Correlation between bilayer destabilization and activity enhancement by diacylglycerols in reconstituted Ca-ATPase vesicles

Using the reconstituted Ca-ATPase vesicles as a model system, we demonstrated that the presence of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycerol (diolein) in the membrane introduces a pronounced enhancement in the Ca-transport function of Ca-ATPase, while the 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycerol (dipalmitin) does not. We also found by both 31P NMR and freeze-fraction electron microscopy that diolein destabilized lipid bilayers to a greater extent than did dipalmitin. We conclude that the tendency of diacylglycerols to destabilize the phospholipid bilayer is related to their capacity to enhance the activity of the membrane calcium pump.     

Islet cell and 64K autoantibodies are associated with plasma IgG in newly diagnosed insulin-dependent diabetic children

There is a high prevalence of islet cell antibodies (ICA) and autoantibodies detected against an islet cell protein of Mr 64,000 at the time of clinical diagnosis of insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM). In view of the biphasic immune response after antigen presentation, the purpose of this study was to determine the presence of ICA and antibodies against the 64,000 islet antigen after separation of IgM from IgG to prevent interference between the two antibody classes. Plasma samples from 10 newly diagnosed IDDM children and 10 healthy controls were precipitated with polyethylene glycol (PEG), and the crude Ig was subjected to Sephacryl S-300 chromatography to separate IgM and IgG. ICA determined by indirect immunofluorescence on frozen sections of human pancreas showed reduced background immunofluorescence intensity in the purified fractions compared with crude plasma. The number of ICA-positive samples among the IDDM patients increased from 7/10 in plasma to 9/10 in the IgG fraction. There was an increase in the ICA titer in 6/9 of the positive samples. All purified IgM samples were ICA negative. Immunoprecipitation experiments by using Nonidet P-40 detergent lysates of [35S]methionine-labeled neonatal rat islets demonstrated that the 64,000 autoantibodies were in the IgG fraction. We found 7/10 IDDM samples to be positive, whereas all controls were negative. The background in the autoradiographic analysis was markedly reduced in the IgG fractions compared with immunoprecipitates with crude or PEG-purified plasma and the IgM fraction. ICA titers did not correlate to the ability of the IgG fraction to precipitate the 64,000 autoantigen. It is concluded that both the ICA and 64,000 autoantibodies are primarily of the IgG class at the time of clinical onset of IDDM, and that purification of IgG from human IDDM plasma facilitates the detection of the rat islet cell 64,000 antigen.     

Glycerol models of the ciliated epithelium of bronchial mucosa and their use in the diagnosis of chronic nonspecific lung diseases

The method of extraction of ciliated epithelium from biopsy samples of human bronchial mucosa with glycerol is suggested. Permeabilized cilia of glycerol-extracted cells can be easily reactivated by exogenous ATP. This method was used for the study of ciliary dyskinesia in patients with chronic lung diseases. It was shown that in patients with Kartagener's syndrome neither freshly-isolated, nor glycerol-extracted ATP-treated cilia were motile. On the other hand, in some patients with bronchial asthma ATP reactivated glycerol-extracted cilia, while cilia of freshly-isolated cells remained immotile. The study shows that glycerol permeabilization and reactivation by ATP can be used for the analysis of cilial contractile apparatus in patients with chronic lung disease.     

Glycosylation of catalase inhibitor necessary for activity

A protein isolated from maize scutella which inhibits catalase in vitro has been shown to contain 12% carbohydrate in the form of galactose. This corresponds to four galactose molecules per inhibitor subunit. Removal of the carbohydrate with β-galactosidase or blockage with a galactose-specific lectin abolished activity of the inhibitor.     

Mutagenicity testing of dichloromethane in short-term mammalian test systems

Several short-term mammalian test systems were used for mutagenicity testing of the organic solvent dichloromethane. The compound was negative in the forward mutation test on the HGPRT locus in Chinese hamster cells and the unscheduled DNA synthesis test in both human and hamster cells. In the test on DNA synthesis inhibition, dichloromethane caused an aspecific inhibition in both human and hamster cells, but in this test the effect did not indicate a DNA-damaging action. A weak positive effect was found in the test on sister-chromatid exchanges in hamster cells.