Microbial desulfonation of substituted naphthalenesulfonic acids and benzenesulfonic acids.

Sulfur-limited batch enrichment cultures containing one of nine multisubstituted naphthalenesulfonates and an inoculum from sewage yielded several taxa of bacteria which could quantitatively utilize 19 sulfonated aromatic compounds as the sole sulfur source for growth. Growth yields were about 4 kg of protein per mol of sulfur. Specific degradation rates were about 4 to 14 mu kat/kg of protein. A Pseudomonas sp., an Arthrobacter sp., and an unidentified bacterium were examined. Each desulfonated at least 16 aromatic compounds, none of which served as a carbon source. Pseudomonas sp. strain S-313 converted 1-naphthalenesulfonic acid, 2-naphthalenesulfonic acid, 5-amino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid, benzenesulfonic acid, and 3-aminobenzenesulfonic acid to 1-naphthol, 2-naphthol, 5-amino-1-naphthol, phenol, and 3-aminophenol, respectively. Experiments with 18O2 showed that the hydroxyl group was derived from molecular oxygen.     

Effect of various polyamino acids and D- and L-amino acids on the blood fibrinolytic system.

1. Comparative additional effects of 24 commercially obtained amino acids and their derivatives were studied by the whole blood clot lysis time (WBCLT) method. D-Arg and L-Lys (greater than 50 micrograms/ml) activated the fibrinolytic system, and poly-L-Glu (mol. wt 6000-90,000) (less than 50 micrograms/ml) were less effective. 2. Poly-L-Arg, poly-L-Lys and poly-(Lys-Ala-Glu-Tyr) accelerated the TPA inhibition in the presence of human plasma. 3. For in vivo experiments, 5 mg of poly-L-Glu were given intravenously to 10 rats. 4. The shortening of WBCLT and elevation of EFA (P less than 0.01) were found after 1 hr administration. 5. The main enzymes which increased in plasma were proved to be the endogenous plasminogen activators with mol. wt higher than 70,000, by zymography.     

Nucleotide composition of nucleic acids of fungi. II. Deoxyribonucleic acids

Storck, Roger (The University of Texas, Austin). Nucleotide composition of nucleic acids from fungi. II. Deoxyribonucleic acids. J. Bacteriol. 91:227-230. 1966.-The nucleotide composition of the deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA) present in extracts of 30 species of fungi was determined. The results were analyzed, together with those in the literature. It was found that the content, in moles per cent of guanine plus cytosine (GC content), varied from 38 to 63% in a distribution composed of 9 species of zygomycetes, 14 of ascomycetes, and 9 each of deuteromycetes and basidiomycetes. The GC content ranges were: 38 to 48% for the zygomycetes, 38 to 54% for the ascomycetes, 47 to 62% for the deuteromycetes, and 44 to 63% for the basidiomycetes. The GC content ranged from 38 to 40% for four Mucor species. The base composition of fungal DNA appears, therefore, to have a taxonomic and phylogenetic significance.     

Ring-opening kinetics of the D-pentofuranuronic acids.

The ring-opening reactions of the furanose forms of the penturonic acids D-arabinuronic acid (1), D-lyxuronic acid (2), D-riburonic acid (3), and D-xyluronic acid (4) in aqueous solution have been studied as a function of temperature and solution pH by 13C saturation-transfer n.m.r. (s.t.-n.m.r.) spectroscopy using 1-13C-substituted compounds. Unidirectional rate constants of ring-opening (kopen) have been determined for the cyclic forms of 1-4 in their protonated (pH 1.5) and ionized (pH 4.5) forms, and have been compared to the k-values measured previously for structurally related furanose sugars. At 50 degrees and pH 1.5, kopen values decrease as follows: alpha-xyluronic acid (2.57 s-1) greater than alpha-riburonic (1.65 s-1) greater than beta-arabinuronic (1.52 s-1) greater than beta-xyluronic (1.09 s-1) greater than beta-riburonic (0.76 s-1) greater than beta-lyxuronic (0.55 s-1) greater than alpha-arabinuronic (0.46 s-1) greater than alpha-lyxuronic (0.40 s-1). At 50 degrees and pH 4.5, this order changes significantly (e.g., beta-arabinuronate is most reactive); in general kopen values for beta anomers appear to be enhanced relative to those for corresponding alpha anomers, suggesting the involvement of intramolecular catalysis in which the carboxylate anion assists in abstracting the hydroxyl proton from O-1. Activation energies of ring-opening, determined for the alpha and beta anomers of 1-4, were found to depend on ring configuration and solution pH.     

Nucleotide composition of nucleic acids of fungi. I. Ribonucleic acids

Storck, Roger (The University of Texas, Austin). Nucleotide composition of nucleic acids from fungi. I. Ribonucleic acids. J. Bacteriol. 90:1260-1264. 1965.-The nucleotide composition of the ribonucleic acids (RNA) present in extracts of 26 species of fungi was determined. The results were analyzed, together with those in the literature. It was found that the content in moles per cent of guanine plus cytosine (GC content) varied from 44.1 to 60.5 in a distribution composed of 8 species of zygomycetes, 10 of ascomycetes, 11 of deuteromycetes, and 8 of basidiomycetes. The GC-content range and average were, respectively, 44.1 to 49.3 and 46.4 for the zygomycetes, 47.4 to 54.4 and 50.2 for the ascomycetes, 48.2 to 54.5 and 51.6 for the deuteromycetes, and 50.4 to 60.5 and 52.4 for the basidiomycetes. The GC content averaged 45.6 and ranged from 44.1 to 46.3 for four Mucor species. In addition, GC contents significantly lower than 50 were also encountered in some species of Hemiascomycetidae, suggesting that AT type RNA is not uncommon in fungi. It was proposed that the base composition of fungal RNA might have a taxonomic and phylogenetic significance.     

Developmental changes in the fatty acids of rat uterus and the influence of dietary essential fatty acids.

The effect of age on uterine fatty acid composition was studied in rats fed diets of differing fatty acid composition. Uteri of newly weaned 23-day rats had a higher fatty acid content and a higher proportion of short-chain (less than or equal to C18) fatty acids. Higher incorporation of C less than or equal to 18 fatty acids into neutral lipid (NL) and phospholipid (PL) of young 42-day rats compared with adult 240-day rats was detected. Uterine NL incorporated predominantly C less than or equal to 18 fatty acids which may be an important metabolic energy store in developing uterine tissue. Incorporation of C less than or equal to 18 fatty acids by uterine PL and NL was relatively unselective. In contrast, there was selective retention of arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) throughout uterine development. An effect of dietary EFA on uterine n-3 and n-6 EFA was detected in each age group. There was marked retention of uterine AA when dietary supplies of n-6 EFA were low, but the total AA, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and DHA in uterine PL remained constant in the three diet groups, and a constant content of AA, EPA and DHA was maintained throughout uterine development, regardless of diet. The degree of n-3 substitution achieved in this study inhibited uterine release of PG and parturition in adult rats.