scholarly journals Mescaline-induced changes of brain-cortex ribosomes. Effect of mescaline on the stability of brain-cortex ribosomes

1970 ◽  
Vol 118 (5) ◽  
pp. 681.b1-681.b1
1965 ◽  
Vol 43 (7) ◽  
pp. 959-975 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Ghosh ◽  
R. K. Datta ◽  
K. C. Bhattacharyya

Studies carried out on the properties of isolated ribosomes from drug-treated brain cortex slices indicate that ribosomes from drug-treated tissues are generally more susceptible to breakdown into smaller components such as proteins, nucleic acids, acid-soluble nucleotides, etc. It seems that some factor or factors responsible for the stability of the complex macromolecular structure of ribonucleoproteins of brain tissue are affected as a result of drug treatment. Ribosomal RNA from drug-treated brain tissue has been isolated under standardized conditions and the secondary structures of RNA have been studied by methods involving thermal hyperchromicity and reaction with formaldehyde. This latter study indicates that, during the action of some of these neuropharmacological drugs, the secondary structure of ribosomal RNA of brain tissue is partially lost. The loss in the stability of cytoplasmic ribonucleoproteins in drug-treated brain tissue may partly be due to the disorganization at the level of the secondary structure of the RNA component.


1970 ◽  
Vol 117 (5) ◽  
pp. 961-968 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. K. Datta ◽  
J. J. Ghosh

1. During the action of mescaline sulphate on goat brain-cortex slices the ribosomal particles become susceptible to breakdown, releasing protein, RNA, acidsoluble nucleotides and ninhydrin-positive materials, resulting in loss of ribosomal enzyme activities. 2. Ribosomes of the mescaline-treated cortex slices undergo rapid degradation in the presence of trypsin and ribonuclease. 3. Mescaline does not alter the chemical and nucleotide compositions or the u.v.-absorption characteristics of ribosomal particles, however.


2017 ◽  
Vol 199 ◽  
pp. 335-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Sénéchal ◽  
H. Saadaoui ◽  
J. Rodriguez-Hernandez ◽  
C. Drummond

The anchoring of polymer chains at solid surfaces is an efficient way to modify interfacial properties like the stability and rheology of colloidal dispersions, lubrication and biocompatibility. Polyelectrolytes are good candidates for the building of smart materials, as the polyion chain conformation can often be tuned by manipulation of different physico-chemical variables. However, achieving efficient and reversible control of this process represents an important technological challenge. In this regard, the application of an external electrical stimulus on polyelectrolytes seems to be a convenient control strategy, for several reasons. First, it is relatively easy to apply an electric field to the material with adequate spatiotemporal control. In addition, in contrast to chemically induced changes, the molecular response to a changing electric field occurs relatively quickly. If the system is properly designed, this response can then be used to control the magnitude of surface properties. In this work we discuss the effect of an external electric field on the adhesion and lubrication properties of several polyelectrolyte-coated surfaces. The influence of the applied field is investigated at different pH and salt conditions, as the polyelectrolyte conformation is sensitive to these variables. We show that it is possible to fine tune friction and adhesion using relatively low applied fields.


2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (10) ◽  
pp. 5809-5817 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Forbes ◽  
Curtis B. Dobson ◽  
Gavin J. Humphreys ◽  
Andrew J. McBain

ABSTRACTMicrobicides (biocides) play an important role in the prevention and treatment of infections. While there is currently little evidence for in-use treatment failures attributable to acquired reductions in microbicide susceptibility, the susceptibility of some bacteria can be reduced by sublethal laboratory exposure to certain agents. In this investigation, a range of environmental bacterial isolates (11 genera, 18 species) were repeatedly exposed to four microbicides (cetrimide, chlorhexidine, polyhexamethylene biguanide [PHMB], and triclosan) and a cationic apolipoprotein E-derived antimicrobial peptide (apoEdpL-W) using a previously validated exposure system. Susceptibilities (MICs and minimum bactericidal concentrations [MBCs]) were determined before and after 10 passages (P10) in the presence of an antimicrobial and then after a further 10 passages without an antimicrobial to determine the stability of any adaptations. Bacteria exhibiting >4-fold increases in MBCs were further examined for alterations in biofilm-forming ability. Following microbicide exposure, ≥4-fold decreases in susceptibility (MIC or MBC) occurred for cetrimide (5/18 bacteria), apoEdpL-W (7/18), chlorhexidine (8/18), PHMB (8/18), and triclosan (11/18). Of the 34 ≥4-fold increases in the MICs, 15 were fully reversible, 13 were partially reversible, and 6 were nonreversible. Of the 26 ≥4-fold increases in the MBCs, 7 were fully reversible, 14 were partially reversible, and 5 were nonreversible. Significant decreases in biofilm formation in P10 strains occurred for apoEdpL-W (1/18 bacteria), chlorhexidine (1/18), and triclosan (2/18), while significant increases occurred for apoEdpL-W (1/18), triclosan (1/18), and chlorhexidine (2/18). These data indicate that the stability of induced changes in microbicide susceptibility varies but may be sustained for some combinations of a bacterium and a microbicide.


Author(s):  
J. N. Bassis ◽  
C. C. Walker

Observations indicate that substantial changes in the dynamics of marine-terminating ice sheets and glaciers are tightly coupled to calving-induced changes in the terminus position. However, the calving process itself remains poorly understood and is not well parametrized in current numerical ice sheet models. In this study, we address this uncertainty by deriving plausible upper and lower limits for the maximum stable ice thickness at the calving face of marine-terminating glaciers, using two complementary models. The first model assumes that a combination of tensile and shear failure can render the ice cliff near the terminus unstable and/or enable pre-existing crevasses to intersect. A direct consequence of this model is that thick glaciers must terminate in deep water to stabilize the calving front, yielding a predicted maximum ice cliff height that increases with increasing water depth, consistent with observations culled from glaciers in West Greenland, Antarctica, Svalbard and Alaska. The second model considers an analogous lower limit derived by assuming that the ice is already fractured and fractures are lubricated by pore pressure. In this model, a floating ice tongue can only form when the ice entering the terminus region is relatively intact with few pre-existing, deeply penetrating crevasses.


2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 3557-3568 ◽  
Author(s):  
James C. Warren ◽  
Adam Rutkowski ◽  
Lynne Cassimeris

Adenovirus translocation to the nucleus occurs through a well characterized minus end-directed transport along microtubules. Here, we show that the adenovirus infection process has a significant impact on the stability and dynamic behavior of host cell microtubules. Adenovirus-infected cells had elevated levels of acetylated and detyrosinated microtubules compared with uninfected cells. The accumulation of modified microtubules within adenovirus-infected cells required active RhoA. Adenovirus-induced changes in microtubule dynamics were characterized at the centrosome and at the cell periphery in living cells. Adenovirus infection resulted in a transient enhancement of centrosomal microtubule nucleation frequency. At the periphery of adenovirus-infected cells, the dynamic instability of microtubules plus ends shifted toward net growth, compared with the nearly balanced growth and shortening observed in uninfected cells. In infected cells, microtubules spent more time in growth, less time in shortening, and underwent catastrophes less frequently compared with those in uninfected cells. Drug-induced inhibition of Rac1 prevented most of these virus-induced shifts in microtubule dynamic instability. These results demonstrate that adenovirus infection induces a significant stabilizing effect on host cell microtubule dynamics, which involve, but are not limited to, the activation of the RhoGTPases RhoA and Rac1.


1977 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 356-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Benjamin ◽  
J. H. Quastel

Acetylcholine, in presence of eserine, has little or no effect on the potassium-ion-suppressed concentrative uptakes of GABA and taurine by rat brain cortex slices in contrast with its effect on those of L-glutamate, L-aspartate, and glycine. Potassium ions at a concentration of 30 μequiv./ml in the incubation medium has a marked suppressive effect on the uptakes of GABA and taurine when there is no apparent change in the sodium ion content of the brain tissue. It is concluded that some factor, besides the change in sodium gradient, operates in the mechanism of potassium suppression of GABA and taurine uptakes. Acetylcholine diminishes the potassium-evoked release of endogenous GABA and taurine from brain slices. Its action is Ca2+ dependent and is diminished by atropine. Acetylcholine does not affect the potassium-accelerated release of GABA from brain slices previously loaded with this amino acid. The differences in uptake and release phenomena exhibited by GABA and taurine from those of L-glutamate and L-aspartate may be due to differences between the mechanisms, as well as the sites, of cerebral uptake and release of these two groups of amino acids.


1969 ◽  
Vol 114 (4) ◽  
pp. 847-854 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. K. Datta ◽  
Suchandra Sen ◽  
J. J. Ghosh

1. Ribosomes isolated from the cortex tissue of goat brain contain very small amounts of spermidine and spermine. Ribosomes isolated from spermidine-treated slices have a higher spermidine content. 2. The polyamines partially prevent the temperature-dependent breakdown of ribosomes into acid-soluble nucleotides. 3. The ‘melting’ temperature of ribosomes rises slightly when the ribosomes are heated slowly in the presence of polyamines. 4. The pH-dependent breakdown of ribosomes into protein, RNA and acid-soluble nucleotide is markedly decreased by polyamines present in media in which ribosomes are suspended. 5. The breakdown of ribosomes in the presence of high concentrations of salts and EDTA is partially checked by the concurrent presence of polyamines. 6. Spermidine and spermine make ribosomes less susceptible to enzymic digestion by crystalline trypsin and ribonuclease.


1973 ◽  
Vol 277 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. K. Datta ◽  
W. Antopol ◽  
J. J. Ghosh
Keyword(s):  

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