Biosynthesis of methionine in an ethionine-resistant strain ofCandida utilis

The strainCandida utilis T 20 adapted to a high concentration of ethionine, excretes considerable amounts of methionine in a synthetic medium, about 40 times as much as the original non-adapted strain. At the same time, the amount of methionine in yeast cells incrncreased, predominantly in the pool (9 times as much as in the control). This ability to produce greater amounts of methionine in the pool or to excrete it into the medium is not permanent, since after 5 passages on agar with ut ethionine the amount of methionine was practically not increased as compared with the original non-adapted strain. An increase in free methionine and of methionine excreted into the medium was found on cultivating the strain in a molasses-containing medium, too.     

Studies on the histochemical “leucine aminopeptidase” reaction

Summary A correlative chemical and histochemical study on the leucyl--naphthyl-amide-splitting activity is presented.In the first part comparison is made between homogenates and smears of strain L cells and ELD ascites tumor cells. It was concluded that only the available enzyme activity could be visualized by histochemical means. The growing tumor cells appeared to have more activity available than the strain L cells. The intensity of the histochemical LNAse reaction bore no correlation to the total enzymatic activity extractable. Most of the available activity seemed to reside in lysosome-like structures. Cell damage by repeated freezing and thawing increased the amount of activity available to substrate interaction.In the second part a comparison is made between chemical and histochemical results in four types of progressively growing transplanted or induced mouse tumors. Chemical data showed the occurrence of a mixed pattern of LNA-splitting enzymes, among which the previously described metal-dependent group constituted the main component in the tumor cells. In all cases and types of tumors a positive histochemical LNAse reaction was noticed both in growing tumor cells as well as in different parts of the stromal compartment. The intracellular reaction in tumor cells seemed confined mainly to lysosomal-like bodies. A positive stromal reaction seemed associated with the destructive (cytolytic and collagenolytic) activity at the tumor periphery. The stromal LNAse reaction was probably due to enzymes partly different from the intracellular ones. Additional enzymatic terms, including a chymotrypsin-like and/or a carboxypeptidase activity, may originate from various host cells. These contributions may be greatly increased by accumulation of inflammatory host cells as previously noted by Hess and Mottet.     

Pigment composition and plastid structure in leaves of carotenoid mutants of maize

Summary In monogenic, recessive chloroplast mutants of maize which contain chlorophylls, and lycopene or -carotene but no normal carotenoids, great variability in the size of plastids was associated with a number of ultrastructural abnormalities. In the mutant accumulating lycopene some plastids contain dense bundles of lamellae, whereas the chloroplasts of the -carotene mutant show poor thylakoid development. Neither of the mutants was able to form normal grana.A comparison of chlorophyll/carotenoid ratios in different chloroplast fractions of normal and mutant leaves showed that plastids of small size and delicate structure contain relatively less chlorophyll than fully differentiated chloroplasts.     

Heterogeneous production of laccase by mycelium of white-rot fungi

Mycelium of white-rot fungi secretes laccase into the medium. It was found by cultivation on malt-agar plates that the mycelium does not produce laccase equally in all its parts. The youngest hyphae at the margins of the colony represent usually the maximum producers, whereas older hyphae produce less or none at all. An exception here isCollybia velutipes which is the weakest producer of laccase of all the fungi studied and where only the older hyphae begin to secrete it. Manometric estimation of laccase showed that maximum specific activity of laccase is achieved at the boundary between the phases of initial and linear growth and i₁₁ some cases during the first half of linear growth. Ageing of the mycelium characterized by certain changes in its metabolism is reflected in changes of enzyme production by fungal hypha of different age.     

Stomatal and cuticular transpiration of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris M.) attacked by rust (Uromyces appendiculatus [Pers.] Link)

The changes of stomatal and cuticular transpiration of bean plants were investigated by graphical transpiration curves method (Slavík 1958). Bean leaves were infected by fungusUromyces appendiculatus (Pers.) Link. After the infection the intensity of stomatal transpiration had a decreasing tendency. Beginning with the sixth day after infection, the proportion of stomatal and cuticular transpirations becomes more expressive, i.e. the leaves transpire more by cuticles than by stomata. The higher share of cuticular transpiration brings extensive water relations to the diseased plants.     

Flechtensystematische Studien IV. Die GattungGyalidea Lett

Im Artikel wird die ursprüngliche Gattungsdiagnose derGyalidea Lett. um die Merkmale der Pilzkomponente ergänzt. Die angenommenen verwandtschaftlichen Beziehungen derGyalidea zu der FamilieAsterothyriaceae werden diskutiert. Alle bisher festgestellten Arten mit Übersichten der revidierten Proben werden kurz beschrieben. Neue Taxa und Kombinationen:Gyalidea dodgei spec. n.,G. epiphylla spec. n.,G. mayaguezensis spec. n.,G. portoricensis spec. n.,G. fritzei (Stein) comb. n.,G. fritzei var.rivularis (Eitn.) comb. n.,G. hyalinescens (Nyl.) comb. n.,G. lecideopsis var.convarians (Nyl.) comb. n.,G. lecideopsis var.stigmatoides (Nyl.) comb. n.,G. mexicana (B. de Lesd.) comb. n. undG. subscutellaris (Vězda) comb. n.