Alkaline phosphatase reactivity in rabbit airway epithelium: a potentially useful marker for airway basal cells

The purpose of this study was to investigate alkaline phosphatase (ALPase) reactivity in rabbit airway epithelial cells. Acetone-fixed, methyl benzoate and xylene-cleared (AMeX-treated) paraffin sections of trachea, bronchus, and lung tissue were stained by an azo dye coupling method for ALPase and examined by light microscopy. Electron histochemical staining was also performed in order to study the sensitivity and specificity of reactivity in each cell type. ALPase reactivity at the light microscopic level was observed exclusively in trachco-bronchial basal cells, and not in bronchiolar basal cells. By electron microscopy, ALPase reactivity was noted in 97.9% of basal cells in the trachea, 97.0% of basal cells in the bronchus, and 94.5% of basal cells and 15.4% of Clara cells in the bronchiole. This was also true for dispersed tracheal epithelial cells. Reactivity was rarely observed in ciliated cells, non-goblet-type secretory cells, and undetermined cells. The reactivity was heatlabile, levamisole-sensitive, and of a non-specific type. These findings indicate that basal cells of rabbit trachea and bonchus have fairly high specificity for ALPase of a non-specific isozyme (92.2% and 95.6%, respectively). Therefore, ALPase is considered to be a useful marker for these cells.     

植物生活史对策的进化

植物生活史对策的进化班勇（中国林业科学院林业研究所,北京１０００９１）ＥｖｏｌｕｔｉｏｎｏｆＬｉｆｅＨｉｓｔｏｒｙＳｔｒａｔｅｇｙｉｎＰｌａｎｔｓ￥ＢａｎＹｏｎｇ（ＲｅｓｅａｒｃｈＩｎｓｔｉｔｕｔｅｏｆＦｏｒｅｓｔｒｙ,ＣｈｉｎｅｓｅＡｃａｄｅｍｙｏ...     

Some Properties of the Arginine Decarboxylase in Vicia faba Leaves

Growth of Vicia faba seedlings is accompanied by a rapid increasein arginine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.19 [EC] ) in the leaves and epicotyl.Increased enzyme activity was observed under saline conditionsin the presence of NaCl and with osmotic stress by mannitol.The partially purified enzyme (about 86-fold) readily decarboxylatedL-arginine, while D-arginine, L-homoarginine, L-ornithine andL-lysine were decarboxylated very slowly, and L-citrulline andL-glutamic acid were not decarboxylated. The K_m value was 5.8?10^–4M for L-arginine. The optimal pH and temperature for activitywere 8.5 and 45?C, respectively. p-Chloromercuribenzoate andN-ethylmaleimide were effective inhibitors of the enzyme. Inhibitionby spermidine, putrescine and agmatine suggested a possiblefeed-back mechanism in the pathway of polyamine biosynthesis. (Received October 11, 1983; Accepted February 24, 1984)     

In vivo and in vitro studies on the appearance of LHRH neurons in the hypothalamus of perinatal rats

Summary Ontogenetic development of LHRH-containing neurons was studied by fluorescence and enzyme immunohistochemistry in rats. In in vitro studies, the tissues of the septal-chiasmatic and mediobasal hypothalamic areas of fetal rats on day 16.5 or 18.5 of gestation were trypsinized separately for dissociation of the neural cells, and cultured for several days. Immunopositive reaction against LHRH was first detected in nerve cells derived from both areas of the hypothalamus of the fetuses on days 16.5 and 18.5 of gestation, after 8 and 6 days culture, respectively. The cells were small, and seemed to be bipolar in morphology indicating an axon and arborized dendrites. Immunopositive material occurred in the cell soma as well as in the cellular processes. In in vivo studies, immunopositive material, possibly deposited in nerve fibers, appeared first in OVLT and simultaneously in the external layer of the median eminence of fetuses on day 20.5 of gestation. The immunoreactive fibers increased in number in both parts with development, especially after birth in the median eminence. No immunopositive material was detected within any neural cell bodies nor in the cytoplasm of any ependymal cells.This work was financed by the Ministry of Education, Japan. No. 257008. We would like to thank Dr. Katsuhiko Saito (Department of Surgery, Tokushima University) for his kind advice on the preparation of the antibody used for the immunofluorescence study.     

Internal ultrastructure of spores of microsporidans isolated from the Silkworm,Bombyx mori

Nosema bombycis, two Nosema spp., and a Pleistophora sp. were propagated in the silkworm and the fine structures of their spores were studied. The morphology of the polaroplast, the appearance of the nucleus, and the number of coils in the polar filament differed among the spores of the four species. The spores of the three Nosema species, however, had several identical components; e.g., the polaroplast was made up of two parts, they had two nuclei, and the ribosome arrangement was similar. On the other hand, the spore of Pleistophora sp. had a polaroplast composed of three parts, a single nucleus, and ribosomes arranged around the polar filament. Thus the fine structures of the spore differentiate microsporidan species.     

Studies on antiviral glycosides. II. Mode of action for virucidal effects on Sendai virus

Treatment of Sendai virus with $\text{p-(sec-}\text{butyl)-phenyl-6-chloro-6-deoxy-β-}\text{d}\text{-glucopyranoside}$, followed by freezing and thawing resulted in a loss of hemolytic and cell fusion activities as well as infectivity without affecting hemagglutinating and neuraminidase activities. The anti-hemolytic activity of this compound was reversed by the addition of phosphatidyl choline to the virus samples. $\text{p-}\text{Azidophenyl-6-chloro-6-deoxy-β-}\text{d}\text{-[}{}^3\text{H]glucopyranoside}$ was successfully used for photoaffinity labeling of a specific virion site, and we confirmed the affected site of the glucoside to be the lipid components in the viral envelopes.     

A specific concanavalin A-mediated binding of bovine serum α-mannosidase to cultured human skin fibroblasts

A specific elevation of cell-associated α-mannosidase was observed in human skin fibroblasts cultured with concanavalin A for 12–72 hours. There was a latency of several hours before the increase of the enzyme activity occurred. When the cells were washed with α-methylmannoside, α-mannosidase activity was not increased. Other lysosomal enzymes including β-mannosidase showed a slight decrease in activity. It was concluded that the elevation of this enzyme activity was the result of a specific binding to the cell surface mediated by concanavalin A.     

Biodegradation of sodium sulfite liquor (NaSSL) and sodium lignosulfonate (NaLS) by a mixed culture of microorganisms

Summary In this work we discuss the aerobic biodegradation of sodium sulfite liquor of (NaSSL) and sodium lignosulfonate (NaLS) in a firwood sulfite waste liquor by a mixed culture of microorganisms consisting of two Trichosporon yeasts and bacteria in the Arthrobacter (two species), Pseudomonas and Chromabacterium genera. Under established process parameters, the NaSSL was biodegradated in one or two stages by mixed cultures. The kinetics in each stage was studied. The optimal ratio of NaLS and sugars in the substrate for the growth of mixed culture was determined. The growth of the monocultures of the bacteria on the NaLS and the growth of the yeasts as monocultures on the NaSSL substrate were examined. UV absorption and IR spectra were employed as analytical methods to follow the microbial degradation of NaLS. The aim of this research was to study the biodegradation process and kinetics and to remove by means of mixed culture the maximum amount of organic matter from NaSSL.     

Culture of chlorophyllous tobacco-cells not requiring any organic additives except sucrose in the medium I. Effects of light and temperature on the growth of the cells

1. In the dark, HNG (habituated Nicotiana glutinosa) and NG cellsscarcely grew at 15?C, and the difference between the growthrates of HNG and NG was small at both 15?C and 25?C.
2. The stimulatoryeffect of light (4000 lux) on the cell growthrate was higherat 25?C than at 15?C for both HNG and NG.
3. Light exerted muchmore effect on the growth rate of HNG thanof NG.
4. The thermaleffect was higher in the light than in the darkfor both HNGand NG, and was somewhat greater on NG than onHNG.
5. The synergisticeffect of light and temperature on cell growthwas greater onHNG than on NG.
6. HNG contained more chlorophyll than NG.
7. Inaddition, there was little difference between the friabilitiesof cell groups of HNG and NG.

(Received December 3, 1976; )     

Subcellular localization of glycolytic key enzymes in germinating castor bean endosperm

Phosphofructokinase and pyruvate kinase activities in castorbean endosperm increased during germination. Subcellular localizationof pyruvate kinase and phosphofructokinase in germinating endospermtissues was studied by differential and sucrose density gradientcentrifugation techniques. Eighty five percent or more of thepyruvate kinase and phosphofructokinase activities were locatedin cytosol. The remaining activities were mainly detected inproplastids. (Received June 30, 1977; )