Sequences of cDNAs for human salivary and pancreatic α-amylases

The nucleotide sequences of the cloned human salivary and pancreatic α-amylase cDNAs correspond to the continuous mRNA sequences of 1768 and 1566 nucleotides, respectively. These include all of the amino acid coding regions. Salivary cDNA contains 200 bp in the 5′-noncoding region and 32 in the 3′-noncoding region. Pancreatic cDNA contains 3 and 27 bp of 5′- and 3′-noncoding regions, respectively. The nucleotide sequence humology of the two cDNAs is 96% in the coding region, and the predicted amino acid sequences are 94% homologous.Comparison of the sequences of human α-amylase cDNAs with those previously obtained for mouse α-amylase genes (Hagenbuchle et al., 1980; Schibler et al., 1982) showed the possibility of gene conversion between the two genes of human α-amylase.     

Calcium-activated neutral protease inhibitor from rabbit erythrocytes lacks the N-terminal region of the liver inhibitor but retains three inhibitory units

Endogenous inhibitors for calcium-activated neutral protease (CANP) were purified from rabbit erythrocytes and liver. The purified inhibitors showed single bands but with significantly different mobilities on sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Peptide mapping and sequencing analyses have revealed that the erythrocyte inhibitor (429 residues) retains the C-terminal three repetitive units of the liver inhibitor (639 residues), which contains four potential repetitive units for inhibition of CANP. The erythrocyte and liver inhibitors inhibited 3 and 4 moles of CANP on the basis of the molecular weights of 46,000 and 68,000, respectively.     

Analysis of water in Autonomous Biological Systems (ABS) samples.

Several soluble components, peptidase and amino acids, and carbon isotopic ratio in the water retrieved from flight experiments of Autonomous Biological Systems (ABS) as well as ground control samples are analyzed to interpret the condition, dynamics, material balance of the ABS ecosystems. Organic carbons in flight samples were found to be more abundant compared with the control ones, which suggested the uniform ecosystems in low gravity might easily dissolve more soluble components. The Mir-1997 flight sample showed higher C/N ratio probably because of the dissolution of carbon-rich plant materials.     

Studies on the Metabolic Activity of Muscle Proteins

The activities of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and Ca⁺⁺ ion-activated ATPase of muscle in the adult rats fed a protein-free diet for 8, 16 and 24 days were measured in order to clarify their metabolic responses with respect to reserve proteins. It was found that these enzyme activities, or presumably their enzyme proteins, decreased at the stage as early as the 8th day of protein depletion following the same pattern as seen in reserve proteins. Their responses, particularly those in unit activity, were somewhat different from each other. The metabolic significance of those responses was discussed in relation to protein nutrition.     

Aminoglutethimide effect on circadian rhythms in urinary variables in a patient with idiopathic hyperaldosteronism

Aminoglutethimide (AG: 750 mg/day) was administered to a patient with idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA) and circadian rhythms in urinary excretion of sodium (UNaV), potassium (UKV), aldosterone (AER) and 17-OHCS were analyzed by the single cosinor method. Urine was collected every 4h for 24h on the day before and on the 1st, 3rd and 7th day of AG administration, and above variables in each sample were determined. Circadian rhythms of 14 patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) who served as controls were also analyzed. In the present case, circadian acrophases in UNaV and AER studied before AG administration occurred at 22(19) and 07(05), respectively. They were similar to those of preoperative PA-patients. Circadian acrophase in UNaV occurred earlier with AG administration and on the 7th day it was at 14(05), a value similar to that of postoperative PA-patients. Circadian mesor in AER decreased remarkably from 4.1 to 0.6 micrograms/4h with AG administration, as did circadian mesor in UKV, whereas circadian mesor and acrophase in 17-OHCS did not change. Thus, the circadian characteristics in urinary variables in the present IHA-case were pathophysiologically similar to those of PA.     

Feedbacks between nutrient cycling and vegetation predict plant species coexistence and invasion

To investigate the role of species‐specific litter decomposability in determining plant community structure, we constructed a theoretical model of the codevelopmental dynamics of soil and vegetation. This model incorporates feedback between vegetation and soil. Vegetation changes the nutrient conditions of soil by affecting mineralization processes; soil, in turn, has an impact on plant community structure. The model shows that species‐level traits (decomposability, reproductive and competitive abilities) determine whether litter feedback effects are positive or negative. The feedback determines community‐level properties, such as species composition and community stability against invasion. The model predicts that positive feedback may generate multiple alternative steady states of the plant community, which differ in species richness or community composition. In such cases, the realized state is determined by initial abundance of co‐occurring species. Further, the model shows that the importance of species‐level traits depends on environmental conditions such as system fertility.     

Pulse-labeled, small closed circular DNA in cultured mouse and human cells

Mouse (erythroleukemia, TSA8, and FM3A) cells and human (HeLa and HL-60) cells were pulse-labeled with [3H]thymidine and covalently closed circular DNA in the extrachromosomal fraction was analyzed by fluorography following polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Two discrete bands for mouse and at least one, different, band for human cells emerged in the position to which small circular DNA (less than 1 kb) migrate, suggesting there to be species-specific, preferentially labeled, small circular DNA in mammalian cells. The incorporation of [3H]thymidine into the DNA was inhibited by cycloheximide but unaffected by aphidicolin. Restriction enzyme (AluI) digestion of the DNA fraction from MEL cells produced approximately 120-, 100-, and 50-bp labeled DNA fragments. The origin of the pulse-labeled DNAs is discussed.     

The isolation and culture of lily pollen protoplasts

Methods for the enzymatic isolation of lily protoplasts and their successful culture are described. When pre-anthesis binucleate pollen (immature pollen grains) was treated in enzyme solution containing macerozyme and cellulase, up to 80% lost their exine and gave rise to intact protoplasts within 1 h. These pollen protoplasts were uniform in size and densely cytoplasmic with two prominent generative and vegetative nuclei. The isolated pollen protoplasts regenerated a cell wall within 1 day of culture and produced a structure resembling a pollen tube after 10–12 days of culture. During this culture period, dividing generative nuclei or 2 sperm nuclei were observed in many protoplasts with regenerated cell walls.     

Rate of DNA Synthesis during Meiotic Prophase in Lily Microsporocytes in the Presence of Deoxyadenosine and Nalidixic Acid

The rate and period of DNA synthesis during meiotic prophasewere examined using lily microsporocytes. Meiocytes at the earlyleptotene stage were cultured for discrete periods in the presenceof inhibitors of DNA synthesis, deoxyadenosine and nalidixicacid. Deoxyadenosine, which arrests meiotic development at theearly zygotene stage, markedly suppressed DNA synthesis to 35%of control at 2 mM. Nalidixic acid simply reduced the rate ofDNA synthesis, resulting in prolongation of the synthetic period.The relevance of DNA synthesis to meiotic development is discussed. (Received January 12, 1987; Accepted May 7, 1987)