Production of chitinolytic enzymes from a novel species ofAeromonas

A bacterial strain secreting potent chitinolytic activity was isolated from shrimp-pond water by enrichment culture using colloidal crab-shell chitin as the major carbon source. The isolated bacterium, designated asAeromonas sp No. 16 exhibited a rod-like morphology with a polar flagellum. Under optimal culture conditions in 500-ml shaker flasks, it produced a chitinolytic activity of 1.4 U ml^–1. A slightly higher enzymatic activity of 1.5 U ml^–1 was obtained when cultivation was carried out in a 5-liter jar fermentor using a medium containing crystalline chitin as the carbon source. The secretion of the enzyme(s) was stimulated by several organic nitrogenous supplements. Most carbon sources tested (glucose, maltose, N-acetylglucosamine, etc) enhanced cell growth, but they slightly inhibited enzyme secretion. Glucosamine (0.5% w/v) severely inhibited cell growth (16% of the control), but it did not significantly affect enzyme secretion. The production of chitinolytic enzymes was pH sensitive and was enhanced by increasing the concentration of colloidal chitin to 1.5%. The observed chitinolytic activity could be attributed to the presence of -N-acetylglucosaminidase and chitinase. Chitinase was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation and preparative gel electrophoresis to three major bands on SDS-PAGE. An in-gel enzymatic activity assay indicated that all three bands possessed chitinase activity. Analysis of the enzymatic products indicated that the purified enzyme(s) hydrolyzed colloidal chitin predominantly to N,N-diacetyl-chitobiose and, to a much lesser extent, the mono-, tri, and tetramer of N-acetylglucosamine, suggesting that they are mainly endochitinases.     

Cigarette advertising and onset of smoking in children: questionnaire survey.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate uptake of smoking in a cohort of 11 to 12 year olds related to awareness of advertised cigarette brands named. DESIGN: Self completed questionnaires administered to whole classes of schoolchildren in June 1993 and June 1994. SETTING: Primary, middle, and secondary schools in the north and south of England. SUBJECTS: 1450 pupils aged 11 and 12 years at the time of the first survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Onset of smoking and brands smoked by the second survey related to cigarette brands named in the first one. Less advertised brands were used as the base for calculating odds ratios. RESULTS: Girls who named the most advertised brands-namely, Benson and Hedges alone (odds ratio = 2.50, 95% confidence interval = 1.18 to 5.30) or Benson and Hedges and Silk Cut (2.15, 1.04 to 4.42) in the first survey were at greatest risk of taking up smoking by the second one. The difference was similar but not significant for boys. Boys and girls who named the least advertised brands in the first survey were at no greater risk of taking up smoking by the second survey than those who named no brands (boys odds ratio = 0.49 (0.24 to 1.01); girls 0.79 (0.38 to 1.62)). New smokers were more likely to smoke any available brand (29.5%) or a less advertised brand such as Embassy (24.6%) than the most advertised ones, Benson and Hedges (19.7%) and Silk Cut (14.8%). Established smokers were more selective, only 15% smoking any available brand and 38.3% smoking Benson and Hedges. CONCLUSIONS: Cigarette advertising appears to increase children''s awareness of smoking at a generic level and encourages them to take up the behaviour, beginning with any cigarettes which are available and affordable.     

DISCOVERY OF VERTEBRATE FOSSILS AND PALEOLITHIC ARTIFACTS IN DANJIANG SUBMERGING AREA AND ITS IMPLICATIONS

IntheareatobefloodedinthesecondengineeringstagefortheDanjiangreservoir,wediscovered16vertebratefossillocalitiesand52Paleolithicsitesin1994,andcollected603artifactsandmanyfossils.Ofthel6new1yfoundvertebratefossillocalities,threearereptilesitesrepresentedbydinosaureggsandlimbbones,andl3producemamma1s,including4Pale0gene,2Ne0geneand7Quaternarysites'ThemammalianlocalitiesareofPale0cene,Eocene,EarlyMiocene,andPli0ceneorEarlyPleistocene,MiddleandIntePleistocene,respectively.Theyfillinsomestrat…     

壳多糖酶研究的概况及最新进展

壳多糖酶专一性水解壳多糖中的β－1,4糖苷键,在自然界的碳循环中具有极其重要的意义．壳多糖酶分布广泛,功能多样,在真菌生长发育、植物抗真菌感染等生理过程中壳多糖酶均发挥重要作用．文章概述了壳多糖酶研究的现状及最新进展,介绍了壳多糖酶的分布、理化性质、催化性质、在细胞中的定位及其调控;简介了近年来真菌和植物壳多糖酶研究的动态及最新进展.     

肿瘤坏死因子－α（TNF－α）及白细胞介素1β（IL1－β）对胶质增生的影响及机理

本文利用小鼠大脑机械损伤模型及体外培养的胶质细胞,采用同位素渗入法观察了细胞介素及其抗体对胶质细胞增生的影响。结果表明：体外培养时ＴＮＦ－α在浓度为１０～２００ｕ／ｍｌ培养液时均能促进胶质细胞增生（Ｐ＜０．０５）,ＩＬ１－β在浓度为５～２００ｕ／ｍｌ培养液时能促进胶质细胞增生,ＴＮＦ－α＋ＩＬ１－β其促进胶质细胞增生作用更强烈,ＴＮＦ－α抗体能完全阻断ＴＮＦ－α的促增生作用,部分阻断ＴＮＦ－α＋ＩＬ１－β的促增生作用。在体实验时,ＩＬ１－β及ＴＮＦ－α的作用与离体时相似,ＩＬ１－β及ＴＮＦ－α亦能促进胶质细胞增生,二者共同作用时促细胞增生作用更强。以上结果提示,外源性ＴＮＦ－α及ＩＬ１－β能促进中枢神经损伤后胶质细胞增生且具有协同作用。     

EB病毒胸苷激酶基因的扩增

ＥＢ病毒胸苷激酶基因的扩增陈尚武,陈瑞君,黄迪,朱振宇,马涧泉（中山医科大学生化教研室,广州５１００８９）（中山医科大学肿瘤研究所,广州５１００６０）关键词Ｅｐｓｔｅｉｎ－Ｂａｒｒ病毒,胸苷激酶,基因,聚合酶链反应鼻咽癌（ｎａｓｏｐｈａｒｙｎｇｅａｌ...     

DAB诱发大白鼠肝癌过程中细胞质膜上酶变化的观察

本实验以二甲基氨基偶氮苯（ＤＡＢ）诱发大白鼠肝癌的动物模型为材料,观察了在诱癌过程中和肝癌形成后大白鼠肝细胞质膜上几种酶活性的变化,用不连续蔗糖密度梯度离心法制备肝细胞质膜,分光光度法对酶活性进行定量测定。实验结果表明,在诱无病癌过程中,肝细胞质膜上５′－ＡＭＰａｓｅ活性上降,γ－ＧＴａｓｅ活性显著升高。γ－ＧＴａｓｅ活性升高幅度与病理变化正相关,并且在诱癌早期就能表现出来。