Effect of some organic cosolvents on the reaction of hemoglobin with oxygen

We studied the effects of some organic cosolvents (monohydric alcohols and amides) on the reaction of hemoglobin with oxygen. We present evidence showing that our data can be analyzed within the framework of the Monod-Wyman-Changeux model and that the main effect of cosolvents is to alter the T ? R conformational equilibrium of hemoglobin, without significantly affecting the intrinsic oxygen dissociation constants. Following a previously described phenomenological approach, the overall effects have been separated into effects related to the variation of the bulk dielectric constant of the solvent and effects not related to the variation of this constant.     

Leukemia-cell rejection due to T-region encoded antigens

The role of H-2- and T-region products in determining allogeneic cell rejection was evaluated inH-2 congenic and recombinant mice by transplanting A1ATH and A6ATL leukemia cell lines induced in A.TH and A.TL strains, respectively, by Moloney murine leukemia virus. — InK- orD-region incompatible hosts transplant failure was observed, while inI +T-region incompatible hosts either rejection or prolonged survival was seen. In mice preimmunized with spleen cells fromI- and/orT-region incompatible donors, leukemia cells were rejected by mice immune only to T-region products, and accepted by mice immune only to I-region products. — Cell-mediated cytotoxicity studies confirmed in vivo results. Secondary CTLs specifically directed against I-region products did not lyse the A1ATH and A6ATL cells, and secondary CTLs from A.TH and A.TL mice sensitized against A6ATL and A1ATH cells respectively exerted a lytic action specific for T-region products, while no activity was observed against I determinants. — The data suggest that tumor-transplant rejection may also be governed by histocompatibility antigens encoded in theT region.     

On a mathematical procedure for detecting significant parameters in the classification of a statistical ensemble of phenomena and its applications

Summary The paper is concerned with a procedure for detecting the uncorrelated linear combinations of a given set of random variables. The linear transformation which is used is related to the eigenvectors of the covariance matrix for the original random variables. If the significant non correlated signals are in number less than the original ones (which have often a high degree of redundancy) the possibility arises for an application of this procedure to some branches of communication theory. The most important applications should be to vocoder for a further compression of information, for masking messages and also for building a machine which should be able to classify a statistical ensemble after suitable coding. The procedure has been tested by trying to extract significant parameters from a special coding of spoken Italian vowels in view of an improvement in the efficiency of speech recognition.     

STUDIES ON THE MECHANISM OF ACTION OF PEDERINE

Pederine, a drug extracted from the coleopter Paederus fuscipes, inhibits the growth of in vitro cultured cell lines at concentrations of the order of 1.5 nanogram/ml. Cytological examination shows a generalized cytotoxic effect. Analysis of macromolecular syntheses by the use of radioactive precursors shows that pederine causes an almost immediate block of protein and DNA synthesis, without affecting RNA synthesis. The effects on the synthesis of the two types of macromolecules remain nearly simultaneous even at the lowest active concentrations of pederine. Studies with cell-free systems show that the drug inhibits protein synthesis, whereas it is ineffective on the DNA-polymerizing activity. It seems, therefore, that the drug acts primarily on the amino acid-polymerizing system, and that the effect on DNA is secondary. This idea is strengthened by the observation that puromycin, a specific inhibitor of protein synthesis, also affects promptly DNA synthesis of in vitro cultured cells. Other authors have shown the same phenomenon with a number of inhibitors of protein synthesis; the properties of pederine support, therefore, the view that continuous protein synthesis is necessary for the maintenance of DNA replication in higher organisms.     

Studî sulla durata del periodo cinetico ed intercinetico in embrioni di pollo incubati a differente temperatura

Zusammenfassung Ich habe mir vorgenommen zu bestimmen, in welchem Maße die Dauer der mitotischen und intermitotischen Perioden beim Hühnerembryo durch die Temperatur der Umgebung beeinflußt wird. Zu diesem Zweck habe ich eine indirekte Methode angewandt. Es wurde die Zahl der Mitosen des Neuralrohrs (bzw. bei älteren Embryonen der ganzen Neuralanlage) bestimmt. Die Zählung erfolgte an Embryonen gleichen Entwicklungsgrades (Hühnerembryonen mit 12, 12–13, 14–15, 18 Urwirbelpaaren), die bei verschiedenen Temperaturen bebrütet worden waren. Von jedem Stadium wurden zwei Embryonen bebrütet, der eine bei 31°–32°, derandere bei 41°–42°, und zwar der erstere doppelt so lange als der zweite. Beide erreichten so denselben Entwicklungsgrad (äußere Form, Zahl der Urwirbel). An den in lückenlose Serien zerlegten Embryonen nabe ich die absolute und relative Zahl der Mitosen im Nervensystem bestimmt; die relative Zahl (mitotischer Koeffizient) ergibt sich aus dem Verhältnis der Zahl der in einem Schnitt enthaltenen Mitosen zu dessen (mittels Planimeter bestimmtem) Flächeninhalt. Aus meinen Bestimmungen ergibt sich, daß die absolute und relative Zahl der Mitosen der bei den verschiedenen Temperaturen gelhaltenen Embryonen verhältnismäßig geringe Differenzen aufweist (bei den Embryonen mit 12 Ursegmentpaaren differiert die relative Zahl zwischen 1,69 und 1,79, bei den Embryonen mit 18 Ursegmentpaaren zwischen 1,34 und 1,42), sie beruhen wahrscheinlich auf individueller Variation.Wenn man erwägt, daß bei den unter niederer Temperatur bebrüteten Embryonen die Entwicklungsdauer das doppelte gegenüber den Kontrolltieren betrug (Koeffizient q₁₀ = 2), so können wir daraus schließen, daß die genannten unbedeutenden Differenzen nicht auf die Temperatur zu beziehen sind. Da aus meinen früheren Untersuchungen hervorgeht, daß die Dauer der Mitosen von in vitro gezüchteten Zellen des Hühnerembryos zeitlich eine Funktion der Temperatur ist, scheint mir der Schluß berechtigt, daß die für die mitotischen und intermitotischen Perioden geltenden Zeiten in gleichem Maße durch die Temperatur der Umgebung verkürzt bzw. verlängert werden.     

Relationships between Presence of the Eye Cup and Maintenance of Lens-Forming Capacity in Larval Xenopus laevis

The lentectomized eye of larval Xenopus laevis can regenerate a lens by a process of lens-transdifferentiation of the cornea and pericorneal epidermis. These tissues can form the lens only when they become in direct communication with the environment of the vitreous chamber (neural retina) indicating that the eye cup plays a fundamental role in this process.
In this work the role of the eye cup in the maintainance of the lens-forming capacity of the cornea and pericorneal epidermis was studied by allowing these tissues to cover the enucleated orbit for different periods, and then implanting them into the vitreous chamber of the contralateral eye. Under these experimental conditions the maintainance of the lens-forming capacity of the cornea and pericorneal epidermis showed no significant correlation with the time from enucleation to implantation.     

An improved method for chromosome banding after fluorescence in situ hybridization: Use of a tetramethylrodhamine-conjugated BrdU antibody

A method for high quality chromosome banding after in situ hybridization with biotinylated probes has been developed. Fluoresceine-conjugated avidin is used for probe detection, while chromosome banding is performed with a tetramethylrodhamine-conjugated anti-BrdU antibody. In this way probe localization and chromosome identification can be performed simultaneously simply by changing the incidental light wavelength.Abbreviations BAT BrdU antibody technique - DABCO 1,4 diazobicyclo-(2.2.2)octane - FITC fluorescein isothiocyanate - FPG fluorochrome plus giemsa - PHA phytohemagglutinin - RBA R-banding BrdU acridine - TRITC tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate     

Age-related changes of beta-endorphin and cholecystokinin in human and rat mononuclear cells

Beta-endorphin (BE) and cholecystokinin (CCK) were measured in fresh PBMC isolated from human subjects and rats. The BE and CCK PBMC contents increased significantly with age both in human and rat models. Moreover, polyclonal stimulation induced a significant decrease of BE but not CCK contents in mononuclear cells from human aged subjects. The time course of changes in BE and CCK concentrations observed in fresh and cultured cells from subjects of different ages did not directly correlate to the time course of age-associated impairment of lectin-induced lymphocyte proliferative response and interleukin-2 synthesis. In fact, the lymphocyte functional defects were significantly observed only in the 71–99 year age group, whereas the neuropeptide changes were already evident in the 31–50 age group. Since BE has been shown to participate in the modulation of the immune system, the age-related modifications of PBMC BE could play a role in the immunodepression observed during aging.