Cell-matrix interrelation and cell-to-cell connection in the secretory ameloblast layer of kitten teeth

To investigate the cell-matrix interrelation and the structure and permeability of the junctional complexes of secretory ameloblasts, molar tooth germs from kittens were examined by means of scanning electron microscopy, routine thin sections and freeze-fracture replication. Scanning electron microscopy showed remarkably dissolved growth fronts of enamel in materials that had been fixed with glutaraldehyde and then subjected to EDTA perfusion for 10 min. By the action of EDTA, intercrystallite spaces in rod and interrod enamel were prominently widened, and their longitudinal ends of crystallites displayed irregular and extremely sparse structures. In enamel rods surrounded entirely by interrod enamel, and in enamel rods of the typical key hole shape with successive interrod enamel participation, the most striking dissolution of crystallites occurred at the boundaries between rod and interrod enamel, where broad expanses of rod-sheath spaces were observed. In thin sections, the Tomes processes of secretory ameloblasts occupying the above rods were rectangular or variations of a rectangular shape, respectively; and interameloblast spaces opened to the enamel growth fronts, which corresponded to the junction between rod and interrod enamel. In enamel rods standing in regular rows and showing the typical arcade shape, the centers of the rods were drastically dissolved and exhibited single and deep slits, whereas the boundaries between rod and interrod enamel showed no wide furrows. The Tomes processes occupying such arcade-shaped rods were typically triangular, and the interameloblast space always joined the type-1 face of process, which is responsible for enamel rod formation. Secretory ameloblast possessed two sets of junctional complexes at the proximal and distal ends of the cell body. The distal one was situated proximally to the Tomes process. Freeze-fracture replication demonstrated the functional structures of these junctions: the proximal junction was fascia occludens, and the distal one incomplete zonula occludens with many free-ending tight junctional strands and interstrand spaces or a less developed irregular junction.     

Shark myoglobins. II. Isolation, characterization and amino acid sequence of myoglobin from Galeorhinus japonicus

Native oxymyoglobin (MbO2) was isolated from red muscle of G. japonicus by chromatographic separation from metmyoglobin (metMb) on DEAE-cellulose and the amino acid sequence of the major chain was determined with the aid of sequence homology with that of G. australis. It was shown to differ in amino acid sequence from that of G. australis by 10 replacements, to be acetylated at the amino terminus and to contain glutamine at the distal (E7) residue. It was also shown to have a spectrum very similar to that of mammalian MbO2. However, the pH-dependence for the autoxidation of MbO2 was seen to be quite different from that of sperm whale (Physeter catodon) MbO2. Although the sequence homology between sperm whale and G. japonicus myoglobins is about 40%, their hydropathy profiles were very similar, indicating that they have a similar geometry in their globin folding.     

Hormonal activation of single K+ channels via internal messenger in isolated pancreatic acinar cells

The mechanism underlying hormonal activation of potassium channels was investigated in pig pancreatic acinar cells by patch-clamp single-channel and whole-cell current recordings. It was shown directly that a peptide hormone belonging to the cholecystokinin-gastrin family, CCK5, can activate single voltage-sensitive potassium channels which can be blocked by tetraethylammonium. The single-channel currents were recorded from electrically isolated cell-attached membrane patches to which the hormone had no access and the activation must therefore involve an intracellular messenger. The hormonal response requires external Ca2+ in the isolated membrane-patch area indicating that calcium gating is not directly linked to hormone-receptor interaction.     

Phosphorylation of carnitine palmitoyltransferase and activation by glucagon in isolated rat hepatocytes

Effects of glucagon and forskolin on the phosphorylation and changes of activity of carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) have been studied in isolated rat hepatocytes using anti-CPT immunoglobulin. When the activity was determined in lysed hepatocytes after glucagon or forskolin treatment, it was found to be stimulated 30-80% mainly through increased affinity for palmitoyl-CoA. By SDS electrophoresis of the immunoprecipitates, CPT subunit (Mr 69000) was noted to be phosphorylated 4-5-fold with glucagon (1.2 X 10(-7) M) and forskolin (0.1 mM) over control. These results indicate that hepatic ketogenesis is regulated with glucagon by phosphorylation of CPT through cAMP-dependent protein kinase.     

Purification and characterization of an inhibitor of the cysteine protease from the hemolymph of Sarcophaga peregrina larvae

The hemolymph of Sarcophaga peregrina (flesh fly) larvae was found to contain multiple inhibitors of hemocyte cysteine protease. One of them, named sarcocystatin A, was purified and found to be a mixture of the components sarcocystatin A alpha and A beta in a molar ratio of 2:1. These components can exist in either the associated or dissociated form. The apparent heterogeneity of the protease inhibitors in the hemolymph was found to be partly due to association of sarcocystatin A alpha and A beta.     

Isolation of two forms of basement membrane proteoglycans

Sequential extractions of the basement membrane producing Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm tumor yielded heparan sulfate proteoglycans with different size core proteins, but the same size heparan sulfate side chains. Saline, a nondenaturing solvent, extracted a small high density proteoglycan with a heterodisperse core protein of Mr = 95,000-130,000 whereas subsequent extraction with 7 M urea, a denaturing solvent, removed a large, low density proteoglycan with a Mr = 350,000-400,000 protein core. The denaturing conditions required for extraction of the large proteoglycan suggest that it interacts strongly with other basement membrane components. Antibodies to these proteoglycans cross-react with both proteoglycans, but the large proteoglycan has additional antigenic sites not present on the small proteoglycan. These proteoglycans may be derived from the same or similar gene products.     

The target minor H antigen for F1 cytotoxic T lymphocytes induced by Igh-congenic parental spleen cells is coded for by gene linked to H-2

Graft-vs-host reaction (GvHR) induced in (B10.BR X CWB)F1 (BWF1; H-2k/b, Ighb/b) by i.v. injection with CWB (H-2b, Ighb) spleen cells resulted in complete suppression of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responsiveness of the F1 host spleen cells (GvHR-associated immunosuppression). In contrast, GvHR induced in BWF1 mice with CSW (H-2b, Ighj; Igh-congenic to CWB) spleen cells did not affect CTL responsiveness of the F1 host spleen cells at all. The BWF1 hosts undergoing the CSW-induced GvHR generated anti-CSW CTL in their spleens, and the subsequent culture of such BWF1 spleen cells with CSW stimulator cells, augmented the CTL activity. The BWF1 anti-CSW CTL lysed both Con A- and LPS-induced splenic blasts from mouse strains carrying the Ighj allele in the context of self H-2Kb. However, determination of the Igh haplotype in the serum IgG and of the susceptibility of the splenic lymphocytes to the BWF1 anti-CSW CTL on backcross mice, which carry either Ighb/j or Ighb/b in the context of H-2b/b or H-2b/k, showed clearly that Ighj and the gene coding for the target antigen for the BWF1 anti-CSW CTL segregated at ratios close to 1:1. The study in which linkage between the gene(s) coding for the target antigen for the BWF1 anti-CSW CTL and H-2 was examined on CWB X (C3H X CWB)F1 backcross mice and (B10.BR X CSW)F1 X B10 mice demonstrated that the gene, most likely a single gene, coding for the target antigen for the BWF1 anti-CSW CTL is located at 8.5 +/- 4.3 cross-over units to the right or left of the H-2 complex. We designated the minor H antigen to be recognized by the BWF1 anti-CSW CTL as H-X+, and we discuss the distinction between the H-X+ locus and the other minor H loci on chromosome 17.     

Generation of activated killer (AK) cells by recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL 2) in collaboration with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)

Activation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by interleukin 2 (IL 2) and the role of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in the IL 2-induced activation were investigated. Activated killer (AK) cells against NK-resistant tumor cell lines were induced in the medium containing recombinant IL 2 (rIL 2) and autologous serum without any other stimulating agents. AK activity was induced by doses of rIL 2 as low as 3 U/ml, and reached a maximum at 10(3) U/ml. Incubation of PBMC with rIL 2 resulted in IFN-gamma production and augmented NK activity after 1 day of culture, and in induction of AK cells and proliferative response after 2 days of culture. These results suggested that endogenous IFN-gamma was required for rIL 2-induction of AK cells and proliferative response. To prove this, PBMC were cultured with rIL 2 and rIFN-gamma or were pretreated with rIFN-gamma before culture with rIL 2. Both rIFN-gamma treatments of PBMC augmented rIL 2-induced AK activity and proliferative response. rIL 2-induced IFN-gamma production was also enhanced by the rIFN-gamma pretreatment of PBMC. The addition of anti-IFN-gamma antibody to rIL 2 cultures abrogated the rIL 2-induced NK augmentation, AK generation, and proliferative response in proportion to the decreased amounts of endogenous IFN-gamma detectable in culture. rIFN-gamma and/or rIL 2 cultures of PBMC increased Tac antigen expression on cell surfaces as measured by flow cytometry. Enhanced Tac expression by rIL 2 was abrogated by adding anti-IFN-gamma antibody. These data indicate that: 1) AK generation and IFN-gamma production are mediated by IL 2, and 2) IFN-gamma production may be required for IL 2 induction of AK cells and proliferative response. These finding are consistent with the hypothesis that AK generation involves a collaboration between IL 2 and IFN-gamma, in which IL 2 stimulates PBMC to produce IFN-gamma, which in turn acts as a differentiation signal that may be involved in the IL 2-initiated AK generation and proliferative response.     

In vivo priming of mouse CTL precursors directed to product of a newly defined minor H-42 locus is under a novel control of class II MHC gene

In a previous study, we discovered a new mouse minor histocompatibility antigen encoded by a locus at 8.5 cM apart from the H-2 complex, and we have since named the locus H-42. One allele of H-42, which is named H-42a, had been elucidated, but the other alleles, which we tentatively named H-42b, have not been elucidated. In the present study, we explored MHC control on the anti-H-42a cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responsiveness in H-42b mice. In vivo immunization (i.v. injection) of H-42b mice with 5 to 30 X 10(6) spleen cells (SC) bearing allogeneic H-42a antigen but carrying H-2 complex (mouse MHC) matched with the H-42b mice failed to prime anti-H-42a CTL but induced stable and specific anti-H-42a CTL unresponsiveness, i.e., tolerance, in the H-42b recipient mice. In contrast, H-2 heterozygous H-42b F1 mice injected with SC bearing H-42a alloantigen on either of the parental H-2 haplotypes were effectively primed to generate anti-H-42a CTL. Exploration of the region or subregion in the H-2 complex of H-42a donor SC that should be compatible with H-42b recipient mice for the induction of their anti-H-42a CTL tolerance demonstrated that the compatibility at I region, most probably I-A subregion, but not at K, S, or D region, determined the induction of the tolerance. MHC class II compatible H-42a skin graft (SG) to H-42b mice, however, consistently primed the anti-H-42a CTL in the H-42b recipients. These results were discussed in several aspects, including uniqueness of MHC class II control on the CTL response to minor H-42a antigen, possibility of inactivation of responding anti-H-42a precursor CTL or helper T cells in H-42b mice by encountering the veto cells present in MHC class II-matched H-42a SC population, and significance of the present observations as a mechanism of CTL tolerance to self-components.