Cytochemical and electron microscopic demonstration of organelle translocation and the inhibition of such translocation by colchicine during the mitosis of rat hepatocytes

Hepatocyte lysosomes, mitochondria, and peroxisomes show a dramatic translocation during mitosis induced by partial hepatectomy. During prophase, all three organelles move to the perinuclear cytoplasm. In metaphase, they become concentrated in the polar regions. During telophase, these organelles form clusters in the juxtanuclear regions. This organelle translocation is inhibited by the administration of a low concentration of colchicine, suggesting an involvement of microtubules in their movement.     

Influenza virus M2 protein has ion channel activity.

The influenza virus M2 protein was expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes and shown to have an associated ion channel activity selective for monovalent ions. The anti-influenza virus drug amantadine hydrochloride significantly attenuated the inward current induced by hyperpolarization of oocyte membranes. Mutations in the M2 membrane-spanning domain that confer viral resistance to amantadine produced currents that were resistant to the drug. Analysis of the currents of these altered M2 proteins suggests that the channel pore is formed by the transmembrane domain of the M2 protein. The wild-type M2 channel was found to be regulated by pH. The wild-type M2 ion channel activity is proposed to have a pivotal role in the biology of influenza virus infection.     

Fine needle aspiration of Actinomyces infection of the breast. A novel presentation of thoracopleural actinomycosis.

A case of Actinomyces infection of the breast secondary to thoracopleural disease was initially diagnosed by fine needle aspiration biopsy. The tender, hard, swollen left breast was clinically suspected of harboring an inflammatory carcinoma. Cell block sections of the aspirate showed polymorphonuclear leukocytes surrounding a typical "sulphur granule" composed of branching filaments. The diagnosis was confirmed by culture of material obtained at subsequent surgery.     

Diagnosis of cystic pancreatic lesions by cytologic examination and carcinoembryonic antigen and amylase assays of cyst contents.

The contents obtained by fine needle aspiration (FNA) from 41 pancreatic cysts in 32 patients were studied cytologically and assayed for amylase and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels, which have been shown to discriminate pancreatic pseudocysts from mucinous cystic neoplasms and necrotic cystic carcinomas. The results were correlated with the histopathologic findings following surgery or with a clinical and radiologic follow-up of up to two years. The clinical, radiologic and cytologic characteristics did not discriminate pseudocysts from cystic neoplasms. The amylase content of cysts was high in pseudocysts, cystic carcinomas and mucinous cystic neoplasms. The mean CEA content was highest in cystic carcinomas and mucinous cysts and low in pseudocysts. The cytologic diagnosis of mucinous cystic neoplasms and carcinomas had a sensitivity of 54% and a specificity of 91%. The diagnosis of these lesions based on a CEA level greater than 10 ng/ml had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 81%. The adjunctive use of CEA content analysis enhanced the sensitivity of the cytologic diagnosis of mucinous cystic neoplasms and carcinomas to 100%.     

Quinine and quinidine production by cinchona leaf,root and unorganized cultures

Serially propagated Cinchona ledgeriana and C. succirubra (Rubiaceae) leaf, root and unorganized suspension cultures established from germinated seeds were studied for quinine and quinidine production. Leaf organ cultures were grown and subcultured in Murashige and Skoog's Revised Tobacco Medium supplemented with benzyladenine; root organ cultures were grown on the same medium supplemented with indolebutyric acid; and unorganized suspension cultures were grown on the same medium supplemented with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and benzyladenine. On a dry weight basis, leaf organ cultures of C. ledgeriana contained 0.06 % quinine and 0.05 % quinidine and of C. succirubra contained 0.04 % quinine and 0.04 % quinidine. No quinine and quinidine were detected in either root organ or unorganized suspension cultures.     

Characterization of the peptide-bound flavin of a bacterial sarcosine dehydrogenase.

As in the case of the succinate and sarcosine dehydrogenases of liver mitochondria, the flavin prosthetic group of the bacterial sarcosine dehydrogenase can be released from the enzyme by proteolytic digestion with trypsin and chymotrypsin. The flavin, isolated in the dinucleotide form and covalently bound to a peptide fragment, is converted to the mononucleotide and purified by sequential chromatography on Sephadex G-25, DEAE-Sephadex A-25, followed by preparative paper chromatography and high voltage electrophoresis.The absorption maxima of the purified flavin at pH 7 are found at 268, 350, and 447 nm, with 268:447 nm and 350:447 nm ratios of 3.08 and 0.79, respectively. The fluorescence excitation and emission maxima, 450 and 530 nm, respectively, are similar to those of flavin mononucleotide. The fluorescence of the flavin-peptide is maximal at pH 3.0–3.1.Amino acid analysis of the flavin-peptide (riboflavin form) gave the following molar ratios of amino acids to flavin: Lys(1), Asp(2), Thr(1), Ser(1), Glu(1), Gly(1), and Ala(1). Aspartic acid was the N-terminal amino acid. Upon more extensive hydrolysis, histidine was obtained in 71–84% yields. Employing aminopeptidase M, the partial sequence of amino acids in the flavin-peptide was determined to be as follows: Flavin

-Asp-Lys-Ser-Glu-Gly-His-(Asp,Ala,Thr)-Evidence is presented that the isoalloxazine ring is linked covalently via its 8 α-methyl group to N-3 of histidine.     

Correlation of the critical micelle concentrations of surfactants with their effects on a bacterial demethylase.

The activity of a sarcosine dehydrogenase isolated from a strain of Pseudomonas is enhanced by the addition of Triton X-100, Brij 35, and Tween 80, and is inhibited by deoxycholate and Sarkosyl NL-97. 2,6-Dichlorophenolindophenol, which is used as the oxidant in the dehydrogenase assay, has also been employed as an indicator in the spectrophotometric determination of the critical micelle concentrations (CMC) of both the nonionic and anionic detergents under conditions optimal for the enzyme analyses. A correlation between the activation or inhibitory activities of the surfactants and their CMC values has been established.