Effect of neurotensin on pancreatic function in man

The effect of neurotensin on submaximally-stimulated hepatobiliary and pancreatic secretion was studied in 6 healthy subjects. An intravenous infusion of neurotensin 1.4 ± 0.3 pmol/kg/min, designed to reproduce plasma neurotensin immunoreactivity levels within the physiological range, produced a significant increase in pancreatic bicarbonate output. Plasma concentrations of pancreatic polypeptide rose by 83 ± 16 pmol/l and were associated with a small reduction in trypsin, but no significant change in bilirubin outputs.     

The Prophage of SPβc2DcitK1, a Defective Specialized Transducing Phage of BACILLUS SUBTILIS

The defective specialized transducing phage SP beta c2dcitK1 carries two known bacterial genes, kauA and citK, as well as SP beta hage markers including the heat-sensitive repressor allele, c2. Some phage genes (including essential ones) are missing. When SP beta c2dcitK1 transduces SP beta-sensitive cells of Bacillus subtilis, the defective prophage is inserted into sites in the homologous bacterial DNA of the attSP beta-kauA-citK region of the recipient chromosome. During the growth of these transductants, occasional excisions occur that result in the loss of the phage genes and of the heterogenotic state. These excisions increase greatly in frequency during growth at repressor-inactivating temperatures. The kinds of insertions and excisions seen suggest that a Campbell-type (CAMPBELL 1962) circular phage genome may occur transiently. If the transductants are superinfected by SP beta c2 or by the clear-plaque mutant SP beta c1, the resulting double lysogen can be heat induced to release high-frequency-of-transduction (HFT) lysates for kauA and citK.     

Serologic evidence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection and risk of preterm birth.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether serologic evidence of Chlamydia trachomatis during pregnancy is a risk factor for preterm delivery (before 37 weeks'' gestation). DESIGN: Chart review. SETTING: Antenatal clinics associated with a teaching hospital. PATIENTS: A group of 103 unselected consecutive patients presenting for routine prenatal care. OUTCOME MEASURES: Pregnancy outcome and C. trachomatis serologic status. RESULTS: A total of 21 women (20%) were found to be seropositive for IgG antibodies to C. trachomatis. They were similar to the seronegative women with respect to maternal age, parity, history of preterm birth, obstetric or medical problems, smoking status, history of drug abuse, educational status and psychosocial stressors. The seropositive women were significantly more likely than the seronegative women to have a preterm birth (24% [5/21] v. 7% [6/82]i p = 0.029, odds ratio 3.96, 95% confidence interval 1.08 to 14.57), an infant with a lower mean gestational age at birth (262 [standard deviation (SD) 19] days v. 273 [SD 15] days; p = 0.0052) and an infant with a lower mean birth weight (3125 [SD 692] g v. 3473 [SD 696] g; p = 0.0434). The positive predictive value of a seropositive result for preterm birth was 31% (5/16); the negative predictive value of a seronegative result for preterm birth was 8% (6/76). CONCLUSION: Women with serologic evidence of C. trachomatis may be at risk for preterm birth. Further study is required to determine whether serologic testing for C. trachomatis should be a routine part of prenatal care.     

Effect of Metalaxyl on the incidence and severity of Pearl millet downy mildew disease in Northern Nigeria

Pearl millet downy mildew (DM) incidence, severity and yield losses of two pearl millet varieties (local and improved) due to the disease were determined in the field. Significant differences in the disease incidence and severity were recorded in the plots sown with metalaxyl-treated seeds and those sown with non-treated seeds, indicating the efficacy of the fungicide on the fungus. Yield losses due to non-treatment of seeds with metalaxyl was 40.88 and 45.39% in a local variety and 43.00 and 18.60% in an improved variety in the 2000 and 2001 cropping seasons respectively. Significant differences between plots sown with metalaxyl-treated and those sown with non-treated seeds were obtained for other yield components such as 1000-grains weight, panicle length and weight.     

An N-terminal GFP tag does not alter the functional expression to the plasma membrane of red cell and kidney anion exchanger (AE1) in mammalian cells

Two isoforms of the band 3 anion exchanger are expressed in mammalian cells, a 911 residue protein (B3) in red cells, and a truncated protein (KB3) in the &#102 -intercalated cells of the kidney. Mutants of both isoforms are known to be associated with human disease, and mistargeting of the mutated proteins has been suggested as the mechanism of pathogenesis in several cases but has been difficult to prove. The present study demonstrates the feasibility of using confocal microscopy for investigating the targeting of homozygous and heterozygous B3 and KB3 mutants. K562 erythroleukemia cells offer several advantages for the stable expression of B3, but have not previously been used for its visualization. A wide range of cell attachment factors, growth conditions, fixation reagents and primary antibodies were investigated to enable imaging of B3 and endogenous GPA by immunofluorescence confocal microscopy in stable K562/B3 clones. B3 co-localized with GPA at the cell surface and also in an intracellular compartment. Functional cell surface expression of KB3 in stable K562 clones was also obtained. Importantly, both B3 and KB3 could be expressed as stable fusion proteins tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) in K562 cells, and it was demonstrated that N-terminal GFP-tagging does not affect the targeting or chloride transport properties of B3 or KB3. The use of GFP as well as double-labelling methods developed for immunostaining will be invaluable for investigating the interactions of band 3 with itself and other proteins during its trafficking in erythroid and kidney cells. This will help elucidate how band 3 mutations can cause human diseases such as hereditary spherocytosis and distal renal tubular acidosis.     

Protein Distribution during Human Erythroblast Enucleation In Vitro

Enucleation is the step in erythroid terminal differentiation when the nucleus is expelled from developing erythroblasts creating reticulocytes and free nuclei surrounded by plasma membrane. We have studied protein sorting during human erythroblast enucleation using fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) to obtain pure populations of reticulocytes and nuclei produced by in vitro culture. Nano LC mass spectrometry was first used to determine the protein distribution profile obtained from the purified reticulocyte and extruded nuclei populations. In general cytoskeletal proteins and erythroid membrane proteins were preferentially restricted to the reticulocyte alongside key endocytic machinery and cytosolic proteins. The bulk of nuclear and ER proteins were lost with the nucleus. In contrast to the localization reported in mice, several key erythroid membrane proteins were detected in the membrane surrounding extruded nuclei, including band 3 and GPC. This distribution of key erythroid membrane and cytoskeletal proteins was confirmed using western blotting. Protein partitioning during enucleation was investigated by confocal microscopy with partitioning of cytoskeletal and membrane proteins to the reticulocyte observed to occur at a late stage of this process when the nucleus is under greatest constriction and almost completely extruded. Importantly, band 3 and CD44 were shown not to restrict specifically to the reticulocyte plasma membrane. This highlights enucleation as a stage at which excess erythroid membrane proteins are discarded in human erythroblast differentiation. Given the striking restriction of cytoskeleton proteins and the fact that membrane proteins located in macromolecular membrane complexes (e.g. GPA, Rh and RhAG) are segregated to the reticulocyte, we propose that the membrane proteins lost with the nucleus represent an excess mobile population of either individual proteins or protein complexes.