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G Dobson

Publications and source records attributed to G Dobson.

33 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Influence of exercise on cardiac and skeletal muscle myofibrillar proteins.

The purpose of this study was to examine the Ca2+-Mg2+ myofibrillar ATPase and protein composition of cardiac and skeletal muscle following strenuous activity to voluntary exhaustion. Sprague-Dawley rats (200 g) were assigned to a control and exercised group, with the run group completing 25 m.min-1 and 8% grade for 1 hour. Following activity, the myocardial Ca2+-Mg2+ myofibrillar ATPase activity -pCa relationship had undergone a rightward shift in the curve. Electrophoretic analysis revealed a change in the pattern of cardiac myofibrillar protein bands, particularly in the 38-42 Kdalton region. Enzymatic analysis of myofibrillar proteins from plantaris muscle, revealed no change in Ca2+ regulation following exercise. Electronmicrographic and electrophoretic analysis revealed extensively disrupted sarcomeric structure and a change in the ratio of several plantaris myofibrillar proteins. No difference was observed for myosin: Actin: tropomyosin ratios; however a dramatic reduction in 58 and 95 Kdalton proteins were evident. The results indicate that prolonged running is associated with similar responses in cardiac and skeletal muscle myofibrillar protein compositions. The abnormalities in myofibrillar ultrastructure may implicate force transmission failure as a factor in exercised-induced muscle damage and/or fatigue.

Animals↗

Acute exposure to graded levels of hypoxia in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri): metabolic and respiratory adaptations.

We have studied the mechanisms of acute hypoxia tolerance in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri). Fish held at 9 degrees C were exposed to various levels of hypoxia for 24 h. At an environmental PO2 of 30 Torr, the fish showed an initial plasma acidosis probably of metabolic origin which was subsequently offset such that blood pH returned to normal within about 4 h. Over this time period, red cell pH was maintained constant. Comparing the effects of different levels of hypoxia following 24 h exposure, oxygen consumption of the animal remained unchanged over a broad range of inspired oxygen tensions but declined by over 30% of normoxic values at inspired water PO2 levels of 80 Torr. This appeared to be a true metabolic depression because signs of increased anaerobic metabolism did not occur until there was a further reduction in water oxygen levels. Rainbow trout appear to be able to maintain a relatively high energy status in their white muscle during 24 h exposure to severe hypoxia (water PO2 = 30 Torr). As the level of hypoxia was intensified, there was a reduction in the oxygen gradient across the gills, probably facilitated in part by the release of catecholamines into the blood. The erythrocytic ATP: Hb4 molar ratios declined with increasing hypoxic stress as did the pH gradient between the erythrocyte and plasma. The overall effect was no change in Hb O2-affinity after 24 h exposure to severe hypoxia.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Analysis of dimycocerosates of glycosylphenolphthiocerols in the identification of some clinically significant mycobacteria.

Extracts of representative mycobacteria were examined by thin-layer chromatography for glycosylphenolphthiocerol dimycocerosates. The glycolipid typical of Mycobacterium bovis was also found in Mycobacterium africanum and Mycobacterium microti, but it was absent in Mycobacterium bovis AN 5. Mycobacterium gastri strains contained a glycolipid which was chromatographically similar to that in Mycobacterium kansasii. Representatives of Mycobacterium marinum produced a distinct glycolipid type, and one strain had major amounts of a more polar variant. The sugar moieties of purified lipids, including that from Mycobacterium leprae, were identified by thin-layer chromatography of methyl glycosides in acid methanolysates.

Chromatography, Thin Layer↗

A cooperative taxonomic study of mycobacteria isolated from armadillos infected with Mycobacterium leprae.

Seventeen strains of mycobacteria, recovered from six armadillos experimentally infected with Mycobacterium leprae, were examined in ten different laboratories. This collaborative study included use of conventional bacteriological tests, lipid analyses, determination of mycobactins and peptidoglycans, characterization by Py-MS, and immunological, metabolic, pathological and DNA studies. These armadillo-derived mycobacteria (ADM) formed five homogeneous groups (numbered ADM 1 to 5) on the basis of phenetic analyses. However, DNA studies revealed only four homogeneous groups since group ADM 1 and one of the two strains in group ADM 3 showed a high level of DNA relatedness. The phenetic and DNA studies confirmed that the ADM strains differed from all other known mycobacteria. Cultural, biochemical, metabolic and pathogenic properties as well as DNA-DNA hybridizations clearly differentiated these ADM from M. leprae.

Amino Acids↗

Mycolipenates and mycolipanolates of trehalose from mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Analysis of the lipids of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, by thin-layer chromatography, revealed the presence of two families of novel glycolipids each having two closely-related members but differing widely in polarity. The least and most polar families of lipids were characterized from M. tuberculosis strains C and H37Rv, respectively; all were based on trehalose, the least polar pair of glycolipids having more long-chain substituents than the more polar pair. The acyl substituents of the least polar of the four glycolipids were mainly straight-chain C16 and C18 acids and 2,4,6-trimethyltetracos-2-enoic (C27-mycolipenic) acid, and the second least polar glycolipid contained major amounts of 3-hydroxy-2,4,6-trimethyltetracosanoic (C27-mycolipanolic) acid in addition to these non-hydroxylated acids. The relatively polar pair of glycolipids were analysed together and released mainly straight-chain C16 and C18 acids, C27-mycolipanolic acid, minor amounts of C25- and C27-mycolipenic acids and major proportions of an acid having the chromatographic properties of 2,4-dimethyldocosanoic acid. The most polar pair of glycolipids co-chromatographed with glycolipid antigens previously detected in Mycobacterium bovis BCG.

Chromatography, Thin Layer↗

Distribution of some mycobacterial waxes based on the phthiocerol family.

Characteristic waxes, based on methoxy and keto long-chain diols, members of the phthiocerol family, have been isolated from representatives of Mycobacterium bovis, M. kansasii, M. marinum, M. microti and M. tuberculosis. M. kansasii produced essentially di-esters of the ketodiol phthiodiolone A, but the remaining species also had waxes based on the methoxy-diols phthiocerol A and phthiocerol B. Gas chromatography of derivatives of the components of the waxes showed that the phthiocerol A components from M. bovis, M. microti and M. microti and M. tuberculosis were qualitatively similar, being mainly C34 and C36, but potentially significant differences were seen in the proportions of the components from M. bovis. The phthiocerols A from M. marinum were C28 and C30 and the phthiodiolones A from M. kansasii were C25 and C27. The multimethyl-branched acids from the waxes of M. bovis were quantitatively different from those of M. microti and M. tuberculosis but all these mycocerosic acids ranged in size from C23 or C24 to C32, with C29 or C30 being the major component in most cases. M. marinum and M. kansasii strains had mainly C26 or C27 and C29 or C30 multimethyl-branched acids, respectively.

Chromatography, Gas↗

The free lipids of Mycobacterium leprae harvested from experimentally infected nine-banded armadillos.

The free lipids of a sample of Mycobacterium leprae were extracted by a procedure designed to produce separate non-polar and polar fractions. The composition of these lipids was analysed semi-quantitatively by five special thin-layer chromatographic systems covering the total range of mycobacterial lipid polarities. In order of increasing polarity, the major lipids were dimycocerosates of phthiocerol A, phthiocerol B and phthiodiolone A, glycosyl phenolphthiocerol dimycocerosates and phospholipids, including monoacylphosphatidylinositol di- and pentamannosides. The diacylated forms of these latter lipids, found in most mycobacteria, were not present. The composition of the free lipids of the leprosy bacillus, surveyed over the total polarity range for the first time, showed that the patterns were particularly related to those of Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium kansasii and Mycobacterium marinum.

Animals↗

Quantitative comparison of the mycolic and fatty acid compositions of Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium gordonae.

The mycolic and fatty acids of three samples each of Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium gordonae were compared. Acids released by whole-organism alkaline hydrolysis were converted to 4-nitrobenzyl esters and mycolic acids were further derivatized to t-butyldimethylsilyl ethers. Thin-layer chromatography of the derivatized long-chain extracts showed that all three M. leprae preparations contained so-called alpha-mycolates and ketomycolates but that the M. gordonae samples had a methoxymycolate in addition to the above types. Silica gel normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography of the total mycolic acid derivatives confirmed the lack of detectable amounts of methoxymycolates in M. leprae and reverse-phase chromatography of the individual mycolate types demonstrated the homogeneity of the chain lengths of the mycolic acids in each species. Non-hydroxylated fatty acid 4-nitrobenzyl esters were transformed to methyl esters and examined by gas chromatography. Tuberculostearic (10-methyloctadecanoic) acid was a major component of the lipids of all three M. leprae preparations but it was absent in one M. gordonae strain and a very minor component in the other representatives of this latter species. On the basis of fatty and mycolic acid compositions, therefore, a previously suggested close relationship between M. leprae and M. gordonae was not supported.

Animals↗

Gas chromatography mass spectrometry of tert-butyldimethylsilyl ethers of phthiocerols and mycocerosic alcohols from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Mycobacteria synthesize a variety of unusual long-chain fatty acid esters and the systematic analysis of these is of great potential in the classification and identification of these bacteria. This paper describes the extraction, reductive fission and derivatization to tert-butyldimethylsilyl ethers of beta-diesters, the phthiocerol dimycocerosates. The mass spectra of these ethers are characteristic of the parent alcohols and selected ion monitoring techniques have been applied to mixtures extracted from strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Chemical Phenomena↗

Isolation of a characteristic phthiocerol dimycocerosate from Mycobacterium leprae.

A characteristic mycobacterial wax, phthiocerol dimycocerosate, has been isolated from liver of armadillos experimentally infected with Mycobacterium leprae. The structure of this wax is generally similar to that produced by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but the homologous phthiocerol and the mycocerosic acid components from M. leprae are significantly different from those of M. tuberculosis.

Animals↗

Mycolic acid patterns of four vaccine strains of Mycobacterium bovis BCG.

Thin-layer chromatography of methanolysates of four widely used vaccine strains of Mycobacterium bovis BCG showed that only one organism had the expected pattern of mycolic acid methyl esters characteristic of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The remaining three BCG strains lacked methoxy mycolic acid.

BCG Vaccine↗

Characterization of Mycobacterium leprae by lipid analysis.

The lipid composition of the leprosy bacillus, harvested from experimentally infected nine-banded armadillos, strongly supports it status as a distinct species of the genus Mycobacterium. Phthiocerol dimycocerosate waxes and glycosylated phenophthiocerol dimycocerosates are distinct from those characterised from a number of other mycobacteria. The polar lipids of a single isolate lack diacylated forms of phosphatidylinositol di- and pentamannosides, lipids usually found in most mycobacteria. A simple mycolic acid pattern composed of alpha-mycolates and ketomycolates is characteristic of most preparations of M. leprae.

Animals↗

The mycolic acids of Mycobacterium leprae harvested from experimentally infected nine-banded armadillos.

Mycolic acid methyl esters were prepared from defatted cells of armadillo-derived Mycobacterium leprae and analysed by thin-layer and high-performance liquid chromatography, proton magnetic resonance spectrometry and mass spectroscopy. The first type of mycolic acid characterized was an "alpha-mycolate" having two cis-cyclopropane rings, a 78-carbon main component and an overall size-range of 72 to 83 carbons. Ketomycolates, with an 83-carbon main component, were the only other type of mycolate isolated; the major 79- to 87-carbon series of ketomycolates apparently contained a single trans-cyclopropane and the minor 80- to 86-carbon series had a cis-cyclopropane function.

Animals↗