Analysis of ligand-receptor binding by the difference method

A new method has been proposed for analysis of experimental data on ligand-receptor binding at equilibrium. This method makes it possible to detect heterogeneity of a receptor system in cases where the contribution of the high-affinity site to total binding is rather small and the problem of graphic discrimination of a model cannot be solved unambiguously by other methods. The difference method permits us to exclude experiments on measuring nonspecific binding. A computer program for analysis of ligand-receptor binding has been worked out in which the difference method and traditional methods of binding isotherm analysis are realized. Numerical modeling has shown that the best strategy in experimental data processing is the treatment of total binding isotherms by both the difference method and regression analysis, including the nonspecific binding constant as one of the regression parameters.     

The effect of sedimentation and microbial nitrogen regeneration in a plankton community: a simulation investigation

A computer simulation model was developed to investigate nitrogenfluxes associated with microbial interactions in plankton communities.A short time scale was used, appropriate to the build-up anddecline of phytoplankton blooms in temperate shelf waters aftera mixing or upwelling event. The model depicts a continuum ofevents, many of which have been observed in coastal, upwellingand oceanic systems, including two phytoplankton peaks correspondingto ‘new production’ and ‘regenerated production’.It predicts that nitrogen loss through sedimentation of phytoplanktonand faeces may result in a smaller bloom with a delayed onsetand prolonged duration. Microbial regeneration of nitrogen wasfound to be important in sustaining the middle stages of a phytoplanktonbloom, whereas micro- and meso-zooplankton regeneration occurredtowards the end of the bloom.     

Volatiles from the epicuticular wax of watercress (Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum)

Volatiles from the epicuticular wax of watercress were collected by ether washing and examined using gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric analysi     

Beta-adrenergic mechanism of the radio-protective effect of isoproterenol in a mammalian cell culture

A specific beta-agonist, isoproterenol, increased the intracellular content of cyclic AMP and decreased the radiosensitivity of Chinese hamster fibroblasts. Beta-antagonist, propranolol, blocked the manifestation of the effect of isoproterenol. Isoproterenol did not affect either the intracellular level of cyclic AMP or the radiosensitivity of B-82 cells which had no beta-adrenoreceptors.     

Immunocytochemical localization of tubulin with colloidal gold in cilia of rabbit tracheal epithelial cultures

Ciliated tracheal epithelia cell cultures were investigated immunocytochemically with anti-tubulin and colloidal gold. When rabbit tracheal cultures were fixed in paraformaldehyde, treated with acetone, anti-tubulin and a second antibody coupled to FITC, fluorescence was associated with cytoskeletal and axonemal microtubules. Cilia covering the apical surface of the ciliated tracheal cells fluoresced very brightly thus facilitating identification of this cell type. Electron microscopy of tracheal cultures fixed as above, treated with Triton-X 100 and incubated in anti-tubulin and protein A coupled to colloidal gold resulted in the highly specific localization of tubulin in ciliary axonemes and basal bodies. Omission of primary or secondary antibody resulted in extremely low levels of fluorescence while no colloidal gold particles could be detected in cultures at the electron microscopy level when rabbit anti-tubulin was omitted.     

A study of the occurrence of regulator secondary structures in globular proteins

The distribution of regular secondary structures, viz. α-helices and β-strands, along the length of over 70 properties whose secondary structural details have been reported, has been analysed. The occurrence of these regular structures tends to be a maximum at the N- and C-termini. Our analysis suggests that both these free ends could possibly serve as nucleating centers for secondary structures and could play an important role in the folding of proteins.     

A chemosystematic study of some geraniaceae

The flavonoids of five Geranium, fourteen Erodium and four Monsonia species were studied. Quercetin was the most common aglycone with lesse