The insertion of mesenchyme cells into the ectoderm during differentiation in Sea urchin embryos

Summary During the course of sea urchin development, from early blastula to pluteus larva, there are two major visible processes toward which all activities seem to be focused. They are the differentiation of the larval skeleton by the primary mesenchyme cells and the differentiation of the primitive gut by the secondary mesenchyme cells. These activities take place within the shell-like layer of epithelial cells, or ectodermal wall. The interactive role of the ectodermal wall with the mesenchyme cells is not yet clearly understood. A number of earlier studies have proposed that the ectoderm may have an inductive influence on the mesenchyme cells and that its inner surface forms a molecular template for guiding the mesenchyme cells. In this report, we suggest an additional role for the ectodermal wall. We show that some primary mesenchyme cells and secondary mesenchyme cells insert between the cells of the ectodermal wall in order to firmly anchor the anlage of the larval skeleton and primitive gut during differentiation. This mechanism may provide a physical basis for maintaining the stable positional relationship of the anlage during development.     

A finite-difference electromagnetic deposition/thermoregulatory model: comparison between theory and measurements

The rate of the electromagnetic energy deposition and the resultant thermoregulatory response of a block model of a squirrel monkey exposed to plane-wave fields at 350 MHz were calculated using a finite-difference procedure. Noninvasive temperature measurements in live squirrel monkeys under similar exposure conditions were obtained using Vitek probes. Calculations exhibit reasonable correlation with the measured data, especially for the rise in colonic temperature.     

Transmembrane signaling by the B subunit of cholera toxin: increased cytoplasmic free calcium in rat lymphocytes

It has previously been shown that the B subunit of cholera toxin, which binds solely to the plasma membrane ganglioside GM1, stimulates the proliferation of rat thymic lymphocytes (Spiegel, S., P. H. Fishman, and R. J. Weber, 1985, Science [Wash. DC], 230:1285-1287). The purpose of this study was to identify which transmembrane signaling system(s) are activated by the B subunit of cholera toxin. We compared the effects of B subunit and concanavalin A (Con A), a potent mitogenic lectin, on a number of second messenger systems that are putative mediators of T cell activation. Changes in the fluorescence of quin2-loaded cells revealed that mitogenic doses of either B subunit or Con A induced rapid and sustained increases in cytoplasmic free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i). Within 5 min, [Ca2+]i increased from a basal level of 69 +/- 4 to 136 +/- 17 and 185 +/- 24 nM, respectively. The effects of B subunit and Con A were additive and largely dependent on the presence of extracellular Ca2+, though release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores could be detected for Con A, but not B subunit, using indo-1. The B subunit had no effect on either inositol phosphate levels or on the distribution of protein kinase C, indicating that, unlike Con A, the B subunit does not activate phosphoinositide hydrolysis. Fluorimetric measurements on cells loaded with bis(carboxyethyl)-5,6-carboxyfluorescein revealed that Con A induced a rapid cytoplasmic alkalinization via activation of Na+/H+ exchange, whereas B subunit had no effect on intracellular pH. Finally, by monitoring bis-oxonol fluorescence, we found that Con A induced a small hyperpolarization of the membrane potential, whereas B subunit had no acute effect. These data suggest that the biological effects of B subunit are mediated by an increase in [Ca2+]i resulting from a net influx of extracellular Ca2+.     

Structural relatedness of lysis proteins from colicinogenic plasmids and icosahedral coliphages

The host-lysis-inducing functions of phi X174 protein E and MS2 protein L were recently shown to reside on the N-terminal and C-terminal halves of the two respective lysis proteins. In the present study it is shown that the small lysis proteins encoded in various colicinogenic plasmids share local sequence similarities and certain structural characteristics with the essential peptides of their coliphage-coded counterparts. Despite their dissimilar sizes and origins, it is suggested that the colicinogenic lysis proteins are functionally analogous and evolutionarily related to those of icosahedral single- stranded DNA and RNA phages.      

Tissue-specific regulation of GTP-binding protein and muscarinic acetylcholine receptor levels during cardiac development

A quantitative immunoblot assay was developed by using affinity-purified monospecific antibodies to quantitate levels of guanine nucleotide binding regulatory protein (G-protein) subunits in atria and ventricles during embryonic chicken cardiac development. The muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) number was measured with [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate. On day 10 of embryonic development (day 10E) there was no difference between the atrial and ventricular membrane concentrations of beta-subunit, G0 alpha subunit, or mAChR. The level of Gi alpha was found to be 44% greater in atria than in ventricles on day 10E. The atrial membrane concentration of beta-subunit increased 80% between day 13E and 15E, G0 alpha increased 46% between day 10E and 15E, mAChR increased 61% between day 10E and 12E, and Gi alpha decreased 34% between day 10E and 13E. The atrial levels of beta-subunit, G0 alpha, Gi alpha, and mAChR did not change further through day 20E. The ventricular membrane concentration of these proteins did not change between day 10E and 20E, except for that of G0 alpha, which increased 47% between day 15E and 20E. The atrial specific increase in beta-subunit correlated with a loss of GTP inhibition of basal adenylate cyclase activity. The difference in Gi alpha levels between atria and ventricles on day 10E correlated with a difference in carbachol sensitivity of atrial and ventricular basal adenylate cyclase activity. Thus, the levels of several components of the cholinergic neuroeffector pathway are regulated in a tissue-specific manner at a time that coincides with the onset of functional parasympathetic innervation of the embryonic chicken heart.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Chemically induced hypothyroidism produces elevated amounts of the alpha subunit of the inhibitory guanine nucleotide binding protein (Gi) and the beta subunit common to all G-proteins.

Adipocytes of hypothyroid rats display an increased responsiveness to agents which function by inhibiting the production of cyclic AMP. Anti-peptide antisera which selectively recognise the alpha subunit of the inhibitory guanine nucleotide binding protein (Gi) detected a 40 kDa polypeptide in adipocyte plasma membranes of both euthyroid and hypothyroid rats. Amounts of the alpha subunit of Gi were elevated some 2-fold in the hypothyroid preparations in comparison with the euthyroid controls, when equal amounts of membrane protein of the two treatments were examined. As cells from the hypothyroid animals contained 2.7 times as much membrane protein as those from the control animals, the amounts of alpha subunit of Gi are elevated some 5.6-fold per cell in adipocytes of the hypothyroid animals compared with the euthyroid controls. Amounts of the 36 kDa beta subunit of G-proteins were also elevated in plasma membranes of adipocytes of hypothyroid animals, in this case by some 50% when compared on a protein basis. These results provide direct evidence for alterations in the amounts of the subunits of Gi caused by the hypothyroid state.     

Enzymic synthesis,chemical characterisation and Sda activity of GalNAcß1-4[NeuAcα2-3]Galß1-4GlcNAc and GalNAcß1-4[NeuAcα2-3]Galß1-4Glc

The tetrasaccharides GalNAcß1-4[NeuAc2-3]Galß1-4Glc and GalNAcß1-4[NeuAc2-3]Galß1-4GlcNAc were synthesised by enzymic transfer of GalNAc from UDP-GalNAc to 3-sialyllactose (NeuAc2-3Galß1-4Glc) and 3-sialyl-N-acetyllactosamine (NeuAc2-3Galß1-4GlcNAc). The structures of the products were established by methylation and¹H-500 MHz NMR spectroscopy. In Sd^a serological tests the product formed with 3-sialyl-N-acetyllactosamine was highly active whereas that formed with 3-sialyllactose had only weak activity.     

Membrane attachment of recombinant G-protein alpha-subunits in excess of beta gamma subunits in a eukaryotic expression system

Recombinant cDNAs encoding the alpha-subunits of Gi1, Gi2, Gi3, Go and Gs were transfected into COS cells with the pCD-PS mammalian expression vector. Expression of each G alpha was verified using subtype-specific peptide antisera on immunoblots. Quantitative immunoblotting of alpha and beta subunits indicated: i) that there was no change in expression of endogenous beta subunits, and ii) overexpression of alpha subunits could achieve a ratio of alpha:beta greater than 25:1. Despite the excess of alpha over beta, the G alpha subunits were found predominantly in the membrane fraction. The results demonstrate that G alpha subunits can attach to the membrane independently of beta gamma subunits.