Studies on Growth Inhibition of Hiochi-bacteria,Specific Saprophytes of Sake

The outline of this report has already been published as a short communication concerning muta-aspergillic acid, C₁₁H₁₈N₂O₃, a new growth inhibitant against hiochi-bacteria. Deoxymuta-aspergilhc acid, C₁₁H₁₃N₂O, reduction product of muta-aspergillic acid, was converted to 2,5-diketopiperazine, C₁₁H₂₀N₂O₂, and this compound was shown to be leucyl-valine anhydride since on hydrolysis, it yielded leucine and valine. These results and physical and chemical data on muta-aspergillic acid led to draw the conclusion that formula (I) or (II) is the most possible structure for this antibiotic.     

Biochemical Studies on the Mineral Components in Sake Yeast

Analysing the mineral components in yeasts (sake yeast and some of other brewer’s yeasts), the author found that no remarkable difference was seen on the composition of the major mineral components. The potassium content of yeast cultured in koji extract is lower than that cultured in malt extract or in the synthetic medium. Potassium concentration of koji extract is lower than that of each of other media, and it was possible to increase the potassium content of the cells to the normal level by the enrichment of the koji extract with potassium chloride. From these facts, it is assumed that the potassium concentration of koji extract is insufficient for the saturation in the cells with potassium.

Phosphorus and magnesium contents in the cells are not so much affected by pH of the medium as potassium.     

Biochemical Studies on the Mineral Components in Sake Yeast

The critical concentrations of minerals in a growing medium for maximum fermentation of yeast were as follows: P, 1 mmol/1; Mg, 0.2 mmol/1; and K, 1~2 mmol/1. These values are lower than those for the saturation of the cells with each mineral. The order of the concentration for maximum fermentation (K>P>Mg) is in agreement with that for yeast growth.

Only a small amount of mineral salt was required to increase the fermentative activity. Very small increase of fermentative activity was observed when the starved yeast was enriched with corresponding minerals by incubating cells with the mineral salt and glucose.     

Studies on Chlorosis-Inducing Activities and Plant Growth Inhibition of Benzophenone Derivatives

Some benzophenones substituted with methyl, methoxy, hydroxy or halogen groups inhibited growth and induced chlorosis in various plants. The structure activity relationships about the chlorosis-inducing activity and the growth inhibitory activity of the 3-methyl-benzophenones were well expressed by use of hydrophobic contant π, and Hammett’s σ. The highest selectivity for phytotoxic activities against barnyardgrass and the rice plant was with 3,3′-dimethyl-4-methoxybenzophenone (Methoxyphenone).     

Inhibition of Growth of Giardia lamblia by Difluoromethylornithine,a Specific Inhibitor of Polyamine Biosynthesis1

Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) is a specific and irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, an enzyme which catalyzes the first step in the biosynthetic pathway of the polyamines. We tested the effect of DFMO on the growth of Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica, and Trichomonas vaginalis. Growth of G. lamblia was inhibited by DFMO at concentrations of ≥ 1.25 mM. Culture doubling time increased with increasing DFMO concentration. Growth inhibition was reversed if spermidine was added within 53 h of addition of DFMO; no growth was observed if spermidine was added later, indicating eventual parasite death. The growth of E. histolytica and T. vaginalis, two unrelated mucosal-dwelling parasites of humans, was not inhibited by 20 mM DFMO. These studies indicate that polyamine biosynthesis from ornithine is required for growth of G. lamblia.     

Specific Inhibition of the Nuclear Exporter Exportin-1 Attenuates Kidney Cancer Growth

Purpose

Despite the advent of FDA-approved therapeutics to a limited number of available targets (kinases and mTOR), PFS of kidney cancer (RCC) has been extended only one to two years due to the development of drug resistance. Here, we evaluate a novel therapeutic for RCC which targets the exportin-1 (XPO1) inhibitor.

Materials and Methods

RCC cells were treated with the orally available XPO1 inhibitor, KPT-330, and cell viability and Annexin V (apoptosis) assays, and cell cycle analyses were performed to evaluate the efficacy of KPT-330 in two RCC cell lines. Immunoblotting and immunofluorescence analysis were performed to validate mechanisms of XPO1 inhibition. The efficacy and on-target effects of KPT-330 were further analyzed in vivo in RCC xenograft mice, and KPT-330-resistant cells were established to evaluate potential mechanisms of KPT-330 resistance.

Results

KPT-330 attenuated RCC viability through growth inhibition and apoptosis induction both in vitro and in vivo, a process in which increased nuclear localization of p21 by XPO1 inhibition played a major role. In addition, KPT-330 resistant cells remained sensitive to the currently approved for RCC multi-kinase inhibitors (sunitinib, sorafenib) and mTOR inhibitors (everolimus, temsirolimus), suggesting that these targeted therapeutics would remain useful as second line therapeutics following KPT-330 treatment.

Conclusion

The orally-available XPO1 inhibitor, KPT-330, represents a novel target for RCC whose in vivo efficacy approaches that of sunitinib. In addition, cells resistant to KPT-330 retain their ability to respond to available RCC therapeutics suggesting a novel approach for treatment in KPT-330-naïve as well as -resistant RCC patients.     

神经节苷脂类抑制BT325细胞系生长机理的初步探讨

用 ¹²⁵I-EGF与人多形成胶质细胞瘤BT325细胞系膜上EGF受体的饱和结合实验, 竞争抑制实验研究GM3,BBG(bovine brain gangliosides)对EGF受体最大结合量, 亲和常数及受体数目的影响; 放射受体法观察EGF-EGFR复合物内吞过程, 测定胞质和培养基中EGF含量.结果表明: BT325细胞质膜上存在高亲和力EGF结合位点,GM3对EGF与其受体的亲和力无明显抑制作用(P＞0.05),但能明显减少其受体的数目(P＜0.05); GM3能明显延长EGF-EGFR复合物内吞过程; GM3处理的胞质中EGF浓度比对照组显著升高(P＜0.05), 培养液中无明显差异,这可能是由于GM3抑制EGF分泌所致.     

An Evaluation of Specific and Non-Specific Inhibition of 2-Dimensional Growth in Fern Gametophytes

Gametophytes of Onoclea sensibilis were grown under continuous white light of 90 lux. Filaments were produced having 4–6 cells before the initiation of 2-dimensional growth. There was a close correlation between the average cell number of a population of plants and the proportion of 2-dimensional forms. 8-Azaguanine produced a general inhibition of growth, and it was shown that the reduced proportion of 2-dimensional plants caused by 8-azaguanine was a secondary consequence of the general growth inhibition. IAA however gave a true specific inhibition of 2-dimensional growth. Based on these experiments the proper criteria for establishing a specific inhibition of 2-dimcnsional growth arc discussed. These criteria are applied in a critical review of previous papers on the inhibition of 2-dimensional growth. It is concluded that no firm evidence is available that inhibition of protein synthesis specifically blocks 2-dimensional growth.     

Growth Inhibition Studies: II. SULPHANILAMIDE INHIBITION AND ITS REVERSAL

In a study of the inhibitory effect of sulphanilamide on thegrowth of flax seedlings and its reversal byp-aminobenzoic acid(PABA) and related compounds, two distinct types of reversalmechanism have been observed. The results, derived from growth-ratemeasurements, are interpreted as indicating that, in the flaxseedling, sulphanilamide interferes with the conversion of PABAto pteroyl-glutamic acid. None of the purine or pyrimidine compounds tested showed anyreversing action.     

The Time Factor in Studies of Growth Inhibition in Excised Organ Sections

1. Apprehension over the adequncy of current techniques stimulateda detailed study of the time factor in the arsenate inhibitionof growth and respiration in excised stem and root sectionsof Pisum sativum.
2. Growth inhibition by arsenate sets in veryslowly, its rateof onset being related to the molar concentration(C) of arsenateate by the relation where T₅₀ is the time taken in hours to reduce the growthrateto 50 per cent of the control and K is a constant. An explanationof the physiological basis of this relationship is attempted.
3. Estimates were made of the final steady growth rate (relativeto control) in various arsenate concentrations. The inhibitionscalculated from this rate are held to approximate to the truearsenate effect and are shown to be very different from thosecalculated from ‘total growth’ measures.
4. Respirationof growing stem sections is not inhibited by thelow arsenateconcentrations that inhibit growth. Some inhibitionis indicatedat high concentrations (3 ? 10^–4M. and over)but onlyafter 15-20 hours of exposure.
5. Two per cent sucrose has noeffect on the arsenate inhibiitionof stem growth. Sucrose,however, markedly stimulates respirationin stem sections, butthis stimulation is prevented by arsenate.
6. The misinterpretationswhich may arise as a result of ignoringthe time factor in inhibitionstudies in excised organ sectionsare discussed and the desirabilityof constructing completegrowth curves in all such studies isstressed.

     

Inhibition of Cancer Cell Growth by Exposure to a Specific Time-Varying Electromagnetic Field Involves T-Type Calcium Channels

Electromagnetic field (EMF) exposures affect many biological systems. The reproducibility of these effects is related to the intensity, duration, frequency, and pattern of the EMF. We have shown that exposure to a specific time-varying EMF can inhibit the growth of malignant cells. Thomas-EMF is a low-intensity, frequency-modulated (25-6 Hz) EMF pattern. Daily, 1 h, exposures to Thomas-EMF inhibited the growth of malignant cell lines including B16-BL6, MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, and HeLa cells but did not affect the growth of non-malignant cells. Thomas-EMF also inhibited B16-BL6 cell proliferation in vivo. B16-BL6 cells implanted in syngeneic C57b mice and exposed daily to Thomas-EMF produced smaller tumours than in sham-treated controls. In vitro studies showed that exposure of malignant cells to Thomas-EMF for > 15 min promoted Ca²⁺ influx which could be blocked by inhibitors of voltage-gated T-type Ca²⁺ channels. Blocking Ca²⁺ uptake also blocked Thomas-EMF-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation. Exposure to Thomas-EMF delayed cell cycle progression and altered cyclin expression consistent with the decrease in cell proliferation. Non-malignant cells did not show any EMF-dependent changes in Ca²⁺ influx or cell growth. These data confirm that exposure to a specific EMF pattern can affect cellular processes and that exposure to Thomas-EMF may provide a potential anti-cancer therapy.     

脱氮硫杆菌对硫酸盐还原菌生长的抑制作用

为了研究脱氮硫杆菌(Thiobacillus denitrificans,TDN)对硫酸盐还原菌(sulfate-reducing bacteria,SRB)生长的影响,将从污水中分离到的硫酸盐还原菌和从pH为2~3的酸性土壤中分离到的脱氮硫杆菌(TDN)用于含适当浓度硫酸盐和硝酸盐的模拟污水的处理,并测定单菌或混菌培养后系统中硫酸盐、硝酸盐浓度的变化以及硫化氢的产量。结果表明,在仅接种硫酸盐还原菌的培养系统中,硫酸盐和硝酸盐的含量分别降低4.8%和1.0%;而在同时接种脱氮硫杆菌和硫酸盐还原菌的系统中硫酸盐的含量升高了4.7%,但硝酸盐氮含量降低了25%,这一作用随着培养基中硝酸盐起始浓度的提高而得到加强。另外,混菌培养系统的硫化氢浓度比单一硫酸盐还原菌培养系统降低了65.93%。由此推断,在混菌培养系统中,脱氮硫杆菌通过其反硝化过程产生的代谢产物使硫酸盐还原菌的生长环境条件发生改变,从而抑制其生长并减少了硫化氢的产生。这对预防硫酸盐还原菌带来的不利影响提供了有效的措施。     

Specific Inhibition of Tumor Cells by Oncogenic EGFR Specific Silencing by RNA interference

Anticancer agents that have minimal effects on normal cells and tissues are ideal cancer drugs. Here, we show specific inhibition of human cancer cells carrying oncogenic mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene by means of oncogenic allele-specific RNA interference (RNAi), both in vivo and in vitro. The allele-specific RNAi (ASP-RNAi) treatment did not affect normal cells or tissues that had no target oncogenic allele, whereas the suppression of a normal EGFR allele by a conventional in vivo RNAi caused adverse effects, i.e., normal EGFR is vital. Taken together, our current findings suggest that specific inhibition of oncogenic EGFR alleles without affecting the normal EGFR allele may provide a safe treatment approach for cancer patients and that ASP-RNAi treatment may be capable of becoming a safe and effective, anticancer treatment method.     

Polarity Specific Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Interhemispheric Inhibition

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been used as a useful interventional brain stimulation technique to improve unilateral upper-limb motor function in healthy humans, as well as in stroke patients. Although tDCS applications are supposed to modify the interhemispheric balance between the motor cortices, the tDCS after-effects on interhemispheric interactions are still poorly understood. To address this issue, we investigated the tDCS after-effects on interhemispheric inhibition (IHI) between the primary motor cortices (M1) in healthy humans. Three types of tDCS electrode montage were tested on separate days; anodal tDCS over the right M1, cathodal tDCS over the left M1, bilateral tDCS with anode over the right M1 and cathode over the left M1. Single-pulse and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulations were given to the left M1 and right M1 before and after tDCS to assess the bilateral corticospinal excitabilities and mutual direction of IHI. Regardless of the electrode montages, corticospinal excitability was increased on the same side of anodal stimulation and decreased on the same side of cathodal stimulation. However, neither unilateral tDCS changed the corticospinal excitability at the unstimulated side. Unilateral anodal tDCS increased IHI from the facilitated side M1 to the unchanged side M1, but it did not change IHI in the other direction. Unilateral cathodal tDCS suppressed IHI both from the inhibited side M1 to the unchanged side M1 and from the unchanged side M1 to the inhibited side M1. Bilateral tDCS increased IHI from the facilitated side M1 to the inhibited side M1 and attenuated IHI in the opposite direction. Sham-tDCS affected neither corticospinal excitability nor IHI. These findings indicate that tDCS produced polarity-specific after-effects on the interhemispheric interactions between M1 and that those after-effects on interhemispheric interactions were mainly dependent on whether tDCS resulted in the facilitation or inhibition of the M1 sending interhemispheric volleys.     

Specific Inhibition of Lignification in Bryonia dioica: Effects on Thigmomorphogenesis

Rubbing-induced lignification in Bryonia dioica internodes is significantly impaired by N(o-hydroxyphenyl) and N(o-aminophenyl) sulfinamoyl tertiobutyl acetate, specific inhibitors of cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase, an enzyme which is strictly associated with lignin monomer synthesis. Along with the reduction of lignification, these inhibitors counteract the inhibition of elongation due to rubbing. These results indicate that lignification participates in the thigmomorphogenetic growth response of Bryonia dioica internodes. In a general way, the data point to the causal role of lignification in the limitation of plant growth.