A hypothalamic activator of calmodulin-dependent enzymes is thymosin β4 (1–39)

A new class of stimulators of basal activity of a number of calmodulin-dependent enzymes have been previously isolated from bovine hypothalamus. One of these stimulators, denoted as C₃, has been purified to homogeneity by reverse phase HPLC and tentatively identified as thymosin ₄ (1–39) by mass spectrometry and Edman microsequence analysis. The stimulating effect of C₃ on rabbit skeletal muscle MLCK basal activity was compared with that of thymosin ₁ and thymosin ₄ (16–38). Evidence is presented that all the indicated compounds are Ca²⁺-independent high-affinity MLCK stimulators. The potency of the stimulators in activating the enzyme was: C₃>₄>(CaM+Ca²⁺>₁.This revised version was published online in June 2005 with corrections to the author name Gurvits.     

The role of visual cues in the facilitation of growth in a schooling fish

Synopsis This study tested the hypothesis that visual contact between fish may result in enhanced rates of growth in a schooling fish. Juvenile chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta, were held singly and reared in isolation or in visual contact with conspecifics. Fish were fed at either a low (6% body weight d^–1) or high (20% body weight d^–1) ration for 42d. Specific rates of weight gain were 18% greater at low ration and 38% greater at high ration for fish in visual contract with conspecifics than for those held in isolation. The results demonstrate a selective advantage of visual cues associated with schooling behavior and suggest that the efficacy of growth models for schooling fishes may be enhanced by the consideration of social interactions which may facilitate growth.     

Removal of zero-quantum interference in NOESY spectra of proteins by utilizing the natural inhomogeneity of the radiofrequency field

Summary A single scan method for the suppression of signals arising from zero-quantum coherences (ZQC) is analysed with respect to its application to NMR experiments on proteins. The ZQC are dephased during a spinlock period due to the natural RF inhomogeneity of a commercial probe. A quantitative analysis of a ZQC-compensated NOESY experiment is given. Although the build-up curve for the cross peaks in ZQC-compensated NOESY experiments differ from those in uncompensated experiments, interproton distances in medium-sized proteins can be evaluated with high accuracy. The proposed method is compared with other techniques for ZQC suppression.     

Rapid acquisition of three-dimensional triple-resonance experiments using pulsed field gradient techniques

Summary A rapid method for recording three-dimensional triple-resonance experiments utilising pulsed field gradient techniques is proposed, and applied to the HNCO experiment. In order to optimise the sensitivity of the method, a short phase cycle is used in conjunction with the pulsed field gradients to select the desired coherence transfer pathway. The method is demonstrated for the HU protein.     

Persistent effects of early odor exposure on human neonates

Human neonates were exposed to an artificial odorant for 22h within the first two days after birth. When tested on days16–18 postpartum, these infants displayed preferentialorientation to the exposure odor when paired with a novel odorant.The effects of early mere exposure on the stimulus propertiesof odors can therefore endure over a two-week interval, indicatingthat infants retain a memory trace of the exposure odor throughoutthat time period.     

Macromolecule entrapment in human placental microvillous membrane vesicles

An osmotic lysis technique was developed to induce transient permeability in human placental microvillous membrane vesicles. The degree of vesicle opening and resealing was quantitated using the fluorescent markers, 6-carboxyfluorescein and fluorescein dextran. Compared to freeze-thaw and sonication methods, hypotonic lysis was significantly more efficient, causing greater than 90% lysis with greater than 90% subsequent resealing under optimal conditions. The transient increase in vesicle permeability permitted the unrestricted entry of macromolecules with molecular masses up to 70,000 kDa. Passive transport of water, protons, and erythritol and carrier-mediated transport of L-valine and sodium-proton exchange were unaltered by the lysis/resealing procedure. Bovine tracheal vesicles were lysed to an extent similar to placental microvillous vesicles, but rabbit renal cortical brush border and basolateral membranes were lysed to a lesser extent (approximately 60%). These results show that hypotonic lysis is a suitable method for the loading and trapping of macromolecules in isolated membrane vesicles for studies of intracellular regulation of transport.