A tumor-cell-agglutinating lectin in snail mucus from Arion lusitanicus (MAB) and Arion empiricorum (Fér.)

A lectin which agglutinates Zajdela hepatoma cells; rat red cells and lymphocytes, but no normal rat liver cells, was detected in the mucus, yielded by simple saline extraction, of the two snail species Arion empiricorum (Fér.) and Arion lusitanicus (MAB). The agglutination spectrum involves also human erythrocytes and red cells of several animal species.     

Characterization of ionomycin as a calcium ionophore.

The ionophorous properties of a new antibiotic, ionomycin, have been studied. It was found that the antibiotic is capable of extracting calcium ion from the bulk of an aqueous phase into an organic phase. The antibiotic also acts as a mobile ion carrier to transport the cation across a solvent barrier. The divalent cation selectivity order for ionomycin as determined by ion competition experiments was found to be: Ca greater than Mg greater than Sr = Ba, where the binding of strontium and barium by the antibiotic is insignificant. The antibiotic also binds La3+ to some extent, but its complexation with monovalent alkali metal ions is negligible. Measurement of the binding of ionomycin with Ca2+ indicates that ionomycin complexes and transports calcium ion in a one to one stoichiometry.     

Non-Linear Patterns of Complex Ramification Schemes in Higher Plants (Proposition for an Insight)

Die Seitenzweige von Cupressus sempervirens L. sind auf vier Orthostichen in scheinbar mehr oder weniger zufälligen, voneinander unabhängigen Mustern angeordnet. Eine auf L-Systeme sich berufende mathematische Konstruktion gestattet die Definition eines Morphismus. Acht Parameter, Periodizität der absoluten Wachstumsrate der zugrundeliegenden theoretischen Serien, die Väriation dieser Raten in komplementaren Unterserien und eine Schwellenreaktion sind die Hauptargumente.     

Light-dependent conformational change at rhodopsin's cytoplasmic surface detected by increased susceptibility to proteolysis

Rhodopsin in bovine photoreceptor disk membranes was subjected to limited proteolysis by thermolysin, removing twelve amino acids from rhodopsin's carboxyl terminus. (1) The rate of proteolysis is significantly faster with rhodopsin following exposure to light than with unbleached rhodopsin, provided that the incubation conditions (pH, temperature) favor the formation of metarhodopsin II. (2) If the disk membranes are illuminated under conditions in which metarhodopsin I is the predominant photoproduct (pH 8.5, 0°C), no increase in the rate of proteolysis is observed compared to unilluminated membranes. (3) The light-induced increase in the rate of proteolysis is transient: it slowly decays in the dark to the original rate found for unbleached rhodopsin. The enhanced susceptibility to proteolysis appears to measure a conformational change at rhodopsin's cytoplasmic surface which is first exhibited at the metarhodopsin II stage. This and possibly other light-dependent changes may allow rhodopsin to mediate its signal as a light-receptor protein by binding to and activating certain rod cell enzymes.     

High precision immunoscanning electron microscopy using Fab fragments coupled to ultra-small colloidal gold.

Ultra-small colloidal gold (less than 1 nm), bound to Fab fragments provides the shortest practical specific marker system to date and can be used in concert with field emission scanning electron microscopes to precisely locate antigenic sites. An "in-lens" FE-SEM equipped with a highly sensitive single crystal YAG-detector for backscattered electrons, as well as the use of advanced specimen preparation techniques based on cryofixation, are among the indispensible prerequisites. A T-even type Escherichia coli bacteriophage, Tu II*-46, was chosen to study properties of the immunogold labeling system. Distinct regions on the tail fibers of this phage were labeled with Fab fragments derived from antibodies against the related phage Tu II*-6. The tail fibers are composed of pairs of homologous proteins, thus offering two identical antigenic sites at the same locus on the tail fibers. Fab fragments can be visualized in the SEM at high accelerating voltage (30 kV) without any additional marker. This permits comparison of the labeling characteristics of unmarked and colloidal gold-marked Fab fragments. Unmarked Fab fragments often bind by pairs (two singlet Fab fragments bound opposed to each other along the axis of the tail fiber). The labeling efficiency of unmarked Fab fragments was greater than that of ultra-small gold-labeled Fab fragments. Binding by pairs was not seen after labeling with ultra-small gold-Fab fragments. The conjugates used in this study exhibited one colloidal gold per Fab fragment.     

In vivo fate and scavenger receptor recognition of oxidized lipoprotein[a] isoforms in rats.

High levels of Lp[a] in blood form an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis. Oxidative modification of Lp[a] may be involved in the suggested atherogenic action of Lp[a]. After Cu(2+)-mediated oxidative modification of the 440 kDa and 610 kDa apo[a] isoforms of lipoprotein[a] (Ox-Lp[a]), the in vivo fate was investigated in rats. Ox-Lp[a], when injected into rats, was rapidly removed from the blood circulation by the liver, in which the intrahepatic fate is dependent on the degree of oxidation of the isoforms. Upon oxidation to a slightly increased negative charge of Lp[a], the high molecular weight form of Lp[a] is recognized more efficiently by the Kupffer cells than by the endothelial cells. When the liver uptake of Ox-Lp[a] is blocked by preinjection of polyinosinic acid (poly I), the association of Ox-Lp[a] with the rat heart is increased 20-fold. In vitro studies show that the association and degradation of 125I-labeled Ox-Lp[a] with liver endothelial and Kupffer cells was inhibited by oxidized LDL (Ox-LDL), poly I, or Ox-Lp[a] itself by 60-90%, while only a partial competition was found with acetylated-LDL (up to 25%). In conclusion, after oxidative modification of Lp[a], there is recognition of Ox-Lp[a] by specific oxidized-lipoprotein receptors on liver endothelial and Kupffer cells; the relative importance at low degrees of oxidation of Lp[a] is dependent on the molecular weight of the apo[a] isoforms. Under conditions in which liver uptake is not adequate, the deposition of Ox-Lp[a] in the heart may be of potential pathological importance.     

Control of the Lysine Biosynthesis Sequence in Corynebacterium glutamicum as Analyzed by Overexpression of the Individual Corresponding Genes

The gene cluster that codes for feedback-resistant aspartate kinase (lysCα and lysCβ) and aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase (asd) was cloned from a mutant strain of Corynebacterium glutamicum. Its functional analysis by subcloning, enzyme assays, and type of aspartate kinase regulation enabled the isolation of a fragment for separate expression of the feedback-resistant kinase without aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase expression. This was used together with other clones constructed (J. Cremer, L. Eggeling, and H. Sahm, Mol. Gen. Genet. 220:478-480, 1990) to overexpress individually each of the six genes that convert aspartate to lysine. Analysis of lysine formation revealed that overexpression of the feedback-resistant kinase alone suffices to achieve lysine formation (38 mM). Also, sole overexpression of wild-type dihydrodipicolinate synthase resulted in lysine formation but in a lower amount (11 mM). The other four enzymes had no effect on lysine secretion. With a plasmid overexpressing both relevant enzymes together, a further increase in lysine yield was obtained. This shows that of the six enzymes that convert aspartate to lysine the kinase and the synthase are responsible for flow control in the wild-type background and can be useful for construction of lysine-producing strains.