Fe-oxide concretions formed by interacting carbonate and acidic waters on Earth and Mars.

Spherical Fe-oxide concretions on Earth, especially in Utah, USA, have been investigated as an analog of hematite spherules found in Meridiani Planum on Mars to support interpretations of water-rock interactions in early Mars. Although several formation mechanisms have been proposed for the Fe-oxide concretions on Earth, it is still unclear whether these mechanisms are viable because a precise formation process and precursor of the concretions are missing. This paper presents evidence that Fe-oxide concretions in Utah and newly found Fe-oxide concretions in Mongolia had spherical calcite concretions as precursors. Different formation stages of calcite and Fe-oxide concretions observed, both in Utah and Mongolia, indicate that calcite concretions initially formed within eolian sandstone strata and were dissolved by infiltrating Fe-rich acidic waters to form spherical FeO(OH) crusts due to pH buffering. The similarity between these Fe-oxide concretions on Earth and the hematite spherule occurrences in Meridiani Planum, combined with evidence of acid sulfate water influences on Mars, suggest that the hematite spherules also formed from dissolution of preexisting carbonate spherules possibly formed under a dense carbon dioxide early martian atmosphere.

Positions of Q(A)and Chl(Z)Relative to Tyrosine Y(Z)and Y(D)in Photosystem II Studied by Pulsed EPR.

PELDOR (Pulsed Electron eLectron DOuble Resonance) was applied to determinethe distance of between Y(Z)and Q(A) (-)inY(D)-less mutant of Chlamydomonas reinhardtiiin Tris-treatedand Zn-substituted preparation of photosystem II. The value of distance wasfound to be 34.5 ± 1 Â. A '2+1' electron spin echo method has beenapplied to measure the orientation of the radius-vector RfomY(D)to Chl(Z)in a membrane-oriented photosystem II. The anglebetween Rand the membrane normal nwas determined to be 50 ±5(°), using the distance 29.4 ± 0.5 Â determined in non-orientedPS II.

Formate-induced inhibition of the water-oxidizing complex of photosystem II studied by EPR.

The effects of various formate concentrations on both the donor and the acceptor sides in oxygen-evolving PS II membranes (BBY particles) were examined. EPR, oxygen evolution and variable chlorophyll fluorescence have been observed. It was found that formate inhibits the formation of the S(2) state multiline signal concomitant with stimulation of the Q(A)(-)Fe(2+) signal at g = 1.82. The decrease and the increase in intensities of the multiline and Q(A)(-)Fe(2+) signals, respectively, had a linear relation for formate concentrations between 5 and 500 mM. The g = 4.1 signal formation measured in the absence of methanol was not inhibited by formate up to 250 mM in the buffer. In the presence of 3% methanol the g = 4.1 signal evolved as formate concentration increased. The evolved signal could be ascribed to the inhibited centers. Oxygen evolution measured in the presence of an electron acceptor, phenyl-p-benzoquinone, was also inhibited by formate proportionally to the decrease in the multiline signal intensity. The inhibition seemed to be due to a retarded electron transfer from the water-oxidizing complex to Y(Z)(+), which was observed in the decay kinetics of the Y(Z)(+) signal induced by illumination above 250 K. These results show that formate induces inhibition of water oxidation reactions as well as electron transfer on the PS II acceptor side. The inhibition effects of formate in PS II were found to be reversible, indicating no destructive effect on the reaction center induced by formate.

Expression of c-erbB-2 gene product in urinary bladder cancer.

Expression of the c-erbB-2 gene product and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) was investigated in 54 cases of human bladder cancer immunohistologically and by Western blot analysis. For detection of the c-erbB-2 product, two specific antibodies, a rabbit polyclonal antibody directed to the intracellular domain and a murine monoclonal antibody recognizing an epitope in the extracellular domain, were used. Seventeen cases of bladder cancer were stained by the anti-c-erbB-2 polyclonal antibody, while 20 cases were stained by the monoclonal antibody, with good correlation on both stainings (p less than 0.01). There were four c-erbB-2 positive cases in 26 G1 tumors, four in 15 G2 tumors, and nine in 13 G3 tumors. There were also eight erbB-2 positive cases in nine muscle-invasive tumors, nine of 45 superficial tumors, four of five with lymph node metastasis, and seven of 14 without metastasis, as revealed by staining with the polyclonal antibody. Thus, the c-erbB-2 gene product was more frequently expressed in high grade tumors (p less than 0.01), in high stage tumors (p less than 0.01), and nodal metastatic tumors (N.S. by Chi-square test). Twenty-two of the 54 tumors were stained by an anti-EGF-R monoclonal antibody, 528 IgG. The expression of EGF-R was independent of histological grading, tumor stage, and nodal status, and no correlation was observed between expression of the c-erbB-2 product and EGF-R. The c-erbB-2 product may be applicable as a tumor marker for evaluation of malignant potential, invasiveness, and probably metastatic potential of human bladder cancer.

[Immunological diagnosis of multidrug resistant cancer in urological malignancies].

A monoclonal antibody, MRK16, recognizing specifically an epitope of P-glycoprotein (P-GP) was used to determine the degree of expression of P-GP in kidney and urinary bladder cancers. Immunohistochemistry, immunoelectronmicroscopy, and immunoprecipitation were used for this study. Expression of P-GP was found in 6 of 20 kidney cancers treated without anticancer drugs. Also expression of P-GP was found in 17 of 47 urinary bladder cancers. 11 of 31 in primary cases, 0 of 5 in recurrent cases treated without anticancer drugs, and 6 of 11 in recurrent cases treated with anticancer drugs were positively expressed. These results indicate that a certain proportion of kidney and urinary bladder cancers intrinsically acquired multidrug resistance, and also that prior administration of anticancer drugs may induce P-GP in initially negative tumors. We also succeeded to detect MDR1 mRNA by means of in situ hybridization. From our present data, our methods to detect P-GP and MDR1 mRNA appeared to be very useful from the point of clinical application.

Effects of calcium blockers on the discharge pattern of frog muscle spindle.

Application of calcium blockers, such as MnCl2, MgCl2, EGTA and verapamil, resulted in a decrease in the dynamic response of afferent discharges during ramp-and-hold stretch of the frog muscle spindle, causing mainly the reduction of the peak rate at the completion of the stretch. As calcium spikes in the spindle terminal have been known to superimpose preferably at the completion of ramp stretch, it is suggested that a part of the dynamic response of afferent discharges is possibly contributed by the calcium spike in the terminal.

Control of the variability of the afferent discharge rate in frog muscle spindle by potassium blockers.

Blockage of the K+ channels in the sensory terminal of frog muscle spindle by the combined application of BaCl2 and other K+ blockers makes it possible to reversibly change the sustained and irregular discharges into non-sustained regular discharges. As a similar change in the discharge pattern is also made by application of CoCl2 alone, though it is irreversible, the irregular and sustained discharge may be due to [Ca2+]i-activated potassium conductance.