Corticosteroidogenesis in the hypertrophic adrenal gland produced by betamethasone 17, 21-dipropionate in the rat fetus

Betamethasone 17, 21-dipropionate (BMDP), a potent glucocorticoid, produces adrenal hypertrophy in the rat fetus. The present study was performed to investigate the possible alterations of corticosteroidogenesis due to endogeneous substrates or exogenous pregnenolone in the incubation of homogenates of fetal hypertrophic adrenals caused by BMDP given to pregnant rats at day 19 of pregnancy.The corticosteroidal products and those levels per mg homogenate in an incubate of the hypertrophic adrenal homogenate did not differ from those of a normal adrenal. No accumulations of abnormal precursors or intermediates were found in the incubates of the hypertrophic adrenals. It is concluded from these findings that no qualitative alterations in the pathway of corticosteroidogenesis occurred in the hypertrophic adrenal glands caused by BMDP in the rat fetus. When the calculation was done per adrenal gland, the content of corticosterone in the incubate of the homogenate of the hypertrophic adrenal was remarkably higher than that found in a normal gland. This finding was compatible with the significant increase of the plasma corticosterone concentration in the fetuses with the adrenal hypertrophy caused by BMDP.     

Relation between D-glucose and L- and D-alanine in the initiation of germination of Bacillus subtilis spore

The rate of L-alanine-initiated germination of Bacillus subtilis spore was measured by both loss of heat resistance and loss of turbidity, and the effect of glucose on the germination response to a wide range of concentrations of the germinant was analyzed in the presence and absence of D-alanine, an inhibitor. Glucose stimulated L-alanine germination by means of a cooperative effect: glucose increased the affinity of L-alanine by about 3-fold and the rate of germination by about 1.3-fold. However, glucose had little effect on the binding affinity of D-alanine. The apparent binding constant of L-alanine to the spore, which was determined by the next measurable event in the trigger reaction, was 1.2 X 10(-5), that of D-alanine was 6 X 10(-6), and that of glucose was 5 X 10(-5). The relation between the binding site for glucose and those for L- and D-alanine on the spore is discussed. Effect of glucose analogs was also examined.     

Early changes in mitochondrial monoamine oxidase activity of rat liver during 2-acetylaminofluorene feeding

The activities of mitochondrial type A and B monoamine oxidase were determined in the liver of rats fed a diet containing 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF). Three days after the initiation of AAF-feeding, there was a significant decrease of type B monoamine oxidase activity without affect on type A enzyme. The decreased activity of type B monoamine oxidase, which reached a minimum after three weeks, was sustained for as long as AAF-feeding was continued. Sex-related difference in response to AAF was seen in the rat with respect to the onset and the intensity of the decreased type B monoamine oxidase activity, male rats being more sensitive to the carcinogen than female rats. In contrast to the in vivo effect, AAF showed a potent inhibitory effect on type A monoamine oxidase, rather than on type B enzyme, when added in vitro. The pI₅₀ values were estimated to be 7.5 against type A monoamine oxidase and 4.1 against type B enzyme, respectively. The in vitro inhibition of both types of monoamine oxidase by AAF was competitive. The K_i values for AAF were calculated to be 9.51 · 10^?9 M for type A monoamine oxidase and 1.30 · 10^?5 M for type B enzyme, respectively. In accordance with the potent inhibitory effect of AAF on type A monoamine oxidase in vitro, a single administration of the carcinogen, at a dose of 50 mg/kg, resulted in a marked and temporal decrease of the enzyme activity in the mitochondria of male rat liver. Recovery of the decreased type B monoamine oxidase activity was slow, and the enzyme activity did not return to control levels, even if rats were fed the basal diet for 2 or 4 weeks after the cessation of AAF-feeding.     

Analysis of the mode of antigen presentation required for triggering of T cell proliferation by using various azobenzenearsonate-tyrosine derivatives

Various azobenzenearsonate-tyrosine (ABA-Tyr) derivatives were synthesized by modifying amino and carboxyl groups at the alpha-carbon of tyrosine, with preservation of most of the ABA-Tyr moiety (ABA plus hydroxyphenyl portion of tyrosine). These derivatives were tested for the ability to stimulate ABA-L-Tyr specific T cell lines derived from B10.BR and B10.S mice. ABA-acetyltyramine, ABA-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid (ABA-PPr), and ABA-propylphenol, which lack either the carboxyl or amino group or both, could not induce T cell proliferation. The lack of stimulation by these derivatives was not due to their cytotoxic effects. A similar pattern of proliferation was obtained on stimulating lymph node T cells from B10.BR and B10.S mice primed with ABA-L-Tyr. Some differences were observed, however, between B10.BR and B10.S mice. ABA-L-Tyr-specific T cells from B10.BR mice could not respond well to ABA-D-Tyr in contrast to B10.S T cells. Furthermore, B10.BR mice primed with ABA-acetyltyramine or ABA-PPr in complete Freund's adjuvant could not induce ABA-L-Tyr-reactive T cells, whereas T cells from B10.S mice primed with these derivatives could proliferate in the presence of ABA-L-Tyr. The differences between B10.BR and B10.S mice were further investigated by using (B10.S X B10.BR)F1 mice. T cells from ABA-L-Tyr-immunized F1 mice responded poorly to ABA-D-Tyr when presented with B10.BR antigen-presenting cells (APC), but responded well when presented with B10.S APC. Similarly, T cells from ABA-PPr-primed F1 mice did not proliferate to ABA-L-Tyr in the presence of B10.BR APC, but could proliferate in the presence of B10.S APC. Our results clearly indicate that the presence of charged groups at the alpha-carbon of tyrosine plays a critical role in the triggering of ABA-L-Tyr-specific T cell proliferation. The significance of these results is discussed.     

Condensation of oligoglycines with trimeta- and tetrametaphosphate in aqueous solutions

The dehydration condensation of glycine with trimetaphosphate in aqueous solution has been reinvestigated. Although it has been reported that the condensation of glycine under the alkaline conditions was brought about through the formation of cyclic acylphosphoramidate and hence the condensation of polyglycines could not occur, we found that the condensation of oligoglycines with trimeta- and tetrametaphosphate in aqueous solution are possible through the formation of their acylphosphates under the neutral or weak acidic conditions.Aqueous solutions of 1.0 M glycylglycine and 1.0 M trimetaphosphate in the various pH from 4.0 to 9.0 were incubated at 38 °C. The solutions were analyzed by HPLC with ninhydrin reaction system. Tetraglycine and hexaglycine were detected and their maximum yields were given in the reaction carried out around pH 7. They are approximately 15% and 4% after 30 days, respectively. Analogous experiments were performed with tetrametaphosphate. The results showed a similar pH dependence for the condensation, but the yields were about one-tenth of those of corresponding experiments with trimetaphosphate.Relative rates of dimerization of glycine, diglycine and triglycine in the equimolar concentration were also investigated at pH 6.0 at 38 °C. The rates for digylcine and triglycine were approximately twice and four times as large as that for glycine.Relevance of the experiments to chemical evolution is discussed.     

Mdm20 Modulates Actin Remodeling through the mTORC2 Pathway via Its Effect on Rictor Expression

NatB is an N-terminal acetyltransferase consisting of a catalytic Nat5 subunit and an auxiliary Mdm20 subunit. In yeast, NatB acetylates N-terminal methionines of proteins during de novo protein synthesis and also regulates actin remodeling through N-terminal acetylation of tropomyosin (Trpm), which stabilizes the actin cytoskeleton by interacting with actin. However, in mammalian cells, the biological functions of the Mdm20 and Nat5 subunits are not well understood. In the present study, we show for the first time that Mdm20-knockdown (KD), but not Nat5-KD, in HEK293 and HeLa cells suppresses not only cell growth, but also cellular motility. Although stress fibers were formed in Mdm20-KD cells, and not in control or Nat5-KD cells, the localization of Trpm did not coincide with the formation of stress fibers in Mdm20-KD cells. Notably, knockdown of Mdm20 reduced the expression of Rictor, an mTORC2 complex component, through post-translational regulation. Additionally, PKCα^S657 phosphorylation, which regulates the organization of the actin cytoskeleton, was also reduced in Mdm20-KD cells. Our data also suggest that FoxO1 phosphorylation is regulated by the Mdm20-mTORC2-Akt pathway in response to serum starvation and insulin stimulation. Taken together, the present findings suggest that Mdm20 acts as a novel regulator of Rictor, thereby controlling mTORC2 activity, and leading to the activation of PKCα^S657 and FoxO1.     

Analysis of Slow Hyperpolarizing Potentials in Frog Taste Cells Induced by Glossopharyngeal Nerve Stimulation

Chemical Senses, 29,     

Separation of Cl-Containing Chlorophylls by Column Chromatography

Using Toyopearl and cyclohexane: cyclohexanol solvent, fourCl-containing Chls were separated from ³⁶Cl-labeled cells ofthe blue-green, Plectonema boryanum. In normally grown cells,all four Cl-containing chlorophylls amounted to less than 1/2,000of the total Chi and about 1/50 of P700, values much lower thanpreviously reportedcontents of Chi RC I, and varied from algato alga. The level of Cl-containing Chi was markedly enhancedwhen the cells were poisoned with methyl viologen. These resultssuggests that these Cl-containing Chls are not related to thereaction center of PS I. (Received June 23, 1987; Accepted September 17, 1987)