Alteration of thermal stability of glucose oxidase associated with the redox states

By the method of differential scanning calorimetry, it was found that thermal stability of glucose oxidase was dependent on its redox states. The oxidized form showed an apparent denaturation temperature at 76°C and the denaturation enthalpy was approximately 865 kcal/mol. On reduction of the enzyme, the denaturation temperature increased by about 10°, but no significant change was seen in the denaturation enthalpy. The activation energies of the denaturation of the oxidized and the reduced enzymes were about 89 and 103 kcal/mol, respectively. These results may imply conformational changes in the catalytic turnover of this enzyme.     

Participation and Properties of Lipoxygenase and Hydroperoxide Lyase in Volatile C6-Aldehyde Formation from C18-Unsaturated. Fatty Acids in Isolated Tea Chloroplasts

Isolated tea chloroplasts utilized linoleic acid, linolenicacid and their 13-hydroperoxides as substrates for volatileC₆-aldehyde formation. Optimal pH values for oxygen uptake,hydroperoxide lyase and the overall reaction from C₁₈-fattyacids to C₆-aldehydes were 6.3, 7.0 and 6.3, respectively. Methyllinoleate, linoleyl alcohol and -linolenic acid were poor substratesfor the overall reaction, but linoleic and linolenic acids weregood substrates. The 13-hydroperoxides of the above fatty acidsand alcohol also showed substrate specificity similar to thatof fatty acids. Oxygen uptakes (relative V_max) with methyl linoleate,linoleyl alcohol, linolenic acid, -linolenic acid and arachidonicacid were comparable to or higher than that with linoleic acid.In winter leaves, the activity for C₆-aldehyde formation fromC₁₈-fatty acids was raduced to almost zero. This was due tothe reduction in oxygenation. The findings presented here provideevidence for the involvement of lipoxygenase and hydroperoxidelyase in C₆-aldehyde formation in isolated chloroplasts. (Received July 11, 1981; Accepted November 5, 1981)     

The age distribution of neutralizing antibodies against varicella-zoster virus in healthy individuals

A seroepidemiological survey of varicella was made in the Nagoya area by the neutralization (NT) test. Of 1,473 recorded cases of varicella, 81.4% were under 6 years old and 9.6% were under one year old; of the 168 recorded cases under one year old, about 30% were under 5 months old. Examination of 11 pairs of mother and cord sera and 13 pairs of mother and infant sera showed that transfer of NT antibody was in general good, even in babies that were small for their age or smnall at birth after 28 weeks gestation. The transferred maternal antibody decreased rapidly, becoming undetectable in babies of 4 months old. Then with increase in age the percentgage of seropositive children gradually increased, being 53.3% at 4 to 5 years old, and 100% in those of over 9 years old, with a temporary decrease in young adults in their twenties.     

Functional properties of the glycosylated minor hemoglobins A1a-1,A1a-2 and A1b. EPR evidence for increased stability of the low affinity quaternary structure and decreased susceptibility to organic phosphate

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of the glycosylated minor hemoglobins A1a-1, A1a-2, A1b and A1c and the major hemoglobin A0 in the nitrosyl form have been obtained in the absence and presence of inositol hexaphosphate. In the absence of inositol hexaphosphate, nitrosyl hemoglobins A1a-1, A1a-2 and A1b exhibited a triplet hyperfine structure centered at g = 2.009 which has been shown to be diagnostic of the low affinity (T) quaternary structure. Addition of inositol hexaphosphate to nitrosyl hemoglobins A0, A1c, A1b and A1a-2 developed a triplet hyperfine structure of the EPR spectra but the magnitude of the hyperfine was decreased in the order of hemoglobins A0, A1c, A1b and A1a-2. However, inositol hexaphosphate had essentially no effect on the EPR spectrum of nitrosyl hemoglobin A1a-1. The present results account qualitatively for the oxygen binding properties of these glycosylated minor hemoglobins in the framework of a two-state allosteric model.     

Single cell protein production from mandarin orange peel

Summary As the hydrolysis of mandarin orange peel with macerating enzyme (40°C, 24 h) produced 0.59 g g^–1 reducing sugar per dry peel compared to 0.36 by acid-hydrolysis (15 min at 120°C with 0.8 N H₂SO₄), the production of single cell protein (SCP) from orange peel was studied mostly using enzymatically hydrolyzed orange peel.When the enzymatically hydrolyzed peel media were used, the utilization efficiency of reducing sugars (%) and the growth yield from reducing sugars (g g^–1) were: 63 and 0.51 for Saccharomyces cerevisiae; 56 and 0.48 for Candida utilis; 74 and 0.69 for Debaryomyces hansenii and 64 and 0.70 for Rhodotorula glutinis. SCP production from orange peel by D. hansenii and R. glutinis were further studied. Batch cultures for 24 h at 30°C using 100 g dried orange peel produced 45 g of dried cultivated peel (protein content, 33%) with D. hansenii and 34 g (protein content, 50%) with R. glutinis, and 38 g (protein content, 44%) with a mixture of both yeasts.     

Fungal contamination and mycotoxin-producing potential of dried beans

A total of 604 samples of about 7 different types of beans was examined to determine their mycological profiles, and suitability for use as solid substrates for mycotoxin production.All of the samples were collected from bean jam makers in Tokyo by the official food examiners.Genera Penicillium and Aspergillus were predominant, and genus Wallemia was also found commonly in all types of beans.Mycotoxin-producing Aspergillus strains were isolated from 52 samples of beans, approximately 9% of the total. The highest incidence of toxigenic Aspergillus (14.1%) was found in kidney beans. Red beans and peas inoculated with Aspergillus ochraceus were found to produce about 7 to 8 times more toxin than was obtained in a liquid medium, and red beans inoculated with A. versicolor produced more toxin than was obtained in yeast extract sucrose broth. Green peas inoculated with Fusarium graminearum produced about 8 times more T-2 toxin than was obtained in 1% peptone containing Czapek solution under comparable culture conditions.     

Body composition and energetic efficiency in two lines of mice selected for rapid growth rate and their F1 crosses

Summary Correlated responses to selection for increased growth rate were compared in two mouse populations (M16 and H₆) of distinct genetic origin. Traits studied were body composition, feed intake, constituent gains and energetic efficiency. When compared with their respective controls (ICR and C₂) at 6 and 9 weeks of age, body weight increased more in M16 (57%and 69 % of the control mean) than in H₆ (40 % and 34%). The M16 showed correlated responses in fat percent of 2.6% (P <.05), 8.4% (P <.01) and 11.2% (P <.01) at 3, 6 and 9 weeks, respectively, whereas corresponding values in H₆ were –2.4% (P <.05), 3.3% (P <.05) and 2.09 % (P >.05). The correlated responses in fat percent were 2.7 and 4.7 times higher in M16 than H₆ at 6 and 9 weeks. The regression of ln fat weight on ln empty body weight was larger in M16 (P <.05) compared to ICR and larger (P <.01) in H₆ compared to C₂. Both M16 and H₈ exhibited positive correlated responses from 3 to 6 weeks of age in feed intake and gain and efficiency in fat, protein, calories and ash; fat and caloric gain and efficiency exhibited higher correlated responses in M16 than H₆. During the 6- to 9-week interval, the M16 population continued to evince positive correlated responses in gains and efficiencies of fat, protein and calories, whereas H₆ did not. Several possible explanations are presented to account for the differences in correlated responses between the selected populations. Partitioning of correlated response differences between M16 and H₆ into average direct and average maternal genetic effects indicated that average direct genetic effects, favoring M16, were responsible for the major difference between the selected populations. Direct heterosis in F₁ crosses of the selected populations were generally not significant, although there was a tendency for fat percent and fat weight to show heterosis.Paper No. 4929 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607, Animal Research Institute Contribution No. 624 and Agricultural University at Wageningen Contribution No. 654-490-10. The use of trade names in this publication does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station of the Products named, nor criticism of similar ones not mentioned.On leave from Department of Animal Husbandry, Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.On leave from Animal Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A OC6.     

A novel cell surface antigen involved in thymocyte and thymic epithelial cell adhesion.

A murine mAb, 7D3, was produced by fusion of spleen cells obtained from mice immunized with a rat thymic epithelial cell line, Tu-D3 and NS/1 myeloma cells. 7D3 antibody reacted with approximately 95% thymocytes, 17% spleen cells, less than 9% of mesenteric lymph node cells and 32% of bone marrow cells of rat origin. 7D3 also reacted with two rat thymic epithelial cell lines but not with a rat fibroblastic cell line. Immunochemical analysis demonstrated that 7D3 antibody recognized a single polypeptide with molecular weight of 80,000 in FTE cells and 80,000 to 96,000 in thymocytes. 7D3 antibody strongly inhibited the thymocyte binding to thymic epithelial cells. In addition, 7D3 antibody inhibited TPA-induced thymocyte aggregation. 7D3 negative rat thymic lymphoma cells bound to 7D3 positive thymic epithelial cells and this binding was inhibited by 7D3 antibody, indicating that a part of thymocyte-thymic epithelial cell binding was mediated by the interaction of 7D3 Ag and undefined ligand to 7D3.     

The 55-kilodalton protein in an oriC complex fraction is glycogen synthase.

Three proteins with molecular masses of 35, 55, and 75 kDa were found in an oriC complex fraction after purification through CsCl density gradient centrifugation (W. G. Hendrickson, T. Kusano, H. Yamaki, R. Balakrishnan, M. King, J. Murchie, and M. Schaechter, Cell 30:915-923, 1982). Of these three proteins, the 55-kDa protein was determined to be glycogen synthase on the basis of the N-terminal amino acid sequence and the molecular weight. The oriC complex was formed in glgA mutant cells, which produce no detectable glycogen, as well as in wild-type cells. None of the 35-, 55-, and 75-kDa proteins were detected in the fraction from this mutant. The results indicate that these proteins were not constituents of the oriC complex.     

Thyrotropin-secreting pituitary adenoma: a case report.

We report a 44-year-old male with a thyrotropin (TSH)-secreting pituitary adenoma. Based serum free triiodothyronine (FT3, 12.1 pmol/l) and free thyroxine (FT4, 28 pmol/l) were increased with normal basal TSH (3.1 mU/l). There was impaired TSH response to thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) test. Serum TSH was suppressed to 59% of the basal level after oral administration of 1.4 mg 3,3'-5-triiodothyroacetic acid (triac), whereas no suppression was observed after 75 micrograms daily administration of triiodothyronine (T3). Serum concentrations of alpha-subunit of TSH (TSH-alpha) and TSH-alpha/TSH molar ratio were high, being 1.95 micrograms/l, and 4.4, respectively. Pituitary CT and MRI scan showed the presence of a macroadenoma in the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. Histopathology of the excised pituitary confirmed the diagnosis of a TSH-producing adenoma. A positive correlation between TSH and FT3 (r = 0.66, P less than 0.01) or FT4 (r = 0.54, P less than 0.01) was observed in serial sera obtained before and after operation.