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Biomedical subjects

M Bruns

Publications and source records attributed to M Bruns.

50 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Biochemical composition of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus interfering particles.

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) was interfering particles were enriched relative to infectious virions by ultracentrifugation in a shallow gradient made of Urografin. Electrophoretic analysis revealed that they lacked the small ('S') 23S RNA as well as GP-1 and GP-2 of the infectious virion and also lacked a newly characterized glycoprotein of apparent mol. wt. 85 x 10(3); instead, they contained a novel glycoprotein with mol. wt. 65 x 10(3).

Glycoproteins↗

Ultrastructural studies on Maedi-Visna virus.

Ultrastructural studies of Maedi-Visna virus (MVV) particles isolated from tissue culture fluids of MVV-infected cells as well as cultured cells infected with MVV were performed. MVV particles aree bounded by an envelope with projections loosely attached to its surface. Virions contain a core (sometimes two or more) of conical or ovoid shape enclosing an electron-dense nucleoid which is much smaller in diameter than the core and which can only be seen in ultrathin sections. A distinct core shell is to be found in most of the ultrasectioned particles. Cores, liberated from the virions by detergent treatment, exhibited the same shape as their enveloped counterparts. Budding structures with crescents underlying the cell membrane without an intermediate space seem to be bordered on their cell side by an electron-dense thin layer. Particles obviously representing intervenig stages of viral maturation showing parts of the crescents at the viral membrane and empty core shells could be found in single cases.

Animals↗

Prolonged retention of methyl mercury by mallard drakes.

Mallard drakes accumulated mercury rapidly from dietary dosage of methylmercury dicyandiamide and eliminated it slowly, retaining approximately one half at the end of 84 days; no measurable loss occurred between the end of the 7th and 56th days, but loss resumed concurrently with new feather growth, and continued through the 112th day, the close of the study.

Animals↗

Comparison of the ribonucleoproteins of different rabies virus serotypes by radioimmunoassay.

Radioimmunoassay (RIA) provides a sensitive serological procedure for detecting rabies virus ribonucleoprotein (RNP) as well as its specific antibodies, RIA was carried out using highly purified RNPs labelled by the chloramine-T method. This paper describes optimal conditions for iodination of RNP with high specific activity. The optimal concentrations of 125I, RNP, chloramine-T, and reducing agent as well as the effect of pH on the reaction were investigated. RIA proved to be extremely sensitive for detection of homologous antibodies. In competition experiments the part-relationship of the group-specific RNPs of the three rabies virus serotypes (HEP, MOK and LBV) was confirmed.

Chloramines↗

Hepatic dopamine sulfotransferases in untreated rats and in rats subjected to endocrine or hypertension-related treatments.

Here we describe the dopamine sulfotransferase activity of rat liver cytosol. With cytosol, 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate and dopamine Km values were 17.2 +/- 4.1 and 22.4 +/- 3.5 microM. Females possessed 23 to 37% of dopamine sulfotransferase levels, per gm liver, in males. DEAE-Sephadex A-50 chromatography resolved dopamine sulfotransferase activity to dopamine sulfotransferase I and dopamine sulfotransferase II. Dopamine sulfotransferase II comprised 79 +/- 10 or 61 +/- 18% of dopamine sulfotransferase in males or females in routine assays. 4-Methoxytyramine gave 609 or 179% of mean dopamine sulfotransferase activity with dopamine sulfotransferase I or II. Dopamine and 3-methoxytyramine were comparable substrates. Epinephrine was less effective. Mn++, Cd++, Zn++, Na+ and K+ inhibited dopamine sulfotransferase II. Mg++ activated it. Dopamine sulfotransferase II from males was purified 184 +/- 64-fold. Its Km values for 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate and dopamine were 12.7 +/- 1.5 and 47.5 +/- 6.7 microM, respectively. Its dopamine sulfotransferase mechanism was sequential. The molecular weight of dopamine sulfotransferase II was 49,100 +/- 4,000 by Sephadex G-100 chromatography. Dopamine sulfotransferase II preferred phenol to catecholamines. Dopamine and 3,4-dihydroxybenzylamine were its best catecholamine substrates. Adrenalectomy or castration of males led to 35 or 45% mean decreases of dopamine sulfotransferase levels, indicating adrenal and gonadal participation in control of dopamine sulfotransferase production. Testosterone had no effect in either sex, whereas estradiol led to 40% mean decreases of dopamine sulfotransferase levels in males. This suggested a role for ovaries in dopamine sulfotransferase production, supported by 55 to 102% increased dopamine sulfotransferase levels after ovariectomy. Okamoto-hypertensive males or males given hypertensogenic doses of cortisol exhibited 37 or 48% mean increases of dopamine sulfotransferase levels per gm liver. Antihypertensive spironolactone or hydralazine led to 30% mean decreases of dopamine sulfotransferase levels. Altered dopamine sulfotransferase levels after all experimental manipulations were due mostly to changed dopamine sulfotransferase II content. Dopamine sulfotransferase II is compared to other reported enzymes that sulfate catecholamines.

Adrenalectomy↗

Extraction and rapid inactivation of proteins from Saccharomyces cerevisiae by trichloroacetic acid precipitation.

Methods currently used for the extraction of proteins from yeast involve relatively long time periods between sampling cells from a culture and analysis of their proteins by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis-sodium dodecylsulphate. Often it is desirable to inactivate cellular metabolism rapidly after sampling and here we show that trichloroacetic acid precipitation techniques, often used for rapid extraction and inactivation of proteins from higher eukaryotes, can be adapted for use with organisms which have cell walls.

Cell Wall↗

Ability to light-induced conductance change of arthropod visual cell membrane, indirectly depending on membrane potential, during depolarization by external potassium or ouabain.

Light responses (ReP) and pre-stimulus membrane potential (PMP) and conductance of photoreceptors of Astacus leptodactylus and Limulus polyphemus (lateral eye) were recorded and changes were observed when the photoreceptor was depolarized by the action of external ouabain of high potassium concentration application. 1 mM/1 ouabain application causes a transient increase of PMP and ReP in Limulus, followed by a decrease which is faster for the ReP (half time time 34 min) than for the PMP (half time 80 min). Irreversible loss of excitability occurs when the PMP is still ca. 40% of the reference value. In both preparations high external potassium concentration leads to total depolarization (beyond zero line to + 10-+ 20 mV) of the PMP and after a time lag of 10 min also to a loss of excitability (intracellular recording). In extracellular recordings (Astacus) the excitability remains at a low level of 15%. The effects are reversible and are similar whether no or 10% external sodium is present. In all experiments the light-induced changes of membrane conductance are about parallel to those of the light response. The fact that the ability of the photosensoric membrane to undergo light-induced conductance changes is membrane potential-dependent is discussed, leading to the explanation that dipolar membrane constituents such as channel forming molecules (probably not rhodopsin) have to be ordered by membrane potential to keep the membrane functional for the photosensoric action.

Animals↗

The influence of the extracellular concentration of calcium, magnesium and sodium on the repolarizing phase of the receptor potential of the Limulus ventral nerve photoreceptor.

Lowering the extracellular calcium concentration from 10 mmol/l to 1 nmol/l causes, besides reducing membrane potential (PMP) and peak amplitude (hmax) of the light response of the Limulus ventral nerve photoreceptor (see Stieve and Bruns [1]), a prolongation of the time course of the light response. The retarded time course (characterized by latent-period tlat, time-to-peak tmax, decrease time t2 and decline quotient QHN) caused by low calcium concentration is not antagonized by either reducing the sodium concentration (from 0.5 to 0.05 mol/l) or increasing the magnesium concentration (from 5 X 10(-5) to 5 X 10(-2) mol/l) in contrast to the effects on the PMP and hmax. This effect of lowering the calcium concentration on the time course of the ReP is distinctly different from that on membrane potential and transient of the ReP described before. It is not characterized by a calcium/sodium binding competition but is probably more closely related to the bump-generating mechanism. It can be explained on the assumption that the time parameters of the ReP are primarily determined by the latency distribution of the underlying bumps which is expanded under low calcium conditions.

Animals↗