Use of monoclonal antibodies as a diagnostic tool in human leukemia. I. Acute myeloid leukemia and acute phase of chronic myeloid leukemia

Various monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) detecting certain different epitopes on myeloid cells (VIMD5, D5 D6, OKM1, Leu-M3, VIEG4, OKIa 1) have been used in combination with conventional markers (antihuman myeloid hetero-antiserum, FcIgG-receptors, C3d-receptors) to further define the phenotypic heterogeneity of myeloid leukemia. Subsequent leukemic samples from previously untreated patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (51 adults, 24 children) and from nine adult patients in the acute phase of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-BC) were studied. It was possible to demonstrate quantitative differences in the expression of antigens on the various leukemia subtypes which could be exploited for diagnosis. Furthermore our results revealed that there is a very close correlation between the different surface phenotypes and the types morphologically assessed according to FAB-criteria.     

Immunocytochemistry of brain-reactive monoclonal antibodies in peripheral tissues

Among a total of 135 tissue-reactive monoclonal antibodies previously prepared, 81 were brain-selective and were classified into neuronal and non-neuronal categories. The neuronal antibodies were again subdivided into antineurofibrillar, antiperikaryonal-neurofibrillar, and antisynapse-associated groups. On the basis of morphologic, developmental, biochemical, and pathologic criteria, the antibodies in at least two of these groups were found to detect heterogeneous antigens (called "neurotypes") rather than different antigenic determinants in single antigens. On examining the distribution in peripheral organs of staining patterns of 11 antineuronal brain-reactive antibodies, we now confirm that these antibodies are, indeed, largely brain-specific. In general, non-neuronal elements in liver, lung, heart, thymus, intestine, adrenal, and spleen remained unstained. However, most of the antibodies stained peripheral neural elements. Occasional antibodies did stain selected, non-neuronal structures. Four out of five antineurofibrillar antibodies stained nerve fibers in adrenal medulla, intestine and thymus. All of three antiperikaryonal-neurofibrillar antibodies also stained nerve fibers in the adrenal medulla, but not in other organs. Two out of three antisynapse-associated antibodies stained what appear to be nerve contacts on adrenal medullary cells, but not on any other peripheral cells examined. The non-neuronal peripheral staining patterns were restricted to selective nuclear staining exhibited by two out of five antineurofibrillar antibodies and the staining of macrophage and selected cardiac muscle nuclei by two of three antisynapse-associated antibodies. However, one antineurofibrillar antibody also stained the cytoplasm of selected liver cells. Among non-neuronally reacting antibodies, two antibodies stained nuclei of all cells except neurons in brain as well as peripheral organs. An antibody staining the ciliary epithelium of choroid plexus also stained basal bodies of ciliated bronchial epithelium. The overall data suggest that the specificity of brain-reactive antibodies is high and that their cross-reactivity with epitopes in non-nervous tissue is rare. In these cases, the antibodies seem to provide specific reagents for these additional structures as well as for their specific brain antigens.     

A phylogenetic analysis of Legionella

Four species of Legionella, L. pneumophila NCTC 11192, L. bozemanii NCTC 11368, L. micdadei NCTC 11371 and L. jordanis ATCC 33623 have been characterized by oligonucleotide cataloguing of their 16S ribosomal RNA. All four species are phylogenetically closely related, while no specific relationship could be detected with any other group of organisms investigated so far with respect to this method. At a low level of relationship legionellae are members of the broad group of purple photosynthetic bacteria and their non-phototrophic relatives, in which Legionella form an independent line of descent.     

The effect of bisulfite modification on the template activity of DNA for DNA polymerase I

Cytosine residues of poly(C) and heat-denatured calf thymus DNA were transformed into 5,6-dihydrouracil-6-sulfonate (U(SO⁻₃)) residues by treatment with bisulfite. The poly(U(SO⁻₃)₂, C₃) and poly(U(SO⁻₃)₉, C₁) prepared did not form inter-base binding with either poly(A) or poly(I) as judged by the absence of hypochromicity in ultraviolet absorbance. U(SO⁻₃) residues in the DNA inactivated it to serve as template for E.coli DNA polymerase I, while the template activity was restored by conversion of the U(SO⁻₃) residues into U.     

Tagesperiodik,Revierverhalten und Beutefang der Geißelspinne Admetus pumilio C. L. Koch im Freiland*

Auf einer Fläche von ca. 40 × 60 m eines Regenwaldes bei Manaus/Amazonas wurden über 30 Admetus pumilio untersucht, sowie Temperatur, Feuchte und Helligkeit im Biotop registriert. Man findet immer nur ein Tier in einer Höhle am Fuß großer Bäume; nahezu jedes derartige Versteck ist besetzt. Der Aktivitätsverlauf zeigt im Freiland 3 Aktivitätsschübe: der abendliche dient der Nahrungsaufnahme, der nachmitternächtliche dem Verlassen des engeren Reviers zu Partnersuche oder zum Höhlenwechsel, der morgendliche zur Rückkehr ins Versteck. Der Aktivitätsbeginn gegen 16 Uhr ist endogen, das Aktivitätsende gegen 6.30 Uhr weitgehend exogen bestimmt. Der Rückzug in die Höhle am Morgen erfolgt bei 10fach niedrigerer Helligkeit als der Auszug aus dieser am Abend. Adulte Geißelspinnen behalten über mehrere Wochen die gleiche Höhle bei; beobachtet wurde bis zu 65 Tagen. Innerhalb eines untersuchten Umkreises von 7—10 m können sie sich hervorragend orientieren — vermutlich olfaktorisch. Die Beutefanghandlung wird beschrieben und die Orientierung hierbei analysiert. Zwei mechanorezeptorische Systeme werden nach- oder nebeneinander wirksam: Trichobothrien auf den Schreitbeinen leisten die Fernorientierung und dirigieren die Annäherung an die Beute bis in den Wirkungsbereich der Tastbeine, die die Orientierung im Nahbereich übernehmen, vor allem beim Packen der Beute. Die kutikularen Haarsensillen auf den Beinen werden kurz beschrieben.     

ENZYMES OF PHOSPHOINOSITIDE METABOLISM DURING RAT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT

—The activities of four enzymes concerned with inositol lipid metabolism have been determined in homogenates of rat brains of different ages. The enzymes are CDP-diglyceride inositol phosphatidate transferase, phosphatidylinositol kinase, diphosphoinositide kinase and triphosphoinositide phosphomonoesterase. The activities of all the enzymes increased with age. Phosphatidylinositol kinase activity rose most sharply well before myelination, reaching a maximum at about 6 days of age. Diphosphoinositide kinase and triphosphoinositide phosphomonoesterase activities increased most rapidly during myelination. The increase in CDP-diglyceride inositol phosphatidate transferase showed no definite association with any period of development. It is concluded that triphosphoinositide metabolism is associated with myelin or a closely related structure.     

A comparison of the dose-response behavior of canine airways and parenchyma

We compared the histamine responsiveness of canine airways and parenchymal tissues in six anesthetized paralyzed open-chest mongrel dogs, partitioning total lung resistance (RL) into airway resistance (Raw) and tissue viscance (Vti). Pressure was measured during tidal breathing (frequency was 0.3 Hz) at the trachea and in three alveolar regions by use of alveolar capsules. Measurements were taken before and after the delivery of increasing concentrations of aerosolized histamine (0.1-30 mg/ml). We found that Vti accounted for 78 +/- 8% of RL under base-line conditions; this proportion remained relatively constant throughout the histamine concentration-response curve. There was a significant correlation between percent change in Vti and percent change in Raw at all levels of histamine-induced constriction (P less than 0.001). Moreover, the sensitivity of the tissues and airways (defined as the concentration of histamine required to double resistance) was remarkably similar. We conclude that, at this frequency of ventilation, Vti accounts for the major portion of RL both under base-line conditions and after histamine-induced constriction. Although increases in RL cannot be attributed solely to events occurring in the airways, the close correlation between changes in Raw and Vti and the similar sensitivities of the two support the use of indexes reflecting changes in airway caliber as an indicator of overall lung histamine responsiveness.     

Localization of phycoerythrin at the lumenal surface of the thylakoid membrane in Rhodomonas lens

The thylakoids of cryptomonads are unique in that their lumens are filled with an electron-dense substance postulated to be phycobiliprotein. In this study, we used an antiserum against phycoerythrin (PE) 545 of Rhodomonas lens (gift of R. MacColl, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY) and protein A-gold immunoelectron microscopy to localize this light-harvesting protein in cryptomonad cells. In sections of whole cells of R. lens labeled with anti-PE 545, the gold particles were not uniformly distributed over the dense thylakoid lumens as expected, but instead were preferentially localized either over or adjacent to the thylakoid membranes. A similar pattern of labeling was observed in cell sections labeled with two different antisera against PE 566 from Cryptomonas ovata. To determine whether PE is localized on the outer or inner side of the membrane, chloroplast fragments were isolated from cells fixed in dilute glutaraldehyde and labeled in vitro with anti-PE 545 followed by protein A-small gold. These thylakoid preparations were then fixed in glutaraldehyde followed by osmium tetroxide, embedded in Spurr, and sections were labeled with anti-PE 545 followed by protein A-large gold. Small gold particles were found only at the broken edges of the thylakoids, associated with the dense material on the lumenal surface of the membrane, whereas large gold particles were distributed along the entire length of the thylakoid membrane. We conclude that PE is located inside the thylakoids of R. lens in close association with the lumenal surface of the thylakoid membrane.