Circadian and seasonal variation of the body temperature of sheep in a tropical environment

Nychthemeral and annual rhythms of the rectal temperature were determined for Corriedale sheep in a tropical climate. The minimum rectal temperature averaged 39.55° C at 0500 hours in summer, and 38.87° C at 0600 hours in winter. The maximum was 40.03° C in summer (1700 hours) and 39.33° C in winter (1830 hours). Annual cycle of the rectal temperature showed a minimum in July and maximum in December.     

Towards MRI contrast agents of improved efficacy. NMR relaxometric investigations of the binding interaction to HSA of a novel heptadentate macrocyclic triphosphonate Gd(III)-complex

 A novel heptacoordinating ligand consisting of a thirteen-membered tetraazamacrocycle containing the pyridine ring and bearing three methylenephosphonate groups (PCTP-[13]) has been synthesized. Its Gd(III) complex displays a remarkably high longitudinal water proton relaxivity (7.7 mM^–1 s^–1 at 25  °C, 20 MHz and pH 7.5) which has been accounted for in terms of contributions arising from (1) one water molecule bound to the metal ion, (2) hydrogen-bonded water molecules in the second coordination sphere, or (3) water molecules diffusing near the paramagnetic chelate. Variable-temperature ¹⁷O-NMR transverse relaxation data indicate that the residence lifetime of the metal-bound water molecule is very short (8.0 ns at 25  °C) with respect to the Gd(III) complexes currently considered as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. Furthermore, GdPCTP-[13] interacts with human serum albumin (HSA), likely through electrostatic forces. By comparing water proton relaxivity data for the GdPCTP-[13]-HSA adduct, measured as a function of temperature and magnetic field strength, with those for the analogous adduct with GdDOTP (a twelve-membered tetraaza macrocyclic tetramethylenephosphonate complex lacking a metal-bound water molecule), it has been possible to propose a general picture accounting for the main determinants of the relaxation enhancement observed when a paramagnetic Gd(III) complex is bound to HSA. Basically, the relaxation enhancement in these systems arises from (1) water molecules in the hydration shell of the macromolecule and protein exchangeable protons which lie close to the interaction site of the paramagnetic complex and (2) the metal bound water molecule(s). As far as the latter contribution is concerned, the interaction with the protein causes an elongation of the residence lifetime of the metal-bound water molecule, which limits, to some extent, the potential relaxivity enhancement expected upon the binding of the paramagnetic complex to HSA. Received: 27 January 1997 / Accepted: 12 May 1997     

Hydrological cycle and interannual variability of the aquatic community in a temporary saline lake (Fuente de Piedra,Southern Spain)

Fuente de Piedra is a shallow, temporary saline lake whoseseasonal behavior is strongly dependent on the annual hydrologicalbudget. In this study, we outline the characteristics of Fuente dePiedra Lake for two years that had different hydrological budgets.The high precipitations in 1989–90 caused the lake not to dry asusual, and decreased both salinity and the amplitude of changes.There were also differences in nutrient dynamics, with generallylower concentrations of soluble reactive phosphorus and ammonium,whereas in the more humid year nitrate showed a distinct maximum inwinter. Winter bloom chlorophyll a concentrations were alsomuch higher in 1989–90 (>600 g l-1) but there wasalso a winter productive phase that was presumably poorly coupledwith consumption processes that predominate in spring. Planktonicassemblages were different between years. Highly halotolerantphytoplankton species (Dunaliella salina and D. viridis) became scarcer, and especially two previouslyunrecorded diatoms (Cyclotella sp. and Chaetoceros sp.)became dominant in the bloom time in the wet year. The speciesrichness of the zooplankton increased in the wet year, with newspecies appearing that were not collected during 1987–88(Branchinectella media, Daphnia mediterranea, Macrothrix sp.,Arctodiaptomus salinus, Cyclops sp., Sigara sp...).There was also a much higher development of macrophytes (Ruppiadrepanensis, Althenia orientalis, Lamprothamnium papulosum)and bird populations, especially flamingoes (Phoenicopterusruber).Important interannual variations in this sort of system pointto the need for long term studies to observe the whole range ofstates that define the lake as an entity.     

Role of NAD+ and ADP-Ribosylation in the Maintenance of the Golgi Structure

We have investigated the role of the ADP- ribosylation induced by brefeldin A (BFA) in the mechanisms controlling the architecture of the Golgi complex. BFA causes the rapid disassembly of this organelle into a network of tubules, prevents the association of coatomer and other proteins to Golgi membranes, and stimulates the ADP-ribosylation of two cytosolic proteins of 38 and 50 kD (GAPDH and BARS-50; De Matteis, M.A., M. DiGirolamo, A. Colanzi, M. Pallas, G. Di Tullio, L.J. McDonald, J. Moss, G. Santini, S. Bannykh, D. Corda, and A. Luini. 1994. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 91:1114–1118; Di Girolamo, M., M.G. Silletta, M.A. De Matteis, A. Braca, A. Colanzi, D. Pawlak, M.M. Rasenick, A. Luini, and D. Corda. 1995. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 92:7065–7069). To study the role of ADP-ribosylation, this reaction was inhibited by depletion of NAD⁺ (the ADP-ribose donor) or by using selective pharmacological blockers in permeabilized cells. In NAD⁺-depleted cells and in the presence of dialized cytosol, BFA detached coat proteins from Golgi membranes with normal potency but failed to alter the organelle's structure. Readdition of NAD⁺ triggered Golgi disassembly by BFA. This effect of NAD⁺ was mimicked by the use of pre–ADP- ribosylated cytosol. The further addition of extracts enriched in native BARS-50 abolished the ability of ADP-ribosylated cytosol to support the effect of BFA. Pharmacological blockers of the BFA-dependent ADP-ribosylation (Weigert, R., A. Colanzi, A. Mironov, R. Buccione, C. Cericola, M.G. Sciulli, G. Santini, S. Flati, A. Fusella, J. Donaldson, M. DiGirolamo, D. Corda, M.A. De Matteis, and A. Luini. 1997. J. Biol. Chem. 272:14200–14207) prevented Golgi disassembly by BFA in permeabilized cells. These inhibitors became inactive in the presence of pre–ADP-ribosylated cytosol, and their activity was rescued by supplementing the cytosol with a native BARS-50–enriched fraction. These results indicate that ADP-ribosylation plays a role in the Golgi disassembling activity of BFA, and suggest that the ADP-ribosylated substrates are components of the machinery controlling the structure of the Golgi apparatus.     

Airborne grass pollen in Granada (Spain)

We have carried out a study on the annual and daily pollen concentrations from Gramineae over four consecutive years in the atmosphere of Granada (Spain). Samples of pollen grains were collected by the volumetric method with the aid of a Burkard sporetrap. Gramineae, according both to their high sensitizing capacity and to data from allergologists, are responsible for many pollinoses diagnosed in this area. In this work, daily pollen levels from April to July are monitored and the variations identified are interpreted in relation to meteorological conditions. Results indicated that the highest airborne concentrations of Gramineae pollen were found in May and June, although the beginning and intensity of pollination have been variable during these 4 years.     

Combined use of 13C chemical shift and 1Hα−13Cα heteronuclear NOE data in monitoring a protein NMR structure refinement

Summary A large portion of the ¹³C resonance assignments for murine epidermal growth factor (mEGF) at pH 3.1 and 28°C has been determined at natural isotope abundance. Sequence-specific ¹³C assignments are reported for 100% of the assignable C, 96% of the C, 86% of the aromatic and 70% of the remaining peripheral aliphatic resonances of mEGF. A good correlation was observed between experimental and back-calculated C chemical shifts for regions of regular -sheet structure. These assignments also provide the basis for interpreting ¹H–¹³C heteronuclear NOE (HNOE) values in mEGF at natural isotope abundance. Some of the backbone polypeptide segments with high internal mobility, indicated by these ¹H–¹³C HNOE measurements, correlate with locations of residues involved in the putative mEGF-receptor binding site. Using four families of mEGF structures obtained over the last few years, we demonstrate that standard deviations between experimental and back-calculated C values can be used to monitor the refinement of this protein's structure, particularly for -sheet regions. Improved agreement between calculated and observed values of C is correlated with other measures of structure quality, including lowered values of residual constraint violations and more negative values of conformational energy. These results support the view that experimental conformation-dependent chemical shifts, C, can provide a reliable source of information for monitoring the process of protein structure refinement and are potentially useful restraints for driving the refinement.Abbreviations HSQC heteronuclear single-quantum coherence spectroscopy - PFG pulsed-field gradient - TOCSY ¹H-¹H total correlation spectroscopy - EGF epidermal growth factor - mEGF murine EGF - hEGF human EGF - hTGF human type- transforming growth factor - DIPSI spm-locking pulse sequence - NOE nuclear Overhauser effect - HNOE heteronuclear Overhauser effect     

Glycosyl transferases in mouse and human milk fat globule membranes

Summary Membranes isolated from mouse and human milk fat globules were found to contain the enzymes responsible for the synthesis of dolichol monophosphate mannose and dolichol monophosphate glucose as well as those involved in the transference of the glycosyl residues from the two dolichol derivatives to dolichol diphosphate oligosaccharides. The levels of most of the enzymes were comparable to those found in mouse mammary gland microsomes. The presence of enzymes involved in protein glycosylation via dolichol derivatives in the milk fat globule membrane provides evidence in favor of an outward flow of membrane components from the rough endoplasmic reticulum, where these enzymes are active in vivo, towards the cell surface.