A general method for selection of riboflavin-overproducing food grade micro-organisms

Background  

This study describes a strategy to select and isolate spontaneous riboflavin-overproducing strains of Lactobacillus (Lb.) plantarum, Leuconostoc (Lc.) mesenteroides and Propionibacterium (P.) freudenreichii.     

Assignment of the human phosphoserine phosphatase gene (PSP) to the pter leads to q22 region of chromosome 7

Phosphoserine phosphatase (PSP) catalyzes the hydrolysis of phosphoserine to serine. PSP expression has been examined in human-mouse somatic cell hybrids retaining different combination of human chromosomes. Human PSP is expressed only when the pter leads to q22 segment of the human 7 and its enzyme marker beta-glucuronidase (GUSB) are retained in cell hybrids. The structural gene, PSP, is therefore assigned to this region of the human 7.     

Synthesis of novel isoflavene–propranolol hybrids as anti-tumor agents

Isoflavene–propranolol hybrid molecules were developed as potentially novel anti-tumour agents. Isoflavene itself has potent anti-cancer activity while propranolol can enhance anti-proliferative and anti-angiogenic properties of 5-fluorouracil and paclitaxel. The hybrids were produced via nucleophilic addition of substituted amine groups to a dioxiran intermediate, which was in turn generated from the Williamson-type reaction of isoflavene with (±)-epichlorohydrin. These analogues were tested in anti-cancer cell viability assays against SHEP neuroblastoma and MDA-MB-231 breast adenocarcinoma cell lines, and were found to exhibit potent anti-proliferative activities. These compounds also displayed anti-angiogenic and anti-proliferative effects in HMEC-1 human microvascular endothelial cell lines. Notably, the most potent hybrid molecules synthesized in this work showed enhanced potency against cancer cell lines compared to either isoflavene or propranolol alone, while retaining significant selectivity for cancer cells over MRC-5 normal lung fibroblast cells.