Cloning and physical mapping of enteric adenoviruses (candidate types 40 and 41)

We have studied the DNAs of fastidious enteric adenoviruses recovered from the stools of infants with gastroenteritis. By endonuclease analysis, the strains examined represent candidate adenovirus types 40 and 41, which are thought to comprise new adenovirus subgroups F and G. Cloning of DNA from representative enteric adenovirus isolates, together with hybridization and subcleavage analysis, permitted the mapping of restriction enzyme cleavage sites. Although the restriction profiles are different for the two strains, they appear to have several cleavage sites in common. Cross hybridization studies show considerable homology between the subgroup F and G strains but much less homology to adenovirus 2. In addition, regions on both ends of enteric adenovirus genomes (map units, 2.9 to 11.3 and 75 to 100) possess little or no homology to adenovirus 2. Restriction enzyme digests reveal submolar fragments that map to the terminal regions of the genome. Electron micrographic studies of denatured and renatured DNA strands suggest that the submolar fragments may derive from cleavage of defective molecules. Inverted terminal repeat sequences were shown to comprise 0 to 3.2% of the length of complete (greater than or equal to 22 megadaltons) enteric adenovirus DNA molecules but 4 to 69% of incomplete-length (less than 22-megadalton) molecules.     

Location and major postembryonic changes of identified 5-HT-immunoreactive neurones in the terminal ganglion of a cricket (Acheta domesticus)

Summary In the terminal ganglion of the cricket, Acheta domesticus, the somata of certain interneurones and efferent neurones consistently react to 5-HT immunohistochemistry. There are serially homologous pairs of bilateral interneurones seen in the neuromeres of the 7th to the 10th segment and hindgut neurones with their somata located at the posterior median end of the ganglion. In adult crickets, pairs of large efferent neurones with lateral somata supply specific genital muscles in the 8th and the 9th segment of females. In males, only one pair of these efferent neurones supplies genital muscles of the 9th segment only. These identified 5-HT-immunoreactive neurones are not detected in larval crickets before development of the genital apparatus.     

Rat liver alcohol dehydrogenase. Purification and properties

Alcohol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.1) from the rat liver supernatant fraction has been purified 200-fold and partially characterized. The isolation procedure involved ammonium sulphate fractionation, DEAE-Sephadex chromatography and gel filtration. The purified enzyme behaved as a homogeneous preparation as evaluated by cellulose acetate and polyacrylamide-gel disc electrophoresis. Sulphoethyl-Sephadex chromatography and immunoelectrophoresis with rabbit antiserum indicated the presence of a minor component. Rat liver alcohol dehydrogenase appears to contain 4mol of zinc/mol, has an estimated molecular weight of 65000 and consists of two subunits of similar molecular weight. Heavy-metal ions, thiol-blocking reagents, urea at concentrations below 8m, low pH (5.5) and chelating agents deactivate the enzyme but do not dissociate it into subunits. Deactivated enzyme could not be reactivated. The enzyme is strictly specific for NAD(+) and has a broad specificity for alcohols, which are bound at a hydrophobic site. Inhibition occurred with the enzyme equilibrated with Zn(2+) at concentrations above 0.1mm.     

Pflanzensoziologische Beobachtungen an isländischen Dünengesellschaften

Zusammenfassung Nachdem die Therophyten- und Hemikryptophyten-Spülsaum-Gesellschaften des Strandes geschildert worden sind, wird die Honckenya diffusa-Elymus arenarius-Ass. der isländischen Küste und der Flugsandflächen im Binnenlande beschrieben. Die weitere Entwicklung der Vegetation auf den Flugsand-Feldern führt zur Silene maritima-Festuca cryophila-Ass., die in verschiedenen Subassoziationen vorkommt.Die Wünschbarkeit einer Nachprüfung der örtlich gewonnenen Ergebnisse wird dargelegt und die pflanzensoziologische Kartierung eines ausgedehnten Flugsandgebietes beiderseits der Ölfusá-Mündung in SW-Island empfohlen.Die Festlegung des Flugsandes, die zur Sicherung der benachbarten Siedlungen notwendig ist, wird am sichersten, schnellsten und billigsten durch die Kenntnis und Beachtung der syndynamischen Gesetze der hier wachsenden Pflanzengesellschaften erreicht. Dabei sind Vegetation und Standort, d.h. die Flugsand-Dünen als eine lebendige Einheit im Sinne vonvan Dieren (1934) zu betrachten und die praktischen Erfahrungen an der deutschen und dänischen Nordsee-Küste von Wert, auf die verwiesen wird.Auf die Bedeutung der Kenntnisse von Soziologie, Syndynamik und Synökologie der s-isländischen Küsten-Vegetation für das Verständnis der Besiedlung der nahen jungen Vulkan-Insel Surtsey wird hingewiesen.     

Monoclonal antibody AA4, which inhibits binding of IgE to high affinity receptors on rat basophilic leukemia cells, binds to novel alpha-galactosyl derivatives of ganglioside GD1b

Mouse monoclonal antibody AA4 inhibits the binding of IgE to high affinity IgE receptors on the rat basophilic leukemia cell line RBL-2H3. As shown by immunostaining of thin layer chromatograms, antibody AA4 binds avidly to two disialogangliosides (antigen I and antigen II) that occur in this cell line. The two antigens were purified by anion exchange chromatography followed by short-bed continuous thin-layer chromatography. About 230 micrograms of antigen I and 60 micrograms of antigen II were obtained from 20 g (wet weight) of leukemia cells. The structures of both purified antigens were determined to be alpha-galactosyl derivatives of the ganglioside GD1b by fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry, by chemical ionization-mass spectrometry of permethylated samples, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of partially methylated alditol acetates, and by treatment with exoglycosidases and mild acid hydrolysis. The structure of antigen I is: (formula; see text) Antigen II has an additional alpha-galactosyl residue as follows: (formula; see text) The ceramide of antigen I contains approximately equal amounts of C24:0, C22:0, C20:0, C18:0, and C16:0 N-acyl fatty acids. The ceramide base is predominantly sphingosine along with a small amount of dihydrosphingosine. In contrast, the ceramide of antigen II contains mainly C24:0 N-acyl fatty acid with much lower amounts of C22:0, C20:0, and C18:0 fatty acids. Moreover, the ceramide base is approximately 55% sphingosine and 45% dihydrosphingosine. No unsaturated N-acyl fatty acids were detected in either antigen.     

Whole inactivated SIV vaccine grown on human cells fails to protect against homologous SIV grown on simian cells

Several groups have reported protection against experimental SIV infection in macaques immunized with a whole inactivated virus vaccine. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether five macaques vaccinated with whole inactivated SIV and previously shown to be protected against challenge with two divergent strains of SIV grown on human cells could resist challenge with a subsequent homologous SIV grown on macaque cells. We show here that this same vaccine did not protect when the challenge virus was grown on primary cells of monkey origin.     

Beiträge zur Morphologie der Peripheren Nervenfaser

Zusammenfassung Die Ansicht vonTheodor Boveri (1885), wonach sich dieSchwann-sche Scheide an denRanvierschen Schnürringen von der Außenseite des Markes auf dessen Innenseite umschlägt und so das Axolemm bildet, kann an Hand von formalinfixierten und gefärbten Präparaten (Serienlängsschnitten) bestätigt und durch entsprechende Mikroaufnahmen belegt werden.Der Begriff derSchwannschen Zelle (= Neurolemmzelle) ist demnach insofern jetzt weiter zu fassen, als diese einröhrenförmiges Gebilde darstellt, das die Markscheide in sich einschließt.Es wird deshalb erneut vorgeschlagen, dieSchwannsche Scheide fortan als äußeres Neurolemm und das Axolemm als inneres Neurolemm zu bezeichnen und auch die jeweils zugehörigen, bereits an anderer Stelle (R. Sulzmann 1955) beschriebenen Leisten dementsprechend zu benennen.Die Tatsache, daß die Schnürringe von Fasern nahezu gleicher Stärke in ein und demselben Faserbündel stets auf annähernd gleicher Höhe anzutreffen sind, wird lediglich als eineFolge gleicher Wachstumsgeschwindigkeit ohne besondere funktionelle Bedeutung aufgefaßt. Bezüglich der Funktion der Schnürringe wird vermutet, daß sie in erster Linie derErnährung der jeweils angrenzendenSchwannschen Segmente, insbesondere aber dem Stoffaustausch der betreffenden Achsenzylinderabschnitte dienen.Weiterhin wird angenommen, daß sich die Besonderheiten im Bau desRanvierschen Schnürrings, die zweifelsohne von großer praktischer Bedeutung sind, aus derEntwicklungsgeschichte der peripheren markhaltigen Nervenfaser ableiten lassen.     

l-Fucose residues on cellulose-based dialysis membranes: Quantification of membrane-associatedl-fucose and analysis of specific lectin binding

Contact of mononuclear human leukocytes with cellulose dialysis membranes may result in complement-independent cell activation, i.e. enhanced synthesis of cytokines, prostaglandins and an increase in 2-microglobulin synthesis. Cellular contact activation is specifically inhibited by the monosaccharidel-fucose suggesting that dialysis membrane associatedl-fucose residues are involved in leukocyte activation. In this study we have detected and quantitatedl-fucose on commercially-available cellulose dialysis membranes using two approaches. A sensitive enzymatic fluorescence assay detectedl-fucose after acid hydrolysis of flat sheet membranes. Values ranged from 79.3±3.6 to 90.2±5.0 pmol cm^–2 for Hemophan® or Cuprophan® respectively. Enzymatic cleavage of terminal -l-fucopyranoses with -l-fucosidase yielded 7.7±3.3 pmoll-fucose per cm² for Cuprophan. Enzymatic hydrolysis of the synthetic polymer membranes AN-69 and PC-PE did not yield detectable amounts ofl-fucose. In a second approach, binding of the fucose specific lectins ofLotus tetragonolobus andUlex europaeus (UEAI) demonstrated the presence of biologically accessiblel-fucose on the surface of cellulose membranes. Specific binding was observed with Cuprophan®, and up to 2.6±0.3 pmoll-fucose per cm² was calculated to be present from Langmuir-type adsorption isotherms. The data presented are in line with the hypothesis that surface-associatedl-fucose residues on cellulose dialysis membranes participate in leukocyte contact activation.