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.     

Analyses immunoélectrophorétiques des fractions protéiques du sérum humain séparées par électrophorèse en gel d'amidon

Summary Human plasma components, separated by starch gel electrophoresis, are eluted and concentrated by lyophilisation. Immuno-electrophoretic analysis shows that certain of these fractions are immunologically heterogenous. The authors point out that this immunological criterium should be used before employing an eluted fraction, even if it appears electrophoretically homogenous.      

Étude électrophorétique concernant les protéines et les acides nucléiques tissulaires a propos de l'inhibition de la cancérogenèse

Summary Cancerous or leukotic tissue fragments modified by a 24 h subcutaneous implantation in the rabbit, become capable of favouring the inhibition of cancerogenesis.This paper is concerned with the study of proteins and nucleic acids of the so-treated implants.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Etude immuno-électrophorétique de l'uromucoïde

Summary Concentrated normal urines were investigated by an immuno-electrophoretic technique using specific antiserum directed against uromucoid (=Tamm andHorsfall's urinary mucoprotein).A single precipitation line was observed, which, however, presented two distinct maxima. The faster antigen appeared to be situated between albumin and ₁-globulin, while the slower antigen seemed to be ana ₂-globulin. Both antigens were immunologically identical with uromucoid, although the latter had been eliminated by salt precipitation from the urines used in this experiment.The above findings can best be explained by assuming the occurrence of a polymer series of uromucoid, of which the lower members would be soluble in 0.58M NaCl, while the higher terms would representTamm andHorsfall's mucoproteinsensu stricto. It is suggested that cylindroids and nubecula represent visible forms of uromucoid.     

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.     

Analyse immunoélectrophorétique de la gonadotropine choriale humaine

Summary The purity of human chorionic gonadotropin showing an activity of 12,000/mg, is confirmed by immuno-electrophoretic analysis. Characteristic antigenic properties of this hormone are revealed by this method.     

Biosynthèse in vitro d'octopamine par le système nerveux et le cœur du mollusque gastéropodeHelix pomatia

Summary The tyrosine is decarboxylated in vitro by the central nervous tissue and by the intracardiac nervous tissue ofHelix pomatia by aromatic amino-acid decarboxylase. The tyramine obtained is the partially transformed into octopamine by tyramine--hydroxylase. The inhibition of monoamine oxidase favours apparition of the 2 amines. The monoamine oxidase seems able to regulate their synthese and to assure their inactivation.

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Biosynthèse in vitro d'octopamine par le système nerveux et le cur du mollusque gastéropodeHelix pomatia

     

Inhibition de la cancérogenèse spontanée chez les souris R III et AkR par des implants de tissus cancéreux modifiés

Summary (1) After a 24-h passage in a rabbit, fragments of spontaneous isologous mammary carcinoma were implanted under the skin of young R III females. This procedure was found to prevent the appearance of spontaneous mammary tumours in a high percentage of these animals. The subsequent appearance of carcinoma was to be observed in only 23% of treated animals as compared with 51% in controls.(2) After a 24-h passage in a rabbit, fragments of leukotic isologous tissue, implanted subcutaneously in young AkR females, reduced subsequent spontaneous leukomogenesis from 85 to 38%.     

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.     

Différence d'activité oestrogène entre l'α-bromotriphényléthylène et un de ses analogues pentadeutérié

Summary The oestrogenic activity of -bromo-,-diphenyl--pentadeuteriophenylethylene is compared with that of the non-deuterated analogue, and found to be significantly lower. No sizeable difference was found between the two compounds as regards their preoestrus-inducing activity.     

Effets de l'actinomycine D sur le développement normal et sur les modifications expérimentales de la morphogénèse de l'oeuf de l'oursinParacentrotus lividus

Summary In the presence of actinomycin D (20–40 µg/ml), the development of the eggs of the sea urchin,Paracentrotus lividus, is slowed from the late morula and stopped at the blastula stage. The development is immediately stopped in the blastula treated with actinomycin D (20–40 µg/ml). The inhibitory effects of actinomycin D are prevented by deoxyribonucleic acid. Actinomycin D does not exert animalizing or vegetalizing effects. However, the enhancing of vegetalizing action of lithium and the weakening of animalizing effects of zinc ions and Evans blue have been observed in the presence of actinomycin D. These observations may reflect some difference in the state of dependence of differentiation of entomesodermic and ectodermic structures towards the nucleus.     

Degeneration under the Microscope at the fin se siècle

Theories of familial, racial, and national degeneration in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries have been explored by historians in the context of social and moral pathology. At the same time nerve degeneration was studied in the post mortem room and in the laboratory but links to the broader ideology of degeneration have not been investigated by scholars. This paper joins these domains by examining the concept of Wallerian degeneration. It argues that various discourses—including those of the laboratory scientist, the clinician, and the social theorist—employed the term degeneration, and these discourses frequently overlapped demonstrating that degeneration was a ubiquitous fact of Victorian and Edwardian nature.     

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.