Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons^™

The Relationship Of Vitamins B-6 And B-12 To Plasma Homocysteine Levels In Men At Low- And High-Risk For Coronary Heart Disease, Marlene E. Swift

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

There is evidence that homocysteine may be a factor in increasing the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). To explore this relationship further, we assessed the interrelation of dietary vitamins B-6, B-12 and folate, and plasma pyridoxal-5'-phosphate and vitamin B-12 with plasma free and protein-bound homocysteine levels. Fasting blood and three-day dietary records were obtained from nine men low-risk (LR) and five at high-risk (HR) for CHD. The HR mean systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol (TC), and TC/cholesterol ratios were significantly higher than LR levels. Groups were comparable by age, weight, height, skinfolds, exercise, and smoking history. No significant difference …

X-Ray Synchrotron White Beam Excitation Of Auger Electrons, S. M. Durbin, L. E. Berman, B. W. Batterman, J. M. Blakely

Scanning Electron Microscopy

Auger electron spectra have been measured at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), using the full white beam x-ray spectrum as the excitation source. Ordinary Auger spectra obtained in the laboratory with an electron beam source must employ derivative techniques to distinguish the Auger structures from the large background due to the excitation beam. The synchrotron white beam eliminates this source of background and produces signal rates as high as 10⁷ cps. Superior signal-to-background ratios are found for Auger peaks above a few hundred eV, and count rates are large enough to suggest microprobe applications. X-ray induced Auger …

Research Note: Muscle Biochemistry From Oxford University, Vahe Marganian

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Acetylcholinesterase In The Neonatal Rat Brain: The Effects Of Prenatal Ethanol Exposure, Linda M. Boland

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the neonatal rat brain was determined by histochemical localization and quantitative biochemical analysis. AChE-positive perikarya were concentrated in the neostriatum, globus pallidus, medial habenular nucleus, amygdaloid complex, various hypothalamic nuclei, gigantocellular and paragigantocellular reticular nuclei, raphe nuclei, locus coeruleus, and motor nuclei of cranial nerves III-VII and IX-XII. Some areas stained differently or not at all when compared with the adult rat brain. The effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on regional AChE activity were assessed by comparing enzyme levels in offspring exposed via maternal consumption of a liquid diet containing 35 percent ethanol derived calories. This …

A Biochemical And Genetic Analysis Of The American Shad Alosa Sapidissima Migrating Into The Chesapeake Bay, Edward Norbert Sismour

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Seven enzymes extracted from heart and liver tissues of American shad Alosa sapidissima captured during migrations into the Chesapeake Bay and Nansemond River were electrophoretically surveyed. Malate dehydrogenase and nonspecific esterase displayed polymorphic loci. The esterase polymorphism was used as a biochemical genetic marker to analyze the shad migration through the southern Chesapeake Bay. The genetic composition of the shad migration changed significantly over time indicating that this migration is probably composed of multiple, genetically divergent spawning populations. Results of this study are subject to differing interpretations. Observed temporal heterogeneity may result from separation of northern and James River stocks …

Human Lung Tryptase Purification And Characterization, Timothy J. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human lung tryptase (HLT), a mast cell derived trypsin-like enzyme, was isolated from whole human lung tissue obtained at autopsy. Increased yields from this purification process allowed extensive characterization of the enzyme. One of the critical steps in the purification scheme was the use of a linear heparin gradient to elute active material from cellulose phosphate. Gel filtration studies in 1.0 M NaCl yielded an apparent M(,r) of 135,000, and subsequent electrophoresis on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels demonstrated the presence of two active species with apparent M(,r) = 30,900 and 31,600. Enzymatic activity was sensitive to NaCl concentrations above 0.05 …

Autoregulation Of Collagenase Production By A Protein Synthesized And Secreted By Synovial Fibroblasts: Cellular Mechanism For Control Of Collagen Degradation, Constance Brinckerhoff, Mary Benoit, William Culp

Dartmouth Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Lectins, El-Nasir Lalani, M Wells

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

No abstract provided.

Acetylation-Deacetylation Of Synaptosomal Proteins: Effect Of Na+ / S. Berl, A. Colon And D. D. Clarke. Mt. Sinai School Of Medicine, New York, N.Y. 10029, Soll Berl, Arlene D. Colon, Donald Dudley Clarke Phd

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Synaptosomes (S) when incubated with 3H-acetate (HA), are rapidly labeled. The perchloric acid (PCA) precipitable proteins contain most of the radioactivity probably as the acetyl moiety, which is released in a volatile form after acid or base hydrolysis (Berl et al., - J. Neurochem. 40:176, 1983). Much of the radioactivity was chased by addition of unlabeled acetate suggesting that the acetylation was reversible. Labeling was also decreased in the presence of veratridine/veratrine (V, 100uPt!) and this effect was prevented by tetrodotoxin (2uM). When Na was omitted from the incubation medium, the incorporation of (HA) was increased; however, the effect of …

Effects Of Growth Temperatures On The Fatty Acid Composition Of Isolated Chloroplasts From Two Species Differing In Heat Sensitivity, Roy Z. Gehring, Glenn W. Todd

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Lipid analyses of chloroplasts isolated from wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Arthur) and milo (Sorghum bicolor cv. Funk's hybrid 522) suggest no major heat effect on lipid class distribution. Assuming milo is more heat tolerant than wheat and that increased saturated/unsaturated fatty acid values increase thermal stability, changes in sulfoquinovosyldiglyceride (SL) appear to be more important than phosphatidylglycerol (PG) in conferring thermal stability to isolated chloroplasts.

Concanavalin A-Binding Enzymes Of Crotalus Scutulatus Scutulatus Venom, Michael W. Hinson, C. K. Childs, Bob D. Johnson, Dewey H. Sifford

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus crude venom was separated into two fractions by Concanavalin A Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography. The proteins binding to Con A exhibited phosphomonoesterase (orthophosphoric monoester phosphohydrolase EC 3.1.3.2), phosphodiesterase, 5'-nucleotidase (5'-ribonucleotide phosphohydrolase EC 3.1.3.5), phospholipase A(phosphatidate 2-acylhydrolase EC 3.1.1 .4), hyaluronidase (hyaluronate glycanohydrolase EC 3.2.1 d), N-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl esterase, p-toluenesulfonyl-L-arginine methyl esterase, L-amino acid oxidase (L-amino acid: 02 oxidoreductase [deaminating] EC 1.4.3.2), and caseinolytic activities. Thrombin-like and NAD nucleosidase (5'-ribonucleotide phosphohydrolase EC 3.1.3.5) activities were not observed. The crude venom and the fraction containing the glycoproteins which bound to Con A were fractionated by DEAE Sephadex A-50 ion …

Camp-Dependent Protein Kinase Activation Lowers Hepatocyte Camp, Jackie D. Corbin, Stephen J. Beebe, Peter F. Blackmore

Bioelectrics Publications

Rat hepatocyte protein kinase was activated by incubating the cells with various cAMP analogs. Boiled extracts were then prepared and Sephadex G-25 chromatography was carried out. The G-25 procedure separated the analogs from cAMP since the resin had the unexpected property of binding cyclic nucleotides with differing affinities. Separation was necessary because the analogs would otherwise interfere with the sensitive protein kinase activation method developed for assay of cAMP. The cAMP analogs, but not 5'-AMP, lowered basal cAMP by 50-70%. The effect was rapid, analog concentration-dependent, and occurred parallel with phosphorylase activation, suggesting that the cAMP analogs act through cAMP-dependent …

Discriminative Insulin Antagonism Of Stimulatory Effects Of Various Camp Analogs On Adipocyte Lipolysis And Hepatocyte Glycogenolysis, Stephen J. Beebe, J. Bruce Redmon, Peter F. Blackmore, Jackie D. Corbin

Bioelectrics Publications

Although insulin effectively blocked hormone-stimulated glycerol output in adipocytes or phosphorylase activation in hepatocytes, the inhibitory effect of insulin on cAMP analog-stimulated cells depended on the cAMP analog used. Of the 20 analogs tested in adipocytes and 13 tested in hepatocytes, the effects of about half of them were effectively blocked by insulin, whereas the effects of many of them were not inhibited at all. In order to approach the explanation for this discriminative insulin action, the inhibitory effects of insulin on the responses to the analogs in the intact cells were correlated with the in vitro cAMP analog specificity …

Response Of A Nitrifying Biofilm To Copper, Denise Moldroski Mott

Masters Theses

In pure cultures of Nitrosomonas, copper is known to cause a stimulation of nitrification at low levels (≤ 0.03 mg Cu⁺²/1) and an inhibition affect at higher levels (≥ 0.05 mg Cu⁺²/1). Nitrifying activated sludges are much more tolerant of copper showing only 75% inhibition at 150mg Cu⁺²/1. The purpose of this paper was to determine the copper sensitivity of a nitrifying biofilm grown in a continuous flow trickling filter system.

A continuous flow trickling filter system was built using limestone chips for the biofilm substrate. The biofilm was established from secondary effluent. …

A Comparison Of The Acidic Extracellular Polysaccharides From Rhizobium Trifolii Mutants Affected In Trifolium Repens Root Hair Curling, Brian Andrew Hanley

Masters Theses

The compositions and sugar linkages of the acidic extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) from several Rhizobium trifolii mutants were compared. These mutants were derived from a wild type Rhizobium trifolii, ANU843, and are unable to cause normal root hair curling, Hac-, or nodulate clover, Nod-. Three of the mutants contain a Tn5 insertion in a 5.3 kb BglII fragment of the symbiotic plasmid (pSym). A fourth mutant is missing the pSym, which includes much of the 5.3 kb BglII fragment, both of these deletions result in Hac-Nod- phenotypes. When the 5.3 kb BglII fragment is cloned (pRT150) and reinserted into the …

The Biological Role Of Sialosyl Transferase Activity In Rat Brain, Robert Paul Durrie

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Repair Of Lethal Damage Induced In A Hamster X Amphibian Hybrid Tissue Culture Cell Line By Ultraviolet Light And Gamma Ray, Susan Kulp, Ann Page, H. Gaston Griggs

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

A hybrid cell line was formed by fusing cells from two established vertebrate tissue culture cell lines (V79B1 hamster and A84 Xenopus), which were known to differ substantially in resistance to some radiation-induced lesions and in associated repair potential. Ultraviolet and gamma ray dose-survival relations were then determined and analyzed for the three cell lines, primarily to compare the radiosensitivity (Do dose) of the hybrid line with that of each parental line for each radiation. Further experimentation was conducted to determine the extent to which observed differences in these Do doses could be attributed to interactions of the combined parental …

Methemoglobin Reduction In The Presence Of Various Concentrations Of Oxyhemoglobin, Ali Mansouri

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Methemoglobin reduction in human red blood cell is governed by many factors, one of which is the concentration of oxyhemoglobin. Experiments were conducted to determine the inhibition of methemoglobin reduction by oxyhemoglobin under concentrations approaching those in the red cell. Hemoglobin, methemoglobin reductase and cytochrome b₅ were prepared by routine protein purification methods. Methemoglobin reduction was carried out at 37° C in spectrophotometer. It is shown that methemoglobin concentration variation (at least when it is above 1 mM) does not change the reduction rate. Whereas, the ratio of methemoglobin to oxyhemoglobin determines the rate of methemoglobin reduction when all other …

Demonstration Of A Heat-Stable Cyclic Gmp Phosphodiesterase In The Medium Of Physarum Flavicomum, Thomas J. Lynch, Mark S. Ross

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Gamma Radiation On Salix Nigra Marsh Cuttings, Roy Z. Gehring

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Dormant cuttings of Salix nigra Marsh, were exposed to gamma radiation from a cobalt-60 source at a dose rate of 1110 roentgens (r) per minute. Exposure doses ranged from 50 r through 100 Kr with 100% mortality at 10 Kr. Low doses of ionizing radiation apparently stimulated growth, while higher doses progressively retarded growth. The growth of the staminate catkins was inversely proportional to total exposure dose (increased dose resulted in progressively decreased growth). Determination of growth rates at different intervals post-irradiation indicated recovery of the surviving fraction of the irradiated cuttings. At ninety days, the highest growth rate occurred …

Role Of Centriolar Matrix And Striated Rootlets In Centriolar Pairing And Orientation During Spermatogenesis In Hydractina Echinata, Maurice G. Kleve

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Transmission electron microscopy of the spermatogenic stages of the hydroid, Hydractinia echinata, reveals a series of complex structural and positional changes in the centrioles of spermatocytes and spermatids. The newly generated centriolar pairs of spermatocytes form an unusual four-centriole aggregate that persists until cell division. The distal centrioles of this aggregate are shrouded with a very dense matrix that accumulates after centriolar replication. This matrix facilitates the mechanical attachment between distal centrioles and microtubular nucleating satellites, striated rootlets and pericentriolar processes. The association of these accessory structures occurs sequentially and is repeated in spermatocytes and spermatids. An electron dense plaque, …

Aspects Of Mitochondrial Oxidative Metabolism, Leslie Kushner

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The effects of metabolic intermediates and coenzymes on the activities of fatty acyl-CoA synthetase and carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) in rat heart mitochondria were studied. ADP and palmitoyl-l-carnitine were weak inhibitors of fatty acyl-CoA synthetase. CPT A was inhibited 59.3% by 100 (mu)M succinyl-CoA. However, succinate thiokinase activity in rat heart cytosol was too low to maintain a succinyl-CoA concentration sufficient to affect the activity of CPT A. There was no indication that fatty acid oxidation in rat heart mitochondria is controlled via the regulation of either CPT A or fatty acyl-CoA synthetase.

The dependence of the oxidation of unsaturated fatty …

Nonsense Mutations In The Chlamydomonas Chloroplast Gene That Codes For The Large Subunit Of Ribulosebisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase, Robert J. Spreitzer, Michel Goldschmidt-Clermont, Michele Rahire, Jean-David Rochiax

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplast mutants 18-SB and 18-7G lack both the chloroplast-encoded large subunit and nuclear-encoded small subunit of the chloroplast enzyme ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (EC 4.1.1.39). A chloroplast intergenic-suppression model has been postulated to account for the genetic instability of 18-5B revertants. Here, we have determined the molecular basis of the 18-SB and 18-7G mutants. They contain nonsense mutations close to the 3' and 5' ends of their large-subunit genes, respectively. Puls-chase experiments revealed that the 18-SB mutant produces a truncated large subunit that is unstable. In connection with previous experiments, this work identifies nonsense suppression in the chloroplast. Small …

Cloning And Characterization Of A Gene (Fadr) Involved In Regulation Of Fatty Acid Metabolism In Escherichia Coli, Concetta C. Dirusso, William D. Nunn

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The regulatory gene fadR has been previously characterized by classical genetic means as a diffusible protein which exerts negative control over fatty acid degradation and acetate metabolism. fadR has also been implicated in the regulation of unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis. To facilitate the identification of the product of the fadR gene and to study the mechanism by which this multifunctional regulatory gene exerts its control, we cloned a segment of DNA containing the fadR gene in the phage vector λL47. Subsequent subcloning of a segment of the chromosomal DNA from the λfadR⁺ phage into various plasmid vectors resulted in …

Transition-State Analog Affinity Purification Of Proteases, Arunbhai Patel

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Bionomics Of Culicoides Spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) From A Coastal Georgia Barrier Island, George J. Magnon

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

The seasonal abundance of adult Culicoides spp. on a coastal Georgia barrier island was determined during a 20-month period, September 1983 through May 1985 by CO₂-baited CDC miniature light traps and sticky cylinder traps.

A total of 220,670 adult biting midges representing nineteen species and including the first report of C. loughnani Edwards in Georgia was collected. Culicoides furens (Poey), C. hollensis (Melander and Brues), and C. melleus (Coquillett) were the most abundant. Culicoides furens was abundant from early spring to late fall. Culicoides hollensis and C. melleus were bimodal with spring and fall abundance, but C. melleus …

Proliferation Of Schwann Cells Induced By Axolemmal And Myelin Membranes, Michael Paul Dinneen

Theses and Dissertations

Purified Schwann cells were cultured from neonatal rat sciatic nerve using a modification of the method of Brockes (Brockes, J.P. et al, Brain Res. 165(1979) 105-118). Schwann cells and contaminating fibroblasts were unambiguously identified using fluorescent antibodies to 2'3' cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase and the thy 1.1 antigen respectively. The Schwann cells were quiescent unless challenged with mitogens, They proliferated rapidly in response to the soluable mitogen, cholera toxin, or to membrane fractions from rat CNS or PNS, prepared by the method of DeVries (DeVries, G.H., J Neurochem, 40 (1983) 1709-1717). Mitogenic activity was present in both axolemmal and myelin enriched …

Characterization Of Kpni Interspersed, Repetitive Dna Sequence Families And Their Association With The Nuclear Matrix, Joseph A. Chimera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The KpnI, 1.2 and 1.5 kb families of interspersed repetitive DNAs from the African green monkey genome were isolated and characterized. Each family contains three populations of segments based on their sequence lengths and susceptibility to cleavage by the restriction enzymes KpnI and RsaI. The first population contains the smallest segments which are susceptible to both KpnI and RsaI cleavage and have fragment lengths of 1.2 kb (1.2 kb family) and 1.5 kb (1.5 kb family) respectively. The members in this population are referred to as KpnI-sensitive segments. The second population contains longer segments (> 2 kb) which represent fusions …

Correlation Studies Between Human Seminal Plasma Trace Metal Concentrations And Semen Quality, De-Shen Mei

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Methodologies for the determination of cadmium, copper, selenium and zinc concentration in human seminal plasma have been developed using polarized Zeeman-effect atomic absorption spectroscopy. Within-run coefficients of variation (CY's) for cadmium, copper, selenium and zinc from pooled seminal plasma were found to be 8%, 5% , 4% and 0.5% at a mean (SD) concentration of 0.48 (0.04), 147 (7 .6), 53 (2. 1) and 122,900 (700) μg/ℓ, (n = 10), respectively.

Between-run CV's were determined to be 4% , 7%, 5% and 7% at a mean (SD) concentration of 2.4 (0.1), 147 (10. 1), 67.7 (3.4) and 115,800 (8300) …

Negative Cooperatively In The Binding Of 3-Aminopyridine Adenine Dinucleotide To L-Α-Glycero-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase, David Wheeler

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase catalyzes the reversible reaction:

NAD⁺ + G-3-P ⇌ NADH + DHAP + H⁺

The enzyme is found in organisms from E. coli to man. The primary function of the enzyme varies from organism to organism. Depending on the metabolism of the organism, the enzyme may function primarily to generate G-3-P for lipid (in organisms with a highly aerobic biosynthesis metabolism), or it may function primarily to produce NAD⁺ to support glycolysis. Complex multicellular organisms possess tissue specific isozymes of GPDH whose kinetic parameters reflect the relative importance of G-3-P and NAD⁺ production in various …