CDC17: an essential gene that prevents telomere elongation in yeast

The CDC17 gene product performs an essential stage-specific function during the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell cycle. When cdc17-1 strains are grown at the maximum permissive temperature, recombination is induced preferentially in the genetic interval of the chromosome closest to the telomere. Telomeres are longer in cdc17 strains than in CDC17 strains at the permissive temperature because of addition of sequence near or in the poly (C1-3A) telomeric DNA and become even longer when cells are propagated at elevated temperatures. The mitotic recombination events require RAD52 function, but telomere growth does not. Long telomeres are maintained for many generations when crossed into a CDC17+ background, suggesting that telomere length is largely conserved during replication. The altered telomere length phenotype of cdc17 mutations is recessive and coreverts and cosegregates with the temperature-sensitive lethal phenotype.     

A resonance Raman study of Ambystoma tigrinum hemoglobins: evidence for intraspecies hemepocket variations

Using resonance Raman difference spectroscopy, the Raman-active vibrational modes of hemoglobins from adult, neotenic, and larval forms of the salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum have been compared to each other and to human hemoglobin. The local heme environment of the adult and neotenic proteins were identical and differed from that of the larval protein. Differences were observed in modes sensitive to porphyrin pi electron density and axial ligation. Systematic differences were also observed between human and adult salamander hemoglobins particularly in modes sensitive to the heme vinyl environment. The relationship between these environmental differences, oxygen binding affinity, and the effects of allosteric modulators are discussed.     

Developmental regulation of myelin basic protein expression in mouse brain

Developmental regulation of myelin basic protein expression in mouse brain has been examined by comparing the myelin basic protein coding potential of mRNA in vitro with the accumulation of myelin basic protein-related polypeptides in vivo. In vitro translation of mRNA isolated from mouse brain generated eight myelin basic protein-related polypeptides with apparent molecular weights of 34K, 30K, 29K, 26K, 21.5K, 18.5K, 17K, and 14K. A similar set of eight myelin basic protein-related polypeptides with corresponding molecular weights was identified in vivo when total brain proteins were analyzed by immunoblotting. Each of the myelin basic protein-related polypeptides shows a characteristic developmental profile in terms of mRNA level and rate of accumulation implying a complex developmental program of myelin basic protein gene expression with regulation and modulation at several different biosynthetic levels.     

Transposable element-induced mutations of the viviparous-1 gene in maize

The viviparous-1 (vp1) locus in maize is a developmental gene that controls diverse aspects of the maturation phase of seed development. Mutations of vp1 alter embryo sensitivity to the hormone abscisic acid and block formation of anthocyanin pigment. Molecular cloning of a Robertson Mutator-induced mutant allele, vp1-mum-1, by transposable element tagging has allowed analysis of several transposon-induced vp1 mutants. In the vp1-Mc mutation, the gene is disrupted by 4.0 kbp insertion, which results in expression of a 3′ truncated mRNA. Phenotypically, this allele is at least partially functional in causing embryo dormancy, but is ineffective in controlling anthocyanin expression. This result suggests that disruption of the C-terminal domain of the Vp1 protein specifically affects regulation of the anthocyanin pathway. A second Mutator- derived allele, vp1-mum2, exhibits an unusual form of somatic mutability in which endosperm cells revert from wild-type vp1 expression to a mutant condition. The vp1-mum2 allele contains a 1.5 kbp Insertion that has no detectable homology to known Mu elements. This element is retained In wild-type germinal revertants derived from vp1-mum2 An apparent DNA modification affecting cleavage at an internal Sstl restriction site in the element correlates with vp1-mum2 states that exhibit wild-type Vp1 expression. A model involving mitotic assortment of modified and unmodified DNA strands during development is proposed for vp1-mum2 somatic mutation.     

Use of a light-induced respiratory transient to measure the optical cross section of photosystem I in chlorella

A method has been developed whereby the magnitude of a transient in O₂ uptake attributable to photosystem (PS) I activity, following single-turnover laser flashes of varying energy, can be used to measure the optical cross section of PSI. As measurements are made under the identical physiological conditions for which the cross section of PSII has previously been determined (AC Ley, DC Mauzerall 1982 Biochim Biophys Acta 680: 96-105), it is now possible to simultaneously measure the cross section of both photosystems in intact, photosynthetically competent cells, without the use of inhibitors or artificial mediators of electron transport. Plots of light-saturation behavior of the respiratory oscillation following pulses at 596 nanometers indicate a mean optical cross section similar to that of PSII at this wavelength, but suggest significant heterogeneity in the cross section of PSI. If this method measures only PSI activity, this result implies that there exist units with different numbers of identical chromophores, or units having populations of chromophores with different absorption spectra.     

Heparin/heparan sulfate is involved in attachment and spreading of mouse embryos in vitro

The involvement of embryonic cell surface proteoglycans in the attachment and outgrowth of cultured mouse embryos has been investigated. Several lines of evidence indicate that periimplantation stage blastocysts express heparin/heparan sulfate proteoglycans on their cell surfaces that can mediate embryo attachment and trophoblast outgrowth on a variety of matrices. First, in the presence of soluble heparin, the rate at which embryos attach and outgrow on laminin, fibronectin, or monolayers of uterine epithelial cells is reduced considerably. In the case of fibronectin, the rate of outgrowth in the presence of the heparin is slower than in the presence of the Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-containing peptide that is recognized by a fibronectin receptor. Embryos also attach and exhibit a limited ability to outgrow on platelet factor IV, a heparin binding protein that does not possess the additional binding domains of laminin or fibronectin. Attachment on platelet factor IV is inhibited by heparin. Second, cell surface digestion of attachment-component embryos with heparinase, but not chondroitinase ABC, slows the rate of outgrowth on tissue culture plates in the presence of serum. Third, selective staining for sulfated molecules on the trophectoderm surface of periimplantation stage embryos indicates that such molecules are abundant and uniformly distributed on these cell surfaces. Last, heparin/heparan sulfate proteoglycans are detected as major cell surface components of embryos using vectorial labeling with lactoperoxidase and Na125I. Collectively, these data indicate that heparin/heparan sulfate-bearing molecules have a direct role in attachment and outgrowth of implantation stage blastocysts.