Trypanosoma cf. carassii: the combination of malic enzyme patterns supports the theory of diploidy in trypanosomes

Electrophoretic analysis of Trypanosoma cf. carassii strains from cyprinid fish revealed three basic types of enzyme patterns of malic enzyme (ME) in forms from culture. Two enzyme patterns were one-banded and differed only slightly in electrophoretic mobility. The third pattern consisted of three bands, the two marginals corresponding to respective bands of one-banded patterns and the third located in the middle. ME is thought to be dimeric in trypanosomes and therefore the triple-banded pattern may be regarded as the hybrid from combination of the former two. This fact supports the concept of diploidy in fish trypanosomes.

Distinction of deep versus superficial clinical and nonclinical isolates of Trichosporon beigelii by isoenzymes and restriction fragment length polymorphisms of rDNA generated by polymerase chain reaction

Fifteen clinical and environmental strains of Trichosporon beigelii were analyzed for similarities by using morphological features, biochemical profiles based on carbon compound assimilation and uric acid utilization, isoenzyme electrophoresis, and restriction fragment length polymorphisms of a segment of genes coding for rRNA expanded with the polymerase chain reaction. The findings suggest that strains that cause invasive disease are distinct from the superficial and the nonclinical isolates and that isolates from the skin and mucosae represent a number of different organisms, including some environmental forms. The study shows that T. beigelii is a complex of genetically distinct organisms and that more than one type is found in clinical samples.

Influence of environmental temperature on growth, muscle and adipose tissue metabolism, and meat quality in swine

An experiment involving 32 individually housed, castrated male pigs was conducted to determine the effects of environmental temperature (12 degrees C = T12 or 28 degrees C = T28) on the performance, carcass characteristics, muscle and adipose tissue metabolism, and meat quality of pigs fed to achieve equal rates of weight gain between 8 and 92 kg live weight. The T12 pigs had less muscle (P less than .01) and more subcutaneous fat (P less than .01) in the ham than did T28 animals. Thyroids and adrenals were heavier (P less than .01) in T12 than in T28 pigs. Percentage of type I muscle fibers was higher (P less than .01) and fiber cross-sectional areas smaller (P less than .01) in semispinalis muscle (SS) of T12 pigs, whereas no effect of temperature was noticed in longissimus muscle (LD). Cold exposure induced a larger increase in oxidative metabolism in SS (+30 to 32%, P less than .001) than in LD (+14 to 17%, P less than .10) and an enhanced glycolytic metabolism in LD (P less than .05). Lipid concentration was higher in SS of T12 than in that of T28 pigs. Lipogenic enzyme activities and unsaturation of backfat were higher in T12 than in T28 pigs, whereas no effect of temperature was noticed in leaf fat. Cold treatment resulted in a faster postmortem pH decline (P less than .01), higher glycolytic potential (P less than .01), and lower ultimate pH (P less than .01) in LD. The results indicate that 12 degrees C vs 28 degrees C induced detrimental effects on growth, ham composition, and muscle and adipose tissue quality.

Enzymatic determination of total CO2 in freeze-clamped animal tissues and plasma

An enzymatic method for measuring total carbon dioxide content in freeze-clamped animal tissues is described. Total carbon dioxide content [TCO2] was defined as the sum of the dissolved CO2, the bicarbonate concentration, and the carbonate concentration. Tissue was extracted in 80% methanol, 20 mM 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol, pH 9.5 at 25 degrees C and homogenized in a 1.5-ml Sardstat screw-top test tube containing 0.5-mm glass beads and a minibead beater. Total CO2 was determined as bicarbonate/carbonate by monitoring the oxidation of NADH at 340 nm using the coupled assay of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.31) and malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.37). In the coupled assay system, 1 mumol of bicarbonate/carbonate consumed is equivalent to the oxidation of 1 mumol NADH at 340 nm. The assay medium comprised 50 mM 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol, pH 9.0 at 25 degrees C, 5 mM phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), 0.25 mM NADH, 5 mM MgCl2, 5 mM mercaptoethanol, 0.02% bovine serum albumin, 10 mM oxamate, PEP carboxylase (0.5 units/ml), and malate dehydrogenase (0.5 units/ml). The total CO2 content measured in freeze-clamped rat heart, liver, brain, and skeletal muscle was 20.53 +/- 0.64, 17.34 +/- 0.67, 17.00 +/- 0.48, 16.06 +/- 0.53 mumol/g wet wt tissue, respectively (n = 5). The total CO2 in the crusher muscle of the lobster was found to be 5.0 +/- 0.33 mumol/g wet wt. Total CO2 was also enzymatically measured in arterial plasma from four chronically cannulated male wistar rats and was 24.65 +/- 1.81 mumol/ml plasma.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Enzyme polymorphism of freshwater fish trypanosomes and its use for strain identification

Sixteen strains of trypanosomes isolated from the blood of 10 freshwater fish species (all but one from South Bohemia) were characterized by enzyme analysis using disc electrophoresis in 5% polyacrylamide gel. Six enzymes were selected: ADH, LDH, MDH, ME, G6PDH and GPI. The most variable were ADH and LDH, whereas MDH, G6PDH and GPI showed the same pattern in all strains analysed. Cluster analysis indicated a very high degree of similarity among strains, even those isolated from phylogenetically distant hosts. Moreover, no correlation between enzyme pattern and host species was found.

Acetate catabolism in the dissimilatory iron-reducing isolate GS-15

Acetate-grown GS-15 whole-cell suspensions were disrupted with detergent and assayed for enzymes associated with acetate catabolism. Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase and formate dehydrogenase were not observed in GS-15. Catabolic levels of acetokinase and phosphotransacetylase were observed. Enzyme activities of the citric acid cycle, i.e., isocitrate dehydrogenase, 2-oxoglutarate sythase, succinate dehydrogenase, fumarase, and malate dehydrogenase, were observed.

Application of multidimensional scaling in numerical taxonomy: analysis of isoenzyme types of Candida species

Multidimensional scaling (MDS) was applied to the numerical taxonomy of Candida species based on isoenzyme profiles. Multidimensional scaling uses proximity measures to generate a spatial configuration of points in multidimensional space where distances between points reflect similarity among types. The biochemical profiles of 35 types of Candida species based on 26 tests consisting of isoenzymes of alpha-glucosidase, alkaline phosphatase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, and superoxide dismutase were analyzed. Cluster analysis of MDS, using the Euclidean distance as a proximity measure, separated C. tropicalis and C. paratropicalis from C. albicans and C. stellatoidea. Stepwise multiple linear regression revealed the isoenzyme tests which influenced each of the MDS dimensions. MDS was able to reduce the dimensionality of the test profile.

Short-term effects of dehydroepiandrosterone treatment in rats on mitochondrial respiration

Administration of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) to rats results in alterations in liver and serum factors. This study was undertaken to determine the earliest metabolic change(s) associated with DHEA treatment. Serum cholesterol, triacylglycerol, glucose, insulin, glucagon, thyroid hormones and hepatic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity were, in general, unaltered in obese Zucker rats after 7 d and 24, 12 and 3 h of DHEA treatment. Malic enzyme, long-chain fatty acyl-coenzyme A hydrolase and catalase activities and peroxisomal beta-oxidation rates were elevated after 7 d and 24 h in DHEA treatment, but not after 12 h. Mitochondrial beta-oxidation was not altered. Hepatic mitochondrial state 3 respiration per g liver with glutamate-malate was elevated after 7 d and 24, 12 and 3 h in DHEA-treated rats and was elevated per mg protein except after 7 d. Succinate-supported state 3 respiration per g liver was also elevated after 7 d and 24 and 12 h of DHEA treatment. Mitochondria from rats treated for 7 d had lower levels of cardiolipin and phosphatidylethanolamine and an increase in phosphatidylcholine. Changes in fatty acid composition of these phospholipids occurred after 7 d and 24 h of DHEA treatment. In an additional study, rats were treated with DHEA or DHEA plus ethidium bromide for 3 d. Ethidium bromide inhibited the increase in mitochondrial protein and respiration associated with DHEA treatment. These findings indicate that mitochondrial respiration is the earliest factor affected by DHEA and may be associated with protein synthesis.

[Plastic changes in the intact cerebral cortex resulting from local damage to its symmetrical section]

Representation of the radial nerve in symmetrical area of the opposite hemisphere was studied in cats using the recording of focal potentials within 1.5-1.8 months after electrolytic destruction of the associative parietal cortex. Increasing of the radial nerve representation area occurred within 3-4 months after the operation. The activity of lactatdehydrogenase and malatdehydrogenase, as well as the spectrum of the lactatdehydrogenase isoenzymes, were studied during the same period.

Effects of hypoxia and pharmacological treatment on enzyme activities in skeletal muscle of rats of different ages

The activities of enzymes related to energy metabolism in the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in young-adult (4 months), mature (12 months), and senescent (24 months) rats were compared after continuous (72 consecutive h) exposure to normobaric hypoxia or normoxia after the vasodilator naftidrofuryl or saline solution had been given intraperitoneally for 30 consecutive days. The maximum rats (Vmax) of the following enzyme activities in the crude extract and/or the crude mitochondrial fraction of each muscle specimen were evaluated for: the anaerobic glycolytic pathway (hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase, and lactate dehydrogenase), the tricarboxylic acid cycle (citrate synthase, and malate dehydrogenase), the electron transfer chain (cytochrome oxidase), and the NAD+/NADH redox state (total NADH cytochrome c reductase). The significance of differences between the enzyme activities at different ages or under different experimental conditions in the two tissue preparations of the two muscles were determined by ANOVA. MCA and ETA2 were used to evaluate the net effects of the experimental conditions. First, aging did not seem to affect the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles in the same way. In the gastrocnemius muscle, the major changes were seen in enzymes of the glycolytic pathway, in the crude extracts. In the soleus muscle, the more striking changes in enzyme activities as a function of aging were found in the crude mitochondrial fraction. We also found that hypoxia caused more important changes in 12-month-old rats than in those of other ages (especially the enzyme activities of the gastrocnemius muscle). Naftidrofuryl modified the effects of hypoxia only sometimes and further investigations are necessary before we can draw any conclusions about the pharmacological activity of naftidrofuryl in hypoxia.

Identification of heterogeneity in human isolates of Giardia lamblia by isoenzyme studies

Electrophoretic mobility patterns of six enzymes, viz. alkaline phosphatase E.C. 3.1.3.1., acid phosphatase E.C. 3.1.3.2., malic enzyme E.C. 1.1.1.40., phosphoglucomutase E.C. 2.7.5.1., isocitrate dehydrogenase E.C. 1.1.1.42., glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase E.C. 1.1.1.49 of two axenically cultured human Giardia lamblia isolated from India (PD-1 and PD-2) and one strain from Portland, Oregon, USA (P-1) were compared using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Based on the difference in the mobility patterns of the enzymes phosphoglucomutase, isocitrate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme, the PD-1 and PD-2 isolates appeared to be quite different from P-1. In the present study, the isocitrate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase enzymes were used for the first time for differentiation of Giardia isolates. In the case of PD-1, two alkaline phosphatase bands could be seen whereas only one band was observed in PD-2 and P-1. Thus, the three strains could be grouped into three different zymodemes. These findings reveal the significant heterogeneity in G. lamblia isolates both from widely separated areas and within a single region. Heterogeneity among G. lamblia strains may explain the variable clinical manifestations, host response and treatment efficacy characteristic of human giardiasis.

The heterotopic effects of insulin and glucagon on the acinar activity pattern of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in male and female rat liver

The effects of the administration of insulin and glucagon on the intraacinar heterotopy of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) were investigated in male and female rat liver. Insulin did not noticeably influence PEPCK activity or its acinar distribution, either in males or in females. But it affected the activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme. Glucagon in supraphysiological concentrations led to an induction of PEPCK activity. Despite high glucagon concentration along the whole sinusoidal length, the inducing effect of glucagon was most pronounced in the periportal and intermediary parts of the acinus; thus indicating that there is no direct interrelationship between local glucagon concentration and PEPCK activity. In both experiments blood glucose levels were kept fairly constant.

[Multiple forms of NAD-dependent malate dehydrogenase in 3 species of trematodes of the genus Notocotylus (Trematoda: Notocotylidae)]

NAD dependent malate dehydrogenases of three trematode species, Notocotylus attenuatus, N. ephemera and N. imbricatus, have been investigated by electrophoresis. Seven different zones with 15 isoenzymes in N. attenuatus, 16 isoenzymes in N. ephemera and 11 isoenzymes in N. imbricatus have been found in MDH spectra. Isoenzymes of MDH are controlled by seven polymorphic loci. The activity of isoenzymes of three slowly migrating zones is 10 and more times higher than that of fast zones (4-7). The genotypes of adults in one strain are genetically identical, independent ot the development in different definitive hosts. The spectra of MDH of the investigated Notocotylus species are different in slowly migrating isoenzymes (1-3 zones).

Biochemical characterization of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis and Leishmania (Viannia) peruviana by isoenzyme electrophoresis

Leishmanial organisms isolated from 24 patients with Andean cutaneous leishmaniasis (uta) and from 7 with sylvatic leishmaniasis in both cutaneous and mucosal forms were characterized on the basis of their isoenzyme profiles for 13 enzymes using both cellulose acetate (CA) and thin-layer starch gel (TLS) electrophoretic techniques. Malate dehydrogenase (MDH) after electrophoresis on CA or TLS and mannose phosphate isomerase (MPI) on TLS were the only enzymes of 13 examined which discriminated between the organisms from patients with uta (L. (V.) peruviana) and those with sylvatic leishmaniasis (L. (V.) braziliensis). Mannose phosphate isomerase gave more clear-cut and reproducible discrimination than did MDH on either TLS or CA, and it is suggested that MPI is a reliable enzyme marker that can be used in routine TLS electrophoresis to distinguish between L. (V.) peruviana and L. (V). braziliensis.

Differential biogenesis of photosystem-II in mesophyll and bundle-sheath cells of 'malic' enzyme NADP(+)-type C4 plants. A comparative protein and RNA analysis

We have investigated the photosystem-II organization in differentiating-bundle-sheath cells of the three malate dehydrogenase (oxaloacetate decarboxylating) (NADP+)-type C4 species maize, Sorghum and Pennisetum. Using a set of nine different antisera raised against individual subunits of photosystem-II, we demonstrate that photosystem-II components constitute a substantial part of the thylakoid membranes of young bundle-sheath chloroplasts. The abundance of subunits of the photosystem-II core, i.e. the 47-and 43-kDa chlorophyll-a-binding proteins, polypeptides D1 and D2, cytochrome b559, and the 34-kDa polypeptide, varies with the developmental state of the plant. However, the levels of the 23-kDa, 16-kDa and 10-kDa extrinsic polypeptides of the water-oxidation complex are drastically reduced in bundle-sheath chloroplasts of all three species analyzed, regardless of their state of differentiation. The reduction in protein abundance is also reflected at the transcript level: only traces of the nuclear-encoded mRNAs are found in differentiating bundle-sheath cells of Sorghum, suggesting that the transcription of these genes has been switched off. Our data are compatible with the idea that the water-oxidation complex is a prime site for initiating or maintaining the process leading to photosystem-II depletion during differentiation of bundle-sheath cells.

Quantitative distributions of aspartate aminotransferase and glutaminase activities in the guinea pig cochlea

Distributions of aspartate aminotransferase and glutaminase activities in the guinea pig cochlea have been examined with use of quantitative microchemical techniques to evaluate their roles in cochlear energy metabolism and neurotransmission. Other enzyme activities analyzed were those of choline acetyltransferase and malate dehydrogenase. It is concluded that aspartate aminotransferase activity appears to be especially concerned with cochlear energy metabolism, while glutaminase activity may function in transmitter metabolism in the guinea pig cochlea. Neither enzyme shows a clear association with the olivocochlear bundle.

A model for studying isolation mechanisms in parasite populations: the genus Lepeophtheirus (Copepoda, Caligidae)

In the Mediterranean, the parasitic copepod Lepeophtheirus thompsoni Baird, 1850 specifically infests turbot (Psetta maxima L., 1758), whereas L. europaensis Zeddam, Berrebi, Renaud, Raibaut, and Gabrion, 1988 infests brill (Scophthalmus rhombus L., 1758) and flounder (Platichthys flesus L., 1758). Experimental infestation of turbot by copepods from each of the three fish species showed an absence of any physiological incompatibility preventing natural development of the two parasite species, at least on one host species, i.e., the turbot. Moreover, interspecific hybrids were obtained experimentally, which implies that 1) there is no strict genetic barrier between the two species and 2) the natural prezygotic isolation results from a choice of the most favorable habitat. We discuss the origin and possible consequences of the presence, in the Mediterranean, of L. europaensis on brill and flounder, two hosts separated by their taxonomic status and ecobiology.

Spontaneous induction of malignancy in mouse cells by a human small cell lung cancer implanted in nude mice

This report provides evidence for spontaneous transfer of human tumor DNA in vivo to mouse cells by a human small cell lung cancer implanted in nude mice. The transformation of the mouse cells was characterized by the presence of neurosecretory granules, which are hallmarks of small cell lung cancer. The carcinogenicity of the human xenografted tumor DNA was confirmed by transfecting NIH3T3 cells in vitro, suggesting that the human tumor DNA may have been the cause of the transformation of the mouse cells in vivo. The spontaneous induction of malignancy in mouse cells in vivo by human tumor DNA may be a factor of potential importance in tumor cell heterogeneity and propagation of the malignant state for some tumors. The observations support the thesis that some human cancer cells can transform normal cells to become malignant in vivo.

Giardia isolates from primates and rodents display the same molecular polymorphism as human isolates

Five Giardia isolates from primates and rodents were grown axenically and compared by different electrophoretic techniques. One isolate from a lemur (slow loris) contained a dsRNA virus also found in some of the Giardia of human origin. Using ethidium bromide stained gels and also Southern blots hybridized with a rDNA probe, two profiles of restriction fragment length polymorphism were found in the animal Giardia, which are identical to two profiles found previously in strains of human origin. Isoenzyme and total protein patterns obtained with agarose isoelectric focusing divided the strains in the same two groups. With pulsed field gradient gel electrophoresis, the isolates showed 6-8 chromosomal bands but none of the band patterns were identical. The size of the chromosomes varied from 0.8 to over 3.0 Mb. A ribosomal DNA probe hybridized with different bands.

Estrogen induces hyperlipidemia in fasted chicks

To determine whether the estrogen-induced hyperlipidemia is affected by fasting, male growing chicks were administered subcutaneously a single dose of 17 beta-estradiol (25 mg/kg body wt), and the hormone treatment lasted for 2 days with or without feed (Experiment 1). In the second experiment, chicks were initially fasted for 1 or 3 days, and then treated with the same dosage of 17 beta-estradiol as in Experiment 1 for 2 days without feed. Plasma and liver lipids, and the activities of hepatic malic enzyme, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and hormone-sensitive lipase in the adipose tissue were determined. Compared with fed control chicks, estrogen treatment in fed birds resulted in a marked elevation of plasma lipids, especially triglyceride during the 2-day period (137 vs 2263 mg/dl). In fasted chicks, the present finding that estrogen also induced a marked hyperlipidemia is noteworthy. Upon estrogen treatment (Experiment 1), the level of plasma triglyceride in fasted birds increased about 16 times over that of the fasted control group (133 vs 2093 mg/dl). Even in chicks fasted for 5 days (Experiment 2), estrogen treatment resulted in a persistent hypertriglyceridemia (75 vs 1369 mg/dl). In fed chicks, estrogen treatment also induced a fatty liver with massive accumulation of triglyceride, but the liver of estrogen-treated/fasted chicks appeared to be normal. In both fed and fasted chicks, malic enzyme was found to be the major NADPH producing enzyme in the liver. Upon fasting, both malic enzyme and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities decreased significantly (P less than 0.05). In fed chicks, the total activities of both enzymes increased with estrogen treatment, whereas the effect of hormone on these enzymes was less obvious in fasted chicks. The hormone-sensitive lipase activity in the adipose tissue was much lower in fed chicks compared with that of fasted birds (0.15 vs 0.33 nmol of oleic acid released/min/mg protein). Estrogen treatment in fed chicks had no effect on the hormone-sensitive lipase activity, but its activity was enhanced by the hormone treatment in fasted chicks. The present finding that hyperlipidemia persisted in estrogenized chicks during the fasting seems to indicate the complex nature of this hormonal influence on lipid metabolism.

Zymodeme conversion of isolates of Entamoeba histolytica

A non-cloned and a cloned isolate of non-pathogenic (zymodeme I) Entamoeba histolytica derived from homosexual males were incubated in Diamonds' TP-S-1 medium in the presence of Crithidia for 52 d. A single addition of Escherichia coli irradiated at 1000 Gy rendered the culture axenic. Analysis of zymodeme patterns established that both isolates had transformed to zymodeme II. The re-establishment of cultures in the presence of microflora from the original cultures resulted in a return to zymodeme I, whereas incubation with microflora from an amoebic isolate exhibiting a zymodeme II pattern maintained the pathogenic pattern.

[Activities of gluconeogenetic enzymes in the yeast Candida maltosa during growth on glucose or ethanol]

The activities of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, malate dehydrogenase and PEP carboxykinase were tested during discontinuous growth of the n-alkane-assimilating yeast Candida maltosa on glucose or ethanol. As expected, the highest activities of the enzymes were measured in the early log phase of growth on ethanol and the lowest in the early log phase of growth on glucose. However, the differences in the activities are much smaller than in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other yeasts under similar conditions. Therefore, we conclude that catabolite repression does not play an essential role in the control of gluconeogenesis in Candida maltosa.

Optimal conditions for protease use in the assay of serum mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase

The optimal conditions for selective proteolytic inactivation of cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase (c-AST) to determine mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase (m-AST) in serum were studied. Protease 401 was found to be effective over a pH range of 6.0-10.0. A pH of 9.5 with 0.5% albumin in the reagent mixture was determined to be optimal for inactivation of c-AST and preservation of m-AST, lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), and malic dehydrogenase (MDH) in the assay procedure. The presence of serum endogenous protein inhibitors such as alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 2-macroglobin did not inhibit protease 401.

Cellular distribution, purification and electrophoretic properties of malate dehydrogenase in Trichuris ovis and inhibition by benzimidazoles and pyrimidine derivatives

High levels of malate dehydrogenase were found in Trichuris ovis. Two molecular forms of the enzyme, of different cellular location and electrophoretic pattern, were isolated and purified. The activity of soluble malate dehydrogenase was greater than that of mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase. Both forms also displayed different electrophoretic profiles in comparison with purified extracts from goat (Capra hircus) liver. Substrate concentration directly affected enzyme activity. Host and parasite malate dehydrogenase activity were both inhibited by a series of benzimidazoles and pyrimidine-derived compounds, some of which markedly reduced parasite enzyme activity, but not host enzyme activity. Percentage inhibition by some pyrimidine derivatives was greater than that produced by benzimidazoles.