Degradation by and toxicity to bacteria of chlorinated phenols and benzenes,and hexachlorocyclohexane isomers

Mixed cultures degrading chlorinated benzenes, chlorinated phenols, or hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) as the sole source of carbon and energy were obtained by enrichment from contaminated soil samples. Cultures which metabolized 3-chlorophenol (3-CP), 2,3-dichlorophenol (2,3-DCP), or 2,6-dichlorophenol (2,6-DCP) were able to utilize several other chlorinated compounds as substrates, whereas cultures enriched with 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene (1,2,4,5-TeCB), -HCH, or -HCH did not metabolize most of the other chlorinated congeners tested. Chloride release and growth rates with all four chlorinated phenols decreased with increasing initial substrate concentrations within the range of 30–250 mol liter^–1. Maximum chloride release was 3.8 mg liter^–1 corresponding to 35 mol liter^–1 trichlorophenol within 7 weeks. In contrast, the rate of metabolism of the nonphenolic compounds 1,2,4,5-TeCB, -HCH, or -HCH increased with increasing substrate concentrations. Initial concentrations of 750 mol liter^–1 -HCH or 1,2,4,5-TeCB were completely dechlorinated within 2 weeks. Because aqueous solubility and bioavailability of the chlorophenolic compounds is much higher than that of the nonphenolic compounds, it is suggested that the high bioavailability of the chlorophenolic compounds is the reason for the high toxicity of these substrates to the degrading cultures. In contrast, the low aqueous solubilities of the chlorinated benzenes and HCH-isomers caused consistently low concentrations in the medium, which were high enough to induce degradation but too low to damage the bacterial cells.Correspondence to: E. Lang     

Interfacial and micellar behavior of glucose lipid

Summary Glucose lipid of notable surfactant properties was produced by using hydrocarbon assimilating bacterium of the bacterial strain MM1. Its surface active properties were notable in spite of ,-hydrophilic and bulky molecule. The critical micelle concentration (cmc) was small (0.165 M); surface and interfacial tension for hexadecane at 0.1 % (pH 7.35) solution, 24.6 and 13.3 mN/m, respectively. The emulsifying action was excellent and comparable to those of rhamnolipids. The micelle has the outer radius. 28.5 Å and inner core, 6.7 Å on the basis of the concentric spherical shell model by means of the small angle X-ray solution scattering measurement.Dedicated to Professor Fritz Wagner on the occasion of his 65th birthday.     

Morphological alterations and cytoskeletal reorganization in opossum kidney (OK) cells during osmotic swelling and volume regulation

Cells from a variety of tissues regulate their volume when exposed to anisotonic conditions. After exposure of cells to hypotonic conditions, the rapid phase of cell swelling is followed by a slower phase of cell shrinkage towards the initial volume. The present study investigates morphological alterations of adherent and fully spread cells after exposure to hypotonic conditions and the reorganization of cytoskeletal components such as F-actin, actin-binding proteins, microtubules and intermediate-sized filaments. We used cells of a continuous epithelial cell line from the opossum kidney (OK cells), which were exposed to hypotonic conditions for a period of 60 min at 25° C. The osmolarity was reduced by 40% from 320 mosmol/l (isotonic conditions) to 192 mosmol/l (hypotonic conditions). The initial swelling after exposure of OK cells to hypotonic conditions caused enhanced ruffling membrane activity, formation of lamellipodia and an extended space between adjacent cells which was caused by a more rounded cell shape. Moreover, the height of cells located in the centre of cell clusters increased by 32±8% (mean value±SEM) as checked by morphometric analysis of the vertical distance between the apical and basolateral F-actin domain. Although the fluorescence intensity and organization of F-actin in a horizontal direction remained unaltered during cell swelling, we observed a loss of periodicity and irregular distribution of myosin aggregates and a partial rear-rangement of vimentin filaments in the form of short fragments. In all experiments the organization of microtubules was observed to be unaltered. The alterations described above were reversible during cell shrinkage towards the initial volume, i.e. at 60 min after exposure to hypotonic conditions cell morphology and cytoskeletal organization no longer differed from the corresponding controls which were kept under isotonic conditions for the whole experimental period. The results demonstrate that only certain intracellular cytoskeletal components are actively involved in cell swelling and regulatory volume decrease.     

Midwife managed delivery unit: a randomised controlled comparison with consultant led care.

OBJECTIVE--To examine whether intrapartum care and delivery of low risk women in a midwife managed delivery unit differs from that in a consultant led labour ward. DESIGN--Pragmatic randomised controlled trial. Subjects were randomised in a 2:1 ratio between the midwives unit and the labour ward. SETTING--Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, Grampian. SUBJECTS--2844 low risk women, as defined by existing booking criteria for general practitioner units in Grampian. 1900 women were randomised to the midwives unit and 944 to the labour ward. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Maternal and perinatal morbidity. RESULTS--Of the women randomised to the midwives unit, 647 (34%) were transferred to the labour ward antepartum, 303 (16%) were transferred intrapartum, and 80 (4%) were lost to follow up. 870 women (46%) were delivered in the midwives unit. Primigravid women (255/596, 43%) were significantly more likely to be transferred intrapartum than multi-gravid women (48/577, 8%). Significant differences between the midwives unit and labour ward were found in monitoring, fetal distress, analgesia, mobility, and use of episiotomy. There were no significant differences in mode of delivery or fetal outcome. CONCLUSIONS--Midwife managed intrapartum care for low risk women results in more mobility and less intervention with no increase in neonatal morbidity. However, the high rate of transfer shows that antenatal criteria are unable to determine who will remain at low risk throughout pregnancy and labour.     

Radiation-induced concomitant overexpression of p53, p62c-fos and p21N-fas in mouse epidermis

Abstract. Early molecular events in radiation carcinogenesis in vivo are difficult to study, especially because it is usually impossible to know in advance the exact location of a radiation-induced tumour. In the present study, we have attempted to overcome this difficulty by exposing a very small area of hairless mouse skin to high-dose beta radiation (i.e. immobilized hot particles) on the reasonable assumption that a malignant tumour would subsequently develop and be found at the exposed site in a long-term follow-up. The results showed that at an exposed site, before the appearance of a visible or histologically detectable tumour, overexpression of the product of the tumour suppressor gene p53 was common (28% of the sites studied; tested with PAbl801, PAb421, PAb240 and a polyclonal antibody CM1) and that this change was regularly accompanied by overexpression of p62^c-fos and p21^N-ras. Expression of several other oncoproteins studied (p39^c-jun, p21^K-ras, p21^H-ras) was not altered at these sites. A similar pattern of changes was observed in a visible and histopathologically distinct tumour that was analyzed after its development at an exposed site. These results suggest a re'markably regular pattern of molecular changes, induced by ionizing radiation in mouse epidermis, which might be associated with carcinogenesis.     

Origin and clonal relationship of common inhibitory motoneurons CI1 and CI3 in the locust CNS

In the primordial thoracic ganglia of locust embryos, the bromodeoxiuridine (BrdU) technique for labelling proliferating cells and their progeny was combined with intracellular dye injection to investigate the origin and the clonal relationship of common inhibitory motoneurons. Common inhibitors 1 (CI₁) and 3 (CI₃) were found to be siblings, that is, they are produced by the division of one ganglion mother cell. This ganglion mother cell results from the first division of neuroblast 5–5, at about 30% of embryonic development. A large portion, at least, of the ganglion mother cells produced by subsequent divisions of neuroblast 5–5 give rise to interneurons with contralaterally ascending or descending axons and GABA-like immunoreactivity. Thus, CI₁ and CI₃ are more closely related to putative inhibitory interneurons than they are to other, that is, excitatory, motoneurons. Consistent with this, the CI somata are associated with cell bodies of putative inhibitory interneurons rather than with clusters of excitatory motoneuron somata. These results elicit speculations regarding the evolutionary origin of inhibitory motoneurons. 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

‘凤丹’牡丹PoKAS基因的克隆及表达分析

为探究‘凤丹’牡丹(Paeonia ostii‘Feng Dan’)PoKAS基因在脂肪酸合成中的功能,从转录组数据中获得3个PoKAS基因,克隆基因全长并进行生物信息学分析,通过qRT-PCR检测它们在牡丹落花后第23、45、75、100和125天时的表达。结果显示：(1)克隆得到的3个基因序列全长分别为1 401、1 692和1 215 bp,分别编码466、563和404 aa;保守结构域分析发现,它们都含有KAS保守结构域,属于cond-enzymes超蛋白家族。(2)系统进化树将三者分为三大类,表明其在进化上相对独立,分别命名为PoKASⅠ、PoKASⅡ和PoKASⅢ(GenBank登录号分别为OP056413、OP056412和OP056414)。(3)qRT-PCR分析发现,在牡丹落花后种子发育的5个时期中,PoKASⅠ和PoKASⅡ基因在落花后75 d和45 d时的表达量分别显著高于其他发育时期;PoKASⅢ基因在落花后45～125 d时的表达量均显著高于落花后23 d,说明PoKASⅢ基因在牡丹种子脂肪酸合成的整个过程中发挥着重要作用,而PoKASⅡ基因主要在种子油脂...     

小兴安岭兴安落叶松泥炭藓沼泽植物的主要微量元素

小兴安岭兴安落叶松、泥炭藓沼泽是我国典型贫营养型沼泽。沼泽中树木生长发育不良,泥炭藓和常绿小灌木发育十分良好。这与沼泽水文状况和泥炭中营养元素和微量元素有关。各种植物的主要微量元素硼、铜、钴、锰、锌等含量不同,植物的不同器官中的含量亦不同,而且随季节而变化。狭叶杜香和甸杜的主要微量元素含量特点及其季节变化规律基本相似,两种泥炭藓相似,都与兴安落叶松有明显的区别。 本文重点探讨植物体内主要微量元素及其含量变化规律,为揭示贫营养型森林沼泽生态、为合理利用与改造沼泽提供依据。     

Crystal structure and conformational analysis of ampullosporin A.

Ampullosporin A is a 15-mer peptaibol type polypeptide that induces pigment formation by the fungus Phoma destructiva, forms voltage-dependent ion channels in membranes and exhibits hypothermic effects in mice. The structure of ampullosporin A has been determined by x-ray crystallography. This is the first three-dimensional (3D) structure of the peptaibol subfamily SF6. From the N-terminus to residue 13 the molecule adopts an approximate right-handed alpha-helical geometry, whereas a less regular structure pattern with beta-turn characteristics is found in the C-terminus. Even though ampullosporin A does not contain a single proline or hydroxyproline it is significantly bent. It belongs to both the shortest and the most strongly bent peptaibol 3D structures. The straight structure part encompasses residues Ac-Trp(1)-Aib(10) and is thus less extended than the alpha-helical subunit. The 3D structure of ampullosporin A is discussed in relation to other experimentally determined peptaibol structures and in the context of its channel-forming properties. As a part of this comparison a novel bending analysis based on a 3D curvilinear axis describing the global structural characteristics has been proposed and applied to all 3D peptaibol structures. A sampling of 2500 conformations using different molecular dynamics protocols yields, for the complete ampullosporin A structure, an alpha-helix as the preferred conformation in vacuo with almost no bend. This indicates that solvent or crystal effects may be important for the experimentally observed peptide backbone bending characteristics of ampullosporin A.