Depolymerization of F-actin by deoxyribonuclease I.

Deoxyribonuclease I causes depolymerization of filamentous muscle actin to form a stable complex of 1 mole DNAase I:1 mole actin. The regulatory proteins tropomyosin and troponin bind to filamentous actin and slow down but do not prevent the depolymerization. In the absense of ATP, heavy meromyosin binds tightly to actin filaments and blocks completely the DNAase I: actin filament interaction. Addition of ATP releases heavy meromyosin; DNAase I is then rapidly inhibited and the actin filaments are depolymerized.     

The light chains of scallop myosin as regulatory subunits

In molluscan muscles contraction is regulated by the interaction of calcium with myosin. The calcium dependence of the aotin-activated ATPase activity of scallop myosin requires the presence of a specific light chain. This light chain is released from myosin by EDTA treatment (EDTA-light chains) and its removal desensitizes the myosin, i.e. abolishes the calcium requirement for the actin-activated ATPase activity, and reduces the amount of calcium the myosin binds; the isolated light chain, however, does not bind calcium and has no ATPase activity. Calcium regulation and calcium binding is restored when the EDTA-light chain is recombined with desensitized myosin preparations. Dissociation of the EDTA-light chain from myosin depends on the concentration of divalent cations; half dissociation is reached at about 10^?5 M-magnesium or 10^?7 M-calcium concentrations. The EDTA-light chain and the residual myosin are fairly stable and the components may be kept separated for a day or so before recombination.Additional light chains containing half cystine residues (SH-light chains) are detached from desensitized myosin by sodium dodecyl sulfate. The EDTA-light chains and the SH-light chains have a similar chain weight of about 18,000 daltons; however, they differ in several amino acid residues and the EDTA-light chains contain no half cystine. The SH-light chains and EDTA-light chains have different tryptic fingerprints. Both light chains can be prepared from washed myofibrils.Densitometry of dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis bands and Sephadex chromatography in sodium dodecyl sulfate indicate that there are three moles of light chains in a mole of purified myosin, but only two in myosin treated with EDTA. The ratio of the SH-light chains to EDTA-light chains was found to be two to one in experiments where the total light-chain complements of myosin or myofibril preparations were carboxymethylated. A similar ratio was obtained from the densitometry of urea-acrylamide gel electrophoresis bands. We conclude that a myosin molecule contains two moles of SH-light chain and one mole of EDTA-light chain, and that the removal of a single EDTA-light chain completely desensitizes scallop myosin.Heavy meromyosin and S-1 subfragment can be prepared from scallop myosin. Both of these preparations bind calcium and contain light chains in significant amounts. The heavy meromyosin of scallop is extensively degraded; the S-1 preparation, however, is remarkably intact. Significantly, heavy meromyosin has a calcium-dependent actin-activated ATPase while the S-1 does not require calcium and shows high ATPase activity in its absence. These results suggest that regulation involves a co-operativity between the two globular ends of the myosin.Desensitized scallop myosin and scallop S-1 preparations can be made calcium sensitive when mixed with rabbit actin containing the rabbit regulatory proteins. This result makes it unlikely that specific light chains of myosin are involved in the regulation of the vertebrate system.The fundamental similarity in the contractile regulation of molluscs and vertebrates is that interaction between actin and myosin in both systems requires a critical level of calcium. We propose that the difference in regulation of these systems is that the interaction between myosin and actin is prevented by blocking sites on actin in the case of vertebrate muscles, whereas in the case of molluscan muscles it is the sites on myosin which are blocked in the absence of calcium.     

Occurrence of colloid-containing follicles in the pars distalis of pituitary glands from aging guinea pigs

Summary Colloid-containing follicles in the pars distalis of pituitary glands from guinea pigs at various ages ranging from 5 days to 36 months were examined by the periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) reaction, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy. The follicles storing PAS-positive colloid were first detected in 6-month-old animals, in which only a few follicles were present and mean diameters of colloid deposits were small: 4.3±1.0 m in males and 4.1±0.4 m in females. Thereafter, the follicles gradually increased in number and size with age. The largest number of follicles was observed in the senile groups: 410.5±92.3 in males, 454.7±84.7 in females. Mean diameters of colloid masses in the senile groups were more than 2 times larger than those in 6-month-old animals: 10.0±0.1 m in males, 9.7±0.1 m in females. These findings suggest that the formation of colloidcontaining follicles in the guinea-pig pars distalis is an aging phenomenon. The follicular lumina were mainly surrounded by thin cytoplasmic processes or cell bodies of folliculo-stellate cells immunoreactive for S-100 protein. The lining folliculo-stellate cells showed aggregations of intermediate-sized filaments, numerous lysosomes and colloid-like inclusions. Granulated cells in contact with colloid were occasionally encountered. Intracellular cavities storing colloid-like and fibrous materials were detected in the syncytial formation of GH cells.     

Cytomorphology of Metastatic Melanoma—Use of S-100 Protein In the Diagnosis of Amelanotic Melanoma

The cytomorphological features of cells from 52 cases of metastatic melanoma obtained by fine needle aspiration cytodiagnosis were studied. Morphologically, 11, 19 and 22 cases were classified as spindle, epithelial, and mixed cell types of metastatic melanoma respectively. There were 34 melanotic and 18 amelanotic melanomas. Besides melanin, the presence of intranuclear cytoplasmic inclusions, eosinophilic macronucleoli and giant cells were helpful in the diagnosis of a melanoma. Where attempted, staining for S-100 protein was positive in all the 19 cases (eight amelanotic and 11 sparsely pigmented melanomas). In addition eight cases of metastatic tumour where a differential diagnosis of poorly differentiated carcinoma or large cell lymphoma was entertained, were also studied for localization of S-100 protein and all were found to be negative. Electron microscopy was performed in five cases and showed the presence of melanosomes and/or premelanosomes.     

Preparation of 2S-(—)-4-Amino-2-Hydroxybutanoic Acid via Yeast-Catalyzed Stereoselective Reduction

The unusual amino acid S2-(—)-4-amino-2-hydroxybutanoic acid (S-AHBA) (1), a structural component of the antibiotic Amikacin, has been prepared via yeast-catalyzed stereoselective reduction of methyl-4-benzyloxycarbonyloxyamino-2-oxobutanoate (5). The most suitable yeast was found to be Saccharomyces carlsbergensis ATCC2345 and Saccharomyces sp. Edme, which gave 40% and 54% yield, respectively, of (S)-(+)-6 (88% ee).     

激光诱变生淀粉糖化菌黑曲霉S—7原生质体的研究

本研究采用YAG泵浦染料激光器对生淀粉糖化菌黑曲霉S—7的原生质体直接进行辐照。结果表明;原生质体比孢子对激光更为敏感。激光对原生质体的正突变率比对孢子的正突变率高35％,原生质体最高正突变率达70％。突变株与出发菌株相比生淀粉糖化酶活性平均提高39％,最高达102％。     

S_(180)肉瘤细胞对小鼠基因组DNA结构变化影响的核磁共振氢谱~1H—NMR研究

本实验利用核磁共振技术,对体内培养了腹水癌小鼠肝细胞基因组DNA的结构变化进行了测试,发现随致癌时间的延长,基因组DNA内胸腺嘧啶核苷酸周围的化学环境发生了定向的变化,造成DNA核磁共振氢谱中,部分胸腺嘧啶的甲基质子发生了化学位移,在′H-NMR图谱中1.9ppm峰Ⅰ减小,而2.6-2.7ppm区域的峰Ⅱ却明显增加,结果使双峰比(峰Ⅰ积分面积/峰Ⅱ积分面积)显著下降,本文为研究癌症发生和发展的遗传学机制提供了一个新的方法.     

Isotope exchange reactions with radiolabeled sulfur compounds in anoxic seawater

The isotope exchange between³⁵S-labeled sulfur compounds of sulfate (SO₄ ^2–), elemental sulfur (S⁰), polysulfide (S_n ^2–), hydrogen sulfide (HS^–: H₂S + HS^– + S^2–), iron sulfide (FeS), and pyrite (FeS₂) was studied at pH 7.6 and 20 °C in anoxic, sterile seawater. Isotope exchange was observed between S⁰, S₂ ^2– HS^–, and FeS, but not between³⁵S labeled SO₄ ^2– or FeS₂ and the other sulfur compounds. Polysulfide mediated the isotope exchange between S⁰ and bisulfide (HS^–). The isotope exchange between S⁰ and S_n ^2–) reached 50% of equilibrium within < 2 min while exchange between S₂ ^2– and HS^– approached equilibrium within 0.5-1 h. In all the experiments HS^–, revealed a fraction exchange from 0.79 to 1.00. Isotope exchange between S^2– and FeS took place only via S₂ ^2– and/or HS^–. The isotope exchange between iron sulfide and the other sulfur compounds was not complete within 24 h as shown by a fraction exchange of 0.07–0.83. This lack of equilibrium (fraction exchange < 1) was due to the isotope exchange between dissolved compounds and surfaces of sulfur particles. The isotopic exchange reactions limit the usefulness of radiotracers in process studies of the inorganic sulfur species. Exchange reactions will also affect the stable isotope distribution among the sulfur species. The kinetics of the isotopic exchange reactions, however, depend on both pH and temperature.     

人血浆载脂蛋白A-Ⅱ的分离纯化及鉴定

 用硫酸右旋糖酐沉淀法和超速离心法从正常人血浆制备高密度脂蛋白(HDL)。脱脂后经制备性等电聚焦和Sephacryl S-200层析分离纯化载脂蛋白A-Ⅱ(apolipoprotein A-Ⅱ,简称apoA-Ⅱ)。经鉴定SDS-PAGE呈一条谱带,其亚基分子量为8700±280(n=4),等电点为4.80—5.17,氨基酸组成分析不含组氨酸和精氨酸,与抗apoA-Ⅱ血清发生特异免疫反应。     

A cell line of human malignant astrocytoma producing autocrine growth factor

Summary A cell line was established from an anaplastic astrocytoma from a 69-yr-old female. The cells have been serially subcultured over 300 times for 6 yr without showing any sign of cell senescence. Their doubling time is about 36 h. The cells are fusiform and often hexagonal in sparse culture, but become spindle-shaped and formed mosaic structure in confluent culture. Under electron microscopy, intermediate filaments were randomly distributed in the cytoplasma, especially in the perinuclear space. The chromosome number was near tetraploid and varied from 86 to 94 chromosomes with a modal number of 91. The alpha and beta subunits of S-100 protein, vimentin, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), which are reliable markers of astrocytic cells, were demonstrated in a large number of cells by immunoperoxidase staining. The results of immunoblotting showed that the expression of vimentin was much higher than that of GFAP. The tumorigenicity of the cells was revealed by xenografting into nude mice, which were X-irradiated before inoculation. Culture medium conditioned by the cells promoted growth of these cells in serum-free conditions and of normal rat glial cells in serum-depleted culture. The growth-promoting effect of conditioned medium was lost by trypsinization and reduced by boiling. These findings suggest that these cells are derived from neoplastic astrocytic cells and secrete a self-acting polypeptide growth-promoting factor into the culture medium. This study was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture of Japan.