The neutron imaging diagnostic at NIF (invited).

A neutron imaging diagnostic has recently been commissioned at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). This new system is an important diagnostic tool for inertial fusion studies at the NIF for measuring the size and shape of the burning DT plasma during the ignition stage of Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) implosions. The imaging technique utilizes a pinhole neutron aperture, placed between the neutron source and a neutron detector. The detection system measures the two dimensional distribution of neutrons passing through the pinhole. This diagnostic has been designed to collect two images at two times. The long flight path for this diagnostic, 28 m, results in a chromatic separation of the neutrons, allowing the independently timed images to measure the source distribution for two neutron energies. Typically the first image measures the distribution of the 14 MeV neutrons and the second image of the 6-12 MeV neutrons. The combination of these two images has provided data on the size and shape of the burning plasma within the compressed capsule, as well as a measure of the quantity and spatial distribution of the cold fuel surrounding this core.

Modeling the National Ignition Facility neutron imaging system.

Numerical modeling of the neutron imaging system for the National Ignition Facility (NIF), forward from calculated target neutron emission to a camera image, will guide both the reduction of data and the future development of the system. Located 28 m from target chamber center, the system can produce two images at different neutron energies by gating on neutron arrival time. The brighter image, using neutrons near 14 MeV, reflects the size and symmetry of the implosion "hot spot." A second image in scattered neutrons, 10-12 MeV, reflects the size and symmetry of colder, denser fuel, but with only ∼1%-7% of the neutrons. A misalignment of the pinhole assembly up to ±175 µm is covered by a set of 37 subapertures with different pointings. The model includes the variability of the pinhole point spread function across the field of view. Omega experiments provided absolute calibration, scintillator spatial broadening, and the level of residual light in the down-scattered image from the primary neutrons. Application of the model to light decay measurements of EJ399, BC422, BCF99-55, Xylene, DPAC-30, and Liquid A suggests that DPAC-30 and Liquid A would be preferred over the BCF99-55 scintillator chosen for the first NIF system, if they could be fabricated into detectors with sufficient resolution.

Characterization of five catalytic activities associated with the NADPH:2-ketopropyl-coenzyme M [2-(2-ketopropylthio)ethanesulfonate] oxidoreductase/carboxylase of the Xanthobacter strain Py2 epoxide carboxylase system.

The bacterial metabolism of propylene proceeds by epoxidation to epoxypropane followed by carboxylation to acetoacetate. Epoxypropane carboxylation is a minimetabolic pathway that requires four enzymes, NADPH, NAD(+), and coenzyme M (CoM; 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate) and occurs with the overall reaction stoichiometry: epoxypropane + CO(2) + NADPH + NAD(+) + CoM --> acetoacetate + H(+) + NADP(+) + NADH + CoM. The terminal enzyme of the pathway is NADPH:2-ketopropyl-CoM [2-(2-ketopropylthio)ethanesulfonate] oxidoreductase/carboxylase (2-KPCC), an FAD-containing enzyme that is a member of the NADPH:disulfide oxidoreductase family of enzymes and that catalyzes the reductive cleavage and carboxylation of 2-ketopropyl-CoM to form acetoacetate and CoM according to the reaction: 2-ketopropyl-CoM + NADPH + CO(2) --> acetoacetate + NADP(+) + CoM. In the present work, 2-KPCC has been characterized with respect to the above reaction and four newly discovered partial reactions of relevance to the catalytic mechanism, and each of which requires the formation of a stabilized enolacetone intermediate. These four reactions are (1) NADPH-dependent cleavage and protonation of 2-ketopropyl-CoM to form NADP(+), CoM, and acetone, a reaction analogous to the physiological reaction but in which H(+) is the electrophile; (2) NADP(+)-dependent synthesis of 2-ketopropyl-CoM from CoM and acetoacetate, the reverse of the physiologically important forward reaction; (3) acetoacetate decarboxylation to form acetone and CO(2); and (4) acetoacetate/(14)CO(2) exchange to form (14)C(1)-acetoacetate and CO(2). Acetoacetate decarboxylation and (14)CO(2) exchange occurred independent of NADP(H) and CoM, demonstrating that these substrates are not central to the mechanism of enolate generation and stabilization. 2-KPCC did not uncouple NADPH oxidation or NADP(+) reduction from the reactions involving cleavage or formation of 2-ketopropyl-CoM. N-Ethylmaleimide inactivated the reactions forming/using 2-ketopropyl-CoM but did not inactivate acetoacetate decarboxylation or (14)CO(2) exchange reactions. The biochemical characterization of 2-KPCC and the associated five catalytic activities has allowed the formulation of an unprecedented mechanism of substrate activation and carboxylation that involves NADPH oxidation, a redox active disulfide, thiol-mediated reductive cleavage of a C-S thioether bond, the formation of a CoM:cysteine mixed disulfide, and enolacetone stabilization.

A role for coenzyme M (2-mercaptoethanesulfonic acid) in a bacterial pathway of aliphatic epoxide carboxylation.

The bacterial metabolism of short-chain aliphatic alkenes occurs via oxidation to epoxyalkanes followed by carboxylation to beta-ketoacids. Epoxyalkane carboxylation requires four enzymes (components I-IV), NADPH, NAD(+), and a previously unidentified nucleophilic thiol. In the present work, coenzyme M (2-mercaptoethanesulfonic acid), a compound previously found only in the methanogenic Archaea where it serves as a methyl group carrier and activator, has been identified as the thiol and central cofactor of aliphatic epoxide carboxylation in the Gram-negative bacterium Xanthobacter strain Py2. Component I catalyzed the addition of coenzyme M to epoxypropane to form a beta-hydroxythioether, 2-(2-hydroxypropylthio)ethanesulfonate. Components III and IV catalyzed the NAD(+)-dependent stereoselective dehydrogenation of R- and S-enantiomers of 2-(2-hydroxypropylthio)ethanesulfonate to form 2-(2-ketopropylthio)ethanesulfonate. Component II catalyzed the NADPH-dependent cleavage and carboxylation of the beta-ketothioether to form acetoacetate and coenzyme M. These findings evince a newfound versatility for coenzyme M as a carrier and activator of alkyl groups longer in chain-length than methane, a function for coenzyme M in a catabolic pathway of hydrocarbon oxidation, and the presence of coenzyme M in the bacterial domain of the phylogenetic tree. These results serve to unify bacterial and Archaeal metabolism further and showcase diverse biological functions for an elegantly simple organic molecule.

Evidence for an inducible nucleotide-dependent acetone carboxylase in Rhodococcus rhodochrous B276.

The metabolism of acetone was investigated in the actinomycete Rhodococcus rhodochrous (formerly Nocardia corallina) B276. Suspensions of acetone- and isopropanol-grown R. rhodochrous readily metabolized acetone. In contrast, R. rhodochrous cells cultured with glucose as the carbon source lacked the ability to metabolize acetone at the onset of the assay but gained the ability to do so in a time-dependent fashion. Chloramphenicol and rifampin prevented the time-dependent increase in this activity. Acetone metabolism by R. rhodochrous was CO2 dependent, and 14CO2 fixation occurred concomitant with this process. A nucleotide-dependent acetone carboxylase was partially purified from cell extracts of acetone-grown R. rhodochrous by DEAE-Sepharose chromatography. Analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis suggested that the acetone carboxylase was composed of three subunits with apparent molecular masses of 85, 74, and 16 kDa. Acetone metabolism by the partially purified enzyme was dependent on the presence of a divalent metal and a nucleoside triphosphate. GTP and ITP supported the highest rates of acetone carboxylation, while CTP, UTP, and XTP supported carboxylation at 10 to 50% of these rates. ATP did not support acetone carboxylation. Acetoacetate was determined to be the stoichiometric product of acetone carboxylation. The longer-chain ketones butanone, 2-pentanone, 3-pentanone, and 2-hexanone were substrates. This work has identified an acetone carboxylase with a novel nucleotide usage and broader substrate specificity compared to other such enzymes studied to date. These results strengthen the proposal that carboxylation is a common strategy used for acetone catabolism in aerobic acetone-oxidizing bacteria.

Lower temperature limits for activity of several Ixodid ticks (Acari: Ixodidae): effects of body size and rate of temperature change.

Uncoordinated activity threshold temperature, the temperature below which ticks can no longer seek a host in a coordinated manner, and the activity threshold temperature, when all activity ceases, were examined for three species of ticks found in coastal sections of New York. The mean uncoordinated activity threshold and activity threshold temperatures were determined for nymphal, female and male Ixodes scapularis Say, nymphal, female, and male Amblyomma americanum (L.), and for female and male Dermacentor variabilis (Say). Only the uncoordinated activity threshold and activity threshold temperatures for adult I. scapularis were significantly correlated to the rate of temperature decrease. The mean uncoordinated activity threshold and activity threshold temperatures were significantly correlated to the mean size of each tick species.

Landscape patterns of abundance of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) on Shelter Island, New York.

Nymphal Ixodes scapularis Say, the vector of Lyme borreliosis, was most common in forested areas across Shelter Island, Suffolk County, New York, and least common in xeric habitats such as beach and grassland. At the scale of individual house yards, nymphs were most common at wooded edges of property and least common on lawns. The abundance of ticks at yard edges was positively correlated with numbers on lawns and in landscaping, suggesting that tick abundance in woods affects abundances in adjacent yards. Because 57% of all yard area is adjacent to woodlands on Shelter Island, public health efforts to reduce tick populations in wooded areas should supplement efforts by individual yard owners to decrease risk. Methods of tick control for woodlands should also be evaluated for their effect on tick populations in adjacent yard habitats.

Subclavian vein stenosis and thrombosis: a potential serious complication in chronic hemodialysis patients.

One hundred ninety patients, 61 with acute renal failure and 129 with chronic renal failure, underwent hemodialysis using a total of 302 subclavian vein catheters. Local hematomas and sepsis (seven events) were the only acute complications. Subclavian vein stenosis and/or thrombosis had occurred and were shown in five of 44 patients who had arteriovenous access created distal to the venous outlet obstruction, resulting in the loss of three of five of these accesses. In view of the fact that subclavian vein stenosis or occlusion is not associated with any clinical findings and we were unable to identify any predisposing factors associated with the use of the catheters, all patients who have had previous subclavian vein catheters probably should be evaluated to determine the patency of the subclavian vein before creation of a permanent access in that arm.

Effect of acute hypercapnia on renal bicarbonate reabsorption in the dog.

The increased plasma bicarbonate concentration seen in hypercapnia implies that tubular bicarbonate reabsorption must be increased in the presence of an elevated Paco2. In contrast to early reports, more recent experimental data in acute hypercapnia have been interpreted to show that the observed increment in tubular reabsorption of bicarbonate factored for glomerular filtration rate (THCO3/GFR) is largely related to the concurrent changes in renal sodium reabsorption and to the increment in the filtered load of bicarbonate, and that acute hypercapnia per se causes little or no change in the tubular handling of bicarbonate. We reexamined this question by observing the changes in renal function occurring in the presence of a moderate elevation of plasma bicarbonate concentration in two groups of dogs. In group I, the elevation occurred as a result of acute hypercapnia during the administration of an "isometric" solution; in group II, it was caused by the infusion of identical amounts of an isotonic solution with the same concentration of sodium as in group I, but a higher bicarbonate concentration, in the presence of eucapnia. A subset of group II provided controls for the decrease in renal perfusion pressure that occurred spontaneously in group I. With increasing filtered loads of bicarbonate, fractional excretion (FE) of HCO3 increased in group II, whereas it dropped markedly in group I. Furthermore, the relative reabsorption rate of HCO3 compared with that of Cl (assessed by changes in fractional reabsorption (FR) of HCO3/Cl) decreased in group II, whereas it increased in group I. Although FENa also decreased in group II, the opposite changes in FR(HCO3/Cl) could not be attributed solely to concurrent changes in sodium handling, indicating that in the presence of acute hypercapnia there is a preferential reabsorption of bicarbonate that tends to perpetuate the increase in plasma bicarbonate concentration. By contrast, THCO3/GFR rose in both groups. The data are interpreted to reveal that acute hypercapnia, although causing a drop in renal perfusion pressure and in natriuresis, also has an additional specific effect on raising preferential bicarbonate reabsorption. This effect can be detected best by monitoring changes in the anionic composition of tubular reabsorbate, whereas it may not be unveiled by following changes in THCO3/GFR. Changes in THCO3/GFR may not yield useful information regarding the integrated response of the kidney to acid-base perturbations, and the conclusions of previous studies based on changes in this parameter must be carefully reexamined.

Isotope-exchange enhancement studies of Escherichia coli glutamine synthetase.

Isotope-exchange enhancement studies, a variation on positional isotope-exchange enhancement as described by Raushel and Garrard [Raushel, F. M., & Garrard, L. J. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 1791-1795], are used to establish the point in the biosynthetic reaction of Escherichia coli glutamine synthetase at which gamma-glutamyl phosphate is formed. In these experiments, the behavior of the reverse biosynthetic reaction, i.e., the reaction of ADP, L-glutamine, and phosphate to form NH4+, L-glutamate, and ATP, is examined as a function of the concentration of ammonium ion. By varying the concentration of NH4+, the ratio of the velocity of isotope exchange to the velocity of net reaction, as measured by the rate of 18O depletion from labeled phosphate and the rate of production of L-glutamate, respectively, can be modulated in a mechanism-dependent manner. Evidence is presented demonstrating the presence of a branch point in the mechanism. The enzyme-ATP-glutamate complex may partition in two ways, one involving binding of ammonium ion and the other involving the chemical transformation to form the enzyme-ADP-gamma-glutamyl phosphate complex. The alternate pathways then rejoin upon formation of the enzyme-ADP-NH4+-gamma-glutamyl phosphate complex. Because of the branch point, there is no absolute requirement that ammonium ion be absent or present in order for the formation of gamma-glutamyl phosphate to occur. At high concentrations of ammonia, one pathway through the branch can be eliminated, effectively making that portion of the pathway ordered, with ATP, L-glutamate, and NH4+ binding consistent with our previously reported steady-state kinetic mechanism [Meek, T. D., & Villafranca, J. J. (1980) Biochemistry 19, 5513-5519].

Normal T cell subsets and lymphocyte activity in multiple sclerosis.

Nine patients with either chronic progressive or relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis were treated with several courses of lymphopheresis. The lymphocytes obtained by this procedure showed a significantly lower percentage of OKT3+ cells than normal controls at the beginning of therapy. This percentage increased to normal levels after five lymphopheresis treatments and then decreased during the last stages of treatment. Patients had normal levels of OKT4+ and OKT8+ cells compared to controls and these percentages showed no statistically significant changes during the course of treatment. The proliferative response of patient's lymphocytes after stimulation with concanavalin A, PHA and alloantigen was not significantly different from normal controls and these responses were unchanged during the lymphopheresis treatment. Natural killer cell activity was also normal in our patients. The results reported in this study do not suggest a basic T cell abnormality in our patients with multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, the lymphopheresis treatments did not induce any significant change in T cell numbers or functional activity in vitro.

Pre-steady-state kinetics of beef heart mitochondrial ATPase.

The pre-steady-state kinetics of beef heart mitochondrial ATPase (F1) were examined. F1 was found to exhibit hysteretic behavior when hydrolyzing ATP. The hysteretic property was expressed as an activation process which occurred when the enzyme was mixed with its substrate, MgATP. Many catalytic turnovers were required before the activation was complete. The lag in hydrolysis increased hyperbolically as the concentration of enzyme increased. Passage of F1 through Sephadex G25 eliminated the activation process. Several kinetically distinct possibilities for explaining these data, including multiple nucleotide dissociations, enzyme conformational changes, and regulatory site interactions, are discussed. The enzyme was apparently able to recognize nucleotide in a noncatalytic manner, as evidenced by the fact that F1 preincubated with ADP in the absence of substrate achieved partial activation (smaller lag times) before being introduced to substrate. ADP is also a time-dependent inhibitor, exhibiting a slow hysteretic inhibition in addition to immediate competitive inhibition.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in southeastern New England.

Eight patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) originating within a 25-mile radius had their conditions diagnosed in a three-year period at a community teaching hospital in southeastern New England. In the preceding ten years, only one case of TTP had occurred in the same hospital. A niece-uncle relationship was present in two patients, and lymphocyte typing showed that they both shared an HLA haplotype. In the remaining patients, no social, familial, or environmental connection was established. Three patients died, all of whom were female. Six patients received exchange plasmapheresis with excellent responses in five. Autopsies in the three fatal cases showed widespread organ involvement with TTP but did not disclose evidence of any common underlying disease. This unusual occurrence should alert physicians to the possibility of localized outbreaks of TTP and the necessity of considering this diagnosis in all patients with unexplained thrombocytopenia.

Secondary hypocapnia fails to protect "whole body" intracellular pH during chronic HCl-acidosis in the dog.

Studies have demonstrated that the protective effect of secondary hypocapnia on plasma acidity during chronic HCl-acidosis is undermined by a renal-mediated decrement in plasma bicarbonate concentration induced by the hypocapnia itself. The present study was designed to assess whether the protection of "whole body" intracellular pH (pHi) is similarly undermined by this maladaptive response of the kidney. Whole body pHi was estimated by the 5,5 dimethyl-2,4-oxazolidinedione (DMO) method in seven unanesthetized dogs under each of three conditions: control, chronic HCl-acidosis (10 mEq H+/kg/day) with spontaneous secondary hypocapnia, and chronic HCl-acidosis with a normal level of carbon dioxide tension (maintained by the use of an environmental chamber). pHi was 6.71 +/- 0.02 during control, and 6.57 +/- 0.03 and 6.57 +/- 0.02 during the two acidosis periods, respectively. These results indicate that sustained secondary hypocapnia fails to render the intracellular compartment less acidic because of a maladaptive reduction in intracellular bicarbonate concentration.

Kinetic and thermodynamic properties of beef heart mitochondrial ATPase: effect of co-solvent systems.

The effects of glycerol and methanol upon beef heart mitochondrial ATPase (F1) were studied. Glycerol was found to be a potent reversible inhibitor of the F1-catalyzed hydrolysis of ATP and ITP. The inhibition of ATP hydrolysis was linear with respect to glycerol concentrations, while that of ITP was not. From the temperature dependence of Vmax for F1-catalyzed ATP and ITP hydrolysis in glycerol or methanol solutions, the energy of activation and the enthalpy of activation were calculated. The inhibitory effect of ADP on F1 hydrolytic activity was studied in three solvent systems (totally aqueous, 20% methanol, and 20% glycerol). Compared to the aqueous system, methanol decreased the potency of ADP as an inhibitor, and glycerol enhanced the potency.

Resource allocation patterns of two California-Sonoran desert ephemerals.

The patterns of allocation of structural and nonstructural carbon were followed in the co-occurring desert ephemerals Plantago insularis and Camissonia boothii. Patterns of biomass distribution were determined from material harvested at biweekly intervals as were levels of nonstructural sugar and starch. Seasonal patterns of growth and reproduction differed markedly with Plantago allocating significantly more structural and nonstructural carbon to reproduction early in the season. Plantago completed its life cycle in less than 60 days but Camissonia continued both vegetative and reproductive growth to over 100 days. The longer growing season of Camissonia was possible because more energy was allocated to vegetative tissues and storage presumably as investment toward longer life and higher levels of reproduction.