Identification of Aniline-assimilating Bacteria

Twenty bacterial strains, grown on aniline as a sole source of carbon and nitrogen, and isolated from soil, were identified by morphological and biochemical tests, and cell wall analyses. Eight isolates were Rhodococcus erythropolis (Gray and Thornton) Goodfellow and Alderson, five were Pseudomonas maltophilia Hugh and Ryschenkow and seven were DAB (diaminobutyric acid)-type coryneform bacteria. The Rhodococcus spp. maintained the ability to assimilate aniline, but the pseudomonads and coryneform bacteria readily lost the ability, when grown in the absence of aniline.     

One-step Purification of Guinea Pig Liver Transglutaminase Using a Monoclonal-antibody Immunoadsorbent

Guinea pig liver transglutaminase was purified in a yield of more than 80% by a one-step purification procedure using an immunoadsorbent column of monoclonal antibodies. Active enzyme could be recovered by alkaline buffer desorption and quick neutralization. The purified enzyme was more than 98% homogeneous on Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, and had the same enzymological and immunological properties as those of the enzyme purified by conventional procedures.     

Purification and Properties of Orotidine-5′-phosphate Pyrophosphorylase in Micrococcus glutamicus.

A coupled enzyme system of orotidine-5′-phosphate pyrophosphorylase and orotidine-5′-phosphate decarboxylase has been purified approximately 30-fold from cell-free extract of Micrococcus glutamicus 534 Co–147 by means of acid treatment and fractionations with ammonium sulfate and ethanol addition, and properties of the enzyme system have been studied.

Optima of pH, temperature and substrate concentrations for the activity of the purified enzyme system have been investigated, and compared with those of the same enzyme system from dried brewer’s yeast. Furthermore, effects of various inhibitors on the enzyme activity have been examined and it has become evident that the enzyme system is completely inactivated by addition of chelating agent such as EDTA, and regenerated by further addition of magnesium ion.     

Some Physical and Chemical Properties of Nuclease P1

The inhibitory action of compressed hydrocarbon gases on the growth of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was investigated quantitatively by microcalorimetry. Both the 50% inhibitory pressure (IP₅₀) and the minimum inhibitory pressure (MIP), which are regarded as indices of the toxicity of hydrocarbon gases, were determined from growth thermograms. Based on these values, the inhibitory potency of the hydrocarbon gases increased in the order methane << ethane < propane < i-butane < n-butane. The toxicity of these hydrocarbon gases correlated to their hydrophobicity, suggesting that hydrocarbon gases interact with some hydrophobic regions of the cell membrane. In support of this, we found that UV absorbing materials at 260 nm were released from yeast cells exposed to compressed hydrocarbon gases. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy indicated that morphological changes occurred in these cells.     

Isolation and Structure of Phytotoxic Compounds Produced by Phyllosticta sp.

In the course of phytopathological studies, it has been observed that phyllosticta sp. produces a toxic compound causing wilting and simultaneous dark coloration of the clover leaf. A toxin, herein refered to as phyllosinol (mp 76~77°C) was isolated in a crystalline state from the pure culture and it was proved to be the principal toxic metabolite of the fungus. Although the melting point of phyllosinol differed significantly from that reported for epoxydon (40~45°C), the structural evidence deduced from spectrometric and chemical methods indicates that phyllosinol is substantially identical with epoxydon even in stereo-isomeric considerations. In the red clover leaf test 10 ppm phyllosinol showed the wilting effect.     

L-Tyrosine production by Polyauxotrophic Mutants of Corynebacterium glutamicum

Polyauxotrophic mutants of Corynebacterium glutamicum which have additional requirements to L-phenylalanine were derived from L-tyrosine producing strains of phenylalanine auxotrophs, C. glutamicum KY 9189 and C. glutamicum KY 10233, and screened for L-tyrosine production. The increase of L-tyrosine production was noted in many auxotrophic mutants derived from both strains. Especially some double auxotrophs which require phenylalanine and purine, phenylalanine and histidine, or phenylalanine and cysteine produced significantly higher amounts of L-tyrosine compared to the parents, A phenylalanine and purine double auxotrophic strain LM–96 produced L-tyrosine at a concentration of 15.1 mg per ml in the medium containing 20% sucrose. L-Tyrosine production by the strain decreased at high concentrations of L-phenylalanine.     

Minor Constituents of Japanese Ho-Leaf Oil

The main component of Japanese Ho-leaf oil has been shown to be (?)-linalool (80~90%), and the following twenty minor constituents newly have been identified; methyl vinyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, mesityl oxide, β-pinene, myrcene, (+)-limonene, cis- and trans-ocimene, n-hexanol, cis-3-hexenol, cis- and trans-linalool oxide, (?)-1-terpinen-4-ol, (+)-cis and (+)-trans-2,6,6-trimethyl-2-vinyl-5-hydroxytetrahydropyran, citronellol, nerol, (+)-β-selinene, (+)-tagetonol and (?)-trans-hotrienol. (+)-Tagetonol and (?)-trans-hotrienol have been demonstrated to be (+)-3,7-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-1-octen-5-one (III) and (3R)-(?)-trans-3,7-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-1,5,7-octatriene (IX), respectively.     

Existence of Sixteen 2′→5′ Dinucleotides in Nuclease P1 (Penicillium Nuclease) Digest of Technical Grade Yeast RNA

Sixteen 2′→5′ dinucleotides; (2′–5′)pA-A, pA-G, pA-C, pA-U, pG-A, pG-G, pG-C, pG-U, pC-A, pC-G, pC-C, pC-U, pU-A, pU-G, pU-C, and pU-U were detected in nuclease P₁ digest of a technical grade yeast RNA by means of gel filtration on Sephadex G-10, DEAE-Sephadex A-25 column chromatography in the presence of 7 m urea, paper electrophoresis and paper chromatography. Content of each dinucleotide was about 0.1 to 0.6% of the digest. As the sixteen 2′→5′ dinucleotides were found in all of the digests of technical grade RNA preparations tested, each polynucleotide chain in the preparations may be concluded to contain several per cent of the 2′–5′ minor phosphodiester linkages in addition to the 3′–5′ major phosphodiester linkages.     

Structures of Gibberellins A39, A48, A49 and a New Kaurenolide in Cucurbita pepo L.

The structures of three new gibberellins A₃₀, A₄₈ and A₄₉ and a new kaurenolide, isolated from seeds of Cucurbita pepo L., were elucidated. The structures of GA₃₉, GA₄₈ and GA₄₉ were shown to be ent-3α,12β-dihydroxygibberell-16-ene-7,19,20-trioic acid (1), ent-2α,3α,10,12α-tetrahydroxy-20-norgibberell-16-ene-7,19-dioic acid 19,10-lactone (5) and the epimer at C–12 of GA₄₈ (8), respectively. The kaurenolide was shown to have the structure: ent-6β,7α,12β-trihydroxykaur-16-en-19-oic acid 19,6-lactone (14).