The role of glycosidically bound mannose in the assimilation of β-galactosidase by generalized gangliosidosis fibroblasts

Bovine testicular β-galactosidase is rapidly assimilated by generalized gangliosidosis skin fibroblasts. The enzyme contains equimolar amounts of mannose and glucosamine and strongly binds to concanavalin A-Sepharose. Pretreatment of β-galactosidase with a mannosidase preparation from $\text{Aspergillus}\text{niger}$ reduced the rate of assimilation of the enzyme 97%. These data indicate that mannosyl residues play a role in assimilation of the enzyme. This conclusion is supported by observed inhibition of β-galactosidase assimilation by mannose, methyl α- and β-mannopyranosides, and mannose-containing testicular glycoproteins.     

北京油鸡与AA肉鸡脂肪组织差异表达基因的研究

运用mRNA差异显示技术对AA肉鸡和北京油鸡脂肪组织基因的差异表达进行研究,从分子遗传学角度分析导致两品种脂肪组织差异表达的原因,对了解性状形成的遗传基础和调控机理是十分必要的。通过反Northern杂交验证共筛选出脂肪组织差异表达基因10条,经与GenBank数据库进行相似性比对,XF1 与已知基因有较高同源性,该基因是人类cDNA全长开放阅读框（ORF）的一段; XF2、YF1、YF2及YF4经与nr数据库进行同源性比对,均可找到同源性较高的基因,但功能未知;XF4 与克隆人类胎盘CL0BA010ZF08基因的一段cDNA序列同源性为83%;YF3与预测原鸡MLL5 (LOC417712)基因有一定的同源性,目前尚无功能报道;XF5和YF5 与原鸡高迁移率族蛋白（HMGN3）有较高同源性;XF3 在nr库中未找到同源序列,确定为新发现的EST,提交数据库获得GenBank登录号(Accession number: EU594549)。为进一步研究北京油鸡与AA肉鸡脂肪组织差异基因的功能与脂肪发育的关系奠定基础。     

神农架川金丝猴栖息地乔木层物种多样性及其海拔梯度变化

应用样方调查法,分析了湖北神农架自然保护区川金丝猴栖息地植被乔木层物种多样性和群落结构随海拔梯度的变化。结果如下：（1）调查样方160个,总面积64000m^2,共记录木本植物37科123属289种,其中乔木25科90属198种,灌木7科29属84种,木质藤本5科4属7种。优势科主要有蔷薇科、忍冬科、樟科、壳斗科和杜鹃花科等。（2）根据不同海拔乔木层物种组成的差异,该区植被类型可分为落阔叶林（1900～2100m）、针阔叶混交林（2200～2400m）和暗针叶林（2500～2600m）3种。（3）随着海拔升高,多样性指数（Shannon—Wie—ner指数）在3种植被类型中旱下降趋势;均匀度指数（Pielou指数）在针阔叶混交林和暗针叶林中呈下降趋势,在落叶阔叶林中变化不明显。（4）随着海拔升高,各乔木层所占比例,乔木l层（〉20m）逐渐减小,乔木Ⅱ层（10～20m）无明显变化,乔木Ⅲ层（〈10m）呈上升趋势。（5）以树高替代年龄,分析了9种优势乔木村种的种群年龄结构,结果表明该区植被的乔木层呈现稳定增长趋势。     

DKK1 and Kremen Expression Predicts the Osteoblastic Response to Bone Metastasis

Bone metastasis is a complication of advanced breast and prostate cancer. Tumor-secreted Dickkopf homolog 1 (DKK1), an inhibitor of canonical Wnt signaling and osteoblast differentiation, was proposed to regulate the osteoblastic response to metastatic cancer in bone. The objectives of this study were to compare DKK1 expression with the in vivo osteoblastic response in a panel of breast and prostate cancer cell lines, and to discover mechanisms that regulate cancer DKK1 expression. DKK1 expression was highest in MDA-MB-231 and PC3 cells that produce osteolytic lesions, and hence a suppressed osteoblastic response, in animal models of bone metastasis. LnCaP, C4-2B, LuCaP23.1, T47D, ZR-75-1, MCF-7, ARCaP and ARCaP_M cancer cells that generate osteoblastic, mixed or no bone lesions had the lowest DKK1 expression. The cell lines with negligible expression, LnCaP, C4-2B and T47D, exhibited methylation of the DKK1 promoter. Canonical Wnt signaling activity was then determined and found in all cell lines tested, even in the MDA-MB-231 and PC3 cell lines despite sizeable amounts of DKK1 protein expression expected to block canonical Wnt signaling. A mechanism of DKK1 resistance in the osteolytic cell lines was investigated and determined to be at least partially due to down-regulation of the DKK1 receptors Kremen1 and Kremen2 in the MDA-MB-231 and PC3 cell lines. Combined DKK1 and Kremen expression in cancer cells may serve as predictive markers of the osteoblastic response of breast and prostate cancer bone metastasis.     

Prediction of Radiation Esophagitis in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Using Clinical Factors,Dosimetric Parameters,and Pretreatment Cytokine Levels

Radiation esophagitis (RE) is a common adverse event associated with radiotherapy for non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). While plasma cytokine levels have been correlated with other forms of radiation-induced toxicity, their association with RE has been less well studied. We analyzed data from 126 patients treated on 4 prospective clinical trials. Logistic regression models based on combinations of dosimetric factors [maximum dose to 2 cubic cm (D2cc) and generalized equivalent uniform dose (gEUD)], clinical variables, and pretreatment plasma levels of 30 cytokines were developed. Cross-validated estimates of area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and log likelihood were used to assess prediction accuracy. Dose-only models predicted grade 3 RE with AUC values of 0.750 (D2cc) and 0.727 (gEUD). Combining clinical factors with D2cc increased the AUC to 0.779. Incorporating pretreatment cytokine measurements, modeled as direct associations with RE and as potential interactions with the dose-esophagitis association, produced AUC values of 0.758 and 0.773, respectively. D2cc and gEUD correlated with grade 3 RE with odds ratios (ORs) of 1.094/Gy and 1.096/Gy, respectively. Female gender was associated with a higher risk of RE, with ORs of 1.09 and 1.112 in the D2cc and gEUD models, respectively. Older age was associated with decreased risk of RE, with ORs of 0.992/year and 0.991/year in the D2cc and gEUD models, respectively. Combining clinical with dosimetric factors but not pretreatment cytokine levels yielded improved prediction of grade 3 RE compared to prediction by dose alone. Such multifactorial modeling may prove useful in directing radiation treatment planning.     

A deterministic approach for the estimation of mutation rates in cultured mammalian cells

Unequal growth rates between mutant and wild-type cells in a large population constitute a problem for the estimation of mutation rate. Over a period of cell growth, a selective advantage of one cell type over the other might lead to considerable error in the estimation of mutation rate if equal growth rates are assumed. In this study, we propose a formula and apply it to the estimation of spontaneous mutation rate in a growing population of Chinese hamster V79 cells in which ouabain-resistant mutant cells exhibit a slower growth rate than the wild-type cells. The formula is a generalization of that previously presented by Armitage (1953), and this is the first attempt to apply the deterministic approach for mutation rate estimation to cultured mammalian cells. The value of the estimated rate is compared with that derived from a parallel experiment using the fluctuation test of Luria and Delbrück (1943). The limitations and advantages of taking the deterministic approach to mutation rate estimation in mammalian cell systems are discussed.     

A new theory on the origin and the nature of viruses

The hypothetical model presented herein concerns the origin and nature of viruses. It advances the possibility of the appearance and existence of an organism lacking a cohesive morphological structure, that is: its subsystems are not in structural continuity. An attempt to delimit the concepts of life and organism and to integrate the viruses into this framework is made. Viruses are presented as organisms which pass in their ontogenetic cycle through two distinctive phenotypic phases: (1) the vegetative phase and (2) the phase of viral particle or nucleic acid. In the vegetative phase, considered herein to be the ontogenetically mature phase of viruses, their component molecules are dispersed within the host cell. In this phase the virus shows the major physiological properties of other organisms: metabolism, growth, and reproduction. Therefore, life is an effective presence. It is shown also, that in this phase so called "DNA viruses" have both nucleic acids: RNA as well as DNA. The virions are considered to be "spores" or reproductive forms of the virus, possessing life only as a potential property.     

Frog lysozyme. II. Isozymes of lysozyme during the larval development of the leopard frog, Rana pipiens.

Eight isozymes of lysozyme were found differentially distributed among six developmental stages of Rana pipiens. Qualitative changes during early development involved a progressive loss of the more basic isozymes which then reappeared between metamorphosis and maturity. Though the egg contained five isozymes, only two were present by early metamorphosis including one not found in the egg. By metamorphic climax, the four isozymes in the egg were regained and one additional form appeared. By maturity, two less basic forms appeared giving a total of eight isozymes.From hatching to early metamorphosis, lysozyme units per animal increased, but lysozyme units/mg dry weight remained unchanged. Both lysozyme units per animal and units/mg dry weight increased sharply towards the end of metamorphosis.     

A role for Fas II in the stabilization of motor neuron branches during pruning in Drosophila

During insect metamorphosis, the nervous system is extensively remodeled resulting in the development of new circuits that will execute adult-specific behaviors. The peripheral remodeling seen during development of innervation to the Dorsal Longitudinal (flight) Muscle (DLM) in Drosophila involves an initial retraction of larval neuromuscular junctions followed by adult-specific branch outgrowth. Subsequently, a phase of pruning occurs during which motor neuron branches are pruned back to reveal the stereotypic pattern of multiple contact points (or arbors) along the length of each DLM fiber. In this study, we show that the cell adhesion molecule, Fasciclin II (Fas II), is important for generating the stereotypic pattern. In Fas II hypomorphs, the number of contact points is increased, and the phenotype is rescued by targeted expression of Fas II in either synaptic partner. Arbor development has three distinct phases: outgrowth and elaboration, pruning and stabilization, and expansion of stabilized arbors. Fas II is expressed during the first two phases. A subset of branches is labeled during the elaboration phase, which is likely to initiate a stabilization pathway allowing branches to survive the pruning phase. However, since not all Fas II positive branches are retained, we propose that it primes branches for stabilization. Our data suggest that Fas II functions to restrict branch length and arbor expanse.