Echinomycin-induced hypersensitivity to osmium tetroxide of DNA fragments incapable of forming Hoogsteen base pairs.
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To show conclusively that the critical structural deformation of double-helical DNA that is induced by the binding of quinoxaline antibiotics does not involve the formation of Hoogsteen base pairs, we have prepared a DNA fragment containing the nucleoside analog 7-deaza-2'-deoxyadenosine in one of the two strands. This DNA fragment was subjected to treatment with the thymidine-specific reagent osmium tetroxide and to DNase I "footprinting" in the presence or absence of micromolar concentrations of echinomycin. We report that this anti-tumor antibiotic binds to DNA containing the nucleoside analog as well as to natural DNA and that the previously reported hypersensitivity to osmium tetroxide of certain thymidine residues adjacent to echinomycin binding sites is maintained in analog-containing DNA. Since these thymidines are rendered incapable of participating in Hoogsteen base pairs by the incorporation of 7-deaza-2'-deoxyadenosine, we conclude that this unusual base-pairing scheme is not the cause of the observed hypersensitivity to osmium tetroxide and that it therefore results from a large local unwinding of the DNA in the presence of the antibiotic. Moreover, preventing the possibility of Hoogsteen base pairing does not preclude echinomycin binding. (+info)
The lipid-rich core region of human atherosclerotic fibrous plaques. Prevalence of small lipid droplets and vesicles by electron microscopy.
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Abundant extracellular lipid deposits are associated with cell necrosis and tissue weakening in the core region of human atherosclerotic fibrous plaques. The ultrastructural morphology of the core region, previously undefined because of lipid extraction artifacts, was studied with the aid of new osmium-thiocarbohydrazide-osmium and osmium-tannic acid-paraphenylenediamine sequences for tissue processing. Small droplets of neutral lipid (30 to 400 nm profile diameter) and lipid vesicles with aqueous centers accounted for more than 90% of the area occupied by lipid-rich structures in the core region. No foam cells were present. Cholesterol crystals, lipid droplets of a size similar to those in foam cells (0.4 to 6 mu), and larger neutral lipid deposits (greater than 6 mu) together occupied less than 10% of the total area of lipid structures. Abundant lipid vesicles were associated with the nearby presence of cholesterol crystals, whereas small lipid droplets were predominant in areas without crystals. Many droplets had surface defects in the form of pits and vesicular blebs. These morphologic findings are explained most concisely by postulating direct accumulation of extracellular lipid from interstitial lipoproteins as a major process in core region formation. Moreover, a dynamic state of ongoing physical/metabolic transformation of extracellular lipid deposits is suggested. (+info)
Site-directed chemical modification for probing DNA-protein interactions. Osmium tetroxide modification of the -10 site of the lacUV5 promoter enhances open complex formation.
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A new experimental approach, site-directed chemical modification, was used to explore relationships between RNA polymerase-promoter interactions and function. For this study, the lacUV5 promoter with an exposed -10 thymine on the non-template strand was constructed. Osmium tetroxide was selected as the thymine modifying reagent. Modification occurred predominantly at the exposed -10 T with 5-fold less reactivity at the -12 T residue. The isolated modified strand was used to reconstitute a lacUV5 promoter with -10 (-12) adducts. OsO4 modification at both the -10 and -12 positions of the lacUV5 promoter significantly enhances Escherichia coli RNA polymerase-promoter open complex formation relative to the unmodified promoter. DNase I cleavage sites at -7, -8, and -10 of the unmodified promoter were rendered insusceptible to scission in the modified promoter. However, no difference can be detected in the RNA polymerase footprints for unmodified versus modified open complexes. The latter are fully capable of productive transcription with comparable amounts of identical run-off transcripts to unmodified open complexes. A 16 degrees C reduction in Tm was found for a 14-base pair oligonucleotide duplex containing a single OsO4-bispyridine adduct. The latter result suggests that open complex formation appears to be enhanced due to promoter unpairing at the -10 (-12) adduct sites. (+info)
Actin filament destruction by osmium tetroxide.
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We have studied the destruction of purified muscle actin filaments by osmium tetroxide (OsO4) to develop methods to preserve actin filaments during preparation for electron microscopy. Actin filaments are fragmented during exposure to OsO4. This causes the viscosity of solutions of actin filaments to decrease, ultimately to zero, and provides a convenient quantitative assay to analyze the reaction. The rate of filament destruction is determined by the OsO4 concentration, temperature, buffer type and concentration, and pH. Filament destruction is minimized by treatment with a low concentration of OsO4 in sodium phosphate buffer, pH 6.0, at 0 degrees C. Under these conditions, the viscosity of actin filament solutions is stable and actin filaments retain their straight, unbranched structure, even after dehydration and embedding. Under more severe conditions, the straight actin filaments are converted into what look like the microfilament networks commonly observed in cells fixed with OsO4. Destruction of actin filaments can be inhibited by binding tropomyosin to the actin. Cross-linking the actin molecules within a filament with glutaraldehyde does not prevent their destruction by OsO4. The viscosity decrease requires the continued presence of free OsO4. During the time of the viscosity change, OsO4 is reduced and the sulfur-containing amino acids of actin are oxidized, but little of the osmium is bound to the actin. Over a much longer time span, the actin molecules are split into discrete peptides. (+info)
Aspects of turnover and biogenesis of synaptic vesicles at locust neuromuscular junctions as revealed by zinc iodide-osmium tetroxide (ZIO) reacting with intravesicular SH-groups.
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Retractor unguis nerve muscle preparations from the locust were subjected to the zinc iodide-osmium tetroxide reaction (ZIO) after pre-fixation in glutaraldehyde. Applied for 18 h at 4 degrees C in the dark, ZIO reacts at pH 4.2--4.0 fairly selectively with the matrix of synaptic vesicles. Approximately 53% of the vesicles are completely and 4% partially stained. The percentage of ZIO-positive vesicles is increased to nearly 90% and reduced to 4% or less by pretreatment with SH-protecting (dithiothreitol) or SH-blocking (N-ethylmaleimide, p-chloromercuriphenyl sulfonic acid) and SH-oxidizing (azodicarboxylic acid-bis-dimethylamide) reagents, respectively. Stimulation of the motor nerve at 20 Hz for 7 min, partially fatiguing synaptic transmission, reduces the number of vesicles per square micrometer of terminal area by approximately 52%; 2 min of rest restores this number of its pre-stimulation level. These changes are chiefly accounted for by changes in the number of completely ZIO-positive vesicles. 2 min after the end of stimulation, partially ZIO-positive vesicles are three times more frequent than before. With all experimental conditions, the average volume of vesicles was as follows: ZIO-negative less than partially ZIO-positive less than completely ZIO-positive. The average volume of ZIO-positive vesicles is almost unaffected by stimulation; that of ZIO-negative vesicles is decreased by 25% immediately after stimulation, increasing with subsequent rest to the initial level after 1 h. It is suggested (a) that ZIO demonstrates intravesicular protein(s) containing SH-groups and (b) that the completely ZIO-positive vesicles represent the mature ones ready to be used for transmitter release. How the ZIO reaction differentiates between different developmental stages of vesicles which could arise from the smooth endoplasmic reticulum is discussed. (+info)
Site-specific OsO4 modification of the B-Z junctions formed at the (dA-dC)32 region in supercoiled DNA.
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OsO4 in the presence of pyridine specifically modifies the structural distortions of the primary helix of supercoiled pRW777 near the (dA-dC)32 sequence. Modification occurs at the same negative superhelix density value as required for formation of the Z-helix within the polymer block. Fine mapping of the distorted regions, which are probably the B-Z junctions, is presented. OsO4 reactions provide a powerful and sensitive chemical approach to study DNA polymorphism in solution. (+info)
Reactivity of cytosine and thymine in single-base-pair mismatches with hydroxylamine and osmium tetroxide and its application to the study of mutations.
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The chemical reactivity of thymine (T), when mismatched with the bases cytosine, guanine, and thymine, and of cytosine (C), when mismatched with thymine, adenine, and cytosine, has been examined. Heteroduplex DNAs containing such mismatched base pairs were first incubated with osmium tetroxide (for T and C mismatches) or hydroxylamine (for C mismatches) and then incubated with piperidine to cleave the DNA at the modified mismatched base. This cleavage was studied with an internally labeled strand containing the mismatched T or C, such that DNA cleavage and thus reactivity could be detected by gel electrophoresis. Cleavage at a total of 13 T and 21 C mismatches isolated (by at least three properly paired bases on both sides) single-base-pair mismatches was identified. All T or C mismatches studied were cleaved. By using end-labeled DNA probes containing T or C single-base-pair mismatches and conditions for limited cleavage, we were able to show that cleavage was at the base predicted by sequence analysis and that mismatches in a length of DNA could be readily detected by such an approach. This procedure may enable detection of all single-base-pair mismatches by use of sense and antisense probes and thus may be used to identify the mutated base and its position in a heteroduplex. (+info)
An osmium-191/iridium-191m radionuclide generator using an oxalato osmate parent complex.
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A new osmium-191/iridium-191m (191Os/191mIr) radionuclide generator has been developed that offers high 191mIr yield (greater than 20%/ml) and low 191Os breakthrough (less than 5 X 10(-4)%/ml) when eluted with a solution of 0.001 M oxalic acid and 0.9% (normal) saline. This is the first 191Os/191mIr generator that combines the advantages of high 191mIr yield, extremely low 191Os breakthrough, and an eluate that does not require buffering prior to injection. These improvements in performance were accomplished through use of the chelate transdioxobisoxalatoosmate(VI) as the parent complex on the generator. The clinical result of the combination of higher yield and lower breakthrough is a 100-fold decrease in the estimated patient radiation dose compared with the same study performed with technetium-99m (99mTc), and the injectable eluate makes the generator easier to use. Acute and subacute toxicity studies performed on this generator eluate have shown no adverse effects attributable to the eluate. (+info)