PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S Fujimura

Publications and source records attributed to S Fujimura.

At least 397 records · Page 22Linked to original sources

In vitro synthesis of beta- and gamma-isoactins by messenger RNA of rat ascites hepatoma.

Messenger RNA was extracted from polysomes of rat ascites hepatoma, AH 7974, which contains both beta- and gamma-actins, and was translated in nuclease-treated reticulocyte lysate. The isoactins, beta and gamma, synthesized in vitro were characterized by (1) a high affinity to DNAase I-agarose; (2) polymerization with actin purified from bovine brain; (3) coelectrophoresis with bovine brain actin on two-dimensional gel, and (4) peptide mapping of each isoactin by partial digestion with papain (EC 3.4.22.2) followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The optimum conditions with respect to the concentration of RNA, Mg2+, and K+ for the synthesis of beta- and gamma-isoactins were identical: 300 micrograms/ml, 1.5 mM, and 100 mM, respectively. Aurintricarboxylic acid and 7-methyl-GMP (7MeGMP) inhibited the synthesis of beta- and gamma-actins to the same extent. These results strongly suggest that there is very little possibility of differential translational control of each isoactin gene. When polysomal RNA was separated by sucrose gradient centrifugation, both beta- and gamma-actin mRNAs appeared as a sharp peak at the region slightly heavier than 18 S RNA.

Actins↗

Improved pulmonary venous anastomosis using a single left atrial cuff in one-stage bilateral lung autotransplantation.

A technical modification in pulmonary venous anastomosis is presented for one-stage bilateral lung autotransplantation in dogs. This method nullified or minimized both narrowing and loss of vascular distensibility due to scar formation at anastomotic line which inevitably resulted in functional defects after the operation. In this new procedure, bilateral pulmonary arteries were anastomosed using angioplastic techniques and both right and left pulmonary veins were sutured orthotopically as a single atrial cuff. Of 11 dogs which underwent one-stage bilateral lung replantation, 6 survived after operation. Sites of vascular anastomoses in the long-term survivors showed no narrowing due to scar formation at autopsy after hemodynamic examination. In these animals rapid and continuing infusion of 2000 to 3000 ml of blood or plasma explander was performed within 15 min through an intraatrial catheter. Various hemodynamic values were measured simultaneously. In the dog with bilateral lung transplants pulmonary arterial pressure showed linear increase with an increase in cardiac output when compared with control animal studies. It could be interpreted from these results that some changes occurred in the mechanism of pulmonary circulation of the transplant.

Animals↗

Experimental model for combination chemotherapy with metronidazole using human uterine cervical carcinomas transplanted into nude mice.

Human uterine cervical carcinomas (Yumoto strain) and HeLa cell tumors were transplanted into nude mice, and their transplantable strains were established. The fundamental histological features of these tumors were analyzed according to their histological construction and cytological maturation. The effect of administered drugs was examined morphologically. The Yumoto strain is a well-differentiated epidermoid-type carcinoma consisting of regularly arranged basal-type, parabasal-type, and keratinizing-type cells. The HeLa cell tumor is made up of solid medullary carcinoma cell nests in which trabecular arrangements begin to appear around the medullary areas after the third passage. This feature is maintained up to the 17th generation. The basal layer-type cancer cells of the Yumoto strain as well as trabecularly arranged cancer cells in the HeLa cell tumor were selectively influenced by administration of bleomycin and/or mitomycin and showed considerable degeneration or complete disappearance. On the contrary, metronidazole (a drug for vaginal trichomoniasis; Flagyl) displayed a cytotoxic effect on the parabasal-type and/or more mature cancer cells of the Yumoto strain as well as on the solid medullary area of the HeLa cell tumor. This result may indicate a selective affinity of drugs for malignant cells according to their histological construction, and it is conceivable that these types of carcinoma can be affected by combination administration of metronidazole and oncostatic chemicals such as bleomycin and mitomycin. This speculation was realized in this experimental animal research.

Animals↗

Sanguicin, a bacteriocin of oral Streptococcus sanguis.

Streptococcus sanguis strain N-2 was found to produce a bacteriocin (sanguicin) which accumulates intracellularly. It was purified by sequential procedures about 98-fold with a recovery of 37% and appeared to be homogeneous on gel electrophoresis. Sanguicin was heat labile and was destroyed by digestion with pronase. The growth of several species of oral indigenous microorganisms was inhibited by sanguicin, of which Bacteriodes melaninogenicus was most susceptible. Sanguicin acted on susceptible cells as a bacteriostatic agent.

Amino Acids↗

Characterization of messenger RNA for fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase A isozyme of rat ascites hepatoma AH 7974 cells.

The messenger activity for fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (EC4.1.2.13) (aldolase) A isozyme has been characterized in the polysome- or the messenger RNA-directed, protein-synthesizing system using the pH 5 fraction of rat liver or wheat germ extracts, respectively. The subunit of aldolase A synthesized in vitro was detected by immunoprecipitation with anti-aldolase A antibody raised in chickens followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The synthesis of the enzyme depended on the addition of polysomes or polyadenylate-containing RNA of rat ascites hepatoma AH 7974 cells which show a complete shift of aldolase isozyme to type A, whereas polysomes of adult rat liver were inactive. The messenger activity for aldolase A was present exclusively on free polysomes but absent on membrane-bound polysomes and in the soluble supernatant fraction of AH 7974 cells. The size of aldolase A messenger RNA determined by formamide-containing sucrose density gradient centrifugation was approximately 5.8 X 10(5) daltons corresponding to 1650 nucleotides. Taking into account the number of amino acid residues in the aldolase A subunit, approximately 400 nucleotides correspond to the noncoding region of aldolase A messenger RNA.

Animals↗

Modification of rat liver chromatin by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine or N-ethyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and template activity for RNA synthesis by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase after reconstitution.

Rat liver chromatin was fractionated into DNA, histones and non-histone chromosomal proteins and each component was modified with N-methyl-l-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine of N-ethyl-N'-nitrosoguanidine. The radioactivity of 14C-labeled alkyl or guanidino moieties of both compounds bound significantly to both histones and non-histone chromosomal proteins and the binding of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine was higher than N-ethyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. However the binding of both compounds to DNA was very low and its significance was hard to evaluate. All of the three components, one of which was modified, were reconstituted into chromatin, then, [3H]UMP incorporation into acid insoluble material using Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (EC 2.7.7.6) was measured. Only with the reconstituted chromatin containing histones modified either by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine or N-ethyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, the template activity increased drastically; i.e., about 10 or 5 times higher than that with the unmodified reconstituted chromatin, respectively. However, any remarkable alteration in the electrophoretic pattern of protein fraction of the reconstituted chromatin could not be found. The results obtained in this study are discussed in the context that the modified histones could give rise to change in the mutual interaction of chromosomal components during the reconstitution of chromatin accompanied with the increase of chromatine template activity.

Animals↗

Purification and properties of a bacteriocin-like substance (acnecin) of oral Propionibacterium acnes.

Propionibacterium acnes CN-8, isolated from human dental plaque, was grown in a liquid medium, and its bacteriocin-like substance (acnecin) was extracted from the cells by ultrasonic treatment. Acnecin was purified to a homogeneous state with recovery of 47%. Specific activity increased 72-fold in comparison with the crude extract. The properties of acnecin were as follows. (i) Acnecin may consist of five subunits with a molecular weight of about 12,000. (ii) Its isoelectric point was 5.5. (iii) In amino acid composition, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, and alanine were predominant, whereas cystine was not present. (iv) Acnecin contained 3.3% carbohydrate but was substantially free from lipid. (v) The activity was lost by heating at 60 degrees C or by protease and lysozyme treatments. Acnecin acted bacteriostatically on the indicator strain without killing it. The action spectrum of acnecin was very narrow; it was effective only against strains of non-acnecin-producing P. acnes and Corynebacterium parvum, a species closely related to P. acnes.

Bacteriocins↗