Structural transformations of arabinogalactan from the Siberian larch during mechanochemical processing and the biological properties of the products

It has been found by gel-penetrating chromatography and quantitative ¹³C NMR spectroscopy that mechanochemical processing of arabinogalactan isolated from the wood of the Siberian larch changes the molecular mass distribution, monosaccharide composition, and the degree of branching of its macromolecules. This is due to the partial destruction of polysaccharide macromolecules and subsequent recombination of resulting fragments. The intensity of these processes depends on the conditions of mechanochemical processing. Based on the data of IR and ¹³C NMR spectra, the conclusion has been drawn that no functionalization of arabinogalactan macromolecules occurs under these conditions. The toxicopharmacological properties of mechanically processed arabinogalactan have been studied. Its acute toxicity is >5000 mg/kg.     

Nonintegrative transformation in the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina: stabilization of a linear vector by the chromosomal ends of Tetrahymena thermophila.

The effect of the chromosomal ends of Tetrahymena thermophila on the stability of linear transforming molecules in the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina was tested. A derivative of an integrative vector for this fungus has been constructed, so that after linearization, the ends of the plasmid are the telomeric sequences of T. thermophila. After transformation, this linear molecule was maintained as an extrachromosomal plasmid with no integrated copies in about 50% of the transformants. Under selective conditions, there was approximately one linear molecule per 5 to 10 nuclei, and these extrachromosomal molecules were rapidly lost under nonselective conditions. The circular plasmid carrying an inverted repeat of T. thermophila telomeres could be linearized and processed in vivo.     

Protein metal-binding sites.

Metal ions have a role in a variety of important functions in proteins including protein folding, assembly, stability, conformational change, and catalysis. The presence or absence of a given metal ion is crucial to the conformation or activity of over one third of all proteins. Recent developments have been made in the understanding and design of metal-binding sites in proteins, an important and rapidly advancing area of protein engineering.     

Enhanced unscheduled DNA synthesis in the cotyledons of Gossypium,barbadense L. by ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS)

When cotyledonary tissue of $\text{G.}\text{,}\text{barbadense}$ cotton are treated with the mutagen ethyl methanesulfonate and then germinated, an enhanced, unscheduled DNA synthesis response is observed, along with a concomitant increase in the thymidine triphosphate precursor pool size. The implications of these results are discussed in this paper.     

Temporal characterization of growth of fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) larvae during sublethal hydrogen cyanide exposure

Growth of fathead minnow yolk sac larvae was characterized from changes in dry weight and total content and concentrations of RNA, DNA and protein in fish exposed to a sublethal level of HCN (58 micrograms/l) and in age matched controls. Cyanide toxicosis occurred within 24 hr of exposure as evidenced by significant reductions in protein and RNA content and RNA/DNA ratio of larvae. After 96 hr exposure to HCN, larvae exhibited the same growth rate and protein synthetic rate (RNA/DNA) as control fish. HCN toxicosis and recovery is rapid and at least partial tolerance to HCN develops within 96 hr of exposure in larval fathead minnows.