Clustering of genes for L-fucose dissimilation by Escherichia coli.

Aerobic and anaerobic L-fucose utilization by Escherichia coli involves an inducible trunk pathway mediated by a permease, an isomerase, a kinase, and an aldolase. Tn5 insertion mutants of a parental strain expressing this pathway constitutively were used to map the positions of the structural genes by transduction. Results from this and previous studies show that all of the structural genes of the L-fucose trunk pathway map between eno and argA at minute 60.2 of the chromosome.     

Chemicomechanical transduction performed by enzymes activated by polymers

Kinetic models for the mode of action of processive and non-processive DNA-helicases are detailed. Fluxes at the steady state are analyzed, and the random walk of the enzymes on the DNA is studied in connection with the rate constants of the chemical reactions involved in the transformation of substrate to products. Finally, the constants of the kinetic model for the processive helicase are related to the parameters of an analogous viscoelastic model.     

石油化学工人的细胞遗传学研究——Ⅰ.染色体畸变的检测

对石油化工企业工人(180人)及非石化企业对照人群(180人)进行染色体畸变的检测,结果表明:(1)石化地区居民染色体畸变频率略高于非石化地区居民,但无显著性差异。(2)石化企业中,炼油厂污水处理车间和塑料厂污水处理车间工人的染色体畸变各项指标和对照组比较(除塑料厂污水处理车间工人的染色体畸变一项指标外)或与其它4个车间(苯酚丙酮、催化裂化、乙二醇和丁二烯)比较,都有显著或极显著的升高。4个车间分别和对照组比较,没有显著升高。(3)染色体畸变频率有季节变化,春秋季明显高于冬季和夏季。(4)对照个体中,不同性别、不同年龄组及吸烟与否,对染色体畸变的各项指标均无显著性差异。但在石化企业不同年龄工人染色体畸变率的比较中,大于或等于40岁的工人组,明显高于30岁以下各组。     

鸭类mtDNA限制性酶切图谱的比较研究

本文报道了番鸭、建昌鸭、杂交鸭(♀建昌鸭×(?)番鸭)和北京鸭的mtDNA限制性酶切图谱。限制性内切酶HindⅢ、PsiⅠ、BamHⅠ和EcoRⅠ在番鸭mtDNA上分别有(?)、2、2和1个酶切位点。建昌鸭、杂交鸭和北京鸭的mtDNA限制性酶切图谱完全一致。以上4种内切酶在这3种鸭子mtDNA上分别有5、4、2和1个位点。比较研究4种限制性图谱,我们得到三点结论:(1)鸭类mtDN种间差异程度很高;(2)家鸭很可能不存在mtDNA种内异质现象;(3)鸭类mtDNA为母性遗传。     

克山病是一种“心肌线粒体病(Mitochondrial Cardiomyopathy)”

亚急克病人心肌线粒体内膜电子传递链的琥珀酸氧化酶系,琥珀酸脱氢酶和细胞色素氧化酶活性明显低于对照。H~ -ATP酶的活性及其对寡霉素的敏感性都明显下降。ATP能量化后线粒体膜电位的变化也比对照明显降低。膜脂流动性低于对照。亚急克病人心肌线粒体内观察到较多的电子致密无定形物质,经电镜X射线微区等方法分析,认为这些物质不是Ca_3(PO_4)_2,而可能是一种蛋白质凝聚物。此外,心肌线粒体的硒含量远低于对照,而Ca含量明显高于对照。上述结果都反映亚急克病人心肌线粒体明显损伤。根据克山病患者心肌细胞线粒体结构与功能方面呈现的如此广泛与明显的异常,可将克山病称为“心肌线粒体病(Mitochondrial Cardiomyopathy)”。     

七种云南地衣植物的化学成分

本文报道分属于三个科的七种云南产地衣植物的化学成分。这些植物是亚洲树发(Alectoria asiatica DR.)、沟树发(Alectoria sulcata Nyl.)、长茎松萝(Usnea longissimaAch.)、胡子松萝(Usnea comosa(Ach.)Rohl.)、林石蕊(Cladonia arbuscula(Rabh.)Rabh.)、砖孢发(Oropogon loxensis(Fee.)Th.Fr.)和卷梢雪花衣(Anaptychiaboryi(Fee.)Mass.)。根据光谱数据测定,其化学成分为:松萝酸(Usnic acid)(1),维任西酸(Virensic acid)(2),赤星衣酸乙酯(Ethyl haematommate)(3),瑞藏酸(Rhizonic acid)(4),赤星衣酸(Haematommic acid)(5),扁枝衣酸乙酯(Ethyleverninate)(6),黑茶渍素(Atranorin)(7)和泽屋萜(Zeorin)(8)。上述资料,对开发利用这些植物资源提供了科学依据。     

A calcium ionophore-inducible cellular promoter is highly active and has enhancerlike properties.

We examined the regulatory/promoter sequence of a calcium ionophore-inducible gene isolated from the rat genome. Whereas the promoter of this ubiquitously expressed gene is active under noninduced conditions, after induction by calcium ionophore A23187 this promoter is 10- to 25-fold more active than the simian virus 40 early promoter, as measured by chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activities. Within this regulatory/promoter region, we have identified a DNA fragment with enhancer-like properties immediately 5' to the TATA sequence. This 291-nucleotide fragment acts in cis to enhance expression of the neomycin phosphotransferase (neo) gene driven by the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase promoter in an orientation-independent manner. In addition, this fragment can confer A23187 inducibility to the neo gene and effectively compete for positive regulatory factors involved in A23187 induction. Sequence analysis of this promoter reveals homology with viral core enhancer sequences, and the apparent organization of direct repeat domains is similar to those observed in viral enhancers.     

Tyrosyl kinase activity is inversely related to prostatic acid phosphatase activity in two human prostate carcinoma cell lines.

Alterations in prostatic acid phosphatase (PAcP), a phosphotyrosyl phosphatase, corresponded to changes in overall tyrosyl kinase activity. PAcP added to extracts of prostate carcinoma cells with a low endogenous level of PAcP activity and elevated tyrosyl kinase activity decreased the tyrosyl kinase activity. On the other hand, when PAcP activity was decreased by the addition of androgens to cells, there was a corresponding increase in tyrosyl kinase activity.     

Role of hypothalamic histaminergic systems in the regulation of vigilance states in cats

We have studied the effects of local injections of histaminergic and antihistaminic drugs on the sleep-waking cycle in the cat. Microinjections of alpha-fluoromethylhistidine (alpha-FMH), a specific inhibitor of histidine decarboxylase, in the ventrolateral posterior hypothalamus, where histamine-immunoreactive neurons have been recently identified, resulted in a significant decrease in wakefulness (W) and increase in deep slow wave sleep (SWS). On the other hand, microinjections of SKF-91488 (Homodimaprit), a specific inhibitor of histamine-N-methyltransferase, increased W and decreased SWS and paradoxical sleep (PS). Microinjections of histamine also produced an increase of W, while this effect was abolished by pretreatment with mepyramine, an H1-histamine receptor antagonist.     

Amino acid sequence of bovine white matter proteolipid

The sequence of the bovine white matter proteolipid has been studied by a combination of proteolytic digestion and chemical cleavage at tryptophan residues. Alignment of peptides obtained by digestion with trypsin, chymotrypsin, clostripain, and Staphylococcus aureus protease gave the sequence of 52 residues at the amino terminus, 96 residues at the carboxyl terminus, and several additional segments. Peptides obtained by treatment of the protein with 2-(2-nitrophenylsulfenyl)-3-methyl-3'-bromoindolenine confirmed the alignment and extended the sequence. This information, combined with that of other investigators, permits us to propose the primary structure for the entire protein. On the basis of the sequence determination, the molecular weight of the proteolipid protein is 29,869.