An Ecteola-cellulose chromatography assay for 3′-phosphoadenosine 5′-phosphosulfate: Phenol sulfotransferase

A new assay procedure for phenol sulfotransferase which employs [35S]-3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate as a sulfate donor and a variety of phenols as sulfate acceptors was developed. The appearance of the 35S-sulfated products or the disappearance of the [35S]-3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate are determined simultaneously by chromatography of the assay incubation mixtures on Ecteola-cellulose columns, eluting with an NH4HCO3 step gradient. Various acidic, neutral, and basic phenols can be employed as substrates for phenol sulfotransferase using this procedure.     

Oscillating dissipative structures in mitochondrial suspensions

The occurrence of spatial structures in the unstirred layer of an oscillating mitochondrial suspension is reported. The structures are detected by photo camera by light scattering in the unstirred layer of suspension. The spatial structures observed are shown to oscillate with the same period as that of mitochondrial oscillations in the bulk phase. Patterning is not affected by the layer depth within the range 0.3-3.0 mm. Various types of oscillatory states of mitochondria are characterized by the corresponding patterns. Patterning is effectively suppressed by the inhibitors of the respiratory chain (antimycin A or CN-).     

Expanded bed protein A affinity chromatography of a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody: process development, operation, and comparison with a packed bed method.

We show that expanded bed protein A affinity chromatography using Streamline rProtein A media is an efficient method for purifying a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody from unclarified Chinese hamster ovary cell culture fluid and that it provides purification performance comparable to using a packed bed. We determined that the dynamic capacity of the expanded bed media is related to flow rate (measured in column volumes per hour) by a power function, which allows a high capacity at a low flow rate. At 250 cm h-1 with a 25 cm bed height (10 column volumes h-1), the dynamic capacity is 30 g l-1. The yield and purity (measured by the amount of host cell proteins, DNA, SDS-PAGE, and turbidity) of the antibody purified by expanded bed is comparable to the yield and purity obtained on a standard packed bed method using Prosep A media.     

Isolation and characterization of eight compound microsatellite markers in a mangrove tree Kandelia candel (L.) Druce

Kandelia candel is an important mangrove tree species of family Rhizophoraceae. Here we isolated eight codominant compound microsatellite simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci from K. candel. Our isolated loci provided compound SSR markers with polymorphism of three to 11 alleles per locus. The expected and observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.230 to 0.887 and from 0.083 to 1.00, respectively. These markers would be the useful tools for analysing questions concerning population genetic structure and mating system of K. candel.     

Seasonal growth of Atlantic cod: effects of temperature, feeding and reproduction

Growth of 2659 Atlantic cod Gadus morhua aged 4 to 9 years examined in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, peaked in most cases in June and was at a minimum in October or November. Water temperature, partial fullness index ( I _P) and gonado‐somatic index ( I _G) explained between 31 and 52% of the monthly variability in growth. Temperature and I _P of capelin Mallotus villosus had significant effects on growth of all age groups and explained most of the variance for ages 6–8 and 4–5 years, respectively. The I _P of large invertebrates (ages 4 to 7 years), sandlance ( Ammodytes sp. age 6 years) and demersal fishes (age 9 years) had age‐specific effects in the model. Overall, amphipods, decapods and echinoderms dominated the Atlantic cod diet in most seasons, but fish consumption by Atlantic cod was high in June and July, particularly on capelin. The rapid increase in somatic mass during June and July occurred despite cold water temperatures ( < 3° C at 50 m) and moderate to high gonado‐somatic index. The findings of this study suggest that when food was not a limiting factor, growth tended to increase even when Atlantic cod occupied colder waters, but when food was limiting, the opposite may have occured.     

Some peculiarities of the ultrafine structure of the neurons of the cestode Pelichnibothrium speciosum (Monticelli, 1889) (Cestoda: Tetraphyllidea)]

In the scolex ganglia of the cestode Pelichnibothrium speciosum uni - and multipolar neurons can be found. Their neuroplasm is rich in free ribosomes. The ergastoplasmas membranes are frequently arranged in compact finger print-like structures. The nerve cells processes form tight junctions which cannot be interpreted as synaptic contacts.     

The existence of glutathione and cysteine disulfide-linked to erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase from tiger shark

In this study it is shown that the higher molecular weight previously reported for tiger shark carbonic anhydrase (carbonate hydro-lyase, EC 4.2.1.1) compared to other carbonic anhydrases is decreased to a normal value around 30 000 after disulfide reduction of the enzyme. This difference in molecular weight is at least partly due to the existence of disulfide-linked glutathione and cysteine residues. Approx. 3 mol glutathione and a similar amount of cysteine are shown to be bound per mol enzyme. The presence of these factors also has effects on the enzyme activity.