Disassembly of actin filaments by botulinum C2 toxin and actin-filament-disrupting agents induces assembly of microtubules in human leukaemia cell lines.

Background Information: C(2) toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum types C and D ADP-ribosylates actin monomers and inactivates their polymerization activities. The disassembly of actin filaments by C(2) toxin induces a polarization of cultured human leukaemia cell lines.

Results: The polarization induced by C(2) toxin was temperature dependent and was prevented by nocodazole, a microtubule-disrupting agent, whereas it was promoted by paclitaxel, a microtubule-stabilizing agent.

Feline leptin: immunogenic and biological activities of the recombinant protein, and its measurement by ELISA.

Leptin is a protein synthesized and secreted primarily by adipose tissue. The blood leptin concentration is known to reflect body fat content in rodents, humans and dogs, and thereby is useful for quantitative assessment of obesity. In the present study, we produced recombinant feline leptin in Escherichia coli transfected with feline leptin cDNA we cloned previously.

CDNA cloning of feline leptin and its mRNA expression in adipose tissue.

Leptin, the product of the obese (ob) gene, is an adipocyte-derived hormone involved in regulating food intake and energy expenditure in humans and rodents. To determine the primary structure of feline leptin, we cloned the feline leptin cDNA using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of complementary DNA (cDNA) ends (RACE) methods. The full-length feline leptin cDNA was 2935 bp with a 501 bp open reading frame encoding the precursor peptide of 167 amino acids including 21 residues of signal peptide.

Long-term results of double-door laminoplasty for cervical stenotic myelopathy.

Study Design: A retrospective study of the long-term results from double-door laminoplasty (Kurokawa's method) for patients with myelopathy caused by ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and cervical spondylosis was performed.

Objective: To know whether the short-term results from double-door laminoplasty were maintained over a 10-year period and, if not, the cause of late deterioration.

Summary Of Background Data: There are few long-term follow-up studies on the outcome of laminoplasty for cervical stenotic myelopathy.

The gene for component-II of botulinum C2 toxin.

The gene encoding component-II of the Clostridium botulinum C2 toxin was cloned from the chromosomal DNA of C. botulinum type C strain (C)-203U28, and the nucleotide sequence was determined. The gene (bc2h) encodes a protein with 721 amino acid residues and is located at 247 bp downstream of the gene for component-I.