The response of Azotobacter chroococcum to oxygen: superoxide-mediated effects.

Nitrogenase in Azotobacter chroococcum whole cells was inhibited by enzymically generated superoxide anion (O2-), hydrogen peroxide, and ethyl hydrogen peroxide. The degree of inhibition produced by O2- was related to the quantity of oxygen supplied to the organisms in continuous cultures. O2- also inhibited oxygen uptake by whole cells. These O2- mediated inhibitions were prevented by bovine superoxide dismutase. The quantities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase associated with cells grown under varying oxygen concentrations were determined. The role of hydrogen peroxide, and of the hydroxyl radical (.OH) in nitrogenase inhibition was examined. The response of Azotobacter chroococum to oxygen was evaluated with respect to the observed effects of O2- on the organism, and some explanation is given to account for nitrogenase sensitivity to oxygen.     

Pulse radiolysis of lactate dehydrogenase.

Pulse radiolysis has been used to investigate the rates and transient spectra for the reactions of free radicals with beef heart lactate dehydrogenase at pH 7. Analysis of the results leads to second-order rate-constants for eaq-, .OH, .I, .Br2-, .I2- and .(CNS)2- which are, respectively, 24, 21, 10, 0.55, 0.43 and 0.15 in units of 10(10) M-1 s-1 with uncertainties of +/- 20 per cent. Those for .I and .I2- are similar to the corresponding rate-constants for the related enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase. The spectra of the transient species produced by .OH, .Br2- and .(CNS)2- all showed evidence for reactions with tyrosine and tryptophan residues, and in general terms the magnitudes of the rate-constants appeared to increase with the oxidizing abilities of the radicals. The implication of the results for understanding the mechanism of deactivation by free radicals is discussed.     

Neuraminidase inhibition by chemically sulphated glycopeptides.

Chemically sulphated glycopeptides (derived from pig duodenal mucosa) inhibited Clostridium perfringens neuraminidase (EC 3.2.1.18) activity in a pH-dependent manner. Analysis of inhibition kinetics data indicated that, although the enzyme inhibition could not be categorized into any of the classical types of inhibition, it could be interpreted as a function of the size and shape of the substrates used. The enzyme activity was inhibited by 86% and 40% when tested with bovine submaxillary-gland mucin (mol. wt. 4 x 10(5)-40 x 10(5) and N-acetylneuraminyl-lactose (mol. wt. 633) as substrates respectively. Presence of sulphated glycopeptide did not affect the binding of N-acetylneuraminic acid (mol. wt. 309), a competitive inhibitor of Vibrio cholerae neuraminidase, to the enzyme active site. The enzyme inhibition was thus considered to be due to steric hindrance as a consequence of the non-specific interactions between the enzyme molecule and polyanionic sulphated glycopeptide affecting the differential accessibility of the substrate molecules to the enzyme active site. The enzyme-inhibitor interaction could be suppressed by rapid and many-fold dilution of the reaction mixture, by concurrent addition of the inactive enzyme or by partial removal of the sulphate esters from the sulphated glycopeptide molecule by the action of Helix pomatia arylsulphatase (EC 3.1.6.1).     

Physicochemical and biological properties of glucagon-like polypeptides from porcine colon.

Polypeptide material displaying glucagon-like immunoreactivity was isolated from porcine colon using immunoaffinity chromatography. The immunoreactive material was tightly bound to high molecular weight proteins but was dissociated by 0.1% w/v sodium dodecyl sulphate solution into immunoreactive components of approximate molecular weights 12,000,8000,5000 and 3000. These components reacted at least 50 times more strongly with antibodies specific for the N-terminal region of glucagon than with antibodies specific for the C-terminal region of glucagon. While the 8000 and 3000 dalton fractions were homogeneous, the 12,000 and 5000 dalton fractions were resolved into multiple bands by isoelectric focusing. The 12,000 dalton fraction was devoid of glycogenolytic and lipolytic activity, was not insulin releasing and showed no ability to bind to receptor sites specific for glucagon on hepatic plasma membranes and to active hepatic adenylate cyclase. The 8000 and 5000 dalton components showed weak lipolytic activity. The possible significance of colonic glucagon-like immunoreactivity relative to pancreatic glucagon and immunoreactivity from other tissues is discussed.     

Changes in galactosyltransferase activity in chick pectoral muscle during embryonic development.

The two major vertebrate galactosyltransferases have been investigated in developing chick muscle in ovo and in vitro, and in cultured chick fibroblasts. The two enzymes were UDP-galactose-N-acetylglucosamine galactosyltransferase (galactosyltransferase I) and UDP-galactose-N-acetylgalactosamine galactosyltransferase (galactosyltransferase II). Both activities fell during muscle development in ovo. Galactosyltransferase I activity was constant from day 7 to day 16, after which it declined 5-fold, whereas galactosyltransferase II activity fell markedly from day 9 to 13 and 16 to 20, displaying an overall 8-fold decrease. In primary muscle cultures, galactosyltransferase I activity fell slightly during 7 days in culture, whereas galactosyltransferase II increased 2-fold during the same period. No significant change in activity of either galactosyltransferase was observed during intercellular recognition and fusion. Analysis of muscle cultures treated with cytosine arabinoside and of fibroblast cultures revealed that the majority of galactosyltransferase I activity in primary muscle cultures is associated with fibroblasts, whereas the majority of galactosyltransferase II activity is muscle-associated. The addition of 5-bromodeoxyuridine to primary muscle cultures resulted in a 3-fold rise in activities of both transferases.     

Metabolism of a phenylcoumaran substructure lignin model compound in ligninolytic cultures of Phanerochaete chrysosporium

The degradation of the phenylcoumaran substructure model compound methyl dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol by the white-rot wood decay fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium was investigated using culture conditions optimized for lignin oxidation. Initial attack was in the cinnamyl alcohol side chain, which was oxidized to a glycerol structure. This was subsequently converted by loss of the two terminal carbon atoms, C and C, to yield a C-aldehyde structure, which was further oxidized to the C-acid compound. The next detected intermediate, a phenylcoumarone, was produced by double bond formation between C and C, and oxidation of the C-alcohol to an aldehyde group. Further oxidation of C to an acid yielded the next intermediate. The final identified degradation product was veratric acid. No products from the 5-substituted aromatic ring, and no phenolic products, were found. The initial glycerol-containing intermediate was a mixture of the threo and erythro forms, and no optical activity could be found, suggesting that its formation might have involved nonstereospecific C-C epoxidation followed by non-enzymatic hydrolysis of the epoxide.Abbreviations TLC thin layer chromatography - LDA lithium diisopropyl amide - DDQ 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanobenzoquinone - MS mass spectrometry - UV ultraviolet spectroscopy     

Effect of powdery mildew infection on photosynthesis by leaves and chloroplasts of sugar beets

Chloroplasts isolated from powdery mildew-infected (Erysiphe polygoni DC) sugar beet leaves (Beta vulgaris L) showed a reduction in the rate of electron transport and in the accompanying ATP formation in noncyclic photophosphorylation (water as electron donor, NADP as electron acceptor) and little or no change in the rate of ATP formation in cyclic photophosphorylation catalyzed by phenazine methosulfate. The inhibition of noncyclic photophosphorylation appeared to lead in the parent leaves to a decreased rate of photosynthetic CO₂ assimilation and a shift in products resulting in a relative increase of amino acids. These changes were accompanied by alterations in chloroplast ultrastructure and by a reduction in the activity of enzymes necessary for the formation of organic acids (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and malate dehydrogenase). These results are similar to the findings of Montalbini and Buchanan (1974 Physiol. Plant Pathol. 4: 191-196) with chloroplasts from rust-infected Vicia faba leaves.     

A mycosis caused by Lagenidium sp. in laboratory-reared larvae of the Dungeness crab,Cancer magister,and possible chemical treatments

A mycosis in larvae of the Dungeness crab, Cancer magister, was observed about 48 hr after they had molted to second-stage zoeae in the laboratory during a chronic bioassay. The fungus was of the genus Lagenidium and caused about 40% mortality of larvae before the test was terminated. Hyphal development and subsequent sporulation of the fungus was observed over a range of 0–32‰ salinity, with an optimum around 16‰. Bioassays of eight fungicides and the herbicide trifluralin, using the larvae and fungus in separate tests, were performed to explore means of chemical treatment. Trifluralin was the most satisfactory of the chemicals screened, with captan, Cu²⁺, and benomyl also giving good results for certain treatment intervals of up to 96 hr. Malachite green was toxic to larvae at concentrations inhibiting the fungus.     

Maltose uptake and its regulation in Bacillus subtilis

Extracts prepared from cultures of Bacillus subtilis, grown on maltose as the sole carbon source, lacked maltose phosphotransferase system activity. There was, however, evidence for a maltose phosphorylase activity, and such extracts also possessed both glucokinase and glucose phosphotransferase system activities. Maltose was accumulated by whole cells of B. subtilis by an energy-dependent mechanism. This uptake was sensitive to the effects of uncouplers, suggesting a role for the proton-motive force in maltose transport. Accumulation of maltose was inhibited in the presence of glucose, and there was no accumulation of maltose by a strain carrying the ptsI6 null-mutation. A strain carrying the temperature-sensitive ptsI1 mutation accumulated maltose normally at 37 degrees C but, in contrast to the wild-type, was devoid of maltose transport activity at 47 degrees C. The results indicate a role for the phosphotransferase system in the regulation of maltose transport activity in this organism.     

Neutralizing antibodies modulate replication of simian immunodeficiency virus SIVmac in primary macaque macrophages.

Cultured macaque macrophages are permissive for the replication of SIVmac251, and inoculation with virus is followed by the production of viral p27. Neutralizing macaque polyclonal and murine monoclonal antibodies preincubated with the virus prevented infection but did not prevent cytopathic virus replication when added more than 3 days after inoculation with virus. However, application of the neutralizing antibodies to macrophages 24 h after inoculation with virus resulted in sustained, low-level production of viral antigen. Cell lysates and individual macrophages from treated cultures contained less viral protein by Western blot (immunoblot) and immunocytochemistry than untreated controls. In situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction procedures for detecting and estimating relative amounts of viral RNA and DNA showed that both viral nucleic acids failed to increase beyond the levels obtained before the addition of neutralizing antibodies. The data suggest that macrophages may need to be infected with a minimum threshold of virus particles in order to reach their full potential for virus replication and that their exposure to neutralizing antibodies prior to reaching this threshold resulted in limited virus replication.