Pulmonary function and ventilatory response to chemical stimuli in familial myopathy.

We studied the pulmonary function and ventilatory response to carbon dioxide and hypoxia in three sisters aged 16, 13, and 10 years who presented with droopy eyelids, external ophthalmoplegia, hearing loss, speech difficulty, and truncal muscular weakness. Pulmonary function test results showed decreased maximum static pressure, reduced vital capacity and total lung capacity, normal functional residual capacity, elevated residual volume, and reduced dynamic pulmonary volumes. The degree of functional abnormality paralleled the severity of clinical manifestations.

Localization, purification, and characterization of shikimate oxidoreductase-dehydroquinate hydrolyase from stroma of spinach chloroplasts.

The stroma of chloroplasts is probably the sole site of the shikimate pathway enzymes shikimate oxidoreductase/dehydroquinate hydrolyase (SORase/DHQase) in spinach leaves. (a) The chromatographic behavior of the bifunctional protein SORase/DHQase on several separation materials with extracts from stroma compared with leaf extracts showed only one peak of enzymic activity originating from the stroma. (b) Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of these extracts followed by specific staining resulted in the same pattern without a band of extraplastidic enzyme.

Quantitative and qualitative changes in histone gene expression during early mouse embryo development.

There are large amounts of histone mRNA present in mouse eggs. These RNAs are rapidly degraded, as are other mRNAs, after fertilization and prior to the second cleavage. During cleavage, the histone mRNA accumulates as the embryo divides.

Localization and synthesis of prenylquinones in isolated outer and inner envelope membranes from spinach chloroplasts.

The prenylquinone content and biosynthetic capabilities of membrane fractions enriched in outer and inner envelope membranes from spinach chloroplasts were analyzed. Both envelope membranes contain prenylquinones, and in almost similar amounts (on a protein basis). However, the outer envelope membrane contains more alpha-tocopherol than the inner one although this prenylquinone is the major one in both fractions.

Topography of human placental receptors for epidermal growth factor.

These studies were undertaken to determine whether term human placental microvillus plasma membranes, which are exposed to maternal blood, and basolateral plasma membranes, which are in close proximity to fetal blood capillaries, contain receptors for epidermal growth factor (EGF). These two highly purified membranes bound 125I-EGF with similar affinity (apparent dissociation constants, 0.07-0.

Acquisition of the heat-shock response and thermotolerance during early development of Xenopus laevis.

The ability to synthesize a 68,000- to 70,000-Da protein (hsp) in heat-shocked early Xenopus laevis embryos is dependent on the stage of development. Whereas late blastula and later stage embryos synthesize hsp68-70 after heat shock, cleavage stages are incompetent with respect to hsp synthesis. In vitro translation experiments and RNA blot analyses demonstrate that enhanced synthesis of hsp68-70 is associated with an accumulation of hsp68-70 mRNA.

Actin mRNA content in normal and delayed implanting mouse embryos.

Actin mRNA levels were measured in mouse eggs, early embryos, and delayed implanting blastocysts by a homologous, cloned recombinant DNA probe and "dot" blot methodology. A maternal store of 431 fg of actin mRNA was observed in the unfertilized eggs. This mRNA pool decreased 12-fold by the mid-two-cell stage.

Extraction of the adenylate cyclase-activating factor of bovine sperm and its identification as a trypsin-like protease.

We previously reported the activation of adenylate cyclases from rat brain (Johnson, R. A., Awad, J.

Effect of growth factors with dexamethasone on healing of rabbit corneal stromal incisions.

Treatment of rabbit corneal wounds with topical corticosteroid retards both epithelial regeneration and healing of penetrating stromal wounds. Currently, no clinical agent is available which accelerates the rate of stromal wound healing. Epidermal growth factor (EGF, 0.

Biosynthetic human EGF accelerates healing of Neodecadron-treated primate corneas.

Topical administration of biosynthetic human epidermal growth factor (h-EGF), given in combination with an antibiotic and synthetic steroid (Neodecadron) accelerated the rate of corneal epithelial regeneration and significantly increased the strength of full-thickness stromal incisions in primates. The regenerated epithelial cells of EGF-Neodecadron-treated corneas appeared normal on histologic examination and showed no evidence of hypertrophy or hyperplasia. The EGF-Neodecadron-treated stromal incisions were characterized by new collagen formation and a smaller epithelial cell plug than Neodecadron-treated control corneas.

[Principles of transmembranous signal transduction in the action of hormones and neurotransmitters].

In the membranous signal transduction process, hormone-binding to receptors causes receptor interaction with signal-transducing components; these components transfer the stimulus to effector systems, which generate intracellular signals. Several guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (N- or G-proteins) have been identified as membranous signal-transducing components. Two N-proteins are involved in the hormonal regulation of adenylate cyclase activity, one of which being stimulatory (Ns), the other one being inhibitory (Ni).

Intrauterine proximity to male fetuses predetermines level of epidermal growth factor in submandibular glands of adult female mice.

Morphological, behavioral, and physiological masculinization of adult female mice that developed in utero between two male fetuses (2M females) has been previously attributed to the significantly higher concentration of testosterone in their fetal blood and amniotic fluid than that in female mice which had not been contiguous to males in utero (0M females). Serum testosterone levels of adult 2M and 0M females are not significantly different. To determine whether exposure of fetuses to different levels of testosterone during prenatal development alters adult biochemical parameters of a system responsive to testosterone, the level of epidermal growth factor (EGF) was measured by radioreceptor assay in the submandibular glands of adult CF-1 mice of known intrauterine position.

Pyruvate-Derived Amino Acids in Spinach Chloroplasts : Synthesis and Regulation during Photosynthetic Carbon Metabolism.

A probable carbon flow from the Calvin cycle to branched chain amino acids and lipids via phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and pyruvate was examined in spinach (Spinacia oleracea) chloroplasts. The interpendence of metabolic pathways in and outside chloroplasts as well as product and feedback inhibition were studied. It was shown that alanine, aromatic, and small amounts of branched chain amino acids were formed from bicarbonate in purified intact chloroplasts.

Induction of heat shock protein messenger RNA in maize mesocotyls by water stress, abscisic Acid, and wounding.

Exposure of the excised growing region of the mesocotyl of young corn seedlings to heat shock stimulated the production of specific heat shock proteins and the intensification of synthesis of two proteins with a molecular weight of approximately 70,000. Water stress and abscisic acid also stimulated synthesis of these 70,000-dalton proteins, and other unique proteins distinct from those induced by heat shock. Growing tissues of intact corn mesocotyls exposed to heat shock, water stress, or abscisic acid accumulated mRNA species homologous to a cloned genomic probe of the 5' end of the 70,000-dalton Drosophila heat shock protein gene.

Rapid purification of radioiodinated peptides with Sep-Pak reversed phase cartridges and HPLC.

A simple, rapid method is described for the purification of radioiodinated peptides for use in radioimmuno- and in radioreceptor assays. Iodinated reaction mixtures are applied directly onto Sep-Pak disposable, reversed phase cartridges equilibrated with phosphate buffer. Unreacted 125-iodide and other non-peptide reaction components are eluted with buffer.

Epidermal growth factor binding by breast tumor biopsies and relationship to estrogen receptor and progestin receptor levels.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) may be important in regulating the growth of some breast cancer cells in vivo because of its mitogenic action on some breast cancer cell lines in vitro. Epidermal growth factor receptors (EGF-R) were measured in a series of breast tumors to determine what percentage of breast tumors express EGF-R and whether EGF-R was independent of expression of estrogen receptor and progestin receptor. Specific binding of 125I-EGF to membranes from pooled homogenates of breast tumors reached equilibrium after 45 min at 25 degrees and remained constant.

Characterization of epidermal growth factor receptor and action on human breast cancer cells in culture.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) may play a role in regulating growth of breast cancer cells in vivo. We have examined the action of EGF on breast cancer cells in vitro and characterized the EGF receptor as a model system for its action in vivo. All of the fourteen breast cancer cell lines which grow attached to culture dishes specifically bound EGF, including one purportedly normal breast line (HBL-100).

Binding sites for epidermal growth factor in human fetal membranes.

The present study demonstrates that human fetal membranes bind 125I-epidermal growth factor (125I-EGF), with chorion binding more than amnion. The chorion binding was also higher than that by decidua, but lower than in placenta. The lower binding by chorion compared to placenta was entirely attributable to a lower number of available EGF receptors and not to lower affinity.

Binding sites for epidermal growth factor in human uterine tissues and leiomyomas.

There is no published data regarding whether human uterine tissues and leiomyomas contain binding sites for epidermal growth factor (EGF). The present study was undertaken with 33 myometria, 13 leiomyomas, and 4 endometria. All myometria (fundus) and leiomyomas and 3 of 4 endometria specifically bound 125I-labeled mouse EGF (myometria: mean, 1.

Mechanism of pertussis toxin action on the adenylate cyclase system. Inhibition of the turn-on reaction of the inhibitory regulatory site.

The activation reaction of the inhibitory guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory site of the adenylate cyclase system was studied in membranes of rat adipocytes, S49 lymphoma wild-type cells and their cyc- variants, pretreated without and with the Bordetella pertussis toxin, islet-activating protein (IAP), by measuring the kinetics of adenylate cyclase inhibition by the stable GTP analogue, guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP[S]). The IAP treatment, which caused a loss of GTP and hormone-induced adenylate cyclase inhibition, did not prevent enzyme inhibition by the stable GTP analogue. However, in either cell type studied, pretreated with IAP, the lag phase of GTP[S] inhibitory action was largely increased by about fivefold compared to control membranes.

Structure-activity relationship of unsaturated fatty acids as mosquito ovipositional repellents.

Various straight-chain unsaturated fatty acids from C14 to C24 were evaluated for their ovipositional repellency against gravid females of the southern house mosquitoCulex quinquefasciatus Say, and the relationship between the structures of the fatty acids and their ovipositional repellency was determined. A double bond withZ configuration was prerequisite for an unsaturated fatty acid to be highly repellent;E isomers were less active or even inactive. No relationship was found between the repellency and the number of double bonds in the unsaturated fatty acids.