Studies on Substances Active on the Behavior of Planarian

Substances which acted on the behavior of planarian were searched for, and two active components were isolated from culture broth of Streptomyces sp. 340. They were identified as trans-3-methylthioacrylic acid (MTAA) and 3-methylthiopropionic acid (MTPA).

It was found that many Streptomyces and some fungi accumulated MTAA, and many Streptomyces, fungi, bacteria and yeasts accumulated MTPA when the microorganisms were grown in the medium containing methionine.     

The Impact of Ozone Treatment in Dynamic Bed Parameters on Changes in Biologically Active Substances of Juniper Berries

The development of the parameters of ozone decontamination method assuring the least possible losses of biologically active substances (essential oils and polyphenols) and their activity in common juniper (Juniperus communis (L.)) berries was studied. Ozone treatment in dynamic bed was conducted 9 times. The process was conducted under different ozone concentrations (100.0; 130.0; 160.0 g O₃/m³) and times (30, 60, 90 min). After each decontamination, the microbiological profile of the juniper berries was studied, and the contaminating microflora was identified. Next to the microbiological profile, the phenolic profile, as well as antioxidant activity of extracts and essential oils were determined. The total polyphenol content (TPC), composition of essential oils, free radical-scavenging capacity, total antioxidant capacity, ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), beta-carotene bleaching test (BCB) and LC-MS polyphenol analysis were carried out. The study reveals that during short ozone contact times, higher amounts of TPC, 15.47 and 12.91 mg CE/g of extract, for samples 100/30 and 130/30, respectively, were demonstrated. Whereas samples 100/60, 130/60, 100/90, and 160/90 exhibited the lowest amount of phenolics. The highest antioxidant activity was found in the methanol extract obtained from ozonated berries which exhibited the lowest IC₅₀ in all the antioxidant assays, such as DPPH, FRAP, and BCB assays. Ozone treatment showed noteworthy potential and its usage in food manufacturing and as an alternative decontamination method should be considered.     

芽孢杆菌原生质体融合技术

微生物原生质体融合技术是近20年来国内外细胞工程领域的一个研究热点。1972年匈牙利学者Ｆｅｒｅｎｃｚｙ率先进行了微生物原生质体融合的研究[1]。在1976年匈牙利学者Ｆｏｌｄｅｒ和Ａｌｆｏｌｄ则首次报道了用ＰＥＧ或新生态磷酸钙诱导巨大芽孢杆菌(Ｂａｃｉｌｌｕｓｍｅｇａｔｅｒｉｕｍ)种内株间原生质体融合[2];同年法国的Ｓｃｈａｅｆｆｅｒ等也用ＰＥＧ诱导枯草芽孢杆菌(Ｂ.ｓｕｂｔｉｌｉｓ)进行种内株间原生质体融合获得成功[3]。有关芽孢杆菌原生质体融合的研究,在国内直至1981年才见报道[4]。经典改变微生物遗传性状的手段有两…     

Biologically Active Natural 2'-Hydroxychalcones

Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry - The study provides modern data from the literature on the results of research in the field of flavonoids of medicinal plants. Systematization was carried...     

Biologically Active Metabolites Produced by the Basidiomycete Quambalaria cyanescens

Four strains of the fungus Quambalaria cyanescens (Basidiomycota: Microstromatales), were used for the determination of secondary metabolites production and their antimicrobial and biological activities. A new naphthoquinone named quambalarine A, (S)-(+)-3-(5-ethyl-tetrahydrofuran-2-yliden)-5,7,8-trihydroxy-2-oxo-1,4-naphthoquinone (1), together with two known naphthoquinones, 3-hexanoyl-2,5,7,8-tetrahydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (named here as quambalarine B, 2) and mompain, 2,5,7,8-tetrahydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (3) were isolated. Their structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction crystallography, NMR and MS spectrometry. Quambalarine A (1) had a broad antifungal and antibacterial activity and is able inhibit growth of human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus and fungi co-occurring with Q. cyanescens in bark beetle galleries including insect pathogenic species Beauveria bassiana. Quambalarine B (2) was active against several fungi and mompain mainly against bacteria. The biological activity against human-derived cell lines was selective towards mitochondria (2 and 3); after long-term incubation with 2, mitochondria were undetectable using a mitochondrial probe. A similar effect on mitochondria was observed also for environmental competitors of Q. cyanescens from the genus Geosmithia.     

Ultrasonic Degradation of Biologically Active Polysaccharide Produced by Serratia piscatorum

Changes in chemical, physicochemical and biological properties of Serratia piscatorum polysaccharide, PLS N–I, by ultrasonic irradiation were investigated. Ultrasonication decreased the viscosity of an aqueous solution of PLS N–I to give two degraded polysaccharide fractions, PLS F–I and PLS F-II, as separated each other by column chromatography on Sepharose 4B. PLS F–I was different from PLS F–II in their physicochemical and biological properties as well as in their chemical compositions.     

Combination of MS Protein Identification and Bioassay of Chromatographic Fractions to Identify Biologically Active Substances from Complex Protein Sources

Purification of biologically active proteins from complex biological sources is a difficult task, usually requiring large amounts of sample and many separation steps. We found an active substance in a serum response element-dependent luciferase reporter gene bioassay in interstitial cystitis urine that we attempted to purify with column chromatography and the bioassay. With anion-exchange Mono Q and C₄ reversed-phase columns, apparently sharp active peaks were obtained. However, more than 20 kinds of proteins were identified from the active fractions with MS, indicating that the purification was not complete. As further purification was difficult, we chose a candidate molecule by means of studying the correlation between MS protein identification scores and bioassay responses of chromatographic fractions near the active peaks. As a result, epidermal growth factor (EGF) was nominated as a candidate molecule among the identified proteins because the elution profile of EGF was consistent with that of the bioassay, and the correlation coefficient of EGF between MS protein identification scores and bioassay responses was the highest among all the identified proteins. With recombinant EGF and anti-EGF and anti-EGF receptor antibodies, EGF was confirmed to be the desired substance in interstitial cystitis urine. This approach required only 20 ml of urine sample and two column chromatographic steps. The combination of MS protein identification and bioassay of chromatographic fractions may be useful for identifying biologically active substances from complex protein sources.Purification and identification of biologically active proteins existing in minute amounts from biological sources such as urine is still a difficult task (1). It requires a large volume of the sample and many separation steps for purification (2, 3). Nevertheless the recent progress of MS has dramatically changed protein analysis (4). With MS, smaller protein samples can be used than with classical protein identification methods such as N-terminal peptide sequencing.Interstitial cystitis (IC)¹ is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by frequency and urgency and/or severe pelvic pain (5). The International Continence Society also selected the term “painful bladder syndrome” for IC (6). The quality of life of IC patients is extremely low because of their severe symptoms. The pathogenesis of IC is unclear, and effective treatments have not been established. To elucidate the mechanism of IC pathogenesis, we attempted to find characteristic proteins in IC urine using proteomics techniques and have already reported active neutrophil elastase as an IC urinary marker (7). We had also performed gene expression analysis of IC bladder tissues using GeneChip technology and found that mRNA expression of GPR18, a member of the G-protein-coupled receptors, was higher in IC bladder than in the control.² We tried to confirm whether GPR18 endogenous ligand existed in IC urine by using a bioassay with GPR18 transfectant cells.In the present study, the existence of an active substance in IC urine was suggested in the bioassay using the serum response element (SRE)-dependent luciferase reporter gene with the stable recombinant HEK293 cell line expressing GPR18. We thought that the response was derived from GPR18 and tried to purify the active substance from a small volume of IC urine using chromatographic techniques. Among the many proteins identified from partially purified samples, we clearly nominated epidermal growth factor (EGF) as a candidate molecule judging from the correlation between MS protein identification and the bioassay of chromatographic fractions. With recombinant EGF and anti-EGF antibody, EGF was confirmed to be the desired substance found in IC urine. The complete inhibition of the bioassay response by anti-EGF receptor antibody also indicated that the response was based on the EGF receptor, not GPR18, suggesting that GPR18 overexpression enhanced the EGF signal via the endogenous EGF receptor of the HEK293 cell line.     

Action of Haemophilus Endodeoxyribonuclease on Biologically Active Deoxyribonucleic Acid

An enzyme similar to that described by Smith and Wilcox (15) for Haemophilus influenzae which attacks foreign deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) but not its own has been isolated and purified from H. parainfluenzae. The enzyme degrades foreign DNA to limited sizes and can destroy the transforming activity of H. influenzae and Bacillus subtilis DNA. The enzyme can also destroy the biological activity of H. influenzae phage and prophage DNA. On the other hand, the H. influenzae endodeoxyribonuclease can destroy the transforming activity of H. parainfluenzae DNA but not its own DNA. It also attacks B. subtilis DNA and its transforming activity.     

Studies on the Chlorosis-inducing Substances Produced by a Fungus

Viridominic acids A, C₃₃H₄₈O₉, B, C₃₃H₄₈O₁₀, C, C₃₃H₅₀O₉ and cephalosporin P₁ were isolated as chlorosis-inducing substances against higher plants. The isolation, physicochemical properties and biological activities of these compounds are described in detail.     

Enhanced Secretion of Biologically Active Murine Interleukin-12 by Lactococcus lactis

The novel signal peptide SLPmod was used for the secretion of murine interleukin-12 (mIL-12) by Lactococcus lactis. A >4-fold increase in secretion was observed when SLPmod was used instead of the Usp45-derived secretion signal. Oral delivery of this cytokine using the autoinducible host L. lactis FI5876 utilizing SLPmod resulted in a significant increase in mIL-12 plasma levels in mice.     

Studies on Plant Growth Substances

The plant growth activities of the dihydro- and tetrahydro-1-naphthoic acids substituted with a halogen, methyl or nitro group at various positions of the aromatic ring are measured by the pea straight-growth test. The relationship between structure and activity is discussed. The results seem to conform well with the spatial structure hypothesis of Veldstra.     

Cephaloglycin and Its Biologically Active Metabolite Desacetylcephaloglycin

Chromatographic studies and microbiological assays show that, after oral administration, cephaloglycin is partially converted in man to a biologically active metabolite desacetylcephaloglycin. The antibacterial activity of this metabolite compared to that of cephaloglycin is equivalent against gram-positive organisms but is lower against gram-negative bacilli. Successful therapy of urinary tract infections with cephaloglycin must be mainly attributed to the antibacterial activity of this metabolite. At the present time, it is not possible to assess what influence low amounts of unaltered cephaloglycin have on the outcome of therapy.     

Studies on Plant Growth Substances

1-Naphthoic acid derivatives substituted with chlorine, bromine, methyl or nitro groups at various positions of the ring were assayed for their activities in the pea straight-growth and the callus formation tests. Their growth activities are discussed from two points of view, i.e. the spatial structure hypothesis of Veldstra and the ortho reaction hypothesis advanced for benzoic acid derivatives proposed by Hansch and Muir. It appears that a combination of these two views are appropriate for the present authors’ results.     

Endotoxin-free Biologically Active Component of Escherichia coli

The proteinaceous component of gram-negative bacteria, which has been termed “protodyne,” enhances nonspecific host resistance while eliciting a slight pyrogenic response equivalent to 0.2% that of a typical endotoxin. Since this material still contains small amounts of carbohydrate and lipid, it was imperative to establish that its biological activities are not the result of endotoxin contamination. Evidence that the protective activity of protodyne does not result from endotoxin contamination has now been obtained by an evaluation of the Pronase digestion products of this substance. These digestion products were found to be nonpyrogenic and to contain no measurable amount of 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate, an essential component of bacterial lipopolysaccharides.