Chronic exposure to ELF fields may induce depression

Exposure to extremely-low-frequency (ELF) electric or magnetic fields has been postulated as a potentially contributing factor in depression. Epidemiologic studies have yielded positive correlations between magnetic- and/or electric-field strengths in local environments and the incidence of depression-related suicide. Chronic exposure to ELF electric or magnetic fields can disrupt normal circadian rhythms in rat pineal serotonin-N-acetyltransferase activity as well as in serotonin and melatonin concentrations. Such disruptions in the circadian rhythmicity of pineal melatonin secretion have been associated with certain depressive disorders in human beings. In the rat, ELF fields may interfere with tonic aspects of neuronal input to the pineal gland, giving rise to what may be termed "functional pinealectomy." If long-term exposure to ELF fields causes pineal dysfunction in human beings as it does in the rat, such dysfunction may contribute to the onset of depression or may exacerbate existing depressive disorders.     

Interaction of the antioestrogen ICI 164,384 with the oestrogen receptor

The use of partially purified preparations of the human uterine oestrogen receptor has enabled, for the first time, a study of the binding of the steroidal, pure antioestrogen ICI 164,384 [N-n-butyl-11-(3,17 beta-dihydroxy-oestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-7 alpha-yl)N-methyl-undecamide] to the oestrogen receptor. Scatchard analyses of the binding of [3H]oestradiol and [3H]ICI 164,384 to the receptor show that the equilibrium dissociation constants for the interactions of these ligands with the receptor at 0 degrees C are 0.44 and 0.69 nM respectively. The concentration of receptor binding sites for the agonist was 1986 fmol/mg protein whilst that for the antagonist was 1400 fmol/mg protein. The affinity of the antioestrogen-receptor complex for DNA-cellulose does not increase following exposure to conditions that transform the oestrogen-receptor complex.     

Cytochrome c: ion binding and redox properties. Studies on ferri and ferro forms of horse, bovine, and tuna cytochrome c

The ion binding properties of horse, bovine, and tuna cytochrome c (both oxidized and reduced) have been measured using a combination of ultrafiltration, neutron activation, and ion chromatography. The ions investigated were chloride, phosphate, and Tris-cacodylate. Ion chromatography and neutron activation analysis techniques were employed to determine the concentration of free anions. Binding constants are obtained from modified Scatchard plots (in the range of 10-2000 M-1). The redox potentials for cytochrome c at different ionic strengths, pH 7.0, have been determined. In this paper we report the ionic strength and ion binding effects on the redox properties of horse, bovine, and tuna cytochrome c. Potential versus ionic strength dependence for horse, bovine, and tuna cytochrome c from the experimental data were compared with a theoretical model.     

Antibodies to steroid receptor deoxyribonucleic acid binding domains and their reactivity with the human glucocorticoid receptor

Functional properties of the DNA-binding domain of the human glucocorticoid receptor were investigated using high titer polyclonal antibodies produced against single synthetic peptides or a mixture of peptides whose sequences were derived from the DNA-binding domain of steroid receptor proteins. Three of seven antisera recognized both native and denatured forms of the glucocorticoid receptor, although considerably lower antisera dilutions were required for antibody binding to native receptor. Activation of the glucocorticoid receptor to its DNA-binding form was required for antibody recognition of the native receptor. Antisera to the second finger region of the DNA-binding domain caused a portion of the activated 4S glucocorticoid receptor to sediment as 7 or 9S in sucrose gradients containing 0.4 M KCl, but did not alter the sedimentation of the nontransformed 8S receptor. Specificity of the glucocorticoid receptor-antibody interaction was demonstrated by loss of reactivity after preabsorption with peptide antigens. Antisera that interacted specifically with the glucocorticoid receptor inhibited DNA binding of the activated receptor by as much as 80%. Thus, antibody probes directed against DNA-binding domain sequences provide immunological evidence that glucocorticoid receptor activation exposes the DNA-binding region of the receptor.     

A missense mutation (Asp250----Asn) in exon 6 of the human lipoprotein lipase gene causes chylomicronemia in patients of different ancestries.

We have previously reported two common lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene mutations underlying LPL deficiency in the majority of 37 French Canadians (Monsalve et al., 1990. J. Clin. Invest. 86: 728-734; Ma et al., 1991. N. Engl. J. Med. 324: 1761-1766). By examining the 10 coding exons of the LPL gene in another French Canadian patient, we have identified a third missense mutation that is found in two of the three remaining patients for whom mutations are undefined. This is a G to A transition in exon 6 that results in a substitution of asparagine for aspartic acid at residue 250. Using in vitro site-directed mutagenesis, we have confirmed that this mutation causes a catalytically defective LPL protein. In addition, the Asp250----Asn mutation was also found on the same haplotype in an LPL-deficient patient of Dutch ancestry, suggesting a common origin. This mutation alters a TaqI restriction site in exon 6 and will allow for rapid screening in patients with LPL deficiency.     

A bovine papillomavirus E1-related protein binds specifically to bovine papillomavirus DNA.

The E1 open reading frame of bovine papillomavirus (BPV) was expressed as a RecA-E1 fusion protein in Escherichia coli. The bacterially expressed RecA-E1 protein exhibited sequence-specific DNA binding activity; strong binding to the region from nucleotides 7819 to 93 on the BPV genome (designated region A) and weak binding to the adjacent region from nucleotides 7457 to 7818 (region B) were observed. The interaction between the BPV-derived RecA-E1 protein and region A appeared to be highly specific for BPV DNA, as no comparable binding was detected with heterologous papillomavirus DNAs. Binding to region A was eliminated by digestion of region A at the unique HpaI site, which suggests that the RecA-E1 binding site(s) was at or near the HpaI recognition sequence. Binding to region B but not region A was observed when nuclear extracts from ID13 cells were used as a source of E1 proteins. The absence of region A binding by ID13 extracts may reflect a negative regulation of E1 DNA binding activity.     

Multiple zeins from maize endosperms characterized by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography

The major storage proteins of maize (Zea mays L.) endosperm are located in protein bodies, and may be separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) into two major classes and four minor classes of polypeptides. The two major classes (commonly known as zeins) have been separated previously into a large number of components by isoelectric focusing (IEF). Reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) further separated the major classes into additional components, and gave distinctive peaks for each minor zein class. Some IEF bands produced two or more HPLC fractions, while some HPLC fractions produced two or more IEF bands. Apparently identical IEF bands from different inbreds may appear in different fractions after HPLC. Thus the total number of zeins revealed by separations based on apparent size (SDS-PAGE), net charge (IEF), and hydrophobicity (HPLC) is very large. Different laboratories have developed diverse nomenclatures which cause much confusion. A key is presented to provide a flexible and expandable nomenclature for this complex group of proteins.     

Preliminary crystallographic data, primary sequence, and binding data for an anti-peptide Fab and its complex with a synthetic peptide from influenza virus hemagglutinin

X-ray quality crystals which diffract to high resolution (less than or equal to 1.9-2.1 A) have been grown of an anti-peptide Fab and its complex with a 9-residue peptide antigen. Both crystals are monoclinic P2(1), with unit cell dimensions a = 90.3 A, b = 82.9 A, c = 73.4 A, beta = 122.5 degrees for the native Fab and a = 63.9 A, b = 73.0 A, c = 49.1 A, beta = 120.6 degrees for the complex. The peptide sequence corresponds to residues 100-108 of all influenza virus hemagglutinins (HA1) of the H3 subtype (1968-1987). The peptide antigen has been well characterized immunologically (Wilson, I.A., Niman, H.L., Houghton, R.A., Cherenson, A.R., Connolly, M.L., and Lerner, R.A. (1984) Cell 37, 767-778; Wilson, I.A., Bergmann, K.F., and Stura, E.A. (1986) in Vaccines '86 (Channock, R.M., Lerner, R.A., and Brown, F., eds) pp. 33-37, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY), structurally, as a free peptide by NMR (Dyson, J.H., Cross, K.J., Houghton, R.A., Wilson, I.A., Wright, P.E., and Lerner, R.A. (1985) Nature 318, 480-483; Dyson, J.H., Lerner, R.A., and Wright, P.E., (1988) Annu. Rev. Biophys. Chem. 17, 305-324), as part of the intact antigen by x-ray crystallography (Wilson, I.A., Skehel, J.J., and Wiley, D. C. (1981) Nature 289, 366-373) and by binding studies to the HA molecule (White, J.M., and Wilson, I.A. (1987) J. Cell Biol. 105, 2887-2896). Knowledge of the three-dimensional structure of the complex will elucidate the details of how anti-peptide antibodies recognize a small peptide antigen and provide insights into the recognition of the same sequence in the intact protein antigen. As both native Fab and the peptide-Fab complex have been crystallized, we can also determine in addition whether changes in the structure of the antibody accompany antigen binding. The nucleotide sequence of the mRNA coding region of the anti-peptide Fab has been determined to provide the amino acid sequence ultimately required for the high resolution three-dimensional structure determination.     

Purification and characterization of the polycation-stimulated protein phosphatase catalytic subunit from porcine renal cortex

The predominant form of phosphorylase phosphatase activity in porcine renal cortical extracts was a polycation-stimulated protein phosphatase. This activity was present in extracts in a high-molecular-weight form which could be converted to a free catalytic subunit by treatment with ethanol, urea, or freezing and thawing in the presence of beta-mercaptoethanol. The catalytic subunit of the polycation-stimulated phosphatase was purified by chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel, heparin-Sepharose, and Sephadex G-75. The phosphatase appeared to be homogeneous on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme had an apparent Mr of 35 000 on gel filtration and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified phosphatase could be stimulated by histone H1, protamine, poly(D-lysine), poly(L-lysine) or polybrene utilizing phosphorylase a as the substrate. It preferentially dephosphorylated the alpha-subunit of phosphorylase kinase. The phosphatase was highly sensitive to inhibition by ATP. These results suggest that the renal polycation-stimulated phosphatase catalytic subunit is very similar to or identical with the skeletal muscle phosphatase form which has been previously designated phosphatase-2Ac.