Glucose-6-phosphate Dehydrogenase and 6-Phosphogluconate Dehydrogenase of Candida tropicalis Partial Purification and Some Properties

Glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate (6PG) dehydrogenase were partially purified about 53-fold and 47-fold, respectively, from the cell-free extract of glucose-grown Candida tropicalis by means of ammonium sulfate fractionation and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. AMP acted as the competitive inhibitor against G6P and NADP in the G6P dehydrogenase reaction. This inhibition was remarkable at low concentrations of NADP, increasing the sigmoidicity of the NADP-saturation curve. On the other hand, 6PG dehydrogenase was not affected by AMP. Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (FDP) and phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) inhibited slightly G6P dehydrogenase. 6PG dehydrogenase was also weakly inhibited by FDP. Apparent Km values of G6P dehydrogenase were calculated as 1.8 × 10^?4 m for G6P and 3.1 × 10^?5 m for NADP. Those of 6PG dehydrogenase were 9.4 × 10^?5 m for 6PG and 2.8 × 10^?5 m for NADP.     

Production of Polysaccharide from Starch and Identification of Constituent Sugars of the Preparation

A bacterium which belongs to Achromobacter sp. was isolated and named as Achromobacter mucosum nov. sp. Starch and dextrin were essential carbon sources to produce a polysaccharide effectively by the bacterium. Maltotriose was as effective as starch for the production of the polysaccharide, and glucose, maltose, isomaltose and panose were little effective. This indicates that the bacterium requires a definite configuration of carbon source to produce the polysaccharide effectively. The dry powder of the polysaccharide was prepared from 10 liters of broth in the yield of 34.9 g. Glucose, galactose, mannose and uronic acid were confirmed as the constituent sugars of the polysaccharide and it was most probable that the uronic acid was d-glucuronic acid.     

Fatty Acid Compositions of Corynebacterium simplex Grown on 1-Alkenes

The utilization of 1-alkenes by Corynebacterium simplex ATCC 6946 was studied with respect to the characteristic fatty acid profiles resulting from the growth at the expense of these substrates.

It was indicated that the synthetic pathways of the cellular fatty acids in Corynebact. simplex grown on various n-alkanes or 1-alkenes changed markedly according to the chain lengths of the substrates. From shorter chain hydrocarbons (C₁₂, C₁₄) the fatty acids were found to be synthesized mainly via de novo synthesis pathway in a similar manner to those from glucose, while chain elongation and intact incorporation occurred to a very small extent. On the other hand, an intact incorporation mechanism was preferential in the cells grown on longer ones (C₁₆, C₁₈). When n-pentadecane or 1-pentadecene was used as the substrate, these three mechanisms seemed to operate simultaneously.     

Edge-related changes in tree communities in the understory of mesic temperate forest fragments of northern Japan

We have assessed the effects of habitat fragmentation on understory tree communities in mesic temperate forests of the Tokachi plain of northern Japan. Tree community composition was analyzed across 13 forest fragments of various sizes ranging from 0.30 to 8.51 ha. The community composition varied along the edge-to-interior gradient: there was a lower abundance of shade-tolerant shrubs in forest edges than in forest interiors, while saplings of dominant canopy trees and pioneer trees were more abundant near the edges. The edge influence extended approximately 56 m into the forest interiors. Even the interior area of small fragments were likely to be affected not only by the nearest edge but also by more distant edges. Consequently, most areas in fragments smaller than 2 ha were covered by these “edge-type” communities. These results indicate that it is of primary importance to conserve and restore forests with an area at least larger than several hectares to sustain forest-interior tree communities.     

Occurrence of l-Saccharopine and γ-L-Glutamylglycine in the Mushroom,Agaricus bisporus

Microfolicoumarin (1), a prenylcoumarin from Cedrelopsis microfoliata, was synthesized from 2,4,5-trimethoxybenzaldehyde in five steps. 1 did not show significant antioxidative activity, but the key intermediates, esculetin (3) and 5-prenylesculetin (6), exhibited strong antioxidative activity in both the superoxide-radical and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging models.     

Functional and Structural Properties of Ovomucin

Relationships between the structural (hydrophobicity and viscosity) and functional (foaming and emulsifying) properties of proteins were investigated by using a polymeric form of ovomucin (soluble type), and dissociated ovomucins which were treated with sonication (sonicated type) and reduction (reduced type). The soluble, sonicated and reduced ovomucins were ascertained to have excellent foaming and emulsifying properties. The foaming properties of the ovomucins decreased in proportion to decreases in the viscosity as the dissociation proceeded, in the order of the soluble, sonicated and reduced types. On the other hand, the emulsifying properties of ovomucins increased in proportion to increases in the surface hydrophobicity as the dissociation proceeded.

Thus, it was suggested that the foaming properties of ovomucins were dependent upon viscosity, and that the emulsifying properties of ovomucins were dependent upon surface hydrophobicity.     

The development of circadian rhythm of human body temperature

Abstract

Daily periodic changes of body temperature were examined in 138 subjects ranging in age between 5 days and 44 years. Whereas the circadian rhythm of human body temperature was not discerned in newborn babies, body temperatures were higher during daytime than during nighttime in infants over one month. Temperature rhythm similar to that of adults, with respect to phase, was observed in the age groups of ten to eleven months and over, earlier than previously reported. The amplitude in circadian oscillation was, however, significantly larger in children between 7 months and 7 years of age than in adults. Thus, it is concluded that the adult type of circadian rhythm of human body temperature is fully established with respect to phase and amplitude after 7 years of age.     

Structure-based discovery of cellular-active allosteric inhibitors of FAK

In order to develop potent and selective focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitors, synthetic studies on pyrazolo[4,3-c][2,1]benzothiazines targeted for the FAK allosteric site were carried out. Based on the X-ray structural analysis of the co-crystal of the lead compound, 8-(4-ethylphenyl)-5-methyl-1,5-dihydropyrazolo[4,3-c][2,1]benzothiazine 4,4-dioxide 1 with FAK, we designed and prepared 1,5-dimethyl-1,5-dihydropyrazolo[4,3-c][2,1]benzothiazin derivatives which selectively inhibited kinase activity of FAK without affecting seven other kinases. The optimized compound, N-(4-tert-butylbenzyl)-1,5-dimethyl-1,5-dihydropyrazolo[4,3-c][2,1]benzothiazin-8-amine 4,4-dioxide 30 possessed significant FAK kinase inhibitory activities both in cell-free (IC₅₀ = 0.64 μM) and in cellular assays (IC₅₀ = 7.1 μM). These results clearly demonstrated a potential of FAK allosteric inhibitors as antitumor agents.     

Mint3 is dispensable for pancreatic and kidney functions in mice

Munc-18 interacting protein 3 (Mint3) is an activator of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 in cancer cells, macrophages, and cancer-associated fibroblasts under pathological conditions. However, exactly which cells highly express Mint3 in vivo and whether Mint3 depletion affects their physiological functions remain unclear. Here, we surveyed mouse tissues for specific expression of Mint3 by comparing Mint3 expression in wild-type and Mint3-knockout mice. Interestingly, immunohistochemical analyses revealed that Mint3 was highly expressed in islet cells of the pancreas, distal tubular epithelia of the kidney, choroid plexus ependymal cells of the cerebrum, medullary cells of the adrenal gland, and epithelial cells of the seminal gland. We also studied whether Mint3 depletion affects the physiological functions of the islets and kidneys. Mint3-knockout mice did not show any abnormalities in glucose-tolerance and urine-biochemical tests, indicating that Mint3 depletion was compensated for in these organs. Thus, loss of Mint3 might be compensated in the islets and kidneys under physiological conditions in mice.