Polyamines as modulators of lipoperoxidation.

The polyamines spermine and spermidine and the diamine putrescine inhibit lipid peroxidation in phospholipid liposome suspensions and rat liver homogenates. Using the chemiluminescence technique the antioxidant activity of polyamines was found to be due to reactions with the free radical intermediates of lipid peroxidation and/or superoxide radicals. Also, the antioxidant action of polyamines correlated with the amount of their amino groups: the antioxidant activity increases from putrescine to spermine.     

Somatic Embryogenesis and Analysis of Peroxidase in Cultured Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Cotyledons

Somatic embryos were induced in lettuce cotyledons culturedon Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium containing either 2 mgl^–1 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) and 0.2 mg l^–1 naphthaleneaceticacid (NAA) or 0.2 mg l^–1 BA and 2 mg l^–1 NAA. Bothcombinations induced a frequency of over 70%. The explants culturedonly in the presence of 2,4-dichlorphenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)did not produce somatic embryos. The development of the embryoidswas studied histologically and by scanning electron microscopy.Peroxidase activity was assayed and the isoenzyme pattern ofcalluses was determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.Callus from an embryogenic line showed a much higher peroxidaseactivity than that from a non-embryogenic line, one extra peroxidaseisozyme band being present and typical of the embryogenic callus.No qualitative differences were detectable between the embryogeniccalluses. Lactuca sativa L, lettuce, somatic embryogenesis, peroxidases, isoenzymes     

Molecular analysis of phenol-degrading microbial strains

In an attempt to estimate the occurrence of phenol hydroxylase-related gene sequences we performed a dot blot hybridization assay with DNA from phenol utilizing Trichosporon cutaneum R57 strain NBIMCC 2414 and microbial isolates from different wastewaters. The used oligonucletides were homologous to the 5'-end of TORPHD locus (NCBI)-coding phenol hydroxylase in Trichosporon cutaneum ATCC 46490 and to the 5'-end of TORCCMLE locus (NCBI)-coding cis,cis-muconate-lactonizing enzyme in Trichosporon cutaneum ATCC 58094. Two microbial strains, Escherichia coli JM 109 and Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356, incapable to degrade phenol were used as negative controls. We established the presence of hybridization with both used oligonucleotide probes in T. cutaneum R57 and T. cutaneum ATCC 46490 yeast strains. The experiments implemented with microbial isolates obtained from three industrialized areas in Bulgaria showed that 7 of them may carry sequences hybridizing with a phenol hydroxylase oligonucleotide probe. A subsequent hybridization test for the cis,cis-muconate-lactonizing enzyme showed that only 3 of them displayed a positive signal. Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 and Escherichia coli JM 109 strains' DNA used as negative controls in the experiments did not reveal any sequence similarity to the both applied oligonucleotides. The partial nucleotide sequences of 16S rDNAs of the isolated strains C1 and K1 obtained as PCR products were determined and sequenced. A comparison of these nucleotide sequences with similar sequences in NCBI Data Bank indicated that both C1 and K1 strains are closely related to the genera Acinetobacter and Burkholderia.     

珍稀濒危植物翅果油树表皮毛的微形态观察研究

利用体视显微镜、扫描电镜和光学显微镜,对珍稀濒危植物翅果油树(Elaeagnus mollis Diels)的茎、叶、果、休眠芽等多种器官表面覆盖的表皮毛,进行了详细观察．发现其表皮毛的形态和结构具有多样性,各器官有差异,据此将它们分为分支状毛、星状毛、盾状-星状毛、盾状毛四类,以及一些特殊的表皮毛,如：分支状毛与星状毛或盾状-星状毛的过渡类型称为类星状毛和类盾状-星状毛．叶片上表面的表皮毛,为分枝状表皮毛,且稀疏散布．叶片下表面的白色表皮毛,也多为分枝状表皮毛,但分布较密,叶主脉处最为稠密多为星状毛．叶柄的表皮毛形态呈现一定的梯度变化,远轴端(靠近叶片端)为类星状毛,近轴端(靠近茎的一端)为盾状-星状表皮毛,中间段为星状毛介于前二者之间．茎表面灰色的或褐色的表皮毛,以盾状表皮毛为主,夹杂少量盾状-星状表皮毛,因茎的老嫩其表皮毛形态略有不同．外果皮沟槽内的表皮毛多为盾状表皮毛,嵴部则密集星状或分支状表皮毛．休眠芽的鳞片多覆盖盾状表皮毛,只在鳞片的尖端有少量星状毛和分枝状毛．翅果油树多种器官表面多种表皮毛的存在是其适应高山(海拔800～1300m)环境的一种形态特征．表皮毛具有反射阳光、阻止水分过度散失、保温、防止机械损伤等功能．为探究翅果油树耐早、耐寒、耐高温机理以及组织培养过程中外植体易污染等问题,提供了形态学依据,也为进一步进行表皮毛的发育和分子生物学研究打下了一定的基础。     

Novel cleavable cell‐penetrating peptide–drug conjugates: synthesis and characterization

We report the first drug conjugate with a negatively charged amphipathic cell‐penetrating peptide. Furthermore, we compare two different doxorubicin cell‐penetrating peptide conjugates, which are both unique in their properties, due to their net charge at physiological pH, namely the positively charged octaarginine and the negatively charged proline‐rich amphipathic peptide. These conjugates were prepared exploiting a novel heterobifunctional crosslinker to join the N‐terminal cysteine residue of the peptides with the aliphatic ketone of doxorubicin. This small linker contains an activated thiol as well as aminooxy functionality, capable of generating a stable oxime bond with the C‐13 carbonyl group of doxorubicin. The disulfide bond formed between the peptide and doxorubicin enables the release of the drug in the cytosol, as confirmed by drug‐release studies performed in the presence of glutathione. Additionally, the cytotoxicity as well as the cellular uptake and distribution of this tripartite drug delivery system was investigated in MCF‐7 and HT‐29 cell lines. Copyright © 2014 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pollen grains ofAmbrosia in the air of Sofia,Bulgaria

Up to now,Ambrosia pollen has not been considered a cause of allergy symptoms in Bulgaria. However, the results of pollen monitoring suggest that such allergies will become inevitable in the near future. This conclusion is supported by allergometric data on 120 patients.     

The effect of isoprenaline on the aggregation and adhesive properties of circulating rat neutrophils]

It is well known that isoprenaline (1-3-4-dihydroxy-phenyl-isopropyl-aminoethanol) (IP) induce necrosis in myocardium of laboratory animals, which is similar to pathomorphological development of clinical myocardial infarction. This process is accompanied by peripheral blood leukocytes. The IP-inductor effects on arachidonate-dependent aggregation and endothelial adhesion of peripheral blood neutrophils (PN) were studied in this paper. The enhancement of PN aggregational properties within 2-4 hours after intravenous IP-injection to rats was demonstrated. Using the method of vital microscopy it was shown that intravenous IP-injection to rats or IP-application on rat mesentery lead to an increase of leukocyte's marginal pool on the endothelium of mesenteric venules. However, it was noted that the change of cell functional properties is not due to the direct influence of IP on PN. The pathogenetic mechanisms of IP-induced cardiomyopathy in rats were discussed.