Is the IS1-flanked r-determinant of the R plasmid NR1 a transposon?

The 23 kilobase multiple drug resistance r-determinant (r-det) of the R plasmid NR1 is an IS1-mediated transposon, Tn2671. Drug-resistant Escherichia coli transductants isolated after infection with bacteriophage P1::Tn2671 derivatives carry the intact r-det in their chromosomes. Independently isolated transductants carry the r-det at different locations on the chromosome. From the E. coli chromosome, Tn2671 can transpose to various locations on the phage P7 genome. Throughout these processes, r-det is maintained as a stable unit. Various possible molecular mechanisms, which all might contribute with characteristic frequencies to the transposition of Tn2671, are discussed. The results presented are relevant to the understanding of mechanisms for a wide spreading of drug resistance genes.     

Seven sesquiterpene lactones from Inula britannica var. chinensis

Four known sesquiterpene lactones, tomentosin, ivalin, 4-epi-isoinuviscolide and gaillardin, together with three new lactones, inuchinenolides A, B and C, were identified in the whole plant of Inula britannica var. chinensis.     

On the role of IS1 in the formation of hybrids between the bacteriophage P1 and the R plasmid NR1

Summary The genomes of bacteriophage P1 derivatives carrying drug resistance genes derived from an R plasmid NR1 were analysed by restriction cleavage and be DNA-DNA hybridization. Two representatives of a class of oversized P1CmSmSu phages were identified as P1 carrying the entire r-determinant of NR1 together with its two flanking, directly repeated IS1. In one case the r-determinant insertion is carried at the site of the residential IS1 of P1, in the other case it is transposed into another region of the P1 genome. Models postulate that the first type resulted from reciprocal recombination within IS1 elements and that the formation of the second type of P1-R hybrid depended both on IS1 mediated transposition and reciprocal recombination. Plaque forming P1Cm or P1CmSm phages are explained as IS1 mediated deletion derivatives of P1CmSmSu, although an alternative model postulates that sometimes P1Cm phages might result from two consecutive transposition events of only one IS1 without involving reciprocal recombination. Secondary P1 derivatives carrying only one IS1 at the site of the original r-determinant or of Cm insertions into P1 must have been produced by reciprocal recombination between the two IS1 flanking the insertions. An implication from this study, that any genetic material carried adjacent to an IS1 element may undergo passive transposition, is discussed.     

Lysis of growing fissin-yeast cells induced by aculeacin A,a new antifungal antibiotic

Cells of Schizosaccharomyces pombe grown in the presence of aculeacin A, a peptide antibiotic, were lysed resulting the death of cells. Under high osmolarity, the cellular lysis induced by aculeacin A was considerably reduced. The use of synchronous-culture systems distinguished cell elongation from cell division revealed that the sites of aculeacin A-induced lysis on the fission yeast were the end(s) and the cell plate region, corresponded to the regions of the cell wall synthesis. Aculeacin A-resistant survivors exhibited morphological alterations which were swollen at one or both ends of the cell and appeared drumstick or dumbbel like; the wall of the bulge region was observed to be stained with a fluorescent brightener, as well as that of the cell plate region. These effects of aculeacin A are discussed as compared with effects of 2-deoxy-D-glucose.     

Changes in distribution of molecular weight forms of biologically active and immunoreactive adrenocorticotropic hormone after adrenalectomy in rat anterior pituitary

The concentration of ACTH in extracts of rat anterior pituitary was measured by both radioimmunoassay and bioassay at different stages following adrenalectomy. Both types of ACTH activity decreased the day immediately following adrenalectomy but increased gradually afterwards. Immunological ACTH activity increased to 250% of the control value and biological ACTH activity increased to 490% of control value 3 weeks after adrenalectomy. The increase in biological ACTH activity occurred earlier, and the rate of increase was greater, than that of the immunological ACTH activity. The distributions of molecular weight forms of ACTH in extracts of anterior pituitary lobes was determined by gel filtration. Three molecular weight forms of immunoassayable ACTH were detected. Biological ACTH activity appeared in the 2nd and the 3rd peaks. A striking change was observed after adrenalectomy in the distribution of biologically active forms of ACTH. The ratio of biological ACTH activity to immunological ACTH activity in each peak changed at various stages after adrenalectomy. This indicated the heterogenous nature of the ACTH included in each peak. At 2 and again at 3 weeks, biological activity markedly increased until it exceeded the immunological ACTH activity in the 2nd peak. Dexamethasone had little influence on the elution profile of either immunoassayable and biologically active ACTH in gel filtration. Adrenalectomy may possibly have an effect on the intracellular posttranslational processing of ACTH precursors which leads to the development of biological ACTH activity.     

Calcium binding of troponin C. I. A potentiometric titration study.

Structural changes of troponin C on calcium binding were studied by hydrogen ion titration, circular dichroism, and fluorescence measurements. The potentiometric titration curves in the carboxyl region are shifted towards lower pH with calcium binding. The intrinsic pK of the carboxyl groups at the calcium binding sites decreases by 0.8 pK unit on calcium binding; on the other hand, magnesium ions have little effect on the intrinsic pK of the carboxyl groups. The intrinsic pK of the imidazole group is not affected by calcium binding. The value of w, an electrostatic interaction factor, is identical for calcium-free and calcium-bound troponin C and is about half of the value calculated assuming a compact sphere. The results of difference titration on the calcium binding indicate that the pH of troponin C solution increases on addition of CaCl2 up to 2 mol of Ca2+ per mol of troponin C and then decreases on further addition of CaCl2. The pH increase is depressed in the presence of MgCl2, in the low pH region, or at high ionic strength. The pH increase is also observed on addition of MgCl2. The ellipticity at 222 nm was measured under the same conditions as the difference titration measurements, and the relation between the pH change and the conformational change of troponin C on calcium binding is discussed based on the results obtained. The number of calcium binding sites and the binding constants estimated by analysis of these difference titration curves were in agreement with the results of Potter and Gergely (22). No magnesium binding site was observed. The tyrosine fluorescence measurements indicated that the binding site near tyrosine-109 is one of the high affinity sites.     

Microbiological production of radioisotopically labelled 16 alpha-hydroxylated steroids in trace quantities.

[14-14C]16 alpha-Hydroxy-C-18- and C-19-steroid hormones were obtained in good yields by microbiological hydroxylation of correspondingly labelled steroids by Streptomyces roseochromogenes NRRL B-1233. Trace quantities of the labelled substrates were incubated on a rotary shaker (220 rpm) at 27 degrees C. The radioactive products were chromatographically separated, identified and the radiochemical purity was established by isotopic dilution analysis. The specific activities of 16 alpha-hydroxy-steroids obtained were assumed to be the same as those of the substrates, namely, 57.5 mCi/mmole for 16 alpha-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,17-dione, 57.5 mCi/mmole for 5-androstene-3 beta,16 alpha,17 beta-triol, 57.5 mCi/mmole for 16 alpha-hydroxy-dehydroepiandrosterone, 55.7 mCi/mmole for 16 alpha-hydroxy-estrone, and 57.5 mCi/mmole for 16 alpha-hydroxy-testosterone.     

Biochemical studies on abnormal erythrocyte membranes protein abnormality of erythrocyte membrane in biliary obstruction

Biochemical studies on erythrocyte membranes from eleven obstructive jaundice patients (due to various disorders) have been undertaken. By scanning electron microscopic observation these erythrocytes were spur and target in appearance. The lipid composition showed a marked increase in both cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine. In addition to these changes, it was unexpectedly demonstrated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate that a specific membrane protein component 4.2 was reduced or absent in all cases tested. This membrane protein abnormality was identical with that of hereditary spherocytosis erythrocyte membranes. It is of particular interest to note that after surgical relief of biliary obstruction in a typical case of common duct cholelithiasis, the disc electrophoretic pattern of erythrocyte membranes became normal and both lipid composition and red cell morphology returned to normal.     

Purification of host DNA synthesis-suppressing factor (DSF) produced by infection with measles virus.

Host DNA synthesis-suppressing factor (DSF) produced into culture fluid of cloned HeLa cells (HeLa C-9) infected with a small plaque variant of Toyoshima strain of measles virus was purified by precipitation with ammonium sulfate, chromatography on CM-cellulose and DEAE-cellulose, and gel-filtration on Sephadex G-100 and G-200. The specific activity of the finally purified DSF was 302 units/mg of protein representing approximately 300-fold purification. The molecular weight of DSF was estimated to be about 55 000. By isoelectric focusing, two kinds of DSF having isoelectric points of 4.24 and 5.24 were detectable. The purified DSF was able to suppress host DNA synthesis of HeLa cells, continuous human lymphoid cells (NC-37), mouse L cells and Meth-A cells derived from an ascitic tumor of the mouse. The activity of the purified DSF was inactivated by heating at 56 C for 30 min or by treatment with trypsin.     

Essential role for induced Ca2+ influx followed by [Ca2+]i rise in maintaining viability of yeast cells late in the mating pheromone response pathway. A study of [Ca2+]i in single Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells with imaging of fura-2

We established an experimental system for measuring the cytosolic-free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in individual Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells using fura-2 as a Ca2(+)-specific probe in conjunction with digital image processing and examined changes in [Ca2+]i in response to alpha-factor in single cells of a mating type. The addition of alpha-factor to a cells raised [Ca2+]i to several hundred nanomolar in the cells from a basal level of approximately 100 nM, simultaneous with the induction of Ca2+ influx. When the cells were incubated with alpha-factor in a Ca2(+)-deficient medium, Ca2+ influx was greatly reduced, and the rise in [Ca2+]i was not detected. This indicates that the alpha-factor-induced rise in [Ca2+]i is generated by Ca2+ influx through the plasma membrane and not by release from internal stores. In the Ca2(+)-deficient medium, a cells died specifically after they had changed into cells with one projection on the cell surface. This indicates that the rise in [Ca2+]i is essential for the late response to alpha-factor. The duration of Ca2+ requirement for maintaining viability was limited to this stage, and the earlier and later stages were not affected by Ca2+ deprivation. Mating between a and alpha mating type cells was impaired in this medium due to cell death at and before the stage of conjugation. These findings are the first evidence for an essential role for mobilized Ca2+ in the yeast life cycle.