Phase I study of combination recombinant interleukin-2 and interferon gamma in patients with advanced malignancies

A phase I trial of interleukin-2 and interferon gamma combination treatment in patients with advanced malignancies was performed based on preclinical in vitro and in vivo data which demonstrated synergistic antitumor effect. The toxicities, immune parameters, and tumor responses are described. The clinical and biologic maximal tolerated doses were extrapolated from these data.     

Multiple dystrophin isoforms are associated with the postsynaptic membrane of Torpedo electric organ.

We have shown previously that dystrophin is a component of postsynaptic membranes in Torpedo electric organ and is localized at mammalian neuromuscular synapses. In skeletal muscle, dystrophin is also detectable at the non-synaptic membrane of the myofiber, whereas in the electric organ, dystrophin is strictly localized to the postsynaptic membrane, and is not detectable in non-synaptic membranes. Multiple isoforms of dystrophin are present in skeletal muscle, and different isoforms could potentially be targetted to synaptic and non-synaptic membranes. We sought to determine whether the electric organ contains a single, or multiple isoforms of dystrophin, and we show here that the electric organ contains both a and b isoforms of dystrophin. Because dystrophin is found only at the postsynaptic membrane of the electric organ, we conclude that the two isoforms coexist in the postsynaptic membrane.     

Enhanced transformability with heterospecific deoxyribonucleic acid in a Streptococcus sanguis mutant impaired in ribonucleic acid polymerase activity.

We have induced with nitrosoguanidine in Streptococcus sanguis a mutation conferring inability to grow and synthesize ribonucleic acid (RNA) at 42 C, the optimal temperature for growth and RNA synthesis in the parental strain. The mutation (ts) is transferable via transforming deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and is replaceable by its wild-type allele with fairly high efficiency in transformation reactions. The ts mutation is unlinked to the sites of mutation conferring resistance of rifampin (rifr) and streptolydigin (stgr), known to affect the beta subunit of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Extracts from strains carrying the ts mutation are more sensitive to elevated temperatures than are parental extracts when assayed for DNA-dependent RNA polymerase. The conclusion that the mutation causes a temperature-sensitive defect in some component of this enzyme (other than beta) is supported by the finding that the polymerase activity of a heat-inactivated ts stgr extract cannot be increased by addition of an unheated ts stgs extract, which is itself inactivated by streptolydigin. S. sanguis recipients carrying the ts mutation are highly transformable with heterospecific DNA, especially at the restrictive temperature.     

The Microbial Community of Poultry Farm Waste and Its Role in Hydrogen Sulfide Production

Microbiology - The microbiota of chicken litter remains largely unexplored, despite its leading role in the formation of volatile odorants and unpleasant odors. One of the main components of the...     

Comparative Study of Methanogenic Pathways in the Sediments of Thermokarst and Polygenetic Yamal Lakes

Microbiology - Comparative study of methanogen diversity and potential activity of different methanogenic pathways in the sediments of young thermokarst and mature polygenetic Yamal lakes was...     

Metagenomic Analysis of the Microbial Community in the Underground Coal Fire Area (Kemerovo Region,Russia) Revealed Predominance of Thermophilic Members of the Phyla Deinococcus-Thermus,Aquificae, and Firmicutes

Microbiology - Underground burning of coal seams accompanied by release of gases leads to development of local thermal ecosystems. We investigated the microbial community of the ground heated to...     

A Novel Plasmid pALWVS1.4 from Acinetobacter lwoffii Strain VS15, Carrying the Chloramphenicol Resistance Gene

Microbiology - Sequencing and analysis of the genome of the chloramphenicol-resistant strain Acinetobacter lwoffii VS15, isolated from permafrost, revealed a circular plasmid 11 964 bp in...     

Urinary Excretion of Silicon in Men,Non-pregnant Women,and Pregnant Women: a Cross-sectional Study

Biological Trace Element Research - Silicon is a trace element found mainly in plant-based food and proposed to be beneficial for bone health. Urinary excretion of Si has been shown to be a...