Classification of Y chromosome polymorphisms by DNA content and C-banding

A system has been developed using a microscope photometer to measure the DNA content of individual chromosomes. After correcting for the systematic and statistical errors the measured values are highly reproducible. Data are presented of measurements of human Y chromosomes from a cytogenetically normal population. When compared with the C-banding pattern from the same specimens the DNA content is found to change in discrete steps of 1.36×10^–14 g or 13.26×10⁶ bp for each of the Y chromosome polymorphic types.     

Adenosine 3' , 5'-cyclic monophsphate phosphodiesterase activities in the x-irradiation induced rat small bowel adenocarcinoma.

The adenosine 3′, 5′-cyclic monophosphate phosphodiesterase (PDE) activities were evaluated in X-irradiation induced Holtzman rat small bowell adenocarcinoma and age-matched normal small intestine. Within normal small intestine, PDE activity was optimal at pH 7.4, and highly dependent upon the addition of Mg²⁺ or Mn²⁺. Analyses of the rat small bowel adenocarcinoma revealed significantly elevated PDE activities above the normal small bowel which were found to be relatively constant throughout the length of the ileum and jejunum. These findings suggest that the diminished intracellular adenosine 3′, 5′-cyclic monophosphate levels observed in this lesion (1) may be the consequence of elevated PDE activities.     

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia and sudden cardiac death in endurance athletes

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) is a cardiomyopathy with several time-dependent clinical presentations. The clinical characteristics depend on the penetration grade of the disease. There are two different histological patterns consisting of a lipomatous and a fibrolipomatous form. The presence of arrhythmias in the ARVD syndrome constitutes an important risk factor for sudden cardiac death in athletes. In this article, we describe two professional endurance athletes who died suddenly. One of these athletes had asymptomatic ARVD, the other had symptomatic polymorphic ventricular tachycardias. Both athletes showed fatty penetration of the disease in both the right and left ventricle; one of them also showed fatty involvement at the atrial level and in the other there were signs of myocarditis consistent with ARVD. In the last few years magnetic resonance imaging has become an important diagnostic tool in patients with ARVD.     

Multivesicular bodies play a key role in vitellogenin endocytosis by Xenopus oocytes

A combination of electron microscopic tracers and subcellular fractionation has been used to examine the endocytic pathway of the yolk protein precursor, vitellogenin (VG), in Xenopus oocytes. VG was adsorbed to colloidal gold, and the organelles traversed by newly internalized ligand were examined at various time intervals after endocytosis. VG-Au enters oocytes via coated pits and vesicles and then appears rapidly in tubular endosomes and multivesicular bodies (MVBs). MVBs play a central role in VG processing for storage; the large majority of newly internalized VG enters this compartment, remaining there for up to several hours. Condensation of VG into crystalline bodies begins in MVBs, and continues with growth of the crystals until typical platelets are formed. When oocytes are exposed to high [VG], MVBs containing large amounts of internalized VG are morphologically indistinguishable from the primordial yolk platelets described earlier (Dumont, 1978). The use of VG-Au particles of two sizes demonstrates that gold particles in early MVBs were generally associated with the limiting membrane of these organelles, while older MVB compartments have gold particles well separated from the limiting membranes, suggesting that dissociation of VG from its receptor occurs in this compartment. Newly internalized ligand preferentially forms a new MVB, rather than fusing and mixing with previously formed MVBs. Progressive yolk protein condensation gradually transforms MVBs into yolk platelets over a period of several hours. Analysis of 125I-VG-Au behavior after sucrose gradient fractionation of oocytes allowed correlation of biochemical compartments with those observed in the electron microscope. MVBs containing yolk in progressive stages of condensation were found at densities from 1.16 up to 1.21 g/cc. The final, rate-limiting step in VG transport is a shift of ligand from light (1.21 g/cc) to heavy (1.23 g/cc) platelet compartments (Wall and Meleka, 1985). The morphological correlate of this process is movement of VG-Au from small (less than 3-4 microns diameter) to large (greater than 4 microns diameter) platelets.     

Fibrinolysis mediated by tissue plasminogen activator. Disclosure of a kinetic transition

The rate of 'Glu'-plasminogen activation by tissue plasminogen activator was repeatedly determined during a fibrinolytic process. The process was found to proceed via two distinct phases. The kinetics of each phase obeyed Michaelis-Menten equation: First phase; kcat about 0.17 s-1 and Km about 1 microM, second phase; kcat about 0.13 s-1 and Km about 0.06 microM. Practically identical results were obtained with one-chain as with two-chain tissue plasminogen activator. Transition from first to second phase occurred when the system had been exposed to a certain degree of plasmin digestion. Electrophoretic analysis demonstrated time correlation between the appearance of minimally degraded fibrin (X-fragments) and the transition. No such correlation was found between transition and conversion of 'Glu'-plasminogen to 'Lys'-plasminogen. The effect can result in an acceleration (up to 13-fold) of the fibrinolytic process once a slight degradation of the fibrin has taken place. In vivo, the effect described may constitute a mechanism that protects a fibrin clot from premature lysis.     

The hierarchy of mutations influencing the folding of antibody domains in Escherichia coli.

In a systematic study of the periplasmic folding of antibody fragments in Escherichia coli, we have analysed the expression of an aggregation-prone and previously non-functional anti-phosphorylcholine antibody, T15, as a model system and converted it to a functional molecule. Introduction of heavy chain framework mutations previously found to improve the folding of a related antibody led to improved folding of T15 fragments and improved physiology of the host E.coli cells. Manipulation of the complementarity determining regions (CDR) of the framework-mutated forms of T15 further improved folding and bacterial host physiology, but no improvement was seen in the wild type, suggesting the existence of a hierarchy in sequence positions leading to aggregation. Rational mutagenesis of the T15 light chain led to the production of functional T15 fragments for the first time, with increased levels of functional protein produced from V(H) manipulated constructs. We propose that a hierarchical analysis of the primary amino acid sequence, as we have described, provides guidelines on how correctly folding, functional antibodies might be achieved and will allow further delineation of the decisive structural factors and pathways favouring protein aggregation.     

Two-dimensional isoelectric focussing/sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic mapping and some molecular characteristics of the proteins of the adult guinea-pig small intestinal microvillus membrane

The adult guinea-pig small intestinal microvillus membrane was purified approximately 25-fold by both cation-precipitation and differential centrifugation methods. Comparison by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed no substantial differences in polypeptide composition between the two preparations. One-dimensional SDS-PAGE and two-dimensional isoelectric focussing (IEF)/SDS-PAGE, together with Coomassie-blue, silver and lectin-staining, showed three major high molecular weight polypeptides, Mr 108 000, 116 000 and 127 000, as well as a 47 kDa protein (actin), as major constituents of the membrane. The proteins of Mr 108 000 and 116 000 were strongly concanavalin A reactive. A detailed two-dimensional IEF/SDS-PAGE map of the membrane was constructed. Sodium carbonate treatment showed the two concanavalin A-reactive glycoproteins, Mr 108 000 and 116 000, comprising the sucrase-isomaltase complex, to be loosely-associated 'extrinsic' microvillus membrane proteins. Two proteins, Mr 127 000 and 135 000, were tightly-associated 'intrinsic' microvillus proteins. Despite regional differences in specific activity of some small intestinal microvillar enzymes, most noticeably enterokinase (EC 3.4.21.9) and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (EC 3.4.14.x), no substantial regional differences were seen in microvillus membrane polypeptide composition. In contrast, a substantial increase in the major high molecular weight proteins of Mr 108 000 and 116 000 accompanied a 10-fold rise in sucrase-isomaltase activity, and loss of a major protein of Mr 131 000 accompanied the complete loss of lactase activity from the membrane during postnatal development.