A variable region gene subfamily encoding T cell receptor beta-chains is selectively conserved among mammals

Studies of murine T cell receptor genes indicate that the VT beta repertoire, in contrast to the large VT alpha, VH, and VK repertoires, is limited to approximately 21 genes. Large differences between the various VT beta sequences allow classification into distinct subfamilies consisting of one or few members. The VT beta sequence of a gene, RTB92, expressed in a rabbit T cell line is most closely related to a VT beta gene expressed in the human cell line Molt-4. Genomic blots with RTB92 VT beta region used as probe indicated conservation of related VT beta gene subfamilies in man and pig, but no related sequences were seen in rat, mouse, or hamster. The relationship among these VT beta genes mirrors similarities and differences in MHC genes of the compared species and suggests coordinate evolution of these functionally related gene families. The constant region of RTB92 was shown to be rabbit CT beta 2 by reference to genomic clones. Comparisons with constant region sequences of human and murine CT beta 1 and CT beta 2 chains reveal no similarities in amino acid or nucleic acid sequence in the coding region characteristic of the respective isotypes. Intraspecies homologies between CT beta 1 and CT beta 2 sequences were much greater than those between CT beta 1 or CT beta 2 from other species. By contrast, comparisons of JT beta and 3' untranslated region sequences showed significant interspecies conservation of sequences in the beta 1 and in the beta 2 regions.     

Regulation of chicken pineal arylalkylamine-N-acetyl transferase by postsynaptic alpha 2-adrenergic receptors

The present investigation sought to characterize the adrenergic inhibition of arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase in cultured chicken pineal glands. Arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase, the melatonin rhythm generating enzyme, displays daily oscillations of activity that are driven by a circadian oscillator. Norepinephrine released at sympathetic nerve endings inhibits the enzyme and appears to play a role in maintaining a circadian rhythm of melatonin release. Chicken pineal glands were isolated in organ culture and the effects of adrenergic agents on the night time peak of N-acetyltransferase activity were studied. Norepinephrine and clonidine prevented 50 to 65% of the nocturnal rise of N-acetyltransferase activity. When applied at middark, norepinephrine and clonidine caused a 50 to 65% inhibition of N-acetyltransferase activity in 2 hours. Dose-response studies indicated clonidine was 100 times more potent than norepinephrine or cirazoline at inhibiting N-acetyltransferase activity. Inhibition of N-acetyltransferase activity was also observed, at micromolar concentration with epinephrine, UK 14,304 and alpha-methylnorepinephrine but not with phenylephrine, isoproterenol or dopamine. Epinephrine and clonidine actions were antagonized by yohimbine but not by prazosin. Destruction of the presynaptic compartment by bilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy did not affect the clonidine-induced inhibition of N-acetyltransferase and its reversal by yohimbine. It is concluded that the adrenergic inhibition of N-acetyltransferase activity in chicken pineal gland probably occurs via stimulation of postsynaptic alpha 2-adrenergic receptors.     

Studies of Macrostome Formation of Low-Transforming Tetrahymena vorax. Transformation Enhancers,Generation Time,and Membrane Fluidity1

ABSTRACT. Periodically, stocks of Tetrahymena vorax, which normally yield 70–90% macrostomes when subjected to heat shock or other induction methods, become low-transformers and yield ≥30% macrostomes. The addition to the post-heat-shock wash buffer (pH 6.8) of 2.7 × 10^-4 M Fe³⁺, 1.6 × 10^-5 M Cu²⁺, 1 × 10^-4 M retinol palmitate or the adjustment of the buffer to a pH of 4 to 5 boosts transformation significantly over controls in inorganic medium alone. The addition of Fe²⁺ or Cu¹⁺ has a similar, but less pronounced effect on transformation. Ferric ion (2.7 × 10^-4 M) will significantly increase transformation in starved non-heat-shocked cells, whereas Fe²⁺, copper, retinol palmitate, and hydrogen ion concentration have no effect. The agents that boost transformation appear to act by delaying cell division in pre-transformants. Membrane fluidity, as inferred by fluorescence polarization measurements of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene, is altered in a consistent manner by starvation and heat shock. Enhancing agents, including compounds previously shown to boost heat-shock-induced macrostome formation, produce diverse shifts in membrane fluidity. Their effect on transformation of these low-transforming cells therefore appears to be attributable to some mechanism or mechanisms other than a direct alteration of membrane physical properties.     

Seleno-DL-methionine and the protection of human platelets against freezing injury

The effect of seleno-DL-methionine, which has antioxidative properties, on the recovery of human platelets after freezing with 0.5 mol/liter glycerol or 0.7 mol/liter (5% v/v) dimethyl sulfoxide was investigated. Incubation of platelets with 2 mumol/liter seleno-DL-methionine for 30 min at room temperature before equilibration with the protective additives improved the post-thaw uptake of 5-hydroxytryptamine and the percentage reversal in the hypotonic stress test. The effect was small, but in view of the ability of seleno-DL-methionine to inhibit lipid peroxidation in membranes, the results suggest that oxidative damage is implicated in freezing injury. The dimethyl sulfoxide protocol apparently afforded greater protection to the platelets than the glycerol protocol. But, if the platelets were incubated for 24 hr at 37 degrees C after thawing, there was a marked improvement in the response of cells in the hypotonic stress test, particularly in the samples frozen with glycerol, and there was no longer any difference between the two additives. There was, however, a concomitant loss of almost half the number of cells in the thawed suspensions during the prolonged incubation at 37 degrees C.     

External calcium inhibits the efflux of calcium from isolated retinal rod outer segment disks

Increasing the concentration of calcium in the external buffer flowing past isolated, intact bovine retinal rod outer segment disks immobilized in a flow system reduced the rate of radioactive calcium efflux from within the disks in the dark. We interpret these results as extradiskal calcium acting at an inhibitory binding site to block the calcium efflux. A Scatchard analysis of the external calcium dependence of the efflux yields an apparent dissociation constant of 50 microM, which further suggests that the inhibition is mediated by a specific membrane binding site. The observed inhibition of calcium efflux may represent a functional role for the high-affinity calcium binding site which has been identified by others in previous physical studies of the disk membrane. This external calcium inhibited permeability may explain some of the discrepancies in the reported calcium transport properties of disks. Variations in the external calcium concentration may alter the calcium content of isolated disks, thereby indirectly affecting other transport functions including the measured light-induced release of calcium. No evidence was found for either Na/Ca or Ca/Ca exchange processes across the disk membrane. Lanthanum was even more effective than calcium in inhibiting calcium efflux in the dark. Neither lanthanum nor calcium inhibited the light-induced efflux of calcium from disks, which implies either that light and extradiskal calcium regulate separate permeability processes in the disk membrane or that light greatly reduces the affinity of the inhibitory site for calcium and lanthanum.     

Directionality of sound perception in the external ear of the dog

Sound pressure level of tone was measured using a probe tube microphone at entrance to the dog's external meatus as a function of the azimuth of the sound source. It was demonstrated that directionality of the dog's external ear and corresponding values of interaural intensity differences (delta I) were gradually increased as the tone frequency raised from 0.5 to 40 kHz. Transfer in pinnae locations from lateral to frontal positions (one of the components of orientation reaction to an unexpected sound) resulted in some narrowing of directionality diagrams and in a displacement of their maxima towards the head midline. It was calculated that owing to this effects the extent of monotonic part of the function relating delta I and azimuth of a source were enlarged. The lateral pinnae position was suggested to be optimal for sound detection and the frontal one for localization of the moving sound source.     

Binding of adenovirus and its external proteins to Triton X-114. Dependence on pH

35S-Labeled adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) (10 ng/ml) was incubated with 1% Triton X-114 at various pH values varying from 3.0 to 8.0. The detergent phase was separated from the aqueous phase by centrifugation, and the amounts of Ad2 were determined in the two phases. At pH 7.0-8.0, less than 5% of Ad2 was associated with the detergent phase; at pH 5.0 or below, about 60% of Ad2 was associated with the detergent phase. When a mixture of 35S-labeled capsid proteins was used at pH 7.0, 60-70% of the total proteins were associated with the detergent at pH 5.0, but less than 5% of the proteins interacted with detergent at pH 7.0. Among the three major external proteins (hexon, penton base, and fiber), penton base had the highest association with Triton X-114 at pH 5.0. Both intact virus and the capsid proteins that were associated with Triton X-114 at pH 5.0 were released into the aqueous phase on subsequent incubation at pH 7.0. On the basis of these results, it is suggested that mildly acidic pH induces amphiphilic properties in adenovirus capsid proteins and may help Ad2 escape from acidic endocytic vesicles.     

The Stroop effect on Slovak-Hungarian bilinguists

We studied the processes of interference vs language automatisms in a group of Slovak-Hungarian bilinguists (N = 19, age 13 years) and compared their performance in the Stroop test with two control groups - Slovak (N = 24) and Hungarian (N = 31) monolinguists of the same age. - The Stroop effect, whose essence is an interfering effect of the meaning of the word on its physical characteristic - colour, proved to be a suitable method in the study of information processing in the semantic memory of bilinguists as well as in determining dominance of one language over the other. Slovak-Hungarian bilinguists showed, as a rule, shorter times in Hungarian and approximated in their performance Hungarian monolinguists. It can be assumed that reaction times in the Stroop test are conditioned not only by interference of the other language but also by language automatisms, whereby interference and speech automatisms are in an indirect correlation. - The results thus indicate that processes of interference and language automatisms cannot be separated. Dominance of one language structure over the other (Hungarian over Slovak) was confirmed not only in our experimental method but also in the subjective rating.