Differential regulation of basic protein phosphorylation by calcium phospholipid and cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinases

Myelin basic protein, an 80-kilodalton (kDa) protein in rat oligodendrocytes, and an 80-kDa basic protein in neuroblastoma x neonatal Chinese hamster brain explant hybrids were phosphorylated extensively when the cells were treated with either phorbol esters (TPA) or diacylglycerols (e.g., oleyoyl-acetylglycerol). TPA-stimulated phosphorylation was inhibited by pre-incubation with 50 microM psychosine (galactosyl-sphingosine), confirming that it is mediated through the phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C (PK-C). Surprisingly, phosphorylation of these proteins was inhibited by incubation of cells with agents which result in activation of cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase (dibutyryl cyclic AMP or forskolin). In contrast, phosphorylation of other nonbasic proteins, for example, the oligodendrocyte-specific 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide phosphohydrolase, was stimulated under these conditions (Vartanian et al.: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 85:939, 1988). The possible role of cyclic AMP in activating specific phosphatases or restricting the availability of diacylglycerol for PK-C activation is discussed.     

Comparing Stochastically Restricted Linear Estimators in a Regression Model

Conditions for superiority of the minimum dispersion estimator over another with respect to the covariance matrix are derived when the vector parameter of a regression model is subject to competing stochastic restrictions. The restrictions may also consist both of a deterministic part and a stochastic part.     

脑片诱发电位计算机处理系统及其使用实例

用计算机处理脑片诱发电位可大大提高数据处理效率和信息提取率,并使大量、连续观察成为可能,本系统数据采集板与计算机之间采用DMA方式进行数据传送,包括采样子程序在内的全部处理程序均用高级BASIC语言编写,文中介绍了该程序各项功能和有关编程技巧以及海马脑片实验中的应用实例。     

Regulation of Myelin P0 Glycoprotein Synthesis in Cultured Rat Schwann Cells and Continuous Rat PNS Cell Lines

We studied the effects of agents that raise intracellular cyclic AMP on synthesis of myelin components by cultured neonatal rat sciatic nerve Schwann cells and by continuous PNS cell lines derived from the fusion of neonatal rat sciatic nerve Schwann cells with rat RN22 Schwannoma. Treatment with N6,2'-O-dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dibutyryl cyclic AMP) caused a fourfold increase in Schwann cell incorporation of 35SO4 into sulfogalactosylceramide (sulfatide), and elicited a 10- to 20-fold increase in such incorporation by the continuous PNS cell lines; a similar effect on PNS cell line sulfatide radiolabelling was obtained with forskolin. Cultured Schwann cells expressed barely detectable levels of myelin P0 glycoprotein (P0) mRNA and myelin basic protein (MBP) mRNA. Treatment of the Schwann cells with axolemmal fragments or with dibutyryl cyclic AMP did not elicit a detectable increase in the levels of these mRNAs. The PNS cell lines constitutively expressed much higher levels of P0 mRNA than did the Schwann cells, and synthesized immunochemically demonstrable P0 glycoprotein, but did not express MBP. Treatment of the PNS cell lines with dibutyryl cyclic AMP markedly reduced expression of P0 mRNA and also diminished immunoreactive P0 glycoprotein. These PNS cell lines should prove useful for further studies of the control of Schwann cell differentiation.     

Human recombinant insulin-like growth factor I. I. Development of a serum-free medium for clonal density assay of growth factors using balb/c 3T3 mouse embryo fibroblasts

Summary A serum-free clonal density growth assay was developed for the quantification of the biological activity of human recombinant insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I). The assay measures IGF-I stimulated growth of Balb/c 3T3 cells cultured over 4 d on poly-d-lysine-coated plastic surfaces in a serum-free medium formulation composed of a 1∶1 (vol/vol) mixture of Ham's F12 and Dulbecco's modified Eagle's media, supplemented with 3.0 ng/ml bovine basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), 10 μg/ml human transferrin, 100 μg/ml ovalbumin, and 1.0 μM dexamethanose. Low-temperature trypsinization of serum-supplemented stock cultures combined with the use of poly-d-lysine-coated plates made it unnecessary to use serum or fibronectin to promote cell attachment and survival. Serum-free growth conditions were optimized with respect to the concentrations of the supplements. Addition of IGF-I resulted in 3.5-fold more cells than control cultures without IGF-I after 4 d. Deletion of bFGF resulted in no IGF-I stimulation of growth. The concentrations of various preparations of IGF-I required to achieve one-half maximal stimulation of cell number (ED₅₀), ranged between 1.25 and 4.7 ng/ml. In parallel assays, IGF-I was 6.6 times more potent than human recombinant insulin-like growth factor II and 32 times more potent than insulin. When cells were seeded into medium containing IGF-I, transferrin, ovalbumin, and dexamethasone but no bFGF, growth was minimal. Dose-response addition of bFGF showed an ED₅₀, of 0.9 ng/ml. The methods reported are useful to monitor the biological potency of recombinant and natural-source growth factors as well as providing a new means of studying the multiple growth factor requirements of Balb/c 3T3 cells in cultures. This work was supported by a contract from IMCERA Bioproducts, Inc.     

Preparative resolution of some 5,5-hydantoin derivatives via formation of diastereoisomeric salts

Several preparative resolutions of 5,5-disubstituted hydantoins have been achieved via fractional crystallization of diastereoisomeric salts. The process can be extended by making use of the difference between the variation of solubilities of the hydantoins and their salts with α-methylbenzylamine as a function of the alkalinity of the medium. Optimization for each resolution procedure involves a refinement of the excess amount of base needed. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Quantitation of the Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein in Human Nervous Tissue from Controls and Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) was measured by radioimmunoassay in the human CNS and peripheral nervous system (PNS). The level of MAG, expressed as ng/microgram of total protein, was approximately 20-fold higher in whole homogenates of cerebral white matter (4.7 +/- 0.60) than of peripheral nerve (0.12-0.28). MAG concentrations were only slightly higher in the isolated myelin fractions from these tissues: CNS myelin, 5.6 ng/microgram; PNS myelin, 0.37 ng/microgram. The levels of MAG were measured in nine plaques, periplaque regions, and areas of macroscopically normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) from six separate multiple sclerosis brains and compared with the levels of other myelin proteins in the same samples. MAG and other myelin proteins were reduced to very low levels in plaques. The levels of MAG and basic protein (BP) and the activity of 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNP) in periplaque areas were significantly lower than those in control white matter, and MAG and BP levels were also significantly reduced in NAWM. In a periplaque region and NAWM from the most rapidly progressing case of multiple sclerosis examined, the MAG content was between 30 and 35% of the control level, whereas BP and PLP levels and CNP activity were between 50 and 85% of control values. The reduction of MAG content in periplaque regions from all nine multiple sclerosis plaques examined was significantly greater than the reductions of BP level and CNP activity. In NAWM samples, the mean reduction of MAG content was also greater than the reductions of BP level and CNP activity, but the difference was only statistically significant in comparison to CNP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Evidence for Specific Polypeptide Chain Folding in Myelin Basic Protein from Reactions Between Fragments of the Protein and Monoclonal Antibodies

The specificities of two monoclonal IgM antibodies (18.25 and 21.14.2) evoked in mice with guinea pig myelin basic protein were examined and interpreted in terms of a specific folding of the protein's polypeptide chain. Studies with guinea pig and rabbit myelin basic protein fragments showed that a region encompassing the central Phe-Phe (87-88) sequence is obligatory, but not sufficient, for reactivity with antibody 18.25. Appreciable reactivity was observed for rabbit peptides 22-95 and 45-151, and lower, but significant, reactivity was shown by peptide 32-95. Only very weak reactivity was seen with peptide 44-95. No reactivity was observed with peptide 1-95 after its lysine residues were acetylated, acetamidinated, or guanidinated. These results have been interpreted in terms of a polypeptide chain folding that creates an epitope within sequence Val-Val-His-Phe-Phe-Lys-Asn-Ile-Val (84-92). The specific conformation of this epitope, which includes probably the Lys-89 and possibly the Asn-90 and Val-92 side chains, could be formed by the association of sequence 84-92 with either sequence Ile-Leu-Asp-Ser-Ile-Gly-Arg-Phe-Phe (37-45) or with sequence Val-Leu-Ser-Arg-Phe (108-112) to form beta-sheet structures essentially identical with those that appear to be present in the intact BP [Martenson R.E.J. Neurochem. 46, 1612-1622 (1986)]. The second monoclonal antibody, no. 21.14.2, reacts only with guinea pig myelin basic protein and fragments containing the species-restricted sequence Arg-Ala-Asp-Tyr-Lys-Ser-Lys (129-135).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)