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Biomedical subjects

I Tasaki

Publications and source records attributed to I Tasaki.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Contribution of whole-body protein synthesis to basal metabolism in layer and broiler chickens.

The effect of starvation on whole-body protein synthesis and on the contribution of protein synthesis to basal metabolic rate was investigated in young chickens (Expt 1). Strain differences between layer and broiler chickens in whole-body protein synthesis and degradation rates were examined when the birds were starved (Expt 2). In Expt 1, 15-d-old White Leghorn male chickens were used, while in Expt 2 Hubbard (broiler) and White Leghorn (layer) male chickens at 14 d of age were used. They were starved for 4 d, and heat production was determined by carcass analysis after 2 and 4 d of starvation. Whole-body protein synthesis rates were measured on 0, 2 and 4 d of starvation (Expt 1), and on 0 and 4 d of starvation (Expt 2). The results showed that starving reduced whole-body protein synthesis in terms of fractional synthesis rate and the amount synthesized. Whole-body protein degradation was increased by starvation both in terms of fractional synthesis rate and the amount degraded on a per kg body-weight basis. Reduced fractional synthesis rate of protein in the whole body was accounted for by reductions in both protein synthesis per unit RNA and RNA:protein ratio. In the fed state, whole-body protein synthesis and degradation rates, whether expressed as fractional rates or amounts per unit body-weight, tended to be higher in layer than in broiler chickens. In the starved state, the difference in the rate of protein synthesis between the two strains virtually disappeared, while the degradation rates were higher in layer than in broiler birds.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena↗
PubMed1987

Developmental fall in whole body protein turnover of chick embryos during incubation.

Whole body protein turnover was measured in chick embryos during incubation to investigate whether or not there is a fall in fractional rates of protein synthesis and degradation during development. Stable isotopically labelled [15N]phenylalanine was injected intraperitoneally into embryos on days 12 and 19. From 60 to 90 min after injection the isotope enrichment in free and protein-bound phenylalanine was measured with a selected-ion gas-chromatograph mass-spectrometer. The results showed that from days 12 to 19 of incubation, there was a remarkable reduction in fractional rates of protein synthesis and degradation in the whole body of chick embryos. During embryonic growth, protein synthesis per unit of RNA that is, the minimum amino acid translation rate of RNA, did not change significantly, whereas the RNA:protein ratio was reduced to one-third from days 12 to 19 of incubation. It was concluded, therefore, that the dramatic fall in fractional synthesis rate in chick embryos would be entirely attributable to the rapid increase in protein content, thereby changing the RNA:protein ratio in parallel with the fractional synthesis rate.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Influence of dietary protein intake on whole-body protein turnover in chicks.

1. Experiments were conducted to investigate whether or not varying dietary protein intake affects whole-body protein turnover rates in young chicks. 2. Seven-d-old single comb White Leghorn male chicks were fed on diets with protein concentrations of 0, 100, 200 or 400 g/kg diet under conditions of ad libitum or equalised feeding. At the end of the experiments, the rate of protein synthesis and protein degradation in the whole body were measured in vivo. 3. The results showed that both fractional and absolute rates of protein synthesis increased with increasing dietary protein up to 200 g/kg; above this concentration they remained almost constant when feeding was ad libitum. 4. Similar responses were found with equalized feeding except that a significant reduction in protein synthesis was found when dietary protein was increased from 200 to 400 g/kg diet. 5. Less sensitive and almost parallel changes in protein degradation rates were found. 6. It was concluded that adaptation to varied dietary protein intake occurred primarily through changes in protein synthesis, accompanied by parallel alterations in protein degradation in the whole body.

Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena↗
PubMed1987

Detection of thermal responses of the retina by use of polyvinylidene fluoride multilayer detector.

The design and properties of thermal detectors constructed with multiple layers of polyvinylidene fluoride film are described. By use of these detectors, production of heat by the photoreceptors in the dark-adapted bullfrog retina in response to brief pulses of very weak light was examined. In response to brief light pulses delivering an average of 1 photon per retinal rod, the retina was found to produce heat more-or-less abruptly after a latent period of 0.2 to 0.4 s. At this level of pulse intensity, the thermal energy produced by the retina was approximately 1,500,000 times as large as the total radiant energy delivered to the retina for stimulation. It appears possible that a large number of disks in the rod outer segment are activated by absorption of a single photon.

Adaptation, Ocular↗
PubMed1986

Ultrastructure of the squid axon membrane as revealed by freeze-fracture electron microscopy.

The structure of the axolemma of the squid giant axon was studied by freeze-fracture electron microscopy. Three types of preparations were examined: intact axons, axons with their Schwann cell sheaths stripped off prior to freezing, and axons with their Schwann cell sheaths chemically detached but not mechanically removed. Because of a problem of cross-fracturing, the first two types of preparations revealed very few membrane faces of the axolemma. This cross-fracturing problem, however, was eliminated when we used a complementary replication method to fracture the third type of preparation. We found that the E-face of the axon membrane was smooth relative to the P-face, which showed many prominent intramembrane particles (IMP). The diameters of the typical IMP range from 6 to 15 nm. The P-face of the adjacent Schwann cells also showed many large IMP. The sizes and heights of the Schwann-cell IMP, however, appear to be more homogeneous than the P-face axolemma.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Heat produced by the dark-adapted bullfrog retina in response to light pulses.

By using a pyroelectric detector constructed with a polyvinylidene fluoride film, a rapid rise in the temperature of the dark-adapted bullfrog retina induced by light was demonstrated. In the bullfrog retina, as in the squid retina examined previously, the heat generated in response to a brief light pulse was found to be far greater than the amount produced by conversion of the entire radiant energy of the stimulus into heat. The thermal responses consist of the heat generated by the photoreceptor and the postsynaptic elements in the retina, preceded by a small signal reflecting conversion of a portion of the radiant energy of the stimulus into heat. The dependence of the thermal responses on the light intensity, on the wavelength and on a variety of physical and chemical agents was examined. The exothermic process underlying the production of heat by the photoreceptor was found to precede the electrophysiological response of the retina.

Acclimatization↗
PubMed1986

Enhanced whole-body protein synthesis by methionine and arginine supplementation in protein-starved chicks.

1. The effect of supplementing with methionine alone or in combination with arginine on whole-body protein synthesis and degradation was studied in protein-starved chicks, fed on a protein-free (PF) diet, by a massive-dose injection of L-[4-3H]phenylalanine. 2. Methionine or methionine and arginine (MA) supplementation reduced body-weight loss and improved N balance compared with unsupplemented controls. 3. Whole-body protein synthesis was significantly increased both in terms of fractional rate and absolute amounts by methionine and MA addition, whereas the fractional degradation rate was unchanged. 4. No significant difference was found between methionine and MA supplementation except for energy balance of the birds. 5. It was concluded that the N-sparing effect of methionine or MA when added to a PF diet was primarily brought about by enhanced whole-body protein synthesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Contractile responses of dendrites in the bullfrog retina.

Isolated retinae of the bullfrog were found to "contract" when excited either by electric stimulation of the optic nerve or by light stimulation of the photoreceptors. Involvement of the dendrites of the ganglion and amacrine cells in these contractile responses is suggested.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1985

Rapid swelling of neurons during synaptic transmission in the bullfrog sympathetic ganglion.

Neurons in the lumbar sympathetic ganglion of the bullfrog were found to respond to presynaptic stimulation with rapid mechanical changes. These changes represent swelling of the presynaptic nerve terminals, followed by swelling of the somas of the postsynaptic neurons. After complete blockade of impulse transmission with D-tubocurarine, swelling of the neurons associated with the excitatory postsynaptic potential is observed.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Heat generated by the dark-adapted squid retina in response to light pulses.

A rapid increase in the temperature of the dark-adapted squid retina evoked by a brief light pulse was detected with a pyroelectric detector. The amount of heat generated by the retina in response to a pulse of blue light of moderate intensity was far greater than that produced by direct conversion of the stimulating light by the retinal pigments into thermal energy. D-Glucose in the medium was required to maintain the ability of the retina to produce light-evoked thermal responses.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Influence of energy intake on growth and utilisation of dietary protein and energy in germ-free and conventional chicks.

The effect of metabolisable energy (ME) intake on the growth and utilisation of dietary protein and energy in germ-free (GF) and conventional (CV) chicks was investigated in two experiments. In experiment 1 a high energy diet (HED, 14.8 kJ ME/g) and a marginally-adequate energy diet (AED, 11.7 kJ ME/g) were fed to the GF and CV chicks at 240 g/2 birds/10 d. In experiment 2 a diet with 13.7 kJ ME/g was fed at 118 g (low level, LL) or 128 g (high level, HL)/bird/10 d. Body weight gain, protein retention and protein retention rate were similar in GF and CV chicks on both AED and HED in the first experiment, but in the second were higher in GF than in CV chicks. The increased ME intake of the CV chicks in experiment 2 may be too small to compensate for the increased requirement. ME intake was significantly higher in the CV chicks than in the GF chicks, whereas energy retention was similar in both groups.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1984

Mechanical changes in the amphibian spinal cord produced by afferent volleys of nerve impulses.

A volley of impulses entering the toad spinal cord via large myelinated fibers in the lumbar dorsal roots was shown to evoke a contraction of the cord, which lasted for about 100 ms or more. A volley entering the cord antidromically via the ventral roots produced only a small, brief contraction. When two electric shocks were delivered to the same dorsal roots at a short interval, the contraction associated with the second shock was small; a period of about 1 s was required for a full recovery. When two shocks were applied separately to two neighboring dorsal roots, the contraction associated with the second shock was partially or totally occluded. Electric polarization of the dorsal root fibers produced mechanical changes in the cord. The effects of magnesium salt, GABA, glutamate and several other neuropharmacological agents on the contractile process were investigated. The experimental findings suggest that the contractile process is related to the phenomenon of primary afferent depolarization.

Afferent Pathways↗
PubMed1984

Biological efficacy of liquid methionine and methionine hydroxy analogue-free acid in chicks.

An experiment was conducted to determine biological efficacies of DL-methionine-Na (Liquimeth) and DL-methionine hydroxy analogue (MHA)-free acid (Alimet) relative to DL-methionine in Single Comb White Leghorn male chicks. A crystalline amino acid mixture devoid of sulfur-containing amino acids was used for the basal diet, and the test substances were added at .1, .2, and .3% levels, equivalent to DL-methionine on a molar basis, in place of cornstarch. By a slope ratio assay using chick growth as a criterion, the relative biological efficacies of DL-MHA-free acid and DL-methionine-Na to DL-methionine were found to be 70 and 113%, respectively, on a molar basis.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1983

Swelling of frog dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord produced by afferent volley of impulses.

Electrical stimulation of the frog sciatic nerve was found to produce rapid, transient swelling of the 8th and 9th dorsal root ganglia followed by prolonged swelling of the spinal cord. Swelling of the ganglion is analogous to the rapid mechanical change observed in invertebrate axons during excitation. The mechanical change observed in the spinal cord is probably related to prolonged depolarization of the primary afferent fibers near their terminals.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Incorporation of 3H-amino acids into proteins in a partially purified fraction of axoplasm: evidence for transfer RNA-mediated, post-translational protein modification in squid giant axons.

Transfer RNA (tRNA) has been demonstrated to be present in axons of both invertebrates and the higher vertebrates, but nothing is known of its role in the metabolism of the axon. The present experiments were performed to determine whether tRNA functions in axons as a participant in post-translational protein modification of endogenous proteins. RNA was extracted from the axoplasm of squid giant axons and incubated with a variety of 3H-amino acids, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (obtained from squid optic lobe), and an appropriate reaction mixture. All of the amino acids tested were bound to an RNA fraction, but this reaction did not occur when samples were incubated in the presence of ribonuclease or in the absence of axoplasmic RNA. When radioactive RNA was chromatographed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the radioactivity comigrated with known tRNA markers, suggesting the presence of 3H-aminoacylated tRNA. Aminoacylation of RNA could also be demonstrated by incubating fresh axoplasm with labeled amino acids and a reaction mixture, minus exogenous aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. These findings indicate the presence in axoplasm of a variety of species of aminoacyl-tRNAs as well as their corresponding synthetase enzymes. In the latter experiment no radioactivity was found associated with the protein fraction. This was also the finding when 3H-aminoacylated tRNA was either injected directly into the axon or incubated with extruded axoplasm. Thus, under the conditions described above, there is no evidence of transfer of amino acids from tRNA to proteins. In other experiments, axoplasm was pooled to a volume of 50 to 100 microliters, homogenized gently, and centrifuged at 150,000 X g for 1 hr. Some of the high speed supernatant was incubated with labeled amino acids and an appropriate reaction mixture, and the remainder was passed through an S-200 Sephacryl column before incubation with the same reaction mixture. There was no incorporation of amino acids into protein in the high speed supernatant fraction. However, in the S-200 purified fraction 3H-labeled Arg, Lys, Tyr, Leu, and Asp were all incorporated into proteins in amounts of 44, 30, 7, 5 and 3.5 times heat-inactivated controls. The reaction is not inhibited by Ca2+ or Ca2+-activated proteases, but appears to be dependent on the presence of tRNA. The addition of amino acids to protein is not protein synthesis since the reactions occurred in a partially purified fraction of the 150,000 X g supernatant, a fraction devoid of ribosomes and free amino acids.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1982

Fast axonal transport in squid giant axon.

Video-enhanced contrast-differential interference contrast microscopy has revealed new features of axonal transport in the giant axon of the squid, where no movement had been detected previously by conventional microscopy. The newly discovered dominant feature is vast numbers of "submicroscopic" particles, probably 30- to 50-nanometer vesicles and other tubulovesicular elements, moving parallel to linear elements, primarily in the orthograde direction but also in a retrograde direction, at a range of steady velocities up to +/- 5 micrometers per second. Medium (0.2 to 0.6 micrometer) and large (0.8 micrometer) particles move more slowly and more intermittently with a tendency at times to exhibit elastic recoil. The behavior of the smallest particles and the larger particles during actual translocation suggests that the fundamental processes in the mechanisms of organelle movement in axonal transport are not saltatory but continuous.

Animals↗