Additive Induction of Egr-1 (zif/268) mRNA Expression in Neuroblastoma × Glioma Hybrid NG108-15 Cells via Cholinergic Muscarinic, α2-Adrenergic, and Bradykinin Receptors

Abstract: Administration of carbachol, noradrenaline, and bradykinin induced Egr-1 mRNA expression within 1 h in mouse neuroblastoma × rat gliomahybrid NG108–15 cells. With specific receptor antagonists, the Egr-1 inductions by carbachol and noradrenaline were shown to be mediated via cholinergic muscarinic and α₂-adrenergic receptors, respectively. At their saturation levels for Egr-1 induction, the two agonists had additive effects when added together, but no prolongation of the effect on Egr-1 induction was observed. Addition of carbachol or noradrenaline 6 h after primary stimulation with carbachol or noradrenaline did not result in secondary Egr-1 induction, probably because of receptor desensitization. On the other hand, bradykinin consistently had an additive effect on Egr-1 induction, irrespective of the time of its addition, suggesting that the signal pathways for Egr-1 induction by carbachol or noradrenaline and by bradykinin are different. Treatment of cells with pertussis toxin or cholera toxin strongly inhibited Egr-1 induction by carbachol or noradrenaline but only partially inhibited the induction by bradykinin. Thus, the signals transduced in NG108–15 cells by different neurotransmitter receptors appear to have different effects on Egr-1 induction, depending on the times of stimulation and the combinations of receptors stimulated.     

Mucopolysaccharidosis IVA: polymorphic haplotypes and informative RFLPs in the Japanese population

Seven different restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) at the N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfate sulfatase (GALNS) locus were analyzed using Southern blotting and polymerase chain reaction based techniques to search for the frequency of each RFLP produced by StyI, SphI, HaeIII, StuI, HapII, XhoI, and BamHI restriction endonucleases, respectively, in 36 mutant alleles, including two sibling cases and 100 normal alleles. Calculation of heterozygosity indexes showed that these RFLPs were polymorphic, ranging from 0.31 to 0.69 in mucopolysaccharidosis IVA (MPS IVA) patients compared with 0.21 to 0.65 in normal individuals. There was some significant difference in several RFLPs and in the combination with four kinds of RFLPs (SphI, StuI, HapII, XhoI polymorphisms). The normal alleles were composed of 13 different RFLPs haplotypes; the most common among the Japanese population carrying normal alleles was haplotype 8 (bDEF1) (31.3%), the others being dispersed. The same haplotype 8 was the most frequent in the mutant alleles (44.4%), with seven further haplotypes. These findings revealed the striking variety of polymorphic haplotypes in the MPS IVA gene. By using these five kinds of RFLPs, we examined the theoretical informativity of haplotype analysis in heterozygote detection in nine unrelated MPS IVA families and ten unrelated normal families. All the members of the MPS IVA families studied were diagnosed as a patient, carrier, or noncarrier. We propose that prenatal diagnosis or family analysis in cases in which mutations have not been characterized is now feasible.     

Regulation of the orientation of cortical microtubules inSpirogyra cells

The orientation of cortical microtubules (MTs) was synchronously regulated inSpirogyra cells. While the reorganized MTs in distilled water for 1.5 hr, after 1 hr treatment with amiprophos-methyl (APM) and complete depolymerization of the MTs, were all transverse, those reorganized in 0.30 M mannitol were all oblique or longitudinal. After the MTs had reorganized in 0.30 M mannitol, these cells were then incubated in distilled water for 6 hr, and the orientation of the MTs, in the cells in which MTs could be observed, all became transverse.     

Degradation of methylmercury by selenium

When methylmercury was incubated in the presence of selenite and reduced glutathione (GSH), the mercury which was extracted into benzene under acidic condition decreased gradually with the elapse of time. This decrease was due to the cleavage of mercury-carbon bond of methylmercury. The reaction did not proceed when selenite or GSH was singly added to the reaction mixture. L-Cysteine, 2-mercaptoethanol and sodium sulfide in place of GSH also were effective for decomposition of methylmercury in combination with selenite, but oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and L-cystine were not. This suggests that reduction of selenite is needed for the degradation of methylmercury. Thus, the effect of reduced metabolites of selenite produced by GSH was investigated. Glutathione selenotrisulfide (GSSeSG) requierd GSH for the degradation of methylmercury, whereas H₂Se possessed a strong activity even in the absence of GSH. This may indicate that H₂Se is involved directly in the conversion of methylmercury to inorganic mercury. This phenomenon found in $\text{in vitro}$ experiments is discussed in relation to the biotransformation of methylmercury.     

Microdiversity of human-plasma-membrane calcium-pump isoform 2 generated by alternative RNA splicing in the N-terminal coding region.

cDNA species covering the entire coding sequence of the human homologue of the rat plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase (PMCA) isoform 2 have been isolated and characterized. The deduced amino acid sequence shows 99% identity with that of the rat protein and can be aligned with the latter without gaps except for one 14-amino-acid-residue insert in the region immediately preceding the putative phospholipid-sensitive domain in the human pump. cDNA clones isolated by anchored polymerase-chain reaction revealed additional microheterogeneity in the same N-terminal PMCA2-coding region. Alternative RNA splicing involving a region of 135 nucleotides generates three types of cDNA. One does not contain any of the 135 bp, and the other two contain 42 bp or the entire 135 bp of the optional sequence. Analysis of genomic DNA indicates that this sequence is encoded by three separate exons of 33, 60 and 42 bp. Although each of these exons could be inserted into the mRNA without changing the reading frame, polymerase-chain amplifications using cDNA libraries from several human tissues show that the 33-bp and the 60-bp exons are never independently used during splicing. The unequal distribution of the splice variants suggests tissue-specific regulation of the alternative-splicing pathways and indicates a functional specialization of the encoded isoform subtypes.     

A novel dihydrodiol dehydrogenase in bovine liver cytosol: purification and characterization of multiple forms of dihydrodiol dehydrogenase.

Three enzymes (DD1, DD2, and DD3) having dihydrodiol dehydrogenase activity were purified to homogeneity from bovine cytosol. DD1 and DD2 were identified as 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and high-Km aldehyde reductase, respectively, as judged from their molecular weights, substrate specificities and inhibitor sensitivities. DD3 was a unique enzyme which could specifically catalyze the dehydrogenation of trans-benzenedihydrodiol and trans-naphthalenedihydrodiol without any activity toward the other tested alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and quinones. The Km value of DD3 (0.18 mM) for benzenedihydrodiol was lower than those of other dihydrodiol dehydrogenases so far reported. DD3 immunologically crossreacted with DD1, but showed no crossreactivity with DD2. Additionally, DD3 was inhibited in a competitive manner, with a low Ki value of 1 microM, by androsterone, which was a good substrate for DD1. It was assumed that DD3 is a novel enzyme which is specific to dihydrodiols, exhibiting similarity to DD1 in immunological and structural properties.     

Changes in rat ovarian carbonyl reductase activity and content during the estrous cycle, and localization

Carbonyl reductase activity and content in the rat ovary were measured at various stages of the estrous cycle, and the enzyme protein in the ovary was localized by immunohistochemistry. The enzyme activity increased after the preovulatory surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) on proestrus, and the enzyme content began to increase prior to the LH surge. Although the enzyme content reached the highest level at 2000 h and remained at a plateau for 8 h, the enzyme activity increased linearly until it reached the highest level at 0800 h on the morning of estrus. At their maximum, enzyme activity and content were approximately 1.5-fold and 2-fold greater, respectively, then basal diestrus values. The enzyme protein amounted to 1-4% of the ovarian cytosolic protein. An immunohistochemical study revealed that the enzyme was primarily localized in interstitial gland cells and theca interna cells of secondary and Graafian follicles as well as atretic follicles.     

Increase in dATP pool in aphidicolin-resistant mutants of mouse FM3A cells

Mutants that were resistant to aphidicolin were isolated from mutagenized mouse FM3A cells at a frequency of about 10^?6. Resistance to aphidicolin in these mutants was not due to an effect on [³H]thymidine incorporation into DNA, DNA synthesis in permeabilized cells, or DNA polymerase α.All the mutants showed a greatly increased dATP pool and decreased ability to incorporate [³H]deoxycytidine into DNA. They also showed cross-resistance to both 1-β-D-arabinofuranosyladenine and 1-β-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine.These results indicate that an enzyme involved in production of dATP or its regulation is altered in these mutants. It is suggested that dATP competes with aphidocolin at its killing site or that dATP reverses the effect of aphidicolin by some unknown mechanism $\text{in}\text{vivo}$.     

Production of n + 1 plants and tetrasomics by means of anther culture of trisomic plants in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Summary Eleven primary trisomics of rice, variety Nipponbare, were subjected to anther culture. The 12th trisomic did not produce normal anthers. A total of 3,734 plants were obtained, which were examined morphologically at the seedling stage in the greenhouse. A number of plants appeared in the progenies of ten trisomics which had unique morphological features. The frequency of these variant types differed among different progenies. Cytological observations revealed that 43 variant plants in the progenies of nine trisomics had 13 chromosomes (n + 1), and 56 were tetrasomics (2n = 26). The tetrasomic plants in the progeny of a trisomic were morphologically identical. Similarly, n + 1 plants in the progeny of a trisomic were also identical. Plants with 23, 25, 36, 39, and 73 chromosomes were also obtained. Results show that valuable aneuploids such as n + 1 and 2n + 2 can be obtained in the anther-culture-derived progenies of trisomics.