Structure-activity relationships in human interleukin-1 alpha: identification of key residues for expression of biological activities.

To identify the sites important for the different biological activities of human interleukin-1 alpha (hIL-1 alpha), 56 single-amino acid-substituted mutants of hIL-1 alpha were produced in Escherichia coli using site-directed mutagenesis, and were examined for their biological activities such as mouse lymphocyte activating factor activity (LAF activity), cytostatic activity against human melanoma cells A-375 (A375 activity) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) inducing activity in human osteosarcoma cells MG-63 (PEI activity). Two amino acid residues, Asp26 and Asp151, were found to be important for these activities. The replacement of Asp26 by Val caused a decrease in LAF and PEI activities by one or two orders of magnitude and a slight decrease in A375 activity. The Tyr or Phe substitution for Asp151 caused decreases in LAF and A375 activities by one or two orders of magnitude and complete loss of PEI activity. The change from Asp151 to Lys or Arg resulted in marked decrease in LAF activity and complete loss of A375 and PEI activities. Since Asp26 and Asp151 are close to each other in the three-dimensional structure, the region involving these amino acids seems to be important for the biological activities of hIL-1 alpha.     

Calmodulin-induced activation of ATP-dependent Ca2+ transport in plasma membranes of the myometrium

Calmodulin activates the ATP-dependent transport of Ca2+. The V0 value for this reaction in the absence of calmodulin is 0.82, that in the presence of 10(-7) M calmodulin is 5 times as high, i. e. 4.5 nmol 45Ca2+/mg protein/min. The Vmax value in the absence of calmodulin is 2.07, that with the activator is 4.33 nmol 45Ca2+/mg protein/min. The corresponding Km values are 0.75 X 10(-6) M and 0.66 X 10(-7) M, respectively, i. e., the affinity of the Ca-pump for Ca2+ increases. The half-maximum Ca-binding activity of calmodulin measured with a help of the fluorescent probe, N-phenyl-1-naphthylamine (PNA), is observed at 5 X 10(-7) M Ca2+. Mg2+ (3 mM) decreases 10-fold the Ca-binding affinity. No significant effect of ATP on the Ca-binding properties of calmodulin was found; the Hill coefficient is suggestive of a positive cooperativity of this reaction. A comparison of dependences of the calmodulin-stimulated component of ATP-dependent transport of Ca2+ in myometrium plasma membranes and of the Ca-binding activity of calmodulin measured with a help of PNA suggests that the effect of calmodulin on the affinity of the Ca-pump for Ca2+ can also be realized when some (but not all) Ca-binding sites in the calmodulin molecule are saturated with Ca2+.     

Guidelines on appropriate indications for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Working Party of the Joint Committee of the Royal College of Physicians of London,Royal College of Surgeons of England,Royal College of Anaesthetists,Association of Surgeons,the British Society of Gastroenterology,and the Thoracic Society of Great Britain.

Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is a valuable diagnostic tool, but for an endoscopy service to be effective it is essential that it is not overloaded with inappropriately referred patients. A joint working party in Britain has considered the available literature on indications for endoscopy, assessed standard practice through a questionnaire, and audited randomly selected cases using an independent panel of experts and an American database system. They used these data to produce guidelines on the appropriate and inappropriate indications for referral for endoscopy, although they emphasise that under certain circumstances there may be reasons to deviate from the advice given. The need for endoscopy is most difficult to judge in patients with dyspepsia, and this aspect is discussed in detail. Early endoscopy will often prove more cost effective than delaying until the indications are clearer.     

Biological control of citrus whiteflyDialeurodes citri ashmead [Hom.: Aleyrodidae] usingEncarsia lahorensis howard [Hym.: Apheunidae] in countries of the former ussr

The citrus whiteflyDialeurodes citri Ashmead is one of the most important insect pests of citrus groves on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and on the Caspian Sea coast of the Talysh Mountains; it is the most important citrus pest of trench cultivation in Central Asia and in glasshouses. The parasitoidEncarsia lahorensis Howard was introduced in 1983 into Russia (Moscow) from Pakistan. It was reared in a laboratory of the All-Russian Plant Quarantine Institute. The parasitoid was released as follows: in 1985 in Adzharia (Batumi); in 1987 in a glasshouse in Russia (near Moscow) and in 1988-1990 in Central Asia - Uzbekistan (Namangan) and other regions. It established well in all places of release. The rate of parasitization ofD. citri byE. lahorensis reached 50–52% in the orchard in Batumi five years after the first release, 56–60% in the glasshouse in Moscow three years after the first release, and 50% in trenches in Namangan two years after the first release. Levels of the pest populations decreased dramatically in the glasshouse and trenches. The efficiency of the additional feeding ofE. lahorensis adults on the host larvae was evaluated to 26 to 60%. The differences between populations of the parasitoid in the three different areas are discussed.     

Demonstration of neutralizing autoantibodies against IL-1 alpha in sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis

We have recently reported the presence of IgG which has a potent inhibitory activity against IL-1 alpha in some sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The mechanism of this inhibition by IgG against IL-1 alpha is now elucidated. IgG with IL-1 alpha-inhibitory activity inhibited the binding of 125I-IL-1 alpha to receptors on rheumatoid synovial cells. In addition, preincubation of synovial cells with the inhibitory IgG did not block the binding of 125I-IL-1 alpha to receptors, suggesting a direct interaction between IgG and IL-1 alpha. To examine which region of the IgG, namely Fab or Fc region, has the inhibitory activity, the IgG was digested with papain, and Fab and Fc fragments were purified. Fab fragments, but not Fc fragments, inhibited both IL-1 alpha-induced thymocyte-proliferation and the binding of 125I-IL-1 alpha to receptors. We further demonstrated that the inhibitory IgG which was bound to protein A Sepharose could bind a significant amount of 125I-IL-1 alpha, whereas only a negligible binding of the radiolabeled ligand was detected when IgG without the inhibitory activity was used as control. Moreover, the binding of 125I-IL-1 alpha to IgG with the inhibitory activity was clearly blocked by Fab fragments of IgG having the inhibitory activity. Finally, affinity-purified IgG over an IL-alpha affinity column showed approximately 100-fold more potent inhibitory activity on IL-1 alpha-induced thymocyte proliferation compared with untreated IgG. From these results, we conclude that IgG molecules with IL-1-alpha-inhibitory activity are neutralizing autoantibodies against IL-1 alpha.     

Optical single-channel analysis of the aerolysin pore in erythrocyte membranes.

Scanning microphotolysis (Scamp), a recently developed photobleaching technique, was used to analyze the transport of two small organic anions and one inorganic cation through single pores formed in human erythrocyte membranes by the channel-forming toxin aerolysin secreted by Aeromonas species. The transport rate constants of erythrocyte ghosts carrying a single aerolysin pore were determined to be (1.83 +/- 0.43) x 10(-3) s-1 for Lucifer yellow, (0.33 +/- 0.10) x 10(-3) s-1 for carboxyfluorescein, and (8.20 +/- 2.30) x 10(-3) s-1 for Ca2+. The radius of the aerolysin pore was derived from the rate constants to be 19-23 A, taking steric hindrance and viscous drag into account. The size of the Ca2+ rate constant implies that at physiological extracellular Ca2+ concentrations (> 1 mM) the intracellular Ca2+ concentration would be elevated to the critical level of > 1 microM in much less than a second after formation of a single aerolysin pore in the plasma membrane. Thus changes in the levels of Ca2+ or other critical intracellular components may be more likely to cause cell death than osmotic imbalance.     

Role of rat thymus chromatin lipids in response to the harmful effect of gamma-radiation

In vitro incubation of thymocytes with [2-14C]acetate results in a more intensive label incorporation into chromatin lipids as compared to nuclear lipids. The deleterious effect of gamma-irradiation leads to specific changes in [2-14C]acetate incorporation into the total fraction of phosphatidylcholine-phosphatidylserine and chromatin sphingomyelin. This is paralleled with an increase in the ratio of specific radioactivities of chromatin cardiolipin and nuclear cardiolipin. The changes in specific radioactivities of sphingomyelin, phosphatidylcholine-phosphatidylserine and cardiolipin suggest a role of phospholipids in the mechanisms of regulating the activity of intranuclear structures.