Synthesis of a polymide containing a glucose unit in the main chain

A new type polyamide containing a glucose unit in the main chain has been synthesized by the polymerization of C₁, C₃, C₄ blocked C₆-carboxymethylglucosamine, prepared from chitin. The deblocking procedure gave the water-soluble polyamide, of MW 1.5 × 10⁴, which can be regarded as a model for the recognition site of lectin.     

Formation of functionally active chloroplasts is determined at a limited stage of leaf development in virescent mutants of rice

The ability to form functionally active chloroplasts is determined at a certain early stage of leaf development in three non-allelic temperature-sensitive virescent mutants of rice. Temperature-shift analysis, together with anatomical observations, indicates that the intrinsic developmental signals of the virescent genes are expressed at the stage immediately following the formation of basic leaf structure, but just before the onset of leaf elongation. These signals control the expression of chloroplast-encoded genes but do not affect the subsequent morphological development of the leaf or the photo-regulation of the expression of nuclear genes encoding chloroplast proteins.     

Lipase modification by various synthetic polymers for use in chloroform

Summary Lipase was modified with several hydrophilic and hydrophobic synthetic polymers. The modified lipase was solubilized into chloroform by. The catalytic esterification activity of modified lipase increased linearly with the increase of its solubility in chloroform.     

Excretion of peroxidase from horseradish hairy root in combination with ion supplementation

Summary The effect of ion-supplemented medium on peroxidase excretion from horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) hairy roots was studied. Supplementation of mannitol instead of ions revealed that the excretion was stimulated not by osmotic pressure in the medium but by ionic properties. Extracellular peroxidase activity per dry cell was proportionally correlated with the ionic strength of the cations. CaCl₂ or MgCl₂ was found to be the most effective agent for excretion among other combinations. CaCl₂ supplementation at the beginning of the culture caused higher peroxidase production in the medium without a significant loss of final cell mass compared with CaCl₂ addition during the culture. Repeated batch culture with 50 mM CaCl₂ supplementation allowed a continuous retention of cell viability over 149 days and produced a great amount of extracellular peroxidase, 12-fold higher than that achieved in a 40-day-old batch culture with 50 mM CaCl₂ supplementation. Correspondence to: T. Kobayashi     

Onset of the constrictive effect of indomethacin on the ductus arteriosus in fetal rats.

The time of onset of the constrictive effect of indomethacin on the ductus arteriosus (DA) in fetal rats was assessed by measurement of the caliber of the DA after maternal treatment with indomethacin on days 19-21 of gestation. The day following overnight mating was regarded as day 0 of gestation. Observation was performed by direct exposure of the DA by hand shaving of intact frozen fetuses. On days 20 and 21, the DA was significantly constricted 3 h after maternal treatment with 1 mg/kg of indomethacin. When the DA was examined at 19 1/2 and 19 2/3 days of gestation (3 h after indomethacin exposure), it was significantly constricted at 19 2/3 days but not at 19 1/2 days. Higher doses of indomethacin (10 and 100 mg/kg) induced a significant constriction of the DA at day 19 1/2, but not at the beginning of the same day (1.00 a.m.). These results suggest that the onset of the susceptibility of the DA to the constrictive effect of indomethacin occurs in the first half of day 19 of gestation.     

Endothelin-3 stimulates production of endothelium-derived nitric oxide via phosphoinositide breakdown.

Cultured bovine endothelial cells (EC) have specific receptors for endothelin (ET)-3 functionally coupled to phosphoinositide breakdown. We studied whether ET-3 stimulates synthesis of nitric oxide (NO), an endothelium-derived relaxing factor that activates soluble guanylate cyclase in EC, and whether the ET-3-induced NO formation involves G-proteins. ET-3 dose-dependently stimulated production of intracellular cGMP in EC, of which effects were abolished by pretreatment with NG-monomethyl L-arginine, an inhibitor of NO synthesis, and methylene blue, an inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase. The stimulatory effects of ET-3 on cGMP production, inositol trisphosphate formation and increase in cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration were similarly blocked by pretreatment with pertussis toxin (PTX). These data suggest that ET-3 induces synthesis of NO mediated by phosphoinositide breakdown via PTX-sensitive G-protein in EC.     

Effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and its analogs on butyrate-induced differentiation of HT-29 human colonic carcinoma cells and on the reversal of the differentiated phenotype

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) greatly enhances sodium butyrate (NaB)-induced enterocyte differentiation of HT-29 human colonic carcinoma cells while 1,25-(OH)2D3 alone induces growth restriction without associated differentiation. In the present study, the efficacies of various analogs of 1,25-(OH)2D3 to enhance NaB-induced HT-29 differentiation and to prolong the reversal of the differentiated phenotype under NaB-free growth conditions were subsequently examined. Extent of HT-29 differentiation was assessed by measurement of alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity, appearance of mucin-producing cells, changes in morphological characteristics, and expression of differentiation-associated cytokeratin proteins. Among active analogs of 1,25-(OH)2D3, 26,26,26,27,27,27-hexafluoro-1,25-(OH)2D3 (F6-1,25-(OH)2D3), 24,24-difluoro-24-homo-1,25-(OH)2D3, and 26,27-dimethyl-1,25-(OH)2D3 were 100-, 10-, and 5-fold, respectively, more effective than 1,25-(OH)2D3 in enhancing NaB-induced mucin production. Combined use of NaB and F6-1,25-(OH)2D3 (10(-9) M) also induced HT-29 cells to form highly differentiated goblet-like enterocytes, and increased both cellular AP enzymatic activity and tissue-type cytokeratin content. This differentiated state was qualitatively more advanced than that achieved by a combination of NaB and 10(-7) M 1,25-(OH)2D3. NaB-mediated HT-29 differentiation (in short-term inductions) was found to be reversible following a return to NaB-free medium. HT-29 cells differentiated by combined use of NaB and 1,25-(OH)2D3 or its analogs exhibited a significant prolonged reversal time relative to cells differentiated with NaB alone. The most prominent effect was achieved using cells differentiated with NaB and 10(-9) M F6-1,25-(OH)2D3 which exhibited a 7-fold prolonged reversal time over colonocytes differentiated by NaB alone. Our data suggest that a combined use of NaB and 1,25-(OH)2D3 or its derivatives may provide a convenient in vitro model system to probe molecular events associated with steroid-target tissue interactions in a differentiating cell system as commonly occurs in vivo. Such an analysis might lend itself to design of a rational combination differentiation-based therapy for the clinical management of colon cancer.     

9 alpha,11 beta-prostaglandin F2 formation in various bovine tissues. Different isozymes of prostaglandin D2 11-ketoreductase, contribution of prostaglandin F synthetase and its cellular localization

9 alpha,11 beta-prostaglandin F2 was formed from prostaglandin D2 by its 11-ketoreductases in 100,000 x g supernatants of various bovine tissues in the presence of an NADPH-generating system. The reductase activities were high in liver (51.09 nmol/h/mg of protein), lung (24.99), and spleen (14.20); moderate in heart and pancreas (3.09-3.61); weak in stomach, intestine, colon, kidney, uterus, adrenal gland, and thymus (0.11-2.63); and undetectable in brain, retina, carotid artery, and blood (less than 0.10). No formation of prostaglandin F2 alpha from prostaglandin D2 was detected in all tissues. In immunotitration analyses with a polyclonal antibody specific for prostaglandin F synthetase, the reductase activities in lung and spleen showed identical titration curves to that of the purified synthetase and decreased to less than 15% of the initial activity under the condition of antibody excess. Prostaglandin F synthetase-immunoreactive protein in these two tissues showed peptide fingerprints identical to that of the purified enzyme after partial digestion with Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease. The antibody was partially cross-reactive to the reductase in liver (about 20% of that to the synthetase) but not to the reductase(s) in other tissues. The Km value for prostaglandin D2 of the reductase activity was the same in lung and spleen as that of the purified prostaglandin F synthetase (120 microM) but differed in liver (6 microM), heart, and pancreas (15 microM). The predominant distribution of prostaglandin F synthetase in lung and spleen was confirmed by radioimmunoassay (2.8 and 1.0 micrograms/mg protein, respectively) and Northern blot analyses. In immunoperoxidase staining, this enzyme was localized in alveolar interstitial cells and nonciliated epithelial cells in lung, histiocytes and/or dendritic cells in spleen, and a few interstitial cells in kidney and adrenal cortex.     

Retinular fine structure in compound eyes of diurnal and nocturnal sphingid moths

Summary Retinular fine structure has been compared in the superposition compound eyes of three sphingid moths, one nocturnal, Cechenena, and two diurnal, Cephonodes and Macroglossum. Cechenena and Cephonodes have tiered retinas with three kinds of retinular cells: two distal, six regular and one basal. The distal retinular cells in Cechenena are special in having a complex partially intracellular rhabdomere not present in Cephonodes. Macroglossum lacks the distal retinular cell. In Cephonodes a unique rhabdom type, formed by the six regular retinular cells in the middle region of the retinula, is divided into three separate longitudinal plates arranged closely parallel to one another. Their constituent microvilli are consequently all nearly unidirectional. The ratio of rhabdom volume to retinular cell volume in the two diurnal sphingids is 10–27%; this is about the same as that (25%) of skipper butterflies, but significantly smaller than in the nocturnal Cechenena (60%). In the diurnal sphingids retinular cell membranes show elongate meandering profiles with septate junctions between adjacent retinular cells. From the comparative fine structure of their eyes the diurnal sphingids and the skippers would appear to be phylogenetically closely related.Supported in part by grants from Ministry of Education Japan (Special Project Research in Animal Behaviors)