Production of 6-Phenylacetylene Picolinic Acid from Diphenylacetylene by a Toluene-Degrading Acinetobacter Strain

Several strategies for using enzymes to catalyze reactions leading to the synthesis of relatively simple substituted picolinic acids have been described. The goal of the work described here was to synthesize a more complex molecule, 6-phenylacetylene picolinic acid [6-(2-phenylethynyl)pyridine-2-carboxylic acid], for use as a potential endcapping agent for aerospace polymers. We screened 139 toluene-degrading strains that use a variety of catabolic pathways for the ability to catalyze oxidative transformation of diphenylacetylene. Acinetobacter sp. strain F4 catalyzed the overall conversion of diphenylacetylene to a yellow metabolite, which was identified as a putative meta ring fission product (2-hydroxy-8-phenyl-6-oxoocta-2,4-dien-7-ynoic acid [RFP]). The activity could be sustained by addition of toluene at a flow rate determined empirically so that the transformations were sustained in spite of the fact that toluene is a competitive inhibitor of the enzymes. The overall rate of transformation was limited by the instability of RFP. The RFP was chemically converted to 6-phenylacetylene picolinic acid by treatment with ammonium hydroxide. The results show the potential for using the normal growth substrate to provide energy and to maintain induction of the enzymes involved in biotransformation during preliminary stages of biocatalyst development.     

Using Molecular Dynamics to Predict Factors Affecting Binding Strength and Magnetic Relaxivity of MRI Contrast Agents

We demonstrate the use of molecular dynamics and molecular mechanics methods to calculate properties and behavior of metal-chelate complexes that can be used as MRI contrast agents. Static and dynamic properties of several known agents were calculated and compared with experiment. We calculated the static properties such as the q-values (number of inner shell waters) and binding distances of chelate atoms to the metal ion for a set of chelates with known X-ray structure. The dynamic flexibility of the chelate arms was also calculated. These computations were extended to a series of exploratory chelate structures in order to estimate their potential as MRI contrast agents. We have also calculated for the first time the NMR relaxivity of an MRI contrast agent using a long (5 nsec) molecular dynamics simulation. Our predictions are promising enough that the method should prove useful for evaluating novel candidate compounds before they are synthesized. One novel static property, the projected area of chelate atoms onto a virtual surface centered on the metal ion (gnomonic projection), was found to give an effective measure of how well the chelate atoms use the free space around the metal ion.     

Congenital anterior abdominal wall defects in England and Wales 1987-93: retrospective analysis of OPCS data.

OBJECTIVES: Analysis of incidence and characteristics of congenital abdominal wall defects, with special reference to the differences between the incidence of gastroschisis and exomphalos (omphalocele). DESIGN: Retrospective analysis using data from the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (recoded to differentiate exomphalos and gastroschisis) and the National Congenital Malformation Notification Scheme. SETTING: England and Wales, 1987 to 1993. RESULTS: 1043 congenital anterior abdominal wall defects were notified within the seven year study period. Of these, 539 were classified as gastroschisis, 448 as exomphalos, 19 as "prune belly syndrome," and 37 as "unclassified." Gastroschisis doubled in incidence from 0.65 in 1987 to 1.35 per 10,000 total births in 1991, with little further change; the incidence of exomphalos decreased from 1.13 to 0.77 per 10000 births. The overall incidence of notified congenital abdominal wall defects was 2.15 per 10000 total births. Gastroschisis was associated with a lower overall maternal age than exomphalos and with a significantly lower proportion of additional reported congenital malformations (5.0%) than in the cohort with exomphalos (27.4%) (odds ratio 0.14, 95% confidence interval 0.09 to 0.22; P < 0.001). The sex ratio of the two cohorts was the same. The incidence of gastroschisis and exomphalos was higher in the northern regions of England than in the south east of the country. CONCLUSIONS: The national congenital malformation notification system showed an increasing trend in the incidence of fetuses born with gastroschisis and a progressive decreasing incidence of exomphalos in England and Wales between 1987 and 1993. Although the reasons for this are likely to be multifactorial, a true differential change seems likely. The observed increase in incidence of gastroschisis relative to exomphalos and the differentiation in maternal age have implications for resource management within the NHS and warrant further epidemiological monitoring. Regional differences may be due to a dietary or environmental factor, which requires further study.     

长日照处理对牵牛开花抑制作用研究 Ⅰ．不同时间长日照处理对花芽分化和子叶蛋白质的影响

日本紫花牵牛（Ｐｈａｒｂｉｌｉｓｎｉｌｃｖ．Ｖｉｏｌｅｔ）子叶完全展开后,短日照诱导前、诱导后和两个短日照间的长日照处理对植株的花芽分化都有一定的抑制作用。双向凝胶电泳分析表明,长日照处理的牵牛子叶内存在着短日照处理子叶内没有的两种蛋白质（ｐＩ４．１,ＭＷ１６．５ｋＤ;ｐＩ４．２,ＭＷ１６．５ｋＤ）。这些蛋白质可能与长日照抑制牵牛植株的花芽分化有一定关系。     

用快速琼脂糖层析纯化磷酸甘油酸激酶及磷酸甘油醛脱氢酶

研究了用快速琼脂糖离子交换层析(DEAE—Fast Flow sepharose)结台PEG 4000／Reppal PES双水相体系从黄豆中分离纯化磷酸甘油酸激酶(PGK)及磷酸甘油醛脱氢酶(GAPDH)。控制床层高度(10～20cm),径向放大具有压降低的优点．设计多点进料取代传统的中心管进料,解决了径向流场不均匀的问题。GAPr)H的总收率及纯化倍数分别为58％和144,PGK的总收率及纯化倍数分别为41％和44。工艺成本为2．92美元／ku GPADH,具有一定的实用价值。     

动物细胞在鼓泡式生物反应器中的死亡速率

通过实验测定,证明生物反应器中细胞死亡速率与气体鼓泡速率成正比而与反应器体积成反比。实验发现气泡大小对细胞死亡速率具有两种作用,一种作用在于影响气泡表面积生成速率;另一种作用则在于影响细胞在气泡表面的吸附程度,其最佳直径为5mm左右。血清和Pluronic F68能显著降低细胞死亡速率,当Pluronic F68浓度达到0．1％时,kd趋于零。所有这些实验结果均与前文提出的生物反应器设计模型具有很好的一致性。     

慢性缺氧大鼠心肌肌浆网功能及其钙泵基因表达的动态变化

将实验大鼠放置模拟５０００ｍ海拔高度低压舱内１、２和４周。结果表明：与对照组比较,１,２和４周组动物的心肌重量分别增加１５％,１８％和５７％;心肌ＳＲＣａ２＋摄取分别降低３３％,３８％和５３％;心肌ＳＲＣａ２＋ＡＴＰａｓｅ活性分别降低５４％,６０％和７４％;钙泵ｍＲＮＡ含量（基因表达分别降低１４％,４６％和６８％。这些结果提示,缺氧导致的ＳＲ钙泵功能降低可能是心肌功能受损的重要生化基础之一,而钙泵数目减少可能是钙泵功能降低的分子生物学机制。     

山楂粉蝶NPV的形态发生及其宿主细胞器的超微病理变化

应用电子显微技术,对山楂粉蝶核型多角体病毒感染三龄幼虫后,该病毒在体内的形态发生过程及其宿主细胞病理超微结构的变化等进行了观察与分析。结果表明：病毒感染７２～１６８ｈ后,山楂粉蝶幼虫中肠上皮细胞内出现病毒发生基质、核衣壳、套膜、丝状纤维或称前多角体蛋白。病毒粒子、病毒束,以及病毒束嵌入多角体蛋白,装配成完全的病毒多角体。在相应的中肠上皮细胞内,细胞器如线粒体、粗面内质网、核糖体、溶酶体等均发生显著的病理变化。同时还应指出的是内质网呈指纹图谱型,板层体与示髓样小体等膜状结构的病理变化比较特殊。     

cDNA cloning and characterization of a novel nucleolar protein.

In an initial study of anti-nuclear antibodies in the chronic inflammatory bladder disease interstitial cystitis, we reported that 7% of interstitial cystitis patients studied had autoantibodies to the nucleolus. We now report that, using an autoimmune serum from a patient with interstitial cystitis, we have identified and partially characterized a novel protein with an M(r) of approximately 55 kDa (hereafter referred to as No55) localized to the granular component of the nucleolus. No55 was initially characterized by diffuse nucleolar immunofluorescence staining in interphase cells and by Western blotting as a 55-kDa doublet on whole-cell extracts. During mitosis, No55 was associated with chromosomes and appeared in prenucleolar bodies during telophase, but it did not colocalize with p80-coilin in coiled bodies. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that No55 was localized uniformly throughout the granular component of the nucleolus compared with a more peripheral localization of nucleolar granular component protein B23. On segregation of the nucleolus with actinomycin D, No55 remained with the granular component of the segregated nucleolus, whereas protein B23 was found predominantly in the nucleoplasm. Finally, a cDNA expression library was screened with the human autoantibody against No55, and a 2.4-kb insert was isolated, subcloned to homogeneity, and then sequenced. Analysis of this sequence showed an open reading frame of approximately 1.3 kb coding for 437 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 50 kDa. A search of the gene sequence database indicated homology with SC65, a rat synaptonemal complex protein. Therefore, on the basis of molecular weight, nucleolar sublocalization, response to actinomycin D, and cDNA sequence determination, No55 is a novel protein of the interphase nucleolus.     

Forskolin对成骨样细胞蛋白激酶C及三磷酸肌醇的影响

Ｆｏｒｓｋｏｌｉｎ（ＦＳＫ）是一种植物二萜类化合物,为腺苷酸环化酶的特异激活剂,实验发现：ＦＳＫ和作为参照的诱导分化剂维甲酸（ＲＡ）单独或联合应用均可升高胞浆蛋白激酶Ｃ（ＰＫＣ）活性,并降低膜ＰＫＣ活性,ＦＳＫ可使表皮生长因子（ＥＧＦ）诱导的细胞内三磷酸肌醇（ＩＰ３－１,４,５）水平降低至对照组的４４．４％至６７％;ＦＳＫ与ＲＡ合用可显著降低成骨样细胞特征蛋白碱性磷酸酶（ＡＫＰ）的活性。以上结果表明,ＦＳＫ对成骨样细胞内磷脂酰肌醇信息传递体系有深刻影响,可能与其调节细胞的增殖分化有关。