Multiple affinity states of opiate receptor in neuroblastoma x glioma NG108-15 hybrid cells. Opiate agonist association rate is a function of receptor occupancy

The existence of multiple affinity states for the opiate receptor in neuroblastoma x glioma NG108-15 hybrid cells has been demonstrated by competition binding studies with tritiated diprenorphine and [D-Ala2, D-Leu5]enkephalin (DADLE). In the presence of 10 mM Mg2+, all receptors exist in a high affinity state with Kd = 1.88 +/- 0.16 nM. Addition of 10 microM guanyl-5'-yl imidodiphosphate (Gpp(NH)p) decreased the affinity of DADLE to Kd = 8.08 +/- 0.93 nM. However, in the presence of 100 mM Na+, which is required for opiate inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity, analysis of competition binding data revealed three sites: the first, consisting of 17.5% of total receptor population has a Kd = 0.38 +/- 0.18 nM; the second, 50.6% of the population, has a Kd = 6.8 +/- 2.2 nM; and the third, 31.9% of the population, has a Kd of 410 +/- 110 nM. Thus, in the presence of sodium, a high affinity complex between receptor (R), GTP binding component (Ni), and ligand (L) was formed which was different from that formed in the absence of sodium. These multiple affinity states of receptor in the hybrid cells are agonist-specific, and the percentage of total opiate receptor in high affinity state is relatively constant in various concentrations of Na+. Multiple affinity states of opiate receptor can be demonstrated further by Scatchard analysis of saturation binding studies with [3H]DADLE. In the presence of Mg2+, or Gpp(NH)p, analysis of [3H]DADLE binding demonstrates that opiate receptor can exist in a single affinity state, with apparent Kd values of [3H]DADLE in 10 mM Mg2+ = 1.75 +/- 0.28 nM and in 10 microM Gpp(NH)p = 0.85 +/- 0.12 nM. There is a reduction of Bmax value from 0.19 +/- 0.02 nM in the presence of Mg2+ to 0.14 +/- 0.03 nM in the presence of Gpp(NH)p. In the presence of 100 mM Na+, Scatchard analysis of saturation binding of [3H]DADLE reveals nonlinear plots; two-site analysis of the curves yields Kd = 0.43 +/- 0.09 and 7.9 +/- 3.2 nM. These Kd values are analogous to that obtained with competition binding studies. Again, this conversion of single site binding Scatchard plots to multiple sites binding plots in the presence of Na+ is restricted to 3H-agonist binding only.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Fluorescent gangliosides as probes for the retention and organization of fibronectin by ganglioside-deficient mouse cells

Ganglioside-deficient transformed mouse fibroblasts (NCTC 2071A cells), which grow in serum-free medium, synthesize fibronectin but do not retain it on the cell surface. When fluorescent derivatives of gangliosides, containing either rhodamine or Lucifer yellow CH attached to the sialic acid residues, were added to the culture medium, the cells incorporated the derivatives and their surfaces became highly fluorescent. When the cells were stained with anti-fibronectin antibodies and a fluorescent second antibody, fibrillar strands of fibronectin were observed to be attached to the cell surface, with partial coincidence of the patterns of direct ganglioside fluorescence and indirect fibronectin immunofluorescence at the cell surface. When the cells were exposed to bacterial neuraminidase during the time of ganglioside insertion, similar patterns of fluorescence were observed. Because the fluorescent gangliosides are resistant to the enzyme, these results suggest that neuraminidase-sensitive endogenous glycoconjugates were not involved in the ganglioside-mediated retention and organization of endogenous fibronectin. After cells were exposed to exogenous chicken fibronectin, most of the fibronectin was attached to the substratum and only a few fibrils were attached to the cells. When exogenous gangliosides were included in the incubation, there was a striking increase in cell-associated exogenous fibronectin, which was highly organized into a fibrillar network. Conversely, cells incubated for 18 h with exogenous unmodified gangliosides exhibited a highly organized network of endogenously derived fibronectin. Upon further incubation of the cells for 2 h with fluorescent gangliosides, there was considerable co-distribution of the fluorescent gangliosides with the fibronectin network as revealed by immunofluorescence. Our results support the concept that gangliosides can mediate the attachment of fibronectin to the cell surface and its organization into a fibrillar network.     

Cloning and nucleotide sequence of the Enterobacter aerogenes signal peptidase II (lsp) gene.

In Escherichia coli, prolipoprotein signal peptidase is encoded by the lsp gene, which is organized into an operon consisting of ileS, lsp, and three open reading frames, designated genes x, orf-149, and orf-316. The Enterobacter aerogenes lsp gene was cloned and expressed in E. coli. The nucleotide sequence of the Enterobacter aerogenes lsp gene and a part of its flanking sequences were determined. A high degree of homology was found between the E. coli ileS-lsp operon and the corresponding genes in Enterobacter aerogenes. Furthermore, the same five genes which constitute an operon in E. coli were found in Enterobacter aerogenes in the same order.     

Transposon Tn5-Generated Bradyrhizobium japonicum Mutants Unable To Grow Chemoautotrophically with H2

Twelve Tn5-induced mutants of Bradyrhizobium japonicum unable to grow chemoautotrophically with CO₂ and H₂ (Aut⁻) were isolated. Five Aut⁻ mutants lacked hydrogen uptake activity (Hup⁻). The other seven Aut⁻ mutants possessed wild-type levels of hydrogen uptake activity (Hup⁺), both in free-living culture and symbiotically. Three of the Hup⁻ mutants lacked hydrogenase activity both in free-living culture and as nodule bacteroids. The other two mutants were Hup⁻ only in free-living culture. The latter two mutants appeared to be hypersensitive to repression by oxygen, since Hup activity could be derepressed under 0.4% O₂. All five Hup⁻ mutants expressed both ex planta and symbiotic nitrogenase activities. Two of the seven Aut⁻ Hup⁺ mutants expressed no free-living nitrogenase activity, but they did express it symbiotically. These two strains, plus one other Aut⁻ Hup⁺ mutant, had CO₂ fixation activities 20 to 32% of the wild-type level. The cosmid pSH22, which was shown previously to contain hydrogenase-related genes of B. japonicum, was conjugated into each Aut⁻ mutant. The Aut⁻ Hup⁻ mutants that were Hup⁻ both in free-living culture and symbiotically were complemented by the cosmid. None of the other mutants was complemented by pSH22. Individual subcloned fragments of pSH22 were used to complement two of the Hup⁻ mutants.     

The small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequences from the hypotrichous ciliates Oxytricha nova and Stylonychia pustulata

We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the small- subunit ribosomal RNA genes for the ciliate protozoans Stylonychia pustulata and Oxytricha nova. The sequences are homologous and sufficiently similar that these organisms must be closely related. In a phylogeny inferred from comparisons of several eukaryotic small-subunit ribosomal RNAs, the divergence of the ciliates from the eukaryotic line of descent is seen to coincide with the radiation of the plants, the animals, and the fungi. This radiation is preceded by the divergence of the slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum.      

The secondary structure of a pyrimidine-guanine sequence-specific ribonuclease possessing cytotoxic activity from the oocytes of Rana catesbeiana

Summary RC-RNase is a pyrimidine-guanine sequence-specific ribonuclease and a sialic-acid-binding lectin purified from Rana catesbeiana (bullfrog) oocytes. This 111-amino acid protein exhibits cytotoxicity toward several tumor cell lines. In this paper we report the assignments of proton NMR resonances and the identification of the secondary structure deduced from NOE constraints, chemical shift index, ³J_NH and amide proton exchange rates. The protein was directly isolated from bullfrog oocytes; we were able to assign all but five of the amino acid backbone protons of the unlabeled protein by analyzing a large set of two-dimensional proton NMR spectra obtained at several temperatures and pH conditions. Our results indicate that the structure of RC-RNase is dominated by the presence of two triple-stranded antiparallel -sheets and three -helices, similar to those of the pyrimidine family ribonucleases. Two sets of resonances were observed for 11 amide protons and 8 -protons located in the loop-1 region, an 2 helix, and three -strands (1, 3 and 4), suggesting the presence of nonlocalized multiple conformations for RC-RNase.Abbreviations DQF-COSY double-quantum-filtered correlation spectroscopy - DTT dithiothreitol - NOE nuclear Overhauser enhancement - NOESY nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy - PE-1 N-terminal pyroglutamate - RC-RNase ribonuclease from the oocyte of Rana catesbeiana - TOCSY total correlation spectroscopy - TPPI time-proportional phase incrementation - TSP sodium 3-trimethylsilylpropionate-2,2,3,3-d ₄     

Transposon Tn5-induced mutagenesis of Rhizobium japonicum yielding a wide variety of mutants

When the "suicide" vector pSUP1011, which carries transposon Tn5 (Kmr), was introduced into Rhizobium japonicum USDA 110, kanamycin-resistant (Kmr) colonies were detected at a frequency (4.2 X 10-6) ca. 30 times greater than the spontaneous kanamycin resistance frequency (1.4 X 10-7). Ten thousand Kmr mutants were isolated and tested for nutritional auxotrophy. Auxotrophs were detected at a frequency of 0.5%. The following classes of auxotrophs were identified: adenine- (three), histidine- (three), glutamate- (five), adenine plus thiamine- (nine), uracil- (three), pantothenic acid- (one), tryptophan- (three), and methionine- (three). Mutants blocked in symbiotic nitrogen fixation (Fix-) were also identified at a frequency of 3%. The glutamate auxotrophs were studied in more detail, and all five showed an altered expression of nitrogenase activity in free-living cultures.     

An Efficient Selection Producing Structural Gene Mutants of Yeast Alcohol Dehydrogenase Resistant to Pyrazole

Selection for resistance to allyl alcohol in respiration-incompetent Saccharomyces cerevisiae produces a high proportion of mutants that can be localized within the ADH2 structural gene and that still, because of the type of selection employed, retain enzyme activity. We show here that a similar type of selection produces a similarly high proportion of mutants resistant to the competitive inhibitor pyrazole. The first four mutants examined, picked at random from a collection of spontaneous pyrazole-resistant mutants, show altered--usually increased--KM values for ethanol and NAD+, and markedly increased K1 values for pyrazole, compared with the wild type. When these kinetic measures and their electrophoretic mobilities were compared, all the mutants could be clearly distinguished from each other as well as from wild type. Genetic analysis shows these mutants to be close to and probably resident in the structural gene. For a variety of reasons, these mutants are even more favorable subjects for population genetic analysis and the dissection of molecular microevolution than are allyl alcohol-resistant mutants.     

Ethical,legal and social aspects of the approach in Sudan

The global malaria situation, especially in Africa, and the problems frequently encountered in chemical control of vectors such as insecticide resistance, emphasize the urgency of research, development and implementation of new vector control technologies that are applicable at regional and local levels. The successful application of the sterile insect technique (SIT) for the control of the New World screwworm Cochliomyia hominivorax and several species of fruit flies has given impetus to the use of this method for suppression or elimination of malaria vectors in some areas of Africa including Northern State of Sudan. The research and development phase of the Northern State feasibility study has been started. Sudanese stakeholders are working side-by-side with the International Atomic Energy Agency in the activities of this important phase. Several ethical, legal and social issues associated with this approach arose during this phase of the project. They need to be seriously considered and handled with care. In this paper, these issues are described, and the current and proposed activities to overcome potential hurdles to ensure success of the project are listed.     

Taxus sp. cell, tissue and organ cultures as alternative sources for taxoids production: a literature survey

The literature concerning the tissue culture of Taxus sp. as an alternative source for taxoid production is reviewed. The aim of this review is to summarize and discuss the progress achieved with the approaches and methods used for the establishment of various Taxus culture systems, the methods used for the evaluation of taxoid production, the multiple factors which control taxoid production and the feasibility of the in vitro production of taxoids on a commercial scale.