Secretoneurin and chemoattractant receptor interactions.

Secretoneurin (SN) is a 33-amino acid peptide derived from secretogranin II (chromogranin C) which induces chemotaxis of monocytes but not neutrophils. In this study, we found that SN interacted with specific cell surface binding sites on human monocytes. The chemoattractants MCP-1, MCP-2 or fMLP could not compete for SN binding sites suggesting SN may bind to a novel chemotactic receptor.

Gametocidal genes induce chromosome breakage in the interphase prior to the first mitotic cell division of the male gametophyte in wheat.

Male gametogenesis was cytologically analyzed in wheat lines homozygous or hemizygous for gametocidal (Gc) factors with different modes of action. The first and second meiotic divisions in all lines were cytologically normal. The postmeiotic mitoses were normal in the homozygous lines; however, chromosome fragments and bridges were observed in the mitoses of the hemizygous lines.

Molecular mapping of segregation distortion loci in Aegilops tauschii.

Distorted segregation ratios of genetic markers are often observed in progeny of inter- and intraspecific hybrids and may result from competition among gametes or from abortion of the gamete or zygote. In this study, 194 markers mapped in an Aegilops tauschii F2 population were surveyed for distorted segregation ratios. Region(s) with skewed segregation ratios were detected on chromosomes 1D, 3D, 4D, and 7D.

Trough to peak ratio of once-daily lisinopril and twice-daily captopril in patients with essential hypertension.

The objective of this study was to assess the antihypertensive effect and the trough to peak (T:P) ratio of lisinopril and captopril, in patients with essential hypertension. After 2 weeks of placebo, 69 of 115 eligible patients had office diastolic blood pressure (DBP) between 90 and 114 mm Hg and daytime average DBP above 85 mm Hg during a 25-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) and were randomised to receive lisinopril (20 mg once daily) or captopril (50 mg twice daily) for 4 weeks. Office and ambulatory BP were then repeated.

Plastid-localized acetyl-CoA carboxylase of bread wheat is encoded by a single gene on each of the three ancestral chromosome sets.

5'-End fragments of two genes encoding plastid-localized acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase; EC 6.4.1.

Neonatal activation of CD28 signaling overcomes T cell anergy and prevents autoimmune diabetes by an IL-4-dependent mechanism.

Optimal T cell responsiveness requires signaling through the T cell receptor (TCR) and CD28 costimulatory receptors. Previously, we showed that T cells from autoimmune nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice display proliferative hyporesponsiveness to TCR stimulation, which may be causal to the development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Here, we demonstrate that anti-CD28 mAb stimulation restores complete NOD T cell proliferative responsiveness by augmentation of IL-4 production.

Cryptorchidism. Current concepts.

Cryptorchidism is the most common genitourinary disorder of childhood. Even though its incidence has changed only slightly over the years, the number of operations for cryptorchid testes has tripled. Better understanding of the natural history of cryptorchidism, as well as changes that occur in testicular histology both in the cryptorchid and the contralateral descended testis very early in life, are the cause.

Impaired plasma membrane targeting of Grb2-murine son of sevenless (mSOS) complex and differential activation of the Fyn-T cell receptor (TCR)-zeta-Cbl pathway mediate T cell hyporesponsiveness in autoimmune nonobese diabetic mice.

Nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse thymocytes are hyporesponsive to T cell antigen receptor (TCR)-mediated stimulation of proliferation, and this T cell hyporesponsiveness may be causal to the onset of autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice. We previously showed that TCR-induced NOD T cell hyporesponsiveness is associated with a block in Ras activation and defective signaling along the PKC/Ras/MAPK pathway. Here, we report that several sequential changes in TCR-proximal signaling events may mediate this block in Ras activation.

Novel autocrine feedback control of catecholamine release. A discrete chromogranin a fragment is a noncompetitive nicotinic cholinergic antagonist.

Catecholamine secretory vesicle core proteins (chromogranins) contain an activity that inhibits catecholamine release, but the identity of the responsible peptide has been elusive. Size-fractionated chromogranins antagonized nicotinic cholinergic-stimulated catecholamine secretion; the inhibitor was enriched in processed chromogranin fragments, and was liberated from purified chromogranin A. Of 15 synthetic peptides spanning approximately 80% of chromogranin A, one (bovine chromogranin A344-364 [RSMRLSFRARGYGFRGPGLQL], or catestatin) was a potent, dose-dependent (IC50 approximately 200 nM), reversible secretory inhibitor on pheochromocytoma and adrenal chromaffin cells, as well as noradrenergic neurites.

Stimulus coupling to transcription versus secretion in pheochromocytoma cells. Convergent and divergent signal transduction pathways and the crucial roles for route of cytosolic calcium entry and protein kinase C.

How do chromaffin cell secretory stimuli program resynthesis of secreted peptides and amines? We previously showed that the physiologic nicotinic cholinergic signal for secretion also activates the biosynthesis of chromogranin A, the major protein released with catecholamines. Here, we examine signal transduction pathways whereby secretory stimuli influence exocytotic secretion versus chromogranin A transcription. Both secretion and transcription depended on initial nicotinic-triggered sodium entry into the cytosol, followed by calcium entry through -type voltage-gated channels.

Endocrine analysis of childhood monorchism.

Purpose: We characterized follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels in boys with surgically documented unilateral absent testes (monorchism) to determine whether measurement of gonadotropin levels could distinguish them from boys with unilateral impalpable cryptorchidism.

Materials And Methods: Baseline serum gonadotropin levels were prospectively measured in 43 boys 2 months to 14 years old who presented with a unilateral impalpable testis that was confirmed to be absent at surgery. Control serum specimens were obtained from 63 age matched boys undergoing minor surgery with no evidence of hypospadias, or testicular, hormonal or renal diseases.

The National Psychiatric Morbidity surveys of Great Britain--initial findings from the household survey.

Background: This paper describes the Household Survey from the National Survey of Psychiatric Morbidity. This covered a sample drawn at random from the population of Britain, with the exception of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

Methods: The Postcode Address file was used as the sampling frame.

The National Psychiatric Morbidity surveys of Great Britain--strategy and methods.

Background: This paper describes the rationale and methodology of the first national psychiatric morbidity surveys to be carried out in Great Britain. The objectives of the surveys were to estimate the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among adults aged 16-64 living in Great Britain; to identify the nature and extent of social disabilities associated with psychiatric morbidity; to describe the use of health and social services by people with psychiatric morbidity and to investigate the association between mental illness and potential environmental risk factors in a household sample.

Methods: Four separate surveys were carried out in order to meet the objectives; a private household sample (N = 10108), a sample of institutions caring for the mentally ill (N = 1191), a sample of homeless people (N = 1166), and a supplementary sample of patients with psychosis living in private households (N = 350).

Performance of Four New Leaf Rust Resistance Genes Transferred to Common Wheat from Aegilops tauschii and Triticum monococcum.

The objective of this study was to test the performance of four new wheat leaf rust resistance genes previously transferred from wild relatives of common wheat. Leaf rust resistance gene Lr43, in wheat germplasm line KS92WGRC16, was originally from Aegilops tauschii. A second resistance gene, in line KS92WGRC23, was transferred from Triticum monococcum var.

Chromosome substitutions of Triticum timopheevii in common wheat and some observations on the evolution of polyploid wheat species.

Whether the two tetraploid wheat species, the well known Triticum turgidum L. (macaroni wheat, AABB genomes) and the obscure T. timopheevii Zhuk.

Genome differentiation in Aegilops. 2. Physical mapping of 5S and 18S-26S ribosomal RNA gene families in diploid species.

The distribution of the 5S and 18S-5.8S-26S (18S-26S) ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene families on chromosomes of all diploid Aegilops species was studied by in situ hybridization with pTa71 (18S-26S rDNA) and pTa794 (5S rDNA) DNA clones. One major 18S-26S rDNA locus was found in the nucleolus organizer region (NOR) of each of the species Aegilops tauschii and Aegilops uniaristata and two loci were detected in the remaining species.

Identification and high-density mapping of gene-rich regions in chromosome group 1 of wheat.

We studied the distribution of genes and recombination in wheat (Triticum aestivum) group 1 chromosomes by comparing high-density physical and genetic maps. Physical maps of chromosomes 1A, 1B, and 1D were generated by mapping 50 DNA markers on 56 single-break deletion lines. A consensus physical map was compared with the 1D genetic map of Triticum tauschii (68 markers) and a Triticeae group 1 consensus map (288 markers) to generate a cytogenetic ladder map (CLM).

A conserved repetitive DNA element located in the centromeres of cereal chromosomes.

Repetitive DNA sequences have been demonstrated to play an important role for centromere function of eukaryotic chromosomes, including those from fission yeast, Drosophila melanogaster, and humans. Here we report on the isolation of a repetitive DNA element located in the centromeric regions of cereal chromosomes. A 745-bp repetitive DNA clone pSau3A9, was isolated from sorghum (Sorghum bicolor).

Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization mapping: a physical mapping strategy for plant species with large complex genomes.

The chromatin in interphase nuclei is much less condensed than are metaphase chromosomes, making the resolving power of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) two orders of magnitude higher in interphase nuclei than on metaphase chromosomes. In mammalian species it has been demonstrated that within a certain range the interphase distance between two FISH sites can be used to estimate the linear DNA distance between the two probes. The interphase mapping strategy has never been applied in plant species, mainly because of the low sensitivity of the FISH technique on plant chromosomes.

Tubo-peritoneal factor infertility: a distant sequel to intrauterine transfusion for rhesus disease.

A patient presented with infertility 28 years after receiving four intrauterine transfusions as a fetus for rhesus haemolytic disease. Extensive adhesions were found in the peritoneal cavity affecting in particular the ovarian retrieval mechanism. No other possible cause for the situation could be discerned.

Can fetal renal artery Doppler studies predict postnatal renal function in morphologically abnormal kidneys? A preliminary report.

Purpose: The diagnosis of multicystic kidney in utero can be made with reasonable reliability with real-time sonography. However, a cystic hydronephrotic kidney may be difficult to distinguish from a multicystic kidney, necessitating postnatal renography. We report our preliminary observations of Doppler waveform variation in normal and cystic fetal kidneys.

Identification and high-density mapping of gene-rich regions in chromosome group 5 of wheat.

The distribution of genes and recombination in the wheat genome was studied by comparing physical maps with the genetic linkage maps. The physical maps were generated by mapping 80 DNA and two phenotypic markers on an array of 65 deletion lines for homoeologous group 5 chromosomes. The genetic maps were constructed for chromosome 5B in wheat and 5D in Triticum tauschii.

C-banding variation in the Moroccan oat species Avena agadiriana (2n=4x=28).

The C-banding technique was used to describe the chromosomes of a relatively recently-discovered Moroccan oat species, Avena agadiriana (2n=4x=28). A substantial amount of polymorphism for arm ratios and C-banding patterns was observed among five accessions of this species. However a common set of ten putatively homologous chromosomes was identifiable among the five accessions.