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Biomedical subjects

F Nau

Publications and source records attributed to F Nau.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

[Inhibition of biological methylations by t,t-farnesylacetone, a constituant of the androgenic gland of the male crab, Carcinus maenas].

t, t-farnesylacetone 1 and hexahydrofarnesylacetone 2 have been previously identified in extracts from the androgenic gland of the male Crab Carcinus maenas. These compounds inhibit in vitro the methylation of E. coli B tRNA and of Calf thymus histones with S-adenosylmethionine methyl-14C as methyl donor and methylases from Crab testis. Rat liver or a 1-adenine methylase from a Mouse plasmocytoma (1 is approximately 200 times more active than 2).

Animals↗

[An hypothesis for the process of selection at the subcellular level leading to the appearance of new clones].

According to the hypothesis we propose, the stimulation of one lymphocyte by an antigen induces the simultaneous expression of a great diversity of immunoglobulins of different specificities. Each molecular species is associated with the corresponding mRNA within a subcellular structure: the ergastoplasmic cisterna. It has been shown that in some responding lymphocytes at an early stage of the immune response a few such cisternae are loaded with antibodies while most of the cisternae are synthesizing non specific immunoglobulins. The main point of our proposal is that the selective action of antigen bears on these cisternae and that the mRNA corresponding to the immunoglobulins fitting best to the antigen is transcribed to DNA which is then inserted into the genome. This cell and its progeny become thereafter a monospecific clone submitted to regulation as an element of the network.

Animals↗

The methylation of tRNA.

The methylation of tRNA is a post-transcriptional modification which is achieved by specific enzymes, the tRNA methylases, with S adenosylmethionine as a methyl donor. The level and pattern of methylation are characteristic of the tRNA species and origin. Abnormally methylated tRNAs have been obtained, in vivo and in vitro, by a variety of methods, and their properties have been studied. The tRNA methylases are found in all cells and tissues. Their activity varies with the differentiation state of the cells, and under the influence of many internal and external factors ; it is especially elevated in embryonic and cancerous tissues. These enzymes are very unstable, and none of them has been purified to homogeneity. We present here their known properties and we propose a theory concerning their specificity. Finally, after reviewing the few available experimental data, we discuss the current hypotheses and speculations about the roles and functions of tRNA methylation.

Animals↗

Differences de specificite entre les methylases de myelome et de foie vis-a-vis du tRNA d'E. coli K 12.

This paper describes an attempt to find a difference between the patterns of methylation of E. coli tRNA by extracts of two mouse tissues. Two samples of tRNAs, methylated in two separate experiments with extracts of myeloma and of liver in presence of either 14C or 3H S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine, were pooled and fractionated together on a RPC column. The results show a difference in the specificities of the two extracts. Chromatography on DEAE Sephadex suggests that the tRNA Met is methylated by the enzymes on the myeloma, while enzymes from liver react very little, if at all, with that particular tRNA species. Studies have been undertaken in order to find out whether similar differences can also be demonstrated in homologous systems.

Journal Article↗

Isolation and sequence of a cDNA coding for the immunoglobulin mu chain of the sheep.

A sheep cDNA library was screened with a human C mu probe, and the complete nucleotide sequence of a 1923 nt cDNA was determined. It contains sequences corresponding to all the exons (VH, DH, JH, CH1, CH2, CH3 and CH4) characteristic of the immunoglobulin mu heavy chain regions. The deduced amino acid sequence shows a percentage of identical residues in the range 65-45% when compared with the mu chains of various species. The VH region of this clone is clearly related to a group of genes that includes mouse VH36-60 and VHQ52, human VH2, VH4 and VH6 gene families and Xenopus VHII gene families. The constant region shows an unusual repartition of cystein and proline residues at the beginning of the CH2 domain, that may result in a molecule with enhanced stability and reduced flexibility.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

[Relevance of infectious diseases in a pediatric practice].

According to official statistics, infectious diseases only play a minor role in German children. To test this assumption, 1685/3405 charts of a private pediatrician were randomly chosen for further evaluation. 1112/1685 children had been seen in the office during the study period, 934 of them because of an infectious disease (83%). 700/934 charts were further reviewed in a standardized fashion. Pharyngo-tonsillitis was the most frequent diagnosis (18.6%), followed by (non-obstructive) bronchitis (18.5%), infectious diseases of the skin (10.2%) and Otitis media (9.9%). Typical "childhood diseases" (measles, mumps, rubella, varicella) only played a minor role. For some diseases age-specific as well as seasonal changes in incidence could be observed. These data suggest that infectious diseases largely contribute to the morbidity in German children. Prospective epidemiological trials are needed to obtain reliable data for appropriate public health decisions.

Adolescent↗

Separation of beta-casein peptides through UF inorganic membranes.

Ultrafiltration of peptide mixtures is studied under various operating conditions (transmembrane pressure, tangential flow-rate) using two ultrafiltration inorganic membranes M5 and M1 with molecular weight cut-offs, MWCO 10 and 70 kD, respectively. It is shown that the separation of peptides is controlled by a dual mechanism: size exclusion and electrostatic repulsion. When the ionic strength is high enough to screen out the electrostatic interactions, experimental data are in good agreement with a sieving model developed to estimate the intrinsic transmission from the molecular weight of a component and from the MWCO of the membranes. Although the transmission so found is altered by concentration polarisation and pore blocking mechanisms, the results explain the apparent low transmission of peptides by ultrafiltration membranes. If the ionic strength of the fluid is low, electrostatic interactions can influence the transport phenomena, provided that the molecules are highly charged (at pHs away from the pI). For attractive interactions, an apparent partition coefficient larger than 1 is observed. Otherwise, the transmission is lower than predicted by the sieving theoretical equation, as if the partition coefficient were smaller than 1.

Caseins↗