Intraneuronal amyloid precursor protein (APP) and appearance of extracellular β‐amyloid peptide (aβ) in the brain of aging kokanee salmon

Antibodies to human amyloid precursor protein (APP₆₉₅) and beta‐amyloid peptide (Aβ_1‐42) were used to determine timing of amyloidosis in the brain of kokanee salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka kennerlyi) in one of four reproductive stages: immature (IM), maturing (MA), sexually mature (SM), and spawning (SP), representing a range of aging from somatically mature but sexually immature to spawning and somatic senescence. In IM fish, immunoreactive (ir) intracellular APP occurred in 18 of 23 brain regions. During sexual maturation and aging, the number of neurons expressing APP increased in 11 of these APP‐ir regions. Aβ‐ir was absent in IM fish, present in seven regions in MA fish, moderately abundant in 15 regions in SM fish, and was most abundant in all brain regions of SP fish exhibiting Aβ‐ir. Intracellular APP‐ir was observed in brain regions involved in sensory integration, olfaction, vision, stress responses, reproduction, and coordination. Intra‐ and extracellular Aβ_1‐42 immunoreactivity (Aβ‐ir) was present in all APP‐ir regions except the nucleus lateralis tuberis (hypothalamus) and Purkinje cells (cerebellum). APP‐ir and Aβ deposition increase during aging. APP‐ir is present in IM fish; Aβ‐ir usually appears first in MA or SM fish and increases in SM fish as does APP‐ir. Extracellular Aβ deposition dramatically increases between SM and SP stages (1–2 weeks) in all fish, indicating an extremely rapid and synchronized process. Rapid senescence observed in pacific salmon could make them a useful model to investigate timing of amyloidosis and neurodegeneration during brain aging. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Neurobiol 53: 11–20, 2002     

Intracellular calcium release mediated by two muscarinic receptor subtypes

Four subtypes of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) were stably expressed in neuroblastoma-glioma hybrid cells (NG108-15). By combining fluorescent indicator dye (fura-2) studies with electrophysiological measurements it is shown that stimulation of mAChR I and mAChR III readily leads to release of calcium from intracellular stores and to associated conductance changes, whereas stimulation of mAChR II and mAChR IV exerts no such effect. Dose-response curves describing the amplitude or the delay of the calcium rise induced by acetylcholine suggest that the apparent affinity of mAChR III for its agonist is higher by about one order of magnitude than that of mAChR I. Ionic substitution experiments and current fluctuation analysis indicate that calcium activates a K⁺-specific conductance of ‘small’ single-channel amplitude similar to the SK type [1]. Furthermore, an outward current (M current) suppressed by activation of mAChR I and mAChR III has a single-channel amplitude corresponding to a conductance of approximately 3 pS.     

Ascaris lumbricoides: succinate and tiglate in hemolymph

When hemolymph is taken from Ascaris lumbricoides at the time the worm is collected from pigs, it contains acetic, propionic, 2-methylbutyric, n-valeric, 2-methylvaleric, and succinic acid radicals; tiglic acid is absent.     

Periplasmic superoxide dismutases in Aquaspirillum magnetotacticum

Aquaspirillum magnetotacticum MS-1 cells cultured microaerobically (dissolved O₂ tension 1% of saturation), expressed proteins with superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. The majority (roughly 95%) of total cell superoxide dismutase activity was located in the cell periplasm with little or no activity in the cell cytoplasm. Irontype SOD (FeSOD) contributed 88% of the total activity activity detected, although a manganese-type SOD (MnSOD) was present in the periplasm as well. Cells cultured at a higher dissolved O₂ tension (10% of saturation) expressed increased activity of the MnSOD relative to that of the FeSOD.     

Nature of Novel 2D van der Waals Heterostructures for Superior Potassium Ion Batteries

Novel 2D van der Waals heterostructures with innovative bimetallic oxychloride (Bi‐ and Sb‐based oxychloride) nanosheets that are well dispersed on reduced graphene oxide nanosheets, are established through element engineering for superior potassium ion battery (PIBs) anodes. This material displays an exceptional electrochemical performance, obtaining a discharge capacity as high as 360 mAh g^?1 at 100 mA g^?1 after running 1000 cycles for over 9 months with a capacity preservation percentage of 88.5% and achieving a discharge capacity as high as 319 mAh g^?1 at 1000 mA g^?1, in addition to the low charge/discharge plateaus for anodes and promising full cell performance. More significantly, the nature of such 2D van der Waals heterostructures, including the element engineering for morphology control, the function of each component of heterostructures, the mechanism of potassium ion storage, and the process of K⁺ intercalation accompanied with the lattice distortion and chemical bond breakages, is explored in depth. This study is critical for not only paving the way for the practical application of PIBs but also shedding light on fundamentals of potassium ion storage in 2D van der Waals heterostructures.     

Induction of unscheduled DNA synthesis by the carcinogen 7-bromomethylbenz(a)anthracene and its removal from the DNA of normal and xeroderma pigmentosum lymphocytes

The carcinogen 7-bromomethylbenz(a)anthracene (BBA), which can bind strongly to DNA, induces unscheduled DNA synthesis (DNA repair) in normal lymphocytes but almost none in lymphocytes from patients with Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), and inherited disease known to be defective in excision repair of ultraviolet-damaged DNA. We studied [³H]BBA's ability to bind to DNA of normal and XP lymphocytes, its influence on unscheduled DNA synthesis, and its removal from the DNA of both cell types. We found that 20–30% of the BBA is bound to macromolecules other than DNA and that its binding to DNA is essentially complete after 30 min. The induction of unscheduled DNA synthesis by the carcinogen in XP lymphocytes was approximately 10% of that induced in normal lymphocytes. While 15–20% of the BBA was removed from the DNA of normal cells 6 h after treatment, only 1–2% was removed from the DNA of XP cells. Thus, XP cells not only are defective in repairing ultraviolet-damaged DNA and excising thymine dimers but also fail to repair DNA damaged by certain carcinogens, and, most importantly, fail to remove the DNA-bound carcinogen, BBA.     

Sensory Neurons Contacting the Cerebrospinal Fluid Require the Reissner Fiber to Detect Spinal Curvature In Vivo

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Origin of bombesin-like peptides in human fetal lung

Four different forms of bombesin-like immunoreactive peaks were detected in extracts of human fetal lung by the use of reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Peaks I, II, III and IV, (increasing retention time), were eluted using a 14-38% of acetonitrile gradient containing 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). Peak II was the major material found in the extract of human fetal lung obtained at 16-20 weeks gestation. None of the four compounds contained in the eluted peaks had the same retention time as amphibian bombesin or porcine gastrin releasing peptide (GRP). On reversed-phase HPLC using two different solvent systems TFA or heptafluorobutyric acid (HFBA) as a hydrophobic counter ion, and in gel filtration chromatography, the chromatographic behavior of the main peak (peak II) was the same as that of the carboxyl terminal fragments of GRP, GRP18-27 or GRP19-27. This suggested that the peptide(s) in peak II resembled in composition the carboxy terminal 9 or 10 amino acids of porcine GRP. Following tryptic digestion the material in peak IV was converted to the more polar compound present in peak II. Two other peptide peaks were eluted close to peak II and these were presumed to be a modification of this main peak. One of the possible biosynthetic steps in the formation of bombesin-like peptides in human fetal lung could be a tryptic conversion of a less polar peptide to a more polar form (peak IV to II).