Persistence and expression of circular DNAs encoding Drosophila amylase, bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, and others in Xenopus laevis embryos

We injected circular forms of several different DNAs into fertilized eggs of Xenopus laevis, and studied the persistence and expression of the injected DNAs during early embryonic development. When we injected plasmids which contained Drosophila amylase genes, the copy number of the injected DNA increased only slightly during cleavage, started to decrease at the blastula stage, then became very small at the tadpole stage. In such embryos, Drosophila amylase activity was detected at and after the gastrula stage. When we injected other kinds of circular DNAs (pX1r101A, cDm2055, pII25.1, pBR322, and pSP-64-L14), their copy number did not increase throughout the early stages. When circular plasmids that contained bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) genes were injected, their copy number usually did not increase, but sometimes, for unknown reasons, it increased extensively throughout the blastula to gastrula stages. In both cases, CAT enzyme activity started to be expressed during the blastula to gastrula stages and disappeared at the 2 day-old tadpole stage. The level of CAT enzyme activity was roughly proportional to the amount of CAT mRNA formed, and also to the copy number of injected genes. From these results, we concluded that in Xenopus embryos, exogenously-injected circular DNAs are preserved for the most part as circular DNAs, and that the increase in their copy number within the embryos is not prerequisite for the expression of their genetic information.     

Inhibitory effects of danazol and medroxyprogesterone acetate on [3H]thymidine incorporation in human endometrial cancer cells

Effects of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and danazol (1 nM-10 microM) on cultured cancer cells from human endometrial adenocarcinomas obtained by hysterectomy were simultaneously investigated. Of twenty-four endometrial adenocarcinomas examined, five tumors were successfully maintained in primary cell culture. The addition of MPA as well as danazol in culture of cells from the five tumors resulted in a significant inhibition of [3H]thymidine incorporation in cancer cells from three tumors having progesterone receptors (PR). The minimum effective concentrations of MPA and danazol for the inhibition of [3H]thymidine incorporation were found to be 10 and 100 nM, respectively. The difference in effective concentration could be explained by a higher affinity of MPA to PR than that of danazol in cancer cells. On the other hand, neither danazol nor MPA affected [3H]thymidine incorporation in cultured cells from the remaining two tumors, in which PR was absent in one but present in the other. These findings, together with our previous findings that danazol inhibited the growth of a human endometrial cancer cell line with PR, suggest that a growth-inhibitory effect of danazol on human endometrial cancer cells is mediated through PR in the cells.     

Effects of Light on Chlorophyll Formation in Cultured Tobacco Cells I. Chlorophyll Accumulation and Phototransformation of Protochlorophyll(ide) in Callus Cells under Blue and Red light

A marked accumulation of chlorophyll was observed in calluscells of Nicotiana glutinosa when they were grown under bluelight, while under strong red light no chlorophyll accumulated.This blue light effect saturated at an intensity of about 500mW.m^–2. The effects of white, blue and red light on the transformationof protochlorophyll (ide) (Pchl) accumulated in dark-grown calluscells were studied by following the changes in the intensityof fluorescence emitted by Pchl and different forms of chlorophyll(ide) (Chi). Pchl with a fluorescence maximum at 633 nm (absorptionmaximum: 630 nm) decreased slowly, concomitant with an increasein Chl having a fluorescence maximum at 677 nm (absorption maximum:675 nm), which was subsequently transformed, independently oflight, to Chi with a fluorescence maximum at 683 nm (absorptionmaximum: 680 nm). Both blue and red light of low intensitieswere effective for the phototransformation, while red light,but not blue light, of high intensities caused significant destructionof Pchl. An action spectrum for this photodestruction showedthat the maximum destruction took place at 630 nm. White lightof high intensities was effective for the photoreduction withonly slight destruction of Pchl, suggesting that blue lightcounteracts the destructive effect of red light. At low temperatures,however, blue light as well as red light of low intensitiescaused photodestruction of Pchl. It was inferred that blue lightenhances a certain step or steps involved in the productionof a reductant required for the photoreduction of Pchl to Chl. (Received July 3, 1981; Accepted November 11, 1981)     

Development of a telemetry system for measuring oxygen uptake during sports activities

A new system for continuous measurement of oxygen uptake by means of a telemeter has been developed. Oxygen uptake and pulmonary ventilation during rest and exercise were determined using a portable oxygen consumption meter (Oxylog). A small interface circuit between the Oxylog and the transmitter of a frequency modulated bio-telemeter system was designed and installed inside the Oxylog. Data from the transmitter were passed to a receiver and were fed into a microcomputer system. The microcomputer system displayed and printed out minute values of ventilation and oxygen uptake. The accuracy and reliability of the new system were checked by comparison with the traditional (Douglas bag) method. In the range less than 80 l.min-1 of ventilation and less than 2 l.min-1 of oxygen uptake, the system was not inferior to the Douglas bag method. The new system was applied for field continuous measurement of oxygen uptake during a doubles tennis game. The results of the application indicate that the telemetry system developed here is a very practical and useful way of measuring oxygen uptake during sports activities.