The karyotype of Alligator mississippiensis,and chromosomal mapping of the ZFY/X homologue,Zfc

Comparative mapping studies of X-linked genes in mammals have provided insights into the evolution of the X chromosome. Many reptiles including the American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, do not appear to possess heteromorphic sex chromosomes, and sex is determined by the incubation temperature of the egg during embryonic development. Mapping of homologues of mammalian X-linked genes in reptiles could lead to a greater understanding of the evolution of vertebrate sex chromosomes. One of the genes used in the mammalian mapping studies was ZFX, an X-linked copy of the human ZFY gene which was originally isolated as a candidate for the mammalian testis-determining factor (TDF). ZFX is X-linked in eutherians, but maps to two autosomal locations in marsupials and monotremes, close to other genes associated with the eutherian X. The alligator homologue of the ZFY/ZFX genes, Zfc, has been isolated and described previously. A detailed karyotype of A. mississippiensis is presented, together with chromosomal in situ hybridisation data localising the Zfc gene to chromosome 3. Further chromosomal mapping studies using eutherian X-linked genes may reveal conserved chromosomal regions in the alligator that have become part of the eutherian X chromosome during evolution.     

Identification of a male-specific (H-Y) antigen on the flagellar plasma membrane of ram epididymal spermatozoa

Summary H-Y (male-specific) antigen has been detected on the plasma membranes of both caput and caudal ram spermatozoa using both immunoperoxidase and immunofluorescence labelling techniques. In these spermatozoa the distribution of H-Y antigen appears to be confined to both the posterior region of the head and the mid-piece region of the flagellum. In addition, caput spermatozoa also exhibit intense immunoperoxidase staining of the cytoplasmic droplet which is situated on the flagellum at the base of the head. Western blot analyses of purified plasma membranes from the flagella of caudal spermatozoa have revealed the presence of a malespecific protein with an estimated molecular weight of 25,000–27,000.     

Turnover of hepatic phosphofructokinase in normal and diabetic rats. Role of insulin and peptide stabilizing factor.

Earlier work demonstrated that the activity of liver phosphofructokinase (PFK-L2) and immunoreactive PFK-L2 were decreased in diabetic rats and increased to normal or super-normal amounts following insulin treatment (Dunaway, G.A., and Weber, G., (1974) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 162, 629-637). This report indicates that the decrease in levels of PFK-L2 in diabetic rats is a result of an accelerated degradation rate while the synthetic rate remains nearly normal. Following insulin treatment, the rate of PFK-L2 synthesis is enhanced 2-fold, whereas the rate of degradation appears to be greatly diminished. An inverse relationship is shown to exist between the PFK-L2 levels and the rates of PFK-L2 degradation, suggesting that the levels of PFK-L2 are primarily regulated by degradation rate. In addition, the levels of the PFK-L2 peptide stabilizing factor are inversely proportional to rates of PFK-L2 degradation. These results indicate that insulin mediates the rate of degradation of PFK-L2 by controlling the level of the peptide stabilizing factor.     

Tau, sigma, and delta. A family of repeated elements in yeast

We report here the isolation and structure of a new repeated DNA element, tau. This element, from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is 371 base pairs long and is flanked on either end by the same invertedly repeated sequence found at the ends of some Ty and sigma elements in yeast, copia elements in Drosophila and spleen necrosis virus. The tau inverted repeats are themselves flanked by a 5-base pair directly repeated genomic sequence that is present only once in a cognate tau-allele. These structural characteristics, the presence of multiple copies of tau in the genome, and the isolation of tau+ and tau- allelic pairs suggest that tau may be capable of transposition either alone or in association with some larger element. Detailed sequence analysis of the tau, sigma, and delta elements revealed that all three contain significant regions of homology, suggesting that they are probably members of a single family derived from a common progenitor.     

Identification of Tumor Antigens in the HLA Peptidome of Patient-derived Xenograft Tumors in Mouse

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Highlights

• •Sufficient tumor tissues are often unavailable large HLA peptidome discovery.
• •Using patient derived xenograft (PDX) tumors can overcome this limitation.
• •The large PDX HLA peptidomes expand significantly those of the original biopsies.
• •The HLA peptidomes of the PDX tumors included many tumor antigens.

     

Paleoceanographic interpretations of coccoliths and oxygen-isotopes from the sediment surface of the southwest Indian Ocean

The distribution of forty-four coccolithophore species in one hundred deep-sea core-tops from the southwest Indian Ocean is described. Three coccolith assemblages have been recognised (Maputo, Agulhas Current and deep water) by the relative abundances of four ecologically significant coccolithophore species (Gephyrocapsa oceanica, Emiliania huxleyi, Calcidiscus leptoporus and Umbilicosphaera sibogae). Their biogeographical distribution appears to be related to water temperature, nutrient concentration and dissolution.The degree of preservation of coccoliths and foraminifera indicates that the carbonate lysocline lies somewhere between 3500 and 4000 m, resulting in the concentration of dissolution-resistant microfossils below this depth.Stable oxygen isotope ratios of the planktonic foraminiferal species Globigerinoides sacculifer range between −1.5 to −1.0‰ PDB (equal to 22.8–25.1°C) and occur in a narrow band on the sea floor beneath the “A” route of the Agulhas Current.These values are about 0.5 per mil PDB lighter than samples analyzed on either side of this band and can be explained by the Agulhas Current's elevated temperature at the ocean surface of 2–3°C. Thus an oxygen isotope imprint of the Agulhas Current exists beneath it on the sea floor.The Agulhas Current is probably the major factor influencing sedimentation, sediment-distribution patterns and geological features in the study area. At present it is voluminous and fast flowing, possibly eroding sediments up to 2500 m below the surface.The oxygen-isotope ratios and nannoplankton counts obtained in this study indicate, however, that the majority of samples are most probably recent or at least not older than 85,000 years. This implies that sediments are accumulating on the ocean floor and that the Agulhas Current does not have a pronounced erosional influence, at least in areas from which cores were retrieved for this study.     

A single succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase is involved in 4-hydroxyphenylacetate and 4-aminobutyrate catabolism in Klebsiella pneumoniae M5a1

Abstract Klebsiella pneumoniae M5a1 grows readily on two compounds, 4-hydroxyphenylacetate and 4-aminobutyrate, whose catabolism produces succinic semialdehyde. A single succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase was detected, native molecular weight 52000, that has NAD as the preferred cofactor and is induced by succinic semialdehyde functions in the oxidation of succinic semialdehyde during growth on both 4-hydroxyphenyl-acetate and 4-aminobutyrate. This contrasts with the situation for Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida where two distinct forms of succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase have been observed.     

N-caffeoyl-4-amino-n-butyric acid, a new flower-specific metabolite in cultured tobacco cells and tobacco plants

PUT cells were selected from the XD line of cultured tobacco cells (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Xanthi-nc) for the ability to utilize putrescine as sole nitrogen source. Previous work had indicated that hydroxycinnamoylputrescines (principally caffeoylputrescine) and 4-amino-n-butyric acid (GABA) are obligatory intermediates in the assimilation of putrescine by PUT cells. The apparent absence in these cells of diamine or polyamine oxidase and pyrroline dehydrogenase, enzymes which catalyze putrescine oxidation in some plant species, led us to propose the following pathway for putrescine oxidation in PUT cells: putrescine----hydroxycinnamoylputrescine----hydroxycinnamoyl - 4-aminobutyraldehyde----hydroxycinnamoyl-GABA----GABA. We tested the hypothesis by looking for the predicted compound, caffeoyl-GABA. A chemical synthesis was developed, and chromatographic and mass spectroscopic procedures were devised for identifying the compound in extracts of cells and plant tissues. Caffeoyl-GABA was found in extracts of PUT cells in micromolar concentrations but was not present in XD cells. Thus, its occurrence in PUT cells appears to be a direct result of selection for the ability to catabolize putrescine. Caffeoyl-GABA has the same distribution in tobacco plants as caffeoylputrescine, i.e. flower buds greater than open flowers greater than floral leaves, green fruit; absent in vegetative tissues.