Relationship of ACTH1-39-immunostained fibers and magnocellular neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of rat hypothalamus

Dual antigen immunocytochemical staining procedures were used in the same tissue section to determine the distribution of ACTH immunostained fibers and varicosities within the magnocellular and parvocellular divisions in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of rat hypothalamus and elucidate its anatomical relationship to vasopressin (VP) and oxytocin (OXY)-containing neurons. Double immunostained preparations using glucose oxidase-antiglucose oxidase complex combined with PAP complex to visualize two antigens with contrasting colors in the same tissue section were employed. ACTH-immunoreactive (ir) fibers were distributed throughout the periventricular stratum and the parvocellular component of the PVN; in the latter area fibers were particularly dense in the ventral medial portion of the medial parvocellular division. Dual immunostained sections revealed a close anatomical association between opiocortin fibers and oxytocin and vasopressin parvocellular neurons. ACTH immunostained fibers were present in the anterior and medial magnocellular component of PVN and in the ventral medial portion of the posterior magnocellular division; these immunoreactive fibers were in intimate proximity to oxytocin-ir perikarya. The very close approximation between the ACTH-ir fibers and oxytocin-containing cell bodies suggests potential cell to cell communication between the two peptidergic systems in PVN. Few ACTH immunostained fibers were seen in the dorsal lateral portion of the posterior magnocellular division in which vasopressinergic neurons predominate. The present anatomical study supports pharmacological and physiological studies which indicate that opioids can influence the activity of magnocellular PV neurons. This study also elucidates an anatomical relationship between opiocortins (ACTH1-39) and parvocellular PV neurons which suggests that the opiocortin system may play a role in the regulation of both the neuroendocrine and autonomic activities of specific PV neurons.     

Diversity in the immune system: “Preconceived ideas” or ideas preconceived?

Two concepts of the evolution and regulation of expression of the combining site repertoire of the immune system, are compared. One view is based on the Associative Recognition Theory as formulated by the author and the other is based on the Idiotype Network Idea as conceived by Jerne. The two concepts are analyzed from the point of view of their logic, internal consistency and factual support.     

Expression ofKlebsiella pneumoniae nif genes inProteus mirabilis

Self-transmissible plasmids carryinghis andnif genes fromKlebsiella pneumoniae have been introduced into threehis mutants ofProteus mirabilis: strains 5006-1, WR19 and WR20. Expression ofhis by the transconjugants was unequivocal, if slightly temperature-sensitive, but none was Nif⁺ when tested for acetylene reduction in anaerobic glucose medium using inocula from rich or glucose-minimal aerobic agar cultures. Succinate or pyruvate in place of glucose, low glucose, lower temperature or elevated Na₂MoO₄ did not allownif expression and no nitrogenase MoFe-protein peptide was detected immunologically after exposure to conditions in which diazotrophic enterobacteria, normal or genetically constructed, derepressnif.One strain,P. mirabilis WR19, carrying thehis nif Km^r plasmid pMF250 was examined in detail. Thenif activator genenifA was introduced on the plasmid pCK1. Such derivatives remained Nif^- when tested, after aerobic growth on rich agar media, with normal or low glucose, with succinate or with elevated Mo. However, pre-conditioning by aerobic growth on glucose-minimal agar led to subsequent anaerobic expression ofnif in glucose medium from pMF250 in WR19 carrying pCK1. NH ₄ ⁺ or proline could serve as N-source in the glucose-minimal agar. Maximum activity was about 5% of that ofK. pneumoniae in our assay conditions. Material cross-reacting with anti-serum to the nitrogenase MoFe protein was formed. Nitrogenase activity was not switched off by NH ₄ ⁺ .P. mirabilis WR19 (pCK1) showed NH ₄ ⁺ -constitutive temperature-sensitive kanamycin resistance (anif-related phenotype of this plasmid) in aerobic glucose minimal medium. Expression ofnif inP. mirabilis WR19 (pCK1, pMF250) was NH ₄ ⁺ -repressible despite the constitutivenifA character of pCK1 and introduction of thentrA ⁺ plasmid pMM17 did not alter this phenotype. However, pCK1 did not give rise to NH ₄ ⁺ -constitutive diazotrophy in the wild-typeK. pneumoniae M5al. A construct of WR19 carrying pMF250 and constitutiventrC plasmid (pMD45) remained Nif^- even after pre-growth on glucose-minimal media.We conclude (a) thatP. mirabilis forms a gene product functionally equivalent to that ofntrA inK. pneumoniae, (b) that it forms no functional equivalent of thentrC product in our growth conditions. The need for pre-conditioning on aerobic glucose media remains perplexing.Non-common abbreviation NFDM Nitrogen-free-Davis-Mingioli medium     

REPRODUCTIVE MATURITY AND SEASONALITY OF MALE SPOTTED DOLPHINS, STENELLA ATTENUATA, IN THE EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC

We estimated age at attainment of sexual maturity and examined reproductive seasonality for male spotted dolphins, Stenella attenuata , from the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Maturity was determined by histological examination of testes. Average age at sexual maturation was 14.7 yr (the mean of two readers' age estimates). Testis and epididymis weight and seminiferous tubule diameters were reliable indicators of maturity, whereas age, length and color phase were less reliable. Seasonality was determined by changes in testis and epididymis weight, relative quantity of spermatids and spermatozoa, and lumen diameter, as well as an index of testis development (weight of the right testis and epididymis divided by length of the right testis). Testis and epididymis weights and index values peaked in July and August, midway between two predicted mating seasons for the northern offshore stock, but spermatozoa levels were elevated during the predicted breeding seasons.     

Conserved plasmid/chromosome sequences in fast- and slow-growing rhizobia that nodulate the same plant

Apart from the ability to nodulate legumes, fast-and slow-growing rhizobia have few bacteriological traits in common. Given that there is only one pathway to nodulation, DNA sequences conserved in fast- and slow-growing organisms that nodulate the same host should be strongly enriched in infectivity genes. We tested this hypothesis with seven fast-growing and five slow-growing strains that produced responses varying from fully effective nodulation through various ineffective associations to non-nodulation on four different hosts (Lotus pedunculatus, Lupinus nanus, Macroptilium atropurpureum, and Vigna unguiculata). When restriction enzyme digested total DNA from 10 of the strains was separately hybridized with nick-translated plasmid DNA isolated from 4 fast-growing strains, variable but significant homologies were found with all 10 strains. Part of this homology was shown to be associated with the nifKDH genes for nitrogenase and part with putative nodulation genes carried on pC2, a cosmid clone containing a 37 kbp region of the large sym plasmid present in the fast-growing broad-host range Rhizobium sp. strain NGR234. Analysis of the extent of homology between the plasmids of 3 fastgrowing strains (NGR234, TAL 996 and UMKL 19) able to effectively nodulate Vigna unguiculata showed them to have homologous DNA fragments totalling 47 kbp. This core homology represents less than 12% of the total coding capacity of the sym plasmid present in each of these strains.Abbreviations Sym symbiotic sequences/plasmids - nod genes required for nodulation - nod putative nod genes - nif genes required for the synthesis of the enzyme nitrogenase     

抗人肺癌细胞单克隆抗体的制备及其特性的研究

用人肺鳞癌细胞LTEP-78细胞系免疫Blab/c小鼠获得3株抗人肺癌细胞的单克隆抗体杂交瘤系。其中BLTI-01株经六次克隆化培养,体外传代8个月以上。BLTI-01与白细胞抗原及血型抗原基本上无交叉反应;与骨髓细胞无交叉反应;与癌胚抗原和胎甲球蛋白不相关;与肺鳞癌、肺腺癌细胞系及部分其它肿瘤细胞呈阳性反应。     

癌症新型的诊疗靶点－APOBEC

APOBEC（“载脂蛋白质B mRNA编辑催化多肽”）是一类进化保守的胞苷脱氨酶家族。在人体内,已知含有保守的DNA胞嘧啶脱氨酶结构域的基因共有11种,包括AID、APOBEC1、APOBEC2、APOBEC3基因家族APOBEC3A、APOBEC3B、APOBEC3C、APOBEC3DE、APOBEC3F、APOBEC3G、APOBEC3H（分别称为A3A、A3B、A3C、A3D、A3F、A3G和A3H）和APOBEC4。APOBEC利用其脱氨酶活性通过与RNA和/或DNA结合,催化mRNA或使DNA中的胞嘧啶核苷酸转变为尿嘧啶,或者胞嘧啶核苷酸转变为胸腺嘧啶核苷酸,进而完成各自不同的功能。目前研究发现,AID及APOBEC3（A3s）的7种脱氨酶在人类的天然免疫和适应性免疫防御过程中发挥重要的作用,且在口腔癌,肺癌（腺癌和鳞状细胞癌）,结直肠癌和乳腺癌等的诊疗过程中具有重要的潜在应用价值。AID可以通过将胞嘧啶脱氨基成尿嘧啶,来启动SHM (体细胞超突变)和CSR (类别转换重组),进而在抗体多样性方面发挥作用。它的异常表达能够使B细胞淋巴瘤等恶性肿瘤的发病频率显著增加。而A3A、A3B通过胞嘧啶到尿嘧啶转换,以及自身表达量上调而在乳腺癌和肺癌诊疗中起作用。A3G通过APOBEC3G/miR 29/MMP2为了解结直肠癌肝转移和开发治疗晚期结肠癌的有效疗法开辟了新的途径。综上所述,本文将以AID,A3A,A3B,A3G为例子,对APOBEC在癌症诊断和治疗方面的应用进行综述,以期为进一步药物研究和临床应用等提供参考。     

Structural features are as important as sequence homologies inDrosophila heat shock gene upstream regions

Summary Pelham has shown that theDrosophila hsp 70 gene is not transcribed under heat shock conditions unless a given upstream region is present. Davidson et al. have recently compiled a list of sequences homologous to this region in otherDrosophila heat shock genes. They proposed that a set of unlinked genes, such as the heat shock genes, could be coordinately induced through an interaction in cis with a common regulatory molecule. That this interaction involves structural elements is suggested by the fact that these upstream regions share inverted repeats as well as areas of Z-DNA potential. Furthermore, using the Calladine-Dickerson rules for local helical parameters, we show that these regions share structural homology. This is significant because the presence of regions homologous to a derived consensus sequence does not necessarily imply structural similarity. Therefore, we suggest that these structural features are at least as important as the sequence homologies in enabling the heat shock response.     

Carbon monoxide sensitivity of cytochrome oxidase in wheat leaves in relation to dwarfing genes (Rht) in wheat cultivars

Summary Leaves of young seedlings of a number of tall cultivars of wheat, lacking the dwarfing Rht genes, readily responded to a brief 2 min exposure to CO, as assessed by in vivo aerobic assay of nitrate reductase. This test depends on the inhibition of cytochrome c oxidase by CO, which in turn renders cytosolic NADH available for the reduction of nitrate to nitrite in vivo. Semi-dwarf cultivars of wheat (Rht present) did not respond to CO in this way. Since CO forms a complex only with reduced cytochrome a₃, the results indicate differences in the redox state of cytochrome a₃, during in situ respiration of leaves from tall and semi-dwarf plants which are likely to be under genetic control.     

Suproxide dismutase in human testis preparations

A protein fraction from human testis was structurally investigated. The main component of the fraction reported to contain inhibin-like activity was purified and analyzed by tryptic digestion. The peptides obtained identified the protein as an enzyme, superoxide dismutase, previously known to be present in seminal plasma. The results show that superoxide dismutase is a major enzyme, also of testicular material. They further demonstrate the importance of using pure fractions, and controls such as checks with structural analysis or synthetic peptides, in the work of elucidating the nature of inhibin and other hormonal peptides.