The inhibition of systrophe in different organisms

Summary The phenomenon of systrophe following different stimuli was comparatively investigated in the cells of different plant organisms. In all cases systrophe could be inhibited by metabolic inhibitors. The influence of colchicine, cytochalasin B, vinblastine and APM (amiprophos-methyl) varied.     

Three new orosomucoid (ORM) variants revealed by isoelectric focusing and print immunofixation

Summary Phenotypes of orosomucoid (ORM) in human sera have been analysed by isoelectric focusing and print immunofixation. After neuraminidase treatment the band patterns indicated that the polymorphism of the structural locus ORM1 is controlled by three autosomal codominant alleles. According to the previous nomenclature they were called ORM1^*F1, ORM1^*F2, and ORM1^*S. In a study of 272 unrelated individuals from southern Germany, five of the six expected common ORM1 subtypes were observed. Furthermore, we found three ORM variant phenotypes which have not been reported previously. These variants were characterized by additional bands in a cathodal position. One variant had additional double bands and presumably represents a rare ORM1 variant named ORM1S1. Two variants had additional single bands. They were assigned tentatively to the ORM2 gene locus. While the common gene product of ORM2 may be called ORM2A, the two variants are named ORM2B1 and ORM2B2, respectively. ORM2B1 has, thus far, been found only in a single individual; the variants ORM1S1 and ORM2B2 were found in a father-child pair and a mother-child pair, respectively. The frequency for variants tentatively assigned to the ORM2 locus is very low and was calculated to be 0.0037.     

Transferrin variants in Tuscany (Italy). Evidence for two “new” Tf alleles

Summary In this report a severely mentally retarded adult female with 9p trisomy/18pter monosomy is described. In addition to a 9p trisomy phenotype this patient presented with multiple cutaneous leiomyomata. The question is raised whether the concurrence of the chromosomal anomaly and the multiple skin tumors in this patient indicates another example of a specific chromosomal deletion (18pter) in a dominantly inherited multiple human tumor.     

A Leucine-to-Proline Substitution Causes a Defective α-Antichymotrypsin Allele Associated with Familial Obstructive Lung Disease

Using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and direct sequencing of amplified genomic DNA, we have identified two defective mutants of the human α₁-antichymotrypsin (ACT) gene associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A leucine 55-to-proline substitution causing a defective ACT allele (Bochum-1) was observed in a family with COPD in three subsequent generations. Another mutation, proline 229-to-alanine (Bonn-1), was associated with ACT serum deficiency in four patients with a positive family history. These mutations were, not detected among 100 healthy control subjects, suggesting a possible pathogenetic role of ACT gene defects in a subset of patients with COPD.     

Characterization of plasmids in halobacteria.

Extrachromosomal, covalently closed circular deoxyribonucleic acid has been isolated from different species of halobacteria. Three strains of Halobacterium halobium and one of Halobacterium cutirubrum, all of which synthesize purple membrane (Pum+) and bacterioruberin (Rub+), contain plasmids of different size which share extensive sequence homologies. One strain of Halobacterium salinarium, another one of Halobacterium capanicum, and two new Halobacterium isolates from Tunisia, which are also Pum+ Rub+, do not harbor covalently closed circular deoxyribonucleic acid but contain sequences, presumably integrated into the chromosome, which are similar if not identical to those of pHH1, i.e., the plasmid originally isolated from H. halobium. Three other halophilic strains, Halobacterium trapanicum, Halobacterium volcanii, and a new isolate from Israel, do not carry pHH1-like sequences. These strains are, by morphological and physiological criteria, different from the others examined and harbor plasmids unrelated to pHH1.     

Rational design of Salmonella-based vaccination strategies

A permanently growing body of information is becoming available about the quality of protective immune responses induced by mucosal immunization. Attenuated live bacterial vaccines can be administered orally and induce long-lasting protective immunity in humans without causing major side effects. An attenuated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi strain is registered as live oral vaccine against typhoid fever and has been in use for more than two decades. Recombinant attenuated Salmonella strains are also an attractive means of delivering heterologous antigens to the immune system, thereby, stimulating strong mucosal and systemic immune responses and consequently provide an efficient platform technology to design novel vaccination strategies. This includes the choice of heterologous protective antigens and their expression under the control of appropriate promoters within the carrier strain. The availability of well-characterized attenuated mutants of Salmonella concomitantly supports fine tuning of immune response triggered against heterologous antigens. Exploring different mucosal sites as a potential route of immunization has to be taken into account as an additional important way to modulate immune responses according to clinical requirements. This article focuses on the rational design of strategies to modulate appropriate immunological effector functions on the basis of selection of (i) attenuating mutations of the Salmonella strains, (ii) specific expression systems for the heterologous antigens, and (iii) route of mucosal administration.     

Die Dosiswirkungsfunktion im Ertragsgesetz

Zusammenfassung Die verschiedenen schon früher publizierten Versuche der kausalen Deutung des Ertragsgesetzes beim Pflanzenwachstum wurden unter einen einheitlichen Gesichtspunkt gestellt, wobei von den in der Strahlenbiologie geläufigen Vorstellungsbildern ausgegangen wurde.     

SPINE: a method for the rapid detection and analysis of protein-protein interactions in vivo

The detection and analysis of protein-protein interactions is one of the central tasks of proteomics in the postgenomic era. For this purpose, we present a procedure, the Strep-protein interaction experiment (SPINE) that combines the advantages of the Strep-tag protein purification system with those of reversible in vivo protein crosslinking by formaldehyde. Using two Bacillus subtilis regulator proteins, we demonstrate that this method is well suited to isolate protein complexes with high purity and virtually no background. Plasmids allowing the high-level expression of proteins carrying an N- or C-terminal Strep-tag in B. subtilis were constructed.     

Inhibition of major histocompatibility complex class II-dependent antigen presentation by neutralization of gamma interferon leads to breakdown of resistance against measles virus-induced encephalitis

BALB/c mice are resistant to measles virus (MV)-induced encephalitis due to their strong MV-specific CD4(+) T-cell response. Resistance is broken by neutralization of gamma interferon with monoclonal antibodies, indicating an important role for this pleiotropic cytokine. Here, we demonstrate that mouse gamma interferon has no direct antiviral effect in vitro and in vivo. The breakdown of resistance is due neither to a switch in the T-helper response nor to an impaired migration of CD4(+) T cells. Neutralization of gamma interferon interferes with the major histocompatibility complex class II-dependent antigen presentation and subsequent proliferation of CD4(+) T cells in vitro and in vivo. In consequence, the reduction in numbers of CD4(+) T cells below a protective threshold leads to susceptibility to MV-induced encephalitis.     

Plasma distribution of apoA-IV in patients with coronary artery disease and healthy controls

Recent studies showed lower apolipoprotein A-IV (apoA-IV) plasma concentrations in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The actual distribution of the antiatherogenic apoA-IV in human plasma, however, is discussed controversially and it was never investigated in CAD patients. We therefore developed a gentle technique to separate the various apoA-IV-containing plasma fractions. Using a combination of precipitation of all lipoproteins with 40% phosphotungstic acid and 4 M MgCl2, as well as immunoprecipitation of all apoA-I-containing particles with an anti-apoA-I antibody, we obtained three fractions of apoA-IV: lipid-free apoA-IV (about 4% of total apoA-IV), apoA-IV associated with apoA-I (LpA-I:A-IV, 12%), and apoA-I-unbound but lipoprotein-containing apoA-IV (LpA-IV, 84%). We compared these three apoA-IV fractions between 52 patients with a history of CAD and 52 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Patients had significantly lower apoA-IV levels when compared to controls (10.28 +/- 3.67 mg/dl vs. 11.85 +/- 2.82 mg/dl, P = 0.029), but no major differences for the three plasma apoA-IV fractions. We conclude that our gentle separation method reveals a different distribution of apoA-IV than in many earlier studies. No major differences exist in the apoA-IV plasma distribution pattern between CAD patients and controls. Therefore, the antiatherogenic effect of apoA-IV has to be explained by other functional properties of apoA-IV (e.g., the antioxidative characteristics).