Gene Literature Dashboard

Mouse thymus, thymus-derived lymphocytes, and brain share an antigen determined by gene at the Thy-1 locus in chromosome 9 (1). Two alleles have been identified at this locus: Thy-1(a), coding for antigen Thy-1.1 (or theta-AKR) present in AKR and seven other strains; and Thy-1(b), coding for antigen Thy-1.2 (or{teta}-C3H) and present in C3H and all the remaining inbred strains. Injection of AKR thymocytes into inbred mice carrying the Thy-1(b) allele results in an immune response that can be measured either serologically by determining the level of antibodies in the recipients' serum (1) or by counting plaque- forming cells (PFC) detectable in spleens of the recipients by means of an assay, with AKR thymocytes as target cells(2). The magnitude of PFC and serum antibody responses after a single thymocyte injection depends on the genetic make-up of the recipient. Three genes controlling the PFC response to the Thy- 1.1 antigen have been identified: Ir-Thy-1A and Ir-Thy-1B, which are closely linked to the major histocompatibility complex (H-2) of the mouse (3-6), and Ir-5, which is located at a distance of 17 cm to the right of the H-2 complex on chromosome 17 (6). Previous genetic mapping with H-2 recombinant strains has indicated that the two Ir-Thy-1 loci are located to the left of the IC subregion (7). Further experiments strongly suggested that either one or both Ir-Thy-1 loci map to the K rather than the I region of the H-2 complex (8). In this report, the study of an H- 2 mutant, CBA-H-2(ka) (M523) (9), and its parental strain, CBA/LacStoY (CBA) provided further evidence that one of these loci apparently resides in the K region and might even be identical with the H-2K locus in that region.

The N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide-binding proteolipid from lettuce chloroplast membranes has been purified by a novel, rapid technique involving I-butanol extraction and ether precipitation. Reconstitution of this proteolipid into liposomes composed of chloroplast lipids and subsequent incorporation of bacteriorhodopsin resulted in the formation of liposomes exhibiting a light-dependent accumulation of protons. This accumulation was significantly enhanced upon addition of N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide at concentrations similar to those that inhibit chloroplast adenosinetriphosphatase activity. Radioactively labeled N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide was found to be incorporated essentially into the proteolipid of the reconstituted liposomes. These results suggest that the functional unit responsible for proton channeling in the chloroplast membrane has been isolated and reconstituted in the native state.

We studied 12 members of a family with precirrhotic hemochromatosis to define the physiologic abnormalities in the asymptomatic phase of the disease. Six of 12 had increased iron stores; the mode of inheritance was consistent with an autosomal dominant trait. Serum ferritin levels were no more predictive of tissue iron levels than measurements of serum iron, transferrin saturation or chelatable iron excretion. In three affected family members intestinal iron content was normal. Liver proline hydroxylase activity and urinary hydroxyproline excretion did not correlate with tissue iron content, suggesting that, in addition to the possible role of tissue iron, hepatic fibrosis may involve other factors. "Borderline diabetes mellitus" was present in three affected family members, but extensive studies revealed that pituitary dysfunction is uncommon in early hemochromatosis. Increased levels of liver iron proved to be the most reliable marker for the disease.

[3H]Choline, injected directly into the major axon of the identified cholinergic neuron R2, was readily incorporated into [3H]acetylcholine. Its metabolic fate was similar to that of [3H]choline injected into the cell body of R2. Over the range injected, we found that the amounts of acetylcholine formed were proportional to the amounts injected; the synthetic capability was not exceeded even when 88 pmol of [3H]choline were injected into the axon. Newly synthesized acetylcholine moved within the axon with the kinetics expected of diffusion. We could not detect any selective orthograde or retrograde transport from the site of the injection. In contrast, as indicated by experiments with colchicine, 30% of the [3H]acetylcholine formed after intrasomatic injection was selectively exported from the cell body and transported along the axon. Most of the [3H]acetylcholine was recovered in the soluble fraction after both intra-axonal and intrasomatic injection of [3H]choline; only a small fraction was particulate. The significance of large amounts of soluble acetylcholine in R2 is uncertain, and some may occur physiologically. The concentrations of choline introduced by intraneuronal injection into both cell body and axon were, however, greater than those normally available to choline acetyltransferase in the cholinergic neuron; nevertheless, these large concentrations were efficiently converted into the transmitter. The synthetic capacity of the neuron supplied with injected choline may exceed the capacity of storage vesicles and of the axonal transport process.