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Biomedical subjects

G H Jones

Publications and source records attributed to G H Jones.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Social isolation increases the density of [125I]omega-conotoxin GVIA binding sites in the rat frontal cortex and caudate nucleus.

Rats were reared from weaning either in isolation or in social groups for 12 weeks. Potential isolation-related changes in L- and N-type voltage-sensitive calcium channels (VSCCs) were assessed by the in vitro binding of [3H]isradipine (100 pM) and [125I]omega-conotoxin GVIA (4 pM) to membranes prepared from three discrete central nervous system regions: frontal cortex, caudate nucleus and hippocampus. The [3H]isradipine binding was generally not affected by isolation. However, [125I]omega-conotoxin GVIA binding was significantly higher in frontal cortex (52%) and caudate nucleus (75%) of isolated rats when compared with socially reared controls. The increased [125I]omega-conotoxin GVIA binding reflected an elevated density of binding sites without an alteration of receptor affinity. The possible contribution of an increased density of neuronal N-VSCCs (as labeled with [125I]omega-conotoxin GVIA) to the behavioral and neurochemical changes observed in 'isolation syndrome' is discussed.

Animals

Marcaine, a selective inhibitor of eucaryotic aminoacylation.

The effects of marcaine, a myotoxic drug, on the aminoacylation of transfer ribonucleic acid (rRNA) have been studied. The drug is a potent inhibitor of the acylation of rat liver tRNA with leucine and isoleucine but is only mildly inhibitory (or not inhibitory) to acylation with a number of other amino acids which were tested. Further, marcaine inhibited aminoacylation in cell-free systems using components from several mammalian tissues, including muscle, from yeast, and from wheat germ. No effect of the drug was observed in aminoacylation systems from several bacterial species which were tested. The drug inhibits acylation with leucine and isoleucine competitively but exhibited noncompetitive kinetics when the concentrations of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) and tRNA were varied. Marcaine was also a competitor of leucine in the ATP--pyrophosphate exchange reaction. Two structural analogues of marcaine, carbocaine and xylocaine, also inhibited acylation of rat liver tRNA with leucine but in a noncompetitive fashion. On a molar basis, marcaine appears to be the most effective inhibitor of the three drugs tested.

Animals

Mammography. An aid or distractor in diagnosis?

A retrospective analysis of 155 mammograms has indicated the value of this procedure even with simple and inexpensive equipment. In women with a discrete mass requiring biopsy, mammography combined with clinical findings predicted with 100% confidence over half the cancers diagnosed. When both X-ray and clinical findings suggested a benign lump, only one in nine was a carcinoma. In the one-third of patients in whom signs and X-ray findings were in conflict or equivocal, the malignancy rate was about one in three. In women with breast signs or symptoms, but without discrete mass and with a "benign" mammography report, no cancer has been found in follow up for from 12 months to seven years.

Biopsy, Needle

Effects of ribosomal wash factors and spermidine on endogenous and exogenous mRNA stimulated protein synthesis in the wheat germ cell-free system.

Differential effects of Mg2+, spermidine, and reticulocyte ribosomal wash factors on the translation of endogenous, myeloma, and globin mRNA's have been observed in studies with the wheat germ cell-free protein synthesizing system. Spermidine stimulated globin mRNA translation but not the translation of endogenous wheat germ messages, and the polyamine actually inhibited the translation of myeloma mRNA. Ribosomal wash factors, on the other hand, stimulated endogenous and myeloma mRNA dependent protein synthesis in an Mg2+-dependent fashion but inhibited globin mRNA translation. The combination of ribosomal wash factors and spermidine was either stimulatory or inhibitory depending on the Mg2+ concentration and the message. It was further observed that translation of exogenous myeloma mRNA proceeded for only 60 min at 25 degrees C under all conditions tested in this study, while translation of endogenous wheat germ messages continued for longer periods of time. No differential effects of spermidine on the synthesis of high molecular weight myeloma proteins were observed.

Animals

Relationship between changes in the translational apparatus and actinomycin production in Streptomyces antibioticus.

As previously reported (G. H. Jones, 1975), transfer ribonucleic acids (tRNA's) and ribosomes from actinomycin-producing cultures of Streptomyces antibioticus show a decreased ability to function in aminoacylation and translation as compared with the corresponding components from younger cells. Further, specific changes in the isoacceptor patterns are revealed when tRNA's from actinomycin-producing cells are compared with those of younger cells by reverse- phase column chromatography. A specific glycyl-tRNA species is eliminated from the reverse-phase profile of tRNA's from actinomycin-producing S. antibioticus cells as compared with younger cells. Changes in isoacceptor patterns were also observed for the amino acids methionine, valine, phenylalanine, and leucine. Actinomycin synthesis was inhibited by growing S. antibioticus cells in the presence of alpha-methyl-DL-tryptophan. Inhibition of actinomycin synthesis reversed the changes in tRNA observed in normally grown control cultures, although it had no demonstrable effect on the growth of the cells. Thus, tRNA from 48-h-old, alpha-methyl-tryptophan-grown cells had amino acid acceptor activity that was equal to or greater than that of tRNA from 12-h-old, normally grown cells. Similarly, the reverse-phase chromatographic pattern for glycyl-tRNA's from 48-h-old, alpha-methyl-tryptophan-grown cells was identical to that of the glycyl-tRNA's from 12-h-old, normally grown cells. In contrast, the ability of ribosomes from 48-h-old, alpha-methyl-tryptophan-grown cells to function in polypeptide synthesis in vitro was essentially identical to that of 48-h-old, normally grown cells. Ribosomes from 12-h-old, normally grown cells were severalfold more active in in vitro polypeptide synthesis.

Bacterial Proteins

RNA synthesis in Streptomyces antibioticus: in vitro effects of actinomycin and transcriptional inhibitors from 48-h cells.

Two forms of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase have been partially purified (about 100-fold relative to the crude extract) from 48-h old cells of Streptomyces antibioticus. The two forms show different Mg2+ optima for the incorporation of [3H]UMP into RNA. Substances inhibiting transcription have been isolated by ammonium sulfate precipitation from one of the fractions produced during the polymerase purification. Actinomycin can be shown to inhibit RNA synthesis catalyzed by the S. antibioticus polymerases to a similar extent regardless of the template used. When S. antibioticus DNA is the template, actinomycin inhibits transcription by S. antibioticus polymerase to a degree that is significantly less than the observed actinomycin inhibition of synthesis catalyzed by Escherichia coli polymerase or by either S. antibioticus or E. coli polymerase with calf thymus DNA as the template. Using an assay previously developed, it was shown that the association constant for the binding of actinomycin to S. antibioticus DNA was increased by the presence of RNA polymerase in the binding mixture, while the association constant for the binding to calf thymus DNA was decreased by RNA polymerase. RNA synthesis in crude, cell-free extracts of 12-h old S. antibioticus cells (not producing actinomycin) is less refractory to actinomycin inhibition than synthesis catalyzed by extracts of 48-h old (actinomycin producing) cells, and both extracts catalyze appreciable RNA synthesis at actinomycin concentrations that completely inhibit RNA synthesis catalyzed by E. coli extracts.

Bacterial Proteins