Retrovirus-mediated transgenic keratin expression in cultured fibroblasts: specific domain functions in keratin stabilization and filament formation

With retrovirus-mediated gene transfer, we used intact and deleted keratin proteins to investigate the molecular basis of intermediate filament function. Three levels of assembly show a different stringency for the involvement of individual keratin domains: protein accumulation requires the alpha helix domains; stable filament formation additionally requires both N- and C-terminal domains of either one of the two interacting keratins, suggesting that head to tail homotypic interaction is important for effective elongation; and higher order organization of the cytoplasmic network depends on correct type I-type II pairing of keratins. The presence of two distinct interaction sites along potentially different axes may explain the characteristic morphology of keratin intermediate filament networks.

[The isolation and structure of tripchlorolide (T4) from Tripterygium wilfordii]

A new compound named tripchlorolide was isolated from Total Glucosides (T II) extracted from the woody part of the root of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. Tripchlorolide (T4) was obtained as white needle-like crystals, mp 256-258 degrees C. Its molecular formula is C20H25O6Cl. The structure of T4 was elucidated on the basis of spectral (UV, IR, MS, FTMS/SCI, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, 1H-1H cosy, 13C-1H cosy) analyses, X-ray and chemical evidence. In preliminary pharmacologic assay, tripchlorolide showed definite anti-inflammatory actions and strong immunosuppressive and antifertile activities, the potency of the latter being 100 times stronger than that of T II.

Cloning, characterization, and expression of the gene for the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase in Caenorhabditis elegans. Identification of highly conserved and unique isoforms generated by alternative splicing

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans expresses substantial amounts of several forms (Mr values = 39,000-41,000) of the catalytic subunit (C) of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Approximately 65% of the total cAMP-dependent phosphotransferase activity is recovered in particulate fractions of homogenates prepared from asynchronous populations of C. elegans. The C subunit is expressed at a low level in cytosolic and particulate compartments during embryogenesis. As the nematodes progress from late embryonic stages to the newly hatched, first larval (L1) stage, C subunit content increases 15-fold. High levels of C subunits are observed in several subsequent larval and adult stages of development. Since the relative abundance of C subunit mRNA changes little with development, it appears that control of C expression is exerted the translational and/or post-translational levels. cDNAs for two types of C have been cloned and sequenced. The derived amino acid sequence of a major isoform (CeCAT alpha, 358 residues) is highly homologous (82% identical) with the murine C alpha subunit. A second, novel C subunit (CeCAT alpha', 374 residues) has a unique 56-residue carboxyl-terminal region that is generated by the alternative splicing of the C pre-mRNA. The splicing process that yields CeCAT alpha' is unusual because it converts the central portion of an apparent 1-kilobase (kb) intron to an exon. The alternative exon introduces the novel carboxyl terminus and a new translation stop signal, while simultaneously converting the coding sequence for 40 carboxyl-terminal residues in CeCAT alpha into 3'-untranslated nucleotides. The 5' end of the C. elegans C subunit mRNA is produced by the trans-splicing of the C gene transcript to a 22-base pair C. elegans leader sequence originally described by Krause, M., and Hirsh, D. [1987) Cell 49, 753-761). The 20-kb C. elegans C gene is divided into seven exons by introns ranging in size from 54 to 8000 bp. The sizes of the C. elegans C subunit gene, cytoplasmic mRNA (2.5 kb), and subunit protein are similar to the sizes of the murine C alpha gene, mRNA, and polypeptide. However, the nematode and murine C genes differ significantly in the organization of their introns and exons.

Differential screening of murine ascites cDNA libraries by means of in vitro transcripts of cell-cycle-phase-specific cDNA and digital image processing

Cell-cycle-phase-specific cDNA libraries were prepared in the lambda gt10 vector and in the in vitro transcription vector, pBluescript. Plaques of the cDNA libraries prepared in the lambda gt10 vector were differentially screened with (a) in vitro transcripts of the cell-cycle-phase-specific cDNAs cloned in the transcription vector and (b) with first-strand cDNA of mRNA from phase-synchronous cells. The results suggest that first-strand cDNA can be replaced, at least in prescreening experiments, by in vitro transcripts of representative cDNA libraries prepared in in vitro transcription vectors. The fractions of differential clones detected with in vitro transcripts (1.2%) and with first-strand cDNA (1%) were in the same order. Individual clones selected by differential hybridization with in vitro transcripts could be verified by differential hybridization with cell-cycle-phase-specific first-strand cDNA. This indicates that the pattern of stage-specific prevalences of cDNA clones is essentially retained during careful amplifications of large cDNA libraries. The application of in vitro transcripts of stage-specific cDNA for differential screening experiments is of interest in cases where the amount of biological material is either limited or difficult to prepare. It also allows standardization of the probes in repeated screening experiments. Three clones reflecting cell-cycle-phase-specific mRNA prevalences were chosen and analyzed on the sequence level. Two sequences with S-phase prevalences were identified. They code for elongation factor EF1 alpha and for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, respectively. The third sequence reflects the first cDNA of a mRNA with significant prevalence in G2-phase cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Comparison of the effects of xamoterol and isoprenaline on rat cardiac beta-adrenoceptors: studies of function and regulation

1. The effects of the beta 1-selective partial agonist xamoterol and the full agonist isoprenaline on rat cardiac beta-adrenoceptors were compared in functional studies of heart rate response in vivo and in vitro. In addition, the ability of both agents to cause receptor down-regulation in the rat heart following chronic (6 days) subcutaneous infusions was assessed by radioligand binding with [125I]-pindolol. 2. In the functional studies, xamoterol produced a maximal effect equivalent to approximately 65% of that of isoprenaline and was overall less potent than the full agonist. 3. Compared to saline control, the density of beta-adrenoceptors was reduced approximately 39% in ventricular membranes prepared from animals after 6 days of isoprenaline infusion but was unaffected by xamoterol. The relative proportions of the beta-adrenoceptor subtypes were unchanged by either active treatment. 4. Plasma xamoterol level at the end of the infusion period was equivalent to that associated with maximum tachycardia in vivo and to the concentration producing maximal stimulation of the rat isolated atrium in vitro. Thus suggesting 100% beta-adrenoceptor occupancy during the period of xamoterol infusion. 5. These results indicate that in this animal model xamoterol does not induce cardiac beta-adrenoceptor down-regulation during chronic treatment, with doses that produce a maximal functional response both in vitro and in vivo.

Protective effects of sodium selenite on experimental myocardial infarction

The present study compares the protective effects of sodium selenite (Se), hyaluronidase (Hy) and anisodamine (An) on infarct size, left ventricular myocardial contractility (LVMC) and relaxation (LVMR) and myocardial hypertrophy on the 3rd, 9th and 21st days after the ligation of left main coronary artery in the rats. The results showed that Se could reduce the infarct size, so could Hy and An. However, Se could relevantly improve LVMC and LVMR at the acute phase of infarction, while Hy and An could not. On the 21st day (healing phase) of infarction the indexes of the LVMC and LVMR in Se-, Hy- or An-treated rats were significantly better than those in the control rats. Se could enhance the extent of hypertrophy in non-infarcted myocardium, while Hy and An could not. On the 21st day of this experiment the total natural mortality in the Se-treated rats was significantly lower than that in the control or in the An-treated rats. These data suggest that Se is superior to Hy and An in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction.

Construction and quality of cDNA libraries prepared from cytoplasmic RNA not enriched in poly(A)+RNA

Poly(A)+RNA and cytoplasmic RNA of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells grown in vivo were used to study the quality and efficiency of cDNA synthesis. It was found that the rates of oligo(dT)-primed and unprimed reverse transcription were very similar in both cases. The size distributions of the cDNA strands prepared from unfractionated RNA reflected the size of cytoplasmic mRNA populations including a significant fraction of long molecules up to 6 kb. The fraction of cDNAs primed on rRNAs by oligo(dT) was found to be as low as 2-3%. Following second-strand synthesis by means of RNase H-induced nick translation by DNA polymerase I the overall yields in double-stranded cDNA were slightly higher when unfractionated cytoplasmic RNA was used as starting template. In repeated experiments we obtained an average yield of 2.2 micrograms of double-stranded cDNA when 70 micrograms of unfractionated cytoplasmic RNA was used as starting material. This amount of cDNA synthesized in one assay was sufficient to construct representative cDNA libraries in different vectors. Southern hybridizations of DNA isolated from cDNA libraries with various radiolabelled probes show that the libraries constructed from cDNA synthesized from cytoplasmic RNA not enriched in poly(A)+RNA contain a high ratio of full-length cDNA clones. The results suggest that representative cDNA libraries of high quality can be constructed without pre-isolation of poly(A)+RNA fractions.

Cell cycle phase-specific cDNA libraries reflecting phase-specific gene expression of Ehrlich ascites cells growing in vivo

Asynchronous populations of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells grown in vivo were separated by centrifugal elutriation into fractions of G1-, S-, and G2/M-phase cells with less than 10% cross-contamination. Cytoplasmic mRNA from phase-synchronous cells was used to prepare cDNA which was ligated with bacteriophage lambda gt10 arms and amplified in Escherichia coli C600 hfl-. EcoRI digests of DNA isolated from the sublibraries (G1, S, G2/M) were submitted to Southern hybridizations with radiolabeled probes either (a) for genes whose phase-specific expression is clearly documented, thymidine kinase, dihydrofolate reductase, and thymidylate synthase, or (b) for genes whose change of expression during the cell cycle is likely, lamin C, beta-actin, alpha- and beta-tubulin, c-myc, c-fos, p53. The cDNA sequences for genes of group (a) were found to be significantly enriched in DNA of the S-phase library indicating that the cell cycle phase-specific patterns of the respective mRNA levels are conserved in the sublibraries. Sequences belonging to group (b) were also found to be enriched in DNA isolated from the sublibraries: c-fos in G1 phase, lamin C, beta-actin, tubulins, c-myc in S phase, and p53 in G1/S phase. The unexpected prevalence of c-myc and alpha-tubulin in the S-phase library is supported by Northern analysis of RNA from phase-synchronous cells. Non-phase-specific, randomly chosen sequences hybridized equally strong with DNA isolated from the different sublibraries. No significant changes of the patterns of hybridization signals were observed with DNA from different amplifications of the sublibraries when analyzed with the same DNA probe indicating that the cDNA complexities are well conserved during amplifications. Consequently, the sublibraries are useful to obtain information about the cell cycle phase-specific expression of mRNAs for other genes of interest. Since the sublibraries reflect mRNA levels of the cells growing in vivo they supply data on the physiological in vivo pattern of gene expression undisturbed by potentially unphysiological in vitro conditions.

Characterization of a purified nicotinic receptor from rat brain by using idiotypic and anti-idiotypic antibodies

The availability of an anti-nicotine monoclonal antibody has made it possible to further establish the nature of the nicotine recognition proteins purified from rat brain by affinity chromatography and to provide a highly sensitive assay for determining [3H]nicotine binding to the purified material. An enantiomeric analogue of nicotine, (-)-6-hydroxymethyl-nicotine, was used to prepare the affinity column. In addition, with the use of anti-idiotypic monoclonal antibody, it was confirmed that the recognition site for nicotine resides on a protein complex composed of two components with molecular masses of 62 and 57 kDa. It was also demonstrated that the same two proteins could be purified by immunoaffinity chromatography with the use of an anti-idiotypic monoclonal antibody. With the use of the anti-nicotine antibody to measure [3H]nicotine binding, the purified material was shown to bind 250 pmol/mg of protein. By utilizing a procedure in which the purified receptor protein was conjugated to membranes by disulfide bonds, a binding activity of 80 pmol/mg was obtained. With the availability of stereospecific monoclonal antibodies to (-)-nicotine as well as monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies derived when the anti-nicotine antibodies were used as immunogens, additional procedures became available for the further characterization of the purified nicotine receptor and examining its (-)-[3H]nicotine-binding characteristics.

Extensive scalds following accidental immersion in hot water pools

The scalds produced by immersion in hot water pools were extensive, usually of superficial depth on the upper parts of the body and deep dermal or full thickness skin loss on the lower parts. Blisters appeared rather slowly, within 2 days post-burn and often dispersed spontaneously. The estimated burned area on admission may thus be smaller than found subsequently. This study showed that the volume of fluid required for adequate resuscitation during the first post-burn day may be only 1.5 ml/kg/% BSA burned. Deep dermal burns were treated preferably by early tangential excision and grafting. The full thickness skin loss was treated by escharectomy and skin grafts.

Operating characteristics and applications of a microchannel spatial light modulator under white-light illumination

A microchannel spatial light modulator-based white-light optical processor is presented. The basic principle of the system performance is studied. The operating characteristics of the spectral and contrast responses are measured. Applications to real-time optical processing operations which include the intensity color encoding analog hard clipping in colors are provided.

Receptor binding characteristics of a 3H-labeled azetidine analogue of nicotine

A new radioligand, (+/-)-[3H]-1-methyl-2-(3-pyridyl)-azetidine, which is an analogue of nicotine, has been used to investigate the binding characteristics of the nicotine receptor in rat brain membranes. By Scatchard analysis, the azetidine analogue yielded a curvilinear plot with Kd values of 7 X 10(-11) and 1.7 X 10(-9) M and Bmax values of 0.3 X 10(-14) and 2.5 X 10(-14) mol/mg protein respectively. Thermodynamic analyses yielded negative free enthalpy values for both sites, a decrease in the Bmax of only the lower affinity site, and no effect on either Kd. The psychotropic potency (prostration in rats following intraventricular injection) of the azetidine analogue was about 5-fold greater than (-)-nicotine, being among the greatest of any known nicotine analogues tested to date. Since only the higher affinity Kd differed from that of (-)-nicotine, 3-fold greater, the psychotropic potency appears to be correlated with the higher affinity site. Insofar as [3H]methylcarbamylcholine, a nicotinic ligand resembling acetylcholine, exhibits a linear Scatchard with a Kd of 1 X 10(-9) M, the higher affinity site appears to be characteristic of nicotine analogues.