Analysis of ligand-receptor binding by the difference method

A new method has been proposed for analysis of experimental data on ligand-receptor binding at equilibrium. This method makes it possible to detect heterogeneity of a receptor system in cases where the contribution of the high-affinity site to total binding is rather small and the problem of graphic discrimination of a model cannot be solved unambiguously by other methods. The difference method permits us to exclude experiments on measuring nonspecific binding. A computer program for analysis of ligand-receptor binding has been worked out in which the difference method and traditional methods of binding isotherm analysis are realized. Numerical modeling has shown that the best strategy in experimental data processing is the treatment of total binding isotherms by both the difference method and regression analysis, including the nonspecific binding constant as one of the regression parameters.     

Beta-adrenergic mechanism of the radio-protective effect of isoproterenol in a mammalian cell culture

A specific beta-agonist, isoproterenol, increased the intracellular content of cyclic AMP and decreased the radiosensitivity of Chinese hamster fibroblasts. Beta-antagonist, propranolol, blocked the manifestation of the effect of isoproterenol. Isoproterenol did not affect either the intracellular level of cyclic AMP or the radiosensitivity of B-82 cells which had no beta-adrenoreceptors.     

Preparation and use of the poly-l-lysine-gold probe: a differential marker of glomerular anionic sites

Summary The conditions required for the production of a polylysine-coated gold (PL-G) complex, which shows optimal sensitivity for the demonstration of tissue anionic sites, expressed under different conditions of pH have been investigated. Problems encountered with this complex have been compared with those found with other methods of conjugation of polylysine to colloidal gold. The performance of a bovine serum albumin (BSA)-stabilized PL-G complex was examined against other PL-G conjugates, including complexes that are commercially available, for the detection of heterogeneous glomerular anionic site populations, expressed at pH 2.5 and pH 7.0.     

A new tubulin-binding protein

A new brain protein is described which forms an insoluble complex with tubulin, with concomitant stoichiometric hydrolysis of GTP. The complex contains a maximum of one tubulin-binding protein (MW 52,500) per two tubulin dimers. The tubulin-binding protein (TBP) does not compete with colchicine, but in the presence of microtubule-associated proteins tubulin appeared less accessible to it. Proteins such as TBP might sequester tubulin and thereby function either to inhibit indiscriminate polymerization, or to promote ordered nucleation by maintaining high local concentrations.