Metabolism of very low density lipoproteins--effect of sardine oil.

The effect of feeding fish oil on the metabolism of lipoproteins was studied in rats. Rats were fed diet containing 10% sardine or groundnut oil for 6 weeks. There was a significant decrease in the total cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides as well as the amount of the lipids associated with VLDL and LDL in serum in fish oil-fed rats. The synthesis and secretion of lipoproteins particularly apoB containing lipoproteins by primary cultures of hepatocytes from these rats were studied by 14(C)-acetate or 3(H)-leucine labelling. Primary cultures of hepatocytes derived from sardine oil-fed rats showed reduced incorporation of 3(H)-leucine into apoB containing lipoproteins secreted into the medium when compared to those fed groundnut oil, indicating a decreased synthesis and secretion of apoB. This was further confirmed by significantly lower incorporation of 14(C)-radioactivity into total and individual lipids of VLDL secreted into the medium, as well as that associated with different lipids in cell layer. The activity of lipoprotein lipase in adipose tissue and aorta was significantly higher in rats fed sardine oil which may cause an increased clearance of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins from circulation. These results indicate that the fish oil exerts hypolipidemic effect particularly by decreasing the synthesis and secretion of VLDL by liver and possibly by an increased clearance of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins from circulation.     

Glycerol-induced unraveling of the tight helical conformation of Escherichia coli type 1 fimbriae.

Glycerol was found to unravel the helical conformation of Escherichia coli type 1 fimbriae without appreciable depolymerization. The linearized fimbrial polymers have a diameter of 2 nm, react strongly with a monoclonal antibody directed at an inaccessible epitope on native fimbriae, and display greater mannose-binding activity and trypsin sensitivity than native fimbriae. Removal of glycerol by dialysis results in spontaneous reassembly of the linear polymers into structures morphologically, antigenically, and functionally indistinguishable from native fimbriae.     

Deuterium NMR investigation of polymorphism in stratum corneum lipids

The intercellular lipid lamellae of stratum corneum constitute the major barrier to percutaneous penetration. Deuterium magnetic resonance and freeze-fracture electron microscopic investigation of hydrated lipid mixtures consisting of ceramides, cholesterol, palmitic acid and cholesteryl sulfate and approximating the stratum corneum intercellular lipid composition, revealed thermally induced polymorphism. The transition temperature of bilayer to hexagonal transition decreased as the ratio of cholesterol to ceramides in these mixtures was lowered. Lipid mixtures in which the stratum corneum ceramides were replaced by synthetic dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine did not show any polymorphism throughout the temperature range used in the present study. The ability of the ceramide-containing samples to form hexagonal structures establishes a plausible mechanism for the assembly of the stratum corneum intercellular lamellae during the final stages of epidermal differentiation. Also, the bilayer to hexagonal phase transition of these nonpolar lipid mixtures could be used to enhance the penetration of drugs through skin.     

Eclectic mechanisms of heme regulation of hematopoiesis

Regulatory features of heme (ferroprotoporphyrin IX) on hematopoietic growth/differentiation and related processes are reviewed. It is emphasized that expressions of specific erythroid and nonerythroid heme biosynthetic and degradatory enzymes are required, and the regulatory processes whereby this occurs is considered. The specificity of heme, relationship to cellular events such as differentiation, response to growth factors, oncogene and receptor expression, and how heme counteracts toxic effects such as viral growth are all discussed. The significance of heme in the hemopoietic bone marrow microenvironment and growth factor network are considered. Finally, the third pathway for arachidonic acid metabolism via the heme-cytochrome P450 monooxygenase system, in addition to cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase, by bone marrow adherent cells and its role in cellular differentiation is briefly reviewed.     

Strains of Colletotrichum coffeanum Noack Causing Coffee Berry Disease in Angola and Malawi with Characteristics Different to the Kenya Strain

Strains of Colletotrichum isolated from berries of Coffea arabica from Angola and Malawi were identified as C. coffeanum causing coffee berry disease (CBD). The isolates were highly aggressive to berries of the cultivar ‘Catimor’ and produced high numbers of acervuli and extremely large masses of pink conidia when cultivated in the dark. These strains are apparently different in aggressiveness and morphology to those described in the past from Kenya.     

Quantification and analysis of reverse mutations at the hgprt locus in Chinese hamster ovary cells

We describe an assay for the quantification of reverse mutations at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (hgprt) locus in Chinese hamster ovary cells utilizing the selective agent L-azaserine (AS). Conditions are defined in terms of optimal AS concentration, cell density, and phenotypic expression time. After treatment, replicate cultures of 10⁶ cells are allowed a 48-h phenotypic expression time in 100-mm plates. AS (10 μM) is then added directly to the growing culture and AS-resistant (AS^r) cells form visible colonies. This assay is used to quantify ICR-191-, ICR-170-, and N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-induced reversion of independently isolated HGPRT^? clones. The AS^r phenotype is characterized both physiologically and biochemically. All AS^r clones isolated are stably resistant to AS and aminopterin but sensitive to 6-thioguanine. They also have re-expressed HGPRT enzyme. In addition, several revertants are shown to contain altered HGPRT. The data provide further evidence that ICR-191 and ICR-170 cause structural gene mutations in mammalian cells and also suggest that ICR-191, ICR-170, and N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea induce similar types of mutations in Chinese hamster ovary cells.     

Neue diterpene und neue dihydrochalkon-derivate sowie weitere inhaltsstoffe aus Helichrysum-arten

The investigation of 25 further Helichrysum species afforded in addition to known compounds a new diterpene, an oxo-geranyllinalol, a second one, most probably a cembrene derivative, and three dihydrochalkone derivatives. The distribution of the constituents in South African Helichrysum species is discussed briefly.     

Transfer of genes to Chinese hamster ovary cells by DNA-mediated transformation

We have transferred DNa to Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells by DNA-mediated transformation. CHO tk- cells were transformed with the clones gene for herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) and were found to have a 50-fold lower frequency of transformation than mouse Ltk- cells at the same DNA dosage. By altering the amount of tk gene and carrier DNA present, frequencies of up to 5 x 10(-5) were obtained. CHO HSV-tk+ transformants were very stable, and in several clones the HSV-tk gene copies integrated in higher-molecular-weight DNA. These cells also exhibited cotransformation for unselected markers. CHO lines were also transformed at a frequency of 10(-4) with the bacterial gene Ecogpt in a SV40-pBR322 vector. CHO tk-cells could be transformed at a frequency of 10(-7) with cellular DNA isolated from CHO tk+ cells. CHO cells offer a well-defined genetic system within which to transfer either cloned or whole cellular DNAs.     

Polypeptide synthesis by mitoplasts isolated from mouse liver

Polypeptide synthesis by mouse liver mitochondria was studied by incubating purified mitoplasts (mitochondria treated with digitonin) with [³⁵S]methionine. The products were separated either by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, or by isoelectric focusing, followed by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. At least 14 distinct bands with molecular weights (mol. wt) ranging from about 8 000 to about 70 000 were found upon radioautography of the gels. When the samples were incubated in the presence of chloramphenicol, only a single weak band was found, whereas the protein pattern was unaffected by the presence of cycloheximide in the medium. The newly synthesized proteins were all acidic and evidence was obtained that they were hydrophobic in nature. Virtually all the labelled polypeptides were present in the membrane fraction, whereas the matrix showed little radioactivity. The data indicate that the proteins synthesized by mammalian mitochondria, like those in yeast, are components of the inner mitochondrial membrane. One protein of mol. wt 22 000 D was detected in the incubation medium. Since more of this component was present in the medium than in the pelleted mitoplasts and since this protein was not found in the matrix fraction of sonicated mitoplasts, it is believed that it had been excreted from the inner mitochondrial membrane. The finding that the number of proteins synthesized in mitoplasts isolated from mouse liver is considerably higher than that synthesized in yeast mitochondria reflects a most efficient utilization of the mammalian mitochondrial genome.