Identification of the coding region for the putidaredoxin reductase gene from the plasmid of Pseudomonas putida

The first 12 NH₂-terminal amino acids of the Pseudomonas putida putidaredoxin reductase were shown to be Met-Asn-Ala-Asn-Asp-Asn-Val-Val-Ile-Val-Gly-Thr. Comparison of these data with the DNA sequence of the BamHI-HindIII 197-base fragment derived from the PstI 2.2-kb fragment obtained from the P. putida plasmid showed that the putidaredoxin reductase gene was downstream from the cytochrome P-450 gene and the intergenic region had the 24-nucleotide sequence TAAACACATGGGAGTGCGTGCTAA. The Shine-Dalgarno sequence GGAG was detected in this region. The initiating triplet for the reductase gene was GTG, which normally codes for valine, but in the initiating codon position codes for methionine. From the amino acid sequence and X-ray data comparisons with other flavoproteins, what appears to be the AMP binding region of the FAD can be recognized in the NH₂-terminal portion of the reductase involving residues 5–35.This article was presented during the proceedings of the International Conference on Macromolecular Structure and Function, held at the National Defence Medical College, Tokorozawa, Japan, December 1985.     

Mitogenic Activity of Cytoplasmic Membranes Isolated from L-Forms of Staphylococcus aureus

Cytoplasmic membranes of L-forms of Staphylococcus aureus exerted a strong mitogenic effect on splenocytes of athymic nude mice as well as normal mice, while a cytoplasmic fraction of the same bacteria did not show definite mitogenicity. The mitogenic principle(s) of the membrane fraction was resistant to treatment with trypsin and was heat stable (at 100 C for 10 min). The active principle(s) in the insoluble residue of the membrane fraction digested with trypsin was not extracted with cold acetone, but could be solubilized by extraction with a cold chloroform-methanol mixture (2:1, v/v). The mitogenic principle(s) in the extract was fractionated by silicic acid column chromatography. Among five fractions separated by chromatography, fractions eluted with chloroform-methanol mixtures (1:1 and 1:20, v/v) were found to be strongly mitogenic. The cytoplasmic membranes of the L-forms also exerted a definite mitogenic effect on guinea pig splenocytes, but not on the thymocytes.     

Evolutionarily stable seasonal timing for insects with competition for renewable resource

Summary I study the evolutionarily stable seasonal patterns of hatching and pupation for herbivorous insects that engage in exploitative competition for a renewable resource. A longer larval feeding period enhances female fecundity, but also causes a higher mortality by predation and parasitism. Previously, it was shown that the evolutionarily stable population exhibits asynchronous starting and ending of the larval feeding period in a model in which larval growth rate decreases with the total larval biomass in the population due presumably to interference competition. Here I study the case in which resource availability changes not only with environmental seasonality but with the depletion by the feeding of larvae. I find that if the impact of the herbivory is strong, both hatching and pupation should occur asynchronously in the evolutionarily stable population. And if the favourable season for the host plant is short the ESS population may include synchronous timing of pupation. If the timing of hatching and pupation occurs asynchronously, in the first day of each interval some fraction of the population hatch or pupate, respectively and the rest do so gradually over the interval. In addition, if the environmental variable changes as a symmetric function of time, the length of the period in which hatching occurs tends to be much shorter than the period in which pupation occurs.     

Modes of DNA replication primed with the oligomer of palindrome

What is the precise molecular mechanism of semi-conservative DNA replication? After the great efforts of the past 20 years, molecular biology has now established the discontinuous syntheses of daughter DNA on both of the parental strands. In order to explain this type of discontinuous replication, we introduce the concept of a palindromic primer.First we focus our attention on various oligomers (RNA or DNA) which appear usually or occasionally in the process of replication. Then we propose the palindromic nature of these oligomers so as to serve as the primer of DNA synthesis. This postulation gives a theoretical reasoning for the discontinuities of both new strands in the fork region of replication.Subsequently we consider Watson's concatemeric intermediate theory, proposed for the explanation of replicative synthesis of phage T7 DNA. By considering the contribution of some sequence-specific endonuclease(s), we suggest the existence of partial palindromic sequences of bases at the connecting region(s) in which the redundant ends of the respective phage DNA molecules are overlapping. Another theory on the replication of linear chromosomal DNA including the concept of the terminal palindromic sequence of bases is also analyzed from the viewpoint of palindromic primer. Further, some recent experimental approaches, especially on the origin(s) of DNA replication, are shown to favour the concept of a palindromic primer.     

Mass fragmentographic determination of lofepramine and its metabolites in human plasma and urine using deuterated internal standards

A sensitive and specific method for the determination of lofepramine and its metabolites, desipramine and 2-hydroxydesipramine, in human plasma and urine is described. Lofepramine, desipramine and 2-hydroxydesipramine were derivatized to ethyl p-chlorobenzoate, the bis(heptafluorobutyryl) derivative and the N,O-bis(trifluoroacetyl) derivative, respectively, and then analysed by gas chromatography—mass fragmentography. Corresponding deuterated compounds were used as internal standards. Determination was possible at levels as low as 2 ng/ml for lofepramine and desipramine and 20 ng/ml for 2-hydroxydesipramine.     

Development of the Formula-Detoxification System during Adaptation to Air of Submerged Rice Seedlings

Changes in activities of enzymes and levels of antioxidant substratesinvolved in the -detoxification system in seedlings of rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Yamabiko) inresponse to variations in the oxygen environment were studied.Activities of superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, monodehydroascorbatereductase, dehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione reductaseand catalase, expressed either on the basis of fresh weightof shoots or relative to levels of soluble protein were muchlower in seedlings germinated under water for 6 days than inthose germinated in air for the same period of time. When submergedseedlings were exposed to air, the activities of these six enzymesincreased to or exceeded the levels in aerobically grown controlsduring 24 h of adaptation to air. Ascorbate and glutathione,which act as antioxidant substrates in the -detoxification system, were present in submergedseedlings at nearly the same levels as those found in aerobicallygrown controls. On exposure of submerged seedlings to air, thelevel of ascorbate in creased slightly, but the level of glutathioneshowed a rapid increase, reaching 7 times that in aerobicallygrown controls within 12 h of adaptation to air. Levels of allsix antioxidative enzymes and of two substrates involved inthe detoxification of the superoxide radical increased withincreases in oxygen tension in the environment. Moreover, thedevelopment of this system consisted of two steps, namely, arapid increase in the level of glutathione and a subsequentslow increase in the activities of antioxidative enzymes. ¹ Present address: Research Institute for Bioresources, OkayamaUniversity, Kurashiki, 710 Japan.     

Effects of Dietary Amino Acids on Brain Amino Acids and Transmitter Amines in Rats with a Portacaval Shunt

The etiologic relationship between disturbances in metabolism of amino acids and amines and hepatic coma was investigated by examining the effects of diets containing various mixtures of amino acids on brain amine metabolism in rats with a portacaval shunt, using a method for simultaneous analysis of amino acids and amines. Rats with a portacaval shunt were fed on four different amino acid compositions with increased amounts of various amino acids suspected to be etiologically related to hepatic coma, such as methionine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan. The animals were killed 4 weeks after operation. During the experimental period, these animals did not become comatose, but exhibited various behavioral abnormalities. Marked increase in the plasma and brain levels of the augmented amino acids, especially methionine and tyrosine, were observed in rats with a portacaval shunt. Brain noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin levels were significantly decreased when the brain tyrosine level was increased. These results indicate that in rats with a portacaval shunt the dietary levels of amino acids greatly influence the brain levels of both amino acids and transmitter amines.