Fluorescence technique for comparative studies of substrate-binding subsites in serine proteinases. Application to subtilisins.

A fluorescence technique for comparative studies of substrate-binding subsites in serine proteinases is described. It consists of: selective labelling of the corresponding subsites with a fluorescent group by using N alpha-dansyl(5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulphonyl)ated peptide chloromethanes containing different numbers of amino acid residues, and probing the immediate environment of the subsites by quenching experiments using ionic and neutral quenchers. Intramolecular distances between the subsites and particular chromophores can be also determined. The technique is of general applicability to all serine proteinases. The above mentioned approach was applied to two proteinases: subtilisin Novo and mesentericopeptidase. It was concluded that the substrate-binding site of mesentericopeptidase is considerably more polar than that of subtilisin Novo. Intramolecular distances between the labelled subsites and tryptophan residues in the two proteinases were determined.     

Gentamicin and amikacin repress the growth of Plasmodium falciparum in culture, probably by inhibiting a parasite acid phospholipase

Human erythrocytes were loaded with either gentamicin or amikacin and subsequently infected with the human malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum and grown in culture. Parasite invasion of erythrocytes was unaffected by the drugs, but subsequent development was retarded. The digestion of host cell cytosol in ring-stage parasites was inhibited by the drugs. A substantial acid, Ca2+-independent phospholipase activity could be monitored in parasite cytosol and was found to be inhibited by the drugs. These results imply that phospholipases are involved in the feeding mechanism of the parasite and that gentamicin and amikacin exert their inhibitory activity by affecting these enzymes.     

Phenotype frequencies of vitamin D binding protein (Gc) and of posttransferrin-2 (Ptf-2) in Belgian cattle breeds*

The vitamin D binding protein (Gc) and posttransferrin-2 (Ptf-2) phenotypes have been determined in a number of Belgian cattle breeds. A very slow migrating variant of the Gc protein — Gc C — has been found in White and Red East Flemish breed. This variant was absent from the other breeds studied. This slow variant was identified as a vitamin D binding protein by autoradiography. The Gc C protein was shown to be controlled by a codominant autosomal allele Gc C at the Gclocus. The Gc C protein is probably identical with a fraction previously described in buffalo and an Italian cattle breed. The allele frequencies for the Gc and Pft-2 systems are reported for several Belgian breeds of cattle.     

Estimate of mean tissue O2 consumption at onset of exercise in males

A mathematical model has been developed that permitted the calculation of the flow-weighted mean tissue O2 consumption (VO2T) at the onset of a step increase in work rate. From breath-by-breath measurements of alveolar O2 consumption (VO2A) and cardiac output (Q) by impedance cardiography and assumptions about the site of depletion of O2 stores, the rate of change in O2 stores (VO2s) was determined. The sum of VO2A + VO2s = VO2T. Six very fit males performed six repetitions of each of two step increases in work rate. STlo was a transition from rest to 100-W cycling; SThi was a transition from 100- to 200-W cycling. For each work rate transition, the responses of VO2A and Q were averaged over the six repetitions of each subject and the model was solved to yield VO2T. The responses of VO2A, VO2T, and Q after the increase in work rate were fit with a monoexponential function. This function included a time constant and time delay, the sum of which gave the mean response time (MRT). In the STlo test, the MRT of VO2A (24.9 +/- 1.1 s, mean +/- SE) was longer than that of VO2T (15.3 +/- 1.3 s) and of Q (16.5 +/- 6.5 s) (P less than 0.05). The MRT of VO2T and Q did not differ significantly. Also for SThi, the MRT of VO2A (34.4 +/- 3.3 s) was significantly longer than that of VO2T (30.0 +/- 3.4 s) (P less than 0.05). The MRT of VO2T and Q (30.3 +/- 5.5 s) were not significantly different at this work rate either.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate is not effective in releasing calcium from skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum microsomes

Regulation of many cell systems has been shown to be mediated by Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate which causes a release of calcium from intracellular sites. We have shown that release of Ca2+ from sarcoplasmic reticulum microsomes was not stimulated by IP3. The phorbol ester, TPA, also had no effect on Ca2+ release or Ca2+ ATPase activity. Thus, it is unlikely that the breakdown of polyphosphatidylinositides serves as a second messenger to mediate release of Ca2+ in skeletal muscle.     

Neurospecific proteins in human malignant brain tumors

The content of neurospecific proteins S-100, GFA and D2 was measured in malignant cerebral tumors by electrophoresis with the use of monospecific antisera. Concomitant measurement of proteins S-100 and GFA is a more reliable diagnostic criterion as to the tumor histogenesis than study of each protein alone. D2 protein appeared to be the most stable specific marker.     

Hight performance gel permeation chromatography of proteins

Proteins in the molecular weight range of 10 000–170 000 were separated by high performance gel permeation chromatography. Silica particles with 30 nm or 50 nm pores were derivatized with glycidoxy-propyltrimethoxysilane and used as support. The proteins were eluted with 50% formic acid. A protein fraction which induces endodermal and mesodermal tissues in amphibian gastrula ectoderm was purified by this method.     

DNA sequence plays a major role in determining nucleosome positions in yeast CUP1 chromatin.

The role of DNA sequence in determining nucleosome positions in vivo was investigated by comparing the positions adopted by nucleosomes reconstituted on a yeast plasmid in vitro using purified core histones with those in native chromatin containing the same DNA, described previously. Nucleosomes were reconstituted on a 2.5 kilobase pair DNA sequence containing the yeast TRP1ARS1 plasmid with CUP1 as an insert (TAC-DNA). Multiple, alternative, overlapping nucleosome positions were mapped on TAC-DNA. For the 58 positioned nucleosomes identified, the relative positioning strengths and the stabilities to salt and temperature were determined. These positions were, with a few exceptions, identical to those observed in native, remodeled TAC chromatin containing an activated CUP1 gene. Only some of these positions are utilized in native, unremodeled chromatin. These observations suggest that DNA sequence is likely to play a very important role in positioning nucleosomes in vivo. We suggest that events occurring in yeast CUP1 chromatin determine which positions are occupied in vivo and when they are occupied.     

New Intercommunity Infanticides by the Chimpanzees of Ngogo,Kibale National Park,Uganda

Hostile intercommunity relations, including attacking and killing extra-community infants of both sexes have occurred at most wild chimpanzee sites. We describe three recent cases of intercommunity attacks on infants committed by members of the Ngogo chimpanzee community in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Two of the attacks resulted in confirmed infanticides while a third attack probably resulted in the infant's death. In common with previous accounts of chimpanzee infanticides, the attacks described here occurred during boundary patrols outside the Ngogo community's usual range, adult and adolescent males were the main participants, one infant was cannibalized after being killed, and the victims’ mothers did not accompany the attacking party back to the Ngogo range. However, the patrol parties during each infanticide were larger than before and included females from the Ngogo community. Our observations indirectly support both the range expansion and imbalance of power hypotheses, which address why and under which conditions chimpanzee intercommunity encounters lead to aggression. These cases of intercommunity infanticide add to the growing database of the phenomenon in wild chimpanzees.