Uropygiols: confirmation of structure by proton magnetic resonance

Lipids were extracted from excised uropygial glands of domestic chickens and the wax diesters were isolated by preparative thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The diesters were hydrolyzed and the liberated diols were resolved by boric acid TLC into two fractions. These were investigated by proton magnetic resonance at 360 MHz of the free diols and of their acetonide derivatives. The results showed that the cis and trans acetonides, formed from the erythro and threo isomers of the diols, respectively, could be distinguished by the degree of magnetic nonequivalence of the two acetonide methyl groups in each molecule. On the presumption that the cis isomer should show the greater nonequivalence of the methyl groups, this configuration was assigned to the acetonides of these diols which had the lesser TLC mobility on boric acid/silica gel. This agrees with the assignment of configuration made by earlier workers on the basis of the relative TLC mobility of the diol isomers on boric acid/silica gel, but was contrary to a previous assignment based on gas-liquid chromatographic (GLC) retention times. We conclude that the erythro isomers of the diols are characterized by lower mobility on boric acid TLC, as well as on silica gel TLC, and form acetonides that have longer retention times on GLC, and greater nonequivalence of the acetonide methyl groups in the NMR spectrum, than do the acetonides of the threo isomers.     

Excision of the 40kb segment of the TOL plasmid from Pseudomonas putida mt-2 involves direct repeats

Summary The TOL plasmid pWWO gives rise to the Tol^– plasmid pWWO-8 due to a specific excision event involving 40 kb of TOL DNA. This event occurs by means of reciprocal recombination involving a pair of directly repeated 1.4 kb sequences. This 40 kb segment is not involved as such in the formation in vivo of hybrid plasmids between TOL and resistance plasmids, notably RP4.     

Fibrillin: from domain structure to supramolecular assembly.

In the last 5 years, significant progress has been made in understanding the structure and function of all the major domains composing the fibrillins. A previous review [Meth. Enzymol. 245 (1994), 29] focused on the isolation of fibrillin monomers and fibrillin-containing polymers (microfibrils). In this article, information gained from recent studies which have further elucidated molecular structure and investigated effects of mutations on structural and functional properties will be summarized. In addition, studies of functional domains in fibrillins which may be important in assembling microfibrils will be discussed. Throughout this review, the authors have attempted to identify areas of research which have been controversial. In the conclusion, we raise important questions which remain unresolved.     

A chemiluminescence assay for erythrophagocytosis

A luminol-dependent chemiluminescence assay for the assessment of the phagocytosis of erythrocytes sensitized with anti-D IgG immunoglobulin by mononuclear leukocytes is described. The mononuclear leukocytes were obtained by apheresis enriched by centrifugation through a density gradient and stored in liquid nitrogen before use. The total reaction mixture, consisting of mononuclear leukocytes-luminol-erythrocytes (either anti-D IgG sensitized or unsensitized controls) was 500 μl, light detection was by an LKB 1251 luminometer. Peak luminescence was seen between 35–45 minutes, the reaction being exhausted by 120 minutes. Determination of the reproducibility of the assay gave intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation of 5% and 13% respectively. We found the chemiluminescent response to be affected by the number of erythrocytes used in the assay and by the composition of the medium in which the cells were resuspended, particularly the pH at the initiation of the assay. We also compared the chemiluminescence assay to a microscopic phagocytic assay and found the results virtually identical. However, the former chemiluminescence assay was much easier to perform, marginally more sensitive, less laborious and eliminated any possibility of subjective error.