Several nodulins of soybean share structural domains but differ in their subcellular locations

Four soybean cDNA nodule-specific clones encoding nodulin-23, -26b, -27 and -44 were observed to cross-hybridize under low stringency conditions. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that the cDNAs contain three distinct domains: two domains with 70 to 95% homology separated by a third domain unique to each cDNA. Despite a number of nucleotide insertions and deletions, the protein sequences are conserved in the two domains which correlate with the homologous nucleotide domains. The amino terminal domain of each nodulin contains putative signal sequences for membrane translocation, although only two (nodulin-23 and -44) meet all the criteria for a functional signal. Immuno-precipitation of hybrid-release translation products of the four cDNAs revealed that nodulin-23 is associated with the peribacteroid membrane while nodulin-27 is in the cytoplasmic fraction of the nodule. These four nodulins are members of a diverse family with conserved structural features and the genes encoding them appear to have recently evolved from a common ancestor.

Studies on the phenomenon of latent propagated sensation along the channels. II. Investigation on the lines of LPSC on the twelve main channels

Applying an electric impulse at the Jing points and then tapping on the skin surface along the lines perpendicular to the channels, latent PSC of 12 channels was examined respectively on 200 patients at an acupuncture clinic. Of the cases examined, 68.5% were found to have positive latent PSC. No prominent difference was found among the 12 main channels. In patients with higher sensitivity of latent PSC and in those with marked PSC as well, the traces of latent PSC can be located simply by tapping (i.e. without electric impulsation at the Jing points), and the width of the sensitive lines is about 0.5 cm. Furthermore, in cases with marked PSC, the latent sensation lines were always found to be a continuation of the marked ones. These facts indicate that the latent PSC is a common meridian phenomenon in a large number of individuals.