A resonance Raman study on the interaction of rifampicin with Escherichia coli RNA polymerase

The technique of resonance Raman spectroscopy has been used to investigate the interaction of the antibiotic rifampicin with Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. Spectra were analyzed by generating the first derivative of each recorded spectrum using the Savitsky-Golay algorithm. The only band that shifted significantly in the resonance Raman spectrum of rifampicin upon the formation of the drug-core polymerase complex was the amide III band. It underwent an 8 cm-1 shift from 1306 cm-1 in aqueous solution to 1314 cm-1. A comparable shift was observed for the rifampicin-holoenzyme complex. Thus, the interaction of the sigma subunit with the core polymerase does not significantly alter the manner in which rifampicin interacts with RNA polymerase. The nature of this shift has been analyzed further by recording the resonance Raman spectrum of rifampicin in a variety of solvents with different hydrogen-bonding solvents (benzene and carbon disulfide) the amide III band was observed at approximately 1220 cm-1; in dimethyl sulfoxide, a weak hydrogen-bond acceptor, 1274 cm-1; in water, a strong hydrogen-bonding solvent, 1306 cm-1; and finally, in triethylamine, a stronger hydrogen-bonding solvent than water, it was observed at 1314 cm-1. Thus, as the hydrogen-bonding ability of the solvent increased, the amide III band shifted to higher frequency. Based on these results, the rifampicin binding site in RNA polymerase provides a stronger hydrogen-bonding environment for the amidic proton of rifampicin than is encountered when rifampicin is free in aqueous solution.     

A possible virus cryptic in carnation

Small isometric virus-like particles were found in low concentration in apparently healthy carnations of the Mediterranean, miniature and Chinese type but not in eleven Sim cultivars tested. Most carnations containing these particles were from Italy but some were from France and the USA. The particles were not transmitted by grafting or by mechanical inoculation but were seed-transmitted to a large proportion of seedlings. Antisera to partially purified particles were obtained. The particles did not react with antisera to twenty-eight isometric plant viruses or virus-like particles but were serologically related to similar particles found in carnations in England, Holland and Israel. When negatively stained, the particles were isometric with a diameter of about 29 nm and a rounded rather than angular profile, but without clear substructure; some particles were penetrated by the stain. The particles remained intact in neutral sodium phosphotungstate. After isopycnic centrifugation in CsCl solution, preparations of particles formed a main band of mean density 1.377 g/ml and other fainter bands that varied in intensity and position in different preparations. In thin sections of carnations, no virus-like particles or cytological abnormalities were observed.     

Differetial sensitivity of spontaneously hypertensive rats to the hypothermic effect of dopaminergic drugs

The dopaminergic agonist apomorphine produces dose-related hypothermia in naive rats as does L-DOPA in carbidopa-pretreated rats. The hypothermic responses to these two dopaminergic drugs were significantly more pronounced and prolonged in the spontaneously hypertensive rat than in normotensive Wistar control rats. The greater sensitivity of the SHR to these drugs was reflected as a leftward shift of the dose-response curves for apomorphine- and L-DOPA-induced hypothermias.     

Differences in chemical composition of plants grown at constant relative growth rates with stable mineral nutrition

Summary Leaf chemistry of a willow clone (Salix aquatica Smith) differed significantly when grown at constant relative growth rates depending upon the relative availability of nutrients and light. Concentration of amino acids and nitrate were high in plants grown with a relative surplus of nutrients. Concentrations of starch, tannin, and lignin, on the other hand, were high in plants grown with a relative surplus of carbon. Photosynthetic rates, expressed per unit leaf area, were similar when plants were grown under high light conditions, regardless of nutrient availability. Dark respiration was much higher in plants supplied with abundant nutrients than in those with a more limited supply, reflecting differences in nitrogen concentration of the tissue. The experimental approach allows plants to be grown to a standard size with differing, but highly uniform chemistry. Plants grown in such a manner may provide good experimental material to evaluate interactions between herbivores or pathogens and their hosts.     

Ultrasonographic assessment of the endometrium in rhesus monkeys during the normal menstrual cycle

This study was undertaken to determine whether cyclical changes in the endometrium of the rhesus monkey could be observed by using ultrasound. Three indices of endometrial size were examined: the antero-posterior (or ventro-dorsal), longitudinal, and transverse diameters. Changes in the ultrasonic reflectivity of the endometrium were also assessed. We have attempted to correlate these endometrial parameters with the hormonal status of the animal. Ultrasonography was performed for an average of 12 consecutive days during 19 menstrual cycles. All ultrasonic recordings were normalized to the day of the estradiol (E2) peak (Day 0). We found that the reflectivity of the endometrium was dependent on the stage of the cycle: during the follicular phase, the endometrium appeared less echogenic (darker) compared to the myometrium; in the luteal phase, the endometrium was more echogenic (lighter). During the follicular phase (Days -9 to 0), there was a linear increase in the antero-posterior (p less than 0.001), longitudinal (p less than 0.05), and transverse (p less than 0.001) diameters. In the luteal phase (Days 1-15), no significant changes were observed in these diameters. An estimated endometrial volume (EEV) was obtained by the product of the antero-posterior, longitudinal, and transverse diameters. Each animal observed during the follicular phase (n = 14) exhibited a peak in the EEV, which correlated with the day of the E2 peak (p less than 0.01). From this study, we conclude that the sonographic appearance of the endometrium of the rhesus monkey reflects the cyclical changes that occur during the menstrual cycle.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Phage P1 Cre-loxP site-specific recombination. Effects of DNA supercoiling on catenation and knotting of recombinant products

Bacteriophage P1 contains a site-specific recombination system consisting of a site, loxP, and a recombinase protein Cre. We have shown that with purified Cre protein we can carry out recombination between two loxP sites in vitro. When that recombination occurs between two sites in direct orientation on the same DNA molecule, we observed the production of free and catenated circular molecules. In this paper we show that recombination between sites in opposite orientation leads to both knotted and unknotted circular products. We also demonstrate that the production of catenanes and knots is influenced by two factors: (1) supercoiling in the DNA substrate, supercoiled DNA substrates yield significantly more catenated and knotted products than nicked circular substrates; and (2) mutations in the loxP site, a class of mutations have been isolated that carry out recombination but result in a distribution of products in which the ratio of catenanes to free circles is increased over that observed with a wild-type site. A more detailed analysis of the products from recombination between wild-type sites indicates: (1) that the catenanes or knots produced by recombination are both simple and complex; (2) that the ratio of free products to catenanes is independent of the distance between the two directly repeated loxP sites; and (3) that for DNA substrates with four loxP sites significant recombination between non-adjacent sites occurs to give free circular products. These observations provide insights into how two loxP sites are brought together during recombination.