Analysis of the structure and expression of the c-myc oncogene in cervical tumor and in cervical tumor-derived cell lines

The structure of the c-myc oncogene in 17 cervical tumors and patient-matched nontumor tissues from Chinese patients residing in Taiwan was analysed. In contrast to recent reports on Mexican patients, none of the samples showed rearrangements and sequence amplification in the c-myc gene. The discrepancy may be explained by different carcinogenesis mechanisms being in operation in different geographic regions. Although no structural alterations in the c-myc gene were found in seven cervical carcinoma cell lines analysed, Northern blot analysis indicated different levels of c-myc gene expression which may be related to the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) sequence in the cell and suggests a possible c-myc-hpv interaction in some stages of the transformation process.     

The relationship between anthocyanin accumulation and photoprotection in young leaves of two dominant tree species in subtropical forests in different seasons

Photosynthesis Research - Increasing amounts of experimental evidence show that anthocyanins provide physiological protection to plants under stress. However, the difference in photoprotection...     

Purification and Some Properties of Two Types of Penicillium Lipase,I and II,and Conversion of Types I and II under Various Modification Conditions

The lipase produced by a strain of Penicillium crustosum Thom was fractionated into three lipase components, I～III by DEAE cellulose column chromatography, and two of them, I and II were purified and obtained in crystalline form respectively, which proved homogeneous by electrophoresis and ultracentrifugal analysis. Lipase I was an ordinary lipase with molecular weight about 29,000 hydrolyzing olive oil and tributyrin favourably in almost the same degree, while II, rather, a so-called tributyrinase with M. W. about 32,000 hydrolyzing tributyrin more efficiently than olive oil. The site of the activity on olive oil in these lipase was generally sensitive to sodium desoxycholate, ethylenediamine-tetraacetate (EDTA), and p-chloromercuribenzoate (PCMB), and lipase I was converted to a lipase II by a treatment with these reagents. Also, partial degradation of I by proteinase (‘pronase’) yielded the enzyme fragment of type II. On the other hand, treatment of the enzymes with hydrogen peroxide or sodium borohydride caused the conversion of type II into I. From the observation of UV difference spectrum during incubation with sodium desoxycholate it was indicated that the situation of tryptophane residue in enzyme molecule may have a significance in the activity of lipase I on olive oil.     

Studies on the Glucanase of Sclerotinia Libertiana

Glucanase-treatment of yeast cells was shown to increase the glucose fermenting activity, and decrease the sucrose and maltose fermenting activity. Also, lipase–and phospholipase–treatment decreased the fermenting activity on these sugars. However, the effects on the disaccharide fermenting activity could be reversed under various growth conditions of the yeast cells.

From these results, structural factors envolved in the transport of fermentable sugars into yeast cells are discussed.