The delta sleep inducing peptide (DSIP). Comparative properties of the original and synthetic nonapeptide

Summary Both the original and the synthetic nonapeptide Trp-Ala-Gly-Gly-Asp-Ala-Ser-Gly-Glu enhance, in recipient rabbits, spindle and delta EEG activity as in orthodox slow wave sleep.Acknowledgment. This work was supported by grants from the Swiss National Foundation for Scientific Research (No. 3.871.72, 3.527.75,3.443.074, 3.780.076), Fonds für Lehre und Forschung der Universität Basel, Merck Sharp and Dohme (USA), Ciba-Stiftung Basel, Hoffmann La Roche Ltd Basel, Sandoz Ltd Basel. We received valuable help from Dr S. Roncari, Dr B. Wilson and Dr C. D. Bennett for chemical research, and from Prof. A. Cerletti, Dr H. J. Tobler and Mr J. J. Regez (Division of Application and Research Development, Sandoz Ltd) for data processing.     

Immunosuppressive and specific antimitotic effects of ovalicin

Zusammenfassung Ovalicin, isoliert aus dem Kulturfiltrat vonPseudeurotium ovalis, hemmt die Bildung von Antikörpern schon nach einmaliger Applikation. Es kommt zur Ausbildung einer partiellen immunologischen Toleranz. Die Abstossungszeit von homologen Hauttransplantaten wird bei Mäusen durch eine einmalige Ovalicinbehandlung signifikant verlängert. Die Substanz hemmt den Anstieg des Milzgewichtes bei Mäusen, die mit Schaferythrozyten immunisiert und/oder mit lebenden Leukämie-L-1210-Zellen geimpft wurden; letzteres gilt auch für den isologen Wirt (L-1210-Zellen in DBA/2-Mäusen). Die Hemmung des Milzgewichtanstieges durch Ovalicin geht parallel mit einer Reduktion des Mitoseindex in der Milz von immunologisch stimulierten Tieren; die Mitosenzahl im Darmepithel wird hingegen nicht beeinflusst.     

Staining of the reducing material in the tubero-hypophysial system of the rat with osmium tetroxide

Zusammenfassung Im Perikaryon der kleinen Neuronen des Nucleus arcuatus und periventricularis des Rattenhypothalamus kann man nach Fixation mit Glutardialdehyd und nach Oxydation durch Osmiumtetroxyd reduzierendes Material darstellen. Die gleichen reduzierenden Substanzen gibt es auch in der Eminentia mediana, wo sie perivasculär teilweise in Form kleiner Granula angehäuft sind oder eine bandartige Anordnung zeigen.

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Aided by a grant from the Sigrid Jusélius Stiftelse.     

Levels of cytochromes in heart,liver, kidney and brain in the developing rat

Zusammenfassung Der Gehalt an Cytochromen (c+c ₁,aa ₃ undb) in Herz, Leber, Gehirn und Niere der Ratte wurde bestimmt. Ihre Vermehrung nach der Geburt erwies sich in den Geweben als relativ individuell. Die Vermehrung des ausserhalb der Mitochondrien synthetisierten Cytochromenc ging den übrigen, von der intramitochondrialen Proteinsynthese unabhängigen Cytochromen voraus.     

Species-dependent stereospecific serum protein binding of the oral anticoagulant drug phenprocoumon

Summary 13 mammalian species are classified into 3 clearcut groups with respect to the stereospecific serum proteinbinding of phenprocoumon: 2 groups showing opposed stereospecific binding characteristics and a 3rd group exhibiting no stereospecific binding. Structural differences in the albumin molecule account for these stereospecific differences in serum protein-binding.This research was supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Ja/185/6).     

Inhibition of sarcolemmal Na, K, Mg ATPase from the guinea pig heart is not compatible with a homogeneous population of non-interacting ouabain receptors

The inhibition of sarcolemmal Na, K, Mg ATPase from the guinea pig heart by ouabain was evaluated with a coupled enzyme assay. Models of negative cooperativity and of two independent receptors fitted the inhibition data equally well. The analysis was not compatible with a homogeneous population of non-interacting ouabain receptors.     

Maternal control of Drosophila segmentation gene expression

Several genes have been identified that are involved in establishing the segmented body pattern during development of the fruit-fly Drosophila melanogaster. These fall into several classes on the basis of the kind of alteration to the wild-type segmentation pattern observed in mutant embryos. For example, mutations of the pair-rule class, such as fushi tarazu (ftz), cause the deletion of pattern elements with a two-segment periodicity; those of the gap class, such as knirps, cause the deletion of contiguous groups of segments. The availability of antibodies against the ftz protein has allowed its spatial pattern of expression to be studied during the development of wild-type and mutant embryos. The aim of the latter kind of experiment is to investigate possible interactions between these important genes. We have recently reported that knirps mutations cause a striking alteration to the pattern of transverse stripes of ftz expression usually seen during embryogenesis. Knirps is a zygotically-expressed gene, but recently a class of maternally-active genes has been identified that causes similar defects in pattern formation. We have now investigated the pattern of ftz expression in mutants of this class and have found that while they do have features seen in knirps mutants, they also exhibit significant differences between the different mutations reflecting the distinct but overlapping domains of gene activity. These observations demonstrate that maternally-active segmentation genes regulate zygotic gene expression, and that some of their effects on ftz may be directed through the knirps gene.     

Loss-of-function mutations in TYROBP (DAP12) result in a presenile dementia with bone cysts

Polycystic lipomembranous osteodysplasia with sclerosing leukoencephalopathy (PLOSL; MIM 221770), also known as Nasu-Hakola disease, is a recessively inherited disease characterized by a combination of psychotic symptoms rapidly progressing to presenile dementia and bone cysts restricted to wrists and ankles. PLOSL has a global distribution, although most of the patients have been diagnosed in Finland and Japan, with an estimated population prevalence of 2x10-6 (ref. 2) in the Finns. We have previously identified a shared 153-kb ancestor haplotype in all Finnish disease alleles between markers D19S1175 and D19S608 on chromosome 19q13.1 (refs 5,6). Here we characterize the molecular defect in PLOSL by identifying one large deletion in all Finnish PLOSL alleles and another mutation in a Japanese patient, both representing loss-of-function mutations, in the gene encoding TYRO protein tyrosine kinase binding protein (TYROBP; formerly DAP12). TYROBP is a transmembrane protein that has been recognized as a key activating signal transduction element in natural killer (NK) cells. On the plasma membrane of NK cells, TYROBP associates with activating receptors recognizing major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. No abnormalities in NK cell function were detected in PLOSL patients homozygous for a null allele of TYROBP.     

Solid-state NMR determination of the secondary structure of Samia cynthia ricini silk

Silks are fibrous proteins that form heterogeneous, semi-crystalline solids. Silk proteins have a variety of physical properties reflecting their range of functions. Spider dragline silk, for example, has high tensile strength and elasticity, whereas other silks are better suited to making housing, egg sacs or the capture spiral of spiders' webs. The differing physical properties arise from variation in the protein's primary and secondary structure, and their packing in the solid phase. The high mechanical performance of spider dragline silk, for example, is probably due to a beta-sheet conformation of poly-alanine domains, embedded as small crystallites within the fibre. Only limited structural information can be obtained from diffraction of silks, so further characterization requires spectroscopic studies such as NMR. However, the classical approach to NMR structure determination fails because the high molecular weight, repetitive primary structure and structural heterogeneity of solid silk means that signals from individual amino-acid residues cannot be resolved. Here we adapt a recently developed solid-state NMR technique to determine torsion angle pairs (phi, psi) in the protein backbone, and we study the distribution of conformations in silk from the Eri silkworm, Samia cynthia ricini. Although the most probable conformation in native fibres is an anti-parallel beta-sheet, film produced from liquid directly extracted from the silk glands appears to be primarily alpha-helical.