Insights into the expression of ABH and Lewis antigens through human bone marrow transplantation.

Twelve information bone marrow transplants, with at least one difference in ABO and/or Lewis types between donor and recipient, were retrospectively studied. ABH and Lewis antigens were determined in plasma, erythrocytes, and lymphocytes. Donor lymphocytes acquired the ABH and Lewis antigens from the recipient's plasma in the same way that donor erythrocytes acquired the Lewis antigens from it. Lymphocytotoxicity detected type 1 ABH and Lewis antigens only, providing evidence for the existence of combined ABH and Lewis antigens on lymphocytes. This was in contrast with the ABH antigens on type 2 chains of red cells, which are devoid of Lewis specificities. The differences in genetic control, probable chemical structure, and cellular origin of these two types of ABH antigens are presented in a theoretical model that accounts for most of the known data.     

Immobilized frog tyrosinase. Stabilization on nylon supports

Summary Frog tyrosinase has been immobilized on nylon supports with high immobilization yield and long storage and reaction stability.     

Identification of two different RNase H activities associated with yeast RNA polymerase A.

Two ribonuclease H activities have been found in yeast RNA polymerase A. The nuclease activities comigrated with subunits A49 (Mr = 49,000) and A40 (Mr = 40,000), after electrophoresis in a sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel containing [32P](rG)n . (dC)n as substrate. Both activities were also found, among other nucleases, in a high salt chromatin extract. Several lines of evidence suggest that the chromatin RNase H of 49,000 daltons (RNase H49) is the same protein as subunit A49. They co-migrate on sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis, have the same chromatographic properties, and dissociate simultaneously from RNA polymerase A. Fractions containing RNase H49 stimulate RNA synthesis by RNA polymerase A* lacking A49 and A34.5 subunits. Finally, limited proteolysis of the protein band having RNase H49 activity yields the characteristic fingerprint of the A49 subunit. This subunit, therefore, exists in two states: bound to chromatin and associated with RNA polymerase A. On the other hand, it is not yet clear whether the RNase H activity of 40,000 daltons, associated with RNA polymerase A, is due to the A40 subunit or whether it represents a trace contamination by a very active nuclease tightly bound to the enzyme.     

Molecular aspects of the inactivation of tryptophanyl transfer ribonucleic acid synthetase by N-ethylmaleimide.

The tryptic maps of tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase from beef pancreas show that the 8 cysteinyl residues of the enzyme subunit are located, 2 by 2, on four different peptides. The kinetics of the incorporation of radioactivity from N-[ethyl-14C]ethylmaleimide into these peptides are compared in this paper with the kinetics of the changes of the catalytic properties of the enzyme occurring during alkylation. This comparison allows the identification of (a) the peptide carrying the cysteinyl residues located on the surface of the molecule, (b) the peptide carrying the deeply buried residues unmasked by the dissociation of the subunits, and (c) the peptide carrying the --SH group located in the vicinity of the binding site of tryptophan. The fourth peptide is shown to have a great sensitivity to pH with respect to the reactivity of its cysteinyl residues toward N-ethylmaleimide. The same unusual pH dependence is found for the rate of quenching of the intrinsic fluorescence of the protein during the alkylation, suggesting a strong sensitivity of the conformation of tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase to pH in the range of 7 to 9.     

ZAKβ antagonizes and ameliorates the cardiac hypertrophic and apoptotic effects induced by ZAKα

ZAK (sterile alpha motif and leucine zipper containing kinase AZK), a serine/threonine kinase with multiple biochemical functions, has been associated with various cell processes, including cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and cardiac hypertrophy. In our previous reports, we found that the activation of ZAKα signaling was critical for cardiac hypertrophy. In this study, we show that the expression of ZAKα activated apoptosis through both a FAS‐dependent pathway and a mitochondria‐dependent pathway by subsequently inducing caspase‐3. ZAKβ, an isoform of ZAKα, is dramatically expressed during cardiac hypertrophy and apoptosis. The interaction between ZAKα and ZAKβ was demonstrated here using immunoprecipitation. The results show that ZAKβ has the ability to diminish the expression level of ZAKα. These findings reveal an inherent regulatory role of ZAKβ to antagonize ZAKα and to subsequently downregulate the cardiac hypertrophy and apoptosis induced by ZAKα.     

Global phylogeny of Hadrosauridae (Dinosauria: Ornithopoda) using parsimony and Bayesian methods

The late Cretaceous hadrosaurids were the most specialized and diverse clade of ornithopod dinosaurs. Parsimony and Bayesian methods were implemented to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships of all hadrosaurid species. Traditional and geometric morphometrics were applied to discover patterns of variation containing phylogenetic information. In total, 286 phylogenetically informative characters (196 cranial and 90 postcranial) were defined and documented: the most extensive character data set ever constructed for hadrosaurid dinosaurs. Of these, 136 characters were used for the first time in phylogenetic analysis of these ornithopods, and 93 were modified from those of other authors. Parsimony and the Bayesian analysis (using the Mk model without the gamma parameter) confirmed the split of hadrosaurids into Saurolophinae and Lambeosaurinae. Saurolophines included a major clade composed of the Prosaurolophus–Saurolophus and the Kritosaurus–Gryposaurus–Secernosaurus subclades. Edmontosaurus and Shantungosaurus were recovered outside the major clade of saurolophines. The Brachylophosaurus clade was recovered as the most basal clade of saurolophines in the parsimony analysis, whereas following the Bayesian analysis it was recovered as the sister clade to the Kritosaurus–Gryposaurus–Secernosaurus clade. These two analyses resulted in a Lambeosaurinae composed of a succession of Eurasian sister taxa to two major clades: the Parasaurolophus clade and the Hypacrosaurs altispinus–Corythosaurus clade. In contrast, the Bayesian analysis using the Mk model with the gamma parameter included, resulted in an unbalanced hadrosauroid tree, with a paraphyletic Saurolophinae, and with the Prosaurolophus clade, Edmontosaurus, and Shantungosaurus as successively closer sister taxa to Lambeosaurinae. Based on the strict reduced consensus tree derived from the parsimony analysis, Hadrosauridae was redefined as the clade stemming from the most recent common ancestor of Hadrosaurus foulkii and Parasaurolophus walkeri. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 159 , 435–502.     

Hydrogen sulfide:A novel component in Arabidopsis peroxisomes which triggers catalase inhibition

Plant peroxisomes have the capacity to generate different reactive oxygen and nitrogen species(ROS and RNS),such as H_2O_2,superoxide radical(O_2~-),nitric oxide and peroxynitrite(ONOO~-).These organelles have an active nitrooxidative metabolism which can be exacerbated by adverse stress conditions.Hydrogen sulfide(H_2S)is a new signaling gasotransmitter which can mediate the posttranslational modification(PTM)persulfidation.We used Arabidopsis thaliana transgenic seedlings expressing cyan fluorescent protein(CFP)fused to a canonical peroxisome targeting signal 1(PTS1)to visualize peroxisomes in living cells,as well as a specific fluorescent probe which showed that peroxisomes contain H_2S.H_2S was also detected in chloroplasts under glyphosate-induced oxidative stress conditions.Peroxisomal enzyme activities,including catalase,photorespiratory H_2O_2-generating glycolate oxidase(GOX)and hydroxypyruvate reductase(HPR),were assayed in vitro with a H_2S donor.In line with the persulfidation of this enzyme,catalase activity declined significantly in the presence of the H_2S donor.To corroborate the inhibitory effect of H_2S on catalase activity,we also assayed pure catalase from bovine liver and pepper fruit-enriched samples,in which catalase activity was inhibited.Taken together,these data provide evidence of the presence of H_2S in plant peroxisomes which appears to regulate catalase activity and,consequently,the peroxisomal H_2O_2 metabolism.