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Biomedical subjects

B E Roberts

Publications and source records attributed to B E Roberts.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Determination of actin messenger RNA in cultures of differentiating embryonic chick skeletal muscle.

Cytoplasmic polyadenylylated messenger RNA from differentiated muscle cultures, when incubated in a wheat germ cell-free system, directed the synthesis of a polypeptide indistinguishable from authentic chicken skeletal muscle actin, as judged by mobility on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, tryptic peptide analyses, and biological activity. The synthesis of actin in the cell-free system was used to assay levels of translatable actin mRNA in cultures of fibroblasts, pre- and post-fusion myoblasts, and myoblasts grown under conditions that prevent fusion. In all cases the amount of actin polypeptide synthesized in the cell-free system was proportional to the rate of actin synthesis in the cultures from which the RNA was extracted. It is suggested that actin synthesis is regulated by the actin mRNA content of the cell and that an increase in the cytoplasmic level of translatable actin messenger RNA is mediated by cell fusion rather than by the terminal round of DNA synthesis.

Actins↗

Cell-free translation of messenger RNA of simian virus 40: synthesis of the major capsid protein.

Extracts of wheat germ are capable of synthesizing the major capsid protein of simian virus 40. Poly(A)-containing RNA from BS-C-1 cells infected with simian virus 40 directed the synthesis of a novel polypeptide that migrates in polyacrylamide gels together with the major capsid polypeptide of simian virus 40, VP-1. The patterns of the major tryptic peptides of purified VP-1 and the novel polypeptide synthesized in vitro were identical after two-dimensional paper electrophoresis. The novel polypeptide was not synthesized in response to poly(A)-rich RNA from uninfected cells or from virus-infected cells treated with cytosine arabinoside. Messenger RNA from infected cells purified by selective hybridization to DNA of simian virus 40 directs the synthesis of a major polypeptide of electrophoretic mobility similar to that of VP-1 of simian virus 40. This approach should prove useful in identifying additional products specified by DNA tumor viruses.

Adenine Nucleotides↗

Clinical and laboratory double-blind investigation on effect of fibrinolytic therapy in patients with cutaneous vasculitis.

The effects of phenformin and ethyloestrenol and phenformin and stanozolol on the clinical state, plasma fibrinolytic activity, and fibrinogen-fibrin-related antigen (F.R.-antigen) were compared with placebo in 13 patients with cutaneous vasculitis. Eight patients showed considerable clinical improvement when taking phenformin and an anabolic steroid; an impaired fibrinolytic activity before treatment favoured clinical improvement.

Adolescent↗

Protein synthesis and the viability of rye grains. Loss of activity of protein-synthesizing systems in vitro associated with a loss of viability.

A study was made of the integrity of some components of the protein-synthesizing system from viable and non-viable embryos of rye grains. In comparison with viable-embryo components both post-ribosomal supernatant and ribosomal fractions from non-viable embryos are impaired, for neither will fully support polyphenylalanine synthesis in poly(U)-directed cell-free systems. The lesion in the supernatant lies in components other than the tRNA or the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase, for these are as functional as those present in the fully active cell-free systems from viable embryos. The ribosomes of embryos of lowered viability show considerable fragmentation and degradation of both 18S and 25S rRNA. This breakdown does not, however, account for the complete lack of polypeptide synthesis in the poly(U)-directed non-viable-embryo system, for if provided with viable-embryo supernatant, non-viable-embryo ribosomes will sustain 60% of the viable-embryo ribosome activity. A lesion in non-viable-embryo supernatant has been located in the binding of the aminoacyl-tRNA to the ribosome. The impaired components in both supernatant and ribosomes in systems in vitro may reflect the site of faults in protein synthesis in vivo in the early hours of germination. The development of these lesions during grain storage could contribute to senescence and loss of viability in the embryos of rye.

Amino Acids↗

Protein synthesis and loss of viability in rye embryos. The lability of transferase enzymes during senscence.

Poor germination and eventual loss of viability of rye grains on storage reflects a decreasing ability of embryos to synthesize protein in vivo. Cell-free protein-synthesizing systems from low viability embryo stocks exhibit lesions in the soluble components of the post-ribosomal supernatant fractions. tRNA and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are not impaired. The activity of enzymes concerned with transfer of phenylalanyl-tRNA from the aminoacyl to the peptidyl site on the ribosome is slightly decreased. The transfer enzymes (transferase I) involved in the binding of phenylalanyl-tRNA to the aminoacyl site show a loss of activity that closely reflects the loss of viability and the decline of protein synthesis of the embryo in vivo. The inactivation of labile transferase I components may be a major factor leading to senescence and loss of viability in rye grains.

Acyltransferases↗

Efficient translation of tobacco mosaic virus RNA and rabbit globin 9S RNA in a cell-free system from commercial wheat germ.

Extracts prepared from commercially available wheat germ efficiently translate messenger RNAs from either viral or eukaryotic origin. The addition of tobacco mosaic virus RNA stimulated amino-acid incorporation more than 100-times and rabbit globin 9S RNA between 20- and 30-times. The in vitro product directed by globin 9S RNA comigrated precisely with authentic rabbit globin on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. Furthermore, during high voltage ionophoresis two [(35)S]methionine-labeled tryptic peptides synthesized in vitro comigrated in two dimensions with alphaT5 and betaT5 tryptic peptides from authentic [(35)S]methionine-labeled rabbit globin.

Amino Acids↗

Effects of changes in temperature (local and central) on plasma fibrinolytic activity.

The effect of local and whole-body heating and cooling on plasma fibrinolytic activity has been investigated in 59 subjects. An increase in whole-body temperature and both local cooling and heating increased the fibrinolytic activity. The results demonstrate that the application of local heat or cold will produce a local increase in fibrinolytic activity which is independent of general factors such as emotion and stress.

Adolescent↗

Bone changes in polycythaemia vera and myelosclerosis.

To study the problem of new bone formation in myelosclerosis bone biopsies have been performed in cases of polycythaemia vera, which may be regarded as a pre-myelosclerotic condition, and in primary myelosclerosis; morphological studies of bone and reticulin were made and osteoid and bone matrix was quantitatively assessed. Relevant metabolic studies were also carried out, but were predominantly normal. No new bone formation was detected in polycythaemia vera and some bone was osteoporotic; no significant increase in osteoid was found. With the use of polarized light it was found that new bone formation in myelosclerosis resulted from the ossification of wavy argyrophilic fibres in marrow: the presence of a dense network of these wavy fibres was a pre-requisite of new bone formation and ossification of the non-refractile branched reticulin fibres was not observed.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗