Effects of excitatory and inhibitory amino acids on phasic respiratory neurons

The responsiveness of phasically active brainstem respiratory neurons to several amino acids was investigated in cats under Dial anesthesia. Four-barreled microelectrodes were used to extrude iontophoretically the putative neurotransmitters L-glutamate, L-asparatate, glycine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), L-glutamate and L-aspartate caused increased activity when applied to either inspiratory or expiratory neurons and appeared to be equal in efficacy. Likewise, GABA and glycine depressed ongoing phasic neural activity of both inspiratory and expiratory units. In this case, however, the dosage of GABA required to produce a given depression was significantly less than the required dosage of glycine. These findings support the hypothesis that L-glutamate and/or L-aspartate may act as excitatory neurotransmitter agents at the synapses of brainstem respiratory neurons and conversely, GABA may act as the natural inhibitory neurotransmitter.

Detection of genetic variation with radioactive ligands. III. genetic polymorphism of transcobalamin II in human plasma

We detected genetically determined, electrophoretic variants of vitamin B12 binding proteins, most probably transcobalamin II, in human plasma. Polymorphic variants were observed in all populations tested; the two most common alleles (of at least four detected to date) attain frequencies of greater than 40% in Caucasians and Orientals. The variants are autosomally inherited and are seen as doublets in homozygotes, and four-banded patterns, the sum of two dissimilar homozygote patterns, in heterozygotes. The technique used in this survey, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) autoradiography of plasma and serum labeled in vitro with 57Co-vitamin B12 is particularly applicable to the study of trace proteins such as the transcobalamins (10(-9)M). Possible functional variation in the TC II allele products is described, and the selective significance of this worldwide polymorphism is considered.

Stimulation of macrophages by cord factor and by heat-killed and living BCG

Trehalose-6,6'-dimycolate (cord factor; CF) injected into the peritoneal cavity of mice induced stimulation of the peritoneal macrophages, evidenced both by increased activity of the lysosomal enzyme, acid phosphatase, and by increased phagocytosis of Listeria monocytogenes. The increase in enzyme activity and phagocytosis was similar to that induced by killed or living BCG. When administered intravenously, CF or BCG did not induce stimulation of peritoneal macrophages. CF when added to tissue cultures of normal peritoneal cells did not induce increased acid phosphatase activity or increased phagocytosis of L. monocytogenes.

Mapping oligonucleotides of Rous sarcoma virus RNA that segregate with polymerase and group-specific antigen markers in recombinants

The RNase-T1-resistant oligonucleotides of two Prague Rous sarcoma viruses with temperature-sensitive (ts) DNA polymerases (DNA nucleotidyltransferases), termed ts LA 337 and 335 of one leukosis virus, RAV-6, and 20 of their recombinant progeny have been mapped relative to the 3' poly (A) terminus of the viral RNA. The resulting oligonucleotide maps have been ocrrelated with markers of the four known viral genetic elements encoded in the RNA of 10,000 nucleotides. In accord with previous results recombinant RNAs contained (i) oligonucleotides characteristic of the src gene, coding for sarcoma formation, between the poly(A) end and 2000 nucleotides and (ii) olignucleotides characteristic of the env gene, coding for the envelope glycoprotein, between 2500 and 5000 nucleo tides from the poly(A) end. (iii) A cluster of four oligonucleotides that mapped between 6000 and 8000 nucleotides from the 3' poly(A) end of each RNA was shared by both parental viruses and all recombinants. Since all other map segments of our recombinants failed to segregate with the ts- or wild-type markers of the parental DNA polymerase gene (pol), it was concluded that the ts pol lesion maps in this RNA segment. (iv) The 5' segment of each recombinant RNA contained a cluster of four to five oligonucleotides whose parental origin correlated with an electrophoretic marker of one of the parental virion proteins, p27, a major product of the viral gag gene. The gene order 5'-gag-pol-env-src-poly(A) is consistent with our data.

Short pregnancy interval, low birthweight, and the sudden infant death syndrome

Pregnancy intervals were calculated for 54,369 later-born singletons delivered during 1969 in the State of North Carolina. Subsequent infant deaths among this cohort were categorized into probable sudden infant death syndrome (SIDSp), other postneonatal home deaths, all postneonatal hospital deaths, all neonatal deaths, and all deaths due to congenital malformations. Each death was matched with a control drawn from the population of infants surviving the first year of life. The matching variables were maternal age, race, mother's education and number of previous live births. All categories of death showed higher proportions of short intervals among cases than controls. Comparing the interval distributions by means of the X2 test for linearity produced significant results for only SIDSp and neonatal deaths. It was concluded, however, that short-pregnancy interval probably has a similar effect on the risk of death from all five cause of death groups. The introduction of birthweight as a fifth matching variable left no significant differences in the distributions of pregnancy intervals between cases and controls. This was interpreted as evidence that short pregnancy interval exerts its influence on risk of death in infancy through its effect on birthweight. The estimated reduction in prematurity and infant mortality that might result from the elimination of short pregnancy intervals was 5% and 6%, respectively.

Isolation and characterization of collagen messenger RNA*

Chick embryo collagen-synthesizing polysomes were isolated by differential centrifugation. RNA extracted from these particles was chromatographed in oligo(dT)-cellulose solumns and the mRNA thus obtained characterized as collagen mRNA by its electrophoetical mobility in acrylamide gels (equivalent to 1.05 x 10-6 daltons) and its effect upon a cell-free system derived from Krebs ascites tumor cells. The incorporation of 3H-proline was markedly dependent upon rabbit reticulocyte initiation factors and inhibited by initiation inhibitors such as aurintricaboxilate and pyrocatechol violet. The incorporation product was characterized as collagen by its lack of tryptophan, digestibility by purified bacterial collagenase, and by its co-chromatography with unlabled chick collagen in Sephadex G-200 and CM-cellulose columns.

Isolation and characterization of collagen-synthesizing polysomes from chick embryos

Collagen-synthesizing polysomes were isolated by low-speed centrifugation of the post-mitochondrial supernatant of chick homogenates. Electron microscopy of the fraction thus isolated shows it to be exclusively composed of ribosomes. Amino acid incorporation in vitro showed that these particles were efficient in the incorporation of proline, but not tryptophan, as opposed to ribosomes obtained from the supernatant of the low-speed centrifugation. The incorporation process was highly dependent on GTP, and exibited an optimal Mg2+concentration of 5.6mM. The reaction was inhibited by RNase, elongation inhibitors as anysomycin, sparsomycin, fusidic acid and GDPCP. It was also moderately inhibited by initiation inhibitors such as aurintricarboxilic acid and pyrocatechol violet. The product of the incorporation was characterized as collagen by its sensitivity towards purified collagenase, lack of tryptophan, chromatography in CM-cellulose and molecular sieve chromatography in Sephadex G-200.

Suppression of growth of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in mice by trehalose-6,6'-dimycolate (cord factor) and BCG

Growth of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in mice pretreated with cord factor was compared to growth of the tumor cells after pretreatment with Calmette-Guérin bacilli. Growth of Ehrlich ascites cells was strongly inhibited in the peritoneal cavities of mice pretreated with 80 mug of cord factor. The median survival time of the animals was prolonged (70 versus 17 days), and 40% of the mice survived more than 90 days. Tumor suppression was still detectable 36 days after administration of cord factor. The effect of cord factor was local. Comparable results were obtained with living or killed Calmette-Guérin bacilli. The results are discussed.

Scanning electron microscopy of the H37Ra strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis exposed to isoniazid

The morphology of cells of the H37Ra strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis exposed to 0.5 mug of isonicotinic acid hydrazide (isoniazid) per ml was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cells that were exposed to isoniazid for 3 h showed no detectable change, whereas cells exposed to the drug for 24 h exhibited diverse morphological features. From our examination of these SEM pictures, we have reconstructed the probable sequence of morphological changes to be as follows: (i) the wrinkling of the cell surface was ascribed as the earliest observable change, (ii) the cell surface then became very rough and ragged, (iii) eventually the cytoplasmic material was extruded from the cell, (iv) this event produced a collapsed cell, (v) the cells began to fragment, (vi) the fragmented cells then coalesced to form an amorphous mass of cell debris.

Relationship between the uptake of isoniazid and its action on in vivo mycolic acid synthesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

A direct relationship was established between the rate of uptake of isoniazid and the action of this drug on in vivo mycolic acid synthesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra. The rate of uptake of isoniazid increased linearly with its external concentration and appeared to reach a maximal value of 52 pmoles per hr per 10(9) cells at an external concentration of about 13 mum. Correspondingly, the rate of inhibition of mycolic acid synthesis increased with the rise in the rate of uptake of the drug. A 50% inhibition of mycolic acid synthesis occurred when the uptake of isoniazid reached 5.2 pmoles per 10(9) cells. Calculations showed that this level of drug uptake represents an internal cellular concentration of 9 mum. These results show clearly that the action of isoniazid on the mycolate synthetase system of M. tuberculosis is rapid and that this enzyme system is highly sensitive to the drug.

Effect of isoniazid on the in vivo mycolic acid synthesis, cell growth, and viability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

When an actively growing culture of the H37Ra strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was exposed to isoniazid at a concentration of 0.5 mug/ml, the cells began to lose their ability to synthesize mycolic acids immediately. After 60 min, the cells had completely lost this ability. The synthesis of the three mycolate components-alpha-mycolate, methoxymycolate, and beta-mycolate-was inhibited. The viability of the isoniazid-treated cells was unaffected up to about 60 min of exposure, after which time there was a gradual decline in the viability to about 18% after 180 min. Correspondingly, growth of the drug-treated cells slowed down and stopped after 24 hr. The inhibition of the synthesis of mycolic acids was reversible if the drug was removed before the loss of viability set in. Incubation of the viable cells in the absence of the drug for 24 hr restored the mycolate synthesis. These results strongly suggest that the inhibition of the synthesis of the mycolic acids is closely associated with the primary mechanism of action of isoniazid on the tubercle bacilli. The sequence of events which leads to the loss of viability of cells exposed to isoniazid is described.

New multichannel optical correlator

This paper describes a multichannel optical correlator that uses two spatial dimensions to achieve multi-channel capability and operates in real time. Given I signals, r(i)(t), and J signals, s(j)(t), it can produce the I x J cross products, r(i)(t)s(j)(t), averaged over some interval. Multiplication is based on the fact that the square of the sum of two signals contains their cross product. Light fields modulated by the signals are added and their sum squared by measuring its intensity. An experimental correlator and its performance are described along with applications.

Elongation of fatty acids in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Cell-free extracts of the H37Ra strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis contain a soluble enzyme system which catalyzes an elongation reaction of long-chain fatty acids. The predominant reaction involves the addition of a single C(2) unit to the acceptor fatty acid; the elongation takes place exclusively at the carboxyl end of the acceptor molecule. The endogenous acceptor lipid can be removed by solvent extraction of the enzyme system. The lipid-depleted enzyme can be fully reactivated with external acyl coenzyme A, after which elongation with acetyl coenzyme A takes place. The elongation reaction is avidin-insensitive and does not require adenosine triphosphate. Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is the source of reducing equivalent, whereas reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate is without effect.

Repression of thiaminase I by thiamine and related compounds in Bacillus thiaminolyticus

The extracellular enzyme thiaminase I from Bacillus thiaminolyticus is repressible by thiamine. Either one of the heterocyclic moieties of this vitamin supported limited growth of this organism but had no effect on thiaminase I production. However, a combination of these two resulted in optimal growth and partial repression of this enzyme. The products of the base exchange reaction catalyzed by thiaminase I are not functional in repression when present alone. The simultaneous presence of both reaction products, i.e., N-[5-(4-amino-2-methylpyrimidinyl)] methyl aniline and 5-(2′-hydroxy-ethyl)-4-methylthiazole, can replace the vitamin B1 requirement for growth and give the same degree of enzyme repression. Neither pyrithiamine nor oxythiamine inhibited growth of the organism when present in a 100:1 molar ratio to thiamine. Pyrithiamine and vitamin B1 repressed thiaminase I to approximately the same extent, whereas oxythiamine was only partially functional in this process.