Variation in FTO contributes to childhood obesity and severe adult obesity

We identified a set of SNPs in the first intron of the FTO (fat mass and obesity associated) gene on chromosome 16q12.2 that is consistently strongly associated with early-onset and severe obesity in both adults and children of European ancestry with an experiment-wise P value of 1.67 x 10(-26) in 2,900 affected individuals and 5,100 controls. The at-risk haplotype yields a proportion of attributable risk of 22% for common obesity. We conclude that FTO contributes to human obesity and hence may be a target for subsequent functional analyses.     

Long term stability of lysine vasopressin and of specifically tritiated lysine vasopressin in weakly acidic aqueous solutions

Summary Lysine vasopressin tritiated at meta position of tyrosine (1.9 Ci/mmole) decomposes during a long storage period, mainly as a result of radiolysis. The loss of specific activity by isotopic exchange with water is slow. The nonlabelled peptide undergoes only very minute decomposition (polymerization). Specific radioactivity declines with a half life of 47.4 months.Acknowledgments. This research was supported by Swiss National Science Foundation, grant No.3.040.76 (V.P.). Some of the measurements (years 1969–70) were carried out at Roche Institute of Molecular Biology, Nutley, N.J., USA.     

Is the vasospasm following subarachnoidal hemorrhage an immunoreactive disease?

Summary Subarachnoidal hemorrhage (SAH) from an arterial aneurysm is often followed by vasospasm which may lead to severe or even fatal ischemic brain lesions. The cause of the vasospasm is still unknown. In the present study it is shown that patients with SAH and roentgenological and/or clinical vasospasm have a significantly higher frequency (52%) of circulating immune complexes in the blood than patients with SAH without spasm (9%). This finding indicates that the vasospasm following SAH may be elicited via an immunoreaction.     

Regeneration of feline dorsal roots

Résumé La régénération des racines postérieures, précédemment sectionées, a lieu exclusivement dans leur parties neurilemmales. Se servant d'une méthode modifiée d'anastomose des racines, leur régénération fonctionelle est démonstrée par des techniques électrophysiologiques.     

On the catechol amine levels in blood plasma after stimulation of the sympathoadrenal system

Zusammenfassung Stimulation des sympathicoadrenalen Systems der atropinisierten Katze mit Carbacholin ergab signifikante Mengen von Adrenalin und Noradrenalin im Blutplasma. Bei intakter Nebenniere dominierte Adrenalin, nach Adrenalektomie Noradrenalin. Die Freisetzung von Adrenalin oder Noradrenalin unterblieb bei mit Reserpin vorbehandelten adrenalektomierten Tieren.     

Signal sequence directs localized secretion of bacterial surface proteins

All living cells require specific mechanisms that target proteins to the cell surface. In eukaryotes, the first part of this process involves recognition in the endoplasmic reticulum of amino-terminal signal sequences and translocation through Sec translocons, whereas subsequent targeting to different surface locations is promoted by internal sorting signals. In bacteria, N-terminal signal sequences promote translocation across the cytoplasmic membrane, which surrounds the entire cell, but some proteins are nevertheless secreted in one part of the cell by poorly understood mechanisms. Here we analyse localized secretion in the Gram-positive pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes, and show that the signal sequences of two surface proteins, M protein and protein F (PrtF), direct secretion to different subcellular regions. The signal sequence of M protein promotes secretion at the division septum, whereas that of PrtF preferentially promotes secretion at the old pole. Our work therefore shows that a signal sequence may contain information that directs the secretion of a protein to one subcellular region, in addition to its classical role in promoting secretion. This finding identifies a new level of complexity in protein translocation and emphasizes the potential of bacterial systems for the analysis of fundamental cell-biological problems.     

Regeneration of feline ventral roots

Résumé On démontre la capacité de régénération des racines ventrales des nerfs spinaux dont la résection a été pratiquée dans une série de 23 chats. Il y a eu récupération anatomique et fonctionnelle après l'anastomose des racines ventrales innervant des muscles striés et lisses.