Altered or increased transfer-RNA methylation in the course of Interferon action on cells in culture?

Summary The induction of the antiviral state by Interferon might reflect the decrease of the rate of biosynthesis, the degradation or the alteration of one or several tRNAs. This could result in rate-limiting concentrations for codons common in viral RNA but rare in host mRNA. Altered methylation of tRNA could be the basis of such a phenomenon. However, we could not find an altered extent of methylation of total tRNA or an altered pattern of methylation, if mixed tRNAs were chromatographed on MAK- or BD-cellulose columns, despite a large range of conditions of pretreatment of chick embryo fibroblast cultures with interferon.Work supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, grants 3.1050 and 3.540.     

DNA polymerases in prokaryotes and eukaryotes: Mode of action and biological implications

Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences -     

Expression of a microinjected immunoglobulin gene in the spleen of transgenic mice

Transgenic mice were produced by microinjection of a rearranged, functional immunoglobulin kappa gene into fertilized mouse eggs and implantation of the microinjected embryos into foster mothers. Mice that integrated the injected gene were mated and the DNA, RNA and serum kappa chains of their offspring were analysed. The data from offspring of three different transgenic mice indicate that the microinjected gene is expressed in the spleen, but not the liver of mice which inherited the injected gene.     

Inhibition of tumor-induced angiogenesis and of tumor growth by activated lymphocytes

Summary Inhibition in angiogenesis (neo-vascularization) and of growth of a tumor piece graft in the anterior chamber of the eye of mice have been observed in the presence of activated syngeneic lymphocytes.Acknowledgment. The authors are thankful to ICMR, New Delhi, for financial assistance and to Mr N.C. Ghosh for illustration.     

Antibodies to heavy neurofilament subunit detect a subpopulation of damaged ganglion cells in retina

Neurofilaments ( NFs ) consist of three protein subunits with apparent molecular weights of 68,000 ( 68K ), 145K and 200K , which are found closely associated in most but not all locations in the nervous system. One of these exceptions is the inner retina of the mouse, where antibodies to 145K NFs label large ganglion cells throughout the extent of the cells, while antibodies to 200K NFs label only more distal portions of the optic axons but usually fail to label the ganglion cell somata and proximal axons. Very rarely, however, and more often in old mice, anti- 200K NF antibodies do label a ganglion cell completely. To determine whether these rare, completely labelled cells reflect a pathological alteration, we cut the optic axons, and report here that after a few days some of the axotomized cells could be labelled completely, in a Golgi-like fashion, by anti- 200K NF antibodies. These cells seem to represent the population that forms the projection to the bulk of the lateral geniculate nucleus, as suggested by their size, distribution and projection pattern. Hence, antibodies to the heavy NF subunit in combination with lesions may allow selective retrograde tracing of a subpopulation of ganglion cells, and such antibodies can be used to detect damage in NF-rich neurones at a very early stage, long before they eventually degenerate.     

Lack of evidence for involvement of known human retroviruses in multiple sclerosis

The recent report by Koprowski et al. that human T-cell lymphotropic retroviruses (HTLVs) may be involved in the development of multiple sclerosis (MS) has aroused much interest. The report was based largely on immunological evidence, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) with viral antigens or disrupted virions. We have accordingly sought confirmation by screening sera and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from MS patients against cell lines infected respectively with adult T-cell leukaemia (ATL) virus (ATLV/HTLV-I) of Japanese cells (MT-1 and MT-2 lines), our own isolate from British black patients with ATL, the MoT cell line which produce HTLV-II, and our own T-cell line containing a local isolate of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) virus (C-LAV/HTLV-III). We have failed to find antibodies against these retroviruses in the sera or CSF. Furthermore, neither virus could be isolated from the peripheral white blood cells of two MS patients.     

Alkaloide ausSchizozygia caffaeoides (Boj.) Baill.

Summary FromSchizozygia caffaeoides (Boj.) Baill. (Apocynaceae), one major and ten minor new alkaloids have been isolated and characterised. Most of them are N-acylindoline derivatives, partly with the hitherto unknown 5,6-methylendioxyindoline system. Some possible correlations between these alkaloids are discussed.

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Den Herren Dres.H. Fritz, R. W. Schmid undH. Wagner und ihren Mitarbeitern danken wir für Spektren und Mikroanalysen.     

Morphologie und Bedeutung des ergastoplastischen Cisternen-Kollapses

Summary Acetyl salicycil acid, malonic acid and riboflavin deficiency produce characteristic changes of the endoplasmic reticulum called collapsed cisternae of rat and mouse hepatocyte probably as a consequence of a disturbed oxydative metabolism.     

浮体运动时域解的奇异性讨论

以推板造波的辐射问题为例，求出了线性时域解的解析表达式，并对线性时域解在造波板与自由面交线处的奇异特性进行了讨论，给出了奇异性的量阶。此奇异性结论对造波机的数值模拟有一定的指导意义。