Ultrasound-guided seminal vesicle biopsies in prostate cancer.

Invasion of prostatic adenocarcinoma into the seminal vesicles (SV) is generally accepted as an index of poor prognosis. The pre-operative identification of SV invasion is an important element in staging since it may alter subsequent treatment decisions. We studied the possibility of diagnosing SV invasion with two biopsies from the junction between the prostate and seminal vesicles.

Clinical implications of free-to-total immunoreactive prostate-specific antigen ratios.

Objective: A study was performed to evaluate the free-to-total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ratio for discriminating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or prostate cancer in the intermediate PSA range (2.0-10.0 microg/l) in patients referred for prostate evaluation.

Bioavailability of orally administered zinc, using Taurizine.

Zinc aspartate equivalent to 50 mg of elementary zinc, orally administered to seven normal healthy male volunteers in an enteric-coated tablet (Taurizine), gave no significantly increased plasma zinc levels, neither when this drug was taken in a fasting state nor during a lunch. The formulation of this tablet seems to obstruct the absorption of zinc.

Specific alterations of the EF-Tu polypeptide chain considered in the light of its three-dimensional structure.

Specific alterations of the elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) polypeptide chain have been identified in a number of mutant species of this elongation factor. In two species, Ala-375, located on domain II, was found by amino acid analysis to be replaced by Thr and Val, respectively. These replacements substantially lower the affinity of EF-Tu.

The elongation factor Tu.kirromycin complex has two binding sites for tRNA molecules.

The interaction of the polypeptide chain elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) with the antibiotic kirromycin and tRNA has been studied by measuring the extent of protein modification with N-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethylketone (TPCK) and N-ethylmaleimide (NEM). Kirromycin protects both EF-Tu.GDP and EF-Tu.

A mutant elongation factor Tu which does not immobilize the ribosome upon binding of kirromycin.

In the accompanying paper we have shown that polypeptide synthesis sustained by the mutant elongation factor EF-TuBO is inhibited by kirromycin. Here we have searched for the primary site of inhibition in the elongation cycle. It is demonstrated that in the presence of the antibiotic EF-TuBO can form a complex with aminoacyl-tRNA and GTP and that the complex is able to bind to ribosomes programmed with poly(U).

Molecular properties of two mutant species of the elongation factor Tu.

The molecular properties of two mutant species of the elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu), derived from either tuf A or tuf B, have been studied. One, designated EF-TuAR, is the product of a kirromycin-resistant tufA gene. The other designated EF-TuBO is a tuf B product and is present in a kirromycin-resistant mutant of Escherichia coli (LBE 2012) also harbouring the EF-TuAR species.

Genes VI, VII and IX of bacteriophage M13: identification of their products as minor capsid proteins.

In earlier work, two new minor capsid proteins of molecular weight 3500 (C-protein) and 11,500 (D-protein) were detected in M13 virions. To determine their genetic origin, differential amino acid labeling, amino acid analysis and Edman degradation analysis were performed on these proteins. The data demonstrate that D-protein is the product of gene VI whereas C-protein is composed of both the proteins specified by gene VII and the recently discovered gene IX.