The intercalated disc of the goldfish heart

Résumé L'examen au microscope électronique de coupes minces du cur de cyprin doré révèle la présence de disques intercalaires de forme soit simple, soit complexe, semblables aux disques des vertébrés supérieurs. De plus, les barres intercellulaires sont présentes. La structure et les rapports des disques et des barres avec la bande Z de la myofibrille suggèrent leur proche similarité.

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This study was aided by a grant from the National Heart Institute, of the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; Bethesda, Maryland.     

Effects of alcohol ingestion on the intercalated disc in the mouse heart

Résumé L'examen au microscope électronique du disque intercalaire dans le tissu cardiaque de la souris, après administration orale d'alcool éthylique, ont révélé une augmentation de la distance intercellulaire. Le couplage électrotonique entre les cellules du myocarde est assuré par le disque intercalé. Par conséquent, des changements dégénératifs survenus dans le disque intercalaire diminuent la propagation de l'impulsion excitatrice dans le tissu cardiaque.     

Electron microscopy of the intercalated discs of cardiac muscle tissue

Zusammenfassung Eine elektronenmikroskopische Analyse ultradünner Schnitte durch Herzmuskelgewebe hat ergeben, dass die sogenannten Glanzscheiben speziell organisierte Zellgrenzen sind. Das Herzmuskelgewebe ist folglich in Herzmuskelzellen eingeteilt und bildet kein Synzytium. Die Elementarfibrillen der Muskelfasern erreichen die Zellgrenzen an den Glanzscheiben, überbrücken aber nicht die 150–200 Å breite Zone zwischen den opaken Partien der benachbarten Zellgrenzen.     

Cardiomyocyte proliferation in zebrafish and mammals: lessons for human disease

Cardiomyocytes proliferate profusely during early development and for a brief period after birth in mammals. Within a month after birth, this proliferative capability is dramatically reduced in mammals unlike lower vertebrates where it persists into adult life. The zebrafish, for example, retains the ability to regenerate the apex of the heart following resection by a mechanism predominantly driven by cardiomyocyte proliferation. Differences in proliferative capacity of cardiomyocytes in adulthood between mammals and lower vertebrates are closely liked to ontogenetic or phylogenetic factors. Elucidation of these factors has the potential to provide enormous benefits if they lead to the development of therapeutic strategies that facilitate cardiomyocyte proliferation. In this review, we highlight the differences between Mammalian and Zebrafish cardiomyocytes, which could explain at least in part the different proliferative capacities in these two species. We discuss the advantages of the zebrafish as a model of cardiomyocyte proliferation, particularly at the embryonic stage. We also identify a number of key molecular pathways with potential to reveal key steps in switching cardiomyocytes from a quiescent to a proliferative phenotype.     

Exposure of Norway spruce at the highway border: Effects on gas exchange and growth

Summary Six-year-old Norway spruce trees of the same clone were exposed for 10 weeks at the edge of a highway and compared with controls kept in an unpolluted area within 15 km of the first site. Significant differences could be observed with respect to growth, photosynthesis and transpiration rate, all of which were reduced after exposure at the highway.     

Electron microscope study of intact tentacles and disc inTokophrya infusionum

Zusammenfassung Elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen am sessilen Süsswasser-ProtistenTokophrya infusionum zeigen besonders komplizierte Strukturen der «Tentakel» und der «Haftscheibe». Die Tentakel sind von zwei Membranen umgeben und umschliessen eine Anzahl von Längselementen. Ihre Spitzen sind aus einer grösseren Zahl von «Papillen» zusammengesetzt. Die Haftscheibe besteht aus einem reichen Fibrillennetz.

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Supported by a grant from the National Heart Institute, U.S. Public Health Service.     

Presumptive identification of aminoglycoside antibiotics by the pH susceptibility disc agar-diffusion method

Summary Using the pH (buffered) sensitivity discs for the agar-diffusion bioassay of aminoglycoside antibiotics, characteristic response curves were obtained. Since the nature of the activities observed are structure-related, this method can serve as a useful aid for primary identification of members of this class of antibiotics.     

赢在起点 输在终点——对我国传统教育所谓基础扎实误区的批判

本文为我国第一篇系统批判所谓基础扎实误区的专题论文。基础扎实,长期被教育界、特别是高等学校, 中国教育教学最大优势所在、中国学生在世界上站得住的地方。但作者根据我国至今没有一所世界一流大学、本土没有一人获诺贝尔奖、在近几百年来世界重大知识科技创新中我国所占份额很少,基础扎实、创新不足,赢在起点、输在终点的强烈反差,得出了所谓基础扎实误区应予批判的结论。文章分析 了这种误区的错误所在,提出了开拓创新究竟需要什么样的基础。     

The role of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factors in the immune system

Growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) can modulate the development and function of the immune system. In this chapter, we present data on the expression of receptors for GH and IGFs and the in vitro and in vivo effects of these proteins. We show that expression of GH and IGFs in the immune system opens up the possibility that these proteins are not only involved in endocrine control of the immune system but can also play a role as local growth and differentiation factors (cytokines). Endocrine control of GH could be direct or mediated via endocrine or autocrine/paracrine IGF-I. In addition, GH can act as an autocrine or paracrine factor itself. Furthermore, IGF-I in the immune system has been shown to be regulated by cytokines, such as interleukin-1 and interferon-γ, alluding to a cytokine-like function of IGF-I. In addition to data on the function of GH and IGF-I in the immune system, we present new findings which imply a possible function of IGF-II and IGF-binding proteins.     

Presumptive identification of aminoglycoside antibiotics by the pH susceptibility disc agar-diffusion method.

Using the pH (buffered) sensitivity discs for the agar-diffusion bioassay of aminoglycoside antibiotics, characteristic response curves were obtained. Since the nature of the activities observed are structure-related, this method can serve as a useful aid for primary identification of members of this class of antibiotics.     

Interaction of epidermal growth factor with human fibroblasts in culture: an autoradiographic study at the ultrastructural level]

The potent mitogen epidermal growth factor (EGF) binds to specific receptors on human fibroblasts. In the present study we have used a quantitative EM autoradiographic approach to visualize the events involved in the binding process. When 125I-EGF is incubated at 4 degrees C for 120 min, labeled EGF primarily localizes to the plasma membrane of the fibroblast but when incubated at 37 degrees C for 120 min., over 2/3 of the labeled material is internalized by the cell. The internalized radioacitivity is primarily localized to lysomes. These studies demonstrate a temperature-dependent internalization of EGF following initial binding to specific plasma membrane receptors.     

Genetic localization of a mutation rendering the growth of E coli K12 insensitive to illumination at 365 nm]

The genotype of the Nop mutant recently isolated from the E. coli K 12 strain AB 1157 has been characterized. This mutant lacks 4-thiouridine in its tRNA and is much less susceptible to near ultraviolet-induced growth delay than wild type cells. This phenotype results from a single mutation called nuv which has been localized on the E. coli genetic map. nuv is found by conjugation to lie between the origins of injection of Hfr P4X and Hfr cavalli in the vicinity of the lac gene. Cotrans-duction with bacteriophage P1 more precisely maps nuv at 0.3 min. clockwise from tsx.     

Imaginal wing disc morphogenesis,a sign of diapause development in the European corn borer

Summary In the European corn borer, subtle changes in imaginal wing discs during diapause constitute observable indications of diapause development, in experimental as well as in field-grown larvae. Wing disc diapause development is dependent mainly on temperature, and its total achievement is a necessary condition for good diapause termination. By applying these observations, we have improved a method that provides homogeneous populations of larvae that can resume their development rapidly in any season.     

Protein kinase D inhibitor CRT0066101 suppresses bladder cancer growth in vitro and xenografts via blockade of the cell cycle at G2/M

The protein kinase D (PKD) family of proteins are important regulators of tumor growth, development, and progression. CRT0066101, an inhibitor of PKD, has antitumor activity in multiple types of carcinomas. However, the effect and mechanism of CRT0066101 in bladder cancer are not understood. In the present study, we show that CRT0066101 suppressed the proliferation and migration of four bladder cancer cell lines in vitro. We also demonstrate that CRT0066101 blocked tumor growth in a mouse flank xenograft model of bladder cancer. To further assess the role of PKD in bladder carcinoma, we examined the three PKD isoforms and found that PKD2 was highly expressed in eight bladder cancer cell lines and in urothelial carcinoma tissues from the TCGA database, and that short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated knockdown of PKD2 dramatically reduced bladder cancer growth and invasion in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that the effect of the compound in bladder cancer is mediated through inhibition of PKD2. This notion was corroborated by demonstrating that the levels of phospho-PKD2 were markedly decreased in CRT0066101-treated bladder tumor explants. Furthermore, our cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry revealed that CRT0066101 treatment or PKD2 silencing arrested bladder cancer cells at the G2/M phase, the arrest being accompanied by decreases in the levels of cyclin B1, CDK1 and phospho-CDK1 (Thr161) and increases in the levels of p27^Kip1 and phospho-CDK1 (Thr14/Tyr15). Moreover, CRT0066101 downregulated the expression of Cdc25C, which dephosphorylates/activates CDK1, but enhanced the activity of the checkpoint kinase Chk1, which inhibits CDK1 by phosphorylating/inactivating Cdc25C. Finally, CRT0066101 was found to elevate the levels of Myt1, Wee1, phospho-Cdc25C (Ser216), Gadd45α, and 14-3-3 proteins, all of which reduce the CDK1-cyclin B1 complex activity. These novel findings suggest that CRT0066101 suppresses bladder cancer growth by inhibiting PKD2 through induction of G2/M cell cycle arrest, leading to the blockade of cell cycle progression.     

New concepts in regulation and function of the insulin-like growth factors: implications for understanding normal growth and neoplasia

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are a ubiquitous family of growth factors, binding proteins and receptors that are involved in normal growth and development. They are also implicated in numerous pathological states, including malignancy. IGF-II is a commonly expressed growth factor in many tumors and may enhance tumor growth, acting via the overexpressed IGF-I receptor, a cell-surface tyrosine kinase receptor. The IGF-I receptor may be overexpressed due to mutations in tumor suppression gene products such as p53 and WT-1 or growth factors such as bFGF and PDGF. Thus, this family of growth factors, especially the IGF-I receptor, may present an excellent target for new therapeutic agents in the treatment of cancer and other disorders of excessive cellular proliferation.