I-POU: a POU-domain protein that inhibits neuron-specific gene activation

A novel, structurally distinct POU-domain protein has been identified that inhibits activation by another positive POU-domain regulator of neuron-specific transcription units. Two Drosophila POU-domain proteins, I-POU and Cf1-a, are coexpressed in overlapping subsets of neurons during development. Because I-POU lacks two basic residues in the N terminus of its homeodomain, it cannot bind DNA, but it does form a stable heterodimeric complex with Cf1-a, preventing Cf1-a from binding to DNA recognition elements and from transactivating the dopa-decarboxylase gene. The inhibition by I-POU provides a potential strategy by which the activation of genes in development is controlled by a homeodomain-containing protein that does not bind DNA.

Tst-1, a member of the POU domain gene family, binds the promoter of the gene encoding the cell surface adhesion molecule P0

Tst-1, a member of the POU domain gene family, is expressed in specific neurons and in myelinating glia in the mammalian nervous system. Bacterially expressed Tst-1 binds specifically to the promoter of the gene encoding myelin protein P0, a Schwann cell surface adhesion molecule. In cotransfection assays, Tst-1 can specifically repress the P0 promoter. The N-terminal part of Tst-1 protein is highly glycine- and alanine-rich, a structural feature shared by the helix-loop-helix protein TFEB.

The effect of acid water on oxygen consumption, circulating catecholamines and blood ionic and acid-base status in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri, Richardson)

Chronically cannulated rainbow trout were exposed in acid water (pH 4.0) for 72h. The gill potential was strongly dependent on water pH, being blood side negative in neutral water, but positive in acid water. Catecholamine levels increased irregularly during acid exposure, and the Bohr and Root effects were not completely erased by the effect of catecholamines during acid exposure. Long term exposure to low water pH, although causing an acidosis in the fish, did not suppress resting oxygen consumption. Prolonged exposure to acid conditions, however, resulted in an increase in ammonia excretion. Changes in plasma sodium and chloride were similar to that reported previously for trout exposed to low calcium, acid water. We conclude that exposure of trout to pH 4 soft water, although impairing oxygen transport, does not limit resting oxygen consumption but does reduce the scope for activity. More extreme acid conditions do impair resting oxygen uptake.

[Content of astraglin A in zhongfeng naomai tong oral liquid]

Using HPTLC-scanning method, the contents of astraglin A in four kinds of zhongfeng naomai tong oral liquid have been determined to be 0.0018-0.0022%. Simple and easy to use the method is recommended for the quality control of compound preparations containing huangqi.

[A study on treatment of retinal detachment with unseen retinal breaks]

64 cases (66 eyes) of retinal detachment in which no breaks can be found were treated with pars plana vitrectomy, scleral buckling or encircling procedures. The selection of operation depended on the shape and size of retinal detachment, the position of peripheral retinal lattice degeneration, phakia or aphakia, traumatic situation and the appearance of proliferative vitreoretinopathy. The results showed that the detached retina was successfully reattached in 53 eyes (80.3%), 4 eyes were improved (6%), only 9 eyes failed (16.7%). The technic of operation and application are discussed. We consider that suitable active surgical treatment for this kind of cases is encouraging.

[Localization of human testis determining factors on Y chromosome]

This is a study of in situ chromosomal hybridization and dot blot and southern blot hybridization using a testis determining factor related probe Y156 in sexually malformed patients. According to the phenotype karyotype analysis and hybridization results of these cases, especially 2 cases with dic (Y) and different breakpoints, we consider that the TDF must be located on YP11.32. The clinical value of Y156 probe is discussed.

Capsaicin inhibits responses of fine afferents from the knee joint of the cat to mechanical and chemical stimuli

In adult anaesthetized cats we studied the effects of capsaicin on the responses of single slowly conducting afferents of the knee joint to mechanical and chemical stimuli (bradykinin). An intra-arterial bolus injection of capsaicin into the joint reduced or abolished the responses to passive movements of the joint in 8 of 19 afferents and the responses to intra-arterially administered bradykinin in 10 of 11 units. Capsaicin was usually effective at 10(-4) to 10(-3) M. The inhibition was predominantly observed in nociceptive afferents, whereas most low threshold units were not desensitized.

A family of POU-domain and Pit-1 tissue-specific transcription factors in pituitary and neuroendocrine development

The anterior pituitary gland provides a model for investigating the molecular basis for the appearance of phenotypically distinct cell types, within an organ, a central question in development. The rat prolactin and growth hormone genes are selectively expressed in distinct cell types (lactotrophs and somatotrophs) of the anterior pituitary gland, which reflect differential mechanisms of gene activation or restriction because of interactions of multiple factors binding to these genes. We find that the pituitary-specific 33,000 dalton transcription factor, Pit-1, normally expressed in somatotrophs, lactotrophs, and thyrotrophs, can bind to and activate both growth hormone and prolactin promoters in vitro at levels even tenfold lower than those normally present in pituitary cells. In the case of the prolactin gene, high levels of expression in transgenic animals required two cis-active regions; a distal enhancer (-1.8 to -1.5 kb) and a proximal region (-422 to +33 bp). Each of these regions alone can direct low levels of fusion gene expression to prolactin-producing cell types in transgenic mice, but a synergistic interaction between these regions is necessary for high levels of expression. The initial appearance of the prolactin transgene expression closely follows the appearance of high levels of Pit-1, but later increases in expression coincident with appearance of mature lactotrophs suggest the operation of additional, critical positive factor(s). Unexpectedly, transgenes containing the distal enhancer removed from its normal context are expressed in both the prolactin-producing lactotrophs and the TSH-producing thyrotrophs, thereby suggesting that sequences flanking this enhancer are necessary to restrict expression to the correct cell type within the pituitary. These data indicate that distinct processes of gene activation and restriction are necessary for the fidelity of cell-type specific expression within an organ. Consistent with this model, we find that lactotroph cell lines that cannot express the growth hormone gene contain high levels of functional Pit-1. We suggest a large, highly related POU-domain gene family, potentially exceeding 100 members, has been conserved and expanded in evolution to meet the increasing requirements for more intricate patterns of cell phenotypes. The POU-domain subgroup of the homeodomain gene family, in concert with other homeodomain proteins and with other classes of transcription factors, is likely to contribute to the establishment of the mammalian neuroendocrine system.

[Determination of tangshenoside I in Codonopsis pilosula Nannf. by TLC-UV spectrophotometric method]

A method of thin layer chromatographic separation and ultraviolet spectrophotometric determination of tangshenoside I in Codonopsis pilosula is described. A comparison of the contents in various samples is made. The contents of tangshenoside I in frosted sample have been found to be twice as much as in normal drug. The recovery of tangshenoside I is 99.92% and the coefficient of variation of eight samplings is 1.77%.

Circulating glycoconjugates in CSF of meningioma patients

This study investigated whether tumor-associated gangliosides or glycoproteins may be markers for meningiomas in CSF. The concentrations of a number of gangliosides and sulphatide were determined with specific monoclonal antibodies and cholera toxin B-subunit in a thin-layer chromatography overlay technique. As compared to a reference group of 10 individuals (mean age 50 +/- 14 years), the CSF samples from 7 meningioma patients (mean age 55 +/- 12 years) were found to contain significantly increased concentrations of ganglioside GD3 [II3(NeuAc)2-LacCer], one of the major gangliosides in meningioma tissue specimens. Sulphatide was significantly increased in 6 of 7 patients. Tumor-associated glycoproteins detected by the lectin Ricinus communis 1 in meningioma tissue specimens, but not in normal human brain tissue, were also found in the CSF of the meningioma patients. An early diagnosis of meningiomas might be achieved by the combined assay in CSF of ganglioside GD3 and glycoproteins with Ricinus communis lectin.

Synthesis and resolution of novel 3'-substituted phenylalanine amides

A convenient approach to the synthesis of ring-substituted phenylalanine amides is described. Phase transfer alkylation of N-(diphenylmethylene)amino acetonitrile or N-(diphenylmethylene)glycine ethyl ester provides alpha-substituted imines 2 and 6. After acid hydrolysis and esterification, resolution with alpha-chymotrypsin provided 3'-substituted phenylalanine analogs 9a-d which could easily be converted to N alpha-t-butyloxycarbonyl-phenylalanine amides for use in the synthesis of peptide analogs. The approach described here is amenable to the synthesis of 3-substituted phenylalanines with a wide variety of substituents for determination of structure-activity relationships of peptides.

[Chemical constituents of Codonopsis pilosula Nannf]

An exclusive constituent has been isolated from the water soluble parts of root of Codonopsis pilosula for the first time. The constituent has been confirmed to be tangshenosid I.

GD3 expression by cultured human tumor cells of neuroectodermal origin

Seven monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) reactive with ganglioside II3(NeuAc)2-LacCer (GD3) were generated; four of these mAbs (DMAb-21, DMAb-22, DMAb-23, and DMAb-24) by immunizing mice with GD3 adsorbed to Salmonella minnesota and the remaining three (DMAb-7, DMAb-8, and DMAb-17) with melanoma line SK-MEL 28, which contains 1.4 nmol sialic acid of GD3 per mg protein. The specificities of the mAbs were defined by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) immunostain and solid-phase radioimmunoassay (SP-RIA) with a panel of purified gangliosides. DMAb-7 and DMAb-8 reacted with GD3, IV3(NeuAc)2nLcOse4Cer(3',8'-LD1), and very weakly with IV3(NeuAc)2II3NeuAcGgOse4Cer (GT1a), but not with II3NeuAc-LacCer (GM3), II3NeuAcGgOse3Cer(GM2), II3NeuAcGgOse4Cer (GM1), II3NeuAc, IV3NeuAcGgOse4Cer (GD1a), II3(NeuAc)2GgOse3(GD2), II3(NeuAc)2GgOse4Cer (GD1b), IV3NeuAcII3(NeuAc)2, GgOse4Cer(GT1b), suggesting the binding epitope to be a terminal tetrasaccharide NeuAc alpha 2-8NeuAc alpha 2-3Gal beta 1-4(Glc or GlcNAc). DMAb-7 and DMAb-8 were used to investigate the expression of GD3 on cultured human tumor cells of neuroectodermal origin. Thirteen of 19 gliomas, 3 of 5 medulloblastomas, 5 of 5 neuroblastomas, 2 of 2 melanomas, and 1 of 3 teratomas were shown to react with DMAb-8 and/or DMAb-7 by cell surface-RIA (CS-RIA) and immunofluorescence (IF) assays. HPTLC and densitometric analysis confirmed these results, as positive immunostains in the GD3 region were obtained with oligoganglioside fractions from 9 glioma, 1 medulloblastoma, 2 neuroblastoma, 1 melanoma, and 1 teratoma cell line. Glioma cell line U-105 MG and medulloblastoma cell line Daoy contain GD3 as shown by HPTLC immunostain analysis of extracts, although GD3 was undetectable on the cell surface as determined by CS-RIA and IF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Expression of a large family of POU-domain regulatory genes in mammalian brain development

A novel region referred to as the POU-domain is present in two tissue-specific transcription factors, Pit-1 and Oct-2, that activate expression of genes specifying pituitary and lymphocyte phenotypes. We report the identification of multiple new members of a large family of POU-domain genes expressed in adult brain, and document that all the known mammalian POU-domain genes, including Pit-1 and Oct-2, are expressed widely in the developing nervous system.

Effects of capsaicin on articular afferents of the cat's knee joint

This study on the effects of capsaicin on primary afferents from normal knee joints of the cat was performed to further elucidate the mechanisms of articular pain evoked by an acute arthritis and by chemical irritants. It showed that close i.a. bolus injection of capsaicin (10(-7)-10(-4) M) excites most fine articular afferents (conduction velocity less than or equal to 11.3 m/s) whereas fast units are not excited. Fine afferents with low to medium thresholds to knee joint movement are less readily excited by capsaicin than high threshold ones. The response to capsaicin is usually a rapid burst of impulses of a very short latency. This response pattern differs considerably from that seen after application of endogenous substances produced in inflammation. Thus capsaicin seems to differ in its mode of action from that of endogenous algesic substances.