Homonyms, synonyms and mutations of the sequence/structure vocabulary

The effect of pH and temperature on the association equilibrium constant (Ka) for bovine basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI, Kunitz inhibitor) binding to human urinary kallikrein and porcine pancreatic beta-kallikreins A and B has been investigated. Ka values decrease with decreasing pH, reflecting the acid-midpoint and pK shifts, upon BPTI binding, of a three-proton co-operative transition, between pH 3 and 5, and of a single ionizable group, between pH 5 and 9. At pH 8, the values of delta H degree (between 7 degrees C and 42 degrees C) and delta S degree (at 21 degrees C) for BPTI binding to the glandular kallikreins considered were determined. In particular, the delta H degree values have been found to be independent of temperature and the following values have been obtained by van't Hoff plots: +1.8 kcal/mol, +2.3 kcal/mol and +2.4 kcal/mol (1 kcal = 4184 J) for the inhibitor binding to human urinary kallikrein and porcine pancreatic beta-kallikreins A and B, respectively. Considering the known molecular structures of free porcine pancreatic beta-kallikrein A and BPTI, and of their complex, the stereochemistry of the enzyme : inhibitor contact regions was analysed for the three serine proteinases, in relation to their respective types of behaviour.     

Rat α2u-globulin mRNA expression in the preputial gland

Rat _2u-globulin and the mouse major urinary proteins (MUP) are encoded by homologous multigene families whose members exhibit diverse tissue-specific, developmental, and hormonal controls of expression. Although their patterns of expression and hormonal control appear to be very similar in many respects, we have found high levels of _2u-globulin mRNA in rat preputial glands, whereas MUP mRNA could not be detected in the male mouse preputial gland. Male and female rat preputial have similar concentrations of _2u-globulin mRNA, suggesting an absence of endocrine regulation as occurs in the liver and lachrymal glands. Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of proteins encoded by hybrid-selected _2u-globulin mRNA indicates that the liver and lachrymal translation products have different mobilities. However, many of the preputial gland products comigrate with most or all of the liver and lachrymal products. Among the possibilities suggested by these results is that _2u-globulin genes expressed in liver and lachrymal glands under endocrine control are also expressed constitutively in the preputial gland.This work was supported by Public Health Service Research Grant GM25023 from the National Institutes of Health.     

苏氏(鱼芒)的鳔的形态结构和气呼吸习性

本文研究了苏氏(鱼芒)的鳔的形态结构和气呼吸习性。苏氏(鱼芒)的鳔呈高度血管化和具有密集的类似肺泡的泡囊状呼吸小室。通过水面的气呼吸活动获得氧气。在水温为25.2—25.8℃、溶氧量0.57—0.65mg/l时,气呼吸频数为17.2—17.5次/鱼/小时。呼吸频数随溶氧量升高而下降。在高溶氧量的水体中(3.45—5.46mg/l)仍具有进行水面气呼吸,但频数较低。在阻碍气呼吸进行时,窒息点为0.95—1.06mg/l,这一窒息点大大高于气呼吸时正常生活所允许的最低溶氧量(约0.6mg/l)。实验证实了鳔是苏氏(鱼芒)的重要辅助呼吸器官。     

Dissociation of the metabolic from the contractile response to muscarinic stimulation in the rabbit urinary bladder

The calcium dependence of contraction and NADH flurorescence was investigated in rabbit bladder stimulated with bethanechol or KCl. The absence of calcium in the bathing solution induced a rightward shift in the dose response to bethanechol for both contraction and NADH flurorescence. The contractile response was shifted to a greater degree than the fluorescence response and the maximal response to bethanechol was reduced by 80% for contraction but only 20% for NADH fluorescence. This rightward shift was also induced by the benzothiazepine calcium antagonist diltiazem (200 M) and again the contractile response was shifted significantly more than the fluorescence response. The combination of zero calcium and 200 M diltiazem virtually abolished contractions but only inhibited the NADH fluorescence by 65% at maximally effective bethanechol concentrations. Unlike the effect of diltiazem on the response to bethanechol, diltiazem (200 M) shifted both the contraction and fluorescence curves to the right equally in response to KCl stimulation. These results indicate that a metabolic response to muscarinic stimulation (decreased NADH) can occur in the absence of any observable contractile response. This metabolic response may be due to post receptor signal processing events. For KCl stimulation, the NADH response is probably secondary to and a result of the contractile response.Abbreviations ATP Adenosine Triphosphate - KCl Potassium Chloride - HPLC High Performance Liquid Chromatography - NADH reduced nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide - NAD Oxidized Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide     

Changes in zinc metabolism following exercise in human subjects

Changes in zinc (Zn) availability in muscle tissue that influence muscle performance in vitro have been observed. The effect of exercise of plasma Zn levels and urinary excretion of Zn was observed in sever untrained volunteers following brief intensive exercise and in seven trained volunteers after more prolonged road-running exercise. With brief exercise, plasma Zn decreased predominantly in the more loosely bound albumin fraction. Prolonged exercise resulted in a greater plasma Zn decrease of 30%. Urinary Zn excretion increased transiently with minimal effect on daily losses. However, weight loss by sweating was significant, and sweat Zn losses were greater than those in the urine. Exercise resulted in changes in Zn metabolism that may influence performance.     

Apical membrane K conductance in the toad urinary bladder

Summary The conductance of the apical membrane of the toad urinary bladder was studied under voltage-clamp conditions at hyperpolarizing potentials (mucosa negative to serosa). The serosal medium contained high KCl concentrations to reduce the voltage and electrical resistance across the basal-lateral membrane, and the mucosal solution was Na free, or contained amiloride, to eliminate the conductance of the apical Na channels. As the mucosal potential (V _m) was made more negative the slope conductance of the epithelium increased, reaching a maximum at conductance of the epithelium increased, reaching a maximum atV _m=–100 mV. This rectifying conductance activated with a time constant of 2 msec whenV _m was changed abruptly from 0 to –100 mV, and remained elevated for at least 10 min, although some decrease of current was observed. ReturningV _m to+100 mV deactivated the conductance within 1 msec. Ion substitution experiments showed that the rectified current was carried mostly by cations moving from cell to mucosa. Measurement of K flux showed that the current could be accounted for by net movement of K across the apical membrane, implying a voltage-dependent conductance to K (G _K). Mucosal addition of the K channel blockers TEA and Cs had no effect onG _K, while 29mm Ba diminished it slightly. Mucosal Mg (29mm) also reducedG _K, while Ca (29mm) stimulated it.G _K was blocked by lowering the mucosal pH with an apparent pK₁ of 4.5. Quinidine (0.5mm in the serosal bath) reducedG _K by 80%.G _K was stimulated by ADH (20 mU/ml), 8-Br-cAMP (1mm), carbachol (100 m), aldosterone (5×10^–7 m for 18 hr), intracellular Li and extracellular CO₂.     

The relationship between female urinary estrogen excretion and mating behavior in cotton-topped tamarins,Saguinus oedipus oedipus

Daily urinary estrogen excretion in six singly housed adult female cottontopped tamarins was measured by radioimmunoassay. Each female was paired with a male for 1 hr every day, during which behavioral observations were conducted on the pair from behind a oneway glass screen. During each observation period the duration or frequency of occurrence of various behaviors was recorded. In this paper, the daily variations of (1) total frequency of male mounting, (2) total frequency of male mounting with thrusting, and (3) latency to first male mount are presented in relation to the measured pattern of female estrogen excretion. The results reveal a high degree of behavioral variation between pairs, although a relationship between rhythmic changes in sexual activity and female estrogen excretion in individual pairs is apparent. Mating occurs throughout the female cycle and also during at least the first 2–3 weeks of pregnancy. A gestation period of 170–172 days is estimated in respect of one female, in agreement with a previous observation of one gestation of at least 166 days. The high frequency and intensity of mating recorded in this controlledintroduction study give support to the proposition that mating is important in pairbonding in this monogamous species. It is concluded that under the experimental procedure followed, mating behavior did not reliably reflect the female’s reproductive hormonal state.     

Effect of calcium ionophore A23187 on electrogenic acid-base transport in turtle bladder Inhibition of acidification and stimulation of alkalinization

Turtle bladders bathed on both surfaces with identical HCO^?₃/CO₂-rich, Cl^?-free Na⁺ media and treated with ouabain and amiloride exhibit a transepithelial potential serosa electronegative to mucosa and a short-circuit current ($\text{I}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>sc</mtext>}}$) which is a measure of the net luminal acidification rate. Addition of calcium ionophore A23187 (10 μM) to the mucosal side of the epithelium rapidly reverses the direction of the potential difference and $\text{I}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>sc</mtext>}}$ and decreases tissue resistance. The resulting positive $\text{I}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>sc</mtext>}}$ resembles that previously observed in response to isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX) and cAMP analogs. Reversal of the $\text{I}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>sc</mtext>}}$ is enhanced in bladders from severely alkalotic turtles. In contrast, in severely acidotic turtles, ionophore A23187 decreases, but does not reverse, the $\text{I}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>sc</mtext>}}$. The data suggest that, like IBMX and cAMP analogs, the Ca ionophore stimulates an electrogenic alkalinization mechanism, but, unlike the former agents inhibits the concurrent acidification process as well.     

ATPase activity and ATP-dependent proton translocation in plasma membrane vesicles of turtle bladder epithelial cells

ATP-induced quenching of fluorescence of acridine orange (a pH probe) or Oxonol V (a potential difference probe) is evoked in turtle bladder membrane vesicles in suspending media of appropriate ionic composition and is insensitive to oligomycin, valinomycin, and ouabain. These effects are ascribed to a membrane-bound, ouabain-resistant ATPase which mediates an active electrogenic proton transport.