Synthesis and in vitro anti Mycobacterium tuberculosis activity of a series of phthalimide derivatives

New phthalimide derivatives were easily prepared through condensation of phthalic anhydride and selected amines with variable yields (70–90%). All compounds (3a–l) were evaluated against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H₃₇Rv using Alamar Blue susceptibility. The compounds 3c, 3i, and 3l have the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 3.9, 7.8, and 5.0 μg/mL, respectively, and could be considered new lead compounds in the treatment of tuberculosis and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.     

Multiple Bacteriocin Production by Leuconostoc mesenteroidesTA33a and Other Leuconostoc/Weissella Strains

Leuconostoc (Lc.) mesenteroides TA33a produced three bacteriocins with different inhibitory activity spectra. Bacteriocins were purified by adsorption/desorption from producer cells and reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Leucocin C-TA33a, a novel bacteriocin with a predicted molecular mass of 4598 Da, inhibited Listeria and other lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Leucocin B-TA33a has a predicted molecular mass of 3466 Da, with activity against Leuconostoc/Weissella (W.) strains, and appears similar to mesenterocin 52B and dextranicin 24, while leucocin A-TA33a, which also inhibited Listeria and other LAB strains, is identical to leucocin A-UAL 187. A survey of other known bacteriocin-producing Leuconostoc/Weissella strains for the presence of the three different bacteriocins revealed that production of leucocin A-, B- and C-type bacteriocins was widespread. Lc. carnosum LA54a, W. paramesenteroides LA7a, and Lc. gelidum UAL 187-22 produced all three bacteriocins, whereas W. paramesenteroides OX and Lc. carnosum TA11a produced only leucocin A- and B-type bacteriocins. Received: 11 April 1997 / Accepted: 10 June 1997     

Dielectric spectroscopy for noninvasive examination of corneal tissue]

Dielectric spectroscopy is a non-invasive contact technique that permits the in vivo measurement of the specific electrical properties of biological tissue induced by an external electrical field. Permittivity, relaxation time and specific conductivity as a function of corneal hydration (wet weight/dry weight) and temperature were measured in 10 porcine corneas. Variation of tissue hydration has a minor influence on the signal, with a significant variation of the signal being detectable only for relatively dry tissue. A much greater influence was found for temperature, in particular on relaxation times. Dielectric spectroscopy provides us with an opportunity to detect structural, in particular temperature-induced, changes in living tissue. In the frequency range investigated, hydration has only a small influence on the dielectric properties of the tissue.     

Fleeting Identities: Perishable Material Culture in Archaeological Research

Fleeting Identities: Perishable Material Culture in Archaeological Research. Penelope Ballard Drooker. ed. Carbondale, 1L: Center for Archaeological Investigations, 2001.410 pp.     

Distribution of calcium ATPase in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of fast- and slow-twitch muscles determined with monoclonal antibodies

Summary Four monoclonal antibodies against the calcium ATPase in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of rabbit fast-twitch skeletal muscle were characterized using SDS-PAGE, Western blots and immunofluorescence. The ultrastructural distribution of the antigens was determined using post-embedding immunolabeling. The antibodies recognized the calcium ATPase in the SR but not in transverse (T-) tubule or plasma membranes. The antibody, D12, had the same binding affinity for the calcium ATPase from fast-twitch (rabbit sternomastoid) and slow-twitch (rabbit soleus) fibers and the affinity fell by 30% after fixation for electron microscopy in both types of muscle fiber. Ultrastructural studies revealed that the density of D12 antibody binding to the terminal cisternae membrane of extensor digitorum longus (edl) and sternomastoid fibers was on average seven times greater than in the slow-twitch soleus and semimembranosus fibers. Since the affinity of the ATPase for the antibody was the same in SR from fast- and slow-twitch muscles, the concentration of calcium ATPase in the terminal cisternae membrane of fast-twitch fibers was seven times greater than in slow-twitch fibers. This conclusion was supported by the fact that the concentration of calcium ATPase in light SR membranes was six times greater in SR from fast-twitch fibers than in SR from slow-twitch fibers. The results provide strong evidence that the different calcium accumulation rates in mammalian fast- and slow-twitch muscles are due to different concentrations of calcium ATPase molecules in the SR membrane.     

Study of human chromosome V

Summary The induction of fragile sites on human chromosomes has been demonstrated under various conditions that cause thymidylate stress, including exposure to uridine. In this study, we examined common fragile site expression by initially exposing peripheral lymphocytes to uridine, followed by repair of the fragile sites with media containing various concentrations of thymidine. Lymphocytes were cultured in medium 199 with 2 mM uridine. At 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 8, 10, 12, and 18 h before harvest, the uridine medium was removed and replaced by medium containing thymidine at various concentrations. Our results demonstrate that the effect of uridine on chromosome fragility can be reversed by low concentrations of thymidine (2 M up to 200 M) and the rescuing effect of thymidine can be achieved if the cells were treated prior to 2–3 h before harvest. No repair was found if thymidine was added to culture within 2 h prior to harvesting, suggesting that packing of chromosomes is also an important factor in the expression and repair of fragile sites.     

Production of alkaline phosphatase by immobilized growing cells of Escherichia coli excretory mutants

Summary In continuous cultures, alkaline phosphatase was synthesised and excreted for more than 250 h by immobilized growing cells in contrast to free cells for which the excretion decreased after 150 h of culture. This observed increase in alkaline phosphatase synthesis and excretion by immobilized cells may have resulted from growing conditions within the gel beads.Offprint requests to: C. Manin