The molecular structures of 1,1-diphenylethyl methacrylate and triphenylmethyl methacrylate

The molecular structures of 1,1-diphenylethyl methacrylate (1,1-DPEMA) and triphenylmethyl methacrylate (TrMA) were determined by means of X-ray diffraction. 1,1-DPEMA: monoclinic, space group P2₁/a,a = 9,666(6), b = 19,94(2), c = 8,132(6) Å, β = 104,49(7)°, and Z = 4; TrMA: monoclinic, space group P2₁/n, a = 17,349(3), b = 9,487(2), c = 11,254(2) Å, β = 102,30(2)°, and Z = 4. Both structures were solved by the direct method and refined by the block-diagonal least-squares procedure to R = 0,175 and 0,056 for non-zero reflections, respectively. In both molecules, conformations about the C(1)? C(2) and C(1)? O(1) bonds are all synperiplanar and one of the two or three phenyl groups attached to the C(5) atom is in trans to the O(2).     

Clinical importance of serum anti-p53 antibodies as tumor markers

Anti-p53 antibodies are autoantibodies induced by mutation of p53 cancer-suppressor gene, and are considered to be indirect markers for p53 gene mutations and abnormally high p53 gene levels. We evaluated the usefulness of the measurement of anti-p53 antibodies by enzymed-linked immunosorbent assay using serum samples from patients with various disorders and normal subjects. The anti-p53 antibody concentration was high in patients with lung, esophageal, gastric, hepatocellular, colonic, rectal or ovarian cancer and significantly differed between the group with neoplasms and those with non-neoplastic disorders. Particularly high concentrations were observed in patients with malignant tumors. The mean agreement rate between anti-p53 antibodies and conventional tumor markers was only 47.8% despite slight differences among disorders. The positive rate increased to 63.0% by their combination assay. In addition, anti-p53 antibodies were independent markers, not complimentary to conventional markers. The mean agreement rate between anti-p53 antibodies and tissue p53 was 70.0%. Though the anti-p53 antibody-positive rate was lower than the tissue p53-positive rate, anti-p53 antibodies may be useful new tumor markers because specimens from the affected tissue are not necessary.     

A new nematode, Ansiruptodera scapteromi sp. nov. (Nematoda: Aspidoderidae), recovered from the Argentinean water rat Scapteromys tumidis (Waterhouse, 1837) in Uruguay

This report describes a new species of aspidoderid nematode, Ansiruptodera scapteromi sp. nov., the second species to be reported in the genus Ansiruptodera Skrjabin and Shikhobalova, 1947. The A. scapteromi sp. nov. is the first species of the genus to be recorded from a rodent host. The new species is clearly different from the only other species, A. ansirupta (Proença, 1937) Skrjabin and Shikhobalova, 1947, in that it possesses short lateral alae that terminate before the midbody; a smaller cephalic extremity; a shorter esophagus, pharynx, tail, and tail appendage; a smaller sucker; and longer spicules. The two species also differ in the numbers and arrangements of caudal papillae. A. scapteromi appears to be a parasite of capture and the water rats seem to have been infected from Edentata in Uruguay.     

Specificity of the complement resistance and cell association phenotypes encoded by the outer membrane protein genes rck from Salmonella typhimurium and ail from Yersinia enterocolitica.

Virulence-associated phenotypes of an outer membrane protein gene family of members of the family Enterobacteriaceae were compared by means of pBR322 constructs transformed into Escherichia coli HB101.rck (Salmonella typhimurium) and ail (Yersinia enterocolitica) promote serum resistance and eukaryotic cell invasion, properties not shared by other members of the gene family, pagC, ompX, and lom.     

A pore-forming toxin produced by Aeromonas sobria activates Ca2+ dependent Cl- secretion

Bacteria produce many types of hemolysin that induce diarrhea by mechanisms that are not completely understood. Aeromonas sobria hemolysin (ASH) is a major virulence factor produced by A. sobria, a human pathogen that causes diarrhea. Since epithelial cells in the intestine are the primary targets of hemolysin, we investigated the effects of ASH on ion transport in human colonic epithelial (Caco-2) cells. ASH increased short-circuit currents (Isc) in a dose-dependent manner, and it also activated a 125I efflux from Caco-2 cells. ASH-induced Isc increases and 125I efflux activations were both suppressed by low Ca2+ levels in the extracellular solution or by pretreatment with the Ca2+ chlelator BAPTA-AM. Intracellular Ca2+ levels were increased by ASH in a biphasic fashion characterized by a rapid sharp increase (peak 1) followed by a sustained low plateau (peak 2). ASH-induced peak 1 was inhibited by pretreatment with pertussis toxin, indicating that Ca2+ was mobilized from intracellular stores, and peak 2 was induced by an influx of extracellular Ca2+. Peak 2 but not peak 1 was related to Cl- secretion. These results indicate that ASH activates Ca2+-dependent Cl- secretion.     

The earliest stages of B cell development require a chemokine stromal cell-derived factor/pre-B cell growth-stimulating factor

Environmental factors essential for the first stages of B lymphopoiesis remain elusive. Here, we report that immediately after commitment to B lineage, precursors become dependent on a chemokine SDF-1 and its receptor CXCR4 using mutant and radiation chimeric mice. In bone marrow, generation of the earliest identifiable B cell precursor populations requires CXCR4. In fetal liver, we identified Lin(-)CD19(-)c-kit(+)IL-7Ralpha(+)AA4.1(+), the earliest unipotent B cell precursor population, and found that its development was severely affected in SDF-1(-/-) embryos but not in IL-7(-/-) embryos. Lin(-) T cell progenitors appeared normal in SDF-1(-/-) embryos. Moreover, SDF-1 exhibited specific biologic activities on the earliest B cell precursors. SDF-1 provides the first example of a cytokine responsible for the earliest B lineage stages.     

Complete nucleotide sequence of the matrix gene of human parainfluenza type 2 virus and expression of the M protein in bacteria

The sequence of the M gene of human parainfluenza virus type 2 (PIV-2) has been determined. The sequence contained a large open reading frame with 1131 nucleotides encoding a protein with a calculated molecular weight of 42,312. Comparison of M protein sequence indicated that PIV-2 was more closely related to mumps virus and Newcastle disease virus than to other parainfluenza viruses, Sendai virus (SV), and parainfluenza virus type 3 (PIV-3), indicating a possible subdividing of the Paramyxovirus into two groups. This grouping is consistent with that obtained from analysis of the HN gene. Measles virus and canine distemper virus definitely belong to the subgroup composed of SV and PIV-3. No homology region was found in all the paramyxoviruses compared. However, a tertiary structure may be conserved in each subgroup of paramyxovirus. The M protein of PIV-2 was expressed in bacteria, and the product was recognized by a monoclonal antibody specific for the PIV-2 M protein. The bacterial-expressed protein, however, was heterogeneous and smaller in size.     

CHEMOTACTIC ACTIVITY FOR POLYMORPHONUCLEAR AND MONONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES IN RHEUMATOID SYNOVIAL FLUIDS

In order to why polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) are predominant and mononuclear leukocytes (MNLs) are few in rheumatoid synovial fluids, chemotactic factor(s) for PMNs and MNLs were studied in the synovial fluids of rheumatoid arthritis (RA-SF) and osteoarthritis (OA-SF) using both Boyden's and agarose methods. The RA-SF showed strong chemotactic activity for human peripheral blood PMNs compared with non-rheumatoid OA-SF. The chemotactic activity for PMNs was well correlated with the number of PMNs in RA-SF, suggesting that it was a natural mediator for PMN emigration into rheumatoid joint cavity. The major chemotactic factor for PMN in RA-SF was of apparent molecular weight of 14,000 and its activity was suppressed to less than 10 percent by anti-C5a antibody, but it failed to show any anaphylatoxin activity which was an attribute of C5a. It was, therefore, suggested to be C5a-like molecule but not C5a itself. The possibility that the factor may be a C5a des-Arg was discussed. On the contrary, the chemotactic activity for MNLs was not found neither in RA-SF nor OA-SF. These findings may explain the fact that PMNs are predominant in rheumatoid synovial fluids.