Dihydroisocoumarins and phthalide from wood samples infested by fungi

Wood samples, infested by fungi during storage, were shown to contain, besides the known 5-methyl-mellein, additional (3R)-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-3,4-dihydroisocoumarins substituted by 7-methyl, 5-formyl, 5-carboxy, 5-hydroxy, 5-methoxy, 6-methoxy-5-methyl and 6,7-dimethoxy-5-methyl groups, as well as 6-formyl-7-hydroxy-5-methoxy-4-methylphthalide. Several 2-methylchromanones were synthesized in order to show that this class of compounds can be distinguished from 3-methyl-3,4-dihydroisocoumarins by MS.     

Lysis of human keratinocytes by allogeneic HLA class I-specific cytotoxic T cells. Keratinocyte ICAM-1 (CD54) and T cell LFA-1 (CD11a/CD18) mediate enhanced lysis of IFN-gamma-treated keratinocytes.

Exposure of human KC to IFN-gamma increases their susceptibility to lysis by CTL. The mechanism of this enhanced lysis was investigated by analyzing interactions of IFN-gamma-treated and nontreated cultured KC with allogeneic class I-specific CTL clones. rIFN-gamma treatment augmented KC lysis in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Increased lysis of IFN-KC was detected after only 2 h of IFN-gamma treatment and was maximal by 12 h. Enhanced lysis of IFN-KC was Ag-specific, inasmuch as nonantigenic IFN-KC were not lysed either directly or as bystanders during the lysis of antigenic KC. Parallel immunofluorescence and cytotoxicity assays of KC treated with IFN-gamma for various intervals revealed a direct correlation between the degree of increased KC lysis and levels of cell surface ICAM-1 (CD54), but not of specific alloantigen or beta 2-microglobulin. Lysis of nontreated KC was blocked by mAb against class I or CD3, but not by mAb against ICAM-1 or LFA-1. In contrast, lysis of IFN-KC was partially inhibited by anti-ICAM-1 or anti-LFA-1 mAb, but resisted inhibition by anti-class I mAb except in the presence of anti-ICAM-1. These results indicate that both ICAM-1/LFA-1 and Ag/CD3-TcR interactions are important for Ag-specific lysis of IFN-KC, whereas lysis of nontreated KC depends on Ag/CD3-TcR but not ICAM-1/LFA-1 interactions. Equivalent inhibition of IFN-KC lysis by mAb against ICAM-1 or LFA-1 suggests that ICAM-1 is the only LFA-1 ligand involved in enhanced IFN-KC lysis. Furthermore, enhanced CTL lysis of KC after short-term IFN-gamma treatment can be explained solely on the basis of ICAM-1 induction, because all of the increase in specific lysis associated with IFN-gamma treatment could be blocked by mAb that block ICAM-1/LFA-1 interactions.     

Multinuclear nuclear magnetic resonance studies of Na cation-stabilized complex formed by d(G-G-T-T-T-T-C-G-G) in solution. Implications for G-tetrad structures.

There has been much recent interest in the self-association of short deoxyguanosine-rich motifs within single-stranded DNAs to generate monovalent cation modulated four-stranded helical segments called G-quadruplexes stabilized by hydrogen-bonded G-tetrad alignments. We have addressed structural aspects of this novel alignment and report on multinuclear 1H, 31P and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance studies on the d(G2T4CG2) deoxynonanucleotide with Na cation as counterion in aqueous solution at low temperature. This sequence forms stable structures even though it cannot align by Watson-Crick hydrogen bond formation (see the paper on d(G2T5G2) describing optical and calorimetric measurements by Jin, R., Breslauer, K. J., Jones, R. A. & Gaffney, B. L. (1990), Science, 250, 543-546). The four narrow exchangeable protons detected between 11.5 and 12.0 parts per million (p.p.m.), which are common to the d(G2T4CG2) deoxynonanucleotide and the d(G2TCG2) deoxyhexanucleotide sequences, are assigned to deoxyguanosine imino protons hydrogen-bonded to carbonyl acceptor groups. These narrow imino protons are not detected for d(IGN5IG) and d(I2N5G2), where two deoxyguanosine residues are replaced by two deoxyinosine residues in the deoxynonanucleotide sequences. This implies that the 2-amino protons of deoxyguanosine must also participate in hydrogen bond formation and stabilize the structured conformation of d(G2T4CG2) in Na cation-containing solution. We have completely assigned the base and sugar H1', H2',2', H3', and H4' protons of the d(G2T4CG2) oligomer following analysis of two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy and two-dimensional correlated spectroscopy data sets in 0.1 M-NaCl, 10 mM-sodium phosphate, 2H2O solution at 0 degree C. The relative magnitude of the nuclear Overhauser enhancements (NOEs) between the base H8 and its own sugar H1' protons of individual deoxyguanosine residues establishes that G1 and G8 adopt syn orientations while G2 and G9 adopt anti orientations about the glycosidic bond in the d(G1-G2-T3-T4-T5-T6-C7-G8-G9) sequence in both Na and K cation-containing aqueous solution. Consequently, any structure proposed for the tetramolecular complex of d(G2T4CG2) must exhibit alternating G(syn) and G(anti) glycosidic torsion angles within each strand. The directionality and magnitude of the observed NOEs are consistent with the G(syn)-G(anti) steps adopting right-handed helical conformations in solution. We also note that the H8 protons of G1 and G8 (7.35 to 7.45 p.p.m.) in a syn alignment are shifted significantly upfield from the H8 protons of G2 and G9 (8.0 to 8.3 p.p.m.) in an anti alignment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Activation of Ras by insulin in 3T3 L1 cells does not involve GTPase-activating protein phosphorylation.

Insulin-induced differentiation of 3T3 L1 cells to adipocytes can be mimicked by the expression of transfected ras oncogenes but not of the tyrosine-kinase oncogenes src and trk. Expression of two different transfected, dominant inhibitory ras mutants resulted in significant inhibition of insulin-induced differentiation, suggesting that endogenous Ras proteins are mediators of insulin signaling in these cells. Exposure of untransfected 3T3 L1 cells to insulin resulted in significant formation of the active Ras.GTP complex, at levels comparable with those resulting from exposure to platelet-derived growth factor. However, whereas exposure of the same cells to platelet-derived growth factor resulted in significant tyrosine phosphorylation of the p21ras GTPase-activating protein (GAP), insulin-treated cells did not show any detectable levels of de novo GAP tyrosine phosphorylation. Interestingly, insulin caused tyrosine phosphorylation of the p62 polypeptide coprecipitated with GAP by anti-GAP antibodies. Insulin-induced activation of cytosolic MAP kinase activity in untransfected 3T3 L1 cells was also mimicked by Ras expression (in the absence of insulin) in the same cells transfected with an inducible ras construct. These results confirm that Ras proteins participate in insulin signaling pathways in these mammalian cells and indicate that activation of cytosolic MAP kinases is an early event occurring downstream from Ras activation. However, tyrosine phosphorylation of GAP appears not to be a significant upstream regulatory event in the activation of Ras by insulin.     

Semicontinuous ethanol fermentation of sugar cane blackstrap molasses by pressed yeast

Summary A mathematical model is proposed to explain the influence of the volume fraction of inoculum on the fermentation time and ethanol productivity in semicontinuous ethanol fermentation of sugar cane blackstrap molasses by pressed yeast.Nomenclature a, b, c, d constants, see equation (5) - E_o initial ethanol concentration - E_f final ethanol concentration - K₁, K₂, K₃ constants, see equation (1) - P ethanol productivity - P_c calculated values of P - P_e experimental values of P - r correlation coefficient - S_o initial TRS concentration - S_m TRS concentration of the feeding mash - T fermentation time (average of the experimental values) - T_c calculated value of T - T_e experimental value of T - TRS total reducing sugars calculated as glucose - U_o initial urea concentration - U_m urea concentration of the feeding mash - V reactor working volume - V_i volume of the inoculum - volume fraction of inoculum=V_i/V     

Blood genetic systems in four Amazonian tribes.

Data on 31 genetic systems were obtained for 421 individuals belonging to the Arara, Araweté, Mundurucu, and Jamamadi tribes of northern Brazil. The Jamamadi depart farthest, and the Mundurucu least, from South American Indian averages. These data are analyzed together with those of 24 other Amazonian groups. Genetic distances and corresponding dendrograms indicate a cluster of 14 related tribes living north of the Amazon river. These genetic results show only a modest correlation with linguistic and geographic relationships among these groups.     

Vagal function impairment after exercise training.

The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the vagal function of trained (T) and sedentary (S) rats by use of different approaches in the same animal. After 13 wk of exercise training (treadmill for 1 h 5 times/wk at 26.8 m/min and 15% grade), T rats had a resting heart rate (HR) slightly but significantly lower than S rats (299 +/- 3 vs. 308 +/- 3 beats/min). T rats had marked reduction of the intrinsic HR (329 +/- 4 vs. 369 +/- 5 beats/min) after blockade by methylatropine and propranolol. They also exhibited depressed vagal and sympathetic tonus. Baroreflex bradycardia (phenylephrine injections) was reduced, bradycardic responses produced by electrical stimulation of the vagus were depressed, and responses to methacholine injection were decreased in T rats. Therefore several evidences of vagal function impairment were observed in T rats. The resting bradycardia after exercise training is more likely to be dependent on alterations of the pacemaker cells, inasmuch as the intrinsic HR was markedly reduced.     

Permeabilization of yeast for in situ determination of α-glucosidase

A quantitative in situ assay of yeast α-glucosidase involving permeabilization of the cells by freezing and thawing is described. The assay was applied to different strains in different physiological states and was shown to give results comparable to those obtained with total cell homogenates. The primary advantage of the in situ assay was the possibility of analyzing a large number of samples from the same culture during a growth curve using a very reduced cell mass.     

Age influence on the lipolytic effect of glucagon in geese.

The lipolytic effect of glucagon was measured in vitro with adipose tissue of "young" (4-8 wk) and "old" (over 1 yr) geese. The response of the young geese tissue was about twice that observed with tissue of old geese, for glucagon concentrations of 0.05, 0.5, and 5.0 mug/ml. Our estimates indicate that the number of adipose cells per g of adipose tissue of young geese was three times that of the old geese tissue. This suggests that the greater lipolytic response to glucagon, observed in young geese adipose tissue, may possibly be due to its greater cellularity, rather than to a greater lipolytic response of the individual adipocyte. The lipolytic effect of glucagon in vivo, for each of the doses between 1.0 and 20.0 mug/kg, was significantly greater in the old than in the young geese. The slope of the linear equation relating log10 of glucagon dose and elevation of plasma FFA 5 min after injection, was significantly greater for the old than for the young geese. In the goose, therefore, the influence of age on the adipokinetic effect of glucagon appears to be mediated by factors operating in the whole animal, more than by changes in the adipose cell itself. A slower removal rate of circulating FFA by the old geese, could be one of these factors.