Autoantibodies and monoclonal antibodies in the purification and molecular characterization of neurotransmitter receptors

The combination of immunological advances with membrane receptor research has promoted rapid progress in the molecular characterization of neurotransmitter receptor molecules. We have to date produced monoclonal antibodies to β₁-, β₂-, and β₁-adrenergic, D₂-dopaminergic, and muscarinic receptors. In addition we have discovered that some allergic respiratory disease patients possess circulating autoantibodies to β₂-adrenergic receptors. These antireceptor antibodies in conjunction with specific receptor affinity reagents have allowed us to isolate, purify, and begin to characterize α- and β-adrenergic, dopaminergic, and muscarinic receptors. For example, immunoprecipitation of turkey erythrocyte β₁ receptors with monoclonal antibodies yields a single polypeptide M_r 65–70 K. In contrast, purification of β₂-adrenergic receptors using either autoantibodies or monoclonal antibodies yields a receptor species with a subunit of M_r 55–59 K. Autoantibodies to β₂ receptors demonstrate a 50–100% homology among β₂ receptors from humans to rats, whereas monoclonal antibody FV-104 recognizes a determinant in the ligand binding site of all β₁ and β₂ receptors tested to date. These data suggest that β₁- and β₂-adrenergic receptors may have evolved from a common ancestor, perhaps by gene duplication.     

Effect of iron compounds on nodulation and growth ofTrifolium pratense L. In water culture

Summary Different iron compounds were compared for use in nutrient solutions for nodulation studies withTrifolium pratense L. (Montgomery Red). Iron(III)-EDTA was found to be the best source of iron when taking both nodulation and yield into account. The possibility of toxic effects under certain experimental conditions can, however, not be excluded.     

Differential binding of lectins IL-2 and CSL to candida albicans and cancer cells

The demonstration that interleukin 2 (IL-2) is a lectin specific for oligomannosides allows to understand a new function for this cytokine: as a bifunctional molecule when bound to its receptor ss, IL-2 associates the latter which the CD3/TCR complex, interacting with oligosaccharides of CD3 through its carbohydrate-recognition domain (Zanetta et al. , 1996, Biochem. J., 318, 49-53). This induces the tyrosine phosphorylation of the IL-2R beta by ++p56(lck) , the first step of the IL-2-dependent signaling. Since this specific association is disrupted in vitro by oligomannosides with five and six mannose residues, we made the hypothesis that pathogenic cells or microorganisms could bind IL-2, consequently disturbing the IL-2- dependent response. This study shows that the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans (in contrast with nonpathogenic yeasts) binds high amounts of IL-2 as did cancer cells. In contrast with cancer cells, yeasts do not bind the Man6GlcNAc2-specific lectin CSL, an endogenous "amplifier of activation signals" (Zanetta et al. , 1995, Biochem. J., 311, 629-636).      

Pseudomonas aeruginosa diaminopimelate decarboxylase: evolutionary relationship with other amino acid decarboxylases

The lysA gene encodes meso-diaminopimelate (DAP) decarboxylase (E.C.4.1.1.20), the last enzyme of the lysine biosynthetic pathway in bacteria. We have determined the nucleotide sequence of the lysA gene from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of the lysA gene product revealed extensive similarity with the sequences of the functionally equivalent enzymes from Escherichia coli and Corynebacterium glutamicum. Even though both P. aeruginosa and E. coli are Gram-negative bacteria, sequence comparisons indicate a greater similarity between enzymes of P. aeruginosa and the Gram- positive bacterium C. glutamicum than between those of P. aeruginosa and E. coli enzymes. Comparison of DAP decarboxylase with protein sequences present in data bases revealed that bacterial DAP decarboxylases are homologous to mouse (Mus musculus) ornithine decarboxylase (E.C.4.1.1.17), the key enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis in mammals. On the other hand, no similarity was detected between DAP decarboxylases and other bacterial amino acid decarboxylases.      

Recognizing the forest for the trees: testing temporal patterns of cladogenesis using a null model of stochastic diversification

Computer simulations are developed and employed to examine the expected temporal distributions of nodes under a null model of stochastic lineage bifurcation and extinction. These Markovian models of phylogenetic process were constructed so as to permit direct comparisons against empirical phylogenetic trees generated from molecular or other information available solely from extant species. For replicate simulated phylads with n extant species, cumulative distribution functions (cdf's) of branching times were calculated, and compared (using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test statistic D) to those from three published empirical trees. Molecular phylogenies for columbine plants and avian cranes showed statistically significant departures from the null expectations, in directions indicating recent and ancient species' radiations, respectively, whereas a molecular phylogeny for the Drosophila virilis species group showed no apparent historical clustering of branching events. Effects of outgroup choice and phylogenetic frame of reference were investigated for the columbines and found to have a predictable influence on the types of conclusions to be drawn from such analyses. To enable other investigators to statistically test for nonrandomness in temporal cladogenetic pattern in empirical trees generated from data on extant species, we present tables of mean cdf's and associated probabilities under the null model for expected branching times in phylads of varying size. The approaches developed in this report complement and extend those of other recent methods for employing null models to assess the statistical significance of pattern in evolutionary trees.