Hypothyroidism in rats decreases mitochondrial inner membrane cation permeability

We investigated the cation permeability of liver mitochondria isolated from hypothyroid or euthyroid rats by measuring the rate of swelling of respiring mitochondria in acetate salts as a function of membrane potential. Mitochondria from hypothyroid rats have a decreased permeability of roughly 3-fold in the presence of monovalent cations K and tetramethylammonium at any (measured) membrane potential. Since the monovalent cation leak and the proton leak are known to respond similarly to membrane potential our results support the theory that the difference in non-phosphorylating respiration rate between mitochondria from hypothyroid and euthyroid rats is due to a difference in proton leak.     

Thyroid-hormone control of state-3 respiration in isolated rat liver mitochondria.

Oxidative phosphorylation can be treated as two groups of reactions; those that generate protonmotive force (dicarboxylate carrier, succinate dehydrogenase and the respiratory chain) and those that consume protonmotive force (adenine nucleotide and phosphate carriers. ATP synthase and proton leak). Mitochondria from hypothyroid rats have lower rates of respiration in the presence of ADP (state 3) than euthyroid controls. We show that the kinetics of the protonmotive-force generators are unchanged in mitochondria from hypothyroid animals, but the kinetics of the protonmotive-force consumers are altered, supporting proposals that the important effects of thyroid hormone on state 3 are on the ATP synthase or the adenine nucleotide translocator.     

Randomised trial of prophylactic daily aspirin in British male doctors

A six year randomised trial was conducted among 5139 apparently healthy male doctors to see whether 500 mg aspirin daily would reduce the incidence of and mortality from stroke, myocardial infarction, or other vascular conditions. Though total mortality was 10% lower in the treated than control group, this difference was not statistically significant and chiefly involved diseases other than stroke or myocardial infarction. Likewise, there was no significant difference in the incidence of non-fatal myocardial infarction or stroke—indeed, disabling strokes were somewhat commoner among those allocated aspirin. The lower confidence limit for the effect of aspirin on non-fatal stroke or myocardial infarction, however, was a substantial 25% reduction. Migraine and certain types of musculoskeletal pain were reported significantly less often in the treated than control group, but as the control group was not given a placebo the relevance of these findings was difficult to assess. There was no apparent reduction in the incidence of cataract in the treated group.The lack of any apparent reduction in disabling stroke or vascular death contrasts with the established value of antiplatelet treatment after occlusive vascular disease.     

The incorporation of 3H-fucose and 3H-mannose into the photopigment of the crayfish Procambarus clarkii

Summary Isolated crayfish retinas were incubated for 8 h in the light in a medium containing either ³H-fucose or ³H-mannose. Following this incubation, the rhabdom membranes were isolated, the pigment reduced with boranedimethylamine, and extracted with SDS detergent. The membrane-protein extract was separated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The photopigment band on the gels was identified by its fluorescence upon exposure to long wavelength ultraviolet light. Determination of the distribution of radioactivity in the gels indicated that both fucose and mannose labeled the photopigment and other glycoproteins. Hydrolysis of the sugars from the labeled photopigment bands, followed by thin layer chromatography, further confirmed that both sugars were incorporated into newly synthesized photopigment without modification. These results provide the first reported data on the partial composition of the carbohydrate moiety of an invertebrate photopigment. These findings on the crayfish photopigment are compared with data from vertebrate rhodopsin and photopigment of other invertebrates.Supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (BNS 80-04587) and by BRSG Grant 507 RR07031 awarded by the Biomedical Research Support Grant Program, Division of Research Resources, NIH     

mtDNA diversity in rhesus monkeys reveals overestimates of divergence time and paraphyly with neighboring species

Reconstructions of the human-African great ape phylogeny by using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been subject to considerable debate. One confounding factor may be the lack of data on intraspecific variation. To test this hypothesis, we examined the effect of intraspecific mtDNA diversity on the phylogenetic reconstruction of another Plio- Pleistocene radiation of higher primates, the fascicularis group of macaque (Macaca) monkey species. Fifteen endonucleases were used to identify 10 haplotypes of 40-47 restriction sites in M. mulatta, which were compared with similar data for the other members of this species group. Interpopulational, intraspecific mtDNA diversity was large (0.5%- 4.5%), and estimates of divergence time and branching order incorporating this variation were substantially different from those based on single representatives of each species. We conclude that intraspecific mtDNA diversity is substantial in at least some primate species. Consequently, without prior information on the extent of genetic diversity within a particular species, intraspecific variation must be assessed and accounted for when reconstructing primate phylogenies. Further, we question the reliability of hominoid mtDNA phylogenies, based as they are on one or a few representatives of each species, in an already depauperate superfamily of primates.      

GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION AMONG CHEWING LOUSE POPULATIONS (MALLOPHAGA: TRICHODECTIDAE) IN A POCKET GOPHER CONTACT ZONE (RODENTIA: GEOMYIDAE)

Genetic variation among populations of chewing lice (Geomydoecus actuosi) was examined in relation to chromosomal and electrophoretic variation among populations of their hosts (Thomomys bottae) at a contact zone. Louse demes were characterized by low levels of genetic heterozygosity (H? = 0.039) that may result from founder effects during primary infestation of hosts, compounded by seasonal reductions in louse population size. Louse populations sampled from different hosts showed high levels of genetic structuring both within and among host localities. Microgeographic differentiation of louse populations is high (mean F_ST = 0.092) suggesting that properties of this host–parasite system promote differentiation of louse populations living on different individual hosts. Among-population differentiation in lice (F_ST = 0.240) was similar to that measured among host populations (F_ST = 0.236), suggesting a close association between gene flow in pocket gophers and gene flow in their lice.     

Identification and characterization of a basic cell surface-located protein from Lactobacillus fermentum BR11.

Extraction of Lactobacillus fermentum BR11 cells with 5 M LiCl yielded a preparation containing a single predominant polypeptide with an apparent molecular mass of 32 kDa. A clone encoding an immunoreactive 32-kDa polypeptide was isolated from a pUC18 library of L. fermentum BR11 DNA by screening with an antiserum raised against whole cells of L. fermentum BR11. Sequence determination of the insert in the clone revealed a complete 795-bp open reading frame (ORF) that defines a 28,625-Da polypeptide (BspA). N-terminal sequencing of the LiCl-extracted polypeptide from L. fermentum BR11 confirmed that it is the same as the cloned BspA. BspA was found to have a sequence similar to those of family III of the bacterial solute-binding proteins. The sequences of two ORFs upstream of bspA are consistent with bspA being located in an operon encoding an ATP-binding cassette-type uptake system. Unusually, BspA contains no lipoprotein cleavage and attachment motif (LXXC), despite its origin in a gram-positive bacterium. Biotin labelling and trypsin digestion of whole cells indicated that this polypeptide is exposed on the cell surface. The isoelectric point as predicted from the putative mature sequence is 10.59. It was consequently hypothesized that the positively charged BspA is anchored by electrostatic interaction with acidic groups on the cell surface. It was shown that BspA could be selectively removed from the surface by extraction with an acidic buffer, thus supporting this hypothesis.     

Localized mutagenesis with bacteriophage Mu: method for increasing the frequency of specific bacterial mutants.

A method is described for markedly enriching a bacterial population for cells containing any given Mu insertion mutation. The method involves the transfer of a small piece of deoxyribonucleic acid from a Mu-infected Hfr donor donor strain to a suitable F- strain and a subsequent selection of those recombinant organisms that have received a Mu prophage from the donor. The method is particularly usefule for isolating mutants whose selection requires "brute-force" assay, since only a few hundred colonies have to be screened.