Incorporation of Molecular Oxygen and Water during Enzymatic Oxidation of Cyanide by Pseudomonas fluorescens NCIMB 11764

Cell extracts (high-speed [150,000 x g] supernatants) from Pseudomonas fluorescens NCIMB 11764 catalyzed the oxidation of cyanide to CO(inf2) (and NH(inf3)). Conversion was both oxygen and NADH dependent, with 1 mol of each being consumed per mol of cyanide degraded. Analysis of (sup13)CO(inf2) by mass spectrometry indicated that one atom each of isotopically labelled oxygen 18 from molecular oxygen and water were incorporated during enzymatic conversion. The results confirm earlier reports of oxygenase-mediated cyanide conversion in this organism. A reaction pathway for cyanide oxidation involving initial monooxygenation followed by hydrolysis of a hypothetical oxygenated intermediate to CO(inf2) (and NH(inf3)) is proposed.     

On-line monitoring of intracellular ATP concentration in Escherichia coli fermentations

A method was developed to provide a real-time measurement of intracellular adenosine 5'-triphosophate (ATP) concentrations in growing Escherichia coli. The bacteria to be monitored must first be modified by inserting the cDNA for firefly luciferase expressed from a constitutive promoter. Such a construct leads to constant specific activity of firefly luciferase during both the lag phase and exponential growth. When the luciferase substrate, D-luciferin, is added to the medium, ATP within the cells is utilized in the luciferase-catalyzed reaction that produces light. The light is carried from the bioreactor to a computer-based detector by an optical fiber. The detected per cell light emission varies during exponential growth. Analysis of cytoplasm extracts shows that this variance is related to changes in the ATP concentration, which ranges from 1 to 6 times the literature value for K(M). Experimental analyses demonstrated that inner filter effects are not a significant factor affecting the use of this system. The method was tested in a benchtop fermentor at cell densities above 13 g/L dry cell weight. A correction factor based on the accumulated light data is calculated and used in real time to account for consumption of luciferin from the culture broth by the light producing reaction. Dissolved oxygen concentrations must be kept above 15% of air saturation to ensure constant light output, but no detectable increase in oxygen demand is seen. The method does not significantly affect growth or production rates. (c) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

以淀粉珠为载体的亲和层析法分离纯化高温α淀粉酶

 以淀粉珠为载体的亲和层析法分离纯化高温α淀粉酶张学忠,宋伦,王群,吴晓霞,唐锌进（吉林大学酶工程国家重点实验室,长春１３００２３;南京师范大学生物系,南京２１００２４）金凤燮等人从酒曲中筛选出高产热稳定α淀粉酶的菌株,命名为Ｂａｃｉｌｌｕｓｓｐ－ＪＦ...     

汉防己甲素及克矽平对矽肺大鼠Ⅰ型和Ⅲ型胶原mRNA的影响

汉防己甲素（汉甲）及克矽平（Ｐｏｌｙｖｉｎｙｌｐｙｒｉｄｉｎｅ－Ｎ－Ｏｘｉｄｅ,ＰＶＮＯ）是目前较为有效的抑制矽肺纤维化的药物。本文研究了其对胶原ｍＲＮＡ水平的影响．斑点杂交实验表明大鼠接尘６０天和１２０天后α１（Ⅰ）及α１（Ⅲ）ｍＲＮＡ水平明显上升,经汉甲或克矽平治疗１个月或３个月后,胶原ｍＲＮＡ水平明显下降。原位杂交结果表明胶原ｍＲ－ＮＡ银颗粒与细胞性结节和增厚的肺泡壁的成纤维细胞分布重合。汉甲或克矽平治疗后银颗粒数下降。提示汉甲及克矽平对矽肺进程中的胶原基因表达增强有抑制作用。     

玉米根细胞中对钒酸盐敏感的H~＋－泵的研究

用奎吖咽（ｑｕｉｎａｃｒｉｎｅ）作荧光指标剂,测定玉米（ＺｅａｍａｙｓＬ．）根尖微粒体（ＭＩＣ）膜囊泡的Ｈ~＋－泵活性,结果表明１ｍｍｏｌ／ＬＮａＮ_３仅抑制该泵活性约８％,而０．８ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ钒酸盐（Ｖａｎ）则可抑制其活性达８０％,说明ＭＩＣ制剂中Ｈ~＋－泵活性主要由质膜（ＰＭ）Ｈ~＋－ＡＴＰａｓｅ产生。此泵活性严格需要Ｍｇ~（２＋）,二价阳离子作用大小的顺序为Ｍｇ~（２＋）＞Ｍｎ~（２＋）＞Ｚｎ~（２＋）＞Ｃａ~（２＋）＝０;阴离子作用大小的１顺序为Ｂｒ~－＞Ｃｌ~－＞ＮＯ_３~－＞ＳＯ_４~（２－）,并初步证实当质膜同侧发生电子传递时,没有跨膜Ｈ~＋梯度（△μＨ~＋）生成。     

Absence of effects of low-frequency, low-amplitude magnetic fields on the properties of gramicidin A channels.

The effects of static and low-frequency magnetic fields on gramicidin A channels have been investigated using bilayer patch clamp recording and a bridge technique capable of detecting 0.3% changes in the conductance of glyceryl monooleate membranes containing many channels. In the bridge technique the conductance was assessed using 10-ms voltage pulses applied at 10 Hz. Measurements were made for LiCl, KCl, and CsCl using magnetic fields of 50, 100, 500, and 5000 microT with the frequency scanned from 10-200 Hz. The combinations of static and low-frequency fields employed include the "cyclotron resonance" conditions at which effects had been predicted to occur. In no case was there any detectable change in conductance when the magnetic fields were applied or changed. Potassium currents through single gramicidin channels have been recorded for patches in which several channels may be open at once. Fields were applied for 2 min periods interleaved with 2 min controls. Methods have been developed to analyze the multichannel records to reveal the amplitude and duration of the channels together with the frequency, depth, and apparent period of flickers. No significant differences were observed between the control and field-exposed recording periods. The peak of the distribution of opening and closing transitions always coincided for fields on and off within the resolution, 0.4%, of the recordings. There are at least two types of flicker, one with typical period less than 0.1 ms, the other with typical period from 0.3-0.8 ms. Most of the latter were not complete closures with the conductance during a flicker 15-20% above the level for a full closure.     

Trace elements in hair of blackfoot disease

Blackfoot disease is a peripheral vascular disease resulting in gangrene of the lower extremities. Though extensive epidemiological study has implicated that high arsenic content in artesian well water of the endemic area, bears some important connection with the disease, the etiology of the disease is still unknown. In this study, attention is paid to multielement determination in order to find out whether the trace elements in hair of Blackfoot disease patients are different from those of the controls. Experimental results indicate that the concentrations of As and Se in hair of patients are significantly higher than those of the controls, but Ca and Zn are significantly lower than those of the controls. The possible connection of these elements with the etiology of the disease is discussed.