High-resolution dynamic and morphological G-bandings (GBG and GTG): a comparative study

Summary A high-resolution replication banding technique, dynamic GBG banding (G-bands after 5-bromodeoxyuridine [BrdUrd] and Giemsa), showed that, at a resolution of 850 bands/genome, GBG banding and GTG banding (G-bands after trypsin and Giemsa) produce almost identical patterns. RBG band (R-bands after BrdUrd and Giemsa) and RHG band (R-bands after heat denaturation and Giemsa) patterns were previously shown to be only 75%–85% coincident; thus GTG banding more accurately reflects replication patterns than does RHG banding. BrdUrd synchronization uses high concentrations of BrdUrd both to substitute early replicating DNA and to arrest cells before the late bands replicate. Release from the block is via a low thymidine concentration. The banding is revealed by the fluorochrome-photolysis-Giemsa (FPG) technique and produces the GBG banding that includes concomitant staining of constitutive heterochromatin. As opposed to other replication G-banding procedures, BrdUrd synchronization and GBG banding produces a reproducible replication band pattern. The discordance between homologs after GBG banding is similar to that after GTG banding and no lateral asymmetry of the constitutive heterochromatin has been observed. Also, BrdUrd synchronization neither significantly depresses the mitotic index, nor induces chromosome breaks. Thus, GBG banding seems as clinically useful as GTG banding and provides important information regarding replication time.     

Production,cross reactivity,and epitope analysis of monoclonal antibodies against rat kidney gamma glutamyltransferase

Eighteen IgGl monoclonal antibodies (blabs) have been produced against gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) from rat kidney. They were specific to the light subunit of the enzyme with affinity constants ranging from 0.3 to 7.5 10⁸ M^–1, while they did not react with GGT from other sources i.e. human and pig kidney, rat and guinea pig liver, suggesting species and organ specificity. Two of the blabs (N° 11 and 21) lost their immunoreactivities towards rat kidney GGT in the presence of N-acetyl-neuraminic acid, while immunoreactivities of the other blabs were unchanged. Furthermore, Mabs No 11 and 21 did not react with desialylated rat kidney GGT. These findings suggest that N-acetyl-neuraminic acid is involved in the epitopes recognized by these two Mabs.Abbreviations ELISA enzyme linked immunosorbent assay - GGT gamma-glutamyltransferase - Mab monoclonal antibody - SDS-PAGE sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis     

The complete nucleotide sequence of the potexvirus white clover mosaic virus.

The complete nucleotide sequence (5845 nucleotides) of the genomic RNA of the potexvirus white clover mosaic virus (WC1MV) has been determined from a set of overlapping cDNA clones. Forty of the most 5'-terminal nucleotides of WC1MV showed homology to the 5' sequences of other potexviruses. The genome contained five open reading frames which coded for proteins of Mr 147, 417, Mr 26,356, Mr 12,989, Mr 7,219 and Mr 20,684 (the coat protein). The Mr 147,417 protein had domains of amino acid sequence homology with putative polymerases of other RNA viruses. The Mr 26,356 and Mr 12,989 proteins had homology with proteins of the hordeivirus barley stripe mosaic virus RNA beta and the furovirus beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV) RNA-2. A portion of the Mr 26,356 protein was also conserved in the cylindrical inclusion proteins of two potyviruses. The Mr 7,219 protein had homology with the 25K putative fungal transmission factor of BNYVV RNA-3.     

Study of plasmids isolated from saccharolytic Clostridia: Construction of hybrid plasmids and transfer toEscherichia coli andBacillus subtilis

Summary Small plasmids ofClostridium acetobutylicum and related strains were isolated and studied. Their restriction maps were established and different hybrid plasmids were constructed by ligation with plasmid pHV33.     

Carbonic anhydrase activity of intact carbonic anhydrase II-deficient human erythrocytes

Intact erythrocytes from subjects with deficiency of blood carbonic anhydrase (CA) II and from normal subjects were assayed for enzyme activity by use of an 18O exchange technique in a solution containing 25 mM (CO2 + NaHCO3) plus 125 mM NaCl. At 25 degrees C and pH 7.4, the catalyzed reaction velocity was 0.32 +/- 0.04 M/s for the CA II-deficient and 1.60 +/- 0.12 M/s for the normal cells, a ratio of 1:5. Under the same conditions at 37 degrees C the relative difference between the CA II-deficient and normal cells was much less: the velocity for the CA II-deficient cells was 0.84 +/- 0.07 M/s and for the normal cells 1.60 +/- 0.32 M/s, a ratio of 1:1.9. Results were comparable for the hemolysates with the NaHCO3 reduced to 85 mM (the corresponding intracellular concentration): at 25 degrees C CA II-deficient cells had a velocity of 0.36 +/- 0.01 M/s compared with 1.12 +/- 0.04 M/s for the normal cells, a ratio of 1:3.1. At 37 degrees C again the relative difference between hemolysates from CA II normal and deficient cells was much less: the CA II-deficient cells had a reaction velocity of 1.17 +/- 0.22 M/s vs. 2.60 +/- 0.36 M/s for the normal cells, a ratio of 1:2.2. The greater fractional reduction of enzyme velocity of CA II-deficient cells at 25 degrees C compared with 37 degrees C appears to be explained by a greater chloride inhibition of the presumed CA I at the lower temperature.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

New chromosome 21 DNA markers isolated by pulsed field gel electrophoresis from an ETS2-containing Down syndrome chromosomal region

To generate new chromosome 21 markers in a region that is critical for the pathogenesis of Down syndrome (D21S55-MX1), we used pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to isolate a 600-kb NruI DNA fragment from the WA17 hybrid cell line, which has retained chromosome 21 as the only human material. This fragment, which contains the oncogene ETS2, was used to construct a partial genomic library. Among the 14 unique sequences that were isolated, 3 were polymorphic markers and contained sequences that are conserved in mammals. Five of these markers mapped on the ETS2-containing NruI fragment and allowed us to define an 800-kb high-resolution PFGE map.     

Phenetic,biogeographical, and evolutionary study ofOrnithogalum subg.Heliocharmos (Hyacinthaceae) in the western Mediterranean basin

A macromorphological study is made on taxa of the genusOrnithogalum subg.Heliocharmos in North Africa, Spain, and France. The results obtained are consistent with data from cytogenetics, reproductive biology and strategies of reproduction. They allow the retention of two species:O. algeriense andO. umbellatum. A biogeographical and phylogenetic interpretation of the subgenus is proposed for the western Mediterranean. Theoretical views on phenetics are discussed.     

Report of a comparative study of DNA damage and repair assays in primary rat hepatocytes with five coded chemicals

We report the results of a collaborative study for the detection of chemical-induced DNA damage in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes. The methods include the detection of unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) with either autoradiography (5 laboratories) or liquid scintillation counting (2 laboratories) and the assessment of DNA single-strand breaks with the alkaline elution assay (1 laboratory). Interlaboratory standardization was omitted in order to prove the agreement of the assays under routine conditions. Five coded chemicals were tested. For 4 chemicals (2-acetylaminofluorene, thiourea, glycerine and potassium chloride) the UDS data were consistent in all laboratories, thus indicating a high consensus of the test systems applied in the different laboratories. Those 3 chemicals that were not expected to elicit genotoxic activity (thiourea, glycerine, and potassium chloride) yielded negative results in all laboratories. 2-Acetylaminofluorene, a known DNA-damaging agent in hepatocytes, gave strongly positive responses in all laboratories. In contrast, N-nitrosodiphenylamine led to equivocal responses.     

Differential accumulation of hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins in bean root nodule cells infected with a wild-type strain or a C4-dicarboxylic acid mutant of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. phaseoli

An antiserum raised against deglycosylated hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins (HPGPs) from melon (Cucumis melo L.) was used to study the relationship between Rhizobium infection and induction of HRGPs in bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) root nodule cells infected with either the wild-type or a C₄-dicarboxylic acid mutant strain of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. phaseoli. In effective nodules, where fixation of atmospheric dinitrogen is taking place, HRGPs were found to accumulate mainly in the walls of infected cells and in peribacteroid membranes surrounding groups of bacteroids. Internal ramifications of the peribacteroid membrane were also enriched in HRGPs whereas the peribacteroid space as well as the bacteroids themselves were free of these glycoproteins. In mutant-induced root nodules, HRGPs were specifically associated with the electron-dense, laminated structures formed in plastids as a reaction to infection by this mutant. The presence of HRGPs was also detected in the host cytoplasm. The aberrant distribution of HRGPs in infected cells of mutant-induced nodules likely reflects one aspect of the altered host metabolism in relation to peribacteroid-membrane breakdown. The possibility that the antiserum used for HRGP localization may have cross-reacted with ENOD 2 gene products is discussed in relation to amino-acid sequences and sites of accumulation.