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When Prototheca zopfii cells were pulse-labeled with 14C-containing amino acids and homogenized, 14C-labeled membranes were obtained. In vitro incubations with the previously labeled membranes and UDP-[3H]Glc produced a trichloroacetic-acid-insoluble fraction having both isotopes. A double-labeled glucoprotein was isolated and characterized. It has a relative molecular mass of 28,000-30,000 and a carbohydrate content of 10%. The oligosaccharide chain is linked to the protein through an O-glycosidic bond between hydroxyproline and glucose. The oligosaccharide has a polymerization degree ranging over 10-20 hexose units. Glucose is the only monosaccharide found; most of the glucose residues are beta-1,4-linked (90%) but some are beta-1,3-linked (10%).

Of 312 patients presenting with breast cancer to a single clinic, 297 were screened for metastases in skin and nodes, bone, marrow, liver and lungs, using standard clinical, radiological scanning and cytological techniques. Thirty-four patients were found to have overt metastatic disease using these tests. Metastases were demonstrable on chest X-ray in 6.1% of the entire group of patients, on the bone scan in 4.2%, liver scan in 1.5%, liver ultrasound in 1.2% and in the bone marrow in only a single patient; 3.8% had contralateral or supraclavicular lymph node metastases or skin metastases. Twenty-eight of these 34 patients (82%) with overt metastases would have been classed as metastatic had only chest X-ray and clinical examination been carried out.A survey was then carried out to determine when tests for bone and liver metastases became abnormal. Bone scan and skeletal survey results were reviewed in 58 patients, 22 of whom had developed skeletal metastases and all of whom had regular skeletal scintigraphy carried out. Sixteen of 20 (80%) scans carried out within six months of the development of skeletal deposits were abnormal compared with 4 of 19 (21%) scans at the same follow-up time in those who failed to develop metastases, but few patients showed definite evidence of bone metastases on scanning prior to radiological metastases. Fifty-one patients who were found to have liver metastases at post-mortem were reviewed and most showed progressively rising alkaline phosphatase before death but only 11 of 57 (19.2%) and 14 of 50 (28%) had positive liver scintiscans and liver ultrasound examinations respectively from 3-12 months before death.

Filming of cultured HeLa cells using time-lapse cinevideomicrography techniques, with exposure to an extremely low frequency electromagnetic field allowed the direct observation of a localized cellular destruction process caused by a white light-electromagnetic field interaction. This phenomenon was not observed with normal human fibroblasts.

The two-dimensional patterns (isoelectrofocusing-IEF/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate-SDS) of S3 fractions of muscle larvae of four Trichinella isolates were compared. The comparative study concerned six groups of polypeptides. It was observed that the Garkavi isolate of Trichinella pseudospiralis was clearly different from the other isolates, and it showed the simplest IEF/SDS polypeptide pattern. The C-76 isolate of T. nelsoni had only four of the six groups, distinguishing it from the GM-1 isolate of T. spiralis and the Boev isolate of T. nativa that showed all the indicated groups.

This report presents a case of echinococcosis of the left ventricle treated surgically with success. Coronary cineangiography showed a circular capillary blush. This supports the view that this sign might well prove to be pathognomonic of this condition, as has been recently pointed out in another similar case. The diagnostic value of coronary cineangiography in left ventricular echinococcosis is emphasized.

The combined use of proteolytic digestion and lactoperoxidase catalyzed labelling with [125I] applied to membrane-bound or soluble pure F1-ATPase from Micrococcus lysodeikticus has allowed us to establish the topography of its alpha, beta, gamma and delta subunits within the protein molecule and with respect to the plane of the membrane. The beta subunit is most externally located to the membrane bilayer looking towards the cytoplasmic face, a position consistent with its proposed catalytic role. The alpha and gamma subunits lie in an intermediate layer between the beta subunits and the membrane, in which the gamma subunit occupies a central position within the F1-ATPase molecule in contact with the alpha subunit. The delta subunit appears to be tightly bound to the F0 component of the ATPase complex, probably buried in the membrane bilayer. A molecular arrangement of M. lysodeikticus ATPase is proposed that, taking into account the subunit stoichiometry alpha 3 beta 3 gamma 2 delta 2 (MW 420 000), accommodates the role assigned to each subunit and most, if not all, the known properties of this bacterial energy-transducing protein.

The characterization of a homogeneous non-adherent synoviocyte (Type A) cell population (greater than or equal to 95%) from non-rheumatoid patients by culturing the cells in the presence of forty percent foetal calf serum is reported. These cells were able to phagocyte latex beads, iron particles, fluoresceinated zymosan and yeast. Furthermore, non-adherent synoviocytes were capable of being infected by the obligate intracellular parasite of peripheral monocytes Leishmania donovani. Indirect immunofluorescence experiments with specific anti-human monocyte (OKM1) antibody and specific antisynoviocyte serum, showed the presence of common surface structures between synoviocytes A cells and peripheral monocytes. Fifty five percent of the synoviocytes were also positive for HLA Dr antiserum. Analysis by two dimensional gel electrophoresis showed that peripheral monocytes and synoviocytes secreted identical polypeptides in vitro. These results strongly suggest a relationship between synoviocytes A and mononuclear phagocyte system.