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L D Pack

Publications and source records attributed to L D Pack.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Plant growth-promoting hormones activate mammalian guanylate cyclase activity.

In vivo injections of plant growth-promoting hormones increase the growth of animals as well as plants. Plant growth-promoting hormones and positive plant growth regulators are known to increase RNA and protein synthesis. Since cyclic GMP also increases RNA and protein synthesis, the object of the present investigation was to determine whether physiological levels of plant growth-promoting hormones and positive plant growth regulators have part of their mechanism(s) of action through stimulation of the guanylate cyclase (EC 4.6.1.2)-cyclic GMP system. Representatives of the three classes of growth-promoting hormones were investigated. Thus, auxins (indole-3-acetic acid, indole-3-butyric acid, beta-naphthoxyacetic acid, and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy acetic acid), gibberellins (gibberellic acid), and cytokinins [N6-benzyl adenine, kinetin (6-furfuryl aminopurine), and beta-(2-furyl) acrylic acid] all increased rat lung, small intestine, liver, and renal cortex guanylate cyclase activity 2- to 4-fold at the 1 microM concentration. Dose response curves revealed that maximal stimulation of guanylate cyclase by these plant growth regulators was at 1 microM; there was no augmented cyclase activity at 1 nM. The guanylate cyclase cationic cofactor manganese was not essential for augmentation of guanylate cyclase by these plant growth-promoting regulators. The antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene did not block the enhancement of guanylate cyclase by these plant growth-promoting factors. These data suggest that guanylate cyclase may play a role in the mechanism of action of plant growth-promoting hormones and even of positive plant regulators at the cellular level.

Animals↗

Metabolism of azo dyes derived from benzidine, 3,3'-dimethyl-benzidine and 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine to potentially carcinogenic aromatic amines by intestinal bacteria.

The metabolism of a benzidine-based dye, Direct Black 38, a 3,3'-dimethylbenzidine-based dye, Direct Red 2 and a 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine-based dye, Direct Blue 15 has been studied both in pure cultures of anaerobic bacteria and in bacterial suspensions derived from the intestinal contents of the rat. All of the pure cultures and the rat intestinal bacteria were able to reduce the azo linkages of Direct Black 38, Direct Red 2 and Direct Blue 15 with the subsequent formation of benzidine, 3,3'-dimethylbenzidine and 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine, respectively. The metabolites of Direct Black 38, Direct Red 2 and Direct Blue 15 were isolated and identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and had similar chromatographic and mass spectral properties with those of authentic standards. Results from this study indicate that in vitro anaerobic incubations of rat intestinal microorganisms were able to reduce and cleave the azo bonds of dyes derived from benzidine, 3,3'-dimethylbenzidine and 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine to form potentially carcinogenic aromatic amines.

Anaerobiosis↗

The modulating effect of isoproterenol on DNA replication and protein synthesis. Synthesis patterns of the HMG proteins from electrostatically sorted salivary gland nuclei during the in vivo cell cycle.

Within 96 h after initial isoproterenol administration, DNA replication and cell cycling were activated, as reflected in the bimodal distribution of nuclear fluorescence determined by flow-microfluorometric techniques. A group of proteins, the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide extractable nuclear proteins (CTAB-proteins), isolated form electrostatically sorted nuclei of rat salivary glands, was shown by staining and autoradiography after two-dimensional electrophoresis to undergo differential synthesis during various phases of the in vivo cell cycle after isoproterenol administration. Stained chromatographs revealed quantitative differences in protein synthesis. Gel autoradiography was a more sensitive technique than staining for detecting nuclear protein synthesis during cell cycling. As observed in the autoradiographs of the CTAB-proteins, isoproterenol initiated two distinct periods of protein synthesis in the salivary gland cell cycle: one during the 2C population G0/G1), and one during the 4C population (G2/M). Protein synthesis after isoproterenol administration was much more dramatic in the 2C (isoproterenol) population, where five new spots were seen. There was less radioactive incorporation in the 4C (isoproterenol) population. Two spots 'a' and 'b' that demonstrate differential protein synthesis in stained gel chromatographs and gel autoradiographs were shown to have electrophoretic mobilities, molecular weights and amino acid compositions highly similar to those of HMG1 and HMG2, respectively. A positive correlation could also be drawn between quantitative levels of 'a' and 'b' and their levels of incorporation during cellular activity with HMG (high mobility group) proteins. For example protein 'b' (HMG2) was consistently more abundant in proliferating cell populations than in the quiescent ones. Autoradiographic patterns of the CTAB-proteins indicated that proteins 'a' and 'b' were synthesized during the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle, as were the majority of CTAB-proteins.

Amino Acids↗

The effect of isoproterenol on nuclear protein synthesis in electrostatically sorted rat hepatocytes.

Rat hepatocyte nuclei were electrostatically sorted and collected from specific regions of the cell cycle. Proteins were extracted from homogeneous populations of nuclei with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and chromatographed by one- and two-dimensional acid-urea polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Small quantitative differences were observed in amido black stained two-dimensional patterns of the nuclear proteins of the G0 + G1 and G2 + M populations. However, comparison of the two-dimensional autoradiographs of 3H-leucine labeled nuclear proteins in these populations revealed dramatic differences. After isoproterenol administration, animals showed enhanced labeling of certain nuclear proteins in G2 + M populations, but no noticeable effect in protein labeling was observed in the G0 + G1 populations. Four days after the administration of isoproterenol, fluorescent histograms exhibited increased amounts of DNA in the G2 + M populations. Comparison of the total amino acid composition of two proteins from control animals revealed the distinct chemical contrast of these proteins. Both proteins possessed higher ratios of acidic to basic residues than anticipated for basic proteins. These procedures and findings should prove useful for further understanding of mechanisms of toxicant effects upon nuclear protein metabolism.

Amino Acids↗