Receptive field organization of complex cells in cat striate cortex

Summary The receptive field organization of complex cells was studied by analyzing interaction effects between two stationary flashing light stimuli. One was placed in the most responsive part of the receptive field to produce activity against which effects of the other in different visual field positions could be determined.The receptive field was spatially organized into antagonistic center and flanks just like the fields of simple cells. However, both center and flanks were found within the receptive field area where a single slit evoked discharge. Center and flanks were elongated along the optimal stimulus orientation. The flanks were displaced from the center normal to optimal stimulus orientation.In the center, ON- and OFF-responses were usually about equal in strength and the maximum ON- and OFF-responses occurred in about the same position. This shows that complex cells are activated by input from both ON- and OFF-center cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) where the receptive field centers of the LGN cells overlap closely. This explains most of the specific features of complex cells, e.g., the spatially overlapping ON- and OFF-zones, the large response field, the repetitive firing when a slit moves over the receptive field, and the marked non-linear spatial summation.Strong flank suppression occurred with both ON and OFF. The effects were usually stronger on one side of the center. Maximal suppression occurred on the same side with both ON and OFF. This is consistent with the interpretation that complex cells are inhibited by input from both LGN ON- and OFF-center cells with overlapping receptive field centers.A model presuming that complex cells have overlapping but acentric excitatory and inhibitory fields was tested by computer simulation and shown to fit the experimental data. This is the same model as presented for simple cells in the preceding paper (Heggelund 1980), except that the excitatory and inhibitory fields of simple cells have input from either ON- or OFF-center LGN cells, whereas in complex cells they have input from both types.The project was financially supported by the Norwegian Research Council for Science and Humanities     

A cytoplasmic component of pyridine nucleotide fluorescence in rat diaphragm: evidence from comparisons with flavoprotein fluorescence

Pyridine nucleotide (PN) and flavoprotein (Fp) fluorescence were monitored in the isolated intact rat diaphragm. A substantial increase in PN fluorescence occurred when N₂ replaced O₂ in glucose medium. This response was much reduced in pyruvate medium and/or by pretreatment with iodoacetic acid (IAA). The anaerobic levels of Fp fluorescence were less affected by substrate and IAA. Substitution of glucose by pyruvate did not alter the PN fluorescence of the resting aerobic tissue, but increased Fp fluorescence. After a tetanus with glucose present the PN of the anaerobic muscle, but not the Fp underwent a substantial transient oxidation. This oxidation was absent in pyruvate medium. It is concluded that a cytoplasmic component of the PN fluorescence is present in skeletal muscle. The levels of Fp fluorescence in the resting and contracting aerobic tissue supplied with pyruvate suggest that the resting tissue respiration was ADP limited. On this basis the level of PN fluorescence in the aerobic resting state was less than expected; the source of the PN fluorescence was both mitochondrial and cytoplasmic.     

Genetic susceptibility to gluten sensitive enteropathy in Irish setter dogs is not linked to the major histocompatibility complex

Abstract: Gluten sensitive enteropathy (GSE) in Irish setter dogs has been proposed as an animal model for human celiac disease (CD), in which the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II alleles HLA DQAl*0501 and DQBl*0201 play an important role. To investigate whether an orthologous MHC class II region is involved in canine GSE, we undertook a linkage study in two large families of gluten sensitive Irish setter dogs. A total of 44 dogs in these pedigrees were genotyped for DQA1, DQB1 and C.2202 alleles, along with 30 unrelated healthy Irish setters. No genetic linkage between the DQ or C.2002 loci and GSE was detected. In contrast to CD, susceptibility to canine GSE does not appear to be determined by variation within the MHC class II gene cluster. Therefore, canine GSE may not be an appropriate model for CD, but nevertheless remains an important disease for advancing knowledge of pathological processes in the intestine.     

血管紧张素原基因的六种单核苷酸多态与原发性高血压的相关性

目的　研究血管紧张素原 (angiotensinogen,AGT)基因 6个位点的单核苷酸多态及其构成的单倍型与中国汉族人原发性高血压的相关性。方法　采用多重SNa Pshot反应 ,在 185例原发性高血压患者和185名健康对照者中 ,对 AGT基因启动子区域的 G- 2 17A、G- 15 2 A、A- 2 0 C、G- 6 A及第 2外显子的T174 M和 M2 35 T多态进行基因分型。结果　 6种单核苷酸多态的基因型分布及其等位基因频率在原发性高血压组和对照组中差异无显著性 (P>0 .0 5 )。单倍型分析提示由 - 15 2 A,- 2 0 C,- 6 A和 2 35 T等位基因构成的 H4单倍型在原发性高血压组中明显增加 ,与对照组相比差异有显著性 (P<0 .0 5 )。结论　AGT基因G- 15 2 A,A- 2 0 C,G- 6 A和 M2 35 T多态可能对中国汉族人原发性高血压的发病起了重要作用。     

Analysis of slc19a2, on 1q23.3 encoding a thiamine transporter as a candidate gene for type 2 diabetes mellitus in pima indians

Mutations in the SLC19A2 gene cause thiamine-responsive megaloblastic anemia (TRMA) frequently combined with diabetes mellitus and deafness. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is heritable and a region on 1q21-q23 encompassing SLC19A2 was linked with the disease in Pima Indians and Caucasians. We therefore investigated this candidate gene in selected diabetic and nondiabetic Pimas and found no variants. We conclude that mutations in SLC19A2 do not contribute to type 2 diabetes in this population.     

Recruitment of fibre types and quadriceps muscle portions during repeated, intense knee-extensor exercise in humans

To investigate recruitment of slow-twitch (ST) and fast-twitch (FT) muscle fibres, as well as the involvement of the various quadriceps femoris muscle portions during repeated, intense, one-legged knee-extensor exercise, 12 healthy male subjects performed two 3-min exercise bouts at ~110% maximum thigh O₂ consumption (EX1 and EX2) separated by 6 min rest. Single-fibre metabolites were determined in successive muscle biopsies obtained from the vastus lateralis muscle (n=6) and intra-muscular temperatures were continuously measured at six quadriceps muscle sites (n=6). Creatine phosphate (CP) had decreased (P<0.05) by 27, 73 and 88% in ST fibres and 25, 71 and 89% in FT fibres after 15 and 180 s of EX1 and after 180 s of EX2, respectively. CP was below resting mean–1 SD in 15, 46, 84 and 100% of the ST fibres and 9, 48, 85 and 100% of the FT fibres at rest, after 15 and 180 s of EX1 and after 180 s of EX2, respectively. A significant muscle temperature increase (T_m) occurred within 2–4 s at all quadriceps muscle sites. T_m varied less than 10% between sites during EX1, but was 23% higher (P<0.05) in the vastus lateralis than in the rectus femoris muscle during EX2. T_m in the vastus lateralis was 101 and 109% of the mean quadriceps value during EX1 and EX2, respectively. We conclude that both fibre types and all quadriceps muscle portions are recruited at the onset of intense knee-extensor exercise, that essentially all quadriceps muscle fibres are activated during repeated intense exercise and that metabolic measurements in the vastus lateralis muscle provide a good indication of the whole-quadriceps muscle metabolism during repeated, intense, one-legged knee-extensor exercise.     

Distribution of vasoactive intestinal peptide-sensitive adenylate cyclase activity along the rabbit nephron

The effect of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) upon adenylate cyclase (AC) activity has been determined in defined microdissected renal tubules isolated from collagenase-treated rabbit kidneys. In the presence of 10 M GTP, 1 M VIP gave marked stimulations of AC over basal values in the bright portion of the distal convoluted tubule (DCTb) (10.1-fold), and in the collecting tubule isolated from the inner stripe of the outer medulla (OMCTi, 7.8-fold). Less pronounced effects of VIP were found in the medullary collecting tubule isolated from the outer stripe (2.5-fold) and in the granular portion of the distal convoluted tubule (2.0-fold). VIP stimulation of AC activity in these segments amounted to 25 to 40% of the effect elicited by other agonists (arginine vasopressin, calcitonin or parathyroid hormone) in their respective target segments. A low response to VIP was observed in the cortical thick ascending limb (1.8-fold) which represented less than 5% of the calcitonin-stimulated AC activity. In the thin descending limb VIP produced a slight and variable stimulation of AC. VIP was without effect upon AC in the convoluted and straight portions of the proximal tubule, the medullary thick ascending limb and the cortical collecting tubule. Halfmaximal stimulation of AC by VIP was observed at 26±10 nM (n=3) in OMCTi and at 19 nM (n=2) in DCTb. Related peptides glucagon, secretin and PHI gave lower stimulations of AC compared to VIP in OMCTi. Conversely for rat OMCTi, under identical conditions, glucagon was much more effective than VIP.     

Novel single nucleotide polymorphisms of the human nuclear factor kappa-B 2 gene identified by sequencing the entire gene

The nuclear factor kappa-B 2 (NFKB2) gene is a member of the NFKB/Rel gene family, which is known to be a pivotal regulator of the acute phase of the inflammatory response and of immune responses. We identified three novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and determined their allelic frequencies, as determined by the sequencing of 48 alleles of the entire gene in a Japanese population sample. Two of the three polymorphisms were identified at nucleotide (nt) position 1837 (T/C) and nt position, 1867 (GG/G) in the upstream region of the gene. The other polymorphism was identified at nt position 2584 (G/T) within intron 1. These polymorphisms will be useful in genetic studies of the processes involved in inflammatory responses and in bone differentiation. Received: October 17, 2000 / Accepted: October 23, 2000     

Distribution of TT virus genomic groups 1-5 in Brazilian blood donors, HBV carriers, and HIV-1-infected patients

Human isolates of the highly prevalent TT virus (TTV) have been classified into five major genomic groups (1-5). The geographical distribution of the groups throughout the world is not well known. Five different PCR assays were developed in an attempt to amplify specifically TTV DNAs of each genomic group. Serum samples collected from 72 Brazilian adults (24 voluntary blood donors, 24 hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers, and 24 human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected patients) were tested. TTV DNA from at least one genomic group was detected in 11 (46%) blood donors, 13 (54%) HBV carriers, and 24 (100%) HIV-1 patients. All five genomic groups were detected in the three populations, with the exception of group 2 in blood donors. Some samples, negative with all five specific assays, were positive with the commonly used untranslated region (UTR) PCR system. On the other hand, TTV DNA was detected in some samples by using specific assays but not with the UTR PCR. Mixed infections with 2-5 TTV isolates from different groups were detected in 21% blood donors, 29% HBV carriers, and 71% HIV-1 patients. Fifteen PCR products (three obtained with each assay) were sequenced. Most sequences showed high (>86%) homology with those of TTV isolates belonging to their presumed groups. However, three sequences had low homology with all TTV sequences available from the DNA databanks. In conclusion, TTV isolates belonging to all five known genomic groups circulate in Brazil, and the results suggest the existence of new and as yet uncharacterised major genomic groups.