The three yolk protein genes (yp) of Drosophila melanogaster are transcribed in a sex- and tissue-limited fashion. We have searched for cis-regulatory sequences in regions flanking yp1 and yp2 to identify the elements that confer female-specific expression in the fat body. One such 127 bp element has previously been identified in this region. We show here the existence of two additional regions which confer female fat body-specific expression on an Adh reporter gene and on the native yp2 gene, respectively. This suggests some redundancy in the regulation of expression of the yp genes. Computer searches for putative binding sites for the DSX protein, which regulates sex-specific expression of the yp genes, revealed several such sites in our constructs. However, the significance of these is unclear since many such sites also occur in genes which one would not expect to be regulated in a sex-specific manner (e.g. Adh, Actin 5C). We suggest that DSX acts in concert with other proteins to mediate sex- and tissue-specific expression of the yp genes.

No abstract

No abstract

Flow microfluorometry (FMF) and transrectal fine-needle biopsy were used for obtaining DNA histograms from 50 patients suffering from various prostatic lesions. Based on the cytomorphological pattern, the material was classified as benign prostatic hyperplasia (29 cases), suspected carcinoma (1 case), well-differentiated carcinoma (6 cases), moderately differentiated carcinoma (12 cases) and poorly differentiated carcinoma (2 cases). The biopsy material was prepared for FMF analysis according to a new detergent technique. It was observed that increasing anaplasia paralleled an increasing occurrence of cell populations in the tetraploid and octoploid DNA region. According to the DNA histograms the moderately differentiated carcinomas could be divided into two groups: one with no or a few tetraploid cells (similar to the well-differentiated carcinomas), and another with a high percentage of tetraploid and octoploid cells (similar to the poorly differentiated carcinomas). FMF analysis in combination with fine-needle biopsy is therefore proposed as a valuable addition to the cytomorphological classification of human prostatic carcinoma.

Cyclosporin treatment is often accompanied by hypomagnesaemia and renal magnesium wasting, but it is unknown whether cyclosporin induces tissue magnesium depletion. Magnesium status is best evaluated by measurement of skeletal muscle magnesium content. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate whether skeletal muscle magnesium content was reduced during cyclosporin treatment. In two groups of renal transplant recipients treated with either cyclosporin and prednisolone (group Cy, n = 13) or azathioprine and prednisolone (group Az, n = 17) skeletal muscle content of magnesium, serum magnesium, and urinary excretion of magnesium were determined, and the relationships between skeletal muscle magnesium content, serum magnesium and urinary magnesium were analysed. Skeletal muscle magnesium content did not differ significantly between groups; 7.93 mumol/g wet weight (median) in group Cy versus 8.38 mumol/g wet weight in group Az. Serum magnesium was significantly (P < 0.01) lower in group Cy (0.71 mmol/l) than in group Az (0.82 mmol/l). The urinary excretion of magnesium did not differ between the groups. Skeletal muscle magnesium did not correlate with either serum magnesium or urinary magnesium excretion in group Cy or group Az. Thus the present study indicates that cyclosporin-treated patients are not magnesium depleted, and serum magnesium in these patients does not reflect the skeletal muscle content of magnesium.