Is canine hepatocerebellar degeneration syndrome an animal model for carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome in humans? An example of sequencing glycoprotein glycans with mass spectrometry.

The clinical symptoms and morphologic features of canine hepatocerebellar degeneration syndrome (CHD) bear striking resemblance to those of human carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome (CDGS). The characteristic biochemical and molecular features of human CDGS lie in the truncated carbohydrate side chains of serum transferrin and numerous other glycoproteins of affected persons. Therefore, to explore the biochemical similarities between CHD and CDGS, we compared the structures of the carbohydrate side chains of canine serum transferrin isolated from a normal and a CHD-affected dog.

The role of plasma thyroid hormones in the regulation of body weight of single comb White Leghorn and broiler embryos.

Studies were conducted to determine if sex differences in embryo weights existed in a light-weight breed of chickens (the Single Comb White Leghorn, SCWL) and in a heavy broiler strain of chickens. Plasma thyroid hormone concentration was measured to determine its relationship to embryo weight. Male SCWL embryos were heavier than females at 15 and 17 days of incubation, but not at 13 days.

Neuraminidase induces capacitation and acrosome reaction in mammalian spermatozoa.

The treatment of epididymal spermatozoa of guinea pig and ejaculated spermatozoa of rabbit with neuraminidase from Arthrobacter ureafaciens induced significant acrosome reaction while the neuraminidase from Cl. perfringens failed to do so. The addition of the neuraminidase inhibitors kept the enzyme induced acrosome reaction to the control level.

Alpha-L-fucosidase from bull seminal plasma: its purification and acrosome reaction promoting property.

Alpha-L-fucosidase was purified from the bull seminal plasma by chromatography on DEAE-disk, octyl sepharose hydrophobic column and HPLC. The enzyme appeared to be pure as judged by the polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis both under the nondenaturing and denaturing conditions. The pure enzyme promoted the acrosome reaction of guinea pig spermatozoa in vitro.