A radioiodinated, intracellularly trapped ligand for determining the sites of plasma protein degradation in vivo.

We recently developed a general method for determining tissue sites of degradation of plasma proteins in vivo that made use of covalently attached radioactive sucrose. On degradation of the protein, the sucrose remained trapped in the cells as a cumulative marker of protein degradation. The method described here depends on the same principles, but uses an adduct of cellobiose and tyramine that is radioiodinated to high specific radioactivity and then covalently attached to protein. Use of the radioiodinated ligand increases the sensitivity of the method at least 100-fold and allows simplified tissue analysis. Proteins derivatized with the radioiodinated ligand were recognized as underivatized proteins both in vitro and in vivo. On degradation of derivatized low-density lipoprotein, the rate of leakage from cultured fibroblasts was only 5% during 24 h. Similarly, on injection of labelled proteins into rats and rabbits, urinary excretion of the label was in all cases less than 10% of total labelled catabolic products recovered 24 h after injection. Examination of the tissue contents of label at two times after injection of labelled asialofetuin or apolipoprotein A1 in rats, and asialotransferrin in rabbits showed that the label did not detectably redistribute between tissues after initial uptake and catabolism; a significant leakage from liver was quantitatively accounted for by label appearing in gut contents and faeces. A simple double-label method was devised to provide a correction for intact protein in trapped plasma, the extravascular spaces, and within cells. By using this method it becomes unnecessary to fractionate tissue samples.     

Studies of Raman Spectra of Water Solutions of Adenosine Tri-, Di-, and Monophosphate and Some Related Compounds

Using a He-Ne CW laser source together with a digital photon counting system, we have obtained well resolved Raman spectra for adenosine mono-, di-, and triphosphate (AMP, ADP, ATP) in aqueous solution. Spectra of these compounds were studied as a function of pH from pH = 0.5 to 13.5 and between 550 and 1700 cm(-1). It was found possible to distinguish spectroscopically between the three phosphates over the pH range studied. A qualitative analysis of vibrational modes responsible for various spectral lines is given. Lines at about 960 and 1100 cm(-1) were found to be good indications of the degree of ionization of the terminal phosphate group.     

Population genetics and phylogenetics of DNA sequence variation at multiple loci within the Drosophila melanogaster species complex

Two regions of the genome, a 1-kbp portion of the zeste locus and a 1.1- kbp portion of the yolk protein 2 locus, were sequenced in six individuals from each of four species: Drosophila melanogaster, D. simulans, D. mauritiana, and D. sechellia. The species and strains were the same as those of a previous study of a 1.9-kbp region of the period locus. No evidence was found for recent balancing or directional selection or for the accumulation of selected differences between species. Yolk protein 2 has a high level of amino acid replacement variation and a low level of synonymous variation, while zeste has the opposite pattern. This contrast is consistent with information on gene function and patterns of codon bias. Polymorphism levels are consistent with a ranking of effective population sizes, from low to high, in the following order: D. sechellia, D. melanogaster, D.mauritiana, and D. simulans. The apparent species relationships are very similar to those suggested by the period locus study. In particular, D. simulans appears to be a large population that is still segregating variation that arose before the separation of D. mauritiana and D. sechellia. It is estimated that the separation of ancestral D. melanogaster from the other species occurred 2.5-3.4 Mya. The separations of D. sechellia and D. mauritiana from ancestral D. simulans appear to have occurred 0.58- 0.86 Mya, with D. mauritiana having diverged from ancestral D. simulans 0.1 Myr more recently than D. sechellia.      

Colestipol-induced changes in LDL composition and metabolism. II. Studies in humans

We investigated the effect of the bile acid sequestrant, colestipol hydrochloride, on the composition and metabolism of human low density lipoprotein (LDL). Colestipol treatment produced a disproportionate decrease in LDL cholesterol compared to LDL apoB, resulting in a significant decrease in the LDL cholesterol/apoB ratio. Electron microscopy revealed that LDL particles were smaller in size and analytical ultracentrifugation demonstrated that colestipol therapy selectively depleted larger, more buoyant LDL particles of Sf degrees 6-7. Thus, colestipol therapy produced LDL that were smaller in size, more dense, and characterized by a decreased cholesterol to protein ratio. To determine whether the altered LDL had different metabolic properties, autologous LDL was isolated from subjects before and during colestipol therapy and their fractional catabolic rates (FCR) were then simultaneously determined in the same patient while on therapy. Eight LDL turnover studies comparing the catabolism of LDL isolated during therapy (Rx-LDL) and LDL isolated off therapy (Con-LDL) were performed in six subjects. All subjects responded to colestipol treatment, with an average 29% fall in LDL cholesterol. In four of six subjects, and in six of eight studies, the FCR of Rx-LDL was substantially slower than that of Con-LDL. These studies demonstrate that a drug intervention may alter subpopulations of LDL particles in such a way that overall LDL composition is changed. This alteration may independently affect the intrinsic metabolic behavior of the LDL. We suggest that such drug- (or dietary-) induced changes in LDL composition need to be considered in kinetic studies designed to assess the overall impact of the perturbation being studied.     

Digital image analysis of AgNORs in cervical smears of women with premalignant and malignant lesions of the uterine cervix

We performed a hospital-based, unmatched case-control study to investigate the association between progressive stages of cervical neoplasia and digital analysis of cell proliferation by silver stained nucleolus organizer region associated proteins (AgNORs). We measured cell proliferation levels in the cervical epithelial cells of 10 women with low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LG-SIL), eight with high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HG-SIL), 11 with cervical cancer (CC) and eight with no cervical lesions (controls) using the AgNORs technique. Cell proliferation was measured by digital image analysis (DIA). DIA revealed increased total areas of AgNORs in HG-SIL and CC compared to LG-SIL and control patients. AgNORs with a kidney or cluster shape exhibited greater areas than those with a spherical or long shape. We propose a cut-off of 118 pixels to differentiate benign (control and LG-SIL) from malignant (HG-SIL and CC) lesions. DIA of AgNORs is a simple and inexpensive method for studying proliferation. The increased total area of AgNORs in malignant lesions provides information regarding cell behavior and may be related to cervical carcinogenesis; however, further validation studies are required to establish its usefulness in cytological analysis.     

Mutability of microsatellites developed for the ant Camponotus consobrinus

Five highly polymorphic (GA)n microsatellite loci are reported for the formicine ant Camponotus consobrinus. The occurrence of many nests with a simple family structure enabled a search for new mutations, 11 of which were found from 3055 informative typings. These mutations were not randomly distributed across loci, 10 of them occurring at the locus Ccon70. The spectrum of mutations across alleles at Ccon70 was also nonrandom, with all of them occurring in alleles in the upper half of the allele size distribution. Six of the Ccon70 mutations decreased allele size. The mutations observed fit the stepwise mutation model well, i.e. mutations could always be assigned to an allele which differed in size from them by one repeat unit. The parental origins of the Ccon70 mutations were established and appear more female biased than vertebrate mutations, significantly so compared with human haemophilia A and primate intron mutations. This result may indicate that the lack of meiosis in males (which are haploid in ants) reduces the mutation rate in that sex relative to species in which both sexes are diploid.     

Molecular mechanisms underlying a unique intermediate phase of memory in aplysia

Short- and long-term synaptic facilitation induced by serotonin at Aplysia sensory-motor (SN-MN) synapses has been widely used as a cellular model of short- and long-term memory for sensitization. In recent years, a distinct intermediate phase of synaptic facilitation (ITF) has been described at SN-MN synapses. Here, we identify a novel intermediate phase of behavioral memory (ITM) for sensitization in Aplysia and demonstrate that it shares the temporal and mechanistic features of ITF in the intact CNS: (1) it declines completely prior to the onset of LTM, (2) its induction requires protein but not RNA synthesis, and (3) its expression requires the persistent activation of protein kinase A. Thus, in Aplysia, the same temporal and molecular characteristics that distinguish ITF from other phases of synaptic plasticity distinguish ITM from other phases of behavioral memory.