Effects of ethanol on cAMP production in murine embryonic palate mesenchymal cells.

Ethanol affected the ability of murine embryonic palate mesenchymal (MEPM) cells to produce cAMP in response to hormone treatment. Acute exposure to ethanol resulted in an increase in hormone-stimulated cAMP levels, while chronic ethanol treatment led to decreased sensitivity to hormone. Forskolin-stimulated cAMP levels were decreased by both acute and chronic ethanol treatment, while the cells' response to cholera toxin was unchanged by ethanol treatment. The lack of sensitivity of the cholera toxin response to ethanol suggests that, in contrast to what has been observed in other systems, ethanol does not affect the production or activity of G alpha s in MEPM cells. These results suggest a possible explanation for the molecular basis for the craniofacial abnormalities observed in the fetal alcohol syndrome.     

2'-O-alkyloligoribonucleotides, synthesis and applications in molecular biology.

Oligo(2'-O-alkylribonucleotides) have been synthesized in which alkyl is methyl, allyl and butyl. The various phosphoramidite monomers of 2'-O-alkyl uridine, cytidine, adenosine, guanosine, inosine and 2,6-diaminopurine riboside have been synthesized from a minimum of key intermediates. Extra protection of the lactam function in uracil and hypoxanthine proves useful. The high stability of the oligomers combined with incorporation of non-radioactive reporter groups such as fluorophores, biotin and 2,4-dinitrophenylamino (DNP) moities renders them as excellent antisense tools for studying RNA processing, for locating and visualising RNA and RNP complexes in cells, for examining splicing complexes by electron microscopy and for the affinity chromatography of RNA or RNP complexes.