Increased choline acetyltransferase activity by Chinese herbal medicine Sho-saiko-to-go-keishi-ka-shakuyaku-to in aged rat brain

The effect of a Chinese herbal medicine Sho-saiko-to-go-keishi-ka-shakuyaku-to (TJ-960) on the brain choline acetyltransferase (CAT) activity was studied in adult (3.5 months of age) and aged (24 months of age) rats. After oral administration of 5% TJ-960 solution for 3 months, CAT activity in the hippocampus, pons-medulla oblongata and striatum of aged rats was significantly lower than that of adult rats. CAT activity in the cerebellum, however, was significantly higher in the aged rats, as compared to the adult rats. TJ-960 significantly increased CAT activity in the hippocampus and striatum of aged rats, but did not affect the activity of the enzyme in the adult rat brain.     

A novel type of human alpha-amylase produced in lung carcinoid tumor

A novel type of alpha-amylase was detected in a lung carcinoid tissue after surveying the cDNA library constructed from this tumor mRNA. Nucleotide sequence analysis showed that the amylase expressed in this carcinoid tumor has 13 and 6 amino acid substitutions when compared with salivary amylase (Amy1) and pancreatic amylase (Amy2), respectively. The nucleotide sequence homologies of cDNAs between this carcinoid amylase and amy1, amy2 are 97.5% and 98.2%, respectively. The nucleotide sequence comparison strongly suggests that this new amylase is the product of the amy3 gene that has been detected in human genome [Emi et al., Gene 62 (1988) 229-235]     

Base sequence specificity of a monoclonal antibody binding to (6-4)photoproducts.

The DNA base sequence specificity of the 64M-1 monoclonal antibody, which recognizes ultraviolet (UV)-induced (6-4)photoproducts, was characterized. The 64M-1 antibody strongly bound to UV-poly(dU) as well as to UV-poly(dT), and weakly to UV-poly(dC), UV-poly(me5dC) and UV-poly(rU). A competitive inhibition assay using UV-oligo(dT)8, UV-oligo(dTdC)4, UV-oligo(dC)8, UV-PvuI linker (GCGATCGC) and UV-PvuII linker (GCAGCTGC) indicated that the main (6-4)photoproducts detected by the 64M-1 antibody in UV-irradiated DNA are TT(6-4)photoproducts and TC(6-4)photoproducts. Comparison between dTpdT(6-4)photoproduct and dTpdC(6-4)photoproduct showed that the affinity of the 64M-1 antibody for dTpdT(6-4)photoproduct was about 5 times higher than that for dTpdC(6-4)photoproduct. The antibody also binds to isolated TT(6-4)photoproducts.     

Nef genes of SIV

Molecular clones of SIVmac were constructed that differed only in sequences within the nef gene. DEAE-transfection of viral DNA containing an open from of nef yielded virus that replicated with similar kinetics and to a similar extent in macaque peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) cultures as virus with a deletion or stop codon within nef. Rhesus monkeys that received each kind of molecularly cloned virus became infected. Our results additionally suggest that mutant forms of virus are selected in vitro while open, functional forms are selected in vivo. In animals infected with virus containing a stop codon within nef, reversion of the stop codon to a coding codon was demonstrated in five of five clones analyzed. These results indicate that nef is playing some role crucial to the virus life cycle in vivo.     

Characterization of human thyrotropin receptor-related peptide-like immunoreactivity in peripheral blood of Graves' disease.

An antiserum raised against an alignment of amino acid-(32-56), termed TSHRP-1, in the extracellular domain of human thyrotropin (TSH) receptor was used to identify the TSH receptor-like substance in plasma of Graves' disease. The dilution curve of plasma TSHRP-1-like immunoreactivity was observed in a manner parallel to the standard synthetic peptide curve in radioimmunoassay, and its molecular weight estimated approximately 60 kDa. The amounts of TSHRP-1-like immunoreactivity were significantly higher in Graves' plasma than those in plasma of normal and hypothyroid patients due to Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The present results indicate that human peripheral blood possesses a soluble form of the extracellular domain of TSH receptor which may contribute to the pathophysiology of Graves' disease.     

In Vitro Bleaching of Hardwood Kraft Pulp by Extracellular Enzymes Excreted from White Rot Fungi in a Cultivation System Using a Membrane Filter

To clarify the role of excreted extracellular enzymes during long-term incubation in a pulp biobleaching system with white rot fungi, we developed a cultivation system in which a membrane filter is used; this membrane filter can prevent direct contact between hyphae and kraft pulp, but allows extracellular enzymes to attack the kraft pulp. Phanerochaete sordida YK-624 brightened the pulp 21.4 points to 54.0% brightness after a 5-day in vitro treatment; this value was significantly higher than the values obtained with Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Coriolus versicolor after a 7-day treatment. Our results indicate that cell-free, membrane-filtered components from the in vitro bleaching system are capable of delignifying unbleached kraft pulp. Obvious candidates for filterable reagents capable of delignifying and bleaching kraft pulp are peroxidase and phenoloxidase proteins. The level of secreted manganese peroxidase activity in the filterable components was substantial during strain YK-624 in vitro bleaching. A positive correlation between the level of manganese peroxidase and brightening of the pulp was observed.