Nitric oxide (NO) is a critical mediator of various biological functions. NO is generated from L-arginine by nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which has three isoforms; endothelial-type NOS (eNOS) and brain-type NOS (bNOS) are constitutive enzymes, and inducible-type NOS (iNOS) is expressed after stimulation. We investigated the expression of NOS in normal human skin by an immunohistochemical technique and western blotting analysis. In human skin, epidermal keratinocytes and the outer root sheath were labeled with not only eNOS antibody but also with iNOS antibody. Both eNOS and iNOS protein in epidermal keratinocytes were confirmed by western blotting. eNOS immunoreactivity was observed in endothelial cells, fibroblasts, the arrector pili muscle, apocrine secretory gland, eccrine coiled duct, and eccrine secretory gland. bNOS immunoreactivity was observed in mast cells. No staining with anti-bNOS antibody was observed in any other cell type. Our present findings suggest that epidermal keratinocytes in normal human skin contain both eNOS and iNOS.
Several sweet potato genotypes were found to lack completely or to have only traces ofβ-amylase in their storage roots. Such genotypes do not increase in sweetness during cooking because, without a sufficient amount ofβ-amylase, the normal hydrolysis of starch to maltose does not occur in the cooking process. In order to study the inheritance of this biochemical variant in the genotype, 41 families were generated. The following conclusions were drawn from analyzing these families. (1) This trait is controlled by one recessive allele (designatedβ-amy) (2) It is inherited in a hexasomic or tetradisomic manner, but not disomically or tetrasomically. This conclusion supports previous cytological data that sweet potato is an autohexaploid or has two identical genomes plus one genome which is somewhat different. (3) Theβ-amy allele appears to exist at a high frequency in cultivated germplasm. (4) Breeding sweet potato for lowβ-amylase activity is relatively easy. New types of sweet potato without normalβ-amylase activity have great potential for processing and as a staple food.
Effects of superelongation disease, caused by the fungus Elsinoe Brasiliensis Zeigler and Lozano, on cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) clones (different genotypes) were studied in fields under high natural disease infection to assess value of genetic resistance and efficiency of field selection. The disease caused 20 to 70% yield reduction on susceptible clones relative to resistant clones depending on planting time and presence of cassava bacterial blight. Susceptible clones could not produce good planting stakes for next plantings. On resistant clones, the disease spread slowly while on susceptible ones it spread rapidly causing abnormal stem elongation and leaf death. Resistance was a quantitative trait controlled largely by additive genetic factors and not negatively correlated with yielding ability per se. Cultivar order of resistance was stable over 8 years of observation. Use of resistant parents in hybridizations combined with simple phenotypic field selection under high natural disease pressure should effectively improve resistance of cassava cultivars.
Nitric oxide is generated from L-arginine by nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which has at least three isoforms; endothelial-type NOS (eNOS) and brain-type NOS (bNOS) are constitutive enzymes, and inducible-type NOS (iNOS) is expressed after stimulation. Studies by the avidin-biotin immunocomplex method, revealed eNOS immunoreactivity exclusively in the human eccrine clear cells. No eNOS immunoreactivity was observed in the eccrine dark cells or myoepithelial cells. No staining of iNOS or bNOS was observed in the eccrine gland. These findings indicate that NO plays a physiological part in the production and/or excretion of sweat in the human skin eccrine gland.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.