Tyrosine-dependent basolateral sorting signals are distinct from tyrosine-dependent internalization signals

Converting cysteine 543 to tyrosine in the influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) introduces both a basolateral sorting signal and an internalization signal into the HA cytoplasmic domain. Another HA mutant, HA+8, contains eight additional amino acids at the end of the cytoplasmic domain that include a powerful internalization signal. HA+8 was also sorted efficiently to the basolateral surface of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. The simplest explanation for the observation that multiple sorting phenotypes depend upon the same small amino acid sequence is that certain tyrosine-based internalization signals might also function as basolateral sorting signals. To test this hypothesis, second-site mutations were introduced into HA C543Y or HA+8 to determine if the internalization and basolateral sorting functions can be separated. For HA C543Y, the same sequence positions were important for both basolateral sorting and internalization, but the two functions responded differently to individual amino acid replacements, indicating that they were distinct. For HA+8, the basolateral sorting signal required the same tyrosine as the internalization signal, but did not share any other characteristics. Thus, even when basolateral sorting signals that depend on tyrosine overlap or are co-linear with internalizations signals, the two sorting processes are sensitive to different characteristics of the sequence.     

Clinical and experimental observation of xilixin granule combined with radiotherapy in treating malignant-tumors

Thirty six patients of pulmonary or nasopharyngeal carcinoma were treated with Xilixin granule (XLXG) combined with radiotherapy and compared their efficacy with that of 31 patients treated by Zhenqi Fuzheng granule combined with radiotherapy for control. Results showed that the symptoms of Yin Deficiency syndrome in treated group were obviously improved, the leucocyte decreased by 5.6%, while in control group it reached 25.8%, the 3 year survival rate was significantly higher in treated group (75.0%) than that in control group (51.6%). Animal experiment revealed that XLXG had the effects of tumor inhibition, it could increase white blood cells, platelets and hemoglobin of patients, especially in using large dosage. These results suggested that XLXG have some protective effect against radiotherapeutic damage in patients with malignant tumor.     

Effect of oestradiol on ovarian oxytocin secretion rate and luteolysis in the ewe after ovarian auto-transplantation

The release of ovarian oxytocin and uterine prostaglandin (PG)F2alpha in response to an oestradiol stimulus was investigated. On Day 15 post-oestrus, ten ewes with ovarian auto-transplants (n=5 per group) received an intra-muscular injection of either oestradiol benzoate (50 microg) or vehicle. Blood samples were collected from the ovarian and jugular veins at 30 and 0 min before, and at 15-min intervals up to 540 min after, injection. The secretion rate of ovarian progesterone remained elevated in four of five treated ewes and in all control ewes, indicating the presence of a functional corpus luteum. Peripheral oestradiol concentrations were significantly (P < 0.001) higher in treated than in control ewes. The number of ewes that released pulses of ovarian oxytocin > or =240 min following oestradiol benzoate injection was significantly (P < 0 05) greater than that in control ewes. Mean amplitude and area under both ovarian-vein oxytocin and jugular-vein 15 keto-13,14 dihydro prostaglandin F2alpha (PGFM) pulses were significantly increased in the treated ewes. These findings demonstrate that the administration of exogenous oestrogen provides a positive stimulus for the release of ovarian oxytocin and uterine PGF2alpha in the ovarian auto-transplanted ewe.     

Pollination-enhanced expression of a receptor-like protein kinase related gene in tobacco styles

We have isolated a putative serine/threonine receptor kinase gene with an expression pattern indicating that it may play a role in the stylar response to pollination. Differential display PCR was used to select tobacco mRNAs with increased accumulation following pollination. NTS16, a cDNA identified by this method, is homologous to a ca. 2.4 kb mRNA primarily expressed in pistil tissues. Levels of this mRNA increase during floral development and are further increased by pollination reaching maximal accumulation 12-18 hours after pollination and then declining. mRNA levels can also be increased by the application of ethylene to unpollinated flowers. A polypeptide encoded by the NTS 16 open reading frame has sequence similarity to the catalytic domain of several receptor protein kinases from plants including the S-receptor kinases implicated in the rejection of self-pollen in Brassica species and the Pto gene product of tomato which confers resistance to a bacterial pathogen.     

Effect of atherogenic diet on chicken plasma lipids and lipoproteins

Adult male White Leghorn chickens were used in an experimental model system to study atherogenesis, and the effects of an atherogenic diet on plasma lipoprotein composition including carotenoids were determined. This model also included treatment with diazepam, a drug known to reduce formation of atherogenic plaques. After 6 wk consumption of a high-cholesterol, high-triglyceride diet, chickens had mean total plasma cholesterol, triglyceride, and carotenoid concentrations that were significantly increased over those from chicks that consumed the standard diet. Diazepam treatment had no significant effect on whole plasma concentrations of these lipids. Total body weight gain was unaffected by diet, but liver weight expressed as percentage of body weight was significantly increased in chickens that consumed the atherogenic diet. High density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) fractions were isolated from plasma samples by ultracentrifugation. The atherogenic diet increased the carotenoid, cholesterol, and protein content of the LDL fractions but not the HDL fractions.     

Purification and properties of beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidase from cabbage

beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidase was purified from the extract of cabbage by sequential steps of ammonium sulfate fractionation, chromatofocusing, DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B ion exchange chromatography and Sephacryl S-200 HR gel filtration. By these steps, the purity of the enzyme increased by 256 fold with a recovery of 8%. The purified enzyme was homogeneous as examined by native PAGE. It showed an optimal pH of 4, an optimal temperature of 60 degrees C and a Km of 0.94 mM for hydrolysis of pNp-beta-GlcNAc. The molecular mass of the enzyme determined from filtration through Sephacryl S-200 was 150 kDa. Three subunits with molecular mass of 64, 57 and 51 kDa were observed as determined by SDS-PAGE. NBS (0.025 mM), DEPC (3 mM) and WRK (30 mM) significantly inhibited the activity of the enzyme. The enzyme also showed activity toward pNp-beta-GalNAc, N,N'-diacetylchitobiose, N,N',N"-triacetylchitotriose and N,N',N",N"'-tetraacetyl chitotetraose but showed no activity toward pNp-alpha-GlcNAc, chitin and ethylene glycol chitin.     

Giant-cell interstitial pneumonia in a gas station worker

Giant-cell interstitial Pneumonia (GIP) is a very uncommon respiratory disease. The majority of cases of GIP are caused by exposure to cobalt, tungsten and other hard metals. In this report, we describe GIP in a patient who worked in gas station and dealt in propane gas vessels. He presented with clinical features of chronic interstitial lung disease and underwent an open lung biopsy that showed DIP-like reaction with large numbers of intra-alveolar macrophages and numerous large, multinucleated histiocytes which were admixed with the macrophages. Analysis of lung tissue for hard metals was done. Cobalt was the main component of detected hard metals. Corticosteroid therapy was started and he recovered fully.