Progesterone in uterine and arterial tissue and in jugular and uterine venous plasma of sheep

Concentrations of progesterone in uterine and arterial tissue and in uterine and jugular venous plasma were determined. Blood was collected on Days 4 and 9 postestrus from the jugular vein and the first and last venous branches draining each uterine cornu; uterine tissue and arteries were subsequently collected. Progesterone was greater (p less than 0.05) in the cranial third than in the middle or caudal thirds of the uterine horn adjacent to the corpus luteum (CL)-bearing ovary or in any third of the contralateral horn. Progesterone in uterine arterial segments adjacent to the CL-bearing ovary was higher (p less than 0.05) than in contralateral segments. Progesterone was higher (p less than 0.05) in blood from the first venous branch of the cranial third of the uterine cornu adjacent to the ovary with the CL, than in the last branch of the caudal third, or contralateral horn, or in jugular blood. When oviductal veins were resected on Day 9 postestrus, progesterone in the first vein draining the cranial third of the uterine cornu adjacent to the CL-containing ovary was not different (p greater than 0.05) 48 h after resection than in the same vessel in the opposite horn or in jugular blood. We concluded that progesterone and other ovarian products may be delivered to the uterus locally.     

Two-dimensional 1H/13C heteronuclear chemical shift correlation spectroscopy of lipid bilayers.

Using solid-state magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques, we have obtained two-dimensional (2D), 1H/13C chemical shift-correlated spectra of liquid crystalline 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) bilayers in 30 wt% PO4/D2O buffer. Linewidths in both the 13C and the 1H dimensions were less than 0.3 ppm wide. The 2D spectrum consists of chemical shift correlations between all resolvable, directly bonded 13C-1H pairs and exhibits considerably greater spectral dispersion than either ID 1H or 13C MAS spectra. This approach promises to be an important tool in structural studies of biological membranes.     

The kinetics and mechanism of shear inactivation of lipase from Candida cylindracea

Shearing experiments were conducted in a stirred tank reactor with 0.1% lipase solutions of Candida cylindracea. Inactivation of the lipase solutions were observed at various shear rates from 50 to 150 s(-1) after continuous shearing for ca. 30-240 min under optimal pH and temperature conditions. However, there was no shear stress denaturation of the lipase when it was subjected to shear stresses of 0.72-109.2 kg/m/s(2) and shear rate of 100 s(-1). In the presence of polypropylene glycol, the rate of denaturation of the lipase decreased by 93%. When the lipase solution was filled to the brim, the rate of denaturation of the lipase decreased by 97% compared to that when reactor was half-filled. The rate of denaturation of the lipase decreased by 61% when probes in the fermentor were removed. There was no significant difference in the rate of denaturation of the lipase under ambient conditions compared with that in the absence of oxygen, or in the absence of free metal ions. Recovery of lipase activity from the first hour of shearing was observed at a shear rate of 150 s(-1). The native lipase and the lipase which had recovered its activity showed similar pH profiles, temperature profiles, and activation energies. Temperature was found to have no effect in the rate of shear-induced denaturation of the lipase in the range 20 to 30 degrees C during shearing at 100 s (-1)and optimal pH. Above 30 degrees C, the rate of denaturation of the lipase increased drastically as a function of temperature. The significance of the findings in the de sign of reactor systems for hydrolysis or esterification of oils by lipase will be discussed.     

Urea hydrolysis by immobilized urease in a fixed-bed reactor: analysis and kinetic parameter estimation

Urea hydrolysis by urease immobilized onto ion exchange resins in a fixed-bed reactor has been studied. A modified Michaelis-Menten rate expression is used to describe the pH-dependent, substrate- and product-inhibited kinetics. Ionic equilibria of product and buffer species are included to account for pH changes generated by reaction. An isothermal, heterogeneous plug-flow reactor model has been developed. An effectiveness factor is used to describe the reaction-diffusion process within the particle phase. The procedure for covalent immobilization of urease onto macroporous cation exchangers is described. Urea conversion data are used to estimate kinetic parameters by a simplex optimization method. The best-fitted parameters are then used to predict the outlet conversions and pH values for systems with various inlet pH values, inlet urea and ammonia concentrations, buffers, particle sizes, and spacetimes. Very good agreement is obtained between experimental data and model predictions. This immobilized urease system exhibits quite different kinetic behavior from soluble urease because the pH near the enzyme active sites is different from that of the pore fluid. This effect results in a shift of the optimal pH value of the V(max) (pH) curve from 6.6 (soluble urease) to ca. 7.6 in dialysate solution, and ca. pH 8.0 in 20mM phosphate buffer. The reactor model is especially useful for estimating intrinsic kinetic parameters of immobilized enzymes and for designing urea removal columns.     

Transport of CMP-N-glycoloylneuraminic acid into mouse liver Golgi vesicles

CMP-Neu5Gc has been shown to be transported into mouse liver Golgi vesicles by a specific carrier the characteristics of which were investigated in detail. In the system employed, CMP-Neu5Gc enters the Golgi vesicles within 2 min; transport was saturable with high concentrations of the sugar-nucleotide and was dependent on temperature. A kinetic analysis gave an apparent K_m of 1.3 μM and a maximal transport velocity of 335 pmol/mg protein per min. Almost identical values were obtained with CMP-Neu5Ac, under the same incubation conditions. Furthermore, the uptake of CMP-Neu5Gc was inhibited by CMP-Neu5Ac, a substrate analogue. Conversely, the uptake of CMP-Neu5Ac was inhibited by CMP-Neu5Gc to the same extent, leading to the conclusion that the transport of CMP-Neu5Ac and CMP-Neu5Gc is mediated by the same carrier molecule. This transport system for CMP-Neu5Gc involves both CMP and CMP-Neu5Gc since intravesicular CMP induced the entry of external CMP-Neu5Gc.     

Subtype-specific increase in G-protein alpha-subunit mRNA by interleukin 1 beta

The guanine nucleotide regulatory proteins (G-proteins) which are substrates for ADP-ribosylation by pertussis toxin (alpha i-1, alpha i-2, alpha i-3 and alpha o) transduce a variety of hormonal signals. Endothelial cells express mRNA for three alpha i subtypes although the level of alpha i-1 mRNA is very low. Interleukin 1 beta (IL 1 beta), a pleiotropic inflammatory mediator which stimulates a complex series of responses in human endothelial cells leading to increased coagulation and platelet adhesion, increases expression of one subtype of alpha i (alpha i-2) mRNA in human endothelial cells as determined by Northern blot analysis without affecting the level of mRNA for other alpha-subunits. These studies show that mRNA levels for alpha i subtypes are independently regulated, suggesting that there may be subtype specificity in the cell's requirements for the Gi class of signal-transducing proteins.     

Squalene epoxide cyclase and microemulsion

Squalene epoxide cyclase was extracted from microsomal preparations of rat liver using anionic, cationic and non-ionic microemulsions. The anionic microemulsion was the best with respect to protein solubilisation, extracted cyclase activity and stability of this activity over time. The activity assay showed cyclase activity to be higher in anionic microemulsion than in buffer in the presence of surfactant. Calcium chloride in the anionic microemulsion had a stabilising effect and less total protein seemed to be extracted.     

Y Chromosome Evolution in the Subgenus Mus (Genus Mus)

A 305 base pair DNA sequence isolated from the Y chromosome of the inbred mouse strain C57BL/10 was used to investigate the pattern and tempo of evolution of Y chromosome DNA sequences for five species in the subgenus Mus, including Mus spretus, Mus hortulanus, Mus abbotti, Mus musculus and Mus domesticus. Variation in hybridization patterns between species was characterized by differences in fragment lengths of both intensely and faintly hybridizing fragments, whereas variation in hybridization patterns within species was characterized primarily by differences in fragment lengths of faintly hybridizing fragments. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted based on fragment size variation within and among species. Phylogenetic relationships inferred from these analyses partly agree with the phylogenetic relationships obtained from biochemical and mitochondrial DNA data. We conclude that a set of DNA sequences common to the Y chromosomes of a closely related group of species in the subgenus Mus has evolved rapidly as reflected by sequence divergence and sequence amplification.     

South western blot mapping: a procedure for simultaneous characterization of DNA binding proteins and their specific genomic DNA target sites

A method called "South Western blot mapping" for rapid characterization of both DNA binding proteins and their specific sites on genomic DNA is described. Proteins are separated on a sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel, renatured by removing SDS in the presence of urea, and blotted onto nitrocellulose by diffusion. The genomic DNA region of interest is digested by restriction enzymes selected to produce fragments of appropriate but different sizes, which are subsequently end-labeled and allowed to bind to the separated proteins. The specifically bound DNA is eluted from each individual protein-DNA complex and analyzed by acrylamide gel electrophoresis. Evidence that tissue-specific DNA binding proteins may be detected by this technique is presented. Moreover, their sequence-specific binding allows the purification of the corresponding selectively bound DNA fragments and may improve protein-mediated cloning of DNA regulatory sequences.     

Carbon isotope fractionation by thermophilic phototrophic sulfur bacteria: evidence for autotrophic growth in natural populations.

Purple phototrophic bacteria of the genus Chromatium can grow as either photoautotrophs or photoheterotrophs. To determine the growth mode of the thermophilic Chromatium species, Chromatium tepidum, under in situ conditions, we have examined the carbon isotope fractionation patterns in laboratory cultures of this organism and in mats of C. tepidum which develop in sulfide thermal springs in Yellowstone National Park. Isotopic analysis (13C/12C) of total carbon, carotenoid pigments, and bacteriochlorophyll from photoautotrophically grown cultures of C. tepidum yielded 13C fractionation factors near -20%. Cells of C. tepidum grown on excess acetate, wherein synthesis of the Calvin cycle enzyme ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase) was greatly repressed, were isotopically heavier, fractionation factors of ca. -7% being observed. Fractionation factors determined by isotopic analyses of cells and pigment fractions of natural populations of C. tepidum growing in three different sulfide thermal springs in Yellowstone National Park were approximately -20%, indicating that this purple sulfur bacterium grows as a photoautotroph in nature.