Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to C L Stevens.
A 28-year-old woman developed hirsutism, facial edema and clitoromegaly after self-injection of long-acting synthetic androgens. The symptoms were ameliorated by administration of flutamide with a combination oral contraceptive. Flutamide appears to be useful in preventing sequelae of acute androgen excess in women and may be a rational therapy for chronic treatment of androgen excess in women.
7S nerve growth factor (7S NGF) and nerve growth factor I (NGFI) are NGF-containing protein complexes isolated from mouse submandibular glands by different protocols, and reports suggest that the molecules differ chemically. In this study, we compared the molecular properties and subunit compositions of the two proteins. Purified 7S NGF and NGFI electrophoresed to identical positions on polyacrylamide gels in nondissociating buffers, with electrophoretic mobilities indistinguishable from that of unpurified NGF in salivary gland extracts. Ultraviolet absorption curves were identical, and sedimentation coefficients were similar (7.3 +/- 0.25 S for 7S NGF; 7.2 +/- 0.2 S for NGFI) as determined by sedimentation velocity analysis. By sedimentation equilibrium analysis, molecular weights of 135 000-140 000 were obtained for both complexes at protein concentrations in the centrifuge cell greater than 85 micrograms/mL; when protein concentrations within the centrifuge cell ranged from approximately 30 to 100 micrograms/mL at equilibrium, both complexes dissociated. Molecular weight values determined by gel filtration on Bio-Gel P300 and Sephadex G200 resins were similar for both proteins, and the values determined on Sephadex agreed with those obtained by ultracentrifugation. The subunit compositions of the complexes were also similar as determined by nonequilibrium isoelectric focusing, NGFI being composed of proteins that migrated to positions identical with those of the alpha, beta, and gamma subunits of 7S NGF. Furthermore, the stoichiometry of the subunits was similar in the two complexes as determined by radioimmunoassays to each of the subunits and by densitometric analysis of electrophoretic gels. Both methods showed that the complexes contain approximately 2 mol of the alpha and gamma subunits per mole of beta-NGF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
When levulinic acid, a competitive inhibitor of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase, was added to growing cultures of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), delta-aminolevulinic acid was excreted into the medium and cell growth was inhibited.
The lowest stages of polymerization of tobacco mosaic virus protein were studied by means of high-speed sedimentation equilibrium experiments. Several distinct modes of polymerization were found. At pH 7.1 the expected monomer-trimer-higher polymer equilibrium was observed--very little dimer was detected at this pH. At pH 7.5, however, a strong dimerization was observed--neither monomer nor trimer was detected at this pH. An octamer appeared to be the only species present other than the dimer. When 0.01 M beta-mercaptoethanol was added to the solvent pH 7.5, the dimer was dissociated, resulting in a monomer-trimer association. The dimerization may be the basis for the larger "doubled" polymers formed by the protein at alkaline pH, while the octamer may correspond to the 8S peak frequently observed in sedimentation velocity experiments at alkaline pH. On the other hand, the monomer-trimer-higher polymer equilibrium may correspond to the single helix formed by the protein at slightly acid pH and to the combination of 4S and 20S peaks seen in sedimentation velocity experiments at slightly acid pH.
By assuming that the opening of hydrogen bonds due to thermal fluctuations is a very fast step and that the reaction of formaldehyde with the imino or amino group is a slow step, we have constructed a model for the unwinding process of poly(A-U) induced by formaldehyde. The denaturation equation derived from the model is essentially the same as that of the zipper model for moderately long chain lengths. The model predicts the following phenomena which are in agreement with our experimental findings. The rate of unwinding is approximately first order for unfractionated polynucleotides and zero order for fractionated samples. This means that formaldehyde ruptures helical residues sequentially starting from the ends and working toward the center. Our model further predicts that the denaturation rate is linearly dependent on -log[Na+] and pH at low ionic strength and is almost independent of [Na+] and pH at high ionic strength. Spectrophotometric measurements on poly(A-U) were done to confirm our theoretical findings.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Oxygen isotope fractionation ((18)O/(16)O) at the natural abundance level has been measured during photosynthesis of a blue-green and a green alga. When sufficient attention is paid to removal of contaminating air O(2) before and during the experiments, then the photosynthetic O(2) evolved, as compared to the water O(2), had an average difference of -0.36% for a blue-green alga and -0.80% for a green alga. These experiments suggest that there is no reason to invoke an inverse isotope effect in photosynthesis as part of the explanation for the (18)O enrichment in atmospheric O(2) relative to O(2) in oceanic waters. In addition, in an indirect way, the experiments also support the argument that the bulk of O(2) evolved during photosynthesis comes from water. A 10% contribution of O(2) arising from CO(2) would have been detectable in the present work.
A uracil-requiring auxotroph of Anacystis nidulans was isolated after treatment with N-methyl-N'-nitrosoguanidine. Neither precursors in the de novo pyrimidine pathway nor compounds of "salvage" or degradative pathways could replace the uracil requirement. The reversion frequency for mutation to a nonuracil requirement for growth was 2.0 times 10(-8). The calculated average rate of uracil utilization was 1.1 times 10(-17) mol of uracil per unit cell mass/h. The amount of uracil required for the synthesis of a unit cell mass was 3.8 times 10(-17) mol of uracil.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.