Value of Prospective Tissue Typing in Kidney Transplantation Between HL-A Identical Siblings

The predictability of leucocyte typing in kidney transplantation was assessed by an analysis of 37 kidney transplants from sibling donors. Recipients who were identical for the HL-A antigens with their donors gave highly predictable results. In comparison with those siblings who were incompatible or compatible but not identical their grafts functioned earlier, they required less immunosuppression, and had never had any rejections. They also appeared to have less postoperative morbidity. These results indicate that less immunosuppression than is current in many transplant centres could well be used with benefit in HL-A identical sibling transplants. This could reduce the risk of infection and possibly minimize the adverse effects of steroids on wound healing in these patients.     

Production of Reference Enteroviruses

Forty-five human enterovirus reagents of certified purity and quality were prepared for use as seed viruses and as immunizing antigens. One of the reagents was ampouled as "untreated" seed virus, whereas 14 were ampouled as "MgCl(2)-stabilized" reagents. The remaining 30 reagents were ampouled as "untreated" seed viruses and as "MgCl(2)-stabilized" reagents. Thirty of the reagents were propagated on primary African green monkey kidney cells, 3 on primary baboon kidney cells, 3 on primary rhesus monkey kidney cells, and the remaining 9 on human amnion cells. Forty-two of the viral antigens were concentrated for use in the production of high-titered specific antisera in large animals.     

Surface Antigens of Smooth Brucellae

Surface antigens of smooth brucellae were extracted by ether-water, phenol-water, trichloroacetic acid, and saline and examined by immunoelectrophoresis and gel diffusion with antisera from infected and immunized rabbits. Ether-water extracts of Brucella melitensis contained a lipopolysaccharide protein component, which was specific for the surface of smooth brucellae and was correlated with the M agglutinogen of Wilson and Miles, a polysaccharide protein component devoid of lipid which was not restricted to the surface of smooth brucellae and was not correlated with the smooth agglutinogen (component 1), and several protein components which were associated with internal antigens of rough and smooth brucellae. Immunoelectrophoretic analysis of ether-water extracts of B. abortus revealed only two components, a lipopolysaccharide protein component, which was correlated with the A agglutinogen, and component 1. Component 1 from B. melitensis and B. abortus showed identity in gel diffusion tests, whereas component M from B. melitensis and component A from B. abortus showed partial identity with unabsorbed antisera and no cross-reactions with monospecific sera. Attempts to prepare monospecific sera directly by immunization of rabbits with cell walls or ether-water extracts were unsuccessful. Absorption of antisera with heavy fraction of ether-water extracts did not always result in monospecific sera. It was concluded (as has been described before) that the A and M antigens are present on a single antigenic complex, in different proportions depending upon the species and biotype, and that this component is a lipopolysaccharide protein complex of high molecular weight that diffuses poorly through agar gel. Components 1, A, and M were also demonstrated in trichloroacetic acid and phenol-water extracts. With all extracts, B. melitensis antigen showed greater diffusibility in agar than B. abortus antigens. After mild acid hydrolysis, B. abortus ether-water extract was able to diffuse more readily.     

Hormone-induced changes in the in vitro DNA-binding activity of the chicken progesterone receptor

Previous analyses have indicated that steroid hormone receptors undergo an allosteric change in structure upon binding by the steroid ligand. This structural change was envisioned as an intramolecular unmasking of the protein's DNA-binding domain, thus allowing the receptor to function in gene regulation. We report an analysis of the effect of hormone on the DNA-binding activity of the chicken progesterone receptor. Using an isocratic elution of DNA affinity columns we show that unliganded receptor (aporeceptor) can bind a 23-basepair progesterone response element with high affinity and a high degree of sequence preference. Hormone causes a 1.5-fold increase in affinity for the PRE sequence and a 2-fold decrease in affinity for non-specific DNA. Kinetic analysis of the off-rate of receptor-DNA complexes is consistent with this minor effect of hormone. In addition, gel retardation analysis of receptor-progesterone response element complexes further substantiates that hormone is not required for sequence-specific DNA binding. These results indicate that hormone is not necessary for the progesterone receptor to fold into a conformation that recognizes specific gene regulatory sequences.     

Relations between protein sequence and structure and their significance

The relation between amino acid sequence and local structure in proteins is investigated. The local structures considered are either the four classes of secondary structure (H, E, T and C) or four classes of local conformations defined using measures of conformational similarity based on distances between C alpha atoms. The classes are obtained by applying an automatic clustering procedure to short polypeptide fragments of uniform length from a database of 75 known protein structures. The thrust of our investigation consists of systematically searching the database for simple amino acid patterns of the type Gly-X-Ala-X-X-Val, where X denotes an arbitrary residue. Patterns that are nearly always associated with the same structure are retained. Finding many such associations, we then evaluate by a statistical approach how many among them are non-random and compare the results for different definitions of local structure. A similar comparison is made for the predictive value of retained associations, which is assessed using an internal test based on dividing the database into "learning" and "test" subsets. While we find that local structures defined by conformational similarity are not superior to secondary structure for prediction purposes, they help us gain insight into the factors that influence the predictive value of derived associations. A major conclusion is that the number of retained associations is in large excess over the number expected from a random correlation between sequence and structure, irrespective of how local conformation is defined. However, only a very small number of these associations can be earmarked as reliable using statistical criteria, due to the limited size of the database. We find, for instance, that the pattern Ala-Ala-X-X-Lys reliably characterizes helix, and the pattern Val-X-Val-X-X-X-Ala reliably characterizes extended structure and beta-strand. The possibility is discussed that these and other reliable associations correspond to regions of the polypeptide chain whose conformations are locally determined and that these regions may play a role in folding.     

Evaluation of a method to measure conjugal transfer of recombinant DNA in soil slurries

Release of recombinant microbes into the environment necessitates an evaluation of their ability to transfer genetic material. The present report evaluates a method to detect conjugal DNA plasmid transfer in soil slurries under various environmental conditions. DonorPseudomonas cepacia containing pR388::Tn1721 andP. cepacia recipient cultures were coincubated in soil slurries containing autoclaved or natural soil and treated with one or more of 14 experimental conditions. Conjugal mating frequency (transconjugants per initial donor) ranged from 4.8×10^–1 to 1.9×10^–7. Highest numbers of transconjugants, 1.5×10⁷ colony forming units/ml soil slurry, were observed following incubation at 35°C with an enriched nutrient supplement added to the soil. Low numbers of transconjugants, 10³ colony forming units/ml soil slurry, were observed when mating pairs were subjected to low nutrient or pH stress even though initial donor and recipient populations were maintained at high levels. This test system provides a simple way to estimate effects of changing environmental factors on plasmid transfer rates and on the survival of recombinant microorganisms. By use of soil collected from sites proposed to receive genetically engineered microorganisms, preliminary risk assessments can be obtained regarding the potential for gene transfer and microorganism survival with this soil slurry test system.     

Reduced productivity in adult yellowfever mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) populations

Male and female Aedes aegypti (L.) mosquitoes of the laboratory strain ROCK were irradiated with 130 mw of argon 514.5 nm laser microbeams for 0.04, 0.25, 0.4, and 0.5 s, respectively. Egg production, percentage hatch, and productivity (average number of adults surviving after 3 wk) were used to assess mutagenic effects. Mortality was high for males in all laser radiation groups and increased with time of exposure. Except for the group treated for 0.25 s, significant reductions in total F1 progeny also were demonstrated for all other experimentals when male parents were exposed to laser radiation. Females showed a high mortality when subjected to 0.4- and 0.5-s laser radiation. No F1 progeny were produced when parental females were exposed for 0.25, 0.4, and 0.5 s. Numbers of F1 progeny from females exposed to 0.04 s of laser radiation were significantly reduced. A comparison of weekly mean number of progeny showed that the important differences in productivity occurred during the first and second week, respectively, when either male or female adult parents were subjected to laser radiation.     

Molecular characterization by high resolution isoelectric focusing of the products encoded by the class II region loci of the MHC in humans. II. DP alpha and DP beta gene variants

To characterize the molecular polymorphism of the DP alpha and DP beta gene products, the HLA-DP molecules expressed by more than 200 cell lines were individually immunoprecipitated by using the mAb B7/21 and their neuraminidase-treated DP alpha and DP beta chains analyzed in IEF gels. These cell lines, most of them from members of 32 families, allowed the definition, by segregation analysis, of the IEF patterns of the DP polypeptide chains encoded by 129 distinct haplotypes. Both DP alpha and DP beta chains display polymorphic IEF-banding patterns. Two DP alpha (A and B) and seven DP beta (A, B, C, D, E, F, and G) IEF variants were characterized. The DP alpha B variant was found in linkage disequilibrium with both DP beta B and DP beta D. Linkage disequilibrium was also encountered with alleles at the DR and DQ loci. Finally, the correlations between the IEF DP alpha and DP beta variants and the primed lymphocyte test-defined HLA-DP specificities were determined by using a panel of 24 primed lymphocyte test-typed cell lines.     

Iron nutrition of a hydroponic strawberry culture (Fragaria vesca L.) supplied with different Fe chelates

Several indexes are used to determine the iron nutritional status of plants, but their effectiveness depends either on the plant growth conditions in natural environments or on the assay conditions. This research was conducted to test different indexes of the iron nutritional status of a hydroponic strawberry culture where treatments mainly differed in the source of the iron applied: Fe-EDTA, Fe-EDDHA and Fe-polyflavonoid. Macro and micronutrient concentrations in the nutrient solutions, leaf and vascular tissues were measured. Fe concentration in the nutrient solution during the course of the experiment was considered in relation to the stability of the different chelates. Both Fe concentration and total Fe content of leaves reflected the effect of the treatments; Fe/Mn ratio was significant as a diagnosis index. Other element ratios as P/Fe and K/Ca are not well related with the iron nutrition symptoms observed. Fe²⁺ concentration measured in leaves was not directly affected by the different chelate treatments.