DNA conformation of the region preceding the beta-lactamase promoter of pUC19 which is required for efficient transcription.

The upstream region of the beta-lactamase promoter of Escherichia coli plasmid pUC19 has a DNA curvature (bent DNA). This region was replaced with another sequence by using randomly synthesized oligonucleotides. Among the reconstructed plasmids, a plasmid which could endow E. coli cells with the strongest resistance to ampicillin on plates was selected. Nucleotide sequence and DNA conformation of the altered region was investigated.     

A kinetic study of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase.

The steady state kinetics of pig liver glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase is consistent with an ordered, sequential mechanism in which NADP is bound first and NADPH released last. Kia is 9.0 muM, Ka is 4.8 muM, and Kb is 36 muM. Glucosamine 6-phosphate, a substrate analogue and competitive inhibitor, is used to help rule out a possible random mechanism. ADP is seen to form a complex with the free form of the enzyme whereas ATP forms a complex with both the free and E-NADP forms of the enzyme. The KI for the E-ADP complex is 1.9 mM, while the Ki values for the E-ATP and E-NADP-ATP complexes are 7.2 and 4.5 mM, respectively.     

New Amylase Inhibitor (S-AI) from Streptomyces diastaticus var. amylostaticus No. 2476

A one-step synthesis of dimethyl 3-substituted pyrrole-2, 4-dicarboxylates by the reaction of methyl isocyanoacetate with various aldehydes in the presence of DBU was carried out. Furthermore, the reaction mechanism was investigated; it was found that the methyl α-isocyanoacrylate compound is a key intermediate of the pyrrole compound.     

Unbudded G2 as well as Gj arrest in the stationary phase of the basidiomycetous yeast Cryptococcus neoformans

Abstract Stationary-phase cells of Cryptococcus neoformans displayed two morphological characteristics: virtually all the cells were unbudded even in the early stationary phase and even when grown in rich media, and average cell size increased from that of exponential-phase cells. DNA contents for small and large stationary-phase cells were determined by quantitative fluorescence microscopy after DNA staining with propidium iodide or DAPI. Small cells contained G, DNA, whereas large unbudded cells had either a G₂ or G₁ DNA content, indicating that Cr. neoformans can enter into the stationary phase from either the G₁ or G₂ period.     

Rescue of lethally irradiated mice from hematopoietic death by pre-exposure to 0.5 Gy X rays without recovery from peripheral blood cell depletion and its modification by OK432.

Exposing mice to 0.5 Gy X rays 2 weeks before lethal irradiation has been reported to induce marked radioresistance and to rescue them from hematopoietic death. Here we examined effects of the 0.5-Gy pre-exposure on hematological changes in C57BL mice that were lethally irradiated with 6.5 Gy X rays. Approximately 77% of pre-exposed mice survived 30 days after this irradiation, whereas 80% of mice that did not receive this pre-exposure died by day 20. However, regardless of the pre-exposure, peripheral blood cell counts decreased markedly by day 3 and reached a nadir at day 20. CFU-S in femur and CFU-GM in spleen had started to recover at day 10 and 14, respectively, but recovery of functional peripheral blood cells occurred later. The effect of pre-exposure on survival was altered by OK432, a bioresponse modifier; the effect depended on the timing of its administration. OK432 given 2 days before 0.5 Gy enhanced the protective effect of pre-exposure, resulting in the survival of 97% of the mice. In contrast, injection of OK432 1 day before or 2 days after pre-exposure led to 100% mortality. Thus the survival-promoting effect of 0.5 Gy could be altered by OK432. The OK432-induced changes in the survival of mice could not be attributed solely to hematological changes, as shown by blood cell counts and progenitor cell contents. These results suggest that radioresistance induced by pre-exposure to 0.5 Gy X rays is not stable, but rather varies with the physiological conditions, and can be modulated by factors such as OK432.