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Biomedical subjects

S F Basinger

Publications and source records attributed to S F Basinger.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Metabolism of phosphatidylcholine in the frog retina.

The biosynthesis and the turnover of phosphatidylcholine were studied in the frog retina following either (a) injection into the animal of 32PO4, 33PO4, [1,3-3H]glycerol, [2-3H]glycerol, or [methyl-3H]choline, or (b) incubation of isolated retinas in solutions containing [methyl-3H]choline. 1. Examination of the pools of lipid precursors in the retina demonstrated that the choline and phosphate pools are long-lived compared to the glycerol pool, which is metabolically very active and turns over rapidly. 2. The peak in specific activity of phosphatidylcholine synthesized from labeled glycerol occurred earlier, and was higher in the microsomal fraction than in the rod outer segments, which is consistent with synthesis of phosphatidylcholine on the microsomes of the inner segment and subsequent incorporation into the rod outer segments. 3. Autoradiography of retinas incubated in vitro with tritiated choline revealed a diffuse labeling pattern in the rod outer segments. Biochemical studies following injection of labeled glycerol showed an exponential decline in specific radioactivity of phosphatidylcholine in the rod outer segments, which is consistent with a diffuse labeling of these membranes. 4. The half-life of phosphatidylcholine in the rod outer segments synthesized from labeled glycerol was found to be 18-19 days. Based on these values, calculations were made which indicated that phosphatidylcholine in the outer segments is turning over faster than integral disc membrane proteins.

Animals↗

Myeloid body associations in the frog pigment epithelium.

Myeloid bodies are found in the retinal pigment epithelium of certain vertebrate species. They are organized structural forms of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum which are usually seen as stacks of flattened, smooth saccules having a circular or lens-shaped configuration. Our findings in the frog Rana pipiens suggest that changes occur in the structure of the myeloid bodies which are related to the phase of the diurnal lighting cycle. At certain times, the myeloid bodies are found closely associated with other cytoplasmic organelles, notably the nucleus and oil droplet. In addition these associations can be induced by incubation of the isolated eyecup in the presence of guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate.

Animals↗

Bacteriocin (hemolysin) of Streptococcus zymogenes.

The sensitivity of Streptococcus faecalis (ATTC 8043) to S. zymogenes X-14 bacteriocin depends greatly on its physiological age. Sensitivity decreases from the mid-log phase on and is completely lost in the stationary phase. The sensitivity of erythrocytes to the hemolytic capacity of the bacteriocin showed considerable species variation. The order of increasing sensitivity was goose < sheep < dog < horse < human < rabbit. However, when red cell stromata were used as inhibitors of hemolysis in a standard system employing rabbit erythrocytes the order of increasing effectiveness was sheep < rabbit < human < horse < goose. When rabbit cells were used in varying concentrations with a constant hemolysin concentration, there was a lag of about 30 min, which for a given hemolysin preparation was constant for all red cell concentrations. Furthermore, the rate of hemolysis increased with increasing red cell concentration. If red cells are held constant and lysin varied, the time to reach half-maximal lysis varies directly with lysin but is not strictly proportional. Bacterial membranes were one to three orders of magnitude more effective than red cell stromata as inhibitors. The order of increasing effectiveness seems to be Escherichia coli < Bacillus megaterium < S. faecalis < Micrococcus lysodeikticus. In addition to membranes, a d-alanine containing glycerol teichoic acid, trypsin in high concentration, and deoxyribonuclease also inhibited hemolysis. Ribonuclease, d-alanine, l-alanine, dl-alanyl-dl-alanine, N-acetyl-d-alanine, N-acetyl-l-alanine did not inhibit hemolysis.

Animals↗