A novel type of kleptoplastidy in Dinophysis (Dinophyceae): presence of haptophyte-type plastid in Dinophysis mitra

Red-fluorescent, non-phycobilin-containing plastids were found in the heterotrophic dinoflagellate, Dinophysis mitra. Transmission electron microscopy showed that they contained a three-layer thylakoid, the absence of girdle lamella, and an embedded pyrenoid with thylakoid intrusions. These characteristics all coincide with haptophyte plastids. Phylogenetic analysis of the plastid small-subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) revealed that the Dinophysis mitra sequences are distantly related to those of phycobilin-containing Dinophysis species and are positioned within a lineage of haptophytes belonging to Prymnesiophyceae. Because the plastid SSU rDNA sequences of Dinophysis mitra showed significant heterogeneity, despite being derived from a single species, it is highly likely that they were not established as plastids through an evolutionary process but are "kleptoplastids" (temporally stolen plastids) from multiple sources of haptophytes in the environment. We deduced that Dinophysis mitra takes up haptophytes myzocytotically and selectively retains the plastid with surrounding plastidal membranes, whereas other haptophyte cell components are degraded. This represents another type of kleptoplastidy in the Dinophysis species, which mostly harbor cryptophyte plastids, and is the first evidence of kleptoplastidy originating from haptophytes.     

维生素E对三氯乙烯急性染毒大鼠肝脏脂质过氧化与抗氧化酶的影响

本文观察了用抗氧化剂维生素E预处理后,三氯乙烯(3000mg/kg B-W-) 一次性经口染毒24h 大鼠肝脏的超氧化物歧化酶、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶等抗氧化酶活力及丙二醛含量的变化,结果表明三氯乙烯染毒组肝脏中丙二醛含量、超氧化物歧化酶活力及血清谷丙转氨酶、谷草转氨酶活力均高于对照组(P< 0-01) ;而维生素E干预组的丙二醛含量、超氧化物歧化酶活力及血清谷丙转氨酶、谷草转氨酶活力均分别低于三氯乙烯染毒组(P< 0-01) ,说明三氯乙烯急性染毒可引起肝脏脂质过氧化反应及肝损害,肝脏超氧化物歧化酶活力升高可能是机体受自由基及脂质过氧化反应刺激而诱导产生的一种适应性反应,维生素E对三氯乙烯所致的肝损害有一定的保护作用。     

The effect of fetal bovine serum on polyene macrolide antibiotic cytotoxicity and antifungal activity

Summary The relationships between fetal bovine serum (FBS) concentration and polyene macrolide antibiotic cytotoxicity to animal cells and to fungi were evaluated. The toxicity of amphotericin B (AB) and its derivative, amphotericin B methyl ester (AME), toward KB cells was found to be directly related to fetal bovine serum concentration. At higher FBS levels, increased concentrations of AB and AME were required to reduce 72-hr KB viable cell numbers to 50% of control values. Similarly, polyene macrolide antibiotic levels required to inhibit the growth ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae to 50% of controls, and for obtaining minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFC), were greater when higher levels of FBS were used. In addition, AME was less toxic than AB toward KB cells grown in media containing 2, 5, 10, 15 or 20% FBS, whereas the antifungal activities of AB and AME were similar. AME was also capable of eliminatingCandida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus niger orFusarium moniliforme from KB cultures at antibiotic levels which exhibited less cell toxicity than did the concentrations of AB required for a similar response. These findings indicate that AME may be a potentially useful antifungal antibiotic for tissue culture systems. Portions of this paper were presented at the 25th Annual Meeting of the Tissue Culture Association at Miami, Florida, 1974. This investigation was supported in part by contract NIH 69-2161, NIH grant no. AI-02095 and NIH training grant no. GM 507 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.     

Effect of storage on amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) toxins in king scallops (Pecten maximus)

Since 1998, king scallops (Pecten maximus) obtained from Scottish offshore sites have been monitored for domoic acid (DA) and epi-domoic acid (epi-DA), the principal toxic compounds associated with amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP). The presence of these toxins in king scallops harvested from Scottish waters at concentrations exceeding the current regulatory limit (20 μg g⁻¹ shellfish flesh) is a recurrent event. However, little information was available to determine the effects that different storage conditions experienced during sample transportation to the monitoring laboratory may have on the toxin concentrations, which are subsequently detected. Furthermore, the stability of DA and epi-DA in the solvents (methanol:water (1:1, v/v) and citric acid buffer (0.5 M, pH 3.2)) routinely used for their extraction from shellfish has not previously been assessed. Results from this study demonstrate that when king scallop samples were stored for 2–3 days at 12 °C, a significantly higher toxin concentration was detected in the gonad than when samples were stored at 4 °C and analysed within 48 h. This implies that monitoring programmes must consider transport and storage conditions between harvest and analysis. Stability studies showed rapid decomposition of DA and epi-DA in aqueous methanol extracts while DA and epi-DA seem acceptably stable when stored refrigerated in citrate buffer.     

Studies on the Formation and the Degradation of Glucose 1,6-Bisphosphate in the Beef Liver Homogenate

Four kinds of the enzyme reactions have been reported for the synthesis of Glc-1,6-P₂. However, any activity of Glc-1-P dismutase and phosphoglucokinase was not observed in the beef liver homogenate. When the liver homogenate was incubated with Glc-1-P and Fru-1,6-P₂, a significant amount of Glc-1,6-P₂ was formed. The Glc-1,6-P₂ synthesis activity from Glc-1-P and Fru-1,6-P₂ was caused by the action of phosphoglucomutase present in the liver homogenate. The most remarkable activity for Glc-1,6-P₂ synthesis was observed when the homogenate was incubated with Glc-1-P and glycerate-1,3-P₂. The Glc-1,6-P₂ synthesis activity from Glc-1-P and glycerate-1,3-P₂ was separated from the major peak of phosphoglucomutase activity by DEAE-Sephadex chromatography. The peak of Glc-1,6-P₂ synthesis activity, however, still retained phosphoglucomutase activity.

Glc-1,6-P₂ phosphatase activity was mainly observed in the mitochondria and microsome fraction. The properties of Glc-1,6-P₂ phosphatase were differentiated from those of acid phosphatase and Glc-6-P phosphatase.     

脱氧核糖核酸对机体内超氧化物岐化酶和过氧化物酶活性影响初步研究

超氧化物岐化酶（SOD）和过氧化物酶（POD）是机体内重要的抗氧化酶系之一,其作用在于消除体内的自由基,防止自由基对细胞结构的损伤。它们的活性随增龄而下降,因此自由基不断损伤细胞结构,累积最终导致细胞衰亡和动物机体衰老,老龄小鼠服用DNA一段时间后,其体内SOD和POD的活性均显著提高,因而其衰老速度可能得到一定程度的延缓。     

(S)-(-)-β-羟基苯丙酸乙酯的微生物法合成

采用酿酒酵母CGMCC No．2266菌体,不对称还原β-羰基苯丙酸乙酯制备光学纯（S）-（-）-β-羟基苯丙酸乙酯。结果表明：采用初始pH为8．0的液体发酵培养基培养的CGMCCNo．2266菌体经过50℃预热处理30min后用于生物转化获得的（S）-（-）-G-羟基苯丙酸乙酯对映体过剩值可以达到100％ee。确定了合成（S）-（-）-β-羟基苯丙酸乙酯的较佳转化条件为pH7．0,温度30℃,转化时间24h,底物浓度为3．63mmol／L,菌体用量为86g/L（干重／反应体积）。以10％葡萄糖为辅助底物,产率比不加辅助底物时提高了75．4％。在最佳转化条件下反应转化率及（S）-（-）-β-羟基苯丙酸乙酯对映体过剩值可分别达到98．4％和100％ee。     

Effect of sodium selenite and methyl methanesulfonate or N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene co-exposure on sister-chromatid exchange production in human whole blood cultures

Sodium selenite (Na₂Se0₃) was tested for its sister-chromatid exchange (SCE)-inducing ability in human whole blood cultures and for the effect of its co-exposure with methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) or N-hydroxy-2-acetyl aminofluorene (N-OH-AAF) on SCE frequency. Long exposure times (77 h and 96 h) to 3.95 × 10^-6 M Na₂SeO₃ resulted in cell death as measured by mitotic indices, but mitotic figures were present after exposure to higher concentrations for a shorter time (19 h). High Na₂SeO₃ concentrations (7.90 × 10^?6 and 1.19 × 10^?5 M) resulted in a three-fold increase in the SCE frequency above background level (6–7 SCEs/cell). Exposure of lymphocytes to 1 × 10^?4 M MMS for the last 19 h of culture yielded an average SCE frequency of 30.17 ± 0.75 while a similar exposure to 2.7 × 10^?5 M N-OH-AAF resulted in 13.61 ± 0.43 SCEs/cell. Simultaneous addition of the high Na₂Se0₃ concentrations and MMS or N-OH-AAF to the cultures resulted in SCE frequencies that were 25–30% and 11–17%, respectively, below the sum of the SCE frequencies produced by the individual compounds.     

Cardiac myosin subfragment 1 modification by carbodiimide in the presence of a nucleophile

The subfragment 1 from dog cardiac myosin was modified by N-cyclohexyl-N′-(2-(4-morpholinyl) ethyl) carbodiimide methyl p-toluenesulfonate in the presence of the nucleophile nitrotyrosine ethyl ester. At pH 5.9, the inactivation of ATPase activity was very rapid and followed first-order kinetics. K⁺ (EDTA) - and Ca⁺⁺-ATPase activities decreased at the same rate, and the initial phosphate burst was lost. Inactivation and incorporation of the nucleophile occurred simultaneously. Complete inactivation was accompanied by the incorporation of 1 mol of (¹⁴C) nitrotyrosine per mol of myosin subfragment 1. Inactivation and incorporation of the label were essentially equal, either with the native subfragment 1, or with the subfragment 1 in which the reactive thiols were protected by cyanylation prior to modification. No protection by nucleotides was observed. These data suggest that one carboxyl group is essential for the active conformation of cardiac myosin. This finding is in general agreement with that previously obtained with skeletal subfragment 1 (Lacombe et al. (1981) Biochemistry 20, 3648–3653) except that inactivation of cardiac subfragment 1 was not prevented by nucleotides.     

Effect of RNA and protein synthesis inhibitors on the release of inflammatory mediators by macrophages responding to phorbol myristate acetate

The interaction of phorbol myristate acetate with resident populations of mouse peritoneal macrophages causes an increased release of arachidonic acid followed by increased synthesis and secretion of prostaglandin E₂ and 6-keto-prostaglandin F_1α. In addition, phorbol myristate acetate causes the selective release of lysosomal acid hydrolases from resident and elicited macrophages. These effects of phorbol myristate acetate on macrophages do not cause lactate dehydrogenase to leak into the culture media. The phorbol myristate acetate-induced release of arachidonic acid and increased synthesis and secretion of prostaglandins by macrophages can be inhibited by RNA and protein synthesis inhibitors, whereas the release of lysosomal hydrolases is unaffected. 0.1 μg/ml actinomycin D blocked the increased prostaglandin production due to this inflammatory agent by more than 80%, and 3 μg/ml cycloheximide blocked prostaglandin production by 78%. Similar results with these metabolic inhibitors were found with another stimulator of prostaglandin production, zymosan. However, these inhibitors do not interfere with lysosomal hydrolase releases caused by zymosan or phorbol myristate acetate. It appears that one of the results of the interaction of macrophages with inflammatory stimuli is the synthesis of a rapidly turning-over protein which regulates the production of prostaglandins. It is also clear that the secretion of prostaglandins and lysosomal hydrolyses are independently regulated.     

Effect of lysophosphatidylcholine on the surface hydration of phospholipid vesicles

The interfacial properties of the negatively charged dimyristoyl-phosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) and the zwitterionic dimyristoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) vesicles mixed with the fusion inhibitor lysomyristoylphosphatidylcholine (LMPC) are investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). At 35 °C, addition of 20 mol% of LMPC to the DMPG vesicles increases the effective concentration of water in the interfacial layer of DMPG vesicles from 19.3 M to 27.7 M, whereas in the case of mixed DMPC-LMPC vesicle the effective water concentration in the interfacial layer of DMPC vesicles only changes from 15.1 M to 18.4 M. The hydrogen bonding structure in both mixed DMPG-LMPC and mixed DMPC-LMPC vesicles becomes stronger with an increasing fraction of LMPC in the vesicles. The average area per phospholipid decreases in mixed DMPC-LMPC vesicles, while it increases in mixed DMPG-LMPC vesicles as the proportion of LMPC in the vesicle increases. The inhibitory nature of LMPC in both vesicle and biological fusion comes from the increase in surface hydration, as well as from the dynamic cone shape of LMPC in the phospholipid bilayer.     

Effect of the applied organic load rate on biodegradable polymer production by mixed microbial cultures in a sequencing batch reactor

This article studies the operation of a new process for the production of biopolymers (polyhydroxyalkanoates, PHAs) at different applied organic load rates (OLRs). The process is based on the aerobic enrichment of activated sludge to obtain mixed cultures able to store PHAs at high rates and yields. A mixture of acetic, lactic, and propionic acids at different concentrations (in the range 8.5-31.25 gCOD/L) was fed every 2 h in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). The resulting applied OLR was in the range 8.5-31.25 gCOD/L/day. Even though, as expected, the increase in the OLR caused an increase in biomass concentration (up to about 8.7 g COD/L), it also caused a relevant decrease of maximal polymer production rate. This decrease in polymer production rate was related to the different extent of "feast and famine" conditions, as function of the applied OLR and of the start-up conditions. As a consequence the best performance of the process was obtained at an intermediate OLR (20 gCOD/L/day) where both biomass productivity and PHA storage were high enough. However, at this high OLR the process was unstable and sudden decrease of performance was also observed. The sludge characterized by the highest PHA storage response was investigated by 16S rDNA clone library. The clone library contained sequences mostly from PHA producers (e.g., Alcaligenes and Comamonas genera); however many genera and among them, one of the dominant (Thauera), were never described before in relation to PHA storage response.     

^125I-PLGA标记物的制备与鉴定

目的开发一种^125I-PLGA标记物合成的新技术,并对新合成标记物的性质进行鉴定。方法在密闭容器中,应用重复加热的方法,使Na^125I与PLGA氯仿溶液反应,实施PLGA的^125I放射性标记。并对^125I-PLGA标记物的放射性活度进行检测。结果经过上述标记过程,成功合成了^125I-PLGA标记物,此标记物释放γ射线,放射性活度和材料质量成正比。结论^125I-PLGA标记物与传统的放射性核素标记物相比,具有合成工艺简单、放射性污染易于控制、放射性活度易于检测等优点。     

6-苄氨基嘌呤对叶绿体偶联因子功能的影响

可溶性偶联因子经6-BA修饰后,明显促进Mg~(2 )-ATPase活力。从6-BA处理的叶绿体上洗脱下来的偶联因子,其Mg~(2 )-及Ca~(2 )-ATP酶活力都比对照有明显的增加。从~3H-6BA处理叶绿体上洗脱下来的偶联因子等蛋白,经聚丙烯酰胺电泳分析,~3H-6BA除与偶联因子结合外,还与RuBP羧化酶及其他蛋白结合。用6-BA处理提纯的β亚单位,能明显促进其Mg~(2 )-ATPase活力,表明6-BA至少有一个结合位点是在CF_1的β亚单位上并可影响其能量转换反应。     

Anticancer Metal Complexes: Synthesis and Cytotoxicity Evaluation by the MTT Assay

Titanium (IV) and vanadium (V) complexes are highly potent anticancer agents. A challenge in their synthesis refers to their hydrolytic instability; therefore their preparation should be conducted under an inert atmosphere. Evaluation of the anticancer activity of these complexes can be achieved by the MTT assay.The MTT assay is a colorimetric viability assay based on enzymatic reduction of the MTT molecule to formazan when it is exposed to viable cells. The outcome of the reduction is a color change of the MTT molecule. Absorbance measurements relative to a control determine the percentage of remaining viable cancer cells following their treatment with varying concentrations of a tested compound, which is translated to the compound anticancer activity and its IC₅₀ values. The MTT assay is widely common in cytotoxicity studies due to its accuracy, rapidity, and relative simplicity.Herein we present a detailed protocol for the synthesis of air sensitive metal based drugs and cell viability measurements, including preparation of the cell plates, incubation of the compounds with the cells, viability measurements using the MTT assay, and determination of IC₅₀ values.     

Studies on the Induced Synthesis of Maleate cis-trans Isomerase by Malonate

Increased levels of maleate cis-trans isomerase in Alcaligenes faecalis IB-14 were induced by malonate analogues such as tartronate, keto-malonate and ethyl-malonate. Similarly in the case of malonate, those analogues were not served as carbon sources for the cell growth, but they were more effective as inducer than maleate, the normal inducer of the enzyme.

The induced synthesis of the enzyme was markedly repressed in the presence of various carbon sources, e.g. oxalacetate, d- and l-malates, fumarate and succinate. More than 90 per cent of the enzyme formation was inhibited when 10^?1 m of oxalacetate or dl-malate was present in malonate medium. The repression of the enzyme synthesis by those dicarboxylic acids was always associated with remarkable promotion of the cell growth.     

Toxicity of cisplatin to the central nervous system of male rabbits

The cytotoxic effects of platinum (Pt) were studied by intraparenchymal injection of 1 mg of cisplatin (CDDP) in male rabbits. Time-serial plasma Pt levels were used as CDDP clearance indices in brain and kidney tissues. The tissue samples were also examined histologically. Changes in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) were evaluated by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) extravasation. In the brain infusion group, Pt was detected in the plasma 30 min after the start of infusion. In the kidney, Pt was detected after 10 min of CDDP injection. The maximum plasma concentration of Pt in the brain group showed diffuse edema, neuronal necrosis, karyolysis, and HRP extravasation around the injection site. In contrast, the histological damage to kidneys was minimal. The results presented here show that direct infusion of CDDP caused the most extensive cytotoxicity in the brain. The low clearance rate of CDDP from the brain and BBB disruption may explain this behavior.     

Iron-Induced Oxidant Stress Leads to Irreversible Mitochondrial Dysfunctions and Fibrosis in the Liver of Chronic Iron-Dosed Gerbils. The Effect of Silybin

Hepatic iron toxicity because of iron overload seems to be mediated by lipid peroxidation ofbiological membranes and the associated organelle dysfunctions. However, the basicmechanisms underlying this process in vivo are still little understood. Gerbils were dosed with weeklyinjections of iron—dextran alone or in combination with sylibin, a well—known antioxidant,by gavage for 8 weeks. A strict correlation was found between lipid peroxidation and the levelof desferrioxamine chelatable iron pool. A consequent derangement in the mitochondrialenergy-transducing capability, resulting from a reduction in the respiratory chain enzymeactivities, occurred. These irreversible oxidative anomalies brought about a dramatic drop intissue ATP level. The mitochondrial oxidative derangement was associated with thedevelopment of fibrosis in the hepatic tissue. Silybin administration significantly reduced bothfunctional anomalies and the fibrotic process by chelating desferrioxamine chelatable iron.