Utilization of methoxylated benzoates and formation of intermediates by Desulfotomaculum thermobenzoicum in the presence or absence of sulfate

Desulfotomaculum thermobenzoicum strain TSB (DSM 6193) was found to utilize some methoxylated benzoates as carbon and energy source with or without sulfate. 3- or 4-Methoxybenzoate, vanillate (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoate), syringate (3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxybenzoate) and 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate were converted to corresponding hydroxybenzoates. However, neither 2-methoxybenzoate nor 2,6-dimethoxybenzoate was utilized. The organism grew acetogenically on each of the methoxylated benzoates in the absence of sulfate.3,4-Dihydroxy-5-methoxybenzoate was detected during conversion of syringate, and syringate and 3,4-dihydroxy-5-methoxybenzoate were detected during conversion of 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate as intermediates.These findings indicate that 4-methoxyl-group is most readily cleaved, whereas 2-methoxyl-group is not utilized by the organism.     

Geographical distribution of Phagocata vivida in the Far East

Phagocata vivida (Ijima et Kaburaki, 1916) is common in cold-water habitats in mountainous and hilly regions in Japan; in Northern Japan it occurs in lowland areas. Comparative studies of the material from South Korea and Primorskiy in Northeast Siberia, Russia, show that Ph. vivida is distributed widely in these geographic areas. Phagocata miyadii Okugawa, 1939, reported from North Korea and Northeastern China is a synonym of Ph vivida. Geographical distribution of this species in the Japanese Islands now becomes very clear. Judging by its geographical and vertical distributions, the species probably is a preglacial faunal element that entered Japan by the northern route to Old Honshû Island along the coast of the Old Sea of Japan.     

Isolation of Crystalline Water-soluble Chlorophyll Proteins with Different Chlorophyll a and b Contents from Stems and Leaves of Lepidium virginicum

Two types of water-soluble chlorophyll proteins were isolatedfrom Lepidium virginicum L. grown in Japan. The protein isolatedfrom the leaves (CP663L) had a low chlorophyll a/b ratio (1.5–1.7),and that from the stems (CP663S) had a high ratio (3.4–3.5).CP663S showed the same crystal forms and almost the same molecularweight and subunit composition as CP663I. (Received October 26, 1981; Accepted February 4, 1982)     

Causes of chromosome anomalies suggested by cytogenetic epidemiology of induced abortions

Summary Women who visited hospitals requesting induced abortions were asked about their obstetric and medical histories by attending physicians prior to the operation. The information was solely based on their reports at the interview. The period of coverage was nine weeks, comprising six weeks before and three weeks after the onset of the last menstruation. Both the occurrence of acute respiratory infectious diseases, which included the common cold, upper respiratory tract infection (U.R.T.I.), influenza, and pneumonia, and the use of analgesics and antipyretics were most frequently reported. Regardless of whether they had an acute respiratory illness, the women who took analgesics and antipyretics (including antihistamine, cough remedy, and nasal decongestant) had 13.8% (8/58) gross chromosome anomalies. The women without the treatment had 6.3% (71/1136) anomalies. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Triploid formation was particularly related to drug consumption, thus there were 5.2% (3/58) in the treated group and 0.5% (6/1136) in the untreated group (P=0.0074). In contrast, trisomy was not considered to be related to drug consumption on account of 8.6% (5.58) and 4.1% (47/1136) in the corresponding groups (0.10<P<0.20). When the occurrence of trisomy was examined in connection with two variables, i.e., the presence of drug consumption and the age of mothers, association was not evident (₂ assoc.=0.883,d.f.=1 by Cochran.s method). Besides these results, neither maternal X-irradiation nor irregularity of the menstrual period was found to be related to the frequency of chromosome anomalies in the progeny.     

Characteristics of Isolated Microsporocytes from Liliaceous Plants for Studies of the Meiotic Cell Cycle in Vitro

Experiments were aimed at obtaining a culture system for studyof the differentiation of meiotic cells, and techniques weresuccessfully established for the in vitro culture of premeioticmicrosporocytes isolated from various species of liliaceousplants. The problems concerning the culture system were whethermicrosporocytes could be isolated at each stage of the premeioticinterphase and whether they would survive and undergo cell divisionat high frequencies in culture media. In the species tested,the range of stages permitting isolation from anthers and thecytological features of the extruded cells were examined insome detail. Culture conditions are defined for the survivaland the induction of cell division in explanted cells, and somefactors influencing these frequencies are discussed. Explantedcells at premeiotic Gi and S phases underwent a mitotic division,whereas once cells entered the leptotene stage they completedmeiosis. Cells explanted at the G2 phase showed abnormal typesof meiotic division. The culture system developed makes possiblecytological, physiological and biochemical analyses of premeioticcells cultured under various conditions. (Received September 5, 1980; Accepted November 5, 1980)     

Reversing-pulse electric birefringence of poly (γ-benzyl-L-glutamate). II. Field-strength dependence of steady-state and decay signals of well-fractionated samples

The electric field dependence (up to 21 kV/cm) of the steady-state and decay signals has been examined on the four well-fractionated samples of poly(γ-benzyl-L -glutamate), [Glu(OBzl)]_n, in N,N-dimethylformamide at 535 nm and 20°C. Together with the data previously obtained from the reversing-pulse electric birefringence [Ueda, K., Nomura, M. & Yamaoka, K. (1983) Biopolymers 22 , 2077–2090], the steady-state birefringence and field-free relaxation time were analyzed by a method that takes into account the polydispersity of the chain length. The weight-average chain length, (l_w), permanent dipole moment, (μ_w), electric polarizability anisotropy, (Δα_w), and the length-independent optical anisotropy factor were evaluated. The axial translation per residue was calculated for the [Glu(OBzl)]_n helix, but the uncertainly involved in the weight-average molecular weights, determined from light scattering by different investigators, makes the determination of the exact conformation of [Glu(OBzl)]_n difficult. The contribution of Δα_w to electric field orientation was found to be significant, since Δα_w was approximately proportional to l_w. A linear relationship also exists between μ_w and l_w, when the [Glu(OBzl)]_n helix is shorter than about 1200 Å.     

Production of a fructosyl-transferring enzyme byAureobasidium sp. ATCC 20524

Summary Production of a fructose-transferring enzyme byAureobasidium sp. ATCC 20524 and reaction conditions for the production of fructooligosaccharide, isokestose, were studied. The maximum total enzymatic activity of culture broth was 103.2 U/ml. The optimum reation pH and temperature of intracellular enzyme was 5–6 and 50°C, respectively.     

Suppressive effects of liquid crystal compounds on the growth of U937 human leukemic monocyte lymphoma cells

Background  

The aim of this study was to evaluate the biological and pharmaceutical activities of 14 amphiphilic liquid-crystalline compounds (LCs), i.e, phenylpyrimidine derivatives possessing D-glucamine and cyanobiphenyl derivatives with a terminal hydroxyl unit.     

The specific delivery of proteins to human liver cells by engineered bio-nanocapsules

A bio-nanocapsule (BNC), composed of the surface antigen (sAg) of the hepatitis B virus, is an efficient nanomachine with which to accomplish the liver-specific delivery of genes and drugs. Approximately 110 molecules of sAg are associated to form a BNC particle with an average diameter of 130 nm. The L protein is an sAg peptide composed mainly of preS and S regions. The preS region, with specific affinity for human hepatocytes, is localized in the N-terminus. The S region following the preS has two transmembrane regions responsible for the formation of particles. In this study, the fusion of emerald green fluorescent protein (EGFP) at the C-terminus of the S region was designed to deliver proteins to human hepatocytes. Truncation of the C-terminus of the S region was required to obtain sufficient expression levels in Cos7 cells. The nanoparticles that were produced delivered EGFP to human hepatoma cells, displaying the EGFP moiety outside, or enclosing it inside. However, only a single orientation characterizes the particle, so that either type of L fusion particle could be effectively and independently separated by an antibody affinity column. The dual C-terminal topologies of the L fusion particles designed in this study could be applied to various proteins for the C-terminal moiety of the L fusion proteins, depending on the character of the proteins, such as cytoplasmic proteins, as well as cytokines or ligands to cell surface receptors. We suggest that this fusion design is the most efficient way to prepare a BNC that delivers proteins to specific cells or tissues.