Polarizing activity in the developing limb of the Syrian hamster.

The transplantation of small pieces of tissue from the limb buds of 9 1/2 -10 day hamster embryos to the wing bud of the chick results in the induction of supernumerary wing structures. The anteroposterior polarity of these induced structures is under the control of the transplanted hamster tissue. The developing hamster limb thus has limb polarizing activity similar to that found in avian species and, as in the chick, the activity is found primarily in the posterior region of the limb bud.     

Purification of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C from a particulate fraction of bovine brain

The coupling of various agonist receptors to the hydrolysis of phosphoinositides has generated much interest in the nature of the phospholipase C that is activated. Here we report the purification of a bovine brain phospholipase C derived from the particulate fraction. A 1000-fold purification was achieved by a combination of heparin-Sepharose, DEAE-cellulose and gel-permeation chromatography. The purified enzyme appears to be monomeric and under denaturing conditions shows a single staining major polypeptide of molecular mass 154 kDa in SDS gels. The enzyme is specific for phosphoinositides although it shows a marked preference for the polyphosphoinositides. With phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate as substrate the enzyme expresses a specific activity of greater than 100 mumol min-1 mg-1. The phospholipase C is activated by Ca2+ (0.1-10 microM). The behaviour of this particulate enzyme is discussed in the context of a agonist-induced phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis.     

Schwannoma-Derived Growth Factor Interacts with the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor

Abstract: Schwannoma-derived growth factor (SDGF) is a potent mitogen and neuronal differentiation factor. Because of its relationship to epidermal growth factor (EGF) and the heregulins, it was asked if SDGF interacts with the EGF receptor or HER2/neu. SDGF binds to and causes the phosphorylation on tyrosine of the EGF receptor but not HER2/neu.     

Beta-adrenergic agonists and cyclic AMP decrease intracellular resting free-calcium concentration in ileum smooth muscle

Intracellular free-calcium levels were measured in strips of longitudinal smooth muscle from guinea-pig ileum; fura-2 was used as a calcium monitor. At rest the calcium concentration was about 180 nM, and this rose to 300-400 nM following electrical stimulation and during spontaneous calcium transients (all measurements at 23-25 degrees C). Isoprenaline suppressed the spontaneous calcium transients, and reduced the resting calcium level to about 130 nM. This fall in resting calcium concentration was seen even in muscle strips which did not have spontaneous activity. Elevation of intracellular cyclic AMP levels, produced by forskolin or dibutyryl cyclic AMP, mimicked the actions of isoprenaline. We conclude that the relaxant effects of beta-adrenergic agonists of visceral smooth muscle may be explained partly by a fall in intracellular resting free-calcium level, mediated via an increase in cyclic AMP.