Ovomucoid intervening sequences specify functional domains and generate protein polymorphism

Two thirds of the natural chicken ovomucoid gene has been sequenced, including all exons and the intron sequences surrounding all fourteen intron/ exon junctions. The junction sequences surrounding four of the introns are redundant; however, the sequences surrounding the other three introns contain no redundancies and thus the splicing sites at either end of these three introns are unambiguous. The splicing in all cases conforms to the GT-AG rule. The ovomucoid gene sequence around intron F can be used to predict the cause of an internal deletion polymorphism in the ovomucoid protein, which is an apparent error in the processing of the ovomucoid pre-mRNA. We also compare the structural organization of the ovomucoid gene with the ovomucoid protein sequence to examine theories of the evolution of ovomucoids as well as the origin of intervening sequences. This analysis suggests that the present ovomucoid gene evolved from a primordial ovomucoid gene by two separate intragenic duplications. Furthermore, sequence analyses suggest that introns were present in the primordial ovomucoid gene before birds and mammals diverged, about 300 million years ago. Finally, the positions of the introns within the ovomucoid gene support the theory that introns separate gene segments that code for functional domains of proteins and provide insight on the manner by which eucaryotic genes were constructed during the process of evolution.     

Ultrastructural comparison of smooth muscle from ovarian follicle and oviduct of the golden hamster

Summary Ultrastructural characteristics of smooth muscle taken from ovarian follicles and oviducts of hamsters are compared. Differences between the two muscle types are more quantitative than qualitative, thus confirming that follicular muscle is a true smooth muscle with no unique characteristics. While both muscle types contain 50–80 Å filaments, -glycogen deposits, and organelles characteristically found in smooth muscle, the oviductal cells have substantially more sacs, tubular structures, sarcoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondria. Another difference concerns the cellular junctions; the oviductal cells exhibit nexuses, whereas the follicular cells show desmosomelike junctions. Based on ultrastructural differences, follicular smooth muscle seems to be a relatively toneless muscle suited for short, infrequent contractions, whereas oviductal smooth muscle is probably involved in more active tonic contractions.Supported by an Institutional Research Grant from Texas Women's University, by NIH Grant HD 12988, and by the Department of Anatomy at Wright State University     

Steroid sulphatase levels in XX males,including observations on two affected cousins

Summary Quantitative assays of steroid sulphatase in XX males have shown that some individuals have two functional loci, and others only one. Two affected cousins, who cannot share the same X-chromosome, nevertheless have male levels of steroid sulphatase, suggesting functional abnormality of the X chromosome.The hypothesis is advanced that these and other unusual features of X-chromosome function in some XX males, could be explained if such cases were due to an autosomal mutation, exercising its effect by causing abnormal inactivation of a subterminal area of Xp which normally escapes the inactivation process.     

Heparin-inhibitable lectins: Marked similarities in chicken and rat

Extracts of young rat lung contain a heparin-inhibitable lectin that closely resembles one recently purified from chicken liver. Both lectins interact with heparin and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, and were purified by gel filtration on Sepharose CL-2B followed by affinity chromatography on heparin-Sepharose. They both behave as high molecular weight aggregates that can be dissociated into two peptides with apparent molecular weights of 13,000 and 16,000 by gel electrophoresis in SDS. Samples of purified lectin contained up to 20% DNA by weight, and the degree of lectin aggregation and hemagglutination activity was greatly reduced by treatment with micrococcal nuclease without inhibiting heparin-binding activity. Association of lectin with DNA is an artifact of homogenization in high salt, since only 2% of the lectin is found associated with a purified nuclear fraction.     

Resting eggs, seasonal dynamics, and production of Bosmina longispina maritima (P. E. Muller) (Cladocera) in the northern Baltic proper

The seasonal dynamics and production of Bosmina longispina maritimawas studied both in the pelagic zone and bottom sediments ofthe northern Baltic proper in 1979. Resting eggs started tohatch in April–May, but the pelagic zone population didnot show signs of increase until August; this is typical forthe species in this area. Relatively few of those hatched inthe spring and early summer survived the low temperatures andlack of food below the thermocline. The population increasewas started with individuals hatched after the thermal stratificationweakened. From August until October the number of resting eggsin the sediment rose in direct response to their productionin the pelagic zone. A new hatching period began in October–November,but conditions in the pelagic zone were not suitable for theirfurther development. Such mistiming of hatching may, along withother factors, help to explain the large annual variations inthe productivity of B. longispina maritima in the Baltic. Sexualreproduction was found to be of relatively greater importancein the study area than in the areas where Bosmina reaches higherproductivity. This was assumed to be due to more intense selectionpressures in the prevailing conditions.     

急性病毒性肝炎的发病率慢性肝炎患病率和肝病死亡率的研究

1984～1987年,在黑龙江、河北、河南、湖南、上海五个省市城乡10.08855人口中进行急性肝炎发病率、慢性肝炎患病率、与病毒性肝炎有关的肝病死亡率的研究。急性肝炎标化发病率为152.19/10万,主要发生在20～50岁组人群;因无甲肝暴发流行,除上海外各点季节发病率分布均衡。慢性肝炎标化患病率为158.25/10万(诊断标准为6个月前有明确急性肝炎病史,现有明显的临床症状或体征,肝功能异常,故实际慢肝患病率要高于此数字);与病毒性肝炎有关的肝病死亡(包括肝癌)标化率为22.65/10万,其中肝病为 13.14/10万。男性死亡率显著高于女性。     

四川省自贡市幼儿园3至5岁儿童乙型肝炎病毒感染情况及影响因素

为了解四川省自贡地区3～5岁幼儿乙型肝炎病毒(HBV)感染情况,并探索与感染有关的因素,1985年调查了1167名幼儿,其HBV总感染率为41.13％,HBsAg阳性率12.68％。幼儿的HBV感染与母亲HBsAg阳性密切相关。共检查母亲409例,38例HBsAg阳性,其幼儿HBsAg阳性率为50％(19/38),HBsAg阴性的母亲371例,其幼儿HBsAg阳性率9.97％(37/371),来自HBsAg阳性母亲的阳性子女占33.3％(19/56)。1986年随访HBV易感幼儿448例,HBV年感染率为12.95％(58/448),HBsAg年阳转率3.79％。HBV年感染率与原幼儿班级HBsAg阳性率的高低有关。     

黔北棘蝇属二新种一新亚种（双翅目：蝇科）

新(亚)种的模式标本除标明者外均存作者所在单位。1.贵州棘蝇Phaonia guizhouensis Wei,新种(图1) 雄:体长6mm。眼具淡黄色密长毛。额宽至少等于触角第三节宽。间额黑灰,约为一侧额的5倍宽。侧额狭,粉被暗银灰色。额鬃上达单眼瘤前,仅前方的3对发达,后大半细如眼毛。侧颜黑,下侧颜暗红,粉被银灰;侧颜至少如触角第三节宽之半。触角黑,第三节约为第二节的2倍长。芒短羽状,最长芒毛约为触角宽之半。颊蓝黑,粉被灰褐,前上缘具一列上弯的鬃;颊约如眼高的2/7。口上片突出于额前缘。中颜板     

HBsAg阴性母亲的新生儿接种不同剂量乙型肝炎血源疫苗的效果

HBsAg阴位母亲的新生儿,按0,1、6月程序分别接种10-10-10μg(1组)、20-10-10μg(2组)和30-10-10μg(3组)乙型肝炎血源疫苗。第一针后一年,检查抗-HBs阳转率,分别为87.60％,90.64％和88.97％,无统计学显著差异。3针10μg组免疫后l～4年抗-HBs阳性率分别为88.31％、81.08％、80.10％和78.39％,虽稍下降,但无统计学显著差异。3个剂量组HBsAg阳性率分别为0.71％,0.49％和0.74％,说明HBsAg阴性母亲的新生儿,用国产血源HBsAg疫苗免疫以10μ×3效果较理想。