Arabidopsis Trichome Morphogenesis: A Genetic Approach to Studying Cytoskeletal Function

   apd: 3 July 2001     

Phosphorylation of casein by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase.

The catalytic subunit of rabbit muscle cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (EC 2.7.1.37; ATP:protein transferase) has been tested on a variety of caseins. The B variant of β-casein was phosphorylated at a much greater rate than other β-caseins, α_s1-caseins, and κ-caseins. Whole casein homozygous for β-casein B was phosphorylated at 2.5 times the rate of commercial whole casein. Gel electrophoresis experiments indicate that β-casein is the predominant component phosphorylated in commerical casein. It is therefore suggested that phosphorylation of whole casein depends on its content of the specific genetic variant, β-casein B.     

Androgen-regulated ornithine decarboxylase mRNAs of mouse kidney

Ornithine decarboxylase, the first enzyme of the polyamine biosynthetic pathway, is induced by androgens in the mouse kidney. We have isolated from a kidney cDNA clone bank two plasmids, pODC1440 and pODC934 , that contain different cDNA inserts corresponding to ornithine decarboxylase mRNA. Identification was based upon the ability of plasmid-specific mRNAs to encode a 53,000-dalton polypeptide that reacts with antibody to purified mouse kidney ornithine decarboxylase. Plasmid pODC1440 hybridizes predominantly to a mRNA that is 2.1 kilobases (kb) long and is induced about 20-fold in the kidneys of female mice treated with testosterone. Plasmid pODC934 hybridizes to mRNAs of lengths 2.2 and 2.6 kb, which are induced about 8-fold by testosterone. There are probably no more than 1-2 copies of the pODC1440 -specific sequence in the mouse genome, while there may be as many as 12 copies of the pODC934 -specific sequence. That the two plasmids correspond to different ornithine decarboxylase mRNAs is suggested by two observations. First, several mouse strains express normal levels of pODC934 -specific RNA and little or no pODC1440 -specific RNA; furthermore, pODC934 -specific RNA is expressed in several tissues while pODC1440 -specific RNA is kidney-specific. Thus, androgen-mediated stimulation of kidney ornithine decarboxylase activity levels involves alterations in the concentrations of at least two distinct mRNAs.     

Changes in Self-Efficacy and Decisional Balance for Exercise among Obese Women in a Weight Management Program

PINTO, BERNARDINE M., MATTHEW W. CLARK, DEAN G. CRUESS, LYNDA SZYMANSKI, AND VINCENT PERA. Changes in self-efficacy and decisional balance for exercise among obese women in a weight management program. Obes Res. Objective: To assess changes in eating and exercise self-efficacy and decisional balance for exercise in an obese population enrolled in a multi-disciplinary weight management program. Research Method and Procedures: Thirty-two obese women were assessed at entry and after 12 weeks of treatment. Results: Participants showed 15% mean weight loss after 12 weeks of treatment. Mean minutes of self-reported exercise increased by 229%. Participants demonstrated significant improvements in self-efficacy for both eating and exercise and health parameters but not in decisional balance for exercise adoption. Discussion: These results may have implications for the practitioner in that self-efficacy changes occur during successful weight loss, but decisional balance for exercise may not change until individuals enter maintenance. These results imply that practitioners may be advised to shift from confidence building to relapse prevention early on in treatment, and that focusing on strengthening the pros of exercise and reducing the cons of exercise may need to remain constant during treatment.