demand from medicinal chemistry and pharmacology. Improvements are being continually reported for peptide quality, synthesis time and novel synthetic targets. Topical peptide research has contributed to a continuous improvement and expansion of Fmoc SPPS applications. Copyright © 2015 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A novel polymorphism of human complement component C3 detected by means of a monoclonal antibody

A mouse monoclonal antibody, HAV 4-1, obtained after immunization of a BALB/c mouse with purified C3F, detected a novel genetic polymorphism of human complement component C3 in a simple immunoblotting system. The frequency of HAV 4-1-positive genes was 20.1%. Reactivity of HAV 4-1 was closely related to C3F, but certain individuals with the C3F allele did not react with HAV 4-1. Conversely, certain C3S homozygous individuals did react with HAV 4-1. The polymorphism detected by this monoclonal antibody is therefore different from the previously described polymorphism based on charge differences.     

Alkyl-phenyl cleavage of the lignin model compounds guaiacylglycol and glycerol-β-guaiacyl ether by Phanerochaete chrysosporium

The white rot basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium metabolized guaiacylglycol--guaiacyl ether (I) in high nitrogen, shaking and stationary cultures. 2-(o-Methoxyphenoxy) ethanol (X), 2-(o-methoxyphenoxy) acetic acid (IX) and methoxy-phydroquinone (MHQ) were identified as products of the metabolism of (I). P. chrysosporium also metabolized guaiacylglycerol--guaiacyl ether (IV) in high nitrogen stationary cultures. 2-(o-Methoxyphenoxy)-1,3 propanediol (XII) and 3-hydroxy, 2-(o-methoxy-phenyxy) propionic acid (XIV) were identified as products of the metabolism of (IV). Finally, P. chrysosporium metabolized -deoxyguaiacylglycol--guaiacyl ether (VI) and -deoxyguaiacylglycerol--guaiacyl ether (VII) in limiting nitrogen cultures. 2-(o-Methoxyphenoxy) ethanol (X) and 2-(o-methoxyphenoxy)-1,3 propanediol (XII) were identified as products of the metabolism of VI and VII respectively indicating hydroxylation of those substrates with subsequent alkyl-phenyl bond cleavage. Metabolites were identified after comparison with chemically synthesized standards by GLC-mass spectrometry.Abbreviations GLC Gas liquid chromatography - TMSi trimethylsilyl - TLC thin layer chromatography - MHQ methoxyhydroquinone     

A high density culture system for the in-vitro production of human and mouse monoclonal antibodies

A simple high density cell culture system is described which demonstrates many of the features of commercially available hollow-fibre systems, but without the need to invest in a dedicated system. The system has been shown to achieve product concentrations of up to 40-fold greater than that obtained in batch culture making gram production of MAbs possible with considerable saving on serum costs.List of Symbols ELISA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay - FBS foetal bovine serum - IgG immunoglobulin G - IgM immunoglobulin M - MAb monoclonal antibody - pH negative common logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration - pO₂ dissolved oxygen concentration - RPMI 1640 Roswell Park Memorial Institute medium 1640     

Characterization of normal and mutant adenosine deaminase messenger RNAs by translation and hybridization to a cDNA probe

Summary Using both in vitro translation and hybridization to an adenosine deaminase (ADA) cDNA probe, ADA mRNA has been characterized in B lymphoblast lines established from seven ADA-deficient children, two parents of an ADA-deficient child, and three normal people. All ADA-deficient lines except GM-2825A, including those with less than 1% of normal catalytic activity, had normal or greater amounts of hybridizable, 1.6 kilobase in size, ADA mRNA. Immunoreactive ADA protein of normal size was produced by in vitro translation of the mRNAs. Deficiency of ADA activity in these lines appears secondary to synthesis of structurally altered proteins rather than to a quantitative deficiency in ADA mRNA. The GM-2825A line contains electrophoretically abnormal species of RNA which hybridize to the cDNA probe. Deficiency of ADA activity in this line appears at least in part secondary to a structural defect in the ADA mRNA or its precursors.