Nucleoside Diphosphate-sugar 4-Epimerases I. Uridine Diphosphate Glucose 4-Epimerase of Wheat Germ

Uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glucose 4-epimerase (EC 5.1.3.2) has been purified over 1000-fold from extracts of wheat germ by MnCl₂ treatment, (NH₄)₂SO₄ fractionation, Sephadex column chromatography, and adsorption onto and elution from calcium phosphate gel. The enzyme has a pH optimum of 9.0. Km values are 0.1 mm for UDP-d-galactose and 0.2 mm for UDP-d-glucose. NAD is required for activity; K_a = 0.04 mm. NADH is an inhibitor strictly competitive with NAD; K_i = 2 μm. Wheat germ also contains UDP-l-arabinose 4-epimerase (EC 5.1.3.5) and thymidine diphosphate (TDP)-glucose 4-epimerase which are distinct from UDP-glucose 4-epimerase.     

胎盘型碱性磷酸酶的纯化及部分性质的研究

 <正> 胎盘型碱性磷酸酶(P-ALP)是碱性磷酸酶(EC3.1.3.1.ALP)的一种同工酶。P-ALP除出现于妊娠妇女血清外,一些学者还从恶性肿瘤患者血清中发现此酶,并证明它是一种特异性较强的肿瘤标志物。据此,建立P-ALP的简易纯化方法,制备纯度较高的酶制品是建立P-ALP灵敏的微量检测法的先决条件。本文报道以L-苯丙氨酸(L-phe)为配基,用氯代环氧丙烷活化Sepharose 4B的亲和层析法,从人胎盘纯化P-ALP,并对其部分性质进行了研究。     

Microscopic visualization of insect cell-bubble interactions. I: Rising bubbles, air-medium interface, and the foam layer.

Through the use of microscopic, high-speed video technology, the interactions of two suspended insect cell lines, Trichoplusia ni (TN-368) and Spodoptera frugiperda (SF-9), with air and oxygen bubbles were studied. Events such as cell-bubble attachment, cell-bubble collision, cell transport into the foam layer, and trapping of cells in the foam layer are presented and discussed. Based on these observations and those in a companion paper (Chalmers, J. J.; Bavarian, F. Biotechnol. Prog. 1991, following paper in this issue) and the experimental and theoretical work of other researchers, several mechanisms of cell damage as a result of sparging are presented.     

The pig as an intermediate host for Taiwan Taenia infection

Eggs (1000-100,000/animal) of Taiwan Taenia were inoculated per os into 14 Small-Ear-Miniature (SEM), 19 Landrace-Small-Ear-Miniature (L-SEM), and 5 Duroc-Yorkshire-Landrace (DYL) pigs. These animals were sacrificed 7-107 days after infection. Thirty-four pigs were found to be infected with Taiwan Taenia cysticerci and the infection rates of SEM, L-SEM, and DYL were 86%, 89% and 100% respectively. The cysticerci recovery rates of SEM, L-SEM and DYL pigs were 27.2%, 1.7% and 0.27% respectively. Cysticerci were recovered only from the livers and none were found in muscles, viscera or other parts of the carcasses. More cysticerci were located in the liver parenchyma (71%) than on the liver surface (29%). Taiwan Taenia cysticerci were smaller than those of classical T. saginata or T. solium. Moreover, Taiwan Taenia cysticerci had 2 rows of rudimentary hooklets on the scolex. The results of this study indicate that young pigs are good intermediate hosts for Taiwan Taenia and that the SEM pig is a satisfactory host for experimental studies with this tapeworm. These results were similar to other studies with different geographic strains of the T. saginata-like tapeworm in the Far East. These strains appear to be the same and possibly a new species.     

Crystal structure of plakalbumin, a proteolytically nicked form of ovalbumin. Its relationship to the structure of cleaved alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor

The crystal structure of plakalbumin, a proteolytically nicked form of ovalbumin, has been determined to a resolution of 2.8 A by the isomorphous replacement method and preliminary refinement. The structure closely resembles that of the cleaved form of alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor, with some important exceptions. The disposition of the new carboxyl chain terminus liberated by proteolysis is different with respect to the central beta-sheet A in the structures of these two molecules. In alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor, the new chain terminus inserts in beta-sheet A to add a middle strand to the sheet. In plakalbumin, this strand remains free near the site at which the cleavage occurs. A structural basis for this difference in behavior is proposed from the structures and sequences of these two molecules and other members of the serpin family. The structures and positions of the putative signal peptide of ovalbumin, the several post-translational modifications, and the relationship of the intron-exon patterns of plakalbumin and alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor to their protein structures are also described.     

Combined infection by Moloney murine leukemia virus and a mink cell focus-forming virus recombinant induces cytopathic effects in fibroblasts or in long-term bone marrow cultures from preleukemic mice.

We described previously a preleukemic state in mice inoculated with Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV) characterized by generalized hematopoietic hyperplasia in the spleen. To investigate this further, long-term bone marrow cultures (LTBMC) from preleukemic mice were established. Surprisingly, LTBMC from M-MuLV-inoculated preleukemic mice showed less hematopoiesis than LTBMC from control mice. This resulted from a quantitative defect in establishment of bone marrow stromal cells in the LTBMC. This phenomenon could also be observed in LTBMC from normal mice infected in vitro with a stock of M-MuLV containing a mink cell focus-forming virus (MCF) derivative (M-MCF), but not in LTBMC infected with M-MuLV alone. This implicated MCF derivatives in the reduction in bone marrow stromal cells. The phenomenon could also be detected in infected NIH 3T3 cells. Combined infection of M-MuLV plus M-MCF resulted in fewer cells, in comparison to uninfected cells or cells infected with either virus alone. Further studies indicated that this was predominantly due to an inhibition in cell growth rather than to cell lysis. The cytopathic effect did not appear to result from overreplication of viral DNA, as measured by Southern blots. Thus, combined infection with M-MuLV and an MCF derivative had cytostatic effects on cell growth. This phenomenon might also contribute to the leukemogenic process in vivo.     

甘蔗幼叶切段培养中的体细胞胚胎发生

本文从形态学和组织学方面研究了甘蔗幼叶胚性愈伤组织发生及体细胞胚胎的形成过程。甘蔗幼叶片切段培养于含2.4—D1.5mg/1的MS培养基上,4—6天后切段开始形成愈伤组织,约10天后愈伤组织表面出现白色颗粒状结构。将含有白色颗粒状结构的愈伤组织转移至不含激素的培养基中,7—10天后可见有小植株长出。组织学和形态学观察表明,甘蔗离体再生植株是通过体细胞胚胎发生途径。     

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor regulates phosphatidylcholine phospholipase D in canine brain

The hydrolytic activity of phosphatidylcholine phospholipase D in the synaptosomes from canine brain was examined using a radiochemical assay with 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphoryl[3H]choline as the exogenous substrate. The involvement of G protein(s) in regulation of this enzyme was demonstrated by a 2- to 3-fold stimulation of the basal activity (4.81 +/- 0.44 nmol choline released/mg protein/h) with guanosine 5'-(3-O-thiol)triphosphate (GTP gamma S), guanyl-5'-yl-(beta, gamma-methylene)diphosphonate, aluminum fluoride, or cholera toxin. The stimulation of phospholipase D hydrolytic activity by GTP gamma S was inhibited by 2 mM guanosine 5'-(2-O-thiol)diphosphate. GTP gamma S at the maximum stimulatory concentration (10 microM) had an additive effect on the maximum cholera toxin stimulation of phospholipase D activity. However, the reverse was not true, thus indicating the possibility that more than one G protein may be involved. Furthermore, cholinergic agonists, including acetylcholine, carbachol, and muscarine, were able to increase the phospholipase D hydrolytic activity at low but not maximally stimulatory concentrations of guanine nucleotide. These cholinergic stimulations were antagonized by atropine, a muscarinic blocker. In addition, O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate, a protein kinase C activator, was able to stimulate the hydrolytic activity of phospholipase D more than 300% in the presence of 0.2 microM GTP gamma S. However, in the absence of GTP gamma S, stimulation was less than 60%. Our results not only indicate that the receptor-G protein-regulated phospholipase D may be directly responsible for the rapid accumulation of choline and phosphatidic acid in the central nervous system but also reveal that muscarinic acetylcholine receptor-G protein-regulated phospholipase D is a novel signal transduction process coupling the neuronal muscarinic receptor to cellular responses.