Répression par l'oxygène de la biosynthèse de la thiosulfate-réductase deProteus vulgaris

Summary The extracts obtained from aerobic cultures ofProteus vulgaris are completely without thiosulfate reductase activity. This phenomenon can be explained by the repression of biosynthesis of the enzyme by oxygen.     

Action répressive de l'oxygène sur la biosynthèse de la fumarique-réductase d'Aerobacter aerogenes

Summary The cells obtained from anaerobic cultures ofA. aerogenes contain both a hydrogenase and a fumaric reductase, but lack one or several electron transporters necessary for the coupling of the two enzymes. It is possible to measure the fumaric reductase activity of the extracts in the presence of hydrogen, hydrogenase and benzyl viologen, using the Warburg manometric technique. In anaerobic cultures the reductase is an inducible enzyme. In aerobic cultures its formation is strongly repressed by atmospheric oxygen.     

Influence de l'anaérobiose et de différentes tensions d'oxygène sur la libération d'histamine dans la réaction anaphylactiquein vitro

Summary The influence of anaerobiose and of varied oxygen tensions upon respiration and histamine release during anaphylactic reaction in guineapig lung slicesin vitro was studied.No histamine was liberated in the absence of oxygen. With increasing oxygen tensions, increasing histamine quantities were released; these quantities reached the control values when the atmosphere contained 10% oxygen.These results indicate that the mechanism of histamine release in the anaphylactic reaction is linked with the aerobic metabolism of the cell.

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Boursicrs du Consclho Nacional de Pesquisas.     

Isolement dans le plasma veineux périphérique et surrénalien de l'ester-sulfate de 5-androstène 3β-ol 7,17-dione

Summary The isolation of the ester-sulfate of 5-androstene 3-ol 7, 17-dione is described. This sulfate has been found in the peripheral venous blood plasma of several virilized women. Moreover, it has been isolated in 3 adrenal tumors and in the adrenal venous plasma of one of them.     

Spécificité de l'antigène tumoral décelé dans le foie de rat porteur d'une tumeur de Walker

Summary By means of systematic comparative immunoelectrophoretic analysis, it has been shown that the antigenic material appearing in the liver of a Walker tumour bearing rat is highly specific to the tumour. In fact we have been unable to detect such an antigen either in embryonic neonatal, regenerating or in the liver of acute inflammations bearing rats.

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Travail subventionné par l'Institut du Cancer du Canada.     

Histamine et métaux cancérigènes

Summary In the case of mineral carcinogenic substances, the relation already established for organic carcinogenic substances with histamine is apparent. Silver, nickel, cobalt, chronium, and berryllium form well-characterized complexes with histamine.     

Etude de la consommation d'oxygène et de la teneur en acide désoxyribonucléique du foie à divers âges chez le rat

Summary The quantitative study of whole liver DNA and liver nuclei DNA at various ages, and the simultaneous study of oxygen uptake shows the following facts:(1) The rate of oxygen consumption to the fresh weight or to the DNA or to diploid chromosomes group is the same for the adult or the young aged 8 days. The values of oxygen consumption calculated for one cell or for one nucleus (taking notice of the fact that the mean level of liver nuclei DNA varies with the age) at 8 days is only the half of the adult value. Even at two months the value is 20% lower than in the adult.(2) In older animals there is a decrease of oxygen uptake which is more noticeable on a cellular scale than with the classical rate to fresh or dry weight. We affirm the fact that the diminution of the oxygen uptake of each cell is compensated by the increase of the number of cells.     

Histamine et carbures cancérigènes

Summary Histamine, which is a constituent of neurons shows a particular affinity for cancer-producing substances but not for the non-cancer-producing isomers of such substances.     

Communications préliminaires sur les chromosomes des Plécoptères

Summary The chromosomal sets of five species ofPerlodidæ (Plecoptera) are given in the present paper. The sexual chromosomes belong to three distinct types:X-O,X ₁-X ₂,X ₁-X ₂-X ₃. The author shows that these three types are likely derived from the most primitive patternX-Y, by translocation and inversion.     

Sur la caractérisation de dérivés guanidiques d'origine biologique par électrophorèse et chromatographie sur papier (chromatoélectrophorèse)

Summary Paper chromatography has been used in conjonction with electrophoresis in a perpendicular direction (chromatoelectrophoresis), in order to characterize various guanidoderivatives of biological interest and also citrulline. The isolation of definite spots can be obtained with a satisfactory selectivity by this procedure, at a higher speed than by bidimensional chromatography; and the use of a few coloured reactions (ninhydrine,Sakaguchi, diacetyle--naphtol andp-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde) on the same electrochromatogram has been successfully practised in this field.     

Electrophorèse sur gel d'amidon des lipoprotéines sériques humaines

Summary The electrophoretic pattern of human serum lipoproteins after migration in starch gel is different from that obtained by other zone electrophoresis techniques. The most important component which migrates between the slot and slow alpha — 2 globulins may be identified as the component being precipitated by dextrane Sulfate and calcium chloride. The other components have the same mobility as either beta or alpha globulins.     

L'électrophorèse sur papier des protéines hydrosolubles du cristallin

Summary By using paper electrophoresis, the authors succeeded in demonstrating different protein fractions in human and animal lenses.Qualitative and quantitative differences were noted in different animals, between the cortical and the nuclear areas of the lens, and also according to age.

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Chargé de Recherches du Fonds national de la Recherche scientifique.     

Electrophorèse de protéines musculaires de Lapin

Summary Saline extracts from rabbit's skeletal muscles obtained and dialyzed at the ionic strength 0.15 contain at least 11 electrophoretically distinct components. Five of these components (n, m, t, l, s) have properties which are comparable with some characteristics of the myogens ofWeber, another component (h) is probably myoalbumin. Muscular proteins which are more soluble at higher ionic strength are not homogenous: there must be not one but two or more electrophoretically different myosins. Much work is needed to establish accurate relations between electrophoretic and classical muscular proteins.     

Action de la triéthylènemélamie sur les mitoses de segmentation de l'œuf de Pleurodèle

Summary Triethylenemelamine (1/400 to 1/12000) induces pseudo-chiasmas and chromosome-breakage in the egg-segmentation mitoses ofPleurodeles waltlii Michah. The primitive effect is stickiness, breakages appear subsequently, but without an interval of time between: the primary physiological and the secondary genetical effect cannot be separated. There are points of breakability, which explains the symmetry of certain fragments. The action is inverted in the epidermal cells of the larvae, where spindle alterations are prominent. Cytodieresis is never inhibited.     

Biosynthèse des hormones stéroïdes

Summary The different pathways of biosynthesis are described, by which steroid hormones are producedin vivo in the gonads, the adrenal cortex and the placenta, orin vitro by corresponding tissue preparations. First of all a short outline of the origin of cholesterol from acetyl coenzyme A through the biological isoprene unit, the pyrophosphate of ³-iso-pentenol, through squalene, lanosterol and zymosterol is given. Partial side-chain degradation of cholesterol, where ACTH plays an important role, leads to pregnenolone and further to progesterone.The latter compounds are the starting material for the other steroid hormones. On the one hand, they are converted in the gonads and adrenals into 17-hydroxy derivatives, in which the side chain is completely removed by enzymes of the said and also of non-endocrine tissues, to form the androgens. Furthermore the adrenals produce their own typical androgens. After hydroxylation of the angular 19-methyl group, androgens are aromatised to estrogens.On the other hand, the adrenal converts progesterone by hydroxylation in 21- and, depending on the case, also in 11- and/or 17-position into the classical adrenocortical hormones. The special feature of an 18-hydroxylation and -dehydrogenation forms part of the biogenesis of aldosterone; a new example is given for the methods used towards its elucidation, consisting in the biosynthetic conversion of progesterone into two virtual intermediates, 18-oxo-progesterone and 21-desoxyaldosterone, which already contain the 18-aldehyde group, characteristic for aldosterone.The regulation of the biogenesis of the different hormones is mentioned and compounds are discussed which block one or other of the biosynthetic steps.

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D'après une conférence faite aux VIes Journées biochimiques latines, Genève (Suisse), 25 mai 1961.

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Publication No. 179Über Steroide. Communication No. 178 voirK. Heusler, P. Wieland etA. Wettstein, Helv. chim. Acta, sous presse.     

Examen histopathologique de souris irradiées après injection de cystéamine

Summary The injection of-mercaptoethylamine to C 57 black mice before irradiation (700 r) effects a partial protection of liver and spleen. It has a strong accelerating action on regeneration in spleen, intestine and probably thymus. The experiments suggest that this action is related to a protection of glucidic metabolism.