Protein concentration in the neuron--neuroglia system of the anterior horns of the spinal cord in rats following exposure to the tranquilizer diazepam against a background of anticipation stress

Anticipation stress was induced in 16 day-old male rats by placing the animals daily for 7 days into individual cells for 45 min. In the end of each 45 min session, an electric stimulation of paws of the animals was done for 2 min. It was shown by visible cytospectrophotometry of amido black-stained spinal cord sections that the anticipation stress for 7 days resulted in an accumulation of the nuclear and cytoplasmic total proteins in the motoneurons of spinal cord anterior horns, with no changes in the body (in fact, in the nuclei) of the glial cells adjacent to the neurons. Intraperitoneal injection of the tranquilizer diazepam (10 mg per kg) 40 min. before the beginning of the last anticipation stress session gave rise to the return to the normal of the protein content per cell in the motoneuron nucleus and cytoplasm while inducing an increase in the quantity of neuroglia cell protein. Differences in the protein metabolism between the neurons and the neuroglia are discussed.     

Cytospectrophotometric analysis of various color reactions for acid and basis proteins in nerve tissue cells]

Polyvinyl formal films soaked with various concentrations of proteins as well as Carnoy-fixed paraffin sections of rat brain were stained with various colour reactions for acidic and basic proteins. Sufficient specificity, reproductivity, sensitivity and applicability for cytospectrophotometric determinations have been shown for the staining of acidic proteins with Toluidine blue 0 (pH 9.0) or with Fast green FCF (pH 2.6), and for the staining of basic proteins with Alcian blue (pH 10.0), or with Fast green FCF (pH 8.2). Importance of cytophotometric analysis of individual protein fractions is outlined for the functional cytochemistry of the nervous system.     

The influence of control parameters of extraction and concentration over oxidation and degradation of amino acids

The detailed thermal decomposition characteristics of several amino acids in different fase state — dry and moist crystals (Trp, Arg HCl, Lys HCl), water solutions (Trp) are determined. It is found that thermodecomposition of Trp in water solutions is inhibited by Na₂S₂O₃ and oxyethylidendiphosphonic acid. The method of finding optimal control parameters (temperatur of moist crystals, heating surfaces, drying agent) during amino acid drying on the bases of their thermodecomposition kinetics is given. The received results can be used for technolodical optimization of different stages of amino acid extraction and concentration processes.     

Linguistics of nucleotide sequences. II: Stationary words in genetic texts and the zonal structure of DNA

Words are irregularly distributed in genetic texts. The analysis of this irregularity leads to the notion of stationary and non-stationary words. The polyW and polyS tracts are shown to be the most non-stationary words in genetic texts (here W-[A,T], S-[G,C], a polyW tract is a sequence of A,T nucleotides and a polyS tract is a sequence of G,C nucleotides. The distribution of stationary words suggests a method for partitioning DNA into zones. The zones obtained in the case of the phage are interpreted in the light of the Dowe hypothesis of the modular structure of bacteriophage genomes.