Three-dimensional ultrastructure of anionic sites of the glomerular basement membrane by a quick-freezing and deep-etching method using a cationic tracer

The ultrastructure of anionic sites in the lamina rara externa (LRE) of rat glomerular basement membrane (GBM) was studied in three dimensions by a quick-freezing and deep-etching method using polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a cationic tracer. Results were compared with those obtained with conventional ultrathin sections examined by transmission electron microscopy. Examination with the quick-freezing and deep-etching method was done without (group 1) or with (group 2) contrasting/fixation with a phosphotungstic acid and glutaraldehyde mixture and post-fixation with osmium tetroxide, which were necessary for visualization of PEI particles by conventional ultrathin sections. Using the quick-freezing and deep-etching method without following contrasting/fixation and post-fixation (group 1), many PEI particles were observed to decorate around fibrils, which radiated perpendicularly from the lamina densa to connect with the podocyte cell membrane. The arrangement of PEI particles was not as regular as that previously reported using conventional ultrathin sections. In contrast, the tissue that was studied with quick-freezing and deep-etching followed by contrasting/fixation and post-fixation (group 2) showed a shrunken appearance. The arrangement of PEI particles was regular (about 20 particles/1000 nm of LRE) as that previously observed using conventional ultrathin sections. However, the number of PEI particles on the LRE was markedly decreased and interruption of decorated fibrils was prominent, as compared with group 1. Ultrastructural examination using conventional ultrathin sections with contrasting/fixation and post-fixation (group 3) demonstrated PEI particles on the LRE in reasonable amounts (18-21 particles/1000 nm of LRE) with fairly regular interspacing (45-65 nm) as reported previously.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Structure of the human neutrophil elastase gene

The gene for human neutrophil elastase (NE), a powerful serine protease carried by blood neutrophils and capable of destroying most connective tissue proteins, was cloned from a genomic DNA library of a normal individual. The NE gene consists of 5 exons and 4 introns included in a single copy 4-kilobase segment of chromosome 11 at q14. The coding exons of the NE gene predict a primary translation product of 267 residues including a 29-residue N-terminal precursor peptide and a 20-residue C-terminal precursor peptide. Analysis of the N-terminal peptide sequence suggests it contains a 27-residue "pre" signal peptide followed by a "proN" dipeptide, similar to that of other blood cell lysosomal proteases. The sequences for the mature 218-residue NE protein are included in exons II-V. The 5'-flanking region of the gene includes typical TATA, CAAT, and GC sequences within 61 base pairs (bp) of the cap site. The sequence 1.5 kilobases 5' to exon I contains several interesting repetitive sequences including six tandem repeats of unique 52- or 53-bp sequences. The 5'-flanking region also contains a 19-bp segment with 90% homology to a segment of the 5'-flanking region of the human myeloperoxidase (MPO) gene, a gene also expressed in bone marrow precursor cells and a protein stored in the same neutrophil granules as NE. In addition, like the MPO gene, the NE 5'-flanking region has several regions with greater than or equal to 75% homology to sequences 5' to c-myc, but there is no overlap between the NE-c-myc and MPO-c-myc homologous sequences.     

Theoretical analysis of a site-specific chemiluminescence reaction and its application to quantitation of lipid hydroperoxides

A system was designed for chemiluminescent measurement of lipid hydroperoxides by their site-specific reaction in sodium dodecylsulfate micelles. Ferrous ion-induced decomposition of lipid hydroperoxides in the sodium dodecylsulfate micelles resulted in strong chemiluminescence of the Cypridina luciferin analog, 2-methyl-6-phenyl-3,7-dihydroimidazo[1,2-alpha]pyrazin-3-one (CLA). After addition of ferrous sulfate to the micelles containing lipid hydroperoxide and luciferin, the chemiluminescence intensity reached a maximum rapidly and then decreased. The sequence of this reaction was elucidated by theoretical analysis, which demonstrated that the maximum chemiluminescence intensity is proportional to the initial concentration of hydroperoxide. Good linear relationships were observed between the maximum counts of chemiluminescence and the amounts of hydroperoxides of linoleic acid, phosphatidylcholine, choresterol (5 alpha), cumene and tert-butyl and hydrogen peroxide. This chemiluminescence method was simple and sensitive enough to detect picomole levels of linoleic acid and phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxides.     

The effect of ovarian steroidogenesis on ovulation and fertilizability in the in vitro perfused rabbit ovary

The effects of aminoglutethimide phosphate (AGP) on ovulation, ovum maturation, fertilizability, and steroid production were studied with the use of an isolated perfused rabbit ovary preparation. AGP (10(-3) or 10(-4) M) was added to the perfusate of one ovary. The contralateral control ovary was perfused in medium alone. Thirty minutes later human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) (50 IU) was added to the perfusate of all ovaries. No difference was observed in time of ovulation or ovulatory efficiency between controls and AGP-treated ovaries. The degree of ovum maturity and degeneration was also comparable in the two groups. Progesterone and estradiol production were significantly reduced by AGP treatment. A second experiment examined fertilizability of ova ovulated in vitro after perfusion with 10(-3) M AGP. AGP significantly reduced the rate of normal fertilization as observed 12 h after insemination. The percentage of inseminated ova with evidence of degeneration was greater in ova from AGP-treated ovaries than in those from controls, however, this difference was not significant. The study indicates that AGP affects neither hCG-induced ovulation nor meiotic resumption; however, fertilizability of ova from ovaries treated with AGP is impaired. These data suggest that the intrafollicular steroid environment may participate in cytoplasmic maturation of ovulated ova.     

A high molecular weight protease in the cytosol of rat liver. II. Properties of the purified enzyme

The properties of a soluble endoprotease from rat liver were studied. The enzyme was purified in a latent form. It sedimented as a single component with a sedimentation coefficient (S(0)20,w) of 19.8 S. Measurement by quasi-elastic light scattering gave a diffusion coefficient (D(0)20,w) of 2.5 X 10(-7) cm2 X s-1 and an effective hydrodynamic radius of 85 A. The enzyme had an unusually high molecular weight, estimated as 743,000 by sedimentation equilibrium and 722,000 by sedimentation velocity and diffusion measurements and as 760,000 by a recently developed low-angle laser light scattering method. Judging from electron microscopic observation and the calculated frictional and axial ratios, the enzyme molecule is disc-shaped. Analysis of the far-ultraviolet circular dichroic spectrum showed that the enzyme contains 50% alpha-helical, 25% beta-sheet, and 15% unordered structures with 10% beta-turns. The isoelectric point of the enzyme is 5.0. These properties indicate that the purified enzyme is a homogeneous molecule. In addition, the enzyme is a simple protein since it contains no measurable amounts of nucleic acid carbohydrate or lipid.     

Fimbriae from the oral anaerobe Bacteroides gingivalis: physical, chemical, and immunological properties.

Circular dichroism spectra indicated the predominance of beta-sheet structure in Bacteroides gingivalis fimbriae regardless of the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. By using a computer program, the alpha-helix, beta-sheet, and beta-turn contents and the remainder were estimated to be 0, 55, 18, and 27%, respectively, judging from the circular dichroism spectra of the fimbriae. Heating for 5 min at 100 degrees C in sodium dodecyl sulfate was necessary to denature the fimbriae into their constituent protein (fimbrilin) monomers with a reduced content of beta-sheet structure. The amino-terminal amino acid sequence of the fimbrilin was different from partial or complete amino acid sequences of fimbrilins so far determined from Bacteroides nodosus, which falls into the same nonfermentative species of the genus Bacteroides as B. gingivalis, and from various other bacteria. Fimbrilin monomers had an isoelectric point of 6.0. Examination of antibodies against fimbriae and sodium dodecyl sulfate-denatured fimbrilin by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay reinforced a previous notion (F. Yoshimura, K. Takahashi, Y. Nodasaka, and T. Suzuki, J. Bacteriol. 160:949-957, 1984) that different sets of antigenic determinants seemed to be exposed on their surfaces.     

Fine structural and immunohistochemical studies of goat adenohypophysial cells

Summary The fine structure of each type of anterior pituitary cell in the male goat was studied through the application of a superimposition technique in which adjacent thick sections were used to identify individual cells beforehand by light-microscopic immunohistochemistry. A cone of the pars intermedia protrudes into the pars anterior, being surrounded by the narrow pituitary cleft; the immunohistochemical appearances of the cells forming the cone resemble those of the pars anterior. Several follicles appear in the pars anterior. Ultrastructurally GH cells resemble prolactin cells. The secretory granules of both types are spherical; the diameter of the former is about 340 nm, whereas that of the latter is about 440 nm. ACTH cells are polygonal in shape with secretory granules, about 180 nm in diameter, scattered throughout the cytoplasm. TSH cells, which are spherical in shape, contain the smallest secretory granules, 150 nm in diameter. The highly electron-dense LH cells contain numerous secretory granules about 210 nm in diameter. Their nuclei are irregular with incisures. Thus, the anterior pituitary cells of the goat are ultrastructurally characteristic and species-specific.     

Screening of thermostable leucine and alanine dehydrogenases in thermophilicBacillus strains

Summary Screening of leucine and alanine dehydrogenases in thermophilicBacillus strains was carried out to develop their utilization for industrial and analytical catalysts. Out of the 28 thermophilic strains tested, four strains,Bacillus sp. DSM 405, 730 and 1521, andB. sphaericus DSM 462, abundantly produce both the enzymes. Both the enzyme activities in these thermophiles are enhanced by addition of the substrates to a polypeptone medium.     

Restriction fragment length polymorphism detected by human salivary amylase cDNA

Summary The plasmid clone which contains human salivary amylase cDNA was used to detect restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs). After double digestion with Pst 1 and Bam H1, a polymorphism with two alleles was observed. In Japanese, frequencies of these alleles, tentatively called 5.7kb and 6.5kb fragment alleles, are 0.55 and 0.45, respectively.     

Evidence for membrane-associated calpain I in human erythrocytes. Detection by an immunoelectrophoretic blotting method using monospecific antibody

Low and high Ca2+-requiring forms of Ca2+-dependent cysteine proteinase are known as calpain I and calpain II, respectively. We have obtained, for the first time, monospecific antibodies for calpain I and for calpain II. Using these antibodies and an electrophoretic blotting method, we have found that a small, but reproducible, amount of calpain I was associated with human erythrocyte membranes while the bulk of the protease was contained in the cytosol. Most of membrane-associated calpain I was extractable with 1% Triton X-100, but not with 0.1% detergent. In the presence of 0.1 mM Ca2+ and 5 mM cysteine, membrane-associated calpain I degraded the membrane protein band 4.1 preferentially and band 3 protein only slowly. The Ca2+-induced autodigestion of the membrane preparation was inhibited by leupeptin but not by a cytosolic calpain inhibitor, calpastatin, added to the incubation medium. No calpain II was detected in either erythrocyte cytosol or membranes when anti-calpain II antibody was used under the same conditions as those for the detection of calpain I.