19F-NMR spin-spin relaxation (T2) method for characterizing volatile anesthetic binding to proteins. Analysis of isoflurane binding to serum albumin.

This paper characterizes the low-affinity ligand binding interactions of a fluorinated volatile anesthetic, isoflurane (CHF2OCHClCF3), with bovine serum albumin (BSA) using 19F-NMR transverse relaxation (T2). 19F-NMR spectra of isoflurane in aqueous BSA reveal a single isoflurane trifluoromethyl resonance, indicative of rapid exchange of isoflurane between protein-bound and aqueous (free) environments. The exchange is slow enough, however, that the chemical shift difference between bound and free isoflurane (delta omega = 0.545 ppm) contributes to the observed isoflurane T2. The contribution of delta omega to T2 can be minimized by shortening the interval between 180 degrees refocusing pulses in the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill pulse sequence used to monitor T2. Analysis of the dependence of T2 on interpulse interval additionally allows determination of the T2 (6.2 ms) and the average lifetime (tau b = 187 microseconds) of bound isoflurane molecules. By use of a short interpulse interval (less than 100 microseconds), T2 measurements can readily be used to analyze equilibrium binding of isoflurane to BSA. This analysis revealed a discrete saturable binding component with a KD = 1.4 mM that was eliminated either by coincubation with oleic acid (6 mol/mol of BSA) or by conversion of BSA to its "expanded" form by titration to pH 2.5. The binding was independently characterized using a gas chromatographic partition analysis (KD = 1.4 mM, Bmax = 3-4 sites). In summary, this paper describes a method whereby T2 measurements can be used to characterize equilibrium binding of low-affinity ligands to proteins without the confounding contributions of chemical shift.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

On being ethnic: The politics of identity breaking and making in Canada,or, Nevra on Sunday

The creation of ethnically sensitive health care is a major federal and provincial government concern in Canada at present. The concept of multiculturalism is used to reinforce the notion of rights for minority groups and the Canadian mozaic is explicitly contrasted with the American melting pot. In this paper, the lives of Greek immigrant women in Montreal are used to illustrate how class and gender are as relevant to the immigrant experience as is ethnicity. It is shown how values which were central to female identity in Greece can become a liability after immigration and how the notion of Greek identity in Canada is a fluid category which is subject to repeated transformations. It is suggested that medical anthropologists who ignore the complexity of social categories and whose focus is limited to the cultural construction of illness and the expression of distress are in danger of reinforcing a notion of the quaint ethnic, a stereotype to which the concept of multiculturalism is often reduced.

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Résumé La création de services de santé sensibles aux besoins des différents groupes ethniques est présentement un socci majeur des gouvernements fédéral et provincial au Canada. Le concept de multiculturalisme est utilisé pour renforcer I'idée des droits des groupes minoritaires et la mosaïque canadienne est explicitement contrastée avec the American melting pot. Dans cet exposé, j'utilise la vie des femmes immigrantes grecques à Montréal pour démontrer que la classe et le sexe sont aussi pertinent par rapport à l'expérience des immigrants que l'ethnicité. On montre de quelle façon les valeurs qui sont centrales à l'identité féminine en Grèce peuvent en venir à constituer un problème après l'immigration et comment la notion d'identité grecque au Canada est une catégorie fluide qui est sujette à de multiples transformations. On suggère que les anthropologues médicaux qui ne tiennent pas compte de la complexité des catégories sociales et dont le centre d'intérêt est limité à la cultural construction of illness et à l'expression of distress courent le danger de renforcer la notion de quaint ethnic, un stéréotype auquel le concept de multiculturalisme se trouve souvent réduit. Notes 1 See, for example, Low 1985; Davis 1989; Dunk 1989; Guarnaccia et al. 1989; Van Schaik 1989. 2 Data for this study were obtained initially from eighty-three fast generation Greek immigrant women living in Montreal who were given semi-structured interviews in Greek in their homes. It became apparent in the course of carrying out these interviews that the concept of nevra was central in the narratives given by virtually all of the respondents. This term was inevitably used to link environmental and psychosocial variables to distress and painful physical states. In the second phase of the research, 19 of the original women were selected for in-depth open-ended interviews during which the concept of nevra was discussed in detail. A further data set was obtained from twenty five women who were interviewed in the office of a Greek Canadian general practitioner and 15 more attending a poly-clinic in a Montreal teaching hospital. These interviews were carried out in order to establish if nevra is used as a presenting complaint in clinical settings, and if so, how it is managed by health care professionals. Several internists, psychiatrists, family and general practitioners, and social workers who have daily contact with Greek patients were also interviewed.

     

Competition of cyclooctenes and cyclooctadienes for ethylene binding and activity in plants

trans-Cyclooctene, cis,trans-1,5-cyclooctadiene, and cis,trans-1,3-cyclooctadiene have been compared with the cis and cis,cis isomers and with 2,5-norbornadiene for competition with ethylene for binding in mung bean sprouts and tobacco and for action (induction of chlorophyll degradation) in banana. The compounds containing a trans double bond were much more effective in competition for binding and action than the cis and cis,cis compounds. trans-Cyclooctene and cis,trans-1,3-cyclooctadiene were in the general range of 50–90 times more effective than 2,5-norbornadiene.R.J. Reynolds Research Apprentice     

Differences in induction of hepatic cytochrome p450 isozymes by mice in eight methylenedioxyphenyl compounds

Eight methylenedioxyphenyl (MDP) compounds were examined for their ability to induce cytochrome P450 (P450) in mouse liver. Induction by safrole, isosafrole, and dihydrosafrole was studied in both C57BL/6N (Ah-responsive) and DBA/2N (Ahnonresponsive) male mice after IP administration of 200 mg/kg/day MDP compound for 3 days. Hepatic P450 content, ethylmorphine N-demethylase, ethoxy-resorufin O-deethylase, and acetanilide hydroxylase activities were induced to the same extent in both strains of mice. Benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase activity, however, was not induced in either C57 or DBA mice. The similarity of results in both strains of mice indicated induction of these P450 isozymes by these three MDP compounds is not mediated by the Ah receptor. Induction of P450 by butylbenzodioxole (n-butyl-BD), tertiarybutylbenzodioxole (t-butyl-BD), methylbenzodioxole (methyl-BD), nitrobenzodioxole (nitro-BD), and bromobenzodioxole (bromo-BD) was examined only in C57BL/6N mice. Methyl-BD, nitro-BD, and bromo-BD did not induce hepatic microsomal proteins or selected P450 monooxygenase activities. In contrast, n-butyl-BD, and t-butyl-BD induced P450 content, ethylmorphine N-demethylase, acetanilide hydroxylase, and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activities. Benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase was not induced by any of the treatments. Induction of these P450 activities is consistent with induction of P450 IIB1 and P450 IA2, but not induction of P450 IA1. Western blot analysis with antibodies to P450 isozymes induced with either phenobarbital (Pb) or 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC) confirmed that both IIB1 and IA2 were induced, but that IA1 was not induced.     

Low synonymous site variation at thelacY locus inEscherichia coli suggests the action of positive selection

We have determined the nucleotide sequences of sevenlacY alleles isolated from natural isolates ofEscherichia coli. Nucleotide heterozygosity estimates for this locus were compared to those obtained from previous studies of intraspecific variation at chromosomal loci, revealing thatlacY has unusually low synonymous site variation. The average pairwise heterozygosity of synonymous sites (Ks=0.0112+/-0.0100) is the second lowest reported and the lowest for loci that have an equivalent level of nonsynonymous variation. We consider several hypotheses to explain how different forces in evolution could act to create the observed pattern of polymorphism, including selection for translational efficiency and positive selection. Our analysis most strongly supports the hypothesis that positive selection has acted on thelacY locus inE. coli.     

Evolution of structure and substrate specificity ind-alanine:d-Alanine ligases and related enzymes

Thed-alanine:d-alanine-ligase-related enzymes can have three preferential substrate specificities. Usually, these enzymes synthesized-alanyl-d-alanine. In vancomycin-resistant Gram-positive bacteria, structurally related enzymes synthesized-alanyl-d-lactate or Dalanyl-d-serine. The sequence of internal fragments of eight structurald-alanine:d-alanine ligase genes from enterococci has been determined. Alignment of the deduced amino acid sequences with those of other related enzymes from Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria revealed the presence of four distinct sequence patterns in the putative substrate-binding sites, each correlating with specificity to a particular substrate (d-alanine:d-lactate ligases exhibited two patterns). Phylogenetic analysis showed different clusters. The enterococcal subtree was largely superimposable on that derived from 16S rRNA sequences. In lactic acid bacteria, structural divergence due to differences in substrate specificity was observed. Glycopeptide resistance proteins VanA and VanB, the VanC-type ligases, and Dd1A and DdlB from enteric bacteria andHaemophilus influenzae constituted separate clusters. Correspondence to: P. Courvalin     

Significant extension in northern Australia of the known geographic range of the Shield Shrimp Triops australiensis (Crustacea: Notostraca)

The program BIOCLIM predicts the total geographic distribution of species, based upon the biogeoclimatic characteristics common to the localities at which they are known to occur. Field studies in the Northern Territory have located the Shield Shrimp Triops australiensis at localities substantially north of its known and predicted geographic distribution.     

Role of purine metabolism in thidiazuron-induced somatic embryogenesis of geranium (Pelargonium × hortorum) hypocotyl cultures

Somatic embryogenesis in geranium ( Pelargonium × hortorum Bailey cv. Scarlet Orbit Improved) was achieved by culturing hypocotyl sections on Murashige and Skoog (1962) (MS) medium containing 10 μ M thidiazuron (TDZ) (induction medium) for 3 days and subsequently transferring the sections onto a basal medium lacking any plant growth regulators (expression medium). Addition of the purine analogue 2.6-diaminopurine (DAP) to the somatic embryo induction medium completely inhibited the embryogenic response as well as chlorophyll accumulation without affecting enlargement of the treated tissues. Addition of 20 μ M adenine sulphate to the expression medium, i.e during embryo growth and development phase, completely reversed the DAP-induced inhibition of the embryogenic response while addition during the induction phase caused only a 50% reversal of the inhibition. Analysis of endogenous levels of plant growth substances indicated that TDZ alone elevated the levels of auxins, cy-tokinins and abscisic acid while the presence of DAP during the induction phase caused a further increase in the levels of adenine and adenosine. These findings indicate a possible critical role for purines in embryogenesis from geranium hypocotyl tissues. However, the conversion of cytokinin bases to their corresponding nucleotide forms was not evident as the levels of isopentenyl adenine and zeatin increased during the second day of culture.     

Immunochemical comparison of membrane-associated and secreted arabinogalactan-proteins in rice and carrot

Arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs) occurring in suspension-cultured rice (Oryza saliva L.) cells, their conditioned medium and at the rice root apex were investigated using monoclonal antibodies and the AGP-binding -glucosyl Yariv reagent ( GlcY). A monoclonal antibody, LM2, was generated that recognized an acidic carbohydrate epitope common to two soluble AGPs occurring in the conditioned medium of proliferating rice cells, membrane-associated AGPs (rmAGP) in the cultured cells and two AGPs at the rice root apex. In addition, LM2 recognized AGPs secreted by suspensioncultured carrot (Daucus carota L.) cells. The two AGPs of the rice culture medium, srAGP1 and srAGP2, were discriminated by their mobilities during sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, reaction with GlcY, the presence of arabinogalactan epitopes and anion-exchange chromatography. The association of rmAGP with the plasma membrane was investigated by Triton-X-114/aqueous partitioning of both microsomal and plasma-membrane preparations and rmAGP was found to partition into the detergent phase, indicating that AGPs are hydrophobic plasma-membrane proteins in rice. This was in contrast to plasma-membrane AGPs of suspension-cultured carrot cells that partitioned into the aqueous phase. At the rice root apex most of the AGP was associated with the microsomal fraction and also partitioned into the detergent phase, although a distinct highmolecular-mass AGP entered the aqueous phase.Abbreviations AGP arabinogalactan-protein - GlcY -glucosyl Yariv reagent - ELISA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay We gratefully acknowledge support from the Leverhulme Trust, the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Royal Society.