Genetic polymorphisms of blood proteins in the troops of Japanese macaques,Macaca fuscata: V. Erythrocyte phosphohexose isomerase polymorphism

The electrophoretic variations of erythrocyte phosphohexose isomerase (PHI) were examined in 1433 blood samples from 37 troops of Japanese macaques in order to clarify the gene dynamics of this species. The genetic polymorphisms were observed in several troops. The troops showing the variation of PHI were Fukushima, Shiga A, Shiga C, Ryozenyama, Mikata I and II, Kawara, Takasakiyama A, B, and C, Itsuki, Koshima and Kushima. The variant alleles found in these troops were PHI ₂ ^mac , PHI ₇ ^mac , PHI ₈ ^mac , and PHI ₁₀ ^mac alleles, and the PHI ₁₀ ^mac allele was newly found in the present work.     

De novo synthesis of d-alanine in germinating Pisum sativum seedlings

The amounts of d-alanine derivatives, γ-l-glutamyl-d-alanine and N-malonyl-d-alanine, increase rapidly during the early growth of pea seeds. Pyruvate-[1?¹⁴C], l-alanine-[U?¹⁴C], d-alanine-[U?¹⁴C], l-alanine-[¹⁵N] and ¹⁵NH₄Cl were therefore fed to the seedlings and the incorporation investigated. Labelling results revealed that pea seedlings can utilize these erogenous compounds to form d-alanine and that labelled l-alanine is effectively converted to the d-enantiomer with retention of ¹⁴C and, largely, ¹⁵N label. Enzyme analyses in vitro provided additional evidence that the extract of pea seedlings catalyzes the direct conversion of l-alanine to d-alanine. The data suggest that the de novo synthesis of d-alanine in pea seedlings occurs by a racemase reaction.     

Melanocyte growth factor in normal human skin

Normal human skin is shown to contain melanocyte growth factor (MeGF). We found MeGF activity in extracts of both the epidermal portion of skin and the dermal portion. This activity was completely adsorbed onto heparin beads and eluted by 2.5 M NaCl. In addition, the activity of both extracts was completely blocked by antibodies directed against basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). It is suggested that melanocytes in epidermis are supported by bFGF-like MeGF in normal human skin.     

Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence of cDNA encoding the rat kidney S-adenosylmethionine synthetase.

We previously reported the isolation of a cDNA encoding the liver-specific isozyme of rat S-adenosylmethionine synthetase from a lambda gt11 rat liver cDNA library. Using this cDNA as a probe, we have isolated and sequenced cDNA clones for the rat kidney S-adenosylmethionine synthetase (extrahepatic isoenzyme) from a lambda gt11 rat kidney cDNA library. The complete coding sequence of this enzyme mRNA was obtained from two overlapping cDNA clones. The amino acid sequence deduced from the cDNAs indicates that this enzyme contains 395 amino acids and has a molecular mass of 43,715 Da. The predicted amino acid sequence of this protein shares 85% similarity with that of rat liver S-adenosylmethionine synthetase. This result suggests that kidney and liver isoenzymes may have originated from a common ancestral gene. In addition, comparison of known S-adenosylmethionine synthetase sequences among different species also shows that these proteins have a high degree of similarity. The distribution of kidney- and liver-type S-adenosylmethionine synthetase mRNAs in kidney, liver, brain, and testis were examined by RNA blot hybridization analysis with probes specific for the respective mRNAs. A 3.4-kilobase (kb) mRNA species hybridizable with a probe for kidney S-adenosylmethionine synthetase was found in all tissues examined except for liver, while a 3.4-kb mRNA species hybridizable with a probe for liver S-adenosylmethionine synthetase was only present in the liver. The 3.4-kb kidney-type isozyme mRNA showed the same molecular size as the liver-type isozyme mRNA. Thus, kidney- and liver-type S-adenosylmethionine synthetase isozyme mRNAs were expressed in various tissues with different tissue specificities.     

Genetic polymorphisms of blood proteins in the troops of Japanese macaques,Macaca fuscata: IV. Erythrocyte esterase polymorphism inMacaca fuscata

Genetic variation at the locus controlling A₁ band of erythrocyte esterase was found in the Japanese macaque,Macaca fuscata. Existence of four alleles,Es-A ₁ ¹ ,Es-A ₁ ² ,Es-A ₁ ³ , andEs-A ₁ ⁴ , controlling the mobility of the band and codominance relation between them were postulated. A majority of the troops examined were monomorphic inEs-A ₁ 1-1 phenotype, and the variant phenotypes were observed to occur only in Yugawara-Ihama, Arashiyama, and Koshima areas.     

Genetic polymorphisms of blood proteins in the troops of Japanese macaques,Macaca fuscata: III. Erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase polymorphism inMacaca fuscata

In order to clarify the genetic relationships between troops of Japanese macaques, the authors have been looking for the genetic variation of blood proteins by electrophoretical technique. In this work the genetic variants of erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase isozymes of 1273 blood samples from 34 troops of this species were examined. The genetic polymorphisms were observed in several troops. The variable troops of CA I were Fukushima, Takasakiyama, Kohchi, Shimane, Shodoshima I, K, and T, Kashima, Kawara, Takasakiyama A, B, and C, and Tomogashima. The variant allele found in these troops is onlyd ₂ allele, which was probably identical with that reported byTashian et al. (1971). The frequencies ofd ₂ allele in the Shodoshima and Kashima troops were very high, and this phenomenon was interpreted as being a result of the founder effect and the random fluctuation of gene frequencies in these troops.     

Carbohydrate composition of the isolated cell walls of dermatophytes

In an attempt to evaluate taxonomic character of sugar composition of dermatophytes, the purified cell walls from 13 species are analyzed on neutral sugar composition by gas liquid chromatography. The results were principally compatible with those obtained by conventional morphological examination. Neutral sugar components of dermatophytes cell walls were mannose and glucose in the ratio of 1∶2.7 for Epidermophyton and 1∶1.4 for Microsporum. There were two types in Trichophyton, in which the ratios of mannose to glucose were 1∶1.6 and 1∶3.8. The cases of Trichophyton ferrugineum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes were exceptional. The ratio of the former was 1∶1.4, which implied the relation to Microsporum group, and the ratio of the latter was 1∶2.3, which was supposed to be the intermediate of two types of Trichophyton group. Albino type cell wall of Epidermophyton floccosum was more rich in glucose than pigmented type one.     

Stochastic combinations of actin regulatory proteins are sufficient to drive filopodia formation

Assemblies of actin and its regulators underlie the dynamic morphology of all eukaryotic cells. To understand how actin regulatory proteins work together to generate actin-rich structures such as filopodia, we analyzed the localization of diverse actin regulators within filopodia in Drosophila embryos and in a complementary in vitro system of filopodia-like structures (FLSs). We found that the composition of the regulatory protein complex where actin is incorporated (the filopodial tip complex) is remarkably heterogeneous both in vivo and in vitro. Our data reveal that different pairs of proteins correlate with each other and with actin bundle length, suggesting the presence of functional subcomplexes. This is consistent with a theoretical framework where three or more redundant subcomplexes join the tip complex stochastically, with any two being sufficient to drive filopodia formation. We provide an explanation for the observed heterogeneity and suggest that a mechanism based on multiple components allows stereotypical filopodial dynamics to arise from diverse upstream signaling pathways.