Genetic differences between inbred strains of mice; a new source of variation in high-sulphur keratins

Summary Proteins were extracted by improved techniques from the hair of inbred strains of Peru, C57BL/6 and CBA/Ca mice. The extracts were characterized by amino acid analysis and high resolution polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and previously unreported strain differences were observed. Genetic analysis confirmed them.We are grateful to Dr Speakman, Dr J. Findlay and Prof. J. Shire for helpful discussion, the Joint Sequencing Unit (Dept of Biochemistry/Genetics) for carrying out the amino acid analyses, and the mouse house staff. We also thank the S.R.C. for the grant GR/B/62877 which supported this work.     

The hydrolysis of polyimides

Zusammenfassung Nachweis, dass die alkalische Hydrolyse des Phthalimids durch eine N-Succinimidgruppe erhöht wird. Während der alkalischen Hydrolyse des Polysuccinimids fällt die Reaktionsgeschwindigkeit infolge Auftretens negativer Ladungen ab.

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Contribution No. 251 of the Institute for Space Biosciences. The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, financial support by NASA grant No. NsG-173-62. We thank Dr.M. Kasha for use of facilities of the Institute for Molecular Biophysics. We thank Mr. Ch.R. Windsor for performing amino acid analyses.     

Free amino acids in motor cortex of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Summary Free amino acids were estimated quantitatively in the motor cortex from 3 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and 11 control subjects. Among 7 amino acids which showed statistically significant changes, taurine was the only one which was increased constantly and most markedly in the motor cortex of all the 3 ALS cases. It was suggested that the metabolism of sulfur amino acids might be affected in comparatively early stages of ALS.Acknowledgments. The authors are grateful to Dr M. Uono, Department of Neurology, Tokyo Metropolitan Hospital of Fuchu, and Dr K. Hirayama, Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, School of Medicine, Chiba University, for their generous cooperation.     

A new synthesis ofβ-fluoroaspartic acid

Summary -Fluoroaspartic acid, a new amino acid, was synthesized by a diazotization of diaminosuccinic acid in liquid hydrogen fluoride.Synthesis of Amino Acids and Related Compounds, part 21.—Part 20: Y. Ozaki, S. Maeda, M. Miyoshi and K. Matsumoto, Synthesis, 216 (1979).We would like to acknowledge Dr I. Chibata for his encouragement in this work.     

Cortinarius speciosissimus toxins — a preliminary report

Summary Methanolic extracts ofCortinarius speciosissimus yielded a fluorescent compound which was crystallized and shown to be a cyclic polypeptide. The compound, or an analogue, has been found in most members of the genusCortinarius.The authors acknowledge the help of Dr M. Stewart, Department of Biochemistry, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, for the amino acid analysis. This work was supported by the Scottish Home and Health Department, grant No. H/MRS/S)/C350.     

The presence of β-phenylethylamine,p-tyramine,m-tyramine and tryptamine in ganglia and foot muscle of the garden snail (Helix aspersa)

Summary The concentrations of -phenylethylamine,p-tyramine,m-tyramine,m-octopamine and tryptamine in the ganglia or foot muscle ofHelix aspersa range from <0.6 to 11 ng/g.p-Octopamine levels are higher in ganglia (327 ng/g) than in foot muscle (4.1 ng/g). Dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine range from 840 to 2710 ng/g while their acid metabolites, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid range from <20 to 130 ng/g.Acknowledgments. We thank Dr A.A. Boulton for helpful discus sion, Dr D.A. Durden for supervising the mass spectrometric analyses, Dr B.A. Davis for the synthesis of the deuterated standards, G.H. Wheatley, E.P. Zarycki and M. Mizuno for expert technical assistance, and Saskatchewan Health and the MRC of Canada for providing financial support.     

Chemical characterization of human urine albumin in proteinuria

Summary From the urine of a patient with proteinuria, the albumin protein component was isolated and compared with human serum albumin. By comparing the amino acid composition of the original proteins and their large cyanogen bromide fragments, peptide maps and N-terminal sequences of 33 amino acid residues, the identity of both proteins was shown.We wish to express our thanks to Mr L. Slepika and Dr A. Koent for the protein fractionation. We are indebted to Mr K. Grüner for the Edman degradation experiments, to Mrs E. Drková for amino acid analyses and Mrs A. Kulhánková for technical assistance.     

Evolutionary implications of ascorbic acid production in the Australian lungfish

Summary It is shown that the Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) synthesizes ascorbic acid in its kidney, suggesting that ascorbic acid synthesis started before the origin of the tetrapods.Acknowledgments. We would like to thank Dr G.C. Grigg, University of Sydney, Mr R. B. Humphries, Dr P.A. Janssens and Dr C.H. Tyndale-Biscoe, Australian National University, and Dr. M. Griffiths and J.C. MacIlroy C.S.I.R.O., Division of Wildlife Research for supplying the tissue.     

Chromsome aberrations in cattle raised on bracken fern pasture

Summary Thirteen cows maintained on natural bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) were analyzed cytogenetically. The frequency of structural chromosome aberrations detected in peripheral blood cells was significantly higher when compared to that detected in animals raised on pasture containing no bracken fern. We discuss the clastogenic action of fern and its synergistic action with infection by type 2 and 4 papilloma virus in the same animals.Acknowledgments. We are grateful to Dr F. J. Benesi, Dr J. L. Guerra and Dr I. L. Sinhorini for performing some of the clinical and pathological analyses; O. P. Ferraz, L. A. Tadeu Dias, L. F. Feitosa and A. M. N. Paiva for technical assistance; and to Dr N. H. C. Castro and Dr C. de Araujo Peres for critical and statistics review, respectively. Research was supported by CNPq FAPESP and CAPES.     

Lysosomal enzyme release associated with the invasion of rat liver by Novikoff hepatoma

Summary The lysosomes of both Novikoff hepatoma and liver from Novikoff hepatoma-bearing rats were found to be relatively intact structurally, lower in acid phosphatase activity, greatly depleted in number but with nearly normal membrane integrity when compared with normal liver.Acknowledgments. We thank Dr Ellen Rasch for her valued advice and interest in the project. We are grateful to M. P. Shaw for help with the acid phosphatase assay.     

Bombykol biosynthesis from deuterium-labeled (Z)-11-hexadecenoic acid

Summary (Z)-[11,12d ₂]-11-Hexadecenoic acid was applied topically to the pheromone gland of silkworm pupa. After eclosion, the gland components were analyzed by capillary GC-MS. (Z)-11-Hexadecenoic acid, a characteristic fatty acid of the gland, was found to be a precursor of bombykol, (Z)-11-hexadecenol and bombyk acid.We are greatful to Dr Y. Tamaki and Mr H. Sugie of the National Institute of Agricultural Science for mass spectrometric analysis and Dr M. Noda of Kyoto Prefectural University for valuable discussion. This work was supported by a Grant-in-aid for Scientific Research (to K.H. No. 56112011) from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan.     

Hydrophobic properties of model compounds with peptide-like chemical environment: N-acetyl-N′-methyl-amino acid amides

Summary Capacity factors in reversed-phase HPLC and distribution constants in octan-l-ol/water of N-acetyl-N-methylamino acid amides have been measured as a function of temperature. The HPLC capacity factors are proposed as estimates of the hydrophobicity of the amino acid side chains.We acknowledge the interest in this work of Dr H. van Rooy, Dr J. Kinkel, Prof. W. Soudijn and Prof. E. Tomlinson.     

Tissue specific biochemical alterations during spinning in the eri-silkworm,Philosamia ricini

Summary Protein, total free amino acid and RNA accumulated in the silk gland of eri-silkworm decrease drastically within 2–4 days of spinning. In contrast, the fatbody presents an augmentation of total protein concentration towards the end of the spinning process. The hemolymph maintains constancy of these molecules with little variation.Acknowledgment. The authors are thankful to Dr R. N. Singh, Principal, for providing necessary facilities, to Dr A. B. Das, Prof. and Head of Zoology Dept Visvabharti University for valuable suggestions and to Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, India, for financial assistance.     

Regulation of grasshopper fecundity,longevity and egg viability by plant growth hormones

Summary Abscisic acid, a plant growth hormone, added in water to the grass diet of a grasshopper, greatly reduces the reproductive rate, as does gibberellin A₃ at doses 10 times greater. Reciprocal seasonal variations in quantities of these hormones could synchronize the growth and reproduction of insects with their host plants in the field.Acknowledgments. I thank Drs J. Pickett, G. Strobel, D. Meyers, I. Mills, L. Jackson and J. Bradbury for helpful consultations; Dr R. Lund and Ms W. Whitmore for statistical analyses, and S. Baril, M. Gaudet, D. Wrobetz, J. Cotter and W. Wallace for technical assistance. This research was supported by the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station, Project 420, and is published as Journal Paper No. 865.     

The amino acid composition of rat bile

Summary The pattern of amino acids in the bile of rats differs from the pattern in the serum of these animals, since bile contains significantly greater amounts of acidic and sulphur-containing amino acids and glycine than serum, while the serum contained more basic amino acids than bile, indicating that secretion of amino acids into bile may involve specific transport processes.Acknowledgments. We thank Mr M. Earlam of Pharmaceuticals Division, Imperial Chemical Industries Limited for the aminoacid analyses, and Dr J. S. Morley for helpful discussion. URF gratefully acknowledges a grant (FO 73/2) from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Bonn-Bad Godesberg, Fed. Rep. of Germany. KGW is recipient of a grant from the Scottish Hospital Research Endowments Trust.     

Radioresistance in cells with high content of metallothionein

Summary An endogenous cytoplasmic protein, metallothionein (MT) apparently gave rise to radioresistance in 2 different cell lines. A dose reduction factor of 1.9 was achieved in MT-containing cells. MT accounted for a 3–4-fold increase of total sulfhydryl groups in the resistant cell strains, compared to the non-resistant lines from which they were derived. The protein is rich in cysteine (30%), an amino acid known to give radioprotection when administered exogeneously. Glutathione levels and cell-cycle phase distribution showed no marked difference between resistant and corresponding non-resistant cells.We thank Dr F. Devik, Dr L. Eldjarn and Dr E. Jellum for stimulating discussions, and Miss A. K. Syversen and Mrs T. Nysted for skillful technical assistance. This work was partly supported by the Norgwegian Council for Science and the Humanitites. LE is a fellow of the Norwegian Society for Fighting Cancer.     

Synaptic vesicle depletion and glutamate uptake in a nerve-muscle preparation of the locust,Locusta migratoria L

Summary Excitatory terminals, depleted of their synaptic vesicles by stimulation at high frequency, were incubated in the radiolabelled putative neurotransmitter, L-glutamate. Quantitative electron microscope autoradiography revealed that the axoplasm of these recovering terminals had accumulated the³H L-glutamate.Acknowledgment. The authors wish to thank Dr N. M. Blackett for running the computer analyses of the autoradiographical results. R. P. Botham gratefully acknowledges the SRC for financial assistance.     

Metabolically regulated cyclical contractures in microinjectedSpirostomum: A pharmacological study

Summary Spirostomum was treated extracellularly and intracellularly with a range of metabolites to investigate the intracellular regulation of cyclic calcium movements. The results indicate, close links between calcium movements and mitochondrial metabolism.We are grateful to Dr.A. Gaudemar, Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelle, Gif-sur-Yvette, France for a gift of bongkrekic acid, to Dr.D. C. Aldridge, Biochemistry Dept., I. C. I. Ltd., Macclesfield, U. K. for a gift of avenceolide and toE. M. Ettienne for many hours of discussion. Dr.R. B. Hawkes is a Visiting Research Fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.     

Chemical synthesis of a hexadecapeptide segment of ubiquitin that activates adenylate cyclase and induces lymphocytes to differentiate

Summary A hexadecapeptide corresponding to positions 59–74 of ubiquitin was synthesized and purified. The peptide was characterized by its mobility in TLC and electrophoresis, amino acid sequence and composition, and molar rotation. The peptide possessed approximately 40% activity compared with native ubiquitin in each of 3 biological assays in vitro: a) thymocyte induction, b) B cell induction and c) elevation of intracellular cyclic AMP levels in sarcoma 180 cells.Acknowledgments. We thank Dr Geoffrey Tregear for helpful suggestions for the synthesis strategy, Dr Jim Burton for guidance with the methods for establishing peptide purity, and Ronald King, Miriam Miller, Jeanette Dilley and Linda Townley for excellent technical assistance. This work was supported by U.S. Public Health Service Grants CA-08748, CA-16889, CA-08415, CA-17085 and AI-12487, and by NCI Contract CB-53868.     

Lysine estimation with the modified Udy-dye binding method in hexaploid wheat

Summary Lysine content in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. m. Thell) was determined by a modified Udy-dye binding method and was compared with that obtained from the amino acid analyzer. The values obtained from the 2 methods were correlated and the co-efficient was found to be +0.91 at 0.450 mg/ml dye concentration. The modified method is quick, less expensive and quite helpful for screening lysine at earlier generation in wheat breeding for improved grain quality content.The author is grateful to Dr V.A. Johnson, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, USA, for supplying wheat cultivars with known protein and lysine values.