Suppressed in vitro blastogenic responsiveness of rat spleen cells after continuous infusion of endotoxin by an implanted osmotic pump

Continuous infusion of a gram-negative bacterial endotoxin in relatively small doses into rats by means of an implanted osmotic pump was studied. The model system was designed to examine the effects of endotoxin on the blastogenic response of spleen cells to the endotoxin itself and to a nonspecific T-cell mitogen, concanavalin A (Con A). Rats were implanted with an osmotic pump which delivered saline for the first 42 hr to provide postsurgical recovery before the onset of endotoxin infusion. Previous studies had shown that during the first 1-4 days after administration of endotoxin marked alterations of metabolism and some changes in physiologic parameters such as blood pressure and in vitro myocardial performance occurred. In the present study the blastogenic responsiveness of spleen cells to endotoxin itself as well as to the nonspecific T-cell mitogen Con A was markedly decreased after several days of continuous administration of endotoxin. Control animals receiving only saline for the same period of time showed a similar depression of blastogenic responsiveness to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as well as to Con A, however, with a delay of 2-4 days before comparable levels of suppression became evident. These results indicate that marked alterations of immune competence as measured by blastogenesis of spleen cells to Escherichia coli LPS and to a mitogen such as Con A may occur after implantation of an osmotic pump, with or without continuous infusion of endotoxin. Further studies seem warranted to determine the role of the foreign body reaction to the osmotic pump as well as to the endotoxin administered by the pump.     

Transmission of Megatrypanum Trypanosomes to Cervus dama by Tabanidae1

Four fallow deer, Cervus dama, became infected with Trypanosoma (Megatrypanum) sp. by oral application of triturated guts from tabanids collected in an area with deer but without any cattle; four control calves remained negative. Upon challenge with triturated guts from tabanids from an area with pastured cattle, the four calves became infected with Trypanosoma (M.) theileri. The prepatent period in deer was five days or less. Haematopota spp. and Tabanus spp. were identified as vectors of the deer trypanosomes. It is concluded that the trypanosomes of C. dama belong to a Megatrypanum species that is not identical with T. theileri.     

The effect of unphosphorylated and phosphorylated sugar moieties on human and mouse natural killer cell activity: is there selective inhibition at the level of target recognition and lytic acceptor site?

A number of different sugars were investigated for their effect on human and mouse natural killer cell (NK)-mediated cytolysis. From the pool of nonphosphorylated sugars, D-mannose, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (NAcGlc), D-glucose, and, to a lesser extent, beta-gentiobiose were found to inhibit human NK cytolysis. Mouse NK activity against YAC-1 target cells was reduced consistently in the presence of D-mannose and NAcGlc only. The sugars, NAcGlc, D-glucose, and beta-gentiobiose, were specifically inhibitory against NK-mediated cytolysis with no inhibitory effects being observed against ADCC, monocyte-mediated cytolysis, or CTL activity. Pretreatment and washing at either the target or effector cell level as well as direct target binding assays using Percoll-purified NK cells indicated that at least NAcGlc and beta-gentiobiose function at the recognition stage of NK cytolysis. D-Mannose, which was the most effective nonphosphorylated sugar inhibitor, was capable of inhibiting all cell-mediated cytotoxic mechanisms tested (NK, ADCC, monocyte, and CTL) and its action did not appear to be solely due to an impairment in the recognition event. All the phosphorylated sugars caused significant inhibition of human and mouse NK-mediated cytolysis, although repeated analyses of sugar titration curves consistently showed mannose-6-phosphate (Man-6-P) to be the most effective inhibitor. Inhibition with the phosphorylated sugars was apparent against all cytotoxic mechanisms investigated. It is possible that these sugars may function as general metabolic inhibitors or may activate a common signal which negatively regulates cell-mediated cytotoxic mechanisms. Nevertheless, the relative degree of inhibition with the majority of these sugars (particularly Man-6-P) was greater against NK and ADCC activity than against monocyte and CTL activity. Furthermore, studies with selected well-characterized human and mouse NK-resistant target cells strongly indicated that these sugars, particularly Man-6-P, compete at an acceptor site responsible for the uptake of the NK lytic factor, which is independent of the recognition structure(s).     

Physical mapping of three fruit ripening genes：Endopolygalacturonase,ACC oxidase and ACC synthase from apple（Malus x domestica） in an apple rootstock A106（Malus sieboldii

The apple rootstock,A106(Malus sieboldii),had 17 bivalents in pollen mother cells at meiotic metaphase 1,and 17 chromosomes in a haploid pollen cell.Karyotypes were prepared from root-tip cells with 2n=34 chromosomes,Seven out of 82 karyotypes(8.5%) showed one pari of satellites at the end of the short arm of chromosome 3.C-bands were shown on 6 pairs of chromosomes 2,4,6,8,14,and 16 near the telomeric regions of short arms.Probes for three ripening-related genes from Malus x domestica:endopolygalacturonase(EPG,0.6kb),ACC oxidase(1.2kb),and ACC synthase(2kb)were hybridized in situ to metaphase chromosomes of A106.Hybridization sites for the EPG gene were observed on the long arm of chromosome 14 in 15 out of 16 replicate spreads and proximal to the centromere of chromosomes 6 and 11.For the ACC oxidase gene,hylridization sites were observed in the telomeric region of the short arm of chromosomes 5 and 11 in 87% and 81% of 16 spreads respectively,proxiaml to the centromere of chromosome 1 in 81% of the spreads,and on the long arm of chromosome 13 in 50% of the spreads. Physical mapping of three fruit ripening genes in an apple rootstock A106.Twenty five spreads were studied for the ACC synthase gene and hybridization sites were observed in the telomeric region of the short arm of chromosome 12 in 96% of the spreads.chromosomes 9 and 10 in 76% of the spreads,and chromosome 17 in 56% of the spreads.     

Identification and characterization of T-cell antigen receptor-related genes in phylogenetically diverse vertebrate species

Characterization of the structure, multiplicity, organization, and cell lineage-specific expression of T-cell receptor (TCR) genes of nonmammalian vertebrate species is central to the understanding of the evolutionary origins of rearranging genes of the vertebrate immune system. We recently described a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) strategy that relies on short sequence similarities shared by nearly all vertebrate TCR and immunoglobulin (Ig) variable (V) regions and have used this approach to isolate a TCR beta (TCRB) homolog from a cartilaginous fish. Using these short PCR products as probes in spleen cDNA and genomic libraries, we were able to isolate a variety of unique TCR and TCR-like genes. Here we report the identification and characterization of a chicken TCR gamma (TCRG) homolog, apparent Xenopus and pufferfish TCR alpha (TCRA) homologs, and two horned shark TCR delta (TCRD)-like genes. In addition, we have identified what could be a novel representative of the Ig gene super-family in the pufferfish. This method of using short, minimally degenerate PCR primers should speed progress in the phylogenetic investigations of the TCR and related genes and lend important insights into both the origins and functions of these unique gene systems.The nucleotide sequence data reported in this paper have been submitted to the EMBL/GenBank nucleotide sequence databases and have been assigned the accession numbers U22666 (Gd186cDNA), U22667 (Gd187cDNA), U22668 (Gd186), U22669 (Gd187), U22670 (Hf2A), U22671 (Hf191Y), U22672 (Hf191YcDNA), U22673 (Hf2AcDNA), U22674 (SnYYC191), U22675 (SnYYC193), U22678 (SnYYC193cDNA), U22679 (Xl11), and U23067 (SnYFC191)     

The cytokineplast: purified, stable, and functional motile machinery from human blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes

We examined the formation of motile, chemotactically active, anucleate fragments from human blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN, granulocytes), induced by the brief application of heat. These granule-poor fragments are former protopods (leading fronts, lamellipodia) that become uncoupled from the main body of the cell and leave it, at first with a connecting filament that breaks and seals itself. The usual random orientation of such filaments can be controlled by preorientation of cells in a gradient of the chemotactic peptide, N-formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine (F-Met-Leu-Phe) (2x10(-9) M- 1x10(-8)). Cytochalsin B, 2.5-5 μg/ml, prevents fragment formation; colchicine, 10(-5) M, does not. In scanning electron micrographs, fragments are ruffled and the cell body rounded up and rather smooth. In transmission electron micrographs, fragments contain microfilaments but lack centrioles and microtubules. Like intact cells, both bound and free fragments can respond chemotactically to an erythrocyte destroyed by laser microirradiation (necrotaxis); the free, anucleate fragments may do so repeatedly, even after having been held overnight at ambient temperatures. We propse the name cytokineplast for the result of this self-purification of motile apparatus. The exodus of the motile machinery from the granulocyte requires anchoring of the bulk of the cell to glass and uncoupling, which may involve heat-induced dysfunction of the centrosome. In ultrastructural studies of the centrosomal region after heat, centriolar structure remains intact, but pericentriolar osmiophilic material appears condensed, and microtubules are sparse. These changes are found in all three blood cell types examined: PMN, eosinophil, and monocyte. Of these, the first two make fragments under our conditions; the more sluggish monocyte does not. Uncoupling is further linked to centrosomal dysfunction by the observation that colchicines-treated granulocytes (10(-5)M, to destroy the centrosome’s efferent arm) make fragments after less heat than controls. If motive force and orientation are specified mainly from the organelle-excluding leading front, then endoplasmic streaming in PMN is a catch-up phenomenon, and microtubules do not provide the vector of locomotion but rather stabilize and orient the “baggage” (nucleus, granuloplasm)—i.e., they prevent fishtailing. Moreover, constraints emanating from the centrosome may now be extended to include, maintenance of the motile machinery as an integral part of the cell.     

The Evolutionary Origin of Biological Function and Complexity

The identification of dynamic kinetic stability (DKS) as a stability kind that governs the evolutionary process for both chemical and biological replicators, opens up new avenues for uncovering the chemical basis of biological phenomena. In this paper, we utilize the DKS concept to explore the chemical roots of two of biology’s central concepts—function and complexity. It is found that the selection rule in the world of persistent replicating systems—from DKS less stable to DKS more stable—is the operational law whose very existence leads to the creation of function from of a world initially devoid of function. The origin of biological complexity is found to be directly related to the origin of function through an underlying connection between the two phenomena. Thus the emergence of both function and complexity during abiogenesis, and their growing expression during biological evolution, are found to be governed by the same single driving force, the drive toward greater DKS. It is reaffirmed that the essence of biological phenomena can be best revealed by uncovering biology’s chemical roots, by elucidating the physicochemical principles that governed the process by which life on earth emerged from inanimate matter.     

Towards an evolutionary theory of the origin of life based on kinetics and thermodynamics

A sudden transition in a system from an inanimate state to the living state—defined on the basis of present day living organisms—would constitute a highly unlikely event hardly predictable from physical laws. From this uncontroversial idea, a self-consistent representation of the origin of life process is built up, which is based on the possibility of a series of intermediate stages. This approach requires a particular kind of stability for these stages—dynamic kinetic stability (DKS)—which is not usually observed in regular chemistry, and which is reflected in the persistence of entities capable of self-reproduction. The necessary connection of this kinetic behaviour with far-from-equilibrium thermodynamic conditions is emphasized and this leads to an evolutionary view for the origin of life in which multiplying entities must be associated with the dissipation of free energy. Any kind of entity involved in this process has to pay the energetic cost of irreversibility, but, by doing so, the contingent emergence of new functions is made feasible. The consequences of these views on the studies of processes by which life can emerge are inferred.     

In vitro evaluation of native entomopathogenic fungi and neem (Azadiractha indica) extracts on Spodoptera frugiperda

The control of Spodoptera frugiperda is based on synthetic insecticides, so some alternatives are the use of entomopathogenic fungi (EF) and neem extract. The objective of the study was to evaluate in vitro effectiveness of native EF and neem extracts on S. frugiperda larvae. Six EF were identified by DNA sequencing of ITS regions from three EF (Fusarium solani, Metarrhizium robertsii, Nigrospora spherica and Penicillium citrinum). They were evaluated in concentrations of 1 × 10⁸ spores/ mL. In addition, a second bioassay was carried out evaluating only F. solani, M. robertsii and N. sphaerica and the addition of vegetable oil. On the other hand, extraction of secondary metabolites from neem seed (Azadirachta indica) was carried out by performing, mass (g) and solvent volume (mL ethanol and water) combinations, which were subjected to microwaves and ultrasound. Subsequently, these extracts were evaluated in concentrations of 3%, 4% and 5%. A survival analysis was performed for each of the bioassays. With respect to the results of the first bioassay, F. solani obtained a probability of survival of 0.476 on the seventh day, while in the second bioassay, M. robertsii obtained 0.488 survival probability. This suggests that the expected percentage of larvae that stay alive on the sixth day is 48.8%. However, in the evaluation of the neem extract the combination 1:12/70% to 4% caused 84% mortality of larvae. The use of native HE and neem extracts has potential for the control of S. frugiperda.