Inhibition or augmentation of PHA-induced lymphocyte transformation by factors of calculated lymphoblastoid cell lines.

Stimulation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes by phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was found to be suppressed or augmented by the addition of supernatants or cell dialysates of cultured lymphoblastoid cell lines.     

Changes in fisheries discard rates and seabird communities

It is clear that discards from commercial fisheries are a key food resource for many seabird species around the world. But predicting the response of seabird communities to changes in discard rates is problematic and requires historical data to elucidate the confounding effects of other, more 'natural' ecological processes. In the North Sea, declining stocks, changes in technical measures, changes in population structure and the establishment of a recovery programme for cod (Gadus morhua) will alter the amount of fish discarded. This region also supports internationally important populations of seabirds, some of which feed extensively, but facultatively, on discards, in particular on undersized haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) and whiting (Merlangius merlangus). Here we use long-term data sets from the northern North Sea to show that there is a direct link between discard availability and discard use by a generalist predator and scavenger--the great skua (Stercorarius skua). Reduced rates of discarding, particularly when coupled with reduced availability of small shoaling pelagic fish such as sandeel (Ammodytes marinus), result in an increase in predation by great skuas on other birds. This switching of prey by a facultative scavenger presents a potentially serious threat to some seabird communities.     

Genome duplication in the teleost fish Tetraodon nigroviridis reveals the early vertebrate proto-karyotype

Tetraodon nigroviridis is a freshwater puffer fish with the smallest known vertebrate genome. Here, we report a draft genome sequence with long-range linkage and substantial anchoring to the 21 Tetraodon chromosomes. Genome analysis provides a greatly improved fish gene catalogue, including identifying key genes previously thought to be absent in fish. Comparison with other vertebrates and a urochordate indicates that fish proteins have diverged markedly faster than their mammalian homologues. Comparison with the human genome suggests approximately 900 previously unannotated human genes. Analysis of the Tetraodon and human genomes shows that whole-genome duplication occurred in the teleost fish lineage, subsequent to its divergence from mammals. The analysis also makes it possible to infer the basic structure of the ancestral bony vertebrate genome, which was composed of 12 chromosomes, and to reconstruct much of the evolutionary history of ancient and recent chromosome rearrangements leading to the modern human karyotype.     

Gain-of-function RAF1 mutations cause Noonan and LEOPARD syndromes with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Noonan and LEOPARD syndromes are developmental disorders with overlapping features, including cardiac abnormalities, short stature and facial dysmorphia. Increased RAS signaling owing to PTPN11, SOS1 and KRAS mutations causes approximately 60% of Noonan syndrome cases, and PTPN11 mutations cause 90% of LEOPARD syndrome cases. Here, we report that 18 of 231 individuals with Noonan syndrome without known mutations (corresponding to 3% of all affected individuals) and two of six individuals with LEOPARD syndrome without PTPN11 mutations have missense mutations in RAF1, which encodes a serine-threonine kinase that activates MEK1 and MEK2. Most mutations altered a motif flanking Ser259, a residue critical for autoinhibition of RAF1 through 14-3-3 binding. Of 19 subjects with a RAF1 mutation in two hotspots, 18 (or 95%) showed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), compared with the 18% prevalence of HCM among individuals with Noonan syndrome in general. Ectopically expressed RAF1 mutants from the two HCM hotspots had increased kinase activity and enhanced ERK activation, whereas non-HCM-associated mutants were kinase impaired. Our findings further implicate increased RAS signaling in pathological cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.     

Effect of erythropoietin on red cell differentiation binding of erythropoietin to DNA

Zusammenfassung Die Fähigkeit der DNS verschiedener Rattengewebe, Erythropoietin zu binden, wurde durch Differentialzentrifugation im Sucrosegradient untersucht. Es ergab sich, dass DNS von Knochenmark, Leber, Milz und Thymus Erythropoietin binden, DNS von Hirn und Nieren Erythropoitein hingegen nicht zu binden vermögen.     

Cerebral vascular action of bradykinin in the dog

Zusammenfassung Die Wirkung von natürlichem und synthetischem Bradykinin auf den cerebralen Kreislauf wurde beim Hund in Chloralosenarkose durch die Registrierung des intracraniellen Venendruckes und Blutausflusses und des Nasenhöhlenplethysmogrammes untersucht. Bradykinin erzeugt in Dosen von 0.5–3 µg/kg i.v. eine deutliche Erweiterung der Hirngefässe, analog der durch eine gleiche oder etwas niedrigere Menge von Histamin hervorgerufenen. Im Gegensatz zum Histamin übt Bradykinin in dieser Dosierung keine erweiternde Wirkung auf die Nasenhöhlengefässe aus. Die durch Bradykinin erzeugte Zunahme der Gehirndurchblutung wird durch Neoantergan oder Atropin nicht gehemmt.