Reaction of ethyl 2-amino-4,6-O-benzylidene-2-deoxy-d-gluconate with acetylenic esters

Ethyl 2-amino-4,6-O-benzylidene-2-deoxy-d-gluconate adds to acetylenic esters to give sugar enaminones. The following acetylene derivatives have been employed: methyl propiolate, ethyl phenylpropiolate, and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (6). With compound 6, the reaction leads to a mixture of the expected enaminone and the isomeric oxazolidine derivative. The structures and configurations of the new compounds were studied by spectroscopic and chemical methods.     

Phytosociological characteristics of theRondeletio correifoliae-Andropogonetum multinervosi ass. nova (Sierra de la Siguanea,Isla de la Juventud,Cuba)

The contribution deals with the phytocenological analysis of theRondeletio correifoliae-Andropogonetum multinervosi, an endemic savanna association occuring on the Siguanea Hills (Sierra de la Siguanea) near the Colony Hotel.     

Effects of partial hepatectomy on various blood and hepatic parameters in the rainbow trout (Salmo gairdnerii, Rich.)

After 36% of hepatic mass removal , rainbow trout recovered its initial liver weight in 20-30 days, i.e., with a regeneration rate clearly lower than in mammals. During early regeneration process hematocrit index and hemoglobin content were slightly decreased, but both parameters rapidly reached their normal values. The evolution of both glycaemia and hepatic glycogen content supported the idea of the existence of a late regeneration wave, which, in this case, could begin at about the 20th post-operative day.     

Comparative study of selective media for enumeration of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from water by membrane filtration

In the present study, mPA-D and mPA-E agar, modifications of mPA-C agar that reduce background fecal streptococci that interfere with the differentiation and enumeration of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonies grown in other mPA media, are proposed for use in analyzing natural water samples. In addition, the efficiencies of several culture media for the recovery of P. aeruginosa in water after membrane filtration and multiple-tube techniques are compared. The degree of selectivity, precision, efficiency, and sensitivity achieved with the proposed media exceeded that achieved by current methods. Furthermore, they yielded equal rates of accuracy and specificity. Incubation at 36 degrees C resulted in an improved recovery of stressed P. aeruginosa. In conclusion, we propose the use of mPA-D and mPA-E agar, both incubated at 36 degrees C for 24 to 48 h, for analyzing river water and seawater, respectively.     

Study of the hydrolysis and ionization constants of Schiff base from pyridoxal 5''-phosphate and n-hexylamine in partially aqueous solvents. An application to phosphorylase b.

Formation and hydrolysis rate constants as well as equilibrium constants of the Schiff base derived from pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and n-hexylamine were determined between pH 3.5 and 7.5 in ethanol/water mixtures (3:17, v/v, and 49:1, v/v). The results indicate that solvent polarity scarcely alters the values of these constants but that they are dependent on the pH. Spectrophotometric titration of this Schiff base was also carried out. We found that a pKa value of 6.1, attributed in high-polarity media to protonation of the pyridine nitrogen atom, is independent of solvent polarity, whereas the pKa of the monoprotonated form of the imine falls from 12.5 in ethanol/water (3:17) to 11.3 in ethanol/water (49:1). Fitting of the experimental results for the hydrolysis to a theoretical model indicates the existence of a group with a pKa value of 6.1 that is crucial in the variation of kinetic constant of hydrolysis with pH. Studies of the reactivity of the coenzyme (pyridoxal 5'-phosphate) of glycogen phosphorylase b with hydroxylamine show that this reaction only occurs when the pH value of solution is below 6.5 and the hydrolysis of imine bond has started. We propose that the decrease in activity of phosphorylase b when the pH value is less than 6.2 must be caused by the cleavage of enzyme-coenzyme binding and that this may be related with protonation of the pyridine nitrogen atom of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate.     

The effect of neutral and charged micelles on the acid-base dissociation of the local anesthetic tetracaine

The influence of surfactant micelles on the acid-base dissociation of the charged tertiary amino group of the local anesthetic, tetracaine, has been investigated. From measurements of tetracaine fluorescence as a function of bulk pH, apparent $\text{p}\text{K}$ values of 6.88, 7.58 and 9.92 were found in the presence of cationic, neutral and anionic micelles, respectively, in 10 mM NaCl. These values are considerably displaced with respect to the $\text{p}\text{K}$ in aqueous solution which is 8.26. Such large shifts can be attributed to the effect of the surface polarity and electrical potential on the dissociation behavior of the anesthetic bound to micelles. It can be expected that the acid-base dissociation of a local anesthetic adsorbed to nerve fibers will also be affected by the properties of the membrane surface. Thus, it is suggested that the influence of the interfacial region on the $\text{p}\text{K}$ of surface-bound molecules should not be disregarded when estimating the proportion of charged and uncharged forms of local anesthetics interacting with axonal membranes.     

Endogenous Inactivators of Arginase, l-Arginine Decarboxylase, and Agmatine Amidinohydrolase in Evernia prunastri Thallus

Arginase (EC 3.5.3.1), l-arginine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.19), and agmatine amidinohydrolase (EC 3.5.3.11) activities spontaneously decay in Evernia prunastri thalli incubated on 40 millimolar l-arginine used as inducer of the three enzymes if dithiothreitol is not added to the media. Lichen thalli accumulate both chloroatranorin and evernic acid in parallel to the loss of activity. These substances behave as inactivators of the enzymes at a range of concentrations between 2 and 20 micromolar, whereas several concentrations of dithiothreitol reverse, to some extent, the in vitro inactivation.