The chemical-transformation products of 1,6-dibromo-1,6-dideoxygalactitol and 1,2:5,6-dianhydrogalactitol in aqueous solution

After hydrolysis of 1,6-dibromo-1,6-dideoxygalactitol (1) and 1,2:5,6-dianhydrogalactitol (2), 11 compounds were isolated, three of them as tritylated derivatives. Their structures were established on the basis of chemical evidence and, for four compounds, by X-ray diffraction. The main product of the hydrolysis of 1 was 3,6-anhydro-1-bromo-1-deoxy-dl-galactitol; the end-products of the hydrolysis of 2 were 1,5-anhydro-dl-galactitol, 2,5-anhydro-dl-altritol, and galactitol.     

Statistical evidence for remnants of the primordial code in the acceptor stem of prokaryotic transfer RNA

Summary The specificity of interaction of amino acids with triplets in the acceptor helix stem of tRNA was investigated by means of a statistical analysis of 1400 tRNA sequences. The imprint of a prototypic genetic code at position 3–5 of the acceptor helix was detected, but only for those major amino acids, glycine, alanine, aspartic acid, and valine, that are formed by spark discharges of simple gases in the laboratory. Although remnants of the code at position 3–5 are typical for tRNAs of archaebacteria, eubacteria, and chloroplasts, eukaryotes do not seem to contain this code, and mitochondria take up an intermediary position. A duplication mechanism for the transposition of the original 3–5 code toward its present position in the anticodon stern of tRNA is proposed. From this viewpoint, the mode of evolution of mRNA and functional ribosomes becomes more understandable.Offprint requests to: W. Moller     

Regulation of enzymes and isoenzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

An electrophoretic method has been devised to investigate the changes in the enzymes and isoenzymes of carbohydrate metabolism, upon adding glucose to derepressed yeast cell. (i) Of the glycolytic enzymes tested, enolase II, pyruvate kinase and pyruvate decarboxylase were markedly increased. This increase was accompanied by an overall increase in glycolytic activity and was prevented by cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis. (ii) In contrast, respiratory activity decreased after adding glucose. This decrease was clearly shown to be the result of repression of respiratory enzymes. A rapid decrease within a few minutes of adding glucose, by analogy with the so-called ‘Crabtree effect’, was not observed in yeast. (iii) The gluconeogenic enzymes, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and malate dehydrogenase, which are inactivated after adding glucose, showed no significant changes in electrophoretic mobilities. Hence, there was no evidence of enzyme modifications, which were postulated as initiating degradation. However, it was possible to investigate cytoplasmic and mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase isoenzymes separately. Synthesis of the mitochondrial isoenzyme was repressed, whereas only cytoplasmic malate hydrogenase was subject to glucose inactivation.     

Untersuchungen an Aspergillus niger über das Mitscherlich-Baulesche Wirkungsgesetz der Wachstumsfaktoren

Planta - Kulturen vonAspergillus niger, in denen dem Pilz gleichzeitig gestaffelte Mengen von Kali und Phosphat geboten wurden, ergaben, daß dasMitscherlich-Baulesche Wirkungsgesetz der...     

Ribonuclease III: new sense from nuisance.

RNases play an important role in the processing of precursor RNAs, creating the mature, functional RNAs. The ribonuclease III family currently is one of the most interesting families of endoribonucleases. Surprisingly, RNase III is involved in the maturation of almost every class of prokaryotic and eukaryotic RNA. We present an overview of the various substrates and their processing. RNase III contains one of the most prominent protein domains used in RNA-protein recognition, the double-stranded RNA binding domain (dsRBD). Progress in the understanding of this domain is summarized. Furthermore, RNase III only recently emerged as a key player in the new exciting biological field of RNA silencing, or RNA interference. The eukaryotic RNase III homologues which are likely involved in this process are compared with the other members of the RNase III family.     

Untersuchungen über den osmotischen Wert polyploider Pflanzen

Zusammenfassung In der Mehrzahl der untersuchten Fälle (insgesamt über 1000 Einzelmessungen) wurden die osmotischen Werte der Tetraploiden niedriger gefunden als die der Diploiden, doch sind die Unterschiede im allgemeinen gering. Junge Pflanzen hatten immer niedrigere 4n-Werte; bei alten Pflanzen und bei Pflanzen unter extremen Kulturbedingungen waren aber vielfach die Werte der 4n höher. Es wird die Hypothese aufgestellt, daß niedrigere osmotische Werte der Tetraploiden den Normalzustand darstellen, daß aber die Polyploiden wie in anderen Eigenschaften, so auch in ihrer Osmotik variabler sind und unter dem Einfluß von Außen-bedingungen ihre osmotischen Werte stärker modifizieren.Unter physiologischen Zwangsbedingungen (Trockenkultur, Pfropfungen) wurde an den Tetraploiden eine unter den gegebenen Verhältnissen zweckmäßige Erhöhung ihrer osmotischen Werte über das Niveau der 2n beobachtet. Gegen Trockenklima erwiesen sich die untersuchten Tetraploiden im Vergleich mit den Diploiden resistenter.Irgendwelche artspezifischen Eigentümlichkeiten konnten im Rahmen der untersuchten Pflanzen nicht festgestellt werden.Mit 6 Textabbildungen.     

cAMP-dependent protein phosphorylation of membrane proteins in the parotid gland, platelets and liver. Comparison of a 22-kDa phosphoprotein from rat parotid microsomes (protein III) with phosphoproteins of similar molecular size from platelet and liver membranes

Stimulation of secretion in exocrine secretory glands leads to the phosphorylation of a 22-kDa membrane protein (protein III) whose function is still unknown [Jahn et al. (1980) Eur. J. Biochem. 112, 345-352; Jahn & S?ling (1980) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 78, 6903-6906]. This report describes the comparison of this protein with phosphorylated membrane proteins of similar molecular mass in platelets and liver. Incubation of platelets with agents which raise the intracellular cAMP concentration results in the phosphorylation of a 22-kDa protein which is also phosphorylated in membrane preparations by endogenous kinases or by exogenous cAMP-dependent protein kinase. It is shown that this protein is distinct from protein III although both proteins have the same molecular mass and are substrates of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. In contrast to platelets, protein III could be demonstrated in liver microsomes. This indicates that the function of protein III is not exclusively linked to the stimulus-secretion coupling in exocrine cells.     

Formin-like 1 (FMNL1) Is Regulated by N-terminal Myristoylation and Induces Polarized Membrane Blebbing

The formin protein formin-like 1 (FMNL1) is highly restrictedly expressed in hematopoietic lineage-derived cells and has been previously identified as a tumor-associated antigen. However, function and regulation of FMNL1 are not well defined. We have identified a novel splice variant (FMNL1γ) containing an intron retention at the C terminus affecting the diaphanous autoinhibitory domain (DAD). FMNL1γ is specifically located at the cell membrane and cortex in diverse cell lines. Similar localization of FMNL1 was observed for a mutant lacking the DAD domain (FMNL1ΔDAD), indicating that deregulation of autoinhibition is effective in FMNL1γ. Expression of both FMNL1γ and FMNL1ΔDAD induces polarized nonapoptotic blebbing that is dependent on N-terminal myristoylation of FMNL1 but independent of Src and ROCK activity. Thus, our results describe N-myristoylation as a regulative mechanism of FMNL1 responsible for membrane trafficking potentially involved in a diversity of polarized processes of hematopoietic lineage-derived cells.