Bacteriophage Ø105clz induces the GroEL-homologue protein inBacillus subtilis

Using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the GroEL homologue ofBacillus subtilis was shown to be induced upon infection with Ø105clz, a clear plaque mutant of the temperate bacteriophage Ø105. Western blotting of one dimensional polyacrylamide gels also showed the induction of the GroEL homologue when cells were infected with Ø105clz.     

Clonal abortion of bone marrow T cell precursors: T cells acquire specific antigen reactivity prethymically

Lethally irradiated (900 R) mice were reconstituted with bone marrow cells from syngeneic donors that had been tolerized 2 to 3 wk earlier to either DNP or TNP compounds. Five weeks after reconstitution, these animals were tested for their ability to mount a delayed hypersensitivity (DH) response to the tolerizing haptens. Recipient mice were specifically tolerant to the hapten that was used to induce tolerance in the marrow donor. Mixing experiments in which mice were reconstituted with marrow from DNP-tolerant and TNP-tolerant donors showed no indication of active suppression or effective antigen carry-over in this system. This observation held true even in experiments in which mice were reconstituted with a mixture of marrow from tolerant and normal donors at a ratio of 5:1. Thus the reduced responsiveness in recipient mice seemed to be due to the functional elimination of hapten-responsive T cell precursor (pre-T) clones. Recipient unresponsiveness was also shown to be MHC restricted. Maintenance of unresponsiveness appeared to be due to the restricted access of regenerating pre-T cell clones to the maturational influence of the recipient's thymus.     

Localization of the glucose phosphotransferase to a cytoplasmically accessible site on intracellular membranes

UDP-glucose:glycoprotein glucose-1-phosphotransferase (Glc-phosphotransferase) catalyzes the transfer of alpha Glc-1-P from UDP-Glc to mannose residues on acceptor glycoproteins. The predominant acceptor for this transfer in rat liver is a glycoprotein of 62 kDa. This acceptor was labeled in liver homogenates through incubation with the 35S-labeled phosphorothioate analogue of UDP-Glc, and its distribution following differential centrifugation was compared to that of the glycoproteins labeled by CMP-[3H]N-acetylneuraminic acid. Whereas 94% of the 3H-labeled macromolecules fractionated to the microsomal pellet, 85% of the 35S-labeled 62-kDa glycoprotein was found in the high-speed supernatant. The distribution of the Glc-phosphotransferase was also examined following differential centrifugation, and the bulk of the activity was found in the 100,000 x g pellet. In contrast to results obtained with the lumenal microsomal markers 4 beta-galactosyltransferase and mannose-6-phosphatase, however, optimal activity of the Glc-phosphotransferase was not dependent on the disruption of microsomal vesicles by detergent. In addition, Glc-phosphotransferase was degraded by exogenous proteases in the absence of detergent, whereas the lumenal markers were not. We conclude, therefore, that the 62-kDa acceptor glycoprotein is cytoplasmic and is glycosylated by the Glc-phosphotransferase at a site accessible to the cytoplasm. This may prove to be a model for the topography of glycosylation of other cytoplasmic glycoproteins as well.     

Advances in medical genetics.

Although advances in medical genetics are designed ultimately to help human beings receive better health care, they pose many problems for society. Some of these concerns are real, but others result from misunderstanding and/or misrepresentation of the true implication of certain developments in genetics. It is obvious that the geneticist must play a dual role in society as scientist and as advocate. Although such a duality or role is not easy, it is not impossible. However, it does mean that the training of the medical geneticist must include more than exposure to the scientific approach.     

Apport de la biochimie flavonique à la systematique du genre Lycopodium

A systematic study of Lycopodium s.l. shows that only flavones occur in the four genera Huperzia, Lepidotis, Lycopodium s.s. and Diphasium. The arrangement of these taxa is discussed on the basis of the distribution of tricin, selgin, chrysoeriol, luteolin and apigenin. The evolutionary significance of these results and the uniqueness of Lycopodium phenolic metabolism are outlined.