Preparation of soybean seed samples for FT-IR microspectroscopy

Typical preparation of seed samples for infrared (IR) microspectroscopy involves imbibition of the seed for varying time periods followed by cryosectioning. Imbibition, however, may initiate germination even at 4° C with associated changes in the chemistry of the sample. We have found that it is possible to section seeds that are sufficiently hard, such as soybeans, on a standard laboratory microtome without imbibition. The use of dry sectioning of unimbibed seeds is reported here, as well as a comparison of different mounting media and modes of analysis. Glycerol, Tissue-Tek, and ethanol were used as mounting media, and the quality of the resulting spectra was assessed. Ethanol was the preferred mountant, because it dried quickly with no residue and thus did not interfere with the spectrum of interest. Analysis in transmission mode using barium fluoride windows to hold the samples was compared with transmission-reflection analysis with sections mounted on special infrared-reflecting slides. The two modes of analysis performed well in different regions of the spectrum. The mode of analysis (transmission vs. transmission-reflection) should be based on the components of greatest interest in the sample.     

Iron-histidine resonance raman band of deoxyheme proteins: effects of anharmonic coupling and glass-liquid phase transition

Weak anharmonic coupling of two soft molecular vibrations is shown to cause pronounced temperature dependence of the corresponding resonance Raman bands. The developed theory is used to interpret the temperature dependence of the iron-histidine band of deoxyheme proteins and model compounds. It is shown that anharmonic coupling of the iron-histidine and heme doming vibrations must cause pronounced broadening of the band, its asymmetry, and shift of its maximum to the red upon heating. It also can lead to a structured shape of this band at room temperature. Proper consideration of the anharmonic coupling allows simulation of the temperature dependence of the iron-histidine band shape of horse heart myoglobin in the temperature interval of 10-300 K, using the minimum number of necessary parameters. Analysis of this temperature dependence clearly shows that the iron-histidine band of deoxyheme proteins is sensitive to the glass-liquid phase transition in the protein hydration shell, which takes place at 160-190 K.     

Effect of methyldopa treatment on cardiac function and myocardial blood flow in mongrel dogs.

Administration of methyldopa (100 mg/kg, orally twice daily for a period of 3 days) to mongrel dogs produced significant reductions in blood pressure and heart rate. The hypotensive effect of the drug was due to a reduction in peripheral resistance. Methyldopa treatment also produced a significant decrease in coronary vascular resistance. Studies on the left ventricular function indicated that treatment with methyldopa does not compromise the ability of the myocardium to respond to an increased work load. Thus, the beneficial effect of this agent on the myocardial circulation, together with its lack of any detrimental effect on the cardiac function suggest that methyldopa may be an effective agent for the control of hypertension.     

Envelope diversity, characteristics of V3 region and predicted co-receptor usage of human immunodeficiency viruses infecting north indians

Subtypes of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 circulating in 21 north Indian patients were characterized based on the partial sequence of the gp120 envelope protein. A majority of viruses (85.7%, 18/21) were subtype C, while 14.3% (3/21) were subtype A. Sequence analysis revealed that the V3 region was highly conserved compared with V4 and V5. The predicted use of co-receptors indicated exclusive usage of R5, except for two subtype A viruses (AIIMS279 and AIIMS281). Our results demonstrate conservation within the V3 loop of subtype C viruses, and suggest the emergence of non-clade C viruses in the north Indian population.