Zeta potential of protoplasts from gravireacting maize roots

Protoplasts were isolated from cortical cells of the elongating zone of maize (Zea mays L. cv. LG 11) roots and submitted to microelectrophoresis. Significant and transient differences in zeta potential between protoplasts from upper and lower root sides were compared with the gravireaction and the differential elongation of these roots. The maximum difference in the zeta potential was obtained between protoplasts from the upper and lower cortical cells after 90 min, exactly the time of gravipresentation for which the maximum rate of gravireaction was observed. In addition, this almost corresponded to the time for which the difference between the elongation rates of upper and lower sides of the extending zone began to increase. Consequently, the changes in the charges of the plasmalemma of the cortical cells from the growing part of roots could be more or less directly related to the root graviresponse.     

Sialyl-transferase mitochondriale

A sialyl transferase activity is found in purified mitochondria. It is not due to residual contamination and this enzymatic system is located in the outer mitochondrial membrane. This proves mitochondrial autonomy in regard to glycoconjugate sialylation.     

Purification of chicken brain choline acetyltransferase

Chicken brain choline acetyltransferase was purified to homogeneity using ammonium sulfate fractionation, followed by chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex (A-25), hydroxyapatite, Sephadex G-150, immunoabsorption and Sepharose-CoA columns. A purification of 3500-fold was achieved and the final preparation had a specific activity of 2:32 μmol acetylcholine formed per minute per milligram protein. The purified chicken choline acetyltransferase migrated as a single band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence and absence of sodium deodecyl sulfate. The native enzyme, with a molecular weight of 67,000 daltons, consists of two subunits of identical molecular weight. Chicken choline acetyltransferase has a sharp pH optimum of 7.4. It is activated by sodium chloride and potassium chloride but inhibited by cupric ion and N-ethylmaleimide.     

Computation of the fraction of induced cells in enzyme induction systems

A theoretical model is developed for continuous multistage enzyme production systems, which consist of a growth fermentor used for growing microorganisms rapidly without enzyme production and a subsequent system of induction reactors in which enzymes induction and production occurs. The model allows the computation of the fraction of induced cells residing in the induction reactor for organisms exhibiting a lag phase in enzyme induction. For this model a general analytical solution was obtained for the cumulative internal residence time distribution of a series of n well-stirred vessels with a recycle. The theoretical results are compared in a preliminary way with experimentally measured cellulase productivities of continuous multistage cellulose fermentations with Trichoderma viride QM 9414.     

两株粗糙型沙门氏菌对小鼠抗异源G~-杆菌攻击的免疫保护研究

本文对引自日本的一株粗糙化学型变异株明尼苏达沙门氏菌Re595(J)和引自美国的一株Re595(A)对小鼠异源性G~-杆菌主动和被动保护作用进行了比较。结果表明,两株菌对异源G~-杆菌的大肠杆菌和变形杆菌攻击均有良好的保护作用,但Re595(J)对抗肺炎克雷伯氏杆菌攻击的保护作用明显优于Re595(A),而Re595(A)抗绿脓杆菌攻击的保护作用则明显优于Ke595(J)。表明两株Re595的免疫原存在着差异。     

菌种与品种最佳组合的选育及增产效果

本文通过多年多点的田间接种试验,分析了大豆根瘤菌C_(33)(系VSDA_(110)的突变株)的增产效应.在合丰25号大豆接种C_(33)取得明显的增产效果,两年平均比CK增产28.55%,比61A76增产24.5%;C_(33)接种在其他品种以及在不同类型和肥力的土壤上增产效果也均高于CK和61A76,说明大豆根瘤菌C_(33)比当前生产上应用的61A76更具有广谱性和高效性.     

Fulvic acid disturbs processing of procollagen II in articular cartilage of embryonic chicken and may also cause Kashin-Beck disease.

Kashin-Beck disease is an endemic osteoarthropathy in China which may lead to skeletal deformation and dwarfism. We have analysed articular cartilage from two patients and found an accumulation of the precursor molecule, pro-pN-collagen II (pN, peptide attached at the amino-terminus) which was not present in extracts of control fetal cartilage. In addition, collagen II isolated from the same tissue by limited pepsin digestion had a decreased electrophoretic mobility, increased proline hydroxylation and decreased thermal stability. Previously, a genetic defect in pro-pN-collagen-I processing has been described in calf and sheep (dermatosparaxis) and man (Ehlers-Danlos, type VII) which caused an extreme fragility of the skin [Lenaers, A., Ansay, M., Nusgens, B.V. & Lapière, C.M. (1971) Eur. J. Biochem. 23, 533-541; Helle, O. & Nes, N.J. (1972) Acta Vet. Scand. 13, 443-445; Lichtenstein, J.R., Martin, G.R., Kohn, L.D., Byers, P.H. & McKusick, V.A. (1973) Science 182, 298-300]. Accordingly, one may assume that the impaired conversion of pro-pN-collagen II to collagen II and the structural alteration of collagen II, presumably caused by fulvic acid and other environmental factors, play an important role in the pathogenesis of Kashin-Beck disease.     

Structural and functional relationships of human DNA polymerases

A continuing theme of our laboraory, has been the understanding of human DNA polymerases at the structural level. We have purified DNA polymerases delta, epsilon and alpha from human placenta. Monoclonal antibodies to these polymerases were isolated and used as tools to study their immunochemical relationships. These studies have shown that while DNA polymerases delta, epsilon and alpha are discrete protiens, they must share common structural features by virtue of the ability of several of our monoclonal antibodies to exhibit cross-reactivity. A second approach we have taken is the molecular cloning of human DNA polymerase delta and epsilon. We have cloned the DNA polymerase delta cDNA, and this has allowed us to compare its primary structure to those of human polymerase alpha and other members of this polymerase family. Multiple sequence alignments have revealed that human DNA polymerase delta is also closely related to the herpes virus family of DNA polymerases. In situ hybridization has shown that the human DNA polymerase delta gene is localized to chromosome 19 q13.3–q13.4. In order to further determine the functional regions of the DNA polymerase δ structure we are currently expressing human pol δ inE. coli and baculovirus systems. Other work in our laboratory is directed toward examining the expression of DNA polymerase δ during the cell cycle.