Flavonoids enantiomer distribution in different parts of goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea L.), lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) and phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth.)

Plant material is a rich source of valuable compounds such as flavanones. Their different forms influence bioavailability and biological activity, causing problems with the selection of plant material for specific purposes. The purpose of this research was to determine selected flavanone (eriodictyol, naringenin, liquiritigenin, and hesperetin) enantiomer contents in free form and bonded to glycosides by an RP‐UHPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS method. Different parts (stems, leaves, and flowers) of goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea L.), lucerne (Medicago sativa L.), and phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth.) were used. The highest content of eriodictyol was found in goldenrod flowers (13.1 μg/g), where it occurred mainly as the (S)‐enantiomer, and the greatest proportion of the total amount was bonded to glycosides. The richest source of naringenin was found to be lucerne leaves (4.7 μg/g), where it was mainly bonded to glycosides and with the (S)‐enantiomer as the dominant form. Liquiritigenin was determined only in lucerne, where the flowers contained the highest amount (1.2 μg/g), with the (R)‐enantiomer as dominant aglycone form and the (S)‐enantiomer as the dominant glycosylated form. The highest hesperetin content was determined in phacelia leaves (0.38 μg/g), where it was present in the form of a glycoside and only as the (S)‐enantiomer. A comparison of the different analyte forms occurring in different plant parts was performed for the first time.     

Epithelioid sarcoma

The first appearance, the 12-year follow-up, and the autopsy of a patient with a strange soft-tissue tumor in the lower leg region are described. Although it was originally taken for a malignant synovial tumor, its peculiar distribution pattern, together with its histologic picture, confirmed the final diagnosis as an epithelioid sarcoma.     

Ontogenesis of TRH mRNA in the rat pancreas

The rapid changes in TRH levels in the rat pancreas during the neonatal period make this organ an interesting model for the study of the regulation of TRH biosynthesis. Pancreatic RNAs were isolated by the guanidinium thiocyanate method and layered onto CsCl cushion. Northern blot preparations were hybridized with 32P labeled TRH cDNA probe. Pancreatic TRH mRNA was first detected in 19-day old fetuses and reached the highest level on day 0, then decreased, being barely detectable 14 days after birth. The neonatal injection of streptozotocin induced a dramatic drop of TRH mRNA levels 24 hours later. This result suggests that the peculiar evolution of TRH level in pancreas is partly due to the evolution of the expression of the TRH gene.     

Cell degeneration during early development of hymenopteran olfactory sensilla

The imaginal pore plates of Hymenoptera apocrita so far examined embody five or six envelope cells respectively. In early developmental stages, however, supernumerary envelope cells have been found. The results are discussed in the context of cell death as a developmental phenomenon.     

An Estimation Procedure for the Joint Distribution of Spatial Direction and Thickness of Flat Bodies Using Vertical Sections. Part II: An application in soil micromorphology

In soil micromorphology fissures are considered in vertical sections. To get information about the properties of the soil the joint distribution of spatial direction and width of these fissures is of interest. The fissures are mathematically generalized to flat bodies which are defined as stationary weighted surface processes with the weight “thickness”. In a typical point of the surface process suitable, joint parametric distributions of direction and thickness are assumed. The parameters have to be estimated from measurements on vertical sections which are taken from the soil. On these sections only a visible thickness and a visible angle can be observed. The joint distribution of these variables can be expressed by the joint distribution of spatial direction and thickness with the same parameters and in this indirect way the parameters can be estimated. The paper describes how to randomize the vertical section and how to measure the visible variables on the sections. The Chi-Square method is proposed for the parameter estimation. Further it is discussed how to derive good starting values for the numerical procedure. All this is demonstrated in a simulation study using the Bingham-Mardia distribution for the direction and the lognormal distribution for the thickness including a way to correlate the mean thickness and the direction. Finally an application in soil micromorphology is demonstrated for one soil horizon.     

Cloning and expression of the essential gene for guanylate kinase from yeast.

Guanylate kinase catalyzes the reversible transfer of the terminal phosphoryl group of ATP to the acceptor molecule GMP. Detailed analysis of the in vivo function of this enzyme has been limited by the lack of any genetic data. Using oligonucleotides based on amino acid sequence information of the yeast enzyme, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene, GUK1, was isolated and characterized. The gene is present in single copy and maps to chromosome IV. Insertional mutagenesis of the GUK1 locus caused recessive lethality, indicating that this enzyme is necessary for vegetative cell growth. Using inducible expression systems, guanylate kinase was produced in large amounts both in S. cerevisiae and in Escherichia coli.