Purification of Protein Body-I of Rice Seed and its Polypeptide Composition

Protein body type one (PB-I) was isolated and purified fromdeveloping rice grain by a combination of sucrose density gradientcentrifugation and treatment with pepsin. SDS-PAGE analysisshowed that isolated PB-I contains several polypeptide groups,the largest having an apparent molecular size of 13 kDa andtwo smaller ones of 10 kDa and 16 kDa. The 13-kDa group wasfound to be composed of two polypeptides of slightly differentmolecular sizes, 13a (larger component) and 13b (smaller component).Most of the 13a and 13b polypeptides were shown to be largelyprolamins, although there were also some salt- and alcohol-insolublepolypeptides with an apparent molecular size of 13 kDa. It wasconcluded that PB-I is the accumulation site of rice prolamin.It was further estimated that the protein amount in PB-I accountedfor about 20% of the total protein of rice endosperm. (Received March 20, 1987; Accepted September 8, 1987)     

Effect of calcium overload on the phosphoinositide breakdown in the rat left ventricular papillary muscle

We investigated the effect of Ca²⁺ overload on the phospholipase C-catalyzed hydrolysis of phosphoinositides in the rat left ventricular papillary muscle. Ca²⁺ overload on the papillary muscle was induced by treatment with 0.3 mM ouabain in Ca²⁺-containing medium following either Ca²⁺-containing or Ca²⁺-free superfusion. The phosphoinositide breakdown was evaluated by determining accumulations of [³H]inositol phosphates ([³H]IPs) in the tissues prelabeled with [³H]inositol. Ca²⁺ repletion following Ca²⁺-free superfusion resulted in a rapid but small increase in resting tension that was not followed by contracture, nor was it associated with a significant increase in [³H]IPs accumulations. Treatment with ouabain following Ca²⁺-containing superfusion increased resting tension after a lag period of several minutes and produced contracture associated with an increase in [³H]IPs accumulations. The ouabain induced increases in resting tension, and accumulations of [³H]IPs were significantly potentiated by prior Ca²⁺-free superfusion instead of Ca²⁺-containing superfusion. There was a significant positive correlation between increases in resting tension and the phosphoinositide breakdown. The increased resting tension and the accumulations of [³H]IPs were not antagonized by treatments with prazosin plus atropine or indomethacin, but were abolished by superfusion with Ca²⁺-free buffer solution. Although the enhanced phospholipase C-catalyzed hydrolysis of phosphoinositides appears to be a consequence rather than a cause of increased intracellular Ca²⁺, such a biochemical change may provoke a positive feedback mechanism to develop the muscle contracture through the putative intracellular messenger action of inositol triphosphate and diacylglycerol.Abbreviations [³H]IPs [³H]Inositol Phosphates - IP Inositol Phosphate - IP₂ Inositol Bisphosphate - IP₃ Inositol Trisphosphate - PI Phosphatidylinositol - PI-4-P Phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate - PI-4,5-P₂ Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate - PRZ Prazosin - ATR Atropine - INDO Indomethacin - min Minutes     

Determination and regulation in the pigment cell lineage of the ascidian embryo

The brain of the ascidian larva comprises two pigment cells, termed the ocellus melanocyte and the otolith melanocyte. Cell lineage analysis has shown that the two bilateral pigment lineage cells (a-line blastomeres) in the animal hemisphere give rise to these melanocytes in a complementary manner. The results of the present investigation suggest that the specification of the fate of pigment cells proceeds in two distinct steps. First, the determination of pigment lineage cells requires an inductive interaction from the vegetal blastomeres of the A-line. Cell dissociation experiments demonstrated that the inductive interaction is completed by the midgastrula stage. However, the two bilaterally positioned cells destined to become the pigment cells in the first step are still equipotent at this stage in that they can give rise to either the ocellus or otolith. Thus, they constitute what is termed an "equivalence group." In the second step, the individual fates of the two cells that compose the equivalence group are determined. Namely, one cell develops into an ocellus and the other cell develops into an otolith. Photoablation of one of the pigment precursor cells at various stages indicated that the second step of determination occurs at the midtailbud stage. It is suggested that the cue to choose one of the alternative developmental pathways may be positional information that exists along the anteroposterior axis. The second step of determination is thought to be mediated by a hierarchical interaction. In the absence of this interaction, melanocyte specification proceeds along the dominant pathway that results in the differentiation of an ocellus.     

An 83-kDa embryonic-type nuclear antigen is detected within the germinal vesicles of oocytes of the ascidianHalocynthia roretzi

Summary Monoclonal antibodies were raised against germinal vesicles which were isolated from fully grown oocytes of the ascidianHalocynthia roretzi. Immunoblot analyses revealed that one of the antibodies, designated Hgv-2, recognized a single band with a molecular weight of about 83 kDa. The antibody, visualized by indirect immunohistochemistry, reacted only with the germinal vesicles of oocytes and did not react with test cells, follicle cells, and other somatic cells of the gonad. During embryogenesis the antigenicity was found in interphase nuclei of all embryonic cells. The antibody did not react with chromosomes or the mitotic apparatus. The antigenicity was retained by interphase nuclei of larval cells, but it disappeared from nuclei of juveniles about 7 days after metamorphosis.     

Regional localization of the LCA oncogene to human chromosome region 2q14----q21

A novel human oncogene, LCA, was assigned to region 2q14----q21 by in situ molecular hybridization. The present regional mapping substantiates the previous assignment that was performed by Southern blot analyses of DNAs from flow-sorted human chromosomes and human-mouse somatic cell hybrids.     

A new model of counterion condensation in polyelectrolyte solutions. III. Theoretical predictions of competitive condensation between counterions of different valences

Our model has been extended for theoretical estimation of competitive condensation of counterions of different valences onto polyelectrolytes in solution. The estimations are compared with those obtained from Manning theory and with experimental data on counterion activity coefficients. The agreement with the data for sodium polystyrenesulfonate/MgCl2, CaCl2 is satisfactory.     

Atropine inhibits the degranulation of Paneth cells in ex-germ-free mice

Summary Previous studies have shown that the secretory products of Paneth cells contain antibacterial agents (lysozyme, IgA) that are affected by the bacterial milieu in the intestine. To investigate whether Paneth-cell secretion is controlled via cholinergic mechanisms, the ultrastructure of Paneth cells was studied in four animal groups: (1) germfree (GF) control mice (Jcl: ICR [GN], male, 13 weeks old), (2) GF mice injected subcutaneously with atropine sulfate (200 mg/kg body weight, dissolved in physiological saline 20 mg/ml), (3) ex-GF mice inoculated with feces from specific-pathogen-free (SPF) mice, and (4) ex-GF mice injected with atropine and inoculated with feces from SPF mice. In ex-GF mice inoculated with feces, 70–90% of the Paneth cells showed fewer secretory granules than those from GF mice (p<0.01). Approximately 30% of the Paneth cells had a large vacuole (3–10 m diameter) in the apical cytoplasm. Exocytosed electron-dense material from secretory granules was observed in a few crypt lumens. In ex-GF mice inoculated with feces and given atropine, about 90% of the Paneth cells contained numerous secretory granules, like those in GF control mice, but vacuolated Paneth cells and exocytotic figures were rare; thus the secretion of Paneth cells was blocked by atropine. It is therefore possible that the bacterial milieu in the intestine affects the secretory activity of Paneth cells via cholinergic mechanisms.     

Isolation and Characterization of a Photosystem II Core Complex Depleted in the 43 kDa-Chlorophyll-Binding Subunit

The photosystem II core complex purified from digitonin extractsof spinach chloroplasts was resolved into two chlorophyll-proteincomplexes by digitonin polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis aftertreatment with 1 M potassium thiocyanate. One of the chlorophyll-proteincomplexes resolved consisted of 47, 32, 30 and 9 kDa polypeptidesand the other was complementally composed of only the 43 kDapolypeptide. The former complex was highly active in the photoreductionof 2, 6-dichlorophenol indophenol by 1,5-diphenylcarbazide andretained all of the components responsible for the electrontransport from the secondary electron donor (Z) to the primaryelectron acceptor (Q_A). EPR signal II_fast and II_slow were alsopreserved in this complex although their hyperfine structureswere largely modified. The complex was estimated to contain1.8 molecules of plastoquinone A as well as 1.5, 3.7 and 3.9molecules of cytochrome b559, pheophytin and ß-carotene,respectively, per Q_A. These results indicate that potassiumthiocyanate specifically removes the 43 kDa polypeptide fromthe PS II core complex leaving the electron transport systemin an almost intact state. (Received June 17, 1987; Accepted October 23, 1987)