Isolation and Identification of α-(γ-Aminobutyryl)-Hypusine

A new dipeptide, alpha-(gamma-aminobutyryl)-hypusine, was identified in bovine brain. This compound was isolated from trichloroacetic acid-soluble fraction of bovine brain with five steps of ion-exchange chromatography. Its structure was postulated by routine chemical analyses and determined by synthesis. The amount of the compound isolated from 1.2 kg of bovine brain was 870 nmol.     

Circadian rhythms in the activities of brain and liver aldehyde dehydrogenase isozymes in mice

Circadian variations in the activities of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) isozymes in the subcellular fractions of the brain and liver were investigated in male and female mice of C57BL/6J strain. The rhythms in high Km-ALDH activities of brain and liver mitochondrial fractions which existed in ordinary light-dark cycle were not observed in animals maintained in the continuous darkness for two weeks. The rhythms in high Km-ALDH activities of hepatic soluble and microsomal fractions existed in both ordinary cycle and total darkness but the rhythmic phases were different. In the low Km-ALDH activity of hepatic mitochondrial fraction, the circadian rhythm was similar in two lighting conditions. There was sex difference in the existence of the circadian rhythm. It seems that the ALDH activity of mice is influenced by light-dark cycle and sex hormones.     

Flowering and Endogenous Levels of Plant Hormones in Lemna Species

The occurrence and endogenous level of various plant hormoneswere measured for the short-day plants Lemna paucicostata 151and 381 and the long-day plant Lemna gibba G3 to determine whetherany of them are involved in the photoperiodic control of flowering.ABA, IAA, GA₁, GA₂₉, GA₃₄, GA₅₃, trans- and cis-zeatin, trans-and cis-ribosyl zeatin, N⁶-(²-isopentenyl) adenine and N⁶-(²-isopentenyl)adenosine were definitely detected in each species, while GA₄was only detected in L. gibba G3 and GA₂₀ was only detectedin L. paucicostata 151. The endogenous levels of ABA and IAAwere in the range of 1–7 ng/g fr wt and were not significantlydifferent in vegetative and flowering plants. The endogenousgibberellin levels were generally higher in Lemna grown underlong-day rather than short-day conditions. The endogenous cytokininlevels were almost the same in both flowering and vegetativeplants of L. paucicostata 151 and 381. In L. gibba G3, however,the level of cis-ribosyl zeatin, N⁶-(²-isopentenyl) adenineand N⁶-(²-sopentenyl) adenosine were higher in vegetative thanin flowering plants. These results indicate that there is not necessarily a directrelation between endogenous plant hormone levels and flowering,and that the chemical basis for the photoperiodic control offlowering cannot be explained solely by changes in hormone levels.The possibility remains, however, that one or more of the planthormones has some influence of secondary importance on the floweringprocess in Lemna. (Received January 29, 1986; Accepted July 12, 1986)     

Bimodal length frequency distribution in 0+aged masu salmon,Oncorhynchus masou,in a natural stream of southern Hokkaido

The frequency distribution of the fork length of 0⁺ aged masu salmon,Oncorhynchus masou, changed from unimodal to bimodal distribution in autumn of the years from 1982 to 1984 in the Mogusa River of southern Hokkaido, Japan. The bimodal distribution consists of two (upper and lower) modal groups. These two groups resulted from a difference in growth rate of 0⁺ aged individuals in autumn. Fish belonging to the upper modal group are assumed to be potential 1⁺ smolts. Whether 0⁺ aged parr transform into smolt or remain as parr in the following spring may be related to the growth rate of fish in the first autumn.     

Saponins can cause the agglutination of phospholipid vesicles

The interaction of saponins with phospholipid vesicles was investigated by means of liposomal agglutination or a precipitation assay. Ginsenoside-Rc, which has an α-l-arabinofuranose residue at the non-reducing terminus, exhibited remarkable agglutinability toward egg yolk phosphatidylcholine vesicles, while other saponins lacking this characteristic sugar residue showed less or no agglutinability. The molar ratio of ginsenoside-Rc to egg phosphatidylcholine in the aggregates was estimated to be 0.4–0.5 by a precipitation assay using ¹⁴C-labeled egg phosphatidylcholine vesicles. The agglutination was inhibited by p-nitrophenyl α-l-arabinofuranoside but not by p-nitrophenyl β-d-glucopyranoside or arabinogalactan. The results indicated that the α-l-arabinofuranose residue in ginsenoside-Rc should be important for the expression of the agglutinability. The agglutinability of ginsenoside-Rc toward lipid vesicles depended on both the polar head groups and fatty acyl chains of phospholipids. Egg yolk phosphatidylcholine vesicles were strongly agglutinated by ginsenoside-Rc, although sphingomyelin, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylserine were less agglutinated. The agglutinability of ginsenoside-Rc was effective for phosphatidylcholines with short or unsaturated fatty acyl chains. The results suggested that the interaction of ginsenoside-Rc with phospholipid membranes should be affected not only by the chemical structure of the phospholipid but also by the membrane fluidity.     

Spectra of chloroperoxidase compounds II and III

Chloroperoxidase was present as Compound II during the peroxidatic oxidation of ascorbic acid. Compound III (oxy-form) was formed when excess hydrogen peroxide was added to Compound II. By decreasing the temperature it was possible to measure the spectra of Compounds II and III in the Soret and visible regions. Each spectrum was found to resemble that of the corresponding form of lactoperoxidase. Under the experimental conditions, chloroperoxidase Compound III was apparently converted to Compound II in parallel with the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and finally to the ferric enzyme.     

Three-year survey of the epidemiology of rotavirus, enteric adenovirus, and some small spherical viruses including "Osaka-agent" associated with infantile diarrhea

Studies were made by electron microscopy (EM) on the viruses associated with diarrhea of outpatients at a pediatric clinic in Osaka Prefecture during the three year period from 1980 through 1982. The viruses detected by EM by negative staining with phosphotungstic acid (PTA) were classified morphologically into 6 groups: rotavirus, adenovirus and four kinds of small spherical viruses, calicivirus, astrovirus, picornavirus/parvovirus (P/P)-like agent and Osaka-agent. Osaka-agent seems to be a newly identified small virus. It is 35-40 nm in diameter with a fringe of spike-like structures on its surface. Viruses were detected in 181 of the 395 cases of diarrhea (45.8%). Rotavirus was detected in 122 (30.9%) of the total cases and in 67.4% of the virus-positive cases, while other viruses were detected in 15% of the total cases; adenovirus in 23 (6%) and small agents in 36 (9%). Rotavirus infection showed a distinctive seasonal variation, being mainly restricted to cooler months, but infections with other viruses did not show any seasonal variation. The age distribution of patients suggested that infants of 0 to 2 years old are very susceptible to all viruses. Attempts to cultivate these viruses in vitro were successful with only two isolates of adenovirus type 5.     

UDP-GalNAc : GalNAc-mucin α-N-acetylgalactosamine transferase activity in human intestinal cancerous tissues

GalNAc transferase activities of 6 human intestinal cancerous tissues were examined using bovine submaxillary gland mucin and its desialylated derivative, asialomucin, as acceptors. A Triton X-100 extract of these tissues was used as an enzyme source. All the tissues examined had GalNAc transferase that catalyzes the transfer of GalNAc from UDP-GalNAc to serine or threonine residues of the polypeptide chain. One of 6 specimens showed in addition UDP-GalNAc:GalNAc-mucin α-GalNAc transferase activity, synthesizing a disaccharide unit, GalNAcα→ GalNAc, when asialomucin was used as an acceptor. This carbohydrate structure was deduced on the basis of results of gel filtration, exoglycosidase digestion, and high-voltage paper electrophoresis.GalNAc transferaseHuman intestinal cancerous tissueBovine submaxillary gland mucin O-Glycosidically linked sugar chain     

Cloning of the Escherichia coli gene for the stringent starvation protein

Summary In order to clone the Escherichia coli gene for the stringent starvation protein (SSP), we determined its N-terminal sequence as well as the sequence of two peptide fragments obtained by cyanogen bromide cleavage of the protein. We then chemically synthesized four sets of oligodeoxyribonucleotide mixtures that represented possible codon combinations for parts of these amino acid sequences. The synthetic oligonucleotides were labelled with ³²P at their 5-termini and used as hybridization probes to detect DNA fragments containing the complementary sequences. Genomic Southern hybridization of E. coli chromosomal DNA gave up to ten DNA fragments hybridizing with each probe but only a few hybridized with two or more of the probes. The latter fragments were coloned in pBR322. By determining partial base sequences with a rapid method and examining proteins encoded by the DNA fragments, we were able to show that we had isolated a clone containing the complete SSP structural gene.Abbreviations SSP stringent starvation protein - PTH phenylthiohydantoin     

Genotoxicity of carcinogenic N-nitrosopropylamine derivatives in the hepatocyte primary culture/DNA-repair test

The genotoxicity of N-nitrosodipropylamine, 8 of its oxidized derivatives and N-nitroso-2,6-dimethylmorpholine was examined in the hepatocyte primary culture (HPC)/DNA repair test. Nine N-nitrosamines which are known to be carcinogenic and mutagenic were clearly positive in the HPC/DNA-repair test. N-Nitroso(2,3-dihydroxypropyl) (2-hydroxypropyl)amine did not elicit DNA repair, but showed a borderline mutagenic response in the Salmonella/microsome test. Thus, the HPC/DNA-repair test displays a comparable capacity to the bacterial mutagenesis test for detecting the genotoxic effects of this class of carcinogens.