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Biomedical subjects

S Power

Publications and source records attributed to S Power.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

An overview of the effects of convergent magnetic ionizing radiation on biological function.

This paper provides new theoretical premises for understanding issues in 'bio-electromagnetics'. It firstly explains how converging magnetic fields, e.g. dipoles, can exert pressure on electrolyte distribution in an aqueous medium, and then it expands on this point to explain how this magnetic pressure is, in one extreme, a potential cancer causing force in the environment, and is, in another sense, a powerful new technique in cancer treatment. Included in this examination is a short analysis of the importance of this force in the morphogenesis of the fetus, and in the control of chromatic expression after the fact.

Biophysical Phenomena

Expression patterns of vHNF1 and HNF1 homeoproteins in early postimplantation embryos suggest distinct and sequential developmental roles.

The homeoproteins HNF1 (LFB1/HNF1-A) and vHNF1 (LFB3/HNF1 beta) interact with an essential control element of a group of liver-specific genes. During development, these putative target genes are initially expressed in the visceral endoderm of the yolk sac and subsequently in fetal liver. To assess the possible involvement of HNF1 and/or vHNF1 as transcriptional regulators in the early steps of visceral endoderm differentiation, we have analyzed the expression pattern of both factors both in vitro during differentiation of murine F9 embryonal carcinoma cells and in vivo during early postimplantation mouse development. We show here that differentiation of F9 cells into either visceral or parietal endoderm is accompanied by a sharp induction in vHNF1 mRNA and protein. By contrast, only low levels of aberrantly sized HNF1 transcripts, but not DNA-binding protein, are found in F9 cells and its differentiated derivatives. At 6-7.5 days of gestation, high levels of vHNF1 mRNA are present in the visceral extraembryonic endoderm, which co-localize with transcripts of the transthyretin gene. HNF1 transcripts are first detected in the yolk sac roughly two embryonic days later, after the developmental onset of transcription of target genes. As development proceeds, discrepancies are observed between the level of transcripts of both vHNF1 and HNF1 and their respective nuclear binding proteins, notably in the yolk sac and embryonic kidney. In addition, we show that two alternative spliced isoforms of vHNF1 mRNA, vHNF-A and vHNF1-B, are expressed in both embryonic and adult tissues. Taken together, these data suggest that vHNF1 participates as a regulatory factor in the initial transcriptional activation of the target genes in the visceral endoderm of the yolk sac, whereas the later appearance of HNF1 could be required for maintenance of their expression. Our results also provide evidence of a posttranscriptional level of control of vHNF1 and HNF1 gene expression during development, in addition to the spatial restriction in transcription.

Animals

The preparation and characterization of highly purified, enzymically active complex III from baker's yeast.

A soluble enzymically active cytochrome b.c1 complex has been purified from baker's yeast mitochondria by a procedure involving solubilization in cholate, differential fractionation with ammonium sulfate, and ultracentrifugation. The resulting particle is free of both cytochrome c oxidase and succinate dehydrogenase activities. The complex contains cytochromes b and c1 in a ratio of 2:1 and quinone and iron-sulfur protein in amounts roughly stoichiometric with cytochrome c1. EPR spectroscopy has shown the iron-sulfur protein to be present mainly as the Rieske protein. EPR spectroscopy also shows a heterogeneity in the cytochrome b population with resonances appearing at g = 3.60 (cytochrome bK) and g = 3.76 (cytochrome bT). A third EPR resonance appearing in the region associated with low spin ferric hemes (g = 3.49) is assigned to cytochrome c1. Anaerobic titration of the complex with dithionite confirmed the heterogeneity in the cytochrome b population and demonstrated that the oxidation-reduction potential of the iron-sulfur protein is approximately 30 mV more positive than cytochrome c1. An intense EPR signal assigned to the coenzyme Q free radical appeared midway in the reductive titration; this signal disappeared toward the end of the titration. A conformational change in the iron-sulfur protein attendant on reduction of a low potential species was noted.

Cytochrome c Group