Chromosome partitioning in Escherichia coli: novel mutants producing anucleate cells.

To study the chromosomal partitioning mechanism in cell division, we have isolated a novel type of Escherichia coli mutants which formed anucleate cells, by using newly developed techniques. One of them, named mukA1, is not lethal and produces normal-sized anucleate cells at a frequency of 0.5 to 3% of total cells in exponentially growing populations but does not produce filamentous cells.

Identification of human apolipoprotein E variant gene: apolipoprotein E7 (Glu244,245----Lys244,245).

Apolipoprotein E (apoE) is one of the protein moieties of the human serum lipoproteins. Three major isoforms of apoE (apoE2, apoE3, and apoE4) and minor variant isoforms (apoE1, apoE5, and apoE7) have been detected by isoelectric focusing. In this study we have cloned the apoE7 gene from a patient with the apoE3/E7 phenotype associated with hypertriglyceridemia and diabetes mellitus.

[Lateral approach to the anterior foramen magnum tumor: report of two cases].

A procedure for lateral approach to the ventral portion of the foramen magnum and the upper cervical canal is described. The patient was placed in the lateral position and a curvilinear skin incision was made from the retoroauricular area down to the lateral neck across the sternocleidomastoid muscle, and underlying muscle layers were divided. A suboccipital hemicraniotomy and hemilaminectomies were performed with an air drill.

Chromosomal genes essential for stable maintenance of the mini-F plasmid in Escherichia coli.

We have isolated mutants of Escherichia coli which do not support stable maintenance of mini-F plasmids (delta ccd rep+ sop+). These host mutations, named hop, were classified into five linkage groups on the E. coli chromosome.

Minicell-forming mutants of Escherichia coli: production of minicells and anucleate rods.

The Escherichia coli minB mutant originally isolated is known to septate at cell poles to form spherical anucleate minicells. Three new minicell-producing mutants were isolated during a screening by autoradiography for chromosome partition mutants giving rise spontaneously to normal-sized anucleate cells. These min mutants were affected close to or in the minB locus.

[A case of polycystic kidney with bilateral nephrectomy].

A 56-year-old woman in chronic hemodialysis had been suffering from uncontrollable fever for the past 7 months. Her original disease was diagnosed as familial polycystic kidney and three of her five brothers were found to have the same disease. Her chromosome was 46,XX,21P+ and laboratory examination revealed severe anemia, malnutrition, liver dysfunction, pyuria and candidiasis of urine.

[Study on changes in plasma platinum concentrations after administration of CDDP to maintenance hemodialysis patients].

Changes in plasma platinum concentration after administration of CDDP were studied in six patients on maintenance hemodialysis with malignancies. Plasma exchange was carried out on three patients for the purpose of plasmapheresis. A therapeutic dose of 51 mg/m2 of CDDP was administered to each patient without any severe adverse reactions.

Attempts to increase intratumoral blood flow in the rat solid Walker 256 tumor by the use of the perfluorocarbon emulsion fluosol-DA.

We have examined the effect of the perfluorocarbon emulsion, Fluosol-DA 20% (FDA), on blood flow in rats bearing an advanced solid Walker 256 tumor implanted s.c. Blood-FDA exchange in unanesthetized rats maintained under 100% oxygen was accomplished by simultaneous arterial withdrawal and i.

Molecular cloning of a human apoC-III variant: Thr 74----Ala 74 mutation prevents O-glycosylation.

Apolipoprotein C-III (apoC-III) is a major protein of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL). The apoC-III polypeptide contains a carbohydrate chain containing galactosamine, galactose, and sialic acid attached in O-linkage to a threonine residue at position 74. We have cloned the apoC-III gene from a subject whose serum contained unusually high amounts of apoC-III lacking the carbohydrate moiety (C-III-0).

Pharmacological actions of dopamine sulfoconjugate on cardiovascular system.

Pharmacological actions of dopamine 4-sulfate on the cardiovascular systems were examined and compared with those of dopamine. Dopamine 4-sulfate, used in the present study, was minimally contaminated with dopamine (less than 0.02%).

[A case of giant obsolete hydrocele testis].

A 58-year-old man visited the urological clinic in Prefectural Tohkamachi Hospital with complaint of swelling of bilateral scrotal contents. He had no history of fever, pain or difficulty of urination. Physical examination revealed a giant mass of adult-head size in right scrotum and left inguinal hernia of fist growth.

Partitioning of the F plasmid: overproduction of an essential protein for partition inhibits plasmid maintenance.

Multicopy plasmids carrying the sopB gene of the F plasmid inhibit stable inheritance of a coexisting mini-F plasmid. This incompatibility, termed IncG, is found to be caused by excess amounts of the SopB protein, which is essential for accurate partitioning of plasmid DNA molecules into daughter cells. A sopB-carrying multicopy plasmid that shows the IncG+ phenotype was mutagenized in vitro and IncG negative mutant plasmids were isolated.

Increases in brain tumor and cerebral blood flow by blood-perfluorochemical emulsion (Fluosol-DA) exchange.

It has been suggested that oxygen-carrying blood substitutes, perfluorochemical (PFC) emulsions, can increase blood flow and oxygen delivery to poorly perfused tumor regions. Local cerebral blood flow was measured in male Wistar rats bearing intracranial Walker 256 tumor with and without blood-PFC exchange using [14C]iodoantipyrine (IAP) and quantitative autoradiographic techniques. The exchange transfusion was performed in two groups of awake animals breathing 100% oxygen: (a) complete blood-PFC exchange, hematocrit 4%; and (b) partial blood-PFC exchange, hematocrit 20-25%.

Clinical reports on plasma exchange in the Kidney Center, Tokai University School of Medicine.

There were 72 patients (19 with hepatic failure, 10 with fulminant hepatitis, eight with paraquat poisoning, eight with rheumatoid arthritis, five with myasthenia gravis, four with hyperlipidemia, four with systemic arteriosclerosis including brain infarction, three with pemphigus vulgaris, two with multiple myeloma, two with systemic lupus erythematosus, two cases non-specific Ig-G antibody, two cases medication with an anticancer drug, one with multiple sclerosis, one with Crohn's disease with amyloid kidney and one with chronic myeloblastic leukemia) treated by plasma exchange in the Kidney Center, Tokai University School of Medicine from Jan. 1983 to Dec. 1986.

Structure and function of the F plasmid genes essential for partitioning.

The F plasmid in Escherichia coli has its own partition mechanism controlled by the sopA and sopB genes, and by the cis-acting sopC region. The DNA sequence of the entire partition region and its flanking regions is described here. Two large open reading frames coding for 43,700 Mr and 35,400 Mr proteins correspond to sopA and sopB, respectively.

A clinical trial of removal of bilirubin in blood by Evaflux-2A.

We performed both free and albumin-bound bilirubin removal therapy using the Evaflux-2A and evaluated its clinical effects. The removal rates of total bilirubin in the first and second sessions were 31.4%, and 31.

[Neurogenic bladder with pituitary adenoma: report of two cases].

Two cases of neurogenic bladder with pituitary adenoma are reported. The pituitary adenomas produced excessive GH (growth hormone). The etiology of the neurogenic bladder was not identified by X-ray examination or any other tests.