N-terminal amino acid sequence of an insect neurohormone, melanization and reddish coloration hormone (MRCH): heterogeneity and sequence homology with human insulin-like growth factor II

Catecholamine release from chromaffin cells in response to carbamylcholine and high K+ is transient. Monitoring intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) using quin2 demonstrated a transient rise in [Ca2+]i in response to carbamylcholine. The termination of secretion due to carbamylcholine is probably a consequence of the return of [Ca2+]i to resting levels as the nicotinic receptors desensitise. Depolarisation with 55 mM K+ led to a long-lasting rise in [Ca2+]i which persisted after the secretory response had terminated. The maintained rise in [Ca2+]i appeared to be due to continued opening of verapamil-sensitive Ca2+ channels. These results suggest that inactivation of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels does not account for the transient nature of the secretory response in chromaffin cells.     

Immunological analysis of glycolipids on cell surfaces of cultured human tumor cell lines: expression of lactoneotetraosylceramide on tumor cell surfaces

Glycolipids of human cell lines of colonic adenocarcinoma (Colo 205 and BM 314), gastric tumor (AZ 521 and KATO-III), and lung tumor (A 549) were studied by the immunohistochemical fluorescence technique, flow cytometric analysis and immunostaining on thin layer chromatoplates with antibodies against gangliotriaosylceramide (Gg3Cer), gangliotetraosylceramide (Gg4Cer), fucogangliotetraosylceramide (Fuc-Gg4Cer), blood group B active lipid, globopentaosylceramide (Gb5Cer) and lactoneotetraosylceramide (nLc4Cer). Anti-nLc4Cer antibody was the only antibody which reacted with all the tumor cell lines used. The glycolipid fractions of each cell line separated by Iatrobeads column chromatography were immunostained with the six antibodies mentioned above on thin layer plates. The presence of nLc4Cer was detected in all cell lines. On the other hand, Gg4Cer was detected in gastric tumor cell lines, and Gg3Cer was detected in AZ 521. Based on these results, the tumor cell lines were analyzed by flow cytometry using anti-nLc4Cer antibody. About 70% of total cells in each cell line were separated as nLc4Cer-expressing cells. The present findings, together with the occurrence of nLc4Cer in ascitic fluids of cancer patients (Taki, T., Kojima, S., Seto, H., Yamada, H., & Matsumoto, M. (1984) J. Biochem. 96, 1257-1265), suggest that nLc4Cer may be a tumor-associated lipid.     

Purification and properties of NADH oxidase from Bacillus megaterium

NADH oxidase, which catalyzes the oxidation of NADH, with the consumption of a stoichiometric amount of oxygen, to NAD+ and hydrogen peroxide was purified from Bacillus megaterium by 5'-AMP Sepharose affinity chromatography to homogeneity. The enzyme is a dimeric protein containing 1 mol of FAD per mol of subunit, Mr = 52,000. The absorption maxima of the native enzyme (oxidized form) were found at 270, 383, and 450 with a shoulder at 475 nm in 50 mM KPi buffer, pH 7.0. The visible absorption bands at 383 and 450 nm disappeared on the addition of NADH under anaerobic conditions and reappeared upon the introduction of air. Thus, the non-covalently bound FAD functioned as a prosthetic group for the enzyme. We tentatively named this new enzyme NADH oxidase (NADH:oxygen oxidoreductase, hydrogen peroxide forming). This enzyme stereospecifically oxidizes the pro-S hydrogen at C-4 of the pyridine ring of NADH.     

Structural analysis of a developmentally regulated 25-kDa protein gene of Sarcophaga peregrina

In the previous paper, we described the identification of two abundant mRNAs of Sarcophaga peregrina (flesh-fly) which are selectively expressed in the fat body of middle third instar larvae. One of these mRNAs was found to encode a protein with a molecular mass of about 25,000 (25-kDa protein) when translated in vitro (Tamura, H., et al. (1983) Dev. Biol. 99, 145-151). Present paper reports the nucleotide sequence of a 2.3 kb DNA containing the entire gene for the 25-kDa protein. This gene consisted of four exons and contained an open reading frame for 184 amino acids. A CAT box and a TATA box were found in the 5'-flanking sequence. A poly A addition signal of AATAAA was assigned to the non-coding region in the fourth exon. A sequence having 75% homology with SV40 enhancer core sequence was identified in the non-coding region of the first exon.     

A new type of blood group B active glycosphingolipid in rat bone marrow cells. Occurrence of the glycolipid in rat immunocytes and ascites hepatoma

A major glycosphingolipid in rat bone marrow cells was purified, and its structure was studied. The glycolipid was found to exhibit blood group B activity by the hemagglutination inhibition test. The structure was determined to be (formula; see text) by studies of nuclear magnetic resonance, sequential hydrolysis by exoglycosidases, linkage analysis of methylated sugars by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and immunological tests. The blood group B active glycolipid was detected not only in the bone marrow cells but also in spleen, thymus, and rat ascites hepatoma AH 7974F cells. Besides the glycolipid, gangliotriaosylceramide, gangliotetraosylceramide, and fucogangliotetraosylceramide were commonly detected in these cells. The similarity between the glycolipid species on the cell surfaces of the immunocytes and the tumor cells is discussed with the respect to an escape mechanism of the tumor cells from the immunosurveillance system.     

Hormonal regulation of activities of 4-ene-5 beta- and 5 alpha-reductases and 17 beta-hydroxy-dehydrogenase in immature golden hamster testis

We have reported [1-3] in immature golden hamster testis that 5 beta-reductase is localized in the tubular nongerm cells, while 5 alpha-reductase is present in the interstitial tissue and that the 17 beta-hydroxy-dehydrogenase activity is found predominantly in the tubular nongerm cells. Hormonal regulation of these enzyme activities was examined in the present study. Male golden hamsters were hypophysectomized on day 22 after birth. The hypophysectomized hamsters in groups of 3-8 were injected daily with 10 micrograms NIH-LH-S19, 50 micrograms NIAMD-Rat-FSH-B-1, 8 or 16 micrograms NIAMD-oFSH-13, 8 micrograms NIAMD-oFSH-13 plus 5 or 10 micrograms NIH-LH-S19, 1 mg testosterone propionate or saline for 5 days starting from day 23. Testicular homogenates of the treated hamsters and intact hamsters on day 28 were incubated with [14C]4-androstene-3,17-dione and NADPH, and enzyme activity (nmol/testes/h) was estimated. The activities of 5 beta- and 5 alpha-reductases and 17 beta-hydroxy-dehydrogenase decreased significantly 6 days after hypophysectomy. In the hypophysectomized hamster testis, a distinct response to FSH but not to LH in the activities of 5 beta-reductase and 17 beta-hydroxy-dehydrogenase was found. The injection of LH in addition to FSH showed no significant additive effects on these enzyme activities. The 5 alpha-reductase activity was stimulated significantly by LH plus FSH but not by LH alone, FSH alone or androgen. These results show that 5 beta-reduction of 4-ene-3-ketosteroids takes place in the Sertoli cells under the influence of FSH while 5 alpha-reduction occurs in the interstitial cells under the influence of LH and FSH in immature hamster testis.     

Effect of DN-1417, a thyrotropin releasing hormone analog, on dopaminergic neurons in rat brain

Acute and chronic effects of γ-butyrolactone-γ-carbonyl-histidyl-prolinamide (DN-1417) were investigated on motor activity, dopamine (DA) metabolites and DA receptors in various brain regions of rats. The motor activity, as measured with Automex recorder, was enhanced after a single injection with DN-1417 (20 mg/kg, IP), and the motor stimulating action persisted during 21 daily injections. Acute DN-1417 elevated both homovanillic acid (HVA) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) levels in 7 brain regions, prefrontal cortex polar, medial and lateral fields, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercles, amygdala and striatum. After chronic treatment for 7 days, the acute effect of DN-1417 on DA metabolites disappeared in all regions except for the striatum in which DN-1417 still increased HVA and DOPAC. The response of striatal DA metabolites was also observed after chronic treatment for 21 days. Chronic DN-1417 produced no significant change in ³H-spiperone binding in the prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercles and striatum, while striatal ³H-DA binding displaced by 30 nM spiperone was enhanced after chronic treatment. These results indicate that DN-1417 interacts with mesocortical, mesolimbic and nigrostriatal DA systems in the different modes of action. The lack of tolerance to motor hyperactivity, however, raises the question as to whether DN-1417-induced hyperactivity may be mediated by the activation of mesolimbic DA neurons. The involvement of nigrostriatal neurons in DN-1417-induced motor hyperactivity is suggested.     

Purification and characterization of an antibacterial factor from snail mucus

The antibacterial factor from the body surface of the African giant snail, Achatina fulica Férussac, was isolated by DEAE-Toyopearl 650M ion exchange chromatography. The isolated preparation exhibited highly positive antibacterial activity both for the Gram-positive bacteria, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus and for the Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but it lost such activity when heated at 75 degrees C for 5 min. The antibacterial factor of the snail mucus was a glycoprotein whose molecular weight (MW) was about 160,000. It was composed of two subunits of MW 70,000-80,000.