Investigation of immunosuppressive properties of inactivated human immunodeficiency virus and possible neutralization of this effect by some patient sera

Retroviral infections are accompanied by immunosuppression in a variety of species. For feline leukemia virus, the immunosuppression has been ascribed to the transmembrane envelope protein, p15E, which suppresses the proliferative responses of cat, mouse, and human lymphocytes. A similar suppressive effect has been shown for a lysate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), strain HTLV-IIIB. Here we determined that detergent-disrupted HTLV-IIIB lystate exerted a strong suppressive effect on PHA-stimulated lymphocytes. Preparations of whole virions, a lysate of a local HIV isolate grown on MP-6 cells, and a commercially obtained UV and psoralene-inactivated lysate were examined and demonstrated to have a similar suppressive effect. The HIV lysate was not directly cytotoxic to lymphocytes and did not contain tumor necrosis factor or lymphotoxin. The HIV lysate specifically suppressed the proliferation of a range of hemopoietic cell lines from man and mouse including three EBV transformed CD4- and IL-2 receptor-negative B-cell lines. The lysate also suppressed the formation of human bone marrow colonies, whereas the lysate had only a slight or no effect on fibroblasts. The suppression of lymphocyte proliferation was not abrogated by addition of IL-2 or IL-1 and the HIV lysate inhibited the expression of IL-2 receptors on suboptimal PHA-stimulated mononuclear cells. The suppressive factor(s) has not been characterized in molecular terms, but suppressive activity was recovered in fractions with a molecular weight of about 67,000 and in both the glycoprotein fraction and in the glycoprotein-depleted fraction of the HIV lysate. Sera from one-third of a small series (N = 13) of individuals with antibodies to HIV seem to be able to neutralize the suppressive properties of HIV lysate in cultures.     

Proteolytic maturation of insulin is a post-Golgi event which occurs in acidifying clathrin-coated secretory vesicles

The direct identification of the intracellular site where proinsulin is proteolytically processed into insulin has been achieved by immunocytochemistry using an insulin-specific monoclonal antibody. Insulin immunoreactivity is absent from the Golgi stack of pancreatic B-cells and first becomes detectable in clathrin-coated secretory vesicles released from the trans Golgi pole. Clathrin-coated secretory vesicles transform into mature noncoated secretory granules which contain the highest concentration of insulin immunoreactive sites. Maturation of clathrin-coated secretory vesicles is accompanied by a progressive acidification of the vesicular milieu, as evidenced by a cytochemical probe that accumulates in acidic compartments whereupon it can be revealed by immunocytochemistry. Thus packaging of the prohormone in secretory vesicles, and acidification of this compartment, are critical steps in the proper proteolytic maturation of insulin.     

Rhizobium strain effects on pea: The relation between nitrogen accumulation, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity in nodules and asparagine in root bleeding sap

Pisum sativum L. cv. Bodil was infected with various strains of Rhizobium leguminosarum (R501, 128c53, B155, 18a or 1044). The Rhizobium genotype influenced the activity of the plant enzyme phosphoenoipyruvate (PEP) carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.31), and the assimilation of fixed N in the root nodules. The specific activity of nodule PEP carboxylase was lowest in the symbioses, which accumulated the least total N (R501 and 128c53). The root bleeding sap of the less effective symbioses contained a lower proportion of asparagine and a higher proportion of glutamine than the more effective symbioses (B155,18a and 1044). The N yield of the symbioses was related neither to the net respiratory CO₂ evolution of the root system nor to the nitrogenase linked nodule respiration. The lower yielding symbioses accumulated a larger proportion of the fixed N in the nodules due to a higher proportion of total dry weight contained in the nodule tissue. However, the concentration of soluble protein in the nodules of the lower-yielding symbioses was lower than that recorded for the higher yileding symbioses. The effect of the Rhizobium strains on N yield was maintained at maturity, and reflected in seed yields.     

The effect of pretransplant inoculation with VA mycorrhizal fungi on the subsequent growth of leeks in the field

Summary Leek plants were preinoculated with a mixed inoculum ofGlomus caledonium, Glomus fasciculatum andGlomus sp., and transplanted to Dazomet disinfected and untreated field plots of moderate P deficiency. Successive harvests were made until 99 days after transplanting. Preinoculated leeks attained marketable weights 25 days earlier than uninoculated leeks from untreated soil and their final dry matter yields were 5.7 and 1.5 times as high as those of uninoculated leeks from disinfected and untreated soil, respectively. Phosphorus concentration in preinoculated leeks remained highest for at least 22 and 75 days after transplanting in untreated and disinfected soil, respectively. Preinoculation had a similar, although smaller, influence on Cu and Zn concentrations. Infection levels produced by introduced and indigenous VA endophytes in leeks reached plateaus of 90% and 40%, respectively, 47 days after transplanting. It is concluded that VAM is essential to leeks grown in moderately P deficient soils, and the potential for inoculating seedlings in commercial leek production is discussed.     

Internal fertilization in a meiobenthic priapulid worm:Tubiluchus philippinensis (Tubiluchidae,Priapulidia)

Summary Internal fertilization is demonstrated in the priapulid wormTubiluchus philippinensis by the electron microscopic observation of sperm in the urogenital duct of female animals. This finding is of interest in that all other members of this group thus far examined have exhibited external fertilization.     

Oxygen concentration regulates EGF-induced proliferation and EGF-receptor down regulation

Reducing oxygen from 20% to 2.5% increases EGF-induced DNA synthesis and cell proliferation in cultures of human diploid fibroblasts. Reducing oxygen also changes the pattern of EGF binding to the cell surface. The loss of surface binding that follows EGF attachment to cells in 20% oxygen does not occur in 2.5% oxygen.     

Ultrastructural observations on feeding appendages and gills ofAlvinella pompejana (Annelida,Polychaeta)

The feeding appendages ofAlvinella pompejana obtained from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent environment are described. They are characterized by a ciliated groove, the cells of which have a very distinctive ultrastructure, by groups of bipolar receptor cells and by several kinds of gland cells. Among these, one cell type is in an upside down position suggesting a function completely different from other epidermal secretory cells. The gills differ considerably from the feeding appendages on the basis of their ultrastructure. Their epidermis is very irregular in height; basal infoldings give the blood access to a space coming very near to the external medium. The blood vascular system is open. On the other hand, the gills ofAmphicteis gunneri are not effective sites of gas exchange, since their columnar epithelium is underlain with muscle cells. The cells composing the feeding appendages and gills ofAlvinella pompejana are characterized by ultrastructurally very different mitochondria.