Mutational analysis of the pea phytochrome A chromophore pocket: chromophore assembly with apophytochrome A and photoreversibility

Ten site-specific mutants of pea apophytochrome A were expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and analyzed for chromophore assembly with apoprotein and photoreversible absorbance changes. The mutants constitute two specific changes for each of five conserved amino acid residues located in the microenvironment of the chromophore attachment residue, which is Cys-323 in pea phytochrome A. All mutant apophytochromes were autocatalytically able to covalently attach phycocyanobilin, indicating that there were no major structural perturbations in the apoproteins. However, the rate of chromophore ligation varied significantly among the mutants. Spectrally, the mutant holophytochromes are of three types: mutant phytochromes that are indistinguishable from the wild-type adduct, mutants with blue-shifted Pr and Pfr absorption maxima compared to the wild-type adduct, and mutants that are not photoreversible. From an analysis of the results, we concluded that the residues Asp-309, Arg-318, His-321, and Gln-326 are probably not catalytically involved in the chromophore ligation reaction, but some residues may play significant structural and stereochemical roles. Arg-318 might anchor the chromophore, as has been suggested [Partis, M. D., & Grimm, R. (1990) Z. Naturforsch, 45c, 987-998; Parker, W., et al. (1993) Bioconjugate Chem. (in press)]. The conserved Gln-326, three residues downstream from the chromophore attachment site, is not electrostatically critical for the spectral integrity and photoreversibility of phytochrome, but this residue is sterically important to the lyase activity. It appears that the role of the five amino acid residues in the N- and C-terminal vicinities of the chromophore binding Cys-323 is structural rather than catalytic for the ligation reaction.     

Age-related changes in cognitive ERPs of attenuation

The purpose of this article is to deliberate the moral and legal dilemma entailed in the weapon of the labour strike as a pressure tactic on the Israeli Finance Ministry regarding job slots, budgets and, in effect, violating the collective agreement signed by the nurses and impairing patients' treatment, as opposed to refraining from striking and suffering the heavy burden of work, the lack of trained personnel, low wages, and the inability to give patients proper, high quality treatment.     

Intestinal obstruction and peritoneal carcinomatosis after endoscopic resection of transitional carcinoma of urinary bladder

Gut involvement in bladder tumours is low, even exceptional in the presence of surface, low-grade neoplasia. The authors explain their experience in the diagnosis and management of a patient treated endoscopically for a vesical surface tumour which subsequently exhibited peritoneal and gut metastatic seeding. The various mechanisms for gut dissemination of vesical neoplasias and the repercussion of their endoscopic management are discussed.     

Successive interference cancellation for multiuser asynchronousDS/CDMA detectors in multipath fading links

There has been an increasing interest in the use of code-division multiple access (CDMA) in cellular mobile and wireless personal communications. The choice of such multiaccess technique is attractive because of its potential capacity increases and other technical factors such as privacy and multipath rejection capabilities. However, it is well known that the performance of CDMA can be significantly degraded due to cochannel interference (CI) and the near-far effects. We consider the performance of direct-sequence (DS)-based CDMA over fading channels that are modeled as slowly varying Rayleigh-fading discrete multipath channels. Specifically, we propose and analyze an adaptive multistage interference cancellation strategy for the demodulation of asynchronous DS spread-spectrum multiple-access signals. Numerical results show that the proposed multistage detector, which alleviates the detrimental effects of the near-far problem, can significantly improve the system performance     

Endosonographic features of esophageal granular cell tumors

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Granular cell tumors of the esophagus are rare tumors. A definite diagnosis is achieved by endoscopic biopsies in only 50% of cases. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is the best procedure in the evaluation of upper gastrointestinal tract submucosal tumors. The aim of this study was to describe the endosonographic findings of esophageal granular cell tumors. METHODS: From January 1989 to March 1994, 15 patients with 21 granular cell tumors which had negative biopsies were examined by EUS (Olympus GF UM3 or GF UM20,7,5 and 12 MHz). In five cases, the tumor was also studied with a 20 MHz Olympus miniprobe. The final histological diagnoses were obtained by subsequent endoscopic snare resection in 20 cases and surgically in one case. RESULTS: The endosonographic features (with the GF UM3 or GF UM20) of esophageal granular cell tumors were: a) a tumor size of less than 2 cm in 95% of cases; b) an hypoechoic solid pattern in 100% of cases; c) a tumor arising in the inner layers in 95% (second echo-poor layer n=15; third echo-rich layer n=5). In one case, the endosonographic finding was transmural malignant infiltration of the esophageal wall (histologically confirmed). CONCLUSION: When a granular cell tumor of the esophagus is suspected, EUS can show the inner layer location of the tumor and thus contribute to planning the endoscopic resection or follow up. When the tumor also invades the outer layers, EUS can contribute to planning the surgical resection.     

Relationships between H-NS, sigma S, SpvR and growth phase in the control of spvR, the regulatory gene of the Salmonella plasmid virulence operon

We propose that chronically denervated Schwann cells may be less able to respond to axonal signals than their acutely denervated counterparts, and that this lack of sensitivity may be one reason why axons fail to regenerate into chronically denervated nerve stumps. To test this proposal we have used in situ hybridization, and quantitative and qualitative immunohistochemistry to compare the expression of c-erbB2 and c-erbB4 receptors in Schwann cells denervated for up to 6 months in vivo, with that seen in Schwann cells denervated for similar periods of time but then exposed to regenerating axons. The results were correlated with the extent of axonal regeneration in each experimental group as assessed from transverse sections which had been double-immunolabelled using anti S-100 and anti-beta tubulin III antibodies. Since c-erbBs are receptors for neuronally derived neuregulins we probed the appropriate axotomised DRG neurons for expression of GGF2 mRNA. When the denervated distal stumps were anastomosed to acutely transected proximal stumps, GGF expression in DRGs increased transiently during the first week: we assume that secreted GGF2 derived from regrowing axon sprouts would have been available to Schwann cells in all distal stumps. Endoneurial cell proliferation (predominantly Schwann cell proliferation); levels of expression of c-erbB receptors by Schwann cells, and the degree to which axons regenerated into the distal stumps all decreased as the period of prior denervation increased: the longer the time of denervation, the lower the expression of c-erbBs in Schwann cells, and the smaller the percentage of bands of Bungner which were re-innervated.     

Comparative efficacy of calcipotriol (MC903) cream and betamethasone 17-valerate cream in the treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis. A randomized, double-blind, parallel group multicentre study. Calcipotriol Study Group

PURPOSE: Ultrasound estimated bladder weight was compared before and after surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) to reveal a possible reversible change in bladder hypertrophy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ultrasound estimated bladder weight was measured before and after subcapsular (17) or transurethral (16) prostatectomy in 33 male patients with BPH. Sequential changes in the American Urological Association symptom score and urinary flow rate were also examined. RESULTS: Along with a significant improvement in the American Urological Association symptom scores and maximum flow rate, ultrasound estimated bladder weight decreased from 52.9 +/- 22.6 to 31.6 +/- 15.8 gm. in 12 weeks after treatment. In all but 4 patients (29 of 33, or 87.9%) ultrasound estimated bladder weight decreased to less than 35.0 gm. in 12 weeks after treatment. Interestingly, in all patients with an initial ultrasound estimated bladder weight of greater than 80 gm. the bladder weight still remained at an abnormally high level 12 weeks after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Bladder hypertrophy was completely reversible after the surgical treatment of the obstruction in the majority of patients with BPH. The measurement of ultrasound estimated bladder weight was of value in monitoring therapeutic effects in BPH patients. An extraordinarily high ultrasound estimated bladder weight of 80 gm. or more might suggest degenerative and irreversible pathological changes in the bladder detrusor.