The search for new industrial crops

Advances in technological development have produced an ever-increasing pressure for new and different raw materials to keep pace with changing industrial needs. Many new and useful properties of plants may be discovered through the modern chemistry and technology of utilization research. The U. S. Department of Agriculture’s search for new industrial crops is a coordinated botanical and utilization research program.     

Neural cell recognition molecule F11: homology with fibronectin type III and immunoglobulin type C domains

We report here the complete cDNA sequence of F11 130 kd polypeptide, a chick neural cell surface-associated glycoprotein implicated in neurite fasciculation and elongation. The predicted protein sequence of 1010 amino acids includes an amino-terminal signal peptide and a carboxy-terminal hydrophobic stretch, which is compatible with the consensus motif for covalent attachment of glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol. Accordingly, F11 lacks an intracellular domain, which is consistent with evidence obtained from protease protection experiments on isolated microsomes. In addition, the molecule comprises six domains related to the immunoglobulin domain type C and four resembling fibronectin repeat type III. Both types of repeats resemble those present in neural cell adhesion molecules L1 and N-CAM. The possible identity of F11 with the chick neural glycoprotein contactin is discussed.     

Maturational steps of bone marrow-derived dendritic murine epidermal cells. Phenotypic and functional studies on Langerhans cells and Thy-1+ dendritic epidermal cells in the perinatal period

The adult murine epidermis harbors two separate CD45+ bone marrow (BM)-derived dendritic cell systems, i.e., Ia+, ADPase+, Thy-1-, CD3- Langerhans cells (LC) and Ia-, ADPase-, Thy-1+, CD3+ dendritic epidermal T cells (DETC). To clarify whether the maturation of these cells from their ill-defined precursors is already accomplished before their entry into the epidermis or, alternatively, whether a specific epidermal milieu is required for the expression of their antigenic determinants, we studied the ontogeny of CD45+ epidermal cells (EC). In the fetal life, there exists a considerable number of CD45+, Ia-, ADPase+ dendritic epidermal cells. When cultured, these cells become Ia+ and, in parallel, acquire the potential of stimulating allogeneic T cell proliferation. These results imply that CD45+, Ia-, ADPase+ fetal dendritic epidermal cells are immature LC precursors and suggest that the epidermis plays a decisive role in LC maturation. The day 17 fetal epidermis also contains a small population of CD45+, Thy-1+, ADPase-, CD3- round cells. Over the course of 2 to 3 wk, they are slowly replaced by an ever increasing number of round and, finally, dendritic CD45+, Thy-1+, CD3+ EC. Thus, CD45+, Thy-1+, ADPase-, CD3- fetal EC may either be DETC precursors or, alternatively, may represent a distinctive cell system of unknown maturation potential. According to this latter theory, these cells would be eventually outnumbered by newly immigrating CD45+, Thy-1+, CD3+ T cells--the actual DETC.     

Qualitative importance of the microbial loop and plankton community structure in a eutrophic lake during a bloom of cyanobacteria

Plankton community structure and major pools and fluxes of carbon were observed before and after culmination of a bloom of cyanobacteria in eutrophic Frederiksborg Slotssø, Denmark. Biomass changes of heterotrophic nanoflagellates, ciliates, microzooplankton (50 to 140 μm), and macrozooplankton (larger than 140 μm) were compared to phytoplankton and bacterial production as well as micro- and macrozooplankton ingestion rates of phytoplankton and bacteria. The carbon budget was used as a means to examine causal relationships in the plankton community. Phytoplankton biomass decreased and algae smaller than 20 μm replacedAphanizomenon after the culmination of cyanobacteria. Bacterial net production peaked shortly after the culmination of the bloom (510 μg C liter^?1 d^?1 and decreased thereafter to a level of approximately 124 μg C liter^?1 d^?1. Phytoplankton extracellular release of organic carbon accounted for only 4–9% of bacterial carbon demand. Cyclopoid copepods and small-sized cladocerans started to grow after the culmination, but food limitation probably controlled the biomass after the collapse of the bloom. Grazing of micro- and macrozooplankton were estimated from in situ experiments using labeled bacteria and algae. Macrozooplankton grazed 22% of bacterial net production during the bloom and 86% after the bloom, while microzooplankton (nauplii, rotifers and ciliates larger than 50 μm) ingested low amounts of bacteria and removed 10–16% of bacterial carbon. Both macro-and microzooplankton grazed algae smaller than 20 μm, although they did not control algal biomass. From calculated clearance rates it was found that heterotrophic nanoflagellates (40–440 ml^?1) grazed 3–4% of the bacterial production, while ciliates smaller than 50 μm removed 19–39% of bacterial production, supporting the idea that ciliates are an important link between bacteria and higher trophic levels. During and after the bloom ofAphanizomenon, major fluxes of carbon between bacteria, ciliates and crustaceans were observed, and heterotrophic nanoflagellates played a minor role in the pelagic food web.     

Analysis of chromosome 22 deletions in neurofibromatosis type 2-related tumors.

The neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) gene has been hypothesized to be a recessive tumor suppressor, with mutations at the same locus on chromosome 22 that lead to NF2 also leading to sporadic tumors of the types seen in NF2. Flanking markers for this gene have previously been defined as D22S1 centromeric and D22S28 telomeric. Identification of subregions of this interval that are consistently rearranged in the NF2-related tumors would aid in better defining the disease locus. To this end, we have compared tumor and constitutional DNAs, isolated from 39 unrelated patients with sporadic and NF2-associated acoustic neuromas, meningiomas, schwannomas, and ependymomas, at eight polymorphic loci on chromosome 22. Two of the tumors studied revealed loss-of-heterozygosity patterns, which is consistent with the presence of chromosome 22 terminal deletions. By using additional polymorphic markers, the terminal deletion breakpoint found in one of the tumors, an acoustic neuroma from an NF2 patient, was mapped within the previously defined NF2 region. The breakpoint occurred between the haplotyped markers D22S41/D22S46 and D22S56. This finding redefines the proximal flanking marker and localizes the NF2 gene between markers D22S41/D22S46 and D22S28. In addition, we identified a sporadic acoustic neuroma that reveals a loss-of-heterozygosity pattern consistent with mitotic recombination or deletion and reduplication, which are mechanisms not previously seen in studies of these tumors. This finding, while inconsistent with models of tumorigenesis that invoke single deletions and their gene-dosage effects, lends further support to the recessive tumor-suppressor model.     

Characterization of Robertsonian translocations by using fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization with five biotin-labeled probes (three alphoid probes, a probe specific for beta-satellite sequences in all acrocentric chromosomes, and an rDNA probe) was used to characterize 30 different Robertsonian translocations, including three t(13;13); one t(15;15), four t(21;21), three t(13;14), two t(13;15), two (13;21), two t(13;22), one t(14;15), eight t(14;21), two t(14;22), and two t(21;22). Of 8 de novo homologous translocations, only one t(13;13) chromosome was interpreted as dicentric, while 19 of 22 nonhomologous Robertsonian translocations were dicentric. The three monocentric nonhomologous translocations included both of the t(13;21) and one t(21;22). Two of 26 translocations studied using the beta-satellite probe showed a positive signal, while rDNA was undetectable in 10 cases studied. These results indicate that most homologous Robertsonian translocations appear monocentric, while the bulk of nonhomologous translocations show two alphoid signals. A majority of the breakpoints localized using this analysis seem to be distal to the centromere and just proximal to the beta-satellite and nuclear-organizing regions.     

Discrete domains of human U6 snRNA required for the assembly of U4/U6 snRNP and splicing complexes.

U6 snRNA sequences required for assembly of U4/U6 snRNP and splicing complexes were determined by in vitro reconstitution of snRNPs. Both mutagenesis and chemical modification/interference assays identify a U6 snRNA domain required for U4/U6 snRNP formation. The results support the existence of a U4/U6 snRNA interaction domain previously proposed on the basis of phylogenetic evidence. In addition, two short U6 snRNA regions flanking the U4/U6 interaction domain are essential to assemble the U4/U6 snRNP into splicing complexes. These two regions may represent binding sites for splicing factors or may facilitate the formation of an alternative U6 snRNA secondary structure during spliceosome assembly.