A transient species of poly(A)+ RNA detected by a myosin heavy chain cDNA probe in muscle cell culture during terminal differentiation

Primary cell cultures were prepared from breast muscles of 11 day 4 hour-embryonic chicks. Cytoplasmic RNAs were isolated from the cultured cells at various time intervals from day 3 to day 8. A [P32] DNA probe complementary to messenger RNA of myosin heavy chain was used to hybridize with the RNAs after gel electrophoresis. A transient species of polyadenylated RNA with a decreased mobility in electrophoresis was detected during a period of time when contractions of syncytial fibers were first observed.     

In vitro assessment of the toxicity of metal compounds

A review of in vitro mutagenesis assessment of metal compounds in mammalian and nonmammalian test systems has been compiled. Prokaryotic assays are ineffective or inconsistent in their detection of most metals as mutagens, with the notable exception of hexavalent chromium. Mammalian assay systems appear to be similarly inappropriate for the screening of metal compounds based upon the limited number of studies that have employed those compounds having known carcinogenic activity. Although of limited value as screening tests for the detection of potentially carcinogenic metal compounds, the well-characterized in vitro mutagenesis systems may prove to be of significant value as a means to elucidate mechanisms of metal genotoxicity.     

Nucleotide sequence of psbQ gene for 16-kDa protein of oxygen-evolving complex from Arabidopsis thaliana and regulation of its expression.

The psbQ gene encoding a 16-kDa polypeptide of the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II has been isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana and characterized. The gene consists of a 28 nucleotide long leader sequence, two introns and three exons encoding a 223-amino-acid precursor polypeptide. The first 75 amino acids act as a transit peptide for the translocation of the polypeptide into the thylakoid lumen. Expression studies show that the gene is light-inducible and expresses only in green tissues with high steady-state mRNA levels in leaves. Using this gene as a probe, restriction fragment length polymorphism between two ecotypes, Columbia and Estland, has also been detected.     

Expression level of enzymes related to in situ estrogen synthesis and clinicopathological parameters in breast cancer patients

In order to evaluate the importance of estrogen production in tumor and surrounding tissues, we measured mRNA expression levels of 5 enzymes participating to estrogen synthesis in situ and 4 breast cancer-related proteins in 27 pairs of tumor and non-malignant tissues. Steroid sulfatase (STS) mRNA was more frequently detected in tumor tissues rather than in their non-malignant counterparts. Estrogen sulfotransferase (EST) was constantly expressed with high level not only in tumor tissues but also in their surrounding non-malignant counterparts. In contrast, mRNA expression levels of aromatase, and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type I and II were relatively low and detected only in small proportion of the patients. We also measured the mRNA expression levels of the same nine genes in tumor tissues of 197 breast cancer patients, and analyzed relationship between the mRNA expression level and the clinicopathological parameters. The mRNA expression levels of STS, aromatase and erbB2 in tumor tissues increased as breast cancer progressed. The tumoral mRNA expression levels of STS, estrogen receptor β, and erbB2 in patients with recurrence were higher than those in patients without recurrence. Upregulation of STS expression plays an important role in tumor progression of human breast cancer and is considered to be responsible for estrogen production in tumor and surrounding tissues.     

Plant phosphoglucose isomerase genes lack introns and are expressed in Escherichia coli

Nuclear genes that appear to encode both cytosolic and plastid isozymes of phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI), an essential glycolytic enzyme, have been isolated from three diploid species of the annual wild flower genus Clarkia (Onagraceae). The genes do not contain introns and are expressed to varying degrees in Escherichia coli when cloned in either Charon 35 phage or pUC plasmid vectors. The PGI proteins synthesized in E. coli form dimers, are catalytically active, and their electrophoretic mobilities are similar to those of appropriate Clarkia PGIs. The nucleotide sequence of a gene encoding a plastid isozyme of C. unguiculata is described.     

Phosphoproteins in dictyostelium discoideum

The phosphoproteins of Dictyostelium discoideum were compared at different stages of development by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Certain phosphoproteins of vegetative amoebae were conserved while others appeared and disappeared during development. Four major phosphoproteins with apparent subunit molecular weights of 50,000, 47,000, 38,000, and 34,000 disappeared precociously in response to exogenous cAMP. Two membranal phosphoproteins, with apparent subunit molecular weights of 80,000 and 81,000, appeared precociously in response to added cAMP. One of these phosphoproteins, molecular weight of 80,000, has been identified tentatively as the “contact site A” glycoprotein. Another membranal protein, with apparent subunit molecular weight of 42,000, unaffected in its appearance by cAMP, has been identified tentatively as phosphoactin.