Control of malarial invasion by phosphorylation of the host cell membrane cytoskeleton

It has been shown that the entry of the malaria parasite into the red blood cell requires the presence of ATP in the host cell cytoplasm. In red blood cell ghosts that contain no ATP the receptor on the extracellular surface remains in place and parasites will bind to the membrane, but will not enter. ATP is thus necessary for one of the steps in the invasion sequence that follows recognition and attachment. The process of entry appears to involve the active participation of the host cell membrane cytoskeleton. We have suggested that the function of the intracellular ATP may be to regulate phosphorylation of the cytoskeleton. We now present evidence that the activity of the membrane-associated cyclic AMP-independent kinase of the red blood cell is inseparable from invasion; the active substrate may be spectrin.     

New partial skeleton of Homo habilis from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

A new partial skeleton of an adult hominid from lower Bed I (about 1.8 Myr ago), Olduvai Gorge, is described. This specimen's craniodental anatomy indicates attribution to Homo habilis, but its postcranial anatomy, including small body size and relatively long arms, is strikingly similar to that of some early Australopithecus individuals.     

Human peripheral blood monuclear cells transfected with messenger RNA stimulate antigen-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes in vitro

The efficiency of test vaccines needs to be evaluated by quantification of the triggered cellular immune response. Usually, for these assays, autologous target cells expressing the vaccine antigen are required. In the context of messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccinations, the target cells used for the read-out are mRNA-transfected monocyte-derived dendritic cells (Mo-DCs). Their production typically requires samples of 100 ml blood from the patients, and limits the number of assays that can be performed. We show here that fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) can be transfected with mRNA by electroporation. Such cells are as efficient as mRNA-transfected Mo-DCs for their ability to activate memory T cells in vitro. Thus, mRNA-transfected PBMCs are a convenient replacement of mRNA-transfected Mo-DCs for the in vitro monitoring of natural or vaccine-induced immune responses.Received 17 February 2005; received after revision 1 May 2005; accepted 7 Juni 2005     

The effect of unilateral and bilateral lesions in the locus coeruleus on the levels of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) in neocortex

Résumé Des lésions électrolytiques, soit unilatérales soit bilatérales, ont été pratiquées dans des cerveaux de rats, dans la région du locus coeruleus. Trois semaines après, la teneur en 3-méthoxy-4-hydroxyphénylglycol (MHPG) des deux cortices cérébraux a été analysée par chromatographie à gaz. Les lésions unilatérales ont réduit la teneur en MHPG du cortex ipsilatéral, et après les lésions bilatérales la réduction ent lieu dans les deux cortices.     

The C-terminal tetrapeptide of cholecystokinin decreases hunger in rats

Summary Intraperitoneal injection of the C-terminal tetrapeptide amide of cholecystokinin (CCK) suppressed feeding behaviour and food intake in rats deprived of food for 12 h in a dose-dependent manner. The CCK-4 possesses a hunger suppressive property similar to the full molecule of CCK.