Biological Activities of an Abscisic Acid Analog in Barley, Cress, and Rice

Biological activities of an abscisic acid (ABA) analog, RCA-7a[l-(3-carboxyl-5-methylphenyl)-l-hydroxy-2,6,6-trimethyl-4-oxo-2-cyclohexene],carrying a phenyl group in the side chain are reported. ( +)-RCA-7a was approximately 3-fold less active than ( + )-ABAin the inhibition of      

Polymer concentration dependence of the helix to random coil transition of a charged polypeptide in aqueous salt solution.

The helix to coil transition of poly(L-glutamic acid) was investigated in 0.05 and 0.005 M aqueous potassium chloride solutions by use of potentiometric titration and circular dichroism measurement. Polymer concentration dependence of the transition was observed in the range from 0.006 to 0.04 monomol/e in 0.005 M KG1 solution. The polymer concentration dependence can be interpreted by current theories of the transition of charged polypeptides and of titration curves of linear weak polyelectrolytes taking the effect of polymer concentration into consideration.     

Physicochemical Characterization of Tween 80-Hydrolyzing Esterases Produced by Rapidly Growing Mycobacteria

Tween 80-hydrolyzing esterases produced by various species of rapidly growing mycobacteria were partially purified from sonicated cell lysates by diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) cellulose and subsequent Sephadex G-150 column chromatographies. The amount of the esterase produced per gram of bacterial cells varied markedly with each species. Mycobacterium smegmatis, M. chelonei, and M. phlei were high producers and M. chitae and M. diernhoferi were low producers of Tween-hydrolyzing esterase. The resistance of each mycobacterial strain to oleic acid correlated well with their esterase-producing ability. All the esterases studied were adsorbed on DEAE cellulose in 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.5), indicating that they are acidic proteins. Esterases of M. smegmatis, M. chitae, M. fortuitum, and M. phlei were eluted from DEAE at high concentrations (0.11–0.18 m) of ammonium sulfate, while those of M. parafortuitum and M. diernhoferi were eluted at lower concentrations (0.05–0.08 m). With Sephadex G-150 gel filtration, all esterases were shown to have similar molecular weights (36,000 to 58,000). On the basis of heat-stability and trypsin- or chymotrypsin-sensitivity, these esterases were divided into three groups: one was heat-stable and protease-sensitive (M. smegmatis and M. fotuitum), another was heat-labile and protease-resistant (M. chelonei), and the other was the intermediate of the above two groups (M. diernhoferi).     

Intraglomerular fibronectin in rat experimental glomerulonephritis.

To clarify the mechanisms of glomerular pericapillary fibronectin deposition in human membranous nephropathy and mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis, intraglomerular fibronectin distribution was examined by light and electron microscopy using the experimental rat models of Heymann and nephrotoxic serum nephritis. As previously demonstrated by immunofluorescence microscopy (Pettersson and Colvin 1978; Ikeya et al. 1985, 1986), fibronectin was distributed in the mesangial areas and occasionally on percicapillary walls of normal glomeruli, while in nephrotoxic serum nephritis and Heymann nephritis, fibronectin was diffusely located along glomerular capillary walls as well as in the mesangium. By immunoelectron microscopy using the immunogold technique, fibronectin was also noted in the mesangial areas and the lamina densa of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) in normal glomeruli. In nephrotoxic serum nephritis, fibronectin was seen around mesangial cells situated between endothelial cells and the GBM, suggesting that pericapillary fibronectin in nephrotoxic serum nephritis reflects mesangial extension. However, in Heymann nephritis, it was found uniformly in the lamina rara interna, lamina densa and lamina rara externa of the GBM, indicating no specific relation to glomerular cells. When sections of normal and both experimental nephritis kidneys were incubated with fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugated with rat plasma fibronectin, a linear pattern of fluorescein staining along the glomerular capillary walls was observed in Heymann nephritis but not in normal or nephrotoxic serum nephritic rats. The GBM in Heymann nephritis would thus appear to have an affinity for plasma fibronectin. Based on the above findings, fibronectin in the GBM of rats with Heymann nephritis may reasonably be concluded to originate from the plasma.     

Antigenic and biochemical characterization of poliovirus type 1 isolates of non-vaccine origin

During the past 15 years, five poliovirus type 1 strains with non-vaccine-like antigenicity have been isolated in Japan. Of these isolates, two were from paralytic poliomyelitis patients not associated with the use of Sabin vaccine, and three were apparently introduced from abroad. All the isolates could be readily distinguished from the corresponding Sabin type 1 vaccine strain by oligonucleotide mapping of the viral RNA and by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the viral proteins. The oligonucleotide map of the virulent Mahoney strain which has non-vaccine-like antigenicity was very similar to the map of Sabin type 1 strain. These data indicate that none of the isolates were derived from Sabin type 1 vaccine or its parental Mahoney strain. In addition, some isolates had close antigenic relationship with one another. It is probable that all these strains were introduced from foreign lands where wild poliovirus strains are prevalent.     

Function of Tongue-Playing of Cattle in Association With Other Behavioral and Physiological Characteristics

To study the function of tongue-playing of cattle, this study observed 71 Japanese Black × Holstein steers after feeding in 2 repetitive experiments. The number of steers who performed tongue-playing did not differ among the 3 levels of environmentally enriched pens. Most (90.6%) performances of tongue-playing terminated within 20 min. Frequency of tongue-playing positively correlated with the frequency of resting (r = 0.25, p < .05). Frequency of eating was lower in tongue-playing steers (n = 40) than in non-tongue-playing steers (n = 31; p < .05). Frequencies of self-grooming (p < .05), ruminating (p < .05), and lying ruminating (p < .01) were higher in tongue-playing steers. Plasma dopamine concentration was lower in tongue-playing steers (p < .05). In conclusion, tongue-playing that lasts only for a short time after feeding was induced by behavioral features of steers who rest more and eat hay less at the same time as they perform grooming and ruminating.