13-Demethyl-13-substituted-13,14-dihydroretinols as potential affinity labels of retinol-binding proteins: syntheses and stability studies

13-Demethyl-13-substituted-13,14-dihydroretinols were synthesized and their stability under various conditions was measured in order to evaluate whether they would be useful as affinity labels of retinol binding proteins and retinol metabolizing enzymes. The 13-chloro analog could not be isolated because it eliminated HCl under the Wittig reaction conditions of its preparation. The trans- and cis-13,14-epoxy analogs are stable in non-protic organic solvents, but undergo an elimination reaction under various chromatographic conditions and in mixtures of organic solvents with water or alcohol. The 13-hydroxy and 13-methoxy analogs are stable in aqueous solutions and are therefore suitable for biological studies.     

Effect of octanoic acid on ethylene-mediated flower induction in Dutch iris

Treatment of Dutch iris (Iris × hollandica Hoog. cv. Sapphire Beauty) bulbs with ethylene prior to precooling stimulated flowering in bulbs of various sizes. In large sized bulbs exposure to ethylene followed by precooling resulted in 100% flowering over a five months period after planting. Flowering in control bulbs which were not treated with ethylene prior to precooling was limited to 67% during the same five months period. In medium sized bulbs flowering in the ethylene treatment was 90% compared to 75% in the control. However, the biggest stimulation of flowering by ethylene was found in small sized bulbs (from 16 to 56%). Application of octanoic acid for a short time period prior to exposure to ethylene stimulated flowering in all bulb sizes. After five months the final percentage flowering in large and medium sized bulbs of the octanoic acid plus ethylene treatment did not differ from that of the ethylene only treatment. However, the initial rate of flowering was higher in the former treatment. In small bulbs the percentage flowering was much higher in the octanoic acid plus ethylene treatment than in the ethylene only treatment. The results of this study indicate that, just as in certain flowers, fruit and seeds, treatment with octanoic acid stimulates ethylene sensitivity in Dutch iris bulbs. The sensitivity of untreated bulbs to ethylene was highest in large bulbs and lowest in small bulbs. This correlated well with the endogenous octanoic acid content of the bulbs. Octanoic acid levels were highest in large bulbs and lowest in small Bulbs. It appears that the endogenous levels of octanoic acid in the bulbs is determined prior to the onset of dormancy.     

Enhancement of petunia and dendrobium flower senescence by jasmonic acid methyl ester is via the promotion of ethylene production

Methyl jasmonate (JA-Me), applied to dendrobium and petunia flowers either as an aqueous solution through the cut stem or stigma, or as a gas, accelerated senescence. The rate of appearance of wilting symptoms was directly related to the amount of JA-Me applied to the flowers. JA-Me increased ethylene production by the flowers, irrespective of application method, and this effect was also proportional to the dose of the compound. In both dendrobium and petunia flowers, the JA-Me induced increases in ethylene production and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid content followed similar patterns. Aminooxyacetic acid, an inhibitor of ACC-synthase, and silver-thiosulfate, an inhibitor of ethylene action, completely inhibited the effects of JA-Me. It is concluded that JA-Me enhances petunia and dendrobium flower senescence via the promotion of ACC and ethylene production.Abbreviations ACC 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid - AOA aminooxyacetic acid - Fl flower - JA jasmonic acid - JA-Me jasmonic acid methyl ester - LOX lipoxygenase - PLase A A-type phospholipase - STS silver-thiosulfate     

Adventitious staminate flower formation in gibberellin treated gynoecious cucumber plants

Single gibberellin (A₄₊₇) treatments induced the appearanceof staminate floral buds in several consecutive nodes on themain stem of genetically female cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.).The staminate buds appeared next to pistillate buds which showedvarious degrees of degeneration. Similarly, repeated GA treatmentsinduced the appearance of staminate flowers in otherwise strictlyhermaphrodite plants, next to bisexual flowers. However, thebisexual buds, unlike the pistillate ones, did not show anydeleterious effects of the GA treatment. Therefore, it is inferredthat the hormonally induced staminate buds did not develop bysexual reversion of would-be pistillate or bisexual buds, butrather, represent adventitious buds which, in normally grownfemale or hermaphrodite plants, never develop. It thus seemsthat predetermined pistillate or bisexual buds do not changeinto staminate ones, while change in the reverse direction hasbeen demonstrated in the past (at least for the gynoecious ones). The effectiveness of the GA treatment in the gynoecious plantsshowed an acropetal gradient both within the affected region,as well as along the main stem. Autoradiographic histologicalexaminations showed that the course of development of the inducedstaminate floral bud did not differ from that of normally developingbuds. (Received June 16, 1977; )     

Chimeric molecule IL-6/soluble IL-6 receptor is a potent mitogen for fetal hepatocytes

A novel recombinant molecule, termed IL-6c and consisting of a chimera of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and its soluble receptor is extremely potent in stimulating proliferation of hematopoietic progenitors. We investigated the effect of the IL-6c on the proliferation and differentiation of E14 fetal hepatocytes. IL-6c, in a dose-dependent manner, stimulated proliferation of E14 fetal rat hepatocytes. Adult hepatocyte mitogens together with IL-6c showed no further effect on proliferation. Hematopoietic stem cells mitogens SCF and flt3 ligand (FL) were also mitogenic for fetal hepatocytes, but did not further enhance the effect of IL-6c on cell proliferation. IL-6c decreased expression of fetal markers alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, and induced expression of adult enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase (Gluc-6-P) in E14 hepatocytes. On the other hand, IL-6c strongly reduced, in a dose-dependant manner, expression of albumin and tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT). However, when the cells were grown for 3 days with IL-6c, and IL-6c was removed for the next 5 days, expression of albumin and TAT returned to levels found in control cultures. In conclusion, IL-6c stimulated proliferation and affected gene expression in fetal hepatocytes in culture.     

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) inhibits skeletal muscle cell differentiation: a role for the bHLH protein twist and the cdk inhibitor p27

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) plays a crucial role in regulating the differentiation of both fetal and adult skeletal myoblasts. This study aimed at defining the intracellular factors that mediate the effect of HGF on adult myoblast differentiation. HGF increased Twist expression while decreasing p27(kip1) protein levels and not affecting the induction of p21(Cip1/Waf1) in satellite cells. Like HGF, overexpression of Twist did not affect p21 expression while inhibiting muscle-specific proteins. Both ectopic Twist-antisense (Twist-AS) and p27 partially rescued the effects of HGF on bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and myosin heavy chain (MHC) expression in muscle satellite cells; the two plasmids together effected full rescue, suggesting that HGF independently regulates these two factors to mediate its effects. Ectopic p27 promoted differentiation in the presence of HGF by blocking the induction of Twist. Using Twist-AS to lower Twist levels restored the HGF-dependent reduction of p27 and MHC. In the presence of ectopic HGF, satellite cells formed thin mononuclear myotubes. Neither ectopic p27, Twist-AS, or their combination reversed this change in cell morphology, suggesting that HGF acts through additional mediators to inhibit downstream events during myogenesis. Taken together, the results suggest that the effects of HGF on muscle cell proliferation and differentiation are mediated through changes in the expression levels of the myogenic-inhibitory basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) protein Twist and the cell-cycle inhibitor p27.