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S S Garber

Publications and source records attributed to S S Garber.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Batrachotoxin-activated Na+ channels in planar lipid bilayers. Competition of tetrodotoxin block by Na+.

Single Na+ channels from rat skeletal muscle plasma membrane vesicles were inserted into planar lipid bilayers formed from neutral phospholipids and were observed in the presence of batrachotoxin. The batrachotoxin-modified channel activates in the voltage range -120 to -80 mV and remains open almost all the time at voltages positive to -60 mV. Low levels of tetrodotoxin (TTX) induce slow fluctuations of channel current, which represent the binding and dissociation of single TTX molecules to single channels. The rates of association and dissociation of TTX are both voltage dependent, and the association rate is competitively inhibited by Na+. This inhibition is observed only when Na+ is increased on the TTX binding side of the channel. The results suggest that the TTX receptor site is located at the channel's outer mouth, and that the Na+ competition site is not located deeply within the channel's conduction pathway.

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Voltage-dependent blockade of muscle Na+ channels by guanidinium toxins.

Na+ channels from rat muscle plasma membrane vesicles were inserted into neutral planar phospholipid bilayers and were activated by batrachotoxin. Single channel blocking events induced by the addition of various guanidinium toxins were analyzed to derive the rates of channel-toxin association and dissociation. Blocking by tetrodotoxin, saxitoxin, and six natural saxitoxin derivatives containing sulfate or hydroxyl groups were studied. Although the binding affinities vary over 2,000-fold, all of the toxins exhibit identical voltage dependence of the blocking reactions, regardless of the toxin's net charge. The results suggest that the voltage dependence of toxin binding is due to a voltage-dependent conformational equilibrium of the toxin receptor, rather than to direct entry of the charged toxin molecule into the applied transmembrane electric field.

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Immunity against infection with Trypanosoma cruzi in mice correlates with presence of antibodies against three trypomastigote polypeptides.

Repeated immunizations of CF1 mice with irradiated noninfectious Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes resulted in partial protection against infection with live parasites. It also induced a limited number of antibody species that were reactive in Western blots with trypomastigote but not with epimastigote or amastigote polypeptides. These antibody species were strongly reactive with a 100,000-dalton polypeptide and much less reactive with at least two polypeptides greater than 200,000 daltons. Immunization with epimastigotes induced antibodies against a 57,000-dalton epimastigote-specific polypeptide but did not induce protective immunity.

Animals↗

A transformed human epithelial cell line that retains tight junctions post crisis.

The successful establishment of a postcrisis SV-40 T antigen transformed epithelial cell line, 1HAEo-, which retains tight junctions and vectorial ion transport, is described. Immunocytochemical analysis of 1HAEo- cells shows a defined pattern of cytokeratin staining and a characteristic pericellular localization of the adhesion molecule cellCAM 120/80, indicating the presence of junctional complexes. The presence of both tight junctions and desmosomes has been confirmed by electron microscopy. Cell monolayers have good transepithelial resistance measured in Ussing chambers. Cells increase chloride ion transport in response to addition of agents that raise either intracellular cAMP or calcium, measured either by 36Cl- efflux or whole-cell patch clamp. An increase in short-circuit current, in response to these agents, can be measured in Ussing chambers. The presence of a depolarization-induced outwardly rectifying 45 pS chloride channel has been demonstrated in single cell detached membrane patches. In addition, the cells have been found to express mucin mRNA. These cells therefore demonstrate that it is possible to select transformed cell clones with particular morphologic characteristics, i.e. the presence of tight junctions and cell polarity, which also retain useful epithelial cell-specific functions, including vectorial ion transport. They also provide a major resource for the study of the structure and function of human epithelia.

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