Niobium/Uranium Evidence for Early Formation of the Continental Crust

Niobium/uranium ratios in greenstone-belt basalts and gabbros indicate that parts of the Late Archean mantle beneath Western Australia underwent a level of melt extraction, resulting in formation of the continental crust, comparable to that seen in the present mantle. The implication is either that (i) the amount of continental crust that formed before 2.7 x 10(9) years ago was much greater than generally thought or (ii) crustal growth occurred by severe depletion of small volumes of the mantle rather than by moderate depletion of a large volume of mantle.     

Novel interleukin-2 receptor subunit detected by cross-linking under high-affinity conditions

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) binds to both high- and low-affinity classes of IL-2 receptors on activated T lymphocytes. Only the high-affinity receptors are involved in receptor-mediated endocytosis and normally transduce the mitogenic signals of IL-2; however, the structural features distinguishing the high- and low-affinity receptors are unknown. When 125I-labeled IL-2 was chemically cross-linked to activated human T lymphocytes, two major bands were identified. First, as predicted, a 68- to 72-kilodalton band, consisting of IL-2 (15.5 kilodaltons) cross-linked to the IL-2 receptor (55 kilodaltons), was observed. Second, an unpredicted 85- to 92-kilodalton moiety was detected. This band was not present when IL-2 was cross-linked to transfected C127 cells, which exclusively express low-affinity receptors. The data presented are most consistent with the existence of a 70- to 77-kilodalton glycoprotein subunit (p70) which, upon associating with the 55-kilodalton low-affinity receptor (p55), transforms it into a high-affinity site. It is proposed that p55 and p70 be referred to as the alpha and beta subunits, respectively, of the high-affinity IL-2 receptor.     

Identification of the envelope V3 loop as the primary determinant of cell tropism in HIV-1

Cells of the monocyte-macrophage lineage are targets for human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection in vivo. However, many laboratory strains of HIV-1 that efficiently infect transformed T cell lines replicate poorly in macrophages. A 20-amino acid sequence from the macrophage-tropic BaL isolate of HIV-1 was sufficient to confer macrophage tropism on HTLV-IIIB, a T cell line--tropic isolate. This small sequence element is in the V3 loop, the envelope domain that is the principal neutralizing determinant of HIV-1. Thus, the V3 loop not only serves as a target of the host immune response but is also pivotal in determining HIV-1 tissue tropism.     

Kinetics of freshly squeezed orange juice quality changes during ozone processing

Freshly squeezed orange juice samples were ozonated with control variables of gas flow rate (0-0.25 L min (-1)), ozone concentration (0.6-10.0%w/w), and treatment time (0-10 min). Effects of ozone processing variables on orange juice quality parameters of pH, degrees Brix, titratable acidity (TA), cloud value, nonenzymatic browning (NEB), color values ( L*, a*, and b*), and ascorbic acid content were determined. No significant changes in pH, degrees Brix, TA, cloud value, and NEB ( p < 0.05) were found. L*, a*, and b* color values were significantly affected by gas flow rate, ozone concentration, and treatment time. The changes in lightness ( L*) values and total color difference (TCD) values were fitted well to zero-order kinetics, whereas a*, b*, and ascorbic acid degradation followed first-order kinetics. The rate constants for a*, b*, and TCD were linearly correlated with ozone concentration ( R (2) = 0.88-0.99), whereas the rate constants for L* and ascorbic acid were exponentially correlated ( R (2) = 0.94-0.98).     

A Non‐Reciprocal Autosomal Translocation 64,XX,t(4;10)(q21;p15) in an Arabian Mare with Repeated Early Embryonic Loss

Balanced autosomal translocations are a known cause for repeated early embryonic loss (REEL) in horses. In most cases, carriers of such translocations are phenotypically normal, but the chromosomal aberration negatively affects gametogenesis giving rise to both genetically balanced and unbalanced gametes. The latter, if involved in fertilization, result in REEL, whereas gametes with the balanced form of translocation will pass the defect into next generation. Therefore, in order to reduce the incidence of REEL, identification of translocation carriers is critical. Here, we report about a phenotypically normal 3‐year‐old Arabian mare that had repeated resorption of conceptuses prior to day 45 of gestation and was diagnosed with REEL. Conventional and molecular cytogenetic analyses revealed that the mare had normal chromosome number 64,XX but carried a non‐mosaic and non‐reciprocal autosomal translocation t(4;10)(q21;p15). This is a novel translocation described in horses with REEL and the first such report in Arabians. Previous cases of REEL due to autosomal translocations have exclusively involved Thoroughbreds. The findings underscore the importance of routine cytogenetic screening of breeding animals.