Electromagnetic mediated pharmacokinetics in a three-layer diffusional system

The effect of an applied electromagnetic field on drug diffusion in a one dimensional, three-layer drug-receptor model has been analyzed and expressed in terms of a normalized turnover rate parameter. The analysis reveals that an imposed harmonic time-varying electromagnetic field may enhance or retard the drug turnover rate depending on the diffusional pattern, the equivalent Michaelis constant, the maximum drug turnover rate of the intrinsic drug-receptor system, as well as the power density and frequency of the applied electromagnetic field. It is estimated that the power density in the order of magnitude of 1μW/cm² at 100 MHz frequency range may be required to induce significant rate effects.     

Microbial cooxidation of naphthalene for the production of 1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydronaphthalene

A microbial cooxidation process for 1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydronaphthalene from naphthalene has been demonstrated. A Pseudomonas putida it119 mutant strain grown with glucose as the sole carbon and energy source was used to oxidize naphthalene. Growth characteristics of the P. putida mutant strain were studied in both batch and continuous fermentation experiments. The rate of product formation was found to depend on naphthalene particle sizes, initial naphthalene and glucose concentrations. Kinetic models were developed to quantify the microbial cooxidation process and a two-stage fermentation process is proposed for further studies.     

Enzymatic formation of the bisfuran structure in aflatoxin biosynthesis.

A relatively stable enzyme system that converts versiconal hemiacetal acetate to versicolorin A was isolated from the soluble fraction of the homogenized cells of Aspergillus parasiticus ATCC 15517. The cell-free preparation did not require oxygen or oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate for activity, nor did it require dithiothreitol, polyclar (polyvinyl pyrrolidone), or glycerol for stabilization of activity. It was susceptible to inhibition by dichlorvos and cysteine. Isotope tracer studies revealed involvement of several intermediates in the conversion of versiconal hemiacetal acetate to versicolorin A. These findings confirm the biogenetic relationship of versiconal hemiacetal acetate and versicolorin A, and they confirm that the bisfuran ring structure in aflatoxins and related fungal metabolites is derived from the hemiacetal structure of versiconal hemiacetal acetate.     

Parathion utilization by bacterial symbionts in a chemostat.

A continuous-culture device was used to select and enrich for microorganisms, from sewage and agricultural runoff, that were capable of using the organophosphorus insecticide parathion as a sole growth substrate. Parathion was dissimilated by the highly acclimated symbiotic activities of Pseudomonas stutzeri, which non-oxidatively and cometabolically hydrolyzed the parathion to ionic diethyl thiophosphate and p-nitrophenol, and P. aeruginosa, which utilized the p-nitrophenol as a sole carbon and energy source. Ionic diethyl thiophosphate was found to be inert to any transformations. Methyl parathion was dissimilated in an analogous way. The device functioned as a chemostat with parathion as the growth-limiting nutrient, and extraordinarily high dissimilation rates were attained for parathion (8 g/liter per day) and for p-nitrophenol (7 g/liter per day). This is the first report of parathion utilization by a defined microbial culture and by symbiotic microbial attack and of dissimilation of an organophosphorus pesticide in a chemostat.     

Trypsin inhibitor from the seeds of Acacia confusa.

A trypsin inhibitor (ACTI) was isolated and purified from the seeds of Acacia confusa by gel filtration, and trypsin-Sepharose 4B column affinity chromatography. The molecular weight of ACTI was found to be 21,000 +/- 1,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and amino acid composition analysis. ACTI contained four half-cystine and no methionine residues, and was rich in aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, leucine, and lysine residues. The native trypsin inhibitor was composed of two polypeptide chains, and it inhibited trypsin and alpha-chymotrypsin stoichiometrically at the molar ratio of 1:1 and 2:1, respectively. The amino-terminal sequence analysis of the A. confusa trypsin inhibitor A and B chains revealed a more extensive homology with Acacia elata and silk tree trypsin inhibitors, and a less extensive homology with Kunitz soybean trypsin inhibitor.     

Homozygous tyrosinase gene mutation in an American black with tyrosinase-negative (type IA) oculocutaneous albinism

We have identified a tyrosinase gene mutation in an American black with classic, tyrosinase-negative oculocutaneous albinism. This mutation results in an amino acid substitution (Cys----Arg) at codon 89 of the tyrosinase polypeptide. The proband is homozygous for the substitution, suggesting that this mutation may be frequently associated with tyrosinase-negative oculocutaneous albinism in blacks.     

Biotransformation of aflatoxin B1 and its conjugated metabolites by rat gastrointestinal microfloras.

Rat cecal microflora from high- and low-fiber-fed animals hydrolyzed aflatoxin conjugates to metabolites indistinguishable from aflatoxin B1 and aflatoxin P1, but aflatoxicol was not a transformation product.     

Hepatitis B surface antigen in pregnant women

Screening of HBsAg in 289 randomly selected normal pregnant women was done with counterelectrophoresis. Ten percent were found to be HBsAg positive. All of the 289 cord blood samples were HBsAg negative. Babies born to the HBsAg positive mothers were followed 2-8 months (average 3.5 months) after delivery and 37.5% were positive for HBsAg. Accordingly, the vertical transmission of HBsAg was postulated to occur during labor or after birth.     

CONTRIBUTION OF POLLEN MORPHOLOGY TO SYSTEMATICS OF COLLOMIA (POLEMONIACEAE)

Pollen morphology of 14 species of Collomia (Polemoniaceae) was examined by light microscopy, and by both scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Four distinct pollen types were observed which are based principally upon 1) shape, number and distribution of apertures, and 2) surface sculpturing: Type 1—zonocolporate with striate ridges; Type 2—zonocolporate with striato-reticulate ridges; Type 3—pantoporate with radiate ridges; Type 4—pantoporate with irregularly reticulate ridges. Evaluation of pollen morphology reveals considerable discrepancy with respect to presently accepted sectional classification. Collomia grandiflora of sect. Collomia has a pollen type similar to that of members of sect. Collomiastrum and is now interpreted as representing an independent evolutionary line derived from the latter section. Collomia diversifolia of sect. Courtoisia has a pollen morphology similar to that of sect. Collomia. whereas C. heterophylla of the same section possesses pollen unique within the genus. This last pollen type shows close similarity to the pollen of members of Polemonium, Gilia, Leptodactylon, and Ipomopsis. Pollen of C. tinctoria and C. tracyi of sect. Collomia are anomalous within Polemoniaceae. No significant difference in exine stratification was discernible among the four pollen types.     

Microbial Metabolism of a Parathion-Xylene Pesticide Formulation

A mixed bacterial culture was adapted to growth on a mixed carbon substrate consisting of the pesticide parathion and its xylene-based formulation. The environmental growth parameters of temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen concentration were optimized to obtain complete metabolism of parathion from this mixed carbon substrate. This adapted culture grew rapidly (mu = 0.7 per h) on the pesticide formulation at high parathion suspensions (3,000 mg/liter). Carbon utilization from this mixed substrate was strongly dependent on pH. At slightly acidic pH, xylene was preferentially metabolized, whereas at slightly alkaline pH, parathion was preferentially metabolized. Diethylthiophosphoric acid, a metabolite from parathion, and toluic acid, a metabolite from xylene, also influenced the selection of the primary carbon source.