Neo-clerodane diterpenoids from Ajuga pseudoiva

From the whole plant of Ajuga pseudoiva two epimeric neo-clerodane diterpenoids, 2-acetylivain I and its C-2 epimer 14,15-dihydro-ajugapitin, have been isolated. The structures were established by spectroscopic and chemical means. 2-Acetylivain I had not been previously reported, while its C-2 epimer had been isolated from Ajuga chamaepitys.     

Indole-3-acetyl-myo-inositol in kernels of Oryza sativa

IAA-myo-inositol was isolated from kernels of Oryza sativa and characterized by its chromatographic properties and its mass spectral fragmentation pattern. This is the first demonstration of the occurrence of a myo-inositol ester of IAA in a plant other than Zea mays.     

N-nitroamines of Agaricus silvaticus

β-Nitraminoalanine and its decarboxylation product N-nitroethylenediamine were identified in Agaricus silvaticus.     

New C-glycosylflavones from Cerastium arvense

Three C-glycosylflavones isolated from Cerastium arvense have been identified as 6-C-xylosyl-apigenin (cerarvensin), its 7-O-glucoside and isovitexin 7,2″-di-O-glucoside.     

Zopfochytrium is a new genus in the Chytridiales with distinct zoospore ultrastructure

While surveying chytrid diversity in lakes and streams, we found on cellulosic bait a chytrid that had both monocentric and polycentric thallus forms. We brought this chytrid into axenic culture from three sites in eastern North America, studied its thallus development and zoospore ultrastructure, and compared its 28S rDNA sequence with those of other members of the Chytridiomycota. Thallus morphology matched that described for the rare chytrid, Cladochytrium polystomum Zopf. Sporangia were spherical and produced numerous long discharge tubes. After discharge, zoospores remained in spherical clusters at the tips of the inoperculate openings of discharge tubes. After 10–30 min zoospores either swam away or encysted in place. Zoospore ultrastructural features included a cell coat, flagellar plug, and paracrystalline inclusion, features typical of members of the Chytridiales. However, the flagellar apparatus structure and organellar organization differed from that of zoospores previously described. Based on its molecular phylogeny and its zoospore ultrastructural features, we classify C. polystomum as a member of the Chytridiaceae in the Chytridiales. Because its thallus development and its ribosomal DNA sequences diverged decidedly from those of Cladochytrium tenue Nowak, the type species of Cladochytrium, we erected Zopfochytrium as a new genus for this chytrid.     

t-RNA-nucleotidyltransferase activity in Lupinus luteus seeds

t-RNA-nucleotidyltransferase activity was detected in Lupinus luteus seed.The enzyme was partly purified, and some of its properties are described.     

C-glycosylflavones from Oryza sativa

Eight flavone C-glycosides isolated from rice plant were found to act as probing stimulants for planthoppers. They have been identified as the known compounds schaftoside, neoschaftoside, carlinoside, isoorientin 2″-glucoside and the new constituents neocarlinoside (6-C-β-D-glucopyranosyl-8-C-β-L-arabinopyranosylluteolin), isoscoparin 2″-glucoside (chrysoeriol 6-C-β-D-(2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl)glucopyranoside) and its 6?-p-coumaric and ferulic acid esters.     

Diterpenoids from Ajuga chamaepitys: Two neo-clerodane derivatives

From the whole plant of Ajuga chamaepitys two new neo-clerodane diterpenoids, ajugapitin and its dihydro derivative, have been isolated. Their     

Cumarine aus südafrikanischen Pelargonium-arten

From the roots of Pelargonium reniforme 7-hydroxy-5,6-dimethoxycoumarin, its monomethyl ether and its 7-O-glucoside were isolated for the first time. This coumarin, its 7-glucoside and scopoletin were detected chromatographically in the roots of eleven other South African Pelargonium species.     

Des dipeptides soufres differencient nettement Vigna radiata de Vigna mungo

The presence of γ-glutamyl-S-methylcysteine and its sulphoxide characterizes the seeds of Vigna radiata; on the other hand, those of Vigna mungo do not contain these compounds but are particularly rich in γ-glutamylmethionine and its sulphoxide. These two peptides, absent in V. radiata, represent an important fraction of the methionine existing in V. mungo and bring the total amount of this amino acid up to a relatively high level. Thereby, they are liable to play an important part in the improvement of the nutritive value of certain legume crops.     

Chemical markers in Veronica sect. Hebe. III

In a continued chemosystematic investigation of the water-soluble compounds in Veronica sect. Hebe, we have investigated two more of the species formerly classified as Parahebe. Both species contained mannitol in considerable amounts and in addition some glucosides of iridoid acids. Veronica cheesemanii was characterised by aucubin and its esters: 2′-O-benzoylaucubin and an aucubin diester named cheesemanioside. The main iridoid compounds in Veronica hookeriana were catalpol and its ester verminoside, but this species also contained the sugar ester methyl 1-O-benzoyl-3-α-glucuronosylglycerol and a caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycoside (CPG) named parahebeoside, a 2′-O-β-xylopyranosyl derivative of the known plantamajoside. The results show that the studied species of the former genus Parahebe are very different with regard to their chemical content. This is in agreement with the DNA sequence data and implies the genus was polyphyletic as previously circumscribed.     

异育银鲫GABAB受体1亚基cDNA部分序列的克隆及表达分析

为了确定γ-氨基丁酸B受体（gamma-aminobutyric acid B receptor,GABA_BR）基因在异育银鲫（Carassius auratus gibelio）不同组织中的表达,本实验分别对异育银鲫不同组织中GABA_BR1基因进行RT-PCR扩增,并进行了克隆和测序,在与GenBank基因库中已知GABA_BR1序列进行同源性比对的基础上采用邻接法构建系统发育树,并进一步分析其在异育银鲫不同组织内的表达水平。经克隆获得异育银鲫GABA_BR1基因CDS区序列383 bp,编码127个氨基酸。荧光定量PCR结果显示,GABA_BR1基因在异育银鲫脑、肝、肾、心、肠、鳔、鳃、肌、尾鳍、脾、卵巢、精巢组织中均有表达,且在不同组织中的表达水平由高到低依次是：脑>尾鳍>精巢>心、肠、鳔>卵巢、脾、鳃、肌>肝、肾。本研究证实了GABA_BR1基因在异育银鲫各组织中表达的广泛性,且有明显的组织特异性。     

A spiro-bis-γ-lactone glucoside from viburnum dilatatum

A new spiro-bis-γ-lactone glucoside was isolated from the leaves of Viburnum dilatatum and its structure was elucidated on the basis of spectral and chemical evidence.     

Nudol,a phenanthrene of the orchids Eulophia nuda, Eria carinata and Eria stricta

An amorphous phenanthrene, named nudol has been isolated from Eulophia nuda, Eria carinata and E. stricta. It was identified as 2,7-dihydroxy-3,4-dimethoxyphenanthrene. Synthesis of nudol and its dimethyl ether is described.     

Synthesis of 2-methylthio-cis- and trans-ribosylzeatin and their isolation from Pisum tRNA

The cis isomer of 6-(4-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-butenylamino)-2-methylthiopurine and its 9-β- and 9-α-d-ribofuranosyl derivatives have been synthesized and their physical and spectroscopic properties are described. The biological activities of these compounds have been determined in the tobacco bioassay and are compared with those of 6-(4-hydroxy-3-methyl-trans-2-butenylamino)-2-methylthiopurine and its β-ribofuranoside. The 6-(4-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-butenylamino)-2-methylthio-9-β-d-ribofuranosylpurine (ms-ribosylzeatin) isolated from a Pisum tRNA preparation was shown to consist of both isomers, which were separated by TLC and identified by comparisons of UV and MS with those of the synthetic compounds.     

Engineered biosynthesis of bacteriochlorophyll gF in Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Engineering photosynthetic bacteria to utilize a heterologous reaction center that contains a different (bacterio) chlorophyll could improve solar energy conversion efficiency by allowing cells to absorb a broader range of the solar spectrum. One promising candidate is the homodimeric type I reaction center from Heliobacterium modesticaldum. It is the simplest known reaction center and uses bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) g, which absorbs in the near-infrared region of the spectrum. Like the more common BChls a and b, BChl g is a true bacteriochlorin. It carries characteristic C3-vinyl and C8-ethylidene groups, the latter shared with BChl b. The purple phototrophic bacterium Rhodobacter (Rba.) sphaeroides was chosen as the platform into which the engineered production of BChl g_F, where F is farnesyl, was attempted. Using a strain of Rba. sphaeroides that produces BChl b_P, where P is phytyl, rather than the native BChl a_P, we deleted bchF, a gene that encodes an enzyme responsible for the hydration of the C3-vinyl group of a precursor of BChls. This led to the production of BChl g_P. Next, the crtE gene was deleted, thereby producing BChl g carrying a THF (tetrahydrofarnesol) moiety. Additionally, the bchG^Rs gene from Rba. sphaeroides was replaced with bchG^Hm from Hba. modesticaldum. To prevent reduction of the tail, bchP was deleted, which yielded BChl g_F. The construction of a strain producing BChl g_F validates the biosynthetic pathway established for its synthesis and satisfies a precondition for assembling the simplest reaction center in a heterologous organism, namely the biosynthesis of its native pigment, BChl g_F.     

N-methyltyramine: Formation in Opuntia clavata and metabolism in Coryphantha macromeris var. Runyonii

-Administration of tyramine-[1-¹⁴C] to Opuntia clavata resulted in the formation of labeled N-methyltyramine. This procedure established the biosynthetic origin of the major alkaloid in this cactus as well as providing a radiolabeled chemical that was not commercially available. The N-methyltyramine-[1-¹⁴C] was in turn administered to Coryphantha macromeris var. runyonii to determine its metabolic role in the biosynthesis of the psychoactive cactus alkaloid normacromerine (N-methyl-3,4-dimethoxy-β-hydroxyphenethylamine). This feeding experiment established N-methyltyramine as a precursor to normacromerine.     

The anamorphic genus Monotosporella (Ascomycota) from Eocene amber and from modern Agathis resin

The anamorphic fungal genus Monotosporella (Ascomycota, Sordariomycetes) has been reco-vered from a piece of Early Eocene Indian amber, as well as from the surface of extant resin flows in New Caledonia. The fossil fungus was obtained from the Tarkeshwar Lignite Mine of Gujarat State, western India, and was part of the biota of an early tropical angiosperm rainforest. The amber inclusion represents the second fossil record of Sordariomycetes, as well as the first fossil of its particular order (either Savoryellales or Chaetosphaeriales). The fossil fungus is distinguished from extant representatives by possessing both short conidiophores and small two-septate pyriform conidia, and is described as Monotosporella doerfeltii sp. nov. Inside the amber, the anamorph is attached to its substrate, which is likely the degraded thallus of a cladoniform lichen. The extant New Caledonian species is assigned to Monotosporella setosa. It was found growing on semi-solidified resin flows of Agathis ovata (Araucariaceae), and is the first record of Monotosporella from modern resin substrates.     

Phloroglucinol derivatives in Dryopteris parallelogramma and D. patula

The phloroglucinol composition in two tropical American ferns, Dryoperis parallelogramma and D. patula has been investigated. Dryopteris parallelogramma, a member of the D. filix-mas complex, contains filixic acids, which are a characteristic of the group. Dryopteris patula contains aspidin, as do its relatives in the D. dilatata complex, and albaspidin-AA.     

Nouvelles C-glycosylflavones extraites de Spergularia rubra

Three 6,8-di-C-glucosylflavones: 6,8-di-C-β-d-glucopyranosylapigenin, luteolin and chrysoeriol were isolated from the whole plant of Spergularia rubra. Two new compounds, 7,2″-di-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-6-C-α-l-arabinopyranosylapigenin and 6-C-α-l-arabinopyranosylapigenin (isomollupentin), were also characterized. Structural assignments were based on ¹H NMR and MS spectra and on comparison with synthetic samples. MS fragmentation patterns of the new di-O-glucosyl compound PM derivative and of its acid hydrolysis product are given.