Synaptic localization of kainic acid binding sites

The heterocyclic compound kainic acid (KA) is a potent excitant when applied to mammalian neurones. Lesions caused by injections of KA into the rat striatum and hippocampus cause similar patterns of damage to those seen in Huntington's chorea and status epilepticus, respectively. Although it was originally thought to be a glutamate agonist, it is now clear that KA does not act on the majority of the receptors for glutamate, and in fact seems to act on a class of receptors which are distinct from those which mediate responses to other excitatory amino acids. The potent and selective neurotoxic effects of this compound may be mediated by these same receptors. At present, the relative distribution of junctional and extrajunctional (non-synaptic) receptors is unknown and resolution of this issue would provide important insights into the action of KA on the central nervous system (CNS). We show here that KA binding sites are greatly enriched in isolated synaptic junctions from rat brain and, using an in vitro autoradiographic technique, we have found that these binding sites are concentrated specifically in terminal fields where KA acts as a potent neurotoxin.     

Destruction of afferent nerve terminals in the inner ear of frog by aminooxyactic acid.

The drug aminooxyacetic acid, which inhibits GABA-transaminase, destroys the afferent nerve ending in the inner ear of the frog. The efferent nerve endings and the sensory cells are not affected.     

Developmental plasticity and human health

Many plants and animals are capable of developing in a variety of ways, forming characteristics that are well adapted to the environments in which they are likely to live. In adverse circumstances, for example, small size and slow metabolism can facilitate survival, whereas larger size and more rapid metabolism have advantages for reproductive success when resources are more abundant. Often these characteristics are induced in early life or are even set by cues to which their parents or grandparents were exposed. Individuals developmentally adapted to one environment may, however, be at risk when exposed to another when they are older. The biological evidence may be relevant to the understanding of human development and susceptibility to disease. As the nutritional state of many human mothers has improved around the world, the characteristics of their offspring--such as body size and metabolism--have also changed. Responsiveness to their mothers' condition before birth may generally prepare individuals so that they are best suited to the environment forecast by cues available in early life. Paradoxically, however, rapid improvements in nutrition and other environmental conditions may have damaging effects on the health of those people whose parents and grandparents lived in impoverished conditions. A fuller understanding of patterns of human plasticity in response to early nutrition and other environmental factors will have implications for the administration of public health.     

大连市银杏叶斑病病原菌鉴定

银杏(Ginkgo biloba L.)是常见的城市园林观赏绿化树种,并具有极高的材用、食用和药用价值.近年来,大连市银杏树发生了一种不明病因且较为严重的叶斑病,查明病因、为病害防治提供理论依据迫在眉睫.从病害发生严重区域采集叶斑病病叶样本,采用感病叶片单斑分离法,对分离菌株进行致病性测定、形态学鉴定及分子生物学鉴定等,对大连市银杏树发生的叶斑病进行了病原菌鉴定.结果表明,大连银杏叶斑病致病菌有2种,分别为链格孢属细极链格孢(Alternaria tenuissima)和链格孢(Alternaria alternata).迄今为止,细极链格孢(Alternaria tenuissima)侵染银杏导致其发生叶斑病鲜有报道.     

Destruction of afferent nerve terminals in the inner ear of frog by aminooxyacetic acid

Summary The drug aminooxyacetic acid, which inhibits GABA-transaminase, destroys the afferent nerve endings in the inner ear of the frog. The efferent nerve endings and the sensory cells are not affected.     

Anatomical distributions of four pharmacologically distinct 3H-L-glutamate binding sites

Glutamate is thought to serve as a major excitatory neurotransmitter throughout the central nervous system (CNS); electrophysiological studies indicate that its action is mediated by multiple receptors. Four receptors have been characterized by their selective sensitivity to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), kainic acid (KA), quisqualic acid (QA) and 2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (APB). Electrophysiological evidence indicates that these receptors are all present in the rat hippocampus and that the anatomically discrete synaptic fields within the hippocampus exhibit differential sensitivity to the selective excitatory amino acid agents. Thus, we have used the hippocampus as a model system to investigate possible subpopulations of 3H-L-glutamate binding sites. By using quantitative autoradiography, the pharmacological specificity of 3H-L-glutamate binding in discrete terminal fields was determined. We report here that there are at least four distinct classes of 3H-L-glutamate binding sites which differ in their anatomical distribution, pharmacological profile and regulation by ions. Two of these sites seem to correspond to the KA and NMDA receptor classes, and a third site may represent the QA receptor. The fourth binding site does not conform to present receptor classifications. None of these binding sites corresponds to the major glutamate binding site observed in biochemical studies.     

Calcitonin in tissues of thyroidectomized monkey

Summary Immunochemical studies indicate that immunoreactive calcitonin (iCT) is present in many tissues of monkey following thyroidectomy (thx) (e.g. liver, thymus, lung). Extrathyroidal iCT may play a role in calcium metabolism.Supported by the Ella O. Latham Trust, George Washington, NCI Grant RO1CA22137-02, and the Veterans Administration.