The purification of 3,3-dimethylallyl- and geranyl-transferase and of isopentenyl pyrophosphate isomerase from pig liver

The enzyme catalysing the synthesis of farnesyl pyrophosphate from dimethylallyl pyrophosphate and isopentenyl pyrophosphate, or from geranyl pyrophosphate and isopentenyl pyrophosphate, has been purified 100-fold from homogenates of pig liver. The enzyme has optimum pH 7.9 and requires Mg(2+) as activator in preference to Mn(2+); it is inhibited by iodoacetamide, N-ethylmaleimide, p-hydroxymercuribenzoate and phosphate ions in addition to the products of the reaction, inorganic pyrophosphate and farnesyl pyrophosphate. From product-inhibition studies of the geranyltransferase reaction, the order of addition of substrates to and release of products from the enzyme has been deduced: geranyl pyrophosphate combines with the enzyme first, followed by isopentenyl pyrophosphate. Farnesyl pyrophosphate dissociates from the enzyme before inorganic pyrophosphate. The existence of isopentenyl pyrophosphate isomerase in liver is confirmed. Methods for the preparation of the pyrophosphate esters of isopentenol, 3,3-dimethylallyl alcohol, geraniol and farnesol are also described.     

The influence of stimulating doses of 6-benzylaminopurine on awakening apple buds and on their consumption of oxygen

Byl sledován vliv 6-benzylaminopurinu na dýchání pupen? jabloně odr?dy Boskooaké v pr?běhu 5 dn? po pod7#x00E1;ní kininu. Bylo zji?těno, ?e spot?eba kyslíku stanovovaná p?ímou metodou Warburgovou je vy??í ji? prvního dne po podání 6-benzylaminopurmu a stoupá stále výrazněji a? do pátého dne, kdy je spot?eba kyslíku u pupen? stimulovaných o 75% vy??í, ne? u pupen? kontrolních.     

New Methods of Chromatographic Separation of Gibberellins A1 and A3

Biologia Plantarum - New Chromatographic methods, chromatography in centrifugal field and thin-layer chromatography on alumina, were used for separating physiologically active gibberellins A1 and...     

A comparative study of the chromosomes in the incipient species of the Drosophila paulistorum complex

Summary Drosophila paulistorum Dobzhansky et Pavan is a complex of six races or incipient species. The races are mostly allopatric, but they are reproductively isolated sufficiently to permit them to exist also sympatrically in some places. The gene arrangements in the chromosomes of the races have been compared by means of examination of the giant chromosomes in the larval salivary glands; 28 strains of all races, and about an equal number of interracial hybrids have been studied.Chromosomal inversion polymorphism has been discovered in all races, even in the Guianan race of which only a single strain is available. Inversion heterozygotes are found in every one of the five chromosomal strands which the species has. Interracial hybrids tend to be heterozygous for more inversions than are present in the strains of the parental races. The Transitional race has however much the same gene arrangements as the widespread Andean — South Brazilian race.With the exception of the Transitional race, and of three other possible exceptions, each race has a collection of its own race-specific inversion polymorphs, not found in the other races. This very striking finding is discussed in connection with the hypothesis which envisages the origin of new species from marginal colonies at the periphery of the geographic distribution area of the ancestral species.The work reported in this article has been carried under Contract No. AT-(30-1)-1151, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, mostly at the Department of Zoology, Columbia University, New York.     

Stability of kappa phage (Serratia marcescens) and its c-mutant at different pH

Устойчивость каппа-фага (Serratia marcescens) и его мутанта «С» исследовалась в буферных растворах при pH от 2.5 до 12 с целью подтверждения, или опровержения, возможности их инактивирования в результате кратковременного доведения кислотности основной суспензии в течение приготовления концентрата фага до pH 4. Было установлено, что каппа-фаг и его с-мутант в среде с pH 4 и выше остаются относительно устойчивыми и что в этих пределах pH между обоими фагами нет существенных различий. Однако при низких pH (2,5–3,5) титр обоих фагов вскоре довольно резко падает, причем с-мутантинакмпбпруемся бысмрее, чем каппа-фаг.     

Synchronization of cell division ofChlorella pyrenoidosa

A modification of the synchronization method forChlorella pyrenoidosa was suggested, based on the mechanical separation of small and large cells by differential centrifugation and dilution of the population after division to a constant density (maximally 3×10⁶ cells/ml.). Using this system, with a 16-hour day and eight hours' darkness, the ontogenetic cycle ofChlorella pyrenoidosa takes 24 hours and synchronous growth and development can be maintained for eight generations.     

Ultrastructure of the surface of multiple scars inSaccharomycodes ludwigii

The use of induced primuline fluorescence led to the discovery of a new type of yeast scars (multiple scars) in the generaKloeckera, Saccharomycodes, Nadsonia andHanseniaspora. The structure and ultrastructure of their surface was studied by electron microscopy, using carbon replicas and isolated cell walls.     

Biosynthesis of methionine in an ethionine-resistant strain ofCandida utilis

The strainCandida utilis T 20 adapted to a high concentration of ethionine, excretes considerable amounts of methionine in a synthetic medium, about 40 times as much as the original non-adapted strain. At the same time, the amount of methionine in yeast cells incrncreased, predominantly in the pool (9 times as much as in the control). This ability to produce greater amounts of methionine in the pool or to excrete it into the medium is not permanent, since after 5 passages on agar with ut ethionine the amount of methionine was practically not increased as compared with the original non-adapted strain. An increase in free methionine and of methionine excreted into the medium was found on cultivating the strain in a molasses-containing medium, too.