Normania,an endemic Macaronesian genus distinct fromSolanum (Solanaceae)

Morphological data and results from scanning electron microscopy of seeds and pollen show thatNormania Lowe [syn.Solanum L. subg.Potatoe (G. Don)D'Arcy sect.Normania (Lowe)Bitter] (Solanaceae: Solaneae) should be considered as a distinct genus fromSolanum L. It has two species, one restricted to the island of Madeira [Normania triphylla (Lowe)Lowe] and the other to Tenerife and Gran Canaria [Normania nava (Webb & Berthel.)Franc.-Ort. & R. N. Lester]. These species are extremely rare and had not been found for about 100 years, untilN. nava was rediscovered in two different localities in Tenerife in 1973 and 1982.Normania triphylla was reported in two different places from northern Madeira in 1991. Both species have the highest conservation priority in the Macaronesian region.     

An Ustilago maydis Mutant Partially Blocked in P45014DM Activity Is Hypersensitive to Azole Fungicides

An Ustilago maydis ergosterol biosynthesis mutant (A14) which is partially blocked in sterol 14alpha-demethylase (P45014DM) activity is described. This mutant accumulated the abnormal 14alpha-methyl sterols, eburicol, 14alpha-methylfecosterol, and obtusifoliol, along with significant amounts of ergosterol. Although the A14 mutant grew nearly as well as the wild type, it was impaired in cell extension growth, which indicated a dysfunction in apical cell wall synthesis. The mutant was also found to be hypersensitive to the azole fungicides penconazole and tebuconazole.     

Proton-NMR study of the interaction of trans-dichloro-diamine-platinum(II) with poly(I) and poly(I).poly(C)

The fixation of trans-(NH₃)₂Cl₂ Pt(II) to poly(I)·poly(C) at low r_b (< 0.05) leads to the formation of two complexed species. The major species (ca. 82% of bound platinum) involves coordination of platinum to a single hypoxanthine base, while the other species involves coordination of two hypoxanthine bases, which are either far apart on the same strand or on separate poly(I) strands, to the platinum. These same two species are found after reaction with poly(I), as are two other species throughout the entire r_b range studied (r_b = 0–0.30). The latter two species are assigned to trans-Pt bound to two bases on a poly(I) strand with (a) one or (b) two free bases between the two bound bases. These two species, (a) and (b), account for ca. 35% of the bound platinum, although the 1:1 species remains dominant (ca. 55%). These two additional species are observed at high r_b (>0.075) after reaction with poly(I)·poly(C) but as very minor species. They are formed by reaction with melted poly(I) loops. Also at high r_b, we have observed a shifted cytidine H⁵ resonance arising from interaction of trans-Pt with a melted loop of poly(C). Most probably, this arises from an intramolecular poly(I) to poly(C) crosslink. Results from the reaction of trans-Pt with poly(C) are presented for comparison.     

Quantitative transfer of the molybdenum cofactor from xanthine oxidase and from sulphite oxidase to the deficient enzyme of the nit-1 mutant of Neurospora crassa to yield active nitrate reductase

An assay method is described for measurement of absolute concentrations of the molybdenum cofactor, based on complementation of the defective nitrate reductase ('apo nitrate reductase') in extracts of the nit-1 mutant of Neurospora crassa. A number of alternative methods are described for preparing, anaerobically, molybdenum-cofactor-containing solutions from sulphite oxidase, xanthine oxidase and desulpho xanthine oxidase. For assay, these were mixed with an excess of extract of the nit-1 mutant, incubated for 24 h at 3.5 degrees C then assayed for NADPH:nitrate reductase activity. In all cases, the specific activity of the molybdenum cofactor, expressed as mumol of NO2-formed/min per ng-atom of Mo added from the denatured molybdoenzyme , was 25 +/- 4, a value that agrees with the known catalytic activity of the nitrate reductase of wild-type Neurospora crassa. This indicates that, under our conditions, there was quantitative transfer of the molybdenum cofactor from denatured molybdoenzyme to yield fully active nitrate reductase. Comparable cofactor assay methods of previous workers, apparently indicating transfer efficiencies of at best a few per cent, have never excluded satisfactorily the possibility that cofactor activity arose, not from stoichiometric constituents of the molybdoenzymes , but from contaminants. The following factors were investigated separately in developing the assay:the efficiency of extraction of the cofactor from the original enzyme, the efficiency of the complementation reaction between cofactor and apo nitrate reductase, and the assay of the resultant nitrate reductase, which must be carried out under non-inhibitory conditions. Though the cofactor is unstable in air (t1/2 about 15 min at 3.5 degrees C), it is stable when kept anaerobic in the presence of sodium dithionite, in aqueous solution or in dimethyl sulphoxide (activity lost at the rate of about 3%/24 h at 20-25 degrees C). Studies of stabilities, and investigations of the effect of added molybdate on the assay, permit conclusions to be drawn about the ligation of molybdenum to the cofactor and about steps in incorporation of the cofactor into the apoenzyme. Though the development of nitrate reductase activity is slow at 3.5 degrees C (t1/2 1.5-3 h) the complementation reaction may be carried out in high yield, aerobically. This is ascribed to rapid formation of an air-stable but catalytically inactive complex of the cofactor, as a precursor of the active nitrate reductase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Photobilirubin II

An improved preparation of photobilirubin II in ammoniacal methanol is described. Evidence is presented which distinguishes between the two structures proposed earlier for photobilirubin II in favour of the cycloheptadienyl structure. Nuclear-Overhauser-enhancement measurements with bilirubin IX alpha and photobilirubin II in dimethyl sulphoxide are complicated by the occurrence of negative and zero effects. The partition coefficient of photobilirubin II between chloroform and phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) is 0.67.     

Fundholding in general practice and financial risk.

OBJECTIVE--To estimate the financial effect of random yearly variations in need for services on fundholding practices with various list sizes. DESIGN--A simulation model was derived using historical data on general practitioner referrals for the 113 surgical procedures covered by the general practitioner fund, combined with data on the hospital prices for those procedures. PATIENTS--Resident population of Central Birmingham Health Authority. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Expected expenditure on the relevant surgical procedures for the whole district and for practices with list sizes of 9000, 12,000, 15,000, 18,000, 21,000, or 24,000 for each of 100 simulated years. RESULTS--By using average hospital prices for the West Midlands region the mean (SD) annual expenditure for the 179,400 residents was 4,832,471 pounds (87,149 pounds); the random variation between the 5th and 95th most expensive years was 5.7% of the mean cost. For a practice with a list size of 9000 the values were 244,891 pounds (18,349 pounds), with a variation of 27.5%. With a list size of 24,000 the values were 652,762 pounds (32,512 pounds), with a variation of 15.3%. CONCLUSIONS--Random variations in need for inpatient services will have a significant financial impact on the practice fund. The problem will be particularly great for smaller practices. Additional measures are required to ensure that the scheme is not undermined and that the potential benefits are secured.     

Effects of excess selenomethionine on selenium status indicators in pregnant long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis)

Forty pregnant long-tailed macaques were treated daily for 30 d with 0, 25, 150 or 300 μg selenium as L-selenomethionine/kg body weight. Erythrocyte and plasma selenium and glutathione peroxidase specific activities, hair and fecal selenium, and urinary selenium excretion were increased by and were linearly related to L-selenomethionine dose. Hair selenium was most sensitive to L-selenomethionine dose, with an 84-fold increase in the 300 μg selenium/(kg-d) group relative to controls (r=0.917). Daily urinary selenium excretion (80-fold,r=0.958), plasma selenium (22-fold,r=0.885), erythrocyte selenium (24-fold,r=0.920), and fecal selenium (18-fold,r=0.911) also responded strongly to L-selenomethionine. Erythrocyte and plasma glutathione peroxidase specific activities increased 154% and 69% over controls, respectively. Toxicity was associated with erythrocyte selenium >2.3 μg/mL, plasma selenium >2.8 μg/mL, and hair selenium >27 μg/g. Plasma, erythrocyte, and hair selenium concentrations may be useful for monitoring and preventing the toxicity of L-selenomethionine administered to humans in cancer chemoprevention trials.     

Qualitative aspects of hydrogen-deuterium exchange in the 1H, 13C, and 15N nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of viomycin in aqueous solution.

The 1H, 13C, and 15N high field nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the cyclic peptide viomycin have been fully assigned using homo- and heteronuclear double resonance experiments and pH effects. In addition it is shown how the two- and three-bond H-D isotope effects upon carbonyl resonances may assist in their assignment. The resistance to exchange with solvent water of the amide proton involved in the transannular hydrogen bond is observed directly in the 1H spectra, via the isotope effect on a carbonyl resonance in the 13C spectra, and via the one-bond 1H couppling in the 15N spectra.