Microdissection and sequence analysis of pericentric heterochromatin from the Drosophila melanogastermutant Suppressor of Underreplication

In the Suppressor of Underreplication( SuUR) mutant strain of Drosophila melanogaster, the heterochromatin of polytene chromosomes is not underreplicated and, as a consequence, a number of beta-heterochromatic regions acquire a banded structure. The chromocenter does not form in these polytene chromosomes, and heterochromatic regions, normally part of the chromocenter, become accessible to cytological analysis. We generated four genomic DNA libraries from specific heterochromatic regions by microdissection of polytene chromosomes. In situ hybridization of individual libraries onto SuUR polytene chromosomes shows that repetitive DNA sequences spread into the neighboring euchromatic regions. This observation allows the localization of eu-heterochromatin transition zones on polytene chromosomes. We find that genomic scaffolds from the eu-heterochromatin transition zones are enriched in repetitive DNA sequences homologous to those flanking the suppressor of forked gene [ su(f) repeat]. We isolated and sequenced about 300 clones from the heterochromatic DNA libraries obtained. Most of the clones contain repetitive DNA sequences; however, some of the clones have unique DNA sequences shared with parts of unmapped genomic scaffolds. Hybridization of these clones onto SuUR polytene chromosomes allowed us to assign the cytological localizations of the corresponding genomic scaffolds within heterochromatin. Our results demonstrate that the SuUR mutant renders possible the mapping of heterochromatic scaffolds on polytene chromosomes.     

Exposure to sodium butyrate, dimethyl sulfoxide, and phorbol-12-myristine-13-acetate alters sensitivity of K562 cells to nonspecific lysis by human or rat leukocytes

We studied the ability of inducers and inhibitors of erythroid differentiation of K562 leukemia cells, such as sodium butyrate, dimethyl sulfoxide, and phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate, respectively, to modulate sensitivity of these cells to nonspecific lysis (nonrestricted with respect to antigens of the major histocompatibilty complex) mediated by natural human or rat killer cells. Unfractionated leukocytes from human peripheral blood or rat splenocytes were used as sources of natural killers. The induction of erythroid differentiation by sodium butyrate was accompanied by a significant increase in cell sensitivity to lysis with human peripheral blood lymphocytes; incubation of K562 cells in the mixture of sodium butyrate and dimethyl sulfoxide did not change cell sensitivity to lysis by both types of effector cells. The inhibition of sodium butyrate-induced erythroid differentiation with high doses of phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (100 nM; incubation was in the presence of both these agents simultaneously) resulted in an increased cell sensitivity to lysis with rat splenocytes. Incubation of K562 cells in a mixture of sodium butyrate, dimethyl sulfoxide, and phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (100 nM) produced greater lysis by human leukocytes, as compared with incubation in the mixture of sodium butyrate and dimethyl sulfoxide.     

Argiopinin-binding proteins from the membrane of the bull cerebral cortex

The 40 kDa argiopinin-binding glycoprotein has been isolated from the solubilised preparations of bovine cerebrum membranes by means of two-step biospecific chromatography on affinity sorbents with immobilized glutamate and argiopinins. This receptor component displays a specific L-[3H]glutamate binding with Kd = 0.18 +/- +/- 0.019 mumole and Bmax = 43 +/- 4.5 nmole/mg. Amino acid analysis reveals it to be a member of integral membrane proteins.     

Adaptation of Bio-Layer Interferometry for Quantitative Assessment of the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Content in Cell-Conditioned Culture Medium

Biophysics - Quantitative determination of cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, and other soluble protein molecules in various biological fluids is a routine task of modern diagnostics and...