The structure and evolution of the spider monkey delta-globin gene

We have isolated the delta-globin gene of the New-World spider monkey, Ateles geoffroyi, and compared its nucleotide sequence with those of other primate delta- and beta-globin genes. Among primate delta-globin genes, the rate of nonsynonymous substitutions is much less than the rate of synonymous substitutions. This suggests that primate delta- globin genes may remain under evolutionary conservation, perhaps because hemoglobin A2 has an as yet unknown physiological importance.      

Biochemical pathways in prokaryotes can be traced backward through evolutionary time

For the first time, a credible prokaryotic phylogenetic tree is being assembled by Woese and others using quantitative sequence analysis of oligonucleotides in the highly conservative rRNA. This provides an evolutionary scale against which the evolutionary steps that led to the arrangement and regulation of contemporary biochemical pathways can be measured. This paper presents an emerging evolutionary picture of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis within a large superfamily assemblage of prokaryotes that is sufficiently developed to illustrate a new perspective that will be applicable to many other biochemical pathways.      

Synthesis of cathepsin B by cells derived from the HL60 promyelocytic leukaemia cell line

Cells of the human promyelocytic HL60 line were induced to differentiate into granulocyte-like cells with dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) or macrophage-like cells with 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). The synthesis of Cathepsin B by these cells was studied by immunoperoxidase staining and assay of cell lysates using the fluorimetric substrate benzoyloxycarbonyl-phenylanalyl-arginine-4-methyl-7-coumarylamide. Only 2–5% of the uninduced HL60 cells and DMSO-induced cells were immunohistochemically positive for Cathepsin B, compared with over 80% of the TPA-induced cells. Cathepsin B activity was lowest in the lysates of uninduced HL60s. DMSO-induced cells contained 1.5–2-fold the enzyme activity of HL60s and TPA-induced cell lysates demonstrated 5–14-fold the activity of uninduced HL60s. Induction of Cathepsin B synthesis was therefore associated with differentiation of the promyelocytes into cells of the monocyte/macrophage type, but not granulocyte-like cells. Cathepsin B was located immunohistochemically in human palatine tonsils. The enzyme was only demonstrated within macrophages in these tissues. Cathepsin B may therefore be a useful immunohistochemical marker for malignant and nonmalignant cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage.     

Constitutively hyposialylated human T-lymphocyte clones in the Tn-syndrome: binding characteristics of plant and animal lectins

Previously, 1,3-galactosyltransferase-deficient (Tn+) and normal (TF+) T-lymphocyte clones have been established from a patient suffering from Tn-syndrome [Thurnheret al. (1992)Eur J Immunol 22: 1835–42], Tn+ T lymphocytes express only Tn antigen (GalNAc1-O-R) while other O-glycan structures such as sialosyl-Tn (Neu5Ac2,6GalNAc1-O-R) or TF (Gal1-3GalNAc1-O-R) antigens are absent from these cells as shown by flow cytometry using specific mABs for TF and sialosyl-Tn antigen, respectively. Normal T lymphocytes express the TF antigen and derivatives thereof. The surface glycans of Tn+ and TF+ cells were then analysed by flow cytometry using the following sialic acid-binding lectins:Amaranthus caudatus (ACA),Maackia amurensis (MAA),Limax flavus (LFA),Sambucus nigra (SNA) andTriticum vulgare (WGA). Equal and weak binding of MAA and SNA to both TF+ and Tn+ cells was found. WGA, LFA and ACA bound more strongly to TF+ cells than to Tn+ cells. Binding of ACA to TF+ cells was enhanced after sialidase treatment. To investigate the possible biological consequences of hyposialylation, binding of three sialic acid-dependent adhesion molecules to Tn+ and TF+ cells was estimated using radiolabelled Fc-chimeras of sialoadhesin (Sn), myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) and CD22. Equal and strong binding of human CD22 to both TF+ and Tn+ cells was found. Whereas binding of Sn and MAG to TF+ cells was strong (100%), binding to Tn+ cells amounted only to 33% (Sn) and 19% (MAG). These results indicate that thein vivo interactions of T lymphocytes in the Tn syndrome with CD22 are not likely to be affected, whereas adhesion mediated by Sn or MAG could be strongly reduced.     

The evolutionary history of the amylase multigene family in Drosophila pseudoobscura

In Drosophila pseudoobscura, the amylase (Amy) multigene family is contained within a series of inversions, or gene arrangements, on the third chromosome. The Standard (ST), Santa Cruz (SC), and Tree Line (TL) inversions are central to the phylogeny of arrangements, and have clusters of other arrangements derived from them. The gene arrangements belonging to each of these three clusters have a characteristic number of Amy genes, ranging from three in ST to two in SC to one in TL. This distribution pattern can reflect a history of either duplications or deletions, although the data available in the past did not permit a decision between these alternatives. We provide unambiguous evidence that three Amy genes were present before the divergence of the ST, SC, and TL arrangements. Thus, the current status of the Amy multigene family is the result of deletions in the TL and SC arrangements, which created three new pseudogenes: TL Amy2-psi, TL Amy3-psi, and SC Amy3- psi. Analysis of pseudogene sequences revealed that, in the SC and ST arrangements, pseudogene evolution has been retarded, most likely due to the homogenization effect of gene conversion. Finally, by determining the original copy number, we have reconstructed the evolutionary history of the Amy multigene family and linked it with the evolution of the central gene arrangements.      

Sialoadhesin, a macrophage sialic acid binding receptor for haemopoietic cells with 17 immunoglobulin-like domains.

Sialoadhesin is a macrophage-restricted adhesion molecule of 185 kDa that mediates sialic acid-dependent binding to cells. It is expressed strongly by macrophages in lymphoid and haemopoietic tissues where it is likely to mediate cell-cell interactions. Here we report the molecular cloning of murine sialoadhesin and show that it is a new member of the immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily with 17 Ig-like domains. COS cells transfected with a cDNA encoding full-length sialoadhesin bound mouse bone marrow cells in a sialic acid-dependent manner. Alternatively spliced cDNAs, predicting soluble forms of sialoadhesin containing the first three or 16 Ig-like domains of sialoadhesin, were expressed in COS cells and the respective proteins purified. When immobilized on plastic, the 16-domain form bound cells in a sialic acid-dependent manner, suggesting that sialoadhesin can function in both secreted and membrane-bound forms. The most similar proteins in the database were CD22, myelin-associated glycoprotein, Schwann cell myelin protein and CD33. Like sialoadhesin, CD22 mediates sialic acid-dependent cell adhesion. The sequence similarity of sialoadhesin to CD22 and related members of the Ig superfamily indicates the existence of a novel family of sialic acid binding proteins involved in cell-cell interactions.     

USE OF SENSORY EVALUATION FOR MEASURING DEODORIZING EFFECTS OF AN AIR CONDITIONER

The application of sensory methodology for measuring deodorizing effect of an air conditioner equipped with electric plasma was introduced. Deodorizing effect was measured using chemical and sensory methods at different time (0, 30 and 60 min) and mode (control, blowing and cooling) of an air conditioner. Smoke from a roll of cigarette in a closed room was used as a source of odor and the concentrations of acetic acid and ammonia were measured as odorous chemical components. As one of the sensory methods triangle test was used and as a first step to obtain deodorizing effects by triangle test, the threshold of each panelist was obtained as the log dilution ratio of odor concentration at which the difference from odorless air was detected. The odor concentration at each time and mode was calculated using the threshold of the panel and the deodorizing effect was obtained on the basis of the odor concentration. In addition to a triangle test, scaling methods such as category scaling or magnitude estimation were used to measure deodorizing effect of an air conditioner. Deodorizing effects by scaling methods were calculated based on odor intensity with time at each mode. The regression analysis was done between the efficacy of deodorizing effect by sensory test and those by acetic acid and ammonia, the R² values of the regression equations for triangle test, category scale, and magnitude estimation were 0.84, 0.72 and 0.69, respectively. Deodorizing effect by triangle test explained the decrease of acetic acid and ammonia better than those by category scaling or magnitude estimation while high cost and time consuming labor involved in triangle tests reduced the merit. The results of this study demonstrated that various sensory methods could be used to measure deodorizing effect of air conditioners and further researches on fast and reliable methods are needed to establish the official procedures.