Spider fauna in apple ecosystem of western Oregon and its field susceptibility to chemical and microbial insecticides.

Twelve families, 26 genera, and 30 identifiable spider species were found in surveys conducted in apple orchards of western Oregon. The Salticidae, Linyphiidae, Clubionidae, Philodromidae, and Theridiidae comprised 85.56% ofthe total spiders collected. The most common species in order of abundance were Metaphidippus aeneolus Curtis, Spirembolus mundus Chamberlin & Ivie, Cheiracanthium inclusum (Hentz), Philodromus spectabilis Keyserling, Eris marginata (Walckenaer), and Theridion lawrencei Gertsch & Archer. Individuals of these species were collected in 50-60% of the samples and were most abundant in the month of August. The Bacillus thuringiensis-based insecticides, DiPel (100 Million International Units/100 liters) and MVP (250 ml/100 liters), summer oil (0.5-1.0 liter/100 liters), the insect growth regulator (IGR) diflubenzuron (3-12 g/100 liters), and organophosphate Phosmet (6-60 g/100 liters) were generally harmless (P > 0.05) to these spider species. Full field rates of organophosphate azinphosmethyl (25 g/100 liters) and carbamate carbaryl (60 g/100 liters) were slightly to moderately harmful (25-75% mortality). These insecticides at reduced rates (azinphosmethyl 2.5-5.0 g and carbaryl 12 g/100 liters) applied alone or in combination with DiPel and MVP, had a negligible effect. Full rates of pyrethroids esfenvalerate (2.5 g/100 liters) and permethrin (4.0 g/100 liters) were moderately to highly harmful (50-75% mortality) and their reduced rates (esfenvalerate 0.25-0.50 g and permethrin 0.4-0.8 g/100 liters) were selective to the spiders.

Production, purification, and characterization of recombinant human hemoglobin rainier expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Hemoglobin Rainier is a naturally occurring hemoglobin variant in which the beta 145 tyrosine is substituted with cysteine. The alpha and beta Rainier globin cDNAs were cloned in a high copy number vector and expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the control of galactose-regulated hybrid promoters. Using this system, we have expressed individual alpha and beta Rainier globin chains. Coexpression of both alpha and beta Rainier cDNAs resulted in the production of a functional hemoglobin molecule. Purification of the recombinant protein was accomplished by ion exchange chromatography. The N-termini of the alpha and beta chains were correctly processed, and the molecular mass, as determined by mass spectrometry, indicated amino acid composition identical to that of natural hemoglobin Rainier. The chromatographic properties of the recombinant hemoglobin Rainier were similar to human-derived hemoglobin A0. The purified recombinant hemoglobin molecule was shown to have an elevated oxygen affinity and a reduced cooperativity as previously reported for natural hemoglobin Rainier. Production of recombinant hemoglobin and especially hemoglobin variants like hemoglobin Rainier has the potential to facilitate use of hemoglobin as a blood substitute as well as in specific applications, such as for use as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of hypotension associated with septic shock.

High cholesterol levels in patients with panic disorder.

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to help clarify whether the higher cholesterol levels found in patients with panic disorder are a complication of panic disorder only or are associated with any psychiatric disorder. METHOD: The subjects of the study were 30 patients with panic disorder and 30 patients with major depression, diagnosed according to the Structured Interview for DSM-III-R, and 30 normal control subjects. The three groups were matched for sex and age, and none of the subjects had alcohol/drug abuse, abnormal ECGs, or unstable medical conditions. Blood samples were drawn at random times, and serum cholesterol levels were determined. RESULTS: The patients with panic disorder had significantly higher serum cholesterol levels than did the patients with major depression and the normal control subjects. Among the patients with major depression, histories (current or past) of anxiety disorders were associated with significant elevation of serum cholesterol levels. The presence of stable medical conditions was not associated with higher cholesterol levels in any of the three groups of subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Higher cholesterol levels were particularly associated with panic disorder in comparison with major depression. Higher levels of cholesterol in panic disorder are hypothesized to be a result of increased noradrenergic activity, which may be the underlying biological/neurochemical mechanism for symptoms of panic disorder, including anticipatory anxiety.

Yeast regulatory gene GAL3: carbon regulation; UASGal elements in common with GAL1, GAL2, GAL7, GAL10, GAL80, and MEL1; encoded protein strikingly similar to yeast and Escherichia coli galactokinases.

GAL3 gene expression is required for rapid GAL4-mediated galactose induction of the galactose-melibiose regulon genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here we show by Northern (RNA) blot analysis that GAL3 gene expression is itself galactose inducible. Like the GAL1, GAL7, GAL10, and MEL1 genes, the GAL3 gene is severely glucose repressed. Like the MEL1 gene, but in contrast to the GAL1, GAL7, and GAL10 genes, GAL3 is expressed at readily detectable basal levels in cells grown in noninducing, nonrepressing media. We determined the sequence of the S. cerevisiae GAL3 gene and its 5'-noncoding region. Within the 5'-noncoding region of the GAL3 gene, we found two sequences similar to the UASGal elements of the other galactose-melibiose regulon genes. Deletion analysis indicated that only the most ATG proximal of these sequences is required for GAL3 expression. The coding region of GAL3 consists of a 1,275-base-pair open reading frame in the direction of transcription. A comparison of the deduced 425-amino-acid sequence with the protein data bank revealed three regions of striking similarity between the GAL3 protein and the GAL1-specified galactokinase of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis. One of these regions also showed striking similarity to sequences within the galactokinase protein of Escherichia coli. On the basis of these protein sequence similarities, we propose that the GAL3 protein binds a molecule identical to or structurally related to one of the substrates or products of the galactokinase-catalyzed reaction.

PHO5 upstream sequences confer phosphate control on the constitutive PHO3 gene.

To identify the sequences involved in the regulation of the yeast acid phosphatase gene (PHO5) we constructed a series of hybrid promoters. Increasing lengths of 5'-flanking sequences of the PHO5 gene were placed in front of the TATA-box of constitutively expressed acid phosphatase gene (PHO3). The PHO5/PHO3 promoter constructions were used to replace the entire PHO5, PHO3 gene cluster on chromosome II. Depending on the length of PHO5 5'-flanking sequences present the PHO3 gene driven by the hybrid promoter could now be derepressed in response to inorganic phosphate (low Pi) exactly as the PHO5 wild type gene. A critical regulatory element was located between position -402 to -351 (upstream from ATG) and sequences further downstream (from -351 to -300) could increase transcriptional activation. The transcription levels of PHO3 were determined by northern blot analysis, under repressed (high Pi) and derepressed (low Pi) conditions which was paralleled by an increase in extra-cellular acid phosphatase activity. Fully regulated promoter hybrids showed a 40-fold induction of mRNA levels, comparable to wild type PHO5 promoter. Sl-nuclease protection experiments revealed that the PHO5 5'-flanking sequences, placed in front of PHO3, did not change the PHO3 transcription initiation site/s.

Prevalence rates for alcoholism, associated depression and dementia on the Harlem Hospital Medicine and Surgery Services.

Current prevalence rates for alcoholism, and associated depression and dementia, were determined on random samples of approximately 200 patients admitted to the Medicine Service, and a similar sample to the Surgery Service, of the Harlem Hospital Center. The Medicine patients averaged 51 years of age, significantly older than the Surgery sample's average age of 44 years. Surgery patients also had a significantly greater proportion of patients (46.8 percent) who had achieved at least a high school education compared to Medicine (32.1 percent). The alcohol prevalence rate of 30.2 percent for Medicine was significantly greater than the 18.3 percent Surgery prevalence. Both Medicine and Surgery patients showed that a progressively serious pattern of drinking was associated with progressively serious depression. Progressive dementia was associated with progressive severity of drinking in the Medicine sample, but this finding was not demonstrated in the Surgery patients. Medicine and Surgery patients demonstrated dissimilar profiles of principal admitting diagnoses. Patient management is seriously handicapped by problems of alcoholism and associated problems of depression and dementia.

Structural analysis of the two tandemly repeated acid phosphatase genes in yeast.

We have sequenced the genetically linked genes for repressible (PHO5) and and constitutive (PHO3) acid phosphatase from S. cerevisiae. Both genes are located on a 3.91 Kb BamHI and HpaI fragment, in the order (5') PHO5, PHO3 (3'). The mRNA transcripts have been analysed by S1-nuclease mapping. They show heterogenous initiation sites. Each of the PHO5 and PHO3 genes codes for 467 amino acids as deduced from the DNA sequence. The coding regions of the two genes show homology both at the nucleotide (82%) and the amino acid (87%) level. In the coding sequences, long stretches of homologous regions are flanked by small non-homologous regions. The nucleotide homology (65%) extends to some length into the 5' and 3' non-coding flanking sequences. Further upstream sequences are unrelated. The comparison of the NH2-terminal amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence, with that of purified repressible acid phosphatase revealed the presence of a putative signal peptide.

Changes induced in rat liver polysomal polyadenylated RNAs by depletion of circulating glucocorticoids.

The effects of adrenalectomy on the complexity and the relative abundances of rat liver polyadenylated mRNAs have been investigated. The qualitative and quantitative changes induced by adrenalectomy have been measured by hybridisation of polysomal polyadenylated RNAs from the livers of normal and adrenalectomised rats with total cDNAs, fractionated cDNAs, cDNA representing RNAs specific to normal liver, total unique-sequence DNA and unique-sequence DNA complementary to normal liver polysomal RNA. These analyses indicated that, by 14 days after adrenalectomy, the equivalent of about 7000 sequences of average length 2000 nucleotides can no longer be detected in liver polysomes. Many other sequences are decreased in abundance as compared to normal liver, but some abundant sequences become more abundant. Administration of a glucocorticoid hormone (dexamethasone) very rapidly reverses these changes.

Two yeast acid phosphatase structural genes are the result of a tandem duplication and show different degrees of homology in their promoter and coding sequences.

We have cloned the structural genes for a regulated ( PHO5 ) and a constitutive ( PHO3 ) acid phosphatase from yeast by transformation and complementation of a yeast pho3 , pho5 double mutant. Both genes are located on a 5.1-kb BamHI fragment. The cloned genes were identified on the basis of genetic evidence and by hybrid selection of mRNA coupled with in vitro translation and immunoprecipitation. Subcloning of partial Sau3A digests and functional in vivo analysis by transformation together with DNA sequence analysis showed that the two genes are oriented in the order (5') PHO5 , PHO3 (3'). While the nucleotide sequences of the two coding regions are quite similar, the putative promoter regions show a lower degree of sequence homology. Partly divergent promoter sequences may explain the different regulation of the two genes.