Dielectric properties of hemoglobin and myoglobin. I. Influence of solvent and particle size on the dielectric dispersion

Dielectric dispersion measurements with aqueous solutions of hemoglobin and myoglobin have been performed in the frequency range from 100 kcps to 15 Mcps. The influence of preparation, particle size, and solvent conditions was studied. The results are analyzed in terms of an orientational polarization mechanism.     

Die Fimbrien von Rhizobium lupini 1/50, sta-

Zusammenfassung Die Fimbrien (oder Pili) einer nicht sternbildenden Mutante (1–50, sta^-) von Rhizobium lupini wurden elektronenmikroskopisch untersucht. Die Fimbien sind peritrich an der Bakterienzelle inseriert, und zwar während der exponentiellen Wachstumsphase meist einzeln. In der stationären Phase nehmen die Fimbrien an Zahl und Länge kontinuierlich stark zu; sie sind dann häufig büschelweise inseriert. Zusammen mit den oft zopfbildenden Geißeln verflechten sie sich zu einem ausgedehnten Netzwerk. Die Aneinanderlagerung der Fimbrien erfolgt unspezifisch durch Kohäsion; durch ebenfalls unspezifische Adhäsion haften sie auf dem Substrat.Die Fimbrien haben ca. 30 Å Durchmesser und sind röhrenförmig gebaut. Ihre lichte Weite beträgt 8 bis 10 Å. Ein allgemeines Bauschema der Fimbrien wird diskutiert. In der Diskussion über die allgemeine Funktion aller Arten von Fimbrien wird ihre Haftfähigkeit herausgestellt. Die Fimbrien der Mutante 1/50, sta^- sind wegen ihres geringen Innendurchmessers nicht als Transportröhren für doppelsträngige DNS und wahrscheinlich auch nicht für einzelsträngige DNS oder RNS geeignet.

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The fimbriae of Rhizobium lupini 1/50, sta^-

Summary The fimbriae (pili) of a non-starforming mutant (1/50, sta^-) of Rhizobium lupini were studied under the electron microscope. In the exponential phase of growth, fimbriae are singly, peritrichously inserted. During stationary growth these fimbriae increase by number and length. Together with the larger flagella they often form an extended reticulum. The fimbriae often stick together by unspecific cohesion forces; their attachment to the substrate can be explained by unspecific adhesion.The outer diameter of the fimbriae is 30 Å, the inner diameter 8 to 10 Å.The tubelike structure of fimbriae (pili) is discussed in terms of a general model.The most obvious general function of all types of fimbriae is their connecting power.The inner dimension of the fimbriae of the 1/50, sta^-—mutant exclude a model where they function as transport tubes for double-stranded DNA and probably for single stranded DNA or RNA either.

     

Zur Kenntnis der GattungGentianella Moench in Jugoslawien. I. DerG. anisodonta-Komplex

Zusammenfassung Aus der subalpinen Stufe des nordwestlichen illyrischen Gebietes (Notranjski Snenik, nördlicher Velebit) wird als neue ArtGentianella liburnica E.Mayer et H.Kunz beschrieben, die im Bereiche der kleinblütigen Sippen desG. anisodonta-Komplexes einen morphologisch und chorologisch gut gekennzeichneten Südost-Vikaristen derG. engadinensis (Wettst.)Holub darstellt.Herrn Professor Dr.Lothar Geitler zum 70. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

Identification of D-mannosamine and quinovosamine in Salmonella and related bacteria

Lipopolysaccharides of several strains of Salmonella, Arizona, and Proteus vulgaris, have been found to contain two unusual amino sugars not previously reported. These amino sugars were identified as d-mannosamine and quinovosamine (2-amino-2,6-dideoxy glucose).     

Blood Viscosity in Healthy Subjects and Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

Viscosity of whole blood and plasma was measured in 258 apparently healthy subjects of both sexes from 5 to 60 years of age, and in 86 patients with unequivocal evidence of chronic coronary heart disease. Children and young healthy females had the lowest viscosity readings. Healthy young and middle-aged males had significantly higher blood viscosity than females. Patients with coronary heart disease had significantly higher blood viscosity values than healthy groups of the same sex. It is suggested that the higher viscosity of whole blood and of plasma is a contributory factor in development of clinical manifestations of coronary heart disease and possibly of the basic vascular lesion itself.     

Modulation of secretion of human chorionic gonadotropin by biologic response modifiers on term placenta and choriocarcinoma cells

The effects of biologic response modifiers such as interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF), and retinoic acid on the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) secretion of cultured choriocarcinoma cells (JAR) and term placenta have been studied. Although the proliferation of JAR cells was not inhibited by these agents, retinoic acid and TNF markedly increased both the intracellular levels as well as the secreted amounts of hCG. In the case of the term placenta, only retinoic acid increased the hCG secretion into the culture medium, whereas interferon-gamma and TNF both markedly reduced secretion. The cytostatic agent etoposide (VP-16) was able to augment the hCG secretion on the choriocarcinoma cells but did not alter its production on term placenta. The The data presented indicate different mechanisms of regulation of hCG secretion in the normal and malignant trophoblast.     

Identification of a new V kappa gene family that is highly expressed in hybridomas from an autoimmune mouse strain

We have identified a new murine V kappa family that contains five to seven members, one member of which encodes the L chain V region of an anti-dsDNA antibody produced by a BALB/c hybridoma, C8.5. The cloned C8.5 V kappa gene exhibits highest homology with a human V kappa gene that was cloned from a nonproductive rearrangement but has never been seen in an expressed repertoire. Because this family was first identified in an autoantibody, we studied its expression in an autoimmune mouse strain. This V kappa family is expressed in 20% of hybridomas from NZB mice.     

Purification, characterization, and rapid inactivation of thermolabile ubiquitin-activating enzyme from the mammalian cell cycle mutant ts85

Conjugation of ubiquitin to certain proteins can trigger their degradation in the in vitro reticulocyte system. In order to determine whether ubiquitin conjugation serves as an intermediate step in the turnover of cellular proteins in vivo, it is necessary to isolate proteolytic intermediates, i.e. ubiquitin-protein adducts of specific cellular proteins. While the steady-state level of conjugates of rapidly turning over proteins is relatively high, that of long-lived proteins is presumably extremely low, and therefore undetectable. Therefore, mutant cell lines with conditionally altered function(s) of the ubiquitin system can serve as powerful tools in studying the degradation of stable cellular proteins. We have characterized a temperature sensitive cell cycle arrest mutant cell (ts85) with a thermolabile ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1; Finley, D., Ciechanover, A., and Varshavsky, A. (1984) Cell 37, 43-55). Following incubation at the restrictive temperature (39.5 degrees C), these cells fail to degrade short-lived proteins (Ciechanover, A., Finley, D., and Varshavsky, A. (1984) Cell 37, 57-66). However, involvement of the ubiquitin system in the turnover of long-lived proteins has not been addressed in these cells. A slow rate of inactivation of E1 in vivo, and significant rate of cell death following long incubation periods at the restrictive temperature, make this question difficult to address experimentally. In the present study we show that incubation of the cells for 1 h at 43 degrees C leads to rapid inactivation of ubiquitin conjugation in the intact mutant cell. Following heat treatment, the cells can be incubated at 39.5 degrees C for at least 6 h in order to study the possible involvement of the system in the turnover of long-lived cellular proteins. The viability of the cells is excellent at the end of the incubation. Following extraction, we have shown that inactivation occurs much more rapidly in the cell lysate in vitro than in the intact cell (t1/2 of 10 min compared to 4 h at 39.5 degrees C). The enzyme from both the mutant cell and the wild-type cell was purified to homogeneity. The molecular mass of the native enzyme from both cells is approximately 220 kDa with a subunit molecular mass of about 108 kDa. The structure of the enzyme is therefore very similar to that purified from rabbit reticulocytes. At the permissive temperature, the enzymes from both cells catalyze ATP-PPi and ATP-AMP exchange in similar kinetics. However, at the high temperature, the mutated enzyme is at least 7-fold less stable than the wild-type enzyme.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)