Reactive sulfhydryl groups of sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase. I. Location of a group which is most reactive with N-ethylmaleimide

Ca2+-Transporting ATPase of rabbit skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum contains several SH groups which are reactive with N-ethylmaleimide (MalNEt) at pH 7.0. The location of the one which is most reactive with MalNEt (SHN, Kawakita et al. J. Biochem. 87, 609 (1980)) was identified on the amino acid sequence of the ATPase. SHN was labeled by reacting sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes with [14C] MalNEt to a labeling density of 1 mol/mol ATPase. [14C]MalNEt-labeled membranes were digested with thermolysin and 14C-labeled SHN peptides were fractionated by Sephadex LH-20 chromatography to give two major peaks of radioactivity. [14C]-MalNEt-labeled peptides were further purified to homogeneity by C18-reversed phase HPLC. Two radioactive peptides containing modified cysteine (Cys), Leu-Gly-Cys-Thr-Ser and Val-Cys-Lys-Met, were finally obtained in roughly equal amounts and in reasonable recovery. Both of these sequences were found in the amino acid sequence of Ca2+-transporting ATPase (Brandl et al. Cell 44, 597 (1986)), and Cys344 and Cys364 were identified as the targets of MalNEt-modification. Thus, 0.5 mol/mol ATPase of each Cys residue actually reacted rapidly with MalNEt under the conditions leading to SHN-modification. Modification of either one with MalNEt may negatively affect the reactivity of the other. Both of the highly reactive SH groups are located in the neighborhood of Asp351, the phosphorylation site of ATPase.     

Transformation of rat liver cell line by Rous sarcoma virus causes loss of cell surface fibronectin, accompanied with secretion of metallo-proteinase that preferentially digests the fibronectin

An epithelial cell line derived from the liver of a normal Buffalo rat (BRL) was transformed by Rous sarcoma virus (RSV). The RSV-transformed cells were separated into five clones (RSV-BRL1 through 5), which were morphologically different. RSV-BRL cells exhibited the following characteristics distinct from those of BRL cells: tumorigenicity, irregular cell arrangement, loose intercellular junction, growth in soft agar (anchorage-independent growth) except for RSV-BRL3 and 5, and loss of cell surface fibronectin. When BRL cells were cultured in the standard medium supplemented with the serum-free conditioned medium of RSV-BRL cells, the amount of the cell surface fibronectin decreased significantly. It was found that RSV-BRL cells secreted a proteinase capable of hydrolyzing the fibronectin, whereas BRL cells secreted hardly any of this proteinase. The fibronectin-hydrolyzing proteinase (FNase) could also hydrolyze plasma fibronectin added as an exogenous substrate. The hydrolysis of plasma fibronectin was inhibited by ethylenediamine tetraacetate, but stimulated by rho-chloromercuribenzoate and calcium ion. This indicates that FNase is a metallo-enzyme, but not a serine or thiol enzyme. In addition to the proteinase, RSV-BRL cells secreted plasminogen activator and a proteinase inhibitor which inhibited the activity of plasmin but not FNase.     

Inhibition of prostaglandin E1-induced elevation of cytoplasmic free calcium ion by protein kinase C-activating phorbol esters and diacylglycerol in Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts

In quiescent cultures of Swiss 3T3 cells, prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) known to elevate cAMP increased rapidly cytoplasmic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) as measured with the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator quin2. The primary source of the PGE1-induced elevation of [Ca2+]i was extracellular. Pretreatment of the cells with various doses of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), a potent protein kinase C-activating phorbol ester, inhibited the PGE1-induced elevation of [Ca2+]i in a dose-dependent manner. Inversely, TPA enhanced slightly the PGE1-induced increase of cAMP. TPA alone did not affect the basal level of [Ca2+]i or cAMP in the absence of PGE1. The inhibitory action of TPA on the PGE1-induced elevation of [Ca2+]i was mimicked by other protein kinase C-activating agents such as phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate and 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol. 4 alpha-Phorbol 12,13-didecanoate known to be inactive for protein kinase C was ineffective in this capacity. Prolonged treatment of the cells with phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate resulted in the down-regulation and disappearance of protein kinase C. In these protein kinase C-deficient cells, PGE1 still elevated [Ca2+]i to the same extent as that in the control cells, but TPA did not inhibit the PGE1-induced elevation of [Ca2+]i. These results strongly suggest that protein kinase C serves as an inhibitor for PGE1-induced Ca2+ influx in Swiss 3T3 cells.     

Changes in cerebral level of monoamines by Japanese encephalitis virus infection

The changes in monoamine levels of different brain regions following Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) intraperitoneal inoculation were examined in experimentally JEV-infected mice. In addition, virus distribution was studied using infectivity assay and immuno-histochemistry of viral antigen. 1) The level of monoamines in brain tissues was not affected by 48 hours after viral inoculation, but marked effects were elicited at 96 hours after the inoculation. The cerebral concentration of 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5 HIAA) was increased, while that of dopamine (DA) showed a decrease. Especially these alteration were observed in the cerebral cortex, but not in the cerebellum. 2) The viral growth in the brain was observed at 48 hours after the inoculation. The growth in the cerebellum, however, was found to be lower than those in other cerebral regions. 3) The viral antigen was detected in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, mesencephalon and diencephalon in addition to the substantia nigra and striatum. From these results, it is presumed that clinical manifestation of JEV infection may involve the changes in the metabolism of neurotransmitter, especially those of DA and serotonin in the brain.     

Stage-specific localization of cytoskeletal actin mRNA in murine seminiferous tubules and intestinal epithelia as demonstrated by in-situ hybridization

Summary In-situ hybridization experiments have been performed using isoactin ( and )-specific riboprobes in various tissues of the rat and mouse. Distribution of the grains of actin mRNAs for both and types was similar throughout sections of the rat testis. Although both mRNAs were evenly distributed in the seminiferous tubule, extremely heavy labeling was observed in about 10% of the seminiferous tubules that could be identified as stage XII of spermatogenesis. At high magnification, grains of the mRNA were found in the cytoplasm of elongating spermatids and in the Sertoli cell cytoplasm at the adluminal side. Much higher density of the grains of mRNA was observed in the neck region of the spermatids at stage XII. Thus, the dense distribution of cytoskeletal actin mRNAs is stage-specific in the tubule during spermatogenesis in the rat. The high expression of both and actin mRNAs was also observed in the epithelial cells of the intestinal crypts.     

Radioiodine (131I) therapy of Graves' disease: use of the new high resolutional ultrasonic scanner for the determination of the accurate weight of the thyroid gland

In this series, eighteen patients with Graves' disease were treated with 8000 rads (80 Gy) of radioiodine (131I), using the new high resolutional ultrasonic scanner for the determination of the accurate weight of the thyroid gland. The mean dose of radioiodine administered orally was 4.6 +/- 3.0 mCi (170.2 +/- 110.0 MBq) and 133.7 +/- 44.6 microCi/g (4.95 +/- 1.65 MBq). At one year after treatment, twelve of eighteen patients (66.7%) became euthyroid, five (27.8%) remained hyperthyroid and one (5.6%) became hypothyroid. Analysis of various factors which may be related to the effect of radioiodine therapy revealed that the weight of the thyroid gland in the hyperthyroid and euthyroid groups was significantly different (61.7 +/- 33.5 g vs. 25.1 +/- 9.1 g, p less than 0.05). Furthermore, all patients with larger glands (more than sixty grams) remained hyperthyroid, while the incidence of euthyroidism was as high as 80% in patients with smaller glands (less than forty grams). Although the number of patients studied was small, these results indicate that a larger thyroid gland requires a larger radioiodine dose per gram of tissue than a smaller gland, suggesting that the therapeutic radiation dose should be graded according to the gland size even when the gland size is accurately estimated by ultrasound. Further study is required to determine the appropriate radiation dose graded according to the gland size.     

Proteinic prorenin-releasing-stimulator (PRS) in the rat submandibular gland

The release of prorenin as well as renin from rat renal slices was confirmed by a rat prorenin-prosegment ELISA system and an assay system for determining the renin activity. A significant increase of the prorenin release was found by adding rat submandibular gland extract to the slice medium, indicating the existence of a prorenin-releasing stimulator (PRS) in the extract. The pI and molecular mass of PRS were 8.5-8.7 and 28-30 kDa, respectively. The PRS was completely inactivated by boiling or a proteinase treatment.     

Dependence on exercise intensity of changes in electrolyte secretion from the skin sampled by a simple method

Secreta from the palm and forearm was sampled for 1-min periods by a new technique, using a glass cylinder. Subjects exercised for 10-min periods at successive intensities of 40%, 50% and 65% VO2max with a leg ergometer operated in the supine position. Changes in the concentrations (values) of Na+, K+ and Cl- in their secreta during exercise were investigated. Significant positive correlations were found between the values of any two electrolytes in samples from the palm or the forearm, but the correlations between values for any one of the three electrolytes from the two sites were not significant. Values for concentrations of the electrolytes were significantly higher in samples from the palm than in those from the forearm at rest, 10 min after the beginning of exercise and at the end of exercise. No significant correlation was found between values for electrolytes in samples from the palm and the exercise intensity, but values for Na+ in samples from the forearm increased stepwise with increase in exercise intensity, and similar tendencies were observed for values of K+ and Cl-. The values for the three electrolytes in samples from the forearm, but not the palm, were significantly correlated with values for blood lactate, the percentage of VO2max and the heart rate. These results suggest that the present technique is suitable for successive samplings of secreta from the forearm, and that values for the electrolytes in samples are useful indices of exercise intensity.     

Regional distribution of DNA and RNA in rat brain: A sensitive determination using high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

DNA and RNA contents in 20 brain regions or nuclei of the rat were determined by a highly sensitive method using high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. The high DNA and RNA contents were found in the hypothalamic nuclei, especially the median eminence-arcuate nucleus. These results may be available for the preparation of nucleic acids as the regional control.