Population dynamics of microfilarial production and eosinophilic levels in slow lorises infected with Breinlia sergenti. Petter (Filarioidea: Dipetalonematidae)

Population dynamics of microfilarial production and eosinophilic levels in slow lorises infected with Breinlia sergenti, Petter (Filarioidea: Dipetalonematidae). International Journal for Parsitology 4: 383388. Observations have been made on microfilarial and eosinophilic levels in slow lorises infected with Breinlia sergenti. Animals given a single inoculation of 100-150 infective larvae exhibited three different patterns of microfilaraemia while superinfected animals showed enhanced microfilarial levels. It appeared that the number of inoculations as well as the interval between inocula are important factors in enhancing microfilarial levels. Two different types of incubation periods were seen, one at 100-120 days and the other at 200 days. The eosinophilic levels were investigated in some of the animals and an attempt was made to correlate these levels with the microfilaraemia. Cortisone injection appeared to promote a vigorous eosinophilia in some of the infected animals tested.     

Comparison of the requirements for ribonucleic acid synthesis with the requirements for deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis in animal tissues

Ribonucleic acid polymerase and deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase have been partially purified from bovine lymphosarcoma, lymph node, and thymus. An examination of the deoxyribonucleic acid requirements of the two enzymes indicates that “native” deoxyribonucleic acid is the preferred template for ribonucleic acid synthesis; heat-denatured deoxyribonucleic acid is considerably less active. The primer requirements for deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis differ: “native” deoxyribonucleic acid is usually inactive, while denatured deoxyribonucleic acid is active. The two enzymes also differ in pH optima and in their requirements for metal cofactors.     

Changes in the anatomical structure of the shoot apex ofSenecio vulgaris L. during ontogenis in relation to the formation of leaves and inflorescence

An investigation was made of the anatomical structure of the shoot apex ofSenecio vulgaris L. a photoperiodically neutral plant, and compared with the formation of successive leaf primordia along the axis up to the initiation of the terminal inflorescence. In the shoot apex of a germinating plant a central zone can first be distinguished from the peripheral zone which is composed of small and intensely stained cells. Later, a rib meristem appears. At the time of the initiation of the middle (the largest) leaves, the shoot apex has a distinct small central zone and a well developed peripheral zone and rib meristem. Between these zones there is a group of cells dividing in all directions, the subcentral zone. At the time of initiation of the last leaves, the central zone extends to the flanks and gradually ceases to be distinguishable. At the same time, the subcentral zone increases in size. This is caused first by cell division and later, with the initiation of the last, most reduced leaves, by enlargement of the cells. Vacuolization in the inner part of the apex and the arrangement of the superficial cells in rows parallel to the surface of the apex, is a preparatory step to the initiation of the inflorescence.     

Inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor. Inhibition spectrum of native and derived forms

The conversion of inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor (I alpha I) into active, acid-stable derivatives by proteolytic degradation has been tested with 10 different proteinases. Of these, only plasma kallikrein, cathepsin G, neutrophil elastase, and the Staphylococcus aureus V-8 proteinase were found to be effective, each releasing more than 50% of this activity. However, a strong correlation between inhibitor degradation and significant release of acid-stable activity could only be found with the V-8 enzyme. Inhibition kinetics for the interaction of native I alpha I, the inhibitory fragment released by digestion with S. aureus V-8 proteinase, or the related urinary trypsin inhibitor, with seven different proteinases indicated that all had essentially identical Ki values with an individual enzyme and, where measurements were possible, nearly identical second order association rate constants. Significantly, none of the five human proteinases tested, including trypsin, chymotrypsin, plasmin, neutrophil elastase, and cathepsin G, would appear to have low enough Ki values to be physiologically relevant. Thus, the role of native I alpha I or its degradation products in controlling a specific proteolytic activity is still unknown.     

Cloning, sequence analysis, and expression of a cDNA encoding a plastid-localized heat shock protein in maize

We have cloned and characterized a cDNA encoding a maize (Zea mays L.) heat shock protein (HSP), HSP26. The mRNA of HSP26 is present as a single mRNA species of 1.1 kilobase pairs in size and is detectable when maize seedlings are treated at 40°C but not at 28°C. Accumulation of HSP26 mRNA was detected after 10 minutes of incubation at 40°C, reaching the maximum level after 1 hour. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of maize HSP26 to other HSPs indicated a strong homology to the sequences of two nuclear encoded HSPs that are transported into the chloroplasts during heat shock: pea HSP21 and soybean HSP22. Maize HSP26 was also found to cross-react with anti-pea chloroplast HSP21 antibodies. Because of the sequence homology between maize HSP26, soybean HSP22, and pea HSP21, in vitro chloroplast protein import experiments were conducted. The in vitro synthesized maize HSP26 is specifically imported to the soluble fraction of the chloroplast and processed to a smaller polypeptide. The sequence homology and antibody cross-reactivity between maize HSP26 and pea HSP21 have allowed us to conclude that maize HSP26 is a nuclear-encoded, plastid-localized protein in maize.     

A major gibberellic Acid-induced barley aleurone cysteine proteinase which digests hordein : purification and characterization

We previously described the purification and characterization of a 37,000 M_r cysteine proteinase, designated EP-A, from gibberellic acid (GA₃)-induced barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) aleurone layers (S Koehler, T-HD Ho [1988] Plant Physiol 87: 95-103). A second, more abundant protease has now been purified from this tissue. This protease, designated EP-B, has an apparent M_r of 30,000 on 10% sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). It resolves into two bands during native isoelectric focusing with pl of 4.6 to 4.7. The analysis of hemoglobin digestion products by both gradient SDS-PAGE and Bio-Gel P2 chromatography, the inhibition of protease activity by E-64, leupeptin, iodoacetate, and p-hydroxymercuribenzoate, and N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis all indicate that EP-B is a cysteine proteinase. The first 22 amino acids at the N terminus of EP-B have been determined, and their sequence is 90% similar to that of EP-A. EP-B has properties similar to EP-A; however, EP-B is much more sensitive to high pH during gel electrophoresis and therefore is not detectable on native activity gels used to detect EP-A. Its pH optimum against azocasein and hemoglobin is 4.5 to 4.6. Both of these proteinases digest hordeins enriched for the B and D fractions into similar peptides of 25,000 to 2,000 M_r as determined by gradient SDS-PAGE.     

Prognostic usefulness of certain defined indicators for achieving complete remission and survival of ANLL in adults: proposal of a prognostic scale

Retrospective analysis has included 323 patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukaemia. The comparable patient groups were treated since 1981, according to protocols used by the Polish Acute Leukaemia Group. The prognostic value for achieving complete remission and survival of 67 pre-treatment factors (42 quantitative and 25 qualitative) was evaluated. The most important 9 parameters were scored according to their prognostic value as follows: age, percent of blasts in bone marrow, peripheral blood blast count, morphological subtype, percent of granulocytes in bone marrow, percent of blasts with CD-15 antigen, thrombocyte count, spleen/liver enlargement, CSF protein levels. Proposed scoring system enables classification of ANLL patients to a standard and high risk groups.