The Chemotactic Response of Bradyrhizobium japonicum to Various Organic Compounds

The investigation of the chemotactic response of Bradyrhizobium japonicum to amino acids, carbohydrates, multiatomic alcohols, organic acids, and soybean extracts showed that the extracts of some soybean varieties (Chernoburaya and Beskluben'kovaya) contain repellents. This indicates that the soybeans of host plants contain effectors that may play a role at the early stages of their interaction with nodule bacteria.     

连作障碍与根际微生态研究Ⅲ.土壤酚酸物质及其生物学效应

以黑龙江省大豆重茬 5年与正茬土壤和根系为主要研究对象 ,采用高效液相色谱法 ,研究土壤和根系浸提液中的酚酸物质的含量及其生物学效应 .结果表明 ,重茬土壤中对羟基苯甲酸和香草酸的含量 (1mol·L-1NaOH提取 )大于正茬土壤 ,且差异达到极显著水平 ,香草醛含量差异不显著 ;重茬大豆根系水提液中对羟基苯甲酸、香草酸、阿魏酸、香草醛、香豆素含量均高于正茬 .大豆连作条件下土壤多酚氧化酶活性高于正茬土壤 .重茬大豆根系水提液及在水培条件下外加对羟基苯甲酸对大豆幼苗生长发育有一定的抑制作用 ;酚酸物质加入土壤 1周后 ,对羟基苯甲酸、香草酸、香草醛、阿魏酸、苯甲酸、香豆素残留率分别为 10 .4%、15 .3 %、4.1%、2 .3 %、5 .0 %、17.5 % ;且外加酚酸浓度与土壤中真菌数量呈极显著指数相关 .     

Isolation of a protease from sea urchin eggs before and after fertilization.

Upon fertilization, sea urchin eggs (Stronglyocentrotus pupuratus) release a protease into the surrounding sea water. This protease is in a particulate form which can be solubilized. The soluble form was purified by affinity chromatography on columns of immobilized soybean trypsin inhibitor. The purified enzyme is similar to bovine trypsin both in molecular weight (22500) and in susceptibility to inhibitors such as diisopropyl phosphofluoridate and soybean trypsin inhibitor. In contrast, extracts of unfertilized eggs appear to contain an inactive form of the enzyme which can be activated by dialysis at pH 4.6. The enzyme, as purified from extracts activated in this manner, was similar in its properties to that from fertilized eggs.     

Heterogeneity of the Polypeptide in Pig Serum Low-density Lipoproteins

Aldehyde dehydrogenase catalyzes the irreversible conversion of aldehydes into their corresponding acids. NAD-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase purified from bovine liver mitochondria was used to remove the green beany flavor of soybean products. Incubation of the enzyme, in the presence of NAD⁺, with defatted soybean extracts or with soybean milk, resulted in the almost complete disappearance or in a great reduction of the flavor. It was found from experiments with pyrazole, an inhíbitor of alcohol dehydrogenase, was used, that alcohols contributing to the beany flavor were converted into acids by the cooperative action of alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase. The protein isolate prepared from the soybean extract after treatment with these enzymes produced no substantial beany flavor after storage in powdered form. Aldehyde dehydrogenase improved flavor in extract of mutton.     

Free fatty acids and sterols in the benthic spawn of aquatic molluscs, and their associated antimicrobial properties

The free lipid content of extracts from the spawn of 17 molluscs were analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. These extracts encompass the encapsulated embryos and extraembryonic structures from benthic gelatinous egg masses and leathery egg capsules covering five taxonomic groups. Palmitic and stearic acids were the dominant saturated fatty acids and oleic acid was the principal unsaturated acid found in the spawn. Cholesterol was the dominant sterol and the only sterol found in the spawn from every species. Extracts from gelatinous egg masses were found to contain proportionally more fatty acids compared to leathery egg capsules. No unsaturated fatty acids were found in any of the leathery egg capsules, including five neogastropods and one littorinimorph. Unsaturated fatty acids were present in all of the gelatinous egg masses, including two other littorinimorphs. This is the first study to demonstrate that unsaturated fatty acids possess significant bacteriolytic activity against four aquatic pathogens. Encapsulated Anaspidea egg masses contain relatively high concentrations of these unsaturated fatty acids and a lipid mixture modeled on these extracts was strongly bacteriolytic at concentrations down to 0.0001 mg/ml. By comparison, lipid mixtures modeled on extracts from the spawn of four other molluscan taxa with higher proportions of saturated fatty acid and cholesterol, were only partially active against some of the bacteria at 0.1 mg/ml. Thus, unsaturated fatty acids could explain the antimicrobial activity previously reported in lipid extracts of some, but not most, molluscan spawn. MDS ordination and ANOSIM revealed significant taxonomic differences in the composition of free lipids from molluscan spawn, suggesting that lipid analyses may be useful in future systematic studies of the Mollusca.     

Effect of γ irradiation on the fatty acid composition of soybean and soybean oil

Food irradiation is a form of food processing to extend the shelf life and reduce spoilage of food. We examined the effects of γ radiation on the fatty acid composition, lipid peroxidation level, and antioxidative activity of soybean and soybean oil which both contain a large amount of unsaturated fatty acids. Irradiation at 10 to 80 kGy under aerobic conditions did not markedly change the fatty acid composition of soybean. While 10-kGy irradiation did not markedly affect the fatty acid composition of soybean oil under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions, 40-kGy irradiation considerably altered the fatty acid composition of soybean oil under aerobic conditions, but not under anaerobic conditions. Moreover, 40-kGy irradiation produced a significant amount of trans fatty acids under aerobic conditions, but not under anaerobic conditions. Irradiating soybean oil induced lipid peroxidation and reduced the radical scavenging activity under aerobic conditions, but had no effect under anaerobic conditions. These results indicate that the fatty acid composition of soybean was not markedly affected by radiation at 10 kGy, and that anaerobic conditions reduced the degradation of soybean oil that occurred with high doses of γ radiation.     

Effect of γ Irradiation on the Fatty Acid Composition of Soybean and Soybean Oil

Food irradiation is a form of food processing to extend the shelf life and reduce spoilage of food. We examined the effects of γ radiation on the fatty acid composition, lipid peroxidation level, and antioxidative activity of soybean and soybean oil which both contain a large amount of unsaturated fatty acids. Irradiation at 10 to 80 kGy under aerobic conditions did not markedly change the fatty acid composition of soybean. While 10-kGy irradiation did not markedly affect the fatty acid composition of soybean oil under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions, 40-kGy irradiation considerably altered the fatty acid composition of soybean oil under aerobic conditions, but not under anaerobic conditions. Moreover, 40-kGy irradiation produced a significant amount of trans fatty acids under aerobic conditions, but not under anaerobic conditions. Irradiating soybean oil induced lipid peroxidation and reduced the radical scavenging activity under aerobic conditions, but had no effect under anaerobic conditions. These results indicate that the fatty acid composition of soybean was not markedly affected by radiation at 10 kGy, and that anaerobic conditions reduced the degradation of soybean oil that occurred with high doses of γ radiation.     

Radioimmune assay of tubulin applied to oligomers, synaptic membranes, and plants

A radioimmune assay for microtubule protein, tubulin, is described, in which unknown amounts of native or denatured tubulin can be quantitated by the ability to compete with pure [¹²⁵I]tubulin for rabbit antibodies produced against purified bovine brain tubulin. The assay is used to demonstrate that crude extracts of mouse brain contain negligible amounts of 30–36S tubulin oligomers under conditions where purified tubulin forms substantial amounts of such structures. Also, the particulate fraction of osmotically shocked and sonicated brain synaptosomes contains negligible tubulin antigenic activity. By contrast, soluble extracts of soybean, especially rapidly dividing regions of the plant, were found to contain significant amounts of cross-reacting material, providing further evidence for the conservative evolutionary nature of this ubiquitous and important protein.     

Lipid biosynthesis in developing and germinating soybean cotyledons: The formation of oleate by a soluble stearyl acyl carrier protein desaturase

Extracts of developing soybean cotyledons contain a highly specific stearyl acyl carrier protein (ACP) desaturase which in the presence of NADPH, O₂, ferredoxin and ferredoxin: NADP⁺ reductase, rapidly converts stearyl ACP to oleyl ACP. The enzyme system has a high affinity for O₂, near-maximal activity being obtained at only 10 μm O₂. The pH optimum for the desaturase is 6.0. Stearic acid and stearyl-CoA, alone or in the presence of acyl carrier protein, are totally inactive. Although the enzyme is found in extracts prepared from developing soybean seeds (15–50 days after flowering), activity was not detected in extracts of germinated seeds.     

From sulfur to homoglutathione: thiol metabolism in soybean

Sulfur is an essential plant nutrient and is metabolized into the sulfur-containing amino acids (cysteine and methionine) and into molecules that protect plants against oxidative and environmental stresses. Although studies of thiol metabolism in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress) have expanded our understanding of these dynamic processes, our knowledge of how sulfur is assimilated and metabolized in crop plants, such as soybean (Glycine max), remains limited in comparison. Soybean is a major crop used worldwide for food and animal feed. Although soybeans are protein-rich, they do not contain high levels of the sulfur-containing amino acids, cysteine and methionine. Ultimately, unraveling the fundamental steps and regulation of thiol metabolism in soybean is important for optimizing crop yield and quality. Here we review the pathways from sulfur uptake to glutathione and homoglutathione synthesis in soybean, the potential biotechnology benefits of understanding and modifying these pathways, and how information from the soybean genome may guide the next steps in exploring this biochemical system.     

Some Soybean Cultivars Have Ability to Induce Germination of Sunflower Broomrape

Sunflower broomrape is a noxious parasitic weed which has caused severe damage to crop ecosystems. Trap crops can release a mixture of allelochemicals to induce the germination of sunflower broomrape. We studied the allelopathic effects of soybean on sunflower broomrape. Fourteen common soybean cultivars were grown in pots. Samples were collected from soybean plants and rhizosphere soil at five growth stages (V1, V3, V5, R2, and R4). The allelopathic effects of soybean reached highest at the V3 stage. Methanolic extracts of soybean roots induced higher broomrape germination than methanolic extracts of stems or leaves. The germination rates induced by root extracts (10-fold dilution) were positively correlated with germination rates induced by stem (10-fold dilution) and leaf extracts (10-fold dilution). The broomrape germination rates induced by root extracts were also positively correlated with soybean nodule diameter and dry weight. The results indicated that soybeans could induce sunflower broomrape germination. We conclude that soybean has the potential to be used as a trap crop for sunflower broomrape.     

Degradation of argininosuccinate lyase by a protease synthesized in soybean cell suspension cultures

Suspension cultures of soybean (Glycine max L.) were shown to contain protease activity which could be inhibited by the addition of protease inhibitors such as p-hydroxymercuribenzoate and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. The use of these inhibitors, coupled with studies of the rate of degradation of argininosuccinate lyase (argininosuccinate-lyase = l-arginino-succinate arginine-lyase, EC 4.3.2.1) in extracts of cell cultures grown for 24 hours led to the hypothesis that a metal-dependent protease is synthesized by the cells after 24 hours of growth, to remove the lyase enzyme.     

大豆地上部水浸液的化感作用及化感物质的鉴定

研究了重迎茬大豆花荚期植株地上部水浸液及其提取物对大豆种子萌发及幼苗生长的化感作用 ,并鉴定了有明显化感作用组分的物质。结果表明 :与对照组比 ,0 .1 0 g DW/ ml重茬大豆水浸液显著地抑制了大豆胚根生长 ;3 .75× 1 0 - 2g DW/ ml、7.5 0× 1 0 - 2 g DW/ ml正茬、重茬、迎茬大豆水浸液对砂培大豆苗的生长有显著的化感抑制作用 ;重茬、正茬大豆水浸液乙酸乙酯提取的酸性组分、XAD-4树脂提取组分 ,在 0 .6～ 1 .2 g DW/ ml浓度下 ,对大豆种子萌发初期的萌发率及萌发过程中的胚根生长亦表现出显著的化感抑制作用 ;重茬水浸液乙酸乙酯提取的中性、碱性组分在 1 .2 g DW/ ml浓度下 ,对大豆胚根生长有显著抑制作用。上述各组分化感作用大小随组分浓度增加而增加。在相同浓度处理下水浸液及其提取物的化感抑制作用有重茬大于正茬的趋势 ,统计检验差异均不显著。 GC-MS鉴定结果显示 ,正茬、重茬乙酸乙酯酸性组分、XAD-4树脂提取组分中的有机化合物主要是 :丁二酸、苯甲酸、邻羟基苯甲酸、4-羟基苯甲酸、对羟基肉桂酸、2 -甲基苯酚、2 -甲氧基 -4-乙烯基苯酚、间苯三酚、2 -甲基苯甲醛、3 -甲基苯甲醛、5 ,6,7,7a-四氢 -4,4,7a-三甲基 -2 (4 H) -苯并呋喃酮、2 ,4-戊二烯腈等。     

Metabolic changes in soybean nodules after inhibition of nitrogen fixation by treatment with oxygen

Metabolites that accumulated in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]nodules after inhibition of nitrogen fixation were analysedto determine what carbon compounds the bacteroids might obtainfrom their host. Exposure of roots of intact soybean plantsto 100% O₂ for 5 min caused a decrease in acetylene reductionactivity within 10 min and then the activity recovered onlyslowly. Analysis of carbohydrates, organic acids, volatile compoundsand amino acids in extracts of nodules revealed that succinate,malate and alanine all accumulated within 10 min after treatmentwith O₂. The concentrations of sucrose, acetone, tyrosine, valine,isoleucine, leucine, and ornithine in the nodules increasedslowly after such treatment. The results are discussed in termsof carbon sources for supporting nitrogen fixation of soybeanbacteroids. Key words: Glycine max, carbon metabolism, nitrogen fixation, nodules     

Xenobiotic oxidation by cytochrome P-450-enriched extracts of Streptomyces griseus

Crude extracts of Streptomyces griseus grown on soybean flour-enriched medium contain high levels of cytochrome P-450. The cytochrome P-450-enriched fractions, obtained by ammonium sulfate fractionation (30-50% saturation), catalyze the NADPH-dependent oxidation of a variety of xenobiotics when complemented with both spinach ferredoxin:NADP+ oxidoreductase and spinach ferredoxin. Reactions observed are aromatic, benzylic and alicyclic hydroxylations, O-dealkylation, non-aromatic double bond epoxidation, N-oxidation and N-acetylation.     

Effect of water soluble non-membrane proteins on the phospholipid structure

The interaction of water-soluble nonmembraneous proteins (trypsin and the basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI)) with soybean phospholipids was studied using multilamellar vesicles. Multilamellar vesicles were obtained from soybean lipid extracts and mixtures of individual phospholipids based on phosphatidylcholine. These mixtures contain different phospholipids: "bilayer", "nonbilayer", and negatively charged. It was shown that the content of both proteins in the complex depends on pH and the presence of negatively charged components. On the basis of this finding, the conclusion about the electrostatic nature of lipid-protein interaction was made. The structural organization of soybean phospholipids in multilamellar vesicles was studied in the presence and absence of the proteins using broad-line 31P-NMR spectroscopy. It was found that, in mixtures of phospholipids of complex composition, different types of phases coexist, and phospholipids of different classes can compensate the effects of each other. Trypsin and BPTI affect the structure of phospholipids in a similar way, inducing considerable structural changes in multilamellar vesicles of preparations containing negatively charged components in whose structure there coexisted primordially the bilayer and isotropic phases.     

Fungitoxic effects of nonprotein imino acids on growth of saprophytic fungi isolated from the leaf surface of Calliandra haematocephala

Four saprophytic and pathogenic fungi were isolated from the leaf surface of Calliandra haematocephala, a tropical legume known to contain large amounts of rare nonprotein imino acids in its leaves and seeds. The fungi Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus sp., Curvularia sp., and Penicillium sp. were cultured in the laboratory and tested for susceptibility to leaf extracts of the host plant and to proline, pipecolic acid, cis-5-hydroxypipecolic acid, and 2,4-trans-4,5-cis-4,5-dihydroxypipecolic acid. Fungal spore germination and germ tube growth were measured. Aspergillus sp. was inhibited by plant extracts and by pipecolic acid and cis-5-hydroxypipecolic acid. Curvularia sp. growth was stimulated by plant extracts and by pipecolic acid. The other two fungi were unaffected by any of the treatments. The data indicate that imino acids may play a role in the specific resistance of Calliandra spp. to Aspergillus sp.     

Fungitoxic effects of nonprotein imino acids on growth of saprophytic fungi isolated from the leaf surface of Calliandra haematocephala.

Four saprophytic and pathogenic fungi were isolated from the leaf surface of Calliandra haematocephala, a tropical legume known to contain large amounts of rare nonprotein imino acids in its leaves and seeds. The fungi Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus sp., Curvularia sp., and Penicillium sp. were cultured in the laboratory and tested for susceptibility to leaf extracts of the host plant and to proline, pipecolic acid, cis-5-hydroxypipecolic acid, and 2,4-trans-4,5-cis-4,5-dihydroxypipecolic acid. Fungal spore germination and germ tube growth were measured. Aspergillus sp. was inhibited by plant extracts and by pipecolic acid and cis-5-hydroxypipecolic acid. Curvularia sp. growth was stimulated by plant extracts and by pipecolic acid. The other two fungi were unaffected by any of the treatments. The data indicate that imino acids may play a role in the specific resistance of Calliandra spp. to Aspergillus sp.     

Lipids from the floral glands of Krameria

Gland extracts from the flowers of seven South American species of Krameria have been shown to contain free 3-acetoxy fatty acids of the same type as previously found in species from North America.