Comparative studies of zinc metabolism in cultured chinese hamster cells with differing metallothionein-induction capacities

Previous work in our laboratory led to the isolation of a cadmium (Cd)-resistant variant (Cd^r2C10) of the line CHO Chinese Hamster cell having a 10-fold greater resistance to the cytotoxic action of Cd²⁺ compared with the CHO cell. This resistance was attributed to an increased capacity of the Cd²⁺-resistant Cd^r2C10 subline to induce synthesis of the Cd²⁺- and Zn²⁺-binding protein(s), metallothionein(s) (MT). Evidence that Cd²⁺ behaves as an analog of the essential trace metal, Zn²⁺, especially as an inducer of MT synthesis, suggested that the Cd^r and CHO cell types could be employed to investigate cellular Zn²⁺ metabolism. In the present study, measurements were made to compare CHO and Cd^r cell types for (a) growth as a function of the level of ZnCl₂ added to the culture medium, (b) uptake and subcellular distribution of Zn²⁺, and (c) capacity to induce MT synthesis. The results of these measurements indicated that (a) both CHO and Cd^r cell types grew normally (T _d≊16–18 h) during exposures to Zn²⁺ at levels up to 100 μM added to the growth medium, but displayed abrupt growth inhibition at higher Zn²⁺ levels, (b) Cd^r cells incorporate fourfold more Zn²⁺ during a 24-h exposure to the maximal subtoxic level of Zn²⁺ and (c) the CHO cell lacks the capacity to induce MT synethesis while the Cd^r cell is proficient in this response during exposure to the maximal subtoxic Zn²⁺ level. These findings suggest that (a) the CHO and Cd^r cell systems will be useful in further studies of cellular Zn²⁺ metabolism, especially in comparisons of Zn²⁺ metabolism in the presence and absence of induction of the Zn²⁺-sequestering MT and (b) a relationship exists between cellular capacity to induce MT synthesis and capacity for cellular Zn²⁺ uptake.     

Modification of oligosaccharide-lipid synthesis and protein glycosylation in glucose-deprived cells

Incubation of vesicular stomatitis virus-infected glucose-starved baby hamster kidney cells with [³⁵S]methionine results in the synthesis of all viral proteins. However, as judged by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and tryptic peptide mapping, the G protein is abnormally glycosylated. Metabolic labeling of the oligosaccharide-lipid precursors with [³H]mannose for 15 min, followed by Chromatographic and enzymatic analysis, indicates that the radiolabeled lipid-linked oligosaccharides are devoid of glucose in contrast to the glucosylated oligosaccharide-lipids synthesized by cells grown in the presence of glucose. Also, in contrast to control cells, examination of the glycopeptide fraction reveals the presence of [³H]mannose-labeled glycopeptides which are resistant to erado-β-N-acetylglucos-aminidase H and are smaller in size than glycopeptides from mature vesicular stomatitis virus. In order to observe these effects, a minimum time of 5 h of glucose deprivation is necessary and the addition of 55 μm glucose or mannose to the medium reverses these effects. These results indicate that vesicular stomatitis virus-infected BHK cells deprived of glucose are unable to glucosylate the oligosaccharide-lipid intermediates and, consequently, are unable to glycosylate the G protein normally.     

Simulation of the Viking biology experiments: An overview

Summary Several ground-based investigations have been carried out since the Viking biology results were received from Mars. Many of these have resulted in reasonable simulations of the Martian data, using as analogues of Mars either strong oxidants, UV-treated materials, iron-containing clays, or iron salts. The ambiguity between the GCMS experiment, in which no organic compounds were found on Mars, and the Labeled Release experiment, in which added organics were decomposed, may well be accounted for by these simulations.     

Restriction map of Chinese hamster mitochondrial DNA containing replication coordinates: comparison with Syrian hamster mitochondrial genome

A precise physical map, containing the structurally and operationally defined D-loop origin, terminal region, and direction of heavy-strand replication, has been constructed for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from ovary (CHO-KI) and lung cells of Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus 2 N = 22), and compared with our previously established genome coordinates for mtDNA from Syrian hamster ( Mesocricetus auratus 2 N = 44). All four HpaI sites in Cricetulus are conserved in Mesocricetus (8 sites). Extensive variation exists for hexanucleotides cleaved by EcoRI HindIII PstI. KpnI and BamHI. Sequence divergence between Chinese and Syrian hamster mtDNAs, as reflected from analysis of the mapped recognition sites for these six endonucleases, is estimated as 5–9% base substitutions. mtDNAs from both hamster and several other mammalian species contain a commonly conserved HpaI site in the region of light strand initiation.     

兰属(Cymbidium)5种植物叶结构特征

采用光学显微镜和体视镜,对兰属5种植物（春兰、蕙兰、建兰、寒兰、墨兰）的叶结构特征（叶脉结构、叶表皮结构、解剖结构）进行了观察和测量。结果显示,兰属5种植物的叶脉结构相似,叶表皮结构和解剖结构存在较大差异,其中最主要的差异是皮下纤维束的多少和边缘角质层锯齿形态。依据叶结构特征聚类分析结果,5种兰可分为春兰组、建兰组和墨兰组3组。本研究表明叶结构特征对兰属5种植物的分类具有重要意义。     

四种中草药对大鼠半乳糖性白内障氧化还原物质及糖类含量的影响

对正常和半乳糖性白内障及给中草药的大鼠晶状体中某些吡啶核苷酸成分、糖类、非蛋白质巯基的含量进行了比较。结果表明,在白内障晶状体中,NADPH及非蛋白质巯基的含量明显低于正常晶状体的,而NADP、半乳糖及半乳糖醇的含量明显高于正常晶状体的;当注射半乳糖的同时分别用黄岑、石斛、菟丝子及玉蝴蝶四种中草药水煎剂灌胃,上述变化为基本恢复至正常晶状体的水平。表明四种中草药对晶状体中的异常生化变化具有阻止及纠正作用。     

对林檎分类学地位的研究

林檎与花红在新梢、花、果方面均有较大的差别,其树干及大枝上有寄生瘤状突起。中国绵苹果的酶谱差异较大,林檎与花红的酶谱最接近,主酶带均为三条,其中有两条Rf值分别为0.53、0.56的主酶带相同;林檎比花红多出一条Rf值为0.80的弱酶带。结果表明,林檎为花红的一个变种。     

Enzymatic preparation of organometallic compounds with second-order optical nonlinearities

Twelve species of optically active metallocene derivatives having a 4-nitrophenyl group were prepared with horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase- or lipase-catalyzed optical resolution as the key step. The second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiently of these products was measured by the power method using the fundamental light from the Nd:YAG laser. (-)-1- (4-Nitrophenylthio)ethylferrocene (9), (+)-1-(4-nitrophenylthio)ethylruthenocene (16), (+)-1-(4-nitrophenylthio)ethylosmocene (19), (+) -1-(5-nitro-2-pyridylthio)ethylruthenocene (21), and (+) -1-[(4-nitrophenylhydrazono)methyl] -2-methylferrocene (12) showed SHG signals. The highest SHG efficiency was found with (+) -16, being 27 times more intense than the commonly used urea standard.     

利用秆维管束进行中国散生竹类的聚类分析

本文是应用模糊聚类分析方法研究中国散生竹类分类的一次尝试。分类特征采用了竹秆上、中、下三段各类型维管束数,方法上使用了模糊(Fuzzy)直接聚类分析进行综合分析。经电子计算机运算后,不仅取得了与传统分类基本一致的分类结果,同时也表明这种方法较之其它一些植物数量分类方法简便易行,此外还讨论了一些中国散生竹类分类上的问题。