Microbial Metabolism of a Parathion-Xylene Pesticide Formulation

A mixed bacterial culture was adapted to growth on a mixed carbon substrate consisting of the pesticide parathion and its xylene-based formulation. The environmental growth parameters of temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen concentration were optimized to obtain complete metabolism of parathion from this mixed carbon substrate. This adapted culture grew rapidly (mu = 0.7 per h) on the pesticide formulation at high parathion suspensions (3,000 mg/liter). Carbon utilization from this mixed substrate was strongly dependent on pH. At slightly acidic pH, xylene was preferentially metabolized, whereas at slightly alkaline pH, parathion was preferentially metabolized. Diethylthiophosphoric acid, a metabolite from parathion, and toluic acid, a metabolite from xylene, also influenced the selection of the primary carbon source.     

Sequence dependence of Drosophila topoisomerase II in plasmid relaxation and DNA binding

The sequence dependence of Drosophila topoisomerase II supercoil relaxation and binding activities has been examined. The DNA substrates used in binding experiments were two fragments from Drosophila heat shock locus 87A7. One of these DNA fragments includes the coding region for the heat shock protein hsp70, and the other includes the intergenic non-coding region that separates two divergently transcribed copies of the hsp70 gene at the locus. The intergenic region was previously shown to have a much higher density of topoisomerase cleavage sites than the hsp70 coding region. Competition nitrocellulose filter binding assays demonstrate a preferential binding of the intergene fragment, and that binding specificity increases with increasing ionic strength. Dissociation kinetics indicate a greater kinetic stability of topoisomerase II complexes with the intergene DNA fragment. To study topoisomerase II relaxation activity, we used supercoiled plasmids that contained the same fragments from locus 87A7 cloned as inserts. The relative relaxation rates of the two plasmids were determined under several conditions of ionic strength, and when the plasmid substrates were included in separate reactions or when they were mixed in a single reaction. The relaxation properties of these two plasmids can be explained by a coincidence of high-affinity binding sites, strong cleavage sites, and sites used during the catalysis of strand passage events by topoisomerase II. Sequence dependence of topoisomerase II catalytic activity may therefore parallel the sequence dependence of DNA cleavage by this enzyme.     

Methodology for the analysis of fenbendazole and its metabolites in plasma, urine, feces, and tissue homogenates

New methodology for the extraction and analysis of the anthelmintic fenbendazole and its metabolites from plasma, urine, liver homogenates, and feces from several animal species is presented. Quantitation of fenbendazole and its metabolites was conducted by high-pressure liquid chromatography using ultraviolet detection at 290 nm. The combined extraction and analysis procedures give excellent recoveries in all of the different biological matrices examined. High specificity, low limits of detection, and excellent linearity, accuracy, and inter- and intrasample variability were also obtained. The study of fenbendazole pharmacokinetics in vitro and in vivo should be greatly enhanced through the utilization of these methods.     

三种蕨类植物新命名

本文发表了三种蕨类植物新命名,即基羽复叶耳蕨Arachniodes ba-sipinnata(Ching)Ching ex Y.T.Hsieh,stat.nov.;南方复叶耳蕨Arachn-iodes australis Y.T.Hsieh,nom.nov.;湘黔复叶耳蕨Arachniodes michelii(Level.)Ching ex Y.T.Hsieh,comb.nov.。     

Taurine resumed neuronal differentiation in arsenite-treated N2a cells through reducing oxidative stress,endoplasmic reticulum stress,and mitochondrial dysfunction

The goal of the study is to investigate the preventive effect of taurine against arsenite-induced arrest of neuronal differentiation in N2a cells. Our results revealed that taurine reinstated the neurite outgrowth in arsenite-treated N2a cells. Meanwhile, arsenite-induced oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction as well as degradation of mitochondria DNA (mtDNA) were also inhibited by co-treatment of taurine. Since oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction is closely associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, we further examined indicators of ER stress, 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78), and C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP) protein expression. The results demonstrated that taurine significantly reduced arsenite-induced ER stress in N2a cells. In the parallel experiment, arsenite-induced disruption of intracellular calcium homeostasis was also ameliorated by taurine. The proven bio-function of taurine preserved a preventive effect against deleteriously cross-talking between oxidative stress, mitochondria, and ER. Overall, the results of the study suggested that taurine reinstated neuronal differentiation by inhibiting oxidative stress, ER stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction in arsenite-treated N2a cells.     

Direct cocktail analysis of drug discovery compounds in pooled plasma samples using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Direct plasma injection technology coupled with a LC-MS/MS assay provides fast and straightforward method development and greatly reduces the time for the tedious sample preparation procedures. In this work, a simple and sensitive bioanalytical method based on direct plasma injection using a single column high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) was developed for direct cocktail analysis of double-pooled mouse plasma samples for the quantitative determination of small molecules. The overall goal was to improve the throughput of the rapid pharmacokinetic (PK) screening process for early drug discovery candidates. Each pooled plasma sample was diluted with working solution containing internal standard and then directly injected into a polymer-coated mixed-function column for sample clean-up, enrichment and chromatographic separation. The apparent on-column recovery of six drug candidates in mouse plasma samples was greater than 90%. The single HPLC column was linked to either an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) or electrospray ionization (ESI) source as a part of MS/MS system. The total run cycle time using single column direct injection methods can be achieved within 4 min per sample. The analytical results obtained by the described direct injection methods were comparable with those obtained by semi-automated protein precipitation methods within +/- 15%. The advantages and challenges of using direct single column LC-MS/MS methods with two ionization sources in combination of sample pooling technique are discussed.     

Top3α Is Required during the Convergent Migration Step of Double Holliday Junction Dissolution

Although Blm and Top3α are known to form a minimal dissolvasome that can uniquely undo a double Holliday junction structure, the details of the mechanism remain unknown. It was originally suggested that Blm acts first to create a hemicatenane structure from branch migration of the junctions, followed by Top3α performing strand passage to decatenate the interlocking single strands. Recent evidence suggests that Top3α may also be important for assisting in the migration of the junctions. Using a mismatch-dHJ substrate (MM-DHJS) and eukaryotic Top1 (in place of Top3α), we show that the presence of a topoisomerase is required for Blm to substantially migrate a topologically constrained Holliday junction. When investigated by electron microscopy, these migrated structures did not resemble a hemicatenane. However, when Blm is together with Top3α, the dissolution reaction is processive with no pausing at a partially migrated structure. Potential mechanisms are discussed.     

Heterology expression of the Arabidopsis C-repeat/dehydration response element binding factor 1 gene confers elevated tolerance to chilling and oxidative stresses in transgenic tomato

In an attempt to improve stress tolerance of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) plants, an expression vector containing an Arabidopsis C-repeat/dehydration responsive element binding factor 1 (CBF1) cDNA driven by a cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter was transferred into tomato plants. Transgenic expression of CBF1 was proved by northern- and western-blot analyses. The degree of chilling tolerance of transgenic T(1) and T(2) plants was found to be significantly greater than that of wild-type tomato plants as measured by survival rate, chlorophyll fluorescence value, and radical elongation. The transgenic tomato plants exhibited patterns of growth retardation; however, they resumed normal growth after GA(3) (gibberellic acid) treatment. More importantly, GA(3)-treated transgenic plants still exhibited a greater degree of chilling tolerance compared with wild-type plants. Subtractive hybridization was performed to isolate the responsive genes of heterologous Arabidopsis CBF1 in transgenic tomato plants. CATALASE1 (CAT1) was obtained and showed activation in transgenic tomato plants. The CAT1 gene and catalase activity were also highly induced in the transgenic tomato plants. The level of H(2)O(2) in the transgenic plants was lower than that in the wild-type plants under either normal or cold conditions. The transgenic plants also exhibited considerable tolerance against oxidative damage induced by methyl viologen. Results from the current study suggest that heterologous CBF1 expression in transgenic tomato plants may induce several oxidative-stress responsive genes to protect from chilling stress.     

Winter spatial distribution of fish larvae assemblages relative to the hydrography of the waters surrounding Taiwan

The aim of this study was to investigate the species composition and distribution of fish larvae in relation to hydrographic conditions in the waters surrounding Taiwan Island (TI) in February 2003. In total, 242 kinds of fish larvae belonging to 127 genera and 75 families were recognized. Among these, 109 taxa were identified to the family or genus level, others to the species level. The 12 predominant types, which constituted 71% of the total fish larvae, were Engraulis japonica, Scomber sp., Diaphus spp., Benthosema pterotum, Carangoides ferdau, Embolichthys mitsukurii, Maurolicus sp., unidentified Myctophidae, Gonostoma gracile, Trichiurus lepturus, unidentified Gobiidae, and Myctophum asperum. The distribution of fish larvae showed a clear association with water masses around TI, with higher abundances and lower species richness northwest of TI where the China Coastal Current prevails, and lower abundances and higher species diversity east of TI where the Kuroshio Current dominates. Cluster analysis distinguished three station groups and four species groups, and the distribution patterns of fish larvae also corresponded to hydrographic conditions. The total abundances of fish larvae and eight of the 12 predominant taxa showed significant and positive correlations with zooplankton abundance, which suggests that food source might be a key factor determining the abundance and distribution of fish larvae during the winter.