On the stochastic model for estimation of mutational distance between homologous proteins

Summary A set of simple equations is derived which gives the relationship between the observed amino acid differences per 100 codons and the evolutionary distance per 100 codons using Holmquist's stochastic model of molecular evolution.Contribution No. 910 from the National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka-ken 411 Japan.     

Acetazolamide protects against posthypoxic unstable breathing in the C57BL/6J mouse.

Acetazolamide (Acz), a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, is used to manage periodic breathing associated with altitude and with heart failure. We examined whether Acz would alter posthypoxic ventilatory behavior in the C57BL/6J (B6) mouse model of recurrent central apnea. Experiments were performed with unanesthetized, awake adult male B6 mice (n = 9), ventilatory behavior was measured using flow-through whole body plethysmography. Mice were given an intraperitoneal injection of either vehicle or Acz (40 mg/kg), and 1 h later they were exposed to 1 min of 8% O(2)-balance N(2) (poikilocapnic hypoxia) or 12% O(2)-3% CO(2)-balance N(2) (isocapnic hypoxia) followed by rapid reoxygenation (100% O(2)). Hypercapnic response (8% CO(2)-balance O(2)) was examined in six mice. With Acz, ventilation, including respiratory frequency, tidal volume, and minute ventilation, in room air was significantly higher and hyperoxic hypercapnic ventilatory responsiveness was generally lower compared with vehicle. Poikilocapnic and isocapnic hypoxic ventilatory responsiveness were similar among treatments. One minute after reoxygenation, animals given Acz exhibited posthypoxic frequency decline, a lower coefficient of variability for frequency, and no tendency toward periodic breathing, compared with vehicle treatment. We conclude that Acz improves unstable breathing in the B6 model, without altering hypoxic response or producing short-term potentiation, but with some blunting of hypercapnic responsiveness.     

Polygenetic susceptibility and resistance to 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide-induced tongue carcinomas in the rat

Oral administration of 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO) to rats induced a high incidence of tongue carcinomas (TCs). The inbred Dark-Agouti (DA) strain of rats showed much higher susceptibility to 4NQO-induced TCs than the Wistar-Furth (WF) strain. Our previous study on crosses between the two strains postulated a semidominant susceptibility gene in DA and a semidominant resistance gene in WF rats. This hypothesis was confirmed by the genetic analysis of the back-crosses to either parent with PCR-based microsatellite assay. Using the number of TCS with >5 mm diameter as a quantitative parameter, we mapped a quantitative trait locus Stc1 (Susceptibility to TC) favouring TC development near the locus D19Mit9 on Chr. 19 with a peak LOD score of 6.08. Two other regions in Chr. 3 and Chr. 14 showed weak linkage for susceptibility, but were not statistically significant. On the other hand, another quantitative trait locus Rtc1 (Resistance to TC) providing resistance to TCs was mapped on Chr. 1 between the loci of D1Mit1 and D1Mit3 with a peak LOD score of 3.30. Quantitative parameters such as the number of tumours in the tongue or upper alimentary tract, the frequency of larger tumours and their maximum size were closely correlated and principally determined by Stc1 and Rtc1. Therefore the susceptibility to 4NQO-induced TCs in crosses between DA and WF is explained by the combinations of genotypes at these two loci. Possible candidate genes for Stc1 and Rtc1 are discussed.     

A Model of Evolutionary Base Substitutions and Its Application with Special Reference to Rapid Change of Pseudogenes

A model of evolutionary base substitutions that can incorporate different substitutional rates between the four bases and that takes into account unequal composition of bases in DNA sequences is proposed. Using this model, we derived formulae that enable us to estimate the evolutionary distances in terms of the number of nucleotide substitutions through comparative studies of nucleotide sequences. In order to check the validity of various formulae, Monte Carlo experiments were performed. These formulae were applied to analyze data on DNA sequences from diverse organisms. Particular attention was paid to problems concerning a globin pseudogene in the mouse and the time of its origin through duplication. We obtained a result suggesting that the evolutionary rates of substitution in the first and second codon positions of the pseudogene were roughly 10 times faster than those in the normal globin genes; whereas, the rate in the third position remained almost unchanged. Application of our formulae to histone genes H2B and H3 of the sea urchin showed that, in each of these genes, the rate in the third codon position is tremendously higher than that in the second position. All of these observations can easily and consistently be interpreted by the neutral theory of molecular evolution.     

Modification of delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions by muramyldipeptide in guinea pigs

Abstract N -Acetylmuramyl- l -alanyl- d -isoglutamine (muramyldipeptide, MDP) modulated delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions and induced severe inflammatory lesions in guinea pigs. The animals immunized with heat-killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis were challenged with the purified protein derivative (PPD) at the flanks and the corneas to prepare DTH reactions at 2 weeks after the immunization, thereafter 24 h the animals received subcutaneous injections of MDP at the flanks of the opposite side. At the skin with the DTH reaction, increase of swelling and redness accompanied with hemorrhage and necrosis were observed. As corneal reactions in the animals that had received MDP, increase of cornea thickness, opaque and grayish-white and the projection of eyes accompanied with severe iritis were observed. Modification of the skin reaction occurred from 2 h after the MDP injection, rapidly increased to the maximum level around 10 h, maintained the level until 24 h, then slowly decreased. The polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration was observed from 15 min after the MDP injection, and tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin (IL)-1, and IL-6 levels in the serum and skin lesions increased after the MDP injection. Synthetic muramyltripeptide ( N -acetylmuramyl- l -alanyl- d -isoglutaminyl- l -lysine) also provoked definite skin reactions, while the larger peptidoglycan fragments and various inflammatory agents including cytokines so far examined were inactive in this respect. Cortisone and heparin inhibited definitely and slightly the reaction, respectively. A comparison was made with the modified DTH reaction and the necrotic reactions which we reported previously.     

Purification,characterization, and cloning of the gene for a biodegradable plastic-degrading enzyme from Paraphoma-related fungal strain B47-9

Paraphoma-related fungal strain B47-9 secreted a biodegradable plastic (BP)-degrading enzyme which amounted to 68 % (w/w) of the total secreted proteins in a culture medium containing emulsified poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA) as sole carbon source. The gene for this enzyme was found to be composed of an open reading frame consisting of 681 nucleotides encoding 227 amino acids and two introns. Southern blot analysis showed that this gene exists as a single copy. The deduced amino acid sequence suggested that this enzyme belongs to the cutinase (E.C.3.1.1.74) family; thus, it was named P araphoma-related fungus cutinase-like enzyme (PCLE). It degraded various types of BP films, such as poly(butylene succinate), PBSA, poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate), poly(ε-caprolactone), and poly(dl-lactic acid). It has a molecular mass of 19.7 kDa, and an optimum pH and temperature for degradation of emulsified PBSA of 7.2 and 45 °C, respectively. Ca²⁺ ion at a concentration of about 1.0 mM markedly enhanced the degradation of emulsified PBSA.