Pyruvate metabolism in mitochondria from cucumber cotyledons during early seedling development

Mitochondria were isolated from cucumber cotyledons during earlyseedling growth, and their capacity for pyruvate metabolisminvestigated. The rate of pyruvate oxidation was low. Evidenceis presented that suggests that this is due to low activitiesof the pyruvate transporter. Key words: Cotyledon, cucumber, germination, pyruvate oxidation     

Immobilization ofColeus blumei cells in a column reactor using a spray feeding system

Summary Coleus blumei cells were immobilized in a column reactor packed withLuffa cylindrica pieces. Medium was fed from the top of the column using a spray system and cells maintained high viability for 52 days. Cell growth was slower but rosmarinic acid production was better compared to immobilized cells in the shake flasks.     

The effects of vinblastine in assessment of the influence of age on proliferative activity of murine palate and footpad epithelium

Abstract
Data concerning changes in the rate of cell proliferation of stratified epithelia with increasing age are conflicting. In the present study young (3-month-old) and old (22-month-old) C57B1/6NNia male mice were injected intraperitoneally with 2, 3, 4 or 8 mg vinblastine sulfate/kg body weight and killed after 1.5, 3, 4.5 or 6 h. The number of arrested metaphase figures per 1000 basal cells was counted in histological sections. Data were analysed using a multivariate analysis of variance. There was a significant difference between the accumulation of mitotic figures in footpad epidermis and palate epithelium and both tissues contained an increased number of mitotic figures with increasing periods of accumulation at all dose levels. In the footpad epidermis neither the age of the animal nor the dose of vinblastine had a significant effect on the number of mitotic figures. In contrast, for palate epithelium the accumulation of mitotic figures was significantly less in the old mice compared with the young mice and at a dose of vinblastine of 2mg/kg compared with the higher doses. There was a statistically signifycant interaction between the dose of vinblastine and its period of action. It was concluded that the different tissues manifest a differential sensitivity to vinblastine and that only palate epithelium showed a significant reduction in proliferative activity with age.     

The mutation ofEscherichia coli to resistance to bacteriophages Tl and Tls

Summary The number of phage-resistant mutants in unirradiated and in ultraviolet-irradiated cultures ofE. coli strains B and B/r is usually greater when the selecting agent is Tls. It is shown that this cannot be explained by a) completely independent gene changes, b) the presence of host range phage mutants or c) new mutations due to prolonged survival of wild type bacteria in the prescence of phage. Evidence is presented which indicates that the difference in selection by Tl and Tls may be explained satisfactorily by the presence of incompletely expressed bacterial mutants in the cultures before plating. This constitutes indirect evidence for a phenotypic lag. It is shown further that the development of resistance to Tls probably precedes the development of full resistance to both phages.The appearance of new ultraviolet-induced mutations, selected by Tls, is found to fulfill expectations based on the existence of such a phenotypic lag.

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Zusammenfassung Die Anzahl der phagenresistenten Mutanten in unbestrahlten und UV-bestrahlten Kulturen derE. coli Stämme B und B/r ist im allgemeinen größer, wenn die Selektion mit Tls durchgeführt wird. Dieses kann nicht erklärt werden durch a) vollständig unabhängige Genveränderungen, b) die Gegenwart von hostrange Phagenmutanten, oder c) neue Mutationen bedingt durch längeres Überleben von Wildtypus-Bakterien in der Gegenwart von Phagen. Es wird gezeigt, daß der Unterschied in der Selektion von Tl und Tls ausreichend erklärt werden kann durch die Gegenwart von unvollständig manifestierten Bakterienmutanten, die vor dem plating in den Kulturen vorhanden sind. Dieses bildet indirekten Beweis für eine phänotypische Lagphase. Es wird weiterhin gezeigt, daß die Entwicklung der Resistenz gegenüber Tls wahrscheinlich der Entwicklung von Vollresistenz gegenüber beiden Phagen vorangeht.Das Auftreten von neuen UV-induzierten, durch Tls selektierten Mutanten stimmt mit dem Vorhandensein einer derartigen phänotypischen Lagphase überein.

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With 6 Figures in the text.     

Enhancement of CO2 tolerance of Chlorella vulgaris by gradual increase of CO2 concentration

Summary Chlorella vulgaris UTEX259 was cultivated using two different methods of gas supply. In one method the CO₂ concentration in bubbled gas was held constant and in the other method it was increased gradually. Algal growth was almost linear after a short period of lag phase in both methods. With the constant CO₂ concentration, the CO₂ fixation rate in the linear growth phase decreased over 10%(v/v) CO₂, while the rate increased up to 6% CO₂. However, the rate was enhanced by using the latter incremental increase method, especially under a higher concentration of CO₂. The maximum rate of CO₂ fixation was 52 mg CO₂/l·h at 20% CO₂ during the gradual increase of CO₂ concentration.     

Effects of substrate branching characteristics on kinetics of enzymatic depolymerization of mixed linear and branched polysaccharides: II. Amylose/glycogen alpha-amylolysis

Enzymatic depolymerization of polysaccharides with alpha-amylase has been studied in mixed aqueous dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)/water solvents. Polysaccharide substrate chemical compositions, configurational structures, and bonding pattersn are known to affect observed enzymatic reaction kinetics. The branching structures of polysaccharides and their effects on the kinetic mechanisms of depolymerization reactions via endo-acting hydrolyzing enzyme was studied via size exclusion chromatography coupled to low angle laser light scattering (SEC/LALLS). The glycogen branching structure is a heterogeneously distributed "cluster" structure rather than a homogeneously distributed "treelike" structure. The action pattern of alpha-amylase on glycogen, which is composed of highly branched clusters, as end-products, has a "pseudo-exo-attack" in contrast to an expected "endoattack" as seen in the hydrolysis of amylose or amylopectin substrates. These effects of branched substrates for mixed amylose/glycogen alpha-amylolysis have been predicted and demonstrated by both experimental and theoretical analysis using the kinetic model presented in this report. The "lumped" kinetic model employed, assumes that the enzyme simultaneously attacks both linear and branched substrates. In general, excellent agreement between the model predictions and the experimental observations, both qualitatively and quantitatively, was obtained. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.