Polyamines in liver and their influence on chromatin condensation after 17-β estradiol treatment of Atlantic salmon

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were treated with 17- estradiol to induce vitellogenin synthesis in liver. This led to an increase in liver wet weight and total DNA. After incubation with micrococcal nuclease (EC 3.1.31.1) less soluble chromatin was obtained from nuclei of the estradiol treated than the control fish, but active gene regions were solubilized by the nuclease. Thus, in the estradiol treated fish soluble mononucleosomes contained hybridizable vitellogenin gene sequences. As a result of estradiol treatment the content in total liver of putrescine rose 3-fold, that of spermidine 2-fold, while spermine was unchanged. In muscle no significant changes were observed. The regulatory functions of polyamines during gene expression were investigated by binding (¹⁴C)spermine to isolated liver nuclei depleted of endogenous polyamines. The number of binding sites was higher in nuclei of estradiol treated than control fish. (^14C)spermine associated preferentially with micrococcal nuclease insensitive chromatin. Thus, the high content of putrescine and spermidine in liver supported the view of polyamine accumulation in proliferating tissues. The preferential binding to condensed chromatin indicated a stabilizing effect of polyamines on the organization of inactive chromatin structures.Abbreviations MNase micrococcal nuclease - PMSF phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride     

THE SARCOTUBULAR SYSTEM OF FROG SKELETAL MUSCLE : A Morphological and Biochemical Study

In the frog skeletal muscle cell a well defined and highly organized system of tubular elements is located in the sarcoplasm between the myofibrils. The sarcoplasmic component is called the sarcotubular system. By means of differential centrifugation it has been possible to isolate from the frog muscle homogenate a fraction composed of small vesicles, tubules, and particles. This fraction is without cytochrome oxidase activity, which is localized in the mitochondrial membranes. This indicates that the structural components of this fraction do not derive from the mitochondrial fragmentation, but probably from the sarcotubular system. This fraction, called sarcotubular fraction, has a Mg⁺⁺-stimulated ATPase activity which differs from that of muscle mitochondria in that it is 3 to 4 times higher on the protein basis as compared with the mitochondrial ATPase, and is inhibited by Ca⁺⁺ and by deoxycholate like the Kielley and Meyerhof ATPase. We therefore conclude that the "granules" of the Kielley and Meyerhof ATPase, which were shown to have a relaxing effect, are fragments of the sarcotubular system. The isolated sarcotubular fraction has a high RNA content and demonstrable activity in incorporating labeled amino acids, even in the absence of added supernatant.     

Synthesis and characterisation of the first transition metal complex of zoxazolamine (2-amino-5-chlorobenzoxazole): the X-ray crystal structure determination of [ZnCl2(eta 1-Nbenzoxazole-2-amino-5-chlorobenzoxazole)2

The synthesis and characterisation (NMR, X-ray, elemental analysis) of the first transition metal complex of Zoxazolamine (1: 2-amino-5-chlorobenzoxazole), viz. [ZnCl(2)(1)(2)] (2) is described; complex 2 is obtained in 77% yield from the treatment of 1 with ZnCl(2) in acetone solution. The Zn compound is a mononuclear species (X-ray) with a distorted tetrahedral array of ligands around the metal centre with the title ligand bound to Zn via the benzoxazole ring N-atom. The structural properties of 2 are discussed in relation to other mononuclear Zn halide complexes.     

[Cp*IrCl2]2 catalyzed hydroborations of alkenes using a bulky dioxaborocine

4,8-Di-tert-butyl-2,10-dimethyl-12H-dibenzo[d,g][1,3,2]dioxaborocine (1) has been prepared in high yield by the addition of H₃B·SMe₂ to 6,6′-methylene(2-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol). Dioxaborocine 1 is a relatively stable solid that reacts with a variety of aliphatic alkenes in the presence of catalytic amounts of [Cp*IrCl₂]₂ to give the terminal hydroboration products. Analogous reactions with vinylarenes, however, afford the corresponding alkenylboronate esters along with equal amounts of the hydrogenation products. Boron products have been characterized by a number of physical and analytical methods, including single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies.     

Synthesis, characterization, and cytotoxicities of platinum(II) complexes bearing pyridinecarboxaldimines containing bulky aromatic groups

Condensation of 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde with several primary amines containing bulky aryl groups gave the corresponding pyridinecarboxaldimines (N-N′). Addition of these ligands to [PtCl₂(coe)]₂ (coe = cis-cyclooctene) gave complexes of the type cis-PtCl₂(N-N′) in moderate yields. The platinum complexes have been examined for their potential cytotoxicities against OV2008 (human ovarian carcinoma) and the analogous cisplatin-resistant cell line C13.