Alcohol-oxidizing enzymes from various organisms.

1. Enzymes that catalyse the oxidation of aliphatic alcohols to aldehydes are reviewed. 2. Special attention is given to phenazine methosulphate-linked alcohol dehydrogenases from bacteria and to flavin-containing alcohol oxidases from yeasts, moulds and higher plants. 3. Some properties of the microsomal ethanol-oxidative system of rat liver are discussed.     

New species of Stigmatomyces from various continents

Four new species of Stigmatomyces (Ascomycetes, Laboulbeniales, Stigmatomycetinae) parasitic on flies (Diptera) are described. These are S. benjaminii, parasitic on Spilochroa polita (Trixoscelididae) from Mexico, S. munarii, parasitic on Trixoscelis namibensis (Trixoscelididae) from Namibia, S. neurochaetae parasitic on Neurochaeta parviceps (Neurochaetidae) from Malaysia, and S. zaleae, parasitic on Zalea spp. (Tethinidae) from Australia. Both Trixoscelididae and Neurochaetidae are new host families for Laboulbeniales.     

Elimination of Mycoplasma from various cell cultures

Elimination ofMycoplasma orale-I from chronically infected cell lines was achieved either by treatment with a mixture of antibiotics in a hypotonic solution, or with 10 vol % of anti -M.orale rabbit serum in tissue culture medium. The latter treatment was preferable in most cases, as it was practically harmless to the cells. Inactivation of this antiserum had no effect on its potency. The antibiotic-hypotonic treatment was rather destructive, but to a different degree for the various cell cultures. Both methods were equally useful for the treatment of a monkey kidney cell line contaminated with a mycoplasma strain related toM.hyorhinis. The available anti -M.hyorhinis rabbit serum was toxic for the monkey cells when not inactivated. The potency of the antiserum was rather low and even lower after inactivation. However, prolonged treatment successfully eliminated the mycoplasma. Pre-incubation of the inactivated anti -M.hyorhinis serum with tissue culture medium to which 10% non-inactivated calf serum had been added, favoured the elimination of the mycoplasma.During the treatment of contaminated cell cultures with single antibiotics a strain related toM.hyorhinis became resistant to chlortetracyclin.M.orale- I was found to be resistant to various single antibiotics.We are grateful to Professor Dr. A. Ch. Ruys (University of Amsterdam) and Dr. R. H. Leach (Mycoplasma Reference Laboratory, London) for helpful discussions and for identifying some of our mycoplasma strains; Dr. Leach also for kindly supplying us with his G. D. L.-strain. We thank Dr. H. Cohen and Dr. A. C. Hekker for their criticism and Mr. N. L. M. van Zwetselaar for his accurate technical assistance.     

Vitamin B12 formation from various actinomycetes isolated from bulgarian soils

240 зтаммов актиномицетов, выделенных из ризосферы различных растений и из различных почв, исследовались на наличие витамина В₁₂ путем культивирования в жидкой питательной среде. 73% из исследованных штаммов обладают способностью образовывать витамин В₁₂, в количестван порядка 0,0025–1,6 μ/мл. Количество продуцентов зависит от растительного покрова. Серия Helvolus включает наибольшее количество продуцентов (93,3%).     

Isolation of cuticular membranes from various conifer needles

Summary A method of isolating intact needle cuticles is presented. Cuticles were separated enzymatically from needles of Abies alba Mill., Picea abies (L.) Karst., Picea pungens Engelm., Pinus mugo Turra, and Taxus baccata L. Cuticle separation depended on the enzyme concentration, the developmental stage of the needles and the duration of incubation in the hydrolytic pectinase/cellulase solution. Cuticles could not be removed from needles older than 2 years. Scanning electron micrographs of enzymatically isolated cuticles are presented. The permeance coefficients for water and oxygen transport across the isolated cuticular membranes indicate their functional intactness. But permeance coefficients also show that isolation of cuticular membranes with chromic acid is an unacceptable method, since they are lo longer structurally or functionally intact following isolation by this method.     

Thermal stability of myosin rod from various species

The radius of gyration and fraction helix as a function of temperature have been determined for myosin rod from four different species: rabbit, frog, scallop, and antarctic fish. Measurements from sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis indicate that all particles have the same molecular weight (approximately 130K). All fragments are nearly 100% alpha-helical at low temperatures (0-5 degrees C). The melting profiles for each are qualitatively similar in shape, but their midpoints are shifted along the temperature axis in the following order: antarctic fish (Tm = 33 degrees C), scallop (Tm = 39 degrees C), frog (Tm = 45 degrees C), and rabbit (Tm = 49 degrees C). Corresponding radius of gyration vs temperature profiles for each species are shifted to lower temperatures (approximately 5-8 degrees C) with respect to the optical rotation melting curves. From plots of radius of gyration vs fraction helix, we find a marked drop in the radius of gyration (from 43 to approximately 34 nm) with less than a 5% decrease in fraction helix for rabbit, frog, and antarctic fish rods, whereas the radius of gyration of scallop rod never exceeds 34 nm. Results indicate hinging of the myosin rod of each species. The thermal stabilities of the myosin rods shift in parallel with the working temperature of their respective muscles.     

Aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in blood from various vertebrates

1. Aldehyde dehydrogenase activity was determined in whole blood samples from 17 selected vertebrates of 5 classes, using 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (the aldehyde derived from dopamine) as substrate. 2. Aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in blood was widely but unevenly distributed among the species studied. 3. Mean aldehyde dehydrogenase activities in the range of 40-140 nmol/min.ml blood (measured at 37 degrees C, pH 8.8) were found in blood from man, monkey, rabbit, guinea pig and mouse (C57BL and NMRI strains), with the highest activity in rabbit blood. 4. Much lower aldehyde dehydrogenase activities (0.5-7.5 nmol/min.ml blood) were found in blood from Sprague-Dawley and Wistar rat, dog, cat, horse, pig, chicken, caiman, frog and rainbow trout, whereas the activities in blood from DBA mouse, cow, sheep and crucian carp were close to the detection limit.     

Comparative specificities of trehalases from various species.

1. Using derivatives or non-symmetrical analogs of alpha,alpha-trehalose, we studied the catalytic specificities of trehalases from various species: Pseudomonas fluorescens, Melolontha vulgaris, porcine and human kidneys. 2. alpha,Beta-trehalose, beta,beta-trehalose, 6,6'dideoxy alpha,alpha-trehalose, alpha-D-xylopyranosyl alpha-D-xylopyranoside were shown to be neither substrates nor inhibitors. 3. 6'deoxy alpha,alpha-trehalose, alpha-D-glucopyranosyl alpha-D-xylopyranoside, alpha-D-allopyranosyl alpha-D-glucopyranoside and alpha-D-galactosyl alpha-D-glucopyranoside, which all possess an intact alpha-D-glucopyranosyl residue, were split by all these trehalases. 4. alpha-D-glucopyranosyl alpha-D-mannopyranoside, alpha,alpha-trehalosamine are competitive inhibitors. 5. These results show the importance of the primary alcohol group at C-6, of the equatorial configuration of the OH groups at C-2, C-3 and C-4 and of the modification of the structure at C-2 of the substrate for the catalytic activity.     

Beta-amylases from various fungal strains. A review

An overview presentation is made on the current global status of fungal beta3-amylases, their characteristics and applications in various industries. Among the few available report on beta-amylase producing fungal strains, many showed a preference for a cultivation temperature of 28 degrees C, acidic pH and soluble starch as an inducer of enzyme synthesis. In some fungal strains, alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidases were found to be present as major contaminating enzymes. Although the existence of a few starch digesting and raw starch adsorbing fungal strains were reported, detailed study on molecular biology of corresponding fungal genes was not available.     

Mannosyltransferase activities in membranes from various yeast strains

In the yeast Golgi compartments, at least five, and potentiallyseveral additional mannosyltransferases are involved in elongatingto ‘mannan’ the core Man₈GlcNAc₂ oligosac-charidetrimmed from GlC₃Man₉GlcNAc₂ in the endoplasmic reticulum. Structuralstudies on oligosaccharides from alg3 mutant yeast, which lackthe four upper arm mannoses donated by Man-P-Dol (where Dolis dolichol), verified that the new     

Preparation and characterization of bio-diesels from various bio-oils

Methyl, ethyl, 2-propyl and butyl esters were prepared from canola and linseed oils through transesterification using KOH and/ or sodium alkoxides as catalysts. In addition, methyl and ethyl esters were prepared from rapeseed and sunflower oils using the same catalysts. Chemical composition of the esters was determined by HPLC for the class of lipids and by GC for fatty acid compositions. The bio-diesel esters were characterized for their physical and fuel properties including density, viscosity, iodine value, acid value, cloud point, pure point, gross heat of combustion and volatility. Methyl and ethyl esters prepared from a particular vegetable oil had similar viscosities, cloud points and pour points, whereas methyl, ethyl, 2-propyl and butyl esters derived from a particular vegetable oil had similar gross heating values. However, their densities, which were 2 7% higher than those of diesel fuels, statistically decreased in the order of methyl approximately 2-propyl > ethyl > butyl esters. Butyl esters showed reduced cloud points (-6 degrees C to -10 degrees C) and pour points (-13 degrees C to -16 degrees C) similar to those of summer diesel fuel having cloud and pour points of -8 degrees C and -15 degrees C, respectively. The viscosities of bio-diesels (3.3-7.6 x 10(-4) Pa s at 40 degrees C) were much less than those of pure oils (22.4-45.1 x 10(-4) Pa s at 40 degrees C) and were twice those of summer and winter diesel fuels (3.50 and 1.72 x 10(-4) Pa s at 40 degrees C), and their gross heat contents of approximately 40 MJ/kg were 11% less than those of diesel fuels (approximately 45 MJ/kg). For different esters from the same vegetable oil, methyl esters were the most volatile, and the volatility decreased as the alkyl group grew bulkier. However, the bio-diesels were considerably less volatile than the conventional diesel fuels.     

Genotyping Yersinia pestis strains from various natural foci

Seven genetic variants of Yersinia pestis were detected by finger-printing of 85 strains of this bacterium from natural foci by means of a BX probe. Variants of Y. pestis strains correlate with certain species of carriers.