Induction of rat hepatic N-nitrosodimethylamine demethylase by acetone is due to protein stabilization

The N-nitrosodimethylamine demethylase (P450I-IE1) is induced severalfold in liver by giving rats ethanol, acetone, pyrazole, and other related small molecular weight compounds. This induction is not the result of an increase in IIE1 mRNA, but could be due to either an increase in translation rate or a decrease in protein degradation. To determine the mechanism of induction, we measured IIE1 synthesis and degradation rates in untreated and acetone-treated rats. This was accomplished by immunopurification of radiolabeled IIE1 protein using a specific monoclonal antibody subsequent to in vivo labeling of total cellular protein with either NaH14CO3 or [3H]leucine. We found that in rats fed acetone, the rate of IIE1 synthesis was not changed; however, IIE1 degradation was markedly altered. In untreated rats, IIE1 protein was degraded via a biphasic pathway consisting of both a rapid and slow component with approximate half-lives of 7 and 37 h, respectively. However, in acetone-treated rats, only a monophasic curve with a half-life of 37 h was observed. The abolition of the rapid degradation component of the IIE1 turnover cycle indicates that induction of IIE1 by acetone is primarily due to specific stabilization of IIE1 protein. Since acetone is also metabolized by IIE1, we believe that this may be a substrate-induced enzyme stabilization.     

A differential molecualr topography of the Pr and Pfr forms of native oat phytochrome as probed by fluoresence quenching

Tryptophan (Trp) surface topography of the red- and far-red-absorbing forms of phytochrome (Pr, Pfr) ofAvena sativa L. has been investigated by analyzing quenching of the two components of Trp fluorescence decay, in order to understand the differences in the two forms at the molecular level. Stern-Volmer kinetic analysis of the quenching data for two cationic surface quenchers, Cs⁺ and Tl⁺, showed strong quenching of the short component of the Pr fluorescence (Stern-Volmer constants,K _sv , 27.2 and 21.4 M⁻¹, respectively) relative to that of Pfr fluorescenceK _sv , 10.4 and 12.3 M⁻¹, respectively). The long component of the Trp fluorescence was quenched differentially by Cs⁺ and Tl⁺, withK _sv of 9.0 and 19.8 M⁻¹, respectively, for the Pr fluorescence andK _sv of 13.7 and 8.7 M⁻¹, respectively, for the Pfr fluorescence. The results indicate that the phytochrome Trp residues with short fluorescence lifetime are more accessible to the cationic surface quenchers than those with long fluorescence lifetime. The data, taken together with our earlier study (Singh et al. 1988, Biochim, Biophys. Acta936, 395–405), indicate that most, if not all the ten Trp residues of phytochrome, are fluorescent and exist in distinct groups differing in their topography and microenvironment, and the peptide segment containing Trp-774 and Trp-778 within the 55-kilodalton C-terminal domain of phytochrome also undergoes a subtle alteration in its surface topography during Pr→Pfr phototransformation. This paper is dedicated to Professor Hans Mohr in commemoration of his 60th birthday     

Brassica taxonomy based on nuclear restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs)

Summary RFLPs were used to study genome evolution and phylogeny in Brassica and related genera. Thirtyeight accessions, including 10 accessions of B. rapa (syn. campestris), 9 cultivated types of B. oleracea, 13 nine-chromosome wild brassicas related to B. oleracea, and 6 other species in Brassica and allied genera, were examined with more then 30 random genomic DNA probes, which identified RFLPs mapping to nine different linkage groups of the B. rapa genome. Based on the RFLP data, phylogenetic trees were constructed using the PAUP microcomputer program. Within B. rapa, accessions of pak choi, narinosa, and Chinese cabbage from East Asia constituted a group distinct from turnip and wild European populations, consistent with the hypothesis that B. rapa had two centers of domestication. A wild B. rapa accession from India was positioned in the tree between European types and East Asian types, suggesting an evolutionary pathway from Europe to India, then to South China. Cultivated B. oleracea morphotypes showed monophyletic origin with wild B. oleracea or B. alboglabra as possible ancestors. Various kales constitute a highly diverse group, and represent the primitive morphotypes of cultivated B. oleracea from which cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. probably have evolved. Cauliflower was found to be closely related to broccoli, whereas cabbage was closely related to leafy kales. A great diversity existed among the 13 collections of nine-chromosome wild brassicas related to B. oleracea, representing various taxonomic states from subspecies to species. Results from these studies suggested that two basic evolutionary pathways exist for the diploid species examined. One pathway gave rise to B. fruticulosa, B. nigra, and Sinapis arvensis, with B. adpressa or a close relative as the initial ancestor. Another pathway gave rise to B. oleracea and B. rapa, with Diplotaxis erucoides or a close relative as the initial ancestor. Raphanus sativus and Eruca sativus represented intermediate types between the two lineages, and might have been derived from introgression or hybridization between species belonging to different lineages. Molecular evidence for an ascending order of chromosome numbers in the evolution of Brassica and allied genera was obtained on the basis of RFLP data and phylogenetic analysis.     

Pre-translational induction of pentoxyresorufin O-depentylase by pyridine.

Pentoxyresorufin O-depentylase activity, mainly associated with phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P450IIB1 (designated CYP2B1), was increased after a single treatment of pyridine (250 mg/kg, i.p.), and further increased by repeated treatments for 5 days. The catalytic activity and immunoreactive protein of CYP2B recognized by polyclonal antibodies were significantly induced by a relatively high dose of pyridine (250 mg/kg, i.p.) while ethanol-inducible cytochrome P450IIE1 (CYP2E1) could be induced by a low dosage (25 mg/kg, i.p.). Unlike CYP2E1 induction without changing its mRNA level, the induction of CYP2B by pyridine was accompanied by an elevation of its mRNA, indicating a pre-translational activation of this enzyme. These results indicate that pyridine induces various isozymes of cytochromes P450 by different induction mechanisms.     

厚朴类有效成分的含量测定及高效液相色谱图

用高效液相色谱法对我国木兰科植物“厚朴类”中的酚类和季胺碱类作了定性和定量分析,并提供色谱图,结果表明不同产地的“厚朴”,图谱相同,仅含量有差别,但不同种的“厚朴”,色谱图不同.此结果可作为评价“厚朴类“药材质量和鉴别的方法.根据各类厚朴有效成分的存在,有一定的规律,为木兰科植物化学分类提供了有价值的资料。     

猪肠毒素源性大肠杆菌K88ac粘附抗原的核苷酸序列分析

 本文对国内流行的猪肠毒素源性大肠杆菌K88ac抗原的结构基因的核苷酸序列进行了测定。该基因由849对核苷酸组成,编码了283个氨基酸的蛋白亚单位及21个氨基酸的信号肽。与国外报道的K88ac序列的不同是我们发现一个碱基的点突变,导致在抗原决定簇内一个氨基酸的改变。从核苷酸序列推导出的氨基酸序列与另两种亚型进行了比较。     

Helper virus-free transfer of herpes simplex virus type 1 plasmid vectors into neural cells.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) plasmid vectors have promise for genetic intervention in the brain, but several problems caused by the helper virus have compromised their utility. To develop a helper virus-free packaging system for these vectors, the DNA cleavage/packaging signals were deleted from a set of cosmids that represents the HSV-1 genome. Following cotransfection into cells, this modified cosmid set supported replication and packaging of vector DNA. However, in the absence of the DNA cleavage/packaging signals, the HSV-1 genome was not packaged, and consequently vector stocks were free of detectable helper virus. In the absence of helper virus, the vectors efficiently infected rat neural cells in culture or in the brain with minimal cytopathic effects. beta-galactosidase-positive cells were observed for at least 1 month in vivo, and vector DNA persisted for this period. This system may facilitate studies on neuronal physiology and potential therapeutic applications.     

水稻幼芽细胞生物膜上的赤霉素结合蛋白的结合特性

在水稻 (Oryza sativa)幼芽中存在膜结合的赤霉素结合蛋白 ,其与 GA3 结合的平衡解离常数(Kd)为 6.5× 1 0 -8mol/ L,总浓度为 0 .3 pmol· mg-1 蛋白质。结合蛋白与 GA3 结合活力在 0℃时比 2 5℃时高 1 4 0 %。它与 GA3 结合的最适 p H为 5。 GA3 与此结合蛋白的结合量随反应时间延长而增加 ,1 h达最大值 ,以后又逐渐下降。 IAA、ABA可与 GA3 竞争赤霉素结合蛋白。     

大豆结瘤突变体成分的初步分析及其对硝酸还原酶活性和结瘤的影响

超结瘤大豆（Ｇｌｙｃｉｎｅ ｍ ａｘ （Ｌ．） Ｍｅｒｒ．） ｎｔｓ ３８２ 和不结瘤大豆Ｎｏｄ ４９ 的叶和根组织水提取物经Ｓｅｐｈａｄｅｘ Ｇ２５ 过滤、洗脱,再根据洗脱物对硝酸还原酶（ＮＲ）活性的影响可划分为４ 个组分（ｆｒａｃｔｉｏｎ）样品,即ｎｔｓ ３８２（Ｎｏｄ ４９） Ｆ１、ｎｔｓ ３８２（Ｎｏｄ ４９） Ｆ２、ｎｔｓ ３８２（Ｎｏｄ ４９） Ｆ３ 和ｎｔｓ ３８２（Ｎｏｄ ４９） Ｆ４。其中, ｎｔｓ３８２ Ｆ２ 和Ｆ４ 抑制ＮＲ 活性作用在接种ＵＳＤＡ１１０ 后明显下降, 但接种的ｎｔｓ ３８２ Ｆ２ 却能提高大豆Ｂｒａｇｇ 的结瘤数达一倍, 而接种的ｎｔｓ ３８２ Ｆ３ 和Ｆ４ 的作用不明显。ＮＲ 活性抑制因子不是刺激结瘤的因子, 刺激结瘤的因子主要分布在接种的ｎｔｓ３８２ Ｆ２ 部分中。与这一现象相反, Ｎｏｄ ４９ Ｆ２ 和Ｆ４ 抑制ＮＲ活性的作用在接种后更强, 且也抑制大豆ｎｔｓ ３８２ 的结瘤, 其中Ｎｏｄ ４９ Ｆ４ 抑制结瘤的作用基本不能逆转。抑制结瘤因子主要分布在接过种的Ｎｏｄ ４９ Ｆ４ 部分中