Isolation and identification of a fucose-containing ganglioside from bovine thyroid gland

Bovine thyroid glands are known to contain a complex array of gangliosides. One of the predominant gangliosides was isolated and analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The carbohydrate composition was fucose, N-acetylneuraminic acid, galactose, N-acetylgalactosamine, and glucose in molar ratios of 1:1:2:1:1. The structure of the ganglioside was identified as:

     

1,11-diarylundecan-1-one and 4-aryltetralone neolignans from Virola sebifera

The seed of Virola sebifera contains besides the polyketide 1 - (2′,6′ - dihydroxyphenyl) - 11 - henylundecan - 1 - one, four neolignans: (2S, 3S, 4R) - 4 - hydroxy - 2,3 - dimethyl - 5,6 - methylenedioxy - 4 - piperonyl - 1 - tetralone and its 2-epimer, as well as (2R, 3R, 4S) - 4 - hydroxy - 6,7 - dimethoxy - 2,3 - dimethyl 4 - piperonyl - 1 - tetralone and its (2R, 3S, 4R) - dehydroxy analogue.     

UV-B stress-induced ABA production in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis thaliana</Emphasis> mutants defective in ethylene signal transduction pathway

In this study, we examined the influence of UV-B radiation (280–320 nm) on ABA accumulation in 14-day-old Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh plants of wild type (WT), ethylene receptor mutant (etr1-1), and mutant with a constitutively active ethylene signal transduction pathway (ctr1-1). ABA content in nonirradiated WT plants was twice higher than in each mutant. UV-B irradiation caused dose-dependent ABA accumulation in WT plants. In the etr1-1 mutant, the amount of accumulated ABA was significantly less. In the ctr1-1 mutant, ABA content didn’t increase after UV-B irradiation. These data suggest that start of stress-induced ABA formation requires the adjustable ethylene signal pathway. In the ctr1-1 mutant, a constitutively active (nonadjustable) ethylene signal pathway blocks stress-induced ABA accumulation.     

Specific high-performance liquid chromatographic assay with ultraviolet detection for the determination of 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-sarcosinamide-1-nitrosourea in plasma

A facile, sensitive and highly specific HPLC method for assaying 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-sarcosinamide-1-nitrosourea (SarCNU) in plasma has been developed. The drug was efficiently isolated from plasma by extraction with tert.-butyl methyl ether. A structurally related compound with similar physicochemical properties served as the internal standard (I.S.). Following evaporation of the organic solvent, the extract was reconstituted with 0.05 M ammonium acetate buffer, pH 5.0, and loaded onto a 4 μm Nova-Pak C₁₈ column (15 cm×3.9 mm), which was preceded by a 7 μm Brownlee RP-18 precolumn (1.5 cm×3.2 mm). Chromatography was performed at ambient temperature using a mobile phase of methanol-0.1 M ammonium formate buffer, pH 3.7 (25:75, v/v). UV absorbance of the effluent was monitored at 240 nm. A flow-rate of 1.0 ml/min was used for analyzing mouse and dog plasma extracts. Under these conditions, the drug eluted at 4.0 min and was followed by the I.S. at 6.1 min. An automatic switching valve was employed to allow the precolumn to be flushed 1.5 min into the run, without interrupting the flow of the mobile phase to the analytical column, thereby preventing the apparent build-up of extractable, strongly retained, UV-absorbing components present in mouse and dog plasma. Operating in this manner, more than 100 samples could be analyzed during a day using a refrigerated autosampler for overnight injection. The method was readily adapted to the determination of SarCNU in human plasma by simply decreasing the eluent flow-rate to 0.6 ml/min, whereby SarCNU and the I.S. eluted at approximately 5.8 and 9.1 min, respectively. Furthermore, the switching valve was not necessary for the analysis of human plasma samples. With a 50-μl sample volume, the lowest concentration of SarCNU included in the plasma standard curves, 0.10 μg/ml, was quantified with a 7.8% R.S.D. (n=27) over a 2 month period. Plasma standards, with concentrations of 0.26 to 5.1 μg/ml, exhibited R.S.D. values ranging from 1.3 to 4.7%. Thermospray-ionization MS detection was used to definitively establish the specificity of the method. The sensitivity of the assay was shown by application to be more than adequate for characterizing the plasma pharmacokinetics of SarCNU in mice.     

Structures of the N-linked carbohydrate of ascorbic acid oxidase from zucchini

N-glycan moiety of ascorbic acid oxidase from zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) has been described to be a core-pentasaccharide with a xylose [D'Andrea et al. (1988) Glycoconjugate J 5:151-7]. Ascorbic acid oxidase is sometimes used to characterize antibodies directed against carbohydrate determinants on plant glycoproteins. To prevent misinterpretations of immunological data, the structure of the N-glycan of ascorbic acid oxidase has been reinvestigated. The oligosaccharides were released by almond N-glycosidase and analysed as their pyridylamino derivatives by 2D-HPLC and exoglycosidase digestions. The main structure resembled the typical complex plant N-glycan consisting of a core-pentasaccharide decorated with xylose and 3-linked fucose. The other abundant species lacked the fucose residue. Small amounts of these glycans carried a GlcNAc residue on the 6-arm. Therefore, ascorbic acid oxidase will not only react with antibodies directed against the xylosylated region but also with those binding to N-glycans with 3-linked fucose.     

Molecular cloning of cDNAs encoding variants of meiotin-1

Meiotin-1 is a chromatin-associated protein, originally isolated from microsporocytes of Lilium longiflorum, which is found predominantly in cells undergoing meiotic prophase. Chromatin fractionation studies demonstrated that meiotin-1 has an unusual stoichiometry relative to that of histone H1 and the core histones in chromatin fibers. The protein is found less frequently than is histone H1, and appears to be distributed once every 5 to 13 nucleosomes. This distribution may approximate the number of nucleosomes per turn of the chromatin solenoid. A truncated cDNA was identified by immunoscreening of an expression library, and the cDNA was used as a hybridization probe to select a full length cDNA. Variations between the sequence of the predicted polypeptide and sequenced peptides, and variations between the amino acid composition of the protein and the deduced protein indicate that the cDNAs encode minor variants of mature meiotin-1. RNA gel blot hybridization studies reveal that the meiotin-1 mRNA is restricted to anthers in which meiosis is occurring. Computer analysis of the polypeptide deduced from the cDNA indicates that the protein begins with a region highly homologous to the conserved central globular domain of histone H1 molecules. DNA gel blotting experiments demonstrate that homologous sequences exist in the genomes of a fern, a fungus, and both mono-and dicotyledonous plants. Meiotin-1 has been evolutionarily conserved and I propose that it arose from histone H1 to fulfill a role in organizing meiotic chromatin.     

Analysis of N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide in porcine skin perfusates using solid-phase extraction disks and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

N,N-Diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) is frequently used as an insect repellent by military and civilian populations. Because dermal exposure has resulted in several cases of DEET toxicosis, there is a need to rapidly and reliably determine DEET concentrations in biological matrices. An improved method for the analysis of DEET was developed for determining transdermal diffusion of low levels of DEET following application to an in vitro porcine skin flow-through diffusion cell system. The technical improvement involved the use of disk solid-phase extraction (SPE) instead of packed-bed SPE. The disk SPE method required small volumes of preconditioning, wash, and elution solvent (0.5-1 ml) to extract DEET from perfusate samples containing bovine serum albumin (BSA). The limit of quantitation (LOQ) was estimated as 0.08 micro g/ml DEET and recoveries from BSA media samples spiked with DEET ranged from 90.1 to 117% with relative standard deviation (RSD) ranging from 2.0 to 13.1%. This method was used to analyze perfusate samples from skin (n=4) topically exposed to DEET-ethanol formulations. The data from these analyses determined that DEET permeability in porcine skin was 2.55 x 10(-5)+/-0.54 x 10(-5) cm/h.     

同源四倍体水稻籼型突变体Wx基因序列分析及特异识别分子标记的建立

同源四倍体水稻突变株D4063-1直链淀粉含量比来源二倍体明恢63下降一半,即其直链淀粉含量为5.23%。为研究其直链淀粉含量下降的原因, 根据普通水稻Wx基因设计引物, 扩增测序获得了D4063-1Wx基因的全序列, 并与已报道的Wx基因进行比对分析; 同源四倍体水稻D4063-1Wx基因最显著变化为在外显子序列中发生碱基缺失, 导致移码突变, 在第9外显子终止密码子提前出现。D4063-1Wx基因碱基位点的变化还导致其序列上酶切位点的变化,对常用限制性内切酶位点分析结果表明, 同源四倍体水稻相对于籼稻和粳稻多了2个sphⅠ酶切位点, 相对于粳稻减少了6个AccⅠ, 增加了4个XbaⅠ, 1个XhoⅠ, 1个PstⅠ和1个SalⅠ酶切位点。聚类分析表明D4063-1Wx基因序列与籼稻亲源关系较近, 由此推测D4063-1Wx基因来源于籼稻的Wxa基因型。另外, 根据D4063-1Wx基因的碱基差异, 推测D4063-1Wx基因外显子碱基变化导致的RNA加工障碍是其直链淀粉降低的主要原因, 并可能与其米饭较软等品质相关。本研究还根据D4063-1和籼稻、粳稻的序列差异及D4063-1在该片段上的特征序列位点设计了用于识别D4063-1的寡核苷酸片段,并作为PCR反应的引物命名为AUT4063-1,将该引物与作者设计的扩增普通籼稻、粳稻Wx基因的引物F5配合使用, 建立了识别D4063-1的显性和共显性两种检测方式的分子标记, 为快速、准确鉴别低直链淀粉含量突变体D4063-1创造了条件。     

植物微管结合蛋白AtMAP65-1在拟南芥气孔保卫细胞中的定位(简报)

植物细胞微管骨架的不同排列方式对细胞的生长分化及形态建成具有重要意义,微管的这种动态组织行为不仅需要自身的组成蛋白-微管蛋白(tubulin),还要有微管辅助蛋白MAPs(Microtubule-associated proteins)的参与[1,2]。即MAPs是一类能够与微管骨架特异结合并调节其动态装配过程及其结构、进而影响微管功能的蛋白大分子。其中,MAP65是最先在烟草悬浮细胞BY-2中纯化出来的、分子量约为65KDa的一个微管结合蛋白家族。     

PTHrP1-34对荷瘤小鼠骨代谢与肿瘤生长情况的影响

目的研究甲状旁腺激素相关蛋白1-34（PTHrP1-34）对荷瘤小鼠骨代谢的影响,同时观察肿瘤生长情况。方法对照组、模型组、实验组4周龄健康雌性BALB/c小鼠各12只,模型组和实验组采用乳腺癌组织块悬浊液注射法制备小鼠乳腺癌模型,10d后模型组每日予以生理盐水腹腔注射,实验组每日予以PTHrP1-34400μg/（kg.bw）腹腔注射。用药35 d后测全身骨密度（BMD）、股骨灰干重比、骨代谢相关血清指标[钙（Ca）、磷（P）、碱性磷酸酶（ALP）、骨钙素（OC）、Ⅰ型胶原C-末端交联顶端肽β（β-CTX）、骨唾液酸蛋白（BSP）],剥离肿瘤比较体积与质量。结果各组Ca水平差异无显著性（P〉0.05）。与对照组和模型组比较,实验组P、β-CTX、BSP等反映骨吸收的指标显著升高（P〈0.01或P〈0.05）,总ALP、BGP等反映骨形成的指标显著降低（P〈0.01或P〈0.05）;实验组BMD、股骨灰干重比均显著降低（P〈0.01）。与对照组相比,模型组各指标变化差异无显著性。实验组肿瘤体积和质量显著升高（P〈0.01）。结论在PTHrP1-34的作用下,荷瘤小鼠骨吸收大于骨形成,造成溶骨性骨破坏,骨密度降低,骨破坏释放的细胞因子可能促进肿瘤生长。