Arylsulfatase a from normal human lung and lung tumors showed different patterns of microheterogeneity

Arylsulfatase A was purified from human lung to apparent homogeneity as determined by electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The enzyme from normal lung as well as that from lung adenocarcinoma showed considerable microheterogeneity when examined by isoelectric focussing, with an isoelectric point (pI) ranging from 5.1 to 4.6. The tumor enzyme was more heterogeneous and contained more acidic components than the normal lung enzyme. The cause of the charge heterogeneity was examined by treatment with exogenous hydrolases. Upon treatment with sialidase, phosphatase or endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H (endoglycosidase H), the acidic enzyme forms shifted to an alkaline region on isoelectric focussing gels. Combined treatment of the arylsulfatase A with endoglycosidase H and sialidase resulted in complete loss of the most acidic components to give the less acidic components with pI 5.1, 5.0, and 4.9. These results strongly suggest that the charge heterogeneity of arylsulfatase A is due not only to sialylation but also to phosphorylation at the carbohydrate moiety of the enzyme, and the extent of substitution by acidic groups is markedly increased in the tumor enzyme.     

Characterization of the (Ca2+-Mg2+)ATPase purified by calmodulin-affinity chromatography from bovine aortic smooth muscle

A calmodulin inhibitor, trifluoperazine, suppresses ATP-dependent Ca2+ uptake into microsomes prepared from bovine aortic smooth muscle. From this microsomal preparation which we expected to contain calmodulin-dependent Ca2+-transport ATPase [EC 3.6.1.3], we purified (Ca2+-Mg2+)ATPase by calmodulin affinity chromatography. The protein peak eluted by EDTA had calmodulin-dependent (Ca2+-Mg2+)ATPase activity. The major band (135,000 daltons) obtained after sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) accounted for about 80% of the total protein eluted. This major band was phosphorylated by [gamma-32P]ATP in a Ca2+-dependent manner. All the 32P incorporated into the major band was released by hydroxylaminolysis. The ATPase reconstituted in soybean phospholipid liposomes showed ATP, calmodulin-dependent Ca2+ uptake. The affinity of the ATPase for Ca2+, Km, was 7 microM and the maximum ATPase activity was 1.4 mumol/mg/min. These values were changed to 0.17 microM and 3.5 mumol/mg/min, respectively by the addition of calmodulin. The activity of the purified (Ca2+-Mg2+)ATPase was inhibited by orthovanadate, and the concentration required for half-maximal inhibition was about 1.8 microM which is close to that of plasma membrane ATPases. Judging from the effect of orthovanadate and the molecular weight, the purified (Ca2+-Mg2+)ATPase was considered to have originated from the plasma membrane not from the sarcoplasmic reticulum.     

DNA-DNA hybridization analysis of nylon oligomer-degradative plasmid pOAD2: identification of the DNA region analogous to the nylon oligomer degradation gene.

Fine structure of the gene of 6-aminohexanoic acid cyclic dimer hydrolase, one of the enzymes responsible for the degradation of the nylon oligomer (6-aminohexanoic acid cyclic dimer), on the plasmid pOAD2 harbored in Flavobacterium sp. KI72 was determined by constructing miniplasmids from plasmid pNDH5 (a hybrid plasmid consisting of pBR322 and a 9.1-kilobase-pair HindIII fragment of pOAD2 ). The 6-aminohexanoic acid cyclic dimer hydrolase produced by cells of Escherichia coli C600 harboring pNDH5 or its miniplasmid was examined immunologically and electrophoretically and was found to be identical to that of Flavobacterium sp. KI72 . A fragment of pOAD2 (17.2- to 19.1-kilobase-pair region on pOAD2 ) was detected as hybridized fragment by Southern blotting experiments, indicating the presence of the DNA region analogous to the 6-aminohexanoic acid cyclic dimer hydrolase gene on the plasmid.     

Cell-mediated cytotoxicity against allogeneic mutant H-2 antigens: restricted and nonrestricted responses

Two "gain and loss" type mutations of the H-2D region, the H- 2bm13 and H- 2bm14 , resulted in the expression of noncross-reactive CML determinants that are unique to each mutation, the Dbm13 gains and Dbm14 gains, respectively. According to the results of direct cytolytic and competitive inhibition assays of in vitro induced primary cytotoxic T lymphocytes, allogeneic responses specific for Dbm13 gains are generated by responders bearing the H-2b ( KbIbDb ) haplotype, but not by responders bearing the H- 2bm14 ( KbIbDbm14 ), KbIbDd , KbIbDk , or KbIb / qDq haplotype. Responses by the non-H-2b responders against Dbm13 are limited to those determinants shared by the Dbm13 and Db molecules. Because congenic mice differing only at the H-2D region are either responsive or nonresponsive to Dbm13 gains, the responsiveness is controlled by gene(s) in the H-2D region. F1 hybrid offspring of responsive (H-2b) and nonresponsive (non-H-2b) parents are invariably responsive, indicating genetic dominance of the responsiveness. In contrast to the response against Dbm13 gains, cytotoxicity specific for Dbm14 gains is generated by responders bearing the H-2b, H- 2bm13 , KbIbDd , KbIbDk , or KbIb / qDq haplotype. These data indicate the existence of two types of allogeneic MHC determinants; one, represented by Dbm14 gains, is the classic type capable of eliciting CML responses in mice of a wide range of H-2 haplotypes, whereas the other, exemplified by Dbm13 gains, elicits CTL responses only in mice of a few related haplotypes. It is proposed that recognition of Dbm13 gains is restricted by structures shared by Db and Dbm13 but missing from other D (or L, R, etc.) molecules, such as Dbm14 , Dd, Dk, and Dq. Availability of various restricting structures in self MHC molecules may thus influence the alloreactive CTL repertoire.     

Sensitivity of mice to systemic hyperthermia: effect of the transplantation of ascites tumor cells modified by preheating, and by an injection of CDDP or interferon

Effects of preheating and injection of cis-DDP (CDDP) or interferon on tumor-induced sensitization to systemic hyperthermia (SH) was investigated in mice. LD50 of SH at 42.0 +/- 0.2 degrees C (core body temperature) was 43 min in normal mice and 8 min in mice which were i.p. transplanted with FMA3 cells at a dose of 10(5) one day before. In mice which had received the SH for 10 min one hour before, one hour after or one day before the transplantation, LD50 of the SH one day after the transplantation was 41, 35 and 22 min, respectively. An injection of CDDP given i.p. at a dose of 4 mg/kg one day after the transplantation, which was effective to kill about 99% of the tumor cells, did not change the course of thermosensitization after the transplantation. An i.p. injection of mouse interferon did not change the thermosensitivity of normal mice, but greatly suppressed the thermosensitizing effect of tumor cells when it was given one day before the transplantation.     

Spontaneous malignant lymphoma in an African green monkey naturally infected with simian T-lymphotropic virus (STLV)

An African green monkey naturally infected with simian T-lymphotropic virus (STLV) developed spontaneous malignant lymphoma of diffuse pleomorphic type. The clinical, hematological and histopathological characteristics were very similar to those of human adult T-cell leukemia.     

Isolation of an antigenically unique methanogen from human feces

A methanogenic bacterium with the morphological and physiological properties of the genus Methanobrevibacter was isolated from the feces of a Japanese man who excreted methane in his breath. Indirect immunofluorescence staining revealed that the isolate had an antigenicity unrelated to that of any known members of the genus Methanobrevibacter.     

Tissue distribution of casein kinases

The activities of casein kinases 1 and 2 in cytosol fractions prepared from 12 different rat tissues were compared. Casein kinase activities were detected in all tissues examined. Total casein kinase activities of lung, spleen, testis, and thymus were much higher than those of skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and adrenal gland. When activities of casein kinases 1 and 2 partially purified from lung, spleen, testis, and thymus prepared from 5 rats were compared, both total and specific activities of these kinases in testis were higher than those in the other tissues. These results indicate that testis is the most suitable tissue in rats for large-scale purification of casein kinase 1 as well as casein kinase 2.     

Effects of alpha-macroglobulins and murinoglobulins on the hemagglutination by influenza C virus

Rat alpha-1- and alpha-2-macroglobulins as well as rat murinoglobulins I and II were shown to inhibit hemagglutination by influenza C virus. In marked contrast, neither alpha-macroglobulins nor murinoglobulins from mouse or guinea pig plasma had the inhibitory activity. These results suggest that the hemagglutination-inhibiting activity of rat alpha-macroglobulins or murinoglobulins is not related to their protease-binding capacity.