Aspirin changes the secretion rate and amino acid composition of human small intestinal mucin in subjects with ileal conduits

The effect of aspirin on the rate of secretion and amino acid composition of human ileal mucin was studied, using subjects with ileal conduits as a model system in which mucin secreted from the ileal conduit tissue is flushed out in the urine and can be measured and analysed. Aspirin (600 mg per day, administered orally) increased the daily mucin output by 37–104% in subjects by days 3 or 4, but thereafter the mucin output declined to below the baseline level by day 10. Mucin samples, purified from the ileal conduit urine during the control period and during aspirin administration, were compared. There were no discernible changes in the degree of polymerisation or the density, but during aspirin administration the amino acid composition was significantly changed, and in particular threonine and proline were enriched. One possible explanation, consistent with the compositional analyses, is that the N- and C-terminal regions of the mucin subunits have been cleaved off and lost during aspirin administration. The observed changes in mucin secretion may have implications for the mechanism of the toxic effects of aspirin on the small intestine by altering the barrier properties of the mucus layer.Abbreviations EGF epidermal growth factor - NSAID non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug     

Interstitial noradrenaline concentration of rat hearts as influenced by cellular catecholamine uptake mechanisms

Marked concentration differences of noradrenaline (NA) between the vascular and the interstitial compartment were detected by sampling interstitial transudate from isolated perfused rat hearts. The ratios of vascular/interstitial concentration amounted to 7.4 to 1.3 depending on the concentration of NA administered (3 × 10^–9 to 10^–6 M). These concentration differences were abolished by inhibitors of uptake₁ desipramine (DMI) I and uptake, (O-methyl-isoprenaline (OMI)). Neuronal uptake, was characterized by a K_m of 0.22 mol/l and a V_max of 370 pmol × min^–1 × gWWT^–1, extraneuronal uptake₂ by a K_UPTAKE of = 0.313 min^–4.The apparent permeability surface area (P×S)-product calculated from uptake rate and transcapillary concentration difference was significantly decreased by administrating 100 mol/l (NA) in presence of DMI. A presumed endothelial uptake mechanism contributing to catecholamine translocation was investigated in endothelial cells in culture. These cells showed a specific noradrenaline uptake with a K_m of 4.35 mol/l and a V_max of about 75 pmol × min^–1 x gWWT^–1. Any inhibiton by inhibitors of both of the two noradrenaline uptakes was lacking. The uptake rate of this mechanism is insufficient to contribute to the diffusive conductivity of the capillary wall (P × S-product). We conclude from our investigations on interstitial concentrations of catecholamines and transcapillary concentration differences, that the capillary wall, owing to its metabolic and diffusional characteristics, influences the exchange of catecholamines to a substantial and physiologically relevant extent.     

Immunochemical comparison of membrane-associated and secreted arabinogalactan-proteins in rice and carrot

Arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs) occurring in suspension-cultured rice (Oryza saliva L.) cells, their conditioned medium and at the rice root apex were investigated using monoclonal antibodies and the AGP-binding -glucosyl Yariv reagent ( GlcY). A monoclonal antibody, LM2, was generated that recognized an acidic carbohydrate epitope common to two soluble AGPs occurring in the conditioned medium of proliferating rice cells, membrane-associated AGPs (rmAGP) in the cultured cells and two AGPs at the rice root apex. In addition, LM2 recognized AGPs secreted by suspensioncultured carrot (Daucus carota L.) cells. The two AGPs of the rice culture medium, srAGP1 and srAGP2, were discriminated by their mobilities during sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, reaction with GlcY, the presence of arabinogalactan epitopes and anion-exchange chromatography. The association of rmAGP with the plasma membrane was investigated by Triton-X-114/aqueous partitioning of both microsomal and plasma-membrane preparations and rmAGP was found to partition into the detergent phase, indicating that AGPs are hydrophobic plasma-membrane proteins in rice. This was in contrast to plasma-membrane AGPs of suspension-cultured carrot cells that partitioned into the aqueous phase. At the rice root apex most of the AGP was associated with the microsomal fraction and also partitioned into the detergent phase, although a distinct highmolecular-mass AGP entered the aqueous phase.Abbreviations AGP arabinogalactan-protein - GlcY -glucosyl Yariv reagent - ELISA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay We gratefully acknowledge support from the Leverhulme Trust, the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Royal Society.     

Suppression of fungal β-glucan-induced plant defence in soybean (Glycine max L.) by cyclic 1,3-1,6-β-glucans from the symbiont Bradyrhizobium japonicum

The production of antimicrobial phytoalexins is one of the best-known inducible defence responses following microbial infection of plants or treatment with elicitors. In the legume soybean (Glycine max L.), 1,3-1,6--glucans derived from the fungal pathogen Phytophthora sojae have been identified as potent elicitors of the synthesis of the phytoalexin, glyceollin. Recently it has been reported that during symbiotic interaction between soybean and the nitrogen-fixing bacterium Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA 110 the bacteria synthesize cyclic 1,3-1,6--glucans. Here we demonstrate that both the fungal and the bacterial -glucans are ligands of -glucan-binding sites which are putative receptors for the elicitor signal compounds in soybean roots. Whereas the fungal -glucans stimulate phytoalexin synthesis at low concentrations, the bacterial cyclic 1,3-1,6--glucans appear to be inactive even at relatively high concentrations. Competition studies indicate that increasing concentrations of the bacterial 1,3-1,6--glucans progressively inhibit stimulation of phytoalexin synthesis in a bioassay induced by the fungal 1,3-1,6--glucans. Another type of cyclic -glucan, a 1,2--glucan from Rhizobium meliloti, that does not nodulate on soybean, seems to be inactive as elicitor and as ligand of the -glucan-binding sites. These results may indicate a novel mechanism for a successful plant-symbiont interaction by suppressing the plant's defence response.Abbreviations HG-APEA 1-[2-(4-aminophenyl)ethyl]amino-l-[hexaglucosyl]deoxyglucitol - HG-AzPEA l-[2-(4-azidophenyl)-ethyl]amino-l-[hexaglucosyl]deoxyglucitol - IC₅₀ concentration for half-maximal displacement We thank Ines Arlt for excellent technical assistance. This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 369), the Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Fonds der Chemischen Industrie (J.E.), and USDA CSRS NRI Competitive Research grant 93373059233 (A.A.B.).     

乙肝病毒PreSl片段与乙肝表面抗原羧端的融合表达

我们利用聚合酶链反应法（ＰＣＲ）得到了编码乙肝病毒肝细胞受体结合位点ＰｒｅＳｌ（２１￣４７）的基因片段,并将它分别融合到Ｓ基因中相应于第１７５,１８８和２２３位氨基酸残基处。所得到的融合基因插入痘苗病毒表达载体ｐＧＪＰ－５后,在哺乳动物细胞ＣＶ－１中进行了暂时表达,对融合蛋白的表达、分泌和抗原性的研究表明,３种融合基因均能表达具有Ｓ和ＰｒｅＳｌ双重抗原性的融合蛋白,但融合位点对表达水平和分泌性质有     

陆地表层系统动力学机制研究Ⅰ．──陆地表层系统和动力学方程

对陆地表层动力学的研究对象、研究内容及其基本理论方法作了阐述,以多学科综合的观点定义了陆地表层系统,包括时空尺度范围的约定、状态变量的选择、物质循环以及外界因子等的讨论;依据物质和能量守恒原理建立了陆地表层系统的非线性控制方程组,表述了各圈层之间物质循环和能量循环过程、反馈关系及其动力学联系;讨论了控制方程组的整体运作功能以及人类活动对陆地表层系统的影响．     

The biotechnology and applications of antibody engineering

The exquisite specificity of monoclonal antibodies (MAb) has long provided the potential for creating new reagents for the in vivo delivery of therapeutic drugs or toxins to defined cellular target sites or improved methods of diagnosis. However, many difficulties associated with their production, affinity, specificity, and use in vivo have largely confined their application to research or in vitro diagnostics. This situation is beginning to change with the recent developments in the applied molecular techniques that allow the engineering of the genes that encode antibodies rather than the manipulation of the intact antibodies themselves. Techniques, such as the polymerase chain reaction, have provided essential methods with which to generate and modify the genetic constituents of antibodies, allow their conjugation to toxins or drugs, provide ways of humanizing murine antibodies, and allow discrete modular antigen binding components to be produced. More recent developments of in vitro expression systems and powerful phage surface display technologies will without doubt play a major role in future antibody engineering and in the successful development of new diagnostic and therapeutic antibody-based reagents.     

Determination of the accessible surface of globular proteins by means of tritium planigraphy

Results are presented for proteins with known three-dimensional structure (lysozyme, myoglobin, ribonuclease), which show that the probability of label incorporation upon bombardment by hot tritium atoms may be quantitatively linked with the surface area of the protein accessible to water molecules. Possible deviations from simple linear dependency caused by particular mechanisms of label introduction are discussed. The data obtained in experiments with model systems were used to determine the accessible surface area of human serum albumin, for which structural data is not sufficiently accurate to allow estimation of accessible surface area. Experimental data correlate reasonably well with estimations based on conventional concepts of the relationship between accessible surface area and molecular weight for globular proteins. Correspondence to: A. V. Volynskaya     

The elimination ofO-linked glycans from glycoproteins under non-reducing conditions

A simple procedure is described for the elimination ofO-linked glycans from bovine submaxillary mucin under non-reducing conditions, using triethylamine in aqueous hydrazine. The glycans were isolated as the hydrazones, which were converted to the reducing glycans by exchange with acetone in neutral aqueous solution. The glycan alditols obtained after reduction corresponded to those obtained by the reductive -elimination ofO-glycans.     

Immunoblotting identifies and antigen recognized by anti gp63 in the immune complexes of Indian kala-azar patient sera

In SDS-PAGE the immune complexes (IC) of kala-azar patient sera showed intense bands at 55 kDa and 20 kDa corresponding to heavy and light chains of immunoglobulins. In immunoblot experiment, kala-azar and normal IC after treatment with patient sera showed multiple bands of which the band at 55 kDa was most prominent in kala-azar IC. It is known that in kala-azar sera antihuman IgG is present, so the heavy band at 55 kDa region may be due to higher amount of IgG and/or other antigen(s) present at that region. Immunoblot experiments of kala-azar IC with anti gp63 also developed a major band at 55 kDa. It suggests that the antigen (55 kDa) and gp63 have common antigenic epitope (s). Normal IC did not react with anti gp63 indicating absence of this antigen in normal IC. Antigenic similarity between the IC antigen (55 kDa) and gp63 indicated that the former antigen may have been processed from gp63. In summary, identification of a parasite antigen (55 kDa) in IC of kala-azar patients sera may be useful in developing a serodiagnostic assay for visceral leishmaniasis. (Mol Cell Biochem130: 11–17, 1994)Abbreviations IC Immune Complexes - PEG Polyethylene Glycol (Mol wt 8000) - PBS Phosphate Buffer Saline - VL Visceral Leishmaniasis - AVL American Visceral Leishmaniasis - IgG Immunoglobulin G - TBS Tris Buffer Saline - SDS-PAGE Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis - gp63 A leishmanial surface glycoprotein of molecular mass 63,000 - TEMED N,N,N,N-Tetramethylethylenediamine