Efficiency of bacterial protein synthesis during anaerobic degradation of cattle waste

The rate of [15N]ammonia (15NH3) uptake or incorporation into bacterial cells was studied, using stirred, 3-liter benchtop digestors fed on a semicontinuous basis with cattle waste. The fermentations were carried out at 40 and 60 degrees C and at four different loading rates (3, 6, 9, and 12 g of volatile solids per liter of reactor volume per day). The rate of NH3-N incorporation for the period 1 to 5 h after feeding at the four different loading rates was 0.49, 0.83, 1.05, and 1.08 mg/liter per h in the mesophilic digestor and 0.68, 1.07, 1.17, and 1.21 mg/liter per h in the thermophilic digestor. Values were lower 7 to 21 h after feeding in both digestors and were related to the rate of fermentation or CH4 production. In the mesophilic digestors, the rate of bacterial cell production ranged from 3.97 to 8.72 mg of dry cells per liter per h, 1 to 5 h after feeding at the different loading rates. Corresponding values for the thermophilic digestors ranged from 5.46 to 9.77 mg of dry cells per liter per h. Cell yield values ranged from 2.3 to 3.1 mg of dry cells per mol of CH4 produced in the mesophilic and thermophilic digestors at the two lower loading rates. The values were higher (2.8 to 3.4) in the mesophilic digestors at the two higher loading rates because of the accumulation of propionate and a consequent reduction in CH4 production. Low cell yields such as those measured in this study are characteristic of low-specific-growth rates under energy-limited conditions.     

Co-purification of 130 kD nitric oxide synthase and a 22 kD link protein from human neutrophils.

The synthesis of nitric oxide (NO) from L-arginine has been demonstrated in several cell types. Both constitutive and inducible forms of NO synthase have been described in different cells. We purified the constitutive form of NO synthase enzyme in human neutrophils using a two-column procedure. Crude 100,000g supernatant of human neutrophils was passed through a 2'-5'-ADP-agarose column followed by a DEAE-Bio-Gel A anion exchange column. NO synthase enzyme migrated as a single band (MW approximately 130,000) on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Its activity was dependent upon nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and (6R)-tetrahydro-L-biopterin (BH4). In addition, flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) was also found to be essential for its maximal activity. A second NADPH, FAD-dependent component (MW approximately 22kD) was also found consistently on the SDS-PAGE gel. These observations suggest co-regulation between NO synthase enzyme and this NADPH, FAD-dependent component, which may be associated with the superoxide radical generating system.     

Effect of nucleotide cofactor structure on recA protein-promoted DNA pairing. 2. DNA renaturation reaction.

We have examined the effects of the structurally related nucleoside triphosphates, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), purine riboside triphosphate (PTP), inosine triphosphate (ITP), and guanosine triphosphate (GTP), on the recA protein-promoted DNA renaturation reaction (phi X DNA). In the absence of nucleotide cofactor, the recA protein first converts the complementary single strands into unit-length duplex DNA and other relatively small paired DNA species; these initial products are then slowly converted into more complex multipaired network DNA products. ATP and PTP stimulate the conversion of initial product DNA into network DNA, whereas ITP and GTP completely suppress network DNA formation. The formation of network DNA is also inhibited by all four of the corresponding nucleoside diphosphates, ADP, PDP, IDP, and GDP. Those nucleotides which stimulate the formation of network DNA are found to enhance the formation of large recA-ssDNA aggregates, whereas those which inhibit network DNA formation cause the dissociation of these nucleoprotein aggregates. These results not only implicate the nucleoprotein aggregates as intermediates in the formation of network DNA, but also establish the functional equivalency of ITP and GTP with the nucleoside diphosphates. Additional experiments indicate that the net effect of ITP and GTP on the DNA renaturation reaction is dominated by the corresponding nucleoside diphosphates, IDP and GDP, that are generated by the NTP hydrolysis activity of the recA protein.     

丝裂素活化蛋白激酶参与内皮素刺激的兔主动脉平滑肌细胞增生

内皮素（ｅｎｄｏｔｈｅｌｉｎ,ＥＴ）是已知的体内活性最强的缩血管物质,其缩血管作用由Ｇ蛋白偶联受体所介导。但ＥＴ强大的促血管平滑肌细胞（ＶＳＭＣ）增生效应的机理尚未完全阐明。本研究选用培养的兔胸主动脉ＶＳＭＣ,探讨丝裂素活化蛋白激酶（ＭＡＰＫ）在ＥＴ促细胞增生中的作用。结果表明：ＥＴ－１呈时间和浓度依赖性地促进细胞摄取￣３Ｈ－ＴｄＲ和激活ＭＡＰＫ,此作用可被蛋白激酶Ｃ（ｐｒｏｔｅｉｎｋｉｎａｓｅＣ,ＰＫＣ）抑制剂Ｓｔａｕｒｏｓｐｏｒｉｎｅ（ＳＴＰ）,Ｈ－７和ＥＴ＿Ａ受体拮抗剂ＢＱ１２３所抑制,但不被酪氨酸激酶抑制剂ＨｅｒｂｉｍｙｃｉｎＡ（Ｈｅｒｂ）所抑制,用ＰＫＣ激动剂ＰＭＡ（Ｐｈｏｒｂｏｌｍｙｒｉｓｔａｔｅａｃｅｔａｔｅ）预处理ＶＳＭＣ,使其ＰＫＣ活性下调,可显著减弱ＥＴ－１对ＭＡＰＫ的激活能力。本结果提示：（１）ＭＡＰＫ参与ＥＴ－１所致的ＶＳＭＣ增生;（２）ＥＴ－１促细胞增生与激活ＭＡＰＫ的作用是由ＥＴ＿Ａ受体和ＰＫＣ介导的。     

Affinity chromatography—dependent selection （ACDS） of genomic DNA fragments bound specifically to bacterial synthesized Myc／Myn proteins

This paper describes an approach to seek for mouse c-Myc/Myn proteins-bound specific sequences among genomic DNA.cDNA fragment of myn gene was obtained through RT-PCR technique from RNA of NIH3T3 cells.DNA fragments encoding BR/HLH/LZ structure of Myc and Myn proteins were cloned in frame into pGEX-2T vector respectively.Fusion GST-Myc and GST-Myn synthesized in E.coli hosts showed affinity to CACGTG E-box DNA and subsequently interacted with genomic fragments prepared through whole-genome-PCR.A PCR-assisted procedure which combines protein-DNA interaction and affinity chromatography was designed to enrich Myc/Myn bound DNA.At least two genomic DNA fragments obtained exhibit specifical binding capacity to Myc/Myn complex but not to GST alone.Significance of the work and of the technique itself as well asidentification of the DNAs are discussed.     

Activity of DNA topoisomerase I and quiescence of embryo cells in seeds of Pisum sativum L.

DNA topoisomerase activity is present at a very early stageof germination in nuclear extract of pea root meristems. Theactivity of this enzyme changes before the onset of replicativeDNA synthesis, thus suggesting the existence of a correlationbetween DNA topoisomerase I and events taking place during therelease of cells from a quiescent state. An antibody preparedagainst a human topoisomerase I is able to immuno-precipitatepart of the DNA topoisomerase activity present in pea nuclearextracts, and recognizes a protein with a molecular weight of45 kDa. We suggest that the 45 kDa protein is a DNA topoisomeraseI; its presence during embryogenesis and its storage in dryseeds would explain the presence of DNA topoisomerase I activityduring early stages of germination. Key words: Pisum sativum L, DNA topoisomerase, nuclei, quiescence, proliferation     

Prerequisite for His4 in deltorphin A for highδ opioid receptor selectivity

Summary Analysis of deltorphin A position 4 analogues included: backbone constrained N MeHis, spinacine (Spi), N MePhe and the tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid (Tic); spatially confined side-chain (Phg); and imidazole alkylation ofl- andd-His⁴ enantiomers. High selectivity was lost with the following replacements: N MeHis⁴, N MePhe⁴ and Phg⁴ reduced binding and the constrained residues also increasedµ binding; ring closure between the side-chain and amino group to yield Spi⁴ or Tic⁴ increasedµ affinity. Imidazole methylation of His⁴ marginally affected opioid binding and doubled selectivity; alkylatedd-His⁴-derivatives generally maintained selectivity in spite of decreased affinities. Thus, His⁴ imidazole preserves selectivity by facilitating high binding and by repulsion at theµ receptor. Several low energy conformers of deltorphin A indicated that the His⁴ imidazole preferred a spatial orientation parallel to the phenolic side-chain of Tyr¹ suggestive that this conformation might contribute to high affinity and selectivity.     

牛生长激素释放因子的融合表达及其产物的化学加工

通过寡核苷酸引导的定位突变,在人工全合成的第２７位为Ｉｌｅ的牛生长激素释放因子［Ｉｌｅ２７］ｂＧＲＦ（１－４４）ＯＨ基因的５＇端ＡＴＧ后插入Ｔｒｐ密码子序列,并分别了构建了Ｐｌ ｐｒｏｍｏｔｅｒ控制下、以β－半乳糖苷酶和ｐｒｏｔｅｉｎ Ａ结合ＩｇＧ ｄｏｍａｉｎＢ、Ｃ为载体蛋白的融合型基因表达质粒ｐＢＬＥ３１０和ｐＢＬＰＡＥ２Ｄ,在大肠杆菌中得到高效表达。经ＳＤＳ－ＰＡＧＥ分析,表达产物β－Ｇａｌ