Reviews of Publications

Dung Beetle Ecology , edited by I. Hanski and Y. Cambefort.
The Environmental Impact of Burrowing Animals and Animal Burrows (Symposia of the Zoological Society of London No. 63) , edited by P. S. Meadows and A. Meadows.
Mammoths, Mastodonts and Elephants , by G. Haynes
Major Events in the History of Life , edited by J. W. Schopf.
Thomas Horsfield's Zoological Researches in Java and the Neighbouring Islands , with a memoir by J. Bastin.
Reproductive Biology of the Invertebrates, Vol. IV Part B, Fertilization, Development and Parental Care , edited by K. G. Adiyodi & R. G. Adiyodi     

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
B asic B iotechnology . A S tudent's G uide (1987). Edited by P. Prave, U. Faust, W. Sittig & D.A. Sukatsch.
B acteria AS P lant P athogens (1987). By Eve Billing.
B iotechnology. A C omprehensive T reatise I n 8 V olumes .
C urrent T opics I n M icrobiology A nd I mmunology 136: T he M olecular B iology O f B acterial V irus S ystems (1988). Edited by G. Hobom & R. Rott.
G enetic B iochemistry : F rom G ene T o P rotein (1988). By J. Etienne-Decant.
I ntracellular B acteria : C urrent T opics I n M icrobiology A nd I mmunology N o.
P roceedings O f T he 8TH I nternational B iotechnology S ymposium P aris 1988 (1989). Edited by G. Durand, L. Bobichon & J. Florent. Vol.
B iological W aste T reatment (1989). Edited by A. Mizrahi.
I n V itro T echniques I n R esearch (1989). Edited by J.W. Payne.
B loodstream I nfections : L aboratory D etection A nd C linical C onsiderations (1989). By C.L. Strand & J.A. Shulman.
M etal -M icrobe I nteraction (1989). Edited by Robert K. Poole & Geoffrey M. Gadd.
B iochemistry O f A ntimicrobial A ction (1989). By T.J. Franklin & G.A. Snow.
T heory A nd A pplication O f M icrobial A ssay (1989). By W. Hewitt & S. Vincent.     

Also received

Becking , J.H. 1989. Henri James Victor Sody (1892–1959). His Life and Work. A Biographical and Bibliographical Study. Bennett , L., Hywel -Davis , J. & Thom , V. 1989. The Macmillan Guide to Britain's Nature Reserves. Canning , R.A., R.J. & S.G. 1987. Birds of the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. Epple , W. & Schmid , G. 1988. Artenschutzsymposium Braunkehlchen des Deutschen Bundes für Vogelschutz, Landesverband Baden-Württemberg e. V. (Beih. Veröff. Naturschutz Landschaftspfl. Bad.-Württ. 51). Flint , V.E. & Tomkovich , P.S. (eds) 1988. Waders in the USSR: Distribution, Biology and Conservation. (Russian.) Génot , J.-C. 1989. Athene noctua: World Bibliography. Green , G. & Cade , M. 1989. Where to Watch Birds in Dorset, Hampshire & the Isle of Wight. Holmgren , V.C. 1988. Owls in Folklore and Natural History. Hudson , W.H. 1988. The Bird Biographies of W.H. Hudson. Immelmann , K. & Beer , C. 1989. A Dictionary of Ethology. Keppelman , T. 1988. Hummingbirds. A New York Graphic Society Book. Litvinenko , N.M. & Neufeldt , I.A. (eds) 1988. The Palearctic Cranes. (Russian.) Morrison , P. 1989. Bird Habitats of Great Britain and Ireland. National Wildlife Federation 1989. Conservation Directory 34th edition. A List of Organizations, Agencies, and Officials Concerned with Natural Resource Use and Management. Scott , P. 1988. A Coloured Key to the Wildfowl of the World. revised ed. Ruge , K., Havelka , P. & Schmid , G. 1988. Artenschutzsymposium Saatkrähe der Landesanstalt für Umweltschutz Baden-Württemberg, Institut fur Ökologie und Naturschutz (Staatliche Vogelschutz-warte) und des Deutschen Bundes für Vogelschutz, Sema , A.M. 1989. The Phenology of Bird Migrations in Kazakhstan. (Russian.) Stroud , D.A. (ed.) 1989. Birds on Coll and Tiree: Status, Habitats and Conservation. Welty , J.C. & Baptista , L.F. 1988. The Life of Birds. 4th edn.     

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
C oncepts in V iral P athogenesis III (1989). Edited by A.L. Notkins & M.B.A. Old-stone.
A C olour A tlas of M eat I nspection (1990). By J. Infante Gil & J. Costa Durao.
P romiscuous P lasmids of G ram -N egative B acteria (1989). Edited by Christopher M. Thomas.
S hort P rotocols in M olecular B iology (1989). Edited by F.M. Ausubel et al.
G enetics of B acterial D iversity (1989). Edited by D.A. Hopwood & K.F. Chater.
Y east G enetics . A M anual of M ethods (1989). By J.F.T. Spencer, D.M. Spencer & I.J. Burce.
M etals and M icro -O rganisms (1989). By M.N. Hughes & R.K. Poole.
S eed -B orne D isease and S eed H ealth T esting of R ice (1989). By P. C. Agarwal, C.N. Mortensen & S.B. Mathur.     

Books

Books reviewed in this article: Antas , P.T.Z. & Cavalcanti , R.B. 1988. Aves Comuns do Planalto Central. Chandler , R.J. 1989. The Macmillan Field Guide to North Atlantic Shorebirds. Clutton -Brock , T.H. (ed.). 1988. Reproductive Success: studies of individual variations in contrasting breeding systems. Delin , H. & Svensson , L. 1988. Photographic Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe. Dunning , J.S. 1987. South American Birds—a photographic aid to identification. Ewans , M. 1989. Bharatpur Bird Paradise. Frugis , S., Malaguzzi , G., Vicini , G. & Cristina , Grimmett , R.F.A. & Jones , T.A. (eds) 1989. Important Bird Areas in Europe. Hutchinson , C.D. 1989. Birds in Ireland. Iapichino , C. & Massa , B. 1989. The Birds of Sicily. Kilham , L. 1989. The American Crow and the Common Raven. Kooyman , G.L. 1989. Diverse Divers: physiology and behaviour. Mearns , B. & Mearns , R. 1988. Biographies for Birdwatchers Mingozzi , T., Boano , G., Pulcher , C. & Collaborators. Poole , A. 1989. Ospreys: a Natural and Unnatural History. Pringle , J.D. 1987. The Shorebirds of Australia. Rheinwald , G., Ogden , J. & Schulz , H. (eds) 1989. Weißstorch: Status und Schutz. White Stork: Status and Conservation. Roughgarden , J., May , R.M. & Levin S.A. 1989. Perspectives in Ecological Theory. Sheail , J. 1985. Pesticides and Nature Conservation—The British Experience 1950–1975. Stalmaster , M. 1987. The Bald Eagle. Turner , A. & Rose , C. 1989. A Handbook to the Swallows and Martins of the World. Viksne , J. (ed.) 1989. Latvian Breeding Bird Atlas 1980–1984 (in Latvian, Russian and English). Ashmole , M. & P. 1989. Natural History Excursions in Tenerife. Axelson , R.D. 1989. Caring for Your Pet Bird. Bauer , K. 1989. Rote Listen der Gefährdeten Vögel und Säugetiere Österreichs und Verzeichnisse der in Österreich vorkommenden Arten. Bircham , P. 1989. The Birds of Cambridgeshire Boyd , H. & Pirot , J.-Y. (eds) 1989. Flyways and Reserve Networks for Waterbirds. Brasseler , H. 1987. Bibliography of Ornithological Bibliographies II. Donkin , R.A. 1989. The Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata domestica. Elliott , R.E. 1989. Birds of Islay. Flint , V.E., Boehme , R.L., Kostin , Y.V. & Kuznetsov , A.A. 1989. A Field Guide to the Birds of the USSR. Translated from the Russian by N. Bourso-Leland. Holmgren , V.C. 1986. The Way of the Hummingbird. Hulm , P. (ed.) 1989. World Wildlife Conservation Yearbook 1987/88. Inskipp , T., Broad , S. & Luxmoore , R. (eds) 1988. Significant Trade in Wildlife: A review of the Selected Species in CITES Appendix II. Volume 3: Birds Kofalk , H. 1989. No Woman Tenderfoot. Florence Merriam Bailey, Pioneer Naturalist. Kondratiev , A. Ya. 1989. Bulletin of the Working Group on Waders (in Russian). Lohmann , M. & Haarmann , K. 1989. Vogelparadiese—122 Biotope zwischen Wattenmeer und Bodensee. Lorand , S. & Atkin , K. 1989. The Birds of Lincolnshire and South Humberside. Monval , J.-Y. & Pirot , J.-Y. (rds) 1989. Results of the IWRB International Waterfowl Census 1967–1986. Moss , S. 1988. Natural History of the Antarctic Peninsula. Ogilvie , M. & Winter , S. (eds) 1989. Best Days with British Birds. Orton , D.A. 1989. The Hawkwatcher. Adventures among birds of prey in the wild. Paynter , R.A. Jr. 1989. Ornithological Gazetteer of Paraguay. 2nd ed. Pemberton , J.E. (ed.) 1989. The Birdwatcher's Yearbook and Diary 1990. Pickford , P. & B., & Tarboton , W. 1989. African Birds of Prey. Reilly , P. 1988. The Lyrebird. Santa Barbara Software Products 1988. World Birdbase: Users Manual. Santa Barbara: Santa Barbara Software Products. Schembri , P.J. & Sultana , J. (ed.) 1989. Red Data Book for the Maltese Islands. Scottish Chouch Study Group . 1989. Choughs and Land-use in Europe. Van Someren , G.R. Cunningham & Van Someren , L.A. 1989. Van Somerens' Birds I.     

Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Blaxter , K. (1989): Energy metabolism in animals and man (Energieumsatz bei Mensch und Tieren). Schmuck , R. (1989): Ökophysiologie afrikanischer Riedfrösche: Besiedlung extremer Lebensräume (Ecophysiology of African reed frogs: life in extreme environments). Gans , C, & R. B. Huey, eds. (1988): Biology of the Reptilia. Creutz , G. (1986): Die Wasseramsel Cinclus cinclus (The dipper). Hachfeld , B. (1989): Der Kranich (The crane). Fleming , T. H. (1989): The short-tailed fruit bat (Die Brillen-Blattnase). Poppen , T. (1989): Lebensraumansprüche des Fischotters Lutra lutra L. Unter-suchungen zur Limnologie und Uferstruktur an ostfriesischen Gewässern (Environmental requirements of the otter). Raesfeld , F. von, & K. Reulecke (1988): Das Rotwild. Naturgeschichte - Hege -Jagdausübung (Red deer. Natural history and management). Drechsler , H. (1988): Altersentwicklung und Altersansprache beim Rotwild. Anderson , P. K. (1989): Dispersal in rodents: A resident fitness hypothesis (Abwanderung bei Nagetieren: Vom Nutzen, zu bleiben).     

Subunit 8 of theSaccharomyces cerevisiae cytochromebc 1 complex interacts with succinate-ubiquinone reductase complex

We have investigated the function of subunit 8 of the cytochromebc ₁ complex by generating six site-directed mutants, F46C, R51S, P62V, G64A, R91N, and W69-stop, in the clonedQCR8 gene and expressing the mutated genes in aSaccharomyces cerevisiae strain in which the chromosomal copy ofQCR8 is deleted. The W69-stop mutation impairs assembly of thebc ₁ complex and growth of yeast on nonfermentable carbon sources as does deletion ofQCR8 [Maarse, A. C., De Haan, M., Schoppink, P. J., Berden, J. A., and Grivell, L. A. (1988).Eur. J. Biochem. 172, 179–184], implying that the C-terminus of subunit 8 is important for assembly and/or the stability of thebc ₁ complex. The F46C, R51S, P62V, G64A, and R91N mutations do not affect the growth of yeast on nonfermentable carbon sources, not do they lower the activity or alter the inhibitor sensitivity of thebc ₁ complex. Rather, some of the mutations increase the cytochromec reductase activity of thebc ₁ complex by as much as 40%. However, succinate-ubiquinone reductase activity was consistently reduced 40–60% in mitochondrial membranes from these mutants, while NADH-ubiquinone reductase activity was not affected. In addition, the activation of succinate-ubiquinone reductase activity by succinate was diminished by the F46C, R51S, P62V, and G64A mutations. These results indicate that the cytochromebc ₁ complex participates in electron transfer from succinate to ubiquinonein situ and also suggest an interaction between succinate-ubiquinone reductase and cytochromebc ₁ complex which involves subunit 8 of thebc ₁ complex.     

Progesterone 5β‐reductase genes of the Brassicaceae family as function‐associated molecular markers

This study aimed to define progesterone 5β‐reductases (P5βR, EC 1.3.99.6, enone 1,4‐reductases) as function‐associated molecular markers at the plant family level. Therefore cDNAs were isolated from 25 Brassicaceae species, including two species, Erysimum crepidifolium and Draba aizoides, known to produce cardiac glycosides. The sequences were used in a molecular phylogeny study. The cladogram created is congruent to the existing molecular analyses. Recombinant His‐tagged forms of the P5βR cDNAs from Aethionema grandiflorum, Draba aizoides, Nasturtium officinale, Raphanus sativus and Sisymbrium officinale were expressed in E. coli. Enone 1,4‐reductase activity was demonstrated in vitro using progesterone and 2‐cyclohexen‐1‐one as substrates. Evidence is provided that functional P5βRs are ubiquitous in the Brassicaceae. The recombinant P5βR enzymes showed different substrate preferences towards progesterone and 2‐cyclohexen‐1‐one. Sequence comparison of the catalytic pocket of the P5βR enzymes and homology modelling using Digitalis lanata P5βR (PDB ID: 2V6G) as template highlighted the importance of the hydrophobicity of the binding pocket for substrate discrimination. It is concluded that P5βR genes or P5βR proteins can be used as valuable function‐associated molecular markers to infer taxonomic relationship and evolutionary diversification from a metabolic/catalytic perspective.     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Geier , P. W., Clark , L. R., Anderson , D. J. and Nix, H. A. (Editors). Insects: Studies in population management. V. P. RAO, M. A. GHANI, T. SANKARAN and K. C. MATHUR: A Review of the biological control of insects and other pests in South-East Asia and the Pacific Region. F. G. MAXWELL & F. A. HARRIS (Eds.) Proceedings of the summer institute on biological control of plant insects and diseases.     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
A ntiviral A gents and V iral D iseases of M an (1990). Edited by G.J. Galasso, R.J. Whiteley & T.C. Merigan.
D eadly A llies : C anada's S ecret W ar 1937–1947 (1989). By J. Bryden.
T he S tructures of O-S pecific P olysaccharides of B acterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1989). By N. K. Kochetkov & Yu. A. Knirel.     

Design and Analysis of Vaccine Studies by HALLORAN,M. E., LONGINI JR., I. M., and STRUCHINER,C. J.

Design and Analysis of Vaccine Studies (M. E. Halloran, I. M. Longini Jr. and C. J. Struchiner) Neal Alexander A SAS/IML Companion for Linear Models (J. J. Perrett) James E. Gentle Introducing Monte Carlo Methods with R (C. P. Robert and G. Casella) Brian D. Ripley Introductory Time Series with R (P. S. P. Cowpertwait and A. V. Metcalfe)
W. K. Li Linear Model Methodology (A. I. Khuri) Ronald R. Hocking     

Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Bateson , P. P. G., & P. H. Klopfer, eds. (1985): Perspectives in ethology Vol. 6: Mechanisms (Perspektiven der Ethologie Bd. 6: Mechanismen). Bateson , P. P. G., & P. H. Klopfer, eds. (1987): Perspectives in ethology, Vol. 7: Alternatives (Perspektiven der Ethologie. Bd. 7: Andere Lösungen, andere Denkweisen). Alexander , R. McNeill (1988): Elastic mechanisms in animal movement (Die Bedeutung elastischer Materialien für die Fortbewegung von Tieren). Nultsch , W. (1988): Untersuchungen zum Bewegungs- und Reaktionsverhalten des Flagellaten Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Locomotion and reactivity of the flagellate Ch. r.). Görtz , H.-D. (1988): Paramecium. Anderson , O. R. (1988): Comparative protozoology. Ecology, physiology, life history (Vergleichende Protozoologie — Ökologie, Physiologie, Lebensablauf). Burggren , W. W., & B. R. McMahon, eds. (1988): Biology of the land crabs (Biologie der Landkrabben). Matthes , D. (1988): Tierische Parasiten (Animal parasites). Despommier , D. D., & J. W. Karapelou , eds. (1987): Parasite life cycles (Entwicklungszyklen von Parasiten). Görtz , H.-D. (1988): Symbiose, Parasitismus und andere Vergesellschaftungen von Tieren (Symbiosis, parasitism and other animal communities). Kalusche , D. (1989): Wechselwirkungen zwischen Organismen (Reciprocal actions between organisms). Basiswissen Biologie 2.     

Associations between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and Rhynchrelyrum repens in abandoned quarries in southern China

The association between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and Rhynchrelyrum repens was investigated. In six abandoned quarries in the Pearl River Delta area, R. repens was found to be associated with nine AMF species, including Glomus versiforme, G. brohultii, G. microaggregatum, G. clarum and G. claroideum, Acaulospora delicata, A. mellea, A. mollowae and Entrophospora infrequens. The genus Glomus and the species G. brohultii were recorded at the highest frequencies. Three typical arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) structures, i.e. hyphae, vesicles and arbuscules, were found in the roots of the R. repens specimens collected from all the quarries investigated. Vesicles were the most frequently recorded structure. Results of a container-based experiment showed that R. repens had very high mortality (83.3%) in the absence of AMF in soil containing sufficient P (phosphorus); this indicates that R. repens is an obligate mycotroph. The presence of AMF significantly increased the biomass accumulation of R. repens seedlings (p < 0.01). It was also observed that AMF colonization was related to soil P and K (potassium) utilization by R. repens seedlings. It is, therefore, important to inoculate with AMF when using R. repens for the restoration of damaged ecosystems.     

Evaluation of North American isolates of Soybean mosaic virus for gain of virulence on Rsv‐genotype soybeans with special emphasis on resistance‐breaking determinants on Rsv4

Resistance to Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) in soybean is conferred by three dominant genes: Rsv1, Rsv3 and Rsv4. Over the years, scientists in the USA have utilized a set of standard pathotypes, SMV‐G1 to SMV‐G7, to study interaction with Rsv‐genotype soybeans. However, these pathotypes were isolated from a collection of imported soybean germplasm over 30 years ago. In this study, 35 SMV field isolates collected in recent years from 11 states were evaluated for gain of virulence on soybean genotypes containing individual Rsv genes. All isolates were avirulent on L78‐379 (Rsv1), whereas 19 were virulent on L29 (Rsv3). On PI88788 (Rsv4), 14 of 15 isolates tested were virulent; however, only one was capable of systemically infecting all of the inoculated V94‐5152 (Rsv4). Nevertheless, virulent variants from 11 other field isolates were rapidly selected on initial inoculation onto V94‐5152 (Rsv4). The P3 cistrons of the original isolates and their variants on Rsv4‐genotype soybeans were sequenced. Analysis showed that virulence on PI88788 (Rsv4) was not associated, in general, with selection of any new amino acid, whereas Q1033K and G1054R substitutions were consistently selected on V94‐5152 (Rsv4). The role of Q1033K and G1054R substitutions, individually or in combination, in virulence on V94‐5152 (Rsv4) was confirmed on reconstruction in the P3 cistron of avirulent SMV‐N, followed by biolistic inoculation. Collectively, our data demonstrate that SMV has evolved virulence towards Rsv3 and Rsv4, but not Rsv1, in the USA. Furthermore, they confirm that SMV virulence determinants on V94‐5152 (Rsv4) reside on P3.     

Molecular Mechanics and Dynamics of an Abasic Frameshift in DNA and Comparison to NMR Data

Abstract

In a previous publication (Ph. Cuniasse, L.C. Sowers, R. Eritja, B. Kaplan, M.F. Goodman, J.A.H. Cognet, M. Le Bret, W. Guschlbauer and G.V. Fazakerley, Biochemistry 28, 2018 (1989), we determined by two dimensional NMR studies and molecular mechanics calculations the three-dimensional structure of a non-selfcomplementary oligonucleotide:

5′d(C1 P1 G2 P2 G3 P3 dr4 P4 G5 P5 G6 P6 C7)3′

3′d(G13P12C12PllCll P10 C10 P9 C9 P8 G8)5′

where dr, at the center of the first strand, is a model abasic site. In order to explain all the results arising from NMR measurements, we found that an equilibrium between two conformations was necessary. These conformations differ mainly by the sugar pucker of G5 which is C2′ endo or C3′ endo. The latter is stabilized by addition of counterions between phosphate residues P3 and P4.

In this paper, we have constructed systematically, all possible structures as a function of torsion angles delta of dr4 and of G5 by molecular mechanics in the presence or absence of counterions. Since these conformations were not forced with NMR distance measurements, this method allows detailed comparisons between all possible conformations and NMR data. Maps of contour lines of the potential energy, of fits to NMR distance measurements, and of helical twist as a function of torsion angles delta of dr4 and of G5 unravel the difficulties associated with the study of the G5 sugar pucker conformation equilibrium.

Sugar puckers and proton distances are very sensitive criteria to monitor molecular dynamics. Relying on these experimental criteria, we have tested many molecular dynamics preparation phases and we propose a new warm-up and equilibration procedure for molecular dynamics. Thus we show with a 290 ps molecular dynamic run that G5 is in conformational equilibrium and that all NMR data are well reproduced.     

Novel Mutations Found in Two Genes of Thai Patients with Isolated Methylmalonic Acidemia

Molecular genetic analysis of three patients diagnosed with isolated methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) revealed that one was mut ⁰ MMA, with a mutation in the MUT gene encoding the l-methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MCM), and two were cblB MMA, with mutations in the MMAB gene required for synthesizing the deoxyadenosylcobalamin cofactor of MCM. The mut ⁰ patient was homozygous for a novel nonsense mutation in MUT, p.R31X (c.167C → T), and heterozygous for three previously described polymorphisms, p.K212K (c.712A → G), p.H532R (c.1671A → G), and p.V671I (c.2087G → A). The new MMAB mutation, p.E152X (c.454G → T), was found to be homozygous in one cblB patient and heterozygous in the other patient, who also had four intron polymorphisms in this gene.     

Impact of hemostatic gene single point mutations in patients with non-diabetic coronary artery disease

Single point mutations in the genes coding for hemostatic factors were shown to be major inherited predisposing factors for venous thromboembolism. However, their contribution in the development of non-diabetic coronary artery disease [nDCAD] remains controversial. Angiographically demonstrated nDCAD patients (n = 86) and healthy controls (n = 90) were included in the study. Genotype analysis of hemostatic gene polymorphisms were assessed by using CVD strip assay, based on allele specific oligonucleotide probes. The carrier frequency of factor V (FV) H1299R, prothrombin G20210A, glycoprotein (Gp) IIIa L33P, plasminogen activator inhibitor-I (PAI-1) 4G/5G, 4G/4G, 5G/5G, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) A1298C and β-fibrinogen −455 G > A were similar between patients and controls. In contrast, frequency of FV Leiden was significantly higher among patients (12.5%) than controls (5%, OR: 7.94; 95%CI: 1.9–49.6) and FXIII V34L was significantly lower among patients (23.7%) than controls (40%, OR: 0.24; 95%CI: 0.1–0.89). In addition, the frequency of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism was 32.5% among patients compared with 42.5% in controls, of which the T/T genotype was significantly lower among patients (5%) than controls (17.5%, OR: 0.06; 95%CI: 0.01–0.58). No difference was observed in prevalence of prothrombin G20210A, FV H1299R, Gp IIIa L33P, PAI-1 4G5G, MTHFR A1298C, β fibrinogen 455 G > A mutations between patients and controls. However, lower frequency of FXIII Val34Leu and MTHFR C677T polymorphisms may decrease, while FV Leiden polymorphism may increase development of nDCAD.     

Book reviews

Terrance J. Beveridge and Ronald J. Doyle, Metal Ions and Bacteria (New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1989), 461 pp., $75.00.

A. V. Lapo, Traces of Bygone Biospheres. 2nd rev. ed. Translated from the Russian by V. A. Purto. Translation edited by T. Juswigg (Moscow, U.S.S.R.: Mir Publishers, 1987), 352 pp. Available in the U.S.A., Canada, U.K., British Commonwealth, and Nepal from Synergetic Press, Inc., London.     

First steps towards a Zn/Co(III)sep-driven P450 BM3 reactor

Cytochrome P450s are synthetically attractive hydroxylation catalysts. For cell-free applications, a constant supply of NAD(P)H can be very costly. Mediators such as Zn/Co(III)sep can be an alternative cofactor system to NAD(P)H. Several mutants of cytochrome P450 BM3 with improved electron transfer rate to Zn/Co(III)sep have been obtained in our group. P450 BM3 M7 (F87A V281G M354S R471C A1011T S1016G Q1022R) was immobilized on DEAE-650S, further entrapped with k-carrageenan together with zinc dust which function as electron source and catalase which removes produced hydrogen peroxide instantly. Immobilized P450 BM3 M7 were treated with 0.05% (v/v) glutaraldehyde to enhance operational stability. P450 BM3 M7 retained around 76% of its activity and conversions stayed above 80% in 10 batch cycles, indicating a high stability of immobilized P450 BM3 M7. To explore the synthetic potential, a small-scale bioreactor was developed to investigate the stability and efficiencies of P450 BM3 M9 (R47F F87A M238K V281G M354S D363H W575C A595T). P450 BM3 M9 was used for the continuous conversion of 3-phenoxytoluene in a plug flow reactor (PFR) since P450 BM3 M9 has a 3-fold higher activity for 3-phenoxytoluene compared to P450 BM3 M7 which was used for optimizing immobilization conditions with the highest activity for 12-pNCA assay. The reactor could be operated for 5 days with total turnover numbers (TTNs) over 2,000.