Neonatal brain-derived carcinostatic factor (NBCF)--cytocidal action to neuroblastoma cells and molecular characters as a glycoprotein

Neuronal cells as many as 40-70% in several regions of the brain are destined to suffer from programmed cell death at the terminal stage of the ontogenesis. At the stage the mouse brain secretes some species of cell growth-inhibitory factors including a novel glycoprotein (62KD, pI9.1) which inhibits DNA synthesis and proliferation of tumor cells preferentially over those of normal cells. The factor was designated as NBCF (neonatal brain-derived carcinostatic factor) because it is not produced at stages other than neonatal and prenatal stages or from other organs. The activity is exhibited through a protenic body of NBCF as an active principle, whereas the glycan moiety contributes assumedly to secretion and/or activity stabilization. NBCF is cytocidal more markedly to neuroblastoma cells than a diversity of other tumor cells; the susceptibility to NBCF becomes marked when neuroblastoma cells are undifferentiated.     

Studies on activities, cell up take and DNA binding of four multinuclear complexes of the form: [[trans-PtCl(NH(3))(2)](2)mu-[trans-Pd(NH(3))(2)-(H(2)N(CH(2))(n)NH(2))(2)]]Cl(4) where n=4-7

The activity against human cancer cell lines including ovarian: A2780, A2780(cisR), cell up take, DNA-binding and nature of interaction with pBR322 plasmid DNA have been studied for four multinuclear complexes code named DH4Cl, DH5Cl, DH6Cl and DH7Cl, having the general formula: [[trans-PtCl(NH(3))(2)](2)mu-[trans-Pd(NH(3))(2)-(H(2)N(CH(2))(n)NH(2))(2)]]Cl(4) where n=4, 5, 6 and 7 for DH4Cl, DH5Cl, DH6Cl and DH7Cl, respectively. The compounds are found to exhibit significant anticancer activity against ovarian cancer cell lines: A2780, A2780(cisR) and A2780(ZD0473R). DH6Cl in which the linking diamine has six carbon atoms is found to be the most active compound. As the number of carbon atoms in the linking diamine is decreased below six and increased above six, the activity is found to decrease, illustrating structure-activity relationship. All the multinuclear compounds are believed to form a plethora of long-range interstrand GG adducts with DNA dictated by the sequence of bases in the DNA strands. Increasing prevention of BamH1 digestion with the increase in concentration of the compounds is due to global changes in DNA conformation brought about by interstrand long-range binding of the compounds with DNA.     

Synthesis in vitro of very long chain fatty acids in Vibrio sp. strain ABE-1

The activity of fatty acid synthetase (FAS) from Vibrio sp. strain ABE-1 required the presence of acyl carrier protein and was completely inhibited by thiolactomycin, an inhibitor specific for a type II FAS. These observations indicate that this enzyme is a type II FAS. Analysis by gas-liquid chromotography of the reaction products synthesized in vitro from [2-¹⁴C]malonyl-CoA by the partially purified FAS revealed, in addition to 16-and 18-carbon fatty acids which are normal constituents of this bacterium, the presence of fatty acids with very long chains. These fatty acids were identified as saturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids with 20 up to as many as 30 carbon atoms. The longest fatty acids normally found in this bacterium contain 18-carbon atoms. These results suggest that the FAS from Vibrio sp. strain ABE-1 has potentially the ability to synthesize fatty acids with very long chains.Abbreviations ACP acyl carrier protein - FAME fatty acid methyl ester - FAS fatty acid synthetase - FID flame ionization detection - GLC gas-liquid chromatography - TLC thin-layer chromatography - In designations of fatty acids, such as 16:0, 16:1, etc the colon separates the number that denotes the number of carbon atoms and the number that denotes the number of double bonds, respectively, in the molecule - 16:0-CoA CoA ester of 16:0     

Identification of the cuticular lipid composition of the Western Flower Thrips Frankliniella occidentalis

The Western Flower Thrips Frankliniella occidentalis effectively resists many insecticides, but it can be controlled by the use of bioinsecticides such as entomopathogenic fungi. The epicuticular chemistry of these insects is therefore of great interest, and accordingly, the cuticular lipid composition of F. occidentalis was analysed. It was found that the cuticular lipids of both the adult and larval stages of F. occidentalis consist of two groups of compounds--hydrocarbons and free fatty acids. The same hydrocarbon pattern was found in both adults and larvae, with the exception of n-hentriacontane, which was detected only in adult insects. The following homologous series were identified: n-alkanes from C-25 to C-29 (31) with the marked dominance of odd numbers of carbon atoms, 3-methylalkanes with 26 and 28 carbon atoms, and branched monomethylalkanes (branched at C-9, -11, -13 and -15) with 26, 28 and 30 carbon atoms. The chemical composition of the free fatty acids consists of two homologous series: saturated (C(14:0), C(16:0), C(18:0)) and unsaturated fatty acids (C(16:1) and C(18:1)). This analysis confirmed the lack of potential inhibitors of entomopathogenic fungi in the cuticular lipids of this insect species.     

Srf1 is a novel regulator of phospholipase D activity and is essential to buffer the toxic effects of C16:0 platelet activating factor

During Alzheimer''s Disease, sustained exposure to amyloid-β₄₂ oligomers perturbs metabolism of ether-linked glycerophospholipids defined by a saturated 16 carbon chain at the sn-1 position. The intraneuronal accumulation of 1-O-hexadecyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerophosphocholine (C16:0 PAF), but not its immediate precursor 1-O-hexadecyl-sn-glycerophosphocholine (C16:0 lyso-PAF), participates in signaling tau hyperphosphorylation and compromises neuronal viability. As C16:0 PAF is a naturally occurring lipid involved in cellular signaling, it is likely that mechanisms exist to protect cells against its toxic effects. Here, we utilized a chemical genomic approach to identify key processes specific for regulating the sensitivity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to alkyacylglycerophosphocholines elevated in Alzheimer''s Disease. We identified ten deletion mutants that were hypersensitive to C16:0 PAF and five deletion mutants that were hypersensitive to C16:0 lyso-PAF. Deletion of YDL133w, a previously uncharacterized gene which we have renamed SRF1 (Spo14 Regulatory Factor 1), resulted in the greatest differential sensitivity to C16:0 PAF over C16:0 lyso-PAF. We demonstrate that Srf1 physically interacts with Spo14, yeast phospholipase D (PLD), and is essential for PLD catalytic activity in mitotic cells. Though C16:0 PAF treatment does not impact hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine in yeast, C16:0 PAF does promote delocalization of GFP-Spo14 and phosphatidic acid from the cell periphery. Furthermore, we demonstrate that, similar to yeast cells, PLD activity is required to protect mammalian neural cells from C16:0 PAF. Together, these findings implicate PLD as a potential neuroprotective target capable of ameliorating disruptions in lipid metabolism in response to accumulating oligomeric amyloid-β₄₂.     

Separation and analysis of free ceramides containing 2-hydroxy fatty acids in Sphingobacterium species

Abstract The occurrence of free ceramides was shown in the chloroform-methanol extractable lipids of 16 strains of Sphingobacterium including three species: S. versatilis, S. multivorum and S. mizutae . The predominant long-chain base was identified as a branched-chain, saturated dihydroxy base with a carbon chain consisting of 17 carbon atoms, while the most abundant fatty acid was 2-hydroxy-13-methyltetradecanoic acid. The major molecular species of the intact ceramides were identified as LCB- d - iso -17 : 0-2-OH iso -15 : 0FA, LCB- d - iso -17 : 0- iso -15 : 0FA and LCB- d -n16 : 0- iso -15 : 0FA.     

Impact of polyunsaturated fatty acid degradation on survival and acidification activity of freeze-dried <Emphasis Type="Italic">Weissella paramesenteroides</Emphasis> LC11 during storage

The impact of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) degradation on the survival and acidification activity of freeze-dried Weissella paramesenteroides LC11 was investigated over 90-days storage at 4 degrees C or 20 degrees C in vacuum-sealed aluminium foil or glass tubes with two water activities (a(w)=0.11 or 0.23). Colony counts, acidification activity (% lactic acid/g), linoleic/palmitic (18:2/16:0) or linolenic/palmitic (18:3/16:0) ratio by gas chromatography and 18:2 or 18:3 oxylipins by reversed phase-high performance liquid chromatography were determined. The viable cells, acidification activity and 18:2/16:0 or 18:3/16:0 ratio decreased as the storage time increased. The survival, acidification activity and 18:2/16:0 or 18:3/16:0 ratio were greatest for the freeze-dried strain held in vacuum-sealed aluminium foil at 4 degrees C. The 18:2/16:0 or 18:3/16:0 ratio decrease was correlated with the accumulation of 18:2 or 18:3 oxylipins during storage in glass tubes. Hydroperoxy PUFAs, hydroxy PUFAs, divinyl ether PUFAs and oxo PUFAs were the main oxylipins identified. A large decrease in the 18:2/16:0 or 18:3/16:0 ratio and a rapid accumulation of oxylipins during storage might be enough to cause high cell death and loss of metabolic activity. These results provide further experimental support for the hypothesis that lipid oxidation and survival or activity of freeze-dried bacteria might be related.     

Plant biochemistry of xenobiotics. Purification and properties of a wheat esterase hydrolyzing the plasticizer chemical, bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate

A soluble wheat esterase, catalyzing a cleavage of the mass-produced plasticizer chemical, bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), has been discovered. Although wheat plants and seeds as well as cultured wheat cells contained more than 12 non-specific esterase activities, only a single protein with a marked preference for a substrate chain-length of 6-8 carbon atoms was active with DEHP. This enzyme is shown to differ from all previously characterized plant lipases and esterases. The enzyme was purified 10-fold from wheat plants and 280-fold, to electrophoretic homogeneity, from cultured wheat cells. An apparent functional molecular mass of 38 000 Da and an apparent subunit molecular mass of 22 000 Da were determined. Inhibitor experiments pointed to the catalytic involvement of a serine residue. Cleavage of DEHP by the purified enzyme was about 10(4) times slower than cleavage of 4-nitrophenyl octanoate. This was consistent with previous evidence for a rate-limiting role of the esterase reaction in DEHP metabolism by intact wheat cells.     

Transient generation of hydrogen peroxide is responsible for carcinostatic effects of hydrogen combined with platinum nanocolloid,together with increases intracellular ROS,DNA cleavages,and proportion of G2/M-phase

In our previous study, we demonstrated that combined treatment with hydrogen (H₂) and platinum nanocolloid (Pt-nc) exerted markedly antiproliferative effects on cancer cells compared with each treatment alone. However, because the related mechanisms remain unclear, we investigated carcinostatic mechanisms of the combined treatment with H₂ + Pt-nc. Significant suppression of cell proliferation was confirmed at 52?h following combined treatment, and the similar effect was also observed by the 30- or 40-min transient treatment with H₂?+?Pt-nc. The transient treatments led to changes in cell size and morphology, loss of microvilli, and apoptosis-like cell death at 120 h after treatment. Moreover, transient combined treatment with H₂?+?Pt-nc induced cell-cycle arrest, as reflected by decreased proportions of G1-phase cells and accumulation of G2/M-phase cells. In contrast, intracellular peroxide levels were temporarily and significantly increased immediately after H₂?+?Pt-nc treatment but not after treatment with H₂ or Pt-nc alone. Additionally, combined treatment-induced carcinostatic effects were significantly diminished in the presence of catalase, and marked hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) generation was confirmed after mixing Pt-nc into cell culture media containing a high concentration of H₂. These changes are in agreement with the results that carcinostatic effects were induced after only 40 min of treatment with H₂?+?Pt-nc. Thus, transient and marked generation of H₂O₂ is responsible for the carcinostatic effects of combined treatment with H₂?+?Pt-nc.     

Metabolism of saturated and polyunsaturated very-long-chain fatty acids in fibroblasts from patients with defects in peroxisomal beta-oxidation.

The metabolism of [1-14C]lignoceric acid (C24:0) and [1-14C]tetracosatetraenoic acid (C24:4, n-6) was studied in normal skin fibroblast cultures and in cultures from patients with defects in peroxisomal beta-oxidation (but normal peroxisomal numbers). Cells from X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) patients with a presumed defect in a peroxisomal acyl-CoA synthetase, specific for fatty acids of carbon chain lengths greater than 22 (very-long-chain fatty acids; VLCFA), showed a relatively normal production of radiolabelled CO2 and water-soluble metabolites from [1-14C]C24:0. However, the products of synthesis from acetate de novo (released by beta-oxidation), i.e. C16 and C18 fatty acids, were decreased, and carbon chain elongation of the fatty acid was increased. In contrast, cell lines from two patients with an unidentified lesion in peroxisomal beta-oxidation (peroxisomal disease, PD) showed a marked deficiency in CO2 and water-soluble metabolite production, a decreased synthesis of C16 and C18 fatty acids and an increase in carbon chain elongation. The relatively normal beta-oxidation activity of ALD cells appears to be related to low uptake of substrate, as a defect in beta-oxidation is apparent when measurements are performed on cell suspensions under high uptake conditions. Oxidation of [1-14C]C24:4 was relatively normal in ALD cells and in the cells from one PD patient but abnormal in those from the other. Our data suggest that, despite the deficiency in VLCFA CoA synthetase, ALD cells retain a near normal ability to oxidize both saturated and polyunsaturated VLCFA under some culture conditions. However, acetate released by beta-oxidation of the saturated VLCFA and, to a much lesser degree, the polyunsaturated VLCFA, appears to be used preferentially for the production of CO2 and water-soluble products, and acetate availability for fatty acid synthesis in other subcellular compartments is markedly decreased. It is likely that the increased carbon chain elongation of the saturated VLCFA which is also observed reflects the increased availability of substrate (C24:0) and/or an increase in microsomal elongation activity in ALD cells.     

Multiple sphingolipid abnormalities following cerebral microendothelial hypoxia

Hypoxia has been previously shown to inhibit the dihydroceramide (DHC) desaturase, leading to the accumulation of DHC. In this study, we used metabolic labeling with [3H]‐palmitate, HPLC/MS/MS analysis, and specific inhibitors to show numerous sphingolipid changes after oxygen deprivation in cerebral microendothelial cells. The increased DHC, particularly long‐chain forms, was observed in both whole cells and detergent‐resistant membranes. This was reversed by reoxygenation and blocked by the de novo sphingolipid synthesis inhibitor myriocin, but not by the neutral sphingomyelinase inhibitor GW‐4869. Furthermore, oxygen deprivation of microendothelial cells increased levels of dihydro‐sphingosine (DH‐Sph), DH‐sphingosine1‐phosphate (DH‐S1P), DH‐sphingomyelin (DH‐SM), DH‐glucosylceramide (DH‐GlcCer), and S1P levels. In vitro assays revealed no changes in the activity of sphingomyelinases or sphingomyelin synthase, but resulted in reduced S1P lyase activity and 40% increase in glucosylceramide synthase (GCS) activity, which was reversed by reoxygenation. Inhibition of the de novo sphingolipid pathway (myriocin) or GCS (EtPoD4) induced endothelial barrier dysfunction and increased caspase 3‐mediated cell death in response to hypoxia. Our findings suggest that hypoxia induces synthesis of S1P and multiple dihydro‐sphingolipids, including DHC, DH‐SM, DH‐GlcCer, DH‐Sph and DH‐S1P, which may be involved in ameliorating the effects of stroke .

     

Anaerobic transformation of alkanes to fatty acids by a sulfate-reducing bacterium,strain Hxd3

Strain Hxd3, an alkane-degrading sulfate reducer previously isolated and described by Aeckersberg et al. (F. Aeckersberg, F. Bak, and F. Widdel, Arch. Microbiol. 156:5-14, 1991), was studied for its alkane degradation mechanism by using deuterium and (13)C-labeled compounds. Deuterated fatty acids with even numbers of C atoms (C-even) and (13)C-labeled fatty acids with odd numbers of C atoms (C-odd) were recovered from cultures of Hxd3 grown on perdeuterated pentadecane and [1,2-(13)C(2)]hexadecane, respectively, underscoring evidence that C-odd alkanes are transformed to C-even fatty acids and vice versa. When Hxd3 was grown on unlabeled hexadecane in the presence of [(13)C]bicarbonate, the resulting 15:0 fatty acid, which was one carbon shorter than the alkane, incorporated a (13)C label to form its carboxyl group. The same results were observed when tetradecane, pentadecane, and perdeuterated pentadecane were used as the substrates. These observations indicate that the initial attack of alkanes includes both carboxylation with inorganic bicarbonate and the removal of two carbon atoms from the alkane chain terminus, resulting in a fatty acid one carbon shorter than the original alkane. The removal of two terminal carbon atoms is further evidenced by the observation that the [1,2-(13)C(2)]hexadecane-derived fatty acids contained either two (13)C labels located exclusively at their acyl chain termini or none at all. Furthermore, when perdeuterated pentadecane was used as the substrate, the 14:0 and 16:0 fatty acids formed both carried the same numbers of deuterium labels, while the latter was not deuterated at its carboxyl end. These observations provide further evidence that the 14:0 fatty acid was initially formed from perdeuterated pentadecane, while the 16:0 fatty acid was produced after chain elongation of the former fatty acid with nondeuterated carbon atoms. We propose that strain Hxd3 anaerobically transforms an alkane to a fatty acid through a mechanism which includes subterminal carboxylation at the C-3 position of the alkane and elimination of the two adjacent terminal carbon atoms.     

The influence of carbon source on the level and composition of ceramides of the Candida lipolytica yeast

Candida lipolytica yeast was grown batchwise on two different carbon sources, glucose and n-hexadecane. Free ceramides were quantitatively isolated from sphingolipid fractions of total lipids by a combination of column chromatography and preparative thin-layer chromatography. Their composition, after acid methanolysis, was analysed by gas-liquid chromatography. The ceramide content accounted for 2.6% of the total cell lipids in hexadecane-grown cells, which was 1.5 times higher than in glucose-grown cells. The fatty acid composition of ceramides was characterized by the predominance of fatty acids shorter than 20 carbon atoms and by high concentrations of fatty acids with 16 carbon atoms after growth on both carbon sources. The dominant fatty acid was hydroxylated 16:0 in the glucose-grown cells and 16:0 in the hexadecane-grown cells. The striking finding was the low degree of fatty acid hydroxylation and relatively high proportion of odd-numbered fatty acids in ceramide of the n-hexadecane-grown cells. The ceramides contained an unusual long-chain base composition. In hexadecane-grown cells more than 60% of the long-chain bases were C₁₉ phytosphingosine. In glucose-grown cells more than one-half of the total long-chain bases were tetrahydroxy bases, 4,5-dihydroxysphinganine and 4,5-dihydroxyeicosasphinganine. Received: 20 April 1998 / Received revision: 10 July 1998 / Accepted: 29 July 1998     

施氮时期对高产夏玉米氮代谢关键酶活性及抗氧化特性的影响

选用玉米品种登海661和郑单958为材料,研究了高产条件下施氮时期对夏玉米产量、氮素利用率、氮代谢相关酶及抗氧化酶活性的影响.结果表明:拔节期一次性施氮不利于夏玉米产量提高和氮素积累,分次施氮且增施花粒肥显著提高了植株和籽粒的吸氮量,并提高了籽粒产量.拔节期、10叶期、花后10d按2∶4∶4施氮,登海661产量最高可达14123.0kg· hm-2;基肥、拔节期、10叶期、花后10 d按1∶2∶5∶2施氮,郑单958产量最高可达14517.1 kg· hm-2,这2种施氮方式较拔节期一次性施氮分别增产14.5％和17.5％.花前分次施氮可以显著提高开花期硝酸还原酶活性;登海661和郑单958在花后0～42 d中,施氮处理的谷氨酰胺合成酶、谷氨酸合成酶、谷氨酸脱氢酶活性分别平均提高了32.6％、47.1％、50.4％和14.5％、61.8％、25.6％,减缓了其下降趋势;超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化氢酶活性提高了22.0％、36.6％和13.4％、62.0％,丙二醛含量显著降低.在高产条件下,分次施氮且适当增加花粒肥施入比例可以提高氮代谢相关酶活性,延缓植株衰老,促进氮素吸收利用,进而提高籽粒产量.     

一种新型PPARr激动剂对人肾癌细胞增殖抑制的实验研究

目的：探讨新型过氧化物酶体增殖激活物受体(PPARr)激动剂DH9 对人肾癌细胞OS-RC-2 的增殖抑制作用。方法：予以不 同浓度的DH9 及罗格列酮作用OS-RC-2 细胞12 h、24 h和48 h,荧光素酶活性检测比较两种药物的PPARr激动效应;MTT 法 检测细胞增殖情况;流式细胞术观察细胞周期;AnnexinV-FITC/PI双染色流式细胞术测定细胞凋亡率;Western blot 检测细胞内 Bax 及Bcl-2等蛋白的变化。结果：不同浓度的DH9 与罗格列酮相比,对PPARr的激动效应DH9明显低于罗格列酮,增殖抑制 作用优于罗格列酮(P＜0.05),并呈现明显的浓度、时间依赖性;加入PPARr抑制剂GW9662 前后DH9 的增殖抑制作用差异无统 计学意义(P＞0.05);DH9 作用细胞48小时后,G0/G1 期细胞比例明显增加(P＜0.05),S期细胞明显减少(P＜0.05)。DH9可诱导细 胞凋亡,伴随Bcl-2 表达的减少以及Bax表达的增加。结论：OS-RC-2 细胞中,DH9 的增殖作用明显优于罗格列酮,且是通过 PPARr非依赖途径实现;DH9 能将OS-RC-2 细胞阻滞在G0/G1 期,并通过影响Bcl-2 和Bax 蛋白表达促进细胞凋亡。     

Effect of two aliphatic aldehydes, methylglyoxal and 4-hydroxypentenal, on the growth of Yoshida ascites hepatoma AH-130

The influence of a ketoaldehyde, methylglyoxal (MG), and a hydroxyalkenal, 4-hydroxypentenal (HPE), on the growth of a highly-deviated tumour has been investigated. MG and HPE, administered intraperitoneally, strongly depressed in rats the proliferative activity of the Yoshida ascites hepatoma AH-130, reducing its mitotic and labelling indices as well as the proportion of cycling cells (growth fraction). Monitoring the effects on the cell cycle by the labelled mitoses method showed that the percentage of labelled mitoses was markedly lowered after either aldehyde, which is indicative for a blocking effect in the S phase. In addition, the mean cell cycle time was slightly prolonged by MG, probably due to accumulation of cells in G1, whereas HPE delayed the first mitotic peak and increased the mean DNA synthetic period without modifying the overall cycle time. The effects of HPE on the cell cycle were prevented by pretreatment with polyamines. Repeated doses of MG significantly increased the fraction of tumour-bearing rats surviving at 90 days (‘indefinite’ survivors) as well as the survival time of those which succumbed, implying that the carcinostatic effect of MG persisted over several cell cycles. By contrast, HPE did not significantly modify the survival of AH-130-bearing rats, suggesting that its influence on tumour growth was rapidly reversible.     

Anaerobic Metabolism in the N-Limited Green Alga Selenastrum minutum: I. Regulation of Carbon Metabolism and Succinate as a Fermentation Product

The onset of anaerobiosis in darkened, N-limited cells of the green alga Selenastrum minutum (Naeg.) Collins elicited the following metabolic responses. There was a rapid decrease in energy charge from 0.85 to a stable lower value of 0.6 accompanied by rapid increases in pyruvate/phosphoenolpyruvate and fructose-1,6-bisphosphate/fructose-6-phosphate ratios indicating activation of pyruvate kinase and 6-phosphofructokinase, respectively. There was also a large increase in fructose-2,6-bisphosphate, which, since this alga lacks pyrophosphate dependent 6-phosphofructokinase, can be inferred to inhibit gluconeogenic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activity. These changes resulted in an approximately twofold increase in the rate of starch breakdown indicating a Pasteur effect. The Pasteur effect was accompanied by accumulation of d-lactate, ethanol and succinate as fermentation end-products, but not malate. Accumulation of succinate was facilitated by reductive carbon metabolism by a partial TCA cycle (GC Vanlerberghe, AK Horsey, HG Weger, DH Turpin [1989] Plant Physiol 91: 1551-1557). An initial stoichiometric decline in aspartate and increases in succinate and alanine suggests that aspartate catabolism provides an initial source of carbon for reduction to succinate under anoxic conditions. These observations allow us to develop a model for the regulation of anaerobic carbon metabolism and a model for short-term and long-term strategies for succinate accumulation in a green alga.     

Occurrence of long-chain fatty acids and glycolipids in the cell-envelope fractions of baker''s yeast

1. The total yield of fatty acids from the whole envelopes was markedly higher than that obtained from the ordinary cell walls. In both samples the major fatty acids were C(16) and C(18) acids. 2. The whole envelopes contained C(18) acids and long-chain (C(19)-C(26)) fatty acids, in a higher proportion than did the ordinary cell walls. Fifteen fatty acids with more than 18 carbon atoms were identified, among which 2-hydroxy-C(26:0) and C(26:0) acids predominated. 3. A complex sphingolipid containing inositol, phosphorus and mannose was isolated from the whole cell envelopes. The main fatty acids of this lipid were 2-hydroxy-C(26:0) and C(26:0) acids. It was concluded that this sphingolipid is present both in the ordinary cell wall and in the plasma membrane of baker's yeast. 4. The neutral lipids amounted to over 50% and the glycerophosphatides to about 30% of the total fatty acid content of the whole envelope. The major fatty acids in these lipids were C(16:1), C(18:1) and C(16:0) acids. The proportion of fatty acids with more than 18 carbon atoms was lowest in the neutral lipids, whereas the neutral glycolipids contained the highest percentage of these fatty acids. Acidic glycolipids amounted to 14% of the total fatty acid content of the whole envelope. The presence of a cerebroside sulphate in this lipid fraction was demonstrated, whereas the high content of 2-hydroxy-C(26:0) acid found is caused by the complex inositol- and mannose-containing sphingolipid.     

Microbial Production of Long-chain Dicarboxylic Acids from n-Alkanes

Strain M-l which was derived from Candida cloacae 310 as a mutant unable to assimilate dicarboxylic acid (DC) produced large amount of DCs from n-alkanes, as expected. It produced DCs with the same number of carbon atoms as those of n-alkanes used (9 to 18 carbon atoms). Among DCs produced, n-tetradecane ω,φ′-dicarboxylic acid (DC-16) from n-hexadecane (n-C₁₆) was most abundantly accumulated and the highest level of DC-16, i.e., 29.3g/liter was obtained by resting cells.

On the other hand, since the growth rate of strain M-l on n-alkane markedly decreased in comparison with that of the parent strain, other carbon source which supported the growth of strain M-l was necessary for the production of DC from n-alkane by growing cells. When acetic acid was used as carbon source for the growth in DC-16 production from n-C₁₆, the highest level of DC-16, i.e., 21.8 g/liter was obtained ofter 3 days' cultivation.     

Effects of sterculic acid on stearoyl-CoA desaturase in differentiating 3T3-L1 adipocytes

The effects of sterculic acid on cell size, adiposity, and fatty acid composition of differentiating 3T3-L1 adipocytes are correlated with stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) expression (mRNA and protein levels) and enzyme activity. Fluorescence-activated cell scanning (FACS) analysis showed that adipocytes differentiated with methylisobutylxanthine, dexamethasone, and insulin (MDI) plus 100 microM sterculic acid comprised a population of predominantly large cells with reduced adiposity compared to MDI-treated cells. Although both groups had similar amounts of total fat, their fatty acid profiles were strikingly different: MDI-treated cells had high levels of the unsaturated palmitoleic (Delta(9)-16:1) and oleic (Delta(9)-18:1) acids, whereas the cells cultured with MDI plus sterculic acid accumulated palmitic (16:0) and stearic (18:0) acids together with a marked reduction in Delta(9)-16:1. Although the cells treated with MDI plus sterculic acid had similar levels of scd1 and scd2 mRNAs and antibody-detectable SCD protein as the MDI-treated cells, the SCD enzyme activity was inhibited more than 90%. The accumulation of 16:0 and 18:0, together with normal levels of fatty acid synthase (FAS) and aP2 mRNAs, shows that de novo synthesis and elongation of fatty acids, as well as cell differentiation, were not affected by sterculic acid. Because of the increase in cell size in the sterculic acid-treated cells, the insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose (2-DOG) uptake was determined. Compared to MDI-treated cells, the 2-DOG uptake in the cells treated with sterculic acid was not affected. These results indicate that sterculic acid directly inhibits SCD activity, possibly by a turnover-dependent reaction, without affecting the processes required for adipocyte differentiation, scd gene expression or SCD protein translation.