Prolactin surge on the afternoon of pro-oestrus in the rat and its blockade by pentobarbitone

Résumé La teneur et la concentration de la prolactine dans le lobe antérieur de l'hypophyse ont été déterminées aux temps variés de l'oestrus chez la ratte. Dans l'aprèsmidi du jour du pro-oestrus, la teneur et la concentration dans la glande s'abaissent. Ce changement a été bloqué par le pentobarbitrate de sodium injecté par voie i.p. á 13.30 h au jour du pro-oestrus.

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We are greatful to Drs.K. Kuretani, H. Nagasawa andR. Yanai, for allowing us to use the microdensitometer (Canalco, Model E) in the Pharmacology Division, The National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo.     

Kininase and anti-inflammatory activities of acid carboxypeptidase fromPenicillium janthinellum

Summary The acid carboxypeptidase fromPenicillium janthinellum catalyzed the rapid release of arginine, and the slow release of phenylalanine, proline, serine and glycine from the carboxy-terminal of bradykinin at pH 4.15 to 4.8 Anti-inflammatory activity of the acid carboxypeptidase seems to suggest that the enzyme hydrolyzed bradykinin in vivo.     

Structural basis for recognition of the tra mRNA precursor by the Sex-lethal protein

The Sex-lethal (Sxl) protein of Drosophila melanogaster regulates alternative splicing of the transformer (tra) messenger RNA precursor by binding to the tra polypyrimidine tract during the sex-determination process. The crystal structure has now been determined at 2.6 A resolution of the complex formed between two tandemly arranged RNA-binding domains of the Sxl protein and a 12-nucleotide, single-stranded RNA derived from the tra polypyrimidine tract. The two RNA-binding domains have their beta-sheet platforms facing each other to form a V-shaped cleft. The RNA is characteristically extended and bound in this cleft, where the UGUUUUUUU sequence is specifically recognized by the protein. This structure offers the first insight, to our knowledge, into how a protein binds specifically to a cognate RNA without any intramolecular base-pairing.     

Spleen colony-forming cell as common precursor for tissue mast cells and granulocytes

The haematopoietic stem cells which produce colonies in the spleen of irradiated mice (CFU-S) can differentiate into erythrocytes, granulocytes, megakaryocytes and B lymphocytes. Although mast cell precursors are known to be present in the bone marrow, spleen, fetal liver and peripheral blood of mice, the relationship between the mast cell precursor and CFU-S has remained unclear. We have now made use of mice of two mutant genotypes to determine whether or not the tissue mast cell is a progeny of CFU-S. Giant granules of beige (C57BL/6-bg/bg, Chediak-Higashi syndrome) mice can be used for identification of the origin of both tissue mast cells and granulocytes, and WBB6F1-W/Wv mice are useful recipients because they lack tissue mast cells owing to a defect in mast cell precursors. We injected the cells from a single spleen colony into each WBB6F1-W/Wv mouse and demonstrated directly that the tissue mast cell is a progeny of CFU-S.