Instant success for Instant Pharmacology

Instant Pharmacology (1999). Saeb-Parsy K, Assomull RG, Kahn FZ, Saeb-Parsy K, and Kelly E. John Wiley and Sons 349 pp. £19.99 pbk; ISBN 0471976393 © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Human disease mapping

Approaches to Gene Mapping in Complex Human Diseases (1998). Haines JL and Pericak-Vance MA (Eds). John Wiley & Sons, 434 pp. £45.50 hbk; ISBN 0471171956 © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Isolation of a novel microorganism,Pestalotia heterocornis,producing paclitaxel

Pestalotia heterocornis was isolated from soil collected in yew forest and was shown to produce paclitaxel in semisynthetic liquid media. The presence of paclitaxel in the fungal extract was confirmed by FAB mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. The maximum yield of paclitaxel was 31 μg per liter. Optimal paclitaxel production occurred after 5–7 days in a 20‐liter scale fermentation at 23°C. These results indicate that P. heterocornis is an excellent candidate for consideration in fermentation technology. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 64: 620–623, 1999.     

Fibrils as extracellular appendages of bacteria: Their role in contact-mediated cell-cell interactions in Myxococcus xanthus

Social behavior in the myxobacterium Myxococcus xanthus involves epicellular, peritrichous appendages called fibrils. These are polysaccharide organelles containing a set of tightly adhering proteins. It is proposed that cell-cell contact is perceived by the fibrils and is mediated by the action of a fibrillar ADP-ribosyl transferase. Fibrils or fibril-like organelles have also been found on a variety of other gram-negative bacteria and at least one archaeon, and may mediate cell-cell contact between the bacteria themselves or between the bacteria and their eukaryotic host cells. BioEssays 21:590–595, 1999. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

New growth factors for imaginal discs

Several families of peptide growth factors are implicated in regulating cell growth and proliferation of vertebrate cells in culture. Genetic studies in Drosophila implicate some of these factors in growth control in vivo. A recent report identifies a new family of growth factors, related to chitinase enzymes, required by Drosophila imaginal disc cells in culture.⁽¹⁾ It will be of interest to determine how such factors relate to size regulation during development. BioEssays 21:718–720, 1999. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A method to detect nonproline cis peptide bonds in proteins

Based on the geometrical parameters around seventeen incorrectly assigned trans conformations of peptide bonds in protein structures and their correct cis counterparts, we have devised an algorithm that is capable of detecting these sites. The algorithm was optimized to reliably find all of the seventeen test cases. It can be used to quickly scan an atomic coordinate file or the complete Brookhaven Protein Data Base for more likely candidates for non‐Pro cis peptide bonds. Also, it can be of help to guide the crystallographer in intermediate stages of structure determination towards suspect areas. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biopoly 50: 536–544, 1999     

Benzotriazonine as a new core structure for the design of CCK‐receptor antagonists

The search for heterocyclic scaffolds for the design of non‐peptidic and highly selective agonists or antagonists of peptide hormone receptors led to 4‐N‐benzyl‐2,3,4,5,6,7‐hexahydro‐1H‐1,4,7‐benzotriazonin‐2,6‐dione with a 9‐membered core structure as a new low mass lead compound that exhibits submicromolar antagonistic activity at the CCK‐A receptor with a 54‐fold selectivity over the CCK‐B/gastrin receptor. Copyright © 1999 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparative studies of Nsc and Fmoc as Nα‐protecting groups for SPPS

2‐(4‐Nitrophenyl)sulfonylethoxycarbonyl (Nsc) is an alternative base‐labile N^α‐protecting group to 9‐fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) for amino acids. The UV spectrum of the Nsc group exhibits moderate absorption at 380 nm which is excellent for real‐time monitoring of the deprotection process. It also decreases the rearrangement of X‐Asp, which can be a serious problem in SPPS. Copyright © 1999 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Words derived from the noun peptide

Modifications of the noun peptide are explored and clarified; a few are condemned. Copyright © 2006 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Intrinsic proton relaxation parameters of hydrated polyglycine from two‐dimensional time domain NMR

Proton two‐dimensional time domain nmr involving T₁, T_1ρ, T_1D, and T₂ measurements was applied to hydrated polyglycine powders. The results were analyzed for magnetization exchange and found to be consistent with a general three‐site (glycine–water–glycine) exchange model. The intrinsic glycine and water proton relaxation parameters as well as the three exchange rates were obtained. Estimates of correlation times for water molecule motion at hydration sites are presented. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biopoly 50: 630–640, 1999     

Supercritical carbon dioxide in combination with silica gel to fractionate essential oils

Supercritical fluids have high selectivity thanks to the fact that their solvating power can be varied either physically or chemically. Supercritical carbon dioxide (SC CO₂) in combination with silica gel can successfully be applied to fractionate essential oils. By modifying the elution strength of SC CO₂ through its density, several essential oils were fractionated, and it was possible to separate compounds of very similar polarity into different fractions. In particular, the essential oils of Mentha × piperita L., Tagetes × lucida L. and Matricaria × chamomilla L. were processed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Scale‐up of citric acid fermentation by redox potential control

To obtain high citric acid productivity in Aspergillus niger fermentation on beet molasses substrate, a certain redox potential profile with two maxima (260 and 280 mV) and two minima (180 and 80 mV) must be maintained. The most effective regulation of redox potential is by regulation of aeration and agitation. It has been shown that control of redox potential by aeration and agitation is a most successful method for scale‐up from 10‐L laboratory scale to the 100‐ and 1000‐L pilot‐plant scale, even in geometrically dissimilar stirred‐tank reactors. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 64: 552–557, 1999.     

Improvement of red pigment/citrinin production ratio as a function of environmental conditions by monascus ruber

The growth and metabolic behaviour of the filamentous fungus Monascus ruber were studied in submerged cultures under various aeration and agitation conditions. Improving the oxygen supply, by increasing either the air input or the agitation speed, resulted in modified metabolism: the biomass yield, the consumption of the nitrogen source (monosodium glutamate), and the production of secondary metabolites (red pigment and citrinin) all increased. However, the citrinin production increased more than that of the red pigment. In consequence, a low oxygen transfer coefficient was required to improve the red pigment/citrinin production ratio. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 64: 497–501, 1999.     

Behaviour of dehydroalanine derivatives under hydrazinolysis conditions. Possible relevance to glycoprotein hydrazinolysis

Reactions that are relevant to the cleavage, by hydrazinolysis, of O‐linked oligosaccharides from glycoproteins were studied using dehydroalanine derivatives as models of the intermediates formed from O‐glycosylated serine residues. Conjugate addition of hydrazine followed by cyclisation to form pyrazolidinones, if occurring during glycoprotein hydrazinolysis, could reduce the yield of released oligosaccharide. However, N‐acetyldehydroalanine amide derivatives, which modelled the dehydroalanine derivatives believed to be intermediates in the hydrazinolysis of glycoproteins containing O‐linked oligosaccharides, underwent conjugate addition but no cyclisation. Copyright © 1999 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Muscle pattern diversification in Drosophila: the story of imaginal myogenesis

There are two phases of somatic muscle formation in Drosophila. During embryonic development, one phase of myogenesis generates larval muscle elements that mediate the relatively simple behavioural repertoire of the larva. During pupal metamorphosis, a diverse pattern of muscle fibres are assembled, and these facilitate the more elaborate behavioural patterns of the adult fly. In this review, we discuss the current status of understanding of the cellular, genetic, and molecular mechanisms of pattern formation during the second phase, imaginal muscle development. We briefly compare aspects of embryonic and adult myogenesis in Drosophila and muscle development in vertebrates and highlight conserved themes and disparities between these diverse myogenic programmes. BioEssays 21:486–498, 1999. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Recognition of sorting signals by clathrin adaptors

Sorting of membrane proteins is generally mediated by cytosolic coats, which create a scaffold to form coated buds and vesicles and to selectively concentrate cargo by interacting with cytosolic signals. The classical paradigm is the interaction between clathrin coats and associated adaptor proteins, which cluster receptors with characteristic tyrosine and dileucine motifs during endocytosis. Clathrin in association with different sets of adaptors is found in addition at the trans-Golgi network and endosomes. Sequences similar to internalization signals also direct lysosomal and basolateral sorting, which implicates related clathrin-adaptor coats in the respective sorting pathways. This review concentrates on the recognition of sorting signals by clathrin-associated adaptor proteins, an area of significant recent progress due to new methodological and conceptual approaches. BioEssays 21:558–567, 1999. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis of the C‐terminal penta‐ peptide of the peptaibol culicinins

The synthesis of the C‐terminal pentapeptide of culicinins has been achieved using [4 + 1] protocol and reduction‐coupling strategy. Copyright © 2009 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Process intensification by direct product sequestration from batch fermentations: Application of a fluidised bed,multi‐bed external loop contactor

A critical comparison has been made of the relative efficacy of the primary purification of an extracellular acid protease produced by the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica. The performance of conventional, discrete sequences of fermentation, broth clarification and fixed bed, anion exchange chromatography has been compared with fluidised bed adsorption directly interfaced with post‐term fermentation broth and fluidised bed adsorption directly integrated with productive fermentations (so‐called direct product sequestration; DPS). Advantages of the latter, in terms of the improved yield and molecular quality of the protease end product are discussed in terms of the design, assembly and operation of component parts of DPS devices and their generic application to other extracellular bioproducts of microbial fermentations. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 64: 310–321, 1999.