Salivary gland branching morphogenesis: a quantitative systems analysis of the Eda/Edar/NFκB paradigm

Background  

Ectodysplasin-A appears to be a critical component of branching morphogenesis. Mutations in mouse Eda or human EDA are associated with absent or hypoplastic sweat glands, sebaceous glands, lacrimal glands, salivary glands (SMGs), mammary glands and/or nipples, and mucous glands of the bronchial, esophageal and colonic mucosa. In this study, we utilized Eda ^Ta (Tabby) mutant mice to investigate how a marked reduction in functional Eda propagates with time through a defined genetic subcircuit and to test the proposition that canonical NFκB signaling is sufficient to account for the differential expression of developmentally regulated genes in the context of Eda polymorphism.     

Effect of cell phone radiofrequency radiation on body temperature in rodents: Pilot studies of the National Toxicology Program's reverberation chamber exposure system

Radiofrequency radiation (RFR) causes heating, which can lead to detrimental biological effects. To characterize the effects of RFR exposure on body temperature in relation to animal size and pregnancy, a series of short‐term toxicity studies was conducted in a unique RFR exposure system. Young and old B6C3F1 mice and young, old, and pregnant Harlan Sprague‐Dawley rats were exposed to Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) RFR (rats = 900 MHz, mice = 1,900 MHz) at specific absorption rates (SARs) up to 12 W/kg for approximately 9 h a day for 5 days. In general, fewer and less severe increases in body temperature were observed in young than in older rats. SAR‐dependent increases in subcutaneous body temperatures were observed at exposures ≥6 W/kg in both modulations. Exposures of ≥10 W/kg GSM or CDMA RFR induced excessive increases in body temperature, leading to mortality. There was also a significant increase in the number of resorptions in pregnant rats at 12 W/kg GSM RFR. In mice, only sporadic increases in body temperature were observed regardless of sex or age when exposed to GSM or CDMA RFR up to 12 W/kg. These results identified SARs at which measurable RFR‐mediated thermal effects occur, and were used in the selection of exposures for subsequent toxicology and carcinogenicity studies. Bioelectromagnetics. 39:190–199, 2018. © 2018 The Authors. Bioelectromagnetics Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Development of Methods for Detecting Viruses in Solid Waste Landfill Leachates

Methods were developed for detecting and concentrating enteric viruses in municipal solid waste landfill leachates. Poliovirus added to a leachate was not readily detectable, possibly because the virus was adsorbed to the leachate particulates. The masking effects associated with suspended solids in the leachate were overcome by adding a final 0.1 M sodium (tetra)ethylenediaminetetraacetate concentration to the leachate. A sodium (tetra)ethylenediaminetetraacetate-treated leachate could be clarified by filtration at pH 8.0 without a loss of virus. The clarified and sodium (tetra)ethylenediaminetetraacetate-treated leachate contained interfering materials of an anionic nature which prevented virus adsorption to epoxy-fiber glass filters. This interfering effect was overcome by treating the leachate with an anion-exchange resin. Viruses in the resin-treated leachate were concentrated by adjusting the leachate to pH 3.5, adding AlCl(3) to a final 0.005 M concentration, adsorbing the viruses to an epoxy-fiber glass virus adsorbent, and eluting the adsorbed viruses in a small volume. When this method was used to concentrate poliovirus 100-fold in a variety of leachates, the average virus recovery efficiency was 37%. With the methods described in this study, it should be possible to efficiently monitor solid waste disposal site leachates for enteric viruses.     

Studies on Mitochondrial Proteins. II. Localization of Components in the inner membrane labelling with diazobenzenesulfonate,a non-penetrating probe

The topography of the inner membrane of rat liver mitochondria was studied using a probe, diazobenzenesulfonate, which interacts preferentially with surface components. Inner membranes were examined both in a native orientation as found in the intact mitochondrion or in an inverted state as found in isolated inner membranes prepared by sonication.Enzyme inactivation as a consequence of diazobenzenesulfonate labeling was employed to determine the localization of a number of inner membrane activities. In inner membranes labeled on the outer surface, NADH and succinate oxidation were strongly inhibited while ATPase and $\text{ascorbate}\text{-N,N,N′,N′-}\text{tetramethyl}\text{-p-}\text{phenylene-diamine}$ (TMPD) oxidase activities were unaffected. In inner membranes labeled on the inner surface. ATPase and succinate oxidation were inactivated while NADH oxidation and ascorbate-TMPD oxidase were unaffected. Succinate dehydrogenase was inhibited only by labeling the inner surface while NADH dehydrogenase was inhibited to a similar extent by treatment of either surface.Sodium dodecylsulfate-polypeptides (66 000 and 26 000) on the outer surface of the inner membrane and five polypeptides (80 000, 66 000, 51 000-48 000, and 26 000) on the inner surface. These results indicate a highly asymmetric localization of inner membrane components.     

Enhanced Detection of Australia Antigen in Serum Hepatitis Patients by Discontinuous Counter-Immunoelectrophoresis

The use of discontinuous counter-immunoelectrophoresis enhanced the reaction between Au/SH antigen and its antibody in agarose. The ionic strength of the Veronal buffer used in the agarose was 0.015 mu, whereas 0.075 mu Veronal (both pH 8.6) was used for anode and cathode buffers. Electroendosmosis is increased under such conditions. Au/SH antigen and antibody reacted to give sharp lines within 30 to 45 min as compared with conventional counter-immunoelectrophoresis which required 1 to 3 hr or longer.     

Defectiveness of Interferon Production and of Rubella Virus Interference in a Line of African Green Monkey Kidney Cells (Vero)

Vero cells, a line of African green monkey kidney cells, failed to produce interferon when infected with Newcastle disease, Sendai, Sindbis, and rubella viruses, although the cells were sensitive to interferon. Further, infection of Vero cells with rubella virus did not result in interference with the replication of echovirus 11, Newcastle disease virus, or vesicular stomatitis virus, even in cultures where virtually every cell was infected with rubella virus. Under the same conditions, BSC-1 cells and other cells of primate origin produced interferon and showed rubella virus interference. The results indicate that the presence of rubella virus in the cell does not in itself exclude multiplication of other viruses and that rubella virus interference appears to be linked to the capability of the cell to produce interferon.     

Efficient Filtration and Sizing of Viruses with Membrane Filters

Untreated membrane filters retain viruses by adsorption, as well as by physical restriction which occurs when the pore diameter of the filter is smaller than that of the virus particle. As originally recommended by Elford, membranes had to be pretreated with proteinaceous material to preclude virus adsorption. However, coating materials that prevent adsorption of certain viruses do not necessarily prevent adsorption of other viruses. In contrast to proteins, salts enhance virus adsorption. Viruses treated with sodium lauryl sulfate to reduce the surface tension, or purified viruses in distilled water, are not adsorbed to membranes. A procedure is recommended by which viruses may be passed through membranes with a porosity twice the diameter of the virus. Such filtrates, which contain 50 to 100% of the initial virus concentration, should be used for sizing viruses by subsequent filtration through smaller pores. The determination of virus size would then be based on the major population of particles in the virus suspension. In the past, as little as 0.1 to 0.001% of the initial virus population was the basis for size determination, because more than 99.9% of the virus was often lost by adsorption to membranes during the clarifying procedures.