Induction of B-A transitions of deoxyoligonucleotides by multivalent cations in dilute aqueous solution.

Circular dichroism (CD) spectra of d(CCCCGGGG) in the presence of Co(NH3)6(3+) are very similar to spectra of r(CCCCGGGG). In contrast, B-form characteristics are observed for d(CCCCGGGG) in the presence of Na+ and Mg2+, even at high salt concentrations. Spermidine induces modest changes of the CD of d(CCCCGGGG). The NMR chemical shifts of the nonexchangeable protons of d(CCCCGGGG) in the absence and presence of Co(NH3)6(3+) were assigned by proton two-dimensional (2D) NOESY and COSY measurements. The chemical shifts of the GH8 protons of d(CCCCGGGG) move upfield upon titration with Co(NH3)6Cl3. The sums of the sugar H1' coupling constants decrease with added Co(NH3)6Cl3. Cross peak intensities in the 2D proton NOESY spectra show a transformation from B-DNA to A-DNA characteristics upon the addition of Co(NH3)6Cl3. The temperature-dependent 59Co transverse and longitudinal relaxation rates demonstrate that Co(NH3)6(3+) is site-bound to the oligomer. Such localization is not a general feature of Co(NH3)6(3+) binding to oligonucleotides. 59Co NMR relaxation and CD measurements demonstrate chiral discrimination by d(CCCCGGGG) for the two stereoisomers of Co(en)3(3+). Both stereoisomers bind tightly as judged by 59Co NMR, and both cause large (but nonequivalent) changes in the CD of this oligomer.     

The effect of hydration on the dynamics of trimethoprim bound to dihydrofolate reductase. A deuterium NMR study.

To determine the effect of hydration on the dynamics of a protein complex, we used deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques to examine a trimethoprim (TMP)/E. coli dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) complex in its lyophilized, partially hydrated, polycrystalline, and ammonium sulfate-precipitated states. The results indicate that TMP is rigid in the lyophilized powder state. The dynamic behavior could be restored by partial rehydration. At 30 wt% hydration the deuterium spectrum of the partially hydrated sample was indistinguishable from that of the polycrystalline and ammonium sulfate-precipitated samples, suggesting that the structure of the protein/TMP complex is similar in the three physical states. Furthermore, we found that the para- and meta-methoxyl groups have very different dynamical behavior.     

Localization of neuropeptide Y and atrial natriuretic peptide in the endothelial cells of human umibilical blood vessels

The localization of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in the endothelial cells of human umbilical blood vessels was studied using the pre-embedding peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) technique for electron microscopy and avidin-biotin-complex (ABC) immunostaining for endothelial cells cultured from umbilical vein. Subpopulations of NPY- and ANP-immunoreactive endothelial cells were present in term umbilical vein and artery. The umbilical vein contained more positive cells than the artery. The percentage of NPY- and ANP-immunoreactive umbilical vein cells in culture was 32% and 44%, respectively, out of a total of 3013 cells examined. The possibility that these potent vasoactive substances located in the endothelial cells of the non-innervated umbilical vessels are involved in the local regulation of blood flow is discussed.     

Scrapie I. Transmission and Pathogenesis

Homogenized brain, extracts, and residues of brain from normal and scrapie sheep were inoculated into 116 sheep. Of 72 sheep inoculated with scrapie material 27 developed the disease, whereas four of 44 inoculated with ;normal' brain material showed symptoms similar to those of scrapie. The scrapie agent survived extraction for 18 hours with diethyl ether followed by water for 24 hours. Similarly the agent survived extraction in a Soxhlet apparatus with 95 per cent ethanol containing 2.0 per cent 4 M HC1 for 24 hours. There was no evidence of demyelination in sections of brain and spinal cord supporting the view that allergic encephalomyelitis is not responsible for the scrapie symptoms. Liver function, as measured by the bromsulfalein test, remained normal until just before death. These results preclude that liver dysfunction contributes to the disease but do not exclude the possibilities of other metabolic derangements.     

Effect of exogenous gibberellin A4/7 on tracheid production, longitudinal growth and the levels of indole‐3‐acetic acid and gibberellins A4, A7 and A9 in the terminal shoot of Pinus sylvestris seedlings

Synchronously dividing cultures of the unicellular green alga Scenedesmus obtusiusculus were cultivated for 24 or 70 h in medium high (1000 μM) or low (60 μM) in phosphorus. Aliquots of AlCl₃ (0, 37, 74, 111, 148, 185, or 222 μmol) were added daily to 1 l cell suspension at the end of the cell division phase. Algae were also grown in media with different pH, adjusted with HCl, in the absence of AlCl₃.
Effects of Al on cell metabolism vary with the intracellular Al concentration and with the concentration of Al available per cell. When the concentration of phosphorus is low, internal concentrations of Al are high and the chlorophyll content and the net dry matter production per cell increase, whereas the photosynthesis and the cell division are increased. Presence of Al in a low P medium decreases the pH of the medium down to 4.5. There are only small effects of Al in the presence of P, due to precipitation of most of the Al with P in the medium.
Despite the Al-induced decrease of the pH of the culture medium, effects caused by Al cannot be explained as a pH effect. Instead, the Al effect may, at least to some extent, be related to a decrease in availability of P in the metabolism, due to formation of aluminium phosphate inside the cell.