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K Imai

Publications and source records attributed to K Imai.

At least 1,405 records · Page 78Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

Developmental changes in the activities of prolinase and prolidase in rat salivary glands, and the effect of thyroxine administration.

As the salivary glands are interesting tissues to study proliferation, we studied the activities of prolinase and prolidase using Pro-Ala and Pro-Hyp as substrates, respectively, in developing rat salivary glands between day 1 and week 10 after birth. Developmental changes of prolinase activity in the submandibular and sublingual glands were similar to those in the parotid gland, which steadily increased and reached the adult level by 20-25 days after birth. However, the changes in the activity of prolidase in the submandibular and sublingual glands were different from those in the parotid gland: the activity in the parotid gland slowly increased with maturation and reached a maximum level on day 30, but the activity in the submandibular and sublingual glands continuously increased with maturation. When thyroxine was injected every two days from day 1 to day 19, both enzyme activities were induced precociously in the parotid gland but not in the submandibular and sublingual glands. On the study of regional distribution in rat tissues, the correlation coefficient between prolinase and prolidase activities was high in the peripheral but not high in the brain regions. These results indicate that the physiological roles of prolinase and prolidase are very similar but not the same.

Aging↗
PubMed1982

Heterogeneity of human melanoma-associated antigens defined by monoclonal antibodies and conventional xenoantisera.

Immunochemical analysis of cultured human melanoma cell detergent extracts and spent culture medium with conventional xenoantisera and monoclonal antibodies identified four types of 94,000 (94K) dalton molecules and two types of high-molecular-weight melanoma-associated antigens by the following characteristics: (1) association with other components, (2) mobility in SDS-PAGE under reducing and nonreducing conditions, (3) antigenicity, and (4) presence in spent culture medium. Conventional xenoantisera were found to contain antibody populations to antigenically distinct structures, some of which have similar apparent molecular weights. Immunodepletion studies showed that the antigenic determinant detected by the monoclonal antibody 225.28S to a high-molecular-weight melanoma-associated antigen was expressed on a subpopulation of the antigens defined by the conventional xenoantiserum #8995. These data prove that antibodies reactive with antigens of similar molecular weight cannot be assumed to identify the same structures, and indicate that tumor-associated antigens may be heterogeneous in the expression of antigenic determinants defined by monoclonal antibodies.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Radiographic study of mandibular nutrient canals.

The appearance of nutrient canals in the mandibular anterior region was studied by evaluating the complete-mouth dental radiographs of 1,586 patients who were subdivided into four groups. The incidence of nutrient canals was very high in patients with periodontal disease, in patients of advanced age, and especially in endentulous patients. Nutrient canals appeared most frequently in radiographs demonstrating "above average" bone density with small diminutive trabecular spaces. Other factors influencing the presence of nutrient canals included the thickness of the alveolar bone, the quality of both cortical and cancellous bone, and the loss of mandibular teeth.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Studies on reconstituted myoglobins and hemoglobins. I. Role of the heme side chains in the oxygenation of myoglobin.

To clarify the functional role of the 2- and 4-side chains of heme in myoglobin oxygenation, we synthesized several new hemins carrying nonnatural side chains at positions 2 and 4, reconstituted myoglobins with them, and investigated their optical, ionization, and oxygen-binding properties. The absorption maxima for most of the reconstituted myoglobins except those reconstituted with hemins having carbonyl groups, no matter whether they are oxy-, deoxy-, or carbon monoxy-form, shifted by at most 20 nm toward shorter wavelengths than protoheme-myoglobin. The absorption spectrum is more affected by resonance effects than by inductive effects of the peripheral side chains of heme. Differences in optical and oxygenation properties between isomeric myoglobins carrying hemes with different side chains at positions 2 and 4 indicate that the 2- and 4-side chains of heme are functionally nonequivalent, as previously shown by Sono and Asakura [(1975) J. Biol. Chem. 250, 5227-5232] for monoformyl-monovinylheme myoglobins. Modification of the 4-side chain exerts greater influence on the oxygen affinity than that of the 2-side chain. The extrapolation method proposed by Sono and Asakura to correct for the protein factor seems to be applicable only as a special case and does not apply to the isomeric myoglobins studied by us. There was not correlation between pKa of the met-form and the oxygen pressure at half saturation, implying that the electronic effect of the side chains is not decisive for the oxygen affinity of myoglobin. The bulkiness of the 2- and 4-side chains, on the other hand, appear to have a certain relation to the affinity but is not a dominant factor. In addition to these factors, specific stereochemical considerations are required to explain all the oxygenation data for the various reconstituted myoglobins. We have proposed a stereochemical mechanism based on the movement of the heme group upon ligation of native myoglobin.

Acylation↗
PubMed1982

Studies on reconstituted myoglobins and hemoglobins. II. Role of the heme side chains in the oxygenation of hemoglobin.

To clarify the functional role of the 2- and 4-side chains of heme in hemoglobin we prepared several hemins carrying nonnatural side chains at positions 2 and 4, reconstituted human adult hemoglobins with them, and investigated their optical and oxygen binding properties. The absorption maxima for all these reconstituted hemoglobins, no matter whether they are oxy-, deoxy-, or carbon monoxy-form, shifted toward shorter wavelengths than those for protoheme-hemoglobin. As in the case of myoglobin (Kawabe, K., et al. (1982) J. Biochem. 92, 1703-1712), the absorption spectrum is more significantly affected by resonance effects than by the inductive effects of the peripheral heme substituents. Contrary to the case of myoglobins, the spectral difference between pemptoheme-hemoglobin and isopemptoheme-hemoglobin and that between 2-isopropyl-4-vinyl-deuteroheme-hemoglobin and 2-vinyl-4-isopropyldeuteroheme-hemoglobin were very small. All the reconstituted hemoglobins used in this study showed higher oxygen affinity and reduced cooperativity in oxygen binding than native hemoglobin. We have shown that the 2- and 4-side chains are functionally nonequivalent and that modification of the 4-side chain exerts greater influence on oxygen affinity than modifying the 2-side chain. The magnitude of the Bohr effect and response to 2,3-diphosphoglycerate and inositol hexaphosphate were reduced in the reconstituted hemoglobins. We have proposed a stereochemical mechanism based on constraint of heme movement before ligation against the tight distal side of the heme pocket.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

A Direct Confirmation of the Standard Method of Estimating Intercellular Partial Pressure of CO(2).

The partial pressure of CO(2) inside leaves of several species was measured directly. Small gas exchange chambers were clamped above and below the same section of an amphistomatous leaf. A flowing gas stream through one chamber allowed normal CO(2) and water vapor exchange. The other chamber was in a closed circuit consisting of the chamber, an infrared gas analyzer, and a peristaltic pump. The CO(2) in the closed system rapidly reached a steady pressure which it is believed was identical to the CO(2) pressure inside the leaf, because there was no flux of CO(2) across the epidermis. This measured partial pressure was in close agreement with that estimated from a consideration of the fluxes of CO(2) and vapor at the other surface.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1982

Glucose transport system in a facultative iron-oxidizing bacterium, Thiobacillus ferrooxidans.

Properties of a heat-labile glucose transport system in Thiobacillus ferrooxidans strain AP-44 were investigated with iron-grown cells. [14C]glucose was incorporated into cell fractions, and the cells metabolized [14C]glucose to 14CO2. Amytal, rotenone, cyanide, azide, 2,4-dinitrophenol, and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide strongly inhibited [14C]glucose uptake activity, suggesting the presence of an energy-dependent glucose transport system in T. ferrooxidans. Heavy metals, such as mercury, silver, uranium, and molybdate, markedly inhibited the transport activity at 1 mM. When grown on mixotrophic medium, the bacteria preferentially utilized ferrous iron as an energy source. When iron was exhausted, the cells used glucose if the concentration of ferrous sulfate in the medium was higher than 3% (wt/vol). However, when ferrous sulfate was lower than 1%, both of the energy sources were consumed simultaneously.

Biological Transport, Active↗
PubMed1982

HB Handa [alpha 90 (FG 2) Lys replaced by Met]: structure and biosynthesis of a new slightly higher oxygen affinity variant.

Hb Handa, an abnormal hemoglobin which isoelectrofocused anodally to Hb A, was found in a 15-year-old Japanese girl and her mother, who were apparently healthy. Clinical and hematological examinations showed no abnormality in individual heterozygous for this mutant gene except for a slight increase of reticulocyte count (2.1-2.4%). Structural studies disclosed an alpha chain anomaly and substitution of alpha 90 (FG 2) Lys replaced by Met. The content of the abnormal hemoglobin in the hemolysate was 17.5-18.3% of the hemoglobin. The isopropanol precipitation test was negative. The purified abnormal hemoglobin showed a slightly higher oxygen affinity than that of Hb A, but Hill's n constant, Bohr effect and organic phosphate effect were within the normal range. Globin chain biosynthesis in reticulocytes indicated that the production rate of the abnormal alpha chain was suppressed to 38% of the normal level.

Adolescent↗