Contrast-FEL—A Test for Differences in Selective Pressures at Individual Sites among Clades and Sets of Branches

A number of evolutionary hypotheses can be tested by comparing selective pressures among sets of branches in a phylogenetic tree. When the question of interest is to identify specific sites within genes that may be evolving differently, a common approach is to perform separate analyses on subsets of sequences and compare parameter estimates in a post hoc fashion. This approach is statistically suboptimal and not always applicable. Here, we develop a simple extension of a popular fixed effects likelihood method in the context of codon-based evolutionary phylogenetic maximum likelihood testing, Contrast-FEL. It is suitable for identifying individual alignment sites where any among the K≥2 sets of branches in a phylogenetic tree have detectably different ω ratios, indicative of different selective regimes. Using extensive simulations, we show that Contrast-FEL delivers good power, exceeding 90% for sufficiently large differences, while maintaining tight control over false positive rates, when the model is correctly specified. We conclude by applying Contrast-FEL to data from five previously published studies spanning a diverse range of organisms and focusing on different evolutionary questions.     

Effect of precursors on biosynthesis of monensins A and B

Precursors of monensins (acetate, propionate, butyrate, isobutyrate) affect the total production and the relative proportion of monensins A and B. Addition of propionate into the fermentation medium causes a prevalence of monensin B whereas butyrate and isobutyrate stimulate the production of monensin A and suppress the production of monensin B.     

Role of adrenergic structures in regulating the release by the intestines of hemocoagulating compounds into the blood stream

Experiments on cats were made to study the capability of adrenaline, tropaphen and propranolol of influencing the intensity of the release of hemocoagulating compounds and anticoagulants from the intestinal vessels and tissues to the bloodstream (perfusate). Adrenaline was found to increase the coagulative activity of the perfusate, provoking an enhanced release into it of thromboplastin, an analogue of plasma factor V and antiheparin compounds and suppressing the release of antithromboplastins. The blockade of the alpha-adrenoreceptors was accompanied by a dramatic increase of antithromboplastins to the intestinal perfusate, whereas the depression of the activity of beta-adrenergic structures by reduction of the release of tissue thromboplastin inhibitors. It is concluded that regulation of the release of antithromboplastins in the intestine is mediated by the structures similar in their characteristics to alpha- and beta-adrenoreceptors.     

Modulating effect of cerulein on benzodiazepine receptors

Subcutaneous administration of caerulein (100-500 micrograms/kg) significantly reduced the development of picrotoxin (8 mg/kg) seizures in male mice. The same doses of caerulein inhibited 3H-flunitrazepam binding in in vivo experiments. Proglumide, an antagonist of cholecystokinin receptors, in low dose (5 mg/kg) potentiated the effects of caerulein (100 micrograms/kg), whereas the administration of proglumide in high dose (25 mg/kg) reduced the action of caerulein on 3H-flunitrazepam binding and picrotoxin seizures. Caerulein (5-1000 nM) decreased 3H-flunitrazepam binding in in vitro experiments only after supplementation of the binding medium with 120 mM NaCl and 5mM KCl. The results suggest the possible interaction of caerulein with chloride ionophor. It seems probable that the direct interaction of caerulein with chloride ionophor in involved in the inhibitory effect of caerulein on picrotoxin seizures and 3H-flunitrazepam binding.     

Syngeneic anti-idiotypic antisera to murine monoclonal antibodies to monomorphic and polymorphic determinants of HLA class I antigens

BALB/c mice were immunized with syngeneic anti-HLA class I monoclonal antibodies. The latter included the anti-HLA-A2, A28 monoclonal antibody (MoAb) CR11-351, the MoAb Q6/64 to a determinant restricted to HLA-B antigens and the MoAb CR10-215 and CR11-115 to the same (or spatially close) monomorphic determinant. Anti-idiotypic antibodies could be detected in bleedings obtained 3 days after the first booster, increased in titer in bleedings obtained after the second booster, and persisted at high levels in subsequent bleedings. The four anti-HLA class I MoAb did not differ in their ability to elicit syngeneic anti-idiotypic antibodies. Cross-blocking studies with a panel of anti-HLA class I, anti-HLA class II, and anti-human melanoma-associated antigen (MAA) MoAb showed that the anti-MoAb CR10-215 and anti-MoAb CR11-115 antisera contain only antibodies to private idiotopes, whereas the anti-HLA MoAb CR11-351 and anti-MoAb Q6/64 antisera also contain antibodies to public idiotopes. The latter are expressed by the anti-HLA class I MoAb CR11-351, Q1/28, Q6/64, and 6/31, and by the anti-HLA class II MoAb Q5/6, Q5/13, 127, and 441. Public idiotopes were not detected on the nine anti-MAA MoAb tested. Public idiotopes do not interfere with the binding of anti-HLA MoAb with the corresponding antigenic determinants. On the other hand private idiotopes are located within the antigen-combining site, because anti-idiotypic antisera specifically inhibit the binding of the corresponding immunizing anti-HLA class I MoAb to cultured human lymphoid cells in a dose-dependent manner. Analysis by isoelectric focusing of the anti-HLA class I MoAb antisera showed that the spectrotype of the anti-MoAb CR11-351 antiserum comprises four components that focus in the pH 6.9 to 6.2 range, the spectrotype of anti-MoAb Q6/64 antiserum comprises three components that focus in the pH 6.5 to 6.1 range, the spectrotype of the anti-MoAb CR10-215 antiserum comprises three components that focus in the pH 6.4 to 6.1 range, and the spectrotype of the anti-MoAb CR11-115 antiserum comprises three components that focus in the pH 6.6 to 6.4 range.     

Regional Alterations in Rat Brain Neurotransmitter Systems Following Chronic Lithium Treatment

Abstract: Chronic, but not acute, consumption of lithium leads to a significant decrease in serotonin and GABA receptor binding in selected regions of the rat brain, with no changes noted in P-adrenergic or cholinergic muscarinic receptor binding. In addition, the concentration of β-methoxytyramine, a dopamine metabolite, in the corpus striatum was increased in the animals treated chronically with lithium, suggesting a possible enhancement in dopamine release, or inhibition of uptake, in this brain area. In contrast, chronic consumption of rubidium had no effect on any of the parameters studied. The results suggest that lithium administration causes selective changes in brain neurotransmitter receptor systems and that the net result of these changes may be a decrease in GABAergic and serotoninergic activity. The fact that these alterktions are noted only after chronic administration suggests that they may be related to the therapeutic action of lithium in the prophylactic treatment of recurrent manic- depressive psychosis.     

Phosphorylation of rat heart glycogen synthase: studies in cardiomyocytes and in vitro phosphorylations with cAMP-dependent kinase and protein phosphatase-1

The phosphorylation of glycogen synthase has been studied in freshly isolated adult rat cardiomyocytes. Six peaks of 32P-labeled tryptic peptides are recovered via C-18 high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) when synthase is immunoprecipitated from 32P-labeled cardiomyocytes and digested with trypsin. When epinephrine treated cells are used as a source of enzyme, the same HPLC profile is obtained with a dramatic enhancement of 32P recovered in two of the HPLC peaks. In vitro phosphorylation of rat heart synthase by cAMP-dependent protein kinase stimulates the conversion of synthase from the I to the D form and results in the recovery of the same tryptic peptides from the C-18 as is the case for synthase derived from cardiomyocytes. Treatment of cAMP-dependent kinase phosphorylated synthase with protein phosphatase-1 leads to a reactivation of the enzyme and a dephosphorylation of the same tryptic peptides that are selectively phosphorylated in epinephrine treated cardiomyocytes. These results are discussed in relation to hormonal control of glycogen metabolism in cardiac tissue.