Erythropoietin and megakaryocytopoiesis

To determine if erythropoietin influences megakaryocytopoiesis, the purified recombinant human hormone (rEpo) was added to serum-free liquid cultures of murine marrow. A dose-related increment in acetylcholinesterase (AchE) production was observed. To assess if increments in this relatively megakaryocyte-specific enzyme marker were mediated by a direct hormone-megakaryocyte interaction rather than via an accessory cell population, rEpo was added to cultures of isolated single megakaryocytes. A significant, dose-related increase in cell size was noted in the presence of the hormone, accompanied by a high probability of an increase in cellular DNA content. The data show that rEpo does directly influence some aspects of megakaryocytic maturation, although the physiologic significance of this effect remains unknown.     

Establishment and characterization of monoclonal antibody against androgen receptor

Hybrid cell lines were prepared by the fusion of BALB/c myeloma NS-1 cells with the lymphocytes of BALB/c mice that were immunized with partially purified androgen receptor (AR) from human prostates. Nine clones of the hybrid progeny were determined for the production of antibodies against AR by immunoprecipitation assay. One of the clones, referred to as "5F4", was chosen for analysis of the detailed specificity. The clone "5F4" secreted IgM class antibodies against AR. Competition study demonstrated that "5F4" antibody inhibited androgen binding of AR, suggesting that the antibody identifies androgen binding site of AR. Immunoblotting analysis showed that the antibody identified the ARs as two proteins, 95 kD and 41 kD proteins, on a sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel. It is suspected that a 95 kD protein should be a monomeric AR and a 41 kD protein is a proteolytic fragment of AR. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that androgen-dependent tissues--human prostatic hypertrophy tissues, an AR abundant prostatic cancer tissue and fibroblast cells from human genital skin--were stained intensely with "5F4" monoclonal antibody, while androgen-independent tissues--fibroblast cells from lymph nodes, an AR deficient prostatic cancer tissue and human prostatic cancer cell line, PC-3--showed no staining. These results also support the specificity of the antibody for AR.     

Circular dichroic evidence for regulation of enzymatic activity by nonsubstrate hydrophobic ligand on glutathione S-transferase P.

1-Anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid (ANS) noncompetitively inhibited enzyme activity of glutathione S-transferase P for both glutathione and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (Ki = 30 microM). Dissociation constant for ANS.GST-P complex calculated from the binding study was 15 microM. From the similar values of the inhibition constant and the dissociation constant, it was concluded that specific ANS binding caused the loss of enzyme activity. In the protein structural analysis by circular dichroism, the secondary structures remarkably changed by ANS binding in accordance with the decrease of enzymatic activities. The conformational change of the protein and the decrease in enzymatic activity were reversed by dissociation of ANS. This fact strongly suggested that the enzymatic activity was regulated by a nonsubstrate hydrophobic ligand.     

Expressions of receptor gene for hepatocyte growth factor in kidney after unilateral nephrectomy and renal injury.

The renal expressions of the receptor gene (c-met) for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were examined in unilateral nephrectomy (UNX), renal ischemia or folic acid administration. The levels of c-met mRNA were increased rapidly in all rat models at 6h after the operations. On the other hand, the expression of c-met mRNA in a kidney cell line (MDCK cells) was down-regulated for 8 h after HGF addition, indicating that c-met mRNA induction in rat models may be independent of the stimulated production of HGF. The stimulated expression of c-met in these models suggest that HGF may play an important role in renal hypertrophy after UNX and regeneration after ischemic or nephrotoxic injury.     

Regulation mechanisms of intracellular pH of Xenopus laevis oocyte.

Intracellular pH values (pHi) of Xenopus oocytes were optically measured using a fluorescent dye, 2', 7'-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF). The oocytes were loaded with dye by incubation with a membrane-permeable form (BCECF-AM). Mean pHi of the oocytes in pH 7.6 solution was 7.69. Increasing ambient pCO2 rapidly decreased pHi and estimated buffering power was 23.8 mM/pH unit. Changing ambient HCO3- from 5 to 30 mM did not alter pHi. After incubation in a Na(+)-free solution, Na+ addition to the bath rapidly increased pHi and this response was blocked by amiloride (ED50 2 microM). The addition of NH4Cl to the bath caused an initial transient increase in PHi followed by a secondary decrease. The secondary decrease was greatly inhibited by a histidine specific reagent, diethylpyrocarbonate. It was also slightly inhibited by ouabain, Ba2+ and furosemide, but not by amiloride. These data suggest that (1), fluorescence technique is applicable to PHi measurements of Xenopus oocytes; (2), Xenopus oocytes have an amiloride sensitive Na+/H(+)-exchange, and permeabilities to CO2, NH3, and NH+4. These observation may be useful in studying the relationship between pHi and oocytes development, and the expression of acid/base transporters in Xenopus oocytes.     

Lithium chloride-tolerant character of the heterobasidiomycetous yeastRhodotorula glutinis

The heterobasidiomycetous yeastRhodotorula glutinis was able to grow in medium containing a high concentration of LiCl. This character ofR. glutinis was presumed to be attributable to its ability to incorporate [¹⁴C]-adenine and [¹⁴C]-leucine into nucleic acids and proteins, respectively, in the presence of LiCl. Intracellular levels of Li⁺ and Cl^– ions, production and accumulation of glycerol as an osmoregulator, and respiration in the LiCl-stressed condition were almost the same in the tolerant yeastR. glutinis and the sensitive yeastRhodosporidium sphaerocarpum.     

A novel complex mutation in the LDL receptor gene probably caused by the simultaneous occurrence of deletion and insertion in the same region

A novel complex mutation with the presence of both deletion and insertion in very close proximity in the same region was detected in exon 8 of the LDL receptor gene from two apparently unrelated Japanese families with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). In this mutant LDL receptor gene, the nine bases from nucleotide (nt) 1115 to nt 1123 (AGGGTGGCT) were replaced by six different bases (CACTGA), and consequently the four amino acids from codon 351 to 354, Glu-Gly-Gly-Tyr, were replaced by three amino acids, Ala-Leu-Asn, in the conserved amino acid region of the growth factor repeat B of the LDL receptor. The nature of the amino acid substitution and data on the families suggest that this mutation is very likely to affect the LDL receptor function and cause FH. The generation of this complex mutation can be explained by the simultaneous occurrence of deletion and insertion through the formation of a hairpin-loop structure mediated by inverted repeat sequences. Thus this mutation supports the hypothesis that inverted repeat sequences influence the stability of a given gene and promote human gene mutations.     

Phloretin as an Antagonist of Prostaglandin F2α Receptor in Cultured Rat Astrocytes

Abstract: The effect of phloretin on prostaglandin (PG) F_2α-induced phosphoinositide hydrolysis and elevation of intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration was examined in cultured rat astrocytes. Phloretin inhibited PGF_2α (1 μ M )-induced phosphoinositide hydrolysis in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC₅₀ value of 16 μ M . The inhibitory action of phloretin was specific for PGs. The addition of increasing concentrations of phloretin caused progressive shifts of the dose-response curves of PGF_2α to the right. In digitoninpermeabilized astrocytes, phloretin (100 μ M ) inhibited the stimulation induced by PGF_2α (1 μ M ) plus GTPγS (50 μ M ) without affecting that induced by GTPγS alone. PGF_2α at 1 μ M transiently increased astrocytic intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration in 39% of the cells tested. The response was completely blocked by 100 μ M phloretin and the calcium response recovered again after washing out phloretin. These results suggest that phloretin is an antagonist of PGF_2α receptor linked to phospholipase C in astrocytes.