Microbial oxidation of elemental sulphur in brown soil

Plant and Soil - Brown soil formed from loamy clay was examined for its ability to produce sulphate from added elemental suphur. At higher rates of sulphur applications the pH of a slightly acid...     

Influence of azacytidine on the induction of tyrosine aminotransferase and the NAD metabolism in rat liver

5-Azacytidine was found to inhibit the induction of tyrosine aminotransferase caused by L-tyrosine and hydrocortisone. The inhibitory effect can be overcome by L-methionine. There was only a slight inhibition of the tryptophan induction by 5-azacytidine in normal animals 4 hr after the administration of tryptophan. At 8 and 12 hr, a superinduction could be observed. The NAD content in adrenalectomized animals increased after application of tryptophan and 5-azacytidine. There was a slight inhibition of ADPR transferase in the rat liver.     

Observation and quantitation of metal-binding sites in the sex steroid-binding protein of human and rabbit sera using the luminescent probe terbium

The first direct evidence for specific metal-binding sites in pure human and pure rabbit sex steroid-binding protein (SBP) is obtained using the luminescent lanthanide terbium. Terbium, a probe for calcium sites in proteins, provided protection of the SBP steroid-binding activity in diluted human serum samples equivalent to that provided by calcium. Pure SBP, first treated with ethylenediaminetetraacetate, was dialyzed against buffer containing TbCl₃. After gel filtration to remove nonspecifically bound terbium, the protein was denatured in urea. The amount of protein-bound terbium was determined by luminescence enhancement of the lanthanide using the chelator dipicolinate, yielding four metal-binding sites per mole of dimer protein from both species.     

Safe biotechnology (4). Recommendations for safety levels for biotechnological operations with microorganisms that cause diseases in plants

The Working Party on Safety in Biotechnology of the European Federation of Biotechnology has proposed a classification of microorganisms that cause diseases in plants. In this paper appropriate safety levels are proposed for these classes of microorganisms in order to ensure that research, development and industrial fermentation work with plant pathogens will limit the risk of outbreaks of diseases in crops that could result from work with such microorganisms when they are cultivated in laboratories, glasshouses and biotechnology installations.Co-opted: J. Dähne, J. Drozd, M. Lemattre, I. M. Smith , E. M. A. WaterschootA Report prepared by the Working Party on Safety in Biotechnology of the European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB)

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Efficacy of different types of aerobic exercise in fibromyalgia syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Introduction  

The efficacy and the optimal type and volume of aerobic exercise (AE) in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) are not established. We therefore assessed the efficacy of different types and volumes of AE in FMS.     

Nicotinamide methylation tissue distribution,developmental and neoplastic changes

The distribution of cytosolic activity of nicotinamide:S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferase (nicotinamide methylase, EC 2.1.1.1) in normal tissues from adult rat and mouse and in tumors and the change in the enzyme activity during the the development of rat tissues were studied. (1) Rat liver exhibited the highest nicotinamide methylase activity among all adult tissues tested; other rat tissues, like adrenal, pancreas, kidney, brain and mouse tissues, had only less than 15% of the adult rat liver activity. (2) 3 days before birth, fetal liver showed a very low nicotinamide methylase activity (2% of adult rat liver), which, however, increased already 1 day before birth and reached the adult level on the day 28 after birth. (3) In a variety of hepatomas and ascites tumors, an inverse correlation, with some exceptions, between tumor growth rate and nicotinamide methylase activity could be seen. In all hepatomas, with the exception of Morris hepatoma 5123tc, nicotinamide methylase activity was significantly decreased in comparison to normal adult rat liver. The highly malignant Zajdela hepatoma, Yoshida sarcoma, sarcoma 180 and Ehrlich ascites tumor methylated nicotinamide only at a negligibly low rate. (4) Cultured RLC cells (an established rat liver cell line) from the stationary growth phase or G₁-arrested RLC cells had about half of the adult rat liver activity, yet the activity was 70% higher than that of the logarithmically growing RLC cells.