Salicyloylaspartate as an endogenous component in the leaves of Phaseolus vulgaris

An amide conjugate of o-methoxybenzoic acid and aspartic acid has been isolated from bean leaves. After extraction and methylation of plant material, this compound was isolated as two isomeric monoethyl monomethyl esters. The ethylation of the aspartyl carboxyl groups was shown to be a likely result of an extraction procedure utilising acidified ethanol, the methylation of the aromatic hydroxy of the methoxy group to be due to the derivatisation procedure. Studies with pentafluorobenzylation confirmed that the endogenous compound is o-hydroxybenzoylaspartate.     

Simultaneous degradation of the herbicides 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2-(2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxy)propionic acid by mixed bacterial cultures

The simultaneous degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2-(2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxy)propionic acid (mecoprop) was achieved by two mixed cultures in the absence of any additional carbon or energy substrates. Mecoprop was not completely degraded by either of the two cultures, nor did addition of 2,4-D affect the degradation of mecoprop. The cultures completely degraded 2,4-D, and the degradation was uninfluenced by the addition of mecoprop. Nearly complete dechlorination of the mixture of two herbicides was achieved by both cultures, on the basis of the total amount of the two herbicides degraded. During the course of the reaction, however, the expected values of chloride were not met. Cell growth continued after the degradation of the parent substrates ceased. Although the mecoprop degradation did not continue to completion, spectral and growth data indicated that the metabolites which had accumulated during the reaction were degraded upon further incubation.     

Some characteristics of monolayers of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphatidylglycerol with and without dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine during dynamic compression and expansion

Some properties of monolayers of $\text{1-}\text{palmitoyl}\text{-2-}\text{oleoyl}\text{-sn-}\text{glycero}\text{-3-}\text{phospho}\text{-rac-}\text{glycerol}$ (POPG) alone or of POPG in mixtures with $\text{1,2-}\text{dipalmitoyl}\text{-sn-}\text{glycero}\text{-3-}\text{phosphocholine}$ (DPPC) have been measured near 35°C during dynamic compression and expansion at 3.6 cm²·s^?1. (2) The mean values of minimum surface tension (corresponding to maximum surface pressure) which could be obtained with pure POPG monolayers at high compression ranged from 15 to 18 mN·m^?1 in the presence of Na⁺, Ca²⁺ or low pH (2.0) in the subphase. (3) The presence of Ca²⁺ or low pH in the subphase increased the collapse plateau ratios obtained on cyclic compression. This might represent enhanced respreading into the monolayer of pure POPG from a collapsed form during reexpansion of the surface. (4) Monolayers containing 10% or 30% POPG and 90% or 70% DPPC could be compressed to surface tensions approaching zero. (5) In such mixed monolayers, 10% or 30% POPG did not appear to enhance respreading, as measured by collapse plateau ratios, in the presence of Na⁺ or Ca²⁺ in the subphase.     

Initial Phases of Starvation and Activity of Bacteria at Surfaces

The activity of the hydrophilic Vibrio sp. strain DW1 and the hydrophobic Pseudomonas sp. strain S9, which both undergo starvation-induced responses, was examined at nutrient-enriched and nutrient-deficient interfaces. The initial period of response to a starvation regime (“dwarfing” phase) is a sequence of two processes: fragmentation and continuous size reduction of the fragmented cells. This dwarfing phase is also one of intense metabolic activity as supported by O₂ uptake measurements of the endogenous metabolism and the use of inhibitors of the proton flow, the electron transport chain, and membrane-bound ATPase. Hydrophilic bacteria become even smaller at nutrient-deficient surfaces than in the liquid phase upon starvation, and this is reflected in a higher endogenous metabolism exhibited by surface-associated cells compared with those in the liquid phase. On the other hand, hydrophobic bacteria dwarfing at surfaces did not exhibit a greater size reduction and exhibited an endogenous metabolism that was only slightly higher than that of cells in the liquid phase. Bacterial scavenging of surface-localized nutrients is related to the degree of irreversible binding of dwarf and starved bacteria, which in turn may be related to the degree of cell surface hydrophobicity.     

A neural model for conditioned avoidance learning

A mathematical model for learning of a conditioned avoidance behavior is presented. An identification of the net excitation of a neural model (Rashevsky, N., 1960.Mathematical Biophysics. Vol. II. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.) with the instantaneous probability of response is introduced and its usefulness in discussing block-trial learning performances in the conditioned avoidance situation is outlined for normal and brain-operated animals, using experimental data collected by the author. Later, the model is applied to consecutive trial learning and connection is made with the approach of H. D. Landahl (1964. “An Avoidance Learning Situation. A Neural Net Model.”Bull. Math. Biophysics,26, 83–89; and 1965, “A Neural Net Model for Escape Learning.”Bull. Math. Biophysics,27, Special Edition, 317–328) wherein lie further data with which the model can be compared.     

Application of Deuterated A-Tocopherols to the Biokinetics and Bioavailability of Vitamin E

-Tocopherol, a superior chain-breaking, peroxyl radical-trapping antioxidant and the most active component of vitamin E, is elevated in liver tumor cells, contributing to their greater resistance towards lipid peroxidation compared to cells from normal tissues. Also, in regenerating rat liver the level of vitamin E has been found to fluctuate in phase with the rate of cell division. In order to study the biokinetcis and mechanisms of the distribution of vitamin E in organs and within tissues of animals, deuterated forms of -tocopherol have been synthesized and their uptake into blood and tissues has been measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Measurement of the competitive uptake from a mixture of the RRR-and SRR--tocopherol stereoisomers labelled with different amounts of deuterium shows that the liver exerts a strong preference for secretion of the natural (RRR) stereoisomer into the plasma. It is suggested that a tocopherol-binding protein plays a key role in this process.