Changes in whole body concentrations of thyroid hormones and cortisol in metamorphosing conger eel

Summary To clarify the hormonal regulation of metamorphosis of the conger eel (Conger myriaster), changes in whole body concentrations of thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T₄) and triiodothyronine (T₃), and cortisol during metamorphosis were examined, as well as the changes in the histological activity of the thyroid gland. In larvae before metamorphosis, T₄ and T₃ levels were less than 5 and 0.15 ng·g^-1 respectively. Levels of T₄ increased to about 30 ng·g^-1 during early metamorphosis, and decreased subsequently. Levels of T₃ increased gradually in early metamorphosis, and then increased abruptly to about 2.0 ng·g^-1 in late metamorphosis. Before metamorphosis, cortisol levels of the leptocephali less than 11 cm in total length were greater than 200 ng·g^-1. Cortisol levels decreased rapidly in larger premetamorphic leptocephali, and low levels were maintained throughout the metamorphic period. Histological observation revealed an activation of the thyroid gland in early metamorphosis; thyroid follicle epithelial cells became columnar and their nuclei larger. Active uptake of colloid by these cells and intensive vascularization of the gland were also observed. By the end of metamorphosis, follicle epithelial cells became squamous, indicating a low level of glandular activity. These results suggest that thyroid hormone plays an important role in regulation of conger eel metamorphosis.Abbreviations AL anal length - TL total length - T ₃ triiodothyronine - T ₄ thyroxine     

High molecular mass type i.v. collagen-specific metalloprotease from human carcinoma tissue

A protease degrading type IV collagen was purified more than 8000-fold from human stomach carcinoma tissue. This protease degraded type IV collagen, while type I, II, III and V collagen, laminin, fibronectin, casein, albumin and hemoglobin were not affected. This enzyme had a pH optimum of pH 7.0-8.0 and was inhibited completely by EDTA and o-phenanthroline, but not by seryl, thiol and carboxyl protease inhibitors. Furthermore, the molecular mass of this enzyme was estimated to be 1 MDa by Sepharose 6B column and HPLC-gel filtration. The molecular mass and substrate specificity of this metalloprotease from human carcinoma tissue indicate it to be a new protease.     

Effects of induction of rRNA overproduction on ribosomal protein synthesis and ribosome subunit assembly in Escherichia coli.

Overproduction of rRNA was artificially induced in Escherichia coli cells to test whether the synthesis of ribosomal protein (r-protein) is normally repressed by feedback regulation. When rRNA was overproduced more than twofold from a hybrid plasmid carrying the rrnB operon fused to the lambda pL promoter (pL-rrnB), synthesis of individual r-proteins increased by an average of about 60%. This demonstrates that the synthesis of r-proteins is repressed under normal conditions. The increase of r-protein production, however, for unknown reasons, was not as great as the increase in rRNA synthesis and resulted in an imbalance between the amounts of rRNA and r-protein synthesis. Therefore, only a small (less than 20%) increase in the synthesis of complete 30S and 50S ribosome subunits was detected, and a considerable fraction of the excess rRNA was degraded. Lack of complete cooperativity in the assembly of ribosome subunits in vivo is discussed as a possible explanation for the absence of a large stimulation of ribosome synthesis observed under these conditions. In addition to the induction of intact rRNA overproduction from the pL-rrnB operon, the effects of unbalanced overproduction of each of the two large rRNAs, 16S rRNA and 23S rRNA, on r-protein synthesis were examined using pL-rrnB derivatives carrying a large deletion in either the 23S rRNA gene or the 16S rRNA gene. Operon-specific derepression after 23S or 16S rRNA overproduction correlated with the overproduction of rRNA containing the target site for the operon-specific repressor r-protein. These results are discussed to explain the apparent coupling of the assembly of one ribosomal subunit with that of the other which was observed in earlier studies on conditionally lethal mutants with defects in ribosome assembly.     

Nalidixic acid-resistant mutations of the gyrB gene of Escherichia coli

Summary DNA fragments of 3.4 kb containing the gyrB gene were cloned from Escherichia coli KL-16 and from spontaneous nalidixic acid-resistant mutants. The mutations (nal-24 and nal-31) had been determined to be in the gyrB gene by transduction analysis. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the cloned DNA fragments revealed that nal-24 was a G to A transition at the first base of the 426th codon of the gyrB gene, resulting in an amino acid change from aspartic acid to asparagine, and nal-31 was an A to G transition at the first base of the 447th codon, resulting in an amino acid change from lysine to glutamic acid. This indicates that mutations in the gyrB gene are responsible for nalidixic acid resistance.     

Characterization of a growth-inhibiting protein present in rat serum that exerts a differential effect onin vitro growth of nonmalignant rat liver cells when compared with Rous sarcoma virus-transformed rat liver cells

Summary We have previously reported the transformation by Rous sarcoma virus of a cloned epithelial cell line (BRL) established from Buffalo rat liver by H. Coon. The nontransformed (BRL) and transformed (RSV-BRL) cells grew at comparable rates in culture, whereas only the transformed cells were tumorigenic in vivo. We report here on the existence in rat and mouse sera of a growth inhibitor for the nontransformed BRL cells. The transformed BRL cells (RSV-BRL) were insensitive to this inhibitor. The inhibitory activity was not prominent in sera from other species of animals tested except for rabbit; this serum inhibited the growth of RSV-BRL cells more strongly than that of BRL cells. The growth inhibitor was partially purified from rat serum. It is a protein free of lipid and has a molecular weight of about 220 000. The inhibitor could be separated into three components of pI 4.6, 5.2 (major) and 5.6 by isoelectric electrophoresis. EDITOR'S STATEMENT Although compelling theoretical arguments sometimes can be made for the likely existence of growth-inhibitory substances of physical relevance in the control of cell proliferation, experiments aimed at identifying and studying such factors often are difficult to design and interpret, and little strong data exists to suggest that growth-inhibitory substances are important regulatorsin vivo. The information presented in this paper represents a start toward developing a useful system for studying growth-inhibitory factor. David W. Barnes     

A simple method for preparing physiologically active mitochondria from plant leaves rich in oils and phenolics

Amberlite XAD-7, a nonionic polyacrylate adsorbent, was found to be a very effective protectant for isolating mitochondria from tissues rich in oils and phenolics. Physiologically active, well-coupled mitochondria were successfully prepared from young green leaf tissues of citrus, apple, pear and tobacco.Abbreviations DNP 2,4-dinitrophenol - CCCP carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone - BSA bovine serum albumin - PVP polyvinylpyrrolidone     

Spatio-temporal distribution patterns of two tachinid flies,Epicampocera succincta andCompsilura concinnata parasitizingPieris

Larvae of genus Pieris in the northern part of Kyoto City are parasitized by two tachinid flies:Epicampocera succincta, a specialist on genus Pieris, and Compsilura concinnata, a generalist with very wide host-range. We surveyed the parasitism rates of Pieris by both flies for two years at six study areas. In these study areas, there lived three host species in the genus Pieris: P. rapae, P. melete, and P. napi, but neither tachinid parasitized P. napi to any significant extent. In the mountainous district, P. rapae and P. melete coexisted and their populations were relatively continuous, while in the lowland, only P. rapae larvae were abundant in spring and autumn, but even they disappeared in summer. Parasitisms by E. succincta occurred mainly in mountainous district and never in the lowland. C. concinnata parasitized Pieris in all the areas, but its parasitisms occurred mainly in autumn. We analyzed the factors affecting the spatial and temporal patterns of parasitism rates and presumed that the temporal discontinuity of host population restricted the distribution of the specialist parasitoid.