Regulatory relation between insulin receptor and its functional responses in primary cultured hepatocytes of adult rats

The relation between changes of insulin receptor and various metabolic responses were studied in adult rat hepatocytes in primary culture. In cells cultured for 3 h without insulin, the number of high affinity sites and the dissociation constant (Kd) of insulin receptor, determined from a Scatchard plot, were 1.05 x 10(5) sites/cell and 1.5 x 10(-9) M, respectively. The receptor number increased 2-fold, but the Kd value remained constant during 2-days culture in insulin-free medium (up-regulation). Addition of dexamethasone (Dex), growth hormone, glucagon or triiodothyronine did not change the number of insulin receptors or the Kd value. In contrast, 1-day culture in insulin (1 x 10(-7) M) medium decreased the receptor number by half (down-regulation) without change of the Kd value. Short-term responses of glycogenesis, amino acid transport and lipogenesis by insulin increased as the receptor number increased. In these cases, the sensitivity to insulin (Ka: half dose for the maximum response) did not change in cells with different receptor numbers, but the maximum response changed. These results show that hepatocytes, unlike adipocytes, do not have spare receptors of insulin. During down-regulation, the receptor number decreased by only half, but the insulin responses were lost almost completely. The receptor number returned to the normal level after culture in insulin-free medium for 12 h, but recovery of the responses took longer, suggesting that for the insulin response not only change of receptor number, but also other regulatory mechanisms for post-receptor processes, such as desensitization, are involved.     

Persistence of genomes of both herpesvirus of turkeys and Marek's disease virus in a chicken T-lymphoblastoid cell line

A cell line tentatively designated as MDCC-BO1(T), was established from spleen cells of an apparently healthy chicken inoculated with herpesvirus of turkey (HVT). BO1(T) cells were T lymphoblastoid cells and the more than 95% of them had Marek's disease (MD) tumor-associated surface antigen (MATSA). However, no viral internal antigens or membrane antigens could be demonstrated in them by immunofluorescence tests using chicken anti-HVT and -MD virus (MDV) sera. The virus could be rescued from BO1(T) cells by co-cultivation with chick embryo fibroblasts (CEF). The DNA of the rescued virus was characterized as HVT DNA by its sedimentation profile in a neutral glycerol gradient and its endonuclease Hind III cleavage-pattern. Ultrastructural studies on CEF infected with the rescued virus revealed the presence of HVT-like virions. However, DNA-DNA reassociation kinetics showed that the BO1(T) cells contained a few copies of NVT and also MDV genomes.     

Purification of membrane-bound polyvinyl alcohol oxidase in Pseudomonas sp. VM15C

Abstract Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was utilized by a symbiotic mixed culture which was composed of Pseudomonas putida VM15A and Pseudomonas sp. VM14C. The PVA oxidase was found in the culture fluid, membrane, and cytosol fractions of VM15C. The membrane-bound PVA oxidase was purified by several steps of chromatography. The enzyme (p I = 9.6) exhibited the maximum activity at pH 8.0 to 8.4 and 45°C, and utilized secondary alcohol as well as PVA. The enzyme showed the PVA dehydrogenating activity linking with phenazine ethosulfate, indicating the possibility that PVA oxidation is coupled with an electron transport chain on the bacterial membrane.     

Prostaglandin D2, a potential antineoplastic agent

Cytotoxic actions of various prostaglandins were examined on L1210 mouse leukemia and several human leukemia cell lines, and prostaglandin D₂ (PGD₂) was found most active. PGD₂ exerted a dose dependent inhibition of L1210 cell growth over 3.6 μ$\text{M}$. At 14.3 μ$\text{M}$ growth was completely inhibited, and the number of viable cells remarkably decreased during culture. Microscopically the remaining cells showed degenerative changes with many vacuoles in their cytoplasm. The IC₅₀ value of PGD₂ on L1210 cell growth was calculated to be 6.9 μ$\text{M}$ (2.4 μg/ml), and at this concentration the DNA synthesis in 24 hr cultured cells was also decreased to a half of the level in the control cells. Such growth inhibition by PGD₂ was also found at similar concentrations with several human leukemia cell lines such as NALL-1, RPMI-8226, RPMI-8402, and Sk-Ly-16. Among other prostaglandins tested, PGA₂ showed a comparable, and PGE₂ a less but significant growth inhibitory activity, while PGB₂, PGF_2α and PGI₂ had no such effects on cell proliferation at 14.3 μ$\text{M}$ concentration. These results suggest a potential antineoplastic activity of PGD₂.     

Production and characterization of functional domains of human fibronectin expressed in Escherichia coli.

An efficient expression system was constructed in Escherichia coli that produced a 33-kDa fragment, C-274, of human fibronectin with a strong cell-adhesive activity. The entire sequence of the heparin-binding domain with 271 amino acids, H-271, was also expressed. Deletion analysis of the type III repeats showed that the heparin-binding site was at type III-13. The cell-adhesive activity of a fusion protein, CH-271, containing the cell- and the heparin-binding domains was twice that of C-274 when BHK but not B16-F10 melanoma cells were tested; H-271 alone was inactive. Recombinant proteins containing the CS1 sequence of the IIICS region were more active than C-274 and CH-271 with B16-F10. However, H-296, which contained both H-271 and CS1, was almost inactive with BHK. CH-296, which contained CS1 at the C-terminus of CH-271, was more active with B16-F10 than H-296 and C-CS1, which was produced by the deletion of H-271 from CH-296. Thus, the cell-binding domain was active with both kinds of cells. The heparin-binding domain promoted the adhesion of both kinds of cells only when linked to the cell-binding domain or CS1. CS1 was specific for the adhesion of B16-F10 but was not essential.     

Rat cathepsin H-catalyzed transacylation: comparisons of the mechanism and the specificity with papain-superfamily proteases.

We found that rat cathepsin H showed strong transacylation activity under physiological conditions. It is a feature of cathepsin H to utilize amino acid amides not only as acyl-acceptors but also as acyl-donors in the reaction. The pH-dependence of the transacylation activity was distinct from those of other papain-superfamily proteases. The alkaline limb (pKapp = 7.5) could be regarded as the pKa of the alpha-amino group of the acyl-donor, which was also involved in the original amino-peptidase activity. The acidic limb (pKapp = 5.8) was suggested to be involved in the deacylation step, where amino acid amide attacked the acyl-intermediate as a nucleophile in place of water in the hydrolysis. Although the N alpha-deprotonated acyl-acceptor, which is supposed to govern the nucleophilic attack, has a small population in the acidic pH range (above pH5), the transacylation was detectable even at the acidic pH-range because of the high S1'-site binding ability and suitable nucleophilicity of the acyl-acceptor. In the transacylation between various amino acid amides, the S1 and S1' site appeared to prefer hydrophobic residues without and regardless of a branch at beta-carbon, respectively. From these results and the sequence homology in the papain superfamily, we concluded that the reaction was governed by the acyl-donor having a protonated amino group, the acyl-acceptor having a deprotonated amino group and the remarkable hydrophobic character (especially favoring tryptophan amide) of the S1' site, presumably reflecting the good conservation of Trp177 in papain-superfamily proteases.     

Expression of hepatitis B virus surface antigen in adult rat liver. Co-introduction of DNA and nuclear protein by a simplified liposome method.

We established a simple and efficient method for gene transfer in vitro (to cultured cells) and in vivo (to an adult organ) using liposomes. Plasmid DNA and proteins were efficiently co-encapsulated in liposomes by agitation and sonication, and were co-introduced into cells by hemagglutinating virus of Japan (HVJ)-mediated membrane fusion. Introduction of the Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase gene with non-histone chromosomal protein high mobility group 1 (HMG1) into LLCMK2 cells resulted in about 3 times higher beta-galactosidase activity than that on introduction of the gene alone. Two days after injection of HVJ-liposomes containing the beta-galactosidase gene and HMG1 under the perisplanchnic membrane of adult rat liver, hepatic cells near the injection site were found by 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl beta-D-galactoside staining to have beta-galactosidase activity. After similar injection of HVJ-liposomes containing the hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) gene and HMG1, HBsAg was detected in the serum for 9 days with a maximum of 25-45 ng/ml on day 2 after the injection.     

Herpangina surveillance in Japan, 1982-1989. A report of the national epidemiological surveillance of infectious agents in Japan.

In Japan, herpangina cases increase every summer with an incidence peak in July. During the past eight years from January, 1982 to December, 1989, a total of 3,974 viruses from herpangina cases were reported from 47 participating laboratories, and coxsackie A (CA) viruses accounted for most of them, 3,055 (76.9%). The major types associated with herpangina were, in order of frequency, CA4, 10, 5, 6, 2 and 3, representing 87.2%-80.8% of total isolations reported for each respective type in this period. Eighty-four point four percent of the total virus isolations were from children at four years of age or younger. More than 80% of total CA virus isolations were from nasopharyngeal specimens and nearly 90% of the viruses were isolated in mice.