Production of antibody against aflatoxin B1.

Antibody against aflatoxin B1 was obtained after one multiple-site injection of bovine serum albumin-aflatoxin B1 conjugate into rabbits. The antibody has greatest binding efficiency for aflatoxin B1, less efficiency for B2, G1, and Q1, and least for aflatoxicol, G2, and M1. Sterigmatocystin, coumarin, and 4-hydroxycoumarin did not give a cross-reaction with the antibody. The sensitivity of the binding assay for detection of aflatoxin B1 is in the range of 0.2 to 2.0 ng per 0.5-ml sample. Detailed methods for the preparation of the conjugate, production of immune serum, and methods for antibody titer determination are described.     

Distribution of gangliosides in parenchymal and non-parenchymal cells of rat liver

Parenchymal and non-parenchymal cells were isolated from rat liver with purities of more than 90%. Total and ganglioside sialic acid contents were higher in non-parenchymal cells than in parenchymal cells. Thin-layer chromatography of gangliosides showed that the main component in rat liver was ganglioside GM3 and that this was abundant in non-parenchymal cells. Parenchymal cells had ganglioside GD1b as the main component and less GM3 than non-parenchymal cells. These results suggested that the main ganglioside of rat liver, GM3, arises mainly from non-parenchymal cells.     

The anti-inflammatory mechanism of MK-447 in rat carrageenin-induced pleurisy

Intrapleural injection of 2% λ-carrageenin caused the accumulation of exudate up to 19 hr. The rate of plasma exudation, measured by the exuded dye amounts for 20 min in the pleural cavity after intravenous injection of pontamine sky blue, showed a peak at 5 hr. Aspirin (100 mg/kg, i. p.) suppressed the dye exudation up to 5 hr, but did not at 7 hr. This inhibition coincided with the decrease of the PG and TXB₂ levels, which were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, in the pleural exudate. In _vitro experiments, MK-447, a phenolic compound, stimulates PG endoperoxide biosynthesis at lower doses and inhibits it at higher doses, acting as a tryptophan-like cofactor required by PG endoperoxide synthetase. This drug (0.3, 1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg, i. p.) suppressed the dye exudation dose-dependently up to 5 hr, but did not at 7 hr even at a higher dose, in combination with the dose-dependent decrease of the pleural level of PGE₂, which was reported to be a major PG among PGs and TXB₂ in the exudate in inducing the plasma exudation (Harada ; Prostaglandins, : 881, 1982). Thus, the anti-inflammatory action of MK-447 can be explained by inhibition of PGE₂ generation, giving no consideration to the role of oxygen-derived free radicals as a prime mediator in inflammation.     

Chemistry of the inactivation of cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase by serine O-sulfate

The reaction of serine O-sulfate with cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase [John, R.A., & Fasella, P. (1969) Biochemistry 8, 4477] has been reinvestigated. As in the corresponding reaction with beta-chloroalanine [Morino, Y., Osman, A.M., & Okamoto, M. (1974) J. Biol. Chem. 249, 6684], the enzyme is inactivated over a 10-min period, and the absorption maximum at pH 5.4 shifts from 430 to 336 nm. Upon prolonged standing the peak shifts again over a period of 20 h to 455 nm, a behavior entirely similar to that reported by Morino et al. for beta-chloroalanine in the presence of 3 M formate. When the pH of either the 10-min product (1a) or the 20-h product (1b) is raised to 11 or above, a yellow, diffusible compound (2) is released from the protein. This compound as well as its dephosphorylation and reduction products has been isolated and studied by NMR spectroscopy. Compound 2 is identical with a compound formed from serine sulfate and glutamate decarboxylase by a similar reaction sequence [Likos, J.J., Ueno, H., Feldhaus, R.W., & Metzler, D.E. (1982) Biochemistry (preceding paper in this issue)] and is the product of an aldol condensation of pyruvate with pyridoxal phosphate. When the 20-h product 1b is reduced with sodium borohydride and then heated in a boiling water bath, a material identical with the reduction product of 2 is released. We propose that the 20-h product 1b consists of 2 bound to the enzyme. Pathways for the formation of the various compounds are proposed. These findings require a reevaluation of the mechanisms of action of many enzyme-activated inhibitors of pyridoxal phosphate dependent enzymes.     

A novel mannose-specific and sugar specifically aggregatable lectin from the bark of the Japanese pagoda tree (Sophora japonica)

A new D-mannose/D-glucose-specific lectin (B-SJA-II) was isolated from the bark of the Japanese pagoda tree, Sophora japonica. B-SJA-II was separated from a well known D-galactose/N-acetyl-D-galactosamine-specific lectin (B-SJA-I) by affinity chromatography on lactamyl-Sepharose, then purified by affinity chromatography on maltamyl-Sepharose. On sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, B-SJA-II gave four bands: subunit a-1 (Mr = 19,400), a-2 (Mr = 18,200), b-1 (Mr = 15,000), and b-2 (Mr = 13,200). Carbohydrate analysis and binding study with horseradish peroxidase-labeled lectins on the bands electroblotted onto polyvinylidene difluoride membrane showed that the three subunits other than b-2 have N-linked oligosaccharides typical of plant glycoproteins. The binding assay with horseradish peroxidase-glycoproteins revealed that all the subunits can bind sugar specifically with fetuin and asialofetuin. Furthermore, B-SJA-II aggregated to form precipitates in the absence of a specific sugar and became soluble upon addition of the specific sugar. The results indicate that each subunit has a sugar-binding site for the mannosyl core of N-linked oligosaccharide chains and recognizes each other sugar specifically to form aggregates. According to the N-terminal amino acid sequences obtained, the subunits are classified into two groups. The first group (a-1 and a-2) has an N-terminal sequence 50% identical with that of other S. japonica lectins (Hankins, C. N., Kindinger, J. I., and Shannon, L. M. (1988) Plant Physiol. 86, 67-70) and the amino acid sequence initiating at position 123 of concanavalin A (Cunningham, B. (1975) J. Biol. Chem. 250, 1503-1512), while the N-terminal sequence of the second group (b-1 and b-2) is homologous to that of concanavalin A, but completely different from that of the first group.     

Vesicular stomatitis virus-mediated cell fusion subsequent to virus adsorption at different pH values.

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-mediated cell fusion from without can be induced by transient exposure to low pH, subsequent to adsorption of VSV at neutral pH. To study the mechanism of VSV-induced cell fusion, we examined the effect of pH condition at virus adsorption on acid-inducible VSV-mediated cell fusion. Although the binding of VSV to BHK-21 cells was most efficient under acidic condition (pH 5.7-6.3), extensive cell fusion was not observed under this condition. A temporary exposure to low pH after binding at neutral pH also decreased fusion activity. However, return to neutral pH for 2 min just after the acid binding restored the fusion activity. These results indicate the requirement of neutral pH condition for VSV-mediated cell fusion prior to the acid stimulation which induces conformational change of the virus glycoprotein into a fusogenic form.     

Redox ribonucleosides. Isolation and characterization of 5-hydroxyuridine, 8-hydroxyguanosine, and 8-hydroxyadenosine from Torula yeast RNA.

Three hydroxyribonucleosides catalyzing the oxido-reduction of NADH and K3F3(CN)6 were purified from Torula yeast RNA by a series of steps including sodium dodecyl sulfate/phenol extraction, nuclease P1 digestion, alkaline phosphatase digestion, anion-exchange chromatography, and high performance liquid chromatography on an ODS column. Analysis by fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy led to identification of the redox ribonucleosides as 5-hydroxyuridine, 8-hydroxyguanosine, and 8-hydroxyadenosine. Their mass spectra, chromatographic behavior, UV spectra, NMR spectra, and IR spectra were identical to those from natural and synthetic sources. Oxidoreduction activities were specific for K3Fe(CN)6 as the oxidant and NADH as the reductant; and their magnitudes decreased in the order 5-hydroxycytidine, 5-hydroxyuridine, 8-hydroxyguanosine, and 8-hydroxyadenosine. The fact that these nucleosides have redox activities suggests new functional roles for RNAs as catalysts.     

M ring, S ring and proximal rod of the flagellar basal body of Salmonella typhimurium are composed of subunits of a single protein, FliF.

The flagellar basal body, a major part of the flagellar motor, consists of a rod and four rings. When the fliF gene of Salmonella typhimurium, which was previously shown to code for the component protein of the M ring, was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli, the FliF subunits formed ring structures in the cytoplasmic membrane. Electron microscopic observation of the purified ring structures revealed that each was composed of two adjacent rings and a short appendage extending from the center of the rings. Antibodies raised against the purified FliF protein decorated both the M and S rings of the intact basal body. We conclude that the FliF protein is the subunit protein of the M ring, and of the S ring and of part of the proximal rod of the flagellar basal body.     

Decontamination ofFusarium mycotoxins,nivalenol, deoxynivalenol,and zearalenone,in barley by the polishing process

Korean dehusked and unhusked barley naturally contaminated withFusarium mycotoxins were polished using a Satake Grain Testing Mill. The pearled barley and bran fractions with different degrees of polishing were analyzed for nivalenol (NIV) and deoxynivalenol (DON) by gas chromatography with an electron capture detector, and for zearalenone (ZEN) by high-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector. NIV was detected in all the pearled barley fractions, but DON and ZEN were not detected in ≥27 % pearled barley fractions from dehusked barley and ≥36% pearled barley fractions from unhusked barley. However, for all degrees of polishing, NIV, DON, and ZEN were detected in bran fractions. The levels of NIV, DON, and ZEN in the bran fractions increased several fold over the original barley. Polishing was effective in removing DON and ZEN from the naturally contaminated barley, but not NIV.